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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Investigation Started Into Murder of Iraqi Prisoner; Home and Offices of Ahmed Chalabi Raided

Aired May 20, 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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Has an ally turned enemy? Plus, new developments in the prison abuse story, 350 starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): New photos and new investigations, did the CIA kill an Iraqi they were questioning in Abu Ghraib Prison?

He helped convince America to go to war against Iraq, now the U.S. is raiding Ahmed Chalabi's offices, has he gone from friend to foe?

Little girl lost now found, after a nationwide appeal authorities may have found this abandoned girl's family.

Are men and women wired differently? Tonight, brain sex, how brain gender may affect your success.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Good evening.

We begin tonight with new allegations of murder in Iraq. At issue the death of a detainee. Adding to the shock two pictures of the victim in which you see U.S. soldiers smiling and giving the thumbs-up over the corpse packed in ice.

These are new pictures that have surfaced in the prisoner abuse scandal. It is important to point out the soldiers you see are not accused of this man's death. The question is how did he die?

Joining us from Washington with details in the investigation, CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor. David, what's the latest?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, the case is one three the CIA's Inspector General is investigating where prisoners died during or after interrogation.

Monedal al-Jamaidi (ph) was brought to Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad in early November by Navy SEALS. He was a high value prisoner, officials say. They believed he was involved with the insurgents attacking U.S. troops in Iraq and they believed he might know more about planned future attacks.

He died, as you mentioned, under questioning by a CIA team while his face was covered with an empty sandbag. The interrogators have said they removed the bag and discovered that he had severe head wounds. Some administration officials are now saying the arresting Navy personnel could be to blame in the case.

In another case under investigation a prisoner in Afghanistan died during interrogation and sources say a CIA contractor in that case could face assault or even possibly murder charges.

And finally, the third case the CIA is looking into is one of an Iraqi major general who died in late November in western Iraq near the Syrian border. Major General Abed Hamed Mahoush (ph) had a heart attack under military questioning and he'd been questioned a few days earlier by CIA officers.

CIA officials are saying that if wrongdoing is found there will be punishment in any of these cases and they're declining to predict when the inspector general will complete these three investigations -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, David Ensor investigations underway, thanks David.

In Baghdad, a rough wakeup call today for an Iraqi man once considered America's good friend. U.S. troops and Iraqi police raided the home and offices of Ahmed Chalabi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and the head of the Iraqi National Congress. Chalabi says they ransacked belongings, removed computers and documents. You see some of the aftermath. He is certainly fired up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: My message to the CPA is let my people go. Let my people be free. We are grateful to President Bush for liberating Iraq but it is time for the Iraqi people to run their affairs. The government...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, coalition officials only say they are investigating suspected fraud in a government ministry. Obviously caught in the middle, Chalabi, a man no longer a friend of the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHALABI (through translator): When America treats its friends this way then they are in big trouble.

COOPER (voice-over): And a friend to the United States Ahmed Chalabi has claimed to be since 1992 when he created the Iraqi National Congress, his goal topple Saddam Hussein, his allies first the CIA then several top officials at the Pentagon who were thought to have grand plans for him in post-Saddam Iraq. PAUL WOLFOWITZ, U.S. DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: Chalabi is one of a number of Iraqis who have played a significant role during the darker period of the 1990s.

COOPER: Many in Washington remain suspicious of this MIT- educated businessman who's said to fancy designer clothes and fine food. In 1992, he was convicted of embezzlement by a Jordanian court and sentenced to 22 years in prison, a penalty he never paid but he was favored enough to be bankrolled by the U.S. government for years. His organization reportedly receives some $27 million in taxpayer money, mostly for information.

CHALABI: There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Saddam had them and he was developing them continuously.

COOPER: Chalabi helped the United States gather some of the intelligence it used to build its case for war.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have firsthand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails.

COOPER: "The Los Angeles Times" recently reported this information was fabricated by the brother of one of Chalabi's top aides. Since his return to Iraq, a country he left at age 13, Chalabi's relationship with the United States has grown strained. He criticized U.S. officials on several occasions and the Pentagon has now cut off their monthly payment to Chalabi's party of $340,000.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: One more story on Iraq now. The Pentagon is considering releasing videos or photos of that targeted attack yesterday in western Iraq that it says was not aimed at a wedding party. Today, distraught family and friends buried victims. Witnesses say at least 40 people were killed, including many children. Pentagon officials say the site it struck was being used by foreign fighters.

Today's "Buzz" is this. Do you think the United States should hand over power to the Iraqis on June 30th? That is the plan. We'd like to know what you think. Log onto cnn.com/360. Cast your vote. We'll have results at the end of the program.

With jitters over Iraq and President Bush's approval rating sinking to new lows, the president paid a visit to Capitol Hill today for a pep talk to fellow Republicans telling them to "keep the faith."

CNN's White House Correspondent Dana Bash has details on how it all went.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trip to the capital to rally House and Senate Republicans. Most times it would be preaching to the choir. This time the choir may have needed to hear a little preaching.

SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: This has been a rough couple of months for the president particularly in the issues of Iraq.

BASH: At the closed door meeting described as a pep rally atmosphere with a standing room only crowd, the president tried to talk up the economy and Iraq but warned things could look worse after the June 30th handover.

REP. DEBORAH PRYCE (R), OHIO: He said that this is war and this is the theater of war and that this is part of war and that we all need to be braced for it.

BASH: Difficult times in Iraq and the president's approval rating dropping have caused private whispers of concern among fellow Republicans to grow louder.

John Duncan is a rare Republican who opposed the war from the start but feels lately he has more company.

REP. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR. (R), TENNESSEE: I'm in a very small minority of the Republican Party, although over the last few weeks I have had several members tell me that they wish they had questioned the war more closely and voted against it.

BASH: Nick Calio was the president's point man to Congress.

NICK CALIO, FMR. ASST. TO PRESIDENT FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Letting them see him, letting them see the resolve that he has, I think brings a lot of comfort to members. I think it could steady them as they go home, you know, send them off on a high.

BASH: Most say the presidential cheerleading worked.

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: People were very enthusiastic. He was interrupted by applause probably dozens of times and several standing ovations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And, Capitol Hill was step one in a new communications effort by the White House on Iraq. Senior officials say that the president starting Monday will give about a speech a week through the June 30th handover to try to explain it to the American people and also warn that the grim news will likely continue and probably get worse -- Anderson.

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

It turns out U.S. troops in Iraq could be facing danger beyond just bullets, bombs and insurgents. It seems that a defense contractor, who supplies an estimated 70 percent of the canvass for U.S. military tents, was using contaminated material and troops could face long-term health risks.

CNN's Sean Callebs reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tents provide U.S. troops protection from the sun, sand and wind of Iraq but the camouflage paint could possibly be causing troops anything from respiratory problems to cancer.

A defense contractor named Bond Cote has admitted in court to lying after certifying the tents were safe. Now it says the plastic- like paint used on the canvass contains a prohibited toxin known as lead chromate. The company got a $250,000 fine. Senator Charles Grassley calls that a slap on the wrist.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: It sends a clear signal that you can get away with murder.

CALLEBS: Bond Cote supplies canvass that's used in nearly three- fourths of the military tents. A year ago federal officials raided the Pulaski, Virginia company after a tip from Keith Ayers. Ayers owns a Georgia company that worked with Bond Cote on paint pigments.

KEITH AYERS, WHISTLEBLOWER: I really couldn't believe that they would be putting that material into fabrics. They knew better. It's clearly documented in all government contracts that you're not to put anything toxic in and lead chromate is as toxic as it gets.

CALLEBS: The head of Bond Cote denies any health risk. The company claims the paint was made in such a way that it wouldn't chip or flake off so no harmful chemicals could be ingested or inhaled.

GRASSLEY: We shouldn't be asking our troops to be in a tent of death. We ought to be providing them the maximum protection that we can.

CALLEBS: Grassley wants the tents removed immediately and destroyed.

(on camera): Any adverse health effects won't show up for months or even years. Business goes on for Bond Cote. Under the plea, it can continue to supply the military.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Topping our look at news "Cross Country" right now, John Kerry on the campaign trail takes the president to school over education policy.

In Philadelphia, Kerry accuses President Bush of willfully compromising education so he could give tax cuts to the rich. That's what Kerry says. He announced his plan to get more at risk students enrolled in college by simplifying financial aid applications and giving a tuition tax credit.

Nationwide the FDA is expected to announce new rules banning men who have had sex with men within the previous five years from making anonymous sperm donations. Most of the nation's sperm banks already have similar restrictions because of HIV concerns. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force says the regulations are misplaced because HIV tests are fast and effective.

In Boston, death row inmate released. After 30 years in jail, Lawrence Adams is free. A judge overturned his conviction on murder charges after police documents surfaced, including a statement from a witness who said two other people committed the murder. Prosecutors haven't decided if they'll appeal the decision.

In Houston, help for Iraqi amputees. Seven Iraqi men whose hands were cut off by Saddam Hussein's government in 1995 are now at a Texas rehabilitation center learning to use new high tech hands. The prosthetics were donated and the men will return to Iraq next month.

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

360 next late-breaking news, the parents of an abandoned girl finally come forward, how did this 3-year-old end up on the street alone? We're going to have the latest on the investigation, a lot of questions to be answered still tonight.

Plus, men, women and the brain, is the differences between us -- are they all in our heads? That's part of our special series "Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain."

And the Bush twins hitting the campaign trail, find out how this dynamic duo might help their father stay in the White House, all that ahead.

First your picks the most popular stories on cnn.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

COOPER: Some breaking news to report. You remember the story of the little girl abandoned in Baltimore living in foster care for weeks. We are just getting word that 3-year-old Courtney's parents have come forward but she may not be going home just yet and her name may not be Courtney.

CNN's Alina Cho is here with the latest. What do we know?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a fast-moving story certainly, Anderson and CNN has just learned, as you mentioned, that Courtney's mother and father have come forward separately to say they are indeed the parents of the girl and they want her back.

Now that isn't going to happen right away. Maryland authorities tell us that Courtney's parents called them, again separately, on their tip line this morning.

Earlier this month a man claiming to be her father dropped her off with a stranger in Baltimore and never came back. That's when the investigation began and, as you know, it received a huge amount of attention in the media. In fact, news of the case prompted dozens of people from all over the country to offer to adopt Courtney and authorities are now crediting the media with helping to crack the case.

We are told the parents are headed to Baltimore right now. It was thought that the father might have been from the New York area after Courtney told authorities she was from Brooklyn.

Now, as for when we might see a reunion, not right away. As I mentioned earlier, we are told that a court will decide that and a hearing could be held as early as tomorrow.

For now, Anderson, little Courtney remains in foster care in Baltimore while all of this is sorted out but, as I mentioned before, still a lot of questions to be answered.

COOPER: Yes, certainly.

CHO: Chief among them was that actually the father who abandoned this little girl, the mother told a local TV station moments ago that she believes that her girl was kidnapped.

And also why did it take so long for these parents to come forward? These pictures of Courtney have been in the media for so very long, at least the past several days and so we are all trying to sort that out right now.

COOPER: Yes, and we're seeing a bit of information crossing across the newswires. As you mentioned, the family has spoken to a local TV station. We're actually going to speak to the attorney for the mother in about 20 minutes here on 360 but there are a lot of questions.

When was this girl taken? And, are these claims about a possible kidnapping, are these for real? So, we'll be asking a lot of these questions coming up later on 360.

CHO: And we should also remind our viewers that there will not be a reunion with the family. Tomorrow, that again is going to be all sorted out in the media and the earliest, Anderson, that a court hearing could be held would be tomorrow.

COOPER: Right but there also may be a press conference later on that we'll try to bring you, of course, as well, so stayed tuned for that. Alina thanks very much.

CHO: All right, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Courtney's plight, if that is her name, reminded us about another abandoned child. We wanted to give you an update in this 360 flashback.

He was known as little Mateo, a little boy found lost alone wandering the streets of Bakersfield, California almost a year ago to the day. Now, Mateo is three and while authorities never located his family, his adoption proceedings are reportedly underway, should be complete within weeks. A human services officials tells CNN that Mateo is happy and flourishing in his current surroundings, some good news there.

We are following a number of developing stories around the globe right now in tonight's "Up Link." Let's take a look.

Istanbul, Turkey, an explosion outside a McDonald's restaurant. The bomb damaged at least five cars. No one was injured. Two homemade devices were also diffused outside a McDonald's in Rome. McDonald's president said overseas franchises are targeted because they are a symbol of America.

In Gaza, funerals today for seven Palestinians killed during a protest in Rafa. The Israeli defense forces said a helicopter fired only flares and a warning missile at an empty area in hopes of breaking up a crowd as it approached Israeli soldiers.

Also today Palestinian sources say Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians including a local Hamas military leader. Israeli military commanders moved into Rafa citing intelligence that there was an arms supply waiting across the border in Egypt to be smuggled into Gaza.

Taipei, Taiwan now, second term, President Chen Shui-bian gives his inaugural speech after being reelected, says he will not pursue a break from China.

That's a quick look at stories around the globe in the "Up Link."

360 next, men, women and the brain, how come women ask for directions but men just don't? A stereotype but it's often true. We'll try to answer that age old question as part of our special series "Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain."

Also tonight, President Bush's daughters getting ready to hit the campaign trail after they graduate from college this weekend. An update on them.

And a little later, an annual spectacle, killer whales on the attack, a remarkable look at nature at work. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX HARRISON, ACTOR: Why can't a woman be more like a man? Men are so honest, so thoroughly square, eternally noble, historically fair. When you win will always give your back a pat. Why can't a woman be like that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: The age old question for men, why can't a woman be more like a man? In "My Fair Lady," Professor Henry Higgins never quite got it, although Eliza Doolittle, his protege, certainly did and wound up getting the upper hand on her mentor. Scientists say the great gender divide is literally in our minds. The male and female brains are simply wired differently, say some.

CNN Medical Correspondent Holly Firfer reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For thousands of years, men and women have baffled each other by their differences, differences that are the results of the hard wiring of our brains.

DR. REUBEN GUR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: We are still the same animals. We haven't changed physically since we were roaming the Savannahs. We haven't really changed in our brain.

FIRFER: Dr. Reuben Gur has been studying the brain for more than 25 years. He says while men's brains can be 10 to 15 percent larger in size, women have more fibers that connect the two sides of the brain together. That would mean...

GUR: There is more tissue available for transferring information between the two sides of the brain. That's why we think that women have better inter-hemispheric communication.

FIRFER: Anthropologist Helen Fisher says there's a reason.

HELEN FISHER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: I think that women's ability at communication evolved millions of years ago on the grasslands of Africa as women held that baby in front of their face cajoling it, reprimanding it, educating it with words.

FIRFER: As caregivers, researchers say women's brains were also wired to give them stronger senses to smell if food is bad, to taste if it may be poisonous and to hear when their baby is crying.

What about men who refuse to ask for directions? Researchers say men have more white matter which moves information more easily to the back of the brain where the visual cortex lies, a sort of internal compass if you will.

FISHER: For millions of years they set out just about every morning to go out to surround and track and follow and kill.

FIRFER: And if they didn't make it home their family would starve. So, why do we have these biological differences? Well many say they allow us to work together to survive.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Joining me now to examine how our brains affect behavior and the way we relate and communicate with the opposite sex, Deborah Tannen, Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University.

She's the author of nine books on gender differences and language. Her lecture "He said she said" exploring the different ways men and women communicate was just recorded for Barnes and Noble's portable professor series. Thanks for being with us professor.

DEBORAH TANNEN, PROFESSOR OF LINGUISTICS, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Pleasure to be here.

COOPER: Men tend to use one side of the brain in language. Women use both. How does that -- what does that translate into? What does that mean for communication?

TANNEN: People are often fascinated by the biological patterns, what we've heard about, but they're reinforced by the cultural patterns how we learn to use language growing up.

I think what you see when women and men talk to each other frequently the women think talk is the glue that holds a relationship together and men are often puzzled by why we talk the way we do.

For example, I might tell you all about a problem and then you try to tell me how to fix it and I say "don't tell me how to fix it," and you said "well, why do you want to talk about it if you don't want to do anything about it?" This is a kind of rapport talk. Women use language to create rapport. It goes back to the time when we were little girls telling our best friends our secrets.

COOPER: And yet with, I mean, you know, the traditional situation, men and women in a car together, the man won't stop to ask for directions, women will, why is that? Why do you think that happens?

TANNEN: Well, I think if you look at the way we use language, so the women are using language to create connection, the focus on connection and when boys play their main focus is relative status. OK, you don't want to be put in a one down position. Boys play in a larger group. The high status boys will push the low status boys around so...

COOPER: And men look for that, boys look for that.

TANNEN: So we become attuned, yes, so I think men become attuned to any sign they're being put down. They don't want that one down position. So, when you say to somebody I'm lost, I need your help, you're putting yourself in that one down position. You want to avoid that.

COOPER: And women are OK with that?

TANNEN: Well, I think from a women's point of view, OK, you focus on the connection, so you stop. You make a fleeting connection to a stranger. You get where you're going. You really haven't lost anything.

And if we look at the conversation we talked about earlier where she may want to talk about her problems and he wants to give her a solution that really, I think, is related to this corpus callosum issue that you were just hearing about. So, for women, the emotions and the other side of the brain because that corpus callosum is so thick, you know, and they're hooked up, it's reinforced by the way we've been using language since we were kids talking about our feelings.

COOPER: So are the differences irreconcilable?

TANNEN: Oh, I don't think so. I think we can all learn from each other, so men can...

COOPER: But women learn by talking. Men don't want to sit around and talk about it, so...

TANNEN: Well, we do talk. You just may want to talk about something else but I think so, for example, aggression, OK. We know that boys are more aggressive in all the cultures of the world that we've looked at but there are some cultures where aggression is encouraged for the boys and others they won't even leave 6-year-old boys alone so they won't be aggressive.

Well, OK, women can learn from men to take a certain amount of I sometimes call it agonism, you know, kind of ritual opposition talk, devil's advocate. I have an idea. You argue against that idea.

Well, women can learn about that. You know don't take it literally. Don't take it as attack. It can be a way of exploring ideas and then men can also benefit from learning how to talk about their feelings.

Maybe it comes, you might say, more easily to women. We've been doing it since we were kids. We have more experience and the brain and the culture I think often reinforce each other that way.

But scientists have found that it's actually good for men to talk about their feelings. It may not be an automatic thing but when you learn to do it, it can do you a lot of good.

COOPER: I think we're both playing our roles. I was looking for ways to solve this, get it done. You were looking at a way to just talk about it. Professor Deborah Tannen thanks very much, fascinating work.

TANNEN: Thank you.

COOPER: We're going to wrap up our series tomorrow with the successful brain. Learn how to tap into your full potential.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Little girl lost, now found. After a nationwide appeal, authorities may have found this abandoned girl's family.

Jenna and Barbara Bush out of college and into the campaign? A look inside the world of the Bush twins, 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The abandoned girl who has captured the nation's attention. Her mother and father step forward. How did this three- year-old wind up on the streets? I'll ask her mother's lawyer in just a few moments.

Plus the president's daughter on the campaign trail. Find out how they plan to spend their summer vacation helping out their dad. First let's check our top stories in the "Reset."

In Portland. A surprise move. The American lawyer arrested in connection with the Madrid train bombings has been released. Brandon Mayfield was set free today from what he calls, quote, "a harrowing ordeal." Officials thought his fingerprints were found on a bag near the blast. But authorities now say the fingerprints at that of someone else, an Algerian.

In Washington. Setback in the Senate. Republicans are delaying the vote on their proposed $2.4 trillion budget. May take place next month. That decision is being described by Democrats as an election year embarrassment for the president.

In Washington, it's in the money. President Bush and John Kerry have amassed record war chests for their White House race. Bush's campaign has raised $200 million. They've spent $131 million. Kerry has raised $115 million with over $28 million now in cash.

In Boston, same-sex marriage challenge. The governor is going after clerks who wed same-sex couples from outside the state. He says those marriages are null and void and is ordering the attorney general to take appropriate action.

McAlester, Oklahoma, the defense rests in the state trial of Terry Nichols. The Oklahoma City bombing conspirator could face murder charges if found guilty. Nichols is already serving a life sentence in a federal prison. Closing arguments begin on Monday.

COOPER: Our top story this half hour break in the heart- wrenching case of a 3-year-old girl abandoned in Baltimore earlier this month. The little girl, who said her name was Courtney, has been in foster care while police in two states scramble to find her family.

Officials in Maryland now say her mother has come forward, but the little girl will remain in foster care until a court decides who should be her legal guardian. A lot of questions remain right now about everything in this case right down to the little girl's name.

Joining me now on the phone, Gary Gerstenfield, the attorney for the girl's mother. Gary, thanks for being with us. What is this little girl's name, Gary? Gary, this is Anderson Cooper, are you there? We're going to try it once more. Gary Gerstenfeld, this is Anderson Cooper on CNN. Can you hear me? We're going to try to reconnect with him in a moment. He's obviously on the phone talking to someone else. He is really right now at the center of this storm.

What we know is this. The little girl is still in foster care. There had been a report that her mother had come forward, that there was going to be a reunion tomorrow. That report, say officials in foster care, is not true. At this point, the little girl is still in foster care. Her lawyer has previously told a local television station in Baltimore that the girl is 3 years old. The little girl had said she was from Brooklyn. Her lawyer had told a local TV station she's not from Brooklyn, New York. She is, in fact, from Brooklyn area in Baltimore City.

Also, the little girl's name is not Courtney, according to the family. We're going to talk about that in just a moment, as soon as we get this lawyer back on the telephone. The questions that remain tonight, however, is why was she abandoned? What we know is this that on May 5 a man gave this little girl, a man who said he was the girl's father, gave this girl to a woman, said, "please watch after her while I go and cash some checks." He left. He disappeared. Didn't come back. Let's go to him live right now with Gary Gerstenfeld, the attorney for the mother of this little girl. Gary, are you there?

GARY GERSTENFIELD, ATTORNEY FOR GIRL'S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: Yes, I am. Good evening.

COOPER: What is this little girl's name?

GERSTENFIELD: Her real name, the daughter's actual real name is Akasha T. Parsons (ph).

COOPER: And why was she abandoned? What do you know? You represent the mother here. When was the last time the mother saw this little girl?

GERSTENFIELD: It's been over two years.

COOPER: Under what circumstances did she last see the girl? Why has it been so long?

GERSTENFIELD: Well, what happened is, mom had custody of the child, the father was not -- the father and mother were not married. The father had visitation. That was not any kind of court order. It was just an understanding. One day when the father had visitation, he took the child, ran into a court in Prince George's county and made up a story about how the mother was abusing the child and abusing him and the court gave what's called ex parte relief, giving the child temporarily to the father.

What happened is the court eventually realized its mistake and quickly rescinded that order and did a couple good things. The judge, Judge Sherry Krauser (ph), a circuit judge in Prince George's county, quickly realized that the court had made a mistake on the ex parte and awarded custody back to the mother. And then ordered a body attachment which is basically an arrest warrant for the father. And then our local county sheriff's office finally tried to find this child and bring the child back but we've all been looking in Baltimore -- I'm sorry -- we've all been looking in Montgomery county and Prince George's county which are local counties outside of Washington, D.C. Where we were not looking was in Baltimore. Apparently what happened is the father took the child and went to Baltimore. The father had no fixed address. Apparently he'd been living hand-to-mouth, and maybe even going so far as living in different shelters. The child, from what we understand, did not know her last name Parsons, and the sad part is, believed her name to be Courtney when actually it isn't, it's Akasha. And also apparently has been raised by this man to believe that her own mother either didn't love her and didn't want her, or didn't want anything to do with her. Which, of course, is the furthest thing from the truth.

COOPER: You say you and the mother have been actively searching for her yet it has taken -- this girl was found May 5. Why has it taken so long for an identification to be made?

GERSTENFIELD: Well, it's a good question. But imagine this. You know, the father has no driver's license. He has no job. He has no fixed address. He takes the girl and he goes to Baltimore. Wherever they're living, they apparently don't stand out. How is the police to find this guy? What I told the family -- we tried to find them. Again we were looking in the wrong place. We're looking in local counties here.

What I told the family was, "we'll find the child when he gets arrested" because he does have a drug problem and I knew he'd eventually get arrested. Guess what? That's exactly what happened. But from what the family wants you all to know, and when I say you all, I mean the folks that do the press and things like that is, that there's so much appreciation because when the child was discovered in Baltimore, you all took it seriously. They flashed pictures, not just locally, but nationally.

And what happened was is the grandfather happened to be watching TV and saw the picture flash for a second, called back the local station asking if they wouldn't mind rerunning it one more time, and they said, sure. They ran the picture again. And sure enough it was his granddaughter. He made a positive I.D. and from that point it all went perfectly. The Department of Social Service in Baltimore City was terrific. Very caring, and sensitive to the family. We all rushed down there. They met us. I showed them the documents. They looked everything over. And immediately realized...

COOPER: Gary, I'm going to interrupt you. There's a press conference now from officials in Maryland. Let's go there live.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

COOPER: You've been listening to a press conference given by Christopher McCabe, the secretary of Maryland's Department of Human Resources. This has been a fast-developing story over the last hour or so.

What we do know is this, the little girl, the 3-year-old girl known as Courtney, her mother's attorney who I spoke to just a few minutes ago says her real name is Akeisha. She is in -- still in foster care at this moment, will be for the next several days. There will be a court hearing, as you heard from Christopher McCabe, in the next several days in which time it will be determined what should happen to this little girl, where she should go.

As we were talking to the attorney for the mother before the press conference began, he says the mother and this lawyer have been searching for this little girl for some time now. He says that in effect, she was taken by the girl's father, who he claims has a drug problem. They will be obviously looking for custody from this little girl.

The lawyer says that the girl's grandfather saw media coverage just yesterday of this little girl and that is the process that we are undergoing right now, them trying to establish contact, trying to hopefully have some sort of a reunion. That is what they would like. We are going to continue to follow this story. We will get to all that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In "Justice Served" tonight a teenage girl allegedly raped by three young men was confronted in court today with the videotape of the incident, as well as another graphic tape the defense lawyers claim prove their clients are innocent. CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley is following the trial in Santa Ana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The three teenagers accused of raping her sat just a few feet away as defense attorneys Joseph Cavallo asked the woman if that was her on the videotape, with a beer in her hand before the alleged crimes took place.

SUSAN KANG, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It was a very difficult time for her. She broke down. It was obvious she was upset. And it was very traumatic for her.

BUCKLEY: But defense attorney Cavallo, representing Greg Haidl, the son of the assistant sheriff of Orange County, said showing that tape to the alleged victim was necessary as he attempted to show she was being untruthful in her claims she was unconscious and unaware she was being videotaped the night of the alleged crime.

JOSEPH CAVALLO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She did know she was being videotaped. She encouraged the videotaping. And she -- it was part of the plan that night.

KANG: Anybody reasonable watching the video would know that she was in no way conscious.

BUCKLEY: Cavallo again showed the 18-year-old woman another graphic videotape showing her engaged in consensual sex with defendant Keith Spann a few days earlier on June 30. And he questioned here about July 4th, the night before the crimes when she testified she had separate consensual sex with both Spann and Haidl. Cavallo, says the tough questioning was necessary to try to prove to jurors that she is lying in her testimony.

CAVALLO: She's just not a truthful person. She's not a -- she has terrible character. She has terrible morals.

BUCKLEY: Prosecutors disagree.

KANG: To come forward and share very detailed, and embarrassing details about her life, and be candid and truthful, it takes a lot of courage, and she should be commended for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: And on Tuesday, the alleged victim will once again be on the stand, as defense attorneys do their best to portray her as a promiscuous young woman who was fully aware of what she was doing on the night of the alleged crimes, not unconscious, as prosecutors allege. But if jurors don't buy it, each of the defendants faces a number of counts that could put them in prison for up to 55 years -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Frank Buckley live in Santa Ana.

The CDC has a new study out about teens and sex. We're going to talk about that coming up. With Dr. Drew Pinsky, we'll talk about it live. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The Centers for Disease Control released a new survey on teen sex. The study found 47 percent of high school students engaged in sexual intercourse last year, and 14 percent had four or more sexual partners. With reports of sex clubs and sex bracelets among teens there's concern more and more of them are engaging in increasingly risky behavior.

Joining me from Los Angeles is addiction expert, Dr. Drew Pinsky. Thanks for being on the program.

How much of what is going on with kids today and teens and having sex has to do with porn?

DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: It's hard to say, Anderson. It should not surprise us that pornography has sort of poured into our lexicon of what we see on a daily basis, or what young people are sort of exposed to. It pours into a house, it pours down through the computer. It's available through the satellite television services.

COOPER: And you think it changes the image boys have of themselves and women have of themselves?

PINSKY: No doubt that it does. It changes men's expectation. It changes what men think of themselves as sexual beings. It changes what they think about as physical and emotional intimacy. It really creates abnormal expectations. And really they don't understand -- they don't see that this is an abnormal thing at all. They think it's just way it's supposed to be.

COOPER: What does it do for women? For teenage girls how does it change what they are being asked to do?

What they are being asked to think about themselves?

PINSKY: Well, these males have expectations with the young women are then trying to keep up with. Their idea that women are motivated in this situation to keep the male, to keep them happy and to keep up with what these men are asking of them. And it's becoming a situation, it's becoming exploitive, aggressive, and you see in the story we just heard where it's hard to distinguish between the victim and the victimizer. It's becoming an extraordinary situation. I was actually kind of disturbed to hear one of the attorneys talking about being a moral issue. The fact is, these are mental health and physical health issues and we've got to address them this way.

COOPER: Because, alcohol is often used, and drugs are often involved in this kind of stuff. And unsafe sexual practices are involved.

PINSKY: You're sort of alluding to the hookup culture which is happening on college and high school campuses where young people are being encouraged just kind of hook up. That is one night stands. They've been around for a long time, but it's now endemic in the fabric of young people's cultures and they're always intoxicated. So, my question to young people if it's such a cool thing to do, why do you have to be intoxicated to do it? You find the males and females separate on this issue.

The males say they get intoxicated because it's something they just want to do and it's available and they are going to try to do, and it's anxiety provoking so they get loaded. The females say something quite different. They say they get loaded to tolerate these extraordinary circumstances.

COOPER: So how do parents deal with this?

PINSKY: Well, first of all, be aware of it. And secondly encourage kids to talk to you. There's a good evidence that there's a window between the age of about 8 and 12 that you've got to begin a dialogue with kids. Have them come back to you with questions. It's not so much what you talk about but that you establish an open dialogue with them so when they are troubled by these things, the circumstances of the fabric of the culture they enter, trouble them, they can come back to you and talk about it. And hopefully you can sort of give them a healthier perspective and support them on healthier choices.

COOPER: Good advice. Dr. Drew Pinsky, thanks very much.

PINSKY: My pleasure.

COOPER: A far lighter story, take me out to the ball game. But you can't guy me Cracker Jacks at the house that Ruth, not Baby Ruth built. What's that about? We'll take that to the "Nth Degree" just ahead. And tomorrow we're going to wrap up our series the successful brain. We're going to explore how some unconventional minds have made it to the top.

First today's "Buzz," do you think the U.S. should hand over power to the Iraq's on June 30th, that's the plan. Log on to cnn.com/360. Cast your vote, results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Time now for "The Buzz." Earlier we asked you, do you think the U.S. should hand over power to the Iraq's on June 30th? More than 21,000 of you have voted, 79 percent of you said yes, 21, no. Not a scientific poll but it is your "Buzz" and we appreciate you voting.

Tonight taking outrage to "The Nth Degree."

Is this why our ancestors fought the British?

Why the pioneers risked hunger and thirst and snake bites on the way West in those rickety wagons?

Was it for this that Americans walked on the moon?

Yes, that's right. The New York Yankees are replacing Cracker Jacks in their lineup with some rookie called Crunch 'N' Munch. They say it's no big deal, just a brand name. And in taste tests they say Crunch 'N' Munch wins. How about you go to the movies and get a nice big tub of corn flakes. It's in the song for heaven sake. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. The box, the prize, the taste, they've been emblematic of baseball and this country for more than a century. Since a couple of immigrants came up with the idea at the Colombian exposition in 1893 in Chicago. Calm down the Yanks say, just that Cracker Jacks didn't have any competition back then. Neither did Uncle Sam, should we be looking to replace him?

I'm Anderson Cooper, thanks for watching 360. 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 May 20, 2004 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Has an ally turned enemy? Plus, new developments in the prison abuse story, 350 starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): New photos and new investigations, did the CIA kill an Iraqi they were questioning in Abu Ghraib Prison?

He helped convince America to go to war against Iraq, now the U.S. is raiding Ahmed Chalabi's offices, has he gone from friend to foe?

Little girl lost now found, after a nationwide appeal authorities may have found this abandoned girl's family.

Are men and women wired differently? Tonight, brain sex, how brain gender may affect your success.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Good evening.

We begin tonight with new allegations of murder in Iraq. At issue the death of a detainee. Adding to the shock two pictures of the victim in which you see U.S. soldiers smiling and giving the thumbs-up over the corpse packed in ice.

These are new pictures that have surfaced in the prisoner abuse scandal. It is important to point out the soldiers you see are not accused of this man's death. The question is how did he die?

Joining us from Washington with details in the investigation, CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor. David, what's the latest?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, the case is one three the CIA's Inspector General is investigating where prisoners died during or after interrogation.

Monedal al-Jamaidi (ph) was brought to Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad in early November by Navy SEALS. He was a high value prisoner, officials say. They believed he was involved with the insurgents attacking U.S. troops in Iraq and they believed he might know more about planned future attacks.

He died, as you mentioned, under questioning by a CIA team while his face was covered with an empty sandbag. The interrogators have said they removed the bag and discovered that he had severe head wounds. Some administration officials are now saying the arresting Navy personnel could be to blame in the case.

In another case under investigation a prisoner in Afghanistan died during interrogation and sources say a CIA contractor in that case could face assault or even possibly murder charges.

And finally, the third case the CIA is looking into is one of an Iraqi major general who died in late November in western Iraq near the Syrian border. Major General Abed Hamed Mahoush (ph) had a heart attack under military questioning and he'd been questioned a few days earlier by CIA officers.

CIA officials are saying that if wrongdoing is found there will be punishment in any of these cases and they're declining to predict when the inspector general will complete these three investigations -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, David Ensor investigations underway, thanks David.

In Baghdad, a rough wakeup call today for an Iraqi man once considered America's good friend. U.S. troops and Iraqi police raided the home and offices of Ahmed Chalabi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and the head of the Iraqi National Congress. Chalabi says they ransacked belongings, removed computers and documents. You see some of the aftermath. He is certainly fired up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL: My message to the CPA is let my people go. Let my people be free. We are grateful to President Bush for liberating Iraq but it is time for the Iraqi people to run their affairs. The government...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, coalition officials only say they are investigating suspected fraud in a government ministry. Obviously caught in the middle, Chalabi, a man no longer a friend of the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHALABI (through translator): When America treats its friends this way then they are in big trouble.

COOPER (voice-over): And a friend to the United States Ahmed Chalabi has claimed to be since 1992 when he created the Iraqi National Congress, his goal topple Saddam Hussein, his allies first the CIA then several top officials at the Pentagon who were thought to have grand plans for him in post-Saddam Iraq. PAUL WOLFOWITZ, U.S. DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: Chalabi is one of a number of Iraqis who have played a significant role during the darker period of the 1990s.

COOPER: Many in Washington remain suspicious of this MIT- educated businessman who's said to fancy designer clothes and fine food. In 1992, he was convicted of embezzlement by a Jordanian court and sentenced to 22 years in prison, a penalty he never paid but he was favored enough to be bankrolled by the U.S. government for years. His organization reportedly receives some $27 million in taxpayer money, mostly for information.

CHALABI: There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Saddam had them and he was developing them continuously.

COOPER: Chalabi helped the United States gather some of the intelligence it used to build its case for war.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have firsthand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails.

COOPER: "The Los Angeles Times" recently reported this information was fabricated by the brother of one of Chalabi's top aides. Since his return to Iraq, a country he left at age 13, Chalabi's relationship with the United States has grown strained. He criticized U.S. officials on several occasions and the Pentagon has now cut off their monthly payment to Chalabi's party of $340,000.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: One more story on Iraq now. The Pentagon is considering releasing videos or photos of that targeted attack yesterday in western Iraq that it says was not aimed at a wedding party. Today, distraught family and friends buried victims. Witnesses say at least 40 people were killed, including many children. Pentagon officials say the site it struck was being used by foreign fighters.

Today's "Buzz" is this. Do you think the United States should hand over power to the Iraqis on June 30th? That is the plan. We'd like to know what you think. Log onto cnn.com/360. Cast your vote. We'll have results at the end of the program.

With jitters over Iraq and President Bush's approval rating sinking to new lows, the president paid a visit to Capitol Hill today for a pep talk to fellow Republicans telling them to "keep the faith."

CNN's White House Correspondent Dana Bash has details on how it all went.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trip to the capital to rally House and Senate Republicans. Most times it would be preaching to the choir. This time the choir may have needed to hear a little preaching.

SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: This has been a rough couple of months for the president particularly in the issues of Iraq.

BASH: At the closed door meeting described as a pep rally atmosphere with a standing room only crowd, the president tried to talk up the economy and Iraq but warned things could look worse after the June 30th handover.

REP. DEBORAH PRYCE (R), OHIO: He said that this is war and this is the theater of war and that this is part of war and that we all need to be braced for it.

BASH: Difficult times in Iraq and the president's approval rating dropping have caused private whispers of concern among fellow Republicans to grow louder.

John Duncan is a rare Republican who opposed the war from the start but feels lately he has more company.

REP. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR. (R), TENNESSEE: I'm in a very small minority of the Republican Party, although over the last few weeks I have had several members tell me that they wish they had questioned the war more closely and voted against it.

BASH: Nick Calio was the president's point man to Congress.

NICK CALIO, FMR. ASST. TO PRESIDENT FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Letting them see him, letting them see the resolve that he has, I think brings a lot of comfort to members. I think it could steady them as they go home, you know, send them off on a high.

BASH: Most say the presidential cheerleading worked.

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: People were very enthusiastic. He was interrupted by applause probably dozens of times and several standing ovations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And, Capitol Hill was step one in a new communications effort by the White House on Iraq. Senior officials say that the president starting Monday will give about a speech a week through the June 30th handover to try to explain it to the American people and also warn that the grim news will likely continue and probably get worse -- Anderson.

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

It turns out U.S. troops in Iraq could be facing danger beyond just bullets, bombs and insurgents. It seems that a defense contractor, who supplies an estimated 70 percent of the canvass for U.S. military tents, was using contaminated material and troops could face long-term health risks.

CNN's Sean Callebs reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tents provide U.S. troops protection from the sun, sand and wind of Iraq but the camouflage paint could possibly be causing troops anything from respiratory problems to cancer.

A defense contractor named Bond Cote has admitted in court to lying after certifying the tents were safe. Now it says the plastic- like paint used on the canvass contains a prohibited toxin known as lead chromate. The company got a $250,000 fine. Senator Charles Grassley calls that a slap on the wrist.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: It sends a clear signal that you can get away with murder.

CALLEBS: Bond Cote supplies canvass that's used in nearly three- fourths of the military tents. A year ago federal officials raided the Pulaski, Virginia company after a tip from Keith Ayers. Ayers owns a Georgia company that worked with Bond Cote on paint pigments.

KEITH AYERS, WHISTLEBLOWER: I really couldn't believe that they would be putting that material into fabrics. They knew better. It's clearly documented in all government contracts that you're not to put anything toxic in and lead chromate is as toxic as it gets.

CALLEBS: The head of Bond Cote denies any health risk. The company claims the paint was made in such a way that it wouldn't chip or flake off so no harmful chemicals could be ingested or inhaled.

GRASSLEY: We shouldn't be asking our troops to be in a tent of death. We ought to be providing them the maximum protection that we can.

CALLEBS: Grassley wants the tents removed immediately and destroyed.

(on camera): Any adverse health effects won't show up for months or even years. Business goes on for Bond Cote. Under the plea, it can continue to supply the military.

Sean Callebs, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Topping our look at news "Cross Country" right now, John Kerry on the campaign trail takes the president to school over education policy.

In Philadelphia, Kerry accuses President Bush of willfully compromising education so he could give tax cuts to the rich. That's what Kerry says. He announced his plan to get more at risk students enrolled in college by simplifying financial aid applications and giving a tuition tax credit.

Nationwide the FDA is expected to announce new rules banning men who have had sex with men within the previous five years from making anonymous sperm donations. Most of the nation's sperm banks already have similar restrictions because of HIV concerns. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force says the regulations are misplaced because HIV tests are fast and effective.

In Boston, death row inmate released. After 30 years in jail, Lawrence Adams is free. A judge overturned his conviction on murder charges after police documents surfaced, including a statement from a witness who said two other people committed the murder. Prosecutors haven't decided if they'll appeal the decision.

In Houston, help for Iraqi amputees. Seven Iraqi men whose hands were cut off by Saddam Hussein's government in 1995 are now at a Texas rehabilitation center learning to use new high tech hands. The prosthetics were donated and the men will return to Iraq next month.

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

360 next late-breaking news, the parents of an abandoned girl finally come forward, how did this 3-year-old end up on the street alone? We're going to have the latest on the investigation, a lot of questions to be answered still tonight.

Plus, men, women and the brain, is the differences between us -- are they all in our heads? That's part of our special series "Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain."

And the Bush twins hitting the campaign trail, find out how this dynamic duo might help their father stay in the White House, all that ahead.

First your picks the most popular stories on cnn.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

COOPER: Some breaking news to report. You remember the story of the little girl abandoned in Baltimore living in foster care for weeks. We are just getting word that 3-year-old Courtney's parents have come forward but she may not be going home just yet and her name may not be Courtney.

CNN's Alina Cho is here with the latest. What do we know?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a fast-moving story certainly, Anderson and CNN has just learned, as you mentioned, that Courtney's mother and father have come forward separately to say they are indeed the parents of the girl and they want her back.

Now that isn't going to happen right away. Maryland authorities tell us that Courtney's parents called them, again separately, on their tip line this morning.

Earlier this month a man claiming to be her father dropped her off with a stranger in Baltimore and never came back. That's when the investigation began and, as you know, it received a huge amount of attention in the media. In fact, news of the case prompted dozens of people from all over the country to offer to adopt Courtney and authorities are now crediting the media with helping to crack the case.

We are told the parents are headed to Baltimore right now. It was thought that the father might have been from the New York area after Courtney told authorities she was from Brooklyn.

Now, as for when we might see a reunion, not right away. As I mentioned earlier, we are told that a court will decide that and a hearing could be held as early as tomorrow.

For now, Anderson, little Courtney remains in foster care in Baltimore while all of this is sorted out but, as I mentioned before, still a lot of questions to be answered.

COOPER: Yes, certainly.

CHO: Chief among them was that actually the father who abandoned this little girl, the mother told a local TV station moments ago that she believes that her girl was kidnapped.

And also why did it take so long for these parents to come forward? These pictures of Courtney have been in the media for so very long, at least the past several days and so we are all trying to sort that out right now.

COOPER: Yes, and we're seeing a bit of information crossing across the newswires. As you mentioned, the family has spoken to a local TV station. We're actually going to speak to the attorney for the mother in about 20 minutes here on 360 but there are a lot of questions.

When was this girl taken? And, are these claims about a possible kidnapping, are these for real? So, we'll be asking a lot of these questions coming up later on 360.

CHO: And we should also remind our viewers that there will not be a reunion with the family. Tomorrow, that again is going to be all sorted out in the media and the earliest, Anderson, that a court hearing could be held would be tomorrow.

COOPER: Right but there also may be a press conference later on that we'll try to bring you, of course, as well, so stayed tuned for that. Alina thanks very much.

CHO: All right, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Courtney's plight, if that is her name, reminded us about another abandoned child. We wanted to give you an update in this 360 flashback.

He was known as little Mateo, a little boy found lost alone wandering the streets of Bakersfield, California almost a year ago to the day. Now, Mateo is three and while authorities never located his family, his adoption proceedings are reportedly underway, should be complete within weeks. A human services officials tells CNN that Mateo is happy and flourishing in his current surroundings, some good news there.

We are following a number of developing stories around the globe right now in tonight's "Up Link." Let's take a look.

Istanbul, Turkey, an explosion outside a McDonald's restaurant. The bomb damaged at least five cars. No one was injured. Two homemade devices were also diffused outside a McDonald's in Rome. McDonald's president said overseas franchises are targeted because they are a symbol of America.

In Gaza, funerals today for seven Palestinians killed during a protest in Rafa. The Israeli defense forces said a helicopter fired only flares and a warning missile at an empty area in hopes of breaking up a crowd as it approached Israeli soldiers.

Also today Palestinian sources say Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians including a local Hamas military leader. Israeli military commanders moved into Rafa citing intelligence that there was an arms supply waiting across the border in Egypt to be smuggled into Gaza.

Taipei, Taiwan now, second term, President Chen Shui-bian gives his inaugural speech after being reelected, says he will not pursue a break from China.

That's a quick look at stories around the globe in the "Up Link."

360 next, men, women and the brain, how come women ask for directions but men just don't? A stereotype but it's often true. We'll try to answer that age old question as part of our special series "Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain."

Also tonight, President Bush's daughters getting ready to hit the campaign trail after they graduate from college this weekend. An update on them.

And a little later, an annual spectacle, killer whales on the attack, a remarkable look at nature at work. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX HARRISON, ACTOR: Why can't a woman be more like a man? Men are so honest, so thoroughly square, eternally noble, historically fair. When you win will always give your back a pat. Why can't a woman be like that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: The age old question for men, why can't a woman be more like a man? In "My Fair Lady," Professor Henry Higgins never quite got it, although Eliza Doolittle, his protege, certainly did and wound up getting the upper hand on her mentor. Scientists say the great gender divide is literally in our minds. The male and female brains are simply wired differently, say some.

CNN Medical Correspondent Holly Firfer reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For thousands of years, men and women have baffled each other by their differences, differences that are the results of the hard wiring of our brains.

DR. REUBEN GUR, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: We are still the same animals. We haven't changed physically since we were roaming the Savannahs. We haven't really changed in our brain.

FIRFER: Dr. Reuben Gur has been studying the brain for more than 25 years. He says while men's brains can be 10 to 15 percent larger in size, women have more fibers that connect the two sides of the brain together. That would mean...

GUR: There is more tissue available for transferring information between the two sides of the brain. That's why we think that women have better inter-hemispheric communication.

FIRFER: Anthropologist Helen Fisher says there's a reason.

HELEN FISHER, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: I think that women's ability at communication evolved millions of years ago on the grasslands of Africa as women held that baby in front of their face cajoling it, reprimanding it, educating it with words.

FIRFER: As caregivers, researchers say women's brains were also wired to give them stronger senses to smell if food is bad, to taste if it may be poisonous and to hear when their baby is crying.

What about men who refuse to ask for directions? Researchers say men have more white matter which moves information more easily to the back of the brain where the visual cortex lies, a sort of internal compass if you will.

FISHER: For millions of years they set out just about every morning to go out to surround and track and follow and kill.

FIRFER: And if they didn't make it home their family would starve. So, why do we have these biological differences? Well many say they allow us to work together to survive.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Joining me now to examine how our brains affect behavior and the way we relate and communicate with the opposite sex, Deborah Tannen, Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University.

She's the author of nine books on gender differences and language. Her lecture "He said she said" exploring the different ways men and women communicate was just recorded for Barnes and Noble's portable professor series. Thanks for being with us professor.

DEBORAH TANNEN, PROFESSOR OF LINGUISTICS, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Pleasure to be here.

COOPER: Men tend to use one side of the brain in language. Women use both. How does that -- what does that translate into? What does that mean for communication?

TANNEN: People are often fascinated by the biological patterns, what we've heard about, but they're reinforced by the cultural patterns how we learn to use language growing up.

I think what you see when women and men talk to each other frequently the women think talk is the glue that holds a relationship together and men are often puzzled by why we talk the way we do.

For example, I might tell you all about a problem and then you try to tell me how to fix it and I say "don't tell me how to fix it," and you said "well, why do you want to talk about it if you don't want to do anything about it?" This is a kind of rapport talk. Women use language to create rapport. It goes back to the time when we were little girls telling our best friends our secrets.

COOPER: And yet with, I mean, you know, the traditional situation, men and women in a car together, the man won't stop to ask for directions, women will, why is that? Why do you think that happens?

TANNEN: Well, I think if you look at the way we use language, so the women are using language to create connection, the focus on connection and when boys play their main focus is relative status. OK, you don't want to be put in a one down position. Boys play in a larger group. The high status boys will push the low status boys around so...

COOPER: And men look for that, boys look for that.

TANNEN: So we become attuned, yes, so I think men become attuned to any sign they're being put down. They don't want that one down position. So, when you say to somebody I'm lost, I need your help, you're putting yourself in that one down position. You want to avoid that.

COOPER: And women are OK with that?

TANNEN: Well, I think from a women's point of view, OK, you focus on the connection, so you stop. You make a fleeting connection to a stranger. You get where you're going. You really haven't lost anything.

And if we look at the conversation we talked about earlier where she may want to talk about her problems and he wants to give her a solution that really, I think, is related to this corpus callosum issue that you were just hearing about. So, for women, the emotions and the other side of the brain because that corpus callosum is so thick, you know, and they're hooked up, it's reinforced by the way we've been using language since we were kids talking about our feelings.

COOPER: So are the differences irreconcilable?

TANNEN: Oh, I don't think so. I think we can all learn from each other, so men can...

COOPER: But women learn by talking. Men don't want to sit around and talk about it, so...

TANNEN: Well, we do talk. You just may want to talk about something else but I think so, for example, aggression, OK. We know that boys are more aggressive in all the cultures of the world that we've looked at but there are some cultures where aggression is encouraged for the boys and others they won't even leave 6-year-old boys alone so they won't be aggressive.

Well, OK, women can learn from men to take a certain amount of I sometimes call it agonism, you know, kind of ritual opposition talk, devil's advocate. I have an idea. You argue against that idea.

Well, women can learn about that. You know don't take it literally. Don't take it as attack. It can be a way of exploring ideas and then men can also benefit from learning how to talk about their feelings.

Maybe it comes, you might say, more easily to women. We've been doing it since we were kids. We have more experience and the brain and the culture I think often reinforce each other that way.

But scientists have found that it's actually good for men to talk about their feelings. It may not be an automatic thing but when you learn to do it, it can do you a lot of good.

COOPER: I think we're both playing our roles. I was looking for ways to solve this, get it done. You were looking at a way to just talk about it. Professor Deborah Tannen thanks very much, fascinating work.

TANNEN: Thank you.

COOPER: We're going to wrap up our series tomorrow with the successful brain. Learn how to tap into your full potential.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Little girl lost, now found. After a nationwide appeal, authorities may have found this abandoned girl's family.

Jenna and Barbara Bush out of college and into the campaign? A look inside the world of the Bush twins, 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The abandoned girl who has captured the nation's attention. Her mother and father step forward. How did this three- year-old wind up on the streets? I'll ask her mother's lawyer in just a few moments.

Plus the president's daughter on the campaign trail. Find out how they plan to spend their summer vacation helping out their dad. First let's check our top stories in the "Reset."

In Portland. A surprise move. The American lawyer arrested in connection with the Madrid train bombings has been released. Brandon Mayfield was set free today from what he calls, quote, "a harrowing ordeal." Officials thought his fingerprints were found on a bag near the blast. But authorities now say the fingerprints at that of someone else, an Algerian.

In Washington. Setback in the Senate. Republicans are delaying the vote on their proposed $2.4 trillion budget. May take place next month. That decision is being described by Democrats as an election year embarrassment for the president.

In Washington, it's in the money. President Bush and John Kerry have amassed record war chests for their White House race. Bush's campaign has raised $200 million. They've spent $131 million. Kerry has raised $115 million with over $28 million now in cash.

In Boston, same-sex marriage challenge. The governor is going after clerks who wed same-sex couples from outside the state. He says those marriages are null and void and is ordering the attorney general to take appropriate action.

McAlester, Oklahoma, the defense rests in the state trial of Terry Nichols. The Oklahoma City bombing conspirator could face murder charges if found guilty. Nichols is already serving a life sentence in a federal prison. Closing arguments begin on Monday.

COOPER: Our top story this half hour break in the heart- wrenching case of a 3-year-old girl abandoned in Baltimore earlier this month. The little girl, who said her name was Courtney, has been in foster care while police in two states scramble to find her family.

Officials in Maryland now say her mother has come forward, but the little girl will remain in foster care until a court decides who should be her legal guardian. A lot of questions remain right now about everything in this case right down to the little girl's name.

Joining me now on the phone, Gary Gerstenfield, the attorney for the girl's mother. Gary, thanks for being with us. What is this little girl's name, Gary? Gary, this is Anderson Cooper, are you there? We're going to try it once more. Gary Gerstenfeld, this is Anderson Cooper on CNN. Can you hear me? We're going to try to reconnect with him in a moment. He's obviously on the phone talking to someone else. He is really right now at the center of this storm.

What we know is this. The little girl is still in foster care. There had been a report that her mother had come forward, that there was going to be a reunion tomorrow. That report, say officials in foster care, is not true. At this point, the little girl is still in foster care. Her lawyer has previously told a local television station in Baltimore that the girl is 3 years old. The little girl had said she was from Brooklyn. Her lawyer had told a local TV station she's not from Brooklyn, New York. She is, in fact, from Brooklyn area in Baltimore City.

Also, the little girl's name is not Courtney, according to the family. We're going to talk about that in just a moment, as soon as we get this lawyer back on the telephone. The questions that remain tonight, however, is why was she abandoned? What we know is this that on May 5 a man gave this little girl, a man who said he was the girl's father, gave this girl to a woman, said, "please watch after her while I go and cash some checks." He left. He disappeared. Didn't come back. Let's go to him live right now with Gary Gerstenfeld, the attorney for the mother of this little girl. Gary, are you there?

GARY GERSTENFIELD, ATTORNEY FOR GIRL'S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: Yes, I am. Good evening.

COOPER: What is this little girl's name?

GERSTENFIELD: Her real name, the daughter's actual real name is Akasha T. Parsons (ph).

COOPER: And why was she abandoned? What do you know? You represent the mother here. When was the last time the mother saw this little girl?

GERSTENFIELD: It's been over two years.

COOPER: Under what circumstances did she last see the girl? Why has it been so long?

GERSTENFIELD: Well, what happened is, mom had custody of the child, the father was not -- the father and mother were not married. The father had visitation. That was not any kind of court order. It was just an understanding. One day when the father had visitation, he took the child, ran into a court in Prince George's county and made up a story about how the mother was abusing the child and abusing him and the court gave what's called ex parte relief, giving the child temporarily to the father.

What happened is the court eventually realized its mistake and quickly rescinded that order and did a couple good things. The judge, Judge Sherry Krauser (ph), a circuit judge in Prince George's county, quickly realized that the court had made a mistake on the ex parte and awarded custody back to the mother. And then ordered a body attachment which is basically an arrest warrant for the father. And then our local county sheriff's office finally tried to find this child and bring the child back but we've all been looking in Baltimore -- I'm sorry -- we've all been looking in Montgomery county and Prince George's county which are local counties outside of Washington, D.C. Where we were not looking was in Baltimore. Apparently what happened is the father took the child and went to Baltimore. The father had no fixed address. Apparently he'd been living hand-to-mouth, and maybe even going so far as living in different shelters. The child, from what we understand, did not know her last name Parsons, and the sad part is, believed her name to be Courtney when actually it isn't, it's Akasha. And also apparently has been raised by this man to believe that her own mother either didn't love her and didn't want her, or didn't want anything to do with her. Which, of course, is the furthest thing from the truth.

COOPER: You say you and the mother have been actively searching for her yet it has taken -- this girl was found May 5. Why has it taken so long for an identification to be made?

GERSTENFIELD: Well, it's a good question. But imagine this. You know, the father has no driver's license. He has no job. He has no fixed address. He takes the girl and he goes to Baltimore. Wherever they're living, they apparently don't stand out. How is the police to find this guy? What I told the family -- we tried to find them. Again we were looking in the wrong place. We're looking in local counties here.

What I told the family was, "we'll find the child when he gets arrested" because he does have a drug problem and I knew he'd eventually get arrested. Guess what? That's exactly what happened. But from what the family wants you all to know, and when I say you all, I mean the folks that do the press and things like that is, that there's so much appreciation because when the child was discovered in Baltimore, you all took it seriously. They flashed pictures, not just locally, but nationally.

And what happened was is the grandfather happened to be watching TV and saw the picture flash for a second, called back the local station asking if they wouldn't mind rerunning it one more time, and they said, sure. They ran the picture again. And sure enough it was his granddaughter. He made a positive I.D. and from that point it all went perfectly. The Department of Social Service in Baltimore City was terrific. Very caring, and sensitive to the family. We all rushed down there. They met us. I showed them the documents. They looked everything over. And immediately realized...

COOPER: Gary, I'm going to interrupt you. There's a press conference now from officials in Maryland. Let's go there live.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

COOPER: You've been listening to a press conference given by Christopher McCabe, the secretary of Maryland's Department of Human Resources. This has been a fast-developing story over the last hour or so.

What we do know is this, the little girl, the 3-year-old girl known as Courtney, her mother's attorney who I spoke to just a few minutes ago says her real name is Akeisha. She is in -- still in foster care at this moment, will be for the next several days. There will be a court hearing, as you heard from Christopher McCabe, in the next several days in which time it will be determined what should happen to this little girl, where she should go.

As we were talking to the attorney for the mother before the press conference began, he says the mother and this lawyer have been searching for this little girl for some time now. He says that in effect, she was taken by the girl's father, who he claims has a drug problem. They will be obviously looking for custody from this little girl.

The lawyer says that the girl's grandfather saw media coverage just yesterday of this little girl and that is the process that we are undergoing right now, them trying to establish contact, trying to hopefully have some sort of a reunion. That is what they would like. We are going to continue to follow this story. We will get to all that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: In "Justice Served" tonight a teenage girl allegedly raped by three young men was confronted in court today with the videotape of the incident, as well as another graphic tape the defense lawyers claim prove their clients are innocent. CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley is following the trial in Santa Ana.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The three teenagers accused of raping her sat just a few feet away as defense attorneys Joseph Cavallo asked the woman if that was her on the videotape, with a beer in her hand before the alleged crimes took place.

SUSAN KANG, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It was a very difficult time for her. She broke down. It was obvious she was upset. And it was very traumatic for her.

BUCKLEY: But defense attorney Cavallo, representing Greg Haidl, the son of the assistant sheriff of Orange County, said showing that tape to the alleged victim was necessary as he attempted to show she was being untruthful in her claims she was unconscious and unaware she was being videotaped the night of the alleged crime.

JOSEPH CAVALLO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She did know she was being videotaped. She encouraged the videotaping. And she -- it was part of the plan that night.

KANG: Anybody reasonable watching the video would know that she was in no way conscious.

BUCKLEY: Cavallo again showed the 18-year-old woman another graphic videotape showing her engaged in consensual sex with defendant Keith Spann a few days earlier on June 30. And he questioned here about July 4th, the night before the crimes when she testified she had separate consensual sex with both Spann and Haidl. Cavallo, says the tough questioning was necessary to try to prove to jurors that she is lying in her testimony.

CAVALLO: She's just not a truthful person. She's not a -- she has terrible character. She has terrible morals.

BUCKLEY: Prosecutors disagree.

KANG: To come forward and share very detailed, and embarrassing details about her life, and be candid and truthful, it takes a lot of courage, and she should be commended for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: And on Tuesday, the alleged victim will once again be on the stand, as defense attorneys do their best to portray her as a promiscuous young woman who was fully aware of what she was doing on the night of the alleged crimes, not unconscious, as prosecutors allege. But if jurors don't buy it, each of the defendants faces a number of counts that could put them in prison for up to 55 years -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Frank Buckley live in Santa Ana.

The CDC has a new study out about teens and sex. We're going to talk about that coming up. With Dr. Drew Pinsky, we'll talk about it live. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The Centers for Disease Control released a new survey on teen sex. The study found 47 percent of high school students engaged in sexual intercourse last year, and 14 percent had four or more sexual partners. With reports of sex clubs and sex bracelets among teens there's concern more and more of them are engaging in increasingly risky behavior.

Joining me from Los Angeles is addiction expert, Dr. Drew Pinsky. Thanks for being on the program.

How much of what is going on with kids today and teens and having sex has to do with porn?

DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: It's hard to say, Anderson. It should not surprise us that pornography has sort of poured into our lexicon of what we see on a daily basis, or what young people are sort of exposed to. It pours into a house, it pours down through the computer. It's available through the satellite television services.

COOPER: And you think it changes the image boys have of themselves and women have of themselves?

PINSKY: No doubt that it does. It changes men's expectation. It changes what men think of themselves as sexual beings. It changes what they think about as physical and emotional intimacy. It really creates abnormal expectations. And really they don't understand -- they don't see that this is an abnormal thing at all. They think it's just way it's supposed to be.

COOPER: What does it do for women? For teenage girls how does it change what they are being asked to do?

What they are being asked to think about themselves?

PINSKY: Well, these males have expectations with the young women are then trying to keep up with. Their idea that women are motivated in this situation to keep the male, to keep them happy and to keep up with what these men are asking of them. And it's becoming a situation, it's becoming exploitive, aggressive, and you see in the story we just heard where it's hard to distinguish between the victim and the victimizer. It's becoming an extraordinary situation. I was actually kind of disturbed to hear one of the attorneys talking about being a moral issue. The fact is, these are mental health and physical health issues and we've got to address them this way.

COOPER: Because, alcohol is often used, and drugs are often involved in this kind of stuff. And unsafe sexual practices are involved.

PINSKY: You're sort of alluding to the hookup culture which is happening on college and high school campuses where young people are being encouraged just kind of hook up. That is one night stands. They've been around for a long time, but it's now endemic in the fabric of young people's cultures and they're always intoxicated. So, my question to young people if it's such a cool thing to do, why do you have to be intoxicated to do it? You find the males and females separate on this issue.

The males say they get intoxicated because it's something they just want to do and it's available and they are going to try to do, and it's anxiety provoking so they get loaded. The females say something quite different. They say they get loaded to tolerate these extraordinary circumstances.

COOPER: So how do parents deal with this?

PINSKY: Well, first of all, be aware of it. And secondly encourage kids to talk to you. There's a good evidence that there's a window between the age of about 8 and 12 that you've got to begin a dialogue with kids. Have them come back to you with questions. It's not so much what you talk about but that you establish an open dialogue with them so when they are troubled by these things, the circumstances of the fabric of the culture they enter, trouble them, they can come back to you and talk about it. And hopefully you can sort of give them a healthier perspective and support them on healthier choices.

COOPER: Good advice. Dr. Drew Pinsky, thanks very much.

PINSKY: My pleasure.

COOPER: A far lighter story, take me out to the ball game. But you can't guy me Cracker Jacks at the house that Ruth, not Baby Ruth built. What's that about? We'll take that to the "Nth Degree" just ahead. And tomorrow we're going to wrap up our series the successful brain. We're going to explore how some unconventional minds have made it to the top.

First today's "Buzz," do you think the U.S. should hand over power to the Iraq's on June 30th, that's the plan. Log on to cnn.com/360. Cast your vote, results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Time now for "The Buzz." Earlier we asked you, do you think the U.S. should hand over power to the Iraq's on June 30th? More than 21,000 of you have voted, 79 percent of you said yes, 21, no. Not a scientific poll but it is your "Buzz" and we appreciate you voting.

Tonight taking outrage to "The Nth Degree."

Is this why our ancestors fought the British?

Why the pioneers risked hunger and thirst and snake bites on the way West in those rickety wagons?

Was it for this that Americans walked on the moon?

Yes, that's right. The New York Yankees are replacing Cracker Jacks in their lineup with some rookie called Crunch 'N' Munch. They say it's no big deal, just a brand name. And in taste tests they say Crunch 'N' Munch wins. How about you go to the movies and get a nice big tub of corn flakes. It's in the song for heaven sake. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. The box, the prize, the taste, they've been emblematic of baseball and this country for more than a century. Since a couple of immigrants came up with the idea at the Colombian exposition in 1893 in Chicago. Calm down the Yanks say, just that Cracker Jacks didn't have any competition back then. Neither did Uncle Sam, should we be looking to replace him?

I'm Anderson Cooper, thanks for watching 360. Coming up next "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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