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CNN Saturday Morning News

New Year's Celebrations; Unhappy Waiters; Farris Hassan's Journey; New Leak Investigation

Aired December 31, 2005 - 11:30   ET

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

RANDY KAYE, CNN HOST: A look now at our top stories. Flight for life. An Iraqi baby is on her way to the U.S. for life-saving medical treatment. U.S. soldiers encountered the baby during a raid on her family's home. The infant suffers from a life-threatens birth defect, spina bifida. She's scheduled to arrive at Atlanta hospital later on today.
They're already celebrating the New Year down under. Tens of thousands of Australians gathered around Sydney Harbor Bridge to watch a spectacular fireworks display. Some 1700 police were on duty, amid fears there could be a recurrence of mid-December's race riots in the city.

Red balloons in the Big Apple as they get ready to usher in 2006. g Volunteers have been busy getting hundreds of balloons ready for the big moment. New Yorkers will welcome 2006 with a traditional dropping of the ball in Times Square at the stroke of midnight.

The New Year will bring a new leak investigation. The Justice Department has opened another probe into leaks of classified information. This time they want to find out who told the "New York Times" that President Bush authorized the NSA to spy in the U.S. without a court warrant. CNN's David Ensor has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The investigation by FBI agents and Justice Department officials will focus on the relatively small number of U.S. officials who knew that President Bush had ordered the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on some in the U.S., looking for evidence of terrorist activity, and to do so without a court warrant.

The "New York Times" revelation December 16th ignited a firestorm with critics charging the president exceeded his authority and had broken the law. President Bush and his aides have strongly defended the top secret wiretapping program, saying it is a legitimate tactic in the war on terror.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My personal opinion is, it was a shameful act, for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war. The fact that we're discussing this program is helping the enemy.

ENSOR: The leak investigation may also involve tracking the contacts of James Rison, the "New York Times" reporter who co-authored the story and has a book coming out soon. Leak investigations are usually unsuccessful, but Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor appointed to find out who leaked the name of Valerie Plame Wilson, a former cia officer, pioneered a new tactic -- going after journalists, jailing one, Judy Miller of the "New York Times," when she at first refused to reveal her sources.

Former prosecutor Dick Sauber represents another journalist in that case.

DICK SAUBER, MATT COOPER'S ATTORNEY: Now we have what I think is going to be a titanic clash this year between the government's right to keep classified information secret and the public's right to know, and caught in the middle are going to be a fairly significant number of journalists who are going to face a very challenging year.

ENSOR (on camera): The American Civil Liberties Union condemned the probe, calling on the attorney general instead to appoint a special prosecutor to look into whether the president may have broken the law by ordering the NSA to go after domestic targets without court warrants.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: And now the focus today, as New Year's celebrations are just a few hours away, at least here in the states; people want to know, is the weather going to cooperate? Will they be able to get to their planned destinations, Bonnie?

(WEATHER/TRAVEL REPORT)

KAYE: What would you do if your teenaged son ran off to Baghdad without telling you? Well, it happened. That story, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The top stories right now: A potential traffic nightmare in London this New Year's Eve. Subway workers started a 24- hour today strike over what they call safety issues. The walkout will be felt most dramatically tonight, as evening shift workers fail to show up and thousands of revelers pour into the city.

No suspects yet in the shooting attack on rapper Obie Trice. The singer was shot and wounded earlier today in Detroit. Police say Trice was driving when someone in another car fiored at him. Trice continued to drive ubtil his girlfriend, who was also in the car, flagged down a police officer.

And now to the tale of one wayward teenager who traveled all the way to Iraq unbeknownst to his panicked parents. Farris Hassan arrived in Baghdad earlier this week. His family tells CNN he's now in Kuwait and will come home sometime next week.

For all the who, what and whys of this bizarre story, we turn now to CNN's Christopher King.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PATRICK QUINN, ASSOCIATED PRESS: A 16-year-old American high school student who doesn't speak any Arabic, it's unbelievable that he is still -- that nothing happened to him.

CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Farris Hassan's odyssey begins December 11th when, unbeknownst to anyone but two friends, he flies from Miami to Amsterdam, then to Kuwait. His goal? Baghdad. The prep school junior has been fascinated by the war and deeply sympathetic with the suffering of the Iraqi people.

Studying journalism in school, he has decided he must see the situation for himself. From Kuwait City, Hassan takes a taxi to the Iraqi border on December 13th, but it's closed ahead of elections. So he goes back to Kuwait City, where he finally tells his parents of his plan.

DR. REDHA HASSAN, FATHER: Well, he sent me an e-mail saying, I am on my way to Baghdad, don't be worried, Dad -- don't be worried.

KING: His father encourages his son to fly to Beirut instead, where the boy stays more than a week with family friends. They help arrange for Hassan to achieve his goal. And on Christmas Day, he flies to Baghdad. The friends in Beirut have arranged for a driver to pick him up and together they safely navigate the notoriously dangerous highway from the airport into town.

Hassan checks into the Palestine Hotel, largely populated by Westerners.

Hassan's parents were born in Iraq, but left for the U.S. decades ago. He looks like he could blend in, but the teen doesn't speak Arabic. And with his sneakers and jeans, he's more suited for the mall than the war-ravaged streets of the Iraqi capital.

On his second day there, Hassan parents himself at the offices of the Associated Press, stunning journalists who work there.

QUINN: I recall telling Jason here that it was -- I would have been less surprised if little green men had walked into the office. And he actually announced to us that he wanted to join us and become a journalist.

JASON STRAZIUSO, ASSOCIATED PRESS: He's curious and he's courageous. Now, if he could just wait a couple more years.

KING: Hassan's mother says she's been extremely worried and she's eager to have her son safely home.

SHATHA ATIYA, MOTHER: As far as being punished for going to Iraq, I think he's going to lose some of his autonomy for a while. And he's going to lose his passport, for sure.

KING: Christopher King, CNN.

(END VIDEO TAPE) WHITFIELD: He was using money from his own savings account to finance his journey.

Well,m tragedy mars New Year's Eve preparations in Indonesia. It's one of the stories making news around the globe this morning. For more, let's check in with Shanon Cook from our internationial desk. Hello, Shanon.

SHANON COOK, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK: Thanks, Fredricka.

A violent end to 2005 for innocent shoppers at a market in Indonesia. A nail bomb exploded in the marketplace in Palu, the capital of a province in central Indonesia, killing eight people, and wounding 45 others. The market was packed with people buying pork for New Year's Eve celebrations. Many victims believed to be Christians. Indonesian police are investigating whether the explosion is linked to attacks on Christians from earlier this year.

Now, to Yemen now. We've learned a German family is taken hostage there has been freed. The family of five and their Yemeni assistants were abducted while driving in the mountains on Wednesday. Tribesmen released the hostages today, according to the German foreign minister.

Now, Fredricka, I don't know if you're a fan of U.K. football star David Beckham. A lot of ladies are fans of David Beckham, must say. She's not listening to me. I'm talking to myself.

WHITFIELD: I'm listening! They wouldn't let me talk to you. Oh, yes I know who Beckham is.

COOK: I thought maybe you were sitting there daydreaming.

WHITFIELD: I'm not living under a rock! Who doesn't know him.

COOK: Listen, a Norwegian billionaire has shown interest in Beckham's feet, or more specifically, his footwear. According to the website, the tycoon paid almost $150,000 for Beckham's silver football boots. He bought them from a charity on a TV show in Norway. Who is this buyer? His name's Edar Bolbik, and he founded an Internet phone company, getting very, very rich.

The money he paid for the shoes goes towards buying tents for thousands left homeless by the Pakistan earthquake that struck last October, so, going to a good cause. And it's not the first time these boots have actually raised money for a good cause. They also raised money for the Asian tsunami that struck a year ago. But, you know, it begs the question, who really wants a pair of stinky old football boots?

WHITFIELD: Well now, that I know where the money is going towards, then you know, major applause going to him. But at the same time, I'm thinking, initially, maybe all that money also needs a little face time. For some girl that he knows in his life who wants to meet Mr. Beckham. COOK: Well, maybe -- it'll be interesting to see, though, if this billionaire passes the shoes on to another charity so it can raise more money. Already raised money for two good causes.

WHITFIELD: That would be nice. It's a great story, nonetheless.

All right. Thanks so much, Shanon.

Randi.

KAYE: She is one of the world's best ice-skaters and she wants to compete for the U.S. in the upcoming olympics. But there's just one small problem: she is Canadian. Thanks to high-level help, this olympic hopeful is on the fast track to getting American citizenship. CNN's Kimberly Osias has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Until days ago, Tanith Belbin's hopes of competing at the Winter Games in Turin, Italy, were on thin ice.

TANITH BELBIN, OLYMPIC HOPEFUL: I really just want to gain maturity, experience, confidence -- all the things that teams who have been skating 20 years longer than me have.

OSIAS: Talent isn't the issue. Belbin and her partner, Ben Agusto, won a silver medal in the world championships this year, the highest finish for an American ice dancing team in three decades. The problem is, Belbin isn't American. She's Canadian. That would have kept her off the U.S. Olympic team, if the senator representing the state where Belbin now lives hadn't stepped in. Michigan Democrat Carl Levin pushed a measure through Congress allowing foreigners with extraordinary ability to take advantage of a streamlined naturalization process, approved in 2002. Without the law, Belbin wouldn't qualify for the fast-track program, because she first applied for citizenship in 2000. And she wouldn't have become a citizen until 2007, too late for February's Winter Games. But now, with help from Congress and the president, Belbin and Agusto appear on track to go for the gold.

Kimberly Osias, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Well, coming up, if you knew what your waiter was saying about you, oh, boy. You may not want to eat the foods that's served. Or better yet you may not want to know what they're saying about you!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN.COM DESK: From tragedies to triumphs, 2005 has been a year of remarkable news from around the world. CNN.com chronicles some of the year's top story, from the aftermath of Indian Ocean tsunamis to Hurricane Katrina, this timeline recounts major events as they happened month-by-month. Relive the year's biggest moments by watching video clips from the breaking news stories that made history and changed lives.

And as the world watched these events, you as citizen-journalists helped CNN.com cover them by sending us your stories, pictures and videos. From Johnny Carson to Johnnie Cochran, read and remember a few of the important people that left us this year.

And what do you think were the major stories of 2005? You can write the top ten of your choice in this poll. Logon to CNN.com/yearinreview for a look back at the most memorable moments of 2005.

For the dotcom desk, I'm Veronica Delacruz.

KAYE: This New Year, you might want to make a resolution to be very, very nice to your waiters and waitresses when you eat out, especially when you see they could do to your food. Our jeanne Moos tells all.

JEANNE MOOS, CNNCORRESPONDENT: Ever wonder what the smiling wait staff is really thinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I come back and they're like, Can we have more bread, please? You don't need more bread than that.

MOOS: Pardon the pan, excuse the strainer. We're hiding the identity of waiters ready to dish the dirt on what could happen when the customer isn't nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I acyually watched the waiter drop their steak on the floor and step on it, then put it in the box and take it back to the table and hand it to them.

MOOS: Like in the movie "Birdcage," these days you can read all about bad behavior and sweet revenge on websites, like bitterwaitress, Stained Apron, waiter rant and Shameless Restaurants. Speaking of shameless, don't ever provoke a lactating waitress and don't shake up the bartender.

And talk about crappy, bitter waitress lists bad tippers by name: an entry about Omarosa from "The Apprentice" asks, "Is this woman even human?" for allegedly tipping 15 cents. J.Lo supposedly complained, "Waiter, this water is too cold. Make it warmer." Then there's the war story about someone leaving $2 and a coupon for cranberry juice. No wonder bitterwaitress sells shirts plastered with the preferred tip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's also the verbal tip. That's my favorite, when at the end the meal, you get the, Oh, I loved you, it was wonderful.

MOOS: Praise, but a lousy tip. New York City servers point out that without tips they make only about $3 an hour.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The way that people in Israel have to go into the army, I think that everybody in America should have to waitress. MOOS: But even Jack Nicholson's restaurant run-in --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAITRESS: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I want you to hold it between your knees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: -- doesn't compare with the Sizzler waiter who got in a fight with an Atkins dieter. She wanted to substitute vegetables for potatos. The server followed the family home and covered their house in toilet paper, syrup, flour, you name it.

(on camera): Are there things people ask for that really get on your nerves?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think every waiter in the world hates people who order tea.

MOOS (voice-over): For a cheapo beverage, you have to get a saucer, a teabag, a teapot, pour scalding water, get lemon, milk, more sweetener.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They open it up and they wrinkle it into those little balls and they stuff it back into the sugar caddy, like that's going to be okay.

MOOS: Stock tea (ph) -- get your waitress teed off.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

WHITFIELD: I'm a tea drinker.

KAYE: Me too!.

WHITFIELD: And I have noticed I'll ask for hot tea and I get this, ah.

KAYE: Sure, what flavor would you like?

WHITFIELD: Take your tea bag, step on it back in the kitchen.

KAYE: I have to hold off on the tea.

WHITFIELD: I think I'll eat in. Deal with it at home.

KAYE: No more, after hearing that story. Thanks a lot, Jeanne.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead in the next hour of CNN's LIVE SATURDAY: it's being described as an impossible survival story. You'll see it right here on CNN. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

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