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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown
D.C.-Area Residents Remain Fearful of Serial Sniper; U.S. Marine Killed in Drive-By Attack in Kuwait; Israeli Raid Kills More Than 15
Aired October 08, 2002 - 22:00 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.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening again, everyone.
This is just a side thing that goes on.
We spent a good part of our afternoon meeting today talking about children. Unfortunately, we were talking about children and terror and our kids have seen a lot of that in our short lives.
They saw Columbine, those horrible pictures.
They saw September 11.
And now they are seeing this sick and horrible spree in suburban Washington. They are, for their own safety, being held prisoners in their own schools.
Here are some of the rules: field trips canceled, all lunches, recess and PE classes conducted indoors. A high profile police presence on hand at all schools. Students confined to their respective buildings.
Then there are precautions that haven't been set in stone, but that some schools are doing anyway. Like covering their windows with brown paper, shielding the kids from the eyes of a killer. Not just school buildings locked, but classroom doors locked.
I came home last night, just after midnight. My daughter was on the couch, awake and reading. I can't sleep, dad, she said. You OK? I ask. Something bothering you? No, she said, just can't sleep.
So she sat on the counter as I rummaged through the fridge. We talked about school and life. At about 12:30 I took her up to bed. The hug lasted a little longer, and getting a hug from a 13-year-old is no small feat.
They have all seen so much. Too much. No wonder sleep sometimes comes so hard.
We begin "The Whip" tonight with the latest on these sniper attacks on these sniper attacks in suburban Washington.
Kathleen Koch from Rockville, Maryland tonight. Kathleen, a headline please.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, not just children but adults too are truly terrified. And talk of following a normal routine somehow seems naive and premature, but police here promise they are getting closer to catching this killer.
BROWN: Kathleen, thank you. Back to you at the top of the program.
A different kind of terror attack thousands of miles away. This one in Kuwait. Christiane Amanpour is on location there.
Christiane, a headline please.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, one U.S. Marine was killed, another one wounded in a drive-by attack. They are calling it terrorism. But there will be more investigations to determine who these people were affiliated to.
BROWN: Christiane, thank you, on the video phone.
More violence out of the Middle East again today. There was plenty yesterday. Alessio Vinci in Gaza, the headline, please.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Aaron. Well, an Israeli air raid that left 15 civilians killed and more than 100 dead is called by the Israeli prime minister a success. The prime minister says he regrets civilian casualties, but promises there will be more raids to come -- Aaron.
BROWN: Alessio, thank you. Good to see you.
And back to the United States now. A big move by the president to end the West Coast port shutdown. Not everyone happy with that.
Frank Buckley has the story tonight. Frank, a headline please.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, late today a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that ends the lockout of more than 10,000 longshoremen along the West Coast. It came after the president invoked the Taft-Hartley act. It was the first time that a president has invoked that act in a quarter of a century -- Aaron.
BROWN: Thank you, lots of implications there.
Frank, back with you and the rest of you shortly. Also coming up in the program tonight, a Maryland county official trying to juggle a massive investigation, the possibility of panic and too many funerals.
We'll talk with Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan this evening.
On Iraq, how the debate will play out in the Senate. We'll talk with Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
And on the very opposite end of the political spectrum from Senator Lott, the senator from my home state of Minnesota, Senator Paul Wellstone in for one very tough fight come November and Iraq is part of the reason.
And call it the "Attack of the Beetlenut Beauties." Sound like a bit from a bad horror movie, but it's actually a real life controversy from Taiwan about women and what they're wearing or not wearing on the job.
All of that to come in the hour ahead.
We start things off in the Washington suburbs, where it was quiet today, just not a good kind of quiet. Today's quiet was the sound of people not on the streets. The sound of children not in school, schools under lockdown.
It was a purposeful quiet of police looking for clues. It was the silence of no gunshots but also the quiet acceptance that until the sniper is found, the silence is only temporary.
We have a number of reports tonight beginning with the investigation itself and CNN's Kathleen Koch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Critical evidence, a shell casing found in these woods at the site of Monday's sniper shooting at a Maryland middle school.
CHIEF GERALD WILSON, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: It was found over, I would say, 100 feet or yards into the woods on the same side as Benjamin Tasker. It could have been ejected from the weapon used by the suspect. Could have been.
KOCH: The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is performing analysis like this on the shell casing, looking for markings that would indicate the type and make of the rifle used.
Police showed off a variety of cases they say the gunman might use to carry or hide the high powered rifle, hoping the public might recognize something. Authorities are comparing the details of the eight shootings with crimes in databases across the country looking for similarities.
MIKE BOUCHARD, SPECIAL AGENT, ATF: We've entered the information from this case into that system, to query if there are any other similar type projectiles or cartridge casings in that system nationwide.
KOCH: Maryland's governor challenged the killer to surrender.
GOV. PARIS GLENDENING (D), MARYLAND: We're talking about a person here who is basically a coward. This is not an individual who is out there doing something strong or manly or anything of this type.
KOCH: Investigators now say it's possible the killer may have begun his attacks last month. September 14 a young man was shot with one bullet fired from a distance outside this store at a Montgomery County shopping center. He survived, but ballistics tests on the bullet are inconclusive., and officials are not ruling out a link with the other shootings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Tips on the shootings continue to pour in. They now number some 1,400. Reward money too coming in from around the country, now nearly $240,000.
And finally, one much needed bit of positive news. The Virginia woman who was shot on Friday has, Aaron, she has been released from the hospital.
Back to you.
BROWN: When they talk about these leads, and the quality of them, what do they say?
KOCH: Aaron, the police won't go into detail at all. They will only call them credible leads, meaning that there is some nugget of information contained in them that the police believe they have to check out. And that's why they've pulled in so many resources from around the country, from other law enforcement agencies in this state and from the federal government.
So everyone doing all they can, but they won't share much with us. They don't want to jeopardize anything in this investigation.
BROWN: Kathleen, thank you. Kathleen Koch on the sniper in suburban Washington.
In the normal scheme of things, a big uniform presence at Benjamin Tasker Middle School is the school crossing guard.
And in the normal scheme of things the kids are right at that age when they do anything to avoid being seen with their very uncool parents. That alone is a sad fact of any parents' life in the normal scheme of things. They should be so lucky today.
Here is CNN's Michael Okwu.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They came by bus, they came in groups.
But on this day, many came with parents.
On the day after, they came to forget, to move on. Doing otherwise wouldn't be normal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.
OKWU: But these aren't normal times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Don't be a moving target.
We got this sniper going around just senselessly killing innocent people. And, you know, it's not supposed to happen. You know, especially to kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel pretty safe. Knowing that there's a lot of security, but I want to walk her to the door just to make sure.
OKWU: Helicopters hovered overhead. Extra security covered the ground as students filed in. Battle ready middle schoolers, less innocent now, and somehow more vulnerable.
Bowie's mayor.
MAYOR FREDERICK ROBINSON, BOWIE, MARYLAND: These young people never expected to come to school and have a classmate shot in front of the building. I mean,that's a condition that will stay with them for a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a parent, you want to know your children are going to be safe.
OKWU: Henry Ollie (ph) walked his 12-year-old son Charles to school. Charles would normally take the bus. Not on this day. Charles has been asking himself endless questions. Questions more comfortably asked at home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking that where could he be? Where would he be hiding right now? And why would he do such a thing and why would he try to do it on children?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're out in the open. You think about it all the time. But again, you can't hunker down and you can't stay at home.
OKWU: Officials say it was just another school day.
As one administrator here put it: With teachers teaching and students learning.
But it wasn't. On the day after with a lockdown still in place, attendance was at 66 percent, down from a typical 98 percent.
By noon, a field where students would usually enjoy their recess, was silent and still but for the occasional movement of armed guards. A welcome sight until things can really get back to normal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if they can't supply safety for our students, well, I'm going to be a stay-home mom and teach them at home.
OKWU: For this day, at least, a sentiment many parents agreed with.
Michael Okwu, CNN, Bowie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Moving on now to Iraq. The House today began debating a resolution on the use of force, joining the Senate where they've been chewing it over since last week. Secretary of State Powell was on the Hill today pushing for a big victory margin. Most members today spoke out in support of the resolution. And one key Democrat saying that sending a tough message to the Iraqis might actually prevent a war. It goes on in the House and the Senate.
Not far from Iraq today, a piece of the war came to American forces. 150 members to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Force were training for urban combat when they came under fire. The attackers chose their targets and their timing well. The Marines had guns, but no ammo. It happened on a small island off the coast of Kuwait.
And we again turn to CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Kuwait City tonight. Christiane, good evening.
AMANPOUR: Aaron, indeed, one U.S. Marine was killed and another one was wounded in what amounted to a drive-by attack on those Marines conducting live fire exercises on the island of Failaka which is 20 kilometers off the coast of Kuwait City.
The Marines were firing with blanks during their exercises, according to officials. But officials said they quickly switched to ammunition -- live ammunition and they did end up shooting and killing those assailants, two of them, who the Kuwaitis have now identified by name. They say they are Kuwaiti nationals and they claim they characterize this attack as a terrorist attack on those Marines who were conducting what the U.S. officials and others call a routine exercise here in Kuwait.
Americans on the island of Failaka also rounded up more than two dozen Kuwaitis and handed them over to officials for investigation, although we've been told that those rounded up were detained as witnesses. One senior Western diplomat said that they have at the moment...
(AUDIO GAP)
AMANPOUR: ... that there were any more than two assailants or any more people involved in this. Although investigations will be continuing into exactly who these two Kuwaitis are and who they are affiliated with. Already unofficial sources in Kuwait are suggesting that they may be related to Islamic militant groups and some may even be related -- those assailants who were killed -- to Kuwaiti prisoners who may be held right now in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
This attack came just as the U.S. main ally in the tough stance against Iraq, Britain, was on a swing through the Middle East trying to shore up support for the U.S. position on Iraq. Going through Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, all U.S. allies in this region. But facing some stiff opposition at least in public to the idea of military action against Iraq. Also, officials say that they don't believe that there's any need for any new U.N. resolution on Iraq and that the weapons inspectors should go back immediately. That's what they're saying in public, although Jack Straw -- the British foreign secretary -- still making the case that any kind of new resolution on Iraq needs to be backed up by the threat of consequences, indeed the threat of military force -- Aaron.
BROWN: Christiane, just briefly back to the killing of the Marine today. Has it generally been a concern of officials in Kuwait that there might be attacks on Americans? Is there a mood in Kuwait, at least among some people to do so?
AMANPOUR: There is always a concern and particularly in these heightened times of crisis. Particularly when it comes to Americans, that this kind of thing may happen. But Kuwait has always been friendly to Americans. And this is one of the rare instances that this kind of thing has happened. For the most part people here support America and support the Americans. There is a buildup. There is a presence of U.S. troops here.
On the other hand, of course, there is a minority of people, particularly those affiliated with strong Islamic militant groups here, who oppose the U.S. presence and oppose U.S. policies. And the investigation, therefore, will continue to find out who these assailants were. They have the bodies. They've got to figure out who they were affiliated to.
BROWN: Christiane, thank you. Christiane Amanpour in Kuwait City tonight.
On to the West Bank now. Israeli forces are once again on the move. Armored vehicles rolled into Palestinian parts of Hebron. That came after Palestinian gunmen ambushed an Israeli vehicle near Hebron. Four Israelis hurt, two seriously. Also today Israeli forces shot and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian girl in Southern Gaza.
In some ways the attacks in suburban Washington and the possibility of war with Iraq have overshadowed the persistent and ongoing violence in the Middle East. Yesterday, a case in point. An Israeli attack in Gaza was especially deadly. And like similar Israeli attacks in the area in recent weeks, some of the dead and the two sides will argue about the numbers here, but clearly some of the dead were innocents. They brought very sharp criticism from the White House. It kept bringing us back to one question -- just who exactly were the Israelis aiming for when they fired a missile in a crowd of people?
Here's CNN's Alessio Vinci.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the raid in Gaza, which killed 15 Palestinians and wounded nearly 100, a success. ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Most of the characters there were terrorists, and armed terrorists. But still there were some civilians. Therefore, I address my sorrow for that.
VINCI: Palestinian officials said the attack was a massacre saying most of the dead and wounded were civilians. And accused Mr. Sharon of sabotaging any possibility to resume peace talks.
SAEB ERAKAT, PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: I'm afraid Sharon will continue the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), destroying the peace process, destroying the Palestinian authority and to resume the full occupation.
VINCI: The U.N. commissioner for human rights said the raid, quote, "appeared to have violated Geneva Conventions," and called for a full inquiry. A call for Israeli restraint also came from the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross visiting the Israeli President Moshe Katsov.
JAKOB KELLENBERGER, PRESIDENT ICRC: The things I have underlined very much in my meetings and I will continue to underline -- it's very important principle of proportionality in the use of force. And it's a very important principle of the distinction between civilians and combatants.
VINCI: But the Israeli Prime Minister reiterated Israel's right to self-defense saying the raid was a preventive measure to stop further attacks against Israel. In Gaza, Hamas political leaders answered by saying they too have a right to self-defense and will retaliate.
ABDUL AZIZ RANTISSI, HAMAS POLITICAL LEADER: They all the time massacring our people. And we are trying to prevent them from doing that by making them to -- not -- to feel our pain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VINCI: Prime Minister Sharon says Israel's crackdown on Hamas militants here in Gaza will continue. This despite Washington has made clear that during the recent attacks the Israeli forces have crossed the lines. A point that will reiterated next week when the Prime Minister visits Washington and meets with the U.S. President George Bush -- Aaron.
BROWN: We've heard here what the two sides had to say. I'm curious how Israeli media is reporting this and whether within Israel itself there is much discussion about the tactics the IDF is using?
VINCI: Aaron, I've been in Gaza for the last couple of days ever since the raids took place and I do not have access to Israeli television here.
However, there's been a wide debate here on whether how many of the people who were killed at the raid in Gaza two nights ago were actually civilians. At the beginning we heard that the Palestinian officials there, the Red Crescent said all of the people were civilians. Israel's claim that there are among those some militants. Although they have acknowledged that among those killed, there are no people on the most wanted list, people that Israel has been going after, especially during those raids, trying to apprehend Hamas militants and bring them back to Israel -- Aaron.
BROWN: And there has been within the various factions of the Palestinians some discussion of ending attacks on Israel Proper and civilians within Israel Proper. And I gather those talks have been at the very least set back by the incidents of the last day or so?
VINCI: That is correct, Aaron. Every time the Palestinian factions meet and trying to see what the strategy ahead is, what they can do in order to push forward their cause, there are these kind of raids that set everything back.
One indication about how even the Palestinian factions among themselves do not agree about how to move forward here in the streets of Gaza in the last few days there's been a lot of clashes between Palestinian Authority policemen and what are described to us as Hamas sympathizers for unrelated incidents.
But I can tell you there's a lot of tension even within the Palestinian factions themselves on how to move forward, how to respond to what most of the people in this country call massacre by of course -- from Chairman Arafat. There is a call for perhaps more subdued action, no violence. But Hamas militants in this country, here in Gaza especially, call for more actions against Israel -- Aaron.
BROWN: Alessio, thank you very much; Alessio Vinci in Gaza tonight.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: the latest developments on the West Coast port lockout; a lockout that is costing billions of dollars each day.
Up next we'll talk with the county executive of Montgomery County, Maryland about how he's dealing with terror -- and there is no other word for it -- in his community.
This is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A remarkable statement from one local county official in Maryland today; remarkably sad.
Tomorrow, said Douglas Duncan, the executive of Montgomery County, I'm going to my fourth funeral in four days. Such is the duty for officials like Mr. Duncan, to show the right amount of emotion and anger and resolve, convince people to be cautious, but try to move on as before.
We spoke with Mr. Duncan earlier this evening to get the latest on the investigation and the mood of his community.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Mr. Duncan, what do you think is going on here?
DUNCAN: We've got evil in our community. We've got someone going around randomly shooting innocent victims and stooping so low as to shoot a child, a 13-year-old child, who is walking to school.
And we have a community that is under a great deal of stress; a community that faces tremendous fear, tremendous concern, tremendous anxiety and, at the same time, tremendous determination to keep as normal a schedule as possible, to send their children to school, to go to work themselves and keep going from one day to the next.
BROWN: We're -- I assume, I'm guessing here -- that absenteeism at school was somewhat up today. Is that true?
DUNCAN: Our school attendance rate was about 90 percent. The normal rate is about 94 percent. So we felt that that was a good show of support from the parents.
We asked parents to come walk their children to school, drive their children to school, volunteer at the school. We saw a good show of support from the parents around the county.
And I went to schools today in the county. Kids felt safe in the schools. They're in lockdown situation called Code Blue. They're indoors, but felt safe, and they were getting their lessons taught to them with all the stress that's going on around them.
BROWN: Are they talking about this? And are their teachers able to talk to them about this? Or is the schoolhouse the security from it all?
DUNCAN: Just the fact that the school is in a lockdown situation where the children aren't allowed to go outside, or even indoor doors and rooms are locked off tells the children this is something very different, very serious going on.
And we've tried to work with the school system. They've done a great job of getting information to the principals and the teachers about what's appropriate for the different age groups that we have in terms of what information we can tell them. We're providing some mental health tips to the schools as well.
But the children are very curious, very inquisitive. I went into a fifth-grade class today, and they just peppered me with questions about the investigation; what's happening and when we're going to catch this person.
BROWN: And on that score, what are the police telling you?
DUNCAN: They're telling me -- and I've seen all kinds of evidence that we have a full-blown, unprecedented investigation going on in Montgomery County with full cooperation from the FBI, the ATF, the Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, the state police and a host of local law enforcement agencies all headed up by the Montgomery County Police Department. We have asked people to call us and give us information. We've gotten over 7,000 calls that's led to about 1,400 credible leads that officers are tracking down as we speak. And we're trying to narrow that investigation down, narrow the focus down so that we can make an arrest as quickly as we can.
BROWN: Do you have any sense that anything here is imminent? That a break in the case is imminent?
DUNCAN: I'm always hopeful. As our chief of police says, I'm always hopeful that the next call I get is going to be someone telling me, we made an arrest, we found him.
So I've got that hope in me. I can't tell you where the investigators are, I can't tell you at what point they are. But I can tell you they're working as hard as they can. And they come to work every day, they're here on tremendously long shifts -- 16, 20 hours. They're working as hard as they can. And they come to work every day saying: This is going to be the day we catch him.
BROWN: Has this been the longest week of your life?
DUNCAN: It has absolutely been that. I mean, we look back to September 11, and we were involved with our firefighters going to the Pentagon. We were involved with the anthrax attacks right next door in D.C., and just tremendous fear in our community.
But we've got anxiety levels higher than we saw back then. And I never would have -- I never would have imagined that I'd be dealing with a situation where we have people going around -- a person or persons going around just killing innocent people and shooting children.
And we are fearful, we are anxious, but we are more determined than ever, more resolved than ever to use every available resource to capture whoever is doing this.
BROWN: Well sir, I'm sure you're hearing from people all over the country, and I'll just throw my voice in: Our hearts go out to you and all the people there. This has been an unthinkable week. We hope it all ends soon.
Thank you for your time tonight.
DUNCAN: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Douglas Duncan, the county executive in Montgomery County, Maryland. And his face and his words said an awful lot tonight, didn't they?
Coming up on the program we'll talk with the Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott. He doesn't expect to be the minority leader for long.
That's coming up on NEWSNIGHT from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A bit more on Iraq now. In an intriguing letter from the CIA director, George Tenet, Mr. Tenet warned the Senate Intelligence Committee that Saddam Hussein may resort to terrorism against the United States if Saddam believes an attack on Iraq is inevitable. It didn't say how he might do that. The letter is dated October 7.
Mr. Tenet said in a statement there was, quote, "no inconsistency between the CIA's view and the views expressed by the president last night."
We updated you earlier on the debate in the House over Iraq. A bit now from the Senate.
One of the most vocal opponents of the White House policy tried some procedural moves today to slow the passage of the resolution, someone who knows the procedures better than probably anyone in the Senate, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a Democrat. But for all of Senator Byrd's efforts, not to mention flourish, most everyone agrees the president will get the resolution he wants. The question is when, and just how much leeway he will get?
We spoke earlier with Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Senator, let's begin with the resolution. When do you believe the resolution will pass -- the Iraq resolution will pass the Senate?
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MISSISSIPPI: It should pass by Thursday night. It could be delayed if there's some dilatory tactics employed by some of the senators. It could actually carry over until next week. But Senator Daschle and I talked on Monday about trying to set up a process that would allow for a full debate, a vote on some amendments, but try to wrap it up on Thursday night, and that is possible, and I believe it will be an overwhelming vote.
BROWN: We all -- and I'm sure you do -- we all hope it doesn't come down to a war, but if it does, given the state of the economy today, do you have concerns about how a war will impact this economy?
LOTT: Well, I thought one of the most important things about the president's speech on Monday night was that he emphasized the seriousness of the threat. But he also said this doesn't mean there's going to be war in the morning or even that war is necessary. It could be avoided if Saddam Hussein would do what he's not done for 11 years, allow inspectors in, find the weapons of mass destruction and destroy them.
What the impact might be on the economy right now would be strictly conjecture. It will depend on how long the situation is, you know, basically in a war footing, what would happen after it stops, what would happen to oil prices, what jobs might be affected by the war itself.
So, it's hard to project that in terms of short-term or long-term effect. It will have some cost, and we have to be aware of that. But I think that some people probably right now would over-exaggerate that, and I don't think we should be focused next year, or this fall even, just on the war in Iraq or the war on terrorism.
I think we need to also be sensitive to what's happening with the economy. We need to find a way to end the dock strike on the West Coast. We need to find ways to protect people's income retirement security. We need to look at terrorism insurance, so that we can get some of these construction projects that are being held up now because of the lack of the terrorism insurance, get that done so that we can get those jobs moving in the economy.
BROWN: Do you have any sense of what a war with Iraq would cost the country?
LOTT: I don't have any, you know, firm information on that, and again, I think it would really be conjecture. It depends on when we have to do it and how it's done and how successful it is and, you know, what the resistance would be and how many allies join us in that effort and a multinational force and what countries are willing to help pay for the cost.
There are just too many intangibles there, all of which are being worked on, I might say, Aaron. I want to say that to the American people. We don't have all of the answers yet, because you never can be absolutely sure when or where a conflict like this might begin or end. But you do start talking about how you do it and who will be your allies and who will help bear the brunt of the costs and what will be the aftermath.
BROWN: Do you think it is in any sense inappropriate to talk about the cost of this, its impact on the economy, given the stark words the president spoke last night?
LOTT: Well, I guess there will be those that will raise that question, and there will be people that will be trying to get an assessment on that. But, you know, when you're talking about life, liberty and security in your home, in your hometown, or peace in the world, you have to do what you have to do. I mean, I guess there were people that said, oh, look, just ignore Hitler; he's not that much of a menace. Besides that, it might cost too much if we deal with this threat.
I thought we learned some lessons from, you know, 9/11. We are at risk even at home. This threat is serious. It's not just about nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them. It is about biological and chemical weapons that we know he has, that are unaccounted for, that can be delivered in very small containers.
So, when you're talking about that kind of threat, your first question is: How do we protect the interests of the American people and even the threats to their lives? You try to do it with the least amount, you know, of cost or effect on the economy, but you do what you have to do. And I think that's what the president intends to do, that's what his administration is committed to. I believe that's what the American people would expect us to do.
We hope and pray for the best, Aaron. Hopefully, Saddam Hussein will change, and maybe he will change from the way he's acted for 11 years, but I don't see it right now.
BROWN: Thank you, sir. It's good to talk to you.
LOTT: Good talking to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott on Iraq tonight.
Still to come on NEWSNIGHT, some very important economic news.
First, developments that may soon end, at least temporarily, the West Coast port lockout. The president got into that today.
And later, just what makes the Betel Nut market go, and why is the government of Taiwan cracking down?
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: President Bush today asked a court to call a temporary end to the lockout on the docks out West. Presidents can do that in certain labor disputes, but none has used the power since President Carter did it in 1978.
And late today, a judge agreed with the president, granted the request and sent the two sides to this very expensive labor dispute to a time-out, so to speak.
Management is smiling over this; labor is not. And all of this could extend from the ports to the ballot box in a month, but that's a month from now.
Here's where we are tonight from CNN's Frank Buckley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKLEY (voice-over): As ships and containers continued to stack up off the West Coast, President Bush invoked the rarely-used Taft- Hartley Act to end the lockout of more than 10,000 longshoremen.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The crisis in our western ports is hurting the economy. It is hurting the security of our country, and the federal government must act.
BUCKLEY: Both sides in the labor dispute blame the other for the lack of an agreement, but representatives for the shipping companies were the only ones who agreed with the president's decision. JOE MINIACE, PRES., PACIFIC MARITIME ASSN.: And I believe that the decision he made was in the best interests of the economy and national security.
BUSH: It is not, however, a permanent solution to the problem.
BUCKLEY: Longshoremen watched the president on TV at a union hall in Long Beach, others listened on the radio, as they picketed on the docks. Their representatives claim that President Bush was taking management's side.
RICHARD MEADE, LLWU: They take the country, hold it hostage, in order to invoke Taft-Hartley. And here we have -- we have a new dock boss. His name is George Bush. Now, will the longshoremen listen to Boy George? That's the next question.
BUCKLEY: The traffic jam at sea has so far hit trucking, manufacturing and agriculture the hardest.
At Munchkin Manufacturing in Van Nuys, California, they're waiting for their baby and child products shipped from across the Pacific.
And Tom Delaney (ph) says, warehouse shelves are starting to show it.
(on camera): So, these shelves that we're looking at here would normally be full?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
BUCKLEY: And they're virtually empty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
BUCKLEY (voice-over): Munchkin and other manufacturers, who overstocked in recent months in anticipation of a labor dispute, may get by now with only minor damage.
But what could truckers do? At Sterling Trucking, they're losing thousands of dollars a day as trucks that transport the goods on the container ships sit idle.
Even with the end of the work stoppage, says Mario Castillo, the economy will suffer.
MARIO CASTILLO, MUNCHKIN MANUFACTURING: This is the peak season, you know, so a lot of the stuff is for Christmas, and some of those customers are already backing out of their orders, because there's not going to be time for them to receive the goods.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKLEY: Longshoremen tonight are still here on the picket lines in Long Beach. It isn't clear when these longshoremen will be back to work here in southern California. We're told in the Bay Area, they will be back to work tomorrow night, locally, 7:00 p.m. Pacific, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Back to the dispute itself, we should tell you that what the judge issued today, Aaron, was a temporary restraining order. It wasn't the full injunction that the Bush administration was seeking that would have ordered that 80-day, cooling-off period, but there is a hearing to determine that next week -- Aaron.
BROWN: Frank, thank you. We'll be following that from the West Coast beginning tomorrow. Thank you, Frank Buckley.
Wall Street liked what the president did, by the way, today. That item tops our "National Roundup" tonight and makes for a real "Man Bites Dow" story. Huh.
It's barely news, after all, when stocks go down these days. The real novelty seems to be when they go up, which they did pretty much across the board. Blue chips rose 78 points, not nearly the high for the day, but still up. The Nasdaq and S&P up as well.
Louie Freeh on Capitol Hill today. The former FBI director answering criticism of the FBI's efforts against terrorism when he ran the bureau. Mr. Freeh told lawmakers fighting terrorism was a high priority before 9/11, and he rejected charges the bureau was slow to share intelligence or make the most of what it had. Mr. Freeh left the bureau three months before the attacks.
In Buffalo today, a federal magistrate granted bail to Sahim Alwan, one of six men accused of training with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and being part of a terrorism cell back home. He said the man's story of faking an injury to get sent home from Afghanistan makes him less of a continuing threat to the community.
Still, the magistrate set tough terms: $600,000 bond, electronic monitoring. Mr. Alwan would be forbidden from sending my e-mails, faxes or making cell phone calls. His other calls will be tapped.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, the story of Betel Juice -- no, not the movie.
Up next, taking a stand against the war in Iraq and the effect it could have on one politician's future. A political story when we continue from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It's always sunny on "AMERICAN MORNING," and to prove it, here's Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Aaron. We're going to have the latest on the manhunt for the D.C. area sniper.
We will also be visiting with actor Christopher Reeve. Since his paralyzing accident seven years ago, he says nothing is impossible. Christopher Reeve on politics, faith and his remarkable progress -- Aaron.
BROWN: Thank you, Paula.
Next on NEWSNIGHT, the Iraq debate and one key Senate race. We're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Senator Paul Wellstone would have had a tough run to hold his seat under any circumstances. He's a liberal in big, block, capital letters. There aren't many of those left.
He's running despite a promise he made a decade ago to only serve two terms. Minnesotans accept liberals more than most, not so sure how they feel about broken promises.
And he has a challenger: A popular, moderate Republican, handpicked by the White House. And then, there is Iraq.
Here's CNN's Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is 48 degrees and pouring in Eveleth, Minnesota. Senator Paul Wellstone is here to talk union business and small business, but a local reporter wants to know about the Iraq business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you comment on Iraq and the debate -- yesterday's debate a little bit?
SEN. PAUL WELLSTONE (D), MINNESOTA: Yes.
CROWLEY: One of the purest liberals on Capitol Hill, the senior senator from Minnesota is in one of the toughest races of the season, in one of the most unpredictable states in the country. In the midst of it, he will vote against the president on Iraq, which may cause some people in the state to vote against Paul Wellstone, or not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like your position on the war. Thanks a lot.
WELLSTONE: Thanks for saying that.
CROWLEY: Iraq could play either way or not at all in Minnesota, a larger, progressive, proudly populist state, where independent thought is practically a religion.
WELLSTONE: Ultimately, people vote for the person they like, regardless of a particular issue. It's the impression they have. They believe in you, they trust you, they think you're really honest, they think you're someone of conviction.
NORM COLEMAN (R), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Oh, we're not voting for who is the most -- you know, who has the best conscience. Paul doesn't have a monopoly on conscience.
CROWLEY: Norm Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul and a former Democrat, gets credit for bringing hockey, business and boom times back to the city. Reborn a Republican, Coleman is betting that Minnesota has tired of Wellstone's lonely crusades.
COLEMAN: Norm Coleman knows gets stuff done. He knows how to reach across the aisle, he knows how to work in a bipartisan way. He'll take care of -- he'll be elected to take care of stuff. Paul Wellstone is the guy fighting against.
CROWLEY: Mickey's 24/7 Diner in St. Paul is as good a place as any to test the weight of war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think about Wellstone, or what's his name, Coleman?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Wellstone gets my vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coleman gets mine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, what a happy family.
CROWLEY: Mickey's is kitschy enough to attract the upwardly mobile with the hearty food and cheap prices to make it a working man's hangout. Here, they support Wellstone, or they support Coleman. It has very little to do with war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coleman was our mayor here for years, and he did more to revitalize St. Paul. If you can revitalize this, you know, what can he do in the Senate?
CROWLEY: Here, it seems the talk of war has done less to sway political opinions than reinforce them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always liked Paul Wellstone. I think he's been a good senator for us, and the fact that he's willing to vote against this, just steals my resolve.
WELLSTONE: We're going to win!
CROWLEY: In Minnesota after 12 years, they have come to know what to expect of Paul Wellstone.
WELLSTONE: This is field of dreams right here.
CROWLEY: The question is whether they now want something else.
Candy Crowley, CNN, St. Paul, Minnesota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Next on NEWSNIGHT, just what does it take to sell Betel Nuts?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Finally from us tonight, Taiwan's answer to Hooters. I swear to you, I have never been to Hooters in my life, but I do get the business plan. Put a waitress in short-shorts and even shorter T- shirts, and sell maybe one more beer, one more plate of wings.
We here in the United States may be jaded to the Hooters technique, but not so in Taiwan.
Mike Chinoy tonight on the trouble with the Betel Juice booty -- beauties -- something like that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a business where competition is cutthroat, these young women are dressed to kill. But all they're doing is selling Betel Nuts, a mild stimulant chewed by millions of Taiwanese, overwhelmingly men, which is why these roadside vendors have found that skimpier outfits mean higher sales.
But showing flesh to peddle nuts has riled many people here. Now, Taiwan County, near Taipei, has issued a new edict, requiring the so-called Betel Nut beauties here to cover up their breasts, buttocks and belly buttons, or face the full force of the law.
Taiwan Deputy Magistrate Liao Cheng-Ching was the prime mover behind the new rules, which he insists are needed not only for reasons of public decency.
LIAO CHENG-CHING, DEPUTY MAGISTRATE (through translator): Even more important, hospital records show that many male drivers have been so distracted by the Betel Nut girls, that they've run into telephone poles.
CHINOY: Twenty-three-year-old Hsiao Lu has been selling Betel Nut for five years. She complains the new rules could destroy her livelihood.
HSIAO LU, BETEL NUT SELLER (through translator): It's very unfair. The economy is bad now. Dressing sexy makes a huge difference in our earnings. These regulations will make it very hard to go on.
CHINOY: There appears to be considerable public support for the cover-up campaign, but Josephine Ho, who runs a university research center on sexuality and has studied Betel Nut girls for years, argues that the edict is all about politics and class.
JOSEPHINE HO, UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: The girls are mostly from working class backgrounds. Their outfit is merely a way of gaining more financially. If they really want to clean up this society, they should get rid of the high fashion model shows, they should get rid of the girls demonstrating cars at the car shows. Many, many of the sex- appeal oriented, competitive strategies will have to be examined.
CHINOY: For now, the Betel Nut sellers of Taiwan County appear to be complying with the new rules.
(on camera): But the Betel Nut business is so big, the competition for sales so fierce, that whatever the rules, the basic dynamic of the trade is likely to remain the same, and that is, that sex sells.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Taiwan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: That's all for tonight.
We're on our way to the West Coast tomorrow. Anderson sits in tomorrow night. We'll see you again on Thursday.
A couple of terrific programs Thursday and Friday, we believe, and we hope you'll join us for them as well.
I'm Aaron Brown. Good night for all of us at NEWSNIGHT.
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 8, 2002 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening again, everyone.
This is just a side thing that goes on.
We spent a good part of our afternoon meeting today talking about children. Unfortunately, we were talking about children and terror and our kids have seen a lot of that in our short lives.
They saw Columbine, those horrible pictures.
They saw September 11.
And now they are seeing this sick and horrible spree in suburban Washington. They are, for their own safety, being held prisoners in their own schools.
Here are some of the rules: field trips canceled, all lunches, recess and PE classes conducted indoors. A high profile police presence on hand at all schools. Students confined to their respective buildings.
Then there are precautions that haven't been set in stone, but that some schools are doing anyway. Like covering their windows with brown paper, shielding the kids from the eyes of a killer. Not just school buildings locked, but classroom doors locked.
I came home last night, just after midnight. My daughter was on the couch, awake and reading. I can't sleep, dad, she said. You OK? I ask. Something bothering you? No, she said, just can't sleep.
So she sat on the counter as I rummaged through the fridge. We talked about school and life. At about 12:30 I took her up to bed. The hug lasted a little longer, and getting a hug from a 13-year-old is no small feat.
They have all seen so much. Too much. No wonder sleep sometimes comes so hard.
We begin "The Whip" tonight with the latest on these sniper attacks on these sniper attacks in suburban Washington.
Kathleen Koch from Rockville, Maryland tonight. Kathleen, a headline please.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, not just children but adults too are truly terrified. And talk of following a normal routine somehow seems naive and premature, but police here promise they are getting closer to catching this killer.
BROWN: Kathleen, thank you. Back to you at the top of the program.
A different kind of terror attack thousands of miles away. This one in Kuwait. Christiane Amanpour is on location there.
Christiane, a headline please.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, one U.S. Marine was killed, another one wounded in a drive-by attack. They are calling it terrorism. But there will be more investigations to determine who these people were affiliated to.
BROWN: Christiane, thank you, on the video phone.
More violence out of the Middle East again today. There was plenty yesterday. Alessio Vinci in Gaza, the headline, please.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Aaron. Well, an Israeli air raid that left 15 civilians killed and more than 100 dead is called by the Israeli prime minister a success. The prime minister says he regrets civilian casualties, but promises there will be more raids to come -- Aaron.
BROWN: Alessio, thank you. Good to see you.
And back to the United States now. A big move by the president to end the West Coast port shutdown. Not everyone happy with that.
Frank Buckley has the story tonight. Frank, a headline please.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, late today a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that ends the lockout of more than 10,000 longshoremen along the West Coast. It came after the president invoked the Taft-Hartley act. It was the first time that a president has invoked that act in a quarter of a century -- Aaron.
BROWN: Thank you, lots of implications there.
Frank, back with you and the rest of you shortly. Also coming up in the program tonight, a Maryland county official trying to juggle a massive investigation, the possibility of panic and too many funerals.
We'll talk with Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan this evening.
On Iraq, how the debate will play out in the Senate. We'll talk with Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
And on the very opposite end of the political spectrum from Senator Lott, the senator from my home state of Minnesota, Senator Paul Wellstone in for one very tough fight come November and Iraq is part of the reason.
And call it the "Attack of the Beetlenut Beauties." Sound like a bit from a bad horror movie, but it's actually a real life controversy from Taiwan about women and what they're wearing or not wearing on the job.
All of that to come in the hour ahead.
We start things off in the Washington suburbs, where it was quiet today, just not a good kind of quiet. Today's quiet was the sound of people not on the streets. The sound of children not in school, schools under lockdown.
It was a purposeful quiet of police looking for clues. It was the silence of no gunshots but also the quiet acceptance that until the sniper is found, the silence is only temporary.
We have a number of reports tonight beginning with the investigation itself and CNN's Kathleen Koch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Critical evidence, a shell casing found in these woods at the site of Monday's sniper shooting at a Maryland middle school.
CHIEF GERALD WILSON, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: It was found over, I would say, 100 feet or yards into the woods on the same side as Benjamin Tasker. It could have been ejected from the weapon used by the suspect. Could have been.
KOCH: The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is performing analysis like this on the shell casing, looking for markings that would indicate the type and make of the rifle used.
Police showed off a variety of cases they say the gunman might use to carry or hide the high powered rifle, hoping the public might recognize something. Authorities are comparing the details of the eight shootings with crimes in databases across the country looking for similarities.
MIKE BOUCHARD, SPECIAL AGENT, ATF: We've entered the information from this case into that system, to query if there are any other similar type projectiles or cartridge casings in that system nationwide.
KOCH: Maryland's governor challenged the killer to surrender.
GOV. PARIS GLENDENING (D), MARYLAND: We're talking about a person here who is basically a coward. This is not an individual who is out there doing something strong or manly or anything of this type.
KOCH: Investigators now say it's possible the killer may have begun his attacks last month. September 14 a young man was shot with one bullet fired from a distance outside this store at a Montgomery County shopping center. He survived, but ballistics tests on the bullet are inconclusive., and officials are not ruling out a link with the other shootings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOCH: Tips on the shootings continue to pour in. They now number some 1,400. Reward money too coming in from around the country, now nearly $240,000.
And finally, one much needed bit of positive news. The Virginia woman who was shot on Friday has, Aaron, she has been released from the hospital.
Back to you.
BROWN: When they talk about these leads, and the quality of them, what do they say?
KOCH: Aaron, the police won't go into detail at all. They will only call them credible leads, meaning that there is some nugget of information contained in them that the police believe they have to check out. And that's why they've pulled in so many resources from around the country, from other law enforcement agencies in this state and from the federal government.
So everyone doing all they can, but they won't share much with us. They don't want to jeopardize anything in this investigation.
BROWN: Kathleen, thank you. Kathleen Koch on the sniper in suburban Washington.
In the normal scheme of things, a big uniform presence at Benjamin Tasker Middle School is the school crossing guard.
And in the normal scheme of things the kids are right at that age when they do anything to avoid being seen with their very uncool parents. That alone is a sad fact of any parents' life in the normal scheme of things. They should be so lucky today.
Here is CNN's Michael Okwu.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They came by bus, they came in groups.
But on this day, many came with parents.
On the day after, they came to forget, to move on. Doing otherwise wouldn't be normal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.
OKWU: But these aren't normal times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Don't be a moving target.
We got this sniper going around just senselessly killing innocent people. And, you know, it's not supposed to happen. You know, especially to kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel pretty safe. Knowing that there's a lot of security, but I want to walk her to the door just to make sure.
OKWU: Helicopters hovered overhead. Extra security covered the ground as students filed in. Battle ready middle schoolers, less innocent now, and somehow more vulnerable.
Bowie's mayor.
MAYOR FREDERICK ROBINSON, BOWIE, MARYLAND: These young people never expected to come to school and have a classmate shot in front of the building. I mean,that's a condition that will stay with them for a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a parent, you want to know your children are going to be safe.
OKWU: Henry Ollie (ph) walked his 12-year-old son Charles to school. Charles would normally take the bus. Not on this day. Charles has been asking himself endless questions. Questions more comfortably asked at home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking that where could he be? Where would he be hiding right now? And why would he do such a thing and why would he try to do it on children?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're out in the open. You think about it all the time. But again, you can't hunker down and you can't stay at home.
OKWU: Officials say it was just another school day.
As one administrator here put it: With teachers teaching and students learning.
But it wasn't. On the day after with a lockdown still in place, attendance was at 66 percent, down from a typical 98 percent.
By noon, a field where students would usually enjoy their recess, was silent and still but for the occasional movement of armed guards. A welcome sight until things can really get back to normal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if they can't supply safety for our students, well, I'm going to be a stay-home mom and teach them at home.
OKWU: For this day, at least, a sentiment many parents agreed with.
Michael Okwu, CNN, Bowie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Moving on now to Iraq. The House today began debating a resolution on the use of force, joining the Senate where they've been chewing it over since last week. Secretary of State Powell was on the Hill today pushing for a big victory margin. Most members today spoke out in support of the resolution. And one key Democrat saying that sending a tough message to the Iraqis might actually prevent a war. It goes on in the House and the Senate.
Not far from Iraq today, a piece of the war came to American forces. 150 members to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Force were training for urban combat when they came under fire. The attackers chose their targets and their timing well. The Marines had guns, but no ammo. It happened on a small island off the coast of Kuwait.
And we again turn to CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Kuwait City tonight. Christiane, good evening.
AMANPOUR: Aaron, indeed, one U.S. Marine was killed and another one was wounded in what amounted to a drive-by attack on those Marines conducting live fire exercises on the island of Failaka which is 20 kilometers off the coast of Kuwait City.
The Marines were firing with blanks during their exercises, according to officials. But officials said they quickly switched to ammunition -- live ammunition and they did end up shooting and killing those assailants, two of them, who the Kuwaitis have now identified by name. They say they are Kuwaiti nationals and they claim they characterize this attack as a terrorist attack on those Marines who were conducting what the U.S. officials and others call a routine exercise here in Kuwait.
Americans on the island of Failaka also rounded up more than two dozen Kuwaitis and handed them over to officials for investigation, although we've been told that those rounded up were detained as witnesses. One senior Western diplomat said that they have at the moment...
(AUDIO GAP)
AMANPOUR: ... that there were any more than two assailants or any more people involved in this. Although investigations will be continuing into exactly who these two Kuwaitis are and who they are affiliated with. Already unofficial sources in Kuwait are suggesting that they may be related to Islamic militant groups and some may even be related -- those assailants who were killed -- to Kuwaiti prisoners who may be held right now in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
This attack came just as the U.S. main ally in the tough stance against Iraq, Britain, was on a swing through the Middle East trying to shore up support for the U.S. position on Iraq. Going through Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, all U.S. allies in this region. But facing some stiff opposition at least in public to the idea of military action against Iraq. Also, officials say that they don't believe that there's any need for any new U.N. resolution on Iraq and that the weapons inspectors should go back immediately. That's what they're saying in public, although Jack Straw -- the British foreign secretary -- still making the case that any kind of new resolution on Iraq needs to be backed up by the threat of consequences, indeed the threat of military force -- Aaron.
BROWN: Christiane, just briefly back to the killing of the Marine today. Has it generally been a concern of officials in Kuwait that there might be attacks on Americans? Is there a mood in Kuwait, at least among some people to do so?
AMANPOUR: There is always a concern and particularly in these heightened times of crisis. Particularly when it comes to Americans, that this kind of thing may happen. But Kuwait has always been friendly to Americans. And this is one of the rare instances that this kind of thing has happened. For the most part people here support America and support the Americans. There is a buildup. There is a presence of U.S. troops here.
On the other hand, of course, there is a minority of people, particularly those affiliated with strong Islamic militant groups here, who oppose the U.S. presence and oppose U.S. policies. And the investigation, therefore, will continue to find out who these assailants were. They have the bodies. They've got to figure out who they were affiliated to.
BROWN: Christiane, thank you. Christiane Amanpour in Kuwait City tonight.
On to the West Bank now. Israeli forces are once again on the move. Armored vehicles rolled into Palestinian parts of Hebron. That came after Palestinian gunmen ambushed an Israeli vehicle near Hebron. Four Israelis hurt, two seriously. Also today Israeli forces shot and killed a 12-year-old Palestinian girl in Southern Gaza.
In some ways the attacks in suburban Washington and the possibility of war with Iraq have overshadowed the persistent and ongoing violence in the Middle East. Yesterday, a case in point. An Israeli attack in Gaza was especially deadly. And like similar Israeli attacks in the area in recent weeks, some of the dead and the two sides will argue about the numbers here, but clearly some of the dead were innocents. They brought very sharp criticism from the White House. It kept bringing us back to one question -- just who exactly were the Israelis aiming for when they fired a missile in a crowd of people?
Here's CNN's Alessio Vinci.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called the raid in Gaza, which killed 15 Palestinians and wounded nearly 100, a success. ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Most of the characters there were terrorists, and armed terrorists. But still there were some civilians. Therefore, I address my sorrow for that.
VINCI: Palestinian officials said the attack was a massacre saying most of the dead and wounded were civilians. And accused Mr. Sharon of sabotaging any possibility to resume peace talks.
SAEB ERAKAT, PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: I'm afraid Sharon will continue the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), destroying the peace process, destroying the Palestinian authority and to resume the full occupation.
VINCI: The U.N. commissioner for human rights said the raid, quote, "appeared to have violated Geneva Conventions," and called for a full inquiry. A call for Israeli restraint also came from the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross visiting the Israeli President Moshe Katsov.
JAKOB KELLENBERGER, PRESIDENT ICRC: The things I have underlined very much in my meetings and I will continue to underline -- it's very important principle of proportionality in the use of force. And it's a very important principle of the distinction between civilians and combatants.
VINCI: But the Israeli Prime Minister reiterated Israel's right to self-defense saying the raid was a preventive measure to stop further attacks against Israel. In Gaza, Hamas political leaders answered by saying they too have a right to self-defense and will retaliate.
ABDUL AZIZ RANTISSI, HAMAS POLITICAL LEADER: They all the time massacring our people. And we are trying to prevent them from doing that by making them to -- not -- to feel our pain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VINCI: Prime Minister Sharon says Israel's crackdown on Hamas militants here in Gaza will continue. This despite Washington has made clear that during the recent attacks the Israeli forces have crossed the lines. A point that will reiterated next week when the Prime Minister visits Washington and meets with the U.S. President George Bush -- Aaron.
BROWN: We've heard here what the two sides had to say. I'm curious how Israeli media is reporting this and whether within Israel itself there is much discussion about the tactics the IDF is using?
VINCI: Aaron, I've been in Gaza for the last couple of days ever since the raids took place and I do not have access to Israeli television here.
However, there's been a wide debate here on whether how many of the people who were killed at the raid in Gaza two nights ago were actually civilians. At the beginning we heard that the Palestinian officials there, the Red Crescent said all of the people were civilians. Israel's claim that there are among those some militants. Although they have acknowledged that among those killed, there are no people on the most wanted list, people that Israel has been going after, especially during those raids, trying to apprehend Hamas militants and bring them back to Israel -- Aaron.
BROWN: And there has been within the various factions of the Palestinians some discussion of ending attacks on Israel Proper and civilians within Israel Proper. And I gather those talks have been at the very least set back by the incidents of the last day or so?
VINCI: That is correct, Aaron. Every time the Palestinian factions meet and trying to see what the strategy ahead is, what they can do in order to push forward their cause, there are these kind of raids that set everything back.
One indication about how even the Palestinian factions among themselves do not agree about how to move forward here in the streets of Gaza in the last few days there's been a lot of clashes between Palestinian Authority policemen and what are described to us as Hamas sympathizers for unrelated incidents.
But I can tell you there's a lot of tension even within the Palestinian factions themselves on how to move forward, how to respond to what most of the people in this country call massacre by of course -- from Chairman Arafat. There is a call for perhaps more subdued action, no violence. But Hamas militants in this country, here in Gaza especially, call for more actions against Israel -- Aaron.
BROWN: Alessio, thank you very much; Alessio Vinci in Gaza tonight.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT: the latest developments on the West Coast port lockout; a lockout that is costing billions of dollars each day.
Up next we'll talk with the county executive of Montgomery County, Maryland about how he's dealing with terror -- and there is no other word for it -- in his community.
This is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A remarkable statement from one local county official in Maryland today; remarkably sad.
Tomorrow, said Douglas Duncan, the executive of Montgomery County, I'm going to my fourth funeral in four days. Such is the duty for officials like Mr. Duncan, to show the right amount of emotion and anger and resolve, convince people to be cautious, but try to move on as before.
We spoke with Mr. Duncan earlier this evening to get the latest on the investigation and the mood of his community.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Mr. Duncan, what do you think is going on here?
DUNCAN: We've got evil in our community. We've got someone going around randomly shooting innocent victims and stooping so low as to shoot a child, a 13-year-old child, who is walking to school.
And we have a community that is under a great deal of stress; a community that faces tremendous fear, tremendous concern, tremendous anxiety and, at the same time, tremendous determination to keep as normal a schedule as possible, to send their children to school, to go to work themselves and keep going from one day to the next.
BROWN: We're -- I assume, I'm guessing here -- that absenteeism at school was somewhat up today. Is that true?
DUNCAN: Our school attendance rate was about 90 percent. The normal rate is about 94 percent. So we felt that that was a good show of support from the parents.
We asked parents to come walk their children to school, drive their children to school, volunteer at the school. We saw a good show of support from the parents around the county.
And I went to schools today in the county. Kids felt safe in the schools. They're in lockdown situation called Code Blue. They're indoors, but felt safe, and they were getting their lessons taught to them with all the stress that's going on around them.
BROWN: Are they talking about this? And are their teachers able to talk to them about this? Or is the schoolhouse the security from it all?
DUNCAN: Just the fact that the school is in a lockdown situation where the children aren't allowed to go outside, or even indoor doors and rooms are locked off tells the children this is something very different, very serious going on.
And we've tried to work with the school system. They've done a great job of getting information to the principals and the teachers about what's appropriate for the different age groups that we have in terms of what information we can tell them. We're providing some mental health tips to the schools as well.
But the children are very curious, very inquisitive. I went into a fifth-grade class today, and they just peppered me with questions about the investigation; what's happening and when we're going to catch this person.
BROWN: And on that score, what are the police telling you?
DUNCAN: They're telling me -- and I've seen all kinds of evidence that we have a full-blown, unprecedented investigation going on in Montgomery County with full cooperation from the FBI, the ATF, the Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, the state police and a host of local law enforcement agencies all headed up by the Montgomery County Police Department. We have asked people to call us and give us information. We've gotten over 7,000 calls that's led to about 1,400 credible leads that officers are tracking down as we speak. And we're trying to narrow that investigation down, narrow the focus down so that we can make an arrest as quickly as we can.
BROWN: Do you have any sense that anything here is imminent? That a break in the case is imminent?
DUNCAN: I'm always hopeful. As our chief of police says, I'm always hopeful that the next call I get is going to be someone telling me, we made an arrest, we found him.
So I've got that hope in me. I can't tell you where the investigators are, I can't tell you at what point they are. But I can tell you they're working as hard as they can. And they come to work every day, they're here on tremendously long shifts -- 16, 20 hours. They're working as hard as they can. And they come to work every day saying: This is going to be the day we catch him.
BROWN: Has this been the longest week of your life?
DUNCAN: It has absolutely been that. I mean, we look back to September 11, and we were involved with our firefighters going to the Pentagon. We were involved with the anthrax attacks right next door in D.C., and just tremendous fear in our community.
But we've got anxiety levels higher than we saw back then. And I never would have -- I never would have imagined that I'd be dealing with a situation where we have people going around -- a person or persons going around just killing innocent people and shooting children.
And we are fearful, we are anxious, but we are more determined than ever, more resolved than ever to use every available resource to capture whoever is doing this.
BROWN: Well sir, I'm sure you're hearing from people all over the country, and I'll just throw my voice in: Our hearts go out to you and all the people there. This has been an unthinkable week. We hope it all ends soon.
Thank you for your time tonight.
DUNCAN: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Douglas Duncan, the county executive in Montgomery County, Maryland. And his face and his words said an awful lot tonight, didn't they?
Coming up on the program we'll talk with the Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott. He doesn't expect to be the minority leader for long.
That's coming up on NEWSNIGHT from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A bit more on Iraq now. In an intriguing letter from the CIA director, George Tenet, Mr. Tenet warned the Senate Intelligence Committee that Saddam Hussein may resort to terrorism against the United States if Saddam believes an attack on Iraq is inevitable. It didn't say how he might do that. The letter is dated October 7.
Mr. Tenet said in a statement there was, quote, "no inconsistency between the CIA's view and the views expressed by the president last night."
We updated you earlier on the debate in the House over Iraq. A bit now from the Senate.
One of the most vocal opponents of the White House policy tried some procedural moves today to slow the passage of the resolution, someone who knows the procedures better than probably anyone in the Senate, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a Democrat. But for all of Senator Byrd's efforts, not to mention flourish, most everyone agrees the president will get the resolution he wants. The question is when, and just how much leeway he will get?
We spoke earlier with Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Senator, let's begin with the resolution. When do you believe the resolution will pass -- the Iraq resolution will pass the Senate?
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MISSISSIPPI: It should pass by Thursday night. It could be delayed if there's some dilatory tactics employed by some of the senators. It could actually carry over until next week. But Senator Daschle and I talked on Monday about trying to set up a process that would allow for a full debate, a vote on some amendments, but try to wrap it up on Thursday night, and that is possible, and I believe it will be an overwhelming vote.
BROWN: We all -- and I'm sure you do -- we all hope it doesn't come down to a war, but if it does, given the state of the economy today, do you have concerns about how a war will impact this economy?
LOTT: Well, I thought one of the most important things about the president's speech on Monday night was that he emphasized the seriousness of the threat. But he also said this doesn't mean there's going to be war in the morning or even that war is necessary. It could be avoided if Saddam Hussein would do what he's not done for 11 years, allow inspectors in, find the weapons of mass destruction and destroy them.
What the impact might be on the economy right now would be strictly conjecture. It will depend on how long the situation is, you know, basically in a war footing, what would happen after it stops, what would happen to oil prices, what jobs might be affected by the war itself.
So, it's hard to project that in terms of short-term or long-term effect. It will have some cost, and we have to be aware of that. But I think that some people probably right now would over-exaggerate that, and I don't think we should be focused next year, or this fall even, just on the war in Iraq or the war on terrorism.
I think we need to also be sensitive to what's happening with the economy. We need to find a way to end the dock strike on the West Coast. We need to find ways to protect people's income retirement security. We need to look at terrorism insurance, so that we can get some of these construction projects that are being held up now because of the lack of the terrorism insurance, get that done so that we can get those jobs moving in the economy.
BROWN: Do you have any sense of what a war with Iraq would cost the country?
LOTT: I don't have any, you know, firm information on that, and again, I think it would really be conjecture. It depends on when we have to do it and how it's done and how successful it is and, you know, what the resistance would be and how many allies join us in that effort and a multinational force and what countries are willing to help pay for the cost.
There are just too many intangibles there, all of which are being worked on, I might say, Aaron. I want to say that to the American people. We don't have all of the answers yet, because you never can be absolutely sure when or where a conflict like this might begin or end. But you do start talking about how you do it and who will be your allies and who will help bear the brunt of the costs and what will be the aftermath.
BROWN: Do you think it is in any sense inappropriate to talk about the cost of this, its impact on the economy, given the stark words the president spoke last night?
LOTT: Well, I guess there will be those that will raise that question, and there will be people that will be trying to get an assessment on that. But, you know, when you're talking about life, liberty and security in your home, in your hometown, or peace in the world, you have to do what you have to do. I mean, I guess there were people that said, oh, look, just ignore Hitler; he's not that much of a menace. Besides that, it might cost too much if we deal with this threat.
I thought we learned some lessons from, you know, 9/11. We are at risk even at home. This threat is serious. It's not just about nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them. It is about biological and chemical weapons that we know he has, that are unaccounted for, that can be delivered in very small containers.
So, when you're talking about that kind of threat, your first question is: How do we protect the interests of the American people and even the threats to their lives? You try to do it with the least amount, you know, of cost or effect on the economy, but you do what you have to do. And I think that's what the president intends to do, that's what his administration is committed to. I believe that's what the American people would expect us to do.
We hope and pray for the best, Aaron. Hopefully, Saddam Hussein will change, and maybe he will change from the way he's acted for 11 years, but I don't see it right now.
BROWN: Thank you, sir. It's good to talk to you.
LOTT: Good talking to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott on Iraq tonight.
Still to come on NEWSNIGHT, some very important economic news.
First, developments that may soon end, at least temporarily, the West Coast port lockout. The president got into that today.
And later, just what makes the Betel Nut market go, and why is the government of Taiwan cracking down?
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: President Bush today asked a court to call a temporary end to the lockout on the docks out West. Presidents can do that in certain labor disputes, but none has used the power since President Carter did it in 1978.
And late today, a judge agreed with the president, granted the request and sent the two sides to this very expensive labor dispute to a time-out, so to speak.
Management is smiling over this; labor is not. And all of this could extend from the ports to the ballot box in a month, but that's a month from now.
Here's where we are tonight from CNN's Frank Buckley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKLEY (voice-over): As ships and containers continued to stack up off the West Coast, President Bush invoked the rarely-used Taft- Hartley Act to end the lockout of more than 10,000 longshoremen.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The crisis in our western ports is hurting the economy. It is hurting the security of our country, and the federal government must act.
BUCKLEY: Both sides in the labor dispute blame the other for the lack of an agreement, but representatives for the shipping companies were the only ones who agreed with the president's decision. JOE MINIACE, PRES., PACIFIC MARITIME ASSN.: And I believe that the decision he made was in the best interests of the economy and national security.
BUSH: It is not, however, a permanent solution to the problem.
BUCKLEY: Longshoremen watched the president on TV at a union hall in Long Beach, others listened on the radio, as they picketed on the docks. Their representatives claim that President Bush was taking management's side.
RICHARD MEADE, LLWU: They take the country, hold it hostage, in order to invoke Taft-Hartley. And here we have -- we have a new dock boss. His name is George Bush. Now, will the longshoremen listen to Boy George? That's the next question.
BUCKLEY: The traffic jam at sea has so far hit trucking, manufacturing and agriculture the hardest.
At Munchkin Manufacturing in Van Nuys, California, they're waiting for their baby and child products shipped from across the Pacific.
And Tom Delaney (ph) says, warehouse shelves are starting to show it.
(on camera): So, these shelves that we're looking at here would normally be full?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
BUCKLEY: And they're virtually empty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.
BUCKLEY (voice-over): Munchkin and other manufacturers, who overstocked in recent months in anticipation of a labor dispute, may get by now with only minor damage.
But what could truckers do? At Sterling Trucking, they're losing thousands of dollars a day as trucks that transport the goods on the container ships sit idle.
Even with the end of the work stoppage, says Mario Castillo, the economy will suffer.
MARIO CASTILLO, MUNCHKIN MANUFACTURING: This is the peak season, you know, so a lot of the stuff is for Christmas, and some of those customers are already backing out of their orders, because there's not going to be time for them to receive the goods.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BUCKLEY: Longshoremen tonight are still here on the picket lines in Long Beach. It isn't clear when these longshoremen will be back to work here in southern California. We're told in the Bay Area, they will be back to work tomorrow night, locally, 7:00 p.m. Pacific, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Back to the dispute itself, we should tell you that what the judge issued today, Aaron, was a temporary restraining order. It wasn't the full injunction that the Bush administration was seeking that would have ordered that 80-day, cooling-off period, but there is a hearing to determine that next week -- Aaron.
BROWN: Frank, thank you. We'll be following that from the West Coast beginning tomorrow. Thank you, Frank Buckley.
Wall Street liked what the president did, by the way, today. That item tops our "National Roundup" tonight and makes for a real "Man Bites Dow" story. Huh.
It's barely news, after all, when stocks go down these days. The real novelty seems to be when they go up, which they did pretty much across the board. Blue chips rose 78 points, not nearly the high for the day, but still up. The Nasdaq and S&P up as well.
Louie Freeh on Capitol Hill today. The former FBI director answering criticism of the FBI's efforts against terrorism when he ran the bureau. Mr. Freeh told lawmakers fighting terrorism was a high priority before 9/11, and he rejected charges the bureau was slow to share intelligence or make the most of what it had. Mr. Freeh left the bureau three months before the attacks.
In Buffalo today, a federal magistrate granted bail to Sahim Alwan, one of six men accused of training with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and being part of a terrorism cell back home. He said the man's story of faking an injury to get sent home from Afghanistan makes him less of a continuing threat to the community.
Still, the magistrate set tough terms: $600,000 bond, electronic monitoring. Mr. Alwan would be forbidden from sending my e-mails, faxes or making cell phone calls. His other calls will be tapped.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, the story of Betel Juice -- no, not the movie.
Up next, taking a stand against the war in Iraq and the effect it could have on one politician's future. A political story when we continue from New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It's always sunny on "AMERICAN MORNING," and to prove it, here's Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Aaron. We're going to have the latest on the manhunt for the D.C. area sniper.
We will also be visiting with actor Christopher Reeve. Since his paralyzing accident seven years ago, he says nothing is impossible. Christopher Reeve on politics, faith and his remarkable progress -- Aaron.
BROWN: Thank you, Paula.
Next on NEWSNIGHT, the Iraq debate and one key Senate race. We're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Senator Paul Wellstone would have had a tough run to hold his seat under any circumstances. He's a liberal in big, block, capital letters. There aren't many of those left.
He's running despite a promise he made a decade ago to only serve two terms. Minnesotans accept liberals more than most, not so sure how they feel about broken promises.
And he has a challenger: A popular, moderate Republican, handpicked by the White House. And then, there is Iraq.
Here's CNN's Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is 48 degrees and pouring in Eveleth, Minnesota. Senator Paul Wellstone is here to talk union business and small business, but a local reporter wants to know about the Iraq business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you comment on Iraq and the debate -- yesterday's debate a little bit?
SEN. PAUL WELLSTONE (D), MINNESOTA: Yes.
CROWLEY: One of the purest liberals on Capitol Hill, the senior senator from Minnesota is in one of the toughest races of the season, in one of the most unpredictable states in the country. In the midst of it, he will vote against the president on Iraq, which may cause some people in the state to vote against Paul Wellstone, or not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like your position on the war. Thanks a lot.
WELLSTONE: Thanks for saying that.
CROWLEY: Iraq could play either way or not at all in Minnesota, a larger, progressive, proudly populist state, where independent thought is practically a religion.
WELLSTONE: Ultimately, people vote for the person they like, regardless of a particular issue. It's the impression they have. They believe in you, they trust you, they think you're really honest, they think you're someone of conviction.
NORM COLEMAN (R), U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: Oh, we're not voting for who is the most -- you know, who has the best conscience. Paul doesn't have a monopoly on conscience.
CROWLEY: Norm Coleman, the former mayor of St. Paul and a former Democrat, gets credit for bringing hockey, business and boom times back to the city. Reborn a Republican, Coleman is betting that Minnesota has tired of Wellstone's lonely crusades.
COLEMAN: Norm Coleman knows gets stuff done. He knows how to reach across the aisle, he knows how to work in a bipartisan way. He'll take care of -- he'll be elected to take care of stuff. Paul Wellstone is the guy fighting against.
CROWLEY: Mickey's 24/7 Diner in St. Paul is as good a place as any to test the weight of war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think about Wellstone, or what's his name, Coleman?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Wellstone gets my vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coleman gets mine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, what a happy family.
CROWLEY: Mickey's is kitschy enough to attract the upwardly mobile with the hearty food and cheap prices to make it a working man's hangout. Here, they support Wellstone, or they support Coleman. It has very little to do with war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Coleman was our mayor here for years, and he did more to revitalize St. Paul. If you can revitalize this, you know, what can he do in the Senate?
CROWLEY: Here, it seems the talk of war has done less to sway political opinions than reinforce them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always liked Paul Wellstone. I think he's been a good senator for us, and the fact that he's willing to vote against this, just steals my resolve.
WELLSTONE: We're going to win!
CROWLEY: In Minnesota after 12 years, they have come to know what to expect of Paul Wellstone.
WELLSTONE: This is field of dreams right here.
CROWLEY: The question is whether they now want something else.
Candy Crowley, CNN, St. Paul, Minnesota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Next on NEWSNIGHT, just what does it take to sell Betel Nuts?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Finally from us tonight, Taiwan's answer to Hooters. I swear to you, I have never been to Hooters in my life, but I do get the business plan. Put a waitress in short-shorts and even shorter T- shirts, and sell maybe one more beer, one more plate of wings.
We here in the United States may be jaded to the Hooters technique, but not so in Taiwan.
Mike Chinoy tonight on the trouble with the Betel Juice booty -- beauties -- something like that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a business where competition is cutthroat, these young women are dressed to kill. But all they're doing is selling Betel Nuts, a mild stimulant chewed by millions of Taiwanese, overwhelmingly men, which is why these roadside vendors have found that skimpier outfits mean higher sales.
But showing flesh to peddle nuts has riled many people here. Now, Taiwan County, near Taipei, has issued a new edict, requiring the so-called Betel Nut beauties here to cover up their breasts, buttocks and belly buttons, or face the full force of the law.
Taiwan Deputy Magistrate Liao Cheng-Ching was the prime mover behind the new rules, which he insists are needed not only for reasons of public decency.
LIAO CHENG-CHING, DEPUTY MAGISTRATE (through translator): Even more important, hospital records show that many male drivers have been so distracted by the Betel Nut girls, that they've run into telephone poles.
CHINOY: Twenty-three-year-old Hsiao Lu has been selling Betel Nut for five years. She complains the new rules could destroy her livelihood.
HSIAO LU, BETEL NUT SELLER (through translator): It's very unfair. The economy is bad now. Dressing sexy makes a huge difference in our earnings. These regulations will make it very hard to go on.
CHINOY: There appears to be considerable public support for the cover-up campaign, but Josephine Ho, who runs a university research center on sexuality and has studied Betel Nut girls for years, argues that the edict is all about politics and class.
JOSEPHINE HO, UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: The girls are mostly from working class backgrounds. Their outfit is merely a way of gaining more financially. If they really want to clean up this society, they should get rid of the high fashion model shows, they should get rid of the girls demonstrating cars at the car shows. Many, many of the sex- appeal oriented, competitive strategies will have to be examined.
CHINOY: For now, the Betel Nut sellers of Taiwan County appear to be complying with the new rules.
(on camera): But the Betel Nut business is so big, the competition for sales so fierce, that whatever the rules, the basic dynamic of the trade is likely to remain the same, and that is, that sex sells.
Mike Chinoy, CNN, Taiwan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: That's all for tonight.
We're on our way to the West Coast tomorrow. Anderson sits in tomorrow night. We'll see you again on Thursday.
A couple of terrific programs Thursday and Friday, we believe, and we hope you'll join us for them as well.
I'm Aaron Brown. Good night for all of us at NEWSNIGHT.
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