>> tony, thanks so much. making waves on 9/11. we're pushing forward on a coast guard drill that caught the nation's capital, the white house, homeland security and the fbi, off-guard. hello, everyone, i'm kyra phillips live at the cnn world headquarters in atlanta. you're live in the "cnn you're live in the "cnn newsroom." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com so, what have we learned in the wake in the wake of what appeared to be a security breach in the poe tom make river on 9/11 right outside the pentagon? they are reviewing a scary few minutes of confusion. the coast guard is calling this a routine training evolution, not a major all-out exercise and no shots were fired as original thought because this wasn't considered an out of the ord ordinary event. when word got out of an apparent

confrontation with the supposedly hostile boat, the fbi reportedly scrambled agents at nearby reagan national airport, halted takeoffs for more than 20 minutes. keep in mind, this all was taking place near a bridge that president obama had just crossed after 9/11 ceremonies at the pentagon. as you may have seen live here on cnn, the coast guard chief of staff briefed reporters just a short time ago. >> our people have to train. they do it on a routine and normal basis. we coordinate our training with the other federal agencies. we have very, very well-developed protocols for protection of the national capital region. this being a normal training exercise, preplanned, the coordination was minimal with other federal agencies. i want to re-emphasize that no shots were fired. there was no suspect vessel. there was no criminal activity.

this was a preplanned, normal training exercise. former coast guard assistant commander calls the decision to hold a drill in that place on this day, quote, felony stupidity. her name is fran townsend, and she also served as homeland security adviser to president bush. she's now a national security contributor to cnn. so, fran, how do you carry out a training exercise in this post-9/11 world, when you have to keep some people in the dark in order for this to be a true test? >> well, look, let's start with the premise, the training exercises are critically important. we want -- we want security officials to do them. but there are -- there's a process by which most -- most of the time -- other agencies and other local -- state and local officials and first responders are notified so they know not to react what's going on. we understand more now that this was a unit level, a very junior-level exercise on the

potomac. it doesn't change the fact that to have done an operational exercise, even at the unit level, on the potomac river, during the memorial, even though we understand the president had left at that point, was not a good idea. and so what it underscores is we still need to strengthen the process and procedures by which we plan exercises, we execute the exercise, and we notify our colleagues. i mean, there was no notification as well to the media, and so it was understandable when all of a sudden there was operational activity on the potomac next to the pentagon, there was going to be news coverage of it. i don't think anybody should have been surprised by that. >> so, bottom line, if this training session would have happened on another day, say yesterday, the day before, do you think any of this would have happened? >> well, i think because -- just because of the proximity of where it is. it's between the 14th street bridge and the memorial bridge, it's in an incredibly sensitive area. it was likely to be noticed by people. it probably wouldn't have gotten

the level of attention it got because, after all, people are very focused on, one, the anniversary. the pentagon did get hit. and the president was moving to and from the pentagon, so it got heightened attention because it happened today. >> so, you know how we all are at journalists. you're listening to the scanners. you're listening to what's going on. something is heard on the scanner, and you're hearing certain phrases, certain words, and you're thinking, that's funny, that doesn't sound right. this could be something serious. it seems pretty crucial to me that at that point, when calls are made to whatever agency that is taking on a training evolution like this, that immediately that the public relations folks, public affairs, should say, no, this is training. don't worry. i mean, everything's okay. let's move forward. >> kyra, you're absolutely right. and, you know, i think what we're going to see -- i have spoken to senior officials at the coast guard. i think what you're going to see, there's going to be a complete after-action report and

lessons learned. and i expect one of the lessons -- they will take a couple of lessons, one not to be operational exercises on 9/11 near the memorial sites. and also notifying sister federal agencies, state, and local and the media. >> fran townsend, good talking to you. thanks so much. >> thank you. let's not forget what is important, the events of eight years ago today. the reading of names and the laying of wreaths and the moments of silence for the victims. president obama took part in a ceremony and said we are not only united in our grief, but also in our notion to stand up for the country. >> let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still. in defense of our nation, we will never waver. pursuit of al qaeda and its extremist allies we will never falter. let us renew our commitment to all who serve in our defense,

our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home. mindful of the work that protecting america is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep america safe. >> 184 people were killed in the attack on the pentagon. in new york city, a reading of names and a moment of silence. edelmiro abad maria rose abad andrew anthony abate vincent abate laurence christopher abel >> relatives and friends recited the people killed in the attack on the world trade center. the ceremony paused for four moments of silence marking the exact time the hijacked planes

crashed into the twin towers and when they collapsed. and in shanksville, pennsylvania, bagpipes, bells, and a memorial service for victims of united airlines flight 93. fear of another terrorist attack on u.s. soil has fallen as 9/11 moves further into the past, and that's the headline in our latest cnn/opinion research poll. just over a third of americans surveyed now believe acts of terrorism are likely in the u.s. over the next few weeks. that's down 20 points from the fifth anniversary and more than 30 points from 2001. 63% of those polled are confident in the obama administration's ability to protect the u.s. from terrorism. 26% are not. happening right now -- the cdc, the fda, and the national institutes of health are updating us on the h1n1 virus, better known as swine flu. the briefing comes on the heels of reports that the new swine flu vaccine may be strong enough to protect adults with just one shot. we're watching. if we get any new info, we'll

let you know. and it got president obama heckled in the big speech to congress this week, and it's keeping the so-called gang of six busy on capitol hill. cnn's brianna keilar has the latest on the attempts to keep illegal immigrants from getting federal health care benefits. >> reporter: this was this bipartisan group's last meeting this week. they'll pick things up again on monday, and the chairman of the senate finance committee, max bach cau backus who is leading the discussions, wants to put the finishing touches on the bill by next week at the latest a bill that the entire senate finance committee would begin voting on by the week of september 21st. he said the window for democrats and republicans in the so-called gang of six to reach a compromise, he said that window is closing. shortly after senator bacus said that, i wang into senator olympia snowe in the hallway, she's a key republican in these negotiations and she stressed there's still so much work to be done. she said they are waiting for numbers from the nonpartisan congressional budget office to know exactly where the proposal

stands, and if it's going to be acceptable to republicans. and she also said there's the issue of medicaid that needs to be worked out. this proposal would expand medicaid, and not only does medicaid require federal funding, it requires state funding, and so this group will be talking with governors on monday to figure out exactly where states stand, cash-strapped states stand, on how much they can contribute. brianna keilar, cnn, capitol hill. well, this ability your grandma's t.e.a. party, after crisscrossing the country, the tea bus tour has rolled into connecticut for two rallies and then it's on for new jersey before wrapping up tomorrow with a big rally in washington. the conservative group said it's trying to bring real change to the federal government and it's calling for americans to oppose higher taxes, bailouts and what it sees as out-of-control government spending. you might call it a dueling bus tour. the group organizing for america has also taken its message on the road alling for americans to support president obama and his

plans for the country. here's cnn white house correspondent, dan lothian. >> reporter: they came to life selling a candidate. now they're selling his message. >> hi. we are looking for support for obama's health care policies. >> reporter: organizing for america is trying to recapture the glory days of the obama campaign. once a grassroots operation, the network now has the muscle of the democratic national committee, with staff in 46 states. volunteers are back on the road, and at a farmers' market near you, pushing the administration's signature domestic priority, health care reform. >> we have leaders that we're training, educating on health insurance reform issue. they're educating their neighbors, and their neighbors are in turn educating their neighbors and families. >> reporter: the national political director says enthusiasm and loyalty remain high, despite critics who argue their left-leaning volunteers have been deflated, turned off by mr. obama's sometimes centrist approach. >> our folks are behind him. they want to support him.

they are supporting him with not just their words but their actions. >> reporter: but selling a dream of the first african-american president was easier than selling a basket of complex health care proposals. >> hi, ma'am, we're looking for people who support obama's health care policies. >> no, no. >> i think that -- >> i really -- i want to know what's in his bill. >> reporter: and the public option that liberals are clinging to appears to be hanging in the balance. >> it's an important part of the debate. nobody is disputing that, but it is a part, that there is a -- there's more to it than just the public option. >> reporter: organizing for america now hopes to do for health care reform what the group did for then candidate obama -- create a movement and win. dan lothian, cnn, the white house. eight years later, the fight goes on, and these are a few of the americans doing the heavy lifting. what does 9/11 mean to them? pothole:h no...your tire's all flat and junk. oh, did i do that? here, let me get my cellular out - call ya a wrecker.

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the 9/11 attacks we commemorate today are why the u.s. sent servicemen and women into afghanistan in 2001. it's why they're over there right now, and why they likely won't be coming home anytime soon. cnn's anderson cooper is in the battle zone and he talked with marines trying to finish what they started eight years ago today.

>> i think for a lot of us, it's just a reminder of why we're here in the first place. why we joined, not necessarily why we're here now, but it's a good thing to think about in the back of your head, you're living day to day out here. >> reporter: a lot of people probably don't understand the mission here very well, a lot of people in the united states. it's not just about hunting taliban. you're really -- it's all about the local population. >> yeah, absolutely. there's more to this war than just shooting guns. it is the people. it's the people that matter here, and without them, we're not going to win this. and the government of afghanistan's not going to be successful. >> something i wanted to do. obviously i wasn't around the marine corps around 9/11, but, i mean, glad to be here. it's something i always wanted to do. >> that was anderson cooper in afghanistan. he, michael ware, and dr. sanjay gupta are bringing stories from the battle zone right to you. more of their stories tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern on "ac360." live from the battle zone, right

here on cnn. uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

security scare on the 9/11 anniversary, but don't worry, it was just a test. radio transmissions about the coast guard opening fire on a boat near the pentagon touched off a scare this morning. it turns out no shots were fired. it was just what the coast guard calls a run-of-the-mill training drill. the president and the survivors' families were gathered there moments before. today the nation is uniting to remember the september 11th attacks. at ground zero in new york, the victims' names are being red aloud. hundreds bowed their heads at

the crash site and president obama laid a wreath at the pentagon memorial. turkey is going through torrential floods. rescue crews have been put on alert to prepare for a second round after waves of muddy water battered neighborhoods and pulled away cars, trees, and pieces of homes. well, storm clouds over florida, not a welcome sight for nasa as it tries to bring the space shuttle "discovery" home to earth, right, chad? >> we tried last night to get them on the ground and they tried to the wait second to get the burn and the reburn comes in and it deorbits and it flies in. the problem yesterday, and i think it will be a problem today, there can be no shower activity within 30 miles of cape canaveral. tell me any day in the summer at 5:00 in the afternoon that there's not a shower somewhere in that circle. they'll go for it again today. they will try to get this thing back on the ground. if they have two opportunities

today, a little after 5:00 and a little after 7:00 and they don't do it, they may have to resort sending it over to edwards air force base in california, and they hate to do that, because it costs so much money to piggyback it on the back of the 747 and fly it back over to florida. showers and even a flood watch into parts of florida today, into places -- in texas. the place where it has been so very dry. texas, you could really use the rain, but you don't want it all at one point in time. and the u.s. open a little bit wet today. we saw the showers delay some things yesterday. showers all the way back to scranton and also into about state college. showers are going to be coming onshore most of the day today. onshore, coming onshore in the northeast. also coming onshore here into parts of florida for the rest of the afternoon. so, what do we have going on for you today? well, there's still fred. 80-mile-per-hour storm. there's africa. it's still out here in the middle of the atlantic ocean, but, kyra, i don't know if you knew this or not, but yesterday was the peak of hurricane season. this is the map, little graphic

here, of how many storms have been in the water in 100 years. so, we go here. this red is tropical storms. draw a line all the way over to here, that's about 94 -- 94 -- tropical storms have been in the water on september the 10th for the last 100 years. that's almost one storm a year. and this year we have one, too, obviously its name is fred. we begin to go down quite rapidly as the waters cool off. it's not all the way over, though, until just about the beginning of december. look at this ramp, how quickly it ramps up, and when that water gets so very warm, that's the peak. i'm pretty sure we're not done with hurricane season just yet. we'll probably have a couple more to worry about. and also on this getaway friday, if you are getting somewhere, things are slow at jfk and philadelphia, 45 minutes at jfk. newark, now, you're really slow, almost two hours. and teterboro has been having a problem the past couple of days. a one-hour delay for you, kyra? >> running a question. do you know what the question is

lining in springfield, mass? >> springfield, massachusetts. i probably have some graphic that can tell me. give me a minute and i'll be back with you. it will probably be raining, though. >> oh, really? are you a michael jordan fan? >> sure. >> apparently according to ash, one of the fabulous members of our team here, that is the birthplace of basketball, the springfield, mass, so chad will check on the weather there, and m.j. is being inducted into the basketball hall of fame. the former nba superstar, obviously, one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, and one of the richest, is going to be there, and cnn sports larry smith is taking a look now at jordan's impact not only on the nba but also on sports marketing as well. >> he's the best that ever played his sport. >> i think he changed everything. ♪ >> there will never be another michael jordan. >> reporter: the achievements are well documented.

six nba titles, five league mvps, one ncaa championship and a pair of olympic gold medals. but other players have done as much, so what made michael jordan different? >> is it the shoes? >> no, man. >> reporter: movie director spike lee met jordan when the two were paired up for a nike ad campaign. >> money's got to be the shoes! shoes, shoes. you sure it's not the shoes? mike just had all the greens. he's a nice guy, personable, smile, people just knew he had a good heart and they knew that he was a winner. >> reporter: the will to win, more than any other quality, it's jordan's competitiveness that's most often mentioned. sam smith, who covered the bulls in chicago, had a front-row seat. >> he didn't accept fools well, you know, the kind of -- he didn't put up with that. if you didn't perform, he was in your face and letting you know about it. it doesn't necessarily get you liked, but michael wasn't looking to be liked by those guys, he just wanted them to perform. >> reporter: smith experienced that fire in 1989 when he

approached jones and two other reporters to picked the bulls to lose the play-off series to cleveland. >> he walks up to the first reporter the guy who predicted the sweep, we took care of you. he walked over to the next guy who picked the cavs in four, and he said, we took care of you. and then he stops in front of me, and today we took care of you. >> reporter: golf, cards, video games, ping-pong, anything to satisfy the competitive beast. >> he has the metabolism of a hummingbird. he never slept. he would get up after a game and play golf and score 56 points. >> reporter: jordan's gambling habits were also well known and sometimes criticized. >> what his father said was most appropriate, michael's got a competition problem. he seeks out competition all the time, and gamble's one way of competing. >> reporter: while it's easy to see jordan's ascent now, it wasn't that easy to see when he was drafted in 1984 as a junior from north carolina.

>> no one had an inkling that he would be as good as he turned out to be. people thought he would be exciting because he was very athletic and had great jumping ability, but nobody realized he'd be the dominant player, perhaps the greatest player of all-time, it was a marriage made in heaven. he loved chicago and the people were great. and the fact that they hadn't won. it wasn't like the celtics or the lakers where they were used to winning and he almost single-handedly put the franchise on their shoulders. >> most guys don't want the last shot. most guys don't want to be up in the ninth inning, but he relished the shot. >> i was just happy i was alive to witness the greatest basketball player ever. >> reporter: larry smith, cnn, atlanta. well, is it greater vigilance or just plain luck we haven't been hit with another serious terror attack? we take a hard look at america's security.

♪ 'cause now i'm driving off the lot in a used sub-compact. ♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free credit report dot com, baby. ♪ ♪ saw their ads on my tv ♪ thought about going but was too lazy ♪ ♪ now instead of looking fly and rollin' phat ♪ ♪ my legs are sticking to the vinyl ♪ ♪ and my posse's getting laughed at. ♪ ♪ f-r-e-e, that spells free- credit report dot com, baby. ♪

well, it sounded bad. it looked alarming, and the timing, well, you beef the judge. what appeared to be a major security breach on the potomac river in washington on september 11th was only a low-level drill. as you know, if you'd been watching cnn, the coast guard

says no shots were fired, and because it wasn't considered a major exercise, other federal agencies were not given a heads up. that only hadadded to the confusion, and the coast guard said he's taken a look at how it was handled. it's the prediction that hasn't come true, the expected sequel to the 9/11 attacks. but why? is it luck or better preparation and prevention? or are terrorists finding more enticing targets elsewhere? jason carroll goes looking for answers. >> reporter: in the months and years following 9/11 came the warning. >> thousands of dangerous killers are now spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs set to go off. >> reporter: president obama weighing in this year. >> al qaeda is actively planning attacks on the united states homeland. >> reporter: security experts say while osama bin laden's whereabouts are unknown, al qaeda is still plotting and planning. >> strategic thinkers. they're patient. they don't set their

wristwatches like you and i do. >> reporter: tom ridge, the first head of the department of homeland security, says the department's creation in 2002 by president bush was key to better securing the country. >> remember right after 9/11 everybody said nobody connected the dots. today i'm here to tell you there's a mott more dots because there's a lot more intelligence coming in. >> reporter: ridge said the department has improved communications between agencies. he points to the case of albana. he was stopped entering the country at chicago's o'hare airport in 2003. a customs agent, armed with guidelines from homeland security, deported him for a visa violation. a year and a half later, he blew himself up outside baghdad, killing 166 people. ridge says their hard work had paid off. some also say it's been a bit of luck. what do you think? >> i think that's fair. look, i think it's really fair. i'm convinced the threat is real. >> reporter: terrorism expert

ryan jenkins says al qaeda hasn't taking hold in the u.s. partly due to increased intelligence, but also american muslims seem revisitant to their radical ideology. he said a significant threat is from smaller, homegrown groups. >> the difference between a band of amateurs being able to do nothing and a small group being able to carry out a dangerous terrorist attack is having one determined, technically competent leader. >> reporter: a point new york city's police commissioner ray kelly knows well. >> it's important to remember we've had eight plots against this city since september 11th. >> reporter: those plots centered on places like the brooklyn bridge and subway system, so-called soft targets, considered more vulnerable because typically they have less security. last year, new york spent $300 million on its joint terrorism task force. receiving only $10 million from the federal government.

>> we need money to help us continue the significant efforts that we've made in this city to protect it. what's the key to fighting terror? new york city mayor michael bloomberg believe it's prevention. bag searches on the city's subways to the police department's 1,000-person-strong counterterrorism bureau deployed across the world. earlier on cnn's "american morning," bloomberg offered this game plan -- >> we have to invest our money in a good police department and a good army and intelligence operations and stop sitting around trying to strategize but to actually do something. it's easy to have a bunch of talking heads saying we have a threat here and a threat there, but i come back to you've got to really go out, see where the threats are and do something about it and the threats are on the streets of this city. those are the soft targets that most people have to worry about. a new global intelligence report suggests that those

called soft targets like hotels have become more prone to attacks. u.s. special forces, they deliver death out of nowhere and disappear, but for one little boy, they're the angels who saved his life. there was a time i wouldn't step out of the house

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when it comes to protecting yourself against h1n1. researchers say one shot may be enough to fend off swine flu instead of two. the revised opinion means more vaccine may be available to inoculate high-risk groups, health care workers, pregnant women, children, and young adults. special forces in afghanistan ghosts, fighting the fights that began eight years ago. sometimes the mission isn't about the bad guys. when a 2-year-old afghan boy was hurt, these mysterious warriors became his angels. our chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta, is following little malik's story from the battle zone. >> reporter: the details that is remarkable about malik, his parents walked over 50 kilometers by foot to bring their son to a hospital to give him care. this is what happened. this will end well. but when we met malik, this is what he looked like. bandaged and broken and desperate. a toddler from a high mountain

village, malik had fallen down a cliff like this, when a u.s. special forces unit found him. >> he ended up falling off the roof and landed on his head, causing a fracture. and then he started to get a hematoma, which was causing the problems he was seriously having. >> reporter: army special forces. this is them at work. these guys are the elite. the invisible warriors, and this exclusive video shows how they got malik out of the mountains. by cover of night, they would chopper him to a military surgical hospital. it was the boy's only hope. these guys are special forces. hardcore. they've never been filmed before. they wouldn't even tell me their real names, but they made saving malik part of their mission. >> didn't appear to see anything. he wouldn't track with his eyes. we couldn't get much of a response from his pupils, so it was a pretty simple case when we first came on him. it was obvious what needed to be done. >> reporter: the army special forces brought malik here several days ago. he was brain injured and

paralyzed on the left side of his body. he was in dire straits. we've seen him improve over the last couple of days, but now the mission is to get him home. the special forces let us go along for a special look. the neurosurgeon operated to relieve pressure on the boy's injured brain. in time they knew the swelling would go down and his senses could return. i visited every day as he slowly recovered. he was paralyzed on his left side. but he was gradually coming back. and finally, with a little help from his father, he was on his feet, again. now, after a week of treatment, he is well enough for the journey back to his village. malik is now in the back of a chinook helicopter. this is the way patients are transported in the war zone, and his father -- >> our dr. sanjay gupta. and tonight you can see more of his reporting as he and anderson cooper report "live from the

battle zone." don't miss the special "ac360" tonight at 10:00 eastern. the white house says it won't second-guess the u.s. coast guard after the guard decided not to communicate a planned exercise this morning on the potomac river. it sparked a security scare on this eight-year anniversary of 9/11. president obama missed all the confusion on the potomac as he traveled to 9/11 ceremonies just minutes away. mr. obama met with families of 9/11 victims at the pentagon where he laid a wreath. and earlier he and the first lady observed a moment of silence outside the white house. police in central michigan say two people are dead in separate shootings miles apart, and one suspect in custody may have pulled the trigger in both incidents. one victim described as an anti-abortion activist was shot and killed in front of a high school. the other victim was a gravel pit owner killed at his business. police will only describe the suspect as a 33-year-old man. and leave the showroom in

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that's 1-800-769-9112 call now! striking teachers in washington state's fourth biggest school district have until monday to get back to the classroom or face some big fines. 1,700 teachers in the kent school district walked off the job two weeks ago. the strike is delaying classes for more than 26,000 students. a judge says if the teachers aren't back on the job monday, they'll face fines of $200 a day. right now the teachers are standing firm. >> they are drunk with their own power, and they need to let it go. >> at the heart of the strike, the issue of class sizes. the president is heading to wall street for a speech on the meltdown and washington's

response. he'll speak on monday. the one-year anniversary of the infamous collapse of lehman brothers. while the recession started many months earlier, some date the financial sector crisis to last september. the administration says things greatly improved since then. now, these days many people associate the american auto industry with words like bankruptcy, bailout, and laughs, but gm is now launching a new campaign with the goal of turning around its image. and for you, that means a money-back guarantee. right, susan lisovicz? >> like you said, kyra, this is some test drive! if you don't like your gm car, you can return it within 60 days with a full refund. now, we've seen plenty of money-back guarantees for things like cell phones or tv sets, for a $25,000 vehicle, that is extraordinary. but these are extraordinary times, you know? cash for clunkers is gone. all automakers need to get people into the showrooms again, so gm is launching this "may the

best carwin" program starting monday. it goes until the end of november. there are some caveats. you have to start paying for the car. and you must not have driven more than 4,000 miles. but it's a whole lot of miles, kyra. i could pick up a car, drive down pick you up. we could go down to miami spend -- you know, have some fun. >> that sounds like a good idea. i could use a spa weekend with you in miami, hanging out on the beach. >> that's what i'm talking about, kyra. >> all right, we'll talk about it later. it sounds like gm is confident in itself, but the big question, you know, can it restore confidence in the buyers? because as you and i well know, that's what we need. we need the deals made. is we need the deals made. and even toyota is having problems selling cars right now. and, let's face it, gm has got some baggage on top of the recession. so, even gm says, you know, there's a monumental chasm between the public's perception of gm's vehicles and those in its current lineup. so, new ads will compare the

chevy equinox, say, against the honda crvs. the cadillacs will be put up against german luxury vehicles to show the individual brands. what they won't show is the fact that gm has a $50 billion bailout or the fact that the government holds a 60% stake in the company. but this is the new gm. and certainly wish them well. kyra? >> thanks, susan. >> you're welcome. religious statues dunked in india's rivers, lakes, and oceans. is it toxic tradition or an idol threat?

and this just coming in to cnn. according to the associated press and we have actually been able to get more information and confirm it with our phil black who's going to be joining us from london in just a second. just to set the scene on september 11, apparently riot police have gathered outside a

mosque. there appear to be some clashes that are taking place. phil black, from what i understand, between the muslims and the anti-islamic extremists, they're protesting outside this london mosque? can you set the scene for us and tell us how rowdy it's become? >> reporter: it's been getting a little bit sense here in the last half hour or so. let me put this in some context to you. everything that you see here. strong police presence, several hundred people here. these people have all gathered because of a protest by anti-muslim protests. that large building there is one of london's biggest mosques. it was called by a coalition of extreme right-wing groups to protest what they say is the increasing islamization of britain and europe. that protest group hasn't shown up, but what you do see is several hundred fairly passionate muslim people who

came here in their words to defend their mosque and prevent this other mosque from holding that protest. it was feared that if you had these two big opposing protest groups gathering here on this one occasion, you would see some fairly violent scenes. that other group hasn't shown up, but there have been some surges as the crowd has surged backwards and forwards, there have been small outbreaks of violence, some of these groups challenging those police lines when they felt they were being provoked by small groups in the area, they ran off those groups in big numbers. but, again, it's calmed down for the moment. but it's been ebbing and flowing for the past hour or so. >> we'll continue to monitor those live pictures and information coming from you and check in with you throughout the course of the next hour, phil, thanks.

all right, every friday, we bring you the story behind the story, it's a behind the scenes look at how reporters bring a new story from the field right to your tv. and michael holmes has the back story at cnn international. he is here again today. >> i thought i knew everything about you, but now i know you're a gnish necklace. >> gnish is a hindu day. it's a protector of knowledge. >> they keep all the obstacles out, all the bad things away. >> and it was gnish's birthday recently. denise was there and they had the big statues that they make to revere gnish. there's an et logical story

going on. >> reporter: we're here on india's southeast coast, ganisha, half elephant, half man, recently india celebrated the birthday of ganesha by taking the statue to the water and immersing it. these ceremonies have become so popular that the police have had to schedule times that people can come and immerse their idols, so why immerse the statues? this is part of the hindu ceremony where the materials that made the statue have to be returned to the earth. what's the problem here? the problem is pollution. what makes it so appealing is the brightly colored paints, they usually contain toxic metals like mercury and lead. these statues are mostly made from cement and plaster and all

over india, toxins are being introduced into lakes. you can imagine the scale of this environmental disaster. experts say the only solution to this problem would be a symbolic immersion, but in a country where religion and culture are so closely joined, change will come slowly and the pollution will continue for many years to come. >> okay, here's what i love about liz. that is the finished story. >> yes, exactly. >> but as we know, sometimes she has a tough time getting these stories put together and the behind the scenes is a little more hairy than that. >> viewers should see the finished product and it looks great. every now and then we like to show you how a day like that wasn't really a day at the beach at all. this is liz's day for you.

>> ganesha, half elephant, half man. thousands of gaesha statues are introduced into the ocean every year. the problem is your microphone wire. >> it's estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of -- watch out -- watch out! you got statues coming at you! so all over india in these ceremonies these statues are being dumped in the water, poisoning water ways, killing fish and destroying irrigation. okay. the emerging ceremony has become so popular that the police have had to schedule times -- i don't even think you can hear me. maybe you can. experts say the only solution might be a symbolic immersion,

but in a country where children are talking -- we're here on india's southeast coast. [ speaking indian ] >> and the pollution will continue for many years to come. >> you know what? i think this is too obvious. she needed a ganesha around her neck because she had far too many obstacles putting that story together. >> and it was hot as hell too, wasn't it? >> it was 98 degrees, 98% humidity. i admire her staying power. i probably would have gone home. >> but the indian people are so energetic and they embrace you and they want to be in on everything, and when it comes to ganesh, this is a big celebration. >> i was there one summer and it is really hot. i just felt really bad for her. we do a lot of stuff on back

story, but every now and then it's good to see, when you see the clean product, how it all came together, the sausage making. >> the whole story about the ganesh, the little boy protecting the mom, when the dad's off fighting the war. who's this little boy, he's beheaded and the first thing to replace it with is the elephant's head and, boom, you have your god. >> the people in the village thought a boy looked like ganesh. >> they thought he was sort of a special spiritual being. >> they ended up doing plastic surgery on this growth, but they thought he looked like ganesh. >> there's a back story for a break story. >> i probably did that about 30 years ago. i'm very old.

w w www.cnn.com/backstory. when you're talking washington, the pentagon, 9/11, is anything routine? we're pushing forward in a coast guard drill very near a bridge that president obama had just crossed after 9/11 services at the pentagon. the coast guard considered it no big deal, not worth a heads up. yet crucial and critical to maintaining readiness. >> reporter: our people have to drain, they do it on a routine and normal basis, we coordinate our training with the other federal agencies, we have very, very well developed protocols for protection of the national capital region. this being a normal training exercise, preplanned, the coordination was minimal with other federal agencies. i want to re-emphasize that no shots were fired.

there was no suspect vessel. there was no criminal activity. this was a preplanned normal training exercise. >> a former coast guard assistant commandant says the goal is legit, but the timing of this particular mock security breach was all wrong. he's now a national security contributor to cnn. >> there's a process by witch, most of the time other agencies and other local -- state and local officials and first responders are notified so they know not to react to what's going on. we understand more now that this was a unit level, a very junior level exercise on the potomac. it doesn't change the fact that to have done an operational exercise, even at the unit level, on the potomac river, during the memorial, even though we understand the president has left at that point, was not a good idea.

and so what it underscores is that we still need to strengthen the process an procedures by which we plan exercises, we execute the exercise and we notify our colleagues. there was no notification as well to the media. so it was understandable when all of a sudden there was operational activity on the potomac next to the pentagon, there was going to be news coverage of it. i don't think anybody should have been surprised by that. >> the coast guard says it's taking a good, hard look at how all this was handled. so where were you eight years ago today? and will you ever forget what happened at the pentagon in shanksville, pennsylvania and also new york city? >> esra avilla. >> arlene -- >> and so it went in new york.

751 names in all were cited by the loves ones who lost their lives at the world trade center. president obama hung a wreath at the pentagon to honor the 184 people died there. >> let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still. defense of our nation, we will never waiver. pursuit of al qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter. let us renew our commitment to all those who serve in our defense. our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home. mindful that the work of protecting america is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep america safe.

>> and in shanksville, pennsylvania, where a united airlines flight crashed, a memorial service for the victims there. we're not just reminded of 9/11 on its anniversary, we're reminded of it every day in afghanistan. the story is still being written eight years after al qaeda pulled the trigger. u.s. troops are still there, the risks just as high and the enemy just as dangerous as ever. cnn pentagon correspondent barbara starr explains. >> reporter: in the ied was blocking this road in central afghanistan a few days ago. [ explosion ] >> reporter: this time, u.s. troops blew it up before it could cause harm, but stopping roadside bombs is an uphill battle. >> we're losing people as everybody knows. >> reporter: the statistics are staggering, since 2007, the number of ieds in afghanistan

has jumped over 300%. many are found before they detonate, but the number of troops killed is up more than 400%, the number wounded up more than 700%. one u.s. military source tells cnn that in just the last year, the taliban's capacity to manufacture bombs, train attackers and target u.s. troops has grown. on september 8 near kandahar, troops seized five tons of ammonium nitrate, more than twice what was used in the bombing in oklahoma city in 1995. experts say the taliban have a key advantage. afghanistan's dirt roads make it easy to quickly hide ieds. >> you have disturbed earth all the time. you still probably have junk around, especially close to

villages and close to intersections. that just makes the seeing and finding even by soldiers eyes much more complicated. >> reporter: other worrisome taliban tactics, in flat areas, like the southern helmand valley, detonation wires may run for more than a mile, so the attacker can remain out of sight. and the taliban knows that the convoys regularly stop. and now the taliban is placing bombing where the convoys stop. >> what do you think, more troops on the ground. >> well, that's the big question right now, kyra. general mcchrystal, the commander over there is working on a proposal, no one knows exactly what it's going to say, but today, senator carl levin spoke on capitol hill and he recently met with mcchrystal and

he thinks mcchrystal's body language is to ask for more troops. that's going to be bothersome because a lot of democrats are lining up voicing a lot of skepticism about escalating the war one more time, about sending large numbers of combat forces and yet defense secretary robert gates says, you know, time is running out in a certain fashion here, that there's only 12 to 18 months to really try and turn this around. have a listen, just for a minute, to some of what senator levin had to say. >> he did not share with us, nor did we expect him to, the options that he's laying out for the president in terms of additional combat forces. i think as of right now, it is likely that there will be a request from him for additional combat forces. i think that's likely based on all the stories that we read and from body language that we would get from him, that that's the current likelihood.

>> so that's a pretty significant prediction about what general mcchrystal is about to do. senator levin, from his position, he says he doesn't want to send any more combat forces until he sees more trainers. everybody is in combat once they're in afghanistan. >> isn't that the truth? barbara starr, thanks so much. well, the world's oldest profession apparently doesn't fly when you're filing with the tax man, but there is a way around it. at least that's the advice a fake pump and prostitute got from a couple of workers at the liberal grass roots group a.c.o.r.n. abby boudreaux -- >> call me whatever you want to.

>> i know you so well, why do i always stumble on your fabulous cajun name? bottom line, tell me about this tape. >> have you seen the tape. >> i have, and it's pretty amazing. and everyone is shocked that it happened. >> everyone's talking about this tape. you know, what happened here is that this is the tape where it appears to a.c.o.r.n. workers who were caught on tape offering advice about how to set up a prostitution ring and evade arrest. a man and a woman posing as a pump and prostitute, secretly recorded a conversation with two a.c.o.r.n. workers. james o'keefe is also a community activist. the undercover sting shows two people approaching the a.c.o.r.n. office. the two posing as a pump and a

pros opportunity are talking to the a.c.o.r.n. worker about setting up a prostitute ring. one of the a.c.o.r.n. workers telling the pair, you want to keep them clean and make sure they go to school. she serkays, train them to keep their mouths shut. they can even claim some of the young girls as dependents to claim child tax secrets. one of the workers said that the woman posing as a prostitute should refer to herself as an entertainer on tax forms and to stop calling herself a prostitute. >> let's see what we have here. termination food service in drinking places. that doesn't sound good. you're going to have to name something else. performance arts. let's see. independent artist. i could do that. your business is as a performing

artist, which you are. okay, so you're not lying. a little play on words. you're a performing artist. so stop saying prostitute. >> got it. >> okay? >> all right, republican congressman steve king of iowa is calling for a full congressional and justice department investigation into the matter, here's what he had to say. >> your business is a performing artist, which you are. >> okay, well, that's obviously not the congressman. we did talk to him and he does feel as though the justice department should launch a full investigation and that there should be congressional hearings about this. cnn also reached out to a.c.o.r.n.'s national offices. we spoke to scott levinson and h said the portrayal is false and a case of gotcha journalism. a.c.o.r.n. worker ers reported

to police. >> undermine our electoral process and do so for partisan political activities and be involved in a criminal enterprise, we have got to audit every single affiliated corporation that they are. a complete forensic audit. we need to do congressional affiliations and shut off every dime going to a.c.o.r.n. until such time as they can have a clean bill of health. >> when we did talk to the spokesperson at a.c.o.r.n., he believes the video is, quote, doctored. in a letter they sent to fox news, a.c.o.r.n. claims that the video was edited after the fact and one of the staff members involved says she was never asked the questions on tape. a.c.o.r.n. aattorneys also says

in fact she denies every giving tax advice to peoplizifying themselves as a pump and a prostitute. a spokesman for a.c.o.r.n. says both of them have been fired. >> the two employees that were filmed in the video were immediately dismissed because they did not follow the protocol of this organization. there's specific guidelines of what you can do when you do intake and that wasn't followed and so, you know, they were dismissed. >> we reached out to those two workers, they have not yet called us back. but meanwhile, the filmmakers have posted another video that cnn is investigating, allegedly showing a similar sting taking place at an a.c.o.r.n. office in washington, d.c. we're making calls on that, of course. >> do we know if anybody else is looking into this? >> we did call the baltimore police department and they say that they're not investigating

at this time. >> and that's the only other sbit tod entity that's looking into it? >> these tapes if they continue to come out and you start getting a lot of pressure from congressmen, like congressman steve king, who know what is might happen. it depends on the pressure and, you know, who knows? >> we'll follow it. thanks so much abby, appreciate it. here's some advice, if you're in front of a mike, don't talk about your sex life. >> so i've been getting into spanking her. >> you are? >> yes, i like it. >> whoa, buddy, your wife might not like it and take some comfort, you're just the newest inductee in the open mike hall of fame or shame.

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. busy week is winding down on capitol hill, but it won't be a quiet weekend. the so-called tea party protesters are on their way to bringing health care outrage to lawmakers doorstep. most lawmakers and president obama will be out of town and the so-called gang of six senators is still in search of bipartisan consensus. the issue at the moment is how to keep illegal immigrants from getting federal aid. open mike close mouth. don't spill your secrets because someone might be listening in. he wasn't the first and he probably won't be the last. here's cnn's casey wieian.

>> when will they learn? >> she wears little eye patch underwear. >> reporter: self-proclaimed family values republican state lawmaker was caught on a mike bragging to a colleague about his alleged sexual exploits with a lobbyist. >> so i've been getting into spanking her. >> you are? >> and i like it. >> reporter: most of duvall's locker room talk is not -- it is however the latest case of a politician caught by an open mike. you would think a former actor would know better. california governor arnold schwarzenegger was recorded talking about a lawmaker with puerto rican heritage. >> i mean they are, they're all very hot. they have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the latino blood in them that together makes it. >> then there was jesse jackson caught by a fox news mike saying this about the presidential

candidate he supported. >> see, barack's been talking down to black people on this faith-based -- i want to cut his [ bleep ] off. >> speaking of cutting off, that's entirely what hillary clinton and john edwards wanted to do so lesser known presidential candidates during an naacp forum. >> and. >> it's unclear if republican congresswoman jean schmidt was serious when an open mike caught her agreeing with a woman that president obama is ineligible for the white house. >> he cannot be a president by our constitution. >> ma'am, i gee with you, but the courts don't. >> pennsylvania governor ed rendell took heat for this backhanded endorsement of homeland security secretary janet napolitano. >> janet's perfect for the job, jampblt has no family, perfect.

she can devote literally 19, 20 hours a day to it. >> former president clinton turned this less than artful phrase after an interview during the 2008 primaries explaining his claim played the race card against his wuf. president george w. bush was also captured using salty language about a new york times reporter. actually that gaff was small-time, compared to the lurid tales that caused form ever california assemblyman duvall his job. >> that was casey wiean reporting. one shot might do you. once you've mastered the complexities of a headache...

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top stories, riot police in london moving in to separate muslims and on anti-islamic protesters. that protest was planned by a right wing group called stop the unification of europe. no word on injuries or arrests. security scare on the 9/11 anniversary, but don't worry, it was just a test. radio transmissions about the coast guard opening fire near the pentagon touched off a scare this morning. it turns out no shots were fired. it's just what the coast guard calls a run of the mill training drill.

the president a . one dose of the swine flu is effective and that would effectively double the vaccine supply. the vaccine the not expected to be available until next month. ancht and now our hero of the week, each year 52,000 boy scouts pursuit eagle scout. this year a boy scout took the project just a little bit farther. meet alex griffin. >> i was abandoned at a hospital number 20 at birth. i was adopted at 11 1/2 months old. >> the first time we saw alex, he was malnourished and we fell in love with him immediately. there's my son. let's go home, son.

>> hospital number 20 gave me a chance to survive and i wanted to give something back. i'm alex griffin and i'm building a playground at the hospital where i was adopted from. i have been a boy scout for five years. i wanted to build a playground for my eagle project. i was at hospital number 20 had a wooden -- -- we had to design the playground. these are the double slides. volunteers from all over the world helped to build this playground. all of us adopted from russia have not and probably will never forget our birth place. >> translator: i like this playground because when you

slide on it, all the sadness goes away. >> it makes me very proud. he shows that anything is possible if you don't give up. >> it makes me really happy just being here, that's all i can say. >> well, if you want more information, you can go to our website cnn.com/heroes. eight years after 9/11, dozens of people still getting sick from the toxic air at ground zero that day. we'll hear from a group of firefighters who are battling serious illnesses. guys... the blue goes on the left. (announcer) getting ready for the big game? ohhhh... bring it. bounty extra soft-- the bounty with a little extra softness! it's super absorbent. and it works extra hard for your money.

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9/11, eight years in the past, but still very much with us. the evidence at ground zero in new york city where the names of victims were read off today one by one and on the ground in afghanistan, where america's servicemen and women push forward the fight day by day. would you have thought back o on 9/11/2001 that the stakes in afghanistan would be as high as ever. i don't know about you, michael, but i find it fascinating that even eight years later, still so many people don't understand the difference between al qaeda and the taliban and how it all came together on 9/11 and how much of that terrorism still thrives in that country. >> reporter: well, that's right, i mean it was a complex mix of extremist, jihad or islamic

militant groups that were festering here in afghanistan, that you're right, did give rise to the actual september 11 attacks. however, that was eight years ago. that was a long time ago. al qaeda does not have bases or sanctuary of any kind here in afghanistan. al qaeda attacks account for just mere percentage points out of the bulk of the violence that's occurring here at the hands of the afghan taliban. indeed, the u.s. military mission here is fighting a war that no longer really has much to do with osama bin laden or al qaeda. they're across the border in pakistan's wild tribal areas. here in afghanistan, this is a fight with the afghan taliban, a very different organization to al qaeda. extremist islamic group, but one that cares only about afghanistan.

the threat to america, you know, many people argue is the countering that threat to america's national security being answered by fighting the war in iraq today. people here on the ground legitimately asking that, kyra. >> and how important do you think it is eight years later that the u.s. military has not found or captured osama bin laden? >> reporter: well, i mean, obviously, osama bin laden is an extraordinary symbol for both sides of this conflict. the fact he's still alive, the fact that he can still be out there is an enormous symbolic achievement, a victory for al qaeda and it's supporters, and obviously it's a bitter pill for the west to take, knowing that he's still lurking out there somewhere. however, operationally, effectively, here on the ground,

or in terms of al qaeda's, you know, international operation, it kind of doesn't matter. even if you capture osama bin laden tonight, once the celebrations have died down, you'll find that there's an al qaeda that still continues without him, perhaps in some ways even stronger. i mean al qaeda is an organization designed for loss. it's a network that's built knowing it's going to lose its leadership and its members so those below are immediately ready to step up. it's kpartmental'sed, fractured and broken up and scattered around the world. so if they do lose their leader osama bin laden that doesn't necessarily mean anything to the actual body of the al qaeda terror machine itself, kyra. >> michael ware, great work this week, thanks so much. as you can imagine, there's been a lot of impact since 9/11 and now we're talking abo

about 9/11's toxic air. doctors are discovers dozens of new cases every month. >> reporter: new york city police detective james adroga, a first responder at the world trade center attacks died at 34 of comp kalgs lications from a respiratory inside. searching for bodies amidst burning asbestos, lead and other cancer causing agents. >> when he died, he had the lungs of a 97-year-old man. >> reporter: doctors tracking 9/11 illnesses say they continue to see new patients, 200 every month. and it's not only respiratory diseases. >> what we found is that a number of younger folks

developed a cancer that's normally associated with older age groups. >> reporter: by a show of hands, who here has a family history of the disease of which you're now affected? none of you? all of these men worked the notorious pile. detective john wolcott for seven months. >> we all sucked in the same area, and i think whether it's emotional or something, everybody walked away with some sort of problem. >> reporter: all are sick and getting sicker. like ron richards who seemed fine until a routine check up two years ago. >> it's where it all started. i had kidney fall your. >> reporter: and retired vice detective ernest vallebouma. is this just you four? >> no, it's everybody out there.

>> reporter: where is the money coming from to treat all these people? 9,000 first responders and volunteers are suing new york city and building contractors asking for $1 bill yocion for medical treatment. this is a bill that would potentially reopen the victims compensation fund to provide for those too sick to work. but for these four men, the fight has taken a toll. how much of you feel you've been a little bit abandoned. >> if we're sick and we're not being taken care of, what kind of message does that send to the next responders? >> reporter: as they wrestle with diseases almost certain to cut their lives short, they worry about those left behind. >> we want to make sure our families are taken care of. >> funding for medical programs runs out in 2010. doctors fear they will not be able to track diseases that develop 20, even 30 years from now or that they will fully understand the ultimate death

toll. >> februadeborah farric, thank much. those who survived vowed to keep the company going and to take care of the families and to truly make 9/11 a day of service. susan low sew vich asked witnessed that firsthand today. susan, boy, i remember that you just -- just what you remember from 9/11 where you were and what you saw. and i know that's made a tremendous impact on you still eight years later. >> how could it not on any of us? but what we have to remember is that 9/11 is a day that we saw not only the worst of humanity, but we also saw the best of humanity, and that's what i saw today, the fifth year in a row, charity day at bcg partners which is a spinoff of cantor. 100% of the funds go to charity.

there were members of the sopranos, whoopee goldberg, all trying to inspire the traders to bring up their game. one survivor, kyra, was an engineer i talked to. he was just outside the building when the plane struck the north tower. he literally rebuilt the computer network at cantor. he slept on a cot for months. he says he felt like he lost his family. but kyra, he says 9/11 today, eight years later is a day of celebration. >> so now it's our way i celebrate them by giving back and being able to do this stuff and give back to other people, you know? and they live on. to go through that on 9/11, it's like an act that you can't explain, why would somebody do that? there's no explanation to it, there's no reasoning to it. there's no revenge to it. the only revenge is to continue to go on. >> and that's what they do and today is a perfect example, i

think of what everybody at cantor would have wanted the survivors to do, is to make the company bigger and stronger and to make 9/11 a day of service. but he was getting misy eyed even as dan was talking about 9/11 being a day of celebration, it was hard to contain his emotions. >> so how much money was race. >> $23 million in the past four years. that's on the charity day. >> i thought you were going to say 23,000. $23 million? >> 23 million on the four years past 9/11. this is in addition to the 25% of cantors profit for the first five years that went to the cantor families. that is $180 million. one of the causes, by the way, the wounded warriors project. new reports and renewed outrage over south african track

star, castor semenyan. male or female? we're going to talk about it. 8p

top stories now. families and friends of those

killed in the world trade center attacks eight years ago today got a sneak peek at the memorial being built on ground zero. the memorial is expected to be partially complete and open for the tragedy's tenth anniversary. more fallout on the heckle heard around the world. democrats say they'll vote to admonish california republican joe wilson who yelled "you lie" as president obama addressed the house on wednesday night. call it the capper for nba great michael jordan's incredible playing career. his airness will be enshrined later tonight in the basketball hall of fame. never in doubt, it's what you call a slam dunk of a decision. and a sports story far less obvious. remember the south african runner whose gender came into question? new reports out of australia and

unnamed sources says that castor semenya was born with both male and female organs. >> reporter: for many south africans, the reports that their star athlete castor semenya could possibly be both a man and a woman was mixed with much confusion. which is why some newspapers had headlines like this, "what is a her maf free throw diet" but many of the headlines reflect the anger that south africans feel. this one saying "shock." this one saying "outrage" basically south africans are very angry, they feel that the international athletics body and the media has treated semenya badly and she's been publicly humiliated. >> what about the right to privacy? if she's not a woman the way they define a woman to be, it

shouldn't have been leaked to the immediate, it should have been an internal situation. >> reporter: so you think she's been treated badly. >> she's not only been treated badly, she's been made to be less than human. >> reporter: the international athletics body has not confirmed these leaked reports. that said, they do confirm that they have taken legal advice on whether or not they can strip semenya of her gold medal. they say not because she hasn't cheated and that her condition was medical, she was effectively born with it. the final results of the gender tests taken on semenya according to the athletics body will only be available in the next few weeks. now still, though, very many questions about whether semenya now will be banned or disqualified from competing internationally in women's events. this is what the sports minister here in south africa had to say

to any defrom competing. >> i think it would be the third world war. we will go to the highest levels of contesting such a decision, which you would think would be a totally unfair and total unjust decision. >> reporter: there's been no comment from semenya, but she is due to race in an athletics meeting on saturday. there have been some suggestions that she might not turn up for that race. either way, wherever she is in south africa, because nobody has heard or seen from her. she can rest assured that the south african public is still very much behind her. and as this newspaper says, "she's still our golden girl." well, i'm sure that many of you are just like us this

morning in our editorial meeting there,'s a plethora of questions about this some more difficult than others. we're going to try and answer as many of them as we can. this is the professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at university medical center. i know you have been following this case very closely, doctor, and there's so many questions to ask you from a physical level to a psychological level to whether she should be able to compete if indeed she has both male and female organs. let me see where you stand generally on this and where you think the biggest struggle is, probably for semenya right now as she's having to deal with all of this. it's a lot to handle. >> it is a lot to handle and that's one indication that this has been handled very badly. she had pretty much no warning that it was coming. there's no really good policy for her to prepare herself for this or any other athlete to prepare. and as a consequence she's being subjected to international

scrutiny where her sex is concerned. that's a really awful situation to be in. >> how common is this condition, having both male and female organs. >> nobody has all of male and all of female organs that's why we don't use the term "hermaphrodite" anymore. >> i was going to ask you, is that not a politically correct word anymore because we have more understanding as to what this condition is? >> it isn't an issue of being politically correct, it's just misleading. it gives you that everybody is born with all of the female and all of the male types. you can only have male or female or sometimes a mix of some characteristics and other characteristics, but you don't have the complete male and female type. that's a misnomer. >> so there is talk that possibly she may be able to produce large amounts of

testosterone which would be the side of the male organs that we're talking about. if that's true, should she be allowed to compete against other women? i mean how do you work that out from a professional athletic decision when it's supposed to be women against women and men against men? >> that's a great question. and what's really interesting is the iaaf, the board that oversees these sports actually has a policy that explicitly says that for some conditions, women born with testes can compete. women have adreenal glands. testosterone make -- all of us are making the kinds of hormones that are thought of as the

strength building masculinizini who known. so everybody has that. the question is how much is too much to compete in a women's sport. women who are making lots of testosterone, but whose cells don't respond to that testosterone can compete as women. and women who have tumors on those adrenal glands are allowed to compete as women. so the iaaf poliicy doesn't disqualify you from completing as a woman. >> dr. drager great insight. thank you so much. some women thought they were part of a reality show, but in reality, the show might have been a total sham. the real reality, the stars were captives.

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big shoes to fill today, t.j. holmes. >> big shoes, always, big all kinds of things. sitting in for rick sanchez today. you know something we're going to be hitting on today. you know all too well when reporters go to war zones, even though you think you're in a safe place, you do need to watch out. that's something that michael ware knows all too well. take a quick look. [ explosion ] >> that's an ied exploding right next to where our michael ware and a cameraman were reporting. also one other thing i can tell you about, we're going to have representative adam smith from washington, a democrat might be a split among the democrats now on what should happen in afghanistan. the president may be wanting to send more troops and the democrats don't. more from the cnn newsroom

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attractive young women were duped or did they simply call in the police to help them break

their contract with an internet contest, similar to the reality tv show "big brother" the latest scandal rocking the turkish capital of istanbul. >> units here in turkey rated a house in eastern istanbul and they released eight or nine women under the age of 18. a suspect was also detained and then released pending investigation. now the women in the house have since claimed in turkish press reports that they were held at the house against their will. they were being filmed and their images were then being sold on the internet as part of a reality tv show, somewhat similar to the series "big brother". that's a claim that's been denied by a lawyer for the turkish produturk ish production company who was running the house. he said the nine young women

were participating in a contest and the winner of the contest would then receive cash prizes. we have gone to the web page which is in hot pink and it's called "we are at home." it features shots of the nine women introducing himselves on television. they are scantily clad, they are dancing in some cases and telling the camera that their dream is to become famous, many of them, their dream is to become a model. viewers are able to then vote for their favorite young woman and even buy virtual gifts for these women in the form of pearl necklaces, chocolate or even beer. one of the young women is described by the first name tuche and described on the website as being 18 years old. but then on camera, she goes on to say that she is 16 years old, which is sure to attract controversy and condemnation. this isn't the first time that the