| <<back  From the producers of FRONTLINE, a series 
                  of stories from a new generation of video journalists. World Stories From a Small Planet ANNOUNCER: Tonight on FRONTLINE/WORLD, three stories 
                  from a small planet. First, a report from Venezuela, a vital oil supplier to the 
                  U.S. in turmoil over a controversial president. JUAN FORERO, Reporter: She says Chavez is more important 
                      than God because he is the hope of the people. ANNOUNCER: In India, Osama bin Laden surfaces -- in 
                  a Bengali street opera. And finally, in Hong Kong, the inside story as scientists make 
                  a breakthrough in the fight against SARS. DAVID HO, MD, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Ctr.: 
                      and I would say that some of the heroes are here.   Venezuela: A Nation on Edge Reported by Juan Forero   JUAN FORERO, Reporter: [voice-over] Venezuela 
                  was supposed to have everything going for it-- a growing, educated 
                  middle-class, politically stable -- almost dull -- but also 
                  very rich. The wealth is in oil, and the countrys reserves 
                  rival the largest producers in the Middle East. If there was 
                  a Latin American nation on course to success, Venezuela was 
                  it. In the short time Ive been covering this country for 
                  The New York Times, all of that has changed. Last year 
                  on April 11th, massive street protests against President Hugo 
                  Chavez erupted into deadly violence and led briefly to his overthrow. 
                  Ive come to Caracas for the anniversary of that event, 
                  hoping to figure out where this countrys headed. How did 
                  Venezuela, once so stable and rich, end up on the edge of political 
                  chaos? Theres probably no better place to start understanding 
                  whats going on here than to go to Simon Bolivar Plaza 
                  in downtown Caracas. For the last year, supporters of President 
                  Chavez -- or Chavistas, as theyre called -- gather here 
                  to speak out in support of the man they feel speaks up for Venezuelas 
                  poor. MAN: [subtitles] Besides giving us direction, 
                  he instructs us. He orients us and shows us what was covered 
                  up. We were blindfolded before. JUAN FORERO: [on camera] She says Chavez is more 
                  important than God because he is the hope of the people. As 
                  you can see, people are gathering around and many of them want 
                  to give us their point of view. Well try talking to a 
                  few other people.  [voice-over] But then something surprising happened. WOMAN: [subtitles] Can I say the opposite?  JUAN FORERO: [on camera] This lady says, "Can 
                  I say something contrary?" She wants to give an-- and other 
                  people said, "No. Against Chavez? How can you do that?" WOMAN: [subtitles] I would not vote for him again. JUAN FORERO: [voice-over] But as the woman tried 
                  to speak, the crowd grew angrier. MAN IN CROWD: [subtitles] That lady is speaking 
                  against Chavez! Not here. JUAN FORERO: [on camera] She says, "I cant 
                  give my opinion. There isnt a democracy here. Theres 
                  no democracy here." Some people here say we should allow 
                  the other side, but-- [voice-over] This is just the kind of incident that 
                  has led to shootings at political rallies over the last year. 
                  Increasingly, Venezuela has become a tinderbox for political 
                  passions. I led the woman into a nearby government office-- not because 
                  we felt any danger, but the woman certainly did. It seems that 
                  in Venezuela, it is only the extreme voices that get heard. [on camera] As we brought her in, three men -- we dont 
                  know who they are -- kind of followed us and listened to what 
                  was being said, so she felt uncomfortable. [voice-over] An official led the woman away and said 
                  he was going to help her get out a back way. The official, who 
                  is also a Chavez supporter, would not let us talk with the woman. 
                  Later, he told us we shouldnt be covering this story at 
                  all and suggested instead that we do something on how good the 
                  tourism is in Venezuela. It would be hard to do much of a story about tourism these 
                  days. The economy here is in a freefall, predicted to decline 
                  20 percent this year. The problem, many say, is the countrys 
                  president, Hugo Chavez. Venezuelans are deeply split on Chavez, but everyone agrees 
                  that he is on a mission to remake his country. Mercurial and 
                  impulsive, combative and charismatic, Chavez has an uncanny 
                  ability to survive. But he has alienated most of the powerful 
                  people in his country -- and the Bush administration -- by embracing 
                  the likes of Fidel Castro, and in years past, Saddam Hussein. 
                  But to his followers, Chavez is beloved. [www.pbs.org: Compare Chavez with other leaders] Chavezs arrival on the national stage is a story in itself. 
                  In 1992, as an army officer, he helped lead a coup attempt against 
                  the ruling government, which was notoriously corrupt. The coup 
                  was unsuccessful, but this moment on national television put 
                  him in the political spotlight. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] It is time to reflect. 
                      And new situations will arise. And the country definitely 
                      needs to move towards a better future.  JUAN FORERO: As amazing as it now seems, this brief, 
                  minute-long speech made him a star and six years later led to 
                  him being elected president. Chavez has always taken advantage of the times. I arranged 
                  to have a drink with Julio Borges, an opponent and insightful 
                  critic of the president. He says theres been an astonishing 
                  social shift in the last 20 years. JULIO BORGES: We have to answer a very amazing question. 
                  Twenty years ago, in 1983, 75 percent of our populations belonged 
                  to the middle class and almost 25 percent belonged to the poorest 
                  class. Twenty years later, we have the contrary. Seventy-five 
                  percent, and even more, probably 80 percent of the population 
                  is under poverty, and less than 20 percent is the middle class. JUAN FORERO: Borges says that this change has made Chavezs 
                  rise to power predictable, if not inevitable. JULIO BORGES: President Chavez is just a symptom of 
                  the sickness that Venezuela has, and its not the illness 
                  itself. JUAN FORERO: Borges says that the illness in Venezuela 
                  has been its over-reliance on cheap and abundant oil. One former 
                  government official called it "the devils excrement." [on camera] It only cost us about $2.50 to fill the 
                  entire tank up. Americans would love this place. [voice-over] Venezuela is the fourth largest supplier 
                  of oil to the United States. But even with all that money, oil 
                  has not been an economic cure-all. The population has outgrown 
                  the rise in oil revenues, and successive governments have squandered 
                  oil riches and stolen public funds. The few who have continued 
                  to profit have been the very rich, who are staunchly opposed 
                  to Chavez. They are a driving force in the so-called opposition 
                  movement, made up largely of middle-class Venezuelans. These 
                  enemies of the president have their own square across town from 
                  the Chavistas.  [www.pbs.org: More on the battle over oil] At Plaza Altamira, they gather daily to rally their anti-government 
                  troops. General Gonzalez Gonzalez is one of their heroes. The 
                  opposition says Chavez wants to be another Castro. Gen. GONZALEZ GONZALEZ: [subtitles] Chavez has 
                  Cubanized, or is trying to Cubanize, Venezuela. Hes created 
                  an image of differences and divisions among the population, 
                  making lower-class people believe that what they dont 
                  have was taken away by the upper classes.  JUAN FORERO: I do think it says something about Venezuelas 
                  unusual brand of democracy that this man, who has worked hard 
                  to overthrow Chavez, isnt in prison. Instead, hes 
                  free to speak out, and hes treated like a celebrity. Gen. GONZALEZ GONZALEZ: [subtitles] Freedom justifies 
                  any action, including armed action. JUAN FORERO: Last year, Gonzalez played an important 
                  role in what has become the defining event in Venezuelas 
                  political crisis. Outraged by Chavezs so-called Bolivarian 
                  revolution, the opposition, a half million strong, took to the 
                  streets, demanding his removal. But then, as the protesters 
                  approached the presidential palace, shots rang out, some from 
                  this bridge, which has come to symbolize the day. [on camera] The gunmen on the bridge, most of them, 
                  were firing from over here. They were behind this wall, and 
                  there were bullets flying this way. They would come out, fire 
                  a couple of shots with semi-automatic handguns, and then they 
                  would hide behind the wall. [voice-over] While the gun battle raged on the streets, 
                  inside the presidential palace, a coup was taking place. President 
                  Chavez was taken by the military and flown out of Caracas. The 
                  opposition put their own man in charge. Washington gave implicit 
                  support. But when word got out about the coup, Chavez supporters 
                  reacted. [on camera] People from the poor neighborhoods around 
                  the downtown area swarmed these streets, and then they stormed 
                  the presidential palace. I was here that evening before he arrived, 
                  and it was a tense night. There were people scurrying about 
                  from his party, allies, deputies who belonged to his party, 
                  all trying to orchestrate his return. It wasnt a 100 percent 
                  sure that he would return, but the palace was in the hands of 
                  his supporters and the streets around downtown were controlled 
                  by his people. And then at 3:00 AM on April 14th, the helicopter 
                  landed, and Mr. Chavez made an unlikely return back to power 
                  just two days after being overthrown. [voice-over] At Plaza Bolivar, there are posters of 
                  the 19 who were killed on the day of the coup. The Chavistas 
                  have memorialized them. But equally, the opposition has claimed 
                  them as martyrs to their cause. Jorge Tortoza was one of the dead. A newspaper photographer 
                  covering the violence, his death was caught on videotape just 
                  as he enters the frame at left. No one knows who shot Tortoza 
                  and some of the others, whether it was opposition members or 
                  Chavez loyalists, a fact that haunts Tortozas brother, 
                  William. WILLIAM TORTOZA: [subtitles] The investigation 
                  has been very slow. JUAN FORERO: I met William on the corner where his brother 
                  was killed. WILLIAM TORTOZA: [subtitles] Really, what is 
                  lacking is the governments help. They havent been 
                  able to help us solve the case of my brothers death. JUAN FORERO: The Chavez government has not prosecuted 
                  anyone for the murders.  Over the last year, both sides have used the political crisis 
                  for their own gain. Earlier this year, the opposition again 
                  tried to force Chavez out by launching a massive strike to shut 
                  down the countrys all-important oil industry. The strike 
                  devastated the economy but failed to oust Chavez. I came to talk to Miguel Otero, a wealthy publisher of one 
                  of the largest papers here. The media in Venezuela is strongly 
                  controlled by the opposition, and they have criticized Chavez 
                  at every turn. MIGUEL OTERO: We have to get rid of Chavez. JUAN FORERO: Otero acknowledges his papers bias 
                  but says they have to be harsh on the government because Chavez 
                  is leading the country on a path to disaster. MIGUEL OTERO: The attachment with Chavez is an emotional 
                  attachment, which is built up not on ideology, like Marxism 
                  or things like that. Its built up on resentment. JUAN FORERO: [on camera] A lot of opposition 
                  people have said if theres anything that Chavez has done 
                  thats good for the country, is its made people political. 
                  They feel enfranchised. MIGUEL OTERO: The real revolution that Chavez has done 
                  is not his revolution. Its the revolution that is coming 
                  after him. Because he has politicized people so much that anybody 
                  who comes to power after Chavez will be obliged to talk to people 
                  every day, to make decisions in terms of what people want. He 
                  wont be able to govern like people before Chavez. I mean, 
                  thats a big revolution. JUAN FORERO: [voice-over] Chavez supporters say 
                  that the revolution is already here. On the day of the anniversary, 
                  I went up into the barrios that surround downtown Caracas and 
                  house most of the citys poor. The people who live here 
                  defended Chavez last year and still believe in the promise of 
                  his government. They were eager to show me why they were so 
                  passionate about their president. Nair showed me around her 
                  house, which she hopes to own one day, thanks to a new government 
                  program. [on camera] They have a picture of Chavez here. [subtitles] You love Chavez? WOMAN: [subtitles] Very much. Very much. Hes 
                  the only president whos taught us what democracy is. [www.pbs.org: Read Juan Foreros NY Times reports] JUAN FORERO: [voice-over] For all their pride 
                  in Chavez, the people here dont have a lot to show for 
                  it. They pointed to this hillside wall, which they built with 
                  bricks provided by the government. For these people, a little 
                  help goes a long way, a measure of how much they have been ignored 
                  in the past. One important area where they say government spending is up 
                  is education. These women teach at a neighborhood school. TEACHER: [subtitles] Since Chavez came into power, 
                  kids can stay at school all day from 8:00 in the morning until 
                  3:00 in the afternoon. In addition, they give them breakfast, 
                  lunch and a snack. JUAN FORERO: Its hard to tell how much people 
                  are benefiting. The government programs here in the barrio seem 
                  small-scale and haphazard. And the fact is, poverty has increased 
                  by 10 percent while Chavez has been in office. But in this neighborhood, 
                  people blame the opposition. They point to the coup and four 
                  national strikes for whats behind the countrys problems. 
                  And you cant miss their enthusiasm for Chavez. [on camera] Everyones getting together with their 
                  flags and just walking downtown, looking for buses and subways 
                  to catch. [voice-over] The Chavez rally was a celebration, not 
                  just of his return to power but of his emergence as a new leader 
                  in Latin America and of a new revolution from the left. Chavez 
                  chose to mark the anniversary with a press conference at the 
                  presidential palace. I was curious if he would announce any 
                  concrete plans to resolve the ongoing crisis. Chavez is famous for his long-windedness. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] For the privileged, 
                      there have never been any laws. Look at the jails. Theyre 
                      full of poor people. JUAN FORERO: He spoke extemporaneously for three hours 
                  before he took a single question. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] What rich person 
                  is in jail? They pay the judge, looking for decisions. The poor 
                  are the ones in jail. JUAN FORERO: At one point, his staff -- thankfully -- 
                  passed out coffee. Finally, late in the day, i got my chance 
                  to ask a question. [subtitles]_ Hi. Im Juan Forero of The New York Times 
                  and PBS. Good afternoon, Mr. President. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] Werent you 
                  from television? JUAN FORERO: [subtitles] Both. New York Times, 
                  but also PBS. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] What does "PBS" 
                  mean? JUAN FORERO: [subtitles] Its public television 
                  in the United States. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] Do you broadcast 
                  from Iraq? You dont reach that far? JUAN FORERO: [subtitles] Well, maybe soon. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] You werent 
                  given a chance there? JUAN FORERO: [voice-over] I asked the president 
                  about Jorge Tortoza and the other killings and why, after a 
                  full year had passed, nothing had been done. Pres. HUGO CHAVEZ: [subtitles] I cannot make 
                  conclusions about the investigation because its not the 
                  role of the executive power directly. But I can tell you, for 
                  example, in looking for answers, but firm answers, the sad truth 
                  is there have not been any convictions for those crimes. JUAN FORERO: Theres something about Chavez that 
                  is both hopeful and frustrating. Hes made a lot of promises 
                  and theres a lot expected of him, but at the same time, 
                  its hard to pin down the man or his accomplishments. That evening, the opposition held their own rally. It was every 
                  bit as big as the Chavez rally, and with the power of the media 
                  behind it, it was a lot more slick. I was struck that Tortozas 
                  image showed up at both rallies, underscoring for me how both 
                  sides have manipulated the victims for political gain. These people have tried everything to get rid of Chavez, but 
                  now he may have offered them their last best chance, an offer 
                  they had earlier dismissed, a popular referendum on his rule 
                  later this year. For now, polls in Venezuela are running against 
                  Chavez, but no one here is counting him out. ANNOUNCER: Coming up later, chasing the SARS virus in 
                  Hong Kong. But first, we find Osama bin Laden on stage in a 
                  musical.   India: Starring Osama bin Laden Reported by Arun Rath   ARUN RATH, Reporter: [voice-over] While the rest 
                  of the world searches for Osama bin Laden, I had found him here, 
                  on a street in Calcutta. [on camera] I hate to say this, but you probably wouldnt 
                  be able to walk too far through America dressed up like that. [voice-over] This theatrical Osama bin Laden is the 
                  star of a wildly successful opera about 9/11 and the aftermath. "OSAMA BIN LADEN: [subtitles] I am not 
                      one to accept defeat before I am defeated. No matter how 
                      mighty the enemy, his grave is already marked. ARUN RATH: With some make-up and music, the events of 
                  September 11th have taken on a life of their own and become 
                  myth in Calcutta. In the West, Calcutta is known for its image of overpopulation 
                  and poverty, but this is a place churning with art, culture 
                  and political debate. And I had arrived at a provocative time. 
                  The war was raging in Iraq, and Hindus and Muslims put aside 
                  their deep-seated differences to join in heated protests against 
                  Americas actions. With this backdrop of intense anger, 
                  I was both curious and apprehensive about something else making 
                  news in Calcutta, the opera Osama bin Laden. Im about to meet the producers who had dreamed up this 
                  opera, men who in the past had green-lighted shows about Ho 
                  Chi Minh and Hitler. I almost expected to meet Mel Brooks. Instead, 
                  I found Gautam Chakrabarty and Tinkari Goswami, the men who 
                  run Star Opera. All their big plans are hatched under this tiny 
                  stairwell. [on camera] So how did you come to produce Osama 
                  bin Laden ? GAUTAM CHAKRABARTY: Our organizer, those who are making 
                  jatra, they want current affairs. And we thought that Laden 
                  is a current affair, so it will be popular for the crowd. ARUN RATH: [voice-over] Jatra is the Bengali 
                  word for this type of opera, and the jatra Osama bin Laden 
                  has been the biggest hit ever for these producers. GAUTAM CHAKRABARTY: They all want to see what is a Laden 
                  and what Laden has done. ARUN RATH: [on camera] Youre kind of being 
                  like the BBC for them? TINKARI GOSWAMI: [subtitles] The news of so many 
                  people dying at the Pentagon, so many people in America, the 
                  news that such a serious event took place, it has to reach places 
                  where newspapers arent available. ARUN RATH: [voice-over] Im off to meet 
                  their latest star. My father is from a state just south of here, but I dont 
                  speak a word of Bengali, so Ive brought along a translator, 
                  Nilayan Dutta. NILAYAN DUTTA: We are now close to Osama bin Ladens 
                  place in Calcutta. ARUN RATH: Even though he wasnt the real bin Laden, 
                  I couldnt wait to interrogate him. [on camera] How does it feel to play the most hated 
                  man for all of Americans? Is that a burden, or is that just 
                  irrelevant as an actor? AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] I try to portray the 
                  facts about bin Laden to people who may not know about him. 
                  Is he really this vicious terrorist or just a devout Muslim? 
                  I just want to make them understand that. ARUN RATH: [voice-over] I asked him if he had 
                  experienced any problems playing such a controversial figure, 
                  particularly because he is a Hindu playing such an infamous 
                  Muslim. AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] Yes. Outraged people 
                  have told us not to perform in their neighborhoods. NILAYAN DUTTA: [subtitles] What kind of people? AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] Hindus, Muslims, local 
                  people. I dont know. ARUN RATH: The government threatened to shut down the 
                  production because any drama dealing with religious conflict 
                  could resonate with long-simmering Hindu-Muslim tension and 
                  provoke unrest. It was strange enough for me to imagine an opera about Osama 
                  bin Laden, stranger still that it would incorporate a love story. 
                  Arun Mukherjee plays the romantic lead. It was 105 degrees on 
                  the street and even hotter in this little room. But sweat wasnt 
                  the only thing we had in common. In this jatra, Arun plays an 
                  Indian-American journalist who lives in New York. NILAYAN DUTTA: Its a great coincidence. Great 
                  coincidence. ARUN RATH: [on camera] Both named Arun. [laughter] NILAYAN DUTTA: Yeah, both named Arun. [laughter] ARUN RATH: [voice-over] Arun is one of Calcuttas 
                  most sought-after leading men, and he has devoted his entire 
                  acting career to the jatra. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] Jatra is one of the 
                  oldest Indian folk art forms. Its an effective way to 
                  reach people. And if they dont like it, theyll tell 
                  you. To your face! ARUN RATH: As we got to know each other, I discovered 
                  we had one more thing in common. We both loved Rabindranath 
                  Tagore, Indias most famous poet. I knew any Bengali actor 
                  would be able to sing one of his poems. It took just a little 
                  prompting for Arun to indulge me. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [singing] [subtitles] 
                  I dont know right from wrong / I only know you, my beautiful 
                  beloved / I dont know right from wrong / Would you ask 
                  the ultimate price for love? ARUN RATH: Its the night of the performance, and 
                  Amit has promised us a sneak preview. But when we arrive, there 
                  seems to be a problem. AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] Ive been waiting 
                  for you since 10:00 oclock this morning until 5:00 oclock! ARUN RATH: Is he mad? [on camera] So we had some miscommunication, and we 
                  kept Osama bin Laden waiting all day, probably not a smart thing 
                  to do to the worlds most dangerous man. [voice-over] But were lucky. He lets it go and 
                  rehearses his lines for us and for his neighbors, who quickly 
                  gather. AMIT PRADHAN: [as bin Laden] [subtitles] 
                      Our long struggle to liberate all Muslims from the infidels 
                      will continue for many years to come. But always remember 
                      one thing. Empowering jihad is every Muslims sacred 
                      duty. And at the right time, you will strengthen my powerful 
                      jihad. [applause] ARUN RATH: Before the performance, we stopped by Aruns 
                  for dinner. But language barriers being what they are, another 
                  miscommunication. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] None for me, thank 
                  you. ARUN RATH: When Arun invited us for dinner, I assumed 
                  wed be eating together. I should have known. No actor 
                  anywhere in the world would eat before a performance. But sometimes 
                  its not just about speaking the same language. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] Meeting you gave 
                  us the chance to create a relationship between two different 
                  countries such as America and India. ARUN RATH: In America, I feel Indian. But here I feel 
                  utterly American. I wondered how they saw me. [www.pbs.org: More on the reporters experience] MAN: [subtitles] It is very difficult to say. AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] His mannerisms and 
                  speech sounds more like Bengali person to me. WOMAN: [subtitles] His outward look is American, 
                  but inside he seems Indian. ARUN RATH: While wed been talking, right outside 
                  Aruns home, a street that just an hour ago was like any 
                  other has transformed into a busy theater scene. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] This is the Green 
                  Room. ARUN RATH: [on camera] So were here. [voice-over] This was unlike any Green Room I had ever 
                  seen. But while settings may change, backstage tension is universal. ACTOR: [subtitles] Wheres my gray? 
                      What the heck! Im away one day, and all my stuff is 
                      gone? ATTENDANT: [subtitles] How should I know? ACTOR: [subtitles] Youre in charge 
                      of supplies. Who else am I supposed to ask? ATTENDANT: [subtitles] So Im to open 
                      each box and check? I dont think so! ARUN RATH: Amit was an island of calm in the chaos as 
                  he transformed into bin Laden. Arun was the only one with a 
                  private dressing room, if thats what you can call it. 
                  It was nearing 10:00 PM, but it was still more than 100 degrees 
                  and stifling, not easy weather to put on pancake make-up. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] I cant 
                      do my make-up like this, you guys. ARUN RATH: It wouldnt be the theater without a 
                  demanding star. ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] Hey Raju, could 
                      you see about that fan, please? ATTENDANT: [subtitles] I went there. They 
                      dont have one. Khoka went out to get it. ATTENDANT: [subtitles] What about that fan 
                      there? ARUN MUKHERJEE: [subtitles] This fan? Could 
                      you hook this up? Could you get this plugged in? ARUN RATH: [on camera] This PA system looks like 
                  an electricians nightmare, but probably a sound archivists 
                  dream. It looks like its probably still using vacuum tubes. 
                  Id be terrified to touch any of it. Got about eight or 
                  ten microphones dangling from the stage. Speakers also. Im 
                  very curious to see how this PA system works. [voice-over] Its close to midnight, and the musicians 
                  start to play. They wont stop for another three-and-a-half 
                  hours. To the thousands who filled the streets, the late hour 
                  didnt seem to matter, even to the many children in the 
                  crowd. The opera starts out with scenes of New York before 9/11, people 
                  dancing without a care in the world. Then the tragedy of September 
                  11th. This beginning didnt surprise me, but my feelings 
                  did. Even this far from New York, this absurdly condensed version 
                  of that day brought back a flash of my real September 11th experience. But soon after, things take a lighter turn. Part political 
                  drama, part Bollywood musical, these journalist lovers, Serena 
                  and Dilara, are reunited at Ground Zero. Then Osama bin Laden takes center stage. Hes close to 
                  what I imagined, at least at this point in the opera. AMIT PRADHAN: [as bin Laden] [subtitles] 
                      Because of his fear of me, Bush flew from Camp David and 
                      circled the sky for hours, and his great plane was even 
                      guarded by fighter jets. ARUN RATH: Then events take a surreal turn. ACTOR: [as White House aide] [subtitles] 
                      Let fires of rebellion and riot rage in every nation! Let 
                      there be war among nations! ARUN RATH: At the White House, Bushs advisers 
                  seethe with rage. These men are bloodthirsty, maniacal, even 
                  more despicable than bin Laden himself. ACTOR: [as White House aide] [subtitles] 
                      Let corpses of babies and old people, civilians, litter 
                      the streets. ARUN RATH: Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the American-backed 
                  Northern Alliance raped women, killed babies and then celebrated. 
                  Then another huge shock. Bin Laden comes back on stage, this 
                  time portrayed as a Muslim Robin Hood protecting his countrymen, 
                  especially women and children. All along, I had assumed that bin Laden would be the villain 
                  of this opera, but here is bin Laden the saint. But most unsettling 
                  was watching my namesake, Arun, playing the one person I should 
                  have related to in this opera. His character, an Indian-American 
                  journalist, is so upset with Americas policies after 9/11 
                  that he abruptly abandons his career and becomes an anti-war 
                  activist. ACTOR: [as journalist] [subtitles] 
                      No war! We demand peace! ARUN RATH: And in the final scene of the opera, while 
                  protesting for peace in Afghanistan, he is assassinated-- not 
                  by the Taliban or al Qaeda but by an American soldier. I was 
                  left with the message that here, American imperialism is more 
                  savage and cruel than bin Ladens terrorism. And whats 
                  worse, I faced the chilling reality that this take on Osama 
                  bin Laden and 9/11 might be the only version that endures with 
                  some people in the crowd. GIRL IN AUDIENCE: [subtitles] Ive always 
                  thought bin Laden was a bad guy. But in this jatra, he came 
                  across as a good man. GIRL IN AUDIENCE: [subtitles] This jatra showed 
                  bin Laden as a different man, a man concerned for the poor and 
                  for people who need him. Now I feel like Ive seen a more 
                  human side of bin Laden. ARUN RATH: [on camera] So what did you think 
                  of bin Laden? MAN IN AUDIENCE: [subtitles] I think the bin 
                  Laden character was accurate because he is fighting for religion. ARUN RATH: [voice-over] I wondered if Americans 
                  could understand this. Its not just radical Muslims this 
                  message resonates with, but with Hindus here in Calcutta.  [on camera] What about his means, the fact that hes 
                  a terrorist? Is that-- or does he not consider him a terrorist? MAN IN AUDIENCE: [subtitles] Nobody wanted a 
                  terrorist to have been created, but America isnt an innocent 
                  party. They created bin Laden, and theyll be the ones 
                  to finish him off. ARUN RATH: [voice-over] And it was hard to separate 
                  this distinctly anti- American view from the warmth and friendship 
                  I had felt from the cast and crew I had come to like. AMIT PRADHAN: [subtitles] Im just an actor. 
                  I can be a singing and dancing villain. I can be anything! ARUN RATH: Of course, for any cast, its hard to 
                  argue with full houses and enthusiastic applause. And like any 
                  actor, Amit already savors the next role he wants to play, Saddam 
                  Hussein. NILAYAN DUTTA: He was asking, "How did you like 
                  my acting?"   ANNOUNCER: Finally tonight, scientists make a breakthrough 
                  against the SARS virus.   Hong Kong: Chasing the Virus Reported by Renata Simone   RENATA SIMONE, Reporter: [voice-over] Hong Kong 
                  is an island at the mouth of the Pearl River, on the southeast 
                  curve of the coastline of China. Of all the shipping ports in 
                  the world, Hong Kong is the busiest. These days, the harbor 
                  is almost empty. From the minute we got off the plane, we could 
                  tell something was wrong. A thousand flights a day had become 
                  40. AIRPORT PA SYSTEM: Please cover your nose and mouth 
                      when sneezing or coughing. RENATA SIMONE: While SARS kept the world away from Hong 
                  Kong, there were some people who had to come here. Dr. David 
                  Ho is one the worlds leading AIDS researchers. Ive 
                  been reporting on his work for more than a decade. By unlocking 
                  the secrets of the AIDS virus, he developed the protease inhibitor 
                  treatment that keeps AIDS patients healthy for years. SARS was an unexpected challenge. DAVID HO, MD, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Ctr.: Its 
                  sort of like you see a fire in the next town, and youre 
                  very anxious. But if people-- folks over there say, "Please 
                  come and help us," you definitely cannot say no. And so 
                  here we are, in our fireman outfits. RENATA SIMONE: David Ho has an idea about how to attack 
                  the virus. Hes brought his top researcher, Linqi Zhang, 
                  from New York to test his theory in the lab at Hong Kong University. LINQI ZHANG: It looks like were real-- DAVID HO: Real virus hunters. Hi. Were here. RENATA SIMONE: This is the story of what happened in 
                  this room over the next three days. SARS caught Hong Kong and the world by surprise. By the beginning 
                  of June, more than 8,400 cases had been reported in 29 countries. 
                  Nearly 800 people had died. That SARS spread so quickly around 
                  the world is a warning about a dark side to globalism, a fact 
                  of life in the new world of international trade and fast, easy 
                  travel. And Hong Kong is a gateway. The public health director, Dr. 
                  Margaret Chan, showed me how SARS spread. Dr. MARGARET CHAN: This is Guangzhou, and from there 
                  they have the outbreak in February. And you can see Guangzhou 
                  and Hong Kong are very close. You know how many people move 
                  across the border? At its peak, its about 300,000 a day. RENATA SIMONE: It took us just an hour of travel across 
                  the Pearl River delta to reach Guandong province. This is a 
                  different world. Here people live and work in close proximity 
                  to animals, domestic and wild. [www.pbs.org: Read the interview with the reporter] With its dense population and year-round subtropical climate, 
                  its a breeding ground for new viruses. Some of these viruses 
                  cross the species barrier from animals to people. Nearly all 
                  of the global flu epidemics of the past 40 years started here. 
                  And so did SARS. On February 21st, Dr. Liu Jianlun crossed the border from Guandong 
                  province to come to his nephews wedding in Hong Kong. 
                  He came here to the Metropole Hotel. He didnt know it, 
                  but by the time he checked in, he was infected with the then-unknown 
                  virus. His room was on the 9th floor. Later, researchers discovered that this was the link to the 
                  global outbreak. There were nine other guests on this floor, 
                  who, when they left the hotel, took SARS with them to Singapore, 
                  Vietnam, Canada. The virus spread. The SARS virus attaches to a healthy cell, penetrates it and 
                  replicates. Cell by cell, the virus damages a victims 
                  lungs. David Hos idea, based on an AIDS treatment, is 
                  to stop the virus by using pieces of protein -- peptides -- 
                  to block the attachment. Linqi has designed a set of peptides 
                  that they hope will work. LINQI ZHANG: So we made all together 12 peptides. Because 
                  I designed it, so I put an "LQZ" number 1 through 
                  12. RENATA SIMONE: [on camera] Thats you. LINQI ZHANG: Right. RENATA SIMONE: [voice-over] A day after they 
                  began, David Ho and Linqi check the results. Theyre looking 
                  to see if the peptides are protecting the cells. DAVID HO: No sign at all? Could I see what the viral 
                      cells look like? No virus. Right. Its too hard to 
                      read right now. Its still a little too early to read the results. Usually, 
                  it takes around 48 hours. RENATA SIMONE: The results are frustrating. DAVID HO: Boy, its damn slow. I think I was misled 
                  by the description in the paper saying culture is wiped out 
                  in 24 hours. All right, lets hope for the best tomorrow. RENATA SIMONE: This is rush hour that day in Hong Kong. 
                  The economic and human impact of SARS has been devastating. 
                  This apartment complex had been hit the hardest. More than 320 
                  people living here got sick from the virus, 42 died. It was 
                  one of the few places where I felt at risk. Most of the cases 
                  were in this building. Mr. Tsang-Kam-On was the only person 
                  who would talk to us. Mr. TSANG: [subtitles] We had to stay here in 
                  isolation. And then we were sent to a quarantine camp. RENATA SIMONE: While the residents were quarantined, 
                  investigators moved in. Their detective work zeroed in on the 
                  bathroom.Mr. Tsang shows the faulty plumbing through the stairwell 
                  window. Mr, TSANG: [subtitles] This is the problem! Its 
                  the toilet. The infected people didnt flush the toilet 
                  with the cover down. RENATA SIMONE: The investigators found the virus in 
                  the sewage. And through these leaky, exposed pipes, the virus 
                  escaped and infected two vertical blocks of apartments. The 
                  larger lesson was that transmission of the new virus was different 
                  from the flu or the common cold. It was limited to closer contact. Soon the most dangerous place to be was the hospital, where 
                  the Reverend Simon Yeung went to visit a sick parishioner and 
                  got sick himself. SIMON YEUNG: [subtitles] When the medication 
                  could not relieve my suffering, I thought I was going to die. 
                  At the same time, I was struggling emotionally. As a priest, 
                  I know death is not a negative thing, but I kept struggling. RENATA SIMONE: Simon Yeung was lucky. After being in 
                  intensive care, he recovered, his immune system fighting the 
                  virus back. But without any known treatment, life has changed here. They 
                  try to overcome the epidemic of fear that has taken hold of 
                  the city, but it has still altered even the most trusting of 
                  gestures. The virus attaches to the healthy cell by extending a long 
                  molecule from its surface. David Hos experiment is designed 
                  to block this action. At the lab, the team is tense. [on camera] Why are you nervous? LINQI ZHANG: Because it carries so much weight and expectations. LEO POON: And other people just put a high hope on you. LINQI ZHANG: We put more pressure on ourselves. LEO POON: Oh, yeah! LINQI ZHANG: Thats called motivation. [laughter] LEO POON: And we would like to save the world. LINQI ZHANG: Lets go! RICHARD KAO: Lets go in. RENATA SIMONE: [voice-over] David Ho has left 
                  them for the day to fly to a meeting in Taiwan. This time, we 
                  persuade them to let us inside. LEO POON: OK, guys. Keep your fingers crossed. LINQI ZHANG: Moment of truth, man. LEO POON: OK, this is plate one. OK. Im checking 
                      the first row first, to make sure it has no CPE. RENATA SIMONE: CPE -- the cytopathic effect, the measure 
                  of the damage the virus does to the cell. LEO POON: No CPE. The second column, toxicity-- RENATA SIMONE: Too many peptides can prove toxic. LEO POON: Toxicity, toxicity, toxicity. No CPE. RENATA SIMONE: For two hours they read the assays. LINQI ZHANG: Something interesting. Number two! RICHARD KAW: Consistently starting from here, you 
                      can see that it is very consistent. Weve got a CPE 
                      with definitely some-- some effect. LINQI ZHANG: Weve got to check what region 
                      it is. LEO POON: Hard to judge this one. RENATA SIMONE: They check and recheck. LEO POON: Thats it! Wow! Thats it! LINQI ZHANG: OK, so what is that? LEO POON: Excellent. Something interesting. Based 
                      on this, it seems that its actually very potent. RENATA SIMONE: "Something interesting"-- 5 
                  of the 12 peptides have protected the cells from the SARS virus. LINQI ZHANG: [on the phone] Hello? Hey, David, 
                      some of CPE results and then the plaque reduction have to 
                      wait till tomorrow. But CPE readings is encouraging. Leo 
                      went to do the first reading, and Richard followed. And 
                      the reading, I checked it. The reading are very consistent. 
                      All right, David. So you-- thats very encouraging 
                      news. And enjoy your meeting. Thats good enough. RENATA SIMONE: Waiting for David Ho to get back that 
                  night, we go across the bay to Kowloon, for a few hours away. LINQI ZHANG: Its very natural for people to fear 
                  when they know theres no treatment, no vaccine. Very natural. 
                  But in Chinese theres a saying that-- meaning in English 
                  that you will 100 percent win if you know yourself and your 
                  enemy. Very, very philosophical. RENATA SIMONE: Back at the hotel, he calls Beijing. LINQI ZHANG: [subtitles] Hi, Mom. This is 
                      your son. Happy Mothers Day! I have some good news. 
                      The experiment succeeded! This is my Mothers Day gift 
                      for you. RENATA SIMONE: By the time David Ho returns, its 
                  after midnight. DAVID HO: Hey. Come in. LINQI ZHANG: Hey, David. Come in. You must be tired, 
                      huh? DAVID HO: Not bad. LINQI ZHANG: Not for this. DAVID HO: It would have been really tiring if the-- 
                     LINQI ZHANG: --the results are terrible. If the 
                      results are terrible, youd be really tired. So not 
                      quantitative yet, but you can see the trend. RENATA SIMONE: They work until 2:00 in the morning. DAVID HO: You know, this antibody, I thought a lot 
                      about it on the plane. It could explain why some people 
                      get really sick and die and others dont. LINQI ZHANG: So this could be another big story. RENATA SIMONE: Tomorrow theyll present the results 
                  to the public. DAVID HO: [press conference] We are certainly 
                      pleased with the result that several of these peptides now 
                      actually protected the cells from SARS virus infection. 
                      So this is not testing in animals, this is not testing in 
                      patients. This is the very first step. And due to the good 
                      work of Richard Kao here, Leo Poon and Linqi himself, they 
                      have been slaving away day and night in the laboratory. 
                      And I think its been a heroic effort, and I would 
                      say that some of the heroes are here in front of you. RENATA SIMONE: David Ho knows that science is a long 
                  and unpredictable journey. If all goes well, they will start 
                  testing the treatment in people later this summer. In Hong Kong, they wait hopefully for relief from the SARS 
                  virus, and with caution for the next virus that comes down the 
                  Pearl River from China. A NATION ON EDGE Reporter JUAN FORERO Producer DOUG HAMILTON Co-Producer/Videographer CASSANDRA HERRMAN Editor ANDREW GERSH Associate Producer ANGEL GONZALEZ Special Thanks UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Produced in association with The New York Times STARRING OSAMA BIN LADEN Reporter ARUN RATH Producer RANEY ARONSON Editor NANCY NOVACK Associate Producer CINDI CREAGER Camera KIRSTEN JOHNSON Additional Camera KATHERINE PATTERSON SUNANDA MUKHERJEE Sound SUMERU MUKHOPADHYAY CHASING THE VIRUS Reporter/Producer RENATA SIMONE Producer RANEY ARONSON Editor STEVE AUDETTE Camera MARK BRICE Associate Producer CINDI CREAGER Assistant Editor  JEREMY SIEFER Additional Research CATHERINE WRIGHT Production Assistant OLGA, WONG YEE SHEUNG FOR FRONTLINE/WORLD Coordinating Producer for KQED RACHEL RANEY Associate Producer SHERAZ SADIQ Business Manager SUZANNE ROMAINE Web Producer ANGELA MORGENSTERN  Web Editors DOUG FOSTER SARA MILES Web Site Design SUSAN HARRIS Additional Web Production EMILY COVEN Promotion ERIN MARTIN KANE CHRIS KELLY Community Engagement BRENT QUAN HALL ELLEN SCHNEIDER, ACTIVE VOICE Interns DAN KRAUSS BRENT MCDONALD Legal ERIC BRASS DAVID MOYCE Satellite Photos SPACE IMAGING Theme Music SUPREME BEINGS OF LEISURE Sound Mix JIM SULLIVAN Post Production Supervisor CHRIS FOURNELLE Post Production Assistant CHETIN CHABUK Online Editor MICHAEL H. AMUNDSON Series Design JOHN MACGIBBON FRONTLINE Coordinating Producer ROBIN PARMELEE FRONTLINE Production Manager TIM MANGINI FRONTLINE Series Manager JIM BRACCIALE KQED VP, TV Station Manager DEANNE HAMILTON Executive in charge for KQED SUE ELLEN MCCANN Executive in charge for WGBH/FRONTLINE SHARON TILLER Series Editor STEPHEN TALBOT Executive Producer DAVID FANNING (c) 2003 WGBH AND KQED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FRONTLINE/WORLD IS A CO-PRODUCTION OF WGBH BOSTON AND KQED 
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