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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Sniper Strikes in Baghdad; Disturbing Details on Lynch's Ordeal; Rescue on the High Seas

Aired June 17, 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, HOST: Under attack: a sniper strikes in Baghdad, why U.S. forces may be stretched to thin.

Deadly detour: disturbing details on an ambush of a U.S. convey and the ordeal of young Jessica Lynch.

Man over board: clinging to life in cold waters, an urgent rescue call.

And I'll bring you a new view of the Middle East conflict from the air. An exclusive look from a Black Hawk helicopter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the Middle East. Reporting from Jerusalem, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Good evening.

We're following a breaking story here in Israel, in central Israel. One child has just died, the result of a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. Two other people in that car have been injured. We're following this to see precisely what has happened. It's exactly the kind of spark that could escalate tension levels being very serious here. Stand by for details on that.

We're also following another important story. U.S. troops on the move, on the offensive tonight in Iraq. They've arrested more than 400 people in what's called Operation Desert Scorpion, the massive effort to wipe out Saddam Hussein loyalists. But the dangers certainly remain with one soldier shot in the back and killed in northwest Baghdad. It's the 50th death among U.S. forces in Iraq since early in May. The U.S. troops are, of course, putting their lives on the line in this battle against those Saddam Hussein loyalists. The U.S. Army is doing the best it can, but there's some indication they don't have enough troops to get the job done.

Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

He's standing by in Washington -- Jamie. JAMIE MCINTYRE, SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division who bore the brunt of major combat in Iraq, it's has been a bitter pill. Instead of a ticket home they were assigned dangerous new combat duties. Flag would have to come before family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They expected us to come straight home. It's real hard on like my girlfriend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to lie or sugar-coat anything. The guys were devastated. I personally was devastated. We all have family back home waiting on us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a little irritated. There's plenty of other soldiers to do it. Why do we have to do it?

MCINTYRE: The answer is because of ballooning global commitment, the army is fresh out of reinforcements. Most soldiers can expect a nine-month tour of duty. In 1991 the U.S. Army sent equivalent of eight divisions to Iraq. It still had 10 divisions left in the United States. Now the army has only 10 divisions total and only one, the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas is complete and ready for deployment on short notice. In his retirement last week, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki who infuriated the Pentagon with his prewar prediction it would take several hundred thousand troops to secure Iraq delivered a parting shot. The army, he charged is two divisions short.

GEN. ERIC SHINSEKI (RET), U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: Beware the 12-division strategy for a 10-division army. Our soldiers and families bear the risk of carrying a mission load that exceeds what force capabilities we can sustain.

MCINTYRE: The army says 370,000 soldiers are forward deployed in some 120 countries. That includes some 140,000 reservists and national guard troops. Privately army officials complain something's got to give -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre with the latest at the Pentagon. Thanks, Jamie, very much.

Meanwhile the British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been facing some harsh criticism of his own over the issue of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The British Parliament is investigating whether he exaggerated the threat to gain support for the war. Congress, meanwhile, plans similar hearings but no former investigation, at least not public investigation yet. Among those speaking at the British inquiry today, the former House of Common leader Robin Cook, who quit not protest of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN COOK, FMR. HOUSE OF COMMONS LEADER: I fear the fundamental problem is that instead of using intelligence as evidence in which to base a conclusion about policy, we used intelligence as the basis in which we could justify policy in which we'd already settled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The situation on the ground in Iraq remains rather unsettled now, even nine or 10 weeks after the major fighting, the major combat has been resolved. The unsettling issue for U.S. troops is apparently getting more serious.

CNN's Jane Arraf is in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: The 50th death among U.S. troops in Iraq was a soldier shot on an overnight patrol in the north of Baghdad. The U.S. military says he was shot in the back while sitting in an armored vehicle.

Now, as part of an effort to crack down on suspected attackers and would-be attackers, as well as the huge arms caches that still exists in the country, the U.S. military has launched Operation Desert Scorpion. They say they've launched 69 raids since that operation began Sunday and arrested up to 500 people.

Now, the chief civil administrator, L. Paul Bremer, says among those people were senior Ba'ath Party officials.

And as part of an effort to turn Iraq from what is essentially now a combat zone into what U.S. officials would like to see -- a safe and secure environment -- they're also getting the courts up and running. Bremer announced a judicial review system, a series of procedures in which judges will vet other judges to make sure that they're free of the past regime, free of influence from the Ba'ath Party, and to get that court system up and running again. Now, that's going to be largely based on previous laws, previous court systems. But it is going to have some important changes. Among them, people accused of crimes will now have access to defense lawyers before the trial, and the new laws also outlaw torture.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's been nearly three months since the U.S. Army Maintenance Company took the wrong turn in southern Iraq with deadly, very serious consequences. We have new details on what precisely happened on that deadly detour and the ordeal of Private First Class Jessica Lynch and her fellow soldiers.

Here's CNN' Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It was a series of wrong turns and missed directions that led to the fatal 90-minute firefight with Iraqi forces outside the town of an Nasiriyah on March 23rd. The young soldiers tried to save each other and fight their way past the barricades piled in the road, all the while, Iraqis attacking from close range. That left 11 soldiers dead, five captured POWs and the eventual world famous rescue of Private First Class Jessica Lynch. New details of what happened and heroism in hand-to-hand combat that have not made the headlines.

The 507th Maintenance Company was at the end an 8,000-vehicle convoy moving towards Baghdad. As they approached Nasiriyah, they failed to make a critical left turn that would have taken them around the town. No one is sure why. Instead, exhausted already, with no sleep in 60 hours, the group continued north, right into enemy territory. By the time they realized they were lost and turned around back south, it was too late. Iraqi paramilitary forces were assembling, firing on the convoy from nearby buildings, piling debris and vehicles in the road to entrap the Americans. There were heroic efforts by soldiers, equipped only with rifles. One soldier who survived is credited with attacking and killing half a dozen Iraqis, firing from a nearby mortar position.

The senior enlisted man, Master Sergeant Robert Dowdey (ph) kept the young soldiers together, urging them to fight back. He was in a humvee with Jessica Lynch when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He died instantly. The driver was Private First Class Laurie Piastawa (ph), Lynch's best friend, the young native American was gravely wounded and taken to a hospital, where she died. Nearby Marines arrived and helped rescue some of the soldiers.

(on camera): CNN has learned that next week the army plans to release its report on the details of the ambush of the 507th. The army will conclude that the soldiers did their duty and fought to the best of their ability in the fog and friction of war.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Now to the Middle East crisis unfolding right now. There's been a serious development that's just happened within the past several minutes. An incident in central Israel. Three Israelis were shot, two of them are in serious condition. One, an infant, has just died. We're following this story attempting to get more details. We're told that Israeli military and police personnel are now on the search looking for the shooter apparently at this car, a toll road in central Israel, a car driving by. The results, three Israelis shot one, an infant, has died.

We'll also be taking you beyond the headlines this hour to go in depth to see what's really going on in this part of the world. We have a rare glimpse of the holy land from inside a Black Hawk helicopter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The map you're looking at reveals the route I took just hours earlier with the president of Israel. For now, we'll leave this mission a mystery. But along the way, we caught some amazing pictures of the West Bank, the Dead Sea, and the famous Masadah, the location of a mass suicide in Roman times. After a stop in the south in Faran (ph), we head north over the vast Negev Desert to the Mediterranean Sea and the metropolis of Tel Aviv.

We make a second stop to the north in Atlit, make a U-turn and discover a stunning view of the massive fence Israel is erecting along the West Bank to separate its citizens from the Palestinians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Later this hour, we'll tell you all about the Blackhawk mission that unfolded earlier today and our exclusive video, our exclusive coverage of that.

But first, a child abuse scandal that's been unfolding, now a hit-and-run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you talk about a 6-foot tall 235-pound man hitting your windshield as opposed to a rock or cat or a dog, there's obviously going to be a big difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A Phoenix bishop facing felony charges tries to avoid hard time.

Plus, in search of a breakthrough cure. Doctors get the green light on cloning, at least a certain kind of cloning.

And rescue on the high seas. The fishing trip that almost -- almost ended at the bottom of the ocean.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been a green light of sorts as far as cloning is concerned. A decision from the American Medical Association. We're standing by for details.

And clinging to life. Dramatic pictures of desperate men. Stay with us to find out their fate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier today, I flew over Masada in a Blackhawk helicopter. Masada, the ancient mountaintop fortress -- 2, 000 years ago Jewish zealots committed mass suicide there, rather than to become prisoners of the Roman troops. I'll tell you all about this trip. We were criss-crossing the country in this Blackhawk helicopter.

But right now we're following a breaking story outside Chicago, Illinois, a story involving hostages at a bank. CNN's Mike Brooks is following details. He's joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, about 1:50 this afternoon Central Time, police received a call for a hold-up alarm at the Illinois -- at the First National Bank of Illinois in Plainfield, Illinois, which is about 31 miles southwest of Chicago.

Police arrived. They saw a gunman in the bank with the gun. He initially had four hostages inside the bank. He released two and just recently released another person from inside the bank. So now just the gunman and one hostage remain inside the bank.

The Joliet Police Department SWAT team is on the scene assisting Plainfield there, the main tactical team. The FBI has also arrived and is assisting at the scene.

The officials there, Wolf, are hopeful for a positive outcome, and I can tell you from being a former hostage negotiator myself, that with this kind of negotiations going on, ongoing, things are looking pretty good there and it looks like they will have a good outcome -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Let's hope for the best. CNN's Mike Brooks following this situation outside Chicago. Thanks very much, Mike.

Meanwhile there's another amazing story unfolding in Phoenix, Arizona. A Roman Catholic bishop who dodged charges in connection with the sex abuse scandal that's plagued the Catholic Church is apparently in some very, very deep trouble right now. Phoenix, Arizona Bishop Thomas O'Brien now stands charged with something totally unrelated to covering up misdeeds by priests.

CNN's Frank Buckley is in Phoenix. He has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bishop Thomas O'Brien faces a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident. That could send him to prison for up to nearly four years if he's convicted of the crime.

Bishop O'Brien appeared in court for the first time last night to hear formally about this charge. His arrest on Monday came after police went to his home and found his car. It had obviously been involved in an accident. Police say Bishop O'Brien himself told investigators that he hit something, but that he thought it was a dog or cat or that someone had thrown a rock at the windshield.

Police say actually O'Brien hit 43-year-old Jim Reed, as Reed crossed a street midblock, that is outside of a crosswalk. Authorities say there could be additional charges if O'Brien is found to have been drinking. They say, though, that that may not be so easy to determine.

RICK ROMLEY, MARICOPA CO. ATTORNEY: We do have some information that the bishop was attending some confirmations earlier in the day and we want to go back and just be asking those questions. Whether it will result in any additional evidence to show that there was impairment while he was driving, which might result in additional charges, is very problematic and it's difficult. And I won't be able to comment until I know what the facts are.

BUCKLEY: All of this comes just a couple of weeks after O'Brien acknowledged publicly for the first time that priests who are under his supervision in and around Phoenix continued to work with children, even after they have been accused of sexual abuse. O'Brien acknowledged that these priests were allowed to move from parish to parish with his approval in cases in which the parish supervisors were not notified of these abuse allegations, nor were the parishioners.

O'Brien entered into an unprecedented agreement with county authorities in which he gave up some of his powers within the diocese and also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the diocese, placed into special accounts to help victims of abuse.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're following another horrible story, a serial rapist on the loose in Miami. This story is apparently getting worse.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is standing by for details -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

A seventh rape has now been connected to a series of attacks that began last fall. The oldest victim, 79. The youngest, 11. As the case of the Miami serial rapist and the efforts to find him continue to grow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): All but one of the seven rapes now linked to the same Miami serial rapist are DNA matches. All victims live in the same quiet Miami neighborhood. The latest known victim, a 77-year-old woman attacked in March. Police say the suspect forced his way into her home during the daytime.

CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: He is -- I wouldn't use the charming, but he is disarming. That he has a ruse -- in other words, I'm looking to rent an apartment or a villa (ph).

CANDIOTTI: Authorities say the string of attacks began last September. And police failed to connect them until DNA was compared from three girls as young as 11, raped in the last few weeks.

The problem? DNA collected from victims was never submitted as required to a county crime lab. That's why the latest case is only being linked now. More cases are under review.

The police chief has had to admit yet another error and is promising policies will be revised. Meantime, he's trying to make sense of a rapist who is targeting victims of all ages. CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: I have never, in my career, seen a situation where the age ranges from 79 down to 11.

CANDIOTTI: A state crime lab is now analyzing DNA swabs taken voluntarily from at least 145 people under general suspicion. The ACLU is questioning the move's legality. Police say because of the attacker's accent and use of language, they believe he's from Central America. They are circulating sketches of a flashy shirt and jewelry described by victims, in hopes someone will recognize them and, therefore, the suspected rapist.

TIMONEY: I'm convinced that the answer lies in somebody giving us a call, saying, I saw that shirt, I saw this guy in a cafeteria, or in a bodega. I know him. He lives down the block.

CANDIOTTI: Police say for now they assume the rapist is still in the Miami area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: And detectives are looking at more possible links, including two burglaries, one this month, one in November, because police suspect the rapist may also be a burglar, and are starting to analyze DNA evidence collected from those crime scenes to see whether there is a connection -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Candiotti with the latest on this horrible case. Thanks, Susan, very much.

Beautiful from the air. Spectacular indeed, from the air, but bloodshed on the ground. I'll show you a side of Israel you may have never seen before, probably haven't.

Prescription drug sticker shock. How a plan that may ease the pain could actually end up costing you more.

Also, the making of mini-mes. Cloning gets approved with some tight strings attached.

And big bang. Find out if your SUV stands up to the test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You are looking at pictures of the Dead Sea. I flew over the Dead Sea earlier today aboard a Black Hawk helicopter, criss- crossing the country. One of the spectacular sites that we saw. A sad mission, though. I'll tell you all about it. That's coming up.

Meanwhile, there's been some other developments that we're following, including the controversy over human cloning. It's apparently got a big boost today from a leading panel of physicians. Elizabeth Cohen, our medical correspondent, is standing by to tell us all about that -- Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Yes, today the American Medical Association took two stands on cloning. One they said that they are against human cloning. Now, human cloning would be the human version of what they did to Dolly the sheep. Dolly was cloned from one sheep to another sheep.

And then what they -- and another, also when we're talking about human cloning, there's a group called Raelians that claims that they have cloned -- there's Dolly the sheep now. The group called the Raelians claims that they have cloned five people. Again, this is what the AMA is against.

So now let's talk about what the AMA is for. They are for cloning for therapeutic purposes. What they would do is take someone's DNA, make an embryo that's a clone of that person, but keep it at the embryonic stage, keep it in the lab so that you can make stem cells out of that, and then from the stem cells you can make medical treatments, and the AMA is one of many scientific groups now that has come out saying that they are for this type of therapeutic cloning, but against human cloning. President Bush and many other people think that any kind of cloning is wrong -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen with a very important development on cloning. Thanks very much, Elizabeth, for that.

And here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think cloning research is an advance or a setback for humanity? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote. Go to cnn.com/wolf. While you are there, I'd love 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, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

In another important development, there could be some sticker shock for seniors as far as Medicare is concerned, and prescription drug costs. Our congressional correspondent Kate Snow is following this story -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President Bush out on the campaign trail promised to help seniors pay for their prescription drugs. But a study out today says the plans that Republicans are proposing in Congress might actually end up making seniors pay more for their prescription drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): The study by the consumer group that publishes "Consumer Reports" magazine compares what seniors are paying out of pocket for their prescription drugs now in 2003 and what they'd pay if House Republicans got their way. Take the average senior, who has no coverage for prescription drugs right now. That senior is paying $2,318 for pills every year.

Here's the startling finding. Under the House plan, four years from now, the same senior would pay $2,954. That's about $600 more out of his pocket than he's paying right now with no help from Congress. Why is that? GAIL SHEARER, CONSUMERS UNION: The combination of the skimpy benefits in the House Republican bill and rapidly increasing prescription drug prices and costs means that consumers will not experience the relief from out-of-pocket costs that they are expecting from Medicare reform.

SNOW: But there is another way to look at it. Take that same senior paying $2,318. If Congress did nothing at all, that senior would end up paying much more, nearly $4,000 out of pocket in four years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: So is it better to have some coverage than none at all? That is exactly what Republicans would say. They'd say yes. They would also say, don't just look at the average senior, Wolf, but look at someone who has cancer, for example, or heart disease. They would say the study out today finds that someone with that kind of catastrophic costs for prescription drugs, say $6,000 a year, they could save up to one-third on their bill by the year 2007 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kate Snow on Capitol Hill. Thanks, Kate, very much.

Cease-fire or fighting forever. We're going to take a closer look at what's going on here in the Middle East. The Palestinians are talking about peace. The U.S. is struggling to keep the road map moving forward.

Also, crashed out. SUVs taken to the test. Find out if your car is safe or sorry.

And drama, high drama on the high seas. Find out if these fishermen ran out of luck.

First, let's take a look at some other stories making news around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER (voice-over): Police out in force on the seventh night of anti-government protests in Tehran. Some clashes were reported as the student-led demonstrators demanded Iran's religious leader step down.

Meanwhile, French police detained more than 150 members of the Iranian opposition group outside Paris. The U.S. and the European Union say the People's Mujahideen of Iran is a terrorist organization.

A senior Liberian source tells CNN the country's government has signed a cease-fire with rebels. The source denies reports the agreement calls for President Charles Taylor to resign.

Thousands of copies of the new "Harry Potter" book due out Saturday have been stolen from a cargo truck in England. Value of the 7,600 copies, almost quarter million dollars. Also in Britain, stamps commemorating Prince William's birthday are on sale. The Royal Mail anticipates a best seller. It;s issuing 20 million of them.

And taking the plunge in Monaco. It's the world cliff diving competition with divers stepping off a platform more than 83 feet high. The two-time champion, a Colombian, took the trophy again.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the Middle East. Reporting from Jerusalem, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. We're following a breaking story in central Israel, not far from the West Bank, not far from the West Bank town of Kalkilyah (ph). An Israeli car, apparently an Israeli family, three members of that family shot. A 7-year-old child has died in this shooting incident. Israelis are looking for the suspects. We'll have more details on this coming up.

First let's take a look at some other late-breaking headlines.

(NEWBREAK)

BLITZER: As we've been reporting, only within the past hour or so, there's been a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. A 7-year-old Israeli girl has died. Two others, her father apparently and another sister, have been wounded in this incident. We're going to continue to get more details on this late- breaking development and bring you those details when we have them.

All of this, of course is occurring as the Bush administration is trying to do everything it can to rescue the so-called road map for peace. But time may be running out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Secretary of State Colin Powell is on the way, but he better hurry. By all accounts, the situation could easily explode, if there's no quick breakthrough on a cease-fire. He'll be coming Friday for separate talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on the West Bank. Powell's aides insist Sharon and Abbas want peace.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's organizations like Hamas the terrorists like Hamas and Palestinians and Islamic Jihad who reject peace and continuously try to disrupt the peace process.

BLITZER: In advance of the secretary's arrival, his envoy John Wolf has been meeting with Sharon and Abbas, but clearly staying away from Hamas which the State Department calls a terrorist organization. Prime Minister Abbas has been talking with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the three main Palestinian groups, that have launched terror strikes against Israel. No breakthrough yet. Hamas leader Rantissi, who was targeted for assassination by the Israelis last week, emerged from a hospital in Gaza to say Hamas would stop targeting Israeli civilians if Israel releases on Palestinian prisoners, stops its military incursions and ends what it calls the massacres against the Palestinian people. But even then he says, Hamas will continue its war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will target the settlers and the soldiers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So can U.S. diplomats get this road map off the ground? Yesterday at this time we heard from an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Today we want to get the Palestinian perspective.

Joining us now live from Ramallah, the Palestinian labor minister, Ghassan Khatib. He's joining us from Ramallah.

Minister, thanks so much for joining us. I don't know if you are familiar with the late-breaking developments, the shooting incident. But you heard me report it. Does this -- is this the kind of incident that could dramatically set back hopes for a ceasefire?

GHASSAN KHATIB, MINISTER OF LABOR, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Yes, definitely. Such incident is not helpful and not constructive, to say the least. And for these kind of incidents and for the innocent casualties, whether it is Israelis like this incident or Palestinians in other incidents, we should join forces in order to reach an agreement whereby both Israelis and Palestinians will start to honor their commitments to the road map.

In this case, both sides are supposed to start adhering to a ceasefire, in addition to other measures that are supposed to be taken by the two sides. Until now, there isn't an agreement on when the implementation should start, and we are expecting, in the forthcoming visit of the American officials, in addition to the presence of Mr. Wolf here, to work out the beginning of the implementation of this road map and the monitoring of the two sides adherence two it.

BLITZER: Minister Khatib, the whole effort that your prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, is now taking with Hamas to secure a cease- fire. Before this most recent incident -- how close is the prime minister to achieving a deal with Hamas that will stop the terrorism?

KHATIB: It is very close, but the distance cannot be measured by time. It can be measured by substance.

I think what prevents our prime minister from reaching this agreement with the different groups in Palestine is the problem that he is not able to get them guarantees directly from Israel or from Israel through Americans or Egyptians about an Israeli commitment to also ceasefire, and to be included in this ceasefire agreement. There has been statements yesterday from the Israeli prime minister, which shaded negatively on the Palestinian talks, when he said he will continue the assassination of Palestinians.

Of course the assassination is -- as we see it -- is a pretext for attacks that end up by killing mostly civilians. That's why the success of the prime minister's efforts in Palestine, depend, among other aspects, on the possibility of an Israeli commitment to reciprocate that ceasefire.

BLITZER: What would you like to hear from the Secretary of State Colin Powell, when he meets with Prime Minister Abbas on Friday? What else can the U.S. do that it's not yet doing?

KHATIB: Well, the United States has been doing a lot, and we feel -- we appreciate that, especially after long period of avoiding to be involved in the Middle East conflict.

But what is needed really now is to try to deliver the Israeli government to accepting the road map and to accept starting implementing it because, you know, when Sharon accepted this road map, he included his acceptance -- 14 reservations. At the Aqaba, Sharon if you look at his statement, avoided committing Israel to this road map. And 48 hours after Aqaba, he resumed the assassination and killed three Palestinians, which contributed to the explosions that happened after that.

I think that the American side has to put more efforts, to invest more politically in trying to deliver Israel into fulfilling the Israeli commitment to the road map, which includes, among other things, stopping the assassinations of Palestinians. These assassinations, which has been the main provocation that is bringing about Palestinian violent reactions.

BLITZER: Ghassan Khatib, the Palestinian labor minister, joining us tonight live from Ramallah. Thanks, minister, very much for your assessment.

We have much more coverage coming up of this very, very deadly situation, potentially, of course here in the Middle East, including stunning views from the sky over the holy land. Grim realities of violence, though, on the ground.

And hanging on for dear life overboard in raging seas.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been a development in that hostage situation unfolding outside Chicago.

CNN law enforcement correspondent Mike Brooks has been following it. He joins us live -- Mike.

BROOKS: Yes, Wolf.

Just moments ago, Plainfield, Illinois Police Chief Don Bennett came out and made the announcement that the last hostage was released and the alleged gunman inside the bank was taken into custody. He said the investigation will continue with local law enforcement and the FBI. The Joliet Police SWAT team and negotiators worked out a negotiated surrender. He came out. Everyone is OK. There are no injuries. And the investigation into this will continue -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Mike Brooks, thanks very much for that.

We have more news coming up on the situation here in the Middle East. Find out how I spent much of today, seeing the holy land from two very different vantage points, the stunning sites from a Blackhawk helicopter and the heartache on the ground. It's the Middle East like you've rarely seen it. That's coming up in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

At least 56 people, Palestinians and Israelis, have been killed in the upsurge in violence that broke out about a week-and-a-half ago here in the Middle East. Today I flew with Israel's president to visit two bereaved Israeli families, one in Southern Israel, one in the north. It's a trail of tears that he's taken many times before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Israeli Air Force Blackhawk helicopter was waiting for us at the helipad near the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

President Moshe Katsav, Israel's largely ceremonial head of state, was doing what he's done hundreds of times since taking office nearly three years ago -- paying condolence calls to families of Israeli civilians and soldiers killed in Palestinian attacks.

PRES. MOSHE KATSAV, ISRAEL: It's very difficult. It's our life for the last 1,000 days.

BLITZER: We fly over Jerusalem, where the holy sites to three great religions quickly stand out. And then, within minutes, we're over the Dead Sea, along the border with Jordan. The stark and barren terrain seems to continue forever, until we spot Massadah, the ancient mountaintop fortress where Jewish zealots committed mass suicide 2,000 years ago, rather than surrender to Roman troops.

After a 40-minute flight we reach our first stop, a small farming community called Faram (ph), the home of 19-year-old Tamar ben-Aliaho (ph), an Israeli soldier, one of 17 Israelis killed in the suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem June 11. Her parents asked cameras stay outside President Katsav came to pay his respects.

Two days earlier, Tamar sister had an angry exchange with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who also had made a condolence call. She accused the defense minister of doing nothing to prevent terrorism, charging the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories had contributed to Palestinian despair, including the creation of suicide bombers and ultimately her sister's death. On this day, President Katsav hears more of the same and later aboard the Blackhawk, that shows on his face.

We head north, over the Negev Desert, towards Israel's Mediterranean coastal plain. The beaches of Tel Aviv and the bustling commercial district of Israel's major center of commerce stand out in sharp contrast to the desert. We continue north along the coast toward Haifa.

We land at Atlith, an Israeli naval base, and drive to our second destination, the home of another Israeli soldier, 21-year-old Moritz Haida (ph), who was killed on June 13 in the Palestinian town of Jenin on the West Bank. Though he was driving on patrol in an armored vehicle, a sniper's bullet managed to pierce through, and hit him in the neck.

When we arrive, his extended family is clearly in deep pain. Here, no complaints about Israeli policy. The family is religious and observes the traditional Jewish rituals of grief and mourning.

Later, a second Blackhawk comes to take Atlith to take us back to Jerusalem, a 30-minute flight across central Israel. At several points, we could easily spot a massive building project under way, the initial construction of a more than 200-kilometer wall that eventually will separate Israel from the West Bank.

We arrive back at the Knesset helipad, five hours after we began. After a day of pain, I asked President Katsav if he has any hope for peace.

KATSAV: Yes, indeed. I am not pessimistic. I am not pessimistic at all. I believe that around the table, we can find formula of peace's existence, and I believe the formula of peace and reconciliation, is --- we can achieve it.

BLITZER: His optimism not something heard often among Israelis or Palestinians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And that optimism has a way of going away, especially in the aftermath of this most recent incident we've been reporting for the past hour or so, a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. A 7-year-old little Israeli girl dead in the process. We'll continue to watch this story unfold, not only this week, obviously for the coming time.

More news coming up, including this: Torrents of water sweep over parts of two states. Amazing images of damaging floods.

And fishermen cling to a sinking boat in freezing, stormy seas. Their dramatic rescue by a cruise ship. We'll have details of that as well. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: More rain is forecast for West Virginia, already hit hard by flooding. At least 50 homes are damaged or destroyed and a state of emergency is in effect in the Charleston area. Heavy rain also causing problems in parts of East Texas. There was street flooding in Tiler (ph) and Texarkana. No deaths or injuries reported there or in West Virginia.

Off the coast of British Columbia, though, there was a dramatic, dramatic rescue in the sea by a cruise ship. Samantha Shatzky of Canada's Global TV has the story and she also has some really amazing pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMANTHA SHATZKY, GLOBAL TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With winds whipping at more than 100 kilometers an hour, three men desperately cling to their sinking fishing boat. The crew sent out a distress call at 5:00 a.m., after the 25-meter Silver Bounty started taking on water.

KENT RINGBORN, CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN: Suddenly we realized that water came into the engine room, and it was rising and they started to pump, of course, and they pumped and pumped, and the water came more and more (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SHATZKY: The ship was sinking by the second, and as the waves pounded against them, waiting for help was their only option. Their life raft had already been snatched away by the high seas.

RINGBORN: We came as soon as possible. But when we got the information, we was only 23, 24 miles off. So we were quite close.

SHATZKY: Still, it took the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Radiance of the Seas almost an hour to reach the scene, and despite the dangerously rough ocean and high winds, the captain immediately sent a boat in to save them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They see them. They see them.

FREDRIK MALMBERG, CRUISE SHIP FIRST OFFICER: When we got on the scene, they were jumping in the sea when they saw that the rescuers were on their way.

QUESTION: They were swimming towards the boat?

MALMBERG: Yes. And when we pulled them out, I pulled out the youngest guy first, and then I wanted to pull out the captain, but the captain said take the other crew. So he was very professional and wanted to bring him out last.

SHATZKY: Luckily the men had been wearing protective suits, which kept them warm in waters that are only about 10 degrees Celsius.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One person on board. Two persons on board.

SHATZKY: The three were brought on board and treated for mild hypothermia, and then eventually dropped off at the Coast Guard station near Port Hardy (ph). Rescued were Skipper Dave Willis from Portney (ph), seen here in the middle, and Tanner Dairy (ph) and Robert Ward (ph) from Prince Rupert (ph), seen on either side.

MALMBERG: It's a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue people and save lives. It's very good that actually all the training we put in, practice that we can put it in use.

SHATZKY: Passengers disembarking from the one-week cruise couldn't say enough about the heroic crew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a conference given on the ship yesterday afternoon, and the captain got a standing ovation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the rescuers as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was actually a great atmosphere on the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely marvelous that the ship happened to be in the right place at the right time. And we all wondered what happened. The ship came to a sudden stop, and we realized that three lives were saved. We felt good. That was excellent. Yes. Three happy families somewhere.

SHATZKY: Hours later when this cold water and their brush with death were just a bad memory, the fishermen met with their rescuers and looked at pictures of how lucky they really were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice guys. We made friends forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We've been asking you this question: Do you think cloning research is an advance or a setback for humanity? Look at this: 76 percent of you said advance; 24 percent of you said it was a setback. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. I'll be back tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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





Ordeal; Rescue on the High Seas>


Aired June 17, 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, HOST: Under attack: a sniper strikes in Baghdad, why U.S. forces may be stretched to thin.

Deadly detour: disturbing details on an ambush of a U.S. convey and the ordeal of young Jessica Lynch.

Man over board: clinging to life in cold waters, an urgent rescue call.

And I'll bring you a new view of the Middle East conflict from the air. An exclusive look from a Black Hawk helicopter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the Middle East. Reporting from Jerusalem, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Good evening.

We're following a breaking story here in Israel, in central Israel. One child has just died, the result of a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. Two other people in that car have been injured. We're following this to see precisely what has happened. It's exactly the kind of spark that could escalate tension levels being very serious here. Stand by for details on that.

We're also following another important story. U.S. troops on the move, on the offensive tonight in Iraq. They've arrested more than 400 people in what's called Operation Desert Scorpion, the massive effort to wipe out Saddam Hussein loyalists. But the dangers certainly remain with one soldier shot in the back and killed in northwest Baghdad. It's the 50th death among U.S. forces in Iraq since early in May. The U.S. troops are, of course, putting their lives on the line in this battle against those Saddam Hussein loyalists. The U.S. Army is doing the best it can, but there's some indication they don't have enough troops to get the job done.

Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

He's standing by in Washington -- Jamie. JAMIE MCINTYRE, SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division who bore the brunt of major combat in Iraq, it's has been a bitter pill. Instead of a ticket home they were assigned dangerous new combat duties. Flag would have to come before family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They expected us to come straight home. It's real hard on like my girlfriend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to lie or sugar-coat anything. The guys were devastated. I personally was devastated. We all have family back home waiting on us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a little irritated. There's plenty of other soldiers to do it. Why do we have to do it?

MCINTYRE: The answer is because of ballooning global commitment, the army is fresh out of reinforcements. Most soldiers can expect a nine-month tour of duty. In 1991 the U.S. Army sent equivalent of eight divisions to Iraq. It still had 10 divisions left in the United States. Now the army has only 10 divisions total and only one, the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas is complete and ready for deployment on short notice. In his retirement last week, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki who infuriated the Pentagon with his prewar prediction it would take several hundred thousand troops to secure Iraq delivered a parting shot. The army, he charged is two divisions short.

GEN. ERIC SHINSEKI (RET), U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: Beware the 12-division strategy for a 10-division army. Our soldiers and families bear the risk of carrying a mission load that exceeds what force capabilities we can sustain.

MCINTYRE: The army says 370,000 soldiers are forward deployed in some 120 countries. That includes some 140,000 reservists and national guard troops. Privately army officials complain something's got to give -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre with the latest at the Pentagon. Thanks, Jamie, very much.

Meanwhile the British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been facing some harsh criticism of his own over the issue of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The British Parliament is investigating whether he exaggerated the threat to gain support for the war. Congress, meanwhile, plans similar hearings but no former investigation, at least not public investigation yet. Among those speaking at the British inquiry today, the former House of Common leader Robin Cook, who quit not protest of the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN COOK, FMR. HOUSE OF COMMONS LEADER: I fear the fundamental problem is that instead of using intelligence as evidence in which to base a conclusion about policy, we used intelligence as the basis in which we could justify policy in which we'd already settled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The situation on the ground in Iraq remains rather unsettled now, even nine or 10 weeks after the major fighting, the major combat has been resolved. The unsettling issue for U.S. troops is apparently getting more serious.

CNN's Jane Arraf is in Baghdad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: The 50th death among U.S. troops in Iraq was a soldier shot on an overnight patrol in the north of Baghdad. The U.S. military says he was shot in the back while sitting in an armored vehicle.

Now, as part of an effort to crack down on suspected attackers and would-be attackers, as well as the huge arms caches that still exists in the country, the U.S. military has launched Operation Desert Scorpion. They say they've launched 69 raids since that operation began Sunday and arrested up to 500 people.

Now, the chief civil administrator, L. Paul Bremer, says among those people were senior Ba'ath Party officials.

And as part of an effort to turn Iraq from what is essentially now a combat zone into what U.S. officials would like to see -- a safe and secure environment -- they're also getting the courts up and running. Bremer announced a judicial review system, a series of procedures in which judges will vet other judges to make sure that they're free of the past regime, free of influence from the Ba'ath Party, and to get that court system up and running again. Now, that's going to be largely based on previous laws, previous court systems. But it is going to have some important changes. Among them, people accused of crimes will now have access to defense lawyers before the trial, and the new laws also outlaw torture.

Jane Arraf, CNN, reporting from Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's been nearly three months since the U.S. Army Maintenance Company took the wrong turn in southern Iraq with deadly, very serious consequences. We have new details on what precisely happened on that deadly detour and the ordeal of Private First Class Jessica Lynch and her fellow soldiers.

Here's CNN' Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It was a series of wrong turns and missed directions that led to the fatal 90-minute firefight with Iraqi forces outside the town of an Nasiriyah on March 23rd. The young soldiers tried to save each other and fight their way past the barricades piled in the road, all the while, Iraqis attacking from close range. That left 11 soldiers dead, five captured POWs and the eventual world famous rescue of Private First Class Jessica Lynch. New details of what happened and heroism in hand-to-hand combat that have not made the headlines.

The 507th Maintenance Company was at the end an 8,000-vehicle convoy moving towards Baghdad. As they approached Nasiriyah, they failed to make a critical left turn that would have taken them around the town. No one is sure why. Instead, exhausted already, with no sleep in 60 hours, the group continued north, right into enemy territory. By the time they realized they were lost and turned around back south, it was too late. Iraqi paramilitary forces were assembling, firing on the convoy from nearby buildings, piling debris and vehicles in the road to entrap the Americans. There were heroic efforts by soldiers, equipped only with rifles. One soldier who survived is credited with attacking and killing half a dozen Iraqis, firing from a nearby mortar position.

The senior enlisted man, Master Sergeant Robert Dowdey (ph) kept the young soldiers together, urging them to fight back. He was in a humvee with Jessica Lynch when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He died instantly. The driver was Private First Class Laurie Piastawa (ph), Lynch's best friend, the young native American was gravely wounded and taken to a hospital, where she died. Nearby Marines arrived and helped rescue some of the soldiers.

(on camera): CNN has learned that next week the army plans to release its report on the details of the ambush of the 507th. The army will conclude that the soldiers did their duty and fought to the best of their ability in the fog and friction of war.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Now to the Middle East crisis unfolding right now. There's been a serious development that's just happened within the past several minutes. An incident in central Israel. Three Israelis were shot, two of them are in serious condition. One, an infant, has just died. We're following this story attempting to get more details. We're told that Israeli military and police personnel are now on the search looking for the shooter apparently at this car, a toll road in central Israel, a car driving by. The results, three Israelis shot one, an infant, has died.

We'll also be taking you beyond the headlines this hour to go in depth to see what's really going on in this part of the world. We have a rare glimpse of the holy land from inside a Black Hawk helicopter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The map you're looking at reveals the route I took just hours earlier with the president of Israel. For now, we'll leave this mission a mystery. But along the way, we caught some amazing pictures of the West Bank, the Dead Sea, and the famous Masadah, the location of a mass suicide in Roman times. After a stop in the south in Faran (ph), we head north over the vast Negev Desert to the Mediterranean Sea and the metropolis of Tel Aviv.

We make a second stop to the north in Atlit, make a U-turn and discover a stunning view of the massive fence Israel is erecting along the West Bank to separate its citizens from the Palestinians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Later this hour, we'll tell you all about the Blackhawk mission that unfolded earlier today and our exclusive video, our exclusive coverage of that.

But first, a child abuse scandal that's been unfolding, now a hit-and-run.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you talk about a 6-foot tall 235-pound man hitting your windshield as opposed to a rock or cat or a dog, there's obviously going to be a big difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: A Phoenix bishop facing felony charges tries to avoid hard time.

Plus, in search of a breakthrough cure. Doctors get the green light on cloning, at least a certain kind of cloning.

And rescue on the high seas. The fishing trip that almost -- almost ended at the bottom of the ocean.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been a green light of sorts as far as cloning is concerned. A decision from the American Medical Association. We're standing by for details.

And clinging to life. Dramatic pictures of desperate men. Stay with us to find out their fate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier today, I flew over Masada in a Blackhawk helicopter. Masada, the ancient mountaintop fortress -- 2, 000 years ago Jewish zealots committed mass suicide there, rather than to become prisoners of the Roman troops. I'll tell you all about this trip. We were criss-crossing the country in this Blackhawk helicopter.

But right now we're following a breaking story outside Chicago, Illinois, a story involving hostages at a bank. CNN's Mike Brooks is following details. He's joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta -- Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, about 1:50 this afternoon Central Time, police received a call for a hold-up alarm at the Illinois -- at the First National Bank of Illinois in Plainfield, Illinois, which is about 31 miles southwest of Chicago.

Police arrived. They saw a gunman in the bank with the gun. He initially had four hostages inside the bank. He released two and just recently released another person from inside the bank. So now just the gunman and one hostage remain inside the bank.

The Joliet Police Department SWAT team is on the scene assisting Plainfield there, the main tactical team. The FBI has also arrived and is assisting at the scene.

The officials there, Wolf, are hopeful for a positive outcome, and I can tell you from being a former hostage negotiator myself, that with this kind of negotiations going on, ongoing, things are looking pretty good there and it looks like they will have a good outcome -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Let's hope for the best. CNN's Mike Brooks following this situation outside Chicago. Thanks very much, Mike.

Meanwhile there's another amazing story unfolding in Phoenix, Arizona. A Roman Catholic bishop who dodged charges in connection with the sex abuse scandal that's plagued the Catholic Church is apparently in some very, very deep trouble right now. Phoenix, Arizona Bishop Thomas O'Brien now stands charged with something totally unrelated to covering up misdeeds by priests.

CNN's Frank Buckley is in Phoenix. He has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bishop Thomas O'Brien faces a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident. That could send him to prison for up to nearly four years if he's convicted of the crime.

Bishop O'Brien appeared in court for the first time last night to hear formally about this charge. His arrest on Monday came after police went to his home and found his car. It had obviously been involved in an accident. Police say Bishop O'Brien himself told investigators that he hit something, but that he thought it was a dog or cat or that someone had thrown a rock at the windshield.

Police say actually O'Brien hit 43-year-old Jim Reed, as Reed crossed a street midblock, that is outside of a crosswalk. Authorities say there could be additional charges if O'Brien is found to have been drinking. They say, though, that that may not be so easy to determine.

RICK ROMLEY, MARICOPA CO. ATTORNEY: We do have some information that the bishop was attending some confirmations earlier in the day and we want to go back and just be asking those questions. Whether it will result in any additional evidence to show that there was impairment while he was driving, which might result in additional charges, is very problematic and it's difficult. And I won't be able to comment until I know what the facts are.

BUCKLEY: All of this comes just a couple of weeks after O'Brien acknowledged publicly for the first time that priests who are under his supervision in and around Phoenix continued to work with children, even after they have been accused of sexual abuse. O'Brien acknowledged that these priests were allowed to move from parish to parish with his approval in cases in which the parish supervisors were not notified of these abuse allegations, nor were the parishioners.

O'Brien entered into an unprecedented agreement with county authorities in which he gave up some of his powers within the diocese and also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the diocese, placed into special accounts to help victims of abuse.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're following another horrible story, a serial rapist on the loose in Miami. This story is apparently getting worse.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is standing by for details -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

A seventh rape has now been connected to a series of attacks that began last fall. The oldest victim, 79. The youngest, 11. As the case of the Miami serial rapist and the efforts to find him continue to grow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): All but one of the seven rapes now linked to the same Miami serial rapist are DNA matches. All victims live in the same quiet Miami neighborhood. The latest known victim, a 77-year-old woman attacked in March. Police say the suspect forced his way into her home during the daytime.

CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: He is -- I wouldn't use the charming, but he is disarming. That he has a ruse -- in other words, I'm looking to rent an apartment or a villa (ph).

CANDIOTTI: Authorities say the string of attacks began last September. And police failed to connect them until DNA was compared from three girls as young as 11, raped in the last few weeks.

The problem? DNA collected from victims was never submitted as required to a county crime lab. That's why the latest case is only being linked now. More cases are under review.

The police chief has had to admit yet another error and is promising policies will be revised. Meantime, he's trying to make sense of a rapist who is targeting victims of all ages. CHIEF JOHN TIMONEY, MIAMI POLICE: I have never, in my career, seen a situation where the age ranges from 79 down to 11.

CANDIOTTI: A state crime lab is now analyzing DNA swabs taken voluntarily from at least 145 people under general suspicion. The ACLU is questioning the move's legality. Police say because of the attacker's accent and use of language, they believe he's from Central America. They are circulating sketches of a flashy shirt and jewelry described by victims, in hopes someone will recognize them and, therefore, the suspected rapist.

TIMONEY: I'm convinced that the answer lies in somebody giving us a call, saying, I saw that shirt, I saw this guy in a cafeteria, or in a bodega. I know him. He lives down the block.

CANDIOTTI: Police say for now they assume the rapist is still in the Miami area.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: And detectives are looking at more possible links, including two burglaries, one this month, one in November, because police suspect the rapist may also be a burglar, and are starting to analyze DNA evidence collected from those crime scenes to see whether there is a connection -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan Candiotti with the latest on this horrible case. Thanks, Susan, very much.

Beautiful from the air. Spectacular indeed, from the air, but bloodshed on the ground. I'll show you a side of Israel you may have never seen before, probably haven't.

Prescription drug sticker shock. How a plan that may ease the pain could actually end up costing you more.

Also, the making of mini-mes. Cloning gets approved with some tight strings attached.

And big bang. Find out if your SUV stands up to the test.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You are looking at pictures of the Dead Sea. I flew over the Dead Sea earlier today aboard a Black Hawk helicopter, criss- crossing the country. One of the spectacular sites that we saw. A sad mission, though. I'll tell you all about it. That's coming up.

Meanwhile, there's been some other developments that we're following, including the controversy over human cloning. It's apparently got a big boost today from a leading panel of physicians. Elizabeth Cohen, our medical correspondent, is standing by to tell us all about that -- Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Yes, today the American Medical Association took two stands on cloning. One they said that they are against human cloning. Now, human cloning would be the human version of what they did to Dolly the sheep. Dolly was cloned from one sheep to another sheep.

And then what they -- and another, also when we're talking about human cloning, there's a group called Raelians that claims that they have cloned -- there's Dolly the sheep now. The group called the Raelians claims that they have cloned five people. Again, this is what the AMA is against.

So now let's talk about what the AMA is for. They are for cloning for therapeutic purposes. What they would do is take someone's DNA, make an embryo that's a clone of that person, but keep it at the embryonic stage, keep it in the lab so that you can make stem cells out of that, and then from the stem cells you can make medical treatments, and the AMA is one of many scientific groups now that has come out saying that they are for this type of therapeutic cloning, but against human cloning. President Bush and many other people think that any kind of cloning is wrong -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen with a very important development on cloning. Thanks very much, Elizabeth, for that.

And here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think cloning research is an advance or a setback for humanity? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote. Go to cnn.com/wolf. While you are there, I'd love 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, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

In another important development, there could be some sticker shock for seniors as far as Medicare is concerned, and prescription drug costs. Our congressional correspondent Kate Snow is following this story -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President Bush out on the campaign trail promised to help seniors pay for their prescription drugs. But a study out today says the plans that Republicans are proposing in Congress might actually end up making seniors pay more for their prescription drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): The study by the consumer group that publishes "Consumer Reports" magazine compares what seniors are paying out of pocket for their prescription drugs now in 2003 and what they'd pay if House Republicans got their way. Take the average senior, who has no coverage for prescription drugs right now. That senior is paying $2,318 for pills every year.

Here's the startling finding. Under the House plan, four years from now, the same senior would pay $2,954. That's about $600 more out of his pocket than he's paying right now with no help from Congress. Why is that? GAIL SHEARER, CONSUMERS UNION: The combination of the skimpy benefits in the House Republican bill and rapidly increasing prescription drug prices and costs means that consumers will not experience the relief from out-of-pocket costs that they are expecting from Medicare reform.

SNOW: But there is another way to look at it. Take that same senior paying $2,318. If Congress did nothing at all, that senior would end up paying much more, nearly $4,000 out of pocket in four years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: So is it better to have some coverage than none at all? That is exactly what Republicans would say. They'd say yes. They would also say, don't just look at the average senior, Wolf, but look at someone who has cancer, for example, or heart disease. They would say the study out today finds that someone with that kind of catastrophic costs for prescription drugs, say $6,000 a year, they could save up to one-third on their bill by the year 2007 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kate Snow on Capitol Hill. Thanks, Kate, very much.

Cease-fire or fighting forever. We're going to take a closer look at what's going on here in the Middle East. The Palestinians are talking about peace. The U.S. is struggling to keep the road map moving forward.

Also, crashed out. SUVs taken to the test. Find out if your car is safe or sorry.

And drama, high drama on the high seas. Find out if these fishermen ran out of luck.

First, let's take a look at some other stories making news around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER (voice-over): Police out in force on the seventh night of anti-government protests in Tehran. Some clashes were reported as the student-led demonstrators demanded Iran's religious leader step down.

Meanwhile, French police detained more than 150 members of the Iranian opposition group outside Paris. The U.S. and the European Union say the People's Mujahideen of Iran is a terrorist organization.

A senior Liberian source tells CNN the country's government has signed a cease-fire with rebels. The source denies reports the agreement calls for President Charles Taylor to resign.

Thousands of copies of the new "Harry Potter" book due out Saturday have been stolen from a cargo truck in England. Value of the 7,600 copies, almost quarter million dollars. Also in Britain, stamps commemorating Prince William's birthday are on sale. The Royal Mail anticipates a best seller. It;s issuing 20 million of them.

And taking the plunge in Monaco. It's the world cliff diving competition with divers stepping off a platform more than 83 feet high. The two-time champion, a Colombian, took the trophy again.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the Middle East. Reporting from Jerusalem, here's Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. We're following a breaking story in central Israel, not far from the West Bank, not far from the West Bank town of Kalkilyah (ph). An Israeli car, apparently an Israeli family, three members of that family shot. A 7-year-old child has died in this shooting incident. Israelis are looking for the suspects. We'll have more details on this coming up.

First let's take a look at some other late-breaking headlines.

(NEWBREAK)

BLITZER: As we've been reporting, only within the past hour or so, there's been a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. A 7-year-old Israeli girl has died. Two others, her father apparently and another sister, have been wounded in this incident. We're going to continue to get more details on this late- breaking development and bring you those details when we have them.

All of this, of course is occurring as the Bush administration is trying to do everything it can to rescue the so-called road map for peace. But time may be running out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Secretary of State Colin Powell is on the way, but he better hurry. By all accounts, the situation could easily explode, if there's no quick breakthrough on a cease-fire. He'll be coming Friday for separate talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on the West Bank. Powell's aides insist Sharon and Abbas want peace.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: It's organizations like Hamas the terrorists like Hamas and Palestinians and Islamic Jihad who reject peace and continuously try to disrupt the peace process.

BLITZER: In advance of the secretary's arrival, his envoy John Wolf has been meeting with Sharon and Abbas, but clearly staying away from Hamas which the State Department calls a terrorist organization. Prime Minister Abbas has been talking with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the three main Palestinian groups, that have launched terror strikes against Israel. No breakthrough yet. Hamas leader Rantissi, who was targeted for assassination by the Israelis last week, emerged from a hospital in Gaza to say Hamas would stop targeting Israeli civilians if Israel releases on Palestinian prisoners, stops its military incursions and ends what it calls the massacres against the Palestinian people. But even then he says, Hamas will continue its war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will target the settlers and the soldiers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So can U.S. diplomats get this road map off the ground? Yesterday at this time we heard from an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Today we want to get the Palestinian perspective.

Joining us now live from Ramallah, the Palestinian labor minister, Ghassan Khatib. He's joining us from Ramallah.

Minister, thanks so much for joining us. I don't know if you are familiar with the late-breaking developments, the shooting incident. But you heard me report it. Does this -- is this the kind of incident that could dramatically set back hopes for a ceasefire?

GHASSAN KHATIB, MINISTER OF LABOR, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Yes, definitely. Such incident is not helpful and not constructive, to say the least. And for these kind of incidents and for the innocent casualties, whether it is Israelis like this incident or Palestinians in other incidents, we should join forces in order to reach an agreement whereby both Israelis and Palestinians will start to honor their commitments to the road map.

In this case, both sides are supposed to start adhering to a ceasefire, in addition to other measures that are supposed to be taken by the two sides. Until now, there isn't an agreement on when the implementation should start, and we are expecting, in the forthcoming visit of the American officials, in addition to the presence of Mr. Wolf here, to work out the beginning of the implementation of this road map and the monitoring of the two sides adherence two it.

BLITZER: Minister Khatib, the whole effort that your prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, is now taking with Hamas to secure a cease- fire. Before this most recent incident -- how close is the prime minister to achieving a deal with Hamas that will stop the terrorism?

KHATIB: It is very close, but the distance cannot be measured by time. It can be measured by substance.

I think what prevents our prime minister from reaching this agreement with the different groups in Palestine is the problem that he is not able to get them guarantees directly from Israel or from Israel through Americans or Egyptians about an Israeli commitment to also ceasefire, and to be included in this ceasefire agreement. There has been statements yesterday from the Israeli prime minister, which shaded negatively on the Palestinian talks, when he said he will continue the assassination of Palestinians.

Of course the assassination is -- as we see it -- is a pretext for attacks that end up by killing mostly civilians. That's why the success of the prime minister's efforts in Palestine, depend, among other aspects, on the possibility of an Israeli commitment to reciprocate that ceasefire.

BLITZER: What would you like to hear from the Secretary of State Colin Powell, when he meets with Prime Minister Abbas on Friday? What else can the U.S. do that it's not yet doing?

KHATIB: Well, the United States has been doing a lot, and we feel -- we appreciate that, especially after long period of avoiding to be involved in the Middle East conflict.

But what is needed really now is to try to deliver the Israeli government to accepting the road map and to accept starting implementing it because, you know, when Sharon accepted this road map, he included his acceptance -- 14 reservations. At the Aqaba, Sharon if you look at his statement, avoided committing Israel to this road map. And 48 hours after Aqaba, he resumed the assassination and killed three Palestinians, which contributed to the explosions that happened after that.

I think that the American side has to put more efforts, to invest more politically in trying to deliver Israel into fulfilling the Israeli commitment to the road map, which includes, among other things, stopping the assassinations of Palestinians. These assassinations, which has been the main provocation that is bringing about Palestinian violent reactions.

BLITZER: Ghassan Khatib, the Palestinian labor minister, joining us tonight live from Ramallah. Thanks, minister, very much for your assessment.

We have much more coverage coming up of this very, very deadly situation, potentially, of course here in the Middle East, including stunning views from the sky over the holy land. Grim realities of violence, though, on the ground.

And hanging on for dear life overboard in raging seas.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's been a development in that hostage situation unfolding outside Chicago.

CNN law enforcement correspondent Mike Brooks has been following it. He joins us live -- Mike.

BROOKS: Yes, Wolf.

Just moments ago, Plainfield, Illinois Police Chief Don Bennett came out and made the announcement that the last hostage was released and the alleged gunman inside the bank was taken into custody. He said the investigation will continue with local law enforcement and the FBI. The Joliet Police SWAT team and negotiators worked out a negotiated surrender. He came out. Everyone is OK. There are no injuries. And the investigation into this will continue -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Mike Brooks, thanks very much for that.

We have more news coming up on the situation here in the Middle East. Find out how I spent much of today, seeing the holy land from two very different vantage points, the stunning sites from a Blackhawk helicopter and the heartache on the ground. It's the Middle East like you've rarely seen it. That's coming up in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

At least 56 people, Palestinians and Israelis, have been killed in the upsurge in violence that broke out about a week-and-a-half ago here in the Middle East. Today I flew with Israel's president to visit two bereaved Israeli families, one in Southern Israel, one in the north. It's a trail of tears that he's taken many times before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Israeli Air Force Blackhawk helicopter was waiting for us at the helipad near the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

President Moshe Katsav, Israel's largely ceremonial head of state, was doing what he's done hundreds of times since taking office nearly three years ago -- paying condolence calls to families of Israeli civilians and soldiers killed in Palestinian attacks.

PRES. MOSHE KATSAV, ISRAEL: It's very difficult. It's our life for the last 1,000 days.

BLITZER: We fly over Jerusalem, where the holy sites to three great religions quickly stand out. And then, within minutes, we're over the Dead Sea, along the border with Jordan. The stark and barren terrain seems to continue forever, until we spot Massadah, the ancient mountaintop fortress where Jewish zealots committed mass suicide 2,000 years ago, rather than surrender to Roman troops.

After a 40-minute flight we reach our first stop, a small farming community called Faram (ph), the home of 19-year-old Tamar ben-Aliaho (ph), an Israeli soldier, one of 17 Israelis killed in the suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem June 11. Her parents asked cameras stay outside President Katsav came to pay his respects.

Two days earlier, Tamar sister had an angry exchange with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who also had made a condolence call. She accused the defense minister of doing nothing to prevent terrorism, charging the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories had contributed to Palestinian despair, including the creation of suicide bombers and ultimately her sister's death. On this day, President Katsav hears more of the same and later aboard the Blackhawk, that shows on his face.

We head north, over the Negev Desert, towards Israel's Mediterranean coastal plain. The beaches of Tel Aviv and the bustling commercial district of Israel's major center of commerce stand out in sharp contrast to the desert. We continue north along the coast toward Haifa.

We land at Atlith, an Israeli naval base, and drive to our second destination, the home of another Israeli soldier, 21-year-old Moritz Haida (ph), who was killed on June 13 in the Palestinian town of Jenin on the West Bank. Though he was driving on patrol in an armored vehicle, a sniper's bullet managed to pierce through, and hit him in the neck.

When we arrive, his extended family is clearly in deep pain. Here, no complaints about Israeli policy. The family is religious and observes the traditional Jewish rituals of grief and mourning.

Later, a second Blackhawk comes to take Atlith to take us back to Jerusalem, a 30-minute flight across central Israel. At several points, we could easily spot a massive building project under way, the initial construction of a more than 200-kilometer wall that eventually will separate Israel from the West Bank.

We arrive back at the Knesset helipad, five hours after we began. After a day of pain, I asked President Katsav if he has any hope for peace.

KATSAV: Yes, indeed. I am not pessimistic. I am not pessimistic at all. I believe that around the table, we can find formula of peace's existence, and I believe the formula of peace and reconciliation, is --- we can achieve it.

BLITZER: His optimism not something heard often among Israelis or Palestinians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And that optimism has a way of going away, especially in the aftermath of this most recent incident we've been reporting for the past hour or so, a shooting incident in central Israel, not far from the West Bank. A 7-year-old little Israeli girl dead in the process. We'll continue to watch this story unfold, not only this week, obviously for the coming time.

More news coming up, including this: Torrents of water sweep over parts of two states. Amazing images of damaging floods.

And fishermen cling to a sinking boat in freezing, stormy seas. Their dramatic rescue by a cruise ship. We'll have details of that as well. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: More rain is forecast for West Virginia, already hit hard by flooding. At least 50 homes are damaged or destroyed and a state of emergency is in effect in the Charleston area. Heavy rain also causing problems in parts of East Texas. There was street flooding in Tiler (ph) and Texarkana. No deaths or injuries reported there or in West Virginia.

Off the coast of British Columbia, though, there was a dramatic, dramatic rescue in the sea by a cruise ship. Samantha Shatzky of Canada's Global TV has the story and she also has some really amazing pictures.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMANTHA SHATZKY, GLOBAL TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With winds whipping at more than 100 kilometers an hour, three men desperately cling to their sinking fishing boat. The crew sent out a distress call at 5:00 a.m., after the 25-meter Silver Bounty started taking on water.

KENT RINGBORN, CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN: Suddenly we realized that water came into the engine room, and it was rising and they started to pump, of course, and they pumped and pumped, and the water came more and more (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SHATZKY: The ship was sinking by the second, and as the waves pounded against them, waiting for help was their only option. Their life raft had already been snatched away by the high seas.

RINGBORN: We came as soon as possible. But when we got the information, we was only 23, 24 miles off. So we were quite close.

SHATZKY: Still, it took the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Radiance of the Seas almost an hour to reach the scene, and despite the dangerously rough ocean and high winds, the captain immediately sent a boat in to save them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They see them. They see them.

FREDRIK MALMBERG, CRUISE SHIP FIRST OFFICER: When we got on the scene, they were jumping in the sea when they saw that the rescuers were on their way.

QUESTION: They were swimming towards the boat?

MALMBERG: Yes. And when we pulled them out, I pulled out the youngest guy first, and then I wanted to pull out the captain, but the captain said take the other crew. So he was very professional and wanted to bring him out last.

SHATZKY: Luckily the men had been wearing protective suits, which kept them warm in waters that are only about 10 degrees Celsius.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One person on board. Two persons on board.

SHATZKY: The three were brought on board and treated for mild hypothermia, and then eventually dropped off at the Coast Guard station near Port Hardy (ph). Rescued were Skipper Dave Willis from Portney (ph), seen here in the middle, and Tanner Dairy (ph) and Robert Ward (ph) from Prince Rupert (ph), seen on either side.

MALMBERG: It's a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue people and save lives. It's very good that actually all the training we put in, practice that we can put it in use.

SHATZKY: Passengers disembarking from the one-week cruise couldn't say enough about the heroic crew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a conference given on the ship yesterday afternoon, and the captain got a standing ovation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the rescuers as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was actually a great atmosphere on the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely marvelous that the ship happened to be in the right place at the right time. And we all wondered what happened. The ship came to a sudden stop, and we realized that three lives were saved. We felt good. That was excellent. Yes. Three happy families somewhere.

SHATZKY: Hours later when this cold water and their brush with death were just a bad memory, the fishermen met with their rescuers and looked at pictures of how lucky they really were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice guys. We made friends forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We've been asking you this question: Do you think cloning research is an advance or a setback for humanity? Look at this: 76 percent of you said advance; 24 percent of you said it was a setback. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. I'll be back tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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Ordeal; Rescue on the High Seas>