Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Iraq: What Next?; Crash In California; Search For A Killer; The Fight For Iraq

Aired December 13, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here is what's on the rundown.

The riot act. Sources say that's what Vice President Cheney got on a recent trip to Saudi Arabia. We ask our guest about King Abdullah's not so veiled threat on Iraq.

COLLINS: Bodies in the woods. A serial killer stalks a small English town. Five women murdered this month.

HARRIS: And we're talking to NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He is out with an MVP all-star effort to slam dunk a deadly disease on this Wednesday, December 13th. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: From the war front to the home front, Iraq is in the spotlight and there is a lot going on. President Bush is at the Pentagon today getting input from the military's top brass as he works up a new strategy for Iraq. Also, a new warning from Saudi Arabia against a U.S. pullout from Iraq. Then this. Iraq's national security adviser says the Iraqi government has a plan that would put its security forces in control of Baghdad. And on the crucial issue of troop strength, a new report that the Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask for more ground troops to meet global challenges.

HARRIS: Details now on all these developments. Let's go live now to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

And, Jamie, it just seems to come down to this question of, what are you going to do? Is it more troops? Is it fewer troops? And then it's about the timing of it all.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. President Bush will be sitting down today at the Pentagon with both incoming Defense Secretary Robert Gates and outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and all the members of the Joint Chiefs to hear their views on the options ahead in Iraq. The big question on the table is whether President Bush should ignore the advice of the Iraq Study Group and some of his own military commanders and dispatch a significant number of additional troops to Iraq to try to secure the peace so that some sort of peace agreement could take hold.

Earlier today on CNN, a former top adviser to Donald Rumsfeld, who at one point said he thought the Iraq War was going to be a cake walk, said he thinks the number of troops should be doubled in Iraq for at least six months just to see how things were going. And then after that, he said, if it doesn't work, then maybe the U.S. should have a major reassessment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN ADELMAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, U.S. ARMS CONTROL AGENCY: I don't believe the president going to the Pentagon today is going to hear that kind of advice because the generals in the Pentagon are going to say, you know, steady as she goes. But that means, in essence, steady as she sinks. Because as the Iraqi report, study group shows, in the first sentence in the report is the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. I want a situation, a last chance. So that anybody looking at the situation six months from now says, the situation in Iraq is grave, but improving. And if we can't do that, we owe it to our troops, to these wonderful men and women who are out there serving us all. We owe it to our troops to just get out of there because we'll never win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: And a lot of what you hear from around the Pentagon and also some of these experts who have been advising President Bush is, that's really what the option comes down to, either go big or get out. That is not just a small number of additional troops, but a large number to try to give it a last chance to stabilize Iraq or begin this withdrawal of U.S. forces as quickly as possible. And that's one of the things that President Bush has got to really get his arms around and see what he wants to do.

HARRIS: Yes.

Hey, Jamie, back to Ken Adelman for a second. He is also pretty critical of some top generals, John Abizaid, George Casey come to mind. He says they should be replaced.

MCINTYRE: Well, you know, you hear that. You know, people say, for instance, that President Lincoln fired generals when they weren't getting the job done. But historians point out that those generals were in large part incompetent. General Abizaid, General Casey are very well respected, considered to be very good commanders who are dealing with a difficult situation.

Adelman argues, as some do, that they ought to change the commanders just to -- because they're not getting the job done. They're not getting the results, much like you would change a coach of a football team who's not winning. But also, don't forget that both of these generals will also be naturally rotating out of their jobs at some point. Probably Casey will leave sometime in the summer and be replaced by somebody else. But, you know, the feeling is here, it's not -- the problem isn't the generals. It's the policy overall and they really have to figure out what the strategy is.

HARRIS: Our senior pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, thank you.

COLLINS: Sunni versus Shia. A combustible mix in Iraq. And now a warning from a longtime U.S. ally could add fuel to the fire. A source says Saudi Arabia has warned Washington it might step in to the Iraq conflict if American troops pull out of Iraq.

We're told the Saudis indicated they may provide backing to fellow Sunni fighters in Iraq to prevent a massacre at the hands of the Shiite majority. A senior American official says Saudi's King Abdullah conveyed that message to Vice President Dick Cheney two weeks ago. That's when the vice president made a sudden visit to Riyadh.

A closer look now at Iraq's neighbors and how they split along sectarian lines. Most Muslims in Iran are Shiites. Sunnis are in the majority in Saudi Arabia, in Syria and in Jordan.

And Saudi Arabia is warning on Iraq, a major concern for the Bush White House. We will hear from a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. That's coming up right in the NEWSROOM in just a few minutes.

(AUDIO GAP)

Meanwhile, more bloodshed in the streets of Iraq. Nearly two dozen deaths are reported . . .

(AUDIO GAP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Los Angeles. But . . .

(AUDIO GAP)

And it's mean for only two lanes of traffic on the eastbound

(AUDIO GAP)

Eastbound side. Only -- well, two lanes of traffic are . . .

(AUDIO GAP)

WHITFIELD: News. That truck crashing into that center divider after having that impact with the two other vehicles.

HARRIS: Are you telling me we are looking at those pictures and no one was apparently injured so far that we know of?

WHITFIELD: Yes, no one was apparently injured.

HARRIS: Wow. That is something.

WHITFIELD: Good news.

HARRIS: OK. Fred, thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HARRIS: Conjuring memories of Jack the Ripper. Britain facing the prospect of another serial killer praying on prostitutes. CNN's Adrian Finighan joins us live now from London.

And, Adrian, good morning to you. What's the very latest?

ADRIAN FINIGHAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The very latest, Tony, is that five women are dead. Their naked bodies dumped in the countryside. A community in shock and a small county police force overwhelmed at the sheer scale of the inquiry now underway on its patch. It's a story that has gripped the nation. This sort of thing just doesn't happen here in the U.K.

It's receiving virtually 24-hour media coverage here, generating massive newspaper headlines. As you can see from this one today, from "The Daily Telegraph." One Sunday newspaper here in Britain is offering a reward of nearly $500,000 for information leading to the conviction of this killer or killers. It's even a murder inquiry that's made it as far as parliament. Prime Minister Tony Blair was asked about it today. The prime minister's questions, here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We support the police fully in dealing with the horror of this situation and also with the entirely understandable fear there is in the community. I'm sure the whole House of Commons would want to send its sympathy to the people of Ipswich, to the people of the county of Suffolk and most particularly, of course, to the family and friends of the victims. And I can assure, my honorable friend, we will do everything we can to support the police in the difficult and challenging work that they do and I have every confidence that they will perform their task well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FINIGHAN: So, Tony, three known prostitutes are dead. Two others are missing. Now yesterday, Tuesday evening, here in the U.K., the police found the bodies of two more naked women. The man in charge of this investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Gull, told me earlier today that although it's unlikely those two bodies will be identified at any time today, he's fast losing hope for those two missing women. And here's what he had to say about how the prostitutes themselves can help in this hunt for the killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF SUPT. STEWART GULL, SUFFOLK POLICE: I think the local working girls, the local prostitutes, perhaps unwittingly hold the keys to who's responsible for these deaths. So however insignificant they think the information is, they must contact Suffolk Police.

FINIGHAN: And what can the general public do? The fact that these bodies were found naked must mean that there's got to be clothing somewhere.

GULL: Yes, that's right. All five girls have been found in an open, rural environment striking similarities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FINIGHAN: And now as far as the people of Ipswich are concerned, well they're in shock that most ordinary of British towns which, until now, was most famous for perhaps for punching above its weight in terms of European football, is now making headlines, of course, for all the wrong reasons. Five bodies in 10 days. And it looks very much as though a serial killer is on the loose in this community.

Tony.

HARRIS: Hey, Adrian, you rightly mentioned this doesn't happen often, but we're certainly familiar with the Jack the Ripper case there and certainly the Yorkshire Ripper case. In those two cases, the victims were killed but their bodies were also mutilated. Have we had the coroners report back on these victims and any signs of mutilation?

FINIGHAN: We've had very little information, Tony, it has to be said. One of the victims we know was strangled. All of the victims were found naked. Police are particularly keen at the moment to hear from the public. They're looking for the clothing that those girls were wearing. They also need information from local prostitutes, sex workers, as to the last information, the last sightings that they have of those women alive so that they know exactly what the girls were wearing.

HARRIS: And essentially this is -- what you're telling us is, this is a very small town. Has it essentially shut down . . .

(AUDIO GAP)

FINIGHAN: Concern that something like this could happen on their streets. Young girls, for instance, are being . . .

(AUDIO GAP)

FINIGHAN: Parents or partners. People are being advised not to go out on the streets alone.

HARRIS: Yes. CNN's Adrian Finighan for us from London.

Adrian, appreciate it. Thank you. We'll continue to follow the search for the serial killer. One woman believed to be the latest victim gave an ominous interview just days before her disappearance. Hear her words still ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, Saudi Arabia's warning on Iraq. A major concern for the Bush White House. We'll hear from a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia live in the NEWSROOM.

And scouring a snowy mountain for three stranded climbers. The weather just won't cooperate. An update from Mount Hood in the NEWSROOM. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Saudi warning. Some might say threat. A source telling CNN, King Abdullah may back Iraq's Sunnis against majority Shiites. That's if U.S. troops pull out. A major headache for the Bush white house. With us from New York today, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Richard Murphy.

Ambassador Murphy, thanks for being with us.

This is not a surprise after all. I know that we haven't heard a whole lot in the press about Vice President Cheney's visit to Saudi Arabia. But this sort of relationship has been going on for a while. A deteriorating one, I should say, between Saudi Arabia and Shias.

RICHARD MURPHY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA: Well, there's an old concern on the part of the Sunni in the Arab world, but, if I might say, particularly among the conservative clergy in Saudi Arabia concerning the Shia. They don't regard them even as Muslims. They are heretics. They are dangerous. They are a threat to the faith. So that fight goes back well over 1,300 years.

COLLINS: So was there much surprise when we heard that if U.S. troops pull out, Saudi Arabia would essentially get into the war?

MURPHY: We had a clear warning very recently. A couple of days ago there was an appeal issued by Sunni clergy in Saudi Arabia for help to be presented to the Iraqi Sunni, whom they see threatened by massacres. So the surprise, as far as the American public is concerned, may be recorded -- it may have been recorded just in that brief few days.

COLLINS: Sure, because aren't we supposed to see Saudi Arabia as a strong ally to this country?

MURPHY: This has nothing to do with the Saudi/American alliance. What it has to do with is the Saudi concern that we will quickly evacuate Iraq and that the Shia majority will take revenge actions against the Sunni who dominated Iraqi politics and leadership, military, intelligence services over the years.

COLLINS: So this comes down to, does it not, major issue, as you say, that's been going on for years? An ancient old conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran overall because Saudi Arabia has a very genuine concern about how much influence and how much power Shiites in Iran will have over Iraq?

MURPHY: Well, it all emphasizes it was a lot easier to get into Iraq with the invasion than to get out in a way that doesn't further destabilize the situation there. You had another announcement, very troubling announcement, from the foreign ministers of the Arabian peninsula states just, again, two or three days back, that they were considering how to start nuclear energy programs. Again, concern Iran will get that weaponry and they will gain thereby extraordinary influence over developments in the peninsula.

COLLINS: What does the domino effect then become as well? If Saudi Arabia gets involved, what about the other neighbors? What about Jordan perhaps?

MURPHY: It's everybody's backyard. Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran. And they all have interests. They're all watching each other very closely that lest one get an undue advantage over the other. And it's going to take an extraordinarily skillful, wide-ranging regional diplomacy on America's part to cope with that. Which we cannot do . . .

COLLINS: How do you cope with that, Mr. Ambassador?

MURPHY: Well, the Iraq Study Group came up with one suggestion. A support group for developments in Iraq involving all of the region. Apparently the Saudis do not like the sound of that, so we'll have to crank that into our planning. They are nervous about giving Iran any more legitimacy or any more influence in Iraq. But they're all neighbors and they've all got their interests. They see them very much at stake in the present conflict in Iraq and concern that the country might shake itself into two or three separate pieces.

COLLINS: We know that President Bush has been on this listening tour. You mentioned the Iraq Study Group. There are other reports coming in and other studied that have been done to change course, to change strategy in Iraq. We are now hearing, as of yesterday, that the president will not make an address to the nation about his decisions concerning Iraq strategy until after the new year. Does this have anything to do with it, the situation with Saudi Arabia?

MURPHY: I'm sure it does. It's added a complication. It partially explains this rapid, publicized visit by Vice President Cheney to Saudi Arabia two weeks ago. What was actually discussed was not mentioned at all, but now we seem to see the contours of the type of discussion he must have had with King Abdullah.

COLLINS: Well, we will certainly wait to see more on this situation. Everyone watching what will take place in all of those areas around the country of Iraq.

Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Richard Murphy. Thanks for your insight.

MURPHY: OK.

HARRIS: Prince William and Prince Harry planning to honor their mother in a special way. That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

On the court, he could not be checked, as we'd say. Screened. Well, that's because, Heidi, he's 7'2". He was the screen. Now this NBA legend is preaching the importance of screening. Kareem Abdul- Jabbar raising awareness about prostate cancer, right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Critical weather worries in the search for three missing climbers in Oregon. Kelly James, Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke haven't been heard from since Sunday. Crews are hoping to get some help from heat-seeking unmanned aircraft. Plus, they're trying to track a cell phone signal. But more heavy snow and high winds are expected today on Mount Hood and that is hampering the search.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF PRICHER, HOOD RIVER COUNTY SEARCH & RESCUE: Their biggest danger is hypothermia, you know, and the weather. Same as ours. They're hunkered down and, you know, at some point, if we don't find them, that's, you know, the hypothermia takes over and we need to find them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Searchers are braving blizzard conditions and the threat of avalanches to search for the three climbers.

And, Chad Myers, I am amazed at the courage of the rescue teams.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly.

HARRIS: You see what I'm saying? Going up and trying to find these three men under these condition.

MYERS: Yes, they're putting themselves in danger to go get these guys.

HARRIS: Yes.

MYERS: Absolutely. Without a question.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Hey, you know what, Chad, we're going to get a live report from Mount Hood next hour because I know I want to see these conditions on the ground for myself. I know you do as well. So we'll give our viewers at home an opportunity to see just what it is these rescue teams are up against in terms of conditions.

MYERS: Today may be the only day they can get a live shot out of there too because it's just going to go -- it's going to be so bad from here.

HARRIS: OK. So we'll do that next hour. All right, Chad, thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Military option in Iraq. Top Pentagon brass laying them out today for President Bush. A preview in the NEWSROOM.

And the fight for the spotlight. Two superstars, one spot at the top. That story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK) COLLINS: They are the Democrats top political players looking forward the 2008 race for the White House. Lately, Senator Barack Obama has been center stage. Will he soon be upstaged by Senator Hillary Clinton?

CNN's Mary Snow takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sometimes, it takes a book tour. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is re-releasing "It Takes a Village" to mark its 10th anniversary. It contains a new introduction and a chance to draw some attention.

DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think the book tour will give Hillary Clinton an opportunity to garnish some of the news attention away from Barack Obama who basically has had the stage to himself since the 2006 midterms.

SNOW: That stage for Senator Obama has included a book tour of his own. On Monday, it even gained him a primetime appearance on "Monday Night Football" when he joked about his plans for 2008.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) ILLINOIS: So tonight, I'd like to put all the doubts to rest, I would like to announce to my hometown of Chicago and all of America that I am ready. For the Bears to go all the way, baby, da-da-da-da!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Barack Obama!

SNOW: Obama's appearance capped off a weekend in New Hampshire where he was greeted like a star. While he's been taking center stage, New York's junior senator has been working a different strategy, talking privately with Democrats from New Hampshire and Iowa, early deciding states of presidential races. On Monday though, she did talk publicly for the first time about those talks and her decision about whether to run in '08.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: And I'm talking to people who have opinions about what our country needs to do going forward. And whether or not I, you know, make any decisions about that, I won't, you know, really confront until after the first of the year.

SNOW: But will her timing change because of all of the attention given to Senator Obama? Some political observers say it's possible, but unlikely, since Senator Clinton is known for being meticulous.

STU ROTHENBERG, POLITICAL ANALYST: My guess, however, is that they're going to pretty much follow their schedule, their plan, in fact, I think it would be unwise for them to overreact to the early attention to Senator Obama.

SNOW (on camera): Political observers say Senator Clinton can afford to wait before jumping in the ring, because after her Senate re-election, she already has a staff, an organization and plenty of money, with about $14 million of cash on hand.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: They're the Democratic Party's two biggest stars. But the spotlight isn't big enough for the both of them. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, who will come out on top? Some insight from the beltway ahead next hour in the NEWSROOM.

Also, Prince William and Prince Harry planning to honor their mother in a special way. That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Prince William and Prince Harry, often seen but seldom heard. But now hear this, they've announced plans for a star-studded conference to honor their mother next year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: But to name a few, because we don't want to name everyone because we want to keep it a surprise. Sir Elton John, we've got the English National Ballet. Andrew Lloyd Webber is doing an exclusive sort of greatest hits bit. And then we've got Pearl Williams.

PRINCE HARRY, UNITED KINGDOM: Pearl Williams, and there's plenty more.

WILLIAM: Add a little flavor.

HARRY: A lot of flavor.

WILLIAM: But the idea is we wanted to get artists that our mother really loved. And then artists that both her and I enjoy. And then in the middle with the ballet and Andrew Lloyd Webber, obviously she loved her dancing and her musicals. So with that you've got sort of something different. It's not just any old concert. It's going to be different and it's going to be interesting. If it works, it will be brilliant. Then if it doesn't, then we'll be leaving the country.

QUESTION: Will we see you dancing?

WILLIAM: I really hope not.

HARRY: I hope so. Him, not me. I hope we can get a chance to see him dance.

WILLIAM: It would be a terrifying sight if we do.

HARRY: We should be on stage at some point. Probably the beginning of the night. Not towards the end.

WILLIAM: We're raising money for centerpoint (INAUDIBLE). And they are both charities that continue on from my mother's legacy. And also for the Diana Memorial fund and her five main charities that she was a patron of and had a great deal of interest in before she died.

QUESTION: OK, so if people want to get tickets to the concert or find out more, how do they go about do that?

WILLIAM: (INAUDIBLE)

HARRY: Or ring his mobile.

WILLIAM: And there's going to be a website set up. Concertfordiana.com. And you can go there to find out all you need to know about the concert.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: How about that, they're clowning. It's good stuff.

Tickets for the concert the two princes have organized -- sold out. They're gone. Sold out in a matter of minutes. Again it will take place in Wembley Stadium in London, that's next July.

COLLINS: Taco Bell reopening more restaurants in the northeast today. But the search goes on for the source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened dozens of people. The bacteria did not turn up in new tests of green onions, but still green onions will be absent from the almost 6,000 Taco Bells across the country.

(MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: So, how about this. Daredevil Evel Knievel, no fan of rapper Kanye West. Who knew?

(SINGING)

HARRIS: How about that. In the video, "touch the sky", you'll recall, West is cast as Evil Kanyevel trying to jump a motorcycle over a canyon. Knievel is suing West for playing off is name and likeness. He says the images in the sexually charged video damaged his reputation. In Knievel's words, quote "it's the most worthless piece of crap I have ever seen in my life."

On the court, this man could not be screened. He's 7'2. Again, Heidi, he was the screen.

COLLINS: He doesn't look 7'2 now.

HARRIS: He is 7'2 -- he was the screen. So the defenders couldn't get by to get to James Worthy and that little jump shot of his. Now this NBA legend preaches the importance of screening. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar raises awareness of prostate cancer right here in the NEWSROOM. Kareem is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How about this. An NBA legend lends his name to a life- saving cause. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is sending out invitations to a screening for prostate cancer. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, NBA HALL OF FAMER: Do it for yourself. Do it for the people who love you. The test can save your life by catching a problem before it becomes life threatening, so don't wait. A seat here could save your place everywhere else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins us now to talk about the importance of early screenings. Kareem, great to talk to you, sir. You hall of famer you. Great to have you with us.

ABDUL-JABBAR: Nice to be here. Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey Kareem, I guess the first question is the most obvious. How did you get involved in this effort? I understand it's a joint effort, the NBA is very much involved and has tapped you. How did you become involved?

ABDUL-JABBAR: Well, I had become involved -- in my family, we have the gene for colon cancer and it affected my father, my grandfather, and my uncle. And it's something that can be treated if you know about it early enough, it can be treated very effectively.

So I think it's important that all people take it upon themselves to go and get checked and make sure that we keep an eye on this problem before it gets to be something that you can't imagine.

HARRIS: Hey, so Kareem how do you move forward? What's the plan for awareness? It has to be more it seems to me than public service announcements.

ABDUL-JABBAR: Well, public service announcements can go a long way when you are reaching the people that you want to reach. So the NBA Cares figured that a lot of basketball fans are the people that should be involved in the screening process.

And we want to get the word out to all of our fans that screening for prostate cancer and colon-rectal exams can really make a difference in your life, make a difference in the quality of your life and enable you to deal with something before it becomes a problem.

HARRIS: Yes, Kareem, let's talk about prostate health for a moment here in a little more detail. I mean, in getting ready to take on this new role, no doubt you did some studying and you probably learned some things you didn't know already. But where do we begin? Is it with this PSA blood test or is it with the rectal exam?

ABDUL-JABBAR: Well, the blood test is usually the first step and it's very simply you give some blood and they can tell from there if you need to come back and see them again for more intensive exam.

It's a very simple thing. It doesn't take a lot of time and it really makes a difference. Too many people, especially in minority communities, too many people don't go to get tested until their health is so bad that they can't go to work.

HARRIS: Yes.

ABDUL-JABBAR: And then they go and get tested and find out that they have a problem, which if they had been able to deal with it early on would not have become something that may even be life threatening. So the earlier you detect these problems the easier it is to treat them.

And we have a very high success rate in treating these problems. It's not like there's no medicine out there to back up the treatment. The medicine and the medical knowledge involved here is very sophisticated. And it is doing a very good job in keeping this problem to a minimum.

HARRIS: Do you want to particularly get this word out about screening and awareness to African-American males, and isn't the truth here that black males are at greater risk for developing prostate cancer?

ABDUL-JABBAR: It seems that black males are at greater risk to developing prostate cancer. And getting tested can go a long way to eliminating any worry that you might have. If you have this problem or if you don't. It's just a very simple matter of going down and taking the blood test and finding out what's going on.

HARRIS: And at what age are we talking about that men should begin this testing program?

ABDUL-JABBAR: Men should begin in their late to -- their mid to late 30s. That's a good time to ...

HARRIS: Mid to late 30s?

ABDUL-JABBAR: Yes.

HARRIS: Mid to late 30s? That seems like --

ABDUL-JABBAR: Mid to late 30s.

HARRIS: Wow.

ABDUL-JABBAR: The earlier that you start, the easier it is to make sure that nothing ever develops and becomes a serious problem.

HARRIS: Kareem, thank you so much for your time. Thanks for taking on this role.

ABDUL-JABBAR: My pleasure.

HARRIS: We do so much appreciate it. Thanks for your time Kareem.

ABDUL-JABBAR: My pleasure.

COLLINS: Scouring a snowy mountain for three stranded climbers. The weather just won't cooperate. An update from Mt. Hood in the NEWSROOM.

And the vice president getting an earful on a recent trip to Riyadh. King Abdullah reportedly outlining a not so veiled threat on Iraq. We'll fill you in live from the White House.

But first, it's an insurgent code of conduct. New rules for Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. here about them in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Even insurgents must follow the rules. A new code of conduct, required reading for Taliban fighters. CNN's Anderson Cooper reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): This is what the Taliban looks like today. Young men signing up, lining up to become suicide bombers in their war against NATO forces.

When the Taliban ran Afghanistan as a fundamentalist state, it's leaders outlawed television as anti-Islamic. Now, they are putting out propaganda videos.

PROF. BARNETT RUBIN, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: This video is something which the Taliban have obviously learned from al Qaeda and from Iraq.

COOPER: This one isn't as sophisticated as most of the al Qaeda videos coming from Afghanistan. But pay attention to the number of men -- about 60 training together, praying together, then heading off to battle. A sign, said the U.S. military, the Taliban is better armed and better funded now than at any time since it was thrown out of power after 9/11.

Another sign, a new set of 30 rules of behavior, a code of conduct of sorts for Taliban commanders and recruits put out in the last several weeks by their leader Mullah Omar.

RUBIN: They were able to mount some very impressive offenses in the past year. Now that they have achieved a much higher level of organization, they are trying to re-establish the rules for that organization so that they can move on to the next level.

COOPER: The rules deal with recruitment and behavior. Rule one says, "A Taliban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so they that may convert to the true Islam."

There are rules against corruption, one against kidnapping for ransom, one against recruiting murderers, one even to prevent sexual abuse of young boys. All designed, says Rubin, to create a more professional Taliban.

But certainly not a kinder and gentler one. There are other rules that mandate the Taliban destroy government schools, like this one in eastern Afghanistan, and kill teachers who ignore their warnings to quit. Intimidation is working for the Taliban, says Rubin, in parts of Afghanistan.

RUBIN: My impression from talking to Afghans is that the success of the Taliban is not due to their popularity, it's due to their effectiveness. People in Afghanistan don't make political decisions by thinking which party do I support because of their program. They think, what can I do in order to survive. If they support the Taliban, they know that the Taliban will protect them.

COOPER: Winter is traditionally the time when fighting in Afghanistan winds down, but Barnett Rubin says all the signs, including the video and the new Taliban code of conduct point to even more intense fighting come springtime.

Anderson Cooper, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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