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Day Two of the Battle For Falluja; Updates in the Peterson Trial; Arafat Health Update

Aired November 09, 2004 - 14:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Pounding insurgent hideouts and pushing into Falluja. American military leaders say the fight is far from over. We are live from the Pentagon.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The rumors fly about Yasser Arafat, but Palestinian leaders give their report on the ailing president's condition. We're live from the Paris hospital.

NGUYEN: And a book battle. A federal trial over whether stickers in school textbooks calling evolution a theory not a fact are endorsing religion.

HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Miles O'Brien and Kyra Phillips are off. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Up first this hour, New Dawn, day two. To no one's surprise, the U.S. and Iraqi juggernauts several thousand troops strong that rolled into Falluja yesterday is firmly entrenched there today. The question is what happened to the enemy? Ground troops are said to be facing pockets of fierce resistance and inflicting heavy enemy casualties, but it's still believed large numbers of anti-government fighters have somehow slipped away.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre sat in on a briefing last hour at the Pentagon, and he joins us now with the latest.

Hi there, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Well, that briefing from Baghdad was with Lieutenant General Thomas Metz, who's one of the commanders of the multinational forces there. And he painted a pretty optimistic picture of what's going on in Falluja as U.S. and Iraqi forces are pressing into the center of the city.

He said they've broken through the outer crust of the defenses. He said U.S. and Iraqi casualties have been light. A number, he put it, about a dozen, without being specific. He said the Iraqi -- the enemy fighters are fighting hard, he said, but not to the death, continuing to fall back. It's still unclear how many of them are there, and General Metz said the next couple of days will really tell the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULTINATIONAL FORCE CORPS COMMANDER: We're looking at several more days of tough urban fighting. I'm very pleased at the position that we have -- we have the force in right now, and the situation that the enemy is facing. He doesn't have an escape route because we do have the cordon around the city very tight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: The U.S. and Iraqi forces are putting a stranglehold on the city. They have the outskirts completely surrounded, but they've only been surrounded for a day or so. So, there's no way to know how many people may have slipped away.

General Metz says he does believe that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader, and the senior leadership probably have left. That's the assumption that the U.S. is working under. And as they're moving into the center of the city there, they are continuing to meet some resistance.

The estimate of 2,000 to 3,000 insurgents still in question. It's not at all clear that that many are really there. The U.S. and Iraqi forces are also meeting -- finding fewer roadside bombs, and so we'll probably know in a day or so whether -- how many of those fighters actually slipped away.

NGUYEN: And much more fighting to come in the meantime. CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon for us today. Thank you, Jamie -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, as you know, CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with U.S. troops in Falluja. Not near Falluja any longer, in Falluja. Let's get to her quickly for the latest -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Tony, we're in an industrial part of the city that has been a stronghold of foreign fighters. And as Jamie was mentioning earlier, one of the things they found here is that they believe that there is -- they met less organized resistance than they thought they would.

But having said that, this industrial part of the city has been riddled with booby traps, homemade bombs. We went around with the task force commander we're with, with the Army, and he was saying they found at least 17 homemade bombs, as well as entire streets that he showed us which were rigged to explode once U.S. forces crossed.

Now, the Army broke through with the heavy armor, the Marines followed, and that is still happening. And there is still sporadic fighting, but it seems that most of the major part of the fighting has been done -- Tony.

HARRIS: Jane, the insurgents, have they just melted away, fired shots to hopefully draw in U.S. troops and then just melt away, hit and run?

ARRAF: Well, some of them are certainly still hitting and trying to run. As we were first getting into this area of the city today, we were hit from three sides by gunfire, rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 fire. They're firing at tanks and armored personnel carriers, which doesn't do a lot of damage, but it can if you get lucky.

So, there are still gunfights here, there are still insurgents. But that is the big question. Some of them are believed to have been able to escape. A lot of the other ones would be lying low and waiting for better days to come out and attack again.

HARRIS: Jane, slow and cautious, are those the watch words for U.S. troops?

ARRAF: Well, they certainly came in with a bang, Tony. The city has been under bombardment for the past 35 hours. More than that, actually.

It's hard to really get across the extent of the artillery fire, the airstrikes. Again, as we were driving through this part of the city, a lot of blackened buildings, a lot of buildings reduced to rubble. And the effect of that would certainly be why we're not seeing so many insurgents right now.

But as for slow and steady, they did come in with an awful lot of firepower. And they -- they are hoping that that will shorten the fight.

HARRIS: Yes. Jane Arraf embedded with U.S. troops in Falluja. Jane, thank you -- Betty.

NGUYEN: We're continuing to follow new developments in the Scott Peterson trial. We want to go now to CNN's Rusty Dornin in Redwood City, California, for the latest on these developments.

Apparently a juror did a little too much digging in this case, Rusty?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps. What we're hearing is that a hearing started about a half-hour ago. Both sides went back into the judge's chambers. Sources are telling CNN that they are looking at a juror who possibly did some research on his own.

Now, that, of course, is a no-no, and it could be grounds for a dismissal. There are a couple choices the judge does have in this case. He could dismiss the juror, call one of the alternates on, or could admonish the juror.

Of course it depends how much research, who he talked to, that sort of thing. So, those are some of the things they might be exploring.

Now, you'll remember in this case, when early on in the trial, one juror was dismissed for too much attention being focused on him. He was involved in an encounter with Brent Rocha. Also, there were some other incidents apparently, where the judge just decided there was too much focus on this particular juror. He was dismissed. But that was four weeks into the trial. We are now in the fifth day of deliberations. If this juror is dismissed, that will mean, in effect, they would have to start all over again with an alternate -- Betty.

NGUYEN: My goodness. All right. CNN's Rusty Dornin with that. Thank you.

Well, the other big story that we're following this hour is the worsening health of Yasser Arafat. After a lot of confusion over the past few days, a top Palestinian official now says Arafat has suffered a brain hemorrhage. CNN's Jim Bittermann joins us live from Paris to help sort all of this out.

Hi, Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

In fact, I've just come from a rather sobering and subdued news conference by members of the Palestinian delegation that's been visiting Yasser Arafat's doctors. And at least one of them visited Yasser Arafat this afternoon.

They say that their leader is, of course, still alive. They are praying for his recovery. But clearly, the situation is pretty grave.

And one of the most telling comments about that came from Nabil Sha'ath when I asked him if they had thought about invoking provisions of the Palestinian constitution that apply to an incapacitated president, and he implied that the president's health condition is so bad they haven't thought about the idea of incapacitation. Here's the way he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NABIL SHA'ATH, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: In accordance with our constitution, it requires a procedure that would have to be an independent medical inquiry coming from Palestine here to decide whether he is incapacitated. And then this goes to the supreme court. The supreme court will have to make that decision.

We don't feel it's at this moment quite urgent to do so, especially with the deterioration of his health. And so, we are waiting on this issue, we're waiting for a while since all the institutions are really working quite properly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: And Nabil Sha'ath also confirmed that Yasser Arafat is on life support equipment, but he said it's no different than the kind of life support equipment you would use for any person in a coma. He said it is not the same kind of life support equipment you would use for a person with heart problems or who is brain dead.

He said the heart and brain and lungs of Yasser Arafat continue to function normally. He said there is absolutely no question of removing any life support equipment.

As far as Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's wife, is concerned, he said that they found her to be in quite an emotional state, in tears. And that she embraced the entire delegation -- members of the entire delegation. This is the same delegation that only 48 hours ago she accused of trying to bury Yasser Arafat alive.

And one further thing is that he confirmed that a top Islamic judge is on his way here from the West Bank. He said this judge, also a religious figure, was important to be at Arafat's side to have -- it was important to have a religious figure at Arafat's side at this particular moment. But it also should be noted that this judge under Islamic law can pronounce Yasser Arafat dead if it comes to -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Jim Bittermann in Paris. Thank you, Jim -- Tony.

HARRIS: As more information is released about Arafat's condition, the Palestinian people begin to face the reality of a change in leadership. Experts say don't expect Arafat's wife Suha to play a role even though she's the one who has been running the show for the past week and a half.

Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, joins us with more on the woman behind the scenes.

And Octavia, she may have been running the show for the past week or show, but she clearly is not running the show now.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Right. That press conference that Jim Bittermann...

HARRIS: That's particularly telling.

NASR: ... just spoke about -- absolutely. It's very telling, because the Palestinian leadership is taking things into their own hands right now.

They made it very clear that Suha Arafat is under a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, that she made mistakes, and that things are over now. That they are on good terms.

They she that she embraced them, that she welcomed them. She shared information about the Palestinian leader with them. And they're saying this is one phase that's over, and now they're looking forward to what's going to happen next. So, she's definitely out of picture at this point.

HARRIS: Did she marginalize herself, take herself out of the equation? Or was this a case where the Palestinian leadership said, you know what, this is best for right now?

NASR: Well, Arab experts tell us that she has been marginalizing herself over the years. This is not new.

Suha Arafat is known for making outbursts and making outrageous statements at times. She's criticized the Palestinian Authority repeatedly.

She always have things to say about the people surrounding President Arafat. She had said once that he's a flower surrounded by weeds, talking about his government. So, this is someone who has alienated herself over the years. This is not new.

HARRIS: Something else that was pretty important, about two hours ago there was a press briefing where we got a real sense of Arafat's condition. That was important as well, because there was a lot of confusion as to what his true condition was, but that seemed to be an important moment.

NASR: Right. And the Palestinian foreign minister explained it clearly.

He sort of blamed Mrs. Arafat for this confusion. He said it was not sharing the information about the Palestinian leader with the media that created the speculations and the rumors. And finally, they came out and said this is where things stand, and now his life is in the hands of god.

He said we're people that believe in god and there's nothing else we can do at this point. So, they're going to wait.

HARRIS: And until that moment, we weren't sure whether he was alive or dead because of all the conflicting reports. But that was cleared up in that particular briefing.

NASR: It was cleared up that he is -- actually, the foreign minister said that he's alive and well. Well, obviously he's not well. But what he's saying is, he's not brain dead...

HARRIS: Yes.

NASR: ... that his lungs are functioning, that his heart is functioning and his brain is functioning. And basically, he's saying that he's going to stay on life support until one of these vital organs is going to stop working.

So, he made it very clear. He talked about euthanasia. He said please stop talking about euthanasia...

HARRIS: Yes.

NASR: ... this is not a case where euthanasia is even in the picture. Because Yasser Arafat is not suffering, his family is not suffering. He just went into coma a few days ago. So, it hasn't been even long enough for anybody to start suffering from the situation.

So, they put everybody's mind at ease. And you know, in answer to the question of, are you going to pull the plug...

HARRIS: Pull the plug, sure.

NASR: ... he said please stop answering this question because there is no plug to pull at this point, that's not something we're considering. So, it was very interesting to hear the Palestinian leadership coming out, looking strong, looking like they're in control, that they're not freaking out, they're not losing it. Very interesting press conference. We'll wait and see what the next days are going to bring for us.

HARRIS: Octavia Nasr, let's leave it there for now. Appreciate it. Good to see you. Thank you.

NASR: Thank you.

HARRIS: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, did a juror go too far to investigate the Scott Peterson case? We will go in-depth on the latest developments on the jury deliberations, including the possibility of a mistrial.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Thelma Gutierrez in downtown Los Angeles, where an employee of the Mexican Consulate was taken hostage and LAPD is on tactical alert.

NGUYEN: And the so-called backdoor draft. Critics crying foul over military practice keeping some soldiers serving Uncle Sam.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A hostage standoff has apparently come to an end in Los Angeles. Now, within the last hour, police say they shot and wounded a man holding a woman outside the Mexican Consulate. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on.

Hi, Thelma.

GUTIERREZ: Hi there, Betty.

Well, the police chief, the mayor and the Mexican consul general had a news conference a short time ago and they say that things do appear to be stable. Even so, they're conducting a sweep of the buildings here in this area to make sure that there are no other gunmen involved.

Now, if you can take a look right behind me, you can see that there are many emergency vehicles here standing by. All the streets in this area west of downtown Los Angeles have been closed down.

All of this unfolded about 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. A call came in to Los Angeles Police saying that a kidnapping was in progress near the Mexican Consulate.

Five police arrived with their rifles drawn. The suspect, they say, was a man who had apparently some kind of protest signs on his chest.

He had his arm around a woman's neck who was an employee of the Mexican Consulate. He was backing up with her. At that point, police fired at him.

He dropped to the ground, released the woman. The woman ran into the arms of police.

Again, she is a clerk in the notary department of the Mexican Consulate's office. She is reportedly doing fine. Police say she has absolutely no knowledge of the suspect, had never met him before, is not even an acquaintance. They don't know how she came into play.

The suspect apparently demanded that this woman call 911. He said he wanted media attention, and that is how all of this began. But police will not say exactly what the suspect was demanding.

Again, he was shot and transported to a hospital. And we don't know exactly how he's doing right now. But the hostage is apparently doing fine, and things do appear to be winding down out here.

Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: CNN's Thelma Gutierrez on a hostage situation that appears to be over there in Los Angeles. Thank you, Thelma.

HARRIS: There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time. The Stop-Loss program extends enlistment during a time of war or national emergency. Critics say it amounts to a backdoor draft.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You wouldn't know Captain Jay Ferriola if you saw him on a street. You wouldn't know that he sued the U.S. government, saying that he was a investment of involuntary servitude.

This former Army captain could have been the face of a new generation of Iraqi war veterans, veterans who have completed their tour of duty and now refuse to go back. That's less likely now, because last week, in an out of court agreement, the Army did what Captain Ferriola wanted. They let him go free.

JAY FERRIOLA, FMR. ARMY CAPTAIN: It wasn't a fear of going over. It was more that, you know, I completed my obligation. And I was continuing my career in the civilian world and didn't want to give up 18 months or lose 18 months of my life, whether I was going to Iraq or if I was going to Paris.

HINOJOSA: His lawyer, Barry Slotnick, had been preparing for a legal battle against the government, trying to prove that the Army had breached its contract with Captain Ferriola.

BARRY SLOTNICK, ATTORNEY: This is someone who served out his contract, served his country, resigned properly, and was a meritorious soldier. Others that stand in Jay's shoes will be relieved by what happened in court.

HINOJOSA: Slotnick says he has already received numerous messages from soldiers who want to challenge their deployments. All, he says, because the Ferriola case proves you can fight the military in court and win.

SLOTNICK: You sign up, do you your time, you're unavailable. We do not have a draft in this country.

HINOJOSA: This is new terrain for a new generation of lawyers, judges and soldiers who may choose to fight in court rather than serve in this war. The Army says it has only one case pending, but veterans of anti-war groups say they're getting a lot of calls from desperate soldiers who want to fight what many describe as a backdoor draft. Congressman Charles Rangel believes one solution is reinstating a national draft.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I for one believe if we had a draft we might take a different look at our foreign policy. And it might be that if we were talking about kids of Congress people, kids of the CEOs, kids of those in the Pentagon and the cabinet, there may be some adjustment in thinking about using troops and the military as the main thrust in our foreign policy.

HINOJOSA: On the streets of Harlem, there are fears that a draft could be more than just talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the time comes for me to go to war, I would go to war for my country.

HINOJOSA: Two weeks ago, Alberto Arci (ph) returned from the frontlines in Baghdad. He should have served a year but was ordered to stay 16 months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to come home, but, you know, the way I look at, it I'm a soldier. So, I have to do what I have to do. You know, I made that commitment to serve the United States of America.

HINOJOSA: And even women here are talking about a draft in extreme terms.

(on camera): But you're saying people -- you've heard people say this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

HINOJOSA: They'd rather go to jail than get drafted?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

What do you think about it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To be honest, I would, too.

HINOJOSA (voice-over): Maria Hinojosa, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Sticker shock leads to a federal court case. Details on the fight over labels stuck in biology textbooks playing out in an Atlanta suburb. And creating jobs and the Bush agenda. What payoff can you expect in the next four years?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your Sunday afternoon could be locked up for the next six years. I'll have details from the NFL's latest deal with two major TV networks. That's coming up right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, my. OK. Your Sunday afternoons are locked in for the next six years.

The NFL is extending its contract with CBS and Fox. Rhonda Schaffler -- see I thought I'd just blend that a little bit...

NGUYEN: Yes, flip it under the radar there.

HARRIS: ... is here from the New York Stock Exchange with the details of the deal.

Hey, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired November 9, 2004 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Pounding insurgent hideouts and pushing into Falluja. American military leaders say the fight is far from over. We are live from the Pentagon.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The rumors fly about Yasser Arafat, but Palestinian leaders give their report on the ailing president's condition. We're live from the Paris hospital.

NGUYEN: And a book battle. A federal trial over whether stickers in school textbooks calling evolution a theory not a fact are endorsing religion.

HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Miles O'Brien and Kyra Phillips are off. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Up first this hour, New Dawn, day two. To no one's surprise, the U.S. and Iraqi juggernauts several thousand troops strong that rolled into Falluja yesterday is firmly entrenched there today. The question is what happened to the enemy? Ground troops are said to be facing pockets of fierce resistance and inflicting heavy enemy casualties, but it's still believed large numbers of anti-government fighters have somehow slipped away.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre sat in on a briefing last hour at the Pentagon, and he joins us now with the latest.

Hi there, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

Well, that briefing from Baghdad was with Lieutenant General Thomas Metz, who's one of the commanders of the multinational forces there. And he painted a pretty optimistic picture of what's going on in Falluja as U.S. and Iraqi forces are pressing into the center of the city.

He said they've broken through the outer crust of the defenses. He said U.S. and Iraqi casualties have been light. A number, he put it, about a dozen, without being specific. He said the Iraqi -- the enemy fighters are fighting hard, he said, but not to the death, continuing to fall back. It's still unclear how many of them are there, and General Metz said the next couple of days will really tell the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULTINATIONAL FORCE CORPS COMMANDER: We're looking at several more days of tough urban fighting. I'm very pleased at the position that we have -- we have the force in right now, and the situation that the enemy is facing. He doesn't have an escape route because we do have the cordon around the city very tight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: The U.S. and Iraqi forces are putting a stranglehold on the city. They have the outskirts completely surrounded, but they've only been surrounded for a day or so. So, there's no way to know how many people may have slipped away.

General Metz says he does believe that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader, and the senior leadership probably have left. That's the assumption that the U.S. is working under. And as they're moving into the center of the city there, they are continuing to meet some resistance.

The estimate of 2,000 to 3,000 insurgents still in question. It's not at all clear that that many are really there. The U.S. and Iraqi forces are also meeting -- finding fewer roadside bombs, and so we'll probably know in a day or so whether -- how many of those fighters actually slipped away.

NGUYEN: And much more fighting to come in the meantime. CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon for us today. Thank you, Jamie -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, as you know, CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with U.S. troops in Falluja. Not near Falluja any longer, in Falluja. Let's get to her quickly for the latest -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Tony, we're in an industrial part of the city that has been a stronghold of foreign fighters. And as Jamie was mentioning earlier, one of the things they found here is that they believe that there is -- they met less organized resistance than they thought they would.

But having said that, this industrial part of the city has been riddled with booby traps, homemade bombs. We went around with the task force commander we're with, with the Army, and he was saying they found at least 17 homemade bombs, as well as entire streets that he showed us which were rigged to explode once U.S. forces crossed.

Now, the Army broke through with the heavy armor, the Marines followed, and that is still happening. And there is still sporadic fighting, but it seems that most of the major part of the fighting has been done -- Tony.

HARRIS: Jane, the insurgents, have they just melted away, fired shots to hopefully draw in U.S. troops and then just melt away, hit and run?

ARRAF: Well, some of them are certainly still hitting and trying to run. As we were first getting into this area of the city today, we were hit from three sides by gunfire, rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 fire. They're firing at tanks and armored personnel carriers, which doesn't do a lot of damage, but it can if you get lucky.

So, there are still gunfights here, there are still insurgents. But that is the big question. Some of them are believed to have been able to escape. A lot of the other ones would be lying low and waiting for better days to come out and attack again.

HARRIS: Jane, slow and cautious, are those the watch words for U.S. troops?

ARRAF: Well, they certainly came in with a bang, Tony. The city has been under bombardment for the past 35 hours. More than that, actually.

It's hard to really get across the extent of the artillery fire, the airstrikes. Again, as we were driving through this part of the city, a lot of blackened buildings, a lot of buildings reduced to rubble. And the effect of that would certainly be why we're not seeing so many insurgents right now.

But as for slow and steady, they did come in with an awful lot of firepower. And they -- they are hoping that that will shorten the fight.

HARRIS: Yes. Jane Arraf embedded with U.S. troops in Falluja. Jane, thank you -- Betty.

NGUYEN: We're continuing to follow new developments in the Scott Peterson trial. We want to go now to CNN's Rusty Dornin in Redwood City, California, for the latest on these developments.

Apparently a juror did a little too much digging in this case, Rusty?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps. What we're hearing is that a hearing started about a half-hour ago. Both sides went back into the judge's chambers. Sources are telling CNN that they are looking at a juror who possibly did some research on his own.

Now, that, of course, is a no-no, and it could be grounds for a dismissal. There are a couple choices the judge does have in this case. He could dismiss the juror, call one of the alternates on, or could admonish the juror.

Of course it depends how much research, who he talked to, that sort of thing. So, those are some of the things they might be exploring.

Now, you'll remember in this case, when early on in the trial, one juror was dismissed for too much attention being focused on him. He was involved in an encounter with Brent Rocha. Also, there were some other incidents apparently, where the judge just decided there was too much focus on this particular juror. He was dismissed. But that was four weeks into the trial. We are now in the fifth day of deliberations. If this juror is dismissed, that will mean, in effect, they would have to start all over again with an alternate -- Betty.

NGUYEN: My goodness. All right. CNN's Rusty Dornin with that. Thank you.

Well, the other big story that we're following this hour is the worsening health of Yasser Arafat. After a lot of confusion over the past few days, a top Palestinian official now says Arafat has suffered a brain hemorrhage. CNN's Jim Bittermann joins us live from Paris to help sort all of this out.

Hi, Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.

In fact, I've just come from a rather sobering and subdued news conference by members of the Palestinian delegation that's been visiting Yasser Arafat's doctors. And at least one of them visited Yasser Arafat this afternoon.

They say that their leader is, of course, still alive. They are praying for his recovery. But clearly, the situation is pretty grave.

And one of the most telling comments about that came from Nabil Sha'ath when I asked him if they had thought about invoking provisions of the Palestinian constitution that apply to an incapacitated president, and he implied that the president's health condition is so bad they haven't thought about the idea of incapacitation. Here's the way he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NABIL SHA'ATH, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: In accordance with our constitution, it requires a procedure that would have to be an independent medical inquiry coming from Palestine here to decide whether he is incapacitated. And then this goes to the supreme court. The supreme court will have to make that decision.

We don't feel it's at this moment quite urgent to do so, especially with the deterioration of his health. And so, we are waiting on this issue, we're waiting for a while since all the institutions are really working quite properly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: And Nabil Sha'ath also confirmed that Yasser Arafat is on life support equipment, but he said it's no different than the kind of life support equipment you would use for any person in a coma. He said it is not the same kind of life support equipment you would use for a person with heart problems or who is brain dead.

He said the heart and brain and lungs of Yasser Arafat continue to function normally. He said there is absolutely no question of removing any life support equipment.

As far as Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's wife, is concerned, he said that they found her to be in quite an emotional state, in tears. And that she embraced the entire delegation -- members of the entire delegation. This is the same delegation that only 48 hours ago she accused of trying to bury Yasser Arafat alive.

And one further thing is that he confirmed that a top Islamic judge is on his way here from the West Bank. He said this judge, also a religious figure, was important to be at Arafat's side to have -- it was important to have a religious figure at Arafat's side at this particular moment. But it also should be noted that this judge under Islamic law can pronounce Yasser Arafat dead if it comes to -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Jim Bittermann in Paris. Thank you, Jim -- Tony.

HARRIS: As more information is released about Arafat's condition, the Palestinian people begin to face the reality of a change in leadership. Experts say don't expect Arafat's wife Suha to play a role even though she's the one who has been running the show for the past week and a half.

Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, joins us with more on the woman behind the scenes.

And Octavia, she may have been running the show for the past week or show, but she clearly is not running the show now.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Right. That press conference that Jim Bittermann...

HARRIS: That's particularly telling.

NASR: ... just spoke about -- absolutely. It's very telling, because the Palestinian leadership is taking things into their own hands right now.

They made it very clear that Suha Arafat is under a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, that she made mistakes, and that things are over now. That they are on good terms.

They she that she embraced them, that she welcomed them. She shared information about the Palestinian leader with them. And they're saying this is one phase that's over, and now they're looking forward to what's going to happen next. So, she's definitely out of picture at this point.

HARRIS: Did she marginalize herself, take herself out of the equation? Or was this a case where the Palestinian leadership said, you know what, this is best for right now?

NASR: Well, Arab experts tell us that she has been marginalizing herself over the years. This is not new.

Suha Arafat is known for making outbursts and making outrageous statements at times. She's criticized the Palestinian Authority repeatedly.

She always have things to say about the people surrounding President Arafat. She had said once that he's a flower surrounded by weeds, talking about his government. So, this is someone who has alienated herself over the years. This is not new.

HARRIS: Something else that was pretty important, about two hours ago there was a press briefing where we got a real sense of Arafat's condition. That was important as well, because there was a lot of confusion as to what his true condition was, but that seemed to be an important moment.

NASR: Right. And the Palestinian foreign minister explained it clearly.

He sort of blamed Mrs. Arafat for this confusion. He said it was not sharing the information about the Palestinian leader with the media that created the speculations and the rumors. And finally, they came out and said this is where things stand, and now his life is in the hands of god.

He said we're people that believe in god and there's nothing else we can do at this point. So, they're going to wait.

HARRIS: And until that moment, we weren't sure whether he was alive or dead because of all the conflicting reports. But that was cleared up in that particular briefing.

NASR: It was cleared up that he is -- actually, the foreign minister said that he's alive and well. Well, obviously he's not well. But what he's saying is, he's not brain dead...

HARRIS: Yes.

NASR: ... that his lungs are functioning, that his heart is functioning and his brain is functioning. And basically, he's saying that he's going to stay on life support until one of these vital organs is going to stop working.

So, he made it very clear. He talked about euthanasia. He said please stop talking about euthanasia...

HARRIS: Yes.

NASR: ... this is not a case where euthanasia is even in the picture. Because Yasser Arafat is not suffering, his family is not suffering. He just went into coma a few days ago. So, it hasn't been even long enough for anybody to start suffering from the situation.

So, they put everybody's mind at ease. And you know, in answer to the question of, are you going to pull the plug...

HARRIS: Pull the plug, sure.

NASR: ... he said please stop answering this question because there is no plug to pull at this point, that's not something we're considering. So, it was very interesting to hear the Palestinian leadership coming out, looking strong, looking like they're in control, that they're not freaking out, they're not losing it. Very interesting press conference. We'll wait and see what the next days are going to bring for us.

HARRIS: Octavia Nasr, let's leave it there for now. Appreciate it. Good to see you. Thank you.

NASR: Thank you.

HARRIS: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, did a juror go too far to investigate the Scott Peterson case? We will go in-depth on the latest developments on the jury deliberations, including the possibility of a mistrial.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Thelma Gutierrez in downtown Los Angeles, where an employee of the Mexican Consulate was taken hostage and LAPD is on tactical alert.

NGUYEN: And the so-called backdoor draft. Critics crying foul over military practice keeping some soldiers serving Uncle Sam.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A hostage standoff has apparently come to an end in Los Angeles. Now, within the last hour, police say they shot and wounded a man holding a woman outside the Mexican Consulate. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is live from Los Angeles with the latest on.

Hi, Thelma.

GUTIERREZ: Hi there, Betty.

Well, the police chief, the mayor and the Mexican consul general had a news conference a short time ago and they say that things do appear to be stable. Even so, they're conducting a sweep of the buildings here in this area to make sure that there are no other gunmen involved.

Now, if you can take a look right behind me, you can see that there are many emergency vehicles here standing by. All the streets in this area west of downtown Los Angeles have been closed down.

All of this unfolded about 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. A call came in to Los Angeles Police saying that a kidnapping was in progress near the Mexican Consulate.

Five police arrived with their rifles drawn. The suspect, they say, was a man who had apparently some kind of protest signs on his chest.

He had his arm around a woman's neck who was an employee of the Mexican Consulate. He was backing up with her. At that point, police fired at him.

He dropped to the ground, released the woman. The woman ran into the arms of police.

Again, she is a clerk in the notary department of the Mexican Consulate's office. She is reportedly doing fine. Police say she has absolutely no knowledge of the suspect, had never met him before, is not even an acquaintance. They don't know how she came into play.

The suspect apparently demanded that this woman call 911. He said he wanted media attention, and that is how all of this began. But police will not say exactly what the suspect was demanding.

Again, he was shot and transported to a hospital. And we don't know exactly how he's doing right now. But the hostage is apparently doing fine, and things do appear to be winding down out here.

Betty, back to you.

NGUYEN: CNN's Thelma Gutierrez on a hostage situation that appears to be over there in Los Angeles. Thank you, Thelma.

HARRIS: There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time. The Stop-Loss program extends enlistment during a time of war or national emergency. Critics say it amounts to a backdoor draft.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN URBAN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You wouldn't know Captain Jay Ferriola if you saw him on a street. You wouldn't know that he sued the U.S. government, saying that he was a investment of involuntary servitude.

This former Army captain could have been the face of a new generation of Iraqi war veterans, veterans who have completed their tour of duty and now refuse to go back. That's less likely now, because last week, in an out of court agreement, the Army did what Captain Ferriola wanted. They let him go free.

JAY FERRIOLA, FMR. ARMY CAPTAIN: It wasn't a fear of going over. It was more that, you know, I completed my obligation. And I was continuing my career in the civilian world and didn't want to give up 18 months or lose 18 months of my life, whether I was going to Iraq or if I was going to Paris.

HINOJOSA: His lawyer, Barry Slotnick, had been preparing for a legal battle against the government, trying to prove that the Army had breached its contract with Captain Ferriola.

BARRY SLOTNICK, ATTORNEY: This is someone who served out his contract, served his country, resigned properly, and was a meritorious soldier. Others that stand in Jay's shoes will be relieved by what happened in court.

HINOJOSA: Slotnick says he has already received numerous messages from soldiers who want to challenge their deployments. All, he says, because the Ferriola case proves you can fight the military in court and win.

SLOTNICK: You sign up, do you your time, you're unavailable. We do not have a draft in this country.

HINOJOSA: This is new terrain for a new generation of lawyers, judges and soldiers who may choose to fight in court rather than serve in this war. The Army says it has only one case pending, but veterans of anti-war groups say they're getting a lot of calls from desperate soldiers who want to fight what many describe as a backdoor draft. Congressman Charles Rangel believes one solution is reinstating a national draft.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I for one believe if we had a draft we might take a different look at our foreign policy. And it might be that if we were talking about kids of Congress people, kids of the CEOs, kids of those in the Pentagon and the cabinet, there may be some adjustment in thinking about using troops and the military as the main thrust in our foreign policy.

HINOJOSA: On the streets of Harlem, there are fears that a draft could be more than just talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the time comes for me to go to war, I would go to war for my country.

HINOJOSA: Two weeks ago, Alberto Arci (ph) returned from the frontlines in Baghdad. He should have served a year but was ordered to stay 16 months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wanted to come home, but, you know, the way I look at, it I'm a soldier. So, I have to do what I have to do. You know, I made that commitment to serve the United States of America.

HINOJOSA: And even women here are talking about a draft in extreme terms.

(on camera): But you're saying people -- you've heard people say this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

HINOJOSA: They'd rather go to jail than get drafted?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

What do you think about it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To be honest, I would, too.

HINOJOSA (voice-over): Maria Hinojosa, CNN New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Sticker shock leads to a federal court case. Details on the fight over labels stuck in biology textbooks playing out in an Atlanta suburb. And creating jobs and the Bush agenda. What payoff can you expect in the next four years?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your Sunday afternoon could be locked up for the next six years. I'll have details from the NFL's latest deal with two major TV networks. That's coming up right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Oh, my. OK. Your Sunday afternoons are locked in for the next six years.

The NFL is extending its contract with CBS and Fox. Rhonda Schaffler -- see I thought I'd just blend that a little bit...

NGUYEN: Yes, flip it under the radar there.

HARRIS: ... is here from the New York Stock Exchange with the details of the deal.

Hey, Rhonda.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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