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GOP Candidates Debate Each Other in Des Moines, Iowa; Lebanon Bombing

Aired December 12, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Republican face-off. GOP presidential hopefuls prepare for a big debate in the key state of Iowa.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Assassination in Lebanon. A car bombing killing a top ranking army general just outside Beirut.

GORANI: Deadly veil. Police say a Canadian teenager was killed by her father for refusing to wear a traditional Muslim headscarf.

CLANCY: And swept away. A river of mud devastating a community in Oregon.

It's 11:00 a.m. right now in Des Moines, 7:00 in the evening in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hello and welcome to our report seen around the globe.

I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

From Des Moines to Dhaka, Beirut to Boston, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: Well, we begin this hour with a battle for the White House. There is still nearly a year to go before Americans will go to the polls voting for their next president.

But it could be their last chance to see all the candidates in action. Nine Republicans and six Democratic candidates are getting ready to face off in Iowa.

The back-to-back debates, Republicans on Wednesday, Democrats on Thursday, come as both races are tossups just three weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Lively exchanges, tough sparring, all but certain.

Dana Bash joins us now live from Des Moines, Iowa with a preview of what to expect today.

Now, the race has changed somewhat. It seems like those who were front-runners aren't necessarily shoo-ins anymore, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. It has been heading that way, changing for the past couple of weeks. But as these candidates go into their very last formal debate before the Iowa caucuses, they're going to go in with Mike Huckabee, the come-from-behind Republican candidate, now clearly in the front of the pack, according to several polls here.

Mitt Romney, who had been in the front of the pack for sometime and spent a lot of money and a lot of time and has a really robust organization here, has now slipped. So that is really going to be the key dynamic to watch for in this debate this afternoon, in about two hours, Hala.

Now, we have seen a lot of debates over the past several months on both sides of the aisle, but this is really sort of the creme de la creme, if you will, for Iowa voters. This is a traditional debate hosted by "The Des Moines Register," the state's largest and most influential newspaper, and also Iowa Public Television.

So all eyes will be on this not just because of the calendar, but because of the tradition. Iowans like their traditions, and that is a big reason why.

It could be interesting, though, because of that tradition. We are told that the candidates are going to be asked the same question, all of them will get the same question, and not necessarily given a chance -- the format won't give them a chance to mix it up. So you'll really tell how much they want to go at it if they make a point to maybe not necessarily attack, but mention the records and the comments of the other -- other rivals on the stage this afternoon in this debate.

GORANI: Now, with Huckabee doing so well in the polls, tell us, historically, how reliable are polls at this stage of the presidential race in the United States?

BASH: That is such a good question. You know, the answer is, not that reliable traditionally. And here's the reason why.

The Iowa caucuses are not like a primary. The voters don't go into a voting booth and pull a lever and that's it. The caucuses are a very unique thing. They are held in living rooms, in coffee shops, in schools.

And, you know, it is held on a day you can see there's a lot of snow here. It's going to be January 3rd, a day that will very likely be inclement weather. So you really have to have kind of die-hard supporters to get out and go and be involved in the Iowa caucus experience. And that is why organization matters more than anything.

Now, Mike Huckabee is surging in the polls when pollsters ask voters who they like, but getting those voters to the caucuses is really going to be the test to whether he can actually turn that popularity into a win here, because, as I said, Mitt Romney has been spending a lot of time, a lot of money, and has a really strong organization here in the state already. So it will be -- so the combination or the attack, if you will, between passion that Mike Huckabee might have and real organization and know-how, and that's what Mitt Romney has on the ground here.

GORANI: All right. It's all becoming very, very interesting.

Dana Bash in Des Moines, Iowa.

Thanks very much.

"The Des Moines Register" presidential Republican debate takes place about two hours from now. Then on Thursday, it's the Democrats' turn, and CNN will be covering it all live, of course. So tune in to CNN and CNN International for those.

CLANCY: Now, the two debates are going to give candidates an opportunity to showcase their verbal sparring skills for one last time before the Iowa caucuses. The last time they all did this but certainly not the first in a campaign season that's been packed with the debates. The question, is it all too much?

Let's get some insight now with Rosemary Church.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, here's a pop quiz for you. How many U.S. presidential debates have there been this year? And how many do we need?

Well, the answer to the first question is 31. Thirty-one debates, forums and discussions, including this week's in Iowa, a year before the presidential election. And the total will be at least 39 before the race is over.

As for how many we need, well, that's a debate in itself. For months, the candidates have been meeting voters and each other all across the country. And the debates, like the campaigning, have been concentrating in the states where voters will weigh in first, places like South Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida and Iowa.

Now, this week's debates will be the 10th and 11th in Iowa alone. And voters say that's just fine with them. A recent poll shows more than two-thirds of Americans say all these debates have been helpful in deciding how to vote.

Well, that figure is even higher in Iowa, and the TV ratings show that people are paying attention. More than two million tuned into the first Democratic debate back in April.

Now, viewership dipped for a couple of forums focusing on labor and economic issues. But generally the ratings have been rising. More than four million watched CNN's Democratic and Republican debates last month.

But does this dizzying display of debates make a difference? Well, the candidates think so.

Republican John McCain says his rival Mike Huckabee's rise in the poll is because of his debating skill. And Democrat Hillary Clinton has slipped in the polls since a shaky debate performance back in October.

With so many voters undecided and tuning in, how a candidate does in the debate can make all the difference. One thing's for sure, whoever wins their party's nomination will have it relatively easy when it comes to debating. There are just three presidential debates scheduled in the fall of 2008. Less material to help make up your mind, but more, perhaps, time to turn off our television.

Back to you.

GORANI: All right. Rosemary Church there with some insight.

Meanwhile, a new poll indicates the New Hampshire primary is still wide open. Only a quarter of the Democrats polled say they have decided definitely. One-third of them say they're leaning toward a favorite, but 43 percent say they're still trying to make up their minds.

On the Republican side, only 15 percent have definitely made up their minds, 30 percent say they're favoring one particular candidate over another. But more than half say they're still trying to reach a conclusion.

CLANCY: All right. Let's turn now to the top international story.

A high ranking Lebanese general killed in an explosion in Beirut, pushing that country deeper into political uncertainty. The killing of Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj comes at a time when lawmakers in Beirut are still deadlocked over who to select as a new president.

Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): A car packed with explosives was triggered to detonate and kill one of Lebanon's top army generals, throwing the country into deeper uncertainty and political turmoil. The head of military operations was traveling in a four-wheel drive vehicle with a bodyguard when it was tossed into the air by a fireball of hot metal and thick smoke.

Anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians were quick to blame Syria for the attack and near political paralysis overshadowing the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's obvious that the vacuum is required. This vacuum would serve the Syrian/Iranian axis.

SADLER: There's a political vacuum from the post of president down. There is no head of state, a deadlocked parliament that has failed to convene to elect a new president eight times. And the western-backed government is not recognized by mostly Muslim Shiites and many divided Christians.

(on camera): By striking at the heart of the army, the bombers have attacked the one institution most closely associated with the Lebanese presidency, especially now as the army's chief of staff is poised to rise to power. (voice over): But only if the pro-Syrian political camp here led by Hezbollah agrees to amend the constitution, a move the anti-Syrian camp claims it has tried but failed to achieve because of concealed Syrian duress.

The assassinated general Francois al-Hajj was at the forefront of a months-long battle to crush al Qaeda-inspired Islamic militants at the Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon. The campaign, one for the army and its most senior commander, presidential hopeful General Michel Sulieman, the widespread praise of a grateful but still bitterly-divided nation that's been plagued by unsolved murders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So many enemies, and nobody is trying to help Lebanon.

SADLER (on camera): Is Syria one of those enemies?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't -- I don't want to incriminate somebody, you see, unless I have proof for that.

SADLER (voice over): As renewed grief, horror and condemnation spread through the country, fears of total chaos have been reignited by this attack on the army. A symbol of hope for many Lebanese who craved for political stability and long-lasting security.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: CNN's Brent Sadler joins us now from Beirut by way of broadband.

Brent, you have Iran backing Hezbollah, one political power center in Lebanon. The other one, the March 14th alliance, that one backed by the West. What is March 14th's strategy now?

SADLER: Well, I think you're going to see a continuation of growing support among the western-backed camp of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to try to put more pressure on the Hezbollah-led opposition to see Michel Sulieman, the army commander, rise to the presidency. There is expected to be in Lebanon on Friday a very widely-covered funeral service, a funeral event for the fallen general. And that is bound to create even greater support, they believe, for Michel Sulieman to reach the presidential post and, hopefully, for this deeply divided country, to dig itself out of this continuing chaos -- Jim.

CLANCY: OK. So if they reach agreement on the president, does that automatically mean the trouble's ended?

SADLER: No, it doesn't, because even before there's a presidential -- a name slotted for that empty chair, there's still division over who will be the prime minister. Could it be Saad Hariri, the son and political heir of the assassinated former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, whose murder really triggered this political upheaval in Lebanon that's been lasting for some two years?

Who will be the members of the next cabinet? People are already wanting assurances on these crucial issues even before the presidential post is filled. So expect even if the presidency slot is filled by Sulieman, then there could be even further wrangling ahead, and many Lebanese now realize that they're in the for the long haul, they believe, of continuing upheaval and perhaps even worse, violence- speaking, than we're seeing today -- Jim.

CLANCY: Brent Sadler reporting live there from the Lebanese capital.

Thank you, Brent.

GORANI: Ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, a tragic death that's stirring controversy in Canada.

CLANCY: Up next, did a Muslim father kill his own daughter because she wouldn't wear a headscarf?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Afghanistan, we do what we can. In Iraq, we do what we must.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Also ahead, stretched to the limit in Afghanistan. U.S. leaders demand more from Europe in the fight against the Taliban.

CLANCY: And look out from Mother Nature if you're in the northwestern United States. We're going to tell you where this mudslide is wreaking havoc a little bit later this hour.

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.

In the Canadian province of Ontario, a Muslim teenager is dead. Her father charged with her murder. The high school classmates she left behind are trying to come to grips with her death, and those who knew her have a consistent theory why she had to die.

Laurie Graham (ph) has the tragic story of Aqsa Parvez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE GRAHAM, REPORTER, CBC NEWS (voice over): They gathered outside their high school to console one another, to try to come to terms with the senseless death of a friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was an outgoing person. She was always smiling, always a person that wanted to dance.

GRAHAM: Aqsa Parvez died after being found unconscious in her parents' home yesterday. Police say they received a 911 call from a man who said he had just killed his daughter. Now, her father, 57-year-old Mohammed Parvez, has been charged with her murder. Her 26-year-old brother is accused of obstructing police.

Parvez was from a conservative Muslim family, but friends say she didn't want to wear the traditional headscarf, that she wanted to dress in her own style.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She kind of wanted to go different ways from what her family wanted her to go, so then she kind of wanted to make her own path.

GRAHAM: That path, friends say, caused a lot of tension at home and brought on fear that forced her recently to run away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were really strict with (INAUDIBLE). So when she -- when they found out that she wasn't dressing religiously, they got angry.

GRAHAM: Ausma Khan runs "Muslim Girl" magazine. She says she gets letters from girls asking how to dress, what to do if they don't want to wear the hijab.

AUSMA KHAN, EDITOR, "MUSLIM GIRL": There's a diversity of opinion on how Muslim girls should dress and behave, and different approaches to faith even within the community. So I think the tension does exist in some communities and some families, but it's by no means widespread.

GRAHAM: Some Muslims say that tension needs to be taken more seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a wake-up call for the Muslim community, and it is a wake-up call for all the imams who, ad nauseam, repeat five times a day that any woman whose head is not covered is a sexual object.

GRAHAM (voice over): A memorial for Aqsa Parvez was set up inside her school today as funeral arrangements are still being made. Her father and brother, meanwhile, are in police custody and will appear in court tomorrow to face charges in connection with her death.

Laurie Graham, CBC News, Toronto.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, some prominent Muslims in Canada are cautioning people against rushing to judgment in this case.

Shahina Siddiqui may be one such person. She is president of the Islamic Social Services Association. She is also a board member of the Canadian Council on American/Islamic Relations.

Thanks for being with us, Shahina Siddiqui.

What is your reaction as one of the community leaders of the Muslim community in Canada to this alleged murder?

SHAHINA SIDDIQUI, ISLAMIC SOCIAL SERVICES ASSN.: Well, like everybody else, we are shocked, we are grieving, we are mourning because this is a senseless loss of a beautiful life, of a young girl. So of course initially there was a lot of shock and there was a lot of grief. And I think that will go on for a while.

But I think what my major concern is, that we look at this issue for what it is. It is a family that was not coping very well, a family that did not have the help and support that it needed. And that it led to such a tragedy. And that we look at the issue for what it is rather than hang onto, you know, sensational...

(CROSSTALK)

GORANI: I guess I'm not understanding you. A family that doesn't cope very well? That's not a justification for alleged infanticide. I mean, essentially, if this father indeed killed his daughter because of his misinterpretation of the Koranic text, that makes him a murderer, not somebody who didn't cope very well.

SIDDIQUI: No, that is totally speculation. We don't know what happened, we don't know why he killed her.

We are not supporting -- as you have seen our statement, there is zero tolerance in Islam and zero tolerance for family violence. And as you know, 50 percent of Canadian women who are murdered are murdered as a result of domestic violence.

So this is an issue that's across the board, and we need to look at it as such. If he used -- and it's a big "if" -- if he used this as a pretext that, oh, she was not dressing properly, it doesn't make sense. And it has no, you know, foundation to stand on.

GORANI: Sure.

SIDDIQUI: So we need to reject that kind of rationale.

GORANI: And that rationale -- and I hear this from Muslim community leaders a lot -- needs to be rejected. But also what I hear a lot is people saying, oh, he's a conservative Muslim, versus a liberal, as though a conservative Muslim is justified in an honor killing, whereas a liberal Muslim would allow his daughter to wear a pair of jeans. It's not a difference between conservative and liberal, it's a difference between a criminal and someone who abides by the law.

SIDDIQUI: Exactly. We have to see that this father, whether he lost it, he snapped, or had a psychotic break, this is what we need to look at.

And we also need to look at I think something much more important. How did it get to this point and what were the red flags that we missed? Whether it was the school, the community, the neighborhood, what did we miss? Because really, when a young life is lost, we have to do introspection and ask what could we have done and how can we prevent this from happening again?

GORANI: But I've got to ask you this question about the responsibility essentially of the clerics. We heard it there from one of the voices in the story that came out on CNN before you, that it is the responsibility of the leaders of the Muslim communities anywhere to say, this is murder and this is the crime, and that clerics do not say it enough, that essentially by their silence they're condoning these acts.

Do you agree?

SIDDIQUI: No, I don't, because my experience with the majority of the clergies is we do have sermons on domestic violence. At conferences and conventions we always have sessions on domestic violence.

Our council of imams has come out with a statement again condemning this act and saying it's un-Islamic, it's unacceptable, because the Koran is very clear on that, that you do not, you know, target women or girls because of their gender or because of what they have done, because this is so foreign to our frame of reference that the condemnations come out right away.

Now, are there a few, you know, who have a different view? Of course. In every community, you have people who try to rationalize something that's indefensible.

But on the whole, the entire Muslim community, plus the leaders -- and I think we need to come together, whether it's religious leaders, social workers, community leaders and community at large, we need to come together on this rather than fractionize and use this as a political agenda, because it's not. It's a loss of a life.

GORANI: All right. We're running out of time. We've got to leave it there.

Shahina Siddiqui of the Islamic Social Services Association.

Thank you so much for being with us right here on CNN discussing this case of...

SIDDIQUI: Thank you.

GORANI: ... what police say is a murder within a family, but we will continue to follow it, of course.

CLANCY: A very sad story. We'll follow it.

We've got to take a short break here, change topics.

And what a difference a day makes. Take a look at the Big Board right now. Stocks seem to like what the Fed came out with today. Not as much as perhaps they did earlier, but we'll have a check of the market straight ahead.

GORANI: Plus, a mother's outcry. A rape trial in Dubai exposes a dark side of the wealthy Gulf Emirates.

Stay with us.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome everyone. Each one of our viewers joining us from more than 200 territories and countries around the globe this hour, including the United States.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. And these are the stories that are making headlines in your world today.

U.S. presidential candidates again getting ready to debate ahead of the January 3rd Iowa caucuses. Nine Republicans are going to take the stage in Des Moines in about an hour and a half from now. Democrats will get their turn on Thursday. Candidates from both parties find themselves the target of fresh attacks in an extremely fluid race.

GORANI: Escalating political violence in Lebanon. A top ranking army general and at least three other individuals were killed when a bomb exploded in a Beirut suburb. The bombing comes at a time when lawmakers are deadlocks over a new president. The general was a top candidate for army chief. The U.S. says it strongly condemns the assassination.

CLANCY: The father of this Canadian girl is charged with her murder. Friends say they suspect it was because the two clashed over her refusal to wear an Islamic head scarf. Sixteen-year-old Aqsa Parvez died Monday night after a man at her home called emergency service and said he had killed his daughter. Police are not commenting on any motive.

GORANI: Well, the U.S. presidential race is a two-stage race. First you have to win the nomination of your party. Then you have to win the election.

CLANCY: Pretty basic. But as Mary Snow tells us, success in one of those campaigns doesn't guarantee you success in the other one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Mike Huckabee has leap-frogged to the top of the list of Republican presidential hopefuls in recent polls. But in a head-to-head match, pitting the former Arkansas governor against his Democratic rivals, the numbers tell a different story. A CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Huckabee would likely lose to Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton by 10 percentage points, Senator Barack Obama by 15 and John Edwards by 25. KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLLING DIRECTOR: The thing that struck me the most was how poorly Huckabee's doing and how well McCain is doing in general election match-ups, despite the fact that Huckabee has far more support than McCain in the primary match-ups among Republicans.

SNOW: The poll finds Republican Senator John McCain would fare best against the leading Democratic contenders. And on the Democratic side, John Edwards would beat all four leading Republican candidates.

But does that mean they are the most electable? If so, why is Edwards running third in the polls behind his Democratic rivals and McCain placing fourth among his fellow Republican contenders? Political observers say it all points to the uncertainty of the race, especially on the Republican side, where voters have been looking for an alternative to the top-tier candidates.

STU ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: They look around. They looked at Fred Thompson. And he didn't impress them. And now they're still looking. And finally they found Mike Huckabee. We'll have to see whether they stay in love with him. But for the moment, the polls suggest they're definitely smitten.

SNOW: As to why Mike Huckabee isn't doing better in the polls against his Democratic rivals, political experts say one big reason is he's not well-known nationally, even though he's been surging in the polls among Republican primary voters.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Now "The Des Moines Register" presidential Republican debate taking place less than two hours from now. About 90 minutes.

GORANI: Absolutely. You can tune in on both CNN networks. And on Thursday, it's the Democrats' turn. CNN will be covering it all live.

CLANCY: Turning to another story now. This one in Dubai where two men have been convicted of raping a teenage boy from France. They've been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But as Wilf Dinnick tells us, the boy's mother says the fight for justice for her is only just beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILF DINNICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Guilty verdicts are not enough for Veronica Roberts.

VERONICA ROBERTS, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I just want that to never happen again to some one, to some other girl or to some other boy.

DINNICK: She claims her 15-year-old son's rape case was botched from the start because of Dubai's attitudes towards sex crimes. This trial shed light on some dark corners in this glitzy city of business and tourism. Roberts say Dubai is so concerned with its image, it is ignoring some deeper troubles. Ninety percent of the people who live here are foreigners, drawn to the sea side for a safe, western lifestyle, helping transform it into a world-class city.

ROBERTS: (INAUDIBLE) to all these people, security, (INAUDIBLE), you know, everything. So I think maybe that is not good for the (INAUDIBLE) of Dubai.

DR. HABIB AL MULLA, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, GOVT. OF DUBAI: And the fact that we have been very transparent, we have been talking about it in the media is an example that we deal with it in a fair way.

DINNICK: But the government knew one rapist was HIV possible. They never told the victim, claiming miss communication. It's still to early to tell whether the 15-year-old caught the virus.

This case got more complicated and a whole lot more attention when one official suggested that this wasn't the case of rape. In fact, it was consensual sex. Well, here in Dubai, that was a serious accusation.

Homosexuality is illegal, punishable by a year in prison. Roberts says one small victory, Dubai has agreed to open a rape clinic. A big step forward, she says, but still a long way to go in a city she once considered paradise.

Wilf Dinnick, CNN, Dubai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, outrage is escalating in Australia over the gang rape of an aboriginal girl. The federal government now says it may take back control of aboriginal communities in the Australian outback. Earlier, the prosecutor in the case was suspended after saying the boys who had raped a 10-year-old had been "very naughty." None of the nine attackers were jailed and the country's attorney general is ordering an appeal in the controversial case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY SHINE, QUEENSLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: Certainly there are principles that have to be complied with, particularly dealing with juveniles in terms of all of the circumstances of the case of the juveniles involved, but not to forget the circumstances of the complainant. And here in this case, this complainant was a 10-year- old girl, raped by six youths and three men. And when none of them go to prison, then, I believe that the penalties imposed were manifestly inadequate and that is, of course, the ground of my appeal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well Shine also described as inexplicable, rather the judge's remarks, implying that the girl may have consented to sex.

Jim.

CLANCY: Well, it's official, the International Olympic Committee formerly stripping track and field star Marion Jones of her Olympic medals. Earlier this year, Jones admitted to doping during the 2000 Sydney games where she won three gold and two bronze medals. Now Marion Jones had already returned those medals before the IOC officially wiped her name from the record books. The committee also barred her from attending the 2008 Beijing games in any capacity and may ban her from future Olympics as well.

GORANI: Coming up, keep watching the skies.

CLANCY: Near collisions are becoming all too common in U.S. air space. We're going to tell you why and what has to be done to make your air travel safer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.

Bombers striking with some deadly results in the Iraqi capital and in the southeastern Maysan (ph) province. Blood actually running in the streets of Amara after multiple explosions ripped through a market district in the city. According to the Associated Press, authorities say at least 41 people were killed, 151 wounded. The blasts occurred within minutes of one another and appeared to be coordinated. Meantime, in Baghdad, five people were killed, 15 more wounded by a car bomb in a Christian enclave of a Shia neighborhood.

GORANI: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says insurgents can play a role in Afghan politics if they will renounce violence. And he's pledging a long term troop presence in that country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We will continue to work with our partners who have proved steadfast in Afghanistan. I welcome the recent announcements from Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Astonia (ph) that they will maintain or increase their troop numbers. This progress must, I believe, now be matched by contributions from other countries in NATO, the EU and beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, those words by the British prime minister may be of some comfort to the U.S. defense secretary. Robert Gates warned the U.S. Congress that Taliban influence and violence is growing in parts of Afghanistan. Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): In southern Afghanistan, Afghan and NATO troops finally recaptured the town of Musakala (ph), long held by Taliban fighters. Violence in Afghanistan has been on the rise. Attacks are up in the south and east.

ADM. MICHAEL MULLEN, U.S. JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: In Helmand province alone, violence has risen more than 60 percent. And according to a recent poll, 23 percent living in the southwest say people in their areas support the Taliban, triple what it was just three years ago.

STARR: Just back from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates assured Congress he's pressuring NATO to send more troops and helicopters and is calling for a new effort on reconstruction.

ROBERT GATES, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: A strong civilian representative is need to coordinate all nations and key international organizations on the ground.

STARR: Economic progress is crucial to counter what the U.S. military says is an emerging vicious generation of Taliban leaders. One of the most notorious is Serag Hakani (ph), said to have ordered assassinations, suicide attacks and the beheadings of women. With a $200,000 reward on his head, Serag has backing from al Qaeda in Pakistan and financing from Middle Eastern countries. Some congressional members worry that Taliban strength may only grow.

ADAM SMITH, U.S. HOUSE DEMOCRAT: When talking to various, you know, military personnel over there, there's no question that they believe we do not have enough troops over there. We do not have enough troops to pursue the Taliban when they pop up out of their holes.

STARR: But Mullen noted Iraq may be part of the problem.

MULLEN: In Afghanistan, we do what we can. In Iraq, we do what we must.

STARR: And what about the hunt for Osama bin Laden? Both Gates and Mullen, when questioned, said the hunt goes on, but declined to be more specific in an open session.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Rescue workers reportedly giving up the search for more survivors in the Algerian capital. If you remember twin truck bombings in the capital yesterday killed more than 30 people. Al Qaeda's north African branch has claimed responsibility. They targeted the United Nations office in Algiers, as well as the country's supreme court there. Eleven United Nations staff members are believed to be among the dead.

GORANI: It seems just about every day now we're hearing about another near collision between aircraft, either on the ground or in the air. Well, you're not imagining it. U.S. aviation authorities say such near misses are indeed increasing. And there's a good reason for it. Alina Cho explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The latest close call took place Tuesday southwest of Greensboro, North Carolina. The FAA says a U.S. Airways pilot said he had to bank to avoid a Falcon business jet. On Sunday, at New York's Kennedy Airport, near collision involving two planes landing on perpendicular runways.

CONTROLLER: Eagle 73, heavy 747 off to the right on a missed approach 13 left, EVA 632 climb and maintain 2000 feet.

EVA AIR: Climb 2000 feet. EVA 632.

CONTROLLER: Eagle 73, you're clear to land. You're clear to land. Just caution wake turbulence.

CHO: The FAA called Sunday's incident a "controlled situation." And just last Thursday at Newark Airport in New Jersey, a third near miss. The FAA confirmed two planes came within 300 feet of each other when a pilot, operating a departing Continental express jet, nearly collided with an arriving plane from Toronto.

CHARLES SCHUMER, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT: New York skies and New York's runways have become the wild west of American aviation.

CHO: Nationwide, there were 370 incursions so far this year, according to a recent government study. That's an increase of 12 percent over last year. Air traffic controllers say they're overworked and understaffed.

PAUL RINALDI, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: You don't have an extra set of eyes to watch the airfield or watch the radar scopes. The air traffic controller, which is the most stressful job in the world, is feeling this two, three, even 10 times the amount of stress they normally would feel.

CHO: And passengers say this is just one more concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something needs to be done before there is a major catastrophe in this country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to keep my window shade open and keep looking and praying a lot.

CHO: Air traffic controllers have called for an urgent meeting with the FAA. The controllers say not only are they working 10-hour days six days a week, there's a technology problem too. They say ground radar and runway lights are outdated. But major improvements in those areas could take years.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: All right. We're going to take a short break here. When we come back, leaders from all over the world preparing to wrap up a major environmental meeting in Indonesia.

GORANI: Just ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we'll introduce you to the man who's running the show and working the crowd at the Bali climate change conference. Stay with us.

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BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: Because the time for (INAUDIBLE) is over. The scientists -- the science is clear, climate change is happening, the impact is real, the time to act is now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, that was the U.N. secretary-general in Bali. Appeal after appeal, but still really no breakthrough at that U.N. climate change conference.

CLANCY: Industrialized countries, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, continuing to reject some of the specific targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

GORANI: Well, getting 189 countries to agree on something, anything, could all be up to one person now as Dan Rivers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A burst of sound and color at the Bali climate change conference. And, as always, this man is at the center of the action. Yvo de Boer is the executive secretary of the U.N. body charged with stopping the planet overheating. Carefully working this dinner trying to maintain good relations with 189 countries. He's been strategically seated with the U.S. delegation, vital face time with a key country.

YVO DE BOER, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, UNFCCC: It's very important to be able to talk to people informally. To sort of walk up to a table and sit down with somebody and have a quit chat about something that stuck.

RIVERS: And there's plenty that stuck in Bali. No shortage of conversation during a smoke on the sidelines. Yvo is the son of a Dutch diplomat. He's also devoted his life to quiet, effective diplomacy and his skills are being tested here.

DE BOER: I've seen people lose their temper. I've seen people almost hit each other. I've seen them shouting at each other in the corridor. I've seen people crying in this process.

RIVERS: De Boer tries to be a friend to everyone, assessing their positions, nudging, cajoling, persuading to get agreement.

DE BOER: I don't know if you've ever seen the television series "Upstairs, Downstairs" where I'm sort of the butler and I think I'm the one that's managing the household.

RIVERS: And it's a household with esteemed guests. He might be the butler, but he's a butler with real influence who knows the arguments intimately.

DE BOER: One of the problems is, yes, whether there's going to be a reference to the range of emission reductions for industrialized countries.

RIVERS: And the EU wants that in the states -- Japan, Australia, Canada -- don't?

DE BOER: The EU would like it very much. I think the bulk of developing countries would like it as well. But there are some others who feel that this would be pre-empting the outcome of the discussion.

RIVERS: But this self-described butler has to square that circle, getting his guests to agree before everyone leaves.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Bali.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: All right.

GORANI: Tall order.

CLANCY: Very tall order. You know what, we've got about a minute and a half left and let's open up that video bag that -- some of the best pictures of the day.

GORANI: The best pictures of the day. And these shots definitely have something of a law enforcement team. Check this one out first. A brazen car thief in Raleigh, North Carolina. There he is. All right. So he steal this is woman's car. But look, right under a police officer's nose. Luckily a TV news crew was filming nearby and caught the thief on tape. No, no, wait, don't go, don't go. Well, police did catch the car bandit later in Virginia. In Virginia. So it took them a state or two or one state.

CLANCY: Lucky for us for the video, not for him.

Here's another guy. Oh, he's a really good one. A bold thief this time in New Jersey. He's stealing cash there out of -- it's a Dunkin' Donuts shop. There was a tip cup, you know, where they put the money that's left for the tips. Well apparently the employee clocked the robber right on the head with that cup that you see there. He did get away, but he only got a little bit of cash.

GORANI: All right. And who says sitting in traffic can't be fun? Tony Lepore, retired police officer, no this guy's not on active duty. He's known as the dancing cop and he's literally a holiday tradition for many Rhode Island drivers. He's done this every holiday season for 23 years.

CLANCY: Twenty-three years he's doing all that. Hala, what do you think, is he getting some dates out of this? What is happening -- he just doesn't want to give up the job?

GORANI: I think he's getting attention from it, which is what he's after. And we're giving it to him as well.

OK, we've got to go. That's it for this hour. YOUR WORLD TODAY. Thanks for watching. I'm Hala Gorani. CLANCY: Somebody always has to be the traffic cop. I'm Jim Clancy. And that's been YOUR WORLD TODAY. Stay with CNN.

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