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Your World Today

Somalis Fleeing Violence, Heading for Kenya; Secretary Rice Promotes New Iraq Plan in Middle East; 'Coalition of the Willing' Shrinking in Size

Aired January 12, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And YOUR WORLD TODAY starts now.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: ... U.S. lawmakers, but are ordinary American on board?

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And Hollywood beckons the Beckhams. The international soccer star and his equally posh wife will now call Los Angeles their home. Will the Beckham mega brand catch on in the U.S. market?

GORANI: Well, it's 8:00 p.m. in Mogadishu, 9:00 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

From Washington, to Baghdad, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

All right. We're going to begin with the latest turmoil in the Horn of Africa. The interim government in Somalia trying to restore some order after rooting out militants fighting for an Islamic movement.

GORANI: Well, a group of top warlords met with President Abdullahi Yusuf Friday and agreed to disarm and join a new national army. But the violence in the streets of Somalia continues. Just outside those talks in Mogadishu shooting broke out between clan gunmen and government troops. The fighting left six people dead.

CLANCY: Now, the chaos and the violence in Somalia has forced many people to flee the country. In desperation, they're heading to neighboring Kenya and they're heading toward uncertainty as well.

Africa Correspondent Jeff Koinange shows us what's happening along that border between Somalia and Kenya.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing on the Somali side of the Kenya-Somali border. Behind me, these are Somali refugees, many of whom fled the capital, Mogadishu, made their way thousand of kilometers to the border with Kenya. But when they got here, they found that the border had been closed by Kenyan authorities, some of whom you see behind me.

But if they really wanted to, these guys could easily get on to the Kenyan side. And I'll show you how.

I'm standing in Somalia right now. If I walk a few paces, right now I'm in Kenya. It's as simple as that. And no one can stop me.

But these men say they have women and children not too far from here, about a kilometer and a half in the village, and they can't travel with them. But they do say they're running out of food, they're running out of water, they're running out of the basic supplies, and they're looking to aid organizations to help them.

We actually spoke to a couple of aid workers, and they told us there's going to be a catastrophe here in the coming months if nothing is done about those stranded Somalis. They can't go back to Mogadishu, they can't get into Kenya. They're literally in no man's land.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, on the Kenya-Somali border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: All right.

We're going to continue to monitor the situation. Some experts say that it is a good move that the new government has been able to enlist the help of the warlords, their support, at least, in putting some of their fighters into a national army. But at the same time, the warlords are extremely unpopular in the country as a result of that fledgling new government there.

It must bring in the business community, it must bring in moderate Islamists in the country as well, and try to bring some kind of unity out of what has been chaos. We're going to hear more from Jeff Koinange and more on the Somali refugees in Kenya a little bit later in our news report -- Hala.

GORANI: Let's turn to Iraq now.

Senior U.S. administration officials are back in the hot seat today as they promote President Bush's new Iraq strategy. The new U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, appeared before a Senate committee to answer questions about the new plan. They faced harsh criticism from the Democrats and some Republicans as well.

The U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, is now on her way to the Middle East, where she'll try to build support for the plan. Mr. Bush has just talked on the phone with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan to lay down the groundwork, so to speak.

Nic Robertson reports on Rice's prospects.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Condoleezza Rice could not be going to the Middle East at a more troubled time. She'll need to sell President Bush's new Iraq strategy even as the country slips deeper into sectarian bloodletting -- Sunni killing Shia, Shia killing Sunni.

The U.S.'s Sunni allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, are increasingly fearful of Shia Iran's growing regional influence. And the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, a must-fix according to Iraq Study Group, all but dead amid rising clashes between rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah. And add to that Sunni-Muslim displeasure in some quarters that America attacked suspected al Qaeda-linked extremists in Somalia, and it's clear the secretary of state will need to marshal her considerable diplomatic skills to negotiate her way through what is going to be a very tough week.

Her first leg in Jerusalem and Ramallah may be the easiest, not because she can expect to make significant progress, but because it's the same problem she's been dealing with for years. In Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the problem is newer and unraveling faster. They have very real fears U.S. policy in Iraq is not only backing a Shia- dominated government at the expense of the country's Sunnis, but by default, benefiting Iran.

So bad are these worries, Vice President Dick Cheney recently flew all the way from Washington to Riyadh for one short meeting with Saudi's King Abdullah. Sunni clerics in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East are calling for financial and even military support for Iraq's Sunnis, destabilizing not just for Saudi Arabia, but the whole region.

No doubt Rice will also face tough questioning from these Sunni allies about what the U.S. plans to do about Iran's growing nuclear capability and about Hezbollah's destabilization in Lebanon, that these allies see as an Iranian proxy.

(on camera): After her grueling days in the Middle East, Rice will end her week here in London, where any news of progress will be keenly welcomed by her British allies whose political fortunes are so closely tied to hers and the U.S.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: British prime minister Tony Blair says terrorism cannot be defeated by military means alone, but it can't be defeated without it. In a speech at the naval base in southern England, Mr. Blair defended Britain's military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying wars are sometimes necessary to fight a global threat. He says diplomacy is not enough, but is still important.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This battle we are engaged in is a hearts and minds battle as much as a military one. Reconstruction and reconciliation, development and governance are ever bit as crucial in Iraq or Afghanistan as military might. Indeed, the might is only effective as a means of making possible the political progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Mr. Blair is to step down from office a little bit later this year, in part because of the unpopularity of the Iraq war at home -- Hala.

GORANI: Well, as the U.S. gets ready to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq, other countries with forces there are notably not following suit.

CLANCY: Well, as a matter of fact, if you take a look at the numbers, the raw numbers of coalition troops, you see that they've been steadily shrinking as the war stretches on. Some of the people just reaching -- countries reaching their end of commitment.

GORANI: And as Jill Dougherty reports, what remains of Washington's coalition of the willing appears to be losing some of its enthusiasm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Right from the start of the Iraq war, almost four years ago, the so-called "coalition of the willing" was overwhelmingly a United States and British endeavor. Thirty countries pledged troops, or material and financial support. But the big numbers of forces came from close U.S. allies.

The United Kingdom sent 8,500 troops to the south of Iraq and withdrew 1,300 of them in early 2006. Australia sent 1,300. They're still in Iraq. But other coalition members, from Kazakhstan to Estonia, deployed even fewer than 100 soldiers each.

Since then, the numbers have slowly dwindled. Suicide bombings, insurgent attacks, political battles in some of those countries took their toll, and the troops came home.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We concluded that to step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear the country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale.

DOUGHERTY: Now, as the president announces he's deploying an extra 20,000-plus American troops to Iraq, his staunchest allies are still standing with him. But they're not pledging any more of their own soldiers.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We must either now as an ally of America, which is our most important ally and friend, we must either be part of the coalition operation or, in effect, say we're getting out. Now, this government is going to maintain its commitment to the coalition operation.

DOUGHERTY: President Bush's critics claim the coalition of the willing is more like a coalition of the unwilling.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: And I want to point out to the American people -- we are all alone. We are all alone. There's no other country standing with us in this escalation.

DOUGHERTY: According to the Pentagon, there is still approximately 17,000 coalition forces in Iraq from 25 countries other than the United States.

South Korea is the second largest coalition partner after Great Britain, and its president, Roh Moo-hyun, says he supports Mr. Bush's endeavor to bring about stability and reconstruction in Iraq. Korea has 2,300 troops in the north of Iraq, but it plans to withdraw roughly half of them by April.

Japan, another ally, already brought its 600 non-combat troops home last year.

(on camera): As the U.S. injects even more troops into what's left of the coalition, it especially needs the help of one crucial partner. And that is the Iraqi army. Its performance will be the deciding factor in whether President Bush's new strategy succeeds or fails.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Iraq and Syria are taking diplomatic steps that haven't been seen in years. Jalal Talabani is expected to become the first Iraqi president to visit Damascus in three decades. His office tells CNN he will travel to the Syrian capital on Sunday for talks with President Bashar al-Assad.

The two countries reestablished full diplomatic ties only back in November.

GORANI: Well, President Bush's new plan does not include talking to Syria, which Iraq is now getting closer to. The American people are now weighing in on what they think of President Bush's new war strategy for Iraq, and it's not necessarily looking good for the White House.

Senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us from Washington.

Bill, what did the public make of that speech?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you know, on Wednesday night, President Bush announced his new plan for dealing with Iraq. More than 20,000 additional American troops. And the public's response? Two to one, negative. In fact, half the public say they strongly oppose the troop buildup. Democratic voters are virtually United in their opposition -- 88 percent oppose the buildup.

And the president's base? Two-thirds of Republicans support the president on Iraq, but we're beginning to hear criticism from some Republicans, like Senator Chuck Hagel, who called President Bush's plan "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam." Hagel speaks for 30 percent of Republican voters who oppose Mr. Bush's plan -- Hala.

GORANI: Interesting figures.

Well, President Bush also said that these troops -- these additional troops will have a well-defined mission in Iraq. Does the public agree with that, see it the same way?

SCHNEIDER: The public does not agree. Only 35 percent believe President Bush has a clear plan for Iraq. Now, that is up a bit from the 25 percent who felt that way before he gave his speech, but 63 percent of Americans still don't see a clear plan -- Hala.

GORANI: Now, here's what might be interesting for any Democratic political candidates. Does the public see a Democratic alternative to what George Bush is proposing?

SCHNEIDER: Well, Democrats want to go in the opposite direction, a phased withdrawal of American troops. President Bush said he considered that option and concluded that, "To step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government." But the American people say they have more confidence in congressional Democrats than in President Bush when it comes to Iraq.

Maybe this speech didn't work because only 43 percent of Americans bothered to watch it. But even among those who saw it, just 27 percent said it made them more likely to support the president's policies. Half said it made no difference -- Hala.

GORANI: All right. Our senior U.S. political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Thanks so much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

GORANI: Still ahead, a bold attack in Greece.

CLANCY: In came in the early morning hours. The blast caused only minor damage at the U.S. Embassy.

Who's behind that attack? We'll have a live report from Athens coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back, everyone. CLANCY: You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY, where we bring our viewers in the U.S. and around the world up to speed on some of the most important international stories of the day.

GORANI: And one of those is happening in Greece this day.

U.S. and Greek authorities say a homegrown terrorist group probably carried out an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Athens. No one was injured when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the building early on Friday.

Alessio Vinci is following the investigation from the Greek capital and joins us now.

What more do we know, Alessio?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Hala.

Well, Greek officials at this time are trying to verify the authenticity of two phone calls that were made after the attack to a private security firm which works for the U.S. Embassy. We understand that the caller did not give his name and basically only said that a group called The Revolutionary Struggle was behind this attack.

Now, this group, Revolutionary Struggle, is a known quantity here in Greece. It has claimed responsibility for several attacks in the past; namely, the assassination attempt, the failed assassination attempt against a Greek minister here, as well as an attack in December 2002, I believe, against the Greek Ministry of the Economy.

So, this is certainly where investigators are pointing their initial attention to. However, they also point out, security experts here point out, that the way this claim was made was quite unusual.

Usually this group in the past has made this claim by basically calling newspapers here. So it is quite unusual for a group of this kind to actually call a security firm and one that has been hired by the U.S. Embassy to protect its building.

So this is why investigators right now still believe that this may be a lead, but they're not ready yet to call it for sure that this is the group behind the attack -- Hala.

GORANI: Now, what kind of damage did this rocket-propelled grenade cause?

VINCI: Well, the attack came at around 6:00 a.m. local time, so most of the embassy, of course, was empty. It went through a window right above the emblem of the U.S. Embassy, and it caused minimal damage.

We understand the rocket landed in a bathroom not too far away from the office of the U.S. ambassador who, of course, at that time was not in his office. So we do understand that at least the intent of this attack was not to kill anyone, but perhaps to demonstrate that this group is serious. Another security expert here told me earlier that perhaps what is happening here is that, after the disbandment of another very prominent homegrown terrorist organization here known as November 17, which for almost 30 years carried out several attacks against the U.S. and other Western interests, killing in all five U.S. Embassy staffers, that group has now been disbanded. And now, perhaps there is a struggle to basically follow that group, to emulate that group, and, therefore, this Revolutionary Struggle, if, indeed, it is the group that is behind this attack, is trying to take the lead, if you want, and demonstrate that they are serious about their capacities and capabilities of attacking interests, Western interests here, in particular, U.S. interests.

GORANI: OK. Alessio Vinci live from Athens in Greece.

CLANCY: Well, coming up, a story that reduced the normally cool media to oohs and ahs.

GORANI: And in an Atlanta Georgia Zoo, a furry debutante makes her first media appearance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Tony Harris at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a couple of minutes, but first, a check on stories making headlines in the United States.

On the Hill, under the gun. The president's plan for Iraq undergoes a second day of congressional scrutiny.

Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs chairman Peter Pace again facing questions, this grilling from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The tone decidedly skeptical about the deployment of more U.S. troops to Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: What I think the president had in mind was that we would probably have to be in Iraq to provide help of one kind or another to the Iraqis for quite some time, and obviously we're interested in a longer-term strategic relationship with them, interested in talking to them about that. We don't want permanent bases in Iraq.

I think that what the president was describing was, over time, a dramatically reduced American presence, but the fact that we would continue to be there and help them in some respects for as long as they wanted us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Company at Camp David. Two Republican sources tell CNN the GOP congressional leadership has been invited to the Maryland retreat with President Bush this weekend. Senators Mitch McConnell and Trent Lott and Congressman John Boehner and Roy Blunt will go to Camp David, along with their spouses. They will arrive later today and return tomorrow.

From the frying pan to the fire, after facing the wrath of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seeks support abroad. She'll also push for renewed peace efforts in the Middle East. And that's where her whirlwind tour begins, Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Then on to Britain and Germany.

A congressional delegation headed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman John McCue traveling on a four-day visit to U.S. forces this weekend. They'll also plan to meet with Iraqi and Afghan government officials, as well as military and civilian leaders.

Let's check in now with Reynolds Wolf in the weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Coming up at the top of the hour, the Big Easy boils over. Thousands turn out to protest a spike in deadly crime, and many say it was the murder of Helen Hill that spurred them to action.

Why is her death being considered the tipping point? We'll answer that question in the "NEWSROOM" at the top of the hour.

In the meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.

I'm Tony Harris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

(NEWSBREAK)

GORANI: Well, returning now to our top story, the transitional government in Somalia is trying to restore its authority, but history has proven it will be very difficult to do that.

CLANCY: That's right, many of the people that are living in the country had been trying to leave all of the chaos and the violence. Aid officials say a crisis is starting to emerge not in Mogadishu or in Baido (ph), but on Somalia's border with Kenya.

Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange's there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On patrol with Kenyan security forces heading towards the bandit-infested Somalia border, these are the men responsible for make sure fleeing Islamic Courts Union members don't escape into Kenya. There's also a growing fear in Kenya of retaliation after this week's airstrikes by U.S. forces on suspected Al Qaeda members in Somalia missed their intended targets. Add to that the fact that Kenya has neither the resources nor the personnel to police the border it shares with Somalia, stretching for more than 1,000 kilometers.

Right now, there's just a few troops visible on the Kenyan side and about the same number on the Somalia side. Kenya recently shut down its borders with Somalia, but as we were about to find out, shutdown is a very loose term here.

(on camera): To give you an idea of what people mean when they say the Kenya-Somalia border is porous. I'm now on the Somalia side. A few paces to the right, I'm in Kenya. And those men behind me so easily cross into Kenya because the security forces can only police so much. Because guess what? There's more than 1,000 kilometers between Kenya and Somalia, And a lot of it is as porous as this.

KOINANGE (voice-over): On the Somalia side, we find a group of refugees sitting obediently on the invisible dividing line. Many have been here for days, some from as far away as Mogadishu, all claiming refugee status. But aid agencies don't have the authority to allow them into Kenya.

Thirty-six-old Ahmed Abdi is among the refugees. He fled with his wife and six children, but he's left them behind in a little village just beyond the Somalia side.

AHMED ABDI, SOMALI REFUGEE: It's very tense. There's a lot of displacement of people who came from very far distance, (INAUDIBLE), Mogadishu, and the -- even the (INAUDIBLE) the border. You want to cross, cross, because there's a lot of (INAUDIBLE).

KOINANGE: Abdi says there are thousands like him just across the border, and many are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

ABDI: There is no (INAUDIBLE) these people. (INAUDIBLE) internally displaced (INAUDIBLE). In fact, these are people -- especially the little ones, these are children and women, who are supposed to cross to the Kenya side. Then the U.S. are supposed to come and receive those people.

KOINANGE: Such help could take weeks, maybe even months. But the lucky few who made it this far are willing to wait it out. And so they sit, and wait and hope.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, on the Kenya-Somalia border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Russia is criticizing a raid by U.S. troops on an Iranian office inside Iraq. They say that was a violation of international law that protects embassies or consulates. U.S. forces stormed the office in Erbil on Thursday. That's in the northern area of the country, Kurdish-controlled area of the country. Six Iranians were detained. They're accused of having links to attacks on both Iraqi and coalition forces.

Now, local Kurdish leaders joined Iran in condemning the raid. Iraq's foreign minister now says the building was not a consulate, confirming what the U.S. maintained all along. But Hoshyar Zebari says he doesn't want to see Iraq turn into a battleground for settling scores.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: We have been in close consultation with U.S. embassy and the command of the multinational forces to explain the mission of these people who were detained on Wednesday. They are working in a liaison office. This office has been here for the past 10 years or more. And they have been providing certain services for the local population. Since we are not party to the interrogation that is being done by U.S. forces, really, we don't know what was the motivations or the reason behind this surprise raid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Now some news reports in Iran are referring to the incident as a kidnapping that coincides with President Bush's announcement of his new military strategy in Iraq.

For some analysis on this operation, let's go to John Pike. He is with the Global Security Organization.

I want to thank you very much for being with us.

JOHN PIKE, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: Good to be here, Jim.

CLANCY: Let's go back 36 hours. President Bush delivers his plan for Iraq, lays it all out there. The news media, CNN included, we start talking about Iraq, what does 20,000 troops really mean? And it was mentioned, but there was a very important paragraph there on Iran. What was the president really saying?

PIKE: Well, it's really unclear what the president is saying. It is a little more clear what the United States is actually doing. He was basically calling on Iran not to interfere with Iraq, not to further interfere with Iraq, but also look at what he said the United States is going to do.

As previously reported several weeks ago, the aircraft carrier John Stennis is being dispatched to the Persian Gulf. That gives the United States two aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, round the clock operations. He also surprisingly announced that the United States was going to be deploying Patriot antimissile interceptors to the region. It's difficult to imagine whose missiles those would be shooting down other than Iran. It looks to me that the United States is at least raising its capabilities in preparation for a possible military confrontation with Iran.

CLANCY: Well, some have said that that speech, what was said there, was -- and this may be taking it too far. One analyst out of Britain says this was a declaration of war on Iran. The Iranians seem to be very concerned here with this latest incident in Erbil that they're being provoked.

PIKE: Well, I think that Iran has to be concerned. Certainly if you look at some of the things that Iran is going to be doing over the next six weeks or so with their nuclear program. After many years of American-induced delays, the Russians are going to be finally delivering the uranium fuel for the Busharin (ph) nuclear reactor, long a red-line issue for the United States and Israel. And Iran has announced that by the end of February it will have a 3,000 centrifuge uranium nuclear facility, giving them the theoretical capability of building one atomic bomb a year.

These are two red-line issues occurring nearly simultaneously. And you would have to be concerned that this would be the point at which Israel or the United States would say that Iran has gone as far as it's going to be allowed to go. Now is the time for military action.

CLANCY: Well, in Israel, the generals and some politicians pushing very hard for the U.S. to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. When Russia is signaling now that it as well is very concerned about the way the U.S. may be escalating its direct clashes with the Iranians, vis-a-vis that office in Erbil. Any predictions when a U.S. strike or an Israeli strike may come?

PIKE: Well, I think the month of February is certainly a time of heightened probability. It's very difficult to understand exactly what the thinking is at the White House and in the Israeli government. But for some time now we've been saying that 2007 is probably the time, if there is going to be military action, that it would probably come this year, possibly as soon as next month, probably no later than august of this year. The next six months, I think, are going to be critical.

CLANCY: All right. I want to thank John Pike for being with us and giving us some perspective on a very, very important story as it develops, what is going to happen between the U.S. and Iran. Thank you.

PIKE: Well, it's a deal that many say is going to bring one sports star millions. That's pretty obvious.

GORANI: More than a few million. English football star David Beckham's moved to L.A. has the world of sports and entertainment buzzing.

Coming up, we'll talk to an editor from Forbes.com about how to bank it like the Beckhams.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY. Well, he's a global endorsement icon married to a former pop star. And his name has already graced a movie marquee. So, it's a natural move, perhaps -- football star, soccer star David Beckham is coming to Hollywood. more accurately, the Los Angeles Galaxy of U.S. Major League Soccer. The midfielder with the excellent field vision and right foot and declining ability to influence matters on the pitch, will stay with his current side, Real Madrid, until its season ends in late spring. Then Beckham's new five-year deal worth a staggering 250 million U.S. dollars kicks in.

The official press conference announcing the deal is a few minutes away. Peter Viles is standing by for that news conference in Los Angeles. And he joins us now live.

Hi, Peter. How excited are people in America about this move?

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Los Angeles people are supposed to be kind of blase. There is a lot of excitement here about David Beckham coming to play soccer in Los Angeles. Soccer in Los Angeles, for you international viewers, every stereotype and cliche you hold about soccer in America is generally true. Children play it here, but adults don't watch it on television.

So the question is, can David Beckham -- you said his abilities on the field are declining -- can he make a big difference in the United States? Well for one thing, he'll be better in the United States than Europe because the quality of professional soccer here is not quite as good as it is in Europe. But can he make a difference, can he put soccer over the hump? That is sort of the question here. Nobody, of course, knows the answer.

But in Southern California, what the sports professionals and marketers are saying is this guy, as soon as he gets off the plane and starts going to practice and playing games, he will be a big star in Southern California. Here's what one of those sports marketers -- or agents had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEIGH STEINBERG, SPORTS ATTORNEY/AGENT: We love stars, and you not only have a charismatic mediagenic gifted soccer player, but you have got his wife, who was part of a number one selling rock group. And the two of them together are the type of celebrity couple that this country absolutely goes ga ga over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VILES: Certainly fans are responding. The team has sold over 2,000 tickets in just a couple of days -- season tickets, since they announced they will sign Beckham. In about 20 minutes, he will make his first appearance here in Los Angeles. But he won't be here, Hala. He will be in Spain where he still has to play for Real Madrid.

GORANI: All right. Peter Viles. Thanks very much. Doing this live from Los Angeles

Beckham's massive payday reflects far more than his skills on the pitch, as we heard there from Peter, he's among the world's top endorsers selling everything from sporting gear to milk to cosmetics. Jim Boulden takes a look at the brand name that is David Beckham. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Angeles and the Beckhams could be a perfect match. David Beckham is already a global brand. And though he endorses a number of American companies, he is yet to really crack the U.S. market. That is all about to change. Beckham says he can single-handedly push American soccer into the big- time.

DAVID BECKHAM, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER: Soccer in America is the biggest played sport up to a certain age. And that's where I want to take it to another level.

BOULDEN: Beckham will also take his brand and bank account to another level. The owners of the L.A. Galaxy say the five-year deal plus commercial opportunities could net Beckham over $250 million, the richest sports deal in history.

That, if Beckham can sell shirts and tickets in a country swamped by other sports heroes.

ANDY MILLIGAN, AUTHOR: He's also, then, right on the footsteps of Hollywood. And although, he may not have a film career, it certainly means that he has got more visible presence for American sponsors to make him relevant to the American market.

BOULDEN: Brand Beckham took off when he was a brash teenager playing professional football in England. He went into the stratosphere when David and Spice Girl Victoria hooked up. He then signed for Real Madrid in 2003 as much for his performance as a pitch man as his performance on the pitch.

Surely Real got back its $40 million transfer fee just from selling Beckham shirts. But now, Beckham warms the bench in Madrid. And was dumped by the England team after disappointing World Cup.

But Brand Beckham has two faces. He is still a fashion icon.

MAX CLIFFORD, PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT: From football it's been a disastrous year. Image, incredibly popular, commercially making fortunes, pictured everywhere, good-looking guy who is still a major star.

BOULDEN: Beckham reportedly makes $20 million a year from the likes of Adidas, Gillette and Pepsi. One deal, being the well-known face of Police Sunglasses ended. But he replaced that with a multi- million dollar deal with phone giant Motorola.

He can now add image rights in L.A. as the most popular face in American soccer.

Maybe one day Hollywood will becon for both Beckhams.

Jim Boulden, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) GORANI: All right. Will the move, though, have any tangible effects in a country where soccer is well down the list in terms of interests, really? And can he become as ubiquitous an advertising personality in the United States?

Paul Maidment, the editor of Forbes.com, joins us now from New York to analyze the Beckham effect.

So that is the question, really, $250 million. That can't just be for his footballing skills. Will he increase the popularity of soccer in the U.S., do you think?

PAUL MAIDMENT, FORBES.COM: Oh, certainly he will increase the popularity of soccer. The question is, can he increase it enough? And can one person alone increase it enough so that soccer gets over this hump from being a second-tier professional sport to joining the major leagues?

GORANI: And do you think that will happen? He's competing against baseball, American football, basketball, you name it -- so many more sports that Americans are interested in.

MAIDMENT: Well, that's true. And there's a structural problem in America as well. The best young athletes don't head off to become soccer players. They actually head off to become baseball players or football or basketball players because that's where the honey pot of American professional sport is, that's where the big money is. That's where they'll get the best so coaching.

So, he has got the sort of structure of professional sports in America working against him. He has also got history working against him. I mean, you remember in the late '70s and '80s, Pele, Kropf (ph), Beckenbauer, all came to America, bigger stars then in soccer than Beckham is now.

GORANI: But they were older than Beckham is now. Beckham still has the ability on the pitch.

MAIDMENT: They were both at the ending phases of their career. They were all past their best. And, you know, the National North American Soccer League, you know, folded a while after. Now, things have changed. The game in America is far stronger at the grassroots than it is. But he still has got a challenge to make it a real major league sport in America.

GORANI: Now, $250 million, we've been hearing that figure, which is an astronomical firgure. But let's break it down, it's mainly for endorsements and mainly for sort of PR deals that this money is being paid rather than his salary for being a footballer.

MAIDMENT: Yeah, that sort of mirrors his earning structure at the moment. He basically earns $12 million a year playing for Real Madrid. And the other $20 odd million comes from his endorsements and image rights.

I mean, clearly what's being bought here, both by the Galaxy, but also to an extent by Major League Soccer is that buying the brand, they're trying to buy this iconic figure that can really project the game out to a wider audience that it's yet found in North America.

GORANI: Well, let me ask you this as a last question, then -- is this a better investment for David Beckham or for Major League Soccer? Did they overpay for David Beckham do you think?

MAIDMENT: I think definitely Brand Beckham is the big winner out of this. He's ended his career at a Real playing high. He'll extend it because he can play for longer in North America. He comes here as this iconic figure. And he has got the challenge in his life of turning the Beckham brand into something like the Perry brand, or the Cost brand (ph). Businesses that will be remembered long after the players have stopped, generations after those players stopped playing their sports.

GORANI: I think for that, is he as -- charismatic enough for that? You know, he was a good football player, soccer player, but then will he be able to carry that through post-soccer? That's the big question.

MAIDMENT: That is the big question. He's very iconic, he's very charismatic, and one reason marketers love him, he works very hard at it. He's that consummate blend of footballing skill and marketing salability. He's liked by both men and women.

And oddly enough, I think the big boost the game will get in America from Beckham being here is not so much male football but female football. He has a huge audience among women soccer players and women generally.

GORANI: And women soccer players in America are pretty good, top of the game, actually. Paul Maidment of Forbes.com, editor, thank you so much.

MAIDMENT: My pleasure.

GORANI: As we mentioned earlier, David Beckham will be formally introduced as a new member of the Los Angeles Galaxy at a news conference and that should be getting underway in about 10 minutes. We'll carry some of that live when it begins -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right, Hala. Thanks for the interesting notes there on Beckham. They did overpay a little bit, maybe.

Well, still ahead -- two movies, same battle, same director. Clint Eastwood directs the films first from an American perspective and then from a Japanese one. His double vision on World War II, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Hello, everyone, and welcome back.

GORANI: Well, we're seen live around the world. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International. CLANCY: All right. Now to Hollywood and the latest from actor/director Clint Eastwood.

GORANI: Well, Eastwood has been nominated, of course, for best director for two films in this year's Golden Globe Awards. Sibila Vargas has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Flags Of Our Fathers" tells the story of American soldiers fighting one of the most famous battles in history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The heroes from Iwo Jima.

VARGAS: "Letters From Iwo Jima" describes the same battle from the Japanese side. Two movies, same battle, same director, Clint Eastwood.

(on camera): An unusual perspective.

RICHARD SCHIKEL, "TIME" MAGAZINE FILM CRITIC: A Japanese language film taking the Japanese point of view in World War II? I mean, I think it's unique. I don't know of anything quite like it.

VARGAS (voice-over): Also remarkable? The timing of both films. Eastwood shot both "Flags" and "Iwo Jima" back to back.

SCHIKEL: The script was written by a young woman who was sort of helping on research with Paul Haggis who was writing "Flags." He showed it to Clint. He said, that's good. Let's do that.

VARGAS (on camera): Eastwood's unconventional approach is paying off big-time at this year's Golden Globes. He got best director nods for both films, the first time in Globe history that a person has been nominated twice in the directing category.

MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: And he put out two of the arguably best movies of his career.

VARGAS (voice-over): Eastwood is a long-time favorite at the Golden Globes, winning three for directing: "Bird" in 1989, "Unforgiven" in 1993, and most recently, "Million Dollar Baby."

HILLARY SWANK, ACTRESS: Because I know if you train me right, I'm going to be a champ.

VARGAS: critics say it's because Eastwood finds a way to stay ahead of the game.

SCHIKEL: I think he's always looking for something that refreshes the genre, you know? Yes, it looks like a genre movie, it looks like a boxing movie, it looks like a war movie. But when you get into the movie, it's something different.

FLEEMAN: He's doing the kinds of stuff, at his age, that cutting edge indie directors would only dare to do.

VARGAS: Like making history with two compelling war stories.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: That's pretty amazing. It's probably economical, too, to be shooting one film and then shoot another one right alongside of it. Pretty impressive.

GORANI: Absolutely. Well, that is it for this hour for now. I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy, and this is CNN.

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