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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Saddam's Fate?; Rumsfeld: CIA will Oversee Interrogation of Saddam Hussein

Aired December 16, 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): U.S. troops nab a high-value target in Iraq. Is it possible that Saddam provided the crucial lead?

A member of Congress claims Saddam's capture was timed for political purposes.

Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant, will their alleged victims be the ones on trial?

Strom Thurmond's secret child. How will she affect his legacy?

Our special pre-holiday series, "Miracles." Tonight, can a miracle be proven?

And they're back, queerer than ever. For the Fab Five, things just keep getting better and better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Good evening to you. Thanks for joining us on 360.

The fate of sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo now in the hands of a jury. We'll have more on this developing story just ahead.

But first, our top story: a major development tonight on the potential fate of Saddam Hussein. Just a short while ago in a TV interview, President Bush revealed he thinks the former dictator should face "the ultimate penalty." This on a day of protests throughout Iraq and a big raid by the U.S. military. You're seeing this angry crowd right here gathered in Fallujah, upset over the capture of Saddam Hussein.

We're following all the fast-moving developments with CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. And we'll take you live to Tikrit and check in with CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

We begin with Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Anderson, President Bush says that Saddam Hussein will be tried in a court led by Iraqis, that it has to be upheld to international scrutiny. And, of course, that might mean an advisory role for the United Nations. But at the same time, of course, the United Nations against the death penalty, as are some European leaders.

President Bush asked yesterday whether or not he thought execution of Saddam Hussein was appropriate punishment. He said his personal views aren't important. It's up to the Iraqi people to decide. But today in an interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, the president seemingly moving one step closer to endorsing the execution of Saddam Hussein, saying -- and I'm quoting here -- "Let's just see what penalty he gets, but I think he ought to receive the ultimate penalty for what he has done to his people."

And now that Saddam Hussein is in U.S. custody, the White House issued a warning to the mastermind of September 11, Osama bin Laden, saying that he is next -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks very much.

A lot of developments this evening. U.S. officials are eager to learn all they can from Saddam Hussein, of course, and now they've turned that job over to the CIA.

CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a pro-Saddam Hussein rally, a gun battle breaks out. In Fallujah, a train carrying supplies to U.S. forces is attacked. The Iraqi people still absorbing what it means for their former leader to be in captivity.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asked the Central Intelligence Agency to oversee what could be years of questioning of Saddam Hussein. CIA director George Tenet will be in charge.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: He and his people will be the regulator over the interrogations. Who will do it, the questions that will get posed, the management of the information that flows from those interrogations.

STARR: If they find Saddam Hussein was directing the insurgency that has killed dozens of U.S. troops, Rumsfeld held open the possibility the U.S. may take a role in Saddam Hussein's prosecution. The Pentagon also defending these pictures, saying it was no violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits displaying prisoners.

RUMSFELD: If lives can be saved by physical proof that that man is off the street, out of commission, never to return, then we opt for saving lives. And in no way can that be considered even up on the edge of the Geneva Convention protections.

(END VIDEOTAPE) STARR: And Anderson, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also said that Saddam Hussein is now a man "resigned," in the secretary's words, to his fate as a captive.

One additional postscript. Everyone will remember the photograph in the initial hours after Saddam's capture, of that military doctor taking a swab of saliva from Saddam Hussein's mouth for a DNA test. Well, today, that DNA test came back to the Pentagon. It is positive. The man they are holding is Saddam Hussein -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Barbara Starr, thanks very much for that.

The riots and protests today played out as U.S. military forces carried out a raid nabbing dozens of suspected insurgents. For more, we go live to Tikrit and CNN's senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson.

Nic, good evening. What do we know about the raid and exactly who was captured?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It took place at 4:30 in the morning, 25 miles south of here in the town of Samarra. This is a town that's seen multiple and complex ambushes against U.S. troops involving improvised explosive devices.

The raid hit a house of what was known as a high-value target. We don't know his identity, but we do know he's believed to be a Fedayeen cell leader, a man who has provided money for the insurgency against coalition forces.

When his house was raided, he was there. He was there with 73 other men who we are told are all of military age. There were no women, no children in the house.

What the coalition troops also found there, bomb-making equipment, 135 pounds of gunpowder, car batteries for triggering explosions, detonation caps, artillery shells, mortar shells, all the equipment, according to coalition officials, for making these improvised explosive devices, the roadside bombs. They believe they have cracked a large cell or at least part of a large cell involved in making these improvised explosive devices.

And it was just such a device that exploded in Tikrit this morning. A patrol went out from here, this major base in Tikrit, an improvised explosive device went off a little later. Three soldiers injured, two of them seriously. We understand, however, they're now in a stable condition.

And shortly after that, a massive show of force on the streets of Tikrit. Abrams tanks, Bradley (AUDIO GAP) troops marching, walking through the city, in a show of force to the people of Tikrit that the U.S. here and the coalition here to stay, despite demonstrations in this and other cities -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson live in Tikrit. Nic, thanks very much tonight. A quick news note for you that falls into the category of what might have been. It has just come to light that Israel developed an elaborate plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein 11 years ago after Iraq peppered Israel with scud missiles during the Gulf War. Well, now we learn that commandos planned to fire missiles at Hussein as he attended his uncle's funeral in Tikrit in 1992.

Training went on for nine months. But the plan was ultimately called off after five soldiers were killed during a training accident. Apparently, those soldiers who died were playing the role of Saddam's bodyguards when a live missile was fired at them by mistake. The soldier playing Saddam, however, survived.

Well, moving on, the fate of accused sniper Lee Boyd Malvo now in the hands of a Virginia jury. This afternoon the prosecution got its last opportunity to make its case in closing arguments. Then the judge sent the jury out to begin deliberations. They've gone home for the night now, but they are back to work this morning -- or, excuse me -- back to work tomorrow morning, at 9:00.

Jeanne Meserve, whose work covering both sniper trials has been exemplary, has the latest developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "That is this defendant's handiwork," said prosecutor Robert Horan, as the jury viewed a horrific photo of Linda Franklin with half her head blown away.

LEE BOYD MALVO, DEFENDANT: We are the people who are causing the killing in your area.

MESERVE: Recordings of Lee Malvo's own voice, sometimes laughing, imitating a lawn mower used by Horan in his recitation of the random killings, all, he said, for $10 million. "Malvo did not suffer from a mental disease," argued Horan, "and knew right from wrong."

He played excerpts of Malvo's confessions to police, saying such detail could only have been provided by the trigger man. "There can't be any doubt, reasonable or otherwise, that he was the shooter," said Horan.

Where Horan characterized Malvo and John Muhammad as "peas in a pod," defense attorney Michael Arif maintained that Malvo himself was a victim. An abandoned child who attached himself to Muhammad and had his entire identity subsumed. "He became John Muhammad," said Arif. "He could no more have separated from John Muhammad than you separate from your shadow on a sunny day.:

That, said Arif, left Malvo legally insane. "Right is what John Muhammad said it was, wrong is what John Muhammad said it was." Arif said Malvo confessed to the nighttime Franklin shooting and other murders only to protect Muhammad. "Who takes a shot like that? A man with experience, a man in the military, frankly not a punk kid." (END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Arif said adding another life to that pile of death does not solve anything. It is just revenge. Horan countered, telling the jury to use their common sense and convict. Deliberations resume tomorrow morning -- Anderson.

COOPER: It is now all up to the jury. Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much tonight.

Right now we are following a number of other stories "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

Palm Beach County, Florida: Rush to sue. Rush Limbaugh's lawyers go to court to prevent prosecutors and the public from viewing his medical records. The records were seized by investigators after Limbaugh, who admits he was addicted to painkillers, was found to have bought thousands of prescription narcotics. Investigators want to know if he was doctor shopping, using multiple doctors to write prescriptions for drugs.

Washington, D.C.: Powell works the phones. Secretary of State Colin Powell, recovering from prostate surgery, called his deputy three times to talk business. Spokesman Richard Boucher says the secretary is up, doing business, even from the hospital. Powell left his deputy, Richard Armitage, in charge during his absence.

Chantilly, Virginia: protests over a plane. Actually not a plane, but a plane's cargo. The Enola Gay, a B29 bomber, of course it's the aircraft that dropped the first nuclear device ever unleashed in anger. Well today's protesters, survivors of the attack of Hiroshima in Japan, say a new exhibit at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum leaves out any mention of casualties from that attack.

Cleburne, Texas: a sex toy sting. Joann Web (ph) -- that woman there -- a former schoolteacher, mother of three, well she has to now answer to charges of obscenity. She sold a -- well, a vibrating device to a pair of undercover cops. Web (ph) is a sales woman for Passion Parties, a Tupperware-style company that sells adult toys at parties mostly to women. Web (ph) thinks she was busted because she ruffled feathers when she joined the local chamber of commerce. Local officials used undercover narcotics agents to arrest her.

And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

An emergency contraceptive stirring passionate debate today. Should so the-called morning after pill be available over-the-counter? The FDA has made its recommendation. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with the latest on the controversy.

Also tonight, can you prove miracles happen? The Catholic Church believes you can. And tonight you're going to meet one of their miracle detectives. Part of our special weeklong holiday series on miracles.

And Kobe Bryant on the offensive. New allegations against his alleged victim. Is it legal fair play or an outright foul? Our legal advisers weigh in.

First tonight, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, should emergency birth control be sold over the counter like aspirin and cold medicine? An FDA advisory panel today said yes. Well, the idea is certainly not without controversy.

Here's CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just hours ago, the advisory committee to the FDA recommended the morning after pill, called Plan B, be made available to women without a prescription. If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, Plan B can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus. And with this action, the abortion debate is re-ignited. Those opposed to the drug argue that it's an abortion pill and isn't safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There have been no studies done on the long-term effects of women after taking Plan B. There have been no studies on the effects of multiple use.

GUPTA: Those in favor of Plan B going over the counter say a woman has a right to have access to the drug, adding that this drug can reduce some of the three million unplanned pregnancies every year in the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Half of the unintended pregnancies result in abortion. And again, it's estimated that up to 50 percent of these unintended pregnancies could be prevented with the use of emergency contraception.

GUPTA: The final decision will still have to be made by the FDA. But they generally follow the recommendation of their advisory committee. So, Plan B will likely be made available over the counter soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: One of the most common questions, Anderson, why the name "Plan B?" That's a question that comes up often. Plan A is supposed to be conventional contraception. If that doesn't work or is forgotten, you go to Plan B. And that's the name of this medication -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, they're calling it Plan B. Is there any danger, I guess, or concern that women might just skip Plan A, that they won't use traditional forms of birth control, thinking this thing is easier?

GUPTA: Yes, right. Well, that was a concern. And it certainly got raised as well today. Most of the supporters of Plan B say it should not be used in lieu of contraception. It is only to be used as an emergency type contraception. It is the Plan A, as it were, would be more effective, probably more likely to not cause pregnancy down the road -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much tonight.

Now a fast fact on the so-called morning after pill. It's available over the counter in 33 other countries, including France and Great Britain. Five states allow pharmacists to dispense the pill without a prescription: Washington, California, Alaska, New Mexico, also Hawaii:

Well, of course we want to hear from you on this subject. Today's "Buzz" question is this: Should the morning after pill be available over the counter? Vote now: cnn.com/360. We'll bring the results to you at the end of the program tonight.

And a lot happening around the globe right now. Let's check the "UpLink."

Berlin, Germany: cutting Iraq's debt. Former Secretary of State James Baker meets with the leader of Germany who's now willing to forgive some of Iraq's debt. So is France's president. He met with Baker earlier in the day. In case you're wondering, Iraq owes the two countries $120 billion.

Moving on to Afghanistan: the Kabul-Kandahar road reopens. It may not look like much, but it means a whole lot to that country's post-war reconstruction. That's Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. He was on hand for the ceremony today. So was the U.S. Those are American choppers, gun ships circling above.

Baghdad, Iraq now: entertaining the troops. Robin Williams -- that's him there -- gesticulating into camouflage, delivers rapid-fire comedy at Baghdad International Airport. And they loved it. The actor-comedian is the lead performer in a show that will stop at U.S. military bases all around Iraq.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

The question is tonight, can miracles be proven? What do you think? The Catholic Church search says, yep. Tonight, you're going to look at the Miracle Verification Unit, working to make matters of faith fact. Part of our weeklong holiday series, "Miracles." That's coming up.

Also tonight, Kobe Bryant on the offensive. Are his lawyers getting ready for an all-out attack on the alleged victim?

And a little bit later on, strap on your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride. The boys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" will join us. You never know what they're going to say.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My favorite saint is Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Favorite saint? Christopher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Irish Catholic, got to go with Saint Patrick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's easy to an Italian, Saint Anthony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saint Nicholas. Why? Because he brings me good gifts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, tonight we continue our pre-holiday series on miracles. In the Catholic Church, miracles are essential criteria to sainthood, and essential to that process is verifying miracles as fact.

CNN Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, tells us now how they try to do just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): You hear the word used almost every day.

AARON BROWN, "NEWSNIGHT": This Christmas, "The Miracle on 45th Street."

PAULA ZAHN, "PAULA ZAHN NOW": How he lived is nothing short of a miracle.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Well, we've had a lot of miracles lately.

VINCI: But what really is a miracle? In the Catholic Church, there are some tough standards before they will use the word.

FATHER PETER GUMPEL, VATICAN INVESTIGATOR: A miracle is an extraordinary fact in the physical order for which no human explanation can be found and which therefore can and must be attributed to god.

VINCI: So how does the Vatican certify a miracle? Father Peter Gumpel is one of six Vatican judges who, among other things, verify miracles. And because these days most claims are unexpected medical cures, the Vatican relies on a pool of about 70 doctors to see if there is any scientific explanation.

GUMPEL: Simply and purely (ph) asked, if you are a specialist in the field of medicine, now can you give us an explanation of this cure? VINCI: What investigators are looking for is not an exceptional cure, but an inexplicable one.

GUMPEL: The question must be, it must be excluded definitely. Here, no explanation is possible.

VINCI: Father Gumpel's last verified miracle in 1996. A woman in Chile who woke from an irreversible coma.

GUMPEL: They resort to prayer, to god, and then from one moment to another everything disappeared.

VINCI: Once a case is certified by investigators, it goes to a panel of cardinals, bishops and theologians, and ultimately to the pope himself, who always has the last word.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the official name of the Vatican office that investigates miracles is called the Congregation of the Causes of Saints. Earlier in the day, I spoke with Monsignor Robert Sarno, who helps guide the process in Rome. I started by asking him if he believes miracles happen all the time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MSGR. ROBERT SARNO, OFFICIAL OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CAUSES OF SAINTS WITH THE VATICAN: Oh, I think they do happen often. I think that unfortunately, many people who do receive these wonderful gifts from god just kind of keep them to themselves and don't share them with other people. So that there's so much happening around us that we don't really know much about it.

COOPER: One of your jobs is proving miracles, in a sense. How do you go about trying to track down and prove a miracle?

SARNO: Basically, the concept of miracle is essentially a theological concept which also has a scientific, if you will, or medical element. So in other words, if we concentrate mostly on the scientific element, there are four specific qualities required of the action or that which is -- that would happen to the individual.

Namely, that it must be a lasting cure. It must be an instantaneous cure. It must be a perfect and complete cure. And it must be scientifically inexplicable.

COOPER: There are those who believe miracles are a matter of faith, and that to try to take them into the realm of science, to try to, in fact, prove a miracle, is in some way kind of missing the point.

SARNO: "Miracle" is a theological term. It's not a medical term. It's not a scientific term. It is that moment in which an individual prays to god through the intersession of a person who is being considered for canonization or beatification. And at that moment, god intervenes. So, yes, you're right, it's that element of faith, that the individual throws himself or herself completely into god's hands and says, basically, help me.

COOPER: And the process of beatification and canonization for saints was basically streamlined, as some would say, in 1983. The number of miracles required, reduced. Why was that done? And some have said it sort of has turned the Vatican into a saint factory.

SARNO: Well, actually, what happened in 1983 was the legislation or the making of law of what was already in practice for many years. So as far as the accusation that the Vatican has become a saint factory, I don't really think it's valid, because what perhaps maybe we're seeing is the realization on the part of the Church that god is truly active in the Church, and without the Church, outside the Church. That god is in our world and working.

COOPER: Finally, I guess, what role do miracles play, do you think? What do they give people?

SARNO: Hope. Miracles provide hope that there is a god, that there is much more to life than the pain and the suffering and the difficulties we face.

COOPER: Monsignor Robert Sarno, thank you for joining us.

SARNO: Thanks, Anderson. It's been a pleasure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Our series on miracles continues tomorrow. Against all odds, what some say are medical miracles. A special report from CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

On Thursday, why are they so many alleged sightings of the Virgin Mary? Some have caused pandemonium. You'll see some alleged apparitions yourself and can make up your own mind.

Then on Friday, why are so many of us so fascinated with miracles? And what effect can miracles, real or imagined, have on your mind and your body?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Will the accusers in the Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant cases be the ones on trial?

New revelations of an illegitimate daughter. A surprising postscript to the life of Strom Thurmond.

And the "Queer Eye" guys stop by to talk food, fashion and fame.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for "The Reset." Let's get you back up to speed on some of our top stories.

President Bush says he thinks Saddam Hussein deserved -- and I quote -- "the ultimate penalty." But, in a television interview, the president also said that what to do with Saddam is not up to the Americans. He said it's going to be up to the Iraqis to try him and decide his fate.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the U.S. military has turned over responsibility for interrogating Hussein to the CIA. Rumsfeld said, quote, "That's more their field than mine." Even though the intelligence agency is doing the questioning, the deposed Iraqi leader is still in U.S. military custody.

And it turns out the flu vaccine shortage isn't the only one. A national advisory group on childhood vaccination says that there have been sporadic shortages in eight of 11 normal childhood vaccines over the last three years. Talking about mumps, measles, and diphtheria, those other kinds of diseases, the groups -- the group says changes are needed in production as well as in oversight.

It seems that two Americans have agreed to be the next big spenders in space. They'll be paying the Russians $20 million apiece to fly to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz rocket. Do not despair, though, if you didn't get a seat. The Russians will have two more seats up for grabs in the next couple of years.

And that is a look at our "Reset" tonight.

Back to Iraq now where U.S. troops are trying to counter pro- Saddam demonstrations, some of which have turned violent.

Bill Hemmer arrived in Baghdad today. He joins us now live with the latest.

Good evening, Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, hello from Baghdad.

Again the second straight day where we have seen protests on the streets of the Iraqi capital and also on the streets and towns north and west of the capital.

We'll talk -- start in Mosul right now and also the nearby town known as Baghi. Protesters carried pictures of Saddam Hussein. U.S. troops later came in with water cannons to try and disperse those crowds. With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Saddam. Some of the many chants we heard today. Also in Mosul, more protests and violence. When one policeman killed, another wounded. They were hit by stray bullets in the area.

Now, in Ramadi west of Baghdad about 60 miles, the rioting there described as significant near the government center. At least two Iraqis are dead, one U.S. soldier wounded. Also in nearby Fallujah, again west of Baghdad, all this again in the central part of the country near that Sunni belt or that Sunni triangle that's been a hotbed of violence for eight months running.

Meanwhile, back here in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, in central Baghdad, hundreds of anti-Saddam Hussein protesters hit the streets there. They too carrying signs and banners, demanding the death penalty now for the deposed Iraqi leader.

Anderson, the U.S. warned that the insurgency would not stop even after the capture of Saddam Hussein over the weekend, at least in protest form anyway. We've seen it for two days running.

One quick note here in Baghdad. The general in charge of this area of Iraq says the documents found inside Saddam Hussein's hole over the weekend now leading to the arrests of three Iraqi men. All three said to have financial connections to the insurgents.

Much more from Baghdad when we get it here. Back to you now in New York -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Bill Hemmer.

Thanks very much from Baghdad. We'll check you out on "AMERICAN MORNING" tomorrow morning. Thanks very much, Bill.

Now to the secret the late Senator Strom Thurmond took to his grave. You may have been surprised to find out that the one-time segregationist fathered a child with an African-American woman.

Marilyn Thompson has been investigating this story for 25 years. She is the story who broke the story in "The Washington Post." Marilyn Thompson joins us now from Deale, Maryland.

Marilyn, very good to see you. Thanks very much. Your work on this has just been extraordinary. I understand you have some new information this evening about money that was given from Strom Thurmond to Ms. Williams.

MARILYN THOMPSON, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes. We'll disclose in "The Washington Post" tomorrow how the secret channel -- money channel worked during the period from the late '60s until the senator's death. There was a conduit with a close family relative, who was the pass- through, sending cashier's checks to this lady over that many years.

COOPER: And she got money -- not sure quite of the amount -- but all throughout her life. At what point did that begin, because from what I understand from your reporting, after the -- she was born, she didn't get any money. Her mother did not get any money.

THOMPSON: Oh, no, she -- she was raised in abject poverty. And when she was 6 months old, her mother, who was only 16 and very poor, a servant in the Thurmond home, had her sent away to live with a maternal aunt so that she could be properly taken care for, and so she grew up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, which was a much more progressive -- socially progressive town than Edgefield, South Carolina.

COOPER: We've just been looking at...

THOMPSON: But she...

COOPER: I'm sorry. Go ahead.

THOMPSON: But it was -- it was a very poor existence for her. She went back to town, to Edgefield, to visit her mother from time to time. And when she was 16, her mother took her over to meet the man who the mother said was her father, and she had about an hour-long meeting with Thurmond in his law office.

COOPER: And that was the first time, when she was 16 years old? It is...

THOMPSON: That was the first time she had met him. The day after that...

COOPER: Just remarkable.

THOMPSON: The day after that, the first payment came, and she has said that it was delivered by Thurmond's sister, Mary, one of his twin sisters, who drove over to the segregated section of town and handed her mother some money for this -- to help support her.

COOPER: And so began really a lifelong relationship of sorts between these two. What do -- what do you know about the relationship -- or lack of relationship, I suppose, could be the case -- between Ms. Williams' mother and Strom Thurmond? I mean was this a one-time event? Was it consensual? Do we know?

THOMPSON: Well, Ms. Williams has said that she doesn't know whether it was a one-time thing or a more prolonged relationship. She believes that her mother had deep affection for Senator Thurmond. But she doesn't know the extent of the sexual relationship. It's interesting, since writing the stories, I've had numerous questions about whether this could have constituted rape since the...

COOPER: Right.

THOMPSON: ... mother was only 16 years old, and, just today, we researched the statute in South Carolina going back to the '20s and determined that the legal age of consent at that time was 14. So she was a bit older than that.

COOPER: Well, there are going to be new details, as you said, in "The Washington Post" tomorrow. Marilyn Thompson, we appreciate you joining us. Your reporting on this -- you've been doing this 25 years, following this story. You broke the story just this week. We appreciate you joining us. Remarkable. Thank you.

THOMPSON: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: Well, the Thurmond story evokes a theme as old as Shakespeare, you might say, the allure of the forbidden. Strom Thurmond's story may be the most recent example of a secret affair. But it is certainly not the first.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): History is replete with examples of forbidden relationships.

It's widely accepted now that Thomas Jefferson, founding father, was also father to a child, maybe more than one, by his slave, Sally Hemmings.

The Duke of Windsor would have been King of England but he famously chose the woman he loved instead. Mrs. Simpson, they said, pinched our king.

Forbidden relationships are certainly not above hypocrisy. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, was a rabid homophobe who now many believe was secretly gay.

JIMMY SWAGGART, JIMMY SWAGGART MINISTRIES: I have sinned against you, my Lord.

COOPER: Relationships with prostitutes rarely end well. Jimmy Swaggart should have guessed that.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

COOPER: Relationships with interns also not a good idea.

In fiction, of course, what is forbidden is always the most romantic. Love cost Romeo and Juliet their lives. And love helped Baby and Johnny rake in millions at the box office. In real life, of course, forbidden relationship are rarely so romantic.

And, in Strom Thurmond's case, we'll never know if there was really any love at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I think that's the first time anyone said Baby and Johnny on CNN. Maybe. I don't know.

Anyway, are Kobe Bryant's lawyers preparing an all-out assault on the alleged victim? Some tough talk and nasty allegations coming from the defense. We'll talk about that.

And later, those crazy connoisseurs from "Queer Eye" stop by to talk food, fashion, and their exploding fame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, the graphic says it all. Time now for "Justice Served."

Both sides have motions to present in a hearing Friday in the Kobe Bryant rape case. A court filing by Bryant's defense team portrays the NBA star's accuser as a troubled teen who had recently taken anti-psychotic medication and twice attempted suicide to get attention from her boy -- ex-boyfriend. That's what the defense says.

Let's look at the latest turns in the case with Court TV Anchor Lisa Bloom and, in Philadelphia, attorney, radio talk-show host, and CNN contributor Michael Smerconish.

Good to see both of you, as always.

Michael, let me start off with you. Defense wants evidence of Bryant's accuser's purported suicide attempts admitted. Should it be?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think that it probably should be. If this is a young woman who tried to off herself twice in the months preceding the alleged rape, I think that it speaks to her credibility.

The theory of the defense in this case is that -- to use the words of my 15-year-old -- that she's a drama queen. They've said it differently in their pleadings. They say that she was constantly seeking attention from the ex-boyfriend.

I think it's a reasonable explanation. The jury is free to discount it. But it should come in.

COOPER: At least I've got to ask you about -- what happened to the rape shield law? I know the defense basically wants it stricken.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: The most shocking thing in all of these nine defense motions is that they want the rape shield law in Colorado held unconstitutional. Now the Colorado Supreme Court's already ruled on that numerous times, that it is constitutional. I think that's a frivolous...

COOPER: So why are they even bringing it up?

BLOOM: I think it's a frivolous argument by this defense team. I think it goes to show that they'll throw in anything, including the kitchen sink. And, you know, the rape shield law is a very weak protection for rape victims.

It doesn't say that her sexual history can never be brought in. It can only be brought in if the defense shows that it's strictly relevant. Now what's wrong with that? Prove it's relevant before you bring it up. That's all the law says.

COOPER: So, Michael, does the rape shield law need to be put aside if any of this stuff is to be admitted?

SMERCONISH: Well, it's a little bit complicated. They're saying two things, actually, Anderson.

Number one, they want to pierce it. They want to come under one of the exceptions, and there is an exception to the rape shield law that allows an alternative explanation of physical evidence to come in, even if it involves prior sexual conduct on the part of the alleged victim.

So, in this case, if her having multiple sexual partners is an alternative explanation for her having a vaginal injury, then it can come up.

They're also saying that it's unconstitutional on its face because presumptively the rape shield statute says that his sexual past is relevant and, presumptively, her sexual past is irrelevant, and that's a double standard.

BLOOM: Well, it's not a double standard because, in both cases, it has to be shown to be relevant. I don't think we should go back to a generation ago when rape victims were gratuitously humiliated in courts which deterred a lot of woman from coming forward and still does deter a lot of women from coming forward.

COOPER: Let's briefly talk about this anti-psychotic medication that she was allegedly taking.

Michael Smerconish, I didn't see anything about when she was reportedly taking this stuff.

SMERCONISH: Very perceptive on your part and maybe on mine as well. I read the same motion, Anderson, and all that it said was "recently." Now, if she was taking anti-psychotic medication because she's says a schizophrenic prior to and at the time of the alleged rape, I think that information is fair game for the jury because it does impact her ability to perceive the events, but if it's something...

BLOOM: You know, that's another real smear on the victim.

SMERCONISH: If it's...

BLOOM: There's no evidence that she's schizophrenic.

SMERCONISH: Also...

BLOOM: She simply took a medication that may also be prescribed to schizophrenics. There's no evidence that she is psychotic or that she's...

SMERCONISH: Lisa, come on.

BLOOM: ... a schizophrenic.

SMERCONISH: If she's taking a prescribed medicine for schizophrenia, then I think you can safely say she's perhaps schizophrenic. But if she's only taking that medication after the incident, then I think it doesn't come in.

COOPER: All right. Let's not go too far down the road of supposition from here on in. So we're just going to have to wait and see what happens.

Lisa Bloom, thanks for being with us. Michael Smerconish as well. Thanks.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

COOPER: Ozzy Osbourne's getting better, but it may be a while before he's up and around again. Details coming up in "The Current" on that.

And later, the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" becoming rock stars as well. They'll stop by to fill us in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right. Time to check on tonight's pop news in "The Current." Let's take a look.

White Stripes front man Jack White got into a fight at a Detroit rock club this weekend with the singer of a local garage rock band call the Van Bondies. All right, Van Bondies. You have 15 seconds to call your girlfriends to tell them to turn on CNN. Prosecutors say White may be charged with misdemeanor assault. Sorry, Van Bondies, your 15 seconds are up along with your 15 minutes.

A judge in California praised Winona Ryder for being good on probation following her shoplifting conviction last year. The judge said Ryder is doing beautifully with her community service and counseling, giving her perhaps the best review she's had since 1989's "Heathers."

Sharon -- it's a tough crowd. I know.

Sharon Osbourne says it may take a full six months for her husband, Ozzy, to fully recover from his motorcycle accident. Sharon says he's off a breathing machine and has asked two nurses to marry him. Sounds like things are definitely getting back to normal.

And just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping. This woman, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is opening a boutique in L.A. called -- well, you guessed it -- Hollywood Madam. I can make some cheap, gratuitous comments filled with innuendo, but I won't. Ho ho ho. Oops. Well, there you go.

Great. Thank you. A little laughter from the evening.

All right. Tonight, the Fab Five of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" aim to make your Yuletide gay. They are having a very "Queer Eye" holiday special. That's what they're calling it. A checkup on some of the men they made over last season.

The Fab Five will also debut their very own music video, which I'm intrigued by, and Barbara Walters on Wednesday is toasting them as remarkable. What started out as a modest reality show is now a, well, not so modest reality show.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): If you haven't heard by now, the Fab Five are back for a second season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I do have a tie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You do have a tie. Not a good one.

COOPER: Banking on hetero cluelessness, the quintet of gay men has made a success of making over straight guys in fashion, grooming, home design, culture, and food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sensing kind of an alcoholism situation and perhaps botulism.

COOPER: In the first season, there was Adam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice unibrow there, big guy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, thank you.

COOPER: A likable computer guy whose house looked more like a day care center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God, it's like a Toys R Us crackdown.

COOPER: And who could forgot John?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you get this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kmart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone -- don't use that kind of language around me.

COOPER: He proposed to his girlfriend with a little prepping from the Fab Five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If she doesn't marry you, you get to marry one of the five of us. Isn't that great? So it's a win-win situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Here we are getting...

COOPER: "Queer Eye" has become the Bravo Network's top-rated show, averaging upwards of three-million viewers an episode, and the stars just got a money maker, signing new contracts that reportedly more than doubled each of their salaries. There are book deals, a new music video, and Bravo is planning a reversal show in which straight guys teach a gay guy alpha male lessons.

Their theme song says "All things just keep getting better." For these queer guys, it certainly looks that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, earlier, I spoke to fashion savant, Carson Kressley, and food and wine guru Ted Allen and asked them about the sad guys they made over in the first season who they revisit for their holiday special tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ALLEN, FOOD & WINE GURU, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": Well, the guys we went back to visit are not the sad cases. They're the very best of the best.

COOPER: All right. OK.

ALLEN: And these are all people that everybody's familiar with from the first season. So we knew it would be really exciting to see how they were doing.

COOPER: Who are the people?

KRESSLEY: We had our -- our really kind of handsome guy, John Bargeman (ph), who proposed to his girlfriend, Tina (ph).

COOPER: The Moroccan...

KRESSLEY: The Moroccan love tent evening. We have our...

ALLEN: Butch the artist.

CARSON KRESSLEY, FASHION SAVANT, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": ... the first episode, Butch the artist, the guy with the long ax murderer hair who we cleaned up and got an art gallery opening. And we have the Zalta (ph).

ALLEN: We had Adam Zalta (ph), the coach of John Belushi, my very -- one of my very fav -- the first one that we shot, too.

COOPER: Is he the guy who had the painful party?

KRESSLEY: He had the painful party with -- for his wife with the...

COOPER: Right. And his wife hated your food as I recall.

ALLEN: No, that's not exactly...

KRESSLEY: Yes. "Hate" is a strong word.

ALLEN: No, no, no. His wife failed to understand my food. We're forgiving her for that.

COOPER: And the other guy was the -- the personal train senator

KRESSLEY: George the Greek, yes.

COOPER: Who you cut the hair of.

KRESSLEY: We did. Who was kind of orange, and now he's all -- he looks normal now. COOPER: So -- I'm sorry. How did they do? Did they hold up? Did they maintain?

KRESSLEY: Well, we...

ALLEN: We can't give away everything. I think we can tell you that they made -- they fell down on their faces a couple of ways, and they succeeded in a couple of ways.

COOPER: Now I know you've always been rocks stars in your own minds, but now you guys are actually rock stars -- you actually have a music video.

KRESSLEY: I know. Isn't it crazy?

COOPER: Yes.

KRESSLEY: Who are we, LaToya Jackson, all of a sudden?

COOPER: Let's take a look at a clip from this music video.

KRESSLEY: OK.

ALLEN: Oh, fantastic.

KRESSLEY: Hi. We're going to be out of season before we get there.

ALLEN: Yes, guys. I think maybe we should hoof it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All things just keep getting better / You came into my life...

COOPER: So you shut down the Brooklyn Bridge to shoot this?

KRESSLEY: We did.

ALLEN: Yes, we...

KRESSLEY: We did.

ALLEN: This is the theme song for the show. It's a really infectious song by a band called Wildlife and a singer named Simone (ph), and we are -- we're so excited to finally get it released. Not only that, to have a video directed by Wayne Eichman (ph) who's kind of a Stephen Spielberg of music videos.

KRESSLEY: Britney. Christina.

COOPER: I mean everyone, you know, fantasizes...

ALLEN: He's done the Rolling Stones.

COOPER: ... about being in a music video and sort of what they...

KRESSLEY: Yes.

COOPER: ... would do. Did -- was it different than you actually thought it was going to be?

KRESSLEY: Well, it was a very long process. It's a very -- you know, it was like a...

COOPER: Oh, please. Wait a minute. Don't tell me...

KRESSLEY: It was 24 hours.

COOPER: ... it's really tough being in a music video.

ALLEN: Listen, Anderson, we got up at 3:00 in the morning.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: ... the world's smallest violin.

KRESSLEY: We danced, and we sang, and...

COOPER: Yes. It sounds really tough. So now you guys are now not only hugely famous, you're also now, I guess, loaded with money, you renegotiated your contracts. Are you happy now?

KRESSLEY: Well, hon...

ALLEN: Oh, we've always been...

KRESSLEY: Look -- no.

ALLEN: You know what? Not just anyone can shoplift a coat this expensive.

KRESSLEY: No, I mean -- we're still -- you know, we're still just average kids off the street, and we're doing a little better now than we were before.

But, yes, we're definitely happy because, when we started out, it was a totally unknown concept, an unknown show, practically an unknown network. I thought Bravo was like a cooking spray, didn't you?

ALLEN: I thought it was a credit card.

KRESSLEY: Oh, yes, exactly. I was like I'm making muffins, I need a can of Bravo. But now that it's been successful, just like any other business, we're kind of reaping the rewards.

COOPER: All right. Let's end it there, guys. Thanks very much.

KRESSLEY: Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Carson Kressley and Ted Allen. Saddam Hussein just might have the fight for his life. Is this a case for maybe Mark Geragos? We'll take Saddam's defense to the "Nth Degree."

And tomorrow on 360, against all odds, a look at what some say are medical miracles, part of our week-long special holiday series, "Miracles."

But, first, today's "Buzz." Should the morning after pill be available over the counter? What do you think? Vote now. cnn.com/360. You've still got a couple of minutes to vote. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the "Buzz." We asked you should the morning after pill be available over the counter? Here's what you said. Seventy-seven percent of you said yes. Twenty-three percent, no. Not a scientific poll. Just viewer buzz. We appreciate your votes.

Tonight, playing defense to the "Nth Degree."

One of Saddam Hussein's daughters told an Arab-language news network that she wants to hire the best legal team possible for her dad. Understandable, I suppose. That's what families are supposed to do. True, dear old dad killed her husband, but you know what they say. Blood is thicker than, well, other people's blood.

Mark Geragos is, of course, the obvious choice. Saddam's case could make Michael Jackson's case look as simple as, well, Scott Peterson's case. But he's probably busy these days. Saddam could call Johnny Cochran or Gloria Allred, maybe Mickey Sherman. I'm not sure they need publicity that badly, though.

The first thing any smart lawyer's going to do is get Saddam cleaned up, showered, shaved, deloused. Good bye military fatigues and berets. Hello kinder, gentler defendant.

It would be too easy for Saddam to plead insanity. The man took on the U.S. after all. He likes a challenge. Given his waistline and sagging jowls, a Twinkie defense may be possible. Or there's "The Matrix" defense. No, I'm not sure that ever made it to Baghdad.

These days, lawyers seem to like to go after the victims. Sure it's hard to besmirch the character of hundreds of thousands of people you've had killed, but, hey, that's what paralegals are for.

Frankly, we can really only think of one man who's perfect to defend Saddam. He's experienced, unemployed, and is as creative as they come. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, all rise. It's only a matter of time before Baghdad Bob is back.

That wraps up our program tonight. Thanks for watching.

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





of Saddam Hussein>


Aired December 16, 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): U.S. troops nab a high-value target in Iraq. Is it possible that Saddam provided the crucial lead?

A member of Congress claims Saddam's capture was timed for political purposes.

Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant, will their alleged victims be the ones on trial?

Strom Thurmond's secret child. How will she affect his legacy?

Our special pre-holiday series, "Miracles." Tonight, can a miracle be proven?

And they're back, queerer than ever. For the Fab Five, things just keep getting better and better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Good evening to you. Thanks for joining us on 360.

The fate of sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo now in the hands of a jury. We'll have more on this developing story just ahead.

But first, our top story: a major development tonight on the potential fate of Saddam Hussein. Just a short while ago in a TV interview, President Bush revealed he thinks the former dictator should face "the ultimate penalty." This on a day of protests throughout Iraq and a big raid by the U.S. military. You're seeing this angry crowd right here gathered in Fallujah, upset over the capture of Saddam Hussein.

We're following all the fast-moving developments with CNN's White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. And we'll take you live to Tikrit and check in with CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

We begin with Suzanne Malveaux at the White House -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Anderson, President Bush says that Saddam Hussein will be tried in a court led by Iraqis, that it has to be upheld to international scrutiny. And, of course, that might mean an advisory role for the United Nations. But at the same time, of course, the United Nations against the death penalty, as are some European leaders.

President Bush asked yesterday whether or not he thought execution of Saddam Hussein was appropriate punishment. He said his personal views aren't important. It's up to the Iraqi people to decide. But today in an interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News, the president seemingly moving one step closer to endorsing the execution of Saddam Hussein, saying -- and I'm quoting here -- "Let's just see what penalty he gets, but I think he ought to receive the ultimate penalty for what he has done to his people."

And now that Saddam Hussein is in U.S. custody, the White House issued a warning to the mastermind of September 11, Osama bin Laden, saying that he is next -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, thanks very much.

A lot of developments this evening. U.S. officials are eager to learn all they can from Saddam Hussein, of course, and now they've turned that job over to the CIA.

CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a pro-Saddam Hussein rally, a gun battle breaks out. In Fallujah, a train carrying supplies to U.S. forces is attacked. The Iraqi people still absorbing what it means for their former leader to be in captivity.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asked the Central Intelligence Agency to oversee what could be years of questioning of Saddam Hussein. CIA director George Tenet will be in charge.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: He and his people will be the regulator over the interrogations. Who will do it, the questions that will get posed, the management of the information that flows from those interrogations.

STARR: If they find Saddam Hussein was directing the insurgency that has killed dozens of U.S. troops, Rumsfeld held open the possibility the U.S. may take a role in Saddam Hussein's prosecution. The Pentagon also defending these pictures, saying it was no violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits displaying prisoners.

RUMSFELD: If lives can be saved by physical proof that that man is off the street, out of commission, never to return, then we opt for saving lives. And in no way can that be considered even up on the edge of the Geneva Convention protections.

(END VIDEOTAPE) STARR: And Anderson, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also said that Saddam Hussein is now a man "resigned," in the secretary's words, to his fate as a captive.

One additional postscript. Everyone will remember the photograph in the initial hours after Saddam's capture, of that military doctor taking a swab of saliva from Saddam Hussein's mouth for a DNA test. Well, today, that DNA test came back to the Pentagon. It is positive. The man they are holding is Saddam Hussein -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Barbara Starr, thanks very much for that.

The riots and protests today played out as U.S. military forces carried out a raid nabbing dozens of suspected insurgents. For more, we go live to Tikrit and CNN's senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson.

Nic, good evening. What do we know about the raid and exactly who was captured?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It took place at 4:30 in the morning, 25 miles south of here in the town of Samarra. This is a town that's seen multiple and complex ambushes against U.S. troops involving improvised explosive devices.

The raid hit a house of what was known as a high-value target. We don't know his identity, but we do know he's believed to be a Fedayeen cell leader, a man who has provided money for the insurgency against coalition forces.

When his house was raided, he was there. He was there with 73 other men who we are told are all of military age. There were no women, no children in the house.

What the coalition troops also found there, bomb-making equipment, 135 pounds of gunpowder, car batteries for triggering explosions, detonation caps, artillery shells, mortar shells, all the equipment, according to coalition officials, for making these improvised explosive devices, the roadside bombs. They believe they have cracked a large cell or at least part of a large cell involved in making these improvised explosive devices.

And it was just such a device that exploded in Tikrit this morning. A patrol went out from here, this major base in Tikrit, an improvised explosive device went off a little later. Three soldiers injured, two of them seriously. We understand, however, they're now in a stable condition.

And shortly after that, a massive show of force on the streets of Tikrit. Abrams tanks, Bradley (AUDIO GAP) troops marching, walking through the city, in a show of force to the people of Tikrit that the U.S. here and the coalition here to stay, despite demonstrations in this and other cities -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson live in Tikrit. Nic, thanks very much tonight. A quick news note for you that falls into the category of what might have been. It has just come to light that Israel developed an elaborate plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein 11 years ago after Iraq peppered Israel with scud missiles during the Gulf War. Well, now we learn that commandos planned to fire missiles at Hussein as he attended his uncle's funeral in Tikrit in 1992.

Training went on for nine months. But the plan was ultimately called off after five soldiers were killed during a training accident. Apparently, those soldiers who died were playing the role of Saddam's bodyguards when a live missile was fired at them by mistake. The soldier playing Saddam, however, survived.

Well, moving on, the fate of accused sniper Lee Boyd Malvo now in the hands of a Virginia jury. This afternoon the prosecution got its last opportunity to make its case in closing arguments. Then the judge sent the jury out to begin deliberations. They've gone home for the night now, but they are back to work this morning -- or, excuse me -- back to work tomorrow morning, at 9:00.

Jeanne Meserve, whose work covering both sniper trials has been exemplary, has the latest developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "That is this defendant's handiwork," said prosecutor Robert Horan, as the jury viewed a horrific photo of Linda Franklin with half her head blown away.

LEE BOYD MALVO, DEFENDANT: We are the people who are causing the killing in your area.

MESERVE: Recordings of Lee Malvo's own voice, sometimes laughing, imitating a lawn mower used by Horan in his recitation of the random killings, all, he said, for $10 million. "Malvo did not suffer from a mental disease," argued Horan, "and knew right from wrong."

He played excerpts of Malvo's confessions to police, saying such detail could only have been provided by the trigger man. "There can't be any doubt, reasonable or otherwise, that he was the shooter," said Horan.

Where Horan characterized Malvo and John Muhammad as "peas in a pod," defense attorney Michael Arif maintained that Malvo himself was a victim. An abandoned child who attached himself to Muhammad and had his entire identity subsumed. "He became John Muhammad," said Arif. "He could no more have separated from John Muhammad than you separate from your shadow on a sunny day.:

That, said Arif, left Malvo legally insane. "Right is what John Muhammad said it was, wrong is what John Muhammad said it was." Arif said Malvo confessed to the nighttime Franklin shooting and other murders only to protect Muhammad. "Who takes a shot like that? A man with experience, a man in the military, frankly not a punk kid." (END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Arif said adding another life to that pile of death does not solve anything. It is just revenge. Horan countered, telling the jury to use their common sense and convict. Deliberations resume tomorrow morning -- Anderson.

COOPER: It is now all up to the jury. Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much tonight.

Right now we are following a number of other stories "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

Palm Beach County, Florida: Rush to sue. Rush Limbaugh's lawyers go to court to prevent prosecutors and the public from viewing his medical records. The records were seized by investigators after Limbaugh, who admits he was addicted to painkillers, was found to have bought thousands of prescription narcotics. Investigators want to know if he was doctor shopping, using multiple doctors to write prescriptions for drugs.

Washington, D.C.: Powell works the phones. Secretary of State Colin Powell, recovering from prostate surgery, called his deputy three times to talk business. Spokesman Richard Boucher says the secretary is up, doing business, even from the hospital. Powell left his deputy, Richard Armitage, in charge during his absence.

Chantilly, Virginia: protests over a plane. Actually not a plane, but a plane's cargo. The Enola Gay, a B29 bomber, of course it's the aircraft that dropped the first nuclear device ever unleashed in anger. Well today's protesters, survivors of the attack of Hiroshima in Japan, say a new exhibit at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum leaves out any mention of casualties from that attack.

Cleburne, Texas: a sex toy sting. Joann Web (ph) -- that woman there -- a former schoolteacher, mother of three, well she has to now answer to charges of obscenity. She sold a -- well, a vibrating device to a pair of undercover cops. Web (ph) is a sales woman for Passion Parties, a Tupperware-style company that sells adult toys at parties mostly to women. Web (ph) thinks she was busted because she ruffled feathers when she joined the local chamber of commerce. Local officials used undercover narcotics agents to arrest her.

And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

An emergency contraceptive stirring passionate debate today. Should so the-called morning after pill be available over-the-counter? The FDA has made its recommendation. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with the latest on the controversy.

Also tonight, can you prove miracles happen? The Catholic Church believes you can. And tonight you're going to meet one of their miracle detectives. Part of our special weeklong holiday series on miracles.

And Kobe Bryant on the offensive. New allegations against his alleged victim. Is it legal fair play or an outright foul? Our legal advisers weigh in.

First tonight, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, should emergency birth control be sold over the counter like aspirin and cold medicine? An FDA advisory panel today said yes. Well, the idea is certainly not without controversy.

Here's CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just hours ago, the advisory committee to the FDA recommended the morning after pill, called Plan B, be made available to women without a prescription. If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, Plan B can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus. And with this action, the abortion debate is re-ignited. Those opposed to the drug argue that it's an abortion pill and isn't safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There have been no studies done on the long-term effects of women after taking Plan B. There have been no studies on the effects of multiple use.

GUPTA: Those in favor of Plan B going over the counter say a woman has a right to have access to the drug, adding that this drug can reduce some of the three million unplanned pregnancies every year in the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Half of the unintended pregnancies result in abortion. And again, it's estimated that up to 50 percent of these unintended pregnancies could be prevented with the use of emergency contraception.

GUPTA: The final decision will still have to be made by the FDA. But they generally follow the recommendation of their advisory committee. So, Plan B will likely be made available over the counter soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: One of the most common questions, Anderson, why the name "Plan B?" That's a question that comes up often. Plan A is supposed to be conventional contraception. If that doesn't work or is forgotten, you go to Plan B. And that's the name of this medication -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, they're calling it Plan B. Is there any danger, I guess, or concern that women might just skip Plan A, that they won't use traditional forms of birth control, thinking this thing is easier?

GUPTA: Yes, right. Well, that was a concern. And it certainly got raised as well today. Most of the supporters of Plan B say it should not be used in lieu of contraception. It is only to be used as an emergency type contraception. It is the Plan A, as it were, would be more effective, probably more likely to not cause pregnancy down the road -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much tonight.

Now a fast fact on the so-called morning after pill. It's available over the counter in 33 other countries, including France and Great Britain. Five states allow pharmacists to dispense the pill without a prescription: Washington, California, Alaska, New Mexico, also Hawaii:

Well, of course we want to hear from you on this subject. Today's "Buzz" question is this: Should the morning after pill be available over the counter? Vote now: cnn.com/360. We'll bring the results to you at the end of the program tonight.

And a lot happening around the globe right now. Let's check the "UpLink."

Berlin, Germany: cutting Iraq's debt. Former Secretary of State James Baker meets with the leader of Germany who's now willing to forgive some of Iraq's debt. So is France's president. He met with Baker earlier in the day. In case you're wondering, Iraq owes the two countries $120 billion.

Moving on to Afghanistan: the Kabul-Kandahar road reopens. It may not look like much, but it means a whole lot to that country's post-war reconstruction. That's Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. He was on hand for the ceremony today. So was the U.S. Those are American choppers, gun ships circling above.

Baghdad, Iraq now: entertaining the troops. Robin Williams -- that's him there -- gesticulating into camouflage, delivers rapid-fire comedy at Baghdad International Airport. And they loved it. The actor-comedian is the lead performer in a show that will stop at U.S. military bases all around Iraq.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

The question is tonight, can miracles be proven? What do you think? The Catholic Church search says, yep. Tonight, you're going to look at the Miracle Verification Unit, working to make matters of faith fact. Part of our weeklong holiday series, "Miracles." That's coming up.

Also tonight, Kobe Bryant on the offensive. Are his lawyers getting ready for an all-out attack on the alleged victim?

And a little bit later on, strap on your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride. The boys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" will join us. You never know what they're going to say.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My favorite saint is Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Favorite saint? Christopher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Irish Catholic, got to go with Saint Patrick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's easy to an Italian, Saint Anthony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saint Nicholas. Why? Because he brings me good gifts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, tonight we continue our pre-holiday series on miracles. In the Catholic Church, miracles are essential criteria to sainthood, and essential to that process is verifying miracles as fact.

CNN Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, tells us now how they try to do just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): You hear the word used almost every day.

AARON BROWN, "NEWSNIGHT": This Christmas, "The Miracle on 45th Street."

PAULA ZAHN, "PAULA ZAHN NOW": How he lived is nothing short of a miracle.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Well, we've had a lot of miracles lately.

VINCI: But what really is a miracle? In the Catholic Church, there are some tough standards before they will use the word.

FATHER PETER GUMPEL, VATICAN INVESTIGATOR: A miracle is an extraordinary fact in the physical order for which no human explanation can be found and which therefore can and must be attributed to god.

VINCI: So how does the Vatican certify a miracle? Father Peter Gumpel is one of six Vatican judges who, among other things, verify miracles. And because these days most claims are unexpected medical cures, the Vatican relies on a pool of about 70 doctors to see if there is any scientific explanation.

GUMPEL: Simply and purely (ph) asked, if you are a specialist in the field of medicine, now can you give us an explanation of this cure? VINCI: What investigators are looking for is not an exceptional cure, but an inexplicable one.

GUMPEL: The question must be, it must be excluded definitely. Here, no explanation is possible.

VINCI: Father Gumpel's last verified miracle in 1996. A woman in Chile who woke from an irreversible coma.

GUMPEL: They resort to prayer, to god, and then from one moment to another everything disappeared.

VINCI: Once a case is certified by investigators, it goes to a panel of cardinals, bishops and theologians, and ultimately to the pope himself, who always has the last word.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the official name of the Vatican office that investigates miracles is called the Congregation of the Causes of Saints. Earlier in the day, I spoke with Monsignor Robert Sarno, who helps guide the process in Rome. I started by asking him if he believes miracles happen all the time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MSGR. ROBERT SARNO, OFFICIAL OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CAUSES OF SAINTS WITH THE VATICAN: Oh, I think they do happen often. I think that unfortunately, many people who do receive these wonderful gifts from god just kind of keep them to themselves and don't share them with other people. So that there's so much happening around us that we don't really know much about it.

COOPER: One of your jobs is proving miracles, in a sense. How do you go about trying to track down and prove a miracle?

SARNO: Basically, the concept of miracle is essentially a theological concept which also has a scientific, if you will, or medical element. So in other words, if we concentrate mostly on the scientific element, there are four specific qualities required of the action or that which is -- that would happen to the individual.

Namely, that it must be a lasting cure. It must be an instantaneous cure. It must be a perfect and complete cure. And it must be scientifically inexplicable.

COOPER: There are those who believe miracles are a matter of faith, and that to try to take them into the realm of science, to try to, in fact, prove a miracle, is in some way kind of missing the point.

SARNO: "Miracle" is a theological term. It's not a medical term. It's not a scientific term. It is that moment in which an individual prays to god through the intersession of a person who is being considered for canonization or beatification. And at that moment, god intervenes. So, yes, you're right, it's that element of faith, that the individual throws himself or herself completely into god's hands and says, basically, help me.

COOPER: And the process of beatification and canonization for saints was basically streamlined, as some would say, in 1983. The number of miracles required, reduced. Why was that done? And some have said it sort of has turned the Vatican into a saint factory.

SARNO: Well, actually, what happened in 1983 was the legislation or the making of law of what was already in practice for many years. So as far as the accusation that the Vatican has become a saint factory, I don't really think it's valid, because what perhaps maybe we're seeing is the realization on the part of the Church that god is truly active in the Church, and without the Church, outside the Church. That god is in our world and working.

COOPER: Finally, I guess, what role do miracles play, do you think? What do they give people?

SARNO: Hope. Miracles provide hope that there is a god, that there is much more to life than the pain and the suffering and the difficulties we face.

COOPER: Monsignor Robert Sarno, thank you for joining us.

SARNO: Thanks, Anderson. It's been a pleasure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Our series on miracles continues tomorrow. Against all odds, what some say are medical miracles. A special report from CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

On Thursday, why are they so many alleged sightings of the Virgin Mary? Some have caused pandemonium. You'll see some alleged apparitions yourself and can make up your own mind.

Then on Friday, why are so many of us so fascinated with miracles? And what effect can miracles, real or imagined, have on your mind and your body?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Will the accusers in the Michael Jackson and Kobe Bryant cases be the ones on trial?

New revelations of an illegitimate daughter. A surprising postscript to the life of Strom Thurmond.

And the "Queer Eye" guys stop by to talk food, fashion and fame.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for "The Reset." Let's get you back up to speed on some of our top stories.

President Bush says he thinks Saddam Hussein deserved -- and I quote -- "the ultimate penalty." But, in a television interview, the president also said that what to do with Saddam is not up to the Americans. He said it's going to be up to the Iraqis to try him and decide his fate.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the U.S. military has turned over responsibility for interrogating Hussein to the CIA. Rumsfeld said, quote, "That's more their field than mine." Even though the intelligence agency is doing the questioning, the deposed Iraqi leader is still in U.S. military custody.

And it turns out the flu vaccine shortage isn't the only one. A national advisory group on childhood vaccination says that there have been sporadic shortages in eight of 11 normal childhood vaccines over the last three years. Talking about mumps, measles, and diphtheria, those other kinds of diseases, the groups -- the group says changes are needed in production as well as in oversight.

It seems that two Americans have agreed to be the next big spenders in space. They'll be paying the Russians $20 million apiece to fly to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz rocket. Do not despair, though, if you didn't get a seat. The Russians will have two more seats up for grabs in the next couple of years.

And that is a look at our "Reset" tonight.

Back to Iraq now where U.S. troops are trying to counter pro- Saddam demonstrations, some of which have turned violent.

Bill Hemmer arrived in Baghdad today. He joins us now live with the latest.

Good evening, Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, hello from Baghdad.

Again the second straight day where we have seen protests on the streets of the Iraqi capital and also on the streets and towns north and west of the capital.

We'll talk -- start in Mosul right now and also the nearby town known as Baghi. Protesters carried pictures of Saddam Hussein. U.S. troops later came in with water cannons to try and disperse those crowds. With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Saddam. Some of the many chants we heard today. Also in Mosul, more protests and violence. When one policeman killed, another wounded. They were hit by stray bullets in the area.

Now, in Ramadi west of Baghdad about 60 miles, the rioting there described as significant near the government center. At least two Iraqis are dead, one U.S. soldier wounded. Also in nearby Fallujah, again west of Baghdad, all this again in the central part of the country near that Sunni belt or that Sunni triangle that's been a hotbed of violence for eight months running.

Meanwhile, back here in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, in central Baghdad, hundreds of anti-Saddam Hussein protesters hit the streets there. They too carrying signs and banners, demanding the death penalty now for the deposed Iraqi leader.

Anderson, the U.S. warned that the insurgency would not stop even after the capture of Saddam Hussein over the weekend, at least in protest form anyway. We've seen it for two days running.

One quick note here in Baghdad. The general in charge of this area of Iraq says the documents found inside Saddam Hussein's hole over the weekend now leading to the arrests of three Iraqi men. All three said to have financial connections to the insurgents.

Much more from Baghdad when we get it here. Back to you now in New York -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Bill Hemmer.

Thanks very much from Baghdad. We'll check you out on "AMERICAN MORNING" tomorrow morning. Thanks very much, Bill.

Now to the secret the late Senator Strom Thurmond took to his grave. You may have been surprised to find out that the one-time segregationist fathered a child with an African-American woman.

Marilyn Thompson has been investigating this story for 25 years. She is the story who broke the story in "The Washington Post." Marilyn Thompson joins us now from Deale, Maryland.

Marilyn, very good to see you. Thanks very much. Your work on this has just been extraordinary. I understand you have some new information this evening about money that was given from Strom Thurmond to Ms. Williams.

MARILYN THOMPSON, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Yes. We'll disclose in "The Washington Post" tomorrow how the secret channel -- money channel worked during the period from the late '60s until the senator's death. There was a conduit with a close family relative, who was the pass- through, sending cashier's checks to this lady over that many years.

COOPER: And she got money -- not sure quite of the amount -- but all throughout her life. At what point did that begin, because from what I understand from your reporting, after the -- she was born, she didn't get any money. Her mother did not get any money.

THOMPSON: Oh, no, she -- she was raised in abject poverty. And when she was 6 months old, her mother, who was only 16 and very poor, a servant in the Thurmond home, had her sent away to live with a maternal aunt so that she could be properly taken care for, and so she grew up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, which was a much more progressive -- socially progressive town than Edgefield, South Carolina.

COOPER: We've just been looking at...

THOMPSON: But she...

COOPER: I'm sorry. Go ahead.

THOMPSON: But it was -- it was a very poor existence for her. She went back to town, to Edgefield, to visit her mother from time to time. And when she was 16, her mother took her over to meet the man who the mother said was her father, and she had about an hour-long meeting with Thurmond in his law office.

COOPER: And that was the first time, when she was 16 years old? It is...

THOMPSON: That was the first time she had met him. The day after that...

COOPER: Just remarkable.

THOMPSON: The day after that, the first payment came, and she has said that it was delivered by Thurmond's sister, Mary, one of his twin sisters, who drove over to the segregated section of town and handed her mother some money for this -- to help support her.

COOPER: And so began really a lifelong relationship of sorts between these two. What do -- what do you know about the relationship -- or lack of relationship, I suppose, could be the case -- between Ms. Williams' mother and Strom Thurmond? I mean was this a one-time event? Was it consensual? Do we know?

THOMPSON: Well, Ms. Williams has said that she doesn't know whether it was a one-time thing or a more prolonged relationship. She believes that her mother had deep affection for Senator Thurmond. But she doesn't know the extent of the sexual relationship. It's interesting, since writing the stories, I've had numerous questions about whether this could have constituted rape since the...

COOPER: Right.

THOMPSON: ... mother was only 16 years old, and, just today, we researched the statute in South Carolina going back to the '20s and determined that the legal age of consent at that time was 14. So she was a bit older than that.

COOPER: Well, there are going to be new details, as you said, in "The Washington Post" tomorrow. Marilyn Thompson, we appreciate you joining us. Your reporting on this -- you've been doing this 25 years, following this story. You broke the story just this week. We appreciate you joining us. Remarkable. Thank you.

THOMPSON: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: Well, the Thurmond story evokes a theme as old as Shakespeare, you might say, the allure of the forbidden. Strom Thurmond's story may be the most recent example of a secret affair. But it is certainly not the first.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): History is replete with examples of forbidden relationships.

It's widely accepted now that Thomas Jefferson, founding father, was also father to a child, maybe more than one, by his slave, Sally Hemmings.

The Duke of Windsor would have been King of England but he famously chose the woman he loved instead. Mrs. Simpson, they said, pinched our king.

Forbidden relationships are certainly not above hypocrisy. J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, was a rabid homophobe who now many believe was secretly gay.

JIMMY SWAGGART, JIMMY SWAGGART MINISTRIES: I have sinned against you, my Lord.

COOPER: Relationships with prostitutes rarely end well. Jimmy Swaggart should have guessed that.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

COOPER: Relationships with interns also not a good idea.

In fiction, of course, what is forbidden is always the most romantic. Love cost Romeo and Juliet their lives. And love helped Baby and Johnny rake in millions at the box office. In real life, of course, forbidden relationship are rarely so romantic.

And, in Strom Thurmond's case, we'll never know if there was really any love at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: I think that's the first time anyone said Baby and Johnny on CNN. Maybe. I don't know.

Anyway, are Kobe Bryant's lawyers preparing an all-out assault on the alleged victim? Some tough talk and nasty allegations coming from the defense. We'll talk about that.

And later, those crazy connoisseurs from "Queer Eye" stop by to talk food, fashion, and their exploding fame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, the graphic says it all. Time now for "Justice Served."

Both sides have motions to present in a hearing Friday in the Kobe Bryant rape case. A court filing by Bryant's defense team portrays the NBA star's accuser as a troubled teen who had recently taken anti-psychotic medication and twice attempted suicide to get attention from her boy -- ex-boyfriend. That's what the defense says.

Let's look at the latest turns in the case with Court TV Anchor Lisa Bloom and, in Philadelphia, attorney, radio talk-show host, and CNN contributor Michael Smerconish.

Good to see both of you, as always.

Michael, let me start off with you. Defense wants evidence of Bryant's accuser's purported suicide attempts admitted. Should it be?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think that it probably should be. If this is a young woman who tried to off herself twice in the months preceding the alleged rape, I think that it speaks to her credibility.

The theory of the defense in this case is that -- to use the words of my 15-year-old -- that she's a drama queen. They've said it differently in their pleadings. They say that she was constantly seeking attention from the ex-boyfriend.

I think it's a reasonable explanation. The jury is free to discount it. But it should come in.

COOPER: At least I've got to ask you about -- what happened to the rape shield law? I know the defense basically wants it stricken.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: The most shocking thing in all of these nine defense motions is that they want the rape shield law in Colorado held unconstitutional. Now the Colorado Supreme Court's already ruled on that numerous times, that it is constitutional. I think that's a frivolous...

COOPER: So why are they even bringing it up?

BLOOM: I think it's a frivolous argument by this defense team. I think it goes to show that they'll throw in anything, including the kitchen sink. And, you know, the rape shield law is a very weak protection for rape victims.

It doesn't say that her sexual history can never be brought in. It can only be brought in if the defense shows that it's strictly relevant. Now what's wrong with that? Prove it's relevant before you bring it up. That's all the law says.

COOPER: So, Michael, does the rape shield law need to be put aside if any of this stuff is to be admitted?

SMERCONISH: Well, it's a little bit complicated. They're saying two things, actually, Anderson.

Number one, they want to pierce it. They want to come under one of the exceptions, and there is an exception to the rape shield law that allows an alternative explanation of physical evidence to come in, even if it involves prior sexual conduct on the part of the alleged victim.

So, in this case, if her having multiple sexual partners is an alternative explanation for her having a vaginal injury, then it can come up.

They're also saying that it's unconstitutional on its face because presumptively the rape shield statute says that his sexual past is relevant and, presumptively, her sexual past is irrelevant, and that's a double standard.

BLOOM: Well, it's not a double standard because, in both cases, it has to be shown to be relevant. I don't think we should go back to a generation ago when rape victims were gratuitously humiliated in courts which deterred a lot of woman from coming forward and still does deter a lot of women from coming forward.

COOPER: Let's briefly talk about this anti-psychotic medication that she was allegedly taking.

Michael Smerconish, I didn't see anything about when she was reportedly taking this stuff.

SMERCONISH: Very perceptive on your part and maybe on mine as well. I read the same motion, Anderson, and all that it said was "recently." Now, if she was taking anti-psychotic medication because she's says a schizophrenic prior to and at the time of the alleged rape, I think that information is fair game for the jury because it does impact her ability to perceive the events, but if it's something...

BLOOM: You know, that's another real smear on the victim.

SMERCONISH: If it's...

BLOOM: There's no evidence that she's schizophrenic.

SMERCONISH: Also...

BLOOM: She simply took a medication that may also be prescribed to schizophrenics. There's no evidence that she is psychotic or that she's...

SMERCONISH: Lisa, come on.

BLOOM: ... a schizophrenic.

SMERCONISH: If she's taking a prescribed medicine for schizophrenia, then I think you can safely say she's perhaps schizophrenic. But if she's only taking that medication after the incident, then I think it doesn't come in.

COOPER: All right. Let's not go too far down the road of supposition from here on in. So we're just going to have to wait and see what happens.

Lisa Bloom, thanks for being with us. Michael Smerconish as well. Thanks.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

COOPER: Ozzy Osbourne's getting better, but it may be a while before he's up and around again. Details coming up in "The Current" on that.

And later, the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" becoming rock stars as well. They'll stop by to fill us in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right. Time to check on tonight's pop news in "The Current." Let's take a look.

White Stripes front man Jack White got into a fight at a Detroit rock club this weekend with the singer of a local garage rock band call the Van Bondies. All right, Van Bondies. You have 15 seconds to call your girlfriends to tell them to turn on CNN. Prosecutors say White may be charged with misdemeanor assault. Sorry, Van Bondies, your 15 seconds are up along with your 15 minutes.

A judge in California praised Winona Ryder for being good on probation following her shoplifting conviction last year. The judge said Ryder is doing beautifully with her community service and counseling, giving her perhaps the best review she's had since 1989's "Heathers."

Sharon -- it's a tough crowd. I know.

Sharon Osbourne says it may take a full six months for her husband, Ozzy, to fully recover from his motorcycle accident. Sharon says he's off a breathing machine and has asked two nurses to marry him. Sounds like things are definitely getting back to normal.

And just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping. This woman, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is opening a boutique in L.A. called -- well, you guessed it -- Hollywood Madam. I can make some cheap, gratuitous comments filled with innuendo, but I won't. Ho ho ho. Oops. Well, there you go.

Great. Thank you. A little laughter from the evening.

All right. Tonight, the Fab Five of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" aim to make your Yuletide gay. They are having a very "Queer Eye" holiday special. That's what they're calling it. A checkup on some of the men they made over last season.

The Fab Five will also debut their very own music video, which I'm intrigued by, and Barbara Walters on Wednesday is toasting them as remarkable. What started out as a modest reality show is now a, well, not so modest reality show.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): If you haven't heard by now, the Fab Five are back for a second season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I do have a tie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You do have a tie. Not a good one.

COOPER: Banking on hetero cluelessness, the quintet of gay men has made a success of making over straight guys in fashion, grooming, home design, culture, and food.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sensing kind of an alcoholism situation and perhaps botulism.

COOPER: In the first season, there was Adam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice unibrow there, big guy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, thank you.

COOPER: A likable computer guy whose house looked more like a day care center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God, it's like a Toys R Us crackdown.

COOPER: And who could forgot John?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you get this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kmart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone -- don't use that kind of language around me.

COOPER: He proposed to his girlfriend with a little prepping from the Fab Five.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If she doesn't marry you, you get to marry one of the five of us. Isn't that great? So it's a win-win situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Here we are getting...

COOPER: "Queer Eye" has become the Bravo Network's top-rated show, averaging upwards of three-million viewers an episode, and the stars just got a money maker, signing new contracts that reportedly more than doubled each of their salaries. There are book deals, a new music video, and Bravo is planning a reversal show in which straight guys teach a gay guy alpha male lessons.

Their theme song says "All things just keep getting better." For these queer guys, it certainly looks that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, earlier, I spoke to fashion savant, Carson Kressley, and food and wine guru Ted Allen and asked them about the sad guys they made over in the first season who they revisit for their holiday special tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ALLEN, FOOD & WINE GURU, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": Well, the guys we went back to visit are not the sad cases. They're the very best of the best.

COOPER: All right. OK.

ALLEN: And these are all people that everybody's familiar with from the first season. So we knew it would be really exciting to see how they were doing.

COOPER: Who are the people?

KRESSLEY: We had our -- our really kind of handsome guy, John Bargeman (ph), who proposed to his girlfriend, Tina (ph).

COOPER: The Moroccan...

KRESSLEY: The Moroccan love tent evening. We have our...

ALLEN: Butch the artist.

CARSON KRESSLEY, FASHION SAVANT, "QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY": ... the first episode, Butch the artist, the guy with the long ax murderer hair who we cleaned up and got an art gallery opening. And we have the Zalta (ph).

ALLEN: We had Adam Zalta (ph), the coach of John Belushi, my very -- one of my very fav -- the first one that we shot, too.

COOPER: Is he the guy who had the painful party?

KRESSLEY: He had the painful party with -- for his wife with the...

COOPER: Right. And his wife hated your food as I recall.

ALLEN: No, that's not exactly...

KRESSLEY: Yes. "Hate" is a strong word.

ALLEN: No, no, no. His wife failed to understand my food. We're forgiving her for that.

COOPER: And the other guy was the -- the personal train senator

KRESSLEY: George the Greek, yes.

COOPER: Who you cut the hair of.

KRESSLEY: We did. Who was kind of orange, and now he's all -- he looks normal now. COOPER: So -- I'm sorry. How did they do? Did they hold up? Did they maintain?

KRESSLEY: Well, we...

ALLEN: We can't give away everything. I think we can tell you that they made -- they fell down on their faces a couple of ways, and they succeeded in a couple of ways.

COOPER: Now I know you've always been rocks stars in your own minds, but now you guys are actually rock stars -- you actually have a music video.

KRESSLEY: I know. Isn't it crazy?

COOPER: Yes.

KRESSLEY: Who are we, LaToya Jackson, all of a sudden?

COOPER: Let's take a look at a clip from this music video.

KRESSLEY: OK.

ALLEN: Oh, fantastic.

KRESSLEY: Hi. We're going to be out of season before we get there.

ALLEN: Yes, guys. I think maybe we should hoof it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All things just keep getting better / You came into my life...

COOPER: So you shut down the Brooklyn Bridge to shoot this?

KRESSLEY: We did.

ALLEN: Yes, we...

KRESSLEY: We did.

ALLEN: This is the theme song for the show. It's a really infectious song by a band called Wildlife and a singer named Simone (ph), and we are -- we're so excited to finally get it released. Not only that, to have a video directed by Wayne Eichman (ph) who's kind of a Stephen Spielberg of music videos.

KRESSLEY: Britney. Christina.

COOPER: I mean everyone, you know, fantasizes...

ALLEN: He's done the Rolling Stones.

COOPER: ... about being in a music video and sort of what they...

KRESSLEY: Yes.

COOPER: ... would do. Did -- was it different than you actually thought it was going to be?

KRESSLEY: Well, it was a very long process. It's a very -- you know, it was like a...

COOPER: Oh, please. Wait a minute. Don't tell me...

KRESSLEY: It was 24 hours.

COOPER: ... it's really tough being in a music video.

ALLEN: Listen, Anderson, we got up at 3:00 in the morning.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: ... the world's smallest violin.

KRESSLEY: We danced, and we sang, and...

COOPER: Yes. It sounds really tough. So now you guys are now not only hugely famous, you're also now, I guess, loaded with money, you renegotiated your contracts. Are you happy now?

KRESSLEY: Well, hon...

ALLEN: Oh, we've always been...

KRESSLEY: Look -- no.

ALLEN: You know what? Not just anyone can shoplift a coat this expensive.

KRESSLEY: No, I mean -- we're still -- you know, we're still just average kids off the street, and we're doing a little better now than we were before.

But, yes, we're definitely happy because, when we started out, it was a totally unknown concept, an unknown show, practically an unknown network. I thought Bravo was like a cooking spray, didn't you?

ALLEN: I thought it was a credit card.

KRESSLEY: Oh, yes, exactly. I was like I'm making muffins, I need a can of Bravo. But now that it's been successful, just like any other business, we're kind of reaping the rewards.

COOPER: All right. Let's end it there, guys. Thanks very much.

KRESSLEY: Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Carson Kressley and Ted Allen. Saddam Hussein just might have the fight for his life. Is this a case for maybe Mark Geragos? We'll take Saddam's defense to the "Nth Degree."

And tomorrow on 360, against all odds, a look at what some say are medical miracles, part of our week-long special holiday series, "Miracles."

But, first, today's "Buzz." Should the morning after pill be available over the counter? What do you think? Vote now. cnn.com/360. You've still got a couple of minutes to vote. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the "Buzz." We asked you should the morning after pill be available over the counter? Here's what you said. Seventy-seven percent of you said yes. Twenty-three percent, no. Not a scientific poll. Just viewer buzz. We appreciate your votes.

Tonight, playing defense to the "Nth Degree."

One of Saddam Hussein's daughters told an Arab-language news network that she wants to hire the best legal team possible for her dad. Understandable, I suppose. That's what families are supposed to do. True, dear old dad killed her husband, but you know what they say. Blood is thicker than, well, other people's blood.

Mark Geragos is, of course, the obvious choice. Saddam's case could make Michael Jackson's case look as simple as, well, Scott Peterson's case. But he's probably busy these days. Saddam could call Johnny Cochran or Gloria Allred, maybe Mickey Sherman. I'm not sure they need publicity that badly, though.

The first thing any smart lawyer's going to do is get Saddam cleaned up, showered, shaved, deloused. Good bye military fatigues and berets. Hello kinder, gentler defendant.

It would be too easy for Saddam to plead insanity. The man took on the U.S. after all. He likes a challenge. Given his waistline and sagging jowls, a Twinkie defense may be possible. Or there's "The Matrix" defense. No, I'm not sure that ever made it to Baghdad.

These days, lawyers seem to like to go after the victims. Sure it's hard to besmirch the character of hundreds of thousands of people you've had killed, but, hey, that's what paralegals are for.

Frankly, we can really only think of one man who's perfect to defend Saddam. He's experienced, unemployed, and is as creative as they come. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, all rise. It's only a matter of time before Baghdad Bob is back.

That wraps up our program tonight. Thanks for watching.

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





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