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CNN Live Saturday

Iraq Elections Breed Cautious Optimism; New York Transit Talks; Online Gambling; Post Traumatic Stress in Iraq Veterans; Domestic Espionage Okayed

Aired December 17, 2005 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Carol Lin. Straight ahead this hour: President Bush now on record on how much spying he's okayed in this country. Is it for America's protection, or a violation of rights?
And on the "Front Lines" tonight: facing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. How to cope with it and how to beat it.

And want to play Texas Hold'em poker online? You might be surprised at who's gambling and where all the money is going in this multi-billion dollar business.

"Making the News" this hour: anarchy, violence and hundreds of arrests. They are angry protesters, trying to disrupt the World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong. Full details in a report from Hong Kong shortly.

Got the weekend off? Congress does not, and they're trying to push through several measures before the end of the year: everything from Iraq war spending to Alaska oil drilling is on the docket.

And in the Carolinas, nearly a half million homes are still dark this evening, after Thursday night's ice storm knocked out power across the South. It could still be days before power is restored.

Our top story tonight: President Bush says yes, he did authorize spying on people right here in the United States. And he says he plans to continue the practice as long as there is a threat of terrorism. Now, the president made his remarks during a rare live broadcast of his weekly radio address.

CNN's Kathleen Koch standing by with more right now at the White House. Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, WHITE HOUSE (on camera): Carol, it is a tough sell for the president and a new approach today for a president who has this week had a difficult time getting his message out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): It was a dramatic about-face. Friday the president insisted he would not discuss ongoing intelligence operations. But in a rare live televised radio address Saturday, an unapologetic Mr. Bush admitted he had given the National Security Agency permission to intercept the international communications of people in the United States.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives.

KOCH: Mr. Bush insisted those targeted had known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. He said the program had detected and prevented terrorist attacks in the U.S. and abroad.

BUSH: I have reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the September 11 attacks. And I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups.

KOCH: President Bush maintained congressional leaders had been briefed on the program and that top government legal officials regularly reviewed the activities. The top Senate Republican wouldn't say whether he backed the eavesdropping, but that he was aware.

SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: I have been kept abreast of programs that are appropriate for the majority leader to be briefed on.

KOCH: Mr. Bush insisted the Constitution grants him the power to authorize the eavesdropping. Others disagree.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, (D) WISCONSIN: It doesn't matter how many times he talks to members of Congress, how many times the Justice Department tells him it's okay, if it's not within the law, if we haven't passed a law allowing it, he can't do it. What he's doing is illegal.

KOCH: Mr. Bush's dramatic announcement overshadowed the original subject of his speech, the Patriot Act. The president called senators who refused to renew it irresponsible. But even House members who didn't vote on the measure blamed the eavesdropping program for derailing the Patriot Act.

REP. ED MARKEY (D) MASSACHUSETTS: One of the reasons why you saw in the Senate the Patriot Act fail to pass was because of the story that came out of what this administration has been doing in terms of listening in on conversations of Americans without going to court. And this country should follow the law.

KOCH (on camera): Also overshadowed by the spying story this week, successful elections in Iraq. So President Bush is taking his message directly to the people with an Oval Office address Sunday night on the importance of the mission there and the path ahead. Carol?

LIN: Kathleen Koch, live at the White House, thank you.

I want to tell you a little bit more about this super secret National Security Agency. It's headquartered in Maryland and it's been around since the 1950s. The agency eavesdrops on billions of communications worldwide, but it's barred from spying on people right here in the United States without a warrant. Now, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court handles requests for wiretapping on American soil.

The president plans another live dress, this one from the Oval Office tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern. His speech will focus on the situation in Iraq. CNN's coverage will include a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE."

Vice President Cheney is taking the administration's message on the road. Cheney leaves today on a five-day trip to bolster support for the war on terrorism. He plans to be on hand Monday for the opening day of Afghanistan's parliament. He'll review U.S. earthquake relief efforts in Pakistan and will visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia. But he's not overnighting in any of those countries. He will be sleeping in Oman throughout the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

You're looking at the latest from Hong Kong: anger on the streets simmering for nearly a week. Today it boiled over. Throngs of protesters, mostly from South Korea, are battling police as they make known their displeasure at the World Trade Organization. In the past several hours, riot troops have dragged away hundreds of demonstrators. The chaos is unusual for normally orderly Hong Kong. CNN's senior Asia correspondent, Mike Chinoy, is there.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: A peaceful send to a day of chaos and violence here in Hong Kong. In the middle of the night, the police moving in and dragging away hundreds of protesting South Korean farmers. The farmers' leader had earlier declared that they would not resist violently, they were ready to be arrested with dignity.

It was a sharp contrast to the running battles the Koreans fought with police earlier in the day. The protesters' target, the Hong Kong Convention Center, site of the WTO meeting. Their goal, to have their voice heard inside the corridors of power to demonstrate opposition to opening South Korea's market to imports of foreign rice, something they say would destroy their traditional way of life, something they blame on globalization and the WTO.

The police had set up new concrete barriers to prevent demonstrators from getting past the officially-designated protest site. The South Koreans tried anyway and were repelled by hoses and pepper spray. As darkness fell, they regrouped, outmaneuvered the police and charged towards the convention center, trying to overturn barriers and fight their way inside. The police fired tear gas to drive them back. The running battles turning this area of luxury hotels and businesses into chaos.

Later, the protesters occupied one of Hong Kong's main highways, forcing police to warn local people to get off the streets. With their patience at an end, the police finally moved in. But that's not the end of the protests here. Another big rally is scheduled for Sunday afternoon to mark the closing of the WTO session.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong. LIN: Wrapping other news now around the world tonight: in Australia, hundreds of extra police are patrolling Sydney's beaches and streets trying to prevent another outbreak of the race riots that erupted last weekend.

And European Union leaders warn Iran that time is running out to reach a diplomatic solution on its nuclear program. U.S. and European leaders say they plan tough diplomatic action if Tehran resumes nuclear activities.

It's going to take about ten days to count the ballots in Iraq. Sunnis celebrated after Thursday's vote, and a Sunni politician vows to work toward national unity. And that could help bring U.S. troops home sooner.

Now, many Americans say U.S. troops should not pull out of Iraq just yet. A new poll finds 57 percent think U.S. troops should stay in Iraq until the country is stabilized. But 36 percent favor immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from that country.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says it would be a mistake to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq too quickly. In an interview to be broadcast Sunday on the BBC, Powell says the U.S. military will remain in Iraq for years.

He also expressed frustration with U.S. intelligence services for not saying they had doubts about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction. Powell says a gradual pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq will likely begin next year. I'm quoting here, "I don't think that the United States military at its current strength can sustain this level of deployment for an extended period of time. I think a draw down will begin in 2006.

All right. We've got a transit cliffhanger in New York right now, where subway riders face the threat of a crippling mass transit strike. Both sides are digging in their heels, but returned to the bargaining table today.

Jen Rogers standing by in New York with the very latest right now. Jen, any progress?

JEN ROGERS, NEW YORK: Carol, no progress as of yet. Indeed, we just had a press conference a short time ago where a union official characterized today's brief talks as just exploratory. He said that absolutely no progress had been made so far.

Now, that being said, today everything is running smoothly with the subways and the buses here in New York for New Yorkers and tourists alike. City and business leaders are also saying that the city is open for business, trying to remind people to come on in, spend your money and buy your holiday gifts.

That said, some people do think that confusion and anxiety over a possible strike is already having an impact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe we're seeing an effect already. I know of some holiday parties that have been canceled, I know of meetings that have been canceled. I think this really couldn't have come at a worse time. The good news though, if there is good news at all, is if this had happened last week, it would have been even more devastating.

ROGERS: So what's in store for next week? As it stands right now, the union says that they have voted to approve phase one of a strike that could start as early as Monday morning. And that would impact two private bus lines in Queens. That is just a small fraction of the workers and the ridership here in New York, but it could be a taste of things to come if they did call for a system wide strike that could start as early as Tuesday morning at 12:01.

So far, talking to different people here in New York, New Yorkers seem to be taking this in stride. We've talked to a few bike shops and scooter shops and even an inline skating store. They say they have not seen a surge in sales or interest. Those of course would be other means of transportation if you can't get around on the subway or the bus. Carol?

LIN: Thanks very much, Jen.

Hollywood loses a star, and Washington loses a journalist. Straight ahead this evening, a look back at two legendary lives.

Plus, it's risky business, but millions are doing it. Are you? A closer look at online gambling and the gamble those who do it take.

And later this hour, coming home after combat. Sometimes the transition to civilian life isn't that easy. One soldier's story and struggle. We're back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: John Spencer, the actor who played the savvy chief of staff on the NBC drama "The West Wing" has died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. In a sad parallel to life, Spencer's character on the West Wing also suffered a heart attack. That forced him to give up his White House job. John Spencer was 58.

Now, there's also word that long-time Washington columnist Jack Anderson has died at his Maryland home. He was 83 years old. A daughter said he died of complications from Parkinson's disease. CNN congressional correspondent Ed Henry has more on Jack Anderson's long career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us on the "International Hour" now, syndicated columnist Jack Anderson.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jack Anderson was a tenacious investigative reporter exposing malfeasance in the nation's capital for over five decades. The last of the old- fashioned muck rakers, he upon the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for revealing that the Nixon administration was secretly tilting toward Pakistan in its war with India.

MARK FELDSTEIN, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: He truly believed that he had a mission from God, that the Constitution was divinely inspired and he was put here on this earth to go after government wrongdoing, corporate wrongdoing.

HENRY: A devout Mormon, Anderson never shied from a fight with a corrupt politician. The more powerful the better, crusading against Communist-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy, rifling through the home trash cans of J. Edgar Hoover, after learning that was a tactic the director himself use to intimidate people.

Anderson's sensational scoops during the Watergate years landed him on Nixon's enemies list. With J. Gordon Liddy going so far as to plot the columnist's murder in order to silence him.

FELDSTEIN: This is the only case I know of where the president's White House top aides are talking about a mob-style hit on a reporter.

HENRY: But Anderson was never quieted by his critics -- his columns syndicated in over 1,000 newspapers. He finally retired in 2004 because of Parkinson's disease. He made light of his illness, joking that the trembling was really caused by spending more than 50 years in Washington.

(on camera): Part of Jack Anderson's legacy was spawning future generations of journalists who learned at his elbow, like Brit Hume, Howard Kurtz and this reporter, too. Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.

LIN: Still ahead, a harmless pastime or a dangerous addiction? Up next, online gambling. And you could be risking more than what you realize.

And what drives you crazy? Cell phones, bad drivers, junk mail? Well, just don't get mad. Get even. Jeanne Moos is going to show you how, a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, here's a story of someone who does not fit the usual profile of a crime suspect. He's a prep school graduate, sophomore class president at his university and he's a son of a minister. But Greg Hogan is charged with holding up a Pennsylvania bank, and getting away with almost $3,000 before he was caught. Now, Greg Hogan's lawyer says his client got in trouble because he was addicted to online gambling. Sadly, there are a lot of people in that situation. Jeff Howe, a contributing editor of "Wired" magazine joins me to talk about this problem.

Jeff, did this story surprise you.

JEFF HOWE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "WIRED" MAGAZINE: No, not at all. I've been waiting --

LIN: To the lengths that this kid would go to pay off his gambling debt? HOWE: I think as long as there's been gambling, there's been gambling addicts and they've been desperate enough to go to any lengths to pay off their debts. I've been waiting for a story like this to catch the media's eye, because this is something that's been growing quietly. And with Internet gambling in particular, there is a very high risk of addiction, and -- because people can do it quietly in their homes, and it appeals to youth in particular. So it's a growing public health issue.

LIN: What do you want people to know about this and the companies who run these operations?

HOWE: I think that people should go in with their eyes open, that they can gamble very quickly, and they should really have a set limit, you know, when they sit down to do this. Because otherwise, things can get out of control fast.

LIN: Aren't these offshore companies? They're not here in the United States, right?

HOWE: Yes. They're are a lot more legitimate than they were several years ago. This is not legal in the U.S., despite the fact that nearly 80 percent of the customers are probably based here. Initially, these companies were based in Antigua, Costa Rica -- Gibraltar had a lot. Now it's legal in England and a lot of other European countries. Now traditional gambling companies -- big public companies, like Wynn, and MGM Mirage are saying, why aren't we getting a cut of this action? It's a huge industry now.

LIN: You can do it in the privacy of your home. But you know what? I would think if I was standing in a casino and I lost my bet, someone's going to catch me if I try to run out the door. How are these guys going to try to collect their debt? What's the threat there? They're not right next door.

HOWE: No, that's true. It's a problem for them.

LIN: So what was this guy so afraid of? If he owed $5,000, you know, who was going to come and try and collect it?

HOWE: Ruining his credit record, I assume. You know, you're still -- most of it's done through companies like Net Teller, which is an online bank. So it may be circumventing more of a traditional bank, but it still comes back to your credit cards and eventually your credit rating.

LIN: When you sign on, do you have to make a deposit or give them some kind of access to your bank account so they can be repaid?

HOWE: Yes, absolutely. Like I said, these companies are a lot more legitimate than you might think. This is after all a $10 billion industry. So they've -- they're very strictly regulated in the jurisdictions in which they exist, which increasingly, like I said, may be England or France.

LIN: So you're saying they are legal operations now? HOWE: They are not legal -- the Department of Justice does not consider them legal. But just about everywhere else in the world -- there are 76 countries where they are licensed and regulated. The UK went so far to say it's legal to accept bets from U.S. customers, which sort of puts it in the U.S.'s face.

LIN: It doesn't matter. It may be illegal here in the United States but you could be online in the UK and it doesn't matter.

HOWE: The Department of Justice says these sites aren't allowed to advertise. They went so far to subpoena Esquire when they accepted an eight-page insert from a gambling company. I know that in the building I work in, that "Wired" is based in, Party Poker advertises in the elevators. This a legal gray area.

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Jeff Howe. What a big problem. Greg Hogan is going to be up for a preliminary hearing at the end of January. We'll see what happens in his case.

In the meantime, the weather outside is frightful in some parts of the country. Snow has been falling for example in the Denver area and even more is expected. Meteorologist Monica McNeal has today's forecast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: Another reason to keep warm here, a highly contagious respiratory disease is showing up in at least two parts of the country. In the Dayton, Ohio, area and in San Francisco, several schools closed early this week after cases of whooping cough were diagnosed. Doctors say kids are more vulnerable to the illness and most likely to spread it at home.

DR, NADINE BURKE, PEDIATRICIAN: Sadly, they're getting it from their parents, from their older siblings, from their aunts and uncles.

LIN: Cases of whooping cough doubled in California from last year to this year. And the CDC is recommending preteens get a booster shot.

So, are the feds watching you? Straight ahead: after President Bush admits to secretly monitoring some Americans, we wanted to give you a look at how it's done.

Plus, Americans and addiction. Do you know someone affected by alcoholism or drugs? Well, you're going to find out why the holidays can trigger the worst and what can be done about it.

And speaking of bringing out the worst, wait till you hear what some thieves did in Florida. You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

Also, among the most popular stories this hour on CNN.com, Chevrolet of tomorrow, back to the '50s.

Heist of hefty Henry Moore sculpture: British police on hunt for three men. And the remains of a Pearl Harbor victim get a name.

Want to know more or find more stories just like these, click on to CNN.com. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Happening right "Now in the News," Hong Kong police drive back protesters outside a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Police launched tear gas after the protesters tried to storm the building.

In Iraq, a Sunni politician reaches out to Shiites. His block is expected to win a lot of seats in the parliament, and he vows to work with other groups to form a government.

A plea deal in the case of a former FBI informant accused of being a double agent for China. Katrina Byung (ph) pleaded guilty to lesser charges yesterday in Los Angeles, and she will serve no jail time.

Vice President Dick Cheney is starting a five-day trip abroad. He's visiting American in the war on terrorism. Stops include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

And at the Vatican, an 11-year-old Australian boy was chosen to light the 100-foot tall Christmas Tree in St. Peter's Square. Last summer the boy saved a 2-year-old relative from drowning.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. Welcome back again. President Bush today acknowledged that he had approved government eavesdropping of people inside the United States. Mr. Bush said he first authorized the National Security Agency to take part in domestic spying after the 9/11 terror attacks. He said the practice is legal, and that it's going to continue.

BUSH: This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties. And that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the president of the United States.

LIN: But word that the government is spying on people inside the U.S. has angered the president's critics. In fact, one senator even accused the administration of putting itself above the law.

FEINGOLD: The president is basically saying he runs the war on terror and the Congress and the representatives of the American people don't have to pass laws to allow it. You know what, that's not our system of government. We have a president, not a king.

LIN: So exactly what happens when the National Security Agency eavesdrops on a conversation? Brian Todd has an inside look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Experts say anytime the National Security Agency decides to eavesdrop, the operation is highly sophisticated.

GEORGE BAUREIS, FMR FBI COUNTERTERROR AGENT: It truly is the cream of the crop of technology, in terms of their capability to listen to anything anywhere at any time.

TODD: Former FBI counterterror agent George Baureis worked extensively with the NSA for years. Baureis and other experts say there are essentially two ways to monitor a suspect's communications. One is the more traditional method of planting listening devices.

BAUREIS: Then the other type of eavesdropping would be basically intercepts that are coming from open air space that are going through satellite communicates or actually targeting of databases.

TODD: In this age, cell phones and other telephone signals can be monitored by satellites, and a former NSA employee says the networks that operate cell phones and computers have built capabilities into them that allow intelligence agencies to monitor calls and e-mails. The NSA can use one of its sophisticated satellites to pick up a call, then send the signal down to one of the various NSA listening posts around the world.

But James Bamford, author of two definitive books on the NSA says communications can also be monitored using microwave frequencies or by tapping undersea cables. Then an NSA analyst takes over.

JAMES BAMFORD, AUTHOR: Analysts would eavesdrop or listen to communications, write up a report, and then send it to whoever asked for the information, whether it was the CIA, the FBI, the White House, the Pentagon, whoever.

TODD: The analysts, who can be linguists or code breakers, run the signals through computers. But often, as one linguist showed our David Ensor a few years ago, getting the right information depends on human intuition.

EVERETTE JORDAN, NSA LINGUIST: You have to listen for irony, you have to listen for sarcasm, for tension. You have to listen for rhetorical statements being made. You also have to listen for humor.

TODD: We asked one expert how important it is for the NSA and its methods to be kept so secret. He cited one breach as an example, the damage done when it was made public that intelligence agencies were monitoring Osama bin Laden's cell phone calls. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

LIN: President Bush plans to address the nation about Iraq tomorrow night from the Oval office. CNN's prime time coverage begins at 7:00 eastern with the "Time" Person of the Year, and then at 8:00 Eastern, join Wolf Blitzer for a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM." And then at 9:00 Eastern, watch the presidential address and a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." That's tomorrow night right here on CNN. Here's some other news across America. Two Lancaster, California, teens are under arrest for allegedly plotting to attack their former high school. Police say they planned to shoot other students and set off explosives and then kill themselves next Valentine's Day.

California police also say a man is under arrest for possibly making a bomb threat on an airliner. Authorities evacuated the plane in Burbank but found nothing.

There's a grinch in South Florida. Police say thieves broke into four homes and unwrapped and took Christmas gifts. One suspect is under arrest.

In your "Health Watch" tonight, the holidays are, you know, a particularly difficult time for people who are struggling to remain sober or drug free. And in California, the Passages Malibu Treatment Center boasts a high success rate in fighting addiction, up there in the 80 percentile. It's co-founders, Chris Prentiss, has written a new book, the "Alcoholism and Addiction Cure." He says his program works because it focuses on the causes that trigger addiction, and now he's here to tell us about it.

Thank you very much, Chris, for joining us.

CHRIS PRENTISS, PASSAGES MALIBU TREATMENT CTR.: Thank you very much.

LIN: You had to personally deal with your son's addictions. How did you do that?

PRENTISS: Ten years, we searched for help. We took him everywhere. We had him in 90-day programs and 60-day programs and 30- day programs. And we heard the same old song everyone was singing, that alcoholism and addiction are diseases, that they're incurable. And we were filled with despair. But we never gave up hope. We kept searching and searching and finally we found out how to cure dependency on alcohol and drugs.

LIN: What do you think was the thrust of it?

PRENTISS: The thrust of his was personal, in that he had a poor self-image and that he turned to drugs and alcohol because in his imagination, while he was using the drugs, he could soar. He could be anyone he wanted.

But the crux of our program at Passages, we find the underlying causes and cure them, with a holistic three-step program. And we get thousands and thousands of calls, and we can't take those people, not all of them. So I wrote the book for them, the ones who can't come.

LIN: I want to help people right now. You say that there are three steps to permanent sobriety. What are they?

PRENTISS: I think it would be helpful if we look at the four causes of dependency -- LIN: We're showing those on the screen, I want to let you know, Chris, because I want to get to the thrust of, if you deal with it, how do you stay sober? Because this is the holiday season. You're going to office parties. There's alcohol on the table. People want to serve you a drink.

PRENTISS: The first step, believe that a cure is possible. Most people don't believe they can be cured. We say they're in denial. Those people have tried many times to quit. They are not in denial to themselves.

LIN: And the second step, putting together a holistic team of therapists. That sounds California touchy-feely. What's the reality of that?

PRENTISS: Right where you live in any little town in this United States, you can put together a small team of people who will help you discover and cure the underlying causes, which are responsible for all addiction and all alcoholism.

LIN: And last?

Believe that a personal philosophy will see you through the hard times.

LIN: What do you mean a personal philosophy? A drinker wants to drink. An alcoholic just wants to get the next drink.

PRENTISS: That's true, except they're drinking because of circumstances that come into their lives: stress, anxiety, personal trauma. And when they have these experiences, if they don't have a personal philosophy that will see them through the hard times, they turn to outside substances, instead of believing that what's happening is for their benefit, that in some way, they'll grow from it and they'll receive benefit from the incident, whatever it is.

LIN: Chris, there's some high profile Hollywood celebrities who have gone to your treatment center. I know you can't talk about them in particular. But when you live that kind of big life, what was it at the core, what was at the core of their problem? What did they have to realize when they had everything?

PRENTISS: It's probably because they had everything, and they're afraid of losing it. You know, stardom is a very tenuous business. One day you're up, the next day down. You never know when your next picture is going to come. Remember that the people who have gone into treatment, Whitney Houston and all of the people like her, they've sent them to places that don't know how to cure it. They've sent them to places that are enforcing that alcoholism is a disease. That it's incurable. That's the wrong message.

LIN: It doesn't leave you much hope. You go into treatment and it's like, jeez, I'm going to have to live this the rest of my life. I know that's a little controversial, because the philosophy that you carry has its critics. But I think you have had some success. We appreciate your advice this holiday season. PRENTISS: You cannot argue with an 84.4 success rate.

LIN: I'm not even going to try right now. Chris Prentiss, thank you very much. Happy holidays to you and your family.

PRENTISS: And to you and all your listeners.

LIN: Thank you.

Straight ahead tonight, the effects of war on soldiers returning home. His life spun out of control when he returned from Iraq. What's being done to help him and others like him.

First a preview of what's ahead on CNN's "ON THE STORY."

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: We are ON THE STORY at the George Washington University. Christiane Amanpour in Baghdad is ON THE STORY of the election. Elaine Quijano and Barbara Starr talk about reaction to the Iraqi vote at the White House and the Pentagon. Kelli Arena is ON THE STORY of U.S. officials going to Israel to learn how to fight terrorists. And Alex Quade went back to Indonesia one year after the tsunami.

It's all coming up, all ON THE STORY.

JOSEPH STERLING SMITH, U.S. ARMY: Hello. My name is Joseph Sterling Smith. I'm a soldier out in Taji (ph), Iraq. We're out here taking care of business so that all of you can be safe. Enjoy your holidays. It's important to us. Right now, I just want to say hello to my wife. I love you, Addy. Everything's going to be all right. Just remember, I'm always thinking of you. I'll see you soon.

ANTHONY SULLIVAN, U.S. ARMY: Master Sergeant Sullivan, Anthony. Here in Taji, Iraq. I would like to wish my friends and family a happy holiday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week, we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. Today the story of U.S. troops who have left the battlefields of Iraq, but are having a tough time leaving the war behind. CNN's Kelly Wallace reports.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the small town of Emmettsburg, Iowa, Army National Guard reservist Tyler Peters likes to keep busy.

(on camera): How much is that keeping your mind off of other things.

TYLER PETERS, RESERVIST: Quite a bit.

WALLACE (voice-over): Spending his days studying auto collision technology is one of the ways he tries to cope with his illness. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD.

(on camera): How hard has all this been for you?

PETERS: Very hard.

WALLACE: According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year, as many as 17 percent of the men and women who served in Iraq have shown signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression or anxiety. That's a higher rate than the study found for Afghanistan veterans but believed to be lower than what we saw after Vietnam. Still, many may not be getting help. Fewer than 4 percent of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have sought medical treatment for PTSD, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Army captain and psychologist Dr. Bobby Sidell represents one of the military's newest tools to deal with PTSD: therapists like himself going where they have not gone in previous wars -- to the frontlines. Sidell spent one year in Iraq.

CAPT. BOBBY SIDELL, U.S. ARMY PSYCHOLOGIST: If you can go take care of the issue before it becomes a major problem, it has a lot of carryover effect. Obviously the soldiers are able to carry on with their mission, as well as when they get home, they're going to have an easier time transitioning back with their families and friends and loved ones.

WALLACE: Tyler Peters says he didn't have access to counselors in Iraq in part because he was almost always on the road. Instead, about six months after he came home, he went to a VA hospital, got medication, and received one-on-one counseling at a vet center like this one here in Des Moines. Katina Mach is the center's director.

KATINA MACH, DIR, DES MOINES VET CENTER: It can be a very big problem if it's ignored. I always like to use the example of Vietnam veterans. I'm still seeing Vietnam veterans 25, 30 years later coming through the door that said they've never addressed these issues.

WALLACE: Dr. Stephen Hagemoser of the VA Medical Center in Central Iowa is currently treating veterans from Iraq with PTSD.

DR. STEPHEN HAGEMOSER, TREATS PTSD VICTIMS IN IOWA: We don't use the word "cure" with our veterans, but we do like to let them know the truth that there is life after PTSD.

WALLACE: Dr. Hagemoser tells his patients the stakes couldn't be higher, that left untreated, the high-risk behaviors of PTSD will only continue. Tyler Peters knows that firsthand.

PETERS: The whole anger thing. God only knows where I would be, prison? Wherever, because I couldn't -- wasn't myself. I couldn't control myself. But there's been a lot of things that have kept me going.

WALLACE: And he hopes other veterans from Iraq keep going, as well, by getting the help they need. Kelly Wallace, CNN, Spencer, Iowa.

LIN: We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Want to let bad drivers know what you think of them, or get back at people who take too many items through the grocery store express lane? Now there's a book telling you how to fight those annoyances and more. CNN's Jeanne Moos reported the details for CNN's PAULA ZAHN NOW.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Name your pet peeve. Is it cell phones, junk mail? Crazy drivers? Well, thanks to life's little annoyances, we've got strategies to fight back.

Take those subscription cards that cascade out of magazines, some folks mail them back blank just to make the publisher foot the bill for the prepaid postage. And there's one guy who fills junk mail reply envelopes with actual junk to make them heavier and cost the sender more.

"New York Times" reporter Ian Urbina collected such anecdotes for his book, annoyances like Starbucks lingo; they want you to call a small, a tall. Resist.

(On camera): I got a small, skim latte.

IAN URBINA, AUTHOR, "LIFE'S LITTLE ANNOYANCES": The same thing as kicking the Coke machine when it keeps your coins. It's not going to get your soda, but it feels good doing it.

MOOS: What annoys David Terry is the adult video store near his Hamilton, New Jersey home. He calls it a dump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey.

(CAR HORN HONKING)

MOOS: So whenever he sees someone going into the porn store he does the honk and wave to mortify patrons.

DAVID TERRY, ANNOYED BY ADULT STORE: They're thinking like, who was that? Was that my brother-in-law? Was that my boss?

(HONK)

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Maybe bad parking drives you nuts, when Jason Brunette sees someone taking up two spaces he leaves a leaflet offering a free parking tutorial at this website.

Wrong, wrong, correct.

But bad driving, rather than bad parking spawned road rage cards dot-com.

(On camera): Can you read? (Voice over): There's a card for every occasion, like this mean one to flash when you see a driver putting on makeup, or signs like "I hope your cell phone gives you cancer". No wonder they carry the disclaimer, may result in injury or even death.

Though some folks can take a joke.

(LAUGHTER)

Each phrase comes in reverse so you can insult drivers through their mirror. Who would think of this as a weapon against tailgaters?

Allan Doeksen modified his rear wiper squirter.

ALLAN DOEKSEN, ANNOYED BY TAILGATERS: To spray directly on their vehicle when they're behind me.

MOOS: Allan also gets mad at shoppers who leave their grocery carts blocking the aisles.

DOEKSEN: I would put like expensive items in the cart or possibly some embarrassing items condoms, perhaps, in their cart as well, when they're not looking. So, when they go to the check outline they're slightly embarrassed.

MOOS: What annoys Chris Baker is when the person in front of him in the express check out has too many items.

(on camera): So what this guy does is count the culprits items out loud, as the cashier scans each one -- five, six, seven.

But almost nothing annoys folks more than loud cell phone conversations, so a Chicago graphic designer has created cards you hand out to offenders.

(On camera): We are aware that your ongoing conversation about your husband's vasectomy is very important to you, but we thought you'd like to know that it doesn't interest us in the least.

(Voice over): If you're tall, maybe you are you're annoyed by airline seats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was tired of being bopped in the knees.

MOOS: So Ira Goldman invented and now sells the Knee Defender.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Table comes down, take the knee defenders, seat won't recline.

MOOS: Whatever you do, don't use this on us. TV be gone is dreamed up by a guy who was sick of seeing televisions everywhere. This universal remote turns off any TV. We caused confusion in the news room.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see our TVs, they're all going black? In and out. MOOS: Now, what could cause that?

Sometimes all the tactics do is give you a chuckle, but when facing life's annoyances, laughter is music to your ears. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Be nice.

All the time we have for this hour is up. Coming up next at 7:00 Eastern on ON THE STORY with an inside look at the Iraq elections. And then at 8:00 Eastern on CNN PRESENTS: 1,000 Days in Iraq.

At 9:00, LARRY KING and Larry's guest tonight is Dr. Phil. And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern. You've heard of and possibly even seen the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha." Tonight meet an American who was a geisha girl. Her story coming up.

A check of the hour's headlines is next and then ON THE STORY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: More than anyone else this year, J.K. Rowling proved magic is found between the pages of books. Her latest, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," sold about 9 million copies in Britain and the U.S. in its first 24 hours alone, making J.K. Rowling a candidate for "Time" magazine's Person of the Year.

PRISCILLA PAINTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TIME: After about a decade almost of producing these books, one could ask one self, you know, has this franchise been exhausted? And what she proved this year was that no, it's not the case, and in fact, it's stronger than ever. She published a book in late spring, early summer that was a huge success. Then came the movie, and what this proves is that she not only has been able to convert that first generation of readers but successive ones after that, not to mention their parents, and that her legacy gets stronger. And that legacy is of reminding people that in the age of IMing, you cannot tear a book out of the hands of a young reader in love with the book.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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