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Hostage Released in Iraq; Afghan Violence; Spain Terror Arrests

Aired June 15, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

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


ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: A suicide bomber strikes; Iraqi soldiers are the victims.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Caught in the net. Spain apprehends 16 suspected Islamic terrorists.

VERJEE: Alive and well. A Taliban commander says Osama bin Laden is in good health.

CLANCY: And gagging orders? Microsoft accused of helping stifle descent among Chinese Internet users.

It is 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 6:00 p.m. in Madrid. I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: On a day that one man wins his freedom, dozens of others lose their lives. That is the situation in Iraq today, which has seen more bombings, more shootings and kidnappings.

Jennifer Eccleston joins us now live from Baghdad with the developments -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. Well, it was an extraordinary turn of events today. Australian national Douglas Wood, taken hostage six weeks ago in Iraq, today freed from his captors by Iraqi military -- by an Iraqi military group during a planned search and cordon operation in northwestern Baghdad.

Now, Jim, they were looking for a weapons cache under the anti- insurgency push Operation Lightning when they stumbled upon Wood, that they received light resistance from those who were holding him, and they now have detained a number of men. Now, a member of Australia's emergency response team sent here over a month ago to help secure Wood's release said he was found in a house. He was handcuffed, and he was found also under blankets. But he's said to be overjoyed, Jim, that this ordeal is over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS WOOD, HELD HOSTAGE IN IRAQ: I am extremely happy and relieved to be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally, but I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ECCLESTON: Now he is in the hands of Australian authorities. He's said to be in good health. He's having medical and psychological tests -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jennifer, that is good news indeed. At the same time, more tragic news, especially for Iraqi security forces. Once again, they are the targets.

ECCLESTON: That's right. They're bearing the brunt of the violence here in this country.

Earlier today, north of Baghdad, just northwest of the city of Baquba, a suicide bomber with an explosives belt detonated his charge. And in a restaurant at an Iraqi military base, 23 soldiers we know are dead right now, and there are 28 wounded. An official with the Iraqi military said the blast took place at lunchtime, and that can account for a large -- the large number of casualties.

And separately, a suicide car bomber struck a police patrol here in Baghdad, in eastern Baghdad. It killed four people, including two police. Twenty-nine others were wounded. Again, Iraqi forces bearing day in and day out the brunt of violence that is gripping this country -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jennifer Eccleston reporting live from Baghdad -- Zain.

VERJEE: Jim, a senior Taliban commander says the two most wanted men in the U.S.-led war on terror are alive and well. In an interview with the Pakistani television station, Mullah Akhtar Usmani said Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the ousted Taliban leader, are both in good health. But Usmani refused to say whether Mullah Omar took part in the current meetings of the Taliban Leadership Council. And although the Taliban has often played a part in protecting Osama bin Laden, it's unclear whether Usmani was speaking from first-hand knowledge about the al Qaeda leader.

CLANCY: Fighting between Afghan forces and U.S.-Led coalition troops and suspected Taliban rebels left seven of those suspected rebels dead, 10 others wounded. That clash broke out after the rebels attacked a joint Afghan coalition patrol in southern Afghanistan.

In another rebel attack on a medical clinic, a doctor and six others were killed. Troops pursued the rebels into the mountains in that case. Two of them were captured.

VERJEE: Wednesday's attack is just the latest sign that remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda are trying to make a comeback in Afghanistan.

CLANCY: Increased attacks, and increased propaganda, we should note, including those claims that Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar are alive and well, may be tied to upcoming elections.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): Holy warriors on a propaganda offensive. A videotape released this month attempts to portray fighters loyal to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden as heroes still very much in the fight.

Although it shows the use of a surface-to-air missile and claims to have downed a U.S. aircraft, in fact, no U.S. aircraft has been shot down anywhere close to the time frame claimed in the video. But all too real are the increased level of attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces.

This attack by a suicide bomber on a U.S. reconstruction convoy wounded at least four American troops. Civilian casualties are on the rise, too. A bomb attack at a Kandahar mosque raised the stakes in what is seen as a more intense and bloodier campaign by al Qaeda to make a comeback ahead of September 18 elections.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: So what is the U.S. military saying about the increased violence in Afghanistan? We are joined now by Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. She's coming to us by videophone from Kabul, the capital.

Barbara, what have the commanders told you? What do they think is going on, on the ground?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Jim this is a situation that they are looking at very closely every day here because, as you say, those types of attacks are now on the rise, and there's every expectation that they might well continue into that September election time frame.

What commanders here are saying is they think the elections are playing a role in all of this, that the insurgents, the Taliban, the al Qaeda, whatever they are, the criminal element in this country, is going to continue to be very active up until those elections, to try and disrupt them and disrupt the progress in this country. But they also are looking very closely at the question of whether this latest round of violence is random or if there is some type of organized strategy behind it, if you will.

They are seeing more improvised explosive devices. And one attack in particular, that recent attack on a mosque down in Kandahar, has been extremely concerned. For the first time that anybody can remember, they have seen a suicide bomber wearing a vest with a very sophisticated explosive charge on it walk into a crowded mosque.

Who made that vest? Who made that explosive charge? Those are the kinds of questions they're asking to try and figure out what is really going on at this time -- Jim.

CLANCY: Barbara, has the Taliban or al Qaeda been able to re- establish bases inside Afghanistan? Where are the attackers, particularly in the south, coming from? STARR: Well, that's a very interesting question. It is mainly in the south and eastern portions of the country, and one of the things commanders here on the ground have told us is that border with Pakistan is still very porous, that they are seeing fighters come across from Pakistan, they're catching them as they can, both U.S. and Afghan forces. But quite interestingly, just one anecdote.

Last week, within the last 10 days or so, on one day alone there were three rocket attacks launched from across the border in Pakistan into Afghanistan. In one case, U.S. forces did go ahead and return fire back across the border after coordinating with the Pakistanis. But it's a very interesting situation, because they are still all these months and years later seeing that border situation still porous, seeing the fighters come in that way.

As for the Taliban inside Afghanistan, there is the reconciliation movement, of course. A lot of Taliban taking advantage of trying to get back into the mainstream of Afghan society, but still we are told an awful lot of Taliban sympathizers throughout the country -- Jim.

CLANCY: Very briefly, if I can ask you, because the focus in Iraq is so much on training their military, I just wonder, how is the Afghan military faring?

STARR: Well, this is a key question for U.S. commanders here, because, like Iraq, they know and they say that the Afghan security forces are going to have to stand on their own feet, defend their country, that that will be the long-term route to success. Quickly, as for the Afghan national army, about 30,000 now trained and equipped, if you will, working on a very small platoon level.

They hope within two or three years to take that up to 70,000. But the real problem inside of Afghanistan, we are told by sources here, is the police force. It's just not functioning the way senior U.S. military commanders would like to see it function.

It is -- it is potentially very vulnerable to corruption, especially out in the countryside. So look for commanders here to pay a lot of attention to the Afghan police force in the weeks and months ahead, and try and get it to function in a better fashion -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right. Barbara Starr, coming to us there live by videophone from Kabul, Afghanistan. Thank you, Barbara.

VERJEE: Spanish police swoop down on terror suspects in several cities. Sixteen men were arrested in the raids. Eleven are accused of having ties to an al Qaeda-linked group operating in Iraq.

Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Police said 11 of the suspects are linked to the terrorist network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of the most wanted men in Iraq. Authorities said many of these 11 were willing to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq against coalition forces.

(voice-over): The police did not identify a specific imminent attack, but said that the potential suicide bombers were willing to commit a suicide terrorist attack at the time that their bosses considered it necessary. The 11 suspects were allegedly recruited by a network operating from Syria which aimed to set up terror cells in various countries, including Spain, to recruit radical Muslims to fight in Iraq.

In Spain, some of the suspects were involved in recruiting. Others were allegedly involved in raising funds for the effort through petty crimes like drug trafficking, and some others were suspected of transporting this money to other countries.

Most of the suspects were born in Morocco, a few came from Algeria, and two others born in Spain. More than 500 police officers fanned out across the nation to make the arrests in Barcelona, Madrid and other towns.

A second group of suspects, five out of the 16 total, was linked to the Madrid train bombings last year. The prime suspect in this latest group is suspected of mass murder in the deaths of the 191 people who died in those attacks against Madrid commuter trains.

(on camera): More than 100 suspects have been charged in the Madrid train bombings. A trial in that case could start later this year.

Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, a look at stories making news in the United States.

CLANCY: Plus, Iran is poised to go to the polls to decide between eight presidential hopefuls. All of them are men.

VERJEE: We're going to take a look at how women's rights are a hot issue this time around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASHEMI RAFSANJANI, IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER (through translator): We have a clear understanding of what the needs are. We have great relations and communication with the young people. And we hear really loud and clear the voices of the young people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: The frontrunner in Iran's president election, Hashemi Rafsanjani, joins reformers and hard-liners alike as they pull out all stops ahead of Friday's vote. Women's rights will be an important issue this time at the polls. Joining us now from Washington is Mahnaz Afkhami. She is the president of the Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace.

Thanks so much for being with us. From what you can tell us, from what you've heard, what's daily life like for women living in Iran?

MAHNAZ AFKHAMI, FMR. IRANIAN CABINET MINISTER: Life in Iran for a woman is quite difficult. A woman has very few choices.

She has to have permission to travel, permission to marry, permission to work, and also, of course, she can neither be a judge nor a witness, nor a full witness. She can't have custody of her children. Divorce is the prerogative of the husband.

She may face one or other numbers of other wives in her house without any notice or any rights on her part. And, of course, her dress and her appearance and her movements are very much controlled. She lives in segregated spaces on buses, in public spaces, in government entrances to government offices, and so it's rather difficult.

VERJEE: So there's a lot that women in Iran cannot do. There's some that they can. They can run for parliament. I believe the top rally driver in Iran is also a woman.

So how then does the position of women in Iran today really reflect a struggle in the country between reformers, between hard- liners, between civil rights and democracy, on the one hand, and religious values on the other?

AFKHAMI: I think basically women's presence in a wide variety of activities in Iran -- and they are present, and they are dynamic, and they are very much included, include themselves, in fact, in a wide variety of activities -- it comes from a history of 100 years of activism in Iran, 100 years of experience by women in networking and organizing in civic life. And in having known a lot more advanced participation prior to the revolution.

So they're struggling to regain some of their hard-won rights, and also to go further. And, of course, the problem with women in Iran is not really summarized in the struggle between reformists and conservatives. There is a fundamental problem that women have, and that's the perception and the stated ideology of the Islamic republic.

VERJEE: OK. How do you see real change for women occurring in Iran? The presidential candidates have pledged change. What do you think it will take?

AFKHAMI: It will take substantial change in the fundamental legal structures of the country, more specifically the constitution. It has to change to allow for democratic participation, to allow for people's diverse opinions to be heard. With this particular document, it is impossible.

VERJEE: Is Rafsanjani the man to do it if he wins the presidential election, very briefly?

AFKHAMI: I don't believe so, because, in fact, he is part and parcel of the system that created this constitution. He's been one of the most popular people in Iran for the last 25 years.

He holds a hugely important position as the head of the Guardian Council right now, and he was president for two terms. So we know what he can and cannot do, and, of course, he's part of this system. Clever as he is, negotiator as he is, he basically does not want to touch the basic structure, and that's where the problem lies.

VERJEE: Manhaz Afkhami, the president of the Women's Learning Partnerships for Rights, Development and Peace, joining us from Washington. Thank you.

AFKHAMI: Thank you.

CLANCY: Well, let's check some of the stories that making news across the United States right now.

An autopsy on Terri Schiavo has found the 41-year-old Florida woman suffered massive brain death, and the medical examiner says no amount of therapy would have reversed her condition. Schiavo was at the center of a fierce right-to-die battle between her husband and her parents. The court sided with her husband and her feeding tube was removed in March.

Investigators in Aruba say a search of a swampy beachfront has turned up no new leads in the case of a young U.S. woman missing since May 30. The three men still detained in connection with Natalee Holloway's disappearance appeared in court on Wednesday, a source telling CNN that they continue to point fingers at each other.

Back on track for another space voyage, NASA has returned the Space Shuttle Discovery to its launch pad in Florida after replacing an external fuel tank. It's hoping to launch Discovery next month on the first shuttle mission since Columbia disintegrated in space two- and-a-half years ago.

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, censoring the Internet in China.

CLANCY: If you lived in Beijing, you would not be able to look for certain words on your search engine. Are Microsoft and other companies bowing directly or indirectly to Chinese government demands? We'll explain when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back.

We're getting a better idea of just what happened during a riot in China on Saturday. State media first reported the incident on Monday, but now "The Washington Post" has obtained video of the event.

It shows men brandishing guns and clubs, attacking residents in a shantytown in northern China. State media reports that six people were killed. "The Washington Post" quotes witnesses as saying the armed men attacked farmers who had been resisting official demands to vacate land. "The Post" also reports the 50-year-old farmer who captured the pictures was beaten and his camera was smashed.

CLANCY: Users of Microsoft's new Internet portal in China are being blocked from using certain words such as "democracy," "human rights," "Taiwan independence." Microsoft is not the only international technology company to comply with China's stringent Internet rules.

Maggie Lake joins us now from New York with a little bit more on this story.

Hi, Maggie.

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Jim.

Microsoft is now joining other U.S. Web companies in helping China censor certain words and phrases. When users of Microsoft's MSN blog site attempt to enter words like "democracy," "freedom," and "human rights," they don't get what they're looking for. Instead, the message says, "The title entered must not include prohibited language. Please input a different title."

This is no error message. It's actually generated by Microsoft.

The U.S. software giant is not alone. Rivals like Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon.com and Interactive have also been known to censor content in China. Calls into these companies have not yet been returned. America Online no longer has a presence in China.

Media watch dogs have lashed out, saying the companies are sacrificing ethics for profit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TALA DOWLATSHAHI, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS: If Microsoft is a U.S.-based company and is allowed to set up portals for Web bloggers within the United States, which anyone can speak about any issue, then that same policy, that same ethical principle should be exercised abroad and overseas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAKE: Microsoft issued this statement to CNN: "MSN spaces in China is managed by its China joint venture, the Shanghai MSN Network. MSN abides by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it operates."

The move comes as the Chinese government attempts to tighten control over the Internet. China has the second largest Internet market, with 94 million users and growing. Critics say U.S. companies should not have to bow to China's censorship demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN TKACIK, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: The bottom line is we should not be afraid of economic retaliation from China. We basically should use our economic clout as China's top importer. And I think -- I think we'll find -- I think we'll be surprised at how effective it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAKE: Companies aren't taking any chances. Right now they have chosen to cooperate. Their supporters say it's better to have some presence in China rather than face a complete ban.

To date, technology has helped bloggers stay one step ahead of Chinese authorities, but human rights activists worry the government's ability to block Internet content just got easier with the help of industry -- Jim.

CLANCY: Maggie Lake, reporting to us there live from New York. Thanks, Maggie.

VERJEE: Time to check now on what's moving the markets in the United States. For that, to New York and to Valerie Morris.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

CLANCY: We're going to update our top stories right after a short break.

VERJEE: Also ahead, more criticism of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba at a U.S. Senate committee hearing. Is it an international embarrassment? We'll bring you a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Hello and welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. These are the stories that are making headlines.

Spanish police arresting 16 people suspected of being Islamic terrorists in raids all across the country. Authorities say 11 are linked to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi's terror network in Iraq. Five are believed to have ties to last year's Madrid train bombings. The latest arrests come as a separate trial continues in Madrid against 24 suspected Al Qaeda members.

VERJEE: Iraqi soldiers, backed by U.S. forces, rescued Australian hostage Douglas Wood during a security sweep in northwest Baghdad. You are looking now at fresh pictures we've received of Douglas Wood. He was found tied up in a house during a security sweep in northwestern Baghdad. Again, these are new pictures that we are receiving. He was examined at a U.S. military medical facility. He was pronounced in good health. Certainly there by the pictures we're looking at, he seems talkative and appears to be sharing whatever information he knows of his captivity, of his captors, and perhaps of the operation also itself. The Australian government says no ransom was paid, despite a request for a very large sum of money.

CLANCY: Meantime, at least 23 Iraqi soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at an Iraqi military base near Baquba; 28 others wounded in that incident. Four people were killed, 29 wounded in a suicide car bombing in southeastern Baghdad. Police officials say the bomber was targeting an Iraqi police patrol.

VERJEE: A U.S. Senate committee's holding a hearing on the treatment of war and terror detainees. So far, military brass have stepped up to defend practices at the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison camp. And Democrats and Republicans have drawn the battle lines in the fight over the facility's future.

Ed Henry joins us now live from Capitol Hill with more.

Ed, some pretty heated debate today, right?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain.

A fierce battle indeed with Democrats charging that Guantanamo is really just a gulag, that it's a legal black hole that has basically opened the door to all kinds of abuses against over 500 detainees being held at this prison camp. A lot of Democrats on this committee are also saying that the damage from that scandal has been so vast to the U.S. image around the world that it's time to shut down this prison all together.

Leading attack today against the bush administration is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Pat Leahy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D), VERMONT: What they've said to us from the start is trust us. Trust us that we know the law and that we'll comply with it. Trust us to treat detainees humanely in accordance with our laws and treaties. Trust us that Guantanamo is going to make Americans safer. Now three years later, about the only thing we know for certain is that trust may well have been misplaced.

Guantanamo Bay is an international embarrassment to our nation, to our ideals, and it remains a festering threat to our security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Republican on the committee have launched a vigorous counterattack today, echoing the words by Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by saying they believe these detainees are being treated humanely, also that these detainees have provided very valuable information to interrogators that have helped in the war on terror, and also that there's no viable alternative to Guantanamo, no viable alternative as a prison, and that's why Republicans like Arlen Specter, the committee's chairman, say that everyone has to tread cautiously about just releasing these prisoners back out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: While procedural due process is obviously important, we ought to be as sure as we can what steps are being taken so that we do not release detainees from Guantanamo who turn up on battle battlefields killing Americans. And what's the value of a promise not to bear arms against the United States?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Democrats insist they're not advocating dumping these potential terrorists all around the world. They say, in fact, if these detainees are terrorists, they should be charged with crimes and put through the U.S. legal system. Instead, Democrats say, some of these detainees have languished for up to three years without any charges -- Zain.

VERJEE: And what's being said about the interrogation methods that are being used?

HENRY: Well, Democrats are making much of this "Time" magazine cover story out this week about the so-called 20th hijacker from 9/11, Mohammed Al Khatani, saying that some of the methods used against him included not letting him use the bathroom, forcing him to act like a dog. But the Republican point of view on that, in fact, as the Pentagon has pointed out already, Mohammed Al Khatani, with some of those interrogation methods that were used, he's provided valuable information about the Al Qaeda network, and he was very close to Osama Bin Laden, so that's proved helpful to the U.S. government. So you hear both sides of it right here. Democrats say the methods have gone too far. Republicans, by and large, are saying that, in fact, this has given them very valuable information in the war on terror -- Zain.

VERJEE: CNN's Ed Henry reporting. Thanks -- Jim.

CLANCY: Iraqi forces are starting to take the lead in the painstaking task of tracking down insurgents responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Iraqi security forces and civilians.

Jane Arraf accompanied U.S. and Iraqi security forces as they went door to door following up on intelligence, tips in the northern border town of Avgani.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is nothing subtle about the U.S. military. This small town near Tal Alfar in northwestern Iraq is thought to be a safe haven for insurgents. We're with U.S. and Iraqi forces who are trying to find them, and trying to avoid getting shot while they do.

The U.S. and Iraqi army have moved into the town of Avgani with a list of eight targets. It's just after sunrise, and this is the first house they've raided. The suspect they're looking for, they believe, is a scout for the insurgency, someone who's collecting information and doing reconnaissance. They find the man they're looking for, and take him away for questioning. The Third Armored Cavalry regiment is paired with the Iraqi's First Brigade, Third Division.

For the first time, the Americans let the Iraqis lead the searches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to go through the houses, make sure that we don't point weapons at women and children.

ARRAF: At this house, the suspect has gone, leaving his frightened family, and a phone that keeps ringing. This call was from relatives, asking if the family was OK. Iraqi soldiers digging in the garden where they see freshly turned earth uncover a hand grenade. They search the house top to bottom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask them if there are any other fake walls or doors that you can see.

ARRAF: Part of the U.S. Army's focus here is finding out who in this town of 5,000 supports the insurgents and who can be enlisted against them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest feeling that I'm getting from the town is that a lot of people know what's going on. They don't necessarily like it, but they're scared to do anything about it.

ARRAF: "How could I give you information when I don't leave the house?" this merchant asked the captain. At another home, the medic treats a man who burned his leg in a cement factory, where they have no safety equipment. He's grateful for the medical treatment, but like many people here, wary of the Americans. In this town, as in many, choosing sides can be dangerous.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Avgani, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Well, some people have chosen sides. Critics of the Bush administration's Iraq strategy say the U.S. should now commit more troops to the conflict to see it through. There's also the school of thought that less is actually more here.

Joining us to talk a little bit about that, Michael Rubin. He's with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. He was also an adviser to the now defunct Coalition Provisional Authority. Thank you so much for joining us.

Let's just look, on the face of it, at the situation in Iraq. Does it require a major rethink at this point? Because, as we see it, just counting the casualties, they are going up day by day.

MICHAEL RUBIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: No, I don't think it requires a major rethink. I think what it requires is some consistency of meeting the watershed events we have declared. For example, we had the elections on January 30th. People suggested we delay them. We didn't.

We will have the constitutional referendum. We will have future elections. But just throwing more U.S. troops into the mix doesn't really do much good to anyone. And I was last in Baghdad in April. It actually seems to antagonize people a lot more.

CLANCY: All right. Stay the course then. But if you stay the course, the American people have to be told that the casualties are going up. The Iraqi people have to be told their casualties, too, are going to soar.

RUBIN: I'm not sure that's accurate that their casualties will soar. Right now we're in a spike in terrorism. We've had these spikes before.

CLANCY: Is this really a spike that we're looking at? We're seeing consistent casualties, consistent numbers of suicide bombings, ever more deadly. They hit a restaurant today. Once again, this is the multiple times they've used that strategy against Iraqi police. Is this just a spike, really?

RUBIN: Yes. First of all, the reason -- yes, it is just a spike. And if you look back at the entire history for the last two, three years, you'll see there are spikes and then there are short falls. Terrorists use car bombs because cars have wheels. The important thing is having the intelligence to be -- presence on the ground to be able to find out where they're assembling the car bombs.

But just putting more troops on the street makes more targets for car bombs. Iraqis actually have a joke. When you're driving around on a normal street in Baghdad, for example, they call the American troops American wedding parties, because the American convoys go down the highway at 10, 20, 30 miles per hour and tie up traffic because no one's allowed to pass them and so forth.

Where we could use more troops is along the borders, to better secure the borders. And at the same time, we made a mistake by not training Iraqi security forces earlier. We're paying the price for that mistake. But if we stay the course and if we train Iraqi security forces, eventually this should go down. People are resorting to terrorism because they think it might work. But as the political process develops, they see it doesn't.

CLANCY: You say -- and there is one strategy that people have talked about, and that's sealing off those borders, at least as much as possible. When you were last there, where are the insurgents coming from? We've heard Syria, but there are also reports that many of them are coming from Saudi Arabia. That's hardly ever mentioned.

RUBIN: When I've been to restaurants in Baghdad, I have seen Saudis there who talk about crossing the borders with ease. There's also a great deal of anti-Jordanian sentiment in Iraq right now. And that's because, while many of the insurgents may be Iraqis and many Iraqis are loathe to admit that -- because, frankly, they're a little bit embarrassed that Iraqis would do this sort of thing -- most of the suicide bombers, for study -- when people have done studies that have looked at who the suicide bombers were, who claimed responsibility in the Islamist Web sites and the Arabic newspapers and so forth, perhaps 90 percent of the insurgents are Iraqis, but 90 percent of the suicide bombers are foreigners.

CLANCY: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. I want to thank Michael Rubin for joining us here and giving us his perspectives.

RUBIN: Thank you.

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY...

CLANCY: Our daily check of sports and weather. Plus...

VERJEE: A look at some stories making news across the United States.

CLANCY: Including a rude welcome for Governor Schwarzenegger at one stop in California.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Let's check some stories making news now across the United States.

40 years after he deserted his army unit and crossed into North Korea, a former U.S. soldier has been reunited with his ailing mother. Charles Jenkins arrived in Weldon, North Carolina, for what he said is likely to be his last visit. Last year, Jenkins served a 25-day jail sentence for his desertion.

Heckling Arnie. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got more than he bargained for during a speech at his alma mater. Protesters disrupted his commencement speech to some 600 graduates. The governor's face appeared to redden as his words were accompanied and met with catcalls, howls and piercing whistles.

Walt Disney World has re-opened the spaceship ride on which a 4- year-old boy collapsed. He later died. Authorities say it may take weeks to know what role, if any, the ride played in his death. "Mission: Space" is one of Epcot's most popular features, but it's been criticized for its intensity.

(WEATHER REPORT)

VERJEE: Terry Baddoo's up next with the latest in sports.

CLANCY: Including the ugly scene in Buenos Aires as Argentine powerhouse Bocca (ph) Juniors are eliminated from South America's top Club Tournament. We'll have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE; Time now for a look at sports, including news from football.

CLANCY: Terry Baddoo joins us with all the latest. A lot of action in Buenos Aires. TERRY BADDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. That's soccer to our American audience. The South American version of the Champions Leagues, it was known as the Liberation (ph) Cup. It now has its first semifinalist, subject to an official verdict by the South American Football Confederation.

After a volatile night in Buenos Aires, at the game between Argentina's Bocca Juniors and Chivas Guadalahara (ph) of Mexico. Chivas won the first leg, four-nil. But when they tried to increase their lead on 74 minutes in the second leg, when Adolpho Batista (ph) appeared to be headbutted by Raoul Kasuni (ph).

The Boccas Martin Palermo (ph) was so enraged by the Chivas players response that he, too, attacked Batista with a headbutt, and then the red card from Yora Gwine (ph), the referee.

Batista, who apparently taunted the opposition, was also red carded and left under police protection, not that it worked too well, as one of Bocca's fans able to get in a sucker punch before escaping back into the crowd with the help of some friends. The match was then abandoned. The score, no score, leaving the authorities to determine the outcome.

As you may have gathered, football season never ends. And in Germany, the mini-rehearsal for next year's World Cup finals is under way with Argentina playing Tunisia in the opening game of the Confederations Cup. And it's been eventful, Tunisia missing a penalty on 18 minutes before Juan Recalme (ph) converted a spot kick to make it 1-0 Argentina on 33 minutes. Eight teams were involved in the tournament, including World Cup host Germany and reigning world champions Brazil.

Finally to the NBA, where the defending champions Detroit Pistons had some work to do Tuesday night after losing first two games of the best-of-seven-game NBA Finals to San Antonio Spurs. In the second quarter, Pistons star Richard Hamilton made the alley-oop pass to Tayshaun Prince for the slam, cut the Spurs lead to two. Into the third, Pistons by five, when Richard Hamilton lobbed to Ben Wallace for the reverse dunk for two of his 24 points.

Into the fourth, where Manu Ginobili's pass was picked off by Antonio McDyess before Chauncey Billups got the ball on the break, made the layup over Tim Duncan. Billups with 20 points on the night, in a 96-79 Pistons win that leaves the series at 2-1 Spurs. And that's the score for now.

CLANCY: Terry Baddoo, thank you much for joining us.

VERJEE: Thanks, Terry.

More news is just ahead on CNN. I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. This has been YOUR WORLD TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 15, 2005 - 12:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: A suicide bomber strikes; Iraqi soldiers are the victims.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Caught in the net. Spain apprehends 16 suspected Islamic terrorists.

VERJEE: Alive and well. A Taliban commander says Osama bin Laden is in good health.

CLANCY: And gagging orders? Microsoft accused of helping stifle descent among Chinese Internet users.

It is 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 6:00 p.m. in Madrid. I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: On a day that one man wins his freedom, dozens of others lose their lives. That is the situation in Iraq today, which has seen more bombings, more shootings and kidnappings.

Jennifer Eccleston joins us now live from Baghdad with the developments -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. Well, it was an extraordinary turn of events today. Australian national Douglas Wood, taken hostage six weeks ago in Iraq, today freed from his captors by Iraqi military -- by an Iraqi military group during a planned search and cordon operation in northwestern Baghdad.

Now, Jim, they were looking for a weapons cache under the anti- insurgency push Operation Lightning when they stumbled upon Wood, that they received light resistance from those who were holding him, and they now have detained a number of men. Now, a member of Australia's emergency response team sent here over a month ago to help secure Wood's release said he was found in a house. He was handcuffed, and he was found also under blankets. But he's said to be overjoyed, Jim, that this ordeal is over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGLAS WOOD, HELD HOSTAGE IN IRAQ: I am extremely happy and relieved to be free again and deeply grateful to all those who worked to bring about my release. Some of these people I've already been able to thank personally, but I know there are many others I may never get the chance to meet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ECCLESTON: Now he is in the hands of Australian authorities. He's said to be in good health. He's having medical and psychological tests -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jennifer, that is good news indeed. At the same time, more tragic news, especially for Iraqi security forces. Once again, they are the targets.

ECCLESTON: That's right. They're bearing the brunt of the violence here in this country.

Earlier today, north of Baghdad, just northwest of the city of Baquba, a suicide bomber with an explosives belt detonated his charge. And in a restaurant at an Iraqi military base, 23 soldiers we know are dead right now, and there are 28 wounded. An official with the Iraqi military said the blast took place at lunchtime, and that can account for a large -- the large number of casualties.

And separately, a suicide car bomber struck a police patrol here in Baghdad, in eastern Baghdad. It killed four people, including two police. Twenty-nine others were wounded. Again, Iraqi forces bearing day in and day out the brunt of violence that is gripping this country -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jennifer Eccleston reporting live from Baghdad -- Zain.

VERJEE: Jim, a senior Taliban commander says the two most wanted men in the U.S.-led war on terror are alive and well. In an interview with the Pakistani television station, Mullah Akhtar Usmani said Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the ousted Taliban leader, are both in good health. But Usmani refused to say whether Mullah Omar took part in the current meetings of the Taliban Leadership Council. And although the Taliban has often played a part in protecting Osama bin Laden, it's unclear whether Usmani was speaking from first-hand knowledge about the al Qaeda leader.

CLANCY: Fighting between Afghan forces and U.S.-Led coalition troops and suspected Taliban rebels left seven of those suspected rebels dead, 10 others wounded. That clash broke out after the rebels attacked a joint Afghan coalition patrol in southern Afghanistan.

In another rebel attack on a medical clinic, a doctor and six others were killed. Troops pursued the rebels into the mountains in that case. Two of them were captured.

VERJEE: Wednesday's attack is just the latest sign that remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda are trying to make a comeback in Afghanistan.

CLANCY: Increased attacks, and increased propaganda, we should note, including those claims that Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar are alive and well, may be tied to upcoming elections.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): Holy warriors on a propaganda offensive. A videotape released this month attempts to portray fighters loyal to the Taliban and Osama bin Laden as heroes still very much in the fight.

Although it shows the use of a surface-to-air missile and claims to have downed a U.S. aircraft, in fact, no U.S. aircraft has been shot down anywhere close to the time frame claimed in the video. But all too real are the increased level of attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces.

This attack by a suicide bomber on a U.S. reconstruction convoy wounded at least four American troops. Civilian casualties are on the rise, too. A bomb attack at a Kandahar mosque raised the stakes in what is seen as a more intense and bloodier campaign by al Qaeda to make a comeback ahead of September 18 elections.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: So what is the U.S. military saying about the increased violence in Afghanistan? We are joined now by Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. She's coming to us by videophone from Kabul, the capital.

Barbara, what have the commanders told you? What do they think is going on, on the ground?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Jim this is a situation that they are looking at very closely every day here because, as you say, those types of attacks are now on the rise, and there's every expectation that they might well continue into that September election time frame.

What commanders here are saying is they think the elections are playing a role in all of this, that the insurgents, the Taliban, the al Qaeda, whatever they are, the criminal element in this country, is going to continue to be very active up until those elections, to try and disrupt them and disrupt the progress in this country. But they also are looking very closely at the question of whether this latest round of violence is random or if there is some type of organized strategy behind it, if you will.

They are seeing more improvised explosive devices. And one attack in particular, that recent attack on a mosque down in Kandahar, has been extremely concerned. For the first time that anybody can remember, they have seen a suicide bomber wearing a vest with a very sophisticated explosive charge on it walk into a crowded mosque.

Who made that vest? Who made that explosive charge? Those are the kinds of questions they're asking to try and figure out what is really going on at this time -- Jim.

CLANCY: Barbara, has the Taliban or al Qaeda been able to re- establish bases inside Afghanistan? Where are the attackers, particularly in the south, coming from? STARR: Well, that's a very interesting question. It is mainly in the south and eastern portions of the country, and one of the things commanders here on the ground have told us is that border with Pakistan is still very porous, that they are seeing fighters come across from Pakistan, they're catching them as they can, both U.S. and Afghan forces. But quite interestingly, just one anecdote.

Last week, within the last 10 days or so, on one day alone there were three rocket attacks launched from across the border in Pakistan into Afghanistan. In one case, U.S. forces did go ahead and return fire back across the border after coordinating with the Pakistanis. But it's a very interesting situation, because they are still all these months and years later seeing that border situation still porous, seeing the fighters come in that way.

As for the Taliban inside Afghanistan, there is the reconciliation movement, of course. A lot of Taliban taking advantage of trying to get back into the mainstream of Afghan society, but still we are told an awful lot of Taliban sympathizers throughout the country -- Jim.

CLANCY: Very briefly, if I can ask you, because the focus in Iraq is so much on training their military, I just wonder, how is the Afghan military faring?

STARR: Well, this is a key question for U.S. commanders here, because, like Iraq, they know and they say that the Afghan security forces are going to have to stand on their own feet, defend their country, that that will be the long-term route to success. Quickly, as for the Afghan national army, about 30,000 now trained and equipped, if you will, working on a very small platoon level.

They hope within two or three years to take that up to 70,000. But the real problem inside of Afghanistan, we are told by sources here, is the police force. It's just not functioning the way senior U.S. military commanders would like to see it function.

It is -- it is potentially very vulnerable to corruption, especially out in the countryside. So look for commanders here to pay a lot of attention to the Afghan police force in the weeks and months ahead, and try and get it to function in a better fashion -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right. Barbara Starr, coming to us there live by videophone from Kabul, Afghanistan. Thank you, Barbara.

VERJEE: Spanish police swoop down on terror suspects in several cities. Sixteen men were arrested in the raids. Eleven are accused of having ties to an al Qaeda-linked group operating in Iraq.

Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Police said 11 of the suspects are linked to the terrorist network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, one of the most wanted men in Iraq. Authorities said many of these 11 were willing to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq against coalition forces.

(voice-over): The police did not identify a specific imminent attack, but said that the potential suicide bombers were willing to commit a suicide terrorist attack at the time that their bosses considered it necessary. The 11 suspects were allegedly recruited by a network operating from Syria which aimed to set up terror cells in various countries, including Spain, to recruit radical Muslims to fight in Iraq.

In Spain, some of the suspects were involved in recruiting. Others were allegedly involved in raising funds for the effort through petty crimes like drug trafficking, and some others were suspected of transporting this money to other countries.

Most of the suspects were born in Morocco, a few came from Algeria, and two others born in Spain. More than 500 police officers fanned out across the nation to make the arrests in Barcelona, Madrid and other towns.

A second group of suspects, five out of the 16 total, was linked to the Madrid train bombings last year. The prime suspect in this latest group is suspected of mass murder in the deaths of the 191 people who died in those attacks against Madrid commuter trains.

(on camera): More than 100 suspects have been charged in the Madrid train bombings. A trial in that case could start later this year.

Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, a look at stories making news in the United States.

CLANCY: Plus, Iran is poised to go to the polls to decide between eight presidential hopefuls. All of them are men.

VERJEE: We're going to take a look at how women's rights are a hot issue this time around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASHEMI RAFSANJANI, IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER (through translator): We have a clear understanding of what the needs are. We have great relations and communication with the young people. And we hear really loud and clear the voices of the young people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: The frontrunner in Iran's president election, Hashemi Rafsanjani, joins reformers and hard-liners alike as they pull out all stops ahead of Friday's vote. Women's rights will be an important issue this time at the polls. Joining us now from Washington is Mahnaz Afkhami. She is the president of the Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace.

Thanks so much for being with us. From what you can tell us, from what you've heard, what's daily life like for women living in Iran?

MAHNAZ AFKHAMI, FMR. IRANIAN CABINET MINISTER: Life in Iran for a woman is quite difficult. A woman has very few choices.

She has to have permission to travel, permission to marry, permission to work, and also, of course, she can neither be a judge nor a witness, nor a full witness. She can't have custody of her children. Divorce is the prerogative of the husband.

She may face one or other numbers of other wives in her house without any notice or any rights on her part. And, of course, her dress and her appearance and her movements are very much controlled. She lives in segregated spaces on buses, in public spaces, in government entrances to government offices, and so it's rather difficult.

VERJEE: So there's a lot that women in Iran cannot do. There's some that they can. They can run for parliament. I believe the top rally driver in Iran is also a woman.

So how then does the position of women in Iran today really reflect a struggle in the country between reformers, between hard- liners, between civil rights and democracy, on the one hand, and religious values on the other?

AFKHAMI: I think basically women's presence in a wide variety of activities in Iran -- and they are present, and they are dynamic, and they are very much included, include themselves, in fact, in a wide variety of activities -- it comes from a history of 100 years of activism in Iran, 100 years of experience by women in networking and organizing in civic life. And in having known a lot more advanced participation prior to the revolution.

So they're struggling to regain some of their hard-won rights, and also to go further. And, of course, the problem with women in Iran is not really summarized in the struggle between reformists and conservatives. There is a fundamental problem that women have, and that's the perception and the stated ideology of the Islamic republic.

VERJEE: OK. How do you see real change for women occurring in Iran? The presidential candidates have pledged change. What do you think it will take?

AFKHAMI: It will take substantial change in the fundamental legal structures of the country, more specifically the constitution. It has to change to allow for democratic participation, to allow for people's diverse opinions to be heard. With this particular document, it is impossible.

VERJEE: Is Rafsanjani the man to do it if he wins the presidential election, very briefly?

AFKHAMI: I don't believe so, because, in fact, he is part and parcel of the system that created this constitution. He's been one of the most popular people in Iran for the last 25 years.

He holds a hugely important position as the head of the Guardian Council right now, and he was president for two terms. So we know what he can and cannot do, and, of course, he's part of this system. Clever as he is, negotiator as he is, he basically does not want to touch the basic structure, and that's where the problem lies.

VERJEE: Manhaz Afkhami, the president of the Women's Learning Partnerships for Rights, Development and Peace, joining us from Washington. Thank you.

AFKHAMI: Thank you.

CLANCY: Well, let's check some of the stories that making news across the United States right now.

An autopsy on Terri Schiavo has found the 41-year-old Florida woman suffered massive brain death, and the medical examiner says no amount of therapy would have reversed her condition. Schiavo was at the center of a fierce right-to-die battle between her husband and her parents. The court sided with her husband and her feeding tube was removed in March.

Investigators in Aruba say a search of a swampy beachfront has turned up no new leads in the case of a young U.S. woman missing since May 30. The three men still detained in connection with Natalee Holloway's disappearance appeared in court on Wednesday, a source telling CNN that they continue to point fingers at each other.

Back on track for another space voyage, NASA has returned the Space Shuttle Discovery to its launch pad in Florida after replacing an external fuel tank. It's hoping to launch Discovery next month on the first shuttle mission since Columbia disintegrated in space two- and-a-half years ago.

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, censoring the Internet in China.

CLANCY: If you lived in Beijing, you would not be able to look for certain words on your search engine. Are Microsoft and other companies bowing directly or indirectly to Chinese government demands? We'll explain when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back.

We're getting a better idea of just what happened during a riot in China on Saturday. State media first reported the incident on Monday, but now "The Washington Post" has obtained video of the event.

It shows men brandishing guns and clubs, attacking residents in a shantytown in northern China. State media reports that six people were killed. "The Washington Post" quotes witnesses as saying the armed men attacked farmers who had been resisting official demands to vacate land. "The Post" also reports the 50-year-old farmer who captured the pictures was beaten and his camera was smashed.

CLANCY: Users of Microsoft's new Internet portal in China are being blocked from using certain words such as "democracy," "human rights," "Taiwan independence." Microsoft is not the only international technology company to comply with China's stringent Internet rules.

Maggie Lake joins us now from New York with a little bit more on this story.

Hi, Maggie.

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Jim.

Microsoft is now joining other U.S. Web companies in helping China censor certain words and phrases. When users of Microsoft's MSN blog site attempt to enter words like "democracy," "freedom," and "human rights," they don't get what they're looking for. Instead, the message says, "The title entered must not include prohibited language. Please input a different title."

This is no error message. It's actually generated by Microsoft.

The U.S. software giant is not alone. Rivals like Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon.com and Interactive have also been known to censor content in China. Calls into these companies have not yet been returned. America Online no longer has a presence in China.

Media watch dogs have lashed out, saying the companies are sacrificing ethics for profit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TALA DOWLATSHAHI, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS: If Microsoft is a U.S.-based company and is allowed to set up portals for Web bloggers within the United States, which anyone can speak about any issue, then that same policy, that same ethical principle should be exercised abroad and overseas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAKE: Microsoft issued this statement to CNN: "MSN spaces in China is managed by its China joint venture, the Shanghai MSN Network. MSN abides by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it operates."

The move comes as the Chinese government attempts to tighten control over the Internet. China has the second largest Internet market, with 94 million users and growing. Critics say U.S. companies should not have to bow to China's censorship demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN TKACIK, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: The bottom line is we should not be afraid of economic retaliation from China. We basically should use our economic clout as China's top importer. And I think -- I think we'll find -- I think we'll be surprised at how effective it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAKE: Companies aren't taking any chances. Right now they have chosen to cooperate. Their supporters say it's better to have some presence in China rather than face a complete ban.

To date, technology has helped bloggers stay one step ahead of Chinese authorities, but human rights activists worry the government's ability to block Internet content just got easier with the help of industry -- Jim.

CLANCY: Maggie Lake, reporting to us there live from New York. Thanks, Maggie.

VERJEE: Time to check now on what's moving the markets in the United States. For that, to New York and to Valerie Morris.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

CLANCY: We're going to update our top stories right after a short break.

VERJEE: Also ahead, more criticism of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba at a U.S. Senate committee hearing. Is it an international embarrassment? We'll bring you a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Hello and welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. These are the stories that are making headlines.

Spanish police arresting 16 people suspected of being Islamic terrorists in raids all across the country. Authorities say 11 are linked to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi's terror network in Iraq. Five are believed to have ties to last year's Madrid train bombings. The latest arrests come as a separate trial continues in Madrid against 24 suspected Al Qaeda members.

VERJEE: Iraqi soldiers, backed by U.S. forces, rescued Australian hostage Douglas Wood during a security sweep in northwest Baghdad. You are looking now at fresh pictures we've received of Douglas Wood. He was found tied up in a house during a security sweep in northwestern Baghdad. Again, these are new pictures that we are receiving. He was examined at a U.S. military medical facility. He was pronounced in good health. Certainly there by the pictures we're looking at, he seems talkative and appears to be sharing whatever information he knows of his captivity, of his captors, and perhaps of the operation also itself. The Australian government says no ransom was paid, despite a request for a very large sum of money.

CLANCY: Meantime, at least 23 Iraqi soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at an Iraqi military base near Baquba; 28 others wounded in that incident. Four people were killed, 29 wounded in a suicide car bombing in southeastern Baghdad. Police officials say the bomber was targeting an Iraqi police patrol.

VERJEE: A U.S. Senate committee's holding a hearing on the treatment of war and terror detainees. So far, military brass have stepped up to defend practices at the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison camp. And Democrats and Republicans have drawn the battle lines in the fight over the facility's future.

Ed Henry joins us now live from Capitol Hill with more.

Ed, some pretty heated debate today, right?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain.

A fierce battle indeed with Democrats charging that Guantanamo is really just a gulag, that it's a legal black hole that has basically opened the door to all kinds of abuses against over 500 detainees being held at this prison camp. A lot of Democrats on this committee are also saying that the damage from that scandal has been so vast to the U.S. image around the world that it's time to shut down this prison all together.

Leading attack today against the bush administration is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Pat Leahy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PAT LEAHY (D), VERMONT: What they've said to us from the start is trust us. Trust us that we know the law and that we'll comply with it. Trust us to treat detainees humanely in accordance with our laws and treaties. Trust us that Guantanamo is going to make Americans safer. Now three years later, about the only thing we know for certain is that trust may well have been misplaced.

Guantanamo Bay is an international embarrassment to our nation, to our ideals, and it remains a festering threat to our security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Republican on the committee have launched a vigorous counterattack today, echoing the words by Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by saying they believe these detainees are being treated humanely, also that these detainees have provided very valuable information to interrogators that have helped in the war on terror, and also that there's no viable alternative to Guantanamo, no viable alternative as a prison, and that's why Republicans like Arlen Specter, the committee's chairman, say that everyone has to tread cautiously about just releasing these prisoners back out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: While procedural due process is obviously important, we ought to be as sure as we can what steps are being taken so that we do not release detainees from Guantanamo who turn up on battle battlefields killing Americans. And what's the value of a promise not to bear arms against the United States?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Democrats insist they're not advocating dumping these potential terrorists all around the world. They say, in fact, if these detainees are terrorists, they should be charged with crimes and put through the U.S. legal system. Instead, Democrats say, some of these detainees have languished for up to three years without any charges -- Zain.

VERJEE: And what's being said about the interrogation methods that are being used?

HENRY: Well, Democrats are making much of this "Time" magazine cover story out this week about the so-called 20th hijacker from 9/11, Mohammed Al Khatani, saying that some of the methods used against him included not letting him use the bathroom, forcing him to act like a dog. But the Republican point of view on that, in fact, as the Pentagon has pointed out already, Mohammed Al Khatani, with some of those interrogation methods that were used, he's provided valuable information about the Al Qaeda network, and he was very close to Osama Bin Laden, so that's proved helpful to the U.S. government. So you hear both sides of it right here. Democrats say the methods have gone too far. Republicans, by and large, are saying that, in fact, this has given them very valuable information in the war on terror -- Zain.

VERJEE: CNN's Ed Henry reporting. Thanks -- Jim.

CLANCY: Iraqi forces are starting to take the lead in the painstaking task of tracking down insurgents responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Iraqi security forces and civilians.

Jane Arraf accompanied U.S. and Iraqi security forces as they went door to door following up on intelligence, tips in the northern border town of Avgani.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is nothing subtle about the U.S. military. This small town near Tal Alfar in northwestern Iraq is thought to be a safe haven for insurgents. We're with U.S. and Iraqi forces who are trying to find them, and trying to avoid getting shot while they do.

The U.S. and Iraqi army have moved into the town of Avgani with a list of eight targets. It's just after sunrise, and this is the first house they've raided. The suspect they're looking for, they believe, is a scout for the insurgency, someone who's collecting information and doing reconnaissance. They find the man they're looking for, and take him away for questioning. The Third Armored Cavalry regiment is paired with the Iraqi's First Brigade, Third Division.

For the first time, the Americans let the Iraqis lead the searches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to go through the houses, make sure that we don't point weapons at women and children.

ARRAF: At this house, the suspect has gone, leaving his frightened family, and a phone that keeps ringing. This call was from relatives, asking if the family was OK. Iraqi soldiers digging in the garden where they see freshly turned earth uncover a hand grenade. They search the house top to bottom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask them if there are any other fake walls or doors that you can see.

ARRAF: Part of the U.S. Army's focus here is finding out who in this town of 5,000 supports the insurgents and who can be enlisted against them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest feeling that I'm getting from the town is that a lot of people know what's going on. They don't necessarily like it, but they're scared to do anything about it.

ARRAF: "How could I give you information when I don't leave the house?" this merchant asked the captain. At another home, the medic treats a man who burned his leg in a cement factory, where they have no safety equipment. He's grateful for the medical treatment, but like many people here, wary of the Americans. In this town, as in many, choosing sides can be dangerous.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Avgani, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Well, some people have chosen sides. Critics of the Bush administration's Iraq strategy say the U.S. should now commit more troops to the conflict to see it through. There's also the school of thought that less is actually more here.

Joining us to talk a little bit about that, Michael Rubin. He's with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. He was also an adviser to the now defunct Coalition Provisional Authority. Thank you so much for joining us.

Let's just look, on the face of it, at the situation in Iraq. Does it require a major rethink at this point? Because, as we see it, just counting the casualties, they are going up day by day.

MICHAEL RUBIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: No, I don't think it requires a major rethink. I think what it requires is some consistency of meeting the watershed events we have declared. For example, we had the elections on January 30th. People suggested we delay them. We didn't.

We will have the constitutional referendum. We will have future elections. But just throwing more U.S. troops into the mix doesn't really do much good to anyone. And I was last in Baghdad in April. It actually seems to antagonize people a lot more.

CLANCY: All right. Stay the course then. But if you stay the course, the American people have to be told that the casualties are going up. The Iraqi people have to be told their casualties, too, are going to soar.

RUBIN: I'm not sure that's accurate that their casualties will soar. Right now we're in a spike in terrorism. We've had these spikes before.

CLANCY: Is this really a spike that we're looking at? We're seeing consistent casualties, consistent numbers of suicide bombings, ever more deadly. They hit a restaurant today. Once again, this is the multiple times they've used that strategy against Iraqi police. Is this just a spike, really?

RUBIN: Yes. First of all, the reason -- yes, it is just a spike. And if you look back at the entire history for the last two, three years, you'll see there are spikes and then there are short falls. Terrorists use car bombs because cars have wheels. The important thing is having the intelligence to be -- presence on the ground to be able to find out where they're assembling the car bombs.

But just putting more troops on the street makes more targets for car bombs. Iraqis actually have a joke. When you're driving around on a normal street in Baghdad, for example, they call the American troops American wedding parties, because the American convoys go down the highway at 10, 20, 30 miles per hour and tie up traffic because no one's allowed to pass them and so forth.

Where we could use more troops is along the borders, to better secure the borders. And at the same time, we made a mistake by not training Iraqi security forces earlier. We're paying the price for that mistake. But if we stay the course and if we train Iraqi security forces, eventually this should go down. People are resorting to terrorism because they think it might work. But as the political process develops, they see it doesn't.

CLANCY: You say -- and there is one strategy that people have talked about, and that's sealing off those borders, at least as much as possible. When you were last there, where are the insurgents coming from? We've heard Syria, but there are also reports that many of them are coming from Saudi Arabia. That's hardly ever mentioned.

RUBIN: When I've been to restaurants in Baghdad, I have seen Saudis there who talk about crossing the borders with ease. There's also a great deal of anti-Jordanian sentiment in Iraq right now. And that's because, while many of the insurgents may be Iraqis and many Iraqis are loathe to admit that -- because, frankly, they're a little bit embarrassed that Iraqis would do this sort of thing -- most of the suicide bombers, for study -- when people have done studies that have looked at who the suicide bombers were, who claimed responsibility in the Islamist Web sites and the Arabic newspapers and so forth, perhaps 90 percent of the insurgents are Iraqis, but 90 percent of the suicide bombers are foreigners.

CLANCY: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. I want to thank Michael Rubin for joining us here and giving us his perspectives.

RUBIN: Thank you.

VERJEE: Still ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY...

CLANCY: Our daily check of sports and weather. Plus...

VERJEE: A look at some stories making news across the United States.

CLANCY: Including a rude welcome for Governor Schwarzenegger at one stop in California.

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VERJEE: Let's check some stories making news now across the United States.

40 years after he deserted his army unit and crossed into North Korea, a former U.S. soldier has been reunited with his ailing mother. Charles Jenkins arrived in Weldon, North Carolina, for what he said is likely to be his last visit. Last year, Jenkins served a 25-day jail sentence for his desertion.

Heckling Arnie. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got more than he bargained for during a speech at his alma mater. Protesters disrupted his commencement speech to some 600 graduates. The governor's face appeared to redden as his words were accompanied and met with catcalls, howls and piercing whistles.

Walt Disney World has re-opened the spaceship ride on which a 4- year-old boy collapsed. He later died. Authorities say it may take weeks to know what role, if any, the ride played in his death. "Mission: Space" is one of Epcot's most popular features, but it's been criticized for its intensity.

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VERJEE: Terry Baddoo's up next with the latest in sports.

CLANCY: Including the ugly scene in Buenos Aires as Argentine powerhouse Bocca (ph) Juniors are eliminated from South America's top Club Tournament. We'll have details.

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VERJEE; Time now for a look at sports, including news from football.

CLANCY: Terry Baddoo joins us with all the latest. A lot of action in Buenos Aires. TERRY BADDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. That's soccer to our American audience. The South American version of the Champions Leagues, it was known as the Liberation (ph) Cup. It now has its first semifinalist, subject to an official verdict by the South American Football Confederation.

After a volatile night in Buenos Aires, at the game between Argentina's Bocca Juniors and Chivas Guadalahara (ph) of Mexico. Chivas won the first leg, four-nil. But when they tried to increase their lead on 74 minutes in the second leg, when Adolpho Batista (ph) appeared to be headbutted by Raoul Kasuni (ph).

The Boccas Martin Palermo (ph) was so enraged by the Chivas players response that he, too, attacked Batista with a headbutt, and then the red card from Yora Gwine (ph), the referee.

Batista, who apparently taunted the opposition, was also red carded and left under police protection, not that it worked too well, as one of Bocca's fans able to get in a sucker punch before escaping back into the crowd with the help of some friends. The match was then abandoned. The score, no score, leaving the authorities to determine the outcome.

As you may have gathered, football season never ends. And in Germany, the mini-rehearsal for next year's World Cup finals is under way with Argentina playing Tunisia in the opening game of the Confederations Cup. And it's been eventful, Tunisia missing a penalty on 18 minutes before Juan Recalme (ph) converted a spot kick to make it 1-0 Argentina on 33 minutes. Eight teams were involved in the tournament, including World Cup host Germany and reigning world champions Brazil.

Finally to the NBA, where the defending champions Detroit Pistons had some work to do Tuesday night after losing first two games of the best-of-seven-game NBA Finals to San Antonio Spurs. In the second quarter, Pistons star Richard Hamilton made the alley-oop pass to Tayshaun Prince for the slam, cut the Spurs lead to two. Into the third, Pistons by five, when Richard Hamilton lobbed to Ben Wallace for the reverse dunk for two of his 24 points.

Into the fourth, where Manu Ginobili's pass was picked off by Antonio McDyess before Chauncey Billups got the ball on the break, made the layup over Tim Duncan. Billups with 20 points on the night, in a 96-79 Pistons win that leaves the series at 2-1 Spurs. And that's the score for now.

CLANCY: Terry Baddoo, thank you much for joining us.

VERJEE: Thanks, Terry.

More news is just ahead on CNN. I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. This has been YOUR WORLD TODAY.

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