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NEWS FROM CNN

Supreme Court Weighs Death Penalty Case for 17-Year-Old; BTK Killer Suspect Appears in Court; People Power Makes Changes in Lebanon

Aired March 1, 2005 - 11:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We'll have extensive coverage coming up this hour on the entire case. Also unfolding beyond, the notorious murder suspect making his first court appearance on camera from jail. And we'll9 go live to Wichita, Kansas, for that, the BTK case, extensive coverage.
In addition, we'll go live to Chicago. There's been another bizarre homicide story there. A federal judge, once a murder target herself, arrives home to find her husband and mother shot dead.

Then in Lebanon, turmoil. I'll talk with a journalist just back from there, and with the authors of a brand-new book that says Hezbollah terrorists are operating right here in the United States.

First, the sadistic serial killings that terrorized a corner of Kansas for an entire generation. At this hour, in a few minutes, the man finally arrested last Friday makes his first court appearance amid new details about what led authorities to someone considered a respected community leader.

With the very latest, let's go right to CNN's Bob Franken. He's live in Wichita.

Set the stage for us, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are going to have what is officially called a first appearance. It's normally very perfunctory.

Dennis Rader will be appearing from the Sedgwick County jail over a video hookup. That is not unusual. That is the way it is done as often as not.

It is a proceeding in which he will have the charges presented to him. They will set a permanent bond. Currently it is $10 million, and they will set the date for the next stage, which usually comes in a couple of weeks. That's the preliminary hearing, followed almost immediately by the arraignment, we're told, where he can enter a plea.

Now, it's interesting. He has not asked for an attorney yet. The court, which is being extremely cautious, has appointed, at least for this proceeding, perhaps only for this proceeding, a very well- known defense attorney in Kansas by the name of Richard Nay (ph). It is well known that he does not particularly want to take this case, but he was, how shall I say it, convinced by the judge that he should represent Dennis Rader at this particular proceeding.

There is also the possibility that one of the things that could happen is that defense attorney Nay (ph) asks for a competency hearing. That is, as a matter of fact, something that various lawyers are talking here -- say would probably be what he would want to do.

So that is where we are right now. We may not even hear the voice of Dennis Rader at all, although the judge may ask him if he understands the charges. But that's it, simply a presentation of the charges and the setting of the bond as the legal process gets under way in a case that has taken more than 30 years to crack -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bob, is it normal to have the suspect in this particular case appear via video television cameras in the courtroom? Or normally they would bring the suspect right into the courtroom, wouldn't they?

FRANKEN: Well, no. As a matter of fact, when somebody is under this circumstance, where he is an inmate, apparently this has become routine enough that they have procedures to do that.

I think what's not normal about this is all the attention we're paying to it. I will point out that it was only in the last day or so that the court decided that it needed some help and has brought in a media expert to set up the coverage here.

There's going to be live coverage from the courtroom. One of the cameras will see what's on the screen that the judge hears. All of this is something kind of new to the people here. But they've adjusted very quickly.

BLITZER: And we expect this entire court appearance to last only a few minutes. Is that right, Bob?

FRANKEN: One would think. If the judge does what is normally not done and reads each of the charges, that could consume a little more time. Oftentimes the defense attorney will say he will waive the reading. But this judge has made it known, as well as other officials, that they way want to cross their T's and dot their I's and make sure they do everything right, which is why somebody of the stature of Richard Nay (ph) was brought in, in the first place.

BLITZER: So just clarify one more time. Is there a defense attorney that will be with Dennis Rader at this time, Bob? Can you hear me, Bob?

I think we just lost audio with Bob. Bob, stand by. We'll get back to you, if you can hear me.

Let's bring in Pamela Hayes. She's a former prosecutor in New York, a criminal defense attorney. What's your take on what we're about to see right now, Pam?

PAMELA HAYES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Wolf, generally speaking, in most parts of the country we would call this the initial arraignment, where you would be arraigned on the various complaints. There hasn't been any finding of probable cause. There hasn't been any grand jury action. But what they are doing is they have put this person in custody, and they have to tell him why they are holding him.

Then they're going to go on to a preliminary hearing, where they will gather evidence, present evidence to a judge who will make a determination whether to bind it over to a superior court for, you know, action on the case. So basically, this is pretty similar to what we do in initial arraignments. But they don't call it that.

The lawyer should be there because it is a critical stage of the hearing. The lawyer should be there because he or she should want to ask for a competency hearing.

This is a very complicated, high-profile matter, and the counselor needs to be there from the initial stage, from the very beginning, so that we can assure that everything goes right. And they seem to be doing a very good job at it. I applaud them for getting the lawyer there.

And the fact that he's being presented via telecommunications is not a big deal. I think most places would love to have something like that in place, because it's so time-consuming, shuttling prisoners from the jail to the courthouse. And this your high-tech version of what's going to be happening in the future.

BLITZER: And it's presumably a lot safer, the security situation being critical in this kind of a situation, a suspect accused of all these heinous crimes. What you don't want to see is someone taking a shot at him walking in and out of a courtroom and into a courthouse. That could be -- that could be an enormous complication.

But Pam, there's a very serious issue under way right now. What law enforcement, what the prosecution, the attorneys prosecuting this case, they want to make sure they go completely by the book, because they don't want to give some smart criminal defense attorney any opening whatsoever to see these charges dismissed.

HAYES: Absolutely. And I applaud them for doing that. Because whenever law enforcement or the prosecution does things by the book, there's just no beef at the end. Everything has been done perfect. The defendant has had his or her day in court, and there's no argument.

It's when you try to get an edge by doing something illegal, or not crossing your T's and dotting your I's that you get this problem. If, for example, this guy could have come to court, and someone took a shot at him, suppose he escaped. This is all being done very well, and I'm really proud of the authorities of Wichita, Kansas, for doing this.

BLITZER: There are indications, hints coming out of various leaks, that Dennis Rader's cooperating, he's confessing, at least in part, to some of these murders. I guess that would be a very sensitive legal issue if, in fact, he was not fully represented by a criminal defense attorney during this kind of interrogation, this kind questioning that might be going on. HAYES: Yes, absolutely on point, Wolf, because that's why it's a critical stage. It's an initial stage.

When you arrest someone, you have to give them their Miranda Rights. They tell you, "If you want a lawyer, we'll give you a lawyer. If you can't afford one, we'll give you one."

So while, you know, we don't know whether he has his rights, we don't know if he understood them, even if they gave them. So they need to get a lawyer in there to make a determination whether this guy is even competent enough to understand what he's agreeing to. Because if he's not competent, the confessions go right out of the window.

And they don't want that, because that's the -- that's just another additional factor that's going to solve this case. This guy has been on the lam for 30 years. These people have been terrorized for 30 years. And they're going to do the right thing.

BLITZER: All right, Pam. I want to switch gears for a moment. We're standing by. Dennis Rader's first court appearance, we'll bring that live to our viewers as soon as it happens in this courthouse in Wichita, Kansas.

But right here in Washington today, a very important U.S. Supreme Court decision, 5-4, ruling that no capital punishment is allowed now, no capital punishment for juveniles under the age of 18. In other words, if you're 17 years old or 16 years old, you committed a crime, convicted and sentenced to death, that now has gone away in about 70 cases. So-called juvenile murderers will not be executed.

What do you make of this U.S. Supreme Court decision, a 5-4 decision?

HAYES: It was very close. But I think they did the right thing, Wolf.

One of the problems that the justices really put their ruling on was a cruel and unusual punishment provision of the Eighth Amendment. A child who hasn't had the ability to form a life span, it's just very strange that you would want to kill them before they could realize what it is to go through life, to understand their own humanity, as the judge has said. And, you know, this is why they said we can't do this.

When you're 18, you're basically an adult. You can go off to war, you can vote, you can do most of the things that qualify you to be an adult. So therefore, if a jury rendered a decision that you better get the death penalty I think one could at least say OK.

But if you're 16 years old, you know, you could change your whole life in another 30 years. You know, you wouldn't -- you'd be what? Fifty-six years old, I mean or maybe 46. It's just amazing what can happen.

And it's always that crux of rehabilitation within the law that decided us what to do. And if you don't give a young person, 16, the benefit of the doubt, it's just problematic.

I mean you know, we're not a society where we think death is the answer to everything. And while it was a close decision, I think they did the right thing.

BLITZER: And it follows a sort of a pattern, in 2002, the Supreme Court ruling that you can't execute the mentally retarded, saying that also was a ban on cruel -- that might -- they cited the Constitution's Eighth Amendment, the ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

No execution of the retarded, mentally retarded. And now no execution of criminals of those sentenced to death who are under the age of 18. Sixteen and 17-year-olds will no longer be executed based on this U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Is it a chipping away, though, based on what you can tell, of capital punishment to a certain degree?

HAYES: Well, you know, Wolf, we seem to go in these waves with capital punishment.

Back in 1976 and before they had -- they just started it up. Then they stopped it. So you know, it's really what the public sentiment wants to bear.

There are certain states like Texas and Florida, you know, they seemed to answer problems with killing people. You know, you just never know.

I know in New York, our court of appeals recently struck down our death penalty statute as being unconstitutional. It seems that a lot of people are saying hey, maybe this isn't the way, because, you know, sometimes they find out that these people are actually innocent.

And once someone is dead you can't bring them back. You can't bring them back with money. You can't do anything. So I think it would be far better to give these people life in prison, which is a horrible existence, than to just kill people for the sake of killing them.

BLITZER: All right. Pam, I'm going to have you stand by, because we're still awaiting the -- the first court appearance for Dennis Rader, the suspect in the BTK killings out in Wichita, Kansas.

You're looking now live at that courthouse in Wichita. Once the judge convenes this proceeding, we'll go there live, hear what the judge had to say and maybe hear what Dennis Rader has to say, as well. We're standing by for that.

There's some other news we're following in the meantime, another homicide case. A federal judge returns home in Chicago to find the bodies of her husband and her mother.

"The Chicago Tribune" reports Michael Lefkow and his mother-in- law, Donna Humphrey, had been shot in the head. Joan Humphrey Lefkow was a U.S. district court judge. Neighbors say they hope the killings aren't related to her work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE GORMAN, NEIGHBOR: Judge Lefkow is a wonderful judge, and I really hope it has nothing to do with any case she's ever worked on. Because that's an outrageous position for any judge to be in, to think that their family is at risk because of decisions they make in their cases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: White supremacist Matthew Hale is currently awaiting sentencing for trying to arrange Judge Lefkow's murder. She presided over an earlier case involving Hale, in which he ordered his group to stop using the name World Church of the Creator because it belonged to another group.

It's unclear whether police believe there is any connection between those cases and yesterday's killing.

Let's go back to Wichita, Kansas, right now. Bob Franken is outside the courthouse for us.

Bob, this proceeding was supposed to start at noon. I don't think it's any surprise that it's clearly been delayed a little bit?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, you know the term "lawyer time."

Second of all, in this particular case there are a couple of other first appearances, and they're saving this until the last. So there could be a delay.

If I could refer to some of the comments that Pam made before, as she pointed out, they're going very, very, very methodically here now, being very careful to make sure that there's a perception that they're protecting the rights of Dennis Rader.

However, there are any number of defense attorneys who were appalled at the news conference where it had been announced he had been arrested. They pointed out that the words "alleged" did not seem to cross anybody's lips and that there was such a strong declaration of his guilt that it left the impression that there was no question, in effect, the defense attorneys say, that he was just being convicted in the press.

I want to point out here, of course, that it will take a court proceeding before that "alleged" goes away, if it does. But Dennis Rader, of course, is accused of a crime that has spanned more than three decades. It is one that has terrorized the community periodically. It is one that generates an awful lot of emotion.

But now it gets into the very methodical, as I said, court procedures. And now there's going to be this very lengthy, very, very technically proper, if the judge has its way, exploration of the charges -- Wolf. BLITZER: Bob, we're looking at live pictures right now inside the courtroom right behind where you are. The judge, Judge Greg Waller, Sedgwick County judge, standing by to pound the gavel, get this proceeding under way.

The suspect, the BTK suspect, Dennis Rader, will be coming into this courtroom via video. He will be hearing the charges, presumably, leveled against him, responding if necessary, all via video, not directly making an appearance.

This courtroom clearly doing some other business, at least right now. We're waiting to see when this actual proceeding, Bob, will start. And remind our viewers, Bob, why is this not called in Wichita an arraignment?

FRANKEN: Because it's -- an arraignment is where you plead to the charges, and they have a process in Kansas where they have this first appearance. Pam called it in other states a first arraignment. It's the same type of thing. It's an initial presentation, simply to lay out the charges and set the bond. Sometimes it's called a bond hearing.

There will be a preliminary hearing, probably in a couple of weeks, although it could be delayed. And that is where it's really a replacement for the grand jury process, where they find out if they -- or they decide whether there's probable cause, a much lower standard than beyond a reasonable doubt. Probable cause to continue with the trials.

Then after that, almost immediately in Kansas, there's the arraignment. And that is where the pleadings take place.

A lot's going to happen between now and then, including the appointment of an attorney. In all probability the one who is going to be representing him today, Richard May, famous defense attorney in the state as I mentioned, is here, doing it only this time, at least that's what he's saying so far. I spoke to him this morning and he said it was his inclination to believe he would not be the defense attorney.

Also to make sure we know the other characters, Nola Foulston is the district attorney here, an elected office. This is her third term. She is considered quite the strong trial lawyer herself. A couple of years ago she won a conviction on two brothers, a conviction for five homicides.

So she is not somebody who is going to be overwhelmed at all in a court of law as this case proceeds. Now Kansas did not have the death penalty when all of these crimes...

BLITZER: I'm going to interrupt you, Bob.

FRANKEN: ... were alleged to take place, and that is...

BLITZER: I'm going to interrupt, Bob. We're now seeing a picture of Dennis Rader from his jail. He is not in the courthouse. He's wearing that orange jumpsuit, as our viewers can see. Bald, with the mustache.

A face now very familiar to many of our viewers, who've been following this since the formal arrest took place over the weekend. That was on Friday actually, when the arrest took place. We saw that brief picture of Dennis Rader in the orange jump suit.

This is the courtroom. Judge Greg Waller, Sedgwick county judge, is standing by. He's actually sitting at the -- he's actually sitting on the bench, getting ready to begin this formal proceeding.

Bob, if you could still hear me, we understand 10 charges have been filed against Dennis Rader: eight counts of first degree murder, two other homicide charges. I'm not exactly sure what the difference is. Maybe you can clarify the eight -- never mind, Bob.

Let's just listen to the judge.

JUDGE GREG WALLER, SEDGWICK COUNTY JUDGE, KANSAS: ... 1977. And count eight, it's claimed on or about the 27th day of April 1985, between that day and the 28th day of April 1985 in Sedgwick County, Kansas, that you did willfully and unlawfully kill a human being, that being Marine Hedge, maliciously, willfully, deliberately with premeditation by strangulation, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in which Marine hedge did die on April 27th.

In count nine, it's claimed that on or about the 16th day of September, 1986, in the county of Sedgwick, state of Kansas, that you did then and there, unlawfully, kill a human being, Vicki Wegerle, maliciously, willfully, deliberately and with premeditation, by strangulation, inflicting injuries in which the said Vicki Wegerle did die on September 16, 1986.

In count 10 it's claimed that on or about the 18th day of January 1991, between that date and the 19th of January 1991, in Sedgwick County, Kansas, that you did then and there unlawfully kill a human being, that being Dolores E. Davis, maliciously, willfully, deliberately and with premeditation, by strangulation, inflicting injuries from which said Dolores Davis did die on July -- January 19, 1991.

Do you understand that you're charged with 10 counts of first- degree murder?

DENNIS RADER, ACCUSED OF BTK KILLINGS: Yes, sir.

WALLER: All right. I'm going to set this case for 9 a.m. in the morning, on March 15. Bond will be in the amount of $10 million.

Based upon your request for court appointed lawyer, I'm going to appoint the public defender's office to represent you in this matter. Should the case proceed to sentencing, you'll be assigned to Division 5.

Thank you very much.

RADER: Thank you, sir. WALLER: That's Judge Greg Waller reading the charges. There he is, Dennis Rader, the man accused of being the BTK Killer.

He heard the charges, all 10 charges that were read against him. He said he understood the charges. They announced that there would be a more formal proceeding moving forward on March 15.

Let me bring back Pam Hayes. You heard this together with all of us. It sounds pretty routine, Pam.

HAYES: Yes, it did. But you know what didn't sound routine, Wolf? He got a $10 million bond. I would have thought they would have remanded him. This guy qualifies for a remand, meaning no bond.

I mean, I know he probably can't raise $10 million, but what would happen if somebody put the money up? You know, I would seriously think if I was law enforcement, of asking for a remand, because, you know, you never know what's going on with these people. And God forbid somebody found $10 million that would get him back out.

BLITZER: Well, wouldn't there be some sort of procedure before they actually let him go free, that they would -- impose a new ruling, saying that he would not go free under any sum of money?

RADER: Not necessarily, Wolf, and that's what -- why I brought it up. Because generally, when somebody sets a bond, if you can make a bond, you can make the bond. If it was $500, you go, your pay your $500, everything would be fine.

But in this instance, it's $10 million. Most people can't write a check for $10 million, or put up a house that's, like twice, that amount, $20 million. But I was saying, I would just be happier if they put a remand on him that says there's no amount of money that you could come up with. You've got to sit until we decide what's going to happen.

BLITZER: All right. The BTK serial killer suspect has now been charged, 10 counts first-degree murder.

Pam, I'm going to have you stand by. We're standing by ourselves to hear from the district attorney, Nola Foulston. She's going to be making a statement. Then I'm going to be speaking with her here on CNN.

There is the microphone where she will be appearing shortly. We'll go there live when she does. Much more coming up on this court proceeding involving Dennis Rader.

We're also watching other news around the world. People power taking hold in Lebanon. Public pressure forcing a pro-Syrian government from office in Beirut.

But does it have the power to force Syrian troops to get out of Lebanon? I'll speak with "Washington Post" columnist David Ignatius. He's just back from Beirut. Then from Lebanon to Europe, the major players in the press for peace in the Middle East meeting in London. So why isn't Israel there? We'll have a live report. Our Christiane Amanpour standing by with that.

You're watching NEWS FROM CNN, and we're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: You're looking at live pictures, the courthouse in Wichita, Kansas. Only a few moments ago, Judge Greg Waller read 10 counts, first-degree murder charges, against Dennis Rader, the so- called BTK suspect, the serial killer suspect. The judge reading those, the -- Dennis Rader appearing via video from the jailhouse, saying he understood the charges that had been read against him.

They set a March 15 day for the next court appearance.

Those are live pictures from the courthouse. We're standing by. We're waiting for Nola Foulston, the 18th judicial district attorney has come to that microphone, make a statement. We'll go back there live once she does. We'll speak with her separately after she makes that statement.

We're also watching another case in Chicago. This is a live picture from Chicago, where a federal judge, once the target of a failed murder plot, came home to her house and found her husband and her mother shot dead in the head. A very, very bizarre homicide in Chicago. We're watching this.

We're going to go to Chicago for a live news conference on the latest information coming from there. We'll get to that in a few moments, as well.

But there's other important news we're following around the world.

The search is now on for a new prime minister in Lebanon, its current leadership in limbo. The capital, Beirut, a lot calmer today, one day after Lebanon's pro-Syrian government abruptly resigned in the face of mass protests on the street.

The calls for change have been rising steadily since the assassination some two weeks ago of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. Government opponents blame neighboring Syria for his death, and they're demanding that Syria pull its thousands of troops out of their country.

Those troops were involved in trying to help bring peace to Lebanon following Lebanon's civil war, but that was almost 30 years ago.

David Ignatius is the associate editor of "The Washington Post." He's just back from a trip to Beirut, where he's heard for himself the calls for change. He's joining us now live from "The Washington Post." David, it was quite an amazing journey you had, based on that column you write, entitled "Beirut's Berlin Wall." What exactly did you mean by that?

DAVID IGNATIUS, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, Wolf, a week ago I was in Beirut and hearing from Lebanese their determination, despite the danger of being in the streets, to try to force a change of government. They were so angry about the death of Hariri.

To me it showed that when people get out on the streets, as they did in Berlin when the Cold War ended, as they're doing this week in Beirut, they really can be a force that changes everything we think is locked down.

BLITZER: You have -- you interviewed Walid Jumblatt, one of the Lebanese leaders, a man well-known to Lebanese politics, and in your article, you quoted him as saying this: "It's strange for me to say it," he said, "but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq."

He goes on to say, "I was cynical about Iraq, but when I saw the Iraqi people voting three weeks ago, eight million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world."

I guess for someone who opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, that was a painful thing for Walid Jumblatt to acknowledge.

IGNATIUS: It was remarkable that he said that. I mean, this man has been a bitter foe of the United States over many, many years, and for him to say that Iraq was the beginning of change, a change he embraces, is absolutely amazing.

You know, I did feel that -- that when Jumblatt said that, it was a sign that we turned a corner in the Middle East. The events in the last week underline that in Lebanon and even in Egypt, where President Mubarak has had to give way to protests there.

We really are in the midst of a period of great change.

BLITZER: And potentially, just as the Berlin Wall, when that crumbled, resulted eventually not that much later in the collapse of the Soviet Union, ending 74 years of communist rule, through so much of the Soviet empire, which ended, all the independent states emerging from the former Soviet Union. Is there a potential right now for some sort of speedy development along those lines, setting the stage for real democracy in a part of the world that many of us thought would never see real democracy?

IGNATIUS: Wolf, I think it's different in that there's no imperial power, like the Soviet Union, holding this system together. It's going to go country by country, and we have to remember that while we can help the process by keeping the pressure on each country, each population is going to have to make change itself. Otherwise, it's not going to be real.

BLITZER: What do you see happening in Lebanon in the immediate period ahead?

IGNATIUS: The key question that Lebanese are talking about today -- I was on the phone with my friends in Beirut -- is whether Hezbollah, which is, you know, the leader of the A-team of terrorism, and a strong enemy of the United States, whether Hezbollah can be brought into this process of Democratic change. Hezbollah wants to be a Lebanese political organization, and there's an effort now by the opposition to see if they can be drawn into the next government. If that happens, that's another sea change.

BLITZER: But there's no indication that there's been any split between Syria and Hezbollah.

IGNATIUS: No, no indication yet. All I'm saying is that behind the scenes, those conversations are taking place in Beirut this week. Whether they'll to fruition, it's impossible to say. But it's interesting that they're happening at all.

BLITZER: We're going to speak two authors who have a book on Hezbollah later this hour. But for Syria now, the Syrian government has announced they're redeploying their troops away from certain areas toward the Bekaa (ph) valley, and they say eventually they'll withdraw, but it's got to be under the right circumstances. We've been hearing that from the Syrians for many, many years.

IGNATIUS: I don't think you should take those announcements all that seriously. The Syrians will do what it takes to try to reduce the pressure. I think the key is that the Syrians have to make a decision about their own political survival. The regime is very weak, economically, politically. It's really caught in a bit of a vice now. And if the pressure stays on, the Syrians for their own good will have to come up with a different formula. The idea of staying in Lebanon on a semipermanent basis just may not be possible for them anymore.

BLITZER: David Ignatius, his article, as I said, was entitled Beirut's Berlin Wall. If you want to read it go to the Washington post, Washingtonpost.com, is that right, dad?

IGNATIUS: Yes, sir. Thank you all.

BLITZER: It's still up there. People can go there and read it. I recommend that they do, a very good article.

David, thanks very much for joining us.

IGNATIUS: Thanks to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: When we come back, Condoleezza Rice throwing her diplomatic weight around, pushing for peace in the Middle East. She's not alone. U.S. diplomacy being matched right now by the Russians, the European Union and the United Nations. We'll go live to London.

Our Christiane Amanpour is standing by for today's developments. We're also standing by for new developments in Wichita, Kansas. That's where the BTK serial killer suspect has now been charged formally, 10 counts first-degree murder. We're waiting for the district attorney to show up at that microphone. We'll go back there live as soon as she does. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to NEWS FROM CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. In London today, an international meeting designed to help the Palestinians and promote Middle East peace. Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and representatives from around the world, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is joining us now live from London with more.

Christiane, how did it go?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it was a very heavy-hitting group, as you outlined there, who are here to support the Palestinians, their efforts at reform, and to try to make that possible, to rebuild battered institutions over the last four years of intifada, and move them along the road towards peace and eventual settlement with the Israelis. As Prime Minister Blair said here today, much of the "poison," he said, quote, that's been swirling around the region and the world, is because of the failure to have brought about the settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. And he said that will not just benefit the Palestinians settlement and the Israelis, but quote, "all of us."

So that was obviously the main focus of this conference, and commitments by the Palestinians to reform in all sorts of areas, economic, political, security, judicial -- all sorts of areas. But there was also a whiff of change around many of the countries in the region. Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, addressed that, talking again about Lebanon, which you've talked a lot about in your program already today, talking about what she's called very important changes happening in Lebanon, warning the Syrians that they need to pay heed to this, and talking about the important elections coming up in Lebanon in the next few weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECY. OF STATE: There will need to be preparations for elections so that our free and fair, and that are independent of the influences, the contaminating influences, of foreign interference.

Now the Lebanese will have to take control of this themselves. The international community cannot step in for the Lebanese in doing the hard political work ahead of them, but what the international community can do is to offer its help in any way that the Lebanese, as they move forward, deem necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: So earlier today, she was standing alongside the French foreign minister, Michael Garnier (ph), again, talking about the issues of this conference, and also the wider Middle East. Again, she addressed the issue of Syria and Lebanon. She said the Lebanese people have showed over the last several days, over the last week or so, since the assassination of Rafik Hariri, that their aspirations to be free are determined ones, that they are taking a great deal of risk, and she said that the U.S. supports the Lebanese desire to be free of outside interference -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour reporting from London. Thank you very much.

We want to go immediately to Chicago. There's a news conference under way. A federal judge returning to her home, found her husband and her mother killed, shot in the head by a pistol apparently.

Let's listen to what the authorities are saying.

DEP. SUPT. HIRAM GRAU, CHICAGO POLICE: ... charge of the FBI Chicago field office, Dave Cuthbertson (ph) and Shannon Metzgar (ph) for the United States Marshal Service, and Tommy Pack (ph), legal adviser to the superintendent.

Today we are here to update you on our investigation into the homicides that occurred last night in Edgewater. As a member of law enforcement, of the law enforcement community and the criminal justice system, I'd like to offer our sympathies and condolences to Judge Joan Lefkow and her entire family. This is a tragic case, and we are committed to getting to the bottom of what happened in that home on Lakewood yesterday.

Also, we ask for the media's patience as we investigate this case. The questions you have are the same ones we have and we are working around the clock to get them answered. However, we are not able at this point to provide you with all the answers. Our first priority is protecting the investigation, and finding those who are accountable so we may not -- so we may not be as forthcoming to you, as you would like with answers to specific questions.

Last night, after the investigation was launched, the Chicago Police Department created a special task force that will be dedicated to this investigation. We have pulled detectives from other areas of the city, and we have brought in the FBI the and United States Marshal's Service to assist us as we move ahead. The members of the task force will work in two shifts around the clock. I am confident that our detectives, working with these federal agencies, will help us move forward.

But we also need the public's help, as well. This case will be solved based on the evidence and the information provided to us by the public. And to that end, we have established a tipline that residents can call if they have any information about this crime. That number is 312-744-8445. I'll repeat that. That's 312-744-8445. We encourage anyone and everyone who has any information to call that number. No matter how insignificant the information may seem, please share it with our detectives.

Now, I'd like to hand things over to chief of detectives, Jim Molloy, to give you an update on our investigation. CHIEF OF DETECTIVES JAMES MOLLOY, CHICAGO POLICE: Good afternoon. As Deputy Grau mentioned, we are unable at this time to discuss specific details of our investigation. Our first and last priority is finding the person or persons responsible for this crime. Based on that, we are not able to provide specific information about the progress or the direction of our investigation. Thank you for your understanding.

Last night detectives were called to a home in the 5200 block of North Lakewood Avenue to respond to a possible homicide in the home of federal judge Joan Lefkow. Judge Lefkow arrived home last night shortly after 5:30 p.m. to find her mother and her husband slain in the basement. Both were pronounced dead on the scene.

The victims are Donna Humphrey, she the 89-year-old mother of Judge Lefkow, and Michael Lefkow, the judge's husband. He was 64. Both victims were found shot in the basement. Autopsies are currently being conducted by the Cook County medical examiner, so I will withhold further comment on where or how many times the victims were shot. Detectives and members of our evidence recovery team collected evidence and continued to interview witnesses. The evidence collected will be analyzed by state and federal experts both here and in Washington, D.C.

Last night we also called for the assistance of the FBI and the United States Marshal Service. We look forward to working with these agencies toward what we all hope will be a successful conclusion to the investigation. Moving forward, we continue to rely on the expertise of our fine detectives, but we also want the public to provide any additional information about this crime.

There's much speculation about possible links between this crime and the possible involvement of hate groups. This is but what one facet of our investigation. We are looking in many, many directions, but would be far too early to draw any definitive links. The case is too new, and the evidence is still being worked up. It is also too soon to determine a motive. We are looking in every direction, and will follow the evidence wherever it takes us.

Now we will take a few questions, but I remind you once again that we are not able at this time to provide detailed information, as our case is still under way.

QUESTION: Chief Molloy, can you tell us whether there appear to be any other crimes at that house besides murder? A robbery or anything else? Were there any signs of a robbery?

MOLLOY: We want to -- again, the details of the investigation at this point in time, it's too early to speculate on that question. So we have to wait until we work the case a little bit longer.

QUESTION: Does that mean there was no immediate evidence that a robbery had taken place?

MOLLOY: At this time the evidence that we have collected is being sent to the labs both here and in Washington to work on it. QUESTION: Do you have physical evidence of (INAUDIBLE).

MOLLOY: We have a lot of physical evidence from the scene, but I'm not going to get into what type it is.

QUESTION: Could you say whether or not you believe at this point these were execution-style shootings?

MOLLOY: Again, until we get the results from the autopsies, with the location and number of gunshots, I'm going to withhold comment.

QUESTION: In recent weeks there have been threats by the group Aryan Brotherhood against law enforcement personnel here in Chicago. That bulletin went out to that effect.

MOLLOY: If there has been a bulletin, I haven't seen it.

QUESTION: Wouldn't you see something like that?

MOLLOY: Yes.

QUESTION: What about a break-in? (INAUDIBLE).

MOLLOY: There's -- again, details of what we have recovered or what we found, it's still too early to talk about.

BLITZER: All right, that's James Molloy. He's the chief of detectives for Chicago Police. Clearly under wraps. He can't give a lot of information about this apparent murder in Chicago. A federal judge returned home to find her husband and her mother shot, apparently shot dead in the head. Michael Lefkow, 65, and his mother- in-law Joan Humphrey -- excuse me, Joan Humphrey Lefkow is the federal judge, she's 61. Donna Humphrey, her mother 89 years old, shot in the head together with Michael Lefkow, the husband.

This case has brought a lot of excitement or interest because it was only a few years ago that a white supremacist, Matthew Hale, was convicted, April of 2004, in fact, of soliciting an undercover FBI informant to go ahead and kill this judge. Although as we just heard, no one is making any connection, any connection to that specific incident. The police being very, very tight-lipped right now. This investigation only just beginning.

Pam Hayes is a former criminal -- is a former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney. She's been standing by. What do you make of this case? This is a horrible, horrible, very bizarre situation.

PAMELA HAYES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Oh, it is horrible. I mean, Wolf, this woman is a United States district court judge. She's doing her job. Somebody has killed her mother and her husband. I mean, she goes home, and she finds this in her basement. These people are shot in the head. Everybody knows what that means. I appreciate that law enforcement isn't speculating, but you know, we have some factors to deal with that we can comment on. Sure, it's speculating. But everybody knows this looks like a hit. I mean, they're not saying it was a suicide. So you know, what are you going to think? BLITZER: It's probably -- it's understandable why law enforcement in Chicago is being circumspect right now. We'll continue to watch this case, though, for our viewers. Pam, thanks very much.

We're going to take another quick break. When we come back, has a terrorist organization that's been based in Lebanon taken hold right here in the United States? I'll speak with the authors of a new book who say Americans are underestimating the threat from Hezbollah. The so-called Party of God. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's increasing concern about the well-organized terror group known as Hezbollah. Some view it as even more dangerous than Al Qaeda. My next guests have researched the degree to which Hezbollah has infiltrated the United States and how it intends to do Americans harm. Their findings are in the book "Lightning out of Lebanon." Barbara Newman, Tom Diaz joining us now live.

Congratulations on this new book.

Barbara, I'll start with you. We know Hezbollah operates in Lebanon. We know it operates in the Middle East. But what you've documented in this book that it's already operating right here in the United States.

BARBARA NEWMAN, AUTHOR, "LIGHTING OUT OF LEBANON: In the United States, all around the world -- in Latin America, in Canada. Last week the head of the CIA and the FBI said to Congress, if Hezbollah wants to, they can strike us anywhere, anytime.

BLITZER: So they have sleeper cells in the United States, is that what you're saying?

NEWMAN: Yes, they have -- we were able to confirm through many sources, you know, nobody hands you a list in law enforcement or intelligence, 14 cities. But we know as of very recently, there were 100 cases open on Hezbollah. They've been here since the '80s.

BLITZER: The state department says Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, sufficiently been branded a terrorist organization. But it is a political party in Lebanon. They have all sorts of social services. They do. It's not simply a terrorist organization, which complicates this entire situation.

TOM DIAZ, "LIGHTNING OUT OF LEBANON": Well, it does complicate the situation, except if you think there are many terrorist sponsor nations, they provide services; Saddam Hussein provided services to his people. It doesn't change the basic nature of the organization.

And there's another important point -- every bit of support, whether it's funding, training, or materiel that goes to Hezbollah, the organization, is what they call fungible. If I send $5 to Hezbollah, all $5 of that can be used to buy arms, if they choose to do. And Hassan Nazarala (ph), the secretary-general, has said publicly we decide where the money, where the support goes. So you can't change a leopard's spots. It is a terrorist organization.

BLITZER: The suspicion has always been that Iran and Syria fund Hezbollah.

DIAZ: Well, the suspicion about Iran has been so well documented that that's just really accepted in the anti-terror community as fact. Iran funds Hezbollah. And Hezbollah incidentally in recent days, according to intelligence services, is funding much of the terrorism in and around Israel. So, Hezbollah is a surrogate for Iran in much of the terror activity.

BLITZER: There were all sorts of charitable organizations in the United States that raised money for Hezbollah, but I take it that those have all been shut down by the federal government.

NEWMAN: Well, that's a criminal law now, aiding and abetting a criminal organization. But when you talk about this, dent forget Hamas has the same situation of charitable organizations, who -- as a front. I mean, not just as a front, politically to get in with the local populous. But they use an awful lot of these for weapons of death.

BLITZER: Is there any evidence that Hezbollah has ever undertaken a terrorist action inside the United States?

NEWMAN: No, there isn't evidence of that, but there is evidence that they're able to do it if called to do so.

BLITZER: But you disagree?

DIAZ: No, it's not that I disagree; I would just qualify it. There was a point at which there was evidence that there was a Hezbollah team coming in to the United States to assassinate former national security adviser Anthony "Tony" Lake. The government took that so seriously that they moved him from his home into Blair House across from the White House. Now that didn't develop. No such team was ever taken.

But as Barbara points out, the people we talked to, and I don't think frightened is too strong a word, are really concerned that Hezbollah could do something really bad. They did it in Argentina very easily, reached across the ocean, two disastrous bombings in 1992 and 1994. At least one expert I talked to on the Hill said that wasn't only a message to Israel, that's a message to the United States, if we want to do it here, we can do it.

BLITZER: That was a Jewish community center.

NEWMAN: And the Israeli embassy.

BLITZER: And the Israeli embassy.

Tony Lake was the national security adviser in the first term of the Clinton administration.

Well, why haven't they done it in the United States? If they're that well organized. If they've got the motive. They certainly do it in other parts of the world. Why do you suspect, Barbara, that it hasn't occurred here? They're plenty of soft targets, as you well know, in the United States.

NEWMAN: Yes, but they're that disciplined. They're that good in intelligence. And they haven't felt it's worth the consequences yet.

Now, the destabilization of Lebanon is dangerous for us, because Hezbollah says they will not disarm. It's the only armed group in Lebanon. If Syria leaves, what will happen to them? Your recent guest who was here was talking about that.

BLITZER: David Ignatius from "The Washington Post."

NEWMAN: Yes, he said it's a loose cannon, but it's a very, very virulent loose cannon.

BLITZER: But why do you think, Tom, that Hezbollah has not undertaken a terror operation? Al Qaeda certainly has. And Hezbollah and Al Qaeda are two separate groups, although there may be some informal connections.

DIAZ: Well, I agree entirely with Barbara that the stakes have to be high enough that not only Hezbollah, but its parents, Iran and Syria, have to agree, we're going to do this strike.

But I also think they we have to give credit to our counter- terror and law enforcement forces. We saw the work that the FBI did on the case we focused on primarily, which is a cell in Charlotte, North Carolina. The strategy now is not necessarily to prosecute every case, but to disrupt, deport, and prosecute if you can. And I think we need to give our forces credit for having disrupted things here.

BLITZER: All right, Tom Diaz and Barbara Newman have a new book entitled "Lightning out of Lebanon." Thanks very much for joining us. Pretty frightening material, Hezbollah terrorists on American soil.

NEWMAN: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much.

And I'll be back later today, every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern for "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." What will NATO's role be in a post-war Iraq? I'll speak with NATO supreme allied commander General James Jones. He'll join me 5:00 p.m. Eastern today.

Until then, thanks very much for watching NEWS FROM CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

"LIVE FROM" with Kyra Phillips and Miles O'Brien, they're standing by to pick up our coverage, right after a short break.

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