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CNN Live Saturday

John Karr to be Deported Sunday After Confession in Jonbenet Ramsey Case; More French Troops Arrive in Lebanon as Violence Threatens; A Look at The Two Sides of Tehran; New Quit Smoking Pill With Fifty Percent Success

Aired August 19, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, "CNN LIVE SATURDAY" HOST: Next on "CNN LIVE SATURDAY," in the dark, are both sides playing fair in the Middle East cease-fire? We'll have the latest news from the region in a live report.
Dodging the dangers of war. Ramadi's governor has outlasted the fighting in one of the most violent places in Iraq.

Packing up for a trip to the White House, one man's mission to get the president to help bring life back to his home on the Gulf Coast. We'll talk with him live.

Hello and welcome to "CNN LIVE SATURDAY." I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All of that and more after this check of the headlines.

The suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder is scheduled to be United States bound about 12 hours from now. We're live in Bangkok with the latest in our top story straight ahead.

Lebanese officials say an Israeli military raid in southern Lebanon earlier today violates the U.N.-backed cease-fire agreement. The Israelis say the operation disrupted a weapons transfer from Iran to Hezbollah militants.

In Gaza, a show of support for two abducted journalists. Members of a Palestinian journalist union call for the release of "Fox News" reporter Steve Centanni and his photographer. The two were kidnapped Monday by unknown gunmen.

Pakistani officials say the London terror plot to blow up trans- Atlantic air flights was hatched by a senior al-Qaeda leader based in Afghanistan. At least seven of the 23 plot suspects were arrested in Pakistan.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Now, here is what we know about the arrest of John Mark Karr, the prime suspect in the nearly 10-year-old case of JonBenet Ramsey. He is being held in a Thai immigration detention center in Bangkok and has been visited by a U.S. homeland security official who says Karr is in good condition.

From Bangkok now, here is CNN's Stan Grant.

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the clock is ticking for John Mark Karr as he sits in this cell here behind me in Bangkok. He's been there since Wednesday, when he was charged over the killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey ten years ago.

Now, the officials, U.S. officials have been visiting him. They've described him as in good condition. They say he's been passing the time reading books and watching television, in particular, reports about his case. He also had a meal of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

We also managed to speak to another inmate, a fellow inmate who is in a nearby cell, and he said that John Karr has been passing the time. He is also in good condition. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN MALE: Yes, as I was saying, he's in the room with two other guys. But he said all this story that they are saying, everything is not true. Some are false. Yeah, that's all I got to say. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRANT: So according to that inmate, John Karr believes some of the things that are being said about him are, in his words, "not true." A lot of that will become clearer when he arrives back in the United States. Sunday afternoon Bangkok time, he'll be taken from his cell to the airport. Several hours later, he will board a plane, flanked by security guards and flown directly to Los Angeles.

Stan Grant, CNN, Bangkok.

WHITFIELD: And coming up later in the hour, how a written message from John Mark Karr's past may be a key in the current investigation of the Ramsey case. That report from CNN's Brian Todd straight ahead.

And here's the latest on the Middle East crisis. Israeli commandos stage a raid deep into Lebanon. In the words of the Lebanese government, it was a flagrant violation of the U.N.'s -- the U.S.-sponsored and U.N. sponsored cease-fire. But Israel says the raid was to stop the guerrilla group of Hezbollah from rearming, which is forbidden by the cease-fire agreement.

In a moment, we'll be joined by CNN's Brent Sadler, who is live in the region, in Beirut.

Confusion over the ground rules is one reason why some countries are hesitant about contributing peacekeeping troops. CNN's Jim Clancy has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first troops of an expanded U.N. force began arriving in Lebanon Saturday from France. But it was only a trickle. Fifty soldiers now in country, 13,000 more needed. Israel threatening more operations and the U.N. battling the clock.

These soldiers were part of a security force that cleared the U.N. port area at Nikora, not far from Israel's border. These are the first of 200 troops France has added to its contingent already serving in Lebanon.

Some 50 engineers brought heavy equipment and amphibious armored troop carriers to help repair roads and pave the way for more troops.

UNKNOWN MALE: We will need more accommodation for our soldiers. So they will help to build something like that and to destroy and explode ordnance.

CLANCY: France was originally expected to deploy as many as 4,000 troops, but slashed those numbers. Sources say security concerns and the rules of engagement are at the heart of reluctance by France and many others to commit more troops.

Italy may offer between 2,000 and 3,000 troops. Malaysia will send 1,000 peacekeepers. Turkey has pledged as many as 5,000 troops, but like so many others, its deployment hinges on the rules of engagement.

We asked UNIFIL's deputy commander about those rules.

(on-camera): Now, if they perceive a threat, even if they're not fired on, can they fire?

BRIG. GEN J.P. NEHRA, UNIFIL DEPUTY COMMANDER: That has to be looked at, actually. The rules of engagement have to be looked at. They are still being finalized. We haven't -- we can only comment once we get there.

CLANCY (voice-over): Sources say Lebanon itself is hesitant to authorize a more robust set of rules. Its own Lebanese army is now positioned alongside the U.N. and it will be caught up in combat if international troops clash with Israel or Hezbollah.

(on-camera): And so the major question remains, when will the United Nations Security Council renew UNIFIL's mandate and under what terms of engagement. This is of primary importance to this mission and its success.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Nikora.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And now strong reaction coming from Lebanon on the Israeli intercepting of the rearming efforts of Hezbollah. Our Brent Sadler is in Beirut and joins us now. Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Fredricka. The 6-day- old truce ending 34 days of war between Lebanon and Israel now faces a very serious test indeed after a lightning raid by Israeli commandos deep inside Lebanon, some 60 miles north of the Israeli border, attacking an area widely known as the birthplace of Hezbollah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): The aftermath of a bloody clash in Lebanon's Bekaa valley, straining a barely week-old U.N. brokered cease-fire. Blood and bandages are left scattered across open fields, after helicopter borne Israeli commandos launched a raid against a bastion of Hezbollah fighters.

One Israeli soldier confirmed killed in a fierce firefight. Although confined to the Bekaa, it was the first deadly skirmish since the cessation of hostilities. Israel claimed the commando raid was aimed at disrupting Hezbollah attempts to rearm from Iran and Syria, an act of self-defense, which Israel insists its forces are entitled to take.

UNKNOWN MALE: We had specific information that a weapons shipment was coming from Syria for Hezbollah. That is in direct violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution which established the cease-fire. And we were responding to that violation of the cease-fire.

SADLER: Lebanese officials sought to put the blame both on Israel and the United Nations for taking a noncommittal stand towards Israel's latest military action. The defense minister warned a crucial deployment of Lebanese troops to the south of the country could unravel if the U.N. failed to censure Israel for the raid.

Meanwhile, a handful of French military engineers landed in the south, the first sign of any international troop reinforcements landing actually hitting the ground since the truce came into effect.

A much bigger overall U.N. force of 15,000 soldiers is planned, but it's taking longer than expected to deploy significant elements of the force. And the resumption of Israeli military action in Lebanon gives this U.N. official cause for concern.

UNKNOWN MALE: A worry related to the potential troop contributors and a worry related to possible retaliation from Hezbollah, which again could escalate the situation and, worst case, bring it out of control.

SADLER: For now, Lebanese army troops are tying to stabilize south Lebanon with the support of a minimal U.N. force of about 2,000 peacekeepers. Now, in urgent need of more troops, clear rules of engagement and a new arsenal of weapons.

(on-camera): And it could take up to a year for the expanded United Nations force to get up to full strength. Time enough, warned Lebanese officials, for the cease-fire to wobble even more in this hostile environment.

Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And that, Brent, coupled with the fact that so countries are slow to even want to commit their peacekeeping troops.

SADLER: That's right. One of the main problems is, of course, that Hezbollah remains in the south. Those weapons, those rockets caches, those underground bunker systems have not been broken open. Those weapons have not been taken away. The fighters have simply melded into the local population.

That's a tremendous concern, because that was the fundamental premise of Security Council Resolution 1701, which, in effect, is being skirted around right now.

WHITFIELD: Brent Sadler, in Beirut, thanks so much. Iran is flexing its military might with war games this week. Tehran is under increasing scrutiny for its aggressive rhetoric against Israel and its nuclear ambitions.

Coming up in about 20 minutes, we'll take a closer look at this city of contrast.

And taking a bite out of crime in Arizona. But first, you're looking at a live picture of this trailer which has spent a lot of time along the Gulf Coast here in the states, making its way now to Washington, D.C. The owner of that trailer hoping to have a face-to- face meeting with the president to talk about recovery efforts there.

Meantime, also coming up, police send in the dogs to put an end to this guy's criminal ways. And in sports, day three of the PGA championship. Will Tiger sink his teeth into a share of the lead? A live report from Medina, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now, checking news across America, the trial stays put, at least for now. A Phoenix judge has rejected a defense motion to move the murder trial of Dale Hausner and Samuel Dieteman. Both are accused of a string of drive-by shootings in Arizona. The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

A bizarre police chase and standoff in Mesa, Arizona. It ended Friday with the help of a police dog, right there. The suspect fought with the dog while police swarmed in and arrested the man. He's accused of felony child abuse. A child was rescued from the car the suspect had crashed.

Olympic runner Marion Jones is facing doping allegations. The five-time Olympic medalist failed a drug test in June. Now another urine sample will be checked. Jones has denied using performance enhancing substances. But if the second sample tests positive, she could face a two-year ban from competing. Next hour, Olympic medalist Carl Lewis comments on this latest controversy.

Tiger is on the prowl at the PGA championship, on Friday, with a 20-foot birdie putt on number 18. That puts him one shot behind the leaders for round three. For the latest, let's go to CNN's Larry Smith at the Medina Country Club, just outside Chicago.

Larry?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Fredricka. You know what? It's a very crowded leader board. In fact, one of the most crowded I can remember on a Saturday at a major championship in recent memory.

(voice-over): At one time this afternoon, within the past hour, there were nine golfers tied for the lead at eight under par. Very congested leader board. The leader right now, Luke Donald, at 12 under par, also Shaun Micheel 11 under. Two more golfers at 10 under par. Mike Weir, the former master's champion, and, yes, Tiger Woods, the man that everyone is watching and all that he has done, a decade now as a pro. The 30-year-old vying for his 12th career major.

Woods right now, again, 10 under par, still on the course. It could have been even better. He missed a couple of birdie putts, as he vies for not only his 12th career major, but also his 51st victory on the PGA tour.

As Woods, trying to make his move on, again, a very crowded leader board, in which currently 13 golfers are within four shots of the lead.

TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: You've got to go out there and understand that there's going to be a bunch of guys within probably four or five shots of the lead and go out there and try and put your round out there and make some birdies here and there and not try to give anything back.

GEOFF OGILVY, U.S. OPEN CHAMP: There's not many times when he's on the leader board with two rounds to play and he's not winning it. So, obviously, you appreciate that it's going to be a harder thing to do than if he's not there. But I don't think it affects the way you play. I mean, I don't get scared. I don't know if anyone else gets scared.

I mean, I get scared when turbulence in the plane, I don't get scared when Tiger's on the leader board.

SMITH: Well, Geoff Ogilvy so far is at even par today. He' is at seven under par, the U.S. Open champion.

How about Phil Mickelson? Well, it's kind of a quiet Friday. But he has stormed back very nicely today. He's at eight under par through 14. No bogeys today. And so he is currently four shots off the pace.

Now, Phil Mickelson, last year's PGA champion, is trying to join Tiger Woods as the only golfers to repeat as PGA champions in the stroke play era.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(on-camera): Fredricka, let's go back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Larry, what about Billy Mayfair? Not a name that we've seen or been accustomed to topping the leader board.

SMITH: He is in one of the stories following. We've talked about that it was two weeks ago Thursday he underwent surgery for testicular cancer. Only started to play here once he got a clean bill of health and the tests came back negative last week. He is currently at eight under par and so looking very strong.

He just turned 40 years old. His mother two days ago suffered a stroke and a heart attack. She's in intensive care in a hospital in Arizona. He said the doctors told him there's nothing he can do for her. So he says, "Maybe if I go out and play well, it will make her feel better." And right now he's trying to win his first career major at 40 years old. Billy Mayfair, again, four shots off the lead.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, that's going to be an incredible race leading into that final day. Larry, thanks so much.

Caravanning for a cause. This is from a documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROCKEY VACCARELLA, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: My name is Rockey Vaccarella. I'm 41 years old. I'm from St. Bernard Parish. Our parish is five minutes from New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina devastated our parish. It hit 20 feet of water from one end to the other end of the parish.

My son and I...

WHITFIELD: The documentary, called "Forgotten on the Bayou," is about a man's mission to take his message to the White House. And guess what? This is how he's taking it to the White House. See that parked trailer just to the right of your screen? Right now he is in Atlanta, Georgia, and that trailer is making its way to the White House where the owner of that FEMA trailer is hoping to have a face- to-face meeting with the president. We'll have a live interview with him coming up.

UNKNOWN FEMALE (through translator): To say the recent war," she tells me, "overshadowed all aspects of people's life here would not be accurate."

WHITFIELD: Not everyone in Tehran supports Hezbollah. And can a new drug be the final answer to helping you quit smoking? We'll ask Dr. Bill Lloyd for some answers.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation is our top story. Here's what we know. Suspect John Mark Karr is expected to arrive in the United States from Thailand Sunday evening. A law enforcement source says that Karr knows details about the murder scene only known by the medical examiner and investigators.

And the "Washington Post" reports California law enforcement officials investigating Karr on child porn charges suspected him in the Ramsey case as early as 2001, but didn't follow up.

When the JonBenet Ramsey case first broke in 1996, attention focused on a ransom note found at the Ramsey home. How does the writing on the note compare to samples of John Mark Karr's handwriting? Brian Todd takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-four years later, four words that seem innocuous in a high school yearbook now seem eerie. In 1982, John Mark Karr is in 11th grade. At the end of an entry in a classmate's yearbook obtained by CNN, he writes the phrase, "maybe I shall be the conqueror." The first letters of those last four words, SBTC, the same as the sign-off on the ransom note found in JonBenet Ramsey's home at the time of her death in 1996, 14 years after the yearbook entry.

We looked at that with John Hargett, who once ran the documents section of the U.S. Secret Service.

JOHN HARGETT, FMR. SECRET SERVICE AGENT: I find it to be an interesting coincidence that that notation appears on a document from the 1980s and there's an SBTC appearing on the letters that were involved in this matter addressed to Mr. Ramsey.

TODD: But on pure handwriting comparison and analysis, Hargett says don't jump to any conclusions.

HARGETT: Quite frankly, based upon this, I see no similarity really between the SBTC appearing on the document from the 1980s and the one appearing on the letter.

TODD: Next we asked Hargett to compare the ransom letter with Karr's recent application for employment at a school in Thailand, also obtained by CNN. When placing the application, written in all capital letters, next to the Ramsey ransom note, Hargett and other experts agree.

HARGETT: Quite frankly, you just can't really compare, can't really make a meaningful comparison between capital letters and lower case letters.

TODD: Hargett believes the style of writing in the yearbook entry is likely not the style that individual would normally use. All the artistry and flourishes, he says, likely reflect a young person experimenting with a handwriting style.

Hargett and other analysts tell us they have long believed the author of the Ramsey ransom note was trying to disguise his or her handwriting. But again, they say, all the similarities could easily be just coincidence.

(on-camera): The ransom note shows another inconsistency with Karr's admission. On it, the demand "You will withdraw $118,000 from your account," that's the exact amount of money that John Ramsey received in a company bonus before his daughter was killed.

Experts have long believed the only people who could have known that were those very close to the Ramsey family. John Ramsey says he does not know John Mark Karr.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And on Monday, Larry King will have an exclusive interview with Ramsey family attorney Lin Wood, and the Colorado professor who led police to Karr. That's Monday at 9:00 Eastern.

This man right here, Rockey Vaccarella, taking his cause to Washington, but making a pit stop here in Atlanta. He's on the way to Washington with his trailer, right behind him there, it was a FEMA trailer. He is one of the many survivors of Katrina, taking place just less than a year ago today.

Well, now he wants to meet with the president, tell his story and explain to the president that so much more work needs to be done. We're going to be talking to Rockey in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now Hurricane Katrina very close to one year later, Rockey Vaccarella is one of the survivors who saw life turn upside down. A resident of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. He's taking his FEMA trailer to the White House in hopes of meeting with President Bush. Rockey has gotten as far as Atlanta. He joins us live from Georgia's state Capitol.

So, you want to have dinner with the president, Rockey. And so far has the White House responded?

ROCKEY VACCARELLA, TAKING FEMA TRAILER TO DC: Fantastic. So far, they wanted to have a phone interview with us. And we kind of declined that. We want to have dinner with the president in our honorary FEMA trailer. You can probably see in the background.

WHITFIELD: I understand you want to have a nice Cajon dinner prepared for the president?

VACCARELLA: You know what? We cook the best food in the world down there, you know. We got shrimp and crabs and Fettucine. And you know what? We know a great hospitality and food. And that's what we want to do. We don't want to lose that. We want to let President Bush taste a little bit of home cooking. We got a FEMA, gourmet FEMA cook named Jason and him and my buddy Robin actually drove the FEMA trailer here.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

VACCARELLA: Yes, yes, it's been a kind of rough journey, but it's been good.. WHITFIELD: It's been an incredible journey. Well, a rough journey from the start. Here you were in St. Bernard Parish and, you know, you were up to your ears in water. And nearly, barely made it out alive yourself, only to turn around and try to save other people. And then you've been living in your FEMA trailer. That hasn't been easy. Why is it so important to you to convey this message to the president?

VACCARELLA: You know what, I would like to feel like the ambassador of the Gulf Coast and St. Bernard Parish. It's so important because, you know, we rebuilt Japan, we rebuilt Germany, we do everything for everybody else. We got bombed by Katrina. So it's so important for me to get to the president, and I just want to thank him, first of all, for giving us a FEMA trailer so we have a roof over our head. We have toiletries. We have a bed. We have air condition. But you know what? The job's way too far not done yet and it's a year later and we have so many vacancy houses and people left. It's horrible.

WHITFIELD: Well Rockey you have really tried to convey that plight in so many ways. One way has been through a documentary called "Forgotten on The Bayou." We have got a clip of that we want to share. Let's listen and watch it real quick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VACCARELLA: Now this thing is fast, but here we are. We're in America, in America and the Golden Arches a year later after Katrina is that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live there now. And this is where I used to live. Right here and it's right sitting across the street, half in the street.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Without the people of New Orleans, the diversity of people.

VACCARELLA: That's right. Everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Irish, everybody. You know, without those people, New Orleans would not be what New Orleans is.

VACCARELLA: That's right.

There's the key to your car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, the car that floated away.

VACCARELLA: Is this the key to the city?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that was the key to the backdoor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And clearly, Rockey, you feel like not everyone gets it. That's why, in part, you did this documentary. That's why, in part, you're taking your trailer to Washington so some in Washington can get it. What are you hoping the message is?

VACCARELLA: Well, you know, what we want to do is we want to let the American people know that the job's not done after a year later. And, you know, if we can go around building other countries, why can't we step up and build our country? We want to develop a website where people can, you know, chime in on the website and maybe give us a day or two to help come down to the south and help rebuild our area. We got bombed and we got trash all over the place still. And, you know, we're a long way from recovery. Being in America, we want, we are the strongest nations in this world so why can't we come down here and clean it up and put us back on our feet? When we go to war, we sure take our children and we send them over there.

WHITFIELD: You've got a long way for recovery, as you say, and you still got at least about a ten-hour drive before you make it to Washington, D.C. Good luck to you on your planned meeting with the president. And of course we want to hear all about it once you get inside Washington and find out from you, from your point of view, Rockey, what the reaction has been like.

VACCARELLA: Yes, that's minor. The journey to Washington is minor. When we have dinner with President Bush, all I want to do is first of all thank him. I want to thank him for what he's done. He's brought many, many trailers down and people have homes, a trailer home that they can live in and survive.

WHITFIELD: Well, Rockey, you are certainly helping to open the eyes of a lot of people. We're going to have to leave it right there. Rockey Vaccarella, thanks so much and good luck to you on your journey. We look forward to connecting with you again.

VACCARELLA: Hey, thank you.

WHITFIELD: And coming up in the next hour, we'll talk to another very well known person from New Orleans, musician Wynton Marsalis (ph) and jeweler Michael Kasengian (ph). They're organizing several events to benefit Katrina victims. These include an online auction of celebrity jewelry on E-Bay.

And new help for people who want to kick the habit. A stop smoking pill is stirring up a lot of buzz because it works in a very different way from anything else on the market. Let's talk right now with Dr. Bill Lloyd. So, Dr. Bill, what makes this one so different.

DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIV. OF CALIF-DAVIS MEDICAL CENTR: Hi, Fredricka. The pill is called Chantix and it has been out since May. It is FDA approved and it is the first of its kind pill devoted to helping smokers stops. Now I know there's other medications, but the chemical in Chantix was specifically made to help smokers stop.

Let's understand about smoking. You inhale the cigarette and you get the nicotine. The nicotine goes to your brain and rewards you. It releases chemicals that make you feel good. Other means of stopping smoking don't answer the question about nicotine craving and this drug called Chantix blocks that nicotine craving and it also stops that reward, that positive reinforcement. So you don't get cravings and you're not rewarded, why would you want to smoke? So, it has had a very successful clinical study, several studies that have shown its success in helping first time smokers quit once and for all.

WHITFIELD: Really? So things like the gums, sprays, nicotine inhalers, those thing are not helping to suppress the cravings?

LLOYD: Exactly right because if someone who is taking a nicotine patch or a spray or a gum is still getting the nicotine, Fredricka, which is what it's all about. So you're transferring from that dirty cigarette, which of course has health problems, to another form of nicotine, which also has health problems. Even some of these new modern pills, some of these modified anti-depressants, like Zyban, that people were using, people were still taking the patch and still getting the nicotine. This new drug works totally different. So it blocks the craving. You don't need the nicotine and there's no payoff.

WHITFIELD: So then who is a good candidate for something like Chantix?

LLOYD: Anyone who wants to stop smoking could experience a 50 percent success rate the first time around. You know, Fredricka, people who go cold turkey only about one out of 15 actually make it the first time. There's other ways of behavior modification. But we don't really have any good numbers because everybody is saying my study is better than your study. People who just rely on nicotine replacement, maybe 15 percent success. Those anti-depressants like Zyban that we have talked about, maybe a third will experience success in quitting once and for all. But this drug Chantix says they've got a 50 percent success rate. Now people with high blood pressure or recent heart attacks should not be taking nicotine replacements. So this is an ideal first drug effort to get somebody to stop smoking.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. Bill Lloyd, love that, thanks so much.

LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.

WHITFIELD: Well they cry death to America. Thousands line up in defense of Hezbollah, but do they speak for all Iranians? CNN's Aneesh Raman reports from Tehran.

And a leader's high profile made him a target in Iraq's most violent city. How he stayed safe. CNN SATURDAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Insurgents on the attack in Iraq today. In the town of Baquba nine people were killed. Among the victims, two professors and a human rights activist.

Also today the U.S. military says a U.S. soldier was killed during fighting in Anbar province. In Baghdad security is extremely tight to prevent sectarian attacks during a Shiite pilgrimage this weekend. A vehicle ban is in effect until Monday. And there are more security checkpoints, but even that hasn't stopped the violence. Seven Shiite pilgrims were shot dead last night. Al Anbar province is a hotbed of insurgent activity. The governor there risks his life every day he shows up for work. He has survived so many attacks he considers himself one of the luckiest men in Iraq. Our Michael Holmes talks with a politician defying the odds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Mahmoud Sami Rashid were a cat, he'd have been dead long ago. In little more than a year, he has survived 30 attempts on his life.

SAMI RASHID, GOV OF IRAQ'S AL ANBAR PROVINCE (through translator): I'm saddened by all those who partake in such acts because this destroys the whole province.

HOLMES: The reason for his rather hectic year or so? He's the governor of what many call Iraq's wild west, al Anbar province. And he works with the Americans. In the city of Ramadi, that's like painting a target on your back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not go outside!

HOLMES: And this is governor's office, the government center in Ramadi, also a base for U.S. military operations in the area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You might have to get you guys off this roof.

HOLMES: Ramadi has long been one of the most dangerous places in Iraq, a home for insurgents, a hell hole for troops and a tough assignment for Governor Rashid. The attempts on his life have included roadside bombs, mortars, bullets, a suicide bomber. But every day, albeit with massive security, he turns up for work.

RASHID: Of course I have security but I feel the efforts of the people. They worry. But they're also involved in projects here. And this convinces me that we are moving forward.

HOLMES: His predecessor was kidnapped and killed. His second in command also killed, as was another senior aide. Not long ago, his secretary was beheaded.

(on camera): These days he's pretty much the only local government official who turns up to work, and it's difficult to blame those who choose not to. Last January, attempts to bring local sheiks into the fold backfired badly when seven of them who had met with American officials were all assassinated.

Since then the governor has cut a pretty solitary figure at city hall.

(voice-over): The area around the government center is pretty much a free fire zone and the buildings show it. It is a target for insurgents but so is the governor. He's been seen by many here as an American puppet, unrepresentative, running an ineffective government and so a valid target.

The Americans admire him and anyone else who makes it into the office.

COLONEL JOHN GRONSKI, U.S. ARMY: They're courageous men who have a vision and they're willing to risk their lives so that government of al Anbar province can function.

HOLMES: Many outside these walls disagree and the governor will need these troops and a lot of luck to complete his term, but it's a job that Governor Rashid says he'll continue to do until he runs out of lives.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Iran is conducting nationwide war games. The military exercises come as the country faces heightened scrutiny over its nuclear program. Tehran, its capital, is a city of contrasts. We often see hard liners protesters there but it is also a city of moderates. Our Aneesh Raman now on the two faces of Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tucked amid the northern mountains is A Tehran that is rarely seen. Here along this hiking trail there are no flags of Hezbollah, no posters of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. Instead, just some kebabs on the grill and couples using the crowds to show affection discreetly.

These are Iran's moderates. Like 41-year old Fariba (ph). To say the recent war, she tells me, overshadowed all aspects of people's life here would not be accurate. And, she said, that in the west they think Iranians are close minded and short sighted. That, she says, is incorrect as well.

(on camera): Moderates in Tehran make up a quiet majority, but on this issue, as with virtually every other, they are overshadowed by a much more vocal and conservative minority.

(voice-over): Throughout the war in Lebanon, these were defining images of anger in Iran. Demonstrations often punctuated by chants of "death to America, death to Israel." And an eagerness to join the fight that is still in evidence after Friday prayers at this conservative mosque.

Did the Israelis prove their power by attacking innocent children, asks this woman. If they are men, they should come and fight us.

As soon as the supreme leader gives the go ahead, I and my three sons would go and join Hezbollah, says this former general.

They are perhaps the two faces of Iran, hard line protesters and moderates hikers. But both sides know they matter little compared to this face, that of Iran's president, who seems intent on confronting the United States over Iran's nuclear program.

Even among moderates, there is now a feeling of foreboding and even among moderates, that the U.S. shoulders the blame.

Fariba tells me that because almost the entire Middle East, one way or another, is being assaulted by America, Iran will gradually be dragged into this war.

And so even amid the serenity of these mountains, these are tense times in Iran.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD:: Straight ahead, much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY with Carol Lin.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. Coming up at 5:00, I'm going to be interviewing Carl Lewis, the Olympic runner.

WHITFIELD: Great.

LIN: The Olympic great about the charges, these allegations about Marion Jones, reported on the Associated Press, that she tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. So I want to talk to him about what he knows about her. She has denied this since 2003.

WHITFIELD: It's hugely disappointing just for the sport overall.

LIN: Exactly, I mean here you have Floyd Landis and now Marion Jones. So, we'll find out what is the real deal.

Also at 6:00, Andrea Koppel has a terrific package from Capital Hill about a senator who called a dark skinned man, who was attending one of his campaign rallies, essentially a monkey. So racial overtones to this election race. Andrea Koppel has that complete story. So a couple of really interesting segments coming up in the next couple of hours.

WHITFIELD:: We'll be watching. Thanks so much Carol.

Well coming up, the footsteps of bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We listened to bin Laden for several days using that radio, listened to his communications among him and his men. We listened to him apologize to them for having led them into this trap.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Cornered in the mountains. How did Osama bin Laden escape the assault in Tora Bora? A preview of Christiane Amanpour's special "CNN PRESENTS" coming up next.

But first, who says retirement is the end of the line? Andy Serwer takes a look at life after work. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL VALE, ACTOR: Time to make the donuts.

ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this well-known commercial, the baker looks less than enthused to start his day. But for 50-year-old Dick Schindel, donuts are making retirement that much sweeter.

DICK SCHINDEL, OWNER, DICK'S MINI-DONUTS: Would you like a sample of a donut, ma'am?

SERWER: The former teacher retired in 2004, thanks to his school pension, and now runs Dick's Mini-Donuts full time. Schindel sells them at fairs and markets around his hometown of Aurora, Illinois.

He was drawn to the treats nearly 20 years ago at a Colorado festival.

SCHINDEL: There was a long line of people by this food booth. And so we got in the line and purchased these donuts. Never seen anything like this before.

SERWER: Eight years later, he bought the equipment and started making donuts. He has no employees, but hires former students to help work events. Schindel says he makes a modest profit, but he does it more to keep active and meet people.

SCHINDEL: They really love the product. And that's given me a lot of satisfaction. If I don't come to the farmer's market, I hear it from people: "Where are you? How dare you not be here?"

SERWER: And, as popular as the donuts are, some of the appeal is just watching the machine.

SCHINDEL: Normally, I have a sign up that says "Cheapest Entertainment in Town". And people will stand and watch, because it's fascinating.

Thank you very much. Enjoy them.

SERWER: Andy Serwer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The latest alleged terror plot attempts to blow up international flights headed to the U.S. Some experts say it all has the earmarks of al Qaeda. The organization's leader Osama bin Laden is the most wanted man in the U.S. and he's still on the run. Bin Laden is the focus of a CNN PRESENTS this weekend. CNN's international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has a preview.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): December, 2001. A relentless bombing campaign, air strikes thunder through the treacherous mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The battle of Tora Bora had begun. Osama bin Laden, the jackal of 9/11, and hundreds of al Qaeda fighters had finally been cornered, or so it seemed.

GARY BERNTSEN, FORMER CIA OFFICER: We brought in Specter Gunships which can put a bullet on every inch of a football field.

AMANPOUR: Gary Berntsen was the leader of a secret CIA paramilitary unit that had pursued bin Laden since he had fled Kabul. And now the CIA was sure it knew where he was, thanks in large part to a radio taken off a dead al Qaeda fighter.

BERNTSEN: We listened to bin Laden for several days using that radio, listening to his communications among him and his men. We listened to him apologize to them for having led them into this trap, having led them into a location where they were having air strikes called on them just relentlessly.

AMANPOUR (on camera): The plan was for Afghan and Pakistani soldiers to block any escape routes, but Osama bin Laden managed to slip away through the mountains, and the mission to capture or kill the al Qaeda leader failed. By most accounts, the main problem was not enough American soldiers on the ground.

BERNTSEN: In first two or three days of December, I would write a message back to Washington recommending the insertion of U.S. forces on the ground. I was looking for 600 to 800 Rangers, roughly a battalion. They never came.

AMANPOUR: Osama bin Laden, looking frail and much older than his 44 years after the massive onslaught at Tora Bora, had escaped again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And don't miss "In The Footsteps of Bin Laden," a "CNN PRESENTS" investigation Wednesday, August 23rd at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Drugs and sports. As Carol Lin just told you, allegations swirl around track star Marion Jones' positive test results. Find out what former star, he's always a star, isn't he, Carl Lewis thinks about the link between athletics and performance enhancing drugs. That's coming up on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Carol Lin is coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New York's transit system is enough to make even a city native's head spin.

CHINEDU ECHURUO, FOUNDER HOPSTOP.COM: I was sitting on a subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan and I was thinking that there has to be a way to leverage technology to solve this problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So in 2001, Echuruo founded HopStop.com. It's a free website offering step by step instructions on how to get from point A to point B in the Big Apple via subway, bus or even your own two feet.

And for those on the go...

ECHURUO: You can text message directions from the website directly to your cell phone. You don't actually have to carry around a piece of paper.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now with HopStop Mobile, you can even request directions via text message or even a phone call.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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