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CNN Saturday Morning News
Murder Suspect John Mark Karr Expected To Arrive in L.A. Tomorrow; Multinational Peacekeeping Force Assembling Slowly in South Lebanon
Aired August 19, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER PROSECUTOR:. It seems to me that they must have the goods on this guy, more than just the confession, solid corroboration. If not, you know, this is massive prosecutorial incompetence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR:. Apparent holes in the case against JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr.
But is there solid evidence against him that we don't know about?
New details and developments in the Ramsey case right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is August 19th.
Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR:. Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN:. Hey, good morning to you.
HARRIS:. Good to see you.
NGUYEN:. Good to see you, too, Mr. Tony.
HARRIS:. Good morning, everybody.
I'm Tony Harris.
Thank you for being with us.
NGUYEN:. All right, now in the news, detained and soon to be deported, new information this morning about plans to return the JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect to the U.S. Authorities say John Mark Karr is expected to arrive in L.A. tomorrow evening on a flight from Thailand.
We'll go live to Bangkok in about two minutes.
There's no evidence of contact between the Ramsey suspect and the killer of Polly Klaas. Officials at San Quentin questioned Richard Allen Davis and searched his belongings after learning of a possible link. Davis is on death row for the Klaas murder.
More on this development in a live report. That is five minutes from now.
Now to Lebanon. Military operations continue this morning despite the U.N. cease-fire in effect. The Israeli military says that one officer was killed, two wounded, during an Israeli raid in the Bekaa Valley to prevent weapons smuggling from Syria. An Israeli diplomat says such operations will continue until U.N. troops can take over.
And some of those U.N. forces have begun-trickling back into Southern Lebanon. This is video of a small contingent of French reinforcements arriving just a few hours ago in the port of Naqoura.
CNN's Jim Clancy will have a report from the scene in about 30 minutes.
HARRIS:. Risky business and the Space Shuttle Atlantis. NASA has decided to go ahead with bolt repairs on Atlantis while it sits on the launch pad. Now, that's a first. Workers will have to be careful not to drop anything that could damage the shuttle. Atlantis is set to launch in eight days.
Let's get a check of the forecast the first thing this morning with Reynolds Wolf in the Weather Center -- Reynolds, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS:. We run-down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long.
Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 7:15 Eastern time.
NGUYEN:. Well, from the Far East to the Mountain West, we're tracking the latest developments in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. Coming up, live reports from our correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand and Boulder, Colorado.
HARRIS:. Returning to face charges and questions -- plans are in place this morning to bring the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case back to -- from Bangkok to the United States. John Mark Karr is expected to leave Thailand in less than 24 hours.
But questions remain about Karr's alleged role in the 6-year- old's death.
We begin in Bangkok with CNN's Atika Shubert -- Atika, good morning.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. Good morning, Tony.
And it appears the wheels are in motion to start bringing John Karr home, back to the United States. Actually, right now at the detention center behind me, the lead U.S. official here in Thailand, Ann Hurst, is in there at the moment, apparently making those final preparations before he goes.
What we've learned from Thai immigration officials and also from airline officials is that he's scheduled to be transferred out of here on Sunday afternoon. We have also learned that his tickets have been booked for a direct flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles. He should be arriving there on Sunday evening.
What we also know is that there has been -- they have reserved a special business class seat just for him. And, of course, those accompanying him, Tony.
HARRIS:. Hey, Atika, just a quick question.
Do we understand why it has taken so long for him to make this trip?
SHUBERT:. Oh, well, what we understand is that there was just a lot of legal paperwork that had to be done. Obviously, the Thai authorities were keeping hold of him, but there were certain legal formalities that had to be worked through.
To be honest, this has actually taken a lot faster than it normally would for another suspect.
HARRIS:. Oh, that's good. OK. All right.
Atika Shubert for us from Bangkok.
Atika, thank you.
NGUYEN:. Once he is back in the U.S. John Mark Karr will be taken to Boulder, Colorado to face charges. And that is where JonBenet Ramsey was killed, as you recall, almost a decade ago. Well, this morning the case is front page news once again.
CNN's Peter Viles is following developments in Boulder.
He joins us live -- Peter, what's the latest there?
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. Well, Betty, here in Boulder, there's a general sense of anticipation about John Karr's trip here and there is a lot of coverage in the media. As you might imagine, it's the number one story here. The story in the local paper, the Boulder paper, the headline: "He Knew So Much."
This is a story -- John Karr apparently met a columnist for the newspaper in 2002 in Paris and was obsessed, according to this columnist, with the JonBenet Ramsey case. But nothing in this story that pushes forward our knowledge at all about whether or not he was here in Boulder 10 years ago. So, if you will, that's still the big issue -- was he ever here and what was his relationship to this girl, this family?
And these are questions we just don't have answers to. Hoping to get those answers soon -- Betty.
NGUYEN:. Yes, there are, indeed, a lot of questions. Some would say even many holes in what John Karr says is the reason behind what had happened and his involvement, according to him, in this case.
But let me ask you this. A lot of it is going to rely on DNA tests.
Any idea when that may come back?
VILES:. Sure. Well, this is expected to be the deal breaker or the deal maker. If the DNA matches, that puts him at the house. That makes him, you know, clearly the suspect. It's the basis for a prosecution that his DNA is there.
If it's not, they would have to have some theory that there was another person involved.
But that is the big case and that is -- the big question, rather. And listening to the experts on "LARRY KING LIVE" last night, the DNA is intact. It's been analyzed. There's no question that they can use it and should have an answer to that question fairly soon -- Betty.
NGUYEN:. All right, Peter Viles joining us from Boulder, Colorado this morning.
Peter, thank you.
And that brings us to this morning's e-mail question.
What do you think about developments in the Ramsey case? what are your questions? Do you feel there's holes in what Karr says he did, in his involvement? Or basically what do you think?
E-mail us your thoughts, weekends@CNN.com. We'll read some of your responses a little bit later in the newscast.
HARRIS:. As we reported, a multinational peacekeeping force is assembling slowly in South Lebanon. Two small boats carrying French soldiers have come ashore today. The U.N. cease-fire plan calls for 15,000 international troops.
But as CNN's Liz Neisloss reports, there's a problem of assembling a multinational force.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIZ NEISLOSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. It normally takes several months to pull together the troops for a United Nations peacekeeping force. But when it comes to Lebanon, the U.N. has been putting a rush on. This is to get 3,500 troops into Southern Lebanon in the next two weeks.
The U.N. this week did get some speedy offers. But the problem -- not enough Europeans.
MARK MALLOCH BROWN, DEPUTY U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL:. The particular appeal I want to make today is that Europe comes forward with troops for this first wave.
NEISLOSS:. The first nations to offer troops for the front line are mostly from Muslim countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh -- countries that don't recognize Israel. The U.N. says a broader mix of nations is needed to balance the concerns of both Israel and Lebanon.
BROWN:. We want this force that we deploy to have a kind of multinational, multilateral character so that it enjoys the confidence of both sides. And we've said before that a Muslim-European or a European-Muslim force, because of both groups' interest in this situation, but because they have, if you like, bring, when you combine them, a legitimacy that satisfies both sides to this conflict.
NEISLOSS:. European troops also offer faster deployment, come better equipped and are better able to support themselves. France surprised the U.N. with its decision not to add more than 200 to its troops already in Lebanon, citing a lack of clarity about the use of force.
But France had led the negotiations to map out the cease-fire plan, along with the United States.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:. France has said they would send some troops. We hope they send more.
NEISLOSS:. Germany this week made an offer of sea and land patrols to monitor Lebanon's borders for any armed smuggling. But given its Nazi-era history, Germany didn't want to commit troops that might come into conflict with Israeli soldiers.
Spain and Belgium are mulling their troop offers.
Eyes are now on Italy for a potentially large contribution.
Liz Neisloss, CNN, the United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN:. All right, do you care for some jewelry?
HARRIS:. Sure, I do.
NGUYEN:. I bet you do. So do these folks. Take a look at this -- surveillance cameras from inside a Costco-shows that ...
HARRIS:. Well, I don't want to get it this way.
NGUYEN:. Yes, two crooks somehow managed to ransack the jewelry counter.
HARRIS:. There they go.
NGUYEN:. We have this full story just ahead.
HARRIS:. And given the latest terror scares and threats, what must the organizers of sports events do to make the crowds at, say, the PGA -- where El Tigre is within a shot of the lead -- what must they do to keep everyone safe?
We'll talk about it with Rick Horrow.
That's coming up when we go "Beyond The Game" in about 10 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS:. And good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, plans are set this morning to bring JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr back to the U.S. Karr is scheduled to leave Bangkok, Thailand in less than 24 hours. Authorities say he is expected to arrive in Los Angeles tomorrow evening. Questions persist over Karr's stunning admission that he was with JonBenet Ramsey when she died.
Officials at San Quentin say they found no evidence of contact between Karr and the killer of Polly Klaas. Authorities questioned Richard Allen Davis and searched his belongings after learning of a possible link. Davis is on death row for killing Klaas. Karr is said to have been fascinated with that case and the Ramsey murder.
In Lebanon, military operations continued this morning despite the U.N. cease-fire now in effect. The Israeli military says one officer was killed and two wounded during an Israeli raid in the Bekaa Valley to prevent weapons smuggling from Syria. An Israeli diplomat says such operations will continue until U.N. troops can take over security.
NGUYEN:. Well, some of those U.N. forces have begun-arriving back in Southern Lebanon. This is video of a small contingent of French reinforcements arriving just a few hours ago in the port of Naqoura.
CNN's Jim Clancy will have a report from there in about 20 minutes.
Now to Germany. Authorities say they have arrested one of two terror suspects in last month's plot to blow up passenger trains. Police seized the suspect at the main train station in Kiel. Images of the men were made public after two unexploded liquid bombs were found in suitcases aboard two trains.
We run-down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long.
Your next check of the headlines coming up at 7:30 Eastern.
HARRIS:. So, hotter than July in some parts of the country. It makes sense. It's August -- Reynolds, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN:. Yes, to say the least.
HARRIS:. So stay inside and watch CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN:. Hey, why would you want to do anything else, right?
HARRIS:. There you go.
Thanks, Reynolds.
And Stories Across America this morning.
The prices at Costco-apparently weren't low enough for these two guys. Surveillance video shows them ramming a car into a Florida Costco-store and ransacking a jewelry counter. Police say they stole more than $10,000 in jewelry and got away.
NGUYEN:. My.
HARRIS:. There is no joy at the Ford assembly plants in Louisville. The two plants there are among 10 North American plants Ford will temporarily close through the end of the year as part of a sharp cutback in production. It's too much supply versus diminishing demand, says Ford, for its pickup trucks and SUVs.
Former President Gerald Ford will remain at the Mayo Clinic at least through the weekend. He was admitted Tuesday for tests. Hospital officials won't comment about his condition. Ford, who is 93, was treated last month for shortness of breath and he was hospitalized in January for pneumonia.
NGUYEN:. Well, just ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, does ultra high airport security deter sports fans from traveling to the game?
CNN sports business analyst, Rick Horrow, has the answer.
HARRIS:. And coming up in the Water Cooler just 35 minutes from now, that's one small step for man, one giant leap for -- uh-oh.
NGUYEN:. Uh-oh.
HARRIS:. Houston, we have a problem.
NGUYEN:. Oh, no.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS:. Round three of the 88th PGA Championship tees off in less than two hours and Tiger Woods is moving up the leader board again, exactly what you would expect, now within one shot of the leaders. A surprise force in this tied at eight under par at the halfway mark. Woods shot a second round, 69. Although I think it was a 68, to go to seven under.
America's got games and we hit the road to watch them wherever they are. Americans spend an estimated $175 billion traveling to sporting events like this weekend's PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in two weeks in Flushing, New York, and next month's Ryder Cup matches in Ireland. Sports fans spend billions on hotels, restaurants, rental cars.
Let's have sports business analyst Rick Horrow, author of "When the Game Is On the Line," give us the business on the boom in sports travel.
Rick is live from his usual haunt. That's West Palm Beach, Florida -- Rick, good to see you this morning, my friend.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST:. I'll give you the business. I sure will.
I was in Nevada ...
HARRIS:. You really will?
What's the business.
HORROW: -- yesterday ...
HARRIS:. Yes?
HORROW: -- watching the PGA tournament. I rubbed up against Tiger a little bit. I thought that maybe ...
HARRIS:. Oh, you did not.
HORROW: ...just by being around him, it would improve my miserable golf game.
What do you think of that?
HARRIS:. You did not, you goobers moocher. You were at the PGA, hanging, oh, you know -- all right.
HORROW:. Yes, yes, yes.
HARRIS:. Let's hope it helped your game.
HORROW:. Yes, and I was wearing that coral shirt that he wears in our rally day on Sunday. I think I was his single inspiration. That's a good call. He did shoot a 68 yesterday, by the way.
HARRIS:. Thank you. Thank you, there.
HORROW:. Yes.
HARRIS:. Woo, good. HORROW:. Yes.
HARRIS:. OK, now the airline terror threat -- I guess we're wondering whether or not that has impacted the attendance at the PGA Championship?
Are folks a little skittish?
HORROW:. Well, you know, it depends on who you ask. I mean clearly it's $150 billion, as you said, the set up, travel industry economic impact number. And 49 million room nights, the hotels, the restaurants. A quarter of us or more go to sporting events every year and many fly to it. And so that industry is big.
But when you walked around yesterday, you didn't get a sense that there was any real problem other than the normal oh hair Friday afternoon crunch.
HARRIS:. Yes.
HORROW:. People staying in lines a little longer. But 70 percent of the people at the tournament yesterday do come from out of state and they drive, most of the time.
The real impact, Tony, is four or five weeks from now, over in Ireland, the Ryder Cup, 50 million transatlantic travelers every year. Fifty thousand are golfers who are going to the Ryder Cup and a lot of people are thinking, well, there may be a problem with it. And, also, the Irish golf industry, 200,000 rounds, it's maybe a question. If it is, I'll go over there and I'll play half those rounds myself to make it up.
HARRIS:. You are crazy.
All right, but here's a question. In a situation like the tournament that's going on right now in Illinois, you've got the U.S. Open coming up in Flushing in a couple of weeks. You mentioned the Ryder Cup.
What do these events mean in terms of dollars for these towns?
HORROW:. Two words -- a lot.
HARRIS:. Yes.
HORROW:. Fifty million of economic impact for the Chicago region from the weekend as they have happen in resort communities. It's even more at Whistling Straits up in Wisconsin held the PGA Championship a few years ago. That was $70 million or $80 million.
Then, of course, you have the Super Bowl, $250 million, $300 million. More and more events are being designed around the game itself. That's now a 10 day extravaganza for a couple of weekends. The granddaddy of them all, you just saw it -- Germany, five million tourists, $10 billion of economic impact, 30 billion viewers for the World Cup. So it is beyond question that these events have a major impact on the regions that host them.
HARRIS:. Hey, what do you want start with? do you want to start with fair ball or foul ball?
HORROW:. Let's start with the foul ball.
HARRIS:. OK.
HORROW:. Although I think it's kind of neat. A billion dollars of lost productivity a week, according to a study, because of players playing fantasy football and fantasy other games.
HARRIS:. Uh-oh.
HORROW:. You know what? I know it's important for the workforce to get those people back to work. But you can think of worse things to do than talking to people about your football team. I could make the argument that it helps people bond, although probably most employers are going to disagree with me.
HARRIS:. Yes, it doesn't fly around here, that's for sure.
And your fair ball? A significant ground breaking this week, huh?
HORROW:. Yes, and it also signals the overall trend that we've talked about a long time. Stadiums are important for the Benjamins. An $800 million stadium for the New York Yankees, groundbreaking on the heels of the Arizona Cardinals stadium just opening up.
By the way, the first retractable tray stadium in North America, moving in and out. Twenty-four stadiums the NFL has done in the last 20 years, the most of any sport. Indianapolis is building one. Minnesota, San Diego want them.
So the stadium issue will not go away, positive in New York, at least.
HARRIS:. Sports business analyst Rick Horrow with us this morning, taking us "Beyond The Game."
Good to see you, sir.
See you next week.
HORROW:. Watch the golf this weekend.
HARRIS:. Absolutely.
HORROW:. See you next week.
HARRIS:. OK, Rick.
Thanks. NGUYEN:. All right, we are going to go back to the Ramsey case in just a moment, Tony.
HARRIS:. John Karr -- what's he doing in Bangkok anyway?
We'll put a few more pieces of the puzzle in place.
NGUYEN:. But first, Reynolds Wolf has your Fairway Forecast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN:. Now in the news, new information this morning about plans to bring the JonBenet Ramsey murder case back to the U.S. John Mark Karr is expected to arrive in Los Angeles tomorrow evening on a flight from Bangkok. He will be taken to Boulder, Colorado to face charges.
A prison search turns up no evidence that Karr was in contact with the killer of Polly Klaas. Now, the 12-year-old California girl was murdered back in 1993. Authorities at San Quentin say they questioned Richard Allen Davis and reviewed phone records and visitors' logs.
Karr's relatives say he was fascinated by the Klaas murder, as well as the Ramsey case.
Now to Lebanon and another story. Military operations, they continue this morning despite the U.N. cease-fire now in effect. The Israeli military says one officer was killed and two wounded during an Israeli raid in the Bekaa Valley to prevent weapons smuggling from Iran and Syria. An Israeli diplomat says such operations will continue until U.N. troops can take over security.
And some of those U.N. forces have begun-arriving back in Southern Lebanon. This video of a small contingent of French reinforcements arriving just a few hours ago in the port of Naqoura.
CNN's Jim Clancy's report from Naqoura is just five minutes away, that report.
HARRIS:. Iran this morning began large scale land, air and sea war games. The military maneuvers come as tensions increase with the West over Iran's controversial nuclear program. In a report on Iran state television, Iran says the maneuvers are expected to last five weeks and it's aimed at improving the country's combat readiness.
Now to Reynolds Wolf.
Another check of your weather this morning -- Reynolds, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS:. We run-down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long.
Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 7:45 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:. More details are emerging about the 41-year- old's life in Bangkok, looking to be a teacher.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN:. JonBenet Ramsey -- the murder suspect, Mark -- John Mark Karr, that is. We'll talk about his background and what his teacher colleagues think about the man they describe as a loner.
Welcome back, everybody.
A lot to tell you about this morning.
Good morning.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS:. And good morning, everybody.
I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN:. We do have new developments in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.
First, a plane ticket has been purchased to bring suspect John Karr back to the U.S. from Thailand. That happens tomorrow. We're also learning more about the man who says he was with the 6-year-old when she died.
CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin reports from Bangkok, Thailand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They tell the story of a loner, a man who lived in a room here at Bloom's guest house since December -- no visitors, no friends. And according to this neighbor, a teacher himself, John Mark Karr's mood in the last few weeks had changed.
BIJAN SARDJAD, KARR'S NEIGHBOR: I think he was very paranoid. I think he was -- he looked like he had something on his conscience, guilty about something and he would never talk to anyone.
GRIFFIN: More details are emerging about the 41-year-old's life in Bangkok, looking to be a teacher. One school showed CNN this job application from Karr. A school official said Karr seemed overly eager to be working with children, especially young girls, and Karr wanted to work alone, without an assistant.
At one point, the school says, messages sent from Karr's e-mails contained pornography. This school actually hired Karr as a teacher, but he was let go after two weeks because administrators say he was simply too strict.
Bryce Smedley, a teacher who knows Karr, calls him strange.
BRYCE SMEDLEY, TEACHER WHO KNEW KARR: I'm not a doctor or anything, but I think he is someone who is a little mentally unstable, to be honest with you.
KARR: Her death was an accident.
GRIFFIN: It was this admission from Karr two days ago that bordered on the bizarre. After almost 10 years, this loner in Thailand says he was with 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey when she died Christmas night 1996 in Boulder, Colorado.
The statement raised suspicions Karr was just perhaps looking for attention. According to this Thai police official, Karr has insisted he was involved.
GEN. SUWAT TUMRONGSISKUL, THAI POLICE: I hear from my people that he said that he had sex with her ...
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: What about drugging her?
TUMRONGSISKUL: No drugging her. And my officer asked, "How come you have sex with a girl six years old?" He said at that time, just, "Blah, blah."
GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS:. We have also been tracking the latest developments in the JonBenet Ramsey case online.
Veronica de la Cruz is here from the Dot-Com Desk with more -- Veronica, good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. Good morning, Tony.
Well, the news of the arrest of a suspect after a decade long investigation has been quite a shock to the nation.
John Mark Karr, the 41-year-old school teacher, will be returned to the United States from Bangkok this weekend.
You can get the latest on the case, including a time line of events, at CNN.com.
This time line will take you back to the very beginning, the day after Christmas, December 26, 1996, the day JonBenet was killed. It also highlights the 1998 investigator's interview with the Ramseys and then the latest arrest of John Mark Karr. What you're looking at now, you can read the full text of that mysterious ransom note found by Patsy Ramsey that was left on a set of stairs in their home. The note indicates that perhaps a "small foreign faction going by the initials SBTC was responsible for the crime."
No word if John Mark Karr had any involvement with that, but we would like to know what you think.
Weigh in with your thoughts by checking out CNN's I-Exchange. Let us know if you think John Mark Karr is really the killer or just trying to get his 15 minutes of fame.
You can do that by logging on to CNN.com/JonBenet.
We're going to be reading some of your thoughts in the 9:00 hour, so you'll want to stay tuned for that and lots of different opinions. And a lot of them saying he just wants his 15 minutes of fame. But we're going to go ahead and read those for you ...
HARRIS:. Well, yes, yes, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: ...in our 9:00 hour.
DE LA CRUZ:. And we're going to take it on with our legal ladies a little bit later this morning. That's -- I can't wait for their view on all of this.
Is it a real confession? Is it a false confession? A lot of questions and a lot of e-mails, I'm sure.
DE LA CRUZ:. Yes.
HARRIS:. Thank you, Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ:. 9:00.
HARRIS:. OK, thanks.
DE LA CRUZ:. See you then.
HARRIS:. And this programming note. Monday night on "LARRY KING," a CNN exclusive. Larry talks to the Ramseys' attorney, Lynn Wood, and the professor who led police to John Karr. Don't miss "LARRY KING LIVE" Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN:. Now to the crisis in the Middle East.
A French warship in the Mediterranean this morning dispatched a handful of peacekeepers at the Southern Lebanese port of Naqoura. It is the beginning of a U.N. force that will eventually reach 15,000.
CNN's Jim Clancy is in Naqoura and filed this update just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. The United Nations interim force in Lebanon entered a new phase on Saturday, as French peacekeepers began arriving ashore. The first to arrive was a very small security contingent that secured the port. And then amphibious landing ships began to arrive carrying heavy equipment, amphibious troop carriers and other vehicles, as well as heavy equipment like bulldozers.
All of that is part of the equipment needed for this engineering unit that is going to be arriving in the next 72 hours.
Fifty members of that unit are now already on the ground. We got more information from Commander Bertrand Bonneau of the French Navy.
CMDR. BERTRAND BONNEAU, FRENCH NAVY:. Today we are landing a group of 49 engineering soldiers, coming from the -- coming for the U.N. They are at the U.N. camp. This is the very first type of deployment of two soldiers, specialists also in engineering, which is going to happen next week.
CLANCY:. Already, some of the UNIFIL troops have begun-working with Lebanese Army forces that deployed this week. They have been doing joint patrols and generally helping to support the Lebanese Army in this role.
It's a very popular mission from the viewpoint of the Lebanese who live here in South Lebanon. Many hadn't seen the deployment of their own forces in South Lebanon in decades.
At the same time, the United Nations' mission has some challenges ahead of it. First of all, it hopes to reach a total strength of some 15,000. It is far short of that now in terms of commitment. Countries have to decide when and if they are sending troops.
And second, the rules of engagement. Currently, it's a Chapter 6 United Nations peacekeeping force. There are many here that say it needs to be Chapter 7, giving it more robust strength to respond to any threats.
Jim Clancy, CNN, at the U.N. base in Naqoura.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS:. Israeli commandos raid a Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon today. It's the first major attack since a U.N.- brokered truce.
For some insight, let's turn to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev in Jerusalem.
Mark, good to see you.
Thanks for your time.
You know, there are many people who seem to think --
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY:. Good morning. HARRIS:. Good morning.
There are many people who seem to think -- and then I'll get back to the commando raid -- that the star of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is on the ascent in the aftermath of this cease-fire.
What's your take on that?
REGEV:. I think the opposite is true. I know Hezbollah is telling everyone that they've come out of this process stronger. But when you declare victory in a secret bomb shell somewhere in a secret basement hideaway and you send it out by a videotape just like Osama bin Laden does from his cave, I don't think anyone can really call that a victory.
And I think if you saw what came out of Lebanon in the last couple of days, where you've got senior Lebanese leaders, the prime minister, leaders of different communities there, millions of people, standing up and saying that they're sick and tired of how Hezbollah has dictated the Lebanese national agenda, they're sick and tired of how Hezbollah has been a tool of the Iranians and the Syrians to mess around in Lebanese affairs, that no one in Lebanon really wanted this war and Hezbollah forced it upon both Israel and Lebanon.
And I think if you take all that into account, one understands this is far from a victory for Hezbollah.
HARRIS:. Let's get to some of the -- Mark, some of the events on the ground today.
Dux commando raids in Lebanon to continue?
REGEV:. Our operation last night was precisely because Hezbollah was breaking the cease-fire. I mean, that Security Council resolution, which is the basis of the cease-fire, talks about an arms embargo on Hezbollah. The U.N. is very clear -- Hezbollah cannot use the cease-fire as a time out just to get more missiles from Iran and more rockets from Syria.
The idea is that they will be cut off from their sources of weaponry. And we had specific information ...
HARRIS:. Hey, Mark, can I stop you there for just a ...
REGEV: ...that ...
HARRIS:. Mark, let me stop you for just a second.
Do you have that information? Maybe that's what you were about to allude to.
Do you have that specific information that says this raid was prompted by this intelligence? And is that something you're willing to lay out for objective viewers?
REGEV:. I think we'll be releasing more data as the day goes on. But I can say unequivocally there was specific information of a weapons transfer. That weapons transfer is a violation of the cease- fire and we are acting in response to their violation.
And I would say the following. U.N. Resolution 1781 calls for there to be Lebanese forces and international forces there at the border crossings to prevent these sort of weapons transfers. That's part of the resolutions. Had those forces been there, the Lebanese and the internationals, our operation today wouldn't have been necessary.
HARRIS:. OK, let me pick up on that.
What happens, from Israel's point of view, if the U.N. peacekeeping force does not meet this number of 15,000 that's in the resolution?
REGEV:. Well, I'd say the following. Israel is obligated. We will meet all our commitments under the U.N. resolution. If the Lebanese do the same and the U.N. does the same, then this process will work.
If, however, we don't see a willingness in the international community to follow through on commitments made, that's problematic. We've got a lot of good U.N. resolutions on Lebanon that have just been in the archives gathering dust because they were never implemented. If we want to bring about a real change, a good speech isn't going to make a change. A press release isn't going to make a change.
We need concrete steps on the ground to make sure that Hezbollah never again can orchestrate the sort of violence we've seen over the past month.
HARRIS:. OK, let's leave it there.
Mark Regev with us from Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman.
REGEV:. Thank you.
HARRIS:. Mark, we appreciate it.
Thank you.
NGUYEN:. We want to stay overseas now for more on Israel and other international stories.
HARRIS:. Our Brenda Bernard joins us live with our "Going Global" report.
NGUYEN:. Brenda.
HARRIS:. Brenda -- good morning.
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. Good morning, Tony. Well, while the world focuses mainly on Israel's battle with Hezbollah, Israel is moving forward with operations in the Palestinian territories. This morning, the Israeli Defense Forces arrested Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser Deen Shaer (ph). He's a top official of the hmm militant group. Since late June, Israel has arrested more than two dozen hmm lawmakers and several other cabinet ministers while the IDF launched a military offensive in Gaza.
Israel says it's trying to pressure the Hamas government to secure the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
In Ecuador, the locals call this volcano the throat of fire. And right now some would say peasant farmers are playing with fire. They're returning home despite warnings that Mount Tungurahua will explode again. Tens of thousands of villagers fled for safety when the volcano erupted two days ago. At least one man was killed and 30 people are still missing.
And Betty and Tony, do you know any people looking for love?
NGUYEN:. I think there's plenty of them out there.
HARRIS:. Yes.
BERNARD:. Well, some Chinese parents have a unique matchmaking thing going on in hopes of finding a suitable partner for their unmarried children.
NGUYEN:. Really?
BERNARD:. They go to a part in Beijing and meet with other parents. They show off pictures of their children and swap information, like my daughter makes good money, she's got her own apartment, her own car.
NGUYEN:. Yes, but what does she look like?
BERNARD:. Well, that's important, too, you know? They've got the age thing down. They want to know about looks and everything. So no Internet hookups for these folks. They leave the matchmaking to mom and dad, Betty.
NGUYEN:. That's kind of scary.
HARRIS:. How embarrassing is that for the kids?
Mom, don't, you know, not to ...
NGUYEN:. Poor ...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS:. Don't. No, not to the park again.
NGUYEN:. Yes, that is ...
BERNARD:. If you're looking for love, you've got to look, you know?
HARRIS:. You've got to look.
All right, Brenda.
NGUYEN:. Love can obviously be found in the park.
All right ...
BERNARD:. That's right.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: ...in the park.
Have you ever lost something really, really important? Of course, we all have, right?
NGUYEN:. Unfortunately.
HARRIS:. Well, multiply that by, say, a million and you get an idea of how NASA is feeling.
NGUYEN:. Uh-oh. Oh, no.
We are going to tell you why hundreds of missing boxes have put folks at NASA just in a funk.
That story and other strange but true news about 10 minutes from now in the Water Cooler.
HARRIS:. You can't say funk enough, can you?
NGUYEN:. Yes, you can.
HARRIS:. You just can't -- oh, you can?
NGUYEN:. Funk, funk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS:. And good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case is expected back in the U.S. tomorrow. Authorities in Thailand say John Mark Karr is scheduled to arrive tomorrow evening on a flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles.
In Lebanon, a small contingent of French troops arrived a few hours ago to begin security duties in the southern port of Naqoura. At least 49 reinforcements came ashore, the vanguard of about 200 French soldiers who will be deployed in the coming days. Under the terms of the recent cease-fire, the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon will eventually number 15,000. Despite that cease- fire, military operations continue in Lebanon. This morning, the Israeli military says one officer was killed and two wounded during an Israeli raid in the Bekaa Valley to prevent weapons smuggling from Iran and Syria.
The Israeli diplomat says such operations will continue until U.N. troops can take over security.
NGUYEN:. North Korea's possible nuclear plans also grabbing attention. President Bush warns that North Korea would pose a threat to the world if it goes ahead with its test of a nuclear bomb.
Now, earlier this week, U.S. military and intelligence officials told CNN recent imagery shows North Korea may be preparing for an underground test of a nuclear bomb.
We run-down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long.
Your next check of the headlines is coming up at the top of the hour.
In the meantime, the latest terror plot that threatened to blow up international flights headed to the U.S. have all the earmarkings of al Qaeda. That's according to some terror analysts.
The organization's leader, Osama bin Laden, is the most wanted man in the world, and he is still on the run. Bin Laden is the focus of "CNN PRESENTS" this weekend.
CNN's international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, has a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT:. (voice-over): December, 2001, a relentless bombing campaign. Air strikes thundered through the treacherous mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The battle of Tora Bora had begun. Osama bin Laden, the Jackal of 9/11, and hundreds of al Qaeda fighters had finally been cornered -- or so it seemed.
GARY BERNTSEN, FORMER CIA OFFICER: We brought in Spectre gunships, which can put a bullet on every inch of a football field.
AMANPOUR: Gary Berntsen was the secret leader of a secret CIA paramilitary unit that had pursued bin Laden since he had fled Kabul. And now the CIA was sure it knew where he was, thanks in large part to a radio taken off a dead al Qaeda fighter.
BERNTSEN: We listened to bin Laden for several days using that radio, listened to his communications among him and his men. We listened to him apologize to them for having led them into this trap, having led them into a location where they were being -- having air strikes called on them just relentlessly.
AMANPOUR (on camera): The plan was for Afghan and Pakistani soldiers to block any escape routes. But Osama bin Laden managed to slip away through the mountains and the mission to capture or kill the al Qaeda leader failed. By most accounts, the main problem was not enough American soldiers on the ground.
BERNTSEN: In the first two or three days of December, I would write a message back to Washington recommending the insertion of U.S. forces on the ground. I was looking for 600 to 800 Rangers, roughly a battalion. They never came.
AMANPOUR: Osama bin Laden, looking frail and much older than his 44 years after the massive onslaught at Tora Bora, had escaped again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN:. And you don't want to miss "In The Footsteps of Bin Laden," a "CNN PRESENTS" investigation.
That is Wednesday, August 23rd, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN, the most trusted name in news.
HARRIS:. You know, Mark, let's roll this.
Take a look, everyone, at this video very closely. Here we go. Do you recognize -- let's get the lens out of the way. Do you recognize that man?
NGUYEN:. Hmm.
HARRIS:. This is the face of community service.
NGUYEN:. Yes. It's what happens when the rich and famous fall from grace. They get to sweep the streets of New York.
HARRIS:. Chama, chama, chama, chama, chama, chameleon.
NGUYEN:. Oh, poor George.
Yes. He comes and he goes.
HARRIS:. He comes and he goes.
NGUYEN:. Not going anywhere, though, because we are going to tell you all about it in the Water Cooler.
That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN:. Oh, time for the Water Cooler.
HARRIS:. All right, and this is where we take just a little teeny-weeny break from all of the day's news for some of the more bizarre, outlandish, unusual happenings around the world. NGUYEN:. So, first up, this guy -- a bald guy. Check him out right there. Everyone's favorite washed up '80s pop star reduced ...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN:. Thank you, Tony -- to this week's street sweeper in Lower Manhattan. Yes, they really wanted to make him cry. Always a trend setter, Boy George donned the latest Sanitation Department haute couture, a stylish orange vest, of course, with the bright yellow city logo. The five days of community service was due to a false burglary report Boy George made last fall.
HARRIS:. Well, everyone remembers these historic images from the summer of '69, right? The problem is NASA can't remember where it put the original recordings of the event.
NGUYEN:. Oh, my.
HARRIS:. Ooh. More than a year of rummaging through file cabinets and closets has failed to turn up hundreds of boxes of magnetic tapes made of the first moon landing.
NGUYEN:. Not good.
Well, next is a survival story almost too incredible to be true. Look at this. Three Mexican fishermen were rescued far, far out in the Pacific Ocean nine months -- not days, but months after they left Mexico-to go shark fishing, of all things.
HARRIS:. What?
NGUYEN:. Two other fishermen died during that long ordeal and all of the men had long been given up for dead.
HARRIS:. And, finally, this road kill is the talk of the town in Turner, Maine.
NGUYEN:. What is that?
HARRIS:. Well, obviously, I don't know, Betty. It's some sort of canine? But it doesn't look like an ordinary dog. Most people think it's probably a weird hybrid of a dog and a wolf and a coyote.
NGUYEN:. Really?
OK, so local residents think this might be the strange wild beast that they've been seeing and hearing about in recent years. So, if you think you know what it is -- because some of our viewers are smart. They know. Send us an e-mail, weekends@CNN.com.
I forget what this is.
HARRIS:. The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
