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CNN Live Saturday

Dekalb County Police Chief Wants to Reopen Wayne William's Case; Robert Novak Interviews Soldier from Twilight Tattoo

Aired May 07, 2005 - 14:00   ET

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

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY: It's 2:00 on the East Coast, 11:00 out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, Wayne Williams is considered one of the most notorious killers in America. Now decades later why the case is being reopened.

Also an amazing story of survival; the person who made the daring plane landing after the pilot suffered a heart attack.

Later, inside the wire at Gitmo: What life is really like at the prison holding suspects in the war on terrorism. Those stories in a moment, but first our top stories.

With his political dominance diminished, Northern Ireland's David Trimble resigned today as leader of the Protestant Ulster Unionist Party. Trimble lost his seat in Britain's parliament in this week's election and his party faired poorly. Trimble won the 1998 Nobel prize for the Good Friday Peace Agreement.

A helicopter pulled five climbers off of Mt. Everest today. They were stranded on the world's highest peak after an avalanche and bad weather. The weather cleared enough for the rescuers to pluck the two Americans, two Canadians, and a sherpa (ph) off the mountain.

Cheers Greeted Michel Aoun when he returned to Beirut today. The anti-Syrian leader has spent the last 14 years exiled in France. He returned to Lebanon less than two weeks after the last Syrian troops withdrew from the country.

The most excited two minutes in horse racing are coming up today. The 131st running of the Kentucky Derby is set for Churchill Downs today. Bellamy Road owned by New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner is the favorite. We'll have a live report about 40 minutes from now.

A murder spree thought to have been solved decades ago is now back in the national spotlight. The killings in Atlanta, Georgia between 1979 and 1981 spread fear in the city's African-American community. Twenty-nine boys and young men, all black were killed. Primary suspect Wayne Williams was convicted in 1982 in the murders of just two of the young men and sentenced to life in prison.

But now an area police chief is reopening the case, saying he believes Williams is not guilty. CNN's Sara Dorsey joins us now with more on this story.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY: Well, Fredricka, Louis Graham (ph) was involved in this case since its inception 25 years ago when he worked in Fulton County, but now he's in charge of a different local county that has four cases that were committed back then during that period.

Those cases were closed without ever being officially solved when Wayne Williams went to jail. And it's this police chief's gut feeling that Williams is in fact innocent that has made him decide to reopen these cases.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORSEY (voice over): When Wayne Williams was arrested in Atlanta in 1981, many in the city led out a breath they had been holding for years, since 1979 when black children and teens across the area began disappearing. Later, turning up dead.

Williams, who was convicted of two of the murders and believed responsible for more than 20 others, has always maintained his innocence. Louis Graham, the assistant police chief in Fulton County at time, and part of the missing and murdered task force, believes Williams.

LOUIS GRAHAM, CHIEF, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything. I don't think he did anything. So I made my mind up with that over 20 years ago. And I still feel that way. I felt this when he was convicted. I felt it since. And yes, it has had a hold of me ever since and I just can't seem to turn it loose.

DORSEY: Graham is now the Dekalb County police chief, and he's finally in a position to get to the bottom of his hunch. He's reopening four cold cases in this county dating back to 1981. Patrick Baltsazar (ph), Curtis Walker, Joseph and William Barrett, all either died of strangulation or asphyxiation.

GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that. But at this point, are there just too many open questions. And all I'm trying to do is answer those questions as best we can. And if we can't, that's just the way it is.

DORSEY: Graham says a cold case task force full of fresh investigators and fresh ideas, using technology not available two decades ago will look into the four homicides. When it comes to the kids themselves, some 25 years later, Graham is still very emotional and wants answers.

GRAHAM: That's what I'm trying to do. So, so maybe there is -- there can be justice for Patrick, I don't know. But at least he knows that we won't forget. He knows that we haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten. And maybe what this is all about.

(END VIDEOTAPE) DORSEY: Graham says he doesn't know if it's possible that these cases can be solved after offer these years but he says he owes to the victims and their families to at least try. He says if they don't get solved he can live with himself knowing an attempt was made and these cases were not floating out there forgotten.

WHITFIELD: And that, nearly 26 years after the fact.

All right. Sarah, thanks so much.

DORSEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And later in this show, we'll have reaction from our legal experts to the reopening of the case of Wayne Williams, and the Atlanta child murders.

President Bush is on his second leg of his European trip. Air Force One touched down in the Netherlands a short time ago. Earlier in the day, President Bush met with the leaders of three Baltic nations, in Latvia, and that's where White House Correspondent Dana Bash filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The president hailed Eastern Europe's young democracies and said the United States shares the blame for what he called their captivity five decades behind the Iron Curtain.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And when powerful governments negotiated, the freedom of small nations was somehow expendable.

BASH: Mr. Bush is in the region it mark 60 years since the end of World War II. The end of the Nazis meant the beginning of Soviet domination here, and he acknowledged the U.S. role in the Yalta Agreement that allowed it.

BUSH: We will not repeat the mistakes of other generations. Pleasing or excusing tyranny.

BASH: Getting a reluctant Russia to renew an apology for annexing the Baltic nations is the top priority for the three leaders Mr. Bush met with.

BUSH: American people will never forget the occupation and Communist oppression of the people of the Baltics. We recognize your painful history.

BASH: Russia is angry Mr. Bush included former Soviet states in his itinerary and Moscow doesn't like the term occupation, but Mr. Bush used it eight times at this event.

BUSH: Upon occupation and communist depression.

BASH: Spreading democracy is the hallmark of Mr. Bush's second- term foreign policy. And he promised to make Vladimir Putin understand democracies are good neighbors and role models.

BUSH: Well, I will continue it speak as clearly as I can to President Putin that it's in his country's interests that there be democracies on his borders.

BASH: Mr. Bush did take pains to address a key Putin concern in the Baltics. Urging them not to let resentment breed discrimination against Russians and other minorities.

BUSH: A welcoming and tolerant spirit will ensure the unity and strength of your country.

BASH: The busy day in Riga included a warm welcome and an award for a president more accustomed to protests over the Iraq war. The Three Star Order, the highest honor in Latvia.

(On camera): In advance of his trip to Moscow warned Vladimir Putin only a strong democracy in his own country will determine its greatness. Yet another challenge for the friendship Mr. Bush boasts about at the time he needs the Russian leader to confront challenges in places like North Korea and Iran -- Dana Bash, CNN, Riga, Latvia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: More violence in Iraq today. A car bomb kills at least 22 people including two American contractors. The mid-morning blast in central Baghdad left more than 30 Iraqi civilians injured. Ryan Chilcote has more on the day's events there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY (on camera): Again, no let-up in the violence in Iraq. We start with an insurgent attack in the Iraqi capital this morning.

Somehow a suicide bomber was able to maneuver his car into a convoy of what we understand was three SUVs that were speeding through a Baghdad intersection. That's when this suicide bomber blew himself up, causing a massive explosion, damaging many of the shops in that area, many of the cars; and killing, according to the U.S. embassy, at least 22 individuals, among them, two Americans.

The Iraqi police are saying 23 -- 33, excuse me, people were also wounded in that attack. U.S. military, meanwhile, saying they're making progress in the fight against the insurgency in Iraq. They say they've captured a key aide to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a man that they say facilitated Abu Musab al Zarqawi's movement and also set up many of his meetings.

And lastly on the political front, Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is saying a deal has been reached to fill the last seven jobs that are vacant in the government. He says we should expect an announcement of those names tomorrow -- Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Iraqi militants holding an Australian hostage have issued an ultimatum. Douglas Wood was shown in a video that appeared on the Arabic language channel Al Jazeera. In it his captors demand pulling its troops out of Iraq in 72 hours or they will kill him. Australia's foreign minister says it will not bow to the threat and will continue working to secure Woods' release.

North Korea's nuclear ambitions have Europe and Asia on edge as foreign ministers from several nations urge the Communist nation to return to disarmament talks. But a report in today's "Washington Post" says China turned down a U.S. request to pressure North Korea by cutting off oil supplies. Kitty Pilgrim looks at the threat from the North.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY (voice over): The U.S. State Department reacting to headlines that say North Korea may be preparing to test a nuclear weapon.

TOM CASEY, SPOKESMAN, U.S. STATE DEPT.: This is something that we're following very closely. Obviously, we look at both words and deeds it comes to the North Koreans.

PILGRIM: In terms of word, six-party diplomatic talks involving North and South Korea, Russia, China, and Japan, have repeatedly failed. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of U.N. Nuclear watch dog agency, IAEA, emphasized the situation may be increasingly dangerous.

MOHAMAD ELBARADEI, DIRECTOR GEN., IAEA: I would hope every country right now, every leader is on the phone with Kim Jong-il trying to convince him to restrain from going ahead with this reported nuclear testing.

PILGRIM: But the issue is not clear. Whether the reported activity in North Korea are steps to test a nuclear device or just an elaborate ruse to ratchet up the pressure on the United States.

Last weekend, North Korea tested a missile over the Sea of Japan on the eve of U.N. talks on nuclear disarmament, a gesture that suggests diplomatic manipulation. Recently, experts reserve that the steam, which usually comes from the tower from the Pyongyang nuclear site in North Korea has stopped. It could signal that North Korea is unloading nuclear material from the site to manufacture new nuclear bombs. Most experts agree North Korea is expected to possess some six to eight nuclear bombs.

DAVID ALBRIGHT, INST. FOR SCIENCE & INT'L. SECURITY: They probably can put a crude nuclear weapon on one of their shorter missiles. Perhaps it could reach Japan. I don't believe they could put a warhead on a missile that could reach the continental United States.

PILGRIM: Many experts think if North Korea does test, it's going to be a tremendous strain on the international community, because that action requires immediate response -- Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Tomorrow the head of the United Nations nuclear watch dog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, sits down with Wolf Blitzer to talk about the North Korean nuclear threat. "CNN's Late Edition" begins Sunday at noon Eastern.

The Michael Jackson sexual abuse trial enters a new phase. It's now the defense's turn to call their own witnesses. How did they hold up against the prosecution? Ahead, our legal eagles debate that case.

Also up next, what's really happening to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay? I'll speak with the author of anew book that follows one soldier's journey through Gitmo, and this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He chose to go in through the first wave of American troops. The soldiers thought this was the most extraordinary folly they've ever heard of. That someone would go in without being ordered to do so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Story of one man's passion to record the horror of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In the weeks following the 9/11 attack, the Bush administration set up a sprawling prisoner camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The Pentagon says there are roughly 520 detainees still at the facility. Many others were freed on the condition they be re- imprisoned in their home countries. Some detainees have complained of harsh and abusive treatment but Bush administration says all prisoners are treated humanely.

Well, a new book paints a shocking picture of life in Guantanamo, one the Bush administration won't like. "Inside The Wire" describes a mismanaged facility and questionable interrogation techniques.

Viveca Novak wrote the book look with Erik Sarr a soldier who worked at the prison as an interrogator. And Viveca is in Washington, she's a correspondent for "Time" magazine.

Thanks for joining us, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE WIRE": It's good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Well, give us a sense, how shocking were the interrogation techniques, was this mismanagement that Erik saw -- seemed to witness?

NOVAK: Well, Erik went down as an Arabic linguist in military intelligence specialist. Very gung-ho about fighting the war on terror and perfectly trained really to be of assistance in that regard. And he expect to be part of a very efficient military machine that was, you know, with very sophisticated interrogation techniques, interrogating the worst of the worst and help to thwart future attack.

What he felt he found there were very different. The interrogators were not trained to work with anybody who came from an Arabic culture. They were often just -- you know, the interrogations were just cursory. Many the people they were interrogating really didn't know nothing, had no business being at Guantanamo. And some of the tactics, indeed did, for him, bordered on the shocking, and he felt abusive.

And those would include one of the main things we talk about the book using sort of sexual enticement to try to break the bond between a detainee and his Muslim faith and thereby weaken him. And the theory is he would be then more likely, more vulnerable to future interrogations.

WHITFIELD: And Erik tells you he was so appalled by this, particularly because he's Christian. He's a person of faith. And he saw how faith was being used and manipulated, in which to break down some of these detainees?

NOVAK: That's right. And to him, that was antithetical to the very values that he enlisted to defend, as he puts it. And he believes, you know, in religious freedom. He's really a very devout Christian himself, but he believes that whatever religion you practice, that is something sort of sacrosanct.

WHITFIELD: Did Erik report what he thought to be abuses? And if so, what happened?

NOVAK: He didn't report it at the time, in large part because he was a lowly sergeant and he believed, and still believes, that the leadership at the very top knew what was going on down there, so it wouldn't have helped to report it. So it was after he got out of the military that he started thinking about telling the story because he thought it was important.

He believes very strongly in fighting the war on terror and he believes that this part of the machine is broken.

WHITFIELD: So now what kind of response are you getting, if any, from the Department Defense?

NOVAK: We've received no direct response. We have received, you know, calls and postings on blogs from various soldiers who feel that he's selling out, that he's not being fair.

We've also received, though, a great deal of support from people who think this is an important story, and if we're going to fight the war on terror efficiently that it needs to be aired.

WHITFIELD: Viveca Novak and the book is "Inside The Wire". Thanks so much for joining us from Washington today.

NOVAK: It's good to be with you. WHITFIELD: Straight ahead on CNN Live Saturday, the terrifying moments after the pilot of a private plane suffered a heart attack and the person who had to land the plane.

Also up next --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What interested him was how the living coped with the horrors of war.

WHITFIELD: Very courageous man who stormed the beaches of Normandy armed with just a camera and film.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Russia, it's known as the Great Patriotic War. Today, President Vladimir Putin unveiled a new memorial to the 27 million Russian soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in World War II. He praised their heroics (ph), saying their war effort had liberated Europe from Nazi Germany.

That part of the war in Europe came it an end nearly 60 years ago. On a weekend marked by solemn remembrance, we look at the work of a man who was not a soldier, but a photographer. And the amazing story behind the pictures he snapped on one of the most important dates of World War II.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD WHELAN (voice over): If one had to choose a day that was the climax of Capa's (ph) career, D-Day was it. Capa set the standard of bravery, certainly. He took his camera closer to the front-line action than anyone dared to do before.

He chose to go in with the first wave of American troops. And the soldiers thought this was the most extraordinary folly they'd ever heard of. That someone would go in without being ordered to go. Capa photographed them studying this model, manning their strategic moves. He photographed men, putting their equipment together and getting onto the ships, as they were putting the final preparations on to sail, and while they were actually sailing to the French coast.

When he got out of the landing craft into waist-deep water and waded with the men into the beach, he began shooting, and he had two cameras loaded with film. He wanted to photograph the faces of the soldiers. He wasn't content to walk behind and photograph the soldiers' backs. He wanted the faces as he always did.

When he went to change the film, his hands were shaking so badly, he could not change his film again. There was so much pressure in the London office of "Life" that a dark room assistant turned the heat in the drying cabinet up too high.

And the films that Capa had exposed at such extraordinary risk to his life, going in with his back to the Germans, armed only with a camera, no gun, the films he had made began to melt. Of all the photographs he had made on the beach only 11 were at all savable, usable.

When Capa left Omaha Beach, the only landing craft to which he could manage to swim was a medical craft that was evacuating some of the first of the wounded. He often focused on doctors, medics, treating not only Americans but Germans as well. What interested him was how the living cope with the horrors of war. He really understood what a horrendous social crisis, a catastrophe, war is.

The German army had sustained extremely heavy losses, and these very, very young men, these boys really, were thrown into combat with almost no training, very little equipment. He photographed them as bewildered, terrified, victims of war in their own way.

Capa was very aware of the political complexities of the situation. He brought that to his work. He covered wars that in some way really touched his life very directly. And wars in which he was willing to risk his life just as the combatants were risking theirs for the outcome.

Capa's work is a benchmark to measure work against, as most photojournalists do still regard Capa in that sense. They depend upon his work. They go back to his work to get their bearings, to get a sense what it really is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back with a look at the top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look now at our top stories.

President Bush is on second leg of his trip to Europe, to mark the end of World War II there. He's landed in the Netherlands. The president spoke earlier today in Latvia where he pledged to protect the freedoms of the Baltic nations.

A deadly day in Iraq, at least 22 people were killed in insurgent attacks in Baghdad. Among the dead, two American contractors whose convoy was hit by a suicide bombing. A U.S. Marine was also killed today during combat Iraq's Anbar province.

The Atlanta child killings case is reopened after 26 years. An area police chief says he believes the man convicted in the case is innocent. Wayne Williams was found guilty of killing two young men and is serving life in prison. Twenty-nine African-American boys and young men were killed between 1979 and 1981.

Might reopening the case against Wayne Williams possibly exonerate him? We will talk about that case and others in our legal roundtable. Joining us are two legal eagles. You so see them every Saturday. Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor. He's in Cleveland, Ohio.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, LAW PROFESSOR: Hi, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Hello, good to see you.

And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney. He joins us from our studio at the Time Warner Studio in New York.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you.

All right, well, gentlemen, let's talk about this Atlanta child murder's case. When you have a police chief coming out and saying he'd like to reopen the case because he's always felt uncertain that the right man was behind bars, Richard, does this mean that reopening the case will primarily be relying on new technology?

HERMAN: I would say so, Fredricka, and it's astonishing -- without any new evidence that he could speak of at this point -- to reopen this. This police chief was part of the Missing and Murder Task Force that investigated the Atlanta killings 25 years ago, and, you know, I'm just speculating, but something had to be there that bothered him from back then all these years, and now he has the opportunity and the ability to reopen this as a cold case, and he's going to do everything in his power to try to I think exonerate this individual.

WHITFIELD: And Avery, that does indeed send a very clear message that, after 26 years this police chief has felt this troubled about the case, that he wants to reopen it, but the question has to be timing. Why now, 26 years later, particularly since he and others have expressed their reservations about this for years?

FRIEDMAN: Well, I think, in order to be really fair about it, we have to be blunt. From 1979 to 1981, we lost 29 young men, all of whom were black. County officials get two convictions -- what about the agony, the unspeakable agony that the other 27 families went through? Let me tell you something, Fredricka, I think if there were 29 white children murdered, this would not have been a cold case, and I'm very, very appreciative of at least one law enforcement officer who says you know what, there's something wrong with this and -- you're right, with 21st century technology and forensics, maybe something can be done to really find out what happened to the loss of lives of 27 young people. It's about time. This is way overdue.

WHITFIELD: And so Avery, speak to when a difference potentially it could make that you have new personnel involved, because the police chief said, not only might there be technology, but we've got a fresh new task force, fresh new ideas, as well.

FRIEDMAN: And I think that's exactly what they need. I can't -- it's unfair to condemn some of the folks in law enforcement that essentially let this thing go back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But it is good news that, because of technology and because we're going to get a fresh look, then maybe justice can be achieved for the 27 families who have suffered immeasurably over these decades.

WHITFIELD: And now, Richard, though, many those family members -- it's like old wounds -- many wounds that have never healed, that will just be just reopened once again by having to relive all of the details of these investigations happening two decades ago.

HERMAN: And not only that Fredricka, you know, some of these bodies I'm sure are going to have to be exhumed and they're going to have to get whatever remnants of DNA they can get now. So, it is going to be an emotional nightmare for these people to relive again. You're absolutely right.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, let's talk about a case that is in trial right now, the Michael Jackson case. You've got at least two mothers who have come out saying they acknowledge that their young boy slept with Michael Jackson -- these are defense witnesses -- but nothing inappropriate in the terms of molestation ever happened. So, Richard, how helpful is this for Michael Jackson's case?

HERMAN: Well, Fredricka, this is spectacular for the defense. I mean, the prosecution case was so weak that I really would have given serious thought whether or not we needed to put on any defense. But once Mesereau took that chance and said, OK, we're going to put a defense on, what he's done is, he's put people up to absolutely, point-blank deny the testimony of key prosecution witnesses who testified to acts of molestation committed by Michael Jackson. And when these people come in and say hey, look, I don't care what other people told you, I'm telling you I was never molested, and the child's mother gets in and says my son was never molested, and we never saw anything inappropriate -- I mean, you know, reasonable doubt, that's going to be the jury charge. Reasonable doubt, and, Fredricka, this case reeks of reasonable doubt.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, don't you have to wonder, how are jurors going to see this, that it is normal at Neverland or it is normal for Michael Jackson in his world, to sleep with young boys and you've got these mothers who are testifying in his defense, and now potentially, we're going to see some star power rolling out too with Macaulay Culkin who will speak out in the defense of Michael Jackson, that this really is normal for Michael Jackson's world?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, normal is bizarre at Neverland and normal is bizarre in this case, because how on earth -- I can understand that these young men who are now in their 20s can talk about the experiences. But think about this Fredricka. How on earth are the two mothers going to say, well, I really wasn't there, and I really don't know what happened, but you know what? There was no molestation! The fact is that, I think if the defense really wanted to nail this thing, they would have put the two young men on, who were reasonably articulate, and that would have been it.

I mean, I think the jury is now thinking, what kind of mothers are letting their children jump into bed with Michael Jackson? I mean, I think the defense really overplayed the hand, and I'm not sure -- I mean, I think the end of the case -- which after 85 witnesses, wrapped up this past Wednesday -- there's some problems with the case. But there was enough evidence where, after Mesereau said, I want to move for acquittal, the judge said, you know what, the facts are going to be left to the decision of the jury, and we're going to let the defense go forward with their case.

HERMAN: Well, Avery, the mothers did testify to observations they made while at Neverland and watching their children interact with Michael.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HERMAN: But this case is going to go -- I am hearing until August and Mesereau is going to blister this jury.

WHITFIELD: So, we've got a lot to talk about all spring and summer, don't we?

HERMAN: We do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Herman, Avery Friedman, thanks so much, gentlemen, for talking.

FRIEDMAN: Nice to see you.

HERMAN: Bye, Fredricka. Take care.

WHITFIELD: See you later.

Well, a private plane -- that ride takes a very dramatic turn in Nevada, after the break. We'll explain why a passenger was suddenly forced to become a pilot and had to make this very daring landing.

Plus, we'll go live to Churchill Downs for the run for the roses. Might this year's winner circle be filled with Yankee pinstripes?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two years ago, Atlanta, Georgia's, Grady Memorial Hospital was in critical condition. The level on trauma center was $60 million in the red and needed a replacement for its retiring chief executive officer. In 2003, Dr. Andrew Agwunobi became Grady's youngest CEO. He hit the ground running, implementing a solid recovery plan.

DR. ANDREW AGWUNOBI, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GRADY HEALTH SYSTEMS: We reduced the number of temporary nurses. We also reduced our overall staff by 260 jobs last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Agwunobit has managed to slash Grady's deficit considerably. He says building a successful business requires a few basic but vital elements.

AGWUNOBI: It starts with leadership and being able to articulate a clear vision. You then have to make sure you have the absolute best people working with you to solve those challenges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Some very anxious moments in Las Vegas and some dramatic footage. A passenger was forced to land a small private plane after the pilot suffered a heart attack. The pilot later died. The other two passengers on the plane are said to be OK.

Well, it is the 131st Kentucky Derby. The fabled run for the roses race, featuring 20 horses and a record purse.

CNN's sport correspondent Ray D'Allessio is at Churchill Downs rubbing shoulders and sipping mint juleps with the rich and famous.

RAY D'ALLESSIO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: No, I'm not sipping mint julep, Fredricka, but when you do come to the Kentucky Derby you can count on a few things, mint julep, very pretty hats and yes, celebrities. And I happen to have one with me right now. I think this man needs no introduction. Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin -- the Virgin Company. And Sir Richard, I've got to be honest, when I saw you here, I was like, what is he doing here? I am used to seeing you jumping out of airplane, riding in hot air balloons, jumping off 100 foot piers. But a horse race, although very famous horse race, this a little calm for you.

SIR RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER, VIRGIN ATLANTIC: There very pretty things under those hats, you know?

D'ALLESSIO: Now the real truth comes out.

BRANSON: And then I like a little bit of philly watching, you know, as we all do.

D'ALLESSIO: As in horse, correct.

BRANSON: Yes, of course,horses.

D'ALLESSIO: But no, seriously.

BRANSON: I'm out here -- launching as, Virgin does, a new company with (INAUDIBLE). We're going it take on the healthcare business and do it a little bit differently than it's been done before.

D'ALLESSIO: It's supposed to be a fun type of healthcare, correct.

BRANSON: It is. In South Africa what we have done, is we put machines in all of the health clubs -- and so, and the chemist shops. So somebody goes in regularly and they use that machine and they can check their body weight and so on, they get free health club membership. They get money off traveling on Virgin Atlantic and other things like that. So it's basically a fun way of getting fit and getting rewarded.

D'ALLESSIO: Now, getting back to the whole horse racing thing. I mean, we know about all your company interest, things like that. George Steinbrenner, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner bought a house for $80,000, may win the Kentucky Derby today. $87,000 to you, I mean, that's tip money. Why not get involved?

Have you ever thought about you know buying horse race -- race house?

BRANSON: I might get leg or one or two one day. A great friend of mine Jerry Moss who built A&M Records, which was a rival to Virgin. And he signed Cat Stephens and Sting, he's got a horse racing today called Jerome (sic) -- what's it called, Jerome (ph). And it's a rank outsider, but -- I mean, I know that if it was to come home, it would be -- it would mean a lot to him. And he's addicted to it now. So I might get tempted, you never know one day.

D'ALLESSIO: Now, this is your first Kentucky Derby, what do you think of the whole experience?

BRANSON: I think -- you know, I have just never been to a more pleasant weekend. I mean, as you said, the beautiful hats, the beautiful women, the wonderful weather. And it's not as stuffy as if you go to say, Oxford (ph) in England.

D'ALLESSIO: Exactly. What's on store for Richard Branson, what's coming up next.

BRANSON: Well, the biggest thing we're working on at the moment is Virgin Galactic Airways, which we're building five space ships. And in 2 1/2 years' time, I'll be going on one, and then there will also be taking people into space. And we've got lots of business projects all over the world, but that one must be the most exciting.

D'ALLESSIO: Well, Sir Richard, we appreciate your time. I'm going to let you get back to philly watching.

And Fredricka, I'm going to go ahead and throw it back to you and maybe try to track down a Virgin, a Virgin Mint Julep. Get it, Virgin.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I get it, I get it! Very clever. I am sure Sir Richard Branson appreciates that. Thanks a lot, Ray.

Well, every Wednesday evening in the nation's capital, a truck filled with U.S. soldiers rolls onto a grassy field here in the White House. It's all part of something called Twilight Tattoo. We'll go inside of the performance next in the Novak Zone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A soldier's primary job is to protect his or her country, but some have honorary duties. They perform at official ceremony, march in parades or put on shows outside the White House. Bob Novak shows us in today's edition of "The Novak Zone."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the "Novak Zone."

We're on the ellipse in Washington, D.C.. The scene on every Wednesday night in the summer of one of the most popular events with the U.S. military. Twilight Tattoo and we're talking to Sergeant First Class Don Francisco who plays an important part in the Twilight Tattoo.

Sergeant, what is the Twilight Tattoo?

SFC DON FRANCISCO, U.S. ARMY OLD GUARD: Well, first of all, it's good to meet you, Mr. Novak. Nice to me you, sir.

The Twilight Tattoo is a ceremony put on the military district of Washington and it involves sunset parade. It's from a British tradition Dodem Tattoo (ph), basically turn off the taps.

NOVAK: And what is your role in that sergeant?

FRANCISCO: Sir, I'm a member of the 3rd United States Infantry, the old guard pipe and drum core. And my job is a revolutionary musician, Revolutionary War musician. I wear red colonial coat, hat and wig (INAUDIBLE). And I'm a fifer.

NOVAK: You have your class-A uniform on today. And I noticed a lot -- a lot of ribbons. So, you're a real soldier. You're not just a fifer. And are all of the people who are in the Twilight Tattoo and the Old Guard, are they real infantrymen?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir. We have varies (INAUDIBLE), majority of infantry. But we have soldiers who specialize in chemical field, signal field, administrative -- a lot of support, Medical support. All soldiers, sir.

NOVAK: And are some of them veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir. We have soldiers that were deployed in Djibouti Africa, fighting to protect us against war on terrorism. We've had soldiers that recently come back from Afghanistan, Iraq.

NOVAK: How do you get in the Old Guard? That's -- that's a very unusual outfit, unique in the whole United States Army, isn't it.

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir, it is and it is an honor. We're hand selected sir and there's also an audition process for Old Guard Pipe and Drum Corps. There are height requirement. There are weight requirements. And there are physical fitness requirements.

NOVAK: Do they teach you how know to a fifer?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir.

NOVAK: Did you have to go to school if for that or was it on- the-job training?

FRANCISCO: Well, Sir I learned to play the fifer, but I was a flutist -- a flutist formally. I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana where I learned to play the flute. Joined at 17-years-old.

NOVAK: How many years you have gone in the army? FRANCISCO: Sir, this summer will make 22 years in the United States Army.

NOVAK: I've got to tell you something, when I was -- when I was in college, ROTC before I went into the army, I was in the Persian Rifles Drill Team. And we really enjoyed it. I don't know how good we were. But we really enjoyed it. Do the soldiers who were in these drill team do they enjoy that?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir, we really enjoy performing, and we do joint missions. We've been on trips with the drill team. And it's a work hard/play hard. Work many hours a day, but when we're off, we enjoy the time off. But yes, it's a lot of competition, training. You see a performance that lasts only several minutes, a lot of the audience doesn't realize this, months of training that has gone into this performance. A lot of concentration.

NOVAK: Sergeant Francisco, why -- why would a tourist come all the way to Washington from anyplace in America -- why would they be interested in going to Twilight Tattoo? And they do come in great number, don't they?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir.

NOVAK: And it's free, isn't?

FRANCISCO: Yes, it is sir. They would be interested in coming, sir, because it's a great history in American history to the eye of the soldier. And there's so much to be siad, and so much to learned. There's some entertainment from the Corral, and they see soldiers dressed if various uniform from World War I to Bill (ph) Boys -- World War II, current uniform, the new army uniform. It's a great felling, sir, to participate and educate the young soldiers, and honor our veteran, our World War II veterans.

NOVAK: And now the big question for Sergeant First Class Don Francisco of New Orleans, Louisiana. Sergeant Francisco, of the many tourists from all over America who've come to Twilight Tattoo, what would you like to see them take away from -- watching your performance?

FRANCISCO: Mr. Novak, sir, I would like them to know the army is very diverse -- consisting of many men and women with various special skills. And also like them to know, as there are many different member, we are focused on the army's values and our leadership. And I wear my dog tags all the time and these have our values, our army values. And our warrior ethos. For example, I would always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I would never leave a fallen comrade. And I'd like them to be proud of us to know that we have an army that does pass and review shows. And we have an army that protects the nation also.

NOVAK: Sergeant Francisco, thank you very much. And thanks for the U.S. Army and all it does for America.

FRANCISCO: Thank you, Mr. Novak, Sir. NOVAK: And thank you for being in the "Novak Zone."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And join Bob Novak and the other usual suspects for the "CAPITAL GANG."

Tonight's topic the Bush agenda for the second term, 7:00 east coast time, 4:00 on the west. Only right here on CNN.

Still much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. At the top of the hour, "CNN PRESENTS" takes an in-depth look at rise of infidelity in America.

At 4:00 Eastern on CNN LIVE SATURDAY a driver's education program that some believe could save young driver's lives, and it may even have some parents saying, where do I sign up for a ride?

And at 5:00 eastern, "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" profiles embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. A check of the hours headlines when CNN returns right after this.

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Aired May 7, 2005 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY: It's 2:00 on the East Coast, 11:00 out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, Wayne Williams is considered one of the most notorious killers in America. Now decades later why the case is being reopened.

Also an amazing story of survival; the person who made the daring plane landing after the pilot suffered a heart attack.

Later, inside the wire at Gitmo: What life is really like at the prison holding suspects in the war on terrorism. Those stories in a moment, but first our top stories.

With his political dominance diminished, Northern Ireland's David Trimble resigned today as leader of the Protestant Ulster Unionist Party. Trimble lost his seat in Britain's parliament in this week's election and his party faired poorly. Trimble won the 1998 Nobel prize for the Good Friday Peace Agreement.

A helicopter pulled five climbers off of Mt. Everest today. They were stranded on the world's highest peak after an avalanche and bad weather. The weather cleared enough for the rescuers to pluck the two Americans, two Canadians, and a sherpa (ph) off the mountain.

Cheers Greeted Michel Aoun when he returned to Beirut today. The anti-Syrian leader has spent the last 14 years exiled in France. He returned to Lebanon less than two weeks after the last Syrian troops withdrew from the country.

The most excited two minutes in horse racing are coming up today. The 131st running of the Kentucky Derby is set for Churchill Downs today. Bellamy Road owned by New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner is the favorite. We'll have a live report about 40 minutes from now.

A murder spree thought to have been solved decades ago is now back in the national spotlight. The killings in Atlanta, Georgia between 1979 and 1981 spread fear in the city's African-American community. Twenty-nine boys and young men, all black were killed. Primary suspect Wayne Williams was convicted in 1982 in the murders of just two of the young men and sentenced to life in prison.

But now an area police chief is reopening the case, saying he believes Williams is not guilty. CNN's Sara Dorsey joins us now with more on this story.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY: Well, Fredricka, Louis Graham (ph) was involved in this case since its inception 25 years ago when he worked in Fulton County, but now he's in charge of a different local county that has four cases that were committed back then during that period.

Those cases were closed without ever being officially solved when Wayne Williams went to jail. And it's this police chief's gut feeling that Williams is in fact innocent that has made him decide to reopen these cases.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORSEY (voice over): When Wayne Williams was arrested in Atlanta in 1981, many in the city led out a breath they had been holding for years, since 1979 when black children and teens across the area began disappearing. Later, turning up dead.

Williams, who was convicted of two of the murders and believed responsible for more than 20 others, has always maintained his innocence. Louis Graham, the assistant police chief in Fulton County at time, and part of the missing and murdered task force, believes Williams.

LOUIS GRAHAM, CHIEF, DEKALB COUNTY POLICE: I don't think Wayne Williams is responsible for anything. I don't think he did anything. So I made my mind up with that over 20 years ago. And I still feel that way. I felt this when he was convicted. I felt it since. And yes, it has had a hold of me ever since and I just can't seem to turn it loose.

DORSEY: Graham is now the Dekalb County police chief, and he's finally in a position to get to the bottom of his hunch. He's reopening four cold cases in this county dating back to 1981. Patrick Baltsazar (ph), Curtis Walker, Joseph and William Barrett, all either died of strangulation or asphyxiation.

GRAHAM: If we can solve one case, then I'm satisfied with that. But at this point, are there just too many open questions. And all I'm trying to do is answer those questions as best we can. And if we can't, that's just the way it is.

DORSEY: Graham says a cold case task force full of fresh investigators and fresh ideas, using technology not available two decades ago will look into the four homicides. When it comes to the kids themselves, some 25 years later, Graham is still very emotional and wants answers.

GRAHAM: That's what I'm trying to do. So, so maybe there is -- there can be justice for Patrick, I don't know. But at least he knows that we won't forget. He knows that we haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten. And maybe what this is all about.

(END VIDEOTAPE) DORSEY: Graham says he doesn't know if it's possible that these cases can be solved after offer these years but he says he owes to the victims and their families to at least try. He says if they don't get solved he can live with himself knowing an attempt was made and these cases were not floating out there forgotten.

WHITFIELD: And that, nearly 26 years after the fact.

All right. Sarah, thanks so much.

DORSEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And later in this show, we'll have reaction from our legal experts to the reopening of the case of Wayne Williams, and the Atlanta child murders.

President Bush is on his second leg of his European trip. Air Force One touched down in the Netherlands a short time ago. Earlier in the day, President Bush met with the leaders of three Baltic nations, in Latvia, and that's where White House Correspondent Dana Bash filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The president hailed Eastern Europe's young democracies and said the United States shares the blame for what he called their captivity five decades behind the Iron Curtain.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And when powerful governments negotiated, the freedom of small nations was somehow expendable.

BASH: Mr. Bush is in the region it mark 60 years since the end of World War II. The end of the Nazis meant the beginning of Soviet domination here, and he acknowledged the U.S. role in the Yalta Agreement that allowed it.

BUSH: We will not repeat the mistakes of other generations. Pleasing or excusing tyranny.

BASH: Getting a reluctant Russia to renew an apology for annexing the Baltic nations is the top priority for the three leaders Mr. Bush met with.

BUSH: American people will never forget the occupation and Communist oppression of the people of the Baltics. We recognize your painful history.

BASH: Russia is angry Mr. Bush included former Soviet states in his itinerary and Moscow doesn't like the term occupation, but Mr. Bush used it eight times at this event.

BUSH: Upon occupation and communist depression.

BASH: Spreading democracy is the hallmark of Mr. Bush's second- term foreign policy. And he promised to make Vladimir Putin understand democracies are good neighbors and role models.

BUSH: Well, I will continue it speak as clearly as I can to President Putin that it's in his country's interests that there be democracies on his borders.

BASH: Mr. Bush did take pains to address a key Putin concern in the Baltics. Urging them not to let resentment breed discrimination against Russians and other minorities.

BUSH: A welcoming and tolerant spirit will ensure the unity and strength of your country.

BASH: The busy day in Riga included a warm welcome and an award for a president more accustomed to protests over the Iraq war. The Three Star Order, the highest honor in Latvia.

(On camera): In advance of his trip to Moscow warned Vladimir Putin only a strong democracy in his own country will determine its greatness. Yet another challenge for the friendship Mr. Bush boasts about at the time he needs the Russian leader to confront challenges in places like North Korea and Iran -- Dana Bash, CNN, Riga, Latvia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: More violence in Iraq today. A car bomb kills at least 22 people including two American contractors. The mid-morning blast in central Baghdad left more than 30 Iraqi civilians injured. Ryan Chilcote has more on the day's events there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY (on camera): Again, no let-up in the violence in Iraq. We start with an insurgent attack in the Iraqi capital this morning.

Somehow a suicide bomber was able to maneuver his car into a convoy of what we understand was three SUVs that were speeding through a Baghdad intersection. That's when this suicide bomber blew himself up, causing a massive explosion, damaging many of the shops in that area, many of the cars; and killing, according to the U.S. embassy, at least 22 individuals, among them, two Americans.

The Iraqi police are saying 23 -- 33, excuse me, people were also wounded in that attack. U.S. military, meanwhile, saying they're making progress in the fight against the insurgency in Iraq. They say they've captured a key aide to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a man that they say facilitated Abu Musab al Zarqawi's movement and also set up many of his meetings.

And lastly on the political front, Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is saying a deal has been reached to fill the last seven jobs that are vacant in the government. He says we should expect an announcement of those names tomorrow -- Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Iraqi militants holding an Australian hostage have issued an ultimatum. Douglas Wood was shown in a video that appeared on the Arabic language channel Al Jazeera. In it his captors demand pulling its troops out of Iraq in 72 hours or they will kill him. Australia's foreign minister says it will not bow to the threat and will continue working to secure Woods' release.

North Korea's nuclear ambitions have Europe and Asia on edge as foreign ministers from several nations urge the Communist nation to return to disarmament talks. But a report in today's "Washington Post" says China turned down a U.S. request to pressure North Korea by cutting off oil supplies. Kitty Pilgrim looks at the threat from the North.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SATURDAY (voice over): The U.S. State Department reacting to headlines that say North Korea may be preparing to test a nuclear weapon.

TOM CASEY, SPOKESMAN, U.S. STATE DEPT.: This is something that we're following very closely. Obviously, we look at both words and deeds it comes to the North Koreans.

PILGRIM: In terms of word, six-party diplomatic talks involving North and South Korea, Russia, China, and Japan, have repeatedly failed. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of U.N. Nuclear watch dog agency, IAEA, emphasized the situation may be increasingly dangerous.

MOHAMAD ELBARADEI, DIRECTOR GEN., IAEA: I would hope every country right now, every leader is on the phone with Kim Jong-il trying to convince him to restrain from going ahead with this reported nuclear testing.

PILGRIM: But the issue is not clear. Whether the reported activity in North Korea are steps to test a nuclear device or just an elaborate ruse to ratchet up the pressure on the United States.

Last weekend, North Korea tested a missile over the Sea of Japan on the eve of U.N. talks on nuclear disarmament, a gesture that suggests diplomatic manipulation. Recently, experts reserve that the steam, which usually comes from the tower from the Pyongyang nuclear site in North Korea has stopped. It could signal that North Korea is unloading nuclear material from the site to manufacture new nuclear bombs. Most experts agree North Korea is expected to possess some six to eight nuclear bombs.

DAVID ALBRIGHT, INST. FOR SCIENCE & INT'L. SECURITY: They probably can put a crude nuclear weapon on one of their shorter missiles. Perhaps it could reach Japan. I don't believe they could put a warhead on a missile that could reach the continental United States.

PILGRIM: Many experts think if North Korea does test, it's going to be a tremendous strain on the international community, because that action requires immediate response -- Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Tomorrow the head of the United Nations nuclear watch dog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, sits down with Wolf Blitzer to talk about the North Korean nuclear threat. "CNN's Late Edition" begins Sunday at noon Eastern.

The Michael Jackson sexual abuse trial enters a new phase. It's now the defense's turn to call their own witnesses. How did they hold up against the prosecution? Ahead, our legal eagles debate that case.

Also up next, what's really happening to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay? I'll speak with the author of anew book that follows one soldier's journey through Gitmo, and this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He chose to go in through the first wave of American troops. The soldiers thought this was the most extraordinary folly they've ever heard of. That someone would go in without being ordered to do so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Story of one man's passion to record the horror of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In the weeks following the 9/11 attack, the Bush administration set up a sprawling prisoner camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The Pentagon says there are roughly 520 detainees still at the facility. Many others were freed on the condition they be re- imprisoned in their home countries. Some detainees have complained of harsh and abusive treatment but Bush administration says all prisoners are treated humanely.

Well, a new book paints a shocking picture of life in Guantanamo, one the Bush administration won't like. "Inside The Wire" describes a mismanaged facility and questionable interrogation techniques.

Viveca Novak wrote the book look with Erik Sarr a soldier who worked at the prison as an interrogator. And Viveca is in Washington, she's a correspondent for "Time" magazine.

Thanks for joining us, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE WIRE": It's good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Well, give us a sense, how shocking were the interrogation techniques, was this mismanagement that Erik saw -- seemed to witness?

NOVAK: Well, Erik went down as an Arabic linguist in military intelligence specialist. Very gung-ho about fighting the war on terror and perfectly trained really to be of assistance in that regard. And he expect to be part of a very efficient military machine that was, you know, with very sophisticated interrogation techniques, interrogating the worst of the worst and help to thwart future attack.

What he felt he found there were very different. The interrogators were not trained to work with anybody who came from an Arabic culture. They were often just -- you know, the interrogations were just cursory. Many the people they were interrogating really didn't know nothing, had no business being at Guantanamo. And some of the tactics, indeed did, for him, bordered on the shocking, and he felt abusive.

And those would include one of the main things we talk about the book using sort of sexual enticement to try to break the bond between a detainee and his Muslim faith and thereby weaken him. And the theory is he would be then more likely, more vulnerable to future interrogations.

WHITFIELD: And Erik tells you he was so appalled by this, particularly because he's Christian. He's a person of faith. And he saw how faith was being used and manipulated, in which to break down some of these detainees?

NOVAK: That's right. And to him, that was antithetical to the very values that he enlisted to defend, as he puts it. And he believes, you know, in religious freedom. He's really a very devout Christian himself, but he believes that whatever religion you practice, that is something sort of sacrosanct.

WHITFIELD: Did Erik report what he thought to be abuses? And if so, what happened?

NOVAK: He didn't report it at the time, in large part because he was a lowly sergeant and he believed, and still believes, that the leadership at the very top knew what was going on down there, so it wouldn't have helped to report it. So it was after he got out of the military that he started thinking about telling the story because he thought it was important.

He believes very strongly in fighting the war on terror and he believes that this part of the machine is broken.

WHITFIELD: So now what kind of response are you getting, if any, from the Department Defense?

NOVAK: We've received no direct response. We have received, you know, calls and postings on blogs from various soldiers who feel that he's selling out, that he's not being fair.

We've also received, though, a great deal of support from people who think this is an important story, and if we're going to fight the war on terror efficiently that it needs to be aired.

WHITFIELD: Viveca Novak and the book is "Inside The Wire". Thanks so much for joining us from Washington today.

NOVAK: It's good to be with you. WHITFIELD: Straight ahead on CNN Live Saturday, the terrifying moments after the pilot of a private plane suffered a heart attack and the person who had to land the plane.

Also up next --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What interested him was how the living coped with the horrors of war.

WHITFIELD: Very courageous man who stormed the beaches of Normandy armed with just a camera and film.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Russia, it's known as the Great Patriotic War. Today, President Vladimir Putin unveiled a new memorial to the 27 million Russian soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in World War II. He praised their heroics (ph), saying their war effort had liberated Europe from Nazi Germany.

That part of the war in Europe came it an end nearly 60 years ago. On a weekend marked by solemn remembrance, we look at the work of a man who was not a soldier, but a photographer. And the amazing story behind the pictures he snapped on one of the most important dates of World War II.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD WHELAN (voice over): If one had to choose a day that was the climax of Capa's (ph) career, D-Day was it. Capa set the standard of bravery, certainly. He took his camera closer to the front-line action than anyone dared to do before.

He chose to go in with the first wave of American troops. And the soldiers thought this was the most extraordinary folly they'd ever heard of. That someone would go in without being ordered to go. Capa photographed them studying this model, manning their strategic moves. He photographed men, putting their equipment together and getting onto the ships, as they were putting the final preparations on to sail, and while they were actually sailing to the French coast.

When he got out of the landing craft into waist-deep water and waded with the men into the beach, he began shooting, and he had two cameras loaded with film. He wanted to photograph the faces of the soldiers. He wasn't content to walk behind and photograph the soldiers' backs. He wanted the faces as he always did.

When he went to change the film, his hands were shaking so badly, he could not change his film again. There was so much pressure in the London office of "Life" that a dark room assistant turned the heat in the drying cabinet up too high.

And the films that Capa had exposed at such extraordinary risk to his life, going in with his back to the Germans, armed only with a camera, no gun, the films he had made began to melt. Of all the photographs he had made on the beach only 11 were at all savable, usable.

When Capa left Omaha Beach, the only landing craft to which he could manage to swim was a medical craft that was evacuating some of the first of the wounded. He often focused on doctors, medics, treating not only Americans but Germans as well. What interested him was how the living cope with the horrors of war. He really understood what a horrendous social crisis, a catastrophe, war is.

The German army had sustained extremely heavy losses, and these very, very young men, these boys really, were thrown into combat with almost no training, very little equipment. He photographed them as bewildered, terrified, victims of war in their own way.

Capa was very aware of the political complexities of the situation. He brought that to his work. He covered wars that in some way really touched his life very directly. And wars in which he was willing to risk his life just as the combatants were risking theirs for the outcome.

Capa's work is a benchmark to measure work against, as most photojournalists do still regard Capa in that sense. They depend upon his work. They go back to his work to get their bearings, to get a sense what it really is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back with a look at the top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look now at our top stories.

President Bush is on second leg of his trip to Europe, to mark the end of World War II there. He's landed in the Netherlands. The president spoke earlier today in Latvia where he pledged to protect the freedoms of the Baltic nations.

A deadly day in Iraq, at least 22 people were killed in insurgent attacks in Baghdad. Among the dead, two American contractors whose convoy was hit by a suicide bombing. A U.S. Marine was also killed today during combat Iraq's Anbar province.

The Atlanta child killings case is reopened after 26 years. An area police chief says he believes the man convicted in the case is innocent. Wayne Williams was found guilty of killing two young men and is serving life in prison. Twenty-nine African-American boys and young men were killed between 1979 and 1981.

Might reopening the case against Wayne Williams possibly exonerate him? We will talk about that case and others in our legal roundtable. Joining us are two legal eagles. You so see them every Saturday. Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor. He's in Cleveland, Ohio.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY, LAW PROFESSOR: Hi, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Hello, good to see you.

And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney. He joins us from our studio at the Time Warner Studio in New York.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you.

All right, well, gentlemen, let's talk about this Atlanta child murder's case. When you have a police chief coming out and saying he'd like to reopen the case because he's always felt uncertain that the right man was behind bars, Richard, does this mean that reopening the case will primarily be relying on new technology?

HERMAN: I would say so, Fredricka, and it's astonishing -- without any new evidence that he could speak of at this point -- to reopen this. This police chief was part of the Missing and Murder Task Force that investigated the Atlanta killings 25 years ago, and, you know, I'm just speculating, but something had to be there that bothered him from back then all these years, and now he has the opportunity and the ability to reopen this as a cold case, and he's going to do everything in his power to try to I think exonerate this individual.

WHITFIELD: And Avery, that does indeed send a very clear message that, after 26 years this police chief has felt this troubled about the case, that he wants to reopen it, but the question has to be timing. Why now, 26 years later, particularly since he and others have expressed their reservations about this for years?

FRIEDMAN: Well, I think, in order to be really fair about it, we have to be blunt. From 1979 to 1981, we lost 29 young men, all of whom were black. County officials get two convictions -- what about the agony, the unspeakable agony that the other 27 families went through? Let me tell you something, Fredricka, I think if there were 29 white children murdered, this would not have been a cold case, and I'm very, very appreciative of at least one law enforcement officer who says you know what, there's something wrong with this and -- you're right, with 21st century technology and forensics, maybe something can be done to really find out what happened to the loss of lives of 27 young people. It's about time. This is way overdue.

WHITFIELD: And so Avery, speak to when a difference potentially it could make that you have new personnel involved, because the police chief said, not only might there be technology, but we've got a fresh new task force, fresh new ideas, as well.

FRIEDMAN: And I think that's exactly what they need. I can't -- it's unfair to condemn some of the folks in law enforcement that essentially let this thing go back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But it is good news that, because of technology and because we're going to get a fresh look, then maybe justice can be achieved for the 27 families who have suffered immeasurably over these decades.

WHITFIELD: And now, Richard, though, many those family members -- it's like old wounds -- many wounds that have never healed, that will just be just reopened once again by having to relive all of the details of these investigations happening two decades ago.

HERMAN: And not only that Fredricka, you know, some of these bodies I'm sure are going to have to be exhumed and they're going to have to get whatever remnants of DNA they can get now. So, it is going to be an emotional nightmare for these people to relive again. You're absolutely right.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, let's talk about a case that is in trial right now, the Michael Jackson case. You've got at least two mothers who have come out saying they acknowledge that their young boy slept with Michael Jackson -- these are defense witnesses -- but nothing inappropriate in the terms of molestation ever happened. So, Richard, how helpful is this for Michael Jackson's case?

HERMAN: Well, Fredricka, this is spectacular for the defense. I mean, the prosecution case was so weak that I really would have given serious thought whether or not we needed to put on any defense. But once Mesereau took that chance and said, OK, we're going to put a defense on, what he's done is, he's put people up to absolutely, point-blank deny the testimony of key prosecution witnesses who testified to acts of molestation committed by Michael Jackson. And when these people come in and say hey, look, I don't care what other people told you, I'm telling you I was never molested, and the child's mother gets in and says my son was never molested, and we never saw anything inappropriate -- I mean, you know, reasonable doubt, that's going to be the jury charge. Reasonable doubt, and, Fredricka, this case reeks of reasonable doubt.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, don't you have to wonder, how are jurors going to see this, that it is normal at Neverland or it is normal for Michael Jackson in his world, to sleep with young boys and you've got these mothers who are testifying in his defense, and now potentially, we're going to see some star power rolling out too with Macaulay Culkin who will speak out in the defense of Michael Jackson, that this really is normal for Michael Jackson's world?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, normal is bizarre at Neverland and normal is bizarre in this case, because how on earth -- I can understand that these young men who are now in their 20s can talk about the experiences. But think about this Fredricka. How on earth are the two mothers going to say, well, I really wasn't there, and I really don't know what happened, but you know what? There was no molestation! The fact is that, I think if the defense really wanted to nail this thing, they would have put the two young men on, who were reasonably articulate, and that would have been it.

I mean, I think the jury is now thinking, what kind of mothers are letting their children jump into bed with Michael Jackson? I mean, I think the defense really overplayed the hand, and I'm not sure -- I mean, I think the end of the case -- which after 85 witnesses, wrapped up this past Wednesday -- there's some problems with the case. But there was enough evidence where, after Mesereau said, I want to move for acquittal, the judge said, you know what, the facts are going to be left to the decision of the jury, and we're going to let the defense go forward with their case.

HERMAN: Well, Avery, the mothers did testify to observations they made while at Neverland and watching their children interact with Michael.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HERMAN: But this case is going to go -- I am hearing until August and Mesereau is going to blister this jury.

WHITFIELD: So, we've got a lot to talk about all spring and summer, don't we?

HERMAN: We do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Herman, Avery Friedman, thanks so much, gentlemen, for talking.

FRIEDMAN: Nice to see you.

HERMAN: Bye, Fredricka. Take care.

WHITFIELD: See you later.

Well, a private plane -- that ride takes a very dramatic turn in Nevada, after the break. We'll explain why a passenger was suddenly forced to become a pilot and had to make this very daring landing.

Plus, we'll go live to Churchill Downs for the run for the roses. Might this year's winner circle be filled with Yankee pinstripes?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two years ago, Atlanta, Georgia's, Grady Memorial Hospital was in critical condition. The level on trauma center was $60 million in the red and needed a replacement for its retiring chief executive officer. In 2003, Dr. Andrew Agwunobi became Grady's youngest CEO. He hit the ground running, implementing a solid recovery plan.

DR. ANDREW AGWUNOBI, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GRADY HEALTH SYSTEMS: We reduced the number of temporary nurses. We also reduced our overall staff by 260 jobs last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Agwunobit has managed to slash Grady's deficit considerably. He says building a successful business requires a few basic but vital elements.

AGWUNOBI: It starts with leadership and being able to articulate a clear vision. You then have to make sure you have the absolute best people working with you to solve those challenges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Some very anxious moments in Las Vegas and some dramatic footage. A passenger was forced to land a small private plane after the pilot suffered a heart attack. The pilot later died. The other two passengers on the plane are said to be OK.

Well, it is the 131st Kentucky Derby. The fabled run for the roses race, featuring 20 horses and a record purse.

CNN's sport correspondent Ray D'Allessio is at Churchill Downs rubbing shoulders and sipping mint juleps with the rich and famous.

RAY D'ALLESSIO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: No, I'm not sipping mint julep, Fredricka, but when you do come to the Kentucky Derby you can count on a few things, mint julep, very pretty hats and yes, celebrities. And I happen to have one with me right now. I think this man needs no introduction. Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin -- the Virgin Company. And Sir Richard, I've got to be honest, when I saw you here, I was like, what is he doing here? I am used to seeing you jumping out of airplane, riding in hot air balloons, jumping off 100 foot piers. But a horse race, although very famous horse race, this a little calm for you.

SIR RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER, VIRGIN ATLANTIC: There very pretty things under those hats, you know?

D'ALLESSIO: Now the real truth comes out.

BRANSON: And then I like a little bit of philly watching, you know, as we all do.

D'ALLESSIO: As in horse, correct.

BRANSON: Yes, of course,horses.

D'ALLESSIO: But no, seriously.

BRANSON: I'm out here -- launching as, Virgin does, a new company with (INAUDIBLE). We're going it take on the healthcare business and do it a little bit differently than it's been done before.

D'ALLESSIO: It's supposed to be a fun type of healthcare, correct.

BRANSON: It is. In South Africa what we have done, is we put machines in all of the health clubs -- and so, and the chemist shops. So somebody goes in regularly and they use that machine and they can check their body weight and so on, they get free health club membership. They get money off traveling on Virgin Atlantic and other things like that. So it's basically a fun way of getting fit and getting rewarded.

D'ALLESSIO: Now, getting back to the whole horse racing thing. I mean, we know about all your company interest, things like that. George Steinbrenner, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner bought a house for $80,000, may win the Kentucky Derby today. $87,000 to you, I mean, that's tip money. Why not get involved?

Have you ever thought about you know buying horse race -- race house?

BRANSON: I might get leg or one or two one day. A great friend of mine Jerry Moss who built A&M Records, which was a rival to Virgin. And he signed Cat Stephens and Sting, he's got a horse racing today called Jerome (sic) -- what's it called, Jerome (ph). And it's a rank outsider, but -- I mean, I know that if it was to come home, it would be -- it would mean a lot to him. And he's addicted to it now. So I might get tempted, you never know one day.

D'ALLESSIO: Now, this is your first Kentucky Derby, what do you think of the whole experience?

BRANSON: I think -- you know, I have just never been to a more pleasant weekend. I mean, as you said, the beautiful hats, the beautiful women, the wonderful weather. And it's not as stuffy as if you go to say, Oxford (ph) in England.

D'ALLESSIO: Exactly. What's on store for Richard Branson, what's coming up next.

BRANSON: Well, the biggest thing we're working on at the moment is Virgin Galactic Airways, which we're building five space ships. And in 2 1/2 years' time, I'll be going on one, and then there will also be taking people into space. And we've got lots of business projects all over the world, but that one must be the most exciting.

D'ALLESSIO: Well, Sir Richard, we appreciate your time. I'm going to let you get back to philly watching.

And Fredricka, I'm going to go ahead and throw it back to you and maybe try to track down a Virgin, a Virgin Mint Julep. Get it, Virgin.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I get it, I get it! Very clever. I am sure Sir Richard Branson appreciates that. Thanks a lot, Ray.

Well, every Wednesday evening in the nation's capital, a truck filled with U.S. soldiers rolls onto a grassy field here in the White House. It's all part of something called Twilight Tattoo. We'll go inside of the performance next in the Novak Zone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A soldier's primary job is to protect his or her country, but some have honorary duties. They perform at official ceremony, march in parades or put on shows outside the White House. Bob Novak shows us in today's edition of "The Novak Zone."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to the "Novak Zone."

We're on the ellipse in Washington, D.C.. The scene on every Wednesday night in the summer of one of the most popular events with the U.S. military. Twilight Tattoo and we're talking to Sergeant First Class Don Francisco who plays an important part in the Twilight Tattoo.

Sergeant, what is the Twilight Tattoo?

SFC DON FRANCISCO, U.S. ARMY OLD GUARD: Well, first of all, it's good to meet you, Mr. Novak. Nice to me you, sir.

The Twilight Tattoo is a ceremony put on the military district of Washington and it involves sunset parade. It's from a British tradition Dodem Tattoo (ph), basically turn off the taps.

NOVAK: And what is your role in that sergeant?

FRANCISCO: Sir, I'm a member of the 3rd United States Infantry, the old guard pipe and drum core. And my job is a revolutionary musician, Revolutionary War musician. I wear red colonial coat, hat and wig (INAUDIBLE). And I'm a fifer.

NOVAK: You have your class-A uniform on today. And I noticed a lot -- a lot of ribbons. So, you're a real soldier. You're not just a fifer. And are all of the people who are in the Twilight Tattoo and the Old Guard, are they real infantrymen?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir. We have varies (INAUDIBLE), majority of infantry. But we have soldiers who specialize in chemical field, signal field, administrative -- a lot of support, Medical support. All soldiers, sir.

NOVAK: And are some of them veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir. We have soldiers that were deployed in Djibouti Africa, fighting to protect us against war on terrorism. We've had soldiers that recently come back from Afghanistan, Iraq.

NOVAK: How do you get in the Old Guard? That's -- that's a very unusual outfit, unique in the whole United States Army, isn't it.

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir, it is and it is an honor. We're hand selected sir and there's also an audition process for Old Guard Pipe and Drum Corps. There are height requirement. There are weight requirements. And there are physical fitness requirements.

NOVAK: Do they teach you how know to a fifer?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir.

NOVAK: Did you have to go to school if for that or was it on- the-job training?

FRANCISCO: Well, Sir I learned to play the fifer, but I was a flutist -- a flutist formally. I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana where I learned to play the flute. Joined at 17-years-old.

NOVAK: How many years you have gone in the army? FRANCISCO: Sir, this summer will make 22 years in the United States Army.

NOVAK: I've got to tell you something, when I was -- when I was in college, ROTC before I went into the army, I was in the Persian Rifles Drill Team. And we really enjoyed it. I don't know how good we were. But we really enjoyed it. Do the soldiers who were in these drill team do they enjoy that?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir, we really enjoy performing, and we do joint missions. We've been on trips with the drill team. And it's a work hard/play hard. Work many hours a day, but when we're off, we enjoy the time off. But yes, it's a lot of competition, training. You see a performance that lasts only several minutes, a lot of the audience doesn't realize this, months of training that has gone into this performance. A lot of concentration.

NOVAK: Sergeant Francisco, why -- why would a tourist come all the way to Washington from anyplace in America -- why would they be interested in going to Twilight Tattoo? And they do come in great number, don't they?

FRANCISCO: Yes, sir.

NOVAK: And it's free, isn't?

FRANCISCO: Yes, it is sir. They would be interested in coming, sir, because it's a great history in American history to the eye of the soldier. And there's so much to be siad, and so much to learned. There's some entertainment from the Corral, and they see soldiers dressed if various uniform from World War I to Bill (ph) Boys -- World War II, current uniform, the new army uniform. It's a great felling, sir, to participate and educate the young soldiers, and honor our veteran, our World War II veterans.

NOVAK: And now the big question for Sergeant First Class Don Francisco of New Orleans, Louisiana. Sergeant Francisco, of the many tourists from all over America who've come to Twilight Tattoo, what would you like to see them take away from -- watching your performance?

FRANCISCO: Mr. Novak, sir, I would like them to know the army is very diverse -- consisting of many men and women with various special skills. And also like them to know, as there are many different member, we are focused on the army's values and our leadership. And I wear my dog tags all the time and these have our values, our army values. And our warrior ethos. For example, I would always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I would never leave a fallen comrade. And I'd like them to be proud of us to know that we have an army that does pass and review shows. And we have an army that protects the nation also.

NOVAK: Sergeant Francisco, thank you very much. And thanks for the U.S. Army and all it does for America.

FRANCISCO: Thank you, Mr. Novak, Sir. NOVAK: And thank you for being in the "Novak Zone."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And join Bob Novak and the other usual suspects for the "CAPITAL GANG."

Tonight's topic the Bush agenda for the second term, 7:00 east coast time, 4:00 on the west. Only right here on CNN.

Still much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. At the top of the hour, "CNN PRESENTS" takes an in-depth look at rise of infidelity in America.

At 4:00 Eastern on CNN LIVE SATURDAY a driver's education program that some believe could save young driver's lives, and it may even have some parents saying, where do I sign up for a ride?

And at 5:00 eastern, "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" profiles embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. A check of the hours headlines when CNN returns right after this.

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