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Paula Zahn Now

President Bush Nominates New CIA Chief; Interview With Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra; Polygamist Leader Makes FBI 10 Most Wanted List

Aired May 08, 2006 - 20:00   ET

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

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone. Glad to have you with us.
Here's what is happening at this moment.

An entire brigade of U.S. troops is on hold tonight. The Pentagon says more than 3,000 soldiers were supposed to be sent to Iraq. They won't be now. More deployments may be canceled, but that all depends on changing conditions in Iraq.

Here's our nightly look at gasoline prices across the country. We call it "Crude Awakenings." The states with today's highest prices are in red, the lowest gas prices in green.

And the nationwide average today for unleaded regular, $2.90 a gallon. That's about a penny less than on Friday. Still, those gas prices and the war on Iraq continue to drag on the president's popularity. Take a look at this new Gallup poll. It puts the president's approval at a politically alarming 31 percent, his lowest ever and a drop of three-points in just the last week alone.

Now, low poll numbers are not the president's only problem tonight. His nomination of a new man to run the CIA is only a few hours old, and, already it's running into opposition.

We have also learned that another top CIA official is about to leave, the agency's number three man, Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. He's retiring, even as he faces two investigations. Those revelations could turn into a major scandal.

Let's turn to senior national correspondent John Roberts. He's been following the story and has all the details for us now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first investigation was launched by the CIA's inspector general, looking into whether Dusty Foggo did anything wrong in awarding a contract to his longtime friend, defense contractor Brent Wilkes.

The deal, to provide water and other household items for CIA personnel in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, was worth some $2.4 million. Foggo and Wilkes were also poker buddies, attending games that Wilkes had set up in hospitality suites at the Watergate Hotel and Westin Grand in Washington. Clark Kent Ervin was an inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: But, often, where there's smoke, there's fire. And, certainly, I think we have seen, over the course of the last few years, a lot of corruption in Washington, needless to say. And because we're talking about not just any departments, but intelligence communities, particularly important that we take this seriously and investigate it thoroughly.

ROBERTS: Through the CIA's spokeswoman, Foggo insists he did nothing wrong, that government contracts for which he was responsible were properly awarded and administered. Foggo added that, if he attended occasional card games with friends over the years, they were that and nothing more.

But Foggo's problems don't end there. The FBI is also interesting in him, as it investigates outstanding issues in the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal. The feds want to know what Foggo's full relationship was with Wilkes, who is described as an unindicted co- conspirator in the case of the disgraced Congressman.

According to another suspect in the investigation, Mitchell Wade, who is operating with the FBI, Wilkes hired a car service to pick up prostitutes for Cunningham and drive them to the Watergate or Westin hospitality suites.

Foggo says he never witnessed any prostitutes at the poker games he attended and that any suggestion to the contrary would be -- quote -- "false, outrageous and irresponsible."

The car service, Shirlington Limousine, which shows this Virginia townhouse as its address, also denies any involvement with prostitutes. That point is significant, because any wrongdoing could jeopardize a $21.2 million contract Shirlington holds with the Department of Homeland Security to provide employee shuttle buses and executive limousines. It got the contract, despite the fact its CEO, Chris Baker, has a criminal record.

Does that surprise the former inspector general of DHS?

ERVIN: It surprises me, in the sense that this kind of thing shouldn't happen in any department, especially not in the Department of Homeland Security. On the other hand, the record of that department is very lax when it comes to vetting backgrounds, so, in a way, I'm not surprised.

ROBERTS: But DHS officials insist, it's nothing out of the ordinary. They check the backgrounds of drivers, but not company officials. And they praised Shirlington for performing with -- quote -- "utmost professionalism."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: And this investigation may go beyond the FBI and CIA. There are also allegations that other members of Congress attended poker games and used the hospitality suites and hookers. With ethics a potent election-year issue, House Democrats are pushing their Republican colleagues to open up a wider probe into what they call the -- quote -- "unparalleled corruption of Duke Cunningham" -- Paula.

ZAHN: And, John, tonight, you have a Republican strategist, Ed Rollins, saying he wouldn't be surprised if as many as 15 members of Congress ultimately get tied to this scandal. What's your take on that?

ROBERTS: Paula, it is really anybody's guess as to how many more members of Congress could get caught up in this Cunningham investigation or the Abramoff scandal, for that matter. That's the broader investigation.

But in terms of this idea of hospitality suites and hookers, even the man who made the allegations about Cunningham, Wilkes and the limousine company, Mitchell Wade, has said he doesn't have any information on other lawmakers being at these hospitality suites, availing themselves of the use of hookers, only Duke Cunningham.

ZAHN: Keep us posted. John Roberts...

ROBERTS: Will do.

ZAHN: ... thanks for the update.

Now on the controversy over the man President Bush introduced this morning as his choice to run the CIA. He's Michael Hayden, a four-star Air Force general who has been in the military for 37 years now. He's also the man credited with designing the administration's domestic surveillance program that uses secret wiretaps without court warrants. For those reasons, he may be facing a very bumpy road to confirmation.

Here's congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel on the "Security Watch" for us tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For President Bush, it was a one-two punch from two top Republicans. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Peter Hoekstra, on Sunday said General Hayden was the wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time to lead the CIA. He wasn't backing off this morning.

REP. PETER HOEKSTRA (R-MI), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: It signals -- signals that we are not that concerned about having an independent intelligence community, independent of the Department of Defense.

KOPPEL: But while Hoekstra's views as chairman of House Intelligence carry weight, it's up to the Senate to green-light Hayden's nomination or to derail it. And Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was less than enthusiastic.

PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: I'm not saying he's the right man at the right time and the right job, but that's why we have a hearing on the Senate.

KOPPEL: Among top concerns, whether a four-star general heading up the CIA would put too much of the intelligence community under military control, and Hayden's role in developing and then defending the highly controversial warrantless wiretapping program.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D-WI), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I know that he wasn't the top man, but the fact is, he has stood with the president, others, in claiming that somehow the president has inherent authority to do this.

KOPPEL: The White House scrambled to take its skeptics head on, putting the national security adviser on TV three hours before President Bush made the announcement.

STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: So, we think that -- that the -- the trick here is not whether he's military or civilian. There are established precedents for military officers serving. The key question is, who is the right person for the job? And the president has concluded that's Mike Hayden.

KOPPEL: And further proof that Hayden's nomination is not following the usual party lines, at least one key Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee agrees.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I want a respected, competent professional. And he's all of those things.

KOPPEL (on camera): A year ago, when General Hayden appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee to be confirmed for his current job, Senator Roberts lavished praise on the general. Now, even though he has the authority to do so, Roberts hasn't even set a date for a hearing.

And, then, late this afternoon, after a brief meeting with General Hayden here on the Hill, Roberts issued a rather terse statement. The best he would say, he doesn't oppose General Hayden's nomination.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And, as Andrea just mentioned in her report, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra has raised an awful lot of eyebrows by criticizing General Hayden's nomination to head the CIA.

And I had a chance to talk with him before we went on the air tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: I know you are opposed to General Hayden's nomination. But if he's confirmed, do you think he's going to compromise the safety of Americans? REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R), MICHIGAN: Oh, I don't think he is going to compromise the safety of Americans. What we're going to do on the House Intelligence Committee is, we are going to make sure that we address the concerns that some of us have about having a military person in that position.

We're going to focus on making sure that we're getting professional, high-quality, unvarnished information, unvarnished intelligence from the CIA.

ZAHN: Do you really think General Hayden would be an agent of Secretary Rumsfeld?

HOEKSTRA: Well, I'm not saying that he's going to be an agent of anybody.

But what I am saying is that he will bring, you know, 30-plus years of experience looking at the world through a military lens, rather than a civilian lens.

ZAHN: But, sir, how will it affect the safety of Americans, whether he has a military lens, looking at this, or a civilian lens?

HOEKSTRA: Well, it is going to affect the kind of -- potentially affect the kind of intelligence that we would get.

When you're looking through a military lens, you're looking to gather intelligence that enables you to fight and win wars that will keep your soldiers safe. When you're on a civilian side, and what we as public policy-makers need in Congress, is, we need the kind of intelligence that is longer-range thinking, that gives us a better perspective and a broader perspective of the types of issues that we're confronting, whether it is in Iraq, whether it is in Iran or North Korea.

ZAHN: Some people are expecting a pretty messy confirmation battle, given the fact that General Hayden presided over the NSA's wiretap program. Is that a nonstarter, or do you think he is going to sail through?

HOEKSTRA: I think the assessment that this could be a food fight over the terrorist surveillance program is accurate, which is too bad, because what we really need to have is, we need to have a debate and a discussion about the future of the CIA.

We want to build a strong intelligence community. The CIA is a critical component of that. We ought to be looking forward in this nomination process, not backwards.

ZAHN: Representative Hoekstra, thanks for your time.

HOEKSTRA: Hey, great. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And now we move on. Twenty million of you went to our Web site today. Time to start the countdown of the most popular stories on CNN.com.

At number 10, how to beat the high cost of gas -- in central Minnesota, one chain of gas station actually lets you buy in bulk at today's rate and get your gas later if the price goes up. The chain, First Fuel Banks, even has at least one customer who bought way back when gas cost 99 cents a gallon. We should have been that smart as well.

Number nine, parts of Interstate 95, along Florida's Atlantic Coast were shut down, and about 1,000 people still out of their homes tonight because of brushfires. At least one home was destroyed and 8,000 acres burned in the New Smyrna Beach area. The fires began on Friday.

Numbers eight and seven just ahead, along with a rare inside look at a job that could actually make you begin to love going back to work on Mondays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: "Beyond the Headlines" -- a new face steps up to speak for the president. We will take you behind the scenes in one the world's toughest jobs.

Also, the "Eye Opener" -- in a place of incredible beauty, a stranger attacks two young women and leaves them for dead. Now, years later, a survivor returns to track down the suspect -- all that and more when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: There's a new face on the FBI's 10 most wanted list tonight. Do you know this guy? And what is a religious leader doing on the same list as bank robbers and terrorists?

So, how hard can it be being the new White House press secretary? Well, as we mentioned earlier, the president's approval rating is at an all-time low of 31 percent, according to Gallup. And that's a huge challenge for former FOX reporter Tony Snow, the president's new spokesperson.

Now, if you think you know about the job and what it entails, you're in for a big surprise now.

Take a look, as White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, a member of the best political team in TV, takes you behind the scenes and "Beyond the Headlines" tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the new White House press secretary, Tony Snow walks into a job unlike any other.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: As you know, President Bush earlier today nominated General Michael Hayden to become the next director of central intelligence.

MALVEAUX: From now on, his every word will be scrutinized for its impact on world affairs, financial markets and national politics. Every mistake will be material for late-night comedians. Snow's predecessor, Scott McClellan, knows the pressure of hot lights and heated exchanges.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Good afternoon.

QUESTION: ... think that Karl Rove did anything wrong?

MCCLELLAN: Well, I think it would be good for you to allow me the opportunity to respond to your questions without jumping in. I'm glad to do that.

QUESTION: What I can't do is -- is carry your water for you. And -- and I wonder...

MCCLELLAN: I'm not asking you to.

MCCLELLAN: I'm sure there are going to be moments where I will look back and say, oh, I'm glad I'm not doing that anymore.

(LAUGHTER)

MCCLELLAN: I think probably most press secretaries, once they leave, don't miss the podium too much.

MALVEAUX: And McClellan knows that a sense of humor is essential.

MCCLELLAN: That was my very first briefing as press secretary.

MALVEAUX: He showed me a picture that hung above his desk, which has him surrounded by sharks.

(on camera): What are you trying to say, Scott?

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Today, the White House Communications Office has to deal with insatiable 24-hour cable news networks, instant e-mail, and Internet blogs.

ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And it is the most grinding, pressure-filled, difficult, grueling job you could ever imagine.

MALVEAUX: Former White House spokesmen feel that, in some sense, they are part of unique club.

MCCLELLAN: I think all of us have a special bond with one another, because we know what it is like to walk up there at the podium day in and day out.

MALVEAUX: They also know that every minute is taken up by the demands of the job, sometimes starting with a wakeup call from a reporter.

MCCLELLAN: Well, my day starts very early, at 5:00.

JAKE SIEWERT, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Start answering questions from the press around 6:30 and 7:00, for the morning shows, and then it just never stops. You...

MCCLELLAN: And, then, there's a senior staff meeting at 7:30 each morning.

MIKE MCCURRY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Go see the president and say, look, here's what we are going to be briefing today.

MCCLELLAN: You're juggling the press corps and being with the president.

SIEWERT: And then you have got a briefing at least once or twice a day, where you have got to impart that information to the press.

MCCURRY: I never ate lunch, because I didn't want to burp on camera.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Every former press secretary will admit that the toughest part of the job is getting information from the administration itself, sometimes even from the president. For Clinton spokesman Mike McCurry, it was over the president's relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky.

QUESTION: Did the president mean to say to the American people that he had no sexual intercourse?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCURRY: I think the president was very straightforward in his comment. And I'm not going to dignify the question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCCURRY: The biggest mistake any press secretary can make is just not getting the facts right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCURRY: Frankly, the president misled me, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: But, to be effective, the White House press secretary has to put aside any personal disagreement he might have with the president.

MCCLELLAN: Certainly, there are some things over the course of the time here that you might not have agreed with. But, once the president makes the decision, I -- you're there to defend it and...

MALVEAUX: And, once a decision has been made, there's the difficult balancing act of protecting the president and still providing the press with enough information.

JOE LOCKHART, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: If the president is happy with you, generally, the press isn't. If the press is happy with you, generally, the president isn't.

MALVEAUX: And, somehow, through it all, one must keep a sense of humor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCURRY: I'm briefing today as an anonymous source.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: McClellan shows me the bulletproof vest that hangs in the press secretary's closet. Following tradition, he will tuck a private note in its pocket, with a word of advice for his successor.

MCCLELLAN: The most important advice is to enjoy the time here.

MALVEAUX: For most, that time goes very quickly and lasts less than three years.

(APPLAUSE)

MALVEAUX: Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And, still, for some, that doesn't move quickly enough.

Tony Snow, as we speak, is moving into his office in the West Wing. His first briefing is next Monday.

Tonight, a $100,000 reward is posted for the newest man on the FBI's most wanted list. He happens to be the leader of a polygamist religious group. So, why is he a wanted man, along with Osama bin Laden, the same list?

Later, incredible video of a very narrow escape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go. Go. Go. Go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep driving. Keep driving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Why did a mob attack CNN's Nic Robertson and other journalists today? And how did they manage to get away?

Now number eight on the CNN countdown -- in Australia -- this an amazing story -- two miners trapped for two weeks after a cave-in at a gold mine are finally out tonight. That's one of them there waving at all of us from an ambulance. Rescuers reached them late today. The men were trapped a half-mile underground. And, last week, rescuers somehow managed to drill a hole big enough to send them food and water.

Number seven -- photographer Gregory Colbert's amazing pictures of people communing with wild animals. He says he wants to rediscover the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. To see more, you can go to CNN.com and look for the free -- Did I say free? -- yes, I did say free -- video link.

Stand by for numbers six and five when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: In tonight's "Outside the Law," he's a man on the run from the law. But how does a 50-year-old religious leader get on the FBI's 10 most wanted list, along with Osama bin Laden?

Well, tonight, Warren Jeffs is a fugitive. But, to his followers, he's still a prophet. His story is tonight's "Outside the Law."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN (voice-over): The list includes Osama bin Laden, murderers and violent robbers. Warren Jeffs is the newest member of the FBI's 10 most wanted list. He's the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FLDS, for short, a polygamist sect that broke away from the mainstream Mormon Church almost a century ago.

Fifty-year-old Warren Jeffs has been a fugitive for about a year. His group of about 10,000 people is based on the border of Arizona and Utah. Here, men believe that being married to a large number of brides will earn them a place in heaven.

As one of those former brides told Larry King, the women had no choice in the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

CAROLYN JESSOP, LEFT ARIZONA POLYGAMIST COMMUNITY: I was given to a man who was 50 years old when I was 18. It was an arranged marriage. I was pulled out of bed at night by my father at 2:00 in the morning and told that I would be Merrill Jessop's fourth wife. It wasn't a situation where I was really given an option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Some boys and younger men claim they have been expelled to reduce competition for available women. Investigators say, FLDS members call Jeffs "The Prophet" and that they live in fear of him. A few years ago, the Arizona Attorney General's Office and the FBI began investigating reports of child abuse, domestic violence, and incest.

But officials say the investigation was hampered because Jeffs' followers refused to testify against him. In recent years, former members of the church have come out and told their stories. A Utah court charged Jeffs with sexual misconduct with a minor and for his role in arranging a marriage between an underage girl and an older man.

Similar charges were filed in Arizona. Even as a federal fugitive, authorities say Jeffs runs a $200 million empire. They have seen some of that money, but they think he may still be using the rest to stay one step ahead of the law.

TERRY GODDARD, ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL: This is somebody who is adept at staying undercover. He has obviously proven to be very good at it. And he seems to be moving around the country, maybe even into other countries.

ZAHN: Last week, Warren Jeffs' younger brother, Seth, pleaded guilty to concealing a fugitive, namely, his older brother. He faces up to six months in prison.

Law enforcement authorities believe that putting Warren Jeffs on the 10 most wanted list will mean he won't be concealed much longer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: At least they're hoping that.

And joining me now, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. Thank you so much for joining us tonight, sir.

So, what kind of a threat does Mr. Jeffs represent that he would end up on this list, along with Osama bin Laden?

MARK SHURTLEFF, UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, Paula, consider the fact that he has control of the lives of 10,000 men, women and children. And we are not just talking about their physical lives. But he actually holds their eternal lives, their salvation, in his hands.

Warren, for years, has caused extensive damage to young families, to women and children. He has forced countless young girls to marry older men. He has plundered assets. And, basically, frankly, he's -- he's extended his middle finger to the law, and felt that he could be above the law all these many years, and has shown that in running from the law as well.

ZAHN: But, in spite of what you just said, he has this protective net around him, formed by his followers. Are you any closer to getting to him tonight, in the wake of this announcement?

SHURTLEFF: Absolutely.

This is very key, because he is unique, really -- maybe Osama bin Laden -- the people on the list, to the fact that he's surrounded by loyal supporters, who are armed, people who protect him, who help move him from one safe house to another. He has unlimited assets, cash, credit cards, aliases. He has this ability to be moved and to be hidden. And that's why we need this information nationally.

ZAHN: How close do you think you are to nailing him?

SHURTLEFF: We haven't been close.

And that's why we really appreciate the fact that the FBI has stepped up big time on this. And of all the hundreds of desperadoes, of bad guys here in the country, to put Warren Jeffs on is a significant step forward. And I think it will be a substantial help in us finding him and bringing him to justice.

ZAHN: So, have you gotten any tips over the last 24 to 48 hours that you think are promising?

SHURTLEFF: Absolutely.

The FBI is receiving tips. Other -- programs like yours, hopefully, will help get the word out, get his picture out there. People need to understand, this -- this is a guy who unique physical characteristics, and he's very tall, 6'3'', 6'4'', and very thin, 160 pounds, very lanky, walks a little bit hunched over, we are told, and has a -- a unique voice.

So, it is something that people ought to be looking for. And we will hope that they will see and that they will -- they will notify us, so that we can bring him to justice for his crimes.

ZAHN: Well, we wish you luck.

SHURTLEFF: Thank you.

ZAHN: We know he has an -- access to an awful lot of cash. So, that makes the investigation even more complicated. Good luck.

SHURTLEFF: Thanks very much.

ZAHN: And please join Larry King at the top of the hour for more on this story -- among his guests, two of the women who fled the polygamist lifestyle.

Now, almost 30 years ago, a young woman was brutally attacked by a man armed with a hatchet. Not only did she survive. She may have accomplished something the police couldn't. After so many years, has she finally found her attacker?

We also have some exclusive frightening pictures. Why was a CNN crew attacked by this mob today? How did they get out alive?

Now, though, on to number six on our CNN.com countdown. The broadcast TV networks are getting their fall schedules together. And, tonight, there are reports that NBC may move "ER" from its 10:00 p.m. time slot. It has occupied that time since the series premiered way back in 1994.

And, number five, more TV news -- say goodbye to "Seventh Heaven." Say it ain't so. After 10 years on the WB, the show goes off the air tonight, despite rumors that it would continue. It has been the most popular show on the WB, and it is the longest-running family drama in TV history.

Number four on the countdown coming up -- please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Welcome back.

Here's what is happening at this moment. Two Fairfax, Virginia, police officers are fighting for their lives and a suspect is dead after a blaze of gunfire in the parking lot of their suburban Washington, D.C., police station. A police spokesman calls it a horrific scene. It is still under investigation tonight.

And more nerves tonight on Capitol Hill after a former aide to Ohio Congressman Bob Ney admits he conspired to bribe members of Congress with free trips, free meals and jobs for relatives. It is all part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

And women are being urged to get an advanced prescription of the morning after pill from their doctors. The nation's largest gynecologist organization says it wants women to be prepared after the administration refused over-the-counter sales.

And right now, you're about to meet a woman who survived a very brutal attack almost 30 years ago, which is only now beginning to see justice done. Her own determination and courage took her back to the scene of the crime and finally may have led her to the suspect.

Ted Rowlands in tonight's "Eye Opener."

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the summer of 1977, Terri Jentz, then a 19-year-old student at Yale University, set off to bike across the country with her college roommates.

TERRI JENTZ, SURVIVED HATCHET ATTACK: Oh, incredibly excited. It was going to mean everything that college wasn't giving us.

ROWLANDS: Starting in Oregon, the young women followed the bicentennial trail, a route that would guide them all the way to the East Coast. Seven days into the journey, they stopped to camp at Cline Falls State Park near the city of Redmond, Oregon.

JENTZ: It felt like paradise when we arrived here. It was so stunningly beautiful that it was hard to imagine anything bad happening.

ROWLANDS (on-camera): When you do come back here, the memories come back.

JENTZ: The memories do come back.

ROWLANDS (voice over): Something bad did happen at Cline Falls, that almost 30 years later as she shows us where they set up their tent Terri says she remembers it all. When the girls were asleep, someone drove into their tent.

JENTZ: And I woke to a screech of tires and a heavy, heavy weight on top of my body.

ROWLANDS: Pinned under a tire unable to see, Terri says she listened in horror as her friend was attacked with a hatchet.

JENTZ: I heard a sharp blow, and then I heard about six more blows and then there was silence.

ROWLANDS: Eventually the attacker turned the hatchet on Terri.

JENTZ: What was going in my mind at that point is we're being -- this is a single individual, a psycho who is murdering us in this campground.

ROWLANDS: Terri says the attack suddenly stopped, and the man with the hatchet drove away.

JENTZ: I wasn't in any pain. So it was an odd sensation. And I felt I was all wet with my own blood, which doesn't feel like water. It is thick and viscous.

ROWLANDS: Terri says she was able to grab her flashlight and get to her feet.

JENTZ: At that moment I saw a pair of headlights coming around the park. And I thought this could be the same guy coming back to finish us off or it could be help. But I had to risk it.

ROWLANDS: Bill Pennhollow (ph) and his girlfriend Boo Isaak, two high school seniors on a midnight drive pulled into the park and saw Terri waving her flashlight.

BOO ISAAK, HELPED VICTIMS: She was just covered with blood. I mean, just covered. She had a hack mark in her head. And it was dripping off her face, really. She was just a terrible mess.

ROWLANDS: Terri and her friend both survived. News of the hatchet attack was reported in newspapers across the country, and in central Oregon, people were stunned at the brutality of the random attack.

ISAAK: Totally disrupted the whole community. No one came to the park anymore.

ROWLANDS: Years would go by without an arrest.

JENTZ: I felt like I wasn't interested in who had attacked me. I wasn't interested in anything about the place where I was attacked.

ROWLANDS: But as she grew older that changed. Terri says she started thinking more and more about the attack and started having reoccurring nightmares. Eventually in 1992, more than 15 years after the attack, she decided to go back to Oregon to try to find out what happened.

JENTZ: I was just trying to piece together the story as much as I could.

ROWLANDS: Terri teamed up with Boo Isaac, the high school girl who helped save her. For months, they made phone calls and went to visit anyone with possible information.

JENTZ: I didn't have any idea who attacked me, and I really didn't think that I would ever find out.

ROWLANDS: But the more they investigated, the more they focused on one particular person, and eventually they say they were sure they had their man.

JENTZ: There isn't any shred of evidence that has ever turned up in all of these years that has indicated otherwise.

ISAAC: Basically, hundreds of people we have talked to have told us little bits, just they all point that direction.

ROWLANDS: The women went to the Oregon State Police with their findings, and Detective Sergeant Marlen Hein, now retired, was assigned to reopen the case.

MARLEN HEIN, RETIRED DETECTIVE: The nickname Dick Damm the hatchet man came out almost immediately.

ROWLANDS: Dick Damm, who was just 17 years old at the time of the hatchet attack was a suspect in 1977, according to police. And for years many people living in the area suspected Dan, to the point that they gave him the nickname hatchet man.

HEIN: I definitely feel that he did it. And I wouldn't hesitate to take that information to a grand jury and present it to them.

JENTZ: I don't think there's a chance he didn't do it.

ROWLANDS (on-camera): The man Terri Jentz says is responsible for attack is currently in this Oregon jail, and although he denied a request from CNN for an interview, for years he has maintained that he has absolutely nothing to do with the attack.

(voice over): Right now he's awaiting trial in a robbery and assault case. Dick Damm has been in and out of jail much of his adult life on charges ranging from drug possession to kidnapping. Sergeant Hein and the women say in addition to the convictions against Damm, he's also been accused of some very violent attacks. They say they have interviewed many women who claim Damm tortured and abused them.

HEIN: He had assaulted and tried to drown another gal, had raped another gal.

ROWLANDS: There's also a lie detector test, which Damm took in 1995, the report filed after the polygraph concludes Damm was, quote, "deceptive" when asked about the attack. He did deny he carried out the attack, saying, quote, "I swear to God."

But the report also reads, quote, "Mr. Damm stated that he was very violent back then and very heavy into drugs." In fact, he says he showed up for the test under the influence. Dick Damm will never face charges for the attack on Terri and her friend because the statute of limitations has expired.

Terri Jentz has written a book about the attack and her mission to find the truth. And she says she is finally at peace.

JENTZ: In order to move to the future, I had to go back and face my past.

ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Redmond, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And one review called Terri's book "Strange Piece of Paradise" tough to read and even tougher to put down.

A CNN crew including our correspondent Nic Robertson is lucky to be alive tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Where were they and why did a mob turn on them today and how did they get out of this mayhem alive?

Plus, what could be done about one of the most common crimes on any college campus? Why is underage drinking, in particular binging, an epidemic?

Right now, No. 4 on our countdown in the top stories on CNN.com. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones is up and talking with his family today. Not as energetically as the pictures, I assure you. After surgery to relieve head pain from a fall from a coconut tree while vacationing in Fiji. His publicist says he'll need a few weeks to recuperate. Remember that the next time you scale a coconut tree for free fruit.

No. 3, still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Darfur, in the Sudan, one of the most dangerous places in the world. If you need evidence, take a look at this exclusive videotape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Go, go, go, keep driving, keep driving. I don't know, are you OK? Go, go, go, keep driving, keep driving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: That is senior international correspondent Nic Robertson in the back of that van and his crew at a refugee camp, trapped by an angry mob. A mob that would turn deadly. A close call, a very close call indeed.

It happened as the U.N.'s top humanitarian official toured the camp, which is home to some 90,000 refugees from Darfur. Just a fraction of the two million people who have been driven from their homes by three years of civil war in Sudan. And Nic Robertson joins me now on the phone to tell us how this dramatic confrontation happened. Nic, first of all, you look at those pictures and I hope you know how lucky a man you are tonight. You already know that. What triggered this riot?

ROBERTSON (on phone): A translator for an international aid organization was misunderstood as he walked through a large crowd at the refugee camp. He was translating for his employer. He said the people here don't like the president of Sudan. They thought he said, they liked the president of Sudan, and they actually hate him.

That's when they turned on him. That's when he tried to jump in our vehicle. That's when we realized we had a problem. He was grappling, they were trying to pull him out the vehicle. You could see the windows being smashed. They wanted to kill him.

ZAHN: You instructed your driver a number of times to drive out. It didn't appear he understood what you were saying. How close a call was it, Nic?

ROBERTSON: He couldn't drive out. We were surrounded by a crowd of people in the front of the vehicle. There had been a demonstration, a friendly demonstration, several thousands people a little earlier calling for U.S. and international troops to come to Sudan to protect them.

They say that they don't feel safe from the government. He couldn't drive forward because there were women and children quite literally in front of the vehicle. It was only when he realized how desperate the situation was and that his own life could be under threat that he really began to take heed of our warnings to drive and push through the crowd. He ended up driving through people's houses to get out and through the refugee camp, quite literally through the middle of houses to get out.

ZAHN: You've been in a lot of dangerous situations on the job. Were you nervous as you were trying to -- get through this crowd and not mow down people? ROBERTSON: I was nervous because I realized fairly quickly -- although the translator didn't talk to us, that the crowd wanted to kill him. And I began to realize that as they became more angry and we began to drive away and they began to try and stab the vehicle with knives, throw rocks at it, that if they could catch us then we could meet the same fate as the translator.

As we drove out of the camp, we drove past the African Union peacekeeping compound. We took a very split-second decision not to stay there and seek shelter with the African Union peacekeepers. Later in the day, the angry mob did overrun that little peacekeeping encampment and kill (inaudible) to death, a translator working for the African Union peacekeepers. The mob that day, today, appeared to want blood and ultimately they got it, Paula.

ZAHN: Well we are relieved you are a safe man tonight. Nic Robertson, thanks for describing to us what you went through earlier today. Nic giving us a really good idea of the tensions that exist in these camps.

Coming up next, on campuses across the nation, are too many students majoring in booze? Oh come on parents, you know what's going on out there. Can anything cut down on binge drinking?

First though, today's business headlines on Wall Street.

(MARKET REPORT)

ZAHN: Now at any college tonight, it is a sure bet that some students are breaking the law. Can anything cut down on underaged drinking? Is binge drinking out of control?

First, No. 3 on the CNN.com countdown. Adam Sandler and his wife Jackie are the proud parents of a baby girl. The announcement came on the actor's Web site which says the baby and mom are both healthy. But the family isn't releasing any other information. I don't blame you for that, Adam. No. 2 straight ahead.

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ZAHN: Tonight a national problem is growing by alarming proportions. Young Americans and the extreme use of alcohol. Binge drinking. Now even though the U.S. has the highest legal drinking age of any country, 21 years old, you never know if you were to patrol the streets of a college town with the local police and you're about to do just that.

Get ready for a shock as you see for yourself why some believe college drunkenness is more outrageous and dangerous than ever. Here's Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just another night on a college campus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, man stop.

KEILAR: Across America it is a problem that seems to be spiraling out of control. Students, many of them under age drinking themselves into a whole lot of trouble and unexpected consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your under arrest for underage possession of alcohol.

KEILAR: Arrests, injuries, and up to almost 2,000 alcohol related deaths a year. All in the pursuit of a good time.

LANCE TIPTON, UNIV. OF GEORGIA POLICE: Whatever fun he had it'll cost him a night in jail.

KEILAR: Campus police, school administrators and concerned parents are all wondering, what is going on here. Is this a national problem or is this just the kind of fun that has always gone on at college.

CHIEF JIMMY WILLIAMSON, UNIV. OF GEORGIA POLICE: It is not uncommon for 14, 16 drinks a night.

KEILAR (on camera): It appears that binge drinking is growing.

WILLIAMSON: Definitely appears that from the standpoint of law enforcement and the need for medical attention.

KEILAR (voice-over): In January the University of Georgia's campus was shaken by the death of freshman Lewis Fish (ph). Authorities say the 19-year-old died after consuming alcohol, cocaine and heroin. But students say Fish's death has not been a cautionary tale.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think seeing one student die from drinking is effecting the students from coming down and drinking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never blacked out, I've never been downtown on the side of the street throwing up. That happens often with girls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some take it an extreme but I think it is part of the college experience.

KEILAR: In an effort to get some control, the university of Georgia and many other schools nationwide, has adopted stricter guidelines for dealing with campus drinking. Police are treating it more seriously. Students caught drinking illegally or excessively must attend mandatory counseling sessions, but it may be an uphill battle.

(on camera): Is drinking part of the American college experience?

DR. MIKE FRIEDLINE, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA: Yes.

KEILAR: Is excessive drinking a part of it? FRIEDLINE: The problem is how excessive it is, it is much more excessive than it used to be.

KEILAR (on camera): College officials aren't kidding themselves. They don't expect students to stop drinking but they're trying to teach them the importance of moderation. The tricky part is, the problem might not stop here.

WILLIAMSON: They're experienced partyers before they get here. We may have to start in middle school to make a difference.

KEILAR (voice-over): Even if college is not where the problem begins, this is where college administrators want it to end. Stricter punishments and more education will help some, but the hardest thing to teach is when to say enough is enough. Maybe not just for yourself.

WILLIAMSON: If you're out with your friends, why can't you have three beers, why do you have to have 14?

KEILAR: That might be an easier question to answer than this one?

TIPTON: You wish to talk to me right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

KEILAR: Brianna Keilar, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Number two on the CNN.com countdown. The White House says it received a letter from Iran's president but says a letter doesn't deal with the concerns over Iran's nuclear program. Their have been reports that the letter would offer the U.S. new ways out of the standoff. The U.S insists Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes.

Next, find out why this guy is number one in the countdown. What is with his hands?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: All right. You've been waiting for it, number one in the CNN.com countdown. Illusionist David Blaine emerging from a week in at eight foot, water-filled bubble. Blaine said yesterday he's in pretty bad shape but will go through his finale anyway, putting on 150 pounds chains and handcuffs, removing his air tube and then holding his breath for nearly nine minutes before exiting his quaint little aquarium there.

And that wraps it up for all of us here tonight. Thank you for joining us. Tomorrow night people who are so addicted to tanning that they even go through withdrawal when they try to stop. Thanks for dropping by tonight. Hope to see you again tomorrow night. "LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com