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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Fighting Continues in Pakistan; More Bombings in Baghdad; Army Drops Charges Against Captain Yee

Aired March 19, 2004 - 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): Fierce fighting continues in Pakistan. Who are al Qaeda fighters really protecting?

More bombings in Baghdad. Iraqis brace for a tense weekend on the anniversary of the war.

Bush vows to finish the job in Iraq, but how tough is the work ahead?

Terror attacks, natural disasters, freak accidents. Do you have what it takes to survive against all odds?

A loaded gun stashed in a sandbox. The three grade school students plot to kill a classmate during recess.

And the passion over "Passion." What is it about one movie that's making some people do the strangest things?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Welcome to 360. We begin with breaking news. CNN has just learned that the U.S. military is dropping all criminal charges against former Guantanamo Army Chaplain James Yee. The Army captain was arrested, you may remember, last September at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amidst much publicity on suspicion that he was part of an espionage ring. First accused of spying, Captain Yee ultimately was charged with adultery and mishandling classified information while assigned to Task Force Guantanamo, where he tended to the religious needs of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees, the only Muslim chaplain in the Army to do that. We're going to have more on this developing story coming up in a live report.

Again, this is breaking news just coming into CNN. We are gathering information, we're going to bring it to you shortly in just a few moments.

Moving on, it is 5:00 a.m. right now in Pakistan, 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad, one year to the day since shock and awe, the start of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Tonight, the State Department is warning Americans to be careful, saying it remains deeply concerned al Qaeda is planning more deadly attacks overseas and here at home.

All day in Pakistan, Pakistani forces say they have been pounding 300 to 400 foreign militants with artillery fire on the ground while helicopters attack from above. Among them, possibly Osama bin Laden's number two man, Ayman al-Zawahiri. We're covering all the angles tonight. CNN's Nic Robertson in Islamabad, Walter Rodgers in Baghdad, and at the White House, Dana Bash. We begin in Pakistan. Nic, what's the latest on the ongoing battle?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, the battle is turning into a standoff, but it is a standoff that Pakistani officials say they have the upper hand in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Using heavy artillery overnight, backed up by Cobra attack helicopters and troops by day, Pakistani military officials claim to be stepping up their pressure on as many as 400 al Qaeda members holed up in mud-built compounds near the Afghan border.

MAJ. GEN. SHOUKAT SULTAN, PAKISTANI ARMY: They have actually underestimated the resistance that they're going to face. That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) probably they were not in that much strength. So they actually barged into hardened terrorist camp.

ROBERTSON: Burnt out army trucks, an indication of the ferocity of the fight so far. Itself, Pakistani officials believe, an indication the al Qaeda fighters are protecting a high-valued target.

Although Pakistani officials won't say publicly who they think they may have, privately Pakistani intelligence and military sources still maintain what CNN first reported Thursday, that intercepts and interrogations indicate Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, is surrounded by thousands of Pakistani troops.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Nic, is there any concern on the part of the Pakistanis that he may, or anyone who is there may be able to escape? How tight is this noose?

ROBERTSON: Well, it's spent over about a 19-square mile area that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) sources tell us...

COOPER: Clearly lost audio contact with Nic Robertson. We will have another update from him shortly.

The U.S. may double the bounty for Osama bin Laden. The House of Representatives has voted unanimously to increase the reward for capturing the mass murderer to $50 million -- this, of course, up from $25 million. To appeal to people in remote rural areas, like the Pakistan-Afghan border. The bill also gives the State Department leeway in offering rewards in the form of cars, household appliances, and other goods, instead of cash. It's like "Let's Make a Deal." However, the deal is not done. The bill now goes to the Senate. In Baghdad today, a frighteningly familiar sound, explosions marking the first anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Three mortars or rockets fired into the green zone where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters. No reports of damage or injuries. The attack wasn't much of a surprise, though a visit from Secretary of State Colin Powell was. In Baghdad, CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this first anniversary of the Iraq war, the U.S. secretary of state was in Baghdad defending the American-led invasion and occupation.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you.

RODGERS: Meeting with American soldiers, Secretary Powell assured them what we are doing is right.

POWELL: There are those who are determined to stop us. They don't want Iraqis to be free. They don't want Iraqis to have democracy.

RODGERS: Powell met privately with Paul Bremer, the American in charge of rebuilding Iraq, this amid increasing evidence the U.S.-led coalition is fraying. South Korea said it's canceled plans to send 3,000 troops to Kirkuk, due to security concerns. The Spanish are pulling out.

Later, Powell met tough questioning, a reporter suggesting there was no terrorism in Iraq until after the Americans invaded, and that now the world is less safe. The secretary replied, "this is not the time to hide."

POWELL: This is not the time to say let's stop what we're doing and pull back.

RODGERS: There was no sidestepping this awkward moment, however. Iraqi journalists walking out of Powell's presser, protesting after two Arab journalists were killed at a U.S. military checkpoint. And Baghdad residents remember the war a year ago differently. Another protest calling on the Americans to go home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: And this weekend, Baghdad is on a high security alert, braced for more possible trouble -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Walter Rodgers, thanks, live from Baghdad.

Today President Bush marked the first anniversary of the war by calling it "a brave and historic achievement," and he's once again urging support in the global war on terror. White House correspondent Dana Bash has the day's developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the year anniversary of the Iraq war that divided America and key allies, a call for unity on the broader war on terrorism.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There can be no separate peace with the terrorist enemy. Any sign of weakness or retreat simply validates terrorist violence and invites more violence for all nations.

BASH: Last week's attack in Spain, the subsequent political defeat of an ally there and deadly bombings in Iraq has the administration working to keep a shaky U.S.-led coalition together. The president cited attacks from Saudi Arabia to Russia, warning every nation is vulnerable.

BUSH: Each attack is designed to demoralize our people and divide us from one another.

BASH: In the White House East Room, officials from more than 80 nations, including France, Germany and Russia, who actively opposed the Iraq war. Mr. Bush said all now agree Saddam Hussein's removal makes the Middle East more safe.

BUSH: Those differences belong to the past.

BASH: But differences remain. France's foreign minister said Friday the world is a more dangerous place because of the Iraq war. Though security is still a problem, the transition to democracy facing challenges. The president called the day one year ago he ordered air strikes a day of deliverance.

BUSH: Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open? Who would wish that more mass graves were still being filled?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: But the president only made passing reference to essential reason for war, weapons of mass destruction, which have not yet been found. Democrats were quick to criticize Mr. Bush, saying that the war in Iraq has taken away from the war on terror and made it harder -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Dana Bash at the White House, thanks.

Before President Bush spoke today about Iraq, John Kerry, his likely Democratic opponent in the race for the White House, released a statement. He said, quote, "simply put, this president didn't tell the truth about the war from the beginning and our country is paying the price."

Kerry said today he voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war only when Mr. Bush made promises to members of Congress before the invasion. Kerry didn't give specifics on the promises today, but he says they were broken.

The war, of course, began around 9:35 p.m. East Coast time one year ago today. Let's quickly flash back. The first major attack in what the Pentagon called its shock and awe campaign began around 5:35 a.m. Baghdad time, about 90 minutes after the U.S. deadline for Saddam Hussein to step down had passed. That night President Bush went on television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stage of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger. On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: One year ago. The U.S. plan was to drop more than 1,500 bombs and missiles across Iraq in the first 24 hours of the campaign.

Now let's go to the Pentagon for an update on the news that just broke moments ago, all criminal charges being dropped right now against Guantanamo Army Chaplain James Yee. Let's get the details from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, it's a breaking story, what do you know?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you remember Chaplain Yee was arrested in Jacksonville after it was discovered that there was documents on his computer that suggested he might have been spying after his contact with Guantanamo detainees. He offered a deal in which he would be granted immunity and in return cooperate and give a debriefing under lie detector tests, but the government now, the general in charge has decided no, they will instead drop the charges against James Yee.

The reason, they say is because to proceed would put national security evidence in the trial that would compromise national security. He still, however, faces charges of pornography and adultery based on things they found on his computer. He'll get nonjudicial punishment in article 15 for that. Still unclear if he'll get an honorable discharge -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks.

Right now we're following a number of developing stories for you across the country. Let's take a look.

Information, please: your cell phone number -- listen to this -- your cell phone may soon be available if you dial 411. Five of the nation's six biggest carriers are working to compile their customers' names and numbers in a single directory. They expect to have 70 percent of the nation's 156 million numbers in the book by the end of the year. If you do not want the number to be listed you should probably contact your cell phone provider to withdraw consent.

Phoenix, Arizona: probable jail time. Prosecutors today ask that Catholic bishop Thomas O'Brien spend six months in jail and four years on probation for his conviction of leaving the scene of a fatal traffic accident. The bishop struck and killed a man walking along the street last year.

Los Angeles, now, child porn charges dropped. Actor Paul Reubens, formerly Peewee Herman off the hook for what he claimed is a historical art collection. The former TV star did plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possessing obscene material and will have to register as a sex offender through till the end of a three-year probation.

Spring wildfires: government forecasters think continuing drought conditions in the midwest will lead to, and I quote, large and destructive wildfires in some areas. The snow and rainfall this winter was above average, but even so the forecasters still think this could be a dangerous fire season.

New York City now, no kisses. Virgin Atlantic Airways decided today today to scrap plans to install bright red porcelain urinals, you see them right there, with the trade name of kisses in the men's room of its executive club at JFK International Airport. As you can see, the urinals look like a woman's mouth. There were complaints, as you can imagine. Not going to happen.

That's a look at stories across the country for you tonight.

Murder, plot in the playground. Three elementary school students accused of burying a .22 caliber handgun in the sandbox at their school. You will not believe the reason why.

Plus Saddam Hussein on eBay? U.S. troops try to make a buck off some looted goods.

and shocking video. A president shot, the assassination attempt caught on tape. It's not in the U.S., but the shots did threaten to derail an election. We'll have that and the tape ahead.

And from shark bites and natural disasters to terrorist attacks. Do you have what it takes to survive? Part of our week-long series "Against All Odds."

First, let's take a look inside the box. The top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for "Justice Served." A shocking murder plot averted in a playground. Investigators say that two second grade boys and an 11-year-old schoolmate are under arrest for plotting to shoot and stab a third grade girl. CNN's Kimberly Osias has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Forsythe, Montana is rural hamlet east of Billings, 1250 strong, not much trouble happens in these parts until this week on this school playground.

Three young boys say they were teased, taunted and kicked by a third grade girl. So the boys, a 7 and 8-year-old in the second grade and an 11-year-old fifth grader took matters into their own hands. They brought a ..22 caliber handgun to the playground, loaded it with two bullets and buried it under the sand, along with the box of 50 bullets, then they waited for recess.

MICHAEL HAYWORTH, ROSEBUD COUNTY ATTORNEY: This is an extraordinarily serious situation. These individuals are still young individuals. I believe that they can comprehend the difference between harming someone and not harming someone.

OSIAS: The plan was thwarted with just an hour to spare by a classmate who told school officials he'd seen the gun in one of the youngster's backpacks. The three are charged as juveniles with conspiracy to commit assault with a weapon.

It's not clear how the case will proceed, since nothing like this has happened here before. If tried and convicted, they could spend the rest of their childhood locked in detention.

KELLY ANDERSON, FORSYTHE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL: It just reminds you that these things can happen anywhere.

OSIAS: Even in Forsythe, Montana. Kimberly Osias, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We're tracking a number of developing stories around the globe. Let's check the "Uplink."

Taiwan, close call. Look at this video. On the eve of presidential elections, the president and vice president both were shot while campaigning. The red circle shows the bullet hole through their vehicle. They were rushed to the hospital. The president has already been released. Their injuries not life-threatening. Weekend elections still planned. Scary situation there.

Belgrade, Serbia, Montenegro: protests now. Serbs demonstrate for their kin in Kosovo, where 3 days of ethnic clashes left dozens dead and about 600 people injured. More than 1,600 French, German and NATO troops will be pouring into Kosovo over the coming days to help quell the worst bout of violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs since 1999.

London, now: Dasani recall. Coca-cola is pulling its Dasani brand bottled water out of the UK market. That is after levels of a toxin were found to exceed legal British standards. Coke says, the recall is precautionary.

Santa Marta, Colombia: community in danger. The United Nations today warned that indigenous Indian communities may be in danger of extinction. They're constantly targeted by far right paramilitaries and Marxist rebels. Colombia has 1 million native Indians

Havana, Cuba: movie for lent. The Catholic church is holding private screenings of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, "The Passion of the Christ." It's been shown before its official release in Latin America. Now, the church didn't get special permission from producers, they just apparently downloaded the film from a pirate site on the Internet.

That's a quick look at tonight's "Uplink."

Some amazing stories of survival, if the unthinkable happened to you, could you survive? Do you have what it takes to make it against all odds in a natural disaster, a wild fire, the like? Part of our week long series coming up.

Also tonight the latest on the fight in Pakistan, what happened to that imminent attack? And we're going to look back at the anniversary of the war, shock and awe. Those are images from one year ago. We're going to talk with former CIA director, James Woolsey.

Also, "The Passion of the Christ," a huge hit provoking debate and big audiences, but some folks don't seem to really get the point. When is too much passion not a good thing? We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In this age of terror and war, the line that separates someone who survives from someone who does not can be very thin indeed. Whether you find yourself facing terror or dealing with a natural disaster, tornado, wildfire or avalanche, would you have what it takes to survive? Tonight we wrap up our series, "Against All Odds" with a look at what makes a survivor. I spoke with Laurence Gonzales, author of "Deep Survival," who lives, who dies and why. I started off by asking him what separates the person who survives from the person who does not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURENCE GONZALES, EXPERT ON SURVIVAL: The main thing that separates the survivor from the one who perishes is attitude. Believe it or not. People tend to think that equipment and training is the most important thing and it certainly helps but believe it or not, it's attitude and the attitude starts with taking responsibility for yourself.

COOPER: And so they don't give into panic. They don't give in to feeling sorry for themselves and they figure out a way to get out of a situation.

GONZALES: Yes, this is the example of the surfing girl who got her arm bit off, Bethany Hamilton. She remained incredibly calm in the face of a really catastrophic event and I suspect it came from living a life of learning to stay calm in situations that surfing takes you into.

COOPER: You also write in your book about denial being a reason that makes some people not survive. What do you mean?

GONZALES: Yes, well, a lot of people, for example, in the World Trade Center, instead of believing the evidence of their senses that something really bad was going on, they just sat there and waited and that's a typical thing. Lots of people, for example, if the hotel fire alarm goes off they just go back to sleep, they say oh, it's a false alarm. The survivor will get up and investigate. The survivor, I say, perceive and believe.

COOPER: Some people are able to go really to extremes that other people say I would never be able to do that. I think in the case of Aaron Ralston (ph), the young man who was out hiking in the wilderness and got his arm caught by a rock, a huge boulder and ended up cutting off his own arm.

GONZALES: We all are fascinated by that case because we want to know, could we do that? I think the answer is how you have lived your life up to that point. Surviving is not just dealing with an emergency at the moment. It's a way of life. So that when you reach that moment you're able to deal with it.

COOPER: Do you think it makes a big difference as to why you got into that situation in the first place? I talked to a woman recently who jumped out of an airplane and both her parachutes failed to open, she ended up surviving, but badly injured. She didn't ever ask, why me, because she felt she had voluntarily put herself in that situation jumping out of that airplane. It was her choice.

GONZALES: Survivors don't sit around bemoaning their fate. They don't tend to ask, why me.

COOPER: You say children of survivors, indicating that we're all born survivors, and yet you all say some 90 percent of people end up panicking in situations, how do you learn how to be a better survivor or to be a survivor if you're not?

GONZALES: You have to practice in your daily life dealing with the small challenges that life brings you in the same way that you would deal with a big challenge. When we talk about the 12 traits of great survivors, there are definite traits that you can look for in yourself.

COOPER: Are they ones that you can just sort of wheel off or...

GONZALES: I usually break the 12 down into four for the sake of convenience and brevity and they are to, first of all, take responsibility for yourself. Secondly, to perceive and believe. Really believe the evidence of your senses and say, I see trouble, it's really coming. The next thing is to make a plan. Use this information that you've taken in through your senses, assess yourself and make a plan and the fourth thing is take action. It's surprisingly difficult in a crisis to translate thought into action. Some people just freeze. So in those four things are embodied lots of other traits that I describe in more detail, but those are the basic steps that a survivor takes and, of course, it all begins with remaining calm within yourself the way Bethany did.

COOPER: It's a fascinating subject. Laurence Gonzales, appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.

GONZALES: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Coming up, war, terror and secret intelligence. Former CIA director James Woolsey joins us live with insights on both.

And some developing breaking news we're following, a former chaplain at Guantanamo Bay charged with espionage has all the charges dropped. Find out why ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the top stories in tonight's "Reset."

Breaking news out of the Pentagon. Just about 25 minutes ago, the Army announced all criminal charges are being dropped against Army Chaplain James Yee. He was a Muslim chaplain at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Yee faced charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information at Gitmo.

Today marks a year since the start of the war in Iraq, so-called Shock and Awe. The campaign began around 9:35 p.m. Eastern time. 5:35 a.m. in Baghdad. President Bush said this country is safer from terrorism. In the past year, Saddam Hussein and his sons, Uday and Qusay, of course, were removed from power. Over 500 U.S. soldiers have died and the price tag for the American treasury so far is an estimated $150 billion. We'll talk more about Iraq in just a moment.

In Washington, terror threat warnings to the nation of Indonesia. The Muslim nation has national elections planned for April, 24 political parties now campaigning for votes. Experts are concerned that Muslim terrorists may strike near Election Day.

In Baghdad, six U.S. soldiers are expected to face criminal charges, accused of assaulting a number of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison outside Baghdad. Other charges pending include cruelty, maltreatment, conspiracy, and dereliction of duty. Nine other soldiers are expected to receive severe administrative action that will effectively end their careers.

And right now, it is nearly dawn, Saturday in Pakistan. Heavy fighting continues, we are told, between Pakistani forces and hundreds of al Qaeda fighters suspected of protecting what they call a high- value target, possibly Osama bin Laden's second in command.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in Islamabad.

Nic, are you getting a feeling that this is the start of a long battle?

ROBERTSON: Too soon to say, Anderson, also difficult for us to assess. We do not get access to this tribal region. It's banned for non-Pakistanis to go into that area. So we don't get a good feel for what's happening on the ground.

It's quite possible that this standoff at the moment is being used by Pakistani authorities, aided by the information, intelligence they're getting from officials to build an accurate picture of how many al Qaeda members are there, how their located, and build a strategy to get them. So it's really too soon to say if this is getting into a long-term standoff or if this is just an assessment before they push the initiative and try and catch some of them -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Nic Robertson covering the action from Islamabad -- thanks very much, Nic.

Monitoring the operations in Pakistan and Iraq as well, with us now, James Woolsey, who was CIA director under President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Woolsey, thanks very much for being with us.

JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Good to be with you.

COOPER: I want to talk about Iraq, but I want to start off talking about what's gone in on Pakistan. How much confidence do you have in the Pakistan government's seriousness in terms of this offensive going on in the northwest?

WOOLSEY: Well, this is a major development. I think Musharraf has been very cautious about the northwest, those provinces with a lot of Islamists in them, very independent for some time.

But the two assassination attempts against him, as well as the resistance that is building up in some of the Islamist parties I think has convinced him he needs to take action. This is a very decisive move by him and the army.

COOPER: And yesterday, 24 hours ago, though, they were using the word imminent a lot. We haven't gotten much information in the last 24 hours. Should we become skeptical?

WOOLSEY: I don't know. It seems like they're fighting hard. And sometimes that is going to take some time.

I don't know that we have anything indicating that Zawahiri or bin Laden or exactly who might be there, but it's the fact that they're fighting so hard and in some substantial numbers against the Pakistani military forces that I think has gotten people's hopes up that there may be someone very important there.

COOPER: You recently returned from Iraqi I believe some three weeks ago. This anniversary of the war, you seem optimistic about the future. Why?

WOOLSEY: Well, I went over there maybe 51/49 optimistic. It's now more like 2-1.

Just a few quick illustrations. Traffic jams all over Baghdad while I was there. One of the big reasons was weddings, a lot of weddings. People are getting -- feeling secure enough to get married. And it was for -- a religious holiday was coming up and they wanted to get married before that. So that was striking to me. I was riding around in the Sunni Triangle with an military commander.

And he's leaning out the window, waving at the people beside the road and they're grinning and waving back at him. And I asked him why. I said, this doesn't look like the Sunni Triangle I see. And he said, well, these are Shia right here. It's a little rougher with the Sunni up the road, but he said, it's all of the schools we built for them. We built seven schools for them here in the last four or five months and used local labor.

Things like that are going on all over Iraq. And I think the Shia and the Kurds which is together about 85 percent of the country really understand that we've done a remarkable thing to free them. And they want our military forces -- they say so, anyway -- to stay, even though I think they're delighted to get control of the civilian administration of the country.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Are there enough of our military forces there? I mean, 115,000 troops or so, Thomas Friedman of "The New York Times" says that is simply not enough. He accuses basically the Bush administration of trying to do this on the cheap.

WOOLSEY: Well, I was only in the Army for two years and I flew a desk in the Pentagon, so I'm a little cautious to disagree with the military commanders there. And the secretary of defense says they think they have enough but I would certainly like to see us be able to seal those borders effectively, particularly against Iran and Syria.

I'm of two minds about that. I think we do want to keep training up Iraqis. I saw a lot of Iraqi civil defense corps people moving in to running roadblocks and running checks for vehicles and that kind of thing, taking over from Americans while I was there. And they're now between 200,000 and 300,000 Iraqis in one way or another under arms. That's been a substantial increase.

COOPER: On this anniversary, it's good to talk to you, James Woolsey, former DCI. Thank you very much for being with us.

WOOLSEY: Good to be with you, Anderson.

COOPER: The ongoing operation in Pakistan is a major story for us here in the U.S., but, overseas, the coverage is very different.

For a moment, let's take a look at what they're talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): All day long, the most popular Arab news channel, Al-Jazeera, has led its newscast for the hunt with Ayman al- Zawahiri, highlighting what they say is U.S. military assistance to Pakistani forces, airing exclusive video of U.S. troops along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

They also interview a Taliban spokesman who says al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden are safe and in Afghanistan. This morning, on the other big Arabic news network, Al-Arabiya, the Pakistani operation was just a news bulletin. Their big story, a surprise visit by Jordan's king to Israel.

The Pakistan military operation wasn't the top story on most French and British evening newscasts either. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four-hundred al Qaeda fighters is said to be cornered.

COOPER: But it was the big headline in Britain's "The Guardian." For most European papers, the big news was either the first anniversary of the Iraq war or the latest in the investigation of last week's bombings in Madrid, which has been the main headline all week.

If many in the U.S. see the defeat of the pro-U.S. government in Spain as a victory for terrorists, in Europe, the vote is viewed differently. Spain's daily "ABC" called the elections the embodiment of the democratic process. And the French left-leaning "Liberation," which opposed the war, had a warning to other U.S. allies. Their headline, "The Price of Lying."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Always interesting to see coverage around the world.

Should's goods for sale, looted, they end up for grabs on eBay? You may be a surprised who's looking to cash in.

Also ahead, the race for the White House, the candidates, their rich lives, that is definitely raw politics.

And "Passion" plays, Mel Gibson's movie inspiring some to confess and ask for forgiveness. We'll talk about that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, some soldiers returning from Iraq are trying to sell items they brought back with them. Now, we're not talking about garage sales. Of course, this being the new world, we're talking about eBay.

CNN's Gary Tuchman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Troops have always brought back souvenirs from war, but they haven't always had eBay.

(on camera): How much do you want for the Koran?

BRIAN CRAMER, U.S. ARMY: I did a starting bid of $150.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Brian Cramer was an Army military policeman during the Iraq war. The Pennsylvania resident took this Koran from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces and put it on eBay.

CRAMER: They said, as long as it wasn't a gun, ammunition or explosives, we were allowed to bring anything else back.

TUCHMAN: The 24-year-old retired veteran says he also received permission from his commanders to take Iraqi handcuffs, an Iraqi police pin and a bayonet, which he also wants to auction.

(on camera): So you detained the soldier and you took his bayonet and brought it home with you?

CRAMER: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Other items on eBay include a palace rug. Bidding went over $1,100. And silverware, which sold for $71. U.S. Central Command told CNN, "Taking or retaining individual souvenirs or trophies are prohibited," but adds, it "does not preclude the lawful acquisition of souvenirs that can legally be imported."

Specialist Cramer believes it was lawful if his superiors gave their OK.

CRAMER: Is it morally wrong? Maybe. But, to me, I have no guilty conscience over this whatsoever.

TUCHMAN (on camera): And what does eBay think of all this? The Internet auction site says, because of U.S. government laws, items from Iraq are not allowed to be auctioned. So if it's seen on the site, it will be pulled off.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Hours after we met with Cramer, with his Koran price climbing close $700, eBay did see it and now it's been pulled off.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right.

Well, still on the subject of Iraq, with all the coverage of the war on terror, we want to tell you about some breaking news that happened a short time ago. All charges against U.S. Army Chaplain James Yee have now been dropped. You may remember Captain Yee was initially accused of espionage at a Guantanamo Bay camp. He was the Muslim chaplain there. But all charges against him now have been dropped. That story broke just about 40 minutes ago.

With all of the courage of the war on terror, of course, it's easy to forget there's a presidential campaign going on. Oh, yes, remember that?

Let's take a quick look at what's happening on the trail.

President Bush's campaign reports today the money is flowing in. They're well on their way of reaching their $170 million fund-raising goal. The campaign has $110 million in the bank. They've already spent some $50 million on infrastructure, ads and fund-raising.

A red-faced moment for the Bush camp today. The official merchandising Web site for the president's reelection campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, now known as Myanmar. The problem? Those goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish a military dictatorship. A campaign spokesman says -- quote -- "The company that made the goods admits it made a mistake and we are committed to making sure that only made-in-the-USA products are sold on the Web site."

Meanwhile, of course, the ad war continues. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to blow!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: This is a DNC-sponsored ad. The balloon that just popped, the party's take on the growing federal deficit, the Kerry camp taking a swipe at Bush after a Republican ad yesterday called him the international man of mystery. Tit for tat goes on, on the trail.

Today, John Kerry continues his vacation. He's enjoying a week off on the slopes in Idaho with his wife. We got some shots of him there, a hint of the big-bucks lifestyle both Kerry and the president lead, of course, in their private lives. They don't talk about their own money much, but, of course, that's all part of raw politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): President Bush and Senator Kerry like to point out their differences. But if you look at their pedigrees and their pocketbooks, the differences kind of disappear. Both candidates have plenty of vacation home options.

Right now, John and Teresa Heinz Kerry are relaxing here, a luxurious seven bedroom, 7,000-square-foot holiday home in Ketchum, Idaho. Value, $4.9 million. Of course, they could have chosen one of their other high-priced homes to stay in. The couple have real estate in Washington, Nantucket, Pittsburgh, and Boston. In total, the homes are worth more than $20 million and to be fair, all but the one in Boston are in Mrs. Kerry's name only.

President Bush has some pretty nice digs, too. The ranch in Crawford, Texas, is 1,600 acres. The land alone is worth $1.2 million. There's also the Bush family on compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, located on prime oceanfront property, worth at least $8 million.

Both men have similar backgrounds. Both went to Yale, just a few years apart. Both were members of the exclusive and secret Skull and Bones fraternity. Both come from patrician families. Estimates of President Bush's assets range from $8 million to $20 million, Kerry and his wife from $198 to $850 million, though the assets Kerry owns himself are more in the neighborhood of $2 million.

Despite their deep pockets, in the months ahead, both men will no doubt work very hard to prove that at heart they're populists. May the best multimillionaire Yale graduate win.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Coming up, "The Passion of the Christ" and the passion it's provoking and a few oddballs. Did the movie lead a bank robber to confess to his crime?

Also tonight, Jim Carrey mixes drama and comedy in a mind-bending movie. Stay tuned to see if it's worth your money at the multiplex this weekend.

Also a little later, oops, she did it again. New pain for Britney Spears? That's all up in "The Current."

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So it's been open for only three weeks and already Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" has pulled in morning than $260 million at the box office. While critics and theater-goers debate the message and the merits of the film, some other folks are reacting, well, kind of oddly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" was always expected to inspire heated debates.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Michael, let me jump in here please.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut up!

COOPER: And extreme emotions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you see this, when you see the suffering, there is no way somebody can tell me that he's not God.

COOPER: But lately, we've noticed it's inspired some people to do some pretty unusual things. Case in point, James Anderson. In 2001 he robbed a bank in Florida for $25,000. This week, he walked into a police station and said: "I have to confess to a bank robbery I committed. I just saw the most wonderful movie. It moved me."

The movie, of course, was "The Passion of the Christ." Police were skeptical of Anderson's motivations, saying he was probably just tired of living in his car and, believing he has prostate cancer, wanted some free medical attention. Oh, ye of little faith.

Then there's Sean and Melissa Davidson of Statesboro, Georgia. What began as their civilized debate over religion ended as an all-out brawl. Bruised and battered, they both called the cops. Now they're both charged with battery. They told police they were debating because they had just seen "The Passion of the Christ." "I think they missed the point," one police officer said.

Finally, the curious case of a Maine man who decided to recreate the crucifixion by nailing himself to the cross. When he had one hand attached, it dawned on him that it's really a job you can do alone. He used his free hand to call 911. The first question he was asked, have you recently seen "The Passion of the Christ"?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current," and kind of a musical edition of "The Current" tonight.

Andre 3000 of OutKast says tying the knot is bad news. The rapper tells "Blender" magazine he would rather be lonely and horny than married. What Andre doesn't realize, of course, many married people can always describe themselves as, well, lonely and kind of horny.

There's talk that the Spice Girls may get together again. The rumor mill says the ladies may regroup to promote a greatest hits album. This album, of course, will be comprised of one song played over and over and over again.

Courtney Love has reached a very special milestone. Yesterday, she was busted for allegedly hitting a man with a microphone stand. She was released. It is now 7:52. That means that Courtney love has gone a full 24 hours without being arrested. Congratulations.

That's the 360 crew. They're very happy.

Finally, Britney Spears canceled her concert tonight near Chicago after suffering an injury during a performance yesterday. It seems the 22-year-old pop star hurt her knee during a dance routine. There is some good news to report. It is now 7:52 and 43 seconds. In the last 24 hours, Ms. Spears has not married anybody. Congratulations.

All right, so it's almost the weekend. What can we say?

Jim Carrey returns to the movies this weekend with a romantic comedy about a man who erases the memory of a relationship. "New York Times" film critic Elvis Mitchell is here to tell us if it and other films opening this weekend are worth seeing.

First, let's show a clip of Carrey in "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND")

JIM CARREY, ACTOR: What the hell are you talking about? I can't just cancel it. I'm asleep.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Wake yourself up!

CARREY: OK. You want me awake? OK. Great. OK, here we go. Will this make you happy if I try?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: yes.

CARREY: I'll try real hard. There we go. That was a great idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So, Elvis, is this film worth seeing?

ELVIS MITCHELL, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Yes, it is because, generally, when Jim Carrey's in a movie that's not a comedy -- quote, unquote -- he kind of telegraphs it's a comedy by taking all the emotion out of his face and looking like he's dreading an execution or something like that.

But this time, he's actually giving a performance in the context of a really kind of complicated movie that's really funny. I think this movie you will end up admiring more than liking, though, because it's so beautifully made and it's so smart and there's so much going in it that it takes a while to get involved with the picture emotionally.

COOPER: All right, let's talk about this other movie, "Taking Lives." Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, I think is in it. Is it good?

MITCHELL: I'll put it to you this way. People make fun of Ashley Judd for having made a bunch of bad choices. Well, let's not forget Angelina Jolie did "Original Sin" and "Beyond Borders" before she did this movie.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Oh, don't be mean to Angelina Jolie now.

MITCHELL: Why? What's wrong?

COOPER: I don't know. She's doing good work for the U.N.

MITCHELL: I give money to UNICEF.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: OK.

MITCHELL: This isn't going to stop that. That's the thing. You kind of want her to be good because the thing about her as an actress is that she has such a vivid face that you end up really wanting the movie to work for her. And she's such an extraordinary personality and she has really acting chops. You want to see her give a performance in something.

So to her walk into this thing that could an Ashley Judd movie for Showtime is just kind of an embarrassment for everybody.

COOPER: "Dawn of the Dead," I have really no desire to see it because I don't like horror films. Is this good? Is it worthwhile?

MITCHELL: Well, the original is about basically about a zombie movie at a shopping mall. Satire, get it? This is -- like basically one good line in the first movie which is repeated in this one, but other than that, it's just like a big video game.

And it's just such a bad movie, I think the zombie lobby will actually sue for defamation of character. It's just really kind of obvious and bloody and it will make a great video game.

COOPER: and "28 Days Later," though, for me, was sort of the quintessential Zombie movie. And I kind of feel like I don't need to this "Dawn of the Dead" thing -- or is it "Day of the Dead"? -- no, it's "Dawn of the Dead" -- because I feel like I already saw it.

MITCHELL: No, "Day of the Dead" was the third George Romero.

We should say, this is the remake of the 1978 "Dawn of the Dead." I think the quintessential zombie movie is actually "Night of the Living Dead," which is an extraordinary movie made for no money. But this movie and "28 Days Later" remind me of that thing that you always think about, which is, why is it that people in zombie movies have never seen a zombie movie?

(LAUGHTER)

MITCHELL: They never know what to do. Don't get bit.

COOPER: Right.

MITCHELL: That's all you got to know. They're like vampires. Calm down.

COOPER: Don't get bit, good advice for this weekend.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Elvis Mitchell from "The New York Times," thanks.

MITCHELL: Thanks, Anderson.

COOPER: So have you noticed the obsession with makeovers? It's making its way to supermarket shelves. Coming up, what's going on with Mr. Peanut? Why is he going to get all jiggy with it?

We'll talk about that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, taking brands to "The Nth Degree."

Mr. Peanut has had a makeover. The brand character for Planters still sports a top hat, monocle and cane, but now he's -- well, he's trying to be hip. In new ads, the 88-year-old Peanut plays B-ball, cares about carbs and even shakes his nuts.

It may seem undignified, but let's be honest. Being an old brand character isn't easy in this youth-obsessed age. Don't believe me? Just ask the old Brawny guy. Sure, he was hot for a while, but the '70s porn look is out. I hear the new Brawny guy never even said thanks; 83-year-old Betty Crocker was replaced with a younger model. That was eight years ago. She's probably due for a bit of Botox.

Aunt Jemima is still around, of course, but she's had to endure endless face-lifts and tummy tucks. Companies want their brand characters to be multicultural, accessible. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that. But we also think there's nothing wrong with showing your age. And these days, that makes us just plain nuts.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend.

Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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

Army Drops Charges Against Captain Yee>

Aired March 19, 2004 - 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): Fierce fighting continues in Pakistan. Who are al Qaeda fighters really protecting?

More bombings in Baghdad. Iraqis brace for a tense weekend on the anniversary of the war.

Bush vows to finish the job in Iraq, but how tough is the work ahead?

Terror attacks, natural disasters, freak accidents. Do you have what it takes to survive against all odds?

A loaded gun stashed in a sandbox. The three grade school students plot to kill a classmate during recess.

And the passion over "Passion." What is it about one movie that's making some people do the strangest things?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Welcome to 360. We begin with breaking news. CNN has just learned that the U.S. military is dropping all criminal charges against former Guantanamo Army Chaplain James Yee. The Army captain was arrested, you may remember, last September at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amidst much publicity on suspicion that he was part of an espionage ring. First accused of spying, Captain Yee ultimately was charged with adultery and mishandling classified information while assigned to Task Force Guantanamo, where he tended to the religious needs of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees, the only Muslim chaplain in the Army to do that. We're going to have more on this developing story coming up in a live report.

Again, this is breaking news just coming into CNN. We are gathering information, we're going to bring it to you shortly in just a few moments.

Moving on, it is 5:00 a.m. right now in Pakistan, 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad, one year to the day since shock and awe, the start of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Tonight, the State Department is warning Americans to be careful, saying it remains deeply concerned al Qaeda is planning more deadly attacks overseas and here at home.

All day in Pakistan, Pakistani forces say they have been pounding 300 to 400 foreign militants with artillery fire on the ground while helicopters attack from above. Among them, possibly Osama bin Laden's number two man, Ayman al-Zawahiri. We're covering all the angles tonight. CNN's Nic Robertson in Islamabad, Walter Rodgers in Baghdad, and at the White House, Dana Bash. We begin in Pakistan. Nic, what's the latest on the ongoing battle?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, the battle is turning into a standoff, but it is a standoff that Pakistani officials say they have the upper hand in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Using heavy artillery overnight, backed up by Cobra attack helicopters and troops by day, Pakistani military officials claim to be stepping up their pressure on as many as 400 al Qaeda members holed up in mud-built compounds near the Afghan border.

MAJ. GEN. SHOUKAT SULTAN, PAKISTANI ARMY: They have actually underestimated the resistance that they're going to face. That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) probably they were not in that much strength. So they actually barged into hardened terrorist camp.

ROBERTSON: Burnt out army trucks, an indication of the ferocity of the fight so far. Itself, Pakistani officials believe, an indication the al Qaeda fighters are protecting a high-valued target.

Although Pakistani officials won't say publicly who they think they may have, privately Pakistani intelligence and military sources still maintain what CNN first reported Thursday, that intercepts and interrogations indicate Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, is surrounded by thousands of Pakistani troops.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Nic, is there any concern on the part of the Pakistanis that he may, or anyone who is there may be able to escape? How tight is this noose?

ROBERTSON: Well, it's spent over about a 19-square mile area that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) sources tell us...

COOPER: Clearly lost audio contact with Nic Robertson. We will have another update from him shortly.

The U.S. may double the bounty for Osama bin Laden. The House of Representatives has voted unanimously to increase the reward for capturing the mass murderer to $50 million -- this, of course, up from $25 million. To appeal to people in remote rural areas, like the Pakistan-Afghan border. The bill also gives the State Department leeway in offering rewards in the form of cars, household appliances, and other goods, instead of cash. It's like "Let's Make a Deal." However, the deal is not done. The bill now goes to the Senate. In Baghdad today, a frighteningly familiar sound, explosions marking the first anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Three mortars or rockets fired into the green zone where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters. No reports of damage or injuries. The attack wasn't much of a surprise, though a visit from Secretary of State Colin Powell was. In Baghdad, CNN's senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On this first anniversary of the Iraq war, the U.S. secretary of state was in Baghdad defending the American-led invasion and occupation.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you.

RODGERS: Meeting with American soldiers, Secretary Powell assured them what we are doing is right.

POWELL: There are those who are determined to stop us. They don't want Iraqis to be free. They don't want Iraqis to have democracy.

RODGERS: Powell met privately with Paul Bremer, the American in charge of rebuilding Iraq, this amid increasing evidence the U.S.-led coalition is fraying. South Korea said it's canceled plans to send 3,000 troops to Kirkuk, due to security concerns. The Spanish are pulling out.

Later, Powell met tough questioning, a reporter suggesting there was no terrorism in Iraq until after the Americans invaded, and that now the world is less safe. The secretary replied, "this is not the time to hide."

POWELL: This is not the time to say let's stop what we're doing and pull back.

RODGERS: There was no sidestepping this awkward moment, however. Iraqi journalists walking out of Powell's presser, protesting after two Arab journalists were killed at a U.S. military checkpoint. And Baghdad residents remember the war a year ago differently. Another protest calling on the Americans to go home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: And this weekend, Baghdad is on a high security alert, braced for more possible trouble -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Walter Rodgers, thanks, live from Baghdad.

Today President Bush marked the first anniversary of the war by calling it "a brave and historic achievement," and he's once again urging support in the global war on terror. White House correspondent Dana Bash has the day's developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the year anniversary of the Iraq war that divided America and key allies, a call for unity on the broader war on terrorism.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There can be no separate peace with the terrorist enemy. Any sign of weakness or retreat simply validates terrorist violence and invites more violence for all nations.

BASH: Last week's attack in Spain, the subsequent political defeat of an ally there and deadly bombings in Iraq has the administration working to keep a shaky U.S.-led coalition together. The president cited attacks from Saudi Arabia to Russia, warning every nation is vulnerable.

BUSH: Each attack is designed to demoralize our people and divide us from one another.

BASH: In the White House East Room, officials from more than 80 nations, including France, Germany and Russia, who actively opposed the Iraq war. Mr. Bush said all now agree Saddam Hussein's removal makes the Middle East more safe.

BUSH: Those differences belong to the past.

BASH: But differences remain. France's foreign minister said Friday the world is a more dangerous place because of the Iraq war. Though security is still a problem, the transition to democracy facing challenges. The president called the day one year ago he ordered air strikes a day of deliverance.

BUSH: Who would prefer that Saddam's torture chambers still be open? Who would wish that more mass graves were still being filled?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: But the president only made passing reference to essential reason for war, weapons of mass destruction, which have not yet been found. Democrats were quick to criticize Mr. Bush, saying that the war in Iraq has taken away from the war on terror and made it harder -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Dana Bash at the White House, thanks.

Before President Bush spoke today about Iraq, John Kerry, his likely Democratic opponent in the race for the White House, released a statement. He said, quote, "simply put, this president didn't tell the truth about the war from the beginning and our country is paying the price."

Kerry said today he voted to give President Bush the authority to go to war only when Mr. Bush made promises to members of Congress before the invasion. Kerry didn't give specifics on the promises today, but he says they were broken.

The war, of course, began around 9:35 p.m. East Coast time one year ago today. Let's quickly flash back. The first major attack in what the Pentagon called its shock and awe campaign began around 5:35 a.m. Baghdad time, about 90 minutes after the U.S. deadline for Saddam Hussein to step down had passed. That night President Bush went on television.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stage of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger. On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: One year ago. The U.S. plan was to drop more than 1,500 bombs and missiles across Iraq in the first 24 hours of the campaign.

Now let's go to the Pentagon for an update on the news that just broke moments ago, all criminal charges being dropped right now against Guantanamo Army Chaplain James Yee. Let's get the details from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, it's a breaking story, what do you know?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you remember Chaplain Yee was arrested in Jacksonville after it was discovered that there was documents on his computer that suggested he might have been spying after his contact with Guantanamo detainees. He offered a deal in which he would be granted immunity and in return cooperate and give a debriefing under lie detector tests, but the government now, the general in charge has decided no, they will instead drop the charges against James Yee.

The reason, they say is because to proceed would put national security evidence in the trial that would compromise national security. He still, however, faces charges of pornography and adultery based on things they found on his computer. He'll get nonjudicial punishment in article 15 for that. Still unclear if he'll get an honorable discharge -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks.

Right now we're following a number of developing stories for you across the country. Let's take a look.

Information, please: your cell phone number -- listen to this -- your cell phone may soon be available if you dial 411. Five of the nation's six biggest carriers are working to compile their customers' names and numbers in a single directory. They expect to have 70 percent of the nation's 156 million numbers in the book by the end of the year. If you do not want the number to be listed you should probably contact your cell phone provider to withdraw consent.

Phoenix, Arizona: probable jail time. Prosecutors today ask that Catholic bishop Thomas O'Brien spend six months in jail and four years on probation for his conviction of leaving the scene of a fatal traffic accident. The bishop struck and killed a man walking along the street last year.

Los Angeles, now, child porn charges dropped. Actor Paul Reubens, formerly Peewee Herman off the hook for what he claimed is a historical art collection. The former TV star did plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possessing obscene material and will have to register as a sex offender through till the end of a three-year probation.

Spring wildfires: government forecasters think continuing drought conditions in the midwest will lead to, and I quote, large and destructive wildfires in some areas. The snow and rainfall this winter was above average, but even so the forecasters still think this could be a dangerous fire season.

New York City now, no kisses. Virgin Atlantic Airways decided today today to scrap plans to install bright red porcelain urinals, you see them right there, with the trade name of kisses in the men's room of its executive club at JFK International Airport. As you can see, the urinals look like a woman's mouth. There were complaints, as you can imagine. Not going to happen.

That's a look at stories across the country for you tonight.

Murder, plot in the playground. Three elementary school students accused of burying a .22 caliber handgun in the sandbox at their school. You will not believe the reason why.

Plus Saddam Hussein on eBay? U.S. troops try to make a buck off some looted goods.

and shocking video. A president shot, the assassination attempt caught on tape. It's not in the U.S., but the shots did threaten to derail an election. We'll have that and the tape ahead.

And from shark bites and natural disasters to terrorist attacks. Do you have what it takes to survive? Part of our week-long series "Against All Odds."

First, let's take a look inside the box. The top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for "Justice Served." A shocking murder plot averted in a playground. Investigators say that two second grade boys and an 11-year-old schoolmate are under arrest for plotting to shoot and stab a third grade girl. CNN's Kimberly Osias has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Forsythe, Montana is rural hamlet east of Billings, 1250 strong, not much trouble happens in these parts until this week on this school playground.

Three young boys say they were teased, taunted and kicked by a third grade girl. So the boys, a 7 and 8-year-old in the second grade and an 11-year-old fifth grader took matters into their own hands. They brought a ..22 caliber handgun to the playground, loaded it with two bullets and buried it under the sand, along with the box of 50 bullets, then they waited for recess.

MICHAEL HAYWORTH, ROSEBUD COUNTY ATTORNEY: This is an extraordinarily serious situation. These individuals are still young individuals. I believe that they can comprehend the difference between harming someone and not harming someone.

OSIAS: The plan was thwarted with just an hour to spare by a classmate who told school officials he'd seen the gun in one of the youngster's backpacks. The three are charged as juveniles with conspiracy to commit assault with a weapon.

It's not clear how the case will proceed, since nothing like this has happened here before. If tried and convicted, they could spend the rest of their childhood locked in detention.

KELLY ANDERSON, FORSYTHE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL: It just reminds you that these things can happen anywhere.

OSIAS: Even in Forsythe, Montana. Kimberly Osias, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We're tracking a number of developing stories around the globe. Let's check the "Uplink."

Taiwan, close call. Look at this video. On the eve of presidential elections, the president and vice president both were shot while campaigning. The red circle shows the bullet hole through their vehicle. They were rushed to the hospital. The president has already been released. Their injuries not life-threatening. Weekend elections still planned. Scary situation there.

Belgrade, Serbia, Montenegro: protests now. Serbs demonstrate for their kin in Kosovo, where 3 days of ethnic clashes left dozens dead and about 600 people injured. More than 1,600 French, German and NATO troops will be pouring into Kosovo over the coming days to help quell the worst bout of violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs since 1999.

London, now: Dasani recall. Coca-cola is pulling its Dasani brand bottled water out of the UK market. That is after levels of a toxin were found to exceed legal British standards. Coke says, the recall is precautionary.

Santa Marta, Colombia: community in danger. The United Nations today warned that indigenous Indian communities may be in danger of extinction. They're constantly targeted by far right paramilitaries and Marxist rebels. Colombia has 1 million native Indians

Havana, Cuba: movie for lent. The Catholic church is holding private screenings of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, "The Passion of the Christ." It's been shown before its official release in Latin America. Now, the church didn't get special permission from producers, they just apparently downloaded the film from a pirate site on the Internet.

That's a quick look at tonight's "Uplink."

Some amazing stories of survival, if the unthinkable happened to you, could you survive? Do you have what it takes to make it against all odds in a natural disaster, a wild fire, the like? Part of our week long series coming up.

Also tonight the latest on the fight in Pakistan, what happened to that imminent attack? And we're going to look back at the anniversary of the war, shock and awe. Those are images from one year ago. We're going to talk with former CIA director, James Woolsey.

Also, "The Passion of the Christ," a huge hit provoking debate and big audiences, but some folks don't seem to really get the point. When is too much passion not a good thing? We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In this age of terror and war, the line that separates someone who survives from someone who does not can be very thin indeed. Whether you find yourself facing terror or dealing with a natural disaster, tornado, wildfire or avalanche, would you have what it takes to survive? Tonight we wrap up our series, "Against All Odds" with a look at what makes a survivor. I spoke with Laurence Gonzales, author of "Deep Survival," who lives, who dies and why. I started off by asking him what separates the person who survives from the person who does not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURENCE GONZALES, EXPERT ON SURVIVAL: The main thing that separates the survivor from the one who perishes is attitude. Believe it or not. People tend to think that equipment and training is the most important thing and it certainly helps but believe it or not, it's attitude and the attitude starts with taking responsibility for yourself.

COOPER: And so they don't give into panic. They don't give in to feeling sorry for themselves and they figure out a way to get out of a situation.

GONZALES: Yes, this is the example of the surfing girl who got her arm bit off, Bethany Hamilton. She remained incredibly calm in the face of a really catastrophic event and I suspect it came from living a life of learning to stay calm in situations that surfing takes you into.

COOPER: You also write in your book about denial being a reason that makes some people not survive. What do you mean?

GONZALES: Yes, well, a lot of people, for example, in the World Trade Center, instead of believing the evidence of their senses that something really bad was going on, they just sat there and waited and that's a typical thing. Lots of people, for example, if the hotel fire alarm goes off they just go back to sleep, they say oh, it's a false alarm. The survivor will get up and investigate. The survivor, I say, perceive and believe.

COOPER: Some people are able to go really to extremes that other people say I would never be able to do that. I think in the case of Aaron Ralston (ph), the young man who was out hiking in the wilderness and got his arm caught by a rock, a huge boulder and ended up cutting off his own arm.

GONZALES: We all are fascinated by that case because we want to know, could we do that? I think the answer is how you have lived your life up to that point. Surviving is not just dealing with an emergency at the moment. It's a way of life. So that when you reach that moment you're able to deal with it.

COOPER: Do you think it makes a big difference as to why you got into that situation in the first place? I talked to a woman recently who jumped out of an airplane and both her parachutes failed to open, she ended up surviving, but badly injured. She didn't ever ask, why me, because she felt she had voluntarily put herself in that situation jumping out of that airplane. It was her choice.

GONZALES: Survivors don't sit around bemoaning their fate. They don't tend to ask, why me.

COOPER: You say children of survivors, indicating that we're all born survivors, and yet you all say some 90 percent of people end up panicking in situations, how do you learn how to be a better survivor or to be a survivor if you're not?

GONZALES: You have to practice in your daily life dealing with the small challenges that life brings you in the same way that you would deal with a big challenge. When we talk about the 12 traits of great survivors, there are definite traits that you can look for in yourself.

COOPER: Are they ones that you can just sort of wheel off or...

GONZALES: I usually break the 12 down into four for the sake of convenience and brevity and they are to, first of all, take responsibility for yourself. Secondly, to perceive and believe. Really believe the evidence of your senses and say, I see trouble, it's really coming. The next thing is to make a plan. Use this information that you've taken in through your senses, assess yourself and make a plan and the fourth thing is take action. It's surprisingly difficult in a crisis to translate thought into action. Some people just freeze. So in those four things are embodied lots of other traits that I describe in more detail, but those are the basic steps that a survivor takes and, of course, it all begins with remaining calm within yourself the way Bethany did.

COOPER: It's a fascinating subject. Laurence Gonzales, appreciate you joining us, thanks very much.

GONZALES: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Coming up, war, terror and secret intelligence. Former CIA director James Woolsey joins us live with insights on both.

And some developing breaking news we're following, a former chaplain at Guantanamo Bay charged with espionage has all the charges dropped. Find out why ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the top stories in tonight's "Reset."

Breaking news out of the Pentagon. Just about 25 minutes ago, the Army announced all criminal charges are being dropped against Army Chaplain James Yee. He was a Muslim chaplain at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Yee faced charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified information at Gitmo.

Today marks a year since the start of the war in Iraq, so-called Shock and Awe. The campaign began around 9:35 p.m. Eastern time. 5:35 a.m. in Baghdad. President Bush said this country is safer from terrorism. In the past year, Saddam Hussein and his sons, Uday and Qusay, of course, were removed from power. Over 500 U.S. soldiers have died and the price tag for the American treasury so far is an estimated $150 billion. We'll talk more about Iraq in just a moment.

In Washington, terror threat warnings to the nation of Indonesia. The Muslim nation has national elections planned for April, 24 political parties now campaigning for votes. Experts are concerned that Muslim terrorists may strike near Election Day.

In Baghdad, six U.S. soldiers are expected to face criminal charges, accused of assaulting a number of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison outside Baghdad. Other charges pending include cruelty, maltreatment, conspiracy, and dereliction of duty. Nine other soldiers are expected to receive severe administrative action that will effectively end their careers.

And right now, it is nearly dawn, Saturday in Pakistan. Heavy fighting continues, we are told, between Pakistani forces and hundreds of al Qaeda fighters suspected of protecting what they call a high- value target, possibly Osama bin Laden's second in command.

CNN's Nic Robertson is in Islamabad.

Nic, are you getting a feeling that this is the start of a long battle?

ROBERTSON: Too soon to say, Anderson, also difficult for us to assess. We do not get access to this tribal region. It's banned for non-Pakistanis to go into that area. So we don't get a good feel for what's happening on the ground.

It's quite possible that this standoff at the moment is being used by Pakistani authorities, aided by the information, intelligence they're getting from officials to build an accurate picture of how many al Qaeda members are there, how their located, and build a strategy to get them. So it's really too soon to say if this is getting into a long-term standoff or if this is just an assessment before they push the initiative and try and catch some of them -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Nic Robertson covering the action from Islamabad -- thanks very much, Nic.

Monitoring the operations in Pakistan and Iraq as well, with us now, James Woolsey, who was CIA director under President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Woolsey, thanks very much for being with us.

JAMES WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Good to be with you.

COOPER: I want to talk about Iraq, but I want to start off talking about what's gone in on Pakistan. How much confidence do you have in the Pakistan government's seriousness in terms of this offensive going on in the northwest?

WOOLSEY: Well, this is a major development. I think Musharraf has been very cautious about the northwest, those provinces with a lot of Islamists in them, very independent for some time.

But the two assassination attempts against him, as well as the resistance that is building up in some of the Islamist parties I think has convinced him he needs to take action. This is a very decisive move by him and the army.

COOPER: And yesterday, 24 hours ago, though, they were using the word imminent a lot. We haven't gotten much information in the last 24 hours. Should we become skeptical?

WOOLSEY: I don't know. It seems like they're fighting hard. And sometimes that is going to take some time.

I don't know that we have anything indicating that Zawahiri or bin Laden or exactly who might be there, but it's the fact that they're fighting so hard and in some substantial numbers against the Pakistani military forces that I think has gotten people's hopes up that there may be someone very important there.

COOPER: You recently returned from Iraqi I believe some three weeks ago. This anniversary of the war, you seem optimistic about the future. Why?

WOOLSEY: Well, I went over there maybe 51/49 optimistic. It's now more like 2-1.

Just a few quick illustrations. Traffic jams all over Baghdad while I was there. One of the big reasons was weddings, a lot of weddings. People are getting -- feeling secure enough to get married. And it was for -- a religious holiday was coming up and they wanted to get married before that. So that was striking to me. I was riding around in the Sunni Triangle with an military commander.

And he's leaning out the window, waving at the people beside the road and they're grinning and waving back at him. And I asked him why. I said, this doesn't look like the Sunni Triangle I see. And he said, well, these are Shia right here. It's a little rougher with the Sunni up the road, but he said, it's all of the schools we built for them. We built seven schools for them here in the last four or five months and used local labor.

Things like that are going on all over Iraq. And I think the Shia and the Kurds which is together about 85 percent of the country really understand that we've done a remarkable thing to free them. And they want our military forces -- they say so, anyway -- to stay, even though I think they're delighted to get control of the civilian administration of the country.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Are there enough of our military forces there? I mean, 115,000 troops or so, Thomas Friedman of "The New York Times" says that is simply not enough. He accuses basically the Bush administration of trying to do this on the cheap.

WOOLSEY: Well, I was only in the Army for two years and I flew a desk in the Pentagon, so I'm a little cautious to disagree with the military commanders there. And the secretary of defense says they think they have enough but I would certainly like to see us be able to seal those borders effectively, particularly against Iran and Syria.

I'm of two minds about that. I think we do want to keep training up Iraqis. I saw a lot of Iraqi civil defense corps people moving in to running roadblocks and running checks for vehicles and that kind of thing, taking over from Americans while I was there. And they're now between 200,000 and 300,000 Iraqis in one way or another under arms. That's been a substantial increase.

COOPER: On this anniversary, it's good to talk to you, James Woolsey, former DCI. Thank you very much for being with us.

WOOLSEY: Good to be with you, Anderson.

COOPER: The ongoing operation in Pakistan is a major story for us here in the U.S., but, overseas, the coverage is very different.

For a moment, let's take a look at what they're talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): All day long, the most popular Arab news channel, Al-Jazeera, has led its newscast for the hunt with Ayman al- Zawahiri, highlighting what they say is U.S. military assistance to Pakistani forces, airing exclusive video of U.S. troops along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

They also interview a Taliban spokesman who says al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden are safe and in Afghanistan. This morning, on the other big Arabic news network, Al-Arabiya, the Pakistani operation was just a news bulletin. Their big story, a surprise visit by Jordan's king to Israel.

The Pakistan military operation wasn't the top story on most French and British evening newscasts either. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four-hundred al Qaeda fighters is said to be cornered.

COOPER: But it was the big headline in Britain's "The Guardian." For most European papers, the big news was either the first anniversary of the Iraq war or the latest in the investigation of last week's bombings in Madrid, which has been the main headline all week.

If many in the U.S. see the defeat of the pro-U.S. government in Spain as a victory for terrorists, in Europe, the vote is viewed differently. Spain's daily "ABC" called the elections the embodiment of the democratic process. And the French left-leaning "Liberation," which opposed the war, had a warning to other U.S. allies. Their headline, "The Price of Lying."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Always interesting to see coverage around the world.

Should's goods for sale, looted, they end up for grabs on eBay? You may be a surprised who's looking to cash in.

Also ahead, the race for the White House, the candidates, their rich lives, that is definitely raw politics.

And "Passion" plays, Mel Gibson's movie inspiring some to confess and ask for forgiveness. We'll talk about that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, some soldiers returning from Iraq are trying to sell items they brought back with them. Now, we're not talking about garage sales. Of course, this being the new world, we're talking about eBay.

CNN's Gary Tuchman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Troops have always brought back souvenirs from war, but they haven't always had eBay.

(on camera): How much do you want for the Koran?

BRIAN CRAMER, U.S. ARMY: I did a starting bid of $150.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Brian Cramer was an Army military policeman during the Iraq war. The Pennsylvania resident took this Koran from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces and put it on eBay.

CRAMER: They said, as long as it wasn't a gun, ammunition or explosives, we were allowed to bring anything else back.

TUCHMAN: The 24-year-old retired veteran says he also received permission from his commanders to take Iraqi handcuffs, an Iraqi police pin and a bayonet, which he also wants to auction.

(on camera): So you detained the soldier and you took his bayonet and brought it home with you?

CRAMER: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Other items on eBay include a palace rug. Bidding went over $1,100. And silverware, which sold for $71. U.S. Central Command told CNN, "Taking or retaining individual souvenirs or trophies are prohibited," but adds, it "does not preclude the lawful acquisition of souvenirs that can legally be imported."

Specialist Cramer believes it was lawful if his superiors gave their OK.

CRAMER: Is it morally wrong? Maybe. But, to me, I have no guilty conscience over this whatsoever.

TUCHMAN (on camera): And what does eBay think of all this? The Internet auction site says, because of U.S. government laws, items from Iraq are not allowed to be auctioned. So if it's seen on the site, it will be pulled off.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Hours after we met with Cramer, with his Koran price climbing close $700, eBay did see it and now it's been pulled off.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right.

Well, still on the subject of Iraq, with all the coverage of the war on terror, we want to tell you about some breaking news that happened a short time ago. All charges against U.S. Army Chaplain James Yee have now been dropped. You may remember Captain Yee was initially accused of espionage at a Guantanamo Bay camp. He was the Muslim chaplain there. But all charges against him now have been dropped. That story broke just about 40 minutes ago.

With all of the courage of the war on terror, of course, it's easy to forget there's a presidential campaign going on. Oh, yes, remember that?

Let's take a quick look at what's happening on the trail.

President Bush's campaign reports today the money is flowing in. They're well on their way of reaching their $170 million fund-raising goal. The campaign has $110 million in the bank. They've already spent some $50 million on infrastructure, ads and fund-raising.

A red-faced moment for the Bush camp today. The official merchandising Web site for the president's reelection campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, now known as Myanmar. The problem? Those goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish a military dictatorship. A campaign spokesman says -- quote -- "The company that made the goods admits it made a mistake and we are committed to making sure that only made-in-the-USA products are sold on the Web site."

Meanwhile, of course, the ad war continues. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to blow!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: This is a DNC-sponsored ad. The balloon that just popped, the party's take on the growing federal deficit, the Kerry camp taking a swipe at Bush after a Republican ad yesterday called him the international man of mystery. Tit for tat goes on, on the trail.

Today, John Kerry continues his vacation. He's enjoying a week off on the slopes in Idaho with his wife. We got some shots of him there, a hint of the big-bucks lifestyle both Kerry and the president lead, of course, in their private lives. They don't talk about their own money much, but, of course, that's all part of raw politics.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): President Bush and Senator Kerry like to point out their differences. But if you look at their pedigrees and their pocketbooks, the differences kind of disappear. Both candidates have plenty of vacation home options.

Right now, John and Teresa Heinz Kerry are relaxing here, a luxurious seven bedroom, 7,000-square-foot holiday home in Ketchum, Idaho. Value, $4.9 million. Of course, they could have chosen one of their other high-priced homes to stay in. The couple have real estate in Washington, Nantucket, Pittsburgh, and Boston. In total, the homes are worth more than $20 million and to be fair, all but the one in Boston are in Mrs. Kerry's name only.

President Bush has some pretty nice digs, too. The ranch in Crawford, Texas, is 1,600 acres. The land alone is worth $1.2 million. There's also the Bush family on compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, located on prime oceanfront property, worth at least $8 million.

Both men have similar backgrounds. Both went to Yale, just a few years apart. Both were members of the exclusive and secret Skull and Bones fraternity. Both come from patrician families. Estimates of President Bush's assets range from $8 million to $20 million, Kerry and his wife from $198 to $850 million, though the assets Kerry owns himself are more in the neighborhood of $2 million.

Despite their deep pockets, in the months ahead, both men will no doubt work very hard to prove that at heart they're populists. May the best multimillionaire Yale graduate win.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Coming up, "The Passion of the Christ" and the passion it's provoking and a few oddballs. Did the movie lead a bank robber to confess to his crime?

Also tonight, Jim Carrey mixes drama and comedy in a mind-bending movie. Stay tuned to see if it's worth your money at the multiplex this weekend.

Also a little later, oops, she did it again. New pain for Britney Spears? That's all up in "The Current."

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So it's been open for only three weeks and already Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" has pulled in morning than $260 million at the box office. While critics and theater-goers debate the message and the merits of the film, some other folks are reacting, well, kind of oddly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" was always expected to inspire heated debates.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Michael, let me jump in here please.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut up!

COOPER: And extreme emotions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you see this, when you see the suffering, there is no way somebody can tell me that he's not God.

COOPER: But lately, we've noticed it's inspired some people to do some pretty unusual things. Case in point, James Anderson. In 2001 he robbed a bank in Florida for $25,000. This week, he walked into a police station and said: "I have to confess to a bank robbery I committed. I just saw the most wonderful movie. It moved me."

The movie, of course, was "The Passion of the Christ." Police were skeptical of Anderson's motivations, saying he was probably just tired of living in his car and, believing he has prostate cancer, wanted some free medical attention. Oh, ye of little faith.

Then there's Sean and Melissa Davidson of Statesboro, Georgia. What began as their civilized debate over religion ended as an all-out brawl. Bruised and battered, they both called the cops. Now they're both charged with battery. They told police they were debating because they had just seen "The Passion of the Christ." "I think they missed the point," one police officer said.

Finally, the curious case of a Maine man who decided to recreate the crucifixion by nailing himself to the cross. When he had one hand attached, it dawned on him that it's really a job you can do alone. He used his free hand to call 911. The first question he was asked, have you recently seen "The Passion of the Christ"?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current," and kind of a musical edition of "The Current" tonight.

Andre 3000 of OutKast says tying the knot is bad news. The rapper tells "Blender" magazine he would rather be lonely and horny than married. What Andre doesn't realize, of course, many married people can always describe themselves as, well, lonely and kind of horny.

There's talk that the Spice Girls may get together again. The rumor mill says the ladies may regroup to promote a greatest hits album. This album, of course, will be comprised of one song played over and over and over again.

Courtney Love has reached a very special milestone. Yesterday, she was busted for allegedly hitting a man with a microphone stand. She was released. It is now 7:52. That means that Courtney love has gone a full 24 hours without being arrested. Congratulations.

That's the 360 crew. They're very happy.

Finally, Britney Spears canceled her concert tonight near Chicago after suffering an injury during a performance yesterday. It seems the 22-year-old pop star hurt her knee during a dance routine. There is some good news to report. It is now 7:52 and 43 seconds. In the last 24 hours, Ms. Spears has not married anybody. Congratulations.

All right, so it's almost the weekend. What can we say?

Jim Carrey returns to the movies this weekend with a romantic comedy about a man who erases the memory of a relationship. "New York Times" film critic Elvis Mitchell is here to tell us if it and other films opening this weekend are worth seeing.

First, let's show a clip of Carrey in "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND")

JIM CARREY, ACTOR: What the hell are you talking about? I can't just cancel it. I'm asleep.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Wake yourself up!

CARREY: OK. You want me awake? OK. Great. OK, here we go. Will this make you happy if I try?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: yes.

CARREY: I'll try real hard. There we go. That was a great idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So, Elvis, is this film worth seeing?

ELVIS MITCHELL, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Yes, it is because, generally, when Jim Carrey's in a movie that's not a comedy -- quote, unquote -- he kind of telegraphs it's a comedy by taking all the emotion out of his face and looking like he's dreading an execution or something like that.

But this time, he's actually giving a performance in the context of a really kind of complicated movie that's really funny. I think this movie you will end up admiring more than liking, though, because it's so beautifully made and it's so smart and there's so much going in it that it takes a while to get involved with the picture emotionally.

COOPER: All right, let's talk about this other movie, "Taking Lives." Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, I think is in it. Is it good?

MITCHELL: I'll put it to you this way. People make fun of Ashley Judd for having made a bunch of bad choices. Well, let's not forget Angelina Jolie did "Original Sin" and "Beyond Borders" before she did this movie.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Oh, don't be mean to Angelina Jolie now.

MITCHELL: Why? What's wrong?

COOPER: I don't know. She's doing good work for the U.N.

MITCHELL: I give money to UNICEF.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: OK.

MITCHELL: This isn't going to stop that. That's the thing. You kind of want her to be good because the thing about her as an actress is that she has such a vivid face that you end up really wanting the movie to work for her. And she's such an extraordinary personality and she has really acting chops. You want to see her give a performance in something.

So to her walk into this thing that could an Ashley Judd movie for Showtime is just kind of an embarrassment for everybody.

COOPER: "Dawn of the Dead," I have really no desire to see it because I don't like horror films. Is this good? Is it worthwhile?

MITCHELL: Well, the original is about basically about a zombie movie at a shopping mall. Satire, get it? This is -- like basically one good line in the first movie which is repeated in this one, but other than that, it's just like a big video game.

And it's just such a bad movie, I think the zombie lobby will actually sue for defamation of character. It's just really kind of obvious and bloody and it will make a great video game.

COOPER: and "28 Days Later," though, for me, was sort of the quintessential Zombie movie. And I kind of feel like I don't need to this "Dawn of the Dead" thing -- or is it "Day of the Dead"? -- no, it's "Dawn of the Dead" -- because I feel like I already saw it.

MITCHELL: No, "Day of the Dead" was the third George Romero.

We should say, this is the remake of the 1978 "Dawn of the Dead." I think the quintessential zombie movie is actually "Night of the Living Dead," which is an extraordinary movie made for no money. But this movie and "28 Days Later" remind me of that thing that you always think about, which is, why is it that people in zombie movies have never seen a zombie movie?

(LAUGHTER)

MITCHELL: They never know what to do. Don't get bit.

COOPER: Right.

MITCHELL: That's all you got to know. They're like vampires. Calm down.

COOPER: Don't get bit, good advice for this weekend.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Elvis Mitchell from "The New York Times," thanks.

MITCHELL: Thanks, Anderson.

COOPER: So have you noticed the obsession with makeovers? It's making its way to supermarket shelves. Coming up, what's going on with Mr. Peanut? Why is he going to get all jiggy with it?

We'll talk about that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight, taking brands to "The Nth Degree."

Mr. Peanut has had a makeover. The brand character for Planters still sports a top hat, monocle and cane, but now he's -- well, he's trying to be hip. In new ads, the 88-year-old Peanut plays B-ball, cares about carbs and even shakes his nuts.

It may seem undignified, but let's be honest. Being an old brand character isn't easy in this youth-obsessed age. Don't believe me? Just ask the old Brawny guy. Sure, he was hot for a while, but the '70s porn look is out. I hear the new Brawny guy never even said thanks; 83-year-old Betty Crocker was replaced with a younger model. That was eight years ago. She's probably due for a bit of Botox.

Aunt Jemima is still around, of course, but she's had to endure endless face-lifts and tummy tucks. Companies want their brand characters to be multicultural, accessible. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that. But we also think there's nothing wrong with showing your age. And these days, that makes us just plain nuts.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend.

Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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Army Drops Charges Against Captain Yee>