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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Federal Judge Hears Terri Schiavo Case; Several Causes Pushing Gas Prices Higher

Aired March 21, 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, from the Persian Gulf: two years after the war began, U.S. troops get ready to enter Iraq. And this time, they're coming in with new gear and new training to protect them from the still deadly enemy.
Stand by for hard news on a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Dawn over Kuwait. We take you aboard a Black Hawk helicopter heading toward Iraq, 500 feet above the Highway of Death.

Back in action. He lost a foot in battle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I ran over an anti-tank mine, and my leg was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). In November I ran a marathon.

BLITZER: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ran the New York marathon.

BLITZER: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then wrote a book in the meantime. So I've been a busy guy.

BLITZER: Now he's headed back to Iraq. I'll speak with Army captain and author David Rozelle.

Protecting the troops. Upgrading the armor. But is it enough?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The doors are armored. We have ballistic glass here, as well.

BLITZER: I'll talk to soldiers who survived roadside bombings. Now they're returning to Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. It's been a remarkable day here in Kuwait. And what you just saw is the half of it.

We also visited what could be called the world's biggest truck stop. Kuwait's Camp Navistar, the staging area for military convoys heading into Iraq.

But first, let's go to Judy Woodruff back in Washington for a look at what's in the news right now.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CO-HOST: Thank you, Wolf.

Right now the fate of Terri Schiavo rests with a federal judge in Tampa Florida. After gaining jurisdiction through a very unusual act of Congress, this judge must now decide whether to order the severely brain damaged woman's feeding tube reinserted, as her parents wish, or whether she should be allowed to die, as her husband says she would want.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is still inside the federal district courtroom in Tampa. She will be joining us live with an update as soon as this session of court ends.

As we've been reporting, this latest round of legal wrangling over Schiavo's fate is the result of a very unusual congressional intervention. Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is here with the very latest.

Hello, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, it's very rare for Congress, as you know, to work on Sunday. So it was an extraordinary act for the House to pass emergency legislation on Palm Sunday in the middle of the night to put Ms. Schiavo's case into federal court.

That's why House Republicans are now expressing real bitterness and anger today that U.S. District Judge James Whittemore did not set a hearing on this case until this afternoon. One senior GOP aide in the House telling CNN there's, quote, "general frustration that this woman is dying and we have a judge sitting on his hands."

Another top Republican aide noted the judge should have moved quicker, especially since President Bush had traveled halfway across the country yesterday just to sign this into law after 1 a.m.

Early this morning, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was on the House floor, saying every single moment counts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM DELAY (R), TEXAS: A young woman in Florida is being dehydrated and starved to death. For 58 long hours, her mouth has been parched, and her -- and her hunger pains have been throbbing. If we do not act, she will die of thirst. However, helpless, Mr. Speaker, she is alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HENRY: Top Republicans say this legislation was motivated by that very principle, the sanctity of life. But Democrats insist otherwise, pointing to a leaked Republican memo, touting the idea that this legislation would rally the conservative base, heading into the 2006 elections.

Here's Democratic Congressman John Lewis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: This is demagoguery. This is a step in where we have no business. This is walking where angels fear to tread. We are playing with a young woman's life for the sake of politics. This is not about values. This is not about religion. It is purely for political gain with the next election in mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Republicans have disavowed those talking points that leaked out over the weekend. And they say polls and politics do not matter here. They say they believe they just did the right thing and that's all that matters -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Ed Henry. Thank you very much.

We want to report that the Associated Press is saying that the case -- or rather the hearing before the federal district judge in Tampa, that that hearing has now concluded, that the judge has already said, Judge James Whittemore, the federal judge, has said he would not issue an immediate ruling.

Joining me now here in the Washington studio, Jonathan Turley. He is a law professor at George Washington University.

Professor Turley, what does that say to you?

JONATHAN TURLEY, LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Well, this is a judge that has a reputation for being very careful, very cautious. And he's also viewed as someone that is middle of the road, that he's -- he's not viewed as an unpredictable judge.

And what it suggests is that this judge is not going to be rushed into anything. And that was really conveyed to Congress by the timing of the hearing. He did not seem like he was in great hurry.

And I think that judges overall don't like to see these types of interventions. It goes against the grain of a federal judge to see Congress intervening in a case and then changing jurisdiction for a single family dispute.

WOODRUFF: Well, there are critics, Republicans, who are already saying today that the judge is making a big mistake by not moving more quickly to schedule this hearing and presumably by moving quickly to order at least a temporary reinsertion of that feeding tube.

TURLEY: That's right. And you see this political rhetoric of justice delayed, justice denied type of argument coming out.

I think what this judge is saying is that he first has to look at this law. You know, there's a threshold decision that has to be made: is this a valid law? This judge could well conclude that this is facially unconstitutional, that Congress has no authority to go into a state area and to change the dimensions in this way. If that's his conclusion, then he's unlikely to issue an order reinstating the tube.

WOODRUFF: Now, what we know is that, when he opened this hearing a little after 3 p.m. Eastern, he said, "I'm going to give 30 minutes to the attorneys for each side," first to the Schindler's, who are the parents of Terri Schiavo, and then to the attorney for Michael Schiavo, the husband. It went on longer than one hour. So presumably there were questions, there was argument back and forth.

TURLEY: Right. This is typical. All of us have been in this position. You're given 30 minutes, and it goes for three hours. And believe me, you turn in the wind as they question you.

And I think that this reflects this judge's style. He's a very, very cautious jurist by reputation, and he's not likely to respond to Congress, at least calls for him to move quickly, when he believes that there's still underlying legal questions to be answered.

First, he has to satisfy himself that this law is valid. And then he's got to satisfy himself as to what the -- the sort of interim decision should be made.

WOODRUFF: Well, and -- and perhaps if he gets past the point of saying it is constitutional, the important decision he has to make is have Terri Schiavo's righting been violated?

TURLEY: That's right. But, you know, the interim choice for the judge is should I go ahead and stabilize the case? And in this case, stabilize the patient?

A lot of judges would be inclined to do that. But that's a very important political element to the case. Once the tube is reinstated, you develop a psychological barrier and a political barrier for its eventual removal.

WOODRUFF: All right. We are going to talk right now to our correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. She has been in that federal courthouse inside the hearing room in Tampa, Florida.

Elizabeth, please share with us what you've heard.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Judy, Judge James Whittemore says that he will not be issuing a decision right now. He heard from both sides. Both sides spoke for about 45 minutes. And the judge said, "I will render a decision, but I not tell you when. I will not tell you in how much time." And that is how he left it.

The arguments were the arguments -- the arguments that have been heard before. The judge who supports the Schindler family said that, by withholding food and nutrition that Terri Schiavo, who was brought up Catholic, was being denied her religious rights as a Catholic.

And however, the other side, the lawyers for Michael Schiavo, said that more important than her religious rights was her intention, was what she would have wanted if she could voice her opinion. And they said that, in various circumstances, when watching movies about this kind of life and death decisions, when relatives were very ill and were kept alive on life support, they said she made her intentions clear that she did not want to be kept alive that way -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Elizabeth, was there discussion on the part of the Schindler family, Terri Schiavo's parents, that attorney, that -- about the urgency of getting this feeding tube reinserted?

COHEN: Oh, yes. He talked about that quite a bit. He used the word "urgency" many, many times, Judy. He said she is dehydrating and is starving as we speak, as we stand here. This decision needs to be made very, very quickly. That's a paraphrase of what he told the judge.

And then it was interesting, because the judge on the other side said, look, the last time you took her feeding tube out, she was just -- in 2003, she survived for six days without food and without water and she recovered fine. So he was trying to say we're now in the beginning of day four and he said yes, that there is some urgency. It is a matter of days, though. He said it's not a matter of minutes, of doing it right now at this very minute.

WOODRUFF: And Elizabeth, one last thing. The judge is saying he will not make a decision immediately, and he wouldn't say when we'll hear about the decision. But could you tell anything from the questions the judge asked as to what he was curious about, what he was most interested in?

COHEN: One thing that I noticed that he was very interested in hearing from the Schindler's lawyer, is when the -- when that lawyer, Mr. Gibbs, kept talking about how her rights had been denied, that Terri Schiavo's right to due process has been denied, he said, "Give me some case law. Give me some other examples of where this has happened and what courts decided."

And it appeared that there really wasn't case law that -- that directed to that question. And he asked that repeatedly and seemed like he really wanted an answer to that question. So from that -- from that, that was how he spent a lot of his time as he was questioning the lawyers.

WOODRUFF: All right. Very interesting. And inside the courtroom, observer and listener Elizabeth Cohen, CNN correspondent, who was inside the federal courtroom in Tampa, Florida, as Judge James Whittemore heard the arguments, both by the parents of Terri Schiavo's attorney and the attorney for Michael Schiavo, the husband.

And just to reiterate very quickly, the judge has said he will not make an immediate decision. And he would not say when that decision will come down. So, of course, we will continue to monitor this very closely. Thank you very much, Elizabeth. And once again, thank you to Jonathan Turley. And I know we're going to keep you close just in case we do get some kind of announcement in the near term. We appreciate it.

To a different story now and a tragic one. The man authorities say confessed to kidnapping and killing a 9-year-old Florida girl has now been charged with capital murder.

CNN's Sara Dorsey is outside the Citrus County Sheriff's Department office in Inverness, Florida, with some breaking information.

Hi, Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy.

Before we get to those charges against John Couey, we have just learned moments ago how Jessica Marie Lunsford was killed. Now, according to the medical examiner's report, which partially is listed here on the arrest affidavit that we received from the Citrus County sheriff's office, the cause of death to 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was asphyxiation.

Now, the man the sheriff's office says confessed to her murder, John Couey, was also arrested today. A little bit of a formality, because he was already being held in the detention center on unrelated charges.

But now he faces four charges stemming from the abduction of 9- year-old Jessica. And those charges include burglary with battery, kidnapping, sexual battery on a child less than 12 years of age, and capital murder.

As you said, Judy, the charges carry no bond. And formal charges will be following an indictment by a grand jury. Couey will have his first appearance tomorrow in court at about 7:30 in the morning. And CNN, of course, will be following that.

As I told you earlier, John Couey is already in the Citrus County detention center on unrelated charges. Those charges were the ones that allowed the Citrus County sheriff's officers to extradite Couey from Georgia where he was apprehended back here to Florida.

We are told he is being held away from the general population for his own safety, because of the attention this case is getting. We have also learned some disturbing details about how that case happened, one being Couey just walked into the house, grabbed Jessica, put his hand over her mouth and told her to be quiet.

And of course, we will be hearing more, hopefully from John Couey tomorrow, as he makes his first appearance -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Sara Dorsey, thank you very much. More grim details of this terrible story.

Well, it is known as the Highway of Death, a reminder of the first Gulf War. Wolf goes up in a Black Hawk helicopter for a bird's eye view.

Also, he is the first amputee captain to go back to duty in Iraq. He shares his amazing story with Wolf.

And what is fueling skyrocketing gas prices? We'll show you what's behind the pain at the pump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: We began this day before dawn. I was escorted by Brigadier General William Johnson, who took us north on a Black Hawk helicopter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Brigadier General William Johnson is in charge of moving vehicles, equipment, food, water and troops into Iraq.

BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM JOHNSON, U.S. ARMY: I'm in command of some great soldiers. We have convoys that are leaving Kuwait every day and going into Iraq.

BLITZER: On this day, our predawn flight aboard a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter takes us from Kuwait City north to the Iraqi border.

JOHNSON: We're 500 feet above ground.

BLITZER: We fly over the vast Kuwaiti desert. There, the U.S. has established a facility called Navistar. It's less than a mile from Iraq.

JOHNSON: Navistar is what we call the largest truck stop in the world. This is the last convoy support center that we have in Kuwait before crossing into Iraq.

BLITZER: They call it the Iraqi Express, a 30-vehicle convoy preparing for the dangerous drive through Iraq.

JOHNSON: There are attacks every day in some place in Iraq. Our attacks are much more infrequent than a lot of the other alternate supply routes that are throughout Iraq. Since the elections, there has been a decrease in attacks on convoys and attacks in general.

BLITZER: Staff Sergeant Wendy Ordway commands today's convoy and briefs her troops.

STAFF SGT. WENDY ORDWAY, U.S. ARMY: Enemy situations today. As you guys well know, stuff's getting a little hot and heavy down range.

BLITZER: Shortly after the briefing, the civilian trucks marry up with the military vehicles and head north, crossing the border for the dangerous drive into Iraq.

(on camera) In northern Kuwait, a stark reminder of what the United States has been doing for a decade and a half to protect the small state of Kuwait. It's called the Highway of Death.

(voice-over) That's the route taken by Iraqi army units as they fled toward the Iraqi city of Basra near the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. Allied aircraft knocked out vehicles at the front and rear of the column, then attacked those trapped in between. Some 2,000 vehicles were destroyed and thousands of Iraqi troops killed.

The trail of devastation remains to this day, mute testimony to the horror of war.

(on camera) The Kuwaitis remember. They remember all too well. That's why they've left this area intact, to remind everyone what Iraq did way back in 1990.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: When we come back, upgrading armor. We'll take a closer look at what it takes to make sure U.S. troops heading into Iraq are safe. I'll visit the camp where upgrades are being made.

And later, back in action. An Army captain returns to active duty in Iraq after losing his right foot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Kuwait City. We have more coverage coming up. Just ahead in our second half hour, a look at what some people call the world's biggest truck stop.

And you've heard about the complaints about insufficient armor on Humvees and other U.S. military vehicles. We'll look at what's being done to improve things.

But right now, let's go back to Washington and CNN's Judy Woodruff -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf.

If you are hoping gas prices will at least stabilize, if not go down soon, don't hold your breath. Analysts are predicting even more sticker shock at the pump in the days ahead.

CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff looks at factors fueling the soaring crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're driving these days, you're shelling out big time for gasoline. We found one station in Malibu, California, charging more than $3 a gallon. AAA says the national average for regular unleaded is now at a record $2.07. Regionally, drivers on the west coast pay the most with gas in Hawaii at $2.44. Drivers in the southwest, on average, pay the least, although New Jersey has the lowest prices of any state, an average of $1.90 a gallon.

The U.S. Department of Energy predicts the national average is heading even higher, up to $2.15 a gallon this spring. Even though there's no shortage of gasoline.

JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA: What you're seeing is a significant amount of speculation as to what might be happening months down the road or years down the road.

CHERNOFF: Crude oil, from which gasoline is refined, has jumped nearly 50 percent in the past year. That accounts for half of the price paid at the pump. Energy traders, who have bid the price up, are focused on growing demand for oil in the expanding economies of the U.S., China and India.

ERIC BOLING, INDEPENDENT ENERGY TRADER: Demand is increasing worldwide and domestically, for that matter continuously, and supply, the ability to bring supply to the market, is stagnant. So that's just causing prices to move up in itself.

CHERNOFF: Oil market analysts and traders list other factors pushing gas prices up. More than a dozen different blends of gasoline required by state environmental laws, making it impossible for many states to share gas supplies.

U.S. refineries are at maximum capacity. And gasoline imports, which account for more than 10 percent of the gas burned in the U.S., are vulnerable to interruption, as happened during last year's strike in Venezuela.

The other key factor pushing gas prices higher is demand from U.S. drivers, which shows no sign of slowing down this summer, even with prices well above $2 a gallon.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: So I guess we're prepared.

When we return, we will head back to Kuwait City and rejoin Wolf Blitzer. He'll bring you the story of American troops' close calls with insurgents in Iraq and the changes in store to protect the armed forces.

Also an amazing comeback for this army captain. He lost his foot in battle and now he's returning to his command.

Plus, does the public agree with President Bush and Congress' new steps to help keep a brain damaged woman alive? We'll get America's take, when this special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

Reporting from Kuwait, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Keeping U.S. troops well supplied is an awesome task. When we come back, we'll show you Camp Navistar, the staging point for convoys going into Iraq.

But, first, Judy Woodruff back in Washington with a quick check of what's in the news right now.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Wolf.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the only person charged in the 9/11 attacks. Zacarias Moussaoui wanted to get testimony from other al Qaeda detainees for his trial. That issue has delayed proceedings for 2 1/2 years.

Back on the bench today, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. It is his first public appearance at the high court since being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last October. He underwent a tracheotomy to help his breathing.

U.S. military officials are reporting a deadly firefight in Iraq between insurgents and military police. The M.P.s were guarding a convoy that came under attack. The military spokesman says 26 insurgents were killed in the gun battle that followed. Three M.P.s were wounded.

That is a look at the headlines. Now back to Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy.

Kuwait is the staging ground for U.S. military convoys moving into Iraq. Earlier, I had a chance to go out to Camp Navistar. That's along the border between Kuwait and Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAFF SGT. WENDY ORDWAY:, U.S. ARMY: Welcome to my convoy briefs this morning. Beautiful morning for this. So, we shouldn't have any problems. Our mission today, if you were wondering, is a 424. We make this a tight ship. We're going to make it happen. And we're going to get everybody back safe.

Piece of cake. No rain is in the forecast, maybe some dust storm a little bit later on today. As you guys well know, the stuff's getting a little hot and heavy downrange, small-arms fire, mortar fire and indirect fire. If you roll on, it should be a piece of cake roll. Not a problem.

BLITZER (on camera): You drop off your stuff and you bring stuff back.

ORDWAY: Roger. Yes.

BLITZER: Are you scared?

ORDWAY: No.

BLITZER: Are you nervous?

ORDWAY: It's all about the soldiers.

BLITZER (voice-over): There's been a lot of controversy about military armor in the Iraq war. The Pentagon is working to make sure that all Humvees and other vehicles heading into Iraq are well protected with armor. Last December 8, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld met with U.S. troops in Kuwait.

At that town hall meeting, one soldier complained of a lack of armor, noting he had to scrounge through junkyards in Kuwait searching for armor for his vehicle. There was a huge uproar back home. Now the U.S. Army is working around the clock to make sure all U.S. vehicles that go into Iraq have armor. This is what they're doing at Camp Arifjan. Brigadier General Kevin Leonard leads the mission.

BRIG. GEN. KEVIN LEONARD, U.S. ARMY: What we're doing here is up-armoring, if you will, the trucks that belong to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

BLITZER (on camera): Now, up-armoring means you're putting armor on trucks or Humvees or whatever.

LEONARD: Right. We're improving that capability of that vehicle to withstand an improvised explosive device or small-arms attack.

Here is an original FMTV. It is regular glass, just like any old truck. It's regular doors, nothing exceptional about it. It's a truck.

BLITZER: So, this is not armor?

LEONARD: This is not armor.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: ... soft.

LEONARD: It is soft-skinned vehicles. And so the threat environment we have got here, we have said, OK, what do we got to do about this threat? We've got to armor our trucks and keep our people alive. How are we going to do that? And then we get to things like this cab. The next phase would be like here where we've stripped this down, as I told you.

BLITZER: You really take this off.

LEONARD: This comes completely off. And we end up with something that looks like this, with the hoses and couplings ready to go.

And then, there's a picture of the kit here. And we put that on the cab. We lower it on. While we're doing that, all these connectivities or connections are made, set it back down, hook it back all up together. And about 12 hours later, you have got an armored cab that is what we call level two, but in this case, it is 360-degree protection.

BLITZER: Right now, you can categorically say no U.S. military vehicle is moving into Iraq without armor?

LEONARD: Without some form of armor, either level three hardening or above. It is certainly not driving into Iraq that way. And then I can also say that, while they're in Iraq, nothing goes forward of a forward operating base without some sort of armor on, level three or above.

BLITZER: So you're moving on that?

LEONARD: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Because this will save lives.

LEONARD: Yes, sir, it does.

BLITZER (voice-over): Is it a critical mission for General Leonard, who knows all too well the dangers his troops face. Here are some of their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our gunner just leaned over and pieces of shrapnel hit the turret right where his head was. Right before the blast, he leaned over. And, after it went off, I was fine. I looked over toward my driver, saw that he was fine. Our gunner was just kind of hanging in the turret. And we thought he was hit. So, we shook him to make sure he was OK. Turned out he was OK. After that, it was a big relief.

BLITZER (on camera): So he wasn't hurt at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.

BLITZER: Are you ready to go back?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I have to go back.

BLITZER: I know. But are you ready? Are you anxious to do it or you don't want to do it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General Leonard promised me another truck. So, as soon as that's ready, I'm ready.

SGT. HERBERT KAYLEN, U.S. ARMY: I'm looking forward to the next trip up.

BLITZER: You are?

KAYLEN: Yes, I am.

BLITZER: Why are you looking forward to it?

KAYLEN: We came here to do a job, sir. And, by God, we're going to get out and do that job again. I'm not going to let something like an IED or any kind of enemy interference or enemy attack interfere with the performance of those duties.

BLITZER: You have got to be scared, though?

KAYLEN: A little bit. It's in the back of your mind. But I put those fears aside and carry on with my mission. I have people to look out for and equipment to take care of and a job to do.

BLITZER: Well, good luck to you.

KAYLEN: Well, thank you, sir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: When we come back, he's back in action, a soldier who lost his foot to a land mine in Iraq now about to return to active duty. He shares his story with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. Army Captain David Rozelle lost his right foot in Iraq about two years ago. But that's not stopping him from heading back to Iraq. Now he's getting ready for exactly that move. I spoke to him earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're here with Captain David Rozelle, who has got an incredibly powerful story that he's talked about often and he's written about as well.

You have got a new book that's doing very well.

CAPT. DAVID ROZELLE, U.S. ARMY: That's right, "Back in Action."

BLITZER: And what does that mean, back in action, to our viewers who aren't familiar with your story?

ROZELLE: The last time I was part of this war, I was a cavalry troop commander, as I am now, with the 3rd Army Cavalry regiment in a place called Hit, Iraq, where I was leading convoy to teach the first police academy. And I ran over an anti-tank mine in my light-skinned Humvee.

BLITZER: And so what happened?

ROZELLE: Well, when the initial blast went off, I didn't know what happened. Those things are so sudden, you really have no idea.

And it is hard to describe in a few sentences what felt like a lifetime. But, basically, it was a few moments of frustration and confusion, immediately followed by a sense of relief and a sense that I realized that I was alive. And I went to pull myself free with my right foot. And that's when I realized that my right foot was injured, because it wasn't giving me any push. And I looked down and saw blood and bones coming out of my boot. So, I realized that I was definitely in trouble at that point.

BLITZER: All right, so flash forward. You're taken to a hospital eventually.

ROZELLE: Actually, very rapidly. We were much better about getting -- that's why we have so many amputees surviving, because I was in an operating room within an hour and a half to two hours, and then to Walter Reed -- or to Landstuhl within four or five days and Walter Reed within two weeks.

And then, just as I had a rapid evacuation back to do my final surgeries in July, I was skiing by December and running by February. And, in March, the Army found me fit for duty. And, by June, I took command again. The war is actually sort of a break for me. I've been so busy in the last two years. And now I get to just focus on commanding soldiers and training troops and leading from the front.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: You're heading back into Iraq?

ROZELLE: In a matter of days.

BLITZER: You didn't have to do this. It's pretty unusual for soldiers, amputees to go back into a combat zone.

ROZELLE: I'm the first. I'm the first from this war to go back and command troops. And, so far as I know, I'm the first to do it in our history. So...

BLITZER: This is a new policy, because, in the old days, that would have never happened.

ROZELLE: That's right.

They just expected me to get out initially. And then, once I told the Army I was interested in staying in, they became interested. And so, I've been sort of a project, I guess, to see what it takes and what conditions that amputees can live under.

BLITZER: So, what does it take? What's different now, as opposed to then?

ROZELLE: It is actually really hard to tell what's different now than then, because I'm in much better shape now.

I have completely focused myself on being stronger and smarter. And, because of all the physical activity that I've done and all the sports rehabilitation, I'm actually much fitter in a lot of ways. There's a little bit of hindrance, I admit, especially in this kind of terrain, with sand and rocks. Just for -- just for you to walk is difficult. It is even more difficult for an amputee.

So, conducting operations, I have to consider things more like what condition is my stump in, and being able to change my stump socks and things like that, which is all pretty easy. And you just become adaptive. It is like anything. Learning to shower again was hard at first. So, it is going to take a few months, but I'll figure this thing out.

BLITZER: And you are committed to keeping this career in the Army?

ROZELLE: As long as I can continue to do and serve like I am, then I'll continue to serve.

BLITZER: The troops you command, they know you're an amputee?

ROZELLE: Oh, yes. Sometimes, I surprise them. I'll show up to P.T. formation and challenge them to a run. And that gets them interested. And then they see me day-to-day. And, hopefully, I inspire them.

BLITZER: And you want to go work eventually with some other amputees.

ROZELLE: That's right. I actually have a great job. You know, if I get up here and do well, they're going to send me back to Walter Reed to be the program manager for the new amputee center which they're building, which should open some time in the fall.

And I'm looking forward to getting back and basically just continuing to command, helping my fellow amputees make decisions on whether or not they want to go back and contribute in civilian life or continue to serve. And I can be a role model for them.

BLITZER: David Rozelle, you're a role model for a lot of people.

ROZELLE: Thank you. Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Thanks for your good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Boy, he's an inspiration to all of us. That was Wolf interviewing Captain David Rozelle a little earlier.

The reason you heard some static during the interview was because of radio interference in the field where they were videotaping.

WOODRUFF: Coming up, reaction to today's dramatic developments surrounding Terri Schiavo, the case sparking renewed debate across the nation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: More now on the developing story of Terri Schiavo. And this little bit of information from the federal court hearing in Tampa, Florida. We are told that the judge told the attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents he was not completely sold on an argument that that attorney was making. He said -- quote -- "I think you would be hard-pressed to convince me that you have a substantial likelihood of the parents' lawsuit succeeding." So, that little bit of information sounding somewhat negative toward the parents' case. But, again, this is very early, very preliminary.

In any event, the Schiavo case has struck a nerve with Americans on all sides of the right to die and right to life issues.

CNN's Mary Snow is standing in New York with more on what people are saying -- hi, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Judy.

And there certainly is a political divide. And whether it is on blogs, on the Web, radio talk shows or even people on the street, the debate over Terri SCHNEIDER: has really hit home for many Americans from coast to coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): From protesters to politicians, the fate of Terri Schiavo seems to have sparked a polarizing debate across the country. In Tallahassee, a vigil outside the Florida governor's mansion, organized by Randall Terry, the founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. Demonstrators called on the government to get the feeding tube reinserted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely inhumane. We wouldn't do this to an animal or a death row criminal.

SNOW: In Chicago...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your thoughts on the Terri Schiavo case.

SNOW: ... talk radio station WGN says its phones have been ringing off the hook, with callers having something to say about Schiavo's case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to tell you what I think. This whole thing is political. And I think it's disgusting to use this poor woman in this political fight.

ROZELLE: In Florence, Alabama, Sherry Fowler (ph) knows the debate all too well. Her daughter Darlene (ph) has been using a feeding tube for 19 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think each case is really individually based. In this situation, I can't see removing the feeding tube where there's life, and I really think that this case should be based on her right to live and not her right to die.

SNOW: In Los Angeles, we ran into a 34-year-old father names Carlos Jones (ph), who got interested in the Schiavo case when Congress did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as I heard that the government was getting involved, I've been watching it since Friday, Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night. And what I feel that's going on is unheard of.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do feel for both sides. If I was there, I think I would want to go. But I understand how her parents feel. And so I'm just ambiguous about it.

SNOW: In New York, as in Los Angeles, divided opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think, in terms of personal economy, it's kind of frightening that Congress would get involved in this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm glad they got involved because I don't believe it should be in the hands of the husband.

SNOW: One thing that many people do seem to agree on is the need for a living will, like this woman, whose mother is 91.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mother and even myself, we've already prepared ourselves by having legal papers for this and making this like a living will thing. And I think a lot of Americans, just for some reason, haven't dealt with that. And I think you have to do it. It is just like buying insurance for anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: One nonprofit group in Florida, Aging With Dignity, it's a group that provides living will documents, it says it has seen a dramatic rise in calls today. It says, on average, it usually gets about 100 calls a day. Today, that number is closer to 1,000 -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Mary Snow reporting for us, thank you very much, Mary.

Well, we can get an even more exact idea of what Americans think about the Schiavo case from new public opinion polls.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here with the hard numbers.

Hi, Bill.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Judy.

Well, the numbers are out, and there are indications here that Americans are not happy with what Congress did.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Polls show public opinion pretty one- sided in the Terri Schiavo case. And that side is against what Congress and President Bush did early Monday morning. An ABC News poll taken on Sunday asked Americans how they feel about the bill Congress passed and President Bush signed requiring a federal court review of the Schiavo case; 60 percent of Americans oppose it. In fact, 70 percent believe it was not appropriate for Congress to get involved in the Schiavo case at all.

Supporters of the bill claim their intervention was not motivated by politics.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It has nothing to do with politics, and it's disgusting to even suggest it.

SCHNEIDER: The House majority leader is going to be pretty disgusted with the American people, because two-thirds of them say political leaders who are trying to keep Ms. Schiavo alive are not primarily concerned about her welfare and the principles involved. Their main concern, people feel, is political advantage.

How can politicians be politically motivated if they're doing the unpopular thing? Those who favor government intervention to save Terri Schiavo may be in the minority, but they seem to be intensely motivated.

REP. DAVE WELDON (R), FLORIDA: The reason I got engaged is, I have a lot of my constituents calling me and writing me expressing some grave concerns that this was a miscarriage of justice.

SCHNEIDER: In this case, intensity matters more than numbers. House Republicans, who voted overwhelmingly for the measure, are concerned about facing a conservative primary opponent. Democrats who showed up to vote were divided. They worry about facing an opponent who charges, you voted to kill Terri Schiavo, which is precisely what the House majority leader hinted could happen.

DELAY: The few remaining objecting House Democrats have so far cost Mrs. Schiavo two meals already today.

SCHNEIDER: Statements like that lead many Democrats to conclude.

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: This is not about values. This is not about religion. It is pandering for political gain, with the next election in mind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Nearly half of all Americans say they have discussed with friends and family members what they would want done if they found themselves in Terri Schiavo's situation.

And, as Mary Snow just reported, the living will business is bound to pick up as a result of this story -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And, Bill, it seems to me that another lesson out of this is a reminder that, no matter, as you said, if many people hold an opinion, if they're not invested in that opinion, if they're not out there blogging about it or protesting about it, feeling intensely, then it may not matter politically. SCHNEIDER: Exactly right. Members of Congress respond not just to numbers, poll numbers. They respond to intensity, to e-mails, to letters, to telephone calls. If they have a sense that there's a constituency out there that will vote this issue, even if they're smaller in numbers than those on the other side, they're going to respond to the intense constituency.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you very much.

And a final word from Wolf in Kuwait City when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: That it for tonight's special coverage from Kuwait. Tomorrow, I'll head out to a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf.

For Judy Woodruff, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

"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 March 21, 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, from the Persian Gulf: two years after the war began, U.S. troops get ready to enter Iraq. And this time, they're coming in with new gear and new training to protect them from the still deadly enemy.
Stand by for hard news on a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Dawn over Kuwait. We take you aboard a Black Hawk helicopter heading toward Iraq, 500 feet above the Highway of Death.

Back in action. He lost a foot in battle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I ran over an anti-tank mine, and my leg was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). In November I ran a marathon.

BLITZER: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ran the New York marathon.

BLITZER: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then wrote a book in the meantime. So I've been a busy guy.

BLITZER: Now he's headed back to Iraq. I'll speak with Army captain and author David Rozelle.

Protecting the troops. Upgrading the armor. But is it enough?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The doors are armored. We have ballistic glass here, as well.

BLITZER: I'll talk to soldiers who survived roadside bombings. Now they're returning to Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. It's been a remarkable day here in Kuwait. And what you just saw is the half of it.

We also visited what could be called the world's biggest truck stop. Kuwait's Camp Navistar, the staging area for military convoys heading into Iraq.

But first, let's go to Judy Woodruff back in Washington for a look at what's in the news right now.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CO-HOST: Thank you, Wolf.

Right now the fate of Terri Schiavo rests with a federal judge in Tampa Florida. After gaining jurisdiction through a very unusual act of Congress, this judge must now decide whether to order the severely brain damaged woman's feeding tube reinserted, as her parents wish, or whether she should be allowed to die, as her husband says she would want.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is still inside the federal district courtroom in Tampa. She will be joining us live with an update as soon as this session of court ends.

As we've been reporting, this latest round of legal wrangling over Schiavo's fate is the result of a very unusual congressional intervention. Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is here with the very latest.

Hello, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, it's very rare for Congress, as you know, to work on Sunday. So it was an extraordinary act for the House to pass emergency legislation on Palm Sunday in the middle of the night to put Ms. Schiavo's case into federal court.

That's why House Republicans are now expressing real bitterness and anger today that U.S. District Judge James Whittemore did not set a hearing on this case until this afternoon. One senior GOP aide in the House telling CNN there's, quote, "general frustration that this woman is dying and we have a judge sitting on his hands."

Another top Republican aide noted the judge should have moved quicker, especially since President Bush had traveled halfway across the country yesterday just to sign this into law after 1 a.m.

Early this morning, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was on the House floor, saying every single moment counts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TOM DELAY (R), TEXAS: A young woman in Florida is being dehydrated and starved to death. For 58 long hours, her mouth has been parched, and her -- and her hunger pains have been throbbing. If we do not act, she will die of thirst. However, helpless, Mr. Speaker, she is alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HENRY: Top Republicans say this legislation was motivated by that very principle, the sanctity of life. But Democrats insist otherwise, pointing to a leaked Republican memo, touting the idea that this legislation would rally the conservative base, heading into the 2006 elections.

Here's Democratic Congressman John Lewis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: This is demagoguery. This is a step in where we have no business. This is walking where angels fear to tread. We are playing with a young woman's life for the sake of politics. This is not about values. This is not about religion. It is purely for political gain with the next election in mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Republicans have disavowed those talking points that leaked out over the weekend. And they say polls and politics do not matter here. They say they believe they just did the right thing and that's all that matters -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Ed Henry. Thank you very much.

We want to report that the Associated Press is saying that the case -- or rather the hearing before the federal district judge in Tampa, that that hearing has now concluded, that the judge has already said, Judge James Whittemore, the federal judge, has said he would not issue an immediate ruling.

Joining me now here in the Washington studio, Jonathan Turley. He is a law professor at George Washington University.

Professor Turley, what does that say to you?

JONATHAN TURLEY, LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Well, this is a judge that has a reputation for being very careful, very cautious. And he's also viewed as someone that is middle of the road, that he's -- he's not viewed as an unpredictable judge.

And what it suggests is that this judge is not going to be rushed into anything. And that was really conveyed to Congress by the timing of the hearing. He did not seem like he was in great hurry.

And I think that judges overall don't like to see these types of interventions. It goes against the grain of a federal judge to see Congress intervening in a case and then changing jurisdiction for a single family dispute.

WOODRUFF: Well, there are critics, Republicans, who are already saying today that the judge is making a big mistake by not moving more quickly to schedule this hearing and presumably by moving quickly to order at least a temporary reinsertion of that feeding tube.

TURLEY: That's right. And you see this political rhetoric of justice delayed, justice denied type of argument coming out.

I think what this judge is saying is that he first has to look at this law. You know, there's a threshold decision that has to be made: is this a valid law? This judge could well conclude that this is facially unconstitutional, that Congress has no authority to go into a state area and to change the dimensions in this way. If that's his conclusion, then he's unlikely to issue an order reinstating the tube.

WOODRUFF: Now, what we know is that, when he opened this hearing a little after 3 p.m. Eastern, he said, "I'm going to give 30 minutes to the attorneys for each side," first to the Schindler's, who are the parents of Terri Schiavo, and then to the attorney for Michael Schiavo, the husband. It went on longer than one hour. So presumably there were questions, there was argument back and forth.

TURLEY: Right. This is typical. All of us have been in this position. You're given 30 minutes, and it goes for three hours. And believe me, you turn in the wind as they question you.

And I think that this reflects this judge's style. He's a very, very cautious jurist by reputation, and he's not likely to respond to Congress, at least calls for him to move quickly, when he believes that there's still underlying legal questions to be answered.

First, he has to satisfy himself that this law is valid. And then he's got to satisfy himself as to what the -- the sort of interim decision should be made.

WOODRUFF: Well, and -- and perhaps if he gets past the point of saying it is constitutional, the important decision he has to make is have Terri Schiavo's righting been violated?

TURLEY: That's right. But, you know, the interim choice for the judge is should I go ahead and stabilize the case? And in this case, stabilize the patient?

A lot of judges would be inclined to do that. But that's a very important political element to the case. Once the tube is reinstated, you develop a psychological barrier and a political barrier for its eventual removal.

WOODRUFF: All right. We are going to talk right now to our correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. She has been in that federal courthouse inside the hearing room in Tampa, Florida.

Elizabeth, please share with us what you've heard.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Judy, Judge James Whittemore says that he will not be issuing a decision right now. He heard from both sides. Both sides spoke for about 45 minutes. And the judge said, "I will render a decision, but I not tell you when. I will not tell you in how much time." And that is how he left it.

The arguments were the arguments -- the arguments that have been heard before. The judge who supports the Schindler family said that, by withholding food and nutrition that Terri Schiavo, who was brought up Catholic, was being denied her religious rights as a Catholic.

And however, the other side, the lawyers for Michael Schiavo, said that more important than her religious rights was her intention, was what she would have wanted if she could voice her opinion. And they said that, in various circumstances, when watching movies about this kind of life and death decisions, when relatives were very ill and were kept alive on life support, they said she made her intentions clear that she did not want to be kept alive that way -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Elizabeth, was there discussion on the part of the Schindler family, Terri Schiavo's parents, that attorney, that -- about the urgency of getting this feeding tube reinserted?

COHEN: Oh, yes. He talked about that quite a bit. He used the word "urgency" many, many times, Judy. He said she is dehydrating and is starving as we speak, as we stand here. This decision needs to be made very, very quickly. That's a paraphrase of what he told the judge.

And then it was interesting, because the judge on the other side said, look, the last time you took her feeding tube out, she was just -- in 2003, she survived for six days without food and without water and she recovered fine. So he was trying to say we're now in the beginning of day four and he said yes, that there is some urgency. It is a matter of days, though. He said it's not a matter of minutes, of doing it right now at this very minute.

WOODRUFF: And Elizabeth, one last thing. The judge is saying he will not make a decision immediately, and he wouldn't say when we'll hear about the decision. But could you tell anything from the questions the judge asked as to what he was curious about, what he was most interested in?

COHEN: One thing that I noticed that he was very interested in hearing from the Schindler's lawyer, is when the -- when that lawyer, Mr. Gibbs, kept talking about how her rights had been denied, that Terri Schiavo's right to due process has been denied, he said, "Give me some case law. Give me some other examples of where this has happened and what courts decided."

And it appeared that there really wasn't case law that -- that directed to that question. And he asked that repeatedly and seemed like he really wanted an answer to that question. So from that -- from that, that was how he spent a lot of his time as he was questioning the lawyers.

WOODRUFF: All right. Very interesting. And inside the courtroom, observer and listener Elizabeth Cohen, CNN correspondent, who was inside the federal courtroom in Tampa, Florida, as Judge James Whittemore heard the arguments, both by the parents of Terri Schiavo's attorney and the attorney for Michael Schiavo, the husband.

And just to reiterate very quickly, the judge has said he will not make an immediate decision. And he would not say when that decision will come down. So, of course, we will continue to monitor this very closely. Thank you very much, Elizabeth. And once again, thank you to Jonathan Turley. And I know we're going to keep you close just in case we do get some kind of announcement in the near term. We appreciate it.

To a different story now and a tragic one. The man authorities say confessed to kidnapping and killing a 9-year-old Florida girl has now been charged with capital murder.

CNN's Sara Dorsey is outside the Citrus County Sheriff's Department office in Inverness, Florida, with some breaking information.

Hi, Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy.

Before we get to those charges against John Couey, we have just learned moments ago how Jessica Marie Lunsford was killed. Now, according to the medical examiner's report, which partially is listed here on the arrest affidavit that we received from the Citrus County sheriff's office, the cause of death to 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was asphyxiation.

Now, the man the sheriff's office says confessed to her murder, John Couey, was also arrested today. A little bit of a formality, because he was already being held in the detention center on unrelated charges.

But now he faces four charges stemming from the abduction of 9- year-old Jessica. And those charges include burglary with battery, kidnapping, sexual battery on a child less than 12 years of age, and capital murder.

As you said, Judy, the charges carry no bond. And formal charges will be following an indictment by a grand jury. Couey will have his first appearance tomorrow in court at about 7:30 in the morning. And CNN, of course, will be following that.

As I told you earlier, John Couey is already in the Citrus County detention center on unrelated charges. Those charges were the ones that allowed the Citrus County sheriff's officers to extradite Couey from Georgia where he was apprehended back here to Florida.

We are told he is being held away from the general population for his own safety, because of the attention this case is getting. We have also learned some disturbing details about how that case happened, one being Couey just walked into the house, grabbed Jessica, put his hand over her mouth and told her to be quiet.

And of course, we will be hearing more, hopefully from John Couey tomorrow, as he makes his first appearance -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Sara Dorsey, thank you very much. More grim details of this terrible story.

Well, it is known as the Highway of Death, a reminder of the first Gulf War. Wolf goes up in a Black Hawk helicopter for a bird's eye view.

Also, he is the first amputee captain to go back to duty in Iraq. He shares his amazing story with Wolf.

And what is fueling skyrocketing gas prices? We'll show you what's behind the pain at the pump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: We began this day before dawn. I was escorted by Brigadier General William Johnson, who took us north on a Black Hawk helicopter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Brigadier General William Johnson is in charge of moving vehicles, equipment, food, water and troops into Iraq.

BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM JOHNSON, U.S. ARMY: I'm in command of some great soldiers. We have convoys that are leaving Kuwait every day and going into Iraq.

BLITZER: On this day, our predawn flight aboard a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter takes us from Kuwait City north to the Iraqi border.

JOHNSON: We're 500 feet above ground.

BLITZER: We fly over the vast Kuwaiti desert. There, the U.S. has established a facility called Navistar. It's less than a mile from Iraq.

JOHNSON: Navistar is what we call the largest truck stop in the world. This is the last convoy support center that we have in Kuwait before crossing into Iraq.

BLITZER: They call it the Iraqi Express, a 30-vehicle convoy preparing for the dangerous drive through Iraq.

JOHNSON: There are attacks every day in some place in Iraq. Our attacks are much more infrequent than a lot of the other alternate supply routes that are throughout Iraq. Since the elections, there has been a decrease in attacks on convoys and attacks in general.

BLITZER: Staff Sergeant Wendy Ordway commands today's convoy and briefs her troops.

STAFF SGT. WENDY ORDWAY, U.S. ARMY: Enemy situations today. As you guys well know, stuff's getting a little hot and heavy down range.

BLITZER: Shortly after the briefing, the civilian trucks marry up with the military vehicles and head north, crossing the border for the dangerous drive into Iraq.

(on camera) In northern Kuwait, a stark reminder of what the United States has been doing for a decade and a half to protect the small state of Kuwait. It's called the Highway of Death.

(voice-over) That's the route taken by Iraqi army units as they fled toward the Iraqi city of Basra near the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. Allied aircraft knocked out vehicles at the front and rear of the column, then attacked those trapped in between. Some 2,000 vehicles were destroyed and thousands of Iraqi troops killed.

The trail of devastation remains to this day, mute testimony to the horror of war.

(on camera) The Kuwaitis remember. They remember all too well. That's why they've left this area intact, to remind everyone what Iraq did way back in 1990.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: When we come back, upgrading armor. We'll take a closer look at what it takes to make sure U.S. troops heading into Iraq are safe. I'll visit the camp where upgrades are being made.

And later, back in action. An Army captain returns to active duty in Iraq after losing his right foot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Kuwait City. We have more coverage coming up. Just ahead in our second half hour, a look at what some people call the world's biggest truck stop.

And you've heard about the complaints about insufficient armor on Humvees and other U.S. military vehicles. We'll look at what's being done to improve things.

But right now, let's go back to Washington and CNN's Judy Woodruff -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Thanks, Wolf.

If you are hoping gas prices will at least stabilize, if not go down soon, don't hold your breath. Analysts are predicting even more sticker shock at the pump in the days ahead.

CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff looks at factors fueling the soaring crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you're driving these days, you're shelling out big time for gasoline. We found one station in Malibu, California, charging more than $3 a gallon. AAA says the national average for regular unleaded is now at a record $2.07. Regionally, drivers on the west coast pay the most with gas in Hawaii at $2.44. Drivers in the southwest, on average, pay the least, although New Jersey has the lowest prices of any state, an average of $1.90 a gallon.

The U.S. Department of Energy predicts the national average is heading even higher, up to $2.15 a gallon this spring. Even though there's no shortage of gasoline.

JUSTIN MCNAULL, AAA: What you're seeing is a significant amount of speculation as to what might be happening months down the road or years down the road.

CHERNOFF: Crude oil, from which gasoline is refined, has jumped nearly 50 percent in the past year. That accounts for half of the price paid at the pump. Energy traders, who have bid the price up, are focused on growing demand for oil in the expanding economies of the U.S., China and India.

ERIC BOLING, INDEPENDENT ENERGY TRADER: Demand is increasing worldwide and domestically, for that matter continuously, and supply, the ability to bring supply to the market, is stagnant. So that's just causing prices to move up in itself.

CHERNOFF: Oil market analysts and traders list other factors pushing gas prices up. More than a dozen different blends of gasoline required by state environmental laws, making it impossible for many states to share gas supplies.

U.S. refineries are at maximum capacity. And gasoline imports, which account for more than 10 percent of the gas burned in the U.S., are vulnerable to interruption, as happened during last year's strike in Venezuela.

The other key factor pushing gas prices higher is demand from U.S. drivers, which shows no sign of slowing down this summer, even with prices well above $2 a gallon.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: So I guess we're prepared.

When we return, we will head back to Kuwait City and rejoin Wolf Blitzer. He'll bring you the story of American troops' close calls with insurgents in Iraq and the changes in store to protect the armed forces.

Also an amazing comeback for this army captain. He lost his foot in battle and now he's returning to his command.

Plus, does the public agree with President Bush and Congress' new steps to help keep a brain damaged woman alive? We'll get America's take, when this special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

Reporting from Kuwait, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Keeping U.S. troops well supplied is an awesome task. When we come back, we'll show you Camp Navistar, the staging point for convoys going into Iraq.

But, first, Judy Woodruff back in Washington with a quick check of what's in the news right now.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Wolf.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the only person charged in the 9/11 attacks. Zacarias Moussaoui wanted to get testimony from other al Qaeda detainees for his trial. That issue has delayed proceedings for 2 1/2 years.

Back on the bench today, Chief Justice William Rehnquist. It is his first public appearance at the high court since being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last October. He underwent a tracheotomy to help his breathing.

U.S. military officials are reporting a deadly firefight in Iraq between insurgents and military police. The M.P.s were guarding a convoy that came under attack. The military spokesman says 26 insurgents were killed in the gun battle that followed. Three M.P.s were wounded.

That is a look at the headlines. Now back to Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

BLITZER: Thanks, Judy.

Kuwait is the staging ground for U.S. military convoys moving into Iraq. Earlier, I had a chance to go out to Camp Navistar. That's along the border between Kuwait and Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAFF SGT. WENDY ORDWAY:, U.S. ARMY: Welcome to my convoy briefs this morning. Beautiful morning for this. So, we shouldn't have any problems. Our mission today, if you were wondering, is a 424. We make this a tight ship. We're going to make it happen. And we're going to get everybody back safe.

Piece of cake. No rain is in the forecast, maybe some dust storm a little bit later on today. As you guys well know, the stuff's getting a little hot and heavy downrange, small-arms fire, mortar fire and indirect fire. If you roll on, it should be a piece of cake roll. Not a problem.

BLITZER (on camera): You drop off your stuff and you bring stuff back.

ORDWAY: Roger. Yes.

BLITZER: Are you scared?

ORDWAY: No.

BLITZER: Are you nervous?

ORDWAY: It's all about the soldiers.

BLITZER (voice-over): There's been a lot of controversy about military armor in the Iraq war. The Pentagon is working to make sure that all Humvees and other vehicles heading into Iraq are well protected with armor. Last December 8, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld met with U.S. troops in Kuwait.

At that town hall meeting, one soldier complained of a lack of armor, noting he had to scrounge through junkyards in Kuwait searching for armor for his vehicle. There was a huge uproar back home. Now the U.S. Army is working around the clock to make sure all U.S. vehicles that go into Iraq have armor. This is what they're doing at Camp Arifjan. Brigadier General Kevin Leonard leads the mission.

BRIG. GEN. KEVIN LEONARD, U.S. ARMY: What we're doing here is up-armoring, if you will, the trucks that belong to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

BLITZER (on camera): Now, up-armoring means you're putting armor on trucks or Humvees or whatever.

LEONARD: Right. We're improving that capability of that vehicle to withstand an improvised explosive device or small-arms attack.

Here is an original FMTV. It is regular glass, just like any old truck. It's regular doors, nothing exceptional about it. It's a truck.

BLITZER: So, this is not armor?

LEONARD: This is not armor.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: ... soft.

LEONARD: It is soft-skinned vehicles. And so the threat environment we have got here, we have said, OK, what do we got to do about this threat? We've got to armor our trucks and keep our people alive. How are we going to do that? And then we get to things like this cab. The next phase would be like here where we've stripped this down, as I told you.

BLITZER: You really take this off.

LEONARD: This comes completely off. And we end up with something that looks like this, with the hoses and couplings ready to go.

And then, there's a picture of the kit here. And we put that on the cab. We lower it on. While we're doing that, all these connectivities or connections are made, set it back down, hook it back all up together. And about 12 hours later, you have got an armored cab that is what we call level two, but in this case, it is 360-degree protection.

BLITZER: Right now, you can categorically say no U.S. military vehicle is moving into Iraq without armor?

LEONARD: Without some form of armor, either level three hardening or above. It is certainly not driving into Iraq that way. And then I can also say that, while they're in Iraq, nothing goes forward of a forward operating base without some sort of armor on, level three or above.

BLITZER: So you're moving on that?

LEONARD: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Because this will save lives.

LEONARD: Yes, sir, it does.

BLITZER (voice-over): Is it a critical mission for General Leonard, who knows all too well the dangers his troops face. Here are some of their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our gunner just leaned over and pieces of shrapnel hit the turret right where his head was. Right before the blast, he leaned over. And, after it went off, I was fine. I looked over toward my driver, saw that he was fine. Our gunner was just kind of hanging in the turret. And we thought he was hit. So, we shook him to make sure he was OK. Turned out he was OK. After that, it was a big relief.

BLITZER (on camera): So he wasn't hurt at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.

BLITZER: Are you ready to go back?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I have to go back.

BLITZER: I know. But are you ready? Are you anxious to do it or you don't want to do it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General Leonard promised me another truck. So, as soon as that's ready, I'm ready.

SGT. HERBERT KAYLEN, U.S. ARMY: I'm looking forward to the next trip up.

BLITZER: You are?

KAYLEN: Yes, I am.

BLITZER: Why are you looking forward to it?

KAYLEN: We came here to do a job, sir. And, by God, we're going to get out and do that job again. I'm not going to let something like an IED or any kind of enemy interference or enemy attack interfere with the performance of those duties.

BLITZER: You have got to be scared, though?

KAYLEN: A little bit. It's in the back of your mind. But I put those fears aside and carry on with my mission. I have people to look out for and equipment to take care of and a job to do.

BLITZER: Well, good luck to you.

KAYLEN: Well, thank you, sir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: When we come back, he's back in action, a soldier who lost his foot to a land mine in Iraq now about to return to active duty. He shares his story with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. Army Captain David Rozelle lost his right foot in Iraq about two years ago. But that's not stopping him from heading back to Iraq. Now he's getting ready for exactly that move. I spoke to him earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: We're here with Captain David Rozelle, who has got an incredibly powerful story that he's talked about often and he's written about as well.

You have got a new book that's doing very well.

CAPT. DAVID ROZELLE, U.S. ARMY: That's right, "Back in Action."

BLITZER: And what does that mean, back in action, to our viewers who aren't familiar with your story?

ROZELLE: The last time I was part of this war, I was a cavalry troop commander, as I am now, with the 3rd Army Cavalry regiment in a place called Hit, Iraq, where I was leading convoy to teach the first police academy. And I ran over an anti-tank mine in my light-skinned Humvee.

BLITZER: And so what happened?

ROZELLE: Well, when the initial blast went off, I didn't know what happened. Those things are so sudden, you really have no idea.

And it is hard to describe in a few sentences what felt like a lifetime. But, basically, it was a few moments of frustration and confusion, immediately followed by a sense of relief and a sense that I realized that I was alive. And I went to pull myself free with my right foot. And that's when I realized that my right foot was injured, because it wasn't giving me any push. And I looked down and saw blood and bones coming out of my boot. So, I realized that I was definitely in trouble at that point.

BLITZER: All right, so flash forward. You're taken to a hospital eventually.

ROZELLE: Actually, very rapidly. We were much better about getting -- that's why we have so many amputees surviving, because I was in an operating room within an hour and a half to two hours, and then to Walter Reed -- or to Landstuhl within four or five days and Walter Reed within two weeks.

And then, just as I had a rapid evacuation back to do my final surgeries in July, I was skiing by December and running by February. And, in March, the Army found me fit for duty. And, by June, I took command again. The war is actually sort of a break for me. I've been so busy in the last two years. And now I get to just focus on commanding soldiers and training troops and leading from the front.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: You're heading back into Iraq?

ROZELLE: In a matter of days.

BLITZER: You didn't have to do this. It's pretty unusual for soldiers, amputees to go back into a combat zone.

ROZELLE: I'm the first. I'm the first from this war to go back and command troops. And, so far as I know, I'm the first to do it in our history. So...

BLITZER: This is a new policy, because, in the old days, that would have never happened.

ROZELLE: That's right.

They just expected me to get out initially. And then, once I told the Army I was interested in staying in, they became interested. And so, I've been sort of a project, I guess, to see what it takes and what conditions that amputees can live under.

BLITZER: So, what does it take? What's different now, as opposed to then?

ROZELLE: It is actually really hard to tell what's different now than then, because I'm in much better shape now.

I have completely focused myself on being stronger and smarter. And, because of all the physical activity that I've done and all the sports rehabilitation, I'm actually much fitter in a lot of ways. There's a little bit of hindrance, I admit, especially in this kind of terrain, with sand and rocks. Just for -- just for you to walk is difficult. It is even more difficult for an amputee.

So, conducting operations, I have to consider things more like what condition is my stump in, and being able to change my stump socks and things like that, which is all pretty easy. And you just become adaptive. It is like anything. Learning to shower again was hard at first. So, it is going to take a few months, but I'll figure this thing out.

BLITZER: And you are committed to keeping this career in the Army?

ROZELLE: As long as I can continue to do and serve like I am, then I'll continue to serve.

BLITZER: The troops you command, they know you're an amputee?

ROZELLE: Oh, yes. Sometimes, I surprise them. I'll show up to P.T. formation and challenge them to a run. And that gets them interested. And then they see me day-to-day. And, hopefully, I inspire them.

BLITZER: And you want to go work eventually with some other amputees.

ROZELLE: That's right. I actually have a great job. You know, if I get up here and do well, they're going to send me back to Walter Reed to be the program manager for the new amputee center which they're building, which should open some time in the fall.

And I'm looking forward to getting back and basically just continuing to command, helping my fellow amputees make decisions on whether or not they want to go back and contribute in civilian life or continue to serve. And I can be a role model for them.

BLITZER: David Rozelle, you're a role model for a lot of people.

ROZELLE: Thank you. Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Thanks for your good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Boy, he's an inspiration to all of us. That was Wolf interviewing Captain David Rozelle a little earlier.

The reason you heard some static during the interview was because of radio interference in the field where they were videotaping.

WOODRUFF: Coming up, reaction to today's dramatic developments surrounding Terri Schiavo, the case sparking renewed debate across the nation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOODRUFF: More now on the developing story of Terri Schiavo. And this little bit of information from the federal court hearing in Tampa, Florida. We are told that the judge told the attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents he was not completely sold on an argument that that attorney was making. He said -- quote -- "I think you would be hard-pressed to convince me that you have a substantial likelihood of the parents' lawsuit succeeding." So, that little bit of information sounding somewhat negative toward the parents' case. But, again, this is very early, very preliminary.

In any event, the Schiavo case has struck a nerve with Americans on all sides of the right to die and right to life issues.

CNN's Mary Snow is standing in New York with more on what people are saying -- hi, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Judy.

And there certainly is a political divide. And whether it is on blogs, on the Web, radio talk shows or even people on the street, the debate over Terri SCHNEIDER: has really hit home for many Americans from coast to coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): From protesters to politicians, the fate of Terri Schiavo seems to have sparked a polarizing debate across the country. In Tallahassee, a vigil outside the Florida governor's mansion, organized by Randall Terry, the founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. Demonstrators called on the government to get the feeding tube reinserted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely inhumane. We wouldn't do this to an animal or a death row criminal.

SNOW: In Chicago...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your thoughts on the Terri Schiavo case.

SNOW: ... talk radio station WGN says its phones have been ringing off the hook, with callers having something to say about Schiavo's case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to tell you what I think. This whole thing is political. And I think it's disgusting to use this poor woman in this political fight.

ROZELLE: In Florence, Alabama, Sherry Fowler (ph) knows the debate all too well. Her daughter Darlene (ph) has been using a feeding tube for 19 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think each case is really individually based. In this situation, I can't see removing the feeding tube where there's life, and I really think that this case should be based on her right to live and not her right to die.

SNOW: In Los Angeles, we ran into a 34-year-old father names Carlos Jones (ph), who got interested in the Schiavo case when Congress did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as I heard that the government was getting involved, I've been watching it since Friday, Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night. And what I feel that's going on is unheard of.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do feel for both sides. If I was there, I think I would want to go. But I understand how her parents feel. And so I'm just ambiguous about it.

SNOW: In New York, as in Los Angeles, divided opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think, in terms of personal economy, it's kind of frightening that Congress would get involved in this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm glad they got involved because I don't believe it should be in the hands of the husband.

SNOW: One thing that many people do seem to agree on is the need for a living will, like this woman, whose mother is 91.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My mother and even myself, we've already prepared ourselves by having legal papers for this and making this like a living will thing. And I think a lot of Americans, just for some reason, haven't dealt with that. And I think you have to do it. It is just like buying insurance for anything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: One nonprofit group in Florida, Aging With Dignity, it's a group that provides living will documents, it says it has seen a dramatic rise in calls today. It says, on average, it usually gets about 100 calls a day. Today, that number is closer to 1,000 -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, Mary Snow reporting for us, thank you very much, Mary.

Well, we can get an even more exact idea of what Americans think about the Schiavo case from new public opinion polls.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider is here with the hard numbers.

Hi, Bill.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Judy.

Well, the numbers are out, and there are indications here that Americans are not happy with what Congress did.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Polls show public opinion pretty one- sided in the Terri Schiavo case. And that side is against what Congress and President Bush did early Monday morning. An ABC News poll taken on Sunday asked Americans how they feel about the bill Congress passed and President Bush signed requiring a federal court review of the Schiavo case; 60 percent of Americans oppose it. In fact, 70 percent believe it was not appropriate for Congress to get involved in the Schiavo case at all.

Supporters of the bill claim their intervention was not motivated by politics.

REP. TOM DELAY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: It has nothing to do with politics, and it's disgusting to even suggest it.

SCHNEIDER: The House majority leader is going to be pretty disgusted with the American people, because two-thirds of them say political leaders who are trying to keep Ms. Schiavo alive are not primarily concerned about her welfare and the principles involved. Their main concern, people feel, is political advantage.

How can politicians be politically motivated if they're doing the unpopular thing? Those who favor government intervention to save Terri Schiavo may be in the minority, but they seem to be intensely motivated.

REP. DAVE WELDON (R), FLORIDA: The reason I got engaged is, I have a lot of my constituents calling me and writing me expressing some grave concerns that this was a miscarriage of justice.

SCHNEIDER: In this case, intensity matters more than numbers. House Republicans, who voted overwhelmingly for the measure, are concerned about facing a conservative primary opponent. Democrats who showed up to vote were divided. They worry about facing an opponent who charges, you voted to kill Terri Schiavo, which is precisely what the House majority leader hinted could happen.

DELAY: The few remaining objecting House Democrats have so far cost Mrs. Schiavo two meals already today.

SCHNEIDER: Statements like that lead many Democrats to conclude.

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: This is not about values. This is not about religion. It is pandering for political gain, with the next election in mind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Nearly half of all Americans say they have discussed with friends and family members what they would want done if they found themselves in Terri Schiavo's situation.

And, as Mary Snow just reported, the living will business is bound to pick up as a result of this story -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: And, Bill, it seems to me that another lesson out of this is a reminder that, no matter, as you said, if many people hold an opinion, if they're not invested in that opinion, if they're not out there blogging about it or protesting about it, feeling intensely, then it may not matter politically. SCHNEIDER: Exactly right. Members of Congress respond not just to numbers, poll numbers. They respond to intensity, to e-mails, to letters, to telephone calls. If they have a sense that there's a constituency out there that will vote this issue, even if they're smaller in numbers than those on the other side, they're going to respond to the intense constituency.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you very much.

And a final word from Wolf in Kuwait City when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: That it for tonight's special coverage from Kuwait. Tomorrow, I'll head out to a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf.

For Judy Woodruff, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Kuwait City.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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