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Consumers Crowd Stores On Black Friday; Iraqi Response To President Bush Visit Mixed; Terrorism In Turkey Linked To Fighting In Iraq

Aired November 28, 2003 - 22:00 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.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSNIGHT: Good evening again. I'm Carol Lin.
In the business world, the word black, more often than not, has a negative meaning. There have been Black Mondays and Tuesdays and Thursdays, all connected with bad things like market crashes.

But on this day, Black Friday, the word has a positive connotation. It's the day, according to tradition, that retailers finally get out of the red and into the black. Finally -- well, finally began making a profit this year, at least that's what hare hoping.

We're going to get to some of the signs of the season a little later in the program. But "The Whip" begins with President Bush's trip as seen by the Iraqis who didn't have a chance to see it in the first place. CNN's Nic Robertson on that for us tonight.

Nic, a headline.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol in Baghdad, confusion, concern and anger even from Iraqis who thought President Bush's trip to Baghdad really didn't show him their lives at this time.

Carol.

LIN: Thank you, Nic.

Next to Turkey and a possible connection between terror attacks there and in Iraq. CNN's Mike Boettcher is in Istanbul with the story and a headline.

Mike?

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, terrorism does not happen in a vacuum. And in Turkey, they're learning what happened here with four suicide bombings has a lot to do with what's happening next door in Iraq.

LIN: All right. And on to the possibility, the possibility that authorities in Ohio have a serial sniper on the loose. Brian Cabell with that for us tonight.

Brian, a headline from you. BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, Ohio authorities don't want to say they have a sniper on their hands. But what they do have is a problem. Someone is firing into cars outside Columbus, Ohio, and motorists are getting alarmed.

LIN: Finally, Black Friday, and signs that consumer spending is finally back in the pink. Allan Chernoff has been watching cash registers ring for the better part of the day.

Allan, a headline?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Consumers crowd the shopping malls on the first official day of the holiday shopping season while retailers try to protect their bottom lines. How long can they hold out before offering those deep discounts?

Carol.

Thanks, Allan. Back to you and the rest, shortly.

Also coming up this Friday edition of NEWSNIGHT: The flu hits with a vengeance. We are going to get a status report with a doctor dealing with one of the worst-hit part of the country.

And the film on "The Reagans" hits the airwaves this weekend. We'll find out from the head of Showtime what happened to all the controversy. All that, and more, in the hour ahead.

We begin, once again tonight, with President Bush's trip. A day later, the reviews are coming in both here and at -- well, perhaps, more importantly, on the Iraqi street. Two reports tonight. First, CNN's Dana Bash, who today learned a lot more about just how the trip came to be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Bush back in Texas, back at the ranch, so we're told, basking in the afterglow of his cloak and dagger Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card pitched the idea to his boss in Asia last month. But it wasn't finalized until hours before he left, almost scrapped several times because of security concerns.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: The president finally on Wednesday morning, with Vice President Cheney, with Andy Card and myself, looked at the arrangements one last time and said, yes, he thought it was a go.

BASH: The White House carefully made this trip and all its images about the troops, not the war, making it hard for Democrats to criticize. Senator Hillary Clinton in Baghdad on her own meet and greet with the troops.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Any time that a president can meet with troops who are in an active conflict situation, it makes a real difference. BASH: From deep in the political trenches, mostly praise.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The commander-in-chief was in the place he should have been yesterday, with the men and women in uniform.

BASH: From Richard Gephardt's camp: "It's a wonderful idea.

"The commander-in-chief should spend time in the field with our troops, said Retired General Wesley Clark. The White House may be hoping these images replace this one, a reminder for many of a postwar conflict much harder than expected.

PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Landing on carriers and bucking up the troops does not substitute, unfortunately, for a policy that may be failed.

BASH: So on another day an American soldier was killed in Iraq, Democrats are also trying to stay on their message. Howard Dean saying, "Those brave men and women should never have been fighting in Iraq in the first place."

BASH (on camera): Bush officials understand no matter how big a bounce the president may get from his trip to Baghdad, it's the situation on the ground in Iraq in the coming months that really matters.

Dana Bash, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The soldier who died today was killed in a mortar attack in Mosul, which until recently seemed like a fairly safe place. Now the army is beefing up patrols and going door-to-door in search of the bad guys. This, in turn, runs the risk of alienating more of the good guys.

And so it goes. Perceptions count for a lot in Iraq, which is why we wanted to know how Iraqis view President Bush's visit. With that, here's CNN's Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the streets of Baghdad, business as usual the morning after President Bush's brief visit.

Faeeze Said (ph) opens his toy story, happy trade has been picking up over the last few weeks. Confused about Mr. Bush's visit.

"I hope that his visit is to improve the situation," he says, "not to make it worse." On the streets outside...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are welcome, here, in Baghdad to him, because he give us our liberty here.

ROBERTSON: Others questioning why the U.S. president never left the security of Baghdad Airport.

"Let him come and see democracy," this man says. "Can he come among the people without security," adds his friend. "He can't. He was only here for two hours."

Across town, in a poorer neighborhood, anger on Mr. Bush's visit. "What have been the benefits," he says, "There is no progress or development."

"If Bush is a real man," he says, "let him announce his visit and we'll let him know what we think. He is responsible for the destruction in Iraq." The night before, around a well-to-do dinner table, just as Mr. Bush was addressing troops, the Muhammad family was entertaining friends, celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just before the holiday four of them were kidnapped.

ROBERTSON: The current lack of a security, a staple of the conversation. Thoughts about the U.S. President's visit ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doesn't mean anything to me, because he didn't come to see the Iraqis.

ROBERTSON: A sense the trip never intended to enlighten Mr. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He must not see only the army. He must see the people and the result of war also. He has to go in Baghdad and see the situation of Iraqis.

ROBERTSON: The unspoken word on the streets here, in Arabic culture, almost an insult to visit unannounced. The feeling compounded to have left without staying for the customary hospitality.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): Four Iraqi politicians from the ruling governing council here did meet with President Bush and they actually said they were encouraged by the visit because it did show a level of commitment to Iraq's problems at this time.

Carol.

LIN: Nic, it almost seems crazy to the reasonable person for the Iraqis to literally expect that the president of the United States could walk down their streets and experience what they call the customary hospitality. I mean, if he were to do that, reasonably speaking, what did they think would happen to him, given that an American there is being shot almost on a daily basis?

LIN: I think, Carol, they really want to make the point that they just don't feel safe in their daily lives and they think if President Bush had come down to meet them, they could explain that personally. But, also, he would see for himself, the streets of Baghdad, the extraordinary levels of security that would have to be put in place for him to come down.

I think really they just wanted that opportunity to convey to him personally, but really for him to see and experience their lives. That's perhaps what really cuts deep here in Baghdad, that he didn't get a sample of Iraqis' lives at this time, Carol.

LIN: This might be a stretch, Nic, but yesterday, Walter Rodgers, your colleague out there, reported that some Iraqis may actually see President Bush's speech as a provocation; just hours after he left Baghdad another U.S. soldier was killed in a mortar attack. Would there be a stretch to say there is possibly any connection between the two events?

ROBERTSON: Well, certainly we were prepared or on the lookout to see if there was a surge in attacks. And perhaps it would have been a little quick to expect the anti-coalition forces to mount a sort of a larger offensive, as we saw at the beginning of November where they had already a high level of attacks, perhaps 30 or so attacks a day.

But certainly some people we talked to here -- I talked to one quite well off middle-class family. And they told me, yes, many people might see this as President Bush saying to the anti-coalition forces, the insurgents, I came here despite of everything you're doing. You shot at an aircraft with a surface-to-air missile, in Baghdad Airport over the weekend, yet I still flew in.

There are people who might see this that way, but we haven't seen an extreme increase in attacks against U.S. troops. But again, as you say, one soldier from the 101st killed today in the northern city of Mosul.

LIN: Thank you very much. Nic Robertson, reporting live in Baghdad.

President Bush calls Iraq the front line in the battle against global terrorism. And tonight, a recent string of bombings in Turkey is again raising questions about the connection between terror groups in Iraq and other parts of the world. Here is CNN's Mike Boettcher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Few in Turkey believe they have seen the last of terrorism. Security forces are on highest alert. Trucks and vans, like the ones used in the four suicide attacks here, are often stopped and searched.

But rather than just a new front in the war on terrorism, there is growing belief among security and intelligence officials in the region that Turkey has become embroiled in Iraq's expanding terrorism battlefield. Among those detained by Turkish authorities in connection with the bombings here are members of two radical Islamic groups, Turkish Hezbollah and Biet Alima (ph).

Intelligence officials in the region believe these two groups have strong ties to what is considered by American authorities to be the most dangerous terrorist group operating in Iraq, Ansar al Islam. Turkish author and terrorism Emin Demeirel has long followed the growth of Turkish Hezbollah and its associates.

EMIN DEMEIREL, AUTHOR, TERRORISM EXPERT (through translator): They help each other providing intelligence, camps, training and weapons. It's very normal that Islamic groups cooperate with each other.

BOETTCHER: The link between Turkish and Iraqi terrorist groups, according to anti-terror, coalition intelligence sources, is this man. Abu Musabu Zarqawi (ph), a close associate of Osama bin Laden.

A Jordanian-born terrorist, he is one of the U.S.'s most wanted with a $5 million price tag on his head. Zarqawi operates his own network and is, according to U.S. intelligence sources, directing his operations from Iran.

There is strong belief among the region's counter terrorism officials that Zarqawi is directing the expansion of terrorism operations in Iraq to neighboring nations that are U.S. allies, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. CNN has learned that Middle East security services have already detected suspected terrorists, associated with Zarqawi, attempting to smuggle surface-to-air missiles, like these, out of Iraq and into neighboring countries.

The Turkish terrorism expert sees a clear message being delivered to Turkish.

DEMEIREL (through translator): Those who did the work have relationships with al Qaeda. This is totally parallel to the war in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (on camera): The ties between Turkish and Iraqi terrorist groups are complex and are even difficult for top counter- terrorism officials to piece together. But they believe for success to occur in this volatile region, they must figure out how these new emerging terrorism alliances are working.

Carol.

LINP: Mike, but when you take a look at the map that you presented in your piece, I mean, is it just a geographic coincidence that these terrorists may be focusing on Turkey now? Or is there more to it?

BOETTCHER: It's not a coincidence, even though Turkey is always said to have had one foot in Europe and one foot in Asia. If you look at the map, you've got Turkey to the south. To the east, you have Georgia and the Pankisi Gorge (ph) area, which works as a base for al Qaeda in the region.

And it's become a crossroads. It's no coincidence that this place is, and has been for many years, a place where terrorists pass through and plan their operations. Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Mike Boettcher, investigating for us tonight.

Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: Did President Bush's visit to Iraq accomplish anything? We'll speak with an American journalist in Baghdad and an Arab journalist in Washington to get their perspectives on the trip.

And later, the controversial Reagan film is set to air this weekend. Are the risks worth the rewards for the network, which is showing it? This is NEWSNIGHT from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: More now on how President Bush's trip was seen and how differently it was seen, depending on the audience. In Baghdad, Jon Hendren of "The Los Angeles Times"; and in Washington tonight, Hafez Al-Mirazi with Washington bureau chief of Al Jazeera television.

Welcome to both of you.

John let me begin with you, on the ground in Baghdad. Reading on the Internet, a Lebanese newspaper, "On Nefar" (ph), what they basically said was the president came, he saw nothing and he conquered. The sense of the Iraqis that you are hearing about the president's visit there?

JON HENDREN, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES": You get a really mixed review from Iraqis from where I stand. Of course, there are a number of Iraqis that are very happy that Saddam Hussein is gone. And they're naturally fans of the president.

However, you see a lot -- you talk to a lot of people who wonder why the president came like a thief in the night and slipped out after two and a half hours at the airport, and who wonder why Iraqis were not addressed when he came. A lot of people think that with the occupation, the president should have spoken to the Iraqi people. And that's kind of the sentiment you hear on the street here.

LIN: Well, Hafez, the president believes he did speak to the Iraqi people. His remarks were carried around the world on various networks. He addressed the Iraqi people, directly, in saying Saddam Hussein was gone and that the U.S. coalition was there to improve and free up their lives.

HAFEZ Al-MIRAZI, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, AL-JAZEERA: That's true. He mentioned the Iraq -- like the way he mentioned the Iraq and talked about the Iraqi people from London or Washington or any other place.

He talked about the four members of the Iraqi council that -- who were there in his speech, as guests, that talked about them that they joined us. And this is the main problem. That the trip of President Bush had -- highlighted two issues and two things. The Iraqi people lost, since that war started or the U.S. invasion and they have not regained until now. And I don't think it's in the interest of the president to highlight and to remind them of it, which are the independence or sovereignty of Iraq.

LIN: All right.

AL-MIRAZI: The second one is security. And the president -- this is the first U.S. visit -- visit by a U.S. president to Iraq, that was done without an invitation.

LIN: Let me ask you, Hafez, I don't mean to interrupt you on this point, because getting beyond policy, what I'm hearing from the Iraqis, certainly in Nic Robertson's piece, was that they took this visit personally. They called him a coward for not coming out into the streets and talking to them. And, frankly, they even said he was just downright rude.

AL-MIRAZI: As I mentioned, unfortunately, there were some stuff like that. Again, this is the president, because this is the second one -- about the security. The president is so protective about himself, he's just visiting the country for two hours, sneaking in, and sneaking out. And then that's an admission to the rest of the whole world that things are -- in Iraq are so bad, to the extent that he cannot stay more than two hours and he cannot announce his visit until he just leave the country.

The second thing is, as we heard today, Friday, in Iraq, the weekly sermon, from a very influential religious clerk in Iraq, a Shiite cleric, Mukad Assad (ph), who said that the president showed disrespect for the Iraqi people by coming to them without any permission from him, as a foreign leader to come to a sovereign country or what is supposed to be a sovereign country.

LIN: Jon, how do you think this opinion will manifest itself on the ground?

HENDREN: Well, it's hard to say. Iraqis don't have the same conception for security that we do. They don't understand why the president can't announce his visit, and they don't understand why the president can't come out and speak to them in person. They're wondering why he sort of flew in and flew out in such short terms.

And you get a lot of people sort of asking why he didn't make himself known to the Iraqi public. So it's really a manifestation of Iraqi public opinion. They are already increasingly anti-coalition. And when the president comes and does not speak to them, it becomes sort of an issue for them.

LIN: Hafez, how do you think it might manifest itself on the ground going forward?

AL-MIRAZI: I think it might embold and empower at least it might give a false sense of empowerment for the elements against the American presence because they feel they achieved something by forcing the American president to be so protective about himself.

And it also levels the playing field in the comparison between him and Saddam Hussein. It takes it from Saddam Hussein the stigma out of being a coward and sneaking in and out ...

LIN: That's interesting.

AL-MIRAZI: ...because he is no different from others who are sneaking in and out during the darkness.

LIN: You know, that is something the White House may not have considered.

Hafez Al-Mirazi, thank you very much, with Al-Jazeera. John Hendren with "The Los Angeles" in Baghdad.

More now, on presidential politics, and the primacy of primary season. Obvious enough where the Democrats are concerned, crucial too, believe it or not, for President Bush, which goes a long way towards answering a $200 million question. Here is CNN's Jeff Greenfield.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank you for coming and giving of your hard-earned dollars.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice over): Here's President Bush at a fund-raiser, if you think this money is for his reelection, you're wrong, sort of. In fact, he's raising money for his re-nomination, even though he has no Republican opposition.

Therein lies a significant political tale.

GREENFIELD (on camera): If history is any guide, Bush's lack of primary opposition may be one of his key assets. Why? Because for the last half century, every incumbent president who has faced a serious challenge to his re-nomination has failed to win reelection.

By contrast, every incumbent president without such opposition has been easily re-elected.

GREENFIELD (voice over): In 1952, Tennessee Senator Estes Keyfauver (ph) won the New Hampshire presidential primary. President Truman refused to campaign there, a short while later he announced he would not seek another term.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While we're distracted in Vietnam...

GREENFIELD: When senators Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy challenged Lyndon Johnson for the 1968 Democratic nomination, the president shocked the country when he said.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president. GERALD FORD, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am honored by your nomination and I accept it.

GREENFIELD: 1976 saw president Gerald Ford narrowly escape the challenge of former California Governor Ronald Reagan.

RONALD REAGAN, FMR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am a candidate for the presidency.

GREENFIELD: That battle came right down to the convention. Ford would lose a close race in November to Jimmy Carter.

SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: In this campaign and in this country...

GREENFIELD: Four years later the intra-party battle between President Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy created a burden that may have contributed to his land slide defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan that fall.

The first President Bush was never in real danger of losing to commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992.

PATRICK BUCHANAN (R), POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you very much.

GREENFIELD: But Buchanan's strong showing in New Hampshire forced Bush to spend time and resources shoring up his conservative base and ranking Buchanan a primetime convention slot.

Bill Clinton won the White House that fall. All of the recent incumbents, without any real primary opposition, Eisenhower in '56, Johnson in '64, Nixon in '72, Reagan in '84, Clinton in '96, all won reelection easily.

GREENFIELD (on camera): And what, you may ask, will President Bush do with all that re-nomination money? The same thing Bill Clinton did in 1996. Use it all spring and to hammer away at whoever the Democrats have chosen.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, heading into the black -- Black Friday, that is. Did the busiest shopping day of the season live up to its billing? We'll find out as NEWSNIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Any other year, this might be the lead, even more so coming the year after a dreadful holiday shopping season, doubly so at the start of the presidential campaign season. So 'tis the season to be jolly? CNN's Allan Chernoff went to the mall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at this, sweaters on sale.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, SENIOR FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tracy Bodkin is on a mission to find holiday gifts at sale prices.

TRACY BODKIN, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: I want to wait to see prices coming down. I could never get it all done in one day anyway. We've seen a lot of great bargains, but there will be more.

CHERNOFF: Right after Turkey Day, savvy shoppers decide whether to play a game of chicken with retailers, waiting for stores to drop prices as the holidays approach.

Some stores opened with crack-of-dawn sales, so-called doorbusters. And there are discounts to be found. But many retailers are holding off on the kind of sales they offered last year.

DWAYNE DIXON, MANAGER, SHARPER IMAGE: Everything is doing very well, so we're not having to drop any prices on anything.

CHERNOFF: The economy is improving; the stock market is up; even the job picture is getting brighter; all boosting consumer confidence.

NICOLE STONE, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: I just feel better about this year giving gifts. I don't have any financial worries right now in the way. So I can spend a little more money.

BARBARA STEIN, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: You just figure why not have a little fun during the holiday season and really try to make everybody else happy, too.

CHERNOFF: Managers at the mall in Shorthills, New Jersey, said traffic was up 10 percent compared to the same day last year. And nationwide, the National Retail Federation is predicting sales will rise 6 percent. Instead of big discounts, Abercrombie & Fitch is resorting to alternative promotional techniques.

Luxury retailers selling jewelry fine leather and high-end apparel are even raising prices, with little resistance from consumers.

CHERNOFF (on camera): But analysts say most retailers will cut their prices later in the holiday season, just later than last year. And the longer they can hold off the better for their profit margins.

Carol.

Well, Allan, I'm going to be one of those people playing chicken. I don't want to pay full price because I know I don't have to. They're going to come down, those prices, sooner or later.

CHERNOFF: That is exactly what many Americans have gotten accustomed to and it is very difficult for the retailers to end this addiction to discounts.

LIN: There are some actually, some brands which were refusing to have sales now, because they want to retrain their customers to pay full price for brand loyalty.

CHERNOFF: It is the retailer's dream, to be able to -- quote, unquote -- "retrain" their customer. But it's a hard thing to do.

LIN: Yes, especially after years and years of paying half-price. I like the sound of that.

Thanks, Allan. You have a good holiday.

CHERNOFF: You, too.

LIN: Well, a few more items now in our "MONEYLINE Roundup" tonight, starting with those big, tough SUVs -- not -- at least not according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. They've been crashing mid-size models into barriers and adding up the bill, just five miles an hour. But even the best performer, a Honda, racked up $404 in damage. And the worst, the Kia Sorento, would cost more than $6,500 to fix.

Johnson & Johnson has stopped a number of clinical trials of its anemia drug, Procrit, this after patients began developing blood clots. The trials were aimed at proving Procrit's worth in building up the blood during cancer treatment. Shares of the company fell slightly today.

And markets went mostly nowhere in very light trading on this abbreviated trading day. The Dow and Nasdaq closed up slightly. The S&P lost a hair.

Still to come on NEWSNIGHT: Is another sniper on the loose? The latest as police in Ohio investigate a series of shootings along an interstate.

And later: the film that CBS dropped and Showtime caught, "The Reagans."

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every year around this time, the networks do the obligatory pieces on traffic jams and highway checkpoints and everything else that can turn your holiday travel into a nightmare -- well, not everything.

As people driving a stretch of highway near Columbus, Ohio, have come to know, there are nightmares, but none as horrifying as a recent string of shootings.

The story now from CNN's Brian Cabell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ohio authorities aren't using the term serial sniper, but a 911 tape tells a chilling tale. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: 911.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, somebody just shot them in the car, and my girlfriend's been shot. We're on 270, right at the High Street exit.

911 OPERATOR: Is your friend in the car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, she is. And she's groaning and she's terrible.

OPERATOR: All right, let me

(CROSSTALK)

911 OPERATOR: Ma'am.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CABELL: Sixty-two-year-old Gail Knisley, the passenger in the car, died when a bullet pierced the door of the car. Officials now say there have been 10 shooting incidents since May on and around a southern section of I-270, Columbus's beltway. In the nine other shootings, no one was hurt.

But now, officials say, ballistics tests tie the bullet that killed Knisley to at least one of the other shootings.

CHIEF DEPUTY STEVE MARTIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Because of these findings, it's clear that the shooting incident which resulted in the death of Ms. Knisley was not a single or accidental act of violence.

CABELL: Although all of the shootings took place along the same general stretch of highway, the reports were filed by different agencies and weren't coordinated until Tuesday. Columbus drivers now have something besides traffic congestion and accidents to worry about.

MARK WELCH, DRIVER: We got some idiot out there shooting people -- or shooting at people. And I think it's just really bad.

DONNA PRANTL, DRIVER: Who would ever think someone would just be out there as a sniper? And it's happening here in Ohio. It's very scary.

CABELL: Authorities are calling on the shooter or shooters to contact them to open up a dialogue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABELL: So the officials are asking the shooter to contact them. They also want citizens to contact them, in case they have noticed that anybody has radically changed his behavior recently, or perhaps changed his appearance, or perhaps shown an undue interest in the highway shootings.

They say they have lots of leads. But so far, they do not have a suspect or at least one they will name -- Carol.

LIN: Brian, why in the world would authorities think that the shooter would contact them?

CABELL: Well, sometimes, people are trying to get attention, they believe, and perhaps this would be a way to do it. As you will recall in the Washington sniper case, in fact, there was an attempt to get in touch with authorities.

LIN: And are they contacting the Washington authorities for any advice on this case?

CABELL: They haven't mentioned that so far. They don't want to say this is a sniper case yet. They are avoiding that word. They are saying there are shootings. They say two of them are connected.

But beyond that, they don't want to say this is a serial sniper or even a sniper at this point. They are saying this is some shootings they're trying to get solved.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Brian Cabell.

Before we go to break, a few more items from around the country, starting outside Baltimore, with a naked man who turned up last night on the doorstep of baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. His name is Brian Robins. And he was wounded. Mr. Ripken called 911. Mr. Robins went to the hospital. He later told police three men had kidnapped him, held him in the trunk of a car, forced him to strip naked, and then shot him in the back. Needless to say, they're looking into his story.

And Tiger Woods is tying the knot. The world's best golfer and one of the world's most eligible bachelors is engaged to the former nanny and model he's been dating the past two years. And, guys, in this case, if you're wondering, well, she has a sister, a twin.

Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: a powerful flu outbreak. We'll talk with a doctor on the front lines in one of the hardest-hit areas.

This is NEWSNIGHT from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The numbers are staggering: 36,000 people die each year in the United States from the flu. And while the last couple of years have been pretty mild in terms of the flu outbreak, this year is already shaping up as a bad one. One area that has been particularly hard-hit is Denver.

And we are joined now by someone who has seen it firsthand. Dr. Connie Price is an infectious disease specialist at the Denver Health Medical Center.

Welcome to NEWSNIGHT, Dr. Price.

DR. CONNIE PRICE, DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you.

LIN: I think what has really touched so many of us with this story is that children are now dying from the flu. And I don't typically think of children as dying from the flu. I usually hear reports of elderly people. What's going on?

PRICE: Well, that's true.

Usually, it's either the very young or very old. And, in this case, the flu has been so widespread among the pediatric age group, I think we're just seeing a -- because it's so widespread, we're seeing the numbers of some of those kids starting to -- at least higher morbidity and mortality in those kids. So far, in Colorado, about four children have died of the flu.

LIN: Anywhere from, what, 21 months to 15 years old.

PRICE: That's right.

And two of the children -- what's unusual -- as you were saying, that it's usually in the very chronically ill kids. But two of the children were healthy children. And that's very unusual.

LIN: And some people who actually got their flu shots are getting this flu. What's going on there?

PRICE: That's true.

This year, the flu vaccine does not contain the strain that is the most predominantly circulating. When the CDC tested the isolates, they found that about 80 percent of the flu vaccine strains they were getting were not contained in the vaccine. However, there is some cross-reactivity for protection. So people should still get their flu vaccine. However, it's not completely protective, not as good as it has been in previous years.

LIN: Because, every year, Dr. Price, really, it's just a guessing game as to what you throw into that vaccine that they think might actually strike. So, as someone here -- I hate to say it -- I don't get flu shots, because I just don't think that it's worth the trouble, for that very reason. There's no guaranteed protection.

PRICE: Well, in normal years in a normal healthy adult, it should be about 70 percent to 90 percent protective against the flu.

And this year, it's probably not that good. But there is some cross-protection. I think, certainly, if you're in a demographic group that is at higher risk for complications, you really ought to get the shot. And anyone who doesn't want to get it who is otherwise healthy should also get it. But it's most important in those who are -- who have risk factors for very serious influenza.

LIN: All right, so babies as young as 6 months now are being recommended, and definitely senior citizens. PRICE: That's right.

LIN: In the meantime, take a look at the pattern that's happening with this flu outbreak. Obviously, you've been hit-hard in Colorado. And now Texas is starting to see a spread, a report also recently saying that, with holiday travel being up, being the holiday season, likely, the flu is going to spread through travelers visiting families.

Are you looking at just an unusual flu season? Are you looking at an epidemic on the scale of what we saw with the SARS virus?

PRICE: Well, what we're seeing is a very early flu epidemic.

And, in Colorado, our number of confirmed cases has exceeded the number of confirmed cases for the entire flu season last year and at least five years prior. It's probably the earliest flu season we've seen since 1976.

LIN: So how bad is it going to get? How far is this thing going to go?

PRICE: Well, it's hard to say.

Usually, the flu takes about a month to peak. And then, over the following month, it tends to die down and eventually go away. However, with the peak occurring right as our holiday travel season is starting, it certainly bodes for a very bad season this year. It certainly makes spread more likely, as people are gathering, going to holiday parties, traveling around the country.

LIN: Right.

PRICE: Spending time with family members, and maybe even more crowded households.

LIN: All right, Dr. Price, another argument for washing your hands. And if you don't feel well, stay home, because it could be really bad this year. You might be saving some lives by doing so.

Thank you very much, Dr. Price.

PRICE: Thank you.

LIN: Well, a few more now from around the world.

First, election results from Northern Ireland. As expected, hard-liners gained seats in the legislature. London and Dublin had been hoping moderates would carry the day, providing a boost for restoring the assembly, which has within suspended since last year, when a coalition government fell apart. Instead, what British officials had been privately calling their nightmare scenario apparently has come to pass.

A judge in France acquitted three paparazzi in connection with the car crash that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. The three were accused of breaching French privacy laws. The Al Fayed family is appealing today's decision.

And elsewhere in France, France is celebrating the TGV's billionth passenger. The TGV, the abbreviation for the French words meaning very fast train, made its first trip 22 years ago. It can go upwards of 180 miles an hour, and, in those 22 years, over all those miles, has yet to record a single fatality.

When NEWSNIGHT continues: is the controversy over the film on the Reagans, is set to air this weekend. So what happened to the uproar?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: There was a sure sign tonight that fall sweeps are over. Not only was there no "Survivor" or "Bachelor" to watch, but, on CBS, you could find that holiday filler favorite "Frosty the Snowman."

Of all those reality-based programs that networks have come to rely on, the one that got perhaps the most noticed this fall never even saw air, at least not yet. It was a made-for-TV movie called "The Reagans."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

JAMES BROLIN, ACTOR: I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN (voice-over): CBS hoped "The Reagans" would help boost its ratings during November sweeps. But, instead, it became a cause. Though no one had actually seen it, conservatives and members of the Reagan family immediately criticized it, saying it was an inaccurate portrayal of the family and a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents.

MICHAEL PARANZINO, FOUNDER, BOYCOTTCBS.COM: We had plenty to go on to know that this was a biased hit piece, a smear, if you will, from the left.

LIN: Among the specific complaints were that Reagan was portrayed as suffering from memory loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What's the matter? What's he doing?

JUDY DAVIS, ACTRESS: He's concentrating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: That he spoke disparagingly about gays and people with AIDS, and that Nancy Reagan was portrayed as an eccentric control freak who ran the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

DAVIS: From now on, you don't just call the president to tell him what's happening. You call me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The actors and producers involved with the film defend their work as fair and balanced and point out that it includes many of Reagan's personal and professional accomplishments.

BROLIN: He's an icon. He's a legend. And I can see why, for both reasons, the good reasons and the bad ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CBS eventually decided to pull the movie from its schedule, saying it did not present a balanced portrayal and denying that the controversy had anything to do with the decision.

Even so, the movie can be seen this Sunday on Showtime, which is owned by CBS' parent company, Viacom.

Joining us now is the head of Showtime, Matthew Blank.

Thanks for coming in, Matt.

MATT BLANK, CHAIRMAN & CEO, SHOWTIME NETWORKS: Thanks, Carol.

LIN: Have you seen it yet?

BLANK: I haven't seen the final edit. I actually hope to see that tomorrow. It's still being worked on. But I did see the original version that the filmmakers gave to us about two weeks ago.

LIN: Now, when you say edit, that is now a politically loaded word.

BLANK: Yes.

LIN: Were portions of the film edited out to appease some of the critics?

BLANK: Well, first of all, I think we've made about 300 movies at Showtime in the past 10 years. Every one of them has been edited. So that's a normal part of the process.

There is the one famous line about AIDS that the filmmakers chose to take out actually believe even giving the film to us to look at.

LIN: Does it surprise you that this political kind of furor could influence a major broadcast network to change its plans?

BLANK: Well, I think everybody was surprised by the breadth and depth of the furor a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I think a lot of that has to do with the attention that the media gave to it. I think, if the Michael Jackson incident had happened three weeks later, this movie might have played on CBS and nobody would have noticed it. It just seemed to pick up some speed. And all of the sudden, CBS felt they couldn't play the movie, which was an opportunity for us.

LIN: So what do you think the indications are, though, of this political kind of pressure on a network and how it responded, in terms of what actually goes on the air and who is actually in control of those airwaves?

BLANK: Well, I think we'll have to see. I think the folks at CBS made the best decision they could at the time, with the film that they had in their hands coming up on an airdate.

Whether that has any impact on the type of things we see on television in the future, I don't know. We're not at all afraid to deal with a controversial subject. And we know that our subscribers in fact like us to take those risks.

LIN: Are you excited?

BLANK: Absolutely.

LIN: Are you excited at the prospect that you have got this provocative piece of film in your hands that is airing Sunday?

BLANK: Absolutely. I think it's going to be great for us.

And I think that the nice thing about this, people will finally get to see the movie. There's all this talk and no one actually saw it.

LIN: But nobody is going to really know whose version they're seeing.

BLANK: Well, I think that you're seeing the filmmakers' version. And, at the end of the day, that's true any time you go to the movies or any time you watch a movie on television.

LIN: All right, the Republican National Committee wanted Showtime to air something like every 10 minutes, a warning to the audience that this was a fictional portrayal. Are you complying with that?

BLANK: Absolutely not. Would you comply with that? I think, what's next, put it on the newscasts, edit our old news broadcasts? I think that's just silly.

I think we did take a very unusual step of providing a forum on Monday evening with a number of experts on both sides to talk about the movie live on Showtime for an hour at 9:00 p.m. And we think that that will, given the controversy, give both sides an opportunity to air their thoughts about the movie, once they've finally seen it. LIN: The filmmakers, when there was a discussion about the content of this film, did they present it as something that was accurate to you, that they wanted to air in the form in which they would present to you?

BLANK: No, that's just not the way the process works.

The filmmakers came to us. They were delighted that it was going to be on Showtime. That very controversial line, as I mentioned, was already out. And we talked about a lot of things that we could do to the movie, frankly, to make it better and to make it play a little bit better

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Better in what sense?

BLANK: As a three-hour movie, rather than a four-hour miniseries on CBS. We're going to play it right through on Sunday evening all the way through. So some of the changes we made obviously reflect those needs also.

LIN: You expecting big ratings?

BLANK: I think we'll do pretty well.

LIN: You get about, what -- you average about, what, 500,000 people?

BLANK: Yes. This is a much smaller base than the broadcast networks. But, for our universe, I think we'll do extremely well.

LIN: Right.

Were you insulted at all when it was portrayed in the media that this movie was being shunted over to Showtime?

BLANK: Well, I wouldn't say I was -- I certainly wasn't insulted. But we certainly would like to get a little more credit, because of all those people who come into -- pay every month to get that service.

(LAUGHTER)

LIN: Yes, you bet. Cable, indeed.

All right, thank you very much, Matt Blank.

BLANK: Thank you.

LIN: We'll see what happens with the ratings and the fallout.

Up next, we're going to update our top story and preview Monday.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Before we leave you tonight, here's a quick recap of our top story.

With President Bush back on the ranch, reviews of his trip have started coming in. Soldiers were delighted, Democratic challengers, for the most part, supportive, Iraqis, on the other hand, somewhat skeptical. Residents of Baghdad we spoke to said the president missed an opportunity to see how they are living these days. And many attribute the trip to election-year politics.

Aaron is back on Monday. And coming up on the program: tough questions about Israeli strategy where the Palestinians are concerned, questions coming not from students, but generals and even current Israeli leaders.

And that's NEWSNIGHT for tonight and this week. Thanks for watching. I'm Carol Lin.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" is next.

Good night.

END

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

President Bush Visit Mixed; Terrorism In Turkey Linked To Fighting In Iraq>

Aired November 28, 2003 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSNIGHT: Good evening again. I'm Carol Lin.
In the business world, the word black, more often than not, has a negative meaning. There have been Black Mondays and Tuesdays and Thursdays, all connected with bad things like market crashes.

But on this day, Black Friday, the word has a positive connotation. It's the day, according to tradition, that retailers finally get out of the red and into the black. Finally -- well, finally began making a profit this year, at least that's what hare hoping.

We're going to get to some of the signs of the season a little later in the program. But "The Whip" begins with President Bush's trip as seen by the Iraqis who didn't have a chance to see it in the first place. CNN's Nic Robertson on that for us tonight.

Nic, a headline.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol in Baghdad, confusion, concern and anger even from Iraqis who thought President Bush's trip to Baghdad really didn't show him their lives at this time.

Carol.

LIN: Thank you, Nic.

Next to Turkey and a possible connection between terror attacks there and in Iraq. CNN's Mike Boettcher is in Istanbul with the story and a headline.

Mike?

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, terrorism does not happen in a vacuum. And in Turkey, they're learning what happened here with four suicide bombings has a lot to do with what's happening next door in Iraq.

LIN: All right. And on to the possibility, the possibility that authorities in Ohio have a serial sniper on the loose. Brian Cabell with that for us tonight.

Brian, a headline from you. BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, Ohio authorities don't want to say they have a sniper on their hands. But what they do have is a problem. Someone is firing into cars outside Columbus, Ohio, and motorists are getting alarmed.

LIN: Finally, Black Friday, and signs that consumer spending is finally back in the pink. Allan Chernoff has been watching cash registers ring for the better part of the day.

Allan, a headline?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Consumers crowd the shopping malls on the first official day of the holiday shopping season while retailers try to protect their bottom lines. How long can they hold out before offering those deep discounts?

Carol.

Thanks, Allan. Back to you and the rest, shortly.

Also coming up this Friday edition of NEWSNIGHT: The flu hits with a vengeance. We are going to get a status report with a doctor dealing with one of the worst-hit part of the country.

And the film on "The Reagans" hits the airwaves this weekend. We'll find out from the head of Showtime what happened to all the controversy. All that, and more, in the hour ahead.

We begin, once again tonight, with President Bush's trip. A day later, the reviews are coming in both here and at -- well, perhaps, more importantly, on the Iraqi street. Two reports tonight. First, CNN's Dana Bash, who today learned a lot more about just how the trip came to be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): President Bush back in Texas, back at the ranch, so we're told, basking in the afterglow of his cloak and dagger Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card pitched the idea to his boss in Asia last month. But it wasn't finalized until hours before he left, almost scrapped several times because of security concerns.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: The president finally on Wednesday morning, with Vice President Cheney, with Andy Card and myself, looked at the arrangements one last time and said, yes, he thought it was a go.

BASH: The White House carefully made this trip and all its images about the troops, not the war, making it hard for Democrats to criticize. Senator Hillary Clinton in Baghdad on her own meet and greet with the troops.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Any time that a president can meet with troops who are in an active conflict situation, it makes a real difference. BASH: From deep in the political trenches, mostly praise.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The commander-in-chief was in the place he should have been yesterday, with the men and women in uniform.

BASH: From Richard Gephardt's camp: "It's a wonderful idea.

"The commander-in-chief should spend time in the field with our troops, said Retired General Wesley Clark. The White House may be hoping these images replace this one, a reminder for many of a postwar conflict much harder than expected.

PETER FENN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Landing on carriers and bucking up the troops does not substitute, unfortunately, for a policy that may be failed.

BASH: So on another day an American soldier was killed in Iraq, Democrats are also trying to stay on their message. Howard Dean saying, "Those brave men and women should never have been fighting in Iraq in the first place."

BASH (on camera): Bush officials understand no matter how big a bounce the president may get from his trip to Baghdad, it's the situation on the ground in Iraq in the coming months that really matters.

Dana Bash, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The soldier who died today was killed in a mortar attack in Mosul, which until recently seemed like a fairly safe place. Now the army is beefing up patrols and going door-to-door in search of the bad guys. This, in turn, runs the risk of alienating more of the good guys.

And so it goes. Perceptions count for a lot in Iraq, which is why we wanted to know how Iraqis view President Bush's visit. With that, here's CNN's Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the streets of Baghdad, business as usual the morning after President Bush's brief visit.

Faeeze Said (ph) opens his toy story, happy trade has been picking up over the last few weeks. Confused about Mr. Bush's visit.

"I hope that his visit is to improve the situation," he says, "not to make it worse." On the streets outside...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are welcome, here, in Baghdad to him, because he give us our liberty here.

ROBERTSON: Others questioning why the U.S. president never left the security of Baghdad Airport.

"Let him come and see democracy," this man says. "Can he come among the people without security," adds his friend. "He can't. He was only here for two hours."

Across town, in a poorer neighborhood, anger on Mr. Bush's visit. "What have been the benefits," he says, "There is no progress or development."

"If Bush is a real man," he says, "let him announce his visit and we'll let him know what we think. He is responsible for the destruction in Iraq." The night before, around a well-to-do dinner table, just as Mr. Bush was addressing troops, the Muhammad family was entertaining friends, celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just before the holiday four of them were kidnapped.

ROBERTSON: The current lack of a security, a staple of the conversation. Thoughts about the U.S. President's visit ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doesn't mean anything to me, because he didn't come to see the Iraqis.

ROBERTSON: A sense the trip never intended to enlighten Mr. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He must not see only the army. He must see the people and the result of war also. He has to go in Baghdad and see the situation of Iraqis.

ROBERTSON: The unspoken word on the streets here, in Arabic culture, almost an insult to visit unannounced. The feeling compounded to have left without staying for the customary hospitality.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): Four Iraqi politicians from the ruling governing council here did meet with President Bush and they actually said they were encouraged by the visit because it did show a level of commitment to Iraq's problems at this time.

Carol.

LIN: Nic, it almost seems crazy to the reasonable person for the Iraqis to literally expect that the president of the United States could walk down their streets and experience what they call the customary hospitality. I mean, if he were to do that, reasonably speaking, what did they think would happen to him, given that an American there is being shot almost on a daily basis?

LIN: I think, Carol, they really want to make the point that they just don't feel safe in their daily lives and they think if President Bush had come down to meet them, they could explain that personally. But, also, he would see for himself, the streets of Baghdad, the extraordinary levels of security that would have to be put in place for him to come down.

I think really they just wanted that opportunity to convey to him personally, but really for him to see and experience their lives. That's perhaps what really cuts deep here in Baghdad, that he didn't get a sample of Iraqis' lives at this time, Carol.

LIN: This might be a stretch, Nic, but yesterday, Walter Rodgers, your colleague out there, reported that some Iraqis may actually see President Bush's speech as a provocation; just hours after he left Baghdad another U.S. soldier was killed in a mortar attack. Would there be a stretch to say there is possibly any connection between the two events?

ROBERTSON: Well, certainly we were prepared or on the lookout to see if there was a surge in attacks. And perhaps it would have been a little quick to expect the anti-coalition forces to mount a sort of a larger offensive, as we saw at the beginning of November where they had already a high level of attacks, perhaps 30 or so attacks a day.

But certainly some people we talked to here -- I talked to one quite well off middle-class family. And they told me, yes, many people might see this as President Bush saying to the anti-coalition forces, the insurgents, I came here despite of everything you're doing. You shot at an aircraft with a surface-to-air missile, in Baghdad Airport over the weekend, yet I still flew in.

There are people who might see this that way, but we haven't seen an extreme increase in attacks against U.S. troops. But again, as you say, one soldier from the 101st killed today in the northern city of Mosul.

LIN: Thank you very much. Nic Robertson, reporting live in Baghdad.

President Bush calls Iraq the front line in the battle against global terrorism. And tonight, a recent string of bombings in Turkey is again raising questions about the connection between terror groups in Iraq and other parts of the world. Here is CNN's Mike Boettcher.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Few in Turkey believe they have seen the last of terrorism. Security forces are on highest alert. Trucks and vans, like the ones used in the four suicide attacks here, are often stopped and searched.

But rather than just a new front in the war on terrorism, there is growing belief among security and intelligence officials in the region that Turkey has become embroiled in Iraq's expanding terrorism battlefield. Among those detained by Turkish authorities in connection with the bombings here are members of two radical Islamic groups, Turkish Hezbollah and Biet Alima (ph).

Intelligence officials in the region believe these two groups have strong ties to what is considered by American authorities to be the most dangerous terrorist group operating in Iraq, Ansar al Islam. Turkish author and terrorism Emin Demeirel has long followed the growth of Turkish Hezbollah and its associates.

EMIN DEMEIREL, AUTHOR, TERRORISM EXPERT (through translator): They help each other providing intelligence, camps, training and weapons. It's very normal that Islamic groups cooperate with each other.

BOETTCHER: The link between Turkish and Iraqi terrorist groups, according to anti-terror, coalition intelligence sources, is this man. Abu Musabu Zarqawi (ph), a close associate of Osama bin Laden.

A Jordanian-born terrorist, he is one of the U.S.'s most wanted with a $5 million price tag on his head. Zarqawi operates his own network and is, according to U.S. intelligence sources, directing his operations from Iran.

There is strong belief among the region's counter terrorism officials that Zarqawi is directing the expansion of terrorism operations in Iraq to neighboring nations that are U.S. allies, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. CNN has learned that Middle East security services have already detected suspected terrorists, associated with Zarqawi, attempting to smuggle surface-to-air missiles, like these, out of Iraq and into neighboring countries.

The Turkish terrorism expert sees a clear message being delivered to Turkish.

DEMEIREL (through translator): Those who did the work have relationships with al Qaeda. This is totally parallel to the war in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOETTCHER (on camera): The ties between Turkish and Iraqi terrorist groups are complex and are even difficult for top counter- terrorism officials to piece together. But they believe for success to occur in this volatile region, they must figure out how these new emerging terrorism alliances are working.

Carol.

LINP: Mike, but when you take a look at the map that you presented in your piece, I mean, is it just a geographic coincidence that these terrorists may be focusing on Turkey now? Or is there more to it?

BOETTCHER: It's not a coincidence, even though Turkey is always said to have had one foot in Europe and one foot in Asia. If you look at the map, you've got Turkey to the south. To the east, you have Georgia and the Pankisi Gorge (ph) area, which works as a base for al Qaeda in the region.

And it's become a crossroads. It's no coincidence that this place is, and has been for many years, a place where terrorists pass through and plan their operations. Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Mike Boettcher, investigating for us tonight.

Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: Did President Bush's visit to Iraq accomplish anything? We'll speak with an American journalist in Baghdad and an Arab journalist in Washington to get their perspectives on the trip.

And later, the controversial Reagan film is set to air this weekend. Are the risks worth the rewards for the network, which is showing it? This is NEWSNIGHT from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: More now on how President Bush's trip was seen and how differently it was seen, depending on the audience. In Baghdad, Jon Hendren of "The Los Angeles Times"; and in Washington tonight, Hafez Al-Mirazi with Washington bureau chief of Al Jazeera television.

Welcome to both of you.

John let me begin with you, on the ground in Baghdad. Reading on the Internet, a Lebanese newspaper, "On Nefar" (ph), what they basically said was the president came, he saw nothing and he conquered. The sense of the Iraqis that you are hearing about the president's visit there?

JON HENDREN, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES": You get a really mixed review from Iraqis from where I stand. Of course, there are a number of Iraqis that are very happy that Saddam Hussein is gone. And they're naturally fans of the president.

However, you see a lot -- you talk to a lot of people who wonder why the president came like a thief in the night and slipped out after two and a half hours at the airport, and who wonder why Iraqis were not addressed when he came. A lot of people think that with the occupation, the president should have spoken to the Iraqi people. And that's kind of the sentiment you hear on the street here.

LIN: Well, Hafez, the president believes he did speak to the Iraqi people. His remarks were carried around the world on various networks. He addressed the Iraqi people, directly, in saying Saddam Hussein was gone and that the U.S. coalition was there to improve and free up their lives.

HAFEZ Al-MIRAZI, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, AL-JAZEERA: That's true. He mentioned the Iraq -- like the way he mentioned the Iraq and talked about the Iraqi people from London or Washington or any other place.

He talked about the four members of the Iraqi council that -- who were there in his speech, as guests, that talked about them that they joined us. And this is the main problem. That the trip of President Bush had -- highlighted two issues and two things. The Iraqi people lost, since that war started or the U.S. invasion and they have not regained until now. And I don't think it's in the interest of the president to highlight and to remind them of it, which are the independence or sovereignty of Iraq.

LIN: All right.

AL-MIRAZI: The second one is security. And the president -- this is the first U.S. visit -- visit by a U.S. president to Iraq, that was done without an invitation.

LIN: Let me ask you, Hafez, I don't mean to interrupt you on this point, because getting beyond policy, what I'm hearing from the Iraqis, certainly in Nic Robertson's piece, was that they took this visit personally. They called him a coward for not coming out into the streets and talking to them. And, frankly, they even said he was just downright rude.

AL-MIRAZI: As I mentioned, unfortunately, there were some stuff like that. Again, this is the president, because this is the second one -- about the security. The president is so protective about himself, he's just visiting the country for two hours, sneaking in, and sneaking out. And then that's an admission to the rest of the whole world that things are -- in Iraq are so bad, to the extent that he cannot stay more than two hours and he cannot announce his visit until he just leave the country.

The second thing is, as we heard today, Friday, in Iraq, the weekly sermon, from a very influential religious clerk in Iraq, a Shiite cleric, Mukad Assad (ph), who said that the president showed disrespect for the Iraqi people by coming to them without any permission from him, as a foreign leader to come to a sovereign country or what is supposed to be a sovereign country.

LIN: Jon, how do you think this opinion will manifest itself on the ground?

HENDREN: Well, it's hard to say. Iraqis don't have the same conception for security that we do. They don't understand why the president can't announce his visit, and they don't understand why the president can't come out and speak to them in person. They're wondering why he sort of flew in and flew out in such short terms.

And you get a lot of people sort of asking why he didn't make himself known to the Iraqi public. So it's really a manifestation of Iraqi public opinion. They are already increasingly anti-coalition. And when the president comes and does not speak to them, it becomes sort of an issue for them.

LIN: Hafez, how do you think it might manifest itself on the ground going forward?

AL-MIRAZI: I think it might embold and empower at least it might give a false sense of empowerment for the elements against the American presence because they feel they achieved something by forcing the American president to be so protective about himself.

And it also levels the playing field in the comparison between him and Saddam Hussein. It takes it from Saddam Hussein the stigma out of being a coward and sneaking in and out ...

LIN: That's interesting.

AL-MIRAZI: ...because he is no different from others who are sneaking in and out during the darkness.

LIN: You know, that is something the White House may not have considered.

Hafez Al-Mirazi, thank you very much, with Al-Jazeera. John Hendren with "The Los Angeles" in Baghdad.

More now, on presidential politics, and the primacy of primary season. Obvious enough where the Democrats are concerned, crucial too, believe it or not, for President Bush, which goes a long way towards answering a $200 million question. Here is CNN's Jeff Greenfield.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank you for coming and giving of your hard-earned dollars.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice over): Here's President Bush at a fund-raiser, if you think this money is for his reelection, you're wrong, sort of. In fact, he's raising money for his re-nomination, even though he has no Republican opposition.

Therein lies a significant political tale.

GREENFIELD (on camera): If history is any guide, Bush's lack of primary opposition may be one of his key assets. Why? Because for the last half century, every incumbent president who has faced a serious challenge to his re-nomination has failed to win reelection.

By contrast, every incumbent president without such opposition has been easily re-elected.

GREENFIELD (voice over): In 1952, Tennessee Senator Estes Keyfauver (ph) won the New Hampshire presidential primary. President Truman refused to campaign there, a short while later he announced he would not seek another term.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While we're distracted in Vietnam...

GREENFIELD: When senators Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy challenged Lyndon Johnson for the 1968 Democratic nomination, the president shocked the country when he said.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president. GERALD FORD, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am honored by your nomination and I accept it.

GREENFIELD: 1976 saw president Gerald Ford narrowly escape the challenge of former California Governor Ronald Reagan.

RONALD REAGAN, FMR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am a candidate for the presidency.

GREENFIELD: That battle came right down to the convention. Ford would lose a close race in November to Jimmy Carter.

SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: In this campaign and in this country...

GREENFIELD: Four years later the intra-party battle between President Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy created a burden that may have contributed to his land slide defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan that fall.

The first President Bush was never in real danger of losing to commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992.

PATRICK BUCHANAN (R), POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you very much.

GREENFIELD: But Buchanan's strong showing in New Hampshire forced Bush to spend time and resources shoring up his conservative base and ranking Buchanan a primetime convention slot.

Bill Clinton won the White House that fall. All of the recent incumbents, without any real primary opposition, Eisenhower in '56, Johnson in '64, Nixon in '72, Reagan in '84, Clinton in '96, all won reelection easily.

GREENFIELD (on camera): And what, you may ask, will President Bush do with all that re-nomination money? The same thing Bill Clinton did in 1996. Use it all spring and to hammer away at whoever the Democrats have chosen.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, heading into the black -- Black Friday, that is. Did the busiest shopping day of the season live up to its billing? We'll find out as NEWSNIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Any other year, this might be the lead, even more so coming the year after a dreadful holiday shopping season, doubly so at the start of the presidential campaign season. So 'tis the season to be jolly? CNN's Allan Chernoff went to the mall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at this, sweaters on sale.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, SENIOR FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tracy Bodkin is on a mission to find holiday gifts at sale prices.

TRACY BODKIN, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: I want to wait to see prices coming down. I could never get it all done in one day anyway. We've seen a lot of great bargains, but there will be more.

CHERNOFF: Right after Turkey Day, savvy shoppers decide whether to play a game of chicken with retailers, waiting for stores to drop prices as the holidays approach.

Some stores opened with crack-of-dawn sales, so-called doorbusters. And there are discounts to be found. But many retailers are holding off on the kind of sales they offered last year.

DWAYNE DIXON, MANAGER, SHARPER IMAGE: Everything is doing very well, so we're not having to drop any prices on anything.

CHERNOFF: The economy is improving; the stock market is up; even the job picture is getting brighter; all boosting consumer confidence.

NICOLE STONE, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: I just feel better about this year giving gifts. I don't have any financial worries right now in the way. So I can spend a little more money.

BARBARA STEIN, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: You just figure why not have a little fun during the holiday season and really try to make everybody else happy, too.

CHERNOFF: Managers at the mall in Shorthills, New Jersey, said traffic was up 10 percent compared to the same day last year. And nationwide, the National Retail Federation is predicting sales will rise 6 percent. Instead of big discounts, Abercrombie & Fitch is resorting to alternative promotional techniques.

Luxury retailers selling jewelry fine leather and high-end apparel are even raising prices, with little resistance from consumers.

CHERNOFF (on camera): But analysts say most retailers will cut their prices later in the holiday season, just later than last year. And the longer they can hold off the better for their profit margins.

Carol.

Well, Allan, I'm going to be one of those people playing chicken. I don't want to pay full price because I know I don't have to. They're going to come down, those prices, sooner or later.

CHERNOFF: That is exactly what many Americans have gotten accustomed to and it is very difficult for the retailers to end this addiction to discounts.

LIN: There are some actually, some brands which were refusing to have sales now, because they want to retrain their customers to pay full price for brand loyalty.

CHERNOFF: It is the retailer's dream, to be able to -- quote, unquote -- "retrain" their customer. But it's a hard thing to do.

LIN: Yes, especially after years and years of paying half-price. I like the sound of that.

Thanks, Allan. You have a good holiday.

CHERNOFF: You, too.

LIN: Well, a few more items now in our "MONEYLINE Roundup" tonight, starting with those big, tough SUVs -- not -- at least not according to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. They've been crashing mid-size models into barriers and adding up the bill, just five miles an hour. But even the best performer, a Honda, racked up $404 in damage. And the worst, the Kia Sorento, would cost more than $6,500 to fix.

Johnson & Johnson has stopped a number of clinical trials of its anemia drug, Procrit, this after patients began developing blood clots. The trials were aimed at proving Procrit's worth in building up the blood during cancer treatment. Shares of the company fell slightly today.

And markets went mostly nowhere in very light trading on this abbreviated trading day. The Dow and Nasdaq closed up slightly. The S&P lost a hair.

Still to come on NEWSNIGHT: Is another sniper on the loose? The latest as police in Ohio investigate a series of shootings along an interstate.

And later: the film that CBS dropped and Showtime caught, "The Reagans."

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every year around this time, the networks do the obligatory pieces on traffic jams and highway checkpoints and everything else that can turn your holiday travel into a nightmare -- well, not everything.

As people driving a stretch of highway near Columbus, Ohio, have come to know, there are nightmares, but none as horrifying as a recent string of shootings.

The story now from CNN's Brian Cabell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ohio authorities aren't using the term serial sniper, but a 911 tape tells a chilling tale. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: 911.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, somebody just shot them in the car, and my girlfriend's been shot. We're on 270, right at the High Street exit.

911 OPERATOR: Is your friend in the car?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, she is. And she's groaning and she's terrible.

OPERATOR: All right, let me

(CROSSTALK)

911 OPERATOR: Ma'am.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CABELL: Sixty-two-year-old Gail Knisley, the passenger in the car, died when a bullet pierced the door of the car. Officials now say there have been 10 shooting incidents since May on and around a southern section of I-270, Columbus's beltway. In the nine other shootings, no one was hurt.

But now, officials say, ballistics tests tie the bullet that killed Knisley to at least one of the other shootings.

CHIEF DEPUTY STEVE MARTIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Because of these findings, it's clear that the shooting incident which resulted in the death of Ms. Knisley was not a single or accidental act of violence.

CABELL: Although all of the shootings took place along the same general stretch of highway, the reports were filed by different agencies and weren't coordinated until Tuesday. Columbus drivers now have something besides traffic congestion and accidents to worry about.

MARK WELCH, DRIVER: We got some idiot out there shooting people -- or shooting at people. And I think it's just really bad.

DONNA PRANTL, DRIVER: Who would ever think someone would just be out there as a sniper? And it's happening here in Ohio. It's very scary.

CABELL: Authorities are calling on the shooter or shooters to contact them to open up a dialogue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABELL: So the officials are asking the shooter to contact them. They also want citizens to contact them, in case they have noticed that anybody has radically changed his behavior recently, or perhaps changed his appearance, or perhaps shown an undue interest in the highway shootings.

They say they have lots of leads. But so far, they do not have a suspect or at least one they will name -- Carol.

LIN: Brian, why in the world would authorities think that the shooter would contact them?

CABELL: Well, sometimes, people are trying to get attention, they believe, and perhaps this would be a way to do it. As you will recall in the Washington sniper case, in fact, there was an attempt to get in touch with authorities.

LIN: And are they contacting the Washington authorities for any advice on this case?

CABELL: They haven't mentioned that so far. They don't want to say this is a sniper case yet. They are avoiding that word. They are saying there are shootings. They say two of them are connected.

But beyond that, they don't want to say this is a serial sniper or even a sniper at this point. They are saying this is some shootings they're trying to get solved.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Brian Cabell.

Before we go to break, a few more items from around the country, starting outside Baltimore, with a naked man who turned up last night on the doorstep of baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. His name is Brian Robins. And he was wounded. Mr. Ripken called 911. Mr. Robins went to the hospital. He later told police three men had kidnapped him, held him in the trunk of a car, forced him to strip naked, and then shot him in the back. Needless to say, they're looking into his story.

And Tiger Woods is tying the knot. The world's best golfer and one of the world's most eligible bachelors is engaged to the former nanny and model he's been dating the past two years. And, guys, in this case, if you're wondering, well, she has a sister, a twin.

Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: a powerful flu outbreak. We'll talk with a doctor on the front lines in one of the hardest-hit areas.

This is NEWSNIGHT from New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The numbers are staggering: 36,000 people die each year in the United States from the flu. And while the last couple of years have been pretty mild in terms of the flu outbreak, this year is already shaping up as a bad one. One area that has been particularly hard-hit is Denver.

And we are joined now by someone who has seen it firsthand. Dr. Connie Price is an infectious disease specialist at the Denver Health Medical Center.

Welcome to NEWSNIGHT, Dr. Price.

DR. CONNIE PRICE, DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you.

LIN: I think what has really touched so many of us with this story is that children are now dying from the flu. And I don't typically think of children as dying from the flu. I usually hear reports of elderly people. What's going on?

PRICE: Well, that's true.

Usually, it's either the very young or very old. And, in this case, the flu has been so widespread among the pediatric age group, I think we're just seeing a -- because it's so widespread, we're seeing the numbers of some of those kids starting to -- at least higher morbidity and mortality in those kids. So far, in Colorado, about four children have died of the flu.

LIN: Anywhere from, what, 21 months to 15 years old.

PRICE: That's right.

And two of the children -- what's unusual -- as you were saying, that it's usually in the very chronically ill kids. But two of the children were healthy children. And that's very unusual.

LIN: And some people who actually got their flu shots are getting this flu. What's going on there?

PRICE: That's true.

This year, the flu vaccine does not contain the strain that is the most predominantly circulating. When the CDC tested the isolates, they found that about 80 percent of the flu vaccine strains they were getting were not contained in the vaccine. However, there is some cross-reactivity for protection. So people should still get their flu vaccine. However, it's not completely protective, not as good as it has been in previous years.

LIN: Because, every year, Dr. Price, really, it's just a guessing game as to what you throw into that vaccine that they think might actually strike. So, as someone here -- I hate to say it -- I don't get flu shots, because I just don't think that it's worth the trouble, for that very reason. There's no guaranteed protection.

PRICE: Well, in normal years in a normal healthy adult, it should be about 70 percent to 90 percent protective against the flu.

And this year, it's probably not that good. But there is some cross-protection. I think, certainly, if you're in a demographic group that is at higher risk for complications, you really ought to get the shot. And anyone who doesn't want to get it who is otherwise healthy should also get it. But it's most important in those who are -- who have risk factors for very serious influenza.

LIN: All right, so babies as young as 6 months now are being recommended, and definitely senior citizens. PRICE: That's right.

LIN: In the meantime, take a look at the pattern that's happening with this flu outbreak. Obviously, you've been hit-hard in Colorado. And now Texas is starting to see a spread, a report also recently saying that, with holiday travel being up, being the holiday season, likely, the flu is going to spread through travelers visiting families.

Are you looking at just an unusual flu season? Are you looking at an epidemic on the scale of what we saw with the SARS virus?

PRICE: Well, what we're seeing is a very early flu epidemic.

And, in Colorado, our number of confirmed cases has exceeded the number of confirmed cases for the entire flu season last year and at least five years prior. It's probably the earliest flu season we've seen since 1976.

LIN: So how bad is it going to get? How far is this thing going to go?

PRICE: Well, it's hard to say.

Usually, the flu takes about a month to peak. And then, over the following month, it tends to die down and eventually go away. However, with the peak occurring right as our holiday travel season is starting, it certainly bodes for a very bad season this year. It certainly makes spread more likely, as people are gathering, going to holiday parties, traveling around the country.

LIN: Right.

PRICE: Spending time with family members, and maybe even more crowded households.

LIN: All right, Dr. Price, another argument for washing your hands. And if you don't feel well, stay home, because it could be really bad this year. You might be saving some lives by doing so.

Thank you very much, Dr. Price.

PRICE: Thank you.

LIN: Well, a few more now from around the world.

First, election results from Northern Ireland. As expected, hard-liners gained seats in the legislature. London and Dublin had been hoping moderates would carry the day, providing a boost for restoring the assembly, which has within suspended since last year, when a coalition government fell apart. Instead, what British officials had been privately calling their nightmare scenario apparently has come to pass.

A judge in France acquitted three paparazzi in connection with the car crash that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. The three were accused of breaching French privacy laws. The Al Fayed family is appealing today's decision.

And elsewhere in France, France is celebrating the TGV's billionth passenger. The TGV, the abbreviation for the French words meaning very fast train, made its first trip 22 years ago. It can go upwards of 180 miles an hour, and, in those 22 years, over all those miles, has yet to record a single fatality.

When NEWSNIGHT continues: is the controversy over the film on the Reagans, is set to air this weekend. So what happened to the uproar?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: There was a sure sign tonight that fall sweeps are over. Not only was there no "Survivor" or "Bachelor" to watch, but, on CBS, you could find that holiday filler favorite "Frosty the Snowman."

Of all those reality-based programs that networks have come to rely on, the one that got perhaps the most noticed this fall never even saw air, at least not yet. It was a made-for-TV movie called "The Reagans."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

JAMES BROLIN, ACTOR: I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN (voice-over): CBS hoped "The Reagans" would help boost its ratings during November sweeps. But, instead, it became a cause. Though no one had actually seen it, conservatives and members of the Reagan family immediately criticized it, saying it was an inaccurate portrayal of the family and a left-wing smear of one of the nation's most beloved presidents.

MICHAEL PARANZINO, FOUNDER, BOYCOTTCBS.COM: We had plenty to go on to know that this was a biased hit piece, a smear, if you will, from the left.

LIN: Among the specific complaints were that Reagan was portrayed as suffering from memory loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What's the matter? What's he doing?

JUDY DAVIS, ACTRESS: He's concentrating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: That he spoke disparagingly about gays and people with AIDS, and that Nancy Reagan was portrayed as an eccentric control freak who ran the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE REAGANS")

DAVIS: From now on, you don't just call the president to tell him what's happening. You call me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The actors and producers involved with the film defend their work as fair and balanced and point out that it includes many of Reagan's personal and professional accomplishments.

BROLIN: He's an icon. He's a legend. And I can see why, for both reasons, the good reasons and the bad ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CBS eventually decided to pull the movie from its schedule, saying it did not present a balanced portrayal and denying that the controversy had anything to do with the decision.

Even so, the movie can be seen this Sunday on Showtime, which is owned by CBS' parent company, Viacom.

Joining us now is the head of Showtime, Matthew Blank.

Thanks for coming in, Matt.

MATT BLANK, CHAIRMAN & CEO, SHOWTIME NETWORKS: Thanks, Carol.

LIN: Have you seen it yet?

BLANK: I haven't seen the final edit. I actually hope to see that tomorrow. It's still being worked on. But I did see the original version that the filmmakers gave to us about two weeks ago.

LIN: Now, when you say edit, that is now a politically loaded word.

BLANK: Yes.

LIN: Were portions of the film edited out to appease some of the critics?

BLANK: Well, first of all, I think we've made about 300 movies at Showtime in the past 10 years. Every one of them has been edited. So that's a normal part of the process.

There is the one famous line about AIDS that the filmmakers chose to take out actually believe even giving the film to us to look at.

LIN: Does it surprise you that this political kind of furor could influence a major broadcast network to change its plans?

BLANK: Well, I think everybody was surprised by the breadth and depth of the furor a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I think a lot of that has to do with the attention that the media gave to it. I think, if the Michael Jackson incident had happened three weeks later, this movie might have played on CBS and nobody would have noticed it. It just seemed to pick up some speed. And all of the sudden, CBS felt they couldn't play the movie, which was an opportunity for us.

LIN: So what do you think the indications are, though, of this political kind of pressure on a network and how it responded, in terms of what actually goes on the air and who is actually in control of those airwaves?

BLANK: Well, I think we'll have to see. I think the folks at CBS made the best decision they could at the time, with the film that they had in their hands coming up on an airdate.

Whether that has any impact on the type of things we see on television in the future, I don't know. We're not at all afraid to deal with a controversial subject. And we know that our subscribers in fact like us to take those risks.

LIN: Are you excited?

BLANK: Absolutely.

LIN: Are you excited at the prospect that you have got this provocative piece of film in your hands that is airing Sunday?

BLANK: Absolutely. I think it's going to be great for us.

And I think that the nice thing about this, people will finally get to see the movie. There's all this talk and no one actually saw it.

LIN: But nobody is going to really know whose version they're seeing.

BLANK: Well, I think that you're seeing the filmmakers' version. And, at the end of the day, that's true any time you go to the movies or any time you watch a movie on television.

LIN: All right, the Republican National Committee wanted Showtime to air something like every 10 minutes, a warning to the audience that this was a fictional portrayal. Are you complying with that?

BLANK: Absolutely not. Would you comply with that? I think, what's next, put it on the newscasts, edit our old news broadcasts? I think that's just silly.

I think we did take a very unusual step of providing a forum on Monday evening with a number of experts on both sides to talk about the movie live on Showtime for an hour at 9:00 p.m. And we think that that will, given the controversy, give both sides an opportunity to air their thoughts about the movie, once they've finally seen it. LIN: The filmmakers, when there was a discussion about the content of this film, did they present it as something that was accurate to you, that they wanted to air in the form in which they would present to you?

BLANK: No, that's just not the way the process works.

The filmmakers came to us. They were delighted that it was going to be on Showtime. That very controversial line, as I mentioned, was already out. And we talked about a lot of things that we could do to the movie, frankly, to make it better and to make it play a little bit better

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: Better in what sense?

BLANK: As a three-hour movie, rather than a four-hour miniseries on CBS. We're going to play it right through on Sunday evening all the way through. So some of the changes we made obviously reflect those needs also.

LIN: You expecting big ratings?

BLANK: I think we'll do pretty well.

LIN: You get about, what -- you average about, what, 500,000 people?

BLANK: Yes. This is a much smaller base than the broadcast networks. But, for our universe, I think we'll do extremely well.

LIN: Right.

Were you insulted at all when it was portrayed in the media that this movie was being shunted over to Showtime?

BLANK: Well, I wouldn't say I was -- I certainly wasn't insulted. But we certainly would like to get a little more credit, because of all those people who come into -- pay every month to get that service.

(LAUGHTER)

LIN: Yes, you bet. Cable, indeed.

All right, thank you very much, Matt Blank.

BLANK: Thank you.

LIN: We'll see what happens with the ratings and the fallout.

Up next, we're going to update our top story and preview Monday.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Before we leave you tonight, here's a quick recap of our top story.

With President Bush back on the ranch, reviews of his trip have started coming in. Soldiers were delighted, Democratic challengers, for the most part, supportive, Iraqis, on the other hand, somewhat skeptical. Residents of Baghdad we spoke to said the president missed an opportunity to see how they are living these days. And many attribute the trip to election-year politics.

Aaron is back on Monday. And coming up on the program: tough questions about Israeli strategy where the Palestinians are concerned, questions coming not from students, but generals and even current Israeli leaders.

And that's NEWSNIGHT for tonight and this week. Thanks for watching. I'm Carol Lin.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" is next.

Good night.

END

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