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Your World Today

Algeria Bombings: Two Explosions Rock Capital, Dozens Dead; Iranian President: U.S. Intel Report a 'Positive Step'; Rape Sentence Outrage in Australia

Aired December 11, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Terror strikes Algeria. Twin bombings in the capital kill dozens, including United Nations staff members.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Outrage in Australia over a judge's sentence for defendants who gang-raped a young girl.

CLANCY: Act of courage. A volunteer security guard gun down a killer at a Colorado church, saving untold lives in the process.

And...

GORANI: A stairway to legend. Led Zeppelin reunites for one night only and has fans across the globe clamoring for more.

It is 5:00 p.m. in London, 10:00 am in Colorado Springs.

Hello and welcome, everyone. Our report is seen around the globe this hour.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

From London to La Paz, Colorado Springs to Cairns, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

No claim of responsibility, but officials say the targets and the tactics make it all too clear.

CLANCY: We're going to begin our report this hour with the worst attack on the Algerian capital since that country's devastating civil war back in the 1990s.

GORANI: This is in North Africa. Two car bombs just minutes apart leaving dozens of people dead and buildings reduced to debris and rubble.

CLANCY: Now, the bombs hit two upscale districts of Algiers, apparently targeting government and United Nations buildings. At least 45 people were killed, including U.N. staff members.

Medics though put this death toll higher. They say around 62 may have been killed. The bombs left some people trapped beneath the crumbled buildings, making an exact toll difficult. GORANI: We continue to follow this story as it develops out of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. And those attacks may have targeted official buildings, but as is usually the case in these attacks, many ordinary citizens were the one whose paid the highest price.

As Paula Newton reports, suspicion quickly fell on a branch of al Qaeda which has taken credit for a series of attacks in Algeria this year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The targets high profile, the bombs high impact. Both hit within minutes of each other this morning, one targeting Algeria's supreme court and its constitutional council that oversees elections. The other, United Nations building in Algiers.

Tragically, a bus filled with people took the full force of one of the bombs. Within seconds, there was panic in the streets. Electric and phone lines were down.

The injured filled up hospitals still stunned by the magnitude of the blast. This man was headed to his office. "As soon as I sat down," he says, "the walls started to cave in."

This is the kind of attack the Algerian government fears most, mass casualties in the heart of the capital. Algeria's interior minister said no one had yet claimed responsibility. "What we know for certain, though," he says, "is that these were car bombs. And here at the U.N. location, it seems the car was driven by a suicide bomber."

There was extensive damage to at least one U.N. building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are trying to find out more information about our staff. We haven't accounted for all of our staff yet. And until we do, we don't know all the information.

NEWTON: There is a deep sense of loss and dread here as Algeria stubbornly remains on the front line of a destabilizing terror campaign.

This spring, militants released this stunning video, a step-by- step show and tell of how suicide bombers prepared for another devastating attack that killed 33 people in Algiers in April. It is the handy work of al Qaeda in the Islamic magreb (ph), determined to create an Islamic state in North Africa, now infused with hundreds of battle-hardened Algerian guerrilla fighters and emboldened by the branding and tactics of al Qaeda.

Counterterrorism chiefs throughout Europe worry they are also poised for attacks in their countries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Let's not forget that Europe is receiving masses of immigration from these countries. And it's clear that in these countries, there are great deficiencies in terms of their state structures.

NEWTON: As a new wave of fear now grips Algeria, there seems little defense against this small, but determined, brand of terrorists.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: The Algerian Interior Ministry, they are now saying that they're not waiting for the proof or for the call of responsibility. They are sure that al Qaeda and the Islamic magreb (ph) is responsible for these attacks today.

Also, Hala, very interesting, they're putting the death toll at 22, 177 injured. But as the hours wear on, it may become more clear exactly where the death toll is going to rest, so to speak. It's been a very difficult day in Algiers, especially with scores of people still unaccounted for -- Hala.

GORANI: Well, let's look at this from a regional perspective, Paula Newton. Al Qaeda over the last few years has been recruiting, financing, training grassroots Islamists groups in that part of the world. They're shifting away from other areas.

This is worrying Europe. Why?

NEWTON: Because pretty much in terms of the proximity to Europe, it could be a launching pad for attacks into Europe. Al Qaeda has not exactly made it a secret that that is their intention.

What you're dealing with in North Africa, Hala, are huge tracks of ungoverned spaces, and that's what worries authorities most. What is going on there?

We know the numbers of these people is not large, possibly in the thousands, most likely in the hundreds. What they have, Hala, the expertise, the years of experience, and the means to get their hands on these massive explosives. What worries Europe is, if those attacks cross the ocean and start to have attacks appear of this nature in Europe -- Hala.

GORANI: As was even the case with the Madrid bombings as well.

Paula Newton, thanks so much, reporting live from London. Our security correspondent -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, Hala, as we look at all of this, obviously one of the targets was the United Nation's offices there in Algiers. Some of the staff members among those killed or wounded in this attack. Some are still missing.

Let's go now to Geneva, where we find the U.N. high commissioner for refugees chief spokesman, Ron Redmond.

Ron, what are you hearing right now from your offices there in Algiers about the people that are still missing or what the casualties may have been? RON REDMOND, UNITED NATIONS SPOKESMAN: Well, we can confirm that two staff members from UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, have been killed. We have several other staff who are wounded, one of them seriously. But all of our staff are now accounted for.

Across the street in the main U.N. compound, however, there are still approximately 10 people or possibly more who are missing. And some of them are in the rubble. They're trying to get them out, trying to find them. So it's a very serious situation still with the U.N. in Algiers.

CLANCY: Now, as I understand it, one of those staffers, at least, was a driver, people who would have been perhaps out street side. But these blasts were very powerful. You take a look at this. What are you hearing about the explosion itself?

REDMOND: It was absolutely enormous. Our staff said that suddenly the entire front of our building just collapsed. The whole front facade of the office.

It destroyed virtually everything in our office. I mean, all the computers, all the equipment and so on. They're all destroyed.

The building across the street that houses the main U.N. suffered apparently even more damage. Much of it collapsed. That's why people are believed to be trapped under that rubble. But it was a very, very large blast.

CLANCY: Ron, the UNHCR, other United Nations agencies, have to have analyzed at least somewhat why they are targeted by a group like al Qaeda, by any terrorist group. Obviously, a civilized society, knows what the U.N. is about.

Why is there a belief that you've come under attack?

REDMOND: Well, it's absolutely incomprehensible to us. For the U.N. in general and for UNHCR to be targeted in such a blast is just outrageous.

UNHCR makes itself available to the poorest of the poor, to refugees, to people who have been victims of violence and persecution and victims of terror. That's our job, is to help these victims. And it's absolutely incomprehensible to us that an agency that is doing this kind of humanitarian work is, itself, a victim of this absolutely senseless violence.

CLANCY: Senseless violence, certainly the way most people around the world see this attack in Algiers. It hit a government building. But as we've been talking with the UNHCR's chief spokesman, it also hit the United Nations.

Ron Redmond, thank you for being with us. Thank you for the sacrifices that your staff makes every day.

GORANI: All right. Now, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he's still open to a debate with his U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush. Mr. Ahmadinejad said such a discussion would be useful for solving some of the world's problems. The Iranian president also says the recent U.S. intelligence report concluding Tehran shelved its nuclear weapons program four years ago is, according to him, a step forward.

CNN's Aneesh Raman was at the news conference held earlier Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT: And sir, as you might know, there's a discussion in the U.S. about whether to engage directly with Iran. If there were no preconditions, would you be willing to sit down with the U.S. president, or, perhaps, at the foreign ministry level, to discuss everything?

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If you remember last year in my trip to New York, I said that we are ready at the level of the United Nations or in front of the media to debate the president of the United States. My proposal is very much on the table.

RAMAN: Would you be open to direct talks?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): We have talked and negotiated with American officials. There is a possibility for the talks to be continued, to be repeated. And if we are to talk, the appropriate grounds have to be set, the conditions have to be there, in other words.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Our Aneesh Raman there earlier, speaking and asking direct questions to the president of Iran, Ahmadinejad.

Well, he also says a plan is in the works for him to visit Iraq. But the Iranian president did not reveal a timetable for that trip.

CLANCY: OK. Interrogation? How about interrogations?

The head of the CIA is going to be answering questions instead of asking them today. Michael Hayden begins two days of closed-door testimony up on Capitol Hill. He'll face questions about the intelligence agency's destruction of videotaped interrogations of terror suspects from 2002.

Now, the videotape showed the use of approved techniques that some critics describe as being tantamount to torture. Earlier, John Roberts sat down and talked with a former CIA agent, John Kiriakou, leader of the team that first captured terror suspect Abu Zubaydah. According to Kiriakou, whatever else might be said of waterboarding, there is no denying it is effective as an interrogation technique.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRIAKOU, FMR. CIA AGENT: It's my understanding he lasted 30 or 35 seconds, which was quite remarkable.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: So he had been resisting all of this time. Then within 30 to 35 seconds, he suddenly folded up and said I'll give you anything you want?

KIRIAKOU: The next day, he told his interrogator that Allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to cooperate because it would make it easier on the other brothers who had been captured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Now, CIA Director Hayden says Congress was notified the interrogation tapes would be destroyed. That was back in 2003. Today, some lawmakers are disputing that.

GORANI: We're going to take a short break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.

When we come back, outrage over a brutal rape case.

CLANCY: Straight ahead, why a judge's comments about a 10-year- old victim and the sentence she handed out is drawing such furor.

GORANI: And later, this Republican presidential candidate is shooting up in his party's polls. But how would Mike Huckabee fare against a Democratic opponent? That answer coming up.

Stay with YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Australia's new prime minister says he is disgusted and appalled about a court decision in a gang-rape case. The case involves the rape of a 10-year-old Aboriginal girl by nine young men. There is widespread condemnation of both the attackers' sentences and the judge's comments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI (voice over): In late October, nine indigenous Australians pleaded guilty to gang-raping a 10-year-old Aboriginal girl. Six juveniles got probation and the judge did not record convictions against them.

The other three got suspended sentences. None were sentenced to serve time in jail.

In a ruling that's sending shock waves across Australia, Judge Sarah Bradley scolded the teenagers, but said, "I accept that the girl involved was not forced and that she probably agreed to have sex with all of you, but you were taking advantage of a 10-year-old girl and she needs to be protected."

The prosecutor said in court it was a form of childish experimentation rather than one child being prevailed upon by another. The prosecution did not seek jail time for the nine offenders in the attack that happened two years ago in Arakan (ph), a remote Aboriginal community in the state of Queensland.

BONNI ROBERTSON, ABORIGINAL ACTIVIST: There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is certainly nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made.

GORANI: The Queensland attorney general's office says it was first alerted to the case only last weekend by publicity surrounding the controversial sentence. A spokesman says a 10-year-old child is not capable of giving consent and expressed concern over an outcome the attorney general considers lenient in the extreme.

Newly elected Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd is outraged about the case.

KEVIN RUDD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: I'm horrified about cases like this involving violence, including sexual violence toward women and children. My attitude is one of zero intolerance.

GORANI: Sentencing for indigenous criminals is a delicate matter in Australia because of abnormally high suicide rates among jailed Aborigines. The judge in this case said at a conference in January that indigenous offenders sometimes require "special consideration due to their over-representation in prisons," but that's not relevant for many in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The buck stops there. There is no more making excuses.

GORANI: The attorney general is now appealing the sentence in this case, and his government is reviewing all sentences of sex- related cases in this region over the last two years. But it's not only the prime minister, state officials and Aboriginal leaders who are concerned about the sentence. It's now on front pages and talk radio all across Australia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Earlier, we talked with Carl Bridge of Kings College London about the case. He says it's just one example of a much broader problem in the Aboriginal community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARL BRIDGE, KINGS COLLEGE LONDON: There are reports in Australia at the moment that there are many young Aboriginal girls who are being admitted to hospital and so on in assault cases, many of which are sexual ones. It's a product of the violence in these communities. The people who are most upset about it are Aboriginal women elders, who are trying now to re-impose some discipline in the communities, particularly trying to stop the alcohol getting in.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GORANI: We heard there from some of those Aboriginal leaders in that story. Bridge says it will take more than money to help to solve the social problems in the Aboriginal community. He says it's more about instilling self esteem in Aborigines -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, crime in Colorado. The gunman who killed four people at a church and a missionary training center in that state apparently posted an online warning message. That message attributed to Matt Murray was posted Sunday about 90 minutes before the second shooting.

The language mirrors words written by one of the two teens who went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School eight years ago. Murray was from Englewood, Colorado, the same place where those shootings took place.

Meanwhile, a voluntary security guard who shot the gunman is being hailed.

Sean Callebs has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As bad as it was, the shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs could have been much worse if not for Jeanne Assam. One of about a half-dozen volunteer security guards at the church who had a weapon, she confronted the gunman, 24-year-old Matthew Murray, head on.

JEANNE ASSAM, SECURITY GUARD: I saw him. It seemed like the halls cleared out and I saw him coming through the doors. And I took cover and I waited for him to get closer. And I came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down.

CALLEBS: Assam, a former law enforcement officer, was prepared for a confrontation. She had heard about a shooting 80 miles away at the Youth With a Mission Ministries in Arvada, Colorado. Two people were killed, two wounded.

ASSAM: I saw it on the Internet. I saw it that morning and I got chills when I saw it was Colorado and that he had not been apprehended.

CALLEBS: Police now say that Matthew Murray was the shooter in Arvada and 12 hours later in Colorado Springs. Sources tell us he that had worked with Youth With a Mission a few years ago, but had a falling out and had sent threatening messages.

Police say after the Arvada shootings, Murray made the hour drive down I-25 to the heart of Colorado Springs and the New Life Church campus, and he had a plan of attack. Police say he first tossed a smoke grenade at the north entrance of New Life. Sunday's service had just ended, so it was crowded.

Murray made a short drive to the east exit of the building. As soon as he got out of his car, he opened fire with an assault rifle, hitting five people, including the father and two daughters of the Works family. Eighteen--year-old Stephanie and 16-year-old Rachael were killed.

SGT. Jeff JENSON, COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE DEPT.: Twenty-four- year-old Matthew Murray was the gunman that was in the parking lot in the east corner of the complex near the east entrance into the worship center. The suspect, at this time, begins to fire several rounds in the parking lot.

CALLEBS: Inside the chaotic, crowded hallway, Jeanne Assam heard the gunfire.

ASSAM: I'll never forget the gun shots. They were so loud. And I was just focused, and I just knew I was not going to wait for him to do any further damage.

CALLEBS: Murray, carrying two pistols, a rifle, and about a thousand rounds of ammo, was now 80 feet inside the building. Assam says it's not overstating it to say God took over and helped her bring down a killer.

ASSAM: God was with me. And I asked him to be with me. And he never left my side.

CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, Colorado Springs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Ahead this hour, a tale of two seasons.

CLANCY: Here in the southeastern United States, it feels like it must be summertime.

GORANI: It certainly does.

CLANCY: Setting records.

GORANI: In the Midwest, however, a wintry mess has caused travel nightmares and left hundreds of thousands of homes in the dark.

And later...

CLANCY: From "Black Dog" to a "Whole Lotta Love" to "Stairway to Heaven," a reunited Led Zeppelin sends its audience into a frenzy. Is this reunion concert really a one-night stand? Well, fans have another idea, perhaps, for the group.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to all of our viewers joining us from more than 200 countries and territories right around the globe, including here in the United States. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Hala Gorani. And this is Jim Clancy next to me. Here are some of the top stories we're following.

CLANCY: That's right.

Algerian officials blaming a group affiliate with al Qaeda for two attacks in Algiers. Car bombs went off minutes apart, apparently targeting government and United Nations buildings. Death toll estimates ranges from 22 to 65.

GORANI: Also in the headlines and in Australia, outrage after nine young men plead guilty to gang raping a 10-year-old girl, but their sentence did not include any jail time. Instead, the judge gave them parole or had their sentence suspended. Many angry community leaders are calling for the suspension of the judge who said the victim probably consented to having sex with the males.

CLANCY: The gunman who killed four people at a church in a missionary training center in Colorado had apparently posted an online warning message 90 minutes before the second shooting. Sources also say Matthew Murray spent several months at the missionary training center where the first shooting occurred, but was kicked out of the group.

Now to the U.S. presidential race. At one time the Republicans and the Democrats were thought by many to have a clear front-runners for their party's nomination at least. But now it is -- take a look and it's not so fast. New CNN polling numbers show both races tightening up. Let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, and figure out why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Big shakeup in the Republican race. Last month, Rudy Giuliani was the clear Republican front-runner, Fred Thompson second, John McCain third.

But look at the race now. Mike Huckabee is breathing down Giuliani's neck. A statistical dead heat. Huckabee's support has more than doubled in the last month.

Mitt Romney is now running third. He, too, has picking up support. Looks like his speech on faith and politics, just before this poll was taken, earned him some points. But not with evangelicals, where Romney is still running fifth.

The big loser? Fred Thompson, down to fifth place.

Huckabee now leads among conservatives and evangelical Republican voters. His support as nearly tripled among women. Huckabee scores well on likability and on representing Republican values. But Giuliani is still seen as having the best chance of beating the Democrat. RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every poll shows that I would be, by far, the strongest candidate against Hillary Clinton.

SCHNEIDER: And the Democrats? Shakeup there too. Last month, Hillary Clinton was 19 points ahead of Barack Obama. Now her lead has slunk to 10 points. Clinton is still way ahead among women. But Barack Obama has made big gains with men, where he now leads Clinton.

Last month, Clinton was leading Obama by two to one among liberals. Now Obama's 10 points ahead. Democrats say Obama is most likable and least like a typical politician. But when asked, who has the best chance of beating the Republican, Democrats say Clinton.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have been standing against the Republicans, George Bush and Dick Cheney, and will continue to do so and I think Democrats know that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Same thing is happening in both parties. Candidates are emerging who are likable and who appeal to the party's base. But Clinton and Giuliani are still seen as the strongest nominees.

Jim.

CLANCY: Well, even though they're the strongest, Bill, you look at Huckabee and there have been things coming out about what he said about gays or AIDS 15 years ago. There was also some criticism of him for a rape suspect released from prison, went out and killed someone. How does he manage to go up in the polls despite all this criticism?

SCHNEIDER: Well, first, he went up in the polls and then he became a target because suddenly he's the front-runner in Iowa, at least. And so all the other candidates started looking into his record. What did he do as governor of Arkansas? And they found some tax issues. And they found this parole issue. They found some things he had said about AIDS and gays. And so all of it's coming out because he's become a very strong candidate. This is bound to happen. The question is, can he withstand that kind of criticism?

CLANCY: On the Democratic side, Obama, how strong is he there in Iowa? What do the voters see in him?

SCHNEIDER: They see in him someone who does not sound or look like a typical politician. Someone who's knew. And someone who they believe has the ability to reach across political lines, to appeal to Americans who aren't just Democrats. And, frankly, Oprah Winfrey, who has been campaigning with him, is a symbol of that appeal because she also is universally popular. She's admired by men, women, Democrats, Republicans, blacks, whites. So she's an interesting symbol for him to campaign with, that tries to embody what he's doing in his campaign.

CLANCY: All right. Bill, listen, you're out there on the trail. You're in the CNN campaign bus, watching the candidates in the middle of a major storm. Who's the hardest working out there? And who's more or less paralyzed by the bad weather?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. A lot of campaign events have been canceled out here today. One wonders just what's going to happen on caucus night if the weather is this bad or worse. Then only the die- hard caucus goers will show up.

CLANCY: All right. Bill Schneider, our chief political analyst there in beautiful downtown Des Moines in his beautiful fur cap.

Bill, as always, thanks a lot for being with us.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

GORANI: Well, as we heard there, Iowa in the grip of the savage winter storm that has paralyzed much of the American Midwest. It's also getting stormy, though, on the campaign trail. More on that from John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Winter in western Iowa is breathtaking. Snow blankets the rolling hills of farm land. LeMars calls itself the ice cream capital of the world and is, without a doubt, conservative country.

DON KASS, PLYMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN CHAIR: We outnumber the Democrats here in this county by about two to one.

KING: A month ago, county GOP chairman Don Kass says Mitt Romney was running well ahead around here. He calls it a tossup now.

D. KASS: In politics, some times being the guy who gets the second look at the right time can be pretty beneficial. The surge, I think right now, belongs to Mr. Huckabee.

KING: Huckabee's Iowa surge comes despite being overwhelmingly outspent. Romney has poured nearly $4 million into Iowa TV ads. Huckabee, about $220,000.

BOB VANDER PLAATS, IOWA CHAIR, HUCKABEE FOR PRESIDENT: So it's going to be an interesting case study in caucus history. Can the volunteer network, the volunteer support of a Mike Huckabee, can it really overcome a paid staff, well-oiled machine that Mitt Romney has here in the state?

CLINT KASS, UNDECIDED REPUBLICAN VOTER: I've got to meet Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

KING: Clint Kass is the major target in the final weeks, an undecided Republican.

C. KASS: I'm looking for someone that shares the same views as me and wants to get back to the Republican platform, you know, where we are, you know, less government, less spending. You know, the conservative theme.

KING: Kass likes Romney and Giuliani and is adding Huckabee to his list of candidates to study. C. KASS: I think it's definitely more recently. I don't know, you know, three weeks ago, I probably wouldn't. He was on the radar, but I certainly don't think he was a leader. He was kind of an afterthought.

KING: An afterthought no more. Don Kass considers it a two-man race and says recent, anonymous mailings suggest a bare knuckled finish.

D. KASS: I've seen material that attacked Governor Romney for his Mormonism, which I don't think is fair. In fact, I think it's bigoted. I've seen some nasty things said about Governor Huckabee regarding his stand on immigration and his tax policy in the state of Arkansas. They're saying he was actually more liberal than Governor Clinton.

KING: The Romney campaign is betting illegal immigration is the issue it can use to blunt Governor Huckabee's momentum. Here in Iowa, the Romney camp is launching the first direct attack ad of this campaign cycle, highlighting Governor Huckabee's support of tuition benefits and taxpayer funded scholarships for illegal immigrants and their children.

John King, CNN, Le Mars, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Next up in our "America Votes 2008" coverage, "The Des Moines Register" presidential debates. First it's the Republicans. CNN will carry the debates live from Iowa, followed immediately by post-debate coverage hosted by our Wolf Blitzer. U.S. viewers can see that live on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

CLANCY: Then on Thursday, it's the Democrats' turn. CNN will be covering it all, live from Des Moines. Again, Wednesday and Thursday, beginning 2:00 p.m. Eastern. For our international viewers, let's see, what is that, that's 1900 hours Greenwich Mean Time.

GORANI: That's a much more civilized hour for all you international viewers than the 2:00 a.m. of last time.

Still ahead, some clever technology to curb the effects of climate change.

CLANCY: Now you normally wouldn't combine water and electricity, but this shocking treatment is reviving aging coral reefs. We're going to get a look -- underwater look at how they do it.

GORANI: Also ahead, a one-night stand. Reunited rock 'n' roll legends play for their first concert in nearly 30 years. Can the performance match the hype?

CLANCY: I think so.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Hello and welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.

The human race faces oblivion if global warming is not confronted. That's the warning that we're hearing now from the U.N. secretary general as he arrives at a global conference on climate change underway in Indonesia. Delegates in Bali debated a new document calling for deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by the rich nations. U.S. and Europeans have differed over the language in that document.

GORANI: Now, we've always been told that water and electricity are best kept separate. But some scientists in Indonesia are breaking that rule and for a good reason.

CLANCY: In fact, they're using a unique method to try to revitalize the dying coral reefs along the country's coastline.

GORANI: Dan Rivers looks at the shocking plan and its electric effects.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): We've come to Pamuto Lang (ph) beach on the remote north coast of Bali, to scuba dive on a remarkable project. Under these sparkling waters, there is a reef teaming with fish and coral. But what's amazing is this whole underwater ecosystem has been rebuilt using some very clever technology called bio rock.

A few years ago, huge steel frames were lowered into the shallow waters where the natural reef was damaged beyond repair. Then coral, that was about to die, was grafted on to these structures. TOM GOREAU, PROJECT CO-FOUNDER: We swim around the reef and we look for naturally broken coral, things that are going to die. So we rescue those, we tie those on and we let them grow very fast.

RIVERS: And that's possible because of these wires. And this is the really clever part of the project. A small electrical current is fed under water to the metal structures. Nearby, other cables are linked to a titanium mesh, like this one on the sea bed. It acts as an anote (ph). And by the magic of electrolysis, when the current is switched on, limestone literally grows around the metal frames. It also raises the coral's metabolism, protecting them from warming seas.

GOREAU: Now when bleaching happens, which is caused by high temperature, our corals bleach, too, but they don't die. They don't die because they have more energy. And so have 16 to 50 times higher survival of the corals we grow under conditions of high temperature.

RIVERS: This reef used to be a barren wasteland, destroyed by fishermen using dynamite and cyanide. But now, thanks to the ingenious bio rock technology, the reef is slowly coming back to life.

And that's good news for this community. The fish are coming back. And what used to be a desolate sea bed is suddenly attracting upmarket eco tourists. NARA DODGE, PROJECT CARETAKER: It's becoming a bigger and bigger eco system. And it's a fantastic tourist attraction. It's just snorkelers, first-time people in the ocean, beginning snorkelers discovering the ocean for the first time here on this project because the corals are right there, the fish are right there.

RIVERS: Now those who used to hunt fish realized they can make more money protecting them.

AGUNG PRANA, TOURISM OFFICIAL: The ocean has now become the income stream because this is the income stream. They encourage (ph) themself to protect this potential.

RIVERS: It's a virtuous circle. As bio rock grows, more coral grows, more fish are attracted, along with more eco tourists. Its structure costs just a few hundred dollars. If the project had serious funding, thousand more metal structures could be put in place. With rising sea temperatures from global warming, this might be the best way to stop them disappearing forever.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Bali.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, we want to hear what you, our viewers, want to see accomplished at the U.N.'s climate change summit. Log on to cnn.com/ecosolutions with your thoughts on climate change.

CLANCY: All right. Get your air guitars out because coming up Led Zeppelin reunites for a one night only concert.

GORANI: This is a cause for excitement for you. Well, it leaves some fans in London screaming for more, not just Jim. Listen. Chances are you weren't one of the lucky few who saw the concert of the year live last night in London.

CLANCY: No worries. We're going to save you a seat. Stay tuned to CNN. Led Zeppelin is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Been a long time since they rock 'n' rolled.

GORANI: Well, three decades, in fact, apparently since the last time this happened.

CLANCY: You know, when they got out there, one more time last night, this was in London -- special concert -- seemed like they just weren't missing a beat.

GORANI: Phil Black rocks on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It just might be music's greatest reunion. A one-time show. Some of the greatest guitar rips in rock history. When the members of Led Zeppelin announced they were getting the band back together, it triggered a global frenzy for tickets. Millions tried to enter an online lottery to get them. Around 18,000 were successful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I entered the draw. I forgot about entering. Three weeks later you get the e-mail. I've won! I've won the (INAUDIBLE). I can get a ticket. I'm going to Led Zeppelin.

BLACK: People came from across the planet to see Led Zeppelin's first full set in 27 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a once in a lifetime event. It will never, ever happen again. OK. And that's why I've come all the way from New Zealand.

BLACK: This man flew in from Mexico.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been very important to me to be here.

BLACK: This mother and daughter traveled from Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just ecstatic to be here.

BLACK: But Led Zeppelin fans don't come much bigger than American Daryn Bender (ph). He bought two tickets at a charity auction for $30,000.

DARYN BENDER, FAN: It just is -- it's in my spirit. It's in my soul. Led Zeppelin is in my soul.

BLACK: For a little over two hours, the band belted out their greatest hits. Fifty-nine-year-old Robert Plant on vocals, 63-year- old Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones, keyboard and bass and the late John Bonham's son, Jason, smashed the drums. They left the crowd, mostly middle aged music fans, wanting more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all older and I thought they were really good. I would like to be that good at what I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Norway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brilliant! From Norway. It was awesome!

BLACK: For the millions who missed it, there may be reason to hope. Led Zeppelin is rumored to be considering a world tour.

Phil Black, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: You know, and they played it live aid. They were so unhappy with their performance, they wouldn't let them put it out as part of their record. They gave them a donation of cash anyway. They practiced since May to appear there and they played -- and they were good.

GORANI: Well, everyone thought they did a good job. Well, I liked what that man said in the piece. He said, I'd like to be that good at that age at what I do. And that's a very good point to make. They're great at what they do, 30 years later.

CLANCY: Five months of practice, six months of practice they already put in. I think they're headed for the road.

GORANI: I think we could practice for five months all we want, Jim Clancy, and we wouldn't be that good.

CLANCY: No, but I think they're headed -- what I mean is, they've spent that much, invested that much time in it. Number one, they've got an album that's already cut. Number two, they're headed for the road. I think they're headed for the road.

GORANI: They're hitting the road.

CLANCY: Could be wrong. Can we listen to some more of them?

GORANI: Let's listen to some more.

CLANCY: Bye for now. I'm Jim. That's Hala.

GORANI: I'm Hala.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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