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Taliban Still Strong in Afghanistan; Addicted to Tanning; Kofi Annan Weighs In On Iran
Aired May 10, 2006 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More dead in Tal Afar. New reports from northern Iraq now say that last night's suicide truck bombing killed at least 22 people and wounded 134 others. It happened in a Shiite neighborhood in a city that President Bush recently cited as a success story in the U.S. and Iraqi battle against insurgents.
That fight for Iraq overshadows the older conflict that's still going on in Afghanistan. In a visit there recently with U.S. troops, reporter Bill Neely of ITV News found the Taliban are still well-armed and still trying to fight back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire!
BILL NEELY, ITV NEWS CORRESPONDENT: A nighttime attack by American troops. Rockets have hit their base. They hit back. The war against an enemy once beaten is raging again. The Taliban, in the mountains, are back on the offensive.
It's around the clock war. Special forces, thousands of troops, the casualties mounting. Another ten Americans killed in the nighttime crash of a helicopter like this one at the weekend. Night and day, U.S. helicopters scour the mountains where the Taliban are based. They move, armored and fast, to avoid attacks, but the attacks are mounting, these troops ambushed a dozen times.
(on camera): Here, not long ago, these U.S. troops surprised one of three groups of heavily armed men who they believe were about to launch an attack. And that's becoming more and more common.
(voice-over): The Americans have the heavy armor. The Taliban know the land.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That position up there, whoever's watching, they can see them moving around. So we're hitting all around them and they just disappeared after we -- we don't know if we killed them or what. We didn't find any bodies over there, though.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone's shooting.
NEELY: The shooting, and the casualties, are mounting. Two dozen Americans killed in combat missions so far this year. And this is their enemy, the same Taliban that's targeting British troops in southern Afghanistan.
The coalition threw the Taliban government from power five years ago, but these men never went away. And some of their weapons aren't just powerful, they're brand new. These pictures were filmed within the last year. We bought them on DVD in a market in Pakistan. They fight the Americans in a propaganda war, too.
The U.S. and Britain are throwing everything at this fight. Jets, Apache attack helicopters. Britain has eight in the south, and between them, more than 20,000 men. But their enemy, the Taliban and al Qaeda, are also prepared for a long and costly war. This country is far from won yet.
Bill Neely, ITV News in eastern Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: What's really going on in Afghanistan? The top U.S. commander there met reporters today at the Pentagon. Among them, our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie, what do they have to say?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lieutenant General Karl Eickenberry, who is the head of the combined forces in Afghanistan, at the Pentagon briefing essentially said that the -- they're winning, but the war there is not won.
He talked about some of the trends. The Taliban are becoming somewhat resurgent in the south, particularly three southern rural provinces where NATO troops are going to take over security later this summer after July. Eickenberry insisted that those NATO troops are well prepared, well led and they will substantially increase the amount of firepower that the U.S. and its allies have in that rest of southern region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, COMBINED FORCES CMDR.: First of all, they are already on the ground and they are proving themselves. The Canadians and the British, and I have absolute confidence of all the NATO forces that are coming in. They will be very capable forces. They have the correct rules of engagement, the second point, to execute the mission, and I'm quite confident that NATO ISAF, under the very able leadership of Lieutenant General Richards of the British Army, a very close colleague of mine, I have absolute confidence that they will prevail in the south and do well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Some people think the Taliban are massing in the south, under the belief that the NATO forces will be less aggressive, less willing to fight than the U.S. forces. U.S. commanders and NATO commanders think that might be in part because the way they've divided the mission, NATO forces will be responsible for a lot of the security, providing security for the reconstruction. U.S. forces will still have sort of the main hunt for high-value targets, the so-called counterterrorism mission in the south.
But the -- but I just had a discussion last week with the supreme NATO commander, General Jim Jones. He insists that the NATO troops have a very robust rules of engagement. They'll be substantially more forces down there in the south. And they think that the -- if the Taliban think that NATO troops are going to be a pushover, they'll be in for a big surprise.
But that said, it is absolutely the case that this war is far from being won there, and it's going to take a continued building up of the Afghan national army. And it has still been a deadly place for U.S. troops. Thirty-six U.S. troops have died so far in Afghanistan, including ten in that helicopter accident we heard referred to just earlier in this hour -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jamie McIntyre, live from the Pentagon. Jamie, thanks so much.
Also, we're getting more in on our severe weather coverage. We were talking about Texas, Alabama. Reynolds Wolf will join us and tell us exactly what's happening across the states.
More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Protecting your good name and your good Social Security number, President Bush met today with identity theft victims at the White House. And then alongside the attorney general and the chairman of the FTC, he announced steps to help consumers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The credit companies must issue a credit report once a year free of charge. We're very serious about upholding the law in this administration, and credit companies must look at the spirit and the letter of that law so that when a citizen's asked for the free credit report on an annual basis, he or she should be given that free credit report.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the president also said that he signed a bill to increase penalties for identity thieves.
The state of the nation, it could be better. We're talking Russia, where Vladimir Putin told Parliament today a falling population is Russia's most acute problem. Putin's offering cash to urge families to grow a sort of hero mother program for the modern day. His speech had a mostly domestic focus, but he did respond to recent criticism by Vice President Cheney, saying Washington puts its political interests above the Democratic ideals it claims to cherish.
Iran and the West -- it's a stare down on the delicate nuclear matter. Neither side appears ready to blink, and today the United Nations secretary general weighed in. Let's get to our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth for more -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan again urging everyone to cool the rhetoric between Iran and the United States and the West.
There's been a change of tactics, reported here yesterday by the United States and the Europeans regarding Iran. There's not going to be a vote anytime soon here at the Security Council, but they are offering an incentive package to Iran in order to cooperate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: It's important that the Iranians remain open and that they back away from this aggressive posture and be open to discussions. I think that no one is saying that they are not entitled to peaceful use of nuclear energy.
What is being discussed is, indeed, if it is only nuclear, the international community will need some reassurance, and I would hope that when a package is put together and they discuss including enhanced inspections and other things, that the Iranians and the international community will be able to come to a clear understanding, but it is -- they have a responsibility to communicate and assure the world that their intention is peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The Iranian president traveling in Indonesia, and criticized the big powers as lying about their claims about Iran's nuclear intentions -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Richard Roth from the U.N. Thanks, Richard. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Gas prices no longer racing at the breakneck pace of a couple weeks ago, but we haven't even made it to summer yet. That brings to us the House and Energy Commerce Committee, looking for ways to hold the prices down, down the road, way down the road, in part, through fuel efficiency.
Among the possibilities a White House bid to set fuel standards for cars on a sliding scale. In the near term, the buzz is over ethanol's potential to push prices lower during the summer driving season.
Nobody likes $3 a gallon gasoline or is willing to admit it, but are $40, $50, $60 fill-ups really causing problems for the filler- uppers? See for yourself. A new CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research shows that almost two Americans in three reporting hardship from rising gas prices. One in three are unphased.
Rightly or wrongly, Americans believe by an even more lopsided margin that President Bush could lower prices now if he chose to. On the other hand, who needs gas when there's hay? We know a Texan who gets around Arlington with a little help from his friend Free-Fallin. Egon Settle put its it this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EGON SETTLE, HORSERIDING PROTESTER: This is Texas. I'll ride my horse, if I have to.
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PHILLIPS: Well, Settle drives his truck to work, pulls his horse in a trailer, saddles up for in-town errands. He says it's saved him more than $500 over the past four weeks.
Diamond are a girl's best friend, and a man's worst nightmare if he happens to toss them in the garbage. What happens next? Well, a stinky dig for diamonds in the rough. Here's Sandy Rathbun of CNN affiliate KBOA in Tucson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANDY RATHBUN, KBOA REPORTER (voice-over): Today, Barbara Davis has her diamond rings back on her fingers. Last month, the family heirlooms were buried in eight tons of trash, a pile the size of this one. Davis had washed her hands and left four rings in a paper towel when her husband Bill came along to tidy up.
BILL DAVIS, HUSBAND: Inadvertently, I came in about a few minutes later, picked up the paper towel, crumpled it up and threw it in the sack of garbage.
RATHBUN: Neither noticed until the next day, after Waste Management picked up the trash.
DON ROSS, WASTE MANAGEMENT: When she initially called me, in the back of my mind I thought there was no way we are going to find rings in this mess.
BARBARA DAVIS, LOST DIAMONDS: Now, this is how we did it.
RATHBUN: Still, Waste Management offered to dump its trucks and two employees and the Davises started digging.
BARBARA DAVIS: It's worse than any needle in a haystack.
RATHBUN (on camera): If you think digging through this is stinky and gross, it is.
BARBARA DAVIS: There were, of course, a lot of unmentionables. I was afraid I'd come upon a body part or something. And there was animal waste in there, and a slight -- a bit of broken glass. I said, God, I hate to pray for something of material value, but would you please help me find the rings?
BILL DAVIS: She was doing a lot of praying. I was doing a lot of digging at the time.
RATHBUN: Finally, after about three hours ...
BILL DAVIS: I reached down and I grabbed it, and as soon as I grabbed it, I knew that they were inside. And I just said Barbara ...
BARBARA DAVIS: And there they were.
RATHBUN: Diamonds in the rough.
Sandy Rathbun, News 4.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well are you craving some rays?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you know tanning's bad for you Tara, how come you do it?
TARA BURTON, STUDY VOLUNTEER: Well from what I know of addicts, which I may be one...
ZARRELLA: Apparently you are.
BURTON: Apparently I'm an addict and I didn't know it. They're in denial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Tanorexics come out of the shadows when LIVE FROM returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Let's check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer to see what's happening in the "THE SITUATION ROOM" today. Hi, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Kyra. New CNN polls showing more bad news for Republicans in Congress. It releases right at the top of the hour here in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Plus, President Bush facing his own sinking ratings with voters. Corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff, how many times did he actually visit the White House? The Secret Service has just released some of the information, but does it tell the whole story? We're going through the documents right now. First lady politics, the most popular person in the White House hits the campaign trail. And Hillary Clinton moves right. She's making friends in some unexpected places. All that, Kyra, coming up right at the top of the hour.
PHILLIPS: All right, Wolf. Thanks so much.
Well it's not illegal, but it can be harmful. It's popular, especially with young people, and it may, we're now learning, be addictive. It's not smoking, but tanning and it's a red-hot issue that our John Zarrella shed some light on for "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): What is it? What kind of spell does a broiling sun hold over some people? What makes people like Vince and Ursula Celeste (ph) soak it in for hours at a time?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like there's nothing that can go wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always felt better about myself.
ZARRELLA: And Bob Lubart (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The heat just feels nurturing.
ZARRELLA: Three days a week, he's in a tanning bed. Indoor tanning is one of the nation's fastest growing industries, $5 billion a year. A good tan seems synonymous with good health. Studies found the number of people using tanning salons is increasing. At among 16- to-18 year olds, 30-to-40 percent are tanning-booth regulars.
(on camera): There may be a reason those sun worshipers simply can't get enough. Doctors here at Wake Forest University's tanning research center say frequent tanners may, in fact, be addicted.
DR. STEVE FELDMAN, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: They decided they couldn't tell the two beds apart?
DR. MANDEEP KAUR, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: No.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Doctors Steve Feldman and Mandeep Kaur, dermatologists at Wake Forest, knew that skin cells exposed to ultraviolet light appear to produce endorphins, the human body's natural feel-good molecules, kind of like narcotics.
Suddenly a light bulb went off.
FELDMAN: Whoa, that explains why people go to the beach, that explains why tanning is an epidemic in America.
ZARRELLA: To prove people can be addicted to tanning, two tanning beds were set up in this room at the tanning center. Tara Burton and 11 other frequent tanners, people who tanned more than eight times a month were selected. What they didn't know was that the U.V. light was being blocked in one bed.
FELDMAN: What we did was is we put people in both beds on Monday, both beds on Wednesday. And then said to them on Friday, get in whichever bed you want.
KAUR: Eleven out of 12 ended up preferring the U.V. bed.
ZARRELLA (on camera): Not knowing that it was the U.V. bed?
KAUR: Not knowing that it was the U.V. bed. ZARRELLA (voice-over): Then eight frequent tanners and eight infrequent tanners were selected. Again Tara Burton participated.
KAUR: So our next step was, how about if you block those feel- good receptors, the endorphins, and see what happens to these people.
ZARELLA: The test subject were given a drug, a narcotic blocker to see if it interrupted their ability to distinguish between the two beds.
FELDMAN: We had no idea people would get sick. Well, when you think about it, it makes sense.
ZARRELLA: Four of the eight frequent tanners suffered withdrawal-like symptoms, including Tara Burton.
BURTON: I took the drug and on the first -- I had to drop out on the first time that I tanned. I had jitteriness, I had nausea.
ZARRELLA: None of the infrequent tanners suffered any reaction, further convincing the doctors that frequent tanning is addictive and may lead to a dramatic increase in skin cancer.
(on camera) If you know tanning's bad for you, Tara, how come you do it?
BURTON: Well from what I know of addicts, which I may be one...
ZARRELLA: Apparently you are.
BURTON: Apparently I'm an addict and I didn't know it. They're in denial.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): The dermatologists worry that as more and more people seek out that bronzed as beautiful look, many will, like Tara Burton, become addicted to tanning. Getting high on sunshine and not even know it. John Zarrella, CNN, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well you can see more stories like John's on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." You can watch that weeknights, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
How does this float your boat? New York Harbor made room today for the world's largest cruise ship, arriving in America for the very first time. Royal Caribbean's "Freedom of the Seas" was built in Europe. It can carry more than 5,000 passengers and crew members. It's longer than the Eiffel Tower is high. And on-board amenities including a water park, a skating rink, even a boxing rink. "Freedom of the Seas" is scheduled to start ferrying vacationers between Florida and the Caribbean next month.
Cruising to the closing bell, Ali Velshi in New York. How are you doing, Ali?
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