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CNN Saturday Morning News

Summer Movies; Aruba Missing Person Case; Koran Desecration

Aired June 04, 2005 - 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.


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And good morning, everyone. Good morning, Michael Harris, 10 years old today. Happy birthday.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Your little boy turning 10 today. Proud papa.

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Good morning.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

It is 9:00 a.m. in Palm Beach, Aruba, 6:00 a.m. in Santa Maria, California. We want to thank you for being with us today. Let's get right to it with the headlines.

A bomb blast kills two American soldiers in Afghanistan. The military says the bomb exploded next to a U.S. military convoy in the eastern part of the country. A third soldier and an Afghan interpreter were wounded in Friday's attack.

Iraqi security forces battling a raging insurgency say they have arrested a terror suspect who's also an alleged deputy of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The suspect was captured, along with five other insurgents, during raids in eastern Mosul.

Now to Belfast. A reputed IRA veteran was arraigned today on charges he murdered a Catholic man outside an Irish pub. Robert McCartney was savagely beaten and stabbed last January. The case has overshadowed northern Ireland's peace process.

HARRIS: And here's what we've got coming up.

The Pentagon confirms incidents of U.S. troops mishandling the Muslim holy book at Guantanamo Bay.

It's been five days now, and still no sign of an Alabama teenager missing in a Caribbean resort. We'll go there live for an update.

And in our "Going Global" segment, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issues a dire warning about security in Asia.

NGUYEN: We begin with a Pentagon investigation into the mishandling of the Muslim holy book, the Koran. The issue is causing outrage and violence.

Now, earlier reports of a Koran being flushed down a toilet at the Guantanamo Bay prison by a U.S. guard sparked a deadly protest in Afghanistan. The reports, though, were later retracted, but U.S. military officials now say detainees have abused the Koran as acts of protest.

The Pentagon also confirms five other serious cases involving U.S. personnel. They include one incident of U.S. personnel kicking a detainee's Koran, another incident of urine splashing on a Koran through an air vent. That guard was reassigned to duties not dealing with prisoners. And guards also engaged in a water balloon fight that soaked two Korans.

HARRIS: The reported abuses will also be the focus of hearings on Capitol Hill. Later this month, Senator Arlen Specter will chair Judiciary Committee hearings on the treatment of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay. The Republican lawmaker is looking at the need to clarify the rights of foreign detainees.

The Gitmo issue is the subject of our morning email this morning. Amnesty International last week called the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo "the gulag of our time." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calls that characterization reprehensible.

What do you think? Should enemy combatants have more legal protections? Send us your thoughts at WEEKENDS@CNN.com and we'll be reading your replies all morning.

NGUYEN: Now to the fight for Iraq. As many as 4,000 U.S. forces are now in northwestern Iraq conducting sweeps on insurgents near the Syrian border. The area has been a hotspot for foreign fighters streaming across the border and attacking government and civilian targets.

CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. forces in Telafar and will bring you any new developments throughout the day as they occur.

In Baghdad now, two Iraqi policemen were slightly injured when a booby-trapped car exploded. They were responding to a report of a body inside in an abandoned car. When they opened the trunk, they discovered it was packed with explosives. Police pulled back just moments before it exploded.

HARRIS: And turning now to a worrisome mystery on an island some called paradise. In Aruba, there have been dozens of tips but no concrete sighting of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. The Alabama native was in Aruba celebrating her high school graduation. She was last seen Monday morning leaving a nightclub. Today, more FBI agents are there for the search.

CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us by videophone.

And good morning, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, hundreds of posters like these are still going up around the island. That one word, "missing," seems to sum a lot of the fears right now.

The prime minister's office on Aruba has issued a statement in the last few hours describing the latest turn of events as shocking and completely distressing. The statement also goes on to say that the Aruban government will not tolerate activity that harms its Americans friends.

So far, reward money of $50,000 has been put up for information leading to the location of Natalee Holloway. That's a mixture of money from the local tourism sector, Natalee's family, and the Aruban government themselves. Obviously, Aruba highly dependent on the tourist trade, particularly U.S. tourists, some half a million of whom came last year to the island.

Now, police say there have been numerous tips overnight. They're acting on every one of those tips. But certainly nothing confirmed in terms of a sighting yet -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. CNN's Karl Penhaul following the Holloway case for us in Aruba. Karl, we appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Some stories making news now "Across America."

First up, we want to warn you about some disturbing video. The newly-released footage shows the gunman in a December nightclub shooting in Columbus, Ohio.

Now, it happened as the heavy metal band Damage Plan played. The gunman burst on stage and began shooting. The guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was killed, along with three others before police shot and killed the shooter.

And the convicted killer known as Son of Sam is suing his lawyer for allegedly trying to sell personal property. David Berkowitz says his lawyer wants to sell a typewriter, prison records, even a letter to the killer from a victim's mother. Berkowitz is serving six sentences of 25 years to life for killing six people in New York City.

HARRIS: The jurors in the Michael Jackson trial will get back to work Monday, trying to decide if the pop star is guilty of child molestation. They heard closing arguments and began deliberations without reaching a verdict yesterday.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has our report from Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With his mother on his arm, his father close by, Michael Jackson gave one small wave to fans before going into what would be the last chance to sway the jury. Five of Jackson's brothers and sisters came to court, the largest showing of the Jackson family since the early days of the trial.

In his final two-hour plea to the panel, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau repeatedly described the accuser and his family as "con artists, actors and liars." He asked the jury to question why the boy didn't claim molestation until after the family had seen two lawyers.

SUSAN FILAN, LEGAL ANALYST: He's not slurring the victim for the purpose of putting the victim on trial. He's slurring the victim because he thinks this victim is committing a fraud and a perjury on this court. And he even said to the jury, "Don't let them do it to you."

DORNIN: Mesereau urged the jury to consider reasonable doubt and to throw the case out the door. But prosecutor Ron Zonen got the last word. He asked jurors how could they believe that Jackson's practice of sleeping with boys was not sexual?

CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: If he sleeps with a boy whose 12- year-old -- who's 12 years old, and he's a middle-aged man, if he sleeps with a boy 365 nights a year, that's not a friendship. That's a relationship.

DORNIN: The defense argued that Jackson would have been stupid to molest the accuser after the documentary aired. But prosecutors countered that Jackson would do it because he could, and because the accuser was in love with him.

The prosecution made their final impression by showing tape of the police interview with the accuser, where the boy, in halting tones, claims Jackson molested him. Jackson's gaunt appearance in recent weeks has drawn questions about his health, as did his visit to a hospital this week.

RAYMONE BAIN, JACKSON SPOKESWOMAN: It was not because he was sick, but because Mr. Gregory said, "You look a little dehydrated. And I feel that you need electrolytes."

DORNIN: Jackson has been to the hospital twice before during the trial, once complaining of back pain, another time with flu symptoms. And again, on his mother's arm, and with a weak wave, Jackson left the courthouse to return only when his fate has been decided.

(on camera): When his fate has been decided, the judge told Jackson he has one hour to get to the courthouse. The jury deliberated less than two hours before going home for the weekend. They'll be back on Monday morning at 8:30. We've also learned there will be a live audio feed in the courtroom when the verdict is reached.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now to "Security Watch," which updates you on the week's major developments in the war on terror.

Two U.S. citizens are being held without bail, charged with providing material support to al Qaeda. Prosecutors say the two men conspired to use their skills in martial arts and medicine to aid international terrorists. They'll appear in court on Monday

A new $6 million X-ray machine is checking cargo at the U.S. Port of Maryland. The Eagle can inspect nearly a dozen containers an hour. Meanwhile, two California courts are getting radiation detectors. Three machines will be running by the end of the month in the Los Angeles area. A total of 90 will be installed in southern California by next January.

New Jersey officials say the government needs to shell out a whole lot more money to secure an area dubbed the most dangerous two miles in America. The coastal stretch is home to several potential terrorism targets, including the largest seaport on the East Coast, an airport and several chemical plants. The House has passed a $50 million package for chemical plant security, but it still needs to go before the Senate.

You'll want to stay tuned to CNN, day and night, for the most reliable news about your security

Also, some tough words for China. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has new criticisms this morning about the Asian country.

HARRIS: And good morning, Daytona Beach. What do you need? What do you need this weekend? Some sun, some beach, sand? All there. A nice little hotel room near the ocean.

NGUYEN: That sounds like a vacation to me.

HARRIS: Your weekend forecast coming up with Rob Marciano when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You know what that sound means, time to check some of the top international stories making news this morning.

HARRIS: And for that, let's check in with Hala Gorani who is in for Ana Naidu (ph) today at the international desk.

Hala, good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Tony and Betty. We're going to start our look around the world in Lebanon.

An emotional funeral procession for the slain Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir, a very prominent and outspoken journalist who had spoken against Syrian involvement in Lebanon. He died when a bomb placed in his car exploded.

People lined the streets of the capital to pay their respects. Opposition leaders in Lebanon are demanding an official U.N. investigation into the assassination.

Also from around the world, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, currently on an Asia tour, is not mincing his words in his attack on the Arab satellite network, Al-Jazeera. While in Singapore, he says the news channel is encouraging the insurgency in Iraq by airing videos of western hostages. Earlier, Rumsfeld bluntly criticized China, calling its military buildup a threat to Asian security.

And finally, today is the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Although it's been 16 years since this stark image, little has changed politically in China. Police ringed (ph) Tiananmen Square, and dissenters were kept under guard in their home. However, in Hong Kong, residents held a candlelight vigil. People there, of course, enjoying the free speech and freedom of assembly denied to many in China.

You're up to date -- Tony and Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Hala.

HARRIS: Hala, thank you.

NGUYEN: Our top stories right now. The Pentagon says it is confirmed -- or it has confirmed several Koran abuses at the Guantanamo Bay prison. The U.S. military does own up to the incidents in which U.S. personnel mishandled the Muslim holy book, but, officials say, no guard flushed a Koran down a toilet. Instead, they cite several incidents in which inmates themselves tried to flush the book.

In Iraq, the U.S. military and tribal leaders discussed the ongoing crackdown on the insurgency. Of major concern is the infiltration of foreign fighters across the Syrian border.

And now to Aruba. It has been five days and still no sign of Natalee Holloway. The Alabama teenager disappeared while on a high school graduation trip. Witnesses say she was last seen Monday leaving a nightclub with three local men. The men claim they dropped her off at her hotel.

HARRIS: It is becoming one of the unexpected box office hits of the summer. Why is "Crash" stacking up the bucks? We'll find out ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: I've seen it. I can tell you why. It's good.

HARRIS: It's good.

NGUYEN: Yes.

All right. Here's a CNN extra for you. JP Morgan Private Bank helps people manage their wealth. But if you want to feel truly enriched, try the company's up-market annual summer reading list.

A few top picks, "It's Only a Movie: A Personal Biography of Alfred Hitchcock," by Charlotte Chandler; "Island At The Center of the World," by Russell Shorto; "The Wisdom of Crowds," by James Suroweiki; and "The World is Flat," by Thomas L. Friedman.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: All right. It looks like summer movies are on the tops of people's minds. They're logging on this morning talking about it. And CNN's Veronica de la Cruz is here to talk about what's hot when it comes to the movies.

I've seen quite a few.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Have you?

NGUYEN: Yes. I don't want to tell you what my pick is though.

DE LA CRUZ: Did you see "Star Wars?"

NGUYEN: No, I haven't seen that one yet.

DE LA CRUZ: Really?

HARRIS: That's one...

NGUYEN: I know, that's the one that I need to see. But I've seen some good ones.

DE LA CRUZ: Well, it's not at the top of my list, but I'm going to tell you what is at the top of everybody else's. And that's coming up.

NGUYEN: OK. I think it's the same as mine.

DE LA CRUZ: But first of all, let me tell you how to find these most popular stories. You're going to go to our main page and click on the icon "most popular." That's on the right-hand side of your screen. Or you can type in cnn.com/mostpopular.

OK. Our number one story right now, well, it could be called the most unlikely hit of the summer, but "Crash," a film about race relations in Los Angeles, is raking it in. The movie stars Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon, among others, and has pulled in $36 million in four weeks.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it opened against Paris Hilton's "House of Wax."

NGUYEN: Yes, maybe.

DE LA CRUZ: Maybe. But maybe it's the marketing strategy. The film's target demo: college students, upscale adult audiences, the urban market, and women.

Have you seen it?

NGUYEN: I've seen it. It's a great -- that was going to be my pick...

DE LA CRUZ: Was it?

NGUYEN: ... because, by far, the best movie I've seen so far this year.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes. And they're targeting women because they say it is very emotional, this movie.

NGUYEN: Oh, it is an emotional ride from beginning to end. I don't want to tell you anymore because...

DE LA CRUZ: Don't, because I have to see it. I have to see it.

NGUYEN: And I think it's going to win some awards. But that's just my pick.

DE LA CRUZ: All right. Moving on really, really quick, also hot on CNN.com, which airline, Betty, do you pick when flying the friendly skies?

NGUYEN: The cheapest one.

DE LA CRUZ: An annual poll of the world's top 10 airlines says most people prefer Cafe Pacific (ph). Few U.S. carriers scored highly, but the one that did make a mark, JetBlue.

NGUYEN: See, a low-cost carrier. What did I tell you?

DE LA CRUZ: You're right about that.

NGUYEN: We're all about saving money here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Thank you, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

HARRIS: We're going to check in now with Rob Marciano, who is following wet weather over a big old patch of the country there.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Good morning, Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: If you've flown through the week with no time to watch the news, fear not. Consider CNN your wingman, your maverick on goose, the whole wing man.

NGUYEN: That was not a good combination, though, the maverick- goose one.

HARRIS: Sorry.

NGUYEN: But we get the point. Go ahead, Tony.

HARRIS: Tuesday, mystery solved. A "Vanity Fair" article identified Mark Felt as Deep Throat, "The Washington Post" secret source behind the Watergate scandal. Felt was the number two man at the FBI in the early '70s. Wednesday, a land slide in Laguna Beach, California, prompted authorities to declare several homes unsafe to enter. The price of homes in the area is at least $1.5 million. Experts say 28 inches of rain this past winter is likely to blame for the slide.

And Thursday, Serbian police arrested eight men who were filmed killing six Bosnian Muslim prisoners near Srbebrenica in 1995. Authorities say the suspects are former members of a Serbian paramilitary group.

The 10-year-old video came to light this week and was played Wednesday during the war crimes trial of former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic. Up to 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed in Srebrenica, Europe's worst mass killing since World War II.

And tomorrow, we will fast-forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

NGUYEN: Amnesty International last week called the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo "the gulag of our time." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called that characterization reprehensible.

So we've been asking you this morning, should enemy combatants have more legal protection? We'll have your emails coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The issue of legal protections for enemy combatants is the subject of our email this morning. So let's get right to the question. Should enemy combatants have more legal protections?

Our first email comes from Bill. Bill writes, "All prisoners everywhere have certain rights that we deny Gitmo detainees. First, the world deserves to know which of the prisoners is in fact an enemy combatant. We don't want to trust this paranoid administration on that one. We cannot support the Geneva accords, only when it suits us."

Thank you, Bill.

NGUYEN: Well, Mike says, "Why is the media whipping up the public? Are these people are guests or dignitaries, or are they prisoners of war? We need to get our facts and emotions straight. How will they treat us? Will it be dignified?"

We want to thank you all for your responses today to our email question. We'll have another question tomorrow morning. We do also want to thank you for joining us today. Can you believe it, that's it.

HARRIS: We're done?

NGUYEN: Done.

HARRIS: Time to go?

NGUYEN: Time to go.

HARRIS: We'll see you again tomorrow morning.

NGUYEN: "Open House" is straight ahead. But first, these stories right "Now in the News."

The Pentagon says it has confirmed that several cases of U.S. guards at Guantanamo Bay abusing the Muslim holy book. The incidents include one Koran splashed with urine, another kicked by a guard, and two soaked in a water balloon fight. The newly-revealed incidents follow a now discredited report that guards had flushed one Koran down a toilet. The U.S. military says inmates themselves tried to flush the books several times, not U.S. guards.

END

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Aired June 4, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And good morning, everyone. Good morning, Michael Harris, 10 years old today. Happy birthday.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Your little boy turning 10 today. Proud papa.

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Good morning.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

It is 9:00 a.m. in Palm Beach, Aruba, 6:00 a.m. in Santa Maria, California. We want to thank you for being with us today. Let's get right to it with the headlines.

A bomb blast kills two American soldiers in Afghanistan. The military says the bomb exploded next to a U.S. military convoy in the eastern part of the country. A third soldier and an Afghan interpreter were wounded in Friday's attack.

Iraqi security forces battling a raging insurgency say they have arrested a terror suspect who's also an alleged deputy of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The suspect was captured, along with five other insurgents, during raids in eastern Mosul.

Now to Belfast. A reputed IRA veteran was arraigned today on charges he murdered a Catholic man outside an Irish pub. Robert McCartney was savagely beaten and stabbed last January. The case has overshadowed northern Ireland's peace process.

HARRIS: And here's what we've got coming up.

The Pentagon confirms incidents of U.S. troops mishandling the Muslim holy book at Guantanamo Bay.

It's been five days now, and still no sign of an Alabama teenager missing in a Caribbean resort. We'll go there live for an update.

And in our "Going Global" segment, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issues a dire warning about security in Asia.

NGUYEN: We begin with a Pentagon investigation into the mishandling of the Muslim holy book, the Koran. The issue is causing outrage and violence.

Now, earlier reports of a Koran being flushed down a toilet at the Guantanamo Bay prison by a U.S. guard sparked a deadly protest in Afghanistan. The reports, though, were later retracted, but U.S. military officials now say detainees have abused the Koran as acts of protest.

The Pentagon also confirms five other serious cases involving U.S. personnel. They include one incident of U.S. personnel kicking a detainee's Koran, another incident of urine splashing on a Koran through an air vent. That guard was reassigned to duties not dealing with prisoners. And guards also engaged in a water balloon fight that soaked two Korans.

HARRIS: The reported abuses will also be the focus of hearings on Capitol Hill. Later this month, Senator Arlen Specter will chair Judiciary Committee hearings on the treatment of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay. The Republican lawmaker is looking at the need to clarify the rights of foreign detainees.

The Gitmo issue is the subject of our morning email this morning. Amnesty International last week called the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo "the gulag of our time." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calls that characterization reprehensible.

What do you think? Should enemy combatants have more legal protections? Send us your thoughts at WEEKENDS@CNN.com and we'll be reading your replies all morning.

NGUYEN: Now to the fight for Iraq. As many as 4,000 U.S. forces are now in northwestern Iraq conducting sweeps on insurgents near the Syrian border. The area has been a hotspot for foreign fighters streaming across the border and attacking government and civilian targets.

CNN's Jane Arraf is embedded with the U.S. forces in Telafar and will bring you any new developments throughout the day as they occur.

In Baghdad now, two Iraqi policemen were slightly injured when a booby-trapped car exploded. They were responding to a report of a body inside in an abandoned car. When they opened the trunk, they discovered it was packed with explosives. Police pulled back just moments before it exploded.

HARRIS: And turning now to a worrisome mystery on an island some called paradise. In Aruba, there have been dozens of tips but no concrete sighting of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. The Alabama native was in Aruba celebrating her high school graduation. She was last seen Monday morning leaving a nightclub. Today, more FBI agents are there for the search.

CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us by videophone.

And good morning, Karl.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, hundreds of posters like these are still going up around the island. That one word, "missing," seems to sum a lot of the fears right now.

The prime minister's office on Aruba has issued a statement in the last few hours describing the latest turn of events as shocking and completely distressing. The statement also goes on to say that the Aruban government will not tolerate activity that harms its Americans friends.

So far, reward money of $50,000 has been put up for information leading to the location of Natalee Holloway. That's a mixture of money from the local tourism sector, Natalee's family, and the Aruban government themselves. Obviously, Aruba highly dependent on the tourist trade, particularly U.S. tourists, some half a million of whom came last year to the island.

Now, police say there have been numerous tips overnight. They're acting on every one of those tips. But certainly nothing confirmed in terms of a sighting yet -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. CNN's Karl Penhaul following the Holloway case for us in Aruba. Karl, we appreciate it. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Some stories making news now "Across America."

First up, we want to warn you about some disturbing video. The newly-released footage shows the gunman in a December nightclub shooting in Columbus, Ohio.

Now, it happened as the heavy metal band Damage Plan played. The gunman burst on stage and began shooting. The guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was killed, along with three others before police shot and killed the shooter.

And the convicted killer known as Son of Sam is suing his lawyer for allegedly trying to sell personal property. David Berkowitz says his lawyer wants to sell a typewriter, prison records, even a letter to the killer from a victim's mother. Berkowitz is serving six sentences of 25 years to life for killing six people in New York City.

HARRIS: The jurors in the Michael Jackson trial will get back to work Monday, trying to decide if the pop star is guilty of child molestation. They heard closing arguments and began deliberations without reaching a verdict yesterday.

CNN's Rusty Dornin has our report from Santa Maria, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With his mother on his arm, his father close by, Michael Jackson gave one small wave to fans before going into what would be the last chance to sway the jury. Five of Jackson's brothers and sisters came to court, the largest showing of the Jackson family since the early days of the trial.

In his final two-hour plea to the panel, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau repeatedly described the accuser and his family as "con artists, actors and liars." He asked the jury to question why the boy didn't claim molestation until after the family had seen two lawyers.

SUSAN FILAN, LEGAL ANALYST: He's not slurring the victim for the purpose of putting the victim on trial. He's slurring the victim because he thinks this victim is committing a fraud and a perjury on this court. And he even said to the jury, "Don't let them do it to you."

DORNIN: Mesereau urged the jury to consider reasonable doubt and to throw the case out the door. But prosecutor Ron Zonen got the last word. He asked jurors how could they believe that Jackson's practice of sleeping with boys was not sexual?

CRAIG SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: If he sleeps with a boy whose 12- year-old -- who's 12 years old, and he's a middle-aged man, if he sleeps with a boy 365 nights a year, that's not a friendship. That's a relationship.

DORNIN: The defense argued that Jackson would have been stupid to molest the accuser after the documentary aired. But prosecutors countered that Jackson would do it because he could, and because the accuser was in love with him.

The prosecution made their final impression by showing tape of the police interview with the accuser, where the boy, in halting tones, claims Jackson molested him. Jackson's gaunt appearance in recent weeks has drawn questions about his health, as did his visit to a hospital this week.

RAYMONE BAIN, JACKSON SPOKESWOMAN: It was not because he was sick, but because Mr. Gregory said, "You look a little dehydrated. And I feel that you need electrolytes."

DORNIN: Jackson has been to the hospital twice before during the trial, once complaining of back pain, another time with flu symptoms. And again, on his mother's arm, and with a weak wave, Jackson left the courthouse to return only when his fate has been decided.

(on camera): When his fate has been decided, the judge told Jackson he has one hour to get to the courthouse. The jury deliberated less than two hours before going home for the weekend. They'll be back on Monday morning at 8:30. We've also learned there will be a live audio feed in the courtroom when the verdict is reached.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Santa Maria, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now to "Security Watch," which updates you on the week's major developments in the war on terror.

Two U.S. citizens are being held without bail, charged with providing material support to al Qaeda. Prosecutors say the two men conspired to use their skills in martial arts and medicine to aid international terrorists. They'll appear in court on Monday

A new $6 million X-ray machine is checking cargo at the U.S. Port of Maryland. The Eagle can inspect nearly a dozen containers an hour. Meanwhile, two California courts are getting radiation detectors. Three machines will be running by the end of the month in the Los Angeles area. A total of 90 will be installed in southern California by next January.

New Jersey officials say the government needs to shell out a whole lot more money to secure an area dubbed the most dangerous two miles in America. The coastal stretch is home to several potential terrorism targets, including the largest seaport on the East Coast, an airport and several chemical plants. The House has passed a $50 million package for chemical plant security, but it still needs to go before the Senate.

You'll want to stay tuned to CNN, day and night, for the most reliable news about your security

Also, some tough words for China. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has new criticisms this morning about the Asian country.

HARRIS: And good morning, Daytona Beach. What do you need? What do you need this weekend? Some sun, some beach, sand? All there. A nice little hotel room near the ocean.

NGUYEN: That sounds like a vacation to me.

HARRIS: Your weekend forecast coming up with Rob Marciano when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You know what that sound means, time to check some of the top international stories making news this morning.

HARRIS: And for that, let's check in with Hala Gorani who is in for Ana Naidu (ph) today at the international desk.

Hala, good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Tony and Betty. We're going to start our look around the world in Lebanon.

An emotional funeral procession for the slain Lebanese journalist Samir Kassir, a very prominent and outspoken journalist who had spoken against Syrian involvement in Lebanon. He died when a bomb placed in his car exploded.

People lined the streets of the capital to pay their respects. Opposition leaders in Lebanon are demanding an official U.N. investigation into the assassination.

Also from around the world, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, currently on an Asia tour, is not mincing his words in his attack on the Arab satellite network, Al-Jazeera. While in Singapore, he says the news channel is encouraging the insurgency in Iraq by airing videos of western hostages. Earlier, Rumsfeld bluntly criticized China, calling its military buildup a threat to Asian security.

And finally, today is the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Although it's been 16 years since this stark image, little has changed politically in China. Police ringed (ph) Tiananmen Square, and dissenters were kept under guard in their home. However, in Hong Kong, residents held a candlelight vigil. People there, of course, enjoying the free speech and freedom of assembly denied to many in China.

You're up to date -- Tony and Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Hala.

HARRIS: Hala, thank you.

NGUYEN: Our top stories right now. The Pentagon says it is confirmed -- or it has confirmed several Koran abuses at the Guantanamo Bay prison. The U.S. military does own up to the incidents in which U.S. personnel mishandled the Muslim holy book, but, officials say, no guard flushed a Koran down a toilet. Instead, they cite several incidents in which inmates themselves tried to flush the book.

In Iraq, the U.S. military and tribal leaders discussed the ongoing crackdown on the insurgency. Of major concern is the infiltration of foreign fighters across the Syrian border.

And now to Aruba. It has been five days and still no sign of Natalee Holloway. The Alabama teenager disappeared while on a high school graduation trip. Witnesses say she was last seen Monday leaving a nightclub with three local men. The men claim they dropped her off at her hotel.

HARRIS: It is becoming one of the unexpected box office hits of the summer. Why is "Crash" stacking up the bucks? We'll find out ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: I've seen it. I can tell you why. It's good.

HARRIS: It's good.

NGUYEN: Yes.

All right. Here's a CNN extra for you. JP Morgan Private Bank helps people manage their wealth. But if you want to feel truly enriched, try the company's up-market annual summer reading list.

A few top picks, "It's Only a Movie: A Personal Biography of Alfred Hitchcock," by Charlotte Chandler; "Island At The Center of the World," by Russell Shorto; "The Wisdom of Crowds," by James Suroweiki; and "The World is Flat," by Thomas L. Friedman.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: All right. It looks like summer movies are on the tops of people's minds. They're logging on this morning talking about it. And CNN's Veronica de la Cruz is here to talk about what's hot when it comes to the movies.

I've seen quite a few.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Have you?

NGUYEN: Yes. I don't want to tell you what my pick is though.

DE LA CRUZ: Did you see "Star Wars?"

NGUYEN: No, I haven't seen that one yet.

DE LA CRUZ: Really?

HARRIS: That's one...

NGUYEN: I know, that's the one that I need to see. But I've seen some good ones.

DE LA CRUZ: Well, it's not at the top of my list, but I'm going to tell you what is at the top of everybody else's. And that's coming up.

NGUYEN: OK. I think it's the same as mine.

DE LA CRUZ: But first of all, let me tell you how to find these most popular stories. You're going to go to our main page and click on the icon "most popular." That's on the right-hand side of your screen. Or you can type in cnn.com/mostpopular.

OK. Our number one story right now, well, it could be called the most unlikely hit of the summer, but "Crash," a film about race relations in Los Angeles, is raking it in. The movie stars Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon, among others, and has pulled in $36 million in four weeks.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it opened against Paris Hilton's "House of Wax."

NGUYEN: Yes, maybe.

DE LA CRUZ: Maybe. But maybe it's the marketing strategy. The film's target demo: college students, upscale adult audiences, the urban market, and women.

Have you seen it?

NGUYEN: I've seen it. It's a great -- that was going to be my pick...

DE LA CRUZ: Was it?

NGUYEN: ... because, by far, the best movie I've seen so far this year.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes. And they're targeting women because they say it is very emotional, this movie.

NGUYEN: Oh, it is an emotional ride from beginning to end. I don't want to tell you anymore because...

DE LA CRUZ: Don't, because I have to see it. I have to see it.

NGUYEN: And I think it's going to win some awards. But that's just my pick.

DE LA CRUZ: All right. Moving on really, really quick, also hot on CNN.com, which airline, Betty, do you pick when flying the friendly skies?

NGUYEN: The cheapest one.

DE LA CRUZ: An annual poll of the world's top 10 airlines says most people prefer Cafe Pacific (ph). Few U.S. carriers scored highly, but the one that did make a mark, JetBlue.

NGUYEN: See, a low-cost carrier. What did I tell you?

DE LA CRUZ: You're right about that.

NGUYEN: We're all about saving money here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Thank you, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

HARRIS: We're going to check in now with Rob Marciano, who is following wet weather over a big old patch of the country there.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Good morning, Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: If you've flown through the week with no time to watch the news, fear not. Consider CNN your wingman, your maverick on goose, the whole wing man.

NGUYEN: That was not a good combination, though, the maverick- goose one.

HARRIS: Sorry.

NGUYEN: But we get the point. Go ahead, Tony.

HARRIS: Tuesday, mystery solved. A "Vanity Fair" article identified Mark Felt as Deep Throat, "The Washington Post" secret source behind the Watergate scandal. Felt was the number two man at the FBI in the early '70s. Wednesday, a land slide in Laguna Beach, California, prompted authorities to declare several homes unsafe to enter. The price of homes in the area is at least $1.5 million. Experts say 28 inches of rain this past winter is likely to blame for the slide.

And Thursday, Serbian police arrested eight men who were filmed killing six Bosnian Muslim prisoners near Srbebrenica in 1995. Authorities say the suspects are former members of a Serbian paramilitary group.

The 10-year-old video came to light this week and was played Wednesday during the war crimes trial of former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic. Up to 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed in Srebrenica, Europe's worst mass killing since World War II.

And tomorrow, we will fast-forward to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

NGUYEN: Amnesty International last week called the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo "the gulag of our time." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called that characterization reprehensible.

So we've been asking you this morning, should enemy combatants have more legal protection? We'll have your emails coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The issue of legal protections for enemy combatants is the subject of our email this morning. So let's get right to the question. Should enemy combatants have more legal protections?

Our first email comes from Bill. Bill writes, "All prisoners everywhere have certain rights that we deny Gitmo detainees. First, the world deserves to know which of the prisoners is in fact an enemy combatant. We don't want to trust this paranoid administration on that one. We cannot support the Geneva accords, only when it suits us."

Thank you, Bill.

NGUYEN: Well, Mike says, "Why is the media whipping up the public? Are these people are guests or dignitaries, or are they prisoners of war? We need to get our facts and emotions straight. How will they treat us? Will it be dignified?"

We want to thank you all for your responses today to our email question. We'll have another question tomorrow morning. We do also want to thank you for joining us today. Can you believe it, that's it.

HARRIS: We're done?

NGUYEN: Done.

HARRIS: Time to go?

NGUYEN: Time to go.

HARRIS: We'll see you again tomorrow morning.

NGUYEN: "Open House" is straight ahead. But first, these stories right "Now in the News."

The Pentagon says it has confirmed that several cases of U.S. guards at Guantanamo Bay abusing the Muslim holy book. The incidents include one Koran splashed with urine, another kicked by a guard, and two soaked in a water balloon fight. The newly-revealed incidents follow a now discredited report that guards had flushed one Koran down a toilet. The U.S. military says inmates themselves tried to flush the books several times, not U.S. guards.

END

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