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O.J. Simpson Robbery Suspect; Jena Six Case Reversal; Iraq War Demonstrations; Norfolk Naval Shipyard Fire; Iraq War Polarizing Political Arena
Aired September 15, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the University of Chicago, Dr. Everett Vote prescribed a different plan, first reduce the tumor with chemotherapy and radiation, then consider surgery if cancer remains. For Grant Achatz, saving his tongue seemed like the only course.
ACHATZ: You're dealing with your tongue, your palate.
OPPENHEIM: Which were you more worried about, your career or your life?
ACHATZ: Career, easily. Yeah. Because like I said before, I never thought I was gong to die.
OPPENHEIM: The truth is Grant Achatz doesn't know if he'll beat this cancer, but so far it hasn't taken his sense of humor.
ACHATZ: I mean, look around, half my staff has shaved heads, so I'm going to fit right in.
(LAUGHTER)
OPPENHEIM: And it hasn't slowed his determination to be one of the world's top chefs.
Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And the CNN NEWSROOM continues with Alina Cho sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, T.J., Betty. Thank so much.
Straight ahead this hour, O.J. Simpson under suspicion again. The ex-football star says he just wanted his stuff back. Simpson talked to our very own Ted Rowlands. We're going to talk to Ted live in just a moment.
Always missing for months, now the parents of Madeleine McCann launch an expensive new campaign to find their daughter. But is it another reason involved for the move? And happening right now, thousands of people, both for and against the war in Iraq, converge on Washington. We'll take you there live.
It's Saturday, September, 15, I'm Alina Cho. Fredricka is off today. And you're in the NEWSROOM.
Investigating an explosion and fire aboard a navy ship. Five civilian contractors injured. It happened this morning at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. Officials say the fire aboard USS Leyte Gulf is now out. They're calling it a, "isolated incident" in a berthing area two levels below the main deck. The guided missile cruiser has been undergoing a standard modernization overhaul since about May.
It usually has about 350 civilian, government, and military personnel onboard. Domonique Benn of our affiliate WTKR TV in Norfolk is covering the story. She's joining us live on the phone with the very latest.
So Domonique, what can you tell us?
DOMONIQUE BENN, WTKR TV REPORTER: Good afternoon, Alina. We know that Norfolk fire, the military and BAE Systems, they are investigating this fire or explosion, and whatever happened there. They're not sure if an explosion happened or if it was just a fire.
We were told at about 9:29 this morning, aboard the USS Leyte Gulf, there were five injuries. That's where five civilian contractors, they were injured. No military personnel injured. No way an act of terrorism. That is what the officials want us to get out, that this was not an act of terrorism. It was an isolated incident involving a fire onboard this military vessel.
We understand that the ship came to BAE System in May of 2007, apparently there was some welding activity below the berthing area, that was about two decks down. That is where that fire happened, or the explosion. They're not sure at this time. They are investigating it.
The Norfolk fire investigators tell us that this fire was minor. It was controlled. And it was extinguished with a portable fire extinguisher. However, five people, as we mentioned, civilian contractors, were injured. They have been transported to our local hospital, here. The extent of those injuries and the names of those people, that has not been released at this time.
We also understand that this ship was in this shipyard for a modernization overhaul. And we were told the workers, while they were working in this area, either welding or cleaning up, they heard an explosion, they saw a lot of smoke, and that is when they got out of there. Besides the five civilian contractors that were injured and taken to the hospital, we do understand that there was a lot of smoke and a lot of people having a hard time breathing. So, smoke inhalation is also a concern here with some of those people that were onboard. From where we were standing in that media staging area, you could not see anything. You couldn't even see the ship from that staging area. Again, this happened inside of that ship. And, again, this was not an act of terrorism. Simply Norfolk investigators and the military and BAE Systems, they simply believe that this was an accident.
CHO: Domonique Benn of our affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia, watching that story for us. Domonique, thank you very much. We'll check back with you later.
Other news now. O.J. Simpson says he just wanted to get his stuff back. He's under suspicion again. This time fingered by the victim of an alleged robbery at a Las Vegas hotel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
On Thursday, September 13th, just before 8:00 p.m., Las Vegas metro responded to a call of a person as a victim of an armed robbery at the Palace Station's Hotel and Casino at 2411 West Sahara. The victim stated that the -- one of the suspects involved in the robbery was O.J. Simpson. The items that were taken were various sports- related products.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: CNN's Ted Rowlands has been talking to Simpson himself and others involved with the case. He joins us now live from Las Vegas.
So Ted, the alleged victim says that guns were drawn. That Simpson was screaming, "that's mine, that's mine, that's mine." O.J. Simpson tells quite a different story. What did he tell you?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, O.J. basically says that he got wind that these guys had some of his personal effects, things that he claims were stolen out of his Rockingham address in Los Angeles years ago, like photos of himself as a child, photos of his family, photos that Nicole, his wife, took. She was a photographer. So, he wanted to get those items back, so he set up a bit of a little sting operation.
One of his friends pretended to be a buyer, they went to the Palace Station Casino. And the way O.J. tells it is they went into the room, invited because they were the potential buyers in this scenario. Got in there, O.J. says yeah, he raised his voice because he was angry. These were people he dealt with over the years that were selling the material.
But, he says they gave it to him and said: Here you go, O.J., yeah, yeah, this is yours. And then they left. It was a matter of five minutes. They gathered their things and they left. He says this is a big to-do about nothing and that it's being overblown because he's O.J. Simpson.
On the other hand you hear from the victims, the alleged victims, yeah, they thought they were selling this merchandise, but all of a sudden, five men came barreling into the room. Two of them had guns, they pointed the guns at them, roughed them up a bit and the last guy in was O.J. who was screaming at them. Here's some of what the alleged victims claim what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE FROMONG, MEMORABILIA SELLER: I mean, it was just like a home invasion. You know? They came in quick. They came in fast. And people moved into where they should be. I mean...
ROWLANDS: And O.J. was there?
FROMONG: And O.J. -- and the last person coming in was O.J. yelling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: O.J. Simpson has been interviewed twice by Las Vegas police. The first time was a very short interview. The second time, according to a source with the police force, they -- they were able to talk to him, but at one point O.J. said he need a lawyer. So, we're hoping to talk to O.J. again. O.J. told me that he's in town here for a wedding and that he's cooperating fully. He says he doesn't plan on leaving Las Vegas until this is all ironed out. He says he's cooperating completely with authorities and in the end nothing will happen.
The -- the authorities are the ones that have to figure you that, Alina. They're looking at video surveillance from the hotel here and trying to track down those other men that were with O.J. Simpson to try to figure this out, see who's telling the truth. And if there were guns involved, they say O.J. could be in lot of trouble.
CHO: Right, it's been said that members of his entourage were the ones with the guns, not O.J. Simpson. But nonetheless, he could be a participant in that if that were the case.
The investigation, Ted, is said to be very preliminary. You mentioned that surveillance video, I understand some photos were seized as well. Getting any information on what was on that video or in those photos?
ROWLANDS: We don't have any information specifically about that. We do know that they have those -- the video, and one source with the police department did tell us that there are recognizable images. And they're working on trying to complete those I.D.s and then complete interviews with all of the parties involved. And like you mentioned, the key here is the gun. If, indeed, there were weapons used whether O.J. had a gun in his hand or not, if he was part of this, he's facing the same charges. Plus, he could be facing potential conspiracy charges.
If they throw the book at him and they believe these alleged victims, he could be in a lot of trouble, be arrested for a felonies and then start a whole other O.J. saga that, you know, could or could not transpire. The next couple of days are going to be key. We'll see if it blows over or if O.J. is back in the grips of the law.
CHO: I know you'll be watching the next 48 hours very closely. Ted Rowlands, live for us in Las Vegas. Ted thank you very much.
And stay tuned because our legal experts weigh in on this case later today. CNN legal briefs with civil rights attorney Avery Friedman and criminal defense attorney Richard Herman. That's at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, right here in the NEWSROOM.
In a racially tense town in Louisiana, a major legal victory for a Black teenager accused in the beating of a White schoolmate. An appeals court has thrown out the only remaining convection against Mychal Bell. The panel says Bell, who's now behind bars, should not have been tried as an adult on a battery charge.
We have reaction from CNN's Keith Oppenheim from Jena, Louisiana.
Hey, Keith, what do you know?
OPPENHEIM: Hi, Alina.
Behind me is the sort house where Mychal Bell of the so-called "Jena Six" was scheduled to be sentenced next Thursday on an aggravated battery conviction. That's not going to happen now. And as you said, the is reason that a state appellate court determined that because he was 16 last December at the time of a schoolyard beating of a White student, that he was too young and should never have been tried as an adult.
Keep in mind that Bell and all of the other "Jena Six" were originally charged with attempted murder, a charge which the state allows for bumping up a teenager to the adult court. But when the charges for Bell were reduced to aggravated battery, the appeals court said, mistake. You can't bump up on that charge, this case needs to go to the juvenile system.
We got reaction from Mychal Bell's mother, Melissa, who is concerned about her son, who is in jail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA BELL, MYCHAL'S MOTHER: I see that he's -- he know, you know, he got life, he know what he want out of life, now that he's been in there and, you know, a long time and sit back and think about what he want out of life and that, you know, it can be taken away from him any minute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OPPENHEIM: Some quick background on the racial tensions at Jena High School. Last year, a Black student sat under a tree on school grounds that was traditional gathering spot for White students. Next day, three nooses are hanging from that tree, and then three White students are suspended. Later, six Black students attacked a White student, and they were originally charged with attempted murder. Now, most of those charges have been reduced, but some are outraged by what they perceive to be unequal treatment between White and Black students.
As for Mychal Bell, it's up to the district attorney now to decide whether he wants to appeal this overturned conviction or if he's going to recharge Mychal Bell as a juvenile. Back to you.
CHO: CNN's Keith Oppenheim live for us in Jena, Louisiana. Keith, thank you.
A shift in focus in the search for a missing 4-year-old British girl. Parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, seen here with their two other children, are asking the public for help in finding their daughter, Madeleine. She vanished while with the family in Portugal on vacation more than four months ago. Just last week, the parents were formally named suspect in Maddy's disappearance.
CNN's Emily Chang joins us now live from the family's hometown England. So, this P.R. campaign, some would say, Emily, is meant to shift the focus away from the parents named as suspects. What's the reaction been over there?
EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, today in Glasgow, Scotland, John McCann, Gerry McCann's brother, announced they would be launching a major ad campaign to remind everyone that Madeleine is still missing. First he began by thanking the public for their generosity, then listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCANN, GERRY MCCANN'S BROTHER: The main objective, I'd just like to remind people again, of the fund, is to leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine. OK? We want to refocus on that main objective.
To that end, I have made a proposal to the other directors of the fund, and have had agreement in principle, that we are going to announce we will finance a broad range of advertisements, to remind everyone that Madeleine is still missing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANG: The ads will be running in newspapers and on billboards across Spain and Portugal, primarily. The campaign expected to -- expected to cost up to $160,000. The money, coming from the Find Madeleine Fund that has raised more than $2 million since she disappeared four months ago.
Now, this announcement comes after days of speculation in the press that seems to only be growing stronger. Today, she's on the cover of almost all of the British tabloids here in the Daily Mirror. Police saying they believe Maddy's body may never be found.
Now, of course, these headlines haven't been independently verified by CNN. But it just goes to show the level of interest in this case is only getting stronger. But the truth is, we don't know what happened to Madeleine. She could be dead. She could be alive. Kate and Gerry McCann have said they don't want to comment on the speculation, fearing it will create only more speculation. And people here in Rothley having been very supportive of the McCann's for the last four months, given the events of the last few days, they simply really just don't want to talk about it. They're very confused and all of us seem to be waiting for what's going to happen next.
CHO: CNN's Emily Chang live for us in England. Emily, thank you very much.
And CNN's Anderson Cooper will have much more on the disappearance of Maddy McCann, Monday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a very special edition of "AC 360."
Stay with us. Still to come in the CNN NEWSROOM, the Iraq are drawing protesters to Washington this hour. You're looking live there. Supporters and opponents, both making their voices heard.
In Italy, a possible sighting of a key figure on the FBI's most- wanted list.
Plus, a traffic stop meltdown in Missouri is making its way across the Internet. You won't want to miss this. We're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: A dramatic lightning strike captured on camera. This bolt hit a school library in Texas. I-Reporter Christy Nerren caught the scene as she was picking her son up from school. There are no reports of anyone hurt.
And lightning does, indeed, strike twice. Just look at this scene off of Tybee Island in Georgia. Quite a scene there. I- Reporter Rick Ebrit (ph) had the quick trigger finger that captured nature in action. And, of course, if you see severe weather happening in your area, send us an i-Report. Go to cnn.com and click on i- Report and share your photos or video. It's very easy.
The war in Iraq, the focus of a day of demonstrations in Washington. Right now anti-war protesters are holding a rally followed by a march to the capitol and a so-called die-in. Groups that support the war are also gathering today in Washington.
We have the latest now from CNN's Kathleen Koch.
So, so far, are things peaceful, Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Alina, it's getting very loud here, so I'll just kind of describe to you what's going on. Got a very large crowd gathered here in LaFayette Park, across from the White House. So we can't get a birds-eye view, here. They got a permit for roughly 10,000.
But safe to say several thousand have gathered, young and old. A lot of them wearing tie-dye. Many, many, many carrying signs that were pre-made that say "end the war," now also homemade signs that say -- that have peace signs and "get us out of Iraq" things like that.
Now, obviously, the protesters say they felt this was the weekend to come and bring their message to Washington, what with the U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, U.S. ambassador, Ryan Crocker, giving their report before Congress, also President Bush giving his administration's report to Congress on -- with its analysis of progress there.
Now, they're going to be hearing from a variety of speakers here in the U.S. Capitol, today, or across the street from the White House. They're going to be hearing from anti-war protester, Cindy Sheehan, also U.S. Veterans Against the War will be speaking.
Now from here, as you mentioned, they are marching to the U.S. Capitol, where they'll have a symbolic die-in hoping that thousands will lie down in front of the U.S. Capitol, to symbolize, in part, the deaths of 3,780 Americans, American service members killed in combat in Iraq. Also thousands of Iraqis, as well.
Now, on their way, they will pass by a group that was protesting earlier on the mall. U.S. -- a group supporting U.S. forces in Iraq. And they had quite a lot to say about this protest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS HILL, GATHERING OF EAGLES: Today, I want you to raise your voices so loud that not only do those people hear us, but our brave warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan hear us, and know that we've got their backs! And they keep fighting there, and we will kick (bleep) here!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, the man who these protesters were most hoping to influence, President Bush, is not in the White House across the street, right now. He and the First Lady, Laura Bush, are spending the weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David -- Alina.
CHO: That's some fiery language there, Kathleen. All right, CNN's Kathleen Koch live for us in Washington.
KOCH: Quite a lot.
CHO: Kathleen, we'll check back with you later. Thank you very much.
KOCH: You bet.
CHO: Stay tuned. Up next in the NEWSROOM, Rudy Giuliani on the campaign trail and talking tough, taking on a familiar foe. We'll have much more on this, we're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
Updating a breaking story now. We have new video just in of a fire and possible explosion aboard a Navy ship. It happened this morning at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. Five civilian contractors were injured. Don't know the extent of those injuries. Officials say the fire aboard the USS Leyte Gulf is now out, thankfully. No word yet on exactly what caused the fire. But authorities are calling this, a "isolated incident" and say this was not, repeat not, a terrorist incident.
The guided missile cruiser has been undergoing a standard modernization overhaul since May, it usually has 350 civilian, government and military personnel onboard.
The war in Iraq polarizing the political arena and helping define the 2008 presidential candidates. Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Rudy Giuliani may feel Fred Thompson breathing down his neck. Our Poll of Polls shows Giuliani's support among Republicans averaging 29 percent and newcomer Thompson, 23 percent. In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama by 20 points on the average.
This week, Clinton had this response to General David Petraeus' testimony about the war in Iraq:
SEN HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief.
SCHNEIDER: That set off Giuliani.
RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we have a right to expect of our presidential candidates more statesmanship than accusing American generals of the willing suspension of disbelief.
SCHNEIDER: Like his many fellow Republicans, Giuliani was angry about the ad Moveon.org ran in Monday's "New York Times" criticizing General Petraeus, which he linked to Hillary Clinton.
GIULIANI: I was really displeased in Hillary Clinton's attack on the general's integrity, kind of joining in that a failure to condemn Moveon.org.
SCHNEIDER: So, Giuliani ran his own ad accusing Clinton of being part of an orchestrated attack on General Petraeus, involving Moveon, the Democrats and "New York Times," sort of a vast left-wing conspiracy.
Why is Giuliani going after Clinton and not Thompson, his Republican rival? Has the general election campaign started already? Consider this -- among Republicans nationwide, 66 percent believe President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq is succeeding, 71 percent favor the war in Iraq, and 77 percent approve of the job President Bush is doing. But a whopping 80 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton. Republicans dislike Clinton more than they support the war or President Bush.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Now, Moveon is striking back at Giuliani with a new TV ad that will air next week in Iowa, accusing Giuliani of, "a betrayal of trust." He was thrown off the Iraq Study Group for missing too many meetings. Moveon director Eli Pariser says, adding, "Where was he? Out making huge sums of money giving speeches." Now, the Giuliani campaign calls it, "A badge of honor to be attacked by Moveon" which it calls "a Democratic character assassination machine."
CHO: Oh boy.
SCHNEIDER: Getting rough out there, Alina.
CHO: Lots of mudslinging going on. All right, I am fascinated about this. I want to talk a little bit more about Giuliani going after Clinton so early on in the race. I mean, we're not even close to the primaries yet. You know, and they're in -- Giuliani and Thompson are in a virtual dead heat. So, I don't understand the strategy. Doesn't he have to get past Thompson first?
SCHNEIDER: Sure, he has to win the nomination, but one of the ways he's trying to do that is to show that he's the more qualified candidate to beat Hillary Clinton. He's a blue-state Democrat from New York and he argues he can run against Hillary Clinton, the ultimate blue-state Democrat in places like New York and California, where Thompson, who's got a base really among southerners, that's where he's strongest, would find it difficult to compete with her in those blue states. So, it's a way of proving his credentials to conservatives who find Hillary Clinton a very scary contender for the Democrats.
CHO: That's right, they really cannot stand her. And he's running on the fact that people have called him "America's mayor," of course.
Let's talk a little bit about Hillary because, for all the talk about the Hillary/Obama rivalry, Hillary is way, way up in the polls. You're talking 20 points. So are we in the media to blame for giving this more credence than we should, or is this just too sexy of a story to avoid?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the polls have been stable the last six months, namely that Hillary Clinton is running first and her lead has been growing slowly and gradually since the Spring. Barack Obama has about a quarter of the Democratic vote. She's inching her way up to about 50 percent of the vote, which would make her a formidable front- runner.
But as we've known in the past, look what happened to Howard Dean in 2003. The candidate who's the front-runner the year before the election, that can be overturned in a matter of days. Howard Dean was way ahead at the end of '03 and a couple of weeks later in the Iowa caucuses, suddenly he sank. So, front-runner status doesn't mean everything. It's important right now for raising money and certainly the Republicans are building her up into a formidable contender, but thinks can change in a minute in politics.
CHO: That's absolutely right as that infamous scream on the part of Howard Dean showed. Senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, joining us from Washington. Bill, thank you very much.
SCHNEIDER: Sure, Alina.
CHO: Need to catch up on the presidential race? Well, cnn.com has you covered with our Election Center. See the issues, meet the candidates. Send us an i-Report, will you? And much more. That address is cnn.com/election.
Much more ahead. Recognize this man? The FBI wants to hear from you. This (ph) a notorious American gangster living the good life under this Sicilian sun.
And skeletons uncovered in Florida. Now, a forensic sculptor tries to put a face on them.
And fire spews a choking cloud of toxic smoke. Just one word, plastics.
You're in the Saturday NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
His mug shot a prominent fixture on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Now, a possible sighting of one of the most notorious gangsters in the United States.
We get details now from CNN Justice Correspondent, Kelli Arena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Where's Whitey? It's a game the FBI is sick of playing. The latest possible sighting of south Boston's most notorious gangster and his moll (ph), of all places: Sicily, birthplace of the mafia.
James "Whitey" Bulger is the alleged former boss of the Winter Hill mob, and he's linked to 21 murders.
WARREN BAMFORD, FBI: What we want is for the public to take a look at the video and the photo and help us identify these people.
ARENA: The FBI says the video was shot back in April. Facial recognition tests were inconclusive, so agents want to talk to anyone who may have seen or spoken with the couple.
BAMFORD: We have some people who have said this absolutely is Bulger and others who have said, no, we're really not sure. We don't think so.
ARENA: Is it the same man? Well, here's his picture from the FBI's Most Wanted list, right under Osama bin Laden. If it is Bulger, chances are, he's already long gone. Officials say when he blew town back in 1995, Bulger, who's now 78, had stashed away a bundle of cash in safe-deposit boxes around the world.
Since then, the FBI believes that he and his girlfriend, Catherine Greig, have been traveling around the U.S. and Europe. "The Washington Post" called them Bonnie and Clyde on Geritol.
BAMFORD: You know, this is a career criminal. He's been a very violent offender throughout his life. And so, I would say he poses a significant danger, regardless of age.
ARENA (on camera): The prize for the winner of "Where's Whitey" is a cool million dollars. That's the bounty on his snowy, white head.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Meanwhile, in Utah, the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs is on break this weekend. In an emotional day of testimony yesterday, Jeffs' accuser described the terror and despair she felt when she was forced to get married at 14 to an older cousin. Jeffs is charged with rape by accomplice. He is the leader of the fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
And coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, our legal experts Avery Freidman and Richard Herman are going to weigh in on Jeffs' trial.
Cold case in Ft. Myers, Florida, eight skeletons found in the woods. And so far, few clues.
Our John Zarrella explores the mystery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the downtown House of Pizza, locals come to grab a hot slice, chat about the weather. But lately, the talk is about a strange cold case, a "whodunit," that so far has raised many more questions than answers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very mysterious, very mysterious. It's just not normal for around here.
ZARRELLA: Around here is Ft. Myers, Florida, and what happened here would not be normal anywhere else.
JENNIFER SOTO, FORT MYERS POLICE: The ecologist was out here actually serving the land.
ZARRELLA: Sergeant Jennifer Soto was one of the first police officers to get here. About 50 yards off a dirt road, hidden in a forest of tightly-knit melaleuca trees, buried only under leaves and debris, was a human skeleton.
SOTO: This is actually the very spot where the first skull was located.
ZARRELLA: The first, far from the last. That day, police found seven more skeletons scattered across a 200-yard-long area.
(on camera): But with all eight of them, you found the skulls.
SOTO: Yes.
ZARELLA: And -- and a large percentage of the remains.
SOTO: A remarkable amount of the remains, considering how long they've obviously been out here.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): How long? At least one for 20 years. Was it murder? Is it the work of a serial killer? They simply don't know.
SOTO: We know we have no missing persons that are being reported. People aren't being, you know, taken off of the streets at this point in time, and there's no reason for that kind of alarm at this point. But, am I concerned that I have eight bodies in the woods? Absolutely.
ZARRELLA: They were all adults, police say. There were no obvious signs of trauma.
(on camera): You have to move all this debris?
HEATHER WALSH HANEY, FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST: All that debris is put into buckets, and it's painstakingly searched. Many times, bone is going to look like a stick.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Forensic anthropologist Heather Walsh Haney was called in to try and figure out what happened, how these eight skeletons ended up here.
HANEY: By reading the bones, I'm trying to determine who that person was in life and how they died.
ZARRELLA: The bones are now at the medical examiner, Rebecca Hamilton's, office, locked behind these doors. Dental work done may help identify the remains. Hamilton has taken calls from around the country.
DR. REBECCA HAMILTON, MEDICAL EXAMINER: So we already at this point having people send us dental x-rays on loved ones who have gone missing or who have basically fallen off the face of the earth.
ZARRELLA: So far, no matches. Next week, the autopsy photos of the skeletal remains may be released. And a forensic sculptor is in the process of reconstructing the faces, in hopes someone, somewhere knows who these people were.
John Zarella, CNN, Ft. Myers, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Fire raced through a plastics plant in Richmond, Indiana, this morning, sending up a choking cloud of noxious black smoke. People 15 miles away could see it. Still, only a handful of evacuations were needed. That's because gusty winds, thankfully, helped disperse the fumes.
Well, this week we heard from General Petraeus and from the president. In a moment, we're going to hear from two U.S. senators live on how the U.S. troop strategy is playing out in Baghdad. They are there right now.
And two auto companies announce big recalls. We'll have the details, straight ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIK TORKELLS, EDITOR, BUDGET TRAVEL: Bad weather can make flying a nightmare. With airlines so financially stretched, they're even less likely to be accommodating when bad weather strikes. So it's up to us to plan around it.
To avoid delays and cancellations, try to get on the earliest flight possible. Many flights are delayed because the plane was late arriving from its previous location, so your odds are better in the morning. Plan on an airline that has more than one flight to the destination per day. If yours is canceled, at least you'll have a back-up.
In the days before your departure, if you have reason to think that the weather may turn bad, call the airline and see if it'll change your itinerary. Program the airline's phone number in your cell phone, along with your frequent flyer number. As soon as you hear the flight is delayed, call as you dash to the nearest agent. You may also find better luck at the gate for the next flight to your destination or at one of the airline's self-service kiosks.
Because it's not in anyone's control, airlines don't have to give you anything if your flight is delayed. But it never hurts to ask, for meal vouchers, hotel recommendations and discounts, anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: President Bush announces what he calls a new military phase in Iraq, in his radio address this morning. Mr. Bush said in addition to troop withdrawals announced this week, troops will also start moving into support rolls in December.
The president is certainly busy this week selling his Iraq policy. White House Correspondent Ed Henry has the report. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, put some broccoli on there. Yes, family tradition.
ED HENRY, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After serving up another new slogan for the Iraq war ...
BUSH: Return on success.
HENRY: Now, the president is trying to sell it. Lunch with marines at Quantico.
BUSH: The plan I announced was that we're making enough -- based upon the fact we're making enough success in Iraq that we can begin bringing some troops home.
HENRY: That sunny forecast stands in stark contrast to the grim assessment by the White House in a new report to Congress. The Iraqi government has shown satisfactory progress on only nine of 18 benchmarks, unsatisfactory on seven, while the final two were inconclusive.
But the White House gave a positive rating on any benchmark where, "present trend data demonstrates a positive trajectory, which is tracking towards satisfactory accomplishment." In other words, thumbs-up for a benchmark that might be met eventually.
BUSH: We expect the Iraqi government to enhance national reconciliation through the passage of law.
HENRY: This lax score keeping doesn't seem to mesh with the president's normally tough standards for, say, America's schools.
BUSH: Schools just shuffle kids from grade to grade as if the child couldn't learn to read and write and add and subtract. We never measured. We never had any idea how a child was doing until it was too late. And that's unsatisfactory for the United States.
HENRY: With the president having trouble getting the Iraqis to eat their vegetables, White House spokesman Tony Snow has tried to downplay benchmarks.
TONY SNOW, FMR. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No, look, benchmarks were something that Congress wanted to use as a metric.
HENRY: Except back in May, the president endorsed them.
BUSH: One message I have heard from people from both parties and -- is that the idea of benchmarks makes sense, and I agree.
HENRY (on camera): Back in July when the White House's preliminary report on benchmarks came out and the Iraqis failed, the White House said, wait until September. September's here. The Iraqis are still not doing well. So, now, the president is saying, wait until next April. There'll be yet another report card. Ed Henry, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Stay with us, a lot more ahead. We're going to talk live to two U.S. senators who are on their own fact-finding mission in Baghdad. They are going to join me, coming up.
You are in the CNN Saturday NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Reynolds Wolf.
And this is a look at today's allergy report. And every spot on the map where you happen to see orange or red would indicate high traces of ragweed, pollen and even dust. That's the situation in the northern half of the Great Lakes, as well as the Central Plains.
But where you see green and blue would indicate much cleaner air. The Northern Plains, west coast. Also, parts of the southeast and the extreme northeast.
Well, that's going to be the situation. Enjoy your weekend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: The GAO benchmark report, a tough sell to Congress. But Republican Senator Olympia Snowe saying it confirms her worst fears. Snowe co-sponsored legislation that demanded the accounting. She is on her very own fact-finding trip to Iraq, along with Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana.
Both of them join us live from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Senators, thank you for joining us.
Senator Baucus, I want to start with you. You have called your vote authorizing the war in Iraq a mistake. Your own nephew died while serving in Iraq. What do you make of the president's plan to bring back 30,000 troops by this time next year, based on what you have seen on the ground so far? Is that going to be enough?
SEN. MAX BAUCUS, (D) MONTANA: Well, we're all over here, to try to find out what's best, what's the correct course of action.
First, I think I can speak for the rest of us in our delegation. We're very impressed with the quality and professionalism of American military officers, as well as troops. We've seen lots, and they're very, very good.
Second, though, it's clear to me that the Iraqi government has a long way to go to achieve the kind of reconciliation necessary to stand themselves up. And I frankly think it's only proper that the United States Congress give Iraq a good nudge, something to encourage them to move much more quickly.
It's -- we're -- I'm impressed with the American presence here, on the military level, but I'm not terribly impressed with the Iraqi results thus far. Many are trying, but they've got a long way to go.
CHO: Senator Snowe, you have said essentially the same. You are a Republican, you've said there's been too little progress on the part of the Iraqi government. This is your third trip to Iraq. What are you seeing now? And how do we push those Iraqi leaders forward then, practically speaking?
SEN. OLYMPIA SNOWE, (R) MAINE: Well, that's precisely what we're determining during the course of our trip is to discern ways in which we can create incentives for the Iraqi government to implement national reconciliation.
Time is of the essence, and we have a limited window of opportunity to ensure that the Iraqis understand that national reconciliation's the only way they can assure stability in their own country and, most importantly, to sustain the achievements that have been accomplished by our brave men and women in the military as Senator Baucus indicated.
So, that is the message that we are delivering to Iraqi officials, because we think it's so critical and they need to understand that, you know, by all accounts, our military commanders, our State Department officials all agree that without national reconciliation, you cannot sustain the progress that has been made. And you really can't create the political climate in this country for united Iraq -- Iraq in a final analysis.
CHO: But, Senator Snowe, you have said that America's patience is not infinite. When is enough? I mean, when is it time to bring the troops home for good?
SNOWE: Well, that is something that obviously we'll all be working out in the course of this debate that will be forthcoming next week in the United States Senate. And that is primarily a reason to, that Senator Baucus, you know, had this trip, so that we could, you know, follow-up and get a firsthand appraisal and make some decisions about what kind of strategy could engender a bi-partisan support, the 60 votes that's essential to getting anything done in the United States Senate.
CHO: And Senator Baucus ...
SNOWE: And so, we hope ...
CHO: And Senator Baucus -- I'm sorry to interrupt you there. I just want to very quickly. This is your first trip to Baghdad, first trip to Iraq. Want to know what you're doing on the ground there, and just curious from a personal standpoint, do you feel safe there?
BAUCUS: Oh yes, I feel safe. The security here is actually much greater than I anticipated. You know, it's tough getting answer to the basic question, that is, how long should American presence stay here and what way should we begin to properly withdraw. It's very tough.
We asked lots of questions, all of us, probing deeply. President Talabani, for example, somebody we met with just very recently, and we also gave him strong message, you've got to do more, you've got to do a lot more.
And it's -- but it's tough to know exactly what we should now do back in the Congress because we're giving them the message as effectively as we can, and we'll see. It's just a tough question to answer.
CHO: Well senators, we appreciate your work on the ground there. Senators Max Baucus and Olympia Snowe joining us live from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. We certainly thank you for your time. We know it is limited.
Coming up ...
BAUCUS: Thank you.
SNOWE: Thank you.
CHO: Thank you very much.
A cop gone wild, caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: You want to try me? Do you want to try me, young boy? You want to try me tonight, young boy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Was he entrapped? You'll want to hear this story. It's straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back.
Every driver's nightmare turns into a Missouri police sergeant's nightmare. Video of his traffic stop meltdown has hit the Internet.
CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're driving along, music playing. And then, uh-oh, police lights in your rearview mirror, only this driver happens to have a camera in his car which records this police rant.
SGT. JAMES KENLINE (ph): Do you want to try me, young boy? You want to try me tonight, young boy? You want to go to jail for some (EXPLETIVE DELETED) reason I come up with? MOOS: The driver getting yelled at in a commuter parking lot outside St. Louis is Brett Darrow (ph), who has installed a camera in his car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The camera runs all the time?
BRETT DARROW: Yes.
KENLINE: Come on, boy. Come on, boy. Give me some more lip.
MOOS: But the lip came from Sergeant James Kenline. His rant was sent by Darrow to friends and ended up all over the Internet. "Cop Gone Wild" reads one title. The officer has been put on unpaid administrative leave.
DARROW: I'd like to see the officer fired. I thought his conduct was ridiculous.
MOOS: But some online posters say Darrow baited, entrapped the cop, ever since he was cleared of assaulting an off-duty police officer, he's been having little run-ins with police. Which is why, he says, he installed the camera.
Here he is driving up to a police drunken-driving checkpoint.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: Where are you heading tonight?
DARROW: I don't wish to discuss my personal life with you, officer.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: All right, come on up here.
MOOS: He's always taping them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again and again.
MOOS: And when he drove into that commuter parking lot at 2:00 a.m., here's how the confrontation started.
KENLINE: Why are you parking here?
DARROW: Can't I park here? It's a commuter lot, right?
KENLINE: Yes, but we have problems after midnight time.
DARROW: OK.
KENLINE: People break into cars.
DARROW: Did I do something wrong?
KENLINE: Yes, you're a suspicious vehicle right now. I'm sure ...
DARROW: I'm what?
KENLINE: You are a suspicious vehicle right now.
MOOS: Darrow was ordered out of the car, and the yelling began.
KENLINE: Try and talk back. Talk back to me again. And I bet I could say you resisted arrest or something. You want to come up with something? I come up with nine things. Do you want to try something?
DARROW: No, I don't.
MOOS: Notice something annoying? What's that horrible incessant clicking?
DARROW: It was (INAUDIBLE) on my radar detector.
MOOS: The St. George police chief says he's very displeased with the officer and his investigating.
CHIEF SCOTT UHRIG, ST. GEORGE, MISSOURI POLICE: You don't treat citizens like that.
KENLINE: Ever get smart mouthed with a cop again, I show you what a cop does.
MOOS: After realizing he was caught on camera, the officer simmered down and eventually let Darrow go, but too late to recapture those words that escaped onto the Internet.
KENLINE: You want to try me tonight, young boy?
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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