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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Bush Remembers Crew of Columbia in Memorial Service; Fund Established to Help Children of Shuttle Victims

Aired February 04, 2003 - 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.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Columbia, the shuttle tragedy, heroes remembered.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To leave behind earth and air and gravity is an ancient dream of humanity. For these seven, it was a dream fulfilled.

BLITZER: One crucial find, the nose cone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's four or five of these big chrome pedals, wire, electrical wire, dashboard. It didn't look like anything had been burned or anything.

BLITZER: As the search area widens, top investigators get a firsthand look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being out here on site makes this accident more personal to us. It brings it home.

BLITZER: Seven astronauts, 12 children, one man's efforts to help those left behind.

The Iraq showdown. While the world waits for the U.S. to make its case, Saddam Hussein speaks on al Qaeda, weapons, and war.

Under investigation. The man who would command a U.S. strike on Iraq.

And, Michael Jackson opens up on plastic surgery and child abuse allegations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, February 04, 2003. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

A somber president and tearful first lady led thousands of mourners today as an outdoor memorial at the Johnson Space Center honored the memories of seven Columbia astronauts. Hymns, prayers, and words of reflection offered reassurance and comfort.

CNN's Rusty Dornin was there and she's joining us now live -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that ceremony that ended just about an hour and a half ago was a very moving, very somber moment for the folks here at the Johnson Space Center who feel like they were saying goodbye to members of their family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN (voice-over): As they gathered there was talk of special relationships. Many people here feel like much more than coworkers.

REED MURRY: I believe that it gives everybody a chance to come together as a family which NASA very much is, a family, and gives everybody a chance to basically put things to rest in their own way.

DORNIN: NASA engineer Penny Stanch worked closely with astronauts Laurel Clark and David Brown. She regrets disagreements they had but realizes they were all working under pressure towards a common goal.

PENNY STANCH, NASA ENGINEER: They were all great people and it hurts but we go on. We know the risks and we try to increase the safety all the time.

DORNIN: At the memorial, nearly 15,000 strong, they shared memories and pledged a unique sense of responsibility.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our duty now is to provide comfort to the brave families of the Columbia crew, the families who take so much pride in their loved ones' remarkable accomplishments. We also have the tremendous duty to honor the legacy of those fallen heroes by finding out what caused the loss of the Columbia and its crew.

DORNIN: President Bush acknowledged the depth of the loss here but made a promise that many wanted to hear.

BUSH: America's space program will go on.

DORNIN: His final remarks were on behalf of the many.

BUSH: And today I offer the respect and gratitude of the people of the United States. May God bless you all.

DORNIN: But it was their comrades that said goodbye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rick, Willy, Mike, K.C., Laurel, Dave and Ilan, I know you're listening. Please know you're in our hearts and we will always smile when we think of you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Now, President Bush did meet with the members of the Columbia families following the ceremony. Now, of course, there will be private funerals and there will be a public service in Washington on Thursday but this was a chance for the folks who had trained the astronauts, who shared the same passion for space journey to say a fond farewell -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What a sad afternoon. Rusty Dornin at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Rusty, thanks very much.

And, as all this is taking place hundreds of people are taking part in the effort to recover Columbia's wreckage from the dense East Texas woods.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa is joining us now live from that part of Texas. Pretty amazing discovery so far, Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been a pretty amazing day of discoveries as well. You know, Wolf, the people here in Hemphill took a few minutes to pause during the memorial but really they were getting to work. You have to know that there are now 600 officials and volunteers who are out in the woods.

But the news today is that they've actually been able to come up with a map that shows something of a trajectory of what happened with the shuttle. It's about a 20 mile long slice right here through Sabine County four miles wide, and what we have been able to establish is that right here in this County Road 83 is about where the cone was found, also where windows were found, several pieces of clothing and as well as some human remains.

So this is one of the concentrated areas right here, but we're talking about 20 miles of very dense forest and woods that they are still having to search through. That means that the work will continue but at least now they've been able to come up with a certain pathway.

They are still at this point marking many of these sites, over 250 the last we heard, but we're expecting a briefing in the next hour so that will probably go up. Again, they are tracing many of these people saying that what they're hoping to find is more human remains to give something back to the family and that work continues very diligently on the land, on the ground, and also in the Toledo Bend Reservoir where now they have about 30 people searching it.

It's an 80 mile long lake, 100 feet deep. It's very icy and cold but they're convinced that there is going to be something there that they're going to be tracked with the sonar. So, the work here in Hemphill continues and we're expecting to get a briefing soon. Perhaps there will be more good news about larger pieces of debris and human remains -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Maria Hinojosa in East Texas. Maria, thanks very much.

And, amid the mourning experts are still, of course, just beginning to try to figure out why the Columbia astronauts died.

CNN's Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien is standing by with the latest developments in the investigation. There were some pretty important developments today, weren't there, Miles?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. We've been listening to a briefing which actually is ongoing right now. Mike Kostelnik who is one of the associate administrators for NASA in Washington has been briefing reporters on a day which was for obvious reasons not an active day for the investigation.

But as you look at live pictures as that briefing continues, I should tell you that right at the top he said that they have credible reports from people in New Mexico and California indicating they might have found pieces of the shuttle's wing, of Columbia's wing.

Now, if that does bear itself out to be true, that will be extremely significant for the investigation because, as you know, the shuttle was traveling west to east that morning and the things that are further upstream, further to the west, will be closer to the point of failure.

So, in those pieces if there are in fact pieces of tile from the wing, might very well be with serial numbers which could be located and easily identified their exact place on the orbiter. So that -- put that to the side and let's hope that those credible sources turn out to be just that.

Now, the other story of the day was that discovery of the nose cone. Maria Hinojosa was telling you about the efforts there in general and that nose cone. The nose cone probably not as key to the whole picture here because as we well know from all the sensor readings we've been getting, all that so-called telemetry data which NASA captured here at Mission Control, the trouble began somewhere in the underside of the left wing or so it appears.

That's where the temperature readings looked way offline or, in some cases, slightly offline and that is where the focus is right now that in some way that left wing might have been damaged. Perhaps, as we know, we've been talking a lot about that piece of foam on launch.

Now, there was some talk about the wheel well area. The shuttle program has always recognized the doors underneath the space shuttle as kind of the soft underbelly. And, as you look at these graphics, you can get a sense of how those seams could be the real dangerous point for a space shuttle.

However, those temperature reading we've been finding don't really indicate that that necessarily was where the breach was because that blow torch furnace of heat, 2,000 to 3,000 degrees, if it had gone into those wheel wells would have caused a much more dramatic spike in temperature than the 30 to 40 degrees they saw over five minutes.

So, maybe it was some other part of the left wing that was breached for some reason and, once again, that takes us back to that piece of foam. Now, Mike Kostelnik was talking about the fact that over the course of the shuttle program they've seen foam come off that external tank repeatedly.

And perhaps because they had seen that, the shuttle had been slightly damaged, nicked every so slightly, the engineers came to the conclusion that it was, in fact, something that was not a mission safety issue -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Miles, very briefly we have a lot of viewers in California. If any of them or local law enforcement were to spot any wreckage in California, that would be a huge, potentially very significant development. Tell our viewers why.

O'BRIEN: Well, it would be because that's where the breakup began and so whatever pieces might be found on the ground in California would be at the very origins of the problem and it would tell them where it all began. That would tell them an awful lot.

And if, for example, they would be able to jive where those tiles were, if they found some on the ground in California with that foam strike, if those two matched up then you're getting closer to trying to find a potential cause to all this, linking what happened during the launch to what happened during the descent. That's the key here.

BLITZER: All right, Miles O'Brien, with all the latest developments as he's been doing every single day since this horrible tragedy Saturday morning. Miles, thanks very much for that report.

And, even though the space shuttle fleet is grounded, the International Space Station is receiving supplies. An unmanned Russian capsule carrying food, water and fuel docked with the space station today.

The current space station crew, two Americans and one Russian, had been scheduled to return to earth next month aboard the shuttle Atlantis. That mission is now on hold but the crew can return to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in late April or early May, much more coverage coming up on the tragedy of the shuttle Columbia.

But when we come back, preparing to go to war. Colin Powell heads to the U.N. to make his case against Saddam Hussein.

Also, medical news making headlines right now. Find out the health benefit of, get this, alcohol.

And, Michael Jackson like you've never seen him before. Shocking revelations from the King of Pop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He says there will be no smoking gun but he promises to show evidence of an Iraqi cover-up. A day before Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at the United Nations Security Council.

Let's get a preview of what we might hear from our Senior White House Correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Administration officials say Secretary Powell's presentation will detail contacts between al Qaeda operatives and Iraq but will be careful not to suggest any formal alliance. RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEP. SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't want to over state it for the obvious reasons, some intersections with various and sundry terrorists groups and that's our real fair with Iraq, sir.

KING: Powell's overwhelming focus, officials say, will be to show the council what the White House considers detailed proof of Iraqi deception, satellite photographs showing evidence moved just before weapons inspections, intercepted conversations in which Iraqi officials talk about hiding evidence, and coach scientists to mislead inspectors, and intelligence suggesting Iraqi imports of banned weapons materials as recently as the past month or so.

The goal is to win enough backing for a second Security Council resolution that sets a final deadline for Iraqi compliance within several weeks, and gives the U.N.'s blessing for military action if that deadline is ignored.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The council must face up to its responsibilities and serious consequences that will have to be faced.

KING: President Bush called Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Powell's presentation and U.S. officials are increasingly confident of Russia's support. Lobbying France fell to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, but President Chirac says he still favors giving inspectors more time.

JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): Not my case and I believe in fact it's everybody's case and we have to allow them the freedom to have the amount of time that they need.

KING: The administration views the Powell presentation as one of two critical dates for the Security Council as a decision on war draws closer. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix briefs the council again on the 14th and the White House then wants key decisions made within days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: There's been quite a bit of grumbling in recent days from key members of Congress who feel they have been left out of the loop, if you will. As Secretary Powell prepares to make this critical presentation, President Bush and his national security adviser tomorrow morning will have an early morning breakfast here at the White House, Wolf, to give those lawmakers a preview of Secretary Powell's presentation.

Top aides say the president also wants to make clear to key members of Congress that his patience is running shot in terms of waiting for a potential diplomatic solution here.

BLITZER: John King at the White House. Thanks very much, John, for that report.

And ahead of his presentation, the secretary of state has embarked on a round of meetings with representatives from the other 14 Security Council members.

Our State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel is traveling with the secretary and is joining us now live from the United Nations. Very hectic period of diplomacy for the secretary of state.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes it is, Wolf, and as you know this is just the first of about a dozen private meetings that Secretary Powell will be holding with members of the U.N. Security Council over the next two days.

Today's meeting with China's Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, a very important one, because as you know China is one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and therefore has veto power over a second possible U.N. resolution. As things stand right now neither man said anything but China is still very skeptical about U.S. claims Saddam Hussein still has a weapons program.

Now, while neither man made a comment during that meeting, Powell did have some comments. He did respond to reporters' questions as he left the U.N. mission where he was having a final preparatory meeting with the Director of the CIA George Tenet, ahead of tomorrow's extremely important presentation.

As Secretary Powell left the U.N. mission there he was whistling. A reporter threw a question at him and said Saddam Hussein denies he has weapons programs. What do you say? And, he just said prove it.

Now, as things stand right now, Secretary Powell's presentation tomorrow perhaps to be the most important of his career to date, Wolf. It's expected to last about 90 minutes, and one U.S. official I spoke with who is intimately familiar with the goings on, the preparations for this big meeting tomorrow said, you know, in the private sector Secretary Powell used to command about $50,000 for one of his speeches. He said this one is worth about $80,000 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Andrea Koppel, in New York at the United Nations.

And, of course, CNN will have continuing live coverage tomorrow of all these dramatic developments at the U.N. Security Council and the secretary of state speaking around 10:30 in the morning before the Security Council. Our special coverage will begin 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern that is.

Kuwait, by the way, took a step which could be a prelude toward war. The defense ministry declared that the entire northern half of the country is a military zone and will be closed off after February 15. Much of the area which borders Iraq, of course, is already used by U.S. forces which have recently stepped up combat exercises.

And, the U.S. buildup continues very dramatically. U.S. Air Force F-117 Stealth fighters are now on their way to the region from their base in New Mexico. The fighters arrived at a midway point in Europe earlier today. Deployment orders were issued last month for a dozen of the radar evading aircraft. The so-called Night Hawks helped kick off the air war against Iraq in 1991. The U.S. Army general slated to command American troops if there's a war with Iraq is under investigation for possible abuse of his office. The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is strongly defending General Tommy Franks saying today that he has "my complete confidence."

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is standing by over the Pentagon with details, pretty surprising turn of developments, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I guess most surprising is that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has rushed so quickly to the defense of his Persian Gulf commander General Tommy Franks who, we learned today from the "Washington Post," is being investigated by the Pentagon's inspector general for some possible improprieties. The most serious one would be the allegation that he allowed his wife, Kathy, to sit in on meetings in which classified information was discussed.

The allegations apparently made by a tipster to the IG's hotline, also include complaints that Franks failed to reimburse the government for his wife's travel on military aircraft and assigned her a bodyguard and a military assistant to which she is not entitled. Rumsfeld has yet to see the investigation but nevertheless he seemed to indicate today that Franks is not in any trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There isn't a chance in the world that will have any possible interference with his role as the combatant commander in the Central Command. Tom Franks is doing a superb job for this country and we are lucky to have him there. He is a man of great talent and skill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld's effusive praise of Franks puzzled many in the military who are quite sensitive to the prohibition against what's called command influence. Rumsfeld is not supposed to make statements that would indicate how he wants the investigation to turn out, even though as Franks' boss he's the one who decides on the punishment.

Sources say the IG report is virtually done so Rumsfeld's comments would not affect the conclusions. Rumsfeld said he made the unusual public gesture because Franks is in a unique position as a commander preparing for war and he wanted to counter what he thought was an unfair leak -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre, at the Pentagon, thanks for that very comprehensive report.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this, how much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd like to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

This footnote to our Iraq coverage, the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is speaking out about the U.S. allegations against him. In a rare television interview he tells a former British member of Parliament and anti-war activist he does not have any weapons of mass destruction or any ties to al Qaeda.

He goes on to say that if he did have ties to the terror organization "we would not be ashamed to admit it."

Another nuclear standoff between the U.S. and North Korea, details on that when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Bush administration appears to be getting tough in the nuclear standoff with North Korea, at least visible a bit more serious. While insisting the diplomatic path is the way to go, President Bush is making it clear that the military option remains very much on the table.

Our National Security Correspondent David Ensor is looking at the strategy behind the moves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With bombers and fighter aircraft now on alert to move to Asia, a senior official told Senators the fear is North Korea might hope to catch the U.S. off guard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the event it's designed to address?

ARMITAGE: A contingency that North Korea would in some fashion try to take advantage of our focus on Iraq, Senator.

ENSOR: As Armitage spoke, an envoy from South Korea's president- elect told reporters after a meeting with Secretary of State Powell that Seoul wants the U.S. to start a dialog with North Korea but in coordination with allies.

On Capitol Hill there were tough questions from Senate Democrats who suspect the Bush administration of playing up Iraq and playing down what could be an even greater threat from North Korea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's safest for the United States foreign policy to start out by assuming that this is a real crisis which you said it wasn't. You used the word crisis. Why not?

ENSOR: Armitage said North Korea is not a crisis because unlike Iraq, for decades it has not attacked its neighbors. Kim Jong-Il is rattling a nuclear saber he said in order to extract more aid plus a non-aggression pact.

ARMITAGE: But we really are pushing back on the notion of crisis, not because it has anything to do with Iraq but because why tell the other guy he's gotten your attention so much?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When some in the Muslim world suggest that America appears to have a higher level of tolerance for North Korean WMD development than for Iraqi development and then further suggests that this is evidence of hostility toward Islam, how are we responding to this?

ARMITAGE: Our view with some question is that we've given over 12 years of time to try to resolve the situation with Iraq and we've been, after finding out about the North Korean cheating on their 1994 agreement, we've only had a few months of diplomacy, Senator.

ENSOR (on camera): Some experts argue that if there's a war with Iraq, North Korea might use the moment to start reprocessing plutonium for bombs or to fire off a longer range missile, that North Korea might see it as an opportunity, these analysts argue, for more nuclear brinkmanship.

David Ensor CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And you're looking at live pictures of Marine One, the presidential helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House, Marine One bringing the president and the first lady back to the White House from their day in Texas at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

They went for that memorial service for the seven Columbia space -- the seven Columbia astronauts who died Saturday morning. Marine One returning from Andrews Air Force Base. The president had flown to Andrews from Houston aboard Air Force One, then boarded this helicopter, will be walking out of the door within a few seconds, will then make his way into the White House from the South Lawn of the White House.

We'll watch to see the president and the first lady as they exit Marine One and begin their walk into the White House, reporters, camera crews standing by to see if the president stops, says anything. We, of course, will be watching as well. The president's aides walking off the helicopter first, he'll be walking off right now.

The president having had an emotional day in his home state of Texas. An emotional day at that memorial service which, of course, many of us saw live here on CNN. The president and the first lady when they walk by the reporters I'm sure the reporters will be shouting some questions. If they stop we'll take that live. Let's listen in just for a second or two to see if the president answers any questions.

The president is not going to answer any questions. He's going to say hello to some friends, some tourists, others who are on the South Lawn to greet him and he'll then walk inside. If he does say anything we'll bring that to you later in this program.

They were qualified to go to space but not necessarily to get life insurance. Meet the man on a crusade to help the children of the fallen astronauts and find out how you can pitch in.

Plus, doctors walk out. Find out why thousands hit the streets in New Jersey.

And, Michael Jackson unmasked. He admits he shares a bed with children. Hear what other revelations made the front pages across Europe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Coming up, making sure the children are taken care of. Find out how you can help the families of the shuttle astronauts.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Let's get back to CNN's Maria Hinojosa. She's in East Texas where there's been another significant development -- Maria.

HINOJOSA: Wolf, yes, we have just received some important information about some more recovery here in the Hemphill area. We are being told now that important and significant parts of the debris have been found. Those would include pieces of the fuselage, pieces of the circuit boards and pieces of the landing gear.

Now, all of this could be central to understanding what went wrong with the shuttle. This is on a day when we have 600 people out into the brush, on the ground. That's probably why they're able to recover it. As the efforts to recover debris expand with the number of people, they are able to uncover more territory. And as I told you just at the top of the show, Wolf, they had been able to locate more or less the trajectory of the crash.

All of this is going to be able to help determine, they think, what may have happened with the shuttle. So again, we're just being told now that significant recovery of debris have occurred today in the Hemphill area, in the Sabine County areas. Those would include pieces of the fuselage, the circuit boards and the landing gear.

Now, right now, we're being told that 46 separate agency are cooperating with the search. Again, the fact that they have increased the number of people here will probably explain why they're now able to find any encounter this kind of debris. Very important information that I'm sure NASA and the EPA will be looking at closely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very significant. Maria, do they actually start removing the debris or do they leave it there, sort of just cordon it off, make sure nobody gets close to it?

HINOJOSA: Well, it's in two different phases, Wolf. The EPA is in charge of removing the debris. We have been told that as of yesterday, they did start removing debris and that was just yesterday that they started to do that. We've been told that the nose cone, in fact, has been taken out of the 20-foot hole that it was immersed in, that it has been wrapped and it's getting ready for removal but has not been taken.

But Wolf, you have to remember that we are talking about, at least in this trajectory, 20 miles long, four miles wide, thousands and thousands of pieces of debris and it's impossible to remove all of that. Of course, that's the question that many people around here want to know.

When will all of the stuff start to be picked up? The larger pieces, we're being told are being started to be removed, but you're talking about smaller pieces spread out everywhere, people's lawn, a lot of concern because of the fact that people are being told again that this is very toxic --Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Maria Hinojosa in East Texas for us. Thanks once again for that report.

And no one of course has been hit harder by the Columbia disaster than the families of the crew. For the children of the seven astronauts who lost their lives, there's an added burden, an uncertain financial future. But they're going to get some help from a trust fund first started after the Challenger accident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have booster ignition and liftoff of space shuttle Columbia.

BLITZER (voice-over): They strap themselves to tons of metal and fuel and shoot off into space risking their lives each minute. Because of that, astronauts often have difficulty getting life insurance. Five of the Columbia astronauts were members of the U.S. military. Their families will be eligible for military survivor benefits, but will that be enough?

One man is picking up the slack for the 12 children left behind by the crew of Columbia. Del Smith, a Washington D.C. attorney who once worked for NASA, is re-establishing the Space Shuttle Children's Fund. He created the fund in 1986 with NASA's blessing to provide for the children of the Challenger astronauts.

Of the seven members of that crew, only Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher, had a substantial life insurance policy. The fund raised more than $1.2 million for psychiatric counseling, health care and education for the surviving challenger children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And Kalpana Chawla, the crew's only civilian, did have children. Ilan Ramon, a member of the Israeli air force, had four children. The fund plans to assist his family as well.

Joining me now is Del Smith, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Space Shuttle Children's Fund. Mr. Smith, thanks for joining us.

DEL SMITH, SHUTTLE CHILDREN'S FUND: Thank you so much for taking time.

BLITZER: It's hard to believe that there's not really big insurance policies on all these astronauts so that their children will be well taken care of forever.

SMITH: One would like to believe that, but in 1986 when we first received information from NASA that there would be a problem, they had several difficulties.

First, NASA as a federal agency couldn't accept money so they needed to have a separate fund. There was an insurability question because many of the astronauts, in their spare time, flew jet planes and did things that were extremely risky. And in Challenger, there were 13 little children to deal with. And so it was important that the fund was set up.

It was actually set up by a group of people. I was contacted by NASA. I went to American Security Bank. We have a wonderful set of trustees with Ursula Mees (ph), with members from Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and we do it because it's important. We don't have fundraises. We don't have anything like that. We're just a tiny little part to try and deal with the children.

BLITZER: It's hard to believe they didn't make provisions after '86, the Challenger disaster. Didn't they do anything differently because of this potential disaster?

SMITH: We have made that inquiry of NASA. We have asked the general counsel's office for any information that they might have beyond what we were able to determine. And when the time is right, I'm sure we will be speaking to the liaison, to the families. At a trustee's meeting yesterday, we decided already to make immediate funds available to the families if they need them.

We will be filing as part of our fiduciary responsibility, in our 501-C3 company, we will be doing whatever is necessary to make sure we check on all of the backgrounds, all of the requests. And we can guarantee that all 100 percent of what we raise in terms of additional money goes to the children for education and medical needs.

BLITZER: And that's 12 children from the seven astronauts. There were a total of 12 children, four children for Israeli kids. They will be eligible...

SMITH: Absolutely, they are eligible. We've spoken to people from Israel already and they will be treated equally to all of the other children.

And by the way, the fund goes beyond, too. It's not just now. It's sad that 17 years after Challenger we did this again, but the board asked me to meet with the media, as I'm doing with you, and to explain the fund. It will also continue on into the future. So if there are future children from the space shuttle, the space station or NASA activities, that's our little part in what we're trying to do to help.

BLITZER: All right. And we're going to put it up on the screen now. If people want to contribute, let's put that up and tell us where they can contribute right here.

SMITH: Yes, there is a post office box. It's 34600, Washington, D.C., and I guess you have to add the 20043-4600. But I remember in 1986 if you manage to put space shuttle and post office box 34600, they'll find us.

BLITZER: They'll find you. Good work to you. Congratulations. And...

SMITH: It's the whole board and we thank you for taking time and being interested enough to help us.

BLITZER: Twelve kids, it's a lot of important work you've got to do.

SMITH: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Mr. Smith.

SMITH: Thank you a lot.

BLITZER: As inspectors continue to search for debris in East Texas, what not to do for those that find it on their own. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More than 12,000 pieces of debris from the shuttle Columbia have been recovered but there's still much more out there and officials are reiterating warnings about the danger of touching them. They say some of the bolts used to assemble the cabin are explosive. Other debris may be contaminated by dangerous materials.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): For those who venture near debris fields, NASA is still giving ominous warnings and only mild reassurance.

BILL READDY, ASSOC. ADMIN. SPACE FLIGHT: Some of the materials might actually still be toxic. Some of the propellants that we use are. But at this point we have no evidence at all that the materials that fell would be hazardous from a radioactivity standpoint.

BLITZER: From the first news of a disaster, the warnings have gone out. If you see shuttle debris or anything resembling it, don't touch it or even go near it. But with the debris field that stretches over 28,000 square miles across two states, not everyone has gotten the word.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had eight persons that went to the emergency room at St. Augustine hospital for burns and respiratory distress and that was from them handling either the debris or breathing vapors.

BLITZER: Dozens of people in different Texas counties have gone to hospitals after either touching debris or being near it, some of them without even feeling symptoms.

At the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana border, witnesses reported seeing a piece of debris the size of a compact car hit the water. That reservoir is used for drinking water, but after testing the reservoir for contaminants, state officials assured residents it's safe.

How do you know if you've been dangerously exposed? NASA says there are four chemical compounds that were used on the shuttle Columbia that could pose immediate danger to people on the ground. Pure ammonia is a clear liquid with a pungent smell.

Experts say it can blister the lungs if inhaled and can be fatal in high concentrations. Nitrogen tetroxide is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent sweet smell. It can injure the eyes and skin on contact and can damage the lungs if inhaled. A single exposure can be fatal, but only in high concentrations.

Raw hydrazine and monomethyl hydrazine used as fuel in the shuttle are clear, flammable liquids. They can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, convulsions, and permanent internal damage. They're considered immediately dangerous to life in very low concentrations.

Experts say if you've had any contact with those chemicals, bathe with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and get medical help. What you should not do...

SUE KENNEDY, EMS COORDINATOR: We have had people that are picking up debris and bringing it to our local hospitals because they believe that it's radioactive and that's where they need to turn it in. They do not need to pick it up and they really do not need to take it to our hospitals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: But if all that isn't good enough reason to stay away from the shuttle debris, tampering with it is a federal crime.

The king of pop speaks. Hear how he explains sharing a bed with children. We'll go to London for the headlines when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Just when it seems the strange saga of Michael Jackson couldn't get any more unusual along comes a documentary with new some revelations. CNN's Richard Quest has more now from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Having been extensively and widely trailed, it's not surprising that 14 million people in Britain watched the Michael Jackson documentary, which is not only an achievement for a Monday night in this country and there's no doubt it was compelling, compulsive, and somewhat gruesome viewing.

For two hours, we saw Michael Jackson warts and all. That is if you can have any warts with that much surgery on your face. Although Jackson denies that, saying he's only ever had his nose done and that was to help his breathing so he could hit those high notes. And he denies any further plastic surgery.

It will be in the comments though concerning him sharing his bed with boys and children that really get Michael Jackson most attention. This is the way "The Times" newspaper in Britain covered it. "Jackson faces ruin after admitting `I slept with boys,'" put another way from "The Daily Mirror." Just as blunt -- "I've slept in a bed with many children. It's not sexual. It's fun," said Jackson.

Merely admitting that on television has created what one person says is the longest professional suicide note in history, but Jackson tries to interview our Martin (UNINTELLIGIBLE), who incidentally is the same man who interviewed the Princess of Wales, Diana, in the famous interview. In this case, Jackson say, "Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone."

Overall, this was an extraordinary event for Michael Jackson. We have seen him hanging his baby outside the Berlin hotel and then saying he only did it because the crowd were asking to see the child. And we see him saying that he never wanted to grow up and that although he may be a 44-year-old man, in his heart, he's really Peter Pan throughout his life. Many analysts and newspaper writers in Britain say the only thing that comes out of this television program is that Michael Jackson is a man who needs help.

Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: To put it mildly. Richard Quest, thanks very much for that report.

Time is running out for your turn to weigh in on "Our Web Question of The Day." How much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? Log on to cnn.com/wolf to vote, but first let's take a look at other news making "Headlines Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Terror trail. Closing arguments are scheduled tomorrow in the German trial of a 28-year-old Moroccan accused of being an accessory to the September 11 attacks. The defendant admits knowing the alleged plotters, but denies involvement in the plot. Mass release. Rwanda has freed 20,000 prisoners because the jails are overcrowded. All of those freed have admitted involvement in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Rwanda says the suspected masterminds still face trial.

Drenched down under. Wind and rain from Cyclone Benny hit eastern Australia, but there are no reports of significant damage.

Getting help. There were long lines for aid in Peru following floods that left hundreds homeless and 18 people dead. At one point, Lake Titicaca, the second biggest lake in South America, threatened to overflow.

This joint is jumping. This house being demonstrated in Tokyo is specially designed to withstand powerful earthquakes. It was created by Toyota using some of the same technology Toyota uses in cars.

No love loss. British police have arrested Courtney Love after an alleged disturbance aboard a transatlantic flight. Airline officials say the rock star became disruptive and verbally abused flight attendants.

Happily ever after. The Vatican says Catholic parents have nothing to fear from Harry Potter. A Vatican official rejected allegations the popular Harry Potter children's books are anti- Christian. On the contrary, he says they help children understand the difference between good and evil.

And that's our look "Around the World."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of The Day." Remember we've been asking you this: how much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? Forty-six percent of you so far say weeks, 17 percent say months, 37 percent of you say indefinite. You can find the exact vote and continue to vote, by the way, on our Web site, cnn.com/wolf. Remember this is not a scientific poll.

Here's some e-mail. We got this from Richard. "It seems that there are not enough provisions or options for shuttle crews to deal with catastrophic problems once a mission is started. Whatever the cost, we cannot afford to take chances, however remote, with any more astronaut lives. Change must be implemented if manned shuttle flights are to continue."

That's all the time we have today, but before we leave special congratulations to our executive producer, Eric Sherling (ph). His lovely wife, Leslie, delivered their first baby boy. Doing quite well, the baby, the parents, everybody else. Best wishes for this brand new family.

Please join me again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, the same time as today. Also, starting at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning Eastern Time, we'll have special coverage of the Secretary of State's Colin Powell's address to the United Nations on Iraq. Until then thanks very for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up next, but first we leave you with another look at today's shuttle memorial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

RICK HUSBAND, COMMANDER: It was just so incredibly adventurous and exciting to me that I just thought there is no doubt in my mind that that's what I want to do when I grow up.

(MUSIC)

ILAN RAMON, PAYLOAD SPECIALIST: I was out of my mind thinking and imaging how earth would look like from space.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Established to Help Children of Shuttle Victims>


Aired February 4, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Columbia, the shuttle tragedy, heroes remembered.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To leave behind earth and air and gravity is an ancient dream of humanity. For these seven, it was a dream fulfilled.

BLITZER: One crucial find, the nose cone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's four or five of these big chrome pedals, wire, electrical wire, dashboard. It didn't look like anything had been burned or anything.

BLITZER: As the search area widens, top investigators get a firsthand look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being out here on site makes this accident more personal to us. It brings it home.

BLITZER: Seven astronauts, 12 children, one man's efforts to help those left behind.

The Iraq showdown. While the world waits for the U.S. to make its case, Saddam Hussein speaks on al Qaeda, weapons, and war.

Under investigation. The man who would command a U.S. strike on Iraq.

And, Michael Jackson opens up on plastic surgery and child abuse allegations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, February 04, 2003. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

A somber president and tearful first lady led thousands of mourners today as an outdoor memorial at the Johnson Space Center honored the memories of seven Columbia astronauts. Hymns, prayers, and words of reflection offered reassurance and comfort.

CNN's Rusty Dornin was there and she's joining us now live -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that ceremony that ended just about an hour and a half ago was a very moving, very somber moment for the folks here at the Johnson Space Center who feel like they were saying goodbye to members of their family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN (voice-over): As they gathered there was talk of special relationships. Many people here feel like much more than coworkers.

REED MURRY: I believe that it gives everybody a chance to come together as a family which NASA very much is, a family, and gives everybody a chance to basically put things to rest in their own way.

DORNIN: NASA engineer Penny Stanch worked closely with astronauts Laurel Clark and David Brown. She regrets disagreements they had but realizes they were all working under pressure towards a common goal.

PENNY STANCH, NASA ENGINEER: They were all great people and it hurts but we go on. We know the risks and we try to increase the safety all the time.

DORNIN: At the memorial, nearly 15,000 strong, they shared memories and pledged a unique sense of responsibility.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our duty now is to provide comfort to the brave families of the Columbia crew, the families who take so much pride in their loved ones' remarkable accomplishments. We also have the tremendous duty to honor the legacy of those fallen heroes by finding out what caused the loss of the Columbia and its crew.

DORNIN: President Bush acknowledged the depth of the loss here but made a promise that many wanted to hear.

BUSH: America's space program will go on.

DORNIN: His final remarks were on behalf of the many.

BUSH: And today I offer the respect and gratitude of the people of the United States. May God bless you all.

DORNIN: But it was their comrades that said goodbye.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rick, Willy, Mike, K.C., Laurel, Dave and Ilan, I know you're listening. Please know you're in our hearts and we will always smile when we think of you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Now, President Bush did meet with the members of the Columbia families following the ceremony. Now, of course, there will be private funerals and there will be a public service in Washington on Thursday but this was a chance for the folks who had trained the astronauts, who shared the same passion for space journey to say a fond farewell -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What a sad afternoon. Rusty Dornin at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Rusty, thanks very much.

And, as all this is taking place hundreds of people are taking part in the effort to recover Columbia's wreckage from the dense East Texas woods.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa is joining us now live from that part of Texas. Pretty amazing discovery so far, Maria.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been a pretty amazing day of discoveries as well. You know, Wolf, the people here in Hemphill took a few minutes to pause during the memorial but really they were getting to work. You have to know that there are now 600 officials and volunteers who are out in the woods.

But the news today is that they've actually been able to come up with a map that shows something of a trajectory of what happened with the shuttle. It's about a 20 mile long slice right here through Sabine County four miles wide, and what we have been able to establish is that right here in this County Road 83 is about where the cone was found, also where windows were found, several pieces of clothing and as well as some human remains.

So this is one of the concentrated areas right here, but we're talking about 20 miles of very dense forest and woods that they are still having to search through. That means that the work will continue but at least now they've been able to come up with a certain pathway.

They are still at this point marking many of these sites, over 250 the last we heard, but we're expecting a briefing in the next hour so that will probably go up. Again, they are tracing many of these people saying that what they're hoping to find is more human remains to give something back to the family and that work continues very diligently on the land, on the ground, and also in the Toledo Bend Reservoir where now they have about 30 people searching it.

It's an 80 mile long lake, 100 feet deep. It's very icy and cold but they're convinced that there is going to be something there that they're going to be tracked with the sonar. So, the work here in Hemphill continues and we're expecting to get a briefing soon. Perhaps there will be more good news about larger pieces of debris and human remains -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Maria Hinojosa in East Texas. Maria, thanks very much.

And, amid the mourning experts are still, of course, just beginning to try to figure out why the Columbia astronauts died.

CNN's Space Correspondent Miles O'Brien is standing by with the latest developments in the investigation. There were some pretty important developments today, weren't there, Miles?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. We've been listening to a briefing which actually is ongoing right now. Mike Kostelnik who is one of the associate administrators for NASA in Washington has been briefing reporters on a day which was for obvious reasons not an active day for the investigation.

But as you look at live pictures as that briefing continues, I should tell you that right at the top he said that they have credible reports from people in New Mexico and California indicating they might have found pieces of the shuttle's wing, of Columbia's wing.

Now, if that does bear itself out to be true, that will be extremely significant for the investigation because, as you know, the shuttle was traveling west to east that morning and the things that are further upstream, further to the west, will be closer to the point of failure.

So, in those pieces if there are in fact pieces of tile from the wing, might very well be with serial numbers which could be located and easily identified their exact place on the orbiter. So that -- put that to the side and let's hope that those credible sources turn out to be just that.

Now, the other story of the day was that discovery of the nose cone. Maria Hinojosa was telling you about the efforts there in general and that nose cone. The nose cone probably not as key to the whole picture here because as we well know from all the sensor readings we've been getting, all that so-called telemetry data which NASA captured here at Mission Control, the trouble began somewhere in the underside of the left wing or so it appears.

That's where the temperature readings looked way offline or, in some cases, slightly offline and that is where the focus is right now that in some way that left wing might have been damaged. Perhaps, as we know, we've been talking a lot about that piece of foam on launch.

Now, there was some talk about the wheel well area. The shuttle program has always recognized the doors underneath the space shuttle as kind of the soft underbelly. And, as you look at these graphics, you can get a sense of how those seams could be the real dangerous point for a space shuttle.

However, those temperature reading we've been finding don't really indicate that that necessarily was where the breach was because that blow torch furnace of heat, 2,000 to 3,000 degrees, if it had gone into those wheel wells would have caused a much more dramatic spike in temperature than the 30 to 40 degrees they saw over five minutes.

So, maybe it was some other part of the left wing that was breached for some reason and, once again, that takes us back to that piece of foam. Now, Mike Kostelnik was talking about the fact that over the course of the shuttle program they've seen foam come off that external tank repeatedly.

And perhaps because they had seen that, the shuttle had been slightly damaged, nicked every so slightly, the engineers came to the conclusion that it was, in fact, something that was not a mission safety issue -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Miles, very briefly we have a lot of viewers in California. If any of them or local law enforcement were to spot any wreckage in California, that would be a huge, potentially very significant development. Tell our viewers why.

O'BRIEN: Well, it would be because that's where the breakup began and so whatever pieces might be found on the ground in California would be at the very origins of the problem and it would tell them where it all began. That would tell them an awful lot.

And if, for example, they would be able to jive where those tiles were, if they found some on the ground in California with that foam strike, if those two matched up then you're getting closer to trying to find a potential cause to all this, linking what happened during the launch to what happened during the descent. That's the key here.

BLITZER: All right, Miles O'Brien, with all the latest developments as he's been doing every single day since this horrible tragedy Saturday morning. Miles, thanks very much for that report.

And, even though the space shuttle fleet is grounded, the International Space Station is receiving supplies. An unmanned Russian capsule carrying food, water and fuel docked with the space station today.

The current space station crew, two Americans and one Russian, had been scheduled to return to earth next month aboard the shuttle Atlantis. That mission is now on hold but the crew can return to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in late April or early May, much more coverage coming up on the tragedy of the shuttle Columbia.

But when we come back, preparing to go to war. Colin Powell heads to the U.N. to make his case against Saddam Hussein.

Also, medical news making headlines right now. Find out the health benefit of, get this, alcohol.

And, Michael Jackson like you've never seen him before. Shocking revelations from the King of Pop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He says there will be no smoking gun but he promises to show evidence of an Iraqi cover-up. A day before Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks at the United Nations Security Council.

Let's get a preview of what we might hear from our Senior White House Correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Administration officials say Secretary Powell's presentation will detail contacts between al Qaeda operatives and Iraq but will be careful not to suggest any formal alliance. RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEP. SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't want to over state it for the obvious reasons, some intersections with various and sundry terrorists groups and that's our real fair with Iraq, sir.

KING: Powell's overwhelming focus, officials say, will be to show the council what the White House considers detailed proof of Iraqi deception, satellite photographs showing evidence moved just before weapons inspections, intercepted conversations in which Iraqi officials talk about hiding evidence, and coach scientists to mislead inspectors, and intelligence suggesting Iraqi imports of banned weapons materials as recently as the past month or so.

The goal is to win enough backing for a second Security Council resolution that sets a final deadline for Iraqi compliance within several weeks, and gives the U.N.'s blessing for military action if that deadline is ignored.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The council must face up to its responsibilities and serious consequences that will have to be faced.

KING: President Bush called Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Powell's presentation and U.S. officials are increasingly confident of Russia's support. Lobbying France fell to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, but President Chirac says he still favors giving inspectors more time.

JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): Not my case and I believe in fact it's everybody's case and we have to allow them the freedom to have the amount of time that they need.

KING: The administration views the Powell presentation as one of two critical dates for the Security Council as a decision on war draws closer. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix briefs the council again on the 14th and the White House then wants key decisions made within days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: There's been quite a bit of grumbling in recent days from key members of Congress who feel they have been left out of the loop, if you will. As Secretary Powell prepares to make this critical presentation, President Bush and his national security adviser tomorrow morning will have an early morning breakfast here at the White House, Wolf, to give those lawmakers a preview of Secretary Powell's presentation.

Top aides say the president also wants to make clear to key members of Congress that his patience is running shot in terms of waiting for a potential diplomatic solution here.

BLITZER: John King at the White House. Thanks very much, John, for that report.

And ahead of his presentation, the secretary of state has embarked on a round of meetings with representatives from the other 14 Security Council members.

Our State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel is traveling with the secretary and is joining us now live from the United Nations. Very hectic period of diplomacy for the secretary of state.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes it is, Wolf, and as you know this is just the first of about a dozen private meetings that Secretary Powell will be holding with members of the U.N. Security Council over the next two days.

Today's meeting with China's Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, a very important one, because as you know China is one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and therefore has veto power over a second possible U.N. resolution. As things stand right now neither man said anything but China is still very skeptical about U.S. claims Saddam Hussein still has a weapons program.

Now, while neither man made a comment during that meeting, Powell did have some comments. He did respond to reporters' questions as he left the U.N. mission where he was having a final preparatory meeting with the Director of the CIA George Tenet, ahead of tomorrow's extremely important presentation.

As Secretary Powell left the U.N. mission there he was whistling. A reporter threw a question at him and said Saddam Hussein denies he has weapons programs. What do you say? And, he just said prove it.

Now, as things stand right now, Secretary Powell's presentation tomorrow perhaps to be the most important of his career to date, Wolf. It's expected to last about 90 minutes, and one U.S. official I spoke with who is intimately familiar with the goings on, the preparations for this big meeting tomorrow said, you know, in the private sector Secretary Powell used to command about $50,000 for one of his speeches. He said this one is worth about $80,000 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Andrea Koppel, in New York at the United Nations.

And, of course, CNN will have continuing live coverage tomorrow of all these dramatic developments at the U.N. Security Council and the secretary of state speaking around 10:30 in the morning before the Security Council. Our special coverage will begin 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, 10:00 a.m. Eastern that is.

Kuwait, by the way, took a step which could be a prelude toward war. The defense ministry declared that the entire northern half of the country is a military zone and will be closed off after February 15. Much of the area which borders Iraq, of course, is already used by U.S. forces which have recently stepped up combat exercises.

And, the U.S. buildup continues very dramatically. U.S. Air Force F-117 Stealth fighters are now on their way to the region from their base in New Mexico. The fighters arrived at a midway point in Europe earlier today. Deployment orders were issued last month for a dozen of the radar evading aircraft. The so-called Night Hawks helped kick off the air war against Iraq in 1991. The U.S. Army general slated to command American troops if there's a war with Iraq is under investigation for possible abuse of his office. The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is strongly defending General Tommy Franks saying today that he has "my complete confidence."

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is standing by over the Pentagon with details, pretty surprising turn of developments, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I guess most surprising is that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has rushed so quickly to the defense of his Persian Gulf commander General Tommy Franks who, we learned today from the "Washington Post," is being investigated by the Pentagon's inspector general for some possible improprieties. The most serious one would be the allegation that he allowed his wife, Kathy, to sit in on meetings in which classified information was discussed.

The allegations apparently made by a tipster to the IG's hotline, also include complaints that Franks failed to reimburse the government for his wife's travel on military aircraft and assigned her a bodyguard and a military assistant to which she is not entitled. Rumsfeld has yet to see the investigation but nevertheless he seemed to indicate today that Franks is not in any trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There isn't a chance in the world that will have any possible interference with his role as the combatant commander in the Central Command. Tom Franks is doing a superb job for this country and we are lucky to have him there. He is a man of great talent and skill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld's effusive praise of Franks puzzled many in the military who are quite sensitive to the prohibition against what's called command influence. Rumsfeld is not supposed to make statements that would indicate how he wants the investigation to turn out, even though as Franks' boss he's the one who decides on the punishment.

Sources say the IG report is virtually done so Rumsfeld's comments would not affect the conclusions. Rumsfeld said he made the unusual public gesture because Franks is in a unique position as a commander preparing for war and he wanted to counter what he thought was an unfair leak -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre, at the Pentagon, thanks for that very comprehensive report.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this, how much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd like to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

This footnote to our Iraq coverage, the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is speaking out about the U.S. allegations against him. In a rare television interview he tells a former British member of Parliament and anti-war activist he does not have any weapons of mass destruction or any ties to al Qaeda.

He goes on to say that if he did have ties to the terror organization "we would not be ashamed to admit it."

Another nuclear standoff between the U.S. and North Korea, details on that when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Bush administration appears to be getting tough in the nuclear standoff with North Korea, at least visible a bit more serious. While insisting the diplomatic path is the way to go, President Bush is making it clear that the military option remains very much on the table.

Our National Security Correspondent David Ensor is looking at the strategy behind the moves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With bombers and fighter aircraft now on alert to move to Asia, a senior official told Senators the fear is North Korea might hope to catch the U.S. off guard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the event it's designed to address?

ARMITAGE: A contingency that North Korea would in some fashion try to take advantage of our focus on Iraq, Senator.

ENSOR: As Armitage spoke, an envoy from South Korea's president- elect told reporters after a meeting with Secretary of State Powell that Seoul wants the U.S. to start a dialog with North Korea but in coordination with allies.

On Capitol Hill there were tough questions from Senate Democrats who suspect the Bush administration of playing up Iraq and playing down what could be an even greater threat from North Korea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's safest for the United States foreign policy to start out by assuming that this is a real crisis which you said it wasn't. You used the word crisis. Why not?

ENSOR: Armitage said North Korea is not a crisis because unlike Iraq, for decades it has not attacked its neighbors. Kim Jong-Il is rattling a nuclear saber he said in order to extract more aid plus a non-aggression pact.

ARMITAGE: But we really are pushing back on the notion of crisis, not because it has anything to do with Iraq but because why tell the other guy he's gotten your attention so much?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When some in the Muslim world suggest that America appears to have a higher level of tolerance for North Korean WMD development than for Iraqi development and then further suggests that this is evidence of hostility toward Islam, how are we responding to this?

ARMITAGE: Our view with some question is that we've given over 12 years of time to try to resolve the situation with Iraq and we've been, after finding out about the North Korean cheating on their 1994 agreement, we've only had a few months of diplomacy, Senator.

ENSOR (on camera): Some experts argue that if there's a war with Iraq, North Korea might use the moment to start reprocessing plutonium for bombs or to fire off a longer range missile, that North Korea might see it as an opportunity, these analysts argue, for more nuclear brinkmanship.

David Ensor CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And you're looking at live pictures of Marine One, the presidential helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House, Marine One bringing the president and the first lady back to the White House from their day in Texas at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

They went for that memorial service for the seven Columbia space -- the seven Columbia astronauts who died Saturday morning. Marine One returning from Andrews Air Force Base. The president had flown to Andrews from Houston aboard Air Force One, then boarded this helicopter, will be walking out of the door within a few seconds, will then make his way into the White House from the South Lawn of the White House.

We'll watch to see the president and the first lady as they exit Marine One and begin their walk into the White House, reporters, camera crews standing by to see if the president stops, says anything. We, of course, will be watching as well. The president's aides walking off the helicopter first, he'll be walking off right now.

The president having had an emotional day in his home state of Texas. An emotional day at that memorial service which, of course, many of us saw live here on CNN. The president and the first lady when they walk by the reporters I'm sure the reporters will be shouting some questions. If they stop we'll take that live. Let's listen in just for a second or two to see if the president answers any questions.

The president is not going to answer any questions. He's going to say hello to some friends, some tourists, others who are on the South Lawn to greet him and he'll then walk inside. If he does say anything we'll bring that to you later in this program.

They were qualified to go to space but not necessarily to get life insurance. Meet the man on a crusade to help the children of the fallen astronauts and find out how you can pitch in.

Plus, doctors walk out. Find out why thousands hit the streets in New Jersey.

And, Michael Jackson unmasked. He admits he shares a bed with children. Hear what other revelations made the front pages across Europe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Coming up, making sure the children are taken care of. Find out how you can help the families of the shuttle astronauts.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Let's get back to CNN's Maria Hinojosa. She's in East Texas where there's been another significant development -- Maria.

HINOJOSA: Wolf, yes, we have just received some important information about some more recovery here in the Hemphill area. We are being told now that important and significant parts of the debris have been found. Those would include pieces of the fuselage, pieces of the circuit boards and pieces of the landing gear.

Now, all of this could be central to understanding what went wrong with the shuttle. This is on a day when we have 600 people out into the brush, on the ground. That's probably why they're able to recover it. As the efforts to recover debris expand with the number of people, they are able to uncover more territory. And as I told you just at the top of the show, Wolf, they had been able to locate more or less the trajectory of the crash.

All of this is going to be able to help determine, they think, what may have happened with the shuttle. So again, we're just being told now that significant recovery of debris have occurred today in the Hemphill area, in the Sabine County areas. Those would include pieces of the fuselage, the circuit boards and the landing gear.

Now, right now, we're being told that 46 separate agency are cooperating with the search. Again, the fact that they have increased the number of people here will probably explain why they're now able to find any encounter this kind of debris. Very important information that I'm sure NASA and the EPA will be looking at closely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very significant. Maria, do they actually start removing the debris or do they leave it there, sort of just cordon it off, make sure nobody gets close to it?

HINOJOSA: Well, it's in two different phases, Wolf. The EPA is in charge of removing the debris. We have been told that as of yesterday, they did start removing debris and that was just yesterday that they started to do that. We've been told that the nose cone, in fact, has been taken out of the 20-foot hole that it was immersed in, that it has been wrapped and it's getting ready for removal but has not been taken.

But Wolf, you have to remember that we are talking about, at least in this trajectory, 20 miles long, four miles wide, thousands and thousands of pieces of debris and it's impossible to remove all of that. Of course, that's the question that many people around here want to know.

When will all of the stuff start to be picked up? The larger pieces, we're being told are being started to be removed, but you're talking about smaller pieces spread out everywhere, people's lawn, a lot of concern because of the fact that people are being told again that this is very toxic --Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Maria Hinojosa in East Texas for us. Thanks once again for that report.

And no one of course has been hit harder by the Columbia disaster than the families of the crew. For the children of the seven astronauts who lost their lives, there's an added burden, an uncertain financial future. But they're going to get some help from a trust fund first started after the Challenger accident.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have booster ignition and liftoff of space shuttle Columbia.

BLITZER (voice-over): They strap themselves to tons of metal and fuel and shoot off into space risking their lives each minute. Because of that, astronauts often have difficulty getting life insurance. Five of the Columbia astronauts were members of the U.S. military. Their families will be eligible for military survivor benefits, but will that be enough?

One man is picking up the slack for the 12 children left behind by the crew of Columbia. Del Smith, a Washington D.C. attorney who once worked for NASA, is re-establishing the Space Shuttle Children's Fund. He created the fund in 1986 with NASA's blessing to provide for the children of the Challenger astronauts.

Of the seven members of that crew, only Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher, had a substantial life insurance policy. The fund raised more than $1.2 million for psychiatric counseling, health care and education for the surviving challenger children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And Kalpana Chawla, the crew's only civilian, did have children. Ilan Ramon, a member of the Israeli air force, had four children. The fund plans to assist his family as well.

Joining me now is Del Smith, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Space Shuttle Children's Fund. Mr. Smith, thanks for joining us.

DEL SMITH, SHUTTLE CHILDREN'S FUND: Thank you so much for taking time.

BLITZER: It's hard to believe that there's not really big insurance policies on all these astronauts so that their children will be well taken care of forever.

SMITH: One would like to believe that, but in 1986 when we first received information from NASA that there would be a problem, they had several difficulties.

First, NASA as a federal agency couldn't accept money so they needed to have a separate fund. There was an insurability question because many of the astronauts, in their spare time, flew jet planes and did things that were extremely risky. And in Challenger, there were 13 little children to deal with. And so it was important that the fund was set up.

It was actually set up by a group of people. I was contacted by NASA. I went to American Security Bank. We have a wonderful set of trustees with Ursula Mees (ph), with members from Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and we do it because it's important. We don't have fundraises. We don't have anything like that. We're just a tiny little part to try and deal with the children.

BLITZER: It's hard to believe they didn't make provisions after '86, the Challenger disaster. Didn't they do anything differently because of this potential disaster?

SMITH: We have made that inquiry of NASA. We have asked the general counsel's office for any information that they might have beyond what we were able to determine. And when the time is right, I'm sure we will be speaking to the liaison, to the families. At a trustee's meeting yesterday, we decided already to make immediate funds available to the families if they need them.

We will be filing as part of our fiduciary responsibility, in our 501-C3 company, we will be doing whatever is necessary to make sure we check on all of the backgrounds, all of the requests. And we can guarantee that all 100 percent of what we raise in terms of additional money goes to the children for education and medical needs.

BLITZER: And that's 12 children from the seven astronauts. There were a total of 12 children, four children for Israeli kids. They will be eligible...

SMITH: Absolutely, they are eligible. We've spoken to people from Israel already and they will be treated equally to all of the other children.

And by the way, the fund goes beyond, too. It's not just now. It's sad that 17 years after Challenger we did this again, but the board asked me to meet with the media, as I'm doing with you, and to explain the fund. It will also continue on into the future. So if there are future children from the space shuttle, the space station or NASA activities, that's our little part in what we're trying to do to help.

BLITZER: All right. And we're going to put it up on the screen now. If people want to contribute, let's put that up and tell us where they can contribute right here.

SMITH: Yes, there is a post office box. It's 34600, Washington, D.C., and I guess you have to add the 20043-4600. But I remember in 1986 if you manage to put space shuttle and post office box 34600, they'll find us.

BLITZER: They'll find you. Good work to you. Congratulations. And...

SMITH: It's the whole board and we thank you for taking time and being interested enough to help us.

BLITZER: Twelve kids, it's a lot of important work you've got to do.

SMITH: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Mr. Smith.

SMITH: Thank you a lot.

BLITZER: As inspectors continue to search for debris in East Texas, what not to do for those that find it on their own. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More than 12,000 pieces of debris from the shuttle Columbia have been recovered but there's still much more out there and officials are reiterating warnings about the danger of touching them. They say some of the bolts used to assemble the cabin are explosive. Other debris may be contaminated by dangerous materials.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): For those who venture near debris fields, NASA is still giving ominous warnings and only mild reassurance.

BILL READDY, ASSOC. ADMIN. SPACE FLIGHT: Some of the materials might actually still be toxic. Some of the propellants that we use are. But at this point we have no evidence at all that the materials that fell would be hazardous from a radioactivity standpoint.

BLITZER: From the first news of a disaster, the warnings have gone out. If you see shuttle debris or anything resembling it, don't touch it or even go near it. But with the debris field that stretches over 28,000 square miles across two states, not everyone has gotten the word.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had eight persons that went to the emergency room at St. Augustine hospital for burns and respiratory distress and that was from them handling either the debris or breathing vapors.

BLITZER: Dozens of people in different Texas counties have gone to hospitals after either touching debris or being near it, some of them without even feeling symptoms.

At the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana border, witnesses reported seeing a piece of debris the size of a compact car hit the water. That reservoir is used for drinking water, but after testing the reservoir for contaminants, state officials assured residents it's safe.

How do you know if you've been dangerously exposed? NASA says there are four chemical compounds that were used on the shuttle Columbia that could pose immediate danger to people on the ground. Pure ammonia is a clear liquid with a pungent smell.

Experts say it can blister the lungs if inhaled and can be fatal in high concentrations. Nitrogen tetroxide is a reddish-brown gas with a pungent sweet smell. It can injure the eyes and skin on contact and can damage the lungs if inhaled. A single exposure can be fatal, but only in high concentrations.

Raw hydrazine and monomethyl hydrazine used as fuel in the shuttle are clear, flammable liquids. They can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, convulsions, and permanent internal damage. They're considered immediately dangerous to life in very low concentrations.

Experts say if you've had any contact with those chemicals, bathe with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and get medical help. What you should not do...

SUE KENNEDY, EMS COORDINATOR: We have had people that are picking up debris and bringing it to our local hospitals because they believe that it's radioactive and that's where they need to turn it in. They do not need to pick it up and they really do not need to take it to our hospitals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: But if all that isn't good enough reason to stay away from the shuttle debris, tampering with it is a federal crime.

The king of pop speaks. Hear how he explains sharing a bed with children. We'll go to London for the headlines when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Just when it seems the strange saga of Michael Jackson couldn't get any more unusual along comes a documentary with new some revelations. CNN's Richard Quest has more now from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Having been extensively and widely trailed, it's not surprising that 14 million people in Britain watched the Michael Jackson documentary, which is not only an achievement for a Monday night in this country and there's no doubt it was compelling, compulsive, and somewhat gruesome viewing.

For two hours, we saw Michael Jackson warts and all. That is if you can have any warts with that much surgery on your face. Although Jackson denies that, saying he's only ever had his nose done and that was to help his breathing so he could hit those high notes. And he denies any further plastic surgery.

It will be in the comments though concerning him sharing his bed with boys and children that really get Michael Jackson most attention. This is the way "The Times" newspaper in Britain covered it. "Jackson faces ruin after admitting `I slept with boys,'" put another way from "The Daily Mirror." Just as blunt -- "I've slept in a bed with many children. It's not sexual. It's fun," said Jackson.

Merely admitting that on television has created what one person says is the longest professional suicide note in history, but Jackson tries to interview our Martin (UNINTELLIGIBLE), who incidentally is the same man who interviewed the Princess of Wales, Diana, in the famous interview. In this case, Jackson say, "Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone."

Overall, this was an extraordinary event for Michael Jackson. We have seen him hanging his baby outside the Berlin hotel and then saying he only did it because the crowd were asking to see the child. And we see him saying that he never wanted to grow up and that although he may be a 44-year-old man, in his heart, he's really Peter Pan throughout his life. Many analysts and newspaper writers in Britain say the only thing that comes out of this television program is that Michael Jackson is a man who needs help.

Richard Quest, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: To put it mildly. Richard Quest, thanks very much for that report.

Time is running out for your turn to weigh in on "Our Web Question of The Day." How much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? Log on to cnn.com/wolf to vote, but first let's take a look at other news making "Headlines Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Terror trail. Closing arguments are scheduled tomorrow in the German trial of a 28-year-old Moroccan accused of being an accessory to the September 11 attacks. The defendant admits knowing the alleged plotters, but denies involvement in the plot. Mass release. Rwanda has freed 20,000 prisoners because the jails are overcrowded. All of those freed have admitted involvement in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Rwanda says the suspected masterminds still face trial.

Drenched down under. Wind and rain from Cyclone Benny hit eastern Australia, but there are no reports of significant damage.

Getting help. There were long lines for aid in Peru following floods that left hundreds homeless and 18 people dead. At one point, Lake Titicaca, the second biggest lake in South America, threatened to overflow.

This joint is jumping. This house being demonstrated in Tokyo is specially designed to withstand powerful earthquakes. It was created by Toyota using some of the same technology Toyota uses in cars.

No love loss. British police have arrested Courtney Love after an alleged disturbance aboard a transatlantic flight. Airline officials say the rock star became disruptive and verbally abused flight attendants.

Happily ever after. The Vatican says Catholic parents have nothing to fear from Harry Potter. A Vatican official rejected allegations the popular Harry Potter children's books are anti- Christian. On the contrary, he says they help children understand the difference between good and evil.

And that's our look "Around the World."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of The Day." Remember we've been asking you this: how much more time should U.N. weapons inspectors be given? Weeks, months, indefinite? Forty-six percent of you so far say weeks, 17 percent say months, 37 percent of you say indefinite. You can find the exact vote and continue to vote, by the way, on our Web site, cnn.com/wolf. Remember this is not a scientific poll.

Here's some e-mail. We got this from Richard. "It seems that there are not enough provisions or options for shuttle crews to deal with catastrophic problems once a mission is started. Whatever the cost, we cannot afford to take chances, however remote, with any more astronaut lives. Change must be implemented if manned shuttle flights are to continue."

That's all the time we have today, but before we leave special congratulations to our executive producer, Eric Sherling (ph). His lovely wife, Leslie, delivered their first baby boy. Doing quite well, the baby, the parents, everybody else. Best wishes for this brand new family.

Please join me again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, the same time as today. Also, starting at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning Eastern Time, we'll have special coverage of the Secretary of State's Colin Powell's address to the United Nations on Iraq. Until then thanks very for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up next, but first we leave you with another look at today's shuttle memorial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

RICK HUSBAND, COMMANDER: It was just so incredibly adventurous and exciting to me that I just thought there is no doubt in my mind that that's what I want to do when I grow up.

(MUSIC)

ILAN RAMON, PAYLOAD SPECIALIST: I was out of my mind thinking and imaging how earth would look like from space.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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Established to Help Children of Shuttle Victims>