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Massive Pro-Syrian Demonstration in Beirut; Impact of Chechen Leader Killing

Aired March 08, 2005 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to LIVE FROM. It's a two-city Tuesday. I'm Kyra Phillips in Atlanta.
MILES O'BRIEN: Hello, Kyra. I'm Miles O'Brien here in D.C. and here's what's happening right now in the news for you.

We're getting word from Southern California that an unknown substance is leaking from a derailed freight train east of L.A. Authorities say as many as seven cars have jumped the tracks in city of industry. About a dozen businesses evacuated there. No word on just how it happened. We have no reports of injuries. We'll keep you updated, however.

Three presidents in the White House today, two of them visiting. President Bush, his father, and Bill Clinton met to review tsunami relief efforts. The president's father and Bill Clinton have just returned from the region. More on that at the top of the hour.

Bill Clinton plans to undergo corrective surgery Thursday in New York City. His office says he's expected to stay in the hospital for up to ten days, then it's back to that normal schedule of his, busy. The surgery will remove scar tissue and fluid following his quadruple bypass in September. We'll speak with an expert cardiologist about it just a little later.

PHILLIPS: Now to that sea of Lebanese flags in Beirut's main square. We've been showing you these pictures today of the massive pro-Syrian demonstration in Lebanon. Many of these protesters carried signs denouncing U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Let's talk about that a little bit more with our senior Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr. What's interesting is we've been talking about this rally, we've been talking about the president mentioning Lebanon, but no talk of Hezbollah.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, totally ignoring this huge rally. As you mentioned, a sea of Lebanese flags. The government is saying hundreds of thousands, some million and a half demonstrators, they say. But Arab media are warning that these numbers could be inflated and also warning that some of these demonstrators could have come all the way from Syria by bus to participate in this demonstration. So something to be very careful about here that these people are not necessarily Lebanese, all of them.

Now, with all that said, there are many Lebanese who are demonstrating there in support of Syria. Some experts are telling us that this is a thank-you for Syria for all the sacrifices, as they say, that Syria paid in Lebanon. Others are saying this is a show of support for the Taif Agreement, in contrast to the 1559 U.N. Security Council resolution that the president spoke about earlier today.

PHILLIPS: Now, you were saying that this, though -- we keep talking Lebanese and Syrian, but once again, bringing in the word Hezbollah. This was organized by Hezbollah, you were telling me. Let's explain to our viewers why that's of concern.

NASR: Right. Hezbollah is a militant group that's based in Lebanon. Back in 1998, when the Taif Accord was signed in Saudi Arabia -- and that effectively ended the civil war in Lebanon -- it asked for Syria to pull out its troops from Lebanon gradually, and it also asked for all the militias to be disbanded. Hezbollah was made an exception because Hezbollah was fighting a war in the south of Lebanon. They called it -- they were trying to end the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Well, that occupation of Lebanon ended in 2000, when Israel pulled all its troops out of south Lebanon.

So the question now is if 1559, this U.N. resolution, is to be implemented, that means Syria has to pull completely out of Lebanon. And the next stipulation, which is the more interesting here, is that all militias have to be disbanded, Lebanese and otherwise. The Lebanese militia, the only one that exists is Hezbollah. So Hezbollah here calling for this demonstration is no surprise at all. They feel the pressure coming from the West. And basically, they're very concerned about their livelihood. They feel that if 1559 is implemented, they have to go. They have to disband, and they don't exist anymore.

So they've been in existence as -- because of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. They've been supported by Syria and Iran, moneywise, weaponwise and also a lot of morale. And you can see the result in this massive demonstration, all of them going out there and saying thank you, Syria. Basically Hezbollah is saying they do not mind the outside interference in Lebanon as long as it's coming from Syria and not the West.

PHILLIPS: And some critics in the West saying -- a little concerned about terrorism here. You have Syria, that has been in there for 15 years. Now they pull out. You're seeing such a large rally, which you're saying organized by Hezbollah. There's a concern about the growth of terrorism possibly in this area, cross country.

NASR: Right. And Hezbollah -- it's very important to say that Hezbollah is on the list of terrorism for the U.S. and Israel. So Hezbollah is not seen as just a militant group or just as a political group in Lebanon. It is on the list. And basically, back in December, not long ago, the media arm of Hezbollah called Al Manar (ph) Television, was shut down by the U.S. State Department. It was not allowed to broadcast any messages to the U.S. anymore. France followed suit and shut them down in France as well. So terrorism is definitely at the heart of this matter, yes.

PHILLIPS: Octavia Nasr, thank you so much -- Miles. O'BRIEN: The secrets of King Tut revealed. Centuries after his death, modern medicine may finally be able to tell us how he died. Could it be just a broken leg? It's not what many people assume.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. U2 is coming to America. And Friday the 13th could be Quentin Tarantino's lucky day. I'll explain when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Russian forces have reportedly killed a key Chechen rebel leader. Russian television says that this is the body of former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. If true, what would Maskhadov's death mean to the rebel movement? Joining us now, Russian expert Graham Allison, director of Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

It's a pleasure to have you with us.

GRAHAM ALLISON, DIRECTOR, BELFER CENTER, HARVARD: Glad to be here.

PHILLIPS: And, of course, the main reason why we're talking about this is the two main cases that we've seen come out of that area, and how the Chechen rebels have been tied to the theater gassing, of course, most recently the Beslan school massacre. But put into perspective this Chechen rebel leader and why we are paying attention to his alleged death today.

ALLISON: Well, that's a good question, and it's a complicated story. But this has been a brutal conflict that's gone on now for more than a decade. Maskhadov was the rebel leader, actually, the head of the Chechens who successfully fought to a standstill with the Russians back in '96. He's been implicated by the Russians in a number of terrorist attacks. And to the extent that one of the terrorist leaders is taken out, that could have a positive effect.

On the other hand, there are lots of other terrorists leaders there, including Basayev, the person who was most centrally involved in the Beslan schoolchildren killing. And one would expect that there will be some retaliation.

PHILLIPS: We'll talk more about Basayev and how these two were sort of in competition with each other, although both rebels. Let's go back to the theater story that we had covered and the gassing that took place, the massacre that took place, and how this allegedly was tied to Aslan Maskhadov.

ALLISON: Well, to get the big picture here, basically, the Chechens have been seeking to free themselves from Russia. They would like to have an independent country, and they've been fighting Russia over it. They've engaged in a number of terrorist actions. Basically, they think of themselves, in effect, as a national liberation movement, like the Algerians against the French or the Indians against the British in an earlier period. Their primary instrument in this war has been acts of terror. And they do capture people whenever they can. They behead people as they can.

On the other side, the Russian strategy for dealing with this, and Putin's in particular, has been just brutal force, thinking that he could crush this. Putin actually ran on that in his campaign. But as we see as the war has dragged on, that this has turned out to be unsuccessful. So this is a bloody wound in Putin and Russia's side. And it's been very, very bloody on both sides.

PHILLIPS: All right. So then back to Shamil Basayev, the terrorist allegedly behind the Beslan school massacre. He, as far as we know, still on the run, still hiding out. But if, indeed, Aslan Maskhadov is dead, what kind of effect will that have on terrorism in the region, and even affect Shamil Basayev's terrorist activity?

ALLISON: Well, very good question. And I think that you've had there Basayev, Maskhadov, and several other rebel leaders. Each of them have their own tribal gangs, and they appear to engage in terrorist activities almost independently and uncoordinated. Basayev has shown the greatest sort of imagination and has been probably the most brutal of the actors. And I would suspect that this will motivate him more. Whether there's somebody else in Maskhadov's rebel gang, will step up to take his place, we'll have to watch and see in the next few days.

PHILLIPS: Graham Allison, Harvard University, we always appreciate your expertise. Thank you, sir.

ALLISON:: Thank you for having me.

PHILLIPS: Well, it could be one of the oldest cold case files in history, and it's still tantalizing the imagination. Why did King Tut, the boy king, die so suddenly more than 3,000 years ago? Modern medical technology has solved one piece of the puzzle. Our Cairo bureau chief, Ben Wedeman, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): One of the oldest murder mysteries, solved. Well, maybe. More than 3,000 years ago, 19-year-old Pharaoh Tutenkhamen, better know as King Tut, was found dead in his royal bed. Many historians and history buffs suspected foul play.

Late last year, Egyptian scientists oversaw a first-ever CT-scan, a three-dimensional X-ray of Tut's mummy. They pored over 1,700 images searching for clues to answer the question, was Tut murdered?

Last November, we asked Egypt's top archaeologist what he thought.

DR. ZAHI HAWAS, DIR., SUPREME ANTIQUITIES COUN.: I believe there was a conspiracy. And I believe that he was murdered.

WEDEMAN: After the CT-scan, he's changed his tune.

HAWAS: King Tut was not murdered, but we found out, in his left leg, that it was crushed. He had an injury just maybe a few days before he died.

WEDEMAN: Which might have caused a fatal infection or...

HAWAS: Maybe he was poisoned.

WEDEMAN: The high-tech scan might not solve the mystery, but it may give us a better idea of what Tut really looked like.

HAWAS: It shows three dimensions of the mummy, we'll be able to reconstruct the face of King Tut.

WEDEMAN: Egyptian authorities say old Tut has been roughed up enough since his tomb was discovered in 1922. And now it's time to put him back in the ground for good.

(on camera): OK, so King Tut wasn't killed by a blow to the head. But an infection or maybe poison might have done him in. Say what you like, but this case is far from closed.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, it could have been a contender. Instead, the show is just a bum. But we'll soon be seeing more of a "Sex and the City" star, some riveting rockers and maybe a favorite friend from horror history. You know what this means. It's time to go to L.A. CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

Hello, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hello, Miles, that's right, he's back. Just when you thought Jason was gone for good, the mass serial killer is returning to the big screen. Now this time he's getting help from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The "Kill Bill" director is considering writing and directing a new installment of the "Friday the 13th" horror series. Now if Tarantino goes forward with these plans, he'd be working with New Line Cinema, and it would be the first time he's directed outside of Miramax Films.

And speaking of comebacks, rockers U2 have announced dates for the fall North American leg of the Vertigo Tour. The tour kicks off in September in Toronto and wraps up in December in Portland, Oregon. U2 will play in Chicago, Boston, New York and Atlanta just to name a few. Because the tour officially begins at the end of the month, the band has already sold millions of tickets. Now, by the time the tour ends, U2 could have one of the top-grossing tours of all time with nearly $300 million.

Now, it was supposed to be the most anticipated reality shows to date, slated to knock out the competition in the ratings. But when all was said and done, NBC's "The Contender" was anything but a ratings winner. The Mark Burnett and Sylvester Stallone boxing reality show did not win its time slot. The network came in third place in the ratings last night.

And listen up, Carrie Bradshaw fans, HBO's golden girl, Sarah Jessica Parker, is making her way to HBO again. The former "Sex and the City" star has signed a deal with the cable channel to develop a series of longform programming through her production company. Now, before you get your hopes up for a "Sex and a City" reunion movie, because I already have, forget about it. The deal is exclusive to television -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: How long does the deal last?

VARGAS: Well, it lasts two years. It's between HBO and her production company, which is called Pretty Matches. And so it should be enough time to give us something great, something special, but not the "Sex and the City" reunion. Who knows, maybe for TV, maybe for TV, maybe for TV.

O'BRIEN: Yes. It's a great program. All right. Thank you very much, Sibila Vargas, appreciate it.

We've got more reality TV tidbits coming up. Producers at "The Apprentice" are alleging some funny business was going on with products featured on their show. We'll have details when we check Wall Street.

And later, Martha, Martha, Martha, to the max. Is all this comeback coverage too much of a good thing?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett is suing a marketing firm for alleged double dealing. Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with the details on that -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Can you say you're sued? Mark Burnett is accusing a product placement firm of lying about its association with him. According to a suit filed in Los Angeles, Hollywood firm Madison Road was playing both sides. It told companies it could get their products on the popular hit show "The Apprentice" through its connections with Burnett, but Burnett says no such relationship existed, and that Madison Road told him that it was an exclusive representative of the companies.

Madison Road allegedly charged the firm higher finders fees than it actually paid to Burnett, a no-no. Mars, Proctor & Gamble and Levi's among the companies thought to be involved. Contestants on the hit show had to make chocolate bars, promote a new Crest toothpaste and create an ad campaign for jeans all in the coveted quest to become "The Apprentice" -- Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, almost the top of the hour. We're going to bring you the headlines next. What else, Miles? O'BRIEN: We're going to go live to California. The moment you've been waiting for, Kyra, today's developments in the Michael Jackson trial. Promises to be a thriller. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now in the news, President Bush vowing once again to help spread democracy around the world. In a speech to the National Defense University, he pointed out where freedom is making gains in the Middle East, saying that will help fight global terror.

A trip to freedom turned into a nightmare. Now the U.S. military in Iraq has opened an investigation and invited Italian officials to take part. Italy wants answers in the wounding of a just-released Italian hostage. It disputes U.S. accounts that her car was speeding through a checkpoint. You may remember an Italian agent was killed in that incident.

Heightened tensions between China and Taiwan. A draft law likely to win passage in Beijing this month, when authorized military force of Taiwan formally declares its independence. The White House calls the legislation unhelpful. It's urging China to reconsider.

Spring and summer demand could push gas prices to new highs. That's the latest forecast from the government. The Energy Information Administration says that average prices could hit $2.15 a gallon starting next month, up more than 20 cents a gallon from the same period last year.

O'BRIEN: Former president Bill Clinton says he's doing great two days before follow-up heart surgery. Thursday Clinton will have a procedure to remove fluid and scar tissue from his chest, a result of his quadruple bypass last fall. Clinton and former president George H.W. Bush recently got a look at tsunami relief efforts in Asia. Today they brief the current President Bush. Doctors say the heart complication is relatively rare, but the surgery is low-risk and he should completely recover. For his part, Clinton says he feels fine.

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Aired March 8, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to LIVE FROM. It's a two-city Tuesday. I'm Kyra Phillips in Atlanta.
MILES O'BRIEN: Hello, Kyra. I'm Miles O'Brien here in D.C. and here's what's happening right now in the news for you.

We're getting word from Southern California that an unknown substance is leaking from a derailed freight train east of L.A. Authorities say as many as seven cars have jumped the tracks in city of industry. About a dozen businesses evacuated there. No word on just how it happened. We have no reports of injuries. We'll keep you updated, however.

Three presidents in the White House today, two of them visiting. President Bush, his father, and Bill Clinton met to review tsunami relief efforts. The president's father and Bill Clinton have just returned from the region. More on that at the top of the hour.

Bill Clinton plans to undergo corrective surgery Thursday in New York City. His office says he's expected to stay in the hospital for up to ten days, then it's back to that normal schedule of his, busy. The surgery will remove scar tissue and fluid following his quadruple bypass in September. We'll speak with an expert cardiologist about it just a little later.

PHILLIPS: Now to that sea of Lebanese flags in Beirut's main square. We've been showing you these pictures today of the massive pro-Syrian demonstration in Lebanon. Many of these protesters carried signs denouncing U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Let's talk about that a little bit more with our senior Arab affairs editor Octavia Nasr. What's interesting is we've been talking about this rally, we've been talking about the president mentioning Lebanon, but no talk of Hezbollah.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, totally ignoring this huge rally. As you mentioned, a sea of Lebanese flags. The government is saying hundreds of thousands, some million and a half demonstrators, they say. But Arab media are warning that these numbers could be inflated and also warning that some of these demonstrators could have come all the way from Syria by bus to participate in this demonstration. So something to be very careful about here that these people are not necessarily Lebanese, all of them.

Now, with all that said, there are many Lebanese who are demonstrating there in support of Syria. Some experts are telling us that this is a thank-you for Syria for all the sacrifices, as they say, that Syria paid in Lebanon. Others are saying this is a show of support for the Taif Agreement, in contrast to the 1559 U.N. Security Council resolution that the president spoke about earlier today.

PHILLIPS: Now, you were saying that this, though -- we keep talking Lebanese and Syrian, but once again, bringing in the word Hezbollah. This was organized by Hezbollah, you were telling me. Let's explain to our viewers why that's of concern.

NASR: Right. Hezbollah is a militant group that's based in Lebanon. Back in 1998, when the Taif Accord was signed in Saudi Arabia -- and that effectively ended the civil war in Lebanon -- it asked for Syria to pull out its troops from Lebanon gradually, and it also asked for all the militias to be disbanded. Hezbollah was made an exception because Hezbollah was fighting a war in the south of Lebanon. They called it -- they were trying to end the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Well, that occupation of Lebanon ended in 2000, when Israel pulled all its troops out of south Lebanon.

So the question now is if 1559, this U.N. resolution, is to be implemented, that means Syria has to pull completely out of Lebanon. And the next stipulation, which is the more interesting here, is that all militias have to be disbanded, Lebanese and otherwise. The Lebanese militia, the only one that exists is Hezbollah. So Hezbollah here calling for this demonstration is no surprise at all. They feel the pressure coming from the West. And basically, they're very concerned about their livelihood. They feel that if 1559 is implemented, they have to go. They have to disband, and they don't exist anymore.

So they've been in existence as -- because of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. They've been supported by Syria and Iran, moneywise, weaponwise and also a lot of morale. And you can see the result in this massive demonstration, all of them going out there and saying thank you, Syria. Basically Hezbollah is saying they do not mind the outside interference in Lebanon as long as it's coming from Syria and not the West.

PHILLIPS: And some critics in the West saying -- a little concerned about terrorism here. You have Syria, that has been in there for 15 years. Now they pull out. You're seeing such a large rally, which you're saying organized by Hezbollah. There's a concern about the growth of terrorism possibly in this area, cross country.

NASR: Right. And Hezbollah -- it's very important to say that Hezbollah is on the list of terrorism for the U.S. and Israel. So Hezbollah is not seen as just a militant group or just as a political group in Lebanon. It is on the list. And basically, back in December, not long ago, the media arm of Hezbollah called Al Manar (ph) Television, was shut down by the U.S. State Department. It was not allowed to broadcast any messages to the U.S. anymore. France followed suit and shut them down in France as well. So terrorism is definitely at the heart of this matter, yes.

PHILLIPS: Octavia Nasr, thank you so much -- Miles. O'BRIEN: The secrets of King Tut revealed. Centuries after his death, modern medicine may finally be able to tell us how he died. Could it be just a broken leg? It's not what many people assume.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. U2 is coming to America. And Friday the 13th could be Quentin Tarantino's lucky day. I'll explain when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Russian forces have reportedly killed a key Chechen rebel leader. Russian television says that this is the body of former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. If true, what would Maskhadov's death mean to the rebel movement? Joining us now, Russian expert Graham Allison, director of Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

It's a pleasure to have you with us.

GRAHAM ALLISON, DIRECTOR, BELFER CENTER, HARVARD: Glad to be here.

PHILLIPS: And, of course, the main reason why we're talking about this is the two main cases that we've seen come out of that area, and how the Chechen rebels have been tied to the theater gassing, of course, most recently the Beslan school massacre. But put into perspective this Chechen rebel leader and why we are paying attention to his alleged death today.

ALLISON: Well, that's a good question, and it's a complicated story. But this has been a brutal conflict that's gone on now for more than a decade. Maskhadov was the rebel leader, actually, the head of the Chechens who successfully fought to a standstill with the Russians back in '96. He's been implicated by the Russians in a number of terrorist attacks. And to the extent that one of the terrorist leaders is taken out, that could have a positive effect.

On the other hand, there are lots of other terrorists leaders there, including Basayev, the person who was most centrally involved in the Beslan schoolchildren killing. And one would expect that there will be some retaliation.

PHILLIPS: We'll talk more about Basayev and how these two were sort of in competition with each other, although both rebels. Let's go back to the theater story that we had covered and the gassing that took place, the massacre that took place, and how this allegedly was tied to Aslan Maskhadov.

ALLISON: Well, to get the big picture here, basically, the Chechens have been seeking to free themselves from Russia. They would like to have an independent country, and they've been fighting Russia over it. They've engaged in a number of terrorist actions. Basically, they think of themselves, in effect, as a national liberation movement, like the Algerians against the French or the Indians against the British in an earlier period. Their primary instrument in this war has been acts of terror. And they do capture people whenever they can. They behead people as they can.

On the other side, the Russian strategy for dealing with this, and Putin's in particular, has been just brutal force, thinking that he could crush this. Putin actually ran on that in his campaign. But as we see as the war has dragged on, that this has turned out to be unsuccessful. So this is a bloody wound in Putin and Russia's side. And it's been very, very bloody on both sides.

PHILLIPS: All right. So then back to Shamil Basayev, the terrorist allegedly behind the Beslan school massacre. He, as far as we know, still on the run, still hiding out. But if, indeed, Aslan Maskhadov is dead, what kind of effect will that have on terrorism in the region, and even affect Shamil Basayev's terrorist activity?

ALLISON: Well, very good question. And I think that you've had there Basayev, Maskhadov, and several other rebel leaders. Each of them have their own tribal gangs, and they appear to engage in terrorist activities almost independently and uncoordinated. Basayev has shown the greatest sort of imagination and has been probably the most brutal of the actors. And I would suspect that this will motivate him more. Whether there's somebody else in Maskhadov's rebel gang, will step up to take his place, we'll have to watch and see in the next few days.

PHILLIPS: Graham Allison, Harvard University, we always appreciate your expertise. Thank you, sir.

ALLISON:: Thank you for having me.

PHILLIPS: Well, it could be one of the oldest cold case files in history, and it's still tantalizing the imagination. Why did King Tut, the boy king, die so suddenly more than 3,000 years ago? Modern medical technology has solved one piece of the puzzle. Our Cairo bureau chief, Ben Wedeman, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): One of the oldest murder mysteries, solved. Well, maybe. More than 3,000 years ago, 19-year-old Pharaoh Tutenkhamen, better know as King Tut, was found dead in his royal bed. Many historians and history buffs suspected foul play.

Late last year, Egyptian scientists oversaw a first-ever CT-scan, a three-dimensional X-ray of Tut's mummy. They pored over 1,700 images searching for clues to answer the question, was Tut murdered?

Last November, we asked Egypt's top archaeologist what he thought.

DR. ZAHI HAWAS, DIR., SUPREME ANTIQUITIES COUN.: I believe there was a conspiracy. And I believe that he was murdered.

WEDEMAN: After the CT-scan, he's changed his tune.

HAWAS: King Tut was not murdered, but we found out, in his left leg, that it was crushed. He had an injury just maybe a few days before he died.

WEDEMAN: Which might have caused a fatal infection or...

HAWAS: Maybe he was poisoned.

WEDEMAN: The high-tech scan might not solve the mystery, but it may give us a better idea of what Tut really looked like.

HAWAS: It shows three dimensions of the mummy, we'll be able to reconstruct the face of King Tut.

WEDEMAN: Egyptian authorities say old Tut has been roughed up enough since his tomb was discovered in 1922. And now it's time to put him back in the ground for good.

(on camera): OK, so King Tut wasn't killed by a blow to the head. But an infection or maybe poison might have done him in. Say what you like, but this case is far from closed.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, it could have been a contender. Instead, the show is just a bum. But we'll soon be seeing more of a "Sex and the City" star, some riveting rockers and maybe a favorite friend from horror history. You know what this means. It's time to go to L.A. CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

Hello, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hello, Miles, that's right, he's back. Just when you thought Jason was gone for good, the mass serial killer is returning to the big screen. Now this time he's getting help from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The "Kill Bill" director is considering writing and directing a new installment of the "Friday the 13th" horror series. Now if Tarantino goes forward with these plans, he'd be working with New Line Cinema, and it would be the first time he's directed outside of Miramax Films.

And speaking of comebacks, rockers U2 have announced dates for the fall North American leg of the Vertigo Tour. The tour kicks off in September in Toronto and wraps up in December in Portland, Oregon. U2 will play in Chicago, Boston, New York and Atlanta just to name a few. Because the tour officially begins at the end of the month, the band has already sold millions of tickets. Now, by the time the tour ends, U2 could have one of the top-grossing tours of all time with nearly $300 million.

Now, it was supposed to be the most anticipated reality shows to date, slated to knock out the competition in the ratings. But when all was said and done, NBC's "The Contender" was anything but a ratings winner. The Mark Burnett and Sylvester Stallone boxing reality show did not win its time slot. The network came in third place in the ratings last night.

And listen up, Carrie Bradshaw fans, HBO's golden girl, Sarah Jessica Parker, is making her way to HBO again. The former "Sex and the City" star has signed a deal with the cable channel to develop a series of longform programming through her production company. Now, before you get your hopes up for a "Sex and a City" reunion movie, because I already have, forget about it. The deal is exclusive to television -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: How long does the deal last?

VARGAS: Well, it lasts two years. It's between HBO and her production company, which is called Pretty Matches. And so it should be enough time to give us something great, something special, but not the "Sex and the City" reunion. Who knows, maybe for TV, maybe for TV, maybe for TV.

O'BRIEN: Yes. It's a great program. All right. Thank you very much, Sibila Vargas, appreciate it.

We've got more reality TV tidbits coming up. Producers at "The Apprentice" are alleging some funny business was going on with products featured on their show. We'll have details when we check Wall Street.

And later, Martha, Martha, Martha, to the max. Is all this comeback coverage too much of a good thing?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett is suing a marketing firm for alleged double dealing. Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with the details on that -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Can you say you're sued? Mark Burnett is accusing a product placement firm of lying about its association with him. According to a suit filed in Los Angeles, Hollywood firm Madison Road was playing both sides. It told companies it could get their products on the popular hit show "The Apprentice" through its connections with Burnett, but Burnett says no such relationship existed, and that Madison Road told him that it was an exclusive representative of the companies.

Madison Road allegedly charged the firm higher finders fees than it actually paid to Burnett, a no-no. Mars, Proctor & Gamble and Levi's among the companies thought to be involved. Contestants on the hit show had to make chocolate bars, promote a new Crest toothpaste and create an ad campaign for jeans all in the coveted quest to become "The Apprentice" -- Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, almost the top of the hour. We're going to bring you the headlines next. What else, Miles? O'BRIEN: We're going to go live to California. The moment you've been waiting for, Kyra, today's developments in the Michael Jackson trial. Promises to be a thriller. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now in the news, President Bush vowing once again to help spread democracy around the world. In a speech to the National Defense University, he pointed out where freedom is making gains in the Middle East, saying that will help fight global terror.

A trip to freedom turned into a nightmare. Now the U.S. military in Iraq has opened an investigation and invited Italian officials to take part. Italy wants answers in the wounding of a just-released Italian hostage. It disputes U.S. accounts that her car was speeding through a checkpoint. You may remember an Italian agent was killed in that incident.

Heightened tensions between China and Taiwan. A draft law likely to win passage in Beijing this month, when authorized military force of Taiwan formally declares its independence. The White House calls the legislation unhelpful. It's urging China to reconsider.

Spring and summer demand could push gas prices to new highs. That's the latest forecast from the government. The Energy Information Administration says that average prices could hit $2.15 a gallon starting next month, up more than 20 cents a gallon from the same period last year.

O'BRIEN: Former president Bill Clinton says he's doing great two days before follow-up heart surgery. Thursday Clinton will have a procedure to remove fluid and scar tissue from his chest, a result of his quadruple bypass last fall. Clinton and former president George H.W. Bush recently got a look at tsunami relief efforts in Asia. Today they brief the current President Bush. Doctors say the heart complication is relatively rare, but the surgery is low-risk and he should completely recover. For his part, Clinton says he feels fine.

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