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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Vice President Visits Middle East; Operation Anaconda Draws to Close
Aired March 18, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: the U.S. tries to put out the fire in the Middle East. Daunting objectives for Vice President Cheney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To end the terror and violence, to build confidence between Israelis and Palestinians, that peace is not only possible, but necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Operation Anaconda may be over, but the cobras continue to strike. An exclusive look inside an attack helicopter.
And no let-up for fleeing al Qaeda fighters...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. JOHN ROSA, DEP. OPERATIONS DIR, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: The enemy resisted and a firefight ensued. Sixteen were killed, one was wounded and another one was detained without injuries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: It was bloody Sunday at a church in Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw the grenades landing three feet away on the floor. And once I realized what was about to happen, I dove away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Heightened security and heightened concern. I'll speak live with Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Maleeha Lodhi.
And Andrea Yates is formally sentenced for the drowning deaths of her children. Is there room for an appeal? I'll ask her lawyer.
Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Vice President Dick Cheney is in Jerusalem at this hour, trying to forge a cease-fire between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And that tops our news alert.
A short while ago, the vice president held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Meanwhile, Israeli troops say an Israeli troop withdrawal from recently reoccupied Palestinian areas has begun in the West Bank town of Beit Jalla. But an outright cease-fire agreement isn't expected for several more days, at the least. We'll have much more on this in a moment.
Operation Anaconda is over, but the hunt for al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan goes on. Despite reports that many of the enemy got away, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks, calls the operation -- quote -- "an unqualified and absolute success."
The Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has set up a special committee to investigate yesterday's deadly grenade attack on a Protestant church in Islamabad. Five people, including an American embassy employee and her daughter, were killed. More than 40 people were injured. The church is about 300 yards from the American embassy. No one has claimed responsibility. We'll have more on this later in the show, including a live interview with the Pakistani ambassador to the United States.
The Pentagon is ending 24-hour fighter jet patrols over New York City. The Pentagon says it will rely on intermittent patrols as well as keeping planes ready to fly within 15 minutes. Twenty-four-hour combat air patrols over the nation's capital will continue.
More now on efforts by the Bush administration to end 18 months of deadly violence in the Middle East. Israeli sources tell CNN a phased Israeli military withdrawal from recently reoccupied Palestinian areas is now under way. And Vice President Dick Cheney is in Jerusalem holding talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is covering all of these developments. He joins us now live -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the vice president resting in his hotel in Jerusalem tonight after three hours of evening dinnertime conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. No cease-fire, but as you noted, some word of progress.
Let's look first at the Israeli troop pullback, beginning at the town of Beit Jalla. U.S. sources telling us, in addition to Israeli sources, that Israeli agreed today to pull back from five areas it had sent troops into over the past two weeks. Three of them in the Bethlehem area. Two in the West Bank area.
Senior U.S. officials saying those withdrawals will begin tonight, part of an Israeli effort to bring about circumstances under which there could be a cease-fire. The Palestinians saying that that is not enough. They want troops to pull back from other territories occupied over the past year and a half. Israel says that should be left for later negotiation.
So, still no cease-fire but some progress, as the vice president is here in Jerusalem overnight. More consultation with the prime minister in the morning. This is exactly what the vice president did not want. He hoped there would be a cease-fire agreement when he hit the ground here in Jerusalem. He did not want to get directly involved in the middle of the negotiations.
Still some mixed signals from the Cheney camp today. Earlier this morning, while in Kuwait City, Mr. Cheney himself said he might be willing to meet with Yasser Arafat if General Zinni thought that would be helpful. Senior U.S. sources telling us tonight a Cheney- Arafat meeting now considered to be most unlikely. Not flatly ruled out, but most unlikely.
In his conversations with the prime minister, we are told, Mr. Cheney urged restraint, urged no more troop deployment. Also urged Mr. Sharon to lift some of the economic restrictions on the Palestinians. And in his public comments today, Vice President Cheney also said that in the view of the White House, Palestinian leader Arafat had still not kept his commitment to make a 100 percent effort to end the violence.
So, Wolf, the vice president here at a very delicate time, at the same time as the president's special envoy, Anthony Zinni. In recent months, some criticism that the Bush administration was not engaged in the Middle East problem. Firm evidence here tonight that the administration is reengaging in a very high-profile way -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, is the likely fact that the vice president is not going to meet with Yasser Arafat -- is that an issue of security and logistics, getting into Ramallah, or getting Arafat someplace else? Or is it a substantive decision, the U.S. simply doesn't think it's important for the vice president to meet with Arafat?
KING: It's a little bit of both. U.S. officials say there would be huge security concerns in such a case. And remember, though, President Bush has drawn a very firm line. He believes Mr. Arafat had too much access to President Clinton in the Clinton administration at times, when he was not keeping his end of agreements.
Mr. Bush has said, stop the violence to every degree that you possibly can. Then you will get a meeting with the president of the United States. They view a meeting with the vice president just the same way. Mr. Cheney said himself if General Zinni thought it would be helpful, he would do it.
But other senior administration officials believe it might actually undermine General Zinni's mission. He's the one here day-to- day for the next several days, and most likely, for the next several weeks. Some think that if Mr. Arafat believed, when push came to shove and he had a problem, he could get the White House on the line. But that would undermine the man on the ground here, General Zinni.
So right now the word is, no meeting. Although we'll have to check in again in the morning to make sure that position holds.
BLITZER: John King in Jerusalem traveling with the vice president, thanks for that report.
Only within the past hour, President Bush spoke about the push to end the fighting between the Israelis and Palestinians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: General Zinni is optimistic that we're making some progress in the Middle East. And the answer to who the vice president ought to meet with or not meet with depends upon General Zinni's recommendations. He's the man on the ground. He is in charge of trying to foster an environment, such that we can get into Tenet, and then eventually get into the Mitchell peace plan.
Our government has laid out a pathway to a peaceful resolution of a very difficult set of problems. And Zinni is over there working hard to get us into that process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Joining us with his assessment on the U.S. effort to broker a cease-fire in the Middle East, Former Congressman Lee Hamilton of Indiana. Lee Hamilton is now the director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Congressman, thanks for joining us. Do you think it's wise for Cheney not to meet with Arafat?
LEE HAMILTON, WOODROW WILSON CENTER: I think you have leave that to the vice president's judgment on the ground. It's very delicate at this point. Those of us that are quite far apart from it cannot make that judgment.
BLITZER: Because, as you know, over these many months since President Bush came to office, he's met several times with Ariel Sharon, but he's refused to meet with Yasser Arafat. Some Palestinians argue that's a big mistake.
HAMILTON: I think it was a mistake for the Bush administration to stand off from the negotiations in the Middle East at such a distance, for so long. They probably felt, I think they did feel that President Clinton got too involved in process. They wanted not to repeat that mistake, if it was a mistake.
But holding back, one has to wonder what could have been accomplished if the president had been heavily engaged in this process for the last several months. Now the parties are adjusting their positions. Israel is adjusting its position, we're adjusting our position. Arafat's adjusting.
And it's quite clear to me that they are beginning to move towards a cease-fire. Will that be struck tomorrow, or a few days from now? I don't know. But there is a gleam of light, here. And all of us have to desperately hope that they succeed in getting that cease-fire.
BLITZER: General Anthony Zinni, the retired U.S. Marine Corps general, the special U.S. envoy has been meeting with Sharon, meeting with Arafat over these past several days. And Vice President Cheney, as you know, met with the Israeli prime minister. A lot of people simply ask this question: can't the United States simply impose a settlement on the Israelis and the Palestinians?
HAMILTON: I think I've heard that suggestion for 20 years or more, that we impose a settlement. I think the answer is still no, we cannot. Or, if we do, it will not be a settlement that will stick. The only kind of settlement that will really stick is if both of the parties here come to a very firm conviction that it is in their interest to reach a cease-fire, and then an agreement.
If the United States simply comes in opposes it, I think there would be a great deal of resentment to that. The frustration we've all felt for these last several months because of this escalating violence brings forward a lot of new suggestions, old suggestions. And imposing a settlement is one of them. I don't think it's the way to go.
BLITZER: And briefly, Congressman, you know Ariel Sharon. You've met with him. You know Yasser Arafat. You've met with him. These two men, so different. Can they ever reach a settlement?
HAMILTON: I would think it's probably not likely, but that's not our judgment to make. We have -- nothing is going to happen without the United States pushing the parties forward. And that's our job. We can't make a judgment about whether Sharon is going to be able to do it or Arafat.
We can all have our personal opinion about that. But it doesn't make any difference, so far as our responsibility is concerned. The United States has to be in there pushing the parties as far as they will go towards a cease-fire, and towards a settlement.
BLITZER: Lee Hamilton, thanks for coming in.
HAMILTON: Thank you.
BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.
And this note: Jordan's King Abdullah talks about the prospects for Middle East peace in a CNN special report this evening with Larry King. Tune in for that, 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
And after more than two weeks of tough fighting in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials today declared that operation, Operation Anaconda, is over. But American forces and their allies continue the search for al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. For details, we go to the Pentagon and our military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. He has the latest -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, initially, U.S. commanders thought it might take two or three days to capture or kill some 200 al Qaeda diehards in the mountains near Gardez and in the Shah-E-Kot Valley. Those estimates turned out to be wrong. They now believe there were more like 1,000 enemy fighters in that territory.
And today, two weeks -- more than two weeks afterwards, the Pentagon finally declared victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSA: Operation Anaconda is complete. But Operation Enduring Freedom and operations in Afghanistan still continue. We still have teams operating in the area looking for any remaining Taliban and al Qaeda, searching caves and other positions they may have occupied. We searched over 30 caves in and around the region so far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: You might call this the mopping up of the mopping-up operation. This video from the U.S. Navy F-18 shows the Operation Anaconda squeeze play. Fleeing al Qaeda are bombed as they try to escape the battle zone. There are multiple explosions here.
But even while declaring success, the Pentagon cannot say how many al Qaeda and Taliban were killed, and how many may have slipped away. Publicly, they won't even give a number. Privately, Pentagon internal estimates still say between 500 and 700 enemy forces were killed in this area. Out of 1,000, that still leaves about 300 or so that are unaccounted for, either in hiding or have slipped out of the area.
Today the Pentagon said that was still a success because those forces were -- quote -- "on the run." But on the run was not one of the goals when this operation was first announced two weeks ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We intend to continue the operation until those al Qaeda and Taliban who remain either surrender or are killed. The choice is theirs. We have ground forces in position to check any large-scale effort to escape.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, when the U.S. does see any of those forces trying to escape, it attacks them, like it did this weekend when a convoy of three vehicles was spotted by U.S. troops and special operations helicopters. They fired warning shots. They say vehicles fired back. Those helicopters landed and destroyed those vehicles. Sixteen people were killed in that operation.
A fourth vehicle that was trailing behind had women and children in it. It was checked out and allowed to proceed, since it did not fire at the helicopters.
Local Afghans are questioning the U.S. claims that there are hundreds dead from this operation, because they've only seen a few dozen bodies. Pentagon officials say that some of the bodies may have been incinerated in the bombing, others may be trapped in caves. Others may be buried in graves. And still others may simply be in remote regions, where they can't account for them at the moment.
The U.S. is sticking by its claim, and says the bottom line is the battle is over, but the war is not -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much for that report.
Meanwhile, U.S. military attack helicopters have played a major role in Operation Anaconda. CNN's Martin Savidge is near the battle zone with an assessment of the campaign and exclusive pictures of a cobra gunship in action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Day 17 in Operation Anaconda has come on an end. It will go down in the history books, at least to date, as the largest military operation in the war in Afghanistan. The cost, though, was 11 coalition lives: eight Americans, three Afghans. And over 70 soldiers were wounded, not to mention thousands of soldiers that rotated in and out of the lower Shah-e-Kot Valley.
In the final hours, we were able to gather some really remarkable footage from a vantage point you perhaps have never seen before. It is the cockpit of an AH1H attack helicopter, otherwise known as a Cobra. This is a high-performance helicopter that's heavily armed, and was very vital in the ongoing military battle that took place in the higher elevation of the mountains, there.
You can see through the eyes of a pilot here, essentially, just overlooking the gunner. How the terrain whizzes by, how they bank and turn. And then eventually you'll see how the missiles are launched. They go very fast. You have to look carefully.
These missiles striking against al Qaeda caves and Taliban targets, mortar positions, just as they have done since the battle began. If you're a soldier on the ground, seeing one of these helicopters fly overhead is very reassuring.
As Operation Anaconda came to a close today, General Tommy Franks, the overall commander of the war in Afghanistan, made the trip from the United States to be here in person to pin five bronze stars on the chests of soldiers who were involved in the very early days and the very heavy fighting of that military operation. These were medals for valor and for meritorious conduct. The general said that he was extremely proud of not only these men, but all the men that participated in Anaconda.
He also pointed out that it was highly successful, but that other missions are being planned already. He has one specific target in mind right now. When asked what it was and when he would strike, he laughed and said he wasn't going to answer that. Martin Savidge, CNN, Bagram, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And for more on the war against terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, please join me at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in the CNN "WAR ROOM." Among my guests, the No. 2 official at the U.S. State Department, Richard Armitage. And Osama bin Laden expert, Roland Jacquard.
And later: Osama bin Laden's half-brother talks about their childhood, their most recent visit together and what he thinks of Osama now. A CNN exclusive on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN." That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
Next, cracking down on child pornography. The FBI announces a major sting operation. Details of Operation Candyman when we return.
Plus, Andrea Yates is sentenced to spend her life behind bars for drowning her kids. Should Yates' doctors also face blame for her actions?
And later...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard what sounded like a fire cracker. You know, it's like, who would flow a fire cracker? And I turned a little bit my head, and I just saw how people were ducking down. And like, you know, there was like shock in the voices of the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Survivors of the church attack in Pakistan recall a day of horror.
And, a crisis in the Catholic Church. Charges of a cover-up, as a sexual abuse scandal grows.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Now checking these stories in today's "Justice Files":
An FBI spokeswoman says there is every reason to hope two teenage girls who disappeared in Oregon City, Oregon, are still alive. She says investigators are making good progress in following up on hundreds of leads. The FBI says it believes Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis were kidnapped, and has launched a nationwide search.
Closing arguments were presented today in the California dog- mauling trial. Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel are charged in the death of their neighbor, Diane Whipple. She was killed by their two dogs in the hallway of their San Francisco apartment building. The judge says the jury should get the case tomorrow.
The FBI today announced arrests in connection with one of the darkest sides of the Internet. A major investigation into child pornography has ended with dozens of people in custody, including those generally viewed as upstanding citizens. CNN's Jonathan Aiken has more on Operation Candyman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Candyman was a Yahoo! chat room for people who like child pornography.
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: There, in e-groups, hidden in the vastness of the Internet, innocent boys and girls have been targeted by offenders who view them as sexual objects.
AIKEN: Since January of 2001, the FBI's Houston office, assisted by Yahoo!, has tracked Candyman subscribers, arrested more than 89 people in 20 states, and closed the Web site.
Those arrested in this sweep include people in positions of authority or respect. Members of the clergy, among them, two Roman Catholic priests. A teacher's aide, a school bus driver, members of law enforcement and a foster parent. And some of those arrested were doing more than just trading child pornography. Twenty-seven admitted to molesting more than 36 children.
Operation Candyman is only one high-profile effort to unplug the Internet connection to child porn. Another crackdown netted 10 arrests in the U.S. and Canada, involving a group of adults who allegedly met on-line, a group authorities dubbed "the spanking club."
RAYMOND SMITH, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE INSPECTOR: This is the brutal, sadistic, sadomasochistic spanking of children -- very young children, as young as 4 years of age. They were then trafficking videotapes which depicted this brutal beating through the mail.
AIKEN: The U.S. Customs Service estimates as many as 100,000 child porn sites operate on the Web worldwide. Casting a net over a sea that large is tough.
(on camera): Federal officials admit that some resources dedicated to hunting down child porn had been diverted in the wake of the September 11th attacks. And not all of the investigators have returned to their previous jobs. Jonathan Aiken for CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And turning now to the Andrea Yates case. Last Friday a jury recommended life in prison for the Texas mother who drowned her five children. A judge made that sentence official today in a Houston courtroom. Yates will be eligible for parole in 40 years. Her husband, Russell, and members of her family, were not in court for today's proceedings. After the sentencing one of Yates' attorneys said he'll file an appeal.
To talk more about what's ahead for Andrea Yates, we turn to a member of her legal team. Attorney George Parnham joins us live from Houston. Mr. Parnham, thanks for joining us. What will be the basis of your appeal?
GEORGE PARNHAM, ANDREA YATES' ATTORNEY: A number of points, Wolf. Primarily, there was testimony from the expert witness called by state, relative to the existence of a "Law and Order" episode that, according to this expert, depicted, prior to Andrea's drowning her children, a woman suffering from postpartum depression who drowned her children in the bathtub, pleads not guilty by reason of insanity and is acquitted by a jury and walks out of the courtroom.
After the testimony of this particular expert, we determined that such an episode never existed. And the prosecutor, in cross-examining not only our experts, but in summation, highlighted this particular episode as a blueprint for Andrea Yates to do what she did to get out of a trapped marriage. It just didn't happen.
BLITZER: You know, you obviously failed in convincing the 12 members of the jury against convicting her in the drowning of her five children. You also failed to convince the American public. Look at the latest CNN "TIME" magazine poll. We'll put in up on the screen. Was the verdict in the Andrea Yates case correct? Seventy-one percent agreed with the verdict. Only 22 percent disagree.
Looking back, what do you think the biggest mistake you made, in failing to convince the jury and indeed the American public, of your side of the story?
PARNHAM: Wolf, I don't think we made any mistake. I think what we're dealing with is a horrific fact situation that is basically unspeakable and so descriptive that it was extremely difficult to get beyond the facts of the drownings themselves, and to talk about a subjective issue relative to a woman's mental health status and postpartum depression psychosis and schizophrenia.
That simply is not an excuse that was borne by the medical testimony presented during four weeks of trial. The fact of the matter is, I would assume that the poll simply reinforces my belief that the public does not understand issues of women's mental health, specifically. And hopefully this case will be a spring board into a better education, not only of the public, but also of women's mental health practitioners in the mental health community, and the law and lawyers and judges in general.
BLITZER: Mr. Parnham, you probably saw the interview that Karen Kennedy, Andrea Yates' mother, gave this morning on "Good Morning America," in which she seemed to suggest that Russell Yates should bear some of the responsibility for what happened. I want you to listen to this excerpt from that interview.
PARNHAM: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN KENNEDY, ANDREA YATES' MOTHER: When they came to my house, that was the first time I told Rusty Luke needed changing. He said, "well, that'd be a first. I have never changed a diaper before." And that was the fourth child.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you think of that?
KENNEDY: I was horrified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What does that comment say about Russell Yates and his responsibility, if anything, in these tragic deaths.
PARNHAM: Wolf, there is no question but that five innocent, precious children, who lost their lives at the hands of their mother, is so complicated, there is so much responsibility to go around. Certainly the medical community bears a certain responsibility, the family members, the husband.
Rusty should have seen indicators which would tell an individual that, you know, something tragic may happen. My wife is so sick. Russell Yates is not a doctor, neither are members of his family or Andrea's family. They rely upon competent medical advice in order to get medical help for Andrea. We know, for instance, that she went to a psychiatrist two days before the drownings.
BLITZER: George Parnham, unfortunately we have to leave it right there. Thanks so much for joining us.
PARNHAM: Sure, thank you very much.
BLITZER: Thank you. We appreciate it.
So how does Russell Yates feel about all of this? Tonight you'll find out. He'll be on "LARRY KING LIVE." Hear what he has to say about the trial and what he's planning on doing next with his life. That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific.
And our Web question of the day is this: Is Russell Yates correct in blaming the medical community for his wife's actions? You can vote at my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, let me know what you're thinking. There's a "click here" icon on the left side of the page. Send me your comments. I'll read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, by the way, where you can read my daily on-line column, at cnn.com/wolf.
And, are your children's prescription drugs safe? Will a new move by the U.S. government put your kids at risk? A prognosis when our program returns.
And later, trouble at the church. We'll look at the widening sexual abuse scandal involving Catholic priests and children.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
The Food and Drug Administration is causing outrage among some pediatricians. CNN has learned the FDA is suspending a rule requiring that drug companies study their products intended for children.
Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is covering this story. She joins us now live -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, you definitely have strong sides on both sides of this issue -- or strong views, rather. Some pediatricians say suspending this rule would basically be detrimental to children's health. But other free-market advocates, some drug companies, even other physicians and surgeons believe the cost of this new rule really outweigh the benefit.
Now, CNN obtained these court records filed by the FDA this afternoon in which the FDA announces it wants to suspend the rule for two years to determine if it is still needed. Well, Democratic lawmakers are already speaking out. Three of them sent a letter to President Bush urging him to encourage the FDA to reverse course, writing -- quote -- "This rule assures that new medications vital for children's health are studied, so that essential safety and dosing information is made available."
But what the FDA is telling us is that there is a new law, a law that was passed and signed by the president in January, which gives financial incentives to drug companies to carry out these tests and studies to see if pediatric drugs are safe and effective. The incentives include the exclusive right to market a drug for six months. What the FDA wants to do is see if the mandatory requirement to test is needed.
Well, some of the groups which sued the FDA, including the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, is calling on the FDA not to suspend the rule, but to completely get rid of it, arguing that it increases the cost of drugs, that it delays the entry of new drugs into the marketplace, and that by testing children, in essence, you are using children as -- quote -- "guinea pigs."
But, as I said, Wolf, to show you the strong sides on the issue, when I mentioned that argument to a pediatrician, he said one of the most dangerous things to do for children is to treat them as an uncontrolled experiment. And that's basically what you will do if you are giving them medications without being tested.
Now, as for the White House, we have put out calls. The administration officials are looking into it -- so far, though, no comment from the White House -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelly Wallace at the White House, thank you very much.
And let's get some more on all of this. For some of the implications of the decision by the FDA, let's turn to our medical correspondent, Rhonda Rowland. She is at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
Rhonda, first of all, the original act, why was it created?
RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that original act that was created in 1998 was put in place to ensure that infants and children have the same protections that adults have had during the previous 35 years.
It was to ensure that there is appropriate labeling information on the drugs so doctors know the correct dosages to give to children and what the potential side effects are. And we have heard this time and again: that children are not miniature adults and that drugs do not act the same in children as adults. So it was to give the doctors this important information.
BLITZER: Now, I know you have been in touch with pediatricians. How are they reacting to this decision?
ROWLAND: Well, I spoke with Dr. Ralph Kauffman, who is a pediatrician and a pharmacologist in Kansas City, Missouri. And he is representing the American Academy of Pediatrics.
And he said that this rule was a major step forward and that it was really important to have these two components, where the companies had the financial incentives and also the pediatric rule, that this really benefited children, so that he really feels that some components of this need to be in place.
Now, he also said he did not look at this latest document, so he doesn't know what the FDA is planning. And he hopes that the FDA does have plans to do the right thing.
BLITZER: Rhonda Rowland, thanks for that insight, appreciate it very much.
And when we come back, Al Gore has new look -- again. We'll have that video a little bit later.
But next: Should the Catholic Church reexamine some of its rules? A closer look at the controversy right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Earlier we asked: "What is the largest Catholic archdiocese in the United States: New York, Boston, Los Angeles or Chicago?" The answer is Los Angeles.
And new allegations are surfacing in the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal. A Connecticut newspaper reports New York Cardinal Edward Egan allowed some priests to continue their duties after they were accused. According to the "Hartford Courant," Egan was slow to suspend or remove accused priests when he led the Connecticut diocese. The article cites court documents from settled lawsuits that are now sealed. The records reportedly show some priests facing sex complaints were transferred to new parishes and at least one priest was defrocked. Egan has not commented on the newspaper report.
A poll shows that most people are not happy with the way church leaders across the nation are handling the crisis. In a CNN/"TIME" poll released Friday, 64 percent say they believe the church has reacted poorly.
The Catholic hierarchy in Boston, meanwhile, is insisting neither it nor anyone else in authority is rethinking priestly celibacy. But the Boston Catholic newspaper suggests many thousands of laypeople are. And their questions, the paper says, will not disappear.
Our Boston bureau chief, Bill Delaney, joins us now live.
What is going on in Boston and the area where you live and report on, Bill?
BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Wolf, I can tell you one thing about that newspaper, "The Pilot": It certainly disappeared. They usually print about 20,000 copies of that newspaper, then distribute it in churches over the weekend. They printed 100,000 copies last week. And all the copies were gone by the time people were going to mass this Sunday: a gauge of the interest in all this here.
And, Wolf, it just keeps coming at us here in Boston. The ante just seems to keep going up. There is no end in sight to all this. Tomorrow, the Catholic Church will turn over to the attorney general of Massachusetts more information on alleged victims of priestly sexual abuse than ever before: more detail on dates and times and circumstances.
Several weeks ago, the church had handed over the names of more than 90 priests accused in church records of sexual misconduct with the young over the past 50 years. But the attorney general wanted more information. He's going to get it. And certainly district attorneys around here are considering future prosecutions -- many dozens of civil suits to come and possibly criminal prosecutions.
As I said, Wolf, no end in sight here in Boston.
BLITZER: And, as you know, one of the problems in Boston is that the cardinal, Bernard Law, he's coming under increasing criticism.
Earlier this morning on CNN "AMERICAN MORNING," Bill Bennett, a devout Catholic, the head of Empower America, a conservative thinker, was asked about the future of Bernard Law by our own Fredricka Whitfield. I want you to listen to this exchange.
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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you've known Boston's Cardinal Law for years. As a devout Catholic, what would be your recommendation to him?
BILL BENNETT, EMPOWER AMERICA: Well, I think he should step down. I do think that several of the actions he's taken lately are appropriate. But the church, Cardinal Law in particular and the church in the United States in general, has been slow to react and I don't think they appreciate just how angry and upset Catholics are about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What's the reaction. I know that he's been under a lot of criticism, Cardinal Law. What's he saying?
DELANEY: Well, the cardinal is saying very much, Wolf, that he believes he should stay, that he knows more about this than anyone and can help heal the situation better than anyone, he says repeatedly when the subject is raised with him of resignation. Now, in all polls, the strong majority of Catholics, the two million Catholics in Boston, say they believe the cardinal should resign. Last week, "The Boston Herald," which is sort of the working- class, blue-collar tabloid newspaper here, called for his resignation, that in itself a very important development.
And now you are even hearing speculation that eventually there could be criminal prosecutions against the archbishop based on his failure to act before or after a felony, the felony of child abuse. We are not there yet with that, but the very fact that it's being talked about, Wolf, says a lot.
BLITZER: Bill Delaney in Boston, thank you very much for that update.
And when we come back: two Americans killed, several injured in an attack on a church in Pakistan. We'll hear from those who survived. And some say the attack was an attempt to drive a wedge between the two nations. We'll ask Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Maleeha Lodhi, about that when we come back.
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BLITZER: Welcome back.
A special committee is investigating the grenade attack that killed five people, including two Americans, at a church in Pakistan yesterday. A U.S. Embassy employee and her 17-year-old daughter are among the dead.
CNN Islamabad bureau chief Ash-har Quraishi talked with some of the American survivors.
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ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six-month-old Johann (ph) is lucky to be alive. He was in his mother's lap at the front of the church when the attackers entered.
GABRIELA (ph), ATTACK SURVIVOR: I heard what sounded like a firecracker, you know, it is like, who would throw a firecracker? And then I -- I turned a little bit, my head, and I just saw how people were kind of ducking down, and there was like shock in the voices of the people, not loud screams, I didn't hear that, but like I realized -- man, there is something serious going on.
QURAISHI: Moments later, the first explosion.
JOHN BARSTAD, ATTACK SURVIVOR: Right after I heard the first one, I put them on the floor, and went on top of them. And then, there was another explosion.
QURAISHI: The bones in Gabriela's arm shattered when a grenade exploded near her. She believes her arm is the reason Johann escaped with only minor scratches. John, who is originally from California, says that despite what happened, his feelings about living in Pakistan have not changed.
BARSTAD: There is quite a lot of anti-American or anti-foreign -- what should I say -- responses, but that's not by the majority. That's only a minority here, and we have so many neighbors and friends that are out to protect us.
QURAISHI: While most of the children were in other rooms, some, like 3-year-old Ian (ph), saw the attacks as they took place. His mother was injured just before his eyes. His father now tries to comfort him.
On our way to the hospital, he was saying, They did it on purpose, Daddy, they did it on purpose. I mean, he had some awareness of what had happened and was quite -- just couldn't believe that anyone would do that.
QURAISHI (on camera): The fact that this attack occurred in what is considered to be one of the safest areas in Pakistan has many worried here. President Pervez Musharraf has ordered tightened security around diplomatic missions and churches around the country.
Ash-har Quraishi, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The Protestant International Church, the target of the attack, is about 300 yards from the U.S. Embassy. Churches and diplomatic missions throughout Pakistan are now beefing up with security.
Maleeha Lodhi is Pakistan's ambassador to the United States. She joins me now live.
Ambassador, thanks for joining us.
I have been to that U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. Does this mean that churches now are going to have to have those barbed-wire fences, the kind of security that exists at the embassy?
MALEEHA LODHI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR: Well, first of all, let me express our profoundest sorrow and grief over the loss of life in this wanton, mindless act of violence.
I also want to you know that the president has ordered a high- level probe into the incident. He's ordered a special investigative unit to be set up to look into what happened. And he's also ordered a fresh review of internal security arrangements, which will mean enhanced security around a lot of installations, including places of worship.
As you know, in the last several weeks, we have also seen some sectarian violence erupt in Pakistan. And this sectarian violence has also seen our authorities take enhanced security measures to ensure that places of worship are free from these acts of violence.
BLITZER: Do Pakistani law enforcement security services know who is responsible for this grenade attack?
LODHI: Well, the investigations are under way. And we are looking into every possibility. We are not ruling anything out.
But I think, until we are able to track down who did this, it would be hard for me to say which way the evidence is pointing so far. I think the important issue here is that whoever this was was trying to send us a message and we, the government of Pakistan, will not be deterred by any messages by people who use violence and use such terrorist attacks against innocent people, and that, too, in a house of worship.
We are unwavering in our backing against terrorism. We will stay the course. We will ensure that whoever carried this out will be brought to justice.
BLITZER: As you know, there's a lot of speculation that the fifth person who was killed may have been the suicide bomber himself -- or herself, for that matter. We heard your minister of the interior tell me that yesterday on "LATE EDITION." Is that the conclusion that you are increasingly drawing?
LODHI: Well, as I said, until the investigation is concluded, it would be merely speculation on my part to say who the fifth one was.
There has been the question of whether there was a suicide bomber or somebody who threw these hand grenades was prepared to get killed himself. But we will not know until the investigation is concluded. And I think one of the things that we need to step back and think about is that, today, as we fight this evil, no nation, no state, no country is invulnerable to attacks of this kind.
And I think what we continue to need to do -- which is why our two presidents have been in touch, which is why Secretary Powell spoke earlier today to President Musharraf, and so did President Bush -- the important thing is for us to continue the cooperation that we have to fight this modern-day evil.
BLITZER: So, your bottom line is that President Musharraf, the leader of Pakistan, will not be deterred and will continue to work, support the U.S. in the war on terrorism.
LODHI: We will continue to do this because we believe it's in our national interests and we also believe it's the right thing to do.
BLITZER: Ambassador Lodhi, thanks for joining us, as usual. Appreciate it very much.
And fatal flooding in the Southeast -- we'll have the full story in two minutes. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Now checking these stories on today's "Newswire": In Tennessee, at least four people died and more than 100 were evacuated after heavy rain caused rivers to spill out over their banks. The National Weather Service posted flood warnings from the Mississippi River to the mountains. An area near the Great Smoky Mountains was among the hardest hit.
Also from Tennessee: Tipper Gore says she won't run for the Senate. She had been considering seeking the seat being vacated by Republican Senator Fred Thompson and once held by her husband, the former vice president, Al Gore. Ms. Gore said she gave the idea serious consideration, but decided it's not right for her to run, not right right now.
And Tipper Gore's husband is back in the news as well, this time for shaving his beard. Al Gore grew it after his razor-thin loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential race. Political pundits are now speculating whether shaving the beard is a sign of his intentions for the 2004 race. Gore's spokesman says the change was a symbolic way of supporting his wife if she wanted a new start in politics.
She doesn't, so maybe he can grow back that beard right now.
Let's go to New York and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much.
Vice President Cheney in the Middle East negotiating a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians -- we'll have a live report for you from Jerusalem. A mixed market on Wall Street today -- we'll be telling you all about that. The indictment of Andersen means there could be just four major accounting firms in this country, one of those Pricewaterhouse. The CEO is my guest tonight. We'll have a special report for you on people in power and the very public mistakes they sometimes make. And we'll take a look at the effect information overload is having on the public -- all of that and more coming up at the top of the hour.
Please join us -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou. We'll be watching.
And your turn is next. We'll hear from you: your e-mails coming up right after this break.
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BLITZER: Our "Web Question of the Day": "Is Russell Yates correct in blaming the medical community for his wife's actions?" Seventy-five percent of you say no, he's not correct. Only 25 percent say yes, he is correct in blaming the medical community. Remember, you can still vote: CNN.com/Wolf. And while you're there, let me know what you are thinking. There's a "Click Here" icon on the left side of the page.
And time now to hear from you. Barbara writes this: "I don't understand why you insist on getting answers to whether our country will attack Saddam Hussein and when. This is not necessary for the public to know beforehand." Roger says: "I was glad to see Canadian troops' participation in Afghanistan. The majority of Canadians are proud of our young men and women fighting for freedom alongside our big brother."
Rabbi Mark Zimmerman writes: "How can we be so resolute about rooting out al Qaeda while accommodating Arafat? Terror is terror. We cannot condemn and fight terror in Afghanistan and, at the same time, expect Israel to capitulate and endure incessant attacks on its citizens."
But Lyle disagrees: "The only way to achieve peace in the Middle East is for Israel to give back the land it has illegally occupied since 1967. This land does not belong to the Israelis and should be given back."
I'll be back here in one hour in the CNN "War Room." How close is the U.S. to striking Iraq? Among my guests: the No. 2 official at the State Department, Richard Armitage, and Osama bin Laden expert Roland Jacquard.
Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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