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Several Bombs Set Off in Baghdad; Saddam Hussein Makes Admission Before Trial Adjourns; President Bush Arrives to Controversy in Indian Capital
Aired March 01, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Attacks fueled by sectarian animosity take a toll for another day in Iraq, but there's a call for unity from the man who once led the country and is now on trial for his alleged brutality.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: U.S. President George W. Bush is in India right now. While in New Delhi, he will be trying to negotiate the separation of that country's civilian and military nuclear programs.
VERJEE: And rude awakenings. A collective hangover in New Orleans today, but not from Mardi Gras.
It's 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, 10:30 p.m. in New Delhi.
I'm Zain Verjee.
CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.
Welcome to our viewers throughout the world. This is CNN International and this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
Bombs, blasts and drive-by shootings in Iraq, again. Violence between Shia and Sunni Arabs tearing through the capital and spreading across the country.
VERJEE: As the conflict rages on, the trial of Saddam Hussein takes a time-out. Before the trial adjourned, the former president confessed to confiscating farmlands, but asked, where's the crime?
CLANCY: Well, meantime, Iraqi police report one of their own has been killed, while several officers may have been seized. This all happened in northern Iraq.
Arwa Damon has details on the latest waves of attacks in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the last 24 hours, scores of Iraqis have been killed and hundreds wounded in attacks across Baghdad. Attacks that seemed to have shattered any hope Iraqis may have had that things were coming under control.
Around noon on Wednesday, a car bomb killed over 20 and injured dozens more in an eastern Baghdad neighborhood, detonating on one of its busiest streets packed with people going to the shops, markets, mosques, visiting street vendors in the movie theater.
Trips to Al Baydot Street (ph) in the last two days have been deadly. Just the day before, a car bomb exploded in front of the post office just down the street from the site of Wednesday's blast. Four Iraqis were killed and 44 wounded.
Earlier on Tuesday, a bomb in central Baghdad at a crowded bus station killed three Iraqis and wounded seven.
Iraqi security forces have deployed all available troops as they struggle to gain control of the situation. Armored vehicles rolled through the streets in some neighborhoods.
While at the morgue, family members arrived to search through the bodies that keep piling up, looking for their loved ones, victims of bombings, assassinations, revenge killings by both Sunnis and Shias.
"Many disasters have happened during the past few days," says Sami Hussein (ph). "Group we do not know come to your house and take people. And you will never find them again."
Many have feared civil war since violence has escalated in the aftermath of the bombing of the Al Askaria Mosque, a Shia holy site in Sunni-dominated Samarra. Over 300 Iraqis have been killed in Baghdad alone since that attack on February 22.
(on camera): It's tough to tell who is behind the violence, whether it's insurgent attacks, sectarian killings or extremists just looking to inflame the situation. But for Iraqis, what matters most is, when will this cycle of destruction and chaos come to an end?
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: All right. Let's bring in Aneesh Raman now. He is live in Baghdad. Of course he was there inside the courtroom at the Saddam Hussein trial, or as close as you can get to it. He joins us now with some of the details of all of that.
Quite an extraordinary day. Saddam Hussein standing up and saying, if you want to blame anybody, blame me. I take responsibility.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Jim. An extraordinary day, capped by that extraordinary admission.
It comes amid two days where a litany of documents had been presented by the prosecution, death certificates, execution orders, some of which were actually signed by Saddam Hussein.
You see him there in court. He only stood up to speak twice. The first time, he essentially called for unity in Iraq, aware of the situation happening outside the courtroom.
The second time, just as court was about to adjournrn, Saddam stood up and asked why was everyone else was on trial, that he was the man that was responsible for what happened in Iraq under his leadership.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, FMR. IRAQI DICTATOR (through translator): Saddam Hussein is telling you that he is responsible -- responsible. So do you think I'm going to deny responsibility or rely on others? Saddam is going to take responsibility. It's a critical time. And Saddam is not going to duck his responsibility.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAMAN: Now, the case at hand, Jim, involves the execution of at least 146 villagers of Dujail -- that's north of the capital -- after Saddam survived an assassination attempt there in July, 1982. While he didn't admit explicit guilt to those executions, he collectively said he was responsible. He did admit signing the order to destroy a number of homes and farmland, which he says was in his right as a leader who had survived an assassination attempt.
Now, I have been in the court a number of days. Today and yesterday, the mood has been incredibly somber. This is powerful evidence that has been presented.
The defendants have largely been silent, examining with intensity the documents at hand. The judge has been smiling, a judge that antagonistically often shuts the defendants up in his own words. But in the past few days, the trial has essentially taken a turn. The court hitting its stride, forcing the defendants and the focus of those watching on to what exactly happened, what this trial is all about, and not on the plights of the defendants who make themselves victims -- Jim.
CLANCY: Now, Saddam Hussein also called for unity among the Iraqi people, but it wasn't the kind of unity that certainly American diplomats wanted to hear.
RAMAN: No, it was unity against the invasion, unity against the occupiers. He really sees this as a situation where Iraqis are fighting amongst themselves instead of fighting against what he says is the occupying force.
Now, we do know that he met for seven hours the day before yesterday with his chief lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi. At that session he was made aware of the situation outside of the courtroom. Also, he gets a daily newspaper, a local Iraqi newspaper.
It's unclear how voraciously he's following the events. Clearly, he's focused as well on this trial.
But we have seen, and we don't know exactly what the call is, a different Saddam in the past few days. Whether it's the evidence, whether it's a judge that has really come down hard on the defendants, or whether it is for whatever reason, the events taking place outside the courtroom, is unclear, but Saddam much more subdued than defiant in court the past few days -- Jim.
CLANCY: Let's talk about what is going on outside the courtroom if we can for a minute. And it's very important.
Right now, when you look at Prime Minister al-Jaafari, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, very much under pressure, a man who has not been able to control the sectarian violence. Many Iraqis looking on, wondering if he is the right man to succeed himself as prime minister.
RAMAN: Well, you said it right just there, succeed himself. He came under intense criticism as a transitional prime minister for not being a strong enough leader, for not forcing compromise among the various political entities. And for Iraqis, not delivering on the basics. Security, of course, is the most paramount. But water, electricity are high on the list as well.
This is an incredibly difficult situation in Iraq, even for the strongest of governments in terms of political unity among the various parties. There is -- there is no political unity yet among Iraq's leaders, and so that makes it an even more complicated situation.
So, a greater test could not emerge for Ibrahim al-Jaafari to either regain lost confidence, Jim, or essentially give further credence to those that criticize his leadership style.
CLANCY: Aneesh Raman reporting live from Baghdad.
Thank you, Aneesh.
VERJEE: The emerging democracy in Afghanistan, a civilian nuclear deal with India, and a show of support for Pakistan...
CLANCY: Those are the focus of Mr. Bush's four-day visit to South Asia. The U.S. president arriving in India to talk nuclear energy, but even before his arrival, hundreds of thousands of Muslims and communists protested his visit in New Delhi.
VERJEE: Before arriving in India, the president also paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. He pledged support for Afghan president Hamid Karzai.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of things that I told Mr. President, told the members of your team and your cabinet and the government, is that people all over the world are watching the experience here in Afghanistan. I hope the people of Afghanistan understand as democracy takes hold, you're inspiring others. And that inspiration will cause others to demand their freedom. And as the world becomes more free, the world will become more peaceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HAMID KARZAI, AFGHAN PRESIDENT: We owe a great, great deal in this country's rebuilding, peace, democracy, the strong steps towards the future, to your support, to your leadership, to the American people, and to the way you have given your hand to the Afghan people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Satinder Bindra joins us now live from New Delhi, where President Bush arrived just a short while ago.
Satinder, let's first talk about these protests. You've got thousands of Muslims that were out on the streets of the capital just before the president arrived saying -- holding up signs, "Death to Bush!" and so forth. Is that just a minority view? How do the majority of Indians view the United States and view President Bush?
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Zain, you have to put these figures, 100,000 protesters, in some perspective. India, after all, is a country of almost 1.2 billion people. So not all Indians, obviously are against President Bush.
A recent survey in leading magazine found out that 66 percent of those surveyed think President Bush is a good friend of India. And in the same survey, some 46 percent of those surveyed said they "love America."
So, despite such protests, there is support. And many Indians looking forward perhaps to an announcement that may be made tomorrow on nuclear energy -- Zain.
VERJEE: Tell us more about that and how important is that deal is, both to the United States and to India.
BINDRA: Well, the deal is very important because it a will shore up India. It will give India what it needs most, alternative sources of energy.
And should India get that, then its growth rate will continue to be strong. And in the eyes of some analysts, it will be seen as a counter-balance to China.
So, important from the U.S. side. And from the India side, also it will be important, because it will accept India's nuclear status.
This deal, it's going down right down to the wire, I should add, Zain, because what's going on in talks is perhaps a way to separate India's 15 nuclear reactors into two categories, military and civilian. The civilian reactors, of course, will be put then under international safeguards. And following that, India will get access to nuclear fuel and nuclear reactors from the U.S.
VERJEE: Reporting to us from New Delhi, in India, Satinder Bindra.
Thanks, Satinder -- Jim. CLANCY: Well, Mr. Bush's visit to South Asia the subject of our question this day -- Zain.
VERJEE: We would like you to weigh in on this. We're asking you this question: Should the world be concerned about India's nuclear ambitions?
E-mail us. What do you think? YWT@CNN.com.
CLANCY: Should the world be concerned about India's nuclear ambitions? We've asked the question on Iran. Don't forget to include your name and where you're writing us from.
VERJEE: Palestinian security forces say the Israeli military has killed a Palestinian militant in Gaza City. Witnesses say the attack targeted Tala Dador (ph), a senior military commander for the group Islamic Jihad. They say it was launched from an Israeli aircraft and took place near Islamic University. The Israeli military said it had no involvement and that there was no military airstrike.
CLANCY: Well, there are growing concerns about the possibility of civil war in Iraq.
VERJEE: Coming up, more bombs, more victims, more violence. Can Iraq overcome it's deepening sectarian divide?
Stay with us. We'll take a closer look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world.
Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, taking a little bit of time from a difficult election campaign at home to visit Washington. He's making a special appearance this day.
The conservative leader addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. That was just one day after his visit to the White House. Tuesday, he reaffirmed his government's intention to withdraw all of Italy's 3,000 troops from Iraq by the end of the year.
Now, there's no surprise there. That's what he had promised Italians. The Bush administration knew. Still, it seems a disappointment by some in Washington.
In his speech he tried to reassure U.S. lawmakers Italy is a close ally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SILVIO BERLUSCONI, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER: The bonds between Americans and Italians are strong and enduring. I am convinced that they will continue to strengthen and that the United States will always find in Italy a partner nation with which it can share the same vision of the world. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Mr. Berlusconi was speaking to lawmakers who are increasingly concerned about the surging sectarian violence in Iraq. Many are worried that the continued clashes could trigger a civil war.
Barbara Starr reports now from the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Iraq, scores killed and wounded on yet another day of sectarian violence. On Capitol Hill, an unusually frank assessment from two of the nation's top intelligence officers amid growing congressional concerns about the prospect for civil war in Iraq.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: If there was a civil war that broke out in Iraq, that the other regional powers would get involved. Certainly Shia with Shia and Sunni with Sunni that might lead to a larger -- a larger conflict in the Middle East?
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: I think depending on the course of events, I think that might well be a temptation. You might see some kind of eruption of conflict between the Sunni and the Shia worlds, for example.
STARR: Behind the scenes, U.S. military intelligence is trying to identify militia and insurgent leaders who are sparking the unrest. But publicly, there are worries whether Iraq can overcome a divided society.
LT. GEN. MICHAEL MAPLES, U.S. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: I do believe that this last week has been a very significant week in Iraq. The level of sectarian violence increased significantly on the ground based on the bombings of the mosque. And we saw exactly the deep divides that exist between the Shia and the Sunni in Iraq.
STARR: President Bush still saying U.S. troops will stay until Iraqis can defend their country.
(on camera): U.S. troops are staying on the sidelines, increasing their patrols in some cases, but not get directly involved in what everyone hopes will not become a civil war.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: So how's your money doing today? Well, ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we're going to check the world markets.
CLANCY: And then, did the CIA fly terror suspects to secret prisons in Europe? There's a big question. We'll hear what the Council of Europe has to say. It's just issued a new report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Carol Lin.
More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check on the stories making headlines in the United States.
The Senate has passed some controversial amendments to the Patriot Act. We are still awaiting results of the final Senate vote.
Congress first passed the measure in the weeks after 9/11 and granted law enforcement broader powers to fight terrorism. Now, some critics fear the Patriot Act can trample on civil liberties. The House is expected to approve the same measures next week
And concern over port security is a major focus again today on Capitol Hill. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff faced questions from senators during a hearing on his department's budget. Debate over a deal to let a Dubai-based company manage U.S. ports has put the spotlight on the issue.
And still talking about port security, the Dubai ports deal is making waves far beyond Capitol Hill. Seventy percent of those responding to a CBS News poll oppose the Arab company taking over operation of six U.S. ports.
Now, be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
The clock is ticking for a struggling U.S. airline. Later today, a bankruptcy judge is expected to tell Northwest Airlines whether it can impose pay cuts and work rules on both pilots and flight attendants. Those parties are still negotiating in New York.
The youngest American to be sentenced to life is heading pack to prison. At a morning hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Lionel Tate formally accepted a plea agreement for robbing a pizza deliveryman. The deal will send him to prison for 10 to 30 years.
Tate was 12 when he was charged with killing a 6-year-old playmate. His original murder conviction was later overturned on a technicality.
Where will some hurricane evacuees who are living on cruise ship end up? About 700 people, including many police and firefighters were vacated to three cruise ships today. Well, they were told to leave.
FEMA says it will provide trailers or apartments for them. Two dozens evacuees on one cruise ship in St. Bernard Parish sued FEMA to stay put. Their lawsuit claims FEMA failed to provide alternative housing. Lawyers on both sides are trying to work out a compromise.
All right. Lots of different kinds of weather all over the country. Jacqui Jeras standing by at the weather center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: Well, the annual International Pancake Race ends in a flop for 11 women of Liberal, Kansas, and also ends their seven-year winning streak. For more than 50 years, the women of Liberal have been holding this race every year on the same day against the women in England.
Well, this time they lost to a British woman by nearly five seconds. Oh my.
And look at that. Barry Bonds provides laughs for his Giants teammates and fans. He donned a strapless dress and a wig to impersonate Paula Abdul for a mock spin-off of TV's "American Idol." Younger players sang before judges as part of the charity fund-raiser.
On word on whether he got a date out of that appearance.
In meantime, she is the daughter of a former vice president and candidate for the Oval Office. But Karenna Gore-Schiff is making a name for herself as an author. The nine women she believes changed modern America at the top of the hour on "LIVE FROM."
Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Hello and welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY here on CNN International.
I'm Zain Verjee.
CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.
These are the top stories around the world.
Dozens of people killed in the latest waves of attacks all across Iraq. A car bomb ripping through the very heart of Baghdad. Twenty- three people killed in that single incident. The blast came just an hour after a roadside bomb hit another part of the city.
VERJEE: As sectarian violence rages on, the relative calm exists in the courtroom. The trial of Saddam Hussein was adjourned until the 12th of March. The former Iraqi leader confessed to ordering the destruction of farms after a failed assassination attempt on him in 1982 in the town of Dujail. He also appealed for all Iraqis to unite against what he called the U.S. invasion.
CLANCY: U.S. President George W. Bush is in India for what he hopes is going to be an important mission. Mr. Bush wants make a deal that would separate India's civilian and nuclear programs. Thousands of Muslims and communists members of opposition parties protesting in the streets of the capital before Mr. Bush's arrival. Some of these protesters chanted "Death to Bush" and waved signs calling on the -- calling the U.S. president a terrorist.
VERJEE: Mr. Bush's mission to India comes as the U.S. takes a much greater interest in that country's growing economic power.
Suzanne Malveaux has her eye on that. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the old India to the new. Two-thirds of all Fortune 500 companies have set up operations here. A unique corner office view for 36-year-old American Michael Jansen, whose design company is headquartered in Chicago, but operated out of New Delhi.
MICHAEL JANSEN, COMPANY OWNER: Started our business in the third bedroom of my apartment six years ago. Aside from myself, they're all Indian.
MALVEAUX: There are 200 employees here, most under 30.
JANSEN: In this company, we make drawings.
MALVEAUX: For the Trump Tower in Vegas, the MGM Hotel, and the Shirmal (ph) Shanghai. Architecture and engineering firms from around the world contract out Jansen's studio, which provides designs for offices, hotels, and even animation.
Operating out of India, Jansen says, cuts his client's production costs by 60 percent.
JANSEN: To stay in a city like New York, an average staff salary would be about $70,000 for a functional architect today, whereas here it might be $10,000 to $15,000 a year.
MALVEAUX: And while Jansen is sensitive to the controversy brewing in the United States over outsourcing American jobs, he is unapologetic.
JANSEN: The world is changing. Guys who used to join my company came on bicycles, and later on they came on motorcycles. Today they own cars and homes.
MALVEAUX: And they are comfortable with their status.
KAS CHATTERJEE, EMPLOYEE: I don't know of a single instance where we have actually taken away jobs from a client.
MALVEAUX (on camera): When you hear that Americans could be paid much, much more than they're paying you, do you want to ask for a raise?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a tricky one.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): But living here is not for the faint of heart. Consider the traffic.
JANSEN: We took a client from the UK here, pulled up to a light, an elephant pulled up next to us. And the elephant just slightly shifted his weight and he hit the car, and the whole care rocked, and this guy was grabbing on for dear life. And needless to say, he never came back. MALVEAUX (on camera): India is the world's largest democracy. And in a dozen years, it's expected to be the fastest growing economy, clearly a force to be reckoned with. President Bush comes here hoping to turn around the $10 billion trade deficit the U.S. has with this country. And at the same time, reassure Americans that their jobs are not going overseas.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, New Delhi, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: Dominating the agenda for Mr. Bush in India is whether Washington and New Delhi can reach a nuclear agreement.
CLANCY: This is a deal that would give India access to U.S. nuclear equipment, as well fuel.
VERJEE: But the separation of India's civilian and military programs is really key, because Washington's only agreed to recognize India as a civilian power and not a nuclear weapon state.
CLANCY: That takes us back to our "Question of the Day." Should the world be concerned about India's nuclear ambitions? What do you think? E-mail your thoughts at ywt@cnn.com.
VERJEE: And make sure you include your name and where you're writing us from, as well. We always like to know.
CLANCY: Well, cat owners on an island in northern Germany are being told put your pets indoors. A cat there became the first mammal in Europe diagnosed with bird flu.
Chris Burns shows us how authorities are moving ahead with efforts to prevent the disease from spreading any further.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the German Baltic island where bird flu first officially hit the European Union, cats like Petola (ph) are now suspect. And his owners are getting nervous. For it was here on Ruegen, where the first mammal in Europe, a feline, was found dead this week with the H5N1 virus, after likely feeding on a dead bird. Results on whether the virus was the form that has already killed nearly 100 people worldwide are pending.
"We sleep together. We cuddle him. We breathe each other's breath, " she says. "You can see where he has scratched me. I don't know if there is an infection on his claws when he licks me, you know? Cats do that, as well."
Despite some alarming headlines, authorities are saying not to panic, that it's OK to play with your cat. Just wash your hands afterwards.
REINHARD KURTH, PRES., ROBERT KOCH INSTITUTION: If they live within the radius of three kilometers around the place where infected birds have been collected or seen, then we now advise that people to keep their cats in house for the time being, until we know more about the situation. But in other parts of Germany, of course, cats can be -- run around as they have done before.
BURNS: And that if pets have any flu symptoms -- fever, lethargy, difficult breathing -- to take them to a vet. Cats can infect each other, and experts don't rule out that felines could infect humans.
Across Europe, poultry farmers have already been ordered to keep their flocks indoors. In France, like in the Netherlands, some farmers are being told to vaccinate their animals. In Paris, health officials discussed taking an unified approach to prevent disaster.
"To decide to use the same methods of prevention and fighting of the disease on the European continent, as well as ensuring that the virus does not get transmitted from Europe to other countries," he says.
Bird flu has killed at least 93 people across the globe, infected from birds. Though it has yet to become contagious between humans, some experts worry the more it spreads among mammals like cats, the greater the chance that could happen. One more reason not to let that cat out of sight.
Chris Burns, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Coming up next here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, the letdown after the big party.
VERJEE: New Orleans, the day after Mardi Gras.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERJEE: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY here on CNN International
British police have found the truck they say was used to steal more than $90 billion from a cash-handling center a week ago. Twelve people have been arrested and five are still in custody, but only a small amount of the money that had been stolen has been recovered.
Paul Davies is on the trial of the missing cash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL DAVIES, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Surrounded by police vehicles, the isolated farm became the focus for detectives investigating Britain's biggest ever armed robbery.
The farmhouse and several out-buildings and workshops are set in countryside near Staplehurst, outside Maystone (ph). The farm is owned by a local businessman. All day, detectives have been conducting an exhaustive search, even going through the rubbish bags. These officers were preparing to search the farm well, as they extended the hunt into surrounding fields and woodlands, Kent police wouldn't yet say whether they believe this remote farm had been the robbers' base.
But they announced a significant breakthrough. They have recovered the white Renault lorry used to carry away the stolen cash, the same lorry captured here by security cameras minuted before it was loaded with more than 53 million pounds. The money was contained in wire cages that were used to imprison staff at the security depot.
It's been revealed that 8-year-old-year-old Cray (ph) Dixon, son of the depot manage who was also put in a cage, later managed to escape and free the adults.
An executive of the security company has been talking about the ordeal endured by his staff.
PAUL FULLICKS, SECURITAS RISK MANAGER: Our staff has described their ordeal in the hands of the criminal gangs in words such as brutal, horrific and traumatic, but all of have handled their harrowing experience with great professionalism. They also share the anger of Colin Dixon, in the fact that his wife and son were abducted and subject to an even more frightening ordeal.
DAVIES: Police were removing more vehicles from the farm they'd been searching all day. Officers, reluctant to use words like breakthrough, admit they're closer to catching the gang.
Paul Davies, ITV News, Staplehust in Kent.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: We're likely to find out just how close. We're going to bring you a news conference the British police in Kent will be conducting. We'll bring it you live here on CNN -- Jim.
CLANCY: Well, the party is over in New Orleans. And the 2006 The Mardi Gras celebration just a memory now. At the stroke of midnight Wednesday, police officers, followed by sanitation trucks, moved right down Bourbon Street.
Now that the revelers are heading on home, the Gulf Coast residents will be returning to their reality, dealing with the problems left behind six months after Hurricane Katrina.
VERJEE: The Superdome was the scene of unforgettable pictures during Katrina's aftermath. People inside huddled like animals, without food or water.
Sean Callebs reports, although the dome is being repaired, some people will never return.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The New Orleans Superdome supposed to be a refuge of last resort. But for many it's the first image that comes to mind when they think of the misery and poor planning that plagued Katrina victims.
That was the Superdome then. This is now.
In six months, the dome is schedule to reopen its door for the first time, and just in time for New Orleans Saints football.
But not everyone is happy about it.
DENISE HERBERT, DAUGHTER OF KATRINA VICTIM: It brings a nervousness to my stomach when I see that dome. I have no good memories of the Superdome, and you got to remember, that's where my mother last was, at the Superdome.
CALLEBS: Shortly after Denise Herbert's mother was evacuated, she died. The Herberts spent only a matter of hours in the dome after New Orleans was flooded, but said it was too much.
Her sentiments are echoed by others.
BILL CURL, SUPERDOME SPOKESMAN: Yes, it's tragic. There are people that may have terrible memories in here that would have a problem coming back in the building.
CALLEBS: There was talk about destroying the Superdome, but that talk was abandoned after architects determined that the structure was structurally sound. The cost of repairs, at least $140,000,000, with FEMA picking up 90 percent of the tab.
Dome spokesman Bill Curl says the building is one of the city's economic linchpins.
CURL: That tells us that New Orleans is determined to come back, and that's more important to us than probably any other city that's involved in major sports in this country, for this reason: Our economy is driven by tourism.
HERBERT: You've got to remember, money rules the world, and that's what they're looking at.
CALLEBS: Soon the scores of crew spanning out across the dome will be replaced by football players and fans. But first, a lot of work, a new scoreboard, enhanced luxury suites, as well as replacing the entire outer shell of the dome's roof, and wiping mold from walls. Still, erasing the past is something entirely different.
HERBERT: I don't want to go in no arena -- none. This will probably bring back memories for me.
Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Well, they went to Super Bowl because they no place else to go. Many of them still have no place else to go. Katrina's victims, many of them, still homeless, still living in tents. They're waiting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to notify them about some alternatives, whether it's a trailer or a house.
Randi Kaye visits a mother and daughter in a tent city that's known only as "The Village."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the dozens of tents here, Tent F9 is a temporary, simple shelter. But what to do with the mother and daughter who live in it is anything but simple.
(on camera): Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Step inside, ma'am.
KAYE: How are you? May I come in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
KAYE: I'm Randi Kaye with CNN.
(voice-over): For months, Doloris King, who is 76, her daughter, Deborah, who is 50, their three Chihuahuas and a cockatiel named Tweety Bird, have lived in this tent city called The Village. The Navy built it, the city runs it and FEMA pays the bills, at least for now.
(on camera): The Village is made up of 74 tents. At one point there were more than 200 people living here. These days, it's down to 83.
Now the tents are actually bigger than FEMA trailers. They measure 16 by 32 feet. Up to four people can live inside each one.
Compare your house, if you would, before the storm to life in this tent.
DOLORIS KING, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: Lord, have mercy! I had a bedroom. I had a living room. I had a kitchen. I had a washroom.
KAYE: Pretty different?
KING: Yes. I had a ramp to go up and down to my mailbox, you know.
KAYE (voice-over): It was far better than life in The Village.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) what is it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something.
KAYE: Here there is a daycare tent, a laundry tent, a medical clinic, a meal tent, even a school bus stop for The Village. But the tents have no windows or kitchens or bathrooms. There are only outdoor sinks and shared restrooms. (on camera): What is it like for you to have to share restrooms and showers with people you've never even met?
DEBORAH LEWIS, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: Like I go to the restroom and somebody will try to get in. And like the showers over there, you know, you never know if somebody's coming in. You try to hurry up. And at home, it's a lot different, you feel more safe.
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, Pass Christian, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: And we have a bit of hopeful ending to that story. FEMA has contacted the two women, and promised them they'd be getting trailers within the week.
VERJEE: We're going to take a short break, but we want you to e- mail us. That's right, we're asking you a question today President Bush's trip to India, all the talk, asking you whether or not about you are concerned about India's nuclear ambitions? A lot of people already weighing in on this one. Controversial for some. YWT@cnn.com is the address.
We'll be right back after this.
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VERJEE: A Chinese newspaper, forced by the government to halt publication, is back on the newsstands.
CLANCY: It looks a lot different. The paper's called "Freezing Point," and it has some new editors.
VERJEE: And its front page is full of denunciation for an article published by the ousted editors.
CLANCY: Mike Chinoy now on journalism Chinese style.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN CHINESE).
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His publication was called "Freezing Point," but it pushed China's communist authorities to the boiling point. Li Datong ran the liveliest paper in China.
LI DATONG, FORMER EDITOR, "FREEZING POINT" (through translator): We tried to meet the readers' needs for genuine stories, including Chinese and international news, and thoughtful opinions, which was quite different from what the propaganda department wanted.
CHINOY: Li Datong first challenged the party's monopoly on information in 1989. That's when he supported fellow journalists who marched for press freedom in Tiananmen Square, just before the democracy movement there was crushed by the Chinese army.
But as China embraced market reforms, the media, too, was forced to compete. Muckraking journalism brought readers and made money. But Li Datong and "Freezing Point" also made enemies at the Ministry of Propaganda.
DATONG (through translator): The Ministry of Propaganda has the authority to control any media in China, to fire any editor and to shut down any publication.
CHINOY: And under President Hu Jintao, the government has been exercising that right repeatedly. Papers which pushed the limits have been closed. Journalists have been sacked or jailed. In January, "Freezing Point" was shut down.
DATONG (through translator): You can't report the truth. Actually, people in the media know what they are seeing is false, but nobody will talk about it.
CHINOY: Nobody, it seemed, but Li. Despite a Propaganda Department order that news of the shutdown should itself be censored, Li used the Internet to get out the word.
DATONG (through translator): When I wrote a letter to report the shutdown of "Freezing Point," before I could announce it, the government blocked access to all Internet outlets and blogs, so I sent my protest via e-mail to a friend. The next day, the whole world knew. That is the power of the Internet.
CHINOY: Then, in mid-February, several prominent Communist Party elders issued a rare, open letter to President Hu, denouncing the closure of "Freezing Point," and warning that without a free press, China's future progress would be at risk.
A few days later, the government announced that the paper would be reopened, but without Li Datong at the helm. But he hasn't been arrested, and in a digital age, stifling dissenting voices, even in China, isn't so easy.
DATONG (through translator): My blog has been blocked, but I have another blog using a fake name.
CHINOY: Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Well, the U.S. president, as we have noted in our report, is in India, and dominating the agenda is whether Washington and New Delhi are going to reach a nuclear agreement.
VERJEE: That's been our question of the day, and we've got some good e-mail form you. And the specific deal question was should the world be concerned about India's nuclear ambitions?
CLANCY: Farz in Germany wrote this: "The world should be concerned. After all, India is a country which previously and currently have the problems with its neighbors."
VERJEE: One of our viewers writes, "Indian will always be a peaceful nuclear power, whether the power gives nuclear technology or not. Indian brains are brilliant enough to develop the needed technology by themselves, without stealing and pilfering."
CLANCY: And finally, "India is responsible as a nation. It neither believes or encourages the use of force to win people or other nations."
VERJEE: Thanks for your e-mails. It's always good to hear from you. To another story, now, where, you know, 007 may just end up being a big zero.
CLANCY: We're still months away from the next James Bond cinematic spectacular ... .
VERJEE: But already some fans are shaken and stirred by Daniel Craig's portrayal of the famous secret agent.
CLANCY: Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When your name is Bond ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bond. James bond.
MOOS: ... you've got a lot to live up to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember, I know all about you, 007. Sex for dinner, death for breakfast.
MOOS: What happens if you're lunch? The new James Bond is being eaten alive by the press.
KATRINA SZISH, EDITOR, US WEEKLY: People are calling him the blond Bond-shell. He's just a blond shell of the Bond.
MOOS: "Bond's Bad Luck" was the headline in "Us Weekly." It started the minute he was introduced, arriving by boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: James Bond wearing a life jacket? Give me a break.
MOOS: That other James Bond steered his own boat, dodging bullets, and actor Daniel Craig is perhaps a little too honest.
DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR, "CASINO ROYALE": Well, I like to think the Royal Marines for bringing me in like that, and scaring the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of me.
MOOS: Now filming of "Casino Royale" has started and in his first fight scene, Craig's two front teeth reportedly got knocked out.
SZISH: His dentist had to be flown in from London.
MOOS: Then the new Bond got shafted by the stick shift of that classic Aston Martin.
(on camera): You know, he got in the Aston Martin and he couldn't drive a stick shift.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that's just not right.
MOOS (voice-over): The "Chicago Sun-Times" asked, "isn't this just required guy knowledge, passed on with how to open a bottle of wine or how to operate a gas grill?"
(on camera): Do you think a guy should already know how to drive a stick?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I would. Should know how to drive everything.
MOOS (voice-over): And to think Pierce Brosnan managed to drive upside down. Maybe Craig needs that gizmo that lets Bond drive from the back seat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's ugly to begin as Bond. He's not handsome. I mean, if you lined ...
MOOS (on camera): I think he's handsome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... up all the other James Bonds with him, would he be your first or second choice?
MOOS (voice-over): Could it get any pettier?
SZISH: Well, we also are hearing that he's shaved his chest.
MOOS: Contrast that with furry Sean Connery. One British tabloid called Craig "ow, ow seven," saying he got a nasty bout of prickly heat after getting sunburned while filming in the Bahamas. None of this, by the way, has been confirmed by Craig's press reps.
And then there's the anti-Craig Web site, craignotbond.
SZISH: Ouch.
MOOS: It calls for a boycott of the new Bond movie. It morphs Craig's face into one of the three stooge, into Neanderthal man and compares his looks to the riddler.
Past Bonds have come to the rescue, saying what a fine actor Craig is. People are still sticking that gear shift to him, 007 may have a license to kill, it's his license to drive that's killing him.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Zain, you know who he bares a remarkable resemblance to?
VERJEE: Oh, no, who?
CLANCY: Michael Holmes. Judge for yourself. Michael Holmes will be along in a minute.
VERJEE: I think Michael is much better looking though.
CLANCY: All right, there you go. That's it from us for now. Stay tuned. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY straight ahead.
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