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Protecting U.S. Travelers & Airports; New Rule at Arizona/Mexico Border; World's Tallest Tower Opens

Aired January 04, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're the Shorja (ph) market in central Baghdad, this has been a site of dozens of bombings in the past at the height of the sectarian violence.

Security is an issue for us. We have been asking ourselves on the way back if I should wear the head scarf or shouldn't. We've accumulated some (INAUDIBLE) along the way.

This is an area that's sealed off from the traffic. We have to walk about 500 meters to get to the main old part of what is the oldest and most important market in Baghdad.

This area used to be where a lot of the car bombs went off targeting the Shorja market. They have sealed it off to cars. But then, since then one of the security issues has been people placing sticky bombs, they're called, on these carts. That is something you have to be careful of here.

I have also found out where we accumulated our security from because they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Apparently when we arrived here at the first checkpoint, we were told it was a good idea for these guys to come was to make our filming easier here. That's how that happened.

As you can see, I decided it was okay to take my head scarf off, and frankly, no one seems to be taking much notice, I hope.

Back in 2007 in February, there was a major car bomb at the Shorja market. Just months later, John McCain, accompanied by a huge company of armed soldiers, attack helicopters circling overhead, soldiers did a walk-around like I am now and said -- used it as an opportunity to talk about how security here had got so much better. The merchants were furious because it hadn't. The car bombings were continuing. They felt it was extremely wrong of him to cite it as an example of an area of improved security in Baghdad.

Obviously, the situation now is different. Security is much better. You speak to the merchants and they say we feel more confident.

Sorry.

Apparently we need to get this picture taken or we have to leave the store.

(PEOPLE SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MAGNAY: Thank you very much.

You have his card. Tell him we have his card.

Tell him we have his card.

The last time CNN was here was around two years ago. And the only thing we could film then was Arwa Damon. It was a quick piece of camera because of the security issues.

Our minders who appeared out of nowhere when we arrived here say that they want us to leave. So that's it. But it's been great to see Shorja market, which is such a sort of focus of the commercial world in Baghdad. It's been great to be able to walk around and see how it really is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: She mentioned John McCain, and that was the market he walked through. And remember the controversy that all created.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And those of us who knew that marketplace, we were all, like, what? Because he was saying, you can walk around, look at me walking through the markets.

PHILLIPS: He also had, what, a hundred guards around him?

HOLMES: A hundred Marines. He had snipers on the roof, two Apache helicopters. But a beautiful place, isn't it?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

HOLMES: But you still -- you can only spend a certain amount of time on the ground, as we always do in a place like Baghdad, even now. Even though it's a lot safer there now, those guys didn't hang around all day. They didn't stop for lunch.

PHILLIPS: We also talked about our favorite gifts we bought in the market, the Korans in the wood boxes and the...

HOLMES: The alarm clocks in the shape of a mosque, and you awake to the calls of prayer.

PHILLIPS: All of our family members have one now.

HOLMES: Unbelievable. Exactly. I'm not sure they're using them.

PHILLIPS: That's right, but it's an interesting gift.

HOLMES: Exactly. PHILLIPS: Hey, we'll see you tomorrow, OK?

HOLMES: You will indeed.

PHILLIPS: Great to see you, Michael.

HOLMES: Good to see you. Bye.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, 2:00 p.m. Eastern now and some other stories that we are pushing forward for you.

A rising death toll from a federal courthouse shooting in Las Vegas. A security officer has died from his wounds. The gunman was killed. A deputy U.S. marshal hurt. Still not sure who the shooter was or why he fired.

New rules for flyers starting today. Air travelers from certain countries face extra screening, including body scans and pat-downs.

They apply to people flying through four countries, the State Department says, that sponsor terrorism. We're talking Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Iran. Also included, people flying into the U.S. from 10 other countries of interest.

And Secretary of State Clinton says the U.S. Embassy in Yemen will reopen when security conditions permit. That's not now, though. Al Qaeda threats keeping it shut for a second day.

So close it's still scary, that failed attempt to blow up a Northwest jetliner on Christmas Day. But let's push forward now on your security. Namely, new measures aimed at making you safe in airports and on airplanes.

Here's Jeanne Meserve with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: As of now, all passengers on flights heading into the United States will be subject to random screening, not the mandatory intensive screening that has been in place since Christmas Day. But those flying in from certain countries or with passports from those countries will be required to go through enhanced screening. That could include full- body pat-downs, carry-on bag searches, full-body scanning and explosive detection swabs. This, according to a new security directive issued by the Transportation Security Administration and now in effect.

The countries include those that are officially listed by the State Department as sponsoring terrorism: Cuba, Sudan, Iran and Syria. The other countries were chosen because of concerns, particularly about al Qaeda affiliates. They are Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. In addition, pilots on inbound flights will have the discretion to prevent passengers from keeping pillows and blankets in their laps and to limit movement in the cabin. The president's top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, fanned out across the talk shows on Sunday to say although there were lapses and errors in sharing intelligence prior to the attempted Christmas attack, there is no smoking gun. He rejected comparisons to the failures of communication before 9/11.

JOHN BRENNAN, WHITE HOUSE SR. ADVISER ON COUNTERTERRORISM: It's not like 9/11. There was no indication that any of these agencies or departments were intentionally holding back information. And I can point to numerous...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No turf battles?

BRENNAN: No turf battles. There were lapses, there were human errors. The system didn't work the way it should have. But no agency was trying to -- I think there were human errors and lapses, and so what I'm going to do is to make sure I tell the president exactly what I think went wrong, but there wasn't an effort to try to conceal information.

MESERVE: The president meets with his top homeland security and intelligence advisers tomorrow to discuss the shortcomings that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board an aircraft on Christmas Day.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right. We get right back to Jeanne Meserve out of Washington now.

Jeanne, I understand you have got some new information with regard to our terror watch list.

MESERVE: That's right, Kyra. You know there's been a lot of criticism that this individual, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was not on a no-fly or select e-list. He was in a much larger government database that was just people of concern, people with relatively soft ties to terrorism.

Now we're told by an official familiar with the process that the U.S. has gone back and it has looked at all those lists. It has scrubbed them, looking at particular countries and regions, and also at the latest intelligence they have about these individuals.

And we are told that they have moved hundreds of people from that larger list into the smaller, more specific list. Those would include the select P list, the people who have to be pulled aside for secondary screening, and also people on the no-fly list.

So, as I say, a couple hundred people moved up into a more intense category of scrutiny in the wake of this Christmas Day attempt to blow up an airliner -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much. And we're going to take a break. More in just about 60 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, happy new year, Juarez, Mexico. Four days in, and the border city has already got a dozen homicides under its belt. And it could be another long year in the city that some call the murder capital of the world. Drug cartels probably not making any resolutions to call a truce.

And then farther west, in Arizona, U.S. border agents trying out a new rule to combat drug trafficking. And if it works, it might be used in the Juarez/El Paso area as well.

Here's the old rule. If you're a Mexican drug smuggler and got busted at the border with fewer than 500 pounds of pot, you're small potatoes self would be deported and set free. No harm, no foul, basically. But under this new rule being tested in Nogales, U.S. agents won't just send you back, they will actually turn you over to Mexican federal officers, the federales (ph). Mexican justice then would take over from there.

So, does that seem sensible to you? Some civil rights attorneys here in the U.S. think that this rule has some serious problems. We're going to talk to Matt Allen in just a minute. He is a special agent with the Office of Investigations, or ICE, in Arizona. We'll get his take on this in just a moment.

But first, let's talk with Isabelle Garcia. She's with the Legal Defender's Office in Tucson.

And Isabelle, your thoughts on the new rules?

ISABELLE GARCIA, LEGAL DEFENDER'S OFFICE: Well, I think, first of all, it's a mistake and not true to say that people caught with 500 pounds or less are let go. The federal government turns them over to the state authorities. And believe me, our office has many cases of 50 pounds of pot, 60 pounds of pot. So, first of all, that's incorrect.

But what I understand the program to be is that those people that are merely present -- in other words, they do not have enough reason to believe that they can prove a case against that person -- we're trying to now set up a program to basically exit them into a lower standard jurisdiction. I mean, our jurisprudence, especially in the criminal defense arena, is critical for the protection of our due process rights, our human rights, so it's not a system of just gimmicks. It's a process intended to protect the innocent.

So, for us to now deport them and exit them into a lower standard is really not an answer, not especially when our communities are suffering from lack of health care, education, jobs and infrastructure. That's where our priorities should be.

PHILLIPS: OK. First of all, we'll get down to those that are busted, deported and set free in just a moment, because I've got a DEA agent that will argue that point in just a second. And there is proof that many of these drug smugglers have been set free once that has taken place.

But getting down to the point that we're talking about civil rights here, I mean, these are smugglers that are coming over here and just feeding the drug frenzy to the addicts, to our kids, to the violence, the acts of violence here in the United States. So, many people are saying, hey, this is great, Mexico is finally stepping up and taking responsibility for those that are coming across the border, causing havoc in the United States, contributing to the drug war, and then coming back to Mexico and not suffering the consequences.

GARCIA: First of all, it's a mistake to just label them all drug smugglers. Let's face it, we catch few smugglers.

DEA and all the agencies combined, I mean, they rack up records of arrests of really minor players, people that are starving to death that are willing to cross a car not knowing what's in the car, and they're promised $100 across the road. So, DEA and those agencies have a lot to cover up, or, really, they don't get a true drug smuggler ever.

But secondly, you point out something very important, and this is we've got serious addiction problems. That's how we should deal with this problem. Not similarly a law enforcement problem, but a medical issue.

We need to begin the road to decriminalization of drugs. That would reduce violence. That would reduce addiction. That would provide much more resources for a true security for our communities.

PHILLIPS: Point well made, that if Americans said no to these drugs, those smugglers wouldn't have a way to make money.

Isabelle Garcia, public defender.

Thank you for your side of this debate.

We're going to take a quick break and hear from the DEA right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And we're going to talk with Matt Allen right now. He's a special agent with the Office of Investigations, or ICE, in Arizona.

We just heard from Isabelle Garcia, the public defender.

Matt, what she was saying with regard to these new rules about taking these drug smugglers and turning them back to Mexico to be prosecuted, she's saying, hey, look, this isn't fair. It's going against their civil rights. That, really, ICE only catches a few of the drug smugglers anyway, that it's not worth the money and the effort.

Nutshell?

MATT ALLEN, SPECIAL AGENT, ICE: I think we obviously see this much differently than she does. For us, this is a program that focuses on border security coordination and cooperation between the governments of Mexico and the government of the United States.

From the perspective here in Arizona and the boots on the ground here, I will tell you that last year, the DHS agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and our partners in the other agencies, seized 1.5 million pounds of marijuana as it was trying to make its way into Arizona. So this is no small business.

And the contribution that we are making is not small at all. It has a significant impact.

The program that we are focusing on is a program through which we work with our counterparts in Mexico and allow them to assert jurisdiction and their sovereignty over their citizens when they attempt to smuggle drugs into the United States. One of the things that I think both countries recognize is that while we often focus on the fact that a crime has been committed at one of our ports of entry, there has also been a crime committed in Mexico, and that those drugs have been possessed in Mexico on their way to a U.S. border.

And so, both governments actually have jurisdiction over the individual in question. And when the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona makes a decision to defer prosecution, that makes it possible for us to work with our counterparts in Mexico to present a person for prosecution there under their laws and under their jurisdictional rubric.

PHILLIPS: So, Matt, let me ask you, then, if you're a Mexican drug smuggler -- because you're talking about a lot bigger -- a bigger load of drugs here. Because what has been talked about is that if you're busted at the border with fewer than 500 pounds of pot, then you're just deported and set free.

Are you saying that these new rules will not only take those smugglers, but also smugglers that are bringing in much larger amounts of drugs, tossing them back to Mexico and saying, hey, handle these guys? Is that what you're telling me, that it's going to be all types of dealers and that they will be handled by Mexican authorities in ways that they haven't been dealt with before?

ALLEN: What I'm telling you is that quantity isn't the determining factor.

PHILLIPS: Got it.

ALLEN: Whether it's five pounds or 500 pounds or 1,000 pounds, how much narcotics are involved isn't the determining factor about whether somebody is turned back over to Mexican authorities for prosecution in Mexico.

PHILLIPS: So what's going to be the determining factor? ALLEN: The determining factor will be whether or not we think that we can make a presentation of a good case in U.S. court. If a federal prosecutor in the United States makes a decision that we can't sustain charges in the United States, that opens up the opportunity for us to provide information and evidence to our counterparts in Mexico for them to make a decision about whether or not they have enough information to prosecute the individual under Mexican law.

PHILLIPS: So let me ask you this, Matt. Is it tougher to prosecute a drug smuggler here in the states versus Mexico?

ALLEN: It's different. I don't know if "tougher" is the right word, but we have a different standard and burden of proof in the United States. And it's not necessarily fair to compare the two systems.

They work under a different constitution and a different rule of law. We're just providing an opportunity for the Mexicans to bring some consequence and accountability to their nationals who violate both their laws and United States law at the same time.

PHILLIPS: Bottom line, is it going to help smugglers stay out of the U.S.? Do you see this as a good thing that will definitely decrease the amount of smugglers coming in over the border?

ALLEN: Absolutely. Every time that we can provide a deterrent to smugglers and make them recognize that there is a consequence for their illegal action, we have accomplished one of our goals.

PHILLIPS: Matt Allen, special agent for ICE.

Appreciate your time, Matt.

ALLEN: Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Well, they say pot is a gateway drug for harder stuff. So we're moving on to heroin later this hour. We're actually going to take a look at some information put out by the New York City Health Department. Call it a heroin how-to manual or Heroin for Dummies. Bottom line, taxpayer money is funding this manual, and that's got a lot of people fired up.

As comedian Billy Crystal would say, you look marvelous. The Burj Khalifa opened to a rock star vengeance just a few hours ago in the United Arab Emirates. After all, it's not every day you get to open the world's tallest tower.

Our Mohammed Jamjoom is in Dubai. And Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with, of course, the money angle.

But let's go ahead and start with you, Mohammed. Quite a spectacle.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. This was opulence on a grand scale today.

This is, of course, the tallest building in the world. It's about a half a mile up into the air.

And everybody that we saw today, who came here -- and thousands Emirates gathered, and they were cheering and happy and singing and clapping at almost any event that they notice. But when the fireworks display happened, they were just awestruck by that. That was a spectacular display.

Earlier in the day, we actually took a tour inside the Burj Khalifa, as it's now known. And we went up to the observation deck, which is the tallest observation deck in the world. It's up on the 124th story. And I can tell you that the panoramic views of Dubai from inside that room were just spectacular.

You saw all around what surrounded Dubai, all around what surrounded this emirate. And everybody here believes that even though Dubai has seen tough economic times recently, and they faced a real major credit crisis, the people here believe that this will make them turn a corner, that this is a real symbol of what the government is investing in this emirate and how they're going to turn this corner and how they're going to make everything better -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So, Mohammed, stay with me. Let's talk more about the dollars and cents. I mean, it's a massive undertaking of debt.

Susan Lisovicz, at the New York Stock Exchange, what do you make of this?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the timing is not good, Kyra, because less than two months ago, we were talking about how the financial markets were shocked that Dubai basically had to be bailed out when it said it needed to freeze $26 billion of debt owned by one of its largest government-owned groups. Actually, a name that we know well here in the U.S., Dubai World, and it took its neighbor, Abu Dhabi, to bail it out.

There is a real estate crisis in Dubai. And there is a credit crunch as well.

So the timing is not particularly well, but Dubai is very anxious and very ambitious. And these kind of projects, as massive as they are, started years ago when things were very much different -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll see how it turns out.

Mohammed Jamjoom, Susan Lisovicz, thank you so much.

Other top stories we're talking about.

Would you actually believe there was another party crasher besides the Salahis at the White House State Dinner last year? Well, the Secret Service now investigating a third person who made it in without being on the official guest list. We don't know who the person is yet, but he or she apparently entered with the Indian prime minister's delegation. And the people who are supposed to be at the White House have turn returned from their Hawaiian holiday vacation. The president and first family touching down at Andrews Air Force Base just a short time ago. President Obama expecting a CIA update on that attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day.

And President Obama said it was rooted in fear rather than facts. Now it's no more.

Starting today, the United States ban on tourists or travelers suffering from HIV or AIDS no longer exists. HIV advocates say that the move is long overdue and is a significant step forward for the U.S.

A tough as nails U.S. general in Yemen, a hotbed of al Qaeda activity. David Petraeus showing the flag in a bid to shore up Yemen's fight against terror in country and abroad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we're now hearing that President Obama will huddle with a top security adviser today and hear from the CIA on that attempted Christmas Day plane attack. Meantime, the U.S. is taking action.

It's closed the American Embassy in Yemen. Britain and France taking similar steps. And Japan has shut down the consulate section in its embassy.

An al Qaeda offshoot, and Yemen says it was behind the attempted Christmas attack. And that means that General David Petraeus hopped on a plane right there, right quickly. That's for sure.

The U.S. commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turned up in Yemen over the weekend. He's telling them face to face that the U.S. wants to help Yemen stamp out al Qaeda's growing strength there. And just today, security forces said that they killed two suspected al Qaeda militants in a raid northeast of the capital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. CENTCOM COMMANDER: It's a country that has a lot of challenges -- the Hutis in the north, some southern secessionists in the south, a reduction in oil production, although gas is going up, thankfully. But a youth bulge, many of the challenges of countries that are in the process of development, rugged terrain, tribal areas and so forth.

So very important, indeed, that Yemen has taken the actions that it has. And, indeed, that not just the United States, but countries in the region, its neighbors and so forth, have provided -- they in particular have provided significant assistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the U.S. plans to more than double the $67 million in terror-fighting aid that it shelled out to Yemen in 2009.

It's not just uncomfortable, it's downright dangerous. Cold temperatures, new record lows in some areas.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Shooting up heroin isn't anyone's idea of safe, but a new guide is showing New Yorkers how to do it safely, courtesy of city taxpayers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A court security officer is dead and a deputy U.S. marshal wounded after a gunman opened fire inside a Las Vegas federal building. It happened 8:00 a.m. local, about three and a half hours ago. The first shots coming in the lobby of that federal building, then a shootout on the street.

A witness captured some of it on his cell phone camera. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NICKEYFLIPS/YOUTUBE)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Shooting outside of a Las Vegas courthouse.

Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED BY NETWORK)

Unbelievable.

Hell of a morning for jury duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: U.S. marshals taking on the gunman, shooting him in the head and killing him. No word on an ID or possible motive.

Outrage in Iraq over a court ruling here in the U.S. A judge threw out the case against five Blackwater guard accused of killing 17 Iraqis. Now Iraq's prime minister say that any contractors for the firm left in Baghdad need to get out of town; Iraq is also suing.

Our Diane Magnay explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAGNAY (voice-over): Seventeen people died here in September 2007, when contractors from U.S. Security firm Blackwater unleashed a bloodbath in Baghdad's Nisour Square. They said they came under attack, though investigations by the Iraqi government, the FBI and the Pentagon have all found there was no provocation.

The families of the victims have been waiting ever since to see Blackwater brought to account. A hope that was dashed on New Year's Eve when a U.S. judge threw the case out because of major missteps in the prosecution's case. Hasan Salman was badly wounded in the shootings. He shows me how four Blackwater SUVs blocked the street with two helicopters overhead. Then, after 15 minutes with traffic backed up, the firing began.

"They started shooting at all the civilian cars that were waiting in this area," he says, "including mine. Those who left their car were shot dead." Salman was shot in the arms, chest and back. When he tried to drive off, he claims one of the helicopters chased him and fired at him, hitting him four times.

He's appalled the men who attacked won't go on trial.

"I thought the American justice system was fair and impartial," he says, "but apparently it's not."

The government says it will sue Blackwater itself and is pressing for an appeal. The company, which changed its name to Z, was banned from Iraq after the incident. Now the government says any ex- Blackwater security contractors still in-country should leave immediately.

ALI AL-DABBAGH, IRAQI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Instructions have been given to check if there is a Blackwater member, I think advise him to leave Iraq and not to stay in Iraq anymore.

MAGNAY (on camera): Dismissing a court ruling on technical grounds in a far away country makes very little sense to people here, especially not to those who lost relatives in this square. And it does nothing to improve the already extremely fragile relationships between Iraqi people and the United States.

(voice-over): On the nation's TV screens and the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis voiced their anger and disappointment.

MOHAMMED AL-MALAKI, BAGHDAD RESIDENT (through translator): We call on the American government, its president, its society to bring back the rights of Iraqis who were killed in cold blood.

ABU NAJAM, BAGHDAD RESIDENT (through translator): The Iraqi government now should ask for an international court to try them in order to honor justice and compensate the families.

MAGNAY: But nothing can compensate for the lives lost in Nisour Square. And this year, those who lost loved ones in a hail of Blackwater's bullets are still crying for justice.

Diana Magnay, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The Census Bureau wants to make sure you're counted. It's kicking off a new media blitz today. In addition to the millions of forms being mailed out in March, hundreds of events are scheduled across the nation. The $300 million campaign's goal, to get you to stand up and be counted. If you don't fill out the form, you'll get a postcard. And if you ignore that too, a census worker will come knocking on your door.

Census figures determine how Congressional districts are drawn up and how many seats each state gets. That's also used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, local, even tribal governments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now.

Snowboarder and Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce in critical condition in a Utah hospital after a training accident. The 22-year- old was doing a twisting double back flip when he landed on his head last week. Pearce had a helmet on, but he suffered a severe brain injury. He was preparing for next week's Olympic qualifying trials.

Two big cities under new management today; Atlanta has a new mayor, Kasim Reed, and so does Houston, Annise Parker. Reed replaces two-term Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and Parker breaks new ground as Houston's first openly gay mayor.

Megachurch leader Rick Warren has a mega-reason to be thankful today. He asked parishioners to help make up a $900,000 shortfall in the Saddleback church's budget and they came through. So much so that Warren's cup runneth over. They donated $2.4 million. The donations were all under $100.

The creators call it "Take charge, Take care" but a lot of folks call it heroin for dummies. It's a little guide put out by the New York City Health Department. On the face of it, the tips seem OK, if obvious -- prevent overdose, treat overdose, et cetera. But check out the details, use with someone else kind of sounds like recruiting a friend. Then, wash your hands with soap and water, use clean tap water to prep your stuff, and on and on. Doesn't seem applicable to street addicts.

But did I mention it was paid for by city taxpayers? Here the to talk about it, Don Des Jarlais of the Chemical Dependency Institute and on the phone, John Gilbride, special agent in charge of the DEA's New York Field Division.

Don, let's go ahead and start with you. Tell me about the manual. You think it's a good idea, why?

DON DES JARLAIS, THE CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY INSTITUTE: Yes. Our society has to deal with drug problems. The main point made in the manual is that people should seek treatment for their drug problems. But we know that there will be people injecting today and tomorrow, and we need to find ways to reduce the spread of infectious diseases among people injecting drugs and particularly to reduce the spread of HIV, and the pamphlet addresses that.

PHILLIPS: It does address that, but, John, as you know it also gives a play-by-play on how to inject heroin, quote/unquote, "safely." What's your make of this? DES JARLAIS: I would say that it gives information on how to inject heroin with "less risk" rather than "safely." I don't think you can really inject heroin safely, but clearly this -- if you follow the information in the pamphlet, it would reduce your risk, particularly your risk of getting HIV and then spreading HIV to others.

PHILLIPS: And, John, sorry about that. It probably, Don, it sounded like I said...

DES JARLAIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... and John sound similar.

John, I want your response from a DEA perspective to the manual. And, of course, what Don has to say.

JOHN GILBRIDE, SPECIAL AGENT, DEA NEW YORK FIELD DIVISION (via telephone): Yes, thank you.

Well, the pamphlet, although it provides a couple of good points like a 1-800 number to call to stop using drugs, basically the pamphlet is a how-to of how to use heroin. And this pamphlet basically enables the heroin user and sends out the message that using heroin can be safe and that is not an accurate message.

Using heroin can never be safe. It is basically putting poison into your body and it is akin to playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun. So to have a pamphlet that sends out any type of message to our youth or even to adults that using heroin can be done safely by cleaning a needle or, as you said in this pamphlet, it describes to bring a buddy with you. So not only are you putting out a pamphlet that says use heroin -- which is illegal. It is a poison. It also says, hey, bring a friend along with you.

PHILLIPS: Don, it's pretty direct if you look, for example, at tip five. It says how to prepare the drugs carefully. I looked at the pictures and I read the directions. I have to say, it made my heart beat pretty fast reading this. And then tip six, take care of your veins, it tells you how to inject the needle just right.

I mean, it sort of sounds like, well, if you can't beat 'em let's join 'em and at least tell them how to do this safely and how to kill themselves safely or help their addiction safely?

DES JARLAIS: No, no, no. I think the word "safely" is wrong. The pamphlet says "safer" and this is really about reducing the risk of infections, reducing the risk of getting HIV.

The main message of the pamphlet is try to seek treatment for your drug problems. That's really the preferred solution to the problem, but it's not the only thing we need to do. We do need to stop the spread of HIV among people who inject drugs and this pamphlet gives good practical advice on how to reduce your risk of getting HIV.

PHILLIPS: Well, Don, let me ask you, do you have the proof that this manual has actually helped save lives? That you've actually been able to prevent an increase in HIV cases because you have handed out this manual and watched people use it?

DES JARLAIS: This manual is part of a much larger effort that includes face-to-face community outreach, it includes the syringe exchange programs, it includes increased drug abuse treatment. And since we have started these efforts, including the pamphlet but much more than the pamphlet, we have seen the reduction of 80 percent in new cases of HIV among drug users in New York City. So that, yes, we definitely know that these efforts to reduce the risk of HIV among people who inject drugs are really quite successful.

PHILLIPS: John, you're with the DEA, I mean, you know heroin is one of the hottest drugs among kids. They have the issue with cheese and the fact that kids are snorting this stuff, many don't even know that it's heroin. And you can actually go on the website, the New York City Department of Health website, and print out this manual.

In anyway shape or form, can you support this in a way that it's actually going to save lives?

GILBRIDE: No. The problem with the pamphlet is that, again, it leads individuals to believe that they can use heroin in some safe manner. Over the last several years, in the New York area, we have had several or many overdose deaths attributed to the use of heroin.

So I would challenge anyone to speak to parents of teenagers that have overdosed and died because they used heroin. To tell them that there is any safe way that heroin can be used. Those parents will tell you, absolutely not. There is no safe way to use heroin. Whether you are injecting heroin, whether you are snorting heroin, it is never, ever safe.

PHILLIPS: Don Des Jarlais, director of research from the Chemical Dependency Institute, and John Gilbride with the DEA, gentlemen, I appreciate your time today.

And we're going get reaction, a number of tweets to read on this, right after the break.

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PHILLIPS: Well, if you just listened to the debate we were talking about, it's about this manual, this how-to manual, how to use heroin, quote/unquote, "in a safer manner."

You heard a DEA agent say it's absolutely ridiculous, that you cannot use heroin in a safe manner in any way, shape or form. Yet, health officials, as you heard on the other side, saying, look, it's a way to get those using drugs to not use dirty needles and to cut down on the cases of HIV.

As you can imagine, it's pretty controversial and we have received a lot of tweets from all of you. Here's your feedback.

One tweet says, "Since the 80s we have been fighting against drug use and it's only gotten worse. If we can inform safe usage then that risk will decrease."

This one coming from Prez2012, "Oh, my god, what government bozo came up with this and wrote it?"

And then Krayoncolorz says, "Better than people spreading disease and it does give info for drug help. If people chose to anyway they should be safe."

Beachlife2 put it this way, "Not sure what to think about the drug pamphlet. It's equal to educating teens on safe sex. Please don't have sex, but if you choose sex, do this."

And this from Carolinewitha_C, "That's awful. They have the steps in the wrong order. Start with death and then outline what to do if you continue to use."

Thanks to all of you. You can reach us anytime on Twitter at kyracnn.

Well, there are signs that the overall economy is stabilizing, but the it is health of the housing market still a big question mark. CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow in New York.

So, Poppy, the mortgage meltdown was really at the crux of the whole financial crisis, now there are fears that we may not have hit bottom yet.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: That's exactly right. Not exactly a good thing to start off 2010 with, but some are fearing what we could see, Kyra, ahead are more depressed home prices. Some say as much as 10 -- 15 percent, actually, further that home prices have to fall in some of those hardest hit areas that have just been hammered like California, Las Vegas, Nevada.

It would continue the trend we've been seeing since the peak here in 2006. This is the median home value, over 220,000 dollars. At the peak of the market, it fell 22 percent when you talk about home values. Much worse in some places to the latest reading from November of last year. So just about a month and a half ago. And the analysts are saying, listen, here's what you have to watch out for. There's a flood of foreclosures ahead. You have a lot of these adjustable rate mortgages, they're about to reset for thousands of Americans. That's going to mean a number of additional foreclosures.

I'll tell you, Kyra, one if not the only bright spot in this, as we have seen the prices fall, we have seen sales jump. The latest reading we have on existing home sales -- that's really the bulk of home sales in this country -- is that they've jumped the most they have in November since February of 2007. So I guess the bottom line here, great for buyers who can score a deal, not great for sellers, and some big warning signs ahead for the housing market, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Poppy, thanks.

Plains, Georgia wants to be remembered as President Carter's hometown, not the home of President Obama's effigy. The image that's got the attention of the Secret Service now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Team Sanchez, what are you working on back there?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to be working on a couple of things, but the thing that is -- you know, we have all been following, Kyra, this story out of Afghanistan, seven CIA guys killed. And this is the really perplexing part of the story, who in the world would let somebody walk in -- I mean, can you imagine the clearance you have to have to walk into one of these facilities with the CIA and soldiers are walking around? Somebody walks in with a bomb. And he's a suicide bomber obviously. Pulls the trigger and blows himself up and kills and maims several people, seven of them CIA agents.

Well, guess what we're finding out now, here's the big news. Turns out the guy who did this was a double agent who may have been a member of al Qaeda, in other words, spying for al Qaeda. And reports are he convinced the Jordanians to let him spy for them as well and had everyone fooled when he arrived in Afghanistan and was able to get on this U.S. facility.

It's amazing. We are drilling down on it and we'll hopefully have a whole bunch of information for you at 3:00.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Thanks, Rick.

It's definitely gotten the attention of the Secret Service -- an effigy of President Obama hung in, of all places, along Main Street in the hometown of former President Jimmy Carter -- Plains, Georgia. It was quickly taken down, but not before a few pictures were snapped yesterday. Local townspeople say they are embarrassed and hope the effigy-hanger is caught. Secret Service isn't talking about the investigation.

No effigies in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but there are swastikas. Local police investigating two cases of vandalism involving a Jewish temple and a Methodist church. Both houses discovered Christmas Eve with swastikas spray painted on them. Police say that hate crime charges could be pursued, but they don't have suspects. Meantime, the mess has all been cleaned up.

It's a great place to visit, but do you want your kids in school there? Hawaii, the president's childhood home, getting raked over the volcanic coals all because of Fridays.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The president and first family are back, adjusting to the cold of D.C. after nearly two weeks of warm Hawaii. But some schoolchildren on the islands are getting extra vacation days because of the budget crisis. You won't see that in the tourist brochure.

Story now from CNN's Ed Henry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Like many nine-year- olds, Hunter Gentry loves his scooter and is very creative.

HUNTER GENTRY: Hi, my name is Hunter Gentry and I'm a chef and a baker.

HENRY: This young Hawaiian has already started his own cooking show on YouTube, hoping to make it big on "Top Chef" some day. But Hunter also has bilateral hearing loss, which makes it hard to hear s's and t's at the end of words. Two hearing aids help, and so do special classes at school. But that's been disrupted by furlough Fridays. A drastic measure by Hawaii to cut 17 more class days, resulting in the shortest school year in the nation, to deal with a massive budget hole.

LELA GENTRY, HUNTER'S MOTHER: When he's missing Friday, he's missing not only his regular school day, like everyone else, but he's missing his one-on-one resource time with his teacher.

HENRY: Lela works as a makeup and wardrobe stylist and her husband is a freelance photographer. So they can often work with Hunter at home on Fridays. But she notes other families have daycare issues and she has a second child on the way.

L. GENTRY: My time's going to run thin.

HENRY: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is pushing for the nation to adopt an all year round curriculum, so he's angry this state is going in the opposite direction.

ARNE DUNCAN, EDUCATION SECRETARY: Everyone's having to make really tough choices. But if we desperately need more time, not less, when Hawaii said their answer to this tough fiscal problem was to eliminate 17 days of school, 10 percent of the school year, no one else has proposed that kind of answer. There has to be a better way.

HENRY: But last week, Hawaii's Republican governor, Linda Lingle, rejected a move by the teachers' union and state education officials to restore seven days to the public school's calendar.

H. GENTRY: I get the day off.

HENRY (on camera): So it's not so bad for you.

H. GENTRY: No, but...

L. GENTRY: He's honest.

HENRY: Come on. I get a day off.

(voice-over) Mom worries that, while the politicians slug it out, the testing scores of her son and others will suffer come spring.

L. GENTRY: The biggest person that's, you know, being hurt are the students, and I think, you know, when it comes to education, it should never be touched and never cut back. HENRY (on camera): With so many states cash-strapped right now, others across the nation may start following the Friday furlough model, but Lela Gentry told us she hopes they resist that temptation and find other places to cut.

Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: That does it for us. See you tomorrow. Rick Sanchez picks it up from here.