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Jury Deliberates Scott Peterson's Fate; Allegedly Kidnapped Soldier Charged with Desertion; Homeland Security Fails to Complete Critical List
Aired December 10, 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Should Scott Peterson die or spend the rest of his life behind bars? Rusty Dornin gives us the latest, LIVE FROM the courthouse.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Pilots beware: the FBI sends out a warning that terrorists may consider using lasers to take down planes. The security watch takes a closer look.
PHILLIPS: Look out if you're driving two popular Dodge vehicles. Safety experts want them off the road. We'll tell you why and what you should know about it.
HARRIS: She empowered women and fought corruption by simply planting trees, millions of them. Today, the first African woman wins the Nobel Peace Prize. And CNN joins in on the celebration.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
HARRIS: The worst kind of monster or a life that has value? We may learn today which of those descriptions of Scott Peterson the jury that convicted him of double murder agrees with in deciding whether Peterson should live or die.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is following the first full day of penalty deliberations and joins us from Redwood City with the latest -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, they deliberated about two hours yesterday afternoon and have been debilitating for about two hours this morning. This comes after a dramatic presentation by both sides in closing arguments.
All through this trial, the defense and the prosecution have been criticized for their performance at times. That was not the case yesterday, both making impassioned pleas, one for life and one for death.
Prosecutor David Harris talked about Scott Peterson being "the worst kind of monster," a liar and a manipulator, a man who would spend 116 days with his wife's body rotting in the ocean, knowing full well where she was and knowing that the family was suffering for that. They said your only vote -- or your only choice is to vote for death. Mark Geragos, the defense attorney for Scott Peterson, also presenting a very powerful argument to the jury. Even presenting statements to them, talking about what they had said during jury selection, that they would not vote for death just because a crime was heinous or how horrible it was, that they would want to go past that, that they would want to consider the man.
And he said this is a man who -- who deserves to live, who still has something to contribute to society. He talked about that he could help inmates in prison.
He also talked about the horrific life he would have in prison, that he would be in a cell the size of a king-sized mattress, that one day a guard would come to his cell, knock on the cell and say, "Scott Peterson, your mother is dead." Ten years later, knock on the door, say, "Scott Peterson, your father is dead."
At that point also both families in the courtroom had wept during the summations. Very powerful, very dramatic.
The judge giving the instructions, saying that you can't -- they could not consider sympathy for the families when they come to their verdict in this case. But telling them that they could consider lingering doubt. If they do have lingering doubts, that that is something that could be a mitigation in this case.
Here at the courthouse, hundreds of journalists and a lot of the court watchers that have been here are sort of milling around, very heavy sense of anticipation. Everyone is watching and waiting -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Rusty, how horrible was that moment when the prosecutor was essentially pointing his finger in Scott Peterson's face to demonstrate what kind of guy Scott Peterson is? How dramatic was that?
DORNIN: Well, it's just -- all the focus being on -- usually the prosecutors have been rather soft spoken, and they don't confront, they haven't confronted witnesses, per se, and that sort of thing. So to have him pointing right at him was very powerful in court. And of course, the jurors all very intently listening. It was a very dramatic moment.
HARRIS: And another baffling moment, is it true -- I mean, I know it's true because it's been reported that -- that Mark Geragos at one point said he hadn't prepared for the penalty phase?
DORNIN: He admitted -- he was very humble in the beginning, very soft spoken. And it was very difficult for many of us to hear him in the courtroom. And he told the jury, he apologized to them for not being there even on verdict day. He said, "I did not want to show you any disrespect. You know, I have never done a case like this."
And so he was very apologetic, very humble, which is an important thing here, because this is a man who is seen by many as being very arrogant and very pompous. HARRIS: OK. Rusty Dornin will be on the scene for us all afternoon long. Rusty, thank you -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Al-Anbar, it's one of Iraq's most dangerous and volatile provinces. And the death toll for U.S. troops in that area is growing again. A U.S. Marine conducting security and stabilization operations was killed in al-Anbar in just the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, hundreds of British troops are leaving Iraq for now. They begin a month leave this week after serving a tour of duty in the so-called Triangle of Death near Baghdad. British Prime Minister Tony Blair promised to bring the regiment home just in time for Christmas.
Well, two U.S. troops serving in Iraq, two disturbing incidents and now two men in legal trouble. The U.S. military is moving ahead in the cases of marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun and Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne.
CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now from the Pentagon with the details on both of them.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, let's deal with Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun first, the U.S. Marine that disappeared from his camp near Falluja this summer, was then seen on a video blindfolded and apparently in the captivity of extremists.
It was then a couple of weeks later he turned up in Lebanon, no explanation of how he got there. And when he came back to the United States, he appeared on television saying he was not a deserter, that he had been kidnapped and held in captivity.
Well, the U.S. Marine Corps now begs to differ. Charges against Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun of desertion and of larceny related to the disappearance of his 9-millimeter pistol and a government vehicle. These charges of desertion relate, however, only -- only -- to his disappearance from his base camp.
What we don't know is how he then appeared on this video. Was that a complete fake? Did he somehow ever -- was he in captivity, how he got to Lebanon, none of that yet coming out. But the charges of desertion filed.
He now faces a pretrial hearing. If he is convicted of these charges, we are told he could face up to 15 years in a military prison, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So Barbara, obviously, he was interrogated about this whole incident, so he had to talk about that videotape and if, indeed, it was staged and who helped him and who was a part of it. So is it in documentation and could that come out, now that he's been charged, later on down the line?
STARR: Well, what we now know is that Corporal Hassoun several weeks ago terminated his interviews with investigators. He was read his rights and at that point, we are told, he terminated the interview with investigators. So it is not clear they have ever gotten a complete explanation from him and been able to question him under oath, after his rights were read, about what exactly happened to him.
We have one other piece of interesting information. We are told by a U.S. military official that investigators did interview several people in Lebanon, where he was found, and that those people had, quote, "interesting information" to offer.
But whether they will ever be brought to the United States to testify in any legal proceeding against Corporal Hassoun, of course, is quite another matter. This official saying we just don't know yet, we don't know what we will be able to prove against him.
So at the moment, they are going with the charge of desertion, claiming that he left his camp in Falluja voluntary, of his own will. It may be that in that pretrial hearing and in other legal proceedings, more evidence, more information will come out in public -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thanks so much.
Well, straight ahead, a call for a recall of 600,000 SUVs and trucks. After the break, find out about the defect that the government says could pose a problem for some Dodge drivers.
HARRIS: A downward trend in oil prices isn't making everyone happy. Now the world's largest suppliers are reacting to the slide.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... big deal out of it. It's the only natural thing that a grandmother or any mother would do. I saw someone that needed help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: How a mother's instinct helped save a 13-month-old baby. We'll have that story, straight ahead.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A list of possible terror targets in the United States is becoming a target itself. Critics say it contains both too many and too few entries.
CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve reports what's on it and what's not may surprise you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Apart from when presidents play, miniature golf courses are not generally regarded as critical infrastructure, but at least one is included on a national database of vital assets compiled by the Department of Homeland Security.
REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: You can't list every, you know, miniature golf site in America. What you need to do is the -- the spine of the American economy and the lifeblood of America that is vulnerable to attack.
MESERVE: But some important infrastructure is omitted from the list, according to some who have seen it.
The database of potential terrorist targets is intended to identify and prioritize points of vulnerability to improve security and response plans. Compiled with input from state and local officials, it is enormous, with 80,000 entries.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: There's no way you can use this sort of a list for any practical efforts of protection. It's just too much.
MESERVE: DHS says vulnerability and risk assessments have produced a smaller list that contains, quote, "One hundred percent of those sites we deem most critical and at highest risk, including nuclear plants and some chemical facilities."
But DHS concedes a comprehensive list is not done, despite these words from Secretary Ridge last February.
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: By December of this year, together with our partners, we will create a unified national critical infrastructure database.
MESERVE (on camera): Some in Congress are fed up. As one lawmaker put it, "How can you plan when you don't know what to protect?"
Jean Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Pinpointing a potential threat to airplane pilots from laser beams. From the feds to local first responders, a new memo warns that terrorists may seek to jeopardize flights on final approach by blinding the pilots and co-pilots with these lasers.
CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks joins us now to talk more about this.
Now, new memo but is this really new intelligence? MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It's not new intelligence, and I want to emphasize there is no direct threat towards civil aviation. This is more of an informational bulletin that was put out there.
If you recall back in September of this year, there was a Delta pilot who actually had his retina burned by a laser. It was a -- they said it was a green colored laser, not like the regular laser pointers that you would get at a novelty shop.
But going back to 2001, in April of 2001, the FAA put out a report that said there were 150 incidents of using laser pointer between January of 1996 and July of 1999. So there is concern.
And the Airline Pilots' Association right now, they're concerned because there have been about two or three incidents in the last 90 days of this has been used.
Now, the concern comes into play while the aircraft is on front, final approach. Their concern is that the pilot, hit in the eye with one of these lasers, could be temporarily blinded. And if he is not on instruments, if he's doing a manual approach, that he could lose control of the aircraft, he or she.
PHILLIPS: So the -- the concern is that terrorists would be in the United States, overseas, waiting for planes to land, take off?
BROOKS: Exactly. They don't know. Usually the biggest threat, the pilots say is on approach, coming into an airport.
PHILLIPS: So you can't a wide -- you can't get a lot of distance from these, right?
BROOKS: No, you can't. But some of them, the industrial strength, the one they believe, the kind that was used on the Delta pilot, is a little more strong. You can go on the Internet, Kyra, and look at all different kinds of lasers, from $159, all the way up to over $1,000, all different strengths.
PHILLIPS: So for $1,000, how far would that laser reach?
BROOKS: A good -- a good distance. Astronomers use them to point out stars and these kind of things. And as we know, they're also used in industry to cut and also in surgery. You know, we use lasers instead of using a scalpel sometimes, use a laser to operate on folks with. But these are very, very dangerous. Even on the laser pointers, there's a little warning that says that it could cause eye injury.
PHILLIPS: Can it be a threat to the aircraft in any way?
BROOKS: To the aircraft, no. But to the pilots inside who are operating that aircraft, and to passengers on board, yes.
PHILLIPS: So how will security respond to this, then? Is it more security around the perimeter of an airport or watching takeoffs and landings more carefully and see, you know, situational awareness?
BROOKS: All of the above. In fact, the reason I believe this bulletin was put out there, it was in the FBI and homeland security weekly bulletin. I call it the weekly vigilance alert, if you will.
Basically telling officers, because that's all law enforcement, to be more cognizant, be aware on approaches to airports. The planes, as they're coming in, if there's people there, pull them over. It's a common sense kind of thing. But again, I think more of an informational bulletin, if anything. But emphasize, there is no direct intelligence, no new intelligence that says that they're targeting these aircraft.
PHILLIPS: All right. Mike Brooks, thanks so much.
BROOKS: Good to be with you.
PHILLIPS: All right.
HARRIS: Turning back the world's supply of oil. Why the nations that control the tap are cutting back on production.
PHILLIPS: Plus, full of gas? It is commonly recommended for pregnant women. Now some researchers are raising a red flag about possible long-term consequences.
HARRIS: And still to come, obtaining peace by protecting the environment. How one woman's work is winning over the world and helping her homeland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Listen up, users of the prescription pain medication Bextra. The FDA is adding new stronger words to the drug's warning label. The new label will caution users that they're risking serious skin conditions and possible heart and blood clotting problems. The FDA does add that the benefits of using Bextra, though, when taken properly, outweigh the risks.
Bextra is in the same class as Vioxx, which was pulled off the shelves in September, pending a health risk probe.
Now more medical research, this one in its early stages. But a British study turned up a possible link between prenatal folic acid supplements and breast cancer. The study considered 3,000 women who took folic acid supplements throughout their pregnancy. That group had a higher incidence of breast cancer later in their lives.
The study appears today in the "British Medical Journal." Everyone involved agrees it needs more looking into. Folic acid is widely recommended for women in the early stages of their pregnancy.
And there's a grim prognosis in the nursing shortage gripping U.S. hospitals. The State Department has decided to stop granting temporary work permits to nurses from the Philippines, India and China, faithful suppliers, all, to the U.S. market. It can take years to process applications for green cards, while the temporary permits often came in 60 days.
Ironically, the end of the fast track comes because of progress in clearing out a post-9/11 backlog of green card requests.
HARRIS: In other news, federal safety regulators want 600,000 Dodge SUVs and pickups recalled for safety problems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Dodge Durangos and Dakota models, years 2000, 2003, may have defective ball joints. This could result in having the front wheels fall off. The government says it has reports of several crashes but no injuries.
A Chrysler spokesman says the problem doesn't rise to the level of a safety defect. The car maker plans to respond to the recall request early next week.
You know, we often hear about the recalls, and we might not know how the process actually works. Most are actually initiated by the car manufacturers themselves. But what happens when the automaker and the feds don't agree on the scope of the problem?
Joining us for a little Recall 101 is Dr. Ricardo Martinez, a former director of NTSA.
Doctor, good to be here.
DR. RICARDO MARTINEZ, FORMER DIRECTOR, NTSA: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
HARRIS: Give us a sense of the kind of reporting, the kind of information that might trigger a NTSA review.
MARTINEZ: It's interesting. There are tons of -- of complaints that come in all the time from the public. They come in through the web site. They come in through the 800 number. They come in from letters. And NTSA sifts through all that.
And then, if it sees a trend, looking through statistics, it will then start a preliminary evaluation. It goes to the manufacturer and it says, "I want more information. I want repairs, warranty records, that sort of thing."
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: If it finds, as it did in this case, that they think there is an issue, it will start an engineering analysis.
And NTSA's very good about that. It's very good engineers. They also are like a Sherlock Holmes story.
But now they have to identify exactly what they think the problem is and see if they can replicate that.
HARRIS: I see.
MARTINEZ: In this case, they did that. They started a year ago. They've now finished that, and they've determined there is something that has to be remedied. Now they go and ask with a recall request letter to the manufacturer to please recall these vehicles.
HARRIS: OK. Now during this process, during this whole evaluation process, is the automaker being informed of the growing evidence?
MARTINEZ: Yes, absolutely. And one of the things you'll find is that most of the recalls are actually done way before it gets to this part of the process. The manufacturers actually recall more cars than they make every year. About 25 million that they recall versus about 16 million to 17 million they make.
HARRIS: I see.
MARTINEZ: And one of the reasons it's so big, is you go back for several years, like, to get those similar parts and joints back together. In this particular case, we've really gone to where the federal government is saying we want you to do a recall. And we're waiting for the clock to see what the response will be from the manufacturers.
HARRIS: What is the likely response from Daimler Chrysler in this case?
MARTINEZ: Well, they have three. One thing they can do is they can say, absolutely, because there's a certain public relations aspect to that.
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: We want to do it; we want to do it fast. And it's really about 600,000 cars. We want to give our customers a remedy.
No. 2, they can ask for more time. They do have a certain amount of time to respond. They may want more to look at the engineering evaluation.
Or No. 3, they can refuse.
HARRIS: Right.
MARTINEZ: If they refuse, it bumps up to the administrator, who's been out of this fight so far, who then can issue an order to the manufacturer, and then you may end up going to court.
HARRIS: What does your history tell you about why a car manufacturer might go all the way down the road through all of these steps before taking some action? I'm guessing that it would be less expensive to fix the problem yourself before you're ordered to.
MARTINEZ: Well, for the most part, we've seen the manufacturers shift from fighting every step of the way to actually being much more proactive, because so many cars are involved now.
They initiate the vast majority of recalls now, because they want to get it, and they want to get it early. The problem lies is when there's a significant engineering disagreement.
And I've got to tell you, the NTSA engineers are very, very good. They start with a lot of complaints. But when they get this far in the case, they usually come down to something that they can find. So really, it begins to attract media attention. It's unusual to be this far down the process.
HARRIS: You know, I'm curious. So if you're someone out there driving with one of these Durangos or Dakotas and you know that this buzz about this car is going on right now, what do you do? You're kind of in a weird situation right now, aren't you?
MARTINEZ: Well, it makes things very awkward. For one thing, you know, NTSA is going to be very, very quiet. One reason why is there's also -- also legal cases out there. There's cost issues there. NTSA is not part of all that. What they really want to do is have unbiased information.
And one of the concerns you have when the media gets too involved is reports come in which make it hard for you to have objective information to defend your case in court.
HARRIS: Yes. Dr. Martinez, good to see you. Thank you.
MARTINEZ: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Very good. Appreciate it.
MARTINEZ: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Well, the organization of oil exporting countries has decided to cut oil production.
HARRIS: Rhonda Schaffler joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange with details.
Hi, Rhonda.
(STOCK REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 10, 2004 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Should Scott Peterson die or spend the rest of his life behind bars? Rusty Dornin gives us the latest, LIVE FROM the courthouse.
TONY HARRIS, CO-HOST: Pilots beware: the FBI sends out a warning that terrorists may consider using lasers to take down planes. The security watch takes a closer look.
PHILLIPS: Look out if you're driving two popular Dodge vehicles. Safety experts want them off the road. We'll tell you why and what you should know about it.
HARRIS: She empowered women and fought corruption by simply planting trees, millions of them. Today, the first African woman wins the Nobel Peace Prize. And CNN joins in on the celebration.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris in for Miles O'Brien.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.
HARRIS: The worst kind of monster or a life that has value? We may learn today which of those descriptions of Scott Peterson the jury that convicted him of double murder agrees with in deciding whether Peterson should live or die.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is following the first full day of penalty deliberations and joins us from Redwood City with the latest -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, they deliberated about two hours yesterday afternoon and have been debilitating for about two hours this morning. This comes after a dramatic presentation by both sides in closing arguments.
All through this trial, the defense and the prosecution have been criticized for their performance at times. That was not the case yesterday, both making impassioned pleas, one for life and one for death.
Prosecutor David Harris talked about Scott Peterson being "the worst kind of monster," a liar and a manipulator, a man who would spend 116 days with his wife's body rotting in the ocean, knowing full well where she was and knowing that the family was suffering for that. They said your only vote -- or your only choice is to vote for death. Mark Geragos, the defense attorney for Scott Peterson, also presenting a very powerful argument to the jury. Even presenting statements to them, talking about what they had said during jury selection, that they would not vote for death just because a crime was heinous or how horrible it was, that they would want to go past that, that they would want to consider the man.
And he said this is a man who -- who deserves to live, who still has something to contribute to society. He talked about that he could help inmates in prison.
He also talked about the horrific life he would have in prison, that he would be in a cell the size of a king-sized mattress, that one day a guard would come to his cell, knock on the cell and say, "Scott Peterson, your mother is dead." Ten years later, knock on the door, say, "Scott Peterson, your father is dead."
At that point also both families in the courtroom had wept during the summations. Very powerful, very dramatic.
The judge giving the instructions, saying that you can't -- they could not consider sympathy for the families when they come to their verdict in this case. But telling them that they could consider lingering doubt. If they do have lingering doubts, that that is something that could be a mitigation in this case.
Here at the courthouse, hundreds of journalists and a lot of the court watchers that have been here are sort of milling around, very heavy sense of anticipation. Everyone is watching and waiting -- Tony.
HARRIS: And Rusty, how horrible was that moment when the prosecutor was essentially pointing his finger in Scott Peterson's face to demonstrate what kind of guy Scott Peterson is? How dramatic was that?
DORNIN: Well, it's just -- all the focus being on -- usually the prosecutors have been rather soft spoken, and they don't confront, they haven't confronted witnesses, per se, and that sort of thing. So to have him pointing right at him was very powerful in court. And of course, the jurors all very intently listening. It was a very dramatic moment.
HARRIS: And another baffling moment, is it true -- I mean, I know it's true because it's been reported that -- that Mark Geragos at one point said he hadn't prepared for the penalty phase?
DORNIN: He admitted -- he was very humble in the beginning, very soft spoken. And it was very difficult for many of us to hear him in the courtroom. And he told the jury, he apologized to them for not being there even on verdict day. He said, "I did not want to show you any disrespect. You know, I have never done a case like this."
And so he was very apologetic, very humble, which is an important thing here, because this is a man who is seen by many as being very arrogant and very pompous. HARRIS: OK. Rusty Dornin will be on the scene for us all afternoon long. Rusty, thank you -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Al-Anbar, it's one of Iraq's most dangerous and volatile provinces. And the death toll for U.S. troops in that area is growing again. A U.S. Marine conducting security and stabilization operations was killed in al-Anbar in just the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, hundreds of British troops are leaving Iraq for now. They begin a month leave this week after serving a tour of duty in the so-called Triangle of Death near Baghdad. British Prime Minister Tony Blair promised to bring the regiment home just in time for Christmas.
Well, two U.S. troops serving in Iraq, two disturbing incidents and now two men in legal trouble. The U.S. military is moving ahead in the cases of marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun and Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne.
CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now from the Pentagon with the details on both of them.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, let's deal with Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun first, the U.S. Marine that disappeared from his camp near Falluja this summer, was then seen on a video blindfolded and apparently in the captivity of extremists.
It was then a couple of weeks later he turned up in Lebanon, no explanation of how he got there. And when he came back to the United States, he appeared on television saying he was not a deserter, that he had been kidnapped and held in captivity.
Well, the U.S. Marine Corps now begs to differ. Charges against Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun of desertion and of larceny related to the disappearance of his 9-millimeter pistol and a government vehicle. These charges of desertion relate, however, only -- only -- to his disappearance from his base camp.
What we don't know is how he then appeared on this video. Was that a complete fake? Did he somehow ever -- was he in captivity, how he got to Lebanon, none of that yet coming out. But the charges of desertion filed.
He now faces a pretrial hearing. If he is convicted of these charges, we are told he could face up to 15 years in a military prison, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So Barbara, obviously, he was interrogated about this whole incident, so he had to talk about that videotape and if, indeed, it was staged and who helped him and who was a part of it. So is it in documentation and could that come out, now that he's been charged, later on down the line?
STARR: Well, what we now know is that Corporal Hassoun several weeks ago terminated his interviews with investigators. He was read his rights and at that point, we are told, he terminated the interview with investigators. So it is not clear they have ever gotten a complete explanation from him and been able to question him under oath, after his rights were read, about what exactly happened to him.
We have one other piece of interesting information. We are told by a U.S. military official that investigators did interview several people in Lebanon, where he was found, and that those people had, quote, "interesting information" to offer.
But whether they will ever be brought to the United States to testify in any legal proceeding against Corporal Hassoun, of course, is quite another matter. This official saying we just don't know yet, we don't know what we will be able to prove against him.
So at the moment, they are going with the charge of desertion, claiming that he left his camp in Falluja voluntary, of his own will. It may be that in that pretrial hearing and in other legal proceedings, more evidence, more information will come out in public -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Thanks so much.
Well, straight ahead, a call for a recall of 600,000 SUVs and trucks. After the break, find out about the defect that the government says could pose a problem for some Dodge drivers.
HARRIS: A downward trend in oil prices isn't making everyone happy. Now the world's largest suppliers are reacting to the slide.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... big deal out of it. It's the only natural thing that a grandmother or any mother would do. I saw someone that needed help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: How a mother's instinct helped save a 13-month-old baby. We'll have that story, straight ahead.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A list of possible terror targets in the United States is becoming a target itself. Critics say it contains both too many and too few entries.
CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve reports what's on it and what's not may surprise you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Apart from when presidents play, miniature golf courses are not generally regarded as critical infrastructure, but at least one is included on a national database of vital assets compiled by the Department of Homeland Security.
REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: You can't list every, you know, miniature golf site in America. What you need to do is the -- the spine of the American economy and the lifeblood of America that is vulnerable to attack.
MESERVE: But some important infrastructure is omitted from the list, according to some who have seen it.
The database of potential terrorist targets is intended to identify and prioritize points of vulnerability to improve security and response plans. Compiled with input from state and local officials, it is enormous, with 80,000 entries.
MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: There's no way you can use this sort of a list for any practical efforts of protection. It's just too much.
MESERVE: DHS says vulnerability and risk assessments have produced a smaller list that contains, quote, "One hundred percent of those sites we deem most critical and at highest risk, including nuclear plants and some chemical facilities."
But DHS concedes a comprehensive list is not done, despite these words from Secretary Ridge last February.
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: By December of this year, together with our partners, we will create a unified national critical infrastructure database.
MESERVE (on camera): Some in Congress are fed up. As one lawmaker put it, "How can you plan when you don't know what to protect?"
Jean Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Pinpointing a potential threat to airplane pilots from laser beams. From the feds to local first responders, a new memo warns that terrorists may seek to jeopardize flights on final approach by blinding the pilots and co-pilots with these lasers.
CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks joins us now to talk more about this.
Now, new memo but is this really new intelligence? MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: It's not new intelligence, and I want to emphasize there is no direct threat towards civil aviation. This is more of an informational bulletin that was put out there.
If you recall back in September of this year, there was a Delta pilot who actually had his retina burned by a laser. It was a -- they said it was a green colored laser, not like the regular laser pointers that you would get at a novelty shop.
But going back to 2001, in April of 2001, the FAA put out a report that said there were 150 incidents of using laser pointer between January of 1996 and July of 1999. So there is concern.
And the Airline Pilots' Association right now, they're concerned because there have been about two or three incidents in the last 90 days of this has been used.
Now, the concern comes into play while the aircraft is on front, final approach. Their concern is that the pilot, hit in the eye with one of these lasers, could be temporarily blinded. And if he is not on instruments, if he's doing a manual approach, that he could lose control of the aircraft, he or she.
PHILLIPS: So the -- the concern is that terrorists would be in the United States, overseas, waiting for planes to land, take off?
BROOKS: Exactly. They don't know. Usually the biggest threat, the pilots say is on approach, coming into an airport.
PHILLIPS: So you can't a wide -- you can't get a lot of distance from these, right?
BROOKS: No, you can't. But some of them, the industrial strength, the one they believe, the kind that was used on the Delta pilot, is a little more strong. You can go on the Internet, Kyra, and look at all different kinds of lasers, from $159, all the way up to over $1,000, all different strengths.
PHILLIPS: So for $1,000, how far would that laser reach?
BROOKS: A good -- a good distance. Astronomers use them to point out stars and these kind of things. And as we know, they're also used in industry to cut and also in surgery. You know, we use lasers instead of using a scalpel sometimes, use a laser to operate on folks with. But these are very, very dangerous. Even on the laser pointers, there's a little warning that says that it could cause eye injury.
PHILLIPS: Can it be a threat to the aircraft in any way?
BROOKS: To the aircraft, no. But to the pilots inside who are operating that aircraft, and to passengers on board, yes.
PHILLIPS: So how will security respond to this, then? Is it more security around the perimeter of an airport or watching takeoffs and landings more carefully and see, you know, situational awareness?
BROOKS: All of the above. In fact, the reason I believe this bulletin was put out there, it was in the FBI and homeland security weekly bulletin. I call it the weekly vigilance alert, if you will.
Basically telling officers, because that's all law enforcement, to be more cognizant, be aware on approaches to airports. The planes, as they're coming in, if there's people there, pull them over. It's a common sense kind of thing. But again, I think more of an informational bulletin, if anything. But emphasize, there is no direct intelligence, no new intelligence that says that they're targeting these aircraft.
PHILLIPS: All right. Mike Brooks, thanks so much.
BROOKS: Good to be with you.
PHILLIPS: All right.
HARRIS: Turning back the world's supply of oil. Why the nations that control the tap are cutting back on production.
PHILLIPS: Plus, full of gas? It is commonly recommended for pregnant women. Now some researchers are raising a red flag about possible long-term consequences.
HARRIS: And still to come, obtaining peace by protecting the environment. How one woman's work is winning over the world and helping her homeland.
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PHILLIPS: Listen up, users of the prescription pain medication Bextra. The FDA is adding new stronger words to the drug's warning label. The new label will caution users that they're risking serious skin conditions and possible heart and blood clotting problems. The FDA does add that the benefits of using Bextra, though, when taken properly, outweigh the risks.
Bextra is in the same class as Vioxx, which was pulled off the shelves in September, pending a health risk probe.
Now more medical research, this one in its early stages. But a British study turned up a possible link between prenatal folic acid supplements and breast cancer. The study considered 3,000 women who took folic acid supplements throughout their pregnancy. That group had a higher incidence of breast cancer later in their lives.
The study appears today in the "British Medical Journal." Everyone involved agrees it needs more looking into. Folic acid is widely recommended for women in the early stages of their pregnancy.
And there's a grim prognosis in the nursing shortage gripping U.S. hospitals. The State Department has decided to stop granting temporary work permits to nurses from the Philippines, India and China, faithful suppliers, all, to the U.S. market. It can take years to process applications for green cards, while the temporary permits often came in 60 days.
Ironically, the end of the fast track comes because of progress in clearing out a post-9/11 backlog of green card requests.
HARRIS: In other news, federal safety regulators want 600,000 Dodge SUVs and pickups recalled for safety problems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Dodge Durangos and Dakota models, years 2000, 2003, may have defective ball joints. This could result in having the front wheels fall off. The government says it has reports of several crashes but no injuries.
A Chrysler spokesman says the problem doesn't rise to the level of a safety defect. The car maker plans to respond to the recall request early next week.
You know, we often hear about the recalls, and we might not know how the process actually works. Most are actually initiated by the car manufacturers themselves. But what happens when the automaker and the feds don't agree on the scope of the problem?
Joining us for a little Recall 101 is Dr. Ricardo Martinez, a former director of NTSA.
Doctor, good to be here.
DR. RICARDO MARTINEZ, FORMER DIRECTOR, NTSA: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
HARRIS: Give us a sense of the kind of reporting, the kind of information that might trigger a NTSA review.
MARTINEZ: It's interesting. There are tons of -- of complaints that come in all the time from the public. They come in through the web site. They come in through the 800 number. They come in from letters. And NTSA sifts through all that.
And then, if it sees a trend, looking through statistics, it will then start a preliminary evaluation. It goes to the manufacturer and it says, "I want more information. I want repairs, warranty records, that sort of thing."
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: If it finds, as it did in this case, that they think there is an issue, it will start an engineering analysis.
And NTSA's very good about that. It's very good engineers. They also are like a Sherlock Holmes story.
But now they have to identify exactly what they think the problem is and see if they can replicate that.
HARRIS: I see.
MARTINEZ: In this case, they did that. They started a year ago. They've now finished that, and they've determined there is something that has to be remedied. Now they go and ask with a recall request letter to the manufacturer to please recall these vehicles.
HARRIS: OK. Now during this process, during this whole evaluation process, is the automaker being informed of the growing evidence?
MARTINEZ: Yes, absolutely. And one of the things you'll find is that most of the recalls are actually done way before it gets to this part of the process. The manufacturers actually recall more cars than they make every year. About 25 million that they recall versus about 16 million to 17 million they make.
HARRIS: I see.
MARTINEZ: And one of the reasons it's so big, is you go back for several years, like, to get those similar parts and joints back together. In this particular case, we've really gone to where the federal government is saying we want you to do a recall. And we're waiting for the clock to see what the response will be from the manufacturers.
HARRIS: What is the likely response from Daimler Chrysler in this case?
MARTINEZ: Well, they have three. One thing they can do is they can say, absolutely, because there's a certain public relations aspect to that.
HARRIS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: We want to do it; we want to do it fast. And it's really about 600,000 cars. We want to give our customers a remedy.
No. 2, they can ask for more time. They do have a certain amount of time to respond. They may want more to look at the engineering evaluation.
Or No. 3, they can refuse.
HARRIS: Right.
MARTINEZ: If they refuse, it bumps up to the administrator, who's been out of this fight so far, who then can issue an order to the manufacturer, and then you may end up going to court.
HARRIS: What does your history tell you about why a car manufacturer might go all the way down the road through all of these steps before taking some action? I'm guessing that it would be less expensive to fix the problem yourself before you're ordered to.
MARTINEZ: Well, for the most part, we've seen the manufacturers shift from fighting every step of the way to actually being much more proactive, because so many cars are involved now.
They initiate the vast majority of recalls now, because they want to get it, and they want to get it early. The problem lies is when there's a significant engineering disagreement.
And I've got to tell you, the NTSA engineers are very, very good. They start with a lot of complaints. But when they get this far in the case, they usually come down to something that they can find. So really, it begins to attract media attention. It's unusual to be this far down the process.
HARRIS: You know, I'm curious. So if you're someone out there driving with one of these Durangos or Dakotas and you know that this buzz about this car is going on right now, what do you do? You're kind of in a weird situation right now, aren't you?
MARTINEZ: Well, it makes things very awkward. For one thing, you know, NTSA is going to be very, very quiet. One reason why is there's also -- also legal cases out there. There's cost issues there. NTSA is not part of all that. What they really want to do is have unbiased information.
And one of the concerns you have when the media gets too involved is reports come in which make it hard for you to have objective information to defend your case in court.
HARRIS: Yes. Dr. Martinez, good to see you. Thank you.
MARTINEZ: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Very good. Appreciate it.
MARTINEZ: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Well, the organization of oil exporting countries has decided to cut oil production.
HARRIS: Rhonda Schaffler joins us now from the New York Stock Exchange with details.
Hi, Rhonda.
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