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Benazir Bhutto Laid to Rest; Interview With New York Senator Hillary Clinton

Aired December 28, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: The victim is laid to rest, but not the questions. Today, new suspicions in the death of Benazir Bhutto and a stunning new assertion of how she died.
Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen at the CNN Center here in Atlanta. Don and Kyra are away.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Here's what's happening right now. Going to give you a live picture of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington. Well, people have been throughout the day signing a condolence book. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, was there a little bit earlier. We're still waiting on National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley to come by and sign his condolences.

But a lot of dignitaries have been throughout this building today, and leaving their remarks to Benazir Bhutto, who was killed yesterday. The question, though, who was behind Benazir Bhutto's assassination? Pakistan's government blames a Taliban leader whom the U.S. considers a -- quote -- "known bad actor."

CNN's Jeanne Meserve joins us now from Washington to talk more about this bad actor.

Who is this person, Jeanne?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's a Taliban leader.

The U.S. government at this point is not assigning responsibility for the assassination, but, as you mentioned, the Interior Ministry of Pakistan is. They say a Taliban leader from South Waziristan named Baitullah Mehsud was behind it.

The Interior Ministry in Pakistan released the transcript of what it says is an intercept of a conversation between Mehsud and another militant in which Mehsud congratulates his people for the attack.

A very senior U.S. officials tells CNN's Barbara Starr there is good information that Mehsud may in fact have been behind the attack. Another official calms him number one on the list. One U.S. official described Mehsud as a known bad actor who had been trying to get Bhutto for some time.

Several former and current U.S. officials describe him as a militant Islamist who has associations with al Qaeda. How close they are, unclear, one official telling Barbara Starr it is a pretty strong association.

Mehsud had reportedly made threats against Bhutto before her return to Pakistan, and Bhutto herself said he might have been responsible for the earlier October attempt on her life, but again U.S. officials are still combing over every piece of intelligence they can gather. They are not yet ready or able to pin the blame -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And that's important as we have been getting a lot of information, and some of it being conflicting today. Jeanne Meserve helping us sort all of it out -- thank you, Jeanne.

MESERVE: You bet.

NGUYEN: Well, Benazir Bhutto's assassination raises troubling questions for the Bush administration and its relationship with Pakistan.

So, what's next? CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now from the White House.

And, Kathleen, what are you hearing there in Washington?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, right now, the administration is keeping very close watch on the events that are unfolding by the hour in Pakistan.

The president himself got -- had a meeting lasting over an hour this morning via secure video link with the members of his top national security team. The president heard from members of the intelligence community. He also got a briefing from the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson. She right now is still in Islamabad.

And according to Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel, the president told his advisers that the U.S. needs to continue to push hard to support democracy in Pakistan and help the country in its struggle against extremism and terrorism.

And as you mentioned, here in Washington, the top U.S. officials in town right now are going to pay their respects at the Pakistani Embassy. Not long ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went by. She signed the condolence book, and she spoke very poignantly about what she believes to be the legacy of Benazir Bhutto.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I wanted to come to express personally, and also on behalf, of course, of the American people our deep sympathies with the Bhutto family, with her supporters of Benazir Bhutto, and of course with the Pakistani people.

This is a day of great tragedy, great mourning. She was a champion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: And Rice spoke out about the fact that the best way to really honor the legacy of Bhutto was to go forward with the elections that are scheduled in less than two weeks.

The United States is pushing President Pervez Musharraf hard to go forward with those. But the administration is also very carefully watching what Musharraf doesn't do, quite concerned that despite the unrest in the streets that Musharraf not reimpose that state of emergency that he lifted just barely two weeks ago.

And then of course, Betty, it's important to point out the U.S. is pushing Pakistan to very thoroughly investigate the assassination.

NGUYEN: Kathleen, it's no secret that Washington was instrumental in getting Bhutto back into Pakistan for the elections. How big of a blow is this assassination to the U.S. diplomatic efforts in Pakistan?

KOCH: It's an enormous blow, Betty. That must be said, though, obviously, the White House does not endorse any candidate in any nation's elections.

The White House, certainly, the U.S. did help broker, help arrange and persuade Bhutto to go back and make this effort at bringing democracy, bringing stability to her country, so obviously right now the U.S. is very busy trying to come up with a plan B, Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House for us today -- thank you, Kathleen.

KOCH: You bet.

I want you to check this out, because if you look under all this white stuff that we're going to show you in this picture, you can actually see Milwaukee. Well, we're going to bring it up here shortly; 2007 is going out with a wintry bang in Wisconsin, and other parts of the Midwest, Chicago included.

And that's where we find Keith Oppenheim at O'Hare International Airport, where snow, salt and canceled flights have been the rule. That's that shot of Milwaukee that I was talking about. You can barely see the city underneath all that fog.

Keith joins us live from Chicago O'Hare.

And, Keith, what's the situation there on the ground? We saw you a little bit earlier and it looked almost like blizzard conditions.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the conditions are getting worse as the afternoon goes on. I'm struggling to hear you a little bit there, because I have planes, trains, and a lot of plow equipment behind me.

Take a look at that plow team that is preparing to go out onto the runway. There are 200 major pieces of equipment like that here at O'Hare, and they're all in use on a day like today. It's really amazing. They clear -- get this -- 51 million square feet of pavement during a storm like this.

That's kind of like vacuuming 17,000 good-sized homes while planes are landing and taking off.

And Bill Palivos is with me.

Let's see if I can get your title right. You're the assistant commissioner of airfield operations; is that right?

BILL PALIVOS, AIRFIELD OPERATIONS: I am. Yes, I am.

OPPENHEIM: OK. Now, you have told me that it takes about 15 minutes for these big pieces of equipment to clear a runway while another one is being used.

What's happening with the planes in the sky while you're clearing one runway?

PALIVOS: It does. Our city of Chicago manager, along with the FAA air traffic manager plan a 15-minute gap of airspace on that particular runway. We don't close the runway. We just -- we form a gap in the air traffic. We have our equipment go down there 15 minutes. They get off and the line then continues right after we get off with aircraft.

OPPENHEIM: But it takes a little while to separate the planes because not only do you have one runway down, but the visibility may not be so good, so some of the planes will have to hold in the sky while you are doing your work?

PALIVOS: That's true. Once we pull those aircraft out of queue, they are put in a hold pattern until we finish with the runway. And then they will be put back in the queue to land safely on that runway.

OPPENHEIM: OK. And safety is of course the key.

We have got a plane taking off here. Can you get a shot of that over our heads there? Here. As I'm telling you, there's all sorts of activity right here going off right into the clouds there.

There are going to be delays there throughout the day today. There have been 400 flights that have been canceled. And the time right now that it's taking for an average delay is about 90 minutes -- back to you in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: So, about 90 minutes. Any idea if this thing is going to be back to normal, say, I don't know, by tomorrow at least?

OPPENHEIM: Yes. By tomorrow morning, everything should be fine here. It's the evening hours, after the snow has stopped, where it takes a while for the system to catch up. So, it will be a few hours tonight before things are back to normal completely.

NGUYEN: Hey, at least planes are taking off. That's good news.

Keith Oppenheim joining us live from a very cold Chicago today -- thank you, Keith.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

NGUYEN: This now: wild and potentially deadly animals just yards away from women, men, and children. In the wake of Tuesday's attacks in San Francisco, some people are wondering, how safe is the zoo? We will get answers from an expert.

Also, Hillary Clinton, in her final push across Iowa, stops to talk Pakistan with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. You will hear her prescription for staving off chaos in the increasingly troubled nuclear-armed nation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It's 17 past the hour.

And here are three of the stories that we are working on right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

The White House says President Bush will veto a defense policy bill Congress passed earlier this month. He's unhappy with a provision that would let Saddam Hussein's victims sue the current Iraqi government.

The father of the teen who was mauled to death at the San Francisco Zoo says his son was a hero. Carlos Sousa Sr. says his son deliberately distracted a tiger in order to save the lives of his companions.

Well, a Seattle-area woman and her boyfriend are charged with aggravated first-degree murder. Court documents say they have confessed to the Christmas Eve killings of the woman's parents and four other family members. We will be following all of these stories.

Also happening right now, here's a live look from Washington at the Pakistani Embassy. You're seeing the national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, signing the condolence book in remembrance of Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated yesterday. We have seen a lot of dignitaries come in and out of this building today signing that condolence book, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

But, right now, you're looking at a live picture of National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley signing the condolence book there at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington in remembrance of Benazir Bhutto.

In political news, Hillary Clinton is calling for an international probe into the death of Benazir Bhutto. She says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has lost credibility. Clinton is making her final push across Iowa, where polls show her in a virtual dead heat with Barack Obama and John Edwards. But the caucus is less than a week away.

And, this afternoon, she spoke with CNN's Wolf Blitzer and addressed the turmoil in Pakistan after the Bhutto assassination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, (D-NY) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pakistan has been unstable for a long time.

Benazir Bhutto's father was deposed and killed. Obviously, we know that President Musharraf came to power in a military coup. So, the instability in Pakistan has long predated any of the recent events.

And, therefore, I think you need to have a historic understanding. You need to look at Pakistan as a country that still today, the best information that we have, wants to have a better standard of living, wants to have a democracy. And the United States should be doing more to promote that.

I regret that President Bush's policies have failed to create that kind of environment. And I hope it's not too late. I really do. And that's why I'm calling on the president now to begin to make some of the changes. If he has a good relationship with President Musharraf, which he claims to have, then let's have an envoy.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right.

CLINTON: You know, let's have this international investigation.

(CROSSTALK)

CLINTON: Let's do what we know will work to try to stabilize Pakistan at this time.

BLITZER: Well, what about the specific criticism of your foreign policy judgment that we heard from Senator Obama? We heard earlier in the day from his chief strategist, David Axelrod.

What about that -- that implied criticism that some of your decisions on these national security foreign policy issue raise questions about whether or not you should be president?

CLINTON: Well, I just regret that both of them would be politicizing this tragedy, and especially at a time when we do need to figure out a way forward. And that's what I'm focused on.

I'm focused on extending my sympathy to Benazir Bhutto's family. I'm focused on doing everything I can, as a senator, as someone with a platform running for president, to try to be both positive and effective in helping to set a course.

We have a year to go with President Bush as our president. A year is a long time. We know the threats that could be posed with a nuclear-armed country like Pakistan becoming more and more unstable. I have found that President Musharraf is someone that needs, in my opinion, to have a very consistent message and then, frankly, the help that would come with helping him and those who are in leadership positions, understanding that this is not just about the United States. Obviously, we have a very important national security interest.

This is about what happens to Pakistan. President Musharraf could become as -- as important to the future of Pakistan if he changed course and began to act in a way that would create more confidence to have these free and fair elections, to restore an independent judiciary, to take the shackles off the press, to say that he trusted the Pakistani people.

BLITZER: All right.

CLINTON: That's what I'm hoping will happen over the next weeks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And that was Senator Hillary Clinton speaking today from Iowa about the situation in Pakistan.

You can hear the full interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "THE SITUATION ROOM," beginning at 4:00 Eastern.

In the meantime, wild and potentially deadly animals just yards away from men, women and children. In the wake of Tuesday's attacks in San Francisco, some people are wondering, how safe is the zoo? We will get answers from an expert.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, the teenager who died at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day is being called a hero. Carlos Carlos Jr. was mauled to death by an escaped tiger. His father says that he deliberately distracted the animal in a bid to save his two companions, those companions, two brothers. Well, they're being treated at a San Francisco hospital, and a third brother says they're doing well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"SUNNY" DHALIWAL, VICTIMS' BROTHER: All I can tell you is, I visited them in the hospital. My brothers are doing fine. They're in stable condition. And they will be released in two to three days. And whenever they come out, they can make a statement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: So, as we look at Tuesday's attacks, a lot of concerns have been raised about safety at zoos everywhere.

Ron Magill from Miami's Metrozoo has worked with wild animals for more than 30 years. And he joins us live.

Ron, you are right outside the tiger exhibit there at your zoo, at the Metrozoo in Miami. But what we have learned is, it appears the wall in front of the exhibit in San Francisco was four feet shorter than industry standards. Where should those walls be? How high should they be?

RON MAGILL, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, MIAMI METROZOO: Well, industry standards recommend 16-and-a-half feet, approximately. That's the industry standards for a flat, straight wall with a dry bottom.

But exhibits are different. For instance, our exhibit here, we have a high wall that can be high, but the moat is wide. Our moat ranges from 25 to 40 feet wide, and it has water in. And that's a big thing, because, if the cats go into the water, jumping out of the water is nothing like jumping out of dry land. So, that's a very effective barrier

Plus, the outside wall that is closer to the public here has a turnback on it. It's not straight-up wall. It's a turnback. So, if the cat tries to climb up the wall, the gravity will basically send it back into the water.

NGUYEN: OK. So, we're looking at standards as to how high these walls should be and how wide these moats should be, but these standards, aren't they just guidelines? I mean, who is regulating how high that these indeed have to be in order for these zoos to stay open and they be deemed safe?

MAGILL: Yes. Well, basically, that's just -- you're exactly right. They are guidelines right now that are set forth by the AZA and various SSPs, which are groups studying the specific species, for instance, the Tiger SSP.

Those are at the point guidelines. I suspect those guidelines are going to become a little bit more strict, especially following this incident.

NGUYEN: Do you think they should be mandatory?

MAGILL: Personally, I do believe they should be mandatory. I believe we should establish a common guideline, mandatory guidelines that have to be met and inspected.

As it is now, the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA, does inspect zoos for the holding areas, the night houses. The caging, so to speak, has to pass certain minimum standards and sizes by the United States Department of Agriculture. But the exhibits, the outdoor exhibits, it tends to be a little bit more nebulous, which I suspect will change now in the coming weeks and months.

NGUYEN: I want to ask you about this, because there's been some speculation that the victims may have taunted this tiger. What do you make of that?

MAGILL: You know something? I have got to honest with you. Whether he taunted the tiger or not is a moot point. We, as zoo officials, have a responsibility to the public that visits here. That's the number-one responsibility, their safety, that no matter what a person does, no matter what happens outside of the exhibit, no matter how badly that animals wants to get out of the exhibit, it's our responsibility to ensure that never happens.

So, whether the animal was taunted or not -- I mean, that's a horrible thing. You should never taunt animals. But, in this tragedy, that's a moot point. We have to make sure we establish exhibits that guarantee that those animals cannot get out.

NGUYEN: You are so passionate about this. Does the fact that someone was killed outside of this exhibit, does it not only bother you, but do you want to see something done about it, and what would you like to see done?

MAGILL: Well, I do. I mean It hurts me so badly because you know what people start doing? They question the safety of zoos. And I've had people question me, well, you know, should we have tigers in a zoo?

You know, 99.9 percent of the public will never have the privilege that I had three months ago of looking at tigers in the wild in India. The bottom line is I do what I do today and I've been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for conservation efforts because when I was a small boy, I went to the zoo and I made that connection face-to-face with a real tiger.

And there's nothing like that -- no picture, no television show, nothing that gives you that impact that this live animal gives you. And I don't want people thinking oh, we should not have that now. You're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

NGUYEN: Yes, but at the same time...

MAGILL: People need to understand how horrible...

NGUYEN: ...how do people know that the zoo where they're going to see these tigers is safe?

MAGILL: We have to be open-minded. We have to show that we're doing everything possible -- that we've done all the research possible to ensure that these barriers are sufficient. This incident may have brought that up into question or maybe regulations were not being followed. We don't know. That's what the importance of this investigation -- it's so important to all of us. Everybody in all the zoos in the country, we're listening very closely to find out the outcome.

NGUYEN: All right.

Ron Magill with Miami's MetroZoo, thanks for your time today. We do appreciate it.

MAGILL: Thank you.

NGUYEN: So, would more security have saved Benazir Bhutto's life? A lot of people are wondering that and we're going to talk about it right here in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right, so a day after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, there are more questions, more accusations about her security on that fateful rally there when she was essentially assassinated.

CNN's Jim Clancy joins me to talk about it -- and, Jim, it's very confusing, because we've heard a whole list of things today as to what exactly happened and no one truly knows.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: You're exactly right. It's all contradictions. Let's look at some of the latest video that we have in, what it shows. Now, this was pointed out during a press conference with Pakistani officials. If you look here, you see the last moments. There's Benazir Bhutto. The camera is moving around. There she is in the center of the photo. And then pretty soon we will see someone come up on the left rear bumper of her car. They clamber aboard right there.

NGUYEN: Right there.

CLANCY: And I think we highlight it. You see a gun in the hand of someone.

NGUYEN: Because at first they said it was a gun.

CLANCY: There it is. There you can see it.

NGUYEN: Right there.

CLANCY: And you can see that highlighted. Maybe we can take that full screen so the viewers get a better idea of it. This is somebody that was able to just come up, get on board her car and fire shots.

NGUYEN: Where is the security?

CLANCY: Well, listen, Pakistani authorities are saying today that that is not what killed her. It wasn't gunshots and it wasn't the bomb blast...

NGUYEN: The shrapnel.

CLANCY: It wasn't the shrapnel from the bomb. Those -- they may have contributed to it. But they say when the car lunged forward, she fell, hit her head on the car.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. JAVED IQBAL CHEEMA, PAKISTAN INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: There was no foreign element in her body. So, henceforth, there should be no ambiguity that, you know, she died because of the bullet hit or she died because of a pellet or because of a splinter. So our initial investigations so far all indicate that, unfortunately, that this tragedy took place because, you know, that she was struck with that force with a lever of her vehicle, which caused -- caused her death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: All right, there the government spokesman saying they looked at the x-ray, because the x-ray didn't show anything inside her. Well, then that meant that she had hit her head when the car lunged forward. That killed her.

But her own Pakistan Peoples Party officials say it's a pack of lies. They say, number one, it contradicts what doctors said a day earlier, that she was hit by gunfire.

NGUYEN: Right. Well, the Interior Minister -- Ministry -- had to come and contradict what they said earlier today.

CLANCY: That's right. Contradictions upon contradictions. And now the Pakistan Peoples Party -- senior members telling CNN that they saw a third gunman -- a sniper...

NGUYEN: What?

CLANCY: ...on a nearby building. So all of this is building up...

NGUYEN: So it's a grassy knoll scenario?

CLANCY: Well, we don't...

NGUYEN: A sniper somewhere. We don't know where this other...

CLANCY: It's gotten murkier, not clearer.

NGUYEN: So we've got four scenarios now.

CLANCY: Exactly. Four...

NGUYEN: And who's to blame? What happened?

The question here is truly who is to blame?

CLANCY: You're absolutely right. And if you take a look at one of the last photos that was taken by John Moore of Getty Images -- maybe we can bring that image up -- just of Benazir Bhutto in her car, it is really telling to what happened.

Zoom in here. Let's take a closer look at this.

And let me ask you, do you see security any place?

NGUYEN: No.

CLANCY: Where do you see security in this image?

You don't see it. There may be one person...

NGUYEN: Well, there's this one guy right there.

CLANCY: One on the left side of your screen. Perhaps one person there. But behind the car, you don't see any uniformed police. You don't see any private security guards.

This is a woman, a politician, a former prime minister who was marked -- a target. She had absolutely no security. What...

NGUYEN: Which is so surprising, though, Jim, because this is a woman who had long been marked. She knew the risk and yet she still popped her head out of sunroofs on many occasions as they would travel through the city.

CLANCY: That made her a target, but the lack of security made her an easy target. And when they get down to who's responsible, they have to add in incompetent and indifference, because this woman had no security.

NGUYEN: So there's a lot of factors to blame here.

CLANCY: A lot of things to blame.

NGUYEN: All right, Jim Clancy helping us sort it out.

Thank you, Jim.

Well, Benazir Bhutto's death has left a major void in Pakistan. It's casting doubt on next month's elections and raising new questions about U.S. ties to Pakistan's government.

Earlier, in NEWSROOM, CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, talked about the impact Bhutto's death will have on President Pervez Musharraf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's going to impact him -- the way the government handles the current situation -- and we just heard a few moments ago from a Pakistani journalist saying that the way that the government is already handling the investigation, at the moment, is sort of raising doubts in people's minds that -- just hours after Benazir Bhutto was killed, CNN had credible reports from a journalist -- a Western journalist, a photographer who was at the scene heard shots ring out.

An autopsy from a doctor at the hospital indicated Benazir Bhutto died from bullet wounds to her head. Yet today, the Pakistani government issues a different description of what happened.

And we've heard this Pakistani journalist saying this raises questions in people's minds. It's not uncommon that the Pakistani government changes the details about political assassinations or the deaths of senior politicians in the country. This is not unheard of. And this is what undermines the credibility of President Musharraf's government in the eyes of many people in Pakistan.

So how his government handles the current situation will affect his credibility in the coming days and the authority of his government.

We've also heard now that the Pakistani government believes that they know somebody who was responsible for this attack -- a Taliban/Al Qaeda tie linked operative, operating in South Waziristan.

I was in South Waziristan earlier this year with the Pakistani military, who named this particular individual, Masood, as actually helping the Pakistani government fight al Qaeda and Taliban-related fighters, when the generals who told us that were questioned by Pakistani journalists, who said, how can you say this when he -- when this person, Masood, is with the Taliban and Al Qaeda?

The generals didn't answer that question. So by naming this individual as being a suspect in the particular killing of Benazir Bhutto, it's going to further put questions in the minds of people in Pakistan -- are they getting the full answers and the full truth from their government?

And this -- this, essentially, will speak to the credibility of President Musharraf in the coming days, whether or not there is violence on the streets and whether or not he can continue to enjoy the level of support from Pakistani people that he does at the moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, the Musharraf government is dismissing claims by Bhutto's supporters that the government could have done more to protect Bhutto. As of now, Pakistan's parliamentary elections are still scheduled for January 8th.

And the bloggers -- they are weighing in on Benazir Bhutto's assassination. We'll find out what they're saying next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Benazir Bhutto's assassination is getting a lot of attention on the blogs. And we are getting a lot of e-mails and I- Reports on what's happening in Pakistan. CNN's Josh Levs brings us the highlights.

Hey there, Josh.

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Betty.

You know something?

I mean you and I have talked in the past about very often, when there are major news events, people weigh in at CNN.com. Well, I believe in a situation like this -- in the wake of an assassination -- it's especially important to take a look, because that's what the value of this moment is for so many people. What did she symbolize? What are people thinking and feeling about what happened in this case? We talk about the international repercussions. Well, that's among real people in countries all over the world. And the best way to find out what people are thinking and feeling right away, cnn.com.

Let me show you here what we've got. This is our main story right now, that talks about Benazir Bhutto. If you scroll down, you see this section called "Sound Off." Well, I have been refreshing my screen. And every time I do, I get brand new posts that have just arrived to us just minutes ago. This one says six minutes ago, 10 minutes ago, 11 minutes ago. We're into the thousands.

And let me just read you a few examples of what people have been saying to us. First, from a blogger who goes by Medevacmike. He says: "First she was shot, then shrapnel from the bomb, now a head wound from ducking? What is this, the Kennedy assassination?" Just like you and Jim were just talking about, Betty.

All right, next, Waseem Arain: "It is a loss of wisdom and liberalism in Pakistan. She was a visionary leader who stood against the tide of extremists. The whole of Pakistan feels the pain of this tragedy."

Now, Betty, not everybody is positive about Benazir Bhutto. So I'm going to give you one of these examples here. This is from a blogger who goes by "Concerned Democrat": "Other than being corrupt, she was the prime minister of Pakistan during two important phases of the rise of Islamic terrorism."

And finally one that just looks at her as a human being, from Kimberly Atwi. She writes us: "Salaam, dear graceful lady."

Now, as I mentioned, people are weighing in there. And as you mentioned, we're also taking a look real closely here at what's going on in the blogs from Pakistan. And there's one in particular I want to show you here. This is called PakPositive.com. And what they have done is gathered some of the best Pakistani bloggers in the English language. So you can take a look here.

You can see posts that -- again, I've refreshed it. I see new things every time. They're talking a lot about the mixed reviews and the mixed news today about how she may have died. They're calling it the so-called evidence. Then you've got a Pakistani blogger here who's doing a roundup about everything that they are thinking, feeling and seeing today in the country.

And one of the best on this list is this, from Pakistani Spectator, a well known blog. We've seen this. It's won awards. It's one of the best known ones there. PakSpectator.blogspot.com. What they're doing is weighing in different opinions, different thoughts on what is happening in Pakistan.

So, here's what's going to happen. We're going to keep following this. And if you want to submit your thoughts and your ideas, go to CNN.com, click "I-Report". That's all you've got to do. Your videos, your thoughts, your comments -- we'll be posting some. And we'll be back on the air in a little bit to share some more -- Betty. NGUYEN: All right, Josh.

Thank you for that.

LEVS: Thanks.

NGUYEN: And an American teenager helps build a school half a world away and she gives all of us a lesson in how to make a difference.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: He spent four decades in corporate America. Now he is flying at new heights, lending a hand to those in need.

Ali Velshi has the story of one man's Life After Work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER RYAN, VOLUNTEER PILOT, ANGEL FLIGHT: But it all depends on the temperature.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a cold day in December and Vincent Delatore (ph) is headed to Cape Cod Hospital for his daily cancer treatment.

RYAN: There we go.

VELSHI: But thanks to pilot Peter Ryan and a group called Angel Flight, Vincent doesn't have to drive through snowy roads or suffer through long ferry rides to get there.

RYAN: Angel Flight is an association of volunteer pilots who use their own planes to fly people who need the medical attention and do that all free of charge.

VELSHI: For Ryan, it's more than just a charitable act. It's part of a lifelong dream. As a child, Ryan spent hours watching planes come and go from Long Island. But his career path let him into the television business, where he worked as a sales executive for nearly 40 years.

When he retired in 1998, Ryan decided to dedicate his time and effort to helping hours while pursuing his passion for flying.

RYAN: I knew I wanted to do something that would be of service, some way to give back.

VELSHI: He's now flown more than 120 Angel Flight missions for both patients and their families and says it's the most rewarding work he's ever done.

RYAN: The patients are so inspiring. These are people who, under the most dire medical circumstances, are willing to get into small airplanes, travel distances. And I just say it's the most satisfying flying you'll ever do. VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: This is a great story and it's a classic case of how one person can truly make a difference. An American teen reads about kids in need on the other side of the world. Then, she decides to do something.

CNN's Hala Gorani has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An primitive village in an impoverished country. Children ride down a familiar path that will now lead them to a world of opportunity. The students of the R.S. Rosenfeld School in the Cambodian village of Srah Khvav enthusiastically welcome the American teenager the school is name for.

Seventeen-year-old Rachel Rosenfeld was stuck at home last year, battling a painful stomach order, with nothing but time on her hands.

RACHEL ROSENFELD, SCHOOL DONOR: And I decided to build a school in Cambodia because I read an article and that a lot of villages in Cambodia didn't have schools. And I figured since I was so sick and couldn't go to school, I may as well help other kids try to go to school and get a good education.

GORANI: She raised more than $50,000 by selling t-shirts and sending out fundraising letters. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank pitched in.

ROSENFELD: I feel amazing now that it's all done. Seeing all the kids, it just makes me feel so good. And I feel like I really did something to help people. And so that means a lot to me. I really appreciate everyone.

GORANI: The students were quick to show their gratitude.

HENG THY, STUDENT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I feel very excited because I have a new school and this makes me eager to continue my education.

GORANI: More than 300 students will attend the R.S. Rosenfeld School -- getting an education many in their country cannot get -- all the thanks to an American teenager from Harrison, New York.

Hala Gorani, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: See what one person can do?

Right now it's time to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what is coming up at the top of the hour.

Hey there, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty. Thanks very much.

Coming up, Hillary Clinton in "THE SITUATION ROOM". My exclusive one-on-one interview -- what the Democratic presidential candidate says she'd do about the problems in Pakistan.

Also, what killed Benazir Bhutto? There's new video showing shots being fired. But today Pakistani officials are claiming neither the bullets nor the bomb led to her death.

And Mike Huckabee trying to gain some ground on foreign policy. But did he actually slip up? That and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- back to you.

NGUYEN: We're looking forward to that.

Thank you, Wolf.

And, hey, before you hold your glass high at midnight on Monday, you'd better hear about the battle over the bubbly.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

And CNN's Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at this up and down trading day. Mostly down, it seems -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, it's going to end up kind of flat, it looks like, Betty. But we're not going to talk about flat when we talk about champagne. We want -- we want things to sparkle. It's a very hot commodity -- like oil -- at this very time.

And there's -- you probably know, Betty -- and I'm sure a lot of our viewers know that only wine produced -- sparkling wine produced in a certain region of France can actually be called champagne. But now there is a proposal to expand -- expand that designation to 40 communities in France, which would be the largest expansion in eight decades.

Landowners want it, farmers want it and I think probably us consumers want it, too, because it would expand the pool of champagne, which is quite pricey. As you know, there's a big difference between what you pay for a sparkling wine, which can be very good, and champagne. For instance, we did a little research on this, Betty.

Mumm's Corden Rouge, non-vintage, sells for $45.

NGUYEN: OK. Right.

LISOVICZ: Now, Mumm's also grows grapes in Napa Valley. And its counterpart in the U.S. -- its Napa Couvee Prestige -- sells for $20.

NGUYEN: Oh. That's a big difference.

LISOVICZ: Pretty darned good, according to the manager at Sparrow's wine shop. But that's -- that's the kind of thing that a name designation can make. And we...

NGUYEN: Was that the only kind of research you did into this, though, Susan?

LISOVICZ: No. It's, of course, the taste test...

NGUYEN: The taste test, yes.

LISOVICZ: ...which is that there's a lot of fine sparkling beverages at this time of year, no matter what you choose. Drink in moderation, I guess.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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