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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Bush Chooses Negroponte as National Intelligence Chief; Rumsfeld Dodges Question on Iraqi Insurgents; Iraqi Politicians Debate Choices for Top Positions; Afghanistan President to Appoint Female Governor

Aired February 17, 2005 - 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, HOST: Happening now, a new phase in the war on terror designed to guard against Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. And for one American, the most difficult job of his life.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The president reveals his pick for the new intelligence chief.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm pleased to announce my decision to nominate Ambassador John Negroponte as director of national intelligence.

BLITZER: Plucked from Iraq to keep America safe.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE NOMINEE: I appreciate your confidence in choosing me for what will no doubt be the most challenging assignment.

BLITZER: Can this diplomat keep al Qaeda at arm's length? I'll ask the former acting director of the CIA, John McLaughlin, and the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pat Roberts.

New powerbroker. They were gassed by Saddam Hussein. Now they may have the decisive say in who may be the next Iraqi prime minister.

Tour of duty...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just one more day in Baghdad.

BLITZER: ... like you've never seen it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You complain about the pizza being late. There's no way you're going to know how we live here.

BLITZER: A new documentary puts you in the boots of a combat patrol.

And small survivor, with a broken heart. How he went from zero chance of living, to a good chance of living a normal life.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, February 17, 2005.

BLITZER: He's the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq and a veteran diplomat with wide international experience. Now John Negroponte is one step away from what will be his toughest job: protecting the United States from 21st Century terror threats as the nation's first director of national intelligence.

We begin our "Security Watch" report on Negroponte's nomination. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is standing by -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as a matter of fact, President Bush made the case earlier today that Ambassador Negroponte was uniquely suited for the job because of his experience in Iraq and around the world, that he, like -- unlike many others, was exposed to the terrorist threats firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush picked the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, to be his first intelligence czar.

BUSH: John will make sure that those whose duty it is to defend America have the information we need to make the right decisions.

MALVEAUX: It was a compromise choice for Mr. Bush, who reached out to at least two former top administration officials before offering the job to Negroponte.

Mr. Bush had been coming under increasing fire from critics who charged the vacancy was crippling the intelligence committee's ability to deal with threats.

While Negroponte has four decades of diplomatic experience as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to the U.N., Mexico and the Philippines, he is seen as a surprise pick, with little experience in the intelligence field.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think I always expected that the person who became the DNI would be more of a national security expert and a leader, and would bring together the various experts on intelligence in the community.

MALVEAUX: As the newly created head of some 15 intelligence agencies, who will have to decide how they share a $40 billion budget, Mr. Bush argued Negroponte's background is especially suited for the task.

BUSH: This is going to take awhile to get a new culture in place, a different way of approaching the budget process. That's why I selected John. He's a diplomat.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is a largely managerial challenge that he's going to face to start with. MALVEAUX: While Negroponte brings negotiation skills and trust, he lacks intelligence experience. His deputy, the president says, will provide the balance. Mr. Bush nominated Michael Hayden, who heads the largest agency within the intelligence community, to become Negroponte's deputy.

If the former ambassador is confirmed by the Senate, the president's chief intelligence officer will be walking into unchartered territory.

NEGROPONTE: The most challenging assignment I have undertaken in more than 40 years of government service.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now the new director's office will not be in the White House, thus to convey a sense of independence from the executive branch, but certainly, the new director of intelligence will have the president's ear on a regular basis, as the one who delivers his presidential daily brief. That's an assessment of all the potential threats the U.S. faces from around the world -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thanks.

If John Negroponte is confirmed, as is expected, it won't be the first time he's taken on a tough job. For more on his past challenges and how he's handled them, let's turn to our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's the third time in just four years President Bush has picked this London-born son of a Greek shipping magnate for a major post.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice-over): For John Negroponte, it's all about uniting around the No. 15. As the first director of national intelligence, Negroponte will have to oversee 15 separate turf-loving intelligence agencies, but at the United Nations Security Council, the former ambassador had to bridge differences between 15 separate global turf- loving countries.

Diplomats like the messenger, if not always the message, from the Bush administration.

AHMED ABOUL-GHEIT, EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The gentleman is a -- and they know he knows a lot. He is experienced, is honest, is straightforward.

ROTH: But Negroponte wasn't able to gain approval from his fellow ambassadors for a second Iraq go to war resolution. He sat as long-time friend and boss Colin Powell delivered a flawed weapons of destruction briefing to the world.

The Green Zone was next. As insurgents challenged U.S. troops in Iraq, Negroponte became the first post-Saddam U.S. ambassador. NEGROPONTE: I do not purport to be an instant expert on Iraq. I just want to be clear about that, although I'm doing my best. The learning curve is steep.

ROTH: He leaves after the early steps of democracy.

NEGROPONTE: The election was a success.

ROTH: Negroponte did find himself embroiled in controversy as U.S. ambassador in Honduras in the '80s. Critics said he was aware U.S.-backed death squads were killing and kidnapping in the war against the Contras in Nicaragua, something he has always denied.

A lone protester at his Iraq confirmation hearings reminded senators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask him about his involvement in a death squad in Honduras that he supported.

ROTH: From the Philippines to Mexico, Negroponte was an ambassador under four U.S. presidents.

ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE, "WASHINGTON TIMES": He knows the world like few diplomats that I know the world, so I'm very high on this choice. I think it's tremendous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: One group undoubtedly glad to have Negroponte back on U.S. soil, his family, which includes five children he adopted from Honduras -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Richard Roth, reporting for us from New York. Thank you, Richard, very much.

Negroponte's nomination as national intelligence director is drawing praise in Congress from both Republicans and Democrats. Senator Pat Roberts is the chairman of the intelligence committee. He's joining us from Capitol Hill.

Your committee is going to have to hold hearings, get him confirmed. I assume you were consulted by the president in advance, or at least the White House. What did you tell them when you heard that Negroponte was their choice?

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Well, one of the things, as you know, Wolf, not only was the -- was the WMD inquiry that we conducted, certainly evidence of a real failure on the part of our intelligence, it was a worldwide failure.

So the appointment of somebody like Ambassador Negroponte certainly gives a lot of credibility to our allies that he will be in charge. He will be a DNI, a director of national intelligence, that will have real authority.

Then the other half of it is that you have General Mike Hayden, who is respected by every intelligence agency all around the world, as well.

So I think it's a very good pick. When I talked with John this morning, the ambassador this morning, he was eager to work with the committee. He was eager to come before the committee once he finishes up his duties in Iraq.

And we talked about the capabilities of the intelligence community in terms of collection and better analysis and certainly better information access, so he's right on target.

BLITZER: When do you expect the hearings to begin? When do you think this process -- how long will it take for him to be confirmed?

ROBERTS: I don't know how long it will take for him to be confirmed, but he has unfinished -- pardon me, unfinished business in Iraq, and until he finishes that, then he'll come back to the Congress.

But we will do this just exactly the way we did it with Director Goss, with Porter Goss, former Congressman Goss. We took our time. Every senator will have an opportunity to express any opinion that they want or to offer any question that they might want.

BLITZER: The -- one criticism that we've heard about John Negroponte, and we haven't heard a lot of criticism, but one criticism is he lacks in real intelligence experience. His career has been in diplomacy, by and large. Is that a fair criticism?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't really buy that. He's been an ambassador. When you're an ambassador, you're in an embassy, and when you're in an embassy, you have direct contact with the station chief that is in charge of our intelligence activities. So he's been on the operating side. He's been on the receiving side.

On the other side of the fence we have General Mike Hayden, who is basically, if not considered the best intelligence of what agency head -- I hate to really rate intelligence agencies or intelligence heads, but you know, General Mike Hayden is second to none. And so he knows the intelligence community forwards and backwards. It will be a great team.

And the other big thing is the president's expression of support for him as "my man." In other words, he's the door opener -- or his is the -- he's the gatekeeper or the president's doorkeeper on intelligence. And he does have budget authority. Some of us were worried that he wouldn't have enough authority to do the job. I think the president certainly laid that to rest.

BLITZER: Is it your understanding, Senator, that Porter Goss, the CIA director, will report eventually to John Negroponte or to General Hayden, who's his deputy?

ROBERTS: I can't say that would be the case. I would think it would be the ambassador. I think it would be the DNI. And I think both will be in the room every day when there is a briefing every day to the president. So I expect a very smooth transition. I don't expect any problems there.

BLITZER: When you say when the president is briefed in the morning, Negroponte will be there, Hayden will be there and Porter Goss will be there?

ROBERTS: That's my expectation, yes.

BLITZER: All three -- all three of them?

ROBERTS: Well, depending on the briefing. You know, I think without question all three will play a key role. But the person, the president's person, the president's chief adviser, the person who the president said we get a lot of ideas and John will decide which ideas or which proposals that I'll consider, and if they're -- if they good ones, I'll consider them. And if they doesn't consider they're good, I won't.

BLITZER: Well, I'm just trying to figure out who will be -- have a higher level of authority? Hayden or Porter Goss?

ROBERTS: Well, Hayden is the deputy under the DNI. Porter Goss will be in charge of the CIA. That other part of his duties, in regards to being in charge of the entire intelligence community, that will be a different kind of job, and he would report to the DNI.

But you know, that's to be worked out. That's why we picked a diplomat to do that, to work through all the 15 intelligence agencies we have, plus the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Speaking about the Pentagon, do you think Negroponte can go head to head with Donald Rumsfeld in the expected turf battles over budget? A lot of the money for various intelligence agencies is Pentagon money.

ROBERTS: Well, basically the military is the primary user of intelligence, but the principal user of intelligence is the president of the United States, and the National Security Council and the Congress.

I would expect that they would cooperate very easily. I think a lot of this talk about, you know, head-butting in regards to those personalities, I just don't think that that's going to happen.

BLITZER: Senator Pat Roberts is the chairman of the intelligence committee. Got a lot of work ahead of him. Thanks very much.

ROBERTS: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN date and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Also to our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Is John Negroponte the best choice for director of national intelligence?" You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results for you later in this broadcast. And we'll have more on the nomination of John Negroponte. That's coming up ahead. I'll speak with former acting CIA director, and now CNN national security adviser, John McLaughlin. It's in an interview you'll see only here on CNN.

Plus, Rumsfeld's refusals: why the defense secretary will not give specifics on insurgents in Iraq and a time when U.S. troops will leave.

Medical milestone: this baby -- take a look -- is the smallest child ever to undergo open-heart surgery. Just over one pound. His heart only the size of a tiny grape. I'll speak with the infant's mother and doctor.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This armor was made in Iraq. It's high- quality metal, and it will probably slow down the shrapnel so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Stories from the frontlines, a new documentary with a view of the war in Iraq like you've never seen it before. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was on Capitol Hill today, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. It's the second day in a row he's been on the Hill and the second day in the row he's refused to estimate the size of the Iraqi insurgency.

Let's bring in our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, two days of testimony on Capitol Hill by Donald Rumsfeld. A lot of substance discussed there, but also a lot of frustration by some members of Congress, who believe Rumsfeld is at times unresponsive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Donald Rumsfeld is a hard man to pin down.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I'd dearly love to be able to give you a specific date. I can't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering, do you have any comment on that?

RUMSFELD: Congressman, I don't. I'm not familiar with the cuts you're referring to. MCINTYRE: It's unknowable is Rumsfeld's rote response to everything from how long the war in Iraq will last to how much it will cost.

RUMSFELD: There's never been a war that was predictable as to length, casualty or cost in the history of mankind.

MCINTYRE: A crafty political in-fighter, Rumsfeld knows anything he says can and will be used against him, so he rarely goes out on a limb.

SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D-MD), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I remember your testimony that says this war isn't going to cost us anything.

RUMSFELD: I never said anything like that, ever.

MIKULSKI: It's going to be paid for by frozen assets...

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld was right, of course. It was his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, who made that rosy prediction. But Rumsfeld's routine refusal to share even his informed opinion infuriates his critics.

Senator John McCain pressed for numbers of Iraqi insurgents, only to watch Rumsfeld easily evade the question.

MCCAIN: Shouldn't the American people also know the size and shape and nature of the -- of the enemy that we're facing, since it's their sons and daughters who are going to serve?

RUMSFELD: On the insurgency question, one can't help but agree with you. In a perfect world, you would like very much to have a good grip on the numbers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld's world is never perfect, and unless he has that perfect bulletproof answer, he's loathe to give his detractors any ammunition to use against him. It may be smart politics, Wolf, but for some members of Congress, it's decidedly unsatisfactory.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Thanks, Jamie, very much.

Jockeying for the top power positions in Iraq. Several men on the short list. Can the different ethnic groups compromise and avoid a bloody civil war?

Afghanistan's women: once treated as second-class citizens under the Taliban, now a major step forward for females in that country. Our Zain Verjee has the story.

A murderer's message: new authentic letters sent by the BTK serial killer in Kansas. We'll update you on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: It's what Iraqis have been waiting for since last month's unprecedented elections. The results have now been certified, clearing the way for Iraq's first democratic parliament in half a century, but fierce wrangling over who will get which top post continues right now.

Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is in Baghdad with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The united Iraqi coalition, 140 seats. The Kurdistan coalition, 75 seats.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final certified results, slightly correcting preliminary predictions but not changing the overall political balance.

Shia Muslims holding just over half the national assembly's 275 seats. The Kurds, a little more than a quarter, confirming Kurds as key powerbrokers, and triggering an intensification for the battle of prime minister.

IBRAHIM AL-JAFARI, PRIME MINISTER CANDIDATE: If they choose me, I'm going to accept, of course.

ROBERTSON: But what do the people want? Basketball coach Issam Tahar (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think al-Jafari will be the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani will be the president of Iraq.

ROBERTSON: Interesting predictions, because that's the odds-on bet right now.

Ibrahim al Jafari, a religious moderate from the Shia Muslim block, for prime minister. And Talabani, a Kurd, cashing in on their strong showing, getting the ceremonial presidency.

Still, all positions are up for grabs, and hopes, particularly among the urban middle class of Baghdad, are riding on a speedy and peaceable agreement. One of the stumbling blocks may well be the role of religion.

Hana Juma (ph), a Sunni student.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Although I'm a Muslim, I prefer a secular government, because our country has different sects, and we can't let one sect or religion rule the whole country.

ROBERTSON: Final results are confirming fears that lack of security led many Iraqis to vote along ethnic and religious lines. Sunnis emerged underrepresented in the new assembly.

And politicians like Aziz al-Ta'ai, who campaigned on a cross- community platform, lost out. But does it leave a weak government?

AZIZ AL-TA'AI, POLITICIAN: Iraqis, wise Iraqis from the Sunnis and the Shia and the Kurds, will work some kind of compromise for this government to survive, because the alternative is really to go to a bloody civil war.

ROBERTSON (on camera): How quickly compromise is reached in hammering out the top jobs could be a good indication of how well the government will get along when they finally get down to work.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is poised to appoint a woman as a provincial governor, a first for the male-dominated Muslim country.

CNN's Zain Verjee is joining us now live. She has more on this development -- Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, women in Afghanistan are running for powerful political positions, but as one candidate for governor tells us, women still face hurdles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (voice-over): Precious ancient religious treasures in Bamiyan Province were blown up by the Taliban regime back in 2001. In Afghanistan then, women were second-class citizens, not seen and not heard.

Now there are new voters, a new regime, and the people in the province are about to get a new governor, a woman.

One of the hopefuls, the former women's minister Habiba Sarobi, veiled but vocal and embroiled in politics. As she helps her children with homework, Habiba says she told Afghan President Hamid Karzai she wants to be a hands-on politician.

HABIBA SAROBI, CANDIDATE: I prefer to work as a governor rather than an ambassador, because I wanted to be among my people, among the poor people and the needy people of Afghanistan.

VERJEE: Mr. Karzai, criticized by some for having only three women in a cabinet of 30, has put together an all-female short list for the job of Bamiyan's governor.

The Afghan parliament will be elected later this year with some seats reserved for women, who now have equal rights under the new constitution. Habiba thinks even the men will accept her in Bamiyan, because women there have been traditionally free to go to work and to school.

Afghan women couldn't do that easily under the Taliban. They also had to be clad top to toe in a veil or face severe beatings. Today more than one million girls are enrolled in schools in Afghanistan, but not everyone in Afghanistan likes the change, and conservative customs mean women's movements are still restricted.

SAROBI: We can't find many educated people especially among women, and this is a big challenge for me. And of course, dealing with warlords, it will be another challenge.

VERJEE: Warlords and remnants of the Taliban regime have targeted women who have tried to break out of traditional roles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: The group Human Rights Watch says female government officials, activists, and journalists have all reported harassment and attacks. Even the only female presidential candidate, Dr. Massouda Jalal (ph), had reported receiving death threats -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain Verjee, reporting for us. Zain, thanks very much.

Director of national intelligence: the man who has had some difficult assignments gets nominated for his toughest assignment yet. We'll take a look at the challenges John Negroponte will face.

Tiny but tough. He's less than two pounds now, and now the smallest survivor of a certain open-heart surgery. I'll speak with baby Jerrick's mother and doctor.

Inside access, a rare glimpse at life in Iraq, through the eyes of American soldiers. A new documentary brings their dangerous world to the big screen. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

Welcome back.

Is John Negroponte the right choice for director of national intelligence? I'll ask former acting CIA director and now CNN national security adviser John McLaughlin. You'll see this only here on CNN.

First, though, a quick check of some others stories now in the news.

The FBI confirms, two recent letters found in the Wichita, Kansas, area are from the so-called BTK killer. Now it wants to know if a package received yesterday by a Wichita TV station is the latest communication from the man linked to eight unsolved murders. He's resurfaced after a 25-year silence.

President Bush will sign into law tomorrow a bill restraining class-action lawsuits. The bill passed now by both the Senate and the House shifts most class-action lawsuits from state to federal courts, which historically have been less friendly to such cases.

More now on our CNN "Security Watch," the nomination of John Negroponte as the nation's first director of national intelligence. If he's confirmed, Negroponte will face not only major terror issues, but he will likely contend with big turf battles with the CIA, FBI and numerous other intelligence agencies.

Joining us now with more on that, our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there could be some turf battles ahead, but that basically depends on President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): Power in Washington flows to those with access to the president and those with control of budgets and personnel. Mr. Bush sought to make clear the new director of national intelligence will have both.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He will have access on a daily basis, in that he'll be my primary briefer.

ENSOR: On the estimated $40 billion budget spanning 15 different agencies, the president said Negroponte will determine who gets what.

BUSH: People make their case. There's a discussion, but, ultimately, John will make the decisions on the budget.

ENSOR: Former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John McLaughlin, who has joined CNN as an analyst, says Negroponte will have his work cut out for him.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The legislation that empowers him, not as precise as everyone would like it to be, in authorizing his powers. The legislation is, after all, the result of compromises during a difficult and contentious time in our country. And, therefore, the language in many cases is what I would call kind of spongy.

ENSOR: Critics charge that the intelligence reform law that sets up the DNI job contains too much ambiguity about budget and personnel power. They predict trouble between Negroponte and the Pentagon.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I don't think a powerful job. This is a miserable job. This is one of the hardest jobs in Washington. And it is so undefined, the authorities are so ambiguous, and the expectations are so high, that it's unlikely to be a successful, fun experience for this person.

ENSOR: But the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee disagrees.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: If we had prescribed in Congress every relationship between each of the agencies, I think that would have been an enormous mistake and would have rendered this person more useless. This person can exercise power, and I think that's good.

ENSOR: As ambassador in Iraq and before, Negroponte has been a consumer of intelligence, but he has no intelligence experience. His new deputy, however, General Michael Hayden, head of the National Security Agency, is a seasoned hand. Many present and former intelligence professionals are praising the president's choice of Negroponte.

JAMES PAVITT, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: I think he will be a first-rate leader of this organization.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: Negroponte called it his most challenging assignment in 40 years in government. That may be putting it mildly. Being the first at anything is always harder, but the ambassador has been good at setting up and leading teams in a number of jobs in government. CIA regulars, present and former, they're all promising him their full support -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, David Ensor, thanks very much.

Now let's turn to a guest you'll see only here on CNN, the former acting CIA director, John McLaughlin, with his insight on John Negroponte. He's a 30-year veteran of the CIA. He's now a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies here in Washington. And starting today, he's joining us as a CNN national security adviser.

Director, thanks very much for joining us.

MCLAUGHLIN: It's good to be here, Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, what do you make of this decision, first of all, of Negroponte?

MCLAUGHLIN: I think this a very good choice.

John Negroponte has experience, deep experience, in eight different countries, 40 years in the government. More importantly, it's a very good team. Mike Hayden, who is a professional intelligence officer, steeped in the business, is what I would call a transformational leader in the intelligence business.

BLITZER: You know the culture at the CIA. You spent 30 years there. You moved all the way to the top. How are going to they react, the professionals, the analysts, the clandestine officers?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, people in the intelligence business respond to leadership.

And I think the first emotion you would find in the intelligence business today is relief that this position has been filled and filled by a very good person. And people in the intelligence business, including the CIA, will rally behind John Negroponte. They'll want him to succeed.

BLITZER: Do you think the relationship that Negroponte will have with Porter Goss, the CIA director, is that a manageable relationship? Because there could be some serious turf issues.

MCLAUGHLIN: No, I think that will be a manageable relationship.

There are always turf issues in Washington. But, you know, in Washington, as you know as well as anyone, personality is dominant. And as I look at this mix of personalities, I think it's a pretty good mix in terms of minimizing the chances for debilitating turf battles.

BLITZER: There -- in recent weeks, after you left, there have been reports that Porter Goss has been using a heavy hand with some of the career professionals over at the CIA and there's a morale issue. What are you hearing about that now, if anything?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I don't like to talk a lot about people who followed me in jobs or who are in a position where I think we need to give them a chance to get on their feet and organized.

Porter Goss had a rough transition, as often happens at the CIA, but I think he's finding his balance and moving forward.

BLITZER: What about the relationship between Negroponte, as the new director of national intelligence, and the Pentagon?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I think one of the reasons that the president chose such an outstanding person with a reputation that cuts across all agencies of government is that the legislation, as I indicated in an earlier segment, doesn't itself provide all of the precise authorities.

You need a person here who's large enough and experienced enough to carry a certain amount of personal authority to assert those powers that are in the legislation. And I think, when it comes to the Pentagon, John Negroponte will have a good reputation and will be well-received, because, after all, he's worked hand in glove with our troops in Iraq. He took over a difficult mission there at a time when the Pentagon was stepping back from overall supervision of the Iraq mission.

And I -- to my knowledge, there's a good working relationship between Negroponte and people at the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Americans are asking, is this going to make the American public safer to have this national intelligence director?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, you know, nothing makes America safer in and of itself. It's all in the doing.

And the things that will determine whether this makes us safer as a nation are the things that always determine that, whether we stay on the offensive in the war on terrorism, whether we increase the number of clandestine service officers and the number of analysts to deal with the new problems of today, which are incredibly labor-intensive, whether we have common security policies and common information policies across the intelligence community.

Negroponte is charged with accomplishing all of this, and it will be a tough job, but I think he's got the personal authority and will have importantly here -- I mentioned personality as important in Washington. The other thing that's supremely important in Washington in a job like this is to have the confidence and support of the president and access to the president.

BLITZER: So, as David Ensor said, it's up to the president. If he wants this to work, he can order everyone, just go ahead and make it work.

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, it would require the president to back Negroponte in the decisions he makes. And...

BLITZER: And Negroponte himself is not going to have a big staff. The big staff is at the CIA, the NSA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Pentagon. He's going to have a relatively small staff.

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, we don't know that yet, but I would hope that he has a relative small staff. One of the dangers we have to avoid here is creating another layer of bureaucracy.

There are a people in the community who are going to step forward and want to help him. And to the extent that he can have direct control and direct contact with people in the community, it will work better. And to the extent that the president supports his view when he asserts himself on some of these issues in the legislation that will be controversial, that too will be pivotal in his success.

BLITZER: John McLaughlin, thanks for joining us. And welcome to CNN.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: We'll be speaking a lot.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, once again, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

A very, very tiny baby, and a very delicate operation. We'll talk to the mother and the doctor of this tiny little baby.

Also ahead, a gripping new documentary, the war in Iraq through the eyes of U.S. troops.

And go ahead and tell the royal printer to change the invitations. Charles and Camilla won't be getting married in the castle. We'll tell you where they will be getting married.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now a medical milestone. Little Jerrick De Leon was born premature with a defective heart and given zero chance of survival. But after undergoing open heart surgery in the first week of his life, his doctors think he's the youngest baby ever to receive such surgery. And he's looking at a normal life, we hope.

Just a short while ago, I spoke with the boy's mother, a doctor herself, and the doctor who performed the complex surgery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Dr. Reddy, Dr. De Leon, thanks to both of you for joining us.

Dr. De Leon let me begin with you. This is your little baby, Jerrick. Tell us what happened.

DR. MARIA DE LEON, MOTHER: Well, I was admitted on January 20 for high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is the diagnosis.

And about two weeks after that, I again started -- my blood pressure was getting out of control. And because the definitive treatment for preeclampsia is to take out the baby, they told me that they need to do an emergency C-section. So Jerrick was born on the 30th. And it took them about a day and a half later, so he was born premature.

BLITZER: How much did he weigh?

DE LEON: And he only weighed 1 pound and 10 ounces.

And, of course, very little, premature. And I was worried about him. But, a day and a half later, they told me that they also found a transposition of the great arteries.

BLITZER: And they told you he had what chance of surviving?

DE LEON: They did not tell me anything until he was transferred. The only thing that the pediatrician at the hospital told me is, he needs to be transferred out to Kaiser Sunset, I mean to their facility where the cardiologists can deal with his heart problem.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I was going to bring in Dr. Reddy.

Then you took over and you had to make a critical decision. Tell our viewers what happened when you saw the nature of the problem involving Jerrick's heart.

DR. V. MOHAN REDDY, PEDIATRIC CARDIAC SURGEON: When I got a call from the doctor in Los Angeles, we knew that we could repair this heart defect. But the complicating factor was, the baby was too small and very, very premature.

Since we have experience in dealing with these children for other heart defects, I was fairly confident that I should be able to take care of this baby. So, I asked them to talk to the mother and have the baby transferred to the Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University.

BLITZER: Had you ever or had anyone to the best of your knowledge operated on a heart so small? This heart was, what, the size of a grape?

REDDY: Yes.

Actually, I myself have performed an operation, an infant smaller than this baby, about three years ago, but for a different condition, about the same size. The baby was a little bit -- two ounces smaller than Jerrick.

BLITZER: Did that baby survive?

REDDY: Yes, the baby survived and now 3 years old. I had to do another surgery on the baby, but the baby is doing well.

BLITZER: Dr. De Leon, how is your little baby doing right now?

DE LEON: He's doing good. I believe it's better than what I suspected.

As, for what I -- when I see him every day, I'm just dealing more of his prematurity issues and none of the cardiac issues after that, after the surgery, after he had the surgery.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Dr. De Leon, how do you feel about what has happened?

DE LEON: Oh, I think I'm the luckiest mother around to be able to find someone like Dr. Reddy, who was able to do the heart surgery for my baby.

BLITZER: Such a complicated procedures, such a tiny baby.

Good luck to both of you, but especially good luck to Jerrick. I suspect that this is going to work out well.

DE LEON: Thank you.

BLITZER: Let's hope for the best. I appreciate both of you joining us.

DE LEON: Thank you very much.

REDDY: Thank you.

DE LEON: Thank you, Doctor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a quick look now at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): Explosives sieged. Spanish police arrested two members of the Basque separatist group ETA who allegedly were planning an attack. The raid came hours after officials published letters allegedly written by ETA's leaders ordering members to start killing people as soon as possible.

Bank robbery arrests. There may be a break in a bank robbery case that seriously damaged Northern Ireland's peace process. Police arrested seven people and seized millions in cash believed to have been stolen from a Belfast bank two months ago. Officials blame the outlawed Irish Republican Army for the robbery. The IRA denies the charge.

One last hunt. Thousands of British hunters and their dogs turned out for their last chase of the fox. The ancient sport will be banned under a law that goes into effect tomorrow.

Change of plans. Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have decided not to get married at Windsor Castle after all. Instead, they'll tie the knot April 8th at the Windsor Town Hall. They say that will allow the town to take part in the day's events.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Behind the scenes of the battlefield, one filmmaker's in-depth access to the emotions and experiences of life in Iraq through the eyes of American soldiers. We'll show you that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A new documentary provides a powerful glimpse of life on the ground for U.S. troops in Iraq. "Gunner Palace," a look at the war through the eyes of soldiers who are fighting that war, premieres in theaters across the United States on March 4.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get blown up. I don't want to get blown up, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The soldier's life in wartime, frightening, mundane, complicated.

MICHAEL TUCKER, DIRECTOR, "GUNNER PALACE": It's not just one enemy. There's multiple enemies. Some of them are even fighting among themselves. It's extremely confusing. It's not black and white. It's very gray. TODD: The new documentary "Gunner Palace" won't horrify you with violence, no roadside explosions or firefights.

This film strikes at the tension and ambiguity of war and how much of it is left in the hands of the very young, those in a U.S. Army field artillery regiment occupying a Baghdad palace once used by Saddam Hussein's son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm heel-toeing in Uday's house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And the young people outside its gates, to whom the soldiers act as police officer or friend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife already gave birth to our first son in June, or July, while I was out here. I've seen pictures, but I haven't got to hold him yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Even a goodwill visit to an orphanage has a chilling flip side.

JON POWERS, FORMER MEMBER OF ARTILLERY UNIT: And one of the nuns had took us aside and said, please don't come back. And we couldn't understand why. We provided them everything they had. And she said, if you come back, terrorists said they'll kill the kids for us working with the Americans.

TODD: Captain Jon Powers spent more than 400 days with this unit in Iraq. He says filmmaker Michael Tucker got such close access that he was barely noticed after a while. Tucker is there as the unit storms into a suspected insurgent financiers's house by night. A terrified old woman and child are home. The suspect is not.

And he's there as they unwind at the palace pool, a frequent target of mortar attacks. The filmmaker and his camera become a sounding board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of our $87 billion budget provided for us to have some secondary armor put on top of our thin-skinned Humvees. This armor was made in Iraq. It's high-quality metal. And it will probably slow down the shrapnel, so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through. And that's about it.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP) POWERS: We were "Mad Max." We were rolling around with big scrap metals that we had bought from the Iraqis and paid the Iraqi welders to weld it on. And, luckily, it stopped some things. It didn't stop other things.

TODD: The fear expressed by these young warriors any way they can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When those guns start blazing and our friends get hit, that's when our hearts start racing and our stomach get woozy, because for you all, it's just a show. But we're living this movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: An official with the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office said they had no involvement in the making of "Gunner Palace" and wouldn't comment on specific parts of it, except to say they believe the film shows the soldiers acting for the most part professionally. No members of that unit died during the filming of "Gunner Palace," but during its production, five soldiers and three civilians connected to the regiment were killed -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, thanks very much for that report.

There's a development in the whole Bill Cosby uproar.

CNN's Adaora Udoji is joining us now live from New York.

What's going on?

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.

We've just heard from the Montgomery, Pennsylvania, prosecutors. Good news for Bill Cosby. We certainly believe he will think it's good news. They've just announced that allegations of inappropriate sexual touching of a young woman have been dismissed.

Now, I should say, actually, they announced that the investigation has concluded. It all stemmed from an incident about a year ago. A 30-year-old former professor of Temple University alleges that she was in the company of Bill Cosby, not feeling well. She took some kind of medication, that she was very woozy and woke up disheveled.

She accused Bill Cosby of misconduct, and did not go to the police, though, until nearly a year later. And this was in early January. It wasn't until the end of January that Montgomery County prosecutors said they were looking into the charges. And now, maybe five minutes ago, Wolf, they said they -- quote -- "did not find sufficient, credible and admissible evidence upon which to charge Mr. Cosby" -- Wolf. BLITZER: All right, good news for Bill Cosby, indeed.

Thanks very much, Adaora Udoji, reporting for us from New York.

When we come back, President Bush welcomes a very special guest to the White House. We've just received a picture. We'll show you what happened. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Take a look at this. Remember, not a scientific poll.

You may have seen the wonderful movie "Hotel Rwanda." Recently, we spoke with the star of that film, Don Cheadle. Today, President Bush met with the man Cheadle portrayed in the film, Paul Rusesabagina. As manager of a hotel in Rwanda, he's credited with saving the lives of more than 1,000 men and women and children by hiding them in the hotel.

"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 February 17, 2005 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now, a new phase in the war on terror designed to guard against Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. And for one American, the most difficult job of his life.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The president reveals his pick for the new intelligence chief.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm pleased to announce my decision to nominate Ambassador John Negroponte as director of national intelligence.

BLITZER: Plucked from Iraq to keep America safe.

JOHN NEGROPONTE, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE NOMINEE: I appreciate your confidence in choosing me for what will no doubt be the most challenging assignment.

BLITZER: Can this diplomat keep al Qaeda at arm's length? I'll ask the former acting director of the CIA, John McLaughlin, and the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pat Roberts.

New powerbroker. They were gassed by Saddam Hussein. Now they may have the decisive say in who may be the next Iraqi prime minister.

Tour of duty...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just one more day in Baghdad.

BLITZER: ... like you've never seen it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You complain about the pizza being late. There's no way you're going to know how we live here.

BLITZER: A new documentary puts you in the boots of a combat patrol.

And small survivor, with a broken heart. How he went from zero chance of living, to a good chance of living a normal life.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Thursday, February 17, 2005.

BLITZER: He's the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq and a veteran diplomat with wide international experience. Now John Negroponte is one step away from what will be his toughest job: protecting the United States from 21st Century terror threats as the nation's first director of national intelligence.

We begin our "Security Watch" report on Negroponte's nomination. Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, is standing by -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as a matter of fact, President Bush made the case earlier today that Ambassador Negroponte was uniquely suited for the job because of his experience in Iraq and around the world, that he, like -- unlike many others, was exposed to the terrorist threats firsthand.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush picked the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, to be his first intelligence czar.

BUSH: John will make sure that those whose duty it is to defend America have the information we need to make the right decisions.

MALVEAUX: It was a compromise choice for Mr. Bush, who reached out to at least two former top administration officials before offering the job to Negroponte.

Mr. Bush had been coming under increasing fire from critics who charged the vacancy was crippling the intelligence committee's ability to deal with threats.

While Negroponte has four decades of diplomatic experience as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to the U.N., Mexico and the Philippines, he is seen as a surprise pick, with little experience in the intelligence field.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think I always expected that the person who became the DNI would be more of a national security expert and a leader, and would bring together the various experts on intelligence in the community.

MALVEAUX: As the newly created head of some 15 intelligence agencies, who will have to decide how they share a $40 billion budget, Mr. Bush argued Negroponte's background is especially suited for the task.

BUSH: This is going to take awhile to get a new culture in place, a different way of approaching the budget process. That's why I selected John. He's a diplomat.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This is a largely managerial challenge that he's going to face to start with. MALVEAUX: While Negroponte brings negotiation skills and trust, he lacks intelligence experience. His deputy, the president says, will provide the balance. Mr. Bush nominated Michael Hayden, who heads the largest agency within the intelligence community, to become Negroponte's deputy.

If the former ambassador is confirmed by the Senate, the president's chief intelligence officer will be walking into unchartered territory.

NEGROPONTE: The most challenging assignment I have undertaken in more than 40 years of government service.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Now the new director's office will not be in the White House, thus to convey a sense of independence from the executive branch, but certainly, the new director of intelligence will have the president's ear on a regular basis, as the one who delivers his presidential daily brief. That's an assessment of all the potential threats the U.S. faces from around the world -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thanks.

If John Negroponte is confirmed, as is expected, it won't be the first time he's taken on a tough job. For more on his past challenges and how he's handled them, let's turn to our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's the third time in just four years President Bush has picked this London-born son of a Greek shipping magnate for a major post.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice-over): For John Negroponte, it's all about uniting around the No. 15. As the first director of national intelligence, Negroponte will have to oversee 15 separate turf-loving intelligence agencies, but at the United Nations Security Council, the former ambassador had to bridge differences between 15 separate global turf- loving countries.

Diplomats like the messenger, if not always the message, from the Bush administration.

AHMED ABOUL-GHEIT, EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The gentleman is a -- and they know he knows a lot. He is experienced, is honest, is straightforward.

ROTH: But Negroponte wasn't able to gain approval from his fellow ambassadors for a second Iraq go to war resolution. He sat as long-time friend and boss Colin Powell delivered a flawed weapons of destruction briefing to the world.

The Green Zone was next. As insurgents challenged U.S. troops in Iraq, Negroponte became the first post-Saddam U.S. ambassador. NEGROPONTE: I do not purport to be an instant expert on Iraq. I just want to be clear about that, although I'm doing my best. The learning curve is steep.

ROTH: He leaves after the early steps of democracy.

NEGROPONTE: The election was a success.

ROTH: Negroponte did find himself embroiled in controversy as U.S. ambassador in Honduras in the '80s. Critics said he was aware U.S.-backed death squads were killing and kidnapping in the war against the Contras in Nicaragua, something he has always denied.

A lone protester at his Iraq confirmation hearings reminded senators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ask him about his involvement in a death squad in Honduras that he supported.

ROTH: From the Philippines to Mexico, Negroponte was an ambassador under four U.S. presidents.

ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE, "WASHINGTON TIMES": He knows the world like few diplomats that I know the world, so I'm very high on this choice. I think it's tremendous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: One group undoubtedly glad to have Negroponte back on U.S. soil, his family, which includes five children he adopted from Honduras -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Richard Roth, reporting for us from New York. Thank you, Richard, very much.

Negroponte's nomination as national intelligence director is drawing praise in Congress from both Republicans and Democrats. Senator Pat Roberts is the chairman of the intelligence committee. He's joining us from Capitol Hill.

Your committee is going to have to hold hearings, get him confirmed. I assume you were consulted by the president in advance, or at least the White House. What did you tell them when you heard that Negroponte was their choice?

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Well, one of the things, as you know, Wolf, not only was the -- was the WMD inquiry that we conducted, certainly evidence of a real failure on the part of our intelligence, it was a worldwide failure.

So the appointment of somebody like Ambassador Negroponte certainly gives a lot of credibility to our allies that he will be in charge. He will be a DNI, a director of national intelligence, that will have real authority.

Then the other half of it is that you have General Mike Hayden, who is respected by every intelligence agency all around the world, as well.

So I think it's a very good pick. When I talked with John this morning, the ambassador this morning, he was eager to work with the committee. He was eager to come before the committee once he finishes up his duties in Iraq.

And we talked about the capabilities of the intelligence community in terms of collection and better analysis and certainly better information access, so he's right on target.

BLITZER: When do you expect the hearings to begin? When do you think this process -- how long will it take for him to be confirmed?

ROBERTS: I don't know how long it will take for him to be confirmed, but he has unfinished -- pardon me, unfinished business in Iraq, and until he finishes that, then he'll come back to the Congress.

But we will do this just exactly the way we did it with Director Goss, with Porter Goss, former Congressman Goss. We took our time. Every senator will have an opportunity to express any opinion that they want or to offer any question that they might want.

BLITZER: The -- one criticism that we've heard about John Negroponte, and we haven't heard a lot of criticism, but one criticism is he lacks in real intelligence experience. His career has been in diplomacy, by and large. Is that a fair criticism?

ROBERTS: Well, I don't really buy that. He's been an ambassador. When you're an ambassador, you're in an embassy, and when you're in an embassy, you have direct contact with the station chief that is in charge of our intelligence activities. So he's been on the operating side. He's been on the receiving side.

On the other side of the fence we have General Mike Hayden, who is basically, if not considered the best intelligence of what agency head -- I hate to really rate intelligence agencies or intelligence heads, but you know, General Mike Hayden is second to none. And so he knows the intelligence community forwards and backwards. It will be a great team.

And the other big thing is the president's expression of support for him as "my man." In other words, he's the door opener -- or his is the -- he's the gatekeeper or the president's doorkeeper on intelligence. And he does have budget authority. Some of us were worried that he wouldn't have enough authority to do the job. I think the president certainly laid that to rest.

BLITZER: Is it your understanding, Senator, that Porter Goss, the CIA director, will report eventually to John Negroponte or to General Hayden, who's his deputy?

ROBERTS: I can't say that would be the case. I would think it would be the ambassador. I think it would be the DNI. And I think both will be in the room every day when there is a briefing every day to the president. So I expect a very smooth transition. I don't expect any problems there.

BLITZER: When you say when the president is briefed in the morning, Negroponte will be there, Hayden will be there and Porter Goss will be there?

ROBERTS: That's my expectation, yes.

BLITZER: All three -- all three of them?

ROBERTS: Well, depending on the briefing. You know, I think without question all three will play a key role. But the person, the president's person, the president's chief adviser, the person who the president said we get a lot of ideas and John will decide which ideas or which proposals that I'll consider, and if they're -- if they good ones, I'll consider them. And if they doesn't consider they're good, I won't.

BLITZER: Well, I'm just trying to figure out who will be -- have a higher level of authority? Hayden or Porter Goss?

ROBERTS: Well, Hayden is the deputy under the DNI. Porter Goss will be in charge of the CIA. That other part of his duties, in regards to being in charge of the entire intelligence community, that will be a different kind of job, and he would report to the DNI.

But you know, that's to be worked out. That's why we picked a diplomat to do that, to work through all the 15 intelligence agencies we have, plus the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Speaking about the Pentagon, do you think Negroponte can go head to head with Donald Rumsfeld in the expected turf battles over budget? A lot of the money for various intelligence agencies is Pentagon money.

ROBERTS: Well, basically the military is the primary user of intelligence, but the principal user of intelligence is the president of the United States, and the National Security Council and the Congress.

I would expect that they would cooperate very easily. I think a lot of this talk about, you know, head-butting in regards to those personalities, I just don't think that that's going to happen.

BLITZER: Senator Pat Roberts is the chairman of the intelligence committee. Got a lot of work ahead of him. Thanks very much.

ROBERTS: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN date and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Also to our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our Web question of the day is this: "Is John Negroponte the best choice for director of national intelligence?" You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results for you later in this broadcast. And we'll have more on the nomination of John Negroponte. That's coming up ahead. I'll speak with former acting CIA director, and now CNN national security adviser, John McLaughlin. It's in an interview you'll see only here on CNN.

Plus, Rumsfeld's refusals: why the defense secretary will not give specifics on insurgents in Iraq and a time when U.S. troops will leave.

Medical milestone: this baby -- take a look -- is the smallest child ever to undergo open-heart surgery. Just over one pound. His heart only the size of a tiny grape. I'll speak with the infant's mother and doctor.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This armor was made in Iraq. It's high- quality metal, and it will probably slow down the shrapnel so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Stories from the frontlines, a new documentary with a view of the war in Iraq like you've never seen it before. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was on Capitol Hill today, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. It's the second day in a row he's been on the Hill and the second day in the row he's refused to estimate the size of the Iraqi insurgency.

Let's bring in our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, two days of testimony on Capitol Hill by Donald Rumsfeld. A lot of substance discussed there, but also a lot of frustration by some members of Congress, who believe Rumsfeld is at times unresponsive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Donald Rumsfeld is a hard man to pin down.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I'd dearly love to be able to give you a specific date. I can't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering, do you have any comment on that?

RUMSFELD: Congressman, I don't. I'm not familiar with the cuts you're referring to. MCINTYRE: It's unknowable is Rumsfeld's rote response to everything from how long the war in Iraq will last to how much it will cost.

RUMSFELD: There's never been a war that was predictable as to length, casualty or cost in the history of mankind.

MCINTYRE: A crafty political in-fighter, Rumsfeld knows anything he says can and will be used against him, so he rarely goes out on a limb.

SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D-MD), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I remember your testimony that says this war isn't going to cost us anything.

RUMSFELD: I never said anything like that, ever.

MIKULSKI: It's going to be paid for by frozen assets...

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld was right, of course. It was his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, who made that rosy prediction. But Rumsfeld's routine refusal to share even his informed opinion infuriates his critics.

Senator John McCain pressed for numbers of Iraqi insurgents, only to watch Rumsfeld easily evade the question.

MCCAIN: Shouldn't the American people also know the size and shape and nature of the -- of the enemy that we're facing, since it's their sons and daughters who are going to serve?

RUMSFELD: On the insurgency question, one can't help but agree with you. In a perfect world, you would like very much to have a good grip on the numbers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld's world is never perfect, and unless he has that perfect bulletproof answer, he's loathe to give his detractors any ammunition to use against him. It may be smart politics, Wolf, but for some members of Congress, it's decidedly unsatisfactory.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Thanks, Jamie, very much.

Jockeying for the top power positions in Iraq. Several men on the short list. Can the different ethnic groups compromise and avoid a bloody civil war?

Afghanistan's women: once treated as second-class citizens under the Taliban, now a major step forward for females in that country. Our Zain Verjee has the story.

A murderer's message: new authentic letters sent by the BTK serial killer in Kansas. We'll update you on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: It's what Iraqis have been waiting for since last month's unprecedented elections. The results have now been certified, clearing the way for Iraq's first democratic parliament in half a century, but fierce wrangling over who will get which top post continues right now.

Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is in Baghdad with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The united Iraqi coalition, 140 seats. The Kurdistan coalition, 75 seats.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final certified results, slightly correcting preliminary predictions but not changing the overall political balance.

Shia Muslims holding just over half the national assembly's 275 seats. The Kurds, a little more than a quarter, confirming Kurds as key powerbrokers, and triggering an intensification for the battle of prime minister.

IBRAHIM AL-JAFARI, PRIME MINISTER CANDIDATE: If they choose me, I'm going to accept, of course.

ROBERTSON: But what do the people want? Basketball coach Issam Tahar (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think al-Jafari will be the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani will be the president of Iraq.

ROBERTSON: Interesting predictions, because that's the odds-on bet right now.

Ibrahim al Jafari, a religious moderate from the Shia Muslim block, for prime minister. And Talabani, a Kurd, cashing in on their strong showing, getting the ceremonial presidency.

Still, all positions are up for grabs, and hopes, particularly among the urban middle class of Baghdad, are riding on a speedy and peaceable agreement. One of the stumbling blocks may well be the role of religion.

Hana Juma (ph), a Sunni student.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Although I'm a Muslim, I prefer a secular government, because our country has different sects, and we can't let one sect or religion rule the whole country.

ROBERTSON: Final results are confirming fears that lack of security led many Iraqis to vote along ethnic and religious lines. Sunnis emerged underrepresented in the new assembly.

And politicians like Aziz al-Ta'ai, who campaigned on a cross- community platform, lost out. But does it leave a weak government?

AZIZ AL-TA'AI, POLITICIAN: Iraqis, wise Iraqis from the Sunnis and the Shia and the Kurds, will work some kind of compromise for this government to survive, because the alternative is really to go to a bloody civil war.

ROBERTSON (on camera): How quickly compromise is reached in hammering out the top jobs could be a good indication of how well the government will get along when they finally get down to work.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is poised to appoint a woman as a provincial governor, a first for the male-dominated Muslim country.

CNN's Zain Verjee is joining us now live. She has more on this development -- Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, women in Afghanistan are running for powerful political positions, but as one candidate for governor tells us, women still face hurdles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (voice-over): Precious ancient religious treasures in Bamiyan Province were blown up by the Taliban regime back in 2001. In Afghanistan then, women were second-class citizens, not seen and not heard.

Now there are new voters, a new regime, and the people in the province are about to get a new governor, a woman.

One of the hopefuls, the former women's minister Habiba Sarobi, veiled but vocal and embroiled in politics. As she helps her children with homework, Habiba says she told Afghan President Hamid Karzai she wants to be a hands-on politician.

HABIBA SAROBI, CANDIDATE: I prefer to work as a governor rather than an ambassador, because I wanted to be among my people, among the poor people and the needy people of Afghanistan.

VERJEE: Mr. Karzai, criticized by some for having only three women in a cabinet of 30, has put together an all-female short list for the job of Bamiyan's governor.

The Afghan parliament will be elected later this year with some seats reserved for women, who now have equal rights under the new constitution. Habiba thinks even the men will accept her in Bamiyan, because women there have been traditionally free to go to work and to school.

Afghan women couldn't do that easily under the Taliban. They also had to be clad top to toe in a veil or face severe beatings. Today more than one million girls are enrolled in schools in Afghanistan, but not everyone in Afghanistan likes the change, and conservative customs mean women's movements are still restricted.

SAROBI: We can't find many educated people especially among women, and this is a big challenge for me. And of course, dealing with warlords, it will be another challenge.

VERJEE: Warlords and remnants of the Taliban regime have targeted women who have tried to break out of traditional roles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: The group Human Rights Watch says female government officials, activists, and journalists have all reported harassment and attacks. Even the only female presidential candidate, Dr. Massouda Jalal (ph), had reported receiving death threats -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain Verjee, reporting for us. Zain, thanks very much.

Director of national intelligence: the man who has had some difficult assignments gets nominated for his toughest assignment yet. We'll take a look at the challenges John Negroponte will face.

Tiny but tough. He's less than two pounds now, and now the smallest survivor of a certain open-heart surgery. I'll speak with baby Jerrick's mother and doctor.

Inside access, a rare glimpse at life in Iraq, through the eyes of American soldiers. A new documentary brings their dangerous world to the big screen. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

Welcome back.

Is John Negroponte the right choice for director of national intelligence? I'll ask former acting CIA director and now CNN national security adviser John McLaughlin. You'll see this only here on CNN.

First, though, a quick check of some others stories now in the news.

The FBI confirms, two recent letters found in the Wichita, Kansas, area are from the so-called BTK killer. Now it wants to know if a package received yesterday by a Wichita TV station is the latest communication from the man linked to eight unsolved murders. He's resurfaced after a 25-year silence.

President Bush will sign into law tomorrow a bill restraining class-action lawsuits. The bill passed now by both the Senate and the House shifts most class-action lawsuits from state to federal courts, which historically have been less friendly to such cases.

More now on our CNN "Security Watch," the nomination of John Negroponte as the nation's first director of national intelligence. If he's confirmed, Negroponte will face not only major terror issues, but he will likely contend with big turf battles with the CIA, FBI and numerous other intelligence agencies.

Joining us now with more on that, our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there could be some turf battles ahead, but that basically depends on President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): Power in Washington flows to those with access to the president and those with control of budgets and personnel. Mr. Bush sought to make clear the new director of national intelligence will have both.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He will have access on a daily basis, in that he'll be my primary briefer.

ENSOR: On the estimated $40 billion budget spanning 15 different agencies, the president said Negroponte will determine who gets what.

BUSH: People make their case. There's a discussion, but, ultimately, John will make the decisions on the budget.

ENSOR: Former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John McLaughlin, who has joined CNN as an analyst, says Negroponte will have his work cut out for him.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The legislation that empowers him, not as precise as everyone would like it to be, in authorizing his powers. The legislation is, after all, the result of compromises during a difficult and contentious time in our country. And, therefore, the language in many cases is what I would call kind of spongy.

ENSOR: Critics charge that the intelligence reform law that sets up the DNI job contains too much ambiguity about budget and personnel power. They predict trouble between Negroponte and the Pentagon.

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: I don't think a powerful job. This is a miserable job. This is one of the hardest jobs in Washington. And it is so undefined, the authorities are so ambiguous, and the expectations are so high, that it's unlikely to be a successful, fun experience for this person.

ENSOR: But the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee disagrees.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: If we had prescribed in Congress every relationship between each of the agencies, I think that would have been an enormous mistake and would have rendered this person more useless. This person can exercise power, and I think that's good.

ENSOR: As ambassador in Iraq and before, Negroponte has been a consumer of intelligence, but he has no intelligence experience. His new deputy, however, General Michael Hayden, head of the National Security Agency, is a seasoned hand. Many present and former intelligence professionals are praising the president's choice of Negroponte.

JAMES PAVITT, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: I think he will be a first-rate leader of this organization.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: Negroponte called it his most challenging assignment in 40 years in government. That may be putting it mildly. Being the first at anything is always harder, but the ambassador has been good at setting up and leading teams in a number of jobs in government. CIA regulars, present and former, they're all promising him their full support -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, David Ensor, thanks very much.

Now let's turn to a guest you'll see only here on CNN, the former acting CIA director, John McLaughlin, with his insight on John Negroponte. He's a 30-year veteran of the CIA. He's now a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies here in Washington. And starting today, he's joining us as a CNN national security adviser.

Director, thanks very much for joining us.

MCLAUGHLIN: It's good to be here, Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, what do you make of this decision, first of all, of Negroponte?

MCLAUGHLIN: I think this a very good choice.

John Negroponte has experience, deep experience, in eight different countries, 40 years in the government. More importantly, it's a very good team. Mike Hayden, who is a professional intelligence officer, steeped in the business, is what I would call a transformational leader in the intelligence business.

BLITZER: You know the culture at the CIA. You spent 30 years there. You moved all the way to the top. How are going to they react, the professionals, the analysts, the clandestine officers?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, people in the intelligence business respond to leadership.

And I think the first emotion you would find in the intelligence business today is relief that this position has been filled and filled by a very good person. And people in the intelligence business, including the CIA, will rally behind John Negroponte. They'll want him to succeed.

BLITZER: Do you think the relationship that Negroponte will have with Porter Goss, the CIA director, is that a manageable relationship? Because there could be some serious turf issues.

MCLAUGHLIN: No, I think that will be a manageable relationship.

There are always turf issues in Washington. But, you know, in Washington, as you know as well as anyone, personality is dominant. And as I look at this mix of personalities, I think it's a pretty good mix in terms of minimizing the chances for debilitating turf battles.

BLITZER: There -- in recent weeks, after you left, there have been reports that Porter Goss has been using a heavy hand with some of the career professionals over at the CIA and there's a morale issue. What are you hearing about that now, if anything?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I don't like to talk a lot about people who followed me in jobs or who are in a position where I think we need to give them a chance to get on their feet and organized.

Porter Goss had a rough transition, as often happens at the CIA, but I think he's finding his balance and moving forward.

BLITZER: What about the relationship between Negroponte, as the new director of national intelligence, and the Pentagon?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I think one of the reasons that the president chose such an outstanding person with a reputation that cuts across all agencies of government is that the legislation, as I indicated in an earlier segment, doesn't itself provide all of the precise authorities.

You need a person here who's large enough and experienced enough to carry a certain amount of personal authority to assert those powers that are in the legislation. And I think, when it comes to the Pentagon, John Negroponte will have a good reputation and will be well-received, because, after all, he's worked hand in glove with our troops in Iraq. He took over a difficult mission there at a time when the Pentagon was stepping back from overall supervision of the Iraq mission.

And I -- to my knowledge, there's a good working relationship between Negroponte and people at the Pentagon.

BLITZER: Americans are asking, is this going to make the American public safer to have this national intelligence director?

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, you know, nothing makes America safer in and of itself. It's all in the doing.

And the things that will determine whether this makes us safer as a nation are the things that always determine that, whether we stay on the offensive in the war on terrorism, whether we increase the number of clandestine service officers and the number of analysts to deal with the new problems of today, which are incredibly labor-intensive, whether we have common security policies and common information policies across the intelligence community.

Negroponte is charged with accomplishing all of this, and it will be a tough job, but I think he's got the personal authority and will have importantly here -- I mentioned personality as important in Washington. The other thing that's supremely important in Washington in a job like this is to have the confidence and support of the president and access to the president.

BLITZER: So, as David Ensor said, it's up to the president. If he wants this to work, he can order everyone, just go ahead and make it work.

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, it would require the president to back Negroponte in the decisions he makes. And...

BLITZER: And Negroponte himself is not going to have a big staff. The big staff is at the CIA, the NSA, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Pentagon. He's going to have a relatively small staff.

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, we don't know that yet, but I would hope that he has a relative small staff. One of the dangers we have to avoid here is creating another layer of bureaucracy.

There are a people in the community who are going to step forward and want to help him. And to the extent that he can have direct control and direct contact with people in the community, it will work better. And to the extent that the president supports his view when he asserts himself on some of these issues in the legislation that will be controversial, that too will be pivotal in his success.

BLITZER: John McLaughlin, thanks for joining us. And welcome to CNN.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: We'll be speaking a lot.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, once again, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

A very, very tiny baby, and a very delicate operation. We'll talk to the mother and the doctor of this tiny little baby.

Also ahead, a gripping new documentary, the war in Iraq through the eyes of U.S. troops.

And go ahead and tell the royal printer to change the invitations. Charles and Camilla won't be getting married in the castle. We'll tell you where they will be getting married.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now a medical milestone. Little Jerrick De Leon was born premature with a defective heart and given zero chance of survival. But after undergoing open heart surgery in the first week of his life, his doctors think he's the youngest baby ever to receive such surgery. And he's looking at a normal life, we hope.

Just a short while ago, I spoke with the boy's mother, a doctor herself, and the doctor who performed the complex surgery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Dr. Reddy, Dr. De Leon, thanks to both of you for joining us.

Dr. De Leon let me begin with you. This is your little baby, Jerrick. Tell us what happened.

DR. MARIA DE LEON, MOTHER: Well, I was admitted on January 20 for high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is the diagnosis.

And about two weeks after that, I again started -- my blood pressure was getting out of control. And because the definitive treatment for preeclampsia is to take out the baby, they told me that they need to do an emergency C-section. So Jerrick was born on the 30th. And it took them about a day and a half later, so he was born premature.

BLITZER: How much did he weigh?

DE LEON: And he only weighed 1 pound and 10 ounces.

And, of course, very little, premature. And I was worried about him. But, a day and a half later, they told me that they also found a transposition of the great arteries.

BLITZER: And they told you he had what chance of surviving?

DE LEON: They did not tell me anything until he was transferred. The only thing that the pediatrician at the hospital told me is, he needs to be transferred out to Kaiser Sunset, I mean to their facility where the cardiologists can deal with his heart problem.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I was going to bring in Dr. Reddy.

Then you took over and you had to make a critical decision. Tell our viewers what happened when you saw the nature of the problem involving Jerrick's heart.

DR. V. MOHAN REDDY, PEDIATRIC CARDIAC SURGEON: When I got a call from the doctor in Los Angeles, we knew that we could repair this heart defect. But the complicating factor was, the baby was too small and very, very premature.

Since we have experience in dealing with these children for other heart defects, I was fairly confident that I should be able to take care of this baby. So, I asked them to talk to the mother and have the baby transferred to the Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University.

BLITZER: Had you ever or had anyone to the best of your knowledge operated on a heart so small? This heart was, what, the size of a grape?

REDDY: Yes.

Actually, I myself have performed an operation, an infant smaller than this baby, about three years ago, but for a different condition, about the same size. The baby was a little bit -- two ounces smaller than Jerrick.

BLITZER: Did that baby survive?

REDDY: Yes, the baby survived and now 3 years old. I had to do another surgery on the baby, but the baby is doing well.

BLITZER: Dr. De Leon, how is your little baby doing right now?

DE LEON: He's doing good. I believe it's better than what I suspected.

As, for what I -- when I see him every day, I'm just dealing more of his prematurity issues and none of the cardiac issues after that, after the surgery, after he had the surgery.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Dr. De Leon, how do you feel about what has happened?

DE LEON: Oh, I think I'm the luckiest mother around to be able to find someone like Dr. Reddy, who was able to do the heart surgery for my baby.

BLITZER: Such a complicated procedures, such a tiny baby.

Good luck to both of you, but especially good luck to Jerrick. I suspect that this is going to work out well.

DE LEON: Thank you.

BLITZER: Let's hope for the best. I appreciate both of you joining us.

DE LEON: Thank you very much.

REDDY: Thank you.

DE LEON: Thank you, Doctor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a quick look now at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): Explosives sieged. Spanish police arrested two members of the Basque separatist group ETA who allegedly were planning an attack. The raid came hours after officials published letters allegedly written by ETA's leaders ordering members to start killing people as soon as possible.

Bank robbery arrests. There may be a break in a bank robbery case that seriously damaged Northern Ireland's peace process. Police arrested seven people and seized millions in cash believed to have been stolen from a Belfast bank two months ago. Officials blame the outlawed Irish Republican Army for the robbery. The IRA denies the charge.

One last hunt. Thousands of British hunters and their dogs turned out for their last chase of the fox. The ancient sport will be banned under a law that goes into effect tomorrow.

Change of plans. Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have decided not to get married at Windsor Castle after all. Instead, they'll tie the knot April 8th at the Windsor Town Hall. They say that will allow the town to take part in the day's events.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Behind the scenes of the battlefield, one filmmaker's in-depth access to the emotions and experiences of life in Iraq through the eyes of American soldiers. We'll show you that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A new documentary provides a powerful glimpse of life on the ground for U.S. troops in Iraq. "Gunner Palace," a look at the war through the eyes of soldiers who are fighting that war, premieres in theaters across the United States on March 4.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get blown up. I don't want to get blown up, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The soldier's life in wartime, frightening, mundane, complicated.

MICHAEL TUCKER, DIRECTOR, "GUNNER PALACE": It's not just one enemy. There's multiple enemies. Some of them are even fighting among themselves. It's extremely confusing. It's not black and white. It's very gray. TODD: The new documentary "Gunner Palace" won't horrify you with violence, no roadside explosions or firefights.

This film strikes at the tension and ambiguity of war and how much of it is left in the hands of the very young, those in a U.S. Army field artillery regiment occupying a Baghdad palace once used by Saddam Hussein's son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm heel-toeing in Uday's house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And the young people outside its gates, to whom the soldiers act as police officer or friend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife already gave birth to our first son in June, or July, while I was out here. I've seen pictures, but I haven't got to hold him yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Even a goodwill visit to an orphanage has a chilling flip side.

JON POWERS, FORMER MEMBER OF ARTILLERY UNIT: And one of the nuns had took us aside and said, please don't come back. And we couldn't understand why. We provided them everything they had. And she said, if you come back, terrorists said they'll kill the kids for us working with the Americans.

TODD: Captain Jon Powers spent more than 400 days with this unit in Iraq. He says filmmaker Michael Tucker got such close access that he was barely noticed after a while. Tucker is there as the unit storms into a suspected insurgent financiers's house by night. A terrified old woman and child are home. The suspect is not.

And he's there as they unwind at the palace pool, a frequent target of mortar attacks. The filmmaker and his camera become a sounding board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of our $87 billion budget provided for us to have some secondary armor put on top of our thin-skinned Humvees. This armor was made in Iraq. It's high-quality metal. And it will probably slow down the shrapnel, so that it stays in your body instead of going clean through. And that's about it.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP) POWERS: We were "Mad Max." We were rolling around with big scrap metals that we had bought from the Iraqis and paid the Iraqi welders to weld it on. And, luckily, it stopped some things. It didn't stop other things.

TODD: The fear expressed by these young warriors any way they can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GUNNER PALACE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When those guns start blazing and our friends get hit, that's when our hearts start racing and our stomach get woozy, because for you all, it's just a show. But we're living this movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: An official with the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office said they had no involvement in the making of "Gunner Palace" and wouldn't comment on specific parts of it, except to say they believe the film shows the soldiers acting for the most part professionally. No members of that unit died during the filming of "Gunner Palace," but during its production, five soldiers and three civilians connected to the regiment were killed -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, thanks very much for that report.

There's a development in the whole Bill Cosby uproar.

CNN's Adaora Udoji is joining us now live from New York.

What's going on?

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.

We've just heard from the Montgomery, Pennsylvania, prosecutors. Good news for Bill Cosby. We certainly believe he will think it's good news. They've just announced that allegations of inappropriate sexual touching of a young woman have been dismissed.

Now, I should say, actually, they announced that the investigation has concluded. It all stemmed from an incident about a year ago. A 30-year-old former professor of Temple University alleges that she was in the company of Bill Cosby, not feeling well. She took some kind of medication, that she was very woozy and woke up disheveled.

She accused Bill Cosby of misconduct, and did not go to the police, though, until nearly a year later. And this was in early January. It wasn't until the end of January that Montgomery County prosecutors said they were looking into the charges. And now, maybe five minutes ago, Wolf, they said they -- quote -- "did not find sufficient, credible and admissible evidence upon which to charge Mr. Cosby" -- Wolf. BLITZER: All right, good news for Bill Cosby, indeed.

Thanks very much, Adaora Udoji, reporting for us from New York.

When we come back, President Bush welcomes a very special guest to the White House. We've just received a picture. We'll show you what happened. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in on our Web question of the day. Take a look at this. Remember, not a scientific poll.

You may have seen the wonderful movie "Hotel Rwanda." Recently, we spoke with the star of that film, Don Cheadle. Today, President Bush met with the man Cheadle portrayed in the film, Paul Rusesabagina. As manager of a hotel in Rwanda, he's credited with saving the lives of more than 1,000 men and women and children by hiding them in the hotel.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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