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CNN Live Sunday
Deadly Apartment Fire Kills Six Children; New York Community in Fear from Escaped Convict; Andre Agassi's Tearful Farewell
Aired September 03, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, a range of emotions. A community in Chicago is in mourning. Six children, all from the same family, killed in an apartment fire. Could it have been prevented?
And in New York, a community in fear. An escaped convict is nowhere to be found. Plus, an emotional courtside farewell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDRE AGASSI, RETIRED TENNIS CHAMP: Saying good-bye, it's a necessary evil and -- but we are getting through it together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: This is CNN LIVE SUNDAY and I'm Carol Lin. Let's catch you up on the headlines first. A terror suspect in custody and talking. Iraqi officials say al Qaeda in Iraq's No. 2 man was arrested Friday. Hamed Al-Suaidi is reportedly talking about all the attacks he's responsible for.
And another bomb blast in Turkey, this one at a cafe in the southeast, killed two people. Turkey was hit by a string of bombings late last month.
Violence in Iraq claimed four more American troops. Two Marines died in combat in Anbar Province, one today, and another Friday and a roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers earlier today in Baghdad.
A mother and three of her kids were saved from a burning apartment in Chicago, but six other children died in that fire. Neighbors say they heard the cries for help from that apartment.
U.N. chief Kofi Annan met today with Iran's President Ahmadinejad. Annan says that Tehran is willing to talk about a peaceful nuclear program, but won't stop enriching uranium.
Russian students release white balloons in memory of those killed in Beslan, two years ago today. Russian forces tried to break up a hostage standoff at an elementary school there, and than 300 hostages died in that raid.
A tearful farewell from Andre Agassi today. Agassi lost his third round U.S. Open match about three hours ago, and he says that this is his last pro tournament.
More on the arrest of terror suspect Hamed Al-Suaidi. He was picked up Friday during a raid outside Baquba. Officials say Al-Suaidi was directly responsible for the suspected mastermind of the mosque bombing in February. Michael Holmes has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SUNDAY (on camera): It was a big day for the national security adviser in Iraq, Mowaffak Al- Rubaie, telling a news conference that indeed, the second most senior figure in Al Qaeda in Iraq was arrested a few days ago. He named the man as Hamad Juma (ph) Farak (ph) Al-Suaidi, also known as Abu Humam, or Abu Ranna, and said he was the man who was deputy to Abu Ayyub Al- Masri, who in turn took over Al Qaeda in Iraq after U.S. troops killed Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, back in June.
Al-Rubaie says the arrested suspect was found in a residential home, with civilians, women and children. However, he was arrested without any casualties. Why is he significant? Here's part of the news conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NAT'L. SECURITY ADVISOR (through translator): He is the one who is directly responsible for the criminal Hitem Malbadri (ph), the mastermind and the bomber of the Sumara shrine. He has implemented the policy of Al Qaeda in Iraq and the orders of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi in triggering sectarian sedition and violence in Iraq between Sunnis and Shiites.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES (on camera): Now, it's important to know that that bombing, at the Samara shrine, was not just any incident. This was a holy place for Shias, in many ways it was the act that sparked the major sectarian violence we've seen around Iraq and indeed in Baghdad since.
Now to put it in context the insurgency in Iraq is not based around Al Qaeda, although Al Qaeda is thought responsible for major spectacular attacks that take place around the country, but it's really one slice of the picture. And No. 2 Al Qaeda leaders have been arrested in the past, indeed when Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed, the violence did not stop.
Al Qaeda is very much a cellular organization, one leader going does not always have a major impact on activities. Much of this insurgency is very much homegrown. However, the adviser, the national security adviser, Mr. Al-Rubaie, saying this was a major blow for Al Qaeda in Iraq. Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Back in this country, a Chicago neighborhood is in shock. A fire swept through an apartment early today with witnesses hearing the heartbreaking screams of the children trapped inside. Six kids died. Their mother and three siblings were injured. Regina Waldroup of CLTV has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REGINA WALDROUP, REPORTER, AFFILIATE CLTV (on camera): Hello, Carol. As you can imagine the loss of six young lives is very devastating to this Chicago community. Meanwhile, Chicago fire officials say this is one of the largest multiple fire fatalities they've seen in the past several years.
(Voice over): An array of children's clothing and other belongings litter the ground outside this three flat an Marshfield Avenue. Sunday morning a fast-moving fire claimed the lives of six children who lived in the third floor apartment.
RAYMOND OROZCO, CHICAGO FIRE COMMISSIONER: Obviously, a very tragic day for this family and it is also a difficult day for the Chicago Fire Department.
WALDROUP: Among those identified, three-year-old Kevin Ramirez, 10-year-old Suzette Ramirez, 12-year-old Eric Ramirez, and six-year- old Idaly Ramirez, a three-year-old and 16-year-old have yet to be identified. The fire started just before 12:30. Fire officials say a total of nine children and their mother were in the apartment at the time.
OROZCO: They removed six children from the front room area. There was a total of eight rescues here made by the Chicago Fire Department.
WALDROUP: Quick thinking neighbors also jumped in. One even ran into the building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them to grab each end of the blanket and I asked them to drop the children down, but I believe the children was hiding in the closet or something like that, and they just refused to jump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I went in there, it was fire coming through the entrance of the first floor -- I mean, the third floor. So I ran past the fire and I heard a child yelling from the bedroom to the left, and I ran in the bedroom and I carried the little child out of there.
WALDROUP: The children's mother was taken to the Thorick (ph) Hospital with a three-month-old girl. Hospital officials say they were discharged shortly after being seen in the emergency room. They also say that the mother did not know what happened to her children.
As for preliminary cause, fire officials say a candle was found near the front of the apartment, which did not have electricity and appears to not have any working smoke detectors.
OROZCO: We found that we had working smoke detectors in the common areas, but there was no working smoke detectors in the apartment of origin.
WALDROUP: Now at this time, we do not know the condition of the three children who did survive the fire -- Carol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Our thanks to Regina Woldroup.
In western New York State our other big story, more manpower in a widening manhunt; 75 more officers have joined the search for escaped prisoner Ralph "Bucky" Phillips. He's been on the run for five months and police warn he could hurt anyone who gets in his way and he's certainly proven that.
Phillips is suspected in a sniper attack that wounded two state troopers Thursday. One remains in critical condition, he is fighting for his life after his leg was amputated yesterday. The other officer has been upgraded to serious condition. There's a news conference coming up at about 7:30, 7:45, and we'll bring you those details as soon as we get it.
In the meantime, a new tropical depression forming in the Atlantic. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider tracking it from the CNN Hurricane Center.
Bonnie, like we need more bad weather.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. Definitely, we're seeing the storm just getting going. It's a tropical depression, meaning winds 35 miles per hour. The storm is way out there. It's over 1,500 miles to the east-southeast of the Leeward Islands, back out through here. So that means it is almost 3,000 miles from the U.S. mainland, actually closer to Africa.
Looking at the storm we're seeing a little bit wind sheer happening here in the southwest corner of the storm. There it is and you can it kind of breaking down the thunderstorms a bit. But this is expected to relax and tropical depression number six is likely to become Tropical Storm Florence as early as late tonight or Monday.
Here's the official track from the National Hurricane Center. It does show some intensification, possibly even gaining hurricane strength by early in the week to the middle of the week, coming up. So we're looking at intensifying storm, but what's important to note is that now we're talking about days away, almost a week away, the storm still being well out over the open waters of the Atlantic.
Some of the forecast models are showing the storm curving back out to sea, so it's too early to say exactly which way it's headed. One thing to note is that we have to keep our eye on this tropical depression, because it is likely to intensify and we're also coming into the peak now of hurricane season -- Carol.
LIN: All right, we're feeling it. Thanks, Bonnie.
Now we want to focus more on the damage caused by this weekend's tropical storms. In the Northeast, Ernesto knocked down trees and power lines, thousands of people are still without electricity, and hundreds had to evacuate flooded neighborhoods. And on the other side of the continent, Tropical Storm John drenching Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Towns that got hit hard earlier today are just starting to pick up the pieces. Here's CNN's Harris Whitbeck.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A family cleans up the debris left by Hurricane John in front of its house in the village of Lativiera (ph), in Baja California. It is mostly tree branches.
While they wait for electricity to be reestablished they talk about what happened and about how badly they want things to get back to normal.
"We've already been without work for several days," says this man, "but hopefully tomorrow we can get back to work."
Lativiera (ph) is located south of the state capital of Le Pas, it was cut off for several hours after the storm. It suffered some of the worst damage, falling trees, damaged streets, downed power lines.
(On camera): The residents of Lativiera (ph) were not expecting the hurricane to hit as hard as it did here, but they were still prepared. This is a town of fishermen, of people who are used to the sea and to the fickleness of the weather.
Louis Sanchez is the local traffic policeman. He patrols the town assessing damage. He says the storm was not supposed to have been so severe.
Other neighbors say it could have been much worse.
"We've already been through tougher storms" says this woman. "Now that roads are reopened I don't think we will suffer too much."
The local city hall is filled with food and water that had been stockpiled before the storm but it will be several days before electricity is restored. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Lativiera (ph), Baja, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And one of our special reports coming up as energy costs are soaring, is wind power a winning proposition? Gary Nurenberg's report straight ahead.
Is Iran entitled to nuclear power and even nuclear weapons? That's our debate at the half hour.
Now, it's only September, but Lufthansa Airlines has Oktoberfest on the radar. Yes, those are the flight attendants.
And around here we let legends speak for themselves.
ANDRE AGASSI, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: Are you guys really going to miss me, or you just act like it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!
LIN: Yes, we will.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: We want to make sure you know we're still following closely the story in the Middle East and the follow-up to the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The big question, whether enough peacekeepers can hit the ground. More Italian troops are on the ground in Lebanon tonight and they are a major part of the U.N.'s peacekeeping effort between Israel and Hezbollah. But these troops have more teeth than peacekeepers in the past. CNN's Paula Newton explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN SUNDAY (voice over): For all the talk of peace here in Lebanon, weapons of war are what it takes to make it happen.
A point not lost on the U.N., now rolling out a new and improved version of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon or UNIFIL, charged with keeping the peace. And the Italians are doing most of the heavy lifting. These are Iraqi veterans, who will eventually lead a beefed up force of up to 15,000 peacekeepers, armed to the teeth with a mandate to match.
CAPT. ROSAIO WALTER GUERRISI, ITALIAN MILITARY COMAMNDER: I'm pretty confident in my troops, they're going to manage the situation, the delicate situation. I think the rules of engagement are robust enough and they give you latitude to perform your mission.
NEWTON: These new rules of engagement mean these peacekeepers can and will intervene to prevent Hezbollah from getting weapons and using them and making sure Israel doesn't cross into Lebanese territory.
They will be working with the Lebanese army to make sure the country's border stays quiet. In more than two decades on the ground here, UNIFIL never had the power to do that.
JEAN MARIE GUEHENNO, UNDERSECRETARY GEN. FOR PEACEKEEPING OPS.: The kind of challenge, sometimes humiliation, that UNIFIL had to endure because it had neither the capacity, nor the mandate, in the previous period, that's coming to an end.
NEWTON: Thanks to a strong contingent of Europeans, the Israelis could pull out of southern Lebanon by mid-month. In the words of one U.N. official, the area will be so thick with peacekeepers, they'll be tripping over each other. (On camera): Even with a strong U.N. force now on the ground here in southern Lebanon, U.N. officials admit to being nervous about how these troops will be received by the Lebanese people.
For now at least, these Italian peacekeepers roll through the battered and bruised streets of southern Lebanon and saw mostly gratitude and relief. This is the easy part. The Italians come with no baggage, and good intentions, to help Lebanon get back on its feet.
"Italia," he cheers, the need is palpable here, expectations are high.
Salim Ali Sauer (ph), is a Hezbollah supporter, but still he welcomed the U.N. convoys as they passed his bombed out home and gas station. He lost a brother-in-law, a nephew and his home. It was blown apart, he says, just minutes before the ceasefire took effect. He believes Hezbollah will work with UNIFIL.
"That's what you don't understand," he says. "These terrorists, these people, they call terrorists, they go and they look for people who are in need."
U.N. peacekeepers will be taking up positions in Hezbollah's strongholds and many here see them as Lebanon's defenders, but this mission will be much more complicated than that. Especially if, and when, they must act against Hezbollah. Paula Newton, CNN, in southern Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: We've got some other news across America as well. People packed into Kentucky churches today, a week after the crash of Comair flight 5191; 49 people were killed in the accident. The copilot survived and is in serious condition.
Early this morning in San Diego, NFL linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off-duty police officer. The local sheriff's spokesman says the shooting took place in Foley's neighborhood, but the off-duty officer was from a town 20 miles away. Right now, Foley, who plays for the Chargers, is in a hospital.
Lower gas prices might mean more people on the road this weekend. Labor Day is usually the fifth busiest travel weekend of the U.S. The Triple A estimates just under 30 million people are going somewhere this year.
Because we are a nation of travelers, CNN is taking a special look at the country's energy crunch today. One renewable source of energy is wind. Anybody who saw the pictures of the damage from Tropical Storm Ernesto knows the power of wind, and the business of harnessing it is soaring. Here's Gary Nurenberg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): That's a wind turbine at the end of the rainbow. What advocates see as the metaphorical pot of gold for American energy needs.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I recognize the importance of wind power. Some have estimated this area alone has the potential to supply up to 20 percent of our nation's electricity.
NURENBERG: A huge jump from the 1 percent wind is generating this year.
RANDALL SWISHER, EXEC. DIR., WIND ENERGY ASSOC.: There's as much energy within our wind resource as there is in the Saudi oil reserve, and the wind resource is not completed over time.
NURENBERG: As advocates urge the rapid construction of new wind farms, skeptics want a more cautious approach.
LISA LINOWES, INDUSTRIAL WIND ACTION GROUP: We don't know enough at this point, nor do we have enough unbiased studies out there to evaluate what the impacts are.
NURENBERG: Plans to build a wind farm off Cape Cod have met strong opposition from critics who say the big wind turbines are ugly, kill birds and bats and damage property values.
LINOWES: It's the proper siting and proper review of the facilities. If we can see to it that's happening I think you would see the opposition to wind drop off.
NURENBERG: Wind has become an additional crop for Midwestern farmers who put turbines on their land and sell electricity to power companies.
My Organic Market, MOM's in suburban, Washington D.C., is one of a growing number of businesses that get electricity from wind and approval from customers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's really wonderful.
NURENBERG: Using wind, MOM's and this office building in Washington, D.C. may pay 2 or 3 percent more for electricity now, but in a typical contract --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their price is fixed, it's not going to go up. You're at the same fixed rate while everybody else's prices are going up, you're saving money.
NURENBERGER: The question is whether the industry can sell itself as a viable alternative to more conventional means of power generation. The answer -- is blowing in the wind. Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, it just so happens that energy and the cost of operating your car happen to be among the hottest topics on CNN.com.
Did you know that it costs $4,500 more in Detroit to own and operate a car than it does in Sioux Falls, Idaho? Details on that and much more can be found at CNN.com.auto.
All right. NASCAR champion Tony Stewart crashed his car during a dirt track race last night, but he is OK. Stewart says he's a little sore after flipping over. The race raised money for the charity of Stewart's NASCAR colleague, Casey King.
And tennis icon, Andre Agassi ends his illustrious 21-year career at the U.S. Open in New York. Playing with an injured back, Agassi lost to the 112th ranked player in the world and then bid an emotional farewell to fans.
Later in this broadcast, Larry Smith of CNN Sports will tell us much more about Agassi's tennis legacy.
There are not many happy stories where Katrina is involved, but we found one this week. You are going to meet Miss Lucy, and boy, does she have a story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got a hold of Lucy and called her up and I said we're coming down and we're going to take care of your house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Her story in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: More than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, thousands of residents are still displaced from their homes. Now, recovery work is under way from hard-hit New Orleans and rural Louisiana, to the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama.
And thanks to the help of some volunteers from Indiana, one Mississippi woman who lost everything but a dining room chair is back in the town she loves. CNN's Kathleen Koch has her amazing story from Biloxi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A shell of a house. It's all Lucy Williams had left after Hurricane Katrina's storm surge swept through her Biloxi, Mississippi neighborhood. She salvaged one dining room chair.
LUCY WILLIAMS, KATRINA VICTIM: I'm going to keep it to remind me --
KOCH (on camera): Of what you used to have.
(Voice over): When we caught up with her in February, Williams had no money to start over, since the school where she it worked as a janitor had been destroyed.
WILLIAMS: I've been praying. I've been praying that somebody will come in and see it and want to help me.
KOCH: Someone did.
WILLIAMS: That's the angel right there.
KOCH (on camera): That's the angel, that's the angel.
WILLIAMS: That's the angel right there.
KOCH (voice over): Steve Kessler in Warsaw, Indiana, saw her story on CNN. Years before becoming a successful businessman, he, too, had been a janitor.
STEVE KESSLER, BUSINESSMAN: We got a hold of Lucy and called her up and I said, we're coming down and we're going to take care of your house.
WILLIAMS: He came right down, and just went to work, and he just like an angel that the Lord just sent down to bless me.
KOCH: Well, for the next six months, Kessler flew down crews from Indiana to clear and grade Williams' lot. Workers from Biloxi joined them in building a beautiful new three-bedroom home.
WILLIAMS: In here is my dining room area. This is my kitchen area.
KESSLER: Obviously, we tried to do it right and Lucy was real helpful. She was the interior decorator. I don't know what the dollars was. I haven't really kept track. We'll look at that later on.
KOCH: That doesn't matter to you?
KESSLER: No, no.
WILLAMS: I just got smile on my face that I just can't take off. I am so happy. He is one wonderful man. I just get up every morning and thank the Lord.
KOCH (voice over): Williams plans to move into the house next week with her husband and one of her 13 grandchildren. Kessler believes the Gulf Coast recovery would be further along if more Americans followed his lead.
KESSLER: It's really not that difficult, you just have to jump in and help the best you can. I knew this was what I was supposed to do, and we did it, and hey, it will be a great story telling from here on out.
KOCH: A Katrina story with a happy ending.
WILLIAMS: You should be proud of yourself.
KOCH (on camera): You guys are the best. Thank you, Steve.
(Voice over): Kathleen Koch, CNN, Biloxi, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Eye on Iran, coming up in about four minutes, should Iran be allowed to have a nuclear program? That debate straight ahead.
And later, a standing ovation for an all-time great, Andre Agassi says good-bye. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Here's what's happening now in the news. Iraqi authorities say they have captured the deputy commander of al Qaeda in Iraq. Hamid al Saeedi is suspected of masterminding February's bombing of a mosque in Samara.
And officials believe a candle sparked a deadly blaze last night on Chicago's north side. Six children, ages three to 16, were killed. The children's mother and three other siblings were injured.
In New York, the manhunt intensifies for escaped prisoner Ralph "Bucky" Phillips. Police believe he shot two state troopers Thursday. One had a leg amputated yesterday and he is fighting for his life. Phillips is considered armed and extremely dangerous now. And we're waiting for a news conference out of New York. We should be bringing it to you in the next 10 minutes or so.
All right, we've got more news. A new tropical depression forming in the Atlantic right now. Might be a tropical storm by later tonight. So Bonnie Schneider tracking this from the CNN Weather Center. Actually the hurricane center now, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: That has a good name. We definitely need it right now because we do have a new tropical depression. This is tropical depression number six.
Now when you look at this map, it's a little tricky here because you're seeing two different systems. This is a tropical wave, a strong tropical wave that's come off the coast of Africa. But here's our depression. Some shearing happening here in the southwest corner. But right now, it's over 1,500 miles away from the Leeward Islands. So it's well, well out into the Atlantic, actually closer to Africa than it is to the United States.
Now looking at the track of this storm, we're likely to see it work its way eventually to the west. But the main thing to note is this is still days away. And this track is subject to change probably many times over as we work our way into this week.
We may see this become tropical storm Florence, though, as early as tonight. So we're going to be watching this very, very closely. We're also checking travel weather. And we're going to have more on that coming up. Carol?
LIN: All right, thanks very much, Bonnie. Right now, we want to take folks to the news conference in Fredonia, New York. We're hearing from the state troopers hopefully on the condition of the injured troupers, as well as the search for the shooter.
WAYNE BENNETT, SUPERINTENDENT, NY STATE POLICE: Excuse me. I would ask if any of you are going to do sound bytes that you please have the courtesy to do them outside the room until such time as I'm done. Thank you very much.
Our investigation is continuing. We will bring in whatever resources we need to. And that includes from outside law enforcement agencies to get this job done successfully, and bring an end to what has now become the utmost tragic circumstance that could have occurred.
And we will work it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This person, who we seek and suspect in connection with the shooting of two troopers, and the murder of a third, has to be stopped. And I ask you again, to please, on our behalf, communicate to the public that if you thought you knew this individual sometime previously in your life, and you had gauged that he was not a dangerous person, clearly now, there can be no discussion about the fact that he is a dangerous person.
And he's a risk to everybody, law enforcement and non enforcement alike. We need your help. If you see it, report it. We will take it from there. Don't try and apprehend him yourself, if you see him.
Continue to lock your doors. Continue to secure your vehicles. That's a very critical thing that you must do, because that's how he makes his escape. That's how he travels back and forth to Pennsylvania, through the act of stealing vehicles, some of which require little or no effort, because they are unlocked and the keys are in them. That's a critical thing we're asking you to do.
But again, clearly the most important thing tonight is to remember the life and the contributions of a public servant, 32-years old, that died trying to do the job that he was sworn to uphold on behalf of everybody. He was your advocate. He was our trooper. Don't ever forget it, please. Any questions?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has there been any progress, any leads today in the investigation?
BENNETT: We have had numerous leads today. Some of you are probably aware of the fact we had several sightings today.
Unfortunately, those sightings proved to be negative, but we do follow up on every single one of them. And we do it immediately. And we still want to encourage the public, please call us.
We will follow up on each and every lead, even if they're anonymous. They have to be pursued. The least little thing, as I said the other night, that may seem to you to be suspect, somewhat out of order, not common behavior, something that tweaks your suspicion, we want you to tell us about it. Because if it tweaks your suspicion, there might be a very good reason that it is. And when we follow up on it, you never know what the result's going to be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you say there were sightings --
BENNETT: I'm sorry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there a reward at this point?
BENNETT: Reward is $225,000.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?
BENNETT: There's none. No amount of money is going to change the way we do this investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?
BENNETT: I'm not sure I understand your question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?
BENNETT: Certainly it has the capability of being made larger. Not because the degree of crime has changed here. Because up until this afternoon, it was first-degree assault on a police officer, which is a class B felony.
Does it intensify? It may. It's all going to depend on the leads that we get from the public out there. That's what's going to make the determination as to whether we need the same amount of resources or more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sheriff, have you seen a shift in the level of cooperation?
BENNETT: Absolutely, absolutely. I know I was fairly stern the other night when I made my comments. That's the way I felt about it. I think it was an accurate statement.
But I have to tell you, there has been a marked difference in the cooperation that we are receiving. And I thank those people for coming forward, because they have, finally, realized, if they were on the fence, there is no more fence sitting now. That day is gone.
And they appreciate the fact, I think, especially now, after what I just told you, this is real. This is real. And it's time to bring it to an end. And we need their help to do it. So I thank them for that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any direct evidence at this point connecting Ralph Phillips...
BENNETT: I'm not going to comment on matters of evidence. I can tell you this. When we arrest somebody, obviously, we will, you know, set the charges. And at the appropriate hearings, we'll present our evidence to support the charges that we draw against whomever we draw them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any chance it could be anybody else?
BENNETT: Any chance? I suppose that's possible. But I have to tell you, if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck, it's a duck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have the Trooper Baker's condition improved? Has he been able to talk?
BENNETT: No. Trooper Baker is still in a medically-induced comatose state. There's obviously a reason for that, that the medical professional feels is necessary. And we have not been able to speak to him yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did the other trooper regain consciousness?
BENNETT: No, he did not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)?
BENNETT: His parents were there, his sister, and his wife.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) talk about that?
BENNETT: The only thing I can tell you, and I'm not a medical doctor at all, but I can tell you this. I was at the medical center. And I saw the team of people that they dedicated to taking care of the trooper.
They had the best medical professionals. I personally spoke with the director of the hospital. I am satisfied they gave it the best possible effort that anybody could possibly do. They did everything that they could. And we're very appreciative of the fact that they were so diligent in their attempt to save his life.
LIN: You're listening to the superintendent of the New York state police, giving the very, very sad news that one of the state troopers who was shot, the gentleman whose leg was amputated in an effort to save his life, Joseph Longabardo, 32-years old, has died. And this means that the fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is facing murder charges now.
There was a very plaintive and emotional appeal by Wayne Bennett just there, saying if anybody has information about the whereabouts of Ralph "Bucky" Philips to please, give him up, give him up.
Apparently there are people in the community who are supportive of this man, who are critical of police efforts to try to get him to come out.
The police had detained his grandkids, had arrested his daughter. This still has not brought this man out.
For a while, he was being considered almost like a cult figure by some people in western New York, but the state troopers there are saying this man is a murderer. And he needs to be held accountable, that he escaped prison five months ago, but this is his first time. He had no violence in his record, but now he is a killer. They are hunting for a killer tonight in western New York.
Also want to take a look at fresh developments out of the Middle East and a closer look at the situation in Iran. New developments to reach agreement on the nuclear issue.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And Annan said Ahmadinejad would not agree to suspend uranium enrichment, but said he says that the Iranian president is committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Annan's visit comes just three days after Iran ignored a U.N. deadline to stop uranium enrichment.
So back in the United States, former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami told a group of Muslim Americans there are misconceptions about Muslims that need to be corrected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED KHATAMI, FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As American Muslims, you were the first and most fervent denouncers of the inhumane terrorist attacks of September 11th. And as the president of Iran, I was one of the first officials to condemn this barbaric act.
Through cooperation and reaching consensus with all of the people of the United States, public opinion can be rescued from the grips of ignorance and blunder. And the domination of arrogant war-mongering and violence triggering policies will end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Tehran's rejection of that U.N. nuclear ultimatum angered Washington and some allies. There's been talk of sanctions, but that's not going to be an easy decision.
CNN's Brian Todd shows us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's position against the West may never have been stronger. Start with the nuclear issue. If Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, experts say, the implications are enormous.
DAVID ALBRIGHT, FMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: What's Egypt going to do? What's Saudi Arabia going to do? I mean, will Saudi Arabia, you know, appeal to Pakistan for some kind of nuclear assistance?
TODD: But Iran is already a military threat on the ground, with one of the largest troop forces and ballistic missile stocks in the Middle East. And by supporting Hezbollah in its fight against Israel, analysts say, Iran has become hugely popular on the so-called Arab street, where to many it has punctured a hole in the belief that Israel's military is unbeatable.
From Lebanon, turn east toward two countries bordering Iran, where U.S. boots are on the ground.
AFSHIN MOLAVI, NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION: In many ways, we in the United States have become Iran's neighbors because we have troops in Iraq and troops in Afghanistan. And Iran has significant influence over these two countries that we view as important fronts in the war on terror.
TODD: In southern Iraq, analysts say, Iran has adopted its so- called Hezbollah model, providing Shi'ia groups with money and social services to essentially compete with U.S. influence, the way Hezbollah did after Israel invaded Lebanon in the early '80s.
And with the world's third largest oil reserves, serving two of the world's largest oil consumers, India and China, Iran's got undeniable leverage to drive prices. So what does Tehran want?
VALI NASR, AUTHOR, "THE SHI'IA REVIVAL": Ultimately they want to drive the point home to the U.S., that you know, they matter. You cannot just, you know, isolate them. You cannot change their regime. You have to deal with them.
TODD (on camera): And now, many analysts say, Iran's leaders are in a unique position to force the West to deal with them. They've emerged with a stronger hand after the Israel/Hezbollah conflict. And they're operating with the belief that few nations want to really punish them over the nuclear issue.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Coming up, a very strong debate. Two people, one including the former adviser to Iran's president on the nuclear negotiating team. We're going to be talking about whether Iran has a right to develop nuclear weapons. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Joining me now to talk more about Iran's newfound clout is Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, an organization that was formed after 9/11, and political analyst Kaveh Afrasiabi.
Welcome to both of you.
Cliff, let me begin with you. Why do you think that Iran's pursuit of enriching uranium is with the intent to produce nuclear weapons?
CLIFF MAY, FDN. FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY: I think you can't conclude anything else. Even the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that. They're producing such things as uranium metal, which you do not need for the production of simply nuclear energy. You do need it for weapon production.
What's more, various officials of the government have said outright that they are planning to have nuclear weapons. And because we know the intentions of this regime, they have said a world without America is attainable, we know how dangerous it would be, should they have this capability. If they get these weapons, we have to figure they will be used.
LIN: All right, so Kaveh, what assurances can you give, if any, that that is not Iran's intent? I mean, you can understand the concern of the West.
KAVEH AFRASIABI, POLITICAL ANALYST: Good afternoon, Carol. Yes, of course, the West has a legitimate concern. And I'm glad Secretary- General of the U.N. is having a productive meeting with the Iranians setting a positive tone for the coming round of negotiations in Berlin next week.
The Iranians have put the issue of suspension of enrichment on the table. And that's a major concession on their part.
In addition, over the past couple of years, they have given a whole list of objective guarantees, such as the immediate conversion of enriched uranium to fuel rods, etcetera.
LIN: But they haven't allowed inspections. Why?
AFRASIABI: Correct. Because the latest report of Mr. El Baradei, the head of the U.N.'s Atomic Agency, delivered to the Security Council just the other day states very clearly that Iranians have allowed access to the nuclear material and facilities.
LIN: But do they want...
AFRASIABI: And have also provided the required reports.
LIN: ...a nuclear weapon? Do the Iranians want a nuclear weapon?
AFRASIABI: Why do you say that because of the expressed intentions?
LIN: It's a fair question, though.
AFRASIABI: No, you see there's an article of faith in the U.S. media that Iran has ambition to build nuclear weapons. But where is the beef? Where is the burden of proof?
MAY: Let me give you the beef. For example, Golan Reza Hasani, a top official, said an atomic bomb must be produced. That sounds pretty clear.
For 18 years, we now know, and it's been admitted the Iranians have lied to the IAEA. And they have lied to the international community about the weapons of production. There's a reason they're putting their nuclear facilities deep underground and in mountains, because hey know what they're doing there.
LIN: But Cliff...
MAY: And we know - and Carol, we also know Khomeini's ideology. It is those who study jihad will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole world. "People cannot be made obedient except with the sword." Hard to say that's...
LIN: But Cliff, that's old rhetoric. I mean, right now, today, let me ask you this. I mean, why should -- if Iran wants to develop a nuclear weapon, why doesn't that country have a right to defend itself? You look at the partners in the war on terror. I mean, Pakistan, India, Israel, all of them possess a nuclear weapon. Why not Iran?
MAY: If we had a peaceful regime, a regime that did not have aggressive intent, no one would mind particularly if Iran had nuclear energy or even a nuclear weapon. As you say, we don't care particularly that India has one.
But if Iran does get one, first of all, they are supporting terrorists.
Second of all, they are saying with new rhetoric that on a world without America can be achieved and will be achieved. With new rhetoric, they are saying they will use this weapon.
In fact, they've said that Israel should be wiped off the map. And that if an atomic weapon is used against Israel, it will destroy Israel. If Israel retaliates, it will be small damage to Iran and other parts of the world. This regime cannot have nuclear weapons. And we - and that has to be understood as the worst possible option.
LIN: But they've denied that they're pursuing nuclear weapons.
MAY: And no one can believe that seriously.
LIN: Kaveh, let me ask Kaveh this. If the issue is intent, what Iran intends to do with the ability to enrich uranium, what can fix the situation, if anything?
AFRASIABI: Well, first of all, let me say that Mr. May grossly exaggerates the issue of Iran's violations. Even the IAEA has said that most of them were technical, not substantive violations. Iran had another 80 days to declare some of those facilities to the IAEA and it did so. Secondly...
LIN: But Kaveh, I don't want to get bogged down in that.
AFRASIABI: OK.
LIN: For our audience, tell us what do you think could fix the situation, if it's a question of Iran's intent?
AFRASIABI: Well, I think that there has to be good faith negotiation on both parts. Resolution 1696 imputes an obligation on the part of the U.S. and its allies to negotiate with Iran by endorsing the international incentive package. And that's a very important point that has bypassed...
X; So what does Iran want from the international community in order to stop enriching uranium? I mean, is there any room for negotiation? You used that word, but as far as Iran is concerned, the deadline has passed. And already the president has said we are not going to bow to the West.
AFRASIABI: OK, the deadline is not the equivalent of a bedtime hour in the barracks. Iran has put forward a detailed, comprehensive response and has reiterated to the Secretary-General of the U.N. that it's very serious about negotiating even the issue of suspension as they did in 2004, per the Paris Agreement, whereby for some two years Iran suspended the enrichment.
Now there's a whole host of issues that the U.S. needs to clarify. Such as is the U.S. willing to lift the sanctions whereby some of these offered incentives like the light water reactor and, you know, secured fuel supply would be forthcoming to Iran?
LIN: All right.
AFRASIABI: These are things the U.S. has to be forthcoming.
LIN: Kaveh Afrasiabi, we appreciate the time. He is former adviser to Iran's nuclear negotiating team. Cliff May, always a pleasure to have you. Appreciate the time from both of you.
MAY: Thank you, Carol.
AFRASIABI: Thank you.
LIN: A complicated issue, not to be resolved tonight but it's interesting to hear from the players in the region.
Now a crash on the moon, but it's not really a bad thing. Or is it?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Time for a couple of world headlines now. So when is a crash a good thing? Shanon Cook has been working on that interesting story.
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a crash is a good thing when a crash was totally planned. Basically, Europe's first lunar mission ended with a bang today.
But don't worry. That's what was supposed to happen. The Smart One spacecraft plowed into the lunar plane called the lake of excellence. The impact marks a successful end to the three-year voyage. And scientists hope the collision at 4.5 thousand miles an hour, mind you, will send up a dust cloud big enough to study.
And in Germany, taking Octoberfest to new heights. Flight attendants for air carrier Lufthansa have swapped their uniforms for traditional Bavarian costumes. There they are, looking very sweet. All in the name of promoting Munich's upcoming beer drinking fest. The costumes will take to the skies next month on flights between Germany, the U.S., and Asia. Carol, no word on whether or not there will be free beer offered on board, though.
LIN: OK, well, keep us posted will you, Shanon?
COOK: Sure.
LIN: Appreciate it.
COOK: Well, there's so much more ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY. Next, "CNN PRESENTS: THE POVERTY TRAP." A frank conversation between President Bill Clinton and our very own Sanjay Gupta.
Then at 9:00, the secretive polygamist community. Larry King and a rare inside look into the world of Warren Jeffs.
And then at 10:00 Eastern, a look at working man and woman. Should the government limit the amount of hours we actually have to work? Well, some like it but some don't. The hour's headlines when I come back.
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