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The Fight For Iraq; U.S.-Iran Talks?; Race For 2008; The New Congress; New Golden Hour; Designer Babies?

Aired November 14, 2006 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Illness in babies on this Tuesday, the 14th of November in the NEWSROOM.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Grab and go. Today one of the biggest mass kidnappings since the start of the war. Gunmen dressed as police kidnapped as many as 150 people from the ministry of education building in Baghdad. The lightning quick raid prompting universities across Iraq to shut down until security is stepped up. Along with the kidnappings, more deadly bombings in the Iraqi capital and fighting in the city of Ramadi. Details now from ITN's James Blake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES BLAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): The army arrived at the education ministry too late to stop what may have been the biggest mass kidnapping that Baghdad has witnessed. Dozens of armed militia wearing Iraqi commando police uniforms stormed the building at 10:00 this morning. They locked the women in a room and seized up to 150 men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): Some of the vehicles drove deep into the street. Others blocked the street. Go inside, go inside, they yelled, leaving no one out in the street. I went inside and they headed towards the ministry building.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): The staff were having their breakfast when they stormed the building. They did not come from the doors, but from the walls.

BLAKE: Already this is being viewed as a sectarian attack. The education ministry is governed by the main Sunni Arab group. The kidnappers are thought to be Shiite gunmen. But the interior ministry has admitted it doesn't know if they're such (ph) terrorists, militias, or even government forces. The armed group pretended to be from an agency fighting corruption.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): They said that they were from the commission on public integrity and that they had lists of wanted people. So they arrested, or rather kidnapped, all the men they found. Deputy director generals, all employees, assistants and cleaners, leaving nobody behind.

BLAKE: Elsewhere in Iraq, the conflict has intensified. To the western Ramadi, American forces have been accused of killing at least 20 Iraqis in overnight raids involving ground troops and war planes. Last night, Tony Blair accused Iran and Syria of funding the insurgents, but in a meeting this afternoon he'll tell the American- led Iraq Study Group that the two countries need to become part of the solution.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We offer Iran a clear strategic choice. To help the Middle East peace process, not hinder it. They stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq. They abide by, not flout, their international obligations. In that case, a new partnership is possible.

BLAKE: This morning, the Iranian government said it had not received any new requests for negotiations, but it will review the prime minister's words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): Reviewing is different from giving a positive answer. We review any proposal when it includes foreign relations, but it does not necessary mean issuing a positive response.

BLAKE: America is still pushing for U.N. sanctions on Iran over its nuclear network, but there is now increasing pressure for a new strategy and for talks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: The U.S. and Iran. Icy, at the best of times. Downright hostile a good deal of the time. So in regards to Iraq and Mr. Blair's suggestion that discussions be expanded to include Iran, if Washington talks, will Tehran listen? CNN's Aneesh Raman is the only U.S. television reporter in the capital and he joins us live.

Aneesh, good morning to you.

Here's the question. If the U.S. decides to reach out to Tehran, will Iran engage?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, we've heard up until today, and now including today at a press conference from Iran's president, that if the U.S. wants to talk to Iran and they officially put in that request, Tehran is open to that. But at the press conference this morning, Iran's president laid down some conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN, (through translator): As for the U.S. government, we've always said we'll have a dialogue, but under certain conditions that have been created as a result of the behavior of the U.S. government itself (ph). If they fix their behavior towards us, we will have a dialogue with them because that's the principle of our foreign policy. But, you know, they have their own way of thinking. They really think they own the world. They always sort of look down upon you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: And, Tony, if the U.S. doesn't engage Tehran directly, the Iranian government will see that as a victory for them. They've already described that scenario as one that would require the U.S. to make 180 degree turn on their foreign policy. And a lot of people here get the sense, when you're out talking to the analysts that are seeing this nuclear situation, that if the U.S. directly engages Tehran, it is less likely that Tehran will back down on its nuclear stance.

We did here more comments from Iran's presidents on that issue today, saying that Iran would continue its nuclear program and saying it would be completed within the year. The Iranian year ends next February. He didn't specify what exactly that meant. And a third point he said, that he had a message for the American people that would soon be delivered. He didn't say what that message was or how it would be delivered.

Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Does that pretty much cover it all? Were there any other headlines? That sounds pretty exhaustive.

RAMAN: Well, I mean, this press conference was built for domestic journalists only. We weren't allowed in as foreign journalists. It's the fourth one he's had since taking office. And it is a sign that he's dealing with domestic concerns that are different than the concerns he's pursuing abroad.

Domestically, the economy is really the exclusive issue. They want jobs. They want inflation to come down. It's why he was elected president. And it's why, if he doesn't correct it, he won't be re- elected. So he was addressing a lot of those issues more than the foreign policy today.

Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Aneesh Raman in Tehran for us.

Aneesh, thank you.

From Motown a message for Washington. President Bush is sitting down with the leaders of the big three automakers today. They want to talk about the rising cost of health care and trade issues which they say give Japanese automakers an advantage. And later today, the president will leave on an eight-day trip to Asia. While there, the president will attend an economic summit in Vietnam. He'll also make a brief stop in Moscow. His travels also include stops in Singapore and Indonesia. Trade and terrorism top the agenda.

Election 2008, ready or not, we're off to the races. But who will be in the running? CNN's senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Last week's midterm was the first primary of 2008 and it showed a big market for outsiders who can promise change. That's good news for Rudy Giuliani who took the first step toward a presidential bid. It's good news for any Republican who can speak the language of bipartisanship. Here's one.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Are we doing the things organizationally and legally that need to be done to prepare for it? Yes.

SCHNEIDER: His strong national security credentials are no small thing after a midterm where Iraq was a big issue. Neither Giuliani nor McCain is particularly trusted by conservatives. Giuliani especially because his positions are more out of line with those of conservatives -- abortion rights, gun control and gay rights.

Do conservatives have a strong contender for 2008? Auditions are open. Senators George Allen and Rick Santorum were once talked about as hot prospects. No more.

Bill Frist was badly tarnished as well after Republicans lost the Senate. Newt Gingrich is also mulling a bid. He's been out of the game long enough that he gets to say, "I told you so."

Mitt Romney's lieutenant governor lost the race to succeed him as governor. But not doing well in Massachusetts could be a plus to Republicans.

On the Democratic side, several potential contenders can claim foreign policy expertise. Wesley Clark, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and John Kerry. The 2006 campaign was not so good for him.

The anti-war message was powerful this year. Is there a candidate to carry that banner for 2008? Not this one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never reached a point where I really wanted to run for president.

SCHNEIDER: Which could clear the way for Al Gore, the Democrat's "Mr. I told you so." Economic populism had a lot of resonance this year. That's John Edwards' message. But two Democratic senators were the clearest winners. Hillary Clinton coasted to re-election in New York. Next question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When will you address the question of whether you'll be running?

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: You know, I am going to relish this victory.

SCHNEIDER: Barack Obama is the Democrat's news star. Less political baggage than Senator Clinton. Outsider image.

BARACK OBAMA, (D) ILLINOIS: Nothing that happens tonight will discourage me from making that race.

SCHNEIDER: His limited experience a problem? Not if the market for change stays strong. Politics is all about the moment. The Democrats clearly had the moment in 2006, but that doesn't mean it will be there in 2008. In 1994, Republicans had the moment. President Clinton was toast. But two year later, Clinton easily won reelection. The moment had changed.

Bill Schneider, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Capitol Hill buzzing with energy today as new members of Congress get settled in. Their freshmen class made up of more than 50 new House members and 10 new senators. Most of them Democrats. So, what are they facing as they get ready for their new jobs? Well, CNN congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's early Monday morning and Indiana's congressman-elect Brad Ellsworth still can't believe it.

BRAD ELLSWORTH, (D) INDIANA CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: I didn't know whether to travel light or travel heavy.

KOPPEL: A week after crushing Republican incumbent John Hostettler in Indiana's eighth district, Ellsworth, a sheriff from southern Indiana, arrived in the nation's capital with at least 50 other freshmen lawmakers to start his new job.

ELLSWORTH: Obviously, if you said it didn't make you nervous, it would be a lie.

KOPPEL: A conservative Democrat, Ellsworth was one of three Indiana Democrats to help their party regain its majority in Congress.

ELLSWORTH: It was refreshing to me, on those positions, that people -- when I'd go to Democratic rallies and people were kind of saying, we're so glad that you're pro-gun. We're so glad you're pro- life.

KOPPEL: But the same conservative values that helped Ellsworth and a number of other new Democrats like North Carolina's Heath Shuler win in traditionally red states, are likely to put them at odds with many in his own party. Ellsworth says Nancy Pelosi, the likely next speaker of the House, has already told him not to worry.

ELLSWORTH: She said always do what the people of the 8th district of Indiana want you to do. Those are the people that sent you here and those are the people that will send you back home.

KOPPEL: And so even on his first day on the new job, Ellsworth is busy trying to forge alliances.

ELLSWORTH: A lot of beans, a lot of corn. And, yes, we want to solve the dependency on foreign oil. Come to my back yard. To have the chance to make a difference and be one of the ones to make a difference in the way the country works and the direction, what an honor. And people that mess it up, you just want to smack them and say, what were you thinking?

KOPPEL: How (ph) do you expect to hear congress man say? You expect a sheriff to say that.

ELLSWORTH: Well, you know, and I still got a little bit of that in my -- 25 years.

KOPPEL: When Congressman-elect Ellsworth says there's a new sheriff in town, he really means it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Andrea Koppel joining us now live from Capitol Hill.

So, Andrea, we saw the picture that the freshmen did. What else is on the agenda for today?

KOPPEL: Well, this is part of their orientation week, Heidi, and much as Congressman-elect Elsworth told me, he said, I feel like I'm a high school freshmen all over again. I'm 48 years old. They're not learning when their new lockers are, but they are learning the ABCs of how you run an office, where their office will be, how many staffers they're allowed to hire, what their travel budget, getting back and forth from their district will be, how many district offices, and also how to be ethical, how do you handle going out to dinner with a lobbyist and sort of the nuts and bolts of being sort of an administrator here on Capitol Hill.

COLLINS: What about the Senate party leadership position? Are we expecting any drama in some of the voting that will be taking place there?

KOPPEL: Well, not on the Democratic side. In fact, that's taking place right now. We are going to see the same leadership we've had for the last number of years. We're going to see Harry Reid as the new majority leader and we're going to see Dick Durbin from Illinois as the vote-counting whip.

But certainly on the Republican side, there could be a few fireworks. We know that the minority leader is expected to be Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, but we've had a late addition to the race for the whip, and that is Trent Lott, a blast from the past. A senator from Mississippi who, for six years, was the majority leader. He's been a whip both in the House and in the Senate. And then you've also have Lamar Alexander from Tennessee. He's a first-termer. The two of them are going to be going toe to toe on this one.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow. Interesting. All right, Andrea Koppel on top of it from Capitol Hill today.

Thanks, Andrea.

And remember, you can find all of the day's political news by going to the cnn.com news ticker, any time of the day or not. Just click on cnn.com/ticker.

And we are just getting started here in the NEWSROOM. Medic boot camp. Sixteen weeks of training. One golden hour of lifesaving. You'll see that story in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Also, one couple takes a controversial new step to ensure they have healthy babies. The health concerns, the ethical questions, in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And everyone's favorite spy. He's back. 007 starring in film number 21.

HARRIS: OK.

COLLINS: This time, check it out, he's blond, which has some critics seeing red. Get it? That's ahead in the NEWSROOM. Keep watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Chad Myers joining us now from the Weather Center. All kinds of stuff to talk about. But as you know, my favorite, snow, Colorado, skiing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We want to take a minute to take a closer look at some of the numbers coming out of the war in Iraq. A Nieman Foundation study says 20 percent of the troops wounded in Iraq suffered major head or spinal injuries. Eighteen percent suffered other serious wounds. Six percent are amputees. And about 7,000 veterans with severe injuries will require lifetime, around the clock care.

COLLINS: And they call it the golden hour. A 60-minute window to save lives. Now the military is giving medics a chance to win in overtime. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A combat medic treats a wounded soldier. Airway secured, shaky hands, an IV inserted. Location coordinates radioed to a medivac chopper. A lifetime is now measured in seconds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, three.

GUPTA: I want to give you a sense of what's happening now. They've actually moved this patient to an evacuation area. One of the hallmarks of that evacuation is actually setting up a perimeter. This is a potentially dangerous area. They're continuing to survey the patient, but they really need to get him out of here. To save the wounded, it's no longer be as fast as possible. Now medics have a precise time frame -- 60 minutes. Precisely 3,600 seconds. They call it the golden hour.

CAPT. BRIAN KRUSTCHINSKY, U.S. ARMY COMBAT MEDIC TRAINING: The objective on the battlefield is to get the soldier from point of injury to definitive surgical care in one hour.

GUPTA: The military is investing unprecedented amounts of money in training, new gear and research. All focused on buying more time. They actually want to extend that golden hour.

DR. JOHN HOLCOMB, U.S. ARMY INST. OF SURGICAL RESEARCH: Wars always cause improvements in trauma care. And that goes back thousands of years.

GUPTA: Scientists at Massachusetts General are working on suspended animation. Actually cooling a casualty's body down and slowing the body processes. At the Wake Forest School of Medicine, amazingly they're working to regenerate body tissue, like skin or fingers. It is for the battlefield. But ultimately, of course, for civilian medicine. Millions of military dollars to add time to treat an injury.

What do you think has been some of the biggest changes in military medicine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the emphasis on training. Training is all important. You can have all the best devices and products in the world, but if you don't train folks at all levels, medics, nurses and docs, level one through five, how to use the products and concepts, then it's all for naught.

GUPTA: And the army trains its medics more rigorously than ever before. They learn to treat patients under extreme conditions, blindfolded, in little to no light, under simulated gunfire.

Coming under fire, lots of dust blowing around. You see how they hang on each other. They don't actually put their hands inside the vehicle and they get those bodies out of there as quickly as possible.

The equipment is efficient. Wound dressings that can actually clot blood. Truncates that a medic can apply with one hand. Simple and standard issue with these packs. Each medic is expected to be as good as a doctor or a nurse at treating battlefield wounds. All of that with just 16 weeks of training.

This is an example of the training that we're talking about. There are 13 casualties supposedly from a convoy bombing, a suicide bomber. There are eight medics that have come in here, trying to stabilize these patients as quickly as possible. It is dark. There's a lot of noise. And sometimes they can't tell exactly what the injuries are. A lot of communication back and forth to try and figure out how to best take care of these patients.

Yes, it's fake blood and simulated situations, but the pressures are urgently realistic.

SGT. 1ST CLASS SHAY BLACK, U.S. ARMY COMBAT MEDIC TRAINING: You walked away from a guy that still had a heartbeat.

GUPTA: If you look at civilian society, to learn as much as they're learning in 16 weeks would typically take how long, do you think?

BLACK: Something like this, probably at least a year. They think they know a lot. They just haven't figured out how to process it all at one time. And they leave here -- they feel bad about themselves, that group walking out of here. They're going to go outside and cry.

GUPTA: Though the medic boot camp is intense, it's working. The killed in action rate today is almost half that of the Vietnam War.

HOLCOMB: It's really pretty amazing when you consider that the wounding agents are exactly the same. The U.S. military has the time and the effort and really the time to focus on these casualties and improve our system.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Brook Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Two parents in Iraq. They decide not knowing the danger is best for their kids. Their story in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, building perfect babies. Find out why some couples walk an ethical line. You are in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And a quick check of the big board for you now. We've got the Dow Jones Industrial average looking like it's down about 37 or so at this very moment. And the Nasdaq down about 10 or so as well. But we'll see how it all evens out end of the day today.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

Controversial births to talk about now. Twins genetically screened to be healthy. For many, ethical questions. But for the parents, no question. They say it had to be done. Sue Saville has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUE SAVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Two healthy baby boys born into a family which has cystic fibrosis, but free of it themselves thanks to a new type of embryo testing.

CATHERINE GREENSTREET, MOTHER: We're elated. It's, you know, they are miracle babies. It's incredible that, you know, that we've got two lovely, healthy, beautiful babies out of this whole process. SAVILLE: In the summer, Catherine told us, it was because one of their first set of twins has the degenerative illness cystic fibrosis that they were spired to try the new genetic technique. It's called Preimplantation Genetic Haplotyping or PGH and was developed at Guys Hospital in London. Scientists there are thrilled with these first successful births.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first, as far as we know, anywhere in the world. The technique is actually very, very simple and straight forward, yet many people are still trying to come to terms with the concept of why it is so revolutionary. And I think it will take a little time that people will realize what a breakthrough it really is.

SAVILLE: But selecting only healthy embryos, discarding those with inherited illness, has sparked ethical concerns from those who say it devalues the lives of people with chronic diseases. For the parents of Freddy and Thomas, though, the decision was quite straightforward.

JIM GREENSTREET, FATHER: Having lived with a child who suffers from an illness like this, you don't want another child to go through it if it all can be helped. For us, it was a very simple decision, you know. Do you bring another child into this world who is ill or do you not? It's as simple as taking any other preventative, curative sort of illness treatment, I think. And for us, it was a very easy, non-ethical decision.

CATHERINE GREENSTREET: It offers hope for other parents who have conditions, diseases in their family, that they, you know, they don't want to produce any more offspring with that disease. It's fantastic. You know, I hope that it does offer hope for others.

SAVILLE: To see these two healthy babies, it's hard to imagine an ethical debate about their very existence. But with each new step that science takes in assisting creation, debate will ensue. Perhaps so in years to come the specialists screening which helped bring these two boys into the world will become standard practice.

Sue Saville, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.

COLLINS: Iran's nuclear quest. It's stirred international concerns, but the president of that country says it may be time to celebrate. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran is close to completing its controversial nuclear fuel program. Many countries, including the U.S., believe Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons. The hard line president disputes that, and says the international community is slowly abandoning its opposition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAHDMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We do understand that this is a heavy sort of price for other countries to pay, to accept where we are, but thanking God, we are now able to have such capability, and I'm confident that in this current year we will be able to have an enormous festivity to celebrate our nuclear technology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The Iranian president also says he would like a discussion with the American people. He said he would soon send them a message to explain Iran's policies, but he did not explain exactly what that means.

Robert Gates, he's President Bush's choice for defense secretary. Iraq, of course, tops the long list of challenges. Some wonder, is Robert Gates up to the job?

CNN's Dan Lothian looks at the well-traveled Washington veteran and what some see as the baggage he's lugging around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a tall order for secretary of defense nominee Robert Gates -- find a solution for success in Iraq.

LAWRENCE KORB, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: In many ways, the expectations may be too high.

LOTHIAN: With so much at stake, there's no shortage of options.

LEVIN: We should pressure the White House to commence the phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq in four to six months.

LOTHIAN: Timetables are being discussed, along with once unthinkable partnerships with countries like Iran and Syria.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: A major part of the answer to Iraq lies not in Iraq itself but outside it.

LOTHIAN: Gates, fresh from his stint at the Iraq study Group, has, perhaps, a fresh perspective. But will that make his job any easier? And what can he do that Donald Rumsfeld couldn't?

KORB: He's not going to come in with a world view that Rumsfeld had that, you know, America could basically solve all the world's problems. Bob Gates will pay more attention to his staff and to the professionals.

LOTHIAN: But Frank Gaffney, at the Center for Security Policy, says changing the guard doesn't guarantee success.

FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: You're going to get some changes, all right, but I think they're going to make things worse, not better. LOTHIAN: Gaffney says Rumsfeld had a better understanding of the nature of the problem. And there are still lingering questions about Gates' past, accusations that the former CIA director slanted intelligence on the Soviet Union and Contra rebels to support his administration's policy.

LEVIN: The important thing with Mr. Gates is whether or not he's independent, whether or not he's going to speak truth to power.

LOTHIAN: But Gates has always maintained his analysis was honest. Larry Korb, at the Center for American Progress, agrees.

KORB: That was Gates' view rather than him trying to please his civilian masters.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Some like to point out that while so much attention is being focused on leadership at the Pentagon, the ultimate decision on what happens in Iraq is up to the president. The defense secretary will wield a lot of power, but the president makes the call.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

It is Tony Blair's turn. The British prime minister talking to the American Study Group on Iraq today. He will share his views on stabilizing the country and curbing violence via video link. Already, he's giving a hint of what he might tell the bipartisan panel.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With mounting casualties on the battlefield and a changing political balance in Washington, George Bush's closest international ally throws out an idea to turn the tide in Iraq, turn to your antagonists.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We offer Iran a clear strategic choice, they help the Middle East peace process, not hinder it, they stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq. In that case, a new partnership is possible.

TODD: Tony Blair hints a similar deal can be struck with Syria but the president seems to maintain his tough line, saying if Syria wants to talk, it should stop harboring extremists and get out of Lebanon for good. As for Iran...

BUSH: If the Iranians want to have a dialogue with us, we have shown them a way forward, and that is for them to verifiably suspend their enrichment activities.

TODD: Iranian and Syrian officials say their governments want to help.

IMAD MOUSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: We are concerned about the possibility that Iraq might spiral down to a civil war.

TODD: But it's widely held that much of the violence in Iraq can be traced to Iran and Syria.

SIMON HENDERSON, WASHINGTON INST. FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: The Iranians by supporting the hard-line Shia militias and the Syrians by allowing Syrian territory to be the route in for the jihadists and foreign fighters.

TODD: Both governments deny that. Those who favor negotiations say the violence in Iraq attributed to those two countries is the reason to reach out.

RICHARD MURPHY, FORMER U.S. AMB. TO SYRIA: When the relationships are bad with the United States, they have no interest in helping us stabilize the situation in Iraq.

TODD (on camera): There would be a price tag for engagement. Analysts say if Iran was recruited to curb Shia violence in Iraq, Tehran would want the U.S. to stop trying to cut off its nuclear program. Syria, they say, might want more influence in Lebanon. Something the U.S. and its allies have just pressured Damascus to give up.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And we are standing by. We're expecting to see Senate Democrats in just a moment. They met this morning to shore up their leadership ranks and to talk about agenda items. When that happens, when we're expecting Harry Reid, the majority leader, soon to be majority leader, and Dick Durbin to come forward. When that happens, we will bring you their comments live in the NEWSROOM.

Still to come, two parents in Iraq. They decide not knowing the danger is the best for their kids. Their story, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We are awaiting the Senate Democrats. They're going to be coming to those microphones, it appears, lots of microphones, to be talking about some decisions that have been made. We know that Senator Harry Reid has been unchallenged, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, to be the majority leader. He, of course, will succeed Senator Bill Frist. And then also Senator Dick Durbin, Illinois, going to be the Democratic whip.

On the House side of things, there could be more to talk about by way of -- not really controversy, but some tough choices to make. We know who Nancy Pelosi endorsed, which was John Murtha, but other names out there. So we should see -- here, though, back to the Senate side -- some folks coming to the mics. And when they do, we'll have it for you.

HARRIS: The Iraq war, it is high interest news for children with a parent in the fight.

COLLINS: For one Nebraska family, no news was good news. Both parents served at the same time.

CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric and Heidi Erickson are back home, after they both spent more than a year in Iraq. While their three children, Nathan, Taylor and Nicholas, stayed behind in Nebraska.

When they came home how did you feel?

TAYLOR ERICKSON, BOTH PARENTS SERVED IN IRAQ: Happy.

TUCHMAN: Was it the happiest day of your life? And how do you feel right now?

T. ERICKSON: Sad.

TUCHMAN: Tell me why you are sad right now.

T. ERICKSON: Because they went.

TUCHMAN: Husband and wife are both in the Army Reserve. They could have gone to Iraq at the different times. But with four grandparents available to take care of their children, they came to this decision.

HEIDI ERICKSON, SOLDIER AND MOM: His feeling was if he didn't go when I went, then he would go the next rotation and him and I wouldn't see each other for three years.

TUCHMAN: So off they went. Sergeant Heidi Erickson drove a gun truck. Sergeant Eric Erickson drove a truck that hauls armor. And then one day...

ERIC ERICKSON, SOLDIER AND DAD: We were driving through the town. And as soon as we come around the corner, it started, the gunfire, everything.

TUCHMAN: The blast shattered his eardrum. And then, 12 days later...

H. ERICKSON: As soon as I passed the first truck parked on the side of the road, the middle one blew up. And it was a huge explosion.

TUCHMAN: Glass lacerated her face. The couple recovered in Iraq and decided not to tell the family back in their quiet hometown of Central City, Nebraska, what happened so they wouldn't be scared. But the grandparents and the children already were.

PATRICIA GREGG, GRANDMOTHER: I worried that the kids might be without one or both parents at different times, yes.

TUCHMAN: Let me give you a tissue, OK? I am sorry to have made you cry. Are you crying because it was so hard when they were away?

After they recuperated, the couple came back home. And both were awarded Purple Hearts. The parents reunited with their family, and reflected about what their children went through.

H. ERICKSON: It was the third month and the fourth month where they started to get really upset and, when are you coming home, Mommy? And then the baby started talking, and that was really difficult.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Were you after afraid they were going to forget who you were?

H. ERICKSON: I knew my older children wouldn't, but I was worried about the baby. I really was.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Having two parents in Iraq at the same time is rare. The Pentagon tries to avoid the scenario. But an estimated 115,000 American children have at least one parent in Iraq.

ANGELA HUEBNER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, VIRGINIA TECH: Young people need -- of all ages -- need predictable environments. And military deployments put a big wrench in that. It really makes for a lot of changes, both good and bad.

TUCHMAN (on camera): The Erickson family's life here in Central City is now back to the way it used to be. But that could soon change. Because it may surprise you to learn that both parents expect to be sent back to Iraq.

(Voice-over): And they say they are ready for it.

H. ERICKSON: Because I believe in all of the good we are doing over there. I believe it is a worthy cause.

TUCHMAN: And despite all they've been through, they are ready to do it again together.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Central City, Nebraska.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. They say they don't want a bailout but they do want some help on health care and trade. I will have details of the president's meeting with Detroit's big three when NEWSROOM returns. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: This just in now to CNN. We want to take you to Atlanta and a road here where there has been a bus accident. T.J. Holmes has been covering this for us. T.J., what do we know at this point? T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're taking a peak at this live picture. We are trying to get a better sense of exactly what's happening there on the road. We begin, this is in Fulton County here in the Atlanta area. A school bus accident. We're told that seven children have been injured in this accident. We don't yet know the severity of the injuries in the accident, but you can see the bus busted a little bit there at least, the front windshield.

We don't know -- and again, we're told only seven children were on the bus, so just seven. It sounds like they were maybe some of the last to be dropped off for the morning, for the day. But it was not a full school bus. That is some good news. This area is I-20 at the Fulton Industrial Boulevard exit. This is, believe it or not, very familiar to me because I take this route every day in, day out, coming here to work.

Now these children, again we're told are being treated. Don't know the condition of them yet. Also, another car was involved we're being told, and don't know the condition of the person or persons in that vehicle at this time either. So, this is what you're looking at here, this live picture, this -- trying to keep an eye out. You saw the bus there. There's a second bus there to the right. Not exactly sure if that bus was involved in the accident or what. Doesn't look like much damage on it. But the one at least we are seeing at the very bottom of your screen is apparently the one we're keeping an eye on that was involved in this accident.

Again, seven children, don't yet know the severity of the injuries of those seven children that were on board. But good news that the bus was not a full school bus. Also one other car involved, don't know the condition of those people at this time either. So, this is something we're just getting word on, something certainly we are keeping an eye on. This is a live picture of Fulton County here, right outside, right in the Atlanta area. Keeping an eye on, we are going to try to get more information certainly on the condition of those children and keep you updated, guys.

COLLINS: Yes, these pictures coming in to us from our affiliate WAGA. Trying to look, I wish we could get just a closer picture of the emblem there so we see what the school system is.

HOLMES: Well, we're told, you can't tell there, just know it's supposed to be a Fulton County school bus is all we are told. But, yes, we're kind of at the mercy of the cameraman ...

COLLINS: Carolton (ph) City schools possibly.

HOLMES: Carolton (ph) City, we can't -- you might be right there. Trying to make it out.

COLLINS: Not sure about that, but starting to clear up a little bit. of course, we will continue to watch it. Seven children injured at this point. All right. T.J. Holmes, thank you for that.

HARRIS: And we're also watching developments outside of the Senate office building there on Capitol Hill. Senate chamber. Trying to figure out whether it's the Dirksen building or the Hart building. I should know this and I don't and I apologize. I'll figure it out.

We are expected to hear from senators shortly, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin leading the group of senators. Remember, eight new freshmen Democratic senators, probably popped into the meeting this morning, in the course of all their orientation activities during the course of this day.

The meeting was about charting this new course, new leadership, this six-point plan, prosperity, opportunity, energy independence, affordable health-care, retirement, security, many of the items that the Democrats say once they are in the leadership position in January, the first 100 hours are going to be critical and they are going to roll out proposals in all of these agenda areas. And when the senators come to those microphones there, that bank of microphones, we will bring their comments to you live.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: Come on, come on, come on -- get happy. Living a joyful life. Let's try it. It may not -- well, it's a lot easier than you might think. That story, straight ahead, in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, everyone's favorite spy is back. 007 starring in film number 21, but this time he's blond, which has some critics seeing red. All Tony cares about here is the Bond girl.

HARRIS: Who is the Bond girl?

COLLINS: More about that later in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(JOINED LIVE IN PROGRESS)

SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA: We're going to do it in a spirit of bi-partisanship. We are certainly going to do it openly and obtain results. We want to make sure we are safe here at home and abroad. We want to fight for middle class America. The middle class is being squeezed. Squeezed. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer. We must do something about health care. We must do something about education. We must do something to relieve the tax burden on the middle class. And for me personally, I'm going to continue to fight for the small, sparsely populated state of Nevada. We have big problems there, and I'm going to work to resolve those with my colleagues.

It's difficult for me to express to those assembled in such a public gathering, my friendship, my affection, for these three individuals who are going to serve as part of this leadership team. Senator Durbin and I have been friends for 24 years. And I ask him to address this august gathering for a time until we take some questions. Then I'm going to ask Senator Schumer to say a few words and the new secretary, Senator Patty Murray. Senator Schumer has been with us for two years in leadership capacity, but it's going to be a little different now. He's going to remain as chair of the campaign committee. He's also going to be the vice chair of the conference -- Senator Durbin.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: My thanks to the Majority Leader, Harry Reid, for bringing us together. Two years ago, we had an opportunity for new leadership on the Democratic side of the Senate and we chose as our leader Harry Reid. We could not have made a better choice. To unify this caucus, to make certain that we came to the floor every day with a purpose, and most importantly, that we took a message to the American people, a message of hope.

On November 7th of this year, our message of hope was chosen as the message for tomorrow. Today, we met in the old Senate chamber, part of this Capitol building that is just loaded with history. And we stood together, our new majority, and dedicated ourselves to the agenda that the American people spoke to on November the 7th. We have an awesome responsibility. Because we are blessed to serve as senators in this great nation.

We know that a 51-vote majority is as thin as they come and that if we're going to be successful we need to work together on a bipartisan basis. We not only want to move the right agenda for America, we want to do it in the right way. For those of us who have been in Congress for some period of time, we have watched the steady deterioration of comity and cooperation in the United States Congress. Now, the Democrats have a chance, even a challenge, to restore the dignity of this great American institution.

As important, if not more important, we need to remember why the American people have asked us to lead. They want a strong and safe America, but they want an America as well of opportunity. An opportunity for new generation of leadership in the 21st century. That means to empower families and individuals to reach their maximum potential. That's our challenge, that's our responsibility. We look forward to it with enthusiasm.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Well, thank you and first I'd want to thank my colleagues. I want to thank my colleagues electing me now vice-chairman of the caucus, number three in the leadership. I want to thank Harry Reid in particular for the great job that he has done for us. Majority Leader Harry Reid sounds really good to us and over the next two years it's going to sound great to the American people, when Harry and his team show what we can do.

Let me just say our challenge has really just begun. The American public has rejected the policies of George Bush and they are waiting to see what we can do. And we are going to show them that we will never lose sight of them.

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