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CNN Live Saturday
Tornado Rips Through Iowa; Manmohan Singh Sworn In As Prime Minister Of India;
Aired May 22, 2004 - 12:00 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 CORRESPONDENT: It is Noon in Washington, 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's global headquarters. Ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY: A stunning new chapter in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal -- a widening investigation into the deaths of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
Also, the controversy swirling around Iraqi Leader Ahmed Chalabi, and the potential impact on the handover of power to a new Iraqi government. Also:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...with the guys creeping up thought the woods with weapons, RPGs. And if they do, then we're (EXPLETIVE DELETED)...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The nerve-wracking night raids around Najaf: what life is like for soldiers fighting in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. But first, a look at the headlines.
The Pentagon has increased the number of the detainee death investigations to 33. Eight more criminal investigations are now part of the case. In all, the probe involves 32 detainees who died while being held by U.S. troops in Iraq and another five who died in Afghanistan.
For the first time, India is being led by a non-Hindu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is Sikh, was sworn in today by the country's Muslim president. Singh was appointed prime minister after Sonia Gandhi turned down the job. Hindus are in the majority in India, the Muslim population is 12 percent, the Sikh population, only 2 percent.
Cleanup is getting underway in two small Iowa towns nearly flattened by a tornado. Damage was especially severe in Bradgate, where 90 percent of the homes were destroyed or suffered major damage. Yesterday's twister injured more than a dozen people, but no deaths have been reported.
We begin in Iraq where an American soldier is killed in Mahmoudiyah, in a separate attack in Baghdad a car bomb killed more than half a dozen civilians and loud explosions have been heard in the Iraqi capitol, today. The latest from CNN's Harris Whitbeck in Baghdad. HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. A suicide car bomber attacked the home of Iraq's deputy interior minister Abdul- Jabbar Youssef, early Saturday morning. The explosion killed at least five Iraqis, four for of them government bodyguards, and wounded seven others. Neither the minister nor his family were seriously wounded in the attack. A group link to al-Qaeda's Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the deputy interior minister a "trader" for working with the coalitional provisional authority.
Meanwhile, there is new information on the Wednesday attack on a group of people in the Iraqi desert near the border with Syria. U.S. military spokesperson, Dan (SIC) Kimmitt, admitted, for the first time today, that some women were among the victims of the air strike. He said six women were killed in that attack. Now, when asked about reports the air strike had mistakenly hit a wedding party in the desert, this is what he had to say:
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BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: The more that we continue to dig into what we found at that location, the more that we are persuaded there was not a wedding going on, there may have been some kind of celebration -- bad people have celebrations, too. Bad people have parties, too. And it may have been that what was seen as some sort of celebration or spoken to as a celebration may have just been a meeting in the middle of the desert by some -- by some people that were conducting either criminal or terrorist activities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITBECK: Now, Kimmitt did show photographs of what he called terrorist training manuals, military binocular, foreign passports and medical equipment that he says proves that that group of people in the desert were, in fact, foreign fighters. More than 40 people were killed in that attack on Wednesday. That attack has been severely criticized in the Iraqi press and even one member of Iraq's governing council said that the United States might have made a mistake.
Meanwhile in Karbala, militia men who belong to Moqtada al-Sadr's militia said that they had reached an agreement with U.S. forces to stop fighting there. But, a U.S. Military spokesman in Baghdad said that -- say that while the U.S. might have repositioned some of its forces in Karbala, it has not withdrawn from that city -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Harris Whitbeck in Baghdad, thanks very much for that report.
Well, the U.S. military has launched eight more criminal investigations into the deaths of detainees held by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN's Elaine Quijano is following the story from Washington -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Two weeks ago, the Pentagon said that 25 investigations had been launched. Now Pentagon officials say the U.S. military has added eight more. That means a total of 33 investigations are underway into the deaths of 37 detainees who were in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, according to Pentagon officials, of those 37 who died, 32 of those deaths occurred in Iraq and five in Afghanistan. Officials also say that 30 of the cases happened inside U.S. detention facilities, the rest were not in prisons.
The deaths of eight people were justified homicides, according to the Pentagon. That happened as prisoners were trying to escape. One of those killed was at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq and seven were at Abu Ghraib. Two other cases were listed as homicides and on death certificates, which the Pentagon released, causes of death included blunt force injuries, a closed head injury, and asphyxia due to smothering and chest compression. The Pentagon says nine other investigations are still pending six of them cases in Iraq. Fifteen others were declared to be death by natural or undetermined causes, say officials. Now, in addition, interrogation procedures continue to be the focus of a probe as well. And as a result of that the Justice Department says the Pentagon has referred the case of a civilian contractor to justice officials for possible criminal prosecution. Now, all of these developments come amidst more pictures and video of apparent prisoner abuse that emerged yesterday. Something Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has warned might surface in the days and weeks ahead -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Elaine, you talk about the civilian contractor. How might the case be prosecuted?
QUIJANO: Well certainly, at this point, it's early in the process, they're obviously not releasing his name, but they will be going over many of the same statements that we have already seen emerge. Some of the statements from the MPs, some of the statements that have been in the Taguba report that, you know, are very detailed accounts, according to those MPs of what happened. So, all of those statements that have been made, the investigation has been going on with the military, likely to be sort of the same process you may see unfold at the Justice Department, although, as I said, they're not even releasing the name of the civilian contractor, just issuing a very short statement about that, yesterday -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Elaine, two Americans who have been court- martialed whose cases apparently will be played out in Baghdad. Apparently their attorneys tried to get a change of venue, to try to get those cases, the court-martials to take place in Europe or the U.S. Why is the U.S. trying to make sure that these cases are played out in Iraq?
QUIJANO: Well, absolutely. The Pentagon's motivation for that has to do with making this a very open process, especially with the understanding that in the Arab world there is a tremendous amount of skepticism about how the American military justice system will handle these cases. So they want to make sure these cases are tried in an area, in a place where people -- especially in Iraq there, who are so skeptical of the United States intentions, that they will be able to bear witness. It is an open process, although not open to cameras, but open to journalists, including Iraqi journalists. They want it to be known that their American military -- their process of American military justice will be doled out in a fair way -- Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano in Washington, thanks very much.
Some new revelations today in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, the "Washington Post" says the American military police guards accused in the case were not always preparing the prisoners for interrogation. Instead, they were punishing them for acting out in jail or they were simply just having fun. The paper obtained some documents that were previously secret and they include statements by some of the accused MPs. One statement by Sergeant Javal Davis offers more insight into the way Iraqi prisoners were treated. He says, quote, "You see inmates stand all day and not get food until they are scheduled to sleep. They stand for three to four hours."
In the statement to investigators, Davis also talks about why he did not go public with the alleged abuse that was going on. He says, quote, "Because I assumed that if they were doing anything out of the ordinary or outside the guidelines, someone would have said something. Also, the wing belongs to MI (Military Intelligence) and it appeared MI personnel approved of the abuse," end quote.
Well, lawyers for some of the accused MPs say their clients were simply following orders.
The U.S. appointed Governing Council collectively is responding to last week's raid of Ahmed Chalabi's home by Iraqi police and American troops. The group said, in a statement, there was, quote, "No justification for the storming." But, as CNN's David Ensor reports, U.S. officials say there is evidence that Chalabi has played a role in activities against the United States, including sharing intelligence with Iran.
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DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man who maneuvered himself into the picture behind the first lady at this year's State of the Union speech, had his home and offices raided by Iraqi police, only after the president's National Security team had been forewarned, according to a senior administration official, and had offered no objection. Cut off from Pentagon funds just days ago, Ahmad Chalabi's fall from grace in Washington could hardly be more steep.
REP. JIM COOPER (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: One of the most highly paid and trusted advisers may have deliberately misled our nation for months and years. And some of our officials may have swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
REUEL GERECHT, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: I suspect we may come to rue the day that we broke down the doors and his -- and his office in Baghdad.
ENSOR: Reuel Gerecht, a former CIA officer, now a neo- conservative writer, says there is no way the charge that Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress gave intelligence to Iran that might have endangered American lives -- no what that that could be true. GERECHT: Neither he, nor the INC, have ever had access to that type of information nor would they ever be given access to that type information. That is simply just silly.
ENSOR: But, at the State Department and the CIA, officials say Chalabi is a corrupt ego maniac with little support in Iraq who sent defector to lie about mobile weapons labs and WMD to convince Washington to go to war.
PATRICK BASHAM, CATO INSTITUTE: It turns out his intelligence wasn't so good and he didn't have anybody in Iraq behind him.
ENSOR: Senior Pentagon officials insist not all Chalabi's intelligence was bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The organization that he is associated with has provided intelligence to our intelligence unit there in Baghdad that has saved soldier's lives.
ENSOR (on camera): U.S. intelligence officials insist that Chalabi gave intelligence secrets to Iran so closely held in the U.S. government that only a handful of senior officials know them. They also say there is evidence Chalabi met with a senior Iranian intelligence official described as a" nefarious figure" who has play a direct role in activities against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Ahmed Chalabi will give his side of the story to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition" tomorrow at Noon Eastern.
The situation with Chalabi and today, an assassination attempt on an Iraqi deputy interior minister are among the latest stumbling blocks as the coalition prepares to hand over power to Iraq. The prisoner abuse scandal and the continued insurgent violence are also cause for concern, with fewer than 40 days until the handover. So, what is the measure of hope on Iraq's road to sovereignty? Akbar Ahmad is a professor of International Relations at America University in Washington, D.C.
Good to see you.
AKBAR AHMED, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Nice to be back.
WHITFIELD: An awful lot of developments in Iraq, let me go down the short list, if you will. The president of the Iraqi Governing Council was killed recently, another attempted assassination today, as I mentioned. More abuse pictures being released, Chalabi no longer being treated as a best friend, as he has been quoted as saying, to the U.S., and indicates he may have been providing intelligence to Iran. And all of this now with just about five week to the handover. Should the handover still take place or can it, in your view?
AHMED: President Bush is committed. He's committed on the international stage and he must go through with it or there will be tremendous loss of face. So, we are stuck with that date. Having said that, a transfer of power always has potential for hope, and in this situation with the backdrop that you just mentioned, also danger.
WHITFIELD: It certainly does seem like the stage has been set for more instability. Why should Iraqis be encouraged that a handover will make life better for them?
AHMED: Well, that's all they've got to look forward to, a genuine chance for a transfer of power. But then, once you have a transfer of power, you've got to identify who are we transferring to? What is the ministry structure, the political structure, the civil structure? Who will be in charge of the oil revenues? Who will be in charge of the army? For instance if there's a standoff in Najaf against, say, Moqtada al-Sadr, who will the army commander listen to? The civil authorities or his own military commander, an American?
WHITFIELD: In fact, let's talk about some of those player. Ahmed Chalabi, of course, has been somebody who has a leading face in the Iraqi Governing Council, he's still a member even though he is no longer on U.S. payroll, however, might his words that he's expressing, about his disappointment in the relationship -- the strained relationship between the U.S., influence Iraqis -- that the Iraqi will feel if the U.S. no longer trust him, he no longer trusts the Americans, then why should Iraqis trust the coalition, anyway?
AHMED: There is that, but against that you have to offset it with the general disregard of Chalabi in Iraq itself -- he's never been a popular figure, and he's been away for many decades. What really we need do is identify people popular with the local base, people like Grand Ayatollah Sistani, for instance, highly revered, highly respected, stayed away from the administration. They have to be brought into the loop, particularly after the transfer takes place, otherwise the structure may be so fragile it could simply implode.
WHITFIELD: There are calls within the country and even in the U.S. and member of the Arab Summit takes place in Tunis, right now, are saying, the U.S. just needs to pull out now, immediately, don't even wait for the June 30 deadline. What would happen if that were to take place?
AHMED: Well, we have to take a lesson from history in the region around, as you recall, the transfer of power in India in 1947, the device serving there, Lord Mountbatten, pull out of troops from north India and a civil war developed. Almost 2 million people died as Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs killed each other. So, se have to be very, very careful here. The temptation is to pull out, that cannot be done. At the same time, the transfer must be legitimate, must be genuine, because after that, anything could happen. It is a very, very dangerous phase in history.
WHITFIELD: Monday, President Bush is to take to the air waves to explain, in detail, the handover. What do you need to hear from him?
AHMED: We need to hear who the person is or the body of people who will be receiving the power, what the structure will be like, what authority these people will have and the element of hope. Because the transfer always means that the people of Iraq will now have some participatory role to play in their own destiny. This is the big message that needs to be got across, and finally, an element -- if not an apology, the element of reaching out, balm, soothing the wounds, healing -- the healing process, giving some dignity, some honor to the Iraqi people, because the cumulative effect of these photographs from Abu Ghraib and the stories are really having a devastating impact on the people in that region.
WHITFIELD: Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University in Washington, D.C., thanks very much for joining us.
AHMED: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Iowa residents are cleaning up this morning after a tornado almost wipes out an entire town.
And later, a deadly threat for beachgoers in Florida. We'll take a look at what lifeguards are doing to protect the swimmer there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Stormy weather across the Midwest to tell you about. There's not much left of the tiny Iowa town Bradgate, today. A tornado roared though Friday, destroying nearly all the 50 homes in that hamlet. Fifteen people were injured; state rescue workers are rushing in food, bottled water, and sanitation facilities. Strong storms raked northern Indiana as well, blowing trees and limbs onto the roads and knocking two semis on their side on the Indiana toll way. Several thousand customers lost electricity when the power lines came down. And in Michigan, three people were killed in separate incidence when the storms knocked trees on to their cars. Wind gusts hit near 100 miles an hours in some areas. Heavy rains flooded low roads and the yards there.
Well a stationary front may kick up more stormy weather, today. Let's check in meteorologist, Orelon Sidney.
So, more on the way?
I am so impressed, you're right and it's because of a stationary front, too. My goodness, you get an "A" plus, for today.
WHITFIELD: I think you wrote that, I just read it. I don't get credit.
ORELON SIDNEY, METEOROLOGIST: Well, take a look at what's happened over the last 24 hours in Iowa. We've had quite a bit of stormy activity. Right now, all the watches have expired, but we do have some flooding potential across the upper portion of the Mississippi River, continuing towards Quad Cities and then on into the lower Great Lakes. But, look at those tornado watches, and severe thunderstorm watches over the past 24 hours. We did get some heavy rains as well. Mason City, Iowa, set a record for the month of May. The sixth most amount of rainfall they've ever received in 24 hour: 4.59 inches, there. We still have flashflood advisories in effect for much of the northern plains and the lower Great Lakes, for today.
Indeed, warm air continues to work its way northward, interacting with cold air back to the north and west. Put that together, and you've got at least a slight risk of thunderstorms from the Mississippi valley, back through the mid-Atlantic and on into the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Heaviest activity today, southern portions of South Dakota, southern Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, those locations have a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms and we're going to do this all over again tomorrow, but it looks like most of the action is going to head a little bit further eastward.
Your temperatures today? Well, summertime in St. Louis, high of 90. Sixty-three today, in Minneapolis -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you, Orelon.
In south Florida, the problem is rip currents, deadly rip currents. At least four people have been killed. CNN's Jason Bellini looks into the dangerous waves in Ft. Lauderdale.
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JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lifeguard, Bill Evans, is watching the young partier's section of Ft. Lauderdale's beach.
BILL EVANS, LIFEGUARD: This place didn't earn the nickname Ft. Liquordale, for nothing.
BELLINI: Few here seem aware this also is rip current central.
EVANS: I'd say on a scale of one to ten, these are tens.
If you don't have an emergency, we want to....
BELLINI: That's meant daily rescue drama, three weeks running.
EVANS: Well, I haven't had to fight any giant squids and we haven't had any nuclear bomb threats, but as far as, like, being active and being up and down the beach, making rescue, yeah, in that regard it is.
BELLINI: This section of the beach today, contains two large rip currents, They look like dark green rivers running off shore. He starts the day flagging them off.
(on camera): Do you know what the red flag's there are for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No idea.
BELLINI: No idea?
(VOICE-OVER): Most people aren't sure what rip currents are, either.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like the waves are messed up. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, a strong current in the water? I have no idea.
BELLINI: Rip currents are river-like channels that pull swimmers out to sea. By early afternoon, two swimmers are caught in one. Within a minute, Evans reaches them. Since the 1st of May, Ft. Lauderdale's Ocean Rescue reports 800 rescues. The man in this one says his girlfriend was in trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I couldn't save her by myself.
BELLINI: About 30 minutes later:
EVANS: For every hot girl you save, you save 15 fat, pale tourists from Minnesota or save somebody's grandmother.
BELLINI (on camera): It's now appoaching 5:00 and Bill is wrapping up for the day. He's already pulled the flags that he's used to mark off the known rip currents in the ocean.
(voice-over): Evans says it's a miracle more people aren't drowning.
(on camera): Just another day in the life of Bill?
EVANS: Just another day.
BELLINI (voice-over): Jason Bellini, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Arab leaders gather today, in Tunisia. Will they get the Middle East peace process back on track? We'll go live to Tunis, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In the Middle East crisis, hostilities intensify. A suicide bomber attacks a military checkpoint near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The bomber was killed and five others hurt, including four Palestinians and an Israeli soldier.
Coming up at 2:00, we'll go behind the scenes with the Israeli army, which gives us a look, firsthand, at a tunnel being used to smuggle weapons into Gaza. That's coming up at 2:00 Eastern time.
Meanwhile, Israel's incursion into refugee camps in Gaza is drawing concern from the Arab League. Member of the organization are discussing the crisis and other matters in a summit in Tunis, Tunisia. CNN's Walter Rodgers is live and he joins us with the latest -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello Fredricka. Well, once again, it was Libya's leader, Moammar Gadhafi who provided the fireworks for this Arab League summit in Tunis. Gadhafi walked out, boycotted the meeting, upset because he could not get what he considered the most important items on the agenda. Gadhafi wanted to talk about a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian problem. His solution that there be one-state solution, that is Israeli and Palestinians living in the same country with equal rights. Most of the rest of the world thinks there should be a two-state solution. Gadhafi was also miffed because the Arab league won't call for the Americans to end their occupation of Iraq. He, however, has his own solution which involves the Blue Helmet of the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces.
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MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER (through translator): I guarantee that the states of the Arab League will send their troops under the umbrella of the Blue Helmets if the United Nations decides to send its Blue Helmets to Iraq to replace the occupation forces. Then, Libya will be ready to send its troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: The Arab League summit did open on one note of unity; they all stood and agreed for a moment of silence, commemorating the Palestinian victims of the Israeli army over the past two days. There have been at least 41 Palestinians killed in the past several days in Rafah, alone. So the Palestinian issue came, again, to the top the agenda, and as I say, it's the one issue where there is a modicum of unity among Arab leaders.
Now, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat could not attend this Arab League summit. The Israelis have him locked down in Ramallah, so via a closed circuit television hookup, Arafat used the summit to, once again, indict the Israelis.
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YASSER ARAFAT, PRES. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): This Israeli government does not need -- does not want peace, does not want peace. On the contrary, they diligently work to enforce occupation -- reinforce occupation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Arafat says he does indeed, favor a resumption of the peace talks, a return to the so-called "road map to peace," with the Israelis. One of the statements at the conclusion of this Arab League summit tomorrow will deal with the condemnation by -- of American troops by the -- for the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Walter Rodgers, in Tunis, thank you very much for that report.
Night raids against an Iraqi stronghold, an exclusive look at the obstcles U.S. soldiers face as they fight for control of Najaf.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Here are the latest developments. A report of a suicide car bombing outside a top Iraqi official's home in eastern Baghdad. Seven people were kill in the explosion, four of them security officers. Deputy interior minister Abdul-Jabbar Yousif and his wife were injured, as was the bomber.
Another car bomb attack south of Baghdad killed one U.S. soldier and wounded three others. They were members of the Army's 1st Armored Division.
OPEC oil ministers discuss putting the breaks on rising prices at the pump. A top official says OPEC is deeply concerned and is working on a plan that could stabilize gas prices. Saudi Arabia has offered to increase production, but not all oil producers support that idea.
Spain celebrates the splendor of a royal wedding. Crown Prince Philippe exchanged vows with former TV anchor woman Letistia (ph) Ortiz. More than 1,000 guests flooded the Uldina (ph) Cathedral under tight security to witness the ceremony. Madrid is adorned with a million flowers in honor of that occasion.
In southern Iraq, a renegade Muslim cleric and his militia create more havoc for troops. Muqtada al Sadr is reportedly holed up in Najaf about 100 miles south of Baghdad. U.S. Forces are fending off attacks from his fighters, even as they attempt to capture the rebel leader. CNN's Jane Arraf is with the troops and files this report.
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JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Night after night, the battle between the Mehdi militia and U.S. forces are played out in the quiet countryside near Najaf.
On the east bank of the Euphrates river, across from Muqtada Sadr's strong hold of Kufa, soldiers from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment roll out into the palm groves. While most people are sleeping, the troops take up their positions.
(on camera): It's quite eerie here. The dogs are howling, the sounds of the countryside. But there is a long line of armored vehicles and soldiers in the palm trees waiting.
(voice over): The point is to fire back and kill militia members. But their rules are to wait until the gunmen fire first. This is nerve-racking stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the guy's creeping up through the woods with weapons, RPGs, and if they do, then we're going to (BLEEP) them.
ARRAF: In some of the households, wakened by the barking dogs and the noise of engines, there must be families lying in fear, waiting, too, for the gunfire. An hour goes by and then bullets fly further down the road.
In the dark, they can't tell where all of the gunmen are hiding. A few hundred meters away, they send a hail of bullets and an impact grenade into the groves to draw fire back. It's a substitute for sending in soldiers. They call it reconnaissance by fire.
On this night, there's a C-130 gunship circling. It will be called on for air strikes if there's enough of a threat. There's only sporadic fire at the soldiers and a sandstorm is picking up. The C-130 goes back to Karbala.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger that. If you want to leave it for another day, we'll be back.
ARRAF (on camera): On this night, the soldiers say they killed six suspected militia members, including four here on this side of the river.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you guys on the east side, we got one of 'em. I think one of 'em possibly got away --
ARRAF: There are no U.S. casualties, but soldiers return to the base before dawn, through a gauntlet of potential ambushes. The unit we're with has escaped the night's gunfire. Some of these bullets, though, come uncomfortably close. The night's waiting is over.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Najaf, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Information on the war in Iraq, along with the latest battle reports are available 24/7 on the CNN website. That web address is CNN.com.
We're waiting to find out if Martha Stewart is going to get a new trial. It's a possibility now that one of the witnesses who testified against her has been charged with perjury. Stewart says the news has shaken her faith in the system.
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MARTHA STEWART, DEFENDANT: I'm a true believer in the due process of law and that we have discovered several, kind of corrupt problems within the system, makes me kind of depressed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CNN's Chris Huntington has more on the questions about the ink expert's testimony.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It may be the best news Martha Stewart has heard all year -- the same U.S. attorney who convicted her, and her former broker Peter Bacanovic, of obstructing justice, today charged one of the government's key witnesses with two counts of perjury for lying on the stand.
DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: A trusted and accomplished lab examiner and public servant violated the public trust. HUNTINGTON: Larry Stewart, who runs the U.S. Secret Service crime lab -- and is no relation to Martha -- allegedly lied when he told the jury he personally analyzed the blue ink from Bacanovic's work sheet, with the famous notation "at 60." That is the price at which Martha Stewart claimed she always intended to sell her stake in ImClone Systems.
Attorneys for the convicted style maven said the new perjury charges, quote, "clearly demonstrate the trial of Martha Stewart was fatally flaw and unfair. If anyone believes that Martha Stewart was not prejudiced, they are extremely naive."
Bacanovic's lawyer said the development, quote, "Will require a new trial."
But U.S. attorney David Kelley was quick to downplay of the impact of the charges against Larry Stewart.
DAVID KELLY, U.S. ATTORNEY: We are quite confident that the false testimony will have no impact on convictions of Martha Stewart and Peter Bacanovic.
HUNTINGTON: One veteran securities lawyer who heard Larry Stewart testify agrees.
JAKE ZAMANSKY, ZAMANSKY & PARTNERS: What is being attacked is whether he was at a certain testing, but realistically it has nothing to do with the conviction.
HUNTINGTON (on camera): Martha Stewart's attorneys have already been denied one request for a mistrial regarding a juror who lied about his criminal record. But legal analysts are saying that old claim, bundled together with the new perjury charges could give the defense some traction.
Chris Huntington, CNN Financial News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: What happens to Martha Stewart's conviction -- now? We will put that question to our legal experts, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman. That is in our legal roundtable coming up at 2:00 Eastern. Right here on CNN.
Well, now some stories making news across America.
A marine rarity is sighted off the North Carolina coast. A fisherman captured on videotape this sight of a great white shark swimming nearby. Great whites can grow up to 16 feet and 3,000 pounds.
Federal agents say they've arrested 14 people at gun shows with weapon ranging from machine guns to explosives. Investigators say most of the illegal activity took place at gun shows in Reno, Nevada. Officials say gun shows cannot be used for illegal firearm sales.
And in Missouri, sextuplets made their media debut. The six babies were born to Ron and Tina Ottint (ph), at a hospital in suburban St. Louis last month. All are listed in good physical condition. The couple already had two other children. Perhaps eight is enough now.
Are you worried about keeping your medical information private? We'll talk about what rights you have and how these rulings might be hurting your doctor.
Plus, could there be a new trial in Martha Stewart's future? More on that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A couple of stories making health news this weekend. An independent lab has tested 40 multivitamins to see if they contain what the labels say they do. Consumerlab.com found half of the products did not, or that the body wasn't able to absorb the vitamin because of its chemical composition. Some children's vitamins even tested high in lead, a metal that can cause developmental delays.
A group of lawmakers launching a new drive to regulate tobacco. It would give the FDA power to limit nicotine content and prohibit marketing to children. The bill has the support of tobacco giant Philip Morris. Other cigarette makers oppose it.
New federal rules to protect patient privacy have been in effect since last spring. Doctors and consumer groups are monitoring the impact of the new rules, which are nicknamed HIPAA, that stands for the very bureaucratic sounding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Dr. Bill Lloyd join us from San Antonio; he's a surgeon and clinical professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Good to see you.
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON, UNIV. OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER: Hello, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. Lloyd, what exactly does HIPAA cover?
LLOYD: Well, there are many rights provided by HIPAA. The same rights that limit access to your personal medical record from people who don't need to see them, also allow you more access to have those medical records so you can see the kind of reports and lab studies your doctor's looking at and perhaps you can help correct some errors.
Here's some other rights, as well, you need to know about the privacy practices of your clinics and hospitals. That is, how do these health care providers collect information about you, store it, and share it with others? They're not allowed to sell that information or share it with marketers like drug companies, without your written permission.
And finally, an issue about confidentiality. HIPAA rules allow your information to be shared only between you and your doctor, not with your boss, not with your insurer, and not with law enforcement.
WHITFIELD: HIPAA isn't popular with everybody. What are some of the impacts that it's had on the medical practices, both good and bad?
(AUDIO GAP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, Dr. Lloyd, can you hear me still?
All right, it looks like we've lost our transmission there our communication abilities with Dr. Lloyd. We'll try to bring him back when we can.
Meantime, are you looking for new ideas to spice up your summer vacation plans? Up next, we'll take a look at top 10 summer destinations. Some of them might just surprise you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, more now on the federal patient privacy rules, HIPAA, we were talking to Dr. Lloyd about a moment ago. We think we have restored communication with Dr. Lloyd now.
Can you hear me OK?
LLOYD: Loud and clear. Good to be back.
WHITFIELD: All right good. Let's talk about some of the, I guess, reactions that HIPPA has received. Not all medical practices are happy with the impact, good and bad impact, right?
LLOYD: I think the entire health community says it's been a pretty chaotic year since these rules were introduced. There's been a lot of confusion and most of it stems from either misunderstandings or over interpretation of the HIPPA rules.
Let me give you a quick example. We have doctors over here taking care of a patient in hospital A. And they want some old information from hospital B, but hospital B won't share it, because they claim it would be a violation of HIPPA. That's not correct. Organizations and the government are working to streamline this misinformation and to offer new guidelines to clarify those rules.
WHITFIELD: How about for patients; do most appreciate HIPAA?
LLOYD: Well, the fact is most patients aren't aware of what's happening with HIPAA. Their first glimpse of what's going on is when they enter the clinic. There are new policies there. You have to sign a lot of papers that describe again the policy privacies, the privacy policies of the clinic.
There's no more nurse coming in the waiting room saying, OK, we're ready for your colonoscopy. That doesn't happen any more. Also, clinical research is affected because patient's identification has to be masked. This can be difficult for studies that are already in effect that may run several years. WHITFIELD: What can a consumer or patient do if they feel their privacy has been violated? How would they even know that? What are some signs to look for?
LLOYD: Well, if you just see your records laying around so the janitor or anybody else can look at your personal information, or maybe your boss whispers something about your health. There are steps that you can take to protect your privacy.
First, talk to the supervisor of the clinic or the manager of the hospital you go to. It may be a misunderstanding that could be easily corrected. Also, talk to the hospital's patient advocate. That's an employee that helps people navigate the health care system.
Talk to your health plan. Insurers don't want to be zapped by a fine for violating HIPAA. And, lastly, you can file a complaint directly with the government and your insurance company is obligated to show you how to complain if you think your privacy about your health information has been violated.
WHITFIELD: All right. Good advice. Dr. Bill Lloyd, thank you very much for joining us from San Antonio. We are glad we were able to get you back with us again.
LLOYD: My pleasure, thank you.
WHITFIELD: We're also focusing on F-U-N today, fun, in our weekend getaway segment. "USA Weekend" magazine is high-lighting top destinations for a great time. Why not take a gamble on Las Vegas perhaps? Let's run down the magazine's hot travel spots with Priscilla Totten, who is in Washington today. She's a senior editor at "USA Weekend" magazine.
Good to see you, Priscilla.
PRESCILLA TOTTEN, SENIOR EDITOR, "USA WEEKEND" MAGAZINE: Nice to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. So these are some -- some of them are rather innovative ideas. Some are old-hat idea, but you say you need a fresh new approach to really finding a fun weekend getaway destination.
TOTTEN: What we tried to do in this article is cover all of the country and a cross section of ways to have fun and fun for all ages.
So we asked people on our staff, our contributing editors, the people who help us with travel and other friends of the magazine to contribute ideas of the best places to go to have fun. And from them, we culled our top 10. And so -- yes, we ended up with some surprises.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's go through some of them. Telluride being one; we know it's a great winter getaway location. Why is it great during the summer or spring months as well?
TOTTEN: Well, we wanted one of those great destinations out West where there's so much fun to be had there in the winter and now they've done a great job of also converting them for summer fun. We chose Telluride because they have just a series of terrific festivals throughout the summer. A balloon festival, a wine festival, a film festival, a mushroom festival --
WHITFIELD: Wow.
TOTTEN: And we thought, you know, they really know how to do it. So we wanted to highlight that.
WHITFIELD: And New Orleans? People always know they can get great food in New Orleans. But it's not just about the French quarter and Bourbon Street, is it?
TOTTEN: That's right. We felt we had to include New Orleans, we wanted to, but we also wanted to include a great zoo. Because -- for little kids, that's such a perfect way to have fun. And New Orleans has a world-class zoo in the Audubon Zoo, that highlights their swamp exhibit and other local treasures. We combined it in that instance.
WHITFIELD: It is a beautiful zoo; I have been there. And it is quite remarkable.
Well, everyone loves going to a fair, or everyone at least has been to at least one fair in their lifetime, but why is it that the Iowa State fair is one to really write home about?
TOTTEN: Right, we wanted to include a state fair. We considered several of them. There are so many great ones around the country. And we settled on Iowa's because it's their 150th anniversary this year. And so that was terrific, in and of itself, but they also sport a 500- pound butter cow every year. And that sort of captured our imagination. Like other fairs, they have a great midway and food on a stick and deep-fried Twinkies, the whole package.
WHITFIELD: All the stuff that's not good for you, but its fun to have.
TOTTEN: That's right.
WHITFIELD: Las Vegas, it is a great adult playground. It surprised me, though, when going there you do see kids. It doesn't seem like there's anything for them to do. Why is this still a place that you think is a place that you think is family fun, Las Vegas?
TOTTEN: Well, we included it not necessarily as family fun, but as fun -- it's proven to be fun and be durable for 50 years now. And it keeps sort of reinventing itself with new attractions that become destinations in and of itself, and the hotels and everything. So they do have things for fun, but we actually were considering that a little more adult.
WHITFIELD: OK, it is an adult playground.
All right Priscilla Totten, "USA Weekend" magazine, thank you very much. Some great getaway destinations for the weekend. TOTTEN: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A busy week in the news, as always, and many memorable images you may have missed. Here's our weekly look at the week in pictures.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): A massive car bomb kills at least nine people in Baghdad, including the president of the Iraqi Governing Council. The bombing took place as the car carrying Izzadine Saline waited at a security checkpoint to enter the high-security green zone.
No Americans were killed in the attack. Smoke from the bombing could be seen miles away.
Israeli citizens fighting riot police over unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank. Hundreds of settlers battled with police over efforts to forcibly dismantle the settlements. The decision to tear down the settlements was made to comply with the road map to peace backed by President Bush.
In Pakistan, more help in hunting down suspected Al Qaeda terrorists. Thousands of people living in the rugged mountainous region along the border have vowed to work with the Pakistani military. The home of one family suspected of harboring terrorists was set on fire, as punishment.
In the Philippines, massive destruction after a typhoon ripped through this island southeast of Manila. The powerful storm triggered landslides, floods and capsized a ferry. Thousands of people were left homeless by the typhoon.
In this country, investigators examine the wreckage after two F- 16s collided in the air during a training mission. One pilot was killed in the crash; the other able to parachute to safety.
In the Eastern U.S., it's cicada mania. Billions of the winged creatures have emerged from the ground after a 17-year wait. The red- eyed pests will make lots of noise over the next six weeks before laying eggs for the next brood of cicada's due in the year 2021.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In a few moments, "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty. At 2:00 Eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY. More on the fight for Iraq. And the inspiring story of a soldier who lost a leg in battle and he's heading back to the warzone to serve.
At 3:00 it's "NEXT@CNN." Today, using hi-tech for tracking livestock to avoid an outbreak of mad cow disease.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 22, 2004 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is Noon in Washington, 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's global headquarters. Ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY: A stunning new chapter in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal -- a widening investigation into the deaths of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
Also, the controversy swirling around Iraqi Leader Ahmed Chalabi, and the potential impact on the handover of power to a new Iraqi government. Also:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...with the guys creeping up thought the woods with weapons, RPGs. And if they do, then we're (EXPLETIVE DELETED)...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The nerve-wracking night raids around Najaf: what life is like for soldiers fighting in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. But first, a look at the headlines.
The Pentagon has increased the number of the detainee death investigations to 33. Eight more criminal investigations are now part of the case. In all, the probe involves 32 detainees who died while being held by U.S. troops in Iraq and another five who died in Afghanistan.
For the first time, India is being led by a non-Hindu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is Sikh, was sworn in today by the country's Muslim president. Singh was appointed prime minister after Sonia Gandhi turned down the job. Hindus are in the majority in India, the Muslim population is 12 percent, the Sikh population, only 2 percent.
Cleanup is getting underway in two small Iowa towns nearly flattened by a tornado. Damage was especially severe in Bradgate, where 90 percent of the homes were destroyed or suffered major damage. Yesterday's twister injured more than a dozen people, but no deaths have been reported.
We begin in Iraq where an American soldier is killed in Mahmoudiyah, in a separate attack in Baghdad a car bomb killed more than half a dozen civilians and loud explosions have been heard in the Iraqi capitol, today. The latest from CNN's Harris Whitbeck in Baghdad. HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. A suicide car bomber attacked the home of Iraq's deputy interior minister Abdul- Jabbar Youssef, early Saturday morning. The explosion killed at least five Iraqis, four for of them government bodyguards, and wounded seven others. Neither the minister nor his family were seriously wounded in the attack. A group link to al-Qaeda's Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the deputy interior minister a "trader" for working with the coalitional provisional authority.
Meanwhile, there is new information on the Wednesday attack on a group of people in the Iraqi desert near the border with Syria. U.S. military spokesperson, Dan (SIC) Kimmitt, admitted, for the first time today, that some women were among the victims of the air strike. He said six women were killed in that attack. Now, when asked about reports the air strike had mistakenly hit a wedding party in the desert, this is what he had to say:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: The more that we continue to dig into what we found at that location, the more that we are persuaded there was not a wedding going on, there may have been some kind of celebration -- bad people have celebrations, too. Bad people have parties, too. And it may have been that what was seen as some sort of celebration or spoken to as a celebration may have just been a meeting in the middle of the desert by some -- by some people that were conducting either criminal or terrorist activities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITBECK: Now, Kimmitt did show photographs of what he called terrorist training manuals, military binocular, foreign passports and medical equipment that he says proves that that group of people in the desert were, in fact, foreign fighters. More than 40 people were killed in that attack on Wednesday. That attack has been severely criticized in the Iraqi press and even one member of Iraq's governing council said that the United States might have made a mistake.
Meanwhile in Karbala, militia men who belong to Moqtada al-Sadr's militia said that they had reached an agreement with U.S. forces to stop fighting there. But, a U.S. Military spokesman in Baghdad said that -- say that while the U.S. might have repositioned some of its forces in Karbala, it has not withdrawn from that city -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Harris Whitbeck in Baghdad, thanks very much for that report.
Well, the U.S. military has launched eight more criminal investigations into the deaths of detainees held by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN's Elaine Quijano is following the story from Washington -- Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Two weeks ago, the Pentagon said that 25 investigations had been launched. Now Pentagon officials say the U.S. military has added eight more. That means a total of 33 investigations are underway into the deaths of 37 detainees who were in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, according to Pentagon officials, of those 37 who died, 32 of those deaths occurred in Iraq and five in Afghanistan. Officials also say that 30 of the cases happened inside U.S. detention facilities, the rest were not in prisons.
The deaths of eight people were justified homicides, according to the Pentagon. That happened as prisoners were trying to escape. One of those killed was at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq and seven were at Abu Ghraib. Two other cases were listed as homicides and on death certificates, which the Pentagon released, causes of death included blunt force injuries, a closed head injury, and asphyxia due to smothering and chest compression. The Pentagon says nine other investigations are still pending six of them cases in Iraq. Fifteen others were declared to be death by natural or undetermined causes, say officials. Now, in addition, interrogation procedures continue to be the focus of a probe as well. And as a result of that the Justice Department says the Pentagon has referred the case of a civilian contractor to justice officials for possible criminal prosecution. Now, all of these developments come amidst more pictures and video of apparent prisoner abuse that emerged yesterday. Something Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has warned might surface in the days and weeks ahead -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Elaine, you talk about the civilian contractor. How might the case be prosecuted?
QUIJANO: Well certainly, at this point, it's early in the process, they're obviously not releasing his name, but they will be going over many of the same statements that we have already seen emerge. Some of the statements from the MPs, some of the statements that have been in the Taguba report that, you know, are very detailed accounts, according to those MPs of what happened. So, all of those statements that have been made, the investigation has been going on with the military, likely to be sort of the same process you may see unfold at the Justice Department, although, as I said, they're not even releasing the name of the civilian contractor, just issuing a very short statement about that, yesterday -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Elaine, two Americans who have been court- martialed whose cases apparently will be played out in Baghdad. Apparently their attorneys tried to get a change of venue, to try to get those cases, the court-martials to take place in Europe or the U.S. Why is the U.S. trying to make sure that these cases are played out in Iraq?
QUIJANO: Well, absolutely. The Pentagon's motivation for that has to do with making this a very open process, especially with the understanding that in the Arab world there is a tremendous amount of skepticism about how the American military justice system will handle these cases. So they want to make sure these cases are tried in an area, in a place where people -- especially in Iraq there, who are so skeptical of the United States intentions, that they will be able to bear witness. It is an open process, although not open to cameras, but open to journalists, including Iraqi journalists. They want it to be known that their American military -- their process of American military justice will be doled out in a fair way -- Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano in Washington, thanks very much.
Some new revelations today in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, the "Washington Post" says the American military police guards accused in the case were not always preparing the prisoners for interrogation. Instead, they were punishing them for acting out in jail or they were simply just having fun. The paper obtained some documents that were previously secret and they include statements by some of the accused MPs. One statement by Sergeant Javal Davis offers more insight into the way Iraqi prisoners were treated. He says, quote, "You see inmates stand all day and not get food until they are scheduled to sleep. They stand for three to four hours."
In the statement to investigators, Davis also talks about why he did not go public with the alleged abuse that was going on. He says, quote, "Because I assumed that if they were doing anything out of the ordinary or outside the guidelines, someone would have said something. Also, the wing belongs to MI (Military Intelligence) and it appeared MI personnel approved of the abuse," end quote.
Well, lawyers for some of the accused MPs say their clients were simply following orders.
The U.S. appointed Governing Council collectively is responding to last week's raid of Ahmed Chalabi's home by Iraqi police and American troops. The group said, in a statement, there was, quote, "No justification for the storming." But, as CNN's David Ensor reports, U.S. officials say there is evidence that Chalabi has played a role in activities against the United States, including sharing intelligence with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man who maneuvered himself into the picture behind the first lady at this year's State of the Union speech, had his home and offices raided by Iraqi police, only after the president's National Security team had been forewarned, according to a senior administration official, and had offered no objection. Cut off from Pentagon funds just days ago, Ahmad Chalabi's fall from grace in Washington could hardly be more steep.
REP. JIM COOPER (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: One of the most highly paid and trusted advisers may have deliberately misled our nation for months and years. And some of our officials may have swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
REUEL GERECHT, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: I suspect we may come to rue the day that we broke down the doors and his -- and his office in Baghdad.
ENSOR: Reuel Gerecht, a former CIA officer, now a neo- conservative writer, says there is no way the charge that Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress gave intelligence to Iran that might have endangered American lives -- no what that that could be true. GERECHT: Neither he, nor the INC, have ever had access to that type of information nor would they ever be given access to that type information. That is simply just silly.
ENSOR: But, at the State Department and the CIA, officials say Chalabi is a corrupt ego maniac with little support in Iraq who sent defector to lie about mobile weapons labs and WMD to convince Washington to go to war.
PATRICK BASHAM, CATO INSTITUTE: It turns out his intelligence wasn't so good and he didn't have anybody in Iraq behind him.
ENSOR: Senior Pentagon officials insist not all Chalabi's intelligence was bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The organization that he is associated with has provided intelligence to our intelligence unit there in Baghdad that has saved soldier's lives.
ENSOR (on camera): U.S. intelligence officials insist that Chalabi gave intelligence secrets to Iran so closely held in the U.S. government that only a handful of senior officials know them. They also say there is evidence Chalabi met with a senior Iranian intelligence official described as a" nefarious figure" who has play a direct role in activities against the United States.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Ahmed Chalabi will give his side of the story to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition" tomorrow at Noon Eastern.
The situation with Chalabi and today, an assassination attempt on an Iraqi deputy interior minister are among the latest stumbling blocks as the coalition prepares to hand over power to Iraq. The prisoner abuse scandal and the continued insurgent violence are also cause for concern, with fewer than 40 days until the handover. So, what is the measure of hope on Iraq's road to sovereignty? Akbar Ahmad is a professor of International Relations at America University in Washington, D.C.
Good to see you.
AKBAR AHMED, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: Nice to be back.
WHITFIELD: An awful lot of developments in Iraq, let me go down the short list, if you will. The president of the Iraqi Governing Council was killed recently, another attempted assassination today, as I mentioned. More abuse pictures being released, Chalabi no longer being treated as a best friend, as he has been quoted as saying, to the U.S., and indicates he may have been providing intelligence to Iran. And all of this now with just about five week to the handover. Should the handover still take place or can it, in your view?
AHMED: President Bush is committed. He's committed on the international stage and he must go through with it or there will be tremendous loss of face. So, we are stuck with that date. Having said that, a transfer of power always has potential for hope, and in this situation with the backdrop that you just mentioned, also danger.
WHITFIELD: It certainly does seem like the stage has been set for more instability. Why should Iraqis be encouraged that a handover will make life better for them?
AHMED: Well, that's all they've got to look forward to, a genuine chance for a transfer of power. But then, once you have a transfer of power, you've got to identify who are we transferring to? What is the ministry structure, the political structure, the civil structure? Who will be in charge of the oil revenues? Who will be in charge of the army? For instance if there's a standoff in Najaf against, say, Moqtada al-Sadr, who will the army commander listen to? The civil authorities or his own military commander, an American?
WHITFIELD: In fact, let's talk about some of those player. Ahmed Chalabi, of course, has been somebody who has a leading face in the Iraqi Governing Council, he's still a member even though he is no longer on U.S. payroll, however, might his words that he's expressing, about his disappointment in the relationship -- the strained relationship between the U.S., influence Iraqis -- that the Iraqi will feel if the U.S. no longer trust him, he no longer trusts the Americans, then why should Iraqis trust the coalition, anyway?
AHMED: There is that, but against that you have to offset it with the general disregard of Chalabi in Iraq itself -- he's never been a popular figure, and he's been away for many decades. What really we need do is identify people popular with the local base, people like Grand Ayatollah Sistani, for instance, highly revered, highly respected, stayed away from the administration. They have to be brought into the loop, particularly after the transfer takes place, otherwise the structure may be so fragile it could simply implode.
WHITFIELD: There are calls within the country and even in the U.S. and member of the Arab Summit takes place in Tunis, right now, are saying, the U.S. just needs to pull out now, immediately, don't even wait for the June 30 deadline. What would happen if that were to take place?
AHMED: Well, we have to take a lesson from history in the region around, as you recall, the transfer of power in India in 1947, the device serving there, Lord Mountbatten, pull out of troops from north India and a civil war developed. Almost 2 million people died as Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs killed each other. So, se have to be very, very careful here. The temptation is to pull out, that cannot be done. At the same time, the transfer must be legitimate, must be genuine, because after that, anything could happen. It is a very, very dangerous phase in history.
WHITFIELD: Monday, President Bush is to take to the air waves to explain, in detail, the handover. What do you need to hear from him?
AHMED: We need to hear who the person is or the body of people who will be receiving the power, what the structure will be like, what authority these people will have and the element of hope. Because the transfer always means that the people of Iraq will now have some participatory role to play in their own destiny. This is the big message that needs to be got across, and finally, an element -- if not an apology, the element of reaching out, balm, soothing the wounds, healing -- the healing process, giving some dignity, some honor to the Iraqi people, because the cumulative effect of these photographs from Abu Ghraib and the stories are really having a devastating impact on the people in that region.
WHITFIELD: Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University in Washington, D.C., thanks very much for joining us.
AHMED: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Iowa residents are cleaning up this morning after a tornado almost wipes out an entire town.
And later, a deadly threat for beachgoers in Florida. We'll take a look at what lifeguards are doing to protect the swimmer there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Stormy weather across the Midwest to tell you about. There's not much left of the tiny Iowa town Bradgate, today. A tornado roared though Friday, destroying nearly all the 50 homes in that hamlet. Fifteen people were injured; state rescue workers are rushing in food, bottled water, and sanitation facilities. Strong storms raked northern Indiana as well, blowing trees and limbs onto the roads and knocking two semis on their side on the Indiana toll way. Several thousand customers lost electricity when the power lines came down. And in Michigan, three people were killed in separate incidence when the storms knocked trees on to their cars. Wind gusts hit near 100 miles an hours in some areas. Heavy rains flooded low roads and the yards there.
Well a stationary front may kick up more stormy weather, today. Let's check in meteorologist, Orelon Sidney.
So, more on the way?
I am so impressed, you're right and it's because of a stationary front, too. My goodness, you get an "A" plus, for today.
WHITFIELD: I think you wrote that, I just read it. I don't get credit.
ORELON SIDNEY, METEOROLOGIST: Well, take a look at what's happened over the last 24 hours in Iowa. We've had quite a bit of stormy activity. Right now, all the watches have expired, but we do have some flooding potential across the upper portion of the Mississippi River, continuing towards Quad Cities and then on into the lower Great Lakes. But, look at those tornado watches, and severe thunderstorm watches over the past 24 hours. We did get some heavy rains as well. Mason City, Iowa, set a record for the month of May. The sixth most amount of rainfall they've ever received in 24 hour: 4.59 inches, there. We still have flashflood advisories in effect for much of the northern plains and the lower Great Lakes, for today.
Indeed, warm air continues to work its way northward, interacting with cold air back to the north and west. Put that together, and you've got at least a slight risk of thunderstorms from the Mississippi valley, back through the mid-Atlantic and on into the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Heaviest activity today, southern portions of South Dakota, southern Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, those locations have a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms and we're going to do this all over again tomorrow, but it looks like most of the action is going to head a little bit further eastward.
Your temperatures today? Well, summertime in St. Louis, high of 90. Sixty-three today, in Minneapolis -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you, Orelon.
In south Florida, the problem is rip currents, deadly rip currents. At least four people have been killed. CNN's Jason Bellini looks into the dangerous waves in Ft. Lauderdale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lifeguard, Bill Evans, is watching the young partier's section of Ft. Lauderdale's beach.
BILL EVANS, LIFEGUARD: This place didn't earn the nickname Ft. Liquordale, for nothing.
BELLINI: Few here seem aware this also is rip current central.
EVANS: I'd say on a scale of one to ten, these are tens.
If you don't have an emergency, we want to....
BELLINI: That's meant daily rescue drama, three weeks running.
EVANS: Well, I haven't had to fight any giant squids and we haven't had any nuclear bomb threats, but as far as, like, being active and being up and down the beach, making rescue, yeah, in that regard it is.
BELLINI: This section of the beach today, contains two large rip currents, They look like dark green rivers running off shore. He starts the day flagging them off.
(on camera): Do you know what the red flag's there are for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No idea.
BELLINI: No idea?
(VOICE-OVER): Most people aren't sure what rip currents are, either.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like the waves are messed up. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, a strong current in the water? I have no idea.
BELLINI: Rip currents are river-like channels that pull swimmers out to sea. By early afternoon, two swimmers are caught in one. Within a minute, Evans reaches them. Since the 1st of May, Ft. Lauderdale's Ocean Rescue reports 800 rescues. The man in this one says his girlfriend was in trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I couldn't save her by myself.
BELLINI: About 30 minutes later:
EVANS: For every hot girl you save, you save 15 fat, pale tourists from Minnesota or save somebody's grandmother.
BELLINI (on camera): It's now appoaching 5:00 and Bill is wrapping up for the day. He's already pulled the flags that he's used to mark off the known rip currents in the ocean.
(voice-over): Evans says it's a miracle more people aren't drowning.
(on camera): Just another day in the life of Bill?
EVANS: Just another day.
BELLINI (voice-over): Jason Bellini, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Arab leaders gather today, in Tunisia. Will they get the Middle East peace process back on track? We'll go live to Tunis, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In the Middle East crisis, hostilities intensify. A suicide bomber attacks a military checkpoint near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The bomber was killed and five others hurt, including four Palestinians and an Israeli soldier.
Coming up at 2:00, we'll go behind the scenes with the Israeli army, which gives us a look, firsthand, at a tunnel being used to smuggle weapons into Gaza. That's coming up at 2:00 Eastern time.
Meanwhile, Israel's incursion into refugee camps in Gaza is drawing concern from the Arab League. Member of the organization are discussing the crisis and other matters in a summit in Tunis, Tunisia. CNN's Walter Rodgers is live and he joins us with the latest -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hello Fredricka. Well, once again, it was Libya's leader, Moammar Gadhafi who provided the fireworks for this Arab League summit in Tunis. Gadhafi walked out, boycotted the meeting, upset because he could not get what he considered the most important items on the agenda. Gadhafi wanted to talk about a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian problem. His solution that there be one-state solution, that is Israeli and Palestinians living in the same country with equal rights. Most of the rest of the world thinks there should be a two-state solution. Gadhafi was also miffed because the Arab league won't call for the Americans to end their occupation of Iraq. He, however, has his own solution which involves the Blue Helmet of the U.N. Peacekeeping Forces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER (through translator): I guarantee that the states of the Arab League will send their troops under the umbrella of the Blue Helmets if the United Nations decides to send its Blue Helmets to Iraq to replace the occupation forces. Then, Libya will be ready to send its troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: The Arab League summit did open on one note of unity; they all stood and agreed for a moment of silence, commemorating the Palestinian victims of the Israeli army over the past two days. There have been at least 41 Palestinians killed in the past several days in Rafah, alone. So the Palestinian issue came, again, to the top the agenda, and as I say, it's the one issue where there is a modicum of unity among Arab leaders.
Now, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat could not attend this Arab League summit. The Israelis have him locked down in Ramallah, so via a closed circuit television hookup, Arafat used the summit to, once again, indict the Israelis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ARAFAT, PRES. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): This Israeli government does not need -- does not want peace, does not want peace. On the contrary, they diligently work to enforce occupation -- reinforce occupation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RODGERS: Arafat says he does indeed, favor a resumption of the peace talks, a return to the so-called "road map to peace," with the Israelis. One of the statements at the conclusion of this Arab League summit tomorrow will deal with the condemnation by -- of American troops by the -- for the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Walter Rodgers, in Tunis, thank you very much for that report.
Night raids against an Iraqi stronghold, an exclusive look at the obstcles U.S. soldiers face as they fight for control of Najaf.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Here are the latest developments. A report of a suicide car bombing outside a top Iraqi official's home in eastern Baghdad. Seven people were kill in the explosion, four of them security officers. Deputy interior minister Abdul-Jabbar Yousif and his wife were injured, as was the bomber.
Another car bomb attack south of Baghdad killed one U.S. soldier and wounded three others. They were members of the Army's 1st Armored Division.
OPEC oil ministers discuss putting the breaks on rising prices at the pump. A top official says OPEC is deeply concerned and is working on a plan that could stabilize gas prices. Saudi Arabia has offered to increase production, but not all oil producers support that idea.
Spain celebrates the splendor of a royal wedding. Crown Prince Philippe exchanged vows with former TV anchor woman Letistia (ph) Ortiz. More than 1,000 guests flooded the Uldina (ph) Cathedral under tight security to witness the ceremony. Madrid is adorned with a million flowers in honor of that occasion.
In southern Iraq, a renegade Muslim cleric and his militia create more havoc for troops. Muqtada al Sadr is reportedly holed up in Najaf about 100 miles south of Baghdad. U.S. Forces are fending off attacks from his fighters, even as they attempt to capture the rebel leader. CNN's Jane Arraf is with the troops and files this report.
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JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice over): Night after night, the battle between the Mehdi militia and U.S. forces are played out in the quiet countryside near Najaf.
On the east bank of the Euphrates river, across from Muqtada Sadr's strong hold of Kufa, soldiers from the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment roll out into the palm groves. While most people are sleeping, the troops take up their positions.
(on camera): It's quite eerie here. The dogs are howling, the sounds of the countryside. But there is a long line of armored vehicles and soldiers in the palm trees waiting.
(voice over): The point is to fire back and kill militia members. But their rules are to wait until the gunmen fire first. This is nerve-racking stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the guy's creeping up through the woods with weapons, RPGs, and if they do, then we're going to (BLEEP) them.
ARRAF: In some of the households, wakened by the barking dogs and the noise of engines, there must be families lying in fear, waiting, too, for the gunfire. An hour goes by and then bullets fly further down the road.
In the dark, they can't tell where all of the gunmen are hiding. A few hundred meters away, they send a hail of bullets and an impact grenade into the groves to draw fire back. It's a substitute for sending in soldiers. They call it reconnaissance by fire.
On this night, there's a C-130 gunship circling. It will be called on for air strikes if there's enough of a threat. There's only sporadic fire at the soldiers and a sandstorm is picking up. The C-130 goes back to Karbala.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger that. If you want to leave it for another day, we'll be back.
ARRAF (on camera): On this night, the soldiers say they killed six suspected militia members, including four here on this side of the river.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See you guys on the east side, we got one of 'em. I think one of 'em possibly got away --
ARRAF: There are no U.S. casualties, but soldiers return to the base before dawn, through a gauntlet of potential ambushes. The unit we're with has escaped the night's gunfire. Some of these bullets, though, come uncomfortably close. The night's waiting is over.
Jane Arraf, CNN, Najaf, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Information on the war in Iraq, along with the latest battle reports are available 24/7 on the CNN website. That web address is CNN.com.
We're waiting to find out if Martha Stewart is going to get a new trial. It's a possibility now that one of the witnesses who testified against her has been charged with perjury. Stewart says the news has shaken her faith in the system.
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MARTHA STEWART, DEFENDANT: I'm a true believer in the due process of law and that we have discovered several, kind of corrupt problems within the system, makes me kind of depressed.
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CNN's Chris Huntington has more on the questions about the ink expert's testimony.
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CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It may be the best news Martha Stewart has heard all year -- the same U.S. attorney who convicted her, and her former broker Peter Bacanovic, of obstructing justice, today charged one of the government's key witnesses with two counts of perjury for lying on the stand.
DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: A trusted and accomplished lab examiner and public servant violated the public trust. HUNTINGTON: Larry Stewart, who runs the U.S. Secret Service crime lab -- and is no relation to Martha -- allegedly lied when he told the jury he personally analyzed the blue ink from Bacanovic's work sheet, with the famous notation "at 60." That is the price at which Martha Stewart claimed she always intended to sell her stake in ImClone Systems.
Attorneys for the convicted style maven said the new perjury charges, quote, "clearly demonstrate the trial of Martha Stewart was fatally flaw and unfair. If anyone believes that Martha Stewart was not prejudiced, they are extremely naive."
Bacanovic's lawyer said the development, quote, "Will require a new trial."
But U.S. attorney David Kelley was quick to downplay of the impact of the charges against Larry Stewart.
DAVID KELLY, U.S. ATTORNEY: We are quite confident that the false testimony will have no impact on convictions of Martha Stewart and Peter Bacanovic.
HUNTINGTON: One veteran securities lawyer who heard Larry Stewart testify agrees.
JAKE ZAMANSKY, ZAMANSKY & PARTNERS: What is being attacked is whether he was at a certain testing, but realistically it has nothing to do with the conviction.
HUNTINGTON (on camera): Martha Stewart's attorneys have already been denied one request for a mistrial regarding a juror who lied about his criminal record. But legal analysts are saying that old claim, bundled together with the new perjury charges could give the defense some traction.
Chris Huntington, CNN Financial News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: What happens to Martha Stewart's conviction -- now? We will put that question to our legal experts, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman. That is in our legal roundtable coming up at 2:00 Eastern. Right here on CNN.
Well, now some stories making news across America.
A marine rarity is sighted off the North Carolina coast. A fisherman captured on videotape this sight of a great white shark swimming nearby. Great whites can grow up to 16 feet and 3,000 pounds.
Federal agents say they've arrested 14 people at gun shows with weapon ranging from machine guns to explosives. Investigators say most of the illegal activity took place at gun shows in Reno, Nevada. Officials say gun shows cannot be used for illegal firearm sales.
And in Missouri, sextuplets made their media debut. The six babies were born to Ron and Tina Ottint (ph), at a hospital in suburban St. Louis last month. All are listed in good physical condition. The couple already had two other children. Perhaps eight is enough now.
Are you worried about keeping your medical information private? We'll talk about what rights you have and how these rulings might be hurting your doctor.
Plus, could there be a new trial in Martha Stewart's future? More on that ahead.
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WHITFIELD: A couple of stories making health news this weekend. An independent lab has tested 40 multivitamins to see if they contain what the labels say they do. Consumerlab.com found half of the products did not, or that the body wasn't able to absorb the vitamin because of its chemical composition. Some children's vitamins even tested high in lead, a metal that can cause developmental delays.
A group of lawmakers launching a new drive to regulate tobacco. It would give the FDA power to limit nicotine content and prohibit marketing to children. The bill has the support of tobacco giant Philip Morris. Other cigarette makers oppose it.
New federal rules to protect patient privacy have been in effect since last spring. Doctors and consumer groups are monitoring the impact of the new rules, which are nicknamed HIPAA, that stands for the very bureaucratic sounding Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Dr. Bill Lloyd join us from San Antonio; he's a surgeon and clinical professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Good to see you.
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON, UNIV. OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER: Hello, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. Lloyd, what exactly does HIPAA cover?
LLOYD: Well, there are many rights provided by HIPAA. The same rights that limit access to your personal medical record from people who don't need to see them, also allow you more access to have those medical records so you can see the kind of reports and lab studies your doctor's looking at and perhaps you can help correct some errors.
Here's some other rights, as well, you need to know about the privacy practices of your clinics and hospitals. That is, how do these health care providers collect information about you, store it, and share it with others? They're not allowed to sell that information or share it with marketers like drug companies, without your written permission.
And finally, an issue about confidentiality. HIPAA rules allow your information to be shared only between you and your doctor, not with your boss, not with your insurer, and not with law enforcement.
WHITFIELD: HIPAA isn't popular with everybody. What are some of the impacts that it's had on the medical practices, both good and bad?
(AUDIO GAP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, Dr. Lloyd, can you hear me still?
All right, it looks like we've lost our transmission there our communication abilities with Dr. Lloyd. We'll try to bring him back when we can.
Meantime, are you looking for new ideas to spice up your summer vacation plans? Up next, we'll take a look at top 10 summer destinations. Some of them might just surprise you.
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WHITFIELD: Well, more now on the federal patient privacy rules, HIPAA, we were talking to Dr. Lloyd about a moment ago. We think we have restored communication with Dr. Lloyd now.
Can you hear me OK?
LLOYD: Loud and clear. Good to be back.
WHITFIELD: All right good. Let's talk about some of the, I guess, reactions that HIPPA has received. Not all medical practices are happy with the impact, good and bad impact, right?
LLOYD: I think the entire health community says it's been a pretty chaotic year since these rules were introduced. There's been a lot of confusion and most of it stems from either misunderstandings or over interpretation of the HIPPA rules.
Let me give you a quick example. We have doctors over here taking care of a patient in hospital A. And they want some old information from hospital B, but hospital B won't share it, because they claim it would be a violation of HIPPA. That's not correct. Organizations and the government are working to streamline this misinformation and to offer new guidelines to clarify those rules.
WHITFIELD: How about for patients; do most appreciate HIPAA?
LLOYD: Well, the fact is most patients aren't aware of what's happening with HIPAA. Their first glimpse of what's going on is when they enter the clinic. There are new policies there. You have to sign a lot of papers that describe again the policy privacies, the privacy policies of the clinic.
There's no more nurse coming in the waiting room saying, OK, we're ready for your colonoscopy. That doesn't happen any more. Also, clinical research is affected because patient's identification has to be masked. This can be difficult for studies that are already in effect that may run several years. WHITFIELD: What can a consumer or patient do if they feel their privacy has been violated? How would they even know that? What are some signs to look for?
LLOYD: Well, if you just see your records laying around so the janitor or anybody else can look at your personal information, or maybe your boss whispers something about your health. There are steps that you can take to protect your privacy.
First, talk to the supervisor of the clinic or the manager of the hospital you go to. It may be a misunderstanding that could be easily corrected. Also, talk to the hospital's patient advocate. That's an employee that helps people navigate the health care system.
Talk to your health plan. Insurers don't want to be zapped by a fine for violating HIPAA. And, lastly, you can file a complaint directly with the government and your insurance company is obligated to show you how to complain if you think your privacy about your health information has been violated.
WHITFIELD: All right. Good advice. Dr. Bill Lloyd, thank you very much for joining us from San Antonio. We are glad we were able to get you back with us again.
LLOYD: My pleasure, thank you.
WHITFIELD: We're also focusing on F-U-N today, fun, in our weekend getaway segment. "USA Weekend" magazine is high-lighting top destinations for a great time. Why not take a gamble on Las Vegas perhaps? Let's run down the magazine's hot travel spots with Priscilla Totten, who is in Washington today. She's a senior editor at "USA Weekend" magazine.
Good to see you, Priscilla.
PRESCILLA TOTTEN, SENIOR EDITOR, "USA WEEKEND" MAGAZINE: Nice to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. So these are some -- some of them are rather innovative ideas. Some are old-hat idea, but you say you need a fresh new approach to really finding a fun weekend getaway destination.
TOTTEN: What we tried to do in this article is cover all of the country and a cross section of ways to have fun and fun for all ages.
So we asked people on our staff, our contributing editors, the people who help us with travel and other friends of the magazine to contribute ideas of the best places to go to have fun. And from them, we culled our top 10. And so -- yes, we ended up with some surprises.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's go through some of them. Telluride being one; we know it's a great winter getaway location. Why is it great during the summer or spring months as well?
TOTTEN: Well, we wanted one of those great destinations out West where there's so much fun to be had there in the winter and now they've done a great job of also converting them for summer fun. We chose Telluride because they have just a series of terrific festivals throughout the summer. A balloon festival, a wine festival, a film festival, a mushroom festival --
WHITFIELD: Wow.
TOTTEN: And we thought, you know, they really know how to do it. So we wanted to highlight that.
WHITFIELD: And New Orleans? People always know they can get great food in New Orleans. But it's not just about the French quarter and Bourbon Street, is it?
TOTTEN: That's right. We felt we had to include New Orleans, we wanted to, but we also wanted to include a great zoo. Because -- for little kids, that's such a perfect way to have fun. And New Orleans has a world-class zoo in the Audubon Zoo, that highlights their swamp exhibit and other local treasures. We combined it in that instance.
WHITFIELD: It is a beautiful zoo; I have been there. And it is quite remarkable.
Well, everyone loves going to a fair, or everyone at least has been to at least one fair in their lifetime, but why is it that the Iowa State fair is one to really write home about?
TOTTEN: Right, we wanted to include a state fair. We considered several of them. There are so many great ones around the country. And we settled on Iowa's because it's their 150th anniversary this year. And so that was terrific, in and of itself, but they also sport a 500- pound butter cow every year. And that sort of captured our imagination. Like other fairs, they have a great midway and food on a stick and deep-fried Twinkies, the whole package.
WHITFIELD: All the stuff that's not good for you, but its fun to have.
TOTTEN: That's right.
WHITFIELD: Las Vegas, it is a great adult playground. It surprised me, though, when going there you do see kids. It doesn't seem like there's anything for them to do. Why is this still a place that you think is a place that you think is family fun, Las Vegas?
TOTTEN: Well, we included it not necessarily as family fun, but as fun -- it's proven to be fun and be durable for 50 years now. And it keeps sort of reinventing itself with new attractions that become destinations in and of itself, and the hotels and everything. So they do have things for fun, but we actually were considering that a little more adult.
WHITFIELD: OK, it is an adult playground.
All right Priscilla Totten, "USA Weekend" magazine, thank you very much. Some great getaway destinations for the weekend. TOTTEN: Thank you.
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WHITFIELD: A busy week in the news, as always, and many memorable images you may have missed. Here's our weekly look at the week in pictures.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice over): A massive car bomb kills at least nine people in Baghdad, including the president of the Iraqi Governing Council. The bombing took place as the car carrying Izzadine Saline waited at a security checkpoint to enter the high-security green zone.
No Americans were killed in the attack. Smoke from the bombing could be seen miles away.
Israeli citizens fighting riot police over unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank. Hundreds of settlers battled with police over efforts to forcibly dismantle the settlements. The decision to tear down the settlements was made to comply with the road map to peace backed by President Bush.
In Pakistan, more help in hunting down suspected Al Qaeda terrorists. Thousands of people living in the rugged mountainous region along the border have vowed to work with the Pakistani military. The home of one family suspected of harboring terrorists was set on fire, as punishment.
In the Philippines, massive destruction after a typhoon ripped through this island southeast of Manila. The powerful storm triggered landslides, floods and capsized a ferry. Thousands of people were left homeless by the typhoon.
In this country, investigators examine the wreckage after two F- 16s collided in the air during a training mission. One pilot was killed in the crash; the other able to parachute to safety.
In the Eastern U.S., it's cicada mania. Billions of the winged creatures have emerged from the ground after a 17-year wait. The red- eyed pests will make lots of noise over the next six weeks before laying eggs for the next brood of cicada's due in the year 2021.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In a few moments, "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty. At 2:00 Eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY. More on the fight for Iraq. And the inspiring story of a soldier who lost a leg in battle and he's heading back to the warzone to serve.
At 3:00 it's "NEXT@CNN." Today, using hi-tech for tracking livestock to avoid an outbreak of mad cow disease.
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