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CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS

Major al Qaeda Operative Killed in U.S. Drone Attack; Search for Girl in Child Porn Ring Ends Succesfully; A Deadly and Dramatic Rise in Violence in Uzbekistan; Communities Trying to Save Military Bases from Pentagon Axe; Scottish Businessman Cools Off for Nine Months in Alaska

Aired May 14, 2005 - 07:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A CIA Predator finds some prey and the al Qaeda terror network is dealt a deadly blow.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Good morning, everybody.

May 14.

We got past that Friday the 13th.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

NGUYEN: All is well, hopefully.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And it struck down Tiger Woods, of all people.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes. It did, didn't it?

HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris.

Good morning.

Yes, it did.

7:00 a.m. in the East and 4:00 a.m. in the West.

Thank you for being with us.

Let's get you going this morning with headlines now in the news.

A key al Qaeda operative is dead after a missile attack by an unmanned CIA Predator aircraft. That's the word to CNN from two key sources. The attack apparently happened somewhere along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We will have a live report in just a few moments.

The death toll is feared in the hundreds in Uzbekistan after police opened fire on protesters. Human rights monitors say bodies are being piled onto trucks. Thousands took to the streets this week to protest authoritarian rule. Meantime, hundreds of refugees are fleeing Uzbekistan. The country is ordering all journalists out because it cannot guarantee their safety. We will have more on this developing story.

This just in to CNN about an hour ago. President Bush will meet with Pakistan or Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later this month. The two are scheduled to talk in Washington on May 26. That's the word from a Palestinian spokesperson. Bush never met with Abbas' predecessor, Yasser Arafat.

NGUYEN: Also coming up this hour, for two years, police looked for this 11-year-old victim of child porn. Now, they know who she is. We'll have the latest.

Then, some call him King James. With all his earnings, he is certainly worth a king's ransom. So why did NBA star Lebron James fire the people who helped show him the money? We'll go "Beyond The Game" for that.

And a businessman leaves his family and his life behind to go on a grueling wilderness adventure. Hear how he survived and why on Earth he did it.

HARRIS: And more now on our top story this morning.

A major al Qaeda operative has been killed in a U.S. missile attack. Sources tell CNN the attack happened earlier this week somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistani border. The target was a man who had been tracked by U.S. intelligence forces for some time.

On the phone with us now is CNN national security correspondent David Ensor -- David, good morning.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, David, let's start with who this man is or was, Haitham al-Yemeni.

Who was he and why was he being targeted by U.S. officials?

ENSOR: They've been watching this man for quite some time. They've been interested in him. He is known by them to be an al Qaeda member, an operative. He has some bomb making skills, we understand. And I'm told that they have been tracking him for some period of time, days, I suppose, maybe even weeks, in the hope that he might lead them to Osama bin Laden or some other top al Qaeda leaders.

However, for various reasons they concluded that they might lose track of him and my knowledgeable sources tell me that a decision was made to attack him with a Predator, a drone aircraft with a Hellfire missile, which killed him.

HARRIS: OK, David, give us a sense, if you can, can you explain to us why there is so much secrecy around this strike?

ENSOR: You know, it is politically sensitive. It would not be advisable for the Pakistani government to admit to cooperating in this kind of thing. For the U.S. to be using, you know, military force inside Pakistan, this is an area of the world, this very mountainous and remote area, where al Qaeda has a lot of support. And there are also quite a few Pakistanis, even if they don't support al Qaeda, who don't want to see the U.S. using military force inside their country. They'd rather see Pakistan doing it, if anyone.

So that is really the sensitivity is my understanding.

HARRIS: Yes.

ENSOR: Now, I understand that the Pakistani government has, in fact, officially denied that this took place.

HARRIS: Absolutely. Pakistan's information minister says nothing happened in Pakistan.

All right, David, let's leave it there for this time.

We'll talk more about it throughout the course of the morning.

David Ensor with us this morning.

David, thank you.

Well, this is not the first time a Predator drone has fired a missile at an al Qaeda target. The drones were outfitted with Hellfire missiles in 2000. That was after a Predator captured this video, believed to be of Osama bin Laden. It was seen as a missed chance to kill the al Qaeda leader. That's because at the time Predators did not carry Hellfire missiles and it would have taken several hours to deliver a missile once this target was spotted.

This latest attack marks the fourth time a Predator has fired a missile at an al Qaeda target. In November of 2002, a Predator fired missile killed an al Qaeda official in Yemen. The two other attacks were failed attempts to kill bin Laden.

NGUYEN: We now want to give you an update on a CNN investigation we have been following for months. And we can report a happy ending in this one. The search for a young girl who has appeared in hundreds of sexually explicit Internet photos, well, that search is over.

CNN's David Mattingly has the report.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than two years, countless man hours and unknown thousands of dollars in the making, the desperate international hunt for a single child pornography victim ends in a way investigators never predicted.

LT. MATT IRWIN, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We have located the victim in our case.

MATTINGLY: Orlando's Orange County investigators, after asking for the public's help in finding the blond-haired girl just two weeks ago, now confirms she has been identified by the FBI and is believed to now be 11 years old and in a Pennsylvania foster home.

IRWIN: By saying we have identified her, I don't know where she's at. We are working on getting that information. And I understand that there may be ongoing charges in Pennsylvania, which is the state that the victim is from.

MATTINGLY: The girl will remain unidentified to the public. According to the FBI and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the man responsible for putting photos of the girl on the Internet is in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, serving a 15-year sentence for prediction and possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty in September of 2003. he is identified by Orlando investigators as the girl's adopted father. But Florida authorities will now pursue molestation charges of their own.

IRWIN: In Florida, based on what we have, he would probably be facing life charges.

MATTINGLY: The international search for the girl began two years ago when Toronto authorities used computers to remove the girl from her pictures so clues could be pulled from the background. Investigators at that time said tiny pieces of evidence gave them hope they could find her.

SGT. PAUL GILLESPIE, TORONTO POLICE: You can often tell when children appear to be abused or when they are abused whether or not it's the first time or not. It's worse to see children who have just lost their spirit and they don't really react to abuse, because you know this is the cost of doing business in their own personal life and that that says something.

MATTINGLY: This case immediately stood out from the 50,000 other estimated child porn victims on the Internet because someone from the public was able to identify the bed spread in this photo as one used at a resort in Orlando. The victim quickly became known as "The Hotel Girl," as authorities pushed the envelope in publicizing previously withheld information in hopes a break. They even publicized a photo of a dark-haired girl they believed was a friend of hers, someone who was not molested.

But the extraordinary effort ultimately was not a factor. And Orlando authorities say they have been told that the girl may have been rescued by federal authorities more than a year before their own investigation began. Why they were not alerted until late Thursday, they say, is not as big a concern as the well-being of the victim.

David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: Well, in case you've been busy with work and family this week, and we know you have, let's get you caught up on some of the headlines from the week.

On Sunday, the U.S. coalition in Iraq began Operation Matador. Forces are targeting Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters in the western province of Anbar. Nine Marines have died in that operation, along with a dozen insurgents.

Tuesday, a bankruptcy judge ruled United Airlines can drop its pension plans as part of its restructuring. The federal government will pick them up, but retirees would not get as much money.

Thursday, the U.S. Army announced that new recruits can sign up for as little as 15 months active duty. They will then spend two years in either the Army Reserve or National Guard. A typical active duty enlistment includes four years on active duty. The new guidelines are an effort to boost sagging recruitment.

Also on Thursday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to send John Bolton's nomination to the full Senate floor without a recommendation. Bolton is President Bush's controversial pick for United Nations ambassador.

And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

NGUYEN: All right, Tony, police in California say they have fingered the source of the alleged Wendy's chili hoax. Don't write this, folks. We'll bring you those details.

HARRIS: Also, a stunning announcement from a young NBA star leaves everyone asking why. We'll go "Beyond The Game" to find out.

NGUYEN: And we also want to say good morning, Baltimore. A little gray there this morning. But we'll have the rest of the weekend forecast. That's coming up. Stay tuned.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is America's favorite music? Classical, country, rap or rock?

NINA ZAGAT, MOST POPULAR MUSIC: We recently published our first ever survey of music. Over 10,000 people participated and 50 percent of the people who participated listen to rock and roll, more than any other genre of music. Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" came in as the number one most popular album of all time.

CALLAWAY: And rounding out the top three most popular albums, the Beatles with "Abbey Road" and "Sergeant Pepper's."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Michael Jackson's defense team says he won't testify in the child molestation trial. The jurors still heard the singer talking about his childhood and live at Neverland. It is on the docket in our next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center.

Here's a look at the current temperatures across the U.S.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Tony? Betty? Good Saturday morning to you.

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: And to you, Rob.

My hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.

MARCIANO: Yes, really?

HARRIS: I'm heading up there next week for a couple of days to check in with mom and see how...

NGUYEN: You're going to see mama?

HARRIS: ... everybody is doing out in the...

MARCIANO: They still let you back in that town?

HARRIS: Sometimes. I have to have a special I.D. card.

MARCIANO: Yes.

NGUYEN: Just to be allowed in.

MARCIANO: Give mom my love.

NGUYEN: He doesn't have a key to the city just yet, but he's working on it.

HARRIS: Will do.

NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Rob.

Hey, in our "Stories Across America" now, Anna Ayala claimed she found a finger in her cup of chili from Wendy's. Well, San Jose, California police say it is a hoax and now say that finger, Tony, belongs to a friend of Ayala's husband.

HARRIS: Oh, boy.

NGUYEN: Yes, very interesting -- who lost it in an industrial accident last year, over a year ago. A tip led officers to the man. Of course, we'll keep following up on this story.

Also in Los Angeles, 10 sheriff's deputies say they are sorry for the barrage of bullets in a quiet Compton neighborhood. Monday police fired 120 rounds at an unarmed driver as a chase ended. Many of the bullets burst through nearby homes. The suspect was shot four times and is still recovering.

And with one stroke of bad luck, Tiger Woods just could not cut it.

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: His record streak of 142 consecutive cuts ended yesterday at the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas. Now, that means Woods will not be cashing a check from that tournament. Woods missed the cut on a 15-foot putt, something Tony can do with his eyes closed.

HARRIS: Eyes closed.

NGUYEN: Well, hey, here's a question for you, Tony.

Would you trade your job and time with your family for a year of this? Look at that. Yes. But wait, it gets even worse.

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: Later this hour, find out why one Scottish businessman left it all behind for the cold tundra of Alaska.

HARRIS: OK.

So, how do you repay someone who gets you contracts worth more than $150 million? NBA star Lebron James doesn't send flowers or cards. Lebron makes a fast break and reunites with a classmate. Details next, as we take you "Beyond The Game."

And that brings us to our e-mail question this morning. Which of your classmates, Peanut, Ray, Toogee (ph)...

NGUYEN: Peanut?

HARRIS: Toogee, how about that?

NGUYEN: Toogee?

HARRIS: ... would you entrust with your financial future? We're at weekends@cnn.com. We'll read some of your replies later this hour.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GALE PETERSON, TOP 100 TEACHER: There are many ways to control the length of your pitt shot. But by far, the safest, simplest way is to control it by the length of your motion. So for shorter pitt shots, a nine o'clock back swing with a three o'clock finish. A little bit bigger would be a 10 to two. And still even longer would be 11 to one.

Practice all three and remember, let the length of your stroke control distance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "JERRY MAGUIRE," COURTESY TRISTAR PICTURES)

CUBA GOODING, JR.: You ready yet?

TOM CRUISE: I'm ready.

GOODING: I just want to make sure you're ready, brother.

Here it is.

Show me the money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS (voice-over): It's a professional athlete's mantra. And that's what the agents for NBA superstar Lebron James did. They showed him a $90 million Nike deal. The agents showed James $45 million in endorsements with Coke, Upper Deck and others. They showed the NBA star a $13 million contract to play for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. And this week, Lebron James showed his agents the door. His soon to be new representatives -- his high school classmates.

The topic this morning as we take you "Beyond The Game."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: You can't see it enough.

All right, that'll get you an Oscar.

Forget about the fictional super agent Jerry Maguire. A new name to remember is 23-year-old Maverick Carter, the captain of a championship team when Lebron James was a freshman in high school.

And, of course, you can't forget the author of "When the Game Is On the Line."

CNN sports analyst Rick Horrow joins us, as he always does, each and every Saturday morning, from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good to see you, sir.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, man, what a cold description of how Lebron dealt with Maverick Carter and the Goodwins, you know?

HARRIS: It was a little harsh, wasn't it? It was a little harsh.

HORROW: Yes, but it may be accurate. That's the high stakes game.

HARRIS: Well, before we get to our first issue here, let's set this up a little bit and put it in proper perspective now.

Here's the scenario. Lebron James fires the agents who helped make him a multi-millionaire. This is since 2003. James is about to officially hire his two best friends, as we mentioned. One of them is the former captain of his high school baseball team. We went through all of that.

He's also bringing in Def Jam Records to be a part of his management team.

Now, here's the other thing. Let's get to the statement from the agent that was fired. This is Aaron Goodwin, who says: "I would like to think Lebron and Ms. Gloria James for the chance to work with them. We worked very hard to build and maintain his image and his brand name over the last two years and felt we were very successful. I wish him all the best."

OK, Rick, what is going on here, please?

HORROW: Well, he's happy because he's got a lot of time on his hands now. No, I think the bottom...

HARRIS: Oh.

HORROW: Hey, the bottom line, though, is that he'll get some of his money, if not most. Lebron will get his contract numbers because even with the new NBA negotiation, as long as he plays well, he's going to get the maximum salary allowed under the cap. So an agent isn't as important.

The $135 million of endorsement deals, now that's important. And the Goodwins probably get the money when Lebron is paid on the old deal.

The question is this future deal and also with Def Jam, you've got to remember that's a Jay-Z company.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: That's a New Jersey Nets investor. That's a Reebok client. Usher, by the way, owns part of the Cavaliers. There's a conflict there, maybe. Nike versus Reebok, a conflict there, maybe. Remember when Rob was talking about thunderstorms in Cleveland?

HARRIS: Right. Right.

HORROW: We haven't seen these economic thunderstorms yet, my friend.

HARRIS: Well, I mean, you know, I was mentioning this to Betty, and don't you believe, if you're Lebron James, the phone just rings and all you have to do as an agent is basically answer it? HORROW: Well, some agents do. And the bottom line, though, is that the money is tremendous, $2.5 billion in NFL salaries alone, for example; $4 billion new from the TV deal.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: And the players get two thirds and the agents get 2 to 5 percent. And so, by the way, there's 1,600 agents in the NFL, 300 wannabes, and that's only a few less than the total number of NFL players. If you're a doctor, you've got to have AMA boards. If you're a lawyer, the American Bar Association.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: If you want to be an agent, you've got an athlete who says you're an agent, and that doesn't mean that all of them are bad. But it does mean, for example, that 78 players were defrauded out of $40 million last year. So the agency profession has to be regulated.

HARRIS: A little scary to you that he's going with kind of an unproven team?

HORROW: Well, it may scare Lebron. But if you have $135 million in the bank...

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

HORROW: ... and you're the best player on the planet, he can jump twice as high as you ever could, I'm not sure it matters to him.

HARRIS: Got you.

All right, Fair Ball/Foul Ball. And it comes under the title of one Tiger Woods, huh?

HORROW: Yes. Here's the Fair Ball part of this, by the way. You know, he missed the cut. Everybody is talking about that.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: But $90 million a year in endorsements is OK -- Accenture, Buick, Nike.

HARRIS: $90 million?

HORROW: He's going to be known as a majors guy, not a guy for longevity and making cuts.

Now, here's the Foul Ball. The Foul Ball is the streak had to end. Now, we understand that if you don't play that well and somebody is nagging you and you've got your agent, he's got to play at the top of his game on Thursday and Friday to make his cut every tournament for seven years.

HARRIS: Wow!

HORROW: I can't do that for seven minutes and you can't do that for seven seconds.

HARRIS: Hello! Hello! There he is. When the game is on the line he takes the hard shots. Body checks, nothing but body checks.

Rick Horrow, good to see you.

HORROW: Have a wonderful week, my friend.

HARRIS: You, too.

HORROW: I'll talk to you next week.

HARRIS: All right, take care.

NGUYEN: And they're going to call you his friend after that cheap shot.

All right, don't forget to e-mail us this morning. Inspired by the Lebron James move, we are asking you, which of your high school classmates -- Tony says it's Peanut -- who he would entrust with his financial future. What about you and your financial future?

Our new e-mail address is, take this down, weekends@cnn.com. And hopefully this weekend this e-mail address will work. Weekends@cnn.com.

All right, plus, Mexico's president is in hot water for speaking his mind about illegal labor in America. Wait until you hear what he said.

MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center.

We're now officially into the middle of May. Maybe that has you thinking that it's time to go to the beach. Here's your Beach and Boat Report.

Nantucket, Cape May, showers arriving late, so the U.V. index there is kind of low. No small craft advisories or any marine advisories out. Hilton Head down to South Beach looks pretty good. A fair amount of sunshine, especially the father south you go, and out toward South Padre Island, the coastal regions of Texas shouldn't be too bad. And Venice Beach in So. Cal, 82 degrees. Bring along the sun block.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: People in a former Soviet republic rise up against authoritarian rule with deadly results.

And welcome back, everyone, to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We have that story in just a moment.

First, here's a look at the morning headlines for you on this Saturday.

Another takedown in the war on terror. Sources tell CNN a key al Qaeda operative has been killed. They say Haitham al-Yemeni has -- or was killed earlier this week by a missile fired from an unmanned CIA Predator aircraft. Now, the attack apparently happened somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistani border.

Four more American troops have been killed in a week long operation against insurgents in western Iraq. The military announced today that the Marines were killed Wednesday. Their vehicle was struck by a landmine close to the Syrian border. In all, nine Americans have been killed this week in Operation Matador. Most of them were from the Lima Company, which is an Ohio-based platoon.

On Capitol Hill, Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida plans to introduce legislation Monday aimed at saving Social Security. His proposal, in part, calls for an increase in payroll taxes on people making more than $90,000 a year. It is the first time a Democrat has offered an alternative to President Bush's plan.

HARRIS: And time now to check out some of the other big stories making news around the world.

NGUYEN: We're getting reports in that the protests in Uzbekistan are escalating. Pictures are also coming into CNN. We want to get to those details right now with Anand Naidoo at the international desk -- good morning, Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty, a very good morning to you.

That's right, a deadly and dramatic rise in the violence in Uzbekistan. Russia's Interfax News Agency is quoting human rights monitors who say hundreds of anti-government demonstrators have been killed by soldiers in the eastern city of Andijan. These are the first video pictures we're getting from Andijan. These pictures coming in just about 10 minutes ago, of the violence there in that city.

The violence erupted Thursday when a group angry at the arrest of several prominent businessmen stormed the prison where they were being held. One report said the men were imprisoned for extremist Islamic activities.

Journalists, including one working for CNN, were escorted out of the town by police. An estimated 3,500 refugees fled. They fled south, crossing the Kirgistan border. And the latest we have is that people are gathering again in the central square there in Andijan. The government of President Islam Karimov, who are close allies with the United States, are describing them as criminals and extremist Islamic activists. Now, one other story that we're following this morning, the immigration debate. And there's tough talk this morning from the Mexican president, Vicente Fox. In comments that are likely to raise the temperature more than just a bit, Fox slammed recent U.S. measures to stem illegal immigration. He said, and I'm quoting here, "Mexican migrants do jobs that not even blacks want to do."

Mexicans are also protesting the extension of a barrier along the United States-California border. That barrier, they say -- it's been dubbed, actually, the Tortilla Wall. They say that barrier is totally unacceptable.

That's all from me.

I'll have more later, including the latest on that attack against an al Qaeda leader in Pakistan. But for now, let's send it back to Tony and Betty.

NGUYEN: Oh, my goodness, Anand, our jaws just dropped when we heard that quote.

HARRIS: Talk about unacceptable.

NAIDOO: I know.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Wow!

NAIDOO: Yes. Well, that's what he said, yes.

HARRIS: OK, thank you.

NGUYEN: All right.

HARRIS: Local officials across the country are gearing up for a fight. They're trying to save military bases in their communities from the Pentagon's chopping block.

For more, we turn to senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will hear us and they will turn this around!

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The Pentagon's plan sparked predictable outrage at bases like Maine's Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The government's going to close us down and cut their military down when we're at war? It doesn't make much sense to me.

MCINTYRE: The proposed closings, including Virginia's sprawling Fort Monroe, home of the Army's training and doctrine command, are the biggest ever recommended by the Pentagon. That comes as a rude shock after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld hinted just a day earlier his shut down plans would be scaled back.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The Department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been anticipated due, in part, to the return of tens of thousands of troops.

MCINTYRE: What the Pentagon unveiled is essentially the mother of all base closings -- 33 major bases closed, including the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and New London submarine base in New England; Fort Gillem and Fort McPherson in Georgia; Fort Monroe, Virginia; Pascagoula Naval Station, Mississippi; Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; and Cannon Air Force base, New Mexico. The mayor of nearby Clovis, New Mexico is vowing to save his base. MAYOR DAVID LANSFORD, CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO: Because our resolve is to put forth the greatest fight that this community his ever put forth, because we have the right cause, the right people and the resources to win.

MCINTYRE: Twenty-nine major bases would be downsized, including the Rock Island Arsenal and Great Lakes Naval Air Station in Illinois; Fort Eustis, Virginia; and 10 Air Force bases, including Pope in North Carolina; Lackland and Sheppard in Texas; Grand Forks in North Dakota; Maxwell in Alabama; Mountain Home, Idaho; McChord in Washington; and Elmendorf in Alaska. And 775 smaller bases would be closed or consolidated, nearly three times the number of smaller facilities affected by all four previous base closing rounds combined.

One example of consolidation, historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center will be relocated and merged with the Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington. Pentagon officials say with both hospitals under utilized, it just makes sense for the Army and Navy to join forces.

(on camera): There's a good reason that the Pentagon's base closing list is so long this time. The process is so politically painful, Pentagon officials are well aware it's unlikely they'll get another chance to close bases any time soon.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: We want to get you now to "Security Watch," where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror. That happens every Saturday morning. So here we go.

Your community will either get more money to fight terrorism or it will lose it. And it's based on risk. The House overwhelmingly approved changing the way the money is awarded to end wasteful spending. Rural states would get less money, but big cities would get a whole lot more.

The Secret Service and Homeland Security Departments are reviewing evacuation procedures after the security scare in the nation's capital, which happened on Wednesday. The White House, Capitol Building and Supreme Court were evacuated when a single engine plane flew into restricted airspace. The plane got within three miles of the White House before fighter jets escorted it to a nearby airport. Now, authorities did question the pilot, Jim Sheaffer, and a student pilot along with him, Troy Martin. They were both released.

Thirteen hundred counterfeit badges -- they are off the streets today. Federal agents arrested a Russian man and charged him with possessing and selling the fake badges. Those badges represented 35 agencies, including the FBI, federal marshals and New York police.

You'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: It is one of the nation's fastest growing religious philosophies. And believers say it gives them a driving purpose. But is one way the way to go for the faithful?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I read it, oh my gosh, I was like yes, this is -- yes, this is what a church should be. Yes, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The faithful are flocking to purpose driven churches. What's the draw? We take you inside a religious revolution in our Faces of Faith. Inside a purpose driven church. That's on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

NGUYEN: Now, here's what to look for this hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

A Scottish businessman -- you've got to listen to this story.

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: ... trades a cushy desk job for minutes 60 degree temperatures out in the wild. Is he crazy? Well, apparently not. And he will join us next to explain why.

HARRIS: And speaking of temperatures, good morning, that toddly little town there, Baltimore, Maryland. Hello, home. The forecast for your weekend with Rob Marciano coming up just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: It's in your wallet and it could decide where you can and can't go. The debate about your driver's license becoming a real I.D. That's coming up at 8:00 Eastern on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

MARCIANO: And once again I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center.

Time for a look at your allergy report.

We start you off with a look at the rain today. It's going to be pushing to the east and that typically will help out the pollen situation. But where it's high is across the South. Still a few trees pollinating. With places like Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Alabama, the grass is now kicking in. And up to the north, the hardwoods are being pollinated, as well.

Hope you're feeling well today.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this. This cozy cabin was built the hard way, with one man's hands. A Scottish businessman named Guy Grieve recently spent nine months in one of the coolest places on Earth. We're talking about Alaska. Grieve began his adventure by leaving behind a wife and two sons. And while on his journey, he endured potentially deadly sub-zero temperatures.

Explaining why he left the rat race for the wilderness, Grieve says: "If I stay behind my desk in my 13' x 9' office, I will lose my soul. And after 15 years behind different desks, I will die, probably in a crumpled heap on a golf course or while mowing the lawn. And everyone will say what a full life I've had."

So, how did Grieve do fending off bears, fighting for food and living in the wild?

Well, he joins us this morning from London to tell us about his awesome Alaskan adventure.

Well, first of all, we are so glad that you made it out alive.

But I've got to ask you, why in the world would you leave your family -- you've got a wife and two young kids -- behind for this soul searching adventure?

GUY GRIEVE, ALASKAN ADVENTURER: Well, Betty, thank you for asking that. And, you know, we found ourselves in a situation where we were resigned to a way of life which demanded me to head out on a 2,000-mile monthly commute to and from our little farm into the office. And it just got to the point that we had become resigned as a family to me disappearing at six in the morning and coming back at seven at night.

And we had to do something about it. And we had to send a path finder out. And that was me. And it just somehow, strangely, it made sense that I had to head west, just as Scots have done hundreds of years ago, to try to find a new road for my family.

NGUYEN: So, this job and this life that you were living was basically unfulfilling for you.

Was your wife OK with it?

I mean you left her behind with two kids. GRIEVE: Yes. That was the hardest bit. It was awful. I wouldn't recommend it to every family. But she has got a very supportive family on the isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, where my family are and her family are. And so when I went off to Alaska, she made a very courageously safe bolt hole for the family on this island.

I did ask her to come with me.

NGUYEN: And she said?

GRIEVE: But she...

NGUYEN: You can forget about it!

GRIEVE: Women are so much more clever than men.

NGUYEN: Yes.

GRIEVE: Exactly. And she just thought it's going to be Mosquito Coast, but at minus 60. Forget it.

NGUYEN: Right. Exactly.

GRIEVE: You go. Get it out of your system and come back.

NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about what you got out of your system, because we have some footage from October Films, which was pretty much making a documentary of what you endured while there. This doesn't look like a whole lot of fun. I mean this is frozen tundra there. And you had to build your home with your own hands. You started out with just a tent.

How in the world did you do that?

GRIEVE: It was hard, hard work and really what the -- what brought me through it was, A, the support I got in Scotland. Highland Park whiskey distillers up in Auckney, first they said to me come and burn your suit with us. We support u. And they were great and really helpful.

But then it was indigenous Alaskans. It was Americans who helped me do this. And if it wasn't for one particular man who is just a real frontiersman, I would never have done it. He taught me so much.

NGUYEN: I imagine he did.

GRIEVE: And when...

NGUYEN: Well, let me ask you this, quickly, though, because we're running out of time, what did you learn by giving up this rat race for a life out there on your own in really difficult conditions? What did you learn? What did you come back with?

GRIEVE: Well, I learned that you really can, as your Thoreau said, he wrote that wonderful book, well, you can build castles in the sky and my god, if you work at it, you can put foundations underneath them. And I really learned that a dream can happen. It can be from the ridiculous to the real, faster than you could ever imagine. And I think America is a fine place to go with any kind of dream.

NGUYEN: So are you going back to a desk job any time soon?

GRIEVE: I am completely unemployable now as a result of this. I will never ever go near a desk. And I just hope maybe I'll return some time to the sub arctic and retrace those stead lines I left with my dogs.

NGUYEN: But you're a better man for it and we appreciate you sharing that adventure with us.

Boy, you've been through a lot. And it was very exciting to watch. I don't know if I'm going to give up my day job just yet, but it's an idea. I'll put that right up here and store it away.

Thanks a lot, Guy.

GRIEVE: Thanks very much.

NGUYEN: Sure.

Tony, would you give up your day job?

HARRIS: No, no, no, no.

Let's get to some other top stories this morning.

A key al Qaeda operative was killed near the Afghan-Pakistan border earlier this week. Sources tell CNN the man was hit by a missile fired from a CIA operated Predator drone.

U.S. and Canadian police say a two-year-old child pornography investigation is finally solved. Explicit photos of a girl were put on the Internet. This week, police found her living in a Florida foster home. Her adoptive father is serving 15 years in prison on a child pornography conviction. But police have not said if he's the one who put her pictures on the Web.

The death toll in the Uzbekistan riots may be in the hundreds after soldiers opened fire on protesters. Thousands took to the streets this week to demand the government resign. This morning, thousands are leaving the country.

And don't forget to e-mail us this morning. Inspired by Lebron James' decision -- did you hear this -- to replace his agent with his high school friends, we are asking you which of your classmates would you entrust with your financial future? Tell us at weekends@cnn.com. And we are reading your replies later this hour.

NGUYEN: But first, a CNN Extra for you this morning.

If you're away on business or vacation for more than two weeks a year, you can still get your mail. Starting this August, the U.S. Postal Service will offer a premium service to collect and send your mail to a temporary address once a week. Now, there is a $10 enrollment fee and a $10 charge for each weekly shipment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Movies, a whole lot more than just box office tickets these days. And movie marketeers are hoping for another -- marketeers, is that the right way to put it?

NGUYEN: Like Musketeers?

HARRIS: Yes, yes.

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Musketeers, that's what you want. Go for it.

HARRIS: CNN's Veronica Delacruz is here with some, well, at least if these marketeers, marketers, are hoping to hit the jackpot with this movie next week, right?

DELACRUZ: Well, let me ask you a question.

HARRIS: Yes?

DELACRUZ: Which film do you believe, which film franchise do you believe has pulled in the most money in history? Would you say maybe "Harry Potter?" "Lord of the Rings?"

NGUYEN: "Lord of the Rings."

HARRIS: "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

DELACRUZ: "Lord of the Rings?"

HARRIS: No?

NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE) no.

DELACRUZ: You're showing your age.

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: I would say "Lord of the Rings."

HARRIS: "Lord of the Rings?" That's good, yes.

DELACRUZ: Well, actually, guys, it is "Star Wars."

NGUYEN: Really?

DELACRUZ: It is "Star Wars."

HARRIS: Oh, we knew that. We were just playing along.

NGUYEN: Yes.

DELACRUZ: I know.

Well, thanks for playing.

NGUYEN: We were just testing you.

DELACRUZ: Well, the answer is "Star Wars."

And cnnmoney.com shows you how this intergalactic story of love and war has made a cosmic killing.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ (voice-over): With more than $12 billion in movie ticket sales so far, the "Star Wars" epic is the most successful film franchise in history. The sixth and final installment kicks off the summer movie season on May 19th. This interactive gallery breaks down the Jedi jackpot from the movies to the merchandise.

"Star Wars" was one of the first movies to recognize the profit potential of movie merchandising. Toy industry experts estimate director George Lucas has made more money from the film's products than the movies themselves. "Star Wars" merchandise has generated about $9 billion, with Darth Vader products topping the best-seller list. (END VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ: And you can find it all online at cnnmoney.com/stars. And the film opens in theaters across the United States this Thursday.

HARRIS: Is it Thursday?

DELACRUZ: It is this Thursday.

And are you guys going to go see it?

NGUYEN: I'm standing in line.

HARRIS: Oh...

DELACRUZ: Actually, and Tony can make the Wookie sound, right?

NGUYEN: Do it. Do it, Tony.

HARRIS: I can't. Well, it was the wrong sound, is, I think, we were just trying to...

NGUYEN: It was all wrong, I mean, in so many ways.

HARRIS: It was all wrong.

DELACRUZ: It was. You probably don't want to hear it.

HARRIS: Anything to get off the hook.

Veronica, good seeing you.

Thank you.

DELACRUZ: Good seeing you guys. NGUYEN: All right, so, we're going to move right along now, right, Tony?

HARRIS: Please.

NGUYEN: Let's read some of your e-mails. That will happen, coming up shortly on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Tell us which of your high school classmates would you entrust with your financial future. Now this comes on the heels of Lebron James firing his agent and hiring a couple of his high school friends.

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

NGUYEN: So tell us what you think. Weekends@cnn.com. not "wam" anymore. E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's get to our E-Mail Question of the Morning.

Which of your high school classmates, your high school classmates -- and this is, well, this is all because of Lebron James' decision to hire, I guess in about a week or two, his friends, a couple of high school classmates, at least one guy who was the captain of the high school basketball team...

NGUYEN: Right.

HARRIS: ... to become his new agent and agents.

So here's the question: which of your high school classmates would you have take care of your financial future?

NGUYEN: You know, I have to agree with Dana this morning. She says: "None!!!!!" with five different exclamation points here.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: And a P.S., Tony. Enough said.

HARRIS: Enough said. There you go.

NGUYEN: So we appreciate you sending those in. And send us some more in, would you? The question again, Which of your high school classmates would you entrust with your financial future? E-mail us at weekend@cnn.com. We'll read those responses on the air.

HARRIS: The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is May 14, 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. on the West Coast.

And good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.

Now in the news, the death toll from Operation Matador rose to nine U.S. Marines. The U.S. offensive is against infiltrators in western Iraq, specifically in the Al Almar Province. Now, intelligence reports those insurgents are either hiding or have fled the area.

Thousands of refugees are fleeing Uzbekistan after hundreds were killed during protests there. Soldiers are said to have fired into the crowd during an antigovernment demonstration. An estimated 35,000 protesters demanded the government resign.

In North Korea now, it has proposed and emergency meeting with South Korea on Monday. The two countries will try to reestablish discussion to avoid conflict, especially in the Korean peninsula.

HARRIS: Also ahead, this half-hour reports that a top al Qaeda operative is no longer a threat. He was reportedly killed by a missile fired by an unmanned aircraft. Analysis from a former CIA official is straight ahead.

This hotel bed helped solve a two-year-old child pornography case, but with a surprise ending.

And in legal briefs, the pros and cons of the Real ID Act. Will it make long driver's license lines even longer?

More now on our top story this morning. A major al Qaeda operative has been killed in a U.S. missile attack. Sources tell CNN the attack happened earlier this week somewhere along the Afghan- Pakistani border. The target was a man who had been tracked by U.S. intelligence forces for some time.

On the phone with us now is CNN national security correspondent David Ensor.

And David, good morning again.

Tell us, if you would, about Haithem al-Yemeni, who he was and why he was being targeted.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on phone): Well, we understand that he's an al Qaeda operative who was -- had some bomb-making skills and who was of great interest to U.S. and other intelligence services. And they were tracking his whereabouts in the border area of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Now, knowledgeable sources tell me that a CIA-operated Predator drone fired a missile earlier this week, killing him, and that this was on the Pakistani side of the border.

As you know, the Pakistani government is firmly denying that this took place on their territory. HARRIS: OK. David, do we have any kind of a working understanding, the U.S. government, with President Musharraf in Pakistan, to, let's say, President Karzai in Afghanistan, that would allow for this kind of military action?

ENSOR: You know, this kind of thing is politically sensitive for both governments...

HARRIS: Sure.

ENSOR: ... because the subject of the U.S. using military force in this way particularly sensitive in Pakistan. I'd just put it this way. My understanding is that the U.S. would not take an action like this without the Pakistani government knowing about it.

It's a very delicate matter. And, you know, my sources tell me that this has indeed occurred. Now, the Pakistani government, as I mentioned, says it did not.

HARRIS: And just a thought here, David, in a week where we've seen a surge in anti-American protest in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, would confirming this kind of an attack by either of those governments, would it ratchet up more of those kind of protests, do you think?

ENSOR: That is certainly a possibility. This report, of course -- we are not actually the first to report this. ABC News was last night. And I gather that there were immediate denials. The Central Intelligence Agency is also declining any kind of comment on this.

HARRIS: OK, CNN's David Ensor. David, thanks for talking with us. We appreciate it.

NGUYEN: Want to get some more on this attack and the key al Qaeda target.

Let's go live now to Michael Swetman, a former CIA official and the chairman of the Potomac Institute, joining us this morning for a little insight.

First of all, I guess my question to you is, put into perspective for us, how big of a get is this?

MICHAEL SWETMAN, FORMER CIA OFFICIAL (on phone): Well, following on the heels of the al-Libbi capture just a week ago, this could be a very, very significant event. This guy is not as well known as many of the other al Qaeda guys that we've either captured or killed in the last several years, but he certainly is a bad guy that was probably in line to take over for al-Libbi as the operational director.

So if this report pans out, and we really did get him and take him out, it's very significant. It means that we're crippling al Qaeda at just every opportunity we get.

NGUYEN: But this Haithem al-Yemeni guy was not on the FBI's most-wanted list. Why was that? SWETMAN: No, no, he wasn't. It -- they go and come on the FBI's most-wanted list, depending on whether they have been indicted or linked to actions here in the United States. And many times, some of these operatives have just operated overseas and are not connected directly with something that the FBI has -- has concluded was a crime against the United States, so they don't necessarily make the list.

The al Qaeda list that most of the terror experts keep has upwards of 100 names on it. And in fact, the White House has been working against a list that has about 34 names on it.

And so (INAUDIBLE) all the lists are correlated, but certainly this guy that was on many of those lists, and he was a guy that it was good that we were able to get.

NGUYEN: So do you think that this will provide any clues as to where Osama bin Laden may be?

SWETMAN: The fact that we were tracking this guy close enough to have a Predator aircraft on him, and we -- leads me to believe that we seem to be getting a little bit closer. I don't know if we're getting the right information out of al-Libbi, or whether al-Libbi's information helped us get this guy or not.

But clearly, capturing and then killing another major al Qaeda operative a short period of time is an indication that we're certainly getting a little bit closer.

NGUYEN: Now, there has been some confusion, and David Ensor was talking about that just a few minutes ago, about whether this happened in Pakistan or near the Pakistan-Afghan border. This is very sensitive, and go over that with us one more time, why this is so sensitive for Pakistan.

SWETMAN: Well, this is extremely sensitive for Pakistan. A big portion of the population -- and I don't know the numbers, but it's probably a plurality of the population of Pakistan -- are supportive of people like bin Laden and al Qaeda. And the fact that the United States undertakes missions like this -- sometimes unilaterally, but I think David Ensor is right, usually with at least notifying Pakistan -- is -- has been the source of lots of uprising in Pakistan. The -- Musharraf, the president, has been -- there's been a couple assassination attempts on his life.

So any report that we're taking action like this on Pakistani soil against bin Laden could be a source of more uprising and more problem for the Pakistani government. We can't afford that, because they've really been helpful.

NGUYEN: All right. Michael Swetman, former CIA official, appreciate your insight today. Thank you so much.

SWETMAN: (INAUDIBLE), take care.

HARRIS: A happy ending to an international search. A young girl who appears in hundreds of sexually explicit Internet photos has been found. Earlier this year, authorities released photos with the girl digitally removed. Tips indicated some were taken at a hotel at Disney World in Florida. The girl, now about 11 or 12 years old, was found in foster care in Orange County, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. MATT ERWIN, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We're at a point now where we're ready to conclude our investigations through properly prosecuting them and so forth. But the victim is going to remain a victim for the rest of her life, based on the images that are on the Internet (INAUDIBLE) never be able to take back. And that's truly the shame of the whole situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Authorities believe the girl's adoptive father took the pictures, but hasn't been charged. Last year, he began serving a 15- year prison sentence on child porn charges.

NGUYEN: Former child star Macaulay Culkin takes the stand in the Michael Jackson case. Did he tell the truth, or just put on a good act? We will put that question to CNN SATURDAY MORNING's own jury of two in today's legal briefs.

HARRIS: Also ahead, for the first time in seven years, Tiger Woods gets a tournament weekend off. We'll explain.

NGUYEN: And later on "HOUSE CALL," Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how medicine and technology combine to fight crime.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Here's some food for thought this morning. Earlier this week, Cavaliers forward Lebron James dropped his agent, Aaron Goodwin. Now, you may not recognize his name. But Goodwin is the same man who has negotiated about $135 million in endorsement deals for James.

HARRIS: I like him.

NGUYEN: Yes, I need him. The 20-year-old basketball star, though, is expected to turn over some of his management duties to a close friend and high school teammate who works for Nike.

So this is our question today. Which of your classmates would you entrust with you financial future? E-mail us at weekend@cnn.com. That's a new e-mail address. It's weekend@cnn.com. We'll read your replies later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Boy, I sure hope the weather is nice outside today, because, Tony...

HARRIS: Yes? NGUYEN: ... I understand Rob needs to put some practice time in...

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

NGUYEN: ... out on the golf course. Is that the case?

HARRIS: Yes, well, we played a little bit during the week. And, you know, he's had better days on the golf course...

NGUYEN: Has he?

HARRIS: ... but it's a fine swing, and as far as I'm concerned, I just make it (INAUDIBLE)...

NGUYEN: That's not what I heard, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, he's talking more stuff like -- You know, it's -- you know something's wrong when Tiger Woods misses a cut, and Tony Harris beats me (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Exactly.

(CROSSTALK)

NGUYEN: ... right out there.

MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE), I may just sell the clubs.

HARRIS: End of civilization as we know it.

Good morning, Rob.

MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE), good morning, Tony, Betty.

NGUYEN: Morning.

Good times, as always.

And here's a look at the forecast weather map for today.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

MARCIANO: The only real threat for seeing severe thunderstorms may be across actually D.C., Dell Marva, maybe Baltimore. We have that shot for you. I think it's Tony, Tony's mentioned more than 100 times that it's his hometown.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, sure.

MARCIANO: Give me some local vernacular. What's the nickname (INAUDIBLE)?

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE), it is, it is, it is the land of pleasant living, is what you first need to know, the land of pleasant living, all right? You're looking there at the inner harbor of downtown Baltimore, Mayor O'Malley's house is to the left there a little bit, you know, the city hall house. Yes, down there. And you can go there, get yourself some great crab cakes. Stop in at Phillip's the next time you're in Baltimore (INAUDIBLE)...

MARCIANO: When is soft-shell season?

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE), yes, yes, we're rolling into it right now. So get yourself some great crab cakes at Phillip's. You'll have a great time. And stop by Camden Yards off to the right there and take in the Orioles, who are leading the National League East by a couple of games.

NGUYEN: I tell you, (INAUDIBLE) for the visitors' bureau there, (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE).

MARCIANO: He would. And as soon as he learns that Baltimore is in the American League, he'll do all right.

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE), Tony.

HARRIS: Say, you know what? (INAUDIBLE)...

NGUYEN: It's, it's because you took his money.

HARRIS: It's because I...

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: On the golf course. That's what it is.

HARRIS: Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: Don't beat a man when he's down, please. I've had a hard week.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Yes, you did. I heard all about it. But we'll keep it secret.

HARRIS: Thanks, Rob.

NGUYEN: Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: You're welcome.

NGUYEN: All right, we want to check our top stories right now. Sources tell CNN a missile fired from an unmanned CIA Predator aircraft has killed a key al Qaeda operative. Now, they say Haithem al-Yemeni was killed earlier this week somewhere along the Afghan- Pakistani border.

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer is using a procedural delay tactic to block a vote on John Bolton, the controversial U.N. ambassador nominee. Senate Democrats say they'll hold up Bolton's nomination until they receive information they've requested about him- .

And in sports, a rare weekend of golf without Tiger Woods. Say it isn't so. The Masters champion missed the cut for the Byron Nelson Classic. Let me say that again. He missed the cut for the Byron Nelson classic. Now...

HARRIS: Maybe it'll go in this time. Maybe it'll go in...

NGUYEN: No.

HARRIS: ... this time.

NGUYEN: Unfortunately not. That ends his streak of making 142 straight cuts over the last seven years on the PGA Tour.

HARRIS: Come on, Big Tigger.

The Real ID Act, does it trample all over your privacy, or is it no big deal? We'll put that question to our legal gurus right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Jurors in the Michael Jackson child molestation case heard from the pop star without Jackson taking the stand. Jackson's defense showed video from the filming of British journalist Martin Brashear's controversial documentary. Jackson talked about wanting to be seen as a, quote, "voice for a voiceless."

Also on the docket, Real IDs. Will they and should they replace driver's licenses?

That's where we start this morning. Lida Rodriguez-Taseff and Nelda Blair are joining us this morning.

Ladies, good to see you.

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Same to you.

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning.

HARRIS: All right, Nelda, let's start with this Real ID Act. Does it trample all over privacy rights? What do you think?

BLAIR: It doesn't trample over any rights.

HARRIS: Oh, Nelda. Really?

BLAIR: No, no way. Because driving's not a right, it's a privilege. There is no way there s anything wrong with making people prove that they are U.S. citizens to get a driver's license. So it's this Real ID will have people proving, showing, that they actually belong here legally, and that they're not here for some other purpose, which, by the way, could be terrorism or other criminal acts.

HARRIS: All right, Lida...

BLAIR: (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: ... where do you stand on this?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Tony, what did you expect her to say? Of course this tramples on privacy.

Look, what you have here is national identification cards issued by all 50 states with biometric information, and also machine-readable data about -- everything about you, which now can be read not just by the U.S. government, but by any company who buys this kind of equipment.

So what'll happen here, Tony, and you know I'm right about this, is, companies will buy the equipment, and you'll go buy yourself a hamburger, you'll go buy yourself a dress, you'll go buy yourself a pair of shoes, and they'll know everything about you, because they'll ask you for your driver's's license. An invasion of privacy? You betcha.

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)...

BLAIR: Oh, Lida, I think you're a little bit off on this one. I really do. It's a little farfetched to say that you can buy a hamburger and they're going to know everything about you, including your shoe size.

HARRIS: Yes, but Nelda, but Nelda, come on. Do you want a national ID card? Let's cut to the chase here. Do you want this country to...

BLAIR: (INAUDIBLE)...

HARRIS: ... for folks in this country to have to produce paperwork?

BLAIR: Listen, if the technology has risen so far that we are able to do that, heck, we can chip our dogs. We ought to be able to ID everyone, absolutely everyone in this country. Nothing -- And you know what? It's a help. It's a medical help. What about for children? It's a wonderful way it keep up with children. There's nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with this.

HARRIS: Lida?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely -- you know, you can chip your dog. You want to chip Americans. This is amazing. What we basically have here, and let me state the obvious. You know, you not only have to have it, you have to -- you will now have to have to carry it. That's what we're talking about here, the invasion of your privacy.

If you go out for a run, go out for a bike ride, Tony, you get up on Saturday morning, decide to blow us all off and go off for a cup of coffee...

HARRIS: Right, right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: ... you will have to carry it. And if you don't carry it, you can be arrested. And if you don't carry it, a police officer can stop you. You're not just talking about issuing a driver's license. You're talking about carrying identification. Your papers, please, is going to be the way of the future.

HARRIS: All right. Let's move on to the Michael Jackson case.

BLAIR: Yes, let's do.

HARRIS: Nelda, Nelda, Macaulay Culkin comes in and wins the case, slam-dunk, for Michael Jackson.

(LAUGHTER)

BLAIR: Tony.

(LAUGHTER)

BLAIR: Macaulay Culkin did exactly what he does best, act.

HARRIS: Oh, come on.

BLAIR: He did a great job on the stand of saying what a wonderful guy Michael Jackson is, and that he never molested. You know what? It's like saying, bringing a rape defendant and bringing -- parading a bunch of women through court that he dated and didn't rape. I see nothing relevant about this defense strategy. I do not understand it, I do not think it's effective.

HARRIS: Is it possible that the defense could be telling the truth in this case in your worldview, Nelda?

BLAIR: In your world view (INAUDIBLE)...

HARRIS: In your worldview.

BLAIR: ... is it OK for a grown man to sleep with young boys in their underwear?

HARRIS: No. That's a little strange, yes.

BLAIR: No. I think that...

HARRIS: Yes. BLAIR: I think the defense is making a mistake. I think they're -- actually, they're helping to prove the prosecution's case. And they're certainly not -- don't have any direct evidence against the prosecution's case that Jackson molested this boy. They have no evidence against that (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: All right, Lida, where, where, where are you on this?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: You know, Tony, it took her a second to answer your question. I'm going to be a little quicker and a little more direct. Of course it helped the defense. And you know why? Because the prosecution spent all this time parading witness after witness who said, Macaulay Culkin was molested, this other kid was molested, that other kid was molested.

And one by one, they're getting up on the stand and they're saying, You know what? No, I wasn't. And what's the prosecution doing? It's saying, Well, you must have been molested while you were sleeping.

They did it with Macaulay Culkin. We talked about this last week. They keep doing it. It's the "while you were sleeping" prosecution. You must have been molested and just not know it. Macaulay Culkin may be an actor, but that performance may have won the defense their case.

BLAIR: No way.

HARRIS: OK, I need a one-word answer from both of you. Nelda, who won the week?

BLAIR: Oh, the prosecution.

HARRIS: Lida?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Defense.

HARRIS: Oh, well.

BLAIR: What a surprise.

HARRIS: That's a -- Ladies, good to see you. Good to see you.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Take care, Tony.

HARRIS: See you next week. All right.

BLAIR: Thank you.

HARRIS: You're right, (INAUDIBLE)...

NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE) what they were going to say.

HARRIS: Right, OK.

NGUYEN: Yes. All right. Let's get to our e-mail question, find out what you're saying this morning about which of your high school classmates would you entrust with your financial future?

Well, Linda says, "What a laugh. Most of the classmates I hung around with, I wouldn't trust with a stick of gum."

And, of course, this is on the heels of Lebron James firing his agent and soon to be hiring a couple of his high school classmates.

But send your thoughts in. We still want to know what you think. You may not agree with Linda. Which is your high school classmates would you entrust with your financial future? Very important there. E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.

Well, a lengthy child porn investigation finds closure at last. We will hear how police cracked the case in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING."

HARRIS: But first, on "HOUSE CALL," the medicine behind crime- scene investigation. We'll show you how it works.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We'll see you again at the top of the hour. "HOUSE CALL WITH DR. SANJAY GUPTA" and stories, and your top stories begin right now.

NGUYEN: Now in the news, a key al Qaeda operative is dead after a missile attack by an unmanned CIA Predator aircraft. Two key CNN sources say the attack apparently happened somewhere along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now, the man had been tracked by U.S. forces in the hopes that he may lead them to Osama bin Laden.

The death toll is feared in the hundreds in Uzbekistan after police opened fire on protesters. Human rights monitors say a number of bodies are being piled onto trucks. Thousands took to the streets this week to protest authoritarian rule. Now this morning, refugees are crossing the border into Kyrgyzstan.

And just announced this morning, President Bush will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later this month. The two have scheduled a May 26th meeting in Washington. Bush never met with the boss' predecessor, Yasser Arafat.

I'm Betty Nguyen. HOUSECALL begins right now.

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