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Confronting Terror
Aired March 03, 2006 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A constructive atmosphere, but little else. That is the view of E.U. foreign ministers after what may be the last diplomatic attempt to end a standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. Talks in Vienna ended with no breakthrough. The IAEA board of governors convenes Monday, where their expected to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council.
Iran insists its nuclear program is not designed to produce weapons.
Well, Hamas has no political future if it does not change. Those words from Russia's foreign minister after more talks with newly elected Palestinian leaders in Moscow. Hamas is standing by its refusal to recognize Israel until Israel recognizes what it calls the national rights of the Palestinian people. Russian individuals invited Hamas leaders for talks. Hamas has yet to formally form the new Palestinian elected government.
His actions were sinister, but apparently it was Zacarias Moussaoui's acting that gave him away. A trial starts Monday that will determine whether Moussaoui gets life in prison or death for plotting to fly a jet into the White House. He never got the chance, because no one -- not one, but two flight instructors in Minnesota were suspicious enough of so the-called businessman to call the FBI. This is a story you will only see on CNN.
Hugh Sims and Tim Nelson tell their stories on camera for the first time. Here's justice correspondent Kelli Arena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUGH SIMS, FLIGHT SCHOOL MANAGER: What's up?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're good friends, military veterans who work together at the same flight school. Tim Nelson spent 20 years in the Air Force, flew missions as a B-52 gunner in the Gulf War. Hugh Sims was in the Air Force for 24 years, flew 150 missions in Vietnam, and then was an airline pilot for 16 years.
SIMS: They offered me a job.
ARENA: They don't see much of each other since Sims retired. But, when they do, the talk inevitably turns to the strange flight student they met in August of 2001.
It was in Eagan, a small city 15 miles outside of Minneapolis. A foreign student was coming to the Pan Am International Flight School to learn how to fly 747 jumbo jets.
Hugh Sims says, the guy didn't even have a pilot's license.
SIMS: So, at first, it was more curiosity that my antenna was up.
ARENA: All the school had was an e-mail from the aspiring pilot, asking for -- quote -- "help to achieve my dream. I am sure that you can do something," he wrote. "After all, we are in America, and everything is possible."
It was signed "Zac," short for Zacarias Moussaoui.
TIM NELSON, FLIGHT SCHOOL MANAGER: He wanted to do -- be able to take off and land a 747-400. And he wanted to operate it between two particular points, between New York and Heathrow, between JFK and Heathrow Airport in London.
ARENA: Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, sent the e-mail under the username "zuluman tangotango."
(on camera): That e-mail made staffers at the flight school curious, even before Moussaoui got here. But, after he arrived, the curiosity turned into outright suspicion.
(voice-over): Monday, day one: Moussaoui showed up in the morning and settled his bill by putting down about $7,000 in cash.
NELSON: Cash is hard to track. You know, we get a customer who pays by check or by a credit card, you can kind of go back and say, OK, where did this guy come from?
SIMS: He came in. He was dressed in jeans, a color T-shirt, and a ball cap. This guy doesn't look like he has the kind of money that would be just to -- just to do this for -- for fun.
ARENA: Nelson, who had not seen Moussaoui yet, went out of his way to meet him.
NELSON: He was telling us that, well, it is an ego thing. I want to be able to tell my friends, hey, I can fly a 747. Well, that's a lot of money to spend to play, basically.
ARENA (on camera): Did you believe him?
NELSON: I didn't.
ARENA (voice-over): Nelson says he had just viewed a training tape about a 1999 Japanese hijacking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: Brandishing a knife, he got into the cockpit as the plane was making its ascent from...
(END VIDEO CLIP) ARENA (on camera): So, you had seen that tape right at the same time that Moussaoui shows up?
NELSON: Yes, I had.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: And his motive for hijacking the plane was that he wanted to fly it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NELSON: I'm thinking, do I have that, or do I have something worse on my hands?
ARENA (voice-over): Even before 9/11, hijackings were often associated with the Middle East. At the time, Nelson had a class of Syrian airline pilots. He saw two of them greet Moussaoui in Arabic.
NELSON: I said, what were you guys talking about?
And he said, oh, they're just greeting in Arabic.
I said, how is it?
Oh, he's fluent. He's a native speaker.
That bothered me.
ARENA (on camera): Why?
NELSON: It was just one more red flag.
ARENA (voice-over): Tim Nelson is the son of a cop, and once took the FBI entrance exam. With Moussaoui, things just didn't add up. And, at the end of Moussaoui's first day at flight school, Sims was also troubled.
Sims got a chance to spend some time alone with Moussaoui when he gave him a ride to where the 747 flight simulators were located. During the two-mile drive, Moussaoui said he was an international consultant. Sims didn't buy it.
SIMS: Well, his English skills, for one, although they're adequate, they certainly didn't indicate a high degree of sophistication or indicate someone who had spent a lot of time in English conversations.
ARENA: Day two, Tuesday: Tim Nelson pulled Moussaoui's flight school file, which should have contained all sorts of documentation. Oddly, this one had nothing. Then he ran into Moussaoui's flight instructor, who said his student wanted to know about unusual things.
NELSON: He had asked questions like if the oxygen could be shut off, if I pull the circuit breakers to disable or turn off the transponder. ARENA: Sims and Nelson say Pan Am flight school management was cautious about questioning a paying customer. But, by the end of Moussaoui's second day at school, Nelson and Sims were convinced something was wrong.
NELSON: I'm saying, guys, do you really want this guy to go out and do something with this training, come back and say, where did you learn, you know, to fly, Pan Am in Minneapolis? I don't want that.
ARENA: Wednesday, day three: Moussaoui was staying at this Marriott Residence Inn. He was scheduled to take flight simulator lessons the next day. Hugh Sims and Tim Nelson were worried that he might learn just enough about flying a 747 to become very dangerous.
(on camera): After just two days, Sims and Nelson had seen enough. They both decided, without the other knowing, to call the FBI field office here in Minneapolis.
(voice-over): Their calls were transferred to a counterterrorism agent.
NELSON: I have got a student that is raising a lot of red flags. And I said, you need to understand that this aircraft weighs 900,000 pounds. It carries between 50,000 and 57,000 gallons of jet fuel. And I said, and if you fly it at 350 knots into a metro -- a heavily populated area, you're going to kill a boatload of people.
ARENA: Sims called around the same time.
SIMS: I explained to them that we had a student at the Pan Am flight academy that I think is asking for training that could become dangerous. And I think that somebody ought to really look into what he's doing here, is he here legally.
ARENA: It turns out, Moussaoui was not.
On Thursday, day four, FBI agents confronted him at the Marriott, along with immigration officials, who took him into custody.
NELSON: Hopefully, calling -- between Hugh and myself calling, then, maybe we did stop something from happening.
ARENA: Later investigation by the FBI would show, Zacarias Moussaoui was an al Qaeda operative, like the four 9/11 pilots who had also trained at U.S. flight schools. Of all the Americans those operatives ran into, Nelson and Sims were the only ones who called the FBI.
SIMS: I had 40 years of experience being around aviators. I would have been a fool not to recognize this.
NELSON: I was willing to be wrong over it. You know, I was hoping I was wrong, because being right -- you know, we saw what being right was, 9/11.
ARENA: Moussaoui later said his plan was to fly a plane into the White House. If Nelson and Sims hadn't acted on their suspicions, he just might have done it.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Eagan, Minnesota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Ahead on LIVE FROM, the movie "Brokeback Mountain" has drawn a lot of praise, but it's also sparked a lot of controversy, too, and inspired a ton of jokes. I know you've heard of them, but why some in the gay community says enough is enough when it comes to this movie.
Stay with us. LIVE FROM explores that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, if you care about movies or movie stars or fancy clothes or the lavish parties, you already know the Oscar ceremony is a mere 54 hours and 15 minutes away -- yes we are counting. But if you don't care, well, now you know. As always, everybody involved is going for broke, but this year they're also going for every "Brokeback Mountain" joke they can think of.
Our Sibila Vargas is counting the minutes and the punchlines. There are many. She will join us now with all of that.
A little cold out there. A little rainy, too, huh?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a little rainy. It stopped raining. We're kind of getting some sun now, so that's a good thing.
NGUYEN: Hope it clears up.
VARGAS: But, you know, when it comes to the best picture -- I hope so, too, I really do. At least by Sunday, right? We don't want the stars looking like little wet chickens. We don't want that to happen. But let's talk about the best picture race. I mean, there certainly is -- it's extremely competitive. But there has been no one who has been spoken about no picture that has been spoken about as much as "Brokeback Mountain." It seems there's a mountain of controversy surrounding this film, and that has given comedians a lot to talk about.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
VARGAS (voice-over): The ads and the accolades have been hard to miss. The critics downright giddy. "The stuff of Hollywood history, flawless, a landmark film, a classic in the making." When "Brokeback Mountain" hit American theaters in December, reviewers swooned and the gay community cheered.
MATT FOREMAN, NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE: I think the movie is extraordinary and I think it touches people, gay or straight, whatever age, because it's so moving. VARGAS: A widely-promoted mainstream movie, a love story between two men, could sensitize people to the gay experience, they hoped.
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, ACTOR: I wish I knew how to quit you.
VARGAS: Then came the comics.
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Here we go, top 10 signs you're a gay cowboy. No. 10, your saddle is Versace. No. 9, instead of "Home on the Range," you're singing "It's Raining Men." Raining men, there you go, buddy.
JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: And they're sheep herders, they're looking after sheep, then they fall in love and start having sex with each other. Boy, how relieved were those sheep, you know what I'm saying?
JIMMY KIMMEL, TALK SHOW HOST: I think it's great, honestly, that "Brokeback" led the way, because you don't want those guys behind you, you know what I'm saying?
VARGAS: On late night T.V., Jimmy, Jay, Conan, and Dave, and their guests use "Brokeback" for laughs the minute it came out.
NATHAN LANE, ACTOR: There's a couple of guys in the meadow, faring their supple thighs in the meadow.
VARGAS: SNL took a shot too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you must be lonely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope. We're good. Nice seeing you though, run along.
VARGAS: Fake movie trailers like "Brokeback to the Future" or "Top Gun 2: Brokeback Squadron" and other parodies run rampant online.
FOREMAN: Its just kept on going and going and going and gotten cruder and cruder and cruder. I don't know where the line is, but it's definitely been crossed in "Brokeback."
VARGAS: Still, comedians insist they have a right to joke about whatever they want.
BILL MAHER, TALK SHOW HOST: There's never been a subject for comedy that has been more ripe or, I mean, or more done than homosexuality.
FOREMAN: people think it's just funny if you start talking about love and sex between two men, that that's something inherently funny. It's actually not.
VARGAS: But other gay rights advocates don't think it's all bad.
JOE SOLMONESE, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: The good conversations that are forced as a result of this movie being so in the American people's consciousness, outweigh the insensitive jokes and the snickering and the kind of late night talk show commentary that we're hearing.
VARGAS: And with late night's Jon Stewart as this year's host, the Oscar show writers tell us to expect a fresh batch of Oscar jokes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And one thing is for certain. The jokes have not hurt film at all when it comes to awards. In fact, it has swept numerous critical awards and it got the coveted Golden Globe award. And many are thinking that come Sunday, it could get the best picture award, as well.
Back to you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: We will be watching. It's going to be so exciting to see. Sibila, thank you out there in cold, rainy Los Angeles. See you then.
Well, what about the Oscars of the past? Hollywood's biggest event dates back to 1929. Here are some of the highlights of Academy Award history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Lord of the Rings" reigned supreme at the Academy Awards two years ago, winning 11 Oscars. That's the most ever, matched by only two other films, the 1959 classic "Ben Hur" and 1997's "Titanic." "Titanic" also ties for the record for most nominations with 14. 1950's "All About Eve" is the only other picture to achieve that.
Only a few films have won all of the most prestigious Oscars. Most recently, "The Silence of the Lambs" won best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best screenplay. 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" also earned that distinction.
Jack Nicholson, of course, won best actor there. He has the record with 12 actor nominations. He won three of those. Meryl Streep has the most nominations in the actress category, 13. She's won twice. Katherine Hepburn was nominated 12 times and won four Oscars.
The Academy Awards show has its own records. The longest show was more than four hours in 2001. Compare that with the shortest ceremony. The first awards presentation in 1929 lasted about 15 minutes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: We want to get you straight to the newsroom and CNN's Fredricka Whitfield, who is working a developing story out of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to be exact.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We want to give you an update at what took place at the UNC Chapel Hill campus. Apparently, an SUV apparently crashed into a crowd of people outside of a popular gathering place called The Pit. Well, now apparently one person is in custody following this incident , where this sport utility vehicle allegedly crashed into these folks. And you're looking not far away from campus. They did locate this SUV and took one person into custody. These aerial shots are showing how they cordoned off the area after apprehending this vehicle.
And we've also learned that three students on campus were injured, none of which, we're told, are life-threatening injuries. But the people were injured after this vehicle apparently crashed into the crowd of people according to eyewitnesses.
So that's all we've got for now. And of course, when we get any more information on the one person in custody and what his or her version of events is, we'll be able bring that to you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, we'll keep following it. Fredricka Whitfield, thank you.
Well, there's nothing wrong with sharing a ride to take advantage of the carpooling, right? Well, unless you're sharing it with someone who isn't real. The story of the dummy on the road and what the judge had to say about it, coming up on LIVE FROM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Finally, some good news for a 16-year-old California girl, after two of her artificial legs were stolen from her home. Melissa Huff lost part of her right leg in a traffic accident two years ago. Now last November, someone stole her artificial legs. Donations brought her a new $16,000 leg before the stolen leg showed up in her backyard in January, but a month later, both legs were stolen, and the community chipped in to pay for another new leg.
Well, on Wednesday, her mother found both of the stolen legs. Someone left them in her unlocked car. Some people will do just about anything to get out of paying a traffic ticket. An Iowa woman is accused of taking that concept way too far, playing dead to avoid having to pay off her accumulated tickets.
Todd Miguel of affiliate KCCI says it's alleged she wanted to convince the court she was in no condition to pay those fines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD MIGUEL, KCCI REPORTER: Kimberly Du is no longer collecting any traffic tickets. She's spending time in the Polk County Jail. The charge is forgery. Court documents tell the unusual story. They show Du tried to avoid paying several traffic tickets by sending this letter to the courthouse. It's allegedly from and signed by Du's mother. It says Du died on December 5th. Add to that this obituary made to look like it's from the "Des Moines Register" Web site. It says Du died in an auto accident.
But experts say the obituary is fake and the mother's signature is a forgery. Du's mother says she didn't write or sign the letter. It's a case that leads this legal expert scratching his head.
BOB RIGG, DRAKE LAW CLINIC: The state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of 12, but certainly faking your own death in order to avoid some traffic fines is not a reel good idea.
MIGUEL: Du's big trouble started after she "died." That's when she was driving last month and received another traffic citation. And since dead people don't drive, that started an investigation here at the Polk County Courthouse. And now instead of facing traffic fines, Du faces time in prison.
RIGG: The fact, if she did it, she probably didn't sit down and think, wow, this is -- I'm going to get out of thinks simple misdemeanors by committing a class-D felony and jumping from a $500 fine now to a five-year prison term.
MIGUEL: So Kimberly Du is in even bigger trouble than before, though it's a good bet her family is glad she's still alive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Tom Miguel also reports that prosecutors say they have never seen anyone try something like that before.
High marks for creativity, low marks for legality. If you've ever thought of making a mannequin to ride with you into the lightning-fast HOV lane, you'd better think again. A dummy-making driver in Colorado looked like a fool when cops pulled him over in January. They weren't amused by his inert friend, Tilly, riding shotgun in the carpool lane. In addition to the $100 fine, the now lonely driver will be parked for four days alongside the highway, yes, holding a sign reading "HOV Lane Not for Dummies."
The punishment, though, was worse for Tilly. She spent the last couple of months trapped in an evidence locker at headquarters.
Well, not so discerning diners in Sheboygan, Wisconsin are worried as one man forces them to entertain a worst-case scenario, life without their famous Brat Day festival. LIVE FROM from indulges in this controversy, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good, clean fun, or a disgusting waste? The time- honored tradition of stuffing your face with bratwurst in front of a cheering crowd, it could end if one may has his way.
Paul Blume of our affiliate WTMJ as the Brat Day's brouhaha from Sheboygan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL BLUME, WTMJ REPORTER: It's the crown jewel of Sheboygan's summertime Brat Festival, a contest to see who can wolf down the most brats in 10 minutes.
CLARENCE MERTZ, WANTS BRAT CONTEST STOPPED: Here's a situation --- during one of the contests, one of the contestants vomited.
BLUME: And that's disgusting.
MERTZ: Yes.
BLUME: Clarence Mertz is asking the city council to ban the event, arguing that it encourages overeating and wastes food.
Did you get sick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, of course not.
BLUME: But former brat-eating champ Brian Ognacevic sees this front-page story a little differently.
BRIAN OGNACEVIC, FMR. BRAT-EATING CHAMP: For me, 10 minutes out of the whole year, I eat like this.
BLUME: It sure is hard to imagine eating three dozen of these things in just 10 minutes. But the folks here in Sheboygan take their brat history very seriously, and they aren't eager to give up any eating contests any time soon.
Folks in local meat market love the thousands come to Sheboygan every summer to spend money and celebrate the brat.
CHUCK MIESFELD MIESFELD MEAT MARKET: If something like that grosses you out, stay home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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