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Anguished Followers now to Avenge Yassin's Death; Terrorism Criticism

Aired March 22, 2004 - 15:00   ET

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

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


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It is 10:00 p.m. on the first night of mourning for the elderly Palestinian cleric whom Israeli missiles blasted today on his way out of morning prayers. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was the founder and spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas. And killing him, says one Israeli diplomat, was the right thing to do. The sheikh's followers are vowing to kill hundreds of Israelis in retaliation.
The latest now from CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Gaza -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Miles. Just within the last few minutes, we've heard a variety of loud explosions here in Gaza coming from a variety of directions. Now, it's very tense here. As we were driving in, we saw that people had been burning tires in the streets. As you said before, the Palestinians have declared three days of mourning.

Sheikh Yassin was buried today in Gaza in a very tumultuous funeral. But it is expected that there will be various demonstrations and activities here in Gaza in the coming days. We heard -- for instance, we saw a leaflet from Hamas threatening to wreak revenge on the Israelis. They said that they would shake Israel like an earthquake. So much expectation here, Miles, that things are probably going to get worse.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman in Gaza. Thank you very much.

In light of the Middle Eastern firestorm and blunt condemnations out of Europe, Israel's most important ally is choosing its words carefully. White House press secretary Scott McClellan summed up the situation this way at his afternoon briefing...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Israel has a right to defend herself. We also always have said that all parties need to keep in mind the consequences of their actions.

I would point out that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Sheikh Yassin was personally involved in terrorism. It is important, as we have emphasized time and time again, for the Palestinian Authority to take action to dismantle terrorist organizations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The White House and Israel both say Washington was not told beforehand a strike on Yassin was being planned.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A means of escape, maybe. Pakistani troops who have been battling suspected al Qaeda fighters for the past week say they've stumbled on a series of tunnels along the border with Afghanistan. The longest about a mile. Some al Qaeda leaders, perhaps even Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, were believed to have been hiding in the heavily fortified compound there. The Pakistani officials now say those al Qaeda targets may have used the tunnels to slip away.

Here at home, the White House is denouncing one of its own after criticism of its anti-terror efforts. Former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke claims that the president ignored signs before 9/11.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A scathing New book accuses President Bush of ignoring terrorist threats before September 11, unjustly linking that attack to Iraq and failing miserably in the war on terror today. The author is not a Democratic opponent, but Richard Clarke, former chief counterterrorism adviser to presidents Bush and Clinton, who makes his case not only on paper, but on "60 Minutes."

RICHARD CLARKE, FMR. COUNTERTERROISM COORDINATOR I think the way he has responded to al Qaeda, both before 9/11 by doing nothing, and by what he's done after 9/11, has made us less safe. I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. Maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has said the right decision in every case.

MALVEAUX: The White House, so taken aback by Clarke's accusations, put out its communications director on a Sunday to discredit Clarke's story. Clarke says the day after September 11, the president took him aside and privately began pressuring him to link Iraq to the attack.

CLARKE: I said, "Mr. President, we've done this before. We've done this. We've been looking at this. We looked at it with an open mind. There's no connection."

He came back at me and said, "Iraq, Saddam, find out if there's a connection." And in a very intimidating way.

MALVEAUX: The White House vehemently denies that there was pressure to go after Hussein. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told CNN this morning, "The issue was Clarke's plan to fight terror differed from the president's."

RICE: He has a different view of how to fight the war on terrorism. It is a narrow view. That it has to do with killing bin Laden and dealing with Afghanistan. The president has a broader view, which is that you have to take the fight to the terrorists.

MALVEAUX (on camera): The White House suggests Clarke's accusations are politically motivated because of his close ties to Senator Kerry's foreign policy adviser, who also was a member of President Bush's counterterrorism team before quitting over policy differences.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: We'll find out what Richard Clarke has to say about the White House's reaction to his accusations. He'll talk on AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien. That's tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

O'BRIEN: News across America now.

Cleared. The Treasury Department says former Secretary Paul O'Neill did nothing wrong in acquiring sensitive documents that were later used in a book. That's according to wire reports. The department says those documents should have been marked classified but were not.

A major boost in port security. The first radiation portals were activated today at the port of Newark and New Jersey. Radiation portals are basically a combination of a metal detector and a Geiger counter. They'll be used to detect dangerous materials that could be shipped in by terrorists.

PHILLIPS: Caught on tape. Get ready for the replay. An important ruling today in the Scott Peterson murder case. It has to do with all the times that Peterson pleaded before the TV cameras for the return of his missing pregnant wife, Laci.

Our Ted Rowlands live in Redwood City, California, with the details. Hi, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kara.

The judge ruled against the defense motion to exclude all of those statements that Peterson made in the days and weeks after his wife disappeared. There are many of them, and the prosecution has indicated that they will use those statements against him once this trial begins.

The judge after making that ruling then set out a tentative schedule for this trial. And he believes that the trial date opening arguments will not be until May 17. And the reason for that is the very complicated process which has begun today here in Redwood City.

They are doing it on a single-person basis, one potential juror at a time. So far, they have gone through five individuals. Four of them have been dismissed.

One person said they thought Scott Peterson was guilty. Another individual said that she could never put anybody to death. She was dismissed.

The one person that they have kept on as a potential juror is an environmental investigator for the city of San Jose out here in the Bay area. He says that he's willing to put everything behind him that he has heard, and be a fair and impartial juror. So he is in the mix, but he is only one of five.

They're going to continue this process for the rest of the day here, and for the rest of the court sessions until this is all set. They need 60 of these potential jurors before they can start the trial. They'll have one more session where both sides will be able to use their 20 preemptive strikes, and then from there, they'll whittle it down to the final 18 and begin.

As I said, opening arguments tentatively set for May 17. So two months more of this jury selection process -- Kara.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ted Rowlands, thanks.

O'BRIEN: Well, there's some very interesting health news ahead. If you've been afraid to get a pet because you or your child has allergies, we have some good news. Kyra's allergic to all animals, just on principle.

PHILLIPS: Also ahead, Daniel Sieberg phone home. Our gadget guru brings us the latest in must-have cell phones live from the wireless exp..

O'BRIEN: Can you hear me now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: In health news, a new government warning about antidepressants and suicide. The Food and Drug Administration warns that antidepressant users should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide. The Food and Drug Administration is asking the makers of 10 drugs to add cautionary labels. The agency stresses that it is not clear if the drugs actually lead to suicide since depression obviously plays a major factor in that decision.

PHILLIPS: Well, another reason not to smoke around your kids. A new study finds children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting allergies. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's a topic close to home for many people, especially this time of year. Forty to fifty million Americans suffering from significant allergies coming this spring. So people were encouraged a couple of years ago when there was a study coming out, actually looking at pets and the possible protective benefits pets might have on children in terms of developing allergies.

Some of the numbers pretty encouraging. Children with two or more dogs or cats reduce allergies by 50 percent, including allergies to the pets themselves, dust mites, grass, or ragweed.

Now, a new study, a follow-up study coming out just this weekend looking at a way those possible beneficial effects may be negated. That is, by parents who smoke.

Take a look here now. Children with regular smoking parents, either one or both parents who regularly smoke, lost the protective benefits of those pets. Now, this isn't a great surprise. People have known that secondhand smoke is bad. This is the first study really showing that one effect is actually negated by the other.

A rule of thumb: if both parents have significant allergies, then the child has about a 50 percent chance of developing allergies. One parent, about 25 percent.

Why does this work? That's a question I get a lot. It really has to do with introducing allergies to a young child or baby and introducing them early in life. Take a look here.

Basically, the body, especially at birth, is geared towards -- the immune system is geared towards bacteria and allergies. Now, as a child develops, if they're exposed to certain allergens, they're going to develop a natural exposure to the bacteria, and that's going to condition them to exposure to allergies.

Later on in life, the next time this bacteria comes knocking on the door, or the next time this allergy comes knocking on the door, the body's going to say, not this time; we're not going to develop any sort of reaction to that. And, in effect, the body is geared towards these particular allergies.

It's the same concept on which allergy shots work. This time maybe just with pets.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: We might have found something that even Daniel Sieberg doesn't have.

O'BRIEN: Is that Daniel Sieberg online? Daniel, are you there? Can you hear...

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am. I can hear you loud and clear.

O'BRIEN: Excellent. Daniel Sieberg on the cell phone there. What do you -- tell me what great gadgets you have seen, my friend.

SIEBERG: Miles, there are some incredible gadgets here. And if you could only see me, then you could see them as well. Maybe you can see me. We are here at the wireless industry's annual trade show. And there are all kinds of gadgets here. In fact, we're going to be talking about one coming up that looks very much like a pen, but it doesn't write. There's no ink involved here.

So we've got all kinds of stuff here. And, believe it or not, the cell phone reception is rather tough here at the cell phone convention. We'll have all that for you coming up when "CNN LIVE FROM" continues.

O'BRIEN: It's like a Godzilla movie, isn't it?

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Look at Daniel in that little box there.

PHILLIPS: I thought it was a competing station for a minute.

O'BRIEN: Oh, no. For shame that we would show something like the Fox News Channel or something.

PHILLIPS: Oh, you just cussed on TV.

O'BRIEN: That's right. Can I say Fox? No, I shouldn't say that.

It's not exactly the catwalks of Milan, that Fox News Channel, but they are strutting out some of the hottest and newest lines of cell phones, that is.

PHILLIPS: Well, the wireless expo is under way here in Atlanta. Our technology guru, Daniel Sieberg -- thank goodness he doesn't work for Fox -- is checking out the latest models for us.

O'BRIEN: Yes. We're glad he's ours. You stay right with us now.

PHILLIPS: Daniel?

SIEBERG: Absolutely. I'm with you guys here. And, you know, Miles, I have to say -- Kyra, don't get jealous here -- but, Miles, there is something for you here. We're going to talk about it in just a second. But just be prepared to wipe the drool off of his face, Kyra, if you could.

Actually, I'm joined right now by Marc Saltzman...

O'BRIEN: Too much information.

SIEBERG: ... who is a technology journalist gadget guru, to talk about some of the numerous products here on the show floor at the annual wireless show. Mark, we're going to start with one that does not look like a cell phone.

MARC SALTZMAN, TECHNOLOGY JOURNALIST: No, it doesn't.

SIEBERG: This one's in your pocket. No pocket protector needed here, no ink involved.

SALTZMAN: It looks like a pen, doesn't it?

SIEBERG: Yes.

SALTZMAN: And that's what this prototype is called, the PenPhone from Siemens. And it looks kind of like those thick pens that we had as a kid, where you...

SIEBERG: With the different colors and you push them down?

SALTZMAN: Yes, exactly. Now, the concept behind this is twofold. One, is that you're going to be able to write. Now, there is no ink, but you're going to be able to write a message onto a piece of paper or anything really. And what it's going to do is it's going to translate those block letters into text. So you can push a button and text message that to somebody.

SIEBERG: Or to send a number, because there's no numeric keypad...

SALTZMAN: That's right.

SIEBERG: ... to type in somebody's number. So you can write out the numbers.

SALTZMAN: I can type in your phone number. Absolutely.

The second function is that you can speak into this as a phone. And much like some of the phones have now, where it's got auto voice dialing, so you program it with home or car, or your wife's cell phone, and you can speak into it and automatically call. This is not coming out anytime soon. It's just a prototype to show where this sort of cellular technology can go.

SIEBERG: Right. A ways off. So I'll hang on to that.

SALTZMAN: Yes, you've got it.

SIEBERG: And if you're talking, you might have to say, "I'm sorry, I can't hear you. I've got a pen in my ear."

SALTZMAN: Yes.

SIEBERG: And some futuristic stuff.

SALTZMAN: Yes.

SIEBERG: This also a little bit futuristic. This involves swiping a bar code.

SALTZMAN: Yes. This is really interesting. This is an Intel prototype, also from Music Q (ph), the company that's -- again, this is a product that we're showing you that's not coming out for another year or so. And just like a lot of today's cell phones, they have a camera on the side so you can take pictures or you can shoot short clips of video.

But even better, that one down there is a scanner. So you're reading a review, hypothetically, Rolling Stone, 2005, and you come across an Alanais Morissette CD review. If you like what you read, you take a picture of a bar code with that second lens, and it will go online and download you some music so you can sample the CD before you buy it, or maybe order the CD.

SIEBERG: And maybe even buy a ring tone or something.

SALTZMAN: Absolutely. Neat stuff.

SIEBERG: Now, let's move on to this next phone. This looks like a rather bulky phone, Marc.

SALTZMAN: Circa 1999.

SIEBERG: Right. But this has a lot packed into it.

SALTZMAN: It sure does. This is the Nokia Communicator 9500. Sure you can use it close up as a cell phone, but the applications are really inside. As you can see, it's got a little keyboard.


Aired March 22, 2004 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It is 10:00 p.m. on the first night of mourning for the elderly Palestinian cleric whom Israeli missiles blasted today on his way out of morning prayers. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was the founder and spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas. And killing him, says one Israeli diplomat, was the right thing to do. The sheikh's followers are vowing to kill hundreds of Israelis in retaliation.
The latest now from CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Gaza -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Miles. Just within the last few minutes, we've heard a variety of loud explosions here in Gaza coming from a variety of directions. Now, it's very tense here. As we were driving in, we saw that people had been burning tires in the streets. As you said before, the Palestinians have declared three days of mourning.

Sheikh Yassin was buried today in Gaza in a very tumultuous funeral. But it is expected that there will be various demonstrations and activities here in Gaza in the coming days. We heard -- for instance, we saw a leaflet from Hamas threatening to wreak revenge on the Israelis. They said that they would shake Israel like an earthquake. So much expectation here, Miles, that things are probably going to get worse.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ben Wedeman in Gaza. Thank you very much.

In light of the Middle Eastern firestorm and blunt condemnations out of Europe, Israel's most important ally is choosing its words carefully. White House press secretary Scott McClellan summed up the situation this way at his afternoon briefing...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Israel has a right to defend herself. We also always have said that all parties need to keep in mind the consequences of their actions.

I would point out that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Sheikh Yassin was personally involved in terrorism. It is important, as we have emphasized time and time again, for the Palestinian Authority to take action to dismantle terrorist organizations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The White House and Israel both say Washington was not told beforehand a strike on Yassin was being planned.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A means of escape, maybe. Pakistani troops who have been battling suspected al Qaeda fighters for the past week say they've stumbled on a series of tunnels along the border with Afghanistan. The longest about a mile. Some al Qaeda leaders, perhaps even Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, were believed to have been hiding in the heavily fortified compound there. The Pakistani officials now say those al Qaeda targets may have used the tunnels to slip away.

Here at home, the White House is denouncing one of its own after criticism of its anti-terror efforts. Former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke claims that the president ignored signs before 9/11.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A scathing New book accuses President Bush of ignoring terrorist threats before September 11, unjustly linking that attack to Iraq and failing miserably in the war on terror today. The author is not a Democratic opponent, but Richard Clarke, former chief counterterrorism adviser to presidents Bush and Clinton, who makes his case not only on paper, but on "60 Minutes."

RICHARD CLARKE, FMR. COUNTERTERROISM COORDINATOR I think the way he has responded to al Qaeda, both before 9/11 by doing nothing, and by what he's done after 9/11, has made us less safe. I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. Maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has said the right decision in every case.

MALVEAUX: The White House, so taken aback by Clarke's accusations, put out its communications director on a Sunday to discredit Clarke's story. Clarke says the day after September 11, the president took him aside and privately began pressuring him to link Iraq to the attack.

CLARKE: I said, "Mr. President, we've done this before. We've done this. We've been looking at this. We looked at it with an open mind. There's no connection."

He came back at me and said, "Iraq, Saddam, find out if there's a connection." And in a very intimidating way.

MALVEAUX: The White House vehemently denies that there was pressure to go after Hussein. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told CNN this morning, "The issue was Clarke's plan to fight terror differed from the president's."

RICE: He has a different view of how to fight the war on terrorism. It is a narrow view. That it has to do with killing bin Laden and dealing with Afghanistan. The president has a broader view, which is that you have to take the fight to the terrorists.

MALVEAUX (on camera): The White House suggests Clarke's accusations are politically motivated because of his close ties to Senator Kerry's foreign policy adviser, who also was a member of President Bush's counterterrorism team before quitting over policy differences.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: We'll find out what Richard Clarke has to say about the White House's reaction to his accusations. He'll talk on AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien. That's tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

O'BRIEN: News across America now.

Cleared. The Treasury Department says former Secretary Paul O'Neill did nothing wrong in acquiring sensitive documents that were later used in a book. That's according to wire reports. The department says those documents should have been marked classified but were not.

A major boost in port security. The first radiation portals were activated today at the port of Newark and New Jersey. Radiation portals are basically a combination of a metal detector and a Geiger counter. They'll be used to detect dangerous materials that could be shipped in by terrorists.

PHILLIPS: Caught on tape. Get ready for the replay. An important ruling today in the Scott Peterson murder case. It has to do with all the times that Peterson pleaded before the TV cameras for the return of his missing pregnant wife, Laci.

Our Ted Rowlands live in Redwood City, California, with the details. Hi, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kara.

The judge ruled against the defense motion to exclude all of those statements that Peterson made in the days and weeks after his wife disappeared. There are many of them, and the prosecution has indicated that they will use those statements against him once this trial begins.

The judge after making that ruling then set out a tentative schedule for this trial. And he believes that the trial date opening arguments will not be until May 17. And the reason for that is the very complicated process which has begun today here in Redwood City.

They are doing it on a single-person basis, one potential juror at a time. So far, they have gone through five individuals. Four of them have been dismissed.

One person said they thought Scott Peterson was guilty. Another individual said that she could never put anybody to death. She was dismissed.

The one person that they have kept on as a potential juror is an environmental investigator for the city of San Jose out here in the Bay area. He says that he's willing to put everything behind him that he has heard, and be a fair and impartial juror. So he is in the mix, but he is only one of five.

They're going to continue this process for the rest of the day here, and for the rest of the court sessions until this is all set. They need 60 of these potential jurors before they can start the trial. They'll have one more session where both sides will be able to use their 20 preemptive strikes, and then from there, they'll whittle it down to the final 18 and begin.

As I said, opening arguments tentatively set for May 17. So two months more of this jury selection process -- Kara.

PHILLIPS: All right. Ted Rowlands, thanks.

O'BRIEN: Well, there's some very interesting health news ahead. If you've been afraid to get a pet because you or your child has allergies, we have some good news. Kyra's allergic to all animals, just on principle.

PHILLIPS: Also ahead, Daniel Sieberg phone home. Our gadget guru brings us the latest in must-have cell phones live from the wireless exp..

O'BRIEN: Can you hear me now?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: In health news, a new government warning about antidepressants and suicide. The Food and Drug Administration warns that antidepressant users should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide. The Food and Drug Administration is asking the makers of 10 drugs to add cautionary labels. The agency stresses that it is not clear if the drugs actually lead to suicide since depression obviously plays a major factor in that decision.

PHILLIPS: Well, another reason not to smoke around your kids. A new study finds children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting allergies. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's a topic close to home for many people, especially this time of year. Forty to fifty million Americans suffering from significant allergies coming this spring. So people were encouraged a couple of years ago when there was a study coming out, actually looking at pets and the possible protective benefits pets might have on children in terms of developing allergies.

Some of the numbers pretty encouraging. Children with two or more dogs or cats reduce allergies by 50 percent, including allergies to the pets themselves, dust mites, grass, or ragweed.

Now, a new study, a follow-up study coming out just this weekend looking at a way those possible beneficial effects may be negated. That is, by parents who smoke.

Take a look here now. Children with regular smoking parents, either one or both parents who regularly smoke, lost the protective benefits of those pets. Now, this isn't a great surprise. People have known that secondhand smoke is bad. This is the first study really showing that one effect is actually negated by the other.

A rule of thumb: if both parents have significant allergies, then the child has about a 50 percent chance of developing allergies. One parent, about 25 percent.

Why does this work? That's a question I get a lot. It really has to do with introducing allergies to a young child or baby and introducing them early in life. Take a look here.

Basically, the body, especially at birth, is geared towards -- the immune system is geared towards bacteria and allergies. Now, as a child develops, if they're exposed to certain allergens, they're going to develop a natural exposure to the bacteria, and that's going to condition them to exposure to allergies.

Later on in life, the next time this bacteria comes knocking on the door, or the next time this allergy comes knocking on the door, the body's going to say, not this time; we're not going to develop any sort of reaction to that. And, in effect, the body is geared towards these particular allergies.

It's the same concept on which allergy shots work. This time maybe just with pets.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: We might have found something that even Daniel Sieberg doesn't have.

O'BRIEN: Is that Daniel Sieberg online? Daniel, are you there? Can you hear...

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I am. I can hear you loud and clear.

O'BRIEN: Excellent. Daniel Sieberg on the cell phone there. What do you -- tell me what great gadgets you have seen, my friend.

SIEBERG: Miles, there are some incredible gadgets here. And if you could only see me, then you could see them as well. Maybe you can see me. We are here at the wireless industry's annual trade show. And there are all kinds of gadgets here. In fact, we're going to be talking about one coming up that looks very much like a pen, but it doesn't write. There's no ink involved here.

So we've got all kinds of stuff here. And, believe it or not, the cell phone reception is rather tough here at the cell phone convention. We'll have all that for you coming up when "CNN LIVE FROM" continues.

O'BRIEN: It's like a Godzilla movie, isn't it?

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Look at Daniel in that little box there.

PHILLIPS: I thought it was a competing station for a minute.

O'BRIEN: Oh, no. For shame that we would show something like the Fox News Channel or something.

PHILLIPS: Oh, you just cussed on TV.

O'BRIEN: That's right. Can I say Fox? No, I shouldn't say that.

It's not exactly the catwalks of Milan, that Fox News Channel, but they are strutting out some of the hottest and newest lines of cell phones, that is.

PHILLIPS: Well, the wireless expo is under way here in Atlanta. Our technology guru, Daniel Sieberg -- thank goodness he doesn't work for Fox -- is checking out the latest models for us.

O'BRIEN: Yes. We're glad he's ours. You stay right with us now.

PHILLIPS: Daniel?

SIEBERG: Absolutely. I'm with you guys here. And, you know, Miles, I have to say -- Kyra, don't get jealous here -- but, Miles, there is something for you here. We're going to talk about it in just a second. But just be prepared to wipe the drool off of his face, Kyra, if you could.

Actually, I'm joined right now by Marc Saltzman...

O'BRIEN: Too much information.

SIEBERG: ... who is a technology journalist gadget guru, to talk about some of the numerous products here on the show floor at the annual wireless show. Mark, we're going to start with one that does not look like a cell phone.

MARC SALTZMAN, TECHNOLOGY JOURNALIST: No, it doesn't.

SIEBERG: This one's in your pocket. No pocket protector needed here, no ink involved.

SALTZMAN: It looks like a pen, doesn't it?

SIEBERG: Yes.

SALTZMAN: And that's what this prototype is called, the PenPhone from Siemens. And it looks kind of like those thick pens that we had as a kid, where you...

SIEBERG: With the different colors and you push them down?

SALTZMAN: Yes, exactly. Now, the concept behind this is twofold. One, is that you're going to be able to write. Now, there is no ink, but you're going to be able to write a message onto a piece of paper or anything really. And what it's going to do is it's going to translate those block letters into text. So you can push a button and text message that to somebody.

SIEBERG: Or to send a number, because there's no numeric keypad...

SALTZMAN: That's right.

SIEBERG: ... to type in somebody's number. So you can write out the numbers.

SALTZMAN: I can type in your phone number. Absolutely.

The second function is that you can speak into this as a phone. And much like some of the phones have now, where it's got auto voice dialing, so you program it with home or car, or your wife's cell phone, and you can speak into it and automatically call. This is not coming out anytime soon. It's just a prototype to show where this sort of cellular technology can go.

SIEBERG: Right. A ways off. So I'll hang on to that.

SALTZMAN: Yes, you've got it.

SIEBERG: And if you're talking, you might have to say, "I'm sorry, I can't hear you. I've got a pen in my ear."

SALTZMAN: Yes.

SIEBERG: And some futuristic stuff.

SALTZMAN: Yes.

SIEBERG: This also a little bit futuristic. This involves swiping a bar code.

SALTZMAN: Yes. This is really interesting. This is an Intel prototype, also from Music Q (ph), the company that's -- again, this is a product that we're showing you that's not coming out for another year or so. And just like a lot of today's cell phones, they have a camera on the side so you can take pictures or you can shoot short clips of video.

But even better, that one down there is a scanner. So you're reading a review, hypothetically, Rolling Stone, 2005, and you come across an Alanais Morissette CD review. If you like what you read, you take a picture of a bar code with that second lens, and it will go online and download you some music so you can sample the CD before you buy it, or maybe order the CD.

SIEBERG: And maybe even buy a ring tone or something.

SALTZMAN: Absolutely. Neat stuff.

SIEBERG: Now, let's move on to this next phone. This looks like a rather bulky phone, Marc.

SALTZMAN: Circa 1999.

SIEBERG: Right. But this has a lot packed into it.

SALTZMAN: It sure does. This is the Nokia Communicator 9500. Sure you can use it close up as a cell phone, but the applications are really inside. As you can see, it's got a little keyboard.