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CNN Live Saturday

Training Bag Containing Explosives Goes Missing In Airport; Insurgents Step Up Car Bomb Attacks; Many Florida Residents Still Without Homes

Aired December 04, 2004 - 18:00   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.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Here's what's happening now in the news. In Baghdad, two car bombs killed 16 people today at the entrance to the heavily fortified green zone. The blast came shortly after a U.S. soldier was killed in a bomb attack. The fourth American soldier to be killed by a bomb in two days.
President Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are upbeat about their meeting today in Washington. Terrorism was one of the topics. Pakistan has been a key U.S. ally on the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Manuel Noriega's attorney says the former Panamanian leader is in stable condition after suffering a mild stroke this week. Noriega is serving a sentence in a Miami area prison for drug trafficking. The U.S. overthrew the former staunch ally and jailed him in 1992.

Good evening, everyone, I'm Andrea Koppel in for Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Ahead this hour, remembering an ultimate patriot. He helped raise the first flag at Ground Zero and then went on to serve in Iraq. The story of Chris Engeldrom on the front lines.

And later, Florida revisited. Hurricane season may be over, but for many, the damage remains. We'll attack a look at how some of Florida's hardest hit areas are recovering three months after being hit by a record number of hurricanes.

We begin with a lost suitcase that's led to intensive searches and evacuation and all sorts of commotion at two U.S. airports. It's no ordinary bag. What is fueling the hunt is what's inside. Inert training explosives used to train bomb sniffing dogs. CNN's Denise Belgrave explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A French security training session gone badly wrong and it highlights serious concerns for airline security. Passengers at LAX were off-loaded from an incoming Air France flight while authorities searched for a missing bag.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, I overheard one of the authorities talking about possible explosives.

BELGRAVE: It's what's inside the bag that's causing so much concern. The source at the French Army's Public Information Service told CNN the bag contained explosives but no detonator. Officials say plastic explosives were placed into a passenger's suitcase during a training exercise with bomb sniffing dogs. The only problem is the trainers forgot to remove the explosives before the bag was reintroduced to the baggage handling system.

The official confirmed approximately 100 flights headed all over the world departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris before the mistake was discovered. Three of those planes landed at JFK Airport in New York and one landed in Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were a lot of different authorities out there and with bright lights, apparently ready to check bags, and it looked like, you know, they were taking everything very seriously.

BELGRAVE: When Flight 70 arrived at LAX nonstop from Paris it was immediately isolated and all passengers evacuated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They simply said that we had a welcoming committee and that they wanted us to all cooperate with the authorities and that they would like us to leave our bags and to turn off all cell phones and no cameras.

BELGRAVE: TSA officials said their search came back clear and the explosive material wasn't found. According to French officials, the plastic explosives in question do not react to agents like fire, so they say passenger were never in any danger.

Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now to Iraq. Insurgents continue to step up their attacks just weeks before the country's crucial elections. Two car bombs exploded today at an entrance gate to Baghdad's green zone, home to Iraq's interim government and the U.S. embassy. Sixteen people were killed, including five Iraqi police officers. After the explosions, insurgents attacked two checkpoints with all arms fire.

Meanwhile, the U.S. death toll in Iraq continues to grow. Two U.S. soldiers were killed today in separate road side bomb attacks, one near Ba'qubah, the other in Baghdad.

The recent U.S. led assault on Fallujah was meant to break the back of the insurgency in the rebel stronghold. The initial fighting has given way to a grueling urban battle to root out insurgents block by block, house by house. CNN's Jane Arraf has the story and a warning, her report contains graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A wounded Iraqi soldier being carried by a U.S. Marine, on this afternoon, on this street in Fallujah, a nightmare for U.S. forces. Insurgents hold up a block away from the humanitarian Iraqi Red Crescent.

COL. CRAIG TUCKER, U.S. MARINES CORPS: That's where we think the bad guys are.

ARRAF: And just two doors down from a house with one of the few remaining families in it. Iraqi forces lead the family to safety.

"We heard explosions and then they came for us," Hifan Thiari (ph) tells us.

At least two of the gunmen have been wounded. Four others have escaped. The Marines target the houses they believe they may have gone to. As one of the houses burned, stocks of ammunition inside explodes. Regimental commander Colonel Craig Tucker...

TUCKER: We're going to have to go through and root these guys out, house by house, group by group.

ARRAF: But in this part of the city with Iraqi forces working side by side with American Marines, the battle goes on hour after hour.

TUCKER: Well, we face here in this insurgency a fleeting enemy. These houses are all about five meters to 15 meters apart from each other. It's the enemy can jump across or use mouse holes or small alleyways and spaces between the houses to move from one house to another.

ARRAF (on camera): Even the floor is on fire here. This building is almost totally destroyed. This is what happens when you fire shoulder-fired missiles and tank rounds into a house. But there were no insurgents here.

(voice-over): In this house, though, is one of the gunmen incinerated by the missiles exploding here and still in firing position.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Fifty-seven magazines. Don't even touch that. No, that's already blown apart, OK. Grenades went off in here. There's the grenades the insurgents used.

ARRAF: Two piles of charred ashes upstairs may be two more insurgents. But on this street in Falluja, the Marines and Iraqi forces will have to wait until the fires stop burning to take stock.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Falluja.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: An investigation is under way into new photographs that appear to show U.S. military personnel posing with Iraqi detainees. Kimberly Osias joins us from Washington now with details.

Boy, this is a little bit of deja vu all over again, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems like it, Andrea. But the Navy officials I spoke with say the photos in and of themselves are inconclusive at this point. They also say not to draw comparisons between this and Abu Ghraib. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS (voice-over): Caught on film, these photos posted on the Internet by the wife of a U.S. serviceman. She says he brought them home after a tour in Iraq, according to the Associated Press, one detainee appearing to be grabbed at the neck, another appearing with a bloody face. Navy officials say at the minimum, poor judgment was exhibited by the elite servicemen.

A preliminary investigation is currently under way to see if there was any criminal wrongdoing. The date stamp on the photo indicates May 2003, months before the far more brutal photos taken from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Former military officials say there's a vast gulf between the two cases. According to experts, these may have been taken at a point of capture, where different standards apply.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: At a point when you are trying to capture an enemy, you need to be aggressive. You need to be rough because you need to disarm them and you need to make sure they're no longer a threat to you or your unit.

OSIAS: CNN's military analyst Ken Robinson urges caution.

ROBINSON: These issues are complex. We need to hopefully let the chain of command identify specifically what the context was and then let's look and scrutinize to judge it.

OSIAS: What exactly this means, difficult to say, since the conditions surrounding the pictures are still under investigation. Navy Special Warfare Command spokesman Jeff Bender says, "There are strict Navy regulations prohibiting the photographing of detainees for other than official purposes. Additionally, prior to deployment, naval special warfare personnel are instructed that taking unofficial photographs of POWs and detainees is prohibited.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Experts say there are circumstances where photographing detainees is important, like for identification and documentation. Sources say if the preliminary investigation suggests criminal wrongdoing, the Navy Criminal Investigative Services will be called in. As of yet, that hasn't happened -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: So Kimberly, if I understand correctly, these 200 photographs were posted on a website and that's how the Associated Press got them. But my -- I understand that the website now is no longer accessible?

OSIAS: You have to use a special password to get in. And, you know, I don't think that it is still available, Andrea.

KOPPEL: OK, Kimberly Osias joining us from Washington, thanks.

The war on terror was on the agenda at the White House today. President Bush met with his Pakistani counterpart in the Oval Office. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now with details.

Suzanne, both sides seem to be downplaying this meeting. They're saying Musharraf was just in South America and he was -- just decided to stop by and congratulate President Bush.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know it's really interesting, Andrea, because really both sides took pains to present a united front. There were no new policy initiatives or even openly aired disagreements, but both leaders, however, recognizing the mutual benefits and even some of the concerns in the U.S./Pakistani relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: President Bush held a rare Saturday Oval Office meeting to host one of his administration's most important allies in the war on terror, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president and I are absolutely committed to fighting off the terrorists who would destroy lives in Pakistan or the United States or anywhere else.

MALVEAUX: Musharraf said the drop-by was to congratulate Mr. Bush on his election win, while he was traveling en route from Latin America to the U.K. But it was more than a courtesy call.

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: We discussed terrorism in its entire complexity.

MALVEAUX: The two leaders talked about their joint role in the hunt for elusive Osama bin Laden. Last month, Pakistan's military announced it was withdrawing hundreds of its troops form a region near the Afghan border because the search there for bin Laden had been fruitless. Mr. Bush downplayed any White House concern about the retreat, choosing to emphasize Pakistan's progress in going after al Qaeda.

BUSH: His army has been incredibly active and very brave in Southern Waziristan, flushing out an enemy that had thought they had found safe haven.

MALVEAUX: On the Afghan side, U.S. forces continue the search and the Pakistani government wants the American mission to expand to help Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen districts in east and south of Afghanistan are in control of Taliban and al Qaeda. Mr. Karzai doesn't enjoy authority and control over these 15 districts.

MALVEAUX: Musharraf, who has survived three assassination attempts and is often a target among Islamic extremists, sought assurances from Mr. Bush that he's committed to resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, a dispute viewed essential in the Muslim world.

BUSH: I assured President Musharraf that there is an opportunity at hand to work toward the development of a Palestinian state and peace in the Middle East.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now state administration officials said neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Musharraf brought up the concern of the White House, that Musharraf refuses to give up his military post. This is something that the Bush administration considers counter to Democratic reform -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much, joining us from the White House tonight.

Well, let's talk more about Pakistan's role in the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Joining us now is former assistant secretary of state for South Asian Affairs, Carl Inderforth. He attended also a luncheon today with Mr. Musharraf in Washington.

RICK INDERFORTH, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Nice to see you.

It's good to see you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Now I'm hoping, Rick, that you're going to cut through all the diplomatic niceties here. You no longer have your official title. You're -- you were in the Clinton administration and we're looking to you to cut through all the bologna. Why is Pakistan so important in the war on terrorism?

INDERFORTH: It's very simple. The 9/11 Commission report identified three countries that were most important for the United States to successfully conduct that war on terrorism. Pakistan was the first of those three. The other two were Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. So there's no country more critical right now to President Bush's efforts to move ahead with the war on terrorism than Pakistan.

KOPPEL: Yesterday, at the White House, Scott McClellan, the press secretary, said -- when asked about that, he said, "Well, there's always more that Pakistan can do." What is he getting at there?

INDERFORTH: Well, there's always more that we can do as well. Pakistan -- I think, there, by the way, has been some confusion about whether or not the Pakistanis have actually withdrawn troops in that South Waziristan area that President Bush referred to. I spoke to the foreign minister this afternoon and he made the case that the operations they were doing have been completed and they've moved these troops around.

President Musharraf at this luncheon also talked about 600 al Qaeda or other extremists that had been rounded up, detained by Pakistan during this period since 9/11. They know that they've got a lot to do. I'm sure that they can do more, but again, I think that President Bush wanted to be sure that he saw President Musharraf on his way through Washington to cement that relationship that's been so important. KOPPEL: Well, let's get at how the U.S. can help Pakistan. One of the things that I've heard that President Musharraf wanted to ask was for the U.S. to be putting more troops on the other side of the border in Afghanistan, on the eastern border there. Why doesn't the U.S. do that?

INDERFORTH: Well, I think the U.S. is moving to firm up its security relationship with Afghanistan, and I think that there will be a large number, 15,000, 20,000 troops there and also expanding the international presence. I think there will be greater cooperation with Pakistan on its side of the border, something by the way that President Musharraf mentioned on this trip that was actually his first priority was to ask President Bush to pay close attention to the Middle East and the Palestinian dispute and to do all that he can there because that is an issue that is so important to the Muslim world. And President Musharraf was saying, look, you can help me by paying a great deal of attention to this issue so that the anti- American feeling in Pakistan will be addressed in that way. So he had both the agenda on terrorism, but also to encourage, as Prime Minister Tony Blair did when he was in Washington, encourage President Bush to move ahead on a Middle East peace initiative.

KOPPEL: OK, well, we're going to have to leave it there. Carl Rick Inderforth joining us from Washington, former assistant secretary of state, thank you.

INDERFORTH: Thank you.

KOPPEL: And be sure to join Wolf Blitzer tomorrow for a CNN exclusive. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be his guest. That's Sunday noon Eastern.

It is the scandal rocking the sports world. Up next, one of baseball's biggest names and the big impact his story could have on America's favorite pastime.

Plus, hurricane season may be over but the cleanup continues. I'll speak to two of the mayors of two Florida towns trampled by this year's hurricanes.

And later, a restaurant unlike any you've ever seen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Tough talk about baseball and the growing steroid scandal from one of the senator's biggest -- the Senate's biggest hitters. Arizona Senator John McCain is threatening pro athletes, clean up your act or face federal action. McCain tells "The Washington Post" that he'll introduce a bill, which could impose stringent drug tests if baseball players and team owners don't crack down on steroid abuse by next month.

His warning comes in the wake of allegations that San Francisco Giant's player, Barry Bonds, used questionable substances provided by a trainer. Bonds' trainer is among those indicted in a steroid distribution ring. Bonds' lawyer is getting in on the debate now. He says the Giants' slugger has never done anything illegal, but he admits that Bonds used creams and oils that could have contained steroids without his knowledge. CNN sports correspondent Steve Overmyer is sorting it all out.

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly confusing and there are a lot of questions that are being raised right about now, Andrea, as the baseball world has been turned on its ear with a report that one of the best players in the history of the game may have taken steroids. "The San Francisco Chronicle" says Barry Bonds testified to a grand jury that he may have used steroids unknowingly. The Balco investigation testimony says Bonds was given substances he thought were flaxseed oil and an arthritis lotion by his friend Greg Anderson. The government says they were actually steroids. Bonds has not officially commented on the latest report but his lawyer says this is all an attempt by the government to smear Bonds' name. The report states Bonds starting using the steroids in 2001, the same year he set a Major League record with 73 home runs. Coincidentally, the Players' Association, which by the way so far has no comment, has a meeting with the players' reps next week.

Commissioner Bud Selig urges those players to emerge from the meeting ready to adopt stricter steroid policy for its players, Andrea, which right -- by the way, right now the strongest steroid policy is in baseball's minor leagues and not in its major leagues.

KOPPEL: So what is the existing policy?

OVERMYER: Well, the policy right now -- many people call this one of the weakest policies in baseball. As a matter of fact, the first offense -- if you test positive for a first offense for steroids, it's just treatment and education. You can see from the second offense, 15 days. It takes a fifth offense to get a one-year suspension in Major League Baseball. The thing is you cannot be tested more than once per year. Andrea, so it's five straight years of positive steroid tests before you get a one-year ban.

KOPPEL: Let's get a -- is it at all conceivable? Is it possible that Barry Bonds used these creams and had no idea there were steroids in them?

OVERMYER: Of course, it's possible, but you're talking about a guy who makes a living out of his body. You're talking about a guy who watches tapes of pitchers every day. His body is his life. It seems...

KOPPEL: And his record -- and his hitting increased.

OVERMYER: Well, undeniably, undeniably. I mean again, here's a guy who has also three MVPs, age 26, age 28, age 29 and then nothing for seven years until age 36, he explodes for 73 home runs at age 36, which coincidentally, was again the first year that he allegedly started using the steroids. He just -- he defies logic by being able to get better through the years as opposed to -- while other guys at age 36, 37, their talents start to diminish.

KOPPEL: Steve Overmyer, thank you for helping us to understand what is a big, big story in the world of sports.

Former baseball power hitter Jose Canseco is certainly no stranger to the whispers and scandals surrounding steroids. Tonight at 10:00 Eastern, I'll talk with Canseco as he weighs in on the Barry Bonds' controversy and its potential impact on the sport itself.

Straight ahead, paying tribute to a patriot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL ALLEN, LADDER 61, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: We can't be a father, we can't be a wife, but we can fill in the gap.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: This week, he became the first New York firefighter to die in Iraq. Now his fellow crew members remember a friend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Firefighters in New York are mourning the loss of one of their own, a man they're calling the ultimate patriot. He went from the front lines of 9/11 to the front lines in Iraq. CNN's Jason Carroll has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris was not the type of guy to be upset or run from any kind of a fight. When you met him, he made you a better person.

ALLEN: If he was in the background as a spectator, he wasn't happy. He had to help. He had to do something.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Ladder Company 61 in the Bronx, a memorial for the first New York City firefighter to die in Iraq. Chris Engeldrum, Drum to his friends. He was killed in Baghdad on Monday when his Humvee rolled over an explosive. He was 39.

ALLEN: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

CARROLL (on camera): It's OK.

ALLEN: We can't -- we can't replace him. We can't -- we can't be the father. We can't be the wife, but we can fill in the gaps.

CARROLL: Engeldrum served with honors in the Gulf War, then became a New York City police officer. He found his true joy after joining the fire department in 1999. On 9/11, his company arrived as the first tower fell. Engeldrum rescued as many people as he could. His colleagues don't know how many. He hoped to raise the first flag at Ground Zero. Still, he wanted to do more. For him, that meant serving in Iraq in the Army National Guard.

LT. MICHAEL DWNEY, LADDER 61, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: This guy wasn't a couch potato patriot. This guy lived it. He walked the walk and HE talked the talk.

ALLEN: He thought it cowardly if people stayed here and let the rest of his unit go. If his unit was going, just like at a fire, if we were going, he was going. He wasn't going to play it safe.

CARROLL: His wife called him the ultimate patriot. Engeldrum also leaves behind two teenaged sons. The grief is shared by his former colleagues at the firehouse where they hang reminders of Engeldrum. And every time they head out on a call...

ALLEN: Right here, behind my brother's name...

CARROLL: ...he's there too. A toy soldier stashed in every helmet, a tribute to a man who was a firefighter and a soldier at heart.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The total number of U.S. deaths in Iraq now stands at 1,271.

Still to come tonight, picking up the pieces after a deadly and disastrous storm seize. Floridians still have a tough road ahead. Up next, the mayors of two cities hit hard by the hurricanes.

Plus, pushing pills, drug makers no longer need doctors to sell you on their medications. But are consumers paying the price?

And later, getting your meals from inmates. In one town, it's become a staple. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Welcome back. Here's a quick look at what's happening now in the news. President Bush met with Pakistan's President Musharraf today at the White House today. Pakistan has been a key U.S. ally in the war on terror as well as the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Both leaders described the meeting as fruitful.

The Navy is investigating new pictures posted to the internet showing Navy SEALs posing with Iraqi detainees. A senior Navy official says a few of the photos seem suspect and none shows near clear abuse because the context of the photos is unknown.

The Ukrainian parliament adjourned for 10 days but it failed to pass laws aimed at preventing election fraud. In a new presidential runoff slated for December 26, yesterday, the Ukrainian supreme court full nullified the results of last month's election and ordered a new one.

And voters in Louisiana are deciding two key house races today in the state's 3rd Congressional District. Republican Billy Tauzin is in a run-off against Democrat Charlie Melancon. While in the 7th District, Republican Charles Boustany is in a run-off against Democrat Willie Mount.

Many people in Florida whose homes were damaged by hurricanes are still struggling to rebuild their lives. Vero Beach for one has the dubious distinction of having been in the path of two powerful storms. The first, Hurricane Frances hit three months ago today. CNN's Gary Tuchman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wrath of Hurricane Frances, the fury of Hurricane Jeanne, two powerful storms that against all odds, hit land at the exact same place on Florida's East Coast.

CAROL TAYLOR, HURRICANE VICTIM: The roof came off like a can of sardines with a key and rolled off. And we paid somebody to come and screw it back down the day before Jeanne hit.

TUCHMAN: And when Jeanne hit, Carol Taylor's home, the place where she and her husband Don plan to spend the rest of their lives, the destruction was complete. The house was totaled.

DON TAYLOR, HURRICANE VICTIM: This was the absolute culmination of our life. It was everything.

C. TAYLOR: And we don't have enough insurance monies coming to replace the loss.

D. TAYLOR: Nope, this is no good.

TUCHMAN: The Taylors lived in Vero Beach, Florida, 10 miles from the ocean, in a development called Lakewood Village where almost every one of the 320 homes suffered some damage and about 40 of the homes were total losses.

D. TAYLOR: Well, like, around here, you hear people saying, well, we don't want to forget this. We're going to have a t-shirt made up of, you know, hurricane 2004. Who in their right mind would want to remember something like this?

C. TAYLOR: We just want to forget it.

D. TAYLOR: Forget it, try to move on to something that we don't even know what it's going to be yet.

TUCHMAN: Weeks after the hurricanes, the Taylors have not yet seen a dime of insurance money.

(on camera): The people who live here in Lakewood Village come from all over the United States and Canada. They move here for a fresh start. They move here to retire. They move here to pursue the Florida dream, which this summer this community, turned into a real- life nightmare.

(voice-over): This is what many of the living room ceilings looked like in Lakewood Village. JANET HUNTLEY, HURRICANE VICTIM: That was the floor.

TUCHMAN: Janet Huntley's home is another one of the inhabitable ones.

HUNTLEY: I haven't seen an insurance adjuster.

TUCHMAN: She is staying in an RV with her husband Al with the hope that eventual insurance money covers the cost of a new home in Lakewood Village.

HUNTLEY: I can cry at the drop of a hat. And I never -- I used to be able to control my emotions.

TUCHMAN (on camera): And you come up to the back of your house and you see a portion of the house right there. It doesn't look like it's part of your house.

BOB EBERLING, HURRICANE VICTIM: No, it isn't.

TUCHMAN: What is that right over there?

EBERLING: That's the roof to someone else's house.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Bob Eberling's house was bought by his father two decades ago.

EBERLING: I'm just glad he's not alive today to see it. I just think he'd be devastated. I mean he took such pride in this house and took such good care of it. And in one night, it's completely destroyed.

TUCHMAN: Nancy Davis, like virtually everybody here, evacuated before both storms. Hurricane Frances caused significant damage to her modest home. Hurricane Jeanne finished it off.

NANCY DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: And it took awhile to sink in that I had no home left.

TUCHMAN: Carol and Don Taylor are temporarily living in an RV while they plan their move back to Massachusetts where they will live with family members, their Florida dream about to conclude.

(on camera): You've got to be very grateful that you have each other.

D. TAYLOR: Oh yes, yes. That's the only thing that really...

TUCHMAN (voice-over): For the Taylors and for so many others, this hurricane season changed everything.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Vero Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Let's find out more now about how two Florida cities are recovering from the hurricane's devastation. Joining us are Ft. Pierce -- from Ft. Pierce are Vero Beach Mayor Thomas White and Ft. Pierce Mayor Bob Benton.

Gentlemen, I understand the place that you're joining us from is Chuck's Seafood. Is that right? Are you on the roof or is that the -- what's left of the restaurant?

MAYOR BOB BENTON, FT. PIERCE, FLORIDA: This used to be the main dining room and Hurricane Frances took it away.

KOPPEL: Well, I guess that is a fitting site for this interview. I wanted to actually start, if I could, with Mayor Benton from Ft. Pierce because we had video that we just took November 30, just a week ago. And I want our viewers to look at this video, Mayor, as you describe -- first of all, you have 37,516 people who live in your community. Tell us the percentage of your community that was hit, and how they're doing today.

BENTON: Well, the whole community was hit very hard. We probably had 85 percent of the homes that were damaged. Probably 85 percent of the homes have blue roofs on them or had blue roofs after the second storm. On the island, we were hit very hard not only from the storm but the storm surge. And it's going to be years before we can rebuild this community.

KOPPEL: And just looking at that video, you would think that this was in the immediate aftermath of the hurricanes. But this is just from a week ago.

BENTON: Right. There's a -- it's just been, you know, getting supplies in and dealing with new building codes so people can rebuild. And with, you know, the other hurricanes, it's just been very limited getting people in to do the work and getting building supplies.

KOPPEL: Mayor White, you are the mayor of Vero Beach, and we saw in that very moving piece by Gary Tuchman, some of your citizens. And there are 17,705 who live in your community, who are saying they haven't seen any insurance money. How common is that?

MAYOR THOMAS WHITE, VERO BEACH, FLORIDA: I'm sorry. In the insurance? I missed the last part. I apologize.

KOPPEL: OK. What -- do you have any sense as to how many people in Vero Beach have gotten the money from insurance companies?

WHITE: A lot of people are still -- have not seen an insurance adjuster. In fact, I talked to several people in these last few days that had to go out and hire public adjusters so they can start the process going so they can get back into business and move back into their homes and get them fixed.

KOPPEL: Mayor White, you and Mayor Benton have the advantage of having a very powerful governor in your state. Why is Governor Bush not able to get the insurance companies to pay more attention and to get the money where it's needed? WHITE: I -- well, I've talked to Governor Bush and he is working diligently trying to get the insurance companies to help us. In fact, even Tom Gallagher, the financial director, is also -- for the state of Florida, has also been on board helping us.

BENTON: And they've also got mandates that those insurance companies have to, you know, send a check or at least get with people within a certain date after each storm.

WHITE: Right.

KOPPEL: So what would you say, Mayor Benton, if we want to continue with you, are the immediate necessities that your community still needs today?

BENTON: Well, I'll tell you right now we're looking for reimbursement from FEMA through the government. We've had almost a billion dollars worth of damage in Ft. Pierce alone. So I think it's mainly getting some of this money rolling in so people and -- you know, and insurance money also, to help people rebuild because you can only spend so much and put so much on a credit card to -- you know, to get your refrigerators, to, you know, pay for, you know, the damages to get them fixed on your homes. And also a lot of people -- you know a lot of migrant housing in Ft. Pierce that was hit very hard. And it's -- people are out of work because the citrus industry was hit hard. So we're going to have a very difficult year in the next year, two years, rebuilding, and getting this economy back and putting people to work. And the business community also was hit very hard.

KOPPEL: Mayor Bob Benton from Ft. Pierce and Mayor Tom White who is the mayor of Vero Beach, Florida. I want to thank both of you gentlemen for coming on, and we wish both of your communities and all the people of Florida the very best luck getting that money.

WHITE: Thank you so much.

BENTON: Thank you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: With the onslaught of ads everywhere we look, drug companies are bypassing doctors and going straight to you, the patient. Up next, a look at who gains and who loses.

And behind "The Wall," why Pink Floyd's popular album from 25 years ago is making news today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Americans are increasingly reaching for a pill to cure them of what ails them. An annual report from a public watchdog group on the nation's health is raising concerns about people over medicating. Forty-four percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Sixteen and a half percent take at least three. That's up fiver percent, as is the price of those medications. And it's not difficult to see why. Turn on any TV and you'll be bombarded with ads from the drug companies vying for your attention and your wallet. Here's our Christine Romans. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cialis is here. Are you ready?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drug companies are bypassing doctors and heading straight to patients or soon-to-be patient, catching them in their living rooms or reading the paper. They advertise happy, satisfied people and consumers like what they see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ads promote a mind-set that every problem can be solved with a little pill. And that's not -- it's not true and it's promotes a mind-set that, I think, is really dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Switch to Crestor, her doctor said.

ROMANS: So-called direct to consumer drug advertising is up almost 30 percent to record levels this year. Drug companies spent more than $3 billion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you got to love that!

ROMANS: Pushing pills to be a better lover, lower cholesterol or conquer heart burn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask your doctor today.

ROMANS: That's not counting the hundreds of millions in marketing to doctors and in medical journals and all the free samples. For a drug industry faced with blockbuster drugs losing their patents, selling as many drugs as it can is imperative.

MARCIA ANGELL, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: You have to remember that there are more normal people in the United States than there are sick people. So if they can convince fairly normal people that they have medical conditions that need treatment, they have greatly expanded their markets.

ROMANS: Drug companies say they're making better informed consumers and helping identify illnesses that might otherwise have gone untreated.

LORI PELLY, PHRMA: It's positive when someone actually finds out by seeing an advertisement that they may, in fact, have that condition. They ask their doctor about it and hopefully, you're on the right course to getting treated for that condition.

ROMANS: Regardless, the Food and Drug Administration has sent a record number of warning letters to drug companies this year, most recently pulling this Viagra ad off the air for false advertising.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That guy, he's back. Ask your doctor if Viagra is right for you.

ROMANS (on camera): It's debatable whether drug companies are really educating patients. What's not in question, the fact that the doctor/patient relationship has changed forever. It used to be a patient went to the doctor with a list of symptoms. Today they come with a list of brand name prescription drugs.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Chances are you have never eaten anywhere like it. That's because it is the only one of its kind in the country. Up next tonight, what makes this New Jersey restaurant so rare?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: A renovated New Jersey cafe may not seem like the setting for a prison rehab program, but The Mates Inn -- you got to love that name -- is giving inmates the chance to learn new skills long before they leave prison. Our Alina Cho gives us a restaurant review that focuses more on the staff than what's on the menu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that looks beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that nice?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, it looks like a regular restaurant with regular waiters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything else I can get you, Miss?

CHO: This is anything but. The only one of its kind in the U.S., The Mates Inn is run entirely by nonviolent offenders serving time at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a side order of egg salad.

CHO: But every weekday, they come here, supervised by professional chefs who double as teachers. The inmates make everything from scratch and learn valuable skills both in and out of the kitchen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to just give them the confidence. It's all a matter of building their confidence. The image people have of inmates is always like oh, well, they're no good. They're just inmates and who are they. They're like the dregs of society. These guys are extremely intelligent.

CHO: Pedro Torres was scared to deal with customers in the beginning.

PEDRO TORRES, MATES INN WAITER: I was shy at first, but then I learned they don't bite.

CHO: Twenty-six-year-old Torres has served three years on a drug charge. Brian Anning is in for burglary.

BRIAN ANNING, MATES INN BAKER: You're always going to be looked down upon. Programs like this actually give you a chance.

CHO: These women, who call themselves the Purple Hat Society, are regulars. They like the food and love the service.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They cater to us. We just love them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels like eating in the White House.

CHO: Pedro Torres wants to be a chef one day.

TORRES: It feels good when you take a plate of food and they say, you know, your food is good.

CHO: One thing he hasn't learned yet is restraint.

(on camera): Have you gained some weight since you've been here?

TORRES: Ah, yes. I gained 75 pounds.

CHO (voice-over): The inmates, they leave The Mates Inn a little heavier. They also leave with a culinary certificate, credits toward a high school diploma and the knowledge that once they get out of prison, they have a good chance of getting a job.

Alina Cho, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, maybe you all have the same question I do. What is the Purple Hat Society? Another story, another day.

You've heard the song, but have you heard the story? Straight ahead, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and the children behind it. But first here's Al Hunt to tell us what's ahead on "THE CAPITAL GANG."

AL HUNT, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Coming up next on "THE CAPITAL GANG," a full-court press by the president to get the 9/11 bill passed. The cabinet shuffle continues. And we'll square off, pro or con on medical marijuana. All this and more next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: This just in to CNN -- Arizona Senator John McCain is telling Major League Baseball to clean up its act. Tonight at Andrews Air Force Base, that's outside Washington, McCain said if Major League Baseball doesn't aggressively work to end the use of steroids and the abuse among its players in the next month, he will introduce legislation calling for tougher drug testing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: And finally, I don't care much about Mr. Bonds or Mr. Sheffield or anybody else. What I care about are high school athletes who are tempted to use steroids because they think that's the only way they can make it in the major leagues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: The senator referring to Barry Bonds. And of course, tonight at 10:00 p.m., I'll talk with Jose Canseco about the new steroids controversy and its potential impact on the sport itself.

Happy birthday to Pink Floyd's "The Wall." The classic album was released, believe it or not, 25 years ago today. Yes, we have been listening to such Pink Floyd classics as "Another Brick in The Wall" and "Comfortably Numb" for 25 years. But with the anniversary comes a bit of a controversy as some of the album's backup singers are now lobbying for backup pay. CNN's Anderson Cooper explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Pink Floyd needed a few more voices for their anti-school album, "Another Brick in The Wall Part Two," their engineer called on some kids from a local school.

(MUSIC)

COOPER: And with the help of the school's head of music who got them to the local studio, 23 teens turned into a choir, heard if not seen, backing up the Brit band on its best-selling album.

For the amateur adolescent singers of the Islington Green School (ph), rocking out to the rebellious lyrics was, well, a laugh.

TABITHA MELLOR, FORMER SINGER: You sing it as if you're in a football match. We don't need no education. Yes, it was really sort of...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's that accent, education.

MELLOR: And we belted it out at the top of our lungs.

COOPER: The album was a hit, selling 23 million copies. But when the band sang the song on Britain's Top the Pops and when "The Wall" was made into a music video, something was missing. The kids were left out in the cold, replaced by students from a local drama school who lip-synced the lines.

Pink Floyd pocketed a pile of money from the album. The school got a 1,000-pound donation to its music program. That's about $2000. And the singing school kids? Well, they got a copy of the album and tickets to a Pink Floyd concert and not a penny in compensation, until now, maybe.

U.K. Royalties agent Peter Rowen says in 1996, British law allows session singers to collect royalties even for unpaid work. So he's been trying to track the old kids down.

PETER ROWAN, U.K. ROYALTIES AGENT: It was completely ad hoc. There were no lists, no photos. Nobody ever kept a record of the session.

COOPER: So far he's signed up just one of the singers for the compensation claim and he's been contacted by seven more. Each of the now 30-somethings could come into some cash, though not much.

ROWAN: It's not a lot. It's for a good couple of nights out, 100, 150 pounds out. What's that? A couple hundred dollars?

COOPER: And while it may not make them rich, the world now knows the one-hit wonders backing up the band behind "The Wall."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: "The Wall" went platinum 23 times and is the third best selling album of all time in this country.

Well, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next, "THE CAPITAL GANG," then at 8:00 Eastern on "CNN PRESENTS: Fat Chance, The Fat Epidemic in America." And at 9:00, "LARRY KING LIVE." Larry's guest tonight, Donald Trump, and then I'll be back at 10:00 eastern. Hope you'll join us. Tonight, steroids in sports. I'll be speaking with Jose Canseco.

A quick check of the headlines after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 December 4, 2004 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Here's what's happening now in the news. In Baghdad, two car bombs killed 16 people today at the entrance to the heavily fortified green zone. The blast came shortly after a U.S. soldier was killed in a bomb attack. The fourth American soldier to be killed by a bomb in two days.
President Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are upbeat about their meeting today in Washington. Terrorism was one of the topics. Pakistan has been a key U.S. ally on the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Manuel Noriega's attorney says the former Panamanian leader is in stable condition after suffering a mild stroke this week. Noriega is serving a sentence in a Miami area prison for drug trafficking. The U.S. overthrew the former staunch ally and jailed him in 1992.

Good evening, everyone, I'm Andrea Koppel in for Carol Lin. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. Ahead this hour, remembering an ultimate patriot. He helped raise the first flag at Ground Zero and then went on to serve in Iraq. The story of Chris Engeldrom on the front lines.

And later, Florida revisited. Hurricane season may be over, but for many, the damage remains. We'll attack a look at how some of Florida's hardest hit areas are recovering three months after being hit by a record number of hurricanes.

We begin with a lost suitcase that's led to intensive searches and evacuation and all sorts of commotion at two U.S. airports. It's no ordinary bag. What is fueling the hunt is what's inside. Inert training explosives used to train bomb sniffing dogs. CNN's Denise Belgrave explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A French security training session gone badly wrong and it highlights serious concerns for airline security. Passengers at LAX were off-loaded from an incoming Air France flight while authorities searched for a missing bag.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, I overheard one of the authorities talking about possible explosives.

BELGRAVE: It's what's inside the bag that's causing so much concern. The source at the French Army's Public Information Service told CNN the bag contained explosives but no detonator. Officials say plastic explosives were placed into a passenger's suitcase during a training exercise with bomb sniffing dogs. The only problem is the trainers forgot to remove the explosives before the bag was reintroduced to the baggage handling system.

The official confirmed approximately 100 flights headed all over the world departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris before the mistake was discovered. Three of those planes landed at JFK Airport in New York and one landed in Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were a lot of different authorities out there and with bright lights, apparently ready to check bags, and it looked like, you know, they were taking everything very seriously.

BELGRAVE: When Flight 70 arrived at LAX nonstop from Paris it was immediately isolated and all passengers evacuated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They simply said that we had a welcoming committee and that they wanted us to all cooperate with the authorities and that they would like us to leave our bags and to turn off all cell phones and no cameras.

BELGRAVE: TSA officials said their search came back clear and the explosive material wasn't found. According to French officials, the plastic explosives in question do not react to agents like fire, so they say passenger were never in any danger.

Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now to Iraq. Insurgents continue to step up their attacks just weeks before the country's crucial elections. Two car bombs exploded today at an entrance gate to Baghdad's green zone, home to Iraq's interim government and the U.S. embassy. Sixteen people were killed, including five Iraqi police officers. After the explosions, insurgents attacked two checkpoints with all arms fire.

Meanwhile, the U.S. death toll in Iraq continues to grow. Two U.S. soldiers were killed today in separate road side bomb attacks, one near Ba'qubah, the other in Baghdad.

The recent U.S. led assault on Fallujah was meant to break the back of the insurgency in the rebel stronghold. The initial fighting has given way to a grueling urban battle to root out insurgents block by block, house by house. CNN's Jane Arraf has the story and a warning, her report contains graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A wounded Iraqi soldier being carried by a U.S. Marine, on this afternoon, on this street in Fallujah, a nightmare for U.S. forces. Insurgents hold up a block away from the humanitarian Iraqi Red Crescent.

COL. CRAIG TUCKER, U.S. MARINES CORPS: That's where we think the bad guys are.

ARRAF: And just two doors down from a house with one of the few remaining families in it. Iraqi forces lead the family to safety.

"We heard explosions and then they came for us," Hifan Thiari (ph) tells us.

At least two of the gunmen have been wounded. Four others have escaped. The Marines target the houses they believe they may have gone to. As one of the houses burned, stocks of ammunition inside explodes. Regimental commander Colonel Craig Tucker...

TUCKER: We're going to have to go through and root these guys out, house by house, group by group.

ARRAF: But in this part of the city with Iraqi forces working side by side with American Marines, the battle goes on hour after hour.

TUCKER: Well, we face here in this insurgency a fleeting enemy. These houses are all about five meters to 15 meters apart from each other. It's the enemy can jump across or use mouse holes or small alleyways and spaces between the houses to move from one house to another.

ARRAF (on camera): Even the floor is on fire here. This building is almost totally destroyed. This is what happens when you fire shoulder-fired missiles and tank rounds into a house. But there were no insurgents here.

(voice-over): In this house, though, is one of the gunmen incinerated by the missiles exploding here and still in firing position.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Fifty-seven magazines. Don't even touch that. No, that's already blown apart, OK. Grenades went off in here. There's the grenades the insurgents used.

ARRAF: Two piles of charred ashes upstairs may be two more insurgents. But on this street in Falluja, the Marines and Iraqi forces will have to wait until the fires stop burning to take stock.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Falluja.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: An investigation is under way into new photographs that appear to show U.S. military personnel posing with Iraqi detainees. Kimberly Osias joins us from Washington now with details.

Boy, this is a little bit of deja vu all over again, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems like it, Andrea. But the Navy officials I spoke with say the photos in and of themselves are inconclusive at this point. They also say not to draw comparisons between this and Abu Ghraib. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS (voice-over): Caught on film, these photos posted on the Internet by the wife of a U.S. serviceman. She says he brought them home after a tour in Iraq, according to the Associated Press, one detainee appearing to be grabbed at the neck, another appearing with a bloody face. Navy officials say at the minimum, poor judgment was exhibited by the elite servicemen.

A preliminary investigation is currently under way to see if there was any criminal wrongdoing. The date stamp on the photo indicates May 2003, months before the far more brutal photos taken from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Former military officials say there's a vast gulf between the two cases. According to experts, these may have been taken at a point of capture, where different standards apply.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: At a point when you are trying to capture an enemy, you need to be aggressive. You need to be rough because you need to disarm them and you need to make sure they're no longer a threat to you or your unit.

OSIAS: CNN's military analyst Ken Robinson urges caution.

ROBINSON: These issues are complex. We need to hopefully let the chain of command identify specifically what the context was and then let's look and scrutinize to judge it.

OSIAS: What exactly this means, difficult to say, since the conditions surrounding the pictures are still under investigation. Navy Special Warfare Command spokesman Jeff Bender says, "There are strict Navy regulations prohibiting the photographing of detainees for other than official purposes. Additionally, prior to deployment, naval special warfare personnel are instructed that taking unofficial photographs of POWs and detainees is prohibited.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Experts say there are circumstances where photographing detainees is important, like for identification and documentation. Sources say if the preliminary investigation suggests criminal wrongdoing, the Navy Criminal Investigative Services will be called in. As of yet, that hasn't happened -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: So Kimberly, if I understand correctly, these 200 photographs were posted on a website and that's how the Associated Press got them. But my -- I understand that the website now is no longer accessible?

OSIAS: You have to use a special password to get in. And, you know, I don't think that it is still available, Andrea.

KOPPEL: OK, Kimberly Osias joining us from Washington, thanks.

The war on terror was on the agenda at the White House today. President Bush met with his Pakistani counterpart in the Oval Office. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now with details.

Suzanne, both sides seem to be downplaying this meeting. They're saying Musharraf was just in South America and he was -- just decided to stop by and congratulate President Bush.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know it's really interesting, Andrea, because really both sides took pains to present a united front. There were no new policy initiatives or even openly aired disagreements, but both leaders, however, recognizing the mutual benefits and even some of the concerns in the U.S./Pakistani relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: President Bush held a rare Saturday Oval Office meeting to host one of his administration's most important allies in the war on terror, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president and I are absolutely committed to fighting off the terrorists who would destroy lives in Pakistan or the United States or anywhere else.

MALVEAUX: Musharraf said the drop-by was to congratulate Mr. Bush on his election win, while he was traveling en route from Latin America to the U.K. But it was more than a courtesy call.

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: We discussed terrorism in its entire complexity.

MALVEAUX: The two leaders talked about their joint role in the hunt for elusive Osama bin Laden. Last month, Pakistan's military announced it was withdrawing hundreds of its troops form a region near the Afghan border because the search there for bin Laden had been fruitless. Mr. Bush downplayed any White House concern about the retreat, choosing to emphasize Pakistan's progress in going after al Qaeda.

BUSH: His army has been incredibly active and very brave in Southern Waziristan, flushing out an enemy that had thought they had found safe haven.

MALVEAUX: On the Afghan side, U.S. forces continue the search and the Pakistani government wants the American mission to expand to help Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen districts in east and south of Afghanistan are in control of Taliban and al Qaeda. Mr. Karzai doesn't enjoy authority and control over these 15 districts.

MALVEAUX: Musharraf, who has survived three assassination attempts and is often a target among Islamic extremists, sought assurances from Mr. Bush that he's committed to resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, a dispute viewed essential in the Muslim world.

BUSH: I assured President Musharraf that there is an opportunity at hand to work toward the development of a Palestinian state and peace in the Middle East.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now state administration officials said neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Musharraf brought up the concern of the White House, that Musharraf refuses to give up his military post. This is something that the Bush administration considers counter to Democratic reform -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much, joining us from the White House tonight.

Well, let's talk more about Pakistan's role in the war on terror and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Joining us now is former assistant secretary of state for South Asian Affairs, Carl Inderforth. He attended also a luncheon today with Mr. Musharraf in Washington.

RICK INDERFORTH, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Nice to see you.

It's good to see you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Now I'm hoping, Rick, that you're going to cut through all the diplomatic niceties here. You no longer have your official title. You're -- you were in the Clinton administration and we're looking to you to cut through all the bologna. Why is Pakistan so important in the war on terrorism?

INDERFORTH: It's very simple. The 9/11 Commission report identified three countries that were most important for the United States to successfully conduct that war on terrorism. Pakistan was the first of those three. The other two were Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. So there's no country more critical right now to President Bush's efforts to move ahead with the war on terrorism than Pakistan.

KOPPEL: Yesterday, at the White House, Scott McClellan, the press secretary, said -- when asked about that, he said, "Well, there's always more that Pakistan can do." What is he getting at there?

INDERFORTH: Well, there's always more that we can do as well. Pakistan -- I think, there, by the way, has been some confusion about whether or not the Pakistanis have actually withdrawn troops in that South Waziristan area that President Bush referred to. I spoke to the foreign minister this afternoon and he made the case that the operations they were doing have been completed and they've moved these troops around.

President Musharraf at this luncheon also talked about 600 al Qaeda or other extremists that had been rounded up, detained by Pakistan during this period since 9/11. They know that they've got a lot to do. I'm sure that they can do more, but again, I think that President Bush wanted to be sure that he saw President Musharraf on his way through Washington to cement that relationship that's been so important. KOPPEL: Well, let's get at how the U.S. can help Pakistan. One of the things that I've heard that President Musharraf wanted to ask was for the U.S. to be putting more troops on the other side of the border in Afghanistan, on the eastern border there. Why doesn't the U.S. do that?

INDERFORTH: Well, I think the U.S. is moving to firm up its security relationship with Afghanistan, and I think that there will be a large number, 15,000, 20,000 troops there and also expanding the international presence. I think there will be greater cooperation with Pakistan on its side of the border, something by the way that President Musharraf mentioned on this trip that was actually his first priority was to ask President Bush to pay close attention to the Middle East and the Palestinian dispute and to do all that he can there because that is an issue that is so important to the Muslim world. And President Musharraf was saying, look, you can help me by paying a great deal of attention to this issue so that the anti- American feeling in Pakistan will be addressed in that way. So he had both the agenda on terrorism, but also to encourage, as Prime Minister Tony Blair did when he was in Washington, encourage President Bush to move ahead on a Middle East peace initiative.

KOPPEL: OK, well, we're going to have to leave it there. Carl Rick Inderforth joining us from Washington, former assistant secretary of state, thank you.

INDERFORTH: Thank you.

KOPPEL: And be sure to join Wolf Blitzer tomorrow for a CNN exclusive. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be his guest. That's Sunday noon Eastern.

It is the scandal rocking the sports world. Up next, one of baseball's biggest names and the big impact his story could have on America's favorite pastime.

Plus, hurricane season may be over but the cleanup continues. I'll speak to two of the mayors of two Florida towns trampled by this year's hurricanes.

And later, a restaurant unlike any you've ever seen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Tough talk about baseball and the growing steroid scandal from one of the senator's biggest -- the Senate's biggest hitters. Arizona Senator John McCain is threatening pro athletes, clean up your act or face federal action. McCain tells "The Washington Post" that he'll introduce a bill, which could impose stringent drug tests if baseball players and team owners don't crack down on steroid abuse by next month.

His warning comes in the wake of allegations that San Francisco Giant's player, Barry Bonds, used questionable substances provided by a trainer. Bonds' trainer is among those indicted in a steroid distribution ring. Bonds' lawyer is getting in on the debate now. He says the Giants' slugger has never done anything illegal, but he admits that Bonds used creams and oils that could have contained steroids without his knowledge. CNN sports correspondent Steve Overmyer is sorting it all out.

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly confusing and there are a lot of questions that are being raised right about now, Andrea, as the baseball world has been turned on its ear with a report that one of the best players in the history of the game may have taken steroids. "The San Francisco Chronicle" says Barry Bonds testified to a grand jury that he may have used steroids unknowingly. The Balco investigation testimony says Bonds was given substances he thought were flaxseed oil and an arthritis lotion by his friend Greg Anderson. The government says they were actually steroids. Bonds has not officially commented on the latest report but his lawyer says this is all an attempt by the government to smear Bonds' name. The report states Bonds starting using the steroids in 2001, the same year he set a Major League record with 73 home runs. Coincidentally, the Players' Association, which by the way so far has no comment, has a meeting with the players' reps next week.

Commissioner Bud Selig urges those players to emerge from the meeting ready to adopt stricter steroid policy for its players, Andrea, which right -- by the way, right now the strongest steroid policy is in baseball's minor leagues and not in its major leagues.

KOPPEL: So what is the existing policy?

OVERMYER: Well, the policy right now -- many people call this one of the weakest policies in baseball. As a matter of fact, the first offense -- if you test positive for a first offense for steroids, it's just treatment and education. You can see from the second offense, 15 days. It takes a fifth offense to get a one-year suspension in Major League Baseball. The thing is you cannot be tested more than once per year. Andrea, so it's five straight years of positive steroid tests before you get a one-year ban.

KOPPEL: Let's get a -- is it at all conceivable? Is it possible that Barry Bonds used these creams and had no idea there were steroids in them?

OVERMYER: Of course, it's possible, but you're talking about a guy who makes a living out of his body. You're talking about a guy who watches tapes of pitchers every day. His body is his life. It seems...

KOPPEL: And his record -- and his hitting increased.

OVERMYER: Well, undeniably, undeniably. I mean again, here's a guy who has also three MVPs, age 26, age 28, age 29 and then nothing for seven years until age 36, he explodes for 73 home runs at age 36, which coincidentally, was again the first year that he allegedly started using the steroids. He just -- he defies logic by being able to get better through the years as opposed to -- while other guys at age 36, 37, their talents start to diminish.

KOPPEL: Steve Overmyer, thank you for helping us to understand what is a big, big story in the world of sports.

Former baseball power hitter Jose Canseco is certainly no stranger to the whispers and scandals surrounding steroids. Tonight at 10:00 Eastern, I'll talk with Canseco as he weighs in on the Barry Bonds' controversy and its potential impact on the sport itself.

Straight ahead, paying tribute to a patriot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL ALLEN, LADDER 61, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: We can't be a father, we can't be a wife, but we can fill in the gap.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: This week, he became the first New York firefighter to die in Iraq. Now his fellow crew members remember a friend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Firefighters in New York are mourning the loss of one of their own, a man they're calling the ultimate patriot. He went from the front lines of 9/11 to the front lines in Iraq. CNN's Jason Carroll has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris was not the type of guy to be upset or run from any kind of a fight. When you met him, he made you a better person.

ALLEN: If he was in the background as a spectator, he wasn't happy. He had to help. He had to do something.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Ladder Company 61 in the Bronx, a memorial for the first New York City firefighter to die in Iraq. Chris Engeldrum, Drum to his friends. He was killed in Baghdad on Monday when his Humvee rolled over an explosive. He was 39.

ALLEN: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

CARROLL (on camera): It's OK.

ALLEN: We can't -- we can't replace him. We can't -- we can't be the father. We can't be the wife, but we can fill in the gaps.

CARROLL: Engeldrum served with honors in the Gulf War, then became a New York City police officer. He found his true joy after joining the fire department in 1999. On 9/11, his company arrived as the first tower fell. Engeldrum rescued as many people as he could. His colleagues don't know how many. He hoped to raise the first flag at Ground Zero. Still, he wanted to do more. For him, that meant serving in Iraq in the Army National Guard.

LT. MICHAEL DWNEY, LADDER 61, NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT: This guy wasn't a couch potato patriot. This guy lived it. He walked the walk and HE talked the talk.

ALLEN: He thought it cowardly if people stayed here and let the rest of his unit go. If his unit was going, just like at a fire, if we were going, he was going. He wasn't going to play it safe.

CARROLL: His wife called him the ultimate patriot. Engeldrum also leaves behind two teenaged sons. The grief is shared by his former colleagues at the firehouse where they hang reminders of Engeldrum. And every time they head out on a call...

ALLEN: Right here, behind my brother's name...

CARROLL: ...he's there too. A toy soldier stashed in every helmet, a tribute to a man who was a firefighter and a soldier at heart.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The total number of U.S. deaths in Iraq now stands at 1,271.

Still to come tonight, picking up the pieces after a deadly and disastrous storm seize. Floridians still have a tough road ahead. Up next, the mayors of two cities hit hard by the hurricanes.

Plus, pushing pills, drug makers no longer need doctors to sell you on their medications. But are consumers paying the price?

And later, getting your meals from inmates. In one town, it's become a staple. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Welcome back. Here's a quick look at what's happening now in the news. President Bush met with Pakistan's President Musharraf today at the White House today. Pakistan has been a key U.S. ally in the war on terror as well as the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Both leaders described the meeting as fruitful.

The Navy is investigating new pictures posted to the internet showing Navy SEALs posing with Iraqi detainees. A senior Navy official says a few of the photos seem suspect and none shows near clear abuse because the context of the photos is unknown.

The Ukrainian parliament adjourned for 10 days but it failed to pass laws aimed at preventing election fraud. In a new presidential runoff slated for December 26, yesterday, the Ukrainian supreme court full nullified the results of last month's election and ordered a new one.

And voters in Louisiana are deciding two key house races today in the state's 3rd Congressional District. Republican Billy Tauzin is in a run-off against Democrat Charlie Melancon. While in the 7th District, Republican Charles Boustany is in a run-off against Democrat Willie Mount.

Many people in Florida whose homes were damaged by hurricanes are still struggling to rebuild their lives. Vero Beach for one has the dubious distinction of having been in the path of two powerful storms. The first, Hurricane Frances hit three months ago today. CNN's Gary Tuchman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wrath of Hurricane Frances, the fury of Hurricane Jeanne, two powerful storms that against all odds, hit land at the exact same place on Florida's East Coast.

CAROL TAYLOR, HURRICANE VICTIM: The roof came off like a can of sardines with a key and rolled off. And we paid somebody to come and screw it back down the day before Jeanne hit.

TUCHMAN: And when Jeanne hit, Carol Taylor's home, the place where she and her husband Don plan to spend the rest of their lives, the destruction was complete. The house was totaled.

DON TAYLOR, HURRICANE VICTIM: This was the absolute culmination of our life. It was everything.

C. TAYLOR: And we don't have enough insurance monies coming to replace the loss.

D. TAYLOR: Nope, this is no good.

TUCHMAN: The Taylors lived in Vero Beach, Florida, 10 miles from the ocean, in a development called Lakewood Village where almost every one of the 320 homes suffered some damage and about 40 of the homes were total losses.

D. TAYLOR: Well, like, around here, you hear people saying, well, we don't want to forget this. We're going to have a t-shirt made up of, you know, hurricane 2004. Who in their right mind would want to remember something like this?

C. TAYLOR: We just want to forget it.

D. TAYLOR: Forget it, try to move on to something that we don't even know what it's going to be yet.

TUCHMAN: Weeks after the hurricanes, the Taylors have not yet seen a dime of insurance money.

(on camera): The people who live here in Lakewood Village come from all over the United States and Canada. They move here for a fresh start. They move here to retire. They move here to pursue the Florida dream, which this summer this community, turned into a real- life nightmare.

(voice-over): This is what many of the living room ceilings looked like in Lakewood Village. JANET HUNTLEY, HURRICANE VICTIM: That was the floor.

TUCHMAN: Janet Huntley's home is another one of the inhabitable ones.

HUNTLEY: I haven't seen an insurance adjuster.

TUCHMAN: She is staying in an RV with her husband Al with the hope that eventual insurance money covers the cost of a new home in Lakewood Village.

HUNTLEY: I can cry at the drop of a hat. And I never -- I used to be able to control my emotions.

TUCHMAN (on camera): And you come up to the back of your house and you see a portion of the house right there. It doesn't look like it's part of your house.

BOB EBERLING, HURRICANE VICTIM: No, it isn't.

TUCHMAN: What is that right over there?

EBERLING: That's the roof to someone else's house.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Bob Eberling's house was bought by his father two decades ago.

EBERLING: I'm just glad he's not alive today to see it. I just think he'd be devastated. I mean he took such pride in this house and took such good care of it. And in one night, it's completely destroyed.

TUCHMAN: Nancy Davis, like virtually everybody here, evacuated before both storms. Hurricane Frances caused significant damage to her modest home. Hurricane Jeanne finished it off.

NANCY DAVIS, HURRICANE VICTIM: And it took awhile to sink in that I had no home left.

TUCHMAN: Carol and Don Taylor are temporarily living in an RV while they plan their move back to Massachusetts where they will live with family members, their Florida dream about to conclude.

(on camera): You've got to be very grateful that you have each other.

D. TAYLOR: Oh yes, yes. That's the only thing that really...

TUCHMAN (voice-over): For the Taylors and for so many others, this hurricane season changed everything.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Vero Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Let's find out more now about how two Florida cities are recovering from the hurricane's devastation. Joining us are Ft. Pierce -- from Ft. Pierce are Vero Beach Mayor Thomas White and Ft. Pierce Mayor Bob Benton.

Gentlemen, I understand the place that you're joining us from is Chuck's Seafood. Is that right? Are you on the roof or is that the -- what's left of the restaurant?

MAYOR BOB BENTON, FT. PIERCE, FLORIDA: This used to be the main dining room and Hurricane Frances took it away.

KOPPEL: Well, I guess that is a fitting site for this interview. I wanted to actually start, if I could, with Mayor Benton from Ft. Pierce because we had video that we just took November 30, just a week ago. And I want our viewers to look at this video, Mayor, as you describe -- first of all, you have 37,516 people who live in your community. Tell us the percentage of your community that was hit, and how they're doing today.

BENTON: Well, the whole community was hit very hard. We probably had 85 percent of the homes that were damaged. Probably 85 percent of the homes have blue roofs on them or had blue roofs after the second storm. On the island, we were hit very hard not only from the storm but the storm surge. And it's going to be years before we can rebuild this community.

KOPPEL: And just looking at that video, you would think that this was in the immediate aftermath of the hurricanes. But this is just from a week ago.

BENTON: Right. There's a -- it's just been, you know, getting supplies in and dealing with new building codes so people can rebuild. And with, you know, the other hurricanes, it's just been very limited getting people in to do the work and getting building supplies.

KOPPEL: Mayor White, you are the mayor of Vero Beach, and we saw in that very moving piece by Gary Tuchman, some of your citizens. And there are 17,705 who live in your community, who are saying they haven't seen any insurance money. How common is that?

MAYOR THOMAS WHITE, VERO BEACH, FLORIDA: I'm sorry. In the insurance? I missed the last part. I apologize.

KOPPEL: OK. What -- do you have any sense as to how many people in Vero Beach have gotten the money from insurance companies?

WHITE: A lot of people are still -- have not seen an insurance adjuster. In fact, I talked to several people in these last few days that had to go out and hire public adjusters so they can start the process going so they can get back into business and move back into their homes and get them fixed.

KOPPEL: Mayor White, you and Mayor Benton have the advantage of having a very powerful governor in your state. Why is Governor Bush not able to get the insurance companies to pay more attention and to get the money where it's needed? WHITE: I -- well, I've talked to Governor Bush and he is working diligently trying to get the insurance companies to help us. In fact, even Tom Gallagher, the financial director, is also -- for the state of Florida, has also been on board helping us.

BENTON: And they've also got mandates that those insurance companies have to, you know, send a check or at least get with people within a certain date after each storm.

WHITE: Right.

KOPPEL: So what would you say, Mayor Benton, if we want to continue with you, are the immediate necessities that your community still needs today?

BENTON: Well, I'll tell you right now we're looking for reimbursement from FEMA through the government. We've had almost a billion dollars worth of damage in Ft. Pierce alone. So I think it's mainly getting some of this money rolling in so people and -- you know, and insurance money also, to help people rebuild because you can only spend so much and put so much on a credit card to -- you know, to get your refrigerators, to, you know, pay for, you know, the damages to get them fixed on your homes. And also a lot of people -- you know a lot of migrant housing in Ft. Pierce that was hit very hard. And it's -- people are out of work because the citrus industry was hit hard. So we're going to have a very difficult year in the next year, two years, rebuilding, and getting this economy back and putting people to work. And the business community also was hit very hard.

KOPPEL: Mayor Bob Benton from Ft. Pierce and Mayor Tom White who is the mayor of Vero Beach, Florida. I want to thank both of you gentlemen for coming on, and we wish both of your communities and all the people of Florida the very best luck getting that money.

WHITE: Thank you so much.

BENTON: Thank you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: With the onslaught of ads everywhere we look, drug companies are bypassing doctors and going straight to you, the patient. Up next, a look at who gains and who loses.

And behind "The Wall," why Pink Floyd's popular album from 25 years ago is making news today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Americans are increasingly reaching for a pill to cure them of what ails them. An annual report from a public watchdog group on the nation's health is raising concerns about people over medicating. Forty-four percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Sixteen and a half percent take at least three. That's up fiver percent, as is the price of those medications. And it's not difficult to see why. Turn on any TV and you'll be bombarded with ads from the drug companies vying for your attention and your wallet. Here's our Christine Romans. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cialis is here. Are you ready?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drug companies are bypassing doctors and heading straight to patients or soon-to-be patient, catching them in their living rooms or reading the paper. They advertise happy, satisfied people and consumers like what they see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ads promote a mind-set that every problem can be solved with a little pill. And that's not -- it's not true and it's promotes a mind-set that, I think, is really dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Switch to Crestor, her doctor said.

ROMANS: So-called direct to consumer drug advertising is up almost 30 percent to record levels this year. Drug companies spent more than $3 billion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you got to love that!

ROMANS: Pushing pills to be a better lover, lower cholesterol or conquer heart burn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask your doctor today.

ROMANS: That's not counting the hundreds of millions in marketing to doctors and in medical journals and all the free samples. For a drug industry faced with blockbuster drugs losing their patents, selling as many drugs as it can is imperative.

MARCIA ANGELL, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: You have to remember that there are more normal people in the United States than there are sick people. So if they can convince fairly normal people that they have medical conditions that need treatment, they have greatly expanded their markets.

ROMANS: Drug companies say they're making better informed consumers and helping identify illnesses that might otherwise have gone untreated.

LORI PELLY, PHRMA: It's positive when someone actually finds out by seeing an advertisement that they may, in fact, have that condition. They ask their doctor about it and hopefully, you're on the right course to getting treated for that condition.

ROMANS: Regardless, the Food and Drug Administration has sent a record number of warning letters to drug companies this year, most recently pulling this Viagra ad off the air for false advertising.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That guy, he's back. Ask your doctor if Viagra is right for you.

ROMANS (on camera): It's debatable whether drug companies are really educating patients. What's not in question, the fact that the doctor/patient relationship has changed forever. It used to be a patient went to the doctor with a list of symptoms. Today they come with a list of brand name prescription drugs.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Chances are you have never eaten anywhere like it. That's because it is the only one of its kind in the country. Up next tonight, what makes this New Jersey restaurant so rare?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: A renovated New Jersey cafe may not seem like the setting for a prison rehab program, but The Mates Inn -- you got to love that name -- is giving inmates the chance to learn new skills long before they leave prison. Our Alina Cho gives us a restaurant review that focuses more on the staff than what's on the menu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, that looks beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that nice?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, it looks like a regular restaurant with regular waiters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything else I can get you, Miss?

CHO: This is anything but. The only one of its kind in the U.S., The Mates Inn is run entirely by nonviolent offenders serving time at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a side order of egg salad.

CHO: But every weekday, they come here, supervised by professional chefs who double as teachers. The inmates make everything from scratch and learn valuable skills both in and out of the kitchen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to just give them the confidence. It's all a matter of building their confidence. The image people have of inmates is always like oh, well, they're no good. They're just inmates and who are they. They're like the dregs of society. These guys are extremely intelligent.

CHO: Pedro Torres was scared to deal with customers in the beginning.

PEDRO TORRES, MATES INN WAITER: I was shy at first, but then I learned they don't bite.

CHO: Twenty-six-year-old Torres has served three years on a drug charge. Brian Anning is in for burglary.

BRIAN ANNING, MATES INN BAKER: You're always going to be looked down upon. Programs like this actually give you a chance.

CHO: These women, who call themselves the Purple Hat Society, are regulars. They like the food and love the service.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They cater to us. We just love them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels like eating in the White House.

CHO: Pedro Torres wants to be a chef one day.

TORRES: It feels good when you take a plate of food and they say, you know, your food is good.

CHO: One thing he hasn't learned yet is restraint.

(on camera): Have you gained some weight since you've been here?

TORRES: Ah, yes. I gained 75 pounds.

CHO (voice-over): The inmates, they leave The Mates Inn a little heavier. They also leave with a culinary certificate, credits toward a high school diploma and the knowledge that once they get out of prison, they have a good chance of getting a job.

Alina Cho, CNN, Trenton, New Jersey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, maybe you all have the same question I do. What is the Purple Hat Society? Another story, another day.

You've heard the song, but have you heard the story? Straight ahead, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and the children behind it. But first here's Al Hunt to tell us what's ahead on "THE CAPITAL GANG."

AL HUNT, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Coming up next on "THE CAPITAL GANG," a full-court press by the president to get the 9/11 bill passed. The cabinet shuffle continues. And we'll square off, pro or con on medical marijuana. All this and more next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: This just in to CNN -- Arizona Senator John McCain is telling Major League Baseball to clean up its act. Tonight at Andrews Air Force Base, that's outside Washington, McCain said if Major League Baseball doesn't aggressively work to end the use of steroids and the abuse among its players in the next month, he will introduce legislation calling for tougher drug testing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: And finally, I don't care much about Mr. Bonds or Mr. Sheffield or anybody else. What I care about are high school athletes who are tempted to use steroids because they think that's the only way they can make it in the major leagues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: The senator referring to Barry Bonds. And of course, tonight at 10:00 p.m., I'll talk with Jose Canseco about the new steroids controversy and its potential impact on the sport itself.

Happy birthday to Pink Floyd's "The Wall." The classic album was released, believe it or not, 25 years ago today. Yes, we have been listening to such Pink Floyd classics as "Another Brick in The Wall" and "Comfortably Numb" for 25 years. But with the anniversary comes a bit of a controversy as some of the album's backup singers are now lobbying for backup pay. CNN's Anderson Cooper explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Pink Floyd needed a few more voices for their anti-school album, "Another Brick in The Wall Part Two," their engineer called on some kids from a local school.

(MUSIC)

COOPER: And with the help of the school's head of music who got them to the local studio, 23 teens turned into a choir, heard if not seen, backing up the Brit band on its best-selling album.

For the amateur adolescent singers of the Islington Green School (ph), rocking out to the rebellious lyrics was, well, a laugh.

TABITHA MELLOR, FORMER SINGER: You sing it as if you're in a football match. We don't need no education. Yes, it was really sort of...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's that accent, education.

MELLOR: And we belted it out at the top of our lungs.

COOPER: The album was a hit, selling 23 million copies. But when the band sang the song on Britain's Top the Pops and when "The Wall" was made into a music video, something was missing. The kids were left out in the cold, replaced by students from a local drama school who lip-synced the lines.

Pink Floyd pocketed a pile of money from the album. The school got a 1,000-pound donation to its music program. That's about $2000. And the singing school kids? Well, they got a copy of the album and tickets to a Pink Floyd concert and not a penny in compensation, until now, maybe.

U.K. Royalties agent Peter Rowen says in 1996, British law allows session singers to collect royalties even for unpaid work. So he's been trying to track the old kids down.

PETER ROWAN, U.K. ROYALTIES AGENT: It was completely ad hoc. There were no lists, no photos. Nobody ever kept a record of the session.

COOPER: So far he's signed up just one of the singers for the compensation claim and he's been contacted by seven more. Each of the now 30-somethings could come into some cash, though not much.

ROWAN: It's not a lot. It's for a good couple of nights out, 100, 150 pounds out. What's that? A couple hundred dollars?

COOPER: And while it may not make them rich, the world now knows the one-hit wonders backing up the band behind "The Wall."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: "The Wall" went platinum 23 times and is the third best selling album of all time in this country.

Well, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next, "THE CAPITAL GANG," then at 8:00 Eastern on "CNN PRESENTS: Fat Chance, The Fat Epidemic in America." And at 9:00, "LARRY KING LIVE." Larry's guest tonight, Donald Trump, and then I'll be back at 10:00 eastern. Hope you'll join us. Tonight, steroids in sports. I'll be speaking with Jose Canseco.

A quick check of the headlines after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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