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Zarqawi Delivers Death Threat to Allawi; Boy Shot in Afghanistan
Aired June 23, 2004 - 12:59 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Death threats from a terrorist. The man behind the beheading of an American says his next victim will be a top Iraqi leader.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Offer of limited amnesty. Saudi Arabia asks Islamic terrorists to turn themselves in to avoid death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it happened. You're going to see it happen every single day for the rest of our lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A bitter reality of war. Our camera takes you to the front lines for an intense and agonizing twist of fate.
WHITFIELD: And are you taking unnecessary risks every morning? A look at hidden health risks contained in your medicine cabinets.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Miles O'Brien is on assignment. CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.
A threat against the new prime minister will not derail the sovereignty handover. Iraqi officials are responding to that threat purportedly coming from the notorious militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is live from Baghdad -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening from Baghdad. And indeed, early this morning that audio was seen on an Islamic Web site -- heard, rather. And it did say that they plan to continue to fight both U.S. troops and attack the interim prime minister, according to the voice, until Islamic rule returns to Iraq.
The specific threat was made apparently by Zarqawi against Iyad Allawi, the interim prime minister of Iraq. We then called the office of the prime minister, and his spokesman said that he had printed that threat off the Internet, had shown it to the prime minister, who apparently smiled and responded that Zarqawi is not just the enemy of Iyad Allawi, referring to himself, Zarqawi is the enemy of all Iraqis. And he went on to say that they would not allow this to derail either the handover or the beginnings of an attempt to put Iraq on the path to democracy.
Now the U.S. also, slightly after midnight, conducted its second air strikes on a target in Fallujah, the second in about five days. This, we're told, was on safe houses allegedly belonging to Zarqawi and his network. We were told by the senior military spokesman here that they think they might have killed 20 foreign fighters. And they say they believe they blew up stores of ammunition and other weaponry.
That's the latest from here.
PHILLIPS: Christiane, talk to us more about the security efforts when it comes to protecting the new cabinet, the new Iraqi leaders, specifically the prime minister. Is this a combination of coalition forces along with Iraqi police and Iraqi military? How is it panning out?
AMANPOUR: Well, it has been -- they've been under heavy protection. Their building is within what has been known as the Green Zone which is essentially occupation headquarters, surrounded by very, very high concrete blocks. It's a huge part of the center of the city that's simply cut off.
And there haven't been major or any attacks in that zone except for sometimes mortars are received inside there. They do travel around in armored cars and they do have protection, heavily armored cars and bodyguards -- heavily armed bodyguards, obviously.
But in the past we've seen that the last head of the Governing Council, before they had this interim government, was assassinated in his car. Since the interim government was named, at least two members of the interim government have been assassinated. So it's a very, very dangerous situation here right now. And after the handover, it's unclear whether the U.S. will have any responsibility for any of their security.
PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, live from Baghdad.
One of the Saddam Hussein's lawyers says the former Iraqi leader was abused while in coalition custody. Muhammad Rashdan cites a report from the International Red Cross. The Red Cross visited Saddam in January, a month after his capture. That report says although Saddam was in good health, he was slightly wounded. Rabin says that he doesn't have any proof of abuse, and he hasn't seen Saddam in person. Rashdan also revealed a letter that Saddam wrote to his daughter in which he says his soul and morale are "twinkling in the great lord's blessing."
WHITFIELD: Intense moments caught on camera in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The figure in the distance doesn't stop running. There is more firing, taking aim this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Coming up next, a powerful story. CNN reporter Ryan Chilcote takes you inside the nightmare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: After a string of attacks, Saudi Arabia is taking an unusual approach to ferreting out terrorists. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us on the telephone from Riyadh with more on that -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Saudi effective ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah, speaking for King Fahd, said that there would be a one-month waiting period, period of grace for members of al Qaeda to turn themselves in.
He said that this was their last opportunity. That they would be -- if they turned themselves in peacefully, that they would be treated according to Islamic law. He said that this was a last opportunity that they would have and if they didn't respond to it now, then the government would crack down on them with full force.
What we understand from the government here is that they're trying to target those younger members of al Qaeda while the organization is perhaps in some disarray since security forces here killed the head of al Qaeda last week. While it's in some kind of disarray, appeal to those younger members who perhaps have not yet committed any crimes, get them to turn away from al Qaeda.
As the government here puts it, this is their opportunity to look for repentance and return to the righteous path. That this, a one- month amnesty. But even so, government operations here still go on against al Qaeda. Just in the last few hours, we have been told, government security forces have now shut down al Qaeda's Web site operation in Riyadh, seizing equipment, arresting two people. One of them they describe as the chief ideologue, the man who has been writing many of the al Qaeda Web statements here in Saudi Arabia recently -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Nic, this is a highly unusual move. Why did the crown prince resort to television to send this message?
ROBERTSON: This is unusual. It was a four-minute broadcast right at prime time viewing, the early evening news hours here. It appears to be targeted really to that young audience who watch the television here, trying to reach out to them, very unusual in Saudi Arabia for the government to take such action.
Normally, their actions are much slower. It's perhaps an indication that the government taking very seriously the need to change its tactics, ratchet up the tempo against al Qaeda here. But really -- what we are told is really trying to seize that opportunity while there's no strong leadership yet established for al Qaeda operations inside Saudi Arabia, use that as an opportunity to perhaps get some people to move away from the organization -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson, thanks very much for joining us via phone from Riyadh -- Kyra PHILLIPS: Split-second decisions on the battlefield can many times have tragic unintended consequences. And what we're about to show you will undoubtedly stir your emotions, it's a real life example of the fog of war, and the real-time response to find clarity within life and death decisions.
We take you into the combat zone now of Afghanistan with CNN's Ryan Chilcote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE (voice-over): Their convoy had been attacked during the past week by people in civilian clothes who set off road side bombs, then slipped away. Today, the scouts are out in front, entering a region where no American soldier has ever gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're headed down into an area we knew was known -- it was going to be hairy.
CHILCOTE: In the distance, they spot what appears to be a man running away. They pursue on foot through a minefield and fire warning shots. The figure in the distance doesn't stop running. There is more firing, taking aim this time. And the scouts catch up only to encounter a combat soldier's nightmare. The target turns out to be a 12-year-old boy. The boy's name is Azizila (ph).
He'd been helping his father tend their cattle. Inside the bag he's carrying that they thought was suspicious, nothing more than at bottle of water and a stick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quit filming, stop filming.
CHILCOTE (on camera): Two soldiers, including the soldier who shot him and CNN security adviser Alan Trapp (ph) got to work on Azizila, keeping him alive for more than two hours before the helicopters arrived. Azizila's father, distraught and convinced his son wouldn't make it, pleaded with the soldiers to let him take his boy home to die.
(voice-over): But the soldiers didn't give up, and neither did Azizila.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He held on, asked for his family and stuff. But he wasn't crying a lot. He was working with us, telling us what hurt and what didn't hurt. And that really helped us out a lot.
CHILCOTE: Finally, the choppers arrive. Azizila is whisked away. It is the last time these soldiers will see him. They don't know if he will make it or not. The soldier who pulled the trigger declined to be interviewed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know him pretty well. And this has messed him up pretty good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn't know he was a boy.
CHILCOTE: The whole unit is stunned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like we all got kicked in the gut. It's going to take a little bit to get over. All of us that saw it happen are going to see it happen every single day for the rest of our lives. You have got to live with that.
CHILCOTE: The Army is investigating. While the investigation is under way, we're not reporting the soldier's name. Lieutenant Chris Morrison (ph) is his platoon leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day, my soldiers are put in life and death situations and forced to make life or death decisions. And it's not easy. And it would be foolish to think that every decision comes out the right way.
CHILCOTE: Nearly two weeks after it all went wrong, Azizila's father arrived in an Afghan capital to see his son in an American field hospital. It was his first time in Kabul and it had taken intervention by the provincial governor and the help of some Americans to get him here.
Because of this, the father said, my son is injured, my cattle went missing, and my wife has gone crazy. Azizila's father says his wife will not leave the place where the boy was shot. She rolls on the ground and pleads with Allah to bring her firstborn son home, he says.
Their livestock all ran away during the shooting. Gone with him, says Azizila's father, their livelihood. We asked the Army if there would be any compensation for Azizila's family. No, we were told. We do not pay compensation for events occurring during combat operations ever.
Twice during their short visit, Azizila pulled his oxygen mask away and told his father, I want to go home. Doctors say it will be at least a month before he can leave the hospital.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE: Kyra, even though Azizila is the one who was shot in this, as one soldier put it, he is not the only casualty. I know that the soldier who pulled the trigger was absolutely devastated by what he had done. And quite frankly, a lot of the soldiers in his unit told me the only reason why he declined to give us an interview was because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make it through it without breaking down -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ryan, you talked about how it devastated that soldier and obviously all the other men within that squad, but what about you as a journalist? We heard them scream to turn the camera off. What was going through your mind? How did you handle it? I know your first instinct was to get in and help.
CHILCOTE: Yes, you know, I had never seen a boy shot before. And it was quite a powerful moment for me. My first instinct is something that was -- and I think this is what really grabbed everyone was that something has gone terribly wrong here. And absolutely everything needs to be done to make this bad situation into an OK situation. So I did jump in, and instead of grabbing the camera.
I suppose some people might take issue with that. They probably would say that I should have been a stone-cold journalist and continued to do my job. But I did jump in there, and, you know, I think that it was the right time. I didn't want to distract attention from Azizila there and Azizila getting the best of the care.
I didn't want to create an issue, perhaps even a fight with the soldiers at that particular moment. I chose to do that a little bit later, that's when I picked the camera back up and started to film Azizila as he was being whisked away on a stretcher to the Medivac helicopter -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ryan, it was a powerful report. We'll continue to follow what happens to that soldier, of course, and also the little boy. More now on clarifying the confusion that occurs in battle. Our special contributor Ron Young, who was held as a POW during the Iraq war, he has been working for us and giving us a little insight.
Ron, let's start by talking about the mindset of the soldier. I mean, right now in Afghanistan, in Iraq, you really have got to be suspicious of everybody right now, right, and why?
RON YOUNG, CNN SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. What you are seeing is actually they're using kids as suicide bombers and things like that. Obviously they thought this was an adult that they were actually shooting at or trying to make stop. But you really don't know who is wielding weapons over there, especially since these guys don't wear uniforms. They're operating more as guerrilla fighters and things like that. You have to be suspicious of everyone to keep yourself alive.
PHILLIPS: Well, when you think about proper procedure as a gun owner, for example, you just -- you can't shoot someone in the back, otherwise you're liable for murder. I mean, that's in a civilian situation, if someone were to break in my house. Now how does that change in a wartime scenario? We see this little boy shot in the back. You sort of wonder was he running away? Why shoot at him still?
YOUNG: Well, it's a different situation once you're in combat because what's actually going to happen to you if you let this guy run is that he is going to come back and he is going to plant a roadside bomb a few days later. And that's why you have to be cognizant of making a decision like this to go ahead take him out.
They had yelled for him to stop, and of course, he didn't. And they felt like that he would be a threat and maybe later down the road he would come back and kill one of them. It's a completely different situation than it is in the civilian world where these guys, once confronted, rarely return back to your home.
PHILLIPS: And so now they came across this child, they see he still has vitals, he is breathing, he is not a threat obviously. Is it a soldier's responsibility by law to try and save that individual's life, whether it be a child or adult?
YOUNG: Absolutely. Soldiers are commanded to render aid to these combatants basically. And the reason we do that is because we expect them to take care of our soldiers in return, the enemy being. And what you're trying to do is establish a situation where soldiers can be injured in battle and actually live through it. And of course, it's morally the right thing to do, to render aid to these guys.
YOUNG: And as you looked at this video, my final question, the warning procedures, were they followed correctly? Did you see or witness the warning shots and also did you -- what about when they told the child to stop, was Arabic used?
YOUNG: Oh, yes, what actually happens is each soldier, when they go to a region like this, they learn the regional dialect. And they'll learn the few things like stop, get down, put your hands behind your head, things like that. And basically it's for a situation like this where they can just detain someone, or tell them to stop, they understand what's going on.
But in this situation, while they were yelling at the young boy, he continued to run. They started firing warning shots, probably in front of him so that he could hear the shot and he could also see it kicking up in front of him and know that he was in imminent danger of being shot if he didn't stop. And he continued running after that. And that's why they made the decision there that he's carrying a bag, it could be explosives, this guy keeps running, he has obviously has something to hide. And they pulled the trigger.
PHILLIPS: And they also made the decision to try to attempt to save his life so far.
YOUNG: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Good. All right. Ron Young, thank you so much.
YOUNG: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, for more on this story and of course a photo essay of Ryan Chilcote's assignment in Afghanistan, you can log on to cnn.com. Ryan actually wrote a behind-the-scenes column. And we, of course, will continue to follow how the little boy is doing in addition to what is going to happen with regard to the soldier that did pull that trigger -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: And he is Iraq's most wanted man? What is the key to capturing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? We'll talk about it with security experts straight ahead.
And does your routine put you at risk. Assessing the health risks from shampoos, cosmetics and other stuff you use on a daily basis.
And later, mixings a little business with pleasure? This cruise ship has got it all, shuffleboard, pools, casinos, you name it, and an atmospheric science lab, of all things. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News across America now. The Department of Homeland Security issues new guidelines today for U.S. airports that want to opt out of using federal agents to screen passengers and switch back to private screening companies. The move has been prompted by complaints about screener shortages, long security lines and unresponsive bureaucracy at the Transportation Security Administration.
In Los Angeles, police chased down a man suspected of driving a stolen car and arrested him this morning. Televised news footage showed an LAPD officer hitting him with a flashlight after he appeared to surrender. The incident is now under investigation.
And it may be hard to believe, with a war under way and a presidential election around the corner, but the story of Mary-Kate Olsen and her alleged eating disorders is the No. 1 most e-mailed news story on cnn.com today. The 18-year-old actress has reportedly checked into a program for treatment of anorexia.
We'll have more on all these stories coming up later on LIVE FROM...
(MARKET REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Let's go now to Redwood City, California, where there is a development in the Scott Peterson case. Our Ted Rowlands is there with the latest -- Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning that an in-camera hearing that has been going on since 9:00 Pacific time here more than an hour has to do with juror No. 5 in this case. This is the juror that had an interaction with Laci Peterson's brother, Brent Rocha.
CNN has learned this juror may be bumped from the jury panel after more developments, not necessarily the interaction with Brent Rocha, but other developments have come to the court's attention. And right now, the judge is dealing with this issue.
But it is expected, according to a source very close to the court proceedings, that juror No. 5 will be bumped from, the Laci Peterson -- or the Scott Peterson jury panel, and that would bring up the first alternate in the case, this is a doctor and lawyer, a guy who has a degree in both of them.
Juror 5 was a security guard, which seemed to be a pro-defense juror, but it now seems as though this juror will not be a member of this jury panel because of some misconduct. We don't know what specifically it was that was alerted -- which alerted the court's attention and prompted this action by the court, which is going on right now.
It has not been formally announced. But again, CNN has learned that juror No. 5 will most likely be dismissed from serving on the Peterson panel.
WHITFIELD: And Ted, let's backtrack a little bit about juror No. 5, and the suspicious conversation that he had with the brother of Laci Peterson, and why that was brought into question and why now juror No. 5 has been under the spotlight.
ROWLANDS: Last week, as he was entering the courtroom, he and Brent Rocha engaged in a short, seemingly innocent conversation on the backside of the metal detectors as they were going through security.
The judge came out this week and said that he has talked to both the juror and Brent Rocha, and that there was nothing to it, that the juror did not -- was not involved in any sort of misconduct. So it's believed that something has happened since then, since the judge investigated.
And we also understand that this does not have anything to do with that interaction. That was a separate issue. And something else has come up which the court has been alerted to and that is what has prompted what's going on right now. And we understand right now, it is being hashed out between the juries, the judge and both attorney sides. But it is expected juror No. 5 will be relieved of his duties, if you will, and sent home.
WHITFIELD: And is that something that may happen in the next few minutes, hours? What do we think?
ROWLANDS: Most likely within the hour. They have been at this now since 9:00 this morning. The bailiff said it will be at least an hour, this process. So we expect it to wrap up really any time but most likely within the hour. And the one thing, both sides will have a chance to fight for this juror, if you will, if one of the sides is very strong and believes that this juror should remain on the panel, will be heard by the judge. But at this point we understand that it is the court's intention most likely because of whatever happened, to bounce juror No. 5.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ted, thanks very much for that report from Redwood City, California. Of course, we are going to keep you updated on the developments in the Scott Peterson case as it becomes available.
Right now, we're going to take a short break.
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Aired June 23, 2004 - 12:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Death threats from a terrorist. The man behind the beheading of an American says his next victim will be a top Iraqi leader.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Offer of limited amnesty. Saudi Arabia asks Islamic terrorists to turn themselves in to avoid death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it happened. You're going to see it happen every single day for the rest of our lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A bitter reality of war. Our camera takes you to the front lines for an intense and agonizing twist of fate.
WHITFIELD: And are you taking unnecessary risks every morning? A look at hidden health risks contained in your medicine cabinets.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. Miles O'Brien is on assignment. CNN's LIVE FROM... starts right now.
A threat against the new prime minister will not derail the sovereignty handover. Iraqi officials are responding to that threat purportedly coming from the notorious militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is live from Baghdad -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening from Baghdad. And indeed, early this morning that audio was seen on an Islamic Web site -- heard, rather. And it did say that they plan to continue to fight both U.S. troops and attack the interim prime minister, according to the voice, until Islamic rule returns to Iraq.
The specific threat was made apparently by Zarqawi against Iyad Allawi, the interim prime minister of Iraq. We then called the office of the prime minister, and his spokesman said that he had printed that threat off the Internet, had shown it to the prime minister, who apparently smiled and responded that Zarqawi is not just the enemy of Iyad Allawi, referring to himself, Zarqawi is the enemy of all Iraqis. And he went on to say that they would not allow this to derail either the handover or the beginnings of an attempt to put Iraq on the path to democracy.
Now the U.S. also, slightly after midnight, conducted its second air strikes on a target in Fallujah, the second in about five days. This, we're told, was on safe houses allegedly belonging to Zarqawi and his network. We were told by the senior military spokesman here that they think they might have killed 20 foreign fighters. And they say they believe they blew up stores of ammunition and other weaponry.
That's the latest from here.
PHILLIPS: Christiane, talk to us more about the security efforts when it comes to protecting the new cabinet, the new Iraqi leaders, specifically the prime minister. Is this a combination of coalition forces along with Iraqi police and Iraqi military? How is it panning out?
AMANPOUR: Well, it has been -- they've been under heavy protection. Their building is within what has been known as the Green Zone which is essentially occupation headquarters, surrounded by very, very high concrete blocks. It's a huge part of the center of the city that's simply cut off.
And there haven't been major or any attacks in that zone except for sometimes mortars are received inside there. They do travel around in armored cars and they do have protection, heavily armored cars and bodyguards -- heavily armed bodyguards, obviously.
But in the past we've seen that the last head of the Governing Council, before they had this interim government, was assassinated in his car. Since the interim government was named, at least two members of the interim government have been assassinated. So it's a very, very dangerous situation here right now. And after the handover, it's unclear whether the U.S. will have any responsibility for any of their security.
PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, live from Baghdad.
One of the Saddam Hussein's lawyers says the former Iraqi leader was abused while in coalition custody. Muhammad Rashdan cites a report from the International Red Cross. The Red Cross visited Saddam in January, a month after his capture. That report says although Saddam was in good health, he was slightly wounded. Rabin says that he doesn't have any proof of abuse, and he hasn't seen Saddam in person. Rashdan also revealed a letter that Saddam wrote to his daughter in which he says his soul and morale are "twinkling in the great lord's blessing."
WHITFIELD: Intense moments caught on camera in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The figure in the distance doesn't stop running. There is more firing, taking aim this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Coming up next, a powerful story. CNN reporter Ryan Chilcote takes you inside the nightmare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: After a string of attacks, Saudi Arabia is taking an unusual approach to ferreting out terrorists. CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us on the telephone from Riyadh with more on that -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Saudi effective ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah, speaking for King Fahd, said that there would be a one-month waiting period, period of grace for members of al Qaeda to turn themselves in.
He said that this was their last opportunity. That they would be -- if they turned themselves in peacefully, that they would be treated according to Islamic law. He said that this was a last opportunity that they would have and if they didn't respond to it now, then the government would crack down on them with full force.
What we understand from the government here is that they're trying to target those younger members of al Qaeda while the organization is perhaps in some disarray since security forces here killed the head of al Qaeda last week. While it's in some kind of disarray, appeal to those younger members who perhaps have not yet committed any crimes, get them to turn away from al Qaeda.
As the government here puts it, this is their opportunity to look for repentance and return to the righteous path. That this, a one- month amnesty. But even so, government operations here still go on against al Qaeda. Just in the last few hours, we have been told, government security forces have now shut down al Qaeda's Web site operation in Riyadh, seizing equipment, arresting two people. One of them they describe as the chief ideologue, the man who has been writing many of the al Qaeda Web statements here in Saudi Arabia recently -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Nic, this is a highly unusual move. Why did the crown prince resort to television to send this message?
ROBERTSON: This is unusual. It was a four-minute broadcast right at prime time viewing, the early evening news hours here. It appears to be targeted really to that young audience who watch the television here, trying to reach out to them, very unusual in Saudi Arabia for the government to take such action.
Normally, their actions are much slower. It's perhaps an indication that the government taking very seriously the need to change its tactics, ratchet up the tempo against al Qaeda here. But really -- what we are told is really trying to seize that opportunity while there's no strong leadership yet established for al Qaeda operations inside Saudi Arabia, use that as an opportunity to perhaps get some people to move away from the organization -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson, thanks very much for joining us via phone from Riyadh -- Kyra PHILLIPS: Split-second decisions on the battlefield can many times have tragic unintended consequences. And what we're about to show you will undoubtedly stir your emotions, it's a real life example of the fog of war, and the real-time response to find clarity within life and death decisions.
We take you into the combat zone now of Afghanistan with CNN's Ryan Chilcote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE (voice-over): Their convoy had been attacked during the past week by people in civilian clothes who set off road side bombs, then slipped away. Today, the scouts are out in front, entering a region where no American soldier has ever gone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're headed down into an area we knew was known -- it was going to be hairy.
CHILCOTE: In the distance, they spot what appears to be a man running away. They pursue on foot through a minefield and fire warning shots. The figure in the distance doesn't stop running. There is more firing, taking aim this time. And the scouts catch up only to encounter a combat soldier's nightmare. The target turns out to be a 12-year-old boy. The boy's name is Azizila (ph).
He'd been helping his father tend their cattle. Inside the bag he's carrying that they thought was suspicious, nothing more than at bottle of water and a stick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quit filming, stop filming.
CHILCOTE (on camera): Two soldiers, including the soldier who shot him and CNN security adviser Alan Trapp (ph) got to work on Azizila, keeping him alive for more than two hours before the helicopters arrived. Azizila's father, distraught and convinced his son wouldn't make it, pleaded with the soldiers to let him take his boy home to die.
(voice-over): But the soldiers didn't give up, and neither did Azizila.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He held on, asked for his family and stuff. But he wasn't crying a lot. He was working with us, telling us what hurt and what didn't hurt. And that really helped us out a lot.
CHILCOTE: Finally, the choppers arrive. Azizila is whisked away. It is the last time these soldiers will see him. They don't know if he will make it or not. The soldier who pulled the trigger declined to be interviewed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know him pretty well. And this has messed him up pretty good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He didn't know he was a boy.
CHILCOTE: The whole unit is stunned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like we all got kicked in the gut. It's going to take a little bit to get over. All of us that saw it happen are going to see it happen every single day for the rest of our lives. You have got to live with that.
CHILCOTE: The Army is investigating. While the investigation is under way, we're not reporting the soldier's name. Lieutenant Chris Morrison (ph) is his platoon leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day, my soldiers are put in life and death situations and forced to make life or death decisions. And it's not easy. And it would be foolish to think that every decision comes out the right way.
CHILCOTE: Nearly two weeks after it all went wrong, Azizila's father arrived in an Afghan capital to see his son in an American field hospital. It was his first time in Kabul and it had taken intervention by the provincial governor and the help of some Americans to get him here.
Because of this, the father said, my son is injured, my cattle went missing, and my wife has gone crazy. Azizila's father says his wife will not leave the place where the boy was shot. She rolls on the ground and pleads with Allah to bring her firstborn son home, he says.
Their livestock all ran away during the shooting. Gone with him, says Azizila's father, their livelihood. We asked the Army if there would be any compensation for Azizila's family. No, we were told. We do not pay compensation for events occurring during combat operations ever.
Twice during their short visit, Azizila pulled his oxygen mask away and told his father, I want to go home. Doctors say it will be at least a month before he can leave the hospital.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE: Kyra, even though Azizila is the one who was shot in this, as one soldier put it, he is not the only casualty. I know that the soldier who pulled the trigger was absolutely devastated by what he had done. And quite frankly, a lot of the soldiers in his unit told me the only reason why he declined to give us an interview was because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make it through it without breaking down -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ryan, you talked about how it devastated that soldier and obviously all the other men within that squad, but what about you as a journalist? We heard them scream to turn the camera off. What was going through your mind? How did you handle it? I know your first instinct was to get in and help.
CHILCOTE: Yes, you know, I had never seen a boy shot before. And it was quite a powerful moment for me. My first instinct is something that was -- and I think this is what really grabbed everyone was that something has gone terribly wrong here. And absolutely everything needs to be done to make this bad situation into an OK situation. So I did jump in, and instead of grabbing the camera.
I suppose some people might take issue with that. They probably would say that I should have been a stone-cold journalist and continued to do my job. But I did jump in there, and, you know, I think that it was the right time. I didn't want to distract attention from Azizila there and Azizila getting the best of the care.
I didn't want to create an issue, perhaps even a fight with the soldiers at that particular moment. I chose to do that a little bit later, that's when I picked the camera back up and started to film Azizila as he was being whisked away on a stretcher to the Medivac helicopter -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Ryan, it was a powerful report. We'll continue to follow what happens to that soldier, of course, and also the little boy. More now on clarifying the confusion that occurs in battle. Our special contributor Ron Young, who was held as a POW during the Iraq war, he has been working for us and giving us a little insight.
Ron, let's start by talking about the mindset of the soldier. I mean, right now in Afghanistan, in Iraq, you really have got to be suspicious of everybody right now, right, and why?
RON YOUNG, CNN SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. What you are seeing is actually they're using kids as suicide bombers and things like that. Obviously they thought this was an adult that they were actually shooting at or trying to make stop. But you really don't know who is wielding weapons over there, especially since these guys don't wear uniforms. They're operating more as guerrilla fighters and things like that. You have to be suspicious of everyone to keep yourself alive.
PHILLIPS: Well, when you think about proper procedure as a gun owner, for example, you just -- you can't shoot someone in the back, otherwise you're liable for murder. I mean, that's in a civilian situation, if someone were to break in my house. Now how does that change in a wartime scenario? We see this little boy shot in the back. You sort of wonder was he running away? Why shoot at him still?
YOUNG: Well, it's a different situation once you're in combat because what's actually going to happen to you if you let this guy run is that he is going to come back and he is going to plant a roadside bomb a few days later. And that's why you have to be cognizant of making a decision like this to go ahead take him out.
They had yelled for him to stop, and of course, he didn't. And they felt like that he would be a threat and maybe later down the road he would come back and kill one of them. It's a completely different situation than it is in the civilian world where these guys, once confronted, rarely return back to your home.
PHILLIPS: And so now they came across this child, they see he still has vitals, he is breathing, he is not a threat obviously. Is it a soldier's responsibility by law to try and save that individual's life, whether it be a child or adult?
YOUNG: Absolutely. Soldiers are commanded to render aid to these combatants basically. And the reason we do that is because we expect them to take care of our soldiers in return, the enemy being. And what you're trying to do is establish a situation where soldiers can be injured in battle and actually live through it. And of course, it's morally the right thing to do, to render aid to these guys.
YOUNG: And as you looked at this video, my final question, the warning procedures, were they followed correctly? Did you see or witness the warning shots and also did you -- what about when they told the child to stop, was Arabic used?
YOUNG: Oh, yes, what actually happens is each soldier, when they go to a region like this, they learn the regional dialect. And they'll learn the few things like stop, get down, put your hands behind your head, things like that. And basically it's for a situation like this where they can just detain someone, or tell them to stop, they understand what's going on.
But in this situation, while they were yelling at the young boy, he continued to run. They started firing warning shots, probably in front of him so that he could hear the shot and he could also see it kicking up in front of him and know that he was in imminent danger of being shot if he didn't stop. And he continued running after that. And that's why they made the decision there that he's carrying a bag, it could be explosives, this guy keeps running, he has obviously has something to hide. And they pulled the trigger.
PHILLIPS: And they also made the decision to try to attempt to save his life so far.
YOUNG: Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Good. All right. Ron Young, thank you so much.
YOUNG: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, for more on this story and of course a photo essay of Ryan Chilcote's assignment in Afghanistan, you can log on to cnn.com. Ryan actually wrote a behind-the-scenes column. And we, of course, will continue to follow how the little boy is doing in addition to what is going to happen with regard to the soldier that did pull that trigger -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: And he is Iraq's most wanted man? What is the key to capturing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? We'll talk about it with security experts straight ahead.
And does your routine put you at risk. Assessing the health risks from shampoos, cosmetics and other stuff you use on a daily basis.
And later, mixings a little business with pleasure? This cruise ship has got it all, shuffleboard, pools, casinos, you name it, and an atmospheric science lab, of all things. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News across America now. The Department of Homeland Security issues new guidelines today for U.S. airports that want to opt out of using federal agents to screen passengers and switch back to private screening companies. The move has been prompted by complaints about screener shortages, long security lines and unresponsive bureaucracy at the Transportation Security Administration.
In Los Angeles, police chased down a man suspected of driving a stolen car and arrested him this morning. Televised news footage showed an LAPD officer hitting him with a flashlight after he appeared to surrender. The incident is now under investigation.
And it may be hard to believe, with a war under way and a presidential election around the corner, but the story of Mary-Kate Olsen and her alleged eating disorders is the No. 1 most e-mailed news story on cnn.com today. The 18-year-old actress has reportedly checked into a program for treatment of anorexia.
We'll have more on all these stories coming up later on LIVE FROM...
(MARKET REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Let's go now to Redwood City, California, where there is a development in the Scott Peterson case. Our Ted Rowlands is there with the latest -- Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning that an in-camera hearing that has been going on since 9:00 Pacific time here more than an hour has to do with juror No. 5 in this case. This is the juror that had an interaction with Laci Peterson's brother, Brent Rocha.
CNN has learned this juror may be bumped from the jury panel after more developments, not necessarily the interaction with Brent Rocha, but other developments have come to the court's attention. And right now, the judge is dealing with this issue.
But it is expected, according to a source very close to the court proceedings, that juror No. 5 will be bumped from, the Laci Peterson -- or the Scott Peterson jury panel, and that would bring up the first alternate in the case, this is a doctor and lawyer, a guy who has a degree in both of them.
Juror 5 was a security guard, which seemed to be a pro-defense juror, but it now seems as though this juror will not be a member of this jury panel because of some misconduct. We don't know what specifically it was that was alerted -- which alerted the court's attention and prompted this action by the court, which is going on right now.
It has not been formally announced. But again, CNN has learned that juror No. 5 will most likely be dismissed from serving on the Peterson panel.
WHITFIELD: And Ted, let's backtrack a little bit about juror No. 5, and the suspicious conversation that he had with the brother of Laci Peterson, and why that was brought into question and why now juror No. 5 has been under the spotlight.
ROWLANDS: Last week, as he was entering the courtroom, he and Brent Rocha engaged in a short, seemingly innocent conversation on the backside of the metal detectors as they were going through security.
The judge came out this week and said that he has talked to both the juror and Brent Rocha, and that there was nothing to it, that the juror did not -- was not involved in any sort of misconduct. So it's believed that something has happened since then, since the judge investigated.
And we also understand that this does not have anything to do with that interaction. That was a separate issue. And something else has come up which the court has been alerted to and that is what has prompted what's going on right now. And we understand right now, it is being hashed out between the juries, the judge and both attorney sides. But it is expected juror No. 5 will be relieved of his duties, if you will, and sent home.
WHITFIELD: And is that something that may happen in the next few minutes, hours? What do we think?
ROWLANDS: Most likely within the hour. They have been at this now since 9:00 this morning. The bailiff said it will be at least an hour, this process. So we expect it to wrap up really any time but most likely within the hour. And the one thing, both sides will have a chance to fight for this juror, if you will, if one of the sides is very strong and believes that this juror should remain on the panel, will be heard by the judge. But at this point we understand that it is the court's intention most likely because of whatever happened, to bounce juror No. 5.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ted, thanks very much for that report from Redwood City, California. Of course, we are going to keep you updated on the developments in the Scott Peterson case as it becomes available.
Right now, we're going to take a short break.
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