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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Was Colin Powell's Report on Iraq Accepted Globally; Analysis of Shuttle Re-entry Videotape; New Al Qaeda Threat on United States Soil
Aired February 05, 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The day the world waited for. Will there be a war? The U.S. case against Iraq is out in the open.
And shuttle Columbia. What went wrong? Where is NASA now looking for clues? Surprising answers may be coming up.
And a breaking development in that case of a missing pregnant woman. The family of Laci Peterson is about to speak up. You'll see it live this hour on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Face-off at the United Nations. Secretary Powell goes public.
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: At this ballistic missile facility, again, two days before inspections began, five large cargo trucks appeared, along with the truck-mounted crane to move missiles.
BLITZER: Iraq responds.
GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQ SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: This is simply manufactured evidence. It's not true at all.
BLITZER: As the world watches the show of satellite photos and taped conversations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
BLITZER: Is war closer? We'll bring you down to the wire reports from Baghdad, the White House and the United Nations.
Danger at home. Is al Qaeda at work? New concern about terrorism in America.
The shuttle tragedy. The debris trail widens. What fell in California?
Warning signs. How much did NASA know about shuttle safety for how long?
And why did he sell his missing wife's Land rover? The family of Laci Peterson sounds off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Wednesday, February 5, 2003. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
Has time run out? At the United Nations today, Secretary of State Colin Powell pulled out all the stops: spy photos, wire taps and more to make the case that Iraq has not disarmed. But did he make the case for war?
We'll get the latest from the United Nations, the White House and Baghdad.
We begin, though, with our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, who's traveling with Secretary Powell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POWELL: I believe that Iraq is now in further material breach of its obligations. I believe this conclusion is irrefutable and undeniable.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For more than an hour, Secretary of State Powell held court.
POWELL: Numerous human sources tell us that the Iraqis are moving not just documents and hard drives, but weapons of mass destruction, to keep them from being found by inspectors.
KOPPEL: In a high-tech, multimedia presentation, Powell presented newly declassified intelligence, which the U.S. claims proves Iraq has an active program to develop weapons of mass destruction.
POWELL: We have firsthand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails.
KOPPEL: Using charts and graphic, Powell said the U.S. believes Iraq has at least seven mobile, biological agent factories, mounted on at least 18 trucks.
POWELL: Just a few weeks ago we intercepted communications between two commanders in Iraq's second Republican guard core.
KOPPEL: Referencing audio intercepts, Powell said one Iraqi officer ordered another to stop using the expression nerve agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
KOPPEL: Holding an empty vial in his hand, Powell also said Iraq had declared 8,500 liters of anthrax, but had not accounted for even one teaspoon.
POWELL: This is just about the amount of a teaspoon. Less than a teaspoon full of dry anthrax in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001. KOPPEL: Most of Powell's show and tell focused on Iraq's alleged weapons program, but he also presented evidence that Iraq had harbored terrorists in northeastern Iraq, including a top al Qaeda operative, Abu Mousab Zarqawi, a specialist in poisons.
POWELL: He traveled to Baghdad in May 2002 for medical treatment, staying in the capital of Iraq for two months while he recuperated to fight another day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel reporting from the United Nations. She is traveling with the Secretary of State.
The White House was, of course, watching all of this very, very carefully. Let's go to the White House right now and get some assessment from our senior White House correspondent, John King.
John, the president's reaction?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we are told the president watched the last 45 minutes of that presentation, prior to that, while Secretary Powell was speaking. Mr. Bush is meeting with the prime minister of Poland, the country that could be a coalition ally in a war with Iraq.
We are told the president found the presentation to be powerful and the White House take on it is this. They believe they have put now immediate pressure on Dr. Hans Blix, the chief weapon inspector, who is going back to Baghdad this weekend. They believe they have proven beyond any doubt at all that Iraq is hiding things and manipulating the inspectors in Iraq and they know the next key date is when Dr. Blix reports back on the 14th of February. The White House hoping that Dr. Blix now has even more skepticism as he goes back to Iraq and will have an even more critical eye as he prepares his next report.
They also believe that he made a powerful case, even though you had statements from China, from Russia and from France after the Powell presentation that they still think the inspectors deserve more time. They believe they have begun, at least, to make the argument that that is not what resolution 1441 says; 1441 says any Iraqi interference, any Iraqi efforts to obstruct the inspectors is a breach that could then lead you to serious consequences, meaning military action.
The administration's focus now, Wolf, in the next week, will be to make the case. Anyone who signed on to resolution 1441 now has an obligation to support serious consequences, meaning to support military action.
BLITZER: John, I assume they realize, John, that the Iraqis are going to be making their case as well, including a meeting next week that the deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, will have with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. So there will be a double-barreled diplomatic battle under way. KING: They believe the Iraqis will do everything to try to prove to the public, to make public relations gestures -- that meeting with the pope. They also believe the Iraqis will give Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei most of what they ask for in terms of access to scientists and perhaps more documents when they go to Baghdad.
But what the administration says is that you heard the Iraq ambassador today say, Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction. The White House says if Iraq maintains that position even after the evidence Secretary Powell laid out today, that, again, when it comes decision time, a week or two from now, the White House will make the case two side: Who do you believe? Iraq or the United States?
BLITZER: John King, at the White House. Thanks, John, very much.
Official reaction to Powell's address in the Iraqi capital was, of course, quick and sharp.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is standing by live tonight in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP)...here, Wolf, the top scientific adviser to President Saddam Hussein, General Amir Al-Saadi (ph), essentially saying that it was all lies and responding to what the U.S. Secretary of State has said about him personally that he was -- that he had been in a committee that obstructs the inspectors and tries to interfere and get a hold of their communications.
He said absolutely not, that what his job was, his orders were, to tell everything openly. He also said about the radio intercepts that any third rate -- third world intelligence operative could have done the same thing. Indeed, towards the whole of the presentation, he called it a typical American show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL-SAADI: This was a typical American show, complete with stunts and special effects. However, the whole performance is in violation of Security Council resolution 1441. Paragraph 10 of the resolution calls upon member states to submit all evidence in their possession to the proper authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: He went on to say that Colin Powell's address undermined the U.N. inspection mission here. He ridiculed the notion that defectors could provide good intelligence. He said it was a proven fact in the past and even the U.N. inspectors here have discovered it, that the information given by defectors was notoriously unreliable. He said Iraq does plan to more fully respond in the next 24 hours. He said the foreign minister of Iraq, Naji Sabri, will be sending a letter not only to Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the U.N., but to all of the member nations at the U.N. Security Council -- Wolf. BLITZER: Nic, in addition to Tariq Aziz meeting with the pope in the Vatican next week, any other major surprises? Any other diplomatic initiatives with the Arab League, for example, anticipated?
ROBERTSON: Iraq has tried to win more support from the Arab League. They have sent emmisaries very recently to Syria, who they believe can be a voice representing their view, their side at the U.N. Security Council. I think the real test is going to come over this weekend, when Hans Blix and Muhammad ElBaradei will be here. What will they get?
There's three issues they want to see addressed: the private interviews with the scientists, the use of the U-2 surveillance aircraft and very important, legislation that Iraq would have to pass that would outlaw weapons of mass destruction. This weekend is going to be very important, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. We'll be watching it closely. Nic Robertson in Baghdad. Thanks, Nic, very much.
So did Secretary Powell win over any hearts and minds? Did he convince the Security Council and a waiting word -- world?
Let's go live to our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth. He's standing by at the United Nations -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's a hard job, especially when many of the speeches of the foreign ministers were written ahead of time, before Secretary of State Powell delivered his comments, offering proof that Washington has that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction.
If anything, the Powell intelligence information gave more ammunition to many countries on the Council to say, Let's give the inspectors more time because now they even have more to look for and now the U.S. has given the intelligence and they certainly can build up to a more credible regime.
France, for one, said we want to see proof from the United States and we also want to increase the efforts of the inspectors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER: There is room for enhancing the inspections regime. We believe that in the resolution 1441, we have the capability of asking more to Iraq. We thinks that if it is necessary to double or triple the number of inspectors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Other countries, such as Germany said, Well, I'm not an arms expert, an intelligence expert. That's what Germany's foreign minister said. Several countries, Russia especially, said, We've got to give the inspectors more time. That's what the Council is unified on, not necessarily Washington though. Kofi Annan waited all day, the secretary-general, and then he made some remarks. The Secretary-General Annan said the message to Baghdad from the Powell hearing is that they've got to start cooperating with the weapons inspectors. But the secretary-general said war is not necessarily right over the horizon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I still believe that war is not inevitable. But a lot depends on President Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi leadership. I think the message today has been clear. Everyone wants Iraq to be proactive in cooperating with the inspectors and fulfill the demands of the international community, and I think if they do that we can avoid a war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Other countries such as Nigeria said there's a lot of meat to digest. Bulgaria on the side of the U.S. said it was "shattering, compelling information." But for many countries they're going to wait until February 14 when Chief Inspector Blix returns from a visit to Baghdad -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Richard Roth, our man at the United Nations. Richard, thanks very much.
And here's your chance to weigh in on the story. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this, did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf.
While you're there, you can check out our interactive map of U.S. military deployments to the Persian Gulf region, find an interactive timeline of U.N. inspections in Iraq and get all the latest news, quotations and analysis.
Her husband sold her car a short time after she disappeared. Now the family of Laci Peterson is about to speak out in Modesto. Hear what they have to say about a man under suspicion. We'll carry it live once it happens.
Also, debris in California. Our Miles O'Brien is live in Houston with all the latest developments on the shuttle investigation.
And did Secretary Powell maker a compelling case? We'll hear from all sides. Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Jay Rockefeller, they'll join me when we come back. Plus, we'll go coast to coast for your reactions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: New developments in the shuttle investigation, plus debris found in California. We'll go to our Miles O'Brien shortly for all of the latest developments.
And the pregnant woman missing since Christmas Eve. Hear what the family members of Laci Peterson have to say about her husband. We'll carry their news conference live at the half hour.
But first, joining me now with their assessment of Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks at the United Nations Security Council on Iraq are two special guests. The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Pat Roberts. He's a Republican from Kansas. And the Democratic vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. Senators, thanks so much for joining us.
Senator Roberts, Mr. Chairman, let me begin with you. You make the point that the information, and you're privy to all of the sensitive intelligence information. The evidence that Secretary Powell released today is but the tip of the iceberg. There's tons more.
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), KANSAS: Well, basically Senator Rockefeller and I know that there is a larger portion of the iceberg, but you're not going to have a criteria where you release information that will endanger lives, endanger sources or maybe be embarrassing to governments where we're trying to work out certain arrangements. And last of all, you don't want to release information that should we have to take any military action would endanger that.
It may be the tip of the iceberg, but I thought it was very compelling, especially in demonstrating to Americans, that there is a vital national security threat. I think he advanced that cause very well.
BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, you suggested that Iraq may be a threat, but al Qaeda is a much bigger current threat to the U.S. Are you still convinced of that after Secretary Powell's remarks?
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: There's a lot of threats around and Secretary Powell, I think, advanced the cause of the danger of Iraq very powerfully today. And he did it to precisely the audiences, that is in Baghdad, the United States, across the world, that need to hear that cause advanced.
I think that we still have the opening for Saddam Hussein, should he wish to change. I don't think he's going to, but the window is not entirely closed. That's very, very important. The next report by Blix isn't until the 14th and then if you're -- you know, if you're not -- want to go on to something else, you can do North Korea, you can do al Qaeda. It's all over the world. This is going to be a very tough period in years coming up.
BLITZER: But are you convinced, Senator ,Rockefeller based on what you heard from Secretary Powell today that Iraq represents such an immediate, imminent threat to U.S. national security that the U.S. has no alternative but to send young men and women off to war?
ROCKEFELLER: As I indicated, Wolf, I think that he moved us farther in that direction, but we still do have time. And the president has emphasized that. That one of the reasons I voted for the resolution was to go through the security process. I think we can -- the U.N. Security Council. I think we can do that again and I think that now we have some time to do that.
Saddam Hussein has to be concentrating as he's never concentrated before. So I don't need to answer your question today. I may have to in several weeks.
BLITZER: How many weeks, Senator Roberts, do you believe are left before the president gives that order?
ROBERTS: As Senator Rockefeller has indicated, Hans Blix will come back to the Security Council.
BLITZER: Early next week.
ROBERTS: Yes. And then you're going to hear -- you've already heard some of the critics saying, Well, we have to take a look at this, we have to have interpretation.
But my goodness, I hate to think we have to realize when people say, Are we ready to go to war? We're at war.
Six thousand Americans have died in the last decade as a result of terrorist organizations hooked up with radical elements of the Islamic world. Now, we finally tumbled to it about the USS Cole time.
So it isn't so much if we'll go to war, we're at war. Now, what do you do? If in fact, and we have seen today from the evidence, human intelligence, satellite imagery, more specially signal intelligence which I thought was very dramatic...
BLITZER: The electronic (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ROBERTS: Yes, exactly. I thought that was very dramatic. That caught the attention of the American people. And it says the al Qaeda, who are in Iraq, have a cell in Baghdad and have basically a poison center and they are educating and training and are going to dispense those kinds of biological weaponry or say chemical weaponry and it can go to Europe, it can go to the United States. Finally the American people say, Hey, we've got a problem. We got to take care of this.
BLITZER: Let me bring Senator Rockefeller. Are you convinced, Senator Rockefeller, what Secretary Powell said. That there's really no difference between al Qaeda and Iraq? That they're part of the same war on terrorism?
ROCKEFELLER: Think the point that Pat Roberts just made, the Zarqawi connection both to the poison compound or camp, whatever you want to call it, in Northeastern Iraq.
The fact that Zarqawi certainly is related to the death of the U.S. aid officer and that he is very close to bin Laden puts at rest, in fairly dramatic terms, that there is at least a substantial connection between Saddam and al Qaeda.
On the other hand, I don't think you have to prove that. That's not the whole proof. The question is he disarming? That's what 1441's about.
BLITZER: Let me bring Senator Roberts back and ask you this, is it time, in the face of a possible war, concerns among law enforcement, FBI, that there could be terrorist action to coincide inside with the war with Iraq, anti-American actions on U.S. soil? They raised the threat level from Yellow, the mid-level range, to Orange, the higher more severe risk. Are you worried, in other words, about terrorist strikes right now against Americans?
ROBERTS: In a short word, yes. The chatter is up. You always worry about these things. I will say this for the intelligence community, they've gotten a lot of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in the past. A lot of fingers pointing at them. They really collaborated and we got a lot of foreign,assistance in regards to their intelligence. And yes, right now the chatter is up.
So I think the threat warning will be considered when Tom Ridge does that, I can't tell you. But there's that risk anyway. If you get Saddam Hussein training al Qaeda to send an unmanned vehicle to the United States, do the very same thing, soon or later we have to preempt this threat. You can't just let it go on.
BLITZER: How worried are you about terrorism striking in the United States once again, Senator Rockefeller?
ROCKERFELLER: I agree with what Pat Roberts has just said. I think that Americans, we love to come out with something where there isn't a risk. Whatever happens, whether we go in and whether we don't, there are enormous risks associated with that. It will be a very dangerous period.
If we didn't, for, go into, Iraq I think that probably will happen. And then there's North Korea that is sitting right there. And then al Qaeda which is in 70 different countries including this one. I mean, there is risk everywhere, danger everywhere, it's part of what we'll have to grow accustom to, unfortunately.
BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, thanks for joining us. Senator, Roberts, thanks as well. And congratulations on the chairman of the committee.
ROBERTS: Thank you, I think.
BLITZER: Good luck to you. Appreciate it very much ask we wanted to hear directly from people outside the Washington Beltway, what they're saying about the secretary's speech. So we sent our crews coast to coast to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence was compelling. I don't think there is any doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein has violated and the Iraqis have violated the resolution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that we should wait to see what the U.N. and what the other countries of the Security Council want to do. I don't think we should go alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are a world leader and I think that rather than to wait until after the fact, I think we have enough evidence, we should move upon the evidence that we have at hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of lives are involved here, both pro and con. We should make decisions based on fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Random views from across the country.
Meanwhile, there are new developments in the shuttle investigation.
FRANK BUCKLEY, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Frank Buckley live in Joshua Tree, California, where this piece of what may be a piece of space shuttle debris has been found. We will take a closer look at this and hear from sheriff's department officials when WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.
BLITZER: Also coming up, Scott Peterson, he sold his missing wife's car. We'll hear from her family live. A news conference expected to begin very soon. First, let's take a look at other news headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Following footsteps. Despite gathering war clouds in the Middle East, Muslims are making their way to Saudi Arabia. Tens of thousands of pilgrims walked through Mecca's grand mosque as a prelude to Hajj, the annual sacred journey following the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad.
Demolition death, Israeli troops continue to demolish the homes of suspected Palestinian militants. One house belonged to a man who died during an attack on Israelis more than two years ago. Palestinians say the man's elderly stepmother was inside the house when it was demolished. They say she apparently didn't hear warnings to get out and died of chest injuries.
Ivory ire. There was a large demonstration in Ivory Coast protesting a French brokered agreement to end the civil war there. Government supporters say it gives too much power to the rebels.
The road north. Despite tension over North Korea's nuclear program, a new road has opened linking North and South Korea. South Koreans marked the occasion with a bus convoy to the North.
Hugo Uruguay. The weeks leading up to Lent are a time of celebration and the largest carnival in South America is in Uruguay. Participants will be painting their faces, putting on costumes and parading down streets until mid-March.
Kissed off. A teenage pop duo called tattoo has ignited a controversy in Britain. Two British networks refuse to run the new video because it includes a lesbian kiss. Critics say the video promotes pedophilia, but fans apparently like it. The song on the video is Britain's number one single and that's our look around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Looking at live pictures. The family of Laci Peterson about to speak once again, regarding her husband Scott. You'll see it here live on CNN. All of that is coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. We're back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We have some new videotape we want to show our viewers. A videotape that was found in Sabine County, Texas. A videotape that we are told shows the nose cone of the Space Shuttle Columbia wrapped up in this tarp. You can see it here being taken away, a nose cone that was discovered -- found only recently, yesterday, we believe, in Sabine County, Eastern Texas being taken away by hazardous material specialists, part of the investigation.
Our Frank Buckley is standing by and he has more details on what's going on -- Frank.
BUCKLEY: Well, Wolf, we're in Joshua Tree, California, where over the weekend, in fact on Saturday a piece of debris was found that may or may not be related to the space shuttle, but is being taken very seriously. You'll recall yesterday that NASA said it was sending investigators out west to California and Arizona to begin looking at some reports of debris.
Here is what we are talking about here. Joining me is Fred Gonzalez and Chip Patterson from the San Bernardino County sheriff's department. And let's take a look at the object that was find in the desert in Joshua Tree. This is the object it almost looks like a frame. It looks just like from the layman's eye that it could be related to photography of some kind.
First, let's talk about how this was fund. Chip, I'll talk to you first. This was found by Robert Bags, a man we talked to just a moment ago.
What has he told you about the circumstances under which me found this?
He pulled into their his driveway and I believe he ran over it and he thought to him it looked interesting and suspicious that maybe it came from the space shuttle. I think he may have debated that for a while in his mind and then he called us and our deputy went out, saw it and I think our deputy agreed with him that it is certainly interesting especially the fact that it's burned in the middle and we took possession of it and we contacted NASA.
Frank, I'll go being to interrupting you for a moment. I want to go out to Modesto, California, the Stepfather of Laci Peterson speaking out. (INTERUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
BLITZER: And so, there it is from Modesto, California, the stepfather, the brother of Laci Peterson speaking out. The stepfather, Ron Grantski, complaining about the decision by his son- in-law, Scott Peterson, to sell not only the car, but the home that they have owned.
(INTERUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
BLITZER: The Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers emerging from a congressional briefing, answering reporters' questions briefly -- the most significant statement though involving North Korea. The secretary of defense saying that North Korea is a terrorist regime and obviously concerned about North Korea's nuclear capabilities saying the U.S. assessment right now is North Korea already has one or two nuclear bombs. We'll continue to follow that story.
We're also getting some new videotape in to CNN of an earlier space shuttle re-entry into the United States, some important new developments that may provide some clues for us. We're going to bring that to you as soon as we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. We have some home video, some amateur video, that was shot by a former astronaut, Story Musgrave, who shot this as he was aboard the shuttle Atlantis going into re-entry back into the earth's orbit in 1997. I want to watch and give you a flavor of what it's like for these astronauts to come back to earth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the plasma trail trailing us behind as the hot plasma streams around the orbiter and goes back over the tails, a spectacular light show.
During that time where you saw the plasma trail behind us, we were tilted up at an angle of attack of about 40 degrees. Here we are looking out through a camera over the nose of the vehicle and now the angle of attack is much lower and we're flying more like an airplane. It is dark overhead so the only way to see us was with an infrared camera and that's you see in the upper right inset in this view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's bring in our analyst, Randy Avera, former NASA engineer.
Randy, as you watch that dramatic video giving us a little bit -- a tiny little bit of a flavor of what it's like. It seems so remarkably calm in there as the shuttle is coming back, making its re- entry into the earth's orbit. Is it that calm?
RANDY AVERA, FORMER NASA ENGINEER: It's very calm. In fact, on the first shuttle mission, STS-1 of Columbia back in 1981, the commander, John Young, and the pilot, Bob Crippen (ph), said they felt like they were sitting in their living room in an easy chair. It's very benign or calm compared to the violent vibrations during boost to orbit.
BLITZER: And they're going so remarkably fast at that moment. It seems like they're almost sitting and they're not each moving. But how fast are they going?
AVERA: Well, the de-orbit burn starts at about mach-25 and as you come down through the atmosphere, the mach numbers begin to get smaller and smaller. But anything above mach-2 is a high mach number. But above mach-10, we're talking ultrasonic flight. And the flow around the topside of the orbiter is the lower temperature than that around the bottom side. So you can imagine what an inferno it is on the bottom of the orbiter. And as they do banking turns, left and right, it also has increases of temperature due to the cross range and banking maneuver.
BLITZER: As we talk, I want to just replay that video for our viewers. As we continue to assess the latest of the investigation, a couple of points, Randy, while I have you. The fact that that nose cone has now been found, picked up, and is being moved to take a close look at it. What do they hope to learn from that?
AVERA: Well, right through these windows that -- now, this is the overhead window like on a sunroof on a car that you may have. This is looking over the top into the back of the orbiter. The orbiter nose is pitched up 40 degrees and you saw that ionization. These are electrons of air that are being stripped off and turned into a plasma, a very thick discus, aerodynamic situation compared to the thick atmosphere we're used to on the ground.
And the initial part of that video was out through the forward windows where the pilot and commander view through and that is only about 15 feet from that nose cap that has been recovered. And the nose cap gets into the temperature range of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, only about 15 feet in front of those glass windows, those fused silicon glass windows.
BLITZER: So it's presumably, the discovery of that nose cap could help in this investigation dramatically, also the fact that they're now finding apparently bits and pieces in California. Tell our viewers the significance of that.
AVERA: Well, just similar to any type of an aircraft accident, if pieces are coming off of the airplane, you may remember the DC-10 crash in Sioux City, Iowa, where on that number two engine, up on the vertical tail, the fan had separated from the aircraft and fallen into a cornfield many, many miles from the Sioux City, Iowa airport. So parts that leave the aircraft early in flight, there's a reason for that.
And in fact, if you look at this model of an orbiter, the parts are on the rear or up on the front, if they depart the vehicle -- for example, if you have a part coming off on the front it could be secondary impact damage along the fuselage and towards the tail. But obviously, if something came off the rear it's less like low to damage, of course, the forward part of the orbiter. So why and when these components come off the orbiter is extremely important in understanding what happened in the event as we saw it on Saturday.
BLITZER: The -- that foam that presumably may have come off the external fuel tank and hit the wing -- show our viewers on that model what might have happened.
AVERA: I've got -- this is not to scale, but if you imagine this block as that piece of foam coming off the external tank and coming along this left hand, lower part of the wing of the orbiter where the black tiles were located. It was in this general area where that impact was apparent in the video.
It's important to note that the dimensions of the size of the object, of the foam that NASA has released, there is -- it's a length, width and height dimension. Well, if the object hit with the wide part, that's one scenario. If it was a narrow part, that's another scenario. But a more interesting part is what if it hit on a sharp edge? If you think of a large chunk being not exactly smooth on all surfaces and having square, sharp edges, if that were to hit that delicate ceramic coating on the black tiles, that's the third scenario that's very important in doing the analysis work of how much damage could have been done to those black tiles and also to the gray, reinforced carbon carbon on the leading edge of the wing.
BLITZER: Randy, before I go, I just want to replay one more time that videotape we have, the NASA tape that Story Musgrave, the former astronaut, shot on his re-entry on the Atlantis shuttle in 1997. Briefly narrate what we're seeing.
AVERA: Forward windows, we're behind the pilots looking forward. Now, again, the overhead windows, kind of like a sunroof on a car or truck and that's a very high degree of plasma that you see there. The flashing effect is because of the discharge with the electrons. If you think about lightning, all of the visible light that you see from the electron flow, the plasma that you see over the top of the orbiter is pulsing, discharging those high charges of electrons.
BLITZER: All right. Randy Avera, our CNN analyst, thanks very much. Dramatic videotape. We're going to be presumably learning a lot more about all of this in the days and weeks and months to come.
We have much more news coming up, including the drumbeats of war with Iraq and apparently, an increased threat of terrorism right here at home. See what the FBI says about al Qaeda right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There are fears the possibility of war with Iraq has increased the threat of terrorist attacks right here on U.S. soil. Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the U.S. moves closer to taking on Saddam Hussein, counterterrorism officials tell CNN the concern about a possible terror attack on U.S. soil is at the highest level since the September 11 attacks. But Iraq is just part of the equation. There is some concern extremists could act next week, during the Hajj when Muslims worldwide make a pilgrimage to Mecca, and most troublesome to officials, an increase in intelligence in recent weeks suggesting another al Qaeda attack.
KENNETH KATZMAN, CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE: The al Qaeda organization might sympathize with Iraq's plight at this point and I think we're at a point of maximum activity on the part of al Qaeda to try to conduct some sort of attack, perhaps here, perhaps overseas.
ARENA: Sources say the FBI has a handful of individuals in the United States who are believed to be Iraqi intelligence officers under surveillance, along with hundreds of Iraqi sympathizers. Sources say the FBI has not found evidence of any active terror cells in the U.S., but point out there is a danger individuals may act on their own. For example, officials say there have been briefings about the possible threat of suicide bombers like those in Israel. Agents have also been warned to think outside the box. Not all terrorists are young men but women, too, pose a threat.
It is important to underscore that the national threat level remains unchanged at yellow or elevated. What's more, officials point out that since 9/11 there has been a steady ebb and flow of intelligence about the possibility of another attack. That intelligence, along with updated information on how al Qaeda has evolved, will be included in the FBI's first-ever National Threat Report to Congress next week.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And don't forget, time's running out on your turn to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? Log on to CNN.com/Wolf to vote and we'll have the results immediately when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of The Day." Remember, we've been asking you this -- did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? Look at this, 60 percent of you say yes, 40 percent of you say no. You can find the exact vote tally and continue to vote, by the way, on our website, CNN.com/Wolf. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. We'll leave this question up for the time being. Go ahead and vote, CNN.com/Wolf.
Let's get to some of your e-mail and we're flooded with e-mail on the secretary's presentation before the U.N.
Bruce writes -- "Powell did not convince me that we should immediately attack Iraq. If the U.S. has this type of superb monitoring capability, then why should we invade and kill civilians when we can use our intelligence to find and remove illegal weapons? Powell's slide show backfired on him."
Steve has a very different perspective -- "Secretary Powell provided me with a compelling and convincing case that Iraq is flaunting U.N. resolutions and will only become bolder if permitted. While most of Powell's evidence is clearly circumstantial, Saddam's intentions are crystal clear."
That's all of the time we have today. Please join me tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget, "SHOWDOWN: IRAQ" weekdays, noon Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" of course is coming up right now.
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Analysis of Shuttle Re-entry Videotape; New Al Qaeda Threat on United States Soil>
Aired February 5, 2003 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The day the world waited for. Will there be a war? The U.S. case against Iraq is out in the open.
And shuttle Columbia. What went wrong? Where is NASA now looking for clues? Surprising answers may be coming up.
And a breaking development in that case of a missing pregnant woman. The family of Laci Peterson is about to speak up. You'll see it live this hour on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Face-off at the United Nations. Secretary Powell goes public.
COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: At this ballistic missile facility, again, two days before inspections began, five large cargo trucks appeared, along with the truck-mounted crane to move missiles.
BLITZER: Iraq responds.
GEN. AMER AL-SAADI, IRAQ SCIENTIFIC ADVISER: This is simply manufactured evidence. It's not true at all.
BLITZER: As the world watches the show of satellite photos and taped conversations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
BLITZER: Is war closer? We'll bring you down to the wire reports from Baghdad, the White House and the United Nations.
Danger at home. Is al Qaeda at work? New concern about terrorism in America.
The shuttle tragedy. The debris trail widens. What fell in California?
Warning signs. How much did NASA know about shuttle safety for how long?
And why did he sell his missing wife's Land rover? The family of Laci Peterson sounds off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Wednesday, February 5, 2003. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
Has time run out? At the United Nations today, Secretary of State Colin Powell pulled out all the stops: spy photos, wire taps and more to make the case that Iraq has not disarmed. But did he make the case for war?
We'll get the latest from the United Nations, the White House and Baghdad.
We begin, though, with our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, who's traveling with Secretary Powell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POWELL: I believe that Iraq is now in further material breach of its obligations. I believe this conclusion is irrefutable and undeniable.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For more than an hour, Secretary of State Powell held court.
POWELL: Numerous human sources tell us that the Iraqis are moving not just documents and hard drives, but weapons of mass destruction, to keep them from being found by inspectors.
KOPPEL: In a high-tech, multimedia presentation, Powell presented newly declassified intelligence, which the U.S. claims proves Iraq has an active program to develop weapons of mass destruction.
POWELL: We have firsthand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails.
KOPPEL: Using charts and graphic, Powell said the U.S. believes Iraq has at least seven mobile, biological agent factories, mounted on at least 18 trucks.
POWELL: Just a few weeks ago we intercepted communications between two commanders in Iraq's second Republican guard core.
KOPPEL: Referencing audio intercepts, Powell said one Iraqi officer ordered another to stop using the expression nerve agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
KOPPEL: Holding an empty vial in his hand, Powell also said Iraq had declared 8,500 liters of anthrax, but had not accounted for even one teaspoon.
POWELL: This is just about the amount of a teaspoon. Less than a teaspoon full of dry anthrax in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001. KOPPEL: Most of Powell's show and tell focused on Iraq's alleged weapons program, but he also presented evidence that Iraq had harbored terrorists in northeastern Iraq, including a top al Qaeda operative, Abu Mousab Zarqawi, a specialist in poisons.
POWELL: He traveled to Baghdad in May 2002 for medical treatment, staying in the capital of Iraq for two months while he recuperated to fight another day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel reporting from the United Nations. She is traveling with the Secretary of State.
The White House was, of course, watching all of this very, very carefully. Let's go to the White House right now and get some assessment from our senior White House correspondent, John King.
John, the president's reaction?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we are told the president watched the last 45 minutes of that presentation, prior to that, while Secretary Powell was speaking. Mr. Bush is meeting with the prime minister of Poland, the country that could be a coalition ally in a war with Iraq.
We are told the president found the presentation to be powerful and the White House take on it is this. They believe they have put now immediate pressure on Dr. Hans Blix, the chief weapon inspector, who is going back to Baghdad this weekend. They believe they have proven beyond any doubt at all that Iraq is hiding things and manipulating the inspectors in Iraq and they know the next key date is when Dr. Blix reports back on the 14th of February. The White House hoping that Dr. Blix now has even more skepticism as he goes back to Iraq and will have an even more critical eye as he prepares his next report.
They also believe that he made a powerful case, even though you had statements from China, from Russia and from France after the Powell presentation that they still think the inspectors deserve more time. They believe they have begun, at least, to make the argument that that is not what resolution 1441 says; 1441 says any Iraqi interference, any Iraqi efforts to obstruct the inspectors is a breach that could then lead you to serious consequences, meaning military action.
The administration's focus now, Wolf, in the next week, will be to make the case. Anyone who signed on to resolution 1441 now has an obligation to support serious consequences, meaning to support military action.
BLITZER: John, I assume they realize, John, that the Iraqis are going to be making their case as well, including a meeting next week that the deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, will have with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. So there will be a double-barreled diplomatic battle under way. KING: They believe the Iraqis will do everything to try to prove to the public, to make public relations gestures -- that meeting with the pope. They also believe the Iraqis will give Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei most of what they ask for in terms of access to scientists and perhaps more documents when they go to Baghdad.
But what the administration says is that you heard the Iraq ambassador today say, Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction. The White House says if Iraq maintains that position even after the evidence Secretary Powell laid out today, that, again, when it comes decision time, a week or two from now, the White House will make the case two side: Who do you believe? Iraq or the United States?
BLITZER: John King, at the White House. Thanks, John, very much.
Official reaction to Powell's address in the Iraqi capital was, of course, quick and sharp.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is standing by live tonight in Baghdad -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (AUDIO GAP)...here, Wolf, the top scientific adviser to President Saddam Hussein, General Amir Al-Saadi (ph), essentially saying that it was all lies and responding to what the U.S. Secretary of State has said about him personally that he was -- that he had been in a committee that obstructs the inspectors and tries to interfere and get a hold of their communications.
He said absolutely not, that what his job was, his orders were, to tell everything openly. He also said about the radio intercepts that any third rate -- third world intelligence operative could have done the same thing. Indeed, towards the whole of the presentation, he called it a typical American show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL-SAADI: This was a typical American show, complete with stunts and special effects. However, the whole performance is in violation of Security Council resolution 1441. Paragraph 10 of the resolution calls upon member states to submit all evidence in their possession to the proper authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: He went on to say that Colin Powell's address undermined the U.N. inspection mission here. He ridiculed the notion that defectors could provide good intelligence. He said it was a proven fact in the past and even the U.N. inspectors here have discovered it, that the information given by defectors was notoriously unreliable. He said Iraq does plan to more fully respond in the next 24 hours. He said the foreign minister of Iraq, Naji Sabri, will be sending a letter not only to Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the U.N., but to all of the member nations at the U.N. Security Council -- Wolf. BLITZER: Nic, in addition to Tariq Aziz meeting with the pope in the Vatican next week, any other major surprises? Any other diplomatic initiatives with the Arab League, for example, anticipated?
ROBERTSON: Iraq has tried to win more support from the Arab League. They have sent emmisaries very recently to Syria, who they believe can be a voice representing their view, their side at the U.N. Security Council. I think the real test is going to come over this weekend, when Hans Blix and Muhammad ElBaradei will be here. What will they get?
There's three issues they want to see addressed: the private interviews with the scientists, the use of the U-2 surveillance aircraft and very important, legislation that Iraq would have to pass that would outlaw weapons of mass destruction. This weekend is going to be very important, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. We'll be watching it closely. Nic Robertson in Baghdad. Thanks, Nic, very much.
So did Secretary Powell win over any hearts and minds? Did he convince the Security Council and a waiting word -- world?
Let's go live to our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth. He's standing by at the United Nations -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's a hard job, especially when many of the speeches of the foreign ministers were written ahead of time, before Secretary of State Powell delivered his comments, offering proof that Washington has that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction.
If anything, the Powell intelligence information gave more ammunition to many countries on the Council to say, Let's give the inspectors more time because now they even have more to look for and now the U.S. has given the intelligence and they certainly can build up to a more credible regime.
France, for one, said we want to see proof from the United States and we also want to increase the efforts of the inspectors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER: There is room for enhancing the inspections regime. We believe that in the resolution 1441, we have the capability of asking more to Iraq. We thinks that if it is necessary to double or triple the number of inspectors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Other countries, such as Germany said, Well, I'm not an arms expert, an intelligence expert. That's what Germany's foreign minister said. Several countries, Russia especially, said, We've got to give the inspectors more time. That's what the Council is unified on, not necessarily Washington though. Kofi Annan waited all day, the secretary-general, and then he made some remarks. The Secretary-General Annan said the message to Baghdad from the Powell hearing is that they've got to start cooperating with the weapons inspectors. But the secretary-general said war is not necessarily right over the horizon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I still believe that war is not inevitable. But a lot depends on President Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi leadership. I think the message today has been clear. Everyone wants Iraq to be proactive in cooperating with the inspectors and fulfill the demands of the international community, and I think if they do that we can avoid a war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Other countries such as Nigeria said there's a lot of meat to digest. Bulgaria on the side of the U.S. said it was "shattering, compelling information." But for many countries they're going to wait until February 14 when Chief Inspector Blix returns from a visit to Baghdad -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Richard Roth, our man at the United Nations. Richard, thanks very much.
And here's your chance to weigh in on the story. "Our Web Question of the Day" is this, did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? We'll have the results later in this broadcast. Vote at cnn.com/wolf.
While you're there, you can check out our interactive map of U.S. military deployments to the Persian Gulf region, find an interactive timeline of U.N. inspections in Iraq and get all the latest news, quotations and analysis.
Her husband sold her car a short time after she disappeared. Now the family of Laci Peterson is about to speak out in Modesto. Hear what they have to say about a man under suspicion. We'll carry it live once it happens.
Also, debris in California. Our Miles O'Brien is live in Houston with all the latest developments on the shuttle investigation.
And did Secretary Powell maker a compelling case? We'll hear from all sides. Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Jay Rockefeller, they'll join me when we come back. Plus, we'll go coast to coast for your reactions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: New developments in the shuttle investigation, plus debris found in California. We'll go to our Miles O'Brien shortly for all of the latest developments.
And the pregnant woman missing since Christmas Eve. Hear what the family members of Laci Peterson have to say about her husband. We'll carry their news conference live at the half hour.
But first, joining me now with their assessment of Secretary of State Colin Powell's remarks at the United Nations Security Council on Iraq are two special guests. The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Pat Roberts. He's a Republican from Kansas. And the Democratic vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. Senators, thanks so much for joining us.
Senator Roberts, Mr. Chairman, let me begin with you. You make the point that the information, and you're privy to all of the sensitive intelligence information. The evidence that Secretary Powell released today is but the tip of the iceberg. There's tons more.
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), KANSAS: Well, basically Senator Rockefeller and I know that there is a larger portion of the iceberg, but you're not going to have a criteria where you release information that will endanger lives, endanger sources or maybe be embarrassing to governments where we're trying to work out certain arrangements. And last of all, you don't want to release information that should we have to take any military action would endanger that.
It may be the tip of the iceberg, but I thought it was very compelling, especially in demonstrating to Americans, that there is a vital national security threat. I think he advanced that cause very well.
BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, you suggested that Iraq may be a threat, but al Qaeda is a much bigger current threat to the U.S. Are you still convinced of that after Secretary Powell's remarks?
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: There's a lot of threats around and Secretary Powell, I think, advanced the cause of the danger of Iraq very powerfully today. And he did it to precisely the audiences, that is in Baghdad, the United States, across the world, that need to hear that cause advanced.
I think that we still have the opening for Saddam Hussein, should he wish to change. I don't think he's going to, but the window is not entirely closed. That's very, very important. The next report by Blix isn't until the 14th and then if you're -- you know, if you're not -- want to go on to something else, you can do North Korea, you can do al Qaeda. It's all over the world. This is going to be a very tough period in years coming up.
BLITZER: But are you convinced, Senator ,Rockefeller based on what you heard from Secretary Powell today that Iraq represents such an immediate, imminent threat to U.S. national security that the U.S. has no alternative but to send young men and women off to war?
ROCKEFELLER: As I indicated, Wolf, I think that he moved us farther in that direction, but we still do have time. And the president has emphasized that. That one of the reasons I voted for the resolution was to go through the security process. I think we can -- the U.N. Security Council. I think we can do that again and I think that now we have some time to do that.
Saddam Hussein has to be concentrating as he's never concentrated before. So I don't need to answer your question today. I may have to in several weeks.
BLITZER: How many weeks, Senator Roberts, do you believe are left before the president gives that order?
ROBERTS: As Senator Rockefeller has indicated, Hans Blix will come back to the Security Council.
BLITZER: Early next week.
ROBERTS: Yes. And then you're going to hear -- you've already heard some of the critics saying, Well, we have to take a look at this, we have to have interpretation.
But my goodness, I hate to think we have to realize when people say, Are we ready to go to war? We're at war.
Six thousand Americans have died in the last decade as a result of terrorist organizations hooked up with radical elements of the Islamic world. Now, we finally tumbled to it about the USS Cole time.
So it isn't so much if we'll go to war, we're at war. Now, what do you do? If in fact, and we have seen today from the evidence, human intelligence, satellite imagery, more specially signal intelligence which I thought was very dramatic...
BLITZER: The electronic (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ROBERTS: Yes, exactly. I thought that was very dramatic. That caught the attention of the American people. And it says the al Qaeda, who are in Iraq, have a cell in Baghdad and have basically a poison center and they are educating and training and are going to dispense those kinds of biological weaponry or say chemical weaponry and it can go to Europe, it can go to the United States. Finally the American people say, Hey, we've got a problem. We got to take care of this.
BLITZER: Let me bring Senator Rockefeller. Are you convinced, Senator Rockefeller, what Secretary Powell said. That there's really no difference between al Qaeda and Iraq? That they're part of the same war on terrorism?
ROCKEFELLER: Think the point that Pat Roberts just made, the Zarqawi connection both to the poison compound or camp, whatever you want to call it, in Northeastern Iraq.
The fact that Zarqawi certainly is related to the death of the U.S. aid officer and that he is very close to bin Laden puts at rest, in fairly dramatic terms, that there is at least a substantial connection between Saddam and al Qaeda.
On the other hand, I don't think you have to prove that. That's not the whole proof. The question is he disarming? That's what 1441's about.
BLITZER: Let me bring Senator Roberts back and ask you this, is it time, in the face of a possible war, concerns among law enforcement, FBI, that there could be terrorist action to coincide inside with the war with Iraq, anti-American actions on U.S. soil? They raised the threat level from Yellow, the mid-level range, to Orange, the higher more severe risk. Are you worried, in other words, about terrorist strikes right now against Americans?
ROBERTS: In a short word, yes. The chatter is up. You always worry about these things. I will say this for the intelligence community, they've gotten a lot of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in the past. A lot of fingers pointing at them. They really collaborated and we got a lot of foreign,assistance in regards to their intelligence. And yes, right now the chatter is up.
So I think the threat warning will be considered when Tom Ridge does that, I can't tell you. But there's that risk anyway. If you get Saddam Hussein training al Qaeda to send an unmanned vehicle to the United States, do the very same thing, soon or later we have to preempt this threat. You can't just let it go on.
BLITZER: How worried are you about terrorism striking in the United States once again, Senator Rockefeller?
ROCKERFELLER: I agree with what Pat Roberts has just said. I think that Americans, we love to come out with something where there isn't a risk. Whatever happens, whether we go in and whether we don't, there are enormous risks associated with that. It will be a very dangerous period.
If we didn't, for, go into, Iraq I think that probably will happen. And then there's North Korea that is sitting right there. And then al Qaeda which is in 70 different countries including this one. I mean, there is risk everywhere, danger everywhere, it's part of what we'll have to grow accustom to, unfortunately.
BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, thanks for joining us. Senator, Roberts, thanks as well. And congratulations on the chairman of the committee.
ROBERTS: Thank you, I think.
BLITZER: Good luck to you. Appreciate it very much ask we wanted to hear directly from people outside the Washington Beltway, what they're saying about the secretary's speech. So we sent our crews coast to coast to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence was compelling. I don't think there is any doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein has violated and the Iraqis have violated the resolution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that we should wait to see what the U.N. and what the other countries of the Security Council want to do. I don't think we should go alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are a world leader and I think that rather than to wait until after the fact, I think we have enough evidence, we should move upon the evidence that we have at hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of lives are involved here, both pro and con. We should make decisions based on fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Random views from across the country.
Meanwhile, there are new developments in the shuttle investigation.
FRANK BUCKLEY, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Frank Buckley live in Joshua Tree, California, where this piece of what may be a piece of space shuttle debris has been found. We will take a closer look at this and hear from sheriff's department officials when WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.
BLITZER: Also coming up, Scott Peterson, he sold his missing wife's car. We'll hear from her family live. A news conference expected to begin very soon. First, let's take a look at other news headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Following footsteps. Despite gathering war clouds in the Middle East, Muslims are making their way to Saudi Arabia. Tens of thousands of pilgrims walked through Mecca's grand mosque as a prelude to Hajj, the annual sacred journey following the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad.
Demolition death, Israeli troops continue to demolish the homes of suspected Palestinian militants. One house belonged to a man who died during an attack on Israelis more than two years ago. Palestinians say the man's elderly stepmother was inside the house when it was demolished. They say she apparently didn't hear warnings to get out and died of chest injuries.
Ivory ire. There was a large demonstration in Ivory Coast protesting a French brokered agreement to end the civil war there. Government supporters say it gives too much power to the rebels.
The road north. Despite tension over North Korea's nuclear program, a new road has opened linking North and South Korea. South Koreans marked the occasion with a bus convoy to the North.
Hugo Uruguay. The weeks leading up to Lent are a time of celebration and the largest carnival in South America is in Uruguay. Participants will be painting their faces, putting on costumes and parading down streets until mid-March.
Kissed off. A teenage pop duo called tattoo has ignited a controversy in Britain. Two British networks refuse to run the new video because it includes a lesbian kiss. Critics say the video promotes pedophilia, but fans apparently like it. The song on the video is Britain's number one single and that's our look around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Looking at live pictures. The family of Laci Peterson about to speak once again, regarding her husband Scott. You'll see it here live on CNN. All of that is coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. We're back in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We have some new videotape we want to show our viewers. A videotape that was found in Sabine County, Texas. A videotape that we are told shows the nose cone of the Space Shuttle Columbia wrapped up in this tarp. You can see it here being taken away, a nose cone that was discovered -- found only recently, yesterday, we believe, in Sabine County, Eastern Texas being taken away by hazardous material specialists, part of the investigation.
Our Frank Buckley is standing by and he has more details on what's going on -- Frank.
BUCKLEY: Well, Wolf, we're in Joshua Tree, California, where over the weekend, in fact on Saturday a piece of debris was found that may or may not be related to the space shuttle, but is being taken very seriously. You'll recall yesterday that NASA said it was sending investigators out west to California and Arizona to begin looking at some reports of debris.
Here is what we are talking about here. Joining me is Fred Gonzalez and Chip Patterson from the San Bernardino County sheriff's department. And let's take a look at the object that was find in the desert in Joshua Tree. This is the object it almost looks like a frame. It looks just like from the layman's eye that it could be related to photography of some kind.
First, let's talk about how this was fund. Chip, I'll talk to you first. This was found by Robert Bags, a man we talked to just a moment ago.
What has he told you about the circumstances under which me found this?
He pulled into their his driveway and I believe he ran over it and he thought to him it looked interesting and suspicious that maybe it came from the space shuttle. I think he may have debated that for a while in his mind and then he called us and our deputy went out, saw it and I think our deputy agreed with him that it is certainly interesting especially the fact that it's burned in the middle and we took possession of it and we contacted NASA.
Frank, I'll go being to interrupting you for a moment. I want to go out to Modesto, California, the Stepfather of Laci Peterson speaking out. (INTERUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
BLITZER: And so, there it is from Modesto, California, the stepfather, the brother of Laci Peterson speaking out. The stepfather, Ron Grantski, complaining about the decision by his son- in-law, Scott Peterson, to sell not only the car, but the home that they have owned.
(INTERUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
BLITZER: The Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers emerging from a congressional briefing, answering reporters' questions briefly -- the most significant statement though involving North Korea. The secretary of defense saying that North Korea is a terrorist regime and obviously concerned about North Korea's nuclear capabilities saying the U.S. assessment right now is North Korea already has one or two nuclear bombs. We'll continue to follow that story.
We're also getting some new videotape in to CNN of an earlier space shuttle re-entry into the United States, some important new developments that may provide some clues for us. We're going to bring that to you as soon as we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. We have some home video, some amateur video, that was shot by a former astronaut, Story Musgrave, who shot this as he was aboard the shuttle Atlantis going into re-entry back into the earth's orbit in 1997. I want to watch and give you a flavor of what it's like for these astronauts to come back to earth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the plasma trail trailing us behind as the hot plasma streams around the orbiter and goes back over the tails, a spectacular light show.
During that time where you saw the plasma trail behind us, we were tilted up at an angle of attack of about 40 degrees. Here we are looking out through a camera over the nose of the vehicle and now the angle of attack is much lower and we're flying more like an airplane. It is dark overhead so the only way to see us was with an infrared camera and that's you see in the upper right inset in this view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's bring in our analyst, Randy Avera, former NASA engineer.
Randy, as you watch that dramatic video giving us a little bit -- a tiny little bit of a flavor of what it's like. It seems so remarkably calm in there as the shuttle is coming back, making its re- entry into the earth's orbit. Is it that calm?
RANDY AVERA, FORMER NASA ENGINEER: It's very calm. In fact, on the first shuttle mission, STS-1 of Columbia back in 1981, the commander, John Young, and the pilot, Bob Crippen (ph), said they felt like they were sitting in their living room in an easy chair. It's very benign or calm compared to the violent vibrations during boost to orbit.
BLITZER: And they're going so remarkably fast at that moment. It seems like they're almost sitting and they're not each moving. But how fast are they going?
AVERA: Well, the de-orbit burn starts at about mach-25 and as you come down through the atmosphere, the mach numbers begin to get smaller and smaller. But anything above mach-2 is a high mach number. But above mach-10, we're talking ultrasonic flight. And the flow around the topside of the orbiter is the lower temperature than that around the bottom side. So you can imagine what an inferno it is on the bottom of the orbiter. And as they do banking turns, left and right, it also has increases of temperature due to the cross range and banking maneuver.
BLITZER: As we talk, I want to just replay that video for our viewers. As we continue to assess the latest of the investigation, a couple of points, Randy, while I have you. The fact that that nose cone has now been found, picked up, and is being moved to take a close look at it. What do they hope to learn from that?
AVERA: Well, right through these windows that -- now, this is the overhead window like on a sunroof on a car that you may have. This is looking over the top into the back of the orbiter. The orbiter nose is pitched up 40 degrees and you saw that ionization. These are electrons of air that are being stripped off and turned into a plasma, a very thick discus, aerodynamic situation compared to the thick atmosphere we're used to on the ground.
And the initial part of that video was out through the forward windows where the pilot and commander view through and that is only about 15 feet from that nose cap that has been recovered. And the nose cap gets into the temperature range of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, only about 15 feet in front of those glass windows, those fused silicon glass windows.
BLITZER: So it's presumably, the discovery of that nose cap could help in this investigation dramatically, also the fact that they're now finding apparently bits and pieces in California. Tell our viewers the significance of that.
AVERA: Well, just similar to any type of an aircraft accident, if pieces are coming off of the airplane, you may remember the DC-10 crash in Sioux City, Iowa, where on that number two engine, up on the vertical tail, the fan had separated from the aircraft and fallen into a cornfield many, many miles from the Sioux City, Iowa airport. So parts that leave the aircraft early in flight, there's a reason for that.
And in fact, if you look at this model of an orbiter, the parts are on the rear or up on the front, if they depart the vehicle -- for example, if you have a part coming off on the front it could be secondary impact damage along the fuselage and towards the tail. But obviously, if something came off the rear it's less like low to damage, of course, the forward part of the orbiter. So why and when these components come off the orbiter is extremely important in understanding what happened in the event as we saw it on Saturday.
BLITZER: The -- that foam that presumably may have come off the external fuel tank and hit the wing -- show our viewers on that model what might have happened.
AVERA: I've got -- this is not to scale, but if you imagine this block as that piece of foam coming off the external tank and coming along this left hand, lower part of the wing of the orbiter where the black tiles were located. It was in this general area where that impact was apparent in the video.
It's important to note that the dimensions of the size of the object, of the foam that NASA has released, there is -- it's a length, width and height dimension. Well, if the object hit with the wide part, that's one scenario. If it was a narrow part, that's another scenario. But a more interesting part is what if it hit on a sharp edge? If you think of a large chunk being not exactly smooth on all surfaces and having square, sharp edges, if that were to hit that delicate ceramic coating on the black tiles, that's the third scenario that's very important in doing the analysis work of how much damage could have been done to those black tiles and also to the gray, reinforced carbon carbon on the leading edge of the wing.
BLITZER: Randy, before I go, I just want to replay one more time that videotape we have, the NASA tape that Story Musgrave, the former astronaut, shot on his re-entry on the Atlantis shuttle in 1997. Briefly narrate what we're seeing.
AVERA: Forward windows, we're behind the pilots looking forward. Now, again, the overhead windows, kind of like a sunroof on a car or truck and that's a very high degree of plasma that you see there. The flashing effect is because of the discharge with the electrons. If you think about lightning, all of the visible light that you see from the electron flow, the plasma that you see over the top of the orbiter is pulsing, discharging those high charges of electrons.
BLITZER: All right. Randy Avera, our CNN analyst, thanks very much. Dramatic videotape. We're going to be presumably learning a lot more about all of this in the days and weeks and months to come.
We have much more news coming up, including the drumbeats of war with Iraq and apparently, an increased threat of terrorism right here at home. See what the FBI says about al Qaeda right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There are fears the possibility of war with Iraq has increased the threat of terrorist attacks right here on U.S. soil. Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the U.S. moves closer to taking on Saddam Hussein, counterterrorism officials tell CNN the concern about a possible terror attack on U.S. soil is at the highest level since the September 11 attacks. But Iraq is just part of the equation. There is some concern extremists could act next week, during the Hajj when Muslims worldwide make a pilgrimage to Mecca, and most troublesome to officials, an increase in intelligence in recent weeks suggesting another al Qaeda attack.
KENNETH KATZMAN, CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE: The al Qaeda organization might sympathize with Iraq's plight at this point and I think we're at a point of maximum activity on the part of al Qaeda to try to conduct some sort of attack, perhaps here, perhaps overseas.
ARENA: Sources say the FBI has a handful of individuals in the United States who are believed to be Iraqi intelligence officers under surveillance, along with hundreds of Iraqi sympathizers. Sources say the FBI has not found evidence of any active terror cells in the U.S., but point out there is a danger individuals may act on their own. For example, officials say there have been briefings about the possible threat of suicide bombers like those in Israel. Agents have also been warned to think outside the box. Not all terrorists are young men but women, too, pose a threat.
It is important to underscore that the national threat level remains unchanged at yellow or elevated. What's more, officials point out that since 9/11 there has been a steady ebb and flow of intelligence about the possibility of another attack. That intelligence, along with updated information on how al Qaeda has evolved, will be included in the FBI's first-ever National Threat Report to Congress next week.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And don't forget, time's running out on your turn to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? Log on to CNN.com/Wolf to vote and we'll have the results immediately when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of The Day." Remember, we've been asking you this -- did Colin Powell effectively make the U.S. case against Iraq? Look at this, 60 percent of you say yes, 40 percent of you say no. You can find the exact vote tally and continue to vote, by the way, on our website, CNN.com/Wolf. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. We'll leave this question up for the time being. Go ahead and vote, CNN.com/Wolf.
Let's get to some of your e-mail and we're flooded with e-mail on the secretary's presentation before the U.N.
Bruce writes -- "Powell did not convince me that we should immediately attack Iraq. If the U.S. has this type of superb monitoring capability, then why should we invade and kill civilians when we can use our intelligence to find and remove illegal weapons? Powell's slide show backfired on him."
Steve has a very different perspective -- "Secretary Powell provided me with a compelling and convincing case that Iraq is flaunting U.N. resolutions and will only become bolder if permitted. While most of Powell's evidence is clearly circumstantial, Saddam's intentions are crystal clear."
That's all of the time we have today. Please join me tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget, "SHOWDOWN: IRAQ" weekdays, noon Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" of course is coming up right now.
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Analysis of Shuttle Re-entry Videotape; New Al Qaeda Threat on United States Soil>
