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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Mortar rounds fired at 4th ID Headquarters in Tikrit

Aired September 04, 2003 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday, the Bush administration announced it was going back to the U.N. with a help wanted sign. Today, France and Germany came back with their response.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Firefight, all hell breaks loose in the heart of Saddam Hussein's hometown.

As Donald Rumsfeld arrives for a firsthand view, others take a dim view of U.S. post-war plans.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: If they have suggestions we'd be more than happy to listen to their suggestions.

BLITZER: Al Qaeda in America, the FBI measures the threat today.

Seven days in September, as America was attacked they grabbed their cameras to record a week the country will never forget.

Rocking football on the national mall and lots of advertisements, is the NFL taking over a public space?

(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 Thursday, September 04, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Even as the Bush administration draws up post-war plans another sign today the war is far from over in Iraq. U.S. troops fought a fierce battle with guerillas overnight in Tikrit. After a mortar barrage, a U.S. patrol was ambushed then called in armored vehicles and helicopters to help.

Seeking a firsthand look at the situation, the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got an extraordinary one from the skies over Baghdad. The bombs used in the attack on the U.N. compound in Baghdad and in last week's attack in Najaf are, and I'm quoting now, almost identical, this from U.S. officials who say a forensic exam shows both bombings used military grade munitions, an ambush and a counterattack. We begin with that ferocious firefight in the middle of Saddam Hussein's hometown. CNN's Jason Bellini is in Tikrit. He's joining us now live via videophone. Jason, tell us what happened.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via videophone): Well, Wolf, last night just before we went on the air with you we heard some loud bangs and we mentioned that to you and we found out later what exactly happened. Those loud bangs were actually what kicked off what officials describe as a miss and run attack taking mortar rounds at the 4th ID Headquarters.

The mortars missed but a patrol in the area responded to the point of origin and when they did they found themselves in an intense firefight involving small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

A brush fire started in the middle of this and that slowed the U.S. forces as they approached their attackers. Once they got there the people they were going after were no longer there but they did find a large cache of weapons they said but unfortunately the attackers got away -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Bellini in the middle of a dangerous, dangerous situation. Jason, as we said to you last night, be careful over there in Tikrit.

Saying he wants to get a firsthand sense of how things are going, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is paying a visit to Iraq and a nation still very much in turmoil as we just saw.

CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqis have a lot on their minds these days, rising ethnic and sectarian tensions, rampant crime, terrorism, economic disorder for an unexpected visitor an awful lot to contemplate.

(on camera): Secretary Rumsfeld comes to a country that has been shaken by four massive car bombings and the assassination of a senior Shiite cleric. All the while attacks against U.S. forces show no sign of stopping.

(voice-over): It all looks much more placid from the air. Before touching down, Secretary Rumsfeld took a turn over the city. The view from below is a bit different security still a major headache for most Baghdadis.

"The Americans haven't given us what we wanted" says this Shiite activist. "They promised us security. Where is it," Rumsfeld's prescription, more Iraqi responsibility for security on the ground, including more Iraqi police, border guards and a reconstituted Iraqi army.

Slowly that force is emerging. To the sound of bagpipes, a group of Iraqi policemen marks completion of a three week training program aimed at raising their awareness about human rights. More than 50,000 Iraqis are already involved in security duties but many more will be needed to stabilize the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That was Ben Wedeman reporting from Baghdad. Thanks Ben very much.

That horrific bombing which killed at least 83 people at a religious shrine in Najaf last week can apparently be linked to an earlier attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

Let's go live to our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. She's been investigating -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, that's exactly what officials are looking at the similarities. Now, the bomb that went off at the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad and the bomb that went off at the mosque in al-Najaf appear to be quite similar, one official telling CNN the forensics show that they are almost identical according to the initial analysis.

According to intelligence reports now, both of these very large bombs were essentially made up of numbers of military munitions strung together, essentially mortars, artillery shells, grenades and bombs all somehow detonated together in large bombs.

There was one key difference. The U.N. attack appears to be the work of a suicide bomber while the attack at the mosque in al-Najaf appears to have been a bomb that was remotely detonated.

An FBI official said today that they are seeing in their channels some chemical similarities to the earlier bomb that went off at the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad several weeks ago.

So, what's the bottom line here, Wolf? What does it say about who's behind all of these attacks? That remains the open question. Is it foreigners? Is it Iraqis? Officials say both groups might have the expertise to pull off these kind of attacks and they are very mindful that former members of Saddam Hussein's regime would have known how to do this -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Barbara thanks very much.

Finding itself with more trouble than it bargained for in Iraq, the Bush administration wants to bring in other countries to help with both security and reconstruction with a U.N. stamp of approval.

CNN's Jim Bitterman has the reaction of two key European nations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The French president and German chancellor chewed over Washington's proposal at lunch during their summit in Dresden, Germany, and found it difficult to digest.

PRES. JACQUES CHIRAC, FRANCE (through translator): It does appear to be really rather far from the main objective which is that of transferring political responsibility to an Iraqi government as soon as possible.

GERHARD SCHROEDER, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I would agree with the president. He says it's not dynamic enough that it doesn't go far enough and it doesn't make sense to talk about the details at this stage.

BITTERMAN: Both leaders opposed the U.S. war in Iraq and seem again in agreement on post-war reconstruction saying the United Nations has to be in charge of the political transition in Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell insists that's not on the table and that Washington should retain political and military control but under the draft resolution the U.S. would periodically report to the U.N. Security Council.

POWELL: I think the resolution is drafted in a way that deals with the concerns that leaders such as President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder have raised in the past and if they have suggestions we'd be more than happy to listen to their suggestions.

BITTERMAN (on camera): While there seemed good intent on both sides to avoid another bruising transatlantic collision over Iraq, one fundamental has not changed since before the war. France and other countries will resist U.S. domination of world affairs if it's not through the United Nations.

Jim Bitterman, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day is this. "Do you agree or disagree with France and Germany on Iraq?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now, cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there I'd like 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.

The al Qaeda presence in the United States coming up a live report on what the latest FBI intelligence shows about agents of the terror group in the U.S.

Also, new information about the bank robbery bomb that killed one man.

And later, Al Franken joins me live. We'll be talking about the strange world of California politics. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: What he wore killed him. Coming up, authorities expand their investigation beyond the bomb. Why a second piece of evidence is intriguing investigators in Erie, Pennsylvania.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Checking some stories now in our justice file. In Illinois, the man driving a car that plunged into a lake killing three children has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs. The accident happened Tuesday.

Authorities have found a cane-shaped gun in the car of the pizza delivery man killed by a bomb attached to his neck after he robbed a bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. The incident happened last week.

The prosecutor in the case of a man accused of trying to smuggle a missile into the United States for a terrorist attack says the defendant confessed after the arrest. Attorneys for Hemant Lakhani did not respond to the claim, which was made during a court hearing.

Just days before the second anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, the FBI says al Qaeda agents are operating in the United States. Our Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is covering this development. She's joining me now live -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the FBI says that al Qaeda does maintain a presence in the United States and that it is the most serious threat to Americans.

Now, the bureau's head of counterterrorism says that individuals who are here in the United States are not thought to be planning attacks but instead are involved in support roles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY MEFFORD, FBI: Overwhelmingly, it's our view that the majority of these individuals are involved in support activities, perhaps fundraising or recruiting, things like that, not planning an attack. However, we're very tuned into that issue because certainly somebody could transition rapidly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: The FBI says that it has these individuals under surveillance and is tracking any criminal or immigration violations so that agents can detain them quickly if there's any evidence that they're participating or going to participate in an attack.

Government sources have told CNN that as many as 300 individuals are currently under such surveillance and, as the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, FBI officials say that the investigation into the attacks remains open and that to date there is absolutely no evidence that anyone in the United States knowingly assisted the 19 hijackers in their plot.

Now, officials do say that there were people who may have unwittingly offered help. These are people who remain in the United States. For example, they may have helped the hijackers with apartment hunting but there's no evidence that anyone who helped them knew of their plan -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kelli Arena, with that useful information.

And, in a related development the Department of Homeland Security is warning both state and local authorities that al Qaeda, and I'm quoting here specifically, "may try to contaminate water and food with diseases and toxins."

The advisory says there's no specific information on individual targets or dates that would warrant raising the nation's threat alert level from the current yellow or elevated level to orange, which of course is higher. We'll continue to monitor all of these developments.

The strange world of California politics and author Al Franken, just ahead the California Recall and how the candidates stack up. We'll have a live interview with Al Franken.

Also, what survivors of the Pentagon terror attack are doing to make a permanent memorial to those who died.

And, seven days in September, a look at the new documentary that captures the horrors after the attack. You'll want to see this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Five of the top candidates in California's Recall election faced off in their first debate last night, taking part Arianna Huffington, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, the Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, State Senator Tom McClintock, and the former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth.

Arnold Schwarzenegger did not take part and says he's only doing -- he's only going to do one debate. Before the debate, the Governor Gray Davis made a separate appeal to voters to reject the recall.

And, in just a few hours, Democratic presidential hopefuls will hold their first of six major debates sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. Tonight's match highlights the growing influence of Hispanic voters.

It's being held at the University of New Mexico in a state with a large Latino population. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hosting the debate, which will be shown live with translation on a Spanish language network.

Joining me now with his unique perspective on politics and more Al Franken. His book as all of us by now know "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" is number one on the "New York Times" best seller's list.

AL FRANKEN, SATIRIST, AUTHOR: Hey, fair and balanced. BLITZER: We didn't get into that, and the subject of a recent lawsuit by the FOX News Channel. We're not going to discuss all that. You've discussed that adnaseum.

FRANKEN: I've discussed that ad infinitum but that is part of the title of the book. I actually won.

BLITZER: We're here to talk about politics.

FRANKEN: OK, thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that.

BLITZER: You spent some time up on Capitol Hill today. Let's talk about California politics first of all.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: Are you allowed, do you go ahead and endorse candidates? Are you going to vote for somebody out there because you live in California right?

FRANKEN: No, I live in New York.

BLITZER: So, forget about it then. Then we don't even care.

FRANKEN: You know, I'm a comedian, I'm a satirist and people think it's a bad idea for comedians to endorse specific politicians and I know that only too well. Years ago the first fundraiser I ever did for a politician was for (unintelligible) and...

BLITZER: Bad mistake, bad mistake, was not a good call.

FRANKEN: A few years later I saw "The Killing Fields" and I felt like a schmuck.

BLITZER: All right, so you shouldn't do that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: All right but you really want Cruz Bustamante to win if Gray Davis is going to go down or do you think Gray Davis should stay?

FRANKEN: Well, first of all if Arianna is within striking range right before the election, I love Arianna, but yes I'm a Democrat so I would want Cruz.

BLITZER: Because Arianna could be the Ralph Nader of California. She could hurt Cruz Bustamante if Gray Davis is recalled. She could take away votes from the Democrats.

FRANKEN: Absolutely, in which case I would urge people not to vote for my friend if the day before, and Arianna hates polls and stuff like that but I want a Democrat there.

BLITZER: Was it a mistake in your opinion for Arnold Schwarzenegger to skip that debate last night? I don't know if you watched it. Did you have a chance to see it? FRANKEN: I did not see it. It depends how bad he would be in the debate. If he just knows how bad he'd be...

BLITZER: I don't know if you've ever met Arnold Schwarzenegger, have you ever met him?

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: He's an impressive guy.

FRANKEN: He's -- yes but I've never talked to him about budget policy.

BLITZER: What did you talk to him about?

FRANKEN: I think I talked to him about what he was going to do on the show when we were at "Saturday Night Live." He had a little walk on thing. I think I talked to him about that and he was very impressive.

BLITZER: Very charming, very nice, and Maria Shriver his wife...

FRANKEN: Lovely.

BLITZER: The last two presidential conventions up on the -- covering the presidential podium up there at the convention.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: She was there for NBC News. She's very nice, very smart.

FRANKEN: Yes, yes, and he's -- I'm not a big fan of the guy. If I were a Republican I think I'd probably be for Peter Ueberroth because he's a guy who has handled money and sort of is a manager and I think that's part of what California needs at this point but I'm not a Republican.

BLITZER: Let's talk presidential politics.

FRANKEN: Yes, sure.

BLITZER: Do you have a candidate you like?

FRANKEN: I like four of five of the Democrats, sure.

BLITZER: Well, which one do you like the most?

FRANKEN: I'm not going to say. Remember the first politician I ever did a fundraiser for was (unintelligible).

BLITZER: It didn't work.

FRANKEN: No, no, no. It's I like a number of them and I want to see who sort of emerges. I think I'm doing a fundraiser -- I am doing a fundraiser for Dean but I will do -- I called John Kerry the other day. I want to do a fundraiser for him.

BLITZER: So you really get involved in politics. You don't only talk about it but you actually politically get involved.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: And raise money and organize and things like that.

FRANKEN: Yes, I do that kind of thing. I met with Democratic Senators today for their caucus luncheon.

BLITZER: How did that go?

FRANKEN: Terrible -- no, it was great. It was a lot of fun and Joe Conus (ph) and I talked to them and it went really well. I talked to Ted Kennedy about getting parity for mental health which is the Wellstone bill, what the progress is on that and that's a very important thing. Yesterday I was on a conference call to Wellstone Action, which is the group that's continuing on the work of Paul Wellstone.

BLITZER: Right, I know you were close with him.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: That was a sad story when he died.

FRANKEN: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Al Franken you got a number one best seller. You didn't think that was going to happen.

FRANKEN: I actually thought it would happen.

BLITZER: Really?

FRANKEN: But not this fast. This became number one. It will debut as number one this Sunday. I was helped by some...

BLITZER: We heard about that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: We heard about that. We'll get into it another time. We're out of time. I know you have to get to Virginia. You got a lot of traffic to deal with here in Washington.

FRANKEN: I have a book signing at, is it Bailey's Corners?

BLITZER: We got to go.

FRANKEN: Well, I don't -- see I think Tyson's...

BLITZER: Corner.

FRANKEN: Corner, Bailey is crossing. BLITZER: Crossing. Al Franken, congratulations.

FRANKEN: Congratulations on your daughter's getting a job.

BLITZER: Thank you, we'll talk. That's big news. Al Franken thanks very much.

The air quality questions at Ground Zero, coming up a call for a congressional investigation.

Also, seven days in September, the videos made in the days following the attack, these are pictures you have not seen and you won't see until now. I'll talk with the director of a new documentary showing the horrors of that week.

And later, Liberia is one of the most dangerous places on earth to report from. CNN's Jeff Koinange on what it was like being in the center of a civil war. He'll join me live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Soccer stampede, what sent the crowds out of the stands?

And, if you could see through this artifact, what would you discover?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

Coming up increasing calls for an investigation involving the air in New York City after 9/11, is new criticism of the White House from key Democratic Senators justified? We'll get to that.

First, the latest headlines, a rainy weather system is bearing down on Florida and expects it to become Tropical Storm Henri in the matter of hours. The latest warning out just this hour says the system could drop ten to 15 inches of rain or more as it passes over north Florida. Sustained winds right now are near 35 miles an hour.

Investigators in Huntsville, Alabama are trying to figure out why a television tower collapsed this afternoon killing two people and critically injuring one. The men were working on strengthening the 985-foot tower when it gave way. They were attached to the structure and had no way to escape.

President Bush's nominee to the Federal Appeals Court in Washington, D.C. is withdrawing his name. Partisan wrangling including a Democratic filibuster held up the nomination of Miguel Estrada for more than two years. He says the time has come to get on with his life.

A lawsuit by two New York teenagers blaming McDonald's for their obesity has been thrown out. It alleged the chain used false advertising and that its food is damaging to consumers' health. The judge said the plaintiffs failed to prove their case and forbid them from re-filing it.

In the days immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, the Environmental Protection Agency assured residents air quality in Lower Manhattan was safe. But was it? Several senators, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, today called for a hearing on reports that the White House pressured the EPA to issue unfounded, misguided statements.

CNN's Jason Carroll is in New York. He's joining us now live with details -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, as you say, several Democratic senators are calling for those hearing on whether the White House influenced the Environmental Protection Agency's air quality reports following September 11. The senators, as you mention, includes presidential hopefuls Joe Lieberman and Bob Graham as well as New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Independent Senator Jim Jeffords. They are referring to a report, a 155-page report from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General, which monitors the agency.

It found the EPA did not have enough data to declare the air outside Ground Zero safe in the days following 9/11, and it says the White House put pressure on EPA officials to soften what they wrote in press releases regarding the air quality. The report says -- quote -- "The White House council on the environmental quality influenced the information EPA communicated to the public when it convinced EPA to add reassuring phrases and delete cautionary ones."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I don't think there's any doubt that the White House directed the EPA to omit more cautionary language, really alter the tone of the press statement so that the general impression left was that the air was safe. And that was a week after 9/11. And what we now know is that there hadn't even been the analysis of the data to reach that conclusion. So I don't think there's any doubt that the White House did interfere, intervene and make that change. But I think the White House should come forward and explain that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And the White House has referred all calls to the EPA. The EPA's acting administrator has said that the agency did not change any cautionary statements and that the report mischaracterizes their work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIANNE LAMONT HORINKO, EPA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR: After the initial day or two, the short-term exposure, in fact the air quality did improve, and continued to improve and returned to normal fairly quickly and longterm studies have borne out our initial data set, which concluded that residents surrounding Ground Zero will not suffer significant health impact as a result of exposure to that very short term air situation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Just a short while ago I got off the phone with James Connaughton. He's head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He says that the agency stands by that the press release that they put out saying it was based on an initial sampling that they took in the days following 9/11. He is very disappointed that the report has come out in this way.

Back here in New York, where there is still obviously a great deal of concern over this, local lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation calling for a federal probe -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I see the story just beginning. Thanks very much, Jason Carroll, for that good reporting.

And among the events planned marking the event of September 11, four new stained glass windows will be dedicated inside the Pentagon Memorial Chapel. And they're being assembled by co-workers of those who died.

Once again, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr got an advanced look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the second anniversary of the 9/11 attack approaches, at the Pentagon, that horrible day now being remembered. Pentagon personnel enter a room, each of them having lost colleagues and friends. They pick up a piece of colored glass and place it in a window frame. The survivors are assembling four stained glass windows to remember the 184 people who were killed here.

MIGUEL FERNANDEZ, U.S. NAVY: I'm here to say good-bye. I said it before. Now it's time to terminate, say good-bye and keep on moving along with my life. I'm closing some doors today is what I'm doing by doing this. I'm remembering them, but I'm going to keep going.

STARR: Emotions come to the surface.

(on camera): Two years that you don't forget.

COL. DEBBIE FIX, U.S. ARMY: No, you don't forget, particularly at this time of the year, and especially if you survive something like that because you feel very fortunate that you were able to continue on.

STARR (voice-over): And then 9/11 becomes very personal.

(on camera): And this will be for all the Pentagon Press Corps that was there.

(voice-over): As one of the people in the building during the attack, I was asked to place a piece of glass in the window frame, a moment to again stop and remember.

The windows will be placed in this private Pentagon chapel next Thursday, a place to always remember.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And we turn now to some extraordinary images beginning as the terror attacks rocked America and continuing as the nation began to move with grim determination toward recovery.

The A&E network will air the program "Seven Days in September" tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Here's the story behind the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A dazed, disoriented city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like Pearl Harbor, man.

BLITZER: From the earliest moments of September 11, 2001 to the days immediately following, private photographers capture the barest images of a metropolis that at first cannot grasp what has just happened and then has trouble coming to grips with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God gave us this country. I will stand to my death and defend it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God didn't give you anything, OK? He didn't say the United States is yours. There were people here before. It's -- God has nothing to do with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right over here.

BLITZER: These are the scenes of "Seven Days in September," airing tonight on A&E. Raw video from 28 different people, some who grabbed their own cameras as America came under attack, others who wandered the streets over the next few days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Back it up!

BLITZER: One is a very different angle of the Trade Center, reverberating from its second hit. Another is right there with some confused subway passengers emerging in Lower Manhattan after the collapse of one tower before the fall of the second, their first glimpses of chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they were looking around like what happened? They didn't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened exactly?

BLITZER: A nearby lobby after the second tower falls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't go anywhere. Just stay here. BLITZER: A bicyclist cannot elude a storm of debris, but can film it. You get a real sense of America's obsession with videotaping everyday life, except this clearly wasn't.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Once again, seven days in September airs tonight on the A&E network.

And joining us now to talk a little bit about this extraordinary documentary is Steve Rosenbaum. He's the CEO of CameraPlanet, an award winning documentary producer and the man behind "Seven Days in September."

Steve, thanks very much for joining us.

How did you get all this videotape?

STEVE ROSENBAUM, CEO, CAMERAPLANET: Well, you know, it started with just a group of people in our office that morning knowing we had to start photographing and running out with cameras. But very quickly what we realized as we looked at the tape and look at the stories that we discovered was that there were really -- there were stories all over the city that were recorded by individuals and none of us had seen the whole story. We'd all seen little bits of it.

So we started -- we ran an ad in the "Village Voice." We started putting up posters. And we basically decided that if we built it, they would come. And the footage just started pouring in.

BLITZER: And so you say it was pouring in, but there must have been a lot of footage you couldn't use or didn't want to use for specific reasons. What are the most compelling images that you decided not to show the public?

ROSENBAUM: Well, you know, it's funny. I've been asked that question before. And the truth is, we made a decision when we got into making the film that we weren't going to take an editorial point of view. The editorial point of view with the film was we're going to photograph for seven days and then we're going to stop. So within those seven days, we promised ourselves that we would use the most graphic or most heart wrenching or most personal images that came to us.

The one rule we made was we wouldn't use footage from a filmmaker who wouldn't do an interview because we wanted all of the film to be authored. If you watch the film tonight on A&E, you'll hear, each time you see a picture on the screen, you hear the voice of the filmmaker. And to me, those voices in some ways are far more compelling than the pictures.

BLITZER: What's the most compelling scene, the most dramatic that you believe, the viewers will see tonight?

ROSENBAUM: There's a scene in Union Square that always puts a lump in my throat. Someone wrote on the ground in chalk, the American flag propagates violence, and this crowd gathered around this chalk drawing. And it felt like there was going to be a riot, frankly. There were 450 people gathered. And this man and woman ended up face- to-face, nose-to-nose screaming at each other and he said, What are we fighting about? And she said, I don't know. And there's this pause and you felt the crowd surge like there was going to be a fist fight and then they just broke into tears and ended up in each other's arms.

And for me, that moment is really what this country and this city went through in the days after 9/11. I mean, we thought about being angry, we thought about lashing out and we thought about fighting with our neighbors. But then in the end, we didn't. And I'm really proud of that.

BLITZER: Steve Rosenbaum, you've done a brilliant job. Thanks very much for joining us.

ROSENBAUM: Thank you.

BLITZER: His outstanding reporting showed us a country on the brink of disaster. CNN's Jeff Koinange is just back from Liberia. He'll open his reporter's notebook for us.

And some say it's a national disgrace, why this party is causing so much controversy.

But first, let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

Soccer riot. Hundreds of fans stormed the field during a game between two pro teams in Peru. Several players and referees were injured. The melee erupted after a referee gave a red card to one of the players.

Factory blast. An explosion rip through Japan's third biggest steel plant in the central part of the country. 15 people were injured. An investigation is under way.

Military muscle. Taiwanese jets on the attack defending the country from an imaginary invading Chinese force. All part of a huge show for government officials and VIP's. Taiwan's president used the event to emphasize the country's role in deterring Chinese military expansion.

Summit victory. A young American paraplegic has reached the top of Mt. Fuji, Japan's highest mountain. 22-year-old Kiegan (ph) Riley says he's aiming for higher goals in hopes of inspiring others. Up next, Washington's Mt. Rainier.

Communist birthday. North Korea's media say at least a million people took to the streets of the capital Pyongyang in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the hard-line Communist government. The event also marks the re-election of Kim Jong Il as chairman of the national defense commission.

Mysterious queen. The world's first portable x-ray machine reveals that an ancient mummy could be that of Nefertiti the legendary Egyptian queen. British archaeologist were able to carry the lightweight machine into the burial chamber where the crumbling bones were found.

And that's our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Last month's peace deal in Liberia that brought an end to the rule of Charles Taylor is producing mixed results at best right now. West African peacekeepers headed to the region north of the capital Monrovia earlier today to check out reports of fighting that has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Right in the midst of this deadly hot spot, CNN's Jeff Koinange.

(VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was an assignment few reporters would have wanted to take on. An unknown country in a faraway place, where dangers seemed to lurk at every turn.

It's become an all-too-familiar scene in the streets of Monrovia. Innocent civilians caught in the crossfire between government forces and rebels.

President Taylor has said he's willing to step down if it will help bring about peace in Liberia. The rebels, it seems, aren't quite ready to take his word for it.

The situation, in terms of displaced people or refugees, is getting dire by the hour. The people we were talking about earlier on in the stadium, there's over 12,000 right now gathered in there and thousands arriving by the minute.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Jeff Koinange is joining us live from the CNN center safe and sound in Atlanta. A lot of us were worried about you in the middle of that tumult over there, of that fighting, Jeff. Thank you are okay. Was there ever a moment that you personally felt your life was in danger?

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. And when on the ground, no, but looking back at the tapes when you go back to to the edit room there are times I kept asking my cameraman, what were we doing over there where the child soldiers on the bridge where you see all that fighting. These little 13-year-olds with Kalishnikovs and rocket- propelled grenades. Because you know they are in charge of the situation every time. You just never knew when the situation would change. It was scary a lot of the times, Wolf.

BLITZER: What about your relationship with Charles Taylor. We were on the air together when he was boarding that plane. Finally leaving, after all of that effort. But you knew him rather well.

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. I knew him when he was Warlord Taylor way back in 1996 when he was fighting his revolution before he became president. Throughout that time, between then and know, we developed a special relationship. I guess he respected me and I -- vice versa. He knew I would ask the questions no matter what. And when I did a story that wasn't very complimentary on his government, he would call. His information minister would call and berate me on the phone.

Up until the end when he called me for that exclusive interview, he knew that we would tell his story. We had a special relationship. Coming back to that scene, Wolf, that was probably the most significant scene of the whole tour over there, Charles Taylor finally boarding that aircraft., because when you and I were talking, I didn't think he'd finally get into that aircraft.

BLITZER: Did Charles Taylor or his any of his associates ever directly threaten you?

KOINANGE: No, Wolf they never did. They knew we were professionals and who we represented. They knew our medium is so powerful in this world they could not dare to. But that wouldn't stop them from berating us on the phone and telling us what they thought of us when the story turned the other way. In the end, I think they respected us, Wolf.

BLITZER: You spent years covering Africa brilliantly, I might add.

What is the most important thing our viewers should know about right now about the horrible situation, not only Liberia, but some of the other places in Africa, what you want to convey to them about Africa.

KOINANGE: I think, Wolf what's important is that people should know there's a soul in that country, there's so much resilience. People have suffered for so many decades, so many years, but yet they keep going on, yet they have hope for the future. There's a soul on the continent and that continent needs to be given a chance. The bottom line, Wolf, the world should not forget Africa.

BLITZER: I remember when I went with then President Clinton to a Uganda, but we went to Rwanda after the genocide that killed almost 1 million people there in the mid-1990s. I thought it would never happen again, but it's happening again right now.

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf and it's so terrible to see, it's such a sad situation. But again, look around the world, Wolf, how long did it take America to get it's act together, or Europe for that matter? It took centuries, decades even. So you have to remember, this is just part of the process. There are all growing pains of a post-colonial Africa and it'll get better one day soon -- sooner rather than later, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN Jeff Koinange with the pride and joy of CNN, you did a brilliant job for us, thanks very much. You going back there any time soon? KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. Wouldn't change it for the world. I love going back. It's a great story and as long as there's a story to be told out there Wolf, I love being on the ground.

BLITZER: Thank God for courageous journalists like you. Jeff Koinange, thanks very much.

KOINANGE: Thank you.

BLITZER: The Washington Mall is at the center of a controversy involving the kick off to the new NFL season. Coming up, we'll go there live. We'll have a live report on the advertisements on the mall and the concerts that are about to start the season.

First, though, the CNN news quiz.

Which president commissioned the plans for Washington, D.C. including the National Mall. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison. The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked -- which president commissioned the plans for Washington, D.C., including the National Mall?

The answer, George Washington. In 1791, he hired French artist and engineer Pierre LIVE EVENT Font to design the new capital city.

The grand finale to a $10 million bash on the Mall right here in the nation's capital is set to kick off in just a few minutes. It's all part of the National Football League's effort to draw attention to the first game of season tonight. It has critic saying what's being done all the Mall may be a disgrace.

CNN's Patty Davis is joining us now live from the scene of all the action.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the biggest corporate events ever staged on Washington's National Mall. And corporate sponsors are certainly making sure their names are widely seen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): The talent preparing for tonight's concert is big names. Organizers of the NFL kickoff extravaganza on Washington's National Mall are hoping for hundreds of thousands of people, despite the threat of rain.

ANNOUNCER: It's brought to you by Pepsi Vanilla.

DAVIS: But here on the historic National Mall, where Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, it is these big advertisements from corporate sponsors, Pepsi, Vanilla and Reebok that have critics crying foul. JUDY SCOTT FELDMAN, NATIONAL COALITION TO SAVE OUR MALL: It's a belongs at FedEx Field. Or it belongs in the areas dedicated to football and to private enterprise and to advertising and marketing, not in this public space.

DAVIS: In fact, the National Park Service prohibits advertising on Washington's mall. But the park service calls the sponsors' signs and commercials to be broadcast along with the Redskins/Jets game on Jumbotron, sponsor recognition, not advertising. The event also honors U.S. military men and women, and volunteerism in America. The NFL, which is used to staging big events, last year shut down New York's Times Square for the season's kickoff party, says the public wins as well.

BRIAN MCCARTHY, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: We've been able to provide the public over the last four days with a free event here on the National Mall. We've been able to give them a taste of the National Football League that they may only see on Sunday.

DAVIS: The Park Service says it has allowed advertising on a smaller scale on the Mall before. But nothing on this magnitude.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now the critics who say that the Mall was intended for a public expression, public gathering, protests, they worry that it will be forever altered. The stage set for more major events like this one -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much. Patty Davis from the Mall in Washington.

And the results of our "Web Question" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day"

Do you agree or disagree with France and Germany on Iraq. Look at this 86 percent agree, 14 percent of you disagree. As always we tell you this is not a scientific poll.

Lets get to some of your e-mail.

Mark rights this, "I can't believe this president continues to make the same basic speech over and over again regarding our economic woes. All I hear from him is the causes, but beyond tax cuts, I haven't heard or seen him do anything to get this thing straightened out. Might be a bit better if instead of campaigning so hard to keep his job, he'd actually do something to deserve it."

This from A.R.B. "It's great that we have the freedom to criticize our president. But he is facing many challenges rebuilding Iraq and our economy. The people of this country should be supporting him." Always we welcome your e-mail. Please continue to send us your e-mail at wolf@cnn.com.

A reminder you can always catch our program this time 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Tomorrow as 5:00 p.m. as well as noon Eastern, I will be anchoring both shows live from Los Angeles getting the inside take on the California recall. Until then thanks very much for joining us.

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







Aired September 4, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yesterday, the Bush administration announced it was going back to the U.N. with a help wanted sign. Today, France and Germany came back with their response.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Firefight, all hell breaks loose in the heart of Saddam Hussein's hometown.

As Donald Rumsfeld arrives for a firsthand view, others take a dim view of U.S. post-war plans.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: If they have suggestions we'd be more than happy to listen to their suggestions.

BLITZER: Al Qaeda in America, the FBI measures the threat today.

Seven days in September, as America was attacked they grabbed their cameras to record a week the country will never forget.

Rocking football on the national mall and lots of advertisements, is the NFL taking over a public space?

(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 Thursday, September 04, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Even as the Bush administration draws up post-war plans another sign today the war is far from over in Iraq. U.S. troops fought a fierce battle with guerillas overnight in Tikrit. After a mortar barrage, a U.S. patrol was ambushed then called in armored vehicles and helicopters to help.

Seeking a firsthand look at the situation, the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got an extraordinary one from the skies over Baghdad. The bombs used in the attack on the U.N. compound in Baghdad and in last week's attack in Najaf are, and I'm quoting now, almost identical, this from U.S. officials who say a forensic exam shows both bombings used military grade munitions, an ambush and a counterattack. We begin with that ferocious firefight in the middle of Saddam Hussein's hometown. CNN's Jason Bellini is in Tikrit. He's joining us now live via videophone. Jason, tell us what happened.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via videophone): Well, Wolf, last night just before we went on the air with you we heard some loud bangs and we mentioned that to you and we found out later what exactly happened. Those loud bangs were actually what kicked off what officials describe as a miss and run attack taking mortar rounds at the 4th ID Headquarters.

The mortars missed but a patrol in the area responded to the point of origin and when they did they found themselves in an intense firefight involving small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

A brush fire started in the middle of this and that slowed the U.S. forces as they approached their attackers. Once they got there the people they were going after were no longer there but they did find a large cache of weapons they said but unfortunately the attackers got away -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Bellini in the middle of a dangerous, dangerous situation. Jason, as we said to you last night, be careful over there in Tikrit.

Saying he wants to get a firsthand sense of how things are going, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is paying a visit to Iraq and a nation still very much in turmoil as we just saw.

CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqis have a lot on their minds these days, rising ethnic and sectarian tensions, rampant crime, terrorism, economic disorder for an unexpected visitor an awful lot to contemplate.

(on camera): Secretary Rumsfeld comes to a country that has been shaken by four massive car bombings and the assassination of a senior Shiite cleric. All the while attacks against U.S. forces show no sign of stopping.

(voice-over): It all looks much more placid from the air. Before touching down, Secretary Rumsfeld took a turn over the city. The view from below is a bit different security still a major headache for most Baghdadis.

"The Americans haven't given us what we wanted" says this Shiite activist. "They promised us security. Where is it," Rumsfeld's prescription, more Iraqi responsibility for security on the ground, including more Iraqi police, border guards and a reconstituted Iraqi army.

Slowly that force is emerging. To the sound of bagpipes, a group of Iraqi policemen marks completion of a three week training program aimed at raising their awareness about human rights. More than 50,000 Iraqis are already involved in security duties but many more will be needed to stabilize the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That was Ben Wedeman reporting from Baghdad. Thanks Ben very much.

That horrific bombing which killed at least 83 people at a religious shrine in Najaf last week can apparently be linked to an earlier attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

Let's go live to our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. She's been investigating -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, that's exactly what officials are looking at the similarities. Now, the bomb that went off at the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad and the bomb that went off at the mosque in al-Najaf appear to be quite similar, one official telling CNN the forensics show that they are almost identical according to the initial analysis.

According to intelligence reports now, both of these very large bombs were essentially made up of numbers of military munitions strung together, essentially mortars, artillery shells, grenades and bombs all somehow detonated together in large bombs.

There was one key difference. The U.N. attack appears to be the work of a suicide bomber while the attack at the mosque in al-Najaf appears to have been a bomb that was remotely detonated.

An FBI official said today that they are seeing in their channels some chemical similarities to the earlier bomb that went off at the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad several weeks ago.

So, what's the bottom line here, Wolf? What does it say about who's behind all of these attacks? That remains the open question. Is it foreigners? Is it Iraqis? Officials say both groups might have the expertise to pull off these kind of attacks and they are very mindful that former members of Saddam Hussein's regime would have known how to do this -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Barbara thanks very much.

Finding itself with more trouble than it bargained for in Iraq, the Bush administration wants to bring in other countries to help with both security and reconstruction with a U.N. stamp of approval.

CNN's Jim Bitterman has the reaction of two key European nations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The French president and German chancellor chewed over Washington's proposal at lunch during their summit in Dresden, Germany, and found it difficult to digest.

PRES. JACQUES CHIRAC, FRANCE (through translator): It does appear to be really rather far from the main objective which is that of transferring political responsibility to an Iraqi government as soon as possible.

GERHARD SCHROEDER, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I would agree with the president. He says it's not dynamic enough that it doesn't go far enough and it doesn't make sense to talk about the details at this stage.

BITTERMAN: Both leaders opposed the U.S. war in Iraq and seem again in agreement on post-war reconstruction saying the United Nations has to be in charge of the political transition in Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell insists that's not on the table and that Washington should retain political and military control but under the draft resolution the U.S. would periodically report to the U.N. Security Council.

POWELL: I think the resolution is drafted in a way that deals with the concerns that leaders such as President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder have raised in the past and if they have suggestions we'd be more than happy to listen to their suggestions.

BITTERMAN (on camera): While there seemed good intent on both sides to avoid another bruising transatlantic collision over Iraq, one fundamental has not changed since before the war. France and other countries will resist U.S. domination of world affairs if it's not through the United Nations.

Jim Bitterman, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day is this. "Do you agree or disagree with France and Germany on Iraq?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now, cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there I'd like 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.

The al Qaeda presence in the United States coming up a live report on what the latest FBI intelligence shows about agents of the terror group in the U.S.

Also, new information about the bank robbery bomb that killed one man.

And later, Al Franken joins me live. We'll be talking about the strange world of California politics. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: What he wore killed him. Coming up, authorities expand their investigation beyond the bomb. Why a second piece of evidence is intriguing investigators in Erie, Pennsylvania.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Checking some stories now in our justice file. In Illinois, the man driving a car that plunged into a lake killing three children has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs. The accident happened Tuesday.

Authorities have found a cane-shaped gun in the car of the pizza delivery man killed by a bomb attached to his neck after he robbed a bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. The incident happened last week.

The prosecutor in the case of a man accused of trying to smuggle a missile into the United States for a terrorist attack says the defendant confessed after the arrest. Attorneys for Hemant Lakhani did not respond to the claim, which was made during a court hearing.

Just days before the second anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, the FBI says al Qaeda agents are operating in the United States. Our Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena is covering this development. She's joining me now live -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the FBI says that al Qaeda does maintain a presence in the United States and that it is the most serious threat to Americans.

Now, the bureau's head of counterterrorism says that individuals who are here in the United States are not thought to be planning attacks but instead are involved in support roles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY MEFFORD, FBI: Overwhelmingly, it's our view that the majority of these individuals are involved in support activities, perhaps fundraising or recruiting, things like that, not planning an attack. However, we're very tuned into that issue because certainly somebody could transition rapidly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: The FBI says that it has these individuals under surveillance and is tracking any criminal or immigration violations so that agents can detain them quickly if there's any evidence that they're participating or going to participate in an attack.

Government sources have told CNN that as many as 300 individuals are currently under such surveillance and, as the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, FBI officials say that the investigation into the attacks remains open and that to date there is absolutely no evidence that anyone in the United States knowingly assisted the 19 hijackers in their plot.

Now, officials do say that there were people who may have unwittingly offered help. These are people who remain in the United States. For example, they may have helped the hijackers with apartment hunting but there's no evidence that anyone who helped them knew of their plan -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kelli Arena, with that useful information.

And, in a related development the Department of Homeland Security is warning both state and local authorities that al Qaeda, and I'm quoting here specifically, "may try to contaminate water and food with diseases and toxins."

The advisory says there's no specific information on individual targets or dates that would warrant raising the nation's threat alert level from the current yellow or elevated level to orange, which of course is higher. We'll continue to monitor all of these developments.

The strange world of California politics and author Al Franken, just ahead the California Recall and how the candidates stack up. We'll have a live interview with Al Franken.

Also, what survivors of the Pentagon terror attack are doing to make a permanent memorial to those who died.

And, seven days in September, a look at the new documentary that captures the horrors after the attack. You'll want to see this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Five of the top candidates in California's Recall election faced off in their first debate last night, taking part Arianna Huffington, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, the Green Party candidate Peter Camejo, State Senator Tom McClintock, and the former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth.

Arnold Schwarzenegger did not take part and says he's only doing -- he's only going to do one debate. Before the debate, the Governor Gray Davis made a separate appeal to voters to reject the recall.

And, in just a few hours, Democratic presidential hopefuls will hold their first of six major debates sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. Tonight's match highlights the growing influence of Hispanic voters.

It's being held at the University of New Mexico in a state with a large Latino population. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hosting the debate, which will be shown live with translation on a Spanish language network.

Joining me now with his unique perspective on politics and more Al Franken. His book as all of us by now know "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" is number one on the "New York Times" best seller's list.

AL FRANKEN, SATIRIST, AUTHOR: Hey, fair and balanced. BLITZER: We didn't get into that, and the subject of a recent lawsuit by the FOX News Channel. We're not going to discuss all that. You've discussed that adnaseum.

FRANKEN: I've discussed that ad infinitum but that is part of the title of the book. I actually won.

BLITZER: We're here to talk about politics.

FRANKEN: OK, thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that.

BLITZER: You spent some time up on Capitol Hill today. Let's talk about California politics first of all.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: Are you allowed, do you go ahead and endorse candidates? Are you going to vote for somebody out there because you live in California right?

FRANKEN: No, I live in New York.

BLITZER: So, forget about it then. Then we don't even care.

FRANKEN: You know, I'm a comedian, I'm a satirist and people think it's a bad idea for comedians to endorse specific politicians and I know that only too well. Years ago the first fundraiser I ever did for a politician was for (unintelligible) and...

BLITZER: Bad mistake, bad mistake, was not a good call.

FRANKEN: A few years later I saw "The Killing Fields" and I felt like a schmuck.

BLITZER: All right, so you shouldn't do that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: All right but you really want Cruz Bustamante to win if Gray Davis is going to go down or do you think Gray Davis should stay?

FRANKEN: Well, first of all if Arianna is within striking range right before the election, I love Arianna, but yes I'm a Democrat so I would want Cruz.

BLITZER: Because Arianna could be the Ralph Nader of California. She could hurt Cruz Bustamante if Gray Davis is recalled. She could take away votes from the Democrats.

FRANKEN: Absolutely, in which case I would urge people not to vote for my friend if the day before, and Arianna hates polls and stuff like that but I want a Democrat there.

BLITZER: Was it a mistake in your opinion for Arnold Schwarzenegger to skip that debate last night? I don't know if you watched it. Did you have a chance to see it? FRANKEN: I did not see it. It depends how bad he would be in the debate. If he just knows how bad he'd be...

BLITZER: I don't know if you've ever met Arnold Schwarzenegger, have you ever met him?

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: He's an impressive guy.

FRANKEN: He's -- yes but I've never talked to him about budget policy.

BLITZER: What did you talk to him about?

FRANKEN: I think I talked to him about what he was going to do on the show when we were at "Saturday Night Live." He had a little walk on thing. I think I talked to him about that and he was very impressive.

BLITZER: Very charming, very nice, and Maria Shriver his wife...

FRANKEN: Lovely.

BLITZER: The last two presidential conventions up on the -- covering the presidential podium up there at the convention.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: She was there for NBC News. She's very nice, very smart.

FRANKEN: Yes, yes, and he's -- I'm not a big fan of the guy. If I were a Republican I think I'd probably be for Peter Ueberroth because he's a guy who has handled money and sort of is a manager and I think that's part of what California needs at this point but I'm not a Republican.

BLITZER: Let's talk presidential politics.

FRANKEN: Yes, sure.

BLITZER: Do you have a candidate you like?

FRANKEN: I like four of five of the Democrats, sure.

BLITZER: Well, which one do you like the most?

FRANKEN: I'm not going to say. Remember the first politician I ever did a fundraiser for was (unintelligible).

BLITZER: It didn't work.

FRANKEN: No, no, no. It's I like a number of them and I want to see who sort of emerges. I think I'm doing a fundraiser -- I am doing a fundraiser for Dean but I will do -- I called John Kerry the other day. I want to do a fundraiser for him.

BLITZER: So you really get involved in politics. You don't only talk about it but you actually politically get involved.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: And raise money and organize and things like that.

FRANKEN: Yes, I do that kind of thing. I met with Democratic Senators today for their caucus luncheon.

BLITZER: How did that go?

FRANKEN: Terrible -- no, it was great. It was a lot of fun and Joe Conus (ph) and I talked to them and it went really well. I talked to Ted Kennedy about getting parity for mental health which is the Wellstone bill, what the progress is on that and that's a very important thing. Yesterday I was on a conference call to Wellstone Action, which is the group that's continuing on the work of Paul Wellstone.

BLITZER: Right, I know you were close with him.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: That was a sad story when he died.

FRANKEN: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Al Franken you got a number one best seller. You didn't think that was going to happen.

FRANKEN: I actually thought it would happen.

BLITZER: Really?

FRANKEN: But not this fast. This became number one. It will debut as number one this Sunday. I was helped by some...

BLITZER: We heard about that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

BLITZER: We heard about that. We'll get into it another time. We're out of time. I know you have to get to Virginia. You got a lot of traffic to deal with here in Washington.

FRANKEN: I have a book signing at, is it Bailey's Corners?

BLITZER: We got to go.

FRANKEN: Well, I don't -- see I think Tyson's...

BLITZER: Corner.

FRANKEN: Corner, Bailey is crossing. BLITZER: Crossing. Al Franken, congratulations.

FRANKEN: Congratulations on your daughter's getting a job.

BLITZER: Thank you, we'll talk. That's big news. Al Franken thanks very much.

The air quality questions at Ground Zero, coming up a call for a congressional investigation.

Also, seven days in September, the videos made in the days following the attack, these are pictures you have not seen and you won't see until now. I'll talk with the director of a new documentary showing the horrors of that week.

And later, Liberia is one of the most dangerous places on earth to report from. CNN's Jeff Koinange on what it was like being in the center of a civil war. He'll join me live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Soccer stampede, what sent the crowds out of the stands?

And, if you could see through this artifact, what would you discover?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

Coming up increasing calls for an investigation involving the air in New York City after 9/11, is new criticism of the White House from key Democratic Senators justified? We'll get to that.

First, the latest headlines, a rainy weather system is bearing down on Florida and expects it to become Tropical Storm Henri in the matter of hours. The latest warning out just this hour says the system could drop ten to 15 inches of rain or more as it passes over north Florida. Sustained winds right now are near 35 miles an hour.

Investigators in Huntsville, Alabama are trying to figure out why a television tower collapsed this afternoon killing two people and critically injuring one. The men were working on strengthening the 985-foot tower when it gave way. They were attached to the structure and had no way to escape.

President Bush's nominee to the Federal Appeals Court in Washington, D.C. is withdrawing his name. Partisan wrangling including a Democratic filibuster held up the nomination of Miguel Estrada for more than two years. He says the time has come to get on with his life.

A lawsuit by two New York teenagers blaming McDonald's for their obesity has been thrown out. It alleged the chain used false advertising and that its food is damaging to consumers' health. The judge said the plaintiffs failed to prove their case and forbid them from re-filing it.

In the days immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, the Environmental Protection Agency assured residents air quality in Lower Manhattan was safe. But was it? Several senators, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, today called for a hearing on reports that the White House pressured the EPA to issue unfounded, misguided statements.

CNN's Jason Carroll is in New York. He's joining us now live with details -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, as you say, several Democratic senators are calling for those hearing on whether the White House influenced the Environmental Protection Agency's air quality reports following September 11. The senators, as you mention, includes presidential hopefuls Joe Lieberman and Bob Graham as well as New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Independent Senator Jim Jeffords. They are referring to a report, a 155-page report from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General, which monitors the agency.

It found the EPA did not have enough data to declare the air outside Ground Zero safe in the days following 9/11, and it says the White House put pressure on EPA officials to soften what they wrote in press releases regarding the air quality. The report says -- quote -- "The White House council on the environmental quality influenced the information EPA communicated to the public when it convinced EPA to add reassuring phrases and delete cautionary ones."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I don't think there's any doubt that the White House directed the EPA to omit more cautionary language, really alter the tone of the press statement so that the general impression left was that the air was safe. And that was a week after 9/11. And what we now know is that there hadn't even been the analysis of the data to reach that conclusion. So I don't think there's any doubt that the White House did interfere, intervene and make that change. But I think the White House should come forward and explain that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And the White House has referred all calls to the EPA. The EPA's acting administrator has said that the agency did not change any cautionary statements and that the report mischaracterizes their work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIANNE LAMONT HORINKO, EPA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR: After the initial day or two, the short-term exposure, in fact the air quality did improve, and continued to improve and returned to normal fairly quickly and longterm studies have borne out our initial data set, which concluded that residents surrounding Ground Zero will not suffer significant health impact as a result of exposure to that very short term air situation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Just a short while ago I got off the phone with James Connaughton. He's head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. He says that the agency stands by that the press release that they put out saying it was based on an initial sampling that they took in the days following 9/11. He is very disappointed that the report has come out in this way.

Back here in New York, where there is still obviously a great deal of concern over this, local lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation calling for a federal probe -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I see the story just beginning. Thanks very much, Jason Carroll, for that good reporting.

And among the events planned marking the event of September 11, four new stained glass windows will be dedicated inside the Pentagon Memorial Chapel. And they're being assembled by co-workers of those who died.

Once again, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr got an advanced look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the second anniversary of the 9/11 attack approaches, at the Pentagon, that horrible day now being remembered. Pentagon personnel enter a room, each of them having lost colleagues and friends. They pick up a piece of colored glass and place it in a window frame. The survivors are assembling four stained glass windows to remember the 184 people who were killed here.

MIGUEL FERNANDEZ, U.S. NAVY: I'm here to say good-bye. I said it before. Now it's time to terminate, say good-bye and keep on moving along with my life. I'm closing some doors today is what I'm doing by doing this. I'm remembering them, but I'm going to keep going.

STARR: Emotions come to the surface.

(on camera): Two years that you don't forget.

COL. DEBBIE FIX, U.S. ARMY: No, you don't forget, particularly at this time of the year, and especially if you survive something like that because you feel very fortunate that you were able to continue on.

STARR (voice-over): And then 9/11 becomes very personal.

(on camera): And this will be for all the Pentagon Press Corps that was there.

(voice-over): As one of the people in the building during the attack, I was asked to place a piece of glass in the window frame, a moment to again stop and remember.

The windows will be placed in this private Pentagon chapel next Thursday, a place to always remember.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And we turn now to some extraordinary images beginning as the terror attacks rocked America and continuing as the nation began to move with grim determination toward recovery.

The A&E network will air the program "Seven Days in September" tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Here's the story behind the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A dazed, disoriented city.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like Pearl Harbor, man.

BLITZER: From the earliest moments of September 11, 2001 to the days immediately following, private photographers capture the barest images of a metropolis that at first cannot grasp what has just happened and then has trouble coming to grips with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God gave us this country. I will stand to my death and defend it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God didn't give you anything, OK? He didn't say the United States is yours. There were people here before. It's -- God has nothing to do with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right over here.

BLITZER: These are the scenes of "Seven Days in September," airing tonight on A&E. Raw video from 28 different people, some who grabbed their own cameras as America came under attack, others who wandered the streets over the next few days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Back it up!

BLITZER: One is a very different angle of the Trade Center, reverberating from its second hit. Another is right there with some confused subway passengers emerging in Lower Manhattan after the collapse of one tower before the fall of the second, their first glimpses of chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they were looking around like what happened? They didn't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened exactly?

BLITZER: A nearby lobby after the second tower falls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't go anywhere. Just stay here. BLITZER: A bicyclist cannot elude a storm of debris, but can film it. You get a real sense of America's obsession with videotaping everyday life, except this clearly wasn't.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Once again, seven days in September airs tonight on the A&E network.

And joining us now to talk a little bit about this extraordinary documentary is Steve Rosenbaum. He's the CEO of CameraPlanet, an award winning documentary producer and the man behind "Seven Days in September."

Steve, thanks very much for joining us.

How did you get all this videotape?

STEVE ROSENBAUM, CEO, CAMERAPLANET: Well, you know, it started with just a group of people in our office that morning knowing we had to start photographing and running out with cameras. But very quickly what we realized as we looked at the tape and look at the stories that we discovered was that there were really -- there were stories all over the city that were recorded by individuals and none of us had seen the whole story. We'd all seen little bits of it.

So we started -- we ran an ad in the "Village Voice." We started putting up posters. And we basically decided that if we built it, they would come. And the footage just started pouring in.

BLITZER: And so you say it was pouring in, but there must have been a lot of footage you couldn't use or didn't want to use for specific reasons. What are the most compelling images that you decided not to show the public?

ROSENBAUM: Well, you know, it's funny. I've been asked that question before. And the truth is, we made a decision when we got into making the film that we weren't going to take an editorial point of view. The editorial point of view with the film was we're going to photograph for seven days and then we're going to stop. So within those seven days, we promised ourselves that we would use the most graphic or most heart wrenching or most personal images that came to us.

The one rule we made was we wouldn't use footage from a filmmaker who wouldn't do an interview because we wanted all of the film to be authored. If you watch the film tonight on A&E, you'll hear, each time you see a picture on the screen, you hear the voice of the filmmaker. And to me, those voices in some ways are far more compelling than the pictures.

BLITZER: What's the most compelling scene, the most dramatic that you believe, the viewers will see tonight?

ROSENBAUM: There's a scene in Union Square that always puts a lump in my throat. Someone wrote on the ground in chalk, the American flag propagates violence, and this crowd gathered around this chalk drawing. And it felt like there was going to be a riot, frankly. There were 450 people gathered. And this man and woman ended up face- to-face, nose-to-nose screaming at each other and he said, What are we fighting about? And she said, I don't know. And there's this pause and you felt the crowd surge like there was going to be a fist fight and then they just broke into tears and ended up in each other's arms.

And for me, that moment is really what this country and this city went through in the days after 9/11. I mean, we thought about being angry, we thought about lashing out and we thought about fighting with our neighbors. But then in the end, we didn't. And I'm really proud of that.

BLITZER: Steve Rosenbaum, you've done a brilliant job. Thanks very much for joining us.

ROSENBAUM: Thank you.

BLITZER: His outstanding reporting showed us a country on the brink of disaster. CNN's Jeff Koinange is just back from Liberia. He'll open his reporter's notebook for us.

And some say it's a national disgrace, why this party is causing so much controversy.

But first, let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

Soccer riot. Hundreds of fans stormed the field during a game between two pro teams in Peru. Several players and referees were injured. The melee erupted after a referee gave a red card to one of the players.

Factory blast. An explosion rip through Japan's third biggest steel plant in the central part of the country. 15 people were injured. An investigation is under way.

Military muscle. Taiwanese jets on the attack defending the country from an imaginary invading Chinese force. All part of a huge show for government officials and VIP's. Taiwan's president used the event to emphasize the country's role in deterring Chinese military expansion.

Summit victory. A young American paraplegic has reached the top of Mt. Fuji, Japan's highest mountain. 22-year-old Kiegan (ph) Riley says he's aiming for higher goals in hopes of inspiring others. Up next, Washington's Mt. Rainier.

Communist birthday. North Korea's media say at least a million people took to the streets of the capital Pyongyang in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the hard-line Communist government. The event also marks the re-election of Kim Jong Il as chairman of the national defense commission.

Mysterious queen. The world's first portable x-ray machine reveals that an ancient mummy could be that of Nefertiti the legendary Egyptian queen. British archaeologist were able to carry the lightweight machine into the burial chamber where the crumbling bones were found.

And that's our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Last month's peace deal in Liberia that brought an end to the rule of Charles Taylor is producing mixed results at best right now. West African peacekeepers headed to the region north of the capital Monrovia earlier today to check out reports of fighting that has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Right in the midst of this deadly hot spot, CNN's Jeff Koinange.

(VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was an assignment few reporters would have wanted to take on. An unknown country in a faraway place, where dangers seemed to lurk at every turn.

It's become an all-too-familiar scene in the streets of Monrovia. Innocent civilians caught in the crossfire between government forces and rebels.

President Taylor has said he's willing to step down if it will help bring about peace in Liberia. The rebels, it seems, aren't quite ready to take his word for it.

The situation, in terms of displaced people or refugees, is getting dire by the hour. The people we were talking about earlier on in the stadium, there's over 12,000 right now gathered in there and thousands arriving by the minute.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Jeff Koinange is joining us live from the CNN center safe and sound in Atlanta. A lot of us were worried about you in the middle of that tumult over there, of that fighting, Jeff. Thank you are okay. Was there ever a moment that you personally felt your life was in danger?

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. And when on the ground, no, but looking back at the tapes when you go back to to the edit room there are times I kept asking my cameraman, what were we doing over there where the child soldiers on the bridge where you see all that fighting. These little 13-year-olds with Kalishnikovs and rocket- propelled grenades. Because you know they are in charge of the situation every time. You just never knew when the situation would change. It was scary a lot of the times, Wolf.

BLITZER: What about your relationship with Charles Taylor. We were on the air together when he was boarding that plane. Finally leaving, after all of that effort. But you knew him rather well.

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. I knew him when he was Warlord Taylor way back in 1996 when he was fighting his revolution before he became president. Throughout that time, between then and know, we developed a special relationship. I guess he respected me and I -- vice versa. He knew I would ask the questions no matter what. And when I did a story that wasn't very complimentary on his government, he would call. His information minister would call and berate me on the phone.

Up until the end when he called me for that exclusive interview, he knew that we would tell his story. We had a special relationship. Coming back to that scene, Wolf, that was probably the most significant scene of the whole tour over there, Charles Taylor finally boarding that aircraft., because when you and I were talking, I didn't think he'd finally get into that aircraft.

BLITZER: Did Charles Taylor or his any of his associates ever directly threaten you?

KOINANGE: No, Wolf they never did. They knew we were professionals and who we represented. They knew our medium is so powerful in this world they could not dare to. But that wouldn't stop them from berating us on the phone and telling us what they thought of us when the story turned the other way. In the end, I think they respected us, Wolf.

BLITZER: You spent years covering Africa brilliantly, I might add.

What is the most important thing our viewers should know about right now about the horrible situation, not only Liberia, but some of the other places in Africa, what you want to convey to them about Africa.

KOINANGE: I think, Wolf what's important is that people should know there's a soul in that country, there's so much resilience. People have suffered for so many decades, so many years, but yet they keep going on, yet they have hope for the future. There's a soul on the continent and that continent needs to be given a chance. The bottom line, Wolf, the world should not forget Africa.

BLITZER: I remember when I went with then President Clinton to a Uganda, but we went to Rwanda after the genocide that killed almost 1 million people there in the mid-1990s. I thought it would never happen again, but it's happening again right now.

KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf and it's so terrible to see, it's such a sad situation. But again, look around the world, Wolf, how long did it take America to get it's act together, or Europe for that matter? It took centuries, decades even. So you have to remember, this is just part of the process. There are all growing pains of a post-colonial Africa and it'll get better one day soon -- sooner rather than later, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN Jeff Koinange with the pride and joy of CNN, you did a brilliant job for us, thanks very much. You going back there any time soon? KOINANGE: Absolutely, Wolf. Wouldn't change it for the world. I love going back. It's a great story and as long as there's a story to be told out there Wolf, I love being on the ground.

BLITZER: Thank God for courageous journalists like you. Jeff Koinange, thanks very much.

KOINANGE: Thank you.

BLITZER: The Washington Mall is at the center of a controversy involving the kick off to the new NFL season. Coming up, we'll go there live. We'll have a live report on the advertisements on the mall and the concerts that are about to start the season.

First, though, the CNN news quiz.

Which president commissioned the plans for Washington, D.C. including the National Mall. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison. The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked -- which president commissioned the plans for Washington, D.C., including the National Mall?

The answer, George Washington. In 1791, he hired French artist and engineer Pierre LIVE EVENT Font to design the new capital city.

The grand finale to a $10 million bash on the Mall right here in the nation's capital is set to kick off in just a few minutes. It's all part of the National Football League's effort to draw attention to the first game of season tonight. It has critic saying what's being done all the Mall may be a disgrace.

CNN's Patty Davis is joining us now live from the scene of all the action.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one of the biggest corporate events ever staged on Washington's National Mall. And corporate sponsors are certainly making sure their names are widely seen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): The talent preparing for tonight's concert is big names. Organizers of the NFL kickoff extravaganza on Washington's National Mall are hoping for hundreds of thousands of people, despite the threat of rain.

ANNOUNCER: It's brought to you by Pepsi Vanilla.

DAVIS: But here on the historic National Mall, where Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, it is these big advertisements from corporate sponsors, Pepsi, Vanilla and Reebok that have critics crying foul. JUDY SCOTT FELDMAN, NATIONAL COALITION TO SAVE OUR MALL: It's a belongs at FedEx Field. Or it belongs in the areas dedicated to football and to private enterprise and to advertising and marketing, not in this public space.

DAVIS: In fact, the National Park Service prohibits advertising on Washington's mall. But the park service calls the sponsors' signs and commercials to be broadcast along with the Redskins/Jets game on Jumbotron, sponsor recognition, not advertising. The event also honors U.S. military men and women, and volunteerism in America. The NFL, which is used to staging big events, last year shut down New York's Times Square for the season's kickoff party, says the public wins as well.

BRIAN MCCARTHY, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: We've been able to provide the public over the last four days with a free event here on the National Mall. We've been able to give them a taste of the National Football League that they may only see on Sunday.

DAVIS: The Park Service says it has allowed advertising on a smaller scale on the Mall before. But nothing on this magnitude.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now the critics who say that the Mall was intended for a public expression, public gathering, protests, they worry that it will be forever altered. The stage set for more major events like this one -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much. Patty Davis from the Mall in Washington.

And the results of our "Web Question" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day"

Do you agree or disagree with France and Germany on Iraq. Look at this 86 percent agree, 14 percent of you disagree. As always we tell you this is not a scientific poll.

Lets get to some of your e-mail.

Mark rights this, "I can't believe this president continues to make the same basic speech over and over again regarding our economic woes. All I hear from him is the causes, but beyond tax cuts, I haven't heard or seen him do anything to get this thing straightened out. Might be a bit better if instead of campaigning so hard to keep his job, he'd actually do something to deserve it."

This from A.R.B. "It's great that we have the freedom to criticize our president. But he is facing many challenges rebuilding Iraq and our economy. The people of this country should be supporting him." Always we welcome your e-mail. Please continue to send us your e-mail at wolf@cnn.com.

A reminder you can always catch our program this time 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Tomorrow as 5:00 p.m. as well as noon Eastern, I will be anchoring both shows live from Los Angeles getting the inside take on the California recall. Until then thanks very much for joining us.

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