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CNN Live Saturday

"The Passion" Opens In Great Britain; Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon May Be In Legal Trouble;

Aired March 27, 2004 - 16:00   ET

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

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR : NASA is testing an experimental aircraft today. The X-43A will be launched aboard a Pegasus booster rocket from a B-52 bomber. Then the hydrogen powered scram (ph) jet engine is expected to kick in trying to reach Mach 7 or seven times the speed of sound.
Israel's Channel 2 television reports Israel's attorney general will consider indicting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The report says prosecutors have decided to recommend charges. An Israeli businessman is alleged to have paid Sharon nearly $700,000 in bribes to develop a Greek real estate project. It could be a month before the attorney general reaches a decision.

Cleared and released in France. Two men and a woman have been freed after police found nothing to connect them to a series of bomb threats against French trains. Police had worried the three were members of a shadowy terror group called AZF which has been trying to extort millions from the French government.

A Florida national guard soldier who refuses to go back to duty in Iraq now has a military legal matter on his hands. The judge advocate general's office says that it will court-martial staff sergeant Camilla Maea (ph) for desertion. Maea came home on two week's leave five months ago and openly refused to go back.

Off the coast of California, NASA scientists are getting ready for a major test of their experimental hypersonic airplane. You're about to see live pictures from thousands of feet above the Pacific Ocean, where a B-52 bomber will soon drop a Pegasus rocket carrying the X-43A aircraft. The smaller unmanned plane is capable of traveling at speeds of 5,000 miles per hour or seven times the speed of sound. Technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg joins us by phone to talk more about the potential of the high speed plane that makes the Concorde look like an airborne snail. Dan?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. That's right. This B-52 bomber took off about 3:40 Eastern time. Strapped under his right wing, you can just barely see it in this image right now is a modified Pegasus rocket. The B-52 will get to about 40,000 feet, release the Pegasus rocket, which will get up to about 100,000 feet and sort of almost like a slingshot shoot off the very front piece which is the X-43A. Now from this angle, you can't see it, but it's actually fairly small. It's dwarfed in comparison to this B-52. It's only about 12 feet long. It looks like a flying surf board. That's an image of it from some file footage that NASA's got. It looks like a flying surf board. The technology behind it - here we see an animation that NASA created. In a sense what happens is it's shot off from the front of this Pegasus, which will be going about Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. And the way this works, the X-43A is not carrying any fuel tanks. So how does it power itself? Well, it actually is what's called an air breathing vehicle. As it's shot off by that, the air rushes in, the oxygen rushes in so quickly that it turns the oxygen, combines it with some hydrogen and shoots it out with this thrust. But it has to be going extreMely fast for this happen. That's why they have to get up to this high altitude.

In the future, if this technology works, it could change the way aviation and spacecraft work. It could obviously shorten travel times for an airplane say traveling from New York to London. That could be done in under five hours. They do have to get through this test today. They failed a couple of years ago. We should point out this is an unmanned X-43A aircraft/spacecraft and it's a rather dangerous exercise. NASA's being very careful here. They wanted to make sure the conditions were right in California. It took off from Edwards Air Force base. They need to get out over the ocean first before they start this test and then there will be a lot of people holding their breath, waiting to see what happens, seeing if this X-43A can sustain itself, continues that over the ocean about a half hour from now they're hoping.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll all have our fingers crossed for that as it tries to reach that 40,000 feet before the Pegasus rocket then drops. Thanks a lot, Dan Sieberg, appreciate it.

Turning now to the Middle East, it's not violence that's making news there today, but potential legal trouble for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Jerusalem with details.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Israeli television network channel 2 is reporting this Saturday evening that prosecutors have decided to recommend to the attorney general that Ariel Sharon is indicted in bribery charges. They say that it's sufficient evidence to actually charge Ariel Sharon in a bribery case which has been going on for some time and which has been dubbed the Greek island affair.

Now the basic story is, David Apple (ph), an Israeli businessman, was charged back in January with trying to bribe Ariel Sharon. The allegations are that David Apple paid $690,000 to Ariel Sharon's son, Gilav (ph). He was trying to push through a tourism venture on a Greek island which never actually got built, but the allegation is he gave this money to the Sharon family so that Ariel Sharon and his deputy prime minister Ahoud Omed (ph), who at the time was mayor of Jerusalem, would meet with Greek government officials and try and fight Apple's cause.

Now in return, it's alleged that Apple would help the political campaigns of the two men. This is back in the late 1990s when Ariel Sharon was foreign minister. Ariel Sharon has denied any wrongdoing. In the past there is no comment though this evening from the justice ministry or the prime minister's office. They're not commenting at all.

We did speak to a legal expert a little earlier on and he did say to us that we mustn't overstate the significance of this until the attorney general decides whether or not to indict Sharon. We're expecting that could happen within about a month. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, indeed. It's still just a recommendation. Thanks very much, Paula Hancocks.

Well, back in the United States, it's been a week of controversial testimony before the commission probing the September 11th attacks. The Bush administration continues to defend itself against allegations it ignored terror threats. CNN's Dana Bash is near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where Mr. Bush is spending the weekend. Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, that and also the controversy continues over whether or not Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, will ever testify publicly before that commission. The White House is still maintaining the answer to that is no, that it is a matter of executive privilege, that an aide to the president not confirmed by the Senate should not have to give over information or advice that she tells the president to the public and do so under oath. But earlier today on CNN, a Republican member of the 9/11 commission said by standing on legal principle, the White House is shooting themselves in the foot politically.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN F. LEHMAN, (R) 9/11 COMMISSION: I think the White House is making a political blunder, an important miscalculation of the political impact of this. Condoleezza Rice should testify before our commission. I understand, and I believe they're on firm ground legally for withholding her, but they're making a big mistake. We spent four hours with her. She was very frank, very honest, very thorough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now Lehman also said that he thinks it's important for Rice to come forward publicly in order to combat the testimony that Richard Clarke gave last week, essentially saying that the president was not aggressive enough in fighting terrorism in the days and weeks and months leading up to September 11th. The White House is, however, still engaged in a counteroffensive against those charges to try to stop the political hemorrhaging. But a new poll from "Newsweek" suggests the hemorrhaging may have begun. When asked about the approval of the president in terms of terrorism and hoMeland security, it's down eight points from last month, now at 57 percent, while in February it was up at 65 percent.

Now the president has been running on the issue of his stewardship against terrorism. His tagline in his new political ads is steady leadership in times of change. So for now Mr. Bush's aides say they will continue to try to discredit Clarke because they know people are paying attention and they say they can't afford to let his charges go unanswered. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Dana, the economy is something president Bush and his challenger John Kerry have been touting all week. How did the president characterize the state of the economy in his radio address today?

BASH: Well, this is a two-day offensive, if you will, on the economy and it is really to try to make the point that there are good things happening in the economy, and the theme today in his radio address just like it was yesterday in two states in the southwest, is that home ownership is on the rise. Sixty eight percent of Americans own their own homes. That's the highest in American history and that is a good example, he says, of how the economy is doing better on his watch. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Dana Bash from Crawford, Texas, thanks very much.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry was quick to respond to president Bush's radio address. Kerry says the remarks show the president still quote, doesn't get it. A day after outlining his economic plan in Michigan, Kerry is in Missouri today. He met with small business owners in Kansas City to discuss his vision. Later today Kerry will attend a jobs rally with Missouri congressman and former rival on the campaign trial Dick Gephardt.

Kerry has also entered into the fray over charges the Bush administration ignored threats before the September 11th attacks. He challenged administration officials to prosecute the man making the allegations for perjury if they indeed, think that he lied. This week's testimony before the 9/11 commission has been particularly painful for those who lost loved ones in the attacks. CNN's Elaine Quijano met with some family members of the victims and she joins us from Washington with more. Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, on the one hand, this is what families wanted, a chance to publicly delve into what happened. At the same time though, the process brings back the pain they struggle every day to overcome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Some days Rosemary Dillard can't bear to step outside.

ROSEMARY DILLARD, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOW: And I lay there and I hold his picture and I talk to him because he was all I had.

QUIJANO: Her husband Eddie was on board American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. This week, Dillard tried to move closer to accepting her husband's death, by attending the September 11 commission hearings.

DILLARD: ...because, the answers to these questions, the answers to how this happened, we have all got to know.

QUIJANO: Abraham Scott knows that pain, too. His wife of 24 years, Janice, was working at the Pentagon that day.

ABRAHAM SCOTT, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOWER: She was a loving and kind wife, honorable mother, who fully support her children.

QUIJANO: Scott was also there, as U.S. officials past and present testified, but neither he nor Dillard was completely satisfied.

DILLARD: Just listening to some of the questions, you really got the feeling when the questions were answered, they were never answered.

QUIJANO: What the families did appreciate, the apology by former Bush counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke.

DILLARD: Yes. That was the most amazing thing. This man turns around and tells the families, I'm sorry. You know, your heart just dropped.

SCOTT: It meant that he was sincere. He was that I've heard of, the first one from that administration or any administration, to apologize for what occurred on 9/11.

QUIJANO: And while both are disappointed national security adviser Condoleezza Rice may not meet publicly with the commission, other victims' family members accept that.

CHERYL MCGUINESS, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOW: I think if she gives her testimony in private, behind closed doors, and gives it to the authorities, that I trust the system.

QUIJANO: Ultimately, families hope the commission's work will give them some peace.

DILLARD: I think it will kind of help soften the blow in my heart and I can say Eddie, I worked on this. Eddie, I got involved in everything. I can feel good about it. I can feel good about what I did in my husband's name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Rosemary Dillard plans to travel to Madrid to lend support to family members who lost loved ones there in the March 11th terrorist attacks. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano, thank you very much.

Well, it topped the box office for several weeks in the U.S. Now it's going worldwide. But will the British have any passion for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"? We'll have their reaction coming up.

But first the latest on another violent weekend in Iraq. Then at 4:30 eastern, 1:30 Pacific, tips on purchasing a car. How to get more bang for your buck. E-mail your questions to "dollar signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another bloody weekend in Iraq. Authorities say insurgents turned rockets and small arms fire on to Mosul's city hall today killing two Iraqis and wounding at least five, including some police. A roadside bomb went off in Baghdad's Karada (ph) district wounding five Iraqis. Guerrillas gunned down a police officer in Kirkuk last night and reportedly killed an Iraqi trucker transporting goods for Japanese troops today.

As ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein awaits trial for alleged crimes against his people, he now has high-powered legal representation. The former dictator's family has asked French lawyer Jacques Vergieux (ph) to defend him. Vergieux famous for defending terrorists and World War II Nazi Gestapo leader Claus Barbi (ph). Saddam Hussein is a U.S. prisoner in an undisclosed location.

Other news around the world now, on the southern tip of Thailand, more than two dozen people were wounded when a bomb on a motor bike was remotely detonated outside of a hotel near the Malaysian border. Police say there have been several attacks aimed at them recently but this is the first to target civilians.

In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian says he won't stand in the way of a recount. His re-election victory last weekend in the hotly contested race sparked massive protests. Chen, who won by 30,000 votes, has denied charges that he tried to rig the election.

In Brazil, they're bracing for a hurricane. The storm is only a category 1, but to see such a system so far south in the Atlantic is very rare, so rare, they don't even have a name for it. The hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight or tomorrow.

It caused controversy in America, and now it's making its way around the world. Hear what Britons have to say about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

And it could be history in the making. The first non- rocket to fly at hypersonic speed will be released at any moment and we'll bring that to you live. And coming up in less than a half hour from now, tips on buying a car. just e-mail your questions to "Dollar Signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is sparking both controversy and big ticket sales in the U.S. It opened last night in Great Britain. Our Jim Boulden samples the reaction of moviegoers there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Passion of the Christ" has been called powerful and inspirational, but also extremely violent and even anti-Semitic. Now it's a turn of audiences in Britain to add their voice to the worldwide choir of opinion. People we talked to seemed to like it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I knew that it was going to be wonderful thing to see, but it really exceeded my expectations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I was expecting a bit more kitsch and I think I saw something that was very realistic and very moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did like it, but it's a really, really hard one.

BOULDEN: Really hard one?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll think about it the whole weekend I think, yeah.

BOULDEN: Mel Gibson's film depicts the last twelve hours in the life of Christ. It's one of the most talked about religious films in years, especially in Britain where church attendance has been eroding for years. All 250 seats for this late Friday screening were sold to a local Christian charity.

DAVID WILSON, PASSION FITZROVIA CHARITY: I was absolutely delighted that such a thing is going to be shown, that people who just regularly go to the cinema on a Friday night will come here and be so deeply impacted by really the person and the teaching of Jesus.

BOULDEN: Though some groups continue to condemn the depiction of Jews in the film.

GREVILLE TANNER, WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS: I can only hope that the people who see it will understand that it was 2000 years ago, that it is the view of Mel Gibson and the people who interpret the Bible in that way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It didn't come across to me at least as particularly anti-Semitic compared to how the newspapers have said it. I think it was more, it came across more as against the Romans.

BOULDEN: Britain is the latest European market to get "The Passion." The film opens next week in France and Spain and in Russia soon after.

(on-camera): To some the film is more gore than glory. To others, the depiction of Christ dying for the sins of mankind is powerful indeed. Either way, Mel Gibson has created a film that continues to arouse the passion of film goers the world over. Jim Boulden, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Donald Trump is flying high thanks to his hit television show, "The Apprentice." But the city of New York is not thrilled about the Donald's efforts to promote it. Trump has draped one of his buildings with a huge banner that reads "you're fired," the famous phrase from his show. But he doesn't have a permit to hang the sign, so he could face a total of $10,000 in fines. Trump says the sign is a tourist attraction and that the big apple should appreciate it instead of fighting it.

Elsewhere across America, prosecutors in Olympia, Washington are holding this man and considering assault charges against him, saying he knowingly put multiple sex partners at risk of AIDS. Health officials are urging people who've had sex with Anthony Eugene Whitfield to contact them.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Thursday's fiery tanker crash may keep one of America's busiest highways closed in both directions for a week or longer. Engineers had to demolish a bridge on interstate 95 slicing the main artery between New York and Boston.

And throughout the nation, gasoline retailers report 200 to 300 percent increases in theft at the pump over the last two months as gas prices have climbed to record levels.

It's that time of year again. those income tax refund checks are rolling in and thousands of people are headed to car dealerships. They want to spend their cash. If you're looking to purchase a new car, you may want to stick around.

Up next in our "Dollar Signs" segment, we'll tell you how to get the most for your money. Just send us your questions at "Dollar Signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired March 27, 2004 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR : NASA is testing an experimental aircraft today. The X-43A will be launched aboard a Pegasus booster rocket from a B-52 bomber. Then the hydrogen powered scram (ph) jet engine is expected to kick in trying to reach Mach 7 or seven times the speed of sound.
Israel's Channel 2 television reports Israel's attorney general will consider indicting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The report says prosecutors have decided to recommend charges. An Israeli businessman is alleged to have paid Sharon nearly $700,000 in bribes to develop a Greek real estate project. It could be a month before the attorney general reaches a decision.

Cleared and released in France. Two men and a woman have been freed after police found nothing to connect them to a series of bomb threats against French trains. Police had worried the three were members of a shadowy terror group called AZF which has been trying to extort millions from the French government.

A Florida national guard soldier who refuses to go back to duty in Iraq now has a military legal matter on his hands. The judge advocate general's office says that it will court-martial staff sergeant Camilla Maea (ph) for desertion. Maea came home on two week's leave five months ago and openly refused to go back.

Off the coast of California, NASA scientists are getting ready for a major test of their experimental hypersonic airplane. You're about to see live pictures from thousands of feet above the Pacific Ocean, where a B-52 bomber will soon drop a Pegasus rocket carrying the X-43A aircraft. The smaller unmanned plane is capable of traveling at speeds of 5,000 miles per hour or seven times the speed of sound. Technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg joins us by phone to talk more about the potential of the high speed plane that makes the Concorde look like an airborne snail. Dan?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. That's right. This B-52 bomber took off about 3:40 Eastern time. Strapped under his right wing, you can just barely see it in this image right now is a modified Pegasus rocket. The B-52 will get to about 40,000 feet, release the Pegasus rocket, which will get up to about 100,000 feet and sort of almost like a slingshot shoot off the very front piece which is the X-43A. Now from this angle, you can't see it, but it's actually fairly small. It's dwarfed in comparison to this B-52. It's only about 12 feet long. It looks like a flying surf board. That's an image of it from some file footage that NASA's got. It looks like a flying surf board. The technology behind it - here we see an animation that NASA created. In a sense what happens is it's shot off from the front of this Pegasus, which will be going about Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. And the way this works, the X-43A is not carrying any fuel tanks. So how does it power itself? Well, it actually is what's called an air breathing vehicle. As it's shot off by that, the air rushes in, the oxygen rushes in so quickly that it turns the oxygen, combines it with some hydrogen and shoots it out with this thrust. But it has to be going extreMely fast for this happen. That's why they have to get up to this high altitude.

In the future, if this technology works, it could change the way aviation and spacecraft work. It could obviously shorten travel times for an airplane say traveling from New York to London. That could be done in under five hours. They do have to get through this test today. They failed a couple of years ago. We should point out this is an unmanned X-43A aircraft/spacecraft and it's a rather dangerous exercise. NASA's being very careful here. They wanted to make sure the conditions were right in California. It took off from Edwards Air Force base. They need to get out over the ocean first before they start this test and then there will be a lot of people holding their breath, waiting to see what happens, seeing if this X-43A can sustain itself, continues that over the ocean about a half hour from now they're hoping.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll all have our fingers crossed for that as it tries to reach that 40,000 feet before the Pegasus rocket then drops. Thanks a lot, Dan Sieberg, appreciate it.

Turning now to the Middle East, it's not violence that's making news there today, but potential legal trouble for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now from Jerusalem with details.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Israeli television network channel 2 is reporting this Saturday evening that prosecutors have decided to recommend to the attorney general that Ariel Sharon is indicted in bribery charges. They say that it's sufficient evidence to actually charge Ariel Sharon in a bribery case which has been going on for some time and which has been dubbed the Greek island affair.

Now the basic story is, David Apple (ph), an Israeli businessman, was charged back in January with trying to bribe Ariel Sharon. The allegations are that David Apple paid $690,000 to Ariel Sharon's son, Gilav (ph). He was trying to push through a tourism venture on a Greek island which never actually got built, but the allegation is he gave this money to the Sharon family so that Ariel Sharon and his deputy prime minister Ahoud Omed (ph), who at the time was mayor of Jerusalem, would meet with Greek government officials and try and fight Apple's cause.

Now in return, it's alleged that Apple would help the political campaigns of the two men. This is back in the late 1990s when Ariel Sharon was foreign minister. Ariel Sharon has denied any wrongdoing. In the past there is no comment though this evening from the justice ministry or the prime minister's office. They're not commenting at all.

We did speak to a legal expert a little earlier on and he did say to us that we mustn't overstate the significance of this until the attorney general decides whether or not to indict Sharon. We're expecting that could happen within about a month. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, indeed. It's still just a recommendation. Thanks very much, Paula Hancocks.

Well, back in the United States, it's been a week of controversial testimony before the commission probing the September 11th attacks. The Bush administration continues to defend itself against allegations it ignored terror threats. CNN's Dana Bash is near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where Mr. Bush is spending the weekend. Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, that and also the controversy continues over whether or not Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, will ever testify publicly before that commission. The White House is still maintaining the answer to that is no, that it is a matter of executive privilege, that an aide to the president not confirmed by the Senate should not have to give over information or advice that she tells the president to the public and do so under oath. But earlier today on CNN, a Republican member of the 9/11 commission said by standing on legal principle, the White House is shooting themselves in the foot politically.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN F. LEHMAN, (R) 9/11 COMMISSION: I think the White House is making a political blunder, an important miscalculation of the political impact of this. Condoleezza Rice should testify before our commission. I understand, and I believe they're on firm ground legally for withholding her, but they're making a big mistake. We spent four hours with her. She was very frank, very honest, very thorough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now Lehman also said that he thinks it's important for Rice to come forward publicly in order to combat the testimony that Richard Clarke gave last week, essentially saying that the president was not aggressive enough in fighting terrorism in the days and weeks and months leading up to September 11th. The White House is, however, still engaged in a counteroffensive against those charges to try to stop the political hemorrhaging. But a new poll from "Newsweek" suggests the hemorrhaging may have begun. When asked about the approval of the president in terms of terrorism and hoMeland security, it's down eight points from last month, now at 57 percent, while in February it was up at 65 percent.

Now the president has been running on the issue of his stewardship against terrorism. His tagline in his new political ads is steady leadership in times of change. So for now Mr. Bush's aides say they will continue to try to discredit Clarke because they know people are paying attention and they say they can't afford to let his charges go unanswered. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And Dana, the economy is something president Bush and his challenger John Kerry have been touting all week. How did the president characterize the state of the economy in his radio address today?

BASH: Well, this is a two-day offensive, if you will, on the economy and it is really to try to make the point that there are good things happening in the economy, and the theme today in his radio address just like it was yesterday in two states in the southwest, is that home ownership is on the rise. Sixty eight percent of Americans own their own homes. That's the highest in American history and that is a good example, he says, of how the economy is doing better on his watch. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Dana Bash from Crawford, Texas, thanks very much.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry was quick to respond to president Bush's radio address. Kerry says the remarks show the president still quote, doesn't get it. A day after outlining his economic plan in Michigan, Kerry is in Missouri today. He met with small business owners in Kansas City to discuss his vision. Later today Kerry will attend a jobs rally with Missouri congressman and former rival on the campaign trial Dick Gephardt.

Kerry has also entered into the fray over charges the Bush administration ignored threats before the September 11th attacks. He challenged administration officials to prosecute the man making the allegations for perjury if they indeed, think that he lied. This week's testimony before the 9/11 commission has been particularly painful for those who lost loved ones in the attacks. CNN's Elaine Quijano met with some family members of the victims and she joins us from Washington with more. Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, on the one hand, this is what families wanted, a chance to publicly delve into what happened. At the same time though, the process brings back the pain they struggle every day to overcome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Some days Rosemary Dillard can't bear to step outside.

ROSEMARY DILLARD, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOW: And I lay there and I hold his picture and I talk to him because he was all I had.

QUIJANO: Her husband Eddie was on board American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. This week, Dillard tried to move closer to accepting her husband's death, by attending the September 11 commission hearings.

DILLARD: ...because, the answers to these questions, the answers to how this happened, we have all got to know.

QUIJANO: Abraham Scott knows that pain, too. His wife of 24 years, Janice, was working at the Pentagon that day.

ABRAHAM SCOTT, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOWER: She was a loving and kind wife, honorable mother, who fully support her children.

QUIJANO: Scott was also there, as U.S. officials past and present testified, but neither he nor Dillard was completely satisfied.

DILLARD: Just listening to some of the questions, you really got the feeling when the questions were answered, they were never answered.

QUIJANO: What the families did appreciate, the apology by former Bush counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke.

DILLARD: Yes. That was the most amazing thing. This man turns around and tells the families, I'm sorry. You know, your heart just dropped.

SCOTT: It meant that he was sincere. He was that I've heard of, the first one from that administration or any administration, to apologize for what occurred on 9/11.

QUIJANO: And while both are disappointed national security adviser Condoleezza Rice may not meet publicly with the commission, other victims' family members accept that.

CHERYL MCGUINESS, SEPTEMBER 11 WIDOW: I think if she gives her testimony in private, behind closed doors, and gives it to the authorities, that I trust the system.

QUIJANO: Ultimately, families hope the commission's work will give them some peace.

DILLARD: I think it will kind of help soften the blow in my heart and I can say Eddie, I worked on this. Eddie, I got involved in everything. I can feel good about it. I can feel good about what I did in my husband's name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Rosemary Dillard plans to travel to Madrid to lend support to family members who lost loved ones there in the March 11th terrorist attacks. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano, thank you very much.

Well, it topped the box office for several weeks in the U.S. Now it's going worldwide. But will the British have any passion for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"? We'll have their reaction coming up.

But first the latest on another violent weekend in Iraq. Then at 4:30 eastern, 1:30 Pacific, tips on purchasing a car. How to get more bang for your buck. E-mail your questions to "dollar signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another bloody weekend in Iraq. Authorities say insurgents turned rockets and small arms fire on to Mosul's city hall today killing two Iraqis and wounding at least five, including some police. A roadside bomb went off in Baghdad's Karada (ph) district wounding five Iraqis. Guerrillas gunned down a police officer in Kirkuk last night and reportedly killed an Iraqi trucker transporting goods for Japanese troops today.

As ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein awaits trial for alleged crimes against his people, he now has high-powered legal representation. The former dictator's family has asked French lawyer Jacques Vergieux (ph) to defend him. Vergieux famous for defending terrorists and World War II Nazi Gestapo leader Claus Barbi (ph). Saddam Hussein is a U.S. prisoner in an undisclosed location.

Other news around the world now, on the southern tip of Thailand, more than two dozen people were wounded when a bomb on a motor bike was remotely detonated outside of a hotel near the Malaysian border. Police say there have been several attacks aimed at them recently but this is the first to target civilians.

In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian says he won't stand in the way of a recount. His re-election victory last weekend in the hotly contested race sparked massive protests. Chen, who won by 30,000 votes, has denied charges that he tried to rig the election.

In Brazil, they're bracing for a hurricane. The storm is only a category 1, but to see such a system so far south in the Atlantic is very rare, so rare, they don't even have a name for it. The hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight or tomorrow.

It caused controversy in America, and now it's making its way around the world. Hear what Britons have to say about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

And it could be history in the making. The first non- rocket to fly at hypersonic speed will be released at any moment and we'll bring that to you live. And coming up in less than a half hour from now, tips on buying a car. just e-mail your questions to "Dollar Signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is sparking both controversy and big ticket sales in the U.S. It opened last night in Great Britain. Our Jim Boulden samples the reaction of moviegoers there.

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JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Passion of the Christ" has been called powerful and inspirational, but also extremely violent and even anti-Semitic. Now it's a turn of audiences in Britain to add their voice to the worldwide choir of opinion. People we talked to seemed to like it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I knew that it was going to be wonderful thing to see, but it really exceeded my expectations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I was expecting a bit more kitsch and I think I saw something that was very realistic and very moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did like it, but it's a really, really hard one.

BOULDEN: Really hard one?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll think about it the whole weekend I think, yeah.

BOULDEN: Mel Gibson's film depicts the last twelve hours in the life of Christ. It's one of the most talked about religious films in years, especially in Britain where church attendance has been eroding for years. All 250 seats for this late Friday screening were sold to a local Christian charity.

DAVID WILSON, PASSION FITZROVIA CHARITY: I was absolutely delighted that such a thing is going to be shown, that people who just regularly go to the cinema on a Friday night will come here and be so deeply impacted by really the person and the teaching of Jesus.

BOULDEN: Though some groups continue to condemn the depiction of Jews in the film.

GREVILLE TANNER, WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS: I can only hope that the people who see it will understand that it was 2000 years ago, that it is the view of Mel Gibson and the people who interpret the Bible in that way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It didn't come across to me at least as particularly anti-Semitic compared to how the newspapers have said it. I think it was more, it came across more as against the Romans.

BOULDEN: Britain is the latest European market to get "The Passion." The film opens next week in France and Spain and in Russia soon after.

(on-camera): To some the film is more gore than glory. To others, the depiction of Christ dying for the sins of mankind is powerful indeed. Either way, Mel Gibson has created a film that continues to arouse the passion of film goers the world over. Jim Boulden, CNN, London.

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WHITFIELD: Donald Trump is flying high thanks to his hit television show, "The Apprentice." But the city of New York is not thrilled about the Donald's efforts to promote it. Trump has draped one of his buildings with a huge banner that reads "you're fired," the famous phrase from his show. But he doesn't have a permit to hang the sign, so he could face a total of $10,000 in fines. Trump says the sign is a tourist attraction and that the big apple should appreciate it instead of fighting it.

Elsewhere across America, prosecutors in Olympia, Washington are holding this man and considering assault charges against him, saying he knowingly put multiple sex partners at risk of AIDS. Health officials are urging people who've had sex with Anthony Eugene Whitfield to contact them.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Thursday's fiery tanker crash may keep one of America's busiest highways closed in both directions for a week or longer. Engineers had to demolish a bridge on interstate 95 slicing the main artery between New York and Boston.

And throughout the nation, gasoline retailers report 200 to 300 percent increases in theft at the pump over the last two months as gas prices have climbed to record levels.

It's that time of year again. those income tax refund checks are rolling in and thousands of people are headed to car dealerships. They want to spend their cash. If you're looking to purchase a new car, you may want to stick around.

Up next in our "Dollar Signs" segment, we'll tell you how to get the most for your money. Just send us your questions at "Dollar Signs" at cnn.com or you can call us at 1 800 807-2620. We'll be right back.

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