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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

California Recall Postponed; East Coast Prepares for Hurricane Isabel; U.S. Troops Clash With Taliban

Aired September 15, 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: It's a monster. Hurricane Isabel eyes the eastern seaboard. It's happening right now, Virginia declaring a state of emergency already and the National Hurricane Center releases its latest tracking information.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Hung up by hanging chads, calling a halt to California's recall.

Isabel takes aim but where, urgent preparations all along the East Coast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once it gets to a category three or higher, what we call a major hurricane, you can expect extensive damage.

BLITZER: Taking on the Taliban, again, U.S. troops clash with al Qaeda's allies. Is bin Laden next?

Tragedy strikes a tennis family, is there a gang connection?

A stunning development in the case of two Florida children found by fishermen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The domestic situation is just not right.

(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 Monday, September 15, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Big changes and major storms that are brewing on both -- both U.S. coasts.

In California a bolt of lightning in the political storm that is the recall election. A federal appeals court has ordered the vote postponed.

And along the East Coast preparations for a real storm, Hurricane Isabel a potential killer taking direct aim at the Mid Atlantic states.

We begin with a major shakeup, though, in the California recall, a federal appeals court ordering election officials to postpone the vote.

Our National Correspondent Bob Franken is following developments for us. He's joining us now live from L.A. -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the lower court had ruled there is a strong public interest in going forward. That was the judge's words. Now the appeals court says we agree that the issuance of a preliminary injunction is warranted and reversed the order of the lower court.

Bottom line, unless there is a change, the election scheduled for October 7th will be delayed but the three judge panel has given seven days for one part or the other to file an appeal and what is their strategy going to be? Well, Wolf, when you passed all the legalisms this is going to be their strategy.

They don't know. They don't know whether they're going to go through the normal process and go through the appeals court and have an en banc hearing to it, that means a larger group of judges or, given the fact that there's only three weeks before the election, go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, ask for some sort of expedited appeal.

They're having a conference call at this very minute, some of the lawyers who say they're going to appeal, to decide which is the best route? The fact of the matter is that if this election is delayed by the order of these judges it would be delayed until next March -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bob Franken with the latest headlines from Los Angeles we'll be getting back to you, Bob. Thanks very much.

Meanwhile, candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger was on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" today trying to calm the controversy over comments he made about group sex in a 1970s interview with an adult magazine. Bob will be back later this hour. He'll have details on that plus Bill Clinton's involvement in this recall election.

And for more on the recall ruling that's happening today let's check in with our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. He's joining us now live from New York. Bottom line, will this go forward? Won't it go forward? And, if it doesn't go forward now when will this recall election take place?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, let me answer your last question first. If it doesn't go forward October 9 it will certainly go forward in March of next year when the ordinary California primary is scheduled to take place. I think that much is clear. The issue is October or March.

As for what will happen next, what will the courts do? That's where things start to get awfully murky, Wolf. This decision I think can safely be said was a surprise. You had three liberal judges, two Bill Clinton appointees, one Jimmy Carter appointee doing something that a Democratic governor very much wanted done.

There are several conservative judges on that Ninth Circuit. They may well want to have the whole court hear it. I expect that the appellate process will go forward. It will go forward quickly and there will certainly be more legal rulings before October 7th determining whether that date holds.

BLITZER: So, the next legal step, assuming someone wants to appeal this decision by the three judges is to have the entire Ninth Circuit, all of the judges, take a look at it is that right?

TOOBIN: That's the most likely route, although it is possible that the opponents of this decision will skip that stage altogether and go directly to the Supreme Court. That's a strategic choice that they have to make.

BLITZER: So, are we thinking along the lines of another Florida fiasco if it goes to the U.S. Supreme Court given the makeup of the court?

TOOBIN: You know the irony, Wolf, is not only is that a possibility but the decision that is cited over and over again in today's opinion is Bush v. Gore except it's the Democrats sort of hoisting the Republicans by their own (unintelligible) saying well you thought that voting -- the voting processes had to be governed by equal protection. We'll show you equal protection. We're going to cancel this recount unless all the voting machines in California can more or less be handled the same way.

BLITZER: It doesn't look like that's going to happen before October 7th. Jeffrey Toobin thanks very much.

TOOBIN: Out of the question.

BLITZER: All right, Jeffrey Toobin.

TOOBIN: OK.

BLITZER: Our legal analyst.

And please stay with CNN for all the latest updates on the California recall and be sure to join Larry King. That's this Wednesday. His special guest, yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wednesday night, "LARRY KING LIVE", 9:00 p.m. Eastern, of course only here on CNN.

Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Would you want an election you were going to vote in to be delayed because of punch-card polling machines?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now, cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Now to the other huge storm, this one not a political storm, a real storm, preparations underway right now in the Carolinas and, and points north for the possible arrival of Hurricane Isabel.

Virginia has just declared a state of emergency in advance of the arrival. While it's too early to tell where Isabel will make landfall, people in that region already are boarding up homes and businesses as they keep a close watch, a very close watch on the sea.

For the latest on Isabel Max Mayfield joining us now from the National Hurricane Center in Miami he, of course, is the director. You've just released some new information, Mr. Mayfield. Tell our viewers what we could all expect.

MAX MAYFIELD, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: OK, Wolf. We've got a little bit of good news. It's weakened a little bit. The winds are down to 125 miles per hour but it's still a very dangerous category three hurricane and our forecast has been very consistent here for the last couple of days in taking this system toward the northwest, toward North Carolina.

But it's a very large circulation and we really want everybody from North Carolina all the way up into southern New England to monitor the progress of this hurricane very, very carefully.

BLITZER: What is the best guess and I think it's a guess at this point, although you have a lot of science backing you up, when it might actually hit landfall?

MAYFIELD: Well, the most likely scenario on our forecast track and, again, this has been very consistent. The models are in pretty good agreement right now for the center of the hurricane to be near the North Carolina coast on Thursday, probably around Noon, but the fact that this is such a large circulation though those tropical storm force winds may well be there by Wednesday night probably around midnight.

So, we could very well have a hurricane watch issued sometime even tomorrow morning and then the warning will follow probably tomorrow evening. We really want to give people all day Wednesday to make their final preparations.

BLITZER: So, presumably airports are going to be closed to the major urban areas like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia. Are we talking about other areas, Baltimore? What are we hearing about the possible impact on the major urban areas in this path?

MAYFIELD: I would expect this if it stays close to our forecast track and, of course, it can still change a little bit, I would expect to see some change over the next two days but I would expect to see extensive damage to a very large section of the country.

It's been a long time since we've had a hurricane on this track really to come in, especially and effect Delmarva (ph) and even the New Jersey coastline like this one will do. BLITZER: Max Mayfield we'll be talking often in the next days, certainly the next hours as well. Thanks very much for that update just in to CNN.

MAYFIELD: Yes, sir. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

North Carolina, of course, no stranger to hurricanes and the well rehearsed preparations are right now in full swing.

CNN's Jeff Flock is joining us now live from Wrightsville. That's in North Carolina. It looks beautiful behind you but that could be very misleading couldn't it, Jeff?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beautiful today, Wolf, but who knows what the next few days hold. We're going to be spending this hurricane with members of the Hurricane Intercept Research Team.

Take a look at this vehicle. You can track their progress by the way at hurricanetrack.com if you see it there. This looks like almost one of those vehicles that we saw in that movie "Twister" right?

Mark Sudduth is a man who runs this organization. Why do you come out and run this vehicle? It's designed to go right in the heart of the hurricane, yes?

MARK SUDDUTH, HURRICANE CHASER: Right, we have this one. We have another one similar to this one that old Isuzu we've been working with for a few years.

FLOCK: And you go right out into the hurricane with this?

SUDDUTH: We have to. To understand the storm you really got to get into it to better understand it.

FLOCK: Show me quickly what I'm seeing up on top of the truck. What's this first thing I'm seeing here spinning?

SUDDUTH: Anemometer wind gauge records the wind speed and direction.

FLOCK: I got you. What's this thing right here? It looks like a radar.

SUDDUTH: A beehive. Yes, really.

FLOCK: Is that all your data coming in there?

SUDDUTH: Weather data, temperature, barometer, you name it.

FLOCK: You've got live weather radar coming in here, at least you will when the storm is on.

SUDDUTH: Right, we sure will. FLOCK: What's in the dome thing there?

SUDDUTH: In the dome we have a nice camera so we don't have to sit there with handheld cameras recording everything, gawking at stuff. We don't want to do that. We want to have research. So, this will tape stuff for us on a 360-degree pan all the time.

FLOCK: Inside the truck, Jeffrey if we can get inside the truck there maybe you can see. That's the latest satellite picture there (unintelligible)?

SUDDUTH: Latest infrared satellite and we can loop it. We got it already pulled up. You can see the motion of it. That's just a few minutes old.

FLOCK: So, you'll be able to use that data that live radar data to be able to tell you exactly where to go to get the worst of it to get right in the eye wall, right?

SUDDUTH: To be in the worst of it and to also know where my escape routes are north of me since it's going to be coming from the south. That's exactly right, Jeff.

FLOCK: Dangerous stuff in this kind of a dangerous storm.

SUDDUTH: Right, it can be dangerous and we're going to be very careful and do the best we can.

FLOCK: Mark Sudduth, we're going to spend the next three or four days with you and we'll see how it goes.

SUDDUTH: (Unintelligible.)

FLOCK: Wolf, we'll be keeping an eye on it, should be quite a ride here on the Carolina coast, back to you.

BLITZER: Jeff, we're all anxiously awaiting, of course, your reporting given your experience with these kinds of hurricanes. This is going to be a big one though. Are people where you are getting ready? Are they taking the precautions? Are they beginning to leave their homes and head inland? What's going on?

FLOCK: I'll tell you, I want to show you this house right over here, Wolf. They've already starting pulling the boards out. You can't really see. It's kind of dark in the garage but they're already pulling their boards out to start boarding up and we don't even know that it's coming here but they're already starting to take preparations, which this far out very surprising to me, something that we don't normally see unless we know the hurricane is really headed this way.

BLITZER: And people are nervous or are they seemingly upbeat? What are they saying?

FLOCK: They really understand that this is a massive storm and, you know, as you say you look at this scene out here right now no one panicking at the moment or anything. You can see a lot of activity out on the beach but they really know how powerful this storm is and what a big deal it could be here so they're really ready to make this move at any time and I think we're going to start to see that tomorrow.

BLITZER: CNN's Jeff Flock. He's getting ready. Our viewers are probably getting ready, all of us anxious to see already what's going on. No one covers hurricanes better than Jeff Flock. We'll stay with CNN, of course, throughout these next several days for all the latest information, much more news coming up including more news later this hour on Hurricane Isabel.

In the meantime, is Arnold Schwarzenegger out to impress the ladies? Will an appearance on "Oprah" help him earn more votes in California?

Then, a tragedy, a real tragedy for two tennis greats, a shooting leads to the death of their older half sister but police have a break in the case right now.

And, we're tracking, as we said, the storm all hour, Hurricane Isabel. Will it deal a devastating blow to the East Coast? We'll have that.

First, our news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What was the costliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland, Andrew, Hugo, Fran, Opal," the answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Did someone mean to hurt the children? Four siblings in Florida, one dead, the other fighting for their lives right now, find out why police are focusing on the victims' father, that and much more coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

The Bush administration is using its power of the purse when it comes to Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories and the security wall Israel is building in the West Bank may lead to yet further economic sanctions.

Let's go live to our Senior White House Correspondent John King -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, CNN is told that later today the Bush administration will notify Israel and will publicly announce that it is reducing the amount of loan guarantees the Israeli government can get from the United States because of Israeli spending in what the administration considers illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

Now, back in the first Bush administration when then President Bush withheld some loan guarantees it caused a great deal of tension in U.S.-Israeli relations that policy though now more than a decade on the books so the Israeli government has been expecting that step.

The next key step is will the Bush administration sanction Israel even further and reduce those loan guarantees by an additional amount because of the money Israel is spending on that fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories in the West Bank? The administration will say today that it has not made that decision just yet.

Just a few weeks ago we were told to look for it soon but the administration says it is prepared to impose additional sanctions but will wait more time and continue its consultations with the Israeli government.

Mr. Bush, of course, says that fence is an obstacle to revitalizing the peace process. He made that quite clear to Prime Minister Sharon when he was here in July but pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress, Wolf, have promised this administration a firestorm of criticism if the president imposes additional sanctions on Israel because of that fence.

The administration again today will take some steps. The Israeli government says it doesn't like it but it accepts it. The big question will be left for another day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Practically speaking, John, how much money are we talking about, tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars? What is the bottom line number approximately at least how much the loan guarantees could be reduced?

KING: In terms of the settlement activity it is a dollar-for- dollar reduction. If Israel spends $100 million in the settlements the loan guarantees are reduced by $100 million.

If they go the next step and impose penalties because of construction of the wall, the administration will have to come up with a formula how much is being spent on the wall, how much of that comes from aid or assistance that comes through the United States and deduct it then.

In the end, most officials believe Israel will not borrow up to the $3 billion a year limit in those loan guarantees so, in effect, the effect could be moot if Israel does not use the full authority but we have to wait to find out if the administration takes the next step, the much more controversial step of imposing sanctions because of that fence.

BLITZER: All right, John King with the latest at the White House, potentially a very politically explosive moment right now in U.S.-Israeli relations. Thanks very much, John, for that.

Meantime, Palestinians continue to rally to the support of the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Israel's government has decided in principle to "remove him" and that's a quote but there is some debate over whether that could mean killing the Palestinian leader.

Let's go live to CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney. She's joining us from Jerusalem -- Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf, yesterday, Sunday, Ehud Olmert who's the Israel Vice Prime Minister said that the option of killing Yasser Arafat was on the table. This follows Thursday night's security cabinet meeting at which Israel decided to "remove Yasser Arafat from the equation at a time and date of its choosing."

But today, Monday, the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom held a news conference and during that news conference he said that the Israeli government didn't have an immediate time frame for removing Yasser Arafat nor was it official government policy to kill him.

Meanwhile, the man who's the focus of so much attention, Yasser Arafat, waved before the thousands of Palestinians who've been rallying daily to him outside his compound in Ramallah, Arafat repeating every day that he will not leave. He will not be kicked out from Ramallah.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that negotiations are continuing to try and reinstate some kind of cease-fire among the Hamas militants. There is discussion taking place now among the various factions. This all, of course, taking place against the backdrop of a suicide bombing here in the city last Tuesday night. Israel, Jerusalem in particular, remaining on high alert -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney reporting live from Jerusalem. Fionnuala, thanks very much.

Dangerous missions, dangerous ground. There's been a nasty firefight between U.S. and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Just ahead, a former Delta Force member tells us what American troops, what Special Operations forces are going through right now.

And, tracking a monster in the Mid Atlanta, in the path of Hurricane Isabel, but can that region handle a storm of this potential size?

And, devastation for a big name sports family, we'll have details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

In Iraq today, the Secretary of State Colin Powell got a glimpse of a horrible past and spoke of hopes for a brighter future but the present means more grinding day in and day out violence, of course, for U.S. forces.

Let's go live to our Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson. He's in Baghdad -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Secretary Powell left Iraq late this afternoon. He had been in country a day and a half. He met with senior coalition officials, Baghdad City Council, Iraq's Governing Council, Iraq's new foreign minister, a senior Shiite cleric, as well as Kurdish officials in northern Iraq today.

When he left, however, he said one of his primary concerns was still the security in the central Sunni Triangle in Iraq. He said that he was concerned about outside terrorist influences getting into Iraq and getting into that volatile region.

Indeed, while he was in Iraq for that brief day and a half period two U.S. soldiers killed, one in the early hours this morning, his convoy hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Late in the day, news coming as well likely troubling for the coalition, a senior police chief inside that Sunni Triangle killed. Of course the Iraqi police here working with the coalition officials.

Police in that region recently have been complaining that the Iraqi resistance fighters have been intimidating them and threatening them so the death of that senior police official likely to be troubling for the coalition -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Troubling indeed, thanks very much Nic Robertson with the latest from Baghdad.

Almost two years after it began, the war in Afghanistan is still far from over. At least 15 Taliban fighters, including a senior commander were killed during a clash with U.S.-led forces overnight in the southern province of Kandahar, once of course a Taliban stronghold.

The U.S. military confirms the death toll adding that coalition and Afghan forces were backed by warplanes. The clash comes on the heels of a major operation against Taliban and al Qaeda remnants in the region.

Are the Taliban and al Qaeda back in business in Afghanistan? Are U.S. forces any closer to closing in on their leaders? Joining me from Atlanta, Jeff Beatty he's a security consultant who served in the elite Delta Force then took his antiterror skills to the FBI and the CIA.

Jeff thanks very much for joining us. How do U.S. Special Operations forces get ready to go into this mountainous area along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan where so many intelligence experts believe Osama bin Laden is supposedly hiding out?

JEFFREY BEATTY, SECURITY CONSULTANT: Well, Wolf, this is a mission that they've prepared for for years. It didn't come as a surprise to them on September 11. They were ready for this mission and one of the interesting things is the specter of Somalia is out there.

Everybody remembers the old movie "Black Hawk Down" and this is something that the al Qaeda are certainly focusing on. They feel that they had a victory in Somalia. Our Special Operations forces are being very, very deliberate.

I think the overnight action where there were 15 casualties on the other side indicates that this deliberate approach, this caution, this being on the lookout for the bated trap ambush is having results.

It's not the type of thing you get overnight. The al Qaeda certainly understand that they need to disperse that they should not achieve critical mass because that makes an even more attractive target.

But if we stay the course and we have the patience our individuals are equally good if not better, better conditioned at operating in this environment and you give that along with the technological edge that we have and in most situations our people are going to prevail.

BLITZER: I've spoken with Afghans and Pakistanis who tell me that even their best soldiers are afraid to go in this area, this no man's land if you will along the border. Do U.S. Special Operations forces have what it takes to get in there without even their help? Can they go in there alone not knowing the territory, not knowing the terrain, if you will, or the languages?

BEATTY: Well, they could but that's kind of I think based on an assumption that's not 100 percent correct. They will know the terrain. They've got fantastic technology to help them model the terrain, have an appreciation for the terrain. They train in rugged terrain. They will not be surprised by the terrain that they encounter.

They're also equipped for it. I remember when this first started people asked me gee what about the horrible Afghan winter? I mean we have far better equipment for the Afghan winter than the locals do so I think that we shouldn't be over intimidated by the conditions out there.

There was a book out years ago about jungle fighting and it said the jungle is neutral. The terrain is neutral and I think that our people are better conditioned for it. I think we have good intelligence, not perfect, but when you add, again, our technology I think we have a decided edge in almost every encounter.

BLITZER: One final question, Jeff, before I let you go. Landmines, there could be tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of them all over the place. How big of a problem is that for U.S. Special Operations forces?

BEATTY: Well, it is a problem. You cannot discount the fact that landmines are an unpleasant surprise particularly if you're trying to achieve surprise. You know the Taliban has, and Osama bin Laden have made use of old-fashioned face-to-face meetings and couriers and walking places and not using technology.

And, sometimes to get into places we, too, need to do that, take the long walk, the long hike over hills and infiltrate without the noise of a helicopter, et cetera, and in those situations landmines which are deployed for early warning could be an unpleasant surprise.

BLITZER: Jeff Beatty with some good analysis for us, thanks Jeff very much.

BEATTY: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Ready or not it looks like Isabel is indeed coming. Will the hurricane take aim at the East Coast of the United States? The answer is clearly yes.

Then, is Maria Shriver censoring her husband? Hear why Arnold's wife had to slap her hand over the candidate's mouth on the "Oprah Winfrey" show earlier today.

And a suspect is behind bars right now charged with killing the half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. But police are on the hunt for others. All those details on the investigation and more. All that still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Now, the latest on Hurricane Isabel, a powerful and dangerous storm that's taking aim at the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast.

Our meteorologist Brad Huffines is tracking Isabel from the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta.

Give us the latest, Brad.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wolf, this storm is a very serious hurricane. Even though it has weakened, substantially it's still a very strong hurricane.

Let me show you Isidore -- Isabel right now and show you exactly where this storm is moving. Presently, the storm is located 470 miles to the east of Nassau. The storm is still moving northwest 8 miles an hour. The storm has already coursed across much of the open Atlantic Ocean and is still heading northwest at around 8 miles an hour. In fact, I can show you exactly where the hurricane is at the top of the hour, the latest National Hurricane Center statistics show of winds of 125 now, moving northwest at 8, 740 miles south, southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Where will this storm be going? Well so far, the hurricane track continues to be about the same as it was earlier today. The storm should continue a track toward northwest, moving just off the shoreline of Georgia on Wednesday, moving just south of Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina Wednesday night. Thursday midday, you heard Max Mayfield, expect to see the storm move in -- moving inland across southern portions of the coastline of North Carolina. Then, Wolf, continuing up across portions of the Northeast into Friday and Saturday.

That's what the storm looks like right now. Good news is, Wolf, the storm has deintensified some. But the bad news it's a 125 mile an hour Category 3 hurricane still headed toward the Carolina shoreline.

BLITZER: All right. We'll be watching it very, very closely.

Thanks, Brad, very much for that.

The military isn't taking any chances with Isabel. It's already ordered 21 planes out of North Carolina and hundreds -- hundreds more may be moved from Virginia. Meanwhile, the Navy Atlantic Fleet has put many of its ships on standby and could decide anytime to order them out to sea, away from the path of the hurricane.

In the last decade or so, some massive hurricanes have left their calling cards up and down the U.S. East Coast. Who can forget Andrew and the devastation it brought to South Florida? Hugo, and its impact on the Carolinas? Or Fran, and the flooding it caused. Now Hurricane Isabel appears to be taking aim at the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): It's not just that Isabel is heading toward the Mid Atlantic seaboard of the U.S. with ominous projections.

MAYFIELD: If Isabel stays close to our forecast track and if it does make landfall as a major hurricane, it has the potential for large loss of life if we don't take it seriously and prepare.

BLITZER: What Max Mayfield and other hurricane trackers are worried about is that this storm may make landfall in an area that has rarely, if ever, been hit squarely by a hurricane this size.

MAYFIELD: They really have not had a direct hit, certainly from a major hurricane, on the DelMarVa or the New Jersey coast and...

BLITZER: For perspective, look at how many major hurricanes have hit or even affected the East Coast of the United States, from North Carolina upward.

A major hurricane, categories 3, 4, or 5, winds at least 110 miles per hour in strength. Only three of the very strongest Category 5 have hit the mainland U.S. at all, devastating southern coast lines who have seen these monsters before.

Andrew, the most recent, hitting South Florida in 1992, killing 43 people.

Only slightly less intense, category fours are rarely seen on the Eastern Seaboard. 1989, Hugo, the strongest Category 4 to hit that 4 north. It roars into South Carolina, then tracks into North Carolina and Virginia, 49 dead.

1960, Donna, another Category 4 with stamina. She blasted into the Everglades, then lashes every state from Florida to New England. Some 50 people killed.

Now, as Isabel moves toward the Mid-Atlantic region, we keep hearing it.

MAYFIELD: People need to at least be preparing, thinking about what they're going to do if it stays on the forecast track.

BLITZER: Experts stay Isabel may fall short of maximum strength by the time it makes landfall, possibly down to Category 3, and will weaken as it moves northward. But still, a major hurricane, along a huge front of some 350 miles and may be hitting densely populated areas.

More perspective, even with weaker storms, Category 2 and lower, winds not as strong, it's the storm surge, huge waves, massive rainfall, inland flooding that wreak havoc, especially in areas with few defenses.

1999, Floyd, a Category 2, comes ashore in South Carolina, still kills 47 people, causes $4.5 billion in damage.

1972, Agnes, barely a hurricane, at Category 1. Devastating, nonetheless. She sweeps into Florida, then batters the East Coast intermittently from Georgia to New York. Massive rains and flooding, 122 people killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And this important note to our viewers on the East Coast. Today and tomorrow, important time to make preparations. Have a plan. Deal with this potential, potential threat out there.

An arrest is made in the shooting death of Venus and Serena Williams' half-sister. So why are police looking for several others?

Then, a tragic, very tragic discovery in Florida. Police are piecing together clues in the case of two children found in a Florida lake.

And dramatic video at an air show. An Air Force Thunderbird takes a dive. We have that story coming up.

First, though, a quick look at other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Russian bomb attack. A truck packed with explosives blew up outside government security offices near the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya, killing at least two people. The attack comes three weeks before Chechnya's presidential election. There has been no claim of responsibility. Euro defeated. Swedish voters have overwhelmingly decided against adopting the euro as Sweden's national currency. The vote followed last week's murder of the Swedish foreign minister, Anna Lindh, a leading supporter of the euro. It is unclear what effect, if any, Lindh's death had on the referendum.

Trade talks collapse. Delegates from developing nations walked out of the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Members from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia say wealthy nations failed to compromise on issues such as agriculture.

Deadly typhoon. South Korea's worst typhoon on record killed more than 90 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage. The storm slammed the south and east coasts with winds reaching speeds of 135 miles an hour.

Madonna's new book. No, it is not about sex. Titled "The English Roses," it's a children's book, whose characters are 11-year- old girls in London who dress like supermodels. The theme focuses on the destructive power of jealousy and envy. And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A suspect is under arrest in California in the shooting death of the older half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Yetunde Price was killed yesterday, about a mile from the tennis courts where Venus and Serena began playing the sport that they would come to dominate.

Our national correspondent Frank Buckley has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): One person is in custody in connection with the murder. He's identified as 24-year-old Aaron Hammer. Detectives say he is a gang associate. He was in the home at the crime scene early Sunday morning in Compton, just after midnight. Deputies converged on the scene, brought several people out of this home, at the shooting scene, questioned them throughout the day on Sunday, then late Sunday evening. They booked Mr. Hammer on suspicion of murder.

Investigators say the house in which he was detained is one they describe as a problem residence, where there had been previous investigations of gang and drug activity. No word on motive, or the exact circumstances of the shooting. Investigators only saying that there was a confrontation and that shots were fired.

LT. DAN ROSENBERG, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: There was six people that were initially taken out of the residence. And after we interviewed all of the individuals, we determined that one of them is named Aaron Michael Hammer. He's a 24-year-old male, was involved in the incident and he was actually one of the shooters. BUCKLEY: Yetunde Price was in an SUV with an acquaintance, Rolland Wormley, when she was shot and killed. He was not injured. But he was arrested on a parole violation. Yetunde Price was a single mother with three young children. She was also the personal assistant and the business manager for Serena and Venus Williams. We are told that both of the tennis stars are here in Los Angeles grieving with other family members about Yetunde Price. Family members said through a spokesperson that she was the glue that held everything together.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Monterey Park, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: In Florida, a major development in the case of a man suspected of drowning his toddler daughter and attempting to drown his 4-year-old son. Authorities say Brian Christopher Randall killed himself today by driving his car into a tracker trailer. Randall's two other children, who were in the SUV, were injured. Officials say the case is being treated as a murder-suicide. The suicide note was found in Randall's SUV, but officials said it contained no motive. The body of Randall's 2-year-old daughter was found in a small lake yesterday. His 4-year-old son was found there also, and he's in a hospital right now, in serious condition. Police say the ordeal began when Randall picked up his children Friday from his estranged wife and was supposed to return them yesterday.

The courts weigh in, but the candidates move on. Just ahead, the big names in the California recall make some high profile appearances. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Indiana's governor, Frank O'Bannon, died Saturday, five days after suffering a stroke.

LT. GOV. JOE KERNAN, INDIANA: And I will faithfully discharge my duties.

BLITZER: Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan was sworn in hours later to serve the remaining 16 months of O'Bannon's terms.

Some surprising images of babies in a womb. A British researcher says new scanning technologies show a range of facial expressions, including smiling, blinking and crying. Some are believed to be reflexes.

A fiery crash at an air show in Idaho. One of the famous performing Thunderbird F-16s slammed onto the runway and burst into flames. The pilot safely ejected.

A new NFL rushing record. Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens ran 295 yards in yesterday's game against Cleveland. He carried the ball 30 times and scored two touchdowns.

And "People" magazine reported the breakup of Hollywood's highest profile couple. It said Ben Affleck dumped Jennifer Lopez just days after they decided to postpone their wedding because of excessive media attention.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More now on the California recall election. The court ruling ordering it being postponed came as the Governor Gray Davis and the candidate Arnold Schwartznegger were making critical appearances. Once again, here is CNN national correspondent Bob Franken, he's joining us live -- Bob.

FRANKEN: CNN has learned the attorneys for one of the parties in this case one of the losing parties, who is Ted Casta the man who initiated the recall. Attorneys have decided they will bypass the normal appeals court process here and go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court within the next 48 hours to try to overturn a ruling which would delay the October 7 recall election. Still to be decided is what the secretary of state is going to do, what process he's going to follow. Attorney Chuck Diamond told CNN he calls on the secretary of state to try not to run out the clock on the election before deciding it has to go to until March. While all of that was going the campaign clock continued to tick. The candidates continued to operate as if things were normal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN, (voice-over): In a state that certainly respects star power, Former President Bill Clinton for the second day in a row was allowing beleaguered Governer Gray Davis to bask in the glow of his charisma.

WILLIAM CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am profoundly grateful your governor and lieutenant governor are here today because they show you are the future of California and that education is our most important job.

FRANKEN: This time the setting was the newly named William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School. As the polls show that Davis, although unpopular, may be turning the tide against recall, fellow national Democrats are being streaming to the state to be seen alongside the governor. But the battle to replace Davis was fought by Schwarzenegger and his wife on a much softer turf.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I am so excited about this election and what we can do. So I chimed in with energy. I'm a little puppy. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) really excited about new things.

FRANKEN: Schwarzenegger has been dogged by a substantial gender gap. Hence, the appearance with his wife on the Oprah Winfrey Show and conversation about the other interviews from yesteryear.

SCHWARZENEGGER: This is the time remember we promoted bodybuilding, promoted pumping iron and say the most outrage us things that you can say to make headlines and to be out there and to build the sport up. You know, this was the time were I was saying things like a pump is betting than coming and all those kind of things. You know, like today...

MARIA SHRIVER, WIFE OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: My mother is watching the show. My mother is watching the show.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Don't pay attention, whatever eunice is.

FRANKEN: The woman's vote not the only problem.

TOM MCLINTOCK (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: The reason he feels it would be better if I was out is because I had all the momentum. I've gone from an asteris to a solid third place position in 18 points in a span of just four weeks. Meanwhile, he has been stuck absolutely dead in the water in the mid to low 20s. I have no doubts he would like me to leave the race. If my momentum continues into the second half of this race, I will be in first place in a matter of just a few weeks. That's why it is called a race.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: But the question, Wolf, is what race?

Here is the timetable. There are seven days, there is a stay on for seven days for appeals to be filed. The election is supposed to be held in three weeks. If it is not, it will be held next March -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Bob Franken, breaking news on this program as he often does. Thanks, Bob, very much.

And our hot "Web Question" of the day is this. Would you want an election you were going to vote in to be delayed but of punch-card polling machines?

Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results, that's coming up.

First, the answer to "Today's News Quiz."

Earlier we asked, what was the costliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland?

Andrew was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. The catagory five hurricane came ashore on August 24, 1992, and cost $26.5 billion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: That's the results of our web question of the day. Let's hear from you right now. I'll read some of our e-mail on the california recall. John writes this. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Hurricane Isabel; U.S. Troops Clash With Taliban>


Aired September 15, 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: It's a monster. Hurricane Isabel eyes the eastern seaboard. It's happening right now, Virginia declaring a state of emergency already and the National Hurricane Center releases its latest tracking information.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Hung up by hanging chads, calling a halt to California's recall.

Isabel takes aim but where, urgent preparations all along the East Coast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once it gets to a category three or higher, what we call a major hurricane, you can expect extensive damage.

BLITZER: Taking on the Taliban, again, U.S. troops clash with al Qaeda's allies. Is bin Laden next?

Tragedy strikes a tennis family, is there a gang connection?

A stunning development in the case of two Florida children found by fishermen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The domestic situation is just not right.

(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 Monday, September 15, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Big changes and major storms that are brewing on both -- both U.S. coasts.

In California a bolt of lightning in the political storm that is the recall election. A federal appeals court has ordered the vote postponed.

And along the East Coast preparations for a real storm, Hurricane Isabel a potential killer taking direct aim at the Mid Atlantic states.

We begin with a major shakeup, though, in the California recall, a federal appeals court ordering election officials to postpone the vote.

Our National Correspondent Bob Franken is following developments for us. He's joining us now live from L.A. -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the lower court had ruled there is a strong public interest in going forward. That was the judge's words. Now the appeals court says we agree that the issuance of a preliminary injunction is warranted and reversed the order of the lower court.

Bottom line, unless there is a change, the election scheduled for October 7th will be delayed but the three judge panel has given seven days for one part or the other to file an appeal and what is their strategy going to be? Well, Wolf, when you passed all the legalisms this is going to be their strategy.

They don't know. They don't know whether they're going to go through the normal process and go through the appeals court and have an en banc hearing to it, that means a larger group of judges or, given the fact that there's only three weeks before the election, go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, ask for some sort of expedited appeal.

They're having a conference call at this very minute, some of the lawyers who say they're going to appeal, to decide which is the best route? The fact of the matter is that if this election is delayed by the order of these judges it would be delayed until next March -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bob Franken with the latest headlines from Los Angeles we'll be getting back to you, Bob. Thanks very much.

Meanwhile, candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger was on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" today trying to calm the controversy over comments he made about group sex in a 1970s interview with an adult magazine. Bob will be back later this hour. He'll have details on that plus Bill Clinton's involvement in this recall election.

And for more on the recall ruling that's happening today let's check in with our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. He's joining us now live from New York. Bottom line, will this go forward? Won't it go forward? And, if it doesn't go forward now when will this recall election take place?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, let me answer your last question first. If it doesn't go forward October 9 it will certainly go forward in March of next year when the ordinary California primary is scheduled to take place. I think that much is clear. The issue is October or March.

As for what will happen next, what will the courts do? That's where things start to get awfully murky, Wolf. This decision I think can safely be said was a surprise. You had three liberal judges, two Bill Clinton appointees, one Jimmy Carter appointee doing something that a Democratic governor very much wanted done.

There are several conservative judges on that Ninth Circuit. They may well want to have the whole court hear it. I expect that the appellate process will go forward. It will go forward quickly and there will certainly be more legal rulings before October 7th determining whether that date holds.

BLITZER: So, the next legal step, assuming someone wants to appeal this decision by the three judges is to have the entire Ninth Circuit, all of the judges, take a look at it is that right?

TOOBIN: That's the most likely route, although it is possible that the opponents of this decision will skip that stage altogether and go directly to the Supreme Court. That's a strategic choice that they have to make.

BLITZER: So, are we thinking along the lines of another Florida fiasco if it goes to the U.S. Supreme Court given the makeup of the court?

TOOBIN: You know the irony, Wolf, is not only is that a possibility but the decision that is cited over and over again in today's opinion is Bush v. Gore except it's the Democrats sort of hoisting the Republicans by their own (unintelligible) saying well you thought that voting -- the voting processes had to be governed by equal protection. We'll show you equal protection. We're going to cancel this recount unless all the voting machines in California can more or less be handled the same way.

BLITZER: It doesn't look like that's going to happen before October 7th. Jeffrey Toobin thanks very much.

TOOBIN: Out of the question.

BLITZER: All right, Jeffrey Toobin.

TOOBIN: OK.

BLITZER: Our legal analyst.

And please stay with CNN for all the latest updates on the California recall and be sure to join Larry King. That's this Wednesday. His special guest, yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wednesday night, "LARRY KING LIVE", 9:00 p.m. Eastern, of course only here on CNN.

Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Would you want an election you were going to vote in to be delayed because of punch-card polling machines?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote right now, cnn.com/wolf.

While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Now to the other huge storm, this one not a political storm, a real storm, preparations underway right now in the Carolinas and, and points north for the possible arrival of Hurricane Isabel.

Virginia has just declared a state of emergency in advance of the arrival. While it's too early to tell where Isabel will make landfall, people in that region already are boarding up homes and businesses as they keep a close watch, a very close watch on the sea.

For the latest on Isabel Max Mayfield joining us now from the National Hurricane Center in Miami he, of course, is the director. You've just released some new information, Mr. Mayfield. Tell our viewers what we could all expect.

MAX MAYFIELD, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: OK, Wolf. We've got a little bit of good news. It's weakened a little bit. The winds are down to 125 miles per hour but it's still a very dangerous category three hurricane and our forecast has been very consistent here for the last couple of days in taking this system toward the northwest, toward North Carolina.

But it's a very large circulation and we really want everybody from North Carolina all the way up into southern New England to monitor the progress of this hurricane very, very carefully.

BLITZER: What is the best guess and I think it's a guess at this point, although you have a lot of science backing you up, when it might actually hit landfall?

MAYFIELD: Well, the most likely scenario on our forecast track and, again, this has been very consistent. The models are in pretty good agreement right now for the center of the hurricane to be near the North Carolina coast on Thursday, probably around Noon, but the fact that this is such a large circulation though those tropical storm force winds may well be there by Wednesday night probably around midnight.

So, we could very well have a hurricane watch issued sometime even tomorrow morning and then the warning will follow probably tomorrow evening. We really want to give people all day Wednesday to make their final preparations.

BLITZER: So, presumably airports are going to be closed to the major urban areas like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia. Are we talking about other areas, Baltimore? What are we hearing about the possible impact on the major urban areas in this path?

MAYFIELD: I would expect this if it stays close to our forecast track and, of course, it can still change a little bit, I would expect to see some change over the next two days but I would expect to see extensive damage to a very large section of the country.

It's been a long time since we've had a hurricane on this track really to come in, especially and effect Delmarva (ph) and even the New Jersey coastline like this one will do. BLITZER: Max Mayfield we'll be talking often in the next days, certainly the next hours as well. Thanks very much for that update just in to CNN.

MAYFIELD: Yes, sir. Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

North Carolina, of course, no stranger to hurricanes and the well rehearsed preparations are right now in full swing.

CNN's Jeff Flock is joining us now live from Wrightsville. That's in North Carolina. It looks beautiful behind you but that could be very misleading couldn't it, Jeff?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Beautiful today, Wolf, but who knows what the next few days hold. We're going to be spending this hurricane with members of the Hurricane Intercept Research Team.

Take a look at this vehicle. You can track their progress by the way at hurricanetrack.com if you see it there. This looks like almost one of those vehicles that we saw in that movie "Twister" right?

Mark Sudduth is a man who runs this organization. Why do you come out and run this vehicle? It's designed to go right in the heart of the hurricane, yes?

MARK SUDDUTH, HURRICANE CHASER: Right, we have this one. We have another one similar to this one that old Isuzu we've been working with for a few years.

FLOCK: And you go right out into the hurricane with this?

SUDDUTH: We have to. To understand the storm you really got to get into it to better understand it.

FLOCK: Show me quickly what I'm seeing up on top of the truck. What's this first thing I'm seeing here spinning?

SUDDUTH: Anemometer wind gauge records the wind speed and direction.

FLOCK: I got you. What's this thing right here? It looks like a radar.

SUDDUTH: A beehive. Yes, really.

FLOCK: Is that all your data coming in there?

SUDDUTH: Weather data, temperature, barometer, you name it.

FLOCK: You've got live weather radar coming in here, at least you will when the storm is on.

SUDDUTH: Right, we sure will. FLOCK: What's in the dome thing there?

SUDDUTH: In the dome we have a nice camera so we don't have to sit there with handheld cameras recording everything, gawking at stuff. We don't want to do that. We want to have research. So, this will tape stuff for us on a 360-degree pan all the time.

FLOCK: Inside the truck, Jeffrey if we can get inside the truck there maybe you can see. That's the latest satellite picture there (unintelligible)?

SUDDUTH: Latest infrared satellite and we can loop it. We got it already pulled up. You can see the motion of it. That's just a few minutes old.

FLOCK: So, you'll be able to use that data that live radar data to be able to tell you exactly where to go to get the worst of it to get right in the eye wall, right?

SUDDUTH: To be in the worst of it and to also know where my escape routes are north of me since it's going to be coming from the south. That's exactly right, Jeff.

FLOCK: Dangerous stuff in this kind of a dangerous storm.

SUDDUTH: Right, it can be dangerous and we're going to be very careful and do the best we can.

FLOCK: Mark Sudduth, we're going to spend the next three or four days with you and we'll see how it goes.

SUDDUTH: (Unintelligible.)

FLOCK: Wolf, we'll be keeping an eye on it, should be quite a ride here on the Carolina coast, back to you.

BLITZER: Jeff, we're all anxiously awaiting, of course, your reporting given your experience with these kinds of hurricanes. This is going to be a big one though. Are people where you are getting ready? Are they taking the precautions? Are they beginning to leave their homes and head inland? What's going on?

FLOCK: I'll tell you, I want to show you this house right over here, Wolf. They've already starting pulling the boards out. You can't really see. It's kind of dark in the garage but they're already pulling their boards out to start boarding up and we don't even know that it's coming here but they're already starting to take preparations, which this far out very surprising to me, something that we don't normally see unless we know the hurricane is really headed this way.

BLITZER: And people are nervous or are they seemingly upbeat? What are they saying?

FLOCK: They really understand that this is a massive storm and, you know, as you say you look at this scene out here right now no one panicking at the moment or anything. You can see a lot of activity out on the beach but they really know how powerful this storm is and what a big deal it could be here so they're really ready to make this move at any time and I think we're going to start to see that tomorrow.

BLITZER: CNN's Jeff Flock. He's getting ready. Our viewers are probably getting ready, all of us anxious to see already what's going on. No one covers hurricanes better than Jeff Flock. We'll stay with CNN, of course, throughout these next several days for all the latest information, much more news coming up including more news later this hour on Hurricane Isabel.

In the meantime, is Arnold Schwarzenegger out to impress the ladies? Will an appearance on "Oprah" help him earn more votes in California?

Then, a tragedy, a real tragedy for two tennis greats, a shooting leads to the death of their older half sister but police have a break in the case right now.

And, we're tracking, as we said, the storm all hour, Hurricane Isabel. Will it deal a devastating blow to the East Coast? We'll have that.

First, our news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): What was the costliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland, Andrew, Hugo, Fran, Opal," the answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Did someone mean to hurt the children? Four siblings in Florida, one dead, the other fighting for their lives right now, find out why police are focusing on the victims' father, that and much more coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

The Bush administration is using its power of the purse when it comes to Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories and the security wall Israel is building in the West Bank may lead to yet further economic sanctions.

Let's go live to our Senior White House Correspondent John King -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, CNN is told that later today the Bush administration will notify Israel and will publicly announce that it is reducing the amount of loan guarantees the Israeli government can get from the United States because of Israeli spending in what the administration considers illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

Now, back in the first Bush administration when then President Bush withheld some loan guarantees it caused a great deal of tension in U.S.-Israeli relations that policy though now more than a decade on the books so the Israeli government has been expecting that step.

The next key step is will the Bush administration sanction Israel even further and reduce those loan guarantees by an additional amount because of the money Israel is spending on that fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories in the West Bank? The administration will say today that it has not made that decision just yet.

Just a few weeks ago we were told to look for it soon but the administration says it is prepared to impose additional sanctions but will wait more time and continue its consultations with the Israeli government.

Mr. Bush, of course, says that fence is an obstacle to revitalizing the peace process. He made that quite clear to Prime Minister Sharon when he was here in July but pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress, Wolf, have promised this administration a firestorm of criticism if the president imposes additional sanctions on Israel because of that fence.

The administration again today will take some steps. The Israeli government says it doesn't like it but it accepts it. The big question will be left for another day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Practically speaking, John, how much money are we talking about, tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars? What is the bottom line number approximately at least how much the loan guarantees could be reduced?

KING: In terms of the settlement activity it is a dollar-for- dollar reduction. If Israel spends $100 million in the settlements the loan guarantees are reduced by $100 million.

If they go the next step and impose penalties because of construction of the wall, the administration will have to come up with a formula how much is being spent on the wall, how much of that comes from aid or assistance that comes through the United States and deduct it then.

In the end, most officials believe Israel will not borrow up to the $3 billion a year limit in those loan guarantees so, in effect, the effect could be moot if Israel does not use the full authority but we have to wait to find out if the administration takes the next step, the much more controversial step of imposing sanctions because of that fence.

BLITZER: All right, John King with the latest at the White House, potentially a very politically explosive moment right now in U.S.-Israeli relations. Thanks very much, John, for that.

Meantime, Palestinians continue to rally to the support of the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Israel's government has decided in principle to "remove him" and that's a quote but there is some debate over whether that could mean killing the Palestinian leader.

Let's go live to CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney. She's joining us from Jerusalem -- Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf, yesterday, Sunday, Ehud Olmert who's the Israel Vice Prime Minister said that the option of killing Yasser Arafat was on the table. This follows Thursday night's security cabinet meeting at which Israel decided to "remove Yasser Arafat from the equation at a time and date of its choosing."

But today, Monday, the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom held a news conference and during that news conference he said that the Israeli government didn't have an immediate time frame for removing Yasser Arafat nor was it official government policy to kill him.

Meanwhile, the man who's the focus of so much attention, Yasser Arafat, waved before the thousands of Palestinians who've been rallying daily to him outside his compound in Ramallah, Arafat repeating every day that he will not leave. He will not be kicked out from Ramallah.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that negotiations are continuing to try and reinstate some kind of cease-fire among the Hamas militants. There is discussion taking place now among the various factions. This all, of course, taking place against the backdrop of a suicide bombing here in the city last Tuesday night. Israel, Jerusalem in particular, remaining on high alert -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney reporting live from Jerusalem. Fionnuala, thanks very much.

Dangerous missions, dangerous ground. There's been a nasty firefight between U.S. and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Just ahead, a former Delta Force member tells us what American troops, what Special Operations forces are going through right now.

And, tracking a monster in the Mid Atlanta, in the path of Hurricane Isabel, but can that region handle a storm of this potential size?

And, devastation for a big name sports family, we'll have details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

In Iraq today, the Secretary of State Colin Powell got a glimpse of a horrible past and spoke of hopes for a brighter future but the present means more grinding day in and day out violence, of course, for U.S. forces.

Let's go live to our Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson. He's in Baghdad -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Secretary Powell left Iraq late this afternoon. He had been in country a day and a half. He met with senior coalition officials, Baghdad City Council, Iraq's Governing Council, Iraq's new foreign minister, a senior Shiite cleric, as well as Kurdish officials in northern Iraq today.

When he left, however, he said one of his primary concerns was still the security in the central Sunni Triangle in Iraq. He said that he was concerned about outside terrorist influences getting into Iraq and getting into that volatile region.

Indeed, while he was in Iraq for that brief day and a half period two U.S. soldiers killed, one in the early hours this morning, his convoy hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Late in the day, news coming as well likely troubling for the coalition, a senior police chief inside that Sunni Triangle killed. Of course the Iraqi police here working with the coalition officials.

Police in that region recently have been complaining that the Iraqi resistance fighters have been intimidating them and threatening them so the death of that senior police official likely to be troubling for the coalition -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Troubling indeed, thanks very much Nic Robertson with the latest from Baghdad.

Almost two years after it began, the war in Afghanistan is still far from over. At least 15 Taliban fighters, including a senior commander were killed during a clash with U.S.-led forces overnight in the southern province of Kandahar, once of course a Taliban stronghold.

The U.S. military confirms the death toll adding that coalition and Afghan forces were backed by warplanes. The clash comes on the heels of a major operation against Taliban and al Qaeda remnants in the region.

Are the Taliban and al Qaeda back in business in Afghanistan? Are U.S. forces any closer to closing in on their leaders? Joining me from Atlanta, Jeff Beatty he's a security consultant who served in the elite Delta Force then took his antiterror skills to the FBI and the CIA.

Jeff thanks very much for joining us. How do U.S. Special Operations forces get ready to go into this mountainous area along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan where so many intelligence experts believe Osama bin Laden is supposedly hiding out?

JEFFREY BEATTY, SECURITY CONSULTANT: Well, Wolf, this is a mission that they've prepared for for years. It didn't come as a surprise to them on September 11. They were ready for this mission and one of the interesting things is the specter of Somalia is out there.

Everybody remembers the old movie "Black Hawk Down" and this is something that the al Qaeda are certainly focusing on. They feel that they had a victory in Somalia. Our Special Operations forces are being very, very deliberate.

I think the overnight action where there were 15 casualties on the other side indicates that this deliberate approach, this caution, this being on the lookout for the bated trap ambush is having results.

It's not the type of thing you get overnight. The al Qaeda certainly understand that they need to disperse that they should not achieve critical mass because that makes an even more attractive target.

But if we stay the course and we have the patience our individuals are equally good if not better, better conditioned at operating in this environment and you give that along with the technological edge that we have and in most situations our people are going to prevail.

BLITZER: I've spoken with Afghans and Pakistanis who tell me that even their best soldiers are afraid to go in this area, this no man's land if you will along the border. Do U.S. Special Operations forces have what it takes to get in there without even their help? Can they go in there alone not knowing the territory, not knowing the terrain, if you will, or the languages?

BEATTY: Well, they could but that's kind of I think based on an assumption that's not 100 percent correct. They will know the terrain. They've got fantastic technology to help them model the terrain, have an appreciation for the terrain. They train in rugged terrain. They will not be surprised by the terrain that they encounter.

They're also equipped for it. I remember when this first started people asked me gee what about the horrible Afghan winter? I mean we have far better equipment for the Afghan winter than the locals do so I think that we shouldn't be over intimidated by the conditions out there.

There was a book out years ago about jungle fighting and it said the jungle is neutral. The terrain is neutral and I think that our people are better conditioned for it. I think we have good intelligence, not perfect, but when you add, again, our technology I think we have a decided edge in almost every encounter.

BLITZER: One final question, Jeff, before I let you go. Landmines, there could be tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of them all over the place. How big of a problem is that for U.S. Special Operations forces?

BEATTY: Well, it is a problem. You cannot discount the fact that landmines are an unpleasant surprise particularly if you're trying to achieve surprise. You know the Taliban has, and Osama bin Laden have made use of old-fashioned face-to-face meetings and couriers and walking places and not using technology.

And, sometimes to get into places we, too, need to do that, take the long walk, the long hike over hills and infiltrate without the noise of a helicopter, et cetera, and in those situations landmines which are deployed for early warning could be an unpleasant surprise.

BLITZER: Jeff Beatty with some good analysis for us, thanks Jeff very much.

BEATTY: You're welcome.

BLITZER: Ready or not it looks like Isabel is indeed coming. Will the hurricane take aim at the East Coast of the United States? The answer is clearly yes.

Then, is Maria Shriver censoring her husband? Hear why Arnold's wife had to slap her hand over the candidate's mouth on the "Oprah Winfrey" show earlier today.

And a suspect is behind bars right now charged with killing the half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. But police are on the hunt for others. All those details on the investigation and more. All that still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: Now, the latest on Hurricane Isabel, a powerful and dangerous storm that's taking aim at the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast.

Our meteorologist Brad Huffines is tracking Isabel from the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta.

Give us the latest, Brad.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wolf, this storm is a very serious hurricane. Even though it has weakened, substantially it's still a very strong hurricane.

Let me show you Isidore -- Isabel right now and show you exactly where this storm is moving. Presently, the storm is located 470 miles to the east of Nassau. The storm is still moving northwest 8 miles an hour. The storm has already coursed across much of the open Atlantic Ocean and is still heading northwest at around 8 miles an hour. In fact, I can show you exactly where the hurricane is at the top of the hour, the latest National Hurricane Center statistics show of winds of 125 now, moving northwest at 8, 740 miles south, southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Where will this storm be going? Well so far, the hurricane track continues to be about the same as it was earlier today. The storm should continue a track toward northwest, moving just off the shoreline of Georgia on Wednesday, moving just south of Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina Wednesday night. Thursday midday, you heard Max Mayfield, expect to see the storm move in -- moving inland across southern portions of the coastline of North Carolina. Then, Wolf, continuing up across portions of the Northeast into Friday and Saturday.

That's what the storm looks like right now. Good news is, Wolf, the storm has deintensified some. But the bad news it's a 125 mile an hour Category 3 hurricane still headed toward the Carolina shoreline.

BLITZER: All right. We'll be watching it very, very closely.

Thanks, Brad, very much for that.

The military isn't taking any chances with Isabel. It's already ordered 21 planes out of North Carolina and hundreds -- hundreds more may be moved from Virginia. Meanwhile, the Navy Atlantic Fleet has put many of its ships on standby and could decide anytime to order them out to sea, away from the path of the hurricane.

In the last decade or so, some massive hurricanes have left their calling cards up and down the U.S. East Coast. Who can forget Andrew and the devastation it brought to South Florida? Hugo, and its impact on the Carolinas? Or Fran, and the flooding it caused. Now Hurricane Isabel appears to be taking aim at the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): It's not just that Isabel is heading toward the Mid Atlantic seaboard of the U.S. with ominous projections.

MAYFIELD: If Isabel stays close to our forecast track and if it does make landfall as a major hurricane, it has the potential for large loss of life if we don't take it seriously and prepare.

BLITZER: What Max Mayfield and other hurricane trackers are worried about is that this storm may make landfall in an area that has rarely, if ever, been hit squarely by a hurricane this size.

MAYFIELD: They really have not had a direct hit, certainly from a major hurricane, on the DelMarVa or the New Jersey coast and...

BLITZER: For perspective, look at how many major hurricanes have hit or even affected the East Coast of the United States, from North Carolina upward.

A major hurricane, categories 3, 4, or 5, winds at least 110 miles per hour in strength. Only three of the very strongest Category 5 have hit the mainland U.S. at all, devastating southern coast lines who have seen these monsters before.

Andrew, the most recent, hitting South Florida in 1992, killing 43 people.

Only slightly less intense, category fours are rarely seen on the Eastern Seaboard. 1989, Hugo, the strongest Category 4 to hit that 4 north. It roars into South Carolina, then tracks into North Carolina and Virginia, 49 dead.

1960, Donna, another Category 4 with stamina. She blasted into the Everglades, then lashes every state from Florida to New England. Some 50 people killed.

Now, as Isabel moves toward the Mid-Atlantic region, we keep hearing it.

MAYFIELD: People need to at least be preparing, thinking about what they're going to do if it stays on the forecast track.

BLITZER: Experts stay Isabel may fall short of maximum strength by the time it makes landfall, possibly down to Category 3, and will weaken as it moves northward. But still, a major hurricane, along a huge front of some 350 miles and may be hitting densely populated areas.

More perspective, even with weaker storms, Category 2 and lower, winds not as strong, it's the storm surge, huge waves, massive rainfall, inland flooding that wreak havoc, especially in areas with few defenses.

1999, Floyd, a Category 2, comes ashore in South Carolina, still kills 47 people, causes $4.5 billion in damage.

1972, Agnes, barely a hurricane, at Category 1. Devastating, nonetheless. She sweeps into Florida, then batters the East Coast intermittently from Georgia to New York. Massive rains and flooding, 122 people killed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And this important note to our viewers on the East Coast. Today and tomorrow, important time to make preparations. Have a plan. Deal with this potential, potential threat out there.

An arrest is made in the shooting death of Venus and Serena Williams' half-sister. So why are police looking for several others?

Then, a tragic, very tragic discovery in Florida. Police are piecing together clues in the case of two children found in a Florida lake.

And dramatic video at an air show. An Air Force Thunderbird takes a dive. We have that story coming up.

First, though, a quick look at other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Russian bomb attack. A truck packed with explosives blew up outside government security offices near the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya, killing at least two people. The attack comes three weeks before Chechnya's presidential election. There has been no claim of responsibility. Euro defeated. Swedish voters have overwhelmingly decided against adopting the euro as Sweden's national currency. The vote followed last week's murder of the Swedish foreign minister, Anna Lindh, a leading supporter of the euro. It is unclear what effect, if any, Lindh's death had on the referendum.

Trade talks collapse. Delegates from developing nations walked out of the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Members from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia say wealthy nations failed to compromise on issues such as agriculture.

Deadly typhoon. South Korea's worst typhoon on record killed more than 90 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage. The storm slammed the south and east coasts with winds reaching speeds of 135 miles an hour.

Madonna's new book. No, it is not about sex. Titled "The English Roses," it's a children's book, whose characters are 11-year- old girls in London who dress like supermodels. The theme focuses on the destructive power of jealousy and envy. And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A suspect is under arrest in California in the shooting death of the older half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Yetunde Price was killed yesterday, about a mile from the tennis courts where Venus and Serena began playing the sport that they would come to dominate.

Our national correspondent Frank Buckley has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): One person is in custody in connection with the murder. He's identified as 24-year-old Aaron Hammer. Detectives say he is a gang associate. He was in the home at the crime scene early Sunday morning in Compton, just after midnight. Deputies converged on the scene, brought several people out of this home, at the shooting scene, questioned them throughout the day on Sunday, then late Sunday evening. They booked Mr. Hammer on suspicion of murder.

Investigators say the house in which he was detained is one they describe as a problem residence, where there had been previous investigations of gang and drug activity. No word on motive, or the exact circumstances of the shooting. Investigators only saying that there was a confrontation and that shots were fired.

LT. DAN ROSENBERG, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: There was six people that were initially taken out of the residence. And after we interviewed all of the individuals, we determined that one of them is named Aaron Michael Hammer. He's a 24-year-old male, was involved in the incident and he was actually one of the shooters. BUCKLEY: Yetunde Price was in an SUV with an acquaintance, Rolland Wormley, when she was shot and killed. He was not injured. But he was arrested on a parole violation. Yetunde Price was a single mother with three young children. She was also the personal assistant and the business manager for Serena and Venus Williams. We are told that both of the tennis stars are here in Los Angeles grieving with other family members about Yetunde Price. Family members said through a spokesperson that she was the glue that held everything together.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Monterey Park, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: In Florida, a major development in the case of a man suspected of drowning his toddler daughter and attempting to drown his 4-year-old son. Authorities say Brian Christopher Randall killed himself today by driving his car into a tracker trailer. Randall's two other children, who were in the SUV, were injured. Officials say the case is being treated as a murder-suicide. The suicide note was found in Randall's SUV, but officials said it contained no motive. The body of Randall's 2-year-old daughter was found in a small lake yesterday. His 4-year-old son was found there also, and he's in a hospital right now, in serious condition. Police say the ordeal began when Randall picked up his children Friday from his estranged wife and was supposed to return them yesterday.

The courts weigh in, but the candidates move on. Just ahead, the big names in the California recall make some high profile appearances. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Indiana's governor, Frank O'Bannon, died Saturday, five days after suffering a stroke.

LT. GOV. JOE KERNAN, INDIANA: And I will faithfully discharge my duties.

BLITZER: Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan was sworn in hours later to serve the remaining 16 months of O'Bannon's terms.

Some surprising images of babies in a womb. A British researcher says new scanning technologies show a range of facial expressions, including smiling, blinking and crying. Some are believed to be reflexes.

A fiery crash at an air show in Idaho. One of the famous performing Thunderbird F-16s slammed onto the runway and burst into flames. The pilot safely ejected.

A new NFL rushing record. Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens ran 295 yards in yesterday's game against Cleveland. He carried the ball 30 times and scored two touchdowns.

And "People" magazine reported the breakup of Hollywood's highest profile couple. It said Ben Affleck dumped Jennifer Lopez just days after they decided to postpone their wedding because of excessive media attention.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More now on the California recall election. The court ruling ordering it being postponed came as the Governor Gray Davis and the candidate Arnold Schwartznegger were making critical appearances. Once again, here is CNN national correspondent Bob Franken, he's joining us live -- Bob.

FRANKEN: CNN has learned the attorneys for one of the parties in this case one of the losing parties, who is Ted Casta the man who initiated the recall. Attorneys have decided they will bypass the normal appeals court process here and go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court within the next 48 hours to try to overturn a ruling which would delay the October 7 recall election. Still to be decided is what the secretary of state is going to do, what process he's going to follow. Attorney Chuck Diamond told CNN he calls on the secretary of state to try not to run out the clock on the election before deciding it has to go to until March. While all of that was going the campaign clock continued to tick. The candidates continued to operate as if things were normal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN, (voice-over): In a state that certainly respects star power, Former President Bill Clinton for the second day in a row was allowing beleaguered Governer Gray Davis to bask in the glow of his charisma.

WILLIAM CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am profoundly grateful your governor and lieutenant governor are here today because they show you are the future of California and that education is our most important job.

FRANKEN: This time the setting was the newly named William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School. As the polls show that Davis, although unpopular, may be turning the tide against recall, fellow national Democrats are being streaming to the state to be seen alongside the governor. But the battle to replace Davis was fought by Schwarzenegger and his wife on a much softer turf.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I am so excited about this election and what we can do. So I chimed in with energy. I'm a little puppy. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) really excited about new things.

FRANKEN: Schwarzenegger has been dogged by a substantial gender gap. Hence, the appearance with his wife on the Oprah Winfrey Show and conversation about the other interviews from yesteryear.

SCHWARZENEGGER: This is the time remember we promoted bodybuilding, promoted pumping iron and say the most outrage us things that you can say to make headlines and to be out there and to build the sport up. You know, this was the time were I was saying things like a pump is betting than coming and all those kind of things. You know, like today...

MARIA SHRIVER, WIFE OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: My mother is watching the show. My mother is watching the show.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Don't pay attention, whatever eunice is.

FRANKEN: The woman's vote not the only problem.

TOM MCLINTOCK (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: The reason he feels it would be better if I was out is because I had all the momentum. I've gone from an asteris to a solid third place position in 18 points in a span of just four weeks. Meanwhile, he has been stuck absolutely dead in the water in the mid to low 20s. I have no doubts he would like me to leave the race. If my momentum continues into the second half of this race, I will be in first place in a matter of just a few weeks. That's why it is called a race.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: But the question, Wolf, is what race?

Here is the timetable. There are seven days, there is a stay on for seven days for appeals to be filed. The election is supposed to be held in three weeks. If it is not, it will be held next March -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Bob Franken, breaking news on this program as he often does. Thanks, Bob, very much.

And our hot "Web Question" of the day is this. Would you want an election you were going to vote in to be delayed but of punch-card polling machines?

Vote right now, cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results, that's coming up.

First, the answer to "Today's News Quiz."

Earlier we asked, what was the costliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland?

Andrew was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. The catagory five hurricane came ashore on August 24, 1992, and cost $26.5 billion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: That's the results of our web question of the day. Let's hear from you right now. I'll read some of our e-mail on the california recall. John writes this. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Hurricane Isabel; U.S. Troops Clash With Taliban>