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Profile of Zarqawi; Terri Schiavo's Parents Visit Pope

Aired May 19, 2005 - 11:30   ET

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

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


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: He is the suspected mastermind behind the insurgency raging in Iraq. Our Nic Robertson traces the rise of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, from his humble beginning to the most wanted man in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq, May 2004. American Nick Berg is about to be beheaded. His execution recorded and released on a Web site titled "Abu Musab al Zarqawi Slaughters An American." It's barbarity, rocket's Zarqawi from relative obscurity to front page familiarity.

But already he is the deadliest insurgent in Iraq. To find out how Zarqawi got to this point, I have come to this jail in Jordan.

Born Ahmed Fadil al Khalaylah, he later took his nom de guerre, Zarqawi, from the name of his hometown, Swaqa. It looks pretty from a distance, but up close it's different, crammed by successive waves of Palestinian refugees, one of the poorest towns in the country.

(on camera): With its densely-packed housing and intense tribal loyalties Swaqa has been compared to the Bronx. But others liken its down-at-heel working class neighborhoods to Detroit. For Zarqawi, though, it was a place of limited opportunity.

(voice-over): Outside the house where he was born in October 1966, neighbors say they remember the family well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They were simple people. They lived a simple life. They barely made it.

ROBERTSON: His father fought against the Israelis in 1948 and was well respected before he died.

In this picture at the time, the young Zarqawi looks unremarkable. But seems determined to earn respect like his father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If someone would harm his neighbors or Zarqawi would always come to defend a victim. He always did good deeds. Nothing wrong.

ROBERTSON: His days were spent here Swaqa's school, but by all accounts he didn't excel academically.

(on camera): Zarqawi left school before his final exams, disappointing his parents. He didn't seem to have a career in mind. And his father tried to fix him up with a job at the local municipality.

(voice-over): That was 1982. Zarqawi was about 16, developing a reputation as a tough guy who, against Muslim custom, drank and got a tattoo.

Outside his old mosque, I tracked down his brother-in-law hoping he can tell me more.

(on camera): Excuse me sir, can we talk to you about Abu Musab, your brother-in-law, is that possible?

You don't -- nothing -- you don't want to say?

(voice-over): He's not unfriendly, just unwilling to talk.

In 1989, the U.S. backed mujahadin were on the verge of driving the Soviet Army out of Afghanistan. Thousands of Arabs, including Osama bin Laden were in the fight. Zarqawi decided to join them.

In these rare pictures taken soon after he arrived, Zarqawi is seen relaxing, mixing happily with other jihadis or Muslim holy warriors. He arrived as the jihad was ending.

Some reports say Zarqawi never fought the Soviets, others that he was very brave in battle. All accounts agree, though, he befriended this man, Abu Mohammed al Makdisi, a Kuwaiti-born cleric intent on the violent overthrow of secular Arab governments.

Much of what he did in Afghanistan is unknown. There are conflicting accounts of whether or not he met Osama bin Laden. General Ali Shukri was a military and intelligence adviser to Jordan's King Hussein and knows Zarqawi's case file.

GENERAL ALI SHUKRI, FMR JORDANIAN MILITARY ADVISER: He decided to join the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He was trained there. He became a bomb expert.

ROBERTSON: Zarqawi left Afghanistan in 1992. He came back to Jordan with new friends, ideas, and an agenda.

Nic Robertson, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: An important -- this just in to the CNN Center. The United States and North Korean officials have had direct talks with one another over North Korea's plans, or at least intent, to get back to six-party talks to talk about their nuclear program. You might recall that two months ago North Korea declared that it had nuclear weapons. It has refused to talk about that program since then.

Direct talks between working level context is how it's been described by the White House and other CNN sources. The meeting took place in New York last Friday, underscoring the importance, if not the urgency, to get North Korea back to the table in talking with some of its allies about its nuclear plans. In the meantime, Terri Schiavo's father says his family will continue to battle against the type of euthanasia that ended his daughter's life. Bob and Mary Schindler are in Rome, where they met briefly with Pope Benedict XVI.

CNN's Bill Hemmer spoke with them earlier today on CNN'S "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: The meeting with the pope was when I saw him coming up from the side, and I couldn't believe he was going to come all the way up, I had the picture there. And I told him, it was a picture of Terri, and like I said before, he said, "I know. I know it's Terri."

But then he touched his heart and he kept patting his heart, like "It broke my heart." And then I gave him the picture, and he took it, and it was -- it was so beautiful.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also at the Vatican, Mr. Schindler, you met with a cardinal. Renaato Martino is his name. Why this particular cardinal, and what did you talk about?

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Well, essentially, we were explaining to the cardinal what our ambitions are as we further Terri's Foundation. It started originally for Terri, but we will continue our efforts and literally be crusading against any type of euthanasia, wherever we can help. And essentially, the bottom line is what happened to Terri should never, ever, ever happen to another human being, not only in the United States, but throughout the world.

HEMMER: Terri died -- I apologize for the interruption. I thought you were finished with your thought there. Terri died about seven weeks ago, but the autopsy report still has not been completed or released. Is this taking longer than you thought, Mr. Schindler?

B. SCHINDLER: Well, not really. We haven't given that much thought. So it -- whatever their procedure is, it's the first time we've ever experienced anything like that, so we had no way of putting a time frame on it.

HEMMER: I am told -- well, we know that Michael Schiavo wanted this autopsy done. But I'm told, Mrs. Schindler, that you would like to see it completed as well. What do you hope this autopsy will reveal?

B. SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, the autopsy was mandatory. It wasn't whether we wanted it or Schiavo wanted it. It was something that is a standard procedure. And Terri -- in a situation like Terri's.

And we'll have to just wait and see the results of it. And we haven't really given that much thought, to be frank with you.

HEMMER: Have you, Mrs. Schindler? M. SCHINDLER: No. No. I'm just waiting, you know, to see what happens. I've never gone through anything like this before, so, you know, I really don't know what to expect.

HEMMER: If you look back as a couple right now, fighting for your daughter, and all the legal battles that we all watched play out publicly on every TV set in this country, is there something would you do differently based on the strategy that you carried out in Florida?

M. SCHINDLER: I think that we had -- our legal representation was, you know, beyond reproach. We were fortunate to be blessed with good attorneys, but it was the mindset of the courts. And we view it as judicial homicide.

So what could you do different? I really don't know. They had a -- they were firmly set to do what they were going to do, and nothing would stop them.

HEMMER: And Mrs. Schindler, how would you answer that? Same way, or not?

M. SCHINDLER: Exactly. They had a mindset to kill my daughter, and that's what they did. They carried it out.

HEMMER: How are you doing?

M. SCHINDLER: We're doing OK. We're doing wonderful. The pope has helped. The cardinals have helped. It's just been so spiritual and so uplifting over here, that it's been absolutely wonderful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, in March, former Pope John Paul II issued a statement saying people in a persistent vegetative state must be provided with food and water. Schiavo died nearly two weeks ago after her feeding tube was removed. We'll be right back after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: How about "Star Wars" with Chinese subtitles? The long- awaited final episode of the Jedi saga is premiering worldwide today. The film arrived at Chinese theaters at the last minute to prevent workers from making pirated copies. The Force permeated Mexico City, too. Fans dressed the part for the world premiere of "Revenge of the Sith." Distributors are hoping Episode III brings in $9 million in Mexico.

So whether you buy "Star Wars" tickets with pesos, zuan's (ph) or dollars, the Jedi fan is a fan no matter the country or culture.

Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas is in Los Angeles with the American point of view.

Sibila, were you up there at midnight when everybody was lining up? SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I was out here pretty early. And the fans were out here since midnight, and even a little bit before then. So they were absolutely mad and crazy about "Star Wars." I recently did something, though, that a lot of "Star Wars" fans would kill for. I got the chance to speak to George Lucas, and Hayden Christensen, about the legacy at his Skywalker Ranch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (on camera): How will this last installment affect our view of the entire saga?

GEORGE LUCAS, DIRECTOR: I'm hoping now that people will see it as one film rather than six little films. I think this sort of explains that Darth Vader in the last (INAUDIBLE) was more of a pathetic character than a horrible character. It's horrible, but it's a sad thing of what happened to him. And you're sort of more rooting, hopefully, for him to be redeemed.

VARGAS: 20-year-old Hayden Christensen reprises his role as Anakin, the man who becomes Darth Vader.

(on camera): Was it surreal to get that helmet on?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, ACTOR: It's sort of indescribable, you know, exhilarating, empowering, and a little saddening as well. I was given the job of being the sort of connective tissue into Darth Vader, and to sort of finally put on the costume meant that my job was done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And you know, Hayden Christensen, he does a fabulous job in this film. If you've seen the last episode, a lot of the critics were not happy with his performance. A lot them said, it was wooden. But there was a reason behind that. He said George Lucas wanted him to kind of hold back on that last episode. But in this one, he's out there full force. I think he does a pretty nice job, but that's not for me to say; that's for the fans. And so far, the fans have been saying thumbs up.

LIN: Yes, they're pretty happy. And a big challenge for the last part to live up to.

VARGAS: 24 years old, too.

LIN: Wow, I didn't realize he was so young.

VARGAS: Yes, very young.

LIN: Actually he does look very young.

Anyway, parents to be warned, though, that this is a pretty dark film. Why did George Lucas decide to go with so much violence in his last episode?

VARGAS: I think he just wanted to be true to the storyline. I mean, this is the point where Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side. So by the very nature of this concept, it is darker. And in this film, you do see a decapitation scene. There is some kids that are also killed in the film. So you know, whether you want to bring your children to this film, that will be a personal decision. But it is rated PG-13, and there is a reason why. It is dark.

LIN: Right. All right, well, let's hope those fans are pretty excited that they stayed up all night.

Thanks, Sibila.

VARGAS: They sure did. Thanks.

LIN: Several lives collide after just one incident. That is the theme from a new movie called "Crash." I'm going to talk to one of the stars from the film, as well as the director when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, we've been leading our stories out of Washington today, so let's find out what's coming up at the top of the hour with NEWS FROM CNN.

Wolf Blitzer up there in the nation's capital with a preview.

What have you got, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Carol.

We have a busy hour in NEWS FROM CNN. There's a story we're following right now involving North Korea. After a long time declining direct talks with North Korea, CNN has now confirmed the U.S. has engaged in a direct dialogue with North Korea about its nuclear program. We're live on this unfolding story. We'll have the latest. That's coming up.

Also, police in Idaho have now questioned a person of interest, as they call him, but there's no sign of two small children missing in the aftermath of a triple murder. We'll go live to where the investigation is unfolding.

Please stay with us, watch for those stories, lots more at the top of the hour on NEWS FROM CNN.

Carol, in the meantime, back to you

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Wolf.

Want go Hollywood again. Thought-provoking and intriguing. Those are just a few of the words to describe the new film "Crash" that opened this month. The movie includes a multicultural cast that is forced to deal with racial and ethnic struggles in Southern California. The movie is not written for the sensitive at heart. It is laced with every racial stereotype you can think of, from blacks to whites to Asians to Latinos, to Middle Eastern people, and somehow they are all connected to each other without even knowing it. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUDACRIS, ACTOR: Wait. See what that woman just did? You see that?

LARENZ TATE, ACTOR: What, she's cold.

LUDACRIS: She got colder as soon as she saw us, though.

TATE: Oh, man, come on. Don't start.

LUDACRIS: Man, look around you, man. You couldn't find a whiter, safer or better lit part of this city right now. But yet, this woman sees two black guys who like UCLA students strolling down the sidewalk and her reaction is blind fear? I mean, look at us, dog.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the film's ensemble cast includes the Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle. Paul Haggis is director and producer. And they're joining me live from L.A. Good morning, both of you.

DON CHEADLE, ACTOR, "CRASH": Good morning.

PAUL HAGGIS, DIRECTOR, "CRASH": Good morning, Carol.

LIN: Don, this was described by one critic as a social slap in the face, this film. And he meant it as a compliment. And you were the first actor approached in this distinguished ensemble cast. And you were terribly excited at the prospect. Why?

CHEADLE: Yes, because you just don't read scripts like this. I mean, and you never see movies like this come out of the quote, unquote, "Hollywood studio system." So I was really excited to champion a movie that I knew was going to need help and I knew that was going to be a tough sell.

And I thought if there's any way that I can lend my services to this, as an actor, as a producer, in whatever capacity to get it made, these are the kinds of movies that I want to champion, because they're just exciting. You can't anticipate them. They're different. They're thought-provoking. They're really about something. And that's -- those are the kind of movies that I love to go see.

LIN: And your character is really the center of the wheel of this dynamic drama. Paul, you actually -- you actually wrote this or developed this story out of personal experience. You were carjacked, is that right?

HAGGIS: Yes. I mean, it started with many things that had been witnessed in Los Angeles over the last 28 years. But yes, one of them was carjacking. I was carjacked 15 years ago. And I kept wondering who those two kids were who stole my car. And they ended up as two of the protagonists in the film, played by Larenz Tate and Ludacris. They're very funny, and they're sort of my Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But there are other things. A piece of hate mail I received became Matt Dillon's story. Something I witnessed on a studio lot became the television director's story.

LIN: And this ensemble that you put together. I mean, you've got a wealthy housewife, you've got a Persian store-owner, you've got two police detectives who are also lovers, an African-American television director and a Mexican locksmith. I mean, how do you -- describe the dynamic between all of these people and what brings them ultimately together.

HAGGIS: Well, these are the real people in Los Angeles. In most films, you know, you sort of focus on the white cops in the valley or wherever, or the black guys in the hood or whatever. This is Los Angeles. It's a multicultural experience. This is the way a lot of cities are. But what happens is, we keep moving away from each other in order to feel safe. And in this case, we just felt that, you know, people aren't feeling safe. It's when we start touching each other, when we start coming closer to each other that we actually become human beings again. And that's what we wanted to talk about in the film...

LIN: And what -- go ahead.

HAGGIS: Questions we wanted to pose.

LIN: Don, what do you think the message is going to be out of this film? I mean, does it validate in people's minds the stereotypes or do you think it busts them?

CHEADLE: I think it -- what I thought was great is that I thought the film played right to the stereotypes and then exploded them. You know, it's that we go right toward who we think this bigoted cop is going to be and then something goes left. And we're like oh, I guess there's a person under there. And I think every character had that sort of -- not necessarily transformation, but that sort of revelation about how layered they were. And they weren't just what you anticipated them to be at the beginning.

HAGGIS: Yes, they're just 11 people trying to get through the day.

CHEADLE: And they're 11 people, you know?

LIN: So the film ends. Don, people are walking out of the theater -- what -- they turn to one another. What do they say? If you did your job, what do they say to each other as they're walking out of the movie theater?

CHEADLE: Let's burn down the Gap on the corner. Let's loot the Gap.

HAGGIS: Yes, it's just -- in fact, if they ask any questions, if they're talking at all, we have a successful film. We don't really care what they're talking about.

CHEADLE: No, I think -- yes, I think what you want is energetic discussion. You want people going, I'm like that and nobody's like that. And their friend is going, are you crazy? You just said something like that the other day. Or, yes, we are like that. We think that way. And just to get that sort of discourse going, which you know, I don't think -- and, you know, "Star Wars," please, whatever. But I don't think you have those kinds of discussions when you walk out of movies like that.

HAGGIS: And we also just really want to entertain you. And I think that's what we do. We push you around in your seat...

CHEADLE: Yes, it's a very entertaining movie.

HAGGIS: We push you back and forward, make you gasp, make you cry and that's our job.

CHEADLE: It's like it's a roller coaster in the dark, is what it is. You don't know what's going to happen. You just know that you're on this ride and you're going to be moved.

LIN: Awesome. Don Cheadle, Paul Haggis, thank you so much. Paul Haggis, congratulations on your directorial debut.

HAGGIS: Oh, thanks so much.

LIN: All right. It's a check of the business, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: That's it for all of us here at the CNN Center in Atlanta for now. I'm Carol Lin and I'm going to toss it up to the nation's capital, where we find Wolf Blitzer and some breaking news on North Korea and the U.S.

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


Aired May 19, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: He is the suspected mastermind behind the insurgency raging in Iraq. Our Nic Robertson traces the rise of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, from his humble beginning to the most wanted man in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraq, May 2004. American Nick Berg is about to be beheaded. His execution recorded and released on a Web site titled "Abu Musab al Zarqawi Slaughters An American." It's barbarity, rocket's Zarqawi from relative obscurity to front page familiarity.

But already he is the deadliest insurgent in Iraq. To find out how Zarqawi got to this point, I have come to this jail in Jordan.

Born Ahmed Fadil al Khalaylah, he later took his nom de guerre, Zarqawi, from the name of his hometown, Swaqa. It looks pretty from a distance, but up close it's different, crammed by successive waves of Palestinian refugees, one of the poorest towns in the country.

(on camera): With its densely-packed housing and intense tribal loyalties Swaqa has been compared to the Bronx. But others liken its down-at-heel working class neighborhoods to Detroit. For Zarqawi, though, it was a place of limited opportunity.

(voice-over): Outside the house where he was born in October 1966, neighbors say they remember the family well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They were simple people. They lived a simple life. They barely made it.

ROBERTSON: His father fought against the Israelis in 1948 and was well respected before he died.

In this picture at the time, the young Zarqawi looks unremarkable. But seems determined to earn respect like his father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If someone would harm his neighbors or Zarqawi would always come to defend a victim. He always did good deeds. Nothing wrong.

ROBERTSON: His days were spent here Swaqa's school, but by all accounts he didn't excel academically.

(on camera): Zarqawi left school before his final exams, disappointing his parents. He didn't seem to have a career in mind. And his father tried to fix him up with a job at the local municipality.

(voice-over): That was 1982. Zarqawi was about 16, developing a reputation as a tough guy who, against Muslim custom, drank and got a tattoo.

Outside his old mosque, I tracked down his brother-in-law hoping he can tell me more.

(on camera): Excuse me sir, can we talk to you about Abu Musab, your brother-in-law, is that possible?

You don't -- nothing -- you don't want to say?

(voice-over): He's not unfriendly, just unwilling to talk.

In 1989, the U.S. backed mujahadin were on the verge of driving the Soviet Army out of Afghanistan. Thousands of Arabs, including Osama bin Laden were in the fight. Zarqawi decided to join them.

In these rare pictures taken soon after he arrived, Zarqawi is seen relaxing, mixing happily with other jihadis or Muslim holy warriors. He arrived as the jihad was ending.

Some reports say Zarqawi never fought the Soviets, others that he was very brave in battle. All accounts agree, though, he befriended this man, Abu Mohammed al Makdisi, a Kuwaiti-born cleric intent on the violent overthrow of secular Arab governments.

Much of what he did in Afghanistan is unknown. There are conflicting accounts of whether or not he met Osama bin Laden. General Ali Shukri was a military and intelligence adviser to Jordan's King Hussein and knows Zarqawi's case file.

GENERAL ALI SHUKRI, FMR JORDANIAN MILITARY ADVISER: He decided to join the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He was trained there. He became a bomb expert.

ROBERTSON: Zarqawi left Afghanistan in 1992. He came back to Jordan with new friends, ideas, and an agenda.

Nic Robertson, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: An important -- this just in to the CNN Center. The United States and North Korean officials have had direct talks with one another over North Korea's plans, or at least intent, to get back to six-party talks to talk about their nuclear program. You might recall that two months ago North Korea declared that it had nuclear weapons. It has refused to talk about that program since then.

Direct talks between working level context is how it's been described by the White House and other CNN sources. The meeting took place in New York last Friday, underscoring the importance, if not the urgency, to get North Korea back to the table in talking with some of its allies about its nuclear plans. In the meantime, Terri Schiavo's father says his family will continue to battle against the type of euthanasia that ended his daughter's life. Bob and Mary Schindler are in Rome, where they met briefly with Pope Benedict XVI.

CNN's Bill Hemmer spoke with them earlier today on CNN'S "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: The meeting with the pope was when I saw him coming up from the side, and I couldn't believe he was going to come all the way up, I had the picture there. And I told him, it was a picture of Terri, and like I said before, he said, "I know. I know it's Terri."

But then he touched his heart and he kept patting his heart, like "It broke my heart." And then I gave him the picture, and he took it, and it was -- it was so beautiful.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also at the Vatican, Mr. Schindler, you met with a cardinal. Renaato Martino is his name. Why this particular cardinal, and what did you talk about?

BOB SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S FATHER: Well, essentially, we were explaining to the cardinal what our ambitions are as we further Terri's Foundation. It started originally for Terri, but we will continue our efforts and literally be crusading against any type of euthanasia, wherever we can help. And essentially, the bottom line is what happened to Terri should never, ever, ever happen to another human being, not only in the United States, but throughout the world.

HEMMER: Terri died -- I apologize for the interruption. I thought you were finished with your thought there. Terri died about seven weeks ago, but the autopsy report still has not been completed or released. Is this taking longer than you thought, Mr. Schindler?

B. SCHINDLER: Well, not really. We haven't given that much thought. So it -- whatever their procedure is, it's the first time we've ever experienced anything like that, so we had no way of putting a time frame on it.

HEMMER: I am told -- well, we know that Michael Schiavo wanted this autopsy done. But I'm told, Mrs. Schindler, that you would like to see it completed as well. What do you hope this autopsy will reveal?

B. SCHINDLER: Well, first of all, the autopsy was mandatory. It wasn't whether we wanted it or Schiavo wanted it. It was something that is a standard procedure. And Terri -- in a situation like Terri's.

And we'll have to just wait and see the results of it. And we haven't really given that much thought, to be frank with you.

HEMMER: Have you, Mrs. Schindler? M. SCHINDLER: No. No. I'm just waiting, you know, to see what happens. I've never gone through anything like this before, so, you know, I really don't know what to expect.

HEMMER: If you look back as a couple right now, fighting for your daughter, and all the legal battles that we all watched play out publicly on every TV set in this country, is there something would you do differently based on the strategy that you carried out in Florida?

M. SCHINDLER: I think that we had -- our legal representation was, you know, beyond reproach. We were fortunate to be blessed with good attorneys, but it was the mindset of the courts. And we view it as judicial homicide.

So what could you do different? I really don't know. They had a -- they were firmly set to do what they were going to do, and nothing would stop them.

HEMMER: And Mrs. Schindler, how would you answer that? Same way, or not?

M. SCHINDLER: Exactly. They had a mindset to kill my daughter, and that's what they did. They carried it out.

HEMMER: How are you doing?

M. SCHINDLER: We're doing OK. We're doing wonderful. The pope has helped. The cardinals have helped. It's just been so spiritual and so uplifting over here, that it's been absolutely wonderful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, in March, former Pope John Paul II issued a statement saying people in a persistent vegetative state must be provided with food and water. Schiavo died nearly two weeks ago after her feeding tube was removed. We'll be right back after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: How about "Star Wars" with Chinese subtitles? The long- awaited final episode of the Jedi saga is premiering worldwide today. The film arrived at Chinese theaters at the last minute to prevent workers from making pirated copies. The Force permeated Mexico City, too. Fans dressed the part for the world premiere of "Revenge of the Sith." Distributors are hoping Episode III brings in $9 million in Mexico.

So whether you buy "Star Wars" tickets with pesos, zuan's (ph) or dollars, the Jedi fan is a fan no matter the country or culture.

Entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas is in Los Angeles with the American point of view.

Sibila, were you up there at midnight when everybody was lining up? SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I was out here pretty early. And the fans were out here since midnight, and even a little bit before then. So they were absolutely mad and crazy about "Star Wars." I recently did something, though, that a lot of "Star Wars" fans would kill for. I got the chance to speak to George Lucas, and Hayden Christensen, about the legacy at his Skywalker Ranch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (on camera): How will this last installment affect our view of the entire saga?

GEORGE LUCAS, DIRECTOR: I'm hoping now that people will see it as one film rather than six little films. I think this sort of explains that Darth Vader in the last (INAUDIBLE) was more of a pathetic character than a horrible character. It's horrible, but it's a sad thing of what happened to him. And you're sort of more rooting, hopefully, for him to be redeemed.

VARGAS: 20-year-old Hayden Christensen reprises his role as Anakin, the man who becomes Darth Vader.

(on camera): Was it surreal to get that helmet on?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, ACTOR: It's sort of indescribable, you know, exhilarating, empowering, and a little saddening as well. I was given the job of being the sort of connective tissue into Darth Vader, and to sort of finally put on the costume meant that my job was done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And you know, Hayden Christensen, he does a fabulous job in this film. If you've seen the last episode, a lot of the critics were not happy with his performance. A lot them said, it was wooden. But there was a reason behind that. He said George Lucas wanted him to kind of hold back on that last episode. But in this one, he's out there full force. I think he does a pretty nice job, but that's not for me to say; that's for the fans. And so far, the fans have been saying thumbs up.

LIN: Yes, they're pretty happy. And a big challenge for the last part to live up to.

VARGAS: 24 years old, too.

LIN: Wow, I didn't realize he was so young.

VARGAS: Yes, very young.

LIN: Actually he does look very young.

Anyway, parents to be warned, though, that this is a pretty dark film. Why did George Lucas decide to go with so much violence in his last episode?

VARGAS: I think he just wanted to be true to the storyline. I mean, this is the point where Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side. So by the very nature of this concept, it is darker. And in this film, you do see a decapitation scene. There is some kids that are also killed in the film. So you know, whether you want to bring your children to this film, that will be a personal decision. But it is rated PG-13, and there is a reason why. It is dark.

LIN: Right. All right, well, let's hope those fans are pretty excited that they stayed up all night.

Thanks, Sibila.

VARGAS: They sure did. Thanks.

LIN: Several lives collide after just one incident. That is the theme from a new movie called "Crash." I'm going to talk to one of the stars from the film, as well as the director when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, we've been leading our stories out of Washington today, so let's find out what's coming up at the top of the hour with NEWS FROM CNN.

Wolf Blitzer up there in the nation's capital with a preview.

What have you got, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Carol.

We have a busy hour in NEWS FROM CNN. There's a story we're following right now involving North Korea. After a long time declining direct talks with North Korea, CNN has now confirmed the U.S. has engaged in a direct dialogue with North Korea about its nuclear program. We're live on this unfolding story. We'll have the latest. That's coming up.

Also, police in Idaho have now questioned a person of interest, as they call him, but there's no sign of two small children missing in the aftermath of a triple murder. We'll go live to where the investigation is unfolding.

Please stay with us, watch for those stories, lots more at the top of the hour on NEWS FROM CNN.

Carol, in the meantime, back to you

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Wolf.

Want go Hollywood again. Thought-provoking and intriguing. Those are just a few of the words to describe the new film "Crash" that opened this month. The movie includes a multicultural cast that is forced to deal with racial and ethnic struggles in Southern California. The movie is not written for the sensitive at heart. It is laced with every racial stereotype you can think of, from blacks to whites to Asians to Latinos, to Middle Eastern people, and somehow they are all connected to each other without even knowing it. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUDACRIS, ACTOR: Wait. See what that woman just did? You see that?

LARENZ TATE, ACTOR: What, she's cold.

LUDACRIS: She got colder as soon as she saw us, though.

TATE: Oh, man, come on. Don't start.

LUDACRIS: Man, look around you, man. You couldn't find a whiter, safer or better lit part of this city right now. But yet, this woman sees two black guys who like UCLA students strolling down the sidewalk and her reaction is blind fear? I mean, look at us, dog.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the film's ensemble cast includes the Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle. Paul Haggis is director and producer. And they're joining me live from L.A. Good morning, both of you.

DON CHEADLE, ACTOR, "CRASH": Good morning.

PAUL HAGGIS, DIRECTOR, "CRASH": Good morning, Carol.

LIN: Don, this was described by one critic as a social slap in the face, this film. And he meant it as a compliment. And you were the first actor approached in this distinguished ensemble cast. And you were terribly excited at the prospect. Why?

CHEADLE: Yes, because you just don't read scripts like this. I mean, and you never see movies like this come out of the quote, unquote, "Hollywood studio system." So I was really excited to champion a movie that I knew was going to need help and I knew that was going to be a tough sell.

And I thought if there's any way that I can lend my services to this, as an actor, as a producer, in whatever capacity to get it made, these are the kinds of movies that I want to champion, because they're just exciting. You can't anticipate them. They're different. They're thought-provoking. They're really about something. And that's -- those are the kind of movies that I love to go see.

LIN: And your character is really the center of the wheel of this dynamic drama. Paul, you actually -- you actually wrote this or developed this story out of personal experience. You were carjacked, is that right?

HAGGIS: Yes. I mean, it started with many things that had been witnessed in Los Angeles over the last 28 years. But yes, one of them was carjacking. I was carjacked 15 years ago. And I kept wondering who those two kids were who stole my car. And they ended up as two of the protagonists in the film, played by Larenz Tate and Ludacris. They're very funny, and they're sort of my Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But there are other things. A piece of hate mail I received became Matt Dillon's story. Something I witnessed on a studio lot became the television director's story.

LIN: And this ensemble that you put together. I mean, you've got a wealthy housewife, you've got a Persian store-owner, you've got two police detectives who are also lovers, an African-American television director and a Mexican locksmith. I mean, how do you -- describe the dynamic between all of these people and what brings them ultimately together.

HAGGIS: Well, these are the real people in Los Angeles. In most films, you know, you sort of focus on the white cops in the valley or wherever, or the black guys in the hood or whatever. This is Los Angeles. It's a multicultural experience. This is the way a lot of cities are. But what happens is, we keep moving away from each other in order to feel safe. And in this case, we just felt that, you know, people aren't feeling safe. It's when we start touching each other, when we start coming closer to each other that we actually become human beings again. And that's what we wanted to talk about in the film...

LIN: And what -- go ahead.

HAGGIS: Questions we wanted to pose.

LIN: Don, what do you think the message is going to be out of this film? I mean, does it validate in people's minds the stereotypes or do you think it busts them?

CHEADLE: I think it -- what I thought was great is that I thought the film played right to the stereotypes and then exploded them. You know, it's that we go right toward who we think this bigoted cop is going to be and then something goes left. And we're like oh, I guess there's a person under there. And I think every character had that sort of -- not necessarily transformation, but that sort of revelation about how layered they were. And they weren't just what you anticipated them to be at the beginning.

HAGGIS: Yes, they're just 11 people trying to get through the day.

CHEADLE: And they're 11 people, you know?

LIN: So the film ends. Don, people are walking out of the theater -- what -- they turn to one another. What do they say? If you did your job, what do they say to each other as they're walking out of the movie theater?

CHEADLE: Let's burn down the Gap on the corner. Let's loot the Gap.

HAGGIS: Yes, it's just -- in fact, if they ask any questions, if they're talking at all, we have a successful film. We don't really care what they're talking about.

CHEADLE: No, I think -- yes, I think what you want is energetic discussion. You want people going, I'm like that and nobody's like that. And their friend is going, are you crazy? You just said something like that the other day. Or, yes, we are like that. We think that way. And just to get that sort of discourse going, which you know, I don't think -- and, you know, "Star Wars," please, whatever. But I don't think you have those kinds of discussions when you walk out of movies like that.

HAGGIS: And we also just really want to entertain you. And I think that's what we do. We push you around in your seat...

CHEADLE: Yes, it's a very entertaining movie.

HAGGIS: We push you back and forward, make you gasp, make you cry and that's our job.

CHEADLE: It's like it's a roller coaster in the dark, is what it is. You don't know what's going to happen. You just know that you're on this ride and you're going to be moved.

LIN: Awesome. Don Cheadle, Paul Haggis, thank you so much. Paul Haggis, congratulations on your directorial debut.

HAGGIS: Oh, thanks so much.

LIN: All right. It's a check of the business, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: That's it for all of us here at the CNN Center in Atlanta for now. I'm Carol Lin and I'm going to toss it up to the nation's capital, where we find Wolf Blitzer and some breaking news on North Korea and the U.S.

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