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The Situation Room
Not Enough Troops?; Effort to Defend Domestic Spying; Palestinian Election Turnout Large; Fatal Accident In Florida; Toxic Remains Of World Trade Center May Be Responsible For Sickness
Aired January 25, 2006 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information from around the world arrive at one place at the same time.
Happening now, it's 5:00 p.m. at the Pentagon. Is the Army all it can be? A new study says there aren't enough troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. What happens if that thin green line snaps?
It's Fort Meade, Maryland, it's also 5:00 p.m. President Bush gets an up-close look at the top-secret spy agency which has been spying here at home without court orders. We'll take you inside the NSA.
And it's 3:00 p.m. in Arizona, where an aid group is mapping the best routes for illegal immigrants to try to sneak into the United States. Is the Mexican government helping out?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Not enough troops, that's the bottom line of the thin green line, part of a study ordered by the Pentagon which finds that the U.S. Army is stretched too thin by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, disputes the results, but Democrats have come out with similar findings.
Let's get some more. For that, we'll turn to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, those two reports sound a similar alarm that the constant rotation of battle- weary troops into war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan is a prescription for a broken Army.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice over): In one report commissioned by the Pentagon, a chapter entitled "The Thin Green Line" argues the Army is over-stretched and undersized. The author, a retired military officer, concludes that the Army is "in a race against time" and "could face a catastrophic decline" in recruitment and reenlistment.
A second report released by Democrats on Capitol Hill echoed the theme, noting that every available Army combat brigade has served in Iraq or Afghanistan for at least one one-year tour, and many are on their second or third deployments. WILLIAM PERRY, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: All Americans can be proud of their service and dedication. But the strain, if not relieved, can have highly corrosive and long-term effects on the military.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I just can't imagine someone looking at the United States armed forces and suggesting that they're close to breaking. That's just not the case.
MCINTYRE: At a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the dire warnings as either out of date or misdirected and blamed part of the problem on the organizational structure he inherited from the Clinton administration.
RUMSFELD: I mean, these are the people, basically, who did that report who were here in the '90s. And what we're doing is trying to adjust what was left us to fit the 21st century.
MCINTYRE: Both reports recommended a permanent increase in the size of the U.S. Army, something the Pentagon insists may not be needed if enough desk jobs could be converted to combat roles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: And Wolf, the debate isn't so much over how the Army's doing now. Big bonuses have boosted recruitment and retention is pretty high. What the argument is, is that some short-term fixes are going to produce long-term problems down the road.
And when you ask Rumsfeld if that's case, his candid answer was, "I don't know." He said, "Time will tell."
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.
Jamie, thank you very much.
President Bush, meanwhile, has been making an all-out effort to defend his domestic spying program. And today he dropped in on the eavesdroppers over at the National Security Agency.
Let's head over to the White House. Our correspondent Dana Bash has more -- Dana.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Well, Wolf, one of the tactics that this White House tends to use in defending any controversial policy, national security policy, is by going to an area and perhaps highlighting, even thanking those on the front lines.
With Iraq, the president, as you know, over the past several months and even years has gone and talked about Iraq standing with an audience of troops. Well, today, as you mentioned, Mr. Bush actually went to the super-secret NSA, a place that many people don't know much about at all. In fact, the government didn't even admit it existed until about 10 years ago.
He went to thank those people who are actually carrying out the very controversial program that is really a part of the major public debate and that the president has been all this week, and his aides, trying to defend. Well, there, he also, for first time, Wolf, evoked Osama bin Laden and his tape from last week as part of this debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We heard from Osama bin Laden that terrorists will do everything they can to strike us. I'm going to continue everything I can within my legal authority to stop them. And so are the good people here at NSA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, the question, one of the many questions, and one of the many points of debate about this program, still, is what exactly is that legal authority? The president again today said he believe it's both from the Constitution and the congressional resolution passed shortly after 9/11.
He believes that gives him the legal authority. Of course, as we have heard many Democrats, even some Republicans, are not so sure about that. And, in fact, part of the reason, the main reason why the White House is engaged in this major push is to try to set the tone of the debate in advance of some hearings going on in the Senate in a couple of weeks.
And Wolf, the Senate Judiciary chairman, Arlen Specter, sent a letter to the administration's point person on that, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He'll be testifying. And Arlen Specter made it pretty clear he has a lot of questions to ask, unanswered questions, from his point of view, about just what the legal basis is for this particular program, because there is certainly a lot of skepticism about it -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Dana. Thank you very much.
Dana Bash at the White House.
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are demanding that the panel hold both open and closed hearings on the NSA surveillance program. In a letter to the Republican chairman, they say they want to know the purpose of the spying, when it began and when it was first authorized. They want to know the targets of the eavesdropping, who decides what information to collect.
A Senate committee will hold hearings on the spying program next month. That would be the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Amid all the debate over the program's legality, you may have some basic questions. How does the NSA eavesdrop on its targets, and when does it happen?
Coming up this hour, our national security correspondent, David Ensor, will explain.
President Bush may have some job problems, but the first lady, Laura Bush, is getting raves for the way she's handling her role at the White House. Our new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll shows Mrs. Bush with a whopping 82 percent approval rating. That's almost double her husband's poll number.
By the way of comparison, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have job approval ratings in the low 40s.
Let's go to CNN's Zain Verjee at the CNN Center in Atlanta for an update on that horrible bus crash down in Florida.
What are we getting, Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting a lot of conflicting information, Wolf, about that crash.
It happened west of Jacksonville, Florida, just south of Lake Butler. We're hearing from the sheriff's office that seven people have been killed and three people are in critical condition after a school bus crashed with a tractor-trailer.
But on the scene, though, the Florida Highway Patrol spokesman is saying, look, that that number of fatalities is not correct. Clearly, this has happened just about an hour ago, and they're trying to assess exactly what's going on. And we're trying to sort it out and they're trying to sort it out as well.
It happened, as I said, just an hour ago, just before 4:00 p.m., actually, south of Lake Butler on State Highway 121.
A spokeswoman for a hospital in Gainesville said hospital officials have been alerted to be prepared. She said that they were told, "Open your doors."
We're going to continue to follow this, Wolf. Conflicting information on exactly what's going on. But there may be some casualties, they may be quite serious. But we'll let you know when we're able to confirm it definitively -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain. Thank you very much.
Zain Verjee with the latest on that bus crash in Florida.
We'll head the overseas right now. Palestinians went to the polls today to choose members of parliament. The result, an electoral upheaval. An exit poll shows voters acted on their dissatisfaction with the ruling Fatah party and handed Hamas, the militant Islamic group, a share of power.
CNN's Guy Raz is joining us now from the West Bank city of Ramallah with more on what happened.
Incredibly important election today. What does it all mean, Guy? GUY RAZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it means one thing, and that is the Palestinian political landscape is no longer a one-party system. There is clearly a strong opposition party now. And that party is Hamas, the militant Islamic group considered an terrorist organization by the United States, by Israel, the European Union and several countries around the world.
Now, Fatah appears to have won a slight victory, but not enough of a victory to form the next Palestinian government on its own. It will need to form a coalition with other parties.
We do know based on exit polling data that Hamas will likely emerge as the second-largest party in the Palestinian government, serving essentially as an opposition party which will hold the Palestinian government accountable.
Now, most Palestinians who decided to vote for Hamas didn't -- didn't vote for Hamas because of its campaign of suicide bombings or its position on violence, or its formal position on the destruction of the state of Israel. They voted for Hamas as a punishment for Fatah.
Fatah has dominated Palestinian political life for decades. It was founded by Yasser Arafat, a movement beset by allegations of corruption. And simply put, Wolf, most Palestinians today regard Fatah's time in government as a failure.
BLITZER: Guy Raz in Ramallah. We're going to get back to you when we get more results on this election.
Guy, thank you very much.
And what happens next for the Palestinians? Will Hamas give up violence to gain power? What's the future of the peace process with Israel? Is there a peace process with Israel?
Coming up this hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM, I'll speak live with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. That's coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Let's go to Jack Cafferty in New York once again. He's standing by with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A group, Wolf, of influential physicians says that doctors ought to stop taking freebies from the drug companies. The freebies include everything from ballpoint pens, to meals, to European vacations, to World Series tickets. They also say that doctors ought to stop accepting free drug samples.
Critics say these gifts are meant to influence which drugs the doctors prescribe. I can follow that. And we're not talking chump change here, either.
In 2003, pharmaceutical companies spent $25.3 billion on advertising and marketing, with a "B". That includes the doctors freebies, as well as all those annoying TV commercials, which I am completely sick of. They only spent slightly more than that, $34.5 billion, on research and development.
Now, the drug companies would have you believe that the high cost of your prescriptions is because of all the money they spend on R&D. A drug industry trade group insists there's nothing shady going on here, saying, "Only practices that do not compromise independent judgments of health providers, such as modest working meals, gifts of minimal value that support the medical practice and distribution of free samples, are permitted."
Here's the question: Should doctors take gifts from drug companies?
E-mail us at CAFFERTYFILE@CNN.com, and we'll read some of your answers later.
BLITZER: Good question, Jack. You know, a lot of patients like it when their doctors give them free drug samples.
CAFFERTY: Well, yes, I suppose, if you can get free drug samples that way. But the prescriptions you have to pay for at the pharmacy are marked up to cover the costs of advertising and marketing. That would include the free samples they hand to your doctor.
BLITZER: That's a good point.
Thanks very much, Jack. We'll get back to you very soon.
Up ahead, crossing the line? A group in Arizona is mapping the way for illegal immigrants to cross the border safely, but still illegally. Maps show water stations, even roads to use. We'll detail what's going on. There's outrage.
And more on the domestic secret spying program. Some opponents want you to think you're definitely a target. Supporters say only if you're talking to al Qaeda.
We'll go inside the NSA, the National Security Agency, to explain when and how the agency does its work.
And he's a serious British lawmaker, supposedly. So why did he pretend to be a cat-lapping milk -- why is he pretending to cat- lapping milk out of a bowl on a reality TV show? He's an outspoken critic of the U.S. in Iraq as well. We're going to tell you about this unusual story.
All that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A controversy has broken over maps that some say could save lives. Others say they just help criminals.
CNN's Brian Todd is joining us now from the newsroom with what's going on -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a third controversy on that, Wolf, whether these new maps will open a floodgate of more illegal immigrants from Mexico into the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice over): The safest routes into Arizona, danger points where people have died, water stations, rescue beacons, all important features on new maps given to tens of thousands of potential illegal Mexican immigrants before they make the trek into the United States, maps distributed by a U.S.-based immigrant aid group but printed by Mexico's National Human Rights Commission, a group that was part of the country's interior ministry and is now funded in part by the Mexican legislature.
MAURICIO FARAH, MEXICAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMM. (through translator): They should have information available to discourage them from crossing. Also, is their life is in danger, they should at least know where they can walk to and where they can find water to save their lives.
TODD: By Mexican and U.S. government estimates, more than 400 Mexican immigrants died last year in border areas. But one group seeking to curb immigration is outraged at the new maps, saying they'll do more than increase a migrant's chances for a safer illegal crossing.
MARK KRIKORIAN, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: There are drug dealers. There are alien smugglers. There are terrorists and others, and this is essentially a roadmap for bad guys.
TODD: The maps also cause division in the top echelons of Mexican politics. The administration of President Vicente Fox distancing itself from a project underwritten by Mexico's congress.
CARLOS DE ICAZA, MEXICAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We do not encourage unrecommended (ph) or unauthorized immigration to the U.S. This is an independent body, an independent organization funded by congress. But it's not part of the government.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: The Mexican ambassador would not comment when I asked if the Fox administration would take any action to stop the printing and distribution of those maps. State Department officials tell CNN Mexican leaders should not encourage their citizens to enter the United States illegally, and the department is looking further into the matter.
Late this afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff issued a statement opposing the publication of the maps "in the strongest terms," saying it's a bad idea to encourage migrants to undertake what he called a dangerous effort, one that Chertoff says will lead to more deaths and the strengthening of human trafficking rings -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Brian. Good reporting. Thanks very much.
Brian Todd in the newsroom. Coming up, she made headlines around the world when she swam up the Thames River. Now autopsy results are in on this wayward whale. We'll show you what scientists are saying.
Plus, the formerly secret agency at the center of the domestic spying scandal. We're going the take you inside the NSA and show you exactly what it does.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We want to follow up on a dramatic stay of execution we told you about last night in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM.
A condemned Florida inmate was already strapped down with I.V. tubes attached to his body when a Supreme Court justice blocked the killing. Now the full court has agreed to hear the case.
Our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is joining us from Florida with more on this dramatic story -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Try to picture this: yesterday, as you indicated, 29 witnesses were about to watch the curtains be drawn back to watch convicted killer Clarence Hill get that lethal mix of chemicals and watch him be put to death. And that's when the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay, and now a stay while it hears more about this very important issue.
Hill is arguing that the chemical cocktail that is used here in Florida amounts to a violation of the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment because Hill argues that the mix allows him to feel pain. Now, it's not clear, however, whether the Supreme Court will really get down to the heart of this issue, whether this chemical mix does indeed cause pain, because they've actually agreed to hear this technical issue, and that is whether Hill waited too long to make this claim.
We do know that there will be oral arguments about all of this in April. But it's possible the Supreme Court might not make a decision on this case until the summertime.
So, clearly, he gets to live a lot longer now while this issues is taken up by the justices.
BLITZER: All right, Susan. Thanks very much.
Susan Candiotti is going to have much more on this story coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour.
And also coming up this hour, have the 9/11 attacks claimed new victims? Some first responders who worked at Ground Zero have died, others are sick. What was in the air when the World Trade Center stood?
And it's been labeled a terror group by the United States, but now the militant Islamic group Hamas is making a very strong showing in the Palestinian election. What does this mean for peace efforts? Coming up, I'll speaking live with the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check back with Zain at the CNN Center for a closer look at other stories making news -- Zain.
VERJEE: Wolf, a Massachusetts inmate has been convicted of the prison murder of defrocked priest John Geoghan, who was serving time for molestation in the church sex abuse scandal. Joseph Druce was already serving a life sentence for killing a man he says made a pass at him. Druce beat and strangled the 68-year-old in his cell in 2003. He pleaded insanity.
Crews are working to clean up a 2,600 gallon oil spill near Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It happened when a ship and a tug collided in Gladstone Harbor in Queensland. Officials say that the reef isn't in danger, but the nearby estuaries are being impacted. The toll on the wildlife there isn't known yet.
And results are in from tests on that northern bottlenose whale who died when rescuers tried to remove it from the Thames River on Saturday in Britain. Scientists say the young 19-foot female was suffering from dehydration, kidney failure and muscle failure, but they don't know why the animal ended up in the Thames.
Pope Benedict XVI has issued his first encyclical, a letter to the bishops of the church. It's titled "God Is Love," and in it the pope covers everything from charity and politics to love and sex. Using the Latin word "Eros," the pontiff says sex has become a commodity leading to the degradation of man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALLEN, VATICAN ANALYST: Not being a dumb man, the pope understands that there are few areas of human life where people have deeper questions about the church's message on sexual ethics. You know, people often wonder why is the church so against homosexuality, or why does the church draw the line on abortion and so on. And I think his argument is that this is not just about trying to hit people over the head with rules and regulations, but it's trying to -- trying to show people the path to real fulfillment and to genuine happiness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: And Wolf, the pope also says that the church can't lead the political battle for a just society, but it also can't just stand on the sidelines.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much for that update. We'll get back to you soon.
Google is debuting a new Chinese version of its widely popular search engine. The companies says google.cn. is self-censoring, blocking search results outlawed by the Beijing government.
Google says it goes against its mission, but it's better than providing no information at all. And it adds, it does the same thing in countries including the United States, Germany and France.
Let's get some more on this story. Our Internet report, Jacki Schechner, is watching the situation online -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, this is what Google looks like to us. You can take a look. This is what we see in the United States.
Then take a look what it looks in China. Not that much different on first glance. But if you search for something that the Chinese government has essentially banned, something like Tiananmen Square, you can really see the difference between these two search engines.
First, on the Google U.S. version, pull it up, you get about two million entries. The first thing that comes up are these photographs you can see here. And then there's entries about the Tiananmen Square protests, Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia entries, information specifically about the protests.
Now go to Chinese search engine, and you will see the difference. Type in the same phrase, you get closer to 14,000, rather than two million. And it's things like tourist sites, travel sites, anything that doesn't mention those protests.
Now, Google does have a disclaimer at the bottom of its site. That is right here in Chinese. And, loosely translated, Wolf, it says, some search results were not displayed according to local laws and policies -- send it back to you.
BLITZER: All right, Jacki, thank you very much.
A setback for the ruling Palestinian party, a powerful showing by a radical Islamic group, a critical election that almost certainly will have a critical impact on the Middle East peace process. Palestinians turned out in huge numbers today to vote in their parliamentary election in a decade.
Let's get some specific details. Our Zain Verjee is standing by at the CNN Center -- Zain.
VERJEE: Wolf, it's the first time Palestinians have had a clear choice.
While some independent factions participated, most of the ballots went either to the ruling Fatah Party or to the radical Islamic group Hamas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VERJEE (voice-over): In the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, a sea of colored flags symbolize the choices voters had.
Yellow, for the Fatah Party, founded as the Palestinian Liberation Movement nearly half-a-century ago by the Yasser Arafat. It became the ruling party when the Palestinian Authority was founded in 1994 and wasn't seriously challenged in the last parliamentary election a decade ago.
A year ago, after Arafat's death, Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian president by a landslide. Fatah won popularity during what Palestinians call the armed struggle against Israel. But over the past decade, it has participated in peace talks.
Fatah's one-party rule has now won it a reputation for corruption and mismanagement. The green flags fly for Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement founded in 1987. Its covenant calls for the destruction of Israel. And it seeks a fundamentalist state.
Its weapon of choice, the suicide bomber. Dozens of attacks have taken a heavy toll. And Israel has struck back against Hamas leaders. But, while Hamas is labeled a terrorist group by the United States, it has long had a political wing, winning a reputation among Palestinians for its social welfare activities.
Hamas campaigned on a clean government platform and won favor among many, just by providing an alternative.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: And, as we told you earlier, an exit poll shows Hamas with close to 40 percent of the vote. That's enough to leave Fatah short of a parliamentary majority. For the past year, Hamas has maintained a cease-fire with Israel. And its anti-Israel rhetoric was muted during the campaign.
But whatever the final outcome of this election, Wolf, Hamas has entered the Palestinian political system. And the impact, though, of that move remains to be measured -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much. Good background information.
So, will Hamas gain a role in the Palestinian government without giving up violence? What will its strong showing mean for the peace process with Israel?
Joining us now from our Jerusalem bureau is someone who has played a central role in that peace process for more than a decade. He's Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator.
Saeb, thanks very much for joining us.
What does this strong showing by Hamas mean for the peace process? SAEB EREKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: Well, Wolf, I think -- I cannot tell you the results of the elections now. It's too early to tell.
The exit polls shows that we didn't have the majority yet. We need 67 seats to be able to form a government alone as a Fatah movement. The exit polls give us 63. But I think the counting will not be over until midday tomorrow.
So, option number one, our favorite, is that we can form a cabinet, you know, without the need of anybody. And, then, if we can't, we have about 15 to 20 seats to the various political parties that were our partners in the last cabinet that we can seek partnership with.
Now, if we can't form a cabinet, then we hope that all those who entered elections, including Hamas, will understand that the Palestinian Authority has obligations. The obligations here is to pursue peace with Israel. And those who ran for these elections, including Hamas, must understand that the ballot box is the one side of the democracy, and on the other side, its own authority, the rule of law, and the one gun.
So, if they want to adhere to this, I think our problem -- our -- our story will be short. But, at this stage, Wolf, I think, as of tomorrow, Palestinians would look up in skies and find a new political sky. There's going to be a new political life.
BLITZER: It's going to be a whole new political situation.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Saeb Erekat, let me read to you what President Bush is -- told "The Wall Street Journal" in an interview that has now been posted on their Web site.
"A political party," the president said, "in order to be viable is one that professes peace, in my judgment, in order that it will keep the peace. And so you're getting a sense of how I'm going to deal with Hamas if they end up in positions of responsibility. And the answer is, not until you renounce your desire to destroy Israel will we deal with you."
Is there a possibility, in your opinion -- and you speak as a representative of the ruling Palestinian Authority -- you're a member of Fatah -- is there a responsibility, you believe, that Hamas will give up its strong declaration that it opposes a two-state solution, supports Palestine, though, in all of what is Israel, meaning there should be no Israel?
EREKAT: Well, I can tell you, as the newly elected council member from Jericho -- I won the elections tonight in my constituency, Jericho -- and I -- I can tell you that, you know, we have an obligation, in the agreement, as the Palestinian Authority.
And this authority must pursue peace with Israel. Through peaceful means shall we solve our problems with Israel. So, if Hamas were to accept these obligations, I think we are -- we're not going to stand against any of their participation.
The problem is that we must seek the one authority, the rule of law, and the one gun. And that's the real test for us, for Hamas, and for our new political life.
I believe President Abbas had made it very clear in all his interviews in the past few days that democracy is the way to the one authority, the rule of law, and the one gun. So, I hope that all who participated in the elections will understand that this is what democracy is all about.
You cannot run for democracy and, at the same time, maintain an army, a parallel authority. So, we have so much dust in our air now, Wolf. So, I would rather wait until we see the dust settles down. But we have so many options to think about now. But, all in all, I think Palestinians should stand tall and proud today.
And we should be hailed, because this is the first time in Arab history where you have such free and fair elections, void of any violence. And, for this, I really feel proud as a Palestinian today.
But, nevertheless, I think the exit polls showed a significant change in the political life. I don't think my life as a politician will be the same tomorrow. So, I would rather weigh my options, see what do I have. But I can tell you again that the -- the aim of President Abu Mazen, myself, is to pursue the one authority, the one gun, and the rule of law.
And we believe that this is what democracy is all about.
BLITZER: All right.
EREKAT: And we are a party that is committed to continue the peace process with Israel.
BLITZER: Saeb Erekat, congratulations on your personal election. We will continue to watch the fallout from this election and what it means for the peace process. Thanks very much. Good luck to everyone out there in the Middle East.
Still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, President Bush today dropped in on the eavesdroppers over at the National Security Agency -- the subject, domestic surveillance. Now we will take you inside the super-secret NSA. That's coming up.
And he used his wits to emerge as the winner on a reality TV series, but he couldn't outwit the IRS. A "Survivor" star is convicted of failing to pay taxes on his $1 million in prize money. We're going to bring you the story. That's coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM. And I will speak live with the commissioner of the IRS.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go right back to Zain Verjee at the CNN Center in Atlanta for an update on that horrible crash down in Florida. What are we picking up, Zain?
VERJEE: We have been reporting on that accident. It occurred west of Jacksonville, Florida. We have been receiving conflicting information on casualties and the circumstances of the accident.
We're joined now by Lieutenant Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol. He joins us now with more detail and clarification.
Can you tell us, to the best of your knowledge, what has happened?
LIEUTENANT MIKE BURROUGHS, FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL: Yes, ma'am.
Shortly after 3:00, a school bus had stopped at Southwest 75th Way. The school bus was actually unloading passengers at the time. There was another car with seven passengers. The oldest was 15 in the car. The youngest was 21 months. They were all family members that lived in this area.
A tractor trailer was also traveling northbound. They approached behind the two. And, as a result, the tractor trailer didn't stop. He slammed into the back of the passenger car. It killed all seven members inside the passenger car, as it caught on fire, slam -- caused that car to slam into the back of a school bus.
There were nine passengers on the school bus, ranging from middle-age school children, down to, like, 6 years old. Three of those were seriously injured as a result and were flown out to area E.R. rooms.
So, we basically have seven family members that died as a result of this crash. It was from a tractor trailer that slammed into the back of their car.
VERJEE: We're seeing some aerial pictures right now of the accident. You probably have a -- a different vantage point or have more information.
Can you describe to us from the ground level exactly what's happening now?
BURROUGHS: It's a very chaotic scene. I will be very honest with you.
We're having trouble removing the family members from the car because of the way the car is lodged in and tied in with the metal piece of the semi tractor trailer. We haven't even begun to clear any of the scene. We have some very critical type measurements to take in this golden hour to make sure that we don't have to speculate on how the crash occurred, but have solid type evidence of how and when this crash occurred. It is a very touchy matter. We have parents who are calling by the minute, wanting to know which bus number was involved and which bus. So, we're doing everything we can to try to get as much information out to family members, but, at the same time, protect the critical type evidence on scene.
VERJEE: Lieutenant Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol, updating us on the reality of -- of this situation, west of Jacksonville, Florida, where seven family members have been killed. A tractor trailer hit their passenger car. They died. That passenger car hit a school bus. The schoolchildren are apparently OK -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain, thank you very much -- Zain Verjee with the latest.
We will continue to follow this story for our viewers.
Let's go up to New York.
Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program that begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you very much.
Tonight, we're going to be focusing again on the southern border. After the most recent confrontation between U.S. law enforcement officers and the Mexico military on U.S. soil, lawmakers are calling for our military to be moved to the border to end the arrogance on the part of the Mexican government and the indifference on the part of the Bush administration.
And who's running Google? The powerful Internet search company rolls over for the communist Chinese government and censors searches. This is the same company refusing to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement investigating child pornography cases. We will have that story.
And don't blame the American auto worker for the destruction of the American automobile industry. Tonight, we will show you how so- called free trade policies are killing American manufacturing and trade policies for China and Japan, amounting to simply an all-out assault on our middle class.
We will have that special report. We hope you will join us -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Lou. We will see you at the top of the hour.
In recent months, three emergency responders who worked at ground zero just after the 9/11 attacks have died. Others are sick. Some officials in New York say toxic remains from the World Trade Center collapse are to blame. Now they want action.
Let's go to the scene. Our Mary Snow is standing by at the -- what's called ground zero, the site of the World Trade Center -- Mary. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, rescue workers who say they were once hailed as heroes here at ground zero now they say they need help.
They say they're concerned about their health. And they say it's not easy to make a direct link between their sickness and the work they did here more than four years ago. Today, they joined lawmakers in asking the federal government to appoint a 9/11 health czar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): They're being called the latest victims of 9/11, three emergency workers who spent weeks, even months, at ground zero who have recently died. Police Detective James Zadroga was the latest to succumb to lung ailments. Their families insist it's because of the hundreds of hours they spent inhaling toxic debris.
Now a congressional delegation from New York is calling on the federal government to appoint a 9/11 health czar.
REP. VITO FOSSELLA (R), NEW YORK: I need no scientist or researcher to tell me that the people who responded to 9/11, four-and- a-half years later, are suffering.
SNOW: Lawmakers were joined by emergency workers, like former paramedic Marvin Betha (ph), who held up a sign to show the two medications he took before 9/11 and the many he takes now.
Vince Forras volunteered several weeks at ground zero and says now he can't go without his inhaler and medications.
VINCENT FORRAS, SUFFERS POST-9/11 HEALTH PROBLEMS: Never had a breathing problem in my life, used to run two, three miles a day. Now I have trouble walking from the car into my house.
SNOW: Doctors who are tracking the 9/11 responders say many are getting sick.
DR. JACQUELINE MOLINE, WORLD TRADE CENTER MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM: We have seen 16,000 responders. These people are showing problems. They still have respiratory problems. They still have problems with their sinuses, with their throats.
SNOW: Officials say money to monitor them has come from private funds. And they say many are fighting red tape just to get insurance benefits.
REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D), NEW YORK: They are calling my office, some of whom tell me they do not even have the help with their drugs that they need. Many cannot work. It's a -- it's a national disgrace and it's a crisis.
SNOW: Lawmakers say there needs to be coordinated effort by the government to track these illnesses, fearing the numbers of cases will drastically increase with passing time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And, just earlier today, lawmakers sent letter to the secretary of health and human services, Michael Leavitt, asking for this appointment.
This afternoon, we got a response from the Department of Health and Human Services, saying: "We have received the letter and currently reviewing their recommendations. The health needs resulting from 9/11 are of primary concern to us" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Mary, thank you very much, Mary Snow at ground zero in New York.
Now to our CNN "Security Watch," on the domestic secret spying program. There are complicated questions concerning the Constitution. But you may have some very simple questions, like how and when does the U.S. eavesdrop on its targets and might you be a target?
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, is in the newsroom to explain -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the NSA is the largest intelligence agency in the world, two to three times the size of the CIA.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the nation's high-tech big ear, scooping up phone calls, e-mails, data transfers, wired, wireless, fiberoptic, from around the world, looking for international threats to the United States.
JAMES BAMFORD, AUTHOR, "PRETEXT FOR WAR": It does what basically is a fishing expedition. It takes all those communications. It intercepts them with these huge dishes, and then filters them through enormous computers that are very fast and very powerful. And they're filled with people's names.
ENSOR: That vast intrusive power has been harnessed in great secrecy and with considerable success against foreign threats. But, under President Bush's authorization, shortly after 9/11, it is now used to track communications to and from the United States as well, when there's reason to suspect one party may have ties to terrorism.
Writer Jim Bamford is one of those suing to stop that surveillance.
BAMFORD: What I see now is that they're completely violating the law.
ENSOR: But officials insist, the president's authorization is used in a strictly limited way, not as a drift net.
GENERAL MICHAEL HAYDEN, DEPUTY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: In 2003, our citizenry was on the phone in international calls alone for 200 billion minutes. I mean, beyond the ethical considerations involved here, there are some practical considerations about being a drift net.
This is targeted. This is focused. This is about al Qaeda.
ENSOR: The NSA tries to stay at the cutting edge, with labs that test everything from antennae to the latest in face and body recognition system. It is a top-secret world all of its own, out there in Fort Meade, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: Well over 30,000 people, perhaps closer to 40,000, work at the NSA in a culture so secretive that, for years, the joke was that NSA stood for no such agency -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, David, thanks very much -- David Ensor reporting for us.
And, to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Up next, should doctors take gifts from drug companies? It's our question of the hour. Jack Cafferty has been going through your e- mail.
And coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, the verdict is in for the winner of the first "Survivor," accused of tax evasion. We are going to show you what Richard Hatch is facing right now. And I will speak live with the commissioner of the IRS, Mark Everson.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A reality TV star got the boot from his show. Luckily, he has a day job. Member and parliament and outspoken Iraq war critic George Galloway had been taking part in the British version of the "Celebrity Big Brother."
Our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton, is checking the situation online -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Yes, Wolf.
If you were looking for George Galloway in the last three weeks, you wouldn't have found him in the House of Commons, but in the British "Big Brother" celebrity house, here with a former NBA star and also a musician named Maggot. You have been treated -- audiences across the United Kingdom have been treated to pictures like this, the member of parliament dancing in a dance competition -- he lost -- also, pretending to be a cat.
When he heads back to his constituency tonight, he will find out that no everyone is too happy. This Web site sprung up, asking him to go back to work and also tracking how much taxpayer money has been spent on his salary while he has been in there. We spoke to a spokesman for George Galloway tonight from the "Big Brother" house, who says he's heading back to politics and he's going to pay back that salary -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Abbi, thank you very much.
Up next, your answers to our question of the hour: Should doctors take gifts from drug companies? Jack Cafferty is standing by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go right to Jack in New York -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Wolf.
A group of doctors says doctors should stop taking freebies from the drug companies. They get everything, from ballpoint pens, to World Series tickets, to trips to Europe. And they get a lot of free samples of drugs from these guys. So, the question is, should doctors be taking gifts from the drug companies?
Michael in Worcester, Mass.: "It depends on the gift. A trip, no. A free lunch, why not. Free samples of drugs, absolutely. I used to run a nonprofit community health center that served lots of folks without health insurance. Having a supply of free drug samples can often make the difference between whether a patient gets adequate treatment or not."
Brian in Greenville, South Carolina: "I'm a pediatric emergency medicine doctor. Many of the patients coming to the E.R. can't afford their medications. Drug samples left by reps are sometimes the only way these kids will get their antibiotics. As for big gifts, I got two pens this year, and one of them doesn't work anymore."
Keith in Grand Prairie, Texas: "Would the adoption of Vioxx have been as great without Merck's reps giving out free samples? I just don't think so. How many doctors prescribed Vioxx, when Tylenol might have been as effective? My question, are the doctors who prescribed Vioxx shielded from the resulting lawsuits? If they are, maybe they shouldn't be. Big medicine equals big corporations equals big money. It doesn't always equal quality health care."
Ron writes: "I went to the doctor today. There were six people in the waiting room. Three of them were sales reps from the drug companies."
Jeremy writes: "I will answer your question when you get me tickets to the Super Bowl."
And Bob in Louisville writes: "Doctors shouldn't accept gifts from the drug companies. Who do they think they are, congressmen?"
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You know, I think a lot of our viewers probably came up with a similar -- given the scandals that's going on -- that are going on with Washington with Jack Abramoff, they're saying, if members of Congress can accept free lunch, free gifts, why not doctors? CAFFERTY: Well, you know, everybody is trying to buy a little advantage, I suppose. It's like greasing the maitre d' at the restaurant because you want a table by the window.
I -- you know, I don't know what the answer to it is, except people in positions of public trust, like the people in Washington, D.C., or perhaps health care professionals -- and I don't equate doctors with politicians -- far from it -- but the people in Washington ought to -- they ought to just knock this crap off. It smells. It reeks. It's wrong. Everybody knows it's wrong. Now they're going to have hearings. I mean, this is a joke.
BLITZER: All right, Lou (sic), thanks very much. See you in one hour.
Let's go right to New York. Lou Dobbs standing by -- Lou.
DOBBS: Thank you very much, Wolf.
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