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Iraqi National Conference Delegation Travels to Meet with Muqtada Al Sadr; Day Four of Summer Games in Athens

Aired August 17, 2004 - 13:29   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest from Najaf, where fierce fighting continues between the Mehdi militia and Iraqi forces backed by U.S. troops. An Iraqi National Conference delegation traveled to meet with Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr today in a bid to end that bloodshed.
And retired Major General Don Shepperd joins us from Tucson, Arizona to talk about the prospect of a truce and why it's so important to the Democratic future of Iraq.

Good afternoon, general.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: How are you?

NGUYEN: Well this morning, we heard that bombs were dropped, a bomb was dropped near the cometary in Najaf just as that delegation arrived to broker a peace plan. Does that mean the plan is off the table?

SHEPPERD: No, but it certainly means it's in danger.

What's going on in Najaf is the most important thing happening in all of Iraq right now. As Najaf goes also goes the interim government, also may go Fallujah, and also may go what happens with other militias and the army in Iraq itself. It's exceedingly important and it's very clear that fighting is continuing there.

I thought there would be a truce, at least while the delegation was there to meet with Muqtada Al Sadr, but it doesn't look like that's holding.

NGUYEN: Now this is more than trying to broke are a deal with Muqtada Al Sadr; this also says a lot about the stability and credibility of the new Iraqi government, doesn't it?

SHEPPERD: The credibility of this new government is really tied to how things happen in Najaf. If Muqtada Al Sadr is victorious and if he is allowed to maintain this militia that can attack, then other militias across the country are going to feel like they can do exactly the same thing. So it's really, really important that this be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

What the interim government is trying to do is make Muqtada Al Sadr join the political process, as opposed to becoming a separate militia that's conducting a war, within the war that's already going on.

NGUYEN: It can also serve as an example of how this new government will deal with ethnic and other religious factions.

SHEPPERD: Yes, there's some good news about what's going on here, believe it or not. The interim government is calling a council, trying to -- of 1,000 clerics and representatives from across country, trying to get 100 of them to oversee the interim government until elections take place at the first of the year. That's a political process. It was derailed by the things going on in Najaf, where they decided that Najaf was more important than the process, and to send a delegation down to Najaf to see if they can negotiate a cease-fire down there or a solution.

This is democracy in action, democracy in a very, very tough area, so it's not all bad news, although it's certainly difficult.

NGUYEN: What does this say about the Iraqi military?

SHEPPERD: Well, the Iraqi military is clearly not ready yet. although they are doing some of the fighting. It's also very important that the United States is not seen as a destroyer of the holy sites within the Shiite religion, particularly the Imam Ali Shrine there. We are walking a very fine line between attacking the militants and making sure that we don't destroy or damage these sites. So if anybody has to damage them, it's much better that it be Iraqi forces in front of the U.S., but they have to be backed up by United States firepower. They simply don't have the ability to do it themselves now.

NGUYEN: On a whole, what is it going to take to get Al Sadr to disarm? What kind of deal needs upon taught on the table?

SHEPPERD: It's not a military solution; it's going to be a political solution. He is going to probably have to probably be given in some way amnesty from the charges he faces, amnesty for his Mehdi warriors that have been behind him, and it's going to have to be a solution where he's satisfied that, OK, my people are going to be taken care of, I'm going to exist, and now I feel like I can exist within the political framework of the new Iraq. Again, very, very important stuff that's going on.

NGUYEN: So amnesty for Al Sadr, amnesty for his militiamen. What will happen to the militiamen afterwards, if this happens?

SHEPPERD: Well, not only amnesty, but he's also seeking to free those that are in custody. Very likely they will be released back into society to take part in the new Iraq. That's the dream, if you will, of the interim government, to put this to rest and to use it as a model also for Fallujah so you don't have to go around Iraq killing everybody and all these militias that exist around there and all of the people that are armed, but rather you have a political solution and you can bring them into the fold. It's really the wave of the future. And hopefully, Najaf will end up being the way to do it, an example, as opposed to a big failure that causes a lot of death and explodes in our face. NGUYEN: Now is this something the Iraqi government has to do all on its own, because the Vatican has even offered to help?

SHEPPERD: Not only the Vatican, but the United States. Kofi Annan has offered to intervene. So if the interim government, under Prime Minister Allawi sees that these can be useful and bring it to a conclusion, he may seek their assistance. It would be better if they could do it themselves and come to a logical conclusion with -- and bring all of this to a logical conclusion, but if others in the outside can be useful at some point, he probably will ask them to come in.

But this is an Iraqi call. The United States is backing them up. And the United States cannot be in the forefront. They have to have the OK of the interim government for whatever goes on there as far as United States and coalition actions.

NGUYEN: General Shepperd, thank you for your insight.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

NGUYEN: Kyra?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An archaeologist speculates that Jesus Christ may have walked into this cave. The divine discovery and the journey inside, just ahead.

Also, live from Athens, Greece, another beautiful piece of history, the Acropolis. Michael Holmes join us live with an update from the Olympics, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Day four of the Summer Games in Athens gives one of America's star athletes a chance to redeem himself.

CNN's Michael Holmes live now from Athens. He's redeemed himself. He's got the assignment of the century.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what a contrast, Kyra, from Iraq to the Athens Olympics. Beautiful, can't complain at all. Lovely night here in Athens, after a couple of days of high winds.

All of attention still focused on the pool. Four gold medals are up for grabs today out of an 11 total gold medals.

And you mentioned Michael Phelps there. That's right, his quest for eight Olympic gold medals. well, that's distant memory now. He is still however in the hunt to get eight medals. If he did that, that would tie the all-time record set back in 1980 by a Russian gymnast.

Tonight, he was in the pool. He was in the 200-meter butterfly tonight. He struck gold, his second gold medal of these games. He has two bronze already as well. Takashi Yamamoto from Japan took silver. Britain gets its first swimming medal since 1996, by taking out the bronze with Steven Perry.

Got to mention The Thorpedo, Ian Thorpe, who defeated Phelps the other night in the pool. He's in the final of the 100-meter freestyle, a bit of a glamour even this. If it wins, it'll mean he has the 100, 200, 400 from these Games, and will become Australia's most decorated Olympian of all time.

Now the women's 200-meter freestyle, should mention that, a little bit of an upset, went to a Romanian, Camelia Potec, a silver to Italy, bronze to France.

And, finally, some good news for the host country, after a bit a doping scandal in the last week or two, and that is that Greece now has its second gold medal of these games. Ilias Iliadis won a judo gold medal at the 81-kilogram class. That follows on from their gold medal performance in the synchronized diving in the men's event last evening -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Michael, wait a minute, what about the man in the tutu?

HOLMES: Ah, yes. Now, there's a story for you. That was -- if we've had Greek drama, we've also had Greek comedy. At the synchronized-diving venue today, a 31-year-old Canadian man in a tutu and clown shoes appeared on one of the platform and just launched himself into the pool. Now he had a message to his wife apparently written on his chest, a loving message. And it's a funny story, but it really gave the security guys a bit of a sudden start, because they've now tightened security around venues to make sure no more men in tutus get into events. The judges did not award points, but he scored highly with his wife, we're told, and he is in police custody -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right,Michael Holmes, always a little comedy and tragedy in Greece. Thank you so much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Got to love men in tutus.

All right. Well, been wheezing and sneezing. Fall allergy season is already here.

Our Elizabeth Cohen brings us a new way to spell relief when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, do you have allergies? I do. And ragweed season unofficially began this week. Lucky me. But help may soon be on the way in the form of an over-the-counter cream that you apply directly to your nose.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with all this. Good morning to -- or good afternoon, I should say.

This is good news for folks like me who don't like ragweed.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It could be good news, that's right, Betty.

Now, ragweed allergies are a fall allergy, but they actually begin in the middle of August, actually. And there's a product that's been available in Europe, which is a cream that you apply to your nose. It's called Allergol. And it's been available in Europe, and it may be coming to the United States. And it would be over the counter.

Let's take a look at what a new study shows -- the results of a study with 91 patients. What they found is that when folks took Allergol, it actually did reduce their symptoms. They took it four times a day, and they actually applied it to their nose, believe it or not. They just rubbed it right to base of their nose.

And when they applied it four times a day it formed a barrier against allergens. If you can imagine, the allergens were sort of on their way in, but they got stopped by this cream. And it reduced allergy symptoms by 60 percent. That's compared to a placebo, which reduced it only 25 percent.

Now, the company that makes the product did the study. They say there were no adverse side effects, and they say that could be on sale in the United States, again, over the counter -- Betty?

NGUYEN: So, no shots, no pills, just a cream. I like the sound of that. Thanks, Elizabeth -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to take a quick break. We are expecting a live news conference anytime with the Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. He's traveling the devastated area there in Florida from the hurricane. We're planning to take that as soon as he steps up to a mike.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: For centuries, it was hidden behind some trees in a farm just 15 minutes outside Jerusalem. But an archaeologist says a tiny hole in a limestone hill has opened up a divine discovery, linking the modern world with the biblical figure of John the Baptist, a distant relative of Jesus and the disciple who immersed Christ and many of his followers.

CNN's Stan Grant takes us inside the cave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON GIBSON, ARCHAEOLOGIST: John the Baptist, in all his glory. You can see...

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a crude cave drawing, but it could be proof John the Baptist existed.

GIBSON: ... the eyes, a very long nose, the mouth... GRANT: To archaeologist Shimon Gibson, this cave is a doorway into the time of Jesus, for centuries hidden near Jerusalem, close to where John was born, only now giving up its secrets. A place where the fiery New Testament preacher carried out his cleansing rituals.

GIBSON: The evidence we have dates back to the late 1st century B.C. and early 1st century A.D., to the time of John the Baptist himself. And this is quite astounding.

GRANT (on camera): According to archaeologists, this footprint represents an important part of the puzzle. It shows a break with Jewish tradition. It was here that followers would come and place their feet to be anointed with oil. They then undergo a new ritual: Baptism performed by John.

GIBSON: Following that, people will then have immersed themselves in the water at the back of the cave. Then they would have come out and put on new robes, and they would have been purified. And then, they would have set out from the cave.

GRANT (voice-over): Who was John? The Bible says a man who preached in the wilderness, depicted as a wild figure living on locusts, clad in camel skin with matted hair. He's believed to have been a cousin of Jesus and baptized him. Shimon Gibson imagines Jesus himself with John in this cave.

GIBSON: But this is speculation. But it's nice to think about it, the idea that, down these steps, Jesus himself walked and then performed baptism rites.

GRANT: But is all of this to be believed? There are no inscriptions, no written proof. The evidence, Gibson concedes, is circumstantial.

GIBSON: It would have been wonderful if John the Baptist had sort of inscribed in the wall, "I am John the Baptist, and this is the place where I baptize," but you know, that's the nature of archaeological discovery.

GRANT: Gibson is ready for the debate. For five years, he's kept his discovery a secret, since he was told about the cave by locals. The story of John, he says, is on the walls. Depictions of his decapitated head and severed arm, all pointing, he says, to one of the great archaeological finds of the gospels, the cave of John the Baptist.

Stan Grant, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, if you download music, Rhonda's got news for you. And I think this is good news, right?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. How about cheaper tunes, Betty?

Price of music downloads is dropping. All the details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: The race for the White House race is not the only election capturing attention these days. Some of the nation's most familiar characters are squaring off to determine people's most beloved advertising icon.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talk about convention bounce. It's the Michelin Man versus the Pillsbury Doughboy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ho-ho-ho.

MOOS: It's the Jolly Green Giant versus Tony the Tiger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're grrrreat!

MOOS: No dirty tricks for Mr. Clean.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (singing): Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime.

MOOS: But will Mr. Clean be able to get rid of Mr. Peanut?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Mr. Peanut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's one of the few figures in America who literally knows he's nuts.

MOOS: There were campaign buttons, hats and posters. Quack the vote?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: AFLAC!

MOOS: That's the AFLAC duck in the jaws of Charlie the Tuna.

There are 26 candidates in the race for most-beloved advertising icon. You can cast your vote online.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I used to like Tony the Tiger when I was little.

MOOS (on camera): Let's get him over here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: Sorry Charlie, you're out of the picture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, Charlie. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember you when I was little.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frosted flakes are great!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To tell you the truth, I never had his cereal. I just liked Tony.

MOOS (voice over): The icons gathered gingerly on the steps of New York City Hall, where they were greeted by a former mayor who denied resembling Mr. Clean.

ED KOCH, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: I am not bald. I am balding.

MOOS: But if you add the earring.

The point of the contest seems to be to advertise advertising. At the ripe age of 60, this icon is looking good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh! Chiquita Banana.

MOOS (on camera): Well, who did you think you were talking to?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at all the fruit on my head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought I was talking to Carmen Miranda. That's my day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): You can put them in a salad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can put it in a pie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Clean will clean your whole house.

MOOS (voice over): And though this guy was leaning towards voting for Mr. Clean...

(on camera): Are you having second thoughts about Mr. Clean?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, there's a lot to be said for Chiquita bananas.

MOOS (voice over): It drove security bananas when Mr. Peanut set off a metal detector.

(on camera): I'd check this guy's hat.

(voice over): When things are so bad they have to wand Mr. Peanut, the world really has gone nuts.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, at any moment now, we're expecting Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to step up to the mic. He's been traveling through Florida after that Hurricane Charley, and he's with our Jeanne Meserve. We expect a live -- exclusive live interview, hopefully, coming up in the next hour.

And she's like most brides-to-be, but only one big difference. There's just a single gift on her wedding wishlist. Pia's story, when LIVE FROM's hour of power begins after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired August 17, 2004 - 13:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest from Najaf, where fierce fighting continues between the Mehdi militia and Iraqi forces backed by U.S. troops. An Iraqi National Conference delegation traveled to meet with Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr today in a bid to end that bloodshed.
And retired Major General Don Shepperd joins us from Tucson, Arizona to talk about the prospect of a truce and why it's so important to the Democratic future of Iraq.

Good afternoon, general.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: How are you?

NGUYEN: Well this morning, we heard that bombs were dropped, a bomb was dropped near the cometary in Najaf just as that delegation arrived to broker a peace plan. Does that mean the plan is off the table?

SHEPPERD: No, but it certainly means it's in danger.

What's going on in Najaf is the most important thing happening in all of Iraq right now. As Najaf goes also goes the interim government, also may go Fallujah, and also may go what happens with other militias and the army in Iraq itself. It's exceedingly important and it's very clear that fighting is continuing there.

I thought there would be a truce, at least while the delegation was there to meet with Muqtada Al Sadr, but it doesn't look like that's holding.

NGUYEN: Now this is more than trying to broke are a deal with Muqtada Al Sadr; this also says a lot about the stability and credibility of the new Iraqi government, doesn't it?

SHEPPERD: The credibility of this new government is really tied to how things happen in Najaf. If Muqtada Al Sadr is victorious and if he is allowed to maintain this militia that can attack, then other militias across the country are going to feel like they can do exactly the same thing. So it's really, really important that this be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

What the interim government is trying to do is make Muqtada Al Sadr join the political process, as opposed to becoming a separate militia that's conducting a war, within the war that's already going on.

NGUYEN: It can also serve as an example of how this new government will deal with ethnic and other religious factions.

SHEPPERD: Yes, there's some good news about what's going on here, believe it or not. The interim government is calling a council, trying to -- of 1,000 clerics and representatives from across country, trying to get 100 of them to oversee the interim government until elections take place at the first of the year. That's a political process. It was derailed by the things going on in Najaf, where they decided that Najaf was more important than the process, and to send a delegation down to Najaf to see if they can negotiate a cease-fire down there or a solution.

This is democracy in action, democracy in a very, very tough area, so it's not all bad news, although it's certainly difficult.

NGUYEN: What does this say about the Iraqi military?

SHEPPERD: Well, the Iraqi military is clearly not ready yet. although they are doing some of the fighting. It's also very important that the United States is not seen as a destroyer of the holy sites within the Shiite religion, particularly the Imam Ali Shrine there. We are walking a very fine line between attacking the militants and making sure that we don't destroy or damage these sites. So if anybody has to damage them, it's much better that it be Iraqi forces in front of the U.S., but they have to be backed up by United States firepower. They simply don't have the ability to do it themselves now.

NGUYEN: On a whole, what is it going to take to get Al Sadr to disarm? What kind of deal needs upon taught on the table?

SHEPPERD: It's not a military solution; it's going to be a political solution. He is going to probably have to probably be given in some way amnesty from the charges he faces, amnesty for his Mehdi warriors that have been behind him, and it's going to have to be a solution where he's satisfied that, OK, my people are going to be taken care of, I'm going to exist, and now I feel like I can exist within the political framework of the new Iraq. Again, very, very important stuff that's going on.

NGUYEN: So amnesty for Al Sadr, amnesty for his militiamen. What will happen to the militiamen afterwards, if this happens?

SHEPPERD: Well, not only amnesty, but he's also seeking to free those that are in custody. Very likely they will be released back into society to take part in the new Iraq. That's the dream, if you will, of the interim government, to put this to rest and to use it as a model also for Fallujah so you don't have to go around Iraq killing everybody and all these militias that exist around there and all of the people that are armed, but rather you have a political solution and you can bring them into the fold. It's really the wave of the future. And hopefully, Najaf will end up being the way to do it, an example, as opposed to a big failure that causes a lot of death and explodes in our face. NGUYEN: Now is this something the Iraqi government has to do all on its own, because the Vatican has even offered to help?

SHEPPERD: Not only the Vatican, but the United States. Kofi Annan has offered to intervene. So if the interim government, under Prime Minister Allawi sees that these can be useful and bring it to a conclusion, he may seek their assistance. It would be better if they could do it themselves and come to a logical conclusion with -- and bring all of this to a logical conclusion, but if others in the outside can be useful at some point, he probably will ask them to come in.

But this is an Iraqi call. The United States is backing them up. And the United States cannot be in the forefront. They have to have the OK of the interim government for whatever goes on there as far as United States and coalition actions.

NGUYEN: General Shepperd, thank you for your insight.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

NGUYEN: Kyra?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An archaeologist speculates that Jesus Christ may have walked into this cave. The divine discovery and the journey inside, just ahead.

Also, live from Athens, Greece, another beautiful piece of history, the Acropolis. Michael Holmes join us live with an update from the Olympics, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Day four of the Summer Games in Athens gives one of America's star athletes a chance to redeem himself.

CNN's Michael Holmes live now from Athens. He's redeemed himself. He's got the assignment of the century.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what a contrast, Kyra, from Iraq to the Athens Olympics. Beautiful, can't complain at all. Lovely night here in Athens, after a couple of days of high winds.

All of attention still focused on the pool. Four gold medals are up for grabs today out of an 11 total gold medals.

And you mentioned Michael Phelps there. That's right, his quest for eight Olympic gold medals. well, that's distant memory now. He is still however in the hunt to get eight medals. If he did that, that would tie the all-time record set back in 1980 by a Russian gymnast.

Tonight, he was in the pool. He was in the 200-meter butterfly tonight. He struck gold, his second gold medal of these games. He has two bronze already as well. Takashi Yamamoto from Japan took silver. Britain gets its first swimming medal since 1996, by taking out the bronze with Steven Perry.

Got to mention The Thorpedo, Ian Thorpe, who defeated Phelps the other night in the pool. He's in the final of the 100-meter freestyle, a bit of a glamour even this. If it wins, it'll mean he has the 100, 200, 400 from these Games, and will become Australia's most decorated Olympian of all time.

Now the women's 200-meter freestyle, should mention that, a little bit of an upset, went to a Romanian, Camelia Potec, a silver to Italy, bronze to France.

And, finally, some good news for the host country, after a bit a doping scandal in the last week or two, and that is that Greece now has its second gold medal of these games. Ilias Iliadis won a judo gold medal at the 81-kilogram class. That follows on from their gold medal performance in the synchronized diving in the men's event last evening -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Michael, wait a minute, what about the man in the tutu?

HOLMES: Ah, yes. Now, there's a story for you. That was -- if we've had Greek drama, we've also had Greek comedy. At the synchronized-diving venue today, a 31-year-old Canadian man in a tutu and clown shoes appeared on one of the platform and just launched himself into the pool. Now he had a message to his wife apparently written on his chest, a loving message. And it's a funny story, but it really gave the security guys a bit of a sudden start, because they've now tightened security around venues to make sure no more men in tutus get into events. The judges did not award points, but he scored highly with his wife, we're told, and he is in police custody -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right,Michael Holmes, always a little comedy and tragedy in Greece. Thank you so much -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Got to love men in tutus.

All right. Well, been wheezing and sneezing. Fall allergy season is already here.

Our Elizabeth Cohen brings us a new way to spell relief when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, do you have allergies? I do. And ragweed season unofficially began this week. Lucky me. But help may soon be on the way in the form of an over-the-counter cream that you apply directly to your nose.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with all this. Good morning to -- or good afternoon, I should say.

This is good news for folks like me who don't like ragweed.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It could be good news, that's right, Betty.

Now, ragweed allergies are a fall allergy, but they actually begin in the middle of August, actually. And there's a product that's been available in Europe, which is a cream that you apply to your nose. It's called Allergol. And it's been available in Europe, and it may be coming to the United States. And it would be over the counter.

Let's take a look at what a new study shows -- the results of a study with 91 patients. What they found is that when folks took Allergol, it actually did reduce their symptoms. They took it four times a day, and they actually applied it to their nose, believe it or not. They just rubbed it right to base of their nose.

And when they applied it four times a day it formed a barrier against allergens. If you can imagine, the allergens were sort of on their way in, but they got stopped by this cream. And it reduced allergy symptoms by 60 percent. That's compared to a placebo, which reduced it only 25 percent.

Now, the company that makes the product did the study. They say there were no adverse side effects, and they say that could be on sale in the United States, again, over the counter -- Betty?

NGUYEN: So, no shots, no pills, just a cream. I like the sound of that. Thanks, Elizabeth -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right, we're going to take a quick break. We are expecting a live news conference anytime with the Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. He's traveling the devastated area there in Florida from the hurricane. We're planning to take that as soon as he steps up to a mike.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: For centuries, it was hidden behind some trees in a farm just 15 minutes outside Jerusalem. But an archaeologist says a tiny hole in a limestone hill has opened up a divine discovery, linking the modern world with the biblical figure of John the Baptist, a distant relative of Jesus and the disciple who immersed Christ and many of his followers.

CNN's Stan Grant takes us inside the cave.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON GIBSON, ARCHAEOLOGIST: John the Baptist, in all his glory. You can see...

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a crude cave drawing, but it could be proof John the Baptist existed.

GIBSON: ... the eyes, a very long nose, the mouth... GRANT: To archaeologist Shimon Gibson, this cave is a doorway into the time of Jesus, for centuries hidden near Jerusalem, close to where John was born, only now giving up its secrets. A place where the fiery New Testament preacher carried out his cleansing rituals.

GIBSON: The evidence we have dates back to the late 1st century B.C. and early 1st century A.D., to the time of John the Baptist himself. And this is quite astounding.

GRANT (on camera): According to archaeologists, this footprint represents an important part of the puzzle. It shows a break with Jewish tradition. It was here that followers would come and place their feet to be anointed with oil. They then undergo a new ritual: Baptism performed by John.

GIBSON: Following that, people will then have immersed themselves in the water at the back of the cave. Then they would have come out and put on new robes, and they would have been purified. And then, they would have set out from the cave.

GRANT (voice-over): Who was John? The Bible says a man who preached in the wilderness, depicted as a wild figure living on locusts, clad in camel skin with matted hair. He's believed to have been a cousin of Jesus and baptized him. Shimon Gibson imagines Jesus himself with John in this cave.

GIBSON: But this is speculation. But it's nice to think about it, the idea that, down these steps, Jesus himself walked and then performed baptism rites.

GRANT: But is all of this to be believed? There are no inscriptions, no written proof. The evidence, Gibson concedes, is circumstantial.

GIBSON: It would have been wonderful if John the Baptist had sort of inscribed in the wall, "I am John the Baptist, and this is the place where I baptize," but you know, that's the nature of archaeological discovery.

GRANT: Gibson is ready for the debate. For five years, he's kept his discovery a secret, since he was told about the cave by locals. The story of John, he says, is on the walls. Depictions of his decapitated head and severed arm, all pointing, he says, to one of the great archaeological finds of the gospels, the cave of John the Baptist.

Stan Grant, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, if you download music, Rhonda's got news for you. And I think this is good news, right?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. How about cheaper tunes, Betty?

Price of music downloads is dropping. All the details coming up.

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(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: The race for the White House race is not the only election capturing attention these days. Some of the nation's most familiar characters are squaring off to determine people's most beloved advertising icon.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talk about convention bounce. It's the Michelin Man versus the Pillsbury Doughboy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ho-ho-ho.

MOOS: It's the Jolly Green Giant versus Tony the Tiger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're grrrreat!

MOOS: No dirty tricks for Mr. Clean.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (singing): Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime.

MOOS: But will Mr. Clean be able to get rid of Mr. Peanut?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Mr. Peanut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's one of the few figures in America who literally knows he's nuts.

MOOS: There were campaign buttons, hats and posters. Quack the vote?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: AFLAC!

MOOS: That's the AFLAC duck in the jaws of Charlie the Tuna.

There are 26 candidates in the race for most-beloved advertising icon. You can cast your vote online.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I used to like Tony the Tiger when I was little.

MOOS (on camera): Let's get him over here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS: Sorry Charlie, you're out of the picture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, Charlie. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember you when I was little.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frosted flakes are great!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To tell you the truth, I never had his cereal. I just liked Tony.

MOOS (voice over): The icons gathered gingerly on the steps of New York City Hall, where they were greeted by a former mayor who denied resembling Mr. Clean.

ED KOCH, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: I am not bald. I am balding.

MOOS: But if you add the earring.

The point of the contest seems to be to advertise advertising. At the ripe age of 60, this icon is looking good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh! Chiquita Banana.

MOOS (on camera): Well, who did you think you were talking to?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at all the fruit on my head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought I was talking to Carmen Miranda. That's my day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): You can put them in a salad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can put it in a pie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Clean will clean your whole house.

MOOS (voice over): And though this guy was leaning towards voting for Mr. Clean...

(on camera): Are you having second thoughts about Mr. Clean?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, there's a lot to be said for Chiquita bananas.

MOOS (voice over): It drove security bananas when Mr. Peanut set off a metal detector.

(on camera): I'd check this guy's hat.

(voice over): When things are so bad they have to wand Mr. Peanut, the world really has gone nuts.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, at any moment now, we're expecting Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to step up to the mic. He's been traveling through Florida after that Hurricane Charley, and he's with our Jeanne Meserve. We expect a live -- exclusive live interview, hopefully, coming up in the next hour.

And she's like most brides-to-be, but only one big difference. There's just a single gift on her wedding wishlist. Pia's story, when LIVE FROM's hour of power begins after this.

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