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New Leads in Elizabeth Smart Case; Colorado Fires Rage; Padilla Detention Raises Legal Issues

Aired June 11, 2002 - 20:00   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.
CAROL LIN, HOST: Another suicide bombing, an attack at an Israeli restaurant. CNN is going to take you to the scene with its cameras.

ANNOUNCER: A vow from Salt Lake City's police chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK DINSE, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE CHIEF: We are going to get you. And if you've got Elizabeth, you better release her now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And a possible break in the case of a 14-year-old girl kidnapped right out of her bedroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DINSE: We believe that it is possible that we have already talked to or will soon have talked to the suspect responsible for this crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: One suspect down...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Padilla's where he needs to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: ... but many more to go in the war against terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: There is just a full-scale manhunt on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Nine months after September 11, a new facade rises from the ashes along the Potomac. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I'm here to tell you that today you got your Pentagon back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: A desperate battle against raging flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things remain very critical.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The largest wildfire in Colorado history threatens Denver. CNN's live from Washington, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Colorado, Afghanistan and other datelines around the globe. Here now is Carol Lin.

LIN: We begin tonight with a major refocus in the search for Elizabeth Smart, the 14-year-old Salt Lake City, Utah girl snatched from her home almost a week ago. Let's turn to CNN's national correspondent Frank Buckley with more details on this -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a significant change in the tone here in the investigation and the search for Elizabeth Smart here in Salt Lake City. Police no longer frustrated, as they've been saying for the past several days, with a lack of leads. In fact, today, police Chief Rick Dinse said that they have "some very promising leads," as he put it. They, in fact, believe that they know the kind of person, the kind of suspect that they are looking for now. They haven't named him, but they do believe that they may have even encountered this person in the course of their investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DINSE: We believe we have an understanding of this suspect, and it's very possible that we've already interviewed him or very soon will be interviewing him. And my caution to this suspect, if he is listening is, we are going to get you. And if you've got Elizabeth, you better release her now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Meanwhile, that search for Elizabeth Smart continues. The police telling us today that they've received some 6,000 leads throughout the course of their one-week-long investigation, 600 of those worthy of follow-up investigation. Hundreds of volunteers continue to turn out every day to look for Elizabeth Smart. For her parents, it's a very painful time. And just a few moments ago, they tried to reach out to Elizabeth through the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ED SMART, ELIZABETH'S FATHER: We know that we are so close, so close and we know that because we feel it in our hearts. And we know and we plea and ask that this person please release Elizabeth, please let her go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Elizabeth, we love you. Our hearts are close together. I'm wearing the special necklace you gave me on my birthday. I love you. I think of you every minute and I know we're close. You're going to come home, Elizabeth. Be strong and be ready to come because you're going to be with us soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: That is certainly the hope of not only her parents but everyone in this community. It has been an incredible outpouring of community support. Hundreds if not thousands of people every day down to about 700 or 800 volunteers today. But on other days, there have been 1,400 or 1,800 people who have registered and gone out to help. Still no sign of Elizabeth Smart but definitely a change in the tone of the investigation here today - Carol.

LIN: Frank, speaking of that tone, the police coming out and saying to the kidnappers, "We are going to get you," pretty tough words. Is anybody concerned that that might actually prompt the kidnapper to hurt Elizabeth?

BUCKLEY: I actually talked to the chief about that later today and asked him when we didn't have the cameras rolling if that was a concern at all and he said if he thought for a second that anything he said would result in the harm of Elizabeth Smart, he wouldn't have said it. He chose his words very carefully. And remember, the FBI has also provided a couple of profilers. They don't call themselves profilers, we all do. They're behavioral scientists. But the profilers have come in here and given the police a very good sense of who this person is that they think they should be looking for. The chief was very careful, he told me, in the words he used.

LIN: And they seem to think that the kidnapper may still be in the immediate area of where the kidnapping took place, right?

BUCKLEY: That's right. The chief was asked very bluntly about that -- do you believe that this person is still in the Salt Lake City area? The chief considered it for a second and simply answered, "yes."

LIN: Maybe some home there. Thank you very much. Frank Buckley live in Salt Lake City.

Well, for more on this kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, let's turn to a woman who knows a lot about child abductions. Candice Delong, she is a former profiler with the FBI and also a member of its Child Abduction Force.

Thank you very much, Candice, for being here.

CANDICE DELONG, FORMER FBI PROFILER: My pleasure. LIN: What do you make of what the police said very publicly? Frank said - Frank Buckley just reported that the police chose their words very carefully and they said to the kidnapper, "We are going to get you." What is the strategy behind this?

DELONG: Well, I think that actually, the kidnapper told the investigators and profilers a lot about himself by the method that he took Elizabeth. And they have analyzed his behavior and that has led them to believe that he is still in the area. They probably also have given some weight to the fact that it is very likely that the offender was in this house or had a very good working knowledge of this house before he took Elizabeth. It's a very large house, seven bedrooms. He went into the house in the middle of the night, an occupied home, at great risk of himself, a great risk of disclosure and was able to accomplish his goal. And that actually, behaviorally, tells them a lot that will help them solve this case.

LIN: But does it tell them that he won't hurt Elizabeth, that she may still be alive?

DELONG: It's possible. I'm not concerned that the police chief's remarks would result in her being hurt at all.

LIN: Do you think she's still alive?

DELONG: I certainly hope so.

LIN: Yeah, we all hope so indeed. We talked about the behavioral profilers working with the police. What sort of picture -- in addition to what you just told us, what sort of picture do you think they have come up with? Who is this man and what was his motive?

DELONG: Well, one of the things that can be said, I think -- safely be said about this particular offender is because of the boldness of the abduction, going into the house in the middle of the night, being able to control the other child with a threat, that shows a lot of confidence. And generally speaking, men who abduct children, that go into a house to do it, cases that the FBI has studied and has worked on before generally has shown that these are not your more youthful offenders, that this man is probably older and that he very likely has some kind of connection or tie to the house or to Elizabeth in some way. It could be very remote. It could be that he was a deliveryman, a carpet cleaner, might have been in the house a month ago, a year ago, perhaps the night before she was taken. We don't know.

Because of the trail he's left behind behaviorally, which I think is pretty significant, I do believe, as does the chief, that this case is going to be solved.

LIN: So is it his arrogance and his boldness that make the police believe that he would stay in the area knowing that there's this massive manhunt for him?

DELONG: Well, a part of it is also the fact that in looking at cases of this nature in the past generally speaking, the offender does remain in the area. One would think, logically, he'd be smart to flee, but on the other hand, there was a tremendous amount of media attention on this case rather quickly, even with the two-hour delay. And I think it would have been very hard for him to leave the state, certainly, by air or by rail. So he's probably there.

LIN: But the police say that they may have already interviewed him. Why would they let him go?

DELONG: What I think the police chief means by that is they believe they may have interviewed him. This is not to say they know who he is. What they mean by that, I think, is that they probably believe that this man has been in the house before, had access to the house for some reason. He either had a reason to be there and so what they've done, they've started their investigation considered Ground Zero, Elizabeth's bedroom, the center of a bull's-eye and they're working out from there in concentric circles. And by that I mean in those circles is who are the very closest people to Elizabeth, family, friends, people that had a reason to be in the house and then, people that were in the house a lot versus people that may have just dropped off a delivery or something like that.

And they have probably talked to, I'm guessing, in excess of 200 or 300 people at this point. And so they believe - they know who they've talked to. They've got lists of all these people and their list is ever expanding, getting, you know, the names of people that have been there. And so that is probably why they believe they may have talked to him.

LIN: All right, Candice DeLong, let's hope that they find Elizabeth Smart very soon. Time may be running out.

DELONG: Yes.

LIN: Thank you very much.

DELONG: You're welcome.

LIN: Turning to homeland security now. President Bush is in the Mid West today speaking about the U.S. war on terror and building support for his Department of Homeland Security. House Democratic leader, Richard Gephardt, is throwing his weight behind the legislative effort and even set a deadline, September 11. CNN's senior White House correspondent John King has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A treatment plant in Kansas City, the source of drinking water to nearly a million people. And in the president's view, a potential target as the terrorists look to strike again.

BUSH: We must have the capacity to analyze all sources of intelligence so that we can imagine the worst and plan for it.

KING: Nine months after the September 11 attacks, administration officials say they are vague but troubling indicators that al Qaeda hopes to strike again. Administration sources say the government recently passed along to law enforcement agencies unsubstantiated intelligence warnings about a July 4 nerve gas attack on a major subway system.

The Kansas City trip was to promote the proposed new Department of Homeland Security, linking 170,000 employees and dozens of agencies now scattered across the government. It would include a new division to analyze all intelligence data about potential terrorist threats, like the so-called dirty bomb plot the administration says it disrupted with the arrest of a U.S. citizen turned al Qaeda operative.

BUSH: As we run down these, you know, killers or would-be killers, we'll let you know. There's just a full-scale manhunt on.

KING: The Bush team is asking allies on Capitol Hill to lobby conservatives worried the cost of the new department would outweigh the benefits.

REP. ROB SIMMONS (R), CONNECTICUT: We don't want to see this become a money pit for federal dollars. We want to minimize that and the White House has been very clear that existing agencies and organizations will be utilized and existing budgetary resources will be utilized.

KING: House Majority Leader Dick Armey is one of several influential lawmakers who say the president's plan will pass but that Congress might look to add new measures to make the FBI and CIA more accountable. The administration says it is open to changes so long as the legislation is put on a fast track.

(on-camera): And the early signs suggest it will be. Both Democratic and Republican leaders promise the president they will meet his timetable of getting the new department up and running by January 1. One key Democrat even suggested that Congress aimed to pass the legislation and get it to the president's desk by September 11, the one-year anniversary of the strikes.

John King, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, the president is in Kansas City, Missouri tonight and that's where we find CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Hi, Suzanne. You're near the water treatment plant where the president visited. What is it that actually protects this treatment plant from a terrorist attack?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is really considered a model facility. This is one of the facilities that actually got some federal money from the Environmental Protection Agency, $53 million divided among some of these facilities. And what they actually do is that they, since September 11, have monitored and gone through and done an assessment, a type of vulnerability assessment. They have installed cameras. They now have security 24/7. This is really considered one of the areas that the Homeland Security Defense Department is really going to be working on. And that's why the president came here, to highlight this is really an unconventional threat but certainly could be a threat if terrorists decide to target our water supply.

LIN: Well, $53 million is quite a bit of money. Is that the sort of money that they are willing to spend at every water treatment plant around the country?

MALVEAUX: Fifty-three million is actually for a group of water treatment plants throughout the country. That 53, which is actually through the Environmental Protection Agency and this really is just the initial stage. This is to go ahead and assess the vulnerability.

Now, we anticipate that there is going to be, of course, a lot of money involved in Homeland Security's budget, more than $37 billion.

LIN: Suzanne, I'm wondering, you've had a chance to be there for a bit. What is the feedback there from Middle America about this war on terror? Is there a sense of nervousness? Are people pretty confident that the government is going to be able to protect them?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, I have to say in general people are concerned about it. One of the things about the water treatment facility and the threat to drinking water is that it's a very small one. That's one of the things that administrators are telling us, but nevertheless, they want people to be vigilant. I think that the more that they're assured by this, the fact that there is this proposal now by the president to develop this strong department, this mammoth department, to handle some of these aspects of it, that people are feeling a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more at ease.

LIN: Well, mixing a little homeland security with politics tonight for the president. What's going on tonight?

MALVEAUX: Well, that is true. Mr. Bush is fund-raising here in Missouri. This is a critical state for Republicans who are hoping to recapture the Senate in the midterm elections, the November elections. This is where he is raising money for the Republican Senate candidate, the Senate hopeful, Jim Talant (ph). He's a former Congressman. They're hoping to oust the Democratic incumbent Jean Callahan (ph) - Carahan (ph) rather. And this is also a key state for Mr. Bush if he decided to run in 2004. He narrowly defeated his opponent here just two years ago.

LIN: All right...

MALVEAUX: Carol.

LIN: Suzanne Malveaux, a new addition to the CNN family. Welcome, good to see you.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

LIN: We look forward to working with you in the future. Well, the president did have some pretty tough words as well today. He branded suspected dirty bomb terrorist Jose Padilla as - quote -- "a bad guy." But this is - this is - is this accused U.S. citizen being denied his constitutional rights? CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. government defends its decision to hold Jose Padilla as an enemy combatant arguing he's still a threat.

JOHN ASHCROFT, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: We believe his continued detention is the right course of action.

ARENA: Besides the alleged dirty bomb plot, officials say Padilla discussed a range of attacks with al Qaeda leaders, including blowing up U.S. hotels and gas stations.

Even so, Padilla has not been charged with any crime. And some argue his detention is unconstitutional, including the lawyer assigned to Padilla's case before he was transferred to military custody.

DONNA NEWMAN, PADILLA'S ATTORNEY: The last time I looked at the Constitution, he still had constitutional rights. He has a right to unreasonable seizure, to be free of unreasonable seizure, a right to counsel, a right if he's going to be charged by a grand jury. Now, I understand that the government is alleging something different, but they are not charging him either.

ARENA: Newman has filed a motion in New York Federal Court arguing Padilla, a U.S. citizen, is being unlawfully held. But it's unclear what authority a judge might have.

Newman says she hasn't been able to speak to Padilla since Friday. Since Sunday, he's been held in isolation at this U.S. naval brig in South Carolina. Defense Department officials have said if he is to be prosecuted, Padilla would go back into the criminal justice system. But Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says the goal is not punishment but rather information.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Here is a person who unambiguously was interested in radiation weapons and terrorist activity and was in league with al Qaeda. Now, our job, as responsible government officials, is to do everything possible to find out what that person knows.

ARENA (on-camera): So far, though, sources say Padilla is not cooperating with authorities and hasn't since he was arrested in Chicago on May 8 as a material witness.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Next, raging wildfires just miles from Denver. Tens of thousands ready to run. We'll go live to the front lines of this monster fire.

Targeted for terror, a suicide bombing rips apart a popular restaurant in Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Palestinian suicide bomber walked up to the front of this restaurant right over here. He apparently walked very close into the front of this restaurant and then detonated his device.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Our cameras take you to the scene of the attack.

And later, a red-letter day for a country trying to rebuild from the ruins of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a land that's suffered through Communism, Talibanism and overall barbarism, this was a monumental day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: We'll go live to Afghanistan. But first, time for your opinion. Should the U.S. government be allowed to hold enemy combatants without a trial? To take the quick vote, head to CNN.com. The AOL keyword, CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: As wildfires continue to burn outside Denver, doctors there have been bombarded with questions about smoke-related illnesses, including smoke inhalation. Common symptoms for smoke inhalation include shortness of breath, coughing and a tightness in the chest.

LIN: Colorado is burning. No less than nine wildfires are raging across the state. Take a look at our big board there, and you can see some of them listed. And we're going to give you the satellite image so that you can see -- that big cloudy area right there, that is the smoke from all these fires gathering around central Colorado. As one of those fires, the large nest the state's history, advances towards Denver, the governor of the state is now saying that Colorado is being tested like never before. CNN's Keith Oppenheim joins us live from Denver with the latest there - Keith.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Carol. Yeah, the test seems to keep going on. Right now, I'm at Roxboro State Park, about 20 miles away from downtown Denver. And in this community, people have been packing. They've been getting ready. And some, in fact, have already gone because they know that the Hayman fire -- that's the big one near here -- is about seven miles off but it could come a lot closer in a hurry right towards this populated community. So it continues to be something of a waiting game as homeowners and residents just wait to see exactly what this fire will do.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: It's one of nine fires burning in Colorado, but it's not only the biggest right now. It's the biggest ever recorded in the state's history. Called the Hayman fire, it was started in the Pike National Forest on Saturday from what authorities say was a small illegal campfire. Depending on which way the wind blows, the Hayman fire could overtake a number of residential communities.

GOV. BILL OWENS, COLORADO: It remains a time of significant challenge. We have lots of fires still burning and we're hoping for a little bit of help from Mother Nature. We've received some but not nearly enough.

OPPENHEIM: Because of the uncertainty with the weather, fire officials are urging people with homes closer to the fire's edge to leave now. The concern, the call for evacuations could create dangerous traffic jams. Still, today's weather could actually create some opportunities for firefighters. Calmer winds may allow for an all-out air assault on the flames and possibly divert Hayman away from structures.

In the meantime, the damage to land and air is growing, causing state officials to look to the federal government for help in the fight as well as the cleanup.

JOE ALBAUGH, FEMA DIRECTOR: Let's take this a step at a time. And it concerns me greatly those individuals who have lost their homes and all of their personal belongings, they're going to have to rebuild their lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Carol, we just got an update on the Hayman Fire. As I said, it's about seven miles from where I am, Roxboro Park. It's about four miles from another residential community to the south of here, Perry Park. So it has come somewhat closer to these communities, but the officials are sort of sticking with the plan. They're saying they're not going to go door to door and tell people that they have to leave yet. And that's because the fires are sort of burning in one spot, but they're not moving too much further forward and the wind could change, they add. And that's the reason why they would like people to go, but they're not telling them they have to go. Back to you.

LIN: Keith, we're hearing as many as 40,000 people may have to be evacuated from their homes. So what is the status of the evacuations right now? How many people have actually left?

OPPENHEIM: It's a tough number to come by exactly. The 40,000 figure represents the potential number of people who could be evacuated. We're not at that point. We're in some sort of middle ground where there are people who have left voluntarily. That's probably the larger number. And several thousand people who have been asked to go. What you have right now is a lot of people either able to get back to their houses but they are trying to stay away from them and some people who just can't go back at all because the fire's too close to home.

LIN: You know I'd almost rather the government officials just tell me, "Just get out as a precaution" rather than trying to make that decision depending on the winds.

OPPENHEIM: It's a tough decision for people - yeah, it's a tough decision for people because they don't want to leave their homes. They're worried about all the possessions they have behind but life of course is crucial to them and so getting away is probably the wisest thing.

LIN: And the eternal hope that this thing is going to turn around. Thank you very much, Keith Oppenheim.

We've been talking a lot about Mother Nature and the severe drought conditions in Colorado, but we can actually visualize that for you. Take a look at the big board right now. We're going to show you a series of maps and you can sort of watch the evolution of this drought.

This is early April. This is what the state looked like. And if you look at the dark tan areas, these are severe drought areas. But it gets even worse than this because watch as the rusty red portion begins to grow. That category is extreme to exceptional drought conditions. In just a matter of weeks, Colorado and the surrounding states suddenly go dry as a bone.

Finally, the current conditions, right now. Just an indication of how much trouble there is out there and how dry it can be.

Now, responding to these fires, thousands of Colorado residents are packing up and heading for safer ground tonight. Many with just the clothes on their back. Reporter Ann Alajo (ph) from CNN affiliate KCMC has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA ALAJO (ph), KCMC REPORTER (voice-over): ... were ordered this morning near Lake George where the Hayman fire first started and where residents have been preparing to leave since Saturday.

Carol Keith thinks she's got everything she kneads.

CAROLE KEITH, EVACUEE: If you lose it, you know, you still have your life and I still have my (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and you know, what can you do? Just live with it. I never thought it would happen, but then, look at the whole of Colorado right now. Everybody is dealing with the same thing. It's not just me.

ALAJO (ph): People's lives here have been turned upside down, not knowing where Mother Nature would take this fire next. Susan Bond and her daughter in the Lake George emergency shelter were out shopping when their evacuations were ordered.

SUSAN BOND, EVACUEE: So we didn't know we were being evacuated. When we came back and the road was blocked off and they weren't letting anyone in. So we got out without anything but the clothes we were wearing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: That was Anna Alajo (ph) reporting from KCMC. We are back in a minute.

ANNOUNCER: When we come back, a popular restaurant, a deadly attack. CNN cameras take to you the scene of the latest suicide bombing in Israel.

And later, from the wreckage of September 11, the Pentagon rises again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You heal this wall and in doing so, you are helping to heal a nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the Middle East today, a suicide bombing outside Tel Aviv in the town of Herzliya, an Israeli woman was killed. CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar has more on this attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A suicide bomber detonated his device out here in front of Jamil's (ph) Restaurant. It's a kind of fast food restaurant, the kind of place where they sell shwarma (ph) and kabobs. This is one of the busiest streets in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya, a place that would have been very crowded in the early evening hours.

Police say that although there was a generalized alert throughout Israel, an alert to the possibility of a suicide attacker, there have been no specific alerts issued to the Tel Aviv area.

This is the second time in the two and a half years of the intafada that there has been an attack in the suburb of Herzliya, a place which is a beach resort, a beach community, and a place which is not used to this kind of attack.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: That was Sheila MacVicar reporting from Israel. Go in-depth on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at cnn.com. You can check out our interactive special report, "Mideast: Centuries of Conflict." For AOL users, the keyword is CNN. We're back in a moment.

ANNOUNCER: Next, healing the wounds from September 11th. The final stone is placed on the Pentagon's facade. And later, building towards the future in Afghanistan, a major meeting to plot the course of the country, we'll go live to Kabul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: According to the latest estimates, 2,823 people were killed at the World Trade Center on September 11th. Since then, less than half of those victims have been located or identified.

LIN: As Congress moves forward with its investigation of the CIA and the FBI and the disconnect in intelligence before September 11th. Family members gathered outside the capitol today to demand an independent investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MINDY KLEINBERG, LOST HUSBAND IN WTC ATTACK: I want to be able to look into the eyes of my children and tell them that the evil is over there, that they are safe and that their country is secure. Nine months have passed and I still can not do that. I have no answers. How could this have happened?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Almost 100 family members gathered for that rally. Well, exactly nine months after the September 11th attacks, the last stone of the rebuilt Pentagon wall was pushed into place, and a dedication ceremony was held to mark the progress at the military headquarters. Here's CNN's Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From the ashes of September 11th have risen a proud, new facade, the result of nine months of labor by an army of construction workers who replaced more than 4,000 pieces of limestone.

LEE EVEY, RENOVATION PROGRAM MANAGER: Since September 11th, 2001, I've probably been asked 1,000 times, when do we get our Pentagon back? And, I'm here to tell you that today you got your Pentagon back.

MCINTYRE: To mark the milestone, a dedication capsule was placed in the wall near the point of impact. It was covered with a slab or original limestone, still blackened from fire and inscribed with the date. Unlike a time capsule, this bronze cube is not meant to ever be opened. The memorabilia inside includes pins and patches from police, firefighters and construction workers, a signed copy of President Bush's address to the nation, a plaque with the names of all 184 victims, and two unsigned cards representing the hundreds sent by school children.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: Amanda Lynn (ph), an eighth grader at Taylor Middle School in California wrote: "Dear Pentagon: I believe we can all pull together and show what America means. To me following the attacks last September, America means wisdom, strength, endurance and freedom." Amanda, you got it exactly right.

MCINTYRE (on camera): With the completion of the facade, work now moves inside. By the one-year anniversary, September 11th, this outer ring should be reoccupied. Within another six months, by the spring, the two other damaged rings should be rebuilt as well, completing the entire $700 million repair project on time and under budget.

WOLFOWITZ: You healed this wall, and in doing so, you were helping to heal our nation.

MCINTYRE (voice over): The giant digital clock that counts down the seconds until the one-year anniversary, has assumed a double significance. September 11, 2002 is now also the deadline for a design competition for a permanent memorial to be erected at the site by September 11th, 2003. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now a dent in the government's case against the shoe bomb suspect. A federal judge has decided one of the charges against Richard Reid doesn't really apply. Our National Correspondent Susan Candiotti is at the hearing in Boston. Susan, does this mean that the government has a diminished case against Richard Reid?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Probably not. To hear the government tell it, it still believes it has a strong case against the alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid.

At the end of the hearing on a different matter, and after Richard Reid had already been led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, the judge delivered this ruling, long fought for by Reid's defense team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice over): Reid in an armed motorcade, taken to court and delivered a legal victory of sorts. The court pulled out a dictionary, the same one used by Congress, to toss out a count called Attempted Wrecking of a Mass Transportation Vehicle. Judge William Young ruled an aircraft does not fit the definition of a mass transportation vehicle as Congress intended because a plane does not carry people on land.

Reid was the first person charged with that offense, as part of the USA Patriot Act passed after September 11. But if convicted of the eight remaining counts, Reid could still face up to five life terms.

In court, Reid's attorneys argued for another victory. They want potentially damning statements against him thrown out because, they argue, the FBI questioned Reid after telling police, "I have nothing else to say." They also argue he was still too drugged to know what he was doing. Doctors sedated Reid aboard Flight 63 after he allegedly tried to light explosives in his sneakers. Former U.S. Attorney Stan Twardy:

STAN TWARDY, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: He was being coerced into agreeing to further testimony. It's the old movies of somebody being forced to sign a confession.

CANDIOTTI: The government argues it did everything by the book. In a two-hour statement to the FBI: "Reid spoke freely and eagerly on many topics, no convincing, prodding or deception."

The FBI says Reid admitted to traveling all over Europe and the Mid East with no apparent source of income that the timing of the terror attack, near Christmas, was meant to maximize damage to the U.S. economy.

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CANDIOTTI (on camera): The hearing will go on for one or two more days before a judge decides whether to allow those statements Reid made to the FBI to be used at trial, which is scheduled to begin November 4th. Carol.

LIN: Susan, at today's hearing you got a chance to actually learn more about what happened on that flight.

CANDIOTTI: That's right. There was some dramatic testimony for the very first time in court. We heard from one of the American Airlines flight attendants who was aboard that flight, and she talked about how she had come into contact with Richard Reid, calling him at one time, "he had wild eyes" she said. "He was like a wild animal," and that he "shot her very attacking glares." She also said that she talked with one of the passengers who had volunteered to guard Reid, and that that passenger had asked Reid, in his words, "hey man, what are you trying to do" and that Reid's response was, "It is written. Wait and See." Carol.

LIN: Interesting and more to come in this case. Thanks so much. Susan Candiotti, live in Boston for us. Well in Afghanistan, the Taliban are gone. Now the country must rebuild. So when we return, Afghan men and women gather to choose their new leadership.

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ANNOUNCER: According to the latest estimates, 2,823 people were killed at the World Trade Center on September 11th. Since then, less than half of those victims have been located or identified.

LIN: Fifteen hundred Afghan leaders are meeting this week in Kabul, Afghanistan to map out that country's next government. That meeting is called a Loya Jirga or Grand Council, which is a tradition dating back over 1,000 years.

Tomorrow, a critical vote in Afghanistan, the Tribal Assembly will start the process of choosing a president. CNN's Gary Tuchman is in Kabul, where it appears one man has a clear shot at winning. Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, behind me the grounds of Kabul, Afghanistan's Polytechnic University, a college that was destroyed ten years ago during fighting. Now on the grounds of the old college, a huge white tent, that tent was actually used during Oktoberfest celebrations in Germany, but has now been sent here and is the meeting place for many Afghans who are dreaming of democracy.

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TUCHMAN (voice over): In a land that has suffered through communism, talibanism and overall barbarism, this was a monumental day. This motorcade electrified the people of Kabul, Afghanistan. In it, their widely-loved former king who addressed the country he ruled for 40 years.

MOHAMMED ZAHIR SHAH, FORMER AFGHAN KING (through translator): I am very pleased that after 29 years of separation from my country, I once again find myself with you, the representatives of the nation in this glorious and historical assembly.

TUCHMAN: The assembly is the Loya Jirga, a decision-making meeting that's an ancient tradition in Afghanistan, but coming just months after the brutal rule of the Taliban, no Loya Jirga has ever gotten more attention.

The 1,600 delegates, Afghan men and women from throughout the country and the world will pick a leader for the next two years. Interim Leader Hamid Karzai wants the job.

HAMID KARZAI, INTERIM AFGHAN LEADER (through translator): I hope this Loya Jirga concludes with unity and solidarity of our people. It's the duty for everybody to support it. When it ends, we should step forward to dignity and prosperity.

TUCHMAN: But many delegates want King Mohammed Zahir Shah to lead the country once again; however, he supports Karzai.

SHAH (through translator): I pray to Almighty God to his future success.

TUCHMAN: In the streets, security is elaborate; the threat of an attack by Taliban or Taliban sympathizers is not underestimated. Delegates for the most part elated about participating in what many call American-style democracy, prefer to dwell on the politics and not the security.

"Right now, the king is not running" this delegate says, "so I'll vote for Mr. Karzai."

The vote will come as soon as Wednesday. Delegate Susan Sarfi Rafik (ph) was born in Afghanistan but currently lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Does it make you emotional being back here?

SUSAN SARFI RAFIK, DELEGATE: Of course it does. I came back after 22 years on the date I had left 22 years ago. TUCHMAN: And now that you're here, how do you feel?

RAFIK: I feel like I belong here. I need to be here.

TUCHMAN: And she says she will now move back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN (on camera): It is a far cry from life in an elite suburb of Alpharetta, Georgia to live here in Kabul, Afghanistan, but Susan is one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, mostly in Pakistan, now moving back here, very excited about the potential they see in the land that they love. Right now, it's 5:18 a.m. local time here in Kabul. Day two of this meeting begins in less than three hours, Carol, back to you.

LIN: Interesting, Gary. How does what you found compare with the allegations of bribery and intimidation that led up to this Grand Council meeting?

TUCHMAN: Well there are certainly allegations among some critics that Hamid Karzai will become the leader of this nation because America wants him to be the leader of this nation.

But we've talked to so many people here throughout the city of Kabul who've come up to us very excited about the process, excited about Karzai and the work he's done, and even among the people who support the king they say, many of them, that the fact that the king has publicly supported Karzai is good enough for them.

LIN: But, Gary, has it been worked out, the division of power between the different ethnic tribes, Karzai being a Pashtun, the Tajiks, the Hazaras, you know these are all past rivalries that inevitably led to war? How is that going to be resolved?

TUCHMAN: Well that's what's so notable about this, Carol, is that Karzai is a Pashtun. Pashtun is the ethnicity of most of the members of the former Taliban, and it's noteworthy that members of all the ethnic groups here in Afghanistan for the large part support Karzai. But the plan is for many of the cabinet positions to have ethnic Tajiks, ethnic Uzbeks, and other ethnicities to even out the cabinet along with the leadership.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Gary Tuchman, live in Kabul, Afghanistan today. Well, operating a laboratory in space, $2 billion a year, the views from the balcony priceless. We'll take you on a space walk next.

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LIN: Time now for a news alert. Humidity is falling and the winds are picking up in Colorado, not what firefighters want. They're battling at least nine major fires across the state, the largest is Denver where thousands of people are ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. A week after Elizabeth Smart was snatched from her bedroom, Salt Lake City Police are refocusing their efforts to find her. They say they already may have already talked to the man who took her and are going to concentrate on people who had access to the house.

In Missouri today, President Bush promised that his plan to strengthen homeland security would help keep the Heartland safe. The centerpiece of his plan is a new cabinet post, combining several federal agencies to better coordinate information. He pressed his case with lawmakers this morning.

India started pulling back its naval fleet off the coast of Pakistan today. This is expected to ease simmering tension between the two nuclear rivals. India made the move as Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld arrived in that country. A hopeful Rumsfeld says the tension is "fairly level at the moment."

The founding bishop of the Lexington, Kentucky Catholic Diocese has resigned. J. Kendrick Williams says he stepped down to help lift the cloud hanging over the diocese and not because he's guilty of sexual abuse. Three men have filed lawsuits saying Williams abused them when they were younger.

Two astronauts from the Shuttle Endeavor walked in space today to work on the International Space Station. They wired up and bolted down a work platform that will allow the station's 58-foot robot arm to roam across the orbiting outpost. A third space walk is scheduled for Thursday.

Royalty, rock stars, and wedding bells, a former Beatle becomes a former bachelor, the wedding of Paul McCartney when we return.

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LIN: They wanted a private ceremony at a secluded Irish castle, and that's just what Paul McCartney and Heather Mills got, if you don't count all those prying eyes right outside the gate. CNN's Richard Quest was there as our eyes.

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RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joyful and moving, that's the official description of the wedding ceremony between Paul McCartney and his fiancee Heather Mills, now Lady Heather McCartney. The bride, as is traditional, was late by about eight minutes, and indeed the ceremony was late getting underway because of low flying press helicopters, which annoyed the organizers.

According to a statement put out by the McCartneys, Lady Heather McCartney wore an ecru lace dress and she carried a bouquet with 11 McCartney roses, a breed of rose that was named after Paul McCartney some years ago. And in fact, Sir Paul McCartney wore one McCartney rose in his buttonhole of his brown three-piece suit.

After the ceremony was over, the guests then moved from the church, here at Castle Leslie down to the marquees. Several have been built over recent days, one will have the Indian vegetarian feast, the other is for dancing.

There will be five rock groups and bound to entertain them, one of which will probably be, of course, Paul McCartney's touring band.

As for the people here in Glaslough, well they've had a chance to see just what a big wedding looks like and, indeed, the celebrities who arrive. Unfortunately, the celebrities were few and far between.

What actually happened was people like Ringo Starr arrived at Belfast Airport and made their way in limousines with blacked-out windows to the castle.

The only people we did get to see were the family and friends of Sir Paul and Lady Heather. They arrived at the castle in busses, having been flown to Belfast on charter jets from Liverpool and London.

Now the couple decides where they're going on honeymoon and needless to say, as so much in this wedding and this ceremony, the destination's been kept a secret. Richard Quest CNN, Glaslough, Ireland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: That's the reaction to Richard, I think. And that's our report tonight. I'm Carol Lin. "LARRY KING LIVE" up next.

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