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Disaster in Darfur; Eye on Iran; CNN Unveils New Media Operations Center

Aired April 28, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Starvation and war. Tens of thousands of people dead, two million more on the run. The crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan grows more critical by the day, and calls for action by the outside world grow louder.
A short time ago, five members of Congress were among those arrested at a rally outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington. Protesters were calling on Sudan's government to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force in Darfur.

Over at the White House, President Bush said he also wants a stronger international presence, and he had this message for the Sudanese...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're very serious about getting this problem solved. We don't like it when we see women raped and brutalized, and we expect there to be a full effort by the government to protect human life and human condition. We also recognize there's a parallel political track taking place, and that we urge the rebels, as well as the government, to forge a consensus at Abuja so that there is a way forward from this -- from the impasse, political impasse that has taken place thus far in Sudan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Some are comparing what's happening in Darfur to genocide.

CNN's Anderson Cooper brings it in focus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Though there's been fighting in Sudan for many years, the battle in Darfur is relatively young. It started in 2003. A fight between black Africans and an Arab militia group, known as the Janjaweed recruited, many believe, by the Arab-Sudanese government, although the government denies it. It is, in part, a fight for resources, access to land and water, control of the region's rich oil reserves, but it's already being called the world's worst humanitarian crisis by the United Nations and labeled a genocide by the U.S. government.

If the conflict is new, it's also been incredibly deadly. Depending on the source, between 180,000 and 300,000 people have died, many from starvation and disease; the rest from horrific and relentlessly violent attacks. The main weapons of the Janjaweed, slaughter and rape.

This woman told CNN that like many in her camp, she's been repeatedly raped simply because she's black.

She says, sometimes if you go to collect grass or firewood, you'll be beaten or chased away or sometimes they'll just take turns raping you, leaving you for dead.

NICHOLAS KRISTOF, "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: When you ask these people in these refugee camps, why do the women go out when they know that they're vulnerable to being raped?

COOPER: Right.

KRISTOF: And they say, look, when the women go out, they're raped and beaten up. But when the men go out, they're killed.

COOPER: "New York Times" Reporter Nicholas Kristof has made several visits to the region and talked to many who have witnessed the horror firsthand.

KRISTOF: One of the stories that just I think affected me the most, was talking to this woman called Fatina (ph), who was in a village that I visited. And early one morning, the Janjaweed came. She heard the gunfire, she ran out of her hut with her youngest child, a 2-year-old daughter on her back. The Janjaweed grabbed the baby from her back, threw it to the ground, and beat it to death in front of her.

COOPER: Darfur is a region in western Sudan. It's more than half the size of Texas. But the people caught up in the conflict say the Sudanese government's support for the Janjaweed leaves them helpless to fight back. And so they're forced to flee; 200,000 have crossed over the border into neighboring Chad. Now facing its own fight with rebels determined to stop upcoming elections.

JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH AMBASSADOR: There is a relation between the situation in Darfur and the situation in Chad. Those rebels were coming from Darfur.

COOPER: But apart from a few hundred peacekeepers from the African union, there's been little outside help to end the bloodshed and save people possibly facing extinction.

Anderson Cooper, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And a bit more now on the lack of international support Anderson just talked about.

The World Food Program says it is having to cut rations in half. There's simply not enough money to buy all that's needed, they say. The U.N. food agency calls the cuts a last resort. All the day's latest on "ANDERSON COOPER 360". That's weekdays at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.

Some big names have joined in the fight to save Darfur. Later on LIVE FROM, we'll hear from George Clooney, who is just back from Sudan. It's part of his interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, and you can catch the entire interview on "THE SITUATION ROOM," which follows us beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

The deadline is here. The showdown may come next. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency says Iran has not complied with its demand to stop enriching uranium.

While the world waits to see what the U.N. Security Council will do about it, let's turn now to CNN's Aneesh Raman, who joins us now from Tehran -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, good afternoon.

That is the essential question here tonight. No immediate reaction from the Iranian government to that IAEA report. We expect reaction at the earliest tomorrow morning. But today we did hear in the morning from Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who reiterated that Iran would not suspend what it says is a peaceful civilian nuclear program and said that Iran is willing to work with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, to resolve what the IAEA has raised as unanswered questions about this nuclear program.

Now, essentially, we've heard from the U.S. President Bush as well that he wants to resolve this diplomatically, as is what Iran is saying, but the question will be where. Iran has said it's willing to work with the IAEA, but if this goes to the U.N., and, specifically, the Security Council, we've already heard from Iranian officials that they will then cut off ties with the IAEA, pursue this nuclear program in secret. And they have also all week really warned against any attack on Iran.

So, it seems in this standoff Iranian officials are preparing for anything that might come next -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, what kind of reaction are you hearing from the Iranians on the streets?

RAMAN: Well, Iranians specific to the interaction between here and the U.S. are able to essentially separate -- those, at least that spoke to us -- the U.S. government from the U.S. people. They voiced affinity for those who they know in the American society, the society itself. But around the nuclear issue, there is uniformity in terms of support. Rich, poor, liberal, conservative, they really see this as Iran's right, but there are whispers of what could come next, fears that this could escalate into some sort of military back and forth -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Aneesh Raman, thanks so much for that report from Tehran, Iran.

A rape trial began today in the Philippines. The accused? Four U.S. Marines.

They appeared in a Manila courtroom, not in uniform and not saying a world. The judge entered a plea of not guilty.

It's a very high-profile case in the Philippines, where debate still rages over the continued presence of U.S. troops. The four Marines are stationed in Japan. The alleged rape happened last year during a training mission. The suspects are not in a Philippine jail. They're being detained at the U.S. Embassy there.

Well, it may never come up in the Duke University rape case, at least not if there is a trial and not in court, but the woman who says she was sexually assaulted by three Duke lacrosse police told police 10 years ago she had been the victim of a similar attack. At that time, she said she had been raped three years earlier, when she was only 14, and by three men.

Those charges in the North Carolina town of Creedmoor were never pursued. The suspects never charged. Prosecutors in Durham want to put distance between those charges and the current case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE NIFONG, DURHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: All the facts are not yet known, and many of the so-called facts that have been reported and commented on are simply wrong. For the sake of the victim, for the sake of the accused, for the sake of our system of justice, I encourage everyone to step back in this situation and allow that system to do its job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And if the Duke case does go to trial, details about the earlier case may not be admissible. Like most states, North Carolina has a rape shield law that usually makes an accuser's past conduct irrelevant.

The former wife of Senator John Kerry has died. Julia Thorne died of cancer yesterday at a friend's home in Massachusetts.

She and Kerry married in 1970, had two daughters, Vanessa Alexandra. After their divorce in 1988, Thorne wrote openly about their battles with depression. She also founded a nonprofit foundation called The Depression Initiative. She stayed on good terms with Kerry and openly endorsed his 2004 campaign for president.

Julia Thorne was 61.

Next, an inspiration to everyone, including her own mom. Thirteen-year-old Dakoda Dowd competes against the world's best golfers and gives her mother a new reason to celebrate life when LIVE FROM returns.

Plus...

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And Fred, joining you from the new media operation here at the world headquarters of CNN, here in Atlanta. Amazing this new facility. Unveiling it for everyone today.

A short time ago, I just talked to John Courtney. He's the vice president for the CNN Media Group. You will hear from him in a moment. Amazing new capabilities.

More LIVE FROM right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Let's check in with Tony Harris, who is going to give us a little tour of our new digs. One of our new digs.

HARRIS: Want to give you a little tour, Fred. Yes, this is the new -- well, you know this has been kind of like a hard hat zone for the last few months here.

WHITFIELD: Right.

HARRIS: So it's great to see it finished.

This is the new Media Operations Center here at global headquarters for CNN here in Atlanta. John Courtney is the man who put all of this together. He is the vice president for the CNN Media Group.

And John, good to see you.

Tell us about how this facility -- it looks great, first of all.

JOHN COURTNEY, VP, CNN MEDIA GROUP: Thanks. Thank you.

HARRIS: Tell us about how this new facility increases our news- gathering capabilities.

Well, what we have here is an area that allows us to see so much more of the incoming material that we get into the CNN Center on any given day. We have access to over 200 and some odd feeds or incoming signals any day. We can monitor 144 of those signals continuously here on the wall.

And what we have here is a space that's so much more functional for the individuals who are responsible for vetting the information. The editorial process begins here, as well as the production process, what we bring to air. So folks see more material, they can do more with the material faster, all of which gets this material to air quicker.

HARRIS: So, practically speaking, I've driving through Atlanta and I capture -- I've got my camcorder, whatever. I capture some great video that I think tells a great story, and I want to get it to CNN. I make the contact, and does that video eventually end up in this center here, media operations?

COURTNEY: Everything that we put on the air...

HARRIS: Everything? COURTNEY: ... on the CNN networks, whether it's CNN U.S., the international network, our dot-com business at CNN.com or Pipeline, passes through this area.

HARRIS: Got you. OK.

And the people who we are seeing here working behind us, who are they, and what are their responsibilities? I know part of the goal here is to get more eyes on the video so that we can select the best pictures...

COURTNEY: Absolutely.

HARRIS: ... and the best sound to more effectively tell our stories.

COURTNEY: Correct. We have a combination of folks here whose responsibilities are as, media coordinators, coordinating, bringing the material in, beginning the initial logging process.

We have tape producers who are selecting the video. We have desktop editing applications now so they begin cutting voice-over here quicker for air.

HARRIS: Got you.

COURTNEY: It's a variety of activities taking place at any time.

HARRIS: And this is impressive. The bank of monitors up here, tell us how these people use these monitors and the relationship between what they see on these monitors. And do they have the ability to pull that down onto their desktops?

COURTNEY: Right, correct. So that's the added functionality that we've given these folks.

You can see on the monitor we've identified a lot of feeds. Some of them are CNN resources, our crews in the field, correspondents and reporters sending us images via satellite, or as file transfers, digitally.

We also have our partnerships with our affiliates sending us affiliate material, as well as agency feeds, Reuters, APTM (ph), those types of things all coming in here. An individual will see a feed that they are responsible for logging or processing, pull it down to their desktop monitor in here, and begin their function.

HARRIS: Let me -- stay that for just a second. I'm going to grab something here. I'm going to grab something here. I know I'm out of the light. I'm going to jump back in the light here.

But, tape, this is how we all started in the business. We used videotape.

COURTNEY: Right. HARRIS: And this is how we brought news and stories to folks at home. We used to put on these things, these videotapes. Do we have any need for this anymore?

COURTNEY: We have very little need for that. And that's what this will all about. This is -- this is the culmination of a process we've been undergoing here at CNN for some time. And that's digitizing our production process.

HARRIS: So, we're all digital now?

COURTNEY: We are all digital. Files come in, feeds come in. It goes straight to a production server. We're bypassing the tapes, the necessity to record on tape now.

HARRIS: So I can symbolically toss the tape?

COURTNEY: You could.

HARRIS: I could?

COURTNEY: You could, indeed. And as long as it's not archive material...

HARRIS: Right. Right.

COURTNEY: ... it's good to go.

HARRIS: Wonderful. John, I appreciate your time. Thanks for showing us through this amazing new facility. Appreciate it.

COURTNEY: Thanks for joining us here. We're really proud of it.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. Yes. Our pleasure. Our pleasure.

Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: And Tony, I'm glad you didn't toss the tape, because, you know, folks aren't wearing the hard hats anymore there.

HARRIS: You know, I was looking for that dramatic moment.

WHITFIELD: You might impale someone. That wouldn't be nice.

HARRIS: Well, there we go.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Oh, OK. Well, good catch -- or not.

HARRIS: You prompted me. I couldn't help myself.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Tony.

All right. On to something else here. Dakoda Dowd getting a lot of attention. She's one of the best young golfers in the country. Remember the name. And we mean young. But her youth isn't the only reason why she's getting noticed.

CNN Headline's Courtney George is here with more of Dakoda's story.

COURTNEY GEORGE, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: It's just one of those inspiring stories. You know, you look at her and you're, like, oh, you want to be like her.

She's only 13 years old. She just 13, like, a month ago. And her mother, who has been battling breast cancer for years, she beat it when she was much younger. And then she came back and found out just a little while ago that she had it again and it was in her bones and in her tissue.

WHITFIELD: Her mom.

GEORGE: And actually, her husband got the phone call and had to turn around and tell her.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

GEORGE: Well, that made Dakoda say, you know what? I don't want to golf anymore. I want to spend more time at home with my mom.

And she was, like, no, no, no, I want you to play. You know?

So, the Ginmill (ph), the golf tournament that's going on today, they actually sponsored her to let her play because that was her mother's -- that was her wish. She said, you know, "I want to see my daughter play on the LPGA tour."

And the amazing thing about this is everyone says, well, Michelle Wei, she was really young when she started.

WHITFIELD: Right.

GEORGE: She was 13 months -- or 13 years old and five months. She just turned 13. So she's beating Michelle Wei by about four months.

WHITFIELD: So, it's one thing, you know, to really be moved by her story and for the LPGA to say, OK, we want you to play. She's actually good.

GEORGE: She's very good. Her swing, I mean, look how natural it is. I'm going, I want one like that.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

GEORGE: I wish I could play that well. I mean, she has an amazing swing. And actually, yesterday she was only two over par, which is very impressive for a 13-year-old. Actually only two shots behind Annika Sorenstam. WHITFIELD: Wow.

GEORGE: I mean, can you believe it?

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's impressive.

GEORGE: And that was something she certainly had a lot of fun doing, actually. We talked to her afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAKODA DOWD, GOLFER: I couldn't really feel my hands. I was pretty nervous. But it was just a great feeling get off the tee (ph). I can't believe I'm actually here. Six months went by, like, so fast. I couldn't believe I was actually here.

KELLY JO DOWD, DAKODA'S MOTHER: I don't want to brag too much, but I can't help but tell you how proud I am as a mother. We've got to make up a new word besides "proud," too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you go from here? What's next?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE: Now, actually if she -- if she does qualify today -- she another 18 to play -- she will become the youngest female ever to qualify for an LPGA.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So, it's not like just today she gets to play. If she makes the cut...

GEORGE: If she makes the cut.

WHITFIELD: ... she's there to stay for a while.

GEORGE: Yes. And she was only two over yesterday.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

GEORGE: So she's got a great shot.

WHITFIELD: What a beautiful story. I love that.

All right. Thanks so much, Courtney.

All right. Now on to another golf setting and also music.

First there was Mardi Gras, now jazz fest. And there's even some golfing going on in the New Orleans area after eight months after Hurricane Katrina. A city famed for joyful sound is now putting its faith in the healing power of music.

CNN's Sean Callebs is in New Orleans.

A lot going on there right now.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boy, Fredricka that was such a great lead-in. Now, who wrote that one? That was really good.

WHITFIELD: It was off the top of my head. Right.

CALLEBS: Look out here. This is what it's all about.

There are thousands of people out here at the fairgrounds at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Conditions out here could not be better.

You haven't heard this for a long time, but this is the weekend to be in New Orleans. They expect about a couple hundred thousand people.

Up on the big stage behind me you can hear Anders Osborne. We're going to get Kevin Myers (ph), our cameraman, to push in a little bit.

It's a great band. They did a really slow, bluesy number a couple of minutes ago about Katrina and, of course, the effect it had on this community. No shortage of those songs by all the local bands.

And this, of course, the 37th annual Jazz Fest here in the city. Something that this city really believes it needs.

People have been -- one thing that -- when you talk to folks about New Orleans, everything revolves around music and having a good time. So, no shortage of folks out here.

We wanted to talk to somebody down here.

Jo (ph), step over for a minute. The camera is up there, Jo (ph). Thanks for coming out.

Now, tell me what made you want to come out here. You're here with your family. You have your son.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a tradition, and we come out locals day, which is Friday, which is today. And we could not wait for this year to bring back New Orleans.

CALLEBS: What about the fact that it was hit so hard by the storm? This is something that this area has waited for, for so long. What does it mean for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means that we are strong, we are people that can survive anything. And I just hope that we can bring back everybody that belongs in New Orleans.

CALLEBS: Now, how about some applause for the band?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're great.

CALLEBS: Well, let's hear it. Let's hear it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bands are wonderful. Everybody is great -- yeah!

CALLEBS: OK, Jo (ph). Thanks very much. Coming up after this, a local band (INAUDIBLE). And everybody has been waiting for that band.

And then a little bit later, listen to this lineup. On the first day, Bob Dylan is going to be out here...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

CALLEBS: ... a little bit later in the afternoon during "THE SITUATION ROOM." So tell Wolf Blitzer he better be paying attention.

And then later on tonight, Dr. John closes it down, a local icon. I had the pleasure of sitting down with this guy the other night. He is -- he's something.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

CALLEBS: I mean, he's got some stories to tell, and he -- he was actually in Minnesota watching CNN when Katrina hit. And he said he saw that massive counterclockwise spin out in the Gulf of Mexico. He knew it was going to be bad. But, of course, no one thought it was going to be this bad.

But this is indeed great, something the city needs to bring back some tourists, bring back some money. But more than that, to just have a good time -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And Sean, it really does look like a remarkable crowd. I've been to that jazz fest many times. And, you know, it's thick with people.

And as it looks right now, you're at one of the larger stage areas. So tell me about the kind of changes or the folks who work with Jazz Fest had to go through in order to get this fairgrounds ready, because it was under water immediately after Katrina.

CALLEBS: It was under water, and then later on this was a -- and it's serving as a staging area. Afterward, if you look at it, they just did amazing work. If you look all the way down, there are small stages all the way down through there.

They talk about the signature events of this city. You have Mardi Gras, of course, and then right after that they began focusing on Jazz Fest. And they really got some great, great, great top-name artists to come in.

We know Bruce Springsteen is going to be here, as well as Dave Matthews, Jimmy Buffett.

And one interesting thing. There's an entity called Music Cares. It's a charitable organization that's helping the legions of musicians in New Orleans, all those displaced by the hurricane, all those who need medical help for either psychological or other ailments that just don't have insurance.

And The Edge, the guitar player for U2, has been one of the driving forces behind this. He's come in under the radar...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

CALLEBS: ... a number of times and helped people out. And I saw him last night at a charitable event, and he's supposed to be out here today, maybe seeing a little Bob Dylan. Hopefully we'll see them together on stage. Who knows.

WHITFIELD: Awesome. All right. We'll be looking for those reports, you lucky dog for that assignment.

CALLEBS: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Sean Callebs, thanks so much in New Orleans.

More of LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Things not to do. You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, and you do not fire up a chainsaw around a saltwater crocodile in Australia.

Well, a park worker had just started to cut down some trees when a cranky croc rocketed out of the water and sped 20 feet right at him. The worker threw the running chainsaw at the croc and then climbed a tree. The angry critter only broke a few teeth as he smashed the chainsaw to smithereens. He gnawed on it for about an hour and a half before other park workers got it away from him.

Well, he wasn't born free, but that's how he'll live. A first in animal conservation today as a captive bred panda is released into the wild in China.

Immigration supporters are calling for a nationwide boycott on Monday to show their economic power. J.J. Ramburg joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with a look on the impact on the workers and the businesses.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, can spiritual hunger replace physical hunger? Some say prayer is the way to weight loss. More on faith-based diets next on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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