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Lou Dobbs Tonight
President Bush Defends Security Policies; North Korea May Be Preparing to Conduct Nuclear Test; Would Amnesty Legislation Decimate Nation's Healthcare System?; Wounded Air Force Sergeant Works to Help Fellow Veterans
Aired August 18, 2006 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is strongly defended his foreign policy and the federal government's warrantless wiretap program. Can President Bush convince Americans that his administration is making this country safer from radical Islamist terrorists?
Three of the countries top political analyst and strategists join us.
And North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may be preparing to carry out North Korea's first nuclear test. North Korea could already have as many as five nuclear weapons.
We'll have a special report tonight from the Pentagon on North Korea's rising threat to this country.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT, news, debate and opinion for Friday, August 18th.
Live in New York, Lou Dobbs.
DOBBS: Good evening, everybody.
President Bush today strongly defended his national security policies as this country faces dangerous new threats and challenges. President Bush insists Hezbollah was defeated in the war against Israel even though Hezbollah has refused to disarm. President Bush also warned the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, not to carry out a nuclear weapons test. President Bush refused to confirm or deny that North Korea may be preparing to conduct such a test.
Ed Henry reports tonight from the White House on the president's strong defense of his foreign and national security policies.
Barbara Starr reports from the Pentagon on the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test.
And Jim Clancy tonight reporting from Beirut on Hezbollah's efforts to win support in Lebanon by handing out U.S. dollars to the Lebanese people.
We turn first to Ed Henry at the White House -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the president today wanted to talk about domestic politics, but instead faced a blizzard of questions about some global hot spots.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice over): President Bush huddled at Camp David with his top economic advisors to tout one of the few bright spots in his agenda.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The foundation of our economy is solid and is strong.
HENRY: But the president was quickly defending himself on a host of foreign policy fronts, including his earlier pronouncement that Hezbollah had suffered a major defeat with the terror group now still intact and helping to rebuild southern Lebanon.
BUSH: The first reaction, of course, of Hezbollah and its supporters is to declare victory. I guess I would have done the same thing if I was them. Hezbollah is a force of instability.
HENRY: The president is also facing heat about whether he has solutions for the escalating violence in Iraq. And new concerns North Korea is planning an underground test of a nuclear weapon.
BUSH: If North Korea were to conduct a test, it's just a constant reminder for people in the neighborhood in particular that North Korea poses a threat. And we expect there to be -- we expect our friends and those sitting around the table with us to act in such a manner as to help rid the world of the threat.
HENRY: Asked about a federal judge's ruling that his warrantless domestic surveillance program is unconstitutional, the president said he's confident the decision will be overturned on appeal.
BUSH: You might remember last week working with the great -- with people in Great Britain, we disrupted a plot, people trying to come and kill -- kill people. The -- this country of ours is at war, and we must give those who are -- whose responsibility it is to protect the United States the tools necessary to protect this country in a time of war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Democrats have pounced on this court ruling as a sign that the president is suddenly vulnerable in what has been his strength, the war on terror. The Republicans are confident that in the long term, specifically by November, that this -- by standing up for the surveillance program, it will show that in fact the president and his party are tough on terror -- Lou.
DOBBS: Ed, thank you.
Ed Henry reporting from the White House.
U.S. soldiers in Iraq today seized hundreds of insurgent mortar rounds and rockets in a raid in Baghdad. Our troops found the stockpile of weapons and ordnance in an area that strongly supports Sunni insurgents. American soldiers are also taking part in a large new security operation in Baghdad itself in an effort to prevent violence during a Shiite religious festival.
The Iraqi government has banned all vehicles or, as they put it, anything moving on wheels from the Iraqi capital until this coming Monday. As the band went into effect, a car bomb exploded outside a mosque, killing one Iraqi civilian.
U.S. military and intelligence officials say recent imagery of North Korea raises suspicions that North Korea may be planning a nuclear test. North Korea has refused to return to talks with the United States and other countries about its nuclear weapons program. Some independent analysts believe North Korea could have as many as five nuclear weapons now.
Barbara Starr reports from the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): While poring over new imagery of a suspected North Korean underground nuclear test site several days ago, U.S. intelligence analysts saw something was different. Bundles of wire cables suddenly appeared, along with signs of vehicle activity. There are concerns this all could be preparations for North Korea's first underground nuclear test.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And you're asking me to divulge any intelligence information I have, and I'm not going to do that, as you know.
STARR: The U.S. and its allies have never been completely certain whether North Korea has enough material to actually make nuclear bombs. A nuclear test would change the equation.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The question would remain about whether they can weaponize that and put it on a weapon to be delivered, but I think that is in a way a lesser question than whether they can bring about a nuclear explosion with a yield that would be sufficiently alarming.
STARR: But the uncertainty remains about Pyongyang's intentions.
MCLAUGHLIN: Their motivation for not doing a test would be that this is the final step on their escalatory ladder and they would be basically using their last card. On the other hand, the motive for doing a test would be that the missile test they did some weeks ago fizzled and embarrassed them, and this would be one way to make up for that if they carried off a successful nuclear test.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: Lou, for the intelligence community, trying to detect an underground nuclear test is exceptionally difficult. One analyst likened it to looking across hundreds of miles of ground for a hole in the ground and looking for it through a soda straw -- Lou. DOBBS: Barbara, thank you very much.
Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon.
The United Nations today urgently appealing to Europe to provide troops for the expanded U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon after Israel's war with Hezbollah ended. The existing U.N. force in southern Lebanon is due to increase from 2,000 to 15,000 troops. But so far, Italy is the only European country to offer a significant number of additional troops.
And meanwhile, Lebanese troops today reached the Lebanese border with Israel. Those troops have begun patrolling southern Lebanon, helping to enforce a peace deal with Israel. But the Lebanese soldiers say they will not -- not disarm Hezbollah terrorists.
Hezbollah is handing out millions of dollars to Lebanese people whose homes were blasted away by Israel in the war. That money is coming from Iran. The Iranian government has given Hezbollah more than half a billion dollars to pay for reconstruction and has promised to give more.
Jim Clancy has the report now from Beirut -- Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from the Lebanese capital, Lou.
Call it damage control or call it the best oil grassroots party machine in the whole Middle East. Hezbollah is trying to sweep away the rubble and sweep away the bad memories of a conflict it helped trying. And who has it brought in to help? Benjamin Franklin, or an image of him, at least.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY (voice over): Counting it out: 120 not exactly crisp $100 bills. That's $12,000 being handed out by Hezbollah to every household in Beirut's southern suburbs whose home was destroyed in the war with Israel. And yes, Hezbollah prefers working in U.S. dollars.
"I registered one day, and two days later they called me to come and get paid," said a smiling resident. Adding, "This is something really nice. God bless them, and long live Sayed Hassan and the guys," referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his followers.
If the damage was widespread and devastating, Hezbollah's grassroots organization is damage control with uncommon efficiency everywhere. Aid groups report that when they reached stranded villagers in southern Lebanon for the first time this week, they found Hezbollah had already been there. Residents were happy to take more handouts, but flatly said Hezbollah had already met their needs.
As Lebanese sign up for the $12,000 payout, nobody asks, where is the money coming from? Political sources here tell CNN Iran furnished between $600 million and $700 million for Hezbollah's immediate use. Some see the avalanche of cash as evidence Iran and Hezbollah are going overboard to erase the bad memories of a conflict they ignited.
In Lebanon, $12,000 is a huge sum, more than most workers even make in a year, and far beyond the actual cost of rent and furniture. Hezbollah's opponents also complain that the handouts further undermine the elected government. More than humanitarian aid, it's political subterfuge.
"I don't believe that if the money went to the Lebanese government the suburbs would be rebuilt," this man said. There's more confidence in the Hezbollah than in the government.
Another told us, "The money might be coming from other countries, but as long as Hezbollah aims to help people, there's nothing wrong with that, nothing at all."
That may be fodder for debate, but Hezbollah is pulling the carpet out from under its critics, not with promises, but with cold cash.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: And where is the United States in all of this? Lou, humanitarian aid groups tell CNN they cannot give away money that's coming from Washington. Local NGOs won't accept it in south Lebanon. Their logic? You can't pay for the bombs that fell on us with one hand and pay to repair the damage with the other.
Is Hezbollah influencing things down there? You bet, Lou.
Back to you.
DOBBS: Jim Clancy reporting from Beirut.
We should point out, of course, that Iran, one of Hezbollah's principal supporters, has close links with North Korea.
The White House has been accusing North Korea of counterfeiting U.S. currency for years, including $100 bills. The United States says North Korea is using some of that phony money to finance global terrorism, although U.S. officials have not publicly tied North Korea with Hezbollah.
Still ahead here, serious new concerns tonight about the likely impact of the Senate's proposed amnesty legislation for illegal aliens on American workers, our taxes, our healthcare system, our nation.
We'll have that special report.
And Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says the deployment of National Guard troops to our southern border has been what he calls a great success.
We'll tell you what's really happening on our border with Mexico.
And new questions tonight about the suspect arrested in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. Is John Mark Karr the killer, or is he someone who is simply obsessed with the case?
We'll have a live report for you tonight from Boulder, Colorado.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: More disturbing evidence tonight that the Senate's so- called comprehensive immigration reform legislation would greatly harm the working men and women of this country and their families, raising taxes for all Americans.
Lisa Sylvester reports from Nashville, Tennessee, tonight on growing fears that the amnesty legislation would decimate our nation's healthcare system and raise your taxes.
And Christine Romans reports on serious new concerns over this nation's existing guest worker programs that are driving down wages and working conditions for American workers.
We begin with Lisa Sylvester, reporting from Nashville.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tennessee's hospitals are hurting. Nearly half of them are at financial risk, according to testimony heard at a national congressional field hearing.
BOB DUNCAN, LE BONHEUR CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER: We had several of our hospitals, 42 hospitals last year, that lost money. Any business that's in place going that long losing money, you can't keep your doors open.
SYLVESTER: One major cause, a steep increase in unreimbursed healthcare costs.
GARY PERRIZO, VANDERBILT UNIV. MEDICAL CENTER: At Vanderbilt in the past 12 months, the cost to providing care to patients that are unable to pay topped $74 million.
SYLVESTER: Behind those numbers is a growing problem, illegal aliens who use emergency rooms as doctors offices and leave hospitals stuck with the bill. Vanderbilt University Medical Center treated 174 illegal aliens so far this year, up 17 percent from last year. Taxpayers and insured patients ultimately pick up the tab.
REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: It is simply inappropriate that taxpayer dollars be used for those who have broken our laws and are defrauding our system.
SYLVESTER: The federal Medicaid system that provides healthcare for low-income families up until this summer operated on the honor system. Many states did not require proof of citizenship to receive benefits reserved for legal immigrants and American citizens. REP. NATHAN DEAL (R), GEORGIA: You could say, yes, we see whatever language you choose to use if it was an affirmative response. There was no verification required.
SYLVESTER: Congress passed legislation to close that loophole, but the system is still being gamed through document fraud.
(on camera): Lawmakers say the federal government needs to develop a system to determine who is in the country legally and eligible to receive taxpayer-funded benefits and who is allowed to work in the United States.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Nashville.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOBBS: And according to the Center for Immigration Studies, the number of persons and illegal immigrate households could rise to 14 million people. That is, households without insurance.
Outrageous charges are being leveled tonight against U.S. companies that hire cheap foreign workers instead of American citizens, workers who are in this country lawfully under existing U.S. guest worker programs. Now, you wouldn't know that this country has guest worker programs listening to the president of the United States. These new lawsuits are proving that guest worker programs are failing this nation even as the Senate moves to create new guest worker programs.
Christine Romans has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From forestry, to produce, to the hotel industry, stunning charges that Latin American guest workers are routinely abused and underpaid under the H2A and H2B visa programs.
Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Mary Bauer.
MARY BAUER, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: The system lends itself to abuse and exploitation.
ROMANS: The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed four federal lawsuits on behalf of pinaros (ph), or workers in the forestry industry, alleging employers "took advantage of workers' indigence, inability to speak or understand English, and their lack of understanding of U.S. law to grossly underpay them." Another suit charges exploitation of fruit workers on the H2A program.
In many cases, workers say they paid thousand of dollars for visas and travel to get these jobs, only to earn $200 or $300 per 60- hour week. As a condition of their visa, they cannot quit and get another job.
Michael Dale represents migrant workers in the Northwest. MICHAEL DALE, ATTORNEY, NORTHWEST WORKERS JUSTICE DEPT.: If they can exploit foreign workers and no matter how disgusted workers get, always get more workers to replace them, then, yes, then what happens is, whatever theoretical guarantees that you have in the program to protect U.S. wages and working conditions, they'll sort of fall out the bottom.
ROMANS: Raising serious questions about these guest worker programs.
BAUER: We already have a guest worker programs in the United States. And we should look at what they are in practice. And what they are in practice is basically indentured servitude. And if that's the kind of immigration reform we're talking about, that's a real problem for our democracy.
ROMANS: In court documents, companies dispute these charges.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: And business groups have long said that they need this foreign labor, but lawyers for the workers say it's just a legal way to suppress wages and working conditions for both U.S. and foreign workers -- Lou.
DOBBS: The calculus here is very, very simple: exporting good jobs to cheap labor markets overseas, creating competition for American workers, taking their wages and opportunities away from them, importing cheap labor. And it's one of the reasons we see wages at the low end of the wage scale in this nation declining, not falling. The opposite of what this administration is saying.
These lawsuits, any prospect that they are going to move ahead?
ROMANS: They are all moving ahead right now. In fact, there was a hearing in Tennessee today on one of these forestry lawsuits. So they are moving ahead.
DOBBS: Christine Romans, thank you.
Still ahead here, our ports at a breaking point, clogged to capacity by this nation's seeming -- seemingly endless appetite for those cheap imported goods. Guess where new port facilities are likely to be built? Not on our shores. Much too much trouble. We would have to hire American workers, invest in America.
We'll have a special report tonight, and we'll have an update for you as well on Dubai Ports World's broken promises.
Also tonight, a P.R. headache for Wal-Mart caused by the man hired by Wal-Mart to improve its P.R. image.
And the very latest developments in the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation. Possible clues tonight from the suspect's yearbook.
We'll be live with that report from Boulder, Colorado. All of that and a great deal more coming right up.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Tonight, the Department of Homeland Security once again appears to be downplaying the urgent nature of this nation's illegal alien crisis. The department tonight saying there are about 11 million illegal aliens living in the country as of the beginning of this year.
Interesting, since most private immigration analysts say the number isn't even close to accurate. The Pew Hispanic Center recently reporting the United States had more than 11 million illegal aliens living here, but that was almost two years ago. Other estimates range from 12 to 20 million illegal aliens.
An update now to a story we reported here last night. A tough new local ordinance that would have punished employers hiring illegal aliens has been defeated in Florida.
The Palm Bay, Florida, City Council voting early this morning against an ordinance that would have forced employers to hire only legal workers. The vote, 3-2 against.
Time now for some of your thoughts.
Norman in New York saying, "All right, you've managed to convince me that you are not the arch conservative bigot that I once thought you were. Aside from a disagreement on amnesty for illegal immigrants -- I believe that 10 years of working here and paying taxes should be accepted for citizenship -- I am an ardent supporter of your other stances."
"Because of the unconscionable statutes and court decisions devastating middle class Americans, I packed my bags and will be retiring in a more compassionate, humane country. I wish you and all who stay behind the best of luck in the midterm elections."
Think about that. Don't give up yet.
And Barbara in Ohio, "Lou, if you listen to Bush's definition of civil war, the United States never had one. Who does he think he's kidding?"
And Susan in Oklahoma, "Lou, I have to stop watching your show. It makes my brain fire, my blood boil, and my blood pressure rise. Oh, wait, that must mean I'm intelligent, aware and alive."
Indeed, you are, and you're in good company. Millions and millions of us.
E-mail us at loudobbs.com. We'll have more of your thoughts later here in the broadcast. The man hired by Wal-Mart to improve its public image quit today after he, himself, caused a P.R. nightmare for Wal-Mart. Civil rights leader and former congressman Andrew Young resigned as chairman of Working Families for Wal-Mart after he said Jewish, Arab and Korean shop owners ripped off black communities.
In an interview with the "Los Angeles Sentinel," Young defended Wal-Mart's practice of driving mom and pop stores out of business by saying, "I think they should -- those are the people who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans, and now it's Arabs; very few black people own these stores."
Today Young apologized for his comments. A Wal-Mart spokesman said Young's comments don't reflect Wal-Mart's views.
Coming up next here, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Chertoff is the latest Bush administration official to call it -- just about call it "mission accomplished" on our broken borders.
And an outrageous new national security giveaway. Foreign imports coming into this country may soon be flowing through ports in Mexico instead of U.S. ports.
We'll tell you why in our special report.
And the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation is issuing new statements that could prove his guilt in this case. Is he guilty?
We'll be live in Boulder, Colorado, with a report on the very latest developments.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: New developments tonight into the investigation into the murder suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey case. Police are examining a yearbook inscription, among other things. That inscription by John Mark Karr, the suspect arrested in Thailand, who says that he killed JonBenet Ramsey.
Ted Rowlands in Boulder, Colorado, with the very latest for us -- Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, we're getting a better idea of why authorities maybe arrested John Karr. There's been a lot of skepticism as to the strength of this case, but a source has confirmed to CNN, a U.S. law enforcement source, that Karr knows specific graphic details about the -- about the body of JonBenet Ramsey after the 1996 murder.
According to the source, these are details that have never been made public, and very few people know. Clearly, that went into the decision to put this person under arrest in Thailand.
He remains in Thailand. It's unclear when he will be extradited back here to Colorado.
Meanwhile, today in northern California, at San Quentin Prison, the jail cell of Richard Allen Davis was searched in this case, in the JonBenet Ramsey investigation, because apparently Karr and Davis had exchanged correspondence, according to a prison official there. However, nothing of significance to this case was found in that jail cell.
Meanwhile, we're also learning more about those e-mails that Karr exchanged with a professor which led to his arrest in part, at least put him on the radar screen here in Boulder. A few of those e-mails were published in the "Rocky Mountain News" here in Colorado. And he talks about being in love with JonBenet, very disturbing e-mails.
Legal experts, however, following the case are very skeptical still. There are some gaping holes they say, clearly the feeling is that because the D.A. is not talking about this, clearly they say that legal investigators -- the investigators in the D.A. office must have something of significance or they wouldn't have made the arrest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SILVERMAN, FRM. DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It's almost impossible to believe that a prosecutor's office would go to these extraordinary steps without solid evidence corroborating a confession of this kind. They need some physical evidence placing him in Colorado, and more specifically in that neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado, on Christmas 1996.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Clearly that's another one of the potential holes in this, a relative, his ex-wife, Karr's ex-wife says he was home with his family during Christmas in 1996. That will have to be worked out before Karr would eventually go to trial.
We're awaiting him to be extradited back here.
One thing to consider here, Lou, is that if he is arrested, this -- given this guy's statement, this is one person that could end up pleading guilty. And in that case, we may never know all of the case against him.
Of course, the judge would have to OK that plea, and prosecutors would have to agree that they honestly think that he is guilty. Clearly he is has admitted at least in part that he was there. Whether or not he's telling the truth, though, still very unclear here tonight -- Lou.
DOBBS: And Ted, this case, as you have yourself documented in your reporting over the years, is filled with prosecutorial and investigative blunders and incompetence, so skepticism would not be unwarranted here. Give us a little better understanding of the relationship between Davis and Karr and how it came to be.
ROWLANDS: Well, that's an interesting question. Apparently they were corresponding for up to four years. And of course Karr sort of started this. And they weren't quite sure who he was, and even when authorities got involved, they thought maybe he was in Paris for a while. It took a while to identify him and locate him. But it's unclear how this relationship started, and where it is now between those two that corresponding for so long.
DOBBS: Ted Rowlands reporting from Boulder, Colorado. Thank you, Ted.
Tonight, police are investigating a possible link between a Mexican citizen arrested in Denver on immigration charges and a series of horrific rapes and murders in Mexico.
Alvarez Cruz is a suspect in the rape and murder of at least ten women and girls in a town on the Mexican side of the border just south of El Paso, Texas. Nearly 400 women and girls have been raped and murdered in the Mexican border town over the past 13 years.
Homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff says President Bush's plan to send new National Guard troops to the border is already a great success. Chertoff met with National Guard troops and border patrol agents in Arizona just last night. Secretary Chertoff says the National Guard troops are already having, quote, "a tremendous impact on improving border security."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The president directed that the National Guard put 6,000 boots on the ground at the border by August 1. I'm delighted to say the National Guard lived up to and exceeded the task by the president. We did make that 6,000 number and it's added real value.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOBBS: Well, not exactly.
In point of fact, only about 3,000 national guard troops, Mr. Chertoff, are actually on the border. Officials say they never promised to physically put those 6,000 National Guard troops on the border.
Secretary Chertoff says the presence of the National Guard troops has directly led to the arrest of some 4700 illegal aliens and other criminals on the border. The National Border Patrol Council, however, the union for all U.S. border patrol agents, says the National Guard has played absolutely no role whatsoever in those arrests.
In fact, it says border security hasn't improved at all since the arrival of the National Guard. And that assessment doesn't even take into account that some U.S. border patrol agents have been pulled off their duties in order to protect unarmed, you guesses it, National Guardsmen.
That brings us to the subject of our poll tonight. "Do you believe with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that National Guard troops are already having a tremendous impact on improving border security? Yes or no." Cast your vote as loudobbs.com. Results upcoming.
Americans across this nation are outraged over the case of two border patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos (ph) and Jose Capeon (ph). The border patrol agents face up to 20 years in prison for pursuing and shooting a Mexican drug smuggler. Federal prosecutors gave the drug smuggler immunity from prosecution in this case in return for his testimony against the two border patrol agents.
Tonight, the National Border Patrol Council says its relief funds for the agents Capeon and Ramos (ph) has already taken in more than $38,000. The fund began collecting donations this Monday.
Friends of the Border Patrol have set up a separate fund for the two agents. That fund has taken in $5,000 so far. Agents Capeon and Ramos (ph) have received absolutely no pay since March of last year. Congressional leaders of both parties promising a full investigation into the case. If you would like to donate to their defense fund, the addresses of both funds are on our web site, loudobbs.com.
The United States is importing so many cheap goods now from all around the world, but principally Asia, that our ports are quickly running out of capacity, And Particularly on the West Coast. Shipping firms want to build new port facilities. Not in this country, but in Mexico to handle the surge of imports.
Port security experts say this would be a grave mistake and a blow to U.S. national security.
Bill Tucker reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's ports are crowded with volume expected to double over the next 14 years. Worse, our ports are inefficient compared to ports in Europe and Asia which move five to seven times as many containers as ours. And we are not investing in our ports by building more or improving the way the goods get moved off of our ports.
The ports that are being built to supply the United States are being built in Mexico. There are three ports that already serve the American market, and a fourth is now being planned in Punta Colonet.
GARY HUGBAUER, INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: This is a wonderful opportunity for Mexico to develop alternative ports that will serve not only California, but the whole United States.
TUCKER: But a survey of American ports sponsored by Penn State last year, found there is a bigger problem or opportunity than just port expansion. ERIC JACKSON, PENN STATE UNIVERSITY: You don't have enough trucks, you don't have enough infrastructure in terms of roads, you don't have enough railroads, you don't have enough motor power for the railroads, you don't have enough trade crews. So even if you increase the capacity of the ports to bring in a greater number of containers, how are you going to move them away from the port?
TUCKER: We have stretched our distribution ability so thin and outsourced so much of it to Mexico, that we have potentially compromised our national security.
LUCY DUNCAN-SCHEMAN, SAFE PORTS: As the ships start moving to the southern part of the Pacific Coast to come up on rail into the U.S., they are going to be trying to reach places like Kansas, Arizona, San Antonio. Who is going to stop every single container on a train and do a thorough inspection before they come across the border? It's too expensive. It's too time consuming. It can't be done.
TUCKER: The expense of ensuring our security would damage or erase the advantage gained by using cheap foreign labor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUCKER: And to expand our ports, to build new ones, to link them up with improved transportation links, would take a political will that we don't seem to have. Instead, we are apparently more comfortable, Lou, with letting those opportunities and those jobs be taken by our partners in NAFTA.
DOBBS: And it seems that our elected officials are very comfortable with a new world order, the North American Union, as some are calling it, the partnership for security and prosperity, something that's never been voted on by Congress but of which the political and business elites are trying to use to merge Canada, the United States and Mexico without so much as a whimper from those people who could be devastated by exactly that result.
TUCKER: Exactly.
DOBBS: Incredible. We'll keep on it. Thank you, Bill Tucker.
It's been more than five months now since Dubai Ports World promised to sell all of its 22 ports facilities in this country. Those facilities still haven't been sold. Dubai Ports says it has finally begun accepting initial bids for the facilities as of today.
A prospectus mailed to potential buyers a month ago. The company will not say just who the interested buyers might be. In fact, all the interested parties have been sworn to secrecy. They have been forced to sign nondisclosure agreements that makes it virtually impossible to find out anything about the terms and elements of the business deal even though the deal effects national security.
But despite all of that, this broadcast will be relentless in its efforts to report them to you as soon as we can get ahold of them. And we are going to work tirelessly to do so, because we just like everybody involved in the deal, because they are so concerned about your security and our national security.
Still ahead here, President Bush's foreign policy. The escalating war in Iraq, the mid-term elections: I'll be talking about these topics and a great deal more with three of the top political minds in the country.
And tonight, "Heroes," a veteran of the war in Afghanistan has found a comeback trail like no other. We'll be telling you his story. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Joining me now Ed Rollins, Republican strategist, former Reagan White House political director, Pulitzer Prize winning Michael Goodwin, columnist "New York Daily News," The "Wall Street Journal's" James Taranto, the editor of the opinionjournal.com. Good to have you all here.
Let's start with the president today defending the Middle East policies, everything seems to be swimming, going along swimmingly, James, for this administration in the Middle East, according to the White House, at least today.
JAMES TARANTO, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, I'm not sure that I agree with him that Hezbollah lost here. There is a school of thought and I'm going to throw it out here to be contrarian and I'm not sure that I agree with it, that Iran and Hezbollah did suffer a setback in that Hezbollah has extended its, many of its rockets that it had to hit Israel, which were one of Iran's deterrents against a prospective military strike.
DOBBS: I'm not sure Israelis in northern Israel would agree with that view, particularly since they were taking the brunt of it.
MICHAEL GOODWIN, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": They are easily replaced. And I think what is going on in Lebanon right now is almost as scary as what happened during the war, which is, as your report showed, Hezbollah is now effectively becoming the government for the entire area south of Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, as well. So, I think the war, what the war did was effectively replace the government of Lebanon with Hezbollah. That's hardly a victory for Israel.
ED ROLLINS, FMR. WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL DIR.: And equally as important the Israeli people are very unhappy with their leadership, both military leadership and their political leadership. So, I mean, if they thought that they had a great victory as they have historically, they would not be taking the steps that they are taking. I think the president obviously has been a cheerleader, as he should be, because Israel is our ally, but at the end of the day I think Hezbollah gained a great deal in the Arab world, which is where we have to worry about in the future.
DOBBS: The idea that Hezbollah could show up in Beirut, throughout southern Lebanon, where those Israelis strikes hit, homes bombed out and be putting, as Jim Clancy reported tonight from Beirut, $12,000 in the hands of those families, I mean that's government at its best. Call Hezbollah a terrorist organization. It is. It is also a highly effective political and social machine.
TARANTO: Yes, it certainly is.
DOBBS: And the Lebanese government is not and apparently the United States and Israel are not smart enough to come up with a policy to deal with it. That's the most disturbing thing.
ROLLINS: If there was a vote today, Hezbollah, who already has a couple ministers, would certainly have an overwhelming support by those people and I think that's the real tragedy of this. I think at the end of the day Israel underestimated their enemy and they didn't do what they needed to do.
TARANTO: Well, the Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, who was a labor leader, he didn't have any defense background, said that he wasn't warned about the threat of Hezbollah. It wasn't on the list of priorities he was given. That is really staggering.
DOBBS: That would be completely idiotic.
GOODWIN: I think, Lou, that this is a warning to us in Iraq, too, that if you don't knock these groups out, they grow and they are emboldened. I think what has happened now is that Syria and Iran and Hezbollah, their agent, the division of the Iranian army, is clearly emboldened and strengthened as a result of Israel's failure to knock it out.
ROLLINS: The scary thing, too, is the U.N. is obviously having a difficult time getting troops and the French, once again, made a great of contribution of doubling their forces to 400 people.
TARANTO: They've surrendered already.
ROLLINS: Which may be an advantage, but I think at the end of the day these people are being put in there without, they can protect themselves. They can't take any proactive and the Lebanese army, which historically has been a joke, is not going to go in there and disarm. So, I think the reality is Hezbollah is going to gain daily. And I think that's the thing that is scary.
DOBBS: It also casts U.S. policy in the Middle East. That's the critically important thing for Americans. Is we are watching 2,600 Americans die over, now just almost three and a half years of war. To watch this government, our proxies and friends, in the Middle East, as well, be out witted, out smart, perhaps, one could argue, at least fought to a stalemate. It's time for a rather sober assessment of what in the world is this government thinking and what should all of we as American citizens be thinking about our national policies.
TARANTO: Yes, and it's very frustrating. I was at a meeting the other day with somebody who I can't identify but I'll say he speaks on behalf of the administration. He was saying we need to do a better job of explaining this. I just wanted to throw my hands in the air and say, you know, don't tell us you need to explain it. Explain it. GOODWIN: Do it.
DOBBS: Do it would be, except I'm worried about, as our previous would say, I'm worried about the definition of it, in this context.
The upcoming elections, these midterm elections, now there seems to be a building consensus among the political knowledgeable gurus, of which I would include all three of you, that the Democrats are going to take at least one house. Is that your assessment?
GOODWIN: They should. And I think it would be a failure for the Democrats if they don't. George Bush all along, George Bush should have lost the 2004 election. He has stayed alive only because the Democrats inability to seize their opportunities. That could happen again. But right now you would have to say the Democrats are in the position you would like to be in if you were either party.
ROLLINS: If they don't take one of the houses, and I'm not ready to predict that yet, it will be because of their ineptitude and their lack of leadership. Certainly the public is willing for a change and if the message was there for change, you could see significant numbers fall.
DOBBS: What are voters going to do? I don't know how many people e-mail us and tell us in this audience, that they are so disgusted with both parties. They just want to get rid of all of the incumbents, period. When you look at the effectiveness of government, and I'm talking about from governance, the Hezbollah's administration, the federal government, it's like a testament to the fact that centralized government, in any form, whether in a democracy or a totalitarian state, doesn't work.
TARANTO: Yes, you know, I agree the Republicans deserve to lose. The Democrats don't deserve to win and so I guess if I had to predict now I would say --
DOBBS: Joe Lieberman will be president.
TARANTO: I think Joe Lieberman will be senator and I think the Democrats probably will pick up seats and won't capture either house but it's really too early to say.
ROLLINS: If "none of the above" was on the ballot it would do very well in this election cycle. The critical thing here is voters do have a voice and voters can participate and voters can make change. The key thing that often happens when they get in this kind of a mood is they don't vote. And when they don't vote then it becomes just the partisans on both sides that make the difference.
DOBBS: Is it your sense that people are so angry that they are not going to vote incumbents out, but rather just simply withdraw from the process?
GOODWIN: Well I think if Connecticut is --
DOBBS: Which would be unfortunate, I think we all agree. GOODWIN: Right, I mean, anger is a great motivator to get to the polls. So, I think the party with the angry constituent is more likely to do better, which would be the Democrats. But I think, for example, on gasoline prices. They take Iraq and take gasoline prices. One domestic, one foreign. I don't think the Democrats have put forth real answers in either case yet. So, the anger, I think, will only get you so far. At some point I think voters want to hear an answer.
DOBBS: Yes, I think we might all agree that it would be nice to see everyone turn out for this election and vote their conscience, their will, their values, out of concern for the country not anger toward either party. But whatever it takes to get to the polls, I will accept the judgment of the American people, as always.
Ed, thank you very much. Michael thank you, James thanks.
Coming up at the top of the hour here "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer back in Washington, D.C. Wolf, welcome home.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Lou. President Bush and warrantless wiretapping following a federal judge's ruling that the president's program is unconstitutional. Mr. Bush today comes out swinging. We're going to tell you what he had to say.
Plus, get this, the cleric in Great Britain whose opinions about the United States and al Qaeda are going to shock you. Why he says he loves Osama bin Laden more than he loves himself.
And the Wal-Mart ambassador, Andy Young, makes some eyebrow raising comments about Arabs, Jews and Koreans. Let's find out what happens next.
And holes in the story. We're taking a closer look at the self- confessed killer of JonBenet Ramsey to see if his story really adds up. A lot of people don't think it does. All that, Lou, coming up right at the top of the hour.
DOBBS: Thank you, Wolf.
A reminder to vote in our poll tonight. The question, do you agree with Homeland Security Michael Chertoff's assertion that National Guard troops are already having what he calls a tremendous impact on improving border security. Yes or no, cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll have results in just a few moments.
And just ahead, "Heroes." Our weekly tribute to the men and women who serve this nation in uniform around the world. Tonight we introduce you to a veteran who risked his life in Afghanistan. Now he's making history and helping other veterans while doing so. Stay with us for his story and more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Tonight we bring you the story of former Air Force Sergeant Craig Fitzgerald in our weekly tribute to our men and women who served this nation around the world. Sergeant Fitzgerald was seriously wounded fighting in Afghanistan. Now, he's helping fellow veterans by taking a classic American journey. Kitty Pilgrim has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A wounded Afghan war veteran has a new mission. He's hiking the entire 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
TECH. SGT. CRAIG FITZGERALD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): I felt like it was really symbolic of kind of the path these disabled veterans face when they come home because it is a long path for them. The Appalachian Trail is through the Appalachian Mountains, there's a lot of uphills, a lot of downhills.
PILGRIM: Craig Fitzgerald knows the difficult task to recovery well. His 10-year career in the Air Force was cut short in 2003 during his second tour in Afghanistan.
FITZGERALD: We were asked to do an air reconnaissance of a village, it was about a 30-minute flight. And as we were coming in, we saw the village, saw some men with small arms fire. At that point we started taking on fire. Three of us were hit.
PILGRIM: Fitzgerald was shot twice, once in the hand, once in the armpit.
FITZGERALD: I've had 11 surgeries and I went through approximately three years of rehabilitation.
PILGRIM: He emerged from recovery with a strong will to help others. So he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail to raise money for wounded war veterans.
FITZGERALD: With me starting that next chapter in my life I wanted to begin it with giving back to the people who are now in the shoes that I was a year or two ago and that's how the trail recovery came about.
PILGRIM: Fitzgerald asked his friend David Wilcoxen (ph), a former staff sergeant in the Air Force to join him. They teamed up with the charity coalition to salute America's heroes and their goal is to raise $100,000.
FITZGERALD: It is approximately 19,000 people that have been injured either in Afghanistan or Iraq in support of the war on terror. And if we can do something to help them, that's what we're trying to do.
PILGRIM: Kitty Pilgrim, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOBBS: So far the sergeant and David have hiked more than 400 miles raising over $17,000 for wounded veterans. If you would like to donate, go to our Web site, LouDobbs.com and there will be the address and where you can send your donations.
Still ahead, we'll have more of your thoughts and the results of our poll tonight. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Results of our poll tonight. Only 98 percent of you do not agree with Secretary Chertoff that our National Guard troops are having a tremendous impact on improving border security. You have to wonder what some people are thinking when they speak for government.
Time now for some of your thoughts.
Bill in Texas: "Javier Arellano-Felix, a big-time Mexican drug smuggler, was caught by the U.S. Coast Guard. Let's hope the U.S. attorney's office doesn't give him immunity so they can prosecute some poor coast guardsman who was just doing his job."
And Tammy in West Virginia: "Dear Lou, God help those poor souls who took part in the capture of Javier Felix, the Mexican drug lord. If our two border patrolmen who captured a small-time marijuana carrier face now 20 years, these poor guys must be facing treason and will surely face the death penalty. You better start a defense fund for these guys right away, as well. God save the U.S. justice system and the souls of those that made a mockery of it."
Susan in New Jersey: "Lou, every time the president crows about how well the economy is doing under his watch, I wonder whose economy he is referring to. The cost of everything I spend money on, food, gas, insurance, real estate taxes, has gone up way more than the supposed inflation rate. Even with contributing 15 percent to my 401K, I'm lucky if it's worth as much at the end of the month as it was at the beginning. Help!"
B.L. in Michigan: "I wish like our members of Congress, I could supposedly work 80 days out of the year, vacation the rest of the year and still get a substantial raise, health benefits and a nice retirement package. If they had to eke out a living like most of us Americans, they might decide to cater to their constituents rather than the lobbyists and big corporations."
We love hearing from you. Send us your thoughts at LouDobbs.com. Each of us whose e-mail is read here receives a copy of the "Financial Report of the United States" with a forward by Congressman Jim Cooper and a copy of Senator Byron Dorgan's new, important book, "Take This Job and Ship It." Thanks for being with us tonight. Please join us here Monday. Have a great weekend. For all of us, thanks for watching, good night from New York. "THE SITUATION ROOM " begins right now with Wolf Blitzer back in Washington -- Wolf?
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