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Zarqawi Wounded?; Senate Averts Nuclear Option; Afghanistan War Revisited

Aired May 24, 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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: We will track it for you as they figure out how best to get her out. Should be a chip shot for those guys. They're used to these kinds of search-and-rescue operations. But nevertheless, when you do something like this, you want to do it right so you don't make matters worse. Once again, Irwindale, California, pooch and woman stuck on the rocks in the rapids. Rescuers getting ready to take care of that. We'll keep you posted.
Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: Well, it's not a miracle, not a cure, and as many people hate it, of course, they love it. But less than a day after a bipartisan pact averted a crippling crisis in the Senate, the prognosis is bright for three nominations that had been flat-lined for years. If you've been watching CNN, well, you saw how it was invoked for Appellate Court nominee Priscilla Owen, meaning four years of filibusters and filibuster threats, they're over. The confirmation vote is now a mere formality. So, too, for nominees Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor. Two other contentious nominees get no guarantees, though Democrats promised to filibuster -- that is, monopolize the floor -- only under extraordinary circumstances. All sides agree it's a victory of practicality over ideology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MINORITY LEADER: But if Justice Owen is confirmed as a federal judge, I hope she surprises those of us who have fought her nomination. Perhaps her experience as a judicial nominee has exposed her to a broader range of views, and that experience may make her more sensitive to concerns regarding privacy, civil rights, and consumer rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Justice Owen sits on the Supreme Court of Texas. And barring some huge surprise, is headed for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Some of her long-time supporters accuse her long- time detractors of hypocrisy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN, (R) TEXAS: After $10 million or more perhaps, the American people are told, never mind, we didn't really mean it or even if we did mean it, you're not supposed to take us seriously, because what this is all about is a game. This is about the politics of personal character assassination, the politics of personal destruction. And here in Washington, perhaps people could be forgiven for believing that that happens far too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Owen's confirmation vote could come later today. You'll hear it first right here on CNN.

O'BRIEN: A militant website says the notorious insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been wounded. CNN hasn't verified that claim independently. Al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq, as you know by now. A message on an Islamist website calls for prayers over an injury al- Zarqawi suffered "in the path of God." That was a quote from the site. The message also goes on to say, and we quote from it, "Let the near and far know that the injury of our leader is an honor and a cause to close in on the enemies of God and a reason to increase the attacks against them." A quote from that Islamist website.

Back with more in a moment.

O'BRIEN: All right. Live pictures once again. KABC is our affiliate here. We thank them for these pictures. Just in time. Just in time. I believe what we're seeing here is a safe rescue of a woman and dog. Actually, where is the dog right now?

PHILLIPS: He already got rescued.

O'BRIEN: Apparently the dog -- the dog's already safe and sound. The dog's getting a Milk Bone. There you go. That was just a few moments ago as the dog came off the rocks. Didn't want to dog paddle there very well, did he? Looks like a shepherd mix maybe. And, anyway, now the woman is on her way to safety. We don't know the circumstances that ended with them being in the middle of that raging rapids on the rocks, but we do know that there are a lot of good folks on rescue teams and fire departments all around Southern California who know how to handle such things perfectly. And that's what you just saw, right here live on CNN. No story too small or too large for us.

Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: He was just days away from retiring, and then, 9/11 happened. His new mission, bring back Osama bin Laden's head on ice. Now that former CIA agent is revealing details of his top secret mission to the world. It's part of his new book entitled, "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan." Author and former Agent Gary Schroen with us now live from Reno, Nevada.

Good to see you, Gary.

GARY SCHROEN, AUTHOR, "FIRST IN": Good to be here. Thank you. PHILLIPS: So I'm reading the book, and I'm reading about how you're preparing for RTP, the retirement transition program. I can just imagine what was going through your mind as you were clearing out your desk and getting ready to go. You look up at the television set, and you couldn't believe it. Tell our viewers what happened at that point. You probably realized you weren't going to retire that day.

SCHROEN: Well, that's true. We -- there was a commotion down at the other end of the hall where we had a television set up, and someone was saying that the World Trade Center had been hit. And as I stood there watching, the second plane hit the second tower, and I knew instantly that it was bin Laden. But actually, when I left the building that afternoon, I really thought that the fight was going to pass me by, that I was in the retirement program and I was going to miss it. But luckily, I got a call two days later.

PHILLIPS: Yes, you did. Two days later you were pulled into the office. The next thing you knew, you were packing up laptops and ammunition and lots of cash and Jawbreaker was headed overseas. Tell our viewers the definition of Jawbreaker and the individuals within that team.

SCHROEN: Well, for every operation, there's usually a code word or a code name that the agency gives to the operation. We picked Jawbreaker, and I actually don't know why we did. But I selected six officers, handpicked them for their unique skills and abilities and knowledge of the area. And we were organized within four days, and on the 19th of September we departed for Europe and on to Tashkent.

PHILLIPS: So, Gary, when you went home, what did you tell your wife, Betsy? And I know she works for the State Department, so she's used to these types of mission and used to dealing with your life and what you've had to encounter. She too has had some pretty intense missions. What was that conversation like when you told her you were going to have to go over there and deal with this?

SCHROEN: Well, I mean, her -- I guess her point was, why are you risking your life after all these years of service to your country? And basically I said that I just couldn't turn this down, Everyone in America wanted a chance to get back at bin Laden and the al Qaeda and here I was offered the chance to lead the first team of Americans in that fight. And there was just no way not to accept that assignment.

PHILLIPS: Now you had never been given the order to kill anyone before in your career, right?

SCHROEN: That's correct.

PHILLIPS: So your boss says, bring me back Osama bin Laden's head on ice. What went through your mind?

SCHROEN: Well, it was the most dramatic order I'd ever been given. Cofer Black, who was then the chief of the counter-terrorist center at CIA, gave me that order on the morning of the 19th as we were preparing to leave CIA headquarters. It was dramatic. I thought it was impressive. And it gave me the clear impression that -- which is what Cofer wanted -- that the gloves were off, this was war, and we were going to get back at bin Laden.

PHILLIPS: And, Gary, I want get back to details of getting back at bin Laden. But of course a lot of people ask the question, why wasn't this man taken care of years before?

SCHROEN: Well, actually, I was chief of station in Islamabad from 1996 to 1999 and ran operations with the aim of trying to capture bin Laden and bring him to justice. We had him in our gun sites two different times. A raid was planned on his farm in Tarnak outside of Kandahar and another at a desert camp. There were issues of collateral damage and we still, the administration, U.S. government, wasn't ready to take that step of actually setting out to deliberately kill him.

PHILLIPS: And then his trail grew cold. Was that because the focus switched to Iraq?

SCHROEN: A couple of reasons. He was able to escape at the battle of Tora Bora in December of '01, escape into Pakistan, which put him effectively out of our reach. And a few months later our CIA officers and some of the key Special Forces teams were reassigned to get ready for the upcoming battle in Iraq. And so it was a combination of things that allowed the trail to get cold.

PHILLIPS: Well, once you did get -- let's fast forward then, you got over there and you developed an incredible relationship with General Bismullah Khan and the Northern Alliance. Tell us how crucial that relationship was -- relationships that you had built for years -- and how that made an impact on the front lines in preparing the battlefield for an air war and a ground war.

SCHROEN: Well, indeed, I had been in contact with the Northern Alliance since 1996, when we renewed contact with the then leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. You'll recall that on the 9th of September, Massoud was assassinated in a suicide bombing by al Qaeda operatives in the Panjshir Valley. And this had really disrupted the Northern Alliance and their leadership. Our arrival, my team's arrival, was there -- came at a perfect time for them. They were very happy to see us. The fact that I brought money to help them upgrade their military capabilities and we had brought assurances that the U.S. military was going to bomb proved to be a key factor in winning their support and cooperation.

PHILLIPS: There's been so much speculation, Osama bin Laden, is he dead, is he alive, will he be caught? I've got to ask you firsthand, the expert on this individual and his life.

SCHROEN: I think personally that he's alive and well. He's living in Northern Afghanistan in the tribal areas -- or, excuse me, Northern Pakistan in the tribal areas just above Peshawar. It's the same general area where Abu Farraj al-Libbi was captured about a month ago by the Pakistani authorities. And I think that if the Pakistanis were to really take the lead and follow up on the information that al- Libbi has and go back into that area, that we would have a chance of tracking bin Laden down. PHILLIPS: Gary, as usual, we never have enough time. Gary Schroen. The book is "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan." It's a great read.

Gary, thanks for your time.

SCHROEN: Thank you very much for having me. Appreciate it.

PHILLIPS: A pleasure.

O'BRIEN: A so-called honor killing is throwing an unwelcome spotlight on Afghanistan's claims of progress for women. Police suspect family members in the shooting death of a female TV personality who was loved by young people and yet condemned by Muslim clerics. CNN's State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Before she was murdered last week, 24-year-old Shaima Rezayee had hosted this MTV- like music program in Afghanistan. During the show called "Hop," Rezayee's fans watched her mingle openly with men. But Afghanistan's religious leaders condemned Rezayee's Western style clothing and her program as un-Islamic, eventually pressuring the TV station to fire her in March. Two months later, Rezayee was shot in the head at her home. Afghan police now reportedly suspect Rezayee's family in carrying out an honor killing.

ZAINAB SALBI, WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTL.: What it says about the Afghan society is a lot of the measurements that were used by Talibans in terms of traditional sharia laws, in terms of women's behavior being public discussion and not protected by the legal code, are still issues that are running in Afghanistan.

KOPPEL: Three and a half years after the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, there are signs life for Afghan women is still a work in progress. More girls are in school than before. And following last October's election, President Hamid Karzai's cabinet now has three women ministers. At the White House, where he hosted Afghanistan's president, Mr. Bush sounded optimistic about the future for Afghan women.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A shift of opinions taking place in Afghanistan, where now women are equal partners in society.

KOPPEL: But some women's advocacy groups say, not so fast. They point to the recent kidnaping of Italian Aid Worker Clementina Cantoni as another troubling sign of the return of fundamentalist attacks on women.

SALBI: If we do not pay attention and if we do not respond quick enough for this, it may impact other women in a larger scale.

KOPPEL (on camera): In the case of Shaima Rezayee, she was also considered a journalist, and according to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, was the first journalist to be killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban fell. The group is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into her murder.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, imagine this. Paris Hilton sizzles -- apparently too much for TV. And Gwyneth Paltrow's famous face is going to get plenty of extra exposure. Sibila Vargas, never getting enough exposure. She's keeping up with all the entertainment news in Los Angeles.

Hi, Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

That's right. Her signature line may be that's hot but apparently one media watchdog group thinks Paris Hilton's new commercial is too hot for TV. The Los Angeles-based Parents Television Council is calling the Carl's Jr. commercial soft core porn. The ad shows the reality TV star in a sexy bathing suit as she soaps and rinses a Bentley while eating a Carl's Jr. burger. The group, which consists of more than a million members, says it's inappropriate for television and is considering asking the Federal Communications Commission to declare the ad indecent.

Well, if you're a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, you're in luck. The actress is about to get a whole lot of face time. The new mom has been tapped to be the new face of Estee Lauder. Expect to see a lot of her this holiday season. Paltrow will be appearing in print and television ads as part of a 10-year anniversary celebration of Estee Lauder's Pleasure fragrance line.

And he took the game show world by storm after winning $2 1/2 million on "Jeopardy." But why stop there? Ken Jennings will soon have his own game show on Comedy Central. The untitled project will be overseen by "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Executive Producer Michael Davies. Now while Davies would not discuss details, he says Jennings comes across as nice and gentle, but when you put a buzzer in his hands, he becomes a killer. Stay tuned for that one in the fall.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sibila, we'll be watching. Thank you so much.

We're going to take a quick break and more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, there may be some hope for patients dealing with age-related blindness. A biotech company announcing some positive results from a test.

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz now has the details live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ: Hi, Kyra and Miles.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in people over 60. But now a new experimental drug shows real promise. Genentech says data from a large-scale study shows its drug Lucentis (ph) maintained or improved vision in patients with age- related eyesight degeneration 95 percent of the time. Needless to say, Wall Street applauds that. Genentech shares climbing more than 3 percent on the news. But shares of a rival, I-Tech (ph), are getting slammed, sliding 45 percent.

Well, that's not really the description of the overall market. Although we are off today, that's for sure. The Dow Industrials right now down 45 points. The Nasdaq is little changed but coming off a seven-session win streak.

Kyra and Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Merck, shall we? Problems with the old Viaxx -- Vioxx. Viaxx?

PHILLIPS: Viagra. Vioxx. A little different. Little different. Some litigation going on.

O'BRIEN: Anyway. A different company. Little litigation.

LISOVICZ: Well, we live in a litigious society and, of course, this was a very disturbing result that came out when Vioxx was withdrawn, Kyra and Miles. A federal judge says there could be as many as 100,000 cases filed against Merck over the withdrawn pain reliever. To date, there have been more than 2,000 cases filed. A district court judge in New Orleans says he could hear the first Vioxx case as early as this fall. Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market last September. That came after a study showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people taking the drug for more than 18 months. Analysts say Merck's potential liability could reach $18 billion. And just to put that in perspective, that is three times the net profits that Merck earned last year.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. Miles and Kyra, back to you.

O'BRIEN: That's some real money there. All right, Susan Lisovicz, thank you very much.

Coming up in the final half hour of LIVE FROM, one of the favorites to win this weekend's Indy 500.

PHILLIPS: We're getting excited about this. Her name is Danica Patrick. We're going to talk about what it's like for a woman to drive to the top of what has long been a man's sport. She joins us live this next hour.

O'BRIEN: Checking some stories "Now in the News."

It's been a bloody, violent 24-hours in Iraq. Four U.S. soldiers killed in an attack in Baghdad today. Four other soldiers and a U.S. Marine died in other attacks yesterday. Sixteen-hundred-and-forty- three U.S. troops have been killed in the war in Iraq so far.

Pledges and promises from Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon. Speaking in Washington today, he pledged his continued cooperation with newly elected Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas, as long as it didn't jeopardize Israeli security. And he promised to seek the release of more Palestinian prisoners.

Disorder in the court. Again, Brian David Mitchell, the man accused of kidnaping Elizabeth Smart, removed from a Salt Lake City court room today. He'd been inside only seconds before shouting Biblical admonitions. It's the fifth time he has caused such a disruption. A mental health expert for the defense says Mitchell has vowed to do everything possible to disrupt his trial. It appears he is succeeding.

END

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Aired May 24, 2005 - 14:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: We will track it for you as they figure out how best to get her out. Should be a chip shot for those guys. They're used to these kinds of search-and-rescue operations. But nevertheless, when you do something like this, you want to do it right so you don't make matters worse. Once again, Irwindale, California, pooch and woman stuck on the rocks in the rapids. Rescuers getting ready to take care of that. We'll keep you posted.
Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: Well, it's not a miracle, not a cure, and as many people hate it, of course, they love it. But less than a day after a bipartisan pact averted a crippling crisis in the Senate, the prognosis is bright for three nominations that had been flat-lined for years. If you've been watching CNN, well, you saw how it was invoked for Appellate Court nominee Priscilla Owen, meaning four years of filibusters and filibuster threats, they're over. The confirmation vote is now a mere formality. So, too, for nominees Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor. Two other contentious nominees get no guarantees, though Democrats promised to filibuster -- that is, monopolize the floor -- only under extraordinary circumstances. All sides agree it's a victory of practicality over ideology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MINORITY LEADER: But if Justice Owen is confirmed as a federal judge, I hope she surprises those of us who have fought her nomination. Perhaps her experience as a judicial nominee has exposed her to a broader range of views, and that experience may make her more sensitive to concerns regarding privacy, civil rights, and consumer rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Justice Owen sits on the Supreme Court of Texas. And barring some huge surprise, is headed for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Some of her long-time supporters accuse her long- time detractors of hypocrisy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN, (R) TEXAS: After $10 million or more perhaps, the American people are told, never mind, we didn't really mean it or even if we did mean it, you're not supposed to take us seriously, because what this is all about is a game. This is about the politics of personal character assassination, the politics of personal destruction. And here in Washington, perhaps people could be forgiven for believing that that happens far too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Owen's confirmation vote could come later today. You'll hear it first right here on CNN.

O'BRIEN: A militant website says the notorious insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been wounded. CNN hasn't verified that claim independently. Al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq, as you know by now. A message on an Islamist website calls for prayers over an injury al- Zarqawi suffered "in the path of God." That was a quote from the site. The message also goes on to say, and we quote from it, "Let the near and far know that the injury of our leader is an honor and a cause to close in on the enemies of God and a reason to increase the attacks against them." A quote from that Islamist website.

Back with more in a moment.

O'BRIEN: All right. Live pictures once again. KABC is our affiliate here. We thank them for these pictures. Just in time. Just in time. I believe what we're seeing here is a safe rescue of a woman and dog. Actually, where is the dog right now?

PHILLIPS: He already got rescued.

O'BRIEN: Apparently the dog -- the dog's already safe and sound. The dog's getting a Milk Bone. There you go. That was just a few moments ago as the dog came off the rocks. Didn't want to dog paddle there very well, did he? Looks like a shepherd mix maybe. And, anyway, now the woman is on her way to safety. We don't know the circumstances that ended with them being in the middle of that raging rapids on the rocks, but we do know that there are a lot of good folks on rescue teams and fire departments all around Southern California who know how to handle such things perfectly. And that's what you just saw, right here live on CNN. No story too small or too large for us.

Back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: He was just days away from retiring, and then, 9/11 happened. His new mission, bring back Osama bin Laden's head on ice. Now that former CIA agent is revealing details of his top secret mission to the world. It's part of his new book entitled, "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan." Author and former Agent Gary Schroen with us now live from Reno, Nevada.

Good to see you, Gary.

GARY SCHROEN, AUTHOR, "FIRST IN": Good to be here. Thank you. PHILLIPS: So I'm reading the book, and I'm reading about how you're preparing for RTP, the retirement transition program. I can just imagine what was going through your mind as you were clearing out your desk and getting ready to go. You look up at the television set, and you couldn't believe it. Tell our viewers what happened at that point. You probably realized you weren't going to retire that day.

SCHROEN: Well, that's true. We -- there was a commotion down at the other end of the hall where we had a television set up, and someone was saying that the World Trade Center had been hit. And as I stood there watching, the second plane hit the second tower, and I knew instantly that it was bin Laden. But actually, when I left the building that afternoon, I really thought that the fight was going to pass me by, that I was in the retirement program and I was going to miss it. But luckily, I got a call two days later.

PHILLIPS: Yes, you did. Two days later you were pulled into the office. The next thing you knew, you were packing up laptops and ammunition and lots of cash and Jawbreaker was headed overseas. Tell our viewers the definition of Jawbreaker and the individuals within that team.

SCHROEN: Well, for every operation, there's usually a code word or a code name that the agency gives to the operation. We picked Jawbreaker, and I actually don't know why we did. But I selected six officers, handpicked them for their unique skills and abilities and knowledge of the area. And we were organized within four days, and on the 19th of September we departed for Europe and on to Tashkent.

PHILLIPS: So, Gary, when you went home, what did you tell your wife, Betsy? And I know she works for the State Department, so she's used to these types of mission and used to dealing with your life and what you've had to encounter. She too has had some pretty intense missions. What was that conversation like when you told her you were going to have to go over there and deal with this?

SCHROEN: Well, I mean, her -- I guess her point was, why are you risking your life after all these years of service to your country? And basically I said that I just couldn't turn this down, Everyone in America wanted a chance to get back at bin Laden and the al Qaeda and here I was offered the chance to lead the first team of Americans in that fight. And there was just no way not to accept that assignment.

PHILLIPS: Now you had never been given the order to kill anyone before in your career, right?

SCHROEN: That's correct.

PHILLIPS: So your boss says, bring me back Osama bin Laden's head on ice. What went through your mind?

SCHROEN: Well, it was the most dramatic order I'd ever been given. Cofer Black, who was then the chief of the counter-terrorist center at CIA, gave me that order on the morning of the 19th as we were preparing to leave CIA headquarters. It was dramatic. I thought it was impressive. And it gave me the clear impression that -- which is what Cofer wanted -- that the gloves were off, this was war, and we were going to get back at bin Laden.

PHILLIPS: And, Gary, I want get back to details of getting back at bin Laden. But of course a lot of people ask the question, why wasn't this man taken care of years before?

SCHROEN: Well, actually, I was chief of station in Islamabad from 1996 to 1999 and ran operations with the aim of trying to capture bin Laden and bring him to justice. We had him in our gun sites two different times. A raid was planned on his farm in Tarnak outside of Kandahar and another at a desert camp. There were issues of collateral damage and we still, the administration, U.S. government, wasn't ready to take that step of actually setting out to deliberately kill him.

PHILLIPS: And then his trail grew cold. Was that because the focus switched to Iraq?

SCHROEN: A couple of reasons. He was able to escape at the battle of Tora Bora in December of '01, escape into Pakistan, which put him effectively out of our reach. And a few months later our CIA officers and some of the key Special Forces teams were reassigned to get ready for the upcoming battle in Iraq. And so it was a combination of things that allowed the trail to get cold.

PHILLIPS: Well, once you did get -- let's fast forward then, you got over there and you developed an incredible relationship with General Bismullah Khan and the Northern Alliance. Tell us how crucial that relationship was -- relationships that you had built for years -- and how that made an impact on the front lines in preparing the battlefield for an air war and a ground war.

SCHROEN: Well, indeed, I had been in contact with the Northern Alliance since 1996, when we renewed contact with the then leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. You'll recall that on the 9th of September, Massoud was assassinated in a suicide bombing by al Qaeda operatives in the Panjshir Valley. And this had really disrupted the Northern Alliance and their leadership. Our arrival, my team's arrival, was there -- came at a perfect time for them. They were very happy to see us. The fact that I brought money to help them upgrade their military capabilities and we had brought assurances that the U.S. military was going to bomb proved to be a key factor in winning their support and cooperation.

PHILLIPS: There's been so much speculation, Osama bin Laden, is he dead, is he alive, will he be caught? I've got to ask you firsthand, the expert on this individual and his life.

SCHROEN: I think personally that he's alive and well. He's living in Northern Afghanistan in the tribal areas -- or, excuse me, Northern Pakistan in the tribal areas just above Peshawar. It's the same general area where Abu Farraj al-Libbi was captured about a month ago by the Pakistani authorities. And I think that if the Pakistanis were to really take the lead and follow up on the information that al- Libbi has and go back into that area, that we would have a chance of tracking bin Laden down. PHILLIPS: Gary, as usual, we never have enough time. Gary Schroen. The book is "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan." It's a great read.

Gary, thanks for your time.

SCHROEN: Thank you very much for having me. Appreciate it.

PHILLIPS: A pleasure.

O'BRIEN: A so-called honor killing is throwing an unwelcome spotlight on Afghanistan's claims of progress for women. Police suspect family members in the shooting death of a female TV personality who was loved by young people and yet condemned by Muslim clerics. CNN's State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Before she was murdered last week, 24-year-old Shaima Rezayee had hosted this MTV- like music program in Afghanistan. During the show called "Hop," Rezayee's fans watched her mingle openly with men. But Afghanistan's religious leaders condemned Rezayee's Western style clothing and her program as un-Islamic, eventually pressuring the TV station to fire her in March. Two months later, Rezayee was shot in the head at her home. Afghan police now reportedly suspect Rezayee's family in carrying out an honor killing.

ZAINAB SALBI, WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTL.: What it says about the Afghan society is a lot of the measurements that were used by Talibans in terms of traditional sharia laws, in terms of women's behavior being public discussion and not protected by the legal code, are still issues that are running in Afghanistan.

KOPPEL: Three and a half years after the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, there are signs life for Afghan women is still a work in progress. More girls are in school than before. And following last October's election, President Hamid Karzai's cabinet now has three women ministers. At the White House, where he hosted Afghanistan's president, Mr. Bush sounded optimistic about the future for Afghan women.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A shift of opinions taking place in Afghanistan, where now women are equal partners in society.

KOPPEL: But some women's advocacy groups say, not so fast. They point to the recent kidnaping of Italian Aid Worker Clementina Cantoni as another troubling sign of the return of fundamentalist attacks on women.

SALBI: If we do not pay attention and if we do not respond quick enough for this, it may impact other women in a larger scale.

KOPPEL (on camera): In the case of Shaima Rezayee, she was also considered a journalist, and according to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, was the first journalist to be killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban fell. The group is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into her murder.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, imagine this. Paris Hilton sizzles -- apparently too much for TV. And Gwyneth Paltrow's famous face is going to get plenty of extra exposure. Sibila Vargas, never getting enough exposure. She's keeping up with all the entertainment news in Los Angeles.

Hi, Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.

That's right. Her signature line may be that's hot but apparently one media watchdog group thinks Paris Hilton's new commercial is too hot for TV. The Los Angeles-based Parents Television Council is calling the Carl's Jr. commercial soft core porn. The ad shows the reality TV star in a sexy bathing suit as she soaps and rinses a Bentley while eating a Carl's Jr. burger. The group, which consists of more than a million members, says it's inappropriate for television and is considering asking the Federal Communications Commission to declare the ad indecent.

Well, if you're a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, you're in luck. The actress is about to get a whole lot of face time. The new mom has been tapped to be the new face of Estee Lauder. Expect to see a lot of her this holiday season. Paltrow will be appearing in print and television ads as part of a 10-year anniversary celebration of Estee Lauder's Pleasure fragrance line.

And he took the game show world by storm after winning $2 1/2 million on "Jeopardy." But why stop there? Ken Jennings will soon have his own game show on Comedy Central. The untitled project will be overseen by "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Executive Producer Michael Davies. Now while Davies would not discuss details, he says Jennings comes across as nice and gentle, but when you put a buzzer in his hands, he becomes a killer. Stay tuned for that one in the fall.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sibila, we'll be watching. Thank you so much.

We're going to take a quick break and more LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, there may be some hope for patients dealing with age-related blindness. A biotech company announcing some positive results from a test.

PHILLIPS: Susan Lisovicz now has the details live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ: Hi, Kyra and Miles.

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in people over 60. But now a new experimental drug shows real promise. Genentech says data from a large-scale study shows its drug Lucentis (ph) maintained or improved vision in patients with age- related eyesight degeneration 95 percent of the time. Needless to say, Wall Street applauds that. Genentech shares climbing more than 3 percent on the news. But shares of a rival, I-Tech (ph), are getting slammed, sliding 45 percent.

Well, that's not really the description of the overall market. Although we are off today, that's for sure. The Dow Industrials right now down 45 points. The Nasdaq is little changed but coming off a seven-session win streak.

Kyra and Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Merck, shall we? Problems with the old Viaxx -- Vioxx. Viaxx?

PHILLIPS: Viagra. Vioxx. A little different. Little different. Some litigation going on.

O'BRIEN: Anyway. A different company. Little litigation.

LISOVICZ: Well, we live in a litigious society and, of course, this was a very disturbing result that came out when Vioxx was withdrawn, Kyra and Miles. A federal judge says there could be as many as 100,000 cases filed against Merck over the withdrawn pain reliever. To date, there have been more than 2,000 cases filed. A district court judge in New Orleans says he could hear the first Vioxx case as early as this fall. Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market last September. That came after a study showed it doubled the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people taking the drug for more than 18 months. Analysts say Merck's potential liability could reach $18 billion. And just to put that in perspective, that is three times the net profits that Merck earned last year.

And that's the latest from Wall Street. Miles and Kyra, back to you.

O'BRIEN: That's some real money there. All right, Susan Lisovicz, thank you very much.

Coming up in the final half hour of LIVE FROM, one of the favorites to win this weekend's Indy 500.

PHILLIPS: We're getting excited about this. Her name is Danica Patrick. We're going to talk about what it's like for a woman to drive to the top of what has long been a man's sport. She joins us live this next hour.

O'BRIEN: Checking some stories "Now in the News."

It's been a bloody, violent 24-hours in Iraq. Four U.S. soldiers killed in an attack in Baghdad today. Four other soldiers and a U.S. Marine died in other attacks yesterday. Sixteen-hundred-and-forty- three U.S. troops have been killed in the war in Iraq so far.

Pledges and promises from Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon. Speaking in Washington today, he pledged his continued cooperation with newly elected Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas, as long as it didn't jeopardize Israeli security. And he promised to seek the release of more Palestinian prisoners.

Disorder in the court. Again, Brian David Mitchell, the man accused of kidnaping Elizabeth Smart, removed from a Salt Lake City court room today. He'd been inside only seconds before shouting Biblical admonitions. It's the fifth time he has caused such a disruption. A mental health expert for the defense says Mitchell has vowed to do everything possible to disrupt his trial. It appears he is succeeding.

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