Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Texas Death Row Inmate Escapes from Jail; Eight Nights of Riots and Unrest in France; Red Cross Woes

Aired November 04, 2005 - 14:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Searching for a convicted killer. A death row inmate walks out of jail. We're live on the story.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Riots and fires. Eight straight nights of violence in the Parisian suburbs. What's causing it?

KAGAN: And trapped in a raging river. Harrowing moments for a driver and the rescuers trying to help him.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. You'll see Kyra Phillips later on "NEWSNIGHT." This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

KAGAN: President Bush might be facing major problems at home. This hour, though, he is in a hornets nest in Argentina. He is attending the Summit of the Americas, where he hopes to jumpstart a stalled free trade accord. That effort is being met by an estimated 10,000 anti-U.S. demonstrators and a fierce critic, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

On top of all of that, reporters today peppered Mr. Bush about the most serious problem of his presidency, the CIA leak scandal. CNN's Lucia Newman is at the site of the summit -- Lucia?

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, the president should be leaving any moment for the inauguration of the Summit of the Americas, but earlier today after meeting with regional leaders in bilateral talks, he was, as you mentioned, questioned repeatedly about the Karl Rove spy investigation, and about whether or not he should be fired, about whether or not this warranted some kind of apology. But the president made it crystal clear also, over and over again, that he didn't want to talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The investigation on Karl, as you know, is not complete. And, therefore, I will not comment about him and/or the investigation. I understand the anxiety and angst by the press corps to talk about this. On the other hand, it is a serious investigation, and we take it seriously. And we're cooperating to the extent that the special prosecutor wants us to cooperate.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NEWMAN: Now, here on the streets of Mar Del Plata, it's not Karl Rove, but rather the strong anti-American sentiment that is the issue. From early, early this morning, thousands and thousands of anti- American protesters took to the streets, carrying banners that said "Stop Bush, Bush go home." They marched all through downtown Mar Del Plata to the city's main sports stadium.

And there, by contrast, they greeted Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, as a kind of conquering hero. President Chavez repeatedly reffered to the empire, the imperialists, his way of talking about the United States, although he never mentioned President George Bush by name. He said he came here with a shovel to, quote, "bury the free trade initiative of the Americas" that President Bush is precisely to try to jump start again, Daryn.

KAGAN: Lucia Newman, live from Argentina. Thank you.

Now, we're not exactly sure what Mr. Bush's poll numbers would be in Argentina, if there are any, but the ones at home are not too pretty. They show his approval rating at its lowest level since assuming office five years ago.

There's a new Associated Survey. Mr. Bush's approval rating stands at 37 percent, 59 percent say they disapprove of the way he's doing his job. The finding of the CBS News poll are very similar, 27 percent approve of the way he's carrying out his duties, 58 percent disapprove.

Our next story could be a scene of "The Keystone Cops," but this one really happened in Texas. Get this. A death row inmate escapes from a Houston jail. Somehow, Charles Thompson found some civilian clothes and a fake ID And then he just flew the coupe.

Courtney Zevala, from our affiliate KPRC, has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COURTNEY ZEVALA, REPORTER, KPRC: This is the latest photo of 35- year-old Charles Victor Thompson. Thompson has been on Texas' death row for the past seven years, but yesterday, he walked out of the Harris County Jail without a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He changed into some type of civilian clothing. It's described as khaki pants, a dark blue shirt, and white tennis shoes.

ZEVALA: And even more puzzling, Thompson somehow got an ID badge showing he was an attorney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He approached the floor control center, and the deputy saw his tag and apparently was convincing enough that the deputy allowed him to leave the building.

ZEVALA: KPRC Local 2 spoke with his Thompson's attorney by phone and he said, quote, "I can't quantity figure out how he could possibly get out of jail. I have enough trouble getting into the jail to talk to my client." Thompson was considered of capital murder in 1998, and he's considered dangerous. So much so, this woman asked us to hide her identity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm afraid of him. I think he's capable of anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Now, French officials seeking answers after an eighth straight night of unrest, which has now spread to 20 communities throughout the country. The rioting began in run-down largely immigrant Paris suburbs, but has now spread as far away as Dijon in southeastern France. CNN's Chris Burns joins us now from Paris with the latest.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, even going further down to Marseilles in the south and (INAUDIBLE), there has been violence in the last 24 hours. Now, we're waiting to watch to see what happens now the that night has fallen in France, to see whether it does continue.

Now, of course, the beautiful romantic streets of central Paris behind me have absolutely nothing to do with what we saw earlier today going into this suburb called Clichy-Sous-Bois north of Paris, where it all began really more than a week ago when two youths accidentally electrocuted themselves in a power station as they were hiding from police. That set off this rioting.

In the same town, there was a mosque where a tear gas canister managed to land inside during prayers over last weekend as there were clashes between police and youth. We went there and talked to the imam and the director who were both very concerned, so concerned about how youths were being aggressive toward journalists that they preferred to talk to us inside the mosque.

And so they are reaching out, they are sending their own youth out there to talk to the renegade youth, but it is not easy. It's a big, big difficult endeavor for the authorities locally, for the community leaders, to try to get things under control.

Now, police say that there was relatively less intensity last night in the violence. Though still, some few hundred cars were torched. We saw some of them on the ground today, so it does continue. Now, we'll have to see tonight whether those efforts by community leaders and by police might tone it down further. We'll be watching.

HARRIS: And, Chris, if I could, just to sort of take a broader view of this, is this the kind of situation -- you mention this is a largely immigrant community, Muslim communities. Is this the kind of situation where opportunistics, say Al Qaeda-types, terrorist-types, could use the discontent to turn some of these people to their ideology? BURNS: Tony, so far we have not seen that. So far, it does appear to be a question of economics, about opportunity, about unemployment being some 50 percent or more among youth in those areas. And these are seen as a potential breeding ground for Muslim extremism, but, so far, we have not seen a link between any Muslim extremism, any evidence of that yet, in any case, and what is going on out in the streets right now.

HARRIS: OK, CNN's Chris Burns for us in Paris. Chris, thank you.

KAGAN: You and I have been talking about this prison escapee, the death row escapee in Texas. Just incredible. We're going to talk a little bit more about that with former FBI agent Don Clark in Houston, and we'll do that after the break.

HARRIS: And also ahead, does the Red Cross need some relief? The agency takes out a loan for the first time ever.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be near my husband. I want a good education for my children. I don't think I'm asking for a difficult thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The widow of an Iraqi pilot buried as a hero at Arlington feels frustrated about her American dream. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: More now on the escape of a Texas death row inmate from a county jail in Houston. He did it by using a fake ID and swapping his prison orange jump suit for civilian clothes. Just how he came up with these items remains a mystery.

Joining us now in Houston with his take on the escape, former FBI lead investigator Don Clark. Among his numerous high profile cases, the 1979 Iranian crisis and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Don, good to talk to you.

DON CLARK, FORMER FBI INVESTIGATOR: Tony, always good to talk to you.

HARRIS: This is a man convicted of murder, death row, walks out of the Houston jail, the Baker Street jail, and I think we have some pictures of the area here, in civilian clothes. Fake badge. Don, obviously a break down on a number of levels. Lay it out for us, and then we'll break it down a little further.

CLARK: Tony, this is a nightmare for us here. I just come off the streets out here, just kind of driving through, and you can see a lot of activity moving around all over town. You can sort of feel it.

But here's the deal, and I don't want to indict the Harris County Sheriff Department because I worked with them for a number of years, and it is a very good department. But this has to go right to the heart of procedures, Tony. And how -- what procedures were in place that could have prevented something like this from happening. Remember, we've got to talk about prevention, here, not catch the guy afterwards.

HARRIS: Civilian clothes, a fake badge. He clearly had help.

CLARK: Well, you know, here's a guy that's in jail in orange jump suit.

HARRIS: Right.

CLARK: He has to have some type of help to get civilian clothes in. So there has it be a breach in the system there some place. Now, if we move forward here to the fake badge, Tony, here in Texas, as in many other states, there are so many entities with badges and ID cards that there's got to be some system where somebody can identify whether or not this badge means anything or not, because obviously, his badge didn't mean anything.

HARRIS: Then we have to talk about the area where apparently all this happened. It was apparently in the bowels of the prison, in an area where inmates get an opportunity to talk to their attorneys, is that correct?

CLARK: Yes, that's what I understand. But I also understand and know from having been through some of these systems is that the inmates are not supposed to have any personal contact with the attorneys or any visitors that come through.

So if that's the case, then it would lead you to believe that what could have happened there to cause somebody to get clothes somewhere where this person could have taken care of? The bottom line, Tony, it really goes to procedures, checks and balances here.

Even back to the ID check. If somebody thinks that this person is an authentic person that should be leaving, then perhaps they should be passed on to another official there to at least getting some verification.

HARRIS: And Don, we're talking about, it seems to me, violent and maybe even non-violent inmates in the same kind of common area. That can't be the smartest approach to this.

CLARK: No, I mean, clearly -- and I'm pretty sure that within the system, that they would have places for maximum-security prisoners and minimum-security and on down the line. But you should not have these people mixed together.

I'm sorry, Tony, you just have to look at a person that has an ounce of drugs on him versus a person that has been convicted of a death penalty case such as murder, and separate those two. And make sure one is -- if you have resources, that the one should be afforded the most resources is the one that's been convicted and placed on death row.

HARRIS: He was in a high security unit of the Harris County Jail but had not been moved to an even more secure jail. That period of time, it seems in that transfer, is when he took advantage of the opening that was there for him.

CLARK: Yes, that's right. And of course, if you talk to the Texas Department of Corrections, they will say that, "Look, it wasn't our responsibility to worry about that. He was under the custody of Harris County."

Well, if Harris County has that custody, and they did have him in custody, then provisions should be there so that they can house this person some place that affords that degree of maximum security. And then, as they are transferred, that degree of maximum security should not minimize itself. It should continue at a high state.

HARRIS: And Don, finally, what is really outrageous for folks in Houston is the situation here is that he walked out of a jail in the city. Describe that area. He just sort of blended in with the crowd.

CLARK: Well, and I can tell you, Tony, people are a bit afraid. You talk to people and they say, "I'm not going out of my house. I'm going to stay around." Because they are afraid, because he could move out -- and I know that area very well, Tony.

Just a little bit north of town there where all the criminal justice activity takes place. So there are a lot of people moving about there. So he could have easily blended into the community there, movement, and gotten in a vehicle. And who knows where he might be at this point.

HARRIS: You started by saying this is a nightmare. You're right. You paint a picture of a nightmare. Don, good to see you, as always.

CLARK: Good to see you, Tony.

KAGAN: News across America, now. Back behind bars. South Carolina police have recaptured a convicted murder, a kidnapper who escaped from a maximum-security prison three days ago. The two men were both serving life sentences. They were captured at a motel 110 miles south of the Columbia prison. They escaped by hiding in a trash truck.

A dramatic rescue in Washington State. Take a look at this. It's a man who had crashed his SUV into a river. Hew as rescued by people on a boat. He waited more than an hour as the vehicle slipped deeper into the fast-moving river. The SUV apparently floated a half- mile down river before snagging on the bottom.

And Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, paid tribute today to America's war dead. The royal couple met with veterans and laid a wreath at the National World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. They're flying to New Orleans now to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

HARRIS: Some have compared her to Rosa Parks. One woman who stood up for her rights in her own country and started a revolution. You'll be inspired by her story ahead on LIVE FROM.

I'm Kathleen Hays of the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, Wal-Mart gets a report card. The company asked economists to assess its impact on the economy, and I'm going to tell you what they said next on LIVE FROM. So stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're looking at live pictures from Mar Del Plata in Argentina. The Summit of the Americas, this is where President Bush is as leaders begin to arrive for the meetings. This is a chance for the leaders of North and Central and South America to talk about trade issues, fighting poverty are expected to be among the major topics of conversation.

Looked like a lovely place, Mal Del Plata.

HARRIS: It really does, yes.

KAGAN: And let's think about what's happening here in the U.S. in terms of weather. Chad Myers is doing that for us -- Chad?

(WEATHER UPDATE)

HARRIS: Wal-Mart has asked to economists to assess its impact on the economy. Kathleen Hays joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with the report card.

Hi, Kathleen.

HAYS: Hi, Tony. You know, Wal-Mart's been criticized for all kind of things lately. And they say they want to set the record straight. So they sought out ten academic researchers to take a look at the company's impact. The lead study, the one commissioned by Wal- Mart itself, says the company has been a plus for job creation, generating 210,000 jobs by 2004.

However, the results aren't altogether positive. It said nominal wages across the entire economy have declined because of Wal-Mart's expansion. But the study said the lower paychecks were offset by lower prices across the economy.

Another study found that Wal-Mart's entrance into a market lowers food prices about 25 percent. So will these studies be enough to silence the company's critics? No, but the conference is giving people some food for thought -- Tony?

HARRIS: Kathleen, the October job numbers are out. How do things look?

HAYS: You know, they weren't so hot, Tony. The economy added just 56,000 jobs in October, and that was a lot less than economists had been predicting. Hiring lagged even in regions not directly hurt by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The overall unemployment rate, however, did drop a little bit to 5 percent, but the unemployment rate among the estimated half million people still displaced by hurricanes was 33 percent last month. That's is one in three, pretty high.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news. Live pictures from Argentina as formal opening ceremonies are under way at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina.

Earlier, President Bush talked democracy and human rights. Let's see who's arriving here. Thousands of protesters demonstrated, calling him a terrorist and a fascist. The president was also asked about the CIA leak investigation. He sidestepped questions on whether there will be a staff shakeup at the White House.

British authorities today formally filed terrorism charges against three men arrested last month. Police say a video stored on one of the suspects' computer showed how to make a car bomb. Another computer file featured sites around Washington. Officials say the case is not related to the July subway bombings in London.

Jury deliberations began today in the civil trial of actor Robert Blake and his wife's death. Blake was acquitted in March of killing Bonny Lee Bakley in the criminal trial. She was shot dead outside of a restaurant. The jury is considering a wrongful death lawsuit file against Blake by Bakley's grown children.

And a dubious honor for Pennsylvania. The state ranks first in the number of vehicle-deer collisions. Auto insurer State Farm says there are about 1.5 million such collisions every year resulting in about 150 motorists being killed. Pennsylvania followed by Michigan and Illinois. Ohio and Georgia round out the top five states.

HARRIS: The American Red Cross is renowned for helping victims of natural disasters, but the organization has come under fire for its response to Hurricane Katrina. The Red Cross says of the $2 billion in donations it needs for Gulf Coast relief, it has received just over $1 billion and spent all of it. Now, it must do something it has never done before, borrow money to make up for the shortfall. Kelly Wallace has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Fairfield, Connecticut, Helen Dodson wonders when her children's substantial contribution will actually be processed by the Red Cross.

HELEN DODSON, CHILDREN RAISED MONEY: It's a little frustrating, mostly because the children had hoped to have a more immediate impact.

WALLACE: She says her two kids and their friends raised $500 for Katrina victims at a bake sale Labor Day weekend. Helen then called the Red Cross and was told the fastest way to get the money to the organization was using her credit card, which she did.

DODSON: I kept checking my American Express account online and day after day after day it did not show up. So, it still has not shown up and it's two months later.

WALLACE: Professor Paul Light of New York University studies the Red Cross and other charitable groups. He says Helen's story is not likely an isolated case.

PROF. PAUL LIGHT, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: Here we have a system, an accounting system, that just can't move the money fast enough. It's like the Internal Revenue Service on April 15th.

WALLACE: It's not as if the agency doesn't need the cash, despite its emotional appeals ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hope, it's more powerful than a hurricane.

WALLACE: ... and fund-raising help from President Bush ...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you want to help, please call the Red Cross.

WALLACE: ... the Red Cross, for the first time in its 124-year history has taken out a loan for disaster relief, $340 million. This, after a steady stream of complaints, long waits for Red Cross debit cards, and charges it was slow to respond in rural areas and did not work well with local groups already on the ground.

VERNON JONES, CEO, DEKALB CO., GEORGIA: I'm just disappointed that they don't want to address the issues, they want to sweep it under the rug.

WALLACE: A survey by Professor Light found the number of people who had a great deal of confidence in the Red Cross dropped five percent from July through October, compared to no change in confidence for most other charitable groups. Marty Evans is the Red Cross' president and CEO.

MARTY EVANS, PRES. & CEO, RED CROSS: We're always concerned about maintaining the trust of the American public and we know that that trust is based on a whole range of things, of issues. I will be the first to tell you, we have not been everywhere we wanted to be as quickly as we could -- as we would like to have been.

WALLACE: The agency is now facing greater scrutiny with the Senate Finance Committee, which has oversight of non-profit agencies, asking for more information on the Red Cross' response to Katrina.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R-IA), FINANCE CMTE. CHAIRMAN: It's important for them to be accountable for the money -- taxpayers' money they spend.

WALLACE: Evans says she welcomes any inquiries, but expresses frustration about the attacks against her agency.

(on camera): Do you feel like some of this criticism is unfair?

EVANS: Well, I think that some of the criticism doesn't balance the extraordinary good that the American Red Cross and our tireless volunteers, our staff accomplish every day.

WALLACE: Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And joining us now to talk more about the troubles facing the Red Cross, Trent Stamp, the CEO of charitynavigator.org. Trent, hello.

TRENT STAMP, CEO, CHARITYNAVIGATOR.ORG: Hello, Daryn, how are you?

KAGAN: Do you think this is just a matter of the unprecedented demand that the Red Cross faces in this year of so many crises?

STAMP: I think a good deal of it is. I mean, I've never seen a disaster where 75 percent of all of the donations went to one particular organization. They really cornered the market and, so, with that much funding, they're going to have to take some of the criticism.

But I think that in a lot of ways, the Red Cross has kind of become the Wal-Mart of the philanthropic sector in that, you know, they're the ones that everyone gives their money to, but they are the ones that take all of the criticism also.

So, it's important to remember here that there were some mistakes, they couldn't be everywhere, they weren't everywhere, but we're not talking about issues of fraud. We're not talking about issues of stealing money.

We're just talking about perhaps they didn't get as much done as they were hoping to do. So, I think the Red Cross is still a pretty good destination for most donor money.

KAGAN: What's the precedent for this for a charity borrowing money?

STAMP: It's unprecedented at this level. I mean, you know -- and I think, personally, that the Red Cross should be commended for that.

KAGAN: Really?

STAMP: I mean, they're spending more than what they have. You know, they're not hoarding their money. They're not putting their money in their pocket and saying that's it, we can't help anymore. They're honoring their obligations. They know that those donations are in the pipeline. They know that people want to support, and so they're trying to do good rather than make sure that their balance sheet adds up at the end of the day.

KAGAN: So why does this go against Consumer 101? There might be a lot of things I want to buy, but it's never good for me to spend more than I have.

STAMP: Of course it's not, but, you know, The United States government is running a bit of a deficit, too. So let's -- you know, let's make sure that we don't hold them to a different standard. They're making the argument that they will raise the money tomorrow and they need to do the good today. And I'm sure that that money is in the pipeline. We can't criticize them in both cases.

You know, we historically told them after September 11th, you know, spend every dime you raise on what you do, you know, don't earmark funds for anything else. In this particular case, we have an organization that is spending every dime they have and other money they don't even have on the recipients who need it in New Orleans and we're lining up to criticize them again. We need to be a little more mature and not be so naive in what's going on here.

KAGAN: Want to go back to a point you were making earlier. So you still think that the Red Cross is a good destination for people who want to make charitable donations?

STAMP: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. This is one of the great brand names in the history of American philanthropy. They do get good work. They're on the ground. I'm a little alarmed by the amount of money that went to this one particular organization.

It would have been good for the long-term recovery and relief efforts if some other organizations had garnered some money, but, once again, we're not making the argument that the Red Cross is stealing money or doing anything inappropriately, just that they couldn't be all things to all people. And if you line up the Red Cross against, say, FEMA, I have no doubt who performed better in this particular disaster.

KAGAN: OK, so let's say someone is sitting at home and saying, OK, I'm going to cut the Red Cross a break but I don't want to cut them a check. And I still want to help people who are victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, and other disasters. Where is a good place to go charity shopping for that?

STAMP: Well, I would tell you to do it at our Web site which is a non-profit at charitynavigator.org. We have a list of around 25 four-star charities that are working in the hurricane areas -- not only in Louisiana, but working with Wilma in Florida -- who are doing good work who can be trusted, who will do things ranging from building homes to providing disaster relief to rescuing animals to doing the long-term environmental cleanup. You can find a charity that will do whatever it is you want to do at our Web site at charitynavigator.org.

KAGAN: Great resource. Trent Stamp from charitynavigator.org. Thank you for your time.

STAMP: It was a pleasure. Thank you. HARRIS: In Iraq today, more fighting, more Iraqis and Americans killed. Six Iraqi police officers died in an attack in a town about 40 miles north of Baghdad. Twelve others were wounded. It happened when the insurgents attacked a checkpoint.

A 30-minute battle ensued. In Baghdad itself, one person was killed and eight wounded when a roadside bomb exploded. In what apparently a separate attack in Baghdad, an American soldier died in a roadside bomb explosion. The death brings the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war to 2,039.

They were a band of brothers in Iraq. Four Americans, one Iraqi, they died together, were buried together. Now the widow of one wants to be closer to her late husband. CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In life, 34-year- old Ali Abbas inspired hope. A low-ranking pilot under Saddam, Abbas became a captain in the new Iraqi army, a brother in arms with U.S. forces here.

HIYAM ABBAS, ALI ABBAS' WIDOW (through translator): He was a very kind man. He never did anything wrong. He was the spirit of this house. He was the soul of this house.

RAMAN: This house, now consumed with grief. On May 30th, Abbas, along with four Americans, was flying on patrol north of Baghdad. The plane crashed; all on board were killed, their deaths classified as non-hostile.

ABBAS (through translator): His commander called saying it was serious. They started to tell me in stages. If you want me to describe how I received the news, up to now, I cannot believe it.

RAMAN: In August, the remains of all five crew members were buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Abbas becoming the first Iraqi and only the 63rd foreign national to be interred there. Full military honors, a single casket for the remains of five men, indistinguishable in death, a poignant picture of the shared toll this the war has taken on American and Iraqi families alike.

(on camera): But since his burial, Ali's family has had to confront a difficult reality. At this time of Eid when Muslims often honor and remember the dead, Hiyam is struggling with the distance between her and her husband's grave.

(voice-over): Unable to afford frequent trips back and forth to visit Ali, Hiyam now wants to move to the U.S.

ABBAS (through translator): I want to be near my husband, I want a good education for my children. I don't think I'm asking for a difficult thing. I'm not asking for millions of dollars. I wrote to the Americans, but nobody answered.

RAMAN: An Iraqi who became an American hero, a wife who in grief can only look to the stars to be with her husband, one named in his honor.

ABBAS: He had a dream of going to America. During the burial, I said to myself, maybe God gave him what he wanted.

RAMAN: And now his family is waiting to follow Ali. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And let's show you this. A short time ago in Arlington National Cemetery, a burial service for a U.S. Army soldier killed in Iraq. What makes this story different? The story, the soldier, Army specialist Kendell Frederick, was working to become an American citizen.

Frederick was a native of Trinidad. He graduated from Maryland's Randalltowns High School in 2003. His mother says he was on his way to complete his citizenship application when his convoy struck a roadside bomb. The government says Frederick will be awarded citizenship at this time.

KAGAN: Well, you're about to meet what some people are calling the modern day Rosa Parks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a fire burning inside me that just made me do this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Find out what sparked the fire that led this woman to be named woman of the year.

HARRIS: Plus, tracking the bird flu. Has the deadly H5N1 strain spread to yet another country? Find out straight ahead.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Stars come out to walk the line in Hollywood, and I'll tell you who cleaned up at the Latin Grammys when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We want to show you live pictures, once again. Mar Del Plata, Argentina. There is the U.S. president, George W. Bush, arriving at the opening ceremonies. The president looking at this Summit of the Americas as chance to push his policies on free trade and trade policies. There's Mrs. Bush, as well.

More coverage from Argentina in just a bit. Right now, here's Tony.

HARRIS: Great timing, Mr. President, thank you.

Country legend Johnny Cash gets the big screen treatment. The Latin Grammys heat up Los Angeles. And people are already protest a new series on the cartoon network?

Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas is standing by with the story in Los Angeles. You can't protest a show on the cartoon network!

VARGAS: Well, apparently you can. It's muy, muy caliente today, and that means hot. There were lots of celebs walking the arrivals line at the walk the line movie premiere last night. Actor Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon, who plays his wife, June Carter, were on hand. Now, some say the two may be Oscar contenders for their portrayals of the turbulent couple. Phoenix told us playing Cash was a real-life learning experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAQUIN PHOENIX, ACTOR: Every time you turn a page of his autobiography, you're going, you're kidding me, this happened? And there's so much you want to tell, so many interesting facts about his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: "Walking the Line" hits theaters on November 18th.

And from great musician to another, the night seemed to belong to Colombian singer Juanes last night. There he is. That's right, Juanes took home three Latin Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast in Spanish for the first testimony. Now back in 2003, Juanes won five trophies. He won for best rock song, best music video and best rock solo vocal.

And in television, not everyone is pleased to see "The Boondocks" leap on to the small screen. "The Boondocks" animated series is set to air on the cartoon network this Sunday. The strip has often been seen as controversial and very politically incorrect.

Its black characters talk about social issues and racism, all while injecting humor, but one Los Angeles is upset with the use of the N word on the series. Naja Ali (ph) will protest the use of the word one day after the show airs. Ali says he wants to circulate a petition to gather signatures asking for creator Aaron McGruder to drop the use of the N word.

So, we'll see what happens, Tony. That's a look at the world of entertainment.

HARRIS: All right, Sibila. Good to see you, thank you.

VARGAS: Nice to see you, too.

KAGAN: Tony, a victim turns her tragedy into triumph. How a woman changed her country's history by standing up against a system built on keeping her down. Her story is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And news around the world now.

Israel is marking ten years since Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. He was killed by a Jewish extremist who was opposed to his land for peace policies. Family members and friends gathered at his grave in Jerusalem. State ceremonies will take place later this month when the anniversary falls in accordance to the Hebrew calendar.

New outbreaks of bird flu have been reported in China and Vietnam. This comes as renewed international efforts are underway to stem the spread of the virus. A top European Union health official is heading to Southeast Asia next week to assess the situation there, and an international conference is scheduled for next week in Geneva.

KAGAN: It is a story of survival. It's also an example of how one person's courage in the face of tragedy can force change across society.

CNN's Andrea Koppel has the story of a woman who refused to give up in the face of enormous pressure and pain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some call Mukhtar Mai the Rosa Parks of Pakistan. A poor, soft spoken woman courageous enough to speak out against social injustice.

MUKHTAR MAI, PAKISTANI ACTIVIST (through translator): There's a fire burning inside me that just made me do this.

KOPPEL: By fire, does she mean anger?

MAI: Yes, anger.

KOPPEL: Mai's anger directed at the men who gang raped her and at the tribal council of elders in her village, which ordered the rape three years ago, to restore her family's honor following trumped up charges against her younger brother.

MAI: I kept thinking what I should or shouldn't do. First, I thought about killing myself. And God saved me from that thought.

KOPPEL: Instead, the now 36-year-old Mai did the unthinkable. In a country whose laws make it almost impossible to prove a rape, she pressed charges and testified against her attackers, taking her case all the way to Pakistan's highest court.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says, over the last five years, an estimated 5,000 women reported being raped. Over 2,000 of them gang raped.

Mai's story of survival has inspired women in Pakistan and around the world. Pakistani American Dr. Amna Buttar founded an Asian- American human rights group and communicated with Mai by phone for the last several years. Eventually, bringing her message to the international stage. DR. AMNA BUTTAR, ANAA: She has started a revolution for women's rights in Pakistan.

Mukhtar Mai is the first working class, first poor feminist woman. Mukhtar Mai doesn't even call herself a feminist or a human rights activist. She's just doing it.

KOPPEL: After Pakistani courts found her attackers guilty, Mai used the $2,500 she received from the government in compensation for the rape to build the first schools in her village.

Now, 200 girls and 160 boys are getting an education.

MAI: In my village, I want the women to be free. I don't want them to face any violence.

KOPPEL: Her story so powerful and potentially embarrassing, Pakistan's president tried to block her from traveling abroad last spring.

But, international outrage and pressure from the U.S. government finally prevailed. This week, Mai traveled to Washington, D.C., and testified before Congress.

And visited New York City where she was honored by Glamour magazine as a woman of the year.

MAI: My motto is, end oppression with education.

KOPPEL: Mai, herself illiterate, hopes the classroom can teach the next generation to respect one another. Her goal, she says, to do everything she can to make sure that what happened to her should never happen to another woman in Pakistan.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Fascinating story, thank you for that, Andrea.

Receiving a dubious distinction, why Northwest Airlines won't be putting this award on its corporate resume.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A dubious distinction for Northwest Airlines for a second straight month. It is the most tardy carrier.

Kathleen Hays joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with the rest of the list. Hi, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN HAYS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Tony. Dubious, indeed. But, you know, Northwest Mechanics went on strike in late August, so maybe that was one reason why the airline topped the list of late airlines in September. According to the Transportation Department, Northwest Flights were on time only about 75 percent of the time that month, down from its 85 percent showing in September 2004.

On the winning side, Hawaiian, Frontier and Independence air had the highest on-time arrival rates. Overall, carriers averaged 81 percent on-time arrivals in September, an improvement from August.

Northwest says its September performance was affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and heavy thunderstorms in the upper mid- west, where most Northwest flights are concentrated. Tony?

HARRIS: Yes, I forgot about the strike there for a second. Northwest pilots, let's stay with Northwest. They're facing down a pretty hefty pay cut?

HAYS: A tough time to be an airline pilot in some ways. This tentative deal with the airline calls for pilots to take a 24 percent pay cut. They say the move will give them time to negotiate a long- term contract, though.

In addition to cutting wages, a temporary deal would eliminate sick pay and eliminate meals for crews on domestic flight. The agreement still requires the approval of union members and the bankruptcy court. It will reduce costs for the airline by nearly $18 million a month. Northwest has said in the past, it needs a total of $1.4 billion in annual labor savings to survive.

Turning to the market, stocks are now trading a bit mixed. The DOW Industrials are down about 14 points, while the NASDAQ composite is up fractionally. So, that's the latest from Wall Street. Tony and Daryn, back to you.

HARRIS: Kathleen, have a great weekend.

KAGAN: Real quickly, we want to show you some live pictures from Argentina because they're having the class photo. It's the opening ceremonies of the Summit of the Americas. A virtual Who's Who of leaders from North, Central and South America. Thirty-four leaders in attendance, including President Bush, who we saw just a couple minutes ago. That will do it for us.

HARRIS: That's it. What a week for you.

KAGAN: I've put in my time.

HARRIS: You really have. Have a good weekend.

KAGAN: And you have a good weekend, you'll be working. See you tomorrow morning.

HARRIS: That's right.

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Now, Wolf Blitzer live in THE SITUATION

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com