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The Situation Room

Mar del Plata Rocked by Violent Protests; Interview With Jimmy Carter

Aired November 04, 2005 - 19:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Thanks very much, Lou. We're in THE SITUATION ROOM where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.
Happening now, it's 9:00 p.m. in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Rocked by violent protests just blocks from where leaders including President Bush are holding a summit. We'll take you there live.

It's 7:00 p.m. here in Washington where we've just learned that disturbing new evidence indicating three terror suspects in Britain may have been targeting this country's capital.

And it's 7:00 p.m. in Atlanta where the former President Jimmy Carter sat down to talk with us about the current president's problems, his own time in the White House and much more. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

In Argentina in one part of the city the business of a summit. Less than a mile away a very violent protest. In the city hosting the Americas Summit violent anti-U.S. demonstrations with protesters setting bonfires and destroying property. Meanwhile, President Bush and the other world leaders attending the summit are trying to carry on with the business at hand. They are seen here posing for their so called class photo. Let's go straight to our White House correspondent Dana Bash. She is joining us from Mar del Plata in Argentina. Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as we speak the president is actually still in a rather lengthy meeting with the 33 other world leaders here for the Summit of the Americas. And that is something that is going to continue on into the night, at least they are going to have a pretty fancy dinner this evening and just as you said, the M.O. for the president and all of the other world leaders is to continue on with business as usual. To try not to let what had been thousands of protesters -- peaceful protesters for most of the day, with that turning into some riots, not to let that distract from what they are trying to do here.

But as you know, Wolf, it's not just the protesters, the riots that is perhaps distracting the president as he tries to be on the world stage and perhaps try to change the subject from the troubles he has back home. It's hard for him to do that also because of the fact that there are reporters following him and traveling with him and he is talking about some of the things that he can't answer, perhaps, when it comes to one of the things that is dragging his administration still and that is the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA agent. That is still - there are still lots of open questions.

Tried to ask the president that several times today. Responded but wouldn't answer continuously saying that it's an ongoing investigation. Nothing as to whether Karl Rove should perhaps leave his administration or anything else relating to that investigation, Wolf.

BLITZER: Dana Bash reporting for us from the summit. Dana, thank you very much. There were blaring chants of protest, booming rants of insults and heckles from the president of Venezuela, all sounds heard on the streets of Mar del Plata.

For more we want to bring in Jorge Ramos, the anchor of the main evening newscast on the Spanish language Univision television network. He's joining us on the phone from Miami. What do you make of this summit and the dramatic turn of events, the violent demonstrations on the street, Jorge?

JORGE RAMOS, UNIVISION ANCHOR: Wolf, it might seem a surprise to many American viewers what we are seeing through CNN but it is no surprise for those who have been following Latin America for the last four or five years. The United States, and by this I mean not only the U.S. government but also the U.S. media has all but ignored Latin America for the last few years. What we're see something what many analyst have been predicting for many, many years the United States forgot that their neighbors could become their best allies and, therefore, at this point the United States and especially president George W. Bush cannot expect to be welcome in Argentina or to be treated like a hero when many presidents and many people in Latin America believe that the United States has basically forgot about the rest of the hemisphere.

BLITZER: Are they upset with the United States, U.S. policy, the president of the United States because of the hemispheric economic issues, the free trade area agreements, globalization, or because of what has happened in Iraq?

RAMOS: Well, it has to do with many things. We have to remember in the year 2000 president bush said Latin America was going to become a priority for the United States. That has not been the case. We have to remember that President Bush said that Mexico was going to be their best friend and it has not become that way.

We also have to remember, Wolf, that there's a huge sentiment against the war in Latin America even with Mexico and Chile, they were of course part of the United Nations and part of the Security Council, they voted against the war in Iraq. So it is not only the fact that many people in Latin America believe that the U.S. government has forgotten about them, but that they truly believe and we have to see the words of what Chavez is saying that, and I'm quoting here, "only united can we defeat imperialism," those are words we haven't heard since before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

So it is the perception of many people in Latin America the United States has done something terrible in Iraq, a war unjustified because there was no weapons of mass destruction, nor a link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11. But also of the fact that the united states has forgotten about 250 million people who live in Latin America under $5 a day. If you do not do something about it immediately many of those immigrants, many of those people are going to be immigrants in the United States in just a few years.

BLITZER: Jorge Ramos joining us with some thoughts. Thank you, Jorge, very much. Let's stay in the region. CNN producer Alec Miran is watching the demonstrations in Argentina, he has been on the phone with us from Mara del Plata. He is joining us now live once again.

What's the latest? I take it the demonstrations are pretty much over now that it's dark, is that right, Alec?

ALEC MIRAN, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Wolf, we're going to continue to monitor it. Because these things have a history of bubbling up as it were. But right now, you're right. It's quiet, it's dark. It's getting cold. Probably get down to 40 degrees Fahrenheit tonight. Don't know if that will have any affect on the demonstrators. But right now it's quiet and cold.

BLITZER: If our viewers were watching THE SITUATION ROOM earlier today, Alec, you were right in the middle when we saw the fire bombs, if you will, the Molotov cocktails, we saw tear gas, we saw a lot f the stone throwing. What was it like on the scene?

MIRAN: Wolf, it was chaotic. Chaotic but we had been sort of warned. We heard this group that was coming out was called the picateros (ph) and our senior Latin American correspondent Lucia Newman said these guys are bad. She told us be ready, be prepared. So we had a plan of action. They had a plan of action, the police had a plan of action. Premeditated all the way.

They were spoiling for a fight, the demonstrators, the police were well armed and situated to repel them. Which they did. But even so, Wolf, we had a plan of how we were going to get out of there, which we did. Still, it's hairy to say the least. You know, there was 30 or 40 tear gas canisters fired at you at once. And we couldn't get our masks on as quickly as we would like. Your eyes fill up and trying to get away, still trying to cover the story.

It was -- my heart rate was up there for about two hours.

BLITZER: Alec Miran did an excellent job for us as he always does covering the story for us. Alec, thank you very much.

Let's turn now to a developing story we're watching about a possible terror plot that may have had Washington as its target. Information coming out just now of a court hearing in Britain in which three men were charged with various offenses related to an alleged terror conspiracy involving the United States.

Let's bring in CNN's Brian Todd. He's got some details. Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, CNN has learned that one of the three men arrested last month in Britain on those terror related charges had film on the hard drive of the computer showing a number of locations in Washington, DC.

Now, according to British police, this suspect, named Younis Souli (ph) also had another film on his hard drive demonstrating how to make a car bomb. Police say a DVD was found at the home of another suspect entitled "Martyrdom Operations Vest" and police found a piece of paper at that home with the words "welcome to jihad."

A U.S. counter terrorism official says the U.S. has been kept appraised of the British investigation. But at this point neither the U.S. nor Britain know how real the threat was. It's important to note items like these have been found in terror sweeps before only to turn up no significant terrorist threat.

One U.S. government official confirms U.S. and British investigators are now in the process of investigating this group of men arrested to see what their intentions are. This official said authorities are trying to determine whether these men were just talking or had gone further along in planning an attack here in the United States.

And Wolf, they are trying to determine exactly what their capabilities were.

BLITZER: All right. Brian, thank you very much. Brian Todd reporting.

"Newsweek" magazine has some more chilling details about the arrest, the suspects, what they may have been up to. Joining us now on the phone is Mark Hosenball, he man who wrote the story for "Newsweek" magazine. What else are you picking up, Mark?

MARK HOSENBALL, "NEWSWEEK": I'm picking up these guys -- if they were talking they were talking about potentially attacking the U.S. Capitol complex and the White House with car bombs or other kind of suicide bombs. Also they were apparently tied into a major jihad recruiter based in Bosnia who went by the Internet handle of Maximus. And this is one of the angle the authorities in Britain and as I understand it the United States were chasing very aggressively. This may be part of a larger network.

As to whether the threats against the White House and the Capitol Building were serious, they just don't seem to know, although they are also a bit leery about hyping threats at the moment give there was bad publicity that just came out two or three weeks ago about threats in New York and against the subways and against tunnels in Baltimore which turned out to be bogus.

So they are being very cautious about interpreting the threats.

BLITZER: Because you are really well plugged into the counter terrorism, the intelligence community here in Washington. When they are picking this up, in your conversations with these guys, do they sound nervous? Do they sound as if they are taking it very seriously or it's just some sort of random talk amongst a bunch of guys in Britain?

HOSENBALL: All I can tell you is it appears the people in Britain, the authorities in Britain are very excited about this but the authorities in America much more relaxed about this. But it does seem to have been pretty widely briefed around Washington.

BLITZER: Mark Hosenball from "Newsweek" magazine is going to continue to cover the story. Mark, thank you very much.

Let's check in with Jack Cafferty. He is in New York, he has got a question for this hour. Never dull here in THE SITUATION ROOM, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: No, we got all the action. Any time, Wolf, that leaders from more than one country gather in one place to talk about things that matter to people demonstrations and protests are always a big possibility. They happen all the time at the World Economic Summit. They happen in front of the United Nations almost every week here in New York, somebody is out there carrying signs complaining about something.

The events in Argentina today made for great live television. We had aerial shots of the rioter. By the way when you start throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails you are no longer demonstrating or protesting, you cross over and become nothing but street thugs and punks.

Pictures of police in full riot gear. The tear gas rolling through the streets. This is the fodder of live television. Our cameras love these things. All the media cameras go right to this like bees to honey. But at the end of the day, it was an event that could hardly be characterized as representing the views of the majority of people in Argentina. There was an earlier peaceful protest-slash-demonstration-slash-march that involved 10,000 or so people in Argentina that got virtually no coverage at all.

This was a bunch of hoodlums in the streets throwing rocks around and acting like morons. And the top estimate I saw was a thousand. Most people said it was a few hundred. And that is what got all the coverage. The question is this, how important were the protesters in Mar del Plata? Caffertyfile@cnn.com or you can go to cnn.com/caffertyfile and we'll read some of the answers a little bit later on, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jack. Thank you very much. Excellent question. Good perspective.

Coming up, a ninth night of violence, riots, rocking the Paris suburbs and beyond right now. The State Department is warning American citizens about increasingly dangerous situations in Paris. We'll have the latest.

Also, a bold breakout by convicted killer. We'll have the latest on the man hunt for an escaped death row inmate. How did he do it?

Plus, Jimmy Carter, my very frank interview with the former president of the United States. We'll hear what he has to say about George W. Bush, his own presidency and much more. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It's a real life case of "the Fugitive." Right now, in Texas, the hunt is on for a death row inmate who escaped from a Houston jail. Charles Victor Thompson ditched his orange prison jumpsuit and somehow walked out of jail in khakis, a white shirt and tennis shoes and a fake I.D.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. JOHN MARTIN, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: The items of clothing that Mr. Thompson had were the clothing that he wore to his last court appearance. Apparently he smuggled those items back to his jail cell after his court appearance.

WYNONA DONAGHY, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: He has Internet sites that, if you listen to him you could believe anything. That's what I'm afraid is happening. Somebody is helping him. And they do not realize how dangerous he really is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN's Keith Oppenheim is joining us live now from the prison, the jail which he escaped. What's the latest, Keith?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, Wolf, that Charles Victor Thompson walked out of the building. That's the Harris County Jail behind me and he walked out of the front doors of the building. What the staff are telling us was that he smuggled some civilian clothes he was using for court appearances and he brought those clothes into a booth where he was meeting with an attorney.

Later inside that booth, Harris County officials would find that orange jumpsuit. Later they say what he did was he went to a checkpoint, he is passing himself off as staff from the attorney general's office. He's got some kind of I.D. with his picture on it and a black stripe on it. And wile he's being brought from the secure area to the non-secure area of the building, apparently the staff are still checking out his story, whether he's really from the A.G.'s office but then he walks out the front door.

And keep in mind, he was in jail not in state prison or on death row where he had been because the 1998 conviction murder conviction of his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend was on appeal. It was last Monday that Thompson was re-sentenced to death row and tonight, Wolf, he's a killer on the loose, back to you.

BLITZER: All right. Keith, thanks very much. What a brazen escape, an amazing story, indeed. Let's get some more now on this escaped inmate in Texas. Let's bring in our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton. Abbi, what are you picking up? ABBI TATTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Charles Victor Thompson in his own words on the Web. We found them at this Canadian anti-death penalty site here. This post by Charles Thompson during his time on death row is looking for pen pals, what he is saying death pal pen pal requests is the section of the site. Charles Thompson saying I'm a death row inmate in the State of Texas. I'm a very interesting person with a lot of character. I just need someone to share that with.

This was written during his time on death row. Obviously, death row inmates do not have access to the Internet. We called the facility in Livingston, Texas, to confirm that. Also we talked to the Canadian Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty that hosts these web pages. These posts from inmates around the world. They tell us those inmates send them via regular mail their posts and they in turn upload them to the Internet. This one from Charles Thompson describing his hobbies and trying to find someone for him respond with. Thompson now on the loose, Wolf.

BLITZER: Abbi, thank you very much. Chilling information indeed.

Still to come in THE SITUATION ROOM, violence across France. The ninth consecutive night of rioting is happening right now. And now it's spreading beyond the French capital. We'll take you there.

Plus, Jimmy Carter speaks his mind. Twenty-five years to the day after being voted out of the White House, he talks openly about the man who currently calls it home. My candid interview with the former president of the United States, that's coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. Let's take a closer look at the world in 360. CNN's Zain Verjee is at the CNN Center in Atlanta. She is joining us now live. Zain?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, with the fire and frustration burning in France for a ninth night, the United States and Russia are warning the citizens to stay away from the suburbs of Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (voice-over): France says foreign tourists are not in danger. Nobody has been killed in the street disturbances. Yet the violence is spreading. Initially confined to Paris suburbs, some 20 communities, even as far away as southeastern France are now seeing fire and rage. As angry mobs of young people continue to riot.

Though there are few are direct clashes between the crowds and police, officials say acts of arson increased with over 500 cars torched overnight in the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't do anything about us. That's the only way they can hear about us by burning cars and, you know, fighting the - the cops.

VERJEE: In one grisly report officials say a handicapped woman passenger on a bus was doused with flammable liquid and set on fire. She was badly burned but survived. That kind of violence is angering many.

CEDRIC NADOTTI, ENTREPRENEUR (through translator): This is not the best way of protesting. There are certainly many other things than breaking people's possessions, destroying cars.

VERJEE: Saying it's officers are overwhelmed the police union is calling for help from the French military. The disturbances began with the deaths of two teenagers of African background last Thursday. They were accidentally electrocuted in a power substation where they were hiding to escape police they thought were chasing them but police say they were not chasing them.

A key factor is high unemployment among France's ethnic immigrants who say they are victims of racial discrimination. But some say that does not justify the violence.

MAHAMADOU DIABY, ENTREPRENEUR (through translator): Even if you are a victim of discrimination that's not a good reason to burn down cars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (on camera): As we continue our look at the world in 360 we want to go live to CNN's Chris Burns who joins us from Paris. Chris, why can't the French government put a stop to this violence?

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, by the way the violence is continuing tonight. At least 85 more cars have been torched in Paris and other places, other cities around France, as well. This violence going on.

Why hasn't it stopped? Well, the government says it is beginning to tone down with more police on the street. Some 2,000 more police just in the Paris area region alone. But it is still not having enough of an effect. They are reaching out to community groups, more meetings today, more meetings tomorrow with community groups. To try to reach out to these youth. They are trying that as well. But it is very, very difficult because many of the youths appear to be beyond the control of community leaders.

Zain?

VERJEE: We hear so much about how these suburbs in Paris are filled with tension. They are powder kegs waiting to explode. Give people a sense of what it's like for those immigrants living in those communities in those suburbs.

BURNS: We had, Zain, a very good look at that. Because we took a ride up to where it all started. Because in the same area where the two teenage errs were electrocuted as they hid from police about a week ago. In that area, Cashis Subois (ph), this area is very, very depressing sight. It's a gray shabby high rise projects, where mainly immigrant families live from Africa and North Africa. They are the initial immigrants who came, worked in very low wage jobs.

They have had children, those children have higher expectations and now they are French, they would like to have jobs, would like to have opportunities and they don't see the same thing that many other French people see.

VERJEE: Chris Burns reporting to us from Paris tonight on a ninth night of riots. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Zain, thanks very much, Chris. Just ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, my candid interview with former President Jimmy Carter. You might be surprised by what he has to say, a quarter century after he was voted out of the White House.

Plus -- Jack Cafferty is standing by sorting through your e-mail on the question this hour. How important were the protesters in Mar del Plata. Jack will be back with "The Cafferty File." All that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Former President Jimmy Carter is the author of a new book entitled, Our Endangered Values. It's his first political book since leaving office a quarter century ago.

It is quite critical of the current Bush administration. The former president echoed those criticisms just a short while ago in a conversation with me from The Carter Center in Atlanta. I asked him why he thought the Bush administration misled the American people into a war with Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I don't think there's any doubt that the American public was misled. That's been proven over and over.

There were claims, very fervent, that we would see mushroom clouds, that tens -- or hundreds of thousands of Americans would die in a single day made by the national security adviser and the -- and the vice president. There were claims that Iraq held massive quantities of weapons of mass destruction, that we could blame Saddam Hussein for the attacks on 9/11.

BLITZER: But I guess the question -- let me rephrase the question. Was the president the victim of bad intelligence or did he deliberately distort that intelligence to try to -- to achieve his political goals?

CARTER: Well, I have never said that the president himself deliberately distorted the information. I don't know what information the president had from his subordinates, including the national security adviser and the secretary of defense and the vice president. The fact is that the American people were, indeed, misled. The big altercation in the Senate in -- this week, as a matter of fact, has been, finally, after 18 months of delay, perhaps deliberate delay, to find out, was the intelligence erroneous, or was the intelligence misinterpreted inadvertently, or was the intelligence twisted to make the American people think that the invasion of Iraq was justified?

(CROSSTALK)

CARTER: And I think that still has to come out about. But, so far, the adequate investigation has not been completed, as you know.

BLITZER: Because I remember those days vividly.

And I remember Colin Powell, the secretary of state at the time, going to the U.N. Security Council. And, pointedly, sitting right behind him was the director of the CIA, George Tenet, who was appointed, as you well remember, by Bill Clinton, vouching for all of this intelligence. So much of it, as you correctly point out, proved to be wrong.

So, I will rephrase the question once again. Was the president just getting bad intelligence for the CIA or was he lying to the American public?

CARTER: Well, I will -- I will repeat the same answer.

Again, I don't know what the president was told. I think that was probably the -- one of the worst days that -- that Colin Powell ever experienced in his life. I think it's one that he regrets to this day. We don't know yet, pending an investigation, which I hope will soon be forthcoming, what was the intelligence actually received. Was there an independent intelligence agency created within the Defense Department with a strong orientation toward invading Iraq? And maybe they twisted or maybe they misled the president.

I don't have any way to know. But I think, if the investigation will go ahead and proceed, as the Democrats have been trying to do in the Senate now for more than 18 months, then we will know the circumstances under which the American people, and I think an entire world, was misled about what was going on in Iraq and whether or not we should have invaded -- invaded Iraq.

BLITZER: I -- I interviewed the president's counselor, Dan Bartlett, here in THE SITUATION ROOM the other day, on Wednesday.

Listen -- listen to what he said on this very important, sensitive issue. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT BUSH: President Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Vice President Al Gore, John Kerry, there's a whole list of Democrats who stepped up, as did President Bush, looked at the threat in a post-9/11 world, and said, this man is a threat. We removed this dictator for good reasons. Now, everybody recognizes that the intelligence wasn't all correct. But the decision was correct in a post-9/11 world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I would like your response to what he -- the point he just made.

CARTER: I don't think the decision was correct to start with.

And, obviously, the people after the election in 2000, all of those Democrats, including the ones in the Senate, who voted for the -- to approve the invasion were given the same intelligence, I presume, that was forthcoming to the American people.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: It was the same national intelligence -- it was the same national intelligence estimate that the CIA prepared for the president was prepared for the Congress. And the Congress voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq.

So, you know, you -- I guess the argument that the -- the White House says is, you know, we -- we just got bad intelligence, but you can't blame us for that.

CARTER: I'm sure the White House has said that, Wolf.

I don't -- I don't deny what the White House has claimed. The fact is, the intelligence was based on erroneous information, or the information came in correct and it was misinterpreted by someone, either inadvertently or on purpose. We don't yet know that. That's just one of the profound changes that has taken place in this country.

And, as you know, President Bush has put forward the proposition that we don't need to wait in this country for our country to be in -- threatened from a foreign country in order to go to war. This has been the policy of our nation for more than 100 years.

Now we have a policy absolutely radical in nature, different from what George Bush Sr. did, different from what Ronald Reagan did, different from what Dwight Eisenhower did. We will go to war on a preemptive basis. That is, if we believe that a leader in a foreign country ought to be removed from office, we will go to war with him. We will send our troops in to invade. We will bomb, strafe, and send missiles against their people, even though our -- our security is not directly threatened.

This is contrary to international law. It's also contrary to what every president has done in this country for more than 100 years, Democratic or Republican. That's just one of the profound changes that has taken place in the policies of this country in recent years that caused me to write this book, somewhat reluctantly.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Up next, more of my interview with the former President Jimmy Carter. I'll ask him if he thinks President Bush should fire his top adviser, Karl Rove, over that CIA leak controversy.

Plus, Jack Cafferty, he'll show us what you're saying about our question of the hour. How important were those riots at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina?

And a change of course at Coca-Cola. We'll show you which Coke brand is about to disappear from store shelves. Much more here in THE SITUATION ROOM, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Let's get some more of my conversation now with the former president, Jimmy Carter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: All right. Let's move on and talk about an issue of the day, Karl Rove, the president's deputy White House chief of staff, his top political adviser. He's in South America in Argentina today, the president. He was peppered with questions from the traveling White House press corps today whether he should apologize, what should happen to Karl Rove. Here's the gist of what the president said in response to all of these questions earlier in the day. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I understand the anxiety and angst by the press corps to talk about this. On the other hand, it's a serious investigation, and we take it seriously. And we're cooperating to the extent that the special prosecutor wants us to cooperate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And then he declined to comment, saying that the CIA leak investigation by the special counsel is continuing. First question, does the president owe the American public an apology?

CARTER: Well, I agree completely with what the president just said. You know, I don't believe that just an allegation mostly through the news media, not from the special investigator, that Karl Rove might have been involved warrants an explanation of any kind.

You know, if Karl Rove had actually been indicted, if that should happen in the future -- nobody knows if it will be -- then the president would have to take action against Karl Rove, maybe removing him from his position until the trial is complete, whether he's innocence or guilty.

But that hasn't arrived yet. And if I were president, and one of my top assistants had been mentioned in the press as possibly involved and it was not proven or even alleged officially by grand jury, then I think the president made an absolutely correct statement.

BLITZER: But on the question of leaking the name, someone in the administration leaked the name of Valerie Plame-Wilson, the wife of the former U.S. ambassador. On that issue, that narrow issue, does the White House, does the president, owe the American public an apology for that entire episode?

CARTER: Well, I would maybe move back to the vice president. I don't have any evidence even in news reports from CNN, which is very authoritative as I'm sure you would agree, that the president has been involved or anyone inside the White House has been involved, although there has been some allegation made to that effect from many sources.

But I think there has been a very clear accusation by the special prosecutor, special investigator, that the vice president's office was involved. And it may be that the vice president should explain to the public if he was involved or if his assistant, Mr. Libby, acted on his own without the vice president's knowledge. But I haven't seen anything that convinces me the White House itself and the people within the White House ...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The former president goes on to say nothing in the White House was involved. All right. That was Jimmy Carter speaking with me here in THE SITUATION ROOM earlier today.

Up next, Jack Cafferty, of the "Cafferty File." He's back with your e-mail on our question of the hour. How important are the riots at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina?

Plus high honors for soldiers who gave their lives for a country that wasn't their own. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the hot shots coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspaper tomorrow.

In Argentina, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and soccer star Diego Maradona rally the crowd at a protest against President Bush. The two leaders came face to face a short time later at the Summit of the Americas.

In Russia, racial tensions, ultra nationalist protesters march through Moscow today calling for the removal of foreigners and migrants.

In Southern England, rainbow after the war. British soldiers receive their medals following a six-month tour in Iraq.

And in Germany, Bao Bao the panda eats the cake for his 25th anniversary birthday over at a zoo in Berlin. He's the oldest living male panda in the world. Those are some of today's hot shots, pictures often worth a thousand words. Zain Verjee is joining us from the CNN Center with some other business stories we're following tonight. Hi, Zain.

VERJEE: Hi, Wolf,

Coca-cola says it will stop making Vanilla Coke and Diet Vanilla Coke by the end of this year. There's no real reason given but the company is saying that consumers are clamoring for Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke. That's going to hit shelves in January. Meantime, fans of plain old Cherry Coke need not worry. The company says that's here to stay for now.

Pennsylvania is the worst state for crashes between vehicles and deer. Now, that's according to a recently published insurance survey. State Farm Insurance says drivers in Pennsylvania had more dear collisions than any other state between July 2004 and June of this year. Nationwide, it estimates more than one million vehicles crash with dear causing 150 driver deaths.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

VERJEE: Wolf, you like Cherry Coke?

BLITZER: No.

VERJEE: Me neither. What do you like?

BLITZER: I'm a classical kind of ...

VERJEE: Yes.

BLITZER: Thanks, Zain. Have a great weekend. Zain Verjee reporting for us.

Still ahead, those violent protests in Argentina, just blocks from the president. We'll update you on our top story.

And how important are the protesters? How important is what they're saying? Jack Cafferty has been going through your e-mails.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Returning now to our top story, those protests in Argentina at the Americas summit.

In one part of Mar del Plata, anti-U.S. demonstrators clashed with police and violent demonstrations, protesters set bonfires and destroyed property. Meanwhile, world leaders attending the summit tried to focus in on their business at hand. Debating creation of one of the world's largest free trade zones. President Bush and other world leaders are attending the summit.

Jack Cafferty has been going through your e-mail on the question of this hour and he's joining us live from New York. Hi, Jack.

CAFFERTY: How are you doing, Wolf? The question is how important do you think the protesters in Mar del Plata are or were today?

Leonardo writes from Argentina. My name is Leonardo Tomy (ph), I'm 23-years-old. I live in Mar del Plata. In spite of, I don't even know you or your show. I felt I had to tell someone to spread the word that those delinquents/vandals, call them what you want, do not represent us at all. I do not agree at all with George Bush, however I would not ever destroy my own city in front of the cameras of the world, only to demonstrate my point.

That's a great letter and Leonardo, start watching the program, will you?

Billy, the protest has great importance and significance. I think we should note that simply not being present at a rally doesn't mean you don't agree with those that are.

Lisa in Virginia writes, no one but the media cares about the riots where they're having the summits. What are they protesting against? Beats me. I bet they don't even know. These people aren't protesters, they're glorified criminals.

Dave in Japan writes, those people in Mar del Plata hate the United States, the same way I hated the girl in high school who wouldn't go out with me. It's hard to take people seriously who, when they're not busy protesting again the United States, are desperately trying to get into the United States.

And Bill in Grand View Heights, Ohio. How important were the protesters at the beginning of the French Revolution? How important were the few protesters during the Boston Tea Party. The answers to those questions are blowing in the wind.

The interesting thing and perhaps portentous thing is that these events seem to make blowing in the wind, timely again. Wolf?

BLITZER: What do you think, Jack? Should we not cover these kind of thugs who are going through the streets and doing what they are doing?

CAFFERTY: No, I think you have to cover them. I just wonder about the perspective. I mean, you set a bonfire and throw a Molotov cocktail and the police show up in riot gears. That's what television cameras look for.

There was a peaceful demonstration down there, 10,000 people, 10,000, which was a thousand times more than the highest estimate of the violent protesters and it didn't get any attention at all.

It's important, I think, to maybe cover both, but some perspective. You know what I mean? It's not if it bleeds, it leads thing. You have to do both. I'll probably get in trouble tomorrow now and have some boss on my neck for what I said. BLITZER: No, you're not going to be in trouble. You're going to be -- you're just Jack. Jack, thanks, have a great weekend.

CAFFERTY: You too.

BLITZER: Let's check in with Paula Zahn, now. She's standing by to tell us what is on tap at the top of the hour.

Hi, Paula.

Unfortunately I don't think we're hearing you, Paula. We're going to try to correct that audio and get back to you. But Paula's got a good show coming up at the top of the hour, I can assure our viewers of that.

Moving on now. For non-U.S. citizens who risk their lives to fight for the United States, it's a reward for their service. The fast track to U.S. citizenship, rather than the normal years long wait to begin the process. But the pursuit sometimes ends in tragedy. Our Brian Todd has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Laid to rest with full military honors, the very symbol of American sacrifice.

Kendell Frederick made that sacrifice and according to his family, literally died trying to become an American.

MICHELLE MURPHY, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: That's the only reason he was on that convoy, is because he was on his way to do -- trying to become an American citizen.

TODD: Michelle Murphy says her son, a native of Trinidad, had applied with U.S. citizenship while serving with an army engineering unit in Iraq. The family says there was a problem getting his fingerprints processed.

So, on October 19, Kendell Frederick joined a convoy, so he could submit his fingerprints at another location. He never got there.

Killed by a roadside bomb near Tikrit, Kendell Frederick joined more than 60 other non-U.S. citizens who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan serving with the U.S. military. At his funeral, Frederick finally got what he wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your son made the ultimate sacrifice for America. It is only fitting that we bestow on him, our nation's ultimate honor, citizenship.

TODD: But his mother is frustrated with the red tape, which she says, led to her son being on the convoy that day. Contacted by CNN, officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services say they streamlined the process over the past year, introducing new rules to allow service members to take their oath of citizenship overseas. But CIS officials say applicants still have to take certain tests and be fingerprinted. We asked why fingerprints are necessary, given the fact that all service members submit fingerprints to the government when they enlist.

CHRIS BENTLEY, CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES: Our responsibility is different from the responsibility of the Department of Defense. We have to ensure that the individual who is asking for a benefit from our agency is he eligible to receive that benefit. The way we can do that, one of many ways that we do it, is we have fingerprints that check against the FBI databases.

TODD: But we found out that the fingerprints submitted when a service member enlists are also checked against the FBI database. It's that kind of repetition Michelle Murphy wants to eliminate. She is pushing for a new law that would allow service members who wanted to be automatically granted citizenship when they enlist.

MURPHY: If this can help somebody else, it's going to be worth my time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting from Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank you Brian, very much.

That's going to do it for us. Don't forget, though, from now on, we're in THE SITUATION ROOM every weekday, this time at 7:00 p.m. Eastern as well as four to six p.m., Eastern.

That starts on Monday. I'll be back here Sunday for "LATE EDITION." The last word in Sunday talk. Among my guests this Sunday, Senators John Rockefeller, George Allen.

Our new time, "LATE EDITION" starts 11 a.m. Eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Now, here's Paula Zahn.

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