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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
British Citizen Accused of Stealing Missiles; Saddam's Chief of Staff Nabbed; How Does Schwarzenegger Compare to Reagan?
Aired August 12, 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, HOST: We have breaking news we're following right now. The FBI makes an arrest in the United States. A British citizen has been picked up in New Jersey accused of selling missiles that might be used to bring down airplanes. We'll have details on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A daring raid in Saddam Hussein's hometown.
LT. COL. STEVE RUSSELL, U.S. ARMY: We searched over 20 houses, targeted a specific family.
BLITZER: And two key captures.
Double attack: Suicide bombings in the Middle East, an already shaky road map to peace again under siege.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot let it go off track.
BLITZER: All eyes on Arnold Schwarzenegger, revelations about his political and personal past.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing that's going on in California is even remotely surprising to any of this.
BLITZER: Could anyone take on "The Terminator"? Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time" speaks out.
And, a freak of nature hits Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Tuesday, August 12, 2003. Hello from New York, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. We welcome our viewers from around the world.
We begin this hour with breaking news. U.S. government sources are telling CNN a British man is under arrest by the FBI suspected in an arms deal that included selling surface-to-air missiles.
We have reporters covering the story around the United States. Jeanne Meserve is in Washington, David Ensor in Washington, Charles Feldman in Los Angeles, Deborah Feyerick here in New York. Let's begin with David Ensor he's got the late-breaking developments.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as you say there's been a sting operation by the FBI going on over the last few hours. We and many other journalists were aware that something was underway but we held back the news because we were told that lives might be at stake.
As you say, one British citizen has been arrested in New Jersey in connection with an alleged attempt to make an arms deal, which we are told involved a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile.
So, this is clearly something that could have had terrorism use. It's the kind of weapon that we've been hearing in recent weeks a lot about, a kind of weapon that terrorists could have used against an aircraft and this operation we understand has been going on for some time with some international cooperation.
The understanding is that contrary to some reports elsewhere that it might be a Stinger missile, an American-made missile, the missile involved may, in fact, have been Russian -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Do we know the identity? Have they released the name of this British citizen David?
ENSOR: No, they have not and, in fact, there have been no official announcements about this matter and the indictment of this individual is a sealed indictment for the moment. We may hear more from the Justice Department as the hours go by but at this point they're being very closed mouthed on the matter -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, David Ensor stand by. We'll be getting back to you.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick is here in New York. She has more on this breaking story. Deborah, tell us what you've learned.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, some additional information that I've picked up from law enforcement sources here is that the man is a U.K. national of Indian descent, that he allegedly smuggled this surface-to-air missile into the United States onboard a ship that the missile was sent from Russia, that it arrived in New Jersey.
The man is purportedly here in the United States to complete the transaction according to a law enforcement source, apparently possibly to pick up the cash that was involved in all of this. We are expecting two more arrests to be made by the end of the day. That's the information that I'm hearing here from law enforcement authorities.
BLITZER: Is the FBI, Deborah, in charge of this investigation from what you could tell, local law enforcement, state authorities? Who is basically running this operation?
FEYERICK: Well, right now we are being told that this is a joint investigation, that this involved many law enforcement agencies throughout the world. We are told that the FBI in New Jersey is involved in this. We are told also that there were law enforcement authorities both in the United Kingdom and also in Russia all involved in this. They've been tracking this man apparently for some time.
BLITZER: All right, Deborah Feyerick I want you to stand by as well.
Our Jeanne Meserve is watching all of these developments, doing reporting on some potentially significant developments from her vantage point. Jeanne Meserve covers homeland security for us. She's joining us now live from Washington -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, an administration official tells me that this individual has no terrorist links. This individual who has been arrested is an arms smuggler. This individual to whom I've spoken says there's no indication of any sort of terrorist plot involved her, no targeting involved here that this individual is aware of.
However, they go on to say no credible intelligence at this point in time that any man pads have been successfully smuggled into this country. There is no specific threat against airliners in this country; however, that said there is considerable concern about the possibility of missile attacks on airliners here.
There has been an interagency task force, which has traveled around to the major U.S. airports evaluating their vulnerability and recommending additional steps, things like fencing, additional surveillance, additional patrols.
I've been told that they've completed their assessment of U.S. airports. They now are evaluating about a dozen airports overseas where U.S. carriers go in and out and where the U.S. has strategic interests.
Now, in addition to that, the Department of Homeland Security has asked eight government contractors to come up with detailed plans for anti-missile technology that might someday be put on U.S. commercial airliners.
Such technology does currently exist and is used by the military but it is considered too expensive for commercial use at this point. They're looking for something that's affordable and also something that is effective.
In addition to that, the administration has been pushing nonproliferation efforts internationally, encouraging other countries to control their inventories of surface-to-air missiles, also in some high risk countries initiating buy back programs -- Wolf.
BLITZER: How much of this interest in surface-to-air missiles, Jeanne, was sparked by the unsuccessful effort in Mombasa, Kenya by terrorists to shoot down an Israeli plane that was taking off from there several months back?
MESERVE: That was a huge factor, Wolf. That was really termed the wakeup call by several officials to whom I've spoken. That's when they realized just how real this threat was.
Now, they've known for some time that there are an estimated 750,000 of these missiles floating around the world. They knew that some of them had fallen into the wrong hands.
They're easy to get on the black market. They're not that expensive. They're fairly easy to use and they're portable. They're relatively small in size and have the potential for being moved around. So, yes, that Mombasa incident a big wakeup call for the administration -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we've been showing our viewers while you were speaking, Jeanne, some pictures from that incident last November in Mombasa, an unsuccessful effort by terrorists believed to be associated with al Qaeda to shoot down an Israeli commercial jetliner taking off from Mombasa on its way to Tel Aviv. Jeanne Meserve thanks very much.
Let's bring in some perspective and, for that, Brian Jenkins is joining us. He's one of the world's most renowned counterterrorism experts. He's joining us on the phone now from Honolulu. What do you make of this late development, the arrest of this British subject of Indian ancestry suspected, Brian, of trying to smuggle in a surface- to-air missile?
BRIAN JENKINS, COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT: Well, it's not surprising. This is a threat that has been identified for some time. These missiles have been used against civilian aircraft for more than 20 years.
As the reporter indicated, the production figures of these are in the hundreds of thousands. We believe that anywhere from perhaps hundreds to possibly a couple of thousand of these things may be in the hands of terrorist organizations or floating around the black market so this arrest underscores a threat that has long been recognized.
BLITZER: There has been a threat that certainly U.S. government authorities, Brian as you well know, recognize the threat. That's why Air Force One, for example, among other high profile U.S. aircraft, have special devices to deal with surface-to-air missiles, but how readily available is this security for normal commercial aircraft?
JENKINS: Well, the normal commercial fleet does not have the anti-missile technology. This is something that has been debated for a while. The technology is available. It's used on military aircraft.
It is not put on civilian aircraft. Each one of these devices is in the range of about $1 million, $1.25 million, and the commercial fleet is about 6,700 aircraft so we're looking at a price tag of $8 billion to $9 billion to equip the fleet.
But it goes beyond that. There are questions as to how much defense this really would provide to commercial aircraft. What would be the false alarm rate? We're not talking about military aircraft that can maneuver that are flying into military airports. We're talking about jets that fly over cities so there are some questions about the applicability.
When I served on the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security in 1996 and '97, we did identify missiles in the hands of terrorists as one of the threats that we have to address.
And, in fact, some of the measures that are currently being taken as a consequence of the attack in Mombasa were a part of the earlier recommendation; that is we look at what can be done at the airports to improve defenses.
What can be done on an emergency basis if need be to reduce the vulnerability of aircraft during landing and takeoff, whether it's moving out the perimeters, whether it's taking advantage of making landings and takeoffs over water, all of these were issues that we wanted to be explored in 1996 but, of course, it's recent events that have provided the impetus for people to look at this in a more serious way.
BLITZER: Brian, one final question before I let you go. We heard in our initial reporting that this surface-to-air missile may have been attempted to be smuggled into the United States aboard a ship as opposed to an aircraft. Security as far as the ports are concerned, the seaports, that's been widely described as a major vulnerability in the United States.
JENKINS: Well, you know, we're talking about something that weighs 30 to 40 pounds and something that could go inside a golf bag, so this is not an overwhelming challenge to smuggle this across a land border or into a seaport.
We have all sorts of contraband, narcotics and other things that are being smuggled into the country constantly. In terms of volume, in terms of its size, moving this one item into the country, as I say, would not be unfortunately a huge challenge.
BLITZER: Brian Jenkins with some perspective, as always very useful, thanks Brian very much.
JENKINS: Thank you.
BLITZER: And, as we've been reporting defending commercial aircraft from surface-to-air missiles has been a major concern since late last year.
CNN's Charles Feldman is joining us now from Los Angeles. He's been doing a lot of digging over these past many months into this part of the story -- Charles.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, you know the question on the table is for most of the flying public how easy is it to shoot down a commercial airliner using a missile? Well, I can tell you that aviation experts and law enforcement officials are loathed to discuss this publicly but it is easier than you may think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN (voice-over): While cruising at 35,000 feet or so, commercial jetliners are sleek, graceful, and immune from attack by shoulder-launched infrared missiles that lock in on a heated exhaust spit out from jet engines but on takeoff or landing when they are slow, clumsy and low to the ground, commercial planes are highly vulnerable to such assault.
To deal with a shoulder-launched attack, there are various missile defense systems already available that might give the aircraft a fighting change but equipping all commercial planes with such systems would be very expensive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One would be a warning system that would alert the pilot to the fact that a missile were approaching his aircraft.
FELDMAN: Flares or special chemicals can then be launched to try and deflect the heat-seeking missile, techniques long used by some military aircraft. A more sophisticated approach, the Matador ANALQ- 204 infrared countermeasure system has already been installed on seven Gulf Stream business jets and is protecting 18 VIPs and heads of state in seven countries.
While the White House won't say what protective devices are onboard Air Force One, a Lockheed Martin web page uses a picture of what appears to be the presidential 747 to help advertise the Matador system, which generates a false heat trail to confuse infrared missiles. The system was recently acquired by another company.
A spokesman for Boeing, the giant commercial aircraft company, told CNN it just isn't rational even talking about such measures because it would signal a total breakdown in the public's confidence in commercial aviation and then, there's the cost, millions of dollars per plane at a time when some airlines are nearly bankrupt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN: And, Wolf, money is a very big issue. Most of these devices that are available currently would take up a lot of weight on the aircraft and that means that many seats would have to be pulled in order to make up for that added weight so the plane could fly and that means less revenue for the airlines -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Charles Feldman doing some excellent reporting for us. Thanks Charles very much.
I want to recap for our viewers a U.K. citizen, a British citizen, has been arrested here in the United States believed to be involved, at least suspected to be involved in trying to smuggle a surface-to-air missile into the United States. We're going to continue to follow this story, follow all the late-breaking developments have much more on it, of course, as soon as it becomes available.
We're also watching what's happening in Iraq right now. When we come back, we'll have extensive details on a major capture in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. Our international viewers will move on. For our North American viewers, we have much more news coming up including this.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been compared to Ronald Reagan but do the similarities go beyond their history as actors? I'll ask a former Reagan speechwriter.
Also, menace in Miami, the scare in south Florida caught on camera.
And, Jack the Snipper, a predator targets women and their clothes in a quiet college town. This is a very, very bizarre story, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In Iraq, U.S. forces take another step forward in their search for Saddam Hussein. The United States says one of the former Iraqi president's bodyguards is now in custody, captured today in a raid near Tikrit. A leader in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard was also nabbed in the raid.
North of Baghdad, huge plumes of smoke darken the sky, a fire breaks out in a burst oil pipe. There's no word on whether sabotage is to blame.
And, on the road outside the Iraqi capital another American soldier loses his life killed by hostile action.
Let's take you first on that raid near Saddam Hussein's hometown and the capture of two more key players in the former dictator's regime. CNN's Jane Arraf is in Tikrit.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.
Well, according to the commander of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry, one of the units that led that raid that resulted in the capture, the bodyguard in fact, the man described originally as a bodyguard, is the former chief of staff of Saddam's elite Republican Guard.
Now, it's not clear whether he is the former chief of staff of the Republican Guard who is number 14 on the deck of cards. There have been several chiefs of staff.
The current one who is -- just before the war who is on that deck had been around for about three years. Again, we're still trying to find out and they are still trying to determine whether indeed he was on that most wanted list.
The other person gathered up in this raid, which netted 14 people, is a former general. Now, officials here say he was not on the wanted list and the big question, of course, does this mean they're any closer to Saddam? Colonel Steve Russell who was involved in the raid says that every little bit helps. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL: Every time we drain the swamp we hope to expose others and each time we get people closely associated with the regime that helps drain the swamp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: This sounded like a pretty dramatic raid, about 200 people believed to involve Special Forces and, despite that, there were no injuries. Colonel Russell says that they called out on a bull horn for people to come out of their homes and most of them did. He said there was no resistance -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Any indication, Jane, that they're getting any closer to Saddam Hussein? Is there a mood of upbeat assessment right now in the aftermath of this latest capture?
ARRAF: Not particular more upbeat than they have been. Of course, the colonel said they were very excited to get both of these men because they do complete that part of the puzzle where if you put all of these people together, the most wanted and other information coming in, you manage to cross reference a lot of the information, a lot of the intelligence and you're better able to target people.
That doesn't necessarily mean that they are indeed hot on the trail of Saddam. They have said in the past they believe he's changing places every three to four hours but there's no indication that they know where those places are or any indication that these people they've caught will be able to lead them to him just that it will be another piece of the puzzle -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Jane Arraf. She's in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, Jane thanks very much.
Much more news coming up including Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's in the limelight and on the firing line as critics come out punching. Can Schwarzenegger stand the heat? I'll speak with Bill Maher.
Also, shattered calm, dual suicide bombings threaten to derail the road map to peace in the Middle East.
And, GI George, President Bush gets a new doll that memorializes a crowning PR moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Not to the huge political earthquake unfolding in California. Arnold Schwarzenegger staying out of the limelight today but we've just heard from several men who are trying to oust the current Governor Gray Davis.
Our National Correspondent Bob Franken is following all of these developments in Los Angeles. Bob, we've heard from several of Schwarzenegger's opponents today. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, basically what they are saying is in the case of Governor Davis this is not a fair process. In the case of Bill Simon, who is the man who ran against Davis and is running again in this recall election that really what is needed here is somebody with professional expertise which, of course, the opponents say that Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't have.
He, on the other hand, is staying out of sight as you pointed out. Election officials are scratching their heads, sometimes hyperventilating over what lays ahead with perhaps 200 people who will be on that alternative ballot if Gray Davis is, in fact, recalled on October 7. That will be just a massive job for the registrars of the various counties. It is something that is going to perhaps overwhelm them.
There, in fact, is a lawsuit that is pending from the American Civil Liberties Union which is going to be heard early next week in federal court. The ACLU is saying that because six of the most populous counties in California, because six of them use the now discredited punch card system, that we all grew to know and love in Florida that a large number of people are, in effect, not going to get equal protection as required under the Constitution.
It's a lawsuit, says the ACLU, which they believe exercises a fundamental right that people of the United States have.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ROSENBAUM, ACLU: The right to vote is perhaps the paramount right in the Constitution. It's the right that's preservative of all other rights and we learned in Bush versus Gore that part of the right to vote means that everyone's vote has to count equally.
All votes have to have equal weight and equal dignity and using a system whereby voters in six counties have two to four times less chance of having their vote counted means that the votes in the state of California aren't being equally treated.
FRANKEN: If the ACLU was to prevail it would mean that the election would be delayed until next March when the presidential primary is going to be held. I should point out, Wolf, that any number of other court challenges have thus far been unsuccessful -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken in L.A. for us, thanks Bob very much.
The estimated cost of the recall election is now some $66 million in a state already facing a $38 billion deficit. At least one election officials says they're having to use money set aside for the March presidential primary and they're worried about the financial repercussions.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is, of course, getting the most media attention but there's a downside to that. The spotlight that shines on him also shines on the lack of details in his campaign, something critics and rivals are seizing on. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SIMON (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: Arnold Schwarzenegger honestly at this point, Bill is an unknown. You know, obviously he's known from the standpoint of name identification but from the standpoint of his views, from the standpoint of where he stands on the issues, from the standpoint of what his priorities are he's a blank slate. We need to hear from Arnold.
BLITZER (voice-over): That from his Republican rival. But Schwarzenegger still has offered no details of how he would deal with California's gaping budget deficit. His campaign says all in good time.
SEAN WALSH, SCHWARZENEGGER SPOKESMAN: At the end of the day people will know clearly what Arnold's vision is and they will know where he stands on the most important issues.
BLITZER: We are learning where he stands on one issue that caused huge controversy among Californians. His campaign confirms Schwarzenegger voted in the '90s to cut state services to illegal immigrants, a measure strongly opposed by Hispanics. Analysts say his support of it could cost him Latino votes.
The campaign also acknowledges Schwarzenegger did not vote in the 2000 General Election, the 1998 General Election, and it says there's no record of a vote in the 1992 primary. Such scrutiny is certain to continue.
ANN RICHARDS (D), FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: You know the sad part about having the kind of name ID and the kind of personal affection people feel for him is that he's going to get so much publicity and it will build up and then everybody's going to wait for something bad to happen to him, you know, for him to say something stupid or to get caught in saying two things at once, anything that will bring him down.
BLITZER: But, this is a candidate used to the spotlight and if the political one is hotter than the Hollywood one you aren't hearing it from him.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Nothing will hurt me. Everything is going terrific.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: A popular Republican backer seeking the state's highest office, California has seen it all before, namely in 1966 when Ronald Reagan made a successful run for governor.
Here to talk about the similarities and the differences between the former president and Arnold Schwarzenegger is Peter Robinson. He's the speechwriter who penned some of Ronald Reagan's most famous remarks.
He's also the author of a new book "How Ronald Reagan Changed my Life." Peter Robinson is joining us right now from San Francisco. Peter thanks very much for joining us.
When Ronald Reagan was running against Pat Brown for governor of California, Pat Brown put out this ad. Listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Ronald Reagan as the tight-lipped soldier of fortune whose past was a mystery.
ANNOUNCER: Over the years, Ronald Reagan has played many roles. This year he wants to play governor. Are you willing to pay the price of admission?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That was a pretty tough ad. It clearly did not work. All the talk of Arnold Schwarzenegger the actor simply not up to the job is it going to work as far as you can tell?
PETER ROBINSON, FMR. REAGAN SPEECHWRITER: Well, Schwarzenegger is like Ronald Reagan in that he is an actor, of course, who can command enormous media attention but your clip a moment ago of Bill Simon is also true.
When Ronald Reagan ran for office in 1966, he'd been in the public eye for a quarter of a century. He had worked out his positions in detail in speech after speech, newspaper columns, all of which, at that stage in his career, he was writing himself. Arnold, we're waiting.
BLITZER: So what is your sense? What's the biggest similarity and the biggest difference between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan?
ROBINSON: Well, the biggest difference is very obvious. Schwarzenegger has let us know where he stands on a few issues, social issues.
He's pro- choice. Now Ronald Reagan did sign an abortion liberalization law when he was governor. He did so reluctantly. He felt he had been shnuckered and he regretted it for the rest of his life.
Ronald -- Arnold Schwarzenegger is in favor of homosexual adoption. Virtually impossible to imagine Ronald Reagan taking that point of view.
So Schwarzenegger has a social liberalism that just doesn't square with Ronald Reagan. One aspect of the similarity, though, that hasn't been commented on, but we can feel it out here in California -- Reagan had a real lightness of touch. And Schwarzenegger, whatever happens from this point on, he's done us Californians a service because he's restored to California politics a sense of fun.
BLITZER: Well, Schwarzenegger also has seemingly that lightness as well. He comes across as a very likable kind of guy, just like Ronald Reagan, something that is very reassuring, potentially, to voters.
ROBINSON: Likable, reassuring, a man's man. We heard a moment ago that he voted in favor of Prop 187. But I have to believe that Schwarzenegger will be able to appeal to Hispanics in this state. You don't have to read tons of literature about Hispanic culture to learn about the machismo, the reverence for the man's man kind of thing.
Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger can do something nobody else can. He can say to Hispanic voters, Look, English isn't my first language either, but I came here for the same reason you did. Not to go on welfare, but to work hard, build a better life for my family and become an American. That could prove a very powerful appeal.
BLITZER: Peter, Ronald Reagan, of course, had Nancy Reagan by his side, a formidable political force in her own right. Arnold Schwarzenegger has Maria Shriver of NBC News, now on leave from NBC News. What do you think of the similarities, the differences as far as the women of their lives are concerned?
ROBINSON: Well, Maria Shriver strikes me as formidable in the same way that Nancy Reagan, when I worked in the White House, struck me as formidable.
Mrs. Reagan -- I'll be honest with you, Wolf. Mrs. Reagan was a little frightening to a somebody like me. I was a young staffer. But I realized very early on that every time she was being demanding of the staff, every time she was second-guessing a schedule, she was doing so for one reason, and that was to protect and stick up for her husband.
I get very much the same sense of that from Maria Shriver. And just as Nancy Reagan was an actress, and knew her way around the media, Maria Shriver certainly knows her way around the media and, of course, politics, having been born into that Kennedy family. She looks like a tough broad to me, to tell you the truth. And I think Arnold may turn out to be very lucky to have her by his side.
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Peter Robinson, for your assessment. We'll have you back.
And here's your turn, our viewers that is, to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger most like as a politician? Jesse Ventura? Ronald Reagan? Jerry Springer? Or none of the above?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly 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 also read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
Long before he was trying to become Mr. Governor, he was Mr. Universe. Later this hour, a look at the documentary from Arnold Schwarzenegger's days of pumping iron.
And often-controversial, always sharp-witted Bill Maher will join me to weigh in on the California recall. All that, much more, including the breaking news we're following this hour. A British citizen arrested in the United States, suspected of trying to smuggle a surface-to-air missile into this country. We'll have all of that. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: What could top President Bush's landing at an aircraft carrier? The answer may be coming to a toystore near you. We'll explain. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.
We'll update you on our breaking story. That's coming up. An FBI sting that raises cause for serious concern.
First, though, the latest headlines.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: Now back to our top story. U.S. government sources are telling CNN a British man is under arrest by the FBI, suspected in an arms deal that included selling surface-to-air missiles.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, once again in Washington with the details -- David.
ENSOR: Well, Wolf, as you say, this is an FBI sting operation and the man, who is a British citizen of Indian descent, was arrested in New Jersey today. There may be other arrests forthcoming soon, we are told, in a sting operation that's been undergoing -- been under way for some time now by the FBI. They've been getting cooperation. CNN's Deborah Feyerick is told from Russian authorities, and she is told that the weapon in question was a SAM 7 Russian-made shoulder- launched missile, which the man was attempting to struggle into the United States for sale.
So this was the kind of weapon that was used -- was attempted to be used in Mombasa, Kenya recently. This is the weapon I'm talking about in that case, where allegedly al Qaeda-connected terrorists attempted unsuccessfully to fire on an Israeli passenger aircraft in that particular case.
So it's a weapon that's been of great interest to terrorists. In fact, you can see it on some al Qaeda training video that was made public some time ago. Here's a picture of that. This shows the -- again, the Russian SAM 7 shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile, which has been of great concern to U.S. and other officials around the world because it would be such a convenient weapon for terrorists to use against passenger aircraft.
Now, in this particular case, officials say, there was no connection to real terrorists, and no danger to aircraft, and this man is said to be an arms dealer, who presumably was going for the dollars only. He is in FBI custody -- Wolf. BLITZER: David Ensor, thanks very much for that update. Appreciate it.
Meanwhile, twin suicide bombings pose a serious new challenge for the so-called road map to peace in the Middle east. Today's blast in Israel in the West Bank killed two Israelis and the two Palestinian bombers. And they prompted the Bush administration to call on both sides to use restraint.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first bomber struck in central Israel, in the town of Rosh Haayin, east of Tel Aviv and close to the West Bank. A middle-aged man was killed in the blast at a small supermarket, 10 were wounded. Forty minutes later the second attack, just 20 minutes drive away inside the West Bank. Here, blowing himself up near the bus stop near the major settlement town of Ariel, the bomber killed a teenager and wounded four others, and two others seriously. Even before the twin attacks, the fledgling peace process was fraying badly and now the mutual recriminations are louder. Israel blaming what it calls the Palestinian Authority's inaction in not removing the militants capacitycity to launch attacks. The problems, say Palestinian leaders, Israel's actions. The cease- fire at risk because of the continued Israeli attacks against militants.
(on camera): And as a fundamental strategic division, Israel's argument that the violence will only be proven to be contained if the Palestinian Authority tackles its militants head-on, vs. the Palestinian's argument that the only way for peace to go forward is for the militants to be talked out of violence, not battles. Unless this chasm can be bridged soon, there's a feeling on both sides, that the cease-fire and the road map to peace, could unravel altogether.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's pumping iron.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA: I was always dreaming about a very powerful (UNINTELLIGIBLE). (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and things like that.
BLITZER: A glimpse at Arnold Schwarzenegger's politics before he was running for governor.
Also, big, Bill Maher joins me live on what's happening in California right now.
And get this, Jack the snipper. A very bizarre fetish targets women and their clothes in a small college town. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Long before he began his quest to become governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Universe. His bodybuilding days were captured in the film "Pumping Iron," which could potentially raise some controversy for his campaign.
Here once again, CNN's Charles Feldman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some clues about Arnold Schwarzenegger the person might be found in "Pumping Iron," a documentary about body building that began shooting in 1975, when Schwarzenegger was 28 years old.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I was always dreaming about very powerful (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could be remembered for hundreds of years. Or, you know, when like Jesus (UNINTELLIGIBLE) thousands of years remembered.
FELDMAN: Schwarzenegger has had a recurring dream about becoming king of the earth, says the man who produced and directed "Pumping Iron." He attributes the dream to the actor's enormous ambition.
GEORGE BUTLER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR "PUMPING IRON": He really had a plan to become a millionaire as quickly as possible, to get to the very top of body building, to meet the Kennedys, to get to the White House. And nothing that's going on in California is even remotely surprising to any of us who have known Arnold for a long time.
FELDMAN: Perhaps other clues to Schwarzenegger's character may be found in his story about his father's death, which came while he was on his final training for a body building competition.
SCHWARZENEGGER: My mother called me on the phone and she said, you know, "Your dad died." And this was exactly two months before a contest. She said, "Can you come home to the funeral?" I said, "No, it's too late." You know, he said, there's nothing to be done. And "I'm sorry, I can't come, you know."
FELDMAN: But all (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when Schwarzenegger was 28 relevant to today? As you might expect, California Democratic Party campaign advisor, Bob Mulholland, says, yes.
BOB MULHOLLAND, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Absolutely not. If you're going to campaign as a celebrity, you have to be open to the fact that the press and the voters have a right to know what your views were 20 years ago or 30 years ago.
FELDMAN: We talked to Schwarzenegger's top campaign advisor about the comments made in the documentary.
GEORGE GORTON, SCHWARZENEGGER'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I don't think he meant anything other than the fact that he's interested in people who made a real difference in society. You know, he's interested in them as a matter of fascination. So I don't think there's any problem with that, no. FELDMAN: Although other politicians, such as Al Gore, have admitted experimenting with various drugs in their youth, Schwarzenegger may be the only one who did it in front of a camera. This scene comes at the end of the film.
Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Joining us to weigh in on the California recall election, Bill Maher, whose show "Realtime" is on HBO, our sister network. He's joining us now live from Los Angeles.
Bill, thanks for joining us. He clearly looked like he was inhaling in that shot, but what's your sense?
BILL MAHER, ENTERTAINER: I got my vote. I was against him until I saw that. I don't know that I've ever seen that documentary, but watching him do that, I've got to say, I'm in the camp now.
BLITZER: So you're a big Arnold Schwarzenegger fan.
MAHER: No, I'm a big fan of marijuana, and to watch him do that was just so much -- so gratifying to myself and everyone else in that movement. But, you know, watching the little clip that you had on before of him when he was a bodybuilder, I have to say, is anyone going to bring up the fact that it is impossible to get that body without drugs? I mean, we do have a drug war in this country and it's also a scandal whenever any sort of president has any health issue. It was a scandal when we found out recently that Jack Kennedy had all sorts of health problems going on that he didn't reveal. We also want to know what's going on with the president's health. I mean, that is steroids, my friend.
BLITZER: You know, Bill, You have to give Arnold Schwarzenegger a lot of credit. Here's a guy, he was a bodybuilder and made some money, but he parlayed that into not only a hugely successful entertainment career, an acting career, but hundreds of millions of dollars, he's had huge investments and he's been very, very impressive.
MAHER: Yes, that is improve -- impressive. But those are not credentials in view for being governor of this state. Yes, he was a bodybuilder and a successful action movie star. But I guess people in this state think he's going to walk into Sacramento and kick down Gray Davis' door and say, time to cut spending, and throw him through a plate glass window. But that's not really how government works. You know, it's easy to say, clean house in Sacramento.
I had Governor Davis on Friday. I was trying to get him to say, you know, tell us what that really means when someone gets up there and has to work with the bureaucrats. That's the case that needs to be made against Arnold Schwarzenegger.
BLITZER: But you know, Californians have a history of an actor becoming governor, as you well know. And a lot of people think he's got some of the natural instincts, the political instincts of Ronald Reagan.
MAHER: Yes. He's popular, and he speaks in platitudes and he was in the movies. But even Ronald Reagan put in the time politically, a lot more than Arnold Schwarzenegger has. After all, wasn't he head of the union? I think he had a political column that he wrote for quite a while. I mean, he took it a little more seriously before jumping in. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to have just seen an opportunity where he could become governor in two months without having the kind of scrutiny that you might go through in a more normal election.
BLITZER: We heard from his producer earlier in that report from Charles Feldman say he's not at all surprised, knowing Arnold Schwarzenegger, going back to his days as a bodybuilder, how ambitious he was moving into the Kennedy family, marrying Maria Shriver and perhaps keeping one eye out on politics throughout all of this. He can never be elected president, of course, because he wasn't born in the United States.
MAHER: Thank you. You know, I mean, people think we're crazy here, but at least we have that going for us. He can't be president. By the way, you know, speaking of people thinking we're crazy, have you noticed the 10-point plan that Gary Coleman has put out to reduce the budget deficit?
BLITZER: I missed that one.
MAHER: He wants to increase the taxes on alternative fuels. I'm joking, of course.
BLITZER: What about Gray Davis? You did have him on your show the other night, and a lot of people are writing him off. But he's come back from very far behind in the past.
MAHER: Yes, and he could do it again. You know, I wished that when I asked him if it was infuriating that so many amateurs were trying to take your job, Governor, I wished he had went, hell, yes! And I think if he had, he would have got up 10 points in the poll, but you know, I guess that's just not the way that guy is built.
BLITZER: One of the amazing things about California, one of the things that of course is generating a lot of publicity, all these characters that are running for governor, not only Gary Coleman, but Larry Flynt and strippers and porn artists. What is it with your state that generates this kind of activity?
MAHER: Well, we're crazy. My theory on California and the crazies is always that people in America, of course, my great West, I just saw a terrific western last night, the new Kevin Costner movie. And it's about that. You know, the West was always where it was open and you could go and be an individual.
And if you are crazy, you could always move west. So people on the East Coast moved to the Midwest. And if they were still unhappy and crazy, they moved a little farther west. And of course, when they got to California, you can't do it anymore. If you move more west, you drown. So the crazies kind of got here, and then they infiltrated our government and we have these kind of propositions and ballot initiatives and so forth.
And that's what Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to run into when he gets to Sacramento. He's going to find out that there's not much you can do to affect this budget, except get down to some real hard work, because I think 90 percent of this budget is already spoken for, through entitlements and mandated by propositions.
BLITZER: Bill Maher, we've got to leave it right there. You got a great show on HBO.
MAHER: Thank you.
BLITZER: I watch it all the time. "Real Time." By the way, for those of our viewers that don't have access to "The Hotline," they should get access and read the interview with Bill Maher in the last Friday's edition of "The Hotline." One of the funniest things, Bill, I've read in a long, long time. I learned a great deal about you, by the way.
MAHER: Well, thank you. I appreciate it. We've got to get you on here some time.
BLITZER: All right. That will happen.
MAHER: OK. That will happen.
BLITZER: Bill Maher, thanks very much. A very smart guy and a very funny guy as well.
Our hot Web question of the day is this: Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger most like as a politician? Is it Jesse Ventura? Ronald Reagan? Jerry Springer? None of the above? You can still vote. Go to my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. And we'll have the results of that. That's coming up, as well as a strange story of a person dubbed Jack the Snipper.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Police in Durham, New Hampshire, are investigating one of the strangest cases of serial predator we've ever heard of. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): University of New Hampshire student Laura Bichard (ph) demonstrates part of her routine before she goes to sleep in her off-campus apartment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel a little bit safer because I lock my doors every night.
TUCHMAN: In the relatively safe college town of Durham, New Hampshire, not all follow Laura Bichard's (ph) example. And some women who haven't locked their doors, including one in Laura's apartment building, have become victims of a strange perpetrator.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A person, a male, has entered apartments that have been unlocked, and there has been an attempt to disrobe the women that he's encountered.
TUCHMAN: Since late June, there have been at least eight victims in six different locations who have had their clothes removed or cut off while sleeping. Sometimes more than one woman has been in the room when the crime occurred.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In some cases they've woken up, and in some cases they haven't woken up. There doesn't appear to be a lot of pressure on him to move quickly.
TUCHMAN: Notices have been posted in the Durham community warning incoming students to take precautions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really scared me a lot, because you wouldn't think of anything like that happening around here. Usually, it's really safe. Like, I don't lock my door usually.
TUCHMAN: Police say nobody has been physically hurt, but they don't know what this suspect, who they describe as white, tall and thin, is capable of. So they warn people to be careful, and by all means to do what this student will now do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely going to keep my doors locked at night.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We leave you now with the results of our Web question of the day. Check out your TV screen. You see it right there. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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Chief of Staff Nabbed; How Does Schwarzenegger Compare to Reagan?>
Aired August 12, 2003 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: We have breaking news we're following right now. The FBI makes an arrest in the United States. A British citizen has been picked up in New Jersey accused of selling missiles that might be used to bring down airplanes. We'll have details on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A daring raid in Saddam Hussein's hometown.
LT. COL. STEVE RUSSELL, U.S. ARMY: We searched over 20 houses, targeted a specific family.
BLITZER: And two key captures.
Double attack: Suicide bombings in the Middle East, an already shaky road map to peace again under siege.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We cannot let it go off track.
BLITZER: All eyes on Arnold Schwarzenegger, revelations about his political and personal past.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing that's going on in California is even remotely surprising to any of this.
BLITZER: Could anyone take on "The Terminator"? Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time" speaks out.
And, a freak of nature hits Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Tuesday, August 12, 2003. Hello from New York, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. We welcome our viewers from around the world.
We begin this hour with breaking news. U.S. government sources are telling CNN a British man is under arrest by the FBI suspected in an arms deal that included selling surface-to-air missiles.
We have reporters covering the story around the United States. Jeanne Meserve is in Washington, David Ensor in Washington, Charles Feldman in Los Angeles, Deborah Feyerick here in New York. Let's begin with David Ensor he's got the late-breaking developments.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as you say there's been a sting operation by the FBI going on over the last few hours. We and many other journalists were aware that something was underway but we held back the news because we were told that lives might be at stake.
As you say, one British citizen has been arrested in New Jersey in connection with an alleged attempt to make an arms deal, which we are told involved a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile.
So, this is clearly something that could have had terrorism use. It's the kind of weapon that we've been hearing in recent weeks a lot about, a kind of weapon that terrorists could have used against an aircraft and this operation we understand has been going on for some time with some international cooperation.
The understanding is that contrary to some reports elsewhere that it might be a Stinger missile, an American-made missile, the missile involved may, in fact, have been Russian -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Do we know the identity? Have they released the name of this British citizen David?
ENSOR: No, they have not and, in fact, there have been no official announcements about this matter and the indictment of this individual is a sealed indictment for the moment. We may hear more from the Justice Department as the hours go by but at this point they're being very closed mouthed on the matter -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, David Ensor stand by. We'll be getting back to you.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick is here in New York. She has more on this breaking story. Deborah, tell us what you've learned.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, some additional information that I've picked up from law enforcement sources here is that the man is a U.K. national of Indian descent, that he allegedly smuggled this surface-to-air missile into the United States onboard a ship that the missile was sent from Russia, that it arrived in New Jersey.
The man is purportedly here in the United States to complete the transaction according to a law enforcement source, apparently possibly to pick up the cash that was involved in all of this. We are expecting two more arrests to be made by the end of the day. That's the information that I'm hearing here from law enforcement authorities.
BLITZER: Is the FBI, Deborah, in charge of this investigation from what you could tell, local law enforcement, state authorities? Who is basically running this operation?
FEYERICK: Well, right now we are being told that this is a joint investigation, that this involved many law enforcement agencies throughout the world. We are told that the FBI in New Jersey is involved in this. We are told also that there were law enforcement authorities both in the United Kingdom and also in Russia all involved in this. They've been tracking this man apparently for some time.
BLITZER: All right, Deborah Feyerick I want you to stand by as well.
Our Jeanne Meserve is watching all of these developments, doing reporting on some potentially significant developments from her vantage point. Jeanne Meserve covers homeland security for us. She's joining us now live from Washington -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, an administration official tells me that this individual has no terrorist links. This individual who has been arrested is an arms smuggler. This individual to whom I've spoken says there's no indication of any sort of terrorist plot involved her, no targeting involved here that this individual is aware of.
However, they go on to say no credible intelligence at this point in time that any man pads have been successfully smuggled into this country. There is no specific threat against airliners in this country; however, that said there is considerable concern about the possibility of missile attacks on airliners here.
There has been an interagency task force, which has traveled around to the major U.S. airports evaluating their vulnerability and recommending additional steps, things like fencing, additional surveillance, additional patrols.
I've been told that they've completed their assessment of U.S. airports. They now are evaluating about a dozen airports overseas where U.S. carriers go in and out and where the U.S. has strategic interests.
Now, in addition to that, the Department of Homeland Security has asked eight government contractors to come up with detailed plans for anti-missile technology that might someday be put on U.S. commercial airliners.
Such technology does currently exist and is used by the military but it is considered too expensive for commercial use at this point. They're looking for something that's affordable and also something that is effective.
In addition to that, the administration has been pushing nonproliferation efforts internationally, encouraging other countries to control their inventories of surface-to-air missiles, also in some high risk countries initiating buy back programs -- Wolf.
BLITZER: How much of this interest in surface-to-air missiles, Jeanne, was sparked by the unsuccessful effort in Mombasa, Kenya by terrorists to shoot down an Israeli plane that was taking off from there several months back?
MESERVE: That was a huge factor, Wolf. That was really termed the wakeup call by several officials to whom I've spoken. That's when they realized just how real this threat was.
Now, they've known for some time that there are an estimated 750,000 of these missiles floating around the world. They knew that some of them had fallen into the wrong hands.
They're easy to get on the black market. They're not that expensive. They're fairly easy to use and they're portable. They're relatively small in size and have the potential for being moved around. So, yes, that Mombasa incident a big wakeup call for the administration -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we've been showing our viewers while you were speaking, Jeanne, some pictures from that incident last November in Mombasa, an unsuccessful effort by terrorists believed to be associated with al Qaeda to shoot down an Israeli commercial jetliner taking off from Mombasa on its way to Tel Aviv. Jeanne Meserve thanks very much.
Let's bring in some perspective and, for that, Brian Jenkins is joining us. He's one of the world's most renowned counterterrorism experts. He's joining us on the phone now from Honolulu. What do you make of this late development, the arrest of this British subject of Indian ancestry suspected, Brian, of trying to smuggle in a surface- to-air missile?
BRIAN JENKINS, COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT: Well, it's not surprising. This is a threat that has been identified for some time. These missiles have been used against civilian aircraft for more than 20 years.
As the reporter indicated, the production figures of these are in the hundreds of thousands. We believe that anywhere from perhaps hundreds to possibly a couple of thousand of these things may be in the hands of terrorist organizations or floating around the black market so this arrest underscores a threat that has long been recognized.
BLITZER: There has been a threat that certainly U.S. government authorities, Brian as you well know, recognize the threat. That's why Air Force One, for example, among other high profile U.S. aircraft, have special devices to deal with surface-to-air missiles, but how readily available is this security for normal commercial aircraft?
JENKINS: Well, the normal commercial fleet does not have the anti-missile technology. This is something that has been debated for a while. The technology is available. It's used on military aircraft.
It is not put on civilian aircraft. Each one of these devices is in the range of about $1 million, $1.25 million, and the commercial fleet is about 6,700 aircraft so we're looking at a price tag of $8 billion to $9 billion to equip the fleet.
But it goes beyond that. There are questions as to how much defense this really would provide to commercial aircraft. What would be the false alarm rate? We're not talking about military aircraft that can maneuver that are flying into military airports. We're talking about jets that fly over cities so there are some questions about the applicability.
When I served on the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security in 1996 and '97, we did identify missiles in the hands of terrorists as one of the threats that we have to address.
And, in fact, some of the measures that are currently being taken as a consequence of the attack in Mombasa were a part of the earlier recommendation; that is we look at what can be done at the airports to improve defenses.
What can be done on an emergency basis if need be to reduce the vulnerability of aircraft during landing and takeoff, whether it's moving out the perimeters, whether it's taking advantage of making landings and takeoffs over water, all of these were issues that we wanted to be explored in 1996 but, of course, it's recent events that have provided the impetus for people to look at this in a more serious way.
BLITZER: Brian, one final question before I let you go. We heard in our initial reporting that this surface-to-air missile may have been attempted to be smuggled into the United States aboard a ship as opposed to an aircraft. Security as far as the ports are concerned, the seaports, that's been widely described as a major vulnerability in the United States.
JENKINS: Well, you know, we're talking about something that weighs 30 to 40 pounds and something that could go inside a golf bag, so this is not an overwhelming challenge to smuggle this across a land border or into a seaport.
We have all sorts of contraband, narcotics and other things that are being smuggled into the country constantly. In terms of volume, in terms of its size, moving this one item into the country, as I say, would not be unfortunately a huge challenge.
BLITZER: Brian Jenkins with some perspective, as always very useful, thanks Brian very much.
JENKINS: Thank you.
BLITZER: And, as we've been reporting defending commercial aircraft from surface-to-air missiles has been a major concern since late last year.
CNN's Charles Feldman is joining us now from Los Angeles. He's been doing a lot of digging over these past many months into this part of the story -- Charles.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, you know the question on the table is for most of the flying public how easy is it to shoot down a commercial airliner using a missile? Well, I can tell you that aviation experts and law enforcement officials are loathed to discuss this publicly but it is easier than you may think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN (voice-over): While cruising at 35,000 feet or so, commercial jetliners are sleek, graceful, and immune from attack by shoulder-launched infrared missiles that lock in on a heated exhaust spit out from jet engines but on takeoff or landing when they are slow, clumsy and low to the ground, commercial planes are highly vulnerable to such assault.
To deal with a shoulder-launched attack, there are various missile defense systems already available that might give the aircraft a fighting change but equipping all commercial planes with such systems would be very expensive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One would be a warning system that would alert the pilot to the fact that a missile were approaching his aircraft.
FELDMAN: Flares or special chemicals can then be launched to try and deflect the heat-seeking missile, techniques long used by some military aircraft. A more sophisticated approach, the Matador ANALQ- 204 infrared countermeasure system has already been installed on seven Gulf Stream business jets and is protecting 18 VIPs and heads of state in seven countries.
While the White House won't say what protective devices are onboard Air Force One, a Lockheed Martin web page uses a picture of what appears to be the presidential 747 to help advertise the Matador system, which generates a false heat trail to confuse infrared missiles. The system was recently acquired by another company.
A spokesman for Boeing, the giant commercial aircraft company, told CNN it just isn't rational even talking about such measures because it would signal a total breakdown in the public's confidence in commercial aviation and then, there's the cost, millions of dollars per plane at a time when some airlines are nearly bankrupt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN: And, Wolf, money is a very big issue. Most of these devices that are available currently would take up a lot of weight on the aircraft and that means that many seats would have to be pulled in order to make up for that added weight so the plane could fly and that means less revenue for the airlines -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Charles Feldman doing some excellent reporting for us. Thanks Charles very much.
I want to recap for our viewers a U.K. citizen, a British citizen, has been arrested here in the United States believed to be involved, at least suspected to be involved in trying to smuggle a surface-to-air missile into the United States. We're going to continue to follow this story, follow all the late-breaking developments have much more on it, of course, as soon as it becomes available.
We're also watching what's happening in Iraq right now. When we come back, we'll have extensive details on a major capture in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. Our international viewers will move on. For our North American viewers, we have much more news coming up including this.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been compared to Ronald Reagan but do the similarities go beyond their history as actors? I'll ask a former Reagan speechwriter.
Also, menace in Miami, the scare in south Florida caught on camera.
And, Jack the Snipper, a predator targets women and their clothes in a quiet college town. This is a very, very bizarre story, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In Iraq, U.S. forces take another step forward in their search for Saddam Hussein. The United States says one of the former Iraqi president's bodyguards is now in custody, captured today in a raid near Tikrit. A leader in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard was also nabbed in the raid.
North of Baghdad, huge plumes of smoke darken the sky, a fire breaks out in a burst oil pipe. There's no word on whether sabotage is to blame.
And, on the road outside the Iraqi capital another American soldier loses his life killed by hostile action.
Let's take you first on that raid near Saddam Hussein's hometown and the capture of two more key players in the former dictator's regime. CNN's Jane Arraf is in Tikrit.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.
Well, according to the commander of the 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry, one of the units that led that raid that resulted in the capture, the bodyguard in fact, the man described originally as a bodyguard, is the former chief of staff of Saddam's elite Republican Guard.
Now, it's not clear whether he is the former chief of staff of the Republican Guard who is number 14 on the deck of cards. There have been several chiefs of staff.
The current one who is -- just before the war who is on that deck had been around for about three years. Again, we're still trying to find out and they are still trying to determine whether indeed he was on that most wanted list.
The other person gathered up in this raid, which netted 14 people, is a former general. Now, officials here say he was not on the wanted list and the big question, of course, does this mean they're any closer to Saddam? Colonel Steve Russell who was involved in the raid says that every little bit helps. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL: Every time we drain the swamp we hope to expose others and each time we get people closely associated with the regime that helps drain the swamp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARRAF: This sounded like a pretty dramatic raid, about 200 people believed to involve Special Forces and, despite that, there were no injuries. Colonel Russell says that they called out on a bull horn for people to come out of their homes and most of them did. He said there was no resistance -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Any indication, Jane, that they're getting any closer to Saddam Hussein? Is there a mood of upbeat assessment right now in the aftermath of this latest capture?
ARRAF: Not particular more upbeat than they have been. Of course, the colonel said they were very excited to get both of these men because they do complete that part of the puzzle where if you put all of these people together, the most wanted and other information coming in, you manage to cross reference a lot of the information, a lot of the intelligence and you're better able to target people.
That doesn't necessarily mean that they are indeed hot on the trail of Saddam. They have said in the past they believe he's changing places every three to four hours but there's no indication that they know where those places are or any indication that these people they've caught will be able to lead them to him just that it will be another piece of the puzzle -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Jane Arraf. She's in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, Jane thanks very much.
Much more news coming up including Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's in the limelight and on the firing line as critics come out punching. Can Schwarzenegger stand the heat? I'll speak with Bill Maher.
Also, shattered calm, dual suicide bombings threaten to derail the road map to peace in the Middle East.
And, GI George, President Bush gets a new doll that memorializes a crowning PR moment. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Not to the huge political earthquake unfolding in California. Arnold Schwarzenegger staying out of the limelight today but we've just heard from several men who are trying to oust the current Governor Gray Davis.
Our National Correspondent Bob Franken is following all of these developments in Los Angeles. Bob, we've heard from several of Schwarzenegger's opponents today. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, basically what they are saying is in the case of Governor Davis this is not a fair process. In the case of Bill Simon, who is the man who ran against Davis and is running again in this recall election that really what is needed here is somebody with professional expertise which, of course, the opponents say that Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't have.
He, on the other hand, is staying out of sight as you pointed out. Election officials are scratching their heads, sometimes hyperventilating over what lays ahead with perhaps 200 people who will be on that alternative ballot if Gray Davis is, in fact, recalled on October 7. That will be just a massive job for the registrars of the various counties. It is something that is going to perhaps overwhelm them.
There, in fact, is a lawsuit that is pending from the American Civil Liberties Union which is going to be heard early next week in federal court. The ACLU is saying that because six of the most populous counties in California, because six of them use the now discredited punch card system, that we all grew to know and love in Florida that a large number of people are, in effect, not going to get equal protection as required under the Constitution.
It's a lawsuit, says the ACLU, which they believe exercises a fundamental right that people of the United States have.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ROSENBAUM, ACLU: The right to vote is perhaps the paramount right in the Constitution. It's the right that's preservative of all other rights and we learned in Bush versus Gore that part of the right to vote means that everyone's vote has to count equally.
All votes have to have equal weight and equal dignity and using a system whereby voters in six counties have two to four times less chance of having their vote counted means that the votes in the state of California aren't being equally treated.
FRANKEN: If the ACLU was to prevail it would mean that the election would be delayed until next March when the presidential primary is going to be held. I should point out, Wolf, that any number of other court challenges have thus far been unsuccessful -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken in L.A. for us, thanks Bob very much.
The estimated cost of the recall election is now some $66 million in a state already facing a $38 billion deficit. At least one election officials says they're having to use money set aside for the March presidential primary and they're worried about the financial repercussions.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is, of course, getting the most media attention but there's a downside to that. The spotlight that shines on him also shines on the lack of details in his campaign, something critics and rivals are seizing on. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SIMON (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: Arnold Schwarzenegger honestly at this point, Bill is an unknown. You know, obviously he's known from the standpoint of name identification but from the standpoint of his views, from the standpoint of where he stands on the issues, from the standpoint of what his priorities are he's a blank slate. We need to hear from Arnold.
BLITZER (voice-over): That from his Republican rival. But Schwarzenegger still has offered no details of how he would deal with California's gaping budget deficit. His campaign says all in good time.
SEAN WALSH, SCHWARZENEGGER SPOKESMAN: At the end of the day people will know clearly what Arnold's vision is and they will know where he stands on the most important issues.
BLITZER: We are learning where he stands on one issue that caused huge controversy among Californians. His campaign confirms Schwarzenegger voted in the '90s to cut state services to illegal immigrants, a measure strongly opposed by Hispanics. Analysts say his support of it could cost him Latino votes.
The campaign also acknowledges Schwarzenegger did not vote in the 2000 General Election, the 1998 General Election, and it says there's no record of a vote in the 1992 primary. Such scrutiny is certain to continue.
ANN RICHARDS (D), FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: You know the sad part about having the kind of name ID and the kind of personal affection people feel for him is that he's going to get so much publicity and it will build up and then everybody's going to wait for something bad to happen to him, you know, for him to say something stupid or to get caught in saying two things at once, anything that will bring him down.
BLITZER: But, this is a candidate used to the spotlight and if the political one is hotter than the Hollywood one you aren't hearing it from him.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Nothing will hurt me. Everything is going terrific.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: A popular Republican backer seeking the state's highest office, California has seen it all before, namely in 1966 when Ronald Reagan made a successful run for governor.
Here to talk about the similarities and the differences between the former president and Arnold Schwarzenegger is Peter Robinson. He's the speechwriter who penned some of Ronald Reagan's most famous remarks.
He's also the author of a new book "How Ronald Reagan Changed my Life." Peter Robinson is joining us right now from San Francisco. Peter thanks very much for joining us.
When Ronald Reagan was running against Pat Brown for governor of California, Pat Brown put out this ad. Listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Ronald Reagan as the tight-lipped soldier of fortune whose past was a mystery.
ANNOUNCER: Over the years, Ronald Reagan has played many roles. This year he wants to play governor. Are you willing to pay the price of admission?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That was a pretty tough ad. It clearly did not work. All the talk of Arnold Schwarzenegger the actor simply not up to the job is it going to work as far as you can tell?
PETER ROBINSON, FMR. REAGAN SPEECHWRITER: Well, Schwarzenegger is like Ronald Reagan in that he is an actor, of course, who can command enormous media attention but your clip a moment ago of Bill Simon is also true.
When Ronald Reagan ran for office in 1966, he'd been in the public eye for a quarter of a century. He had worked out his positions in detail in speech after speech, newspaper columns, all of which, at that stage in his career, he was writing himself. Arnold, we're waiting.
BLITZER: So what is your sense? What's the biggest similarity and the biggest difference between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan?
ROBINSON: Well, the biggest difference is very obvious. Schwarzenegger has let us know where he stands on a few issues, social issues.
He's pro- choice. Now Ronald Reagan did sign an abortion liberalization law when he was governor. He did so reluctantly. He felt he had been shnuckered and he regretted it for the rest of his life.
Ronald -- Arnold Schwarzenegger is in favor of homosexual adoption. Virtually impossible to imagine Ronald Reagan taking that point of view.
So Schwarzenegger has a social liberalism that just doesn't square with Ronald Reagan. One aspect of the similarity, though, that hasn't been commented on, but we can feel it out here in California -- Reagan had a real lightness of touch. And Schwarzenegger, whatever happens from this point on, he's done us Californians a service because he's restored to California politics a sense of fun.
BLITZER: Well, Schwarzenegger also has seemingly that lightness as well. He comes across as a very likable kind of guy, just like Ronald Reagan, something that is very reassuring, potentially, to voters.
ROBINSON: Likable, reassuring, a man's man. We heard a moment ago that he voted in favor of Prop 187. But I have to believe that Schwarzenegger will be able to appeal to Hispanics in this state. You don't have to read tons of literature about Hispanic culture to learn about the machismo, the reverence for the man's man kind of thing.
Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger can do something nobody else can. He can say to Hispanic voters, Look, English isn't my first language either, but I came here for the same reason you did. Not to go on welfare, but to work hard, build a better life for my family and become an American. That could prove a very powerful appeal.
BLITZER: Peter, Ronald Reagan, of course, had Nancy Reagan by his side, a formidable political force in her own right. Arnold Schwarzenegger has Maria Shriver of NBC News, now on leave from NBC News. What do you think of the similarities, the differences as far as the women of their lives are concerned?
ROBINSON: Well, Maria Shriver strikes me as formidable in the same way that Nancy Reagan, when I worked in the White House, struck me as formidable.
Mrs. Reagan -- I'll be honest with you, Wolf. Mrs. Reagan was a little frightening to a somebody like me. I was a young staffer. But I realized very early on that every time she was being demanding of the staff, every time she was second-guessing a schedule, she was doing so for one reason, and that was to protect and stick up for her husband.
I get very much the same sense of that from Maria Shriver. And just as Nancy Reagan was an actress, and knew her way around the media, Maria Shriver certainly knows her way around the media and, of course, politics, having been born into that Kennedy family. She looks like a tough broad to me, to tell you the truth. And I think Arnold may turn out to be very lucky to have her by his side.
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Peter Robinson, for your assessment. We'll have you back.
And here's your turn, our viewers that is, to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger most like as a politician? Jesse Ventura? Ronald Reagan? Jerry Springer? Or none of the above?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly 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 also read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
Long before he was trying to become Mr. Governor, he was Mr. Universe. Later this hour, a look at the documentary from Arnold Schwarzenegger's days of pumping iron.
And often-controversial, always sharp-witted Bill Maher will join me to weigh in on the California recall. All that, much more, including the breaking news we're following this hour. A British citizen arrested in the United States, suspected of trying to smuggle a surface-to-air missile into this country. We'll have all of that. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: What could top President Bush's landing at an aircraft carrier? The answer may be coming to a toystore near you. We'll explain. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.
We'll update you on our breaking story. That's coming up. An FBI sting that raises cause for serious concern.
First, though, the latest headlines.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: Now back to our top story. U.S. government sources are telling CNN a British man is under arrest by the FBI, suspected in an arms deal that included selling surface-to-air missiles.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, once again in Washington with the details -- David.
ENSOR: Well, Wolf, as you say, this is an FBI sting operation and the man, who is a British citizen of Indian descent, was arrested in New Jersey today. There may be other arrests forthcoming soon, we are told, in a sting operation that's been undergoing -- been under way for some time now by the FBI. They've been getting cooperation. CNN's Deborah Feyerick is told from Russian authorities, and she is told that the weapon in question was a SAM 7 Russian-made shoulder- launched missile, which the man was attempting to struggle into the United States for sale.
So this was the kind of weapon that was used -- was attempted to be used in Mombasa, Kenya recently. This is the weapon I'm talking about in that case, where allegedly al Qaeda-connected terrorists attempted unsuccessfully to fire on an Israeli passenger aircraft in that particular case.
So it's a weapon that's been of great interest to terrorists. In fact, you can see it on some al Qaeda training video that was made public some time ago. Here's a picture of that. This shows the -- again, the Russian SAM 7 shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile, which has been of great concern to U.S. and other officials around the world because it would be such a convenient weapon for terrorists to use against passenger aircraft.
Now, in this particular case, officials say, there was no connection to real terrorists, and no danger to aircraft, and this man is said to be an arms dealer, who presumably was going for the dollars only. He is in FBI custody -- Wolf. BLITZER: David Ensor, thanks very much for that update. Appreciate it.
Meanwhile, twin suicide bombings pose a serious new challenge for the so-called road map to peace in the Middle east. Today's blast in Israel in the West Bank killed two Israelis and the two Palestinian bombers. And they prompted the Bush administration to call on both sides to use restraint.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first bomber struck in central Israel, in the town of Rosh Haayin, east of Tel Aviv and close to the West Bank. A middle-aged man was killed in the blast at a small supermarket, 10 were wounded. Forty minutes later the second attack, just 20 minutes drive away inside the West Bank. Here, blowing himself up near the bus stop near the major settlement town of Ariel, the bomber killed a teenager and wounded four others, and two others seriously. Even before the twin attacks, the fledgling peace process was fraying badly and now the mutual recriminations are louder. Israel blaming what it calls the Palestinian Authority's inaction in not removing the militants capacitycity to launch attacks. The problems, say Palestinian leaders, Israel's actions. The cease- fire at risk because of the continued Israeli attacks against militants.
(on camera): And as a fundamental strategic division, Israel's argument that the violence will only be proven to be contained if the Palestinian Authority tackles its militants head-on, vs. the Palestinian's argument that the only way for peace to go forward is for the militants to be talked out of violence, not battles. Unless this chasm can be bridged soon, there's a feeling on both sides, that the cease-fire and the road map to peace, could unravel altogether.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's pumping iron.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA: I was always dreaming about a very powerful (UNINTELLIGIBLE). (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and things like that.
BLITZER: A glimpse at Arnold Schwarzenegger's politics before he was running for governor.
Also, big, Bill Maher joins me live on what's happening in California right now.
And get this, Jack the snipper. A very bizarre fetish targets women and their clothes in a small college town. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Long before he began his quest to become governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Universe. His bodybuilding days were captured in the film "Pumping Iron," which could potentially raise some controversy for his campaign.
Here once again, CNN's Charles Feldman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some clues about Arnold Schwarzenegger the person might be found in "Pumping Iron," a documentary about body building that began shooting in 1975, when Schwarzenegger was 28 years old.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I was always dreaming about very powerful (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could be remembered for hundreds of years. Or, you know, when like Jesus (UNINTELLIGIBLE) thousands of years remembered.
FELDMAN: Schwarzenegger has had a recurring dream about becoming king of the earth, says the man who produced and directed "Pumping Iron." He attributes the dream to the actor's enormous ambition.
GEORGE BUTLER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR "PUMPING IRON": He really had a plan to become a millionaire as quickly as possible, to get to the very top of body building, to meet the Kennedys, to get to the White House. And nothing that's going on in California is even remotely surprising to any of us who have known Arnold for a long time.
FELDMAN: Perhaps other clues to Schwarzenegger's character may be found in his story about his father's death, which came while he was on his final training for a body building competition.
SCHWARZENEGGER: My mother called me on the phone and she said, you know, "Your dad died." And this was exactly two months before a contest. She said, "Can you come home to the funeral?" I said, "No, it's too late." You know, he said, there's nothing to be done. And "I'm sorry, I can't come, you know."
FELDMAN: But all (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when Schwarzenegger was 28 relevant to today? As you might expect, California Democratic Party campaign advisor, Bob Mulholland, says, yes.
BOB MULHOLLAND, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Absolutely not. If you're going to campaign as a celebrity, you have to be open to the fact that the press and the voters have a right to know what your views were 20 years ago or 30 years ago.
FELDMAN: We talked to Schwarzenegger's top campaign advisor about the comments made in the documentary.
GEORGE GORTON, SCHWARZENEGGER'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I don't think he meant anything other than the fact that he's interested in people who made a real difference in society. You know, he's interested in them as a matter of fascination. So I don't think there's any problem with that, no. FELDMAN: Although other politicians, such as Al Gore, have admitted experimenting with various drugs in their youth, Schwarzenegger may be the only one who did it in front of a camera. This scene comes at the end of the film.
Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Joining us to weigh in on the California recall election, Bill Maher, whose show "Realtime" is on HBO, our sister network. He's joining us now live from Los Angeles.
Bill, thanks for joining us. He clearly looked like he was inhaling in that shot, but what's your sense?
BILL MAHER, ENTERTAINER: I got my vote. I was against him until I saw that. I don't know that I've ever seen that documentary, but watching him do that, I've got to say, I'm in the camp now.
BLITZER: So you're a big Arnold Schwarzenegger fan.
MAHER: No, I'm a big fan of marijuana, and to watch him do that was just so much -- so gratifying to myself and everyone else in that movement. But, you know, watching the little clip that you had on before of him when he was a bodybuilder, I have to say, is anyone going to bring up the fact that it is impossible to get that body without drugs? I mean, we do have a drug war in this country and it's also a scandal whenever any sort of president has any health issue. It was a scandal when we found out recently that Jack Kennedy had all sorts of health problems going on that he didn't reveal. We also want to know what's going on with the president's health. I mean, that is steroids, my friend.
BLITZER: You know, Bill, You have to give Arnold Schwarzenegger a lot of credit. Here's a guy, he was a bodybuilder and made some money, but he parlayed that into not only a hugely successful entertainment career, an acting career, but hundreds of millions of dollars, he's had huge investments and he's been very, very impressive.
MAHER: Yes, that is improve -- impressive. But those are not credentials in view for being governor of this state. Yes, he was a bodybuilder and a successful action movie star. But I guess people in this state think he's going to walk into Sacramento and kick down Gray Davis' door and say, time to cut spending, and throw him through a plate glass window. But that's not really how government works. You know, it's easy to say, clean house in Sacramento.
I had Governor Davis on Friday. I was trying to get him to say, you know, tell us what that really means when someone gets up there and has to work with the bureaucrats. That's the case that needs to be made against Arnold Schwarzenegger.
BLITZER: But you know, Californians have a history of an actor becoming governor, as you well know. And a lot of people think he's got some of the natural instincts, the political instincts of Ronald Reagan.
MAHER: Yes. He's popular, and he speaks in platitudes and he was in the movies. But even Ronald Reagan put in the time politically, a lot more than Arnold Schwarzenegger has. After all, wasn't he head of the union? I think he had a political column that he wrote for quite a while. I mean, he took it a little more seriously before jumping in. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to have just seen an opportunity where he could become governor in two months without having the kind of scrutiny that you might go through in a more normal election.
BLITZER: We heard from his producer earlier in that report from Charles Feldman say he's not at all surprised, knowing Arnold Schwarzenegger, going back to his days as a bodybuilder, how ambitious he was moving into the Kennedy family, marrying Maria Shriver and perhaps keeping one eye out on politics throughout all of this. He can never be elected president, of course, because he wasn't born in the United States.
MAHER: Thank you. You know, I mean, people think we're crazy here, but at least we have that going for us. He can't be president. By the way, you know, speaking of people thinking we're crazy, have you noticed the 10-point plan that Gary Coleman has put out to reduce the budget deficit?
BLITZER: I missed that one.
MAHER: He wants to increase the taxes on alternative fuels. I'm joking, of course.
BLITZER: What about Gray Davis? You did have him on your show the other night, and a lot of people are writing him off. But he's come back from very far behind in the past.
MAHER: Yes, and he could do it again. You know, I wished that when I asked him if it was infuriating that so many amateurs were trying to take your job, Governor, I wished he had went, hell, yes! And I think if he had, he would have got up 10 points in the poll, but you know, I guess that's just not the way that guy is built.
BLITZER: One of the amazing things about California, one of the things that of course is generating a lot of publicity, all these characters that are running for governor, not only Gary Coleman, but Larry Flynt and strippers and porn artists. What is it with your state that generates this kind of activity?
MAHER: Well, we're crazy. My theory on California and the crazies is always that people in America, of course, my great West, I just saw a terrific western last night, the new Kevin Costner movie. And it's about that. You know, the West was always where it was open and you could go and be an individual.
And if you are crazy, you could always move west. So people on the East Coast moved to the Midwest. And if they were still unhappy and crazy, they moved a little farther west. And of course, when they got to California, you can't do it anymore. If you move more west, you drown. So the crazies kind of got here, and then they infiltrated our government and we have these kind of propositions and ballot initiatives and so forth.
And that's what Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to run into when he gets to Sacramento. He's going to find out that there's not much you can do to affect this budget, except get down to some real hard work, because I think 90 percent of this budget is already spoken for, through entitlements and mandated by propositions.
BLITZER: Bill Maher, we've got to leave it right there. You got a great show on HBO.
MAHER: Thank you.
BLITZER: I watch it all the time. "Real Time." By the way, for those of our viewers that don't have access to "The Hotline," they should get access and read the interview with Bill Maher in the last Friday's edition of "The Hotline." One of the funniest things, Bill, I've read in a long, long time. I learned a great deal about you, by the way.
MAHER: Well, thank you. I appreciate it. We've got to get you on here some time.
BLITZER: All right. That will happen.
MAHER: OK. That will happen.
BLITZER: Bill Maher, thanks very much. A very smart guy and a very funny guy as well.
Our hot Web question of the day is this: Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger most like as a politician? Is it Jesse Ventura? Ronald Reagan? Jerry Springer? None of the above? You can still vote. Go to my Web page, cnn.com/wolf. And we'll have the results of that. That's coming up, as well as a strange story of a person dubbed Jack the Snipper.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Police in Durham, New Hampshire, are investigating one of the strangest cases of serial predator we've ever heard of. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): University of New Hampshire student Laura Bichard (ph) demonstrates part of her routine before she goes to sleep in her off-campus apartment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel a little bit safer because I lock my doors every night.
TUCHMAN: In the relatively safe college town of Durham, New Hampshire, not all follow Laura Bichard's (ph) example. And some women who haven't locked their doors, including one in Laura's apartment building, have become victims of a strange perpetrator.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A person, a male, has entered apartments that have been unlocked, and there has been an attempt to disrobe the women that he's encountered.
TUCHMAN: Since late June, there have been at least eight victims in six different locations who have had their clothes removed or cut off while sleeping. Sometimes more than one woman has been in the room when the crime occurred.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In some cases they've woken up, and in some cases they haven't woken up. There doesn't appear to be a lot of pressure on him to move quickly.
TUCHMAN: Notices have been posted in the Durham community warning incoming students to take precautions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really scared me a lot, because you wouldn't think of anything like that happening around here. Usually, it's really safe. Like, I don't lock my door usually.
TUCHMAN: Police say nobody has been physically hurt, but they don't know what this suspect, who they describe as white, tall and thin, is capable of. So they warn people to be careful, and by all means to do what this student will now do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely going to keep my doors locked at night.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We leave you now with the results of our Web question of the day. Check out your TV screen. You see it right there. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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Chief of Staff Nabbed; How Does Schwarzenegger Compare to Reagan?>
