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CNN Sunday Morning

Fighting Between al Qaeda, Pakistanis Slows Down; 500 Maoist Rebels Killed in Nepal

Aired March 21, 2004 - 09:00   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Kyra Phillips.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hall. Good morning to you all, especially if you're just waking up on the West Coast, where it's a little early, 6 a.m., but we're glad that you're joining us, and start your day off with CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

PHILLIPS: Well, here's what we've got coming up this hour. Pakistani forces fight suspected terrorists, but was a high profile leader ever among them? Bring you the latest in a live report in just a few minutes.

HILL: It is spring break, but one group of kids is passing up the beach for the street. We'll tell you why and speak with a couple of students involved with the Urban Plunge.

PHILLIPS: And people are counting their carbs and watching their weight, but are low-carb foods really what they crave? We weigh the facts a bit later, but first here's what's happening this hour.

HILL: Developing news in a conflict in a region that may not be on your radar. The army in Nepal says 500 Maoist rebels have been killed in fighting 175 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu. An army spokesman said seven people and 11 soldiers have been killed. The fighting began overnight when rebels launched a major offensive against Nepal's security forces.

At least five Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid in southern Gaza early today, that's according to Palestinian sources. Israeli officials say four Palestinians were killed, including three Hamas militants. Israel says its forces entered the area to arrest a Hamas operative suspected of building weapons used to attack the Israelis.

Two men will split the $500,000 reward in the D.C. sniper case. Whitney Donahue will receive $150,000. Donahue spotted the snipers' car at a Maryland rest stop and called police. That tip led to the arrest of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. Robert Holmes will get $350,000 for providing information that helped ID the snipers.

It was once a state-of-the-art sports arena, but an implosion this morning reduced Veterans' Stadium in Philadelphia to just a pile of rubble. The Vet, as it was known, was home to the Phillys and the Eagles for more than 30 years. Those teams, though, have now moved into new stadiums. Once the dust clears and the concrete is hauled away, the Veterans' Stadium will become a parking lot for the new baseball stadium.

PHILLIPS: And our top story this hour, the war on terror and the battle in Pakistan. The offensive by Pakistan is the largest since the country joined the U.S.-led war on terror after the September 11 attacks, and it began last week. And on Thursday, Pakistani intelligence indicated that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was surrounded in northwest Pakistan. Zawahiri is Osama bin Laden's second in command. On Friday, fierce battles raged between Pakistani forces and hundreds of suspected al Qaeda fighters. Yesterday, Pakistani forces say they captured 100 fighters, but it was unclear whether al-Zawahiri was in that area. Now, for the latest on the fighting in Pakistan today, CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us by videophone from Islamabad. What's the latest, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the fighting has slowed up today. Pakistani officials say that they are negotiating through local tribal leaders with tribesman in the area, who they believe, these tribesmen, are holding -- or aiding and abetting these al Qaeda members, they say there could be as many as 300 to 400 al Qaeda members in the area that they have cordoned off.

The negotiations began as an effort by other local tribal leaders. You had a tribal council on Saturday. They went, that tribal council then met with Pakistani military officials. They said, let's negotiate through this situation. The local tribal leaders, the representatives of this council, then went into the area.

In the meantime, Pakistani authorities have said that they will stop the artillery barrage, they will stop the Cobra attack helicopters attacking these particular compounds.

It's not clear what stage those negotiations are at this time. According to the Pakistani military, there is still an opportunity for those al Qaeda members and those tribesmen who are supporting them to surrender. They can drive out of the area waving a white flag. That is where the situation stands today. The operation is still very much ongoing. However, the Pakistani military has an area some 40-mile perimeter cordoned off in that mountainous region, very close to the border with Afghanistan -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Nic, as you know, last week, we made quite a big deal over the fact that Pakistani troops believed they had al-Zawahiri cornered in this tribal area. Now, coming forward saying they don't believe it is al-Zawahiri. Where did the confusion come from?

ROBERTSON: They still say that they believe they have a high- valued target there. They began to question, if you will, who that high-valued target could be. They believe it could be Ayman al- Zawahiri, because of intercepts, because of people that they'd interrogated. They'd heard over the radio in the Uzbek language, that -- over the radio intercept, during the shootout, that one person had been injured, and it would take four people to carry that person out of the area, and then they would need another dozen people to provide protection for him. Pakistani military officials said that meant that was a high-valued target.

They also say that that high-valued target now could, however, have been a very senior Uzbek Islamic military commander who may have been hiding out, an al Qaeda affiliate who may have been hiding out in that area of the fighting. They also say that in the shootout, one car got away. That car could have been the high-value target. That car could have contained, they say, a man called Neg Muhammad (ph), a local gangster who they call a gangster, a criminal, a very senior figure in the area in local crime, according to Pakistani military officials. So now they say it could have been Ayman al-Zawahiri, it could have been this Uzbek commander, it could have been this local tribal criminal in the area who's perhaps escaped. So that is where the situation stands now.

As for the confusion, Pakistani military still say absolutely, they believe that there was a high-valued target there who could still be surrounded -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Nic Robertson, live from Islamabad, thank you.

Yemeni security officials say that they have arrested a suspect in connection with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. You may recall an explosive-laden boat pulled alongside the destroyer and blasted a huge hole in that hull. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed. Thirty- seven others were wounded. Ten other Cole suspects escaped from a Yemeni jail almost a year ago; most of them, though, have been captured. Two are still on the run.

HALL: In Iraq, insurgents fired rockets into central Baghdad. Those rockets landed in and around the highly secured green zone, that's where the U.S.-led coalition is headquartered. Now, this comes after another deadly attack on U.S. troops in Fallujah. CNN's Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad now with the latest -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello. This is a holiday weekend in Iraq, it's the Spring Solstice. That did not, however, stop the Iraqi insurgents from firing three 127 mm rockets in the direction of the green zone, the green zone is the area where U.S. occupation officials as well as U.S. soldiers are billeted here in Baghdad. Only one U.S. soldier was slightly injured. However, one of the rockets also fell short of the green zone, and that rocket fell into a civilian neighborhood. The toll there was more lethal. Two Iraqi civilians were killed, according to Iraqi hospital officials, and at least five others were injured.

Hear the eyewitnesses describe the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Three cars were destroyed. A family, a woman with children, who was in one of the cars, was harmed. In the second car, there was an old man injured seriously, and a young man with an injured arm. The old man died immediately. His internal organs were out of his body. The children with the woman were put in a car. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They say that Saddam used to execute the people. Well, we didn't see that. Now we are seeing death in front of our eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: Saturday night, death targeted two American soldiers in the Fallujah area. That's in the volatile Sunni triangle. The Iraqi insurgents saw a gathering of American soldiers. They saw it as a target of opportunity, firing five rockets at the Americans; two soldiers were killed Saturday night, six other Americans were injured in that rocket attack. This assembly of large groups of people, be it soldiers or Iraqis, has caused the Iraqis to say here in Baghdad, don't put -- don't gather in large groups this weekend, it's just too inviting a target. Back to you.

HILL: All right, Walter Rodgers, live in Baghdad. Thank you.

Today in Iraq, many say the war was worth the huge toll it took. Now that there is more than one newspaper, people can speak out without fear of government prosecution. But problems remain. CNN's Jane Arraf visited with one family to see how they are getting along in the new Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A year ago, Amal Ibrahim and Nabil Abdullaf were preparing for war, stocking up on rice and sugar, telling the children God would protect them if bombs fell.

One year later, they've exchanged worry over the war for worry over almost everything else. Amal and Nabil live next door, but they've divorced. For 24 years, she's been a flight attending for Iraqi Airways. Now she's home taking care of her three sons. And she doesn't know what to tell them about the future when the present seems so unsafe.

AMAL IBRAHIM, IRAQI MOTHER: (through translator) I'm an optimistic person. Thank God I always say to myself things will get better. The reality is it was bad and it's getting worse.

ARRAF: Worried about safety, she escorts her eight-year old son Tariq from his school just a block away.

"It's not about games," says Ibrahim, who's 15. "Now there are weapons in school. Before there weren't."

Amal has been told the transportation ministry might stop paying Iraqi Airways employees at any time. On this day, she goes to a coalition run office that tries to help Iraqis find jobs.

Meanwhile, across town, her husband Nabil is at work at the struggling oil ministry. Nabil makes only a little bit more than his pre-war salary of $60. Half goes to help support the children. He was robbed of his first paycheck after the war, he says. NABIL ABDHUL GAFOUR, IRAQI FATHER: (through translator) I said this is my salary, let me keep it. When he pointed the pistol at my legs, I said he was going to shoot me.

ARRAF: He tries to be optimistic about the future for his sons, but his eyes fill with tears.

GAFOUR: You can't feel anything tangible that will be good for them.

ARRAF: Amal and Nabil lived through the terror if dictatorship and the pain of three wars. But a year after the last one, for them, the future and its uncertainty seemed just as frightening.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's that time of year, America's college students are trading in the books for the beach, but not everyone is going a little wild in the sun. Let's talk about some students who are seeing a whole new world during this spring break.

And a year later, the war in Iraq rolls on. What's next for the soldiers, the citizens and the government? We'll continue our look when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Let's fast forward now to some of the events taking place this week. On Tuesday, the 9/11 commission is scheduled to hold hearings on the government's counter-terrorism policy. Members of the Clinton and Bush administrations are expected to testify. Then on Wednesday, it's the next hearing in the Kobe Bryant case. A big issue so far has been how much information must be disclosed about the woman who accuses him of rape.

And on Thursday, it is the lighting of the Olympic torch in Greece. Athens is, of course, hosting this summer's Olympic games.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HILL: A hero's welcome in Montana. One U.S. serviceman gets the welcome of a lifetime after his tour in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the people of that nation wonder about their future when the war finally ends. We're going to talk about that when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Quick check of our top stories now. There's been a lull in Pakistan's military offensive along the Afghan border. Tribal leaders asked Pakistani to ease up on the assault. In exchange, leaders will negotiate with villagers who may be protecting al Qaeda fighters. Villagers' support could be invaluable in the hunt for al Qaeda leaders.

In Iraq, insurgents fired rockets in central Baghdad today. Iraq (sic) has landed in three areas near the so-called green zone, where the U.S.-led coalition is headquartered. Two Iraqi civilians were killed in that attack. Nine others were wounded.

HILL: The images from Iraq this past year ranged from despair to ecstasy. We saw the brutality of war and the joy of celebrations of freedom. But what is next for the beleaguered nation? Well, for that we turn now to Georgetown professor Dan Brumberg. He also served as an adviser to the U.S. Agency for International Development. We appreciate you joining us this Sunday morning.

The question of what is next, I imagine, is a bit tough to answer, but what is next? Do we have a clear vision of the future?

DAN BRUMBERG, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: We don't have a clear vision of the future, because the plans for elections were scuttled, in effect, by Ayatollah Sistani, who rejected the caucus system. So we have an interim constitution. We don't really have a road map to national elections. So after June 30, when sovereignty is handed over, it's really going to be up to the Governing Council to come up with some sort of road map, and given the differences and tensions within the Governing Council, I think it is going to be quite a challenge.

HILL: You mentioned the issues within the Governing Council which will make it a challenge, also the elections, but the elections we also haven't quite set in stone yet either.

BRUMBERG: Well, there is no consensus on how to do the elections. The Shiites want direct elections, because they know they are going to prevail. The Sunnis are worried about the outcome of direct elections, because they could be given the short end of the stick. The Kurds want direct elections in order to, in effect, have a form of federalism, which will allow them perhaps to opt out of Iraq if they find that the kind of Iraq that's evolving does not meet their needs. So each group has a set of agendas and concerns. There is not a consensus, to put it mildly, over the whole purpose of elections, and therefore how to go about elections. Nobody can agree on it. And that's going to be a major challenge for the Iraqis and for the United States.

HILL: A major challenge coming up. Some other challenges, of course, hearing from Spain's newly elected prime minister that Spanish troops will be out of the country by June 30, which is also a very important date, because that is the hand-over date, and a lot of questions as to what the role of the U.N. will and should be as we move forward. What are you seeing in there, especially in terms of the U.N.'s role?

BRUMBERG: Well, I think the United States and the U.N. have come to some sort of consensus that says the U.N. must have an important role in guiding the next stage of political transition. Not the military transition, that's going to be up to us, or not the military situation, but the political situation, and the whole building of a new political map in Iraq will really be to some extent under the guidanceship of the United Nations.

But the fact remains that the administration -- the administration itself is somewhat nervous about bringing the United Nations in. It does not want the Security Council to be involved in making decisions. The United Nations wants to be involved, wants to have a free hand. At the same time, it wants the United States to provide security, and the absence of security, and the continued attacks against civilian and military targets really creates concern within the United Nations, so the real opportunities is there. I think that there is a consensus that it's really the U.N. that has to do the major sort of stewardship of the Iraqi political situation. But there is, again, again, an absence of consensus about how that's going to be done.

HILL: You mentioned the recent attacks and the rise in attacks, specifically targeting civilians. Is there a fear that what is going to happen once power is turned over, that we could actually come to an Iraqi civil war?

BRUMBERG: I think there are real concerns about it, but I think that the amazing thing about the whole story so far is, despite all the efforts by Saddam Hussein's own operatives and by al Qaeda operatives to provoke a civil war between the Shia and the Sunnis, it hasn't happened thus far. And I think the Shia understand in particular that that has to be avoided, because they're going to prevail in any political arrangement. So they are not going to be provoked if they can avoid it. But it is up to the United States to provide the kind of security that is going to deter those attacks. There is going to be an acceleration of attacks before and after the June 30 deadline and we're going to see what happens. My concern is not so much what happens in the next six months, but really down the road, a year, a year and a half, where we cobble together some sort of government that doesn't hold together. At that point, the differences between the Shia, the Kurds and the Sunnis could really become explosive.

HILL: Well, we will have to wait and see, a lot of questions out there. We do appreciate your insight on that, helping us find some answer. Dan Brumberg, thanks for joining us.

BRUMBERG: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, for one Montana family, the one-year anniversary of the war in Iraq takes on a very personal meaning. Joyous chants marked a warrior's welcome as members of an Indian tribe in Montana welcomed home one of their own. Private First Class Uriah Tutu (ph) returned home from Iraq on Friday, ending a 12-month assignment there. To celebrate the occasion, tribal elders performed a cleansing ceremony, and wrapped Tutu (ph) in a war bonnet and a star (ph) blanket, both symbols of the Cheyenne tribe.

It's the end of an era in Philly. A final farewell to Veteran's Stadium. We've got the big bang straight ahead. And college kids reach the beach. Frolic in the sand for most, but not all. We profile some students with a very different view of spring break, straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: If it seems to you like everybody is counting carbs these days, it's probably because they are. But are those low-crab products all they claim to be? We're going to add it up in just about 10 minutes.

HILL: Welcome back, everyone. Here's a quick look at what's happening this hour.

Palestinian sources say at least five Palestinians are dead in the latest Israeli incursion into southern Gaza. The Israelis put the toll at four, and say three were Hamas militants. The raid comes as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon holds a briefing on his plan to withdraw from parts of Gaza and the West Bank.

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





Maoist Rebels Killed in Nepal>


Aired March 21, 2004 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Kyra Phillips.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hall. Good morning to you all, especially if you're just waking up on the West Coast, where it's a little early, 6 a.m., but we're glad that you're joining us, and start your day off with CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

PHILLIPS: Well, here's what we've got coming up this hour. Pakistani forces fight suspected terrorists, but was a high profile leader ever among them? Bring you the latest in a live report in just a few minutes.

HILL: It is spring break, but one group of kids is passing up the beach for the street. We'll tell you why and speak with a couple of students involved with the Urban Plunge.

PHILLIPS: And people are counting their carbs and watching their weight, but are low-carb foods really what they crave? We weigh the facts a bit later, but first here's what's happening this hour.

HILL: Developing news in a conflict in a region that may not be on your radar. The army in Nepal says 500 Maoist rebels have been killed in fighting 175 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu. An army spokesman said seven people and 11 soldiers have been killed. The fighting began overnight when rebels launched a major offensive against Nepal's security forces.

At least five Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid in southern Gaza early today, that's according to Palestinian sources. Israeli officials say four Palestinians were killed, including three Hamas militants. Israel says its forces entered the area to arrest a Hamas operative suspected of building weapons used to attack the Israelis.

Two men will split the $500,000 reward in the D.C. sniper case. Whitney Donahue will receive $150,000. Donahue spotted the snipers' car at a Maryland rest stop and called police. That tip led to the arrest of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. Robert Holmes will get $350,000 for providing information that helped ID the snipers.

It was once a state-of-the-art sports arena, but an implosion this morning reduced Veterans' Stadium in Philadelphia to just a pile of rubble. The Vet, as it was known, was home to the Phillys and the Eagles for more than 30 years. Those teams, though, have now moved into new stadiums. Once the dust clears and the concrete is hauled away, the Veterans' Stadium will become a parking lot for the new baseball stadium.

PHILLIPS: And our top story this hour, the war on terror and the battle in Pakistan. The offensive by Pakistan is the largest since the country joined the U.S.-led war on terror after the September 11 attacks, and it began last week. And on Thursday, Pakistani intelligence indicated that al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was surrounded in northwest Pakistan. Zawahiri is Osama bin Laden's second in command. On Friday, fierce battles raged between Pakistani forces and hundreds of suspected al Qaeda fighters. Yesterday, Pakistani forces say they captured 100 fighters, but it was unclear whether al-Zawahiri was in that area. Now, for the latest on the fighting in Pakistan today, CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joins us by videophone from Islamabad. What's the latest, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the fighting has slowed up today. Pakistani officials say that they are negotiating through local tribal leaders with tribesman in the area, who they believe, these tribesmen, are holding -- or aiding and abetting these al Qaeda members, they say there could be as many as 300 to 400 al Qaeda members in the area that they have cordoned off.

The negotiations began as an effort by other local tribal leaders. You had a tribal council on Saturday. They went, that tribal council then met with Pakistani military officials. They said, let's negotiate through this situation. The local tribal leaders, the representatives of this council, then went into the area.

In the meantime, Pakistani authorities have said that they will stop the artillery barrage, they will stop the Cobra attack helicopters attacking these particular compounds.

It's not clear what stage those negotiations are at this time. According to the Pakistani military, there is still an opportunity for those al Qaeda members and those tribesmen who are supporting them to surrender. They can drive out of the area waving a white flag. That is where the situation stands today. The operation is still very much ongoing. However, the Pakistani military has an area some 40-mile perimeter cordoned off in that mountainous region, very close to the border with Afghanistan -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Nic, as you know, last week, we made quite a big deal over the fact that Pakistani troops believed they had al-Zawahiri cornered in this tribal area. Now, coming forward saying they don't believe it is al-Zawahiri. Where did the confusion come from?

ROBERTSON: They still say that they believe they have a high- valued target there. They began to question, if you will, who that high-valued target could be. They believe it could be Ayman al- Zawahiri, because of intercepts, because of people that they'd interrogated. They'd heard over the radio in the Uzbek language, that -- over the radio intercept, during the shootout, that one person had been injured, and it would take four people to carry that person out of the area, and then they would need another dozen people to provide protection for him. Pakistani military officials said that meant that was a high-valued target.

They also say that that high-valued target now could, however, have been a very senior Uzbek Islamic military commander who may have been hiding out, an al Qaeda affiliate who may have been hiding out in that area of the fighting. They also say that in the shootout, one car got away. That car could have been the high-value target. That car could have contained, they say, a man called Neg Muhammad (ph), a local gangster who they call a gangster, a criminal, a very senior figure in the area in local crime, according to Pakistani military officials. So now they say it could have been Ayman al-Zawahiri, it could have been this Uzbek commander, it could have been this local tribal criminal in the area who's perhaps escaped. So that is where the situation stands now.

As for the confusion, Pakistani military still say absolutely, they believe that there was a high-valued target there who could still be surrounded -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Nic Robertson, live from Islamabad, thank you.

Yemeni security officials say that they have arrested a suspect in connection with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. You may recall an explosive-laden boat pulled alongside the destroyer and blasted a huge hole in that hull. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed. Thirty- seven others were wounded. Ten other Cole suspects escaped from a Yemeni jail almost a year ago; most of them, though, have been captured. Two are still on the run.

HALL: In Iraq, insurgents fired rockets into central Baghdad. Those rockets landed in and around the highly secured green zone, that's where the U.S.-led coalition is headquartered. Now, this comes after another deadly attack on U.S. troops in Fallujah. CNN's Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad now with the latest -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello. This is a holiday weekend in Iraq, it's the Spring Solstice. That did not, however, stop the Iraqi insurgents from firing three 127 mm rockets in the direction of the green zone, the green zone is the area where U.S. occupation officials as well as U.S. soldiers are billeted here in Baghdad. Only one U.S. soldier was slightly injured. However, one of the rockets also fell short of the green zone, and that rocket fell into a civilian neighborhood. The toll there was more lethal. Two Iraqi civilians were killed, according to Iraqi hospital officials, and at least five others were injured.

Hear the eyewitnesses describe the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Three cars were destroyed. A family, a woman with children, who was in one of the cars, was harmed. In the second car, there was an old man injured seriously, and a young man with an injured arm. The old man died immediately. His internal organs were out of his body. The children with the woman were put in a car. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They say that Saddam used to execute the people. Well, we didn't see that. Now we are seeing death in front of our eyes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: Saturday night, death targeted two American soldiers in the Fallujah area. That's in the volatile Sunni triangle. The Iraqi insurgents saw a gathering of American soldiers. They saw it as a target of opportunity, firing five rockets at the Americans; two soldiers were killed Saturday night, six other Americans were injured in that rocket attack. This assembly of large groups of people, be it soldiers or Iraqis, has caused the Iraqis to say here in Baghdad, don't put -- don't gather in large groups this weekend, it's just too inviting a target. Back to you.

HILL: All right, Walter Rodgers, live in Baghdad. Thank you.

Today in Iraq, many say the war was worth the huge toll it took. Now that there is more than one newspaper, people can speak out without fear of government prosecution. But problems remain. CNN's Jane Arraf visited with one family to see how they are getting along in the new Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A year ago, Amal Ibrahim and Nabil Abdullaf were preparing for war, stocking up on rice and sugar, telling the children God would protect them if bombs fell.

One year later, they've exchanged worry over the war for worry over almost everything else. Amal and Nabil live next door, but they've divorced. For 24 years, she's been a flight attending for Iraqi Airways. Now she's home taking care of her three sons. And she doesn't know what to tell them about the future when the present seems so unsafe.

AMAL IBRAHIM, IRAQI MOTHER: (through translator) I'm an optimistic person. Thank God I always say to myself things will get better. The reality is it was bad and it's getting worse.

ARRAF: Worried about safety, she escorts her eight-year old son Tariq from his school just a block away.

"It's not about games," says Ibrahim, who's 15. "Now there are weapons in school. Before there weren't."

Amal has been told the transportation ministry might stop paying Iraqi Airways employees at any time. On this day, she goes to a coalition run office that tries to help Iraqis find jobs.

Meanwhile, across town, her husband Nabil is at work at the struggling oil ministry. Nabil makes only a little bit more than his pre-war salary of $60. Half goes to help support the children. He was robbed of his first paycheck after the war, he says. NABIL ABDHUL GAFOUR, IRAQI FATHER: (through translator) I said this is my salary, let me keep it. When he pointed the pistol at my legs, I said he was going to shoot me.

ARRAF: He tries to be optimistic about the future for his sons, but his eyes fill with tears.

GAFOUR: You can't feel anything tangible that will be good for them.

ARRAF: Amal and Nabil lived through the terror if dictatorship and the pain of three wars. But a year after the last one, for them, the future and its uncertainty seemed just as frightening.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's that time of year, America's college students are trading in the books for the beach, but not everyone is going a little wild in the sun. Let's talk about some students who are seeing a whole new world during this spring break.

And a year later, the war in Iraq rolls on. What's next for the soldiers, the citizens and the government? We'll continue our look when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Let's fast forward now to some of the events taking place this week. On Tuesday, the 9/11 commission is scheduled to hold hearings on the government's counter-terrorism policy. Members of the Clinton and Bush administrations are expected to testify. Then on Wednesday, it's the next hearing in the Kobe Bryant case. A big issue so far has been how much information must be disclosed about the woman who accuses him of rape.

And on Thursday, it is the lighting of the Olympic torch in Greece. Athens is, of course, hosting this summer's Olympic games.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HILL: A hero's welcome in Montana. One U.S. serviceman gets the welcome of a lifetime after his tour in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the people of that nation wonder about their future when the war finally ends. We're going to talk about that when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Quick check of our top stories now. There's been a lull in Pakistan's military offensive along the Afghan border. Tribal leaders asked Pakistani to ease up on the assault. In exchange, leaders will negotiate with villagers who may be protecting al Qaeda fighters. Villagers' support could be invaluable in the hunt for al Qaeda leaders.

In Iraq, insurgents fired rockets in central Baghdad today. Iraq (sic) has landed in three areas near the so-called green zone, where the U.S.-led coalition is headquartered. Two Iraqi civilians were killed in that attack. Nine others were wounded.

HILL: The images from Iraq this past year ranged from despair to ecstasy. We saw the brutality of war and the joy of celebrations of freedom. But what is next for the beleaguered nation? Well, for that we turn now to Georgetown professor Dan Brumberg. He also served as an adviser to the U.S. Agency for International Development. We appreciate you joining us this Sunday morning.

The question of what is next, I imagine, is a bit tough to answer, but what is next? Do we have a clear vision of the future?

DAN BRUMBERG, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: We don't have a clear vision of the future, because the plans for elections were scuttled, in effect, by Ayatollah Sistani, who rejected the caucus system. So we have an interim constitution. We don't really have a road map to national elections. So after June 30, when sovereignty is handed over, it's really going to be up to the Governing Council to come up with some sort of road map, and given the differences and tensions within the Governing Council, I think it is going to be quite a challenge.

HILL: You mentioned the issues within the Governing Council which will make it a challenge, also the elections, but the elections we also haven't quite set in stone yet either.

BRUMBERG: Well, there is no consensus on how to do the elections. The Shiites want direct elections, because they know they are going to prevail. The Sunnis are worried about the outcome of direct elections, because they could be given the short end of the stick. The Kurds want direct elections in order to, in effect, have a form of federalism, which will allow them perhaps to opt out of Iraq if they find that the kind of Iraq that's evolving does not meet their needs. So each group has a set of agendas and concerns. There is not a consensus, to put it mildly, over the whole purpose of elections, and therefore how to go about elections. Nobody can agree on it. And that's going to be a major challenge for the Iraqis and for the United States.

HILL: A major challenge coming up. Some other challenges, of course, hearing from Spain's newly elected prime minister that Spanish troops will be out of the country by June 30, which is also a very important date, because that is the hand-over date, and a lot of questions as to what the role of the U.N. will and should be as we move forward. What are you seeing in there, especially in terms of the U.N.'s role?

BRUMBERG: Well, I think the United States and the U.N. have come to some sort of consensus that says the U.N. must have an important role in guiding the next stage of political transition. Not the military transition, that's going to be up to us, or not the military situation, but the political situation, and the whole building of a new political map in Iraq will really be to some extent under the guidanceship of the United Nations.

But the fact remains that the administration -- the administration itself is somewhat nervous about bringing the United Nations in. It does not want the Security Council to be involved in making decisions. The United Nations wants to be involved, wants to have a free hand. At the same time, it wants the United States to provide security, and the absence of security, and the continued attacks against civilian and military targets really creates concern within the United Nations, so the real opportunities is there. I think that there is a consensus that it's really the U.N. that has to do the major sort of stewardship of the Iraqi political situation. But there is, again, again, an absence of consensus about how that's going to be done.

HILL: You mentioned the recent attacks and the rise in attacks, specifically targeting civilians. Is there a fear that what is going to happen once power is turned over, that we could actually come to an Iraqi civil war?

BRUMBERG: I think there are real concerns about it, but I think that the amazing thing about the whole story so far is, despite all the efforts by Saddam Hussein's own operatives and by al Qaeda operatives to provoke a civil war between the Shia and the Sunnis, it hasn't happened thus far. And I think the Shia understand in particular that that has to be avoided, because they're going to prevail in any political arrangement. So they are not going to be provoked if they can avoid it. But it is up to the United States to provide the kind of security that is going to deter those attacks. There is going to be an acceleration of attacks before and after the June 30 deadline and we're going to see what happens. My concern is not so much what happens in the next six months, but really down the road, a year, a year and a half, where we cobble together some sort of government that doesn't hold together. At that point, the differences between the Shia, the Kurds and the Sunnis could really become explosive.

HILL: Well, we will have to wait and see, a lot of questions out there. We do appreciate your insight on that, helping us find some answer. Dan Brumberg, thanks for joining us.

BRUMBERG: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, for one Montana family, the one-year anniversary of the war in Iraq takes on a very personal meaning. Joyous chants marked a warrior's welcome as members of an Indian tribe in Montana welcomed home one of their own. Private First Class Uriah Tutu (ph) returned home from Iraq on Friday, ending a 12-month assignment there. To celebrate the occasion, tribal elders performed a cleansing ceremony, and wrapped Tutu (ph) in a war bonnet and a star (ph) blanket, both symbols of the Cheyenne tribe.

It's the end of an era in Philly. A final farewell to Veteran's Stadium. We've got the big bang straight ahead. And college kids reach the beach. Frolic in the sand for most, but not all. We profile some students with a very different view of spring break, straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: If it seems to you like everybody is counting carbs these days, it's probably because they are. But are those low-crab products all they claim to be? We're going to add it up in just about 10 minutes.

HILL: Welcome back, everyone. Here's a quick look at what's happening this hour.

Palestinian sources say at least five Palestinians are dead in the latest Israeli incursion into southern Gaza. The Israelis put the toll at four, and say three were Hamas militants. The raid comes as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon holds a briefing on his plan to withdraw from parts of Gaza and the West Bank.

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