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CNN Tonight

Woods Breaks His Silence; Bush Era Torture Memos; First Lady Talks; Tales of Torture and Rape in Iran

Aired February 19, 2010 - 19:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And happening now Tiger Woods is returning to treatment at seclusion after his remarkable public apology. This hour will the golfer's carefully chosen words satisfy his fans or his critics?

The massive investigation into the suicide flight in Texas, and the wreckage left behind for the pilot's family. The shock, the grief, and the scars at Austin right now.

And a 911 call, a mountain of snow and a tragedy of errors. A dying man waits 30 hours for help. You may be horrified by the way it turns out.

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

For more than 13 painful minutes, the world's greatest golfer finally faced the world and owned up to a stunning fall from grace. Tiger Woods apologized repeatedly. He acknowledged cheating on his wife, sought privacy for his family and eventually redemption by his loved ones and his fans. Listen to one of the more powerful moments from Tiger Woods' carefully scripted appearance in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me. I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made.

It's up to me to start living a life of integrity. I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters, it's what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count. Parents used to point to me as a role molds for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's bring in our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti. She's in Florida where Woods spoke today. This was a huge media event. Dozens and dozens of television networks here in the United States and around the world were taping this live, and millions and millions of people, we won't know until tomorrow how many millions, but they were watching.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just a huge audience, more than 200 reporters representing agencies from as far away as Japan and Norway, but no one got close because the reporters were all kept in the building that you see over my shoulder. And it's about a mile or so away from where Tiger Woods was speaking in a clubhouse. This was a tightly controlled event.

We're going to take you inside the ballroom to show you how most of the reporters watched Tiger Woods make his apology. They were watching on closed circuit monitors, and you could hear a pin drop in the room. After everything was over, the PGA commissioner came to talk to reporters because, as you know, Tiger Woods took no questions, and I asked the commissioner what it was like for him to face Tiger Woods as he made his apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM FINCHEM, PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER: At the end of the day, you know, he's a human being. We all make mistakes. We all have made mistakes, and when we're lucky, we learn from those mistakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: And, Wolf, you know not only -- people were watching not only here but as well in other places. In Times Square they were watching, in sports bars, and, of course, also in Arizona where the Accenture tournament was going on. Some players in this past week have complained and been critical of Tiger Woods about the timing of his announcement today in the middle of a tournament. Some other players said they were sick and tired of hearing about the whole thing. Believe me, they were watching. Nick Faldo had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK FALDO, GOLFER: It was a pretty complete apology and probably extremely embarrassing, I can imagine to stand on a world stage and have to apologize for what he's been up to for the last however long. So that must have been extremely difficult for him so that -- you know he did his best job there and -- but he still -- he still left the big question that we as golfers wanted to know, when he's coming back to golf.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: In fact, this has been a huge distraction. Make no mistake about it, the players want Tiger back, and certainly the PGA wants him back because TV ratings and revenues have been down -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This is a human tragedy, but it's also a financial story because a lot of money is at stake when he comes back and plays golf again. Susan, thank you very much.

Check out this word cloud from the transcript of Tiger Woods' statement. The bigger the word, the more often he used it. We took out some common words like I, me and the. As you can see, Woods talked a lot about his behavior, his wife Elin, and the people he's hurt.

Later this hour I'll speak with veterans sports journalist Christine Brennan (ph) and Pat O'Brien (ph) about Tiger Woods' apology and what comes next. Stand by. We'll have much more on that.

But now a new and long a waited report involving those so-called torture memos from the Bush administration era and the lawyers who wrote him, Brian Todd is here with details. This is an important story because a lot of people were wondering, Brian, would the Obama administration go after some of those lawyers who wrote those so- called torture memos?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And we have the answer tonight, Wolf. A lot of people in this town, as you mentioned, have been waiting for this report. It culminates one of the most politically charged episodes during the Bush administration. The report is on the findings of an internal probe in the Justice Department of the so- called torture memos.

These were the legal opinions that laid the groundwork for waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques that drew so much criticism. This report clears those Bush White House lawyers who authored those memos of professional misconduct. Specifically it says Justice Department lawyers John Yoo and Jay Bybee did not -- did not commit a professional breach that could have led to disbarment by writing those memos.

It also recommends no legal consequences for their actions. The report does say they may have exercised poor judgment, but again, no professional misconduct. This report also clears Steven Bradbury, who headed the White House Office of Legal Counsel which gave legal advice to the Bush administration during its second term, Wolf, so somewhat surprising findings of this internal probe in the Justice Department clearing these three attorneys.

BLITZER: Does this final report go against what seemed to be the position that the Attorney General Eric Holder expressed last summer?

TODD: It seems to take a step back from that, Wolf, yes. Last summer Holder gave the go-ahead for a limited investigation into the CIA's interrogation of detainees. He gave that go ahead based on the evidence collected for this report. So yes this report takes a step back from that and again that's a little bit surprising. You can bet the reaction in this town is going to fall along partisan lines.

BLITZER: Yes, a lot of liberals are going to not be very, very happy about this.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: They were hoping for some legal sanctions. Brian thanks. Let's get some analysis from our senior legal analyst. Jeffrey Toobin is joining us on the phone. Are you surprised by this decision today, Jeff?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST (via phone): Well this is consistent with what President Obama has said since he was in inaugurated, which is his administration is about the future not the past, but (INAUDIBLE) this was a quote, "question". You know the career attorneys who conducted this investigation actually concluded that these memos were professional misconduct, but they were overruled by David Margolis (ph) who is senior career official in the department, so this was obviously a very close question inside the Justice Department.

BLITZER: So these three individuals, John Yoo, Jay Bybee, who's -- by the way, Bybee is now a federal judge -- Yoo is a professor of law at Berkley -- Steven Bradbury, they don't have to worry about anything right now; is that right?

TOOBIN: They are out of the woods. The main risk they face if this investigation was found -- if they were found to have committed professional misconduct was a Bar Association investigation, that they might actually lose their ability to practice law. But that is now off the table. All they have to worry about now is their reputations, and that will be a lot harder to recover than any specific legal action.

BLITZER: I was always under the impression -- and tell me if you agree -- that there was a difference of view between the president -- President Obama on this issue as opposed to Eric Holder, the attorney general, that there was some daylight between the two of them. Am I right?

TOOBIN: Well I think that's certainly right during the campaign. I heard Eric Holder give a speech at the American Constitution Society, which is a left leaning legal group where he really excoriated these officials -- this was during the campaign -- when he really suggested that this was something more than a difference of opinion, this was something outrageous that the law should address, that Justice Department officials wrote memos endorsing torture. President Obama, then Senator Obama, was always much more cautious in saying that he didn't want recriminations against the Bush administration to dominate his administration and I think whatever else you think about the Obama administration that's been true. There have not been extensive investigations and it's one of several ones that liberals have been frustrated --

BLITZER: Yes and just to give it some context, we're talking about what were called those enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding that were used and these lawyers authorized it, wrote the legal opinions. Jeffrey thanks very much for that. As I said, a lot of liberals are going to be very upset by this decision today from the Justice Department.

Dramatic claims about Iran from a former member of a notorious Iranian militia who describes his mistreatment for refusing to take part in a brutal crackdown on opposition protesters some of them just children.

And waiting for an ambulance for 30 hours during a blizzard, how could this happen? CNN investigates a tragedy of errors.

And Panama's (ph) former dictator Manuel Noriega (ph) tries again to avoid extradition from the U.S. to France.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Jack Cafferty is here with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, the first lady is going there. Michelle Obama is opening up talking about race in a way that her husband has not so far, at least not very often. "Politico" reports that while President Obama has not been as willing to talk about how policy affects minority communities, the first lady frequently brings up issues of race, region and inequality. For example, she recently announced a campaign against childhood obesity, and it's a problem, everywhere. One third of our nation's children are either overweight or obese. Mrs. Obama though points out how it's a particularly serious issue for black and Hispanic kids and she talks about the lack of healthy food options in some of inner-city neighborhoods.

In other speeches or interviews, Michelle Obama has talked about how many inner-city neighborhoods are just plain unsafe. Some believe that the first lady is serving as a bridge, if you will, from the White House to the African American community much like she did during the campaign. As a candidate Barack Obama shied away from talking about race with the exception of that big speech he made in Philadelphia after the incendiary comments of his pastor came out.

Many supporters have been disappointed since he's taken office, saying the president has not lived up to the image of the first big city urban president. A former community organizer in Chicago, it must be assumed that President Obama is well aware of the problems of the inner cities, and while it's true he's created the White House Office of Urban Affairs, he has not yet laid out a clear agenda for the problems in these particular communities.

So here's the question: Why is first lady Michelle Obama more open to talking about race than her husband? Go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile and post a comment on my blog -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jack, thank you. They roar through Iranian streets on motorcycles, terrorizing people during post election protests last year, now a former member of Iran's Basij (ph) Militia has come forward with more stories of torture and even worse. Here's reporter Lindsey Hilsum (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER (voice-over): They're the bully boys of the revolution, the Basij Militia. Since Iran's disputed election last June, they've been out beating protestors, and behind closed doors, allegedly raping as well. Now Channel 4 News has learned that not only protestors but even Basij who refuse to participate in abuses may be subject to similar treatment. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The first time they took me for interrogation, they hit me so hard in my left eye that I couldn't see for a while. After the second day I could see a little, but I thought I'd gone blind in my left eye. I still have problems with it. It has never returned to normal.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Ally (ph), as we're calling him to protect his identity was a mission man. I learned of his existence last year when we broadcast the story about Basij leaders who allegedly ordered the sexual assaults of young people who had taken part in protests. Ally (ph) was part of a group of Basij who say they refused to take part. He fled to the U.K.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The people were terrified. Some were already injured and their wounds had not been seen to. This was all very distressing for me, because until then, I had had very different responsibilities, not the beating up and crimes that they were perpetrating against the people.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Ally's (ph) distress was palpable as he described how he was then arrested and men with their faces covered came to his cell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They created execution scenarios. They said, we're going to kill you and we'll link your death to the protests. We'll say that you were killed during a protest. There was a table in which I was stood for some hours with my hands tied and a rope around my neck. They came a few times and said they've come to execute me now or in an hour. Then they came and pulled the table away. I fell.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Ally (ph) could scarcely speak for tears.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I thought I was saying goodbye to this world. I felt I was fading. But when they pulled the table away, the rope wasn't attached to anything. I fell backwards and fainted. When I came to, I was wet. They'd thrown water over me. I vomited. They brought my confession and I signed.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Iranian representatives said torture was illegal in Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Torture is forbidden by law, by constitution of Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The human rights record, he said, was good, but Ally (ph) was at his most distressed when he told me that his cellmate, not a protester or another Basij from his group, started to shout and was punished with sexual assault.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The guards warned him that if he continued this behavior, they would make things worse for him. One of the guards came in and beat him. His face was bleeding and his clothes were torn off. The guard had a bat on. He was sexually violated with it. One guard was outside, one inside the cell. I wanted to protest, to shout, to help him, but I had seen how they dealt with protestors and I couldn't. I'm thoroughly ashamed. I'm ashamed before God, ashamed at my youth, ashamed in front of my friend, ashamed in front of the people.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Last week, the Iranian government gathered people to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Once a true believer in the system, Ally (ph) by then was in Europe, he had been smuggled out by boat and traveled across the world by air and road using a fake passport. He's now applying for asylum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I have this terrible feeling of pain, that I spent the best years of my life unaware and they used this. I was a tool for them to reach their objectives. I unwittingly got involved in their plans. I was unknowingly led by them. Their slogan was that we were the force of the people, the imminent ones that we must lead. We were unaware of what they brought on us. Our thoughts were not our own.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Iran's supreme leader addressed the faithful. He said the post-election protests were the work of Iran's foreign enemies. But from the testimony we've heard some of those who were once amongst the most fervent believers have turned against the state, which they say has turned against its own people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: What a report -- that was ITN's Lindsey Hilsum (ph) reporting.

A message of remorse, regret and sympathy today from Joe Stack's (ph) wife, investigators begin sorting out why and how he crashed a plane into an IRS building in Texas.

And for the first time, Tiger Woods goes public about his infidelities. Did he hit the mark? We'll ask a couple of seasoned sports journalists. Stand by.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Lisa Sylvester is monitoring some of the other top stories in THE SITUATION ROOM right now. What's going on, Lisa?

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Wolf. Well the FBI has closed its long-running investigation of the 2001 anthrax mailings. It concluded a bio-defense researcher acted alone. The FBI believes lone suspect Dr. Bruce Ivan (ph) sent anthrax laced letters to lawmakers and news organizations, which killed five people. Ivan (ph) killed himself in 2008 as authorities prepared to indict him.

Former Secretary of State, retired General Alexander Haig has been admitted to a hospital. A spokesman for Johns Hopkins Hospital confirms the 85-year-old is there and in critical condition. He gives no further details. Haig served in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan Administrations; he was also Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Former Panamanian Dictator Manuel Noriega (ph) is making another attempt to block his extradition to France to face money laundering charges. Last month the Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. Today he filed a petition asking the court to reconsider that refusal. Noriega was declared a prisoner of war after he was convicted on U.S. drug trafficking charges. Still in a Miami prison, he argues under the Geneva Conventions he should have been repatriated to Panama on finishing his sentence in 2007.

And this, a little girl's best friend, 3-year old Victoria Benson's (ph) dog Blue, he has saved her life keeping her warm and safe in the outdoors after she wandered away from her Arizona home yesterday. A search helicopter spotted them early this morning less than a mile from her home. (INAUDIBLE) you can see here he's a Queensland. Meanwhile we're very glad that that story had a happy ending -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Cute little dog, sweet little girl and very happy indeed. Lisa, thank you.

The world heard Tiger Woods apologize for his infidelities. Are his fans and his critics buying it? Just ahead veteran sports reporters Pat O'Brien and Christine Brennan. They are here on what's next for Woods, his family and his career.

And emergency rescuers were so close, but they might as well have been miles and miles away -- a call to 911 and a dying man's long and futile wait for help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Returning now to our stop story, an emotional, very public apology by Tiger Woods. With his mother looking on from the front row, his wife absent the golfing great apologized for his extra marital affairs and the scandal that has sidelined his career. He spoke about the therapy he's undergoing, his Buddhist faith and his plan to return to golf someday.

Let's talk about it with former sports anchor and entertainment anchor Pat O'Brien and "USA Today" sportswriter Christine Brennan.

Christine, what did you think?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, USA TODAY: Well I tell you we are seeing a man at rock bottom I think Wolf. He -- you know compare the visual of Tiger winning a golf tournament, which is how most people see him, and then to see this today was really an eye opener and how far away from golf he is. You know when he mentions golf in what the 12th or 13th minute of this thing and a quick mention and he hopes to come back some day, it certainly makes all the talk about you know the Masters or the Arnold Palmer Tournament, Bayhill (ph), you know just look ridiculous, all this speculation.

This is a man in trouble. I think it was a good first step for Tiger Woods. He has a long way to go and yet there were still those controlling moments, you know defiant, just that's Tiger. But all in all, I thought it was kind of breathtaking some of the things he was saying, and the things he had to say. Again, it's a first start. Maybe, you know he's on -- it's the tee shot. That was not a hole-in- one, that's just the beginning of his coming back to wherever he ends up coming back to.

BLITZER: And I want to go through some of those specifics with you -- same question, Pat to you. What did you think?

PAT O'BRIEN, FORMER SPORTSCASTER: I agree with Christine on a lot of things. I thought he went a little further than I thought he was going to go. You know we put these athletes and celebrities on Mt. Rushmore and expect them to be role models, and I think the role model point today that Tiger did for kids who look up to him or all of us who look up to him, is that it's not how you fall, it's how you get up. And I think Christine is right. This is the very first step of him...