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Your World Today

Help Pouring in for Iraqi Boy; Military Commanders Respond to John Warner's Comments; Britain Shooting: Boy's Killers Might Also be Young; Vick Enters Guilty Plea

Aired August 24, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: From heartache to hope, thousands of people take action to help an Iraqi boy disfigured in a brutal attack.
And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's only a baby. This shouldn't happen. This shouldn't be going on. Please help us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Devastated by loss, a mother makes a plea as British police search for a teenaged gunman.

SESAY: A crime-fighting alternative, a German police force builds a less expensive helicopter fleet.

CLANCY: Plus, bonding over bikes. Harley-Davidson riders break down some barriers in South Africa.

SESAY: It's 6:00 p.m. in Johannesburg, 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Isha Sesay.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

From London to Lima, Berlin to Boston, wherever you are watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

SESAY: In one sudden barbaric act the life of a little boy in Iraq was changed forever. Now more than anything else in the world, his mother desperately wants to see him smile again.

CLANCY: And Isha, thanks to a U.S. charity and the generosity of thousands of you, help is on the way.

SESAY: You may remember our story this week on Youssif. The 5- year-old boy brutally attacked outside his home by men who set him on fire.

CLANCY: Now, his story really tugged on the hearts of people here in the NEWSROOM and right around the world. Thousands of you called or wrote to us asking how you could help.

SESAY: And as Arwa Damon reports, a children's foundation offered the biggest gift of all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Help is on the way for 5-year-old Youssif.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I was so happy. I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't think that it would be like this. I thought maybe one organization would come forward.

DAMON: Youssif's father is a security guard. It's too dangerous for him to appear on camera.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We just want to thank everyone who has come forward to help.

DAMON: Youssif's parents say they never expected the overwhelming outpouring of support for their son.

Since we first told Youssif's story, a 5-year-old boy in Baghdad attacked by men who set him on fire, the Children's Burn Foundation has offered to bring Youssif and his family to the U.S. for medical treatment. The foundation will cover all their expenses and Dr. Peter Grossman of the affiliated Grossman Burn Foundation offered his services to do the surgeries Youssif will need.

It will take at least a year to do the multiple operations he requires. And adjusting to America will not be easy for the little boy and his family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It will be hard, but I will do anything for Youssif.

DAMON: It's also expected Youssif will need psychological treatment.

His mother tries to coax him to talk to us, but he's withdrawn into himself, into a place no 5-year-old should ever have to go. But one his family hopes he will eventually be able to forget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: And I'm pleased to say Arwa Damon joins us now from Baghdad.

And Arwa, as you say in that report, just absolute joy and relief, I'm sure, from the family that their little boy is going to get some help.

DAMON: Absolutely. In fact, talking to the father, he said that he was standing on the roof when we first called him with the news that so many organizations were coming forward wanting to help, and he said, "I was so happy, I felt like I could fly." And Youssif apparently was running around the house shouting, "Daddy, daddy, I'm going to be on an airplane now!"

I mean, truly the response we've gotten to this story has been absolutely overwhelming for us here in the Baghdad bureau, as well as around the globe. Speaking with a lot of the Iraqi staff here that worked with us on the story that were really crucial to bringing it forward, they were also very heartened to see all of the kindness that exists outside of Iraq, and many of us are hoping that this will somehow translate into help for all of the other tens of thousands of children here that need it just as desperately.

CLANCY: Arwa, it's Jim here. And, you know, an incredible story that you covered there.

I'm just wondering, what more reaction -- he won't talk to you? You've described it before in your reporting. He's withdrawn because of this, but what is he looking forward to above and beyond that airplane ride?

DAMON: I think, Jim, he really wants to go back to the way he was. I think just as much as his parents desperately want to see their son smile again, he wants to be able to smile again.

You see in that story there that you just ran, he's very sullen and gloomy and withdrawn into himself. And if you compare that to even the first time that we met him, he was slightly more outspoken. And you can see the impact that this attack has had on him.

I remember looking at him sitting on that couch and wondering exactly what was going through his head. This is incredibly, unimaginably trying for him and for his family, and I really believe that this tiny thing that they do want is just that one little chance for him to have a shot at a normal life.

CLANCY: To smile again.

Arwa Damon, thank you for the report. Thanks for being with us. Thanks for doing this story and bringing it to us.

SESAY: Really great reporting, Arwa. Many thanks.

DAMON: Thank you.

SESAY: And if you would like to help, we have a special section on our Web site for people who would like to respond to what's happening in the world and make a difference.

CLANCY: That's right. The site is CNN.com/impact, and there's a special link there for Youssif. It's called Iraq burn victim.

SESAY: You can make a donation there to the Children's Burn Foundation.

Well, I'm pleased to say the executive director of the burn foundation that's helping Youssif says it's one of the most horrific cases of premeditated violence she's ever seen.

CLANCY: But she also says there is something good that can come out of the tragedy. She points that out.

SESAY: She does. And we'll be talking -- Jim and I will be talking with executive director Barbara Freedman (ph) a little later on in the show, around a half an hour from now.

CLANCY: But first, Isha, let's check in and see what other stories that we're covering here in the news.

(NEWSBREAK)

CLANCY: All right. Turning to politics now, a prominent U.S. Senate Republican known for his party loyalty challenging President Bush on the war in Iraq. John Warner says the U.S. should begin withdrawing some troops from Iraq by the year's end. An increasing number of Republicans have expressed unease about the war, but Warner's comments put him out in front.

He insists that withdrawing at least some troops would send a message to Iraq's government and to the American people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: We simply cannot as a station stand and put our troops at continuous risk, the loss of life and limb, without beginning to take some decisive action which will get everybody's attention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: Now, war supporters fear Warner's hawkish credentials could help sway some other Republicans who normally are on the side of President Bush to turn against the war in Iraq.

SESAY: Well, responses are already rolling in from U.S. brass in Iraq. One says there's no way such a withdrawal could happen by year's end, and that such a move would in fact be a giant step backward.

Let's get more now from the Pentagon. We're joined by our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, what can you tell us?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isha, this is now the first reaction from a top U.S. commander in Iraq to Senator Warner's proposal that the first U.S. troops be withdrawn by Christmas.

Major General Rick Lynch commands U.S. troops in central Iraq, basically Baghdad, south of Baghdad, and east of the city, the areas where there has been some of the heaviest combat in recent weeks. Earlier today, he spoke to Pentagon reporters. He was asked about all of this.

He said it would be a step backwards. He says it's just not time yet to start bringing the troops home. Here is a bit more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. Rick LYNCH, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL FORCES: I've got some great Iraqi army units in my battle space, and we're working transitions there. But there's still such a detailed, complicated fight going on, that it's no time between now and Christmas to move some coalition forces out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, Isha, General Lynch didn't rule out the possibility that there would be a drawdown of some troops in the spring of next year. And that's pretty much what people are focusing on in the military.

The notion is that by the spring, the U.S. simply will not have enough troops on hand to keep the surge going. They're going to have to start bringing some of them home. That's a generally accepted view around here, that that is what is most likely to happen -- Isha.

SESAY: And Barbara, these comments coming just ahead of this report by General Petraeus, expected September 15th. How much of the comments are the likes of Lynch? How much do they complicate that debate that's going to take place on Capitol Hill, in your opinion?

STARR: Well, I think what we're getting into here in the next couple of weeks, as you point out, is a very political environment for the U.S. military. That's something that makes them very uncomfortable, to step into partisan politics in the United States with a presidential campaign under way, Democrats versus Republicans. They would like very much to just stick to whatever they believe the best military advice is, but they're well aware, Isha, they are stepping into it right now.

General Lynch is pretty much putting the marker down that a lot of commanders are saying, which is, next year, bringing some troops home, that's one thing. But right now, with the progress they've made, it's just not time.

SESAY: All right, then. Barbara Starr there at the Pentagon.

Many thanks.

CLANCY: And Isha, who was that couple that were seen leaving the Saychelles after a weeklong vacation?

SESAY: It wasn't us.

Those in the know say it was Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton. Despite reports the royal had split with his girlfriend last April, the two stayed at an exclusive island resort, Jim, and they looked very much back together.

CLANCY: Yes. The news media back in Britain fuming over this. They say -- well, frothing, I should say.

They checked in using fictitious names, Martin and Rosemary. Those are the code words, ladies and gentlemen.

The Seychelles government ordered the media, don't report on the pair. Three British photographers were arrested. Well, it wasn't a complete loss. That happened on Wednesday. They were trying to get pictures of the couple.

SESAY: But Martin and Rosemary?

CLANCY: Well, whatever works. There they are, Martin and Rosemary. Made the news.

SESAY: OK. A serious question now. What's behind the wave of youth violence in Britain?

CLANCY: A lot of people concerned about it. Coming up right here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, soul searching after the killing of this, an 11-year-old boy in Liverpool.

We're going to talk to a police analyst about this case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Welcome back to CNN International and YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: Covering some of the stories that the world wants to know, sometimes needs to know, trying to give you a little bit more perspective that goes deeper into the stories of the day.

Now, it was supposed to have been just an ordinary day of football practice for 11-year-old Rhys Jones.

SESAY: At the end of the day, though, his mother was cradling Rhys' lifeless body in a Liverpool parking lot. The boy was a victim of a senseless shooting that has shocked Britain.

CLANCY: And now his parents pleading for anyone who knows anything about this crime to come forward.

(INAUDIBLE) has more on the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHEN JONES, FATHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM: He's 11? (INAUDIBLE) he's 11, an 11-year-old schoolboy.

MELANIE JONES, MOTHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM: He was shot in the back of his neck. Shot from behind. My baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How to describe the heartache. Melanie Jones had dropped her son off to football on Wednesday night. An hour later, there was a knock at the door.

M. JONES: It was Rhys' football manager to tell me that Rhys had been shot. I got to the car park where he had been shot and he was unconscious, and he didn't come out after that. He was just lying there in a pool of blood, put in the ambulance, and he didn't come out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two teenagers arrested for questioning have been released on bail. In a high-profile operation aimed at reassuring the local community, officers have been handing out leaflets asking for information. The schoolboy's parents also pleaded for help in catching his killer.

M. JONES: Please, someone, somewhere must know who has done this, and it's got to be someone (INAUDIBLE). You must know who's done this.

Please come forward. Just give a name. You don't have to give your own name or come and tell us. You don't even have to go to the police.

Our son was only 11. He was only a baby. This shouldn't happen. This shouldn't be going on. Please help us.

S. JONES: People are saying to me, wrong time, wrong place, and it shouldn't be a case of wrong time, wrong place. It shouldn't be, it shouldn't happen in this country. It shouldn't be a question of wrong time, wrong place. It just shouldn't happen.

You know? There's somebody out there that knows who's done it. Somebody knows, you know, who's got (INAUDIBLE), whatever it is, (INAUDIBLE). And they have to come forward...

M. JONES: It could be their son next time.

S. JONES: ... they've got to come forward because it's beyond words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As politicians from all sides call for tougher action in tackling gun crime, this family is struggling to try and deal with the consequences.

M. JONES: I don't know what to do.

S. JONES: I don't go up to his room where he should be. He should be asleep. He should be in bed.

You know, you go into his room and you open his wardrobe, and there's his school uniform that we bought for his secondary school, which starts in September. You know, his pens and pencils are there unopened, his calculator is there unopened, his shoes are still in the box, his trainees are still in the box.

It's just horrific. It's just your worst nightmare.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well, police are saying that they're looking for a 13-to- 15-year-old suspect and they say they're disappointed that they have not gotten more leads from the community.

CLANCY: All right.

Now, as you look at this case, it's impossible to stress enough -- I think for our viewers, especially in the United States, don't understand how in Britain gun violence isn't just rare -- or gun ownership is rare there. You can't take bullets to your home.

I mean, this really very, very unusual. Police, of course, in most cases don't carry weapons in Britain.

SESAY: No, they don't, and there have been bans on carrying handguns in the U.K. since 1996. But, you know, it has to be said in context that Merseyside, this spot in the U.K., has had its problems, a long-running issue.

So, I mean, we want to get some perspective on this. And, you know, it's prompted soul-searching about what's creating this culture of gun violence and what is to be done about it.

Albert Kirby, he joins us now from Merseyside in England.

So, Jim, you know, he's a retired senior detective. He used to work for the police force there. They're the ones investigating this latest killing.

And Albert Kirby, thanks for joining us.

Just give us a sense of perspective and how great a problem gun violence and gang trouble is in Merseyside.

ALBERT KIRBY, RETIRED SR. DETECTIVE: You can't now say that it's as bad as it was, say, even 10 or eight years ago. The police service here are doing a tremendous amount of work in actually reducing it, but very, very suddenly here, like in many other parts of the country, they're getting plagued still with shootings. And this is an example where apparently a totally innocent young boy who is out minding his own business has got caught in gunfire and been fatally injured.

CLANCY: What are we finding -- Jim Clancy here. What do police say? Do they have a motive in this?

KIRBY: I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that.

CLANCY: Do they have a motive in this case?

KIRBY: No, from what we can gather at the moment, there is no motive. But the police inquiries are trying to establish that, because in any inquiry of this nature, it's not until you've actually identified the motive, the reason behind it, that you can actually stand any chances of actually identifying the people responsible.

So, as part of the whole overall inquiry, motive is of paramount importance to get that established. And then that, then, will lead you down the definite types of lines of inquiry that you hope then will identify the person responsible. SESAY: Mr. Kirby, you say there that, you know, police forces in Merseyside are being plagued by gun violence. David Cameron used the words of "anarchy" to describe parts of the U.K. as being under anarchy earlier on this week.

Is that your assessment of the situation?

KIRBY: No, I think that's a gross exaggeration to say it's anarchy. Liverpool, like many cities within the United Kingdom, have got this problem with relation to gun crime. They're no different than many other places. In fact, in many cases, you can say it's nowhere near as bad.

There's been big inroads. A lot of people have been arrested. A lot of firearms have been recovered. But, unfortunately, now in this country, there is the readily availability of firearms.

And they're cheap. They're easily accessible. And even now it is not unusual for young people, as part of their cult, their status, to actually have firearms. But frighteningly, they're not even worried about using them.

CLANCY: All right.

SESAY: All right.

Albert Kirby, a retired senior detective with Merseyside Police.

Many thanks for your time this afternoon.

CLANCY: All right.

Things changing there. Police trying to adapt to it and hoping for some leads.

We've got to take a break.

SESAY: We have indeed.

The world opens its arms to Youssif. Thousands offer their help, including a major burn center right here in the United States.

We'll talk with its director about the task ahead.

CLANCY: And he shoots, but does he score? Find out if one U.S. presidential candidate has got game.

SESAY: And later, it's a bird, it's a plane. No, in fact, it's a cheap chopper. Just the kind of crime-fighting tool for a budget- conscious German police force.

YOUR WORLD TODAY rolls on after this.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SESAY: Welcome back. Joining us from more than 200 countries and territories around the globe including the United States. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Isha Sesay.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. We want to show you some of the top stories we're following right now.

Police in Liverpool, England, say they do not have very many leads in this week's cold-blooded killing of an 11-year-old boy. They say they're disappointed by the public reaction and response.

Rhys Jones, a little boy shot to death outside a pub on Wednesday in the parking lot, as he was walking home from football practice. Police say they believe the killer was a young teenager.

SESAY: A leading Senate Republican says it's time for the U.S. to begin pulling troops from Iraq. John Warner believes such a move might compel the Iraqi government to take stronger measures to combat the nation's chaos and in fighting. But U.S. commander in Iraq says that's not possible south and east of Baghdad, without losing important security gains.

An Iraqi boy burned by masked assailants in the garden of his Baghdad home is going to be receiving treatment in the United States. A U.S. charity paying for five-year-old Youssif's travel and treatment, with the help of donations from private individuals, many of our viewers. An outpouring of support from Youssif came from across the globe after his case was brought to light in a report right here on YOUR WORLD TODAY. That was brought to us by Arwa Damon.

SESAY: As Jim was saying, the trip and treatment is being arranged by the Children's Burn Foundation. The California-based charitable organization was set up more than 20 years ago to help meet the needs of severely burned children.

CLANCY: We're joined now by Barbara Friedman, executive director of the Children's Burn Foundation.

Barbara, what can you tell us? When might Youssif be coming here? What will he look forward to? How will it begin?

BARBARA FRIEDMAN, EXEC. DIR., CHILDREN'S BURN FOUNDATION: Well, we've been in touch with the U.S. embassy -- and that's really the first issue is visas -- as soon as they can get their visas, we are prepared to have them come here, set them up in a housing situation, provide support for them, and begin treatment. We expect that the treatment will be from between six months to a year with many surgeries.

SESAY: And, Barbara, give us a sense what those surgeries will involve? Will it be skin graphs? What kinds of things will he be experiencing?

FRIEDMAN: Well, in terms of the surgeries, there will surely be skin graphs, and there will be daily dressing changes. And he will -- he will be getting the absolute best care that's available with Peter Grossman doing the surgical work, and a fabulous team of nurses at the Sherman Oakes Hospital at the Grossman Burn Center.

CLANCY: Barbara, we had a chance to talk with Arwa Damon, the reporter that brought us the story, a little bit earlier today. She said, you know what this little boy wants? He wants to smile again. Is he going to be able to do that?

FRIEDMAN: We hope so. What I can share with you is this is the work we do, helping young burn survivors locally, nationally, and internationally. And we have seen just amazing transformations. It does depend on genetics, the nature of the injury, but we know we're starting off with being able to provide state-of-the-art care.

SESAY: And I understand, Barbara, he will be receiving psycho- social care. What exactly does that mean and how important is that component to his treatment?

FRIEDMAN: That's going to really depend as we talk to the father who is the person who is going to be accompanying Youssif, and really talk with him about what their needs are. And really what we're talking about is counseling.

CLANCY: You know, Barbara, this is a case that's pulled on a lot of people's heart strings, burns, a terrible, terrible injury, especially to a child. What's been the response you're getting at the center?

FRIEDMAN: At the Children's Burn Foundation office the response has been overwhelming. Sometime in the middle of the night I got an e- mail from one of our staff who checked, and we received over 3,000 responses on our website. And we have a very tiny staff, there's three of us. And we brought in an extra three people just to answer the phones because of all of the wonderful outpouring of support for Youssif.

And that's really --

(CROSS TALK)

FRIEDMAN: I'm sorry. That's really as a result of the incredible job CNN has done in really calling attention to the plight of this boy.

CLANCY: Childburn.org, by the way, that was the web site we were just seeing, there, Isha.

SESAY: Barbara, you have said this, that this is a terrible tragedy, but you believe something good can come out of it.

FRIEDMAN: Well, really two things. One is really support for Youssif and his family. And the other is really creating public awareness about the many burn survivors locally, nationally, and internationally, who need help. This is really what we do every day, whether it's funding a full course of surgical treatment, to specialized equipment to camps for young burn survivors, locally.

The need is very great and we're so grateful that people have been -- have become more aware of the needs of young burn survivors.

CLANCY: Well, Barbara Friedman, we want to thank you for being with us. We want to thank the Burn Center for everything that all of you people do in Youssif's case but every day.

SESAY: Absolutely, many thanks.

FRIEDMAN: Thank you so much for having me.

CLANCY: And this reminder to all of you, our viewers, if you would like to help we have a special section on our web site for people who want to make a difference.

SESAY: Go to cnn.com/impact. There's a special link for Youssif. It's called Iraq Burn Victim.

CLANCY: This is a story that you have really reacted to. You know, there are millions and millions of people who have visited and watched the story of Youssif. I mean, it's an incredible response from right around the world, to the case of this little boy and we're seeing it in the numbers of people visiting this.

SESAY: Well, Youssif's story is just one of countless tragedies in Iraq. And humanitarian agencies are calling for action to help the kids caught in the crossfire. Jonathan Mann has some "Insight".

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Iraq is actually a country of kids, almost half the population is under 18. Millions of young people coming of age in conflict and in chaos. Mercifully few suffer the way Youssif has but in ways psychological and emotional, so many of them are scarred.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTL. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): She's nine months old, but has already been through more than most people see in a lifetime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are the most vulnerable victims of the Iraq war and they're facing growing danger not just from everyday violence, but disease.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are at a tipping point for children in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The streets of Baghdad are filled with children risking their lives to support their families. These children have witnessed violence, seen friends and family die, and haven't been to school in over a year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Violence is the wallpaper of life here. No one escapes, not even the children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MANN: No one knows how many children have been killed or maimed. Here, though, is a look at how different organizations have been measuring different things. Let's start with the very youngest children, when they're first born. What does a war do to them? Well, figures compiled earlier this year by Save the Children show that in 1990 the mortality rate for under five was 50 kids in 1,000 live births; 50 in 1,000. In 2005 it had more than doubled to 125.

What does a war do to kids when they should be at school? Well, between a quarter and half of Iraqi children aren't going to school, either because of the danger or because of dislocation they have fled their homes and neighborhoods. And psychological and learning problems are epidemic.

How about at the most basic level? What does the war do to a child when they're hungry or thirsty? Well, two out of three Iraqi children don't have clean drinking water and the aid agency, Caratas (ph), found that 19 percent of Iraqi children were malnourished before the U.S.-led invasion. That figure has now climbed to 28 percent. That's more than one in four.

Overall, Iraq is just no place for children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who lives until tomorrow with all these explosions, who can survive until tomorrow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no school left. They shot it with mortar and destroyed it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can I continue to live this life. How can you call this life? It is all fear and danger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They killed my father and uncle in front of my eyes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MANN: Now, remember, Iraq was at war in Iran and Kuwait, too. This is actually the third time in the past 20 years that children in Iraq find themselves caught in a conflict. Some of the kids today, in fact, are being brought up by adults who were children of war in their time as well.

SESAY: And, John, what happens when the kids get out of a war zone? Do things get better?

MANN: You would think, get the kids away from the problem, that's the start of solution. In fact, that's the start of new problems. When you take a child away from his or her home. What do you have? You have a child who is dislocated. You have a child who probably can't go to school in their new home. You have a family that can't collect food rations from the Iraqi government if they've left Iraq. You have all kinds of pressures on people moving into communities where they're not wanted, pressures that children feel.

We know that about 1.5 million Iraqi children have been pulled out of their homes, whether to move elsewhere in the country, or to move outside of the country. It's not a solution. It's just better than the kind of tragedy Youssif has been through.

SESAY: And a very troubling situation. John Mann, many thanks.

CLANCY: Well, it was a long shot. That's what they said about Barack Obama.

SESAY: They weren't talking about his chances of winning the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination, though. Those are pretty good compared with the chances of him sinking this it three-point shot.

CLANCY: Well, it wasn't quite a three-point shot. Not bad, though.

Actually Senator Obama played varsity basketball in school, so this wasn't the first time he's been on the court by any means. Look at that. He's pretty proud of it.

SESAY: He is really proud. Look at him strut. He's still known to champ (ph) staffers in pickup games. So, onlookers at the school he was touring there, in South Carolina, said they shouldn't have been too surprised to be honest.

CLANCY: Frankly, he looked a little surprised, didn't he? When it went in? Swish. It was a good shot.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta.

Star Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, we understand, along with his team of legal counsels have entered a plea agreement there in Virginia, in Richmond, Virginia, on count one of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce, in aid of unlawful activities, and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture, a plea of guilty.

That is the only charge. That is the only plea that we understand right now that's being filed. And according to the agreement, the government agrees to recommend sentencing at the low end of the applicable guideline range. We understand that he could face up to five years in prison along with a substantial fine for this kind of offense.

We understand Michael Vick will actually make a court appearance come Monday in Richmond. Our Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin is on the line with us now. And here in Atlanta, Drew Griffin, who has been following the story as well. Drew, let's begin with you. We kind of expected this, but we're talking about one charge.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's one charge, but it is a big charge. It's the indictment charging the defendant with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce and aid in the unlawful activities to sponsor a dog. Basically, to take a dog across state lines and to have that dog be available for gambling. The stipulation in all of this, and kind of the nitty-gritty, Fred, is the summary of facts which details that Michael Vick was heavily involved in this operation, was raising dogs, was training dogs, was presenting these dogs for gambling. But on page four of this summary says Michael Vick, or Vick, did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. And Vick did not receive any of the proceeds from the purses that were won by Bad Newz Kennels, the kennel that he operated along with his other defendants on this property.

WHITFIELD: This is a pretty healthy plea agreement. We're talking 18 pages we just received, that have been filed, and we're still trying to get through all of the details.

Jeffrey Toobin on the line with us from New York. A lot of folks were talking about, and there was a lot of speculation leading into this plea agreement that was expected, that it would mean there would be racketeering, there would be gambling, there would be the actual involvement of killing the dog. That is not here in this agreement. Can you explain why?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Michael Vick only has to plead guilty to his part in the conspiracy and according to the statement of facts, his role seems to have been as the financier of the operation. He put up the money and much of the individual dealings with dogs, apparently, was by his co-conspirators.

It does say later in the statement of fact that it pretty much acknowledges that he was involved in killing dogs. At one point it says he didn't kill dogs at that time, but later on when they were testing dogs, a group of them put these dogs to death and Vick acknowledges he was part of the group.

He does not -- the interesting thing is he does not say he gambled. He was much more in the role of putting up the purses for the winners of these dog fights.

WHITFIELD: Now his co-conspirators, in their plea agreements, have alleged that they indeed witnessed him, you know, kill dogs, and that he was very much involved more so than this kind of charge is implicating. So if his attorneys are saying this is the charge that we're pleading guilty to now, and we understand that later in September there could still be an assemblage of a Virginia grand jury to consider other charges, we really still are at the tip of the iceberg, aren't we, as it relates to this case, dog fighting related charges and Michael Vick?

TOOBIN: Well, I don't know if we know that for sure. I don't know if this is necessarily the tip of the iceberg. And I don't know if he will be charged in state court, but he's in an extremely vulnerable position because now having signed this statement of fact, acknowledged all these activities, these are crimes under state law. So he's essentially admitted the state crimes.

Now most of the time state prosecutors defer to federal prosecutors. They don't charge the identical conduct, if he's already being punished but Billy Martin, Vick's lawyer, will have a very important task to try to persuade the state prosecutors in Virginia that this is enough of a prosecution in federal court. Let's just leave it at that.

WHITFIELD: OK. And, Jeffrey, take a pause for a moment. I'm going to ask Drew a question, real quick.

This judge has to accept this plea deal, so it's conceivable that the judge says, you know what, I understand the agreement that you and the federal prosecutors have come to, but I'm not going to accept it. Could the judge still say I want to go forward with the trial, or perhaps bypass the recommendation of the low end of this suggested penalty from the federal prosecutors?

GRIFFIN: I think these are questions for Jeff. But, Jeff, I think, the judge can certainly do what he wants in terms of sentencing. I'm not quite sure he can say I don't accept this plea agreement, and we're going to trial. Is that correct?

TOOBIN: Well, he can say I don't accept the plea agreement. He can say, look, I have read this agreement and I don't think it constitutes facts that are enough for a guilty plea. You're not admitting enough. Frankly, having read it myself, I don't think the judge will say that. I think this is enough for the judge to accept the plea agreement.

And some judges are pretty much rubber stamps o plea agreements. Judge Hudson, as I understand it, is not. But this is a fairly detailed statement of a guilty man, it sounds to me. So, I think he will accept it. As for sentence very clearly the parties agree only to recommend a sentence to the judge. The final determination belongs to the judge, so he can accept or reject the recommendation on the plea.

Most judges accept the recommendation but that's all it is. It's just a suggestion. It's not binding on the judge.

WHITFIELD: OK. Go ahead.

GRIFFIN: Jeff, if I could ask you a question. It seems to me that Billy Martin got two concessions in this which, to me, seems remarkable because, as you said, Michael Vick was in a very bad position, almost a position of a no deal position. But he did get the fact that Michael Vick did not gamble on these dogs, in this summary of facts, which gives him an out with the NFL in his future.

And he also avoided admitting that he actually killed a dog, which is what the state prosecutors were very interested in, so he doesn't admit in any kind of federal document that he killed dogs. So it seems like those two bargaining chips were given to Michael Vick.

TOOBIN: Well, I agree with you on the first, more than the second. I think you're right that he did have a potential very big problem about gambling. And he did not acknowledge gambling. Now the prosecutors had access to these witnesses. If the witnesses really said Vick gambled, and they thought they could prove it, the prosecutors didn't have to accept that stipulation. So perhaps this is all the evidence they had to show. In paragraph 32 of the statement of facts, there is this statement that the four defendants, you know, tested a bunch of these dogs to see if they would be good tests, be good dogfighters. And then six to eight of them were no good fighters, so they were killed by various methods including hanging and drowning. And here's the key sentence. Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips, and Vick. So, Vick is acknowledging that he caused the deaths of several of these dogs. So, I can't say he really gets out of the issue of killing the dogs. It's somewhat ambiguous, but it is a pretty big admission.

WHITFIELD: Jeffrey Toobin and Drew Griffin, hold on a minute. We're going to take a short break.

So, once again, if you're just now joining us, a filing of a plea deal involving quarterback Michael Vick and his team attorneys, in an agreement with federal prosecutors, count one of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. That is the charge, a plea of guilty, on that, being filed.

Of course we have yet to hear from the judge and his considerations on this. We're going to talk more about this right after this.

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WHITFIELD: More on this guilty plea of quarterback Michael Vick. Still unclear what this guilty plea might mean for his career, for his football days. But we understand one charge of essentially trafficking dogs for the commitment of dog fighting is what he has pled guilty to.

His attorneys along with an agreement with federal prosecutors asking for the low end of a recommended sentence. The maximum sentence for this kind of charge is up to five years.

Jeffrey Toobin, our legal analyst, is in New York. He's joining us by phone. Drew Griffin here, as well, in Atlanta. You've been following this case.

Let's talk about his career or what we can talk about with his career. The whole personal conduct that the NFL is upholding for all of its athletes and that really is what this comes down to. We know that the gambling was one end of it, but now we're talking about this charge and how this might impact his personal conduct as an athlete.

GRIFFIN: Right, there's multiple negotiations going on. Some in federal court, some most likely in state court. But the big money one for Vick is what's happening with the NFL. It's conducting its own investigation into this. The policy clearly states you won't even associate with gambling or gamblers and you could be suspended or, in fact, have your contract be nullified due to that. We're talking about a 10-year, $130 million contract and of course Michael Vick, who once he gets out of prison, wants to come back and play football. WHITFIELD: All right, Jeffrey Toobin, in New York, what's next in this case? We have a filing of this guilty plea and we know that Michael Vick will be in court, or at least that's the expectation on Monday in Richmond. Then what?

Well, then there will be the formal sentencing. The guilty plea will be on Monday. Then there will be sentencing and around that time the NFL will start to do its investigation and determine how much -- how long he's suspended for. That could go on for a long time.

The NFL could wait even until he's done serving his sentence to decide whether -- on his suspension. So he's not going to know his fate for quite some time as a football player.

WHITFIELD: All right. Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin in New York, thanks so much. Drew Griffin here in Atlanta, appreciate it. We're going to talk much more at the top of the hour in the newsroom at 1 o'clock Eastern Time, about this Michael Vick plea deal, pleading guilty to essentially trafficking dogs for the purpose of dog fighting. Much more straight ahead.

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