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Boot Camp Guards, Nurse Charged in Boy's Death; Deadly Missouri Fire; Poisoning Mystery

Aired November 28, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, November 28th. Here's what's on the rundown.

Florida boot camp death. Eight people now charged with manslaughter after a teenager is roughed up on camera.

We're on top of this developing story.

HARRIS: The pope reaching out to Muslims in Turkey today. Our guests talk about bridging the religious divide. They've done it with their faith club.

COLLINS: A powerful drug with risks for adults. Now the government considers Celebrex for toddlers. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us why, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: New developments to report this morning in the death of a 14-year-old Florida boy almost a year ago. The youngster collapsed at the Bay County Sheriff's Boot Camp. He died the next day. Now a number of people have been charged.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is covering this story, and she is on the phone with us.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

There are eight defendants in all, seven former guards and one female nurse, and many will recall seeing all these people in a videotape that we have now seen several times. The victim, 14-year- old Martin Anderson, who died back on January 6th. It was his first day at the boot camp and he was going through a drill.

He collapsed, and after at least 20 minutes, according to investigators, finally paramedics were called in, but it was too late. Now eight people have been charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter of a child. Again, Martin Anderson was 14 years old. If found guilty, the defendants would be punished by up to 30 years in prison. A short time ago, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who appointed a special prosecutor to look into this case, had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: It appears that seven guards and one nurse will be arrested for aggravated manslaughter on a child which is a first-degree felony if there's convictions. And the sentence can be up to 30 years.

We'll obviously follow the developments of this case closely and hope at the end of the day that justice will be served. We also hope that when the process is completed, that Martin Lee Anderson's family will have the answers to the questions that they legitimately have. And my thoughts and prayers continue to be with -- with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: We are in the process of trying to reach the family of Martin Anderson, as well as many of the lawyers, defense attorneys who represent the guards, as well as the nurse in this matter.

Let's remind our viewers that there were two autopsies in this case. The first one found that, in fact, Martin Anderson died of natural causes and had complications from sickle cell -- a sickle cell trait. However, a second autopsy was ordered, and that autopsy blamed the -- his death on suffocation, suffocation due to the actions of the guards, specifically by forcing smelling salts up the youngster's nose.

Now, the original medical examiner in this case denies that -- that his first finding of a natural cause of death was inaccurate or was wrong. So many people are saying at this point, Tony, that when this goes to trial, this case could wind up being "a battle of the coroners."

HARRIS: It sounds like it. Susan Candiotti for us.

Susan, thank you.

COLLINS: President Bush traveling around the world and shoring up alliances. Right now, the president is in Latvia for a NATO summit. He is asking allies to commit more troops to Afghanistan. The main focus this week, Iraq, and his meeting with that country's prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tomorrow I'm going to travel to Jordan, where I will meet with the prime minister of Iraq. We will discuss the situation on the ground in this country, our ongoing efforts to transfer more responsibility to the Iraqi security forces and the responsibility of the over nations in the region to support the security and stability of Iraq.

We'll continue to be flexible. And we'll make the changes necessary to succeed. But there's one thing I'm not going to do. I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The carnage in Iraq, the military says expect the killings to escalate in the coming days. This was the scene this morning outside a busy Baghdad hospital. Police say two car bombs exploded, killing at least four people.

To the North, in Kirkuk, police say the provincial governor survived a suicide car bomb attack. Eighteen people were wounded. A U.S. military spokesman says civilian casualties have spiked dramatically in Baghdad following last week's bloodshed in Sadr City. It was the single deadliest sectarian attack of the war.

Bringing home the troops. Britain says it plans to withdraw forces from Iraq by the end of next year. Its defense secretary would not give a specific number of troops but said it would likely be in the thousands. Any withdrawal depending on conditions on the ground.

Britain has about 7,000 troops in Iraq. Most are in the south in Basra. That is Iraq's second largest city.

HARRIS: "When Faiths Collide." Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey under heavy guard. The pontiff is making his first visit to a Muslim country, and he is being met with high tensions.

He made a controversial speech, you may remember, in September, one that angered Muslims worldwide. Turkey has launched massive security operations to protect the pontiff. Turkey's prime minister says the pope reassured him today he views Islam as a peaceful religion.

"When Faiths Collide." Anderson Cooper is live in Turkey with Pope Benedict's first day and Muslim reaction. A special edition of "AC 360" tonight live from Turkey. That's at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

We're tracking developments this morning in the deadly Missouri group home fire.

CNN's Jonathan Freed reports from the small town of Anderson, Missouri, where 10 people lost their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. on Monday, shocking neighbors and passersby with its intensity. The building was the Anderson Guest House, a group home for the elderly and mentally ill. Thirty-four people were inside when it started, including two staff members on the overnight shift.

Steven Spears lives next door and says he saw flames erupt from the building.

STEVEN SPEARS, NEIGHBOR: It was just a big rush of fire, enough to either blow out the door or open the door in front.

FREED (on camera): Did you hear an explosion of any kind?

SPEARS: No sound whatsoever.

FREED (voice over): State police say firefighters pulled more than a dozen people out of the burning building. Eighteen were taken to area hospitals, six were treated at the scene.

GOV. MATT BLUNT (R), MISSOURI: We're not ruling out a criminal investigation, and indeed, we're treating this as if it were a crime scene. We're not saying it's definitely a crime scene, but we're treating it as if it is and trying to determine if the fire was set by somebody that had a nefarious motive.

FREED: Anderson, Missouri, is about half an hour south of Joplin. And in a town of 1,800 people, a fire this big and deadly will stay with you for a while.

Betty Wood lives across the street.

BETTY WOOD, NEIGHBOR: I can see the building that this happened. It was totally engulfed in flames. And you could hear screaming. It was horrible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Oh boy.

Jonathan Freed joins us from Anderson, Missouri.

And Jonathan, I understand that the authorities are beginning to release a little bit of information about the victims.

FREED: That's right, Tony. We know that they have now released the names of eight of the 10 people who died. The remaining two, they're still having difficulty contacting the families of those people, in part because the records were destroyed in the fire. And they said that these people have been here so long, that it's difficult to keep track of where their next of kin are.

We do know that the two caregivers that were involved were actually a married couple, teenagers. The husband was killed in the fire and his wife is in the hospital.

That's the latest we have from investigators.

HARRIS: OK.

Jonathan Freed for us in Anderson, Missouri.

Jonathan, thank you.

COLLINS: The FBI opening its own investigation in Atlanta, looking into the death of an 88-year-old grandmother. She died in a shootout with police during a raid on her home. Narcotics officers say an informant told them the house was a drug den. That informant telling a different story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Had you ever in your years as an informant for the Atlanta Police Department, had you ever made a buy at 933 Neal Street?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Had you ever in your years as an informant for APD ever even been to 933 Neal Street?

No.

I'm telling you all the story. I never went in the house. I'm telling them, I never went in the house. The police can't make me say I went in the house.

CHIEF RICHARD PENNINGTON, ATLANTA POLICE: According to the informant, after we brought the informant in, interviewed that informant, he told us that he had no knowledge of going into that house and purchasing drugs. That's what he told us.

I don't know if he went in or not. We don't know if he's telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The Atlanta police chief says the informant is being kept in protective custody. He will be interviewed by federal investigators.

HARRIS: A new twist in a spy mystery. Questions about the poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko. Could it be a mob hit?

That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: One hundred forty-two inches of fresh snow, it looks like this. In just a week, the lure of one ski resort. Of course, getting there, though, might be a problem. The Northwest in white.

HARRIS: And bridging the religious divide, sometimes it's a matter of faith. Practicing what they teach in a new book. We'll talk with the authors in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Londoners on alert, afraid of Polonium poisoning after the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

CNN's Paula Newton takes a closer look at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alexander Litvinenko, a top Russian spy, fled to England in 2000 and became both a valuable informant to British foreign intelligence and a fierce critic of the Russian government. Is that what got him killed?

It was November 1st in central London when Litvinenko went to the Millennium Hotel to meet a fellow ex-spy to go over evidence he believed tied the Kremlin to the 1999 apartment bombings that killed more than 300 people in Russia, an attack that the government blamed on Chechen rebels.

And there was the more recent murder of a prominent Russian journalist who accused the government of torture. And maybe most crucially, the alleged dirty money being siphoned from Russian's oil industry by government officials.

But there was another Russian man at the meeting, someone that Litvinenko didn't know and wasn't expecting. Who was he? And why had he been invited to the meeting? Litvinenko never got a chance to say.

(on camera): Litvinenko told friends he thought it was a strange meeting but really didn't give it any more thought. He was already late for an appointment at a Japanese restaurant, where he was meeting an Italian spy catcher for lunch.

At the Itsu sushi bar, that spy catcher, Mario Scaramella, desperately tried to warn Litvinenko that his name was on a hit list, circulated by a top Russian mob ring.

Litvinenko told his friend it just couldn't be true. He couldn't figure out why the Russian mob would be after him. He had always believed it was the Russian government that was after him.

And then, within hours, Litvinenko fell violently ill. At the time, they didn't know the culprit was polonium, one of the rarest radioactive elements on earth.

DR. ANDREA SELLA, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON: It's highly radioactive so you really don't need very much. And spiking someone's drink or adding it to somebody's food. And that would probably be sufficient, if you got the dose exactly right, to cause an extremely painful, lingering death.

NEWTON: After days of trying to figure out the problem, Litvinenko was finally checked into this London hospital, gravely ill, still conscious and not having a clue what was wrong with him. The doctors ran through countless possibilities.

(on camera): But no matter the tests they ran here or the cures they tried, it was already too late for Litvinenko. His organs were shutting down, his body surrendering to the poison, but not his mind. To his last breath, he fingered the Kremlin for his murder.

(voice-over): Litvinenko insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered him killed to silence him and named a Russian special agent, Viktor Kirov (ph), as the man who had targeted him.

Scotland Yard found Litvinenko's north London home contaminated with polonium. The Millennium Hotel, buildings close to it and the Japanese restaurant are also contaminated. And now three people are being observed for radioactive poisoning. Hundreds more have called health authorities here, worried about exposure.

Polonium is no longer just a murder weapon here. The fear on the streets of London shows that it can also be a weapon of terror. Litvinenko's friends say that's why everyone should worry about this case.

ALEX GOLDFARB, LITVINENKO'S FRIEND: The Russia is drifting over the past six years to a state when it will become a menace to the rest of the world, and this affair is a symptom of it.

NEWTON: Russian president Vladimir Putin denies his government is involved. For some people, this spy thriller has become as frightening as it is mysterious.

Paula Newton, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: For his part, British prime minister Tony Blair says he doesn't want diplomatic or political barriers getting in the way of the investigation. He says he will talk personally with Russian president Vladimir Putin if he has to.

COLLINS: The frozen tundra, not Lambeau Field, though the Packers were playing, but Seattle. Seattle? Just one snowy scene in the wet West.

Our Chad Myers takes a closer look.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Want to get to you T.J. Holmes in the NEWSROOM right now. He is following a developing story.

This is a house explosion. Is it in Akron, Ohio, T.J.?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Akron, Ohio, and it feels like deja vu. We were just covering a story yesterday of a house explosion in Pennsylvania. But we've got live pictures here to show you as well.

Another house explosion is being reported by our local affiliate there. A wider shot here. Hopefully we'll get this helicopter to get some closer pictures of the actual scene.

But -- well, we're just losing that signal. We're going to try to get some pictures back here for you. But there you go.

I don't think these are live, but the affiliate, WWS, now reporting that some roofers were actually working next door to this house when the explosion happened and the house caught on fire. They said a man, according to our local affiliate, came running out of the house, actually on fire and yelling for someone to call 911.

There was an explosion a short time after, and now authorities are on the scene, as you can see here from the new video that we have, trying to get the fire out. Also, part of this home has apparently collapsed, according to the police.

But again, it looks like right now just one possible injury, which was the man, again, reportedly that came running out of the house on fire himself being the one possible injury. Also, East Ohio Gas, the gas company there, is heading to the scene, may be there now, trying to figure out if this was some kind of a gas explosion.

But again, it really seems like deja vu. We just did this yesterday with a home explosion in Pennsylvania where four people were injured. And now here we go with another one here now in Akron, Ohio. But it looks like no one else was injured in thing, but we're going to keep an eye on it, possibly get you an update on this in just a little bit -- guys.

HARRIS: OK. T.J., appreciate it.

Thank you.

COLLINS: Treating arthritis in children. Could an adult drug be the answer? A look at Celebrex, safety and kids. We check in with our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: An adult drug with big safety concerns, should it be used to treat the littlest patients? Our CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at Celebrex and the push to approve it for children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can be notoriously difficult to treat. That's why there is some excitement potentially about Celebrex being a new drug in the armamentarium to treat it.

Pfizer, the company that actually makes the drug Celebrex, conducted a clinical trial looking specifically at the safety and the effectiveness of Celebrex compared to some of the other drugs that are more commonly prescribed for arthritis, such as Napersan or Aleve. And they found that it was just as safe and effective as some of those other medications out there.

They're not planning on marketing it at this time, but they did release this statement specifically, Pfizer did, saying that they want "... to make these data available to physicians and to patients." They're not limiting their "... ongoing discussions with the FDA to a more formal indication, and are open to any label changes that the agency thinks will best benefit this patient population."

Now, what's interesting is that it comes only in the pill form right now. In the clinical trial, Celebrex was actually given in a liquid form, which is easier for children. It is not available that way to the mass public right now, but it could become that way if in fact approved by the FDA.

A lot of people hear about Celebrex and they immediately think about the side-effects. It has been a medication that's been around since 1998. And more side-effects have been found, including some of these: increased risk for cardiovascular risks, serious stomach bleeding, liver damage and kidney problems, as well.

Many ask, well, why consider approving this medication for children. A couple of reasons.

One is that all of the anti-inflammatories now carry these same risks and the same warnings about these risks. Also, as far as the cardiovascular risks go, that might be something more contained to the adult population. Children may not be as susceptible to those heart risks.

And finally, because this is such a difficult -- difficult disease to treat, notoriously difficult, adding another medication could offer a lot of hope to children and the parents of children out there, of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. There are going to be some ongoing hearings about this. The FDA is going to have hearings tomorrow, Wednesday, to decide whether or not they're going to recommend approval for this.

We'll certainly keep you posted on all those details as they become available.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You can find the latest medical news there, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address, cnn.com/health.

HARRIS: Bridging the religious divide, sometimes it's a matter of faith. Practicing what they teach in a new book. We will talk with the authors in the NEWSROOM.

And Bond, back on top, asking critics the big question today, how do you like me now? A closer look in the -- look out!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The pope in Turkey, seeking an ongoing dialogue with Muslims after his controversial comments about Islam. Many say dialogue is the first step toward religious tolerance and understanding. It's also the message of "The Faith Club," the book you see there. Co-authors Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner are from three different faiths, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

They are joining us now. Thanks, ladies, for being with us. It's a fascinating book with a terrific undertone. And, I believe that you believe at least Ronnie, if start with you, that all three of these faiths have the same God.

RANYA IDLIBY, CO-AUTHOR, "THE FAITH CLUB": Absolutely. You know, I came to The Faith Club out of a deep sense of isolation and alienation about the public voice of Islam, the most dominant voice of Islam. And it didn't take me longing to delve into my religion and just find the universal truth and the beauty within it. The fact that Muslims see their religion as the third of the first (INAUDIBLE). The fact that we believe in the virgin birth, we believe in the gospels of (INAUDIBLE) that came down from the skies to save the Israelites. My dialogue was essentially, you know I see it as being a micro-model for the world because my experience was about the need for my Jewish and my Christian friends, the two mothers, to affirm my feelings and to give me recognition as part of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

COLLINS: Well, how did this all come about? Suzanne, let me ask you that question. How did you get together and meet these other women and then decide ultimately that you wanted to write a book about it because it was important enough?

SUZANNE OLIVER, CO-AUTHOR, "THE FAITH CLUB": I met Ranya at the school bus stop. Our daughters started kindergarten together in the fall of 2001 at a time when a lot of New Yorkers and a lot of Americans were interested in finding out more about Islam. And Ranya came to me talking about the one God that we all worship. About Islam tracing its roots to Abraham like Judaism and Christianity.

And with the story of this beautiful miracle that really showed Islam's affirming Judaism and Christianity. And so, I was excited to join her project, which started as a children's book, to spread a message of peace at a time when the differences and misunderstandings within our religions were fueling a lot of the violence that we still see, unfortunately today.

COLLINS: Right, right. Priscilla, tell me, in fact, what is the biggest obstacle that the three religions face.

PRISCILLA WARNER, CO-AUTHOR, "THE FAITH CLUB": I think the fact that people see things in black and white. That they want things to be very clear and from the outset, we saw that there were, once you start talking -- there are a lot of shades of gray. Once we began to embrace those shades of gray, you really start to see the colors forming and the similarities shaping. But people seem to want certitude and in our little faith club, there was a lot of doubt and a lot of pain. And it wasn't an easy journey but in the end, it was well worth it.

COLLINS: And in this time of increased violence, especially over the last couple of days in Iraq in particular, we're looking at the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the history of Christianity as well. There has been a lot of violence. What do you do about extremists of religion? Ranya?

IDLIBY: I think it's very important to recognize that whenever religion is used as a tactic of war or justify a promise of holy land, it is no longer a religion, but everything to do with the human ideology. And unfortunately, no religion is immune historically to the abuse of a suffering it has been put through through our human hands. And to just, I think, as a Muslim, I really sort of urge the world to recognize that those are minority and that's politics and that's very different from what the faith is and what 1.6 billion Muslims around the world choose to stay within the faith tradition because they revere the prophet as a man of peace.

COLLINS: Suzanne, if you had to rate the way that these three faiths in particular get along and understand each other right now, today, on a scale from one to ten, what would you say?

OLIVER: On an individual level perhaps it's much better than it is on a I suppose, on a macro level. I think we shouldn't put all of our expectations into people like the pope. I think that it's important for to us have a grassroots dialogue, so that we can see that there are things that unite us -- the one God, that we should all love God and love our fellow man, are more important than the things that unite us. So, certainly, if faith clubs start across the country like we hope, we'll get a better score than if they don't.

COLLINS: Priscilla, are you getting evidence of that? Are there people trying to learn, at least to your knowledge, more about other faiths?

WARNER: Absolutely. We are so humbled and grateful for all the people we've been around the country and people come to us and they pour their hearts out. There's a hunger and thirst to this have dialogue and to have this kind of understanding. Someone said to us, you're preaching to the choir. We said, well, the choir is not singing loud enough. We know there are voices out there who want to start talking.

COLLINS: Well, we also know that Pope Benedict XVI is in Turkey. This is a 99 percent Muslim population in that country. But the reason he went there, we must say, is because of sort of a moment to try to repair some relationships or some misunderstandings that occurred after a speech he gave in Germany. Is this a good idea, Ranya?

IDLIBY: I think it's wonderful idea. As long as we can, perhaps, keep this much-needed dialogue to 21st Century issues, issues that are relevant to the fact that Muslims are a reality in Europe and America and beyond. And that there are issues of assimilation, of perhaps a threatened culture. On the other end of the formula and that, you know, together we can work this out. And that through the dialogue and remaining open to the idea that really Muslims want to celebrate their connections to the Judeo-Christian tradition. They see themselves as believing in the same God.

By being open to that, I think we'll be, through our experience in the faith club, as we've discovered, of course, that our humanity and what unites us, is much bigger than what divides us. And that's something to keep in mind. And you can only get there through addressing the divisive issues, we're not saying let's just highlight those good wonderful common issues. By going through the divisive issues, we recognize that essentially most of these issues are about misconceptions or about minorities using religion in a way that we all abhor and would like to remove from their hands.

COLLINS: Well, I certainly hope people will take the opportunity to read your book. It is called "The Faith Club." And to the three of you, Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner, we appreciate your time here very much.

OLIVER: Thanks so much for having us.

WARNER: Thank you.

IDLIBY: Thank you.

COLLINS: "When Faiths Collide," Anderson Cooper is in Turkey with Pope Benedict's first day and Muslim reaction. A special edition of "AC360," tonight live from Turkey, 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific here on CNN.

HARRIS: Soldiers in the shadows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've had to face public opinion, I've had to face disownment from my father. He told me I was dead to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: AWOL in Canada. That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: They didn't ship out, they got out. U.S. military deserters headed for the border instead of heading for Iraq.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez talks with three of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vancouver, British Columbia. Somewhere in this city of two million people, American servicemen live in the shadows, soldiers on the run from a war they won't fight and the United States, which they swore to protect.

A world away, in a dark Vancouver basement, Sara Byorknis (ph), a librarian, reaches out across cyberspace to young soldiers seeking refuge in Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They Googled AWOL, and our contact information came up.

GUTIERREZ: Private Smith from Texas, Specialist Michael Hansen (ph) from Minnesota, and PFC Alonzo Lewis (ph) from Florida. These three young deserters are typical of the hundreds who have made their way to Canada, aided by a network of lawyers, college instructors, even Vietnam-era defector, who gave them advice as they left the United States, and are now helping them to try and stay in Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our newest arrival.

GUTIERREZ: This is Private Smith. He asked us not to reveal his real name, because he fled an elite Army unit and entered Canada illegally, on foot, carrying a backpack and a phone number for the war resistance movement tucked into his sock.

(on camera): Was it tough to make that decision?

PRIVATE SMITH, U.S. ARMY DESERTER: Well, the decision was made overnight.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Overnight, because, at 19, Private Smith, a medic, was facing his second tour of duty in Iraq.

SMITH: I have seen what a bullet can do to a man. I have seen what a bomb can do to a person. I remember talking to my mom on the phone. And I said: "Mama, I -- -- I can't do this anymore. I can't fight anymore. I can't go to that war again."

GUTIERREZ: It was a decision that would cost him dearly. Once across the border, Private Smith called the Canadian war resisters from a pay phone. A voice at the other end of the line sent him to Elsie (ph) and Karen Dean, who have given him a place to stay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a piece of every mother that wants to believe, if her son made this decision, there would be another woman someplace in the world who would take them in.

GUTIERREZ: Michael Hansen (ph), once a radio operator in Iraq, is now an American refugee in Canada. The hardest thing is the loneliness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are times when I miss my family. It is tough, knowing that there's a chance that I might not be able to go home.

GUTIERREZ: Alonzo Lewis (ph) knows that isolation. He comes from a military family in the South. He hasn't talked to his parents since he left. Lewis (ph) cannot legally work in Canada, so he has to rely on Valerie (ph) and Yevon Raul (ph) to feed and shelter him. It is a fragile existence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people are afraid that some -- maybe the government will come and -- come to Canada, get them, and take them back.

GUTIERREZ: Even though there may be U.S. warrants out for their arrest, Canadians can legally harbor American deserters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're talking about a process of caring, one person at a time, and trying to help and save one person at a time.

GUTIERREZ: Activists are also trying to change Canada's immigration laws. BILL SIKSAY, CANADIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The folks who are coming here now, the resistors who are coming here now, face a very difficult situation, in terms of gaining legal status.

GUTIERREZ: Deserters must claim they're political refugees from the United States. And no deserter from the war in Iraq has been granted that status so far.

(on camera): Organizers with the war resistance movement here in Canada say, 30 Americans have already applied for refugee status to remain here in this country. And no one knows for sure just how many more are living underground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to keep you guys safe.

GUTIERREZ: Activists Robert Ages and Valerie Lannon (ph) estimate, several hundred deserters are living in Canada illegally, people they say they feel bound to help.

(on camera): You don't think you're doing anything wrong?

ROBERT AGES, CANADIAN CITIZEN: I think we're doing the most moral thing anyone could do.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Private Smith says leaving the military was the most courageous thing he has done in his life.

SMITH: I have had to face adversity. I have had to face public opinion. I have had to face disownment from my father. He told me I was dead to him.

GUTIERREZ: What hurts the most, he's no longer allowed to see his little brother.

SMITH: I have lost pretty much like half of my family. They won't speak to me anymore. And I could care less what anybody thinks. I know what I'm doing is right here.

GUTIERREZ: They say they joined the military as teenagers, and left as men, walking away from everything they had ever known and ever loved.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Vancouver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: While Private Smith did not return for his second tour of duty, many others have, and then some. It's been reported one- fifth of the Army's active duty troops have served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

COLLINS: A big surprise in the warehouse. Oh, deer. When bucks go wild. Pictures and answers in the NEWSROOM. Don't miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: One of the hot items out there for Christmas is this Playstation 3. Unfortunately, so many people clamoring for it, there has been violence. You may remember a shooting regarding a Playstation 3 in Connecticut.

Our T.J. Holmes is in the NEWSROOM now with some new information about that.

T.J., what's happened?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we know now is that two people have been charged in that shooting of a guy who was standing in line, those long lines that we're seeing, waiting to get a Playstation 3. This again, like said, was in Connecticut. It was last week, on the 17th, I guess about a week and a half or so ago. But everybody was lined up there.

And as you know, these Playstation 3s cost you $500, $600, $700- plus. A lot of people stand in the lines, long liens, overnight and whatnot. So what happened, according to police, two guys come up with the idea that they're going to rob everybody standing in the line. They asked everybody to throw their money and items and their items, their jewelry and whatnot into a bag or on the ground so they could collect. And one guy in line said he had $2,500 on him. He wasn't giving it up. He ended up being shot by these suspects, and now the two guys have been arrested, one, 20-year-old William Robertson (ph), another Andrew Pattenod (ph), a 17-year-old, both been arrested, charged with criminal attempted murder and first-degree robbery, among other things.

The guy who was shot, who was standing in line trying to get his Playstation, a 21-year-old Michael Pincala (ph), injuries not life- threatening, according to authorities. He is still recovering.

But right now, one of those ugly incidents we saw. We saw some people getting trampled over, some pushing, some shoving, a little fighting. But this was the actual one shooting we saw after people going after these Playstation 3s, so arrests have made been in that case -- Guys?

COLLINS: Pathetic.

T.J., thanks for the update.

HARRIS: You are back in the NEWSROOM an hour or so from now, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: A little over an hour.

HARRIS: Don Lemon here.

LEMON: How are you? Did you guys have a good Thanksgiving?

HARRIS: Absolutely.

LEMON: Did you eat too much? HARRIS: Of course.

LEMON: As we all did.

COLLINS: I never eat on Thanksgiving.

LEMON: All right. Let's talk about what's coming up today at 1:00.

First we go to Turkey where the pope's visit is just part of the story. Beyond this week's collision of Catholicism versus Islam, there deeper struggles within Turkey between its staunchly secular government and a growing Muslim identity.

CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Istanbul for his special edition of "AC 360." He will join us live with a preview.

And here is a story that has all of us talking. Look at that. We're not sure how much it costs to, get this, park your car in Harvard Yard. You know what I mean. Would you cough up a quarter mil to leave your wheels in the back bay? That's right, 250,000 today's buy a parking space.

COLLINS: How much per square inch do you think that is?

LEMON: A lot.

COLLINS: Do that math.

LEMON: I can't do the math. That's why I'm a reporter.

COLLINS: We know you'll have it by 1:00, though.

LEMON: I will tell you exactly at 1:00. That's a lot of cash.

Not even New York City, one of the most expensive cities, can you do that.

All that coming up at 1:00, join Kyra and me in the NEWSROOM.

Good to see you guys.

COLLINS: Great. Thank you, Don.

Bond, James Bond. Back on top, asking critics the big question, how you like me now? A closer look in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Deer across America on the run. Take this guy, startled by hunters on the opening day of the season, he startled workers in a Pennsylvania warehouse where he ran for cover. The six- point buck pretty much ransacked the place. He's got all those points sticking out. He can't help it.

HARRIS: Yes, that's what they do. COLLINS: Well, he's just little, though.

Workers finally turned out the lights and opened the door. The deer saw the light and found his way out.

HARRIS: What a concept -- open the door.

COLLINS: Meanwhile, the new James Bond, buff, blond, blue eyed. You know, I never really did have a problem with him. But anyway, a box office smash, in fact.

HARRIS: A lot of folks did.

COLLINS: What's there to have a problem with?

HARRIS: Well, OK.

COLLINS: Exactly.

HARRIS: OK, I'm sorry. That's a little gratuitous right there.

CNN's Jeanne Moos shakes things up and stirs a new 007 debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We just wanted to say, sorry, James. Sorry for all those cheap shots. For making you seem like a wimp when they first introduced you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: James Bond, wearing a life jacket? Give me a break!

MOOS: We tittered when your tooth got knocked out doing a stunt. We compared Sean Connery's manly furry chest to yours.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We also are hearing that he has shaved his chest.

MOOS: Well, puff up that hairless chest, Daniel Craig. Here's what they are saying now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a great body. I love it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His whole persona was just wonderful.

MOOS: Naysayers repent. "Casino Royale" is the No. 1 movie in the world. The critics are raving, and so are moviegoers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen every single one. This is the best Bond ever.

MOOS: Even hard-bitten reporters seem smitten by the new Bond.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You weren't anxious about having to achieve a certain chiseled perfection. Which you do, by the way.

DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: Well, thank you.

MOOS: The scene featuring 007 frolicking in his blue swim suit has been compared to Ursula Andress coming ashore in her bikini. That was "Dr. No," but even men are saying yes to the new Bond.

A male critic for a British paper described the swimsuit scene as "so scorchingly hot I feel embarrassed watching it, even when alone."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy is more grittier. He's darker. He's more realistic.

MOOS: Sure, Sean Connery could drive a stick shift and still manage to eject a bad guy. And we must confess to making fun of Daniel Craig when we heard he didn't know how to handle the stick in his Aston Martin.

But now that the movie's out...

(on camera): Did he seem to know how to drive a stick shift?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, he did fine.

MOOS (voice-over): And that Web site called CraigNotBond, the one that morphed Daniel Craig's face into one of the Three Stooges? It's gone.

And so, in this age of apology for weightier transgressions...

MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry.

MOOS: ... we, too, need a license to grovel.

(on camera): We're sorry, Daniel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, Daniel. I'm very sorry that I doubted you. You are terrific.

MOOS: And hot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very hot.

MOOS (voice-over): He's gone from being called a girly boy with a girly gun to could be the best 007 yet.

(on camera): It's enough to make a guilt-ridden reporter eat her words. Or at least those rave reviews.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I like Sean Connery a lot.

HARRIS: You've got to love Sean Connery.

COLLINS: You can like him.

But you know, I think Daniel Craig's just fine. Obviously so does everybody else. No. 1 movie in the world. You heard it here.

HARRIS: When are you going to seeing it? You need to go see it. It's good. It's good. "From Russia With Love," not even close, "Goldfinger," not even close.

COLLINS: But you were disappointed with the female casting. After all that hype you gave right here on this show.

HARRIS: Loved Daniel Craig, loved this movie. The new Bond girl, not so much.

COLLINS: There you have it.

CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with next happening across the globe and here at home.

I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. We'll see you tomorrow, everybody.

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