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CNN Live Today

Search for Missing Explosives and Bush Administration's Reaction; Kerry Campaign; Scott Peterson Trial

Aired October 25, 2004 - 11:00   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at what's happening right now in the news.
A weapons watchdog agency says that 380 tons of powerful explosives are missing from a facility near Baghdad. And there's concern about the material being used by terrorists. We're going to have details just ahead in a live report from the Pentagon. Also, reaction on this, as you might expect, from the campaign trail.

President Bush is campaigning in Colorado and Iowa today, with just eight days to go before the election. Senator John Kerry campaigns in four key states. The highlight is going to be his appearance of former President Bill Clinton for the first time since his operation at a rally in Philly around 1:00 Eastern.

The FBI says violent crime in the U.S. dropped 3 percent last year. That continues a downward trend in the nation's overall crime rate. The drop came despite an increase in reported murders. The murder rate went up 1.7 percent between 2002 and 2003.

And yes, the Boston Red Sox are plotting ahead in their efforts to reverse the curse. They now have a two-game to none lead in the World Series. Boston beat the Cardinals 6-2 last night, and they now head to St. Louis for tomorrow night's game three.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

It is now 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Daryn Kagan. Good morning once again.

Up first this hour on CNN, the search for missing explosives in Iraq. The International Atomic Energy Agency says nearly 400 tons of powerful explosives have vanished from a facility here Baghdad. And officials now fear that the explosives may become a deadly and powerful weapon for terrorists.

For more on the story, we turn to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, the Pentagon now has ordered both troops in Iraq and the weapons inspectors, that Iraqi Survey Group, to look into these reports. This comes, of course, after the Iraq interim government informed the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on October 10 that some 380 tons of high explosives was missing from a location south of Baghdad, a place called Al Qaqaa, about 30 miles south of Baghdad, well known to weapons inspectors.

One of Saddam's weapons depots, a place that U.N. weapons inspectors visited many times in years past. But it wasn't until earlier this month that the Iraqi interim government told the weapons inspectors in Vienna that all of these high explosives were missing. Earlier today, the IAEA in Vienna spoke about the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA FLEMING, SPOKESPERSON, IAEA: The multinational force in Iraq was responsible for security. And we have -- we informed them immediately upon receiving this declaration that this massive sum of explosive material was missing. They are responsible for security in Iraq, and our hope was that they would take action to secure and track down these missing explosives before they got into the wrong hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: One reason all of this is of such concern, these high explosives are items called HMX and RDX. They are very powerful, they can be used to demolish buildings. They can be used by terrorists. They can be used in detonators for missiles, warheads, all of that sort of thing. So all of this, of course, of great concern.

Now, last year, the CIA testified before Congress there were about 130 known ammunition storage points in Iraq, some 600,000 tons of explosives. A lot of that has been destroyed by the coalition forces. No one knows how much more has been looted out of these facilities and how much of it has fallen into the hands of the insurgents, but certainly this latest report raising significant new concerns -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And then, Barbara, if you'd just give us a little bit more information on this particular type of explosive. I understand it also travels well. Even though it's so powerful, it's not likely to detonate if it's jostled or thrown around.

STARR: Well, this -- this is the type of explosives that we are talking about. And I don't think anyone -- as you say, I don't think anyone is concerned so much about that, but who has these explosives? One of the key questions that is not answered yet by the Pentagon this morning is whether they knew about this looting incident beforehand and simply had not yet made it public because of the security concern about this very dangerous material and where it might be and whether they even know where it is.

The stuff is very deadly. And in the hands of terrorists it has been used in past attacks. So there's a lot of concern about it. And a lot of questions still to be answered by the Pentagon today about whether or not they knew about this before it all came to light from the Iraqi interim government -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, as you might imagine, the Bush administration is already coming under fire over the missing explosives that Barbara was just referring to in her report. The Kerry campaign calls it one of the great blunders of the Iraq war.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is in Crawford, Texas, with a look at how this is expected to play up during the campaign trail today.

Suzanne, over to you.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, you know, it really is unclear what the political fallout of this news is going to be. As you know, it could create a problem for the Bush administration. It was one of the central arguments, of course, before invading Iraq to make sure there were not terrorists who were getting their hands on potentially dangerous weapons out of that country.

Now, earlier today, I spoke with a senior administration official who did confirm that the administration was notified about these missing explosives. The national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, was notified about it about a month ago. And the administration chose not to make the information public. They say that is standard practice within the intelligence community not to announce these things because they don't want the bad guys to know exactly what they have.

Now, that same official also saying, look, if you take a look at the big picture here, they say there are hundreds of tons of missing unaccounted material inside of the country. That like the Pentagon has said, there is no way the U.S. military can possibly guard all of those -- those weapons depots or perhaps track down all of that missing material.

They say this is well documented by the administration's own investigative body. That is, the Iraq Survey Group. They say they have outlined that clearly. The official also describing the material as dangerous material, but saying that this is the kind of thing that you can buy anywhere and that it is not a proliferation problem or risk, according to the administration.

Having said all that, the same official says this is not a good story for the White House. It could not come at a worse time.

Now, the Bush campaign did release an official response and statement to Kerry's comments earlier today. That statement -- and I'll read it here -- it says, "John Kerry has no vision for fighting and winning the war on terror. So he is basing his attacks on the headlines he wakes up to each day." "If John Kerry wants to spend the next eight days trying to explain his positions again, we welcome that debate. John Kerry can't lead the nation to victory in a war he doesn't believe in."

So clearly, Rick, you have the Kerry camp that is playing this up, the Bush camp that is playing this down, and the question is, of course, how is this going to play with the voters, with the viewers?

SANCHEZ: Well, that's a good question. In fact, one we'll see the answer to in just about a little more than a week now. Suzanne Malveaux following the story for us. And we'll certainly check back with you.

Daryn, to you.

KAGAN: And let's get more now from the Kerry campaign. Kelly Wallace is with the Kerry campaign in Philadelphia.

Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, we are definitely seeing the Kerry strategy this week, which is to try and narrow the gap between the president and the senator when it comes to who can better handle terrorism. Part of that strategy, pouncing on this story that you all have been talking about this morning. The senator in stop number one on this day, in the battleground state of New Hampshire, going right after the Bush administration and the president for his handling of the situation in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unbelievable blindness, stubbornness, arrogance of this administration to do the basics has now allowed this president to once again fail the test of being a commander in chief. Every step of the way this administration has miscalculated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And so a key message we'll be hearing from Senator Kerry in these final days that he, not President Bush, can keep the U.S. safer. While at the same time, he tries to keep the focus on domestic issues.

When he comes here to Philadelphia, the message will be get out and vote. And he will have some heavy-duty ammunition on hand: former President Bill Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The rock star of Democratic politics making his first campaign appearance since his quadruple bypass last month, and team Kerry-Edwards is thrilled, frequently mentioning the former president on the stump. KERRY: As my friend, our friend, President Clinton likes to say...

(APPLAUSE)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They like to talk bad about President Clinton. But let me say this, when he was president of the United States, we weren't losing jobs.

WALLACE: Their strategy, a reversal from Al Gore's decision four years ago not to embrace Bill Clinton. Political observers say that move might have cost Gore victories in key battleground states.

What can Bill Clinton do? He can fire up the Democratic base, especially African-Americans who Senator Kerry has been slow to energize. According to a recent study, 18 percent of African- Americans say they would vote for President Bush this year. That's double the number who voted for him four years ago. However, other polls show Mr. Bush's support now the same 8 percent as in 2000.

Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel told "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" Mr. Bush's policies will actually send African-Americans out for John Kerry.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: George Bush is going to be the biggest incentives to get minority and middle class people out to vote.

WALLACE: But some Republicans say dispatching Mr. Clinton could be a sign of worry inside camp Kerry.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: And that's why they have to bring Bill Clinton into Philadelphia to bring out the African-American vote, because they are so concerned that the African-Americans in larger numbers are going to vote for George Bush.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (on camera): And to give you a little behind the scenes, there are thousands of people who have already crammed about two city blocks here in downtown Philadelphia. My colleagues and I talking to some of these people. You have Kerry supporters, but, Daryn, you also have Bush supporters who say they came out because they wanted to see the former president.

KAGAN: Well, I hope everyone is patient, because between former President Clinton and the senator, these are two men who tend to run a little bit late in their schedules.

WALLACE: Right. It's supposed to start at 1:15. So what do you think, 3:00?

KAGAN: I hope you brought comfortable shoes today, let's just say that. Kelly, thank you for that. Kelly Wallace in Philadelphia.

OK. So Senator John Edwards will be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight, along with Senator John Kerry's daughters. That's 9:00 p.m. Eastern and 6:00 Pacific.

SANCHEZ: Turning now to the execution-style massacre of dozens of Iraqi soldiers, a group led by Jordanian born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is claiming responsibility for this Saturday attack. Though that claim has really not been verified or confirmed.

Forty-four Iraqi soldiers and four drivers were each shot in the head after insurgents set up a fake checkpoint east of Baghdad. We're being told by some sources it was an inside job. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell talked about the killings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We did have a difficult day. I mourn for the loss of these 50 Iraqi soldiers who had just been trained. Train for what? Trained to defend their own country, trained to protect their people. And these murderers ambushed them and murdered them all in cold blood.

That's what we're fighting. We're fighting these kind of individuals. And we're not going to turn away from this fight and let this sort of terrible, terrible action take place again, let these kinds of terrorists and murders take over this country. We got rid of a terrible regime and we're not going to allow another one to come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The Iraqi soldiers were on their way home for a vacation after graduating, in fact, from boot camp when the incident happened.

KAGAN: Twelve minutes past the hour. Time to go back to court for Scott Peterson today. With his defense team continuing to make their case, we'll go live to the courthouse for a preview.

SANCHEZ: Also ahead, it's a college campus in a key swing state. We're going to find out what University of Wisconsin students have to say about the upcoming election.

KAGAN: Plus, the Red Sox send the Cardinals back to St. Louis after sweeping the first two games. Details on one of the men behind the big Sox victory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Lawyers for Scott Peterson mount their fifth day of defense in California today, one day after Peterson spent his 32nd birthday in a jail cell. For more on the case, we turn now to Kimberly Osias. She is live in Redwood City, California. Good morning, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Rick.

Well, I tell you, he spent his 32nd birthday behind bars, but he spent his 31st birthday behind bars as well. Scott Peterson was in the Modesto jail then. He wasn't given any special privileges. We don't know if he was given any special privileges for his birthday this weekend, but we don't in fact think so.

Now, the defense is beginning their second week of testimony as this trial begins to wrap up after five long months. More expert testimony is expected in what has been dubbed the battle of the experts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Nine defense witnesses so far and more to go in the double murder trial of Scott Peterson. In a case which relies heavily on experts to connect the dots, all it takes is one credible witness to poke enough holes in the prosecution's theory that Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife, Laci, and dumped her body in the San Francisco Bay.

On the stand last week, superior court Judge Ricardo Cordova, a neighbor of the Petersons. He testified about a woman's summer sandals found in front of the Peterson's house. They were never collected as evidence. This supports the defense's theory of a bungled investigation. Geragos says the sole focus was on Peterson, to the exclusion of other viable suspects.

Cordova also spoke of a stranger in the neighborhood going door to door begging for money. He believed this was a pattern for setting up a burglary.

Also, last week the prosecution's grilling of fertility expert Dr. Charles March. He said the earliest the baby could have died would have been December 29, five days after Laci went missing and Scott was under police scrutiny. Peterson's family hoped for possible vindication.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laci was around for four days and the police weren't looking for her. That makes us very angry.

OSIAS: But in what may have been the government's best cross- examination yet, attorney David Harris had March on the ropes about his methodology. March used statements from some of Laci's friends to help him decide the date of conception.

ROBERT TALBOT, LAW PROFESSOR: He had that witness looking defensive and confused. Looking over at the jury, they looked, to me, like they were in a state of disbelief.

(END VIDEOTAPE) OSIAS (on camera): On the witness list this week, a cadaver dog handler and a Modesto police officer that walked the Peterson's dog, McKenzie, searching for clues. Testimony is expected to wrap up by week's end -- Rick, Daryn.

SANCHEZ: Kimberly Osias on that story. We thank you so much for it. We appreciate it.

KAGAN: And let's take a look at some other stories making news coast to coast.

A tragedy in the world of NASCAR. A plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed on Sunday on a way to a race. All 10 people were on kill. The Hendrick organization owns cars driven by Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jimmy Johnson, who won Sunday's race.

SANCHEZ: A United Airlines plane was forced to return to Chicago's O'Hare Airport just because of engine problems. Watch the highlighted area in the video right there.

The FAA says the pilot reported that there was a compressor stall that caused flames to suddenly shoot out of the engine. The flight to Brazil made an emergency landing about 40 minutes after taking off.

KAGAN: The Gateway Arch in St. Louis will be pretty in pink tonight. The 630-foot landmark will be illuminated with pink lights as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The ceremony was spearheaded by Missouri Senator Jim Talent, who lost his own mother to breast cancer in 1988.

SANCHEZ: Talk about playing in pain. Wow. Playing through this pain.

Curt Schilling, he leads his Red Sox to one more win. We're going to hear from the battered but certainly not broken pitcher.

KAGAN: He made some history by doing that.

SANCHEZ: Did he?

KAGAN: Stats for you a little bit later.

SANCHEZ: All right.

KAGAN: Later on, a face-first fall on the ice. We'll hear from a world champion skater who took a nasty spill.

That's all coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: They are halfway home to their first World Series win since 1918. The Boston Red Sox are up two games to zero against St. Louis after beating the Cardinals 6-2 Sunday night in Bean Town. Next up, meet me in St. Louis, as the Sox try to quiet the Cardinals on their home turf in game three of the World Series tomorrow night. The Cardinals, don't count them out. They are 6-0 at home in the post-season.

SANCHEZ: Well, yes. You said they're halfway there. Well, the Yankees were 75 percent of the way there...

KAGAN: Yes, that's true.

SANCHEZ: ... to a Pennant as well.

KAGAN: That is true.

SANCHEZ: And look how well that worked out for them.

Some say there's no "I" in team. That could be why Boston pitcher Curt Schilling is putting aside his personal pain and pitching hard, one big reason the Red Sox are now leading, as a matter of fact.

KAGAN: And with that story, here's CNN's Larry Smith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For weeks Curt Schilling has pitched with an injured ankle that won't heal without an operation. But Sunday, a problematic extra stitch in the ankle almost kept the Red Sox ace off the mound.

CURT SCHILLING, GAME 2 WINNING PITCHER: I, honest to God, did not think I was going to take the ball today. I didn't think I could. And then everything starts happening. You start looking around at your teammates and understanding what you've been through over the last eight months.

SMITH: Relying on the work of the team doctors and his faith, Schilling threw six strong innings, handcuffing a powerful Cardinal line up while sidestepping a Boston defense that committed four errors for the second straight night.

SCHILLING: Regardless of what happens in my career, I'll never get the feeling like that ever again in my life that I had tonight.

KEITH FOULKE, RED SOX RELIEF PITCHER: It takes a lot of guts, you know. You know it says that you know in no matter how much pain he's in, that he wants to go out there and help this ball club win. And you know that gives us a lot of inspiration.

KEVIN MILLAR, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: Tremendous. I mean he's a tremendous professional. The most committed pitcher you'll ever see. And this guy is going out there and grinding it out for us. And he gave us six strong innings again tonight.

SMITH (on camera): Schilling won't pitch in the games in St. Louis to rest the ankle, but the Sox aren't ruling him out should the series return to Fenway Park for a game 6 next weekend. The Red Sox say they would rather simply get two wins in three games on the road this week and return home with the long awaited World Series title. Larry Smith, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And so, Curt Schilling becomes the first Major League pitcher ever to win a game for three separate teams.

SANCHEZ: Wow. That is a factoid.

KAGAN: Philadelphia, Arizona, and now the Boston Red Sox.

SANCHEZ: Fabulous. But only one with a bleedy ankle.

KAGAN: There you go, bleedy.

SANCHEZ: That's a new word.

Jill Brown standing by to let us know what's going on with the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Jill.

KAGAN: It was the 1960s, back in the '60s, back in the day, as we like to say around here. It was a hotbed of a political activism, but times have changed. And so has the mood at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

SANCHEZ: Richard Quest takes the pulse of the student body there.

And then the flu shortage, we're going to tell you what's happening around the country that's making the situation even worse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 25, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at what's happening right now in the news.
A weapons watchdog agency says that 380 tons of powerful explosives are missing from a facility near Baghdad. And there's concern about the material being used by terrorists. We're going to have details just ahead in a live report from the Pentagon. Also, reaction on this, as you might expect, from the campaign trail.

President Bush is campaigning in Colorado and Iowa today, with just eight days to go before the election. Senator John Kerry campaigns in four key states. The highlight is going to be his appearance of former President Bill Clinton for the first time since his operation at a rally in Philly around 1:00 Eastern.

The FBI says violent crime in the U.S. dropped 3 percent last year. That continues a downward trend in the nation's overall crime rate. The drop came despite an increase in reported murders. The murder rate went up 1.7 percent between 2002 and 2003.

And yes, the Boston Red Sox are plotting ahead in their efforts to reverse the curse. They now have a two-game to none lead in the World Series. Boston beat the Cardinals 6-2 last night, and they now head to St. Louis for tomorrow night's game three.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

It is now 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Rick Sanchez.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Daryn Kagan. Good morning once again.

Up first this hour on CNN, the search for missing explosives in Iraq. The International Atomic Energy Agency says nearly 400 tons of powerful explosives have vanished from a facility here Baghdad. And officials now fear that the explosives may become a deadly and powerful weapon for terrorists.

For more on the story, we turn to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, the Pentagon now has ordered both troops in Iraq and the weapons inspectors, that Iraqi Survey Group, to look into these reports. This comes, of course, after the Iraq interim government informed the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on October 10 that some 380 tons of high explosives was missing from a location south of Baghdad, a place called Al Qaqaa, about 30 miles south of Baghdad, well known to weapons inspectors.

One of Saddam's weapons depots, a place that U.N. weapons inspectors visited many times in years past. But it wasn't until earlier this month that the Iraqi interim government told the weapons inspectors in Vienna that all of these high explosives were missing. Earlier today, the IAEA in Vienna spoke about the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA FLEMING, SPOKESPERSON, IAEA: The multinational force in Iraq was responsible for security. And we have -- we informed them immediately upon receiving this declaration that this massive sum of explosive material was missing. They are responsible for security in Iraq, and our hope was that they would take action to secure and track down these missing explosives before they got into the wrong hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: One reason all of this is of such concern, these high explosives are items called HMX and RDX. They are very powerful, they can be used to demolish buildings. They can be used by terrorists. They can be used in detonators for missiles, warheads, all of that sort of thing. So all of this, of course, of great concern.

Now, last year, the CIA testified before Congress there were about 130 known ammunition storage points in Iraq, some 600,000 tons of explosives. A lot of that has been destroyed by the coalition forces. No one knows how much more has been looted out of these facilities and how much of it has fallen into the hands of the insurgents, but certainly this latest report raising significant new concerns -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And then, Barbara, if you'd just give us a little bit more information on this particular type of explosive. I understand it also travels well. Even though it's so powerful, it's not likely to detonate if it's jostled or thrown around.

STARR: Well, this -- this is the type of explosives that we are talking about. And I don't think anyone -- as you say, I don't think anyone is concerned so much about that, but who has these explosives? One of the key questions that is not answered yet by the Pentagon this morning is whether they knew about this looting incident beforehand and simply had not yet made it public because of the security concern about this very dangerous material and where it might be and whether they even know where it is.

The stuff is very deadly. And in the hands of terrorists it has been used in past attacks. So there's a lot of concern about it. And a lot of questions still to be answered by the Pentagon today about whether or not they knew about this before it all came to light from the Iraqi interim government -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, as you might imagine, the Bush administration is already coming under fire over the missing explosives that Barbara was just referring to in her report. The Kerry campaign calls it one of the great blunders of the Iraq war.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is in Crawford, Texas, with a look at how this is expected to play up during the campaign trail today.

Suzanne, over to you.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, you know, it really is unclear what the political fallout of this news is going to be. As you know, it could create a problem for the Bush administration. It was one of the central arguments, of course, before invading Iraq to make sure there were not terrorists who were getting their hands on potentially dangerous weapons out of that country.

Now, earlier today, I spoke with a senior administration official who did confirm that the administration was notified about these missing explosives. The national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, was notified about it about a month ago. And the administration chose not to make the information public. They say that is standard practice within the intelligence community not to announce these things because they don't want the bad guys to know exactly what they have.

Now, that same official also saying, look, if you take a look at the big picture here, they say there are hundreds of tons of missing unaccounted material inside of the country. That like the Pentagon has said, there is no way the U.S. military can possibly guard all of those -- those weapons depots or perhaps track down all of that missing material.

They say this is well documented by the administration's own investigative body. That is, the Iraq Survey Group. They say they have outlined that clearly. The official also describing the material as dangerous material, but saying that this is the kind of thing that you can buy anywhere and that it is not a proliferation problem or risk, according to the administration.

Having said all that, the same official says this is not a good story for the White House. It could not come at a worse time.

Now, the Bush campaign did release an official response and statement to Kerry's comments earlier today. That statement -- and I'll read it here -- it says, "John Kerry has no vision for fighting and winning the war on terror. So he is basing his attacks on the headlines he wakes up to each day." "If John Kerry wants to spend the next eight days trying to explain his positions again, we welcome that debate. John Kerry can't lead the nation to victory in a war he doesn't believe in."

So clearly, Rick, you have the Kerry camp that is playing this up, the Bush camp that is playing this down, and the question is, of course, how is this going to play with the voters, with the viewers?

SANCHEZ: Well, that's a good question. In fact, one we'll see the answer to in just about a little more than a week now. Suzanne Malveaux following the story for us. And we'll certainly check back with you.

Daryn, to you.

KAGAN: And let's get more now from the Kerry campaign. Kelly Wallace is with the Kerry campaign in Philadelphia.

Good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, we are definitely seeing the Kerry strategy this week, which is to try and narrow the gap between the president and the senator when it comes to who can better handle terrorism. Part of that strategy, pouncing on this story that you all have been talking about this morning. The senator in stop number one on this day, in the battleground state of New Hampshire, going right after the Bush administration and the president for his handling of the situation in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unbelievable blindness, stubbornness, arrogance of this administration to do the basics has now allowed this president to once again fail the test of being a commander in chief. Every step of the way this administration has miscalculated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And so a key message we'll be hearing from Senator Kerry in these final days that he, not President Bush, can keep the U.S. safer. While at the same time, he tries to keep the focus on domestic issues.

When he comes here to Philadelphia, the message will be get out and vote. And he will have some heavy-duty ammunition on hand: former President Bill Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The rock star of Democratic politics making his first campaign appearance since his quadruple bypass last month, and team Kerry-Edwards is thrilled, frequently mentioning the former president on the stump. KERRY: As my friend, our friend, President Clinton likes to say...

(APPLAUSE)

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They like to talk bad about President Clinton. But let me say this, when he was president of the United States, we weren't losing jobs.

WALLACE: Their strategy, a reversal from Al Gore's decision four years ago not to embrace Bill Clinton. Political observers say that move might have cost Gore victories in key battleground states.

What can Bill Clinton do? He can fire up the Democratic base, especially African-Americans who Senator Kerry has been slow to energize. According to a recent study, 18 percent of African- Americans say they would vote for President Bush this year. That's double the number who voted for him four years ago. However, other polls show Mr. Bush's support now the same 8 percent as in 2000.

Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel told "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" Mr. Bush's policies will actually send African-Americans out for John Kerry.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: George Bush is going to be the biggest incentives to get minority and middle class people out to vote.

WALLACE: But some Republicans say dispatching Mr. Clinton could be a sign of worry inside camp Kerry.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: And that's why they have to bring Bill Clinton into Philadelphia to bring out the African-American vote, because they are so concerned that the African-Americans in larger numbers are going to vote for George Bush.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE (on camera): And to give you a little behind the scenes, there are thousands of people who have already crammed about two city blocks here in downtown Philadelphia. My colleagues and I talking to some of these people. You have Kerry supporters, but, Daryn, you also have Bush supporters who say they came out because they wanted to see the former president.

KAGAN: Well, I hope everyone is patient, because between former President Clinton and the senator, these are two men who tend to run a little bit late in their schedules.

WALLACE: Right. It's supposed to start at 1:15. So what do you think, 3:00?

KAGAN: I hope you brought comfortable shoes today, let's just say that. Kelly, thank you for that. Kelly Wallace in Philadelphia.

OK. So Senator John Edwards will be a guest on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight, along with Senator John Kerry's daughters. That's 9:00 p.m. Eastern and 6:00 Pacific.

SANCHEZ: Turning now to the execution-style massacre of dozens of Iraqi soldiers, a group led by Jordanian born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is claiming responsibility for this Saturday attack. Though that claim has really not been verified or confirmed.

Forty-four Iraqi soldiers and four drivers were each shot in the head after insurgents set up a fake checkpoint east of Baghdad. We're being told by some sources it was an inside job. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell talked about the killings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We did have a difficult day. I mourn for the loss of these 50 Iraqi soldiers who had just been trained. Train for what? Trained to defend their own country, trained to protect their people. And these murderers ambushed them and murdered them all in cold blood.

That's what we're fighting. We're fighting these kind of individuals. And we're not going to turn away from this fight and let this sort of terrible, terrible action take place again, let these kinds of terrorists and murders take over this country. We got rid of a terrible regime and we're not going to allow another one to come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The Iraqi soldiers were on their way home for a vacation after graduating, in fact, from boot camp when the incident happened.

KAGAN: Twelve minutes past the hour. Time to go back to court for Scott Peterson today. With his defense team continuing to make their case, we'll go live to the courthouse for a preview.

SANCHEZ: Also ahead, it's a college campus in a key swing state. We're going to find out what University of Wisconsin students have to say about the upcoming election.

KAGAN: Plus, the Red Sox send the Cardinals back to St. Louis after sweeping the first two games. Details on one of the men behind the big Sox victory.

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(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Lawyers for Scott Peterson mount their fifth day of defense in California today, one day after Peterson spent his 32nd birthday in a jail cell. For more on the case, we turn now to Kimberly Osias. She is live in Redwood City, California. Good morning, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Rick.

Well, I tell you, he spent his 32nd birthday behind bars, but he spent his 31st birthday behind bars as well. Scott Peterson was in the Modesto jail then. He wasn't given any special privileges. We don't know if he was given any special privileges for his birthday this weekend, but we don't in fact think so.

Now, the defense is beginning their second week of testimony as this trial begins to wrap up after five long months. More expert testimony is expected in what has been dubbed the battle of the experts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Nine defense witnesses so far and more to go in the double murder trial of Scott Peterson. In a case which relies heavily on experts to connect the dots, all it takes is one credible witness to poke enough holes in the prosecution's theory that Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife, Laci, and dumped her body in the San Francisco Bay.

On the stand last week, superior court Judge Ricardo Cordova, a neighbor of the Petersons. He testified about a woman's summer sandals found in front of the Peterson's house. They were never collected as evidence. This supports the defense's theory of a bungled investigation. Geragos says the sole focus was on Peterson, to the exclusion of other viable suspects.

Cordova also spoke of a stranger in the neighborhood going door to door begging for money. He believed this was a pattern for setting up a burglary.

Also, last week the prosecution's grilling of fertility expert Dr. Charles March. He said the earliest the baby could have died would have been December 29, five days after Laci went missing and Scott was under police scrutiny. Peterson's family hoped for possible vindication.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laci was around for four days and the police weren't looking for her. That makes us very angry.

OSIAS: But in what may have been the government's best cross- examination yet, attorney David Harris had March on the ropes about his methodology. March used statements from some of Laci's friends to help him decide the date of conception.

ROBERT TALBOT, LAW PROFESSOR: He had that witness looking defensive and confused. Looking over at the jury, they looked, to me, like they were in a state of disbelief.

(END VIDEOTAPE) OSIAS (on camera): On the witness list this week, a cadaver dog handler and a Modesto police officer that walked the Peterson's dog, McKenzie, searching for clues. Testimony is expected to wrap up by week's end -- Rick, Daryn.

SANCHEZ: Kimberly Osias on that story. We thank you so much for it. We appreciate it.

KAGAN: And let's take a look at some other stories making news coast to coast.

A tragedy in the world of NASCAR. A plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed on Sunday on a way to a race. All 10 people were on kill. The Hendrick organization owns cars driven by Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jimmy Johnson, who won Sunday's race.

SANCHEZ: A United Airlines plane was forced to return to Chicago's O'Hare Airport just because of engine problems. Watch the highlighted area in the video right there.

The FAA says the pilot reported that there was a compressor stall that caused flames to suddenly shoot out of the engine. The flight to Brazil made an emergency landing about 40 minutes after taking off.

KAGAN: The Gateway Arch in St. Louis will be pretty in pink tonight. The 630-foot landmark will be illuminated with pink lights as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The ceremony was spearheaded by Missouri Senator Jim Talent, who lost his own mother to breast cancer in 1988.

SANCHEZ: Talk about playing in pain. Wow. Playing through this pain.

Curt Schilling, he leads his Red Sox to one more win. We're going to hear from the battered but certainly not broken pitcher.

KAGAN: He made some history by doing that.

SANCHEZ: Did he?

KAGAN: Stats for you a little bit later.

SANCHEZ: All right.

KAGAN: Later on, a face-first fall on the ice. We'll hear from a world champion skater who took a nasty spill.

That's all coming up. Stay with us.

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KAGAN: They are halfway home to their first World Series win since 1918. The Boston Red Sox are up two games to zero against St. Louis after beating the Cardinals 6-2 Sunday night in Bean Town. Next up, meet me in St. Louis, as the Sox try to quiet the Cardinals on their home turf in game three of the World Series tomorrow night. The Cardinals, don't count them out. They are 6-0 at home in the post-season.

SANCHEZ: Well, yes. You said they're halfway there. Well, the Yankees were 75 percent of the way there...

KAGAN: Yes, that's true.

SANCHEZ: ... to a Pennant as well.

KAGAN: That is true.

SANCHEZ: And look how well that worked out for them.

Some say there's no "I" in team. That could be why Boston pitcher Curt Schilling is putting aside his personal pain and pitching hard, one big reason the Red Sox are now leading, as a matter of fact.

KAGAN: And with that story, here's CNN's Larry Smith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For weeks Curt Schilling has pitched with an injured ankle that won't heal without an operation. But Sunday, a problematic extra stitch in the ankle almost kept the Red Sox ace off the mound.

CURT SCHILLING, GAME 2 WINNING PITCHER: I, honest to God, did not think I was going to take the ball today. I didn't think I could. And then everything starts happening. You start looking around at your teammates and understanding what you've been through over the last eight months.

SMITH: Relying on the work of the team doctors and his faith, Schilling threw six strong innings, handcuffing a powerful Cardinal line up while sidestepping a Boston defense that committed four errors for the second straight night.

SCHILLING: Regardless of what happens in my career, I'll never get the feeling like that ever again in my life that I had tonight.

KEITH FOULKE, RED SOX RELIEF PITCHER: It takes a lot of guts, you know. You know it says that you know in no matter how much pain he's in, that he wants to go out there and help this ball club win. And you know that gives us a lot of inspiration.

KEVIN MILLAR, RED SOX FIRST BASEMAN: Tremendous. I mean he's a tremendous professional. The most committed pitcher you'll ever see. And this guy is going out there and grinding it out for us. And he gave us six strong innings again tonight.

SMITH (on camera): Schilling won't pitch in the games in St. Louis to rest the ankle, but the Sox aren't ruling him out should the series return to Fenway Park for a game 6 next weekend. The Red Sox say they would rather simply get two wins in three games on the road this week and return home with the long awaited World Series title. Larry Smith, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And so, Curt Schilling becomes the first Major League pitcher ever to win a game for three separate teams.

SANCHEZ: Wow. That is a factoid.

KAGAN: Philadelphia, Arizona, and now the Boston Red Sox.

SANCHEZ: Fabulous. But only one with a bleedy ankle.

KAGAN: There you go, bleedy.

SANCHEZ: That's a new word.

Jill Brown standing by to let us know what's going on with the weather.

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SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Jill.

KAGAN: It was the 1960s, back in the '60s, back in the day, as we like to say around here. It was a hotbed of a political activism, but times have changed. And so has the mood at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

SANCHEZ: Richard Quest takes the pulse of the student body there.

And then the flu shortage, we're going to tell you what's happening around the country that's making the situation even worse.

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