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Munich Massacre; Olympic Security; Organized Shoplifting

Aired December 28, 2005 - 13:34   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're hearing a lot about the terror attacks during the 1972 Munich Games. Eleven Israeli athletes died in that incident, which is dramatized in the new Steven Spielberg film, "Munich," But critics say Spielberg's treatment is off base on some key details. The attacks are also the subject of "Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response." The author is Aaron Klein. He works in "Time" magazine's Jerusalem bureau and he joins me now from New York.
Aaron, good to have you.

AARON KLEIN, "TIME" CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

LIN: Do you have any issues with Spielberg's movie?

KLEIN: What?

LIN: What are your issues with Steven Spielberg's version of "Munich?"

KLEIN: Well, I must say, It's a great film, drama. But as it says in the beginning of the movie, it's inspired by real events. It's not a true story. It's not the real story It's in a way even fiction. The true story is different. In the movie, the movies based on revenge. The reason -- what they were doing was revenge, revenging the Munich massacre. and what was happening really after the Munich massacre was a campaign, or striking back, Israel striking back against Palestinians, as a prevention, acts to prevent the next terrorist attacks.

LIN: But, Aaron, look at the politicized response to this, you know. what is essentially supposed to be a work of fiction. I mean, it's not a documentary. Did you hear the report that Mohammad Daoud -- do you know who this guy is?

KLEIN: Yes.

LIN: He claims he planned the attack on behalf of the PLO. He is angry that Steven Spielberg did not consult him or feature him in the movie. What do you make of that?

KLEIN: Well, he was really -- he was behind the Munich massacre. He was behind the planning of the events, and he wrote the book about. And he approached Spielberg. Spielberg didn't want to talk with him. So it's OK.

LIN: I mean, in a way, Steven Spielberg, though he wanted to have a work of his own version of the events, he did have consultants. For example, he claims he had a Palestinian consultant on the movie.

KLEIN: Yes, and he was trying even to get Israeli, and I think he got some Israeli consultant to help him. But we must remember it's inspired. It's not based on the true story. The true story is completely different.

LIN: Uh-huh. And is it true that Jewish critics, Jewish historians in Israel, because there was a showing of the film in Israel, that they complain that the film draws a moral parallel between slain Olympians and Palestinians assassinated by the Mossad spying agency. Do you have that feeling when you watched the film?

KLEIN: No, I don't have a problem with that. Even terrorists, they are human beings. They have mothers, they have sisters, but they are terrorists. So I don't have problem with that. And I don't think, you know, in Israel, there will be conflict, people will talk about it. It's going to be debated. But as an Israeli, I can say, it's OK by me.

LIN: What do you think about the reaction of the post-9/11 public is going to be to this movie, especially given that the Winter Olympics are coming up?

KLEIN: Well, people must remember that there is terror out there, that we are in war, and you have to fight terror. And this is one of the major problems we are facing.

LIN: But given the times, do you think -- I mean, everything went well in Salt Lake City, right here in the United States. Security was unprecedented. Turin (ph), Italy in February, do you anticipate, do you imagine that there could be problems?

KLEIN: I hope not.

LIN: Is the world vulnerable?

KLEIN: I can tell you numbers. I mean, in the Munich Olympics, the cost of security was something like $2 million. In Athens, in 2004, it was more than a billion. So it must be. You have to protect, you have to carry on security within the Olympic Games and others. This is the way we are living these days.

LIN: All right, Aaron Klein, I'm going to take some comfort in your words. Anything can happen, but we must always be prepared.

KLEIN: Yes.

LIN: Aaron Klein, "Time" magazine, thank you very much.

KLEIN: Thank you.

LIN: So could terrorists be targeting the Winter Olympics? There is an international effort to keep athletes and spectators safe at the Games which begins in February in Turin.

CNN's Brian Todd has the story, a report you first saw on the situation room.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the 20th Winter Olympics just weeks away, a top Italian security official tells CNN, the country's intelligence and law enforcement agencies have stepped up their tracking of potential terror suspects.

According to this official, video surveillance, wiretapping, court-approved, and information sharing with U.S. and other intelligence services are all in play. The officials stressed they don't have evidence of a specific threat. But the Italians and a former U.S. military intelligence officer who is consulting with them on security say radical Islamist groups have long targeted Italy because of its support for the U.S. in Iraq.

And the Islamists, they say, are just one concern.

MICHAEL HERSHMAN, PRESIDENT, THE FAIRFAX GROUP: There are other groups in Italy that have engaged in -- in violent activities, some of them affiliated with radical unions. There's also a strong environmentalist movement that has, from time to time, caused disruptions.

TODD: Michael Hershman has been involved in security preparations for 10 different Olympics over nearly 18 years. He says the Games in Turin, to be held from February 10 through the 26th, are, like other Winter Olympics, less of a security concern than Summer Games.

HERSHMAN: It's a smaller set of Games, fewer athletes, fewer visitors, perhaps 1.2 to 1.5 million, as compared to three, four, five million. The site is a lot more difficult to get to, and, therefore, would be more difficult to infiltrate, and, of course, far more difficult, if you're going to cause a disruption, to get away.

TODD: But the Italians are taking no chances and certainly taking the lead, the Italian officials stressing several times, on- the-ground security in Turin will be led exclusively by Italian forces. They are the only ones, he says, who will be armed.

(on camera): Other measures according to the Italian official and Michael Hershman, suspicious people will be prevented from entering the country. Some already there will be detained. Others deported.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Caught on tape. We're going to take a look at so-called super shoplifters and some of the tricks they use to steal stores blind. A CNN investigation when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: Milwaukee police questioned several people but no break yet in a disturbing attack on a motorist. Police say a group of young people dragged a man from his car Monday night and attacked him, simply because he honked at them.

The victim, 50-year-old Samuel McClain, suffered severe head trauma. One witness compared the attack to a block party. Others report seeing attackers jump from cars on to the victim's body.

Now, Florida authorities have a real mystery on their hands. A couple was found dead in their home yesterday in Fort Myers, and the only witness was their 2-year-old son who somehow managed to dial 911 and alert police. They found the boy covered in blood. A neighbor who took him in says otherwise he is OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA POTTER, NEIGHBOR: He just seemed perfectly fine. He was just normal. I mean, you know, acted completely unphased.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Now, authorities say the victims, Steven and Michelle Andrews, were both 28 years old. So far, no suspects or even a motive.

Now, they're called super shoplifters, and while they can't leap a building in a single bound, they probably could steal most of what was in it. CNN's Deborah Feyerick investigated for "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Take a look at this surveillance video from a suburban shopping mall. This is no ordinary shoplifter. Just watch -- one, two, three pairs of shoes all stolen in less than a minute.

Now watch this woman, different store, different day, same technique. While her partner acts as a lookout, she slips box after box of perfume into a bag. Police call it "boosting," organized shoplifting carried out by trained gangs of professional thieves.

(on camera): How much merchandise are we talking about at any one time in an hour?

DET. DAVID HILL, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: In an hour, we have made an apprehension where we recovered $40,000 worth of merchandise.

FEYERICK: In a single hour?

HILL: In a single hour.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Personal (ph) security officer is holding an adult male.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Maryland Detective David Hill heads the Montgomery County Police Retail Theft Unit.

HILL: ... target high-end stores...

FEYERICK: We met Detective Hill at a mall, but agreed not to mention which one. Stores are desperately afraid of drawing unwanted attention from gangs.

(on camera): So, one person is stealing. One person is doing surveillance. What are their roles?

HILL: You have collectors, packers, ones that take it to the car, others that are watching their backs to make sure they're not being followed by security.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Authorities say the gangs that have made the biggest dent are largely from Latin and South America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My eyes never look down, always straight.

FEYERICK: This man, who we'll call "Carlos," says it's not unusual for his gang to hit seven malls in one day. He asked that we disguise his voice and face, afraid of retribution by those who run the criminal enterprise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are very dangerous, because, in their countries, they rob banks, they kidnap people. They're drug dealers. If you fail them or if you -- you do something against them, yes. These people is dangerous.

FEYERICK: Authorities don't know how many gangs there are or who runs them. Yet, police believe organized shoplifting has touched nearly every major retail chain in the country.

Joe LaRocca is with the National Retail Federation, the group that represents many major store owners.

JOE LAROCCA, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: They are targeting particular types of merchandise. They have an order list. And they're going out and stealing what's on their order list.

FEYERICK: You name it, police say, they will steal it -- jeans, lingerie, iPods, baby formula, over-the-counter drugs. The demand is endless, stolen merchandise then sold online or at discount shops that fuel a black market.

(on camera): It looks like they have just been shopping in the mall.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Even with store clerks and shoppers around, it's surprisingly easy. Detective Hill showed us one of the tools the gangs use, boosting bags, ordinary shopping bags lined with foil to smuggle stolen merchandise out of a store.

(on camera): This is regular aluminum foil?

HILL: Right. FEYERICK: Regular aluminum foil.

HILL: Right.

FEYERICK: So, somebody's put in a lot of work just to make this one bag.

HILL: Oh, yes.

FEYERICK: OK.

HILL: And what that does is, when they walk out of the store with merchandise that has sensors on, the alarms will not be activated.

FEYERICK (voice-over): The bag also boosts the thieves' efficiency.

(on camera): So, then, I go over here and I'm just kind of looking at these jeans and then I can very easily just take it.

HILL: Just come over.

FEYERICK: You put it into the bag.

HILL: Drop it right in.

FEYERICK: OK.

And, while you pick it up -- now, this is interesting. So, you pick it up. Then you can effectively walk out.

HILL: I walk out, unless I want more.

FEYERICK: And...

HILL: And they usually...

FEYERICK: And...

HILL: They're going to want this full.

FEYERICK (voice-over): This video command center at a major department store invited us to see this recent hit by a shoplifting gang.

(on camera): The woman in the white looked back at her colleague.

HILL: She gives the OK. The coast is clear.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Here's how it works. While her partner trails her, the woman in white picks up a black shirt. She holds it up to block the security camera, then loads her bag with perfume. She passes the perfume to a third woman, who switches it to a different bag, and walks out of the store. HILL: Over 40 items of perfume were taken. And it was just under $3,000 recovery was made.

FEYERICK (on camera): Not bad for eight minutes' work.

HILL: Not bad at all.

FEYERICK (voice-over): These women were caught. But even when police do make arrests, most of these thefts are treated as misdemeanors. The criminals get no more than 30 days in prison.

Stephen Chaikin prosecutes organized crime in Montgomery County, Maryland.

STEPHEN CHAIKIN, PROSECUTOR: When they get into the court system, since they have multiple names and Social Security numbers, it's often hard to know who we're dealing with. And, sometimes, they bond out. They get out of jail. We never see them again.

FEYERICK: The other reason shoplifting has turned epidemic, because of their competitiveness, stores are notoriously secretive, sometimes, even refusing to alert mall security or a store next door. That's now changing.

(on camera): So, basically, this database allows the stores to talk to each other.

LAROCCA: Absolutely.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Stores have joined together to create a national crime database. Retailers that are targeted can now post information, like the type of crime, where and how it was committed, and a description of the criminal.

LAROCCA: We need to be able to go after these individuals. We need to put them behind bars for their crimes. And we need to keep them out of our retail stores.

FEYERICK: Carlos, who was recently arrested and is now awaiting trial, says it's not so much the individual, but the gang leaders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people, I don't think they're going to stop.

FEYERICK: And even stores and police acknowledge it will take a very long time to bring organized shoplifting under control.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Forget shoplifting. Fighting terror in Jerusalem. Our Kelli Arena goes behind the scenes to see what the U.S. could learn from Israeli methods. A "Security Watch" update is straight ahead. That's coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): From tragedies to triumphs, 2005 has been a year of remarkable news from around the world. CNN.com chronicles some of the year's top stories. From the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunamis to Hurricane Katrina, this timeline recounts major events as they happen month by month.

Relive the year's biggest moments by watching video clips from the breaking news stories that made history and changed lives. And as the world watched these events, you as citizen journalists helped CNN.com cover them by sending us your stories, pictures and videos. From Johnny Carson to Johnnie Cochran, read and remember a few of the important people that left us this year.

And what do you think were the major stories of 2005? You can rank the top ten of your choice in this poll. Log on to CNN.com/yearinreview for a look back at the most memorable moments in 2005.

For the dot-com desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, it's slow going in much of western Europe today, thanks to the season's first big deposit of snow. Eastern England, Lancashire, residents are busy digging out of their driveways and roads, as hundreds of train routes are canceled. Forecasters say temperatures are going to dip into the teens tonight, and predict nearly a foot of new snow northeast of London.

Now, in Lorraine, France, people are going nowhere fast. Hundreds of motorists spent the night in their cars. A few truck accidents and heavy snow brought traffic to a standstill, but everyone started moving again at sunrise. Police are urging drivers to stay home.

Now, winter's worst may be dampening daily life for millions in western Europe, but it's hard to deny the beauty of a fresh snowfall and the effect it has on people.

Let's take a look at these snow warriors -- snowball warriors -- in the mountains of Switzerland, battling it out. Now, true to Swiss form, it appears the observer on the left has taken a neutral position. This is Berlin, freshly dusted by overnight snowfall. And they're going to get more overnight.

Mount Lebanon, east of Beirut, the high elevations there do get snow each year, but seldom this much or this early. And it will take more than a bit of snow to stop these ducks from making their rounds in Salzburg, Austria.

Loss of cabin pressure, rapid descent. You don't want to hear about that while you're flying. Coming up, a scary trip on board a plane with a hole in its side. Trouble started even before take-off. Straight ahead in the next hour of LIVE FROM. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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