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Federal Judge Pulls Plug on Controversial Wiretapping Program; Alleged Mexican Drug Lord Captured; West Virginia Airport Evacuated After Explosive Tests Came Back Positive; Arrest Made in JonBenet Ramsey Case

Aired August 17, 2006 - 15:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Warrant lists and apparently unwarranted. A federal judge in Detroit pulled the plug on those controversial government wiretaps of certain international phone calls and e-mails. The White House is reacting strongly.
CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins me now with the latest -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra. And just a few minutes ago, we received a statement from the White House press secretary, Tony Snow, reacting to this ruling.

I'll read a little bit of it for you. It says, quote, "We couldn't disagree more with this ruling. And the Justice Department will seek an immediate stay of the opinion and appeal." Now, the statement goes on to say that until September 7th, 2006, when there's going to be a hearing on whether or not the court should rule for a stay on this, that the parties agreed that enforcement of the ruling will be stayed.

Now, as for the terrorist surveillance program, as the Bush administration calls it itself, this, of course, is a program that President Bush has defended quite strongly in the past. In fact, a recent defense coming a couple of days ago, when the president was at the State Department being asked to comment -- and this is, of course, against the backdrop of that foiled London terror plot.

The president commenting that, of course, he feels this terror surveillance program is one of the critical tools necessary for people to track down terrorists.

Here's what the president had to say on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Any time we get a hint that there might be a terrorist cell in the United States, we move on it. And we're listening, we're looking. And one thing that's important is for us to make sure that those people who are trying to disrupt terror cells in the United States have the tools necessary to do so within the Constitution of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP) QUIJANO: Now, going back to this statement today from Tony Snow, it talks about how last week, America, it says, and the world received a stark reminder that terrorists are still plotting to attack this country and kill innocent people. And the statement also saying -- making the argument that the so-called terrorist surveillance program is firmly grounded in law and regularly reviewed to make sure steps are taken to protect civil liberties.

But as you can imagine, Kyra, with the congressional midterm elections just around the corner, about two and a half months or so away, a volley of attacks coming from the other side of the aisle, if you will. Democrats launching their attack in reaction to this ruling.

I'll just read Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, in a statement, saying that today's ruling is, quote, "the latest example of how the Bush administration has jeopardized our efforts the war on terror." He says, "The administration's decision to ignore the Constitution and the Congress has come at the expense of the security of the American people."

But the Bush administration, Kyra, continuing to make the case that, in fact, checks are in place, that contrary to what critics say, there are -- there is a system of checks and balances within this terrorist surveillance program. Obviously now this judge, though weighing in -- the Bush administration reacting very strongly to her opinion today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Elaine Quijano. Thanks so much.

Carol Lin in the newsroom, working more details on that story out of West Virginia -- Carol.

LIN: Kyra, a short time ago, I spoke with the director of the Tri-State Airport in West Virginia. The airport is still closed, commercial flights not taking off right now. And a woman being requested after federal officials, TSA officials, security officials, noticed plastic containers in her handbag. Bomb-sniffing dogs were sent in at 9:15 this morning and apparently they reacted to some kind of material there, meaning there could be explosive material in her handbag.

Those items, the director said, were taken away. They're being removed to a remote field by a robot. Apparently, this woman was trying to board a U.S. Airways, according to the "Herald Dispatch," local newspaper out there. A U.S. Airways flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. That flight was able to take off, but this woman being detained right now, and questioned. And FBI officials are taking over this investigation right now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Carol Lin, thanks so much. We'll stay on top of the details coming out of there.

Also, an arrest a continent away. Will it close the books on the murder of JonBenet Ramsey? Authorities are staying tight-lipped, but not the suspects. Here's what we know right now. John Mark Karr, a 41-year-old elementary schoolteacher, is being held in Bangkok, Thailand. He tells reporters that he was with JonBenet when she died, and that her death almost 10 years ago was an accident and that he's not an innocent man.

Now, back in Colorado, authorities will only say their investigation it far from over, and they hope to bring Karr to the U.S. soon. Right now, John Mark Karr is being held in a Thai immigration center. His transfer back to U.S. possible as early as next week.

CNN international correspondent Atika Shubert in Bangkok with more -- Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I'm actually standing in front of the detention center where he is staying at the moment, where he will be held until he is extradited. Officials here say they are hoping to be able get him back to the U.S. within a week, possibly in the next few days. In the meantime, there have been a lot of developments. They had a press conference where, apparently, he stated in a media frenzy here that he was with JonBenet when she died, that it was an accident. And in a separate statement to reporters, he also said that he had tried to contact the Ramsey family, in particular Patsy Ramsey, just a few months ago.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JOHN MARK KARR, SUSPECT IN RAMSEY CASE: I've contacted the Ramsey family, especially before Patricia passed away, and I conveyed to her many things, among them that I am so very sorry for what happened to JonBenet and it's very important for me that everyone knows that I love her very much, and that her death was unintentional and it was an accident. And I made several efforts to communicate with Patricia before she passed away and it's my understanding that she did read my letter and she was aware of me before she passed away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened in the basement?

KARR: It was -- it would take several hours to describe that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just, if you could be brief?

KARR: There's no way that I could be brief about -- there's no way I could be brief about it.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SHUBERT: Now, we also -- we also have a few more details about what he was doing here. Apparently he had been coming in and out of the country for the last two years, and two months ago, rented an apartment in southern Bangkok. That's where he was apprehended. And according to officials, he was applying for a job as a schoolteacher here and was just about to start when he was arrested -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Atika Shubert, thanks so much. Well, the suspect, the D.A., police and relatives and both victim and suspect have had something to say about this case, some more than others, of course. And then there's a journalism professor at the University of Colorado.

CNN's Rusty Dornin joins me now with his role in the arrest of John Karr. Now, this professor was working on this documentary...

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

PHILLIPS: Right?

DORNIN: Right, about JonBenet Ramsey, I think called "Who killed the Beauty Pageant?" -- or the beauty queen? And he starts getting e- mails from John Karr, apparently about two years ago, several hundred e-mails. And then at some point, he decided that something was wrong here, and he turned it over to authorities.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Is there a single thing that prompted you say, OK, I've to got to go to the cops now?

MICHAEL TRACEY, UNIV. OF COLORADO PROFESSOR: There was, but I'm not going to say what it is. It was one particular thing, yes.

QUESTION: Was it a detail that hadn't been reported?

TRACEY: No, no. It...

QUESTION: ... saying that he knew parts of this crime that hadn't been reported?

TRACEY: No, I'm going to comment on that. There was -- there was one particular thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, he did tell reporters it was something very weird that John Karr apparently did e-mail to him. But, you know, here we have a man who is confessing to accidentally killing JonBenet. But then again, other things don't add up. Because he's saying he drugged and sexually assaulted her, but her autopsy says there were no drugs or alcohol in her system.

Also, his ex-wife Lara did tell a television station in San Francisco that he was with her that Christmas, that entire week he spent with her. So we have not confirmed whether that's true or not, but certainly that may be one of the reasons you're hearing the district attorney in Boulder saying, wait, don't jump to any conclusions yet.

PHILLIPS: So there's a lot of talk that possibly this could have just been an obsession? I mean, yes, he has a past record, but he could be that he was just obsessed with this case like he was with the Polly Klaas case.

DORNIN: His wife says he was obsessed with both of those cases. Also, a former professor apparently couldn't believe how much information he knew about the JonBenet Ramsey case, and said to him, John, you should write a book about this. He knew that much information.

PHILLIPS: We'll have to wait on the DNA testing. All right, Rusty Dornin, thanks so much.

Well, captured at sea. The alleged kingpin of one of the world's most notorious drug cartels now in custody. Find out why the Feds say that this was no typical bust.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, no word on how he's doing right now, only that former President Ford will probably stay in the hospital through the weekend. He was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday for what's being called tests and evaluation. It's the 38th president's fourth trip to the hospital this year. He's 93 years old.

Pro cyclist Floyd Landis is dealing with tragedy today. His father-in-law, the man who introduced him to road racing, has killed himself in California. This is the latest blow for Landis and his family. Landis won the Tour de France but became the subject of scandal when tests showed higher than normal testosterone levels during the race. Landis denies doping or cheating.

Kingpin capture, the offshore arrest of alleged drug czar Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix. He was taken into the federal detention center in San Diego just a short while ago accompanied by a motorcade of marked and unmarked police cars and sharpshooters. Felix allegedly lead a drug cartel that imported vast amounts of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S.

CNN's Kareen Wynter has more on the capture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Captured, this alleged Mexican drug lord who topped the drug enforcement administration's most wanted list. Federal agents say this wasn't your typical bust. Javier Arellano-Felix, who they say headed a notorious, family-led cartel, called the Arellano-Felix Organization, had a $5 million bounty on his head.

MICHAEL BRAUN, CHIEF OF DEA OPERATIONS: Javier is not your average drug trafficker. For over a decade, the AFO family has dominated the Mexican drug trade and flooded our nation with literally tons and hundreds of tons of a variety of drugs.

WYNTER: The high-profile fugitive's arrest came in an unusual location, offshore in Southern Baja, California. Authorities got a tip Arellano-Felix and key members of his gang had boarded a 43-foot chartered fishing vessel in the Pacific. The U.S. Coast Guard took Arellano-Felix and 10 others on board in custody.

BRAUN: He was the last stronghold in the declining AFO family cartel. When we arrested his brother, Benjamin, back in 2002, we called it the beginning of the end of the AFO. Today we've got this brutal organization in a chokehold, and we're not letting up.

WYNTER: Authorities say other members of the Arellano-Felix organization include another of Javier's brothers, Eduardo. Investigators say he is still wanted.

Federal agents say the drug cartel is responsible for a string of brutal murders in the U.S. and Mexico, including the execution-style slaying of a prominent attorney.

And they say the group is also linked to the recent construction of an elaborate drug smuggling tunnel under the Mexico-California border, and that Javier Arellano-Felix controlled the organization's finances. He was indicted three years ago in San Diego on felony counts, including money laundering and conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine.

PAUL MCNULTY, DEPUTY ATTY. GENERAL: The indictment carries penalties of up to life in prison, and in addition, it includes forfeiture of almost $300 million.

WYNTER (on camera): Arellano-Felix has not commented on the charges. Officials say his arrest will deal a major blow to a family- run business that once dominated the Mexican drug trade.

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, the law is the law and football is football and some in Ohio think the latter has overruled the former in the case of two high school football players who caused a serious accident. Listen to this. The 16-year-old and 17-year-old defendants were part of a group that put a stolen deer decoy in the middle of the road last November. Two other boys were badly hurt in that wreck that resulted.

Well, the football players pleaded no contest and were sentenced to 60 days in jail after football season. Until then, they are under house arrest and the judge who OK'd the delay may want to lay low as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's wrong. I mean, if you are going to sentence a person, he should take that punishment now, not wait until after football.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it was me, I would have been in jail three months ago. I'm not kidding you. I would have been in jail three months ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are still getting sentenced. They're still getting their punishment. They just ain't having to throw away their lives, too. You know, they could be going to college or whatever, so they are still getting punished, but just holding off on it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it would be fair for anybody to make a judgment call, because we have to walk a mile in their shoes before we can say, you know, how we would really feel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, listen to this. One of the injured boys has brain damage. The other is undergoing several operations on his face.

Well, it was a crime that shocked the nation. Up next, we're going to look back at the murder of JonBenet Ramsey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: It's been 48 hours since anyone has seen Marcus Fizel (ph). He is 3 years old and was playing in a park in suburban Cincinnati when his foster mother collapsed from a heart condition. When she came to, three other children were nearby, but Marcus was wrong.

Volunteers helped searched the 28-acre park several times, but with nothing to go on, police are scaling back. Investigators are concerned because Marcus is developmentally disabled with a very limited vocabulary. His foster mother remains in the hospital.

Even among sensational, headline-grabbing murder cases the JonBenet Ramsey murder stood out. CNN's Mary Snow looks back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The mystery of JonBenet Ramsey's death a decade ago outlived the length of her short life that ended when she was just 6. The child beauty pageant star was strangled with a piece of rope and her skull was fractured.

The day after Christmas 1996, mother Patsy reports finding a two- and-a-half page ransom note on a staircase, demanding $118,000 in ransom. Eight hours after that, JonBenet's father John reports finding his daughter's body in the basement of the family's Boulder, Colorado, home.

The family buries their little girl wearing a tiny tiara, then gives an exclusive interview to CNN the following day.

PATSY RAMSEY, JONBENET'S MOTHER: There is a killer on the loose.

JOHN RAMSEY, JONBENET'S FATHER: Absolutely.

P. RAMSEY: I don't know who it is. I don't know if it's a he or a she, but if I were a resident of Boulder I would tell my friends to keep -- keep your babies close to you. There's someone out there. SNOW: The Ramseys' relationship with authorities quickly turned cold when suspicions resolved around the family. JonBenet's adult half- brother, half-sister and 9-year-old brother were officially cleared, but her parents were not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They do remain under an umbrella of suspicion, but we're not ready to name any suspects.

SNOW: The Ramseys waged a very public fight with scathing criticism of the police. They offered a $100,000 reward for information about JonBenet's killer. By October of 1999 a grand jury investigating the case returned no indictments, with prosecutors citing a lack of sufficient evidence, but it didn't stop the speculation.

And JonBenet's mother, Patsy Ramsey, would not live to see any arrests made. She died of ovarian cancer in June.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The Ramsey family has been in the searing spotlight since JonBenet's murder but there has also been a lot of support for them. Take a look at this. The graves of JonBenet and her mother Patsy are side by side at the St. James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. Mrs. Ramsey's grave doesn't have a marker yet, but this note, dated August 16th, was found on what marks JonBenet's grave. It reads dearest Patsy, justice has come for you and John, rest in peace, your friend, Lib Waters. Waters is a long time Marietta resident and friend of the Ramsey family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A West Virginia airport evacuated after explosive tests came back positive. Our Carol Lin has been working this story all throughout the day. Carol, what do you know?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra a short time ago I talked with the director of the Tri-State Airport in West Virginia. He says that the entire airport has been evacuated. One hundred passengers and airport employees evacuated to a remote building as TSA officials and the FBI on the scene, questioning a woman who apparently was carrying some plastic containers in her bag.

Bomb-sniffing dogs reacted. Apparently there was some evidence of explosive material. This happened shortly after 9:00 in the morning. Let's go to Dave Benson of affiliate WSAZ, who's on the scene right now. Dave, so what have they done with these materials? What are they asking this woman?

DAVE BENSON, WSAZ REPORTER: Carol, Tri-State Airport terminal was evacuated earlier this afternoon. Service has been suspended after four bottles, with what is considered a possible explosive was found in a woman's luggage. Now, where all this happened is the building to my right. There's a brown building here. You can see the flag flying above.

That is the main terminal where about 100 people were evacuated and sent to an adjacent building for safety. Now all this action occurred after a bomb-sniffing dog reacted to luggage that was going through the main terminal and one of the handlers thought something looked suspicious and after some testing found out that there was a strong possibility that it could be an explosive.

Now, the TSA out of Washington has not confirmed, again, has not confirmed that there's an explosive material but we do have West Virginia State Police as well as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies checking on this. Now, as to the woman who was in question here, we do know at this point, or at least we've been told by the director of the airport, Larry Salyers, he says she is from Jackson, Michigan and she has lived in the Huntington area for quite some time. She is 28 years old and she is from Pakistani decent, Carol.

LIN: All right, but also living locally, as we talked with the airport director as well. So, she does have some roots in the West Virginia area. We hope to find more out about this woman. Dave thank you, Dave Benson reporting from our affiliate WSAZ. So, still an involving situation there. The director did tell me, Kyra, that they were going to be taking these items out to a remote location by robot. Usually it's to detonate those items, to make sure that they cause no harm to anybody. Kyra, we'll keep you posted.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, carol. Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by in "THE SIT ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour. Hey Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi Kyra, thanks very much. A blow to the president of the United States, a federal judge says the government cannot listen in on our phone calls without a warrant. Find out how the White House is now fighting right back. Plus, uneasy truce, Lebanese troops moving in, welcomed with rice and flowers. We're covering both sides of the border.

Also in Iraq attacks are on the rise dramatically. We will update you on the violence and that terrorism that just keeps on spreading.

And confessions and now questions in the JonBenet Ramsey case. Does the story of the self-proclaimed killer add up? We are taking a closer look at the investigation. Kyra all that coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PHILLIPS: Thanks Wolf. Well the Gulf coast is soon to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina but today they are remembering an even stronger storm 38 years ago, hurricane Camille, remember her? She ravaged the Gulf coast in August 17th, 1969, claiming more than 100 lives in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, before it drove across the southeast of Virginia, killing many more.

Thick smoke in Big Sky country, you are watching a wildfire on Casper Mountain, just south of Wyoming's second largest city. It's burned about 10,000 acres and is thought to be about 30 percent contained right now.

Well the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

(MARKET REPORT)

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