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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown
Officials Confirm Individuals Living in U.S. Trained in Terror Camps in Afghanistan; Interview With Raymond Kelly, Anthony Williams
Aired February 13, 2003 - 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, HOST: And good evening again, everyone, from Kuwait. When we awoke this morning, 2:00 in the morning Kuwaiti time, we called back home for a reality check. "How crazy is it back there," I asked the most normal person I have ever known, my wife. "Pretty crazy," she replied. That told me a lot.
Partly, of course, I called to make sure they were OK. I'm a long way from home and a long way from being able to help, even if I could help, which I can't. It's a trap.
We know how this craziness began. We know that last Friday the government raised the alert level and started talking about all the chatter they were hearing and that the chatter was more specific and more serious than all the other chatter. And, by the way, we hate the word "chatter." It seems trivial, but that's what we call it. So we know how it began.
And we saw pictures yesterday of New York police in subways with radiation detectors and heightened security all over the country. So we know how it started and we know how we've responded.
What we can't figure out is how it will end. At what point someone in the government will stand up at a podium and say, we are reducing the threat level. And what will be the basis for that?
Will they pick up some chatter from some terror cell in Germany or Karachi, some terrorist controller saying, OK, that's enough, we scared the hell out of them and we didn't have to say anything but chatter? Or maybe it will be that the good guys will catch some bad guys as they are just about to do something and that will end it. Or maybe it will be something much worse.
A war with Iraq won't end this, nor will catching bin Laden. And maybe it will not end at all. Maybe somehow we'll just get used to it. I can't imagine.
On to "The Whip" and the news of the day. The latest on the terror threat. We begin with the FBI's efforts to find potential terrorists who may already be in the United States. Kelli Arena following that for us. Kelli, start us with a headline, please.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, sources tell us that there are individuals under surveillance in as many as 30 U.S. cities. Among them, nearly a dozen men who trained in terror camps in Afghanistan.
BROWN: Kelli, thank you. We'll be back to you at the top tonight.
Anxious times in many places across the United States, perhaps no more so than New York City. Whitney Casey has been working that tonight. Whitney, a headline from you.
WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, New York City has been in an orange terror alert for 17 months now, yet this week the police presence is very notable, making our island city somewhat like a fortress.
BROWN: Whitney, thank you.
And the latest now on Iraq, which on the eve of what could be the most critical moment, a moment that decides whether we now also go to war. Richard Roth at his post. Richard, a headline from you.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, Blix and ElBaradei, the most famous team of inspectors ever, report to the U.N. Security Council tomorrow morning. First night reviews may determine whether we're headed towards war or peace of mind on Iraq -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. Back to you and the rest shortly.
Also coming up tonight on NEWSNIGHT for Thursday, the 13th of February, we'll talk about local response to the terror threat with the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams and New York City's police commissioner Ray Kelly. And we'll get some perspective on the situation with Iraq and tomorrow's report. We'll be joined by Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine.
Also tonight from here, it is not Cancun, and it is not the Hamptons to be sure, but people in Kuwait say it's a far better vacation spot than either of those places. We'll take you camping Kuwaiti style.
And "Segment 7" tonight, the Frenchman and the Spaniard giving New Yorkers an escape they most certainly need, Matisse and Picasso. Fitting we suppose on a day so full of jagged edges and strange shapes. And like a Picasso, it is a picture with not one but many story lines all tangled together.
Tonight the country is marching to war, bracing for attack, waiting for diplomats, and as best it can, sweating things out. We begin with tonight's late developments on the terrorism front and CNN's Kelli Arena, who joins us again from Washington. Kelli, good evening.
ARENA: Good evening, Aaron. We do have new information tonight about the al Qaeda threat within U.S. borders. Officials confirm that there are about a dozen individuals living in the United States who have trained in terror camps in Afghanistan. Now sources say they are not together, they are scattered around the country, living in New York, New Jersey and in some western cities. They are and they have been under surveillance for months.
Now we have reported in the past there are as many as 1,000 individuals under surveillance from suspected terrorists to those sympathetic to their cause. And we can now tell you that surveillance effort is under way in as many as 30 U.S. cities. And what's more, the group under surveillance includes between 20 and 40 people described by sources as militant Muslims with strong al Qaeda ties. Aaron, back to you.
BROWN: Well, there's a lot of numbers and a lot of questions. Let me start with a few. Any of them to what you're being told acting in any way suspiciously?
ARENA: Not that we have been told. And we should point out that, when directly asked, the FBI director, Robert Mueller, has said that the FBI has not found any evidence of an active cell or a sleeper cell here in the United States. So these are individuals that are under surveillance but no signs yet that they're part of any plot or any planned terrorist attack.
BROWN: Are any of them American citizens, as far as we know, or are they all foreign nationals living in the country?
ARENA: Well, there are American citizens within the 600 to 1,000 people that are under active surveillance every day in the country. As far as the dozen go that trained in al Qaeda camps, I have not been able to get much detail on those individuals, Aaron.
BROWN: OK. Now Kelli, one more. Since Friday, have you -- and you've been working this very hard since then -- have you detected any change in tone either more serious or less serious from the sources you've been dealing with?
ARENA: No, they were very serious on Friday, Aaron. And as we discussed last night, we have FBI agents who are on very high alert. They're being kept on a very short leash. They're told not to go anywhere.
The biggest concern, Aaron, seems to be focused on tomorrow, Friday. Terror experts suggest that if there is going to be attack that it would happen between a Monday and Friday timeframe, where more people are out and about and where, if there were a target that they had in mind, that would be most crowded during the week.
You do know that we heard from intelligence chiefs telling us that there was specific information pointing to the attack to coincide with the end of the Muslim observance of the Hajj. The Hajj ended today. And so lots of focus on tomorrow, Aaron. Again, no specific intelligence suggesting anything anywhere will happen tomorrow, but I can tell you that the concern level going into tonight about tomorrow was very high.
BROWN: Let me ask you one more thing. Are your sources either surprised, concerned or pleased -- that's a possibility, too -- at how cities and citizens have reacted to all of this that's gone on since Friday?
ARENA: Well, lots of what we've seen and that we've been highlighting that has been going on in cities really -- some of that has been going on all along, Aaron. There's just more focused attention on it. And that is something -- the coordination and the response is something obviously that federal law enforcement is happy about. There is some concern, though, about getting people too upset.
I had one agent say to me today, you know, tomorrow your commute into Washington should be really easy because we don't expect anybody to be out there on the street with all of the misinformation that is out there. And I can tell you that there's been a lot of misinformation. Lots of rumors that have spread that we have had to knock down throughout the day.
Lots of false alarms that have been called in to state and local law enforcement authorities about packages and boxes falling off trucks and highways that have been shut down. I mean, across the country. So the -- there's a bit of a franticness among certain segments of the population that is not helpful, that's not helpful, because that does end up in more calls to law enforcement that people have to be sent out to check out that they normally would not. I mean, they need to save the manpower for the things that are real.
BROWN: Kelli, thank you. The problem, of course, is it's hard to know what's real. I saw a story on the wires about a bridge in New York that was shut down because a box had fallen off a truck and people got very nervous. And it's hard to know whether that means anything or it doesn't. Thank you, Kelli Arena, in Washington, as always.
On that note, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, had a reminder for his constituents today. "You are New Yorkers," he said. "Now get on with your lives."
The mayor said his routine hasn't changed. That he still rides the subway to work. It is a picture of normalcy, which today at least would also make it something of a rarity. Here again is CNN's Whitney Casey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY (voice-over): Security checkpoints backing up traffic for hours at New York City's tunnels and bridges. A bomb squad inspects a suspicious package. A slew of police vans pull into the financial district. At the ready by the subway, a biochemical squad, and below ground officers patrol the platforms. A day in New York City under the heightened terror alert.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK CITY: We constantly are changing what we're doing so that nobody can predict where we'll show up, who will show up, what equipment they will have or what they'll be looking for.
CASEY: And while increased police presence is evident nearly everywhere, New Yorkers are urged to remain vigilant, but with this caveat...
BLOOMBERG: What you should do is go about your business. I don't know how many times I've got to tell you so that you can get the message.
CASEY: At a survival store in lower Manhattan, New Yorkers going about their business, lining up for gas masks. Darren (ph) has made an elaborate contingency plan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully get my daughter. If my ex-wife wants to come, she can come and go upstate. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we have a house up there with a bunch of our friends. We're planning. We stocked it up with water, food. And we just want to be out of the city.
CASEY: Charles (ph) will join up with co-workers and family in lower Manhattan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have a plan to meet over by the Brooklyn Bridge, if that's still available, in the event that something happens. And then get over as soon as possible.
CASEY: Other preparations New Yorkers are buying into...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is basically what you're going to look like.
CASEY: ... gas masks, gloves, and this nuclear, biological, chemical suit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've packed everything in that preparedness kit that we've gone over in a portable lightweight bag.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY: And Army-Navy supplies stores tell us that they're selling record numbers of water purification pills and ready-to-go Army rations. And, Aaron, just to give you a story of the atmosphere anecdotally, the other night I was out at a dinner party with a lot of young people, and the gentleman next to me offered to hand me his card. And when he did, out fell radiation tablets. So New Yorkers, yes, they are unflappable, but they are prepared -- Aaron.
BROWN: Just, is it -- Whitney, getting around the city, are there noticeably fewer people in Manhattan right now?
CASEY: I wouldn't say that there were fewer people, but what I would say is, noticeably, on the subways, what I saw today was unbelievable. I saw about 12 police officers that were dipping in and out of subway cars just checking it out. It was a bit unnerving I will say.
BROWN: I suspect it is a bit unnerving all around. Whitney, thank you very much.
This is one of those kinds of stories that's not necessarily easy to report. There is a fine line between reporting what we know and what we need to do and scaring the daylights out of everyone. And we're very aware that we're walking that line. Of all the pictures today, two we think went largely unnoticed. Gasoline prices hit a high not seen in years, and the stock market once again hit the skids. In the end, these two things may be the real legacy of the terror threats and the possibility of war. But today stock prices were eclipsed by stocking up and gas prices took a back seat to gas masks. Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the nation's capital, where there's no shortage of potential terror targets, U.S. military might is visibly ready. There is stepped up training at trauma centers, and more police throughout Washington's subway system. In Los Angeles, at the UCLA Medical Center, a new contingency plan if more than 60 people an hour show up for treatment after a possible biochemical attack.
VICTOR KENNEDY, UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: We may need to treat the community outside and not let them in the building right away because they may inundate and overwhelm us.
CANDIOTTI: In San Diego, Lindberg/Schweitzer elementary school is reviewing disaster plans while keeping youngsters focused on routine.
LAURIE HINZMAN, PRINCIPAL: I want to make sure that the children are going to be safe no matter what.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): At the Little Havana Senior Citizen Center in downtown Miami, one of 13 centers serving 2,000 senior citizens daily, the director says, in case of a terrorist attack, he would probably keep everyone inside and simply wait to hear for further instructions.
(voice-over): Too many windows to plan on using plastic sheeting, he says. Volunteer (UNINTELLIGIBLE) admits she's scared but not panicked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we are here, we try to put the thought on our back and have some fun. And then when we get home, then we get worried again about the situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most gas masks are going to have an NBC filter nowadays.
CANDIOTTI: In Garland, Texas, more than 300 gas masks sold so far this week at an Army surplus story. Kelly McCarter (ph) outfitting her family.
KELLY MCCARTER: It's going to be fun. Can you see me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MCCARTER : What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. MCCARTER: You like it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: In Hartford, Connecticut, one man taking homeland security advice to the limit. Homeowner Paul West sealing his entire house in plastic sheeting.
PAUL WEST, HARTFORD RESIDENT: It's scary. And I have all this anxiety and I want to do something with it.
CANDIOTTI: Across the country, Americans struggling to comply with government warnings: Be prepared, not scared. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Man, if that picture of that little kid taking out her pacifier and putting on a gas mask doesn't both break your heart and make you angry, nothing will.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, more on America's state of alert. We'll talk live with the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams. And from New York City, the police commissioner, Ray Kelly. From Kuwait and around the world, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It would be hard to overstate the challenge facing local authorities back home, trying to keep people from panicking, while at the same time going to extraordinary lengths and quite visible lengths to keep people safe. More on what's going on both in New York and Washington.
We're joined tonight by the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams, and by New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly. Welcome to you both.
Commissioner Kelly, let me start with you, if I may. Just take the information that you know, that you've been told, which is certainly more than we have, and the instincts of a career in law enforcement and tell me how dangerous a moment you think we are in.
RAYMOND KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: Well, it's a time of concern. Clearly, if you look at it in the environment as we go forward to some sort of closure with Iraq, it's a moment of concern. Here in New York I think you could characterize it as people certainly have some level of anxiety, but we also have that New York attitude like we've been through it before.
We're a tough, gritty people, and we're going to go on with our lives. That was the message of Mayor Bloomberg today. Let the pros do the worrying and be vigilant, but go forward with your lives.
BROWN: Well, you see and literally saw just a moment ago the pictures that I saw of New Yorkers running and getting gas masks, the duct tape, of this and of that. Are they overreacting?
KELLY: Well, I think that was selective New Yorkers. I don't have the sense that large numbers of people are doing that. I think it certainly played to the piece that you did, but that's not my sense that that's what the majority of New Yorkers are doing.
Is there concern? Yes. I think there's a heightened state of vigilance that we've asked people to apply, and that's good. We have a hotline number here, 1-888-NYC-SAFE. We ask people to be aware of their surroundings, if they see something unusual, to call that number. But continue to be New Yorkers.
And that's what I see out on the street and people that I talk to. I know you showed some pieces with people with gas masks and tape. But that's not the feeling that I have or what I see.
BROWN: Thank you. The perspective is helpful.
Let me go to Mayor Williams. Mayor, is the district prepared? Are the hospitals prepared? Do they have the medicines that might be required to respond to a chemical or biological attack?
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: I believe that, especially since the anthrax attack on our city, let alone since September 11, we've worked very, very closely with our hospitals, with jurisdictions throughout the region, very importantly with the federal government. And I believe that we are prepared to get the supplies and the resources in there where they're needed. God forbid the occasion arises.
BROWN: And what is your sense of -- let me go back to the question I asked Commissioner Kelly -- of the actual danger of this moment? Is it being overblown by us, by individuals, by whoever?
WILLIAMS: I think that there is a heightened -- I mean, I fully support and share the concern of -- shared with the public by federal authorities based on the intelligence that they've garnered, some of which has been shared with folks like me on the local level. We need a heightened state of preparedness, a heightened state of vigilance. But I couldn't agree more with the commissioner; I couldn't agree more with Mayor Bloomberg.
We've got to go on with our regular lives. Now we happen to be ending the Hajj. In another week or so something else may be happening. In another week or so, something else may be happening. If we allow this to disrupt our normal course of businesses, there will be far more harm to our businesses, to our jobs, and to our families than the threat of this one attack.
BROWN: Commissioner Kelly, given the nature of terrorism itself, do you believe that the city and that -- the city of New York and perhaps other police agencies, too -- can in fact stop a terrorist attack or simply respond to one?
KELLY: No, I think we can do a lot to prevent an attack. I think we've done an awful lot. We've increased our patrols certainly at sensitive locations. We're working closely with the federal authorities, more closely than ever before.
There are some investigations and some surveillance operations going forward. So I think a lot can be done to prevent an attack. But we also have to prepare, god forbid, if there is another attack. And we're much better prepared as far as responding to an event than we were certainly 17 months ago. And we get stronger every day.
We would, quite frankly, like some additional federal resources. I'm sure certainly every large city in America would like that to help us better respond. But I think we can do both, and we are doing both. So far we haven't had an attack and I think -- I would like to think that a lot of things that we put in place are acting as a deterrent.
BROWN: Mayor Williams, on that point also, the district is obviously in a unique place. Do you have from the federal government all the resources that you need? There's this bill that's been held up, budget bill that was held up in the Congress that was supposed to get local police forces money. Do you have what you need?
WILLIAMS: Well, local forces across the country need that bill to go through so they can get the resources they need. Fortunately, here in the district, we received a slug of money -- that's a technical term -- last year to get us started in terms of major investment in emergency preparedness. And we're using that money. And I believe we're better prepared for it. That goes to everything from hazmat materials to communications gear and the like.
BROWN: Mayor, thank you for joining us. Commissioner Kelly, as always. Back when you took the job, Commissioner Kelly, you told me that you suspected a lot of your time was going to be spent on counterterrorism. I'm not sure I believed you then. I will never not believe you again.
Thank you for your time. Ray Kelly and Mayor Williams of Washington.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, how close are we to war with Iraq? This is a hugely important day ahead. We'll preview the speech by the chief inspector, Hans Blix, that he'll deliver on Friday to the U.N.
And later, some last moments relaxing in the desert for Kuwaitis. We'll hear what they think about life, about conflict and more. This is NEWSNIGHT from Kuwait. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A few stories from around the world tonight. We start out with the response from Iraq to questions of its missile capability. During a visit to Italy today, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, denied that a certain kind of Iraqi missile violates U.N. restrictions. A team of missile experts has told the United Nations that the missile has a range that does go over the U.N. limit, which is 93 miles.
On to Germany, where Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder spoke today to the German parliament. He vowed to fight to prevent a war against Iraq. Chancellor Schroeder saying that a majority of Security Council members agree with him that war should be avoided.
Consider this. We are about halfway into the program for tonight, and in some respects we are just arriving at what is arguably the most important story. That is not to say we missed the lead, but it does tell you that, for now, tomorrow's crucial report from the weapons inspectors, likely a prelude to a war or not, has taken a back seat, if only for now, to the terror threats at home.
And the way these things work, we suspect that both sides will find their case supported tomorrow. It will not be either an A for cooperation or an F. It will certainly set in motion a chain of events that will lead either to a war with U.N. support or very possibly a war without it. Or perhaps no war at all.
Here again, CNN's Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): Hans Blix can push aside the flag of the United Nations. The chief weapons inspector Friday will command world attention when he critiques Iraq's cooperation with inspectors.
ISMAEL ABRAAO GASPAR MARTINS, ANGOLAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Look, we hope to see a briefing which gives us direction.
ROTH: But sources say the Blix report may not point in any direction. A diplomat said there will be something for everybody. The report is likely to note increased cooperation on U-2 surveillance flights and interviews with scientist, but little documentation on whereabouts of V.X. nerve agent and anthrax.
Blix is expected to say Iraq has violated U.N. resolutions by test-firing the al-Samud II missile beyond an allowable 93-mile range. The lead nuclear inspector will discuss concerns over aluminum tubing, which could be used for uranium enrichment, and importing of magnets for nuclear production. But Mohamed ElBaradei says Iraq has made an effort.
MOHAMED ELBARADEI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: I think we still have a chance. If we continue with our work, if Iraq provides full cooperation, we should still be able to avoid the war.
ROTH: Iraq says it's giving everything it has to the inspectors.
ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER, MEXICO AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We did provide a lot and we continue to cooperate with inspectors.
ROTH: The White House hopes Security Council nations will learn from the inspectors' reports, Baghdad will never cooperate.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The decision is this for the United Nations. When you say something, does it mean anything? You've got to decide.
ROTH: But a majority of Security Council members say Blix and ElBaradei's findings should lead to more time for probing Iraq. ZINSER: We anticipate and expect they will give us a route to continue the inspections.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: The secretary of state will be here. After Colin Powell makes his remarks and those of the other foreign ministers, the real battle will begin. The council will go behind closed doors to start interpreting the findings Blix and ElBaradei -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, you've been on the road with the inspectors. You're back at the United Nations now. Has there been a shift at all towards the argument that the inspectors need more time?
ROTH: I don't think there's been any shift, all sides, both sides dug in. The U.S. thinks the Blix and ElBaradei findings hopefully will steer countries toward saying Iraq is not cooperating; let's not waste any more time. Other countries, France, Mexico, Germany, think they keep finding more things; Iraq is giving a little each time; let the inspectors continue their work.
I know this sounds like a refrain, but I think you're going to hear it again, even after Blix and ElBaradei report.
BROWN: And probably again after that.
Richard, thank you -- Richard Roth at the United Nations tonight.
Still to come, we'll have more on this question of the inspectors' report tomorrow. We'll be joined by "TIME" magazine's Michael Elliott.
And a little later, in segment seven tonight -- and we will need it by then -- a beautiful way to put terror behind you.
From Kuwait, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And next on NEWSNIGHT, we'll talk more about the events of tomorrow at the U.N. We're joined by Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine.
A short break, as NEWSNIGHT continues from Kuwait.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The dawn of a new day here in Kuwait.
We were feeling a little left out, if you will, with all the security madness in the United States, until we read today in the morning papers here in Kuwait that this country of Kuwait is about to go on the highest state of alert in its history, extra security around the refineries, the airports, the government buildings. There's not much doubt in this country that a war is coming. Michael Elliott joins us now from New York. Michael has been reporting for "TIME" magazine on both the inspectors side and the Bush side of the equation, where Iraq is concerned.
Michael, it's good to you have back with us.
MICHAEL ELLIOTT, "TIME": Good to be here, Aaron.
BROWN: Just very briefly, do you expect a little something for everybody in the Blix statement tomorrow?
ELLIOTT: I do, Aaron.
I thought your introduction, saying that we don't expect an A- plus and we don't expect an F, was absolutely on the money. I think it's going to be a very factual, very, very carefully written statement, in which everyone gets a little thing. But I suspect, at the end of it, the administration is going to feel relatively pleased by what they hear.
BROWN: Pleased enough to convince other countries to convince other countries to join them in their effort to launch a war, if that's what they intend to do?
ELLIOTT: Not immediately.
One of the things that I'm increasingly convinced of, as I talk to people and listen during this week, is that this has still got a while to play out yet. There are hoops that still have to be jumped through. I don't think -- I would be surprised if you saw a resolution introduced tomorrow. As Richard Roth said, they're going to go into private session after lunch.
So, I think it's going to be pretty deep into next week before we really get into the meat of those discussions to bring other people on board. There's an important meeting in Brussels, Aaron, on Monday, when all the European Union countries get together and try and put back together the absolute mess of attempt at a common policy that they've got themselves into.
BROWN: It certainly has become that.
You may have answered this already when you said that it will be a pretty factual, straightforward report. Do you expect that Blix will say, give us more time; it will help us if we have more time?
ELLIOTT: That's a really good question.
My best guess, given the things that I've been hearing today, is that he will neither say, give us more time, nor will he say, time's up. He's a very experienced diplomat. And they have ways of writing things and avoiding writing things, avoiding putting things down on paper. And I suspect he will try and dodge that. He will try and dodge coming to the conclusion that he either needs more time or, for that matter, that time's up. But I suspect that one of the messages that we will hear, just as we did at the end of January, is that, although the Iraqis are giving a little bit on process, as Richard said in the segment a minute ago, they still haven't had that kind of come-to-Jesus moment where they absolutely give it all up and say: Here it is. You don't have to go looking for it. Here's the stuff.
And I suspect Blix will make it clear that they haven't yet done that. And the administration will be pleased when they hear that.
BROWN: In 20 seconds, because the clock is killing me all of a sudden, how much pressure is Blix under right now from all sides?
ELLIOTT: Well, I think from all sides is the key thing, Aaron.
He's obviously under enormous pressure from the American administration. But he doesn't work for the U.S. He doesn't work for President Bush. He works for the Security Council. He has 15 bosses. He's got to keep them all sweet. I'm surprised that he always looks as happy and agreeable and equitable as he appears. He's got a tough job.
BROWN: He does indeed.
Michael, thank you. It's good to talk to you again, Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine, one of the best in the business on this sort of stuff.
A few quick stories from around the United States tonight, beginning with the latest on the shuttle disaster: NASA engineers now believe that Columbia suffered a breach that allowed super hot air to get into that problematic left wheel well. The question now is how that breach happened. The Columbia investigation board is looking at different scenarios. The members don't believe the loss of a single protective tile could have caused the fatal breach.
And in Houston, Texas, Clara Harris was found guilty of murder for intentionally running over her husband after she found out he was having an affair. Ms. Harris could face life in prison, but the jury could recommend as little as two years if it decides it was a case of sudden passion.
And Pat Robertson said today he'll undergo surgery for prostate cancer. The Christian broadcaster made the announcement on his program, "The 700 Club." He said he hoped to be back to a full schedule within two weeks.
Still ahead on NEWSNIGHT from Kuwait City, we'll take you out into the desert for traditional R&R here and take our minds off terror a little bit, too, a beautiful exhibit in segment seven tonight of two of the world's great artists and the story of their professional competition.
Around the world, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Next on NEWSNIGHT, we'll take you out to the desert and show you how Kuwaitis relax. It is an experience.
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Sunrise over the Gulf on a Friday morning here in Kuwait.
We said the other day this country is a study in contrasts. We offer a bit of proof of that tonight. For all the modern conveniences of Kuwaiti life -- and Kuwaiti citizens live extremely well -- there is also a sense that something of their past has been lost. So, they have found balance in an unlikely way: returning to the desert in a way you might return to Yellowstone or Yosemite. It is a camping trip like no other.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): It is, at first glance, at least, of another time: the barren landscape, which has an odd beauty of its own, dotted with tents large and small. In another time, this is how the people of Kuwait lived. In these days, it's where they play.
They come out here, in this middle of nothingness, stake out their land, pitch their elaborate tents, set up their jungle gyms for their kids, and light the water pipes for adults. They come home.
ADNAN AL-JASER, KUWAITI JOURNALIST: Originally, we are desert people. And to come back to the -- to nature, it's one of the greatest things that could happen to you. It's really great.
BROWN: This is camping, Kuwaiti style. We laughed when one man told us the best places are on the high ground. We saw no high ground. The Rockies, this is not.
(on camera): What is it about? Is this a connection to the past?
ABDULKEER NASSARY, KUWAITI RESIDENT: It's not like that. It's all things -- I feel better when I finish my work and come here, because now this is not town. I don't hear voice, too much cars, or any building. I don't see any building, so it's -- I feel better.
BROWN: Why not sit in the living room of your apartment or your house and have your friends over and do the same thing? Why not do that?
BADER AL-JASER, KUWAITI RESIDENT: Well, because it's still in the city and you're in between four walls.
BROWN: The desert is huge. You could pick any place. What is it -- what makes one a good location?
A. AL-JASER: I think, mostly, we're looking for height and greenery. BROWN: Don't take offense, but I don't see much height or much greenery here.
A. AL-JASER: Well, it's a relative issue, see.
BROWN (voice-over): To be sure, this is not exactly roughing it. It's more a Winnebago without wheels.
Our lunch was catered from the city. There's a satellite dish for TV. "We have to stay in touch," we were told. Portable generators provide the light. A foreign servant does the errands. And everyone has their cell phones. But it is a lovely tradition in its own way, a place and time with fewer distractions, a time to talk about life's issues, large and small. And there is none larger than the invasion a dozen years ago that changed life here forever.
A. AL-JASER: The sense of security at that time, before the invasion, was not something that you're anxious about. Now it's a problem. You think about it a lot.
NASSARY: The Iraqi people, they don't have any mercy or something like that. I'm afraid from war now, from guns or some, because I see what the children happen, what happened with that, children and women. It's changed me.
BROWN: The conversation turns towards today, the possibility of war with Iraq. And then it turns again on a simple question.
(on camera): You think that's the biggest problem in the world, the Iraq problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Palestinian problem is the biggest one.
BROWN: Do you think the Palestinian problem can be solved if there is a state of Israel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so.
A. AL-JASER: But the Palestinian thing is still there. It's a reminder for us that we were one day kind of slaves to other empires. And Israel became a proxy empire, in another sense. They're always going to remind us that we were one day under this kind of oppression.
BROWN (voice-over): This is delicate stuff, the only time our hosts demurred. They did not want their visitor to think them harsh. And, mostly, they are not. Let's talk of something else, they said.
ABDULLAH RAHMAN, KUWAITI RESIDENT: I am living in Kuwait. My government, it's very good. And everybody in Kuwait and everybody -- the people in Kuwait live -- Iraq and anywhere, we doesn't hate anybody. We want live in peace. That's it.
BROWN: In so many ways, we have found Kuwait a country of contradictions, as modern as New York or Hong Kong, rich with oil, which is both a blessing and a curse. It pays for the fancy tents, while stealing a valued part of a simple past. (on camera): Do you think that, 100 years from now, your grandchildren or great grandchildren will pitch tents in the desert, will come out here and smoke the water pipe, sit around and talk, and keep this tradition?
B. AL-JASER: I hope so, but I definitely will raise my kids on this.
A. AL-JASER: We're going to have new camps in 100 years from now. It's going to be kind of different, but it's going to be the same. You want -- the idea is going to be there. You'll want to leave your house to go away to the desert.
BROWN: But we'll still come back, my grandchildren or great grandchildren and yours, and we'll sit and talk sports and politics and eat good food.
Thank you all. You're great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Our trip to the desert.
Next on NEWSNIGHT segment seven: a great escape of its own, the incredible work of Picasso and Matisse and how their friendship and competition spurred their work on.
From Kuwait, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Finally from us tonight: an escape, pure and simple.
Starting today, New Yorkers can leave behind the duct tape, the stockpiled Evian, the indestructible Trail Mix, for a different world entirely, one brought to life by the bold strokes of two great friends and even greater rivals, two guys named Henri and Pablo sharing a bill right now at the Museum of Modern Art.
Here's CNN's Maria Hinojosa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, considered among the most groundbreaking, influential and prolific artists of the 20th century. We're taken by them because of their unique styles: Picasso's sharp, jagged, in-your- face challenge to tradition; Matisse's poetry, romance and color.
But behind the art lies a competitive and invigorating friendship between two artistic rebels who spent most of their lives in Paris, an intimate relationship now on public view at the Museum of Modern Art.
KIRK VARNEDOE, CURATOR, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: It's interesting that an artist could absorb so much from another and yet be so much himself. HINOJOSA: Kirk Varnedoe is the co-curator of the exhibit that has brought problematic Picasso and mythical Matisse together once again.
VARNEDOE: An element of a sort of perfume fantasy about the world that Matisse makes of the female body and of sensuality. And Picasso spits in the face of it. Picasso, at the same time, is involved with surrealism and the whole idea that beauty is wrapped up with ugliness.
HINOJOSA: One-hundred and forty paintings and sculptures from these two artists paired against each other for the first time.
JOHN ELDERFIELD, CURATOR, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: This is the moment when Picasso really achieves parity with Matisse.
HINOJOSA: The younger Picasso's provocative Ladies of Avignon was a breakthrough in 1907, a defining moment of cubism. Yet it has never been shown together with Matisse's answer to it.
ELDERFIELD: He produces this strong, confrontational picture. And Matisse is appalled by it. He soon realizes, though, that painting is never going to be the same and he has to respond.
HINOJOSA: Which Matisse did with an overflowing delicate beauty in Bathers with a Turtle. Matisse and Picasso engaged in an artistic tit-for-tat, which critics say inspired their best works.
VARNEDOE: Two artists who were extremely closely aware of each other, and, as the show reveals, who owed some of their greatest accomplishments to the stimulus, goad, challenge of the other.
HINOJOSA: A rivalry that produced beauty and grace, a vibrancy and legacy that changed art.
Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: We'll end our week from Kuwait tomorrow. We hope you'll join us.
Until then, 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
Terror Camps in Afghanistan; Interview With Raymond Kelly, Anthony Williams>
Aired February 13, 2003 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, HOST: And good evening again, everyone, from Kuwait. When we awoke this morning, 2:00 in the morning Kuwaiti time, we called back home for a reality check. "How crazy is it back there," I asked the most normal person I have ever known, my wife. "Pretty crazy," she replied. That told me a lot.
Partly, of course, I called to make sure they were OK. I'm a long way from home and a long way from being able to help, even if I could help, which I can't. It's a trap.
We know how this craziness began. We know that last Friday the government raised the alert level and started talking about all the chatter they were hearing and that the chatter was more specific and more serious than all the other chatter. And, by the way, we hate the word "chatter." It seems trivial, but that's what we call it. So we know how it began.
And we saw pictures yesterday of New York police in subways with radiation detectors and heightened security all over the country. So we know how it started and we know how we've responded.
What we can't figure out is how it will end. At what point someone in the government will stand up at a podium and say, we are reducing the threat level. And what will be the basis for that?
Will they pick up some chatter from some terror cell in Germany or Karachi, some terrorist controller saying, OK, that's enough, we scared the hell out of them and we didn't have to say anything but chatter? Or maybe it will be that the good guys will catch some bad guys as they are just about to do something and that will end it. Or maybe it will be something much worse.
A war with Iraq won't end this, nor will catching bin Laden. And maybe it will not end at all. Maybe somehow we'll just get used to it. I can't imagine.
On to "The Whip" and the news of the day. The latest on the terror threat. We begin with the FBI's efforts to find potential terrorists who may already be in the United States. Kelli Arena following that for us. Kelli, start us with a headline, please.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, sources tell us that there are individuals under surveillance in as many as 30 U.S. cities. Among them, nearly a dozen men who trained in terror camps in Afghanistan.
BROWN: Kelli, thank you. We'll be back to you at the top tonight.
Anxious times in many places across the United States, perhaps no more so than New York City. Whitney Casey has been working that tonight. Whitney, a headline from you.
WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Aaron, New York City has been in an orange terror alert for 17 months now, yet this week the police presence is very notable, making our island city somewhat like a fortress.
BROWN: Whitney, thank you.
And the latest now on Iraq, which on the eve of what could be the most critical moment, a moment that decides whether we now also go to war. Richard Roth at his post. Richard, a headline from you.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aaron, Blix and ElBaradei, the most famous team of inspectors ever, report to the U.N. Security Council tomorrow morning. First night reviews may determine whether we're headed towards war or peace of mind on Iraq -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, thank you. Back to you and the rest shortly.
Also coming up tonight on NEWSNIGHT for Thursday, the 13th of February, we'll talk about local response to the terror threat with the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams and New York City's police commissioner Ray Kelly. And we'll get some perspective on the situation with Iraq and tomorrow's report. We'll be joined by Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine.
Also tonight from here, it is not Cancun, and it is not the Hamptons to be sure, but people in Kuwait say it's a far better vacation spot than either of those places. We'll take you camping Kuwaiti style.
And "Segment 7" tonight, the Frenchman and the Spaniard giving New Yorkers an escape they most certainly need, Matisse and Picasso. Fitting we suppose on a day so full of jagged edges and strange shapes. And like a Picasso, it is a picture with not one but many story lines all tangled together.
Tonight the country is marching to war, bracing for attack, waiting for diplomats, and as best it can, sweating things out. We begin with tonight's late developments on the terrorism front and CNN's Kelli Arena, who joins us again from Washington. Kelli, good evening.
ARENA: Good evening, Aaron. We do have new information tonight about the al Qaeda threat within U.S. borders. Officials confirm that there are about a dozen individuals living in the United States who have trained in terror camps in Afghanistan. Now sources say they are not together, they are scattered around the country, living in New York, New Jersey and in some western cities. They are and they have been under surveillance for months.
Now we have reported in the past there are as many as 1,000 individuals under surveillance from suspected terrorists to those sympathetic to their cause. And we can now tell you that surveillance effort is under way in as many as 30 U.S. cities. And what's more, the group under surveillance includes between 20 and 40 people described by sources as militant Muslims with strong al Qaeda ties. Aaron, back to you.
BROWN: Well, there's a lot of numbers and a lot of questions. Let me start with a few. Any of them to what you're being told acting in any way suspiciously?
ARENA: Not that we have been told. And we should point out that, when directly asked, the FBI director, Robert Mueller, has said that the FBI has not found any evidence of an active cell or a sleeper cell here in the United States. So these are individuals that are under surveillance but no signs yet that they're part of any plot or any planned terrorist attack.
BROWN: Are any of them American citizens, as far as we know, or are they all foreign nationals living in the country?
ARENA: Well, there are American citizens within the 600 to 1,000 people that are under active surveillance every day in the country. As far as the dozen go that trained in al Qaeda camps, I have not been able to get much detail on those individuals, Aaron.
BROWN: OK. Now Kelli, one more. Since Friday, have you -- and you've been working this very hard since then -- have you detected any change in tone either more serious or less serious from the sources you've been dealing with?
ARENA: No, they were very serious on Friday, Aaron. And as we discussed last night, we have FBI agents who are on very high alert. They're being kept on a very short leash. They're told not to go anywhere.
The biggest concern, Aaron, seems to be focused on tomorrow, Friday. Terror experts suggest that if there is going to be attack that it would happen between a Monday and Friday timeframe, where more people are out and about and where, if there were a target that they had in mind, that would be most crowded during the week.
You do know that we heard from intelligence chiefs telling us that there was specific information pointing to the attack to coincide with the end of the Muslim observance of the Hajj. The Hajj ended today. And so lots of focus on tomorrow, Aaron. Again, no specific intelligence suggesting anything anywhere will happen tomorrow, but I can tell you that the concern level going into tonight about tomorrow was very high.
BROWN: Let me ask you one more thing. Are your sources either surprised, concerned or pleased -- that's a possibility, too -- at how cities and citizens have reacted to all of this that's gone on since Friday?
ARENA: Well, lots of what we've seen and that we've been highlighting that has been going on in cities really -- some of that has been going on all along, Aaron. There's just more focused attention on it. And that is something -- the coordination and the response is something obviously that federal law enforcement is happy about. There is some concern, though, about getting people too upset.
I had one agent say to me today, you know, tomorrow your commute into Washington should be really easy because we don't expect anybody to be out there on the street with all of the misinformation that is out there. And I can tell you that there's been a lot of misinformation. Lots of rumors that have spread that we have had to knock down throughout the day.
Lots of false alarms that have been called in to state and local law enforcement authorities about packages and boxes falling off trucks and highways that have been shut down. I mean, across the country. So the -- there's a bit of a franticness among certain segments of the population that is not helpful, that's not helpful, because that does end up in more calls to law enforcement that people have to be sent out to check out that they normally would not. I mean, they need to save the manpower for the things that are real.
BROWN: Kelli, thank you. The problem, of course, is it's hard to know what's real. I saw a story on the wires about a bridge in New York that was shut down because a box had fallen off a truck and people got very nervous. And it's hard to know whether that means anything or it doesn't. Thank you, Kelli Arena, in Washington, as always.
On that note, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, had a reminder for his constituents today. "You are New Yorkers," he said. "Now get on with your lives."
The mayor said his routine hasn't changed. That he still rides the subway to work. It is a picture of normalcy, which today at least would also make it something of a rarity. Here again is CNN's Whitney Casey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY (voice-over): Security checkpoints backing up traffic for hours at New York City's tunnels and bridges. A bomb squad inspects a suspicious package. A slew of police vans pull into the financial district. At the ready by the subway, a biochemical squad, and below ground officers patrol the platforms. A day in New York City under the heightened terror alert.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK CITY: We constantly are changing what we're doing so that nobody can predict where we'll show up, who will show up, what equipment they will have or what they'll be looking for.
CASEY: And while increased police presence is evident nearly everywhere, New Yorkers are urged to remain vigilant, but with this caveat...
BLOOMBERG: What you should do is go about your business. I don't know how many times I've got to tell you so that you can get the message.
CASEY: At a survival store in lower Manhattan, New Yorkers going about their business, lining up for gas masks. Darren (ph) has made an elaborate contingency plan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully get my daughter. If my ex-wife wants to come, she can come and go upstate. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we have a house up there with a bunch of our friends. We're planning. We stocked it up with water, food. And we just want to be out of the city.
CASEY: Charles (ph) will join up with co-workers and family in lower Manhattan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have a plan to meet over by the Brooklyn Bridge, if that's still available, in the event that something happens. And then get over as soon as possible.
CASEY: Other preparations New Yorkers are buying into...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is basically what you're going to look like.
CASEY: ... gas masks, gloves, and this nuclear, biological, chemical suit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've packed everything in that preparedness kit that we've gone over in a portable lightweight bag.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY: And Army-Navy supplies stores tell us that they're selling record numbers of water purification pills and ready-to-go Army rations. And, Aaron, just to give you a story of the atmosphere anecdotally, the other night I was out at a dinner party with a lot of young people, and the gentleman next to me offered to hand me his card. And when he did, out fell radiation tablets. So New Yorkers, yes, they are unflappable, but they are prepared -- Aaron.
BROWN: Just, is it -- Whitney, getting around the city, are there noticeably fewer people in Manhattan right now?
CASEY: I wouldn't say that there were fewer people, but what I would say is, noticeably, on the subways, what I saw today was unbelievable. I saw about 12 police officers that were dipping in and out of subway cars just checking it out. It was a bit unnerving I will say.
BROWN: I suspect it is a bit unnerving all around. Whitney, thank you very much.
This is one of those kinds of stories that's not necessarily easy to report. There is a fine line between reporting what we know and what we need to do and scaring the daylights out of everyone. And we're very aware that we're walking that line. Of all the pictures today, two we think went largely unnoticed. Gasoline prices hit a high not seen in years, and the stock market once again hit the skids. In the end, these two things may be the real legacy of the terror threats and the possibility of war. But today stock prices were eclipsed by stocking up and gas prices took a back seat to gas masks. Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the nation's capital, where there's no shortage of potential terror targets, U.S. military might is visibly ready. There is stepped up training at trauma centers, and more police throughout Washington's subway system. In Los Angeles, at the UCLA Medical Center, a new contingency plan if more than 60 people an hour show up for treatment after a possible biochemical attack.
VICTOR KENNEDY, UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: We may need to treat the community outside and not let them in the building right away because they may inundate and overwhelm us.
CANDIOTTI: In San Diego, Lindberg/Schweitzer elementary school is reviewing disaster plans while keeping youngsters focused on routine.
LAURIE HINZMAN, PRINCIPAL: I want to make sure that the children are going to be safe no matter what.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): At the Little Havana Senior Citizen Center in downtown Miami, one of 13 centers serving 2,000 senior citizens daily, the director says, in case of a terrorist attack, he would probably keep everyone inside and simply wait to hear for further instructions.
(voice-over): Too many windows to plan on using plastic sheeting, he says. Volunteer (UNINTELLIGIBLE) admits she's scared but not panicked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we are here, we try to put the thought on our back and have some fun. And then when we get home, then we get worried again about the situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most gas masks are going to have an NBC filter nowadays.
CANDIOTTI: In Garland, Texas, more than 300 gas masks sold so far this week at an Army surplus story. Kelly McCarter (ph) outfitting her family.
KELLY MCCARTER: It's going to be fun. Can you see me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MCCARTER : What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. MCCARTER: You like it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: In Hartford, Connecticut, one man taking homeland security advice to the limit. Homeowner Paul West sealing his entire house in plastic sheeting.
PAUL WEST, HARTFORD RESIDENT: It's scary. And I have all this anxiety and I want to do something with it.
CANDIOTTI: Across the country, Americans struggling to comply with government warnings: Be prepared, not scared. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Man, if that picture of that little kid taking out her pacifier and putting on a gas mask doesn't both break your heart and make you angry, nothing will.
Ahead on NEWSNIGHT, more on America's state of alert. We'll talk live with the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams. And from New York City, the police commissioner, Ray Kelly. From Kuwait and around the world, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It would be hard to overstate the challenge facing local authorities back home, trying to keep people from panicking, while at the same time going to extraordinary lengths and quite visible lengths to keep people safe. More on what's going on both in New York and Washington.
We're joined tonight by the mayor of Washington, D.C., Anthony Williams, and by New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly. Welcome to you both.
Commissioner Kelly, let me start with you, if I may. Just take the information that you know, that you've been told, which is certainly more than we have, and the instincts of a career in law enforcement and tell me how dangerous a moment you think we are in.
RAYMOND KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: Well, it's a time of concern. Clearly, if you look at it in the environment as we go forward to some sort of closure with Iraq, it's a moment of concern. Here in New York I think you could characterize it as people certainly have some level of anxiety, but we also have that New York attitude like we've been through it before.
We're a tough, gritty people, and we're going to go on with our lives. That was the message of Mayor Bloomberg today. Let the pros do the worrying and be vigilant, but go forward with your lives.
BROWN: Well, you see and literally saw just a moment ago the pictures that I saw of New Yorkers running and getting gas masks, the duct tape, of this and of that. Are they overreacting?
KELLY: Well, I think that was selective New Yorkers. I don't have the sense that large numbers of people are doing that. I think it certainly played to the piece that you did, but that's not my sense that that's what the majority of New Yorkers are doing.
Is there concern? Yes. I think there's a heightened state of vigilance that we've asked people to apply, and that's good. We have a hotline number here, 1-888-NYC-SAFE. We ask people to be aware of their surroundings, if they see something unusual, to call that number. But continue to be New Yorkers.
And that's what I see out on the street and people that I talk to. I know you showed some pieces with people with gas masks and tape. But that's not the feeling that I have or what I see.
BROWN: Thank you. The perspective is helpful.
Let me go to Mayor Williams. Mayor, is the district prepared? Are the hospitals prepared? Do they have the medicines that might be required to respond to a chemical or biological attack?
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: I believe that, especially since the anthrax attack on our city, let alone since September 11, we've worked very, very closely with our hospitals, with jurisdictions throughout the region, very importantly with the federal government. And I believe that we are prepared to get the supplies and the resources in there where they're needed. God forbid the occasion arises.
BROWN: And what is your sense of -- let me go back to the question I asked Commissioner Kelly -- of the actual danger of this moment? Is it being overblown by us, by individuals, by whoever?
WILLIAMS: I think that there is a heightened -- I mean, I fully support and share the concern of -- shared with the public by federal authorities based on the intelligence that they've garnered, some of which has been shared with folks like me on the local level. We need a heightened state of preparedness, a heightened state of vigilance. But I couldn't agree more with the commissioner; I couldn't agree more with Mayor Bloomberg.
We've got to go on with our regular lives. Now we happen to be ending the Hajj. In another week or so something else may be happening. In another week or so, something else may be happening. If we allow this to disrupt our normal course of businesses, there will be far more harm to our businesses, to our jobs, and to our families than the threat of this one attack.
BROWN: Commissioner Kelly, given the nature of terrorism itself, do you believe that the city and that -- the city of New York and perhaps other police agencies, too -- can in fact stop a terrorist attack or simply respond to one?
KELLY: No, I think we can do a lot to prevent an attack. I think we've done an awful lot. We've increased our patrols certainly at sensitive locations. We're working closely with the federal authorities, more closely than ever before.
There are some investigations and some surveillance operations going forward. So I think a lot can be done to prevent an attack. But we also have to prepare, god forbid, if there is another attack. And we're much better prepared as far as responding to an event than we were certainly 17 months ago. And we get stronger every day.
We would, quite frankly, like some additional federal resources. I'm sure certainly every large city in America would like that to help us better respond. But I think we can do both, and we are doing both. So far we haven't had an attack and I think -- I would like to think that a lot of things that we put in place are acting as a deterrent.
BROWN: Mayor Williams, on that point also, the district is obviously in a unique place. Do you have from the federal government all the resources that you need? There's this bill that's been held up, budget bill that was held up in the Congress that was supposed to get local police forces money. Do you have what you need?
WILLIAMS: Well, local forces across the country need that bill to go through so they can get the resources they need. Fortunately, here in the district, we received a slug of money -- that's a technical term -- last year to get us started in terms of major investment in emergency preparedness. And we're using that money. And I believe we're better prepared for it. That goes to everything from hazmat materials to communications gear and the like.
BROWN: Mayor, thank you for joining us. Commissioner Kelly, as always. Back when you took the job, Commissioner Kelly, you told me that you suspected a lot of your time was going to be spent on counterterrorism. I'm not sure I believed you then. I will never not believe you again.
Thank you for your time. Ray Kelly and Mayor Williams of Washington.
Coming up on NEWSNIGHT, how close are we to war with Iraq? This is a hugely important day ahead. We'll preview the speech by the chief inspector, Hans Blix, that he'll deliver on Friday to the U.N.
And later, some last moments relaxing in the desert for Kuwaitis. We'll hear what they think about life, about conflict and more. This is NEWSNIGHT from Kuwait. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A few stories from around the world tonight. We start out with the response from Iraq to questions of its missile capability. During a visit to Italy today, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, denied that a certain kind of Iraqi missile violates U.N. restrictions. A team of missile experts has told the United Nations that the missile has a range that does go over the U.N. limit, which is 93 miles.
On to Germany, where Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder spoke today to the German parliament. He vowed to fight to prevent a war against Iraq. Chancellor Schroeder saying that a majority of Security Council members agree with him that war should be avoided.
Consider this. We are about halfway into the program for tonight, and in some respects we are just arriving at what is arguably the most important story. That is not to say we missed the lead, but it does tell you that, for now, tomorrow's crucial report from the weapons inspectors, likely a prelude to a war or not, has taken a back seat, if only for now, to the terror threats at home.
And the way these things work, we suspect that both sides will find their case supported tomorrow. It will not be either an A for cooperation or an F. It will certainly set in motion a chain of events that will lead either to a war with U.N. support or very possibly a war without it. Or perhaps no war at all.
Here again, CNN's Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): Hans Blix can push aside the flag of the United Nations. The chief weapons inspector Friday will command world attention when he critiques Iraq's cooperation with inspectors.
ISMAEL ABRAAO GASPAR MARTINS, ANGOLAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Look, we hope to see a briefing which gives us direction.
ROTH: But sources say the Blix report may not point in any direction. A diplomat said there will be something for everybody. The report is likely to note increased cooperation on U-2 surveillance flights and interviews with scientist, but little documentation on whereabouts of V.X. nerve agent and anthrax.
Blix is expected to say Iraq has violated U.N. resolutions by test-firing the al-Samud II missile beyond an allowable 93-mile range. The lead nuclear inspector will discuss concerns over aluminum tubing, which could be used for uranium enrichment, and importing of magnets for nuclear production. But Mohamed ElBaradei says Iraq has made an effort.
MOHAMED ELBARADEI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: I think we still have a chance. If we continue with our work, if Iraq provides full cooperation, we should still be able to avoid the war.
ROTH: Iraq says it's giving everything it has to the inspectors.
ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER, MEXICO AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: We did provide a lot and we continue to cooperate with inspectors.
ROTH: The White House hopes Security Council nations will learn from the inspectors' reports, Baghdad will never cooperate.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The decision is this for the United Nations. When you say something, does it mean anything? You've got to decide.
ROTH: But a majority of Security Council members say Blix and ElBaradei's findings should lead to more time for probing Iraq. ZINSER: We anticipate and expect they will give us a route to continue the inspections.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: The secretary of state will be here. After Colin Powell makes his remarks and those of the other foreign ministers, the real battle will begin. The council will go behind closed doors to start interpreting the findings Blix and ElBaradei -- Aaron.
BROWN: Richard, you've been on the road with the inspectors. You're back at the United Nations now. Has there been a shift at all towards the argument that the inspectors need more time?
ROTH: I don't think there's been any shift, all sides, both sides dug in. The U.S. thinks the Blix and ElBaradei findings hopefully will steer countries toward saying Iraq is not cooperating; let's not waste any more time. Other countries, France, Mexico, Germany, think they keep finding more things; Iraq is giving a little each time; let the inspectors continue their work.
I know this sounds like a refrain, but I think you're going to hear it again, even after Blix and ElBaradei report.
BROWN: And probably again after that.
Richard, thank you -- Richard Roth at the United Nations tonight.
Still to come, we'll have more on this question of the inspectors' report tomorrow. We'll be joined by "TIME" magazine's Michael Elliott.
And a little later, in segment seven tonight -- and we will need it by then -- a beautiful way to put terror behind you.
From Kuwait, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And next on NEWSNIGHT, we'll talk more about the events of tomorrow at the U.N. We're joined by Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine.
A short break, as NEWSNIGHT continues from Kuwait.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The dawn of a new day here in Kuwait.
We were feeling a little left out, if you will, with all the security madness in the United States, until we read today in the morning papers here in Kuwait that this country of Kuwait is about to go on the highest state of alert in its history, extra security around the refineries, the airports, the government buildings. There's not much doubt in this country that a war is coming. Michael Elliott joins us now from New York. Michael has been reporting for "TIME" magazine on both the inspectors side and the Bush side of the equation, where Iraq is concerned.
Michael, it's good to you have back with us.
MICHAEL ELLIOTT, "TIME": Good to be here, Aaron.
BROWN: Just very briefly, do you expect a little something for everybody in the Blix statement tomorrow?
ELLIOTT: I do, Aaron.
I thought your introduction, saying that we don't expect an A- plus and we don't expect an F, was absolutely on the money. I think it's going to be a very factual, very, very carefully written statement, in which everyone gets a little thing. But I suspect, at the end of it, the administration is going to feel relatively pleased by what they hear.
BROWN: Pleased enough to convince other countries to convince other countries to join them in their effort to launch a war, if that's what they intend to do?
ELLIOTT: Not immediately.
One of the things that I'm increasingly convinced of, as I talk to people and listen during this week, is that this has still got a while to play out yet. There are hoops that still have to be jumped through. I don't think -- I would be surprised if you saw a resolution introduced tomorrow. As Richard Roth said, they're going to go into private session after lunch.
So, I think it's going to be pretty deep into next week before we really get into the meat of those discussions to bring other people on board. There's an important meeting in Brussels, Aaron, on Monday, when all the European Union countries get together and try and put back together the absolute mess of attempt at a common policy that they've got themselves into.
BROWN: It certainly has become that.
You may have answered this already when you said that it will be a pretty factual, straightforward report. Do you expect that Blix will say, give us more time; it will help us if we have more time?
ELLIOTT: That's a really good question.
My best guess, given the things that I've been hearing today, is that he will neither say, give us more time, nor will he say, time's up. He's a very experienced diplomat. And they have ways of writing things and avoiding writing things, avoiding putting things down on paper. And I suspect he will try and dodge that. He will try and dodge coming to the conclusion that he either needs more time or, for that matter, that time's up. But I suspect that one of the messages that we will hear, just as we did at the end of January, is that, although the Iraqis are giving a little bit on process, as Richard said in the segment a minute ago, they still haven't had that kind of come-to-Jesus moment where they absolutely give it all up and say: Here it is. You don't have to go looking for it. Here's the stuff.
And I suspect Blix will make it clear that they haven't yet done that. And the administration will be pleased when they hear that.
BROWN: In 20 seconds, because the clock is killing me all of a sudden, how much pressure is Blix under right now from all sides?
ELLIOTT: Well, I think from all sides is the key thing, Aaron.
He's obviously under enormous pressure from the American administration. But he doesn't work for the U.S. He doesn't work for President Bush. He works for the Security Council. He has 15 bosses. He's got to keep them all sweet. I'm surprised that he always looks as happy and agreeable and equitable as he appears. He's got a tough job.
BROWN: He does indeed.
Michael, thank you. It's good to talk to you again, Michael Elliott of "TIME" magazine, one of the best in the business on this sort of stuff.
A few quick stories from around the United States tonight, beginning with the latest on the shuttle disaster: NASA engineers now believe that Columbia suffered a breach that allowed super hot air to get into that problematic left wheel well. The question now is how that breach happened. The Columbia investigation board is looking at different scenarios. The members don't believe the loss of a single protective tile could have caused the fatal breach.
And in Houston, Texas, Clara Harris was found guilty of murder for intentionally running over her husband after she found out he was having an affair. Ms. Harris could face life in prison, but the jury could recommend as little as two years if it decides it was a case of sudden passion.
And Pat Robertson said today he'll undergo surgery for prostate cancer. The Christian broadcaster made the announcement on his program, "The 700 Club." He said he hoped to be back to a full schedule within two weeks.
Still ahead on NEWSNIGHT from Kuwait City, we'll take you out into the desert for traditional R&R here and take our minds off terror a little bit, too, a beautiful exhibit in segment seven tonight of two of the world's great artists and the story of their professional competition.
Around the world, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Next on NEWSNIGHT, we'll take you out to the desert and show you how Kuwaitis relax. It is an experience.
This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Sunrise over the Gulf on a Friday morning here in Kuwait.
We said the other day this country is a study in contrasts. We offer a bit of proof of that tonight. For all the modern conveniences of Kuwaiti life -- and Kuwaiti citizens live extremely well -- there is also a sense that something of their past has been lost. So, they have found balance in an unlikely way: returning to the desert in a way you might return to Yellowstone or Yosemite. It is a camping trip like no other.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): It is, at first glance, at least, of another time: the barren landscape, which has an odd beauty of its own, dotted with tents large and small. In another time, this is how the people of Kuwait lived. In these days, it's where they play.
They come out here, in this middle of nothingness, stake out their land, pitch their elaborate tents, set up their jungle gyms for their kids, and light the water pipes for adults. They come home.
ADNAN AL-JASER, KUWAITI JOURNALIST: Originally, we are desert people. And to come back to the -- to nature, it's one of the greatest things that could happen to you. It's really great.
BROWN: This is camping, Kuwaiti style. We laughed when one man told us the best places are on the high ground. We saw no high ground. The Rockies, this is not.
(on camera): What is it about? Is this a connection to the past?
ABDULKEER NASSARY, KUWAITI RESIDENT: It's not like that. It's all things -- I feel better when I finish my work and come here, because now this is not town. I don't hear voice, too much cars, or any building. I don't see any building, so it's -- I feel better.
BROWN: Why not sit in the living room of your apartment or your house and have your friends over and do the same thing? Why not do that?
BADER AL-JASER, KUWAITI RESIDENT: Well, because it's still in the city and you're in between four walls.
BROWN: The desert is huge. You could pick any place. What is it -- what makes one a good location?
A. AL-JASER: I think, mostly, we're looking for height and greenery. BROWN: Don't take offense, but I don't see much height or much greenery here.
A. AL-JASER: Well, it's a relative issue, see.
BROWN (voice-over): To be sure, this is not exactly roughing it. It's more a Winnebago without wheels.
Our lunch was catered from the city. There's a satellite dish for TV. "We have to stay in touch," we were told. Portable generators provide the light. A foreign servant does the errands. And everyone has their cell phones. But it is a lovely tradition in its own way, a place and time with fewer distractions, a time to talk about life's issues, large and small. And there is none larger than the invasion a dozen years ago that changed life here forever.
A. AL-JASER: The sense of security at that time, before the invasion, was not something that you're anxious about. Now it's a problem. You think about it a lot.
NASSARY: The Iraqi people, they don't have any mercy or something like that. I'm afraid from war now, from guns or some, because I see what the children happen, what happened with that, children and women. It's changed me.
BROWN: The conversation turns towards today, the possibility of war with Iraq. And then it turns again on a simple question.
(on camera): You think that's the biggest problem in the world, the Iraq problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Palestinian problem is the biggest one.
BROWN: Do you think the Palestinian problem can be solved if there is a state of Israel?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so.
A. AL-JASER: But the Palestinian thing is still there. It's a reminder for us that we were one day kind of slaves to other empires. And Israel became a proxy empire, in another sense. They're always going to remind us that we were one day under this kind of oppression.
BROWN (voice-over): This is delicate stuff, the only time our hosts demurred. They did not want their visitor to think them harsh. And, mostly, they are not. Let's talk of something else, they said.
ABDULLAH RAHMAN, KUWAITI RESIDENT: I am living in Kuwait. My government, it's very good. And everybody in Kuwait and everybody -- the people in Kuwait live -- Iraq and anywhere, we doesn't hate anybody. We want live in peace. That's it.
BROWN: In so many ways, we have found Kuwait a country of contradictions, as modern as New York or Hong Kong, rich with oil, which is both a blessing and a curse. It pays for the fancy tents, while stealing a valued part of a simple past. (on camera): Do you think that, 100 years from now, your grandchildren or great grandchildren will pitch tents in the desert, will come out here and smoke the water pipe, sit around and talk, and keep this tradition?
B. AL-JASER: I hope so, but I definitely will raise my kids on this.
A. AL-JASER: We're going to have new camps in 100 years from now. It's going to be kind of different, but it's going to be the same. You want -- the idea is going to be there. You'll want to leave your house to go away to the desert.
BROWN: But we'll still come back, my grandchildren or great grandchildren and yours, and we'll sit and talk sports and politics and eat good food.
Thank you all. You're great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Our trip to the desert.
Next on NEWSNIGHT segment seven: a great escape of its own, the incredible work of Picasso and Matisse and how their friendship and competition spurred their work on.
From Kuwait, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Finally from us tonight: an escape, pure and simple.
Starting today, New Yorkers can leave behind the duct tape, the stockpiled Evian, the indestructible Trail Mix, for a different world entirely, one brought to life by the bold strokes of two great friends and even greater rivals, two guys named Henri and Pablo sharing a bill right now at the Museum of Modern Art.
Here's CNN's Maria Hinojosa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, considered among the most groundbreaking, influential and prolific artists of the 20th century. We're taken by them because of their unique styles: Picasso's sharp, jagged, in-your- face challenge to tradition; Matisse's poetry, romance and color.
But behind the art lies a competitive and invigorating friendship between two artistic rebels who spent most of their lives in Paris, an intimate relationship now on public view at the Museum of Modern Art.
KIRK VARNEDOE, CURATOR, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: It's interesting that an artist could absorb so much from another and yet be so much himself. HINOJOSA: Kirk Varnedoe is the co-curator of the exhibit that has brought problematic Picasso and mythical Matisse together once again.
VARNEDOE: An element of a sort of perfume fantasy about the world that Matisse makes of the female body and of sensuality. And Picasso spits in the face of it. Picasso, at the same time, is involved with surrealism and the whole idea that beauty is wrapped up with ugliness.
HINOJOSA: One-hundred and forty paintings and sculptures from these two artists paired against each other for the first time.
JOHN ELDERFIELD, CURATOR, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART: This is the moment when Picasso really achieves parity with Matisse.
HINOJOSA: The younger Picasso's provocative Ladies of Avignon was a breakthrough in 1907, a defining moment of cubism. Yet it has never been shown together with Matisse's answer to it.
ELDERFIELD: He produces this strong, confrontational picture. And Matisse is appalled by it. He soon realizes, though, that painting is never going to be the same and he has to respond.
HINOJOSA: Which Matisse did with an overflowing delicate beauty in Bathers with a Turtle. Matisse and Picasso engaged in an artistic tit-for-tat, which critics say inspired their best works.
VARNEDOE: Two artists who were extremely closely aware of each other, and, as the show reveals, who owed some of their greatest accomplishments to the stimulus, goad, challenge of the other.
HINOJOSA: A rivalry that produced beauty and grace, a vibrancy and legacy that changed art.
Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: We'll end our week from Kuwait tomorrow. We hope you'll join us.
Until then, good night for all of us at NEWSNIGHT.
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Terror Camps in Afghanistan; Interview With Raymond Kelly, Anthony Williams>
