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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Muhammad Found Guilty; U.S. Forces Hammer Tikrit; Limbaugh Back on Air

Aired November 17, 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, the CDC's warning to Americans, why this could be one of the worst flu seasons in years and what's missing from this year's vaccine, information coming out right now that you need to know.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The verdict is in. Now jurors decide if the sniper deserves to die.

Fighting back, U.S. forces hammer Saddam Hussein's hometown after a deadly attack on American troops.

A special report thousands of chemical plants around the country (AUDIO GAP).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's there to stop anyone from using a plane just to access the plant right from the air.

BLITZER: Rush Limbaugh out of rehab and back on the air.

And transition of power, California's new governor takes office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, November 17, 2003.

BLITZER: The sentencing phase is now underway in the trial of John Allen Muhammad convicted today on all four counts in the sniper killing of a Virginia man. The question now will Muhammad die for the crime?

CNN's Elaine Quijano is covering the trial for us in Virginia Beach -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Wolf.

That part of the trial continues at this hour. Earlier, prosecutors had called John Muhammad captain of the killing team and it accused him in the series of D.C. area sniper attacks that left 13 people dead. Well today as he stood trial for one of those murders the jury found him guilty of all charges. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): John Muhammad remained expressionless as he listened to the jury's verdict, guilty on all four counts, terrorism, capital murder, conspiracy and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony but for the victim's family members this day brought a flood of emotions and memories.

BIJAY WALEKAR, BROTHER OF PRENKUMAR WALEKAR: It's still a nightmare to me like, you know, I still do not believe that he's dead.

QUIJANO: Muhammad was convicted of murdering Dean Myers, a 53- year-old civil engineer shot at this Manassas, Virginia gas station last year. His brother calls the guilty verdict a huge step in the pursuit of closure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would really doubt that full closure ever comes because there's always an open wound remaining.

QUIJANO: And with the sentencing phase of the trial now underway, Myers hopes prosecutors are successful in the push for the death penalty. Kwang Szuszka agrees. Her sister Hong Ballenger was killed in the days before the D.C. area sniper spree.

KWANG SZUSZKA, SISTER OF HONG BALLENGER: I'm glad they found him guilty and I'm still looking for death penalty for justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now in opening statements which have taken place in this sentencing phase which has lasted about two and a half hours now, prosecutors saying that jurors have enough evidence to send Muhammad to death, to sentence Muhammad to death "even if they don't hear another syllable of evidence."

However, the prosecution saying that they will present more evidence, the defense, meantime maintaining that their client John Muhammad was born into poverty. As a three-year-old he dealt with his mother dying of breast cancer and that he had to be raised by a 12- year-old sibling trying to present some mitigating factors as this sentencing phase continues -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Elaine Quijano covering this trial for us, Elaine thanks very much.

Let's get some expert analysis now on what all this means, what may be ahead in the process. Adam Rosman is a former federal prosecutor. Adam, thanks very much for joining us.

ADAM ROSMAN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Good to be here.

BLITZER: Is there any doubt what this jury will decide now as far as the death penalty?

ROSMAN: I think there is some doubt. We have to wait until we hear the penalty phase evidence and you can never know. It's a very different question for the jury to determine whether someone should die, a much more serious question in some ways and so we have to wait for the government to put on aggravating evidence, for the defense to put on mitigating evidence and we'll see.

BLITZER: The prosecution going into the jury selection asked each one of these jurors whether or not they believe in the death penalty.

ROSMAN: Right.

BLITZER: Support the death penalty and all of them said they do.

ROSMAN: Right but there have been plenty of instances where there are death penalty qualified jurors who have listened to the evidence, convicted on all counts and then decided to spare someone's life after they've heard mitigating evidence, so it's not a sure thing.

BLITZER: They're going to hear testimony as we just heard from Elaine from the victim's family in this particular case. That can be very compelling when you hear ten people killed, three wounded, just in the Washington, D.C. area. That could have a huge impact.

ROSMAN: Absolutely and it will have a huge impact and if you have to pick, if you have to try and decide which way the jury is going to go here you think they're probably going to go for the death penalty but still we do not know what the mitigating circumstances are and we'll wait to hear.

BLITZER: Should we read too much into the fact it only took them what six and a half hours to deliberate?

ROSMAN: I don't think so because the evidence was so overwhelming that in my experience the jury had decided this case when they went into the jury room. They took their time with the evidence but that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to go with the death penalty.

BLITZER: To a certain degree the next trial, Lee Boyd Malvo, now 18 years old, only 17 at the time of the sniping, the sniping incidents that could be a little bit more complicated. He's pleaded, in effect, that he was brainwashed.

ROSMAN: Right, exactly. I mean the trial strategy there is to say that he was so overwhelmed by Muhammad's presence and his power that he didn't know right from wrong. The problem with that strategy is there's going to be testimony showing that he was the triggerman in shooting after shooting so it's an uphill battle to show that he didn't know right from wrong over and over again.

BLITZER: The prosecution alleges that Lee Boyd Malvo the younger alleged sniper did most of the killing if not all except for the exception of this one that John Allen Muhammad was convicted of today.

ROSMAN: Exactly. I mean the testimony is going to be the evidence. The government's evidence in the Malvo trial is going to be that he was the person actually holding the gun and firing those shots.

BLITZER: And the police allegedly also have a confession from him.

ROSMAN: Right, again powerful evidence to his guilt. Whether it will go to the ultimate penalty we'll have to wait and see.

BLITZER: Adam Rosman thanks very much for joining us.

ROSMAN: Good to be here.

BLITZER: Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

And while you're there I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. 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.

Accused serial bomber Eric Rudolph's lawyers say they want the federal government to take the death penalty off the table but they're not optimistic. That story tops our Justice Report.

Rudolph's attorneys are meeting with Justice Department officials in Washington today. They're appearing before a panel of Justice officials that will consider whether to seek the death penalty in Rudolph's case. The final decision will be up to the Attorney General John Ashcroft.

In New York, an Appeals Court panel of judges heard arguments today concerning the indefinite detention of the so-called dirty bomb suspect Jose Padilla. Padilla is the United States citizen who was deemed an enemy combatant by President Bush. He's being held in isolation. He has never been charged with a crime and he's cut off from any access even to a lawyer.

And John Hinckley the man who shot President Reagan in 1981 and who's been in a psychiatric hospital ever since wants to be able to spend the occasional night at his parents' home in Virginia. Hinckley's lawyers are in court this week asking a judge to approve a series of day visits without hospital workers present and then allow him to spend the night there. Government lawyers oppose the plan.

Show of force in and around Saddam Hussein's hometown, the United States on the offensive stepping up attacks on resistance fighters, we're live from Baghdad.

Also this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: September 11 would pale in comparison.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Chemical plants are they safe from terrorist attacks here in the United States? Find out what's being done to protect literally thousands of facilities and to protect you.

Back to work but not backing down, Rush Limbaugh on the air and speaking out about his intense treatment for painkiller addiction. We'll have a live report, first though today's news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Which Major League baseball team once employed Rush Limbaugh, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates," the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAN UHL, SON DIED IN IRAQ: He said if something happened to him he had tried to make the world a better place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lives cut short, family and friends mourning the loss of their loved ones killed in the crash of two Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq, a look at some of the brave soldiers lost when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Two more American soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Iraq today bringing the total to 422. Of those, 283 have died since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations May 1. The latest deaths come as U.S. forces launch a massive attack on Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad with more now on what's being called Operation Ivy Cyclone. Walter, tell us all about it.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

Well, this is probably the biggest U.S. military operation since the declared end of the war in early May. It's taking place in the Sunni Triangle area, Tikrit specifically, Saddam Hussein's hometown and the objective here seems bluntly to be to make the Iraqi insurgents bleed just as badly as they've made the Americans bleed here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS (voice-over): Punishing Iraqi insurgents for their increasingly deadly attacks on U.S. soldiers here, two more killed Monday, the 4th Infantry Division's big guns boom away around Tikrit. The U.S. military believes Tikrit to be a stronghold of Saddam Hussein loyalists and the anti-American resistance.

These 155-millimeter shells are seeking out the hideouts of Iraqi paramilitary groups. Sometimes they just shoot at patches of ground from which the Iraqis previously fired mortars at U.S. forces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We fired two so far. Both hit. We should be firing about nine more during the course of the night.

RODGERS: Only a reduction in the number of attacks on U.S. forces in the weeks ahead will determine the success of this offensive but its minimum goal is to keep the insurgents off balance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have a pretty good handle on the enemy in this area. We're noticing a definite trend that is getting weaker.

RODGERS: Still the American offensive in and around Tikrit infuriated Iraqi civilians, especially after the U.S. Army destroyed four houses said to be the homes of insurgents who earlier shot down a U.S. helicopter.

This woman shouted: "They blamed my son. My son is innocent. I swear to God."

Many young men in this crowd are now vowing to join the insurgents to fight the Americans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: Like it or not the U.S. forces now appear to be slipping into classic guerrilla warfare here and the jury is still out on whether they can win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Walter Rodgers on the scene for us in Baghdad, Walter thank you very much.

Saturday was the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Iraq in almost eight months. Seventeen soldiers were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters collided. A military source tells CNN it appears one helicopter hit the other while evading ground fire and, while the investigation continues, so does the mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATRINA SULLIVAN, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: He's gone and it doesn't matter how. It just -- that's the only thing that I know that he's not here and he's not coming home.

BLITZER (voice-over): For Katrina Sullivan it wasn't supposed to happen like this. Her husband, Specialist John Sullivan was one of the 17 soldiers killed in Saturday's crash of two Black Hawk helicopters in Mosul, Iraq.

Specialist Sullivan reenlisted in the Army in May to help support his growing family, one daughter and twin sons Gavin (ph) and Aden (ph) born in September. He was in Iraq by July and never got to meet his sons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said he wasn't going to put him down once he had a hold of him.

BLITZER: Another soldier killed in Saturday's crash, 36-year-old Sergeant Warren Hansen of Clintonville, Wisconsin. Loved ones remember Hansen as a hero. As a teenager he rescued this man.

MONK MOLITOR, RESCUED BY HANSEN: I went down again and all of a sudden I see his little hand and he helped me out. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. He saved my life.

BLITZER: Twenty-one-year-old Specialist Eugene Uhl, also a Wisconsin native followed his father and grandfather into the military. He too was among the dead in Saturday's crash. His mother says Specialist Uhl loved what he was doing and was a compassionate soldier.

UHL: When we sent packages to him he always told us to send candy because he gave candy to the kids and any packages that we sent he gave, shared them.

BLITZER: Uhl, who would have turned 22 this Thanksgiving, left his family with an important message at his going away party.

UHL: He said if something happened to him he had tried to make the world a better place.

BLITZER: And that's the message Katrina Sullivan, who now must raise three children without their father, wants all Americans to know.

SULLIVAN: Just remember that they're there fighting for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And our deepest condolences to all those families.

Other headlines from Iraq, the CIA says it can't tell if the voice on the latest audio tape allegedly from Saddam Hussein is really that of the former Iraqi leader. The tape broadcast yesterday urged continued armed resistance to U.S. forces in Iraq.

In northern Iraq, an explosion and fire rocked a fuel pipeline that runs from the Turkish border to Baghdad. The pipeline has been a frequent target of sabotage despite increased security by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

And in Rome, thousands of people filed past the caskets of 19 Italians killed in a suicide bombing at their Iraqi compound last week. It was Italy's largest military loss since World War II.

A new U.S. timetable to transfer power in Iraq and Germany agrees with the plan. When we return a special interview with the German foreign minister Joschka Fischer. He'll join me here live.

Weaknesses revealed, are the nation's chemical plants safe from attack? It's a CNN special report.

And, Arnold Schwarzenegger promising to do the extraordinary, coming up a live report on the first changes he'll make as Governor Schwarzenegger. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. relations with Germany were badly strained over the war in Iraq, and there's still considerable disagreement in its aftermath. But the German foreign minister is praising the U.S. plan for stepping up the transition to Iraqi self-rule.

Joschka Fischer is the German foreign minister, and he's joining us now here live.

Mr. Minister, welcome to Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.

The Bush administration has appealed to Germany to help out militarily and financially in Iraq. And you gave Washington, in effect, a no and a no. Why?

JOSCHKA FISCHER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, this was not an issue in the discussions I had today and also not in the discussions between the president and the chancellor September in New York City.

BLITZER: Is that because you already let them know you were going to say no?

FISCHER: No. I mean we are focused on Afghanistan. After the United States, we are the second biggest troop contributor in Afghanistan. And we increased the amount of our troops, we opened a provincial reconstruction team now in Konduz in the north. We are ready to help in police training. We are ready...

BLITZER: In Iraq?

FISCHER: In Iraq. We are ready to help also in military training. And we are ready for humanitarian assistance and for reconstruction. But we will militarily focus on Afghanistan.

BLITZER: What about writing a check to help in the reconstruction of Iraq? When they had the donors' conference in Madrid, Germany and France, Russia basically said no.

FISCHER: No. We didn't say no. About 200 million euros is our contribution. But as I said before, I mean, we are strongly engaged in Afghanistan. And this is quite costly.

BLITZER: But isn't Iraq important to Germany as well? Afghanistan is obviously very important. But isn't what happens to 25 million people in Iraq also important to the German people?

FISCHER: Of course it is. And we'll contribute within our limited resources. But we have focused on Afghanistan. And of course it is very important what's going on in Iraq. Because we had our disputes about whether it is reasonable to go to war in Iraq, yes or no, but to win the peace, I think it's a common task, because it would have negative consequences for all of us who are ready for that. Therefore, I'm here in Washington to talk with our friends.

BLITZER: To repair the relationship.

As you know, President Bush was very angry at your chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, during the political campaign in Germany, for effectively using the U.S. role in Iraq as a weapon to try to get himself reelected. They didn't speak for a long time.

This relationship between President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder, how is it now?

FISCHER: Well I think the relationship is excellent again. And don't forget we contributed a lot. I talked about Afghanistan. We are close allies. Our troops, the first time after World War II, fought together with American troops in Afghanistan. We suffered losses in Afghanistan, also the first time after the Second World War.

BLITZER: Should NATO take over the military responsibility in Iraq?

FISCHER: Well, first of all, NATO has taken over the responsibility in Afghanistan, and we must be...

BLITZER: Should we use that model in Iraq?

FISCHER: It was not an issue in the discussion today.

BLITZER: But what do you think? General Wesley Clark, the former NATO supreme allied commander and now a Democratic presidential candidate, he wants NATO to take over. Others are saying that's the case. Germany is a key member of NATO.

FISCHER: Yes, of course. But we should see the experiences in Afghanistan. And in Iraq now, I think it is in the hands of the coalition. And this was the clear decision we made in the Security Council, based on the request of the members of the coalition, especially of the United States.

BLITZER: I know you don't speak for France. But there's deep irritation, at least among many in the United States, at France and at Germany for this friction that has developed over the past year, year and a half. How are you going to fix this impression that's left, at least according to the public opinion polls, with a lot of Americans?

FISCHER: First of all, I think for both France and Germany the United States is the most important ally outside of Europe. And we have close relations with the United States.

I cannot speak on behalf of France, but I think what we want to achieve, what President Bush has outlined in his recent speech about the democratization of a wider Middle East -- to create a new Middle East. Then we must cooperate very closely within the alliance.

BLITZER: Do you think the administration is moving toward the German stance in terms of the transition to Iraqi rule in Iraq?

FISCHER: I wouldn't say the German stance. But I think it is very important that we have a visible transition of the authority to a new Iraqi authority, a transition of the sovereignty. If this could be sped up and more backed, also, by the U.N., give a broader legitimization, a visible legitimization, I think this would be quite an important a step forward in the right direction.

BLITZER: Joschka Fischer, the foreign minister of Germany, welcome to Washington. Thanks for joining us.

FISCHER: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Sign of the times, the international sign of distress, one protester's unique way of not welcome President Bush to Britain. We'll show it to you.

And, new warnings from the CDC to you, why this year's flu season here in the United States could be worst in years even if you've already received the flu shot.

And on the air and speaking out, Rush Limbaugh on drugs, rehab, and why he needed help. We're live from New York City.

First, the answer to today's News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: "Which Major League Baseball team once employed Rush Limbaugh" the answer the Kansas City Royals. Limbaugh was a marketing executive for the Royals from 1980 to 1984. He then moved to Sacramento, California to host a radio talk show. In 1988, Limbaugh began hosting on a national level with the "Rush Limbaugh Show."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Billions of dollars have been spent to keep you safe from terror attacks but are Americans really out of harm's way? Coming up, an in-depth special report.

Plus, a scaled down inauguration for a big screen actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger pledges his commitment to California. We'll go live to Sacramento for a complete wrap of the day's historic events. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

Rush Limbaugh out of rehab and back on the air.

And, it's now Governor Schwarzenegger. The actor-turned- politician takes California's oath of office. We'll have complete details coming up.

First though, a quick check of the latest headlines.

The rubble in Istanbul that brings the death toll to 24 in the two bombings Saturday outside synagogues, Turkish police questioned owners of the vans that exploded but they deny involvement.

Analysis of a single strand of hair is admissible as evidence in the Scott Peterson murder case. That was the judge's ruling today. That strand of hair was found in Peterson's boat and lawyers have been arguing about it for days. A form of DNA testing indicates the hair is that of Laci Peterson, the late wife of Scott Peterson.

In Indianapolis, a 16-year-old student was killed today when he stuck his head out of a school bus window and it was hit by a tree limb. The bus driver called police. He'll undergo routine alcohol and drug tests.

It's now official. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the 38th governor of California. CNN National Correspondent Frank Buckley is joining us now live from Sacramento with details.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, this was advertised as a simple swearing in ceremony but with more than 7,000 people invited to attend, more than 700 journalists on hand to record the event, there was the sense of an occasion that was impossible to ignore and a sense of history being made here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): With his hand on a family Bible, Arnold Schwarzenegger took the oath of office.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I, Arnold Schwarzenegger...

BUCKLEY: And became California's 38th governor. He gave his wife, Maria Shriver, a kiss. He shook the hand of the man he defeated in a historic recall election and then he told his fellow Californians that he was humbled to be their new governor.

SCHWARZENEGGER: This election was the people's veto for politics as usual. With the eyes of the world upon us we did the dramatic. Now we must put the rancor of the past behind us and do the extraordinary.

BUCKLEY: Schwarzenegger said he would go to work immediately.

SCHWARZENEGGER: As soon as I go inside the capital behind me I will sign my first order as governor. I will sign Executive Order 1, which will repeal the 300 percent increase in the car tax.

BUCKLEY: That was one of the measures taken by the previous administration to deal with California's multi-billion dollar operating deficit. Schwarzenegger said a special session of the legislature would immediately address what he called California's fiscal crisis and it would also take on workers' compensation reform.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I will not rest until our fiscal house is in order. I will not rest until California is a competitive job creating machine. I will not rest until the people of California come to see their government as a partner in their lives and not a roadblock to their dreams.

BUCKLEY: Schwarzenegger invoked the words of the late President John F. Kennedy's, his wife's uncle, who said he was an idealist without allusions. He recalled former President Reagan who once described America as the shining city on the hill.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I see California as the golden dream by the sea.

BUCKLEY: As thousands of invited guests looked on those who couldn't get tickets tried to see or hear what they could as citizen Schwarzenegger became Governor Schwarzenegger.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I have taken the oath to uphold the Constitution of California and now with your help and with God's I will also uphold the dream that is California. Thank you very much and may God bless California. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: And, as promised, immediately after the swearing in ceremony, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order 1 immediately after the ceremony repealing the increase in the vehicle license fee.

After that he attended a series of luncheons. No inaugural galas or formal balls here. They, again, want to send the message, Wolf, that this is a governor that is ready to go to work immediately -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A new era in California. Thanks very much Frank Buckley for that report.

And after five weeks being off the air during which he completed a residential treatment program for addiction to painkillers, Rush Limbaugh is now back in business.

With the story for us live now from New York, CNN's Jason Carroll -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, Rush Limbaugh left the studio across the street without anything to say to the media. Everything he had to say he reserved for his listeners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): On his first day back on the air since reentering rehab, the king of talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, told his legion of loyal listeners he was nervous but excited and ready to talk.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST "RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW": There are people I need to apologize to. When it comes to apologizing to you, those of you in this audience, I think my statement on Friday before I left that I'm not a victim here and I'm not a role model.

CARROLL: Limbaugh says he thought his will alone was enough to fight the addiction to the painkiller OxyContin, prescribed after a back injury but he says he was powerless against the addiction.

LIMBAUGH: I spent five intense weeks, probably the most educational and informative five weeks on myself and about me that I ever have spent and I would have had no idea how to do this myself.

CARROLL: Limbaugh has been in rehab twice before for addiction to painkillers. This time the radio host says he came away feeling reborn at the age of 50. Medical experts say staying clean will not be easy.

DR. GOPAL UPADHYA, DRUG REHABILITATION EXPERT: It's a difficult task for him but I am an optimist. I don't think that anybody needs to give up. It will be a tough fight but he has to face it.

CARROLL: On occasion, Limbaugh has been tough on convicted drug abusers saying they should serve time. Law enforcement sources tell CNN investigators have not decided whether to pursue criminal charges against Limbaugh for possible illegal trafficking of prescription drugs. Limbaugh did not address the subject but did say this about his past comments.

LIMBAUGH: I was honest with you throughout the whole time. I was not honest with myself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Limbaugh says he came out of rehabilitation with a new appreciation of just how much he loves radio and what his life means to him -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Carroll for us, thanks Jason very much for that report and good luck to Rush Limbaugh on his efforts to break this problem that he's had.

Protection plan, find out what's being done to keep chemical plants in the United States safe from terrorist attacks, a CNN special report that's coming up next.

And starting early and strong, new warnings about this year's flu season from the CDC and important information about the flu shot that you need to know right now.

Plus, stealing the show, find out who upstaged the 2004 Democratic presidential hopefuls this weekend.

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER (voice-over): A meeting of the European Union foreign ministers begins today in Brussels and it presents an opportunity for the United States to once again ask for help in managing post-war Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell will be in Brussels tomorrow.

In South Korea, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is meeting with his counterpart. Rumsfeld assured the South Koreans that plans to reposition some U.S. forces will not diminish America's ability to deter community North Korea. Rumsfeld and South Korea's defense minister also urged North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of a walkway collapse at the Queen Mary II. Fifteen people were killed and more than 30 injured when the fell to a concrete floor.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived in Rome today for a three day visit. His trip is likely to be overshadowed by the pope's criticism of the Israeli government's continued construction of a security barrier in the West Bank.

And protesters in England are organizing to show their displeasure with President Bush as he arrives for a state visit this week. A petition protesting the visit with tens of thousands of signatures was delivered to Downing Street today and organizers are planning a massive march through the streets of London.

The sentiment among the protesters was obvious. A group of them even used an upside down American flag, an international sign of distress to make their feelings known, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Making America more secure from terrorist attacks became job number one of the Bush administration after 9/11. Billions have been spent and many billions more have been promised to do just that.

But CNN's Jeanne Meserve now reports on what many warn is a vulnerability of the nation's chemical plants and how Congress, big business, and the nation's security agencies may be dropping the ball in protecting the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This chemical plant outside New York City is a potential weapon of mass destruction. Twelve million people live within a 14-mile radius of the plant. Frank Ferrara (ph) is one of them. Is he scared?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's the word petrified? Petrified is probably a way of describing my reaction. MESERVE: It is one of 15,000 facilities across the U.S. which produce, use, or store toxic chemicals, facilities which have been identified in report after government report as possible terrorist targets. Ferrara began videotaping the plant's security a year ago. He found gates un-padlocked and unguarded. No one challenged his presence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still no padlocks on this gate.

MESERVE: This October a different picture when Ferrara took CNN to the plant. We found television cameras, barbed wire, and barricades. Armed security guards checked us out and called local police to question our crew. The plant president refused to talk on camera ordering his trucks to block our shots. That was in front.

In back from across the river, no one questioned our videotaping of the plant even though we were right next door to the County Sheriff's Department. From that vantage point we could clearly see the plant's proximity to Newark Airport and its location smack underneath a major highway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's there to stop anyone from dropping some sort of a projectile right onto the plant? And, not to mention look at the planes that are landing, 9/11 is a prime example of how an airplane becomes a deadly weapons. What's there to stop anyone from using a plane just to access the plant right from the air?

MESERVE: That American Chemistry Council is a trade group representing some of the largest chemical companies in the United States. It says the industry has made big strides in security since 9/11 by imposing guidelines on itself.

MARTY DURBIN, AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL: Everything from adding a gate to having security guards to having biometric identification, tightening up of their computer systems.

MESERVE: But council members own or operate only 1,000 of the 15,000 facilities identified as potential terrorist targets. The Department of Homeland Security working with industry has begun vulnerability assessments of plants that pose the greatest potential risk.

BOS LISCOUSKI, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: You look at the location of the plant, as I indicated how accessible it is and then, you know, we have a variety of scenarios that we run that we think are likely scenarios and then based upon those scenarios we'll examine the security capabilities and then make recommendations for enhancement.

MESERVE: But a quick tour of a handful of other plants showed little security. Where there were guards they were unarmed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN?

MESERVE: Nice to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice seeing you. MESERVE: In one case, a hole under a fence photographed unchallenged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It causes me to lie awake at night.

MESERVE: Sal DePasquale (ph) worked in industrial security for more than 15 years. He says the latest industry and government security improvements are not nearly enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a fair idea as to what's been done. In my view it's mostly been window dressing. An adversary can easily drive up, shoot the guard, go onto the facility, place a bomb, rupture a vessel and release all of the material and if we have that we have a catastrophic event. September 11 would pale in comparison.

MESERVE: August, 2002, rural Festus, Missouri, 48,000 pounds of chlorine, about half a railcar accidentally released because of the failure of a small hose. Hundreds were evacuated. More than 60 went to the emergency room.

But hundreds of thousands of people could die with the release of a single railcar of chlorine in an urban setting according to the U.S. Naval Research Lab which created this computer simulation of a worst case toxic release scenario.

Remember this plant where we started next to the highway, next to the airport? It uses chlorine railcar after railcar full to make bleach and it is just a few miles from New York City.

MESERVE: To protect the public, critics say, government must take a much more forceful approach to chemical plant security but more than two years after 9/11 Congress has still not passed a law demanding tighter security.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Tomorrow Jeanne will take a look at the stalemate over chemical plant safety in the U.S. Congress, why some lawmakers don't want laws that would mandate chemical plant security, must watch TV tomorrow.

Severe season for the flu, the CDC issuing a new warning, find out why the flu shot may not necessarily be as effective this year as it should be.

In the zone, pop princess Britney Spears adding another big accomplishment to her growing list. Find out why her star status is shining a bit brighter today, first though a few stories you may have missed this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The test but one thing it tested was international cooperation in the war on terror. Authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border at Arizona tested their response to a mock attack with one blast triggering a mock chlorine gas cloud. The drill involved rescue and decontamination techniques.

A freight train collision in Washington state, federal authorities are investigating Saturday's crash near Longview. Twenty cars derailed when the trains ran together as one of them was switching from one set of tracks to another. Two crew members were injured.

Sources tell CNN four Oakland Raiders have tested positive for the steroid THG. The NFL Today first reported the four are tackle Dana Stubblefield, center Barrett Robbins (ph), linebacker Bill Romanowski, and tackle Chris Cooper. They face possible suspension but probably not before another test and a hearing.

Kathleen Blanco is ready to take office as Louisiana's first female governor ever. Blanco, who's the Democratic lieutenant governor defeated Republican Bobby Jindal in Saturday's runoff election. President Bush supported Jindal an American of Indian descent but he called Governor-elect Blanco and congratulated her.

Star power in Des Moines, six Democratic presidential candidates were at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday but they were overshadowed by the emcee, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Clinton rejected suggestions by pundits that the Democratic candidates are second rate, saying this: "Pundits and polls don't pick presidents. People pick presidents," and that's our Weekend Snapshot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Some doctors say the flu season this year could be brutal and the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it could be worse than usual, details now from our Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, what's going on?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, doctors at the CDC say that we could be looking at a particularly tough flu season for two reasons. First of all the flu season hit very early this year, middle of November and already we're seeing activity in many parts of the country.

If you take a look in those blue areas that's where they've already seen quite a bit of flu; that is very unusual for this time of year and two states, Colorado and Texas, Texas in particular, have seen a lot of flu. In fact, some hospitals have really be overrun with people who are sick.

Now, people are then caught unaware because it hit so early that they didn't have time to get the vaccine. The second reason why there might be a particularly bad season also has to do with the vaccine. There's a strain of the flu called H3N2 which is not in the vaccine.

In other words, people are getting sick and it was not in the vaccine and so but doctors from the CDC say that you should still get the vaccine because there are three strains that it will protect against and it might even give some protection against this N3N2.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC DIRECTOR: The point is that people who need to get their flu shot this is the time for Americans to really step up to the plate and get vaccinated against influenza, especially because this could be a worse than usual flu season and especially because we have this particular strain circulating. In some previous situations, H3N2 strains have been associated with perhaps more severe disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And, Wolf, I'll tell you I've been doing stories during the flu season for many years now and this is the first time that I've heard the CDC come out and actually warn people that there could be a particularly bad season -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Still don't forget to take your flu shot. It's still important, right Elizabeth?

COHEN: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Thanks very much Elizabeth Cohen for that.

Now a follow-up on the outbreak of Hepatitis-A in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania health officials traced the source of that outbreak to this Chi-Chi's restaurant in Beaver County. Since our report on Friday, the Associated Press reports the number of people infected has shot up to 510. Three people have died.

We also told you on Friday's newscast the CEO of Chi-Chi's would be joining us today but today a public relations official representing Chi-Chi's told us the CEO was not available.

Star sighting, pop sensation Britney Spears takes a special walk in Hollywood today.

And our hot, web question of the day is this. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results for you immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our web question of the day. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? Look at this, 89 percent of you say yes, 11 percent of you say no. As always, we remind you this is not a scientific poll.

Britney Spears is already a star but now she has one she can call her own. It's our Picture of the Day. Spears was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today joining more than 2,000 other celebrities. It's a busy week for Spears. She performed on the "American Music Awards" last night and her new album "In the Zone" comes out tomorrow. A reminder you can always catch us on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS Monday through Friday 5:00 p.m. Eastern as well as Noon Eastern Monday through Friday. See you later.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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





Back on Air>


Aired November 17, 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, the CDC's warning to Americans, why this could be one of the worst flu seasons in years and what's missing from this year's vaccine, information coming out right now that you need to know.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The verdict is in. Now jurors decide if the sniper deserves to die.

Fighting back, U.S. forces hammer Saddam Hussein's hometown after a deadly attack on American troops.

A special report thousands of chemical plants around the country (AUDIO GAP).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's there to stop anyone from using a plane just to access the plant right from the air.

BLITZER: Rush Limbaugh out of rehab and back on the air.

And transition of power, California's new governor takes office.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, November 17, 2003.

BLITZER: The sentencing phase is now underway in the trial of John Allen Muhammad convicted today on all four counts in the sniper killing of a Virginia man. The question now will Muhammad die for the crime?

CNN's Elaine Quijano is covering the trial for us in Virginia Beach -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Wolf.

That part of the trial continues at this hour. Earlier, prosecutors had called John Muhammad captain of the killing team and it accused him in the series of D.C. area sniper attacks that left 13 people dead. Well today as he stood trial for one of those murders the jury found him guilty of all charges. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): John Muhammad remained expressionless as he listened to the jury's verdict, guilty on all four counts, terrorism, capital murder, conspiracy and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony but for the victim's family members this day brought a flood of emotions and memories.

BIJAY WALEKAR, BROTHER OF PRENKUMAR WALEKAR: It's still a nightmare to me like, you know, I still do not believe that he's dead.

QUIJANO: Muhammad was convicted of murdering Dean Myers, a 53- year-old civil engineer shot at this Manassas, Virginia gas station last year. His brother calls the guilty verdict a huge step in the pursuit of closure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would really doubt that full closure ever comes because there's always an open wound remaining.

QUIJANO: And with the sentencing phase of the trial now underway, Myers hopes prosecutors are successful in the push for the death penalty. Kwang Szuszka agrees. Her sister Hong Ballenger was killed in the days before the D.C. area sniper spree.

KWANG SZUSZKA, SISTER OF HONG BALLENGER: I'm glad they found him guilty and I'm still looking for death penalty for justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now in opening statements which have taken place in this sentencing phase which has lasted about two and a half hours now, prosecutors saying that jurors have enough evidence to send Muhammad to death, to sentence Muhammad to death "even if they don't hear another syllable of evidence."

However, the prosecution saying that they will present more evidence, the defense, meantime maintaining that their client John Muhammad was born into poverty. As a three-year-old he dealt with his mother dying of breast cancer and that he had to be raised by a 12- year-old sibling trying to present some mitigating factors as this sentencing phase continues -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Elaine Quijano covering this trial for us, Elaine thanks very much.

Let's get some expert analysis now on what all this means, what may be ahead in the process. Adam Rosman is a former federal prosecutor. Adam, thanks very much for joining us.

ADAM ROSMAN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Good to be here.

BLITZER: Is there any doubt what this jury will decide now as far as the death penalty?

ROSMAN: I think there is some doubt. We have to wait until we hear the penalty phase evidence and you can never know. It's a very different question for the jury to determine whether someone should die, a much more serious question in some ways and so we have to wait for the government to put on aggravating evidence, for the defense to put on mitigating evidence and we'll see.

BLITZER: The prosecution going into the jury selection asked each one of these jurors whether or not they believe in the death penalty.

ROSMAN: Right.

BLITZER: Support the death penalty and all of them said they do.

ROSMAN: Right but there have been plenty of instances where there are death penalty qualified jurors who have listened to the evidence, convicted on all counts and then decided to spare someone's life after they've heard mitigating evidence, so it's not a sure thing.

BLITZER: They're going to hear testimony as we just heard from Elaine from the victim's family in this particular case. That can be very compelling when you hear ten people killed, three wounded, just in the Washington, D.C. area. That could have a huge impact.

ROSMAN: Absolutely and it will have a huge impact and if you have to pick, if you have to try and decide which way the jury is going to go here you think they're probably going to go for the death penalty but still we do not know what the mitigating circumstances are and we'll wait to hear.

BLITZER: Should we read too much into the fact it only took them what six and a half hours to deliberate?

ROSMAN: I don't think so because the evidence was so overwhelming that in my experience the jury had decided this case when they went into the jury room. They took their time with the evidence but that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to go with the death penalty.

BLITZER: To a certain degree the next trial, Lee Boyd Malvo, now 18 years old, only 17 at the time of the sniping, the sniping incidents that could be a little bit more complicated. He's pleaded, in effect, that he was brainwashed.

ROSMAN: Right, exactly. I mean the trial strategy there is to say that he was so overwhelmed by Muhammad's presence and his power that he didn't know right from wrong. The problem with that strategy is there's going to be testimony showing that he was the triggerman in shooting after shooting so it's an uphill battle to show that he didn't know right from wrong over and over again.

BLITZER: The prosecution alleges that Lee Boyd Malvo the younger alleged sniper did most of the killing if not all except for the exception of this one that John Allen Muhammad was convicted of today.

ROSMAN: Exactly. I mean the testimony is going to be the evidence. The government's evidence in the Malvo trial is going to be that he was the person actually holding the gun and firing those shots.

BLITZER: And the police allegedly also have a confession from him.

ROSMAN: Right, again powerful evidence to his guilt. Whether it will go to the ultimate penalty we'll have to wait and see.

BLITZER: Adam Rosman thanks very much for joining us.

ROSMAN: Good to be here.

BLITZER: Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

And while you're there I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. 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.

Accused serial bomber Eric Rudolph's lawyers say they want the federal government to take the death penalty off the table but they're not optimistic. That story tops our Justice Report.

Rudolph's attorneys are meeting with Justice Department officials in Washington today. They're appearing before a panel of Justice officials that will consider whether to seek the death penalty in Rudolph's case. The final decision will be up to the Attorney General John Ashcroft.

In New York, an Appeals Court panel of judges heard arguments today concerning the indefinite detention of the so-called dirty bomb suspect Jose Padilla. Padilla is the United States citizen who was deemed an enemy combatant by President Bush. He's being held in isolation. He has never been charged with a crime and he's cut off from any access even to a lawyer.

And John Hinckley the man who shot President Reagan in 1981 and who's been in a psychiatric hospital ever since wants to be able to spend the occasional night at his parents' home in Virginia. Hinckley's lawyers are in court this week asking a judge to approve a series of day visits without hospital workers present and then allow him to spend the night there. Government lawyers oppose the plan.

Show of force in and around Saddam Hussein's hometown, the United States on the offensive stepping up attacks on resistance fighters, we're live from Baghdad.

Also this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: September 11 would pale in comparison.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Chemical plants are they safe from terrorist attacks here in the United States? Find out what's being done to protect literally thousands of facilities and to protect you.

Back to work but not backing down, Rush Limbaugh on the air and speaking out about his intense treatment for painkiller addiction. We'll have a live report, first though today's news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Which Major League baseball team once employed Rush Limbaugh, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates," the answer coming up?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAN UHL, SON DIED IN IRAQ: He said if something happened to him he had tried to make the world a better place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Lives cut short, family and friends mourning the loss of their loved ones killed in the crash of two Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq, a look at some of the brave soldiers lost when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Two more American soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Iraq today bringing the total to 422. Of those, 283 have died since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations May 1. The latest deaths come as U.S. forces launch a massive attack on Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Walter Rodgers is in Baghdad with more now on what's being called Operation Ivy Cyclone. Walter, tell us all about it.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

Well, this is probably the biggest U.S. military operation since the declared end of the war in early May. It's taking place in the Sunni Triangle area, Tikrit specifically, Saddam Hussein's hometown and the objective here seems bluntly to be to make the Iraqi insurgents bleed just as badly as they've made the Americans bleed here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS (voice-over): Punishing Iraqi insurgents for their increasingly deadly attacks on U.S. soldiers here, two more killed Monday, the 4th Infantry Division's big guns boom away around Tikrit. The U.S. military believes Tikrit to be a stronghold of Saddam Hussein loyalists and the anti-American resistance.

These 155-millimeter shells are seeking out the hideouts of Iraqi paramilitary groups. Sometimes they just shoot at patches of ground from which the Iraqis previously fired mortars at U.S. forces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We fired two so far. Both hit. We should be firing about nine more during the course of the night.

RODGERS: Only a reduction in the number of attacks on U.S. forces in the weeks ahead will determine the success of this offensive but its minimum goal is to keep the insurgents off balance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have a pretty good handle on the enemy in this area. We're noticing a definite trend that is getting weaker.

RODGERS: Still the American offensive in and around Tikrit infuriated Iraqi civilians, especially after the U.S. Army destroyed four houses said to be the homes of insurgents who earlier shot down a U.S. helicopter.

This woman shouted: "They blamed my son. My son is innocent. I swear to God."

Many young men in this crowd are now vowing to join the insurgents to fight the Americans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: Like it or not the U.S. forces now appear to be slipping into classic guerrilla warfare here and the jury is still out on whether they can win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Walter Rodgers on the scene for us in Baghdad, Walter thank you very much.

Saturday was the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Iraq in almost eight months. Seventeen soldiers were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters collided. A military source tells CNN it appears one helicopter hit the other while evading ground fire and, while the investigation continues, so does the mourning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATRINA SULLIVAN, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: He's gone and it doesn't matter how. It just -- that's the only thing that I know that he's not here and he's not coming home.

BLITZER (voice-over): For Katrina Sullivan it wasn't supposed to happen like this. Her husband, Specialist John Sullivan was one of the 17 soldiers killed in Saturday's crash of two Black Hawk helicopters in Mosul, Iraq.

Specialist Sullivan reenlisted in the Army in May to help support his growing family, one daughter and twin sons Gavin (ph) and Aden (ph) born in September. He was in Iraq by July and never got to meet his sons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said he wasn't going to put him down once he had a hold of him.

BLITZER: Another soldier killed in Saturday's crash, 36-year-old Sergeant Warren Hansen of Clintonville, Wisconsin. Loved ones remember Hansen as a hero. As a teenager he rescued this man.

MONK MOLITOR, RESCUED BY HANSEN: I went down again and all of a sudden I see his little hand and he helped me out. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. He saved my life.

BLITZER: Twenty-one-year-old Specialist Eugene Uhl, also a Wisconsin native followed his father and grandfather into the military. He too was among the dead in Saturday's crash. His mother says Specialist Uhl loved what he was doing and was a compassionate soldier.

UHL: When we sent packages to him he always told us to send candy because he gave candy to the kids and any packages that we sent he gave, shared them.

BLITZER: Uhl, who would have turned 22 this Thanksgiving, left his family with an important message at his going away party.

UHL: He said if something happened to him he had tried to make the world a better place.

BLITZER: And that's the message Katrina Sullivan, who now must raise three children without their father, wants all Americans to know.

SULLIVAN: Just remember that they're there fighting for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And our deepest condolences to all those families.

Other headlines from Iraq, the CIA says it can't tell if the voice on the latest audio tape allegedly from Saddam Hussein is really that of the former Iraqi leader. The tape broadcast yesterday urged continued armed resistance to U.S. forces in Iraq.

In northern Iraq, an explosion and fire rocked a fuel pipeline that runs from the Turkish border to Baghdad. The pipeline has been a frequent target of sabotage despite increased security by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

And in Rome, thousands of people filed past the caskets of 19 Italians killed in a suicide bombing at their Iraqi compound last week. It was Italy's largest military loss since World War II.

A new U.S. timetable to transfer power in Iraq and Germany agrees with the plan. When we return a special interview with the German foreign minister Joschka Fischer. He'll join me here live.

Weaknesses revealed, are the nation's chemical plants safe from attack? It's a CNN special report.

And, Arnold Schwarzenegger promising to do the extraordinary, coming up a live report on the first changes he'll make as Governor Schwarzenegger. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. relations with Germany were badly strained over the war in Iraq, and there's still considerable disagreement in its aftermath. But the German foreign minister is praising the U.S. plan for stepping up the transition to Iraqi self-rule.

Joschka Fischer is the German foreign minister, and he's joining us now here live.

Mr. Minister, welcome to Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.

The Bush administration has appealed to Germany to help out militarily and financially in Iraq. And you gave Washington, in effect, a no and a no. Why?

JOSCHKA FISCHER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, this was not an issue in the discussions I had today and also not in the discussions between the president and the chancellor September in New York City.

BLITZER: Is that because you already let them know you were going to say no?

FISCHER: No. I mean we are focused on Afghanistan. After the United States, we are the second biggest troop contributor in Afghanistan. And we increased the amount of our troops, we opened a provincial reconstruction team now in Konduz in the north. We are ready to help in police training. We are ready...

BLITZER: In Iraq?

FISCHER: In Iraq. We are ready to help also in military training. And we are ready for humanitarian assistance and for reconstruction. But we will militarily focus on Afghanistan.

BLITZER: What about writing a check to help in the reconstruction of Iraq? When they had the donors' conference in Madrid, Germany and France, Russia basically said no.

FISCHER: No. We didn't say no. About 200 million euros is our contribution. But as I said before, I mean, we are strongly engaged in Afghanistan. And this is quite costly.

BLITZER: But isn't Iraq important to Germany as well? Afghanistan is obviously very important. But isn't what happens to 25 million people in Iraq also important to the German people?

FISCHER: Of course it is. And we'll contribute within our limited resources. But we have focused on Afghanistan. And of course it is very important what's going on in Iraq. Because we had our disputes about whether it is reasonable to go to war in Iraq, yes or no, but to win the peace, I think it's a common task, because it would have negative consequences for all of us who are ready for that. Therefore, I'm here in Washington to talk with our friends.

BLITZER: To repair the relationship.

As you know, President Bush was very angry at your chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, during the political campaign in Germany, for effectively using the U.S. role in Iraq as a weapon to try to get himself reelected. They didn't speak for a long time.

This relationship between President Bush and Chancellor Schroeder, how is it now?

FISCHER: Well I think the relationship is excellent again. And don't forget we contributed a lot. I talked about Afghanistan. We are close allies. Our troops, the first time after World War II, fought together with American troops in Afghanistan. We suffered losses in Afghanistan, also the first time after the Second World War.

BLITZER: Should NATO take over the military responsibility in Iraq?

FISCHER: Well, first of all, NATO has taken over the responsibility in Afghanistan, and we must be...

BLITZER: Should we use that model in Iraq?

FISCHER: It was not an issue in the discussion today.

BLITZER: But what do you think? General Wesley Clark, the former NATO supreme allied commander and now a Democratic presidential candidate, he wants NATO to take over. Others are saying that's the case. Germany is a key member of NATO.

FISCHER: Yes, of course. But we should see the experiences in Afghanistan. And in Iraq now, I think it is in the hands of the coalition. And this was the clear decision we made in the Security Council, based on the request of the members of the coalition, especially of the United States.

BLITZER: I know you don't speak for France. But there's deep irritation, at least among many in the United States, at France and at Germany for this friction that has developed over the past year, year and a half. How are you going to fix this impression that's left, at least according to the public opinion polls, with a lot of Americans?

FISCHER: First of all, I think for both France and Germany the United States is the most important ally outside of Europe. And we have close relations with the United States.

I cannot speak on behalf of France, but I think what we want to achieve, what President Bush has outlined in his recent speech about the democratization of a wider Middle East -- to create a new Middle East. Then we must cooperate very closely within the alliance.

BLITZER: Do you think the administration is moving toward the German stance in terms of the transition to Iraqi rule in Iraq?

FISCHER: I wouldn't say the German stance. But I think it is very important that we have a visible transition of the authority to a new Iraqi authority, a transition of the sovereignty. If this could be sped up and more backed, also, by the U.N., give a broader legitimization, a visible legitimization, I think this would be quite an important a step forward in the right direction.

BLITZER: Joschka Fischer, the foreign minister of Germany, welcome to Washington. Thanks for joining us.

FISCHER: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Sign of the times, the international sign of distress, one protester's unique way of not welcome President Bush to Britain. We'll show it to you.

And, new warnings from the CDC to you, why this year's flu season here in the United States could be worst in years even if you've already received the flu shot.

And on the air and speaking out, Rush Limbaugh on drugs, rehab, and why he needed help. We're live from New York City.

First, the answer to today's News Quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked: "Which Major League Baseball team once employed Rush Limbaugh" the answer the Kansas City Royals. Limbaugh was a marketing executive for the Royals from 1980 to 1984. He then moved to Sacramento, California to host a radio talk show. In 1988, Limbaugh began hosting on a national level with the "Rush Limbaugh Show."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Billions of dollars have been spent to keep you safe from terror attacks but are Americans really out of harm's way? Coming up, an in-depth special report.

Plus, a scaled down inauguration for a big screen actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger pledges his commitment to California. We'll go live to Sacramento for a complete wrap of the day's historic events. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.

Rush Limbaugh out of rehab and back on the air.

And, it's now Governor Schwarzenegger. The actor-turned- politician takes California's oath of office. We'll have complete details coming up.

First though, a quick check of the latest headlines.

The rubble in Istanbul that brings the death toll to 24 in the two bombings Saturday outside synagogues, Turkish police questioned owners of the vans that exploded but they deny involvement.

Analysis of a single strand of hair is admissible as evidence in the Scott Peterson murder case. That was the judge's ruling today. That strand of hair was found in Peterson's boat and lawyers have been arguing about it for days. A form of DNA testing indicates the hair is that of Laci Peterson, the late wife of Scott Peterson.

In Indianapolis, a 16-year-old student was killed today when he stuck his head out of a school bus window and it was hit by a tree limb. The bus driver called police. He'll undergo routine alcohol and drug tests.

It's now official. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the 38th governor of California. CNN National Correspondent Frank Buckley is joining us now live from Sacramento with details.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, this was advertised as a simple swearing in ceremony but with more than 7,000 people invited to attend, more than 700 journalists on hand to record the event, there was the sense of an occasion that was impossible to ignore and a sense of history being made here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY (voice-over): With his hand on a family Bible, Arnold Schwarzenegger took the oath of office.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I, Arnold Schwarzenegger...

BUCKLEY: And became California's 38th governor. He gave his wife, Maria Shriver, a kiss. He shook the hand of the man he defeated in a historic recall election and then he told his fellow Californians that he was humbled to be their new governor.

SCHWARZENEGGER: This election was the people's veto for politics as usual. With the eyes of the world upon us we did the dramatic. Now we must put the rancor of the past behind us and do the extraordinary.

BUCKLEY: Schwarzenegger said he would go to work immediately.

SCHWARZENEGGER: As soon as I go inside the capital behind me I will sign my first order as governor. I will sign Executive Order 1, which will repeal the 300 percent increase in the car tax.

BUCKLEY: That was one of the measures taken by the previous administration to deal with California's multi-billion dollar operating deficit. Schwarzenegger said a special session of the legislature would immediately address what he called California's fiscal crisis and it would also take on workers' compensation reform.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I will not rest until our fiscal house is in order. I will not rest until California is a competitive job creating machine. I will not rest until the people of California come to see their government as a partner in their lives and not a roadblock to their dreams.

BUCKLEY: Schwarzenegger invoked the words of the late President John F. Kennedy's, his wife's uncle, who said he was an idealist without allusions. He recalled former President Reagan who once described America as the shining city on the hill.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I see California as the golden dream by the sea.

BUCKLEY: As thousands of invited guests looked on those who couldn't get tickets tried to see or hear what they could as citizen Schwarzenegger became Governor Schwarzenegger.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I have taken the oath to uphold the Constitution of California and now with your help and with God's I will also uphold the dream that is California. Thank you very much and may God bless California. Thank you very much. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: And, as promised, immediately after the swearing in ceremony, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order 1 immediately after the ceremony repealing the increase in the vehicle license fee.

After that he attended a series of luncheons. No inaugural galas or formal balls here. They, again, want to send the message, Wolf, that this is a governor that is ready to go to work immediately -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A new era in California. Thanks very much Frank Buckley for that report.

And after five weeks being off the air during which he completed a residential treatment program for addiction to painkillers, Rush Limbaugh is now back in business.

With the story for us live now from New York, CNN's Jason Carroll -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, Rush Limbaugh left the studio across the street without anything to say to the media. Everything he had to say he reserved for his listeners.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): On his first day back on the air since reentering rehab, the king of talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, told his legion of loyal listeners he was nervous but excited and ready to talk.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST "RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW": There are people I need to apologize to. When it comes to apologizing to you, those of you in this audience, I think my statement on Friday before I left that I'm not a victim here and I'm not a role model.

CARROLL: Limbaugh says he thought his will alone was enough to fight the addiction to the painkiller OxyContin, prescribed after a back injury but he says he was powerless against the addiction.

LIMBAUGH: I spent five intense weeks, probably the most educational and informative five weeks on myself and about me that I ever have spent and I would have had no idea how to do this myself.

CARROLL: Limbaugh has been in rehab twice before for addiction to painkillers. This time the radio host says he came away feeling reborn at the age of 50. Medical experts say staying clean will not be easy.

DR. GOPAL UPADHYA, DRUG REHABILITATION EXPERT: It's a difficult task for him but I am an optimist. I don't think that anybody needs to give up. It will be a tough fight but he has to face it.

CARROLL: On occasion, Limbaugh has been tough on convicted drug abusers saying they should serve time. Law enforcement sources tell CNN investigators have not decided whether to pursue criminal charges against Limbaugh for possible illegal trafficking of prescription drugs. Limbaugh did not address the subject but did say this about his past comments.

LIMBAUGH: I was honest with you throughout the whole time. I was not honest with myself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Limbaugh says he came out of rehabilitation with a new appreciation of just how much he loves radio and what his life means to him -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Carroll for us, thanks Jason very much for that report and good luck to Rush Limbaugh on his efforts to break this problem that he's had.

Protection plan, find out what's being done to keep chemical plants in the United States safe from terrorist attacks, a CNN special report that's coming up next.

And starting early and strong, new warnings about this year's flu season from the CDC and important information about the flu shot that you need to know right now.

Plus, stealing the show, find out who upstaged the 2004 Democratic presidential hopefuls this weekend.

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER (voice-over): A meeting of the European Union foreign ministers begins today in Brussels and it presents an opportunity for the United States to once again ask for help in managing post-war Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell will be in Brussels tomorrow.

In South Korea, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is meeting with his counterpart. Rumsfeld assured the South Koreans that plans to reposition some U.S. forces will not diminish America's ability to deter community North Korea. Rumsfeld and South Korea's defense minister also urged North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of a walkway collapse at the Queen Mary II. Fifteen people were killed and more than 30 injured when the fell to a concrete floor.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived in Rome today for a three day visit. His trip is likely to be overshadowed by the pope's criticism of the Israeli government's continued construction of a security barrier in the West Bank.

And protesters in England are organizing to show their displeasure with President Bush as he arrives for a state visit this week. A petition protesting the visit with tens of thousands of signatures was delivered to Downing Street today and organizers are planning a massive march through the streets of London.

The sentiment among the protesters was obvious. A group of them even used an upside down American flag, an international sign of distress to make their feelings known, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Making America more secure from terrorist attacks became job number one of the Bush administration after 9/11. Billions have been spent and many billions more have been promised to do just that.

But CNN's Jeanne Meserve now reports on what many warn is a vulnerability of the nation's chemical plants and how Congress, big business, and the nation's security agencies may be dropping the ball in protecting the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This chemical plant outside New York City is a potential weapon of mass destruction. Twelve million people live within a 14-mile radius of the plant. Frank Ferrara (ph) is one of them. Is he scared?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's the word petrified? Petrified is probably a way of describing my reaction. MESERVE: It is one of 15,000 facilities across the U.S. which produce, use, or store toxic chemicals, facilities which have been identified in report after government report as possible terrorist targets. Ferrara began videotaping the plant's security a year ago. He found gates un-padlocked and unguarded. No one challenged his presence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still no padlocks on this gate.

MESERVE: This October a different picture when Ferrara took CNN to the plant. We found television cameras, barbed wire, and barricades. Armed security guards checked us out and called local police to question our crew. The plant president refused to talk on camera ordering his trucks to block our shots. That was in front.

In back from across the river, no one questioned our videotaping of the plant even though we were right next door to the County Sheriff's Department. From that vantage point we could clearly see the plant's proximity to Newark Airport and its location smack underneath a major highway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's there to stop anyone from dropping some sort of a projectile right onto the plant? And, not to mention look at the planes that are landing, 9/11 is a prime example of how an airplane becomes a deadly weapons. What's there to stop anyone from using a plane just to access the plant right from the air?

MESERVE: That American Chemistry Council is a trade group representing some of the largest chemical companies in the United States. It says the industry has made big strides in security since 9/11 by imposing guidelines on itself.

MARTY DURBIN, AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL: Everything from adding a gate to having security guards to having biometric identification, tightening up of their computer systems.

MESERVE: But council members own or operate only 1,000 of the 15,000 facilities identified as potential terrorist targets. The Department of Homeland Security working with industry has begun vulnerability assessments of plants that pose the greatest potential risk.

BOS LISCOUSKI, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: You look at the location of the plant, as I indicated how accessible it is and then, you know, we have a variety of scenarios that we run that we think are likely scenarios and then based upon those scenarios we'll examine the security capabilities and then make recommendations for enhancement.

MESERVE: But a quick tour of a handful of other plants showed little security. Where there were guards they were unarmed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN?

MESERVE: Nice to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice seeing you. MESERVE: In one case, a hole under a fence photographed unchallenged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It causes me to lie awake at night.

MESERVE: Sal DePasquale (ph) worked in industrial security for more than 15 years. He says the latest industry and government security improvements are not nearly enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a fair idea as to what's been done. In my view it's mostly been window dressing. An adversary can easily drive up, shoot the guard, go onto the facility, place a bomb, rupture a vessel and release all of the material and if we have that we have a catastrophic event. September 11 would pale in comparison.

MESERVE: August, 2002, rural Festus, Missouri, 48,000 pounds of chlorine, about half a railcar accidentally released because of the failure of a small hose. Hundreds were evacuated. More than 60 went to the emergency room.

But hundreds of thousands of people could die with the release of a single railcar of chlorine in an urban setting according to the U.S. Naval Research Lab which created this computer simulation of a worst case toxic release scenario.

Remember this plant where we started next to the highway, next to the airport? It uses chlorine railcar after railcar full to make bleach and it is just a few miles from New York City.

MESERVE: To protect the public, critics say, government must take a much more forceful approach to chemical plant security but more than two years after 9/11 Congress has still not passed a law demanding tighter security.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Tomorrow Jeanne will take a look at the stalemate over chemical plant safety in the U.S. Congress, why some lawmakers don't want laws that would mandate chemical plant security, must watch TV tomorrow.

Severe season for the flu, the CDC issuing a new warning, find out why the flu shot may not necessarily be as effective this year as it should be.

In the zone, pop princess Britney Spears adding another big accomplishment to her growing list. Find out why her star status is shining a bit brighter today, first though a few stories you may have missed this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The test but one thing it tested was international cooperation in the war on terror. Authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border at Arizona tested their response to a mock attack with one blast triggering a mock chlorine gas cloud. The drill involved rescue and decontamination techniques.

A freight train collision in Washington state, federal authorities are investigating Saturday's crash near Longview. Twenty cars derailed when the trains ran together as one of them was switching from one set of tracks to another. Two crew members were injured.

Sources tell CNN four Oakland Raiders have tested positive for the steroid THG. The NFL Today first reported the four are tackle Dana Stubblefield, center Barrett Robbins (ph), linebacker Bill Romanowski, and tackle Chris Cooper. They face possible suspension but probably not before another test and a hearing.

Kathleen Blanco is ready to take office as Louisiana's first female governor ever. Blanco, who's the Democratic lieutenant governor defeated Republican Bobby Jindal in Saturday's runoff election. President Bush supported Jindal an American of Indian descent but he called Governor-elect Blanco and congratulated her.

Star power in Des Moines, six Democratic presidential candidates were at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday but they were overshadowed by the emcee, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Clinton rejected suggestions by pundits that the Democratic candidates are second rate, saying this: "Pundits and polls don't pick presidents. People pick presidents," and that's our Weekend Snapshot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Some doctors say the flu season this year could be brutal and the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it could be worse than usual, details now from our Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, what's going on?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, doctors at the CDC say that we could be looking at a particularly tough flu season for two reasons. First of all the flu season hit very early this year, middle of November and already we're seeing activity in many parts of the country.

If you take a look in those blue areas that's where they've already seen quite a bit of flu; that is very unusual for this time of year and two states, Colorado and Texas, Texas in particular, have seen a lot of flu. In fact, some hospitals have really be overrun with people who are sick.

Now, people are then caught unaware because it hit so early that they didn't have time to get the vaccine. The second reason why there might be a particularly bad season also has to do with the vaccine. There's a strain of the flu called H3N2 which is not in the vaccine.

In other words, people are getting sick and it was not in the vaccine and so but doctors from the CDC say that you should still get the vaccine because there are three strains that it will protect against and it might even give some protection against this N3N2.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC DIRECTOR: The point is that people who need to get their flu shot this is the time for Americans to really step up to the plate and get vaccinated against influenza, especially because this could be a worse than usual flu season and especially because we have this particular strain circulating. In some previous situations, H3N2 strains have been associated with perhaps more severe disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And, Wolf, I'll tell you I've been doing stories during the flu season for many years now and this is the first time that I've heard the CDC come out and actually warn people that there could be a particularly bad season -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Still don't forget to take your flu shot. It's still important, right Elizabeth?

COHEN: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Thanks very much Elizabeth Cohen for that.

Now a follow-up on the outbreak of Hepatitis-A in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania health officials traced the source of that outbreak to this Chi-Chi's restaurant in Beaver County. Since our report on Friday, the Associated Press reports the number of people infected has shot up to 510. Three people have died.

We also told you on Friday's newscast the CEO of Chi-Chi's would be joining us today but today a public relations official representing Chi-Chi's told us the CEO was not available.

Star sighting, pop sensation Britney Spears takes a special walk in Hollywood today.

And our hot, web question of the day is this. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results for you immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our web question of the day. "Should John Allen Muhammad get the death penalty in the sniper case"? Look at this, 89 percent of you say yes, 11 percent of you say no. As always, we remind you this is not a scientific poll.

Britney Spears is already a star but now she has one she can call her own. It's our Picture of the Day. Spears was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today joining more than 2,000 other celebrities. It's a busy week for Spears. She performed on the "American Music Awards" last night and her new album "In the Zone" comes out tomorrow. A reminder you can always catch us on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS Monday through Friday 5:00 p.m. Eastern as well as Noon Eastern Monday through Friday. See you later.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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