Return to Transcripts main page

Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

America Vows Revenge for Massacre in Fallujah; Al Qaeda Manual for Terror

Aired April 01, 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, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): America vows vengeance for the massacre in Iraq that these Fallujah fanatics be caught.

A 360 exclusive, we've obtained an al Qaeda manual for terror. You won't believe this 44-page how-to guide.

Audrey Seiler is home but the mystery remains. Why did she disappear and where is the suspect police are looking for?

Caught on tape, youth correction officers pummeling inmates, why the D.A. won't file criminal charges.

It's a good week to be a juror if it's attention you're after. Have today's jurors gone wild?

And what happens in your home while you're out? A teen's webcam catches a thief in his parents' home cross country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Welcome to 360.

New developments in the case of the once missing University of Wisconsin student. A short time ago police released this sketch, the man a suspect in the disappearance of Audrey Seiler. Was it a kidnapping? Details coming up.

But first, U.S. officials are vowing to hunt down the men who butchered four American security contractors in Fallujah yesterday. The shocking, disturbing images broadcast around the world jolted a mission already grappling with the struggles of rebuilding a country. Today the fallout from Washington and in Baghdad.

Jim Clancy is live in Baghdad for us and Jamie McIntyre is at the Pentagon. We begin with Jim. Jim, is the hunt for these Fallujah killers already underway?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If U.S. officials are to be believed, I think the only answer to that is yes. A national shame or an understandable reaction to U.S. occupation? Iraqis had a wide range of views. We tried to find some of them. We warn our viewers now that some of the images here may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): A day after Iraqi insurgents ambushed and killed nine American soldiers and civilians in separate attacks around Fallujah, U.S. officials vowed to stay the course in Iraq and pursue those responsible.

The incident involving four civilian contractors whose charred bodies were dismembered and put on display by a crowd of jubilant Iraqis cause the most concern. Some Iraqis were shocked by the violence.

Others said Fallujah harbored some of the most ardent supporters of Saddam Hussein in all of Iraq and that no one should be surprised they treated American civilians Wednesday just like they treated Iraqis for decades. But most appeared to excuse the mob scene in the streets as a reaction to the continuing U.S. occupation. U.S. officials rejected that notion.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQ CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR: The acts we have seen were despicable and inexcusable and they violate the tenets of all religions including Islam as well as the foundations of civilized society. Their deaths will not go unpunished.

CLANCY: General Mark Kimmitt was more direct promising to send in the Marines.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIR., COALITION OPERATIONS: They are coming back. They are going to hunt down the people responsible for this bestial act. It is up to the people, the small number of people in Fallujah to determine if they want to do it with a fight or without a fight.

CLANCY: But the fight continued. In northwest Baghdad, two roadside bombs took aim at a U.S. supply convoy including fuel trucks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Jim, Fallujah is a tough place these days. This hunt for these killers is not going to be easy, is it?

CLANCY: It certainly isn't and, you know, if you look back at some of the comments that have been made by officials in the old regime, a lot of people said it's not Vietnam. It's only deserts in Iraq.

But some Iraqi officials responded to that, that their real jungles would be in the cities, in the city streets and that's where the Marines that have jurisdiction there in Fallujah are going to probably have their toughest fights.

COOPER: All right, Jim Clancy live in Baghdad thanks very much for that, Jim.

As for what comes next in Fallujah, well Jim hinted at it, a risky change of tactics. U.S. Marines are readying to take on the town that's become a hotbed of hatred.

Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the new strategy and, again, a warning some of the images you'll see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The murder and mutilation of four American contractors has driven the U.s. military to ditch the strategy of keeping several thousand Marines on the outskirts of Fallujah.

It will no longer rely only on poorly trained and ill-equipped Iraqi police and civil defense forces to provide security. The Marines are now being told they will retake the city.

KIMMITT: The coalition forces will respond. They will be in that city. It will be at a time and a place of our choosing. It will be methodical. It will be precise and it will be overwhelming.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon sources say planning is underway now for a major effort to "pacify Fallujah" to being in the next few days. Marines will go in, in force, and hunt for enemy fighters as well as pressure city officials to finger those responsible for recent attacks, the message help us find them or we will do it the hard way with brute combat force. Marines will also be looking for any Iraqis who can be identified from television footage showing the angry mob celebrating the U.S. deaths.

KIMMITT: Those people that we have photographed and we have video that were involved in this operation that were involved in this brutality we have a significant interest in finding them and talking to them.

MCINTYRE: Last Friday when Marines engaged local insurgents in a fierce firefight, 18 Iraqis, one Marine and five civilians were killed. The deaths only fueled anti-U.S. sentiment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The U.S. insists that increasing the total number of troops in Fallujah is not the answer but until more Iraqi police are on the job, the Marines are going to have a tough assignment to hunt down insurgents while at the same time trying to win over the local populous with acts of kindness -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon thanks.

Word today on when Condoleezza Rice is going to testify before the 9/11 commission. The date is set, April 8, one week from today. Rice will testify in public under oath about what she knew and when.

Today a senior terrorist analyst for the Bush administration told lawmakers that al Qaeda is under what he calls "catastrophic stress" and is linking up with small organizations to try to survive. Still, he warns al Qaeda remains a potent force of terror as you're going to see in this chilling and exclusive report. During a raid on what Indonesian authorities called a terrorist safe house, they discovered a 44-page manual for al Qaeda terror operations in Southeast Asia. CNN has obtained a copy of the document. It was considered so secret by Indonesian terrorists that only their top leadership were allowed to see it. You will not see this report anywhere else.

CNN's Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA RESSA, CNN JAKARTA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Think of it like a 44-page blueprint for global domination. Known by its Indonesian acronym PUPJI, it's called the General Guide to the Struggle of Jama'ah al Islamiyah or JI, al Qaeda's arm in Southeast Asia. It claimed responsibility for two al Qaeda funded attacks here since 9/11.

ROHAN GUNARATNA, TERRORISM ANALYST: Certainly al Qaeda inspired JI manual because the JI manual has certain passages and concepts from al Qaeda.

RESSA: Written in Indonesian and Arabic, the manual outlines JI's administrative and operational divisions governed by a constitution and a well defined leadership structure.

The introduction gives its goal of global domination to "create a force in the name of Islam, to restore the Islamic Caliphate and the sovereignty of Shariah" or Islamic law "in the four corners of the earth."

It highlights a patient molding of the individual, the role of education, the importance of military training and armed jihad. These ideas, authorities in the region say, have allowed JI and al Qaeda to survive the arrests of thousands of members. That, they say, has only weakened the organizations.

WONG KAN SENG, HOME MINISTER, SINGAPORE: As long as they don't spawn new ones and no new terrorists are being bred then the supply line will be cut but unfortunately right now the supply line is too active.

RESSA: Until today, Indonesia has not banned JI as a terrorist organization.

(on camera): What the manual shows is how patient and methodical al Qaeda and its associate groups are in their attempts to topple secular governments. A goal, analysts say, many Muslim nations like Indonesia still refuse to take seriously leaving them vulnerable in a global war on terror.

Maria Ressa, CNN, Jakarta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the hunt for terrorists is a global one of course. Right now authorities in Spain are searching for the suspected ringleader of the Madrid train massacre. This is the man. Take a look. They are looking for a 35-year-old Tunisian.

Police identify him as the leader and coordinator of last month's train attack that killed 191 people, wounded more than 1,000. Five other men, all from Morocco, are also wanted in connection with the bombings.

Well, as we told you at the top of the program, a composite sketch is being circulated in Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding vicinity. College student Audrey Seiler says this picture is an accurate depiction of the man who she says kidnapped her last week but was she abducted and do the police believe her?

CNN's Jonathan Freed has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to Audrey Seiler this is the face of the man who abducted her at knifepoint. Police released this sketch of the suspect after a day of searching and questioning, searching for evidence in the marshy area where Seiler was found on Wednesday and questioning the 20-year-old about her ordeal. Police interviewed her for hours looking for details.

OFFICER LARRY KAMHOLZ, MADISON POLICE DEPT.: Hopefully, it will help provide some clues as to where to look, where they were, you know, what areas they had been in the city.

FREED: The University of Wisconsin student disappeared from her apartment early Saturday morning. Security video showed her leaving without a coat.

The case caught more attention because Seiler says that she was also knocked unconscious in February while out walking late at night but that she wasn't robbed or seriously hurt. Her story...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very relieved and very impressed with the way, you know, things were handled and the communication.

FREED: It is meeting with a bit of a mixed reaction in Madison.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I find it odd in that it just was two months ago. I mean how many times do you have bad luck in your life.

FREED: Late Thursday, police responded to the speculation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like in any other major investigation there may be inconsistencies but our -- but we are continuing forward with this investigation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now police say, Anderson, that they are now looking into what they call the sequence of events that has been described to them by Seiler and by witnesses -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jonathan Freed in Madison thanks.

We're following a number of developing stories right now "Cross Country." Let's quickly take a look.

Washington, D.C., a controversial law is born flanked by the parents of Laci Peterson. President Bush signs a bill making it a crime to harm an unborn child when a woman is attacked. Critics say the measure is a step toward eliminating abortion.

In New York, blue chips no more, Dow Jones drops three (unintelligible) brands from its index of key stocks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average. AT&T, Eastman Kodak and International Paper are out. Verizon, AIG and Pfizer will take their place.

Devore, California now, road closed, heavy fog being blamed for several chain reaction crashes that shut down a stretch of Interstate 15 for much of the day. Look at that, a lot of carnage. Several minor to moderate injuries were reported. It looked a whole lot worse though.

Kittery, Maine, scrambling for safety. Take a look. Gas station surveillance tape that shows customers running for cover, I know it's hard to look, as an out of control pickup makes a bee line for the station. No one was killed in the explosion. The driver arrested for DUI.

Capitol Hill now, a new Senate milestone, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd cast his 17,000th ballot, 17,000 ballots, unbelievable. The 86-year-old Democrat received a standing ovation after the vote was cast, and that's a look at stories "Cross Country."

Martha Stewart fighting to stay out of prison but is it too little too late for her? A look at her chances of beating the wrap.

Plus, webcam burglar, how some clever kids caught a thief in their parents' home, get this, while they were thousands of miles away off that little webcam.

Also tonight, another caught on tape, youth in prison beaten by counselors. Some parents and lawmakers are outraged by what they're seeing right here. The question is, is there more going on than meets the eye, all that ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

COOPER: And we have some breaking news to report, this just in to CNN.

The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan has made a surprise unexpected visit to the White House apparently. He has said, told the White House that Saudi Arabia is committed to heading off potential problems in the energy market, this according to Reuters, saying that of course oil prices have jumped recently.

The Saudi ambassador to the United States saying on Thursday that Saudi Arabia is committed to heading off potential problems in the energy market. A quote here from Reuters, "we will not allow shortages in the market" said Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan who said he was conveying a message from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah.

So, that word just coming into the White House. We'll be following any developments on that.

Today, Martha Stewart's lawyers are waiting. They've requested a new trial for her. Her chances of success, a long shot at best say legal experts.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is watching the story unfold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Immediately after Martha Stewart was found guilty her lawyer made it clear they might be down but not out.

ROBERT MORVILLO, LAWYER FOR MARTHA STEWART: We look at this as having lost the first round.

FEYERICK: Stewart's legal team spent big bucks on consultants to pick just the right jury. Now they're attacking one of those jurors saying he lied before he was ever picked, failing to tell them or the judge he had had a run in with police for allegedly striking his girlfriend.

New York defense lawyer Ronald Fischetti says if Stewart's lawyer can prove Chappell Hartridge answered the jury questionnaire dishonestly, he'd have a good case for a new trial.

RONALD FISCHETTI, DEFENSE LAWYER: That's a very, very serious matter and, if he can prove that and prove some sort of bias, he's going to win a new trial for Martha Stewart.

FEYERICK: The bias, as the defense sees it, this statement Hartridge made right after the verdict.

CHAPPELL HARTRIDGE, JUROR: Maybe to the little investor they may feel a little bit more comfortable that they can invest in the market and not worry about these type of scams where they can lose their 401Ks or just lose money on any (unintelligible) stocks.

FEYERICK: Hartridge did not return repeated calls but one jury member reached by phone says Hartridge was conscientious, deliberating in good faith like the others. Dana D'Allessandro (ph) called the lawyers' tactics too little too late. Some defense lawyers say the tactic won't work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Mr. Morvillo ought to be ashamed of himself. He lost the case. He put on no defense. To come out and attack the juror is wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: It does not appear that Mr. Hartridge was ever charged formally with anything. That means that he may have answered the questions truthfully. The questionnaire is sealed so we don't know exactly what was in it.

Also, one defense lawyer said that it happens more often than not that somebody doesn't answer these questionnaires correctly, plus a very high bar for jury misconduct that would disqualify a jury verdict -- Anderson

COOPER: All right, Deborah Feyerick thanks very much.

We turn now to a real life crimes story. It sounds straight out of "The Sopranos" however. It's about a mob boss named Peter Gotti here in New York and his mistress who was found dead after publicly professing her love for him.

CNN's Alina Cho has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This photo of Marjorie Alexander was taken on Monday, the same day police say she checked into this Long Island motel.

Authorities say she was wearing these same clothes when her body was found in the motel room two days later. A detective says the long time girlfriend of reputed mob boss Peter Gotti apparently took her own life.

RICHARD LAURSEN, NASSAU COUNTY DETECTIVE: Using prescription pills and then placing a plastic bag over your head, we believe that that was the method that she used.

CHO: In the room, police also found what they call two classic suicide notes, one for police saying she was doing this of her own free will, another an apology to housekeeping in case a maid found her body. Police say they do not suspect foul play.

LAURSEN: There was absolutely no indications of any violence in the room. There were no weapons in the room. There was no violence to her.

CHO: Peter Gotti's lawyer says Gotti is devastated by the news of Alexander's death. Gotti is in jail awaiting sentencing for racketeering and other charges. Alexander attended every day of Gotti's nine-week trial last year and even wrote several lengthy letters to the judge pleading for leniency. The 43-year-old divorced mother of two went public with her love for Gotti in an interview with the New York "Daily News" Monday. The news of her death made her a tabloid star.

(on camera): Even though she spoke voluntarily to the press, Alexander's son nevertheless blamed the media for her death. He told CNN she was a private person who never wanted to be in the spotlight.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we're tracking a number of developing stories right now around the globe. Let's check the "Up Link."

Tashkent, Uzbekistan, suicide bombing, a female bomber blew herself up killing another, critically injuring herself. For the first time, officials link al Qaeda to this week's attacks. The violence has left more than 40 people dead.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, praying for rain. Across the kingdom, Muslim clerics lead worshipers in prayers for rain. They are urging the faithful to purify their hearts blaming the season's drought on sinfulness.

London, they are not amused, the royal family bars a British tabloid from events with Prince William after "The Sun" publishes photos of him with a young woman identified as his serious girlfriend. The royals say the pictures violate the prince's privacy.

Back in Los Angeles, "Apprentice" rejects take note, boy there are a lot of them out there, Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson makes a deal with Fox for a new reality TV show, another one, tentatively called "Branson's Big Adventure." Aspiring billionaires will vie for Sir Richard's approval while desperately trying to maintain their dignity. Good luck with that. It's expected to air later this year, and that's a quick look at the "Up Link."

A burglar busted from thousands of miles away, unbelievable story, how two teens track down a thief in their home using this tiny little webcam.

Also tonight, juvenile beaten in prison by their own counselors but authorities haven't filed any charges. We'll look into that.

Also a little later on, what story did the media overkill this week? Well, Janet's getting jiggy, Michael was on the Hill, the media just couldn't resist now could they? That's the overkill. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, do you ever worry that someone's in your home when you leave, well leave the state? Well, in Washington state one family decided to install a web camera at home. They went on this trip, logged on, and they caught an eyeful going on back home. CNN's Kimberly Osias has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forget about watchdogs. Nathan and David Sundquist just need their brain power and the Internet.

DAVID SUNDQUIST, CAUGHT INTRUDER ON WEBCAM: I would say we're pretty close to nerds or geeks.

OSIAS: The pair turned to technology to catch a burglary in their own home.

(on camera): It was this small camera rigged with duct tape that captured live still shots and streamed them over the Internet to a hotel room in Washington, D.C. where the Sundquists were vacationing.

(voice-over): When the boys saw the guy asleep in their computer room, they blared some music by remote and got him to move.

D. SUNDQUIST: I installed the camera just for fun. I never really thought it would catch a burglar in the house.

OSIAS: 911 was called. Police caught the burglar but this is no ordinary thief.

D. SUNDQUUIST: Well, he's actually our neighbor and he's actually a pretty close friend of ours.

OSIAS: And he wasn't stealing ordinary loot.

NATHAN SUNDQUIST: Well, what we know is that he downloaded (unintelligible).

OSIAS: He's written the family an apology and spent several nights behind bars but the family says they don't want to press charges.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn't need any more punishment than this.

OSIAS: After all, they caught their thief.

Kimberly Osias CNN, Bothell, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: They certainly did. I talked with David and Nathan Sundquist, the two teens who hooked up the webcam, caught the intruder in their house. They're back home now in Bothell, Washington. I asked them what they saw that started to raise their suspicions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

D. SUNDQUIST: There was actually a cord laying across the floor of the other computer room and that wasn't there when we left and I asked my brother if he had put it there like right before we left and he said no. So, we figured somebody had to have been there.

COOPER: Nathan, your brother is the one who set up the webcam to start with. Why did you guys set up the webcam? Were there some suspicions that maybe somebody had been in your house in the past?

N. SUNDQUIST: There have been a couple suspicions but it was really just for, like our own entertainment like so our friends could see us and do whatever we wanted to, screw around.

COOPER: So what happened, David, when you see this cord out of place? What did you say to each other?

D. SUNDQUIST: Nathan actually had the idea of logging into the computer remotely and turning on music to see if anybody was still in the house.

COOPER: So, what did that do, turning on the music, why would that make a difference?

D. SUNDQUIST: Well, because we figured that if there was somebody in the house then they would come up and try to turn it off.

COOPER: Oh, that was really smart. I didn't get that. Did it work Nathan?

N. SUNDQUIST: Yes, it did. He came out of my room about ten seconds after it turned on. We're guessing he was asleep and he came in and turned it off.

COOPER: And, Nathan, did you recognize the intruder immediately?

N. SUNDQUIST: Oh, yes, as soon as he stepped out. We had probably figured it was him if he was there because he'd be the one that would be playing X-Box and doing that, so as soon as we saw him come out we're just like, yes.

COOPER: You were like, yes. Now, David, he was a neighbor of yours.

N. SUNDQUIST: It was pretty cool.

COOPER: It was pretty cool. He was a neighbor of yours, David, and he had also spent time in your house before there. He kind of lived there.

D. SUNDQUIST: Yes, he had -- he kind of has trouble with a family home life so his parents had kicked him out so we let him stay with us for about two months.

COOPER: And, Nathan, after I guess he was arrested he spent two nights or so in jail and then apparently he came back to your house?

N. SUNDQUIST: Yes, he got out of jail at 6:18 on Sunday night and at 8:00 our neighbor two houses down called the cops and reported that someone was climbing on our roof.

COOPER: So, David, are you ever going to leave your house again without hooking up this webcam?

D. SUNDQUIST: Well, maybe but probably not. I think I might go buy some more webcams and see if I can put them up in other places too.

COOPER: David and Nathan, thanks very much.

D. SUNDQUIST: Thank you very much.

N. SUNDQUIST: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Smart kids. In case you don't know much about webcams, which I don't, here's a fast fact. They were invented in 1991 by students at Cambridge University in England.

They apparently rigged the device to monitor their coffee pot so they could see when it was running empty. They linked their invention to the Internet. Thousands of people actually logged on to watch the coffee pot.

By the year 2000, there were 10,000 webcams worldwide sending out images 24 hours a day and, from what I understand, they are not showing just coffee pots anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Disturbing new video from a youth correctional facility, are these correction officers in need of some serious self help?

(Unintelligible) juror, lying juror, juror with a past, are jury antics clouding the Martha, Tyco and Peterson trials?

And Jackson overkill, Janet gets jiggy, Michael's on the Hill, and the media can't get enough. 360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In the next half hour on "360," juvenile inmates beaten by prison staff. We'll talk to one state senator who is calling for charges. See the video for yourself and see what you think.

But first, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."

Washington, oil prices breaking news. Saudi Arabia says it is committed to heading off oil problems in the U.S. That's what the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. said today during a surprise appearance at the White House just a short time ago. Saudi Prince Bandar bin- Sultan, you see him there meeting the president said, quote, "We will not allow shortages in the market." The prince conveying a message from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah; that file tape there.

Also in Washington, private papers made public. A federal judge has ordered the federal government to release more documents relating to the White House Energy Task Force. Vice President Dick Cheney had convened the task force in private.

Remember the Smiley Face Bomber? A federal judge today declared former college student Luke Helder incompetent to stand trial. He's accused of planting pipe bombs in a smiley face pattern across the Midwest nearly two years ago.

To California now, Gateway shuts down. The financially troubled computer seller says it will close all of its 188 stores next week, all of them. 2500 jobs will be eliminated over the next month. The company, which had posted losses in 12 out of the last 13 quarters, says it is exploring other options for retail distribution.

Richmond, West Virginia, new mega millionaires. A retired truck driver and his wife are the winners of the second largest, single lottery jackpot in history. J.R. and Peggy Triplett are now worth -- get this, hold on to your hat, $239 million. They claim the jackpot today, which they had actually won back on February 20. Took a little time.

In Los angels, California, honoring John Belushi, the late star of "Saturday Night Live" and "Animal House," received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982. He was only 33 years old when he died.

Now, to a quick look to stories in "The Reset." A controversial prison surveillance tape is now making its way through the media. California authorities have been arguing over it for two months, but so far nothing has been done. Prison overseers hope they can change it by letting the public see. You're about to see for yourself.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has the story and the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): January 20, a brawl spills out onto the floor at the California Youth Facility in Stockton, after two counselors were allegedly attacked. In the foreground, one counselor strikes 28 times an inmate prone on the ground, punching him with both hands. In the background, another youth lying on the ground is kicked by another counselor.

An internal investigation determined the video showed staff used excessive force in the incident and recommended prosecution. But when the video was turned over to the local district attorney, charges were not filed because the D.A. said there wasn't enough evidence. The California attorney general says they are taking a closer look at the case, but...

BILL LOCKYER, ATTORNEY GENERAL, CALIFORNIA: You saw what one person wanted you to see. We're aware of other evidence that hasn't yet become available. DORNIN: State Senator Gloria Romero says it is enough to warrant action now.

SEN. GLORIA ROMERO, CALIFORNIA STATE: This case should be sent to a court of law to be decided by a judge or jury.

DORNIN: She says a code of silence among prison staff led to four witnesses refusing to testify or they gave statements inconsistent with what the video. A union representative for guards at the facility pointed out the tape doesn't know what happened to cause the fight.

DAMON DARCHUCK, CA. CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS ASSN.: Don't think they understand the level of violence we deal with every day.

DORNIN (on camera): The California Youth Authority has been accused by the state and independent investigators of using excessive force on other occasions. The state attorney general will decide whether to file charges in this latest incident in the next few days.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Sacramento, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The state lawmaker you just saw in that story is with us now to talk more about that issue. Gloria Romero, she joins us now from Sacramento.

Thanks very much for being with us, Senator Romero.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Why didn't the D.A. file charges originally? Was it because of this no talking by the guards, by the counselors?

ROMERO: I haven't spoken with the district attorney directly. You would have to direct that to him. But I am very disappointed that he has failed to move forward on the recommendation by the internal affairs unit at the California Youth Authority to file charges.

COOPER: Now, you've accused the California state attorney general's office basically of dragging their feet. You say they should file charges they haven't. They say, look, we're still investigating this thing. It's an open investigation. And in fact, they say you holding this press conference and showing this tape doesn't help the ongoing investigation. And could in fact, hurt any case that may be brought. What makes you think they're dragging their feet?

ROMERO: Well, again, too, I think this case is being bunted around. I would respond, though, to say that the truth speaks for itself. Any time the truth comes out, this should never be perceived as being obstructionist. If anything, I'm from Los Angeles where we have seen videotapes, be it Rodney King or other infamous cases that have ultimately gone to trial. Ultimately, what I want to see on behalf of the people I represent, on behalf of the taxpayers who foot the bill for rehabilitation in the state of California, that this case recommended, investigated by internal affairs that charges may be warranted, should ultimately be decided in a court of law. I just want to see that it makes its way into a court of law and that nothing obstructs it in its process.

COOPER: The California Correctional Peace Officers Association basically says you're just trying to sensationalize this by showing this tape, or try to force it into the media, and force big headlines. And really, you're calling for charges against the corrections officers. Are you not calling for any charges against the wards who are involved in this, because they apparently did begin the fight unprovoked?

ROMERO: The wards were originally charged by the district attorney, those charges were dropped when the officers came into court at the preliminary hearing and pled the Fifth. If charges are warranted against the wards, again, too, that's an investigation. And should that be the case, I would be supportive of that. But at this point in terms of looking at the videotape, in looking at the report filed by internal affairs, again too, we are focusing on the actions of the counselors and CYA staff.

COOPER: State Senator Gloria Romero, appreciate you joining us. We'll keep following the story.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Thanks very much.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Flashback now to 2000, when eight guards when guards from Corcoran State Prison in California were charged with staging gladiator style fights between inmates for entertainment. Remember the story? A former prison guard blew the whistle, alleged the fights were between rival prison gangs, who were purposely allowed into the work yard at the same time. However, the accused guards were acquitted after a 31-day trial.

Now back to the story of those killed contractors in Iraq. As we saw in those horrific images, the danger to American contractors working in Iraq very real. Why would anyone want to risk his or her life to work in a place where violence could be around the corner? Earlier I spoke to "CROSSFIRE" co-host Tucker Carlson. He's actually spent a lot of time in Iraq with security contractors. He told his journey in a fascinating piece in this month's "Esquire" magazine. I started by asking Tucker why there are so many security contractors right now in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST, CROSSFIRE": Well, basically, the U.S. military couldn't be in Iraq without them. I mean for a bunch of different reasons. In the long run, they're cheaper. That's the idea anyway. You know, a lot them aren't going to be showing up at the VA hospitals for benefits 30 years from now. Secondly, it's just easier politically to use contractors because you don't call up the same number of troops and -- and you don't need to reinstitute the draft. And contractors make that possible.

Contractors do virtually everything short of fighting the war itself. And sometimes they do that. I mean they deliver the mail, the food, the fuel, everything. And they provide security for all the rebuilding projects in Iraq, for getting the power grid up and running, for the pumps. You name it, contractors do it.

COOPER: But in a way, you're saying they're more expendable. That they're not going to be, you know, taking out VA benefits down the road and it's not, you know, U.S. soldiers getting killed.

CARLSON: Well, maybe that's part of the calculation. I think it's probably less sinister than that. It's just easy to hire contractors. They specialize -- most of them -- most of the security contractors, anyway, are former military, some of them former special operators. They know exactly what they're doing and they're good at it.

The problem is the rules of engagement are unclear. I mean as we saw in Fallujah yesterday, four of these guys drive into this trap. Get killed. Even if they hadn't been killed, who would they call? Nobody. They're really on their own. And again, the rules of engagement are murky. And I don't think it's going to be long before more of them are killed and frankly, before some of them kill Iraqis.

COOPER: Well, you bring up an interesting point. Which was in this article, you spent a lot of time with these contractors traveling around in Baghdad and other places. You say they may kill someone else accidentally. I mean some of the quality of some of the contractors you ran across was not top notch.

CARLSON: All of the Americans contractors I ran across, the ones I was with from DynCorp were absolutely professional, in fact, in many ways more professional than American troops. They're older; some of them are former Special Operations officers. So they're serious people. And I think -- and responsible people. And I think they're very worried because they don't have clear rules of engagement. They might do something and cross the line without knowing it.

COOPER: Kelly McCann, our security officer, who I know you traveled with, who is just an excellent consultant works here with CNN as well. He called these contractors a force multiplier. And as you said, I mean the U.S. military really could not do its job in Iraq without these guys. Is that because there are just not enough U.S. troops on the ground?

CARLSON: There aren't enough U.S. troops on the ground. I mean when we drove -- when I was in Iraq a couple of months ago, we drove from Safwan, which is right at the Kuwait border, into Baghdad and back a week later, without seeing a single U.S. soldier on the road. It's about 700 miles. We didn't see a single one. Doubtless they were there, may be on some other day we would have seen them.

But the point is the physical presence of U.S. troops in and around Baghdad, anyway, is not overwhelming. And as we saw yesterday, even when they are there, in some cases, they're hesitant to act. These contractors are by themselves. And Ambassador Bremer said as much in a meeting with them last summer. He said essentially without saying it, but the implication was you're on your own. You make the judgment yourself and when to use your weapon. And go ahead and use it because there is really no alternative; they're completely alone. I think it's a recipe for some sort of disaster. I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised.

COOPER: And yet, they are filling in an essential role. Tucker Carlson, thanks very much.

CARLSON: Thanks a lot, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, a fast fact about security contractors in Iraq. The Brookings Institution in Washington estimates there are around 15,000 security contractors in Iraq, one for every 10 U.S. soldiers. An experienced security contractor can earn between $150,000 and $250,000. U.S. officials estimate security counts for 10 to 15 percent of total contract costs right now in Iraq.

So you heard of "Girls Gone Wild." What about jurors gone wild? From Martha to Tyco, why are the jurors stealing the show? We'll talk about that ahead.

So what story has the media over killed this week? My money is on the Jacksons: Janet, Michael. They've been all over this week. We'll talk about that.

And little later, team spirit. Meet a cheerleading squad that trades in their pom-poms for protest chants. Radical teen cheerleaders coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight in "Justice Served," disorder in the court. High profile cases, allegations of lying, of cover-up, of past crimes, of collusion with the defense; and we're not even talking about the accused, but the jurors. It just goes to show high profile cases well, they need high profile jurors.

When the Martha Stewart trial was over, juror Chappell Hartridge raced for the microphones and said, "This is a victory for the little guy." The little guy might regret those words now that Stewart's attorney is basing his motion for a retrial on Hartridge's comments and his alleged failure to disclose a prior arrest.

Jurors are now front and center in several trial controversies. There's the much talk about juror No. 4 in the Tyco trial and the so- called "stealth juror" for the Scott Peterson trial, and she's not even a juror yet. How did all this happen?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE J. COBB, ACTOR, "12 ANGRY MEN": Everyone says he's guilty. What do you think; I'm an idiot or something? (END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: In the past, juries were sometimes angry but always anonymous. Now they've become hot commodities, scrutinized by high priced consultants and pursued by the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEENA MULLEN, JUROR, SIMPSON CIVIL TRIAL: And they said, "Yo, Deena, call me, I can get you on Larry King."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: From O.J. Simpson to the D.C. sniper, to Robert Durst, celebrity cases have created celebrity jurors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH WARREN, DURST JUROR: Whether the media believes us whether America believes us, I can sleep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It's said TV has turned trial into entertainment, and maybe so because these days some jurors sure seem to be enjoying the limelight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAPPELL HARTRIDGE, JUROR, MARTHA STEWART TRIAL: The first thing that we wanted to get clear was...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I'm joined now by Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.

LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, COURT TV: Hi.

COOPER: Lisa, Thanks. Good to see you. Could this juror Chappell Hartridge actually get in trouble if in fact he did lie on his originally application?

BLOOM: Well, he could get in trouble. I don't think the trial results are in trouble. Lets keep in mind, all we have at this point is an allegation by the defense. His records are sealed so there's nothing really to substantiate it. But if in fact he lied, that's perjury because he did take an oath to tell the truth on his jury form. It doesn't mean, though, that the trial will get overturned because to get that result the defense has to show partiality. Not only did he lie, he lied to get on that jury and to get a particular result.

COOPER: A stealth juror as I believe they're calling it.

BLOOM: Yes. And I don't see that. Look, this jury came back unanimously with the obvious verdict, for those of us who were sitting in the courtroom and watched the evidence come in. Because she was guilty, they spent much more time on Peter Bacanovic. This is pretty obvious.

COOPER: Do you buy this notion of stealth jurors? I mean this is a term I hadn't really heard before now. You hear now, I guess in the Peterson trial...

BLOOM: Runaway jurors.

COOPER: Exactly, yes. I mean is it -- do you buy it?

BLOOM: Well, It's possible certainly possible. Look in this area -- era of high profile trials, where people can get huge book deals, go on TV and talk about cases, God forbid, like some of us do for a living. I'm a little loath to criticize people who want to talk about them on television. Cuts a little close to home.

But look, I can see it's conceivable that people might lie to get on a jury, just to get that kind of fame.

COOPER: Stewart's attorney says that this is juror, in particularly, had a class bias. Now the fact he, you know, sort of gravitated toward the microphones and said this thing about a victory for the little guy. Does that sort of sum up the allegation?

BLOOM: Anderson, you know what it's like outside the courthouse when one of these verdicts is reached? They are mobbed.

COOPER: Blissfully, I do not.

BLOOM: They are mobbed by the media. People like us mob them with microphones, begging...

COOPER: Hey, don't look at me. I'm not out there.

BLOOM: Begging for a sound bite. All right? Some of them choose to answer questions. Some of them don't. Now, I remember when he was asked what message does this send? And he sort of thought about it and he said well, maybe it's a victory for the little guy. I mean he's just opining. That is never going to be a basis for a reversal, something that a juror comes up with afterwards to say what kind of message does this just send?

COOPER: Let's talk very briefly about Tyco juror No. 4, the legendary Tyco juror No. 4. People on the Internet are talking about this person. I guess, you know, may have flashed some sort of an OK sign. Then I guess scratched her head a couple of days ago. Have things gone too far with this juror?

BLOOM: I think she's indicating she's going to steal second base, her latest kind of hand signals. I think we're reading a lot into this.

COOPER: We're seeing the back of the head of juror No. 4 right there. BLOOM: That's highly significant. You know, sometimes when people straighten their collar, they're really straightening their collar. It doesn't have to mean a whole heck of a lot.

COOPER: A cigar is sometimes just a cigar?

BLOOM: That's according to Freud, yes.

COOPER: So you don't think jurors have gone wild. Do you think -- but I mean there seems to be a lot of focus on jurors. You know, high priced consultants paying -- being paid big bucks to like, hand pick these jurors.

BLOOM: And that's why -- and look, because we have so much media scrutiny on these trials, we're tired of talking about Martha Stewart and her attorney...

COOPER: So people have got to talk about something...

BLOOM: ... we've got to talk about something else.

COOPER: Well, that's a sad...

BLOOM: Talk about these jurors. And look...

COOPER: Well, that's a sad testimony.

BLOOM: Martha Stewart has the bucks to have an investigator go after this guy and talk to his ex-girlfriend, and ex-employer, and dig up this kind of dirt. Most people don't have that.

COOPER: Certainly not. All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Jurors gone wild. Oh, well.

So the Jackson two, talk about going wild, take to the media. Coming up, Janet and Michael, he's on Capitol Hill; he's getting jiggy on Letterman. Both tonight on "Overkill."

Also tonight, it's been a while but George Michael is back. You might be surprised with what he has to say. That is coming up in "The Current." I don't know, Lisa Bloom probably won't be surprised by this.

And a little later, forget sit-ins and demonstrators -- demonstrations. A group of teens are turning to cheerleading to protest policies they don't like. Lisa Bloom is all for it.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right. So every week there is some story or somebody the media just can't stop talking about. And look, we're as guilty as anyone else. "Overkill," and that's what we call it. This week the media over covered, over killed a pair of people who are overexposed in just about every way.

CNN's Jeanne Moos tracks this week's overkill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She blew her fans a kiss. He blew off questions with a peace sign. The odd couple of overkill resurface simultaneously, Janet to promote her CD.

JANET JACKSON, SINGER: This is. This is serious

MOOS: Michael seemed both serious and delirious, promoting the fight against AIDS in Washington, while Janet was talking to everyone but saying as little as possible about what they all wanted to know.

J. JACKSON: I want to put all that behind me. I truly do.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST "THE LATE SHOW": Well, not me!

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Janet's fans...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bet you think this something song is about you

MOOS: ... were mad about the media madness over that "wardrobe malfunction."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This one little thing and it's all over the news. Forget that, who does not have a nipple piercing?

MOOS: A piercing similar to what Janet wore at the Super Bowl seemed to have migrated to here belly button.

While Janet danced suggestively, Michael made suggestions to the photographers.

MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: Waist up, please.

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D), TEXAS: Mayor Conya.

M. JACKSON: Higher.

LEE: He is a director.

M. JACKSON: You're to low.

MOOS: Too loud was the problem at Janet's "Good Morning America" appearance. Fans kept trying to drown out pesky questions about the Super Bowl chanting, "album," and "no more Super Bowl."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl!

DIANE SAWYER, HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": OK, I've got an insurrection out here

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a breast. We all know anatomy. OK? Just one and you couldn't even see it. I was like wow!

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: There, you heard it.

Time to check in some pop news in tonight's " Current." Let's take a look.

George Michael doesn't see a problem with an open relationship. The singer insists he and his lover are not believers in monogamy, saying when it comes to sex, you need people on the side. George, buddy, way too much information, all right?

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps may try to clean up soap operas. Copps says he happened to come across some of the daytime soaps and said he was surprised at what he saw. See, I guess he didn't know that Father John was actually Donna's old flame, the pool cleaner; who she saw died in the volcano after she found out she was sleeping with her sister's boyfriend Dr. Romano. It's probably what happened.

The actors who voice the characters on the "Simpson's" are holding out for more money. If they don't get what they want, they won't be back for the next season. Which could mean a new voice for Homer. Already some of the "360" crew guys are trying out for the job. Let's see.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

(END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: Hmm, excellent. Thank you very much.

Finally, a major scientific breakthrough. Researchers have mapped the genetic code of the rat. Scientists say sequencing the rat genome could go far in fighting human diseases. Though we're concerned scientists have something much more sinister in mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ratzilla, it's here! Run for your lives!

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I think that was Tommy's voice. I don't know.

Anyway, in Los Angeles, a group of high school students decided to protest the war in Iraq and other policies they don't like in a pretty unique way. They've become cheerleaders. I kid you not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

COOPER (voice-over): They call themselves Radical Teen Cheer and they're like, totally opposed to the war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

COOPER: There are only 20 odd students in the squad. While they may not have pom-poms and tons of team spirit, they insist cheering is educational.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've become a lot more -- how can you say it -- more educated on like a lot of things. You know how people follow the news; they watch the news and they believe everything the news says. I'll be watching and like, oh, you liars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

COOPER: The Radical Cheerleaders perform at demonstrations, though the response seems kind of mixed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's so ridiculous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What specifically?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think cheerleaders are a little ridiculous in any forum.

COOPER: These radical teens say they won't be deterred. The cheer must go on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Did he say that cheerleaders are ridiculous? Ugh! Ugh! All right. I'll try to get over it.

When it comes to size, Americans are coming up short. Coming up on "The Nth Degree," why height, not might matters. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Americans have gotten used to not being No. 1: car design to the Germans, manufacturing to the Chinese. But according to the latest issue of "The New Yorker," Americans are losing stature in an altogether surprising area, stature.

While the rest of the world is growing taller Americans, it seems, have stopped growing. I don't mean Americans alone have managed to segue out of puberty. Apparently, Americans are three inches shorter than their northern European counterpart. Even Japan, once the shortest country in the G-7, is catching up.

Why does it matter you might ask? Well, lets remember. Taller people make more money, get promoted faster, even have an easier time finding mates. What good is it being the richest country if we're too short to date Swedish people?

So come on America, let's keep growing an extra inch or so every couple of years. I, for one, am going to start taking my vitamins.

I'm Anderson Cooper, thanks for watching. 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


Aired April 1, 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, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): America vows vengeance for the massacre in Iraq that these Fallujah fanatics be caught.

A 360 exclusive, we've obtained an al Qaeda manual for terror. You won't believe this 44-page how-to guide.

Audrey Seiler is home but the mystery remains. Why did she disappear and where is the suspect police are looking for?

Caught on tape, youth correction officers pummeling inmates, why the D.A. won't file criminal charges.

It's a good week to be a juror if it's attention you're after. Have today's jurors gone wild?

And what happens in your home while you're out? A teen's webcam catches a thief in his parents' home cross country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: Welcome to 360.

New developments in the case of the once missing University of Wisconsin student. A short time ago police released this sketch, the man a suspect in the disappearance of Audrey Seiler. Was it a kidnapping? Details coming up.

But first, U.S. officials are vowing to hunt down the men who butchered four American security contractors in Fallujah yesterday. The shocking, disturbing images broadcast around the world jolted a mission already grappling with the struggles of rebuilding a country. Today the fallout from Washington and in Baghdad.

Jim Clancy is live in Baghdad for us and Jamie McIntyre is at the Pentagon. We begin with Jim. Jim, is the hunt for these Fallujah killers already underway?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If U.S. officials are to be believed, I think the only answer to that is yes. A national shame or an understandable reaction to U.S. occupation? Iraqis had a wide range of views. We tried to find some of them. We warn our viewers now that some of the images here may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): A day after Iraqi insurgents ambushed and killed nine American soldiers and civilians in separate attacks around Fallujah, U.S. officials vowed to stay the course in Iraq and pursue those responsible.

The incident involving four civilian contractors whose charred bodies were dismembered and put on display by a crowd of jubilant Iraqis cause the most concern. Some Iraqis were shocked by the violence.

Others said Fallujah harbored some of the most ardent supporters of Saddam Hussein in all of Iraq and that no one should be surprised they treated American civilians Wednesday just like they treated Iraqis for decades. But most appeared to excuse the mob scene in the streets as a reaction to the continuing U.S. occupation. U.S. officials rejected that notion.

PAUL BREMER, IRAQ CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR: The acts we have seen were despicable and inexcusable and they violate the tenets of all religions including Islam as well as the foundations of civilized society. Their deaths will not go unpunished.

CLANCY: General Mark Kimmitt was more direct promising to send in the Marines.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY DIR., COALITION OPERATIONS: They are coming back. They are going to hunt down the people responsible for this bestial act. It is up to the people, the small number of people in Fallujah to determine if they want to do it with a fight or without a fight.

CLANCY: But the fight continued. In northwest Baghdad, two roadside bombs took aim at a U.S. supply convoy including fuel trucks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Jim, Fallujah is a tough place these days. This hunt for these killers is not going to be easy, is it?

CLANCY: It certainly isn't and, you know, if you look back at some of the comments that have been made by officials in the old regime, a lot of people said it's not Vietnam. It's only deserts in Iraq.

But some Iraqi officials responded to that, that their real jungles would be in the cities, in the city streets and that's where the Marines that have jurisdiction there in Fallujah are going to probably have their toughest fights.

COOPER: All right, Jim Clancy live in Baghdad thanks very much for that, Jim.

As for what comes next in Fallujah, well Jim hinted at it, a risky change of tactics. U.S. Marines are readying to take on the town that's become a hotbed of hatred.

Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the new strategy and, again, a warning some of the images you'll see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The murder and mutilation of four American contractors has driven the U.s. military to ditch the strategy of keeping several thousand Marines on the outskirts of Fallujah.

It will no longer rely only on poorly trained and ill-equipped Iraqi police and civil defense forces to provide security. The Marines are now being told they will retake the city.

KIMMITT: The coalition forces will respond. They will be in that city. It will be at a time and a place of our choosing. It will be methodical. It will be precise and it will be overwhelming.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon sources say planning is underway now for a major effort to "pacify Fallujah" to being in the next few days. Marines will go in, in force, and hunt for enemy fighters as well as pressure city officials to finger those responsible for recent attacks, the message help us find them or we will do it the hard way with brute combat force. Marines will also be looking for any Iraqis who can be identified from television footage showing the angry mob celebrating the U.S. deaths.

KIMMITT: Those people that we have photographed and we have video that were involved in this operation that were involved in this brutality we have a significant interest in finding them and talking to them.

MCINTYRE: Last Friday when Marines engaged local insurgents in a fierce firefight, 18 Iraqis, one Marine and five civilians were killed. The deaths only fueled anti-U.S. sentiment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The U.S. insists that increasing the total number of troops in Fallujah is not the answer but until more Iraqi police are on the job, the Marines are going to have a tough assignment to hunt down insurgents while at the same time trying to win over the local populous with acts of kindness -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon thanks.

Word today on when Condoleezza Rice is going to testify before the 9/11 commission. The date is set, April 8, one week from today. Rice will testify in public under oath about what she knew and when.

Today a senior terrorist analyst for the Bush administration told lawmakers that al Qaeda is under what he calls "catastrophic stress" and is linking up with small organizations to try to survive. Still, he warns al Qaeda remains a potent force of terror as you're going to see in this chilling and exclusive report. During a raid on what Indonesian authorities called a terrorist safe house, they discovered a 44-page manual for al Qaeda terror operations in Southeast Asia. CNN has obtained a copy of the document. It was considered so secret by Indonesian terrorists that only their top leadership were allowed to see it. You will not see this report anywhere else.

CNN's Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA RESSA, CNN JAKARTA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Think of it like a 44-page blueprint for global domination. Known by its Indonesian acronym PUPJI, it's called the General Guide to the Struggle of Jama'ah al Islamiyah or JI, al Qaeda's arm in Southeast Asia. It claimed responsibility for two al Qaeda funded attacks here since 9/11.

ROHAN GUNARATNA, TERRORISM ANALYST: Certainly al Qaeda inspired JI manual because the JI manual has certain passages and concepts from al Qaeda.

RESSA: Written in Indonesian and Arabic, the manual outlines JI's administrative and operational divisions governed by a constitution and a well defined leadership structure.

The introduction gives its goal of global domination to "create a force in the name of Islam, to restore the Islamic Caliphate and the sovereignty of Shariah" or Islamic law "in the four corners of the earth."

It highlights a patient molding of the individual, the role of education, the importance of military training and armed jihad. These ideas, authorities in the region say, have allowed JI and al Qaeda to survive the arrests of thousands of members. That, they say, has only weakened the organizations.

WONG KAN SENG, HOME MINISTER, SINGAPORE: As long as they don't spawn new ones and no new terrorists are being bred then the supply line will be cut but unfortunately right now the supply line is too active.

RESSA: Until today, Indonesia has not banned JI as a terrorist organization.

(on camera): What the manual shows is how patient and methodical al Qaeda and its associate groups are in their attempts to topple secular governments. A goal, analysts say, many Muslim nations like Indonesia still refuse to take seriously leaving them vulnerable in a global war on terror.

Maria Ressa, CNN, Jakarta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, the hunt for terrorists is a global one of course. Right now authorities in Spain are searching for the suspected ringleader of the Madrid train massacre. This is the man. Take a look. They are looking for a 35-year-old Tunisian.

Police identify him as the leader and coordinator of last month's train attack that killed 191 people, wounded more than 1,000. Five other men, all from Morocco, are also wanted in connection with the bombings.

Well, as we told you at the top of the program, a composite sketch is being circulated in Madison, Wisconsin and the surrounding vicinity. College student Audrey Seiler says this picture is an accurate depiction of the man who she says kidnapped her last week but was she abducted and do the police believe her?

CNN's Jonathan Freed has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to Audrey Seiler this is the face of the man who abducted her at knifepoint. Police released this sketch of the suspect after a day of searching and questioning, searching for evidence in the marshy area where Seiler was found on Wednesday and questioning the 20-year-old about her ordeal. Police interviewed her for hours looking for details.

OFFICER LARRY KAMHOLZ, MADISON POLICE DEPT.: Hopefully, it will help provide some clues as to where to look, where they were, you know, what areas they had been in the city.

FREED: The University of Wisconsin student disappeared from her apartment early Saturday morning. Security video showed her leaving without a coat.

The case caught more attention because Seiler says that she was also knocked unconscious in February while out walking late at night but that she wasn't robbed or seriously hurt. Her story...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very relieved and very impressed with the way, you know, things were handled and the communication.

FREED: It is meeting with a bit of a mixed reaction in Madison.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I find it odd in that it just was two months ago. I mean how many times do you have bad luck in your life.

FREED: Late Thursday, police responded to the speculation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like in any other major investigation there may be inconsistencies but our -- but we are continuing forward with this investigation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now police say, Anderson, that they are now looking into what they call the sequence of events that has been described to them by Seiler and by witnesses -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Jonathan Freed in Madison thanks.

We're following a number of developing stories right now "Cross Country." Let's quickly take a look.

Washington, D.C., a controversial law is born flanked by the parents of Laci Peterson. President Bush signs a bill making it a crime to harm an unborn child when a woman is attacked. Critics say the measure is a step toward eliminating abortion.

In New York, blue chips no more, Dow Jones drops three (unintelligible) brands from its index of key stocks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average. AT&T, Eastman Kodak and International Paper are out. Verizon, AIG and Pfizer will take their place.

Devore, California now, road closed, heavy fog being blamed for several chain reaction crashes that shut down a stretch of Interstate 15 for much of the day. Look at that, a lot of carnage. Several minor to moderate injuries were reported. It looked a whole lot worse though.

Kittery, Maine, scrambling for safety. Take a look. Gas station surveillance tape that shows customers running for cover, I know it's hard to look, as an out of control pickup makes a bee line for the station. No one was killed in the explosion. The driver arrested for DUI.

Capitol Hill now, a new Senate milestone, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd cast his 17,000th ballot, 17,000 ballots, unbelievable. The 86-year-old Democrat received a standing ovation after the vote was cast, and that's a look at stories "Cross Country."

Martha Stewart fighting to stay out of prison but is it too little too late for her? A look at her chances of beating the wrap.

Plus, webcam burglar, how some clever kids caught a thief in their parents' home, get this, while they were thousands of miles away off that little webcam.

Also tonight, another caught on tape, youth in prison beaten by counselors. Some parents and lawmakers are outraged by what they're seeing right here. The question is, is there more going on than meets the eye, all that ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

COOPER: And we have some breaking news to report, this just in to CNN.

The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan has made a surprise unexpected visit to the White House apparently. He has said, told the White House that Saudi Arabia is committed to heading off potential problems in the energy market, this according to Reuters, saying that of course oil prices have jumped recently.

The Saudi ambassador to the United States saying on Thursday that Saudi Arabia is committed to heading off potential problems in the energy market. A quote here from Reuters, "we will not allow shortages in the market" said Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Sultan who said he was conveying a message from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah.

So, that word just coming into the White House. We'll be following any developments on that.

Today, Martha Stewart's lawyers are waiting. They've requested a new trial for her. Her chances of success, a long shot at best say legal experts.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick is watching the story unfold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Immediately after Martha Stewart was found guilty her lawyer made it clear they might be down but not out.

ROBERT MORVILLO, LAWYER FOR MARTHA STEWART: We look at this as having lost the first round.

FEYERICK: Stewart's legal team spent big bucks on consultants to pick just the right jury. Now they're attacking one of those jurors saying he lied before he was ever picked, failing to tell them or the judge he had had a run in with police for allegedly striking his girlfriend.

New York defense lawyer Ronald Fischetti says if Stewart's lawyer can prove Chappell Hartridge answered the jury questionnaire dishonestly, he'd have a good case for a new trial.

RONALD FISCHETTI, DEFENSE LAWYER: That's a very, very serious matter and, if he can prove that and prove some sort of bias, he's going to win a new trial for Martha Stewart.

FEYERICK: The bias, as the defense sees it, this statement Hartridge made right after the verdict.

CHAPPELL HARTRIDGE, JUROR: Maybe to the little investor they may feel a little bit more comfortable that they can invest in the market and not worry about these type of scams where they can lose their 401Ks or just lose money on any (unintelligible) stocks.

FEYERICK: Hartridge did not return repeated calls but one jury member reached by phone says Hartridge was conscientious, deliberating in good faith like the others. Dana D'Allessandro (ph) called the lawyers' tactics too little too late. Some defense lawyers say the tactic won't work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Mr. Morvillo ought to be ashamed of himself. He lost the case. He put on no defense. To come out and attack the juror is wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: It does not appear that Mr. Hartridge was ever charged formally with anything. That means that he may have answered the questions truthfully. The questionnaire is sealed so we don't know exactly what was in it.

Also, one defense lawyer said that it happens more often than not that somebody doesn't answer these questionnaires correctly, plus a very high bar for jury misconduct that would disqualify a jury verdict -- Anderson

COOPER: All right, Deborah Feyerick thanks very much.

We turn now to a real life crimes story. It sounds straight out of "The Sopranos" however. It's about a mob boss named Peter Gotti here in New York and his mistress who was found dead after publicly professing her love for him.

CNN's Alina Cho has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This photo of Marjorie Alexander was taken on Monday, the same day police say she checked into this Long Island motel.

Authorities say she was wearing these same clothes when her body was found in the motel room two days later. A detective says the long time girlfriend of reputed mob boss Peter Gotti apparently took her own life.

RICHARD LAURSEN, NASSAU COUNTY DETECTIVE: Using prescription pills and then placing a plastic bag over your head, we believe that that was the method that she used.

CHO: In the room, police also found what they call two classic suicide notes, one for police saying she was doing this of her own free will, another an apology to housekeeping in case a maid found her body. Police say they do not suspect foul play.

LAURSEN: There was absolutely no indications of any violence in the room. There were no weapons in the room. There was no violence to her.

CHO: Peter Gotti's lawyer says Gotti is devastated by the news of Alexander's death. Gotti is in jail awaiting sentencing for racketeering and other charges. Alexander attended every day of Gotti's nine-week trial last year and even wrote several lengthy letters to the judge pleading for leniency. The 43-year-old divorced mother of two went public with her love for Gotti in an interview with the New York "Daily News" Monday. The news of her death made her a tabloid star.

(on camera): Even though she spoke voluntarily to the press, Alexander's son nevertheless blamed the media for her death. He told CNN she was a private person who never wanted to be in the spotlight.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we're tracking a number of developing stories right now around the globe. Let's check the "Up Link."

Tashkent, Uzbekistan, suicide bombing, a female bomber blew herself up killing another, critically injuring herself. For the first time, officials link al Qaeda to this week's attacks. The violence has left more than 40 people dead.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, praying for rain. Across the kingdom, Muslim clerics lead worshipers in prayers for rain. They are urging the faithful to purify their hearts blaming the season's drought on sinfulness.

London, they are not amused, the royal family bars a British tabloid from events with Prince William after "The Sun" publishes photos of him with a young woman identified as his serious girlfriend. The royals say the pictures violate the prince's privacy.

Back in Los Angeles, "Apprentice" rejects take note, boy there are a lot of them out there, Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson makes a deal with Fox for a new reality TV show, another one, tentatively called "Branson's Big Adventure." Aspiring billionaires will vie for Sir Richard's approval while desperately trying to maintain their dignity. Good luck with that. It's expected to air later this year, and that's a quick look at the "Up Link."

A burglar busted from thousands of miles away, unbelievable story, how two teens track down a thief in their home using this tiny little webcam.

Also tonight, juvenile beaten in prison by their own counselors but authorities haven't filed any charges. We'll look into that.

Also a little later on, what story did the media overkill this week? Well, Janet's getting jiggy, Michael was on the Hill, the media just couldn't resist now could they? That's the overkill. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: So, do you ever worry that someone's in your home when you leave, well leave the state? Well, in Washington state one family decided to install a web camera at home. They went on this trip, logged on, and they caught an eyeful going on back home. CNN's Kimberly Osias has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forget about watchdogs. Nathan and David Sundquist just need their brain power and the Internet.

DAVID SUNDQUIST, CAUGHT INTRUDER ON WEBCAM: I would say we're pretty close to nerds or geeks.

OSIAS: The pair turned to technology to catch a burglary in their own home.

(on camera): It was this small camera rigged with duct tape that captured live still shots and streamed them over the Internet to a hotel room in Washington, D.C. where the Sundquists were vacationing.

(voice-over): When the boys saw the guy asleep in their computer room, they blared some music by remote and got him to move.

D. SUNDQUIST: I installed the camera just for fun. I never really thought it would catch a burglar in the house.

OSIAS: 911 was called. Police caught the burglar but this is no ordinary thief.

D. SUNDQUUIST: Well, he's actually our neighbor and he's actually a pretty close friend of ours.

OSIAS: And he wasn't stealing ordinary loot.

NATHAN SUNDQUIST: Well, what we know is that he downloaded (unintelligible).

OSIAS: He's written the family an apology and spent several nights behind bars but the family says they don't want to press charges.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn't need any more punishment than this.

OSIAS: After all, they caught their thief.

Kimberly Osias CNN, Bothell, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: They certainly did. I talked with David and Nathan Sundquist, the two teens who hooked up the webcam, caught the intruder in their house. They're back home now in Bothell, Washington. I asked them what they saw that started to raise their suspicions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

D. SUNDQUIST: There was actually a cord laying across the floor of the other computer room and that wasn't there when we left and I asked my brother if he had put it there like right before we left and he said no. So, we figured somebody had to have been there.

COOPER: Nathan, your brother is the one who set up the webcam to start with. Why did you guys set up the webcam? Were there some suspicions that maybe somebody had been in your house in the past?

N. SUNDQUIST: There have been a couple suspicions but it was really just for, like our own entertainment like so our friends could see us and do whatever we wanted to, screw around.

COOPER: So what happened, David, when you see this cord out of place? What did you say to each other?

D. SUNDQUIST: Nathan actually had the idea of logging into the computer remotely and turning on music to see if anybody was still in the house.

COOPER: So, what did that do, turning on the music, why would that make a difference?

D. SUNDQUIST: Well, because we figured that if there was somebody in the house then they would come up and try to turn it off.

COOPER: Oh, that was really smart. I didn't get that. Did it work Nathan?

N. SUNDQUIST: Yes, it did. He came out of my room about ten seconds after it turned on. We're guessing he was asleep and he came in and turned it off.

COOPER: And, Nathan, did you recognize the intruder immediately?

N. SUNDQUIST: Oh, yes, as soon as he stepped out. We had probably figured it was him if he was there because he'd be the one that would be playing X-Box and doing that, so as soon as we saw him come out we're just like, yes.

COOPER: You were like, yes. Now, David, he was a neighbor of yours.

N. SUNDQUIST: It was pretty cool.

COOPER: It was pretty cool. He was a neighbor of yours, David, and he had also spent time in your house before there. He kind of lived there.

D. SUNDQUIST: Yes, he had -- he kind of has trouble with a family home life so his parents had kicked him out so we let him stay with us for about two months.

COOPER: And, Nathan, after I guess he was arrested he spent two nights or so in jail and then apparently he came back to your house?

N. SUNDQUIST: Yes, he got out of jail at 6:18 on Sunday night and at 8:00 our neighbor two houses down called the cops and reported that someone was climbing on our roof.

COOPER: So, David, are you ever going to leave your house again without hooking up this webcam?

D. SUNDQUIST: Well, maybe but probably not. I think I might go buy some more webcams and see if I can put them up in other places too.

COOPER: David and Nathan, thanks very much.

D. SUNDQUIST: Thank you very much.

N. SUNDQUIST: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Smart kids. In case you don't know much about webcams, which I don't, here's a fast fact. They were invented in 1991 by students at Cambridge University in England.

They apparently rigged the device to monitor their coffee pot so they could see when it was running empty. They linked their invention to the Internet. Thousands of people actually logged on to watch the coffee pot.

By the year 2000, there were 10,000 webcams worldwide sending out images 24 hours a day and, from what I understand, they are not showing just coffee pots anymore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Disturbing new video from a youth correctional facility, are these correction officers in need of some serious self help?

(Unintelligible) juror, lying juror, juror with a past, are jury antics clouding the Martha, Tyco and Peterson trials?

And Jackson overkill, Janet gets jiggy, Michael's on the Hill, and the media can't get enough. 360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In the next half hour on "360," juvenile inmates beaten by prison staff. We'll talk to one state senator who is calling for charges. See the video for yourself and see what you think.

But first, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."

Washington, oil prices breaking news. Saudi Arabia says it is committed to heading off oil problems in the U.S. That's what the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. said today during a surprise appearance at the White House just a short time ago. Saudi Prince Bandar bin- Sultan, you see him there meeting the president said, quote, "We will not allow shortages in the market." The prince conveying a message from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah; that file tape there.

Also in Washington, private papers made public. A federal judge has ordered the federal government to release more documents relating to the White House Energy Task Force. Vice President Dick Cheney had convened the task force in private.

Remember the Smiley Face Bomber? A federal judge today declared former college student Luke Helder incompetent to stand trial. He's accused of planting pipe bombs in a smiley face pattern across the Midwest nearly two years ago.

To California now, Gateway shuts down. The financially troubled computer seller says it will close all of its 188 stores next week, all of them. 2500 jobs will be eliminated over the next month. The company, which had posted losses in 12 out of the last 13 quarters, says it is exploring other options for retail distribution.

Richmond, West Virginia, new mega millionaires. A retired truck driver and his wife are the winners of the second largest, single lottery jackpot in history. J.R. and Peggy Triplett are now worth -- get this, hold on to your hat, $239 million. They claim the jackpot today, which they had actually won back on February 20. Took a little time.

In Los angels, California, honoring John Belushi, the late star of "Saturday Night Live" and "Animal House," received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982. He was only 33 years old when he died.

Now, to a quick look to stories in "The Reset." A controversial prison surveillance tape is now making its way through the media. California authorities have been arguing over it for two months, but so far nothing has been done. Prison overseers hope they can change it by letting the public see. You're about to see for yourself.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has the story and the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): January 20, a brawl spills out onto the floor at the California Youth Facility in Stockton, after two counselors were allegedly attacked. In the foreground, one counselor strikes 28 times an inmate prone on the ground, punching him with both hands. In the background, another youth lying on the ground is kicked by another counselor.

An internal investigation determined the video showed staff used excessive force in the incident and recommended prosecution. But when the video was turned over to the local district attorney, charges were not filed because the D.A. said there wasn't enough evidence. The California attorney general says they are taking a closer look at the case, but...

BILL LOCKYER, ATTORNEY GENERAL, CALIFORNIA: You saw what one person wanted you to see. We're aware of other evidence that hasn't yet become available. DORNIN: State Senator Gloria Romero says it is enough to warrant action now.

SEN. GLORIA ROMERO, CALIFORNIA STATE: This case should be sent to a court of law to be decided by a judge or jury.

DORNIN: She says a code of silence among prison staff led to four witnesses refusing to testify or they gave statements inconsistent with what the video. A union representative for guards at the facility pointed out the tape doesn't know what happened to cause the fight.

DAMON DARCHUCK, CA. CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS ASSN.: Don't think they understand the level of violence we deal with every day.

DORNIN (on camera): The California Youth Authority has been accused by the state and independent investigators of using excessive force on other occasions. The state attorney general will decide whether to file charges in this latest incident in the next few days.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Sacramento, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The state lawmaker you just saw in that story is with us now to talk more about that issue. Gloria Romero, she joins us now from Sacramento.

Thanks very much for being with us, Senator Romero.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Why didn't the D.A. file charges originally? Was it because of this no talking by the guards, by the counselors?

ROMERO: I haven't spoken with the district attorney directly. You would have to direct that to him. But I am very disappointed that he has failed to move forward on the recommendation by the internal affairs unit at the California Youth Authority to file charges.

COOPER: Now, you've accused the California state attorney general's office basically of dragging their feet. You say they should file charges they haven't. They say, look, we're still investigating this thing. It's an open investigation. And in fact, they say you holding this press conference and showing this tape doesn't help the ongoing investigation. And could in fact, hurt any case that may be brought. What makes you think they're dragging their feet?

ROMERO: Well, again, too, I think this case is being bunted around. I would respond, though, to say that the truth speaks for itself. Any time the truth comes out, this should never be perceived as being obstructionist. If anything, I'm from Los Angeles where we have seen videotapes, be it Rodney King or other infamous cases that have ultimately gone to trial. Ultimately, what I want to see on behalf of the people I represent, on behalf of the taxpayers who foot the bill for rehabilitation in the state of California, that this case recommended, investigated by internal affairs that charges may be warranted, should ultimately be decided in a court of law. I just want to see that it makes its way into a court of law and that nothing obstructs it in its process.

COOPER: The California Correctional Peace Officers Association basically says you're just trying to sensationalize this by showing this tape, or try to force it into the media, and force big headlines. And really, you're calling for charges against the corrections officers. Are you not calling for any charges against the wards who are involved in this, because they apparently did begin the fight unprovoked?

ROMERO: The wards were originally charged by the district attorney, those charges were dropped when the officers came into court at the preliminary hearing and pled the Fifth. If charges are warranted against the wards, again, too, that's an investigation. And should that be the case, I would be supportive of that. But at this point in terms of looking at the videotape, in looking at the report filed by internal affairs, again too, we are focusing on the actions of the counselors and CYA staff.

COOPER: State Senator Gloria Romero, appreciate you joining us. We'll keep following the story.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Thanks very much.

ROMERO: Thank you.

COOPER: Flashback now to 2000, when eight guards when guards from Corcoran State Prison in California were charged with staging gladiator style fights between inmates for entertainment. Remember the story? A former prison guard blew the whistle, alleged the fights were between rival prison gangs, who were purposely allowed into the work yard at the same time. However, the accused guards were acquitted after a 31-day trial.

Now back to the story of those killed contractors in Iraq. As we saw in those horrific images, the danger to American contractors working in Iraq very real. Why would anyone want to risk his or her life to work in a place where violence could be around the corner? Earlier I spoke to "CROSSFIRE" co-host Tucker Carlson. He's actually spent a lot of time in Iraq with security contractors. He told his journey in a fascinating piece in this month's "Esquire" magazine. I started by asking Tucker why there are so many security contractors right now in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST, CROSSFIRE": Well, basically, the U.S. military couldn't be in Iraq without them. I mean for a bunch of different reasons. In the long run, they're cheaper. That's the idea anyway. You know, a lot them aren't going to be showing up at the VA hospitals for benefits 30 years from now. Secondly, it's just easier politically to use contractors because you don't call up the same number of troops and -- and you don't need to reinstitute the draft. And contractors make that possible.

Contractors do virtually everything short of fighting the war itself. And sometimes they do that. I mean they deliver the mail, the food, the fuel, everything. And they provide security for all the rebuilding projects in Iraq, for getting the power grid up and running, for the pumps. You name it, contractors do it.

COOPER: But in a way, you're saying they're more expendable. That they're not going to be, you know, taking out VA benefits down the road and it's not, you know, U.S. soldiers getting killed.

CARLSON: Well, maybe that's part of the calculation. I think it's probably less sinister than that. It's just easy to hire contractors. They specialize -- most of them -- most of the security contractors, anyway, are former military, some of them former special operators. They know exactly what they're doing and they're good at it.

The problem is the rules of engagement are unclear. I mean as we saw in Fallujah yesterday, four of these guys drive into this trap. Get killed. Even if they hadn't been killed, who would they call? Nobody. They're really on their own. And again, the rules of engagement are murky. And I don't think it's going to be long before more of them are killed and frankly, before some of them kill Iraqis.

COOPER: Well, you bring up an interesting point. Which was in this article, you spent a lot of time with these contractors traveling around in Baghdad and other places. You say they may kill someone else accidentally. I mean some of the quality of some of the contractors you ran across was not top notch.

CARLSON: All of the Americans contractors I ran across, the ones I was with from DynCorp were absolutely professional, in fact, in many ways more professional than American troops. They're older; some of them are former Special Operations officers. So they're serious people. And I think -- and responsible people. And I think they're very worried because they don't have clear rules of engagement. They might do something and cross the line without knowing it.

COOPER: Kelly McCann, our security officer, who I know you traveled with, who is just an excellent consultant works here with CNN as well. He called these contractors a force multiplier. And as you said, I mean the U.S. military really could not do its job in Iraq without these guys. Is that because there are just not enough U.S. troops on the ground?

CARLSON: There aren't enough U.S. troops on the ground. I mean when we drove -- when I was in Iraq a couple of months ago, we drove from Safwan, which is right at the Kuwait border, into Baghdad and back a week later, without seeing a single U.S. soldier on the road. It's about 700 miles. We didn't see a single one. Doubtless they were there, may be on some other day we would have seen them.

But the point is the physical presence of U.S. troops in and around Baghdad, anyway, is not overwhelming. And as we saw yesterday, even when they are there, in some cases, they're hesitant to act. These contractors are by themselves. And Ambassador Bremer said as much in a meeting with them last summer. He said essentially without saying it, but the implication was you're on your own. You make the judgment yourself and when to use your weapon. And go ahead and use it because there is really no alternative; they're completely alone. I think it's a recipe for some sort of disaster. I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised.

COOPER: And yet, they are filling in an essential role. Tucker Carlson, thanks very much.

CARLSON: Thanks a lot, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, a fast fact about security contractors in Iraq. The Brookings Institution in Washington estimates there are around 15,000 security contractors in Iraq, one for every 10 U.S. soldiers. An experienced security contractor can earn between $150,000 and $250,000. U.S. officials estimate security counts for 10 to 15 percent of total contract costs right now in Iraq.

So you heard of "Girls Gone Wild." What about jurors gone wild? From Martha to Tyco, why are the jurors stealing the show? We'll talk about that ahead.

So what story has the media over killed this week? My money is on the Jacksons: Janet, Michael. They've been all over this week. We'll talk about that.

And little later, team spirit. Meet a cheerleading squad that trades in their pom-poms for protest chants. Radical teen cheerleaders coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight in "Justice Served," disorder in the court. High profile cases, allegations of lying, of cover-up, of past crimes, of collusion with the defense; and we're not even talking about the accused, but the jurors. It just goes to show high profile cases well, they need high profile jurors.

When the Martha Stewart trial was over, juror Chappell Hartridge raced for the microphones and said, "This is a victory for the little guy." The little guy might regret those words now that Stewart's attorney is basing his motion for a retrial on Hartridge's comments and his alleged failure to disclose a prior arrest.

Jurors are now front and center in several trial controversies. There's the much talk about juror No. 4 in the Tyco trial and the so- called "stealth juror" for the Scott Peterson trial, and she's not even a juror yet. How did all this happen?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE J. COBB, ACTOR, "12 ANGRY MEN": Everyone says he's guilty. What do you think; I'm an idiot or something? (END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: In the past, juries were sometimes angry but always anonymous. Now they've become hot commodities, scrutinized by high priced consultants and pursued by the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEENA MULLEN, JUROR, SIMPSON CIVIL TRIAL: And they said, "Yo, Deena, call me, I can get you on Larry King."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: From O.J. Simpson to the D.C. sniper, to Robert Durst, celebrity cases have created celebrity jurors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH WARREN, DURST JUROR: Whether the media believes us whether America believes us, I can sleep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: It's said TV has turned trial into entertainment, and maybe so because these days some jurors sure seem to be enjoying the limelight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHAPPELL HARTRIDGE, JUROR, MARTHA STEWART TRIAL: The first thing that we wanted to get clear was...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I'm joined now by Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.

LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, COURT TV: Hi.

COOPER: Lisa, Thanks. Good to see you. Could this juror Chappell Hartridge actually get in trouble if in fact he did lie on his originally application?

BLOOM: Well, he could get in trouble. I don't think the trial results are in trouble. Lets keep in mind, all we have at this point is an allegation by the defense. His records are sealed so there's nothing really to substantiate it. But if in fact he lied, that's perjury because he did take an oath to tell the truth on his jury form. It doesn't mean, though, that the trial will get overturned because to get that result the defense has to show partiality. Not only did he lie, he lied to get on that jury and to get a particular result.

COOPER: A stealth juror as I believe they're calling it.

BLOOM: Yes. And I don't see that. Look, this jury came back unanimously with the obvious verdict, for those of us who were sitting in the courtroom and watched the evidence come in. Because she was guilty, they spent much more time on Peter Bacanovic. This is pretty obvious.

COOPER: Do you buy this notion of stealth jurors? I mean this is a term I hadn't really heard before now. You hear now, I guess in the Peterson trial...

BLOOM: Runaway jurors.

COOPER: Exactly, yes. I mean is it -- do you buy it?

BLOOM: Well, It's possible certainly possible. Look in this area -- era of high profile trials, where people can get huge book deals, go on TV and talk about cases, God forbid, like some of us do for a living. I'm a little loath to criticize people who want to talk about them on television. Cuts a little close to home.

But look, I can see it's conceivable that people might lie to get on a jury, just to get that kind of fame.

COOPER: Stewart's attorney says that this is juror, in particularly, had a class bias. Now the fact he, you know, sort of gravitated toward the microphones and said this thing about a victory for the little guy. Does that sort of sum up the allegation?

BLOOM: Anderson, you know what it's like outside the courthouse when one of these verdicts is reached? They are mobbed.

COOPER: Blissfully, I do not.

BLOOM: They are mobbed by the media. People like us mob them with microphones, begging...

COOPER: Hey, don't look at me. I'm not out there.

BLOOM: Begging for a sound bite. All right? Some of them choose to answer questions. Some of them don't. Now, I remember when he was asked what message does this send? And he sort of thought about it and he said well, maybe it's a victory for the little guy. I mean he's just opining. That is never going to be a basis for a reversal, something that a juror comes up with afterwards to say what kind of message does this just send?

COOPER: Let's talk very briefly about Tyco juror No. 4, the legendary Tyco juror No. 4. People on the Internet are talking about this person. I guess, you know, may have flashed some sort of an OK sign. Then I guess scratched her head a couple of days ago. Have things gone too far with this juror?

BLOOM: I think she's indicating she's going to steal second base, her latest kind of hand signals. I think we're reading a lot into this.

COOPER: We're seeing the back of the head of juror No. 4 right there. BLOOM: That's highly significant. You know, sometimes when people straighten their collar, they're really straightening their collar. It doesn't have to mean a whole heck of a lot.

COOPER: A cigar is sometimes just a cigar?

BLOOM: That's according to Freud, yes.

COOPER: So you don't think jurors have gone wild. Do you think -- but I mean there seems to be a lot of focus on jurors. You know, high priced consultants paying -- being paid big bucks to like, hand pick these jurors.

BLOOM: And that's why -- and look, because we have so much media scrutiny on these trials, we're tired of talking about Martha Stewart and her attorney...

COOPER: So people have got to talk about something...

BLOOM: ... we've got to talk about something else.

COOPER: Well, that's a sad...

BLOOM: Talk about these jurors. And look...

COOPER: Well, that's a sad testimony.

BLOOM: Martha Stewart has the bucks to have an investigator go after this guy and talk to his ex-girlfriend, and ex-employer, and dig up this kind of dirt. Most people don't have that.

COOPER: Certainly not. All right. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks.

COOPER: Jurors gone wild. Oh, well.

So the Jackson two, talk about going wild, take to the media. Coming up, Janet and Michael, he's on Capitol Hill; he's getting jiggy on Letterman. Both tonight on "Overkill."

Also tonight, it's been a while but George Michael is back. You might be surprised with what he has to say. That is coming up in "The Current." I don't know, Lisa Bloom probably won't be surprised by this.

And a little later, forget sit-ins and demonstrators -- demonstrations. A group of teens are turning to cheerleading to protest policies they don't like. Lisa Bloom is all for it.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right. So every week there is some story or somebody the media just can't stop talking about. And look, we're as guilty as anyone else. "Overkill," and that's what we call it. This week the media over covered, over killed a pair of people who are overexposed in just about every way.

CNN's Jeanne Moos tracks this week's overkill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She blew her fans a kiss. He blew off questions with a peace sign. The odd couple of overkill resurface simultaneously, Janet to promote her CD.

JANET JACKSON, SINGER: This is. This is serious

MOOS: Michael seemed both serious and delirious, promoting the fight against AIDS in Washington, while Janet was talking to everyone but saying as little as possible about what they all wanted to know.

J. JACKSON: I want to put all that behind me. I truly do.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST "THE LATE SHOW": Well, not me!

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Janet's fans...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I bet you think this something song is about you

MOOS: ... were mad about the media madness over that "wardrobe malfunction."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This one little thing and it's all over the news. Forget that, who does not have a nipple piercing?

MOOS: A piercing similar to what Janet wore at the Super Bowl seemed to have migrated to here belly button.

While Janet danced suggestively, Michael made suggestions to the photographers.

MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: Waist up, please.

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D), TEXAS: Mayor Conya.

M. JACKSON: Higher.

LEE: He is a director.

M. JACKSON: You're to low.

MOOS: Too loud was the problem at Janet's "Good Morning America" appearance. Fans kept trying to drown out pesky questions about the Super Bowl chanting, "album," and "no more Super Bowl."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more Super Bowl! No more Super Bowl!

DIANE SAWYER, HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": OK, I've got an insurrection out here

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a breast. We all know anatomy. OK? Just one and you couldn't even see it. I was like wow!

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: There, you heard it.

Time to check in some pop news in tonight's " Current." Let's take a look.

George Michael doesn't see a problem with an open relationship. The singer insists he and his lover are not believers in monogamy, saying when it comes to sex, you need people on the side. George, buddy, way too much information, all right?

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps may try to clean up soap operas. Copps says he happened to come across some of the daytime soaps and said he was surprised at what he saw. See, I guess he didn't know that Father John was actually Donna's old flame, the pool cleaner; who she saw died in the volcano after she found out she was sleeping with her sister's boyfriend Dr. Romano. It's probably what happened.

The actors who voice the characters on the "Simpson's" are holding out for more money. If they don't get what they want, they won't be back for the next season. Which could mean a new voice for Homer. Already some of the "360" crew guys are trying out for the job. Let's see.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D'oh!

(END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: Hmm, excellent. Thank you very much.

Finally, a major scientific breakthrough. Researchers have mapped the genetic code of the rat. Scientists say sequencing the rat genome could go far in fighting human diseases. Though we're concerned scientists have something much more sinister in mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ratzilla, it's here! Run for your lives!

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: I think that was Tommy's voice. I don't know.

Anyway, in Los Angeles, a group of high school students decided to protest the war in Iraq and other policies they don't like in a pretty unique way. They've become cheerleaders. I kid you not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop war now!

COOPER (voice-over): They call themselves Radical Teen Cheer and they're like, totally opposed to the war in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey Bush, who fights your wars? Just minorities and the poor.

COOPER: There are only 20 odd students in the squad. While they may not have pom-poms and tons of team spirit, they insist cheering is educational.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've become a lot more -- how can you say it -- more educated on like a lot of things. You know how people follow the news; they watch the news and they believe everything the news says. I'll be watching and like, oh, you liars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The CIA kills people, yes. The corporations, yes. They just want more.

COOPER: The Radical Cheerleaders perform at demonstrations, though the response seems kind of mixed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's so ridiculous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What specifically?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think cheerleaders are a little ridiculous in any forum.

COOPER: These radical teens say they won't be deterred. The cheer must go on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're out to get those hypocrites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Did he say that cheerleaders are ridiculous? Ugh! Ugh! All right. I'll try to get over it.

When it comes to size, Americans are coming up short. Coming up on "The Nth Degree," why height, not might matters. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Americans have gotten used to not being No. 1: car design to the Germans, manufacturing to the Chinese. But according to the latest issue of "The New Yorker," Americans are losing stature in an altogether surprising area, stature.

While the rest of the world is growing taller Americans, it seems, have stopped growing. I don't mean Americans alone have managed to segue out of puberty. Apparently, Americans are three inches shorter than their northern European counterpart. Even Japan, once the shortest country in the G-7, is catching up.

Why does it matter you might ask? Well, lets remember. Taller people make more money, get promoted faster, even have an easier time finding mates. What good is it being the richest country if we're too short to date Swedish people?

So come on America, let's keep growing an extra inch or so every couple of years. I, for one, am going to start taking my vitamins.

I'm Anderson Cooper, thanks for watching. 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