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CNN Live Saturday

Repairs Succesful for International Space Station Spacewalk. Impending Crisis in Niger Threatens the Lives of Thousands. London Terror Bombing Suspect Apprehended in Rome. Miranda Error Frees Convicted Killer. Internet Social Club Popular Among College Students.

Aired July 30, 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 HOST: A world beyond. Two astronauts take a spacewalk and explore their surroundings. We're live on the mission.
Plus, the struggle of daily life in Niger. This hour, what can be done to help the ailing country.

And if you're over the age of 25, odds are you haven't heard about a popular internet service. Already it's sweeping college campuses.

Welcome to CNN live Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Those stories in a moment.

But first, "Now in the News." A wrinkle in anti-terror efforts. Uzbekistan has informed the United States it must leave a key military base that's been used in the war on terror. American forces will have to withdraw in 180 days. The base is used for missions focusing on Afghanistan. American officials say the decision was expected. They say while the base is helpful, it's not essential.

Another round of deadly attacks in Iraq. A suicide car bombing in Baghdad earlier today killed half a dozen people. The attack took place at the Iraqi National Theater. Earlier, an American soldier and an Iraqi civilian were killed by a roadside bomb in a Baghdad neighborhood. And this evening there, a roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army convoy in Western Baghdad killed two civilians.

Insurgents in Afghanistan are also on the attack this weekend. A homemade bomb struck a U.S. military patrol earlier today, wounding two American soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. Officials say their injuries are not serious.

Of course this hour, a return to space. Just a short time ago, a pair of shuttle astronauts stepped out to conduct repairs on the International Space Station. During their six-hour spacewalk, they replaced a global positioning system antenna, they also tested new ways to repair a damaged shuttle. John Zarrella is live from the Johnson Space Center in Houston with the mission update -- John.

ZARELLA: Hi, Fredricka. Well it was certainly a good day for NASA. And I'm sure one that they're glad to have after a couple of down days following all the bad news over the external tank shedding of debris. So the nearly seven-hour spacewalk, which went picture perfect, was great for the U.S. space agency to get back on track with this mission. Now, of course, as with any of these spacewalks, they provide spectacular pictures. Not the least of which came from Steve Robinson at the end of the shuttle arm there. And he is actually walking down along the International Space Station, hand over hand, down a hand rail there. And the earth below his feet. So one of those so spectacular pictures that we've come to enjoy from 227 miles above the earth.

Now the highlight of the spacewalk was the repair which had to be done, the test repairs. In the shuttle's cargo bay, they carried up into space a kit. And In that kit, there were some samples tiles and some materials that they wanted repaired. So the astronauts took out a caulk gun, they took out a putty knife, and they took out what looked like a dauber. And they practiced techniques and worked with materials that could be used in the future on future space missions should repairs need to be done in space to tiles that perhaps crack or are gouged on a set. You can see there in those images exactly the kit that they were working with. There's the putty knife.

One of the problems they faced was that that putty knife kept getting very, very sticky and Steve Robinson, Astronaut Steve Robinson commented that in the future, if they actually have to ever do one of these for real that they need to bring lots of putty knives with them. They also describe that black material they were squeezing out of the caulk gun to be somewhat like pizza dough, is the way they put it. But the NASA managers at a post-spacewalk briefing commenting that everything worked great. The mission so far has been fabulous. The shuttle, the vehicle itself has been working great. So they are very pleased to this point, and, in fact, could make an announcement sometime later today that they're going to extend the mission by a day to get some more time on orbit at the Space Station, since it has been so long, Fredricka, since U.S. astronauts have been up there in a space shuttle, now two-and-a-half years -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD:: And, John, this six-and-a-half hour spacewalk, that sounds like an awfully long time and a stressful one for these astronauts, Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson. Is that continuous in that six-and-a-half hours, or did they take a break in between and then reemerge? how does it work?

ZARELLA: No breaks. Once they leave that hatch, they're on duty for six-and-a-half plus hours, nearly seven hours they went today. They went over the time line by 20 minutes and actually got some extra stuff done, accomplished, at the end of the six plus hours. But no, there are no breaks. They continue to work through it all. And in fact, there have been longer spacewalks in the past for repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope and other repair missions. So this wasn't as long as it could have been, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD:: All right. Well tremendous enough that we get a chance to see those pictures as they come in. So many hundreds of miles above earth. Thanks so much, John Zarrella in Houston. Well for complete details on the spacewalk and the shuttle's return to space, including stories, interactive galleries, and other information log on to CNN.com. An update now on the London terror attacks. Investigators in Britain say they are focused on finding the masterminds behind the plots. Police say all four suspects in the July 21st bombings, attempted bombings, are in custody. Two were captured yesterday, when during a three-hour standoff, police raided a London apartment. No shots were fired. Instead, police used tear gas. A third suspect was captured in Rome. And investigators there continue to search for evidence of a possible plot aimed at targets in Italy. That terror suspect, apprehended in Italy, is Hussain Osman. He appeared at an extradition hearing today. He is accused of trying to attack the Sheppard's Bush Subway Station in London on July 21st. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston is covering those developments from Rome and joins us now -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. Well Hussain Osman, that suspected fourth bomber on the July 21st failed attacks in the London transport system, is now in a Central Rome jail. He's been appointed a lawyer and was questioned throughout the day. There was also a hearing on U.K. extradition calls, a decision on whether to proceed with the extradition could take upwards of 48 hours. That is according to his court-appointed lawyer. Now we know the 27-year-old was arrested yesterday at a Rome apartment after a tip-off from Scotland Yard that Osman's cell phone calls indicated he was indeed here in Italy now.

Italy's interior minister today said, Giuseppe Pisanu, Osman, a naturalized British citizen, is from Ethiopia and not from Somalia as was reported earlier. And that he left London's Waterloo Train Station on the 26th of July. Now Italian police yesterday said he traveled to Rome via Paris, Milan, and possibly other Italian cities. And the interior minister also said this is an ongoing investigation. That there were searches under way in at least 15 provinces here in Italy. They're trying to locate anyone who had contact with the suspect, anyone, specifically the immigrant community here from East Africa, that might have helped Osman as he made his way here to Rome. Now the city's chief prosecutor also said the suspect may be going by another name and that is Isaac Hamdi. They also said his brother who lives in Rome was arrested as well and he is in the same jail. But he is being held on charges of holding false Italian documents -- Fredricka.

ECCLESTON: Well, Jennifer, why wouldn't Osman be extradited if he is indeed a citizen of Britain?

ECCLESTON: Well, there are a number of reasons. First and foremost, the Italian prosecutors are trying to determine -- you alluded to this earlier -- whether or not he had any potential connection to suspected terror groups here in Italy. If they could make that case, then there might be an opportunity for them to actually try him here in Italy.

Otherwise, they would take the call for extradition from the United Kingdom, they would put that through judicial review. He would be allowed to have an appeals process. We understand from his lawyer that he will be rejecting calls for extradition. She had a conversation with him today. Clearly, he was escaping Britain. He had no plans on being brought to justice in that country, which is why he made his way here to Italy where he has, we believe, a number of family members. So we don't know at this stage whether the Italians will find any charges for Osman here in this country which would keep him here and put him on trial, or whether or not he will indeed be sent to Britain -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD:: All right. Jennifer Eccleston, thanks so much, from Rome.

Well as police in London track down more clues, part of their focus is on one of the British capital's famous neighborhoods called Notting Hill. CNN's Kelly Wallace took a trip there to see how people are coping with being in the terror spotlight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of London's most famous neighborhoods suddenly the center of the country's largest manhunt ever. Residents could only wait and watch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was like, oh my god, you know, because I never expected something to happen around here. Doesn't strike me as the sort of place at all that something like this would happen.

HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I live just over the street.

WALLACE: After all, it is the place two stars made a household name in the movie "Notting Hill:" A community known for its wealthy neighbors, thriving markets and that eclectic feel with many races mixing together.

(on camera): Are you surprised?

MARTIN JORDAN, RESIDENT: Not at all.

WALLACE: How come?

JORDAN: Because this is such a multi-cultural neighborhood. You would expect like -- something like this to happen. You know, at least we accept it, because there's so many cultures here.

WALLACE: Briony Chisman brought her 8-year-old daughter outside to let her record what happened this unforgettable day in their neighborhood. Briony worries things could change here.

BRIONY CHISMAN, RESIDENT: Only because I feel very protective of the atmosphere that we have here. I would like it to stay the same. You know, we've got a big Moroccan community here. We've got a big West Indian community. We've got a great mix of people.

WALLACE: Hours after the raids, it was almost a carnival-like atmosphere. Even with the police investigation still under way, Martin Manning and his friends made a point of visiting the pub.

MARTIN MANNING, RESIDENT: It puts you on edge and so, we've decided, well, we're not going to have that and we're going to carry on as normal and so be it. They can't beat us.

WALLACE: Still, despite the bravado, there is real fear that something so scary can hit so close to home. Susana Walker manages a boutique just down the street from one of the raids.

SUSANA WALKER, MERCHANT: I think it would be untrue to say we're not afraid and we're not concerned. Obviously, we are, but we are going to show resistance and we are going to continue as usual and we're not going to let this affect our lives.

WALLACE: But things have changed for the people here and throughout London. Attacked not once, but twice, they wonder: Could it happen again?

Kelly Wallace, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The struggle in Niger: People trying to survive in the face of hunger, poverty and sickness. What are the solutions? We'll search for some answers.

Plus, they've confessed too their crimes, now what loophole is keeping dangerous criminals out of jail?

And President Bush received his physical today. How healthy is our commander-in-chief? We'll get a live report from the White House, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The images are powerful in the African nation of Niger. A pair of natural disasters are combining to put nearly one- third of country's entire population at risk for starvation. A drought followed by one of the worst locust invasions in decades have decimated much of Niger's crops.

Now, more than three million people, including 800,000 children, are struggling to stay alive. CNN's Jeff Koinange joins us by video phone from Maradi, Niger, with more -- where you have been bringing us powerful images. Jeff, we've seen the images, but describe how that compares to what you're seeing on the ground.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'll tell you what, Fredricka, on the ground there's a totally different picture. Let me give you an example: Today, we went out into the streets of Maradi. One of the side-street cafes just to gauge the mood, ordered our food, started eating.

One of the crew members got up to go wash his hands. Before we knew it, his entire plate had been whisked away by what people call scavengers. They are literally people standing aside, if anyone leaves their plate, their meal at a cafe, it's gone.

That is how hungry people are. That is how desperate they are. They will do whatever they can just to get a meal and here's the biggest irony of it all, Fredricka: There's food in the market -- plenty of food. People just can't afford it at the moment -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Now, this desperation did not occur overnight. There have been efforts to bring relief-aid into the area. What is the progress of getting that aid to the people?

KOINANGE: We do hear these stories every day, Fredricka, that aid is on the way. So far, we've seen very little of that trickling into towns like Maradi and even less going into the countryside, the villages, where it's needed most.

And we took a drive over the last couple of days and we could see the desperation of the people out there; a lot of them nomads. They travel from village to village. They were telling us horror stories of how they haven't eaten in days, how they would like meals.

We saw people sitting underneath trees, literally waiting for someone to drive by, offer them food. It is that desperate at the moment. The food needs to get out there to the villages. It's not getting there as fast as it should and like you mentioned earlier, Fredricka, more than three million people face starvation if help doesn't arrive sooner rather than later.

WHITFIELD: So there is food available in some parts, but it's not getting to the people in need. What is standing in the way? Is it an issue of organizing some sort of transport system in which to reach those people in desperate need? Explain.

KOINANGE: It's a whole bunch of things. It's bureaucracy. It is logistics, Fredricka, because basically, once you leave the main roads, the countryside is impassable almost. There's no infrastructure.

As you know, this is the second-poorest nation on Earth. So, the roads are terrible and getting into those remote villages takes hours, even days. So, logistics is a problem. We've been hearing that there's going to be some kind of air drops in the coming days. The skies are open, Fredricka. We haven't seen anything.

Now, there is one thing we have seen today, Fredricka: A bit of rain. It rained here for a good three minutes. After that was a scorching and baking African sun -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: So, while the water -- the rainwater, may serve as some sort of, you know, hydration for people there who don't have food and water, it still is not going to do enough for the crops that are just piles of dust at this point -- right?

KOINANGE: Absolutely. And in fact, we visited several farms and at this time of the year, the millet crop -- that's the country's staple food and it's a grain -- millet crop should be about two meters high, way above my head. We saw it way am my knees.

That means that the famine has been going on for a lot longer than people expected and it will be going on for longer than people expected, because if that grain does not grow, if that grain is not harvested, that means we're going into a third straight year of drought. And that could mean catastrophe, according to aid workers on the ground -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Now, Jeff, when you mention it's also a bureaucratic nightmare there and channeling the need to the people is certainly getting caught somewhere in the bureaucracy. Is there any one -- any other international agency -- any other African nation perhaps, who's trying to help unblock some of these obstacles, so that people can get some help?

KOINANGE: We haven't heard anything yet, Fredricka. The only people trying to shout, you know, shout out and say we need to get help to the people are the aid agencies and they can only do so much. In fact, in that restaurant, those snack bars that we were talking to people who were saying the government is not doing enough to help the people. They're facing a catastrophe of epic proportions, they need help, they need the food to get to the people no matter what. And the biggest irony is that there is food on the market. We went straight through the marketplace. There's lots of grain, lots of rice, lots of sugar. But the people just can't afford it because they had no crops to sell last year. They have no money at all. They're totally broke. The food is there, they can't buy it. The country of contradictions and ironies, Fredricka. And at the bottom line, a lot of people will suffer before the message finally gets to the government here, that aid has to go to the people no matter what, no matter where.

WHITFIELD: Perplexing, confusing, and just so saddening on so many levels. Jeff Koinange, thank you so much from Maradi, Niger. Well relief workers say the impending catastrophe in Niger could have been avoid, if the world had responded sooner to the calls for help. So what does happen now? Marc Cohen is a research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute. He joins us now from Washington to talk about how Niger's food crisis can be solved. When you hear the very graphic descriptions from Jeff there, Marc, it seems nearly impossible to try to turn around at this juncture. Is there any way to save people in the hundreds of thousands, we're talking about?

MARC COHEN, FOOD POLICY RESEARCH FELLOW: Well, I think as we heard in the report, it's critical to get the aid in now and to get food to people who need it.

WHITFIELD: But it sounds like the aid is there. There is some aid there. It's trying to transport it to the people who need it, because of all this red tape.

COHEN: Yes. That's clearly a problem. Not just red tape, but the lack of all weather roads. But I think beyond the immediate problem, there has to be, for the long-term, investment in developing the rural areas in a poor country like Niger. Building the roads. Making sure farmers have access to credit so they don't have to sell off their assets as they did in this case.

WHITFIELD: But that is long-term. You talk about, you know, building the roads. And we talk about this being a logistical and infrastructural nightmare right now. You can't get the stuff to the people. But we saw the plane sitting on the airstrip there. Why not some of these airlifts or airdrops?

COHEN: Well that's right. That's actually happening. I mean, there's been two flights in the last couple of days, two flights a day coming from the World Food Program. So I think now the world is responding. I think as we speak, relief flights are going in.

WHITFIELD: But does it seem like a trickle to you?

COHEN: No, I think now the response is adequate. The United States, just this week, has increased the level of aid it's giving. And I think other donors are responding. I think one of the issues is, though, as the report mentioned, if there had been a response back in November, people would not have eaten their seeds. They would not have sold their cattle. And they would have assets. And they would have income, so they could buy the food. There's food in the country. There's food in the neighboring countries. So what we're really seeing is the inadequate response months ago, has contributed to the severity of the situation.

WHITFIELD: Well you mentioned the U.S. among other countries who are offering assistance right now. When we talk about debt relief, most recently, so many nations, including the richest country on earth, the U.S., offering some debt relief for African nations. And then you also had the G-8 summit. Wasn't all that, in part, about helping nations like Niger, trying to help them now as opposed to waiting any longer?

COHEN: Well that's exactly right. And also, having debt relief would free up resources to invest in the long-term, to build resilience so this sort of problem doesn't happen again in the future. There are droughts periodically in Africa. There are droughts periodically in the United States. We don't have food crises in the United States when there's a drought. And we need to build that resilience in poor countries where most of the population depends on agriculture.

WHITFIELD: And quickly, before I let you go, are you hopeful for the future? Once this problem, perhaps, is solved, are you hopeful that averting another catastrophe on this scale like this will be accomplished?

COHEN: I think one of the lessons here is, we have to rethink how we do humanitarian aid. Right now we have appeals, if donors respond in a timely fashion, things don't get out of hand. We have to start thinking about pre-positioning food stocks in countries that are drought prone, and we have to think about building up agriculture, making it more resilient for the long term. So I'm hoping there's some rethinking about how humanitarian relief is done as a result of this terrible crisis.

WHITFIELD: Mark Cohen, research fellow with International Food Policy Research Institute, thank you so much for joining us this Saturday.

COHEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well wondering how you can help feed the starving people of Niger? Several relief agencies are providing some help. You can log on to their Websites or call the numbers you see right here on the screen and make your donations.

Well stay with CNN for the latest on the food crisis in Niger. Catch a special report on the famine on Anderson Cooper 360. That's Monday night at 7:00 Eastern only here on CNN.

Twister. A scary sight in the skies of North Carolina. We're going across America.

Plus, the hot new way to meet people online. You may have never heard of an internet service called Face Book. But the odds are your teen is probably using it. Details, when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Other stories making news across America now. In Anaheim, California, more than a dozen people were slightly hurt after two cars of a roller coaster collided. It happened at Disney's California Adventure theme park. It's the second accident in four months at a Disney park in Anaheim.

In Avon, Connecticut, four people were killed and 15 injured in a 20-vehicle chain reaction crash. And that happened Friday. The accident was triggered by a dump truck with a record of having brake problems. A resulting fire spread over several vehicles.

Near Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Coast Guard personnel spotted this sight. A tornado touching down about two miles north of Elizabeth City Air Station. Another local official says three tornadoes were spotted in the area. No damage or injuries are reported.

Congress passed a much-anticipated energy bill before leaving for their August recess. But with prices fluctuating at the gas pump, who will this new legislation really help?

Plus, it's all in the wording or lack thereof. Why some confessed criminals are walking the streets in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBA MCENTIRE, SINGER/ACTRESS: It's always been difficult to get into the music business. But any business that you go into, if your heart and soul tells you to go for it, work hard, treat it like a business. Don't goof it off.

WHITFIELD: Country music icon Reba McEntire was discovered singing at a rodeo over three decades ago. She's been in the saddle ever since.

MCENTIRE: I'm going to take that mountain WHITFIELD: The Grammy award winning singer has sold more than 48 million albums and won Country Music Association's female vocalist of the year an unprecedented four consecutive times. McEntire has also written a best-selling autobiography, developed her own clothing line, played the award winning leading role in Broadway's "Annie Get Your Gun," and stars in the hit sitcom "Reba."

MCENTIRE: My curiosity fuels me. When I do go into a new genre of entertainment I listen and I learn before I give my opinion. I don't act like I know it all, because I don't. I can sure learn a lot with my mouth shut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Our top stories "Now in the News:"

A pair of astronauts spent more than six hours outside Discovery today fixing an antenna on the international space station and testing possible shuttle repair techniques. NASA managers are closer to deciding whether Discovery can return to Earth without any repairs.

There was an extradition hearing in Rome today for a suspect in the failed London transit bombings. A judge could decide soon whether to extradite Hussain Osman to England. Hussain was arrested in Rome yesterday after investigators traced his cell phone calls across Europe.

A Boy Scout died last night after being hit by lightning in Sequoia National Park. An assistant Scout master was killed instantly in the Thursday weather-related incident. Another member of the Scout troop remains in the hospital while six others were treated and released.

President Bush gets a clean bill of health in his annual checkup. Mr. Bush was examined earlier today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House with more -- Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka. That's right, a team of doctors has pronounced President Bush fit for duty and say all of the information suggests that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency.

Now, the president, this morning, spent about three hours for that examination, in suburban Washington. The president, who is 59 years old, remains in what doctors say, is the superior fitness category for men his age. While at the hospital, the president also met with 15 wounded Marines and awarded seven Purple Hearts and afterwards, he spoke briefly to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just finished two things. One, I had my physical and feeling pretty good. It's a great hospital to come to get your physical, but I also visited with some brave Marines who have been wounded. It's a remarkable experience to meet with these incredibly courageous souls who keep their spirit. I understand why they're serving the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, on the political front the president is heading into his own August break with a string of legislative victories, but he does so against the backdrop of a falling -- of lower overall approval ratings.

According to the latest Gallup poll, 44 percent of people say they approve of how the president is handling his job. That's down about five points from earlier this month. At the same time, President Bush is also facing a break with his top ally in the Senate, Majority Leader Bill Frist, over the issue of federally funding embryonic stem-cell research.

But the White House is emphasizing the positives, citing the legislative wins this week on an energy bill, a highway bill and the Central American Free Trade agreement. The White House, arguing those signs all show this is a president who is far from being a lame duck -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano at the White House. Thanks so much.

Before lawmakers took off for their August recess, they pushed through several major pieces of legislation. Among them, a huge highway bill. It authorizes spending over more than $286 billion on highways and mass transit systems.

At a time of surging oil prices, lawmakers approved a $12 billion energy bill. The plan includes billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies for energy companies. However, oil drilling in Alaska's Wildlife Refuge was dropped from the bill and many lawmakers admit the legislation will not do much to curb high gas prices.

The Senate also voted to make permanent 14 of the 16 most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act. But it did set new four- year expiration dates on allowing federal agents to use roving wire taps and to search library and medical records.

Well, getting away with murder: The reason why some convicted criminals in one Florida county could be back on the streets. Our "Legal Eagles" look ahead at the issue.

Plus: Facebook. Find out how your teens are communicating with each other, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Some people in Florida could get away with murder all because of two words in the Broward County Miranda warning. CNN's Susan Candiotti explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leonard Houda recalls the gruesome attack that killed his elderly father. A cooler of acid, thrown in his father's face.

LEONARD HOUDA, VICTIM'S SON: The acid just continued to eat him up. He looked like a melted candle when we buried him.

CANDIOTTI: Now, two men convicted in the attack, are getting a second trial, because of a botched Miranda warning. When Leonard Houda Sr. was murdered in a parking lot, evidence included statements from Walter Dendy, sentenced to life for ordering the attack. And from Neal Bross. He told detectives he tossed the acid into Houda face. Bross got 15 years. This is part of his confession.

NEAL BROSS: The guy came out. He came around his car and I just said hey and threw it at him and just turned around and walked away and jumped in the truck.

CANDIOTTI: Yet an appeals court said those confessions cannot be used in court this time because of the flawed Miranda Warning. Broward County's Miranda Warning read, you have the right to a lawyer present before questioning. An appeals court ruled two key words were missing. It should have read, before and during questioning. The court ruled the Broward wording was so flawed that it has put at least eight other felony cases between 1999 and 2002 in trouble.

For example, prosecutors say this admitted killer is a free man. His Mirandized confession and other crucial evidence thrown out. That's why he won't be retried. This teen, convicted of manslaughter for drowning a 5-year-old autistic boy, had his conviction overturned. The case is dropped. Defense attorney Fred Hatted, who represented one of the two Houda murder defendants, says the law is the law.

FRED HADDAD, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I have a job to do just like a prosecutor does and a judge does and the police do. The police saw fit to shortfall their job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't a mistake.

JIM LELJADAL, BROWARD SHERIFF"S SPOKESMAN: The Broward Sheriff's Office still defends its Miranda Warning as quote, " adequate." It had rejected a warning from state prosecutors that the wording needed change.

LELJADAL: In hindsight, we wish that we'd used it.

CANDIOTTI: Eight months ago the sheriff changed the wording to this -- you have the right to talk to an attorney/lawyer before talking to me and to have an attorney/lawyer here with you during questioning now or in the future.

LELJADAL: The form that we're using today is absolutely perfect. As far as we know. But that doesn't mean that tomorrow, some lawyer isn't going to go into court and suggest that we need to start using the word after.

CANDIOTTI: A former federal prosecutor says Miranda must be foolproof.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When a confession is thrown out, especially if somebody blew it, then justice is really being denied. Because that is the most important kind of proof that the jury ought to hear.

CANDIOTTI: When Leonard Houda found out he was going to have to endure another grueling murder trial of men already convicted of killing his father, he was stunned.

LEONARD HOUDA, VICTIM'S SON: I mean, it eats at you. You know, to take and think about these -- what had happened and these people might possibly go free because of a Miranda reading.

CANDIOTTI: The retrial is under way. Without confessions. The victim's widow and son waiting to see whether a jury will reach a different verdict than last time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that was Susan Candiotti reporting. And here to talk about the Miranda impact on jurisprudence, are our legal eagles Richard Herman and Avery Freeman. Good to see you, gentlemen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We missed you.

WHITFIELD: I missed you guys too, it's been two weeks in a row now, hasn't it? All right. Well I'm glad we're all together again. All right. Richard, let me begin with you. The Miranda Rights as we know them, not extended to everyone there in that county. It seems as though every jurisdiction knows exactly what to do and how to treat the Miranda Rights. How could it have gone this far at this level?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well you heard this representative speaking from the sheriff's department. He's pompous and ignorant. The Miranda Warnings are so simple, Fredricka. And most good police officers carry them in an index card on them. For Broward County Sheriff's Department to tweak those warnings to try to trick someone, which is what they've done here, I mean, if the citizens of Broward County are appalled by it, they should be, but they should take it out on the sheriff's department. They should clean house there. Get people in who will abide by the laws. Miranda is the stated law in the United States of America. If you don't like it, then try to have it changed by the Supreme Court. That's it. You've got to live by it, Broward County.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, doesn't it seem like this has carried on for an awfully long time, though, for so many cases to have been impacted this way?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: You know, it's astonishing to me. I really hate to agree with the argument that was just made. But you know, Miranda has been the law of America for almost 40 years. And it's very difficult to explain away the behavior of these deputy sheriffs. Whether the presentation was pompous, whether they were stupid or ignorant, you know what, rather than ascribing those sort of motives, what seems to me the problem here is that the attorneys for Broward County were explaining to the deputy sheriff's, look at, you've got to change your Miranda instruction.

And for some reason, whether it's stupid, whether it's arrogance, whether it's just not really caring, they didn't make it. So you know what we have now? Between 1999 and 2002, Fredricka, there are criminals on the street in Broward County, and I guess where I have to agree is that there's only one reason for that, and that is because of deputy sheriffs simply ignoring the law of the Constitution, which has been around for 40 years.

WHITFIELD: So if it's a culture that needs to be corrected, if this behavior has been so easy for this particular jurisdiction, is there a way of correcting it simply by changing some language in the Miranda Rights being read?

FRIEDMAN: Well that's really what's happened here. I mean, I don't think you really need to fire all the deputy sheriffs of Broward County. I think what has to happen to correct a culture, it has to be very clear that if you don't abide by the American Constitution, you don't have a place in law enforcement. And I think that's simply done. In fact, eight months ago as we heard, Broward County changed the procedure. But again, I'm troubled when a sheriff gets on camera and says, well you know what we think we're doing it right but it may change again. It's not going to change again.

WHITFIELD: We, Richard, we saw in Susan's piece, there is a retrial at least in that one case, Houda's case. But aren't there also going to be several other cases that perhaps could not be retried because of double jeopardy? They wouldn't be able to be retried, so many of these convicted criminals, while the evidence is there, because of the Miranda Rights issue, they're going to walk away scot free?

HERMAN: Hey, Fred, the crimes are horrific, and, you know, you have to feel for the victims and their families. But this is the law of the land, as Avery said. The Sheriff's Department must abide by it. Double jeopardy will attach. And most instances, the reason there's a retrial in one of those cases, there has to be something else, not just based on the Miranda Warning there. And you know, we look at this John Couey and this poor case in Florida. You know, his confession may get thrown out too for the this very same reason of defective Miranda Warning.

FRIEDMAN: I don't know about that. I mean, this was limited to Broward County. I'm hoping the other counties of Florida got their act together. If that is correct, then there's a real problem concerning the culture.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Well in that Couey case, he apparently did say he wanted an attorney and they proceeded with the tapes and the conversations. But of course, that case has yet to go to trial. We'll see what happens. Okay, on to Aruba now. Let's talk about what's transpiring there. Attorneys for at least one of the suspects and the other two young men who have been questioned are arguing that the DNA samples that have been taken from them are unfair. That they really have no charges. The authorities there have issued no charges. They've drained the pond and will continue searching for any kind of evidence, but thus far still no physical evidence of this young girl, Natalee Holloway. And that being carried out at the hands of these three suspects. So, you know, Avery, do we have a problem here with this investigation, much bigger than the obvious in that they have no body, they have no explanation of her whereabouts, but a problem with the investigation itself?

FRIEDMAN: Well, no one is going to responsibly argue that the way Aruban officials have handled this has been correct. They have screwed this case up from the beginning. But it's important to note that late yesterday, an Aruban judge agreed with the defense lawyers and said that the way DNA was taken in this case was invalid. Now, it doesn't throw it out. What it means is we'll see another DNA sampling. But the bottom line is this is the latest in a series of stunningly bad moves by the prosecution there in Aruba.

WHITFIELD: Richard, you see this as a mess, don't you?

HERMAN: Fredricka, I'll give you a classic example of how pathetic this investigation is. Two reasons. One, Holland sent over a team of crack interrogators to interrogate Joran Van der Sloot. The only problem is Joran Van der Sloot not talking to the police, hasn't in over a month, and is not going to speak to these interrogators. And last night, I gotta tell you I almost fell out of my chair. Here they are draining this pond which apparently takes two months to drain.

WHITFIELD: And it's been -- apparently it's been drained.

HERMAN: Well they sent helicopters up at night and had searchlights looking down in the pond. Today is day 62. This is an abomination in Aruba. All Americans should be appalled, shouldn't go to Aruba, it's outrageous what's going on there.

FRIEDMAN: Shouldn't go to Aruba because the prosecutors and the law enforcement screwed up?

HERMAN: Absolutely.

FRIEDMAN: Is that the argument?

HERMAN: Absolutely. They don't know how to protect the citizens or the visitors in Aruba. Stay away. Get out of Aruba.

WHITFIELD: And, Richard, you see at this point that there really is no repairing of this investigation, even if more U.S. authorities or more authorities from Holland were to come into Aruba to try to advance this investigation? You don't even see that would help in any way?

HERMAN: In my opinion, Fredricka, this is all political. So that down the road they can say, hey look how much we did. It's over. You have -- the first 72 hours, as all the analysts have been saying, are the most critical period of time in a murder case. They blew it. They did nothing in those first 72 hours. We don't have a crime scene. We don't have DNA evidence. We don't know what happened here. All we know is she's missing. FRIEDMAN: We don't have a body.

HERMAN: We don't have a body, and there will be no body. If they find anything now it's going to be bones after 60 days. It's just, it's very sad. And it's pathetic. And it's just an abomination.

WHITFIELD: And, at least right now, we've got an awful lot of families there involved in this case who are just devastated and filled with lots of anguish. Richard Herman, Avery Friedman, always good to see you, gentlemen. See you next week.

Ahead, who is who on campus? We'll tell you about an internet service that no one over the age of 25 has heard of, but every college kid in the country they know about it and they're using it.

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WHITFIELD: The process of getting to know people on college campuses has a new face. You may not have ever heard of Facebook. But with $13 million in venture capital from Silicon Valley, you probably will. Kathleen Hays shows how people Facebook each other.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENA: I was going crazy for the Facebook when it first came out.

MATTHEW: Well it kind of had a domino effect. And then everyone started to use it.

GRAHAM: It just sort of creates its own world that you get sucked into.

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Never heard of Facebook? Not surprising if you're over the age of 25. The Facebook is an online social network designed exclusively for college students. It's free of charge and to join, all you need is a .edu e-mail address, something only students or recent college grads have. People who join say it can be addictive. Using it for everything from organizing study groups with classmates to hitting on cute girls or guys. Even keeping up with birthdays.

ZAK: On the first page that pops up, it will tell you different people's birthdays coming up in the next two weeks. And that, to me, is by far the best feature.

HAYS: It's no wonder Facebook fits college students' needs so well -- college students invented it. Three Harvard undergrads launched the Facebook just a year-and-a-half ago. CEO Mark Zuckerburg said they wanted to update the traditional freshman year facebook by putting it online and then linking universities across the country in a cyber community where everyone feels secure.

MARK ZUCKERBERG, CEO FACEBOOK: It's the feeling that you get from it. It's a closed network. So if you're on the Harvard Facebook or any school's Facebook, you're in a gated community. HAYS (on camera): Facebook helps give a new definition to the concept of friends. From a person you just met at a party to an old childhood pal at a different school. Once you're listed as someone's friend, you're connected to their friends too. It gives six degrees of separation a whole new meaning.

ZAK: You search for someone you haven't talked to in years or, like, somehow their name comes up, and you just go, oh, let me look them up on Facebook.

HAYS (voice over): Mark and his colleagues have found just the right code to crack the college student market. Last September Facebook was on 30 college campuses and had 150 thousand users. By June it had spread to over 800 schools and over three million users.

ZUCKERBURG: It just becomes another one of these things that people do on a day to day basis. That's really a part of their life, as opposed to just a product that they use. So, I mean, it's like checking your e-mail, or people always have AIM open on their computers and they're using it to chat with their friends. It's like, the Facebook window is always open.

HAYS: Kathleen Hays, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: I don't know if it's getting more complicated or easier with that kind of technology.

Well stay with CNN. At the top of the hour, CNN presents "Warsaw Rising." During World War II, an underground army becomes a tragedy of D-Day. Hear this little-known story. At 4:00 Eastern on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

Surgeries outside the hospital. Is it safe to go under the knife in your doctor's office?

And at 5:00 Eastern, "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" profiles pop diva Mariah Carey. She's topping the charts again. Keep it right here. We'll be right back.

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