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CNN Connie Chung Tonight

Deadly Tornadoes Rock Country; World Awaits Saddam Hussein's Next Move

Aired November 11, 2002 - 20:00   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.


CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening.
Tonight: counting the dead, searching for the missing, totaling the damage. More than 50 tornadoes -- that's right, 50 tornadoes -- struck the eastern half of the U.S. last night and into the morning.

Here's what it looks like right now. Tennessee was hardest hit, with at least 17 dead and 80 injured. Some small towns were almost completely flattened. In Alabama, at least 12 people died and 50 were injured. Seven people alone died just in and around Carbon Hill, where the empty junior high school was demolished.

As the killer storms moved toward the Great Lakes states, at least five died in Northwestern Ohio and 25 more were injured. This is Mercer County, Pennsylvania, officials said the storms killed at least one person. As many as 19 were injured throughout the state. As you can see, entire neighborhoods were flattened as the tornadoes touched down. The total dead: at least 36.

Some of the most powerful tornadoes touched down near Mossy Grove, Tennessee.

And CNN's John Vause is on the scene -- good evening, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Connie.

Last night, the people here in Morgan County and especially here in Mossy Grove thought that they would have been relatively safe. After all, there's only been three recorded tornadoes here in the last 52 years. And all of them happened during spring. Still, last night, when that warning went off about quarter past eight, the people here took shelter. And it's a warning which the governor of Tennessee says undoubtedly saved lives.

Among them: Kevin and Tina Freels, his mother, and their 9-year- old daughter. When they heard that warning, they took shelter in the bathroom of their three-bedroom house.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: So Tina, your mother, and your 9-year-old girl were all in the tub together.

KEVIN FREELS, LOST HOME IN STORM: Yes. VAUSE: You're next to the tub.

K. FREELS: I'm next to the tub down here.

VAUSE: And then what happens?

K. FREELS: OK. There's just thrashing. And 10 seconds after, the house is vibrating. There's two-by-fours breaking, glass shattering. This is our living room door that was way over here that flew into this bathroom.

I just don't know how to describe the sound. It was just -- it was just awful. I was blown as it fell over, all the way over to about that gray piece of wood back there.

TINA FREELS, LOST HOME IN STORM: We heard rumbling, shaking, glass going. And then we started spinning around and feeling like we were going around. And I was scared. I thought we was going to die. It was just unbelievable.

VAUSE: Do you remember the moment when the tub was actually picked up and carried? What was that like? What happened then?

T. FREELS: I felt like we were going up. I felt that we were going up. And I thought, "Oh, God, when it falls, we're going to die." And I put my body over my little girl.

VAUSE: Has there been anything that's special that you've saved? Or was it all lost?

T. FREELS: We saved a few pictures. Look, it's better than nothing, you know? A lot of my kids' baby clothes and a lot of their baby pictures are gone, stuff that can't be replaced, you know?

VAUSE: This is the garage. This is where the cars were.

K. FREELS: Yes. The orange one was inside the garage and the white truck was out here on like a shed.

VAUSE: And this is a building, brick, with a roof?

K. FREELS: This was a garage, yes.

VAUSE: Yes?

K. FREELS: Yes.

VAUSE: Sturdy?

K. FREELS: Fairly sturdy, yes. Oh, yes.

VAUSE: What's the one lesson you take away from this?

K. FREELS: That God was watching us and it just wasn't our time to go, you know? And I don't know. I mean, just be thankful that you've got each other, because you're not going to replace somebody. VAUSE: Well, right now, that's all you've got.

K. FREELS: That's all we've got, but that's probably all you really need, ain't it?

VAUSE: Good luck.

K. FREELS: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And while the Freels all survived with just a few minor injuries, eight others in Morgan County did not. And a handful remain unaccounted for -- Connie.

CHUNG: John, it really is amazing that they survived. Do they know what they're going to do?

VAUSE: Well, Tina especially is very reluctant to rebuild here. Kevin, for his part, he's saying, well, where is safe for many of these kind of natural disasters?

The good news is that they do have insurance. And, tonight, they're staying with Kevin's mother. So they're just going to wait and see and see how they feel the next few days, the next couple of weeks -- Connie.

CHUNG: Sure. Do they have insurance? John, do they have insurance? Sorry. I guess he can't hear me -- John Vause in Mossy Grove, Tennessee, tonight.

Well, one of the most stunning scenes of destruction occurred in Van Wert, Ohio. It was also the scene of an amazing story of survival.

CNN's Jeff Flock is in Van Wert with details.

Jeff, show us this amazing scene. I can't believe it. I've seen it before, but every time I see it, it's just breathtaking.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is incredible, Connie, several amazing scenes and stories of survival tonight.

I do want to show you the picture. This is a live look at this Van Wert cinema. Can you believe there were 60 people inside this movie theater when this tornado, this F-4 tornado hit? And can you believe that they all survived and there were no even serious injuries, in addition to nobody killed?

In addition to this one here, another tale: a man we talked to who was in his 18-wheeler which was sucked up into the funnel. He said he thought he was in "The Wizard of Oz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA: My parents I think it looked worse (UNINTELLIGIBLE). FLOCK: I mean when you look at that theater over there, do you believe that you survived?

JESSICA: I didn't really realize it was that bad until after I came out and I looked at it. I don't know. It was kind of weird.

FLOCK (voice-over): We met Jessica as she came back to the theater just in time to see two cars that ended up in the seats pulled from the rubble.

With as many as 60, mostly children, inside the theater watching "Santa Claus 2" it could have been a disaster if not for an emergency storm warning radio system. Without it, says Van Wert Mayor Stephen Gehres...

STEPHEN GEHRES, MAYOR OF VAN WERT: I think all of the kids would be dead now.

FLOCK: Across town, the Van Wert industrial park is leveled.

STEVE BECK, DEDICATED FLEET LOGISTICS, INC.: There isn't time to sit and mope about it. I mean it's business. And you take the good with the bad and yesterday was the bad day but nobody was hurt. So I mean, that's the positive side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK: Indeed, amazing, amazing way that this has shaken out, Connie. Five people killed in Ohio, but I think the far larger headline is all the people that survived this -- back to you.

CHUNG: Jeff, I'm looking at a shot of that truck. Did that truck driver thought he was going to die -- did he think he was going to die?

FLOCK: Yes, exactly. He told us, "No, that didn't occur to me."

But, amazingly, he said that the trailer had been picked up. He covered his eyes, he said. And he said: "I just wanted to make sure I stayed with the truck. I thought, if I stayed with the truck, I had a chance of surviving it." That's incredible.

CHUNG: That was good thinking.

And how about the theater? That is truly incredible that no one was killed.

FLOCK: Well, the story there was this warning system. And the warnings crackled through. Oftentimes you hear in these tornadoes: "Oh, we had no idea. We had no warning."

They had warning. And what they did, the theater manager -- who you I know are going to talk to -- got everyone into the bathrooms and into the hallways back there. And even though the theater does not exist anymore, essentially, except for those seats, everyone survived it here. They really did good work. CHUNG: Jeff, we are going to talk to that hero in just a moment. Thank you -- Van Wert, Ohio, tonight.

And that movie complex that Jeff and I were just talking about, more than 50 people were inside watching "Santa Clause 2" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" at the time that the tornado struck. And when it was gone, the tornado, estimated at a half-mile wide, had destroyed the theaters at the complex.

Today, a lot of people are crediting manager Scott Shaffer with thinking fast and moving fast. And he joins us now from Van Wert.

Congratulations. I bet you have a lot of people who are thanking their lucky stars that you were around.

SCOTT SHAFFER, THEATER MANAGER: It's been unreal.

CHUNG: It is unreal.

Scott, tell me, where were you just before the tornado hit? And tell us about the warning and what you did.

SHAFFER: The warning came out a little after 3:00 and the tornado hit about 3:30. So we had plenty of time.

The theater that's right behind us, the one that was destroyed, the movie ended a little -- my times are all off -- at like 3:10, 3:15, somewhere in there. We gave them the warning that there were severe storms in the area. They were welcome to stay. And, after that, then all heck broke loose.

CHUNG: Where did you suggest that everyone go? Because, apparently, you knew what the method was and where they should be.

SHAFFER: Well, yes. This spring, we added on some screens. And we had the emergency director come in. And we discussed where everybody should go. And we decided the bathrooms in the hallway were the best place.

And we just -- I didn't realize it was that bad until it happened. So we were just trying to get everybody safe. And I was just doing my job.

CHUNG: Was there panic?

SHAFFER: Quite honestly, not at the beginning. I don't think anybody knew what was going on. So they really weren't panicking.

Once it hit, I don't think they realized what was happening. So the panicking didn't really start until afterwards. It was all confusion and chaos. And it was just -- it just was one of the -- I never want to experience that again.

CHUNG: Can you describe -- can you describe exactly what happened when the tornado hit, because I think everyone is wondering if there was that calm before the tornado hit? SHAFFER: Yes. Well, I was out front. There were people coming in trying to seek shelter. And you always say it sounds like trains. And I'll be the first to admit it does.

But when we got everybody in and got down, it was -- it got awful quiet. And then you could just hear the wind start picking up and the building just started shaking and glass started breaking. And it just -- everything happened. And I didn't realize how bad it was until afterwards, too. It was just unreal. That's all I can say.

CHUNG: How long do you think it was before the tornado passed?

SHAFFER: It seemed like an eternity. It seemed like it was hours upon hours. I was told today it was like 30 seconds of the actual storm passing through.

Yes, I didn't actually -- yes, it was just -- to be honest, I really can't tell you what I was thinking or what I was feeling. I was just praying that we'd get through it and that everything would pass. And, before you knew it, it was over. So, it's just something I never want to experience again.

CHUNG: Sure.

When the tornado did pass, you realized that there were a few injuries, right? You just waited for the emergency crews to come?

SHAFFER: Yes, we didn't let anybody leave. We pretty much told everybody to stay in the areas that they were in until we did get emergency personnel in to take over.

We had some off-duty officers stop in first. And they were very helpful. We had some customers there that -- without them, I don't know if we'd be here today. And everything went smooth. There was some chaos and all that. But it's just -- it's hard to explain. And I really -- I'm still confused for words.

CHUNG: Sure. I know you're out of a job now, but do you still have a place to live?

SHAFFER: Yes. My house wasn't touched. Unfortunately, the owner of the theater, who lived next door, his house was destroyed, too. So he's going through a double whammy right now.

CHUNG: Oh, my gosh. He sure is.

Well, Scott Shaffer, thanks so much for being with us. You have an incredible story. And I think 60 people out there are thankful that you were there.

SHAFFER: Yes, I'm just glad everybody made it through.

CHUNG: Absolutely.

SHAFFER: Thank you.

CHUNG: Thank you.

So 50 tornadoes, a rare event. And has this stampede of deadly storms come to an end? That's the big question tonight. Joining us now from our weather center in Atlanta is CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Jacqui, this was quite a severe system. Can you take us through the path that this system took?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

Well, we'll start you out yesterday afternoon about 2:00, Connie. And there you can see that line of severe thunderstorms right there just starting to set on up. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon when the tornado hit the Van Wert area, and then about 8:30, between 8:30 and 9:00, when it hit Mossy Grove. There you can see that intense line of thunderstorms moving on through.

We had watches stacked up from the Great Lakes all the way down through the Ohio Valley. And the line held together all the way through the afternoon hours. Now, things started to quiet down a little bit as we headed into the afternoon hours this afternoon. But then, in the evening, things started to fire up once again.

Now, how unusual is this? Well, we have what we call kind of a secondary period of severe weather that happens across much of the South. And this happens between the months of November and December. Usually, we see severe weather in this part of the country more like February and March.

But what happens is that cold air is trying to move in and still kind of some warm tropical air lingering around, so you get that clash of the atmospheres. And then also, in the upper atmosphere, we have an active subtropical jet. And what that does, it moves winds in the upper atmosphere from west to east, while winds at the surface are coming in from the south. And so that helps to support some of that rotation and why we saw such a strong outbreak over the last 36 hours or so -- Connie.

CHUNG: Jacqui, this system isn't finished with what it wants to do. Tell me, when and where it will hit again?

JERAS: Well, we are going to have to wait at least until about the middle of the day for tomorrow. All of the tornado warnings at this time have expired. But we've been seeing some severe thunderstorms pop up in the southern parts of Mississippi.

This is our current radar picture. Our primary focus now tonight and through about the middle of the day tomorrow will be from about the Outer Banks in North Carolina extending down to Lake Okeechobee into northern parts of Florida. We are not anticipating another big outbreak of tornadoes, however, a slight risk by the Storm Prediction Center through Tuesday afternoon.

CHUNG: Jacqui Jeras in Atlanta tonight, it's been a long day. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: Still ahead: The Friday deadline looms. The world now watches for Saddam's next move.

We'll go live to Baghdad -- when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Iraq now has four days left to declare if it will abide by the United Nations resolution calling for unconditional inspections of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

And today, President Bush repeated his warnings that the U.S. will not let the U.N. tie its hands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This great nation will not live at the mercy of any foreign plot or power. The dictator of Iraq will fully disarm or the United States will lead a coalition and disarm him.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Iraq continues to deny possessing such weapons or posing a threat to the United States. Today, Iraq's parliament debated its response to the resolution. A vote is expected tomorrow. And, like most things in Iraq, it is expected to be exactly what Saddam Hussein wants.

Joining us now from Iraq's capital, where it's now before dawn on Tuesday morning, is Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.

Jane, thank you so much for staying up so late for us.

Tell us, will there be a decision tomorrow?

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: There will be some sort of decision tomorrow, Connie.

Now, this National Assembly meeting was convened, as you said, by the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, an emergency session that's supposed to discuss this resolution and then send its recommendation to the body that really makes the decision, the Revolution Command Council, chaired by the Iraqi president.

Now, the session started in the evening and had several hours of discussion. All of the speakers said that the resolution was aimed at attacking Iraq, a pretext for a U.S. attack, and had conditions that were impossible to meet. But they said it would be up to the leadership to decide. And what the leadership seems to be about to decide is that it really is in Iraq's best interests to accept this resolution -- Connie. CHUNG: Jane, but Iraq is still claiming that it has no weapons of mass destruction, correct?

ARRAF: Absolutely. It says it's completely free of those banned weapons, chemical, nuclear, biological, and long-range ballistic missiles.

It says that any weapons that it had were destroyed after the Gulf War, either during the Gulf or afterwards, in those seven years when previous U.N. weapons inspectors were here and they went throughout the country destroying most of those programs.

They also quote the former weapons inspections chief who was originally here as saying that Iraq's banned weapons program had been 95 percent accounted for. Now, obviously, it's been a while since then, but they do say they have no weapons, no banned weapons -- Connie.

CHUNG: Thank you, Jane Arraf. Appreciate your being with us.

This weekend, U.S. officials reiterated that the Bush administration does not consider U.N. approval necessary for an invasion. And today, President Bush said, if he thinks it's necessary, he'll throw everything America's got against Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I have no greater responsibility than protecting the American people. And should military action become necessary for our own security, I will commit the full force and might of the United States military. And we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: What exactly does that mean? For obvious reasons, the Pentagon isn't eager to get into many specifics.

But CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has been reporting on some of the obvious moves and joins us now from the Pentagon.

Jamie, is the United States trying to put fear in Saddam Hussein by detailing or allowing some of this military information to leak out?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that the United States clearly wants to -- wants Saddam Hussein to believe that the U.S. is resolute in its resolve to take action against him personally.

And so that's why we are seeing very strong statements from the United States that it would move ahead with military action even without the international support of others, if that becomes necessary. And the U.S. is also giving itself sort of maximum flexibility in terms of what would actually trigger a U.S. military response, not spelling it out precisely, but basically saying Saddam Hussein knows what he has to do.

And, on Friday, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld essentially said that any act of delay or defiance, he said, would be considered an additional breach of Iraq's international obligations. He said the choice was totally up to Baghdad about what happens. And Rumsfeld said -- quote -- "For the sake of peace, let's hope the Iraqi regime chooses wisely," indicating there still may be a chance to avert war -- Connie.

CHUNG: Now, if Saddam Hussein does not comply and, in the end, the United States does intend to attack, what do you think the timetable would be?

MCINTYRE: Well, the conventional wisdom is that we're looking at a February timetable.

Now, I talked to a senior defense official last week who told me that, practically speaking, it was going to be difficult to get the forces in place by January. So that made February look more likely. And, of course, the cool weather season is when the U.S. would prefer to fight, although they make the point they could fight in any month of the year.

But there's another factor here that you have to keep in mind. And that is that there is a quiet buildup going under way, prepositioning supplies, making a lot of prudent moves that need to be made, including everything from buying up satellite time to moving more stocks of ammunition into the area. So, if the U.S. wants to preserve the tactical surprise of an operation, it may be trying to give the impression that it can't move until later, while trying to be prepared to do something sooner.

The key is, nobody has the war plan. CNN doesn't have the war plan. "The New York Times" doesn't have the war plan. "The Washington Post" doesn't have it. We have sort of a general concept of how it's going to go. But we don't know the specifics that will keep it a surprise until the end for Saddam Hussein.

CHUNG: All right, Jamie McIntyre, thank you.

Still ahead: The royal scandal is getting serious. And it's raising questions about the possible next king of England.

Stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: Up next: Did one sniper suspect confess? And what might this mean for the case against Malvo and Muhammad?

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: The legal guardian of accused sniper John Lee Malvo says he was prevented from seeing Malvo and that police denied his request that they not interrogate the 17-year-old suspect. That interrogation, conducted Thursday night, after Virginia police took custody of Malvo, is yielding new insights into what police say happened.

CNN's Patty Davis reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A senior source tells CNN 17-year-old John Lee Malvo has told investigators he pulled the trigger in some of the sniper shootings. That includes the murder of FBI Analyst Linda Franklin outside this Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia October 14th.

Those statements came during seven to eight hours of interrogation by authorities in Virginia without Malvo's lawyer present. Because of that, his court-appointed lawyer says he will move to suppress anything incriminating. Even though Malvo is a juvenile, legal experts say his statements will most likely be admissible in court.

PAUL KAMENAR, WASHINGTON LEGAL FDN: I think his statements will be admissible as long as the police did read him his rights and as long as Malvo knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights.

DAVIS: Unlike previous interrogations, Malvo is said to have been very talkative. Among evidence investigators say they found in John Muhammad's blue Chevy Caprice, two-way radios. CNN's source says Malvo described the shooting as a military type operation and that he and his partner communicated with two-way radios.

Malvo is being tried as an adult. The 17-year-old's court- appointed guardian says he tried to intervene during the questioning but was escorted out of the building. Some say that could give the defense an opening.

JERALYN MERRITT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: For the same reason that juveniles are considered not allowed to vote, not allowed to marry, not allowed to own property, they're considered not old enough to be interrogated in the absence of a parent or guardian.

DAVIS (on camera): Malvo's guardian says he hopes to track Malvo's mother down, so she knows that her son could face the death penalty in Virginia if convicted of his alleged crimes.

Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Joining us once again on this story is our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin -- Jeffrey, thanks for coming.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hi.

CHUNG: What it would take for this alleged confession to be thrown out by a judge? TOOBIN: Well, first of all, it's really rare that any confession statements are thrown out. We hear a lot about that. It's always a big issue. But, you know, in fact, in the real world, very few statements are suppressed by judges.

What would happen to have, I think, is, it would have to be established that he was not warned, given his Miranda warnings.

CHUNG: Now, do you mean not warned the first time, before he was taken into federal custody, or when he was taken into custody in Virginia?

TOOBIN: I think he would have to be given the warnings again in Virginia.

CHUNG: Why?

TOOBIN: Because it's sort of -- it's a new process. Remember, he had a lawyer in Maryland. And one reason why the process started again is that he was getting a new set of lawyers in Virginia and didn't have them yet. And that's what the controversy is about.

But even if you have a lawyer, if a defendant wants to talk, there's nothing that's stopping a prosecutor from listening and continuing to ask questions. They just have to understand what the stakes are. And, presumably, he was given his Miranda warnings.

CHUNG: Don't you think that the defense attorney is right, that this is poisoning the well, that the prosecution has leaked it out, and that you won't be able to find an impartial jury?

TOOBIN: Well, prosecutors are not obliged to keep silent about everything. A lot of the information in this case has come out in court filings. And there is no requirement that prosecutors simply don't talk.

I mean, look, we journalists, we spend a lot of time begging these prosecutors to talk to us. And sometimes they do. But jury pools, the way it's usually dealt with is not by sort of shutting people up. You often have a delay. This case is not going to go to court -- going to go to trial until time passes. There may be a change of venue.

And, most importantly, it's dealt with in jury selection, where jurors are questioned very closely about whether they have any sort of prejudgments about the case. And that's when you really learn. And, in fact, much as we think we are indispensable, judges always say people don't pay as much attention to TV and newspapers as you think.

CHUNG: Yes, all right.

Now, what effect will this alleged confession have on Muhammad?

TOOBIN: Well, that's where it gets kind of interesting, because one of the crimes, apparently, that Malvo confessed to is the -- confessed to being the triggerman is the one where Muhammad is accused of being the triggerman, the one in Prince William County.

So Muhammad theoretically could say, "Look, he says I'm innocent" and he could maybe introduce it in his case. That helps in the murder count, because, under Virginia law, you have to be the triggerman. He is also charged with a terrorism count, a new law. It's never really been tested. That probably wouldn't help much with that.

And given the volume of evidence in this case, I don't think there's a lot of good news out there in the world for John Muhammad. But, theoretically, this could be a little bit.

CHUNG: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you.

We'll be back in just a moment.

ANNOUNCER: Coming up: a bitter family dispute. The woman in a coma for more than a decade, her husband wants the suffering to end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, HUSBAND OF TERRI SCHIAVO: I'm telling you, I'm not going to leave Terry in this situation. I'm not going to run away from it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Her parents tell their side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, FATHER OF TERRI: It's inhumane. How in the world can you starve someone to death that is cognizant?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: When CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: This is a story about a life-and-death decision, an agonizing dilemma that has split a family apart. Bob Schindler's daughter Terri suffered a heart attack in 1990 and has been semi- comatose and on life support ever since. You'll meet Bob Schindler in a moment.

He has now spent years in court battling his son-in-law, Michael Schiavo, who wants Terri's feeding tube removed. Last week, I spoke with Michael Schiavo, who was very clear about how to proceed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: do you have any doubts? Do you think about it sometimes and say to yourself, "Maybe I'm not doing the right thing?"

SCHIAVO: No, I don't have any doubts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: But Terri's parents do.

Joining me now to respond to Michael Schiavo are Terri's father, Bob Schindler, and his attorney, Pat Anderson, both in Florida tonight. Thank you for joining us.

Mr. Schindler, I'm wondering, do you believe that your daughter really would want to live in this vegetative state? Or is it just that it would break your heart to allow her to die?

SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, she's not in a vegetative state and she's been mischaracterized. Terri

suffers from severe brain damage. And she's disabled. And she's not in a persistent vegetative state. And Terri was represented to the court in that fashion in order to meet the criteria to have her die. And that's what's so disturbing about this whole case.

CHUNG: Do you believe that she really is responding to you? I want you to see a little clip of my interview with Michael Schiavo, your son-in-law. I'm going to play it. And then I want you to respond to it, all right?

SCHINDLER: Certainly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVO: Terri has made those same responses for 13 years, Connie. She makes them to me. She makes them to the people in the nursing home. There's notes by the nurses there that Terri makes those noises when nobody is in the room.

That's part of being in a persistent vegetative state. Persistent-vegetative-state patients will sometimes laugh. They groan. They moan. They will have tears. They have sleep-wake cycles. But the higher level of consciousness is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler, is it possible that you're listening and seeing her responses and making more of them than they are?

SCHINDLER: Terri follows commands. And a person in a persistent vegetative state does not follow a command. And Terri is alert. She's aware of her surroundings. And I can't be more emphatic to say she follows commands.

CHUNG: Do you believe that she may be able to improve some day?

SCHINDLER: With the proper treatment. She hasn't been treated in 10 years. And that's what's so disturbing about this. Terri has been -- essentially, she's been isolated. She hasn't been treated. And it's just pathetic.

CHUNG: Pat Anderson, I know you have some new information. Can you tell us about it?

PATRICIA ANDERSON, ATTORNEY FOR THE SCHINDLERS: Yes.

There was some trial testimony from one of the doctors that he had never seen a neck as rigid as Terri's, with one exception, in all of his years in medicine. That one exception was a patient who was the victim of an attempted strangulation.

So it caused me, after the hearing, to go back and look again very, very carefully at records of the rehab facility when she was last treated in any serious way back in 1991. And I located a bone scan report indicating that she was, at that time, in 1991, 13 months out from her collapse, she showed signs of multiple bone fractures.

CHUNG: What are you suggesting?

ANDERSON: I'm suggesting that that is a very, very serious development that needs to be fully explored. There is no way that she would have -- that she could have, for example, suffered a compression fracture in those 13 months.

CHUNG: And are you suggesting that someone caused her to break her bones?

ANDERSON: I have consulted with three physicians about this report. It's been a little difficult over this holiday weekend. But one of them, once he looked at it, called me back and said, "Somebody worked her over pretty good."

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler, why do you think your son-in-law wants your daughter to die?

SCHINDLER: Well, initially, it was quite obvious that it was money. He would be the beneficiary of somewhere close to $800,000 he would have inherited. Now, that came from a malpractice award.

And if I can interject something, at the malpractice trial, there was never a mention of Terri's wishes, which we hear so much. Terri had these wishes. It was never mentioned. And through the years, it was never mentioned, until he associated with this right-to-die attorney. Then, all of a sudden, we heard about Terri's wishes. Now, Terri's wishes, that was...

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler?

SCHINDLER: Hello.

CHUNG: I'm sorry. I just need to interrupt you and thank you so much for being with us. We hope this problem is resolved. And thank Pat Anderson as well.

ANDERSON: Thanks for helping us set the record straight.

SCHINDLER: Thank you.

CHUNG: We'll be right back with a man who was told royal secrets from the butler.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: You know things are bad when the queen's husband calls the princess -- quote -- "a harlot and a trollop."

According to British newspapers today, that's exactly what Prince Philip called Princess Diana in letters that also told her she should put up with Prince Charles' adultery. It's just the latest stunning revelation from Diana's former butler. And to give you an idea how bad things are, the letters from Prince Philip aren't even today's headline.

CNN's international correspondent Nic Robertson has been following this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On a U.S. tour, and upset his salacious stories currently scandalizing Britain are producing a backlash, former royal butler Paul Burrell hit back.

PAUL BURRELL, PRINCESS DIANA'S FORMER BUTLER: I just never expected it to be so vicious and so personal. The newspapers leading the campaign of vilification against me are the very same people who pretended to by my friends.

ROBERTSON: However, he plans to continues, as he says, telling the truth. Meanwhile in Britain, senior royal advisers gathered at Prince Charles' London home in an intense effort to limit damage done by Burrell's tabloid revelations.

ROBERT LACEY, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: There's no doubt at all though that this generates a lot of scandal and mud and a lot of it currently is sticking to the royal family.

ROBERTSON: Weekend editions piled on the dirt. Charles' former valet in the Sunday mail accuse one of the Prince's senior aides of homosexual rape. Through solicitors paid for by Prince Charles, the unnamed man accused of the attack denied the charges, just as he did during a 1996 internal palace investigation. But police were not brought in until last year, leaving some royal watchers wondering if there had been some form of cover-up at the palace.

ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL EXPERT: Otherwise, the police would have been brought in to investigate the allegations of rape before the following investigation.

ROBERTSON: On Britain's national day of remembrance, Sunday, the queen and Prince Charles may have had as much as they want to forget was remember, a solemn occasion made more somber by the weight of questions emerging in the wake of the tabloid tide.

JOBSON: There are serious questions being asked about the judgment of the Prince of Wales and the people that he has around him; therefore, his suitability as the next king is being called into question.

ROBERTSON: Also under scrutiny the motivations for the queen's last minute intervention, which stopped Burrell's theft trial, as recent revelations hint at how much the royal family may have wanted to keep hidden.

ROBERTSON (on camera): And then there's the matter of the gifts, Prince Charles is facing questions from members of parliament about allegations his personal assistant sold official royal gifts on the Prince's instruction, keeping part of the proceeds himself, leaving MPs wondering if the profits have been declared on tax returns.

Nic Robertson CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Today, on that U.S. tour, Burrell defended himself against all of the criticism he's received for revealing royal secrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURRELL: I have no regrets for a single word I've said, because I have told the truth, and will defend my reputation.

I've told my side of the story and always had in mind my loyalty and respect for her majesty the queen, for the prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, and for my boss, Diana, princess of Wales.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: And joining us from London is the man who conducted last night's rare television interview with Burrell, veteran ITN anchorman Trevor McDonald.

Thank you, Mr. McDonald, for being with us. We appreciate it.

Tell me, do you think that Burrell is obsessed with Diana and her memory?

TREVOR MCDONALD, ITN ANCHOR: I have absolutely no doubt that that's a very, very good description.

What you have to realize is that Paul Burrell worked for Diana when he thought she was ill, she was depressed, she was friendless, abandoned by her family and by her husband. And he felt that he was closest to her. And then she died.

Now he thinks that he's the keeper of Diana's flame. He is the one to keep her memory alive. And he feels that the best way of doing this is by talking about these matters. Of course, it's not thought to be that way by other people involved in this extraordinary drama.

CHUNG: How did he get Diana's possessions out of Kensington Palace? MCDONALD: Well, he said himself -- and he was seen taking loads away in his car, on one occasion, rather infamously, at 3:00 in the morning, when he was seen by police.

He makes no excuse about this. And this is where your earlier point about him being obsessed by it comes in. He felt that this was quite natural for him to be really close to Diana. He even described how he would go back to Kensington Palace long after she had died and he would sit in her room, he said, and he could feel her presence, a man who was clearly obsessed and whose actions must ever be seen in that way.

The police saw it entirely differently. They saw somebody with loads of Diana's stuff. They thought he was about to sell it to make a profit. And they brought a prosecution based on that. It turns out that they might have been wrong.

CHUNG: There is one story that he says that Diana taped a servant who claims he was raped by a senior aide of Prince Charles -- allegedly raped -- but that the tape has disappeared. What can you tell us about that?

MCDONALD: Well, this is the $64,000 question in this country, too. What has happened to this tape?

I questioned Burrell very closely about that. He said he saw this tape with Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. They examined the contents. They didn't play the tape. But then the tape was shut back in the box and the box was put somewhere for safekeeping. The box now exists. The box has been found. But the tape has disappeared. And nobody seems to know where this tape is.

CHUNG: Mr. McDonald, Mr. Burrell has said that he was suicidal at one point.

And let me read you a quote from him: "I thought I'd brought shame not only on my own family, but on the princess, too. And, at my lowest point, I will never forget, sat in a lay-by in my car with a bottle of water and a bottle of pills, thinking: 'I can escape from this. I can actually finish it now.'"

And yet, if he was so suicidal then, he has now completely turned around. He's done a tour in London and here in the United States.

MCDONALD: Well, I think it is probably explained by the fact that this was before the court case.

Paul Burrell thought that this case should never have been brought. He thought he was charged with stealing Diana's stuff. And there was a perception that it might end up on sale somewhere in the United States or in Australia or in Japan. His life would be destroyed. The life of his family would be destroyed. He would gain no more trust. He'd be unemployable and everything else.

And those were the moments when he contemplated suicide. This is different now. He's seen a chance, with the collapse of the court case, to clear his name. And he feels that he can go ahead doing this. And, as he said in the interview that you broadcast earlier, this is his time to tell the truth. This, he feels, is his moment.

CHUNG: Trevor McDonald, thank you so much for being with us.

And coming up: Are women or men worse drivers? Well, it depends. Wait until you hear this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: And finally, which side do you take in the perennial argument: Who are the better drivers, women or men?

Well, I've got some information for you. A new analysis of British auto insurance claims shows the following. Listen. Parking a car is a greater challenge to women drivers, who are almost twice as likely as men to have a collision in a parking lot, 15 percent more likely to back into another car. I've done that.

Advantage men? Not so fast. This same survey says men are more likely to have serious accidents and make higher insurance claims. They're much more likely than women to get into a head-on collision or hit a barrier or a wall. I rest my case. There you go.

Tomorrow, we'll go inside Columbine and meet the student who was warned by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to run for his life. For the first time, he'll tell what really happened inside Columbine High.

"LARRY KING LIVE" next and "AARON BROWN" at 10:00 Eastern.

Good night.

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





Hussein's Next Move>


Aired November 11, 2002 - 20:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening.
Tonight: counting the dead, searching for the missing, totaling the damage. More than 50 tornadoes -- that's right, 50 tornadoes -- struck the eastern half of the U.S. last night and into the morning.

Here's what it looks like right now. Tennessee was hardest hit, with at least 17 dead and 80 injured. Some small towns were almost completely flattened. In Alabama, at least 12 people died and 50 were injured. Seven people alone died just in and around Carbon Hill, where the empty junior high school was demolished.

As the killer storms moved toward the Great Lakes states, at least five died in Northwestern Ohio and 25 more were injured. This is Mercer County, Pennsylvania, officials said the storms killed at least one person. As many as 19 were injured throughout the state. As you can see, entire neighborhoods were flattened as the tornadoes touched down. The total dead: at least 36.

Some of the most powerful tornadoes touched down near Mossy Grove, Tennessee.

And CNN's John Vause is on the scene -- good evening, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Connie.

Last night, the people here in Morgan County and especially here in Mossy Grove thought that they would have been relatively safe. After all, there's only been three recorded tornadoes here in the last 52 years. And all of them happened during spring. Still, last night, when that warning went off about quarter past eight, the people here took shelter. And it's a warning which the governor of Tennessee says undoubtedly saved lives.

Among them: Kevin and Tina Freels, his mother, and their 9-year- old daughter. When they heard that warning, they took shelter in the bathroom of their three-bedroom house.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: So Tina, your mother, and your 9-year-old girl were all in the tub together.

KEVIN FREELS, LOST HOME IN STORM: Yes. VAUSE: You're next to the tub.

K. FREELS: I'm next to the tub down here.

VAUSE: And then what happens?

K. FREELS: OK. There's just thrashing. And 10 seconds after, the house is vibrating. There's two-by-fours breaking, glass shattering. This is our living room door that was way over here that flew into this bathroom.

I just don't know how to describe the sound. It was just -- it was just awful. I was blown as it fell over, all the way over to about that gray piece of wood back there.

TINA FREELS, LOST HOME IN STORM: We heard rumbling, shaking, glass going. And then we started spinning around and feeling like we were going around. And I was scared. I thought we was going to die. It was just unbelievable.

VAUSE: Do you remember the moment when the tub was actually picked up and carried? What was that like? What happened then?

T. FREELS: I felt like we were going up. I felt that we were going up. And I thought, "Oh, God, when it falls, we're going to die." And I put my body over my little girl.

VAUSE: Has there been anything that's special that you've saved? Or was it all lost?

T. FREELS: We saved a few pictures. Look, it's better than nothing, you know? A lot of my kids' baby clothes and a lot of their baby pictures are gone, stuff that can't be replaced, you know?

VAUSE: This is the garage. This is where the cars were.

K. FREELS: Yes. The orange one was inside the garage and the white truck was out here on like a shed.

VAUSE: And this is a building, brick, with a roof?

K. FREELS: This was a garage, yes.

VAUSE: Yes?

K. FREELS: Yes.

VAUSE: Sturdy?

K. FREELS: Fairly sturdy, yes. Oh, yes.

VAUSE: What's the one lesson you take away from this?

K. FREELS: That God was watching us and it just wasn't our time to go, you know? And I don't know. I mean, just be thankful that you've got each other, because you're not going to replace somebody. VAUSE: Well, right now, that's all you've got.

K. FREELS: That's all we've got, but that's probably all you really need, ain't it?

VAUSE: Good luck.

K. FREELS: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And while the Freels all survived with just a few minor injuries, eight others in Morgan County did not. And a handful remain unaccounted for -- Connie.

CHUNG: John, it really is amazing that they survived. Do they know what they're going to do?

VAUSE: Well, Tina especially is very reluctant to rebuild here. Kevin, for his part, he's saying, well, where is safe for many of these kind of natural disasters?

The good news is that they do have insurance. And, tonight, they're staying with Kevin's mother. So they're just going to wait and see and see how they feel the next few days, the next couple of weeks -- Connie.

CHUNG: Sure. Do they have insurance? John, do they have insurance? Sorry. I guess he can't hear me -- John Vause in Mossy Grove, Tennessee, tonight.

Well, one of the most stunning scenes of destruction occurred in Van Wert, Ohio. It was also the scene of an amazing story of survival.

CNN's Jeff Flock is in Van Wert with details.

Jeff, show us this amazing scene. I can't believe it. I've seen it before, but every time I see it, it's just breathtaking.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is incredible, Connie, several amazing scenes and stories of survival tonight.

I do want to show you the picture. This is a live look at this Van Wert cinema. Can you believe there were 60 people inside this movie theater when this tornado, this F-4 tornado hit? And can you believe that they all survived and there were no even serious injuries, in addition to nobody killed?

In addition to this one here, another tale: a man we talked to who was in his 18-wheeler which was sucked up into the funnel. He said he thought he was in "The Wizard of Oz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA: My parents I think it looked worse (UNINTELLIGIBLE). FLOCK: I mean when you look at that theater over there, do you believe that you survived?

JESSICA: I didn't really realize it was that bad until after I came out and I looked at it. I don't know. It was kind of weird.

FLOCK (voice-over): We met Jessica as she came back to the theater just in time to see two cars that ended up in the seats pulled from the rubble.

With as many as 60, mostly children, inside the theater watching "Santa Claus 2" it could have been a disaster if not for an emergency storm warning radio system. Without it, says Van Wert Mayor Stephen Gehres...

STEPHEN GEHRES, MAYOR OF VAN WERT: I think all of the kids would be dead now.

FLOCK: Across town, the Van Wert industrial park is leveled.

STEVE BECK, DEDICATED FLEET LOGISTICS, INC.: There isn't time to sit and mope about it. I mean it's business. And you take the good with the bad and yesterday was the bad day but nobody was hurt. So I mean, that's the positive side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLOCK: Indeed, amazing, amazing way that this has shaken out, Connie. Five people killed in Ohio, but I think the far larger headline is all the people that survived this -- back to you.

CHUNG: Jeff, I'm looking at a shot of that truck. Did that truck driver thought he was going to die -- did he think he was going to die?

FLOCK: Yes, exactly. He told us, "No, that didn't occur to me."

But, amazingly, he said that the trailer had been picked up. He covered his eyes, he said. And he said: "I just wanted to make sure I stayed with the truck. I thought, if I stayed with the truck, I had a chance of surviving it." That's incredible.

CHUNG: That was good thinking.

And how about the theater? That is truly incredible that no one was killed.

FLOCK: Well, the story there was this warning system. And the warnings crackled through. Oftentimes you hear in these tornadoes: "Oh, we had no idea. We had no warning."

They had warning. And what they did, the theater manager -- who you I know are going to talk to -- got everyone into the bathrooms and into the hallways back there. And even though the theater does not exist anymore, essentially, except for those seats, everyone survived it here. They really did good work. CHUNG: Jeff, we are going to talk to that hero in just a moment. Thank you -- Van Wert, Ohio, tonight.

And that movie complex that Jeff and I were just talking about, more than 50 people were inside watching "Santa Clause 2" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" at the time that the tornado struck. And when it was gone, the tornado, estimated at a half-mile wide, had destroyed the theaters at the complex.

Today, a lot of people are crediting manager Scott Shaffer with thinking fast and moving fast. And he joins us now from Van Wert.

Congratulations. I bet you have a lot of people who are thanking their lucky stars that you were around.

SCOTT SHAFFER, THEATER MANAGER: It's been unreal.

CHUNG: It is unreal.

Scott, tell me, where were you just before the tornado hit? And tell us about the warning and what you did.

SHAFFER: The warning came out a little after 3:00 and the tornado hit about 3:30. So we had plenty of time.

The theater that's right behind us, the one that was destroyed, the movie ended a little -- my times are all off -- at like 3:10, 3:15, somewhere in there. We gave them the warning that there were severe storms in the area. They were welcome to stay. And, after that, then all heck broke loose.

CHUNG: Where did you suggest that everyone go? Because, apparently, you knew what the method was and where they should be.

SHAFFER: Well, yes. This spring, we added on some screens. And we had the emergency director come in. And we discussed where everybody should go. And we decided the bathrooms in the hallway were the best place.

And we just -- I didn't realize it was that bad until it happened. So we were just trying to get everybody safe. And I was just doing my job.

CHUNG: Was there panic?

SHAFFER: Quite honestly, not at the beginning. I don't think anybody knew what was going on. So they really weren't panicking.

Once it hit, I don't think they realized what was happening. So the panicking didn't really start until afterwards. It was all confusion and chaos. And it was just -- it just was one of the -- I never want to experience that again.

CHUNG: Can you describe -- can you describe exactly what happened when the tornado hit, because I think everyone is wondering if there was that calm before the tornado hit? SHAFFER: Yes. Well, I was out front. There were people coming in trying to seek shelter. And you always say it sounds like trains. And I'll be the first to admit it does.

But when we got everybody in and got down, it was -- it got awful quiet. And then you could just hear the wind start picking up and the building just started shaking and glass started breaking. And it just -- everything happened. And I didn't realize how bad it was until afterwards, too. It was just unreal. That's all I can say.

CHUNG: How long do you think it was before the tornado passed?

SHAFFER: It seemed like an eternity. It seemed like it was hours upon hours. I was told today it was like 30 seconds of the actual storm passing through.

Yes, I didn't actually -- yes, it was just -- to be honest, I really can't tell you what I was thinking or what I was feeling. I was just praying that we'd get through it and that everything would pass. And, before you knew it, it was over. So, it's just something I never want to experience again.

CHUNG: Sure.

When the tornado did pass, you realized that there were a few injuries, right? You just waited for the emergency crews to come?

SHAFFER: Yes, we didn't let anybody leave. We pretty much told everybody to stay in the areas that they were in until we did get emergency personnel in to take over.

We had some off-duty officers stop in first. And they were very helpful. We had some customers there that -- without them, I don't know if we'd be here today. And everything went smooth. There was some chaos and all that. But it's just -- it's hard to explain. And I really -- I'm still confused for words.

CHUNG: Sure. I know you're out of a job now, but do you still have a place to live?

SHAFFER: Yes. My house wasn't touched. Unfortunately, the owner of the theater, who lived next door, his house was destroyed, too. So he's going through a double whammy right now.

CHUNG: Oh, my gosh. He sure is.

Well, Scott Shaffer, thanks so much for being with us. You have an incredible story. And I think 60 people out there are thankful that you were there.

SHAFFER: Yes, I'm just glad everybody made it through.

CHUNG: Absolutely.

SHAFFER: Thank you.

CHUNG: Thank you.

So 50 tornadoes, a rare event. And has this stampede of deadly storms come to an end? That's the big question tonight. Joining us now from our weather center in Atlanta is CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Jacqui, this was quite a severe system. Can you take us through the path that this system took?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

Well, we'll start you out yesterday afternoon about 2:00, Connie. And there you can see that line of severe thunderstorms right there just starting to set on up. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon when the tornado hit the Van Wert area, and then about 8:30, between 8:30 and 9:00, when it hit Mossy Grove. There you can see that intense line of thunderstorms moving on through.

We had watches stacked up from the Great Lakes all the way down through the Ohio Valley. And the line held together all the way through the afternoon hours. Now, things started to quiet down a little bit as we headed into the afternoon hours this afternoon. But then, in the evening, things started to fire up once again.

Now, how unusual is this? Well, we have what we call kind of a secondary period of severe weather that happens across much of the South. And this happens between the months of November and December. Usually, we see severe weather in this part of the country more like February and March.

But what happens is that cold air is trying to move in and still kind of some warm tropical air lingering around, so you get that clash of the atmospheres. And then also, in the upper atmosphere, we have an active subtropical jet. And what that does, it moves winds in the upper atmosphere from west to east, while winds at the surface are coming in from the south. And so that helps to support some of that rotation and why we saw such a strong outbreak over the last 36 hours or so -- Connie.

CHUNG: Jacqui, this system isn't finished with what it wants to do. Tell me, when and where it will hit again?

JERAS: Well, we are going to have to wait at least until about the middle of the day for tomorrow. All of the tornado warnings at this time have expired. But we've been seeing some severe thunderstorms pop up in the southern parts of Mississippi.

This is our current radar picture. Our primary focus now tonight and through about the middle of the day tomorrow will be from about the Outer Banks in North Carolina extending down to Lake Okeechobee into northern parts of Florida. We are not anticipating another big outbreak of tornadoes, however, a slight risk by the Storm Prediction Center through Tuesday afternoon.

CHUNG: Jacqui Jeras in Atlanta tonight, it's been a long day. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: Still ahead: The Friday deadline looms. The world now watches for Saddam's next move.

We'll go live to Baghdad -- when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: Iraq now has four days left to declare if it will abide by the United Nations resolution calling for unconditional inspections of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

And today, President Bush repeated his warnings that the U.S. will not let the U.N. tie its hands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This great nation will not live at the mercy of any foreign plot or power. The dictator of Iraq will fully disarm or the United States will lead a coalition and disarm him.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Iraq continues to deny possessing such weapons or posing a threat to the United States. Today, Iraq's parliament debated its response to the resolution. A vote is expected tomorrow. And, like most things in Iraq, it is expected to be exactly what Saddam Hussein wants.

Joining us now from Iraq's capital, where it's now before dawn on Tuesday morning, is Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf.

Jane, thank you so much for staying up so late for us.

Tell us, will there be a decision tomorrow?

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: There will be some sort of decision tomorrow, Connie.

Now, this National Assembly meeting was convened, as you said, by the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, an emergency session that's supposed to discuss this resolution and then send its recommendation to the body that really makes the decision, the Revolution Command Council, chaired by the Iraqi president.

Now, the session started in the evening and had several hours of discussion. All of the speakers said that the resolution was aimed at attacking Iraq, a pretext for a U.S. attack, and had conditions that were impossible to meet. But they said it would be up to the leadership to decide. And what the leadership seems to be about to decide is that it really is in Iraq's best interests to accept this resolution -- Connie. CHUNG: Jane, but Iraq is still claiming that it has no weapons of mass destruction, correct?

ARRAF: Absolutely. It says it's completely free of those banned weapons, chemical, nuclear, biological, and long-range ballistic missiles.

It says that any weapons that it had were destroyed after the Gulf War, either during the Gulf or afterwards, in those seven years when previous U.N. weapons inspectors were here and they went throughout the country destroying most of those programs.

They also quote the former weapons inspections chief who was originally here as saying that Iraq's banned weapons program had been 95 percent accounted for. Now, obviously, it's been a while since then, but they do say they have no weapons, no banned weapons -- Connie.

CHUNG: Thank you, Jane Arraf. Appreciate your being with us.

This weekend, U.S. officials reiterated that the Bush administration does not consider U.N. approval necessary for an invasion. And today, President Bush said, if he thinks it's necessary, he'll throw everything America's got against Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I have no greater responsibility than protecting the American people. And should military action become necessary for our own security, I will commit the full force and might of the United States military. And we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: What exactly does that mean? For obvious reasons, the Pentagon isn't eager to get into many specifics.

But CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has been reporting on some of the obvious moves and joins us now from the Pentagon.

Jamie, is the United States trying to put fear in Saddam Hussein by detailing or allowing some of this military information to leak out?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that the United States clearly wants to -- wants Saddam Hussein to believe that the U.S. is resolute in its resolve to take action against him personally.

And so that's why we are seeing very strong statements from the United States that it would move ahead with military action even without the international support of others, if that becomes necessary. And the U.S. is also giving itself sort of maximum flexibility in terms of what would actually trigger a U.S. military response, not spelling it out precisely, but basically saying Saddam Hussein knows what he has to do.

And, on Friday, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld essentially said that any act of delay or defiance, he said, would be considered an additional breach of Iraq's international obligations. He said the choice was totally up to Baghdad about what happens. And Rumsfeld said -- quote -- "For the sake of peace, let's hope the Iraqi regime chooses wisely," indicating there still may be a chance to avert war -- Connie.

CHUNG: Now, if Saddam Hussein does not comply and, in the end, the United States does intend to attack, what do you think the timetable would be?

MCINTYRE: Well, the conventional wisdom is that we're looking at a February timetable.

Now, I talked to a senior defense official last week who told me that, practically speaking, it was going to be difficult to get the forces in place by January. So that made February look more likely. And, of course, the cool weather season is when the U.S. would prefer to fight, although they make the point they could fight in any month of the year.

But there's another factor here that you have to keep in mind. And that is that there is a quiet buildup going under way, prepositioning supplies, making a lot of prudent moves that need to be made, including everything from buying up satellite time to moving more stocks of ammunition into the area. So, if the U.S. wants to preserve the tactical surprise of an operation, it may be trying to give the impression that it can't move until later, while trying to be prepared to do something sooner.

The key is, nobody has the war plan. CNN doesn't have the war plan. "The New York Times" doesn't have the war plan. "The Washington Post" doesn't have it. We have sort of a general concept of how it's going to go. But we don't know the specifics that will keep it a surprise until the end for Saddam Hussein.

CHUNG: All right, Jamie McIntyre, thank you.

Still ahead: The royal scandal is getting serious. And it's raising questions about the possible next king of England.

Stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: Up next: Did one sniper suspect confess? And what might this mean for the case against Malvo and Muhammad?

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: The legal guardian of accused sniper John Lee Malvo says he was prevented from seeing Malvo and that police denied his request that they not interrogate the 17-year-old suspect. That interrogation, conducted Thursday night, after Virginia police took custody of Malvo, is yielding new insights into what police say happened.

CNN's Patty Davis reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A senior source tells CNN 17-year-old John Lee Malvo has told investigators he pulled the trigger in some of the sniper shootings. That includes the murder of FBI Analyst Linda Franklin outside this Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia October 14th.

Those statements came during seven to eight hours of interrogation by authorities in Virginia without Malvo's lawyer present. Because of that, his court-appointed lawyer says he will move to suppress anything incriminating. Even though Malvo is a juvenile, legal experts say his statements will most likely be admissible in court.

PAUL KAMENAR, WASHINGTON LEGAL FDN: I think his statements will be admissible as long as the police did read him his rights and as long as Malvo knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights.

DAVIS: Unlike previous interrogations, Malvo is said to have been very talkative. Among evidence investigators say they found in John Muhammad's blue Chevy Caprice, two-way radios. CNN's source says Malvo described the shooting as a military type operation and that he and his partner communicated with two-way radios.

Malvo is being tried as an adult. The 17-year-old's court- appointed guardian says he tried to intervene during the questioning but was escorted out of the building. Some say that could give the defense an opening.

JERALYN MERRITT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: For the same reason that juveniles are considered not allowed to vote, not allowed to marry, not allowed to own property, they're considered not old enough to be interrogated in the absence of a parent or guardian.

DAVIS (on camera): Malvo's guardian says he hopes to track Malvo's mother down, so she knows that her son could face the death penalty in Virginia if convicted of his alleged crimes.

Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Joining us once again on this story is our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin -- Jeffrey, thanks for coming.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hi.

CHUNG: What it would take for this alleged confession to be thrown out by a judge? TOOBIN: Well, first of all, it's really rare that any confession statements are thrown out. We hear a lot about that. It's always a big issue. But, you know, in fact, in the real world, very few statements are suppressed by judges.

What would happen to have, I think, is, it would have to be established that he was not warned, given his Miranda warnings.

CHUNG: Now, do you mean not warned the first time, before he was taken into federal custody, or when he was taken into custody in Virginia?

TOOBIN: I think he would have to be given the warnings again in Virginia.

CHUNG: Why?

TOOBIN: Because it's sort of -- it's a new process. Remember, he had a lawyer in Maryland. And one reason why the process started again is that he was getting a new set of lawyers in Virginia and didn't have them yet. And that's what the controversy is about.

But even if you have a lawyer, if a defendant wants to talk, there's nothing that's stopping a prosecutor from listening and continuing to ask questions. They just have to understand what the stakes are. And, presumably, he was given his Miranda warnings.

CHUNG: Don't you think that the defense attorney is right, that this is poisoning the well, that the prosecution has leaked it out, and that you won't be able to find an impartial jury?

TOOBIN: Well, prosecutors are not obliged to keep silent about everything. A lot of the information in this case has come out in court filings. And there is no requirement that prosecutors simply don't talk.

I mean, look, we journalists, we spend a lot of time begging these prosecutors to talk to us. And sometimes they do. But jury pools, the way it's usually dealt with is not by sort of shutting people up. You often have a delay. This case is not going to go to court -- going to go to trial until time passes. There may be a change of venue.

And, most importantly, it's dealt with in jury selection, where jurors are questioned very closely about whether they have any sort of prejudgments about the case. And that's when you really learn. And, in fact, much as we think we are indispensable, judges always say people don't pay as much attention to TV and newspapers as you think.

CHUNG: Yes, all right.

Now, what effect will this alleged confession have on Muhammad?

TOOBIN: Well, that's where it gets kind of interesting, because one of the crimes, apparently, that Malvo confessed to is the -- confessed to being the triggerman is the one where Muhammad is accused of being the triggerman, the one in Prince William County.

So Muhammad theoretically could say, "Look, he says I'm innocent" and he could maybe introduce it in his case. That helps in the murder count, because, under Virginia law, you have to be the triggerman. He is also charged with a terrorism count, a new law. It's never really been tested. That probably wouldn't help much with that.

And given the volume of evidence in this case, I don't think there's a lot of good news out there in the world for John Muhammad. But, theoretically, this could be a little bit.

CHUNG: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, thank you.

We'll be back in just a moment.

ANNOUNCER: Coming up: a bitter family dispute. The woman in a coma for more than a decade, her husband wants the suffering to end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, HUSBAND OF TERRI SCHIAVO: I'm telling you, I'm not going to leave Terry in this situation. I'm not going to run away from it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Her parents tell their side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB SCHINDLER, FATHER OF TERRI: It's inhumane. How in the world can you starve someone to death that is cognizant?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: When CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: This is a story about a life-and-death decision, an agonizing dilemma that has split a family apart. Bob Schindler's daughter Terri suffered a heart attack in 1990 and has been semi- comatose and on life support ever since. You'll meet Bob Schindler in a moment.

He has now spent years in court battling his son-in-law, Michael Schiavo, who wants Terri's feeding tube removed. Last week, I spoke with Michael Schiavo, who was very clear about how to proceed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: do you have any doubts? Do you think about it sometimes and say to yourself, "Maybe I'm not doing the right thing?"

SCHIAVO: No, I don't have any doubts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: But Terri's parents do.

Joining me now to respond to Michael Schiavo are Terri's father, Bob Schindler, and his attorney, Pat Anderson, both in Florida tonight. Thank you for joining us.

Mr. Schindler, I'm wondering, do you believe that your daughter really would want to live in this vegetative state? Or is it just that it would break your heart to allow her to die?

SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, she's not in a vegetative state and she's been mischaracterized. Terri

suffers from severe brain damage. And she's disabled. And she's not in a persistent vegetative state. And Terri was represented to the court in that fashion in order to meet the criteria to have her die. And that's what's so disturbing about this whole case.

CHUNG: Do you believe that she really is responding to you? I want you to see a little clip of my interview with Michael Schiavo, your son-in-law. I'm going to play it. And then I want you to respond to it, all right?

SCHINDLER: Certainly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVO: Terri has made those same responses for 13 years, Connie. She makes them to me. She makes them to the people in the nursing home. There's notes by the nurses there that Terri makes those noises when nobody is in the room.

That's part of being in a persistent vegetative state. Persistent-vegetative-state patients will sometimes laugh. They groan. They moan. They will have tears. They have sleep-wake cycles. But the higher level of consciousness is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler, is it possible that you're listening and seeing her responses and making more of them than they are?

SCHINDLER: Terri follows commands. And a person in a persistent vegetative state does not follow a command. And Terri is alert. She's aware of her surroundings. And I can't be more emphatic to say she follows commands.

CHUNG: Do you believe that she may be able to improve some day?

SCHINDLER: With the proper treatment. She hasn't been treated in 10 years. And that's what's so disturbing about this. Terri has been -- essentially, she's been isolated. She hasn't been treated. And it's just pathetic.

CHUNG: Pat Anderson, I know you have some new information. Can you tell us about it?

PATRICIA ANDERSON, ATTORNEY FOR THE SCHINDLERS: Yes.

There was some trial testimony from one of the doctors that he had never seen a neck as rigid as Terri's, with one exception, in all of his years in medicine. That one exception was a patient who was the victim of an attempted strangulation.

So it caused me, after the hearing, to go back and look again very, very carefully at records of the rehab facility when she was last treated in any serious way back in 1991. And I located a bone scan report indicating that she was, at that time, in 1991, 13 months out from her collapse, she showed signs of multiple bone fractures.

CHUNG: What are you suggesting?

ANDERSON: I'm suggesting that that is a very, very serious development that needs to be fully explored. There is no way that she would have -- that she could have, for example, suffered a compression fracture in those 13 months.

CHUNG: And are you suggesting that someone caused her to break her bones?

ANDERSON: I have consulted with three physicians about this report. It's been a little difficult over this holiday weekend. But one of them, once he looked at it, called me back and said, "Somebody worked her over pretty good."

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler, why do you think your son-in-law wants your daughter to die?

SCHINDLER: Well, initially, it was quite obvious that it was money. He would be the beneficiary of somewhere close to $800,000 he would have inherited. Now, that came from a malpractice award.

And if I can interject something, at the malpractice trial, there was never a mention of Terri's wishes, which we hear so much. Terri had these wishes. It was never mentioned. And through the years, it was never mentioned, until he associated with this right-to-die attorney. Then, all of a sudden, we heard about Terri's wishes. Now, Terri's wishes, that was...

CHUNG: Mr. Schindler?

SCHINDLER: Hello.

CHUNG: I'm sorry. I just need to interrupt you and thank you so much for being with us. We hope this problem is resolved. And thank Pat Anderson as well.

ANDERSON: Thanks for helping us set the record straight.

SCHINDLER: Thank you.

CHUNG: We'll be right back with a man who was told royal secrets from the butler.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: You know things are bad when the queen's husband calls the princess -- quote -- "a harlot and a trollop."

According to British newspapers today, that's exactly what Prince Philip called Princess Diana in letters that also told her she should put up with Prince Charles' adultery. It's just the latest stunning revelation from Diana's former butler. And to give you an idea how bad things are, the letters from Prince Philip aren't even today's headline.

CNN's international correspondent Nic Robertson has been following this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On a U.S. tour, and upset his salacious stories currently scandalizing Britain are producing a backlash, former royal butler Paul Burrell hit back.

PAUL BURRELL, PRINCESS DIANA'S FORMER BUTLER: I just never expected it to be so vicious and so personal. The newspapers leading the campaign of vilification against me are the very same people who pretended to by my friends.

ROBERTSON: However, he plans to continues, as he says, telling the truth. Meanwhile in Britain, senior royal advisers gathered at Prince Charles' London home in an intense effort to limit damage done by Burrell's tabloid revelations.

ROBERT LACEY, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: There's no doubt at all though that this generates a lot of scandal and mud and a lot of it currently is sticking to the royal family.

ROBERTSON: Weekend editions piled on the dirt. Charles' former valet in the Sunday mail accuse one of the Prince's senior aides of homosexual rape. Through solicitors paid for by Prince Charles, the unnamed man accused of the attack denied the charges, just as he did during a 1996 internal palace investigation. But police were not brought in until last year, leaving some royal watchers wondering if there had been some form of cover-up at the palace.

ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL EXPERT: Otherwise, the police would have been brought in to investigate the allegations of rape before the following investigation.

ROBERTSON: On Britain's national day of remembrance, Sunday, the queen and Prince Charles may have had as much as they want to forget was remember, a solemn occasion made more somber by the weight of questions emerging in the wake of the tabloid tide.

JOBSON: There are serious questions being asked about the judgment of the Prince of Wales and the people that he has around him; therefore, his suitability as the next king is being called into question.

ROBERTSON: Also under scrutiny the motivations for the queen's last minute intervention, which stopped Burrell's theft trial, as recent revelations hint at how much the royal family may have wanted to keep hidden.

ROBERTSON (on camera): And then there's the matter of the gifts, Prince Charles is facing questions from members of parliament about allegations his personal assistant sold official royal gifts on the Prince's instruction, keeping part of the proceeds himself, leaving MPs wondering if the profits have been declared on tax returns.

Nic Robertson CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Today, on that U.S. tour, Burrell defended himself against all of the criticism he's received for revealing royal secrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURRELL: I have no regrets for a single word I've said, because I have told the truth, and will defend my reputation.

I've told my side of the story and always had in mind my loyalty and respect for her majesty the queen, for the prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, and for my boss, Diana, princess of Wales.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: And joining us from London is the man who conducted last night's rare television interview with Burrell, veteran ITN anchorman Trevor McDonald.

Thank you, Mr. McDonald, for being with us. We appreciate it.

Tell me, do you think that Burrell is obsessed with Diana and her memory?

TREVOR MCDONALD, ITN ANCHOR: I have absolutely no doubt that that's a very, very good description.

What you have to realize is that Paul Burrell worked for Diana when he thought she was ill, she was depressed, she was friendless, abandoned by her family and by her husband. And he felt that he was closest to her. And then she died.

Now he thinks that he's the keeper of Diana's flame. He is the one to keep her memory alive. And he feels that the best way of doing this is by talking about these matters. Of course, it's not thought to be that way by other people involved in this extraordinary drama.

CHUNG: How did he get Diana's possessions out of Kensington Palace? MCDONALD: Well, he said himself -- and he was seen taking loads away in his car, on one occasion, rather infamously, at 3:00 in the morning, when he was seen by police.

He makes no excuse about this. And this is where your earlier point about him being obsessed by it comes in. He felt that this was quite natural for him to be really close to Diana. He even described how he would go back to Kensington Palace long after she had died and he would sit in her room, he said, and he could feel her presence, a man who was clearly obsessed and whose actions must ever be seen in that way.

The police saw it entirely differently. They saw somebody with loads of Diana's stuff. They thought he was about to sell it to make a profit. And they brought a prosecution based on that. It turns out that they might have been wrong.

CHUNG: There is one story that he says that Diana taped a servant who claims he was raped by a senior aide of Prince Charles -- allegedly raped -- but that the tape has disappeared. What can you tell us about that?

MCDONALD: Well, this is the $64,000 question in this country, too. What has happened to this tape?

I questioned Burrell very closely about that. He said he saw this tape with Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. They examined the contents. They didn't play the tape. But then the tape was shut back in the box and the box was put somewhere for safekeeping. The box now exists. The box has been found. But the tape has disappeared. And nobody seems to know where this tape is.

CHUNG: Mr. McDonald, Mr. Burrell has said that he was suicidal at one point.

And let me read you a quote from him: "I thought I'd brought shame not only on my own family, but on the princess, too. And, at my lowest point, I will never forget, sat in a lay-by in my car with a bottle of water and a bottle of pills, thinking: 'I can escape from this. I can actually finish it now.'"

And yet, if he was so suicidal then, he has now completely turned around. He's done a tour in London and here in the United States.

MCDONALD: Well, I think it is probably explained by the fact that this was before the court case.

Paul Burrell thought that this case should never have been brought. He thought he was charged with stealing Diana's stuff. And there was a perception that it might end up on sale somewhere in the United States or in Australia or in Japan. His life would be destroyed. The life of his family would be destroyed. He would gain no more trust. He'd be unemployable and everything else.

And those were the moments when he contemplated suicide. This is different now. He's seen a chance, with the collapse of the court case, to clear his name. And he feels that he can go ahead doing this. And, as he said in the interview that you broadcast earlier, this is his time to tell the truth. This, he feels, is his moment.

CHUNG: Trevor McDonald, thank you so much for being with us.

And coming up: Are women or men worse drivers? Well, it depends. Wait until you hear this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: And finally, which side do you take in the perennial argument: Who are the better drivers, women or men?

Well, I've got some information for you. A new analysis of British auto insurance claims shows the following. Listen. Parking a car is a greater challenge to women drivers, who are almost twice as likely as men to have a collision in a parking lot, 15 percent more likely to back into another car. I've done that.

Advantage men? Not so fast. This same survey says men are more likely to have serious accidents and make higher insurance claims. They're much more likely than women to get into a head-on collision or hit a barrier or a wall. I rest my case. There you go.

Tomorrow, we'll go inside Columbine and meet the student who was warned by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to run for his life. For the first time, he'll tell what really happened inside Columbine High.

"LARRY KING LIVE" next and "AARON BROWN" at 10:00 Eastern.

Good night.

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