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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Bin Laden Releases New Videotape; Bush, Kerry Continue Campaigning

Aired October 29, 2004 - 19:00 ET

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

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

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Osama bin Laden appears on tape, lecturing us about Bush and Kerry. Tonight, what he said, why he's saying it, and what impact it may have on the election.
Four days to go, and Bush and Kerry pick up the pace. The president talks national security, but Kerry says America needs a fresh start.

The Boss stays on the stump for Kerry, while the Terminator flexes for the president. It's a do-or-die celebrity slugfest. We'll take you there live.

Are these the explosives missing from Iraq, or did the U.S. military secure and destroy them? Tonight we go 360 with Ed Gillespie, Howard Dean, and the guys from "CROSSFIRE."

Hip-hop mogul P. Diddy tells young people to vote or die. Tonight we take you inside his entourage for the strangest get-out- the-vote drive you've ever seen.

And are you ready for the 360 challenge? If you think you know news, get ready to take our current events quiz.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And a good Friday evening to you.

It is with no joy that we bring you our lead story tonight. The mass murderer Osama bin Laden has reappeared in this tape delivered to Al Jazeera, Bin laden appearing gaunt but well dressed, very much alive.

He lectures in subdued tones about President Bush, John Kerry, and the sick reasoning behind 9/11.

Nic Robertson has been analyzing the tape and reports tonight from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Alive and apparently well, Osama bin Laden appears to have timed his first video message in nearly three years to influence the U.S. election. OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked.

ROBERTSON: He accuses President Bush of misleading the U.S. public. And, in a politically charged swipe, says on September the 11th, Bush wasted time reading to school children after he was told of the attack on the World Trade Center.

BIN LADEN: It never occurred to us that he, the commander in chief of the country, would leave 50,000 citizens in the two towers to face those horrors alone because he thought listening to a child discussing her goats was more important.

ROBERTSON: In an apparent effort to explain why America has been singled out for attack by al Qaeda, Osama talks of his first feelings of opposition to U.S. foreign policy.

BIN LADEN: The event that affected me most personally was in 1982, when America gave permission for Israel to invade Lebanon. That built a strong desire in me to punish the guilty.

ROBERTSON: The only indication that the tape was recorded recently is bin Laden's reference to how we are now entering the fourth year since 9/11. This is the second such video message from the al Qaeda leadership in a month and a half.

Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had a similar tape broadcast on September 9. That both men would release such video statements, an indication how secure they must feel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And one other detail that's interesting in this statement is that Osama bin Laden says that he's responsible for 9/11. No surprise for many people. But I've been traveling in the Middle East and in Muslim countries recently, and a lot of people there still doubt that Osama bin Laden was behind those attacks.

Maybe this will lay that to rest, Anderson.

COOPER: Interesting too that he cites the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I, if I'm correct, I mean, he hasn't really done that much in the past. He hasn't really talked about that issue.

ROBERTSON: He has talked about the Israeli-Palestinian issue, inasmuch as that it's been one of his core issues. But he has left that to the side recently, talking about Iraq, threatening European nations, that they have an opportunity to get a cease-fire with al Qaeda if they disengage in Iraq.

But the Israeli-Palestinian issue, it's been there, but it's been on the back burner, but here it's center stage. And this is the issue that's really one that he's very likely to be able to sort of unite Arab opinion on, if you will, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson, thanks very much for that.

I'm sure for all of us, anytime bin Laden appears, so do terrible memories and terrible fears about what his words might signal, new attacks, new terrorists, new levels of security.

CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena is in Washington tonight, monitoring any changes in this country's security plans.

Kelli, I understand you just got off the phone with the U.S. officials who are busy analyzing the tape. What's the latest?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, here's what they have to say. They say obviously that there's a high degree of confidence that this is Osama bin Laden's voice and image. They'd like to point out immediately that this tape lacks any explicit threat. They believe that it retreats to old themes. Again, this is very early stages of the analysis.

Now, they have in their possession an 18-minute tape in which Osama bin Laden speaks for 14 minutes and 39 seconds. Their version includes a reference to the U.S. casualties in Iraq, citing the number 1,000 dead. That one more piece of information suggesting that this tape was made very recently.

Also on the tape there is a stamp, 10 Ramadan, suggesting last Sunday. They don't know if that's when the tape was produced or when it was released.

They say nothing jumps out at them regarding his health, except that he looks thinner. And they are also looking at that tape, Anderson, to figure out whether there is any clue or any signal that would set off an attack against the United States.

COOPER: Kelli Arena live in Washington. Kelli, thanks for that.

Bin laden and his henchmen have shown time and time again they are keenly aware how the media works and how a well-timed tape can have a major impact. It's likely no surprise this tape was released in the waning days of the presidential campaigns, and today both President Bush and Senator Kerry responded to the tape.

Senior White House correspondent John King is with the Bush camp in Ohio. John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, for months the Bush camp has said, especially White House officials, that they expected an al Qaeda attack or some al Qaeda message designed to influence the elections. Well, it came today, just four days out.

Mr. Bush was actually on his way from Andrews Air Force Base to New Hampshire early this morning when he was told of this tape, 8 1/2 hours before he reacted in public, and hours before that tape was released even on Al Jazeera in the Arab world. Mr. Bush waited, aides say, because he wanted to get an intelligence assessment, and because of the sensitivity, this tape being released so close to the election. When Mr. Bush did speak, it was earlier this evening in Toledo, Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country. I'm sure Senator Kerry agrees with this. I also want to say to the American people that we're at war with these terrorists, and I am confident that we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, aides say the president had no hesitation at all with going forward with his campaign schedule. He is due in this hall in a short time with the California governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Adding to the dramatic, almost surreal nature of this story was, the president began his day at a speech in New Hampshire with many members of the families of September 11 victims, the president in that speech talking about what he considered To be the legacy of 9/11 and the impact of that day on his presidency.

And at his political events throughout the day, Anderson, the president has continued to harshly criticize Senator Kerry, making his case, his central campaign theme, that Senator Kerry is not qualified, not up to the task of taking command of the war on terrorism.

As for the potential political implications, Bush aides are under strict orders not to speculate at all about that publicly. Most Republicans think this benefits the president. Look at the polls, and the American people give him the edge, President Bush the edge, when it comes to fighting terrorism.

Some political strategists, though, think seeing Osama bin Laden on TV might call into question the president's constant theme that he is succeeding in the war on terrorism, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John King live in Columbus. Thanks, John.

On his way from place to place today, John Kerry paused for a moment to react to Osama bin Laden's reappearance. He talked to a local reporter. He said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: In response to this tape of Osama bin Laden, let me just make it clear, crystal clear. As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. They are barbarians. And I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture, or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And we are covering both the Kerry and the Bush events tonight. We'll take you live to the Kerry event shortly.

Mr. Kerry just landed in Miami, where he'll attend the campaign rally. Bruce Springsteen will appear with him, try to bring him some of that, also some of Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance at the Bush campaign.

Are you ready for the 360 challenge? Later in the program, I'm going to ask you three questions that test your knowledge of today's news. If you watched the show closely, follow the news closely, you should be able to get them all right. If you're the first to e-mail us all three correct answers, we'll send you a 360 T-shirt. Stay tuned, challenge is coming up.

Also tonight, a team of experts analyze Osama bin Laden's message to America. What can we learn, and how will it play out on the campaign trail? For that, we'll turn to Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson.

Also tonight, Howard Dean, joining us live, talking terror, missing weapons. We'll also hear from RNC chairman Ed Gillespie.

All that ahead. First your picks, the most popular stories right now on CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And we are taking you live to Columbus, Ohio, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is about to address a crowd. We brought you the rallies when Bill Clinton spoke earlier in the week, now tonight Arnold Schwarzenegger.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Thank you.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

COOPER: We were expecting Arnold Schwarzenegger to be speaking. We'll bring you his comments as soon as he does. This is his main campaign stop. Let's listen.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

COOPER: Again, we are waiting for Arnold Schwarzenegger to speak. At several times we thought he would. The crowd continuing to applaud. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger's only appearance with President Bush on the campaign trail. He said he was needed in the state of California, and this would be the only stop he would be making.

Obviously earlier in the week, Bill Clinton appeared on the campaign trail, and singer Bruce Springsteen has been on the campaign trail with John Kerry, bringing huge crowds. This obviously a very big crowd for President Bush in Columbus, Ohio, tonight. Arnold Schwarzenegger told KTZAM in Sacramento, he said, If I don't campaign for President Bush, the Republicans are angry, and if I do campaign for President Bush, Democrats are angry. I think there's a happy medium, he said.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Thursday Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, three of his predecessors, Democrats Gray Davis and Jerry Brown and Republican Pete Wilson, staged a rare joint appearance to denounce a ballot measure in California. Let's listen.

SCHWARZENEGGER: ... back here in Columbus, Ohio. This is wonderful.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

I love Ohio.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Ohio is like my second home.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

You know, I won, I won in 1970, right here in Columbus, Ohio, the Mr. World competition.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And I said to myself that this city and this state is bringing me good luck, I should come back many more times.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And that's exactly what I have done. I've come back many more times to visit my friends, to do business here, to invest here, to run afterschool programs here. And, of course, for the most important reason of all, to come back here for the last 28 years to run the world championships in body building, the Arnold's Classic, right here.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

But today I am here for the most important reason of all. Today I am here to pump you up. I'm here to pump you up.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

I'm here to pump you up to reelect President George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

This is the heartbeat of America, a place where community is everything. You work hard, you pay your taxes, and you're good neighbors. All you're asking for is a chance, a chance to succeed. All you're asking for is to have the great leadership that keeps America strong. And this is exactly the kind of leader we have here today with George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

George Bush is a man of action. He has provided action for the people in Ohio, and he has provided action for the people all over America. You know, I know that it hasn't been easy. We have gone through a lot. But I can tell you, there's no two ways about it. America is back.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

America is back from the attack on our homeland. We are back in the attack on our economy, and we are back in the attack on our way of life. We are back.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And look where you are today in Ohio with President Bush's leadership. Today in Ohio, taxes are lower on individuals and small businesses. Today in Ohio, today in Ohio, home ownership is higher than ever before. Today in Ohio, federal education funding is up. Today in Ohio, the economy's coming back, and job and opportunities are being created here every day. There is...

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

There's optimism here in Ohio, there's optimism all over the country, because President Bush is leading the way. He's fighting for all of us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

So I ask you, who is fighting for your jobs? George W. Bush. Who is fighting for your schools? George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Who is fighting for your families? George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

SCHWARZENEGGER: That's right, George w. Bush is fighting for all of us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And most important, and most important, President Bush is defending our freedom and our security. He is defending this country.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

President Bush is defending this country with all his heart and soul. And that's what I admire so much about this president, that he is a man of perseverance, he's a man of inner strength, and he's a man and a leader that does not flinch and doesn't waver and does not give up.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

He knows, President Bush knows you can't reason with people that are blinded by hate. But let me tell you something. Their hate is no match for our decency. Their hate is no match for America's decency. And it is no match for the leadership and the resolve of George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

By reelecting George W. Bush, we will have four more years of that great leadership, four more years of the action...

COOPER: Arnold Schwarzenegger...

SCHWARZENEGGER: ... the kind of leadership...

COOPER: You're listening to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking for President Bush at a campaign event at Columbus, Ohio, the only campaign event Governor Schwarzenegger will be doing for the president.

Earlier in the week, of course, we brought you Bill Clinton at a Kerry campaign event. That was on Monday in Philadelphia, when he returned to the campaign trail. We also hope to bring you a Kerry event tonight with Bruce Springsteen playing at that event. It is happening sometime within this hour, and we hope to bring that to you live as well.

Coming up next on 360, Osama bin Laden's message to Americans. We're going to take a closer look at what's behind the new terror video.

And in a moment, today's 360 challenge. How closely have you been following today's news? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's been more than a year since he was last seen on television. The last we heard his voice, presumably, was in April. But today, just four days before the presidential election, the Arabic-language network Al Jazeera aired a new message from the terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden.

It was blunt. It was disturbing. And it was aimed directly at the American people.

Joining me to discuss the video, Harvard University's Jim Walsh, an expert on terrorism.

I think I misspoke. It's actually been about three years since we actually saw him in a tape, about a year since we actually heard him.

What surprised you, though, about how he appeared and what he said?

JIM WALSH, TERRORISM EXPERT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Well, Anderson, I think there are a couple of things. First was the tone, and then the audience and the content.

COOPER: It was a subdued tone.

WALSH: Exactly. It wasn't the fiery brimstone, We're going to come after you, you know, you're going to burn in the fires of hell, that sort of thing. And the audience was different. In the past, he's talked really to governments, and here he's explicitly trying to talk to the American people, to voters, if you will.

And then finally, the content of the message. He's really trying to make an argument in favor -- or defending what he did when he took that attack, made that attack on September 11.

COOPER: And the message really was delivered, I mean, in other tapes we've talked about how they're used as recruitment devices aimed at, you know, the Arab street. This seemed a message clearly aimed at Americans and American allies.

WALSH: Well, he says on the tape, and as we've all heard, it's not about Bush, it's not about Kerry, it's not about me, which was a sort of odd thing to say. It's about you, the American people. So he's trying to go above the heads of the candidates and speak directly to the electorate.

COOPER: Yes, he says, "Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda, your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked." Clearly we know that's not true, 9/11, there was no attack that preceded it.

Why make this message directly to America? I mean, is it to influence the election?

WALSH: Well, I think there are two possibilities here. One is to influence the election. If so, it's a clumsy, ham-handed way to do it. And we can talk about who he's trying to help here, if he's trying to do it, and I think that's up in, up, up for grabs.

It may be that it's not intended to influence the election per se, but rather taking advantage of the election. In other words, hijacking it or using this great news hook to be able to propagandize, because he knows just before the election, he's going to get a lot of air time.

COOPER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I mean, these guys are so good at being aware of the media cycle. I mean, they, they, they are (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it's almost like they've gone to some public relations school, because these guys know how the media works and know when to release these messages. I mean, we've seen this time and time again.

WALSH: And let's be clear. They invented the use of video techniques, really. I mean, we had some videos in the past with terrorists, but nothing like what we've seen with bin Laden. I think bin Laden's the most videotaped terrorist in human history and has used it quite deftly. And then others, Zarqawi, for one, have begun to imitate that and begin to use videotape in the same way.

COOPER: It was reported earlier in the evening the tape that the government has, more than 10 minutes long, of bin Laden talking. We've only really heard small snippets here and there. He doesn't mention Iraq in the snippets we've heard. Did you find that interesting?

WALSH: I did, because so many of the past tapes have focused on Iraq. But I think you are also right to caution all of us that we don't want to get ahead of ourselves here. We're only seeing, you know, 10 percent at most of the total tape. And I would really want to see a full transcript before we draw any hard conclusions.

COOPER: Expect any more tapes? Or it's, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the danger is the fear here, of course, is that in the past, release of tapes has preceded some sort of an attack.

WALSH: That's right. And that was a pretty good indicator in the early months following 9/11. But we've had a lot of tapes. In fact, if you go back over the past year and a half, and you include not only videotape but audiotapes as well, and throw in the Zarqawi tapes, we're at, we're been getting a tape every other month, every month, for a year and a half, and as we've had more and more tapes over time they've been a less predictive indicator that an attack was going to happen.

Now people are worried about that, and I wouldn't bet my house on this, but I doubt that this is going to precede an attack. I think this is more about communication.

COOPER: Jim Walsh, we appreciate you joining us. Always good to talk to you. We're going to have more on this tape, close analysis of the tape as well as how it may play out in the election ahead, as well as Howard Dean and Ed Gillespie join us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We'll come back to the bin Laden tape shortly. But right now we want to have the latest on the missing explosives in Iraq. Hundreds of tons' worth vanished from a military weapons depot. There's been much speculation on when they were taken and by whom. But former weapons inspector David Kay tells CNN there is little doubt that the high-grade explosives were still there when U.S. troops arrived. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Now that these pictures taken by Minneapolis television station KSTP seem to show that at least some of the missing HMX explosives still under IAEA seal were at the al Qa Qaa facility on April 18, 2003, the Pentagon is shifting gears. A day after releasing a satellite photograph meant to lend credence to the theory Saddam Hussein might have trucked away the more than 300 tons of explosives days before the war, the Pentagon brought out an army demolition expert who described how he blew up an estimated 250 tons of munitions at the site. But he couldn't say if any of it was the missing explosives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell us that that was the same material? Are we talking about the same material?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I don't have that information.

MCINTYRE: Pearson was there a week before the Minneapolis television crew and did not see any IAEA wire seal what experts say is the telltale sign the missing HMX was there on April 18. And Pearson made it clear he really couldn't tell what specific kind of explosives he destroyed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Off the top of my head I'm sure there's at least 80 or 90 different type, and whether it's HMX, I couldn't verify.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon argues even though Major Pearson could shed no light on the missing stockpile he does show that U.S. troops were busy destroying as much of Saddam's arsenal as possible.

LARRY DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We've been able to demonstrate, I think, that that planning was well conceived and it's extraordinarily well executed by the forces that are over there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: But critics say one thing is becoming increasingly clear, that U.S. troops who were the first to arrive at these ammunition depots had no idea about the missing explosives and their value -- Anderson.

COOPER: Jamie, at this point where does this story stand? What is the next step? I mean, the Pentagon has come out with these images. Where do we go from here?

MCINTYRE: Well, now their theory is that perhaps a lot of this was destroyed by U.S. troops on the ground. So they're looking at all the evidence they can find to see what happens between April 18 when it looks like the munitions were there, and May 8. But they say frankly they're probably not going to be able to have a clear picture until after the presidential election, and they wonder, frankly, if by that time without the scrutiny of the campaign if anyone's really going to care.

COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks. From the Pentagon. 360 next. More on the new bin Laden tape. CNN's national security analyst weighs in on the terrorist message and also how the tape got into U.S. hands. An interesting story, that.

Plus we're going to take you inside P. Diddy's entourage to his "get out the vote" effort. It's called Vote or Die. A look at how celebrities could impact the election or maybe not.

And in a moment today's 360 challenge. how closely you've been following today's news? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: I want to give you equal time, of course. So we brought you to a Arnold Schwarzenegger campaign event for President Bush earlier. This is Bruce Springsteen playing in Miami for John Kerry. Let's listen in.

(MUSIC)

COOPER: Bruce Springsteen appearing at a rally in Miami for Senator John Kerry. One of many rallies Bruce Springsteen has been doing for Senator Kerry. Eighty thousand people attended one rally several days ago. This was a last-minute add-on, we are told. Originally, it wasn't planned. But according to the Kerry camp, it was Bruce Springsteen's idea to continue it. And there you see him tonight in Miami. Let's listen in.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: I've been writing about America for 30 years, who we are, what we stand for, what we fight for. And I believe these ideas are what's at stake on November 2nd.

And I think our American government has drifted too far from American values. The human principles, the human principles of economic justice, healing the sick, health care, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, a living wage so folks don't have to break their backs and come home at the end of the day and still not be able to make ends meet. Protection of our environment. A sane and responsible foreign policy. Civil rights. And the safeguarding of our precious democracy here at home.

I believe Senator Kerry honors these ideals. He's lived our history over the past 50 years. He has an informed and adult view of America and of people. And he's had the life experience. And he understands that we as human beings are not infallible. And as Senator Edwards said during the Democratic Convention, struggle and heartbreak will always be with us, and that's why we need each other. That's why united we stand. That's why one nation indivisible. Can't become empty slogans, but they need to remain guiding principles of our public policy.

Now, Senator Kerry, since he was a young man, has shown us that by having the courage and facing America's hard truth, that's both the good and the bad, that that's where we find a deeper patriotism, that's where we find a more complete view of ourselves, that's where we find a more authentic experience as citizens, and that's where the power that is embedded only in truth to make our world a better place for our kids.

COOPER: And that was Bruce Springsteen appearing at a rally in Miami for Senator John Kerry.

Now, if you're just joining us and you're a Republican, you're saying this is proof that we're all liberals. Earlier in the program, we played a live campaign event for President Bush with Governor Schwarzenegger speaking. We played that I think for about the equal time. So just want to make sure we had both rallies in there to satisfy both our constituents.

When bin Laden appeared late this afternoon on television screens across the country, you could see people pausing, listening. Some shook their heads, some wanted to look away. But it was hard not to watch. His voice seemingly calm, his tone subdued, bin Laden delivered a rambling lecture about President Bush, John Kerry, American foreign policy and the rationale behind 9/11.

Now, we're not going to play the entire tape, but we do think it worthwhile to hear some of what bin Laden said, and to see a bit of how he looked. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIN LADEN (through translator): Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked.

The event that affected me most personally was in 1982 when America gave permission for Israel to invade Lebanon. That built a strong desire in me to punish the guilty.

It never occurred to us that he, the commander in chief of the country, would leave 50,000 citizens in the two towers to face those horrors alone because he thought listening to a child discussing her goats was more important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: CNN national security analyst Ken Robinson has been watching the tape, listening very closely. Ken, thanks for joining us tonight.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Sure, Anderson.

COOPER: What surprises you most about this tape and its appearance and how it got into hands here?

ROBINSON: The fact that he's got the courage to come out and say hey, I'm here, I'm tan, I'm rested, I'm ready, you've got to deal with me, and start lecturing the American people on consequences for their actions.

COOPER: What do we know about how this tape -- I mean, there was reporting earlier in the day that this tape did get into the hands of the United States before anyone else, before it was aired on Al Jazeera. What do we know about how that happened?

ROBINSON: Well, it certainly appeared that American government officials were aware of the content of it, which would indicate that either through some form of sigint collection or some form of interception or either monitoring Al Jazeera's communication, they were able to determine exactly what was there.

COOPER: Do we know -- we don't know when the tape was made?

ROBINSON: No. But it's clearly indicating that it's current. He references things which are in the current public domain.

COOPER: Approximately 1,000 casualties, I think, in Iraq at some point.

Interesting too that the tape is clearly directed toward the United States, toward Americans and their allies, not toward the Arab street.

ROBINSON: Well, that's true on face value, but I also think that he's communicating to another constituency. Al Qaeda is a distributed network. Al Qaeda is not IBM. Al Qaeda is now an ideology. And so he's communicating to those who have embraced his ideology also and propping them up. You know, Zawahiri a couple of weeks ago had issued a tape where he said, hey, stay the course, if we're taken out you guys continue the fight, the good fight. He recognizes that his days are numbered. And even if he's gone, it's irrelevant to the fight on the war on terrorism, because bin Laden lit the fuse. He may not be there for the end stake, but he lit the fuse, and he's financed now this new ideology that is taking foothold in the Arab street.

COOPER: And his tone seemed different than in other tapes we've seen. Again, we've only seen a little bit of this tape. It's apparently some 14 minutes long.

ROBINSON: His tone was diplomatic. He was almost speaking as a ambassador to another part of the world, saying that there is -- your consequences have impact and you need to decide on which direction your country's going to go. He's lecturing both parties. And he's speaking directly to the American people.

It's very valuable, because he's getting a return on investment. He knows our timelines. He knows our election cycle. He understands that he's getting a lot of bang for his buck by getting his message out now. So he's speaking to both streets.

COOPER: He seemed almost rational, but of course we know his argument is that of a killer and a murderer.

ROBINSON: Zero-sum game.

COOPER: Ken Robinson, thanks very much.

ROBINSON: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: 360 next, the Bush and Kerry campaigns in high gear. President Bush is live right now with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio. Bruce Springsteen is appearing live right now with John Kerry in Miami, Florida. And Bill Clinton is on the stump back from heart surgery, live right now in Las Vegas. We are live around the country when we return.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... technology, sell more of our stuff overseas, have a free economic and a fair economic environment, and Americans can compete with anybody as long as we kept up with education and training and invested in the jobs of the future, and it worked.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And we take you now live to Senator Kerry's event in Miami, Florida. Bruce Springsteen has just played. We'll listen in a little bit to Senator Kerry. We'll go back to a Bush event in Columbus, Ohio.

Getting a lot of e-mails from viewers. Republicans say I'm giving too much time to a Kerry campaign event; Democrats saying we're giving too much time for Arnold Schwarzenegger talking. Can't please everyone. We're trying to show you what is happening live right now around the country. Let's watch.

KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, Miami. Thank you so much. Thank you all.

CROWD: Kerry! Kerry! Kerry!

KERRY: You guys are great. Thank you. Unbelievable. How about saying thank you to Bette Midler and to the Harlettes? They're fabulous.

It's so great for me to be able to be here, with Bruce Springsteen, with the Boss. Everybody join me in saying hello to his wife, Patty. Patty Sciafla over here. Say hi. There she is.

I got to tell you, I'm thrilled to be joined by -- I've been a fan of Bruce's for a long time, a long time. When I was in law school, when I was in law school -- no mas Bush? No mas Bush. OK. No mas Bush!

No mas Bush!

CROWD: No mas Bush! No mas Bush!

KERRY: We're going to get to that. I'm going to get to that in a minute. But first, I just want to tell you that I took my daughters to my first father-daughter rock n' roll concert, I went to Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the USA."

Now, if you want to talk to daughters about a real trip, talk to them about their first rock n' roll concert with dad, right? But we made it through it all, and it's so great. And you know what? You could just feel it. I heard him singing. He sang -- he sang the anthem of our campaign. And it is "no retreat, baby, no surrender." We're going to win. We're going to win. We're going to win for America. We're going to win for you. And you know, Bruce, as you all know...

COOPER: Senator John Kerry speaking at an event in Miami. We take you now to a President Bush event in Columbus, Ohio. Let's listen in.

BUSH: ... for families right here in Columbus, Ohio. It helps moms and dads. It helps the small business owners. You know, my opponent's been in the Senate for 20 years, and he voted to raise taxes 98 times. That's five times for every year in the Senate. I'd call that a predictable pattern, a leading indicator.

During this campaign, he's also made a lot of promises. He's promised $2.2 trillion in new federal spending. That's trillion with a T. That's a lot. Even for a senator from Massachusetts.

So they asked him, how are you going to pay for it? And he said, oh, we'll just tax the rich. You've heard that before. Be wary. You raise when you run up the top two brackets between $600 and $800 billion. That is far short of the 2.2 trillion he's promised. I would call that a tax gap.

COOPER: Two snapshots of what is happening on the campaign trail right now. President Bush speaking live in Columbus, Ohio. Senator John Kerry appearing with Bruce Springsteen in Miami, Florida. We'll be right back with the answers to the 360 "Challenge" and some candidates in the race you might not know about. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's "360 Challenge." The nation's color-coded threat level is at what color? The answer is yellow. What rock star is the main attraction tonight at a political rally in Miami? Bruce Springsteen. And Governor Schwarzenegger hit the campaign trail today in what city? Columbus.

First person to answer all three questions correctly will be sent a 360 T-shirt. Tune in tomorrow to find out if you are the one. Last night's winner -- Jennifer Perez of Eldersburg, Maryland. Another "360 Challenge," another chance to win tomorrow.

Tonight, taking freedom of choice to "The Nth Degree."

We've been remiss. We've made it sound as if only two people, three in some states, are running for the presidency. But in fact, there are lots of candidates. Are you ready? Marilyn Chambers, the well-known adult film star, is the vice presidential candidate of the Personal Choice Party, sharing the ticket of course with Charles Jay, spokesperson for the International Brotherhood of Prize Fighters.

So here you have a prizefighter and a -- well, never mind.

The Constitution Party is running Michael Peroutka and Chuck Baldwin. They certainly need no introduction. And you've got your Prohibition Party, Gene Amondson and Leroy Pletten are their men, not to be confused with the Prohibition Party of Colorado, which backs of course Earl Dodge and Howard Lydick. Different sorts of prohibition, we guess.

There's the Socialist Party and the Socialist Equality Party and the Socialist Workers Party and the Workers World Party, all running their own people, of course. Eight candidates right there.

And there's Da Vid. That's David with a space between the syllables and a capital V, of the Light Party. Who says he is a M.D., a wholistic physician, a human ecologist, and an artist. Clearly he's not a speller, though. Holistic starts with an H, Mr. Vid, not a W.

There are lots of other choices, too, although we're sorry to have to tell you this. Make note that you should not, repeat, do not write in the name of Andisha Andy Noray (ph) of Georgia. He was in the race, but as of last year he's officially no longer interested in being president. Pity.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching 360. Have a great weekend. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

Aired October 29, 2004 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Osama bin Laden appears on tape, lecturing us about Bush and Kerry. Tonight, what he said, why he's saying it, and what impact it may have on the election.
Four days to go, and Bush and Kerry pick up the pace. The president talks national security, but Kerry says America needs a fresh start.

The Boss stays on the stump for Kerry, while the Terminator flexes for the president. It's a do-or-die celebrity slugfest. We'll take you there live.

Are these the explosives missing from Iraq, or did the U.S. military secure and destroy them? Tonight we go 360 with Ed Gillespie, Howard Dean, and the guys from "CROSSFIRE."

Hip-hop mogul P. Diddy tells young people to vote or die. Tonight we take you inside his entourage for the strangest get-out- the-vote drive you've ever seen.

And are you ready for the 360 challenge? If you think you know news, get ready to take our current events quiz.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: And a good Friday evening to you.

It is with no joy that we bring you our lead story tonight. The mass murderer Osama bin Laden has reappeared in this tape delivered to Al Jazeera, Bin laden appearing gaunt but well dressed, very much alive.

He lectures in subdued tones about President Bush, John Kerry, and the sick reasoning behind 9/11.

Nic Robertson has been analyzing the tape and reports tonight from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Alive and apparently well, Osama bin Laden appears to have timed his first video message in nearly three years to influence the U.S. election. OSAMA BIN LADEN (through translator): Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked.

ROBERTSON: He accuses President Bush of misleading the U.S. public. And, in a politically charged swipe, says on September the 11th, Bush wasted time reading to school children after he was told of the attack on the World Trade Center.

BIN LADEN: It never occurred to us that he, the commander in chief of the country, would leave 50,000 citizens in the two towers to face those horrors alone because he thought listening to a child discussing her goats was more important.

ROBERTSON: In an apparent effort to explain why America has been singled out for attack by al Qaeda, Osama talks of his first feelings of opposition to U.S. foreign policy.

BIN LADEN: The event that affected me most personally was in 1982, when America gave permission for Israel to invade Lebanon. That built a strong desire in me to punish the guilty.

ROBERTSON: The only indication that the tape was recorded recently is bin Laden's reference to how we are now entering the fourth year since 9/11. This is the second such video message from the al Qaeda leadership in a month and a half.

Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had a similar tape broadcast on September 9. That both men would release such video statements, an indication how secure they must feel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And one other detail that's interesting in this statement is that Osama bin Laden says that he's responsible for 9/11. No surprise for many people. But I've been traveling in the Middle East and in Muslim countries recently, and a lot of people there still doubt that Osama bin Laden was behind those attacks.

Maybe this will lay that to rest, Anderson.

COOPER: Interesting too that he cites the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I, if I'm correct, I mean, he hasn't really done that much in the past. He hasn't really talked about that issue.

ROBERTSON: He has talked about the Israeli-Palestinian issue, inasmuch as that it's been one of his core issues. But he has left that to the side recently, talking about Iraq, threatening European nations, that they have an opportunity to get a cease-fire with al Qaeda if they disengage in Iraq.

But the Israeli-Palestinian issue, it's been there, but it's been on the back burner, but here it's center stage. And this is the issue that's really one that he's very likely to be able to sort of unite Arab opinion on, if you will, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson, thanks very much for that.

I'm sure for all of us, anytime bin Laden appears, so do terrible memories and terrible fears about what his words might signal, new attacks, new terrorists, new levels of security.

CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena is in Washington tonight, monitoring any changes in this country's security plans.

Kelli, I understand you just got off the phone with the U.S. officials who are busy analyzing the tape. What's the latest?

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, here's what they have to say. They say obviously that there's a high degree of confidence that this is Osama bin Laden's voice and image. They'd like to point out immediately that this tape lacks any explicit threat. They believe that it retreats to old themes. Again, this is very early stages of the analysis.

Now, they have in their possession an 18-minute tape in which Osama bin Laden speaks for 14 minutes and 39 seconds. Their version includes a reference to the U.S. casualties in Iraq, citing the number 1,000 dead. That one more piece of information suggesting that this tape was made very recently.

Also on the tape there is a stamp, 10 Ramadan, suggesting last Sunday. They don't know if that's when the tape was produced or when it was released.

They say nothing jumps out at them regarding his health, except that he looks thinner. And they are also looking at that tape, Anderson, to figure out whether there is any clue or any signal that would set off an attack against the United States.

COOPER: Kelli Arena live in Washington. Kelli, thanks for that.

Bin laden and his henchmen have shown time and time again they are keenly aware how the media works and how a well-timed tape can have a major impact. It's likely no surprise this tape was released in the waning days of the presidential campaigns, and today both President Bush and Senator Kerry responded to the tape.

Senior White House correspondent John King is with the Bush camp in Ohio. John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, for months the Bush camp has said, especially White House officials, that they expected an al Qaeda attack or some al Qaeda message designed to influence the elections. Well, it came today, just four days out.

Mr. Bush was actually on his way from Andrews Air Force Base to New Hampshire early this morning when he was told of this tape, 8 1/2 hours before he reacted in public, and hours before that tape was released even on Al Jazeera in the Arab world. Mr. Bush waited, aides say, because he wanted to get an intelligence assessment, and because of the sensitivity, this tape being released so close to the election. When Mr. Bush did speak, it was earlier this evening in Toledo, Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country. I'm sure Senator Kerry agrees with this. I also want to say to the American people that we're at war with these terrorists, and I am confident that we will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, aides say the president had no hesitation at all with going forward with his campaign schedule. He is due in this hall in a short time with the California governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Adding to the dramatic, almost surreal nature of this story was, the president began his day at a speech in New Hampshire with many members of the families of September 11 victims, the president in that speech talking about what he considered To be the legacy of 9/11 and the impact of that day on his presidency.

And at his political events throughout the day, Anderson, the president has continued to harshly criticize Senator Kerry, making his case, his central campaign theme, that Senator Kerry is not qualified, not up to the task of taking command of the war on terrorism.

As for the potential political implications, Bush aides are under strict orders not to speculate at all about that publicly. Most Republicans think this benefits the president. Look at the polls, and the American people give him the edge, President Bush the edge, when it comes to fighting terrorism.

Some political strategists, though, think seeing Osama bin Laden on TV might call into question the president's constant theme that he is succeeding in the war on terrorism, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John King live in Columbus. Thanks, John.

On his way from place to place today, John Kerry paused for a moment to react to Osama bin Laden's reappearance. He talked to a local reporter. He said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: In response to this tape of Osama bin Laden, let me just make it clear, crystal clear. As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. They are barbarians. And I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture, or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And we are covering both the Kerry and the Bush events tonight. We'll take you live to the Kerry event shortly.

Mr. Kerry just landed in Miami, where he'll attend the campaign rally. Bruce Springsteen will appear with him, try to bring him some of that, also some of Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance at the Bush campaign.

Are you ready for the 360 challenge? Later in the program, I'm going to ask you three questions that test your knowledge of today's news. If you watched the show closely, follow the news closely, you should be able to get them all right. If you're the first to e-mail us all three correct answers, we'll send you a 360 T-shirt. Stay tuned, challenge is coming up.

Also tonight, a team of experts analyze Osama bin Laden's message to America. What can we learn, and how will it play out on the campaign trail? For that, we'll turn to Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson.

Also tonight, Howard Dean, joining us live, talking terror, missing weapons. We'll also hear from RNC chairman Ed Gillespie.

All that ahead. First your picks, the most popular stories right now on CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And we are taking you live to Columbus, Ohio, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is about to address a crowd. We brought you the rallies when Bill Clinton spoke earlier in the week, now tonight Arnold Schwarzenegger.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Thank you.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

COOPER: We were expecting Arnold Schwarzenegger to be speaking. We'll bring you his comments as soon as he does. This is his main campaign stop. Let's listen.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

COOPER: Again, we are waiting for Arnold Schwarzenegger to speak. At several times we thought he would. The crowd continuing to applaud. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger's only appearance with President Bush on the campaign trail. He said he was needed in the state of California, and this would be the only stop he would be making.

Obviously earlier in the week, Bill Clinton appeared on the campaign trail, and singer Bruce Springsteen has been on the campaign trail with John Kerry, bringing huge crowds. This obviously a very big crowd for President Bush in Columbus, Ohio, tonight. Arnold Schwarzenegger told KTZAM in Sacramento, he said, If I don't campaign for President Bush, the Republicans are angry, and if I do campaign for President Bush, Democrats are angry. I think there's a happy medium, he said.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) on Thursday Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, three of his predecessors, Democrats Gray Davis and Jerry Brown and Republican Pete Wilson, staged a rare joint appearance to denounce a ballot measure in California. Let's listen.

SCHWARZENEGGER: ... back here in Columbus, Ohio. This is wonderful.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

I love Ohio.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Ohio is like my second home.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

You know, I won, I won in 1970, right here in Columbus, Ohio, the Mr. World competition.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And I said to myself that this city and this state is bringing me good luck, I should come back many more times.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And that's exactly what I have done. I've come back many more times to visit my friends, to do business here, to invest here, to run afterschool programs here. And, of course, for the most important reason of all, to come back here for the last 28 years to run the world championships in body building, the Arnold's Classic, right here.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

But today I am here for the most important reason of all. Today I am here to pump you up. I'm here to pump you up.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

I'm here to pump you up to reelect President George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

This is the heartbeat of America, a place where community is everything. You work hard, you pay your taxes, and you're good neighbors. All you're asking for is a chance, a chance to succeed. All you're asking for is to have the great leadership that keeps America strong. And this is exactly the kind of leader we have here today with George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

George Bush is a man of action. He has provided action for the people in Ohio, and he has provided action for the people all over America. You know, I know that it hasn't been easy. We have gone through a lot. But I can tell you, there's no two ways about it. America is back.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

America is back from the attack on our homeland. We are back in the attack on our economy, and we are back in the attack on our way of life. We are back.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And look where you are today in Ohio with President Bush's leadership. Today in Ohio, taxes are lower on individuals and small businesses. Today in Ohio, today in Ohio, home ownership is higher than ever before. Today in Ohio, federal education funding is up. Today in Ohio, the economy's coming back, and job and opportunities are being created here every day. There is...

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

There's optimism here in Ohio, there's optimism all over the country, because President Bush is leading the way. He's fighting for all of us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

So I ask you, who is fighting for your jobs? George W. Bush. Who is fighting for your schools? George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Who is fighting for your families? George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George W. Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George W. Bush.

SCHWARZENEGGER: That's right, George w. Bush is fighting for all of us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And most important, and most important, President Bush is defending our freedom and our security. He is defending this country.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

President Bush is defending this country with all his heart and soul. And that's what I admire so much about this president, that he is a man of perseverance, he's a man of inner strength, and he's a man and a leader that does not flinch and doesn't waver and does not give up.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

He knows, President Bush knows you can't reason with people that are blinded by hate. But let me tell you something. Their hate is no match for our decency. Their hate is no match for America's decency. And it is no match for the leadership and the resolve of George W. Bush.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

By reelecting George W. Bush, we will have four more years of that great leadership, four more years of the action...

COOPER: Arnold Schwarzenegger...

SCHWARZENEGGER: ... the kind of leadership...

COOPER: You're listening to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, speaking for President Bush at a campaign event at Columbus, Ohio, the only campaign event Governor Schwarzenegger will be doing for the president.

Earlier in the week, of course, we brought you Bill Clinton at a Kerry campaign event. That was on Monday in Philadelphia, when he returned to the campaign trail. We also hope to bring you a Kerry event tonight with Bruce Springsteen playing at that event. It is happening sometime within this hour, and we hope to bring that to you live as well.

Coming up next on 360, Osama bin Laden's message to Americans. We're going to take a closer look at what's behind the new terror video.

And in a moment, today's 360 challenge. How closely have you been following today's news? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's been more than a year since he was last seen on television. The last we heard his voice, presumably, was in April. But today, just four days before the presidential election, the Arabic-language network Al Jazeera aired a new message from the terrorist leader, Osama bin Laden.

It was blunt. It was disturbing. And it was aimed directly at the American people.

Joining me to discuss the video, Harvard University's Jim Walsh, an expert on terrorism.

I think I misspoke. It's actually been about three years since we actually saw him in a tape, about a year since we actually heard him.

What surprised you, though, about how he appeared and what he said?

JIM WALSH, TERRORISM EXPERT, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Well, Anderson, I think there are a couple of things. First was the tone, and then the audience and the content.

COOPER: It was a subdued tone.

WALSH: Exactly. It wasn't the fiery brimstone, We're going to come after you, you know, you're going to burn in the fires of hell, that sort of thing. And the audience was different. In the past, he's talked really to governments, and here he's explicitly trying to talk to the American people, to voters, if you will.

And then finally, the content of the message. He's really trying to make an argument in favor -- or defending what he did when he took that attack, made that attack on September 11.

COOPER: And the message really was delivered, I mean, in other tapes we've talked about how they're used as recruitment devices aimed at, you know, the Arab street. This seemed a message clearly aimed at Americans and American allies.

WALSH: Well, he says on the tape, and as we've all heard, it's not about Bush, it's not about Kerry, it's not about me, which was a sort of odd thing to say. It's about you, the American people. So he's trying to go above the heads of the candidates and speak directly to the electorate.

COOPER: Yes, he says, "Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda, your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked." Clearly we know that's not true, 9/11, there was no attack that preceded it.

Why make this message directly to America? I mean, is it to influence the election?

WALSH: Well, I think there are two possibilities here. One is to influence the election. If so, it's a clumsy, ham-handed way to do it. And we can talk about who he's trying to help here, if he's trying to do it, and I think that's up in, up, up for grabs.

It may be that it's not intended to influence the election per se, but rather taking advantage of the election. In other words, hijacking it or using this great news hook to be able to propagandize, because he knows just before the election, he's going to get a lot of air time.

COOPER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I mean, these guys are so good at being aware of the media cycle. I mean, they, they, they are (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it's almost like they've gone to some public relations school, because these guys know how the media works and know when to release these messages. I mean, we've seen this time and time again.

WALSH: And let's be clear. They invented the use of video techniques, really. I mean, we had some videos in the past with terrorists, but nothing like what we've seen with bin Laden. I think bin Laden's the most videotaped terrorist in human history and has used it quite deftly. And then others, Zarqawi, for one, have begun to imitate that and begin to use videotape in the same way.

COOPER: It was reported earlier in the evening the tape that the government has, more than 10 minutes long, of bin Laden talking. We've only really heard small snippets here and there. He doesn't mention Iraq in the snippets we've heard. Did you find that interesting?

WALSH: I did, because so many of the past tapes have focused on Iraq. But I think you are also right to caution all of us that we don't want to get ahead of ourselves here. We're only seeing, you know, 10 percent at most of the total tape. And I would really want to see a full transcript before we draw any hard conclusions.

COOPER: Expect any more tapes? Or it's, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the danger is the fear here, of course, is that in the past, release of tapes has preceded some sort of an attack.

WALSH: That's right. And that was a pretty good indicator in the early months following 9/11. But we've had a lot of tapes. In fact, if you go back over the past year and a half, and you include not only videotape but audiotapes as well, and throw in the Zarqawi tapes, we're at, we're been getting a tape every other month, every month, for a year and a half, and as we've had more and more tapes over time they've been a less predictive indicator that an attack was going to happen.

Now people are worried about that, and I wouldn't bet my house on this, but I doubt that this is going to precede an attack. I think this is more about communication.

COOPER: Jim Walsh, we appreciate you joining us. Always good to talk to you. We're going to have more on this tape, close analysis of the tape as well as how it may play out in the election ahead, as well as Howard Dean and Ed Gillespie join us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We'll come back to the bin Laden tape shortly. But right now we want to have the latest on the missing explosives in Iraq. Hundreds of tons' worth vanished from a military weapons depot. There's been much speculation on when they were taken and by whom. But former weapons inspector David Kay tells CNN there is little doubt that the high-grade explosives were still there when U.S. troops arrived. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Now that these pictures taken by Minneapolis television station KSTP seem to show that at least some of the missing HMX explosives still under IAEA seal were at the al Qa Qaa facility on April 18, 2003, the Pentagon is shifting gears. A day after releasing a satellite photograph meant to lend credence to the theory Saddam Hussein might have trucked away the more than 300 tons of explosives days before the war, the Pentagon brought out an army demolition expert who described how he blew up an estimated 250 tons of munitions at the site. But he couldn't say if any of it was the missing explosives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you tell us that that was the same material? Are we talking about the same material?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I don't have that information.

MCINTYRE: Pearson was there a week before the Minneapolis television crew and did not see any IAEA wire seal what experts say is the telltale sign the missing HMX was there on April 18. And Pearson made it clear he really couldn't tell what specific kind of explosives he destroyed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Off the top of my head I'm sure there's at least 80 or 90 different type, and whether it's HMX, I couldn't verify.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon argues even though Major Pearson could shed no light on the missing stockpile he does show that U.S. troops were busy destroying as much of Saddam's arsenal as possible.

LARRY DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: We've been able to demonstrate, I think, that that planning was well conceived and it's extraordinarily well executed by the forces that are over there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: But critics say one thing is becoming increasingly clear, that U.S. troops who were the first to arrive at these ammunition depots had no idea about the missing explosives and their value -- Anderson.

COOPER: Jamie, at this point where does this story stand? What is the next step? I mean, the Pentagon has come out with these images. Where do we go from here?

MCINTYRE: Well, now their theory is that perhaps a lot of this was destroyed by U.S. troops on the ground. So they're looking at all the evidence they can find to see what happens between April 18 when it looks like the munitions were there, and May 8. But they say frankly they're probably not going to be able to have a clear picture until after the presidential election, and they wonder, frankly, if by that time without the scrutiny of the campaign if anyone's really going to care.

COOPER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks. From the Pentagon. 360 next. More on the new bin Laden tape. CNN's national security analyst weighs in on the terrorist message and also how the tape got into U.S. hands. An interesting story, that.

Plus we're going to take you inside P. Diddy's entourage to his "get out the vote" effort. It's called Vote or Die. A look at how celebrities could impact the election or maybe not.

And in a moment today's 360 challenge. how closely you've been following today's news? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: I want to give you equal time, of course. So we brought you to a Arnold Schwarzenegger campaign event for President Bush earlier. This is Bruce Springsteen playing in Miami for John Kerry. Let's listen in.

(MUSIC)

COOPER: Bruce Springsteen appearing at a rally in Miami for Senator John Kerry. One of many rallies Bruce Springsteen has been doing for Senator Kerry. Eighty thousand people attended one rally several days ago. This was a last-minute add-on, we are told. Originally, it wasn't planned. But according to the Kerry camp, it was Bruce Springsteen's idea to continue it. And there you see him tonight in Miami. Let's listen in.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: I've been writing about America for 30 years, who we are, what we stand for, what we fight for. And I believe these ideas are what's at stake on November 2nd.

And I think our American government has drifted too far from American values. The human principles, the human principles of economic justice, healing the sick, health care, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, a living wage so folks don't have to break their backs and come home at the end of the day and still not be able to make ends meet. Protection of our environment. A sane and responsible foreign policy. Civil rights. And the safeguarding of our precious democracy here at home.

I believe Senator Kerry honors these ideals. He's lived our history over the past 50 years. He has an informed and adult view of America and of people. And he's had the life experience. And he understands that we as human beings are not infallible. And as Senator Edwards said during the Democratic Convention, struggle and heartbreak will always be with us, and that's why we need each other. That's why united we stand. That's why one nation indivisible. Can't become empty slogans, but they need to remain guiding principles of our public policy.

Now, Senator Kerry, since he was a young man, has shown us that by having the courage and facing America's hard truth, that's both the good and the bad, that that's where we find a deeper patriotism, that's where we find a more complete view of ourselves, that's where we find a more authentic experience as citizens, and that's where the power that is embedded only in truth to make our world a better place for our kids.

COOPER: And that was Bruce Springsteen appearing at a rally in Miami for Senator John Kerry.

Now, if you're just joining us and you're a Republican, you're saying this is proof that we're all liberals. Earlier in the program, we played a live campaign event for President Bush with Governor Schwarzenegger speaking. We played that I think for about the equal time. So just want to make sure we had both rallies in there to satisfy both our constituents.

When bin Laden appeared late this afternoon on television screens across the country, you could see people pausing, listening. Some shook their heads, some wanted to look away. But it was hard not to watch. His voice seemingly calm, his tone subdued, bin Laden delivered a rambling lecture about President Bush, John Kerry, American foreign policy and the rationale behind 9/11.

Now, we're not going to play the entire tape, but we do think it worthwhile to hear some of what bin Laden said, and to see a bit of how he looked. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIN LADEN (through translator): Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Any nation that does not attack us will not be attacked.

The event that affected me most personally was in 1982 when America gave permission for Israel to invade Lebanon. That built a strong desire in me to punish the guilty.

It never occurred to us that he, the commander in chief of the country, would leave 50,000 citizens in the two towers to face those horrors alone because he thought listening to a child discussing her goats was more important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: CNN national security analyst Ken Robinson has been watching the tape, listening very closely. Ken, thanks for joining us tonight.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Sure, Anderson.

COOPER: What surprises you most about this tape and its appearance and how it got into hands here?

ROBINSON: The fact that he's got the courage to come out and say hey, I'm here, I'm tan, I'm rested, I'm ready, you've got to deal with me, and start lecturing the American people on consequences for their actions.

COOPER: What do we know about how this tape -- I mean, there was reporting earlier in the day that this tape did get into the hands of the United States before anyone else, before it was aired on Al Jazeera. What do we know about how that happened?

ROBINSON: Well, it certainly appeared that American government officials were aware of the content of it, which would indicate that either through some form of sigint collection or some form of interception or either monitoring Al Jazeera's communication, they were able to determine exactly what was there.

COOPER: Do we know -- we don't know when the tape was made?

ROBINSON: No. But it's clearly indicating that it's current. He references things which are in the current public domain.

COOPER: Approximately 1,000 casualties, I think, in Iraq at some point.

Interesting too that the tape is clearly directed toward the United States, toward Americans and their allies, not toward the Arab street.

ROBINSON: Well, that's true on face value, but I also think that he's communicating to another constituency. Al Qaeda is a distributed network. Al Qaeda is not IBM. Al Qaeda is now an ideology. And so he's communicating to those who have embraced his ideology also and propping them up. You know, Zawahiri a couple of weeks ago had issued a tape where he said, hey, stay the course, if we're taken out you guys continue the fight, the good fight. He recognizes that his days are numbered. And even if he's gone, it's irrelevant to the fight on the war on terrorism, because bin Laden lit the fuse. He may not be there for the end stake, but he lit the fuse, and he's financed now this new ideology that is taking foothold in the Arab street.

COOPER: And his tone seemed different than in other tapes we've seen. Again, we've only seen a little bit of this tape. It's apparently some 14 minutes long.

ROBINSON: His tone was diplomatic. He was almost speaking as a ambassador to another part of the world, saying that there is -- your consequences have impact and you need to decide on which direction your country's going to go. He's lecturing both parties. And he's speaking directly to the American people.

It's very valuable, because he's getting a return on investment. He knows our timelines. He knows our election cycle. He understands that he's getting a lot of bang for his buck by getting his message out now. So he's speaking to both streets.

COOPER: He seemed almost rational, but of course we know his argument is that of a killer and a murderer.

ROBINSON: Zero-sum game.

COOPER: Ken Robinson, thanks very much.

ROBINSON: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: 360 next, the Bush and Kerry campaigns in high gear. President Bush is live right now with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio. Bruce Springsteen is appearing live right now with John Kerry in Miami, Florida. And Bill Clinton is on the stump back from heart surgery, live right now in Las Vegas. We are live around the country when we return.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... technology, sell more of our stuff overseas, have a free economic and a fair economic environment, and Americans can compete with anybody as long as we kept up with education and training and invested in the jobs of the future, and it worked.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And we take you now live to Senator Kerry's event in Miami, Florida. Bruce Springsteen has just played. We'll listen in a little bit to Senator Kerry. We'll go back to a Bush event in Columbus, Ohio.

Getting a lot of e-mails from viewers. Republicans say I'm giving too much time to a Kerry campaign event; Democrats saying we're giving too much time for Arnold Schwarzenegger talking. Can't please everyone. We're trying to show you what is happening live right now around the country. Let's watch.

KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, Miami. Thank you so much. Thank you all.

CROWD: Kerry! Kerry! Kerry!

KERRY: You guys are great. Thank you. Unbelievable. How about saying thank you to Bette Midler and to the Harlettes? They're fabulous.

It's so great for me to be able to be here, with Bruce Springsteen, with the Boss. Everybody join me in saying hello to his wife, Patty. Patty Sciafla over here. Say hi. There she is.

I got to tell you, I'm thrilled to be joined by -- I've been a fan of Bruce's for a long time, a long time. When I was in law school, when I was in law school -- no mas Bush? No mas Bush. OK. No mas Bush!

No mas Bush!

CROWD: No mas Bush! No mas Bush!

KERRY: We're going to get to that. I'm going to get to that in a minute. But first, I just want to tell you that I took my daughters to my first father-daughter rock n' roll concert, I went to Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the USA."

Now, if you want to talk to daughters about a real trip, talk to them about their first rock n' roll concert with dad, right? But we made it through it all, and it's so great. And you know what? You could just feel it. I heard him singing. He sang -- he sang the anthem of our campaign. And it is "no retreat, baby, no surrender." We're going to win. We're going to win. We're going to win for America. We're going to win for you. And you know, Bruce, as you all know...

COOPER: Senator John Kerry speaking at an event in Miami. We take you now to a President Bush event in Columbus, Ohio. Let's listen in.

BUSH: ... for families right here in Columbus, Ohio. It helps moms and dads. It helps the small business owners. You know, my opponent's been in the Senate for 20 years, and he voted to raise taxes 98 times. That's five times for every year in the Senate. I'd call that a predictable pattern, a leading indicator.

During this campaign, he's also made a lot of promises. He's promised $2.2 trillion in new federal spending. That's trillion with a T. That's a lot. Even for a senator from Massachusetts.

So they asked him, how are you going to pay for it? And he said, oh, we'll just tax the rich. You've heard that before. Be wary. You raise when you run up the top two brackets between $600 and $800 billion. That is far short of the 2.2 trillion he's promised. I would call that a tax gap.

COOPER: Two snapshots of what is happening on the campaign trail right now. President Bush speaking live in Columbus, Ohio. Senator John Kerry appearing with Bruce Springsteen in Miami, Florida. We'll be right back with the answers to the 360 "Challenge" and some candidates in the race you might not know about. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Time now for the answers to today's "360 Challenge." The nation's color-coded threat level is at what color? The answer is yellow. What rock star is the main attraction tonight at a political rally in Miami? Bruce Springsteen. And Governor Schwarzenegger hit the campaign trail today in what city? Columbus.

First person to answer all three questions correctly will be sent a 360 T-shirt. Tune in tomorrow to find out if you are the one. Last night's winner -- Jennifer Perez of Eldersburg, Maryland. Another "360 Challenge," another chance to win tomorrow.

Tonight, taking freedom of choice to "The Nth Degree."

We've been remiss. We've made it sound as if only two people, three in some states, are running for the presidency. But in fact, there are lots of candidates. Are you ready? Marilyn Chambers, the well-known adult film star, is the vice presidential candidate of the Personal Choice Party, sharing the ticket of course with Charles Jay, spokesperson for the International Brotherhood of Prize Fighters.

So here you have a prizefighter and a -- well, never mind.

The Constitution Party is running Michael Peroutka and Chuck Baldwin. They certainly need no introduction. And you've got your Prohibition Party, Gene Amondson and Leroy Pletten are their men, not to be confused with the Prohibition Party of Colorado, which backs of course Earl Dodge and Howard Lydick. Different sorts of prohibition, we guess.

There's the Socialist Party and the Socialist Equality Party and the Socialist Workers Party and the Workers World Party, all running their own people, of course. Eight candidates right there.

And there's Da Vid. That's David with a space between the syllables and a capital V, of the Light Party. Who says he is a M.D., a wholistic physician, a human ecologist, and an artist. Clearly he's not a speller, though. Holistic starts with an H, Mr. Vid, not a W.

There are lots of other choices, too, although we're sorry to have to tell you this. Make note that you should not, repeat, do not write in the name of Andisha Andy Noray (ph) of Georgia. He was in the race, but as of last year he's officially no longer interested in being president. Pity.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching 360. Have a great weekend. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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