Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Fugitive Polygamist Appears in Court; Carolinas Brace for Ernesto; Hurricane John Heads for West Coast; Bush Addresses American Legion; Iran Says No to Ultimatum

Aired August 31, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.
The polygamist in court. What is it about Warren Jeffs that for years have kept so many followers loyal? This hour, I talk to one woman who escaped his cult-like grasp.

Ernesto's heavy hand. Wind and rain creep up the East Coast. CNN's Reynolds Wolf sells us who should start preparing for possible flooding.

And a possible medical break through for thousands of people who faced one type of skin cancer. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me with details.

The first hour of LIVE FROM starts right now.

Caught on the fly, now Utah gets first at-bat with polygamist prophet Warren Jeffs. CNN's Peter Viles has the latest from today's exhibition hearing in Las Vegas.

So Peter, how did he look after so long on the run?

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean to my eye, looking at him he looked a little confused. One of the prosecutors from Utah who came down to get him -- let me get the news in first. He waived extradition and will be sent to Utah very quickly to face accomplice to rape charges in the state of Utah.

But in court one of the prosecutors from Utah came down to make sure this went smoothly. We said, well, how did he appear to you? And this prosecutor said he appeared humble and willing to cooperate with the system.

Now if that's true and if that holds out that would be a big surprise to law enforcement. This guy was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted fugitives list, and in the FBI's description they said that this guy could be armed and dangerous and has 10,000 followers.

You put that together, a man who may be armed and dangerous. He's a fugitive from the law and had thousands of followers. You have a recipe perhaps for a really ugly situation.

But this was very smooth. He was only in court for a couple of minutes. He did not have a lawyer and he did not contest extradition. The two states that want him, Arizona and Utah, had already made a deal that Utah will get him first because the charges he faces in Utah are more serious.

No timetable yet on when goes to Utah. But the judge told him that Utah has 30 days to pick him up, and they'll pick him up a lot sooner than that -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Peter, what about the fact that it had been said that he had about $100 million in assets. How might that money or access to that money help him when it comes down to any potential bail?

VILES: I'm pretty certain that hundred million dollar figure dates to a time when he essentially controlled these two towns on the Arizona/Utah borders. He controlled the land in those towns. And it's one of the ways that he sort of rules with an iron fist.

The people in those towns who were his followers didn't own the land. He controlled it, but the government has taken that land away from him. He no longer controls it. It's in a trust controlled by the government.

So my understanding is that $100 million figure may no longer be valid. However, he does have money. He was riding around in a brand new $55,000 car, a Cadillac Escalade. He had $54,000 in cash. And he had all sorts of -- 15 cell phones, I believe. So he does have access to money.

And in the past when others in this church have faced criminal charges they have hired their own lawyers. He's not desperate. He may not need a public defender up there in Utah.

WHITFIELD: And the kind of charges we're talking about, two counts of rape as an accomplice, right, and facing potentially a pretty stiff sentencing if it gets to that.

VILES: Yes. Both of those counts come with a penalty of five years to life in prison in the state of Utah. He faced similar charges in Arizona, but the penalty there wasn't as stiff. Now our understanding is that's why he's going to Utah. The allegation is not that he raped anyone but that he forced women into marriage against their will, so was an accomplice to rape.

WHITFIELD: Peter Viles, thanks so much from Las Vegas.

Well, now that Warren Jeffs is behind bars, will things change for his followers? We'll ask a former member of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints. Caroline Jessup (ph) joins me live to us talk about getting out and how hard it was for her.

A lot of rain, tropical wind. And did we mention a lot of rain? That's what the Carolinas are in for as Tropical Storm Ernesto, getting ever stronger, bears down on the Atlantic Coast.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim on the storm watch in historic Charleston, where it's already raining. KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. It definitely is. In fact, in just the last few minutes we're really starting to feel like a tropical storm is indeed coming.

Just to give you a little lay of the land here. We've got a couple of school kids who I think are enjoying the atmosphere more than I am as they look out onto Charleston Harbor. And if you look out into the murkiness there, might get the sense that the water is really rising. And that makes sense because now is high tide. And as you look at that muck below, that stuff is making its way up here.

We're going to pivot around here and take a look at downtown Charleston. There is traffic moving back there, and as you can see, the city is functioning, but the danger for a storm like this is that the water can really accumulate.

If I just get down on the ground and make a little splash here. These are the just little puddles that are starting to form here. But it's this kind of thing that is going to, particularly in the low country, as they call it here, is going to be a significant issue.

But Fredricka, our sense is that this storm is going to move north into North Carolina, and what I keep hearing from the experts is that as the water from this system starts to rain, not so much on the low country but really on the high country, and makes its way down from mountains through streams, there could be some significant flooding, not necessarily in South Carolina but perhaps up north and as the system continues to move that way. So that's another thing we're going to watch.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: And Keith, for folks in Charleston what's so disconcerting here is that sometimes it really doesn't take a whole lot to have any kind of potential flooding there, because it is not only low lying but they don't have a great drainage system there, at least in parts of downtown Charleston in some of those barrier islands.

OPPENHEIM: Well, you know the city pretty well. And that may be one reason why people in Charleston have been kind of laid back about Tropical Storm Ernesto. There have not been, say, a significant number of evacuations.

Tourism is a bit down, but that's right. For a moderate rainstorm this city often gets fairly flooded. So today is likely to be a day where that's going to be a more significant problem.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, fingers are crossed for the folks there. Keith Oppenheim, thanks so much from downtown Charleston.

Well, heavy rain and rushing creeks could spell disaster, as well, or in this case a dramatic rescue. This man ended up her, the man you just saw, neck high in water after losing control of his car in Charlotte, North Carolina. A passerby jumped him to try to calm him. The rescue teams rushed into the scene and boats were able to be pulled to safety.

Bigger trouble in the Pacific, Hurricane John, a Category 3, is lashing resort towns up and down Mexico's western coast, and it could come closest to Cabo San Lucas.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Civil defense officials in Cabo San Lucas on Mexico's Baja Peninsula are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane John. They say close to 30,000 people might be in harm's way. And they will be ordering the evacuation of thousands of residents in the more low lying area.

The Mexican army will implement its emergency response plan, which includes the forced evacuation of people who refuse to leave their homes. Defense officials say that they have prepared 160 public schools to be used as shelters if needed.

Meanwhile, a lot of tourists, particularly from the United States, trying to get out of town. That won't be very easy on this day before the hurricane hits. Most flights to the U.S. are already oversold and it is expected that the airport will be closed at some point in the morning of Thursday.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Keeping an eye on both storms in the Pacific and in the Atlantic, our Reynolds Wolf in the weather center. Boy, busy weather picture out there.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, Fred. That's why we're here, though. We're going start with what's happening over in the Atlantic. And we're going to zoom in on Charleston, South Carolina.

Keith Oppenheim was reporting live there moments ago. I believe he was out near the battery where the rain continues just to crash in at this time. We take you southward to Hilton Head Island. You can see the reds, also actually the greens and some of the blues in the case of the heavier precipitation. The orange, certainly seeing them. The Ashey (ph), Cooper (ph) rivers, the Parade Grands (ph), the Citadel. The rain continues to come down from Fort Sumter and points north.

Now we're going over a little bit and show you the size of the storm system. Again very big, a tropical storm moving to the north and the northwest. And not only is it bringing heavy rainfall but we even have tornado warnings that are in effect for places like Wilmington, North Carolina.

Now as these feeder bands come onshore it is not unusual at all to have some tornadoes associated with these feeder bands. A couple things about them, though. These tornadoes, very seldom are they strong. They're not likely the strong storms you see associated with the fronts that you get out on the Great Plains. They're very weak, usually F-0's to F-1's on the Fujita (ph) Scale. The big dangers are usually shielded by rain.

So you really don't have a lot of time to take cover when they come onshore. So certainly something to be aware of, and there is a potential for more tornado activity as the system rumbles onshore in places like Fayetteville, back into Hope Mills and even into Lumberton.

Meantime, what we're going to be also seeing from this is something you alluded to earlier, the potential for some flooding with the storm system. Because the latest path we have from the National Hurricane Center brings it very close to the, say, South Carolina, North Carolina border by 8 p.m. Thursday.

Then it continues northward into the Carolinas into the high elevations, too, into Piedmont, as well as the Appalachians we've been getting into Friday and even into early Saturday morning moving into parts of southern Pennsylvania.

One thing it's very important about that is it's starting to get up into the higher elevations. And with Orbeth (ph) the storm, it's kind of like the effect of having a wet dishrag and squeezing it and all that moisture coming out.

You're going to see rain really begin to stack up in the higher elevations in places like Charleston, West Virginia, southward into Charlotte and into Columbia.

In fact these are some estimates that we have for the next 48 hours, showing that we can get anywhere from a few inches of rainfall, perhaps as much as three. But I do think that these numbers are very conservative.

There's the potential. You could see storm totals by the time all is said and done of rainfall rates, rainfall totals up to eight, maybe even 10 inches of rainfall, and that really is going to cause some problems with some flood swollen rivers. So it's something we're going to watch very, very carefully in our microscope. And of course, as more information comes along we're going to keep you posted and keep you advised.

Meanwhile, we're going to head out to the west and into the southwest. Here is Puerto Vallarta. Here is Acapulco. And of course, very close to the Baja and into parts of the Pacific, you've got this immense storm system. This is, of course, Hurricane John, hard to keep track of these things as the season rolls along.

This storm is expected to weaken a little bit, going from a Category 4 storm by 8 a.m. Friday to a Category 3 just brushing to the south of Cabo San Lucas. If you have any travel plans, maybe you plan on going there in the next 24 hours or so, you might want to call the travel agent. The trip insurance that you sometimes tell you to buy, this is the reason why. You've got the storm system that's going to be traveling just to the south of Cabo San Lucas and then moving deeper into the Pacific as we get to 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Still this place is going to be dealing with heavy rainfall. There's going to be the potential for some mud slides in high elevations. At the same time heavy surf conditions. It could be a mess for you.

So certainly, keep it here on CNN, your hurricane headquarters, and we will keep you advised.

Back to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Reynolds. Thanks so much.

WOLF: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Terrorism was the topic, the American Legion convention the setting. President Bush today told veterans that the war on terror will be long and it will be hard, but it will end with a victory for the forces of freedom.

It was the first in a series of planned speeches on the administration's anti-terror policies.

CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president.

He joins me now from Salt Lake City -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, the president calling this a pivotal moment in American history, comparing the current struggle to World War II by saying the fighting in Iraq has gotten as intense, as fierce as Omaha Beach and the analogy about World War II that really could resonate with the older American Legion audience.

The whole goal of this new series of speeches on the global war on terror is to put it into a broader context, connect Iraq to Lebanon and Afghanistan and Iran. The president saying they all are connected in what he calls the decisive struggle of the 21st Century.

On Iran the president said Tehran has to face consequences for their continued defiance, though as everyone knows it's still going to be difficult for the U.S. to get tough sanctions through the U.N.

And on Iraq, the president was still firm in saying troops are not coming home until victory is achieved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There are some in our country who insist that the best option in Iraq is to pull out, regardless of the situation on the ground. Many of these folks are sincere, and they're patriotic, but they could be -- they could not be more wrong. If America were to pull out before Iraq could depend itself the consequences would be absolutely predictable and absolutely disastrous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: These are not really new arguments from the president. It's a little like when you go to the supermarket to buy detergent, and it says new and improved on the label. You open the product and it still has the same stuff inside, just a new label.

The president almost has a new and improved strategy here to try to sell the war on terror, but he is still having the same problem, as you can tell from the public polls. Selling this to the American people is going to be an uphill struggle from here until the midterm elections -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Henry, thanks so much. Traveling with the president.

Let's go straight to the newsroom and check in with Carol Lin with a developing story -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Even for a war zone like Iraq, Fred, the death tolls today are astounding. Five separate attacks, mortar attacks, bombings killed at least 43 people; 160 people have been injured.

This is what we know, that despite these attacks that U.S. security forces are still pressing ahead with Operation Together Forward, which is an extensive security crackdown in the capital.

Today in a briefing in Baghdad, General George Casey, the head -- the commander of the multinational coalition, had actually said that he still sees Iraqi security forces progressing to a point where they can take on security responsibilities for the country with very little coalition support, Fred.

So a violent picture coming out of Iraq and optimism from the coalition military leaders that still Iraqi forces can be in control of their country.

WHITFIELD: All right. Carol Lin in the newsroom. Thanks so much.

Deadline day for Iran. Decision time for the U.N. Security Council. Iran ignores western demands to stop work on its nuclear program. Will there be consequences? A report from Tehran when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... Fredricka, the latest comments from Iranian officials saying this report essentially is baseless. They say the report is not -- that Iran has ever legal right to enrich uranium and have a civilian peaceful nuclear program.

They are also saying this report confirms they are pursuing peaceful program, that they don't have the ability to produce a nuclear weapon, and that, they say, undercuts U.S. claims that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon.

This will likely further embolden Iran to stand firm. We heard earlier today from the country's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to huge crowds up in the northwestern part of Iran, saying that Iran would continue to pursue its right, would not back down.

Iran, though, does understand this deadline has past, that the clock is ticking in terms of sanctions now. They could come, really, at any point in the weeks ahead. And so they will embark, as far as we understand, on trying to convince specifically European countries that Iran is open to dialogue, open and eager for a new formula and that sanctions should be kept at bay.

Iran has threatened before, Fredricka, if sanctions are issued it could kick out inspectors and pursue this program in secret.

WHITFIELD: So it sounds as though there is no end in this standoff, at least from the Iranians' point of view?

RAMAN: No end, and there's a broader issue here. For Iran this issue is part of something bigger. They feel that they are the superpower in the Middle East. Iran's president feels that he is the champion voice of disenfranchised Muslims worldwide, from Malaysia to Indonesia to Iraq to Iran to Pakistan, and that this issue really showcases Iran's ability to defy the west, to stand up to them and fight for the rights of the people they feel are being ignored by western interests. So Iran will likely push this to the end.

And also keep in mind Iran has sold this nuclear program to the people of Iran as something that is fiercely -- is built around fierce nationalist pride. It will be difficult for Iran to back down.

At the same time Iran is not in a good economic position. It is in desperate need of economic reform. So we could see perhaps some incentive package that comes about. But that's only if talks start, which doesn't seem likely at the moment -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But Aneesh, do Iranians feel they have no other choice but to be supportive of the government?

RAMAN: By and large they do. Everyone we speak to as a western camera crew says yes, we support the government. There is a genuine support for this program, because Iranians feel that they were able to do this on their own and that, unless it's proven otherwise, it is a peaceful civilian nuclear program, and if that is the case, they have the right to pursue it.

Off camera certain people will, when you ask them is it really an energy program, is it a weapons program, "They say we don't know. We can only take what the government says." But Iranians really are observers right now, just like the rest of us, following this government as it pursues its path towards international clout. And they are caught in the middle. They might have to suffer from sanctions. And that is what they're fearing tonight -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Aneesh Raman in Tehran. Thanks so much for that live report.

Normal relations between Israel and Lebanon, is that even possible right now? Kofi Annan thinks so.

The U.N. secretary-general is hop-scotching across the Middle East this week: Jordan this morning, then Syria. Among the items on his agenda, the Middle East cease-fire and possible sanctions against Iran for its nuclear activities.

Annan told reporters in Amman today how the U.N. peace force in Southern Lebanon is shaping up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: This would be a truly international force. Of course, Europe has provided large number of forces and they also have indicated the backbone of the force.

But we will be bringing in troops from other regions. There will be Islamic troops on the ground, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey has also offered, once it goes through parliamentary procedure. And others will come, so we will have an international force with troops coming in from both the west and the Islamic -- western and Islamic countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Kofi Annan is racking up plenty of diplomatic miles. He's on an 11-day tour of the Middle East.

Three years, thousands killed, two million forced from their homes and now a move by the United Nations to take on the role of peace keeper. I'm talking about Sudan's western Darfur region, ripped apart by ethnic war and what's widely regarded as open genocide.

The U.N. Security Council today OK'd a resolution to form an international peace keeping force for Darfur. U.S. officials say the time to act was yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Every day we delay only adds to the suffering of the Sudanese people and extends the genocide.

The United States calls on the government of Sudan to comply with the terms of Resolution 1706. We expect their full and unconditional cooperation and support for the new U.N. peace keeping force. Failure on the government of Sudan's part to do so will significantly undermine the Darfur peace agreement and prolong the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The government of Sudan has to give consent to the resolution before any U.N. force is formed. In the past Sudan has not been inclined to give such consent.

Well, now that Warren Jeffs is behind bars in this country, will things change for his followers? We'll ask a former member of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints. Caroline Jessup (ph) joins me live to talk about getting out and how hard it was for her.

Plus, medical news. Harder to quit, easier to get hooked. A possible new clue to smoking addiction. Ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Breaking habits is becoming even harder. That's according to a new report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The study finds that cigarettes are delivering more nicotine to the lungs, an increase of about 10 percent over the past six years. Tobacco companies not commenting on that report.

A possible breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Could your body's own immune system be the key? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live at the top of the hour with the breaking details.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

WHITFIELD: Let's go straight to the newsroom now and check in again with Carol Lin on a developing story -- Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, remember help this famous painting you're about to see, "The Scream" by Edward Monk (ph). It was stolen in a daring daytime robbery two years ago. The painting, along with another one by the same artist, has been recovered in Oslo, Norway. That's right. This is what we knew about the robbery. It was in the daytime. People were actually shocked to find out that these paintings didn't have extra security, and apparently armed, masked robbers entered the museum and stole those two paintings.

No one has been arrested just yet. I'm trying to see here on the wire where exactly they were recovered. It doesn't say exactly, except that they were. Experts still determining if those paintings have been damaged in any way.

WHITFIELD: But at least at this juncture they're saying they are certain these are the real things?

LIN: So far, so good. You just have to get the scientific testing.

WHITFIELD: Impressive.

LIN: Usually don't recover great works of art. There was another painting by Edward Monk, a similar situation, that painting stolen from a different museum but recovered about three months later. But clearly his works of art very popular in the criminal community.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, hopefully if these are the real deal and they really do past the test, hopefully they're not damaged either, and folks will get a chance to enjoy them in a public museum once again.

LIN: Very cool.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Carol.

Well, apparently what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Not really. Not if your name is Warren Jeffs. Details on today's extradition hearing and where the polygamist prophet is headed next.

Plus, now that Warren Jeffs is behind bars, will things change for his followers? We'll ask a former member of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints.

Carolyn Jessup (ph) joins me live to talk about how she got out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Let's talk more about the violence in Iraq. Let's check in with Carol Lin in the newsroom -- Carol.

LIN: Fredricka, just a short time ago we reported at least 43 people killed in a Baghdad neighborhood, 160 people injured. Cal Perry is with us right now. He's our Baghdad bureau director out there.

Cal, a series of explosions after some assurances from both military leaders, as well as the deputy prime minister, that things were improving on the ground. What happened?

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we understand so far from Iraqi police is that about an hour ago in a neighborhood in southeastern Baghdad, as you said, 43 people killed, 160 people wounded, when eight Katyusha rockets struck a highly Shia neighborhood in the southeastern section of the city. All of this comes after a very, very bloody week here across the country. The tally so far, since Sunday, over 150 Iraqis killed, more than 300 others wounded.

The U.S. military has taken its fair share of casualties as well, 14 dead since Sunday and 60 dead in the month of August -- Carol.

LIN: So the head of the multinational coalition forces, General George Casey, gave a briefing in Baghdad, indicating that he thought that Iraqi security forces could soon, sometime in the next couple of years, actually take over a majority of the security around the country. So on what from your observations is he basing that on? PERRY: What he said was in the next 12 to 18 months, he believes that Iraqi security forces will be able to operate with minimal coalition support. He never set a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal, which is a very important statement. He also tempered his views on Operation Together Forward. This is the plan to secure the capital. The capital has seen more than its fair share of violence, including sectarian violence, we understand, from the Iraqi government. Eighteen-hundred bodies were found in the capital last month alone. General Casey said he sees progress, but there's, quote, "a lot of work to be done" -- Carol.

LIN: There was an editorial in "The Washington Post" actually about a week ago by one of our actually one of our international analysts, Ken Pollack, and he indicated that, look, there is no question about it, there is civil war going on. What are the sour sources telling you? And what is your experience being there and covering the country? Is that an accurate statement?

PERRY: Well, it depends on who you talk to. It depends on which Iraqis you speak to. Certainly optimism is a word that really doesn't exist in the Iraqi vocabulary right now. You have to remember that they've been to the polls three times. Violence has only increased. I can tell you a friend of mine, an Iraqi friend, I asked him, do you think Iraqi is in a civil war? And he said 1,800 bodies last month alone. If that's not civil war, I don't know what is -- Carol.

LIN: Cal Perry, thanks very much for giving us some perspective, using the facts on the ground. Cal Perry, our Baghdad bureau director.

Fred, another violent day in Iraq. I almost hate using that term, because it tends to be numbing. The audience hears it so much, but it is a barometer as to what the situation really is, and the conflicting statements that we're getting about the description of what is happening in the country by leaders and military leaders alike.

WHITFIELD: Astounding numbers and information. All right, thanks so much, Carol.

WHITFIELD: Well something raising a lot of eyebrows in this country. It's not just young girl whose suffer in the harsh world of Warren Jeffs polygamist sect. Young men are often forced out of the community, so they diminish the pool of available brides. Others choose to jump before they're pushed out. Either way, it's an abrupt and brutal coming of age.

CNN's Dan Simons talks to some of these lost boys.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMONS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This young man's trade is home construction. Ironic, perhaps, because Sam is actually homeless. Until two months ago, he lived in Colorado City, Arizona. In fact, Sam grew up in the isolated polygamist community led by Warren Jeffs. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm totally an outcast now.

SIMONS: We caught up with the 17-year-old and his friends in St. George, Utah, a town that has taken in dozens, if not hundreds, of the so-called lost boys: teenage boys who were either kicked out of the sect run by Jeffs, or like Sam, fled. He say he ran away after hearing about the outside world from relatives. He became aware of the freedoms absent in his life.

We always had to hide in the closet to watch movies, and could never do anything fun. Always working every day. Just all these rules and regulations. Couldn't have girlfriends. Couldn't talk to girls or wave to them or anything. So we felt pretty lame, so we just left.

SIMONS: Bruce Barlow (ph) is one of Sam's closest friends. The two ran away together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't walk down the streets. You can't ...

SIMONS (on camera): You couldn't just walk down the street?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you have to get a ride wherever you go.

SIMONS: Most kid cans ride bikes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you have to get a ride.

SIMONS (voice-over): It was one of ...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We're going to have to interrupt this story and go straight to Carol Lin with some breaking information -- Carol.

LIN: All right. We want to bring you some pictures that we're seeing from our affiliate, WSVN. You're looking at a U.S. Airways plane on the runway there. I believe this is Miami -- yes, Miami, Florida. Reports of the airplane being on fire but we don't see any smoke. We don't see any flames. I did see a fire truck close by in an earlier shot. Just a few seconds ago, two people standing, examining a portion of the wing.

So this is what is happening right now. It looks like it's still on the tarmac away from the main building, the main terminal. I have not seen any passengers deplaning or any buses sent out there to actually pick up the passengers. So it's a developing story, an ongoing situation right now as we're trying to bring you the freshest pictures, live pictures from our affiliate.

This one now from WPLG as you can get a better shot of the airplane, and something -- it looks like an emergency slide that's dangling from the ramp. Yes, that was the emergency slide that was deployed, so it's possible that the passengers are already off that flight and that the protective foam had been sprayed as you can see. There was probably, you know, an earlier response where they were trying to put out that fire. So people here standing on the runway. They look like early responders, and they're pointing to the plane.

WHITFIELD: And, Carol, I wonder -- you know, the bus that just went by, or buses now going by ...

LIN: Here's one.

WHITFIELD: ...possibly going to pick up many of those passengers who may potentially be taking that slide in order to deplane since that might be the only measure in which to get off the plane now that that foam has been put in place to put out what could have been the fire that you speak of.

LIN: It looks like the plane is still intact. And I didn't see any smoke residue on any parts of the plane that -- we had a closer shot. Let's see if the affiliate is kind of trying to move in. This is a raw feed that's coming in, these live pictures of this U.S. Airway plane on the runway at the Miami airport.

You can see that people are working up close to the plane and it looks like that they are gathering around the left wing, the rear portion of the left wing. They weren't looking at the engine. I can tell you that, but just really kind of this midsection of the wing itself.

And I'm just getting some new information here, Fred. I'm just going to read it to you as we get it.

WHITFIELD: All right.

LIN: This is from the Associated Press. A U.S. Airways jet had landing gear fire in Miami. The jet had a landing gear fire at Miami International Airport, according to the Associated Press. No injuries reported, according to fire officials that the Associated Press spoke with. The Boeing 737 had 94 people on board, this according to the airport spokesman, Marc Henderson.

Television crews earlier -- we'll try to get a hold of some of this tape. Television crews showed the flames were extinguished on the plane which was surrounded by white foam. All right. So that appears to be the situation according to the Associated Press which made phone calls on this. As we're just getting these pictures, there you can see the first door of the plane open to the ...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: So, again, Carol on that last bit of information you were giving in terms of trying to extinguish the flames, that effort was being made inside in addition to the efforts being made outside?

LIN: That's what it sounds like. I mean, of course, I'm parsing words hear as I'm looking at the wire service. But I'll read it to you again. All right. Ninety-four people on board, television crews showed the flames were extinguished on the plane. I think really it's a reference to the exterior of the plane which was surrounded by white foam.

And we can see that right here right now as we're looking at these live pictures coming out of Miami International Airport. No information on whether this plane was inbound or outbound, where these people were going just yet, but it appears that they were able to get the situation under control. We didn't see any smoke, we didn't see any smoke residue.

WHITFIELD: And we don't really know, you know, exactly what time this took place. We only got these pictures once the fire had been extinguished.

LIN: Right. Right, and seeing those passenger buses that went by, that the emergency slide had been deployed and that the early responders were now up close to this plane taking a look at it. They were looking at the left wing there, and fire truck is still on the scene, Fred.

I'm going to take a look and see what we can find on the Internet right now while we're taking a look at these pictures and see what we've got.

WHITFIELD: All right, so just to rehash some of the information you've been passing on, this U.S. Airways Boeing 737 experienced some fire on its landing gear, 94 people on board. All of those persons, we understand, are still to be on the plane but we have seen some buses.

There you see on the right-hand side of your screen buses that are presumably heading toward the location so that perhaps when these passengers and crew are able to deplane they will be getting on to those buses.

We don't know at what point this fire took place. It's unclear based on some conflicting wire report information whether the fire or the flames were extinguished from those on board or mostly by -- you see the extinguish foam on the exterior of the plane and there on the tarmac -- whether that indeed is what got this fire under control.

LIN: Hey, Fred?

WHITFIELD: Carol, you've got new information?

LIN: Yes, we've got our Miami bureau chief on the telephone with us right now. John Zarrella.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Yes, I'm here.

LIN: Give us an idea more of what happened here.

ZARRELLA: Well, what we know -- and I don't know how much you have gotten into right now. But you can see the buses there departing with the passengers. Our understanding is that no one was injured.

That's what we're hearing now, that there were no injuries, that they all deplaned using the chutes and you can see those chutes when -- on this -- the shot that we have there. You can see the chutes down there coming out, and that's how the passengers got out of the aircraft.

That the fire was in the left wheel well, apparently. And you're right. We still don't have clarification on whether this plane was coming or going. We were told by the FAA that it had just landed here in Miami and did have, in fact, 94 people on board. A 737 400 U.S. Air.

But, again, the most important information, obviously, Flight 431 is that from what we are hearing, that all of the passengers were able to get out safely -- Carol.

LIN: All right. So, John, as we're taking a look at this response here, it seems like they had it pretty well in hand, that they were able to respond quickly, get those passengers off safely. What do you know about emergency procedures at that airport?

ZARRELLA: Well, exactly. They obviously have a full-scale fire department out there at Miami International Airport. And you can see those fire vehicles all around the aircraft there. And you can see the foam that was obviously sprayed to retard the fire and keep it from spreading. And of course, we don't know exactly what the nature of that fire was at this point.

And, again, what we're hearing is that it was in the left wheel well of the aircraft. Although you see most of the foam is actually on the right side of the aircraft there.

So, again, a lot of the details still very, very sketchy and we're still trying to gather that information on exactly where this flight was coming from. And we'll get that to you just as soon as we can -- Carol.

LIN: Right. John, we're taking a look at the pictures now. It appears the first responders and maybe even some of the flight crew tossing things, items down that chute. One of them looked like one of the carry-on luggages maybe belonging to the crew.

And then it looks like someone who appeared to be either one of the crew member there -- either the pilot or one of the flight attendants -- threw something -- a small item down the chute.

ZARRELLA: Looked like a member of the flight crew there that was -- had stuck his head out of the front of the aircraft there and was dropping some small instrument out. And there, of course, you can see some of the first responders: the fire department, the airport fire department.

That, again, has a full -- obviously, a full service fire facility out there, this being a major international airport. And they were obviously out there very quickly and got this situation under control very quickly.

And there on the right of the screen, again, Carol, the buses -- the three buses. I would assume we'll probably be seeing those passengers getting out of those buses fairly quickly as well, to get them over into the concourse or into a holding area.

LIN: Right. Now, John, did you say that it was flight 431?

ZARRELLA: That's our information, flight 431 according to the FAA.

LIN: All right. I'm plugging -- I'm on the U.S. Airways Web page plugging in that flight number but you need a departure and a destination, and frankly, it's not easiest Web site to use right now.

ZARRELLA: Exactly. And, again, we're working that right now to see if we can get that information.

LIN: All right.

ZARRELLA: Because there is conflicting information as to whether this aircraft was inbound or outbound when this happened.

LIN: OK. All right, John Zarrella, thank you very much for the latest information from there as we're watching the early responders and some of the flight crew there, someone there taking a ladder down. It looks like a maintenance person.

John telling us that what he is hearing from the calls that he's been making, no one injured, that all 94 passengers were able to deplane using those emergency chutes. You know, sometimes when we're traveling and we watch the video and we're not watching the video, and you hope...

WHITFIELD: And you never think you're going to have to use it.

LIN: Be deployed down the slide, I know. And that, apparently -- this fire, Fred, started in the left wheel well. Though we were commenting that some of the, most of the foam, the fire extinguishing foam, seems to be placed on the right-hand side and that the FAA has told John that this plane just landed. But we don't have information on whether they had taken off in the airport and had to return or what their destination was.

WHITFIELD: Flight 431. That's all we're knowing now, from U.S. Airways. Of course, we're going to continue to follow this, Carol, to find out exactly what happened, why. And good news out of this, no reported injuries to any of those passengers. Ninety-four people in all on board. And, of course, when we get any more information about what happened with that U.S. Airways flight out of Miami International Airport, we'll be able to bring that to you.

Straight ahead, powering up and pushing toward the Carolinas. A live report on a reenergized Ernesto. Nearing hurricane status again?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. It was a close call for about 94 people on board this U.S. Airways jet in Miami International Airport. A fire in the left wheel rear well. The fire is put out, all the passengers use emergency chutes, that you're still seeing some remnants of there on the side of the plane, to get out of the plane. They're all put onto three buses and taken to the main terminal there at the Miami International Airport.

Investigation is still underway as to what caused this fire. And miraculously, it was extinguished. You can see all the extinguishing foam there around the plane. Flight 431. Still unclear exactly whether the plane was taking off or landing. But you see the maintenance crews there, trying to investigate the fuselage, the exterior of this plane. More information when we get it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: A possible breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Could your body's own immune system be the key? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live at the top of the hour with the breaking details.

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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