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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Authorities Race to Find Runnion's Killer; At Least Three Killed, 40 Wounded in Tel Aviv Suicide Bombing; Inside the International Spy Museum

Aired July 17, 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.
KATE SNOW, GUEST HOST: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: The worst news possible in the case of a kidnapped California girl. Now a race to find the killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF MIKE CARONA, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: We believe he has -- that he is a serial rapist and perhaps a serial killer and will strike again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Are you picking up the tab for soldiers' trips to strip clubs?

Golden Gate on guard: Has al Qaeda been scouting California's bridges, ferries and theme parks? I'll ask Governor Gray Davis.

And from secret radios to hidden cameras to the "kiss of death" lipstick, we'll take you on a cloak-and-dagger field trip inside the new Spy Museum.

It's Wednesday, July 17, 2002. I'm Kate Snow in Washington. Wolf Blitzer is off tonight.

We begin with breaking news, another deadly attack against Israel, this one in Tel Aviv, apparently the work of two suicide bombers. We're going to go live now to CNN's John Vause. He is in Tel Aviv at the scene.

And John, the first person there for CNN, tell us what you know now.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello Kate. Good evening from Tel Aviv, the scene of the first suicide bombing here within the green line, the first suicide bombing, the first terror attack in almost a month. We had that terror attack on a commuter bus on the West Bank. This, as I said, the first attack within the green line in almost a month here in Israel.

What we know at this stage -- we're being told by police that at least three people have been killed, as many as 40 have been wounded by two separate blasts from suicide bombers. We're told the blasts happened simultaneously within about 50 feet of one another. The suicide bombers walked on the pedestrian sidewalk behind me. This is the old central bus station here in Tel Aviv. Those blasts went off simultaneously. Happened around 10:15 local time.

Now, this is a holiday, a religious holiday here in Israel. Many of the facilities here were closed. Many of the entertainment facilities were closed. It's a day of fasting, a religious holiday.

Now, the police have, in fact, set up roadblocks around Tel Aviv. They are looking for the people who may have, in fact, brought the suicide bombers to this particular location.

Now, this suicide bombing, we are told, has already been condemned by the Palestinian authority. The cabinet secretary has said that these attacks on Israeli citizens do not serve Palestinian causes. They were his words. He also said that the attacks should be reserved for soldiers and settlers. Many people in Israel believe those are very inappropriate words so soon after such a terrorist attack here in Tel Aviv.

This latest blast the scene of some chaos here, still -- the situation still developing here. There are helicopters in the air. The police are still searching the scene. There is some concern that there may, in fact, be more explosives still on the scene. The bomb squad has been around this area, checking it for other bombs and more explosive devices. It's not uncommon for at least -- after one initial blast, for other blasts to take place.

But Kate, the situation still developing, but what we know at this stage, just to recap, at least three people dead, as many as 40 wounded in this latest terrorist attack in Israel -- Kate.

SNOW: John, give us a sense of the area there. How many people would have been out on the street at this hour of the night? I know there was a bombing there back in January.

VAUSE: This is, in fact, what's described as a working-class area of Tel Aviv. It's a very warm and balmy night here in Tel Aviv. People would have been out, except for the fact this was, in fact, a religious festival, as I said, a day of fasting. So many of the shops, many of the cinemas that would have been open on a normal night were, in fact, closed.

But what we are being told is that there is some indication that many of the wounded may have, in fact, been migrant workers out for a night. Still waiting for more confirmation on those particular details, but we understand a very large Rumanian community in this part of Tel Aviv. But this blast, the death toll now standing at 3, plus another 2 from the suicide bombers themselves. But this blast could have, in fact, been a lot higher had this not been a night of fasting, a religious holiday here in Israel, Kate.

So three dead, 40 wounded in what is a working-class suburb of Tel Aviv.

SNOW: John Vause on the scene there in Tel Aviv. Thanks for being with us.

The White House is monitoring the situation in Tel Aviv. It calls today's attack "a despicable act of terrorism." Stay with us, obviously, this hour for updates on this story throughout.

Meantime, in other news of potential terrorism, suspects linked to al Qaeda are arrested in Spain with videotapes of California landmarks. Mysterious men reportedly videotaped Bay area ferries, as well, and timed their routes, according to reports. Is the Golden State being targeted by terrorists?

Joining us from Sacramento, California, is California governor Gray Davis. Mr. Governor, thanks for being with us.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: You're welcome Kate.

SNOW: With this news out of Israel, it's obviously got everyone on alert to the dangers, as if we weren't alert already. What is your state doing, in light of the news there might have been videotapes made of some of these key landmarks in California?

DAVIS: Well, as you know, I've long believed the Golden Gate Bridge was a target. We've had the National Guard stationed on there for many, many months. We increased security by deploying even more Highway Patrol officers to that facility, and we've been in touch with both Universal Studios and Disneyland, indicating a willingness to work with local law enforcement to help them provide additional security.

You may recall that Attorney General Ashcroft called me shortly after September 11 and said there may be a potential attack in the upcoming weekend on the studios, so we've worked with the studios before. We have a plan in place, and we're following it.

SNOW: These are -- this is where tourists go, where visitors go all the time. What do you do to make sure people still feel safe going there?

DAVIS: It's our job to work with the FBI and Homeland Security and local law enforcement to keep them safe and to tell them, "Go on with your lives." The odds of something happening are very remote. Thank God, there's been no real terrorist incident in this state. Thanks also to the good work of local, state and federal law enforcement. So it's our job to respond to these threats. We have to err on the side of caution, but we have a plan in place, and we believe it's working.

SNOW: We're seeing some pictures there of Disneyland. Do they -- I imagine they have an enormous security staff that's always operating.

DAVIS: Yes, Disneyland and Universal are very professional, as are the other studios. They have a lot of security -- private security. They work closely with local law enforcement, and we simply provide an additional circle of security when we compliment that with the California Highway Patrol. SNOW: Governor, you mentioned the Bay Bridge. You were criticized a while back when you came out with very publicly some information that people should be concerned, dangers, perhaps, on California bridges. There were others who said you shouldn't have made that -- those remarks. How do you balance that? How do you figure out how much information is perhaps too much to give to the public?

DAVIS: Well, I would do that again Kate. I mean, I'm going to tell people if there is a threat -- which, at the time, FBI Director Mueller thought was creditable, because I talked to him personally, and which was very time-specific, November 2 to November 7 -- to let people know this threat exists, "Here are the following precautions we've taken. We have the National Guard there. We have Highway Patrol there. We're working with the Coast Guard. They've increased their presence. So we believe it is perfectly safe, but you, Mr. and Mrs. Citizen of California, you make your choice. Either take the bridge, take the ferry, telecommute, drive to work some other way," give people options. And most of the people I met said they were pleased to know that they had options and pleased to know that I was treating them like adults.

SNOW: Governor, just quickly, are you more concerned or less concerned now than you were the last time, back in November?

DAVIS: Well, I don't know how you can compare them, but I think you always have to be on guard and vigilant. We have a plan in place. It's working. And I just want Californians to go on with their lives because we believe the security we have here now is working. We're getting better every day. And while we have to be vigilant, they should go about their lives and enjoy themselves.

SNOW: Governor Gray Davis of California, thanks for being with us tonight. Appreciate it.

DAVIS: Thank you Kate.

SNOW: Now to another big story, the ending no one wanted in the case of a kidnapped California girl. The body of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion has been positively identified after being found late yesterday in the mountains, 75 miles from her home. And visibly-moved law enforcement officials are vowing to catch her killer.

CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley is covering that story in Stanton, near southeast Los Angeles. Frank, what's the latest?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, just a terrible day here in southern California, with the confirmation that the body found yesterday about 75 miles from this location in Riverside County was, in fact, the body of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion. Investigators say she was sexually assaulted. They don't have a definitive cause of death yet. The autopsy's still under way. We expect to hear more on that later in the day.

Investigators also describe this suspect as a serial rapist, perhaps a serial killer. That's based on FBI profiles of the abductor and also the way in which the little girl's body was discarded, with no apparent attempt to conceal it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD GARCIA, FBI: The way the body was found, the fact that it was not buried, not hidden and such, and how it was left, is also almost like a calling card, like a challenge. "I'm here, and I'm coming back again."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Investigators describe the suspect as a Hispanic male, 25 to 40 years old, with slicked-back hair and a mustache. He may be driving a light green Acura or a Honda. Investigators also saying that they believe someone in the public knows this suspect, and they're asking people to be on the lookout for those who have changed their behavior in recent days. Maybe this person isn't driving their car. Maybe there's an unusual interest in this case. Whatever it might be, they're hoping that someone will come forward with information -- Kate.

SNOW: CNN's Frank Buckley, thanks.

For more on the manhunt under way for Samantha's killer, we're now joined by Orange County, California, Sheriff Mike Carona. Sheriff, thanks for joining us.

SHERIFF MIKE CARONA, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: My pleasure.

SNOW: We just heard that report. Why do you think -- why are you so sure that this man may strike again?

CARONA: We have been working on this case very closely with the FBI. Their profiling section out of Washington, D.C., worked through the night, looked at the forensic evidence that we had at the crime scene, and based upon that, they believe that we had a serial sexual offender and perhaps a serial killer. Those type of individuals, with their profiling, generally strike again, and so we wanted to make sure we got that word out to the community very quickly.

SNOW: What is it about the profile? Did it have to do with the way the body was found?

CARONA: Yes, ma'am. It had to do with not only the way the body was found, but other forensic evidence that we were able to pick up at the crime scene, all of which we took digital photos of throughout the night, and continuously downloaded those to the profiling section in Washington, D.C., of the FBI. Based upon all that information, they believe that this individual has a pattern of behavior that would allow him to continue to do this, and he would probably do it in the relatively near future.

SNOW: How close are you, do you think, to finding him, to being anywhere near him? Have you had any indications, any sightings at all, any clues?

CARONA: We have a lot of clues. Well, one thing that we're very appreciative of, the media was out here very, very quickly. We were able to put out a CARE (ph) alert to notify not only our community but the nation. We've got a lot of information that has come from citizens throughout Orange County and outside of Orange County. In addition to that, once we found the body yesterday afternoon, we have picked up a tremendous amount of physical evidence at the crime scene, as well as from Samantha. And we believe in relatively short order that we're at least going to have the identity of the suspect. And we'll bring him to -- we'll bring him to justice.

SNOW: Our understanding is she did struggle when this man approached her. I wonder if you have any advice for parents, especially in your area. I'm sure they're scared to death. What do you tell them to tell their kids, particularly children of that age? Should they struggle? Should they be taught physical self-defense?

CARONA: Kate, it's the age-old lessons that we, as parents, have been teaching our children. If a stranger comes up to you, don't get in the car with him. Don't go with him. And if, in fact, you are grabbed, yell, scream, fight, do everything you possibly can. And while Samantha struggled valiantly to get away from her abductor, unfortunately, it was to no avail. But that -- those are the lessons we want to teach our children. And yes, they do need to fight back when a stranger invades their territory.

SNOW: I noticed you were very emotional about this today, Sheriff. You seem like you have a really personal connection to this. You're a father yourself.

CARONA: Well, I'm a father, and I'm the chief law enforcement officer for this county. The emotions run deep. As a father, I'm devastated by what's taken place and having to deal with Samantha's family. As a cop, I'm sickened. And there's not much I can do to bring Samantha back. I can't put my arms around her family, but I can make sure that her killer is brought to justice, and I'll do that.

SNOW: Sheriff Michael Carona of Orange County, California. Appreciate your time tonight. Good luck.

What do you think about -- what do you think about teaching children physical defense? We just talked about that. Our Web question of the day: Should all children be trained in self-defense? You can vote at CNN.com/wolf.

And while you're there, let us know what you're thinking. Send us your comments, and we'll read some of them each day on the air. Also, read our daily on-line column at CNN.com/wolf.

The FBI's top counterterrorism chief says Osama bin Laden is dead. Plus, a mishap in Texas, a Stealth fighter with an accidental target. And we'll leap into the world of secret agents with a live visit to the Spy Museum to find out all the tricks of the trade.

First today's news quiz. Which famous chef was once a spy, Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, Justin Wilson, the Cajun cook, or Mrs. Fields of cookie fame? The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: There's new speculation about the fate of Osama bin Laden. While a recent report in a London-based Arabic magazine suggested the al Qaeda leader remains alive, the FBI's top counterterrorism official is taking a different view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE WATSON, EXEC. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI: Is UBL alive, or is he dead? I'm not real sure of the answer, is he alive or dead. I personally think he's probably not with us anymore, but I have no evidence to support that.

SNOW: Meantime, members of the House Terrorism Subcommittee say U.S. intelligence agencies should have done a better job of penetrating the al Qaeda network before September 11. But in a report released today, they also say it's unlikely that the attacks could have been prevented, and they say disciplinary action would be inappropriate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JANE HARMON (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I don't believe there's anyone out there who withheld information about a prospective 9/11 attack. There are no clues that lead there. Playing the blame game, calling for heads to roll demoralizes good people who need to be spending all of their time 24/7 looking for the next clues. And what we think this report sets up is a work document for reforms in the systems, so that next time we reduce the odds of missing the clues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Among other recommendations, the committee report says U.S. intelligence agencies should have made more use of both technology and traditional spy networks. It also says the agencies need to recruit more linguists capable of translating terrorist communications.

The Postal Service is opting out of a controversial new Justice Department program we first told you about yesterday. Operation TIPS encourages American workers who come in contact with the public to report suspicious activity they see while they're doing their job. Critics say it amounts to spying. In a statement today, the Postal Service said its letter carriers, quote, "would not be participating at this time."

In Texas, new developments in a case a district attorney is calling the work of a serial killer. Former nurse Vickie Dawn Jackson is already charged with killing four patients. The district attorney says Jackson is likely to be charged in the deaths of at least six other people. Jackson was taken into custody yesterday, after being indicted by a grand jury.

CNN's David Mattingly has more on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was a north Texas nurse working the late shift, on the payroll for less than a year at the tiny 38-bed Nocona General Hospital. But authorities now fear that Vickie Dawn Jackson may have killed or injured more than 20 patients in her care, secretly injecting them with a deadly overdose of the muscle relaxer mivacuriam chloride.

TIM COLE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The experts that we consulted looked at the medical records and told us that there was no medical explanation for those deaths. So that's why those particular victims were exhumed, and that's why I expect that the other six will show the same results.

MATTINGLY: Last year, authorities exhumed 10 bodies -- 4 so far test positive for the muscle relaxer. The other 6, including a 14- year-old girl, are still being tested at an FBI lab in Washington, as anxious families wait.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to know that my grandfather went, you know, naturally when it was his time to go.

MATTINGLY (on camera): One of Jackson's alleged victims, her husband's own grandfather. Indictments so far account for just 4 victims, but authorities say 6 more could soon follow, all of them carrying a possible death penalty.

David Mattingly, CNN, Montague, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: We want to update you on a story that first made news last year. It's about a 9-year-old Texas girl who was locked in a filthy closet and nearly starved to death. Yesterday she was officially adopted by a couple who had tried to adopt her at birth but the girl's mother changed her mind. The birth mother is now serving a life sentence. The stepfather goes on trial in September. The new parents say that the girl, who you see there, is now happy and doing very well.

Taxpayers are footing the bill for more than they may know, soldiers using government credit cards at strip clubs. Find out how they got busted and who's going to pay. Plus, no girls at the golf course? Tiger Woods says that's just the way it is. But a lot of women are seeing green. The controversy over equal access still to come.

Plus, are working moms hurting their children's intellectual development? A new study says their kids may fall behind. We'll take your questions on that. You can call us now. The number -- 1-888- CNN-0561.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Welcome back. I'm Kate Snow. Wolf Blitzer is off tonight. Going back now to some breaking news that we've been covering. In Tel Aviv, Israel, another suicide bombing. This one looks to be the work of two suicide bombers.

We go now to John Vause, who's in Tel Aviv on the scene -- John.

VAUSE: Kate, the suicide bombings took place just behind me here, in this pedestrian sidewalk area, two suicide bombings which detonated pretty much simultaneously.

Now, for more details on this, I want to bring in the Israeli police spokesman, Gil Kleiman.

Gil, tell us, what do we know at this stage. What is the death toll? Where does it stand?

GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: Well, what we know now is about 10:20 our time, two suicide bombers approached the convenience store which you see in back of you and blew themselves up in tandem at a distance of about 30 meters, one from the other. As a result of that, we have three civilians dead, three victims, and the two suicide bombers. Most of the bodies have already been taken out of the scene. Of course, the wounded were taken out almost immediately to two hospitals in the area. We're dealing with about over 40 wounded that have been taken to the hospital.

VAUSE: OK, you told me just moments ago that something was found on one of the bodies of the suicide bombers?

KLEIMAN: Now, where they've taken the bodies out of the scene and they're doing a closer check of the suicide bombers' bodies, we found pronouncements in Arabic. That doesn't change the situation, which we knew from the beginning, that we were talking about a terrorist suicide bombing. It was just an added piece of information that we came up with.

VAUSE: We don't know what that announcement said?

KLEIMAN: No. That, of course, will be checked by the investigative teams. There's no question that this is being treated by us and has the -- and is a suicide bombing, a terrorist-motivated suicide bombing. And that's what we're looking at. This is not the first. We had another one on this street in the beginning of the year, end of January, suicide bomber about 100 meeters from here, not that far, also blew himself up. And there we had 23 casualties. So this street has seen its share of terrorist attacks.

VAUSE: How unusual is it to get two suicide bombers together, detonating simultaneously?

KLEIMAN: Well, it's happened. December, we saw two suicide bombers in Jerusalem with a car bomb. We've seen on Denuda (ph) Street in '97, three suicide bombers, one dressed as a woman. So it's happened before. We've seen situations like that. But that's not the routine. That's a modus operandi that we're familiar with, but usually, it's one suicide bomber, not two. But we've seen two, and we've seen a combination of suicide bombing with explosive devices, with car bombs, with shootings. We've seen every possibility. Object is to kill.

VAUSE: OK, Gil Kleiman, I think, just as we were speaking then, a body coming out from this scene here.

Kate, that's the latest here from Tel Aviv, the death toll now standing at three, plus the two suicide bombers. Gil Kleiman was just telling a short time ago that is, in fact, his 20th suicide bombing that he has attended this year.

Kate, back to you.

SNOW: John, can you just clarify one thing? Was he saying that there was any question about whether this was a suicide bombing, or was he not saying there was any question?

VAUSE: No question whatsoever. There's no doubt in anyone's mind here that this is, in fact, a terrorist attack. This was a well- planned suicide bombing. As far as that pronouncement in Arabic goes, it's just another clue in the hunt for the people who may be responsible for this latest attack on Israeli citizens here -- Kate.

SNOW: CNN's John Vause in Tel Aviv tonight. Thank you.

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush's daughter, Noelle, was jailed today for failing to follow a court-ordered drug treatment plan. CNN's John Zarrella is in Orlando with details on that story -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, in fact, we are standing outside the Orange County jail, and behind me in the distance, you may be able to see that razor wire. Well, the women's facility right behind that razor wire is where Noelle Bush is being housed today, tonight and for the next couple days.

She was in Orlando undergoing drug treatment. It was court- ordered drug treatment following the January incident where he was arrested for falsifying a prescription for Xanax. So part of her deal was she had to attend this drug treatment program. Now, a drug court judge today sentenced her for non-compliance with that program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY RYAN, ORANGE COUNTY JAIL: We received a court order indicating that there's a charge of indirect contempt of court. It's a charge in Florida statute. The judge has sentenced her to three days in custody for that charge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Because it is a drug case, we do not know the details of why or what she did to violate the terms of her agreement with this drug treatment program. It's doubtful we will find out because it is confidential information. She's being held in protective custody because of her high-profile nature, obviously, the daughter of Florida's governor. We asked if any visitation requests have been filed. The governor, for instance, is going to be in town in Orlando tonight. But the jail here told us, no, they had not received any special requests for visitation.

Now, the governor and his wife, Columbo, did issue a statement earlier today, and they said that they regretted the wrong choices that their daughter had made, but -- I will quote here, he said, the governor, "We love Noelle, but she is an adult, and I respect the role of the courts in carrying out our state's drug treatment policy."

We understand that she will be released from here sometime early Friday afternoon or late Friday morning and may have a court appearance scheduled on Friday here in Orange County -- Kate.

SNOW: CNN's John Zarrella, thanks.

Congress is investigating allegations of government credit card fraud by U.S. Army personnel. Among the charges are that soldiers used government credit cards at strip clubs near Army bases.

CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The government-issued travel card says right on it, "for official government travel only." And government workers sign a statement to make sure they understand that. But, according to a GAO report commissioned by Senator Charles Grassley, hundreds of cardholders ignore the restriction. And even though the individuals -- not the taxpayers -- are responsible for the charges, it's against the rules.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: The employee is benefiting personally in a fraudulent way and whether Citibank gets stuck with it or the taxpayers get stuck with it, it is simply wrong.

MCINTYRE: At Fort Jackson, South Carolina, congressional investigators found that an off-base strip club, The Bottoms Up Lounge, was accepting travel cards for cash. In all, some 200 Army cardholders spent almost $38,000 in so-called gentlemen's clubs, but the GAO cited no evidence the government was charged.

A separate GAO report looked at misuse of purchase cards in which taxpayers do foot the bill. Among the items questioned, $30,000 for 80 Palm Pilots, $1,500 over the lowest price, $3,800 for crystal and China for the Army's culinary arts program, $2,250 for a tree for Earth Day, $2,400 for sunglasses for the Golden Knights Parachute Team, $550 for Elvis pictures from Graceland, and $450 for a framed John Elway jersey. The good news, says Grassley, is that the Pentagon appears to be fixing the problem.

GRASSLEY: They're working -- we have them under the microscope. I think there's attempts to recoup. I think there's attempts to restrict the giving out of credit cards, but we won't know for a while.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MCINTYRE: Now, in fairness, Kate, some of the purchases questioned by congressional investigators were authorized and while they may have been imprudent, they weren't necessarily illegal. The sunglasses for the Golden Knights were questioned because the paratroopers don't wear them when they're actually jumping out of planes. And the Palm Pilots were found to be a valid government expense, but that they might have been purchased cheaper somewhere else.

And Kate, one more point, while there may be some controversy around these credit cards, the government has saved millions of dollars by using credit cards and scrapping its old bureaucratic, cumbersome purchase order system, which sometimes took forever to buy just the simplest item -- Kate.

SNOW: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.

The Air Force admits it accidentally dropped three dummy bombs on Texas and New Mexico. The bombs contained no explosives, but one of them fell on this house yesterday. Nobody was hurt, and the damage is reported as minor. The Air Force says the mishap occurred during what was supposed to be a simulated bombing mission involving a stealth fighter.

A Miami area mother who drove her car into Biscayne Bay on Monday with her two children inside may have been suspected of abusing them. State child welfare officials had reportedly received two calls about the family and a sheriff's deputy there allegedly visited the family's home just hours before the apparent murder-suicide. The mother and her 5-year-old daughter drowned. Her 3-month-old son is now in extremely critical condition in the hospital.

Freddie Agress is one of the firefighters who helped in the rescue effort. He has been kind enough to join us to talk about what is a very difficult story.

Let me start with just what happened. When did you come upon the scene? And how quickly did you realize you had to get in that water?

FREDDIE AGRESS, MIAMI FIREFIGHTER: Kate, we were dispatched approximately 12:00 midday. We're the dive team in the City of Miami out at Station 5. We were dispatched and arrived to find several firefighters from Station 1 -- had found the vehicle already. I went to the wall and received some information. And as I proceeded to put on the rest of my equipment, fins and mask, I was told there were four victims possibly in the vehicle. I went to where the firefighters were standing on top of the vehicle and I was told that one of the windows had been popped and went down. I popped the window and opened the passenger side door and proceeded to go inside the vehicle, did a quick search of the front seat, proceeded to go towards the back of the vehicle and found a little girl floating right away.

SNOW: So was the car already underwater at that point? Or had they already begun to pull it back up? Where was it at?

AGRESS: No, there was no pulling up of the car at that time. We arrived at the scene at approximately six minutes and -- after dispatch and there's no time to do anything except try to get the victims out at that time.

SNOW: One of the reports has been that the doors were locked. The windows were closed and in fact, I guess, they were tinted windows. That must have made it very hard to get inside.

AGRESS: It's always difficult to see inside these vehicles. For the most part, the Bay waters, the river and where we usually do our dives in and we find our -- the cars that are driven into the water, very murky and very difficult to see and it's just normal operating procedure. We don't usually see inside, but in this case, the tinted windows made it even more difficult. The windows were locked. And I just popped the window and opened the door and it was a very quick operation.

SNOW: You said you came across the little girl, who unfortunately didn't make it, but I know there's also a little boy, a 3-month-old. Have you been able to get any sense of how he's doing?

AGRESS: Not as of yet. The little boy was the one that I found first. He was the infant. I believe he was 3-months-old. The little girl was the third person to come out of the water. She was 5 years old. The mom was the second one and she was brought up by my partner.

SNOW: OK, well, the only good news to come out of this at all is that you were able to save that little boy and at least for now he seems to be OK. He's in extremely critical condition, but we appreciate your time tonight. We wish you the best.

AGRESS: Thank you.

SNOW: Are working moms making their kids dumb and dumber? A new study says hold out before you leave baby for the office. We'll be taking your questions about this. You can call us at 1-888-CNN-0561. Call us right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: A major new study finds that a child's intellectual development suffers the earlier the mother starts working. According to the largest government study government pool of research of its kind, children of women who worked 30 hours a week or more, by the time the baby is 9 months old had lower scores on school readiness tests at age three. But there are no significant effects if the mother does not start working until the child is a one-year-old. Co- author of this study, Professor Wen-Jui Han, had this to say about the report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. WEN-JUI HAN, STUDY CO-AUTHOR: What we are saying is -- is we are not saying working is negative. We are saying mothers working a lot of hours in the very early years of children's life is not good -- in the best interest of children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Joining us from our New York studio to talk more about this is Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute. I guess the question I have is the one all women have, does this we all should stay home until our children are at least nine months or a year old?

ELLEN GALINSKY, PRESIDENT, FAMILIES AND WORK INSTITUTE: It's a very complicated issue to try to understand what's happening when mothers are employed and when fathers are employed. And this study helps us get a little more understanding, but the jury is not out at all. What this study shows is that longer hours in combination with mothers who are less tuned in, less sensitive, less responsive to their kids, which may be a result of the work pressures, in poor quality child care, do a little bit less well on intellectual tests. That's what it says. It doesn't look at fathers. It doesn't -- there's still a lot to know.

SNOW: What about part-time work because one thing it did say was that 30 hours or more tended to make that difference, but not if you worked less than 30 hours?

GALINSKY: That's what they found. They also found that starting very early didn't matter. It was sometime around the six to nine months it seemed to make the difference in this particular study.

SNOW: We have a caller on the line from New Jersey. You want to go ahead with your question, New Jersey.

CALLER: Hello, my question is, how come the study focuses on mothers going to work and not the fathers?

GALINSKY: Exactly. That's exactly the right question. I think it's very important to look at both women's and men's roles. The debate has so often been about employed mothers, but we need to look at the whole family.

SNOW: What about the difference that they found? I understand the difference that they found was rather slight between those who worked and those who didn't work in those first nine months...

GALINSKY: It is...

SNOW: ... in terms of test results.

GALINSKY: Yes, it's statistically significant, which means that the analysis shows that it probably didn't happen by chance. But it is not a big -- a huge difference.

SNOW: You were talking about some of the other factors that can come into play in terms of child care, the kind of child care. What else comes into play?

GALINSKY: Well, this study did find that children who were in better quality child care, there was much less of an effect. It also found that when mothers were warmer and more tuned into their kids, there was much less of an effect. I personally think that there's something going on with how we work these days. It's not simply the hours that mothers work because other studies have shown that children who were in child care -- the same study in another analysis has shown that children who were in child care for longer hours don't have this difference. So...

SNOW: Yes.

GALINSKY: ... there's something going on with how we're working these days. Our research has shown that work has gotten more demanding, more hectic, more pressured and these are things we can do something about. I mean we can try to calm down at the end of the workday and not try to take it home to our family.

SNOW: Let's take a quick call from Raleigh, North Carolina -- Raleigh.

CALLER: Yes, I want to know if we don't work, then they consider us lazy.

GALINSKY: Right.

CALLER: And if we do work, you know, we can't have enough hours to support -- 30 hours? That's -- there's no way we can support ourselves on that. I'm is a single mom and I feel that if I worked, go to school full-time and I could show my child the responsibilities of trying to be a better person.

GALINSKY: And this is a very complicated issue. It's -- we want a simple answer. It's this many hours or this is good and this is bad. But it's really not at all that simple. And we've made a policy in this country that we think that -- particularly people who have been on welfare must work and we're discussing fairly long hours for them to work. So it's not at all simple. It is a no-win situation. I agree with you.

And what we're -- what the research is trying to do is try to understand it. But my own feeling is that paying attention to your kids, being tuned in to your kids, finding the best child care that you can find, trying not to let the stress of work spill into your family life, having flexibility at work, if you can have it, all of those make a difference.

SNOW: Ellen Galinsky, all good advice. Thanks so much for being with us tonight. Appreciate it.

GALINSKY: Thanks for having me.

SNOW: When it comes to pregnancy, moms may do most of the work, but Welsh researchers now say it's dads who get the ball rolling. They say they've identified a gene in sperm, which produces the protein that causes an egg to divide. The researchers say their discovery holds promise for treating not only infertility, but also for developing male contraceptives and treating some diseases.

On another women's issue, Tiger Woods is bowing to the dictates of the men who decide who can be members of Augusta National Golf Club. Augusta, site of the famed masters, bans women members. Woods was asked about Augusta's exclusionary policies in Scotland, where he's getting ready to play in the British Open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: They're entitled to set up their own rules the way they want them. And it would be nice to see -- and everyone have an equal chance to participate in if they wanted to. But, you know, if it's -- there's nothing you can do about it. If you have a group or organization and that's the way they want to set it up, it's their prerogative to set it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And joining us to talk a little bit more about this is Martha Burk. She's chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, which first called on Augusta to start admitting women members last week.

In fact, you wrote a pretty critical letter saying, "You should do this." You heard what Tiger Woods just said. What do you say to that?

MARTHA BURK, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS: Well, first of all, my letter was critical, but it was gentle. I just said, "Review your practices and policies. It's the 21st century. Open up now" -- I mean in so many words.

SNOW: Should Tiger Woods have said something different? I mean should he be more sensitive to...

BURK: Well, Tiger Woods sort of went halfway. What he said is it would be nice if the sport were opened up to everyone who wanted to play. He himself has a foundation for kids, boys and girls. Does he want the girls to be second-class golf citizens? I don't get it. I would have liked for him to be stronger. But let me say this, the real issue is the discrimination at Augusta. So let's not make Tiger a scapegoat for the boys at Augusta. They're the ones who are keeping women out.

SNOW: Well, let's talk about Augusta then. It is a private club, as you know. Their chairman has said, in letters to you and in the press, "It's a private club. We can do whatever we want."

BURK: Absolutely and they can do whatever they want, but so can the PGA, for example. The players can do what they want. We think there's a higher moral authority here. I mean this guy reminds me a little bit of George Wallace at the schoolhouse door. Come on.

SNOW: You're talking about Hootie Johnson, who's the chairman. He says you're being -- quote -- "offensive and coercive."

BURK: Well, I don't think I'm offensive or coercive. I think I'm responsible. I wrote him a private letter, expecting a private response. And he just went ballistic in the press. SNOW: He made it -- he made it public. There are women's health clubs, right?

BURK: Yes.

SNOW: I mean there are places you could go. A woman can go and work out with no men around.

BURK: Women's health clubs...

SNOW: So what's the difference?

BURK: ... women's health clubs don't produce the most high- profile golf event on the planet. That's the difference.

SNOW: Should Tiger Woods speak out more about -- because I know you've said it shouldn't be all about him? But he does have a soapbox. He has an audience. He's got fans.

BURK: He does have a soapbox and if people had not spoken out before, he wouldn't have that soapbox. And I think leadership does have responsibilities. Yes, he should speak out more strongly.

SNOW: Now that this is out there, what are you sensing? Are you getting, you know, thousands of letters from women all over the country who want to go to Augusta or what -- is there an outrage?

BURK: I'm getting letters from women and men that say, "This is ridiculous. I had no idea the club barred women, that the home of Master's golf tournament discriminates." People are just waking up to this.

SNOW: Thanks for being with us tonight. Martha Burk, chairwoman...

BURK: Thank you.

SNOW: ... of the National Council of Women's Organizations. Appreciate your time.

BURK: Thanks.

SNOW: Secrets, spooks and techno gadgets, we'll blow the cover off of secret agents, live, when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: Earlier we asked, "Which famous chef was once a spy? The answer, Julia Child. Before becoming famous for her culinary abilities, Child worked for the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the CIA, where she was file clerk and translator. She also cooked up a repellent used to keep sharks away from bombs intended for German U-boats during World War II.

SNOW: They were once top secret -- bugging devices, code machines and innocent looking gadgets designed to kill. And now, these tools of the trade are housed in a new International Spy Museum. It opens up Friday, here in Washington, which is something of a spy capital, of course. And taking us behind the scenes is the museum's founder, Milton Maltz, who once spent his -- some time in this business himself, I understand. Mr. Maltz has been kind enough to join us live from the museum in what looks like an underground tunnel there.

I know you're at one of the places that was key to the U.S. espionage effort during the Cold War.

MILTON MALTZ, FOUNDER, INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM: Yes, it was, Kate. And actually, Berlin was the city of spies. Today, it's the city of Washington, D.C. where there are more spies than ever before, during the Cold War.

I'm entering the tunnel, which is now 15 feet under East Germany. And it extends for 500 yards. Of course, they were doing this in a sub-diffused fashion, between the CIA and the British.

So when the workmen were walking out after a day's work of digging, they could not leave with dirty clothes or dirt on their hands. As consequence, as you'll see right here, is a good old- fashioned washer and dryer. Of course, it's not in our own laundromat. It's below East Germany.

The men would wash their clothes and then exit. Allegedly, no one knew what was going on. But the truth was, however, this process was doomed from the very beginning because there was a spy, a mole by the name of George Blake who gave it all away. I'll tell you all about that in a minute, Kate, but right now, here are some headphones that when you're in the Spy Museum, you'll be able to pick up these headphones and actually hear some of the kind of information that our intelligence officers were picking up below the East German Stazi headquarters.

And speaking of the Stazi, this was the most penetrating police state ever seen. Of that entire nation, there were 90,000 secret agents and 173,000 informers. So you see what an oppressive state it was.

SNOW: Well, I was just going to ask you, in the years since the Cold War -- obviously, things have changed a little bit -- what's it like to be a spy now? People think it's very glamorous.

MALTZ: Well, it can be very tedious as well because if you're a mole, for example, there's not much you're going to do except sit, look at the clock and wait. But the truth is, if you're an actor, which a spy often is, you are on stage for two-and-a-half, three hours, and you, Kate, are on the air for perhaps four hours. A spy is every single day, 24 hours a day, playing a role of deceit and waiting for his particular moment.

Here is a mold by the name of George Blake. This is the fellow who worked for M-16, the British Intelligence Organization, but in truth, his real employer was the KGB. And he was the one who passed the details of the operations to the Soviets. And that's why, when I first walked into the tunnel with you, Kate, I said the operation was doomed from the very beginning.

SNOW: Tell me about spies today? Is the number of spies out there still what it once was? Are there more now? You would think technology would make -- you know there'd be less reason to have so many people, so many human intelligents.

MALTZ: Well, that's a very interesting question because in prior administrations, there was an attempt to exchange actual human spies or humans for technology. But the truth is, technology can only be used by individuals. So as you know, with 9/11, the unfortunate part was the technology alone was insufficient to do the job.

SNOW: What do you -- what's behind you there, the Wilderness of Mirrors?

MALTZ: Ah, the Wilderness of Mirrors. This is an area that more or less describes what's going on in the current world. Right here, we have a gentleman here by the name of Robert Hanssen. And if our cameraman can follow us in here, perhaps he can see this. Are you there? He's coming.

Robert Hanssen, as you know, was responsible for many deaths by giving up the names of our agents inside other nations, inside of Russia. An interesting example was Hanssen did it for reasons that were not particularly considered greed or blackmail, but for ego.

Now, we were at a board meeting of The International Spy Museum about a year ago when his boss at the FBI said to us, "You know, he worked for me for 17 years and yet, I never thought of him as a traitor, the last man."

SNOW: Milton Maltz, there is so much more to see there. I know you've got more to show us.

MALTZ: I do.

SNOW: We're going to have to stop it there. We're running out of time with our breaking news. But thank you so much for a bit of a preview. We'll come back and we'll come in there and visit. When you come to visit Washington, folks, you can visit this International Spy Museum. It opens here on Friday. It looks absolutely fascinating.

Let's going to go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins at the top of the hour -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "MONEYLINE": Kate, thank you very much. Coming up, we'll have the very latest on the violence in the Middle East. Tonight, two suicide bombers attacking downtown Tel Aviv. We'll have a live report for you from Israel and I'll be joined by Middle East expert, former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, Edward Walker.

President Bush, today, personally defended Vice President Cheney's tenure as Halliburton's chief executive officer. We'll have a report for you from the White House. And another member of the Bush administration is now facing intense scrutiny tomorrow. Armory Secretary Thomas White testifies about his role at Enron. We'll have a special report for you on that and a great deal more coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us. Now, back to Kate Snow -- Kate.

SNOW: Lou, thanks. Only two minutes left for you to weigh in on "Our Question of The Day." Should all children be trained in physical self-defense? Tell us what you think at CNN.com/Wolf. The results, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SNOW: An overwhelming number there. Ninety percent saying kids should be trained in self-defense. That's all the time we have for WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. I'm Kate Snow. We'll be back tomorrow. Thanks for watching.

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