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France Erupts in Protests Over Controversial Labor Law; Charles Taylor Disappears in Nigeria

Aired March 28, 2006 - 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: Protests and strikes over hiring and firing in France. As you know, if you've been watching LIVE FROM, France has erupted over a controversial new law that many believe will undermine young workers' rights.
Let's bring in Tony Harris. He's been following all the protests this afternoon.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Man.

PHILLIPS: I know, it's crazy. Almost three million -- well, they're saying possibly more than three million now.

HARRIS: Now it's up to more than three million?

PHILLIPS: Yes, maybe.

HARRIS: This is crazy. But let's go back to those pictures, and things are -- well, take a look at a live picture now. Things are starting to wind down. OK, these are taped pictures right now, but we can tell you that of the protests from earlier today, another in a series of protests by young people upset with the CPE, this new law, Prime Minister de Villepin's contract for first employment.

The law would allow employers to fire young workers, younger than 26 years of age, inside the first two years of employment without much notice at all. The prime minister says the country needs it to be more competitive globally.

This has been quite a demonstration today. As many as three million people -- Kyra mentioning that it may be more than three million people -- involved in the protests throughout the country, French life brought to a standstill today. The transportation unions called for a nationwide strike. That disrupted airline, train and bus service.

The Eiffel Tower was closed. Chunks of concrete thrown at police in riot gear along with sticks and bottles. Then there were these incredible pictures of water tanks locked and loaded with water cannons, firing on the protesters. A difficult situation, to be sure, at times.

It got pretty ugly at times, but it is clearly winding down to the point where reporters, Kyra, just a couple moments ago, were conducting interviews, a sign that calm for the moment has been restored. And there it is, a live picture of the scene right now and for the most part, a good sign, more riot police than protesters and demonstrators so clearly things coming to a close in Paris. Man.

PHILLIPS: Good news. I know, the protests might be calming down but boy, that issue isn't going to go away, Tony.

HARRIS: It's not going to go away. You're absolutely right.

PHILLIPS: We'll keep talking about it.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: Sure thing.

PHILLIPS: The Afghan convert vanishes. U.N. diplomats say Abdul Rahman was freed today from a prison in his native Afghanistan, but they're not saying where he went. Rahman had risked a death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity and much of the outside world was outraged.

Well, this week he asked for asylum in a western country. Afghan clerics had pushed president Hamid Karzai to uphold religious law and warned that if Rahman was freedom, his life would still be in danger.

Accused war criminal Charles Taylor is missing too. Is the former Liberian strongman on the run or has something happened to him? He was in Nigeria last we heard. That country offered him sanctuary in 2003, but just days ago offered to turn him over to face war crimes charges.

CNN's Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange is working his sources. He joins us now by phone from Johannesburg, South Africa. And, Jeff, we had the pleasure of interviewing the Madam President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf, and she made it very clear that she wanted to hold Charles Taylor accountable, bring him back, press charges and make the people of Liberia feel like they had some sort of -- somehow been justified.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra. It looked like everything was going according to plan up until this weekend when the Nigerians basically washed their hands of the whole issue, saying if the Liberians wanted to come pick up Charles Taylor, they were free to do so.

So everybody was waiting for the Liberians to come over, and then today we get this news -- and I've been working the phones the last several hours -- and all the Nigerians are saying that we don't know where he is.

In fact, the security detail that was supposed to be around Mr. Taylor has all been arrested under questioning and there's an investigation being carried out as to how they could have let Mr. Taylor disappear.

PHILLIPS: So where do you -- do you think that he escaped? Do you think he was let go? Do you think somebody put him in hiding? What are your sources telling you? KOINANGE: All good questions, Kyra. Nobody wants to come out and say anything. I mean, we're hearing everything. He could be anywhere from Libya, Venezuela -- you name it, all kind of rumors flying around.

The one thing they cannot confirm is where he is, although now we understand that the borders are being closed and they're going to make sure that they scrutinize everybody getting in and out of the country, but it looks like too little too late, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's remind our viewers, again, why we continue to talk about this story, Jeff. I mean, this is someone that allegedly had ties to al Qaeda. This was a man that was taking money from the diamond resources, all the other resources, pocketing it and also was accused, of course, of killing hundreds and hundreds of innocent people.

KOINANGE: That's right and, in fact, this international criminal court in neighboring Sierra Leone has accused him of 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Apparently, he was the mastermind behind a rebel force known as the Revolutionary United Front, or RUF. This is the one that hacked and shot its way all the way from Freetown into Monrovia, and apparently Charles Taylor was the mastermind.

Kyra, one more thing we have to understand. This is not the first time that Mr. Taylor has escaped in any way, if indeed he has escaped. In 1985, he was sitting in a prison in Massachusetts waiting extradition back to Liberia on charges of embezzlement, and the story goes that he tied some bed sheets together, jumped out the window and the next thing he was leading a revolution in the jungles of West Africa.

So, again, all the authorities should have known that once the Nigerians had washed their hands of the whole issue, they should have moved in right away. But, again, too little too late.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, does it surprise you that somebody like this would still have help, protection, support, or in this situation, does money speak?

KOINANGE: No doubt about it, Kyra. You know, I've interviewed this man so many times and I've seen how he operates. And he still has, believe it or not, a huge following in Liberia and this is the biggest fear. If he were to end up in Liberia, it would destabilize not only that country but the entire subregion.

And that's why President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was saying let's get this man, get him to court right away, before he causes any harm. And now, well, they're going to have to scramble around, because if he does end up in that part of West Africa, it's going to be a long time until we can see peace coming back.

PHILLIPS: We'll stay on top of the story. Jeff Koinange, thanks for joining us. Keep us updated, Jeff.

All right. Straight ahead, remember Adrienne Barbeau. Quick -- what first -- what comes to mind? The sitcom "Maude," of course, right? What else were you thinking? Well, she's got a new Broadway show, a new tell-all book, basically a lot to get off her chest, so to speak. Adrienne Barbeau joins us live coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Wow. Thirty years ago, Adrienne Barbeau made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in "Grease." And then there's Maude.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Carol!

BEA ARTHUR, ACTRESS: Nothing, dear. Just keep away from Channing, his wife has a cold.

ADRIENNE BARBEAU, ACTRESS: Mother, you're getting squirrelier every day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You make beautiful daughters, Maude.

BARBEAU: Thank you.

ARTHUR: You should see her in the morning, completely flat- chested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Her TV mom is not the only one with something to say about Adrienne's attributes. The actress, whose return to the stage to play the late Judy Garland, well, also seems to get plenty off her chest in a new book, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do."

Adrienne Barbeau joins me now from New York.

Wow. Where do I even begin? Do I start with that frequently asked question that you mention in your book?

ADRIENNE BARBEAU, ACTRESS: Oh. Yes, they're real. They're just lower than they used to be.

PHILLIPS: Oh, I did it. Oh, good, I'm getting the hand clap. They're very happy that I asked. There was a lot of people that actually wanted to know. I know, aren't we terrible? We're a crude group, let me tell you, Adrienne. But it's perfect for this segment.

OK, let's talk about -- gosh, I really don't -- you never realized you were a sex symbol. I mean you actually say that in your symbol. How can you not realize that?

BARBEAU: Well, truthfully, until I did "Carnivale" on HBO, I never had a love scene, except with, you know, Swamp Thing. I mean, I was never really cast in those roles, in my mind, at least. I guess it depends on your description of what a sex symbol is, but as far as I was concerned I was just, you know, an actress showing up to play a role.

PHILLIPS: Well, and you sure had a darned good time. That's for sure.

BARBEAU: I have.

PHILLIPS: You know, and your career has now come full circle. Let's go back in time again for a second. We can never forget the original Rizzo. As a matter of fact, you probably heard a little bit there in the beginning. Let's listen to those pipes again, just for a second.

BARBEAU: Oh, man.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: So is it true you had the hots for your co-star, but you were quickly disappointed?

BARBEAU: Yes. Your audience has to read the book. I'm not going to tell some of these stories on television.

PHILLIPS: Oh, come on. These are some of the best ones. Believe me, we're not even going to hit all the good ones, I promise you.

BARBEAU: We had a good time making out on that bench.

PHILLIPS: I bet you did.

BARBEAU: Then he took me home and I met his boyfriend and that was the end of it.

PHILLIPS: And you realized it wasn't really going to go anyplace else.

BARBEAU: Right.

PHILLIPS: Oh, bless you. All right. And so now -- well, and Madeline Kahn. I mean, first you were disappointed, you know, finding out about your co-star. But then you met Madeline Kahn and she had a pretty big compliment to pay you after seeing you appear in "Grease."

BARBEAU: Madeline thought -- didn't know I was an actress. She said, I thought you were just some street chick they hired to do the show, which was an enormous compliment.

PHILLIPS: Now what -- were you kind of taken back that someone of her background and her stature came up to you. Did you get nervous?

BARBEAU: Yes, yes, I did. I still get nervous. We had -- we had Margaret Whiting visit "The Property Known as Garland" the other night and she had been a friend of Judy's and it was, like, oh, my gosh, you know. And she loved it, fortunately. And -- but I do. I get nervous still. Yes. PHILLIPS: I remember hearing Margaret Whiting sing at the Algonquin. Have you ever seen her perform there at the piano?

BARBEAU: No, I haven't, not there.

PHILLIPS: Adrienne. You've got to call her up, tell her you want to see her.

BARBEAU: Well, I was really honored that she came and loved the show.

PHILLIPS: That's an era right there, that is for sure. OK, let's talk about another -- whether it was on Broadway or on the big screen, we can't forget "Maude." You had an incredible experience. You said that Bea Arthur was such a pro.

BARBEAU: Oh, yes. I took it for granted at the time because I hadn't worked in television. But...

PHILLIPS: Are you seeing the clip?

BARBEAU: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Are you actually -- are you remembering this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL MACY, ACTOR: We have something much more important to talk about.

ARTHUR: What, you finally decided you do want a pickle?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Did it take a while? I mean, you're right. I mean, the humor -- but it took a while to get a rhythm, right? I mean, it took a few years to really feel comfortable and this show really started to gain speed after a while?

BARBEAU: It took a while for all of us, because none of us had done television, and none of us was familiar with the medium and how to work. And for me, it didn't really fall into place until we did a telethon on the show, and suddenly I was singing and dancing, and all of a sudden -- oh, this is the way we're supposed to do this. But it was an incredible training ground.

PHILLIPS: Now, a training ground, really? And you would think, remembering you in that show and with that cast, you really wouldn't think of that as a training ground because it just seemed so natural for all of you.

BARBEAU: Well, I learned so much just from working with Bea and Conrad and Rue and Bill and Esther and Hermione.

PHILLIPS: Now, what was up with Bill Macy always wanted to drop his pants during rehearsal?

BARBEAU: You're giving away all the good chapters, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I'm sorry, Adrienne. It's classic, though. What was the deal with that? Did he have some sort of issues?

BARBEAU: No, no, no. I think he just thought it was funny. He'd been doing "Oh, Calcutta," so he was sort of used to being in the nude and...

PHILLIPS: And he thought, what the heck?

BARBEAU: Whenever he wanted a laugh, that's what Bill would do.

PHILLIPS: All right, I know you're going to get mad at me again, but this is another part of the book that I've got to read this one part. You actually enjoyed going to psychics. I'm going to have to ask you about that, and if you've got a good one now, maybe I might go see your psychic. But you write that you met your psychic and the psychic said, "You're going to meet someone you already know. I don't know what that means, how you can know someone without having met him. This is going to be a major romance. I see him lying on a rug, an animal skin of some kind. He's got dark hair and he's lying on this rug smiling. I see the initials B.R. This could be the one."

BARBEAU: And I met Burt Reynolds. And Burt had just done his famous shot in "Cosmo," I think it was, on the bearskin rug, and we went on from there.

PHILLIPS: And do we dare tell how you broke up?

BARBEAU: No.

PHILLIPS: Or should save that one for...

BARBEAU: No, no, no. You've got to read "There Are Worse Things I Could Do."

PHILLIPS: All right, and I'm telling you right now, you have to buy it just to find out what Burt Reynolds did. I'll never think of Burt Reynolds the same ever again.

BARBEAU: Oh, gosh.

PHILLIPS: Judy Garland, "The property Known as Garland." This must have been pretty exciting. I mean, is Judy Garland someone that you have admired, respected? I mean, give me a little background.

BARBEAU: Judy Garland was someone who, you know, one of the greatest talents of our lifetime. I really got to know her more as I was preparing for this role, and became fascinated with aspects of her personality that probably not everyone knows. She was an incredible raconteur. She was just very, very funny and very fast and witty. And I think we see that in "The Property Known as Garland." But that was something that I didn't know about her that I grew to love and admire as I was researching the role. PHILLIPS: Well, let's listen to a clip, shall we?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBEAU: I've noticed the same particular group of men follows me around everywhere I go. At first, I thought it was the same two fellows. But then I realized, oh, no, there are thousands of them. I'm really quite fascinated by it, I must say. It's a huge compliment. I don't know why they're so fascinated with me, though. I really don't. But I do love them. I really do. I must. I married a few.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So why do gay men love Judy Garland?

BARBEAU: I think they respond to so much more than her talent. I think they respond to the trials and tribulations she went through and I think they respond to the fact that she had such a love for everyone, for her audiences. I think they identify with her. She was -- she suffered a lot in her lifetime.

PHILLIPS: Did you find by -- well, while doing this role, do you see a number of similarities between the two of you?

BARBEAU: You know, people -- people ask me if I feel like I'm a survivor. The play really portrays the positive aspects of Judy's life, and the fact that she was such a survivor, and she sort of took everything that the industry threw at her and continued to perform and to love to perform. I don't think of myself as a survivor unless the definition is someone who's just been in the business a long time and keeps working and so maybe that's the correlation between us.

PHILLIPS: Well, I believe that you're a survivor in the fact you had twins at 51.

BARBEAU: I did that.

PHILLIPS: And you mentioned you were the only member of AARP in the maternity ward. I love that line. Is it fun being a mom, Adrienne?

BARBEAU: It's fantastic. It's the best thing in the world. I have an almost 22-year-old who is just starting his career as a composer and a singer, and then the two nine-year-olds, and it's -- that's the best part of the whole life, I mean, all of the other stuff is gravy but this is -- that's what it's all about.

PHILLIPS: Amen. Adrienne Barbeau, what a wonderful conversation. Thanks for joining us.

BARBEAU: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Yes. You sent us all back in time. We were cracking up over those "Maude" clips today. We were all very excited to see you today. BARBEAU: I've got to go out and look at the new DVD coming out because I don't remember any of that.

PHILLIPS: Trust me, if you want a few laughs go back and watch a few episodes of "Maude," OK. Thanks, Adrienne.

BARBEAU: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." He loves Adrienne Barbeau.

A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: I want to go out in the hallway and meet her. I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to speak with you.

PHILLIPS: Hurry up. You better catch her before she goes. She'll still on the line, you want to say hi.

Adrienne, this is A.J. Hammer, a big fan of yours.

HAMMER: I'm just down the hall. If you don't go anywhere I can shake your hands when I'm all done with this.

BARBEAU: I'll be there.

HAMMER: Kyra, what's coming up during one of the most public divorces in Hollywood's history, Jennifer Aniston was still able to make another movie. Now she's getting personal with CNN and will talk about how she works with a broken heart. I'll have that story and more when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Jennifer Aniston returns with more friends. Danny Ocean's crew heads back to Vegas and the 100 sexiest women in the world. A.J. Hammer host of Showbiz Tonight here to tell us about it. Adrienne Barbeau should be this that sexiest woman category.

HAMMER: I got it right here. We'll go through it in just a moment

PHILLIPS: Can we show that on television? It's so sexy.

HAMMER: Maybe that's why it's wrapped up. We'll reveal all. First on to Jennifer Aniston, who, as we all know, has endured one of the most public divorces in Hollywood's history. And through it all the scrutiny and tabloid headlines, all the heartache that came with it, Jennifer has not only survived, she has made yet another movie.

The actress was all smiles as she joined her co-stars Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack at the Los Angeles premiere of "Friends With Money," last night. That's "Friends With Money." Earlier in the day both Aniston and the film's director Nicole Holofcener were decidedly more serious when they sat down with CNN to talk about working with a broken heart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE HOLOFCENER, DIRECTOR: If I were her I would have called in sick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

HOLOFCENER: I was amaze by how professional and terrific she was. Not that I don't know what it was like for her intimately, but just in general you would think, I quit. But, no, there was no quitting.

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: You do it. You just do it. Nothing you -- I mean, I don't know how to explain it. It's just something -- there's just a motor that you have that you are able to -- you go to work. I don't know. The show must go on. Who knows what it is? It's just go do your job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: I'm sure she's looking forward to not having to talk about that anymore. "Friends With Money" is rated R. It opens up on April 7th in limited release.

Meanwhile, Aniston's ex, Brad Pitt, has no plans to stay away from the big screen. Warner Brothers Studios has announced Pitt will join George Clooney, Matt Damon and the entire male cast of mega- capers Oceans 11 and 12 for a third installment of the hit franchise.

"Ocean's 13" will also be directed by Steven Soderbergh. It will not star Julia Roberts or Catherine Zeta Jones. Instead, we've got a newcomer this time around. This lady, Ellen Barkin joins the gang of lovable crooks as they return to Las Vegas for an all-new heist. "Oceans 13" will start production in July and should be in theaters by the Summer of 2007.

While Pitt's new flame, Angelina Jolie, has been busy building her new family, the May issue of FHM has been busy making her one of the sexiest woman in the word. The popular men's magazine has released their annual reader's poll. Jolie was at number one last year. She has slipped a notch to the number two spot.

This year 21-year-old beauty Scarlett Johansson tops the list of the 100 sexiest women in the world. Others to make the top ten include Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Keira Knightley and Halle Berry. That issue of FHM will be on stands on April 4th, but as I mentioned, Kyra, I got my issue here. It arrived on my desk yesterday. Now, they don't --

PHILLIPS: Give us a little something here.

HAMMER: They don't usually seal it up. I think the reason it's sealed here is because it's a double -- there's an extra magazine. It says on the cover, who is this year's number one? I already revealed that. But I'll open it.

PHILLIPS: Let's see who looks good. Show us a good picture. HAMMER: I'm not sure if it's covered up because we're not supposed to see. I don't want to get in trouble. See, I shouldn't show that on CNN.

PHILLIPS: A.J., you have us all wondering.

HAMMER: My stage manager is actually grabbing for it right now. Sorry. Nice pictures.

PHILLIPS: No go?

HAMMER: Not gonna do it.

PHILLIPS: You'll leave us hanging.

HAMMER: I'll send you the wrapper.

PHILLIPS: All right. Anything else on tap for tonight we should talk about?

HAMMER: Yes, definitely, a guy who we all know who once played Lou Grant, the toughest newspaper editor on television, now actor Ed Asner is taking on controversy over Charlie Sheen's comments about the 9/11 conspiracy theories.

We'll have the exclusive interview tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." Catch us at 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. eastern On Headline Prime. I'll be here going through the magazine.

PHILLIPS: A.J. Hammer, stay busy. Talk to you later.

The last hour of LIVE FROM starts in just a few minutes. The news keeps coming, we'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

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