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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
North Korean Nuclear Question Discussed; Reports Differ on Friendly Fire Incident; Central Figure in Abu Ghraib Scandal Speaks Out; Discussion with French Foreign Minister
Aired May 02, 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.
BLITZER: Happening now, two new reports are in, but they're conclusions very different on why U.S. forces shot and killed an Italian agent in Iraq.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Nuclear threats, the U.N. issues a warning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people will perish in an instant.
BLITZER: Is North Korea issuing a warning of its own?
Car bomb chaos: as more deadly blast rock Baghdad, is a reluctant ally ready to get involved. My exclusive interview with French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier.
Runaway bride: was it panic or premeditated? Should she be punished?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think at some point there has to be some consequence.
BLITZER: Wedding worries: what are the warning signs?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday May 2, 2005.
BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us.
What happens if the nuclear genie gets out of the bottle. A sober warning today from the United Nations, that all nations may be vulnerable. And what may be a warning from North Korea in the form of another missile test. We begin with our security watch coverage with our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The U.S., Wolf, talking tough about Iran and North Korea, here at the five-year Review Conference for an important nuclear treaty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROTH (voice-over): North Korea fired a shot across the bow on the eve of this nuclear review conference. A missile test from a country that says it has nuclear weapons did little to calm countries worried about the spread of bombs. At the U.N. countries are taking stock of one of the worlds most significant disarmament agreements, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. But North Korea's nuclear ambitions and Iran's uranium stockpiles have turned up the heat at a meeting designed to reduce nuclear weapons.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: In the five years since you last met, the world has reawakened to nuclear dangers, both old and new.
ROTH: Two years ago, North Korea withdrew from what's called the NPT Treaty, kicking out international inspectors. North Korea has refused to resume six-nation talks and claims to possess nuclear weapons. A missile test has deep intentions with the Bush administration.
DANIEL PONEMAN, SCOWCROFT GROUP: I think they are trying to put pressure on the United States and others to come to the table and give them something that they're looking for.
ROTH: The missile test did not prompt offers from Washington.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: So, I don't think there should be any -- any doubt about our ability to deter whatever the North Koreans are up to, but that does not mean it is not a serious problem. And that the North Koreans shouldn't come back to the six- party talks, because all of their neighbors consider this to be a problem.
ROTH: The U.S. would like the conference to focus on threats from North Korea and Iran, closing loopholes so that countries such as North Korea, don't sign on to NPT in order to build up nuclear fuel, and then only later leave the treaty to make weapons.
The U.N.'s top nuclear watchdog met with Iran foreign minister, later saying he hopes Tehran will not resume uranium enrichment work in it's disputed nuclear program.
MOHAMMED EL BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL IAEA: Without question, improving control over facilities capable of producing weapon usable material will go a long way towards establishing a better margin of security.
ROTH: A majority of NTP members want something from the U.S. and other nuclear powers, slash your arsenals as promised under the treaty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
After 30 years, the strength of the NPT Treaty is being questioned. The haves vs. the have nots. CNN contacted a North Korean official in New York here, he preferred to remain unidentified, he said his country is confronting a superpower and this conference should really look at the United States instead of Pyongyang -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Richard Roth at the U.N. Thank you, Richard, very much.
And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
In Iraq today, insurgents continuing they're all-out assault. Six car bombs exploded in and around Baghdad and two more blew up in northern city of Mosul. In all, 13 Iraqis were killed, and dozens more were wounded. The worst blast ripped through an upscale shopping district in the capital setting fire to an apartment building. Nine civilians died in that attack alone.
Since Iraq's new government was formed last Thursday, a furious wave of violence has claimed at least 1056 lives. That total includes 33 members of Iraq's security forces, eight U.S. soldiers and one British soldier. Sixty-one Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, including two government officials assassinated by insurgents.
Yesterday, though, was the deadliest day. A suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a Kurdish official in the northern of Telafar killing 25 people, 13 more people were killed in Baghdad.
In Afghanistan, a massive explosion ripped through a village north of Kabul killing at least 28 and wounding dozens more. Afghan officials say the blast originated in a bunker full of weapons hidden under the home of a war lord. It's not clear what triggered the blast, although such arms caches are common in Afghanistan and many of them are unstable.
Here at home, she was a young reservist assigned to a prison back in Iraq who became the face of a shocking abuse scandal. Today Private First Class Lynndie England pleaded guilty to most of the charges against her.
Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is joining us now live from Ft. Hood, Texas -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.
In her own words, Lynndie England now admits posing for those infamous photos at Abu Ghraib was wrong. Before military judge accepted her plea, he asked her very pointed questions. She said she really didn't want to do it, but went along because of peer pressure. In her words, I had a choice, but I chose to do what my friends wanted me to. The judge then asked Lynndie England why she thought her friends of higher rank did what they did at Abu Ghraib. Her answer, for their own amusement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PFC LYNNDIE ENGLAND, U.S. ARMY: You think you're taking the right road, and it ends up being the wrong one.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Lynndie England, now a young unwed mother after an affair at Abu Ghraib Prison reached a deal to try to avoid years behind bars herself. She was once called the poster child of the Iraqi prison scandal. Today the army reservist from rural West Virginia pleaded guilty to seven counts, all involving photos from Abu Ghraib. England was a clerk, not a guard at Abu Ghraib, and says she posed for the infamous photos because her boyfriend guard, Charles Graner, asked her do so. England talked about the photos in a Dutch television documentary.
In this one, seen holding a leash around a prisoner's neck, her defense, she was trying to help move him to another cell.
ENGLAND: It was a whole intimidation tactic, you know? It was a mind game.
CANDIOTTI: This photo, smiling thumbs up. Standing behind the naked human pyramid.
ENGLAND: I thought it was odd, kind of weird. But, it was kind of like if everyone else is doing it, if they thought it was wrong, then they were stopped.
CANDIOTTI: In her guilt the plea, England admitted involvement in four involvements of prisoner abuse, including the naked pyramid, two counts of conspiracy and one of sexual indecency. Her plea could carry a maximum sentence of 11 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: There are signs of a secret agreement that could cap Lynndie England's punishment to as little as two years. A jury will be selected tomorrow and begin to hear testimony from witnesses for both sides -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti reporting for us. Susan, thank you very much.
Are the soldiers paying the price for the Abu Ghraib abuses while the commander are let off the hook?
Joining us now from New York our world affairs analyst, former defense secretary, William Cohen. He's also chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group.
Mr. Secretary, what do you make to the argument that the lower ranking grunts are getting the punishment, the officers who ordered them to perhaps -- perhaps they were not prepared, trained for this mission, are getting off scott-free?
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, there is something called the chain of command. And there've been a number of investigations or inquiries into this entire matter. And you have to certainly hold those who commit the acts responsible, but there has to be some accountability for those who are -- that should be supervising them. You can not take men and women, train them as hard as we do, and put them in a war time environment, where they're seeing their brothers and sisters blown up on a daily basis, and expect that they're not going take this kind of terrible action against other human beings. There has to be supervision. The question is how high up should that chain of command have gone in terms of accountable. There are questions that have yet to be answered. And I think that's one reason why members of Congress are calling for, at least, some sort of independent review to make sure the people on the ground, those soldiers who were actively engaged in this are not the only ones held accountable for it.
BLITZER: You know a great deal about this subject. Is there any evidence that this kind of abuse of prisoners softens them -- soften them up and makes them more vulnerable to good interrogation?
COHEN: Every indication has been or experience has been that this kind of abuse, and there's no other word for it, this is clearly outside the bounds of appropriate behavior. And talking about putting people in stress positions, this was, in these cases, sexual humiliation, really gross misbehavior, something completely intolerable. And I don't think under any circumstances the United States wants to be seen as being a party to this.
And so, I think it requires supervision, it requires oversight. The question is where was that oversight and supervision? This is not simply an isolated example. There are other allegations about abuses taking place also at Guantanamo Bay. So, a lot to -- yet to be looked at and accounted for, I think.
BLITZER: Let's switch gears. Talk about the North Korean test, that short-range missile, which they test-fired yesterday. What do you make of their decision to do so at this time?
COHEN: A political statement -- a political miscalculation. The fact that they fired the short-range missile is not going to change or alter the military consequences in any way. So they are trying to make a statement that they are in a position to fire missiles. We know that. It will backfire in the sense it will not soften the U.S. position but rather harden it. Back in 1998, they also fired a missile that went over Japan. It resulted in Japan coming closer to the United States and wanting to develop its own national missile defense system, much as the United States is developing its.
So, it's a miscalculation on their part trying to show that they have the capability -- or some limited capability, at least -- fallows on the heels of the testimony before the Congress that they might be in a position to miniaturize nuclear warheads so that they could fire a long-range missile that could hit parts of the United States. So, I think they've tried to calculate that testimony, the fact that there's a meeting in New York looking at the non-proliferation treaty, trying to put as much pressure they can. It will backfire, ultimately.
BLITZER: But the stakes are clearly enormous, given the fact that Kim Jong-Il may already have six nuclear bombs.
COHEN: He may have six nuclear bombs, and that in itself is very sobering to the United Nations and to the rest of the world. The fact is that the North Koreans have become great proliferaters. They put things on the black market -- and this would be no exception as far as their willingness to spread this technology kind of to the highest bidder. So, it's a threat, as Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, pointed out, it's a threat to the entire world. It's not just to South Korea and Japan, though they are principally soldiers as well, involved. It's a threat to the entire region, and that's why we are calling upon China to exercise as much influence as they can, Russia, Japan, South Korea -- all of us want to make sure this technology doesn't continue to proliferate and they don't have the capacity to go any further than they do now.
BLITZER: William Cohen, thanks for joining us.
COHEN: Pleasure.
BLITZER: And, later, there's growing fear over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Clearly, we will discuss that concern and more with the French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier. That interview coming up this hour, an interview will you see only here on CNN.
And, when we come back, placing blame for the shooting of an Italian journalist in Iraq. Why U.S. and Italian investigators agree on the facts, but not on, what's being called, the final conclusion. There are brand new developments in the case. We'll bring them to you. That's coming up.
Plus -- run away bride, safe at home but still not talking. Did she preplan the ordeal and will she pay for her actions?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There needs to be some type of retribution that she should feel to give back to the community for what she has put them through for these many days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Duluth, Georgia, mayor calls for retribution. Just how common is it, though, for a bride or groom to get cold feet? We'll take a closer look at the intense pressures associated with weddings.
And, later...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was okay for the first night, and the second night, but after the second night I thought that we were not going to make it.
BLITZER: Stranded at sea for six days and nights, two teens brave the sun and the sharks, and now share their amazing survival story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The United States and Italy are blaming each other for the March 4th checkpoint shootings in Iraq that killed an Italian intelligence agent and wounded an Italian journalist. The joint investigation has agreed on the facts, but not on the final conclusion. There are new developments in the case. Let's go right to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in a report just released this hour, Italy blames both inexperience and stress on the part of U.S. soldiers for the accident, but the Pentagon dismisses that. They put the blame on lack of coordination and panic on the part of the Italians.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): U.S. investigators have concluded an American soldier did nothing wrong when he fired bullets into this Toyota, killing Italian agent Nicola Calipari and wounding both Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian journalist whose release he had just secured, and the car's driver. The checkpoint shooting occurred the evening of March 4th, along Route Irish (ph), the 7.5-mile road between Baghdad and the airport dubbed the deadliest in Iraq.
Among the findings, 15 to 30 vehicles had been safely stopped at the checkpoint earlier that night. The driver admitted going as fast as 50 miles per hour. The U.S. thinks it might have been faster. The car did not slow down when signaled by a U.S. soldier holding a search light and laser pointer. The car did not respond to a burst of warning fire. Disabling fire hit the car in the right and front, and the time between the first shot and the car coming to a stop was no more than seven seconds. In addition, an American soldier told investigators that the driver said afterwards "he heard shots from somewhere and that he panicked and started speeding trying to get to the airport as quickly as possible."
And, finally, the report found no coordination by the Italians with the U.S., stating flatly, "the U.S. military was totally unaware of the recovery and transport of Ms. Sgrena on the 4th of March, 2004, until after the shooting incident." In fact, the only American who even had a hint of what was going on at the time, an army captain assigned as an aide to an Italian general, was told by the Italians, it is best if no one knows.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Now, Wolf, one thing you won't find in either report is any reference to a ransom being paid. The Italian government denied they paid a ransom. The Pentagon is not saying anything publicly, but privately, Pentagon officials say they believe the Italians put $10 million in the hands of terrorists in order to secure the release of the Italian journalist.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon for us. Jamie, thank you very much.
More news coming up. Fear over a nuclear Iran -- what will the United States and its allies do? My interview with the French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier coming up.
Also this, a Somali boat rescue. Look at this -- 89 people plucked from the ocean. We have new and dramatic video. Ignoring the dangers, kids, especially, increasingly at risk of developing skin cancer. Our Mary Snow is standing by with what's going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: America and its oldest ally: the friendship went into a deep freeze when U.S. troops went into Iraq. Now, the relationship with France shows some signs of warming up once again. Earlier today I sat down for an exclusive interview with the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Foreign Minister, welcome to Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.
MICHEL BARNIER, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Thank you to you, and thank you for welcoming me here.
WOLF BLITZER: Let's get into the issue of U.S./French relations. Do you understand why there are so many Americans right now who are angry at France?
BARNIER: I don't think there are any good reasons for that. We have indeed disagreed, and substantially so, in particular two years ago, the war before in Iraq. And I think everyone is familiar with the reasons why we disagreed. And today -- insofar as you're talking about today, we have entered a new stage. We are determinately looking ahead, and I think that was very much the sense of President Bush's message when he came a few weeks ago to Brussels, in February. And it is also our mindset, our frame of mind, to look head and to say among French and Americans, Europeans, Americans, what can we do together to face the challenges that we need to face together? Because there are so many global threats.
There is no way that a single nation can answer them. We have to work collectively and find collective solutions. This applies to peace -- the building of peace, and in particular, the core issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That is true of democracy. Look at what we've done together in Lebanon. It is likewise to further the war on terror and development processes.
BLITZER: I want to get -- I want to get to all of those issues in a moment, but let's get back to U.S.-French relations right now. There is a widely held view among many Americans, not all Americans, that the United States helped save France in World War I, helped save France in World War II and that when the United States needed help, they could count on Britain for help going into the war with Iraq, but France was missing in action. And that has irritated a lot of Americans.
BARNIER: We certainly do not forget the past and what we owe the American people. Nothing of that is forgotten. And the president of the French republic said this as he stood beside President Bush last June on the Normandy beaches. We do not forget the past. We are allies. We Americans and French are the longest and the oldest allies in the world. This alliance -- alliance does not mean allegiance. It means that we must work together and respect one another. And France, after the 11th of September, after 9/11 when it was necessary to go to war on terror, and in Afghanistan, in particular, we stood by you.
And I think that today, as I said, we have to look ahead. We, of course, do not forget the reasons why we were in total disagreement on the war in Iraq and the need to go to war in Iraq, but we are looking forward, and that is our state of mind right now.
BLITZER: Let's talk about looking ahead. There's a new Iraq now, a new democratically elected government. January 30, there's a new government that's now been formed. The United States, the new Iraqi government would love French military forces to come in and help this new government, help the Iraqi people -- whatever the differences in the past, start afresh, start with some hope. Is your government ready to consider deploying French troops to Iraq?
BARNIER: Well, I have already said clearly, as has President Chirac that there will be no French troops in Iraq. No, the idea, and it is the idea that we help Iraq to rebuild democratically, politically, economically, does not require additional troops, I don't believe so, anyway. I believe in political cooperation, which is what we have given through Resolution 1546 and the United Nations Security Council with relieving the debt burden, and France has made its contribution and a greater contribution than had originally been suggested -- the political process, which we have endorsed through the Sharm El-Sheikh meeting. And we continue in this state of mind. We believe that Iraq will rise from the crisis via political reconstruction. We endorse it.
BLITZER: Why no troops, though? Why no deployment? You've sent troops to Afghanistan. You've sent troops to other parts of the world. Why is Iraq --
BARNIER: Because we were in agreement -- disagreement with the origins of this war, the need to go to war. We feel that what Iraq needs right now is not additional troops, I mean, in addition to those who are already there -- the multinational force that is already there. Iraq needs political and economic endorsement. That's where we'll be most useful
BLITZER: There is cooperation underway between the United States, France, Germany, England, as far as Iran is concerned and its nuclear program. There is, though, some fear that France, under certain circumstances, might be willing to accept a nuclear Iran, an Iran with nuclear weapons. Is France ready to accept Iran with a nuclear bomb?
BARNIER: The three European countries that have entered into this negotiation stand shoulder to shoulder and will remain together. We're, as it were, spearheading European diplomacy, and I'm working on behalf of the international community. We've been -- we've entered into this difficult and fragile dialogue over a year-and-a-half ago. We're going into it wide -- with our eyes wide open.
Now, in November we reached a very important, very positive agreement whereby Iran agreed to suspend, indefinitely, on a long-term basis, it's activities for enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. And we continue to work towards a long-lasting global agreement under which Iran will give up and renounce nuclear weapons and prove specifically, concretely, that it's nuclear program is exclusively of a civil nature. Now we haven't yet reached that agreement. We are tying to reach it. What is important here is that we are acting as Europeans, but working hand-in-glove with the international community, and in particular the Americans, the Russians, the Chinese.
BLITZER: So the answer is, under no circumstances would France allow Iran to become a nuclear power?
BARNIER: Under no circumstances will we abandon this course of action that we have set together, namely to get from Iran a long-term, long-lasting clear commitment that its nuclear energy program is for purely civil purposes.
BLITZER: I'll complete this interview -- I'll end it with where we started -- U.S.-French relations. What's your bottom-line message to the American people on this visit to the United States.
BARNIER: We are at a new stage, a new phase. There are a lot of challenges that we need to face. And there are a lot of reasons why we must work together while showing mutual respect for one another on both sides of the Atlantic. We will not achieve peace in the Middle East and the Near East without one another and other countries -- Arab -- the Arab world and other countries. We will not win the war against either develop, poverty, terror without standing shoulder to shoulder.
That is the reason why, since 9/11 that very evening, we have stood by you in your war on terror. And I am fortunate enough to be able to speak to Americans and the American people this evening. And I want them to understand that Europe is in the -- is constructing itself, building itself, needs this unity, this entity, just as the Americans need a strong Europe to stand by them. And we need a strong America that respects us and trusts us to face the challenges of the world of today.
BLITZER: Foreign Minister, thanks very much for joining us. Welcome to the United States. And we'll continue this conversation down the road.
BARNIER: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Two additional notes, during our interview, I asked the foreign minister if France, like the United States, considers the Iranian and Syrian backed Lebanese group Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization? He responded that Hezbollah is a complex movement with a political dimension, calling it an important player in Lebanon. He declined to call it terrorist. I then asked if he believes Syria would -- will make good on a complete withdrawal from Lebanon, meaning that it will pull out all its intelligence agents in addition to military personnel. The foreign minister said he thinks so, but he insisted that's up to the United Nations to determine.
When we come back, run away bride. The fiance to the fleeing bride speaks out. His thoughts on her cold feet. That's coming up.
Also, two teenagers live to share their horrific ordeal after being stranded at sea for six days.
And, later, stand-up, and the first lady Laura Bush: how she brought down the house and stole the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Georgia's now infamous runaway bride is possibly facing misdemeanor, maybe even felony, charges. Charles Molineaux's in Duluth -- that's near Atlanta. He has new details. What's going on, Charles?
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf, yes, we are hearing from, well, the fiance who got left. John Mason was abandoned at the altar in front of the entire country. This guy's been through the ringer. He went on a desperate search for his fiance. There were even implications that he may have been responsible for her disappearance, but he's still holding on hope that this marriage can be saved. He is still hoping that this can go ahead. He's still talking forgiveness. According to a report on the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" website, John Mason told a TV interviewer that he still wants to marry Jennifer and he said, "Hey, we all mess up. We all make mistakes."
Mason, his family, Jennifer's family and the Duluth, Georgia, community went on a frantic search for Jennifer Wilbanks when she disappeared last Tuesday. They all fell into an embarrassed silence as Jennifer returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday night, her head hidden in a blanket. Police say she showed up in Albuquerque telling a phony story about having been kidnapped after getting cold feet and taking off on a cross-country bus trip.
Now, prosecutors in Georgia are discussing possible criminal charges against her. Gwinnett County's (ph) district attorney Danny Porter (ph) says he is not going after some woman who just panicked and took off, bit if she cooked up a scheme to deceive, she is fair game.
DANNY PORTER, GWINNETT Co. DIST. ATTY.: We don't prosecute people for accidents. We don't prosecute people for -- for -- where their mind goes blank. We tend not do that. So, if it was a situation where this was shown to be an unpremeditated, unintentional act, then I wouldn't be inclined to prosecute. But, if, as it appears -- there is a growing body of evidence that this was more than just a panic attack -- then that's something else we have to look at.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Well, Porter says that his office has been looking at the case law and determined that he can press charges against Jennifer Wilbanks. The question as to whether or not he will, will depend upon what evidence his office can build up and what kind of a case they can develop. Wolf?
BLITZER: Charles, any indication when we will get that final word from the D.A.?
TODD: He has been extremely reluctant to nail down a specific time. For example, he said there will be no announcement of any such decision today. He says this is largely going to have to wait until this investigation is complete. He says you if look at some charges like the possible felony, false statements, he's got four years to make a decision. It probably won't be that long, but it's not as if he feels any time pressure to make a decision quickly on whether he will be pressing any charges.
BLITZER: And, very briefly, Charles, what about Jennifer Wilbanks herself? I thought she was supposed to make a public statement?
TODD: Well, what she said on the trip over, according to -- from New Mexico, according to a flight attendant -- is that she was tired, and was not going to be making public statements then, that being Saturday night, but that perhaps she would say something early this week. Well, that would be within the next couple of days, so far no indication as to when any public statement along those lines might be forthcoming.
BLITZER: Charles Molineaux reporting for us. Thanks, Charles, very much.
Although her actions were extreme, Jennifer Wilbanks is not alone when it comes to cold feet. CNN's Brian Todd is here. He's talked to experts who say those kind of wedding woes are more common than a lot of us might think. What did you learn, Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Wolf, from psychologists to wedding planners, experts say the pressures of your wedding day and everything that comes afterward can often be too much to bear.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Jennifer Wilbanks dealt with it one way. Years ago Nicole Contos, almost literally left at the alter at a high- profile Manhattan gathering, changed into a black dress and went on with the party.
NICOLE CONTOS: I just felt that was really the right thing to do, you know? To go on with the reception, the cocktail hour and then we decided to indeed, go ahead and serve everyone dinner. And the band stayed. I did send the photographers home.
TODD: Contos, Wilbanks and their fiances likely felt what so many couples can relate to: the pressures of commitment, the intense stress of that special day.
GILDA CARLE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: When you go for a change of life, as in a marriage, there are going to be some jitters. What you have to determine is, are the jitters legitimate or are the jitters because these two people should not be marrying?
TODD: We spoke with several psychotherapists and relationship experts. No one could offer hard statistics on how many people call off weddings in the U.S. each year. One estimated it's in the hundreds of thousands. Experts say most people call it off well in advance, speak to their fiance about it, don't go to extremes. They say there are tell-tale signs a prospective bride or groom starting to realize the gravity of what they're about to do. And, often, the spiraling pressure of wedding planning.
CARLE: Too many people are concentrating more on the wedding than they are on the actual marriage. The actual -- so what do we do next?
TODD: Experts say the average wedding in America costs between 20 and $25,000. But depending on the number of guests, and if it's in a big city, it can easily shoot up into the hundreds of thousands. Between the money spent and all the other issues, they say, wedding planning becoming a window into the stress couples will face in real life.
CARLEY RONEY, EDITOR, "THE KNOT": It's peoples expectations. It's fighting between family members. It's your parents wishes vs. your wishes. I mean, honestly, when you're -- all your friends have been told and your family and everyone's invited all their guest. Brides often get very caught up in that, and don't really have the time to really seriously consider any jitters they might have and look at them more seriously and figure out if there's something more going on.
TODD: For that reason, say psychologists, people just as often make a bigger mistake, going through a wedding when they probably shouldn't, only to become more unhappy later.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And from each expert, the advice is consistent, look into counseling before your wedding. If you're having second thoughts, take a step back, postpone if you have to. But also remember nervousness is normal and not always a sign that you should marry that person.
Wolf, I sound like Dr. Phil.
BLITZER: Very good advice. Brian Todd, thank you very much. Excellent advice to all those people thinking about getting married.
When we come back, a sea rescue caught on tape. How U.S. navy ships were able to save almost 100 people during this dramatic operation.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were trying to get to the sand bar. And when we were going out, we got caught in the riptide, and took us around it. And as soon as I got in, I knew we were in trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Stranded at sea for almost a week. Two teenage boys finally rescued and now sharing their story.
And later a disturbing trend, why so many young people, yes, young people, are ignoring the dangers of cancer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Look at this. Off the coast of Somalia, an anti- terrorism operation turns into a dramatic rescue operation. American Navy ships pulled 89 people to safety after the boat they were on capsized over the weekend, five others were killed. The vessel capsized in the Gulf of Aden, about 25 miles off shore. Three American warships and a German frigate took part in the rescue operation.
Closer to home, two South Carolina teenagers are recovering from an ordeal few people could ever imagine. They were stranded at sea for six days in a small boat surviving by their wits and they're faith.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH LONG, SURVIVOR: Just praying and praying. We kind of realized, we said if we don't make it, we know where we're going. And if we make it, we know -- I just want to go back to my family.
BLITZER (voice-over): They're sun burned, dehydrated and exhausted, but they've lived to tell their story. Eighteen-year-old Josh Long and his friend 15-year-old Troy Driscoll set out April 24 to go fishing from Sullivan's Island off the South Carolina coast, near Charleston. But almost immediately, their 14-foot boat got caught in a riptide that sucked them out to sea. A day went by, then two, and thirst and hunger set in.
LONG: Really, we didn't eat anything. Troy ate these little jelly balls that we'd catch with my hat. We'd just scooped them up out the water. The water -- the only thing we could do with the water is gurgle salt water and spit it out. And it drizzled one night, and we liked the water off the deck, trying to get something in us.
BLITZER: Exposed to the elements, the boys covered themselves with a single wet suit by night. By day they'd jump into the water, seeking relief from the relentless sun. But there they faced another threat -- sharks.
We'd be swimming around, they'd come up or start heading your way, that's when we'd get out of it. Because you would sit on the boat, and they would swim towards the boat. I mean, they were everywhere. Every time you turned around and get in the water, there's one coming.
BLITZER: By day five, the boys had drifted north more than 100 miles up the coast to North Carolina, and were now outside the search area. Authorities were pessimistic, shifting from a rescue operation to a recovery mission. And trying to prepare the families for the worst. Then, on day six, what everyone involved refers to as the miracle -- a fishing boat plucked Josh and Troy from the water near Cap Fear, ending their ordeal. They were so desperate by then, Troy later told the "Charleston Post Newspaper" that "I asked God to take me."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The teens both say they're ordeal won't keep them from going fishing again, but when they do, it will probably be in a boat with a motor or two.
Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Lou, is standing in New York with a preview -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: Wolf, thank you.
At 6:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN, we'll be reporting on the rising nuclear threat from North Korea.
And we'll have Kofi Annan's latest bright idea. My guest tonight, a former State Department official who says North Korea is insulting President Bush.
And in broken borders tonight, who benefits from illegal immigration. It's not the economy, it's employers. We'll have a special report for you.
And buy American, the escalating campaign on Capitol Hill to stop what remains of our diminished manufacturing industry from disappearing altogether. Those stories and a great deal more coming up in just a few minutes here on CNN. Please join us.
Now back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We will join you. Thank you very much. Lou Dobbs, he's coming up in a little while..
When we come back, teens tanning and a disturbing new trend -- cases of melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer rising in children. Why many young people are ignoring the dangers associated with the sun.
And later -- Laura Bush, the comedian. The first lady earns quite a few laughs at the expense of the man standing right behind her -- that would be the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Most teenagers know the dangers connected with tanning, but they choose to ignore them. That's the finding of a new survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, and it's especially troubling to doctors who are seeing a jump in skin cancer cases in children. Details now from CNN's Mary Snow. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it's on the beach or in the tanning booth, when it comes to getting melanomas, raising awareness among teens does not seem to be the problem.
DR. CLAY COCKERELL, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY: We found that about 80 percent of teenagers know that tanning and getting sunburns is dangerous and can lead to skin cancer and aging of the skin and melanoma, but about 60 or so percent got a sunburn over the last year.
SNOW: Getting ready for proms is one of the reasons for getting a tan, says the American Academy of Dermatology. It surveyed roughly 500 teens with nearly half saying tans look healthier. They found girls tend to use sunscreen, whereas boys do not. One of the reasons is peer pressure.
COCKERELL: Teenagers are definitely going to do that. They are going to be -- they'll get tanned, because they think that's what looks cool.
SNOW: While few may be surprised to know that teens ignore warnings and get tans, doctors say what's disturbing is the number of cases of melanoma in kids under 18.
DR. CHARLES BALSCH, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY: I have been treating melanoma for 30 years, and I've definitely seen more children and teenagers than at any time in my career.
SNOW: Other studies show that cases of pediatric melanoma are rare, but doctors like Charles Balsch say he can't explain why, but he's seeing an increase.
BALSCH: I think at our Melanoma Center at Johns Hopkins, we are now seeing 12 to 18 new patients a year, whereas in the past if we saw one a year, that would be something significant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And the National Cancer Institute reiterates that pediatric melanoma is still very rare. There are about seven cases per million in the latest numbers; that's compared to about 20 years ago, when there were about three per million. Doctors are concerned, though, because once you get to adults, melanoma is much more common -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow, reporting important information for our viewers. Thanks very much, Mary, for that.
When we come back, we'll shift gears. Upstaging the president. That would be from the first lady, Laura Bush. She steals the show with her own comedy routine. Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a country where women didn't have a voice, Wangari Maathai spoke to the people. Born a farmer's daughter in Kenya in 1940, she traveled to America on a scholarship, and became the first woman from Central or East Africa to earn a doctorate degree. But when Maathai returned home, she found most of Kenya's forests had been destroyed.
WANGARI MAATHAI: It's the women who are expected to produce food, to feed the families. So it is the woman who feels it when the land can no longer produce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under her leadership, more than 30 million trees have been planted all over Kenya. Her movement has helped citizen foresters improve their quality of life.
MAATHAI: We realize that people need to understand that some of the problem they have are of their own making. And they can do something about those problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her commitment to community and women made her the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Maathai is now 64 years old, and a member of the Kenyan Parliament. Her political standing has taken her fight for the environment and democracy onto a larger landscape.
MAATHAI: Outside, you can make all the noise you want, but you cannot change laws. When I'm in parliament, I can make contributions that will ensure that the future will be better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's the buzz of the nation's capital today, the first lady Laura Bush's very funny and very surprising remarks at this weekend's annual White House correspondents dinner. Even President Bush was commenting today on her performance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Couple of funny lines one evening, and she gets carried away, you know?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
G. BUSH: Laura "Leno" Bush.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: One night, after George went to bed, Lynne Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendale's.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I wouldn't even mention it, except Ruth Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I won't tell you what happened, but Lynne's Secret Service code name is now "dollar bill."
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: He's usually in bed by now. I'm not kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: The amazing thing, however, is that George and I were just meant to be. I was a librarian, who spent 12 hours a day in the library. Yet somehow, I met George.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: People often wonder what my mother-in-law's really like. People think she's a sweet, grandmotherly, Aunt Bee type. She's actually more like Don Corleone.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The first lady clearly stealing the show at the annual White House correspondents dinner Saturday night.
That's it for me. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Lou is in New York -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you. Have a good evening.
END
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 May 2, 2005 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BLITZER: Happening now, two new reports are in, but they're conclusions very different on why U.S. forces shot and killed an Italian agent in Iraq.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Nuclear threats, the U.N. issues a warning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people will perish in an instant.
BLITZER: Is North Korea issuing a warning of its own?
Car bomb chaos: as more deadly blast rock Baghdad, is a reluctant ally ready to get involved. My exclusive interview with French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier.
Runaway bride: was it panic or premeditated? Should she be punished?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think at some point there has to be some consequence.
BLITZER: Wedding worries: what are the warning signs?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday May 2, 2005.
BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us.
What happens if the nuclear genie gets out of the bottle. A sober warning today from the United Nations, that all nations may be vulnerable. And what may be a warning from North Korea in the form of another missile test. We begin with our security watch coverage with our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The U.S., Wolf, talking tough about Iran and North Korea, here at the five-year Review Conference for an important nuclear treaty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROTH (voice-over): North Korea fired a shot across the bow on the eve of this nuclear review conference. A missile test from a country that says it has nuclear weapons did little to calm countries worried about the spread of bombs. At the U.N. countries are taking stock of one of the worlds most significant disarmament agreements, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. But North Korea's nuclear ambitions and Iran's uranium stockpiles have turned up the heat at a meeting designed to reduce nuclear weapons.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: In the five years since you last met, the world has reawakened to nuclear dangers, both old and new.
ROTH: Two years ago, North Korea withdrew from what's called the NPT Treaty, kicking out international inspectors. North Korea has refused to resume six-nation talks and claims to possess nuclear weapons. A missile test has deep intentions with the Bush administration.
DANIEL PONEMAN, SCOWCROFT GROUP: I think they are trying to put pressure on the United States and others to come to the table and give them something that they're looking for.
ROTH: The missile test did not prompt offers from Washington.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: So, I don't think there should be any -- any doubt about our ability to deter whatever the North Koreans are up to, but that does not mean it is not a serious problem. And that the North Koreans shouldn't come back to the six- party talks, because all of their neighbors consider this to be a problem.
ROTH: The U.S. would like the conference to focus on threats from North Korea and Iran, closing loopholes so that countries such as North Korea, don't sign on to NPT in order to build up nuclear fuel, and then only later leave the treaty to make weapons.
The U.N.'s top nuclear watchdog met with Iran foreign minister, later saying he hopes Tehran will not resume uranium enrichment work in it's disputed nuclear program.
MOHAMMED EL BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL IAEA: Without question, improving control over facilities capable of producing weapon usable material will go a long way towards establishing a better margin of security.
ROTH: A majority of NTP members want something from the U.S. and other nuclear powers, slash your arsenals as promised under the treaty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
After 30 years, the strength of the NPT Treaty is being questioned. The haves vs. the have nots. CNN contacted a North Korean official in New York here, he preferred to remain unidentified, he said his country is confronting a superpower and this conference should really look at the United States instead of Pyongyang -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Richard Roth at the U.N. Thank you, Richard, very much.
And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
In Iraq today, insurgents continuing they're all-out assault. Six car bombs exploded in and around Baghdad and two more blew up in northern city of Mosul. In all, 13 Iraqis were killed, and dozens more were wounded. The worst blast ripped through an upscale shopping district in the capital setting fire to an apartment building. Nine civilians died in that attack alone.
Since Iraq's new government was formed last Thursday, a furious wave of violence has claimed at least 1056 lives. That total includes 33 members of Iraq's security forces, eight U.S. soldiers and one British soldier. Sixty-one Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, including two government officials assassinated by insurgents.
Yesterday, though, was the deadliest day. A suicide bomber targeted the funeral of a Kurdish official in the northern of Telafar killing 25 people, 13 more people were killed in Baghdad.
In Afghanistan, a massive explosion ripped through a village north of Kabul killing at least 28 and wounding dozens more. Afghan officials say the blast originated in a bunker full of weapons hidden under the home of a war lord. It's not clear what triggered the blast, although such arms caches are common in Afghanistan and many of them are unstable.
Here at home, she was a young reservist assigned to a prison back in Iraq who became the face of a shocking abuse scandal. Today Private First Class Lynndie England pleaded guilty to most of the charges against her.
Our national correspondent Susan Candiotti is joining us now live from Ft. Hood, Texas -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.
In her own words, Lynndie England now admits posing for those infamous photos at Abu Ghraib was wrong. Before military judge accepted her plea, he asked her very pointed questions. She said she really didn't want to do it, but went along because of peer pressure. In her words, I had a choice, but I chose to do what my friends wanted me to. The judge then asked Lynndie England why she thought her friends of higher rank did what they did at Abu Ghraib. Her answer, for their own amusement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PFC LYNNDIE ENGLAND, U.S. ARMY: You think you're taking the right road, and it ends up being the wrong one.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Lynndie England, now a young unwed mother after an affair at Abu Ghraib Prison reached a deal to try to avoid years behind bars herself. She was once called the poster child of the Iraqi prison scandal. Today the army reservist from rural West Virginia pleaded guilty to seven counts, all involving photos from Abu Ghraib. England was a clerk, not a guard at Abu Ghraib, and says she posed for the infamous photos because her boyfriend guard, Charles Graner, asked her do so. England talked about the photos in a Dutch television documentary.
In this one, seen holding a leash around a prisoner's neck, her defense, she was trying to help move him to another cell.
ENGLAND: It was a whole intimidation tactic, you know? It was a mind game.
CANDIOTTI: This photo, smiling thumbs up. Standing behind the naked human pyramid.
ENGLAND: I thought it was odd, kind of weird. But, it was kind of like if everyone else is doing it, if they thought it was wrong, then they were stopped.
CANDIOTTI: In her guilt the plea, England admitted involvement in four involvements of prisoner abuse, including the naked pyramid, two counts of conspiracy and one of sexual indecency. Her plea could carry a maximum sentence of 11 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: There are signs of a secret agreement that could cap Lynndie England's punishment to as little as two years. A jury will be selected tomorrow and begin to hear testimony from witnesses for both sides -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti reporting for us. Susan, thank you very much.
Are the soldiers paying the price for the Abu Ghraib abuses while the commander are let off the hook?
Joining us now from New York our world affairs analyst, former defense secretary, William Cohen. He's also chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group.
Mr. Secretary, what do you make to the argument that the lower ranking grunts are getting the punishment, the officers who ordered them to perhaps -- perhaps they were not prepared, trained for this mission, are getting off scott-free?
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, there is something called the chain of command. And there've been a number of investigations or inquiries into this entire matter. And you have to certainly hold those who commit the acts responsible, but there has to be some accountability for those who are -- that should be supervising them. You can not take men and women, train them as hard as we do, and put them in a war time environment, where they're seeing their brothers and sisters blown up on a daily basis, and expect that they're not going take this kind of terrible action against other human beings. There has to be supervision. The question is how high up should that chain of command have gone in terms of accountable. There are questions that have yet to be answered. And I think that's one reason why members of Congress are calling for, at least, some sort of independent review to make sure the people on the ground, those soldiers who were actively engaged in this are not the only ones held accountable for it.
BLITZER: You know a great deal about this subject. Is there any evidence that this kind of abuse of prisoners softens them -- soften them up and makes them more vulnerable to good interrogation?
COHEN: Every indication has been or experience has been that this kind of abuse, and there's no other word for it, this is clearly outside the bounds of appropriate behavior. And talking about putting people in stress positions, this was, in these cases, sexual humiliation, really gross misbehavior, something completely intolerable. And I don't think under any circumstances the United States wants to be seen as being a party to this.
And so, I think it requires supervision, it requires oversight. The question is where was that oversight and supervision? This is not simply an isolated example. There are other allegations about abuses taking place also at Guantanamo Bay. So, a lot to -- yet to be looked at and accounted for, I think.
BLITZER: Let's switch gears. Talk about the North Korean test, that short-range missile, which they test-fired yesterday. What do you make of their decision to do so at this time?
COHEN: A political statement -- a political miscalculation. The fact that they fired the short-range missile is not going to change or alter the military consequences in any way. So they are trying to make a statement that they are in a position to fire missiles. We know that. It will backfire in the sense it will not soften the U.S. position but rather harden it. Back in 1998, they also fired a missile that went over Japan. It resulted in Japan coming closer to the United States and wanting to develop its own national missile defense system, much as the United States is developing its.
So, it's a miscalculation on their part trying to show that they have the capability -- or some limited capability, at least -- fallows on the heels of the testimony before the Congress that they might be in a position to miniaturize nuclear warheads so that they could fire a long-range missile that could hit parts of the United States. So, I think they've tried to calculate that testimony, the fact that there's a meeting in New York looking at the non-proliferation treaty, trying to put as much pressure they can. It will backfire, ultimately.
BLITZER: But the stakes are clearly enormous, given the fact that Kim Jong-Il may already have six nuclear bombs.
COHEN: He may have six nuclear bombs, and that in itself is very sobering to the United Nations and to the rest of the world. The fact is that the North Koreans have become great proliferaters. They put things on the black market -- and this would be no exception as far as their willingness to spread this technology kind of to the highest bidder. So, it's a threat, as Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, pointed out, it's a threat to the entire world. It's not just to South Korea and Japan, though they are principally soldiers as well, involved. It's a threat to the entire region, and that's why we are calling upon China to exercise as much influence as they can, Russia, Japan, South Korea -- all of us want to make sure this technology doesn't continue to proliferate and they don't have the capacity to go any further than they do now.
BLITZER: William Cohen, thanks for joining us.
COHEN: Pleasure.
BLITZER: And, later, there's growing fear over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Clearly, we will discuss that concern and more with the French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier. That interview coming up this hour, an interview will you see only here on CNN.
And, when we come back, placing blame for the shooting of an Italian journalist in Iraq. Why U.S. and Italian investigators agree on the facts, but not on, what's being called, the final conclusion. There are brand new developments in the case. We'll bring them to you. That's coming up.
Plus -- run away bride, safe at home but still not talking. Did she preplan the ordeal and will she pay for her actions?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There needs to be some type of retribution that she should feel to give back to the community for what she has put them through for these many days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Duluth, Georgia, mayor calls for retribution. Just how common is it, though, for a bride or groom to get cold feet? We'll take a closer look at the intense pressures associated with weddings.
And, later...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was okay for the first night, and the second night, but after the second night I thought that we were not going to make it.
BLITZER: Stranded at sea for six days and nights, two teens brave the sun and the sharks, and now share their amazing survival story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The United States and Italy are blaming each other for the March 4th checkpoint shootings in Iraq that killed an Italian intelligence agent and wounded an Italian journalist. The joint investigation has agreed on the facts, but not on the final conclusion. There are new developments in the case. Let's go right to our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in a report just released this hour, Italy blames both inexperience and stress on the part of U.S. soldiers for the accident, but the Pentagon dismisses that. They put the blame on lack of coordination and panic on the part of the Italians.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): U.S. investigators have concluded an American soldier did nothing wrong when he fired bullets into this Toyota, killing Italian agent Nicola Calipari and wounding both Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian journalist whose release he had just secured, and the car's driver. The checkpoint shooting occurred the evening of March 4th, along Route Irish (ph), the 7.5-mile road between Baghdad and the airport dubbed the deadliest in Iraq.
Among the findings, 15 to 30 vehicles had been safely stopped at the checkpoint earlier that night. The driver admitted going as fast as 50 miles per hour. The U.S. thinks it might have been faster. The car did not slow down when signaled by a U.S. soldier holding a search light and laser pointer. The car did not respond to a burst of warning fire. Disabling fire hit the car in the right and front, and the time between the first shot and the car coming to a stop was no more than seven seconds. In addition, an American soldier told investigators that the driver said afterwards "he heard shots from somewhere and that he panicked and started speeding trying to get to the airport as quickly as possible."
And, finally, the report found no coordination by the Italians with the U.S., stating flatly, "the U.S. military was totally unaware of the recovery and transport of Ms. Sgrena on the 4th of March, 2004, until after the shooting incident." In fact, the only American who even had a hint of what was going on at the time, an army captain assigned as an aide to an Italian general, was told by the Italians, it is best if no one knows.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Now, Wolf, one thing you won't find in either report is any reference to a ransom being paid. The Italian government denied they paid a ransom. The Pentagon is not saying anything publicly, but privately, Pentagon officials say they believe the Italians put $10 million in the hands of terrorists in order to secure the release of the Italian journalist.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon for us. Jamie, thank you very much.
More news coming up. Fear over a nuclear Iran -- what will the United States and its allies do? My interview with the French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier coming up.
Also this, a Somali boat rescue. Look at this -- 89 people plucked from the ocean. We have new and dramatic video. Ignoring the dangers, kids, especially, increasingly at risk of developing skin cancer. Our Mary Snow is standing by with what's going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: America and its oldest ally: the friendship went into a deep freeze when U.S. troops went into Iraq. Now, the relationship with France shows some signs of warming up once again. Earlier today I sat down for an exclusive interview with the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Foreign Minister, welcome to Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.
MICHEL BARNIER, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Thank you to you, and thank you for welcoming me here.
WOLF BLITZER: Let's get into the issue of U.S./French relations. Do you understand why there are so many Americans right now who are angry at France?
BARNIER: I don't think there are any good reasons for that. We have indeed disagreed, and substantially so, in particular two years ago, the war before in Iraq. And I think everyone is familiar with the reasons why we disagreed. And today -- insofar as you're talking about today, we have entered a new stage. We are determinately looking ahead, and I think that was very much the sense of President Bush's message when he came a few weeks ago to Brussels, in February. And it is also our mindset, our frame of mind, to look head and to say among French and Americans, Europeans, Americans, what can we do together to face the challenges that we need to face together? Because there are so many global threats.
There is no way that a single nation can answer them. We have to work collectively and find collective solutions. This applies to peace -- the building of peace, and in particular, the core issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That is true of democracy. Look at what we've done together in Lebanon. It is likewise to further the war on terror and development processes.
BLITZER: I want to get -- I want to get to all of those issues in a moment, but let's get back to U.S.-French relations right now. There is a widely held view among many Americans, not all Americans, that the United States helped save France in World War I, helped save France in World War II and that when the United States needed help, they could count on Britain for help going into the war with Iraq, but France was missing in action. And that has irritated a lot of Americans.
BARNIER: We certainly do not forget the past and what we owe the American people. Nothing of that is forgotten. And the president of the French republic said this as he stood beside President Bush last June on the Normandy beaches. We do not forget the past. We are allies. We Americans and French are the longest and the oldest allies in the world. This alliance -- alliance does not mean allegiance. It means that we must work together and respect one another. And France, after the 11th of September, after 9/11 when it was necessary to go to war on terror, and in Afghanistan, in particular, we stood by you.
And I think that today, as I said, we have to look ahead. We, of course, do not forget the reasons why we were in total disagreement on the war in Iraq and the need to go to war in Iraq, but we are looking forward, and that is our state of mind right now.
BLITZER: Let's talk about looking ahead. There's a new Iraq now, a new democratically elected government. January 30, there's a new government that's now been formed. The United States, the new Iraqi government would love French military forces to come in and help this new government, help the Iraqi people -- whatever the differences in the past, start afresh, start with some hope. Is your government ready to consider deploying French troops to Iraq?
BARNIER: Well, I have already said clearly, as has President Chirac that there will be no French troops in Iraq. No, the idea, and it is the idea that we help Iraq to rebuild democratically, politically, economically, does not require additional troops, I don't believe so, anyway. I believe in political cooperation, which is what we have given through Resolution 1546 and the United Nations Security Council with relieving the debt burden, and France has made its contribution and a greater contribution than had originally been suggested -- the political process, which we have endorsed through the Sharm El-Sheikh meeting. And we continue in this state of mind. We believe that Iraq will rise from the crisis via political reconstruction. We endorse it.
BLITZER: Why no troops, though? Why no deployment? You've sent troops to Afghanistan. You've sent troops to other parts of the world. Why is Iraq --
BARNIER: Because we were in agreement -- disagreement with the origins of this war, the need to go to war. We feel that what Iraq needs right now is not additional troops, I mean, in addition to those who are already there -- the multinational force that is already there. Iraq needs political and economic endorsement. That's where we'll be most useful
BLITZER: There is cooperation underway between the United States, France, Germany, England, as far as Iran is concerned and its nuclear program. There is, though, some fear that France, under certain circumstances, might be willing to accept a nuclear Iran, an Iran with nuclear weapons. Is France ready to accept Iran with a nuclear bomb?
BARNIER: The three European countries that have entered into this negotiation stand shoulder to shoulder and will remain together. We're, as it were, spearheading European diplomacy, and I'm working on behalf of the international community. We've been -- we've entered into this difficult and fragile dialogue over a year-and-a-half ago. We're going into it wide -- with our eyes wide open.
Now, in November we reached a very important, very positive agreement whereby Iran agreed to suspend, indefinitely, on a long-term basis, it's activities for enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. And we continue to work towards a long-lasting global agreement under which Iran will give up and renounce nuclear weapons and prove specifically, concretely, that it's nuclear program is exclusively of a civil nature. Now we haven't yet reached that agreement. We are tying to reach it. What is important here is that we are acting as Europeans, but working hand-in-glove with the international community, and in particular the Americans, the Russians, the Chinese.
BLITZER: So the answer is, under no circumstances would France allow Iran to become a nuclear power?
BARNIER: Under no circumstances will we abandon this course of action that we have set together, namely to get from Iran a long-term, long-lasting clear commitment that its nuclear energy program is for purely civil purposes.
BLITZER: I'll complete this interview -- I'll end it with where we started -- U.S.-French relations. What's your bottom-line message to the American people on this visit to the United States.
BARNIER: We are at a new stage, a new phase. There are a lot of challenges that we need to face. And there are a lot of reasons why we must work together while showing mutual respect for one another on both sides of the Atlantic. We will not achieve peace in the Middle East and the Near East without one another and other countries -- Arab -- the Arab world and other countries. We will not win the war against either develop, poverty, terror without standing shoulder to shoulder.
That is the reason why, since 9/11 that very evening, we have stood by you in your war on terror. And I am fortunate enough to be able to speak to Americans and the American people this evening. And I want them to understand that Europe is in the -- is constructing itself, building itself, needs this unity, this entity, just as the Americans need a strong Europe to stand by them. And we need a strong America that respects us and trusts us to face the challenges of the world of today.
BLITZER: Foreign Minister, thanks very much for joining us. Welcome to the United States. And we'll continue this conversation down the road.
BARNIER: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Two additional notes, during our interview, I asked the foreign minister if France, like the United States, considers the Iranian and Syrian backed Lebanese group Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization? He responded that Hezbollah is a complex movement with a political dimension, calling it an important player in Lebanon. He declined to call it terrorist. I then asked if he believes Syria would -- will make good on a complete withdrawal from Lebanon, meaning that it will pull out all its intelligence agents in addition to military personnel. The foreign minister said he thinks so, but he insisted that's up to the United Nations to determine.
When we come back, run away bride. The fiance to the fleeing bride speaks out. His thoughts on her cold feet. That's coming up.
Also, two teenagers live to share their horrific ordeal after being stranded at sea for six days.
And, later, stand-up, and the first lady Laura Bush: how she brought down the house and stole the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Georgia's now infamous runaway bride is possibly facing misdemeanor, maybe even felony, charges. Charles Molineaux's in Duluth -- that's near Atlanta. He has new details. What's going on, Charles?
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf, yes, we are hearing from, well, the fiance who got left. John Mason was abandoned at the altar in front of the entire country. This guy's been through the ringer. He went on a desperate search for his fiance. There were even implications that he may have been responsible for her disappearance, but he's still holding on hope that this marriage can be saved. He is still hoping that this can go ahead. He's still talking forgiveness. According to a report on the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" website, John Mason told a TV interviewer that he still wants to marry Jennifer and he said, "Hey, we all mess up. We all make mistakes."
Mason, his family, Jennifer's family and the Duluth, Georgia, community went on a frantic search for Jennifer Wilbanks when she disappeared last Tuesday. They all fell into an embarrassed silence as Jennifer returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday night, her head hidden in a blanket. Police say she showed up in Albuquerque telling a phony story about having been kidnapped after getting cold feet and taking off on a cross-country bus trip.
Now, prosecutors in Georgia are discussing possible criminal charges against her. Gwinnett County's (ph) district attorney Danny Porter (ph) says he is not going after some woman who just panicked and took off, bit if she cooked up a scheme to deceive, she is fair game.
DANNY PORTER, GWINNETT Co. DIST. ATTY.: We don't prosecute people for accidents. We don't prosecute people for -- for -- where their mind goes blank. We tend not do that. So, if it was a situation where this was shown to be an unpremeditated, unintentional act, then I wouldn't be inclined to prosecute. But, if, as it appears -- there is a growing body of evidence that this was more than just a panic attack -- then that's something else we have to look at.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Well, Porter says that his office has been looking at the case law and determined that he can press charges against Jennifer Wilbanks. The question as to whether or not he will, will depend upon what evidence his office can build up and what kind of a case they can develop. Wolf?
BLITZER: Charles, any indication when we will get that final word from the D.A.?
TODD: He has been extremely reluctant to nail down a specific time. For example, he said there will be no announcement of any such decision today. He says this is largely going to have to wait until this investigation is complete. He says you if look at some charges like the possible felony, false statements, he's got four years to make a decision. It probably won't be that long, but it's not as if he feels any time pressure to make a decision quickly on whether he will be pressing any charges.
BLITZER: And, very briefly, Charles, what about Jennifer Wilbanks herself? I thought she was supposed to make a public statement?
TODD: Well, what she said on the trip over, according to -- from New Mexico, according to a flight attendant -- is that she was tired, and was not going to be making public statements then, that being Saturday night, but that perhaps she would say something early this week. Well, that would be within the next couple of days, so far no indication as to when any public statement along those lines might be forthcoming.
BLITZER: Charles Molineaux reporting for us. Thanks, Charles, very much.
Although her actions were extreme, Jennifer Wilbanks is not alone when it comes to cold feet. CNN's Brian Todd is here. He's talked to experts who say those kind of wedding woes are more common than a lot of us might think. What did you learn, Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, Wolf, from psychologists to wedding planners, experts say the pressures of your wedding day and everything that comes afterward can often be too much to bear.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Jennifer Wilbanks dealt with it one way. Years ago Nicole Contos, almost literally left at the alter at a high- profile Manhattan gathering, changed into a black dress and went on with the party.
NICOLE CONTOS: I just felt that was really the right thing to do, you know? To go on with the reception, the cocktail hour and then we decided to indeed, go ahead and serve everyone dinner. And the band stayed. I did send the photographers home.
TODD: Contos, Wilbanks and their fiances likely felt what so many couples can relate to: the pressures of commitment, the intense stress of that special day.
GILDA CARLE, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: When you go for a change of life, as in a marriage, there are going to be some jitters. What you have to determine is, are the jitters legitimate or are the jitters because these two people should not be marrying?
TODD: We spoke with several psychotherapists and relationship experts. No one could offer hard statistics on how many people call off weddings in the U.S. each year. One estimated it's in the hundreds of thousands. Experts say most people call it off well in advance, speak to their fiance about it, don't go to extremes. They say there are tell-tale signs a prospective bride or groom starting to realize the gravity of what they're about to do. And, often, the spiraling pressure of wedding planning.
CARLE: Too many people are concentrating more on the wedding than they are on the actual marriage. The actual -- so what do we do next?
TODD: Experts say the average wedding in America costs between 20 and $25,000. But depending on the number of guests, and if it's in a big city, it can easily shoot up into the hundreds of thousands. Between the money spent and all the other issues, they say, wedding planning becoming a window into the stress couples will face in real life.
CARLEY RONEY, EDITOR, "THE KNOT": It's peoples expectations. It's fighting between family members. It's your parents wishes vs. your wishes. I mean, honestly, when you're -- all your friends have been told and your family and everyone's invited all their guest. Brides often get very caught up in that, and don't really have the time to really seriously consider any jitters they might have and look at them more seriously and figure out if there's something more going on.
TODD: For that reason, say psychologists, people just as often make a bigger mistake, going through a wedding when they probably shouldn't, only to become more unhappy later.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And from each expert, the advice is consistent, look into counseling before your wedding. If you're having second thoughts, take a step back, postpone if you have to. But also remember nervousness is normal and not always a sign that you should marry that person.
Wolf, I sound like Dr. Phil.
BLITZER: Very good advice. Brian Todd, thank you very much. Excellent advice to all those people thinking about getting married.
When we come back, a sea rescue caught on tape. How U.S. navy ships were able to save almost 100 people during this dramatic operation.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were trying to get to the sand bar. And when we were going out, we got caught in the riptide, and took us around it. And as soon as I got in, I knew we were in trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Stranded at sea for almost a week. Two teenage boys finally rescued and now sharing their story.
And later a disturbing trend, why so many young people, yes, young people, are ignoring the dangers of cancer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Look at this. Off the coast of Somalia, an anti- terrorism operation turns into a dramatic rescue operation. American Navy ships pulled 89 people to safety after the boat they were on capsized over the weekend, five others were killed. The vessel capsized in the Gulf of Aden, about 25 miles off shore. Three American warships and a German frigate took part in the rescue operation.
Closer to home, two South Carolina teenagers are recovering from an ordeal few people could ever imagine. They were stranded at sea for six days in a small boat surviving by their wits and they're faith.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH LONG, SURVIVOR: Just praying and praying. We kind of realized, we said if we don't make it, we know where we're going. And if we make it, we know -- I just want to go back to my family.
BLITZER (voice-over): They're sun burned, dehydrated and exhausted, but they've lived to tell their story. Eighteen-year-old Josh Long and his friend 15-year-old Troy Driscoll set out April 24 to go fishing from Sullivan's Island off the South Carolina coast, near Charleston. But almost immediately, their 14-foot boat got caught in a riptide that sucked them out to sea. A day went by, then two, and thirst and hunger set in.
LONG: Really, we didn't eat anything. Troy ate these little jelly balls that we'd catch with my hat. We'd just scooped them up out the water. The water -- the only thing we could do with the water is gurgle salt water and spit it out. And it drizzled one night, and we liked the water off the deck, trying to get something in us.
BLITZER: Exposed to the elements, the boys covered themselves with a single wet suit by night. By day they'd jump into the water, seeking relief from the relentless sun. But there they faced another threat -- sharks.
We'd be swimming around, they'd come up or start heading your way, that's when we'd get out of it. Because you would sit on the boat, and they would swim towards the boat. I mean, they were everywhere. Every time you turned around and get in the water, there's one coming.
BLITZER: By day five, the boys had drifted north more than 100 miles up the coast to North Carolina, and were now outside the search area. Authorities were pessimistic, shifting from a rescue operation to a recovery mission. And trying to prepare the families for the worst. Then, on day six, what everyone involved refers to as the miracle -- a fishing boat plucked Josh and Troy from the water near Cap Fear, ending their ordeal. They were so desperate by then, Troy later told the "Charleston Post Newspaper" that "I asked God to take me."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The teens both say they're ordeal won't keep them from going fishing again, but when they do, it will probably be in a boat with a motor or two.
Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Lou, is standing in New York with a preview -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: Wolf, thank you.
At 6:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN, we'll be reporting on the rising nuclear threat from North Korea.
And we'll have Kofi Annan's latest bright idea. My guest tonight, a former State Department official who says North Korea is insulting President Bush.
And in broken borders tonight, who benefits from illegal immigration. It's not the economy, it's employers. We'll have a special report for you.
And buy American, the escalating campaign on Capitol Hill to stop what remains of our diminished manufacturing industry from disappearing altogether. Those stories and a great deal more coming up in just a few minutes here on CNN. Please join us.
Now back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We will join you. Thank you very much. Lou Dobbs, he's coming up in a little while..
When we come back, teens tanning and a disturbing new trend -- cases of melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer rising in children. Why many young people are ignoring the dangers associated with the sun.
And later -- Laura Bush, the comedian. The first lady earns quite a few laughs at the expense of the man standing right behind her -- that would be the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Most teenagers know the dangers connected with tanning, but they choose to ignore them. That's the finding of a new survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, and it's especially troubling to doctors who are seeing a jump in skin cancer cases in children. Details now from CNN's Mary Snow. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it's on the beach or in the tanning booth, when it comes to getting melanomas, raising awareness among teens does not seem to be the problem.
DR. CLAY COCKERELL, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY: We found that about 80 percent of teenagers know that tanning and getting sunburns is dangerous and can lead to skin cancer and aging of the skin and melanoma, but about 60 or so percent got a sunburn over the last year.
SNOW: Getting ready for proms is one of the reasons for getting a tan, says the American Academy of Dermatology. It surveyed roughly 500 teens with nearly half saying tans look healthier. They found girls tend to use sunscreen, whereas boys do not. One of the reasons is peer pressure.
COCKERELL: Teenagers are definitely going to do that. They are going to be -- they'll get tanned, because they think that's what looks cool.
SNOW: While few may be surprised to know that teens ignore warnings and get tans, doctors say what's disturbing is the number of cases of melanoma in kids under 18.
DR. CHARLES BALSCH, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY: I have been treating melanoma for 30 years, and I've definitely seen more children and teenagers than at any time in my career.
SNOW: Other studies show that cases of pediatric melanoma are rare, but doctors like Charles Balsch say he can't explain why, but he's seeing an increase.
BALSCH: I think at our Melanoma Center at Johns Hopkins, we are now seeing 12 to 18 new patients a year, whereas in the past if we saw one a year, that would be something significant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And the National Cancer Institute reiterates that pediatric melanoma is still very rare. There are about seven cases per million in the latest numbers; that's compared to about 20 years ago, when there were about three per million. Doctors are concerned, though, because once you get to adults, melanoma is much more common -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary Snow, reporting important information for our viewers. Thanks very much, Mary, for that.
When we come back, we'll shift gears. Upstaging the president. That would be from the first lady, Laura Bush. She steals the show with her own comedy routine. Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a country where women didn't have a voice, Wangari Maathai spoke to the people. Born a farmer's daughter in Kenya in 1940, she traveled to America on a scholarship, and became the first woman from Central or East Africa to earn a doctorate degree. But when Maathai returned home, she found most of Kenya's forests had been destroyed.
WANGARI MAATHAI: It's the women who are expected to produce food, to feed the families. So it is the woman who feels it when the land can no longer produce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under her leadership, more than 30 million trees have been planted all over Kenya. Her movement has helped citizen foresters improve their quality of life.
MAATHAI: We realize that people need to understand that some of the problem they have are of their own making. And they can do something about those problems.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her commitment to community and women made her the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Maathai is now 64 years old, and a member of the Kenyan Parliament. Her political standing has taken her fight for the environment and democracy onto a larger landscape.
MAATHAI: Outside, you can make all the noise you want, but you cannot change laws. When I'm in parliament, I can make contributions that will ensure that the future will be better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's the buzz of the nation's capital today, the first lady Laura Bush's very funny and very surprising remarks at this weekend's annual White House correspondents dinner. Even President Bush was commenting today on her performance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Couple of funny lines one evening, and she gets carried away, you know?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
G. BUSH: Laura "Leno" Bush.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: One night, after George went to bed, Lynne Cheney, Condi Rice, Karen Hughes and I went to Chippendale's.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I wouldn't even mention it, except Ruth Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I won't tell you what happened, but Lynne's Secret Service code name is now "dollar bill."
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: George always says he's delighted to come to these press dinners. Baloney.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: He's usually in bed by now. I'm not kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you're going to have to stay up later.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: The amazing thing, however, is that George and I were just meant to be. I was a librarian, who spent 12 hours a day in the library. Yet somehow, I met George.
(LAUGHTER)
L. BUSH: People often wonder what my mother-in-law's really like. People think she's a sweet, grandmotherly, Aunt Bee type. She's actually more like Don Corleone.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The first lady clearly stealing the show at the annual White House correspondents dinner Saturday night.
That's it for me. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Lou is in New York -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you. Have a good evening.
END
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