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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

U.N. passes resolution on Iraq; Ferry service resumed today in New York;

Aired October 16, 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 happening right now. Help for U.S. troops on the front lines in Iraq and for taxpayers back here at home is on the way. The United Nations Security Council comes through with a new resolution for President Bush.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Twins...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We both have big biceps.

BLITZER: Next stop Asia, will the President meet with this world leader?

MAHATHIR MOHAMMED, MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER: Today, the Jews rule this world by proxy.

BLITZER: Silver jubilee, an ailing pope offers thanks for being allowed to serve and asks for prayers that he might continue.

Ferry disaster, what went wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then you heard screams and then you just heard, you felt, heard the punch (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's Thursday, October 16, 2003. Hello from New York City, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We begin with Iraq and a major victory for the United States in what's been a diplomatic battleground over the past year, namely the United Nations. It's a move that could ease the burden on U.S. troops in Iraq and ease the burden on U.S. taxpayers back here in the United States who have been asked to pick up the bill for rebuilding.

The U.N. Security Council today voted unanimously for a resolution that authorizes a multinational force under U.S. command and calls on member states to contribute troops and financial support. Will they answer that call?

Let's go live to our Senior United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard. RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they agreed to go along with the U.S. on this vote but they certainly made it plain that they're not ready to send troops or contribute massive amounts of financial aide to the reconstruction of Iraq. That's going to take time.

There's the U.S. ambassador. He happened to be the president of the council for this month. It was a big diplomatic victory, some would say a surprise, getting all 15, including Syria.

The key aspects of this U.N. resolution on Iraq it authorizes a multinational force whose mandate expires when an Iraqi government is finally elected. The coalition will return sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as practical.

The December 15 deadline for this Iraqi Governing Council appointed by the U.S. to set a time table for a new constitution and elections and it also strengthens a bit the U.N. role in Iraqi reconstruction and political development, not enough though for France and Germany and Russia to say they're going to contribute troops and money. President Bush though, who has had his problems with the U.N. very happy about this vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Today, I want to thank the United Nations Security Council for unanimously passing a resolution supporting our efforts to build a peaceful and free Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: One diplomat inside the Security Council for all of the negotiating said Russia, France, and Germany came onboard because they were taking a look now at the bigger picture. This was about repairing riffs and improving and bridging those gaps that certainly were created before the Gulf War. Many ambassadors though said this is not the last resolution on Iraq at the council -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Richard Roth, here in New York City for us, thanks very much Richard.

Meantime, the Senate back in Washington is squaring off over an $87 billion spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush wants the United States to provide $20 billion as a grant to rebuild Iraq but opponents want to convert part of that into loans, some arguing that Iraq eventually should use its own oil resources to help itself. A vote could come tonight.

Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Will backing by France, Germany, and Russia for the U.N. resolution on Iraq help repair U.S. relations with Europe, yes or no"?

You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, by the way, 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 where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

With the U.N. resolution now in his pocket, President Bush is off to Asia but before leaving the United States he paid a courtesy call on California's new Republican Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

CNN National Correspondent Frank Buckley is joining us now live from San Bernardino with details -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're told that that meeting lasted about a half an hour. It was a highly anticipated meeting because, as you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that he was going to be seeking "a lot of favors" from President Bush so there was a lot of attention given to this meeting but apparently it turned out to be just a get-to-know-you meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): It was a meeting to begin building a relationship according to aides, Arnold Schwarzenegger saying this was not the appropriate moment to seek favors from his fellow Republican.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV.-ELECT: I did not go and present the president with any kind of detailed kind of request so a laundry list of things. I thought that the first meeting ought to be just about getting to know one another and building a relationship of mutual trust.

BUCKLEY: When the men appeared together on stage at an event in San Bernardino, California, it was hard to say who the crowd considered to be the bigger star, the sitting president or the governor-to-be/movie star. The president said they talked about what they had in common.

BUSH: We both married well. Some accuse us both of not being able to speak the language. We both have big biceps. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

BUCKLEY: President Bush said he was proud to call Schwarzenegger a friend but just what the president can deliver to his new California friend remains to be seen. The state is facing an $8 billion operating deficit and a federal bailout seems unlikely but Schwarzenegger says he is optimistic.

SCHWARZENEGGER: He believes in me and what I want to do for California and I believe in him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: President Bush, meanwhile, hoping that Arnold Schwarzenegger can deliver something to him and that would be votes in 2004. You'll recall that in 2000, President Bush lost here in California despite spending a great deal of time and money. He lost to Al Gore by more than a million votes in California. He's hoping that Schwarzenegger can help deliver the votes.

His campaign advisers say, Bush's campaign advisers for 2004 say that given the results of the recall here in California, electing a moderate Republican to the governor's office they say that California is now in play -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much Frank Buckley in California for us.

The president is off on a six nation tour of Asia and Australia, first stop Japan, which has just pledged $1.5 billion toward Iraqi reconstruction. From there, the president travels to the Philippines where he'll address a joint session of that country's Congress.

Next stop Thailand and the centerpiece of the trip the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. That's followed by brief visits to Singapore and Indonesia the world's most populous Muslim nation. The president is scheduled to meet with moderate Islamic leaders there. Finally, Australia, which supported President Bush as we all remember in the war in Iraq.

For more now on the Bush-Schwarzenegger meeting I'm joined by our political analyst Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times." He's in our Washington bureau.

This relationship must be somewhat awkward given their very different views on so many key social issues, is it Ron?

RON BROWNSTEIN, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let's look at it from another step back, Wolf. The White House stayed out of the recall from beginning to end. It chose never to get involved, never to support the recall effort, never to support, obviously, Schwarzenegger when there was more than one Republican in the field. As you say there are also some differences on issues. There's a larger balancing act really for both sides.

Schwarzengger, although he did promise during the campaign to support Bush and campaign for him in 2004 won election largely on a non-party, beyond party appeal, as someone who would work with Republicans and Democrats. It's going to be interesting to see how closely he wants to get identified as a pure Republican partisan.

Conversely, many of the things that Schwarzenegger wants from the federal government are not things that President Bush has shown much of an inclination to do. In fact, if you look at Schwarzenegger's campaign positions on a variety of issues he's probably closer to the Democratic presidential candidates than he is to Bush himself.

BLITZER: Ron, at the same time, if over the next year the president does get involved and does help Arnold Schwarzenegger improve the economic situation in California, will that put California in play in the 2004 contest between Democrat and Republican candidates?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, there's no doubt having a governor is better than not having a governor. It provides a basis for organization, a centerpiece for energy and enthusiasm, which is especially important for Republicans in California who have been sort of demoralized since the early 1990s. On the other hand, Wolf, there has been no real correlation between success in the governor's races in states like Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and how they vote in presidential races and California is still a very tough state for Republicans.

In a presidential election, as Frank Buckley said, Bush lost it by actually 1.3 million votes in 2000. The overwhelming likelihood is that if Bush wins California it will be in a race where he doesn't need to win California where he's already run up such a national total that he's way past the 270 electoral votes that he needs.

BLITZER: Based on what you could tell, Ron, it's been a week since he was elected, we're still waiting a couple more weeks before he's inaugurated, how's he doing so far? What's the press in California generally saying?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think it's been pretty positive, you know. He has reached out to both parties in forming his transition team. He has struck sort of themes of working to bridge the enormous divides in the state legislature, which are accentuated because of redistricting that have made the Democrats very liberal and the Republicans very conservative.

He's talked about trying to reach beyond that and, in fact, going over their head if necessary. So, all in all, you know, we haven't really filled in that many details but it seems a perfectly reasonable start.

BLITZER: Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times" thanks for joining us.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Always good to have you on this program.

And one of the leaders who will attend the APEC meeting with President Bush is attending another forum this week. Mahathir Mohammed, the long-time leader of Malaysia, opened an Islamic Summit today with a blistering attack on Jews.

Does his attack mask a call for Muslims to step back from violence as some observers suggest or is it only the latest in a long line of anti-Semitic outbursts?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The largest gathering of Muslim leaders since September 11, a controversial prime minister stepping down this month after 22 years. Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia steps to the podium and leaves little room for interpretation.

MOHAMMED: The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million but today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.

BLITZER: The general theme of Mahathir's speech, which opened the organization of the Islamic Summit in Malaysia is a call for Muslims to unite but even as appeal for an end to suicide bombings is laced with references to Jews as enemies.

MOHAMMED: Is there no other way than to ask our young people to blow themselves up and kill people and invite the massacre of more of our own people? It cannot be that there is no other way; 1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews.

BLITZER: Mahathir has made anti-Semitic remarks throughout his tenure as prime minister at various points blaming Jews for his nation's economic problems but these remarks seem to provoke a new level of outrage.

ABRAHAM FOXMAN, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: For him to call for a victory, final victory against the Jews by 1.3 billion Muslims is, in fact, a call for religious war.

BLITZER: But Mahathir also takes aim at Islam saying recent interpretations of the Quran reject science, technology, and general progress. He calls on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression, think rationally for their own interests, fix their problems themselves. But even that appeal is punctuated by insults.

MOHAMMED: Of late because of their power and their apparent success they have become arrogant and arrogant people, like angry people, will make mistakes, will forget to think. They are already beginning to make mistakes and they will make more mistakes. There may be windows of opportunities for us now and in the future.

BLITZER: We asked a leader of the American Muslim community for his interpretation.

NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: I will not believe that Jews control the world so I see that statement as a misguided opinion.

BLITZER: State Department reaction was swift.

J. ADAM ERELI, DEP. STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: The remarks were offensive. They are inflammatory and we view them with the contempt and derision they deserve. We will certainly make our views known.

BLITZER: President Bush is scheduled to meet next week at the APEC Summit in Thailand with Mahathir Mohammed and other Asian leaders. So far that schedule has not changed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And there won't be any one-on-one meeting between the president and the Malaysian leader we're told but he will participate in a group session with all of these Asian leaders in Thailand.

Let's turn now to yesterday's attack on a U.S. embassy convoy in Gaza, which killed three American security guards. Palestinian authorities today began rounding up suspects, arresting seven in a series of raids. Palestinian security sources say the suspects are members of the popular resistance committees, a group of armed men from various factions including former members of the security forces and disgruntled followers of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

Getting back onboard...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN PARKER, PASSENGER: I've never seen nothing like that in my life and I'm lucky to be alive today. Me and my wife is lucky to be alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: New Yorkers coping with the disaster they witnessed while investigators trying to explain how this tragedy happened.

History made in Rome, a celebration of Pope John Paul II's spirit at the Vatican on his Silver Jubilee.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here I am smoked by a celebratory cigar. You know why I'm smoking it?

BLITZER: Why's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm smoking it because I'm depressed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Chicago fans drown in their sorrows and wait until you hear what's next for that guy who tried to make a catch in the stands, first though our News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): During another Major League championship series a similar case of fan involvement occurred. Which team benefited from that, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Who won, who lost? Lawyers for Kobe Bryant and the state of Colorado have faced off in their first meeting. Could the basketball superstar now avoid a trial, that story coming up?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Federal investigators here in New York City are interviewing crewmembers aboard that Staten Island Ferry that crashed into a concrete pier yesterday. The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine what caused the accident that killed ten people and injured 42 others.

CNN's Jason Carroll is over at the scene. He's joining us now live with the latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, the NTSB wrapped up a briefing just about a short while ago. They said at this point it's too early to come up with a probable cause of the accident but they did give a sense of how the investigation will move forward.

They created several teams that will look into various aspects of the investigation. For instance, one team will be focused on engineering, another on survival factors, and another of course on human performance. That is the team that will be interviewing the crewmembers and also reviewing toxicology reports which are now in and under NTSB review.

Much of the focus of the investigation will be centered on Assistant Captain Richard Smith. He is the person who is responsible for piloting the vessel during that accident.

The government and police sources tell CNN that shortly after the accident Smith left the scene of the accident, went home, and attempted to commit suicide. At this point, he is in critical condition, the NTSB saying that they have been in contact with his attorney.

His attorney is cooperating with investigators at this point and Smith is just one of the crewmembers who will be interviewed during this very lengthy investigative process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN ENGLEMAN, NTSB CHAIRWOMAN: We will also begin construction of what we call the 72-hour history. That's the immediate 72 hours prior to this accident, which would encompass all of the behaviors and all of the factors that involved the particular individuals and what their behavior was, their conduct, where they were and what was going on at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: The NTSB spokeswoman there also saying she is not going to comment on Smith's involvement in all of this, also not going to comment on reports that he collapsed and fell over the controls, Smith's attorney coming out today also saying that Smith's family is offering their prayers and their condolences to all of those who were affected by this tragedy -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jason Carroll on the scene for us, thanks Jason very much.

And New York's free ferry service resumed today as the damaged Staten Island vessel remained at the dock. And, as our Maria Hinojosa reports, the ferry is still part of the daily commute for 65,000 passengers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The majestic beauty of a New York Harbor sunrise over a routine morning commute, coffee, doughnuts, but the morning paper today filled with sadness.

(Unintelligible) who works in the garment business just arrived to New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know I am new to New York and it just even scares me even more. I've been through the blackout. I've been through -- I've only been here for six months and it's just like terrifying me now.

HINOJOSA: But New Yorkers somehow pull it together, strangers sharing a newspaper. This is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) first ride since she was on yesterday's ill-fated ferry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was a fight, you know, when people started screaming. I thought it was a fight but then that's when we found out that it happened though.

HINOJOSA: And emotionally today you're feeling what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.

HINOJOSA: Most just try to move themselves forward but from the quiet the terror of a witness just pours out. Stephen Parker (ph) rides these ferries every day.

PARKER: I've never seen nothing like that in my life and I'm lucky to be alive today. Me and my wife is lucky to be alive. You know it was -- I've never seen nothing like that in my life, people crushed, heads off and body (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It was terrible.

HINOJOSA: On the ferry now some try to ignore or escape or fall into the mundane. Others look back, say a silent prayer, but for Parker the trauma keeps coming to the surface.

PARKER: It's hitting me now to see the boat and to be on the boat but I have to go -- I have to go to a doctor. I have to go and to see what I'm going through now. It's hitting me right now.

HINOJOSA: The approach to Manhattan nears, marked by the Statue of Liberty the last minutes on a routine ferry ride but now also the Coast Guard standing post.

So as a New Yorker what do you do now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We go on. I mean look around, you know. People -- live continues. You go on.

HINOJOSA: And that's what we do, we simply go on. Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Good piece.

A Carnival Cruise line ship is back in port in New Orleans after 120 passengers and crewmembers fell ill with a stomach bug. Passengers began showing up at the ship's infirmary two days into the cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.

The crew is cleaning and sanitizing the vessel to prevent further spread of the illness. Federal health officials are looking into whether the ailment was the Norwalk virus which can seriously affect the elderly and the very young.

Divine intervention, the pope speaks about his failing health and where he's getting his guidance to continue leading Catholics.

Rolling out his military record but is presidential candidate Wesley Clark telling the whole story?

And fashion and fame meet for a royal cause. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He's arguably the most influential pope of modern times and today marks 25 years since John Paul II was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church. Let's listen and watch some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE JOHN PAUL II (through translator): Let us pray. Dear brothers and sisters, the Almighty God (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who called me to be a vicar of Christ, his son, and shepherd of the universal church may continue to bring onto me the Holy Spirit, spirit of wisdom, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The milestone is being celebrated at the Vatican with all the pomp and ceremony befitting the occasion, an historic occasion indeed.

CNN Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci is there. He's joining us now live. What a day in Rome, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: You're right, Wolf, a remarkable day for the 83-year-old pontiff and certainly a day that will be remembered by some of the pilgrims because they say really a pope, really a frail pope at 83 no longer able to talk very much. We just saw it in those pictures earlier.

He cannot walk or stand without the help of others. He was wheeled into St. Peter's Square using this platform that he now uses to go just about anywhere when he has to move around. The pope asked for strength from the pilgrims, asking them to pray for him, to give him really the force to continue in his ministry, the pope also making it very clear that it was God that was asking him to continue to go on, an indication there that the pope has no intention of resigning.

Among the crowd, the tens of thousands of pilgrims and many, some of them in their tears moved perhaps to see this pope so frail that really keeps going but also some of them telling us that, you know, perhaps this would be one last chance to see him here and therefore really being here is a sign of respect for this man who in the past 25 years did not just witness changing the world but also in some times managed also to implement some changes himself -- back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Alessio Vinci, thanks Alessio very much.

Playing defense, the tactics Kobe Bryant's legal team is using to avoid a trial.

And, Americans living here in the United States accused of helping al Qaeda, find out what happens to them? That's coming up next.

Also, a rematch with major consequences, New York and Boston bring out their big guns. We're live at Yankee Stadium. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: His private files now public, why does this presidential candidate want you to know what his bosses think of him? And which other bosses aren't necessarily all that complimentary? Coming up the glowing and not so glowing assessments of retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting today from New York City.

U.S. citizens charged with aiding al Qaeda have their day in court, first a quick look of the latest headlines.

North Korea says it's prepared to "physically unveil its nuclear power" if the United States keeps pressing it to abandon its nuclear program but today's threat is seen as a plot by Pyongyang to pressure the U.S. to return to the negotiating table.

Citing widespread publicity, a judge has ordered a change of venue for the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams. At a hearing today, Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman directed the trial be moved from Hunterton County (ph), New Jersey to neighboring Somerset County. Williams is accused of recklessly handling a shotgun that killed a limousine driver.

Now to a pair of Americans who tried to fight for al Qaeda, the result a pair of guilty pleas in Portland, Oregon. That announcement today from the Justice Department.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Portland suspects Jeffrey Battle and Patrice Ford, both Americans, admitted they tried by failed to get into Afghanistan in October of 2001 to fight for the Taliban and al Qaeda. Like the other four members of what the government calls the Portland cell, they pled guilty to various charges.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: In the plea agreements filed this morning in Portland, Oregon, Jeffrey Leon Battle and Patrice Lamumba (ph) Ford each pleaded guilty to one count of seditious conspiracy. This was the most serious charge in the indictment. The maximum penalty for this count is 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a three-year term of supervised release.

BLITZER: The man suspected of recruiting the group was Jordanian, Habis al-Saoub. Law enforcement sources believe al-Saoub was killed in a shootout earlier this month between al Qaeda and Pakistani forces in a remote region along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

The attorney general says that can't be confirmed. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for al-Saoub's capture. He has been charged with conspiracy to wage war against the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And law enforcement sources are telling CNN they're awaiting DNA test results to confirm al-Saoub was killed in that firefight along the border.

It will be Monday at the earliest before we find out whether Kobe Bryant will go to trial for sexual assault. His highly-charged, highly controversial preliminary hearing ended yesterday with some accusing his lawyer of putting the alleged victim on trial.

Joining me now to talk about all of this, two guests. From Los Angeles, defense attorney Larry Feldman, among his former clients, O.J. Simpson. And from Houston, Texas, former prosecutor Nelda Blair.

Let me begin with you Nelda. Who won, who lost in this first round assuming there's going to be a trial, this preliminary hearing?

NELDA BLAIR, FMR. PROSECUTOR: The evidence that came out in this preliminary hearing was devastating to the defense. It was very strong for the prosecution. Now that's for the public view.

Unfortunately what happened is the defense went in with guns blazing, which the defense is allowed to do but what they did not just try to put the victim on trial.

What they tried to do was to create some doubt out there in a potential jury pool to create some possibly incorrect assumptions about his young lady in the jury pool and I think they went way too far. I think that they went beyond the ethics of the situation. BLITZER: Do you agree, Larry?

LARRY FELDMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, I don't Wolf. I think that the defense did a remarkable job and they have put on compelling evidence of Kobe Bryant's innocence.

BLITZER: When you say that why was there blood, for example, found on his shirt blood that matched her blood?

FELDMAN: Well he doesn't deny that he had sex with her. The question is whether it's consensual and for a variety of reasons, some of which she may have had sex with a lot of men in a very short period of time, but even if she had no sex with anyone other than Kobe Bryant women can bleed.

And I assume he was wearing a long tee shirt and after the act of sex there was semen and some blood but that doesn't prove rape. The issue is whether she consented to this and I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did.

BLITZER: What about that Nelda?

BLAIR: I find that preposterous to be quite honest with you. Yes, there can be some rough sex but blood on the man's shirt, bruises around the woman's neck? I think that's very strong evidence for the defense -- excuse me, for the prosecution.

BLITZER: Well, Nelda on the issue of bruises around her neck apparently there was no evidence that was submitted at this preliminary hearing that there were bruises on the neck. There was a little nick or whatever on her chin.

BLAIR: That's right.

BLITZER: But not on her neck.

BLAIR: That's been inferred in past information that there are some bruising that the prosecution is going to bring forward. You know all they were trying to do at this point was to get it to a trial. What the defense was trying to do on the other hand was to create some kind of stir in the media so that the doubt is put out there for anyone who's listening as to Kobe Bryant's innocence.

BLITZER: All right.

BLAIR: Now let me tell you the fact that she may have had sex with any other men or a whole basketball team has no bearing on whether or not she said no to Kobe Bryant.

BLITZER: Is that right Larry?

FELDMAN: Well, I think that has no bearing, I agree with that but what I think we're missing here is that whether she said no is only two people know this, Kobe Bryant and she knows this.

And one has to ask themselves is why this woman who knows he's married goes up into a hotel room knowing that he is flirtatious and she is flirtatious, does this and then evidently has trouble when talking to the police officer and remembering that she said no. The most fundamental and important thing in a rape case did she say no? And, apparently she told the police when she said stop he stopped.

BLITZER: Nelda.

BLAIR: I don't think that's correct. In fact, I don't think that's what the evidence shows at all. The woman's story has been from the beginning that she did not intend to have sex with him and did not intend to have any other kind of sexual contact with him that she said no and he forced her. Her story has been he forced her from the very beginning. That's what the evidence has shown.

BLITZER: But under cross-examination, Nelda, when Pamela Mackey, his lawyer, was cross-examining the police detective she says she flirted with him.

BLAIR: That's correct.

BLITZER: She wanted him to come upstairs, all that was voluntary. They started kissing and hugging and she was fully cooperating with him.

BLAIR: But a woman's right to say no is at any time and she could have kissed him and that's OK. She still has a right to say no to sex and anyone that says differently is not aware of what the law states because that's what the law says as well.

FELDMAN: I don't think the question is -- we'd all agree she has a right to say no. The question is did she say no?

BLAIR: She says she was forced.

FELDMAN: Well, she hasn't said anything yet. She has told the police officer five or six different stories and it took her several interviews to remember that she said no, the most fundamental critical part of a rape case.

BLAIR: My information is different from that.

FELDMAN: And when did she -- well, that's exactly what he testified that it was very unclear to him if she said no.

BLAIR: He didn't say (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

FELDMAN: And bear in mind that this terrible crime that allegedly took place we now know that no one heard it and we now know that there's a night auditor who saw her who saw no evidence of this.

BLITZER: Nelda, go ahead. I'll give you the last word.

BLAIR: Well, let me say this. If this young woman is let's say fabricating the story. She's 19 years old. She's had death threats against her. She could very easily say, look, I don't want to go through with this. I want to withdraw my testimony. She could very easily do that.

She has not done that. I think she's standing up for her rights against the person that committed the crime against her no matter who he is or how famous he is.

BLITZER: All right, we have to leave it there. Nelda Blair, Larry Feldman, we'll continue this discussion on several other occasions, appreciate your joining us.

BLAIR: Thank you.

FELDMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And upcoming still, this, the best and the brightest or a loner and a liability? General Wesley Clark in a new battle over his reputation.

Some long faces last night in Chicago, is it really a curse?

And what about that fan that tried to catch a fly ball, is he part of the Cubs bad luck?

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A sentencing in last year's Bali terror attack which killed more than 200 people, an Indonesian man got life in prison for helping plot the bombing outside a popular nightclub. It's the 26th conviction in the case.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is now willing to come clean on its nuclear program and accept tougher inspections. Mohamed ElBaradei had said Iran was not giving his International Atomic Energy Agency the information it needed.

China is celebrating the country's first manned space flight and lauding its first astronaut. His capsule landed safely in inner Mongolia after orbiting earth 14 times in 21 hours.

History on the auction block, an antique ruby and diamond necklace worn by Eva Peron sold at auction yesterday for more than $466,000. The piece is one of Peron's favorites. She's seen wearing it in official Argentine postage stamps.

A $256 million state of the art brewery is up and running in Nigeria. It's an investment by Heineken. The plant can produce up to 2,000 bottles of beer each minute.

And, Britain's Prince Charles and girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles were on hand last night in London for Fashion Rocks. The fashion show and concert was a fundraiser for Charles' charity the Prince's Trust, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

In a move to counter criticism of Wesley Clark's performance as a military commander, the Democratic presidential hopeful has released his full military record but questions remain about Clark's rocky relationship with the Pentagon during his career.

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is covering the story. He's joining us now live with the latest -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, today Wesley Clark released pretty much his entire military record about an inch and a half of documents and whatever you think of Wes Clark personally you have to admit he looks very good on paper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Wesley Clark's campaign believes releasing his military records will help set the former four-star general apart from the other Democrats.

MATT BENNETT, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CLARK CAMPAIGN: We think that this is an incredibly persuasive set of documents for voters who are looking for leadership.

MCINTYRE: The nearly 200 pages are replete with glowing evaluations from Clark's superiors during the 1970s and '80s. "An officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes which uniquely qualify him as a soldier scholar" wrote General Alexander Haig back in 1978.

"Clark has the character and depth to be another Marshall or Eisenhower" gushed Brigadier General William Crouch (ph) a decade later.

And Colin Powell when he was Joint Chiefs Chairman in 1992 called Clark: "An officer of the rarest potential."

But during the 1999 Yugoslav War, Clark had many detractors in the Pentagon, especially his civilian and military bosses. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen forced him to step down early as NATO commander after what Cohen acknowledges was friction between the two.

WILLIAM COHEN, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I made a judgment during the time that he was serving as head of NATO SACEUR and I felt that the axe as such when it fell spoke for itself.

MCINTYRE: And the Joint Chiefs Chairman at the time, General Hugh Shelton, told a California group last month: "The reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues. Wes won't get my vote."

Those sentiments are not reflected in Clark's record because generals above two-star rank don't receive written evaluation. LT. GEN. DAN CHRISTMAN, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I was a three-star general myself. I got no efficiency reports, received none, none were written on me during my seven years as a three-star general and that applies obviously in spades to General Clark.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Now, in his book, Wes Clark says that the Joint Chiefs had a hidden agenda and that the Pentagon was overly cautious in reigning in commanders in the field but his fellow four-stars at the time argued that Clark himself, while a brilliant commander, at times needed to be reigned in -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon with a very solid report, thanks Jamie very much.

Down to the wire, the Boston Red Sox hoping to reverse their curse tonight in New York. Can they pull off what the Chicago Cubs clearly could not? We're live from Yankee Stadium in only a minute or so. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked: "During another Major League championship series a similar case of fan involvement occurred. Which team benefited from that"?

The answer, the New York Yankees, in game one of the 1996 American League Championship series, New York's Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field. A 12-year-old fan reached over the fence and knocked the ball away from Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco. The umpire ruled it was a homerun and New York went on to win the game and the series.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Who can forget that? They haven't reached the World Series since 1945. They haven't won it since 1908. You can say the Chicago Cubs are cursed. You could also say they choked losing three straight to the new National League champs the Florida Marlins. The Boston Red Sox meantime are battling their own demons. They last won a World Series in 1918. Two years later they sold a guy named Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Tonight they can certainly settle the score.

Danny Habib of "Sports Illustrated" is joining us now live from Yankee Stadium. Danny, thanks very much for joining us. First, Chicago, is there a curse in Chicago? What's going on over there?

DANNY HABIB, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": It must be something in the water because Dusty Baker and his players did a terrific job all post season long of deflecting questions about the curse and of insisting that history had nothing to do with what was going wrong in Chicago. That all changed in the eighth inning last night and I think now the discussion of a curse resurfaces because when what we see defies logic we retreat to superstition to explain it.

BLITZER: You really couldn't make this kind of stuff up, in fact, Hollywood is already talking about making a movie about that young guy who interfered effectively with that fly ball, that foul ball and they're thinking of making a movie about that. You can't make this kind of stuff up, can you?

HABIB: No. This is art imitating life I suppose but it's the kind of ending that we could only expect from the Cubs. And we had discussed earlier in the week when they were ahead 3-1 it would take a collapse of well Cub-like proportions for them to lose the series and clearly they followed through on their franchise's legacy.

BLITZER: Give us some perspective. If Boston beats the Yankees tonight, how big of a deal is that in baseball history?

HABIB: In baseball history? Well, I mean the Red Sox have been to the World Series a few more times than the Cubs have. They've had better success and in the sort of annals of futility they've tended to go to the precipice of success before rapidly turning back rather than avoiding it all together as the Cubs have done but it would be historic.

It would be the first time since 1986 that the Red Sox have been there and, you know, it would be a terrific match-up against the team that has been in existence for less time than that in the Marlins.

BLITZER: Marlins fans are almost being forgotten. The Yankees, of course, get an enormous amount of publicity, Chicago, Boston. Florida seems to have come out of nowhere into the World Series. What happened there?

HABIB: It's sort of a confluence of a couple of factors and one is the presence of Jack McKeon who is 72 and manages the Marlins and he's sort of a real -- he's an avuncular guy, you know, very charming and motivates his players well.

They have a couple of players in Pudge Rodriguez, for example, who are eligible for free agency and playing for the contracts of their lives. As one scout told me they feel like they've caught lightning in a bottle. They look at themselves in the mirror and feel they can't do anything wrong. So, at the risk of being simplistic I think that's the reason.

BLITZER: Danny Habib, he's a sportswriter for "Sports Illustrated." He's going to be watching the game up close and personal over at Yankee Stadium. The rest of us can watch it on television. Danny, thanks very much for joining us.

HABIB: My pleasure.

BLITZER: And we'll be back with the results of our web question of the day. That's coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here are the results of our web question of the day. Take a look. Remember this is not, not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail. On the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools supposedly being unconstitutional, Gillian writes this: "As the pledge is written now, yes, it is unconstitutional. Inserting 'under God' made it so. Simply remove this addition and restore it to its pre-Cold War form. Then all Americans, regardless of religious belief, can recite it with heartfelt patriotism again."

Lisette disagrees. "I am absolutely appalled at the thought that there are people out there that think it is unconstitutional to have our children recite the pledge. It helps to teach our children about taking pride in our country. The pledge is a daily celebration of freedom which was given to us through the blood of our defenders."

That's all the time we have. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT for Thursday, October 16, 2003, her now Lou Dobbs.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. The United States today won an extraordinary...

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





today in New York; >


Aired October 16, 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 happening right now. Help for U.S. troops on the front lines in Iraq and for taxpayers back here at home is on the way. The United Nations Security Council comes through with a new resolution for President Bush.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Twins...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We both have big biceps.

BLITZER: Next stop Asia, will the President meet with this world leader?

MAHATHIR MOHAMMED, MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER: Today, the Jews rule this world by proxy.

BLITZER: Silver jubilee, an ailing pope offers thanks for being allowed to serve and asks for prayers that he might continue.

Ferry disaster, what went wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then you heard screams and then you just heard, you felt, heard the punch (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It's Thursday, October 16, 2003. Hello from New York City, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

We begin with Iraq and a major victory for the United States in what's been a diplomatic battleground over the past year, namely the United Nations. It's a move that could ease the burden on U.S. troops in Iraq and ease the burden on U.S. taxpayers back here in the United States who have been asked to pick up the bill for rebuilding.

The U.N. Security Council today voted unanimously for a resolution that authorizes a multinational force under U.S. command and calls on member states to contribute troops and financial support. Will they answer that call?

Let's go live to our Senior United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard. RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they agreed to go along with the U.S. on this vote but they certainly made it plain that they're not ready to send troops or contribute massive amounts of financial aide to the reconstruction of Iraq. That's going to take time.

There's the U.S. ambassador. He happened to be the president of the council for this month. It was a big diplomatic victory, some would say a surprise, getting all 15, including Syria.

The key aspects of this U.N. resolution on Iraq it authorizes a multinational force whose mandate expires when an Iraqi government is finally elected. The coalition will return sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as practical.

The December 15 deadline for this Iraqi Governing Council appointed by the U.S. to set a time table for a new constitution and elections and it also strengthens a bit the U.N. role in Iraqi reconstruction and political development, not enough though for France and Germany and Russia to say they're going to contribute troops and money. President Bush though, who has had his problems with the U.N. very happy about this vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Today, I want to thank the United Nations Security Council for unanimously passing a resolution supporting our efforts to build a peaceful and free Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: One diplomat inside the Security Council for all of the negotiating said Russia, France, and Germany came onboard because they were taking a look now at the bigger picture. This was about repairing riffs and improving and bridging those gaps that certainly were created before the Gulf War. Many ambassadors though said this is not the last resolution on Iraq at the council -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Richard Roth, here in New York City for us, thanks very much Richard.

Meantime, the Senate back in Washington is squaring off over an $87 billion spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush wants the United States to provide $20 billion as a grant to rebuild Iraq but opponents want to convert part of that into loans, some arguing that Iraq eventually should use its own oil resources to help itself. A vote could come tonight.

Here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Will backing by France, Germany, and Russia for the U.N. resolution on Iraq help repair U.S. relations with Europe, yes or no"?

You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, by the way, 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 where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

With the U.N. resolution now in his pocket, President Bush is off to Asia but before leaving the United States he paid a courtesy call on California's new Republican Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

CNN National Correspondent Frank Buckley is joining us now live from San Bernardino with details -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're told that that meeting lasted about a half an hour. It was a highly anticipated meeting because, as you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that he was going to be seeking "a lot of favors" from President Bush so there was a lot of attention given to this meeting but apparently it turned out to be just a get-to-know-you meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): It was a meeting to begin building a relationship according to aides, Arnold Schwarzenegger saying this was not the appropriate moment to seek favors from his fellow Republican.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV.-ELECT: I did not go and present the president with any kind of detailed kind of request so a laundry list of things. I thought that the first meeting ought to be just about getting to know one another and building a relationship of mutual trust.

BUCKLEY: When the men appeared together on stage at an event in San Bernardino, California, it was hard to say who the crowd considered to be the bigger star, the sitting president or the governor-to-be/movie star. The president said they talked about what they had in common.

BUSH: We both married well. Some accuse us both of not being able to speak the language. We both have big biceps. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

BUCKLEY: President Bush said he was proud to call Schwarzenegger a friend but just what the president can deliver to his new California friend remains to be seen. The state is facing an $8 billion operating deficit and a federal bailout seems unlikely but Schwarzenegger says he is optimistic.

SCHWARZENEGGER: He believes in me and what I want to do for California and I believe in him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: President Bush, meanwhile, hoping that Arnold Schwarzenegger can deliver something to him and that would be votes in 2004. You'll recall that in 2000, President Bush lost here in California despite spending a great deal of time and money. He lost to Al Gore by more than a million votes in California. He's hoping that Schwarzenegger can help deliver the votes.

His campaign advisers say, Bush's campaign advisers for 2004 say that given the results of the recall here in California, electing a moderate Republican to the governor's office they say that California is now in play -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much Frank Buckley in California for us.

The president is off on a six nation tour of Asia and Australia, first stop Japan, which has just pledged $1.5 billion toward Iraqi reconstruction. From there, the president travels to the Philippines where he'll address a joint session of that country's Congress.

Next stop Thailand and the centerpiece of the trip the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. That's followed by brief visits to Singapore and Indonesia the world's most populous Muslim nation. The president is scheduled to meet with moderate Islamic leaders there. Finally, Australia, which supported President Bush as we all remember in the war in Iraq.

For more now on the Bush-Schwarzenegger meeting I'm joined by our political analyst Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times." He's in our Washington bureau.

This relationship must be somewhat awkward given their very different views on so many key social issues, is it Ron?

RON BROWNSTEIN, POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let's look at it from another step back, Wolf. The White House stayed out of the recall from beginning to end. It chose never to get involved, never to support the recall effort, never to support, obviously, Schwarzenegger when there was more than one Republican in the field. As you say there are also some differences on issues. There's a larger balancing act really for both sides.

Schwarzengger, although he did promise during the campaign to support Bush and campaign for him in 2004 won election largely on a non-party, beyond party appeal, as someone who would work with Republicans and Democrats. It's going to be interesting to see how closely he wants to get identified as a pure Republican partisan.

Conversely, many of the things that Schwarzenegger wants from the federal government are not things that President Bush has shown much of an inclination to do. In fact, if you look at Schwarzenegger's campaign positions on a variety of issues he's probably closer to the Democratic presidential candidates than he is to Bush himself.

BLITZER: Ron, at the same time, if over the next year the president does get involved and does help Arnold Schwarzenegger improve the economic situation in California, will that put California in play in the 2004 contest between Democrat and Republican candidates?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, there's no doubt having a governor is better than not having a governor. It provides a basis for organization, a centerpiece for energy and enthusiasm, which is especially important for Republicans in California who have been sort of demoralized since the early 1990s. On the other hand, Wolf, there has been no real correlation between success in the governor's races in states like Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and how they vote in presidential races and California is still a very tough state for Republicans.

In a presidential election, as Frank Buckley said, Bush lost it by actually 1.3 million votes in 2000. The overwhelming likelihood is that if Bush wins California it will be in a race where he doesn't need to win California where he's already run up such a national total that he's way past the 270 electoral votes that he needs.

BLITZER: Based on what you could tell, Ron, it's been a week since he was elected, we're still waiting a couple more weeks before he's inaugurated, how's he doing so far? What's the press in California generally saying?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think it's been pretty positive, you know. He has reached out to both parties in forming his transition team. He has struck sort of themes of working to bridge the enormous divides in the state legislature, which are accentuated because of redistricting that have made the Democrats very liberal and the Republicans very conservative.

He's talked about trying to reach beyond that and, in fact, going over their head if necessary. So, all in all, you know, we haven't really filled in that many details but it seems a perfectly reasonable start.

BLITZER: Ron Brownstein of the "Los Angeles Times" thanks for joining us.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Always good to have you on this program.

And one of the leaders who will attend the APEC meeting with President Bush is attending another forum this week. Mahathir Mohammed, the long-time leader of Malaysia, opened an Islamic Summit today with a blistering attack on Jews.

Does his attack mask a call for Muslims to step back from violence as some observers suggest or is it only the latest in a long line of anti-Semitic outbursts?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The largest gathering of Muslim leaders since September 11, a controversial prime minister stepping down this month after 22 years. Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia steps to the podium and leaves little room for interpretation.

MOHAMMED: The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million but today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.

BLITZER: The general theme of Mahathir's speech, which opened the organization of the Islamic Summit in Malaysia is a call for Muslims to unite but even as appeal for an end to suicide bombings is laced with references to Jews as enemies.

MOHAMMED: Is there no other way than to ask our young people to blow themselves up and kill people and invite the massacre of more of our own people? It cannot be that there is no other way; 1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews.

BLITZER: Mahathir has made anti-Semitic remarks throughout his tenure as prime minister at various points blaming Jews for his nation's economic problems but these remarks seem to provoke a new level of outrage.

ABRAHAM FOXMAN, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: For him to call for a victory, final victory against the Jews by 1.3 billion Muslims is, in fact, a call for religious war.

BLITZER: But Mahathir also takes aim at Islam saying recent interpretations of the Quran reject science, technology, and general progress. He calls on Muslims to emulate the Jewish response to oppression, think rationally for their own interests, fix their problems themselves. But even that appeal is punctuated by insults.

MOHAMMED: Of late because of their power and their apparent success they have become arrogant and arrogant people, like angry people, will make mistakes, will forget to think. They are already beginning to make mistakes and they will make more mistakes. There may be windows of opportunities for us now and in the future.

BLITZER: We asked a leader of the American Muslim community for his interpretation.

NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: I will not believe that Jews control the world so I see that statement as a misguided opinion.

BLITZER: State Department reaction was swift.

J. ADAM ERELI, DEP. STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: The remarks were offensive. They are inflammatory and we view them with the contempt and derision they deserve. We will certainly make our views known.

BLITZER: President Bush is scheduled to meet next week at the APEC Summit in Thailand with Mahathir Mohammed and other Asian leaders. So far that schedule has not changed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And there won't be any one-on-one meeting between the president and the Malaysian leader we're told but he will participate in a group session with all of these Asian leaders in Thailand.

Let's turn now to yesterday's attack on a U.S. embassy convoy in Gaza, which killed three American security guards. Palestinian authorities today began rounding up suspects, arresting seven in a series of raids. Palestinian security sources say the suspects are members of the popular resistance committees, a group of armed men from various factions including former members of the security forces and disgruntled followers of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

Getting back onboard...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN PARKER, PASSENGER: I've never seen nothing like that in my life and I'm lucky to be alive today. Me and my wife is lucky to be alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: New Yorkers coping with the disaster they witnessed while investigators trying to explain how this tragedy happened.

History made in Rome, a celebration of Pope John Paul II's spirit at the Vatican on his Silver Jubilee.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here I am smoked by a celebratory cigar. You know why I'm smoking it?

BLITZER: Why's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm smoking it because I'm depressed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Chicago fans drown in their sorrows and wait until you hear what's next for that guy who tried to make a catch in the stands, first though our News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): During another Major League championship series a similar case of fan involvement occurred. Which team benefited from that, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Who won, who lost? Lawyers for Kobe Bryant and the state of Colorado have faced off in their first meeting. Could the basketball superstar now avoid a trial, that story coming up?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Federal investigators here in New York City are interviewing crewmembers aboard that Staten Island Ferry that crashed into a concrete pier yesterday. The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine what caused the accident that killed ten people and injured 42 others.

CNN's Jason Carroll is over at the scene. He's joining us now live with the latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, the NTSB wrapped up a briefing just about a short while ago. They said at this point it's too early to come up with a probable cause of the accident but they did give a sense of how the investigation will move forward.

They created several teams that will look into various aspects of the investigation. For instance, one team will be focused on engineering, another on survival factors, and another of course on human performance. That is the team that will be interviewing the crewmembers and also reviewing toxicology reports which are now in and under NTSB review.

Much of the focus of the investigation will be centered on Assistant Captain Richard Smith. He is the person who is responsible for piloting the vessel during that accident.

The government and police sources tell CNN that shortly after the accident Smith left the scene of the accident, went home, and attempted to commit suicide. At this point, he is in critical condition, the NTSB saying that they have been in contact with his attorney.

His attorney is cooperating with investigators at this point and Smith is just one of the crewmembers who will be interviewed during this very lengthy investigative process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN ENGLEMAN, NTSB CHAIRWOMAN: We will also begin construction of what we call the 72-hour history. That's the immediate 72 hours prior to this accident, which would encompass all of the behaviors and all of the factors that involved the particular individuals and what their behavior was, their conduct, where they were and what was going on at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: The NTSB spokeswoman there also saying she is not going to comment on Smith's involvement in all of this, also not going to comment on reports that he collapsed and fell over the controls, Smith's attorney coming out today also saying that Smith's family is offering their prayers and their condolences to all of those who were affected by this tragedy -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jason Carroll on the scene for us, thanks Jason very much.

And New York's free ferry service resumed today as the damaged Staten Island vessel remained at the dock. And, as our Maria Hinojosa reports, the ferry is still part of the daily commute for 65,000 passengers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The majestic beauty of a New York Harbor sunrise over a routine morning commute, coffee, doughnuts, but the morning paper today filled with sadness.

(Unintelligible) who works in the garment business just arrived to New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know I am new to New York and it just even scares me even more. I've been through the blackout. I've been through -- I've only been here for six months and it's just like terrifying me now.

HINOJOSA: But New Yorkers somehow pull it together, strangers sharing a newspaper. This is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) first ride since she was on yesterday's ill-fated ferry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was a fight, you know, when people started screaming. I thought it was a fight but then that's when we found out that it happened though.

HINOJOSA: And emotionally today you're feeling what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.

HINOJOSA: Most just try to move themselves forward but from the quiet the terror of a witness just pours out. Stephen Parker (ph) rides these ferries every day.

PARKER: I've never seen nothing like that in my life and I'm lucky to be alive today. Me and my wife is lucky to be alive. You know it was -- I've never seen nothing like that in my life, people crushed, heads off and body (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It was terrible.

HINOJOSA: On the ferry now some try to ignore or escape or fall into the mundane. Others look back, say a silent prayer, but for Parker the trauma keeps coming to the surface.

PARKER: It's hitting me now to see the boat and to be on the boat but I have to go -- I have to go to a doctor. I have to go and to see what I'm going through now. It's hitting me right now.

HINOJOSA: The approach to Manhattan nears, marked by the Statue of Liberty the last minutes on a routine ferry ride but now also the Coast Guard standing post.

So as a New Yorker what do you do now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We go on. I mean look around, you know. People -- live continues. You go on.

HINOJOSA: And that's what we do, we simply go on. Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Good piece.

A Carnival Cruise line ship is back in port in New Orleans after 120 passengers and crewmembers fell ill with a stomach bug. Passengers began showing up at the ship's infirmary two days into the cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.

The crew is cleaning and sanitizing the vessel to prevent further spread of the illness. Federal health officials are looking into whether the ailment was the Norwalk virus which can seriously affect the elderly and the very young.

Divine intervention, the pope speaks about his failing health and where he's getting his guidance to continue leading Catholics.

Rolling out his military record but is presidential candidate Wesley Clark telling the whole story?

And fashion and fame meet for a royal cause. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He's arguably the most influential pope of modern times and today marks 25 years since John Paul II was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church. Let's listen and watch some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE JOHN PAUL II (through translator): Let us pray. Dear brothers and sisters, the Almighty God (UNINTELLIGIBLE) who called me to be a vicar of Christ, his son, and shepherd of the universal church may continue to bring onto me the Holy Spirit, spirit of wisdom, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The milestone is being celebrated at the Vatican with all the pomp and ceremony befitting the occasion, an historic occasion indeed.

CNN Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci is there. He's joining us now live. What a day in Rome, Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: You're right, Wolf, a remarkable day for the 83-year-old pontiff and certainly a day that will be remembered by some of the pilgrims because they say really a pope, really a frail pope at 83 no longer able to talk very much. We just saw it in those pictures earlier.

He cannot walk or stand without the help of others. He was wheeled into St. Peter's Square using this platform that he now uses to go just about anywhere when he has to move around. The pope asked for strength from the pilgrims, asking them to pray for him, to give him really the force to continue in his ministry, the pope also making it very clear that it was God that was asking him to continue to go on, an indication there that the pope has no intention of resigning.

Among the crowd, the tens of thousands of pilgrims and many, some of them in their tears moved perhaps to see this pope so frail that really keeps going but also some of them telling us that, you know, perhaps this would be one last chance to see him here and therefore really being here is a sign of respect for this man who in the past 25 years did not just witness changing the world but also in some times managed also to implement some changes himself -- back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Alessio Vinci, thanks Alessio very much.

Playing defense, the tactics Kobe Bryant's legal team is using to avoid a trial.

And, Americans living here in the United States accused of helping al Qaeda, find out what happens to them? That's coming up next.

Also, a rematch with major consequences, New York and Boston bring out their big guns. We're live at Yankee Stadium. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: His private files now public, why does this presidential candidate want you to know what his bosses think of him? And which other bosses aren't necessarily all that complimentary? Coming up the glowing and not so glowing assessments of retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting today from New York City.

U.S. citizens charged with aiding al Qaeda have their day in court, first a quick look of the latest headlines.

North Korea says it's prepared to "physically unveil its nuclear power" if the United States keeps pressing it to abandon its nuclear program but today's threat is seen as a plot by Pyongyang to pressure the U.S. to return to the negotiating table.

Citing widespread publicity, a judge has ordered a change of venue for the manslaughter trial of former NBA star Jayson Williams. At a hearing today, Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman directed the trial be moved from Hunterton County (ph), New Jersey to neighboring Somerset County. Williams is accused of recklessly handling a shotgun that killed a limousine driver.

Now to a pair of Americans who tried to fight for al Qaeda, the result a pair of guilty pleas in Portland, Oregon. That announcement today from the Justice Department.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Portland suspects Jeffrey Battle and Patrice Ford, both Americans, admitted they tried by failed to get into Afghanistan in October of 2001 to fight for the Taliban and al Qaeda. Like the other four members of what the government calls the Portland cell, they pled guilty to various charges.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: In the plea agreements filed this morning in Portland, Oregon, Jeffrey Leon Battle and Patrice Lamumba (ph) Ford each pleaded guilty to one count of seditious conspiracy. This was the most serious charge in the indictment. The maximum penalty for this count is 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a three-year term of supervised release.

BLITZER: The man suspected of recruiting the group was Jordanian, Habis al-Saoub. Law enforcement sources believe al-Saoub was killed in a shootout earlier this month between al Qaeda and Pakistani forces in a remote region along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

The attorney general says that can't be confirmed. The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for al-Saoub's capture. He has been charged with conspiracy to wage war against the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And law enforcement sources are telling CNN they're awaiting DNA test results to confirm al-Saoub was killed in that firefight along the border.

It will be Monday at the earliest before we find out whether Kobe Bryant will go to trial for sexual assault. His highly-charged, highly controversial preliminary hearing ended yesterday with some accusing his lawyer of putting the alleged victim on trial.

Joining me now to talk about all of this, two guests. From Los Angeles, defense attorney Larry Feldman, among his former clients, O.J. Simpson. And from Houston, Texas, former prosecutor Nelda Blair.

Let me begin with you Nelda. Who won, who lost in this first round assuming there's going to be a trial, this preliminary hearing?

NELDA BLAIR, FMR. PROSECUTOR: The evidence that came out in this preliminary hearing was devastating to the defense. It was very strong for the prosecution. Now that's for the public view.

Unfortunately what happened is the defense went in with guns blazing, which the defense is allowed to do but what they did not just try to put the victim on trial.

What they tried to do was to create some doubt out there in a potential jury pool to create some possibly incorrect assumptions about his young lady in the jury pool and I think they went way too far. I think that they went beyond the ethics of the situation. BLITZER: Do you agree, Larry?

LARRY FELDMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, I don't Wolf. I think that the defense did a remarkable job and they have put on compelling evidence of Kobe Bryant's innocence.

BLITZER: When you say that why was there blood, for example, found on his shirt blood that matched her blood?

FELDMAN: Well he doesn't deny that he had sex with her. The question is whether it's consensual and for a variety of reasons, some of which she may have had sex with a lot of men in a very short period of time, but even if she had no sex with anyone other than Kobe Bryant women can bleed.

And I assume he was wearing a long tee shirt and after the act of sex there was semen and some blood but that doesn't prove rape. The issue is whether she consented to this and I think the evidence is overwhelming that she did.

BLITZER: What about that Nelda?

BLAIR: I find that preposterous to be quite honest with you. Yes, there can be some rough sex but blood on the man's shirt, bruises around the woman's neck? I think that's very strong evidence for the defense -- excuse me, for the prosecution.

BLITZER: Well, Nelda on the issue of bruises around her neck apparently there was no evidence that was submitted at this preliminary hearing that there were bruises on the neck. There was a little nick or whatever on her chin.

BLAIR: That's right.

BLITZER: But not on her neck.

BLAIR: That's been inferred in past information that there are some bruising that the prosecution is going to bring forward. You know all they were trying to do at this point was to get it to a trial. What the defense was trying to do on the other hand was to create some kind of stir in the media so that the doubt is put out there for anyone who's listening as to Kobe Bryant's innocence.

BLITZER: All right.

BLAIR: Now let me tell you the fact that she may have had sex with any other men or a whole basketball team has no bearing on whether or not she said no to Kobe Bryant.

BLITZER: Is that right Larry?

FELDMAN: Well, I think that has no bearing, I agree with that but what I think we're missing here is that whether she said no is only two people know this, Kobe Bryant and she knows this.

And one has to ask themselves is why this woman who knows he's married goes up into a hotel room knowing that he is flirtatious and she is flirtatious, does this and then evidently has trouble when talking to the police officer and remembering that she said no. The most fundamental and important thing in a rape case did she say no? And, apparently she told the police when she said stop he stopped.

BLITZER: Nelda.

BLAIR: I don't think that's correct. In fact, I don't think that's what the evidence shows at all. The woman's story has been from the beginning that she did not intend to have sex with him and did not intend to have any other kind of sexual contact with him that she said no and he forced her. Her story has been he forced her from the very beginning. That's what the evidence has shown.

BLITZER: But under cross-examination, Nelda, when Pamela Mackey, his lawyer, was cross-examining the police detective she says she flirted with him.

BLAIR: That's correct.

BLITZER: She wanted him to come upstairs, all that was voluntary. They started kissing and hugging and she was fully cooperating with him.

BLAIR: But a woman's right to say no is at any time and she could have kissed him and that's OK. She still has a right to say no to sex and anyone that says differently is not aware of what the law states because that's what the law says as well.

FELDMAN: I don't think the question is -- we'd all agree she has a right to say no. The question is did she say no?

BLAIR: She says she was forced.

FELDMAN: Well, she hasn't said anything yet. She has told the police officer five or six different stories and it took her several interviews to remember that she said no, the most fundamental critical part of a rape case.

BLAIR: My information is different from that.

FELDMAN: And when did she -- well, that's exactly what he testified that it was very unclear to him if she said no.

BLAIR: He didn't say (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

FELDMAN: And bear in mind that this terrible crime that allegedly took place we now know that no one heard it and we now know that there's a night auditor who saw her who saw no evidence of this.

BLITZER: Nelda, go ahead. I'll give you the last word.

BLAIR: Well, let me say this. If this young woman is let's say fabricating the story. She's 19 years old. She's had death threats against her. She could very easily say, look, I don't want to go through with this. I want to withdraw my testimony. She could very easily do that.

She has not done that. I think she's standing up for her rights against the person that committed the crime against her no matter who he is or how famous he is.

BLITZER: All right, we have to leave it there. Nelda Blair, Larry Feldman, we'll continue this discussion on several other occasions, appreciate your joining us.

BLAIR: Thank you.

FELDMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And upcoming still, this, the best and the brightest or a loner and a liability? General Wesley Clark in a new battle over his reputation.

Some long faces last night in Chicago, is it really a curse?

And what about that fan that tried to catch a fly ball, is he part of the Cubs bad luck?

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): A sentencing in last year's Bali terror attack which killed more than 200 people, an Indonesian man got life in prison for helping plot the bombing outside a popular nightclub. It's the 26th conviction in the case.

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is now willing to come clean on its nuclear program and accept tougher inspections. Mohamed ElBaradei had said Iran was not giving his International Atomic Energy Agency the information it needed.

China is celebrating the country's first manned space flight and lauding its first astronaut. His capsule landed safely in inner Mongolia after orbiting earth 14 times in 21 hours.

History on the auction block, an antique ruby and diamond necklace worn by Eva Peron sold at auction yesterday for more than $466,000. The piece is one of Peron's favorites. She's seen wearing it in official Argentine postage stamps.

A $256 million state of the art brewery is up and running in Nigeria. It's an investment by Heineken. The plant can produce up to 2,000 bottles of beer each minute.

And, Britain's Prince Charles and girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles were on hand last night in London for Fashion Rocks. The fashion show and concert was a fundraiser for Charles' charity the Prince's Trust, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

In a move to counter criticism of Wesley Clark's performance as a military commander, the Democratic presidential hopeful has released his full military record but questions remain about Clark's rocky relationship with the Pentagon during his career.

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is covering the story. He's joining us now live with the latest -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, today Wesley Clark released pretty much his entire military record about an inch and a half of documents and whatever you think of Wes Clark personally you have to admit he looks very good on paper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Wesley Clark's campaign believes releasing his military records will help set the former four-star general apart from the other Democrats.

MATT BENNETT, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CLARK CAMPAIGN: We think that this is an incredibly persuasive set of documents for voters who are looking for leadership.

MCINTYRE: The nearly 200 pages are replete with glowing evaluations from Clark's superiors during the 1970s and '80s. "An officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes which uniquely qualify him as a soldier scholar" wrote General Alexander Haig back in 1978.

"Clark has the character and depth to be another Marshall or Eisenhower" gushed Brigadier General William Crouch (ph) a decade later.

And Colin Powell when he was Joint Chiefs Chairman in 1992 called Clark: "An officer of the rarest potential."

But during the 1999 Yugoslav War, Clark had many detractors in the Pentagon, especially his civilian and military bosses. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen forced him to step down early as NATO commander after what Cohen acknowledges was friction between the two.

WILLIAM COHEN, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I made a judgment during the time that he was serving as head of NATO SACEUR and I felt that the axe as such when it fell spoke for itself.

MCINTYRE: And the Joint Chiefs Chairman at the time, General Hugh Shelton, told a California group last month: "The reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues. Wes won't get my vote."

Those sentiments are not reflected in Clark's record because generals above two-star rank don't receive written evaluation. LT. GEN. DAN CHRISTMAN, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I was a three-star general myself. I got no efficiency reports, received none, none were written on me during my seven years as a three-star general and that applies obviously in spades to General Clark.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Now, in his book, Wes Clark says that the Joint Chiefs had a hidden agenda and that the Pentagon was overly cautious in reigning in commanders in the field but his fellow four-stars at the time argued that Clark himself, while a brilliant commander, at times needed to be reigned in -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon with a very solid report, thanks Jamie very much.

Down to the wire, the Boston Red Sox hoping to reverse their curse tonight in New York. Can they pull off what the Chicago Cubs clearly could not? We're live from Yankee Stadium in only a minute or so. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked: "During another Major League championship series a similar case of fan involvement occurred. Which team benefited from that"?

The answer, the New York Yankees, in game one of the 1996 American League Championship series, New York's Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field. A 12-year-old fan reached over the fence and knocked the ball away from Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco. The umpire ruled it was a homerun and New York went on to win the game and the series.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Who can forget that? They haven't reached the World Series since 1945. They haven't won it since 1908. You can say the Chicago Cubs are cursed. You could also say they choked losing three straight to the new National League champs the Florida Marlins. The Boston Red Sox meantime are battling their own demons. They last won a World Series in 1918. Two years later they sold a guy named Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Tonight they can certainly settle the score.

Danny Habib of "Sports Illustrated" is joining us now live from Yankee Stadium. Danny, thanks very much for joining us. First, Chicago, is there a curse in Chicago? What's going on over there?

DANNY HABIB, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": It must be something in the water because Dusty Baker and his players did a terrific job all post season long of deflecting questions about the curse and of insisting that history had nothing to do with what was going wrong in Chicago. That all changed in the eighth inning last night and I think now the discussion of a curse resurfaces because when what we see defies logic we retreat to superstition to explain it.

BLITZER: You really couldn't make this kind of stuff up, in fact, Hollywood is already talking about making a movie about that young guy who interfered effectively with that fly ball, that foul ball and they're thinking of making a movie about that. You can't make this kind of stuff up, can you?

HABIB: No. This is art imitating life I suppose but it's the kind of ending that we could only expect from the Cubs. And we had discussed earlier in the week when they were ahead 3-1 it would take a collapse of well Cub-like proportions for them to lose the series and clearly they followed through on their franchise's legacy.

BLITZER: Give us some perspective. If Boston beats the Yankees tonight, how big of a deal is that in baseball history?

HABIB: In baseball history? Well, I mean the Red Sox have been to the World Series a few more times than the Cubs have. They've had better success and in the sort of annals of futility they've tended to go to the precipice of success before rapidly turning back rather than avoiding it all together as the Cubs have done but it would be historic.

It would be the first time since 1986 that the Red Sox have been there and, you know, it would be a terrific match-up against the team that has been in existence for less time than that in the Marlins.

BLITZER: Marlins fans are almost being forgotten. The Yankees, of course, get an enormous amount of publicity, Chicago, Boston. Florida seems to have come out of nowhere into the World Series. What happened there?

HABIB: It's sort of a confluence of a couple of factors and one is the presence of Jack McKeon who is 72 and manages the Marlins and he's sort of a real -- he's an avuncular guy, you know, very charming and motivates his players well.

They have a couple of players in Pudge Rodriguez, for example, who are eligible for free agency and playing for the contracts of their lives. As one scout told me they feel like they've caught lightning in a bottle. They look at themselves in the mirror and feel they can't do anything wrong. So, at the risk of being simplistic I think that's the reason.

BLITZER: Danny Habib, he's a sportswriter for "Sports Illustrated." He's going to be watching the game up close and personal over at Yankee Stadium. The rest of us can watch it on television. Danny, thanks very much for joining us.

HABIB: My pleasure.

BLITZER: And we'll be back with the results of our web question of the day. That's coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here are the results of our web question of the day. Take a look. Remember this is not, not a scientific poll.

Let's get to some of your e-mail. On the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools supposedly being unconstitutional, Gillian writes this: "As the pledge is written now, yes, it is unconstitutional. Inserting 'under God' made it so. Simply remove this addition and restore it to its pre-Cold War form. Then all Americans, regardless of religious belief, can recite it with heartfelt patriotism again."

Lisette disagrees. "I am absolutely appalled at the thought that there are people out there that think it is unconstitutional to have our children recite the pledge. It helps to teach our children about taking pride in our country. The pledge is a daily celebration of freedom which was given to us through the blood of our defenders."

That's all the time we have. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT for Thursday, October 16, 2003, her now Lou Dobbs.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. The United States today won an extraordinary...

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