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Trouble in Pakistan; Noel batter the Northeast; King Tut Revealed.

Aired November 04, 2007 - 16:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN, ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Right now, in the NEWSROOM, protests and arrests after a state of emergency is declared in Pakistan and now the U.S. has some tough talk for a key ally in the war on terror.
Also, it's a Noel Nor'Easter, the storm that was a hurricane lashes the coast. We'll find out if the worst is over.

Plus, feels pretty good for being 3,000 years old. King Tut is truly revealed this hour in the NEWSROOM.

First, our top story. The latest on the crisis in Pakistan. Troops and police quashed demonstrations and rounded up rivals of the government under the nationwide state of emergency. A spokesman reports about 500 arrests of lawyers, opposition leaders and human rights activists. On a tour of the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the clamp down could cost Islamabad a portion of its U.S. aid. At current levels, Pakistan gets about $150 million a month. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced military rule will last indefinitely. He said elections expected in January might not happen for a year now.

The suspension of the rights in Pakistan is putting the Bush administration in a bind. Reacting today, administration officials are choosing their words with care about a crucial U.S. ally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It is in the best interest of Pakistan and the best interest of the Pakistani people for there to be a prompt return to a constitutional course, for there to be an affirmation that elections will be held for a new parliament and for all parties to act with restraint in what is obviously a very difficult situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Let's go straight to the White House now, reaction there about this important relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. Suzanne Malveaux is in Washington.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: It is a very complicated situation and really a test for the Bush administration's foreign policy in this region, particularly with Pakistan. As you saw, some of the pictures showing really that this is a country nearing chaos at this time. So what you heard from today's Secretary Rice and others are really saying look, they're holding Musharraf to account, Pervez Musharraf, the leader there, saying return to democratic rule or face the possibility of a cut in U.S. assistance.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE (voice): Obviously, we're going to have to review the situation with aid in part because we have to see what it, what may be triggered by certain statutes even.

MALVEAUX: Now Fred, the United States has given about $10 billion, more than $10 billion since the September 1 attacks to the Pakistani government for support, really essentially much of that in terms of military support to secure the region, to go after Al Qaeda. We heard from a spokesperson for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates saying that the military aid, that portion supporting the military operation there is not going to be impacted. So what that suggests here is that this is largely a symbolic gesture that is happening, a symbolic threat if you will. It doesn't have very much teeth to it at all. That is why we heard from both lawmakers, democrats as well as republicans essentially calling on President Bush today to take a tougher stand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I think the United States should take the lead with other world powers in putting the maximum pressure on Musharraf to return democracy. I think it's not enough that Secretary Rice speaks. I think the president has to speak out and in more specific terms. We have bolstered Musharraf with billions of dollars in recent years of military support and we ought to be specific that it's not going to continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: White House officials say President Bush is being briefed constantly on this matter, keeping a close watch of this, Fred. And what they are also saying is this is a complicated situation, that Musharraf is a critical ally when it comes to the war on terror and they're being very cautious about the whole thing because they do feel that if Musharraf loses power and this country dissolves into civil war, what could happen is that the terrorists could get their hands on those nuclear weapons Pakistan has which of course would be even a worse situation, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right, it is a very important relationship, which still begs the question, you know, where is the president on this? While he may be advising his spokesperson, why are we not seeing from him directly? Perhaps the president reaching out to President Musharraf directly.

MALVEAUX: It hasn't happened yet, Fred. But I can tell you what they're trying to do is they don't want to escalate this, they don't want to take this up a notch or two too quickly here. This is only a development that has really happened in the last 48, 72 hours here. They want to simmer down a little bit, see how things unfold. The real fear here is it's really going to depend on whether or not you see those hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets. If that's what happens, there's a good chance Musharraf may lose his power and that may be difficult for the Bush administration because they need a strong leader as difficult as Musharraf has been to be in that position.

WHITFIELD: All right. Suzanne Malveaux from Washington, thank you so much.

Well, another important story from overseas. A ceremony today along the Iraqi-Turkish border. Iraqi-Kurdish guerrillas released eight Turkish soldiers who were seized during a battle last month. The move is seen as an olive branch intended to lessen pressure on the Turkish government to launch raids against rebel hideouts in northern Iraq. President Bush meets tomorrow with Turkey's prime minister and is expected to ask for continue Turkish restraint.

We'll take you now to the horn of Africa, off the Somali Coast with pirate drama on the high seas. Among those targeted by pirates, freighters, boats and cargo ships you've been hearing about that for the past couple of years now. Well, just hours ago, 24 sailors held captive by pirates were freed. Pirates are holding other ships and the U.S. navy now wants to confront them. And that's where it gets pretty tricky. Our Gary Nuremberg has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NUREMBERG, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two South Korean- owned fishing boats were captured in May by pirates who reportedly demanded a large ransom. American naval officers communicated bridge to bridge convinced the pirates to abandon the boats and release the 24 crewmembers held hostage.

COMMANDER LYDIA ROBERTSON, NAVY SPOKESWOMAN U.S. FIFTH FLEET (voice): Two boarding teams from the United States Navy went aboard the ships to check the crew, to offer medical assistance and other assistance as needed.

NUREMBER: Last year, an American military team boarded this suspected pirate vessel in the Indian Ocean and held 26 men for questioning. Late last month, the navy fired on this pirate skiff involved in seizing the Japanese chemical tanker, the Golen Nori, which along with two other ships near Somalia still remains under pirate control. Losing control of a chemical tanker is dangerous.

GAL LUFT, ANALYSIS GLOBAL SECURITY: A ship like this, if it's taken by the wrong hands, could be a weapon of mass destruction.

NUREMBERG: But what role on the high seas should the American military play? Speaking in Seoul last week, American Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said you will always find our navy prepared to help any ship in distress and certainly any ship that is confronting pirates.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: In certain areas, there has been an up-surge of piracy. I think it's desirable to put it down wherever you can.

NUREMBERG: But the Pentagon says there are problems with actually capturing pirates. GEOFF MORRELL, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: What do you do once you apprehend these pirates? Where is a proper place to hold them, how do you adjudicate them? I think piracy is a problem that we are trying to figure out how to deal with.

NUREMBERG: It is a problem the American Navy continues to face.

ROBERTSON: There are still three pirated vessels off the coast of Somalia and the navy is there with several ships and we continue to strongly encourage the pirates to leave the ship.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NUREMBERG (on-screen): Robertson would not say what steps the navy will take if the pirates don't leave. Gary Nuremberg, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And back here at home, with weather, the remnants of Noel didn't exactly take it easy on New England or Canada. Some 100,000 people in Nova Scotia have no electricity. In New England, coastal residents are beginning to clean up from the flooding and the downed tree limbs and the power line. Luckily there were no evacuations, deaths or serious injuries related to the storm in that area. That was not the case however in the Caribbean that we know, where flooding and mudslides there killed at least 142 people, making Noel the deadliest storm of the season. Jacqui Jeras is in the severe weather center also the hurricane headquarters. Noel, once a hurricane, not anymore. It was nasty and left a terrible trail, didn't.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Yes, really did and it's still causing problems. It's incredible how strong this storm is and how fast it's still moving. Here it is way up here. Here's the United States. You can see New England and it's moving into Labrador right now, moving at 47 miles per hour. 47 miles per hour! Most hurricanes on average more about 13 miles per hour, so this thing is just ripping along on up towards the north. The intensity of the storm is still packing winds around 70 miles per hour. So that can cause quite a bit of damage and looks like it's going to hold together and make its way all the way to Greenland, believe it or not. Well, in its wake, we've got some cloudiness and a little bit of disturbed weather moving in across the Great Lakes and we've got some rain showers to deal with as well as a result of that. Temperatures warm enough at this time, but yet its just rain. However, cold polar air is on the way. It's already starting to push in across parts of the upper Midwest. It's going to make its way through the western Great Lakes by Monday, Tuesday it's going to be plunging all the way through the Appalachians and on into the deep south. So a big blast is on the way and yes temperature also be cold enough that you will be seeing some lake- effect snow we think Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Very windy behind that front. 45 mile per hour gusts with advisory is expected. So look out tomorrow in Minneapolis over toward Milwaukee. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: We're not officially in winter, right?

JERAS: No, not a winter solstice. WHITFIELD: It just feels like winter now in some parts.

JERAS: It's getting there.

WHITFIELD: It's just a prelude to it all, right? All right. Thanks a lot, Jacqui.

Well, a perplexing dilemma straight ahead. Was it kidnapping or was it the efforts of a rescue mission? More than 100 children caught up in an international adoption scandal, so-called adoption scandal. It's a complex case that has drawn attention around the world and we'll break it down, all down for you, next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: When you hear the word "Chad" in the news you probably think of a hanging Chad from the 2002 presidential race. Today, Chad is making headlines again, the central African nation of Chad. In a shocking criminal case that involves more than 100 children and a French-based group claiming to be on a mission of mercy. It's a scandal so big, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a personal visit to that country today. CNN's senior international correspondent Nick Robertson is in the capital of Chad. He filed this report a few minutes ago.

NICK ROBERTSON, CNN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The President Sarkozy's plane took off about three hours ago and we were there as the (inaudible) just been released from where they have been imprisoned. They haven't had a change of clothes over the past week or so. They looked more tired than relieved as they boarded the aircraft, but it was a very quick trip for the French president. He came and met with the president of Chad, Idriss Deby. They expressed solidarity for each other. The French president ex-pressed how France needs to help Chad. But there was some critical questions asked by the journalists of the two presidents. That the French president had come to Chad, well riding rough short if you will over Chad's judiciary, to take away these seven former prisoners before the judicial system here had really had a chance to try them properly. Both presidents defended that, the French president saying that he had full respect for Chad and this was the right thing to do. But it does leave those other 14 defendants still in custody here, among them the senior members of the Spanish air crew and a Belgian pilot and the six members at the center of this controversy surrounding the kidnapped children, the six French aid workers. Ralitsa.

RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN, ANCHOR: And Nick, what is the status of the children themselves, those 103 children?

ROBERTSON: Well, there have been some developments we've heard about in the last 24 hours. The aid organization, UNHCR and International Committee for the Red Cross and UNICEF are working to try and find where these children's parents may be. They're been interviewing the children. This has all been taking place in an eastern town of Abache. Now, we have heard from the aid agency, UNHCR that some of the parents have now come to the orphanage in Abache to reclaim their children. We understand at the moment that the Chadian government, the authorities don't want to turn the children over just yet to the parents. They want to make sure they fully have all the information about them that they're handing them over to the right people. The children have been so traumatized already, that many of the children still lack information about how to track down their parents, how to find out where they came from. That's particularly applicable to the young children and that's a huge challenge for the aid agencies here. That's something they hope to begin next week but a positive step for some of the children their parents have now come to the orphanage to look for them.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Robertson reporting. You still may be a little confused about what this story is all about, whether these 100 children were being rescued from disease and starvation or whether they were indeed being kidnapped and potentially being part of some adoption scandal that's involving this French group. We're going to delve into this story much more deeply in the next hour. We'll have live coverage from Chad, from Paris and I'll talk with someone who knows what it's like to be a child in limbo, one of Sudan's lost boys that's here in Atlanta. All that and much more coming up at 5:00 p.m. eastern.

Well, the problem in southern Mexico is far from over. High waters there have damaged or destroyed more than a half million homes, and days after the flooding began, rescuers are still trying to get to many trapped families. CNN's Harris Whitbeck supports from the water- submerged capital of Villahermosa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Dangling from what looks like an impossibly thin cable, two children are hoisted from the roof top where they and their family have been trapped since last Thursday. The rest of the family looks, awaiting their turn to be airlifted to a makeshift refugee center. Helicopters crisscross the skies over Villahermosa where swollen rivers have completely cut off entire neighborhoods. In El Porvenir, a project that houses about a thousand families, people are waiting in line for the helicopters to land. Some hope they are carrying supplies. A bag of rice or water. Others hope for a ride out of town.

WHITBECK (on-screen): The authorities estimate at least 65,000 people are still trapped on the roof tops of their homes. They've been trapped for days now. The only way to get to them is by helicopter. Those helicopters are used to bring people out. They're also being used to bring supplies into those who need them. Water, food and medicine. Helicopters also provide a vantage point for assessing how much this thriving city was affected. Only from the air can one get a true sense of the scope of the damage. Entire chunks of the city are under water. Roads and highways have made way for vast, new lakes and lagoons. On the ground, the sense of urgency is more palpable. Long lines form wherever relief trucks park. People carrying away whatever is given to them to try and bring order back to their lives. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Villahermosa, Tabasco.

WHITFIELD: And after a rough week as front runner, Hillary Clinton gets some support. Find out whose hands those thumbs are actually attached to, coming up.

Plus, a famous pharaoh, like you've never seen him before, King Tut, in the flesh, sort of. Straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In south Texas, still no strong leads in the identity of a small girl whose body was found by a fisherman. But that hasn't stopped people from holding a candlelight vigil for the girl named Baby Grace in Texas. Identifying the girl has been a police priority since the body was found Monday in Galveston Bay. Hundreds of tips have come in since this sketch was released and dental forensics show she could be between the ages of 2 and 3.

Well, the newest case of a teacher allegedly running off with one of her students takes an unusual turn. Nebraska middle schoolteacher Kelsey Peterson is back in the U.S. after being captured in Mexico with her 13-year-old male student. But the student remains in Mexico. He's suspected of being an illegal immigrant. It's unknown how this may impact the prosecution's case against the 25-year-old teacher. She faces state and federal charges including kidnapping, child abuse and transporting a child across a foreign border for sex.

Well, doctors are reporting promising resulting for an experimental new heart drug. A study published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" says Prasugrel may be more effective than Plavix in the battle against clogged arteries. Patients who get it are nearly 20% less likely to suffer complications like stroke, heart attack and other fatal heart ailments. The new drug did show a higher risk, however, of serious bleeding.

And hearts were certainly pumping for the 39,000 or so people who ran the New York marathon this morning. It proved to be a triumphant finish for Britain's Paula Radcliffe, her first run since giving birth nine months ago people. It's Radcliffe's second New York marathon win, however, so she's a pro. However, on the men's side, Kenya's Martin Lel is your winner. He finished the course in 2 hours and 9 minutes.

All right, politics. Fred Thomson is standing by his man. The man known as the head of Thompson's Air Force comes under fire after his shady past was made pubic.

Plus, we'll take you to toxic town and a dirty secret that's threatening people's lives there. A secret that government actually sat on. We're keeping them honest next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This happening right now. A nightmare at sea is over for 24 international sailors off the coast of Somalia. They were captured by pirates about six months ago. All were freed today after the pirates abandoned the ships and returned to Somalia.

The Pakistani government says the country will remain under a state of emergency for as long as necessary. President Pervez Musharraf imposed an emergency rule yesterday saying it was needed to counter threats by Islamic extremists. The U.S. opposes the move. Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said financial aid to Pakistan will now be reviewed.

So with all the trouble in Pakistan, what are the implications for Americans? Sure, it is a U.S. ally in the war on terror, but it's on the other side of the globe. So how could a clamp down there affect you here in the U.S.? Tony Harris explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN, ANCHOR (voice-over): Do we care what happens in Pakistan? Why should we? It's a relatively small Muslim country half a world away. Their chief export, textiles. And their one main adversary is India.

But there are plenty of reasons why chaos in Pakistan would spell trouble here in the United States. In no order, they are - the troops. Nearly 30,000 American soldiers and marines are deployed immediately next door in Afghanistan. Remember, most analysts believe Osama Bin Laden is somewhere in a rocky range of mountains between the two countries. Al Qaeda would certainly flourish in a country distracted by a worsening state of emergency.

Then there is the issue of the nukes. Pakistan has them. India has them. They've already fought three wars, mostly about territory and autonomy, and they still threaten each other all the time. It's safe to say that the world is safer with steady fingers on nuclear buttons.

Next reason, democracy. Pakistan's current President Pervez Musharraf took power in 1999. Literally took power. He was not elected. He hand picked judges, generals and lawmakers. His last re-election, he got 98 percent of the vote.

That raises eyebrows in Washington where the White House would prefer to do business with a government of the people. Still, Washington regards Pakistan as an ally in the war against terrorism. But it's a relationship that will only weaken if order and stability is not soon restored in Pakistan.

Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And now to politics on a whole other level, where Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson is standing by with an advisor with a reported criminal past. Thompson has been crisscrossing the country in the private jet of friend and advisor Phillip Martin. The "Washington Post" has learned that Martin has an extensive record for drug dealing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRED THOMPSON, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Like I said, I know him to be a good man. I know him to be a man who has rehabilitated himself and led a productive life. He's my friend and he's going to remain my friend. You know, what I do about it after I talk to him with regard to the future, we'll just have to see. Sit down and work out and do the right thing to a fellow who is a friend. But who is now on the front page of "The Washington Post."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, Martin's problems with the law began in 1979 when he pleaded guilty to selling 11 pounds of marijuana.

Meantime, front runner Hillary Clinton took a lot of tough hits from her fellow Democratic candidates last week. Well, now a pat on the back from a former vice president. Walter Mondale said that he endorses the former first lady for president. Mondale says Senator Clinton is uniquely qualified to rebuild America's standing in the world. He said America is ready for a change. She has the strength and experience to deliver it. Those are his words, Walter Mondale.

Democratic contender Barack Obama among those taking jabs at Senator Clinton last week. Last night, he made a special campaign stop. On "Saturday Night Live." Presidential hopeful appeared in the show's opening skit, wearing a mask of himself and attending a mock Bill and Hillary Clinton Halloween party. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Well, who is that under there?

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANAIDATE: Hello, Hillary. Hello, Bill.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Nice to see you, Barack. So you dressed as yourself.

OBAMA: Well you know Hillary, I have nothing to hide. I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween.

(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE): Well, that's great.

OBAMA: May I say, you make a lovely bride.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): She's a witch.

OBAMA: Live from New York, it's "Saturday Night!"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Ouch. Well, remember the next CNN presidential debate is just days away. Coming up November 15th, CNN's Wolf Blitzer will host the Democratic debate in Las Vegas. It gets started at 8:00 Eastern.

And less than a month away from the CNN/Youtube Republican debate, as of today all presidential hopefuls are confirmed onboard, they'll be there November 28th with CNN's Anderson Cooper answering online questions submitted by you. Perhaps you want to ask a question, go to Youtube.com/republican debate and ask away. You saw how it worked with the Democrats. Expect more fireworks November 28th with the Republicans.

Now keeping them honest, it's the federal government's responsibility to warn the public of environmental dangers but the Department of Energy admits exclusively to CNN that it failed in that duty in one Pennsylvania town in dangerous gases may have put some homeowners in jeopardy there. CNN's Jim Acosta investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Versailles, Pennsylvania, has been sitting on top of trouble for decades. Ever since the residents abandoned these methane gas wells that once fuelled their homes. To this day, these gases can rise to the surface. What is that thing?

MAGGIE ERO, VERSAILLES RESIDENT: They put in that vent to ventilate the methane. But it's not going to solve the problem.

ACOSTA: Maggie worries the methane seeping into her backyard could easily build up in her home and become explosive with the flip of a light switch. The problem forced her neighbors to evacuate their home.

ERO: I don't feel safe in my own home, I really don't. I feel that some day, it's going to blow up.

ACOSTA: But what she and her neighbors did not know until recently is the federal government had stumbled upon another dangerous gas in Versailles. Late last year, according to documents obtained by CNN, engineers with the National Energy and Technology Lab. studying the methane problem discovered toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide. Levels so high they can cause unconscious and possible death. The National Lab didn't bother to tell Versailles Borough Council president. Was this town properly notified?

WALT WINKER, VERSAILLES BOROUGH COUNCIL PRES: No, I don't believe so.

ACOSTA: Now hydrogen sulfide detectors and warning signs are posted in town.

WINKLER: I can't say for sure that we do have a toxic town.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): You just wonder why they didn't tell you.

ACOSTA: The lab did release this statement to residents saying the police chief, a council member and the town secretary were notified. We talked to various officials in this town and they said they were not notified.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): They were not notified of what?

ACOSTA: While we pressed National Lab spokesman Brad Tomber for answers, another man chimed in off camera. I don't know if I ever had an interview where I'm asking this guy the questions over here and the guy who says he notified the town is behind the camera. Who did you notify?

WILLIAM SCHUELER, EG&G TECHINICAL SERVICES: I talked to the office; I and I talked to the people.

ACOSTA: William Schueler, the private government contractor who was hired to monitor methane levels, claims he told town officials but he insists there never was any danger because the hydrogen sulfide was found in this well. Finally, both men did admit to CNN contrary to that lab statement, town leaders were not properly notified.

SCHUELER: In hindsight I should have sent letters or somebody should have.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): The communication could have been handled better.

ACOSTA: Mining engineering Professor Raj Ramani says notification is a no-brainer.

RAJ RAMANI, PENN STATE UNIV: It's common sense that when you are likely to be in harm's way, you should be told don't do that.

ACOSTA: It doesn't take a professor to figure that out?

RAMANI: No. Certainly not.

ACOSTA: As it turns out the lab did notify the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in this email obtained by CNN. But even the state decided not to inform officials.

KATHLEEN MCGINTY, PA. DEPT OF ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION: I don't want to alarm the public where we have no evidence that there is a public health of safety threat.

ACOSTA: Would you live there?

MCGINTY: I think it's a challenging question.

ACOSTA: Maggie Ero feels betrayed.

ERO: Are we supposed to sit here and wait till my house blows up and then them do something? I'll be dead. My kid also be dead.

ACOSTA: Residents say that fear is spreading. Just like the for sale signs in what may be a toxic town.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Versailles, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Here now is one of history's greatest mysteries. What really happened to King Tut, the world's most famous pharaoh is truly revealed like never before.

And speaking of mysteries, could it be true, what do you think that is? Could it be a picture of big foot? I'll talk to a man who says he seems to think so and he's got proof.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: OK, that was a long time ago, but it's still funny. You know you've made it as a pharaoh when Steve Martin spoofs you. So King Tut is the most famous pharaoh of all-time. Now the boy king is back in the limelight. Egypt today unveiled the face of King Tut to the public for the first time, the face behind that famous burial mask. Here is a computer enhanced drawing of what they think he would look like. He doesn't look so bad for someone 3,000 years old. More now from CNN's Aneesh Raman in Cairo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He's been dead for 3,000 years. But on Sunday, for the first time ever, the world got to see how King Tut was holding up. Gone were the casings and covers as the boy king was unveiled with, yep, bear hands. A low-tech approach that faced some precarious moments going up the stairs.

In the end, Tut didn't look too bad, tucked away in his new bed, a climate controlled Plexiglas container, meant to minimize damage done by thousands of visitors who everyday pour into see King Tut's tomb.

ZAHI HAWASS, GEN. SECY. EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES (ph) COUNCIL: It's like a stone and therefore I thought the humidity and heat that 5,000 people a day entered the tomb that would change the mummy to a powder. The only good thing is the face. We need to preserve the face.

RAMAN: If the face doesn't look familiar, try this one, King Tut's golden mask that is today an icon of Egypt's past. It was exactly 85 years ago this week that right here in the Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered the entrance to King Tut's tomb. It was the first found to have virtually everything inside in tact. Because of that, the discovery catapulted a little known king, who ruled in the mid 1300s b.c. and who died at 19 to modern day prominent. Even giving him a hit song.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): If I had known, I would have taken all my money and bought me a museum.

RAMAN: And 85 years later, the boy king is now bearing it all.

JEFF RANKID, BRITISH TOURIST: I was very impressed with it. It's something that took my breath away. Unbelievable.

RAMAN: Maybe. But for others it's a bit too much.

BOB PHILPOTTS, BRISTISH TOURIST: Really, I think he ought to be left alone, quietly, at peace. Leave him here where he was buried. Simple as that.

RAMAN: If only for eight decades King Tut has been a mystery, especially how he died. His body has been x-rayed three times, most recently in 2005. Was it murder? Was it an accident? The debate will now rage again as visitors pour in to see King Tut in his new found glory.

Aneesh Raman, CNN. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Another big mystery that still has legs. Does big foot really exist? Well, take a look at this latest picture. Is it big foot or a big fake? Next we'll talk live with a man who says he's captured the elusive creature, at least on film.

And an emotional reminder of the contributions of women in the United States military. You're in THE CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to want to know what you think, is it big foot, could it be? Or is it just a really mangy bear. See what you think. Rick Jacobs was at a national forest about 100 miles from Pittsburgh looking for deer and he says this showed up. Uh-huh. The image has a lot of people talking, including us. Does that look Sasquatch like, very tall, six feet plus. The photographer Rick Jacobs joins me now on the phone. He's in Niagara Falls, New York. All right. Rick, so state your case here, how did you get this image?

RICK JACOBS (via telephone): Well, we have a trail camera set up trying to get some pictures of some deer in an area where we were hunting and set it up on September 16th. And we retrieved the card out of the camera September 21st and the two pictures were on it. We spent about a week trying to figure out what they were.

WHITFIELD: But your gut reaction, when you saw the picture you said what is this?

JACOBS: What is it, yeah? We didn't know what it was. We spent a week comparing it to pictures to a lot of other different bears and monkeys and stuff. Didn't have any luck. So my niece, she said in school they showed pictures of big foot and he said it kind of looks like that. So my brother contacted the BFRO and they say it's an unidentified primate.

WHITFIELD: Unidentified primate. Had there been other sightings of unidentified primates in that area?

JACOBS: Over the years I guess there's been a few.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, that's a big primate though, right?

JACOBS: Yeah, I guess they got to --

WHITFIELD: It just seems like it from looking at the photo, looking at the foliage around it, et cetera. So before you went to the experts, you know, was your gut saying, wait a minute, I think I came across sasquatch?

JACOBS: Not really. We just didn't know what it was. We wanted to find out what the heck this thing was. Like I said, we couldn't figure it out on our own, so we went to the other folks and they kind of put it own their Website and it's been out everywhere ever since. WHITFIELD: Just to enhance your photo, we're showing images of kind of historical footage of various casts, et cetera, of what people believe the phones or the size of the foot of big foot would be like. So we're seeing that with your image right here. We're looking at once again. So were you ever a believer of Sasquatch, big foot, et cetera, before even get thing kind of image?

JACOBS: No, I really didn't have any opinion on that at all. I never really gave it any thought.

WHITFIELD: Uh-huh. And so now?

JACOBS: I've got to think there might be something out there we haven't seep yet that, it's possible. A lot of people sure believe in it.

WHITFIELD: So what do you do with this image now? What do you do with your story, your tale?

JACOBS: I don't know. It's just out and they're trying to figure out what it is. And that's where it's at right now and we're along for the ride just waiting to see what, you know, all these people come up with.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, Rick, we appreciate you sharing the picture as well as the story. We're going to keep following up with you to see if you ever get any kind of confirmation on what this really is.

JACOBS: OK.

WHITFIELD: All right, Rick Jacobs thanks so much, from Niagara Falls.

So just like big foot, every weekend there are stories that cross our radar that evoke a kind of you're kidding me reaction or in a word, what? So we've come up with a new segment provoking that kind of a response. Here's another one.

A Virginia judge has been booted from the bench for deciding a custody battle with the flip of a coin, people. This wasn't the first time Judge James Michael Shoel (ph) used unorthodox methods, he also ordered a woman to drop her pants so that they could see the stab wounds the woman claimed that she got from her partner.

Virginia's Supreme Court was unanimous in its decision to remove him from the bench and it didn't help he had a bit of a track record. In 2004, the judge landed in trouble for allegedly calling a teenager a momma's boy and for advising a woman to actually marry her abusive boyfriend. What?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, they served with valor and distinction, America's women warriors. Many are being honored this week at Arlington National Cemetery; it is the 10th anniversary of the Women in Military Service Memorial. Their stories remind us of the ongoing sacrifice female soldiers are making now in Iraq. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): How did you decide to come down here today?

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): I got the letter. And I signed up right away.

WHITFIELD (voice over): These women are from different generations. In some cases, different countries.

LANCE CPL. SONA BABANI, U.S. MARINES: I became a citizen on the 24th of July of this year. And it was pretty exciting, you know. Finally a citizen of a country I'm fighting for.

WHITFIELD: But all of them have something in common. They've all served in the U.S. military.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Did you feel like a freak when you joined?

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Yes, I did.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): I did, too. I was the only girl in my class.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): I was the only one from my town.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): The boys all joined up.

WHITFIELD: Since the Revolutionary War, some 2.5 million women have served in or with the U.S. military. But it wasn't until 1997 that their service was recognized with a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Consider that in 1997, when the memorial was new, few women staffed the crews of aircraft carriers. It is routine now. In 1997, women were new at training to be fighter pilots. Within weeks of September 11th, 2001, female pilots were in the skies above Afghanistan. And the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, there are few front lines. Women are coming in contact with the enemy. They are performing with courage and distinction.

CAPT. DAWN HALFAKRE (RET.), IRAQ WAR VETERAN: I was in the first vehicle in the convoy and we came around a corner and just got ambushed and got hit with all kinds of fire, small arms fire, rocket- propelled grenade and one of the rpgs came through the truck and took off my arm.

WHITFIELD: Sisters, the women who play a vital role in today's armed forces and the women who paved the way, linked together, not by just one special day but by history.

BABANI: I have chills to see all these women. This is my first time here at the memorial and to see what women have accomplished, it's overpowering. Its wow, I would not be here today if these women didn't struggle so that I could be here.

(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): Without you all, none of this could be happening. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, the next hour of the NEWSROOM begins right now.

Was it kidnap, rescue? More than 100 children caught up in an international adoption scandal. It is a complex case that has drawn attention around the world. We are going to break it down for you. How will the children be reunited with their families? Who is responsible? And why did this happen?

Hello again everyone, I'm Fredricka Whitefield. Those are some of the questions that we will be exploring in our special live coverage of the scandal in Chad later on in the hour here in THE NEWSROON.

But first the focus on Pakistan right now. Troops and police squashed demonstrations and rounded up rivals of the government under the nationwide state of emergency. Spokesman reports about 500 arrests of lawyers, opposition leaders and human rights activists.

On a tour of the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the clamp down could cost Islamabad a portion of its U.S. aid. At current levels Pakistan gets about $150 million a month. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced military rule will last in definitely. He said elections expected in January might not happen for a year now.

The suspension of rights in Pakistan is putting the Bush administration in a bind, given Pakistan's role as a crucial ally in the war on terror.

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