Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

New Questions Raised About U.N. Bombing in Baghdad; Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Worst; Will Alabama Chief Justice Remove Ten Commandments Monument?

Aired August 22, 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: Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the stump right now campaigning for votes in California. You're looking live at the picture. We're standing by to hear directly from him. We'll take you to Huntington Beach precisely when he starts speaking.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): An inside job, investigators raise new questions about the U.N. bombing in Baghdad.

Her colleagues were killed and her own family was planning a funeral when they got an amazing phone call.

VANESSA MANUEL-MAZZULLO, MARILYN MANUEL'S DAUGHTER: We just said we love you very much. We love you. Just get home.

BLITZER: Funeral and fury in Gaza, as Israelis and Palestinians brace for the worst.

Monumental standoff, Alabama officials call in the movers but the chief justice is unmoved.

CHIEF JUSTICE RAY MOORE, ALABAMA: And we will not be deterred.

BLITZER: Don't mess with a man's truck, when a thief got behind the wheel Bobby Murry jumped right on after him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know all I could hear was the wind in my ear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Friday, August 22, 2003. Hello from Washington I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Out of the rubble in Baghdad an extraordinary story of survival, we'll bring you one family's amazing story in just a moment but we begin in the Iraqi capital where investigators are exploring a new theory that the U.N. bombing may have been an inside job.

CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japanese diplomats come to place flowers at the bombed out headquarters of the United Nations in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to leave these flowers (unintelligible) the people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could bring it over there for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, OK, yeah.

WEDEMAN: With questions arising as to whether the bombers were somehow provided with critical intelligence by Iraqi staff linked to Saddam Hussein's intelligence services.

Under the old regime Iraqis working with foreign groups or organizations were compelled to report to Iraqi intelligence. According to Bernard Kerik, senior American adviser to the Iraqi interior ministry the focus now is on the Iraqi security guards who worked at the U.N. Headquarters. Several of them are now being questioned.

At Friday prayers, Shiite clerics, many critical of the U.S. presence in Iraq condemned the attack. In the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, Imam Abdel Hadid de-Raji (ph) accused what he called outside hands of involvement in the bombing.

At a solemn ceremony at Baghdad Airport a final farewell to Sergio de Mello, the senior U.N. official killed in Tuesday's bombing. His coffin was flown out onboard an Air Force jet dispatched to Baghdad from his native Brazil. Following the bombing, other international and non-governmental organizations are reviewing their presence here.

JOHN KILKENNY, CONCERN: We tend to try to keep a focus on our work. We don't take what we see as unnecessary risks. When we travel outside of Baghdad we do so in convoy and, to be perfectly honest, we face very, very little hostility in any of our dealings with the Iraqi people.

WEDEMAN: Security across the city is tighter but for now most organizations are staying put.

(on camera): The U.N. has scaled down its staff here but it too is staying put. U.N. officials say work will resume at the temporary headquarters as early as Saturday.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: There was obvious confusion Tuesday as rescuers and investigators sifted through the rubble of the U.N. compound building in Baghdad. For one family in New York, though, that confusion led to more than 24 hours of incredible emotional turmoil.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up. Back up.

BLITZER (voice-over): It didn't take long for the horrible news to filter from Baghdad to the families of those killed in the U.S. bombing. For the Manuel family, the news came too soon.

VLADIMIR MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S SON: I didn't want to feel anything at that point.

BLITZER: The news Marilyn Manuel, 54 years old, mother of four, an 18-year U.N. employee had been killed in the blast.

BENJAMIN MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S HUSBAND: I told them I don't believe this. I want to see the facts. I want to see her. I don't believe you. I don't believe. That's all I did say.

BLITZER: Her family began making funeral arrangements. Then, in the predawn hours yesterday, Manuel's family in New York gets a phone call from Iraq.

FREDERICK MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S SON: It was amazing. My sister and I had answered the phone and the voice was strong but the signal was weak and we couldn't hear. I said hello, hello, basically said Rick it's mom, and I'm like who? Mom? And, once I said that basically everyone came running out.

BLITZER: Marilyn Manuel was alive, injured but alive. It's not clear what led to the confusion. Manuel reportedly borrowed a cell phone from a nurse at a makeshift hospital to call her family back home not knowing they were grieving.

V. MANUEL-MAZZULLO: When we heard her voice it was very clear and we just wanted to tell her, make sure we told her we love you. I mean it was like a chance to say what you want to say even though we say it to each other all the time but now with more fervor and more meaning and we just said we love you very much. We love you. Just get home.

BLITZER: Manuel was an aide to the top U.N. envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, killed in Tuesday's bombing. As for Marilyn, the family says she'll be flown home soon.

V. MANUEL-MAZZULLO: We knew that my mom touched a lot of lives and she -- we're so proud of her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: President Bush meanwhile is on the road in the Pacific Northwest trying to juggle the crises in two Middle East hotspots. He wants other nations to lend a hand in Iraq.

Let's go live to our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's joining us now live from Burbank in Washington State. Suzanne, what's the latest?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush in no uncertain terms admitted to and even called for additional assistance for reconstruction efforts inside Iraq, the president earlier today saying that the administration needs and welcomes additional foreign troops inside of that country.

The president also confirmed that the administration is discussing another U.S. Security Council resolution to attract additional countries to offer troops as well as aid inside of Iraq and he even hinted what their role might be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those who hate freedom, you know, destroy the infrastructures that we've been improving. It's part of their strategy. So, we'll get more people guarding then. In the meantime -- and that will help free up our hunter teams.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now while the president did not say just what type of specific role these countries would play in terms of having more type of political power he did say they would play a vital role in the reconstruction efforts.

I should also let you know, Wolf, on the Middle East front a major development, President Bush punishing Hamas for its role in that deadly attack in Israel on Tuesday killing 20 people.

The president ordered the Treasury Department to freeze the assets of six top Hamas officials as well as five non-governmental organizations that he believes contributes financially to Hamas.

The president in a statement, in a written statement saying, and I am quoting here: "By claiming responsibility for the despicable act of terror on August 19, Hamas has reaffirmed that it is a terrorist organization committed to violence against Israelis and to undermining progress toward peace between Israel and the Palestinian people."

And, Wolf, what is significant of course is that this administration is signaling that it is no longer making the distinction between the political wing of Hamas and the military extremist wing of Hamas that this organization at the top level is responsible for those terrorist attacks -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And we'll have more coming up on what's happening in Gaza, in Israel. That's in just a moment or so. Thanks very much Suzanne Malveaux reporting from Washington State.

Here's your chance to weigh in on the Iraq story. Our web question of the day is this: "Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq"? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote though right now, cnn.com/wolf, and 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 read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

This note, we're standing by to hear from Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's about to be introduced at an event in Huntington Beach, California. Let's listen in to see what he's saying.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: And, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who has gone up and down the streets here with me visiting different shops, inventors, to talk to them about the burden that they go through every day running businesses here in California.

And, we are talking here to people on the streets and the sidewalks up and down really just to let them know to stay here in California, not to move their businesses out of here. We want to help them. Wait for October 7. We are going to turn around this mess that has been created in the last five years.

I am an immigrant. I'm an immigrant. I came from Austria 35 years ago and I came over here because this state and this country was always know to everyone as the place to come where dreams can come true. It was always known as the Golden State, the greatest state of the greatest country.

And, I've seen firsthand how you can come here, work hard, and then make it here. All my dreams became a reality because of California, because of America. This is the land of opportunities. I want to make sure that it stays this way because what we have seen in the last few years is unacceptable what has happened to this state.

Businesses are moving out. Jobs are moving out. Unemployment rate is rising. Last month alone 22,000 Californians have lost their jobs. We have to stop that. We have to stop this government from over spending, over taxing, and over regulating. We have to stop them because all they know is spend, spend, spend.

We have to teach them how to only spend the money that you have. We have to put discipline in there. So, I am asking all of you for your help. I promise when I got to Sacramento I will turn this mess around.

The economy is one of my first priorities to turn businesses around here again and to make the California economy once again the job creating engine that it once was. We want to make sure to bring the jobs back and to make every Californian work. That is the idea.

The other thing I want to do is I would like to let you know that we will take care of education. No money will be cut on education because the children of this state are the most important thing. This is the future of this state so we have to take care of their education. We have to build more schools, hire more teachers. This is the future. It's our children.

And, the most important thing is we want to create again a friendly environment and let the world know that this is the Golden State and bring everyone back here to this great state.

So, I want to thank you very much. Keep on. On October 7, I need all of your votes. Vote yes for the recall.

BLITZER: All right, so there he is, Arnold Schwarzenegger, his brief little stump speech asking people to vote yes for the recall of Governor Gray Davis and vote for him on the second ballot. You see him standing there with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, the conservative Republican from California.

Joining me now from San Francisco to talk a little bit more about this extraordinary recall election, Phil Bronstein, he's the executive vice president and editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle."

Phil thanks very much for joining us. One day we see him with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a very conservative Republican. The other day we saw him with Warren Buffett who is actually a Democrat, George Schultz a moderate Republican, the former secretary of treasury and the former secretary of state.

What do you make of the Schwarzenegger campaign right now?

PHIL BRONSTEIN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": Well, I think, Wolf, that he's in a position where he's starting to have to come down, you know, turn down the fire hose of celebrity publicity and become more of a traditional politician so you see some meet and greet. You see him standing around with politicians.

Certainly, he's alienated a little bit the right wing of the Republican Party, although I'm not sure those are the folks he needs to win. On the other hand, he I think is probably going to have to expand his base a little bit because he's bringing in all these people who haven't traditionally voted, people who don't necessarily get their news from my newspaper or from your TV station.

But he's got to get them to vote and he has to start acting more like a traditional politician to kind of get that traditional vote because it really is becoming a bit of a horse race here between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cruz Bustamante.

BLITZER: Well, all the polls Phil show it's very close between these two. Let's get back first of all to the recall. Is it a foregone conclusion that Gray Davis is going to be kicked out?

BRONSTEIN: Well, you know, Wolf there was another poll out today, just today, that shows that he's not doing quite as badly but he came out with his big punch, his speech the other night. People were thinking that really this might be the beginning of a Gray David comeback because he's certainly been known as a guy who you should never count out and it just didn't seem to go over very well. So, right now what's happening as far as we know is the Democratic Party in California is trying to cut a deal between Bustamante and Davis so that they come out as a team, so that they come out as a united front, Democratic front, saying vote no on the recall but vote for Cruz Bustamante. In other words, Davis may actually be endorsing a Bustamante vote.

BLITZER: Well, that's clearly what the congressional Democratic delegation has done, although the senior Senator Dianne Feinstein is saying she's going to vote against the recall. She's not going to vote at all on the second part of the ballot. How is that going -- coming across?

BRONSTEIN: Well, pretty messed up. I mean the state Democratic Party, the Democratic Party nationally relative to this recall has not been able to get their act together. That's quite clear. People are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this even just in the Democratic Party, one of the reasons the Democratic Party is in trouble.

But, again, if they can cut a deal for Cruz Bustamante it's great. It's a win-win because if he appears to save the party and somehow Davis doesn't get recalled he was the hero and three years from now he's going to be the hero.

He's going to be the guy everybody wants to vote for and, if Davis is recalled, then Bustamante saved the party and so everybody wants to vote for him. So, Bustamante finds himself in a good position. Davis, I think, is still in a pretty precarious position.

BLITZER: And if it comes down to a horse race between Cruz Bustamante and Arnold Schwarzenegger, given the fact there's one serious Democrat running, Bustamante, but there are several Republicans, Bill Simon, Tom McClintock, in addition to Schwarzenegger, isn't there fear among Republicans they'll split up their vote whereas the Democrats might be united?

BRONSTEIN: Absolutely. I mean that's also going on in the Republican Party. They are trying to get the other candidates to drop out so there will only be one Republican candidate.

I think ultimately, you know, again, one of the phenomenons happening here in this recall is that Arnold Schwarzenegger by virtue of celebrity or whatever else he may have is bringing in voters who don't normally vote, and that's a big wildcard and probably going to help him quite a bit.

BLITZER: Phil Bronstein in San Francisco thanks very much for joining us.

BRONSTEIN: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Phil's the editor, of course, of the "San Francisco Chronicle."

When we come back Ten Commandments on the move in Alabama, you're looking now live. You will be in a second. There it is a live picture of the monument, the monument ordered out of the courthouse in Montgomery while protesters make a stand. Will this supreme battle get ugly? There's the live picture for our viewers.

Also wanted for questioning; West Virginia police on the hunt for a copycat sniper.

And, how far would you go to keep your truck from getting stolen? The story of one man who hung on for dear life in a wild ride, you will want to see this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Is this the face of a serial sniper? Coming up how this sketch might help investigators in West Virginia. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There are new twists and turns in the battle over a Ten Commandments monument in Alabama. Lawyers seeking to remove it say they're convinced it will be gone by next week but its supporters continue to be defiant.

For the latest let's turn to CNN's David Mattingly. He's joining us now live from Montgomery, Alabama. David, what is the latest?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, some good news today for the state of Alabama, those dreaded federal fines of $5,000 a day that state officials were worried about are on hold right now.

The plaintiffs in this case, the people who want that monument removed from this public building say that they're satisfied so far with the progress the state is making in actually taking that monument out of public view as was ordered by the Federal Court.

Now, if the state does not do this they've agreed to meet again in a week and if the monument is not out of here then the plaintiffs say they could revisit that idea of seeking contempt charges which would bring on those fines, again, of $5,000 a day.

In the meantime, Chief Justice Roy Moore, the man who put the monument here in this building in the first place, has petitioned the Supreme Court. He is hoping that the court will hear arguments on this issue, the issue of whether or not this monument truly violates the separation of church and state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOORE: If the rule of law was what a judge says we'd still have slavery. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence would be a meaningless document. We have got to realize that what judges say when they violate the law is not law. It's lawless and in this case the law is clear.

In the Constitution, it says our justice system is established upon God. It's about God. It's not about a monument or a stone or a rock or the Ten Commandments. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: And, the dozens of people that linger outside the judicial building here are supportive of Justice Moore. They are hoping that the high court will agree to hear those arguments and overrule the federal district court on this ruling.

We've seen about a couple of dozen people throughout the day. The size of the crowd changed within the hour and some of the latest additions to the site out here a couple of tablets with the Ten Commandment and a man holding a cross right in the middle of the courthouse door here.

Also, throughout the day we've seen some spontaneous acts of demonstration, some people not happy with the judges' ruling and expressing themselves in ways that they choose to. Also today quite a few times we have seen prayer meetings being held, people praying, this obviously striking very deep into the heart of many people here in the Bible belt -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: David Mattingly, thanks very much in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hundreds of leads have poured in but investigators in West Virginia are asking for more help in solving three sniper-style shootings. Ballistics tests have linked them to the same rifle. Police also want to identify the man depicted in a composite sketch.

CNN Investigative Correspondent, Art Harris reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI says the man they are looking for in this sketch is the driver of the dark pickup witnesses saw speeding away from the scene of the latest West Virginia sniper murder.

KENNETH MCCABE, FBI: The sketch of that individual is of the individual that was inside that dark colored or maroon truck that was spotted at the Go Mart on Route 60. We have witnesses that saw him in that truck.

HARRIS: The victim was a young father standing outside the Go Mart convenience store paying for milk through a nighttime security window. Police say a woman using a pay phone at the opposite end of the building saw the dark truck lingering on the lot for a full 20 minutes before the killing.

She heard the shot and turned to see the truck racing away. There are surveillance cameras at the gas pumps but he truck apparently stayed outside their range. Today, the FBI issues an appeal to other customers at the store that night.

MCCABE: Based upon our review of the store video and other investigation, we know that a number of people have yet to be identified or have not come forward to talk to us. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Back there today a similar truck was spotted, this time with federal agents inside using it to aim laser beams at the spot where the last victim was standing. Investigators say they're trying to figure out exactly where the shooter was standing when he took that shot -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Art Harris all over the story for us, Art thanks very much for the solid work.

A funeral in Gaza, revenge is vowed for the death of a Hamas leader. But in Israeli and the Palestinian territory both sides are bracing for more violence. We'll take you there just ahead.

Also, a car dealership attacked and torched, find out who's taking responsibility and why the FBI says it may be, may be domestic terrorism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In Gaza today there was a funeral and there was fury as tens of thousands of Palestinians marched behind the body of a senior Hamas leader killed in an Israeli missile attack.

CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Gaza City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hot narrow streets of Gaza City packed with Palestinians of all factions and many thousands of ordinary civilians, the air ringing with the promise of vengeance.

The killing of Ismail Abu Shanab has angered an entire population. It was a four hour procession from the morgue where Abu Shanab's charred body had been kept overnight to his home, his body draped in a Hamas flag and then on to a central mosque in Gaza City there the crowd so large the faithful had to pray in the street.

Many chose to parade their militancy instead. These Hamas members' robes signal they are ready to give their lives for their cause. These members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade masked and armed, Hamas militants marching with the SAM rockets.

Abu Shanab died Thursday when his car was hit by several Israeli missiles fired from Apache helicopters. He and his two bodyguards burned and disfigured, 12 bystanders wounded. Palestinians say Abu Shanab was a moderate voice in the Hamas organization, a surprising target to them.

Israel says he was no politician, instead involved in organizing terror attacks like the bus bombing in West Jerusalem that killed 20 Israelis and ultimately led to his own death, Hamas officials venting at Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are calling the Palestinian Authority to stop any negotiation and anything with the enemy of our people.

HOLMES: The slogans as expected, "the road map is finished. Only martyrdom operations remain," blared the loud speakers. "Revenge, revenge" they say later.

(on camera): This is in many ways more than just a funeral, these people more than mourners. This is also very much a show of support for Hamas, a big one, and a show of strength, defiance even, by Hamas.

(voice-over): The cease-fire over the entire region awaits the next step with trepidation. Few expect it to be a step along the road map, the mood in Gaza this day not one for compromise. With the body of Abu Shanab, say Hamas leaders, peace hopes too have been buried.

Michael Holmes CNN, Gaza City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And so this is an incredibly dangerous moment right now for all concerned. Vows of revenge for the Gaza missile strike have Israel bracing for the worst. Fears of more suicide attacks, like Tuesday's bus bombing in Jerusalem, have police on high alert in all Israeli cities.

In Gaza today, troops set up roadblocks essentially dividing the Gaza Strip after Palestinians fired rockets and mortars into nearby Israeli settlements and into Israel itself. Israeli troops also went on the offensive firing on three Palestinian fugitives in the West Bank town of Nablus and killing a man suspected of involvement in an earlier terror attack.

Going it alone in Iraq. Should the U.S. ask for help? I'll ask Senator Chuck Hagel.

Also -- ecoterrorism in Los Angeles? Find out who's taking responsibility for attacking this car dealership.

And wild ride. See how far one man went to save his truck from a thief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Oh, what a ride. Look at this. Look at the man on the door. It's an amazing picture. Why is this man hanging on for dear life? We'll tell you.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world. Here now is Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Should the U.S. appeal for international help in Iraq? I'll ask Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

First, though, the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Two key members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee have put out a help wanted ad -- looking for other nations to share the security burden in Iraq. It came in the form of a letter to President Bush.

Earlier I spoke with the Republican senator, Chuck Hagel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Hagel, thanks very much for joining us.

A powerful letter you wrote to the president with your Democratic colleague, Senator Biden. Let me read one line from it.

"It is worth enhancing the role of the United Nations because it will allow us to share the huge risk and expense of securing, policing and reconstructing Iraq, tasks that will take tens of thousands of troops and tens of billions of dollars over many years."

The devil, though, is in the details. How far should the Bush administration go in relinquishing some of its authority in order to bring in other forces to cooperate, to help in this post-war era?

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: The answer to that, Wolf, is what Secretary Powell and the British foreign minister, Jack Straw, and Kofi Annan are doing right now. They are trying to frame a new U.N. resolution, which I think we need. Some of us have been pushing for that resolution for a long time to get the U.N. more actively engaged economically, politically.

But there are things that the U.N. cannot do. The U.N. cannot, nor do they want to control Iraq. They can't take military command of the troops in Iraq. That should still be maintained by the United States. But there are a vast number of things in many areas that the U.N. could be engaged in now which would then bring other nations in both with their dollars, with their troops, with their involvement and put an imprimatur on our efforts there, not just as an American occupying effort, but a world effort.

BLITZER: Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary-general, says the U.N.members, they're ready to play a greater role, they want to have more responsibilities, but they want to be involved in the decision- making process and not simply defer to the United States. What's wrong with his line of thinking?

HAGEL: Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that line of thinking. And that is where we are trying to drive our resolution, with language acceptable to all of our friends and our partners and the United Nations. BLITZER: But it would give up some of the control that Ambassador Bremer, for example, has right now in attempting to reconstruct Iraq, if he has to share responsibility with other members of the U.N.

HAGEL: Well, I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that. I don't think the United States wants to be in a position -- and I think when you look at what's happened over in Iraq the last 30 days, an increase in military incidents and violence and more deaths and more injuries and more wounded, with a hundred and -- now -- what? -- 145, 000 American troops in there, an area the size of California.

We can't maintain that burden alone. There is no way the United States can sustain the number of troops that we're going to need and the financial commitment that it's going to require to secure Iraq and stabilize it.

BLITZER: So why does Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration -- are they resisting what you clearly want together with Senator Biden and so many others?

HAGEL: Well, there's a bit of schizophrenia there as far as I'm concerned. On one hand my understanding of what Secretary Rumsfeld is saying, we are want more help. We want the French and the Germans and the Pakistanis and the Indians and others -- and the Turks -- but we don't want to put any more of our troops in. But we do need more help, we need more troops. So there's an acknowledgement on one hand in the administration that in fact we do need more help.

Well, in fact, if we do need more help, then we're going to have to find a formula that works so that these nations don't just put troops and money in and say to America, OK, you're in charge, you do whatever you want. There's a political dynamic here.

BLITZER: Bottom line, how much is it going to cost and how long are U.S. troops going to be stuck there?

HAGEL: Well, we keep asking the administration for that answer, and the administration has not given us an answer. Jerry Bremer said the other day $100 billion. The study out a few days ago said 300 to $400 billion over five years, over three years, four years. Senator Lugar has said, Senator Biden has said, I agree with, that we're probably there five years. Maybe that's four years.

But the fact is we know it's going to require hundreds of thousands of troops. It's going to require hundreds of billions of dollars. We know that.

BLITZER: It's a sobering thought. Senator Hagel, thanks very much.

HAGEL: Wolf, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: And of course, we'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this -- "Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq?" Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results, of course, later in this broadcast.

The attorney general, John Ashcroft, was heckled today in his speech to police officers in Detroit. The heckler accused Ashcroft of lying to the American people and called the attorney general a terrorist. The speech was one of a series of appearances Ashcroft is making defending the controversial Patriot Act, which gave the government broad new powers to fight terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In a separate interview with CNN, Ashcroft said U.S. citizens are still coping with the threat of terrorism on their soil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We know that there is a continuing threat and that it's an evolving threat and that we ought to be sensitive to doing what's necessary to protect the lives and liberty of Americans. And if we need to ask the Congress to act again, I'm confident that the Congress will.

The Congress acted in a 5-1 majority in the house. 98-1 majority in the Senate for Patriot. They did so after six weeks of intense scrutiny and debate. They acted wisely. It's been a success. It's been a substantial part of our ability to protect America. And I'm confident they would act again in similar circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The attorney general speaks at length about the Patriot Act tomorrow on the "CAPTITOL GANG." You can see it 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific of course only here on CNN.

Kobe Bryant's arrest warrant ordered unsealed. What the decision might mean for the defense and the prosecution.

Plus -- he tried to catch a thief but instead got a terrifying ride. You'll want to see this. First, though, a look at other news making headlines around the world.

(NEWS BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Kobe Bryant case have a little more than a week to appeal the judge's decision to unseal some court documents, including the arrest warrant. Joining me here in Washington to talk about it, Pam Bethel. She's a criminal defense attorney. And from the CNN center in Atlanta, Mitch Mitchelson. He's a former assistant U.S. attorney. Thanks very much for joining us.

Pam, what do you make of this decision, this partial unsealing by the judge?

PAM BETHEL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think he's doing that in an attempt to appear to be fair and make sure to assure that Kobe has the best and the fairest trial possible. Look, it's going to be a lot of information out there once that warrant is out there. It's going to be all of the untested allegations leading up and providing the government's evidence as to why they believe Kobe's guilty.

BLITZER: Well, we're not going it get all that information. We'll only get some of the information. Mitch, there's already speculation we may only get information that all of us know already. The judge clearly anxious not to taint the jury pool in Colorado, at least in Eagle County, Colorado.

But would you have to assume that that jury pool already has been tainted?

MITCH MITCHELSON, FRM. ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY: Well, there's no question that there's been tremendous publicity here. But the information contained in these affidavits is going to go beyond the coverage this case has gotten to date.

The affidavits will include double and triple hearsay statements from witnesses, police officers, interviews of other people that may never be admitted at trial. And law or preliminary forensics examination will be the subject of expert testimony and vigorous cross-examination by both sides of this case.

So the judge has really left to the trial court, who will hear the appeal in ten days, the decision about how much to release because that trial judge is ultimately going to have to live with that decision when picking the jury.

BLITZER: Pam, if you were representing Kobe Bryant, defending him, would you appeal this decision by the judge?

BETHEL: Yes, I think I would. In this kind of case I definitely would. Look, these are unfounded -- well, these allegations leading up to the arrest and what they put in the warrant are just the government's assertions. They're the government's position. You let this out, and all that information is in the pool and it's impossible -- in the minds of the jurors, and the defense doesn't have a time to counter. Not until they get to trial which is two or three months down the road. This is clearly not a good move for the defense.

BLITZER: Is it a potential, Mitch, for a retrial if there's a decision against Kobe Bryant, for example and the judge holds firm and they go ahead and release this information in advance? Is that enough for the defense if they lose to ask for a retrial?

MITCHELSON: Well, pretrial publicity is a difficult ground to get a new trial on unless it's really egregious, Wolf. But I think you raise an excellent point. The state really had no choice but to oppose the release of this information. In everything that the prosecutors in this case do, and you should give them credit for trying to make sure the defendant gets a fair trial here. Anything they do in this case is going to be second-guessed.

So if they had argued for the release of this information, they're going to be accused of trying to stack the deck. So this is, I think, a pretty predictable posture for the state.

BLITZER: Has the D.A., the prosecutor in this case, Mark Hurlbert, Pam, acted responsibly based on what you've seen so far?

BETHEL: Well, I thought some of the statements that they made early on were not responsible. As coming out of -- as a criminal defense lawyer. But in a whole, I think they've acted fairly responsibly.

This is a high-profile case. And everybody acts differently when everything's on camera and everything's being second-guessed. So I don't want to be too awfully critical of them.

BLITZER: The judge also decided that there will be reporters at that preliminary hearing on October 9, Mitch, but no live television cameras inside. The news media, of course, wanted that. Is the judge on the right course on that issue?

MITCHELSON: Well, you've got a very small community. I think you're talking about a population, the permanent population's around 50,000 people. The judge is clearly trying to make sure that this environment remains within the control of the parties and the court. And by limiting the cameras it increases the likelihood that you're going to be able to find an appropriate jury pool.

BLITZER: Pam, do you suspect that after this preliminary hearing, assuming it goes to trial, that the defense attorneys will seek a change of venue away from Eagle, perhaps to Denver, where the community is a little bit more diversified?

BETHEL: I'm not certain. There are two schools of thought about that. One, yes, the community in Denver will be more racially diverse. But on the other hand, if the case were to go to Denver, it goes to Denver with that sort of legacy. I might stay there and fight it in a town where the victim is and make use of any and all information about that victim to try to seek acquittal of my client.

BLITZER: Mitch, I'll give you the last word. What do you say?

MITCHELSON: Well, I think that the judge is going to do his best to try to hold the case where it is. If I were the state, I'd want this case tried in the county where the offense was committed.

BLITZER: All right. Mitch Mitchelson, and Pam Bethel, thanks to both of you for joining us.

BETHEL: Thank you.

BLITZER: It was the ride of a lifetime. A truck driver clinging to a stolen vehicle as it races down a Houston highway. Hear his story, in his own words. That's coming up right after this quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It was the ride of a lifetime, and one Texas truck driver doesn't ever want to do it again. He was filling up at a Houston gas station when he saw a thief stealing his truck. The driver jumped on the side platform and his terrifying adventure began.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOBBY MURRY, TRUCK DRIVER: All I could hear was the wind in my -- my ear, and my eyes were running water and my throat was dry, and I was angry and scared.

BLITZER (voice-over): Bobby Murry got much more than he bargained for when he tried to stop a thief from stealing his truck. Racing down Houston roads and highways at speeds up to 70 miles an hour, Murry started preparing for the worst.

MURRY: I was praying to the Lord to forgive me all my sins because I don't know what's going to happen on this trip.

BLITZER: Murry says he tried to break the window with his cell phone, hoping to stop the driver. That didn't work. And neither did reason.

MURRY: He started talking crazy, things out his head, I don't know what he was saying. But he kept asking me was the police behind him, and I kept telling him, yeah, they're behind you, they're not going to stop. They're not going to stop. So it was terrifying.

BLITZER: And about to get even more so, as the thief comes up to traffic and rams into a pickup truck. He careens off the road and comes to a stop, giving Murry a chance to escape. The chase continues, coming to a violent end a few minutes later as the truck moves to a crowded intersection and rams one vehicle, then another, and finally is wedged in.

Police move in and make their arrest. And Murry is left to explain why he just didn't jump off.

MURRY: By the time he got it fired up, I couldn't get off. We were going too fast. So it was just a ride I just had to take.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's not recommended you do this if it ever happens to you. Stay away from that kind of a situation. Police, by the way, say at least six vehicles were damaged in the chase and some of the people inside suffered minor injuries. Thank God everything turned out OK, relatively speaking.

Our hot Web question of the day is this -- should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq? Go ahead and vote right now. Cnn.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Now here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq? Look at this, 94 percent of you say yes, 6 percent say no. As always, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to your e-mail. This from Martin. "The controversial Alabama monument depicting the Ten Commandments is not so much a religious symbol as it is a display of universal moral ethics, strongly needed in this country."

Paulina writes: "Judge Moore is just another demagogue and Bible merchant. If he really is in tune with his religion, then he should know his God is omnipresent. He does not need a monument to remind him of that. The courthouse is not a house of worship. It is a secular building that belongs to the state."

And Jane: "Don't expect God to continue to bless a country that finds his Ten Commandments offensive."

A reminder. We're on twice a day always Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, noon Eastern as well. This Sunday I'll see you on "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Among my guests, the Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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





Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Worst; Will Alabama Chief Justice Remove Ten Commandments Monument?>


Aired August 22, 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: Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the stump right now campaigning for votes in California. You're looking live at the picture. We're standing by to hear directly from him. We'll take you to Huntington Beach precisely when he starts speaking.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): An inside job, investigators raise new questions about the U.N. bombing in Baghdad.

Her colleagues were killed and her own family was planning a funeral when they got an amazing phone call.

VANESSA MANUEL-MAZZULLO, MARILYN MANUEL'S DAUGHTER: We just said we love you very much. We love you. Just get home.

BLITZER: Funeral and fury in Gaza, as Israelis and Palestinians brace for the worst.

Monumental standoff, Alabama officials call in the movers but the chief justice is unmoved.

CHIEF JUSTICE RAY MOORE, ALABAMA: And we will not be deterred.

BLITZER: Don't mess with a man's truck, when a thief got behind the wheel Bobby Murry jumped right on after him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know all I could hear was the wind in my ear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Friday, August 22, 2003. Hello from Washington I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Out of the rubble in Baghdad an extraordinary story of survival, we'll bring you one family's amazing story in just a moment but we begin in the Iraqi capital where investigators are exploring a new theory that the U.N. bombing may have been an inside job.

CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japanese diplomats come to place flowers at the bombed out headquarters of the United Nations in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to leave these flowers (unintelligible) the people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could bring it over there for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, OK, yeah.

WEDEMAN: With questions arising as to whether the bombers were somehow provided with critical intelligence by Iraqi staff linked to Saddam Hussein's intelligence services.

Under the old regime Iraqis working with foreign groups or organizations were compelled to report to Iraqi intelligence. According to Bernard Kerik, senior American adviser to the Iraqi interior ministry the focus now is on the Iraqi security guards who worked at the U.N. Headquarters. Several of them are now being questioned.

At Friday prayers, Shiite clerics, many critical of the U.S. presence in Iraq condemned the attack. In the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, Imam Abdel Hadid de-Raji (ph) accused what he called outside hands of involvement in the bombing.

At a solemn ceremony at Baghdad Airport a final farewell to Sergio de Mello, the senior U.N. official killed in Tuesday's bombing. His coffin was flown out onboard an Air Force jet dispatched to Baghdad from his native Brazil. Following the bombing, other international and non-governmental organizations are reviewing their presence here.

JOHN KILKENNY, CONCERN: We tend to try to keep a focus on our work. We don't take what we see as unnecessary risks. When we travel outside of Baghdad we do so in convoy and, to be perfectly honest, we face very, very little hostility in any of our dealings with the Iraqi people.

WEDEMAN: Security across the city is tighter but for now most organizations are staying put.

(on camera): The U.N. has scaled down its staff here but it too is staying put. U.N. officials say work will resume at the temporary headquarters as early as Saturday.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: There was obvious confusion Tuesday as rescuers and investigators sifted through the rubble of the U.N. compound building in Baghdad. For one family in New York, though, that confusion led to more than 24 hours of incredible emotional turmoil.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up. Back up.

BLITZER (voice-over): It didn't take long for the horrible news to filter from Baghdad to the families of those killed in the U.S. bombing. For the Manuel family, the news came too soon.

VLADIMIR MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S SON: I didn't want to feel anything at that point.

BLITZER: The news Marilyn Manuel, 54 years old, mother of four, an 18-year U.N. employee had been killed in the blast.

BENJAMIN MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S HUSBAND: I told them I don't believe this. I want to see the facts. I want to see her. I don't believe you. I don't believe. That's all I did say.

BLITZER: Her family began making funeral arrangements. Then, in the predawn hours yesterday, Manuel's family in New York gets a phone call from Iraq.

FREDERICK MANUEL, MARILYN MANUEL'S SON: It was amazing. My sister and I had answered the phone and the voice was strong but the signal was weak and we couldn't hear. I said hello, hello, basically said Rick it's mom, and I'm like who? Mom? And, once I said that basically everyone came running out.

BLITZER: Marilyn Manuel was alive, injured but alive. It's not clear what led to the confusion. Manuel reportedly borrowed a cell phone from a nurse at a makeshift hospital to call her family back home not knowing they were grieving.

V. MANUEL-MAZZULLO: When we heard her voice it was very clear and we just wanted to tell her, make sure we told her we love you. I mean it was like a chance to say what you want to say even though we say it to each other all the time but now with more fervor and more meaning and we just said we love you very much. We love you. Just get home.

BLITZER: Manuel was an aide to the top U.N. envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, killed in Tuesday's bombing. As for Marilyn, the family says she'll be flown home soon.

V. MANUEL-MAZZULLO: We knew that my mom touched a lot of lives and she -- we're so proud of her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: President Bush meanwhile is on the road in the Pacific Northwest trying to juggle the crises in two Middle East hotspots. He wants other nations to lend a hand in Iraq.

Let's go live to our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's joining us now live from Burbank in Washington State. Suzanne, what's the latest?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush in no uncertain terms admitted to and even called for additional assistance for reconstruction efforts inside Iraq, the president earlier today saying that the administration needs and welcomes additional foreign troops inside of that country.

The president also confirmed that the administration is discussing another U.S. Security Council resolution to attract additional countries to offer troops as well as aid inside of Iraq and he even hinted what their role might be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those who hate freedom, you know, destroy the infrastructures that we've been improving. It's part of their strategy. So, we'll get more people guarding then. In the meantime -- and that will help free up our hunter teams.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now while the president did not say just what type of specific role these countries would play in terms of having more type of political power he did say they would play a vital role in the reconstruction efforts.

I should also let you know, Wolf, on the Middle East front a major development, President Bush punishing Hamas for its role in that deadly attack in Israel on Tuesday killing 20 people.

The president ordered the Treasury Department to freeze the assets of six top Hamas officials as well as five non-governmental organizations that he believes contributes financially to Hamas.

The president in a statement, in a written statement saying, and I am quoting here: "By claiming responsibility for the despicable act of terror on August 19, Hamas has reaffirmed that it is a terrorist organization committed to violence against Israelis and to undermining progress toward peace between Israel and the Palestinian people."

And, Wolf, what is significant of course is that this administration is signaling that it is no longer making the distinction between the political wing of Hamas and the military extremist wing of Hamas that this organization at the top level is responsible for those terrorist attacks -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And we'll have more coming up on what's happening in Gaza, in Israel. That's in just a moment or so. Thanks very much Suzanne Malveaux reporting from Washington State.

Here's your chance to weigh in on the Iraq story. Our web question of the day is this: "Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq"? We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

You can vote though right now, cnn.com/wolf, and 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 read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

This note, we're standing by to hear from Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's about to be introduced at an event in Huntington Beach, California. Let's listen in to see what he's saying.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: And, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who has gone up and down the streets here with me visiting different shops, inventors, to talk to them about the burden that they go through every day running businesses here in California.

And, we are talking here to people on the streets and the sidewalks up and down really just to let them know to stay here in California, not to move their businesses out of here. We want to help them. Wait for October 7. We are going to turn around this mess that has been created in the last five years.

I am an immigrant. I'm an immigrant. I came from Austria 35 years ago and I came over here because this state and this country was always know to everyone as the place to come where dreams can come true. It was always known as the Golden State, the greatest state of the greatest country.

And, I've seen firsthand how you can come here, work hard, and then make it here. All my dreams became a reality because of California, because of America. This is the land of opportunities. I want to make sure that it stays this way because what we have seen in the last few years is unacceptable what has happened to this state.

Businesses are moving out. Jobs are moving out. Unemployment rate is rising. Last month alone 22,000 Californians have lost their jobs. We have to stop that. We have to stop this government from over spending, over taxing, and over regulating. We have to stop them because all they know is spend, spend, spend.

We have to teach them how to only spend the money that you have. We have to put discipline in there. So, I am asking all of you for your help. I promise when I got to Sacramento I will turn this mess around.

The economy is one of my first priorities to turn businesses around here again and to make the California economy once again the job creating engine that it once was. We want to make sure to bring the jobs back and to make every Californian work. That is the idea.

The other thing I want to do is I would like to let you know that we will take care of education. No money will be cut on education because the children of this state are the most important thing. This is the future of this state so we have to take care of their education. We have to build more schools, hire more teachers. This is the future. It's our children.

And, the most important thing is we want to create again a friendly environment and let the world know that this is the Golden State and bring everyone back here to this great state.

So, I want to thank you very much. Keep on. On October 7, I need all of your votes. Vote yes for the recall.

BLITZER: All right, so there he is, Arnold Schwarzenegger, his brief little stump speech asking people to vote yes for the recall of Governor Gray Davis and vote for him on the second ballot. You see him standing there with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, the conservative Republican from California.

Joining me now from San Francisco to talk a little bit more about this extraordinary recall election, Phil Bronstein, he's the executive vice president and editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle."

Phil thanks very much for joining us. One day we see him with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a very conservative Republican. The other day we saw him with Warren Buffett who is actually a Democrat, George Schultz a moderate Republican, the former secretary of treasury and the former secretary of state.

What do you make of the Schwarzenegger campaign right now?

PHIL BRONSTEIN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": Well, I think, Wolf, that he's in a position where he's starting to have to come down, you know, turn down the fire hose of celebrity publicity and become more of a traditional politician so you see some meet and greet. You see him standing around with politicians.

Certainly, he's alienated a little bit the right wing of the Republican Party, although I'm not sure those are the folks he needs to win. On the other hand, he I think is probably going to have to expand his base a little bit because he's bringing in all these people who haven't traditionally voted, people who don't necessarily get their news from my newspaper or from your TV station.

But he's got to get them to vote and he has to start acting more like a traditional politician to kind of get that traditional vote because it really is becoming a bit of a horse race here between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cruz Bustamante.

BLITZER: Well, all the polls Phil show it's very close between these two. Let's get back first of all to the recall. Is it a foregone conclusion that Gray Davis is going to be kicked out?

BRONSTEIN: Well, you know, Wolf there was another poll out today, just today, that shows that he's not doing quite as badly but he came out with his big punch, his speech the other night. People were thinking that really this might be the beginning of a Gray David comeback because he's certainly been known as a guy who you should never count out and it just didn't seem to go over very well. So, right now what's happening as far as we know is the Democratic Party in California is trying to cut a deal between Bustamante and Davis so that they come out as a team, so that they come out as a united front, Democratic front, saying vote no on the recall but vote for Cruz Bustamante. In other words, Davis may actually be endorsing a Bustamante vote.

BLITZER: Well, that's clearly what the congressional Democratic delegation has done, although the senior Senator Dianne Feinstein is saying she's going to vote against the recall. She's not going to vote at all on the second part of the ballot. How is that going -- coming across?

BRONSTEIN: Well, pretty messed up. I mean the state Democratic Party, the Democratic Party nationally relative to this recall has not been able to get their act together. That's quite clear. People are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this even just in the Democratic Party, one of the reasons the Democratic Party is in trouble.

But, again, if they can cut a deal for Cruz Bustamante it's great. It's a win-win because if he appears to save the party and somehow Davis doesn't get recalled he was the hero and three years from now he's going to be the hero.

He's going to be the guy everybody wants to vote for and, if Davis is recalled, then Bustamante saved the party and so everybody wants to vote for him. So, Bustamante finds himself in a good position. Davis, I think, is still in a pretty precarious position.

BLITZER: And if it comes down to a horse race between Cruz Bustamante and Arnold Schwarzenegger, given the fact there's one serious Democrat running, Bustamante, but there are several Republicans, Bill Simon, Tom McClintock, in addition to Schwarzenegger, isn't there fear among Republicans they'll split up their vote whereas the Democrats might be united?

BRONSTEIN: Absolutely. I mean that's also going on in the Republican Party. They are trying to get the other candidates to drop out so there will only be one Republican candidate.

I think ultimately, you know, again, one of the phenomenons happening here in this recall is that Arnold Schwarzenegger by virtue of celebrity or whatever else he may have is bringing in voters who don't normally vote, and that's a big wildcard and probably going to help him quite a bit.

BLITZER: Phil Bronstein in San Francisco thanks very much for joining us.

BRONSTEIN: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Phil's the editor, of course, of the "San Francisco Chronicle."

When we come back Ten Commandments on the move in Alabama, you're looking now live. You will be in a second. There it is a live picture of the monument, the monument ordered out of the courthouse in Montgomery while protesters make a stand. Will this supreme battle get ugly? There's the live picture for our viewers.

Also wanted for questioning; West Virginia police on the hunt for a copycat sniper.

And, how far would you go to keep your truck from getting stolen? The story of one man who hung on for dear life in a wild ride, you will want to see this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Is this the face of a serial sniper? Coming up how this sketch might help investigators in West Virginia. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There are new twists and turns in the battle over a Ten Commandments monument in Alabama. Lawyers seeking to remove it say they're convinced it will be gone by next week but its supporters continue to be defiant.

For the latest let's turn to CNN's David Mattingly. He's joining us now live from Montgomery, Alabama. David, what is the latest?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, some good news today for the state of Alabama, those dreaded federal fines of $5,000 a day that state officials were worried about are on hold right now.

The plaintiffs in this case, the people who want that monument removed from this public building say that they're satisfied so far with the progress the state is making in actually taking that monument out of public view as was ordered by the Federal Court.

Now, if the state does not do this they've agreed to meet again in a week and if the monument is not out of here then the plaintiffs say they could revisit that idea of seeking contempt charges which would bring on those fines, again, of $5,000 a day.

In the meantime, Chief Justice Roy Moore, the man who put the monument here in this building in the first place, has petitioned the Supreme Court. He is hoping that the court will hear arguments on this issue, the issue of whether or not this monument truly violates the separation of church and state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOORE: If the rule of law was what a judge says we'd still have slavery. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence would be a meaningless document. We have got to realize that what judges say when they violate the law is not law. It's lawless and in this case the law is clear.

In the Constitution, it says our justice system is established upon God. It's about God. It's not about a monument or a stone or a rock or the Ten Commandments. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: And, the dozens of people that linger outside the judicial building here are supportive of Justice Moore. They are hoping that the high court will agree to hear those arguments and overrule the federal district court on this ruling.

We've seen about a couple of dozen people throughout the day. The size of the crowd changed within the hour and some of the latest additions to the site out here a couple of tablets with the Ten Commandment and a man holding a cross right in the middle of the courthouse door here.

Also, throughout the day we've seen some spontaneous acts of demonstration, some people not happy with the judges' ruling and expressing themselves in ways that they choose to. Also today quite a few times we have seen prayer meetings being held, people praying, this obviously striking very deep into the heart of many people here in the Bible belt -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: David Mattingly, thanks very much in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hundreds of leads have poured in but investigators in West Virginia are asking for more help in solving three sniper-style shootings. Ballistics tests have linked them to the same rifle. Police also want to identify the man depicted in a composite sketch.

CNN Investigative Correspondent, Art Harris reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI says the man they are looking for in this sketch is the driver of the dark pickup witnesses saw speeding away from the scene of the latest West Virginia sniper murder.

KENNETH MCCABE, FBI: The sketch of that individual is of the individual that was inside that dark colored or maroon truck that was spotted at the Go Mart on Route 60. We have witnesses that saw him in that truck.

HARRIS: The victim was a young father standing outside the Go Mart convenience store paying for milk through a nighttime security window. Police say a woman using a pay phone at the opposite end of the building saw the dark truck lingering on the lot for a full 20 minutes before the killing.

She heard the shot and turned to see the truck racing away. There are surveillance cameras at the gas pumps but he truck apparently stayed outside their range. Today, the FBI issues an appeal to other customers at the store that night.

MCCABE: Based upon our review of the store video and other investigation, we know that a number of people have yet to be identified or have not come forward to talk to us. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Back there today a similar truck was spotted, this time with federal agents inside using it to aim laser beams at the spot where the last victim was standing. Investigators say they're trying to figure out exactly where the shooter was standing when he took that shot -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Art Harris all over the story for us, Art thanks very much for the solid work.

A funeral in Gaza, revenge is vowed for the death of a Hamas leader. But in Israeli and the Palestinian territory both sides are bracing for more violence. We'll take you there just ahead.

Also, a car dealership attacked and torched, find out who's taking responsibility and why the FBI says it may be, may be domestic terrorism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In Gaza today there was a funeral and there was fury as tens of thousands of Palestinians marched behind the body of a senior Hamas leader killed in an Israeli missile attack.

CNN's Michael Holmes reports from Gaza City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hot narrow streets of Gaza City packed with Palestinians of all factions and many thousands of ordinary civilians, the air ringing with the promise of vengeance.

The killing of Ismail Abu Shanab has angered an entire population. It was a four hour procession from the morgue where Abu Shanab's charred body had been kept overnight to his home, his body draped in a Hamas flag and then on to a central mosque in Gaza City there the crowd so large the faithful had to pray in the street.

Many chose to parade their militancy instead. These Hamas members' robes signal they are ready to give their lives for their cause. These members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade masked and armed, Hamas militants marching with the SAM rockets.

Abu Shanab died Thursday when his car was hit by several Israeli missiles fired from Apache helicopters. He and his two bodyguards burned and disfigured, 12 bystanders wounded. Palestinians say Abu Shanab was a moderate voice in the Hamas organization, a surprising target to them.

Israel says he was no politician, instead involved in organizing terror attacks like the bus bombing in West Jerusalem that killed 20 Israelis and ultimately led to his own death, Hamas officials venting at Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are calling the Palestinian Authority to stop any negotiation and anything with the enemy of our people.

HOLMES: The slogans as expected, "the road map is finished. Only martyrdom operations remain," blared the loud speakers. "Revenge, revenge" they say later.

(on camera): This is in many ways more than just a funeral, these people more than mourners. This is also very much a show of support for Hamas, a big one, and a show of strength, defiance even, by Hamas.

(voice-over): The cease-fire over the entire region awaits the next step with trepidation. Few expect it to be a step along the road map, the mood in Gaza this day not one for compromise. With the body of Abu Shanab, say Hamas leaders, peace hopes too have been buried.

Michael Holmes CNN, Gaza City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And so this is an incredibly dangerous moment right now for all concerned. Vows of revenge for the Gaza missile strike have Israel bracing for the worst. Fears of more suicide attacks, like Tuesday's bus bombing in Jerusalem, have police on high alert in all Israeli cities.

In Gaza today, troops set up roadblocks essentially dividing the Gaza Strip after Palestinians fired rockets and mortars into nearby Israeli settlements and into Israel itself. Israeli troops also went on the offensive firing on three Palestinian fugitives in the West Bank town of Nablus and killing a man suspected of involvement in an earlier terror attack.

Going it alone in Iraq. Should the U.S. ask for help? I'll ask Senator Chuck Hagel.

Also -- ecoterrorism in Los Angeles? Find out who's taking responsibility for attacking this car dealership.

And wild ride. See how far one man went to save his truck from a thief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Oh, what a ride. Look at this. Look at the man on the door. It's an amazing picture. Why is this man hanging on for dear life? We'll tell you.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world. Here now is Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Should the U.S. appeal for international help in Iraq? I'll ask Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

First, though, the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Two key members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee have put out a help wanted ad -- looking for other nations to share the security burden in Iraq. It came in the form of a letter to President Bush.

Earlier I spoke with the Republican senator, Chuck Hagel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Hagel, thanks very much for joining us.

A powerful letter you wrote to the president with your Democratic colleague, Senator Biden. Let me read one line from it.

"It is worth enhancing the role of the United Nations because it will allow us to share the huge risk and expense of securing, policing and reconstructing Iraq, tasks that will take tens of thousands of troops and tens of billions of dollars over many years."

The devil, though, is in the details. How far should the Bush administration go in relinquishing some of its authority in order to bring in other forces to cooperate, to help in this post-war era?

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: The answer to that, Wolf, is what Secretary Powell and the British foreign minister, Jack Straw, and Kofi Annan are doing right now. They are trying to frame a new U.N. resolution, which I think we need. Some of us have been pushing for that resolution for a long time to get the U.N. more actively engaged economically, politically.

But there are things that the U.N. cannot do. The U.N. cannot, nor do they want to control Iraq. They can't take military command of the troops in Iraq. That should still be maintained by the United States. But there are a vast number of things in many areas that the U.N. could be engaged in now which would then bring other nations in both with their dollars, with their troops, with their involvement and put an imprimatur on our efforts there, not just as an American occupying effort, but a world effort.

BLITZER: Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary-general, says the U.N.members, they're ready to play a greater role, they want to have more responsibilities, but they want to be involved in the decision- making process and not simply defer to the United States. What's wrong with his line of thinking?

HAGEL: Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that line of thinking. And that is where we are trying to drive our resolution, with language acceptable to all of our friends and our partners and the United Nations. BLITZER: But it would give up some of the control that Ambassador Bremer, for example, has right now in attempting to reconstruct Iraq, if he has to share responsibility with other members of the U.N.

HAGEL: Well, I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that. I don't think the United States wants to be in a position -- and I think when you look at what's happened over in Iraq the last 30 days, an increase in military incidents and violence and more deaths and more injuries and more wounded, with a hundred and -- now -- what? -- 145, 000 American troops in there, an area the size of California.

We can't maintain that burden alone. There is no way the United States can sustain the number of troops that we're going to need and the financial commitment that it's going to require to secure Iraq and stabilize it.

BLITZER: So why does Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration -- are they resisting what you clearly want together with Senator Biden and so many others?

HAGEL: Well, there's a bit of schizophrenia there as far as I'm concerned. On one hand my understanding of what Secretary Rumsfeld is saying, we are want more help. We want the French and the Germans and the Pakistanis and the Indians and others -- and the Turks -- but we don't want to put any more of our troops in. But we do need more help, we need more troops. So there's an acknowledgement on one hand in the administration that in fact we do need more help.

Well, in fact, if we do need more help, then we're going to have to find a formula that works so that these nations don't just put troops and money in and say to America, OK, you're in charge, you do whatever you want. There's a political dynamic here.

BLITZER: Bottom line, how much is it going to cost and how long are U.S. troops going to be stuck there?

HAGEL: Well, we keep asking the administration for that answer, and the administration has not given us an answer. Jerry Bremer said the other day $100 billion. The study out a few days ago said 300 to $400 billion over five years, over three years, four years. Senator Lugar has said, Senator Biden has said, I agree with, that we're probably there five years. Maybe that's four years.

But the fact is we know it's going to require hundreds of thousands of troops. It's going to require hundreds of billions of dollars. We know that.

BLITZER: It's a sobering thought. Senator Hagel, thanks very much.

HAGEL: Wolf, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: And of course, we'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this -- "Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq?" Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results, of course, later in this broadcast.

The attorney general, John Ashcroft, was heckled today in his speech to police officers in Detroit. The heckler accused Ashcroft of lying to the American people and called the attorney general a terrorist. The speech was one of a series of appearances Ashcroft is making defending the controversial Patriot Act, which gave the government broad new powers to fight terrorism in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In a separate interview with CNN, Ashcroft said U.S. citizens are still coping with the threat of terrorism on their soil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We know that there is a continuing threat and that it's an evolving threat and that we ought to be sensitive to doing what's necessary to protect the lives and liberty of Americans. And if we need to ask the Congress to act again, I'm confident that the Congress will.

The Congress acted in a 5-1 majority in the house. 98-1 majority in the Senate for Patriot. They did so after six weeks of intense scrutiny and debate. They acted wisely. It's been a success. It's been a substantial part of our ability to protect America. And I'm confident they would act again in similar circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The attorney general speaks at length about the Patriot Act tomorrow on the "CAPTITOL GANG." You can see it 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific of course only here on CNN.

Kobe Bryant's arrest warrant ordered unsealed. What the decision might mean for the defense and the prosecution.

Plus -- he tried to catch a thief but instead got a terrifying ride. You'll want to see this. First, though, a look at other news making headlines around the world.

(NEWS BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the Kobe Bryant case have a little more than a week to appeal the judge's decision to unseal some court documents, including the arrest warrant. Joining me here in Washington to talk about it, Pam Bethel. She's a criminal defense attorney. And from the CNN center in Atlanta, Mitch Mitchelson. He's a former assistant U.S. attorney. Thanks very much for joining us.

Pam, what do you make of this decision, this partial unsealing by the judge?

PAM BETHEL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think he's doing that in an attempt to appear to be fair and make sure to assure that Kobe has the best and the fairest trial possible. Look, it's going to be a lot of information out there once that warrant is out there. It's going to be all of the untested allegations leading up and providing the government's evidence as to why they believe Kobe's guilty.

BLITZER: Well, we're not going it get all that information. We'll only get some of the information. Mitch, there's already speculation we may only get information that all of us know already. The judge clearly anxious not to taint the jury pool in Colorado, at least in Eagle County, Colorado.

But would you have to assume that that jury pool already has been tainted?

MITCH MITCHELSON, FRM. ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY: Well, there's no question that there's been tremendous publicity here. But the information contained in these affidavits is going to go beyond the coverage this case has gotten to date.

The affidavits will include double and triple hearsay statements from witnesses, police officers, interviews of other people that may never be admitted at trial. And law or preliminary forensics examination will be the subject of expert testimony and vigorous cross-examination by both sides of this case.

So the judge has really left to the trial court, who will hear the appeal in ten days, the decision about how much to release because that trial judge is ultimately going to have to live with that decision when picking the jury.

BLITZER: Pam, if you were representing Kobe Bryant, defending him, would you appeal this decision by the judge?

BETHEL: Yes, I think I would. In this kind of case I definitely would. Look, these are unfounded -- well, these allegations leading up to the arrest and what they put in the warrant are just the government's assertions. They're the government's position. You let this out, and all that information is in the pool and it's impossible -- in the minds of the jurors, and the defense doesn't have a time to counter. Not until they get to trial which is two or three months down the road. This is clearly not a good move for the defense.

BLITZER: Is it a potential, Mitch, for a retrial if there's a decision against Kobe Bryant, for example and the judge holds firm and they go ahead and release this information in advance? Is that enough for the defense if they lose to ask for a retrial?

MITCHELSON: Well, pretrial publicity is a difficult ground to get a new trial on unless it's really egregious, Wolf. But I think you raise an excellent point. The state really had no choice but to oppose the release of this information. In everything that the prosecutors in this case do, and you should give them credit for trying to make sure the defendant gets a fair trial here. Anything they do in this case is going to be second-guessed.

So if they had argued for the release of this information, they're going to be accused of trying to stack the deck. So this is, I think, a pretty predictable posture for the state.

BLITZER: Has the D.A., the prosecutor in this case, Mark Hurlbert, Pam, acted responsibly based on what you've seen so far?

BETHEL: Well, I thought some of the statements that they made early on were not responsible. As coming out of -- as a criminal defense lawyer. But in a whole, I think they've acted fairly responsibly.

This is a high-profile case. And everybody acts differently when everything's on camera and everything's being second-guessed. So I don't want to be too awfully critical of them.

BLITZER: The judge also decided that there will be reporters at that preliminary hearing on October 9, Mitch, but no live television cameras inside. The news media, of course, wanted that. Is the judge on the right course on that issue?

MITCHELSON: Well, you've got a very small community. I think you're talking about a population, the permanent population's around 50,000 people. The judge is clearly trying to make sure that this environment remains within the control of the parties and the court. And by limiting the cameras it increases the likelihood that you're going to be able to find an appropriate jury pool.

BLITZER: Pam, do you suspect that after this preliminary hearing, assuming it goes to trial, that the defense attorneys will seek a change of venue away from Eagle, perhaps to Denver, where the community is a little bit more diversified?

BETHEL: I'm not certain. There are two schools of thought about that. One, yes, the community in Denver will be more racially diverse. But on the other hand, if the case were to go to Denver, it goes to Denver with that sort of legacy. I might stay there and fight it in a town where the victim is and make use of any and all information about that victim to try to seek acquittal of my client.

BLITZER: Mitch, I'll give you the last word. What do you say?

MITCHELSON: Well, I think that the judge is going to do his best to try to hold the case where it is. If I were the state, I'd want this case tried in the county where the offense was committed.

BLITZER: All right. Mitch Mitchelson, and Pam Bethel, thanks to both of you for joining us.

BETHEL: Thank you.

BLITZER: It was the ride of a lifetime. A truck driver clinging to a stolen vehicle as it races down a Houston highway. Hear his story, in his own words. That's coming up right after this quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It was the ride of a lifetime, and one Texas truck driver doesn't ever want to do it again. He was filling up at a Houston gas station when he saw a thief stealing his truck. The driver jumped on the side platform and his terrifying adventure began.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOBBY MURRY, TRUCK DRIVER: All I could hear was the wind in my -- my ear, and my eyes were running water and my throat was dry, and I was angry and scared.

BLITZER (voice-over): Bobby Murry got much more than he bargained for when he tried to stop a thief from stealing his truck. Racing down Houston roads and highways at speeds up to 70 miles an hour, Murry started preparing for the worst.

MURRY: I was praying to the Lord to forgive me all my sins because I don't know what's going to happen on this trip.

BLITZER: Murry says he tried to break the window with his cell phone, hoping to stop the driver. That didn't work. And neither did reason.

MURRY: He started talking crazy, things out his head, I don't know what he was saying. But he kept asking me was the police behind him, and I kept telling him, yeah, they're behind you, they're not going to stop. They're not going to stop. So it was terrifying.

BLITZER: And about to get even more so, as the thief comes up to traffic and rams into a pickup truck. He careens off the road and comes to a stop, giving Murry a chance to escape. The chase continues, coming to a violent end a few minutes later as the truck moves to a crowded intersection and rams one vehicle, then another, and finally is wedged in.

Police move in and make their arrest. And Murry is left to explain why he just didn't jump off.

MURRY: By the time he got it fired up, I couldn't get off. We were going too fast. So it was just a ride I just had to take.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's not recommended you do this if it ever happens to you. Stay away from that kind of a situation. Police, by the way, say at least six vehicles were damaged in the chase and some of the people inside suffered minor injuries. Thank God everything turned out OK, relatively speaking.

Our hot Web question of the day is this -- should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq? Go ahead and vote right now. Cnn.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Now here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Should the U.S. ask for international peacekeepers to help secure Iraq? Look at this, 94 percent of you say yes, 6 percent say no. As always, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's get to your e-mail. This from Martin. "The controversial Alabama monument depicting the Ten Commandments is not so much a religious symbol as it is a display of universal moral ethics, strongly needed in this country."

Paulina writes: "Judge Moore is just another demagogue and Bible merchant. If he really is in tune with his religion, then he should know his God is omnipresent. He does not need a monument to remind him of that. The courthouse is not a house of worship. It is a secular building that belongs to the state."

And Jane: "Don't expect God to continue to bless a country that finds his Ten Commandments offensive."

A reminder. We're on twice a day always Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, noon Eastern as well. This Sunday I'll see you on "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Among my guests, the Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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





Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Worst; Will Alabama Chief Justice Remove Ten Commandments Monument?>