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CNN Sunday Morning

Jill Carroll Arrives in Boston Today; Rice, Straw Visit Iraq

Aired April 02, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Former hostage Jill Carroll says good- bye to Germany and is just hours from arriving in Boston. Her long trip home after nearly three months of captivity in Baghdad is almost over.
Good morning from the CNN Center right here in Atlanta. I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Look at that. World headquarters right there.

NGUYEN: Nice shot of the newsroom, yes.

HARRIS: Nice. Good morning, everybody. Tony Harris on this 2nd day of April. More on Jill Carroll's homecoming in a moment. First, other stories happening in the news.

An unannounced visit to Iraq leads to some high-level meetings. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani earlier today. The visit is aimed at getting Iraq moving forward on forming a new government.

One year later the Vatican remembers Pope John Paul II today. A year after his death, tens of thousands of people packed St. Peter's Square waving the red and white flags of the late pope's native Poland.

NGUYEN: Well, have you reset those clocks just yet? If you didn't, move those clocks just a little earlier, would you? While you were sleeping, most of the nation sprang ahead one hour to Daylight Savings Time. And for the first time in more than 30 years all of Indiana is getting in on the act and springing ahead with Daylight Savings Time. Welcome to the year -- I should say welcome to the club this year.

And college basketball championship is whittled down to two. Florida ended George Mason Cinderella streak 73-58. Then, UCLA, upended LSU, 59-45 last night. The Bruins will be going for their 12th NCAA title. The championship game is tomorrow night.

HARRIS: Ahead this morning, before there was Air Jordan or Magic Johnson, there was Bill Garrett, considered by some to be the Jackie Robinson of college hoops. We'll have his story.

Speaking of college, spring fever is raging on spring break, but what can females students do to protect themselves? You'll have some tips. And it's a must-see for all students and parents.

Freed hostage Jill Carroll is on a commercial flight winging her way back to the States this hour. She's due to arrive in Boston after spending almost three months in captivity in Iraq. While in Germany yesterday on the first leg of her trip home, she felt freer to express herself.

She condemned her captors for killing her interpreter. And Carroll said she was forced say things on videotape that she didn't believe. In a statement posted on her employer's web site, "The Christian Science Monitor", Carroll says:

"The people who kidnapped me and murdered Alan Enwiya are criminals, at best. They robbed Alan of his life and devastated his family. They put me, my family and my friends -- and all those around the world, who have prayed so fervently for my release -- through a horrific experience. I was, and remain, deeply angry with the people who did this."

CNN's Paula Hancocks is on the flight with Carroll. She has been checking in with us all morning long by phone.

And, Paula, remind us of how long a flight this is from Frankfurt to Boston.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, in all it should be about seven hours and 45 minutes. We're just about three hours away now, it looks like, from touching down. The flight did set off a little late as we were waiting for some passengers.

But I had a quick chat with Jill Carroll just a while earlier, just as we took off. She said she's not going to have any interviews or have photo opportunities yet, because all she wants to do is see her family. She said she can't even think past seeing her family, because that is the most important thing that she wants to do.

She was very relaxed and looking absolutely delighted to be on that plane. She's chatting away with a colleague, Scott Peterson. They were chatting tens to the dozen and giggling, and reading the in- flight magazine. So she just seemed like a young girl on a flight on her way to see her parents. She seemed in very, very good health. And told me she was in good health.

HARRIS: Paula, she's not planning on making any statement or anything of the like when she lands in Boston, is she?

HANCOCKS: Well, you know, as I was chatting to her it wasn't an interview per se. She wasn't really giving too much away. She says that she couldn't think of interviews or saying too much publicly before she met her family.

I personally think that she'll be whisked away and get to see her family and spend some quality time with them, whether she afterwards, decides to make a statement, I don't know. But I did ask her about the statement she made on Saturday, and she said, simply, well, I felt it needed to be said. HARRIS: So, another three hours before touchdown?

HANCOCKS: That's right, yes. When I was chatting to her earlier, I asked how long she thought -- she could give me the exact hour and minute, pretty much. So you can tell she's looking forward to touching down.

HARRIS: Paula, we appreciate it. Thank you.

As we mentioned, Carroll is due to arrive in Boston in about three hours. CNN's Allan Chernoff joins us from the headquarters of "The Christian Science Monitor", Carroll's employer.

Allan, I have to ask you, we have the statement that we received yesterday, but I suspect they're still waiting for an even fuller account of her 82 days in captivity.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Tony. And we're also waiting to learn more of exactly how Jill Carroll was able to gain her freedom.

The editors at "The Monitor" have given us some insight into that. They don't have the full answer just yet, but we do know that Jill Carroll clearly played her cards right, especially at the end of her captivity. The kidnappers had asked her to make a videotape, and she agreed to do that. During the interview, she essentially lied. She said that the U.S. was just doing an awful thing being in Iraq, criticized lies being told by the United States. And, also, that the insurgents would be victorious in Iraq.

Now, we now know that is absolutely not Jill Carroll's true sentiment. In fact, the editors here have said that Jill Carroll said what she needed to say to get released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID COOK, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: If you are under duress, it really doesn't say what she thinks. If you are holding a gun at my head and telling me to say that the moon is made of blue cheese, it really doesn't tell you anything about what I really think about astronomy, and that was the case with Jill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Even after her release Jill Carroll did not feel totally safe. She was released at an office of the Iraqi Islamic Party. They asked her to do an interview. She did one on camera, and in that interview she said she had been treated well and had not been threatened. The truth, in a statement that Carroll released yesterday. She said, in fact, she had been threatened numerous times.

Jill Carroll, again, expected back here in Boston about 12:30 Eastern Time. Folks of "The Christian Science Monitor" here extremely pleased that she has gained her freedom and will be back here in the U.S. -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Allan Chernoff, thank you.

NGUYEN: The top British and U.S. diplomats are in Iraq today. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary made an unannounced trip to the war zone. They're trying to pressure Iraqi leaders to break a deadlock and form a new deposit. CNN's Nic Robertson has more from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Condoleezza Rice and Jack Straw arrived in the midst of a massive thunderstorm over Baghdad. Their first meeting was with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani.

In that meeting they thanked him for his efforts to try and form a new government in Iraq for hold if anything -- for bringing politicians together. And they stressed, they said, the importance that whoever was going to lead Iraq's new government should be somebody who can bring all Iraqis into the fold.

Now, at that meeting they did discuss the nomination of the current prime Ibrahim Al Jaafari, to fill the permanent prime minister's position. His nomination is widely viewed as a principle stumbling block in forming a new government here. There are Sunni politicians, Kurdish politicians, secular politicians, who have all said that Mr. Jaafari is suitable as a candidate.

Condoleezza Rice and Jack Straw also held a meeting with Ibrahim Al Jaafari, not clear what they said exactly in that meeting, but their message here is to Iraqi politicians that it is important they set aside their personal differences, that they form a new government because in the absence of this new government, they say, the sectarian violence, the insurgency just are allowed gain a much stronger foothold here. Nick Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Want to give you this program note, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will be a guest this morning on "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

Wolf will delve into a lot of issues, including Iraq and immigration reform. you can catch that this morning fat 11:00 Eastern.

HARRIS: And several stories making news across America. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in New Orleans. They're calling for the April 22 mayoral election to be postponed. Civil rights and other leaders say any election would be a sham unless provisions were made for voters living elsewhere because of Hurricane Katrina.

Thousands of demonstrators marched across New York's Brooklyn Bridge voicing their opposition to immigration reform. Proposed legislation would make illegal immigration a felony. Many marchers say immigrants should be treated like citizens, not criminals. Funeral services will take place later today for the late country music legend Buck Owens. Hundreds of people lined up yesterday in Bakersfield, California, to pay their final respects. Owens died a week ago at the age of 76.

Still ahead, the beach, plus free time, and lots of alcohol. Not always a good -- mix.

NGUYEN: Trouble.

HARRIS: Yes, trouble. Especially during a college spring break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN FEMALE: Don't put this on tape! Mom and Dad will be mad!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: What did she say? I just heard a lot of screaming.

HARRIS: What is she doing?

NGUYEN: Wow. OK.

Next on CNN some things your children should not do during that college vacation. Our cameras are allowed complete access to a beach trip, you don't want to miss. Reynolds, I know you'll be sticking around.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In our top stories this morning, freed hostage Jill Carroll is hours away from arriving in Boston. She spent the night at an air base in Germany. While there, Carroll told reporters she was forced to make anti-American statements on video before her captors would release her.

The life and legacy of Pope John Paul II are commemorated today. He died one year ago. Thousands have gathered in Vatican City to remember the pontiff, while ceremonies and masses are held in his native Poland.

Did you remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour? Most of the nation switched to Daylight Savings Time, which officially began in the wee, small hours of the morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: Tony, this is going to catch some attention. Booze, bare skin, and the beach, see it right there. That is usually the scene as millions of college students trek across the country for spring break. But as our cameras tag along, parents, beware. CNN's Ted Rowlands reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SUNDAY MORNING (voice over): It's a rite of passage. College kids from around the country heading south to party together in the sun. For most students hangovers and sun burns are the most feared elements, but for female spring breakers, possible danger lurks everywhere.

SGT. ALBERT TOLLEY, DAYTON BEACH POLICE: Each year our crisis center will see several females who come in. They're unable to describe a course of events that is led up to what they feel was a sexual assault.

ROWLANDS: According to police, many times young women are assaulted by men that they've just met partying. The combination of alcohol and aggressive behavior by men, and relative anonymity create a dangerous environment.

TOLLEY: It's heart-breaking, and not only that, but they go home with it to their families, and we're left with, you know, very little information to go on.

ERIN WEED, FOUNDER, GIRLS FIGHT BACK: You really have to hold ourselves accountable for what happens to us.

ROWLANDS: Twenty-eight year old Erin Weed has dedicated her life to helping college-aged women stay safe. Five years ago she founded the Female Empowerment Organization, Girls Fight Back, after one of her best friends, Shannon McNamara, was murdered on an Illinois college campus.

Erin's most important advice for girls on spring break --

WEED: Look out for your girlfriends because sometimes we can't look out for ourselves, and those situations we have to look out for each other.

ROWLAND: These girls go to school in Wisconsin. They're spending the week in Daytona Beach, Florida. Typical spring breakers, they spend their days on the beach and their nights partying at local bars, all while piling into a single hotel room.

Kylie, Emily, Nicole, and Mallory allowed a CNN producer to go along with them and videotape a night out. At the beginning of the night all of the girls are together drinking, dancing, and talking to boys.

But about two hours later watch what happens. Mallory, without telling any of her friends, leaves the club with two men she barely knows. It's 11:30 p.m., and she's been drinking since noon. Eventually the other girls end up leaving as well, not knowing where Mallory has gone. Finally, they get ahold of her back at the hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's outside. She'll be here in a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't want to know.

ROWLANDS: Mallory is back. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't put that on tape. Mom and dad will be mad.

ROWLANDS: Mallory said she lost her friends at the club, and the boys simply gave her a ride. But at 1:00 a.m. Mallory left her friends again, while the others stayed at the hotel. She heads to a beach bar to continue partying.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't come back until about 3 in the morning.

ROWLANDS: The next day we gathered the girls together to watch video from the night before with safety expert Erin Weed there to analyze what happened.

(On camera): Let's just watch a little bit. Just general stuff. You guys are out obviously having fun.

(Voice over): Erin, seems like they're just having a fun time. That's spring break. I think if they stick together and have a good time, then that's probably the most important thing. One of my number one rules is go out with your girlfriends, go home with your girlfriends.

ROWLANDS: That rule was broken a little bit last night.

(Voice over): Erin and the girls agree the decision by Mallory to leave the bar alone with two men she didn't really know is a cause for concern.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew it wasn't good that I left. I was not very happy about it, but I didn't know what else to do.

WEED: There is no doubt about, you are taking a risk. And I'm sure she probably took that risk knowing the situation. I mean, it's definitely not something I condone because sticking with friends is probably the most important thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had two drinks in my hands.

ROWLANDS: Erin's advice to girls on spring break, stick with or check in with friends, monitor your drinking, decide well beforehand if you plan to have sex, and trust your instincts.

Overall, Erin told the girls that their biggest mistake was splitting up because in that environment when you are alone, she says anything can happen.

(On camera): While the girls from Wisconsin made it home OK, that same night that we met them, there was an assault in town, down the street from where they were staying at this hotel. An 18-year-old girl was beaten up by a 19-year-old boy. Both of them were here on spring break.

(Voice over): According to the police report, witnesses say Dennis Scolski (ph) wandered into an unlocked room next to him where two girls were staying. He then beat up one of the girls because he was upset she didn't want his phone number.

TOLLEY: He got aggressive with one of them to the point where he was holding her neck, and he bruised her. Her nose is broken.

ROWLANDS: And 74 percent of women surveyed by the American Medical Association said while on spring break, they used alcohol as an excuse for outrageous behavior. The experts say this usually ends up to be harmless, but in some unfortunate situations, it can be tragic. Ted Rowlands, CNN, Daytona Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: My, oh, my. One women's health expert says sexual assault complaints seem to have doubled this time of year. She also cautions young women to be aware of date rape drugs slipped into their drinks. That story comes to us from Paula Zahn now. Be sure to Paula weeknights, 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

It's an eye opener, Tony.

HARRIS: Wide open.

The college basketball season is over Tuesday, but don't fret, baseball's first pitch is just -- well, just a couple of hours. We'll tell you where next. Plus, Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has your game day forecast.

Reynolds, good morning.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

HARRIS: Nick, thank you. All morning long I have been thinking that was the Alan Parson's Project, and Nick on the floor here -- who is it? Steve Miller Band? I knew that. I just couldn't -- it just didn't come to me.

NGUYEN: You got to set your clocks ahead. You lost some sleep there.

HARRIS: Right, right, right. Lost my mind, too.

While you're springing forward, don't forget the first pitch is being thrown in a couple of hours. Tipping off the brand new season of baseball. The boys of summer hit the diamond today at 12:35. The Red Sox at Philadelphia. Let's play ball.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS (voice over): In St. Louis the Cardinals have a new ballpark. New Busch Stadium, cost the team and private investors up to $300 million. More than 10 times what the old Busch costs in 1966.

Six major league teams are sport new skippers. Jim Leyland leads the Detroit Tigers, and the Devil Ray's Joe Maddon whose glasses lend him a faint resemblance to rocker Elvis Costello. There's a new defending champion for 2006, the Chicago White Sox sit atop a thrown of the baseball world for the first time since Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House. The Phillies, Jimmy Rollins starts a new season with a 36-game hitting streak.

The American League has won nine consecutive all-star games, and the Atlanta Braves will shoot for the 15th straight division title. The youngest player is still a team. Mariners' rookie Felix Hernandez won't turn 20 until the second week of April.

And Barry Bonds will start the new season with 782 home runs, just six behind Babe Ruth, with 47 to go to catch hammering Hank Aaron.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: 15, they're going for 15 here in Atlanta. That's insane.

NGUYEN: It is.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Crazy.

NGUYEN: So is this weather. This weather is crazy. What's been going on out there? What's in the system?

WOLF: You know, I hate to be just a broken record here, but it's just the change of seasons. We're going from winter to spring, and it's not always an easy transition.

NGUYEN: Apparently not. Talk to the folks in Hawaii.

WOLF: The rain just won't end there. You know, it's just -- this just happens.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

NGUYEN: We want you to take a look at this. Remember the white smoke coming from the Vatican a year ago? It signaled the beginning of the era of Pope Benedict.

HARRIS: A look at the future of Catholicism on this anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. That is next.

Danielle, good morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, Tony.

Controversy over Thailand's prime minister, and bombs explode as polls close. We'll bring you the details when we go global, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Counting the hours -- freed hostage Jill Carroll is on her way home after leaving Germany. She is due in Boston in just a few hours from now, after spending almost three months in captivity in Iraq. Our reporter, who is on that same flight with Carroll, says she looks relaxed and happy.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British counterpart made an unscheduled visit to Iraq overnight. They held talks with Iraqi leaders and delivered a blunt message -- stop the political bickering and move ahead on forming a new government.

HARRIS: Did you reset your clocks an hour ahead? If not, you might be running a little late. Imagine that guy, what a job that is.

Today marked the switch to daylight saving time. Indiana made the switch for the first time in about three decades. Hawaii, some U.S. territories and most of Arizona still don't observe it.

UCLA got game, and then some. Hey, Kareem. And who knows this better than, well, LSU? They lost by just 14 points -- just 14? That's kind of a blow out. The Bruins will go...

NGUYEN: That's kind of a big loss, yes.

HARRIS: Yes -- will go head to head against the Gators in Monday night's title game. This will be UCLA's twelfth visit to the championship game.

NGUYEN: Well, Pope Benedict led ceremonies at the Vatican today marking the first anniversary of the death of John Paul II. To many observers, the new pope is very different from the man he replaced. He's also turning out to be different from what many of the faithful expected.

CNN's Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Remember the headlines a year ago when he was elected pope? Until that day, Joseph Ratzinger had been the Catholic Church's chief doctrinal enforced and many predicted the severe German cardinal would bring his strict style to the papacy.

Well, it hasn't happened.

GERARD O'DONNEL, VATICAN ANALYST: He has surprised people because he hasn't crashed down on the more progressive elements in the church. He hasn't fulfilled the wishes of the more traditionalist wing.

VINCI: Pope Benedict has only replaced two senior members in the vast Vatican government known as the Roman Curia. In some ways, he is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, although without ever trying to become another John Paul II. More reserved and less camera friendly, Pope Benedict has reaffirmed the church's strong opposition to abortion, gay marriages and euthanasia, and approved a document barring men with what the church calls "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" from becoming priests.

But most importantly, perhaps, cardinals who met him during a recent meeting say the new pope is giving them greater opportunities to speak their minds.

CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK, ARCHBISHOP, WASHINGTON DIOCESE: He listened to everything everybody said and that he didn't speak, he didn't speak, just waited. And then at the end, he took his glasses off and in a masterful way reviewed everything that was said in the whole day. But he did it in -- he did it as a teacher and he did it as a brilliant professor.

VINCI: That demeanor appears to delight the faithful, who have flocked to the Vatican in record numbers this year. In the first eight months of his pontificate, Pope Benedict drew nearly three million pilgrims to public events, like the Tassatori (ph) family from Chicago, who, on this day, stood in line for three hours to get a front row seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would describe him as friendly. I mean, to me, I look at the other pope and I think of him as more of an older person, as more introvert or less open. But just being here today and witnessing this and seeing how he approached the people, I think he's very warm, and, again, inviting.

VINCI (on camera): And for those pilgrims who can't travel here, the pope may soon visit their part of the world. Although he was not billed as much of a traveler, the pope again surprised many by organizing several trips abroad this year, including Spain, Germany and Poland, and then later, Turkey.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, at the Vatican.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: CNN's faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, covered the papal transition. And you also have a special on "CNN PRESENTS" tonight about Pope John Paul II.

This is really -- you have to see this, because you have extraordinary access to people who knew him very, very well.

Why do you think you were given that? Do you think he was just so revered that people want to talk about him?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is unusual, certainly, because the people that we spoke to were the people that were closest to him. And during the time that he was alive, they were people who would never speak to you on the record -- his private secretary, his doctor, some of his best friends that came to visit him and spend those last hours with him at his bedside.

So certainly, I think, it's -- the fact that they're speaking out now is testament to the fact that they really loved this man and he made a huge impression on their lives and they spoke to us about that. And, you know, he's died. It's a year on. So I think they feel a bit more free to do that.

NGUYEN: A little more open to speak freely.

GALLAGHER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Well, now, this is a pope who wanted his writings burned. That was one of his requests.

GALLAGHER: Yes.

NGUYEN: Yet that wasn't done.

Surprising to you?

GALLAGHER: Well, it was surprising to everyone. I remember when we read the will and it said, you know, I want my personal papers burned.

NGUYEN: Exactly.

GALLAGHER: And everyone said oh, no, that's terrible. But, in fact, he said personal papers. So there are lots of writings which one could be -- one could consider not personal papers. And he left that job to his private secretary, whom we interviewed, to sort of determine what should be burned and what shouldn't. And, in fact, we know that most of the things he has not burned.

And just last week, Pope Benedict released a homily that John Paul II had written for the Sunday after he died. He died on a Saturday and he had prepared a homily, an address, on Sunday. And so that has been published, and lots of other things will be published eventually and, of course, given to the Vatican archives.

NGUYEN: Well, not all of them have been released, and you just said that.

Were you able to get a glimpse into some of what the other ones include? What do they talk about? Because, after all, these are his private writings.

GALLAGHER: Yes, his private writings won't be -- won't be released because his private secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz, is a man who really is the custodian of John Paul II and his writings. So I think some of the very private things he'll be keeping there in Krakow, Poland.

But, of course, a lot of the other writings will be published. And even tonight, they'll be reading from -- in Rome -- from some of his poetry and his writings.

NGUYEN: Well, anything surprise you?

I mean you did have access that is really extraordinary. And you have covered the Vatican for a very long time. You know this place. You know the way it works.

But in speaking with these people, as they were open with you, did you get any little nuggets that you sat back and said wow, we've been wanting an answer to that for a long time and finally...

GALLAGHER: Yes.

NGUYEN: ... we have it.

GALLAGHER: Yes. I was always curious about this rumor or resignation and was there a letter of resignation, because they said as the pope became more feeble, a lot of people said he should resign. And then the rumors started, oh, there's a secret letter that he wrote and said if I become incapacitated, I will resign.

So I asked his private secretary about that and he absolutely denied that there was a letter.

NGUYEN: Oh.

GALLAGHER: However, he did say that the pope had considered it with some of his colleagues a few years before, that he had discussed it sort of theoretically.

NGUYEN: OK.

GALLAGHER: So I thought that was very interesting...

NGUYEN: Yes.

GALLAGHER: ... because, you know, there's always theories that abound and you're never able to actually go to the source and say did this or did this not exist?

NGUYEN: Well, I remember when he was ill, a lot of people were wondering if that was -- that letter was really there.

GALLAGHER: A lot of people talked about resignation when he was ill and -- but, of course, in the Catholic Church, it's the pope himself who has to resign if he wants to.

NGUYEN: Right.

GALLAGHER: And John Paul II really wasn't of the character or the type to resign.

NGUYEN: Well, it is really a fascinating look into the life of Pope John Paul II.

HARRIS: It is.

NGUYEN: And we're going to be talking about this insight. You're going to get to see it for yourself.

Delia Gallagher, thank you so much for being with us.

GALLAGHER: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Extraordinary work.

You get a rare insight into Pope John Paul II's final days. That is tonight, 7:00 Eastern and Pacific. And that's when "CNN PRESENTS" a two hour special, "The Last Days of Pope John Paul II." We'll take you inside the Vatican's secret world and you'll meet the people who were with John Paul during his final hours. You don't want to miss it.

Well, critics accused Thailand's prime minister of corruption and abuse of power. So he called for early elections.

HARRIS: Yes, for more on this, Danielle Elias is standing by for us at the International Desk -- Danielle, good morning.

DANIELLE ELIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Polls are now closed and counting is underway in Thailand's snap elections. And officials say voter turnout was strong, but there was violence. Bomb blasts were reported at three polling stations in the country's troubled southern region.

This snap election was called by their prime minister, Thaksin Chinnawat. The controversial Thai leader asked for this vote three years early. He's trying to end increasing anti-government protests calling for his resignation.

Now, Mr. Thaksin pledges to step down is his party receives less than half the vote.

Well, the boat that capsized off the coast of Bahrain Thursday was only supposed to be used as a docked restaurant. We're finding out it did not have permission to sail. Authorities have detained the captain, who, they say, was not licensed to pilot the craft. At least 126 people were aboard the ship and a little more than half of them survived.

Well, by now I'm sure many of you have text messaging, right? Betty? Tony?

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes.

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: I don't know what I'm doing with it, though.

NGUYEN: My fingers aren't as fast on it.

HARRIS: Right.

NGUYEN: I'd rather just pick up the phone and call somebody.

HARRIS: There you go.

ELIAS: I'm a fan of text messaging.

NGUYEN: Oh.

ELIAS: Well, in New Zealand, a cell phone operator is introducing a new cell service for staying safe on the road. New Zealand has been known to be rather safe for hitchhikers, but with crime on the rise comes a new text messaging service which the company claims could help save lives. Hitchhikers can now have their travel details recorded for free. All they need to do is send the text to a designated number with their information. It's then stored in a national database as a backup in case anything goes wrong.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes. Yes.

ELIAS: It's been rather successful. Hundreds of messages have been sent to a safe number and launched since last year.

HARRIS: So...

NGUYEN: It makes sense.

HARRIS: It does make sense? OK. It sounds a little complicated. But it makes sense?

NGUYEN: Well, you just call and you tell them where you are...

HARRIS: Yes, I'm here...

ELIAS: Give the details of where you are.

NGUYEN: ... so in case there's a problem, there's an emergency, someone knows how to find you...

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: ... especially if you're backpacking.

HARRIS: All right, I'll take your word for it.

NGUYEN: All right.

ELIAS: Apparently more countries are trying to start this service up, too, so we'll see.

NGUYEN: I can see it.

Thank you, Danielle.

ELIAS: Thank you.

HARRIS: Still ahead, when the rest of the country was talking about Jackie Robinson, college basketball fans had another hero.

NGUYEN: Up next, the story of the young student who would change the face of college hoops forever. The co-author of "Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball" joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) HARRIS (voice-over): It was the end of World War II, and America's attention was shifting back to its love of sports. In 1947, baseball's Jackie Robinson made history, integrating the national pastime. But he was not the only African-American crossing the color barrier.

A young freshman at Indiana University named Bill Garrett was changing the future of college basketball forever. His story, however, would be overshadowed by Robinson and the rapidly growing civil rights movement -- until now.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: It's one of the missing chronicles in America's battles over race -- "Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball."

It's a story of a courageous young man who, among other things, couldn't even eat in public with his teammates.

Here are the two authors of the book, the father and daughter team of Tom Graham and Rachel Cody.

Tom Graham joins us live from Indianapolis, the site of this year's final four.

Tom, good to talk to you.

TOM GRAHAM, CO-AUTHOR, "GETTING OPEN": Thank you, Tony.

Good to talk to you.

HARRIS: Hey, your first final four.

What's that experience like?

GRAHAM: Oh, it's wonderful. The streets are filled. It's great to see my old hometown of Indianapolis crowded with people. A wonderful experience.

HARRIS: You've got to tell me about this gentleman's agreement that was in place that basically blocked Bill Garrett and even players before him from playing big ten basketball.

What was said and where was it said? Was it in country clubs over drinks?

GRAHAM: The -- there was a gentleman's agreement, as they called it, to keep black basketball players out of the big ten, which stretches across the heartland from Ohio to Iowa. It was among the coaches and athletic directors, mainly, who feared what might have happened on the road. They feared other schools would cancel games. It was kind of a part of the mass doubt about what might have happened if integration took place at that time, in the 1940s.

HARRIS: And... GRAHAM: It was book -- sorry.

Go ahead.

HARRIS: Yes, and, Tom, it's interesting, I'm just -- just for another question on this.

Do you know anything about the wording of it? I'm just curious as to what was said.

What, we're just going to not let black players play this game in our gyms?

GRAHAM: It wasn't written. It was informal. There was no wording. It was an understanding. But it was a very clear understanding that was expressed several times when coaches from the late 1930s to the early 1940s approached various big ten coaches about black players possibly playing there and were told repeatedly that there's an understanding in the big ten.

HARRIS: Tom, were there black players on the coasts, the left and right coasts?

GRAHAM: There had been a handful of black players in 1947, in the L.A. and New York areas, mainly. But they were the exception that proved the rule. There had been no systematic follow-up. A few had played here and there. And that's all.

Major college basketball had been entirely white from its beginning up through the late 1940s.

HARRIS: Hey, how did you first become aware of Bill Garrett?

GRAHAM: I grew up in his hometown, about 20 miles from here, Shelbyville, Indiana. And I was four years old when he led my town to the state championship, which was a very big deal, indeed, in Indiana. And it made a great impression on me that lasted my whole life and I always wanted to write about it. And when Rachel, my daughter, who was becoming a professional writer at the time, joined in on the project, it made it possible.

HARRIS: You refer to Bill Garrett as the Jackie Robinson of basketball.

If that's the case, I'm curious as to why more of us don't know of his story?

GRAHAM: It -- even his supporters in 1947 wanted it to be quiet, for one thing, because they didn't know quite what to expect. It was not a quiet story in the black press, interestingly. It was headline news, alongside stories of Jackie Robinson's breakthrough and other stories of integration.

But at that time, the white press and white America really just didn't talk about race relations the way they do now, as openly, for one thing. Garrett himself was a self-effacing man who never talked about his accomplishments unless asked. And so today if people look back, they tend not to look further back than the 1966 Texas Western- Kentucky game.

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

They made that movie...

GRAHAM: And...

HARRIS: ... "Glory Road" about that, didn't they?

GRAHAM: Yes. The movie "Glory Road" came out in January, about the game in 1966, the national championship, in which Texas Western, with a black starting five, beat Kentucky, which had been a symbol of segregation in basketball. And the walls came tumbling down, as the book that the movie is based on is called.

But 15 years earlier, Bill Garrett started the process that culminated with the Glory Road game.

HARRIS: Let's look at the book once again, "Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball."

Tom Graham and his daughter are the co-authors.

Tom, good to see you.

Enjoy the championship game tomorrow.

GRAHAM: Thank you, Tony.

Good to talk with you.

HARRIS: Good to talk to you.

And up next, well, it's a beautiful day in Washington for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Did I just sort of block it all out there? OK. There you go. So how does it look where you are today?

Reynolds Wolf will have your complete Sunday forecast when we come back.

NGUYEN: And, Tony, 40 isn't fatal, but if you're thinking about a baby time, well, it's not on your side.

Which do you choose, career or family?

Later today, we will tell you about a new test that can help answer that age-old question. That's at 5:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, if you set your clocks today, you don't want to miss "RELIABLE SOURCES."

Now it's time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead -- hi there, Howie.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi, Betty.

Coming up, with Jill Carroll's kidnapping ordeal finally over, why have so many questions surfaced about her behavior? And what does the episode mean for other Western journalists in Baghdad?

CNN anchor Lou Dobbs defends his outspoken opposition to illegal immigration. You'll see that right here.

The coverage of Andy Card's White House exit.

Plus, do reporters really learn anything from those off the record chats with the commander-in-chief?

And the media rediscover polygamy, thanks to a new HBO series.

All next on "RELIABLE SOURCES."

NGUYEN: Yes, I've seen a little bit of that series.

All right, Howard Kurtz, we look forward to it.

KURTZ: Thanks.

NGUYEN: "RELIABLE SOURCES" airs in just a few minutes, beginning at 10:00 Eastern, followed at 11:00 Eastern by Wolf Blitzer and "LATE EDITION" and "ON THE STORY" at 1:00 Eastern.

You want to stay tuned to CNN as we go in depth into the stories of the day.

HARRIS: Betty, Reynolds, here's the thing, we know that when we spring forward, there is the chance that we will catch one of our team, one member of our team...

NGUYEN: I was afraid I was going to do it...

HARRIS: ... who is going to be a little late.

We plan for that. We make contingencies for that. What we didn't expect is that it would be the same member of our team year to year...

NGUYEN: After year.

He did it last year.

HARRIS: ... to year to year.

So, what do we do?

Well, we've got to expose him. NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: We've got to expose him.

Eddie Williams. Here he is in the studio.

NGUYEN: Our producer of this show.

HARRIS: The producer of our 9:00 hour.

NGUYEN: What did he do today? He -- he said...

HARRIS: What was his excuse?

NGUYEN: He didn't set his clock or he wasn't told about it. But I believe Eddie in this hour yesterday...

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There he is. There he is.

HARRIS: Oh, there he is.

We found him.

NGUYEN: ... we were talking about the time change.

WOLF: OK.

NGUYEN: And there he was in his little van, his beat up van, driving up 85, trying to get to work, late again this year. He forgot to set his clock. I don't know, we said it about 20 million times yesterday -- set your clocks forward.

HARRIS: Man, oh, man.

WOLF: And even to further degrade him by playing Wham, OK?

That's -- that's the story.

NGUYEN: Wake me up before it's over.

WOLF: At least he's consistent. He is consistent.

HARRIS: Yes.

WOLF: It happened last year, it happened again this year, so what can you do?

NGUYEN: Yes, I mean we...

HARRIS: But...

NGUYEN: ... give him an A for consistency, I guess.

WOLF: There you go.

HARRIS: I think that was a mug shot. Was that a mug shot? It could double for one, that's for sure.

NGUYEN: Maybe that's why he was late. We don't know the real story.

HARRIS: All right.

"RELIABLE SOURCES" is next, followed by "LATE EDITION" and "ON THE STORY," so don't go anywhere.

NGUYEN: No.

Sophia Choi is in for Fredricka Whitfield this weekend. She's going to be with you all morning with live news updates and she won't be late.

Have a great day, everybody.

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