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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Bush Addresses U.N.; Second American Arrested in Gitmo Espionage Probe; California Recall to be Held October 7

Aired September 23, 2003 - 19:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): President Bush stands firm on Iraq. In California, on with the show. The date is set for the gubernatorial recall vote.

How quickly we forget. What happened to all the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia?

Back in court. The D.C. sniper case.

Why do some American mothers have toxic chemicals in their breast milk?

And smile when you say that. A grin requirement for fast food.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: A good evening to you. Welcome to 360.

We are following a number of developing stories tonight. Have you hear about what is going on at Gitmo? Accusations of espionage swirling around the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay. A member of the Air Force charged with aiding the enemy, the Muslim chaplain also in custody.

Is some kind of conspiracy afoot? We'll look at that tonight.

Also, why did a teenager die after taking the so-called abortion pill, RU 486? Tonight, a father grieves and searches for answers.

And a possible break in a crime case that's well on its way to infamy. "Jack the Snipper," that's what they called it. An arrest in the small New England college town where no woman or her clothing was safe. That is all to come.

We begin, though, with the crucial address to the world by the president of the United States. The place: the U.N. General Assembly. The message: no regrets, no admission of error in terms of Iraq. The president arguing the world is a safer place with Saddam Hussein gone, and the world now has a responsibility to help the U.S. create a stable, peaceful Iraq. A critical speech for diplomacy abroad and politics here at home. We begin with senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is, the president says, time to move forward. But it is clear he proposes to do so largely on his terms. He was unapologetic about his decision to go to war.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a coalition of nations acted to defend the peace and the credibility of the United Nations, Iraq is free.

KING: Adamant that even those who opposed the war should now help pay for Iraq's costly reconstruction.

BUSH: All nations of good will should step forward and provide that support.

KING: And unwavering in saying the United States, not the United Nations, will determine the timetable for Iraq's political transition.

BUSH: The primary goal of our coalition in Iraq is self- government for the people of Iraq, reached by orderly and democratic process.

KING: French President Jacques Chirac is a leading voice among the many critics, using his General Assembly speech to again criticize the Iraq war as illegitimate and to demand a firm timetable for ending U.S. rule. But when the two leaders met later, Mr. Bush was adamant that a quick political transition is "just not in the cards," and that he would not give billions in U.S. reconstruction aid to an unelected Iraqi Governing Council.

A senior U.S. official on hand said President Chirac made clear that, despite the disagreement, France will not stand in the way of a new Security Council resolution sought by the United States. Shaping that resolution is now the president's challenge. And White House officials who initially had hoped for a deal while Mr. Bush is in New York now envision weeks of negotiations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: John King joins us now. John, President Bush went to the U.N. to get other nations to commit troops and money. Is there a sense among the administration officials after today's speech that the U.S. is likely to get that?

KING: Anderson, a very strange dynamic taking hold tonight. Still a great deal of disagreement with the president. Many diplomats here foresee weeks of negotiations, and some even friendly to the United States see a scenario unfolding like this: a new Security Council resolution that blesses the New Iraqi governing authority. But then they say the president might find that that resolution is no guarantee of what he hoped it would bring: thousands of new international troops, billions of dollars in international commitments.

Many here say the president might get his resolution, but not his troops and his money. At least not in the numbers he wants.

COOPER: All right. The delicate dance of diplomacy. John King, thanks very much tonight.

On to the reaction in Iraq, where the word "anxious" seems to fit best. Long term, people are anxious for an Iraq led by Iraqis. Short term, they're anxious about security and a shattered economy. The president's speech today didn't seem to ease the anxiety. More reaction now from CNN's Walt Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When President Bush told Iraqis his goal here is self-government by the Iraqi people, those in this coffee shop played cards and backgammon and dominoes. In Baghdad, they believe lady luck may be more dependable than a presidential promise, especially when no timetable was offered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator) We want the Americans to leave us alone. We can handle our own business. They should give more power to the Iraqi interior ministry.

RODGERS: But there is also recognition the United Nations cannot now do what U.S. troops are doing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is better to leave it in the hands of the Americans for now, because they have control of the situation.

RODGERS: Still, it is the continuing violence and lawlessness which weighs most heavily. If American soldiers made Iraqis feel secure in their own homes, support for the American occupation might be more enthusiastic. In the meantime, Iraqi support, such as it is, seems born of necessity.

This sheik says if the Americans were to pull out peremptorily, there would be civil war.

(on camera): In a sense, the American presence may be the only glue that holds Iraq together. And some Iraqis seem to believe reluctantly that the Americans are the only ones that can supply the glue. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A couple of other stories out of Iraq to tell you about. In the holy city of Najaf, U.S. troops handed over control to a Spanish-led multinational force 1,000 strong. The transfer was done in a solemn military ceremony. It was supposed to take place weeks ago but was postponed because of equipment delays and some high tensions after last month's car bombing that killed more than 80 people, including a leading Shiite cleric outside a mosque. Still in Iraq now, near Fallujah, conflicting reports about a deadly incident. U.S. soldiers kill three Iraqis after clashes with guerrillas. That much we know.

U.S. officials say an American patrol came under fire, the attacker was pursued, air support called in. One attacker was killed. But witnesses and hospital officials say three civilians, all farmers, were killed and three others wounded, among them two boys.

And back in Baghdad, turn the TVs off. Two popular Arab television networks -- you're looking at them right now -- are being banned from covering official business in Baghdad for two weeks. Iraq's Governing Council called Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya irresponsible and accused them of inciting violence and not disclosing information about pending attacks on American troops and Iraqis.

An Al-Jazeera spokesman told CNN they were dismayed by the decision and that truth and freedom of the press were the victims. Their words.

Let's turn now to that suspected espionage drama surrounding the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. There has been a second arrest of a U.S. serviceman who had been working at the camp. Now this guy is a member of the Air Force and he's been charged with dozens of counts of helping the enemy. The question is, is it -- are these two isolated cases, or part of a broader conspiracy?

Barbara Starr has it covered at the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was here at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that Senior Airman Ahmad al Halabi had what officials say was unauthorized classified information on his computer. Colleagues have reported the military translator who worked with al Qaeda detainees was acting suspiciously, sources tell CNN. When confronted, he could not explain his actions. He was arrested on July 23rd.

He is now being held here at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where he is facing more than 30 charges, including espionage, aiding the enemy, false statements, bank fraud, and failing to obey orders. Now investigators urgently want to know if there is a broader espionage conspiracy in the military, or if they are dealing with isolated cases.

Is al Halabi connected to Army Captain James Yee? The Islamic Army chaplain was arrested on September 10th, carrying unauthorized classified information about Guantanamo Bay. Senator Charles Schumer is angry that the two groups that certify Muslim clerics to become military chaplains are themselves being investigated for terrorism connections.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: That a man who ends up as chaplain to potentially the most dangerous terrorists we have in our custody, was trained by groups who might well have a link to terrorism, almost defies the imagination.

STARR: As this investigation proceeds, sources tell CNN that more arrests may be coming. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: It's a fascinating case. It raises a lot of questions. We're going to talk about them a little bit later on in tonight's program.

On to California now, where the show will go on. October 7th, that's the date. Mark it down.

An appeals court today threw out a delay approved by three of its judges last week. So the candidates are back in full throttle. And recall opponents, well, they are licking their wounds. More from CNN's Kelly Wallace in Sacramento.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The players in the California gubernatorial recall don't agree on much. But after the court's ruling, it was hard to tell them apart.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I believe we have the momentum. And I believe we'll win the election on October 7th.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: What about the court's decision, huh?

LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA We're going to move forward.

WALLACE: The major candidates stormed ahead, spending little time analyzing the swift and unanimous decision by the 11 federal judges. They ruled that delaying the election would disenfranchise the more than 500,000 voters who have already cast their absentee ballots.

KEVIN SHELLEY, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE: Many Californians have been confused. And my message, as the chief election officer, is that confusion is over.

WALLACE: And so is any talk of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That's the message from the American Civil Liberties Union, which had argued a delay was necessary until outdated punch card ballots could be replaced.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the election just two weeks away, we do not believe that we should prolong the uncertainty any longer.

WALLACE: Who wins, who loses? Most analysts thought Democratic Governor Gray Davis might have benefited if the election were delayed until next year. More time to campaign might also have helped Republican state Senator Tom McClintock, who is currently trailing the other GOP candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And pressure is now mounting on McClintock to get out of the race to avoid splitting the Republican vote. In fact, just a short time ago, here in this ballroom, Schwarzenegger for the first time publicly said he thinks McClintock should consider getting out of the race. But I spoke with McClintock's spokesman earlier this afternoon, and he said the candidate is adamant about staying in this race until the end -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. We'll be watching. Kelly Wallace, thanks very much.

Let's go global right now, checking tonight's "Up Link."

Vienna, Austria: OPEC producers say, go with the flow, don't cut output for the rest of the year. Ministers arriving for tomorrow's meeting say there's no need to reduce the oil supply ahead of rising winter demand.

Hanoi, Vietnam: the Pentagon says Vietnam agrees in principle to an unusual and unprecedented plan. Listen to this. The U.S. wants to hire retired Vietnamese intelligence officers to help look for Americans missing in action. 1,882 Americans are still unaccounted for in the Vietnam War.

Copenhagen, Denmark: blackout. An estimated five million people left without power after a brief blackout in eastern Denmark and Sweden. Officials say a failed transmission line is the likely culprit. Planes, trains, and automobiles all were affected.

Off the Mexican coast: Hurricane Marty weakens to a tropical storm, heads north toward the U.S. At least five deaths are blamed on the storm so far, which interrupted power and telephone services, flooded streets along parts of the Baja Peninsula.

The (UNINTELLIGIBLE): Afghanistan, taking over a reconstruction mission from U.S. troops. These New Zealand soldiers decided to get funky right here. Take a look. They performed a traditional (UNINTELLIGIBLE) war dance. A celebration, they said. Well, at least that's the official explanation.

And that is tonight's "Up Link."

Still a lot to come tonight. Sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad back in court. You're going to hear what prosecutors say drove him to murder.

Also, has Jack the Snipper been snagged? Remember this story? The guy was accused of breaking into women's homes, then cutting off their clothing as they slept. Well, police have made an arrest. That's the suspect we just showed you right there. We'll have more coming up.

And the season's hottest new sitcom banned before it ever hit the air, at least in some places. Why are some local TV stations pulling the plug on "Coupling?"

A lot more ahead, but first a look inside the box. The top stories on tonight's network even newscast and the time spent on each one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back to 360. Let's take a look at what's happening "Cross Country" right now.

Chicago: four men linked to the nightclub where 21 people died in a stampede pled not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Charges that partygoers were crushed in a narrow staircase as they tried to flee a fight in the club. Prosecutors charged the owners let in five times as many people that the club was legally allowed to hold.

Akron, Ohio: sweet vindication for Jimmy Williams. Ten years in jail for a crime he did not commit. His accuser recants and the state agrees to set him free and pay him big bucks in compensation for his time. Williams will get what's left after lawyers get their cut from a $750,000 pay out.

North Las Vegas, Nevada: two planes collide on an airport runway. Neither one came out a winner. Two people hurt, but not critically. One plane was taxing to take off, the other had just landed. The fire chief said the two pilots were very lucky indeed.

And the mid-Atlantic states: one million people, most of them in Virginia, still without power tonight, five days after Hurricane Isabel came ashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks and headed north.

And Flagstaff, Arizona: the owner of a gas station thought prices were obscene, so he hired a local model to promote his cheaper gas. Some people took offense. The authorities were called in. After consulting with the owner, local prosecutors decided it wasn't worth making a test case or maybe a high test case out of it. No word yet whether the model will be back at work tomorrow.

That's a look at the stories "Cross Country" tonight.

And good we can laugh now. Gas stations nearly a year ago, it wasn't so easy. That's when the sniper case riveted the nation, terrified the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Today, one of the suspects, John Muhammad, well, he was back in a Virginia court three weeks before his murder trial is set to begin. Nearly a year after the crimes, it is still very much a mystery as to what might have motivated the accused sniper. Today, prosecutors offered up some insight.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve has the latest from Manassas, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One big question in the sniper case: What might have motivated John Allen Mohammed? In court Tuesday, prosecutors said the triggering event was authorities' decision to give his former wife Mildred sole custody of their children and her move away from him.

Prosecutor Rich Conrad (ph) said Muhammad "became obsessed with finding her." Muhammad traced Mildred to Maryland, and unable to find her, "began shooting people around her," Conrad said. But the judge precluded prosecutors from using threats Muhammad allegedly made against Mildred as evidence, unless a stronger link can be established between the threats and the sniper shootings.

Also Tuesday, the first witness testimony placing Muhammad and Malvo near any of the 13 sniper shootings. Dr. Gerald Driscol (ph) says he saw men he identified as Muhammad and Malvo in a blue Chevy Caprice near a Bowie, Maryland middle school about an hour before the shooting of 13-year-old Iran Brown (ph).

He described Muhammad as very happy, smiling, joking. He said Malvo climbed from the front to the back and crouched, fidgeting with something in the back seat. Investigators say the sniper perch in the trunk of the car was accessible by lifting part of the back seat.

There was also testimony from two employees of the Silver Spring, Maryland YMCA, where investigators say Muhammad and Malvo worked out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They came in, they were nice, smiling, and talked to me, friendly. I didn't think anything but, you know, this is a father and son.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Despite defense questions about their recollections and the way photo identifications were made, the judge has ruled that the testimony of all three of those witnesses is admissible -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve in Manassas tonight. Thanks very much, Jeanne.

From one kind of terror to another, let's take a look at the "Terror Watch."

U.S. officials say there is intelligence that shows al Qaeda has ideas of targeting an Israeli airliner at or near Bangkok, Thailand. A down play, a report that the plot was foiled, but say U.S., Israeli and Thai officials have the information.

The Saudis say three wanted terrorists were killed in a shootout with authorities today near a hospital. The suspects were allegedly connected to suicide bombings in Riyadh. A Saudi officer was also killed.

And the leaders of the Independent 9/11 Commission say they are getting more cooperation from government agencies. The panel also plans to hold 14 days of public hearings early next year.

And we'll look at the actions of the Clinton and Bush administrations in the time leading up to the attacks. And those are the stories in tonight's "Terror Watch."

Still to come tonight, "Justice Served." The facts get stranger than fiction in the case of a writer accused of murder. It's the other Peterson case, as we keep saying. Lisa Bloom sounds off in the bombshell closing of this strange trial.

Also tonight, how quickly we forget. U.S. troops perform a quiet vanishing act in Saudi Arabia. Where did they go?

And a little bit later on, the women are strong, the men are pretty. Find out what is the world's gayest country, according to a survey -- a global sex survey. We'll have the results coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: "Justice Served." Tonight, we're going to look at the big surprise prosecutors got in the case of Michael Peterson. I don't know if you've been following this case -- it is remarkable.

He's the North Carolina novelist accused of murdering his wife. Although he says she fell down a staircase. Prosecutors have said he beat her with a blow poke -- that's the man on the right, his former wife on the left -- a blow poke being a fireplace tool that police significantly never found. But in court today, the defense produced what appears to be the tool in question.

There it is in a clear bid to rebut the entire prosecution theory. It was a Perry Mason moment, as Lisa Bloom likes to say. Did police really miss a suspected murder weapon sitting in the suspect's garage all this time? Just one of several questions we'll ask Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom, who joins us right now.

Lisa, thanks for being with us. Pretty amazing. I mean, the prosecution has basically built their case on this instrument and suddenly it shows up.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Well, even more amazing was how the defense did this in court today. We watched it live on Court TV. I have to get the plug in.

COOPER: Sure. Plug, plug, plug away.

BLOOM: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Anderson. The defense called the prosecution's lead investigator. He got him to say that if Kathleen had been murdered with a blow poke, surely it would be mangled, it would at least be dented. Then, very dramatically, the defense attorney reached behind counsel table, pulled up a blow poke, and brought into court a court order, where the judge said that on Sunday, two days ago, this blow poke, which was apparently found in Michael Peterson's garage, could be taken out and admitted into evidence without the prosecution even knowing about it.

COOPER: So, wait, in a sense, then, the judge was sort of in cahoots in some weird way with the defense on this.

BLOOM: That's right. And without the prosecution even knowing. So the prosecution saw it for the first time, found out about it for the first time, just as the jury did.

And you don't usually see the defense bringing in the alleged murder weapon into a trial. But in this case they brought it in to say, essentially, look, not mangled, not dented. They got the lead investigator to sit and examine it on the stand and say, looks like it's in pretty good condition to me.

COOPER: And I guess when it was found, it was in this garage, covered in cobwebs. They photographed it in the garage. But the larger question is, if the prosecutor -- I mean, this murder happened allegedly -- or alleged murder happened in this house...

BLOOM: That's right.

COOPER: ... where the defendant has been living all this time. Didn't police search the garage?

BLOOM: Well, that's a great point. And the defense has been saying all along the police did a terrible job investigating this case. But the police did do a grid search at the time, step by step, walking through the property, searching the property. Apparently they didn't search the basement.

That's where this blow poke was found. It had dead bugs in it, as you said, cobwebs. It looks like it's been there a long time. This is big points for the defense team.

COOPER: And all along the prosecution has been saying -- I mean, they had some of their wound experts coming in and saying, well, it looks like this wound could have been done by a blow poke.

BLOOM: Consistent with a blow poke, because it's a hollow, light implement that would cause lacerations to the scalp. Those are the injuries, not fractures to the skull like a heavier implement would have caused.

COOPER: It's going to be fascinating, especially to talk to jurors after this is done to see...

BLOOM: The defense rested today.

COOPER: Yes, we'll see. All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Well, more "Justice Served" right now. Ray Brent Marsh (ph) says he is not guilty of nearly 200 charges of fraud and making false statements. He's the former crematory operator in north Georgia who is accused of dumping decaying bodies around his family business.

Remember this story? Passing off dirt and cement dust as cremated remains. Marsh (ph) has yet to enter a plea to another 600 charges he is facing.

Stay tuned. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Still ahead: will the U.N. help President Bush in Iraq?

Got tainted milk? How flame retardant chemicals got into American women's breast milk.

And forcing a smile at Mickey D's. You want fries with that?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Just past 7:30. Let's "Reset" the day's top stories.

The United Nations, New York. An address from President Bush. He defended the invasion of Iraq but called on the assembled nations to join in the rebuilding of Iraq

Sacramento, California. An 11 judge federal panel says the on again, off again California recall is on again. They overruled a three-judge panel of the same court that postponed the vote over potential problems with punch card ballots.

Washington, nine members of a NASA safety panel -- well, they quit today. The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel was sharply criticized by the board investigating the break-up in space of the space shuttle Columbia.

Philadelphia. The ACLU is suing the Secret Service. The American Civil Liberties Union wants the agency to stop keeping anti- Bush protesters so far away from presidential appearances.

Again Washington. The Pentagon says an Air Force translator has been arrested. He worked at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, translating between suspected al Qaeda detainees and military investigators. He faces more than 30 charges, including espionage and aiding the enemy.

And that's the "Reset" for tonight.

Let's talk about what's going on in Gitmo. It's a destination in the war on terror that is marked by mystery, controversy, and now alleged espionage. Those prison camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- the camps at Gitmo -- were set up in the months following 9/11 to hold and interrogate hundreds of al Qaeda members and others captured in the war on terror, those designated as enemy combatants of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): About 600 are being held at the U.S. base in Cuba, where the normal Constitutional safeguards don't apply. No charges required. Their stay, open-ended. The U.S. has tried to show it treats the detainees with respect. That's one of the reasons Army Islamic Chaplain Captain James Yee was there, ministering to the prisoners.

Here's what he said about his role in an interview over the summer.

ARMY CAPT. JAMES YEE: My role as a chaplain, I try to focus on what is happening here, what is happening with the individuals detained here at Guantanamo Bay. I don't get into what organizations they may be a part of, or are they a member of Taliban.

COOPER: But the military says Captain Yee had documents a chaplain shouldn't have, including diagrams of the cells and the Gitmo facilities. He was taken into custody earlier this month and hasn't been charged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: But an air force translator has, senior airman Ahmad Al Halibai. As we mentioned, he's been charged with more than 30 counts, including espionage and aiding the enemy. He had spent the last nine months at Gitmo.

The key question, are the cases connected and part of a broader conspiracy?

More now with David Isby. He's a defense and foreign policy consultant and a former correspondent for Jane's Intelligence Review. He joins us in Washington.

David, thanks for being with us.

What did you gut tell you? Do you think these guys are connected?

DAVID ISBY, FORMER JANE'S CORRESPONDENT: I think certainly they knew each other. They may be together. It's probably unlikely. They were independent.

But the important thing is even though any mole is dangerous, these guys are probably relatively small fish. This isn't Ames, Hanssen, or even Jonathan Pollack (ph).

COOPER: You say that based on what? I mean, just the potential enemy out there? I mean, who -- I guess the question is all is, who were they in league with, if in fact they are guilty?

ISBY: A very good question. It's just that someone like a chaplain, a translator isn't going to have access to the crown jewels of espionage, things like human intelligence and codes that were what Hanssen, the war conspiring (ph), gave away to our enemies during the Cold War. Who they're working for, again, al Qaeda, the Taliban, or perhaps just a felt sense of injustice at how they were being held.

COOPER: Yes. You raise a very good point. I mean, it could not -- perhaps it's not espionage in the traditional sense. Perhaps it's wanting to get word out about some of the conditions some of the these people are being held in. At this point we simply don't know.

The question is though, how good is the U.S. military at investigating espionage, at routing it out, at investigating these things?

ISBY: We are good. We've gotten better. But the truth is, most spies are not caught. Now you see how often you see news reports of espionage prosecutions in the United States. Now, we know that not only terrorists, but loads of countries throughout the world have clandestine intelligence services aiming their efforts at the United States.

And so these -- unless these people are all wasting time, there's a lot of spies out there we don't know about.

COOPER: And again -- I got to ask the question again though -- I mean, the FBI, CIA, they have a track record on this kind of thing, on counterespionage counterintelligence. U.S. military, though, it's kind of a different game for them.

ISBY: Well, they've been dealing with field security. This is a very important -- in Iraq, what we have to do in a day-to-day basis, who do we deal with? Who can we trust? Even if they're on the other side in the war. And there it's not just plans of installations, you can get people killed if you trust the wrong person in Iraq. So the military, it's even more real than the FBI or the CIA in many ways.

COOPER: Well, this investigation is ongoing. There is even word there may even be some more arrests coming down the pike.

David Isby, appreciate you joining us tonight. Thanks very much.

ISBY: Thank you.

COOPER: All right.

Time now for our weekly look at"How Quickly We Forget." This is our chance to update you on a story to grab headlines, only to drop off the radar screen.

Tonight, U.S. troops on Saudi soil. Now this was one of the original complaints that Osama bin Laden had, of course, with the U.S., the presence of what he claims are infidel troops on the doorstep of Islam's holiest sites. And the decision to pull them out of Saudi Arabia Was very big news back in the spring. Now, very quietly, almost all of them have actually left.

Senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan once asked how many U.S. War planes were based in Saudi Arabia, answered none. Through the 1990s, the Saudis liked to maintain the fiction that the thousands of U.S. troops enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq weren't based in the kingdom. They were just there temporarily. That temporary mission stretched over a decade, until having deposed Saddam Hussein in April, the U.S. ended the no-fly zone patrols and announced the pullout.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: By mutual agreement, the aircraft that had been involved will, of course, now be able to leave.

MCINTYRE: By August, the U.S. vacated the remote Prince Sultan air base in a turnover ceremony marked by little fanfare and quiet sighs of relief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Americans didn't like to be stationed there. Saudis felt uncomfortable about the public response to them being there.

MCINTYRE: The relationship has always been a marriage of convenience. The Saudis needed the U.S. to defend against the Iraqi threat, and the U.S. Needed to ensure Saudi oil stayed on the world market.

But these days the ruling royal family more deeply fears internal revolt. Many Saudis resented the U.S. presence and sympathized with Osama bin Laden's goal of ousting the American military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both sides determined that the costs of the American presence exceeded the benefits.

MCINTYRE (on camera): The marriage of convenience hasn't exactly ended in a divorce. More like a trial separation.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: How quickly we forget.

Well turning back to the president's address at the U.N. today, where Mr. Bush asked for the world's help to rebuild Iraq, but also issued the warning that a return to Iraqi sovereignty could not be rushed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: The primary goal of our coalition in Iraq is self- government for the people of Iraq, reached by orderly and democratic process. This process must unfold according to the needs of Iraqis, neither hurried nor delayed by the wishes of other parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I want to spend just a couple of minutes talking about this speech.

I'm joined by Peter Brookes, former deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Bush administration and senior fellow for National Security Affairs, the Heritage Foundation.

And Julian Epstein, former Democratic chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.

Gentlemen, appreciate both of you joining us.

Peter, let me start off with you. A lot of Democrats are very critical of the president's speech today, basically saying it didn't go far enough. Not enough details about money, about manpower, about any potential role the U.N. might play. Did the president go far enough?

PETER BROOKES, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Well, the president only has a limited amount of time to make his points there at the United Nations. I think he was very clear. He was very resolute. And I sense that even more important than the speech are some of the other meetings that took place.

The president had lunch afterwards with Kofi Annan. He a meeting with French President Chirac. And I think behind those closed doors where a lot of negotiating is going to go on in deciding how to move forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Secretary-General....

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Julian Epstein, was it a mark of success that French President Jacques Chirac, after these speeches, after he made his speech as well, basically said, we will not stand in the way of a potential U.S.-sponsored resolution?

JULIAN EPSTEIN, FMR. DEMOCRATIC CHIEF COUNSEL: It's progress. And I think it was good the president went to the United Nations. I think it's good that the president has backtracked on the need for an international coalition.

But I do think that the speech lacked a lot of the specifics that are going to be needed to build that coalition. I think it was largely uninspiring. It was filled with a lot platitudes. And unlike Tony Blair's, say, a couple of months ago when he came before the United States Congress, the president was dismissive to the point of ignoring what I think are the many criticisms, fair or unfair, that have been levied against the U.S. effort in this case. And I think his kind of -- his unwillingness to do that is going to make it even more difficult to build this international coalition, which must be built, I think everybody agrees at this point.

COOPER: Peter, what Julian mentioned, really sounds like what a lot of the Democratic presidential hopefuls were saying today also in response to this speech. Do you think the Democrats are making a mistake by politicizing this issue too much?

BROOKES: Well, I think that this is normal. We are certainly moving into the ends of political season. We're about 14 months out. There are what 11, 12 Democratic contenders right now. And they have to pick niche issues. One of two things, certainly the economy is going to be something people are dealing with, and national security is another. And I think that's one of the reasons Wesley Clark jumped into the race is because of the concerns the Democrats are not the best at leading this country on national security issues.

COOPER: Well, Julian, let me put the question to you. Is there is a danger in this? U.S. Troops are in the field, people losing their lives. Are the Democrats playing this correctly.

ESPSTEIN: I think there's no question but this is a political issue. This notion somehow that this won't be a political issue, the Bush administration made this a very political issue during the last election.

Look the real issue...

COOPER: Is Bush's future tied to Iraq in your opinion, Democrat opinion?

ESPSTEIN: Without a doubt. This is the preeminent issue right now. The major issue I think for Bush right now is whether he can bring more people on board with his policy. At home, there is a great deal of distrust about the reasons that we were there. There's a lot of ambiguity about what we're doing there and whether we're going to be successful there. Abroad, there still continues to be that same distrust of this administration. This is a test of Bush's leadership ability. And right now, I think the trend lines are down. We're getting to the point there could be a crisis of confidence in this administration. and its ability to succeed in winning the peace over there. But the major question I think in the election is going to be, who can do a better job at doing what needs to be done to protect our security? And I think a lot of people are having doubts about this administration right now.

COOPER: Final question, Peter, the Democrats put forward numbers saying this may cost $179 billion low number, up to $400 billion. A, do you agree with those numbers, and B, is the president's future tied to Iraq?

BROOKES: I'm not sure about the numbers. I'm sure they're going to want to use this as Julian had said for political purposes. They're going to make that as big as possible. The important thing is that we're successful in Iraq. This is the best chance for democracy in that part of the world and planting seeds. We just can't pull out, we have to ensure success regardless of the costs.

ESPSTEIN: There's no question we have to. And one of the ways of doing that is making sure when we're not doing the right things. And I think this administration's made serious mistakes as we pointed that out.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Peter Brookes, appreciate you joining us, Julian Espstein as well, thank you very much.

COOPER: Still to come this evening, why some American mothers have toxic chemicals in their breast milk. We are going to talk with Dr. Gupta about that.

A possible break in a crime known as "Jack the Snipper." There's been an arrest. That's the suspect, we'll talk about it.

And it's A TV show that may be too hot to handle. Can you say banned in salt lake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time for a quick medical checkup. A study finds unexpectedly high levels of a chemical flame retardant in some women's breast milk. Fire retardants used in furniture and carpets can be found in house dust and water. Dr. Gupta joins us to explain. Tell us about the study.

How concerned should women be?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Probably not that concern. It was a small study. 20 women. They said it was a national study, but it was just 20. If you look at the fine details. No babies were injured. What they're talking about here are these fire retardants and a specific compound found in them. They measured that level in breast milk in American versus European women, 75 times higher were the level in American women vs. European Women. No surprise in that there was some concern by the EWG.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're saying these chemicals have been shown to impair learning, behavior, memory, attention in laboratory animals. They are also shown to be very similar to PCBs which we know have effects on children's IQ, development, performance in schools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Being in lab animals, now. None of them actually being in children. They talk about parts per billion at about a 1, 000. Some folks said you don't get any harmful effects until you get parts per billion in of about the million or so. So, still even though the numbers are higher in states probably still not high enough. Again, everyone saying still breast feeding is probably still the best option for parents. Certainly the benefits outweigh the risks.

COOPER: Also new information about memory and menopause?

GUPTA: Interesting. The old wives tale, as you get older and go through menopause, you start to lose your memory. So, some enterprising researchers decided to put that to the test. Actually studied quite a few women 42 to 52 years old who are considered perimenopausal, starting to go through menopause, and actually put them to the test as far as memory goes. What they found is in fact their memory skills did not decrease. In some of the tests their memory skills tried to improve prove a bit.

COOPER: Actually got better.

GUPTA: Actually got better. So, you know, it's funny because my mom's probably watching now and she says, "my memory's going menopause," when in fact that's not the case. Estrogen for a long time is believed to be a protective of the brain. That's why hormone replacement therapy came about. To give the estrogen women are losing, it helps with memory.

COOPER: What is behind memory loss? Is it just psychosomatic?

GUPTA: The same thing for men and women. That particular age, they're thinking more about their children who are growing up, their parents who getting older, you get distracted more easily. One of the tests they had for example was dialing information, getting the phone number, and forgetting the number before you dialed it. I do that all the time. I'm not going through menopause.

COOPER: All right. So this applies to men and women?

GUPTA: I think both men and women around that age start to have some lapses for natural things.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanks, all right.

Well, also on medical front tonight, RU-486, the so-called abortion pill, is blamed by some for the death of an 18-year-old California woman.

As Brian Cabell explains how she died shortly after taking the drug. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Holly Patterson was seven weeks later when she took the abortion drug RU-486. A week later she was hospitalized in critical condition.

MONTY PATTERSON, FATHER: I found out she had taken the abortion pill and this is some of the complications that would result from it. That was the first I knew about it. And I felt so helpless after thinking she was suffering in silence. I never knew.

CABELL: The 18-year-old girl had taken the pill at a planned parenthood clinic outside San Francisco. A few days later she developed severe cramps and bleeding and was rushed to a hospital where she was given painkillers and sent home. Three days later she was rushed back.

PATTERSON: They had her on oxygen. When I spoke her name, she opened her eyes and looked at me. And she was so happy that I was there.

CABELL: Holly Patterson died in the hospital. The food and drug administration says there were two other U.S. fatalities with connections to the pill. The FDA approved three years ago. The Danco Laboratories that manufacturers the drug says an estimated 200,000 American women have used it, about 1 million worldwide.

Regarding the Patterson case, Danco says, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and sympathy are with the woman's family and friends. Planned Parenthood is gathering information and we will work with them to understand the circumstances surrounding her death."

The company insist the drug is safe, as do most health professionals.

DR. MIMI ZIEMAN, OBSTETRICIAN, GYNECOLOGIST EMORY UNIVERSITY: The drugs are not dangerous. More women die from over the counter cold pills than an abortion pill.

CABELL: However, this death seems to reignite the controversy of RU-486 which has been opposed by anti-abortion groups.

Brian Cabell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Coming up next on 360, police make an arrest in the bizarre case that's come to be known as Jack the Snipper.

Also tonight, a new survey has identified what it says is the gayest country in the world. Inquiring minds want to know. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to 360. A bizarre crime wave may be over in New Hampshire. Police hope this means Jack the Snipper will snip no more. A primary suspect is under arrest, they say. Jason Carroll has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the man who police say might be Jack the Snipper, the man behind a series of bizarre attacks in this small New England college town. Monday night, police arrested Jeffrey Gelinas at his home.

CHIEF DAVID KURTZ, DURHAM, NH POLICE: We are prepared to name him as a primary suspect in the cases that were really traumatizing to the Durham community throughout the summer.

CARROLL: Gelinas has been under police surveillance nearly a month. Police say it's likely he's the man who broke into the apartments of eight college coeds, undressed them, or cut off their clothes while they slept. Most victims woke up during the assault and scared off their attacker. None were physically harmed.

The incidents happened over a three-month period last summer in Durham, near the University of New Hampshire. Students there are relieved police have a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely scary. I'm glad that they caught him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We locked our doors. We were a lot more careful. And I think that's turned into something that will continue, just out of habit.

CARROLL: Gelinas is out on bail. Repeated calls to his home were not returned. He's been charged with loitering and prowling. Police say they have not charged him with the snipper case, but they say they're confident the case will soon be closed.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We'll see.

Time for a check of tonight's "Current." The new NBC sitcom "Coupling" has been dropped by two affiliates, KSL in Salt Lake City and WNDU, which is owned by Notre Dame University. WNDU said community standards would be exceeded by the show's jokes about sex. Tonight at 9:00 on WNDU, a serial rapist struck again, "Law and Order: SCU."

Jon Bon Jovi has bought part of a new arena football team, the Philadelphia Soul. For those who heard his music, it will come as little surprise that Bon Jovi was only able to get a fraction of Soul, and that he had to pay for it.

A new sex survey says Australia has the world's highest proportion of homosexuals. A whopping 17 percent of all Australians in this survey reported being in a gay or lesbian relationship. And my producer owes me $50 for not using the phrase "down under."

At the low end of the survey, only 3 percent of Vietnamese said they were in a gay or lesbian relationship.

In a totally unrelated story, Prince Harry of Britain is spending three months in Australia as a jackeroo (ph). I swear, it's unrelated. A jackeroo (ph) is just a cattle hand. Honestly, totally unrelated to the survey.

And we have a lot more ahead here on 360. Take a look at why a lot of employees are smiling these days.

And this woman, she faces death by stoning for having sex out of wedlock. Now her fate will be decided. That's tomorrow on 360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, taking customer service to "The Nth Degree." A new survey says that America's fast food restaurants aren't giving customers what they really want. What do they want, you ask? They'd like a smile. And they'd like it super sized. The study says that when customers go to McDonald's or Taco Bell, they are not looking for well-balanced, nutritious meals. They don't want a McBLT, just some TLC. They want their servers to smile. After all, it shouldn't just be the meals that are happy.

And who wouldn't smile wearing a paper hat? Don't you prefer being served by someone who's smiling?

Take me as an example. Which do you prefer? The nation lost more jobs last month, with three million Americans out of work. Or, the nation lost more jobs last month, with three million Americans out of work.

Sure, the news is sad, but you don't have to be. Some frowning nay-sayers may complain about having to live in a falsely perky world. But maybe Mr. Rourke was right when he said, "smiles, everyone." After all, isn't life better on "Fantasy Island?" Something to think about tonight.

That about wraps up our program tonight. Hope you join us tomorrow, 7:00 Eastern time, right here on CNN.

Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Good night.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Espionage Probe; California Recall to be Held October 7>


Aired September 23, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): President Bush stands firm on Iraq. In California, on with the show. The date is set for the gubernatorial recall vote.

How quickly we forget. What happened to all the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia?

Back in court. The D.C. sniper case.

Why do some American mothers have toxic chemicals in their breast milk?

And smile when you say that. A grin requirement for fast food.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: A good evening to you. Welcome to 360.

We are following a number of developing stories tonight. Have you hear about what is going on at Gitmo? Accusations of espionage swirling around the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay. A member of the Air Force charged with aiding the enemy, the Muslim chaplain also in custody.

Is some kind of conspiracy afoot? We'll look at that tonight.

Also, why did a teenager die after taking the so-called abortion pill, RU 486? Tonight, a father grieves and searches for answers.

And a possible break in a crime case that's well on its way to infamy. "Jack the Snipper," that's what they called it. An arrest in the small New England college town where no woman or her clothing was safe. That is all to come.

We begin, though, with the crucial address to the world by the president of the United States. The place: the U.N. General Assembly. The message: no regrets, no admission of error in terms of Iraq. The president arguing the world is a safer place with Saddam Hussein gone, and the world now has a responsibility to help the U.S. create a stable, peaceful Iraq. A critical speech for diplomacy abroad and politics here at home. We begin with senior White House correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is, the president says, time to move forward. But it is clear he proposes to do so largely on his terms. He was unapologetic about his decision to go to war.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because a coalition of nations acted to defend the peace and the credibility of the United Nations, Iraq is free.

KING: Adamant that even those who opposed the war should now help pay for Iraq's costly reconstruction.

BUSH: All nations of good will should step forward and provide that support.

KING: And unwavering in saying the United States, not the United Nations, will determine the timetable for Iraq's political transition.

BUSH: The primary goal of our coalition in Iraq is self- government for the people of Iraq, reached by orderly and democratic process.

KING: French President Jacques Chirac is a leading voice among the many critics, using his General Assembly speech to again criticize the Iraq war as illegitimate and to demand a firm timetable for ending U.S. rule. But when the two leaders met later, Mr. Bush was adamant that a quick political transition is "just not in the cards," and that he would not give billions in U.S. reconstruction aid to an unelected Iraqi Governing Council.

A senior U.S. official on hand said President Chirac made clear that, despite the disagreement, France will not stand in the way of a new Security Council resolution sought by the United States. Shaping that resolution is now the president's challenge. And White House officials who initially had hoped for a deal while Mr. Bush is in New York now envision weeks of negotiations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: John King joins us now. John, President Bush went to the U.N. to get other nations to commit troops and money. Is there a sense among the administration officials after today's speech that the U.S. is likely to get that?

KING: Anderson, a very strange dynamic taking hold tonight. Still a great deal of disagreement with the president. Many diplomats here foresee weeks of negotiations, and some even friendly to the United States see a scenario unfolding like this: a new Security Council resolution that blesses the New Iraqi governing authority. But then they say the president might find that that resolution is no guarantee of what he hoped it would bring: thousands of new international troops, billions of dollars in international commitments.

Many here say the president might get his resolution, but not his troops and his money. At least not in the numbers he wants.

COOPER: All right. The delicate dance of diplomacy. John King, thanks very much tonight.

On to the reaction in Iraq, where the word "anxious" seems to fit best. Long term, people are anxious for an Iraq led by Iraqis. Short term, they're anxious about security and a shattered economy. The president's speech today didn't seem to ease the anxiety. More reaction now from CNN's Walt Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When President Bush told Iraqis his goal here is self-government by the Iraqi people, those in this coffee shop played cards and backgammon and dominoes. In Baghdad, they believe lady luck may be more dependable than a presidential promise, especially when no timetable was offered.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator) We want the Americans to leave us alone. We can handle our own business. They should give more power to the Iraqi interior ministry.

RODGERS: But there is also recognition the United Nations cannot now do what U.S. troops are doing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is better to leave it in the hands of the Americans for now, because they have control of the situation.

RODGERS: Still, it is the continuing violence and lawlessness which weighs most heavily. If American soldiers made Iraqis feel secure in their own homes, support for the American occupation might be more enthusiastic. In the meantime, Iraqi support, such as it is, seems born of necessity.

This sheik says if the Americans were to pull out peremptorily, there would be civil war.

(on camera): In a sense, the American presence may be the only glue that holds Iraq together. And some Iraqis seem to believe reluctantly that the Americans are the only ones that can supply the glue. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A couple of other stories out of Iraq to tell you about. In the holy city of Najaf, U.S. troops handed over control to a Spanish-led multinational force 1,000 strong. The transfer was done in a solemn military ceremony. It was supposed to take place weeks ago but was postponed because of equipment delays and some high tensions after last month's car bombing that killed more than 80 people, including a leading Shiite cleric outside a mosque. Still in Iraq now, near Fallujah, conflicting reports about a deadly incident. U.S. soldiers kill three Iraqis after clashes with guerrillas. That much we know.

U.S. officials say an American patrol came under fire, the attacker was pursued, air support called in. One attacker was killed. But witnesses and hospital officials say three civilians, all farmers, were killed and three others wounded, among them two boys.

And back in Baghdad, turn the TVs off. Two popular Arab television networks -- you're looking at them right now -- are being banned from covering official business in Baghdad for two weeks. Iraq's Governing Council called Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya irresponsible and accused them of inciting violence and not disclosing information about pending attacks on American troops and Iraqis.

An Al-Jazeera spokesman told CNN they were dismayed by the decision and that truth and freedom of the press were the victims. Their words.

Let's turn now to that suspected espionage drama surrounding the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. There has been a second arrest of a U.S. serviceman who had been working at the camp. Now this guy is a member of the Air Force and he's been charged with dozens of counts of helping the enemy. The question is, is it -- are these two isolated cases, or part of a broader conspiracy?

Barbara Starr has it covered at the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was here at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that Senior Airman Ahmad al Halabi had what officials say was unauthorized classified information on his computer. Colleagues have reported the military translator who worked with al Qaeda detainees was acting suspiciously, sources tell CNN. When confronted, he could not explain his actions. He was arrested on July 23rd.

He is now being held here at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where he is facing more than 30 charges, including espionage, aiding the enemy, false statements, bank fraud, and failing to obey orders. Now investigators urgently want to know if there is a broader espionage conspiracy in the military, or if they are dealing with isolated cases.

Is al Halabi connected to Army Captain James Yee? The Islamic Army chaplain was arrested on September 10th, carrying unauthorized classified information about Guantanamo Bay. Senator Charles Schumer is angry that the two groups that certify Muslim clerics to become military chaplains are themselves being investigated for terrorism connections.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: That a man who ends up as chaplain to potentially the most dangerous terrorists we have in our custody, was trained by groups who might well have a link to terrorism, almost defies the imagination.

STARR: As this investigation proceeds, sources tell CNN that more arrests may be coming. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: It's a fascinating case. It raises a lot of questions. We're going to talk about them a little bit later on in tonight's program.

On to California now, where the show will go on. October 7th, that's the date. Mark it down.

An appeals court today threw out a delay approved by three of its judges last week. So the candidates are back in full throttle. And recall opponents, well, they are licking their wounds. More from CNN's Kelly Wallace in Sacramento.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The players in the California gubernatorial recall don't agree on much. But after the court's ruling, it was hard to tell them apart.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I believe we have the momentum. And I believe we'll win the election on October 7th.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: What about the court's decision, huh?

LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA We're going to move forward.

WALLACE: The major candidates stormed ahead, spending little time analyzing the swift and unanimous decision by the 11 federal judges. They ruled that delaying the election would disenfranchise the more than 500,000 voters who have already cast their absentee ballots.

KEVIN SHELLEY, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE: Many Californians have been confused. And my message, as the chief election officer, is that confusion is over.

WALLACE: And so is any talk of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That's the message from the American Civil Liberties Union, which had argued a delay was necessary until outdated punch card ballots could be replaced.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the election just two weeks away, we do not believe that we should prolong the uncertainty any longer.

WALLACE: Who wins, who loses? Most analysts thought Democratic Governor Gray Davis might have benefited if the election were delayed until next year. More time to campaign might also have helped Republican state Senator Tom McClintock, who is currently trailing the other GOP candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And pressure is now mounting on McClintock to get out of the race to avoid splitting the Republican vote. In fact, just a short time ago, here in this ballroom, Schwarzenegger for the first time publicly said he thinks McClintock should consider getting out of the race. But I spoke with McClintock's spokesman earlier this afternoon, and he said the candidate is adamant about staying in this race until the end -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. We'll be watching. Kelly Wallace, thanks very much.

Let's go global right now, checking tonight's "Up Link."

Vienna, Austria: OPEC producers say, go with the flow, don't cut output for the rest of the year. Ministers arriving for tomorrow's meeting say there's no need to reduce the oil supply ahead of rising winter demand.

Hanoi, Vietnam: the Pentagon says Vietnam agrees in principle to an unusual and unprecedented plan. Listen to this. The U.S. wants to hire retired Vietnamese intelligence officers to help look for Americans missing in action. 1,882 Americans are still unaccounted for in the Vietnam War.

Copenhagen, Denmark: blackout. An estimated five million people left without power after a brief blackout in eastern Denmark and Sweden. Officials say a failed transmission line is the likely culprit. Planes, trains, and automobiles all were affected.

Off the Mexican coast: Hurricane Marty weakens to a tropical storm, heads north toward the U.S. At least five deaths are blamed on the storm so far, which interrupted power and telephone services, flooded streets along parts of the Baja Peninsula.

The (UNINTELLIGIBLE): Afghanistan, taking over a reconstruction mission from U.S. troops. These New Zealand soldiers decided to get funky right here. Take a look. They performed a traditional (UNINTELLIGIBLE) war dance. A celebration, they said. Well, at least that's the official explanation.

And that is tonight's "Up Link."

Still a lot to come tonight. Sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad back in court. You're going to hear what prosecutors say drove him to murder.

Also, has Jack the Snipper been snagged? Remember this story? The guy was accused of breaking into women's homes, then cutting off their clothing as they slept. Well, police have made an arrest. That's the suspect we just showed you right there. We'll have more coming up.

And the season's hottest new sitcom banned before it ever hit the air, at least in some places. Why are some local TV stations pulling the plug on "Coupling?"

A lot more ahead, but first a look inside the box. The top stories on tonight's network even newscast and the time spent on each one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back to 360. Let's take a look at what's happening "Cross Country" right now.

Chicago: four men linked to the nightclub where 21 people died in a stampede pled not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Charges that partygoers were crushed in a narrow staircase as they tried to flee a fight in the club. Prosecutors charged the owners let in five times as many people that the club was legally allowed to hold.

Akron, Ohio: sweet vindication for Jimmy Williams. Ten years in jail for a crime he did not commit. His accuser recants and the state agrees to set him free and pay him big bucks in compensation for his time. Williams will get what's left after lawyers get their cut from a $750,000 pay out.

North Las Vegas, Nevada: two planes collide on an airport runway. Neither one came out a winner. Two people hurt, but not critically. One plane was taxing to take off, the other had just landed. The fire chief said the two pilots were very lucky indeed.

And the mid-Atlantic states: one million people, most of them in Virginia, still without power tonight, five days after Hurricane Isabel came ashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks and headed north.

And Flagstaff, Arizona: the owner of a gas station thought prices were obscene, so he hired a local model to promote his cheaper gas. Some people took offense. The authorities were called in. After consulting with the owner, local prosecutors decided it wasn't worth making a test case or maybe a high test case out of it. No word yet whether the model will be back at work tomorrow.

That's a look at the stories "Cross Country" tonight.

And good we can laugh now. Gas stations nearly a year ago, it wasn't so easy. That's when the sniper case riveted the nation, terrified the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Today, one of the suspects, John Muhammad, well, he was back in a Virginia court three weeks before his murder trial is set to begin. Nearly a year after the crimes, it is still very much a mystery as to what might have motivated the accused sniper. Today, prosecutors offered up some insight.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve has the latest from Manassas, Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One big question in the sniper case: What might have motivated John Allen Mohammed? In court Tuesday, prosecutors said the triggering event was authorities' decision to give his former wife Mildred sole custody of their children and her move away from him.

Prosecutor Rich Conrad (ph) said Muhammad "became obsessed with finding her." Muhammad traced Mildred to Maryland, and unable to find her, "began shooting people around her," Conrad said. But the judge precluded prosecutors from using threats Muhammad allegedly made against Mildred as evidence, unless a stronger link can be established between the threats and the sniper shootings.

Also Tuesday, the first witness testimony placing Muhammad and Malvo near any of the 13 sniper shootings. Dr. Gerald Driscol (ph) says he saw men he identified as Muhammad and Malvo in a blue Chevy Caprice near a Bowie, Maryland middle school about an hour before the shooting of 13-year-old Iran Brown (ph).

He described Muhammad as very happy, smiling, joking. He said Malvo climbed from the front to the back and crouched, fidgeting with something in the back seat. Investigators say the sniper perch in the trunk of the car was accessible by lifting part of the back seat.

There was also testimony from two employees of the Silver Spring, Maryland YMCA, where investigators say Muhammad and Malvo worked out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They came in, they were nice, smiling, and talked to me, friendly. I didn't think anything but, you know, this is a father and son.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Despite defense questions about their recollections and the way photo identifications were made, the judge has ruled that the testimony of all three of those witnesses is admissible -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jeanne Meserve in Manassas tonight. Thanks very much, Jeanne.

From one kind of terror to another, let's take a look at the "Terror Watch."

U.S. officials say there is intelligence that shows al Qaeda has ideas of targeting an Israeli airliner at or near Bangkok, Thailand. A down play, a report that the plot was foiled, but say U.S., Israeli and Thai officials have the information.

The Saudis say three wanted terrorists were killed in a shootout with authorities today near a hospital. The suspects were allegedly connected to suicide bombings in Riyadh. A Saudi officer was also killed.

And the leaders of the Independent 9/11 Commission say they are getting more cooperation from government agencies. The panel also plans to hold 14 days of public hearings early next year.

And we'll look at the actions of the Clinton and Bush administrations in the time leading up to the attacks. And those are the stories in tonight's "Terror Watch."

Still to come tonight, "Justice Served." The facts get stranger than fiction in the case of a writer accused of murder. It's the other Peterson case, as we keep saying. Lisa Bloom sounds off in the bombshell closing of this strange trial.

Also tonight, how quickly we forget. U.S. troops perform a quiet vanishing act in Saudi Arabia. Where did they go?

And a little bit later on, the women are strong, the men are pretty. Find out what is the world's gayest country, according to a survey -- a global sex survey. We'll have the results coming back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: "Justice Served." Tonight, we're going to look at the big surprise prosecutors got in the case of Michael Peterson. I don't know if you've been following this case -- it is remarkable.

He's the North Carolina novelist accused of murdering his wife. Although he says she fell down a staircase. Prosecutors have said he beat her with a blow poke -- that's the man on the right, his former wife on the left -- a blow poke being a fireplace tool that police significantly never found. But in court today, the defense produced what appears to be the tool in question.

There it is in a clear bid to rebut the entire prosecution theory. It was a Perry Mason moment, as Lisa Bloom likes to say. Did police really miss a suspected murder weapon sitting in the suspect's garage all this time? Just one of several questions we'll ask Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom, who joins us right now.

Lisa, thanks for being with us. Pretty amazing. I mean, the prosecution has basically built their case on this instrument and suddenly it shows up.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Well, even more amazing was how the defense did this in court today. We watched it live on Court TV. I have to get the plug in.

COOPER: Sure. Plug, plug, plug away.

BLOOM: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Anderson. The defense called the prosecution's lead investigator. He got him to say that if Kathleen had been murdered with a blow poke, surely it would be mangled, it would at least be dented. Then, very dramatically, the defense attorney reached behind counsel table, pulled up a blow poke, and brought into court a court order, where the judge said that on Sunday, two days ago, this blow poke, which was apparently found in Michael Peterson's garage, could be taken out and admitted into evidence without the prosecution even knowing about it.

COOPER: So, wait, in a sense, then, the judge was sort of in cahoots in some weird way with the defense on this.

BLOOM: That's right. And without the prosecution even knowing. So the prosecution saw it for the first time, found out about it for the first time, just as the jury did.

And you don't usually see the defense bringing in the alleged murder weapon into a trial. But in this case they brought it in to say, essentially, look, not mangled, not dented. They got the lead investigator to sit and examine it on the stand and say, looks like it's in pretty good condition to me.

COOPER: And I guess when it was found, it was in this garage, covered in cobwebs. They photographed it in the garage. But the larger question is, if the prosecutor -- I mean, this murder happened allegedly -- or alleged murder happened in this house...

BLOOM: That's right.

COOPER: ... where the defendant has been living all this time. Didn't police search the garage?

BLOOM: Well, that's a great point. And the defense has been saying all along the police did a terrible job investigating this case. But the police did do a grid search at the time, step by step, walking through the property, searching the property. Apparently they didn't search the basement.

That's where this blow poke was found. It had dead bugs in it, as you said, cobwebs. It looks like it's been there a long time. This is big points for the defense team.

COOPER: And all along the prosecution has been saying -- I mean, they had some of their wound experts coming in and saying, well, it looks like this wound could have been done by a blow poke.

BLOOM: Consistent with a blow poke, because it's a hollow, light implement that would cause lacerations to the scalp. Those are the injuries, not fractures to the skull like a heavier implement would have caused.

COOPER: It's going to be fascinating, especially to talk to jurors after this is done to see...

BLOOM: The defense rested today.

COOPER: Yes, we'll see. All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Well, more "Justice Served" right now. Ray Brent Marsh (ph) says he is not guilty of nearly 200 charges of fraud and making false statements. He's the former crematory operator in north Georgia who is accused of dumping decaying bodies around his family business.

Remember this story? Passing off dirt and cement dust as cremated remains. Marsh (ph) has yet to enter a plea to another 600 charges he is facing.

Stay tuned. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Still ahead: will the U.N. help President Bush in Iraq?

Got tainted milk? How flame retardant chemicals got into American women's breast milk.

And forcing a smile at Mickey D's. You want fries with that?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Just past 7:30. Let's "Reset" the day's top stories.

The United Nations, New York. An address from President Bush. He defended the invasion of Iraq but called on the assembled nations to join in the rebuilding of Iraq

Sacramento, California. An 11 judge federal panel says the on again, off again California recall is on again. They overruled a three-judge panel of the same court that postponed the vote over potential problems with punch card ballots.

Washington, nine members of a NASA safety panel -- well, they quit today. The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel was sharply criticized by the board investigating the break-up in space of the space shuttle Columbia.

Philadelphia. The ACLU is suing the Secret Service. The American Civil Liberties Union wants the agency to stop keeping anti- Bush protesters so far away from presidential appearances.

Again Washington. The Pentagon says an Air Force translator has been arrested. He worked at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, translating between suspected al Qaeda detainees and military investigators. He faces more than 30 charges, including espionage and aiding the enemy.

And that's the "Reset" for tonight.

Let's talk about what's going on in Gitmo. It's a destination in the war on terror that is marked by mystery, controversy, and now alleged espionage. Those prison camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- the camps at Gitmo -- were set up in the months following 9/11 to hold and interrogate hundreds of al Qaeda members and others captured in the war on terror, those designated as enemy combatants of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): About 600 are being held at the U.S. base in Cuba, where the normal Constitutional safeguards don't apply. No charges required. Their stay, open-ended. The U.S. has tried to show it treats the detainees with respect. That's one of the reasons Army Islamic Chaplain Captain James Yee was there, ministering to the prisoners.

Here's what he said about his role in an interview over the summer.

ARMY CAPT. JAMES YEE: My role as a chaplain, I try to focus on what is happening here, what is happening with the individuals detained here at Guantanamo Bay. I don't get into what organizations they may be a part of, or are they a member of Taliban.

COOPER: But the military says Captain Yee had documents a chaplain shouldn't have, including diagrams of the cells and the Gitmo facilities. He was taken into custody earlier this month and hasn't been charged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: But an air force translator has, senior airman Ahmad Al Halibai. As we mentioned, he's been charged with more than 30 counts, including espionage and aiding the enemy. He had spent the last nine months at Gitmo.

The key question, are the cases connected and part of a broader conspiracy?

More now with David Isby. He's a defense and foreign policy consultant and a former correspondent for Jane's Intelligence Review. He joins us in Washington.

David, thanks for being with us.

What did you gut tell you? Do you think these guys are connected?

DAVID ISBY, FORMER JANE'S CORRESPONDENT: I think certainly they knew each other. They may be together. It's probably unlikely. They were independent.

But the important thing is even though any mole is dangerous, these guys are probably relatively small fish. This isn't Ames, Hanssen, or even Jonathan Pollack (ph).

COOPER: You say that based on what? I mean, just the potential enemy out there? I mean, who -- I guess the question is all is, who were they in league with, if in fact they are guilty?

ISBY: A very good question. It's just that someone like a chaplain, a translator isn't going to have access to the crown jewels of espionage, things like human intelligence and codes that were what Hanssen, the war conspiring (ph), gave away to our enemies during the Cold War. Who they're working for, again, al Qaeda, the Taliban, or perhaps just a felt sense of injustice at how they were being held.

COOPER: Yes. You raise a very good point. I mean, it could not -- perhaps it's not espionage in the traditional sense. Perhaps it's wanting to get word out about some of the conditions some of the these people are being held in. At this point we simply don't know.

The question is though, how good is the U.S. military at investigating espionage, at routing it out, at investigating these things?

ISBY: We are good. We've gotten better. But the truth is, most spies are not caught. Now you see how often you see news reports of espionage prosecutions in the United States. Now, we know that not only terrorists, but loads of countries throughout the world have clandestine intelligence services aiming their efforts at the United States.

And so these -- unless these people are all wasting time, there's a lot of spies out there we don't know about.

COOPER: And again -- I got to ask the question again though -- I mean, the FBI, CIA, they have a track record on this kind of thing, on counterespionage counterintelligence. U.S. military, though, it's kind of a different game for them.

ISBY: Well, they've been dealing with field security. This is a very important -- in Iraq, what we have to do in a day-to-day basis, who do we deal with? Who can we trust? Even if they're on the other side in the war. And there it's not just plans of installations, you can get people killed if you trust the wrong person in Iraq. So the military, it's even more real than the FBI or the CIA in many ways.

COOPER: Well, this investigation is ongoing. There is even word there may even be some more arrests coming down the pike.

David Isby, appreciate you joining us tonight. Thanks very much.

ISBY: Thank you.

COOPER: All right.

Time now for our weekly look at"How Quickly We Forget." This is our chance to update you on a story to grab headlines, only to drop off the radar screen.

Tonight, U.S. troops on Saudi soil. Now this was one of the original complaints that Osama bin Laden had, of course, with the U.S., the presence of what he claims are infidel troops on the doorstep of Islam's holiest sites. And the decision to pull them out of Saudi Arabia Was very big news back in the spring. Now, very quietly, almost all of them have actually left.

Senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan once asked how many U.S. War planes were based in Saudi Arabia, answered none. Through the 1990s, the Saudis liked to maintain the fiction that the thousands of U.S. troops enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq weren't based in the kingdom. They were just there temporarily. That temporary mission stretched over a decade, until having deposed Saddam Hussein in April, the U.S. ended the no-fly zone patrols and announced the pullout.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: By mutual agreement, the aircraft that had been involved will, of course, now be able to leave.

MCINTYRE: By August, the U.S. vacated the remote Prince Sultan air base in a turnover ceremony marked by little fanfare and quiet sighs of relief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Americans didn't like to be stationed there. Saudis felt uncomfortable about the public response to them being there.

MCINTYRE: The relationship has always been a marriage of convenience. The Saudis needed the U.S. to defend against the Iraqi threat, and the U.S. Needed to ensure Saudi oil stayed on the world market.

But these days the ruling royal family more deeply fears internal revolt. Many Saudis resented the U.S. presence and sympathized with Osama bin Laden's goal of ousting the American military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both sides determined that the costs of the American presence exceeded the benefits.

MCINTYRE (on camera): The marriage of convenience hasn't exactly ended in a divorce. More like a trial separation.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: How quickly we forget.

Well turning back to the president's address at the U.N. today, where Mr. Bush asked for the world's help to rebuild Iraq, but also issued the warning that a return to Iraqi sovereignty could not be rushed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: The primary goal of our coalition in Iraq is self- government for the people of Iraq, reached by orderly and democratic process. This process must unfold according to the needs of Iraqis, neither hurried nor delayed by the wishes of other parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I want to spend just a couple of minutes talking about this speech.

I'm joined by Peter Brookes, former deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Bush administration and senior fellow for National Security Affairs, the Heritage Foundation.

And Julian Epstein, former Democratic chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.

Gentlemen, appreciate both of you joining us.

Peter, let me start off with you. A lot of Democrats are very critical of the president's speech today, basically saying it didn't go far enough. Not enough details about money, about manpower, about any potential role the U.N. might play. Did the president go far enough?

PETER BROOKES, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Well, the president only has a limited amount of time to make his points there at the United Nations. I think he was very clear. He was very resolute. And I sense that even more important than the speech are some of the other meetings that took place.

The president had lunch afterwards with Kofi Annan. He a meeting with French President Chirac. And I think behind those closed doors where a lot of negotiating is going to go on in deciding how to move forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Secretary-General....

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Julian Epstein, was it a mark of success that French President Jacques Chirac, after these speeches, after he made his speech as well, basically said, we will not stand in the way of a potential U.S.-sponsored resolution?

JULIAN EPSTEIN, FMR. DEMOCRATIC CHIEF COUNSEL: It's progress. And I think it was good the president went to the United Nations. I think it's good that the president has backtracked on the need for an international coalition.

But I do think that the speech lacked a lot of the specifics that are going to be needed to build that coalition. I think it was largely uninspiring. It was filled with a lot platitudes. And unlike Tony Blair's, say, a couple of months ago when he came before the United States Congress, the president was dismissive to the point of ignoring what I think are the many criticisms, fair or unfair, that have been levied against the U.S. effort in this case. And I think his kind of -- his unwillingness to do that is going to make it even more difficult to build this international coalition, which must be built, I think everybody agrees at this point.

COOPER: Peter, what Julian mentioned, really sounds like what a lot of the Democratic presidential hopefuls were saying today also in response to this speech. Do you think the Democrats are making a mistake by politicizing this issue too much?

BROOKES: Well, I think that this is normal. We are certainly moving into the ends of political season. We're about 14 months out. There are what 11, 12 Democratic contenders right now. And they have to pick niche issues. One of two things, certainly the economy is going to be something people are dealing with, and national security is another. And I think that's one of the reasons Wesley Clark jumped into the race is because of the concerns the Democrats are not the best at leading this country on national security issues.

COOPER: Well, Julian, let me put the question to you. Is there is a danger in this? U.S. Troops are in the field, people losing their lives. Are the Democrats playing this correctly.

ESPSTEIN: I think there's no question but this is a political issue. This notion somehow that this won't be a political issue, the Bush administration made this a very political issue during the last election.

Look the real issue...

COOPER: Is Bush's future tied to Iraq in your opinion, Democrat opinion?

ESPSTEIN: Without a doubt. This is the preeminent issue right now. The major issue I think for Bush right now is whether he can bring more people on board with his policy. At home, there is a great deal of distrust about the reasons that we were there. There's a lot of ambiguity about what we're doing there and whether we're going to be successful there. Abroad, there still continues to be that same distrust of this administration. This is a test of Bush's leadership ability. And right now, I think the trend lines are down. We're getting to the point there could be a crisis of confidence in this administration. and its ability to succeed in winning the peace over there. But the major question I think in the election is going to be, who can do a better job at doing what needs to be done to protect our security? And I think a lot of people are having doubts about this administration right now.

COOPER: Final question, Peter, the Democrats put forward numbers saying this may cost $179 billion low number, up to $400 billion. A, do you agree with those numbers, and B, is the president's future tied to Iraq?

BROOKES: I'm not sure about the numbers. I'm sure they're going to want to use this as Julian had said for political purposes. They're going to make that as big as possible. The important thing is that we're successful in Iraq. This is the best chance for democracy in that part of the world and planting seeds. We just can't pull out, we have to ensure success regardless of the costs.

ESPSTEIN: There's no question we have to. And one of the ways of doing that is making sure when we're not doing the right things. And I think this administration's made serious mistakes as we pointed that out.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Peter Brookes, appreciate you joining us, Julian Espstein as well, thank you very much.

COOPER: Still to come this evening, why some American mothers have toxic chemicals in their breast milk. We are going to talk with Dr. Gupta about that.

A possible break in a crime known as "Jack the Snipper." There's been an arrest. That's the suspect, we'll talk about it.

And it's A TV show that may be too hot to handle. Can you say banned in salt lake.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time for a quick medical checkup. A study finds unexpectedly high levels of a chemical flame retardant in some women's breast milk. Fire retardants used in furniture and carpets can be found in house dust and water. Dr. Gupta joins us to explain. Tell us about the study.

How concerned should women be?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Probably not that concern. It was a small study. 20 women. They said it was a national study, but it was just 20. If you look at the fine details. No babies were injured. What they're talking about here are these fire retardants and a specific compound found in them. They measured that level in breast milk in American versus European women, 75 times higher were the level in American women vs. European Women. No surprise in that there was some concern by the EWG.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're saying these chemicals have been shown to impair learning, behavior, memory, attention in laboratory animals. They are also shown to be very similar to PCBs which we know have effects on children's IQ, development, performance in schools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Being in lab animals, now. None of them actually being in children. They talk about parts per billion at about a 1, 000. Some folks said you don't get any harmful effects until you get parts per billion in of about the million or so. So, still even though the numbers are higher in states probably still not high enough. Again, everyone saying still breast feeding is probably still the best option for parents. Certainly the benefits outweigh the risks.

COOPER: Also new information about memory and menopause?

GUPTA: Interesting. The old wives tale, as you get older and go through menopause, you start to lose your memory. So, some enterprising researchers decided to put that to the test. Actually studied quite a few women 42 to 52 years old who are considered perimenopausal, starting to go through menopause, and actually put them to the test as far as memory goes. What they found is in fact their memory skills did not decrease. In some of the tests their memory skills tried to improve prove a bit.

COOPER: Actually got better.

GUPTA: Actually got better. So, you know, it's funny because my mom's probably watching now and she says, "my memory's going menopause," when in fact that's not the case. Estrogen for a long time is believed to be a protective of the brain. That's why hormone replacement therapy came about. To give the estrogen women are losing, it helps with memory.

COOPER: What is behind memory loss? Is it just psychosomatic?

GUPTA: The same thing for men and women. That particular age, they're thinking more about their children who are growing up, their parents who getting older, you get distracted more easily. One of the tests they had for example was dialing information, getting the phone number, and forgetting the number before you dialed it. I do that all the time. I'm not going through menopause.

COOPER: All right. So this applies to men and women?

GUPTA: I think both men and women around that age start to have some lapses for natural things.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta thanks, all right.

Well, also on medical front tonight, RU-486, the so-called abortion pill, is blamed by some for the death of an 18-year-old California woman.

As Brian Cabell explains how she died shortly after taking the drug. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Holly Patterson was seven weeks later when she took the abortion drug RU-486. A week later she was hospitalized in critical condition.

MONTY PATTERSON, FATHER: I found out she had taken the abortion pill and this is some of the complications that would result from it. That was the first I knew about it. And I felt so helpless after thinking she was suffering in silence. I never knew.

CABELL: The 18-year-old girl had taken the pill at a planned parenthood clinic outside San Francisco. A few days later she developed severe cramps and bleeding and was rushed to a hospital where she was given painkillers and sent home. Three days later she was rushed back.

PATTERSON: They had her on oxygen. When I spoke her name, she opened her eyes and looked at me. And she was so happy that I was there.

CABELL: Holly Patterson died in the hospital. The food and drug administration says there were two other U.S. fatalities with connections to the pill. The FDA approved three years ago. The Danco Laboratories that manufacturers the drug says an estimated 200,000 American women have used it, about 1 million worldwide.

Regarding the Patterson case, Danco says, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and sympathy are with the woman's family and friends. Planned Parenthood is gathering information and we will work with them to understand the circumstances surrounding her death."

The company insist the drug is safe, as do most health professionals.

DR. MIMI ZIEMAN, OBSTETRICIAN, GYNECOLOGIST EMORY UNIVERSITY: The drugs are not dangerous. More women die from over the counter cold pills than an abortion pill.

CABELL: However, this death seems to reignite the controversy of RU-486 which has been opposed by anti-abortion groups.

Brian Cabell, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Coming up next on 360, police make an arrest in the bizarre case that's come to be known as Jack the Snipper.

Also tonight, a new survey has identified what it says is the gayest country in the world. Inquiring minds want to know. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back to 360. A bizarre crime wave may be over in New Hampshire. Police hope this means Jack the Snipper will snip no more. A primary suspect is under arrest, they say. Jason Carroll has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the man who police say might be Jack the Snipper, the man behind a series of bizarre attacks in this small New England college town. Monday night, police arrested Jeffrey Gelinas at his home.

CHIEF DAVID KURTZ, DURHAM, NH POLICE: We are prepared to name him as a primary suspect in the cases that were really traumatizing to the Durham community throughout the summer.

CARROLL: Gelinas has been under police surveillance nearly a month. Police say it's likely he's the man who broke into the apartments of eight college coeds, undressed them, or cut off their clothes while they slept. Most victims woke up during the assault and scared off their attacker. None were physically harmed.

The incidents happened over a three-month period last summer in Durham, near the University of New Hampshire. Students there are relieved police have a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely scary. I'm glad that they caught him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We locked our doors. We were a lot more careful. And I think that's turned into something that will continue, just out of habit.

CARROLL: Gelinas is out on bail. Repeated calls to his home were not returned. He's been charged with loitering and prowling. Police say they have not charged him with the snipper case, but they say they're confident the case will soon be closed.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We'll see.

Time for a check of tonight's "Current." The new NBC sitcom "Coupling" has been dropped by two affiliates, KSL in Salt Lake City and WNDU, which is owned by Notre Dame University. WNDU said community standards would be exceeded by the show's jokes about sex. Tonight at 9:00 on WNDU, a serial rapist struck again, "Law and Order: SCU."

Jon Bon Jovi has bought part of a new arena football team, the Philadelphia Soul. For those who heard his music, it will come as little surprise that Bon Jovi was only able to get a fraction of Soul, and that he had to pay for it.

A new sex survey says Australia has the world's highest proportion of homosexuals. A whopping 17 percent of all Australians in this survey reported being in a gay or lesbian relationship. And my producer owes me $50 for not using the phrase "down under."

At the low end of the survey, only 3 percent of Vietnamese said they were in a gay or lesbian relationship.

In a totally unrelated story, Prince Harry of Britain is spending three months in Australia as a jackeroo (ph). I swear, it's unrelated. A jackeroo (ph) is just a cattle hand. Honestly, totally unrelated to the survey.

And we have a lot more ahead here on 360. Take a look at why a lot of employees are smiling these days.

And this woman, she faces death by stoning for having sex out of wedlock. Now her fate will be decided. That's tomorrow on 360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, taking customer service to "The Nth Degree." A new survey says that America's fast food restaurants aren't giving customers what they really want. What do they want, you ask? They'd like a smile. And they'd like it super sized. The study says that when customers go to McDonald's or Taco Bell, they are not looking for well-balanced, nutritious meals. They don't want a McBLT, just some TLC. They want their servers to smile. After all, it shouldn't just be the meals that are happy.

And who wouldn't smile wearing a paper hat? Don't you prefer being served by someone who's smiling?

Take me as an example. Which do you prefer? The nation lost more jobs last month, with three million Americans out of work. Or, the nation lost more jobs last month, with three million Americans out of work.

Sure, the news is sad, but you don't have to be. Some frowning nay-sayers may complain about having to live in a falsely perky world. But maybe Mr. Rourke was right when he said, "smiles, everyone." After all, isn't life better on "Fantasy Island?" Something to think about tonight.

That about wraps up our program tonight. Hope you join us tomorrow, 7:00 Eastern time, right here on CNN.

Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Good night.

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Espionage Probe; California Recall to be Held October 7>