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The Situation Room
Pat Robertson's Remarks; Israeli Withdrawal; Iraqi Constitution
Aired August 23, 2005 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's almost 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information from around the world arrive at one place.
Simultaneously happening right now: In Venezuela, angry reactions to Pat Robertson after the Christian broadcaster calls for the assassination of Venezuela's president.
Over in Baghdad, it's already Wednesday morning. Iraqi officials struggling to compromise on a new draft constitution. We'll hear from Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
And it's coming up on midnight over in the West Bank. Israeli forces complete the pullout from more settlements there. Is that the end, or the beginning?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
He's dropped a few bombshells in his time, but this time, the Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has sent out shock waves with his call to assassinate Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez. On his program, THE 700 CLUB, Robertson said it's time for the United States -- and I'm quoting now -- "to take him out."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT ROBERTSON, THE 700 CLUB AND CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: He has destroyed the Venezuelan economy, and he's going to make that a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent.
You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop, but this man is a terrific danger and the United -- this is in our sphere of influence, and we can't let this happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The State Department today said the televangelist is free to say whatever he wants, but stressed that Robertson's views are not those of the United States.
Earlier, here in THE SITUATION ROOM, I spoke with former Senate Republican Leader and one-time presidential candidate Bob Dole. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FMR. SEN. BOB DOLE (R), KANSAS: I'm still where I was when I wrote that piece. I mean, it's not been the best of times for our efforts in Iraq, but I still think the goal is achievable. I think the goal is worthy.
I think we honor the young men and women who've sacrificed, either through wounds or the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, and we certainly do not honor them by talk of immediate pullout or setting some deadline or some exit strategy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Bob Dole on Iraq. But he also strongly condemned what Pat Robertson said. "It was outrageous," he said. "It should have never been said." But he said he's not actually surprised, because he says that Pat Robertson has said similar outrageous things in the past.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan vice president is calling Robertson's comments criminal. As for President Chavez himself, he says he's unimpressed and unconcerned. Historically, the United States and Venezuela have been friendly enough neighbors, but in recent years, relations have been rather rocky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I think that we have to view at this point the government of Venezuela as a negative force in the region.
Negative in terms of its effect on its neighbors, as you have outlined. Negative in embracing the only undemocratic government in the region. As I said, the only place there's an empty chair in the OAS is for Cuba.
Negative in the sense of what he is doing inside of his own country to suppress opposition, and it's a very, very serious matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: So why are ties so strained between the U.S. government and Venezuela? Let's get some answers. We'll turn to our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel.
Give us some perspective, Andrea. What's going on in this relationship between these two countries?
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: It's extremely personal, Wolf. And for Hugo Chavez, it comes down to primarily what happened three years ago in 2002 when he believes the United States was trying to support the opposition in a failed coup against him. These are charges that the Bush administration continues to deny. But for its part, the U.S. sees Chavez as a Latin American strongman who basically admires, to say the very least, Cuba's Fidel Castro and would like very much to spread the same kind of vision of a Latin America that stands up to U.S. imperialism that Castro has espoused for decades now.
Chavez is incredibly charismatic and, in fact, unlike Fidel Castro, he's incredibly wealthy. Just last year, his oil revenue was $6.5 billion. And, Wolf, he is using that money to buy influence not just in the region, but to attract countries like China and sworn U.S. enemies like Iran. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, Andrea Koppel, thank you very much.
Hugo Chavez is a close ally of Cuba's President Fidel Castro. Let's get some background now from our Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman. She's joining us live from Cuba.
And I understand, Lucia, you just spoke with the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, yourself?
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. About 30 minutes ago, he finally left Cuba, after a four-day visit here with his best friend, his mentor, in fact, almost like his father figure, Fidel Castro, by his side.
And before he left, we asked him about Pat Robertson's comments. He said, taking the high road, "You know, I don't know who he is. I don't care. He can say whatever he pleases. It doesn't bother me. I'm here to talk about life, not about death."
But while he did that, he actually offered an olive branch to the American people. He said, "Please tell the American people that we are willing to sell them our oil directly to the poor American community so that they can skip the middleman," in other words, the U.S. oil companies, and get oil for less money, "that we're willing to do that."
That's the fist time he's ever offered to do that. He didn't say anything against the U.S. administration per se this time, unlike his vice president. But on the weekend, however, he did accuse the White House of leading what he calls a terrorist nation, of being the most destructive government in the world. Wolf?
BLITZER: Lucia, how is this Pat Robertson comment playing in Havana, in Cuba? Are the news media there all over it, or is it sort of being ignored?
NEWMAN: Not yet. It really came out in public here at the airport just a short while ago. We're very sure, though, that it will be played up to the hilt by later this afternoon, where it will be, I'm sure, portrayed as a comment that backs the impression that many people in this country have, thanks in a great part to President Castro, that the U.S. government or their forces, dark forces in the United States, are after Hugo Chavez, that they want him assassinated.
In fact, it was Fidel Castro who earlier this year, announced on television that there was a plot to assassinate Chavez, and that if he were killed, it would be the fault of the U.S. government -- something, of course, that the White House has staunchly denied. Wolf?
BLITZER: Hugo Chavez taking the high road, at least in comments with our Lucia Newman in Havana. Lucia, thank you very much for that.
And this note to our viewers. Coming up shortly here in THE SITUATION ROOM, I'll speak live with Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuela's ambassador to the United States. That's coming up here momentarily.
Moving on to other news we're following in Iraq. Leaders there struggling to finalize their new constitution. The president of the United States, meanwhile, is voicing sympathy for what's happening in Iraq. He said that, after years of dictatorship, their job is not an easy one. Mr. Bush suggests that tough talk from Sunni politicians in Iraq may amount to negotiating tactics and says his administration is hopeful the Sunnis will accept the draft constitution. The president says he can also sympathize with Cindy Sheehan, the mother of that fallen soldier in Iraq who's led antiwar protests, but he's sticking to his guns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She expressed her opinion. I disagree with it. I think immediate withdraw from Iraq would be a mistake.
I think those who advocate immediate withdraw, from not only Iraq but the Middle East, would be -- are advocating a policy that would weaken the United States.
So I appreciate her right to protest. I understand her anguish. I met with a lot of families. She doesn't represent the view of a lot of the families I have met with. And I'll continue to meet with families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Mr. Bush spoke today in Idaho where he's continuing his month-long vacation.
Let's go live to Baghdad now, the struggle to try to nail down a new draft constitution.
CNN's Aneesh Raman is joining us. He's just back from an interview he had with the Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Aneesh?
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the prime minister expressing some of the same confidence as President Bush, that this could be a negotiating tactic by the Sunnis, in the visceral rhetoric we've heard from them in the past few days.
This process, of course, at a standstill, as they try to reach compromise on that key issue of federalism. Prime Minister Jaafari said he could envision a compromise coming in the next few days that would include the Sunnis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: I believe that a few political forces (INAUDIBLE). But first of all, I hope they're going to change their opinion with Iraq. And at the same time, (INAUDIBLE) political forces (INAUDIBLE) they are agreed. So I don't think this will be agreed difficult to us to reach, to compromise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAMAN: Now, if this happens, Wolf, by most accounts, it would be a small political miracle. The divide between these two sides, the Shia-Kurd coalition and the Sunnis, is quite substantive. But there is talk, at least from the prime minister, that a deal could be reached, that a constitution could have all sides on board. Wolf?
BLITZER: Aneesh, did you get the sense that, on the Sunni side, that there's any realistic chance that the leaders there will embrace this draft constitution before Thursday?
RAMAN: Well, the prime minister is saying it depends on who you talk to in the Sunni community. Those who we spoke to yesterday say any mention of federalism will mean that they will not support this document. That will be in the document, federalism. So they will not support it.
But the prime minister says other Sunnis are on board, and the population, in the end of the day, of Iraq will decide. He thinks this referendum will pass. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right. Aneesh Raman in Baghdad. We'll see what happens on Thursday.
Let's head up to New York now. Jack Cafferty standing by with the "Cafferty File."
Jack, what's on tap right now?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You know, you really got to root for those folks in Iraq that are working on that constitution in the government. And you hope they get it together. If they can somehow figure out their differences, the potential for the upgrade in the standard of living for 99 percent of the people that live in that country is phenomenal.
I mean, they do sit on a lot of natural resources. That money has all been squandered by the dictator that ran the country before. If they could somehow figure out this democracy thing, what a breath of fresh air would blow across that land. I just -- I hope they can do it.
Sean Penn, which is what we're going to talk about this hour, is wearing his reporter's hat. Penn went to Tehran in June, right before the country's presidential election. And this week, the "San Francisco Chronicle" is publishing a series of reports from Iran written by Sean Penn, sort of things that he "Penned." In today's piece, he's writes about getting ready to meet with the son of a former president of Iran. He writes -- quote -- "We were sitting in Nayeb restaurant in central Tehran. I'd had to go to the bathroom all during the hours of prayer service. So after I ordered my lunch, I excused myself to the men's room."
It's pretty riveting stuff, don't you think? Here's a question: Do celebrities' opinions matter when it comes to politics? CaffertyFile - that's one word -- @CNN.com
Didn't you have something about Barbara Streisand on earlier?
BLITZER: Yes, we're going to -- yes, she's got a new song that she's written that also makes some references to war. I know that this is directly related to your question, Jack, right?
CAFFERTY: Well, you know, you got to remember these actors. These are people who make their living pretending to be somebody else besides who they really are.
BLITZER: All right, Jack. We'll get back to you. We want to hear what our viewers think, as well.
Coming up, we'll hear from the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. He's not mincing any words about Pat Robertson's call for the assassination of his country's president.
Plus, thousands of Air Force officers and airmen had something stolen from them. We'll explain what's going on.
And a lingerie model caught in a drug crackdown overseas. Are travelers from one country being targeted? You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's the fourth day of a strike for the nation's fourth- largest airline. Angry mechanics for Northwest Airlines are hitting the picket lines, refusing to accept pay cuts and layoffs. So what's the job of an airline mechanic like? Our Ali Velshi is live now with a trained mechanic. He's joining us from Bedford, Massachusetts. Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Wolf, I'm at WyoTech Aircraft Maintenance. It's a school that trains those aircraft mechanics. For those of us who follow market, this is part of the larger Corinthian Colleges, and they have a plane here, a 727, that was donated some years ago by Northwest Airlines.
Now, you'll be happy to hear, Jack was talking a few minutes ago about people on the screen pretending to be other things. After a day hanging around with aircraft mechanics, I'm not interested in pretending to be one.
I'm going to take you back under the belly of this plane, and you are going to see things that most people haven't seen before and, frankly, may not want to see.
John Goglia is with me. He got his training here at this school back when it was called East Coast. It changed its name a few years ago.
And you spent 30-odd years as an aircraft mechanic with United and U.S. Air. And then John was a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. Now, John, as we've been going around, when you're doing a cursory check as a mechanic of a plane, there are a few things that you look first, the checklist that involve tires, brakes, fluids, and obvious damage. Tell me just briefly about that.
JOHN GOGLIA, FORMER NTSB MEMBER: Well, any walk-around that either a pilot or mechanic would do would look for the same things. A mechanic would look a little more detailed, a little more jaundiced eye, if you will, because we're the ones that fix the problems. We know where the problems exist, and that's a critical piece, knowing where to look and what you're looking at.
VELSHI: So your tires and brakes, you know, we kind of have a sense of what that is. We've got that here. You're just looking for obvious things on them?
GOGLIA: Yes, right, although some of them are critical, like tie bolts that hold the wheel halves together. You can see them down here on the side. I mean, those tie bolts, if they break, that wheel comes apart, that's a disaster. And I'm told lately that there seems to be more and more tie bolts found broken.
VELSHI: Now, let's take a look in here. This is the part people don't see. This is the wheel well. I thought it's just where the landing gear folds up. This is, in fact -- what did you call this? This is the brains of the operation.
GOGLIA: This is the heart of this airplane, as far as flight controls are concerned.
VELSHI: This tiny thing of wires. I would have guessed that airplanes have thicker wires than this.
GOGLIA: Well, they're smaller because they're lighter. Weight's a critical issue in airplanes. So everything is made as light as possible. If it only needs a little bit of wire, 22-gauge wire, that's all it gets. It doesn't get anything bigger.
VELSHI: And the flaps and wings and stuff are operated by these cables. You're saying that you keep a close eye on those?
GOGLIA: No question. In fact, if this were airplane -- it's a teaching tool, so it's been out of service -- but if this were a real airplane and I walked in and saw the rust on that cable right there, this airplane wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, because right off the bat, that tells me that there's a problem in that cable and it needs to be looked at. VELSHI: This is the kind of thing that you do as a cursory check on a daily basis, but obviously, you know, I certainly don't want to give anybody the impression, Wolf, that -- that's not all that happens. This is a complicated job. And I've been able to learn some of it.
You know, I kind of hope that helps, Wolf, some of our viewers understand, when you're sitting on a plane and they tell you they're delayed because they're changing a part, how important it is.
BLITZER: It's not only important, it's a life-and-death matter. Ali, thanks very much for giving us a little bit more in-depth on that. Ali Velshi, up in Massachusetts.
Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, CNN's Guy Raz is in the West Bank. The last of the evacuations scheduled by the Israelis are now completed. Some did not necessarily go quietly.
And hackers steal data on thousands of U.S. Air Force officers. What will they do with it?
"THE DAILY SHOW" has taken a shot at us. Now it's Jack Cafferty's turn. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Zain Verjee once again joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a quick look at some other stories making news -- Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, the Associated Press is reporting this. Two people have been killed in a Wal-Mart parking lot after a shooting. This is in Glendale, Arizona. These are the pictures first coming in to us.
We're hearing from police that one other person has been wounded. Police also say the dead victims were in the parking lot of this Wal- Mart. We really don't have a lot more detail other than just that. You can see investigators, police, there on the scene. And we'll bring you more details when we have them.
But what we do know from the Associated Press is that two people have been killed in this Wal-Mart parking lot in Glendale, Arizona, after a shooting.
The Pentagon says someone hacked into a military database and stole personal information on about half of the Air Force's officer corps. The data on some 33,000 officers includes Social Security numbers and birth dates. So far, there's no evidence of identity fraud, but the Air Force has advised officers to monitor their credit reports carefully.
The Bush administration has announced a plan for a stricter fuel consumption standard on some of the nation's thirstier vehicles. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta says SUVs, light trucks, and mini-vans will be required to reach higher mileage targets by 2011. The administration's new standards come as average gas prices reached an all-time high of $2.61 per gallon. Per gallon, diesel prices stand at an average of $2.64. According to AAA, today's prices don't meet the national record set in 1981, when adjusted for inflation. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, Zain, thanks very much.
We want to return now to our top story, Pat Robertson's controversial comments, suggesting the assassination of the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, should be appropriate. But what is the policy of the U.S. government when it comes to assassination?
Here to talk about that and more, John McLaughlin, our CNN national security adviser, former deputy director of the CIA. John, thanks very much for joining us.
You remember -- I certainly remember -- the executive order that former President Gerald Ford signed in 1976. Let me put it up on the screen.
"Prohibition on Assassination. No employee of the United States government shall engage in or conspire to engage in political assassination."
Now, for the years you were at the CIA after that, what did that mean, in practical terms?
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Well, it meant exactly what it said. And that executive order was reaffirmed by President Carter and then subsequently by President Reagan. It meant simply that the U.S. government would not plan or engage in attempts to assassinate foreign government leaders, open and shut.
BLITZER: But in the '80s, Muammar Qaddafi, there was a missile that was launched at Libya. Wasn't he the target of that?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, you know, lawyers debate the ins and outs of these executive orders. And they would probably tell you that, as Article 51 of the United Nations Charter indicates, all nations have a right to self-defense. And I think President Reagan launched that missile in response to very clear evidence that Qaddafi had attacked Americans.
BLITZER: But was the intent then to kill the Libyan leader?
MCLAUGHLIN: I can't really tell you. I think people would differ on how that strike was set up and what its intention was, but it certainly would have not disturbed anyone in Washington at the time had it hit him.
BLITZER: And the same thing happened on the eve of the war, before shock and awe actually started. There was a big bomb that was dropped in Baghdad, the intended target, I believe -- correct me if I'm wrong -- Saddam Hussein, the political leader of Iraq. MCLAUGHLIN: Well, once again, you really have to talk to the lawyers about all of this. But there is a distinction typically drawn between war and peace time in the interpretation of and between the right of self-defense and the right to conduct a war.
So I think, when we look at situations like that, you're in to a different arena than the kind of thing that Pat Robertson was talking about here, just out of the blue, that you should go off and assassinate a foreign leader. That's just not on the books.
BLITZER: I assume the same difference exists, as far as Osama bin Laden is concerned, because, God knows, there have been numerous efforts to try to kill him.
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, once the Congress evoked the War Powers Act in September of 2001, that changed the equation considerably. That basically took the executive order off the table, in terms of someone like bin Laden.
BLITZER: So bin Laden becomes a target. Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq becomes a target right, because of the war in Iraq.
MCLAUGHLIN: You're in a war.
BLITZER: All right. Let's move on and talk about another story, a very important story, that was on the front-page of the "Washington Post" today involving Iran and its nuclear potential capabilities. A study concluded -- a governmental study involving other governments and the International Atomic Energy Agency, says that some of the residue of nuclear potential of uranium found on some equipment in Iran really had nothing to do with Iran. It was left over from Pakistan.
The "Washington Post" reporting, quoting a senior U.S. official, "The biggest smoking gun that everyone was waving is now eliminated with these conclusions." What does this story mean to you, as far as Iran and its nuclear ambitions?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, if this is true, of course, it would take off the table an important piece of information that people cited to justify the view that they were building nuclear weapons. But I think it would be wrong to say that that removal of that piece of information changes your view fundamentally of their nuclear intentions.
In other words, we should not be overly reassured by this for a variety of reasons. First, it's apparent that they have concealed -- and they have acknowledged concealing -- over 20 years of effort on illegal facilities, such as the enrichment facility at Natanz, the conversion facility at Isfahan, and, perhaps of equal importance, a heavy water facility that is being built, not yet completed, at Arak.
And all of these facilities would be legal if declared, under the NPT, but they never declared them. Plus, the material coming from them can easily be converted to weapons-grade material.
BLITZER: So the bottom line, there's no -- in your sense, the United States cannot rest easy...
MCLAUGHLIN: You can't rest easy. And there are other reasons, as well, including the fact that Iran accepted assistance from A.Q. Khan. Now, it was not in his resume to build civilian nuclear power plants. This was a guy who was helping countries to build turnkey plants for nuclear weapons.
BLITZER: We'll leave it right there. John McLaughlin, as usual, thanks very much for joining us.
Coming up, I'll speak leave with the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. He's standing by. He'll be here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Also, she's a beautiful cover girl, so why is she covered up? We'll have details from Indonesia on a drug bust.
And the last settlers evacuated from the West Bank, at least in those four small settlements that Israel has now disengaged from. We'll tell you what happens now that this plan appears to be complete.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Back now to our top story, the call by the televangelist Pat Robertson for the United States to assassinate Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez.
President Chavez himself says he's unimpressed and unconcerned. You heard that; he spoke with our Lucia Newman in Havana just a little while ago. Let's get reaction from Venezuela's ambassador to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez. He's joining us now live here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Mr. Ambassador, welcome to CNN.
BERNARDO ALVAREZ, VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Thank you very much.
BLITZER: Let me point out, we invited Pat Robertson to join us on this program today. He declined our invitation. Maybe he'll come tomorrow.
Let's get right to the reaction. Some people are suggesting that Pat Robertson was flippant in his remarks; he really didn't mean it.
How did you take it?
ALVAREZ: We take it very seriously. I think it was clearly a call to the U.S. government to use covert operations to assassinate President Chavez.
BLITZER: But the U.S. government, as you know, is clearly trying to walk away from anything that Pat Robertson has said.
I want you to listen to what the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said a few hours ago.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCCORMACK, ASSISTANT SEC. OF STATE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS: I have been very clear that these comments are inappropriate. They do not represent the policy of the United States. And I would add that any accusations or any idea that we are planning to take hostile action against Venezuela or the Venezuelan government, are -- any ideas in that regard are totally without fact and baseless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Is that good enough for you?
ALVAREZ: I think we were expecting a stronger condemnation.
BLITZER: What else would you want?
ALVAREZ: I think they have to condemn that statement because in a way, is -- you are calling the U.S. government to do a terrorist act. So if we are all together in the fight against terrorism, we cannot allow even individuals in our countries to promote terrorist activities.
BLITZER: But in this country, the United States government can't control what a individual citizen might say. Pat Robertson has a right to say what he wants.
ALVAREZ: Yes, but the thing is that I don't think -- we don't think that he is just another individual in this country.
BLITZER: You don't think he's what?
ALVAREZ: An ordinary, private individual. I mean he's a...
BLITZER: You think he's speaking for someone else?
ALVAREZ: Well, I don't know. He's the head of an organization. He goes publicly on TV and he has -- he claims that he has two million people in the organization he's leading.
He has -- he was nominated to a -- as a presidential candidate back in the 1990s. So, what we think, he's not another individual. We think that it would be very good to have a strong condemnation from the U.S. government regarding those kinds of activities or ideas of people like him.
And let me tell you something. We have got thousands of e-mails, telephone calls, organizations, religious organizations that have contacted us to support Venezuela and to condemn what he has done.
BLITZER: Has the U.S. government, the State Department, been in touch with your embassy, with you here in Washington?
ALVAREZ: Not at all.
BLITZER: Has anyone from the U.S. government contacted you, or have you been in touch with them? You're the accredited ambassador in Washington. I assume you deal with someone at the State Department.
ALVAREZ: Yes, but the thing is we have received basically response and calls by civil organizations, churches, members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats. Senator Coleman and Senator Mel Martinez are visiting Brazil. They issued a statement. Congressman Serrano and the Black Caucus, Reverend Jesse Jackson from Chicago this afternoon. So, I think it's something...
BLITZER: But nobody from the executive branch...
ALVAREZ: No. No.
BLITZER: ... from the Bush administration, the State Department, the White House, no one has been in direct touch with you?
ALVAREZ: No.
BLITZER: All right. I want you to -- I want to read to you what Hugo Chavez said on February 21, 2005, of this year; presumably what sparked Pat Robertson to say what he said.
He said this, he said: "If they kill me, the name of the person responsible is President Bush."
What was he talking about, Hugo Chavez, in that interview with the BBC?
ALVAREZ: Well, I have -- I wasn't there to -- in that interview. But, basically, what we have been thinking is, when you are hostile to a president and there are people that want to present you as (INAUDIBLE) state and as the responsible for everything; when there is even people trying to present the case of Venezuela as national security issue for the U.S., then you start getting worried and concerned about what might be plans of some people to try to assassinate a president. Because it has happened in the past.
So, this is why we're concerned. And this is why I think it's a great opportunity that we have a strong condemnation by the government of the U.S. And it will be, because otherwise, then you will be -- you will get people that say, well, I might get the sympathy or the support or whatever from sectors in that administration or people in the U.S.
So, if we are against terrorists, we have to fight all against terrorists. And this -- this statement by Mr. Pat Robertson is clearly a call for a terrorist act.
BLITZER: All right, we'll leave it right there.
The ambassador of Venezuela to the United States, Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez, thanks very much for joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM. ALVAREZ: Thank you.
BLITZER: And once again, we invited Pat Robertson to join us as well. Unfortunately, he declined our invitation today. He has an open invitation tomorrow to clarify precisely what he meant.
Coming up here, the push and pull as Israel removes settlers from a corner of the West Bank. It's completing an historic pull-out over the past several days. We'll go there. We'll have details.
And the actor Sean Penn in Iran: Do you care what he's saying or what he's doing? Jack Cafferty has your e-mail. All that, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the hot shots coming in from our friends at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your newspapers tomorrow.
Arlington National Cemetery, the gravestones of Americans, fallen in Iraq. In Switzerland, firefighters searching for victims of a plane crash. Over in the Middle East, a fire set by Jewish settlers, protesting some settlements on the West Bank. And in Pennsylvania, the first inning of the Little League World Series -- get this -- Venezuela versus Saudi Arabia. Venezuela won 4-0.
Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program, starting right at the top of the hour. Lou, what are you working on?
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, we're working on a lot of things tonight. Tonight, the Bush administration refusing to condemn religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, one of the Bush administration's staunchest supporters, who's called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. We'll have the latest for you on a stunning statement from one of the nation's most popular religious personalities. And we'll be hearing from Reverend Ted Haggard and Reverend Jesse Jackson about whether or not American Christians should be condemning what is effectively an evangelical fatwa.
Also tonight, surrendering America. The United States making it absurdly easy to live and work in this country without learning English at all, or adapting to our customs. Our nation's newest illegal aliens are saying, why bother learning the English language? We'll have that special report.
And the scientist who wants to reintroduce massive wild mammals from Africa to our Great Plains. Should animals that roamed America more than 10,000 years ago return? We'll have that proposal and a debate on the re-wilding of America. And a great deal more. Please join us at the top of the hour. Now back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much. That Pat Robertson comment is going to have enormous diplomatic fallout for the U.S. in Central and South America, Latin America, indeed in probably many other parts of the world as well.
We'll move on to the Middle East right now. Israeli forces today removed the last settlers and protesters from two West Bank settlements, completing the unilateral pullout from four settlements there, and 21 settlements in Gaza. President Bush was appreciative.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: This is a very hopeful period. Again, I applaud Prime Minister Sharon for making a decision that has really changed the dynamics on the ground, and it really provided hope for the Palestinian people. My vision and my hope is that one day, we'll see two states, two democratic states, living side by side in peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Israeli military plans to remove settlers' belongings and destroy their homes, and then remove the troops from Gaza. Israel retains a large military and settler presence over on the West Bank.
Israeli troops moved swiftly and forcefully to complete the West Bank evacuations, a task that in the end, was easier than many had expected. CNN's Guy Raz has the story from the West Bank settlement of Sanur.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They marched in, in the morning, expecting a struggle, a final showdown as the last remaining settlements were evacuated.
Thousands of police and soldiers were sent here, fearing that in this community, blood might be shed. It never happened. The army cleared the settlement of Sanur out in a day.
Six hundred people were inside this hilltop settlement, where believers say Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Few of those still here were residents, many brought their children. The most hard-line are holed up on top of a fortress dating back from the Ottoman Empire.
Earlier in the day, police smashed through a barricade blocking the entrance into the settlement's synagogue. Settlers built this structure less than four months ago, a symbol of this community's unwillingness to acknowledge the inevitability of their evacuation.
Those inside were brought out. Most agreed to walk out on their own, carrying the sacred Torah scrolls with them.
This old Ottoman-era fortress was once occupied by Turks, then the British, Jordanians and finally, Israeli. On this day, it was settlers, refusing to leave, and preparing for a fight.
Police were hoisted onto the roof in containers. Those on top tried to keep them at bay, but they failed, and police ended the final standoff here, hauling those who stayed onto buses and out of Sanur.
(on camera): The last remaining holdouts have been evacuated. The settlement of Sanur is now cleared out. The entire disengagement process was meant to take one month, but in the end, it only took a week.
Guy Raz, CNN, Sanur settlement in the northern West Bank.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It's Tuesday, August 23. Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, are Australians being targeted in drug raids in Indonesia? Indonesia says no. Australia is telling its citizens, beware.
And many of you care about who they date and what movies they're in, but do you really care about your favorite celebrities' political opinions? Jack Cafferty has been asking you the question. He has your answers.
And if imitation is the highest form of flattery, what is comical roasting? Jon Stewart is doing it. We know all about it, we've been watching. And he's been watching us. We'll tell you what he's saying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A lingerie model is now behind bars in Indonesia, the latest person jailed in a crackdown on illegal drugs that has young Australians traveling in the region very, very scared. CNN's Zain Verjee joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta. She has more. Zain?
VERJEE: Wolf, Indonesian police say tests confirm that two tablets found in that Australian model's handbag were the drug ecstasy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice-over): She makes her living posing for cameras, but Michelle Leslie, who models under the name Michelle Lee, did not want to show her face this time. She was detained on the resort island of Bali on Saturday, after police raided a dance party. Officials say they found two ecstasy tablets in her Gucci bag.
If charged and convicted, the 24-year-old Australian could face a maximum of 15 years in jail.
SYDNEY ROSS HILL, ATTORNEY FOR MICHELLE LESLIE: I have spoken to Ms. Leslie directly, and he's holding up the best she can in the attendant circumstances.
VERJEE: With surprise raids and on-the-spot drug tests, one after another young Australians traveling in Indonesia, have been nabbed by police and accused of drug possession. Twenty-one-year-old teacher Graham Pain was arrested on Saturday for allegedly having more than two thousand ecstasy pills on him. He could be sentenced to death by firing squad if he is convicted. Eight Australian men and one woman, know as the Bali Nine is set to go on trial next month for allegedly trying to smuggle Heroin out of Indonesia.
In a case that got enormous attention, Australian Schapelle Corby was sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling marijuana into Bali. Indonesian authorities insist they are not targeting Australians in their drug raids -- saying instead, those who violate our anti-drug laws, whatever their nationality, will be treated equal before the law.
Australian officials acknowledge the tough Indonesian drug laws, and are warning their citizens.
PERTH ALEXANDER DOWNER, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: Going into Asia with drugs, being in possession of drugs in Asia, or trafficking drugs in and out of Asia or between countries in Asia is an enormously serious criminal offense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (on camera): Wolf, police say the pills that could land the model in jail cost less than $50.
BLITZER: Zain, can she and the others get out on bail?
VERJEE: No. Under Indonesian law there's no provision for bail. Basically what happens is that everyone will stay in police cells until an investigation is complete. And when that happens, they're either going to be charged or released.
BLITZER: I suspect there will be a significant drop of Australian tourism to Indonesia. Zain, thanks very much.
As always, our internet reporters are checking out the situation online. Right now, they're looking for some of the hottest stories on CNN.com. Let's go back to Jacki and Abbi. They've got some details. Ladies?
JACKI SCHECHNER, INTERNET REPORTER: Hi, Wolf. We just wanted to show you a couple of interesting stories that people are talking about and linking to online. This is the top of CNN.com. The FBI threw a wedding and the guests got arrested. This one, a wedding sting. They were targeting a smuggling ring. Eighty-seven people thought they were going to get some cake, instead they got busted. This was so elaborate, it took seven months of planning. Like an actual wedding, invitations were sent out. There were RSVPs from all over the world. Some of the guests even brought gifts. One brought Rolex watches.
There's plenty of commentary, funny commentary online. But we just wanted to show you this one. Virtual Memories, this is Gill Roth, he's getting married. Says it's been tough enough for he and his fiance to figure out how to situate and invite the co-workers. Can you imagine being an FBI agent trying to figure how to pull this one off? ABBI TATTON, INTERNET REPORTER: And international readers are clicking on this story. A nun rapped for wild dancing. Currently a number two CNN.com International. Joanna Vertommen was caught at World Youth Day over the weekend in Cologne, Germany, dancing with her legs wrapped around a missionary. She was reprimanded by her mother superior. People are clicking on this online. Bloggers are also talking about it, at the Huffington Post there and also at the Coalition of the Swelling. Who is paging Julie Andrews. Dancing nuns, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much. Good stories.
Coming up, we'll show you that we can take a joke here in THE SITUATION ROOM -- at least John Stewart's DAILY SOW taking on THE SITUATION ROOM. He's got a lot of fake news on that program. We'll tell you what he's saying about us.
But can Sean Penn take criticism about his trip to Iran. Jack Cafferty covering that story. He's got your e-mails.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A plane crash. Let's go to CNN's Zain Verjee at the CNN Center with some initial details. What do we know, Zain?
VERJEE: Wolf, this is just coming in to CNN. The Peruvian government has confirmed that a plane has crashed. The Reuter's News Agency is reporting that a passenger plane made an emergency landing without its landing gear. And that apparently happened on a road near a jungle airport. Firefighters said that it happened while there was a heavy storm going on.
The plane apparently operated by the state airlines called TANS was flying to a jungle town in central Peru, when it came down several miles before the runway area. That's what police have said. The Reuters News Agency saying -- quoting a firefighter, that it was an emergency landing. The Peruvian government has not said that it was a crash landing, just that a plane has crashed. We'll bring you more details. Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Thanks, Zain. We'll check that story out as well. Let's in the meantime go to Jack Cafferty in New York. He's been reading your e-mail. Jack, what have you got?
CAFFERTY: Sean Penn, a five day series of reports from Iran. He spent some time over there. They're running in the "San Francisco Chronicle" this week. In today's episode he talks about having to go to the bathroom during lunch. I didn't realize celebrities actually went to the bathroom. I thought they had somebody do that for them. The question is this. Do celebrities' opinions matter when it comes to politics?
Mitsuko in Raleigh, North Carolina. "Celebrities can have opinions just like everybody else, but I think things of major importance in politics are a tad bit too much for the likes of today's celebrities. I mean look at the block head they have running office in California. Proof enough not to have them in politics."
Paul writes, "Of course Sean Penn's opinion on politics matters. Why shouldn't it matter at least as much as yours? That's all you've shown us you can do. At least he can offer an opinion and act."
Tony in Indiana, "No. Does my opinion matter to them? No. What makes theirs worth anything?"
Dave in Florida writes, "In some rare instances celebrities actually have brains and intelligence and therefore such an opinion does matter. Take Jack Cafferty for example, looks and a sunny disposition aren't everything, you know."
And Victoria writes this, "Wolf, please, could you put us all out of our misery, Jack, and tell us what Wolf Blitzer's real name is?"
BLITZER: The real name is Wolf, everybody knows it's my real name. What about John Stewart? I've been watching his show. He's a good fake news anchor. I think he's watching our show as well, Jack.
CAFFERTY: I think he is.
BLITZER: What's he saying about us?
CAFFERTY: Well let's look at the videotape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN STEWART, COMEDY CENTRAL: The mother of one suspected terrorist infant appeared on THE SITUATION ROOM with Wolf Blitzer to try to tell her story.
BLITZER: What did they say to you? Did they say you couldn't fly?
INGRID SANDEN, CHILD'S NAME ON NO-FLY LIST: Well, no. They didn't say that. They said -- sorry, Wolf. The airline --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: It hurts me.
STEWART: It hurts me. Being in THE SITUATION ROOM hurts me.
Actually the girl, luckily was eventually taken to the situation play room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: He's a funny guy, Jack. I don't want to hurt Lou Dobbs. We have got to start in a few seconds. We'll talk about him on another occasion, Jack Cafferty. In New York, LOU DOBBS TONIGHT starting right now. Lou's in New York.
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