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Is "Dr. Germ" Out on Bail?; Cat Stevens Denied Entry into United States; Search For Alligator in Mobile Ends

Aired September 22, 2004 - 13:00   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.


DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The notorious "Dr. Germ" out on bail or not? The back and forth over some Iraqi women in custody.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Women prisoners in Iraq, what happens next? That story coming up.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Cat Stevens... it's not a "Moon Shadow." It's a Department of Homeland Security. Kicked off a flight and deported... is the singer known today as Yusuf Islam a dangerous man?

GRIFFIN: Speaking of dangerous, for sure, the hunt for Chucky finally over. Find out how the big 'gator was captured, and the man who led the mission. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Drew Griffin. Miles is on assignment today.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Wednesday, September 23rd. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now. We begin this hour with the British engineer and "Dr. Germ," one a hostage of Islamic terrorists in Iraq, the other a so-called high value detainee of the U.S. military.

Their fates, at least, appear to be linked...

(AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... demands that Americans release Iraqi women in their custody. The group called Unification and Jihad already has executed two hostages, coworkers of Kenneth Bigley seen here, in two days. Today, Iraqi officials sent mixed messages about the...

(AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... of Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, though U.S. officials say nobody's going anywhere anytime soon. We get the latest from CNN's Walter Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Contradiction and confusion... the reports that the Iraqi government was considering the release of some high value female detainees. That, you will recall, was the demand of the Islamist militant kidnappers who abducted two Americans and Briton a week ago... (AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... they would only spare the lives of their hostages if the Iraq women prisoners were released. After two Americans were beheaded, Iraq's justice minister began to signal that he thought Rihab Taha, the former scientist who used to work on Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons programs, should be paroled. Indeed, other Iraqi ministers signal she should be paroled.

But the United States Embassy here in Baghdad says that is not going to happen, because she is in the custody of the United States government. All the high valued detainees are in the custody of the U.S. government, not the Iraqi government. So they are not the Iraqis to release.

Indeed, the Americans say the release of any of these high value detainees is not imminent. None of that bodes well for Kenneth Bigley, the remaining British hostage. The 62-year-old man has a death threat hanging over his head. His family has pleaded for his release. Still, there has been no indication of any compassion or willingness to negotiate on the part of Islamist militants. And indeed, that death threat is still in effect. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Well, the status of prisoners in Iraq, who holds them in custody, who is in charge of them, who would have the power to release them... a collaboration between the U.S. and Iraqi leaders, up to a point. CNN's Barbara Starr checks in from the Pentagon with more on the process and the prisoners themselves.

STARR: Drew, a very complex situation, and as Walt Rodgers says from Baghdad now, very sensitive, given the situation with the remaining British hostage. What we do know is that all of the high value detainees held by the United States, their situation is under review... that they have all been reviewed to see if they should continue to be held.

Their release conditions would depend on things such as, do they still have intelligence value? Have they been cooperating during their interrogations? What we also know is that this female detainee, "Dr. Germ," Dr. Rihab Rashib Taha, as recently as a week ago, just before the hostages were taken, her case was discussed. It was reviewed.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have been talking last week about her situation. But what U.S. officials are telling us, very adamantly, that any potential future release of Dr. Taha would in no way be related to the hostage situation. They want to absolutely make every effort to disconnect the two.

So the question, of course, would be even if she was earmarked for some sort of release, whether that would happen now, because it might send the wrong signal. As to who really controls these hostages, this is all now part of another very delicate situation, political and diplomatic reality.

They are high value detainees that were under U.S. custody, now...

GRIFFIN: Barbara... Barbara Starr, we're going to have to get back to you on that. We want to go to the United Nations, where Secretary of State Colin Powell is speaking...

(PRESS CONFERENCE)

GRIFFIN: The comments of Secretary of State Colin Powell. He's trying to get more support for the Iraq mission, especially prior to the elections. We're going to get back to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, your thoughts on just the confusion surrounding this. Giving in to terrorist demands have been around ever since... the question of it has been around ever since terrorists have made demands. But even the question or the confusion of giving into terrorist demands seems to weaken the issue.

STARR: Well, this is the difficult sensitivity right at this time, Drew, because they had been, in fact, look at the possibility of releasing, paroling, if you will, some of these high value detainees that they felt no longer had intelligence value, or that had been cooperative. And by all accounts, Dr. Taha was one of the people that they, indeed, were looking at, as recently as just before these three men were taken hostage about a week ago.

We are told there had been no decision about her case, but now, certainly, it would become very difficult to release her at this point. It would send a signal that the U.S. is adamant that it does not want to send... a lot of confusion, as Walt Rodgers reported, out of Baghdad earlier today. Ministry of Justice personnel saying she might be released, that other people might be released.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi stepping in very quickly here in the United States and saying that no one would be released... there would be no giving in, as he said, to the demands of the kidnappers. So a lot of effort right now to make sure that they are sending the right signal, that no release is likely to be imminent. No release, at the same time, is ever going to be tied to kidnappers' demands.

Drew, this is becoming very critical at this point, because the insurgency is seen in recent weeks as growing, as more violent, more lethal. And they do believe now that there's a criminal network at work in Iraq, seizing hostages, taking hostages, and then essentially selling them to some of these insurgent groups for their own group propaganda value, if you will... so becoming a very dangerous, very sensitive situation -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. In just a few minutes, we're going to get more on the kidnapping epidemic, the status of Iraqi detainees, from a retired U.S. Army colonel and a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. That's about a quarter past the hour right here on LIVE FROM -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, today would have been Jack Hensley's 49th birthday. Instead of celebrating, though, his family in suburban Atlanta is mourning his grisly killing in Iraq. This morning, Hensley's younger brother appeared on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TY HENSLEY, SLAIN HOSTAGE'S BROTHER: The primary reason for my being here is a couple things. One is to let the world know who Jack Hensley was. His story will be out for a day or two, but the pain is going to be suffered for generations in my family. Jack Hensley was an extraordinarily innocent man.

He went over there to provide money or an income for his family, as a last resort. Jack Hensley was a volunteer in the rescue squad. He was my t-ball coach. He put my toys together at Christmas. And he was the most incredible father to his 13-year-old daughter, softball coach to her... and as a matter of fact, I mean, he is my role model for my children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Ty Hensley says that Jack's widow, Pati, who has made numerous TV appearances pleading for Jack's release, is extraordinarily devastated.

Well, back to Baghdad now, where car bombs and firefights leave casualties and collateral damage from Sadr City to Little Fallujah. The deadliest single incident occurred, once again, near a police recruiting center, a car bombing blamed for 12 deaths and dozens of injuries just outside an ice cream shop and photocopy store frequented by recruits and applicants.

Later, a suicide bombing in an upscale neighborhood wounded four U.S. soldiers in two Humvees. Now, in the sprawling slum known as Sadr City, street battles and U.S. air strikes killed at least 10 people, though an aid to the renegade cleric Muqtada al-Sadr puts the death toll at 18. A separate raid on Haifa Street, a hotbed known as Little Fallujah, killed four insurgents and netted rockets, rocket- propelled grenades, and mortars.

GRIFFIN: A woman with a bomb in Jerusalem killed herself and two other people just a couple of hours ago today. But police say a sharp-eyed patrolman helped prevent a much larger tragedy there. We got to CNN's Guy Raz. He has the latest on that -- Guy.

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, despite the casualties, Israeli officials are telling us it could have been much, much worse. Now, just over three hours ago, Zena Abu Salef (ph), a female suicide bomber, attempted to approach a busy bus stop in the French Hill neighborhood in east Jerusalem. And according to eyewitnesses, an Israeli border police officer spotted her, was suspicious, and tried to stop her.

At that moment, she detonated the device, instantly killing two people. Both of them, we understand now, were Israeli border policeman... and wounding 15 others. Now, this neighborhood, Drew, French Hill, is in the predominantly Arab part of Jerusalem, in east Jerusalem, and part of the city that came under Israeli occupation in 1967.

Today, it's a neighborhood, French Hill, favored mainly by students attending the nearby Hebrew University. And it's also been the site of several suicide attacks in the past. Now, there has been a claim of responsibility for today's attack. It was carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. It's an armed Palestinian movement that says it carried out the attacks in retaliation for recent Israeli assassinations of some of its key members.

Now, the Palestinian Authority, Drew, the main Palestinian representative body has condemned the attacks. But Israel has discounted those condemnations. In a recent interview today, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon saying his government will continue to carryout its policy of assassinating suspected militants and militants as long as these attacks continue -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: So even though this is a Palestinian neighborhood, the target was students at the bus stop, at this busy hour?

RAZ: Well, that's a bus stop that's used by students, by soldiers, and civilians. Many people... often used by people as a sort of a hitchhiking area, in a sense. But as I say, the bomber didn't manage to reach that area as a result of a relatively vigilant Israeli border police officer, who did manage to approach her before she was able to get to that crowded area -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Guy Raz reporting from Jerusalem. Thank you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: The latest from CBS as it names the team looking into how and why state documents made it onto "60 Minutes 2."

And the monster of Mobile captured. Ivan victims have one less worry among the debris of their lives, thanks to some crafty 'gator wrangling.

Well, he won't be riding on any peace train or flying United. The former Cat Stevens finds out exactly how wild the world really is. More on his abbreviated U.S. visit coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Will it or won't it? Mixed signals today on whether Iraq is planning to free a high value female prisoner known as "Dr. Germ." Iraq says the move is in no way linked to the demands that Islamic terrorists, who've executed two Americans, and are still holding a British man. But the timing sure is ironic, since the hostage takers are demanding that all female prisoners be released from Iraq prisons, or else.

Joining us from Washington, James Carafano, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and research fellow now at the Heritage Foundation. James, good to see you.

LT. COL. JAMES CARAFANO, U.S. ARMY, (RET.): Good to be with you. PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, we're going to talk about these two females, but do we know for sure that there are no other female prisoners right now in Iraq? Can we really determine that?

CARAFANO: Well, no. I think we basically have to go on the information that the government has given us. I mean, that's what they've said publicly.

PHILLIPS: All right, so let's talk about the two that we do know about, "Dr. Germ," Dr. Taha.

CARAFANO: Right.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about her and get a little history to why she was captured.

CARAFANO: Well, she's London trained. She's a microbiologist. She basically ran the biological weapons program in Iraq before the war. Her husband was the oil minister. So she actually was one on the deck of cards that they were looking for. She actually turned herself in voluntarily. And I'm sure they primarily were interested in finding out everything she knew about the state of biological weapons production in the country.

That's why she's been in custody. My guess is, you know, we've had two very good reports. David Kay did one, and then the follow-on one more recently. So my guess is we know pretty much about the level of... so I think in terms of information that we can get, my guess is we've probably gotten what we're going to get.

PHILLIPS: All right, and let's talk about this other... "Dr. Anthrax," Dr. Ammash. Let's get a little background behind her.

CARAFANO: Well, I think it's relatively the same thing. You know, these women both worked in the program. And what we really wanted from them was information about what they knew about the status of production and about efforts to hide the precursor material used to make the weapons with, the technology used to devise the weapons with, and what Saddam's intentions were.

And I think... the point is, once we've gotten that information, the only issue really relevant at that point is did they do something criminal they can be tried for. Apparently, the Iraqis said no, and now it's really up to the coalition. So unless the coalition actually has a crime that they can charge them with, my guess is that sooner or later, they'll release them.

PHILLIPS: All right, whether one is released -- they're actually talking about Dr. Taha -- let's say they're both released, one of them is released, are these women still a threat?

CARAFANO: Well, this is, you know, a real problem. If you think, after the end of the cold war, I mean, the Soviets dismantled a massive biological weapons program. They had thousands of scientists that knew how to make biological weapons. You know, the truth in the United States, anybody that's a biologist knows how to make biological weapons.

So the problem is they've got this information in their head. What only really makes them a threat is if they're actually in a position where they have a lab, and money, and somebody's getting them to do that. So you can't really, you know, hold somebody accountable just for having the info in their head.

It's, you know, do they represent a credible threat? And if they don't, there really isn't any reason to keep them in custody.

PHILLIPS: Well, the talk about releasing one of them now, is this just sort of bizarre timing, or do you think this is coming out because hostage takers are saying, "Release women, or we're going to behead Americans?"

CARAFANO: Well, you know, based on the fragmentary information we've gotten, cascading, coming out of Iraq, my guess is it's really more a reflection of just the way democracy is working. I mean, we're turning more and more things over to the Iraqis. We've asked the Iraqis to vet these people, and people in the government are doing this, and whether the timing matched the hostage thing, or whether that was an intentional or not, my guess is not.

And my guess is just miss cues (ph). And my guess is also we'll see more of these in the future. As we turn more and more authority over to the Iraqis, there'll be more disconnect and confusion between what the U.S. says and what the Iraqis say, just because as they get more authority and responsibility, more of this is going to happen.

PHILLIPS: Now, it's the Iraqi Council of Ministers that's talking about releasing "Dr. Germ." But doesn't this have to be a joint decision between the multinational forces and the Iraqi government, or can the U.S.... doesn't it have to be a joint decision? And can the U.S. step in and say no, this is too much of a threat right now, this country is not secure, don't even think about it?

CARAFANO: Well, I think Prime Minister Allawi's already said that. He said that, it's my understanding, that these women are actually in coalition custody. So basically, if it's true what the Iraqis said, that they basically cleared them... say, "We don't have a reason to hold them for doing any kind of crime." So it's really up to the coalition, if you've got any intelligence you need out of them. If you don't think that they've committed any crime, then as far as we're concerned, you can release them, which is what we've asked the Iraqis to do.

PHILLIPS: James Carafano, fellow at the Heritage Foundation, former U.S. Army. Thanks so much.

CARAFANO: Thanks for having me.

PHILLIPS: All right. Next on LIVE FROM, saying they had about 41 reasons to think Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife, a detective keeps the jury riveted. We're live at the courthouse as today's testimony begins. It really is a wild world. The former Cat Stevens is kicked off a flight and out of the U.S., all in the name of homeland security. More on that coming up.

(MOVIE CLIP)

Cinematic controversy... lost tapes found near the last sighting of Osama. What's on them? Nothing, because they aren't real. The new non-documentary that will have everyone talking. The stars of "September Tapes" tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: A detective who gave jurors a laundry list of reasons why Scott Peterson became the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance returns to the stand today. But first, jurors hearing from other witnesses. CNN's Ted Rowlands outside the courthouse in Redwood City, California. Ted, who was on the stand this morning?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are two witnesses that are being called out of order for scheduling reasons. The one on the stand right now is a medical expert from southern California that was hired by the prosecution to estimate the day that Connor Peterson was believed to have been killed. And he did a series of calculations, including bone measurements, and then factored in medical records from Laci Peterson and the child, using ultrasounds from Laci's doctor.

And he factored all of this together, and he came up with December 23rd. Of course, that is exactly what the prosecution wanted him to come up with, and that goes in with the prosecution theory that Scott Peterson killed his wife on the 23rd. Mark Geragos, Scott Peterson's defense attorney is having his shot at cross-examination at this hour.

The first question out of his mouth, and the first thing he established... first of all, that he was a paid consultant, and that there was a five-day window, plus or minus, to throw in a little bit of skepticism into this December 23rd date. This witness comes in the middle of compelling testimony from Detective Craig Grogan.

He has been put on hold until this witness and another can be dealt with. But Grogan is expected to be back on the stand at some point today, possible late this afternoon. Grogan had the jury riveted as he talked generically about the entire investigation, from the lead detective's point of view. And the prosecution was able to use him to take little facts that had been already established with other witnesses and put them together from a detective's point of view.

And the net effect of that was that jurors got to hear a lot of these little bricks that have been laid up in the prosecution's favor against Scott Peterson in more of a wall form, in the fact that Grogan could rattle off specific items that he thought were suspicious. They were already items that the jury has been exposed to with other witnesses, but Grogan did a good job of bringing it all together and bringing the case together from the prosecution's standpoint.

It is expected that Grogan will remain on the stand for the rest of the week. Mark Geragos is going to take him to task over a number of days... it is expected to try to dismantle some of the credibility that Grogan has established for his investigation, as he tries to get his client off -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Interesting stuff, Ted. We'll look for that cross- examination. Thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, there's a broad-based sell off under way on Wall Street. Rhonda Schaffler's watching all the action. Hi, Rhonda.

(MARKET REPORT)

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Aired September 22, 2004 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: The notorious "Dr. Germ" out on bail or not? The back and forth over some Iraqi women in custody.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Women prisoners in Iraq, what happens next? That story coming up.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Cat Stevens... it's not a "Moon Shadow." It's a Department of Homeland Security. Kicked off a flight and deported... is the singer known today as Yusuf Islam a dangerous man?

GRIFFIN: Speaking of dangerous, for sure, the hunt for Chucky finally over. Find out how the big 'gator was captured, and the man who led the mission. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Drew Griffin. Miles is on assignment today.

PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. It's Wednesday, September 23rd. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now. We begin this hour with the British engineer and "Dr. Germ," one a hostage of Islamic terrorists in Iraq, the other a so-called high value detainee of the U.S. military.

Their fates, at least, appear to be linked...

(AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... demands that Americans release Iraqi women in their custody. The group called Unification and Jihad already has executed two hostages, coworkers of Kenneth Bigley seen here, in two days. Today, Iraqi officials sent mixed messages about the...

(AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... of Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, though U.S. officials say nobody's going anywhere anytime soon. We get the latest from CNN's Walter Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Contradiction and confusion... the reports that the Iraqi government was considering the release of some high value female detainees. That, you will recall, was the demand of the Islamist militant kidnappers who abducted two Americans and Briton a week ago... (AUDIO DIFFICULTIES)

... they would only spare the lives of their hostages if the Iraq women prisoners were released. After two Americans were beheaded, Iraq's justice minister began to signal that he thought Rihab Taha, the former scientist who used to work on Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons programs, should be paroled. Indeed, other Iraqi ministers signal she should be paroled.

But the United States Embassy here in Baghdad says that is not going to happen, because she is in the custody of the United States government. All the high valued detainees are in the custody of the U.S. government, not the Iraqi government. So they are not the Iraqis to release.

Indeed, the Americans say the release of any of these high value detainees is not imminent. None of that bodes well for Kenneth Bigley, the remaining British hostage. The 62-year-old man has a death threat hanging over his head. His family has pleaded for his release. Still, there has been no indication of any compassion or willingness to negotiate on the part of Islamist militants. And indeed, that death threat is still in effect. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Well, the status of prisoners in Iraq, who holds them in custody, who is in charge of them, who would have the power to release them... a collaboration between the U.S. and Iraqi leaders, up to a point. CNN's Barbara Starr checks in from the Pentagon with more on the process and the prisoners themselves.

STARR: Drew, a very complex situation, and as Walt Rodgers says from Baghdad now, very sensitive, given the situation with the remaining British hostage. What we do know is that all of the high value detainees held by the United States, their situation is under review... that they have all been reviewed to see if they should continue to be held.

Their release conditions would depend on things such as, do they still have intelligence value? Have they been cooperating during their interrogations? What we also know is that this female detainee, "Dr. Germ," Dr. Rihab Rashib Taha, as recently as a week ago, just before the hostages were taken, her case was discussed. It was reviewed.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have been talking last week about her situation. But what U.S. officials are telling us, very adamantly, that any potential future release of Dr. Taha would in no way be related to the hostage situation. They want to absolutely make every effort to disconnect the two.

So the question, of course, would be even if she was earmarked for some sort of release, whether that would happen now, because it might send the wrong signal. As to who really controls these hostages, this is all now part of another very delicate situation, political and diplomatic reality.

They are high value detainees that were under U.S. custody, now...

GRIFFIN: Barbara... Barbara Starr, we're going to have to get back to you on that. We want to go to the United Nations, where Secretary of State Colin Powell is speaking...

(PRESS CONFERENCE)

GRIFFIN: The comments of Secretary of State Colin Powell. He's trying to get more support for the Iraq mission, especially prior to the elections. We're going to get back to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, your thoughts on just the confusion surrounding this. Giving in to terrorist demands have been around ever since... the question of it has been around ever since terrorists have made demands. But even the question or the confusion of giving into terrorist demands seems to weaken the issue.

STARR: Well, this is the difficult sensitivity right at this time, Drew, because they had been, in fact, look at the possibility of releasing, paroling, if you will, some of these high value detainees that they felt no longer had intelligence value, or that had been cooperative. And by all accounts, Dr. Taha was one of the people that they, indeed, were looking at, as recently as just before these three men were taken hostage about a week ago.

We are told there had been no decision about her case, but now, certainly, it would become very difficult to release her at this point. It would send a signal that the U.S. is adamant that it does not want to send... a lot of confusion, as Walt Rodgers reported, out of Baghdad earlier today. Ministry of Justice personnel saying she might be released, that other people might be released.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi stepping in very quickly here in the United States and saying that no one would be released... there would be no giving in, as he said, to the demands of the kidnappers. So a lot of effort right now to make sure that they are sending the right signal, that no release is likely to be imminent. No release, at the same time, is ever going to be tied to kidnappers' demands.

Drew, this is becoming very critical at this point, because the insurgency is seen in recent weeks as growing, as more violent, more lethal. And they do believe now that there's a criminal network at work in Iraq, seizing hostages, taking hostages, and then essentially selling them to some of these insurgent groups for their own group propaganda value, if you will... so becoming a very dangerous, very sensitive situation -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. In just a few minutes, we're going to get more on the kidnapping epidemic, the status of Iraqi detainees, from a retired U.S. Army colonel and a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. That's about a quarter past the hour right here on LIVE FROM -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, today would have been Jack Hensley's 49th birthday. Instead of celebrating, though, his family in suburban Atlanta is mourning his grisly killing in Iraq. This morning, Hensley's younger brother appeared on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TY HENSLEY, SLAIN HOSTAGE'S BROTHER: The primary reason for my being here is a couple things. One is to let the world know who Jack Hensley was. His story will be out for a day or two, but the pain is going to be suffered for generations in my family. Jack Hensley was an extraordinarily innocent man.

He went over there to provide money or an income for his family, as a last resort. Jack Hensley was a volunteer in the rescue squad. He was my t-ball coach. He put my toys together at Christmas. And he was the most incredible father to his 13-year-old daughter, softball coach to her... and as a matter of fact, I mean, he is my role model for my children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Ty Hensley says that Jack's widow, Pati, who has made numerous TV appearances pleading for Jack's release, is extraordinarily devastated.

Well, back to Baghdad now, where car bombs and firefights leave casualties and collateral damage from Sadr City to Little Fallujah. The deadliest single incident occurred, once again, near a police recruiting center, a car bombing blamed for 12 deaths and dozens of injuries just outside an ice cream shop and photocopy store frequented by recruits and applicants.

Later, a suicide bombing in an upscale neighborhood wounded four U.S. soldiers in two Humvees. Now, in the sprawling slum known as Sadr City, street battles and U.S. air strikes killed at least 10 people, though an aid to the renegade cleric Muqtada al-Sadr puts the death toll at 18. A separate raid on Haifa Street, a hotbed known as Little Fallujah, killed four insurgents and netted rockets, rocket- propelled grenades, and mortars.

GRIFFIN: A woman with a bomb in Jerusalem killed herself and two other people just a couple of hours ago today. But police say a sharp-eyed patrolman helped prevent a much larger tragedy there. We got to CNN's Guy Raz. He has the latest on that -- Guy.

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, despite the casualties, Israeli officials are telling us it could have been much, much worse. Now, just over three hours ago, Zena Abu Salef (ph), a female suicide bomber, attempted to approach a busy bus stop in the French Hill neighborhood in east Jerusalem. And according to eyewitnesses, an Israeli border police officer spotted her, was suspicious, and tried to stop her.

At that moment, she detonated the device, instantly killing two people. Both of them, we understand now, were Israeli border policeman... and wounding 15 others. Now, this neighborhood, Drew, French Hill, is in the predominantly Arab part of Jerusalem, in east Jerusalem, and part of the city that came under Israeli occupation in 1967.

Today, it's a neighborhood, French Hill, favored mainly by students attending the nearby Hebrew University. And it's also been the site of several suicide attacks in the past. Now, there has been a claim of responsibility for today's attack. It was carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. It's an armed Palestinian movement that says it carried out the attacks in retaliation for recent Israeli assassinations of some of its key members.

Now, the Palestinian Authority, Drew, the main Palestinian representative body has condemned the attacks. But Israel has discounted those condemnations. In a recent interview today, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon saying his government will continue to carryout its policy of assassinating suspected militants and militants as long as these attacks continue -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: So even though this is a Palestinian neighborhood, the target was students at the bus stop, at this busy hour?

RAZ: Well, that's a bus stop that's used by students, by soldiers, and civilians. Many people... often used by people as a sort of a hitchhiking area, in a sense. But as I say, the bomber didn't manage to reach that area as a result of a relatively vigilant Israeli border police officer, who did manage to approach her before she was able to get to that crowded area -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Guy Raz reporting from Jerusalem. Thank you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: The latest from CBS as it names the team looking into how and why state documents made it onto "60 Minutes 2."

And the monster of Mobile captured. Ivan victims have one less worry among the debris of their lives, thanks to some crafty 'gator wrangling.

Well, he won't be riding on any peace train or flying United. The former Cat Stevens finds out exactly how wild the world really is. More on his abbreviated U.S. visit coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Will it or won't it? Mixed signals today on whether Iraq is planning to free a high value female prisoner known as "Dr. Germ." Iraq says the move is in no way linked to the demands that Islamic terrorists, who've executed two Americans, and are still holding a British man. But the timing sure is ironic, since the hostage takers are demanding that all female prisoners be released from Iraq prisons, or else.

Joining us from Washington, James Carafano, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and research fellow now at the Heritage Foundation. James, good to see you.

LT. COL. JAMES CARAFANO, U.S. ARMY, (RET.): Good to be with you. PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, we're going to talk about these two females, but do we know for sure that there are no other female prisoners right now in Iraq? Can we really determine that?

CARAFANO: Well, no. I think we basically have to go on the information that the government has given us. I mean, that's what they've said publicly.

PHILLIPS: All right, so let's talk about the two that we do know about, "Dr. Germ," Dr. Taha.

CARAFANO: Right.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about her and get a little history to why she was captured.

CARAFANO: Well, she's London trained. She's a microbiologist. She basically ran the biological weapons program in Iraq before the war. Her husband was the oil minister. So she actually was one on the deck of cards that they were looking for. She actually turned herself in voluntarily. And I'm sure they primarily were interested in finding out everything she knew about the state of biological weapons production in the country.

That's why she's been in custody. My guess is, you know, we've had two very good reports. David Kay did one, and then the follow-on one more recently. So my guess is we know pretty much about the level of... so I think in terms of information that we can get, my guess is we've probably gotten what we're going to get.

PHILLIPS: All right, and let's talk about this other... "Dr. Anthrax," Dr. Ammash. Let's get a little background behind her.

CARAFANO: Well, I think it's relatively the same thing. You know, these women both worked in the program. And what we really wanted from them was information about what they knew about the status of production and about efforts to hide the precursor material used to make the weapons with, the technology used to devise the weapons with, and what Saddam's intentions were.

And I think... the point is, once we've gotten that information, the only issue really relevant at that point is did they do something criminal they can be tried for. Apparently, the Iraqis said no, and now it's really up to the coalition. So unless the coalition actually has a crime that they can charge them with, my guess is that sooner or later, they'll release them.

PHILLIPS: All right, whether one is released -- they're actually talking about Dr. Taha -- let's say they're both released, one of them is released, are these women still a threat?

CARAFANO: Well, this is, you know, a real problem. If you think, after the end of the cold war, I mean, the Soviets dismantled a massive biological weapons program. They had thousands of scientists that knew how to make biological weapons. You know, the truth in the United States, anybody that's a biologist knows how to make biological weapons.

So the problem is they've got this information in their head. What only really makes them a threat is if they're actually in a position where they have a lab, and money, and somebody's getting them to do that. So you can't really, you know, hold somebody accountable just for having the info in their head.

It's, you know, do they represent a credible threat? And if they don't, there really isn't any reason to keep them in custody.

PHILLIPS: Well, the talk about releasing one of them now, is this just sort of bizarre timing, or do you think this is coming out because hostage takers are saying, "Release women, or we're going to behead Americans?"

CARAFANO: Well, you know, based on the fragmentary information we've gotten, cascading, coming out of Iraq, my guess is it's really more a reflection of just the way democracy is working. I mean, we're turning more and more things over to the Iraqis. We've asked the Iraqis to vet these people, and people in the government are doing this, and whether the timing matched the hostage thing, or whether that was an intentional or not, my guess is not.

And my guess is just miss cues (ph). And my guess is also we'll see more of these in the future. As we turn more and more authority over to the Iraqis, there'll be more disconnect and confusion between what the U.S. says and what the Iraqis say, just because as they get more authority and responsibility, more of this is going to happen.

PHILLIPS: Now, it's the Iraqi Council of Ministers that's talking about releasing "Dr. Germ." But doesn't this have to be a joint decision between the multinational forces and the Iraqi government, or can the U.S.... doesn't it have to be a joint decision? And can the U.S. step in and say no, this is too much of a threat right now, this country is not secure, don't even think about it?

CARAFANO: Well, I think Prime Minister Allawi's already said that. He said that, it's my understanding, that these women are actually in coalition custody. So basically, if it's true what the Iraqis said, that they basically cleared them... say, "We don't have a reason to hold them for doing any kind of crime." So it's really up to the coalition, if you've got any intelligence you need out of them. If you don't think that they've committed any crime, then as far as we're concerned, you can release them, which is what we've asked the Iraqis to do.

PHILLIPS: James Carafano, fellow at the Heritage Foundation, former U.S. Army. Thanks so much.

CARAFANO: Thanks for having me.

PHILLIPS: All right. Next on LIVE FROM, saying they had about 41 reasons to think Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife, a detective keeps the jury riveted. We're live at the courthouse as today's testimony begins. It really is a wild world. The former Cat Stevens is kicked off a flight and out of the U.S., all in the name of homeland security. More on that coming up.

(MOVIE CLIP)

Cinematic controversy... lost tapes found near the last sighting of Osama. What's on them? Nothing, because they aren't real. The new non-documentary that will have everyone talking. The stars of "September Tapes" tomorrow.

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GRIFFIN: A detective who gave jurors a laundry list of reasons why Scott Peterson became the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance returns to the stand today. But first, jurors hearing from other witnesses. CNN's Ted Rowlands outside the courthouse in Redwood City, California. Ted, who was on the stand this morning?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are two witnesses that are being called out of order for scheduling reasons. The one on the stand right now is a medical expert from southern California that was hired by the prosecution to estimate the day that Connor Peterson was believed to have been killed. And he did a series of calculations, including bone measurements, and then factored in medical records from Laci Peterson and the child, using ultrasounds from Laci's doctor.

And he factored all of this together, and he came up with December 23rd. Of course, that is exactly what the prosecution wanted him to come up with, and that goes in with the prosecution theory that Scott Peterson killed his wife on the 23rd. Mark Geragos, Scott Peterson's defense attorney is having his shot at cross-examination at this hour.

The first question out of his mouth, and the first thing he established... first of all, that he was a paid consultant, and that there was a five-day window, plus or minus, to throw in a little bit of skepticism into this December 23rd date. This witness comes in the middle of compelling testimony from Detective Craig Grogan.

He has been put on hold until this witness and another can be dealt with. But Grogan is expected to be back on the stand at some point today, possible late this afternoon. Grogan had the jury riveted as he talked generically about the entire investigation, from the lead detective's point of view. And the prosecution was able to use him to take little facts that had been already established with other witnesses and put them together from a detective's point of view.

And the net effect of that was that jurors got to hear a lot of these little bricks that have been laid up in the prosecution's favor against Scott Peterson in more of a wall form, in the fact that Grogan could rattle off specific items that he thought were suspicious. They were already items that the jury has been exposed to with other witnesses, but Grogan did a good job of bringing it all together and bringing the case together from the prosecution's standpoint.

It is expected that Grogan will remain on the stand for the rest of the week. Mark Geragos is going to take him to task over a number of days... it is expected to try to dismantle some of the credibility that Grogan has established for his investigation, as he tries to get his client off -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Interesting stuff, Ted. We'll look for that cross- examination. Thanks -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, there's a broad-based sell off under way on Wall Street. Rhonda Schaffler's watching all the action. Hi, Rhonda.

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