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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
U.S. Soldiers, Contractors Missing in Iraq; New Political Polls Out; More Radio Shock Jocks Fired
Aired April 09, 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): U.S. soldiers and contractors missing after an Iraq attack. Have they been taken hostage?
New polls up and down, a bounce for Bush on the economy but support erodes on Iraq.
More radio shock jocks get fired, casualties of moral outrage or election year politics?
Sex offenders watching porn in prison. Is this real therapy or just a really bad idea?
The power of forgiving, this woman put the wrong man behind bars for 11 years. He has forgiven her but should she forgive herself?
And a matter of faith, annual tradition draws record crowds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
(BREAKING NEWS)
COOPER: We begin with breaking news right now in Iraq. U.S. troops on a manhunt for some of their own. Two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for right now after an Iraqi attack on a U.S. convoy.
In Washington we have CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre following the story and, in Iraq, CNN Baghdad Bureau Chief Jane Arraf.
We begin at the Pentagon. Jamie, at this point does the Pentagon believe those missing personnel have been taken hostage?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: They're not going that far, Anderson. What they are saying is that the two U.S. soldiers are unaccounted for and some number of civilians, including -- identified as American contract workers also unaccounted for after this deadly attack on a four vehicle convoy outside Baghdad.
As you can see the result of this attack was a huge fireball and it took some time to sort out what's happened here. One U.S. soldier confirmed dead in that attack, 12 others wounded, and then after a number of hours now they've determined they believe two soldiers are unaccounted for.
Now, of course, this comes after the insurgents have adopted a new tactic of taking hostages. We saw that with the hostage tape of the Japanese civilians who were paraded on television along with a demand that Japan withdraw its troops. Now, of course, Japan has said it's not going to withdraw its troops.
And today the U.S. coalition spokesman Dan Senor gave this statement to anyone who would take hostages. He said: "Our message to anybody who would take hostages of any foreigner, foreign citizen, foreign national or Iraq is the same. This obviously will not be tolerated. We will not negotiate with any terrorist that takes hostages of any individual. We will seek to capture or kill them."
So, the United States trying to take a hard line with anyone who would hold the U.S. citizens or U.S. soldiers hostage. But, again, at this point, all we know they're unaccounted for. We don't know if they're being held -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.
Again, I just want to stress to the viewers who are just tuning in, two U.S. soldiers missing, as well as an unknown number of U.S. contractors but, at this point, the U.S. military not saying that they are hostages. At this point, they are simply missing, unaccounted for. It is a fast-moving story. We'll continue to follow it throughout this hour.
In a few minutes we're going to talk to former Iraqi POW Ron Young. He's going to describe what it's like to be missing in Iraq while your comrades search for you. We're going to get his perspective on the manhunt going on right now.
And what a difference a year makes. Three hundred and sixty-five days ago today this dramatic scene, the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad's Ferdo Square.
Today, same square, same spot where the statue once stood, U.S. troops take down pictures of a new icon Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. This happened earlier this morning. Sadr's followers are rising up against coalition forces, of course, with some deadly results.
Today, confirmation six U.S. troops have been killed in the last 24 hours. Baghdad Bureau Chief Jane Arraf has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Instead of celebrating crowds, an uneasy calm and an empty square. Iraqis were told that anyone with weapons would be shot on sight. Where Saddam's statue was toppled, soldiers struggled to remove the image of a new leader, Muqtada al-Sadr who has risen up to challenge them in Baghdad and other key cities.
In Fallujah, west of the capital, U.S. Marines halted a fierce and controversial offensive to allow Iraqis to bury their dead and allow aid supplies through.
Still, sporadic fighting continued. Iraqi officials said they were trying to negotiate an end to the fighting. Political leaders and humanitarian officials are criticizing the U.S. saying the offensive is taking an unconscionable toll on civilians.
The head of U.S. Central Command General John Abizaid visiting Fallujah said the military was fighting a wider battle.
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: You see it in forms of assassination, kidnapping, intimidating people that want to come forward to peace and prosperity in a new Iraq and until we can break this culture of intimidation we will continue our military operations in the most robust way possible.
ARRAF: A day ahead of one of the most important Shia holidays of the year, Sadr remained in control of the holy city of Najaf where non-Muslim forces would spark a crisis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARRAF: This doesn't yet seem to have become a broad-based rebellion and there's no question that the U.S. can't win this militarily. They have a lot more troops, a lot more firepower but what they do risk losing if this fighting continues is that crucial battle for the support of the Iraqi people -- Anderson.
COOPER: Hearts and minds. All right, Jane Arraf thanks very much from Baghdad.
The past is also being revisited when it comes to the 9/11 investigation. A key memo mentioned repeatedly yesterday during Condoleezza Rice's testimony may no longer be so secret.
CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Continued his vacation at his Crawford ranch, White House officials were working to declassify a portion of an August 6, 2001 intelligence article called the president's daily brief or PDB.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I believe the title was "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."
MALVEAUX: In her Thursday testimony before the 9/11 commission, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said the document cited 70 FBI investigations into al Qaeda cells in the U.S. as well as earlier warnings of al Qaeda plans to hijack U.S. passenger planes.
The PDB was given to the president at his ranch one month before the terrorist attacks on September 11. Some commissioners questioned why the administration couldn't see that an attack was imminent. Rice maintained it was an historical document not a prediction.
RICE: We did not have on the United States threat information that was in any way specific enough to suggest that something was coming in the United States.
MALVEAUX: The administration hopes declassifying the document will help to, as one put it, quell the controversy. A CNN-Time poll released Friday shows Rice's testimony may have bolstered the administration's credibility.
In March, just after Richard Clarke's testimony, 54 percent thought the administration didn't do all that could be done to prevent the attacks of September 11. Now that's down to 40 percent.
And on the question of who they are more likely to believe, 36 percent say Clarke, 43 percent say Rice. But 60 percent of those polled believe the administration didn't have an al Qaeda strategy before 9/11.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And next week the focus for the 9/11 commission is going to be on law enforcement as well as intelligence officials, including John Ashcroft, Janet Reno, George Tenet and Louie Freeh -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux thanks very much from Crawford.
We're following a number of developing stories "Cross Country" right now. Let's take a quick look.
In Washington, behind closed doors, former Vice President Al Gore met privately with the independent omission probing the September 11 attacks. In a statement, the panel called Gore's three hour testimony "candid and forthcoming."
Also in Washington, First Amendment fight, groups representing journalists expressed anger after a deputy marshal forced two journalists to erase audio recordings of a speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The U.S. Marshal Service stopped short of defending the deputy's actions. There is an investigation underway.
In New York, erratic executive? Police take former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling to the hospital after they say he exhibited bizarre behavior. A source says he was seen on the street pulling on strangers' clothing accusing them of working for the FBI. Police did not charge Skilling with a crime. That's a quick look at stories "Cross Country" for you tonight.
Coming up the Janet Jackson nipple ripple still sending chills through the media. Two more DJs fired. Is the FCC going to far? We're going to talk with radio's Al Franken and (unintelligible) ahead.
Plus, "The Passion of the Christ" to the extreme. One town's tradition is more popular than ever.
And the power of self forgiveness, meet a woman who falsely accused a man of rape. Now she wonders if she can ever forgive herself, part of our special series, all that ahead.
But first let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BREAKING NEWS)
COOPER: We continue to follow this breaking news story out of Iraq. We're following it both at the Pentagon and from Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers right now and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for after an Iraqi attack on a U.S. convoy.
The latest on the manhunt just ahead. At this point, the U.S. government is not saying the two are hostages. They simply do not know or are not saying at this point. These two and the contractors are simply missing.
Coming up later on 360, we're going to continue to follow the story as well as talk to former Iraqi POW Ron Young who's going to join us for some perspective on what it's like to be missing in Iraq.
Well, we're certainly all sick of hearing about Janet Jackson's Super Bowl halftime peep show but the nipple ripple just keeps on going. The FCC cracking down.
Today, just one day after giving the pink slip to Howard Stern, Clear Channel Communications announced it is dropping an edgy show called "Regular Guys" on 96 Rock in Atlanta, Georgia. The company says it's because of a March 19 incident in which graphic sexual content was accidentally aired.
Covering the battle for the air waves tonight Adaora Udoji for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shock jock Howard Stern's latest tussle with federal regulators has sent out a few shivers. Fellow talk show host Don Imus says fining Stern's show to the tune of nearly half a million dollars on indecency grounds is bad news.
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I just think it's such a dangerous sort of precedent.
UDOJI: In its crackdown the Federal Communication Commission concluded Stern's discussions last April about oral and anal sex to the sounds of bodily excrements were "patently offensive." To some that logic is of great concern.
MICHAEL RATNER, CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERT: Who decides what's indecent except a group of guys in Washington? That seems to be a violation of the First Amendment. I wouldn't call them a band of Nazis but I do think there is some kind of vendetta against Stern.
UDOJI: On vacation this week, Stern said he is the victim of a witch hunt saying: "It's pretty shocking that governmental interference into our rights and free speech takes place in the United States. It's hard to reconcile this with the 'land of the free' and the 'home of the brave.'"
Others just as vehemently argue free speech is not without boundaries. Jack Thompson, a parent advocate, filed the complaint which led to the fine.
JACK THOMPSON, STERN CRITIC: The public air waves are to be protected because of the vast number of children in the audience.
UDOJI: But this case is only against six Clear Channel radio stations, which aired Stern's show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UDOJI: The show owned by Infinity Broadcasting will still be on the air waves in several dozen markets, Anderson, as the debate clearly rages on.
COOPER: All right, Adaora Udoji thanks very much.
Is the FCC going too far in its fight against what it calls indecency? Coming up later, Al Franken of the liberal radio network Air America and conservative radio talk show host (unintelligible) will join us.
We are tracking a number of developing stories around the globe right now. Let's take a look at the "Up Link" quick.
Tokyo, Japan, kidnapping crisis, despite tearful pleas from the families of the captives and thousands of protesters, the prime minister vows not to give in to terrorists. Militants are threatening to burn alive these three Japanese civilian hostages if Japan does not pull its troops out of Iraq. The government says Japanese soldiers will continue their humanitarian mission.
Ramallah, the West Bank, mistaken identity, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is personally intervening to seek the release of two Palestinians kidnapped in Iraq accused of being Israeli spies. The U.S. and Israel say the two are international aid workers. They're residents of East Jerusalem which means they carry Israeli identity papers.
Seoul, South Korea, travel ban, citizens are now banned from traveling to Iraq and the region after seven South Korean missionaries were kidnapped and then released. South Korea's foreign minister is urging nearly 150 civilians remaining in Iraq to get out.
In Jerusalem, a holy path, thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world converged on Good Friday. Some were carrying thorns, flowers, candles, and large crosses as they retraced what is believed to be Jesus' footsteps to crucifixion. That is a quick look at stories in tonight's "Up Link."
On this Good Friday, pilgrims around the world, as you just saw, are remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Perhaps nowhere is the right more painfully authentic than in the Philippines where more than 80 percent of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic. In one town there people are actually being nailed to the cross. We want to warn you that some of this story contains some graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): It's become an annual tradition, attracting the faithful and the merely curious. Each year in this town in the Philippines real people use real five-inch nails to reenact Jesus' death.
Fourteen people were crucified today spending about ten minutes on the cross. Dozens more beat themselves with whips studded with glass chards. Participants said they suffer to atone for their sins, purify their souls, though this year some said they were nervous after seeing Mel Gibson's "The Passion."
Ruben Enaje has been nailed to the cross 17 times but says getting crucified this year is different because of Gibson's movie. "The movie made me want to live a purer life, a better life" he said "because it showed me how much he really suffered to get rid of our sins."
Vendors said the turnout for this year's festival was the best ever. Plenty of snacks were sold, plenty of trinkets. They give credit to Jesus. They also wanted to thank Mel Gibson. Faith and the spectacle of human suffering is big business indeed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, "The Power of Forgiveness," coming up can you forgive yourself? A woman struggles to do just that after making a terrible mistake. You will not want to miss her story coming up.
Also tonight playing politics with pop culture, the great crusade against indecency, why it never seems to go out of style. That is raw politics.
Plus showing child pornography to convicted sexual offenders, a controversial therapy program that has some victims outraged.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, tonight as Christians and Jews around the world celebrate Holy Week and Passover, we wrap up our series "The Power of Forgiveness." The question this evening can you forgive yourself for the mistakes that you've made?
In a moment we'll introduce you to a therapist who will suggest ways you can forgive yourself, but first CNN's Eric Phillips with a remarkable story of a woman who wrongly accused a man of rape and the feelings she still cannot let go of.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're good friends now but 11 years of this man's life were taken away because of her mistake. She thought he was the one who raped her.
JENNIFER THOMPSON, FALSELY ACCUSED MAN OF RAPE: It never, ever entered my mind that it was anyone other than Ronald.
PHILLIPS: There was not any hint of doubt?
THOMPSON: Never, never.
PHILLIPS: Yet he forgives her.
RONALD COTTON, FALSELY ACCUSED OF RAPE: You know it was just like a thing I was dragging on. I was just killing myself, you know, and I said well I might as well just, you know, forgive her and just go ahead and do the time. Don't let the time do me.
PHILLIPS: In 1984 when Jennifer Thompson was a student at Elon University in North Carolina someone broke into her off campus apartment and sexually assaulted her.
She gave a convincing description to police and picked out 22- year-old Ronald Cotton from a line up. Her testimony convicted and sentenced him to life plus 50 years. She knew she had her rapist. He knew he was innocent. Cotton was bitter but says God changed his heart.
COTTON: Well I'm just going to put it in his hand because he knows best.
PHILLIPS: Eleven years passed before DNA evidence finally vindicated him in 1995 proving that another man, Bobby Poole (ph) committed the crime.
COTTON: I was overjoyed, you know. I didn't really know what to do. I just looked up and said thank you Jesus. Where do I go from here?
PHILLIPS: But Thompson was horrified, knowing she had put an innocent man behind bars. Two years later she arranged a meeting at this church to apologize.
THOMPSON: He just looked at me and he said I forgive you and I'm not angry at you.
COTTON: That's the greatest love of all, you know, being able to forgive each other and move forward. PHILLIPS: Yet, Thompson still harbors feelings of guilt.
THOMPSON: I can't even look at you now and tell you that I've completely forgiven myself and maybe I never will. I don't know.
PHILLIPS: In Elon, North Carolina, Eric Phillips, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Remarkable tale.
What can be done to escape the guilt of past mistakes? Psychotherapist Thom Rutledge wrote the book "Embracing Fear and Finding the Courage to Live your Life" and "The Self Forgiveness Handbook." I asked him earlier what makes it so hard for people to forgive themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THOM RUTLEDGE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: I think most of us have a very strong, I call it an inner bully that kind of operates with a double standard and holds us accountable to standards we wouldn't hold other people accountable for.
COOPER: And you talk about various steps you can go through toward self forgiveness. Let's go through them.
RUTLEDGE: Right.
COOPER: Let's talk about the first one. Have realistic expectations, what does that mean?
RUTLEDGE: Right. Realistic expectations, we waste a lot of energy, I think, a lot of time trying to do something very unrealistic, which is be rid of all of our feelings, all the feelings of guilt or remorse and that's just not realistic. I want people to know that it's about, you know, it's moving on in spite of those feelings and letting go.
COOPER: So, it's OK if you're scarred by something, it's OK to still have that scar?
RUTLEDGE: I heard somebody say one time I don't have to have this as an open wound but I'll always carry the scar and I think, you know, scars become a part of our character and I think it's a matter of how we respond from that point forward that makes the most difference.
COOPER: You already mentioned this inner bully. The second step you say toward moving toward self forgiveness is face the inner bully, how?
RUTLEDGE: Well, you do what is counterintuitive. You go towards it rather than run from it. I really believe we have to face up to those most negative shameful and fear-based messages we have inside and when we do the power begins to give way. We begin to get power back and be in charge of our own lives.
COOPER: Third step trust what others have to say.
RUTLEDGE: A lot of times people are forgiving of us but we're not forgiving of ourselves and I think it's one of the toughest parts actually for people to actually let somebody have a positive thought and bring it into themselves and allow them to -- allow that positive thought to have credibility.
COOPER: And you say practice makes practice. What does that mean?
RUTLEDGE: That's my favorite thing. Practice makes practice. It means that we need to make this a daily practice. We just need to be sure that living our lives is about doing the very best we can, not about trying to do something perfectly.
COOPER: In our society today, a lot of people do sort of seem to have the opposite. They sort of forgive themselves pretty rapidly.
RUTLEDGE: Right.
COOPER: Are there times where self forgiveness is not necessarily a good idea?
RUTLEDGE: There are people who seem to rapidly forgive themselves and that's not really self forgiveness. That's irresponsibility. That really is a reflection of a lack of ethical or moral development. That's somebody -- that's the person who can do no wrong and never takes responsibility for themselves.
COOPER: In self forgiveness it's not about forgetting but it is about forgiving.
RUTLEDGE: Right. Learn from the past and then get the heck out of there is what I always say. It's like it's never about forgetting. We always want to learn and we want to be non-victims to all of this. What we want to be is -- a non-victim is somebody who realizes that it's how I respond to this situation that makes the difference and tells me what kind of person I'm going to be.
COOPER: Interesting stuff. Thom Rutledge, thanks very much.
RUTLEDGE: Thanks a lot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, an update on our breaking news story just ahead. A fuel convoy attacked in Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors unaccounted for. We'll give you the latest on the manhunt and talk with former POW Ron Young.
Also ahead, Al Franken and (unintelligible) on the FCC indecency crusade, a reaction to moral outrage or just raw politics?
Also ahead a controversial therapy for sex offenders, does it go too far, all ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: In the next half hour on 360, missing Americans in Iraq, were they kidnapped? Former POW Ron Young joins me live.
Plus, Howard Stern silenced by Clear Channel. Radio host Al Franken and (unintelligible) sound off on this crusade for pop culture decency.
First, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."
Happening right now a manhunt in Iraq. The search is on for two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian workers missing tonight. The Pentagon says they are unaccounted for. Their fuel convoy, as you can see, was attacked by insurgents near the Baghdad Airport. One U.S. soldier and an Iraqi driver were killed.
In Washington, a new CNN-Time poll shows challenging news for President Bush. Forty-four percent say they approve of his handling of Iraq, down seven points from just two weeks ago but the economy only 41 percent like what he's doing and 55 percent of those polled said they approved of the way the president was handling terrorism. That is down from 58 percent.
In Crawford, Texas, too close for comfort, a small plane entered the restricted airspace surrounding President Bush's ranch today. Two F-16s and a helicopter tried to make contact with the pilot. The plane landed at a nearby airport where officials are holding the pilot for questioning by the Secret Service.
In Rome, Good Friday, Pope John Paul II led worshipers over a traditional candlelit service at the city's ancient coliseum. The frail 83-year-old pontiff presided over a procession of thousands of pilgrims to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and that's a quick look at stories in "The Reset."
Now, to war over the airwaves. Shock jock Howard Stern fighting back, angry after being yanked off the air by Clear Channel Communications. The company made the move, after the FCC announced it would slap it with a fine of almost $500,000 for what they said was indecent content on Stern's show.
How much does politics play into all of this? Al Franken host of the "O'Franken Factor" on Air America radio network is here. And in Washington, Blanquita Collum, host of "News Beat With Blanquita Collum." And the president of the National Association of Radio Talk Show hosts. Appreciate both of you being with me.
Is this politics? Howard Stern says it's a witch hunted by the administration.
AL FRANKEN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's a little disturbing. I think they -- Clear Channel first started kicking him off their stations after he said that he was against President Bush. And Clear Channel, which owns more stations, like I think three or four times as many stations than any other owner of radio stations, those guys are pretty much cronies of Bush. Hix, who is the vice-chair, was given a lot of money by Bush, basically, when he was given the University of Texas.
COOPER: And you think that has influenced their decision?
FRANKEN: I think it has. And I think these fines are excessive. I understand -- I've been in broadcasting for a long time. Not radio. Radio for eight days. But -- and TV for 15 years. And I understand the role of standards and practices and community standards. But this is very disturbing, the size of these fines, and also, I think being decided by a few people in Washington, it just strikes me as kind of wrong.
COOPER: Blanquita, do you think it's disturbing? And do you think it's politics?
BLANQUITA COLLUM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I think a lot of it's the people. First of all, let me just say, is the President of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, we support the freedom of speech. We may not always like what someone says, whether it's Howard Stern, or someone from the right, He point of the matter is, we believe the most important amendment is the first amendment. And that is the freedom of speech.
COOPER: But he says this is the administration...
COLLUM: But no, let me tell you something. You know what, it all started with a member of Congress, and the Congress, actually, going after the obscenities that they keep seeing on television, and radio.
Now, really and truly, they need to go and focus on where it's all culminating from. And that's from the United States Congress and the judiciary and the commission. But it's been coming, because people are not happy. Now, they are tired of seeing or hearing a lot of garbage on the airwaves, whether it's television or radio.
Frankly, I mean, from our perspective, we believe that the people have the opportunity if they don't like it to take the power and turn it off. Or maybe go to another channel, but I think what it came down to was, finally people said, listen if you can't monitor yourselves, and you can't clean this up, we're probably going to do something about it.
What I think about Clear Channel? I think Clear Channel, it's kind of like, where I work, or how Al works with Air America, they have also the right to say, you don't clean it up we're going to let you go. But we still support the first amendment.
COOPER; Does it worry you? Do you feel like there is this -- I mean, Blanquita is intimating this is ground swell of public support for these moves. Do you think that's true?
FRANKEN: I don't know. It's odd to me what people consider obscene. I know that when Janet Jackson's breast was bared, that they did -- something like 400,000 e-mails west to the FCC, which shows something. The very next day Bill O'reilly Said, I want to kill Michael Moore on Fox. And I don't think they got any complaints. And evidently that's okay.
And evidently it's okay for Brit Hume to say that it's safer to be a soldier in Iraq than it is to be a citizen of California, because there's 6.6 murders a day in California. And there's only -- we're only losing 1.7 soldiers a day in Iraq. Now, to me, that's obscene. That is obscene.
COLLUM: But the difference is, Al, the difference in my opinion is, look, if you don't want to hear Brit Hume, or you don't want to hear Bill O'Reilly say that, you have the opportunity to say, okay, I'll watch CNN. But if Janet Jackson bares her breasts...
COOPER: But I don't think we're talking about Janet Jackson. We've gone over that a million time, we're talking about Howard Stern. What about Howard Stern? Isn't he the same with...
FRANKEN: O'Reilly said this on radio about me.
COLLUM: It's different, and let me tell you why it's different. Because what happened with Janet Jackson, you didn't have a choice. She made the choice for you.
COOPER: We got it, but we're talking about Howard Stern.
COLLUM: I don't disagree with you. I believe -- I don't disagree with you. I think that Howard Stern, and if I don't protect Howard Stern, then I'm not protecting anyone else that has -- I mean, I think artistic speech and political speech are very much connected. And as the president, I have to stand up for him.
COOPER: All right. We're going to have to end it there. I appreciate you both joining us. Thank you very much.
FRANKEN: Thank you, Anderson.
COLLUM: Thank you.
COOPER: Howard Stern is not the first to feel the sting of the federal government. There's a long history of the confrontation over what is and isn't indecent. Sometimes the battle is about raw language, sometimes raw politics. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Howard Stern may be the best known foul- mouthed entertainer to feel the wrath of the government. But before him, there was Lenny Bruce. In 1964, Bruce was arrested after a stand-up comedy performance at a New York City club. Police said he used more than 100 dirty words in his act. It was the third time the comedian faced obscenity charges. He was convicted, but died before he went to prison. Just this year, he was pardoned by New York's governor.
GEORGE CARLIN, COMEDIAN: The words that I say (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
COOPER; In 1973, WBAI Radio was sued by the FCC for broadcasting George Carlin's seven dirty words. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court and the words became part of the court's decision, which said that they really were dirty.
LARRY FLYNT, PUBLISHER: I feel very much threatened.
COOPER: In 1977 it was the people of Cincinnati versus Larry Flynt. The "Hustler" honcho was charged with obscenity and convicted, but that was overturned.
In the '80s, Tipper Gore famously fought to tame the lyrics in rock and rap songs. And photos by Robert Mapplethorpe were the subject of obscenity charges in 1990. The director of Cincinnati's Contemporary Art Center was indicted and then acquitted for showing photos with sado masochistic themes.
DENNIS BARRIE, FRM. DIR. CINCINNATI CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER: I think the attack on me and on the Contemporary Art Center are part of a larger issue. Part of a whole assault on the arts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COOPER: Waging war on immorality is certainly nothing new. In fact, it's as old as moral outrage and as old as raw politics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, a search under way right now for missing troops. How does the U.S. military carry it out? Let's get some perspective from someone who knows all too well. Ron Young was captured by Iraqi troops after his Apache helicopter was shot down near Baghdad in March of last year, held captive for three weeks. The former POW joins me now live from Washington.
Ron, good to see you. Thanks for being on the program.
RON YOUNG, FORMER POW: Good to see you, Mr. Anderson.
COOPER: Please, call me Anderson. As we told our audience a short time ago, there's a search under way right now for 2 U.S. military personnel and an unknown number of contractors missing in Iraq. It is, as a soldier, as a member of the Air Force, whatever service you're in, it is a great comfort to know that when you're missing, there will be a huge effort out to find you isn't it?
YOUNG: Absolutely. I honestly didn't know anyone knew we were alive. When the Iraqis were putting us on TV, and all that, of course, they had been videotaping us, but we didn't think they would let on to the outside world that we were actually alive, meaning that they could pretty much do whatever they wanted with us.
The fact that we know that these guys are missing and hopefully they're still running right now, and haven't been caught by the Iraqis. But if they have, I mean, that's a really terrifying experience to go through.
COOPER: Especially, I imagine, well, I don't imagine, but the first few hours, the first few days, are those the worst? Or does it just get worse over time?
YOUNG: Really, the first few days are like a total shock. It's kind of like being in an out-of-body experience or something. You know, they're taking you around and your mindset is fresh to this. They're beating you and trying they're to get information out of you, those types of things.
So, I mean, that part of it is extremely terrifying. Now, as time goes on, depending on how close you are, for us, we were downtown Baghdad. We were in the battle the entire time and they driving us through the middle of where the fighting was going on. So that was extremely intense too.
So, for our entire time in Iraq, we were pretty much going through the entire scenario from beginning to end, as far as being taken captive, and then being shot at also all the time also, and bombed.
COOPER: When your family gets news, first that you're missing, and later that you're held hostage, I mean, they're being held hostage just as well.
YOUNG: Absolutely. What I really have to say is, to the families out there, that they really have to be strong right now. And they have to put their best foot forward and they have to have resolve for their loved one. Because that's what the people need right now. And that's what their loved ones are going to want to see out of them when they come back.
I was really glad that my parents conducted themselves in a way that was uplifting for me, and especially coming back and hearing people say that, you know, your parents were a rock while you were gone. That really meant a lot to me, to know that I was coming back, and to always have that hope.
And of course, my heart goes out to their families. Believe me, I know how they feel. And my family definitely knows how they feel and can definitely empathize with them.
COOPER: Absolutely. As you see -- I mean, having had this experience, as you see the horrific pictures of the Japanese civilians being held hostage, I mean, what goes through your mind as you see these things?
YOUNG: As I see those things, it's really kind of chilling for me, because I was there. And the same thing was happening to me. The problem I see with this is that they're being basically held by militants, which is, I believe, a little more dangerous than being held by a regular army or something like that. Because these guys are pretty much loose canons, and they can do whatever they want. And they will do whatever they want. Now, the resolve of Japan has been really great, and I really commend the Japanese people for that. COOPER: Ron Young, I appreciate you being on the program and talking about this. And it's been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you.
YOUNG: Yes, sir. Thank you.
COOPER: Coming up, the shock builds up at Disney World. More molestation accusations against a man who played the part of Tigger.
Also ahead, a controversial form of therapy. Will convicted pedophile go back behind bars. All that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: More molestation accusations at the House of Mouse. Today, more alleged victims have come forward saying a man who played Tigger the Tiger at Disney molested them. Susan Candiotti has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Someone dressed in Tigger's costume is accused of getting a little too friendly with fans at Disney World. Police say they now have at least 26 complaints against Tigger. The new accusations come one week after Disney employee Michael Chartrand was charged with fondling the breast of a 13-year- old and her mother while posing for pictures.
MICHAEL CHARTRAND, SUSPENDED TIGGER: I would never do anything like that. I've never done anything like that.
CANDIOTTI: According to a police report, Chartrand admitted he may have inadvertently touched the alleged victims and wrote a letter of apology. Chartrand told WOLF TV the only thing a padded glove can feel is an autograph pen.
CHARTRAND: I'm innocent.
CANDIOTTI: Disney says it's been referring all Tigger complaints directly to authorities. And the Orange county sheriff's office says Disney is cooperating with the investigation.
Meantime, Tigger the character is still on duty at Disney World while his once-costume performer remains out on bail and suspended with pay until the case is resolved. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: In Massachusetts today, a hearing for convicted pedophile James Porter (ph). He was convicted in 1993 for sexually abusing dozens of children while serving as a priest. His prison sentence ended in January but prosecutors in Massachusetts want to keep him locked up in a psychiatric hospital indefinitely. Can pedophiles be treated? Some methods are certainly controversial. Supporters of one method, aversion therapy, say it holds great promise for pedophiles who are committed to change but its method are raising some eyebrows.
Carol Ball, founder of New England Forensic Associates joins me from Baltimore. This aversion therapy, as part of it, from what I read, you actually show pictures of naked children to child molesters?
DR. CAROL BALL, NEW ENGLAND FORENSIC ASSOCIATES: Well, that has been one technique. We don't use that currently. We're using tape recorded scenarios, describing various sorts of sexual activity.
COOPER: Why do this? I mean, how does this work, in your estimation?
BALL: I want to point out, first of all, that this is only one of a whole regimen of treatment modalities that people go through who are sex offenders who are being treated. The focus of this particular treatment is that it actually can reduce physiological arousal to children. So we can help the person change their body's response to being with a child. That way, if they're living in the community, it really gives us a little bit more control over their behavior.
COOPER: We talked to Dr. Fred Berlin, who's founder of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorder Clinic, and he said this to us. I want to put it on the screen. He said, "I am not convinced aversion therapy is effective. What you find in a laboratory is going to be quite different than outside the lab. It doesn't matter if someone's not aroused in the lab, long term is what matters." True?
BALL: Yes and no. I think that what we find in our outpatient clinic is that aversion therapy does work. It does translate into the real world. And if the person is really motivated to change, it's one tool that is going to help that person to stay in control.
COOPER: Are you concerned -- I mean, I know the therapy is controversial. It's been around for quite a while. And you say it has a proven success rate. There's a quote from the district attorney in Bristol, Mass., who basically seems to be saying he might be looking into aversion therapy in terms of investigating it. He said, if someone were doing that in their house, that would be cause for an investigation. It sounds as perverted as what got them in there in the first place, talking about aversion therapy in prisons. Are you concerned at all this guy might investigate?
BALL: Not at all. When we opened our clinic a number of years ago, we had a long discussion with the attorney general of Massachusetts at that point. And he just really praised us for the work we were doing, trying to prevent victims of child abuse, and said that anything that we could do to treat sex offenders was something that he clearly approved of. There's nothing perverted about this. It's simply a very scientific way of helping reduce someone's arousal response to a deviant -- such as to children.
COOPER: I know it's hard talking about a complex therapeutic process is such a short amount of time. Carol Ball, I do appreciate you being on the program. Thank you very much.
BALL: You're very welcome. My pleasure. COOPER: Well, how often do pedophiles, once released, get rearrested? It might actually surprise you. Here's a fast fact. According to the Department of Justice, 4,300 child molesters were freed from prison in 1994. About 140 or 3.3 percent were rearrested within three years for committing another crime against a child. Those with criminal histories were most likely to offend again. Now, sex offenders, less likely than nonsex offenders to get arrested again for any crime.
Coming up. Far different subjects, far lighter, Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. Coming up. Remember the Alamo? Hollywood hopes with the new movie out. One of several we're checking out in the weekender.
And a little later, the Pete Rose story. The batting, brawling, and, oh, yes, all that betting. That ahead in tonight's "Current."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: A fun day at the beach turned frightening for a pair of teens. A parasailing accident left them drifting at the mercy of the elements. John Zarrella details their rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just another day at the beach. That's all it was supposed to be for two teenaged girls from Atlanta. This amateur video captures the final minutes of what turned out to be the ride of their lifetimes.
The girls were parasailing near St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast when the tow rope snapped.
CHELSEA WADDELL, RESCUED PARASAILER: We were just like, I don't know, the rope just snapped and we just kind of whiplashed. And, you know, we were on top of like a bunch of buildings, over streets and roads. And it was really freaky.
ZARRELLA: As they soared helplessly, a woman on the beach below managed to grab hold of the end of the rope dangling in the breeze. Within seconds, dozens of people grabbed hold, reeling it in.
RANDY MILLER, RESCUER: A bunch of us had got on the shore and started pulling it in to. And we just started pulling them in.
ZARRELLA: It took about 30 minutes to get the girls down. The Coast Guard is investigating whether equipment was faulty, or if the winds were too brisk to be safely parasailing.
(on camera): Other than the training the Coast Guard requires to operate a boat, there are no regulations over the parasailing business. An operator doesn't need to take a course or get a license.
(voice-over): Some operators say they would like to see minimal rules requiring training and an equipment inspection process. Right now, customers are left to sail with only the operator's word that everything is fine.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: That's one more thing I don't have to do now.
Time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look.
The Italian town where Mel Gibson shot "The Passion of the Christ" is offering "Passion" tours to visitors, showing them key location spots, including where Jesus walked, where Jesus prayed and where Jesus berated his PA for forgetting his chocolate doughnut.
Experts at near Earth object observation program are scanning the galaxy looking for things that could threaten civilization as we know it. So far, they've found 700 objects that concern them, including meteorites, asteroids and Richard Simmons. Now, that is not true. We love Richard Simmons. Sort of.
George Steinbrenner got pretty emotional at the Yankees home opener yesterday. The boss blubbered on local TV as he expressed his love for the team, his players and all that money waiting for him at home. There, there, George. We understand.
ESPN is working on an original movie about Pete Rose. The film called "Hustle" will chronicle his gambling troubles. It is set to be released in September, though Rose lays four-to-one odds that it will be pushed back to October.
So wondering what to do this weekend, besides sleep, that is? Here is what's new in "The Weekender."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): In movies, history comes to life in the delayed and production-plagued "Alamo," Hollywood's attempt to demystify the legendary 1836 siege in Texas. Disney's assembled an all-star cast to play the all-star Alamo team. Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. But where is that hat?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't shoot, it's me.
COOPER: If you prefer slapsticks over shootouts, there's "The Whole Ten Yards." Bruce Willis is a hit man who enlists mild-mannered Matthew Perry to battle mobsters. It's a reprise of "The Whole Nine Yards," just three feet longer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will always remember the girl next door.
COOPER: There is a very naughty neighbor in "The Girl Next Door." The teen romantic comedy is about a high school student who learns a nearby house sitter is a porn star. Happens all the time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Show me (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.
COOPER: Also out, "Ella Enchanted." The loose adaptation of a children's book about a medieval maiden trying to break free from a spell forcing her to be obedient.
New on DVD.
HUGO WEAVING, ACTOR: Mr. Anderson, welcome back.
COOPER: "The Matrix Revolution," the series finale. Keanu Reeves returning as Neo. "Revolutions" gives fans a chance to own the trilogy and to see if Reeves blinks once through it all.
KEANU REEVES, ACTOR: It's impossible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: All right, well, I'm going to sleep. A grand honor for Carson Daly coming up on "The Nth Degree." Carson's award, five years on "TRL," announced to a lifetime achievement. Wow. Well deserved.
Plus, Monday, betting it all. This weekend, a man is going to bet all his cash on one Vegas roulette spin. I don't believe it, but apparently it's true. Win or lose, we're going to get reaction from this highest of high rollers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Finally tonight, taking achievement to "The Nth Degree."
Lifetime achievement awards are usually given out to celebrate, well, a lifetime of achievement. Funny, that. But now MTV has announced they're giving Carson Daly a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to "TRL." It's a show where singers sing and teens scream.
Don't get me wrong, Daly's contribution has been extraordinary. Putting up with a roomful of crying, screeching teens every day for five whole years -- that's got to get a little tiresome. But a lifetime achievement award? Carson Daly is only 31.
It's a slippery slope, people. First, Carson Daly, then the Olsen twins. Next thing you know they'll be handing out lifetime achievement awards to Haley Joel Osment. Thought, come to think of it, didn't he already get nominated for an Oscar?
I'm Anderson Cooper. Have a great weekend. 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 9, 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): U.S. soldiers and contractors missing after an Iraq attack. Have they been taken hostage?
New polls up and down, a bounce for Bush on the economy but support erodes on Iraq.
More radio shock jocks get fired, casualties of moral outrage or election year politics?
Sex offenders watching porn in prison. Is this real therapy or just a really bad idea?
The power of forgiving, this woman put the wrong man behind bars for 11 years. He has forgiven her but should she forgive herself?
And a matter of faith, annual tradition draws record crowds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
(BREAKING NEWS)
COOPER: We begin with breaking news right now in Iraq. U.S. troops on a manhunt for some of their own. Two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for right now after an Iraqi attack on a U.S. convoy.
In Washington we have CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre following the story and, in Iraq, CNN Baghdad Bureau Chief Jane Arraf.
We begin at the Pentagon. Jamie, at this point does the Pentagon believe those missing personnel have been taken hostage?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: They're not going that far, Anderson. What they are saying is that the two U.S. soldiers are unaccounted for and some number of civilians, including -- identified as American contract workers also unaccounted for after this deadly attack on a four vehicle convoy outside Baghdad.
As you can see the result of this attack was a huge fireball and it took some time to sort out what's happened here. One U.S. soldier confirmed dead in that attack, 12 others wounded, and then after a number of hours now they've determined they believe two soldiers are unaccounted for.
Now, of course, this comes after the insurgents have adopted a new tactic of taking hostages. We saw that with the hostage tape of the Japanese civilians who were paraded on television along with a demand that Japan withdraw its troops. Now, of course, Japan has said it's not going to withdraw its troops.
And today the U.S. coalition spokesman Dan Senor gave this statement to anyone who would take hostages. He said: "Our message to anybody who would take hostages of any foreigner, foreign citizen, foreign national or Iraq is the same. This obviously will not be tolerated. We will not negotiate with any terrorist that takes hostages of any individual. We will seek to capture or kill them."
So, the United States trying to take a hard line with anyone who would hold the U.S. citizens or U.S. soldiers hostage. But, again, at this point, all we know they're unaccounted for. We don't know if they're being held -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.
Again, I just want to stress to the viewers who are just tuning in, two U.S. soldiers missing, as well as an unknown number of U.S. contractors but, at this point, the U.S. military not saying that they are hostages. At this point, they are simply missing, unaccounted for. It is a fast-moving story. We'll continue to follow it throughout this hour.
In a few minutes we're going to talk to former Iraqi POW Ron Young. He's going to describe what it's like to be missing in Iraq while your comrades search for you. We're going to get his perspective on the manhunt going on right now.
And what a difference a year makes. Three hundred and sixty-five days ago today this dramatic scene, the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad's Ferdo Square.
Today, same square, same spot where the statue once stood, U.S. troops take down pictures of a new icon Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. This happened earlier this morning. Sadr's followers are rising up against coalition forces, of course, with some deadly results.
Today, confirmation six U.S. troops have been killed in the last 24 hours. Baghdad Bureau Chief Jane Arraf has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Instead of celebrating crowds, an uneasy calm and an empty square. Iraqis were told that anyone with weapons would be shot on sight. Where Saddam's statue was toppled, soldiers struggled to remove the image of a new leader, Muqtada al-Sadr who has risen up to challenge them in Baghdad and other key cities.
In Fallujah, west of the capital, U.S. Marines halted a fierce and controversial offensive to allow Iraqis to bury their dead and allow aid supplies through.
Still, sporadic fighting continued. Iraqi officials said they were trying to negotiate an end to the fighting. Political leaders and humanitarian officials are criticizing the U.S. saying the offensive is taking an unconscionable toll on civilians.
The head of U.S. Central Command General John Abizaid visiting Fallujah said the military was fighting a wider battle.
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: You see it in forms of assassination, kidnapping, intimidating people that want to come forward to peace and prosperity in a new Iraq and until we can break this culture of intimidation we will continue our military operations in the most robust way possible.
ARRAF: A day ahead of one of the most important Shia holidays of the year, Sadr remained in control of the holy city of Najaf where non-Muslim forces would spark a crisis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARRAF: This doesn't yet seem to have become a broad-based rebellion and there's no question that the U.S. can't win this militarily. They have a lot more troops, a lot more firepower but what they do risk losing if this fighting continues is that crucial battle for the support of the Iraqi people -- Anderson.
COOPER: Hearts and minds. All right, Jane Arraf thanks very much from Baghdad.
The past is also being revisited when it comes to the 9/11 investigation. A key memo mentioned repeatedly yesterday during Condoleezza Rice's testimony may no longer be so secret.
CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Continued his vacation at his Crawford ranch, White House officials were working to declassify a portion of an August 6, 2001 intelligence article called the president's daily brief or PDB.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I believe the title was "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."
MALVEAUX: In her Thursday testimony before the 9/11 commission, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said the document cited 70 FBI investigations into al Qaeda cells in the U.S. as well as earlier warnings of al Qaeda plans to hijack U.S. passenger planes.
The PDB was given to the president at his ranch one month before the terrorist attacks on September 11. Some commissioners questioned why the administration couldn't see that an attack was imminent. Rice maintained it was an historical document not a prediction.
RICE: We did not have on the United States threat information that was in any way specific enough to suggest that something was coming in the United States.
MALVEAUX: The administration hopes declassifying the document will help to, as one put it, quell the controversy. A CNN-Time poll released Friday shows Rice's testimony may have bolstered the administration's credibility.
In March, just after Richard Clarke's testimony, 54 percent thought the administration didn't do all that could be done to prevent the attacks of September 11. Now that's down to 40 percent.
And on the question of who they are more likely to believe, 36 percent say Clarke, 43 percent say Rice. But 60 percent of those polled believe the administration didn't have an al Qaeda strategy before 9/11.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And next week the focus for the 9/11 commission is going to be on law enforcement as well as intelligence officials, including John Ashcroft, Janet Reno, George Tenet and Louie Freeh -- Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux thanks very much from Crawford.
We're following a number of developing stories "Cross Country" right now. Let's take a quick look.
In Washington, behind closed doors, former Vice President Al Gore met privately with the independent omission probing the September 11 attacks. In a statement, the panel called Gore's three hour testimony "candid and forthcoming."
Also in Washington, First Amendment fight, groups representing journalists expressed anger after a deputy marshal forced two journalists to erase audio recordings of a speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The U.S. Marshal Service stopped short of defending the deputy's actions. There is an investigation underway.
In New York, erratic executive? Police take former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling to the hospital after they say he exhibited bizarre behavior. A source says he was seen on the street pulling on strangers' clothing accusing them of working for the FBI. Police did not charge Skilling with a crime. That's a quick look at stories "Cross Country" for you tonight.
Coming up the Janet Jackson nipple ripple still sending chills through the media. Two more DJs fired. Is the FCC going to far? We're going to talk with radio's Al Franken and (unintelligible) ahead.
Plus, "The Passion of the Christ" to the extreme. One town's tradition is more popular than ever.
And the power of self forgiveness, meet a woman who falsely accused a man of rape. Now she wonders if she can ever forgive herself, part of our special series, all that ahead.
But first let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BREAKING NEWS)
COOPER: We continue to follow this breaking news story out of Iraq. We're following it both at the Pentagon and from Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers right now and an unknown number of civilian contractors are unaccounted for after an Iraqi attack on a U.S. convoy.
The latest on the manhunt just ahead. At this point, the U.S. government is not saying the two are hostages. They simply do not know or are not saying at this point. These two and the contractors are simply missing.
Coming up later on 360, we're going to continue to follow the story as well as talk to former Iraqi POW Ron Young who's going to join us for some perspective on what it's like to be missing in Iraq.
Well, we're certainly all sick of hearing about Janet Jackson's Super Bowl halftime peep show but the nipple ripple just keeps on going. The FCC cracking down.
Today, just one day after giving the pink slip to Howard Stern, Clear Channel Communications announced it is dropping an edgy show called "Regular Guys" on 96 Rock in Atlanta, Georgia. The company says it's because of a March 19 incident in which graphic sexual content was accidentally aired.
Covering the battle for the air waves tonight Adaora Udoji for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shock jock Howard Stern's latest tussle with federal regulators has sent out a few shivers. Fellow talk show host Don Imus says fining Stern's show to the tune of nearly half a million dollars on indecency grounds is bad news.
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I just think it's such a dangerous sort of precedent.
UDOJI: In its crackdown the Federal Communication Commission concluded Stern's discussions last April about oral and anal sex to the sounds of bodily excrements were "patently offensive." To some that logic is of great concern.
MICHAEL RATNER, CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERT: Who decides what's indecent except a group of guys in Washington? That seems to be a violation of the First Amendment. I wouldn't call them a band of Nazis but I do think there is some kind of vendetta against Stern.
UDOJI: On vacation this week, Stern said he is the victim of a witch hunt saying: "It's pretty shocking that governmental interference into our rights and free speech takes place in the United States. It's hard to reconcile this with the 'land of the free' and the 'home of the brave.'"
Others just as vehemently argue free speech is not without boundaries. Jack Thompson, a parent advocate, filed the complaint which led to the fine.
JACK THOMPSON, STERN CRITIC: The public air waves are to be protected because of the vast number of children in the audience.
UDOJI: But this case is only against six Clear Channel radio stations, which aired Stern's show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UDOJI: The show owned by Infinity Broadcasting will still be on the air waves in several dozen markets, Anderson, as the debate clearly rages on.
COOPER: All right, Adaora Udoji thanks very much.
Is the FCC going too far in its fight against what it calls indecency? Coming up later, Al Franken of the liberal radio network Air America and conservative radio talk show host (unintelligible) will join us.
We are tracking a number of developing stories around the globe right now. Let's take a look at the "Up Link" quick.
Tokyo, Japan, kidnapping crisis, despite tearful pleas from the families of the captives and thousands of protesters, the prime minister vows not to give in to terrorists. Militants are threatening to burn alive these three Japanese civilian hostages if Japan does not pull its troops out of Iraq. The government says Japanese soldiers will continue their humanitarian mission.
Ramallah, the West Bank, mistaken identity, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is personally intervening to seek the release of two Palestinians kidnapped in Iraq accused of being Israeli spies. The U.S. and Israel say the two are international aid workers. They're residents of East Jerusalem which means they carry Israeli identity papers.
Seoul, South Korea, travel ban, citizens are now banned from traveling to Iraq and the region after seven South Korean missionaries were kidnapped and then released. South Korea's foreign minister is urging nearly 150 civilians remaining in Iraq to get out.
In Jerusalem, a holy path, thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world converged on Good Friday. Some were carrying thorns, flowers, candles, and large crosses as they retraced what is believed to be Jesus' footsteps to crucifixion. That is a quick look at stories in tonight's "Up Link."
On this Good Friday, pilgrims around the world, as you just saw, are remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Perhaps nowhere is the right more painfully authentic than in the Philippines where more than 80 percent of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic. In one town there people are actually being nailed to the cross. We want to warn you that some of this story contains some graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): It's become an annual tradition, attracting the faithful and the merely curious. Each year in this town in the Philippines real people use real five-inch nails to reenact Jesus' death.
Fourteen people were crucified today spending about ten minutes on the cross. Dozens more beat themselves with whips studded with glass chards. Participants said they suffer to atone for their sins, purify their souls, though this year some said they were nervous after seeing Mel Gibson's "The Passion."
Ruben Enaje has been nailed to the cross 17 times but says getting crucified this year is different because of Gibson's movie. "The movie made me want to live a purer life, a better life" he said "because it showed me how much he really suffered to get rid of our sins."
Vendors said the turnout for this year's festival was the best ever. Plenty of snacks were sold, plenty of trinkets. They give credit to Jesus. They also wanted to thank Mel Gibson. Faith and the spectacle of human suffering is big business indeed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, "The Power of Forgiveness," coming up can you forgive yourself? A woman struggles to do just that after making a terrible mistake. You will not want to miss her story coming up.
Also tonight playing politics with pop culture, the great crusade against indecency, why it never seems to go out of style. That is raw politics.
Plus showing child pornography to convicted sexual offenders, a controversial therapy program that has some victims outraged.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, tonight as Christians and Jews around the world celebrate Holy Week and Passover, we wrap up our series "The Power of Forgiveness." The question this evening can you forgive yourself for the mistakes that you've made?
In a moment we'll introduce you to a therapist who will suggest ways you can forgive yourself, but first CNN's Eric Phillips with a remarkable story of a woman who wrongly accused a man of rape and the feelings she still cannot let go of.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're good friends now but 11 years of this man's life were taken away because of her mistake. She thought he was the one who raped her.
JENNIFER THOMPSON, FALSELY ACCUSED MAN OF RAPE: It never, ever entered my mind that it was anyone other than Ronald.
PHILLIPS: There was not any hint of doubt?
THOMPSON: Never, never.
PHILLIPS: Yet he forgives her.
RONALD COTTON, FALSELY ACCUSED OF RAPE: You know it was just like a thing I was dragging on. I was just killing myself, you know, and I said well I might as well just, you know, forgive her and just go ahead and do the time. Don't let the time do me.
PHILLIPS: In 1984 when Jennifer Thompson was a student at Elon University in North Carolina someone broke into her off campus apartment and sexually assaulted her.
She gave a convincing description to police and picked out 22- year-old Ronald Cotton from a line up. Her testimony convicted and sentenced him to life plus 50 years. She knew she had her rapist. He knew he was innocent. Cotton was bitter but says God changed his heart.
COTTON: Well I'm just going to put it in his hand because he knows best.
PHILLIPS: Eleven years passed before DNA evidence finally vindicated him in 1995 proving that another man, Bobby Poole (ph) committed the crime.
COTTON: I was overjoyed, you know. I didn't really know what to do. I just looked up and said thank you Jesus. Where do I go from here?
PHILLIPS: But Thompson was horrified, knowing she had put an innocent man behind bars. Two years later she arranged a meeting at this church to apologize.
THOMPSON: He just looked at me and he said I forgive you and I'm not angry at you.
COTTON: That's the greatest love of all, you know, being able to forgive each other and move forward. PHILLIPS: Yet, Thompson still harbors feelings of guilt.
THOMPSON: I can't even look at you now and tell you that I've completely forgiven myself and maybe I never will. I don't know.
PHILLIPS: In Elon, North Carolina, Eric Phillips, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Remarkable tale.
What can be done to escape the guilt of past mistakes? Psychotherapist Thom Rutledge wrote the book "Embracing Fear and Finding the Courage to Live your Life" and "The Self Forgiveness Handbook." I asked him earlier what makes it so hard for people to forgive themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THOM RUTLEDGE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: I think most of us have a very strong, I call it an inner bully that kind of operates with a double standard and holds us accountable to standards we wouldn't hold other people accountable for.
COOPER: And you talk about various steps you can go through toward self forgiveness. Let's go through them.
RUTLEDGE: Right.
COOPER: Let's talk about the first one. Have realistic expectations, what does that mean?
RUTLEDGE: Right. Realistic expectations, we waste a lot of energy, I think, a lot of time trying to do something very unrealistic, which is be rid of all of our feelings, all the feelings of guilt or remorse and that's just not realistic. I want people to know that it's about, you know, it's moving on in spite of those feelings and letting go.
COOPER: So, it's OK if you're scarred by something, it's OK to still have that scar?
RUTLEDGE: I heard somebody say one time I don't have to have this as an open wound but I'll always carry the scar and I think, you know, scars become a part of our character and I think it's a matter of how we respond from that point forward that makes the most difference.
COOPER: You already mentioned this inner bully. The second step you say toward moving toward self forgiveness is face the inner bully, how?
RUTLEDGE: Well, you do what is counterintuitive. You go towards it rather than run from it. I really believe we have to face up to those most negative shameful and fear-based messages we have inside and when we do the power begins to give way. We begin to get power back and be in charge of our own lives.
COOPER: Third step trust what others have to say.
RUTLEDGE: A lot of times people are forgiving of us but we're not forgiving of ourselves and I think it's one of the toughest parts actually for people to actually let somebody have a positive thought and bring it into themselves and allow them to -- allow that positive thought to have credibility.
COOPER: And you say practice makes practice. What does that mean?
RUTLEDGE: That's my favorite thing. Practice makes practice. It means that we need to make this a daily practice. We just need to be sure that living our lives is about doing the very best we can, not about trying to do something perfectly.
COOPER: In our society today, a lot of people do sort of seem to have the opposite. They sort of forgive themselves pretty rapidly.
RUTLEDGE: Right.
COOPER: Are there times where self forgiveness is not necessarily a good idea?
RUTLEDGE: There are people who seem to rapidly forgive themselves and that's not really self forgiveness. That's irresponsibility. That really is a reflection of a lack of ethical or moral development. That's somebody -- that's the person who can do no wrong and never takes responsibility for themselves.
COOPER: In self forgiveness it's not about forgetting but it is about forgiving.
RUTLEDGE: Right. Learn from the past and then get the heck out of there is what I always say. It's like it's never about forgetting. We always want to learn and we want to be non-victims to all of this. What we want to be is -- a non-victim is somebody who realizes that it's how I respond to this situation that makes the difference and tells me what kind of person I'm going to be.
COOPER: Interesting stuff. Thom Rutledge, thanks very much.
RUTLEDGE: Thanks a lot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, an update on our breaking news story just ahead. A fuel convoy attacked in Baghdad. Two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors unaccounted for. We'll give you the latest on the manhunt and talk with former POW Ron Young.
Also ahead, Al Franken and (unintelligible) on the FCC indecency crusade, a reaction to moral outrage or just raw politics?
Also ahead a controversial therapy for sex offenders, does it go too far, all ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: In the next half hour on 360, missing Americans in Iraq, were they kidnapped? Former POW Ron Young joins me live.
Plus, Howard Stern silenced by Clear Channel. Radio host Al Franken and (unintelligible) sound off on this crusade for pop culture decency.
First, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."
Happening right now a manhunt in Iraq. The search is on for two U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of civilian workers missing tonight. The Pentagon says they are unaccounted for. Their fuel convoy, as you can see, was attacked by insurgents near the Baghdad Airport. One U.S. soldier and an Iraqi driver were killed.
In Washington, a new CNN-Time poll shows challenging news for President Bush. Forty-four percent say they approve of his handling of Iraq, down seven points from just two weeks ago but the economy only 41 percent like what he's doing and 55 percent of those polled said they approved of the way the president was handling terrorism. That is down from 58 percent.
In Crawford, Texas, too close for comfort, a small plane entered the restricted airspace surrounding President Bush's ranch today. Two F-16s and a helicopter tried to make contact with the pilot. The plane landed at a nearby airport where officials are holding the pilot for questioning by the Secret Service.
In Rome, Good Friday, Pope John Paul II led worshipers over a traditional candlelit service at the city's ancient coliseum. The frail 83-year-old pontiff presided over a procession of thousands of pilgrims to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and that's a quick look at stories in "The Reset."
Now, to war over the airwaves. Shock jock Howard Stern fighting back, angry after being yanked off the air by Clear Channel Communications. The company made the move, after the FCC announced it would slap it with a fine of almost $500,000 for what they said was indecent content on Stern's show.
How much does politics play into all of this? Al Franken host of the "O'Franken Factor" on Air America radio network is here. And in Washington, Blanquita Collum, host of "News Beat With Blanquita Collum." And the president of the National Association of Radio Talk Show hosts. Appreciate both of you being with me.
Is this politics? Howard Stern says it's a witch hunted by the administration.
AL FRANKEN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's a little disturbing. I think they -- Clear Channel first started kicking him off their stations after he said that he was against President Bush. And Clear Channel, which owns more stations, like I think three or four times as many stations than any other owner of radio stations, those guys are pretty much cronies of Bush. Hix, who is the vice-chair, was given a lot of money by Bush, basically, when he was given the University of Texas.
COOPER: And you think that has influenced their decision?
FRANKEN: I think it has. And I think these fines are excessive. I understand -- I've been in broadcasting for a long time. Not radio. Radio for eight days. But -- and TV for 15 years. And I understand the role of standards and practices and community standards. But this is very disturbing, the size of these fines, and also, I think being decided by a few people in Washington, it just strikes me as kind of wrong.
COOPER: Blanquita, do you think it's disturbing? And do you think it's politics?
BLANQUITA COLLUM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I think a lot of it's the people. First of all, let me just say, is the President of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, we support the freedom of speech. We may not always like what someone says, whether it's Howard Stern, or someone from the right, He point of the matter is, we believe the most important amendment is the first amendment. And that is the freedom of speech.
COOPER: But he says this is the administration...
COLLUM: But no, let me tell you something. You know what, it all started with a member of Congress, and the Congress, actually, going after the obscenities that they keep seeing on television, and radio.
Now, really and truly, they need to go and focus on where it's all culminating from. And that's from the United States Congress and the judiciary and the commission. But it's been coming, because people are not happy. Now, they are tired of seeing or hearing a lot of garbage on the airwaves, whether it's television or radio.
Frankly, I mean, from our perspective, we believe that the people have the opportunity if they don't like it to take the power and turn it off. Or maybe go to another channel, but I think what it came down to was, finally people said, listen if you can't monitor yourselves, and you can't clean this up, we're probably going to do something about it.
What I think about Clear Channel? I think Clear Channel, it's kind of like, where I work, or how Al works with Air America, they have also the right to say, you don't clean it up we're going to let you go. But we still support the first amendment.
COOPER; Does it worry you? Do you feel like there is this -- I mean, Blanquita is intimating this is ground swell of public support for these moves. Do you think that's true?
FRANKEN: I don't know. It's odd to me what people consider obscene. I know that when Janet Jackson's breast was bared, that they did -- something like 400,000 e-mails west to the FCC, which shows something. The very next day Bill O'reilly Said, I want to kill Michael Moore on Fox. And I don't think they got any complaints. And evidently that's okay.
And evidently it's okay for Brit Hume to say that it's safer to be a soldier in Iraq than it is to be a citizen of California, because there's 6.6 murders a day in California. And there's only -- we're only losing 1.7 soldiers a day in Iraq. Now, to me, that's obscene. That is obscene.
COLLUM: But the difference is, Al, the difference in my opinion is, look, if you don't want to hear Brit Hume, or you don't want to hear Bill O'Reilly say that, you have the opportunity to say, okay, I'll watch CNN. But if Janet Jackson bares her breasts...
COOPER: But I don't think we're talking about Janet Jackson. We've gone over that a million time, we're talking about Howard Stern. What about Howard Stern? Isn't he the same with...
FRANKEN: O'Reilly said this on radio about me.
COLLUM: It's different, and let me tell you why it's different. Because what happened with Janet Jackson, you didn't have a choice. She made the choice for you.
COOPER: We got it, but we're talking about Howard Stern.
COLLUM: I don't disagree with you. I believe -- I don't disagree with you. I think that Howard Stern, and if I don't protect Howard Stern, then I'm not protecting anyone else that has -- I mean, I think artistic speech and political speech are very much connected. And as the president, I have to stand up for him.
COOPER: All right. We're going to have to end it there. I appreciate you both joining us. Thank you very much.
FRANKEN: Thank you, Anderson.
COLLUM: Thank you.
COOPER: Howard Stern is not the first to feel the sting of the federal government. There's a long history of the confrontation over what is and isn't indecent. Sometimes the battle is about raw language, sometimes raw politics. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Howard Stern may be the best known foul- mouthed entertainer to feel the wrath of the government. But before him, there was Lenny Bruce. In 1964, Bruce was arrested after a stand-up comedy performance at a New York City club. Police said he used more than 100 dirty words in his act. It was the third time the comedian faced obscenity charges. He was convicted, but died before he went to prison. Just this year, he was pardoned by New York's governor.
GEORGE CARLIN, COMEDIAN: The words that I say (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
COOPER; In 1973, WBAI Radio was sued by the FCC for broadcasting George Carlin's seven dirty words. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court and the words became part of the court's decision, which said that they really were dirty.
LARRY FLYNT, PUBLISHER: I feel very much threatened.
COOPER: In 1977 it was the people of Cincinnati versus Larry Flynt. The "Hustler" honcho was charged with obscenity and convicted, but that was overturned.
In the '80s, Tipper Gore famously fought to tame the lyrics in rock and rap songs. And photos by Robert Mapplethorpe were the subject of obscenity charges in 1990. The director of Cincinnati's Contemporary Art Center was indicted and then acquitted for showing photos with sado masochistic themes.
DENNIS BARRIE, FRM. DIR. CINCINNATI CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER: I think the attack on me and on the Contemporary Art Center are part of a larger issue. Part of a whole assault on the arts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COOPER: Waging war on immorality is certainly nothing new. In fact, it's as old as moral outrage and as old as raw politics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, a search under way right now for missing troops. How does the U.S. military carry it out? Let's get some perspective from someone who knows all too well. Ron Young was captured by Iraqi troops after his Apache helicopter was shot down near Baghdad in March of last year, held captive for three weeks. The former POW joins me now live from Washington.
Ron, good to see you. Thanks for being on the program.
RON YOUNG, FORMER POW: Good to see you, Mr. Anderson.
COOPER: Please, call me Anderson. As we told our audience a short time ago, there's a search under way right now for 2 U.S. military personnel and an unknown number of contractors missing in Iraq. It is, as a soldier, as a member of the Air Force, whatever service you're in, it is a great comfort to know that when you're missing, there will be a huge effort out to find you isn't it?
YOUNG: Absolutely. I honestly didn't know anyone knew we were alive. When the Iraqis were putting us on TV, and all that, of course, they had been videotaping us, but we didn't think they would let on to the outside world that we were actually alive, meaning that they could pretty much do whatever they wanted with us.
The fact that we know that these guys are missing and hopefully they're still running right now, and haven't been caught by the Iraqis. But if they have, I mean, that's a really terrifying experience to go through.
COOPER: Especially, I imagine, well, I don't imagine, but the first few hours, the first few days, are those the worst? Or does it just get worse over time?
YOUNG: Really, the first few days are like a total shock. It's kind of like being in an out-of-body experience or something. You know, they're taking you around and your mindset is fresh to this. They're beating you and trying they're to get information out of you, those types of things.
So, I mean, that part of it is extremely terrifying. Now, as time goes on, depending on how close you are, for us, we were downtown Baghdad. We were in the battle the entire time and they driving us through the middle of where the fighting was going on. So that was extremely intense too.
So, for our entire time in Iraq, we were pretty much going through the entire scenario from beginning to end, as far as being taken captive, and then being shot at also all the time also, and bombed.
COOPER: When your family gets news, first that you're missing, and later that you're held hostage, I mean, they're being held hostage just as well.
YOUNG: Absolutely. What I really have to say is, to the families out there, that they really have to be strong right now. And they have to put their best foot forward and they have to have resolve for their loved one. Because that's what the people need right now. And that's what their loved ones are going to want to see out of them when they come back.
I was really glad that my parents conducted themselves in a way that was uplifting for me, and especially coming back and hearing people say that, you know, your parents were a rock while you were gone. That really meant a lot to me, to know that I was coming back, and to always have that hope.
And of course, my heart goes out to their families. Believe me, I know how they feel. And my family definitely knows how they feel and can definitely empathize with them.
COOPER: Absolutely. As you see -- I mean, having had this experience, as you see the horrific pictures of the Japanese civilians being held hostage, I mean, what goes through your mind as you see these things?
YOUNG: As I see those things, it's really kind of chilling for me, because I was there. And the same thing was happening to me. The problem I see with this is that they're being basically held by militants, which is, I believe, a little more dangerous than being held by a regular army or something like that. Because these guys are pretty much loose canons, and they can do whatever they want. And they will do whatever they want. Now, the resolve of Japan has been really great, and I really commend the Japanese people for that. COOPER: Ron Young, I appreciate you being on the program and talking about this. And it's been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you.
YOUNG: Yes, sir. Thank you.
COOPER: Coming up, the shock builds up at Disney World. More molestation accusations against a man who played the part of Tigger.
Also ahead, a controversial form of therapy. Will convicted pedophile go back behind bars. All that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: More molestation accusations at the House of Mouse. Today, more alleged victims have come forward saying a man who played Tigger the Tiger at Disney molested them. Susan Candiotti has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Someone dressed in Tigger's costume is accused of getting a little too friendly with fans at Disney World. Police say they now have at least 26 complaints against Tigger. The new accusations come one week after Disney employee Michael Chartrand was charged with fondling the breast of a 13-year- old and her mother while posing for pictures.
MICHAEL CHARTRAND, SUSPENDED TIGGER: I would never do anything like that. I've never done anything like that.
CANDIOTTI: According to a police report, Chartrand admitted he may have inadvertently touched the alleged victims and wrote a letter of apology. Chartrand told WOLF TV the only thing a padded glove can feel is an autograph pen.
CHARTRAND: I'm innocent.
CANDIOTTI: Disney says it's been referring all Tigger complaints directly to authorities. And the Orange county sheriff's office says Disney is cooperating with the investigation.
Meantime, Tigger the character is still on duty at Disney World while his once-costume performer remains out on bail and suspended with pay until the case is resolved. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: In Massachusetts today, a hearing for convicted pedophile James Porter (ph). He was convicted in 1993 for sexually abusing dozens of children while serving as a priest. His prison sentence ended in January but prosecutors in Massachusetts want to keep him locked up in a psychiatric hospital indefinitely. Can pedophiles be treated? Some methods are certainly controversial. Supporters of one method, aversion therapy, say it holds great promise for pedophiles who are committed to change but its method are raising some eyebrows.
Carol Ball, founder of New England Forensic Associates joins me from Baltimore. This aversion therapy, as part of it, from what I read, you actually show pictures of naked children to child molesters?
DR. CAROL BALL, NEW ENGLAND FORENSIC ASSOCIATES: Well, that has been one technique. We don't use that currently. We're using tape recorded scenarios, describing various sorts of sexual activity.
COOPER: Why do this? I mean, how does this work, in your estimation?
BALL: I want to point out, first of all, that this is only one of a whole regimen of treatment modalities that people go through who are sex offenders who are being treated. The focus of this particular treatment is that it actually can reduce physiological arousal to children. So we can help the person change their body's response to being with a child. That way, if they're living in the community, it really gives us a little bit more control over their behavior.
COOPER: We talked to Dr. Fred Berlin, who's founder of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorder Clinic, and he said this to us. I want to put it on the screen. He said, "I am not convinced aversion therapy is effective. What you find in a laboratory is going to be quite different than outside the lab. It doesn't matter if someone's not aroused in the lab, long term is what matters." True?
BALL: Yes and no. I think that what we find in our outpatient clinic is that aversion therapy does work. It does translate into the real world. And if the person is really motivated to change, it's one tool that is going to help that person to stay in control.
COOPER: Are you concerned -- I mean, I know the therapy is controversial. It's been around for quite a while. And you say it has a proven success rate. There's a quote from the district attorney in Bristol, Mass., who basically seems to be saying he might be looking into aversion therapy in terms of investigating it. He said, if someone were doing that in their house, that would be cause for an investigation. It sounds as perverted as what got them in there in the first place, talking about aversion therapy in prisons. Are you concerned at all this guy might investigate?
BALL: Not at all. When we opened our clinic a number of years ago, we had a long discussion with the attorney general of Massachusetts at that point. And he just really praised us for the work we were doing, trying to prevent victims of child abuse, and said that anything that we could do to treat sex offenders was something that he clearly approved of. There's nothing perverted about this. It's simply a very scientific way of helping reduce someone's arousal response to a deviant -- such as to children.
COOPER: I know it's hard talking about a complex therapeutic process is such a short amount of time. Carol Ball, I do appreciate you being on the program. Thank you very much.
BALL: You're very welcome. My pleasure. COOPER: Well, how often do pedophiles, once released, get rearrested? It might actually surprise you. Here's a fast fact. According to the Department of Justice, 4,300 child molesters were freed from prison in 1994. About 140 or 3.3 percent were rearrested within three years for committing another crime against a child. Those with criminal histories were most likely to offend again. Now, sex offenders, less likely than nonsex offenders to get arrested again for any crime.
Coming up. Far different subjects, far lighter, Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. Coming up. Remember the Alamo? Hollywood hopes with the new movie out. One of several we're checking out in the weekender.
And a little later, the Pete Rose story. The batting, brawling, and, oh, yes, all that betting. That ahead in tonight's "Current."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: A fun day at the beach turned frightening for a pair of teens. A parasailing accident left them drifting at the mercy of the elements. John Zarrella details their rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just another day at the beach. That's all it was supposed to be for two teenaged girls from Atlanta. This amateur video captures the final minutes of what turned out to be the ride of their lifetimes.
The girls were parasailing near St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast when the tow rope snapped.
CHELSEA WADDELL, RESCUED PARASAILER: We were just like, I don't know, the rope just snapped and we just kind of whiplashed. And, you know, we were on top of like a bunch of buildings, over streets and roads. And it was really freaky.
ZARRELLA: As they soared helplessly, a woman on the beach below managed to grab hold of the end of the rope dangling in the breeze. Within seconds, dozens of people grabbed hold, reeling it in.
RANDY MILLER, RESCUER: A bunch of us had got on the shore and started pulling it in to. And we just started pulling them in.
ZARRELLA: It took about 30 minutes to get the girls down. The Coast Guard is investigating whether equipment was faulty, or if the winds were too brisk to be safely parasailing.
(on camera): Other than the training the Coast Guard requires to operate a boat, there are no regulations over the parasailing business. An operator doesn't need to take a course or get a license.
(voice-over): Some operators say they would like to see minimal rules requiring training and an equipment inspection process. Right now, customers are left to sail with only the operator's word that everything is fine.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: That's one more thing I don't have to do now.
Time to check on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look.
The Italian town where Mel Gibson shot "The Passion of the Christ" is offering "Passion" tours to visitors, showing them key location spots, including where Jesus walked, where Jesus prayed and where Jesus berated his PA for forgetting his chocolate doughnut.
Experts at near Earth object observation program are scanning the galaxy looking for things that could threaten civilization as we know it. So far, they've found 700 objects that concern them, including meteorites, asteroids and Richard Simmons. Now, that is not true. We love Richard Simmons. Sort of.
George Steinbrenner got pretty emotional at the Yankees home opener yesterday. The boss blubbered on local TV as he expressed his love for the team, his players and all that money waiting for him at home. There, there, George. We understand.
ESPN is working on an original movie about Pete Rose. The film called "Hustle" will chronicle his gambling troubles. It is set to be released in September, though Rose lays four-to-one odds that it will be pushed back to October.
So wondering what to do this weekend, besides sleep, that is? Here is what's new in "The Weekender."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): In movies, history comes to life in the delayed and production-plagued "Alamo," Hollywood's attempt to demystify the legendary 1836 siege in Texas. Disney's assembled an all-star cast to play the all-star Alamo team. Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett. But where is that hat?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't shoot, it's me.
COOPER: If you prefer slapsticks over shootouts, there's "The Whole Ten Yards." Bruce Willis is a hit man who enlists mild-mannered Matthew Perry to battle mobsters. It's a reprise of "The Whole Nine Yards," just three feet longer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will always remember the girl next door.
COOPER: There is a very naughty neighbor in "The Girl Next Door." The teen romantic comedy is about a high school student who learns a nearby house sitter is a porn star. Happens all the time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Show me (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.
COOPER: Also out, "Ella Enchanted." The loose adaptation of a children's book about a medieval maiden trying to break free from a spell forcing her to be obedient.
New on DVD.
HUGO WEAVING, ACTOR: Mr. Anderson, welcome back.
COOPER: "The Matrix Revolution," the series finale. Keanu Reeves returning as Neo. "Revolutions" gives fans a chance to own the trilogy and to see if Reeves blinks once through it all.
KEANU REEVES, ACTOR: It's impossible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: All right, well, I'm going to sleep. A grand honor for Carson Daly coming up on "The Nth Degree." Carson's award, five years on "TRL," announced to a lifetime achievement. Wow. Well deserved.
Plus, Monday, betting it all. This weekend, a man is going to bet all his cash on one Vegas roulette spin. I don't believe it, but apparently it's true. Win or lose, we're going to get reaction from this highest of high rollers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Finally tonight, taking achievement to "The Nth Degree."
Lifetime achievement awards are usually given out to celebrate, well, a lifetime of achievement. Funny, that. But now MTV has announced they're giving Carson Daly a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to "TRL." It's a show where singers sing and teens scream.
Don't get me wrong, Daly's contribution has been extraordinary. Putting up with a roomful of crying, screeching teens every day for five whole years -- that's got to get a little tiresome. But a lifetime achievement award? Carson Daly is only 31.
It's a slippery slope, people. First, Carson Daly, then the Olsen twins. Next thing you know they'll be handing out lifetime achievement awards to Haley Joel Osment. Thought, come to think of it, didn't he already get nominated for an Oscar?
I'm Anderson Cooper. Have a great weekend. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
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