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CNN Live Today

West Bank Shooting; Iraq Violence; Protesting the War

Aired August 17, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
A sentencing hearing is under way for confessed BTK killer Dennis Rader. This is Rader's first court appearance since June, when he calmly described killing 10 people, beginning in 1974. Prosecutors are pushing for a minimum of 175 years in prison with no chance for parole.

Tensions and emotions are running high in Gaza today. Israeli troops began removing Jewish settlers who refused to leave their homes. In one settlement at least a thousand people barricaded themselves inside a synagogue. The withdrawal is part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's effort to restart the peace process with Palestinians.

The British TV network ITV says it has obtained secret documents and photos involving a Brazilian man shot and killed on a London subway. Police mistook Jean Charles de Menezes for a terror suspect. But according to the ITV report, Menezes was behaving normally, was not carrying any bags, and was not wearing a bulky coat. We'll have more on this story later in the hour.

A former child actor and his wife face trial in California for the murder of a wealthy couple. A preliminary hearing for Skylar Deleon and his wife Jennifer wrapped up yesterday. He once appeared in "The Power Rangers" TV series. Prosecutors say the victims were tied to the anchor of their yacht and thrown overboard alive. The suspects say they're innocent.

Good morning. Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Checking the time around the world. Just after 10:00 a.m. in Crawford, Texas; just after 6:00 p.m. in Gaza City; and just after 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan.

We're going to start with a developing story in the Middle East. A shooting in The West Bank leaves at least three people dead. The violence coming at a very sensitive time as Israel abandons settlements in Gaza.

Our Paula Hancocks is keeping an eye on the situation. She is in Jerusalem.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. Well, the latest information we have is that three Palestinians have been shot dead in this attack. A Jewish -- and Israeli gunman has shot -- opened fire at Palestinians working in a Shilo settlement. This is a settlement in the West Bank about 20 miles north from Jerusalem.

Now, a police officer in the area said what happened was the Israeli was -- is a 40-year-old father of two who is a driver for many of the Palestinians who go from the West Bank and travel through into the settlement for work. He was driving with two Palestinians in the car.

He went to the gate of the settlement. He asked the gatekeeper, the soldier there, for a glass of water. When the soldier brought him a glass of water, he then took his gun, went back to his car, and killed the two Palestinians that were in his car.

He then ran to the industrial estate, the industrial area where many of these Palestinians work, opened fire, and we understand he killed one more person there. And others are still injured.

Now, the man was arrested shortly afterwards, we understand, from the police. We've had a reaction from the police Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, saying that he condemns this terrorist act in the strongest possible terms. He's also calling on the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to do everything he can in his power to stop these kind of terror attacks -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Paula Hancocks, live from Jerusalem.

Thank you.

We're going to have more coverage from Gaza, where the removal continues to take place of settlers. And also, this situation of about 1,000 protesters holed up inside a synagogue there.

Now, though, we move on to new developments in today's deadly bomb attacks in Baghdad. Iraqi officials say police have arrested four people in connection with the bombings that killed dozens.

Our Aneesh Raman is following that story. He joins us live now from Baghdad with the latest.

Aneesh, hello.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning.

No claim of responsibility yet for the attack that killed at least 43 people, wounded upwards of 90 others. But this attack underscores the basic needs of Iraqi civilians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice over): On mornings like this, the politics of Iraq seem irrelevant. A trio of car bombs detonating within minutes of each other in central Baghdad. The first two at the al-Nahda bus terminal, one of the busiest in the capital. The explosions killed dozens, wounded scores of others.

Moments later, another bomb. This one at the al-Kindi hospital as casualties from the first explosion were being brought in. A coordinated attack and one of the biggest in Iraq in weeks.

The pain unbearable. The anger understandable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We want our voices heard by the president and every official to tackle such violence. All those kills were innocent people. There were no Americans, nor Iraqi troops on the scene.

RAMAN: This is reality for Iraqi citizens, waking some days to carnage. On most others, facing a continued lack in basic services. There is work being done, reconstruction being taken place. But not nearly as quick as anyone here would like. And that is why the extension of the constitutional deadline is so frustrating for the average Iraqi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They gave no convincing reason for the delay. They just said, "We are still in talks." There's no convincing reason compared to what's happening on the Iraqi streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): What a pity all this delay for nothing. This country is being destroyed daily by explosions with no security. No, we just want it to end.

RAMAN: Under intense scrutiny, Iraqi leaders say they are making progress towards a final compromise. Whether that is truly the case will be known in a matter of days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: And Daryn, that is the duality that Iraq confronts, forging new political ground while facing sustained security needs. And in the middle lie the Iraqi people. They have hope for the future, but they are incapable at times of seeing beyond the difficulties, Daryn, of their daily life.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman, live from Baghdad.

Thank you.

And then there's this, this troubling comparison from a man who would know. Secretary of State during the Vietnam War Henry Kissinger says he sees similarities between that war and the war in Iraq. He made those comments on CNN's "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY KISSINGER, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have a very uneasy feeling that some of the same tendencies are reemerging. And we had achieved a military outcome which was difficult but tolerable. But we then could no longer achieve the support to sustain that outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Let's look at -- take a closer look now at that comparison. Here now, the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN (voice over): The war in Iraq has cost the United States about $200 billion so far. Adjusted for inflation, the war in Vietnam cost more than twice that over a period of eight years. The deployment in Iraq has only been two-and-a-half years so far.

In terms of the total number of troops who have served, the Pentagon says at least a million U.S. troops have rotated either through Iraq or Afghanistan, not yet close to the 3.4 million who served tours of duty in southeast Asia. But given 10 years, that number could reach there.

Perhaps a figure that best shows the differences between the wars, the number of military deaths in Iraq recently climbed above 1,850. The number of U.S. troops lost in Vietnam was more than 58,000.

The one area where there is some similarity between the two wars is the domain of public opinion. Protests today are nothing like they were in the 1960s. The most recent polls on Iraq show 54 percent of Americans believe it was a mistake to send U.S. troops there.

Flash back to 1968. Fifty-three percent said they believe the U.S. made a mistake sending troops to Vietnam. That war lasted another five years after that opinion was expressed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We go now outside the Bush ranch. Antiwar protesters are moving to bigger quarters soon thanks to one of the president's neighbors.

National Correspondent Bob Franken joins me now from Crawford, Texas.

Bob, good morning again.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And closer quarters, Daryn. Their new location, which they expect to have set up by Friday in a memorial service outside the President Bush ranch, is going to be effected by Friday. They probably won't begin the move today, because, as you can see in back of me, there's quite a bit to move.

It started out as what was a one-person vigil on the part of Cindy Sheehan on behalf of her son, Casey, who had been killed in Iraq. But it has grown as supporters have heard about it.

You can see in back of me probably that they heard about it because there's been ever-growing news organization coverage. As a result, she's holds daily news conferences. We're expected one within about a half-hour, where she's probably going to discuss the move and discuss her quest for a meeting with President Bush.

It should be pointed out that this has been consistent with her political point of view for quite some time. But she has certainly gained the attention of a large part of the world with her solitary -- what began as a solitary effort here to, in effect, disrupt the president's vacation.

The president has been forced to respond to her claims, expressing repeatedly his sympathy to Cindy Sheehan and the parents and loved ones who have died in Iraq, but saying that it would be a mistake to change his policies there at this particular point. He also says, and his supporters and members of the administration say, that he has actually met Cindy Sheehan.

She was in a group of loved ones of those lost in Iraq, and they met in Washington State sometime back. No plans for any meeting to honor her request for another meeting. As a result, Cindy Sheehan, with her ever-growing quest here, is going to continue, continue because she's become a symbol of those who have frustration with U.S.- Iraq policies, frustration, as we know, that has shown up on the polls recently -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Bob Franken, live in front of the traffic from Crawford, Texas.

Thank you.

On to today's "Security Watch." A former military intelligence officer at the Pentagon says he tried to warn the FBI about an al Qaeda cell a full year before the 9/11 attacks. But he says military lawyers blocked that information from getting to the FBI.

Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer was a member of a classified Pentagon intelligence unit. It was called Able Danger. And he's just now going public with what he says he told the 9/11 Commission. He shared his story on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COLONEL ANTHONY SHAFFER, ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: I was tasked by the Navy to look at bringing back some of the aspects regarding the technology of the Able Danger capability earlier this year. Through our research and coordination with Congress, with Congressman Curt Weldon, we came to find that the information we provided to the 9/11 Commission had never gotten to the commissioners. Subsequent to that being discovered, Congressman Weldon and his staff did additional research, and we came to find that there was a significant amount of information that was totally deleted or not provided to the actual commissioners.

What I know is that their statement on the 12th of August is wrong. I never mentioned anything about the human asset being turned off by the (INAUDIBLE). That's one of their statements that they claim I made I never said that. And the other thing they say that I said was that I talked about Able Danger being a project in Afghanistan. I never said that.

So if they got those two points wrong, I don't know what else they got wrong. The only thing they got right, basically, was that there was information about this network that related to the fact that they were interested in it. And Mr. Zelikow's own admission, the next paragraph of their 12 August statements, says they called back immediately after talking to me, which would mean they heard something that I said which -- which resonated.

The other thing is Mr. Zelikow himself gave me his card and asked me to contact him upon my return from deployment. And I did contact him in January of '04. That's where I was essentially blown off.

I called them. They said they wanted to talk to me. I waited a week, called them back, and they said, "No, we don't need to talk to you now."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Military officials have said they are looking into Shaffer's account. And they have refused to comment any further. The Pentagon also said -- is to be said to be looking into the matter as well.

CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on your security. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

It is moving day for settlers in Gaza whether they like it or not.

Back here in the U.S., BTK is back in court. Live picture there from the Wichita, Kansas, courtroom. Investigators speaking today about the terrible crimes that Dennis Rader has confessed to. Will the families of the victims relive their worst nightmares as well?

Also ahead, new documents and pictures just revealed about what that Brazilian man was doing on the London tube just before he was shot and killed by the police.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether the defendant has compensated or will compensate the victims for the crimes that he has committed, your honor, after hearing the evidence, seeing the evidence and hearing the testimony, you will find that there is no compensation that is sufficient for the victims of his crimes. In the final homicide, your honor, the state has asked that the hard 40 sentence be imposed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: To Wichita, Kansas. The sentencing hearing getting under way last hour for confessed serial killer Dennis Rader, known as the BTK Strangler.

Veteran criminal attorney Jennifer Keller is with us from Orange County, California, bringing her insights into this infamous case.

Jennifer, good morning.

JENNIFER KELLER, ATTORNEY: Good morning.

KAGAN: When you hear the horrendous list and the details of what Dennis Rader did to his victims, a lot of people are shaking their heads that this guy can't get the death penalty.

KELLER: Well, Kansas didn't have the death penalty during the period of times that Mr. Rader was committing his crimes. And the U.S. constitution prohibits imposing punishments that were not in effect at the time of the crimes. It's called the expos facto clause of the Constitution. So Kansas...

KAGAN: So the crimes that happened -- yes -- for -- from 1974 to 1971, Kansas brings back the death penalty in '94. Even after he's sentenced for these, if they find perhaps that he committed other crimes past '94, other murders, then the death penalty perhaps could be discussed.

KELLER: Yes, absolutely.

KAGAN: What about the two to three days it's taking for the sentencing hearing? That seems so long.

KELLER: Well, it is a long sentencing hearing, but then again, this is the worst serial killing in the history of Kansas and one of the worst in the history of the nation. So it would appear to me that the prosecution wants to detail every last facet of these crimes, both to give some comfort to the victims' families and that the truth has finally come out, and also to convince the judge to compose fully consecutive sentences so that this man will never see the light of day again.

KAGAN: Yes, the prosecution asking for a minimum of 175 years behind bars without the chance for parole. That clearly would make it a life sentence for Dennis Rader.

This question of concurrent or consecutive, how does the judge decide?

KELLER: Well, the judge can take into account all kinds of factors in determining whether to impose concurrent or consecutive sentences. But let's face it, in this case, there's just no question this judge is going to give him fully consecutive sentences on every count. And Mr. Rader has already agreed to that and accepted that.

So the prosecution really didn't have to put on this hearing. It could have simply rested and he would have been sentenced to the maximum.

KAGAN: And as I also understand it, even though this is set to go two to three days, at any point that the judge decides, "I've heard enough, I know what I need to sentence," he can stop it and impose the sentence.

KELLER: Yes. And as I said, since Mr. Rader has already agreed that he should receive the maximum sentence, and his attorneys are not even cross-examining witnesses, it would appear that that would be a very likely outcome. But it seems that both the judge and the prosecutors know that there's a tremendous amount of community sentiment in hearing all of the facts brought to light, because there never was any trial here. To some degree, Mr. Rader kind of took the wind out of the prosecution's sails by pleading guilty to everything.

KAGAN: And part of the control issue of being a serial killer that we've heard different psychologists talk about. We will watch this cathartic process continue to take place out of Wichita, Kansas.

Jennifer, thank you for your legal insight this morning.

KELLER: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Twenty-seven minutes past the hour. On to world news.

Israeli troops and police beginning to forcibly remove settlers. We're live from Gaza's largest Jewish settlement for more reaction from all sides.

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