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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Round Two in Baghdad; Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore Diposed Today; Kobe Bryant Delays Plea
Aired November 13, 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: Happening now: fighting in the dark. The United States strikes in Iraq.
Also happening now: digging out unlikely weather in Los Angeles.
And happening in the Midwest: cleaning up after a destructive tornado. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Iron Hammer: they're striking back. But what are the troops up against?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They know how to operate covertly. They have access to a lot of money and a lot of ammunition.
BLITZER: CNN exclusive: inside the royal family. Are the Saudis now ready to fight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's at stake is our survival.
BLITZER: The other woman: "PEOPLE" looks at the Peterson case. A sneak preview.
Above the law: the Ten Commandments judge faces his peers and takes his punishment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, November 13, 2003.
BLITZER: Round two in Baghdad. The Iraqi capital once again feeling the thunder of Operation Iron Hammer right now, as U.S. troops hit back at Iraqi insurgents. The military says an AC-130 gun ship struck a former Republican Guard building used to launch attacks. And coalition forces fired mortars at two other targets in Baghdad.
After the devastating attack on Italian forces, the U.S. military's Central Command offered a clearer picture of what the coalition is up against, calling the foe brutal and determined, well- armed and well organized.
We'll go live to CNN's Jamie McIntyre. He's over at the Pentagon. But we begin right in Baghdad. CNN's Matthew Chance just back at our bureau. Matthew, you were embedded today with U.S. troops. You were actually aboard a U.S. military helicopter. Tell us about this operation.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We were on board a helicopter as reconnaissance mission was flown at very levels, just a couple of hundred feet in surveillance helicopters across eastern Baghdad looking for suspicious activities, looking for insurgents preparing to carry out rocket attacks or perhaps gathering in suspicious circumstances. We saw very little in the eastern part of the city.
Meanwhile, in the west, Operation Iron Hammer, of which this was also a part, was continuing, a pace more attacks against suspected militant targets in the west of the city. Grand forces backed by helicopters and aerial gun ships struck, as you mentioned, at the former building of the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein in the west of the city. U.S. military officials say the building had recently been used as a base for insurgents to conduct attacks on coalition forces.
Also, mortar and artillery shells were fired at U.S. troops to destroy two suspected insurgent rockets and mortar bases. All this, of course, part of that stepped-up attempt by the U.S. forces to crack down on the militants and their increasing attacks on the coalition -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon, this U.S. military offensive. Matthew Chance in Baghdad, thank you very much.
The commander of coalition forces in Iraq today said he has no doubt the U.S. military will break and defeat the resistance, but he warns it will be a very tough job. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Wolf, this week the CIA in a secret report warned that the insurgents in Iraq could be winning converts with their successful attacks against U.S. troops and their allies. But today, that top commander said that victory is assured.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMANDER: They're a despicable bunch of thugs that will be defeated. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that with patience, perseverance and courage we will see this thing through.
MCINTYRE (voice-over): General Abizaid puts the number of forces opposing the U.S. at fewer than 5,000. Mostly Saddam loyalists with a few foreign fighters mixed in. But he concedes they're sitting on piles of cache and ammunition and are being coordinated at a high level. Although some U.S. commanders are beginning to believe Saddam Hussein himself could be directing the insurgency, Abizaid dismisses the speculation that what's happening now is the result of some pre- war master plan.
ABIZAID: Saddam Hussein is one of the most incompetent military leaders in the history of the world. And to give him any credit, to think that somehow or other he planned this, is absolutely beyond my comprehension.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: And Wolf, one of the reasons that Pentagon officials don't believe this was a master plan of Saddam Hussein, is that all the former Iraqi officials and generals they've interviewed, none of them have said that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you very much.
As the insurgency in Iraq intensifies, the transition towards self-rule appears to be flagging. There were urgent consultations at the White House this past week, and President Bush today said he's asked the U.S. administrator, Ambassador Paul Bremer, to go back to Baghdad and get the Iraqis moving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I'm interested in doing is working with Ambassador Bremer and the Governing Council to work on a plan that will encourage the Iraqis to assume more responsibility. Ambassador Bremer sat right here yesterday and talked to me about the Iraqis' desire to be more involved in the governance of their country. And that's a positive development because that's actually what we want. We want the Iraqis to be more involved in the governance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: While the U.S. military wields its iron hammer in the Baghdad area, troops carried out a series of raids last night in northern Iraq. The Army says troops detained a number of suspected insurgents in Mosul and seized a variety of weapons. More arrests were made in raids west of Mosul. And south of the city -- in the south of the city, a patrol seized several gunmen after a clash.
After the bombing at the Italian military headquarters, Japan is now having some second thoughts about sending its own forces to Iraq. Japan had planned to deploy non-combat troops by year's end, but now says it is reexamining its pledge in light of the overall security situation in Iraq. The chief cabinet secretary saying Japan would like to send troops in the future, but, one condition: if, he says, the situation allows.
The U.S. military says American-led coalition forces are on the hunt for insurgents in Afghanistan as well. They've launched a new anti-terror campaign in the eastern reaches of the country. A military spokesman says Operation Mountain Resolve, which is aimed at disrupting terrorist operations, began six days ago. He says U.S. troops are working alongside Afghan militia in steep snow-covered mountains. Some of the toughest terrain they've ever seen.
U.S. forces are stepping up the pressure on Iraq's insurgents, but the head of the U.S. military's Central Command warns they face a dangerous and determined foe. Can Operation Iron Hammer succeed?
Joining me now for some analysis, the retired U.S. Army general, George Jol, a combat veteran himself. He's the former supreme allied commander of NATO.
General Jol, thanks very much for joining us.
GEN. GEORGE JOULWAN (RET.), FMR. NATO SUPREME COMMANDER: Good to be here, Wolf.
BLITZER: Is this a little bit too late? Shouldn't this have started, this offensive, some time ago?
JOULWAN: Perhaps. But I think this reassessment that's been going on for the last several weeks I think indicates that what has to happen now is that the United States has to maintain the initiative in this fight. We felt it slipping away here with what has occurred in the last several weeks. And I think this operation, Operation Iron Hammer, and others throughout the area, are now a very positive step in trying to get that initiative back.
BLITZER: So you wouldn't be surprised to see this Operation Iron Hammer continue for days.
JOULWAN: We must continue it.
BLITZER: Weeks, months?
JOULWAN: We must continue it. We cannot get static in our positions. We've got to have mobility, and we've got to be able to catch the enemy before he gets to where he's going with either a suicide bomb or a mortar.
That requires excellent intelligence, and also that high-powered technology we saw in Strike and Awe needs to be now employed in a way to protect our forces, give them early warning. And to do that, you got to get out in the countryside.
BLITZER: I heard General Abizaid say at the briefing this morning that there are probably some 5,000 organized elements out there, insurgents, terrorists, whatever you want to call them, opponents of the U.S. and the coalition. How much damage militarily can they do?
JOULWAN: Five thousand well-motivated, fanatic troops that are willing to fight and die can cause a hell of a lot of havoc within a country. The challenge here is to take the fight to them. We -- one of these strikes that went in today was just a few hundred yards from the airport. We have got to expand this security shield and get out and find the enemy before he detonates these bombs or fires mortars or surface-to-air missiles against our helicopters.
BLITZER: It suggests to me that intelligence may be the most important ingredients in this war.
JOULWAN: And you've got to balance all of that. Because at the same time, Jerry Bremer has got a hell of a task on his hands to put together the civilian assets that are going to make this country run again from both the Iraqi side and also from all the U.N. agencies that need to get out there and do their work in order to bring about a better life for the Iraqi citizens.
BLITZER: Isn't the U.S. military -- I know Special Operations, they're used to this kind of stuff. But the general, the military, the regular divisions that are deployed there, the nearly 130,000, did they train for this kind of war?
JOULWAN: Well, first of all, the 1st Armored Division that's involved in this in Baghdad was with me in Bosnia. They went into Bosnia. They were the lead element in Bosnia in 1995.
So they know how to fight and they also know how to do these sort of operations in what we call stability operations in order to bring stability to the region. So I think they are well trained.
We're learning as we go along with lessons learned. But the key part here is there are no time-outs in this fight. You have got to reassess. And those that used to call this a cakewalk at the beginning of this war, understand this is not a cakewalk. We're in a tough fight. We need bipartisanship and we need to come together not only as a nation but internationally as well.
BLITZER: One brief question. Operation Iron Hammer, how do they come up with these names?
JOULWAN: Well, it's very interesting. The 1st Armored Division, their motto, their nickname is Old Iron Side. This is the oldest armored division in the Army, and these are iron soldiers, as they used to call them during the Cold War, in Bosnia and elsewhere. So this name, Iron Hammer, is a direct reflection on those troops. It motivates them, it gives them a sense of pride.
BLITZER: General Joulwan, thanks very much for joining us.
JOULWAN: Thank you.
BLITZER: Here is your turn to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think Operation Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. Any time. 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.
No job, but still no regrets. Alabama's chief justice removed from office, but maintains his allegiance. We're live from Montgomery, Alabama.
The other woman in the Laci Peterson case. Find out why Amber Frey may prove to be Scott Peterson's toughest foe in the courtroom.
Plus this: icy days. But you might be surprised where this winter scene is taking place. Wacky weather whipping through the United States. We'll have details.
First though, today's news quiz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which location holds the record for the windiest place in the world: Arctic Village, Alaska, Chicago, Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Mount Everest? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Alabama's deposed chief justice says he has no regrets. Judge Roy Moore became the lightning rod in a dispute over a display of the Ten Commandments at the Alabama courthouse. Today, the State Court of the Judiciary booted him off the bench.
CNN's Brian Cabell joins us now live from Montgomery -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Alabama needs a new chief justice of its Supreme Court today. Roy Moore, one of the best-known and best-liked politicians in the state, is without a job right now. The findings against him were concise. The vote was unanimous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUESTION: Good morning, Judge. How are you this morning?
ROY MOORE, FMR. ALABAMA SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE: Good morning.
QUESTION: How do you feel, Judge?
MOORE: I feel comfortable. We've asserted our position, we've not backed down, we said what this is about and explained it to the public. And we will...
QUESTION: Are you worried?
MOORE: No, not at all. Not worried about doing what we have to do under the Constitution. Thank you.
WILLIAM THOMPSON, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: Because of the magnitude of the decision with regard to sanctions for the chief justice's violation of the canons of judicial ethics, was a difficult one for this court to make. Finding no other viable alternatives, this court hereby orders that Roy S. Moore be removed from his position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. This court is now adjourned.
MOORE: Absolutely no regrets. We've done what we were sworn to do. When I took office, I said I would uphold the moral foundation of our law. That I have done.
I've not denied god. And that's exactly what they asked me to do to hold office. And I said I could not. They removed me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: Moore said he was not surprised by this verdict at all. He said, as you heard, he has no regrets whatsoever. And right now, he claims he has no definite plans.
He said he was planning to go home tonight, talk to his wife. He'll be talking to his supporters over the next few days, and maybe have an announcement next week as to what he plans to do next. He could appeal this verdict. There's also talk from his supporters that he might run for some sort of statewide office. He remains, Wolf, a very popular man here in the state of Alabama -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The expectation -- there's wide expectation, as you say, Brian, that he will run for office. And since he is so popular, presumably he'd have an excellent chance of guesting himself elected.
CABELL: You would think so. He's known here of course as the Ten Commandments judge. That cause is very popular here. About 75 percent of the people here approve of putting the Ten Commandments monument inside this building, approve of putting it in any sort of public building.
So he has a popular cause that he has embraced. People like that cause. Many people here like him as a politician.
BLITZER: The former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Thanks very much, Brian Cabell, for that.
New dramatic details revealed today in the case against Scott Peterson involving Scott Peterson himself and the place where Laci Peterson's body was found. We're live from Modesto.
Protecting the president. Why the job will not be easy when the president travels to London next week.
And bracing for the worst. The Northeast dealing with strong winds and severe storms. And wait until you see what's happening in California.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Dangerous, even deadly winds are buffeting a large portion of the United States right now. A tornado touched down in northeast Ohio, injuring at least seven people and damaging a factory.
In Iowa, wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour injured at least one person. Thousands of people lost power as downed trees toppled power lines. In upstate New York, one woman was killed by a tree that fell on her car. Forecasters were warning of blizzard-like conditions developing there today. Despite the windy weather, crews in New York City were able to hoist this year's Christmas tree into place at Rockefeller Center. The lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 3.
When people in Los Angeles talk about the weather, it can be a dull conversation. But that was not the case today. The area is recovering from what one weather expert calls an extremely rare deluge that brought piles of hail and the kind of rain you usually see only in a hurricane.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): This isn't the image most people have of sunny southern California. Or this. But dozens of drivers encountered rivers instead of roads yesterday when powerful thunderstorms rolled across the region, with the worst of them stalling out for more than an hour over the heart of Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was flooding all out here around and what. And so we were looking for fire departments. They have to help people out of their cars. It's been a lot of flooding and it almost came all up in my house.
BLITZER: It poured rain, more than two inches an hour, and dropped hail that buried some cars up to the tops of their wheels. The timing couldn't have been worse, coinciding with the evening rush hour. Some drivers found themselves stranded in flooded intersections. Emergency officials say as many as 100 people had to be rescued.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've blocked the street. They've trapped fire engines, they've trapped rescue ambulances and rescue squads.
BLITZER: Lightning lit up the sky for hours, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers. In all, as much as five inches of rain fell in parts of metro Los Angeles. Certainly a deluge, but a couple of inches short of the city record set back in 1934.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Some schools in the area are closed today because of the flooding and the power outages.
Striking a balance. London beefing up security for President Bush's visit. But how much is too much?
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It set a wave of a lower standard on human rights around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Very tough talk from form President Jimmy Carter. He's speaking out against U.S. policy. It's a CNN exclusive.
And Kobe Bryant's back in court today. Find out who else was there.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Tackling terrorism: a Saudi prince speaking out about his country's role. We'll go live to Riyadh for a CNN exclusive.
First though, a quick check of the latest headlines.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: For decades, Saudi Arabia has been perceived as a breeding ground for terrorists. Now a powerful and unimaginably wealthy Saudi prince says his government has decided to weed out terror cells from the country. He's the same Saudi royal whose contribution of some $10 million was rejected by then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani days after the 9/11 attacks.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joining us now live with an exclusive interview with Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.
Nic, tell us what happened.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf -- well, Wolf, he's member of the royal family. He made his money through investment here. He is the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia, if you will. And he has recently given another $10 million to the American University in Cairo, as well as the American University in Beirut. He's very keen to build good relations and understanding with the West, with the United States in particular.
He's also in Saudi Arabia a keen reformer, a liberal. He is, perhaps because of his wealth and his position in the royal family, very outspoken.
I sat down with him and asked him was Saudi Arabia able to cope with the terror groups it's discovering it has.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE AL WALEED BIN TALAL, SAUDI ARABIA: The discovery of many cells in various places in the nation proven conclusively that we are after those terrorists in a very aggressive manner. I think it may take more time to really weed out the nation from all of those terrorists.
ROBERTSON: The government calls them al Qaeda. How have they been able to grow? What has allowed them to grow in this country? TALAL: Well, I think we have been very loose with these people. We have been accommodative with them right now. However, after the events of the 12th of May and the latest events that took place on the 8th of November, whereby not only Westerners were killed, some Arabs were killed, some Muslims were killed. The people are very much united right now with the nation, with their rulers to really fight those terrorists and weed out our nation from them.
So, I think the process right now began. It will take some time but we have any point of no return.
I have a school here called Kingdom School. Some of the books we have over there have some extreme ideas. I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that. There's no secret about that. And the government already began the process of changing some of these. That's one area.
Another area, changing some of those extreme religious people who are -- preach in the mosques, some extreme thoughts.
So it's a very long process. It's a very big process because this thing is being going on for tens of years.
ROBERTSON: What more can Saudi Arabia be doing, not just for itself here, but internationally as well?
TALAL: I think Saudi Arabia can do more by showing the West what the Saudi Arabia is about. And to tell the West that those 15 terrorists that took -- that were involved in the event of the 9/11. They're not representative of Saudi Arabia. I mean, we have our own Timothy McVeigh's in Saudi Arabia for sure. And we have quite a bit of them.
But just because the 15 or 20 or a hundred of several hundred people that are terrorists here have extreme orientations, we cannot generalize and say the whole nation is terrorist. That's the message we should really give to the United States.
ROBERTSON: One of the issues that's happening right on your borders right now is in Iraq.
TALAL: Well, what's going on in Iraq right now is clearly not comforting for Saudi Arabia. Still, I can assure you, what's happening right now in Iraq is still a lot better than having Saddam Hussein over there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: He also told me he wants to see movie theaters open in Saudi Arabia. They're illegal at this time. And perhaps very dynamically for somebody here, he said he'd like to see women driving. Women are banned from driving here at this time.
Clearly, perhaps, a forward thinker at this time in Saudi Arabia. How effective he can be, given the slow nature of bureaucracy here, Wolf, we'll have to see. Certainly, somebody who can move and shake the system here -- Wolf. BLITZER: Nic Robertson in Riyadh. Good work, Nic. Thanks very much.
President Bush travels to London next week. Britain has been one of the administration's most steadfast allies in the war in Iraq. But participation in the conflict has plenty of detractors over there as well.
So London police are preparing for the worst. They're hoping, though, for the best.
Here's CNN European political editor, Robin Oakley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice-over): Armed police aren't usually so evident on the streets of London. But security is being stepped up before President George Bush's arrival. Big protests are expected from the opponents of the Iraq war.
When China's president visited in 1999, London's police were criticized for hustling demonstrators and removing their banners. Not this time, they say.
ANDY TROTTER, DEPUTY ASST. COMMISSIONER: The embarrassment of the visiting president is not part of our policing concerns whatsoever. We will allow and help demonstrators to make their point, as we always do in London. What we will be firm about are people who are here to cause trouble.
OAKLEY: President Bush seems to be comfortable with that.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am so pleased to be going to a country which says that people are allowed to express their mind. That's fantastic. You know, freedom is a beautiful thing.
OAKLEY: But how much freedom? One security firm has just assessed London as on a par with Russia and the Philippines as far as terror threats go.
Police admit the city has been on a high alert for months and authorities say a suicide attack one day is inevitable. Their theory is that if demonstrations were to get out of hand, as some have in the past, the situation could be exploited by terrorists.
(on camera): London's police say they're determined to strike a balance between letting the demonstrators make their point and protecting the president.
But they insist they're taking the security threat seriously. That's why all police leave has been canceled and 5,000 officers will be on duty. That's unprecedented for a visiting leader.
Robin Oakley, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Presidential protection not withstanding, at least one former U.S. leader is concerned that security measures in a post-9/11 world are undermining human rights.
Former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter hosted a human rights conference this week at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
CNN's Jim Clancy sat down with him for an exclusive conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the former U.S. president is hosting human rights activists from half a hundred countries, reminding them that it wasn't the U.S. that invented human rights, but really human rights that helped to found the United States.
President Carter is being very blunt about it. He believes security excesses, post-September 11, are undermining freedoms not only in the U.S., but around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, in the past, the United States has been known as a champion of human rights. And other nations who come have under our influence, usually benevolent influence, have tried to maintain very high human rights standards, or at least to conceal their deviation from human rights commitments.
Since 9/11, though, with the United States setting an adverse path by arresting more than 1,000 United States citizens, who appear to be Arabs, and who have committed no crimes, and holding 680 prisoners taken in the war in Afghanistan in Guantanamo, all deprived for the first time in American history, of the right to accusation or even knowledge of their alleged crime, deprived of a right to counsel, deprived of a right to communicate with their families.
This, plus the Patriot Act, has sent a wave of a lower standard on human rights around the world. If the United States can committees these abuses of civil liberties, why can't we in our country? So what has happened, as these people have testified with great emotion, is that in almost all their countries, their leaders have now lowered the standards of human rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Some of those attending the conference at the Carter Center right now say that the war on terrorism has had an effect to push human rights debates off the front page and off the evening news as well. They say that without international pressure, a lot of them are fighting a lost cause.
As you well know, Wolf, former President Carter, a long-standing supporter of human rights -- and he's not about to sit on the sidelines on this one. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Jim Clancy, thanks very much for that.
In the spotlight, the surveillance of Scott Peterson's home takes center stage in court today. What investigators say it caught the man doing.
Sniper suspects. Will jurors believe John Allen Muhammad was captain of the killing team?
Plus, Kobe Bryant appears before the judge who will preside over his sexual assault trial. I'll talk with a former Denver prosecutor.
First though, a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): An Israeli air and ground raid in Gaza has left Palestinians dazed and a house in virtual ruins. Witnesses say Israeli forces converged today on a neighborhood in the town of Khan Younis. They say no one was arrested, but the house of a Palestinian militant was damaged.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is standing by its report of no evidence that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, but it says the jury is still out. Iran today warned of, quote, "unpredictable consequences if the IAEA finds it in violation of a global pact against nuclear weapons."
At least ten people are dead, victims of a fierce rain storm in central Argentina. The storm, which began Tuesday, drove hundreds from their homes and have left thousands without water or power.
Heavy rains did little to dampen spirits for Havanna, Cuba's annual carnival, but it did delay the colorful parade for several days. The carnival celebrates Havanna's founding 484 years ago.
Tourism officials hope they've come up with yet another reason to visit India, really old cars. Almost 50 vintage beauties rolled in for a car rally in Shimla City. Beyond the cars, Shimla's considered India's summer paradise.
And that's our look around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Opening statements and closing arguments in the trials of the D.C. Area sniper suspects. Those stores in today's justice report.
Prosecutors in the case of John Muhammad called him quote, "captain of this killing team." Defense lawyers said the other side failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fifteen miles away, opening arguments in the trial of 18-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo. His prosecutors also portrayed Malvo and Muhammad as a team. Malvo's lawyers said he was under Muhammad's influence to the point of temporary insanity. Malvo's trial is recessed until Monday while attorneys wait for evidence being used in Muhammad's trial.
In Eagle, Colorado, Kobe Bryant's first appearance before the judge who will hear his sexual assault trial. Bryant did not enter a plea and he declined a reading of the charges against him. He's accused of raping a 19-year-old employee at a hotel in June.
Her parents and other relatives were in court today for the first time. The case is scheduled to pick up next month with a pre-trial hearing.
For more on today's developments, what we can expect as this situation unfolds, we're joined by -- from Denver by the former Denver prosecutor, Craig Silverman. Craig, thanks very much for joining us. What should we read into the fact he didn't actually enter a plea, if anything?
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FRM. DENVER PROSECUTOR: Wolf, if Kobe Bryant would have entered a plea today, speedy trial would have set on May 13. In other words, the state would have had to put him on trial before May 13 or he would have gone free. Because they delay the plea and setting, and probably will past December 19, the next court date, it's pretty clear that the trial of this case will not start until the L.A. Lakers' season concludes sometime this summer.
BLITZER: And the fact that her, the accuser's family, was in court, she wasn't in court, they were in court. Kobe Bryant's wife did not join him at this proceeding. What, if anything, should we read into that?
SILVERMAN: I was a little surprised Kobe didn't bring his wife today. I understand completely why she would not want to hear the evidence of what he describes as consensual sex. I understand the accuser's family being there. After all, this alleged victim has not really had a presence in the courtroom before. And it was interesting to see not only her family, but certain victim advocates demonstrating on her behalf.
BLITZER: How realistic, how likely is it that there will and change of venue, a move out of Eagle, Colorado to some other location in your state?
SILVERMAN: I don't expect there to be a change of venue, because team Kobe has to worry where would this case go. They really can't control that. I think they would change venue if they knew it was coming to Denver or one of our surrounding counties. But it could just as easily go to Grand Junction or Colorado Springs, which might be regarded as harsher, tougher jurisdictions for team Kobe.
BLITZER: What do you know about this judge, Terry Ruckriegal? SILVERMAN: I know that he is an ambitious individual. We know that he personally wanted the case. It's always good as an attorney to have a judge who is enthusiastic about a case. This case is not a burden to him. After all, he swooped it up, which was his prerogative as the chief judge of the fifth judicial district here in Colorado.
BLITZER: We heard the judge say that both the prosecution and the defense expect the eventual trial to go for two to three weeks. Is that realistic?
SILVERMAN: I think so. We don't have the drawn-out trials they do in California. I'm surprised it's going to take that long. But clearly, there will be some expert testimony. That could take a while.
BLITZER: Craig Silverman, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
SILVERMAN: Thank you.
BLITZER: The case against Scott Peterson and the other woman he romanced before Laci's disappearance. How much does Amber Frey really know? Insight into her expected testimony. That's coming up.
And unique fashion. But this new look may not be so slimming after all? You won't believe what designers are cooking up on the runway right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There is new information on the secret surveillance of Scott Peterson in the days after his wife disappeared. A Modesto police detective testified in the preliminary hearing that Peterson drove on three separate occasions to the Berkeley Marina. That's where he says he was fishing the day his wife disappeared and not far from where her body washed up in April. The detective said on two occasions Peterson just stared at the water for a couple of minutes then left.
The most anticipated witness in this preliminary hearing is Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey. She's still expected to testify perhaps this week. She's also the cover story in the new issue of "People" magazine. Albert Kim is the assisting managing editor. He's joining us now live from New York. Albert thanks very much for joining us.
I learned a lot about Amber Frey from your article. What was the most shocking thing you learned about her?
ALBERT KIM, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: I think the most frightening thing we learned was that this woman who has sort of been portrayed as the mistress, the other part of the love triangle here, really is an ordinary woman, someone who grew up very down to Earth, grounded in her family and community and just an ordinary woman caught in extraordinary circumstance. BLITZER: Among other things, you write in the piece, together with your colleagues, her father, Ron, says she was devastated when she discovered how Peterson had deceived her. But even in the weeks after Laci's disappearance and despite her growing suspicions about Peterson, she continued to nurse feelings for him. With the pair sharing dozens of phone calls over a couple of months. I guess she just simply wanted to be in love with this guy.
KIM: Yes. You have you to keep in mind that from her viewpoint, she's the wronged woman in this affair. You know, she went into this relationship with the best of intentions, and then finds out that the guy she thinks might be Mr. Right has not only been lying to her, that he might have killed his wife and unborn child. So, that's not something you shake that easily.
BLITZER: Later in the article, you write this, "friends say Frey has never said she thinks Peterson is guilty, but it seems as if she's now prepared to consider the worst." Has she come to that realization? Does she really believe he killed his wife?
KIM: I think she's starting to realize that this is not really looking good for her Mr. Right. So, yes, she hasn't said anything. We really don't know what her story is since she hasn't taken the stand yet. We know a lot of what her friends and her father has told us. And they all portray the same thing, a woman who has been shaken badly by this affair but who is planning on sticking to her guns on this.
BLITZER: I guess if she's testifies and becomes part of the prosecution's team, Mark Geragos the attorney who is representing Scott Peterson in this case, is going to go after her credibility. There are nude pictures of her that have surfaced on the Internet.
KIM: Yes, like many others, she was an aspiring model once and talked into posing nude for a photographer who has since released them to the Internet. Her father says obviously this was not the smartest thing for her to do.
If she's had one failing in her life, she's had a really troubled history with men. She once dated a male stripper who tried to get her to become a stripper. He later he was kicked out after she accused him of beating her. And of course, there is Scott who lied to her right off the bat and said he was a single man. So, she's had a lot of problem with men.
BLITZER: And she's a single mother as well.
KIM: And everyone has told us that the one constant in her life has been her daughter. She's a devoted mom. And if anything, she's keeping her sanity these days by focusing on her family life. She's moved houses to somewhere a little more secure. She keeps in touch with her father. She doesn't really talk to her lawyer that much. It's mainly her father, her daughter and the friends from her church group.
BLITZER: Albert Kim of our sister publication, "People" magazine. Thanks, very much, Albert for that. Thanks for the good work.
KIM: Thanks for having me.
BLITZER: Fashion that not only looks good, it tastes good. Something the makers of chocolate probably never had in mind. You'll see it right here.
And our hot Web question of the day is this, "do you think Operation: Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq?" You can vote right now, CNN.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A fashion show that's not just for the eyes. That's our picture of the day. Look at this, ball gowns, bathing suits and bras all made from chocolate. New York's annual chocolate fashion show features models in confectionery costumes. Some cooked up by big named designers. But these models had to step carefully on the runway, chocolate cracks and falls off, and get this, it melts at body temperature.
Here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. We've been asking you this question, "do you think Operation: Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq." Look at this, 7 percent of you say yes, 93 percent of you say no. We remind you this is not a scientific poll.
Some of your emails. David writes this, "Today, with the removal of Judge Moore we witnessed one more tragic step in the nation's push towards secularism and anti-religion. How can it be that a man as removed from office for standing for his principles and doing the very thing that the Constitution guarantees?"
D. Adams disagrees, "I am extremely happy that Roy Moore got fired. Moore has a history of letting his extremely conservative views get in the way of him making competent decisions and reaffirming the negative stereotypes about Alabama."
A reminder, we're here every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm also here noon Eastern. See you tonight. Once again, filling in for Aaron Brown 10:00 p.m. Eastern. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
END
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Diposed Today; Kobe Bryant Delays Plea>
Aired November 13, 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: Happening now: fighting in the dark. The United States strikes in Iraq.
Also happening now: digging out unlikely weather in Los Angeles.
And happening in the Midwest: cleaning up after a destructive tornado. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Iron Hammer: they're striking back. But what are the troops up against?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They know how to operate covertly. They have access to a lot of money and a lot of ammunition.
BLITZER: CNN exclusive: inside the royal family. Are the Saudis now ready to fight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's at stake is our survival.
BLITZER: The other woman: "PEOPLE" looks at the Peterson case. A sneak preview.
Above the law: the Ten Commandments judge faces his peers and takes his punishment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, November 13, 2003.
BLITZER: Round two in Baghdad. The Iraqi capital once again feeling the thunder of Operation Iron Hammer right now, as U.S. troops hit back at Iraqi insurgents. The military says an AC-130 gun ship struck a former Republican Guard building used to launch attacks. And coalition forces fired mortars at two other targets in Baghdad.
After the devastating attack on Italian forces, the U.S. military's Central Command offered a clearer picture of what the coalition is up against, calling the foe brutal and determined, well- armed and well organized.
We'll go live to CNN's Jamie McIntyre. He's over at the Pentagon. But we begin right in Baghdad. CNN's Matthew Chance just back at our bureau. Matthew, you were embedded today with U.S. troops. You were actually aboard a U.S. military helicopter. Tell us about this operation.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We were on board a helicopter as reconnaissance mission was flown at very levels, just a couple of hundred feet in surveillance helicopters across eastern Baghdad looking for suspicious activities, looking for insurgents preparing to carry out rocket attacks or perhaps gathering in suspicious circumstances. We saw very little in the eastern part of the city.
Meanwhile, in the west, Operation Iron Hammer, of which this was also a part, was continuing, a pace more attacks against suspected militant targets in the west of the city. Grand forces backed by helicopters and aerial gun ships struck, as you mentioned, at the former building of the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein in the west of the city. U.S. military officials say the building had recently been used as a base for insurgents to conduct attacks on coalition forces.
Also, mortar and artillery shells were fired at U.S. troops to destroy two suspected insurgent rockets and mortar bases. All this, of course, part of that stepped-up attempt by the U.S. forces to crack down on the militants and their increasing attacks on the coalition -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon, this U.S. military offensive. Matthew Chance in Baghdad, thank you very much.
The commander of coalition forces in Iraq today said he has no doubt the U.S. military will break and defeat the resistance, but he warns it will be a very tough job. Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Wolf, this week the CIA in a secret report warned that the insurgents in Iraq could be winning converts with their successful attacks against U.S. troops and their allies. But today, that top commander said that victory is assured.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMANDER: They're a despicable bunch of thugs that will be defeated. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that with patience, perseverance and courage we will see this thing through.
MCINTYRE (voice-over): General Abizaid puts the number of forces opposing the U.S. at fewer than 5,000. Mostly Saddam loyalists with a few foreign fighters mixed in. But he concedes they're sitting on piles of cache and ammunition and are being coordinated at a high level. Although some U.S. commanders are beginning to believe Saddam Hussein himself could be directing the insurgency, Abizaid dismisses the speculation that what's happening now is the result of some pre- war master plan.
ABIZAID: Saddam Hussein is one of the most incompetent military leaders in the history of the world. And to give him any credit, to think that somehow or other he planned this, is absolutely beyond my comprehension.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: And Wolf, one of the reasons that Pentagon officials don't believe this was a master plan of Saddam Hussein, is that all the former Iraqi officials and generals they've interviewed, none of them have said that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you very much.
As the insurgency in Iraq intensifies, the transition towards self-rule appears to be flagging. There were urgent consultations at the White House this past week, and President Bush today said he's asked the U.S. administrator, Ambassador Paul Bremer, to go back to Baghdad and get the Iraqis moving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I'm interested in doing is working with Ambassador Bremer and the Governing Council to work on a plan that will encourage the Iraqis to assume more responsibility. Ambassador Bremer sat right here yesterday and talked to me about the Iraqis' desire to be more involved in the governance of their country. And that's a positive development because that's actually what we want. We want the Iraqis to be more involved in the governance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: While the U.S. military wields its iron hammer in the Baghdad area, troops carried out a series of raids last night in northern Iraq. The Army says troops detained a number of suspected insurgents in Mosul and seized a variety of weapons. More arrests were made in raids west of Mosul. And south of the city -- in the south of the city, a patrol seized several gunmen after a clash.
After the bombing at the Italian military headquarters, Japan is now having some second thoughts about sending its own forces to Iraq. Japan had planned to deploy non-combat troops by year's end, but now says it is reexamining its pledge in light of the overall security situation in Iraq. The chief cabinet secretary saying Japan would like to send troops in the future, but, one condition: if, he says, the situation allows.
The U.S. military says American-led coalition forces are on the hunt for insurgents in Afghanistan as well. They've launched a new anti-terror campaign in the eastern reaches of the country. A military spokesman says Operation Mountain Resolve, which is aimed at disrupting terrorist operations, began six days ago. He says U.S. troops are working alongside Afghan militia in steep snow-covered mountains. Some of the toughest terrain they've ever seen.
U.S. forces are stepping up the pressure on Iraq's insurgents, but the head of the U.S. military's Central Command warns they face a dangerous and determined foe. Can Operation Iron Hammer succeed?
Joining me now for some analysis, the retired U.S. Army general, George Jol, a combat veteran himself. He's the former supreme allied commander of NATO.
General Jol, thanks very much for joining us.
GEN. GEORGE JOULWAN (RET.), FMR. NATO SUPREME COMMANDER: Good to be here, Wolf.
BLITZER: Is this a little bit too late? Shouldn't this have started, this offensive, some time ago?
JOULWAN: Perhaps. But I think this reassessment that's been going on for the last several weeks I think indicates that what has to happen now is that the United States has to maintain the initiative in this fight. We felt it slipping away here with what has occurred in the last several weeks. And I think this operation, Operation Iron Hammer, and others throughout the area, are now a very positive step in trying to get that initiative back.
BLITZER: So you wouldn't be surprised to see this Operation Iron Hammer continue for days.
JOULWAN: We must continue it.
BLITZER: Weeks, months?
JOULWAN: We must continue it. We cannot get static in our positions. We've got to have mobility, and we've got to be able to catch the enemy before he gets to where he's going with either a suicide bomb or a mortar.
That requires excellent intelligence, and also that high-powered technology we saw in Strike and Awe needs to be now employed in a way to protect our forces, give them early warning. And to do that, you got to get out in the countryside.
BLITZER: I heard General Abizaid say at the briefing this morning that there are probably some 5,000 organized elements out there, insurgents, terrorists, whatever you want to call them, opponents of the U.S. and the coalition. How much damage militarily can they do?
JOULWAN: Five thousand well-motivated, fanatic troops that are willing to fight and die can cause a hell of a lot of havoc within a country. The challenge here is to take the fight to them. We -- one of these strikes that went in today was just a few hundred yards from the airport. We have got to expand this security shield and get out and find the enemy before he detonates these bombs or fires mortars or surface-to-air missiles against our helicopters.
BLITZER: It suggests to me that intelligence may be the most important ingredients in this war.
JOULWAN: And you've got to balance all of that. Because at the same time, Jerry Bremer has got a hell of a task on his hands to put together the civilian assets that are going to make this country run again from both the Iraqi side and also from all the U.N. agencies that need to get out there and do their work in order to bring about a better life for the Iraqi citizens.
BLITZER: Isn't the U.S. military -- I know Special Operations, they're used to this kind of stuff. But the general, the military, the regular divisions that are deployed there, the nearly 130,000, did they train for this kind of war?
JOULWAN: Well, first of all, the 1st Armored Division that's involved in this in Baghdad was with me in Bosnia. They went into Bosnia. They were the lead element in Bosnia in 1995.
So they know how to fight and they also know how to do these sort of operations in what we call stability operations in order to bring stability to the region. So I think they are well trained.
We're learning as we go along with lessons learned. But the key part here is there are no time-outs in this fight. You have got to reassess. And those that used to call this a cakewalk at the beginning of this war, understand this is not a cakewalk. We're in a tough fight. We need bipartisanship and we need to come together not only as a nation but internationally as well.
BLITZER: One brief question. Operation Iron Hammer, how do they come up with these names?
JOULWAN: Well, it's very interesting. The 1st Armored Division, their motto, their nickname is Old Iron Side. This is the oldest armored division in the Army, and these are iron soldiers, as they used to call them during the Cold War, in Bosnia and elsewhere. So this name, Iron Hammer, is a direct reflection on those troops. It motivates them, it gives them a sense of pride.
BLITZER: General Joulwan, thanks very much for joining us.
JOULWAN: Thank you.
BLITZER: Here is your turn to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think Operation Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments. Any time. 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.
No job, but still no regrets. Alabama's chief justice removed from office, but maintains his allegiance. We're live from Montgomery, Alabama.
The other woman in the Laci Peterson case. Find out why Amber Frey may prove to be Scott Peterson's toughest foe in the courtroom.
Plus this: icy days. But you might be surprised where this winter scene is taking place. Wacky weather whipping through the United States. We'll have details.
First though, today's news quiz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which location holds the record for the windiest place in the world: Arctic Village, Alaska, Chicago, Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Mount Everest? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Alabama's deposed chief justice says he has no regrets. Judge Roy Moore became the lightning rod in a dispute over a display of the Ten Commandments at the Alabama courthouse. Today, the State Court of the Judiciary booted him off the bench.
CNN's Brian Cabell joins us now live from Montgomery -- Brian.
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Alabama needs a new chief justice of its Supreme Court today. Roy Moore, one of the best-known and best-liked politicians in the state, is without a job right now. The findings against him were concise. The vote was unanimous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUESTION: Good morning, Judge. How are you this morning?
ROY MOORE, FMR. ALABAMA SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE: Good morning.
QUESTION: How do you feel, Judge?
MOORE: I feel comfortable. We've asserted our position, we've not backed down, we said what this is about and explained it to the public. And we will...
QUESTION: Are you worried?
MOORE: No, not at all. Not worried about doing what we have to do under the Constitution. Thank you.
WILLIAM THOMPSON, ALABAMA SUPREME COURT: Because of the magnitude of the decision with regard to sanctions for the chief justice's violation of the canons of judicial ethics, was a difficult one for this court to make. Finding no other viable alternatives, this court hereby orders that Roy S. Moore be removed from his position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. This court is now adjourned.
MOORE: Absolutely no regrets. We've done what we were sworn to do. When I took office, I said I would uphold the moral foundation of our law. That I have done.
I've not denied god. And that's exactly what they asked me to do to hold office. And I said I could not. They removed me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: Moore said he was not surprised by this verdict at all. He said, as you heard, he has no regrets whatsoever. And right now, he claims he has no definite plans.
He said he was planning to go home tonight, talk to his wife. He'll be talking to his supporters over the next few days, and maybe have an announcement next week as to what he plans to do next. He could appeal this verdict. There's also talk from his supporters that he might run for some sort of statewide office. He remains, Wolf, a very popular man here in the state of Alabama -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The expectation -- there's wide expectation, as you say, Brian, that he will run for office. And since he is so popular, presumably he'd have an excellent chance of guesting himself elected.
CABELL: You would think so. He's known here of course as the Ten Commandments judge. That cause is very popular here. About 75 percent of the people here approve of putting the Ten Commandments monument inside this building, approve of putting it in any sort of public building.
So he has a popular cause that he has embraced. People like that cause. Many people here like him as a politician.
BLITZER: The former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Thanks very much, Brian Cabell, for that.
New dramatic details revealed today in the case against Scott Peterson involving Scott Peterson himself and the place where Laci Peterson's body was found. We're live from Modesto.
Protecting the president. Why the job will not be easy when the president travels to London next week.
And bracing for the worst. The Northeast dealing with strong winds and severe storms. And wait until you see what's happening in California.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Dangerous, even deadly winds are buffeting a large portion of the United States right now. A tornado touched down in northeast Ohio, injuring at least seven people and damaging a factory.
In Iowa, wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour injured at least one person. Thousands of people lost power as downed trees toppled power lines. In upstate New York, one woman was killed by a tree that fell on her car. Forecasters were warning of blizzard-like conditions developing there today. Despite the windy weather, crews in New York City were able to hoist this year's Christmas tree into place at Rockefeller Center. The lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 3.
When people in Los Angeles talk about the weather, it can be a dull conversation. But that was not the case today. The area is recovering from what one weather expert calls an extremely rare deluge that brought piles of hail and the kind of rain you usually see only in a hurricane.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): This isn't the image most people have of sunny southern California. Or this. But dozens of drivers encountered rivers instead of roads yesterday when powerful thunderstorms rolled across the region, with the worst of them stalling out for more than an hour over the heart of Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was flooding all out here around and what. And so we were looking for fire departments. They have to help people out of their cars. It's been a lot of flooding and it almost came all up in my house.
BLITZER: It poured rain, more than two inches an hour, and dropped hail that buried some cars up to the tops of their wheels. The timing couldn't have been worse, coinciding with the evening rush hour. Some drivers found themselves stranded in flooded intersections. Emergency officials say as many as 100 people had to be rescued.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've blocked the street. They've trapped fire engines, they've trapped rescue ambulances and rescue squads.
BLITZER: Lightning lit up the sky for hours, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers. In all, as much as five inches of rain fell in parts of metro Los Angeles. Certainly a deluge, but a couple of inches short of the city record set back in 1934.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Some schools in the area are closed today because of the flooding and the power outages.
Striking a balance. London beefing up security for President Bush's visit. But how much is too much?
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It set a wave of a lower standard on human rights around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Very tough talk from form President Jimmy Carter. He's speaking out against U.S. policy. It's a CNN exclusive.
And Kobe Bryant's back in court today. Find out who else was there.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Tackling terrorism: a Saudi prince speaking out about his country's role. We'll go live to Riyadh for a CNN exclusive.
First though, a quick check of the latest headlines.
(NEWSBREAK)
BLITZER: For decades, Saudi Arabia has been perceived as a breeding ground for terrorists. Now a powerful and unimaginably wealthy Saudi prince says his government has decided to weed out terror cells from the country. He's the same Saudi royal whose contribution of some $10 million was rejected by then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani days after the 9/11 attacks.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson joining us now live with an exclusive interview with Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.
Nic, tell us what happened.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf -- well, Wolf, he's member of the royal family. He made his money through investment here. He is the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia, if you will. And he has recently given another $10 million to the American University in Cairo, as well as the American University in Beirut. He's very keen to build good relations and understanding with the West, with the United States in particular.
He's also in Saudi Arabia a keen reformer, a liberal. He is, perhaps because of his wealth and his position in the royal family, very outspoken.
I sat down with him and asked him was Saudi Arabia able to cope with the terror groups it's discovering it has.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRINCE AL WALEED BIN TALAL, SAUDI ARABIA: The discovery of many cells in various places in the nation proven conclusively that we are after those terrorists in a very aggressive manner. I think it may take more time to really weed out the nation from all of those terrorists.
ROBERTSON: The government calls them al Qaeda. How have they been able to grow? What has allowed them to grow in this country? TALAL: Well, I think we have been very loose with these people. We have been accommodative with them right now. However, after the events of the 12th of May and the latest events that took place on the 8th of November, whereby not only Westerners were killed, some Arabs were killed, some Muslims were killed. The people are very much united right now with the nation, with their rulers to really fight those terrorists and weed out our nation from them.
So, I think the process right now began. It will take some time but we have any point of no return.
I have a school here called Kingdom School. Some of the books we have over there have some extreme ideas. I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that. There's no secret about that. And the government already began the process of changing some of these. That's one area.
Another area, changing some of those extreme religious people who are -- preach in the mosques, some extreme thoughts.
So it's a very long process. It's a very big process because this thing is being going on for tens of years.
ROBERTSON: What more can Saudi Arabia be doing, not just for itself here, but internationally as well?
TALAL: I think Saudi Arabia can do more by showing the West what the Saudi Arabia is about. And to tell the West that those 15 terrorists that took -- that were involved in the event of the 9/11. They're not representative of Saudi Arabia. I mean, we have our own Timothy McVeigh's in Saudi Arabia for sure. And we have quite a bit of them.
But just because the 15 or 20 or a hundred of several hundred people that are terrorists here have extreme orientations, we cannot generalize and say the whole nation is terrorist. That's the message we should really give to the United States.
ROBERTSON: One of the issues that's happening right on your borders right now is in Iraq.
TALAL: Well, what's going on in Iraq right now is clearly not comforting for Saudi Arabia. Still, I can assure you, what's happening right now in Iraq is still a lot better than having Saddam Hussein over there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: He also told me he wants to see movie theaters open in Saudi Arabia. They're illegal at this time. And perhaps very dynamically for somebody here, he said he'd like to see women driving. Women are banned from driving here at this time.
Clearly, perhaps, a forward thinker at this time in Saudi Arabia. How effective he can be, given the slow nature of bureaucracy here, Wolf, we'll have to see. Certainly, somebody who can move and shake the system here -- Wolf. BLITZER: Nic Robertson in Riyadh. Good work, Nic. Thanks very much.
President Bush travels to London next week. Britain has been one of the administration's most steadfast allies in the war in Iraq. But participation in the conflict has plenty of detractors over there as well.
So London police are preparing for the worst. They're hoping, though, for the best.
Here's CNN European political editor, Robin Oakley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR (voice-over): Armed police aren't usually so evident on the streets of London. But security is being stepped up before President George Bush's arrival. Big protests are expected from the opponents of the Iraq war.
When China's president visited in 1999, London's police were criticized for hustling demonstrators and removing their banners. Not this time, they say.
ANDY TROTTER, DEPUTY ASST. COMMISSIONER: The embarrassment of the visiting president is not part of our policing concerns whatsoever. We will allow and help demonstrators to make their point, as we always do in London. What we will be firm about are people who are here to cause trouble.
OAKLEY: President Bush seems to be comfortable with that.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am so pleased to be going to a country which says that people are allowed to express their mind. That's fantastic. You know, freedom is a beautiful thing.
OAKLEY: But how much freedom? One security firm has just assessed London as on a par with Russia and the Philippines as far as terror threats go.
Police admit the city has been on a high alert for months and authorities say a suicide attack one day is inevitable. Their theory is that if demonstrations were to get out of hand, as some have in the past, the situation could be exploited by terrorists.
(on camera): London's police say they're determined to strike a balance between letting the demonstrators make their point and protecting the president.
But they insist they're taking the security threat seriously. That's why all police leave has been canceled and 5,000 officers will be on duty. That's unprecedented for a visiting leader.
Robin Oakley, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Presidential protection not withstanding, at least one former U.S. leader is concerned that security measures in a post-9/11 world are undermining human rights.
Former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter hosted a human rights conference this week at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
CNN's Jim Clancy sat down with him for an exclusive conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the former U.S. president is hosting human rights activists from half a hundred countries, reminding them that it wasn't the U.S. that invented human rights, but really human rights that helped to found the United States.
President Carter is being very blunt about it. He believes security excesses, post-September 11, are undermining freedoms not only in the U.S., but around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, in the past, the United States has been known as a champion of human rights. And other nations who come have under our influence, usually benevolent influence, have tried to maintain very high human rights standards, or at least to conceal their deviation from human rights commitments.
Since 9/11, though, with the United States setting an adverse path by arresting more than 1,000 United States citizens, who appear to be Arabs, and who have committed no crimes, and holding 680 prisoners taken in the war in Afghanistan in Guantanamo, all deprived for the first time in American history, of the right to accusation or even knowledge of their alleged crime, deprived of a right to counsel, deprived of a right to communicate with their families.
This, plus the Patriot Act, has sent a wave of a lower standard on human rights around the world. If the United States can committees these abuses of civil liberties, why can't we in our country? So what has happened, as these people have testified with great emotion, is that in almost all their countries, their leaders have now lowered the standards of human rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Some of those attending the conference at the Carter Center right now say that the war on terrorism has had an effect to push human rights debates off the front page and off the evening news as well. They say that without international pressure, a lot of them are fighting a lost cause.
As you well know, Wolf, former President Carter, a long-standing supporter of human rights -- and he's not about to sit on the sidelines on this one. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Jim Clancy, thanks very much for that.
In the spotlight, the surveillance of Scott Peterson's home takes center stage in court today. What investigators say it caught the man doing.
Sniper suspects. Will jurors believe John Allen Muhammad was captain of the killing team?
Plus, Kobe Bryant appears before the judge who will preside over his sexual assault trial. I'll talk with a former Denver prosecutor.
First though, a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): An Israeli air and ground raid in Gaza has left Palestinians dazed and a house in virtual ruins. Witnesses say Israeli forces converged today on a neighborhood in the town of Khan Younis. They say no one was arrested, but the house of a Palestinian militant was damaged.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is standing by its report of no evidence that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, but it says the jury is still out. Iran today warned of, quote, "unpredictable consequences if the IAEA finds it in violation of a global pact against nuclear weapons."
At least ten people are dead, victims of a fierce rain storm in central Argentina. The storm, which began Tuesday, drove hundreds from their homes and have left thousands without water or power.
Heavy rains did little to dampen spirits for Havanna, Cuba's annual carnival, but it did delay the colorful parade for several days. The carnival celebrates Havanna's founding 484 years ago.
Tourism officials hope they've come up with yet another reason to visit India, really old cars. Almost 50 vintage beauties rolled in for a car rally in Shimla City. Beyond the cars, Shimla's considered India's summer paradise.
And that's our look around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Opening statements and closing arguments in the trials of the D.C. Area sniper suspects. Those stores in today's justice report.
Prosecutors in the case of John Muhammad called him quote, "captain of this killing team." Defense lawyers said the other side failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fifteen miles away, opening arguments in the trial of 18-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo. His prosecutors also portrayed Malvo and Muhammad as a team. Malvo's lawyers said he was under Muhammad's influence to the point of temporary insanity. Malvo's trial is recessed until Monday while attorneys wait for evidence being used in Muhammad's trial.
In Eagle, Colorado, Kobe Bryant's first appearance before the judge who will hear his sexual assault trial. Bryant did not enter a plea and he declined a reading of the charges against him. He's accused of raping a 19-year-old employee at a hotel in June.
Her parents and other relatives were in court today for the first time. The case is scheduled to pick up next month with a pre-trial hearing.
For more on today's developments, what we can expect as this situation unfolds, we're joined by -- from Denver by the former Denver prosecutor, Craig Silverman. Craig, thanks very much for joining us. What should we read into the fact he didn't actually enter a plea, if anything?
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FRM. DENVER PROSECUTOR: Wolf, if Kobe Bryant would have entered a plea today, speedy trial would have set on May 13. In other words, the state would have had to put him on trial before May 13 or he would have gone free. Because they delay the plea and setting, and probably will past December 19, the next court date, it's pretty clear that the trial of this case will not start until the L.A. Lakers' season concludes sometime this summer.
BLITZER: And the fact that her, the accuser's family, was in court, she wasn't in court, they were in court. Kobe Bryant's wife did not join him at this proceeding. What, if anything, should we read into that?
SILVERMAN: I was a little surprised Kobe didn't bring his wife today. I understand completely why she would not want to hear the evidence of what he describes as consensual sex. I understand the accuser's family being there. After all, this alleged victim has not really had a presence in the courtroom before. And it was interesting to see not only her family, but certain victim advocates demonstrating on her behalf.
BLITZER: How realistic, how likely is it that there will and change of venue, a move out of Eagle, Colorado to some other location in your state?
SILVERMAN: I don't expect there to be a change of venue, because team Kobe has to worry where would this case go. They really can't control that. I think they would change venue if they knew it was coming to Denver or one of our surrounding counties. But it could just as easily go to Grand Junction or Colorado Springs, which might be regarded as harsher, tougher jurisdictions for team Kobe.
BLITZER: What do you know about this judge, Terry Ruckriegal? SILVERMAN: I know that he is an ambitious individual. We know that he personally wanted the case. It's always good as an attorney to have a judge who is enthusiastic about a case. This case is not a burden to him. After all, he swooped it up, which was his prerogative as the chief judge of the fifth judicial district here in Colorado.
BLITZER: We heard the judge say that both the prosecution and the defense expect the eventual trial to go for two to three weeks. Is that realistic?
SILVERMAN: I think so. We don't have the drawn-out trials they do in California. I'm surprised it's going to take that long. But clearly, there will be some expert testimony. That could take a while.
BLITZER: Craig Silverman, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
SILVERMAN: Thank you.
BLITZER: The case against Scott Peterson and the other woman he romanced before Laci's disappearance. How much does Amber Frey really know? Insight into her expected testimony. That's coming up.
And unique fashion. But this new look may not be so slimming after all? You won't believe what designers are cooking up on the runway right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There is new information on the secret surveillance of Scott Peterson in the days after his wife disappeared. A Modesto police detective testified in the preliminary hearing that Peterson drove on three separate occasions to the Berkeley Marina. That's where he says he was fishing the day his wife disappeared and not far from where her body washed up in April. The detective said on two occasions Peterson just stared at the water for a couple of minutes then left.
The most anticipated witness in this preliminary hearing is Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey. She's still expected to testify perhaps this week. She's also the cover story in the new issue of "People" magazine. Albert Kim is the assisting managing editor. He's joining us now live from New York. Albert thanks very much for joining us.
I learned a lot about Amber Frey from your article. What was the most shocking thing you learned about her?
ALBERT KIM, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: I think the most frightening thing we learned was that this woman who has sort of been portrayed as the mistress, the other part of the love triangle here, really is an ordinary woman, someone who grew up very down to Earth, grounded in her family and community and just an ordinary woman caught in extraordinary circumstance. BLITZER: Among other things, you write in the piece, together with your colleagues, her father, Ron, says she was devastated when she discovered how Peterson had deceived her. But even in the weeks after Laci's disappearance and despite her growing suspicions about Peterson, she continued to nurse feelings for him. With the pair sharing dozens of phone calls over a couple of months. I guess she just simply wanted to be in love with this guy.
KIM: Yes. You have you to keep in mind that from her viewpoint, she's the wronged woman in this affair. You know, she went into this relationship with the best of intentions, and then finds out that the guy she thinks might be Mr. Right has not only been lying to her, that he might have killed his wife and unborn child. So, that's not something you shake that easily.
BLITZER: Later in the article, you write this, "friends say Frey has never said she thinks Peterson is guilty, but it seems as if she's now prepared to consider the worst." Has she come to that realization? Does she really believe he killed his wife?
KIM: I think she's starting to realize that this is not really looking good for her Mr. Right. So, yes, she hasn't said anything. We really don't know what her story is since she hasn't taken the stand yet. We know a lot of what her friends and her father has told us. And they all portray the same thing, a woman who has been shaken badly by this affair but who is planning on sticking to her guns on this.
BLITZER: I guess if she's testifies and becomes part of the prosecution's team, Mark Geragos the attorney who is representing Scott Peterson in this case, is going to go after her credibility. There are nude pictures of her that have surfaced on the Internet.
KIM: Yes, like many others, she was an aspiring model once and talked into posing nude for a photographer who has since released them to the Internet. Her father says obviously this was not the smartest thing for her to do.
If she's had one failing in her life, she's had a really troubled history with men. She once dated a male stripper who tried to get her to become a stripper. He later he was kicked out after she accused him of beating her. And of course, there is Scott who lied to her right off the bat and said he was a single man. So, she's had a lot of problem with men.
BLITZER: And she's a single mother as well.
KIM: And everyone has told us that the one constant in her life has been her daughter. She's a devoted mom. And if anything, she's keeping her sanity these days by focusing on her family life. She's moved houses to somewhere a little more secure. She keeps in touch with her father. She doesn't really talk to her lawyer that much. It's mainly her father, her daughter and the friends from her church group.
BLITZER: Albert Kim of our sister publication, "People" magazine. Thanks, very much, Albert for that. Thanks for the good work.
KIM: Thanks for having me.
BLITZER: Fashion that not only looks good, it tastes good. Something the makers of chocolate probably never had in mind. You'll see it right here.
And our hot Web question of the day is this, "do you think Operation: Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq?" You can vote right now, CNN.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A fashion show that's not just for the eyes. That's our picture of the day. Look at this, ball gowns, bathing suits and bras all made from chocolate. New York's annual chocolate fashion show features models in confectionery costumes. Some cooked up by big named designers. But these models had to step carefully on the runway, chocolate cracks and falls off, and get this, it melts at body temperature.
Here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. We've been asking you this question, "do you think Operation: Iron Hammer will put an end to terrorist attacks in Iraq." Look at this, 7 percent of you say yes, 93 percent of you say no. We remind you this is not a scientific poll.
Some of your emails. David writes this, "Today, with the removal of Judge Moore we witnessed one more tragic step in the nation's push towards secularism and anti-religion. How can it be that a man as removed from office for standing for his principles and doing the very thing that the Constitution guarantees?"
D. Adams disagrees, "I am extremely happy that Roy Moore got fired. Moore has a history of letting his extremely conservative views get in the way of him making competent decisions and reaffirming the negative stereotypes about Alabama."
A reminder, we're here every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm also here noon Eastern. See you tonight. Once again, filling in for Aaron Brown 10:00 p.m. Eastern. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
END
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Diposed Today; Kobe Bryant Delays Plea>
