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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Vietnam Vet Offensive Against John Kerry; New Information on al Qaeda Plot

Aired August 05, 2004 - 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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, a Vietnam vet offensive against John Kerry. Coming to the Democrats' defense, a famous Republican. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Target terror: New information on a plot that may stretch around the world.

And a developing drama at home involving a missile, money and a mosque.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This case is a sting.

WOODRUFF: Terror camps: Eyes in the sky show al Qaeda may be moving back in.

Uprising: A radical clerics private army takes aim at Americans.

Trial delayed: Will new evidence rock the Scott Peterson case?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday August 5, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Hello. I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. Wolf is off today.

We top our program with new information on the terror threats. We go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre with word that al Qaeda's training camps may be back in business.

And to our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve on a sting which the feds say is meant to put the terrorists out of business.

But we begin with new details on a big fish caught in an ally's net. For that, let's turn to CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Judy, we're learning more about the arrests made in Britain earlier this week. Investigators say one of the men in custody is allegedly a senior al Qaeda operative involved in the organization's terror planning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): One of the men arrested this week in Britain is described as a senior al Qaeda operative. Intelligence sources tell CNN that his name is Esa al-Hindi.

U.S. officials say he is a major player who moved operational information between key components of al Qaeda in Britain, Pakistan and the United States.

EVAN KOHLMANN, GLOBAL TERRORALERT.COM: He's someone with military experience. He's someone who's perfectly fluent in English, in Urdu, in Arabic. He's a transnational al Qaeda operative, who has his fingers in many pots.

ARENA: Terrorism experts say al-Hindi is a Muslim convert and former commander of an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Investigators believe he was plotting to attack London's Heathrow Airport based on intelligence from Pakistan.

KOHLMANN: I think it's an ominous sign. Whenever there's an attack on this scale going on in London, it's not just a British thing, but a U.S. thing too. Because most of the time when al Qaeda strikes, it tends to strike in multiple, simultaneous attacks.

ARENA: Sources say al-Hindi's arrest was a result of arrests Pakistani arrests, specifically, of alleged al Qaeda computer expert Muhammed Naeem Noor Khan.

In fact, that one capture has led to multiple intelligence leads, not just in the U.K., but in the U.S. as well. With officials confirming Khan made contact with an individual or individuals in the United States.

JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have, as we've said before, reason to believe that we are in a very serious threat environment and we're working like crazy to try and make sure that threat does not come to fruition.

ARENA: Part of the search for al Qaeda operatives in the United States continues to focus on who may have conducted the surveillance of several potential targets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: Investigators say they have evidence to suggest that some of the surveillance of financial building now on high alert was an inside job, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Kelli Arena, thank you very much.

And in an unrelated development, police in London have arrested a British citizen whose extradition had been requested by the United States. The extradition warrant says that he used e-mail and Web sites to solicit money for, quote, acts of terrorism in Chechnya and Afghanistan. There are fresh signs that al Qaeda may be moving back into terrorist training camps in Pakistan. Let's go live now to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well Judy, that is the question that intelligence analysts for the United States are pondering as they're reviewing the latest imagery from the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Is al Qaeda trying to reestablish training camps in that border region?

And According to defense and intelligence sources, some of that overhead imagery showing the movement of people, cars, and vehicles into areas known to have been used in the past by al Qaeda, and suggesting that perhaps the training of terrorists in that sort of semiautonomous region of Pakistan could in fact be something that is being reestablished or reactivated. But Pentagon officials caution that there's been no firm conclusion made.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is sharing all of the intelligence with Pakistan, which has taken the lead role in fighting the al Qaeda and the Taliban within its borders, something the United States has applauded the Pakistani government. And officials here note if there were need to take any military action against any targets in Pakistan, that is something that would be done by the Pakistani, not the U.S. military -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Jamie McIntyre, reporting for us from the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you.

In what the Justice Department is painting as a preemptive strike against terrorism, two leaders of a small mosque in upstate New York have been arrested on charges of money laundering and conspiracy. Let's turn now to our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. Hello, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, officials say these arrests have no connection to the recent arrests in London, but they are highlighting this case in an effort to send a message to terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Early-morning raids at a mosque and two residences in Albany, New York, and two arrests. The product of a year and a half long undercover sting operation.

COMEY: We really do want the bad guys to worry that anybody they deal with might be one of our people.

MESERVE: Arraigned Thursday afternoon, the 34-year-old Imam of the Masjid As Salam Mosque, Jaseen Araf (ph), who sources say is an Iraqi citizen with asylum status in the U.S. And a 49-year-old founder of the mosque, Mohammed Hoosain, a native of Bangladesh, who last June told an Albany newspaper I am proud to be an American.

Government sources say the men are believed to have connections with Ansar al Islam, a terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda and Jordanian terrorist Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.

According to an FBI affidavit, an undercover operative who was cooperating with authorities to reduce his own sentence for document fraud, sold Hoosain a shoulder-fired missile, telling Hoosain he sold them to terrorists and asking him to launder money from the sales through his pizza business. Hoosain allegedly brought Aref (ph) into the plot.

At one point the operative told the men a missile would be used against the Pakistani ambassador in New York to retaliate for Pakistan's cooperation in the war on terror.

Hoosain's wife denies he was involved in any terror plot.

MUSKAMMAT HOSSAIN, SUSPECT'S WIFE: I don't think anything we are doing anything wrong against our country. I am citizen. My husband is citizen. I have five children, they're all born here.

MESERVE: Justice officials reject suggestions that the two men could have been entrapped.

COMEY: Well, heck, if somebody showed you a shoulder-fired missile and said we're going to use it to shoot down airplanes. What would you do? At the first meeting and the second, and that's a question for the jury to answer. It's not one I'm real worried about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: These arrests have nothing to do with recent threats against financial targets. And although authorities acknowledge this is not a major case, they hope it has a big deterrent effect -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much.

So how is the city of Albany reacting to the arrests? Joining me now is the mayor of the city of Albany, New York, Gerald Jennings.

Mayor Jennings, before I ask you about the city, how well-known are these individuals? One of them founded the mosque, the other one was the imam there. One of them is quoted as saying "I'm proud to be an American" earlier this summer. What's known about them?

MAYOR GERALD JENNINGS, ALBANY, NEW YORK: There's no doubt that they were active members of the community, and unfortunately they took their activity down the wrong street. And it was brought to our attention quite a while ago. And this has been a lengthy investigation, Judy, that came to a good closure as far as I'm concerned with all the law enforcement agencies that have been involved.

WOODRUFF: Were they known to have done anything before this that would lead people to be suspicious?

JENNINGS: I can't answer that, Judy. All I can reflect on is what we've been going through the past 18, 19 months here. As I indicated, obviously we got information through our joint task force here, and we absented appropriately.

WOODRUFF: The Muslim community in Albany, how is it reacting to this?

JENNINGS: Well, I spoke with the president of the mosque a short while ago, and he's been working very closely with me and my administration and the capital region to make sure that we keep things in perspective. We don't want anyone being victimized as a result of these arrests. And I will be going there in a little while to meet with him once again.

But we have a good relationship. And the community has been very responsive and very cooperative.

WOODRUFF: Any idea whether this is more widespread than just these 2 individuals?

JENNINGS: I can't confirm that. But as I said, we're going to continue our investigations. When we get information, we're going to assign it to the appropriate task force and we will aggressively pursuing whatever we want to make sure our city and the state is safe.

WOODRUFF: Mr. Mayor, what about the rest of the community? What sort of reactions are you hearing?

JENNINGS: Very favorable. I mean, they should be relieved, because this is proactive, we prevented something that could have been very negative from happening, and that's what this is about. Let's be proactive, as opposed to reactive. Let's make sure we get in the face of individuals that want to disrupt our communities and get them off the streets. That's our goal here.

WOODRUFF: So, when you say 18 or 19 months, I'm hearing you say you knew there was some sort of an investigation under way for a year and a half.

JENNINGS: Yes, there was.

WOODRUFF: And you're confident that it was handled in the right way?

JENNINGS: Yes. Anyone that's trying to purchase a shoulder-to- air missile, we would be irresponsible if we didn't aggressively stop that.

WOODRUFF: Do you have advice for other, you know, cities around the country -- you know, Muslim communities in whose individuals say, you know, we're law-abiding American citizens. How are people know what to believe -- I mean, whether to believe somebody does love America, as one of these individuals said, or believe they're up to no good?

JENNINGS: Well, Judy, I think you have to judge individuals by your relationships with them. And one of the good things about this is the information came to us from the streets, and people are part of the solution to some of the problems we're experiencing since 9/11. And we asked the public to participate us, work with us, and we'll do what's right. We'll protect those that should be protected, and we'll get those off the street that shouldn't by on the street.

WOODRUFF: Mayor Gerald Jennings of Albany, New York, we thank you very much. It's good to talk with you. We appreciate it.

JENNINGS: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thank you for your time.

The bottom line today on the terror front, authorities are still probing a possible plot against financial centers in New York and Washington. Stepped up security in those cities and arrests in London are a direct result of major arrests in Pakistan, which U.S. and Pakistani sources say have provided a wealth of intelligence.

Well, now here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think there are people with ties to terrorism in your town? You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Tough talk on the trail: John Kerry says he would have done things differently on 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: And a veterans' group accuses Kerry of lying about his Vietnam war record. A famous Republican defends the senator's service.

Trial delayed: New evidence discovered in the Scott Peterson case. We are live from Redwood City.

Plus, this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON TANNER, DUVAL COUNTY JUDGE: ... to announce that, effective immediately, I do hereby resign my position as county judge of Duval County

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Fake -- fake resignation in an effort to end a hostage situation. Did this Florida judge set a bad precedent?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: It seems that things are getting pretty hot and nasty out on the campaign trail. A new attack ad that goes after Democrat John Kerry even has Republican Senator John McCain upset.

For that and more, let's go on the trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Perhaps a sign November is nearing and the race only tightening.

KERRY: Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whispered in my ear, "America is under attack," I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president had something that he needed to attend to.

WOODRUFF: John Kerry's comments at a conference for minority journalists came in response to a question of how he would have handled the news of the 9/11 attacks.

In response, the Bush campaign said, quote, "These flailing attacks against the President are the result of a candidate who doesn't know what he stands for," end quote.

A political punch, certainly, but President Bush today fought back.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told you when I ran, we'd cut the taxes on the working people, and we did. When this administration says something, we mean it and we get it done.

WOODRUFF: Fielding questions from Ohio residents, Mr. Bush held an "Ask the President" forum in Columbus. While soon after, in St. Louis, Senator Kerry and running mate John Edwards reunited, kicking off the rail leg of their post-convention trip.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Come November, hope is on the way.

WOODRUFF: The 1800-mile train tour stretches through Missouri, Colorado, and New Mexico, and ends in Arizona -- a state whose senator today is defending Mr. Kerry against what he calls a, quote, "dishonest and dishonorable new ad."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.

WOODRUFF: The ad, made by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, features Vietnam veterans who accuse Kerry of lying about his war record.

Today, Senator John McCain, a fellow veteran, called on the Bush campaign to condemn the spot. And soon after, they responded, saying the campaign, quote, "has never and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam."

Earlier, I spoke to one of the men featured in the ad, as well as a swift boat crewman who served on Kerry boat. LARRY THURLOW, APPEARS IN ANTI-KERRY AD: If we were receiving fire off the bank, how come not one single boat received one bullet hole. Nobody was hit. No sign of any rounds hitting the water while I was in it.

JIM RASSMANN, KERRY CREWMATE IN VIETNAM: John Kerry did not tell this story. I told this story when I put him in for a silver star for coming back to rescue me. I think that this is partisan motivation on his part and for the part of his whole organization.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Jim Rassmann and Larry Thurlow, both of whom served in Vietnam.

In Illinois, meantime, the state Republican party has asked an out-of-state candidate to run for the U.S. Senate. One-time presidential hopeful Alan Keyes says that he will decide by Sunday if he'll accept the challenge. Keyes lives in Maryland.

Whoever the candidate is, he or she will face Barack Obama in the November election. Obama is considered a rising star in the Democratic party.

Now, major encounter in Iraq: An American helicopter is in the crosshairs as U.S. and Iraqi forces take on an established enemy. We'll tell you what happened.

What happened in the Scott Peterson trial that brought the proceedings to a grinding halt? We'll take you to Redwood City, California.

And the verdict on Tigger. We'll tell you what happened when they hauled a Disney World worker into court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: There's a new development in the Scott Peterson murder trial. The judge has halted court while the defense gets to examine new evidence.

CNN's Rusty Dornin is in Redwood City, California with the latest. Hi, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, exactly what this new evidence is a mystery, but it definitely brought the court proceedings here to an abrupt halt. We were expecting to hear from a Modesto Police computer experts. Instead, they went behind closed doors for about an hour. Defense attorney Mark Geragos emerging to tell the court, that within the last 48 hours there was some newly discovered evidence that he claims could exonerate his client. Now, the judge thought this was important enough recess court send the jury home, and have this evidence scientifically tested.

Well, the question is, where did the evidence come from? Well, within the last 4 hours, prosecutors were soundly rebuked by the judge for not turning over discovery to the defense. Apparently they turned over some discovery since then. Legal analysts here believe, at least one of them believes that it could be connected to the autopsies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CARDOZA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There could only be one thing they are doing forensically, and that's they're relooking at Laci and/or Conner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the bodies?

CARDOZA: The bodies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, after court ended, Mark Geragos, who has been avoiding reporters recently whenever court end, came out the front door with Jackie Peterson, Scott Peterson's mother and didn't say much to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GERAGOS, SCOTT PETERSON'S LAWYER: I can't comment on anything. All I can tell you is obviously the judge indicated we need to follow up on it, and that's what we're going to do. That's all I can say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, the judge certainly thinks this is important enough to recess court and have this scientifically tested, but he did tell the jury to expect to come in on Tuesday and expect a lot of hard work next week and the following week. From what we know now from sources, Amber Frey is still expected to testify on Tuesday, although in court, the judge did mention in court that some special witnesses might have to be added in case this turns out to be something significant -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Rusty Dornin, thank you very much.

Also in our justice report, Salt Lake City's district attorney has until Monday to file charges against the husband of Lori Hacking. Mark Hacking has been held on suspicion of murder since Monday. Now, a judge has extended the normal filing period. Meanwhile, the "Salt Lake Tribune" reports that Mark Hacking's brothers told police he confessed to them.

Also in our justice report, a Walt Disney World worker has been found not guilty of fondling a teenage girl while dressed as Tigger, the tiger. The defense argued that the mother merely wanted to sue Disney for damages.

A U.S. Military helicopter is shot down. We'll tell you about it coming up. Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a guy who was missing both his legs and one arm, and he's walking. So if he can do it and go on with life, I don't know why anybody else can't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Wounded in Iraq: how U.S. troops are coping with the aftermath.

Also -- this is what a Maryland woman got when she called 911 for help. We'll tell you about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Welcome back. A new outbreak of violence in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi forces battling militants in Najaf, and a U.S. Helicopter shot down. We'll have a full report, but first, a quick check of stories now in the news.

There's an unconfirmed report of the arrest of a senior al Qaeda figure in Saudi Arabia. The Arabic language, Al Arabia Television is report that a Muslim clerk who is one of the countries most wanted terrorist, has been captured. Saudi interior ministry officials say only that operations targeting him are ongoing.

Review hearings for prisoner at Guantanamo Bay detention camp were opened to reporters for the first time. During unclassified portions of the hearings, two Afghan war prisoners pleaded for release. Although, member of the Taliban, both say they never fought American forces and they surrendered voluntarily.

New revelations on day three of a preliminary hearing on the prison abuse case against Private 1st Class Lynndie England. An intelligence agent testified that he saw colleagues taking part in abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. It's the first public testimony implicating military intelligence in the scandal.

FBI and Postal Service agents investigating the anthrax-laced letters of 2001 served homes in New Jersey and New York today. There's no word on what prompted the searches, authorities still trying to trace where the anthrax used in the letters originated.

Emergency agencies are testing their ability to respond to a terrorist attack. Two days of tests began in California. The drills include simulations of a dirty bomb attack, airplane hijackings, a toxic chemical release, and a maritime raid.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Insurgents fired rockets into central Baghdad late today and gunshots rang out. There was minor damage to the Palestine Hotel, but there are no reports of injuries. There were violence in other Iraqi cities, too. CNN's John Vause has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Najaf to Baghdad to Basra, a day of violent uprising by those loyal to the radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We got orders from Muqtada al-Sadr to strike the Americans wherever they are.

VAUSE: It fled in Najaf when it became clear Iraqi police and National Guard were outgunned and outnumbered. The governor there called in the U.S. Marines. On the city's outskirts, one U.S. soldier was killed, five wounded when their convoy was hit by a rocket- propelled grenade. The fighting also claimed the lives of an Iraqi policeman, a doctor, and two civilians. Seven insurgents were killed, according to the U.S. military.

Helicopters flying overhead came under constant attack. One evacuating a wounded soldier was brought down by small-arms fire. Two U.S. soldiers were hurt in the emergency landing. With the people of Najaf under curfew, explosions rocked the city. The fighting raged within half a mile of the sacred Imam Ali mosque. Those loyal to al- Sadr say the holy shrine was damaged by U.S. troops. The U.S. military describes that claim as suspect.

Still, over the mosque loudspeakers, calls for the people to rise up and join the fight to defend the holiest site for Shia Muslims. In the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, a U.S. patrol came under heavy attack by his militia. Five soldiers were lightly wounded. And to the south in Basra, British troops fought gun battles with al-Sadr's men, shooting two of them dead.

From Iraq's interior minister came praise for his fledgling police force.

FALAH AL-NAKIB, IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): I would like to tell you that your brothers, that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi police have gained glorious victories.

VAUSE: Victories which came only with the help of U.S. forces.

(on camera): The fragile truce which the U.S. negotiated with Muqtada al-Sadr less than two months ago is now dead, with each side blaming the other. Regardless of who's at fault, it's another serious setback to bringing security to Iraq.

John Vause, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Well, on the battlefield in Iraq, the insurgents' weapon of choice seems to be improvised explosive device. The injuries can be devastating.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports on how American troops are coping with the aftermath after they come home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Army Sergeant Michael Cain lost his leg to a land mine attack in Iraq. He hopes to become a physical therapist, but for now he wants to get back to the sports he loves.

SGT. MICHAEL CAIN, U.S. ARMY: I used to like to do everything, baseball, basketball, hockey, running, everybody.

STARR: Cain and other amputees are using high-tech prosthetics, some driven by computer chips, to regain their independence.

Specialist Lee Pedraza's prosthetic arm has sensors that lay along his remaining arm muscles. As he flexes, electronic signals are sent to computer chips inside the arm device. The hand and arm respond. Today, he is getting a computer adjustment.

SPEC. LEE PEDRAZA, U.S. ARMY: There's a guy who was missing both his legs and one arm, and he's walking. So if he can do it and go on with life, I don't know why anybody else can't.

STARR: Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Briscoe is a determined member of special forces who now hopes he can stay on duty with only one arm.

SGT. 1ST CLASS JOSEPH BRISCOE, U.S. ARMY: We don't want to make the same mistake we did in past wars, where we just shovel guys to the side that get hurt and that's it.

STARR: More than 100 amputees and 700 wounded troops from the war have been treated at Walter Reed. On the battlefield, improved armor protection has saved lives.

DR. PAUL PASQUINA, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, AMPUTEE PROGRAM: But what that has done is left the extremities exposed to severe injuries that perhaps would have not survived prior conflicts.

STARR: The Army now focusing on more than just immediate physical recovery, watching for the dark moments that may occur.

PASQUINA: So we're talking about individuals that are going to be living with a missing limb for 40, 50, even 60 years.

STARR: None of these soldiers expect life the way it was before Iraq. Michael Cain sums up his hopes now.

CAIN: Just raise my family and go on with my life.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: We salute every one of them.

He said a judge ruined his life, and now a Florida man is behind bars after a bizarre hostage standoff. We'll explain.

Plus this, asleep on the job. A woman calls 911 for help and gets snores instead.

And later, Ben Stein on the attack against America's left. I'll speak to him live.

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Israeli troops have pulled out of two Palestinian towns in northern Gaza. The Israeli army says the troops have been redeployed, not withdrawn and Israel will continue to respond to any Palestinian attacks launched from those towns.

A predawn fire at a horse riding school in eastern France killed seven sleeping teenagers. Officials say two adults may also have been killed. The cause is under investigation.

Offices closed. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, closed its public offices today, citing security concerns. Two Indian newspapers report the move was based on intelligence warnings of a possible al Qaeda attack.

Korea to Iraq; 600 troops from the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team left South Korea today. They are on their way to Kuwait for additional training before a scheduled one- year deployment in Iraq.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: A judge in Jacksonville, Florida, falsely announced that she was resigning from the bench to end a hostage standoff.

CNN's Mike Brooks joins us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with the details -- hello, Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Hello, Judy.

It was a situation that some officials could say could set a bad precedent for similar incidents in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKS (voice-over): It all began when 36-year-old John Knight walked into the office of attorney Christopher Hazelip in Jacksonville, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a gun. I have a bomb and you're going to do exactly what I say. BROOKS: Knight called then Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton and said he was holding an attorney hostage in a downtown office building. Peyton was able to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and officers evacuated the building while Peyton talked with the man for nearly an hour.

One of Knight's demands was the resignation of Duval County Judge Sharon Tanner, who he had appeared in front of in 1999 for a charge of domestic battery. Prior to the standoff, Knight had given television statements a DVD in which he rambled on, spelling out his complaints against Judge Tanner.

JOHN KNIGHT, DEFENDANT: I had a woman judge discriminate against me for no better reason than I'm a man.

BROOKS: Judge Tanner then made this statement in front of news cameras.

JUDGE SHARON TANNER, DUVAL COUNTY: I wish to announce that effective immediately I do hereby resign my position as county judge, Duval County, and for the state of Florida, the 4th Judicial Circuit. As I said, this resignation is effective immediately.

BROOKS: After he heard the judge's statement on live TV, Knight surrendered to police. But was the bogus resignation the right way to end the standoff?

JOHN PEYTON, MAYOR OF JACKSONVILLE: I think that the judge took it upon herself to do something she thought was in the best interests of the hostage and the safety of the people in this building, which certainly I concur with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKS: Most of the negotiations tactics for dealing with a hostage situation are not written in stone. This incident turned out with no one killed or injured, but have I spoken with a number of veteran hostage negotiators who are concerned that this could encourage others to try something similar and that this could set a bad precedent for future situations -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Unusual story. All right, Mike, thank you very much.

A 911 telephone operator in Maryland is under investigation for falling asleep on the job while he was taking an emergency call.

Our Brian Todd has been looking into the story -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, when you see and hear the tape, it is clearly very startling. But we dug a lot deeper into this story and got some important new information from the police, from the 911 operator himself, and from the woman who called him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): At this Townhouse in Glen Burnie, Maryland, about 2:40 in the morning last Thursday, Patricia Berg is sleeping lightly when she hears a noise.

PATRICIA BERG, MARYLAND RESIDENT: I was woken up. It sounded like...

BROOKS: She calls the county's 911 operator and gets another surprise.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: The only place I can think of is my sliding glass door. And I woke up to check it out. I didn't see anything.

(SNORING)

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: And I was sitting there going, no, this can't be happening to me.

BROOKS: She waits almost two minutes, then wakes up the 911 operator.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: Hello?

OPERATOR: Yes.

BERG: I was just wondering if you are still there.

OPERATOR: Yes. What's the problem?

BERG: I have already told you. You don't remember me telling you what was wrong?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BROOKS: Berg tells CNN she called back about a half hour later to complain, and says then it was when police were sent to check out the scene. No one was found near the townhouse, except one frightened tenant.

BERG: I wouldn't want it to happen to anybody else, because if it was really something, like an elderly person or something and somebody ended up getting seriously hurt or end up dying from something like this, who's going to take on responsibility for it?

BROOKS: Right now, the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, police are taking responsibility, investigating that operator, who's been with them since 1993 and on the overnight shift for a few years.

LT. JOSEPH JORDAN, ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're talking to him. And we're going to continue to talk to him. We're going to find out, was there a medical reason why he may have fell asleep? We don't know. BROOKS: The operator is currently on a preplanned vacation. Police will only say he's been disciplined. But we spoke to the operator by phone.

He says he has gotten a letter of reprimand for the incident. He is 56 years old and takes care of his elderly mother. The day leading up to his shift, he says he had gotten off work at 7:30 a.m., took his mother to dialysis and other medical appointments, didn't get home until 5:30 p.m., got no sleep, and started his shift at 10:45 p.m.

But he offers no excuses and says, in retrospect, he should have called in sick. This operator had not been working a lot of overtime recently, but has in the past. A police consultant we spoke to says, in general, low pay, attrition, short staffing and overtime all contribute to problems in 911 centers, especially on overnight shifts.

GARY HANKINS, POLICE CONSULTANT: No matter how long you're on a midnight or a 3:00-11:00 shift, but particularly a midnight shift, your body never fully accommodates that. Working a lot of overtime in a dark room, looking at a computer screen hour after hour, occasionally without appropriate relief, I'm surprised that we don't see more lapses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: This incident is still under investigation by the Anne Arundel County Police, who oversee those 911 operators. Although he's already been reprimanded, this operator could still be fired. He is extremely distraught, Judy. We spoke to him over the phone. He says if he's fired, he loses his job, he loses everything.

WOODRUFF: This really highlights a deeper problem, doesn't it?

TODD: Right. It sure does.

WOODRUFF: Brian Todd, thank you very much.

The Boss goes political. Bruce Springsteen bashes President Bush. Will his celebrity influence the election?

And on the right, author Ben Stein weighs in. He joins me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Lawyer, political pundit, actor, and TV quiz show host Ben Stein is out with a new book. The book , "Can America Survive?," accuses the political left of dividing Americans with angry, negative rhetoric.

Ben Stein joins us now from New York.

"Can America Survive?" Ben Stein, to start with, are you saying that America's enemies, worst enemies, are right here at home?

BEN STEIN, FORMER NIXON SPEECHWRITER: No, they're not the worst enemies, by any means. But they are serious enemies.

But before we get into that, even though I know this is a very short interview, you just had on a tease about Bruce Springsteen and a whole bunch of other musical stars doing a cross-country tour to support Mr. Kerry. They're not stars to me. The guys you showed a few minutes ago in that fabulously interesting segment about the amputees at Walter Reed who fought and got seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, they're the real stars. The guys who give up their lives and their limbs, risk their lives and their limbs, leave their wives and children behind on very miserable pay to serve this country, they're the real stars.

A guy who gets paid $30 or $40 million a year to do tours in giant amphitheaters is not a star. He's a multimillionaire, but he's not a star.

WOODRUFF: Well, without commenting on Bruce Springsteen, I think there's no disagreement that the people who are serving in Iraq and especially those who come home wounded are clearly the heroes.

But to get to the point of your book, Ben Stein, who are these domestic enemies, as you describe them?

STEIN: Well, I don't think I did describe them as domestic enemies, but they are domestic enemies, whether I described them that way or not.

They are people who are saying that America is a racist country, an imperialist country, an exploiting class country, grinding the face of the African-Americans and of women. They are people that are saying that America is not much better than terrorists, that the flag makes them sick, that America is a humiliation to them, that Bush is a dictator. This is nonsense. America is...

WOODRUFF: Who are you talking about?

STEIN: Well, they're mostly Hollywood people, but some of them are political people.

One of the worst offenders is Al Gore, who I think in the last campaign, in the 2002 campaign for Congress, went way, way, way beyond what was decent in trying to stir up racial animosity. He is a particularly nasty person appearing before racial minority groups trying to persuade them that, despite all the progress won by blood and sweat in the civil rights movement, that they're still being oppressed by the Ku Klux Klan.

This is not true. America has got to believe in itself. We are the good guys in the world struggle against terrorism. If we have people saying we're not, it's going to weaken our resolve.

WOODRUFF: Setting aside Al Gore, I don't know that he's ever said that the flag makes him sick. I haven't heard him say that.

(CROSSTALK)

STEIN: No, but a very successful director named Robert Altman said that.

WOODRUFF: All right.

But in terms of -- you know, Ben Stein, the country is very divided right now. At least the polls would indicate that the country is divided. Are you saying that those on the left who have any criticism of this president -- and let me just bring up Bruce Springsteen, very successful rock star. You mentioned him a minute ago. He was interviewed last night on ABC on Ted Koppel.

Here's just a part of what he had to say, and then I want to quote something he wrote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "NIGHTLINE")

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: There's a very specific goal that we feel is worth accomplishing.

TED KOPPEL, HOST: But that goal is beating Bush?

SPRINGSTEEN: Yes, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: And Bruce Springsteen went on to way to write today in "The New York Times." He said: "I was for going into Afghanistan." but he said, "I was against diving into an unnecessary war in Iraq." He talks about record deficits, tax cuts for the richest 1 percent.

Doesn't someone like Bruce Springsteen and others who agree with him have a right to disagree with the policies of the Bush administration?

STEIN: They can disagree with the Bush administration all they want, and they can call Bush any name they want. It's fine with me. That's the political process.

I'm opposed to people who say that America is at fault, that America is a racist, imperialist power, that America is exploiting the poor and exploiting women. You can be a Democrat or a Republican and be a perfectly fine human being. The enormous majority of Democrats are extremely fine human beings.

That's not the problem. I'm worried about people who say that America itself as a system and as a nation is deeply flawed and deeply at fault. America is the greatest gift the human race has ever gotten. It is time that we did this criticism of each other's political parties within the context of extreme gratitude for the society itself.

WOODRUFF: Two questions, are you saying most Democrats are anti- American, some Democrats...

STEIN: Absolutely not. I just said the enormous majority of Democrats are extremely fine people.

WOODRUFF: OK.

STEIN: I'm talking about a few loudmouthed people who get a lot of attention because they're extremely rich or extremely famous or they're professors at Ivy League universities. And they get a lot of attention for saying that America is a terrible place, even though they live lives of extraordinary privilege. It's really sickening.

WOODRUFF: Well, whoever they are, and you named Al Gore and you named a couple. You said Hollywood figures.

STEIN: Well, they're all named in the book.

WOODRUFF: Are these people -- are you saying they shouldn't have freedom of speech? What should happen?

STEIN: No.

Judy, obviously, come on, I'm not an imbecile. I'm obviously not saying that they shouldn't have freedom of speech. I'm saying that we should be aware that, despite what these people are saying, this country is an extraordinary shining city on a hill, as Mr. Reagan used to describe it, and we should not let ourselves be distracted and subverted from the war on terror by people who say that we're as bad as the terrorists.

We have lots of quotes in the books from Ivy League professors who say we're as bad as the terrorists. That's a ridiculous, divisive, subversive way to talk about America. And it's completely untrue.

WOODRUFF: OK, I just want to be clear about who it is you're criticizing, because some have characterized your book as just being anti-left.

STEIN: Well, it's not that even remotely. Some of my best friends in Hollywood are leftists, and they're my pals, my buddies.

WOODRUFF: All right, Ben Stein saying he has friends on the left, as well as on the right.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: Ben Stein, thanks very much. We appreciate it. And I was in no way calling you an imbecile. We want to get that straight.

STEIN: Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: Thanks very much.

STEIN: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: The results of our Web question of the day ahead.

Plus, heading for the poles literally, it's our picture of the day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Remember, we've been asking you, do you think there are people with ties to terrorism in your town? Sixty percent of you say yes; 40 percent of you say no.

This is not, again, a scientific poll.

Our picture of the day is a true race to the top. Contestants from as far away as New Zealand gathered for the world 25-meter pole- climbing championship in England. The point is to climb an 80-foot poll as fast as possible. The winner may have had a professional edge. He's a tree surgeon. You're not going to catch me near that.

And a reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern.

Thanks for joining us.

"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


Aired August 5, 2004 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, a Vietnam vet offensive against John Kerry. Coming to the Democrats' defense, a famous Republican. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Target terror: New information on a plot that may stretch around the world.

And a developing drama at home involving a missile, money and a mosque.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This case is a sting.

WOODRUFF: Terror camps: Eyes in the sky show al Qaeda may be moving back in.

Uprising: A radical clerics private army takes aim at Americans.

Trial delayed: Will new evidence rock the Scott Peterson case?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday August 5, 2004.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Hello. I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington. Wolf is off today.

We top our program with new information on the terror threats. We go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre with word that al Qaeda's training camps may be back in business.

And to our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve on a sting which the feds say is meant to put the terrorists out of business.

But we begin with new details on a big fish caught in an ally's net. For that, let's turn to CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Judy, we're learning more about the arrests made in Britain earlier this week. Investigators say one of the men in custody is allegedly a senior al Qaeda operative involved in the organization's terror planning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA (voice-over): One of the men arrested this week in Britain is described as a senior al Qaeda operative. Intelligence sources tell CNN that his name is Esa al-Hindi.

U.S. officials say he is a major player who moved operational information between key components of al Qaeda in Britain, Pakistan and the United States.

EVAN KOHLMANN, GLOBAL TERRORALERT.COM: He's someone with military experience. He's someone who's perfectly fluent in English, in Urdu, in Arabic. He's a transnational al Qaeda operative, who has his fingers in many pots.

ARENA: Terrorism experts say al-Hindi is a Muslim convert and former commander of an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Investigators believe he was plotting to attack London's Heathrow Airport based on intelligence from Pakistan.

KOHLMANN: I think it's an ominous sign. Whenever there's an attack on this scale going on in London, it's not just a British thing, but a U.S. thing too. Because most of the time when al Qaeda strikes, it tends to strike in multiple, simultaneous attacks.

ARENA: Sources say al-Hindi's arrest was a result of arrests Pakistani arrests, specifically, of alleged al Qaeda computer expert Muhammed Naeem Noor Khan.

In fact, that one capture has led to multiple intelligence leads, not just in the U.K., but in the U.S. as well. With officials confirming Khan made contact with an individual or individuals in the United States.

JAMES COMEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have, as we've said before, reason to believe that we are in a very serious threat environment and we're working like crazy to try and make sure that threat does not come to fruition.

ARENA: Part of the search for al Qaeda operatives in the United States continues to focus on who may have conducted the surveillance of several potential targets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARENA: Investigators say they have evidence to suggest that some of the surveillance of financial building now on high alert was an inside job, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Kelli Arena, thank you very much.

And in an unrelated development, police in London have arrested a British citizen whose extradition had been requested by the United States. The extradition warrant says that he used e-mail and Web sites to solicit money for, quote, acts of terrorism in Chechnya and Afghanistan. There are fresh signs that al Qaeda may be moving back into terrorist training camps in Pakistan. Let's go live now to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well Judy, that is the question that intelligence analysts for the United States are pondering as they're reviewing the latest imagery from the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Is al Qaeda trying to reestablish training camps in that border region?

And According to defense and intelligence sources, some of that overhead imagery showing the movement of people, cars, and vehicles into areas known to have been used in the past by al Qaeda, and suggesting that perhaps the training of terrorists in that sort of semiautonomous region of Pakistan could in fact be something that is being reestablished or reactivated. But Pentagon officials caution that there's been no firm conclusion made.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is sharing all of the intelligence with Pakistan, which has taken the lead role in fighting the al Qaeda and the Taliban within its borders, something the United States has applauded the Pakistani government. And officials here note if there were need to take any military action against any targets in Pakistan, that is something that would be done by the Pakistani, not the U.S. military -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Jamie McIntyre, reporting for us from the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you.

In what the Justice Department is painting as a preemptive strike against terrorism, two leaders of a small mosque in upstate New York have been arrested on charges of money laundering and conspiracy. Let's turn now to our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. Hello, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, officials say these arrests have no connection to the recent arrests in London, but they are highlighting this case in an effort to send a message to terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Early-morning raids at a mosque and two residences in Albany, New York, and two arrests. The product of a year and a half long undercover sting operation.

COMEY: We really do want the bad guys to worry that anybody they deal with might be one of our people.

MESERVE: Arraigned Thursday afternoon, the 34-year-old Imam of the Masjid As Salam Mosque, Jaseen Araf (ph), who sources say is an Iraqi citizen with asylum status in the U.S. And a 49-year-old founder of the mosque, Mohammed Hoosain, a native of Bangladesh, who last June told an Albany newspaper I am proud to be an American.

Government sources say the men are believed to have connections with Ansar al Islam, a terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda and Jordanian terrorist Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.

According to an FBI affidavit, an undercover operative who was cooperating with authorities to reduce his own sentence for document fraud, sold Hoosain a shoulder-fired missile, telling Hoosain he sold them to terrorists and asking him to launder money from the sales through his pizza business. Hoosain allegedly brought Aref (ph) into the plot.

At one point the operative told the men a missile would be used against the Pakistani ambassador in New York to retaliate for Pakistan's cooperation in the war on terror.

Hoosain's wife denies he was involved in any terror plot.

MUSKAMMAT HOSSAIN, SUSPECT'S WIFE: I don't think anything we are doing anything wrong against our country. I am citizen. My husband is citizen. I have five children, they're all born here.

MESERVE: Justice officials reject suggestions that the two men could have been entrapped.

COMEY: Well, heck, if somebody showed you a shoulder-fired missile and said we're going to use it to shoot down airplanes. What would you do? At the first meeting and the second, and that's a question for the jury to answer. It's not one I'm real worried about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: These arrests have nothing to do with recent threats against financial targets. And although authorities acknowledge this is not a major case, they hope it has a big deterrent effect -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thank you very much.

So how is the city of Albany reacting to the arrests? Joining me now is the mayor of the city of Albany, New York, Gerald Jennings.

Mayor Jennings, before I ask you about the city, how well-known are these individuals? One of them founded the mosque, the other one was the imam there. One of them is quoted as saying "I'm proud to be an American" earlier this summer. What's known about them?

MAYOR GERALD JENNINGS, ALBANY, NEW YORK: There's no doubt that they were active members of the community, and unfortunately they took their activity down the wrong street. And it was brought to our attention quite a while ago. And this has been a lengthy investigation, Judy, that came to a good closure as far as I'm concerned with all the law enforcement agencies that have been involved.

WOODRUFF: Were they known to have done anything before this that would lead people to be suspicious?

JENNINGS: I can't answer that, Judy. All I can reflect on is what we've been going through the past 18, 19 months here. As I indicated, obviously we got information through our joint task force here, and we absented appropriately.

WOODRUFF: The Muslim community in Albany, how is it reacting to this?

JENNINGS: Well, I spoke with the president of the mosque a short while ago, and he's been working very closely with me and my administration and the capital region to make sure that we keep things in perspective. We don't want anyone being victimized as a result of these arrests. And I will be going there in a little while to meet with him once again.

But we have a good relationship. And the community has been very responsive and very cooperative.

WOODRUFF: Any idea whether this is more widespread than just these 2 individuals?

JENNINGS: I can't confirm that. But as I said, we're going to continue our investigations. When we get information, we're going to assign it to the appropriate task force and we will aggressively pursuing whatever we want to make sure our city and the state is safe.

WOODRUFF: Mr. Mayor, what about the rest of the community? What sort of reactions are you hearing?

JENNINGS: Very favorable. I mean, they should be relieved, because this is proactive, we prevented something that could have been very negative from happening, and that's what this is about. Let's be proactive, as opposed to reactive. Let's make sure we get in the face of individuals that want to disrupt our communities and get them off the streets. That's our goal here.

WOODRUFF: So, when you say 18 or 19 months, I'm hearing you say you knew there was some sort of an investigation under way for a year and a half.

JENNINGS: Yes, there was.

WOODRUFF: And you're confident that it was handled in the right way?

JENNINGS: Yes. Anyone that's trying to purchase a shoulder-to- air missile, we would be irresponsible if we didn't aggressively stop that.

WOODRUFF: Do you have advice for other, you know, cities around the country -- you know, Muslim communities in whose individuals say, you know, we're law-abiding American citizens. How are people know what to believe -- I mean, whether to believe somebody does love America, as one of these individuals said, or believe they're up to no good?

JENNINGS: Well, Judy, I think you have to judge individuals by your relationships with them. And one of the good things about this is the information came to us from the streets, and people are part of the solution to some of the problems we're experiencing since 9/11. And we asked the public to participate us, work with us, and we'll do what's right. We'll protect those that should be protected, and we'll get those off the street that shouldn't by on the street.

WOODRUFF: Mayor Gerald Jennings of Albany, New York, we thank you very much. It's good to talk with you. We appreciate it.

JENNINGS: Thank you, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thank you for your time.

The bottom line today on the terror front, authorities are still probing a possible plot against financial centers in New York and Washington. Stepped up security in those cities and arrests in London are a direct result of major arrests in Pakistan, which U.S. and Pakistani sources say have provided a wealth of intelligence.

Well, now here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our Web question of the day is this: Do you think there are people with ties to terrorism in your town? You can vote right now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Tough talk on the trail: John Kerry says he would have done things differently on 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: And a veterans' group accuses Kerry of lying about his Vietnam war record. A famous Republican defends the senator's service.

Trial delayed: New evidence discovered in the Scott Peterson case. We are live from Redwood City.

Plus, this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON TANNER, DUVAL COUNTY JUDGE: ... to announce that, effective immediately, I do hereby resign my position as county judge of Duval County

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Fake -- fake resignation in an effort to end a hostage situation. Did this Florida judge set a bad precedent?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: It seems that things are getting pretty hot and nasty out on the campaign trail. A new attack ad that goes after Democrat John Kerry even has Republican Senator John McCain upset.

For that and more, let's go on the trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Perhaps a sign November is nearing and the race only tightening.

KERRY: Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whispered in my ear, "America is under attack," I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president had something that he needed to attend to.

WOODRUFF: John Kerry's comments at a conference for minority journalists came in response to a question of how he would have handled the news of the 9/11 attacks.

In response, the Bush campaign said, quote, "These flailing attacks against the President are the result of a candidate who doesn't know what he stands for," end quote.

A political punch, certainly, but President Bush today fought back.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told you when I ran, we'd cut the taxes on the working people, and we did. When this administration says something, we mean it and we get it done.

WOODRUFF: Fielding questions from Ohio residents, Mr. Bush held an "Ask the President" forum in Columbus. While soon after, in St. Louis, Senator Kerry and running mate John Edwards reunited, kicking off the rail leg of their post-convention trip.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Come November, hope is on the way.

WOODRUFF: The 1800-mile train tour stretches through Missouri, Colorado, and New Mexico, and ends in Arizona -- a state whose senator today is defending Mr. Kerry against what he calls a, quote, "dishonest and dishonorable new ad."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.

WOODRUFF: The ad, made by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, features Vietnam veterans who accuse Kerry of lying about his war record.

Today, Senator John McCain, a fellow veteran, called on the Bush campaign to condemn the spot. And soon after, they responded, saying the campaign, quote, "has never and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam."

Earlier, I spoke to one of the men featured in the ad, as well as a swift boat crewman who served on Kerry boat. LARRY THURLOW, APPEARS IN ANTI-KERRY AD: If we were receiving fire off the bank, how come not one single boat received one bullet hole. Nobody was hit. No sign of any rounds hitting the water while I was in it.

JIM RASSMANN, KERRY CREWMATE IN VIETNAM: John Kerry did not tell this story. I told this story when I put him in for a silver star for coming back to rescue me. I think that this is partisan motivation on his part and for the part of his whole organization.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Jim Rassmann and Larry Thurlow, both of whom served in Vietnam.

In Illinois, meantime, the state Republican party has asked an out-of-state candidate to run for the U.S. Senate. One-time presidential hopeful Alan Keyes says that he will decide by Sunday if he'll accept the challenge. Keyes lives in Maryland.

Whoever the candidate is, he or she will face Barack Obama in the November election. Obama is considered a rising star in the Democratic party.

Now, major encounter in Iraq: An American helicopter is in the crosshairs as U.S. and Iraqi forces take on an established enemy. We'll tell you what happened.

What happened in the Scott Peterson trial that brought the proceedings to a grinding halt? We'll take you to Redwood City, California.

And the verdict on Tigger. We'll tell you what happened when they hauled a Disney World worker into court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: There's a new development in the Scott Peterson murder trial. The judge has halted court while the defense gets to examine new evidence.

CNN's Rusty Dornin is in Redwood City, California with the latest. Hi, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, exactly what this new evidence is a mystery, but it definitely brought the court proceedings here to an abrupt halt. We were expecting to hear from a Modesto Police computer experts. Instead, they went behind closed doors for about an hour. Defense attorney Mark Geragos emerging to tell the court, that within the last 48 hours there was some newly discovered evidence that he claims could exonerate his client. Now, the judge thought this was important enough recess court send the jury home, and have this evidence scientifically tested.

Well, the question is, where did the evidence come from? Well, within the last 4 hours, prosecutors were soundly rebuked by the judge for not turning over discovery to the defense. Apparently they turned over some discovery since then. Legal analysts here believe, at least one of them believes that it could be connected to the autopsies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CARDOZA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There could only be one thing they are doing forensically, and that's they're relooking at Laci and/or Conner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the bodies?

CARDOZA: The bodies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, after court ended, Mark Geragos, who has been avoiding reporters recently whenever court end, came out the front door with Jackie Peterson, Scott Peterson's mother and didn't say much to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK GERAGOS, SCOTT PETERSON'S LAWYER: I can't comment on anything. All I can tell you is obviously the judge indicated we need to follow up on it, and that's what we're going to do. That's all I can say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, the judge certainly thinks this is important enough to recess court and have this scientifically tested, but he did tell the jury to expect to come in on Tuesday and expect a lot of hard work next week and the following week. From what we know now from sources, Amber Frey is still expected to testify on Tuesday, although in court, the judge did mention in court that some special witnesses might have to be added in case this turns out to be something significant -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Rusty Dornin, thank you very much.

Also in our justice report, Salt Lake City's district attorney has until Monday to file charges against the husband of Lori Hacking. Mark Hacking has been held on suspicion of murder since Monday. Now, a judge has extended the normal filing period. Meanwhile, the "Salt Lake Tribune" reports that Mark Hacking's brothers told police he confessed to them.

Also in our justice report, a Walt Disney World worker has been found not guilty of fondling a teenage girl while dressed as Tigger, the tiger. The defense argued that the mother merely wanted to sue Disney for damages.

A U.S. Military helicopter is shot down. We'll tell you about it coming up. Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a guy who was missing both his legs and one arm, and he's walking. So if he can do it and go on with life, I don't know why anybody else can't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Wounded in Iraq: how U.S. troops are coping with the aftermath.

Also -- this is what a Maryland woman got when she called 911 for help. We'll tell you about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Welcome back. A new outbreak of violence in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi forces battling militants in Najaf, and a U.S. Helicopter shot down. We'll have a full report, but first, a quick check of stories now in the news.

There's an unconfirmed report of the arrest of a senior al Qaeda figure in Saudi Arabia. The Arabic language, Al Arabia Television is report that a Muslim clerk who is one of the countries most wanted terrorist, has been captured. Saudi interior ministry officials say only that operations targeting him are ongoing.

Review hearings for prisoner at Guantanamo Bay detention camp were opened to reporters for the first time. During unclassified portions of the hearings, two Afghan war prisoners pleaded for release. Although, member of the Taliban, both say they never fought American forces and they surrendered voluntarily.

New revelations on day three of a preliminary hearing on the prison abuse case against Private 1st Class Lynndie England. An intelligence agent testified that he saw colleagues taking part in abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. It's the first public testimony implicating military intelligence in the scandal.

FBI and Postal Service agents investigating the anthrax-laced letters of 2001 served homes in New Jersey and New York today. There's no word on what prompted the searches, authorities still trying to trace where the anthrax used in the letters originated.

Emergency agencies are testing their ability to respond to a terrorist attack. Two days of tests began in California. The drills include simulations of a dirty bomb attack, airplane hijackings, a toxic chemical release, and a maritime raid.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

Insurgents fired rockets into central Baghdad late today and gunshots rang out. There was minor damage to the Palestine Hotel, but there are no reports of injuries. There were violence in other Iraqi cities, too. CNN's John Vause has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From Najaf to Baghdad to Basra, a day of violent uprising by those loyal to the radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We got orders from Muqtada al-Sadr to strike the Americans wherever they are.

VAUSE: It fled in Najaf when it became clear Iraqi police and National Guard were outgunned and outnumbered. The governor there called in the U.S. Marines. On the city's outskirts, one U.S. soldier was killed, five wounded when their convoy was hit by a rocket- propelled grenade. The fighting also claimed the lives of an Iraqi policeman, a doctor, and two civilians. Seven insurgents were killed, according to the U.S. military.

Helicopters flying overhead came under constant attack. One evacuating a wounded soldier was brought down by small-arms fire. Two U.S. soldiers were hurt in the emergency landing. With the people of Najaf under curfew, explosions rocked the city. The fighting raged within half a mile of the sacred Imam Ali mosque. Those loyal to al- Sadr say the holy shrine was damaged by U.S. troops. The U.S. military describes that claim as suspect.

Still, over the mosque loudspeakers, calls for the people to rise up and join the fight to defend the holiest site for Shia Muslims. In the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, a U.S. patrol came under heavy attack by his militia. Five soldiers were lightly wounded. And to the south in Basra, British troops fought gun battles with al-Sadr's men, shooting two of them dead.

From Iraq's interior minister came praise for his fledgling police force.

FALAH AL-NAKIB, IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): I would like to tell you that your brothers, that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi police have gained glorious victories.

VAUSE: Victories which came only with the help of U.S. forces.

(on camera): The fragile truce which the U.S. negotiated with Muqtada al-Sadr less than two months ago is now dead, with each side blaming the other. Regardless of who's at fault, it's another serious setback to bringing security to Iraq.

John Vause, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Well, on the battlefield in Iraq, the insurgents' weapon of choice seems to be improvised explosive device. The injuries can be devastating.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports on how American troops are coping with the aftermath after they come home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Army Sergeant Michael Cain lost his leg to a land mine attack in Iraq. He hopes to become a physical therapist, but for now he wants to get back to the sports he loves.

SGT. MICHAEL CAIN, U.S. ARMY: I used to like to do everything, baseball, basketball, hockey, running, everybody.

STARR: Cain and other amputees are using high-tech prosthetics, some driven by computer chips, to regain their independence.

Specialist Lee Pedraza's prosthetic arm has sensors that lay along his remaining arm muscles. As he flexes, electronic signals are sent to computer chips inside the arm device. The hand and arm respond. Today, he is getting a computer adjustment.

SPEC. LEE PEDRAZA, U.S. ARMY: There's a guy who was missing both his legs and one arm, and he's walking. So if he can do it and go on with life, I don't know why anybody else can't.

STARR: Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Briscoe is a determined member of special forces who now hopes he can stay on duty with only one arm.

SGT. 1ST CLASS JOSEPH BRISCOE, U.S. ARMY: We don't want to make the same mistake we did in past wars, where we just shovel guys to the side that get hurt and that's it.

STARR: More than 100 amputees and 700 wounded troops from the war have been treated at Walter Reed. On the battlefield, improved armor protection has saved lives.

DR. PAUL PASQUINA, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, AMPUTEE PROGRAM: But what that has done is left the extremities exposed to severe injuries that perhaps would have not survived prior conflicts.

STARR: The Army now focusing on more than just immediate physical recovery, watching for the dark moments that may occur.

PASQUINA: So we're talking about individuals that are going to be living with a missing limb for 40, 50, even 60 years.

STARR: None of these soldiers expect life the way it was before Iraq. Michael Cain sums up his hopes now.

CAIN: Just raise my family and go on with my life.

STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: We salute every one of them.

He said a judge ruined his life, and now a Florida man is behind bars after a bizarre hostage standoff. We'll explain.

Plus this, asleep on the job. A woman calls 911 for help and gets snores instead.

And later, Ben Stein on the attack against America's left. I'll speak to him live.

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Israeli troops have pulled out of two Palestinian towns in northern Gaza. The Israeli army says the troops have been redeployed, not withdrawn and Israel will continue to respond to any Palestinian attacks launched from those towns.

A predawn fire at a horse riding school in eastern France killed seven sleeping teenagers. Officials say two adults may also have been killed. The cause is under investigation.

Offices closed. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, closed its public offices today, citing security concerns. Two Indian newspapers report the move was based on intelligence warnings of a possible al Qaeda attack.

Korea to Iraq; 600 troops from the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team left South Korea today. They are on their way to Kuwait for additional training before a scheduled one- year deployment in Iraq.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: A judge in Jacksonville, Florida, falsely announced that she was resigning from the bench to end a hostage standoff.

CNN's Mike Brooks joins us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with the details -- hello, Mike.

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Hello, Judy.

It was a situation that some officials could say could set a bad precedent for similar incidents in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKS (voice-over): It all began when 36-year-old John Knight walked into the office of attorney Christopher Hazelip in Jacksonville, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a gun. I have a bomb and you're going to do exactly what I say. BROOKS: Knight called then Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton and said he was holding an attorney hostage in a downtown office building. Peyton was able to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and officers evacuated the building while Peyton talked with the man for nearly an hour.

One of Knight's demands was the resignation of Duval County Judge Sharon Tanner, who he had appeared in front of in 1999 for a charge of domestic battery. Prior to the standoff, Knight had given television statements a DVD in which he rambled on, spelling out his complaints against Judge Tanner.

JOHN KNIGHT, DEFENDANT: I had a woman judge discriminate against me for no better reason than I'm a man.

BROOKS: Judge Tanner then made this statement in front of news cameras.

JUDGE SHARON TANNER, DUVAL COUNTY: I wish to announce that effective immediately I do hereby resign my position as county judge, Duval County, and for the state of Florida, the 4th Judicial Circuit. As I said, this resignation is effective immediately.

BROOKS: After he heard the judge's statement on live TV, Knight surrendered to police. But was the bogus resignation the right way to end the standoff?

JOHN PEYTON, MAYOR OF JACKSONVILLE: I think that the judge took it upon herself to do something she thought was in the best interests of the hostage and the safety of the people in this building, which certainly I concur with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKS: Most of the negotiations tactics for dealing with a hostage situation are not written in stone. This incident turned out with no one killed or injured, but have I spoken with a number of veteran hostage negotiators who are concerned that this could encourage others to try something similar and that this could set a bad precedent for future situations -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Unusual story. All right, Mike, thank you very much.

A 911 telephone operator in Maryland is under investigation for falling asleep on the job while he was taking an emergency call.

Our Brian Todd has been looking into the story -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, when you see and hear the tape, it is clearly very startling. But we dug a lot deeper into this story and got some important new information from the police, from the 911 operator himself, and from the woman who called him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): At this Townhouse in Glen Burnie, Maryland, about 2:40 in the morning last Thursday, Patricia Berg is sleeping lightly when she hears a noise.

PATRICIA BERG, MARYLAND RESIDENT: I was woken up. It sounded like...

BROOKS: She calls the county's 911 operator and gets another surprise.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: The only place I can think of is my sliding glass door. And I woke up to check it out. I didn't see anything.

(SNORING)

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: And I was sitting there going, no, this can't be happening to me.

BROOKS: She waits almost two minutes, then wakes up the 911 operator.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BERG: Hello?

OPERATOR: Yes.

BERG: I was just wondering if you are still there.

OPERATOR: Yes. What's the problem?

BERG: I have already told you. You don't remember me telling you what was wrong?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BROOKS: Berg tells CNN she called back about a half hour later to complain, and says then it was when police were sent to check out the scene. No one was found near the townhouse, except one frightened tenant.

BERG: I wouldn't want it to happen to anybody else, because if it was really something, like an elderly person or something and somebody ended up getting seriously hurt or end up dying from something like this, who's going to take on responsibility for it?

BROOKS: Right now, the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, police are taking responsibility, investigating that operator, who's been with them since 1993 and on the overnight shift for a few years.

LT. JOSEPH JORDAN, ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We're talking to him. And we're going to continue to talk to him. We're going to find out, was there a medical reason why he may have fell asleep? We don't know. BROOKS: The operator is currently on a preplanned vacation. Police will only say he's been disciplined. But we spoke to the operator by phone.

He says he has gotten a letter of reprimand for the incident. He is 56 years old and takes care of his elderly mother. The day leading up to his shift, he says he had gotten off work at 7:30 a.m., took his mother to dialysis and other medical appointments, didn't get home until 5:30 p.m., got no sleep, and started his shift at 10:45 p.m.

But he offers no excuses and says, in retrospect, he should have called in sick. This operator had not been working a lot of overtime recently, but has in the past. A police consultant we spoke to says, in general, low pay, attrition, short staffing and overtime all contribute to problems in 911 centers, especially on overnight shifts.

GARY HANKINS, POLICE CONSULTANT: No matter how long you're on a midnight or a 3:00-11:00 shift, but particularly a midnight shift, your body never fully accommodates that. Working a lot of overtime in a dark room, looking at a computer screen hour after hour, occasionally without appropriate relief, I'm surprised that we don't see more lapses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: This incident is still under investigation by the Anne Arundel County Police, who oversee those 911 operators. Although he's already been reprimanded, this operator could still be fired. He is extremely distraught, Judy. We spoke to him over the phone. He says if he's fired, he loses his job, he loses everything.

WOODRUFF: This really highlights a deeper problem, doesn't it?

TODD: Right. It sure does.

WOODRUFF: Brian Todd, thank you very much.

The Boss goes political. Bruce Springsteen bashes President Bush. Will his celebrity influence the election?

And on the right, author Ben Stein weighs in. He joins me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Lawyer, political pundit, actor, and TV quiz show host Ben Stein is out with a new book. The book , "Can America Survive?," accuses the political left of dividing Americans with angry, negative rhetoric.

Ben Stein joins us now from New York.

"Can America Survive?" Ben Stein, to start with, are you saying that America's enemies, worst enemies, are right here at home?

BEN STEIN, FORMER NIXON SPEECHWRITER: No, they're not the worst enemies, by any means. But they are serious enemies.

But before we get into that, even though I know this is a very short interview, you just had on a tease about Bruce Springsteen and a whole bunch of other musical stars doing a cross-country tour to support Mr. Kerry. They're not stars to me. The guys you showed a few minutes ago in that fabulously interesting segment about the amputees at Walter Reed who fought and got seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, they're the real stars. The guys who give up their lives and their limbs, risk their lives and their limbs, leave their wives and children behind on very miserable pay to serve this country, they're the real stars.

A guy who gets paid $30 or $40 million a year to do tours in giant amphitheaters is not a star. He's a multimillionaire, but he's not a star.

WOODRUFF: Well, without commenting on Bruce Springsteen, I think there's no disagreement that the people who are serving in Iraq and especially those who come home wounded are clearly the heroes.

But to get to the point of your book, Ben Stein, who are these domestic enemies, as you describe them?

STEIN: Well, I don't think I did describe them as domestic enemies, but they are domestic enemies, whether I described them that way or not.

They are people who are saying that America is a racist country, an imperialist country, an exploiting class country, grinding the face of the African-Americans and of women. They are people that are saying that America is not much better than terrorists, that the flag makes them sick, that America is a humiliation to them, that Bush is a dictator. This is nonsense. America is...

WOODRUFF: Who are you talking about?

STEIN: Well, they're mostly Hollywood people, but some of them are political people.

One of the worst offenders is Al Gore, who I think in the last campaign, in the 2002 campaign for Congress, went way, way, way beyond what was decent in trying to stir up racial animosity. He is a particularly nasty person appearing before racial minority groups trying to persuade them that, despite all the progress won by blood and sweat in the civil rights movement, that they're still being oppressed by the Ku Klux Klan.

This is not true. America has got to believe in itself. We are the good guys in the world struggle against terrorism. If we have people saying we're not, it's going to weaken our resolve.

WOODRUFF: Setting aside Al Gore, I don't know that he's ever said that the flag makes him sick. I haven't heard him say that.

(CROSSTALK)

STEIN: No, but a very successful director named Robert Altman said that.

WOODRUFF: All right.

But in terms of -- you know, Ben Stein, the country is very divided right now. At least the polls would indicate that the country is divided. Are you saying that those on the left who have any criticism of this president -- and let me just bring up Bruce Springsteen, very successful rock star. You mentioned him a minute ago. He was interviewed last night on ABC on Ted Koppel.

Here's just a part of what he had to say, and then I want to quote something he wrote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "NIGHTLINE")

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: There's a very specific goal that we feel is worth accomplishing.

TED KOPPEL, HOST: But that goal is beating Bush?

SPRINGSTEEN: Yes, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: And Bruce Springsteen went on to way to write today in "The New York Times." He said: "I was for going into Afghanistan." but he said, "I was against diving into an unnecessary war in Iraq." He talks about record deficits, tax cuts for the richest 1 percent.

Doesn't someone like Bruce Springsteen and others who agree with him have a right to disagree with the policies of the Bush administration?

STEIN: They can disagree with the Bush administration all they want, and they can call Bush any name they want. It's fine with me. That's the political process.

I'm opposed to people who say that America is at fault, that America is a racist, imperialist power, that America is exploiting the poor and exploiting women. You can be a Democrat or a Republican and be a perfectly fine human being. The enormous majority of Democrats are extremely fine human beings.

That's not the problem. I'm worried about people who say that America itself as a system and as a nation is deeply flawed and deeply at fault. America is the greatest gift the human race has ever gotten. It is time that we did this criticism of each other's political parties within the context of extreme gratitude for the society itself.

WOODRUFF: Two questions, are you saying most Democrats are anti- American, some Democrats...

STEIN: Absolutely not. I just said the enormous majority of Democrats are extremely fine people.

WOODRUFF: OK.

STEIN: I'm talking about a few loudmouthed people who get a lot of attention because they're extremely rich or extremely famous or they're professors at Ivy League universities. And they get a lot of attention for saying that America is a terrible place, even though they live lives of extraordinary privilege. It's really sickening.

WOODRUFF: Well, whoever they are, and you named Al Gore and you named a couple. You said Hollywood figures.

STEIN: Well, they're all named in the book.

WOODRUFF: Are these people -- are you saying they shouldn't have freedom of speech? What should happen?

STEIN: No.

Judy, obviously, come on, I'm not an imbecile. I'm obviously not saying that they shouldn't have freedom of speech. I'm saying that we should be aware that, despite what these people are saying, this country is an extraordinary shining city on a hill, as Mr. Reagan used to describe it, and we should not let ourselves be distracted and subverted from the war on terror by people who say that we're as bad as the terrorists.

We have lots of quotes in the books from Ivy League professors who say we're as bad as the terrorists. That's a ridiculous, divisive, subversive way to talk about America. And it's completely untrue.

WOODRUFF: OK, I just want to be clear about who it is you're criticizing, because some have characterized your book as just being anti-left.

STEIN: Well, it's not that even remotely. Some of my best friends in Hollywood are leftists, and they're my pals, my buddies.

WOODRUFF: All right, Ben Stein saying he has friends on the left, as well as on the right.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: Ben Stein, thanks very much. We appreciate it. And I was in no way calling you an imbecile. We want to get that straight.

STEIN: Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: Thanks very much.

STEIN: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: The results of our Web question of the day ahead.

Plus, heading for the poles literally, it's our picture of the day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: Here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Remember, we've been asking you, do you think there are people with ties to terrorism in your town? Sixty percent of you say yes; 40 percent of you say no.

This is not, again, a scientific poll.

Our picture of the day is a true race to the top. Contestants from as far away as New Zealand gathered for the world 25-meter pole- climbing championship in England. The point is to climb an 80-foot poll as fast as possible. The winner may have had a professional edge. He's a tree surgeon. You're not going to catch me near that.

And a reminder, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern.

Thanks for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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