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Suspect Charged in 1964 Double Murder; Uranium For Sale on Black Market?; Bush Administration to Request $10 Billion For Afghanistan

Aired January 25, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today.

For years, his family told police he was dead. But the long arm of the law finally catches up with a Mississippi man and a 1964 case of double murder.

LEMON: And Pete Williams spent almost half his life in prison, before DNA proved his innocence. This hour, we expect to hear from a free man in Georgia.

NGUYEN: Plus, turns out, it wasn't a terror attack, but L.A. officials are still getting grilled over the spill. Why did it take cops so long to investigate the mercury man? We have the latest in a live report.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Top of the hour, and we start with this, a brother's promise fulfilled.

For 43 years, Thomas Moore has vowed to bring the killer of his brother Charles to justice. Charles Moore was one of two black teenagers who were kidnapped, beaten and drowned in Mississippi in 1964. It was a cold case for decades, but not anymore.

A suspect is now charged.

And CNN's Brianna Keilar is in Washington with reaction from the Justice Department for us -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.

Reaction and finally some charges in these 1964 murders of Charles Moore and Henry Dee. Now, James Seale is 71 years old now. He was -- this is a 1964 booking photo of him, when he was in his late 20s.

He is, reputedly, a former member of the KKK. He is a former sheriff's deputy. And he's been charged with two counts of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of conspiracy, in connection with the murders of Moore and Dee. Now, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced these charges here in Washington today at the Justice Department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We would much prefer, of course, that justice would had been served 40 years ago in this case. But what we are doing today, bringing closure to this horrible crime by trying this case through a public trial, should serve as notice to those who would violate the civil rights of their fellow citizens. We will pursue you as long as it takes and as long as the law allows.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: In 1964, Moore and Dee, both 19, both African-Americans -- Dee was actually a civil rights activist.

And they were hitchhiking on a road in Mississippi in May of 1964, when FBI documents indicate a group of men kidnapped them, beat them severely, and then drowned them by tying them -- they were still alive at this point -- tying them to heavy objects, including an engine block, and then dropping them in the Mississippi River -- Thomas Moore, brother of one of the victims, receiving a lot of credit for this indictment.

He has relentlessly pursued this case, to try and keep it out there in the light, so the public is aware. There were some reports that Seale was actually dead. His family had said that he died in 2001. And they told reporters this. But Thomas Moore didn't believe these reports. He actually went down to Mississippi and physically tracked Seale down at his home, which, ironically, was just a few miles from where his brother, Charles Moore, had been abducted with his friend Henry Dee.

Now, Thomas Moore was also at this news conference today here in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS MOORE, BROTHER OF CHARLES MOORE: I want everyone here, and I want the whole world to know, this is not about Thomas Moore. This is about Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee.

And I'm so glad that I, along with Thelma Collins, have had the opportunity to bring their name to Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, Seale was first arrested, actually, back in 1964, as you saw that booking photo of him before. He was arrested with another reputed Klansman, Charles Edwards.

Now, the FBI turned this case over to local authorities, and, promptly, within a few months, these charges were entirely dropped -- Don. LEMON: And, Brianna, reading up on this, there were so many civil rights cases happening back then. This one was turned over to local authorities initially. It was handled by the FBI, and then turned back over to local authorities.

And that is because, simply, they had so many cases, is that correct, going on like this?

KEILAR: No, that's exactly right.

And this case, in a way, sort of was intertwined with that other case that we saw finally a conviction -- or a large conviction in -- in 2005, the so-called Mississippi burning case, where three civil rights workers were killed.

And, in 2005, Edgar Ray Killen went to prison to serve a 60-year sentence because of that case. Actually, the bodies of Dee and Moore were discovered while FBI agents were searching for the bodies of those three civil rights workers. They were murdered in June of 1964. Dee and Moore were murdered just the month before.

LEMON: Yes, you had that. You had Medgar Evers. You also had the Philadelphia, Mississippi, slayings that you talked about, and then the four little girls in the church in Birmingham.

So, I think that is probably the reason, partially, that this was turned over.

Brianna Keilar, thank you so much for your report.

NGUYEN: Boy, has the world changed since Pete Williams was put in jail.

When he was convicted of rape, back in 1985, Ronald Reagan was president. The Soviet Union was a superpower. The Internet didn't even exist.

But, after almost 22 years in a Georgia prison, Williams is getting used to a new world. He was released late Tuesday, cleared, finally, by DNA evidence. And, this afternoon, he is going to be talking about his ordeal and his newfound freedom. And we are going to bring that to you live when it happens, at 3:30 Eastern, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Weapons-grade uranium, the stuff of nuclear bombs, for sale on the black market? It's a prospect that keeps Homeland Security up nights, but it actually happened.

Officials in the U.S. and the Republic of Georgia say, a Russian man tried to sell 100 grams of highly enriched uranium for $1 million. Now, little did he know it was a sting. The would-be buyer was an undercover agent. It happened almost a year ago in the Georgian capital. But it just now is coming to light.

The seller was convicted in September and sentenced to eight years in prison. Investigators say, there's no evidence that this was terror-related. They're still trying to find out where the uranium came from.

NGUYEN: Well, it's being called one of the most serious attempts to smuggle-weapons grade uranium in years.

So, let's get some insight now from CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Betty, this is highly enriched uranium that we're talking about. Fortunately, the amount was very small, only 100 grams.

Experts say, it would take about 25 kilograms in order to make a nuclear weapon. But this smuggler claimed that he had access to greater quantities. It hasn't been determined whether or not he did.

This material, in and of itself, does not emit a lot of radioactivity. That's why this smuggler was able to carry it in his pocket, but, as Don mentioned, still a lot of unanswered questions here, particularly, where did this individual get ahold of this stuff?

NGUYEN: Exactly. And how unusual is a case like this?

MESERVE: Well, this one is particularly disturbing because of the substance that is involved, this highly enriched uranium.

But the number of illegal transactions in radiological and nuclear materials has been going up. The Department of Homeland Security keeps track of what they call illegal diversions, purchases or storage of these kind of materials.

Back in 2000, they recorded about 100 incidents. By 2005, the number had more than doubled to 215. Expectations are that the numbers for 2006 will not go down. Clearly, there are a lot of people out there who would like to buy this stuff, some of them enemies of the United States, namely al Qaeda. But authorities say there's no indication, at this point in time, they have been successful. But they don't know what they don't know -- Betty.

NGUYEN: OK. Well, if this keeps going up, how can authorities, Jeanne, stop this kind of smuggling?

MESERVE: Well, they have deployed a lot of detection devices, particularly at some of the key borders, for instance, along the edges of Russia.

But they also are trying some other approaches. Scientists at Sandia National Laboratory, for instance, have been analyzing, by commuter modeling, places where there have been these instances of trading or theft of nuclear materials.

And they believe that, with time, they will be able to predict who is building a nuclear bomb and where they're trying to build it. But that's in the developmental stage. Right now, the experts say, what is needed is a more concerted international effort to find this stuff, account for it, and secure it -- Betty.

NGUYEN: CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve -- we thank you, Jeanne, MESERVE: You bet.

LEMON: And this story broke in the last hour of the NEWSROOM. Now we have more on aid for Afghanistan.

The Bush administration is about to ask Congress for more than $10 billion to beef up Afghan forces and rebuild the country.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us with all the details on that -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, you know, it's often referred to as the forgotten war, the war in Afghanistan.

But, really, what this figure reveals is that there are serious problems in the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, as well as Iraq -- State Department, as well as White House officials, confirming that President Bush, early February, is going to ask for 10.6 B., as in billion, dollars in additional aid for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

It is going to be broken down, $8.6 billion for training and equipping the Afghan police, as well as security forces, and then $2 billion for reconstruction -- the money to be spent over the next couple of years. This is in addition to the $14.2 billion that has been spent since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, routed out the Taliban, took out the al Qaeda.

But, really, the reason why this is being announced today is that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is meeting with NATO officials in Brussels, Belgium, and they are hoping that those -- the NATO alliance, those members, match those funds and try to help here.

The big picture of this, Don, of course, is that you are looking at a bad situation here. It reflects the serious problems that are going on, U.S. military that are looking at a resurgence of the Taliban. They expect it's going to get worse in the spring. You are also seeing, as well, the opium, the poppy explosion in that country.

There is a division among NATO members about who is giving up which troops, where they are, who is making the most sacrifices. And, finally, Don, there's a great deal of frustration among U.S. officials about what is happening in Pakistan. Taliban and al Qaeda being trained and crossing the border into Afghanistan, killing Americans, killing Afghans.

It is a bad situation there, Don. And these numbers reflect that.

LEMON: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thank you so much for that report.

NGUYEN: Sunnis and Shiites battling in a major Middle East capital, it wouldn't be news in Baghdad, but, in Beirut, Lebanon, it is. What started as a fight among students turned into a series of deadly clashes -- look at this -- today in parts of the Lebanese capital. Now, there's a curfew -- all of this in the wake of a general strike aimed at toppling a fragile government that is strongly supported by Washington.

Live on the phone with the latest now -- actually, he's in person -- CNN's Nic Robertson joins us.

This curfew is in effect. Is it taking hold, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It does seem to be taking hold. The army is enforcing it on the streets.

There's very, very little traffic out at all at the moment -- the violence that flared late this afternoon at the university all calmed down now. But, at one point, there were rock-throwing youths, hundreds of them, Sunnis on one side, Shias on the other, firing -- throwing rocks at each other, some of them young men armed with wooden and metal clubs.

And it, quite literally, took the Lebanese army to get in between the middle of them -- a lot of heavy gunfire fired in the air by the Lebanese army to calm the two sides down. At one point, I saw a Lebanese army officer, no flak jacket on, his helmet off, standing on a big oil drum in the middle of the crowd. Rocks were being thrown. And he was telling them to calm down.

The passions and the tensions have been very high. It's not clear what triggered that violence between students in the afternoon at the campus, one faction for the government, one faction against the government.

But both Lebanon's prime minister has been on television, appealing for calm, and the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, using very strong language, telling his supporters to calm down, stay at home, and stop the violence escalating.

NGUYEN: CNN's Nic Robertson joining us live in Beirut, Lebanon -- Nic, we thank you.

LEMON: Relief turns to recrimination in Los Angeles. It looks like that mercury spill was not terrorism. But Homeland Security wants to know why it took hours for police to show up.

NGUYEN: Check this out. You may want to set your phasers to stun. That's right...

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: ... because the U.S. military turns sci-fi into fact with a weapon that will set your hair on fire -- well, sort of.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Details on this gun that Flash Gordon would have just loved, it's ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This was the question: Terror plot? Well, apparently not, but maybe a wakeup call.

Authorities have picked up this man, seen spilling liquid mercury onto a Los Angeles subway platform. That was on December 22. Now the Feds are less concerned about him than about the so-called first- responders in this case.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us live to bring us up to speed on this.

Deborah, this guy, who is he, and exactly what was he doing, because we all saw the tape, and we thought it was some sort of plot?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a question that we were raising: Who is he? What was he doing? It was so suspicious, the fact that he was opening a container of mercury and spilling it on a Los Angeles subway platform -- and, obviously, subways known potential terror targets.

The sheriff department describes the man as a drug addict who was dumpster diving to find things he could sell to buy drugs. Apparently, he found a container of mercury in one of the Dumpsters -- authorities, of course, now trying to figure out who put it there to begin with.

But, apparently, the man, Armando Bustamante Miranda, told the officials that he was fixated by the silvery liquid, and, when he got onto the platform, he leaned over, opened the container, or broke the container. It spilled. And that is what touched off the whole thing.

LEMON: OK.

So, then, the sheriff's department first thought it was terror related. Then, they backed away from that. But then they did say it was a credible threat. But, then, terrorism experts had a -- had a different take when they analyzed the video and then the information from this?

FEYERICK: Well, really, it was question of motive.

The behavior itself was so suspicious. And we talked to a number of people about this tape, before we decided to go to air with it. Local authorities initially said, no, we -- they didn't think it was terror related. They felt there was no credible threat. They felt that it was an accident, because of the way they looked at the information and analyzed the information.

But other terror experts, more than a dozen who we spoke with, said, until the man was found, until he was questioned, there was no way to know exactly why he did what he did. And, until you did question him, it was impossible to call this not terror-related.

LEMON: OK.

So, the first-responders, there has been a big question about that. But the people on the front lines, too, are the people who run the subway systems, and they sort of admit that they didn't do the right thing as well, didn't they?

FEYERICK: Absolutely.

Well, in the words of the director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, he said -- quote -- "We messed up."

A dispatcher was alerted moments after the spill happened, but, for some reason, did not contact authorities. It wasn't until a second call was placed, and a dispatcher notified, that authorities were sent out. That was an eight-hour delay.

The agency has launched an internal investigation to find out why they waited so long. Also, they're considering changing protocols. And they're retraining all of the MTA employees to recognize a hazardous material spill and know what to do when it happens, because, when the hazmat team ultimately did arrive the next morning, apparently, an MTA employee was using a mop to try to clean it up.

LEMON: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: OK.

So, Deb...

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: ... Los Angeles, second largest city in the country, one would think that they would be ahead of all this.

What about the intelligence? Did it work? Was it the way it was suppose to do? Was it filtered to the appropriate people at the right time?

FEYERICK: Well, we spoke to a number of people. And there is huge disagreement as to how this particular incident was handled, whether the authorities notified the public in time.

They were looking for this man for about four weeks, but it really wasn't until we were going to air with our story that anybody from the FBI's joint terrorism task force in Los Angeles actually issued any sort of a press release. And, within four days, the man was picked up.

We are also told by a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security that officials there did not know about this mercury spill through any official intelligence channels, that they found out about it through open source, which was actually a local news Web site. So, whether it worked or not, open to speculation.

LEMON: Is -- is there an answer for that at all, like, why not?

FEYERICK: Well, a lot of these agencies get dozens, if not hundreds, of potential threats every single week. And not all of them hit the radar.

But this one, according to the folks that we spoke with, they say that it really should have. It was a hazardous material spill. It was in a subway station. Even though people didn't know why mercury, if you know how al Qaeda and other terror groups think, there was the possibility that this could have been a dry run.

Right now, this guy's story does appear to check out. But, again, they didn't know that until they actually found him.

LEMON: All right. Deborah Feyerick, let's hope, from this, that it will work right. And let's hope there is not a second time, but, in -- in that case, let's hope it does work right.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Thank you very much for your report.

NGUYEN: We're going to talk about second chances now. He didn't do the crime, but still did the time. A Georgia man finally walks free. And we're expecting to hear from him this hour. We are going to bring you that when it happens live, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The king of beers will once again try to tickle your funny bone during the Super Bowl.

And Susan Lisovicz it at the New York Stock Exchange with all these details.

Love the commercials during the Super Bowl, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Me, too. I actually watch for the commercials...

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Me, too.

LISOVICZ: ... especially since there are no New York teams in this year's Super Bowl...

NGUYEN: Very true.

LISOVICZ: ... yet again.

Well, Budweiser will again be the largest advertiser during the big game, with a combined five minutes of ad time for its Bud and Bud Light brands. You remember 30 seconds goes for a couple mil. And, like you said, the brand is returning to the funny spots it is famous for. In addition to its usual cast of Clydesdale horses, the company will run ads featuring racing star Dale Earnhardt Jr. Some beer-stealing crabs, you can see them carrying away a cooler in broad daylight, and a scary hitchhiker carrying an axe, who a couple considers picking up solely because he is carrying Bud.

We will also see the return of some well-known advertisers that have been absent from the big game in recent years, like E-Trade and Coca-Cola. And Jay-Z, by the way, will also be in some Bud ads, too -- Betty.

NGUYEN: You're so hip, Susan.

I know you're a Britney fan, right?

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: And there is some controversy over a Super Bowl ad starring K-Fed.

LISOVICZ: Yes, that's right.

A restaurant group says it's insulted by a Nationwide Mutual spot that features Kevin Federline. Some of us call him Fed-X, right, too.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: Not only...

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: Not only...

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: We're not talking about a company here.

(CROSSTALK)

NGUYEN: You're so down with it, Susan. I don't even know what to say now.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: The punchline of the ad is that he's daydreaming while cooking French fries at a fast-food restaurant, following his split with his much wealthier wife, Britney Spears.

The group says, the ad is an insult to the nearly 13 million Americans who work in the restaurant industry. I don't know about you, but I have certainly waitressed at one time while I was paying my college tuition.

NGUYEN: Well, I think K-Fed worked at -- was it a pizza company? He worked somewhere, so, you know, a little experience there. LISOVICZ: Good company.

NGUYEN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LISOVICZ: Let's talk about the markets right now. That is a big story, too.

You know, the selling is getting worse, as we get later on -- as we get late in the session at this point. Stocks started off the session on a quiet note. A report out 30 minutes after the open spoiled the mood. It showed, existing home sales last year fell at the sharpest rate in 17 years.

So, let's take a look at the red on the Big Board. Right now -- the Dow Jones average right now is down 119 points, or 1 percent. The Nasdaq is down 31 points, or 1.25 percent.

And that is the latest from Wall Street. I will be back in about 30 minutes with a wrapup of the trading day.

NEWSROOM continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today.

Well, he did not do the crime but he still did the time.

LEMON: A Georgia man finally walks free and we're expecting to hear from him this hour. We'll bring that to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

But first at the bottom of the hour. Where is Rick Sanchez when you need him? The U.S. military has a new gadget tailor-made to send Rick or anybody else running for cover in short order. It's crowd control and battlefield control with no shots fired.

Let's bring in CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Hi, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don. With the U.S. military getting increasing numbers of nontraditional missions, everything from peace keeping, the U.S. military wants to give its soldiers nontraditional weapons in their quiver.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Troops confront an angry rock-throwing mob. This scene is real today in Lebanon where at least four people were killed. This scene is not real. At Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia the U.S. military simulates a hostile crowd to show off the latest thing in non-lethal crowd dispersal technology. Enter the Active Denial System, a sort of souped-up microwave blaster mounted on a Humvee. Its unusual beam actually uses millimeter waves, less powerful than microwaves, but able the create an intense burning station on skin from as far away from five football fields. The idea is to force people to flee while inflicting no lasting harm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sensation of the Active Denial System is much like opening your oven and getting hit with a blast of hot air. Your response is to want to move out of the way, move back.

MCINTYRE: To make the point, the military gave some reporters a chance to feel the heat which is roughly 130-degrees Fahrenheit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa!

MCINTYRE: Even non-lethal weapon such as rubber bullets and tasers and tear gas can be deadly if misused.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (on camera): And in theory, the heat could cause lasting damage if it was used for a prolonged period of time. But the U.S. military says the whole idea of this is to give troops an option so they can deal with the situation without creating casualties. They also say that about 10,000 people have been tested on this technology since it first started going into development more than a decade ago and nobody yet has required any medical treatment. Don?

LEMON: So, Jamie, I didn't see you taking part in that, in any of that video.

MCINTYRE: No. But you know if I had been down there I certainly would have given it a try. From all accounts, this is not something that would be, say, akin to a taser attack. We do recall when Rick Sanchez went through that. That is very, very painful. This you can see when people would feel the heat they would smile a little bit. In fact, you can almost imagine it on a cold day in a football stadium, you might be able to use this to warm the crowd up a little bit.

It does produce very intense heat for a short period of time. And the whole idea is just to get people to back off, again, without hurting anyone and the advantage is they can do it from quite a distance away. So for instance if you're guarding a base or something and you want to keep a crowd back this is a way to do it without hurting anyone.

LEMON: And I'm sure Rick is putting his pitch in now to go and do this story. Jamie McIntyre, thank you.

NGUYEN: He is on a plane as we speak.

LEMON: Yeah. NGUYEN: Well, we do have a rare peek at the inner workings of the White House in a federal courtroom in the Washington. It's the trial of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, vice president Cheney's former chief of staff charged with perjury in the infamous leak of a CIA agent's name, an agent married to a prominent White House critic.

CNN's Kelli Arena has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is day three of the Scooter Libby trial and we're hearing from the fourth witness. Her name is Kathy Martin, she worked in the press office of the vice president. What we basically heard from Ms. Martin is how the vice president's office was clearly very focused on the story of Joe Wilson and his criticism of the administration in going to war with Iraq.

The reason that this is pretty relevant is because Ted Wells, who is Scooter Libby's lawyer laid out in his opening statement that Libby really didn't remember much because he was so busy with so many issues of importance, way beyond the Joe Wilson matter, that it just was so secondary. But, basically, if you listen to Miss Martin, at least, she portrays the picture of a vice president's office that was in high gear in trying to silence critics and trying to inject their opinion into news media coverage. I mean, they were not only looking at all of the print journalism articles that came through, but they were also watching the television broadcasts, evening news, and really trying to stay up, even making phone calls, trying to find out which reporters were actually covering the story so that they could play offense.

Basically, if you wanted a lesson in how the vice president's office or the White House deals with the media, this was the day to come to court.

We do expect some more witnesses. Next on board is Ari Fleischer. He was the press secretary for the White House. Not clear whether he will make it to testify today. We still have a long way to go with Kathy Martin.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Kelli.

Vice President Dick Cheney bristled when asked about critics of his lesbian daughter's pregnancy. Here is what had he to say during our interview with Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT: I'm delighted I'm about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf. And, obviously, I think the world of both of my daughters and all of my grandchildren and I think, frankly, you're out of line with that question.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: I think all of us appreciate ...

CHENEY: I think you're out of line.

BLITZER: No, we like your daughters. Believe me, I'm very, very sympathetic to Liz and to Mary. I like them both.

That was just a question that's come up and it's a responsible, fair question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, earlier, we asked you to send us your e-mails to tell you what you think about Vice President Cheney's reaction to Wolf's question and here's what some of you had to say.

Len in Oak Point, Texas, wrote, "For the record, I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I believe the questions were meant to embarrass Mr. Cheney and his family. I think they were not appropriate. Mr. Cheney quietly and calmly expressed the same sentiment."

NGUYEN: Grace in Knoxville, Tennessee has found a new bond with the vice president because she writes, "Up to last night I would have been hard-pressed to find any subject with which I would support Vice President Cheney's stance but the interview changed that. I was happy with Mr. Cheney's response to Mr. Blitzer's question about his daughter. Would you ask an individual with children in an interracial marriage in the 1960s how they felt about it when some minister spoke out against it?"

LEMON: Well, Rob in Philadelphia disagrees. He writes, "Mr. Cheney's refusal to discuss his daughter's living situation further reinforces the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality that is rampant among some of this administration's most ardent supporters. It was a relevant inquiry by Mr. Blitzer."

NGUYEN: And finally, this from J.S. "Cheney condemns people like his daughter Mary and has stated that gays and lesbians should not be parents. Cheney just got made because he believes his family should get special treatment and all others should be attacked. Mr. Blitzer, keep up the good work."

We want to thank you for your e-mails today.

Well, he did not do the crime, but, still, he did the time. A Georgia man finally walks free and we're going to wait to hear from him. That's ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And bearing witness in Washington. A son honors his father's sacrifice at Ground Zero. His story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. He was in jail nearly 22 years, almost half his life until DNA cleared him. Now he is being questioned by reporters in a live press conference. Let's take a listen. QUESTION: Really hit you like my goodness, I'm free.

WILLIE "PETE" WILLIAMS, FREED AFTER 22 YEARS DUE TO DNA EVIDENCE: Being able to touch my people, actually be there with them and, you know, hold their hand and touch them and, you know, that part, you know, that's something that I miss a great deal, because we always been a close-knitted family and being with my family and actually sitting across with them and talking now, that is quite amazing.

QUESTION: Was it hard the first night to actually let them go and get some sleep?

WILLIAMS: Of course, it was. I like had to force myself to go to sleep. As a matter of fact, I cooked breakfast, I cleaned the kitchen and my mom said what are you doing? We're supposed be doing these type of things for you. But I was so happy and overwhelmed and couldn't sleep, I needed something to do. I try to tire myself out and nothing worked. I just went and laid down.

QUESTION: Are there any hold habits left over from the prison routine that are hard to break?

WILLIAMS: I've been so excited, I haven't even thought about prison, to be honest with you.

QUESTION: Times have changed so much. There are cell phones, TiVo, satellite TV. What is the world like now compared to when you lived in it before as a free person?

WILLIAMS: Things are so advanced now compared to the time that I was out. It's scary, put it like that. You know? Cell phones, computer, all of the different things and it's like not scary/scary, but, you know, I don't want to do, you know, something to try to, you know, mess with anything and not be able to do it, do you know what I mean?

QUESTION: Is there anything you missed out on in prison that you're just anxious to get your hands on, anxious to do that you weren't able to do?

WILLIAMS: Nothing in particular, no more than just being with my family. That's my main concern.

QUESTION: Did you get your steak?

WILLIAMS: Not yet. I aim to!

QUESTION: You haven't got the steak dinner yet?

WILLIAMS: No.

QUESTION: What about that hot shower and bath? Have you taken those?

WILLIAMS: Yeah, and it was quite lovely, believe me.

QUESTION: How is it driving around this area? You're from here. How is it driving around here now, looking around at stuff?

WILLIAMS: Look like I'm in a new town. Like it's not even Atlanta. Like somewhere else compared to, you know, how it looked when I was out.

QUESTION: Were you able to keep in prison at all? Read papers? Was there any way for you to know what you were missing?

WILLIAMS: Yeah, read paper, television, that's about it.

QUESTION: Since you've been out, there have been some offers coming in. I understand you got a couple of job offers. A guy offered to give you a suit.

WILLIAMS: That's nice.

QUESTION: What are some of the more special ones you've heard about?

WILLIAMS: Some -- guys I knew when I was in prison, they'll call and told me to get in touch with them and this particular guy who I play scrabble with, you know, he called and he wanted me to get in touch with him so that was kind of surprising that the guys would, you know, actually reach out to me like that.

QUESTION: What about the offers coming from people who you've never heard of, they just heard your story and want to offer you work or offer you other things?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We haven't told him about all of those yet.

QUESTION: It will be on the 6:00 news.

QUESTION: .How ...

QUESTION: Anything that you want to make sure you're watching out for, being careful of?

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

QUESTION: Like what?

WILLIAMS: He was telling me about just slow down about women. Just basically slow down, right now, don't worry about working. I mean, maybe lay back maybe about three or four weeks, you know, and things will gradually come to me.

QUESTION: Can do you that or are you just all fired up?

WILLIAMS: I'm kind of fired up.

QUESTION: Are you ready to get a job and get to work?

WILLIAMS: Yeah, sort of, because, you know, being in prison, relying on people, you know, being a man, that's -- our instinct is to stand on our own two feet so, of course, I want to get a job but I think I'm going to take his advice and lay back for a while.

QUESTION: Can you talk about what is most important for you to keep in mind? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he just needs to keep his focus. The main thing is he's free now and he should put his family first and the fact that there is going to be a lot of people that is going demand his attention, but his family has been there for him all these years.

LEMON: That's the attorney for Pete Williams. He's been jail for 22 years. Can you imagine? It must almost be like a "Twilight Zone" seriously because he is talking about the advancements we've made with satellites and cell phones.

NGUYEN: He said Atlanta doesn't even look the same.

LEMON: Doesn't look the same anymore.

But what was very interesting, Betty, I thought, he wanted steak and potatoes he hasn't gotten it yet, and he wanted a bath, he said it was lovely. Yeah.

But just to tell you a little bit about his story, he was convicted back in 1985, he was identified as a perpetrator in an aggravated sodomy and rape case and the Innocence Project works on behalf of people him helped to free him with DNA evidence.

NGUYEN: DNA evidence.

LEMON: So after 22 years, half his life, he is 45 years old, he is out of prison. That was a live press conference there and it's still going on. If you want to watch you can go to cnn.com/pipeline. It's amazing to listen to that. It must be like a "Twilight Zone" episode.

NGUYEN: He looked so relieved and anyone would be after spending all those years innocent behind bars and finally he is free.

LEMON: So we wish him well.

OK, in New York today, a wake is being held for veteran police officer Cesar Borja, he died Tuesday, the same day his son attended the president's State of the Union address.

CNN's Allan Chernoff reports the son's trip to Washington was about much more than a speech.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cesar Borja Jr.got the call his dad had died just two hours before entering the U.S. Capitol to represent his father. At the State of the Union address as a guest of Senator Hillary Clinton. Though his heart was broken it told him to be brave for his father. A police officer who had worked at Ground Zero inhaling toxic fumes for months. CEASAR BORJA JR., FATHER WORKED AT GROUND ZERO: As he was fighting for his life, I was fighting for his life right beside him and I know ever since this happened that I had to do something, it was my duty as his eldest son.

CHERNOFF: Cesar, a college student, wiped away his tears and stood before the president to send a message that thousands of other 9/11 responders still need medical care.

EVA BORJA, CESAR BORJA'S WIDOW: He said, mommy, don't worry about me, I'm brave. And I'm still going to go through this.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Cesar Borja worked here at an auto pound, not the most glamorous job in the police force, but after 9/11, he wanted to help at Ground Zero and his wife says he wanted the overtime because he was planning to retire in 2003.

(voice-over): Her husband, Eva says, started coughing persistently the summer after 9/11, a cough that never went away. Cesar was waiting for a lung transplant when he died. Funding for 9/11 health treatment is due to expire this year. Senator Clinton says Cesar Jr. is sending a strong message.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NY: He wanted to stay and demonstrate support for what we're trying to do here so that we take care of the thousands of people who are sick and will die if we don't intervene to give them the medical care they need.

CHERNOFF: Eva says her husband was not angry about his illness after serving at Ground Zero. He simply felt he was doing his job.

His son Cesar Jr. feels he, too, is doing the job required of him, fighting for his father and his colleagues who serve the country in one of its darkest hours. Allan Chernoff, CNN, Queens, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: We're going to take a look at your weather forecast when we come back. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You might want to grab your warmest coat because an Arctic blast is blowing into the East Coast and Rob Marciano is here to tell us who is going to see some of this snow on the horizon.

Hi there, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Betty.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Yeah. Time has run out

All right, thank you, Rob. MARCIANO: You bet.

LEMON: And now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

NGUYEN: That's right. He is standing by in THE SITUATION ROOM to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour. Hi there, Wolf. BLITZER: Hi, Betty. Thanks very much, Don as well.

Nightmare scenario. We're going to have a follow-up to my exclusive interview with the Vice President Dick Cheney. He says the Shiite-led Iraqi government will not turn on the United States but does history support that take? We're going to take a closer look at this part of the story.

Also, boy soldiers, we're taking you to the front lines of Iraq where American kids are going from high school right into the battle.

And race for the White House. Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter throws his hat into the ring. Will he take on or stand by President Bush to try to win the election? I'll ask him. He's standing by to join us live.

And dictator walking. Manuel Noriega set to be released from prison. Will the only POW held in the United States walk free or be tossed right back into prison? All that coming up right here at the top of the hour in THE SITUATION ROOM. Back to you.

NGUYEN: It's all very interesting. We'll be watching. Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

LEMON: Closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We're talking about Snoopy and you'll know why because the closing bell is about to ring.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading. I was almost caught singing on camera! How are you, Susan?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I'm sorry I missed that!

Ready, Don, we've got the good, the bad and the ugly. The good is eBay shares rocketing higher on eight percent on a terrific fourth quarter. Why was that? Well, a lot of people couldn't find the Nintendo Wii or the Playstation 3 went to eBay over the holidays where they paid more for them and that really helped the fourth quarter for eBay.

The bad is Ford reporting its worse annual loss in its 103 year history. Ford shares are actually up about half a percent, investors hoping that this is the beginning of the end. And finally, the ugly is what we're seeing on Wall Street today. This is going to go down is the worse sell off of this New Year. One day off the Dow Industrials reported its all-time closing high!

LEMON: Who is has handsome guy behind you?

NGUYEN: Snoopy! LISOVICZ: Oh, that's MetLife and Snoopy! He was posing for pictures earlier today and guess who had her picture taken with him?

NGUYEN: Oh, Susan?

LISOVICZ: Yeah.

NGUYEN: Have a good one, Susan.

LISOVICZ: Even snoopy can't lift the sentiment on Wall Street. We've got a lot of red ink. Now it's time for THE SITUATION ROOM and Wolf Blitzer.

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