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CNN Live Saturday
Harry Reid Health Scare; Pregnant Women Found Dead Near Philadelphia; The Uncertain Future of Iraq; Saving Money at the Gas Pump
Aired August 20, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: The remains of a missing pregnant woman are found outside Philadelphia. Police call it a murder and say they know who did it.
A Senate leader suffers a mild stroke. We'll tell you how Harry Reid is doing now and if it could have any impact on Capitol Hill.
And with gas prices posting record highs, day after day, what's a driver to do?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $2.249 a gallon. It's a lot cheaper than gas I've been buying for my car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: How a few mechanical alterations turn one man's gas guzzler into a green machine.
Hello, and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in for Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.
The commission overseeing the latest round of U.S. military base closings is questioning how much money would be saved. Pentagon officials estimate it would be $50 billion, but commission members say it's more like $14 billion. Final deliberations over the proposed closings begin next week.
Pope Benedict XVI is reaching out to Muslims during his visit to Germany. In his homeland today for the World Youth Day Festival, the pope warned Muslims that terrorists are trying to poison interfaith ties, and he asked Muslims for help in defeating them.
Iraq's former deputy prime minister under Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz, has received a prison visit from his family. An attorney says the family met with him for about half an hour today. Aziz was taken into custody more than two years ago. He was number 25 on the U.S. list of most-wanted Iraqis.
First up this hour, the symptoms seemed mild, but alarming. The diagnosis, a mini-stroke. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is recuperating after experiencing what doctors call a transient ischemic attack. That's a brief interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. It can be a warning sign that a person is at risk for a more serious stroke. Reid's office says he's feeling fine and has had no complications.
CNN's congressional correspondent Joe Johns reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid appeared in perfect health last month, meeting with Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: Judge, welcome to the Democratic side of the United States Senate.
JOHNS: Harry Reid is the most powerful Democrat in the U.S. Senate, soft-spoken but tough and direct. Members of his party elected him to lead them on Capitol Hill after the former Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, was defeated in his reelection bid.
Reid is 65 and aides said he experienced dizziness and other symptoms of what had been described as a mini stroke on Tuesday, while at his home in Searchlight, Nevada. He went to the hospital at the after the urging of his wife Landra, who was with him at the time.
He's a former boxer who's also run 12 marathons. Reid is said to work out five times a week. He doesn't drink or smoke.
The news came at a time when the Senate is out of session for its long August recess. Reid had done some traveling, including fundraisers in a handful of states and a family vacation.
When the Congress goes back into session in September, Reid's staff predicted his condition will not disrupt his work at all on Capitol Hill and that doctors had placed no limits on his activities of any kind.
The news spread quickly. White House Spokesman Trent Duffy said: "The president is glad to hear that Senator Reid is feeling fine and looks forward to working with him this fall."
The Senate majority leader, Republican Bill Frist, a medical doctor, said in a written statement that he has spoken with Senator Reid and "he's feeling fine, showing his usual strength of spirit."
The Reid spirit has been credited with creating an effective Democratic communications operation, as well as a surprising amount of party discipline and unity in voting on the Senate floor, working with what he's got, even though Democrats have little power to control the agenda in the Senate, short of a filibuster.
REID: Thank you very much for being here this afternoon. We're sorry that we don't have a more convenient place, but we don't run the Rules Committee and we go where we find room.
JOHNS: His plain-spoken manner has brought him praise from party loyalists and even gotten him into trouble at times, like when he called the president a loser and a liar.
REID: The president of the United States would not be president of the United States had he not come to Nevada and told the big lie.
JOHNS (on camera): Reid has canceled some public appearances that were scheduled over the remainder of the August break, during which time his staff says he's expected to rest and recover.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MALVEAUX: Now an update on the health of another prominent American. Coretta Scott King has begun physical therapy days after suffering a stroke and a mild heart attack. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., is expected to remain at an Atlanta hospital for at least another week. The stroke paralyzed part of her right side and affected her ability to speak. Doctors say that she was able to say a few words Friday, a development they are calling very encouraging.
News about Coretta Scott King and Senator Reid has many people asking about the risks and warning signs for strokes. Earlier, I spoke with Dr. Mark Siegel, an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MARC SIEGEL, NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: The risk is probably a lot greater for Mrs. King. But for Senator Reid, it's at least one in three that he might have a much larger stroke. And that's one of the reasons that the surveillance is necessary, to look for other conditions.
MALVEAUX: And for those of us who are looking at both of these individuals, we don't know what their health conditions were in the past, but what are some of the warning signs? What should we be looking for in ourselves?
SIEGEL: Well, you know, with Senator Reid, he had one of the classic warning signs, which he had dizziness and lightheadedness. If you develop weakness on one side of your body or slurred speech or you feel like you're going to black out, these are signs that a stroke may be coming on. If you can't find the words -- that's a very common symptom -- you must call your physician right away.
MALVEAUX: And who is susceptible?
SIEGEL: Well, you know, anybody that's a smoker is a big time risk. Even if you have a family history of a stroke, you have to watch out for that. Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, these are the highest risk groups.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And we'll have more on the prevention of strokes coming up at 6:00 Eastern. Relatives of a pregnant woman who disappeared last month in Pennsylvania say their hearts are broken. Police found the body of 24-year-old LaToyia Figueroa overnight outside Philadelphia. Her former boyfriend has been arrested. Authorities say they have a strong case against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNNE ABRAHAM, PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ATTY: The body of Miss Figueroa will be carefully examined so that we can know, as close as medical science will allow us to know, precisely what caused her death. Mr. Poaches is in custody. The charges that I had mentioned a few moments ago of homicide and perhaps other offenses are not yet complete. We do know we are going to be charging him with murder and other offenses. Those other offenses will have to wait until we finish our investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: LaToyia Figueroa was last seen July 18th in West Philadelphia. She was five months pregnant. Police say the man in custody is the father of the unborn child.
Northwest Airlines vows to continue operating its normal schedule, despite its mechanics walking off the job. The carrier has brought in replacement mechanics it says are experienced, licensed and trained. Northwest mechanics went on strike early this morning after contract talks broke down last night. The mechanics are protesting big pay cuts and layoffs. They say they'd rather see the airline go bankrupt than to agree to its terms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED LUDWIG, PRESIDENT, AMFA LOCAL 33: From day one, Northwest's goal has been not just to save money, but to bust our union, and then bust every other union on the property one at a time. To Northwest, the negotiations were a joke. They never took the process seriously because they had no interest in negotiating.
JULIE SHOWERS, NORTHWEST AIRLINES: Frankly, the last proposal we put on the table was a fair and equitable proposal to our employees, while providing the labor cost productions that the company needs. Our final offer included things that the union told us were very important to their members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Under pressure in Iraq. As political leaders face a Monday deadline to agree on a draft constitution, out in the streets, insurgents continue their attacks on U.S. troops. U.S. military officials say a roadside bomb killed a military police brigade soldier on the outskirts of Baghdad. The soldier survived the initial explosion and was rushed to the hospital, but he later died of his wounds.
Members of the Iraqi parliament are hoping to complete work on a draft of the country's constitution by Monday, but they can only do that if Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders resolve differences they've been struggling over for weeks. The main points of disagreement remain the role of Islam and what it should take in Iraq's government, and the relationship between the country's central and regional governments.
Later in this half hour, I'll talk with a man who worked very closely with all of Iraq's political parties as a member of the coalition provisional authority. He says if the draft constitution deadline isn't met, the long term consequences could be extremely serious. That interview is coming up.
Iraq's future, and the future of U.S. troops fighting there, are the subject of increasing debate in this country. Today, President Bush used his weekly radio address to reiterate his position on Iraq. The Democrats responded with a much different take, and a direct challenge to the president.
With more on that, we go live to Crawford, Texas, and CNN's Ed Lavandera.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.
Well, with this 14-day-long protest against the war in Iraq continuing here in Crawford, just a few miles away from the president's ranch, the public debate and the strident debate about should happen in Iraq continues, with the opposing signs -- opposing sides remaining bitterly divided as what should happen there.
As you mentioned, President Bush using his weekly radio address to reiterate a theme that he has said quite often over the last few years, and his reasons for supporting the war in Iraq.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, we must finish the task that our troops have given their lives for, and honor their sacrifice by completing their mission. We can be confident in the ultimate triumph of our cause, because we know that freedom is the future of every nation, and that the sight of freedom is the sight of victory.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Former senator and Vietnam veteran Max Cleland delivered the Democratic response to the president's radio address this morning. He argues that the war in Iraq was poorly planned and that there aren't enough troops, and that the troops don't have enough equipment.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
FMR. SEN. MAX CLELAND (D), GEORGIA: There is no strategy to win. The president disregarded the advice of top military brass who said that at least 500,000 troops were needed to secure Iraq. The president committed only one-fifth of that force to the war. Consequently, our military is completely overextended.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Now, the very public face of this protest here in Crawford, Cindy Sheehan, remains in southern California with her family, her mother recovering from a stroke. We're told that she is doing better, but exactly when Cindy Sheehan will return to Crawford is still very much up in the air. We're told that she does plan on returning, but exactly when is not clear. We anticipate it will probably not be any sooner than Wednesday.
President Bush, on the -- meanwhile, has several events scheduled, as this is a working vacation for him. Monday he leaves for Idaho and Utah, where he has events scheduled this week with veterans and other troops to continue his getting out his message that you heard earlier from his weekly radio address.
So all of that continues with this backdrop here in Crawford, where the protesters say that even though Cindy Sheehan is not here physically, that they will remain for as long as President Bush remains on vacation -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Ed Lavandera, Crawford, Texas. Thanks again. We appreciate it.
Now, it was the original reason why America went to war in Iraq: Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. But now we know those allegations were wrong. Hear an insider's perspective on what happened inside the Bush administration.
Plus, steroid abuse and America's teens. Why do some students use them and what can parents do to stop it? We've got some answers still to come.
And up next, we'll show you two ways to cut the high cost of gas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: It's just 19 cents, not even a couple of dimes, but when you are talking about gas prices, every penny counts. AAA says gas is at a record average, $2.60 a gallon nationwide this weekend. That is regular unleaded. Prices jumped 19 cents this week, setting a record each day, though the price would have to hit $3.12 to top the inflation adjusted high set back in 1981.
But some motorists pay more or less based on location. Californians shell out $2.80 a gallon on average. Utah drivers get a relative bargain at $2.44 a gallon. With gas prices at a sharp spike, experts warn the national economy will soon feel the pinch. Wal-Mart and other discount retailers are already showing slower sales.
But there are alternatives, whether it means using fuels like ethanol or buying your gas in advance. With a little planning and ingenuity, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars at the pump. We have two reports with two different money-saving options. One is from Boyd Huppert of affiliate KARE, but we begin with Kimberly Osias.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's it, baby in the drive and roll.
Chris Lapp is on the road in an old car, with a made in the U.S.A. fuel, ethanol.
CHRIS LAPP, ETHANOL ADVOCATE: The car represents what America used to be. And with the fuel I was putting in it, it was going to represent what America's going to be. So I thought it was kind of a back to the future thing.
OSIAS: His 1957 El Dorado Bearitz (ph) is a classic. It's even older than he is. Lapp rebuilt the caddie's engine...
LAPP: It looks good.
OSIAS: ... altering the carburetor and the fuel line. His new souped-up ride ferried him coast-to-coast, 16 states in all. Lapp logged 7,000 miles in two-and-a-half weeks. But the road wasn't always smooth. The biggest bump? Finding gas stations that sold the alternative fuel. The Midwest, he said, had the most. No surprise, since in the U.S., ethanol comes primary from crops like corn.
LAPP: So I think perhaps we're going to end up with an energy situation in the future, with red and blue energy states.
OSIAS: Lapp had to plan pit stops well ahead.
LAPP: Got to shop here more often.
OSIAS: With his antiquated vehicle getting only 15 miles per gallon...
LAPP: $2.249 a gallon. It's a lot cheaper than gas I've been buying for my car.
OSIAS: ... fuel efficiency wasn't the primary purpose.
LAPP: I did this for awareness of the energy mix that America has to have in the future.
OSIAS: Lapp did conserve some cash, though.
LAPP: I probably saved several hundred dollars relative to gasoline.
OSIAS: And got one memorable ride.
Kimberly Osias, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $1,300. Yes, I wrote out a check.
BOYD HUPPERT, KARE REPORTER (voice-over): Norm Hannon (ph) can still remember the chill last fall when he informed his wife he had purchased $1,300 worth of gasoline.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only problem I had is we didn't discuss it first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I said, yes, honey, you know, I just know gas prices are going to go up.
HUPPERT: Today, Norm's pumping his gas for $1.68, while everyone else pays $1.00 more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And now I have to admit, he really did a great job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gasoline is up a penny 49, so call...
HUPPERT: Jim Feneis isn't exactly in the business of saving marriages, but he has to admit he's making a lot of people happy these days.
JIM FENEIS, FIRST FUEL BANKS: It sure feels good. It certainly does.
HUPPERT: His Saint Cloud-based Fuel Banks allows customers to buy gasoline on the futures market, pumping it at yesterday's prices today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are really smart. Well, especially when you're saving some dollars.
HUPPERT: With a fleet of 50 trucks, John McDowell (ph) bought 50,000 gallons of gas at First Fuel Banks in the spring. That $1.96 a gallon purchase is now saving his roofing, heating and air conditioning company $3,000 a month.
FENEIS: That's at today's prices. And if they keep going up, they just save all that much more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I called yesterday for $100 worth on my account yesterday.
HUPPERT: Based on brisk recent sales, customers are convinced gas prices aren't done going up.
(on camera): Fact is, more people are buying First Fuel Bank futures at today's price of $2.54 a gallon than they were at $1.54.
FENEIS: But people are funny. They want to buy it after it goes up.
HUPPERT: People are funny, but Larry Berant (ph) is the one doing the laughing. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably about, oh, three years ago, something like that, I put in about $3,000 worth into it. And I bought it for 98 cents a gallon.
HUPPERT: With half that gas still left, imagine the pleasure Larry gets showing his receipts to his friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I put in 8.5 gallons. It cost me $8.41. So that's the way I buy gas.
HUPPERT: Larry Berant, laughing all the way to the fuel bank.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yep. Like it. Best interest I ever got on my money.
Boyd Huppert, KARE-11 News, St. Cloud.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And tracking down the men behind a rocket attack targeting U.S. warships. We've got new details on the investigation from Jordan. That story's next.
And still to come, understanding the development of democracy in Iraq. What happens if lawmakers fail to meet a second deadline for drafting a constitution?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The world's most wanted man tops our security watch today. Newly declassified documents are shedding new light on the hunt for Osama bin Laden before the September 11th attacks. The papers reveal U.S. officials urged the Taliban to expel the terrorist during secret meetings in 1998. The Taliban official even suggested arranging bin Laden's assassination during one such session.
The talks took place in the months after the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa, attacks the U.S. blames on bin Laden. The documents show the Taliban reacted angrily to the U.S. cruise missile strikes that followed in Afghanistan, and called bin Laden innocent and a great Muslim fighter.
Now to new developments in the Jordan terror probe. One day after an attempted rocket attack on U.S. warships at the port of Aqaba, several people are under arrest. Jordanian authorities say they might lead them to the attackers. The rockets missed their apparent targets, but one struck a warehouse, killing a Jordanian soldier and wounding another. The brother of Jordan's King Abdullah visited the man in the hospital today. The rockets were fired from another warehouse near the port. The Jordanian government says four people of Iraqi and Egyptian nationality rented it two days before the attack.
The two U.S. ships targeted in the attack arrived in Aqaba just a week earlier for military exercise with the Jordanian navy. They've been to ports all over the world and they have a fascinating history. CNN's Brian Todd takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By the very nature of their mission, the USS Ashland and the USS Kearsarge would have been a visible presence at the port of Aqaba, part of an amphibious strike group that often deploys near ports, harbors and shores. Between them, the vessels can carry nearly 2,400 Marines, most of them on board the Kearsarge.
BRESLAU: They all deployed to this region in support of the global war on terrorism, Operation Iraqi Freedom. And while they're in the region, they also conduct engagement opportunities, exercises with our regional partners and allies.
TODD: The Ashland, narrowly missed in the rocket attacks in Aqaba, first set sail in 1992. The Navy calls it a landing ship, but its main task is to deploy Marines in smaller assault boats and helicopters toward targets on shore.
The Kearsarge is also an amphibious assault ship, but is much larger and looks like a small aircraft carrier, with assault helicopters and harrier jets on board.
From its christening in 1992 by Colin Powell's wife, this vessel's always been in the limelight. 1995, on its maiden voyage, the Kearsarge is the main platform for the rescue of American pilot Scott O'Grady after he's shot down over Bosnia.
Two years later, another hot zone. Americans and other foreign nationals caught in Sierra Leone during a bloody, chaotic civil war. The Kearsarge is deployed to get thousands of them out.
Two years after that, the Kearsarge sweeps in near Kosovo and deploys the first peacekeeping Marines in that conflict. Early 2003, the Kearsarge gets another call. With only 72 hours notice, she begins carrying thousands of Marines to Kuwait for combat operations in Iraq.
Navy officials say it's been in and out of the Gulf region then. The Kearsarge is based in Norfolk, Virginia. It left Norfolk in March and is normally scheduled for six-month deployment. Navy officials will not say if the Kearsarge will return to Norfolk next month.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information, day and night.
He called the case against Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction a slam dunk, but as the world knows now, former CIA director George Tenet was wrong. We'll take an in-depth look at the political fallout from America's intelligence blunders in the run-up to the Iraq War.
And still to come, they can cause depression, acne, and potentially life-threatening medical conditions. So why are some teens still using steroids? What every parent needs to know when CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here are the latest developments.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is back home and says, quote, "he feels fine." This despite suffering a mini-stroke earlier this week. Reid was diagnosed with what's called a transient ischemic attack. That's the term for a brief interruption of blood flow to the brain.
Family members of 17 Spanish soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan have said good-bye. They attended a somber state funeral for their loved ones today. Some were so emotional they had to leave during parts of the ceremony. The king and queen of Spain and high-ranking members of the Spanish Cabinet also attended.
Libya's Moammar Gadhafi is extending a special invitation to the White House. According to visiting Senator Richard Lugar, Gadhafi is setting out the welcome mat for President Bush. Gadhafi has been pursuing better diplomat ties internationally since announcing Tripoli's decision to abandon weapons of mass destruction.
In just two days, the clock runs out for Iraqi political leaders who are scrambling to finish a draft constitution by Monday's deadline. Kurds, Shiite and Sunni Arabs missed their first deadline this past Monday. A week extension was granted, but they still haven't been able to resolve their differences on several key issues. Two of the biggest sticking points: the role Islam should have in Iraq's government, and the issue of federalism, which is the relationship between Iraq's central and regional governments.
Kurds and some Shiite Arabs want autonomy, but that's causing conflict with Sunni Arabs and other Shiites who favor a strong central government. So what happens if those disagreements don't get ironed out in time to meet Monday's deadline.
One expert on Iraq says the consequences could be disastrous. Peter Khalil was a member of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. He joins us now live from Washington.
Thanks so much for being with us. I know there is a lot of pressure. People are all looking at that Monday deadline. This whole issue, the fact that they had that extension in the first place, does this not speak to some of the many challenges that that country faces?
PETER KHALIL, SABAN CENTER, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: That's certainly right, Suzanne. And of course, they could have asked for a longer extension. They actually asked for seven days, and I was actually quite surprised by that. I thought they might ask for two to three weeks. And that seemed to indicate that they were close, possibly close, to reaching some resolution on some of these outstanding issues.
And, of course, if they don't meet the deadline on Monday, there are really only two options. One is that they'll ask for another extension. That's somewhat of a gray area legally, because they would have to go back to the National Assembly. And the other option is they would have to dissolve the National Assembly, dissolve the current government and start from square one. Go back to another transitional government, another set of elections, another assembly and another drafting committee for one year. And I think in that scenario, it's going to be very difficult to keep those factions engaged in a political process.
MALVEAUX: That's the worst case scenario, obviously. If that happens, is there a problem with credibility, Iraqi credibility as well as the Bush administration?
KHALIL: Well, that's certainly true. The Bush administration has been pushing very hard for the Iraqis to meet the -- obviously, the 15th of August deadline, and also the 22nd of August deadline. And it's because it's absolutely critical to the U.S. strategy in Iraq that these political milestones are met.
One of the few things the administration can point to, as an advantage, if you like, in their strategies, is they've met the milestones in the past. They've handed over the sovereignty on time. They've had the national elections on January the 30th. And they need these political advances in the next six months to be able to start drawing their own troops in mid 2006.
MALVEAUX: But these deadlines -- I guess the emphasis, the focus on the deadlines, is that because essentially it would be demoralizing to both sides that they're not meeting the deadlines? I mean, what is the point, what is the importance of actually hitting those benchmarks?
KHALIL: Well, these things are sorted out in the transitional administration of law by the Iraqis themselves, many of whom are actually working on this current draft. And I think the motivation is common to all the factions in Iraq, whether they be Sunni, Shia or Kurd. And they know, just as well as the U.S., that if they don't meet the deadlines, that things will get a lot worse than they actually are. You'll start to see the insurgency actually get worse than it is, and the Kurds will start pulling away. And, of course, the Shia will want to sort of pull away in the south as well. So they all know that they need to meet these milestones.
MALVEAUX: And what is the important sticking point right now? Is it federalism, the notion the Kurds get their space, the Shiites want the same? Very mixed, ambivalent feelings about the role of the Sunnis?
KHALIL: Well, it's actually -- with the federal structure, the Sunnis actually accept Kurdish autonomy in the north. They accept the status quo that exists. What they reject is calls for a Shiite autonomous state in the south, which Hakim (ph), one of the ladies of (INAUDIBLE) parties called for last week. And they outright rejected that. So do some of the secular Shiite, as well as the prime minister Jafari also think that that's unacceptable.
As far as the role of Islam and the law, it seems there's going to be a tradeoff on this, and the U.S. seems to have exceeded to some of the demands by the conservatives for Islam to be the main source of law. And of course, it's far more complicated, because you have Sunni Islamists as well as Shia Islamists agreeing to that, and some Sunni and Shia actually disagreeing with Islam being the main source of law.
MALVEAUX: Peter Khalil, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Of course, we'll all be looking at Monday's deadline.
KHALIL: Thanks, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thanks again.
In the run-up to the Iraq war, dire concerns were noted about weapons of mass destruction, but today none have been found. That is just one link in a chain of events that some refer to as a U.S. intelligence meltdown. Our national security correspondent David Ensor reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): May 1st, 2003. The president declares that major combat in Iraq is over, but Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, the primary reason for going to war, have not yet been found. George Tenant asks David Kay, who had been the Chief U.N. nuclear inspector after the Gulf War, to take charge of the search.
DAVID KAY, FMR. CHIEF WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR: When I took on this job, I had a set of conditions to do it, because I was essentially taking on the moral hazard, as I referred to it, for the CIA. That is, it was a CIA conclusion that there were weapons.
ENSOR: Once Kay is in Iraq, it's almost immediately clear to him that the WMD stockpiles he and his thousand-strong team are searching for, are not there. The aluminum tubes are an early signal.
KAY: When we got in, we found they really were part of a rocket program.
ENSOR: The bioweapons lab described by "Curveball," don't exist. In private e-mails, Kay begins to warn Tenant that the evidence is falling apart.
COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON, FMR. POWELL CHIEF OF STAFF: George actually did call the secretary and said I'm really sorry to have to tell you. We don't believe there were any mobile labs for making biological weapons. This was the third or fourth telephone call and I think it's fair to say the secretary and Mr. Tenant at that point, ceased being close.
I mean, you can be sincere and you can be honest and you can believe what you're telling the secretary, but three or four times on substantive issues like that? It's difficult to maintain any warm feelings.
ENSOR: Behind the scenes, the ties of loyalty between President Bush and George Tenet begin to fray. And David Kay, after six months on the ground in Iraq, is ready to quit. Tenet tells him if you resign now, it will appear we don't know what we're doing, that the wheels are coming off.
KAY: I was asked to not go public with my resignation until after the president's State of the Union address. Which -- you know, this is Washington, and in general, I've been around long enough so I know in January you don't try to get bad news out before the president's giving a State of the Union address.
It is time to begin the fundamental analysis of how we got here.
ENSOR: Eight days after the president's January 2004 State of the Union, David Kay testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
KAY: My view was that the best evidence that I had seen was that Iraq, indeed, had weapons of mass destruction. It turns out we were all wrong, and that is most disturbing.
If the intelligence community had said there were no weapons there. Would the policymakers have decided for other reasons -- regime change, human rights, whatever -- to go to war. All you can say is, we'll never know because, in fact, the system said apparently it's a slam dunk. There are weapons there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The great 18th director of central intelligence, the Honorable George J. Tenet.
ENSOR: On June 3rd, 2004, George Tenet announced his resignation. His tenure included major successes: unraveling Pakistani involvement and nuclear proliferation, convincing Libya to give up weapons of mass destruction, hitting the ground running in Afghanistan within days after 9/11.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, FMR. CIA DEP. DIRECTOR: George Tenet drove that process. Clearly, the victories that we've had in counterterrorism are ones that George Tenet deserves a great deal of credit for.
ENSOR: But when it came to the most important issue of his career, the war in Iraq, Tenet may be remembered for two words that could haunt him forever: slam dunk.
KAY: You know, it betrayed access and influence for independence and questioning. You're not serving either the institution you represent, the CIA, or the president, at whose pleasure you serve.
GEORGE TENET, FMR. CIA INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be your director. Thank you all very much.
ENSOR: Six months later, Congress will mandate the first major overhaul of the nation's intelligence system since 1947, when the Central Intelligence Agency was created.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: You can catch more of David Ensor's look at "Inside the Intelligence Meltdown," a "CNN PRESENTS" special report, "Dead Wrong," tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. We invite you to watch.
And of course, Carol Lin is here with a preview of what is to come on your show for 6:00. Nice to be with you here, Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And good to see you here at the global headquarters, visiting from Washington, D.C.
MALVEAUX: Well, thank you very much. It's been a great day.
LIN: At 6:00, we're going to talk about high gas prices. How much are you paying right now? Up in the Washington area?
MALVEAUX: I would say maybe $2.60 or so. It costs more than $40 to fill my tank.
LIN: Well, it's getting so expensive in one particular school district that they've actually raised the price of school lunches. So now the kids and the parents are subsidizing the energy costs. Yes, it's getting pretty expensive. So we're going to have that piece at 6:00.
And then at 10:00, if an advertiser came to you with a product, and the advertising line is "my butt is big," do you think that would be a selling point? Nike is taking on...
MALVEAUX: I can give no comment.
LIN: ... real women.
MALVEAUX: I cannot comment on that.
LIN: I can relate on some days.
MALVEAUX: My family knows.
LIN: But intriguing sort of fallout from reality TV, that real people, real women are being used as a top choice by Madison Avenue to sell some of their products. So I'm going to be talking with a real woman and also a member of "Ad Week" to see whether it's going to work.
MALVEAUX: Great. Great. Looking forward to both those stories. Thanks again.
LIN: All right. Thanks, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: OK, great. And, of course, a jury deals a major blow to the maker of Vioxx. Up next, what the multi-million-dollar ruling could mean for other drug manufacturers. LIN: And professional athletes aren't the only ones using steroids. If your teenager plays a competitive sport, then on to our next story. That is certainly for you. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues after this.
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MALVEAUX: The maker of Vioxx is vowing to appeal a multi-million dollar judgment. Friday, a Texas jury held Merck liable for the death of Carol Ernst's husband. Robert Ernst died of a heart attack in 2001 while taking the popular painkiller. The jury awarded his widow $253 million after her lawyer argued Merck concealed information about health risks associated with the drug.
Earlier, I spoke with lawyer David Berg about the verdict's implications.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BERG, CIVIL TRIAL LAWYER: I think the drug consumers are probably going to say, enough of this fraudulent advertising. The verdict, if you listen to the jurors, carefully was driven by the false marketing and the inattention, or the absolute failing of Merck to tell the public the truth about their product.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Berg says the verdict will encourage lawyers in similar cases, and there are plenty. Merck pulled Vioxx from the market in 2004. Since then, some 4,200 liability lawsuits have been filed.
Now to another medical concern. Teens and steroids. With the start of the new school year comes a new crop of high school athletes. Some may be looking for an edge on the competition with steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. How big a problem is it?
Well, let's take that up with Dr. Bill Lloyd of the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Doctor, thank you very much for joining us.
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON: Hi, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Of course, we know that they are dangerous and the public disapproves, so why would some high school players take such an enormous risk?
LLOYD: Well, the core of it is competition. Competition to get on the team, for the team to do well, and possibly, competition to get a scholarship or get into professional athletics. There's all kinds of expectations on these young athletes, by their families, by their coaches and by friends as well. There's enormous peer pressure. If somebody else is using steroids, you want to level the playing field and maybe you'd consider it as well.
A lot of athletes reach a plateau and they can't get any stronger, any bigger, so they look for that edge, as you mentioned, and illegal substances can sometimes help them get there. And finally, Suzanne, because there are few consequences, particularly at the high school and college level, where they think for a short period of time, I might take these dangerous drugs and it might help me out.
MALVEAUX: Now, give us some specific examples how to spot if a teen is using some sort of these illegal substances?
LLOYD: Yes. Suzanne, the big word is change. Dramatic change, if you see it in your children. The first thing would be body size. If you're taking anabolic steroids or other illegal substances, you're going to bulk up very quickly. My, you look awfully compared to the way you looked at the beginning of the summer, and you're sure eating a lot more, too. Now, a lot of teenagers have a healthy appetite, but we're talking five or six meals a day with multiple portions.
Look for changes to the skin and scalps of your athletes if they're taking illegal substances. They're going to have acne, not the usual facial stuff, but they're going to have it on their arms and their back as well. Changes in mood. They may seem depressed or hostile or angry. Changes in sleep pattern. Wanting to sleep more, or perhaps not sleeping much at all because they're on stimulants.
And check the finances as well. Look at your credit card statement. Is your young athlete making Internet purchases and using your credit card to get those illegal substances?
MALVEAUX: Now, I'm sure many parents are asking, how do they discriminate between, perhaps, the normal moodiness of the teenager and someone who is looking for a leg up on the competition using steroids?
LLOYD: Having raised three teenagers in our house, my wife and I have seen everything that teenagers can do. And you're absolutely right. You want to look at the whole landscape. First of all, do you have a competitive athlete in the family?
And all those changes we mentioned just a few minutes ago. Are they all happening pretty much in the same sequence? And have they all happened in that short period of time, let's say two or three months? It should make you very suspicious. And if you're suspicious, you need to talk to the coach and the athletic director to find out what the policies and consequences are if anybody's using illegal substances at your child's school.
MALVEAUX: And finally, what can parents do to protect their children, these athletes, from making those unsafe choices?
LLOYD: This is an epidemic that has to be solved one family at a time. If you've got an athlete and you think there's a problem, you just need to sit down and communicate. And when I say communicate, I mean the teenager talks and the parents listen. Teenagers' heads are full of lots of ideas of what they think their parents expect of them, and if they know their parents simply want them to happy, to perform well, to enjoy what they're doing and to get a good education, that should take the pressure off of them to think about doing illegal, dishonest and unhealthy things to help them get ahead.
MALVEAUX: Dr. Bill Lloyd, thank you very much. Very good advice.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
MALVEAUX: Thanks.
Now, this programming note. Tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta will take you inside the war on cancer. "Taming the Beast" looks at how one medical center uses cutting-edge methods to fight the disease. The documentary also introduces you to some wonderful cancer survivors. You'll definitely want to watch.
And how can a high school class photo shoot turn deadly? We'll explain when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns.
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MALVEAUX: She had what one teacher calls a zeal for life. Now, a Kansas high school student is gone. Her life was tragically cut short by a tiger attack at an animal sanctuary. Did anyone see this coming?
Jonathan Freed has the story.
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JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Haley Hilderbrand should have been sitting in one of these chairs today. But the 17-year old senior at Labette County High School died yesterday, after being attacked by a tiger, like this one, while posing for a photo at this animal sanctuary, about three hours south of Kansas City.
DR. TRAVIS MCKINZIE, VETERINARIAN: It was just a single strike or snap. There was not a, quote, "maul." It was just a quick strike and a quick response.
FREED: Veterinarian Travis McKinzie had been in the tiger's enclosure many times to vaccinate it.
MCKINZIE: This tiger had never before shown any signs of anything. My understanding is this tiger has been out at shows in Vegas and lots of different places. It was a very well-trained tiger.
FREED: The 7-year-old tiger was destroyed by a handler after the attack and sent to a lab for tests. The Lost Creek Animal Sanctuary rescues exotic animals. Some of which are trained for stage and movie productions.
Debbie Fouts has lived next door to the sanctuary for years and has allowed her own children to go near the tigers. She defends the tiger's owners, the Billingsly (ph) family and says her family has been shaken along with them.
DEBBIE FOUTS, SANCTUARY NEIGHBOR: There was a little girl who will never be married, who will not graduate high school.
FREED: The school's principal says other students have posed with animals, including the tigers, and sees the tragedy as a freak accident.
GREG CARTWRIGHT, HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: You know, that first day of school is talking about what happened over the summer, but an event like this, you forget about everything else that happened all summer, because this event just takes precedence over everything.
ALLISON KOCH, HALEY'S FRIEND: Everybody is shocked. I really don't think that many people can even believe it, that, you know, it happened so fast and she was just so young and --
FREED: Allison Koch now keeps a picture of her and Haley on her key chain.
(on camera): The owners of the animal sanctuary have issued a written statement expressing their deepest sympathies to the family of the girl and they say that they have rescued more than 100 animals in the last years, and say that until now, they've maintained a perfect safety record.
Jonathan Freed, CNN, Mt. Valley, Kansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And there is still much more ahead on CNN.
Straight ahead, "People in the News" takes a look at religious influences in Hollywood.
Then at 6:00 Eastern, going inside the mind of Scott Peterson. Carol Lin will talk with the author of a new book.
And at 7:00 Eastern, it's "ON THE STORY." CNN's front line correspondents take you inside the stories that they covered that week.
And I'll be back in just a few minutes with the hour's headlines.
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