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The Situation Room
Iraqi Woman Confesses to Role in Jordan Bombings; President Bush Slams Iraq War Critics; Wal-Mart and China
Aired November 14, 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 ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the U.S. and around the world to bring you the day's top stories.
Happening now, it's 3:00 p.m. at Elmendorf -- Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, where President Bush is making a stopover on his way to Asia and once again slamming critics of the war in Iraq.
It's 2:00 a.m. Tuesday in Amman, Jordan, where an Iraqi woman has confessed to taking part in those deadly hotel suicide bombings, along with her husband. What drove her to do it?
And it's 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning in Beijing, capital of the world's largest country, a favorite of the world's largest retailer -- the special relationship, this hour, between Wal-Mart and China.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
This hour, a parting shot from a president on the ropes on his way to Asia -- Mr. Bush still is furious at Democrats back here in Washington, who keep blasting away at him for his Iraq war policy. But criticism of Mr. Bush appears to be on the rise around the country.
Our new poll shows the president's job approval rating hitting a new low. Only 37 percent approve of the way he's doing his job. And just 35 percent of Americans approve of the way he's handling the situation in Iraq. We have reporters standing by, from the nation's capital, to Kyoto, Japan, covering our top stories.
First, let's go to our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. She's waiting for the president to arrive in Japan. Suzanne, you're in Kyoto already. That will be his first stop.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, he's about eight hours away from where we are right now, but the president already hitting back to those critics. He's in Anchorage, Alaska, of course.
He is almost done with his speech. He's speaking before who he calls the "Arctic Warriors." Essentially, he is hitting back at Democrats who have been accusing him of twisting intelligence to support the Iraq war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: From the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, America's Arctic warriors are leaving their mark and leaving a legacy of freedom.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Wolf, expect that to be a common theme, not only there, but, of course, overseas. The president is about to jump-start his trip to Asia, his seven-day trip we are talking about here in Kyoto, Japan.
His first stop, the friendliest one - here. It's all about beef -- trying to lift that ban against U.S. beef because of concern of mad cow disease some two years ago.
He is then on to South Korea. That is where it's all about free trade, the APEC summit, 21 leaders trying to basically jump-start those global talks.
He then moves on to China. It is about the trade imbalance, also cracking down on those who violate copyright violations, laws and things of that nature.
BLITZER: All right.
MALVEAUX: And, then, finally, Mongolia is his final stop. That is where he will be thanking the Mongolian people...
BLITZER: All right.
MALVEAUX: ... for their support in the war on terror.
BLITZER: Suzanne, stand by. The president is speaking now. He's lashing out at his Democratic critics on the war. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BUSH: ... and reached the same conclusion. Saddam Hussein was a threat.
Let me give you some quotes from three senior Democrat leaders. First -- and I quote -- "There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons" -- end quote.
Another senior Democrat leader said, "The war against terrorism will not be finished as long as Saddam Hussein is in power" -- end quote.
Here's another quote from a senior Democrat leader: "Saddam Hussein, in effect, has thumbed his nose at the world community, and I think the president is approaching this in the right fashion" -- end quote.
They spoke the truth then. And they're speaking politics now.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BUSH: The truth is that investigations of intelligence on Iraq have concluded that only one person manipulated evidence and misled the world. And that person was Saddam Hussein.
In early 2004, when weapons inspector David Kay testified that he had not found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he also testified that -- quote -- "Iraq was in clear material violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441. They maintained programs and activities. And they certainly had the intentions at a point to resume their programs."
So, there was a lot they wanted to hide because it showed what they were doing that was illegal. Eight months later, weapons inspector Charles Duelfer issued a report that found -- quote -- "Saddam Hussein so dominated the Iraqi regime that his strategic intent was his alone."
He wanted to end sanctions, while preserving the capability to reconstitute his weapons of mass destruction when the sanctions were lifted.
Some of our elected leaders have opposed this war all along. I disagreed with them, but I respect their willingness to take a consistent stand. Yet, some Democrats who voted to authorize the use of force are now rewriting the past. They're playing politics with this issue. And they are sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy. And that's irresponsible.
As our troops fight a ruthless enemy determined to destroy our way of life, they deserve to know that their elected leaders who voted to send them into war continue to stand behind them.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Our troops deserve to know that this support will remain firm when the going gets tough.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BUSH: And our troops deserve to know that, whatever our differences in Washington, our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: The president of the United States speaking to U.S. troops and their families at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, on his way to Asia. The president restating what he said in Pennsylvania on Friday, but this time, going beyond and specifically going after three other Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate.
On Friday, he went after John Kerry, his Democratic presidential opponent of last year. And, today, he is directly going after -- without mentioning their names -- Senator Jay Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, and Carl Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, citing statements they made in the buildup to the war, in effect, accusing them now of undermining the U.S. troops and encouraging terrorists to operate against the United States -- strong words from the president on his way to Asia.
Let's bring in our senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield. What's the president's strategy here, Jeff?
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: I think the point here, Wolf, is for the president to try to make the case that there's an undermining going on here.
And I think those are -- those are very strong words the president used. That it sends mixed signals to the enemy and mixed signals to the troops -- to the troops is a way of saying, if you now go back and say that I, the president of the United States, misled or lied us into a war, you're encouraging our enemies and you are -- and you are discouraging the troops, because that is always the strongest card that any president has to play when public support for combat diminishes, as our -- as every poll shows it has been here.
And I think the idea is to say, look: They were saying the same things I was about Saddam Hussein. And for them now to go and say they were misled is just wrong.
Now, there's going to be a real debate going on, on two quick levels, if I may. One, did the congressional leaders have the same access to intelligence that the administration had? There's -- there's a real debate about that one. And, second, the White House is -- is arguing that -- that commissions have said that there was no twisting of intelligence.
That's not exactly what those Intelligence Committees were -- were finding. They found that that -- that the administration did not pressure intelligence operatives to change the intelligence. What they did with that intelligence, those committees have said, was not in their purview.
But clearly in Pennsylvania and again today, the president is really trying to turn the tables and say, it's you Democrats who are partly responsible for the uncertainty out in the land. I think, by the way, it's also a way to say, that -- that's why my poll numbers are going down. It's because Democrats are misleading people about the history.
Wolf.
BLITZER: It sounds like some of the campaign rhetoric that we heard last year, going into the election. It's still a year away from the midterm elections. But it certainly has that ringing give-and- take, that back-and-forth.
GREENFIELD: Well, you may remember the -- it was a line much quoted at the Republican Convention. And obviously it's overstated, as journalists are wont to do. But one journalist, Roger Simon, said that the message of the Republican Convention was, vote for Bush or die, his -- his satirical point being, they were trying to make the case that, if John Kerry were put in the White House, his uncertainty would weaken the United States.
What you're getting now, a year -- almost a year to the day after the -- the reelection of the president, is an argument from the White House saying: We know things are going -- are -- are tough. We just heard the president acknowledge that. But -- but, if you Democrats try to re-fight the basis for going into this war, you're misleading the people.
And that, I believe, is what the White House wants people to focus on. Look, they read these poll numbers. I don't care what any politician says. They know what the poll numbers say. And they are trying to change those numbers.
BLITZER: Jeff Greenfield, helping us better understand what's going on, as he always does -- Jeff, thank you very much.
And, earlier, there were some stinging words right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. And they're striking nerves in this political slugfest over Iraq.
The White House communications director, Nicolle Wallace, accused the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, of lying. She was responding to growing Democratic pressure on the White House to lay out a specific plan for bringing the troops home from Iraq and to the latest drop in the president's poll numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLLE WALLACE, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I think the service that we do to the American people is to focus on their priorities.
And I think, if the American people turned -- tuned into this program and saw White House staff wringing their hands about poll numbers, they would be deeply disappointed that we weren't focused on securing the borders, on reining in spending here in Washington, on winning the war on terror, on articulating our strategy for victory, which the Democrats again today lied about.
You know, when -- every time Senator Reid goes out and says there's no plan, he's either telling the world that he was sleeping through the briefing that he got from our generals and -- and -- and most respected leaders, folks from the ground that come out to the States, they leave their posts in Iraq to brief the senators on the strategy for victory.
So, when Senator Reid did what he did today and goes out and talks about how there is no plan, he's doing a real disservice to the American people. And it does fuel a bad feeling about what's happening in Washington.
But our job is to remain focused on the people's priorities, and that's what we will do.
BLITZER: Are you sure you want to say that the Senate Democratic leader lied? Is that -- is the White House line now?
WALLACE: It is a lie to say that there is no plan for victory in Iraq. So, I understood from a transcript of a C-SPAN press conference that I read today, that what was declared by Senator Reid was that there was no plan for victory.
So, if that happens to be true -- and thank you for letting me qualify that -- if that happens to be true, that is a lie. There is a strategy for victory. Senator Reid has been briefed on that strategy.
And, again, I -- I welcome his -- his explanation or details about what he meant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Senator Reid's office wasted no time in firing right back at the White House, saying -- and let me quote -- "As the White House's credibility diminishes, it appears that their only reaction is to attack the truth. The American people have rejected these smear tactics. And they know that they were misled when the Bush administration made its case for war" -- tough words between the White House and the Democrats.
Meanwhile, members of the 9/11 Commission are giving the government a failing grade when it comes to implementing their recommendations for preventing another terror attack on the United States.
Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, is joining us now. He has more. David?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, members of the former 9/11 Commission said that the U.S. government is not doing enough to protect nuclear weapons around the world from terrorists. They said terrorists with nuclear weapons are the greatest national security danger that this nation has. About half of the nuclear materials in Russia still have no security upgrade whatsoever.
This is a -- we should be hearing now from...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. THOMAS KEAN, FORMER CHAIRMAN, 9/11 COMMISSION: ... half of the nuclear materials in Russia still have no security upgrade whatsoever. At the current rate of effort, it's going to take 14 long years to complete this job. Is there anybody anywhere who thinks that we really have 14 years? This is unacceptable. Bin Laden and the terrorists will not wait.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: That was the chairman. Former commissioners also criticized the Bush administration for pushing to have senior al Qaeda prisoners, like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who are held by the CIA outside the country, exempted from new rules that are proposed in a bill from Senator John McCain that would set uniform minimum standards for the treatment of all prisoners.
Now, that McCain bill passed the Senate by a vote of 90 to 9. The commissioners argue, the U.S. should get together with allies and agree on some mandatory standards, with no exceptions.
Wolf.
BLITZER: David Ensor, thank you very much.
Let's head up to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by with his question for this hour. Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, good to see you. If you look at the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, it's not hard to understand why President Bush might want to head off to Mongolia. Across the board, he is getting very low marks. His job approval rating is the lowest of his five years in office, 37 percent. He gets failing grades on his handling of the economy, on the conduct in the war in Iraq, on his handling of the immigration issue.
And we're not talking close numbers. These are overwhelming majorities of Americans that say he's not getting the job done in each of those areas.
And also, in the area of trust -- and I suppose you could suggest that, in order to be a good leader, you have to be trusted by those that you are leading -- in the area of trust, more than half of those people polled say they do not trust President Bush. Fifty-three percent say that they have less trust in this president than they had in previous presidents of the United States. Only 30 percent say they trust Mr. Bush more than previous presidents. And 16 percent say they trust him the same.
The issue surrounding the administration in recent months, including the ongoing CIA leak, investigation questions about prewar intelligence, which we have been talking about here this evening, the botched response to Katrina -- so, he's got a real fistful of trouble, according to these latest numbers.
The question this hour is this. How can President Bush regain our trust? The email address is CaffertyFile@CNN.com. Drop us a note. Tell us what you think. We will read a few of them in about a half-hour.
Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Jack. Good question.
Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, Alito on abortion. Does the U.S. Constitution protect a woman's right to choose? A look at what the Supreme Court nominee may really think. Plus, inside the mind of a female suicide bomber. Find out what drives some women to commit the ultimate act of terror.
And made in China. Wal-Mart goes overseas to find those low prices. Find out how that impacts your wallet right here at home.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's a question he will surely be asked during his confirmation hearings. The Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, what is his judicial philosophy when it comes to abortion?
Just released today, new and revealing documents that may shed some light where Alito stands on this issue.
Our chief national correspondent, John King, is standing by with more. John?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, those newly released Reagan administration documents clearly show a young Samuel Alito embracing, 20 years ago, the Reagan administration's effort to question the legal basis of abortion rights and some affirmative action laws.
Back in 1985, as he was seeking a promotion to a senior Justice Department post, Alito wrote this on his job application.
"I am particularly proud," he said, "of my contributions in recent cases in which the government has argued in the Supreme Court that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion."
Now, abortion rights organizations already opposed Alito's confirmation and say these newly released documents make them even more determined to block Judge Alito from taking the place of an abortion-rights supporter on the high court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY KEENAN, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE: This just reinforces it. And the fact that this is Sandra Day O'Connor's seat, this is the swing seat. This potentially moves the court so far to the right, and that that is not in the mainstream of America, that is not what America believes, and that he is very much outside of Middle America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The White House, though, and its conservative allies say that Alito's personal and professional embrace of the anti-abortion cause 20 years ago says nothing about how he might rule now on abortion or any issues that might come before the Supreme Court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WENDY LONG, JUDICIAL CONFIRMATION NETWORK: We have no idea how Judge Alito is going to vote in any particular case that comes before the court. The one thing we know about him that his colleagues, his law clerks and everybody who knows him have said, he's a very fair judge, an impartial judge, who doesn't prejudge any case, and he will decide it based on the facts and the law of that case at the time it comes before him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, in a statement tonight, one key voice on the committee, the chairman, Senator Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, backed up that view, saying Alito's views in the Reagan administration -- Alito's back in the Reagan days are a fair issue. But, Specter says, his 15-year record as a judge suggests he would follow the law, not his personal views.
However, two leading Democrats tonight, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, say those newly released documents show Alito -- to them, anyway -- to be an eager foot soldier of the Republican right. Both Democrats promising those statements will be closely explored, Wolf, at his January confirmation hearings.
BLITZER: All right, much more to come on the story. Thanks very much, John King reporting for us.
And still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, face to face with winds of rage. An amateur cameraman captures amazing images of a tornado. We will show you up close what he saw.
Plus, inside the mind of a female suicide bomber. This one admits she took part in the Jordan attacks, but she's not the first. What drives these women to make their deadly point?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check in with CNN's Anderson Cooper for a preview of what's coming up on his program later tonight. Hi, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Wolf. Thanks very much.
Yes, on 360 tonight: Do you spank your children? If you do, have you ever wondered if your short-term punishment could be causing some long-term damage? A lot of people have different opinions on this. But there's a new study out today that might all put the debate to the rest -- to rest. If you have kids, we will have that.
Plus, more than two months after Katrina, why are so many in New Orleans asking, when are politicians going to actually admit what they did wrong? As of now, no one has come forward and said, this is what I did wrong and I'm sorry. Tonight, we will look at that in our segment "Keeping Them Honest".
Wolf. BLITZER: All right, ANDERSON COOPER 360 airs 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanks, Anderson, very much.
CNN's Zain Verjee is standing by now at the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at some other stories making news tonight. Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.
Experts issued a tsunami warning for Japan's northeastern coast and a tsunami alert for the northwest coast of the United States -- this after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck about two hours ago in the Pacific Ocean 330 miles east of Tokyo. Now, there -- there are no reports of injuries. And experts expect very little damage. Despite the tsunami alert here in the U.S., forecasters are saying that at most a small sea level change is expected.
And from tropical depressions in the Caribbean to devastating tornadoes also in the United States, right now, in central Iowa, many are surveying the damage from a weekend tornado that destroyed as many as 30 homes. Winds topping 150 miles an hour even ripped homes off their foundations and moved one home five feet away.
Want to show you now some of the images of the wrath of the wind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we are seeing an explosion of tornado warnings northwest of Ames, Iowa, a confirmed tornado on the ground near Woodward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God! Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We dodged a pretty big bullet, so -- the whole family did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's no freight train.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could see stuff flying in it. It picked up speed and then it just took off like a shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Is there anybody else in there with you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All I could hear was her, you know, yelling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you all right? Are you all right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just heard this big whoosh, and I feel my house shake. And I thought oh, my God, oh, my God. And, then everything just came crashing down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Oh, my...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'm just so happy to be alive. And I really think -- I just know that God was with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Wolf, those images are of the deadliest tornado activity in the United States since 1998.
BLITZER: What a chilling, what a really terrifying moment. Thanks very much, Zain. We will get back to you soon.
Just ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the chilling confession of a would-be suicide bomber, a woman, part of a husband-and-wife team. What drove her to do this?
Plus, why you're more likely to see the label "Made in China" at Wal-Mart than just about anywhere else.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
From wedding vows to suicide vows, a shocking confession from a woman who says her husband blew himself up in a Jordanian hotel, while her bomb belt failed to explode.
Investigators are learning more about the bloody terror attacks in Amman and their links to the insurgency in Iraq.
Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is joining us now live from Amman. Kelli Arena is here in Washington. We'll get to Kelli in a moment.
Nic, what are we learning today, the day after this woman appeared on Jordanian television and confessed?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we know she was 35 years old. We know she is from the al-Anbar province, that's the western province, just west of Baghdad, where U.S. troops and Marines are facing continued attacks from insurgents there.
The other bombers, the other three male bombers also came from the same area. It is a possibility, a possibility that one of them may have been picked up and held by U.S. troops during the battle for Fallujah in November last year.
But the investigation here has thrown open some very clear details about the explosives ball-bearing filled, high-explosive vests strapped to the body with tape, using something the investigators here hadn't seen before -- a hand grenade detonating device. That failed to go off on the female suicide bomber. That's why she ran away from the scene. That's why she was captured later, Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, stand by.
Kelli Arena is here. Kelli, what are we learning about this phenomenon of female suicide bombers?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we have seen female suicide bombers that work in Russia, Israel, India, Turkey, Chechnya, Sri Lanka. We don't often though get to hear from them. And a chilling, is a good way to describe what we saw today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): It was shocking to see her and hear her coldly recount her failed mission.
SAJIDA MUBARAK ATROUS AL-RISHAWI, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BOMBER (through translator): My husband is the one who organized everything. I don't know anything else.
ARENA: But the fact is, women have been used as suicide bombers since the mid-1980s. Like men, they are young. The average age ranges from 21 to 23. And they have varied backgrounds.
India's prime minister was assassinated in 1991 by a female suicide bomber, a member of the Sri Lankan terror group known as the Tamil Tigers.
ROBERT PAPE, AUTHOR: She appeared so pleasant from the outside, that Gandhi, in fact, brushed away his security guards to allow her to approach to put a garland around his neck. And just at that moment, she triggered the belt under her garment.
ARENA: That group uses women in a third of its suicide operations, according to individuals who track attacks. Experts say there's a tactical advantage. In the Middle East and South Asia, there's more reluctance to search females. Plus, they wear looser clothing that lets them better hide explosives.
In Chechnya, female bombers are so notorious, they're called black widows. The phenomenon is new for al Qaeda. But, experts including Robert Pape, say the motivation is the same.
PAPE: What we see is that they are operating out of a deep anger at the presence of foreign combat forces on territory they prize. And they are trying to commit an attack, which they believe will compel that foreign power to take those forces out.
ARENA: The FBI warned back in 2003, that al Qaeda would start recruiting women. Chief Terry Gainer, who protects the U.S. Capitol, says while his force has taken the threat seriously for years, the public has not. The taped confession may change that.
CHIEF TERRANCE GAINER, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: When people see very graphically what a hater is capable of doing, irrespective of gender. They'll be on the lookout, too. And we need that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (on camera): Experts say the longer suicide campaigns go on, the more likely they are to attract a broader set of individuals, including women. And the Iraqi insurgency is no exception, Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena, good report. Thank you very much.
Do the Amman bombings mean the war in Iraq is spreading elsewhere? Does the use of female bombers extend the reach of al Qaeda?
Michael Ware is "TIME" magazine's Baghdad bureau chief. He's seen the insurgency early in the war of Afghanistan, from both sides. Michael Ware is joining us on the phone from Baghdad.
What's your bottom line assessment, Michael, of this Amman attack, apparently by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's organization?
MICHAEL WARE, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF, TIME MAGAZINE: I mean, this was more than expected, Wolf. In fact, to some, it would even be a surprise that it took this long.
This has always been a stated objective of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group -- to not only attack Jordan, where his Islamic militancy began, but also to spread what he has built here in Iraq. And even U.S. military intelligence in the summer of last year was acknowledging that, yes, that was his clear intention. But at that point, they did not believe he had the capability. He has shown that he now has this capability, several times this year. This is just yet another example of terrorism now being exported from Iraq.
BLITZER: What about the husband and wife team aspect of this? How new, how significant is that? How often have you seen it up close in Iraq?
WARE: I can't say that I've ever come across a husband and wife team. I mean, we have seen the use of a female suicide bomber here in Iraq just recently, perhaps four or five weeks ago.
In the wake of the American military retaking the northern al Qaeda-held town of Tal Afar as part of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's response to that, was a 12-suicide-bomber wave in the capitol of Baghdad and then a female suicide bomber striking back in the city of Tal Afar itself.
BLITZER: What do you expect in the immediate period ahead from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? We know he's going after targets in Iraq, but what about outside of Iraq?
WARE: Oh, look, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has his sights set -- and I feel very confident in saying this -- on the continental United States. I mean, the fact that he has reach already in Europe is undisputed. The Germans have arrested and convicted members of a cell that was working for him. The Italians also have detainees connected to him.
We know that al-Zarqawi, even well before Afghanistan, was operating networks throughout Europe. He is a specialist in transporting men and money and materials from Europe to the Middle East. I mean, he has these designs. His foot soldiers here in Iraq say to me that they dream one day of taking their fight beyond Iraq. They said to me once, I asked, what will you do if the American troops do leave Iraq? Their response? We will have to follow them wherever they go.
BLITZER: What a chilling thought that is. Michael Ware of "TIME" magazine, thank you very much for joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Up next, the latest on the investigation into that double slaying of two parents in Pennsylvania. An 18-year-old suspect now in custody, but only after a massive manhunt for him and his 14-year-old girlfriend.
And you can probably go to your closet and find the label made in China. And in the case of Wal-Mart, just how much is actually made in China? Stand by. We're about to tell you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the "Hot Shots" coming from our friends at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.
Afghanistan, attacks in Kabul. Two suicide bombers crash cars filled with explosives into NATO peacekeeping vehicles. At least one German soldier and one Afghan child was killed.
Jordan, fighting back against terrorism. University students protest the bombings of three hotels in Amman. The nation was in shock today after an Iraqi woman confessed to being part of the attack.
Jerusalem, Bill and Hillary Clinton attend a memorial service for the assassinated Israeli prime minister, Yitzak Rabin. Rabin was shot in the back 10 years ago by an ultranationalist Jewish law student opposed to the peace -- Oslo peace accords.
And in China, mobbed by fans. That would be the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver, who became briefly separated after a mob of fans greeted the pair in Beijing. Schwarzenegger kicked off his six-day visit at a promotional event for Special Olympics.
Those are some of today's "Hot Shots", pictures often worth a thousand words.
He's an 18-year-old man with a 14-year-old girlfriend. And police say David Ludwig killed his girlfriend's parents over the weekend in Pennsylvania after arguing with them, then ran off with the girl. Now, after a massive manhunt, Ludwig is in police custody.
Our Mary Snow is joining us now from Pennsylvania with more. What's the latest, Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, what the latest is, is that authorities are now working to bring back Ludwig and 14-year-old Kara Borden from Indiana where they were found today and bring them back here to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where this tragic story started early Sunday morning.
The two teens were found this afternoon by state troopers in Indiana. There had been a nationwide Amber Alert issued. And police reported that they started following the vehicle and that there had been a police chase and eventually, a collision.
And they say they took both teens into custody. They say Ludwig had slight resistance but then began cooperating. They say Kara Borden when she was approached, that in their words she was frantic and that she was crying. They also pointed out, though, because she is 14 years old, that they could not ask her any questions and it's still unclear what her role is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF RICHARD GARIPOLI, WARWICK TOWNSHIP POLICE: We do not know at this point in time if the 14-year-old is a willing or is it against her will. We will not know that answer until my detectives have the opportunity to sit with her and talk with her. But you do know that we hit the extradition rulings with the adults. And we also have to deal with juvenile rules when interviewing a 14-year-old young lady.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And asked whether or not she would face any charges, police are saying they're investigating that. Ludwig faces two counts of criminal homicide, one count of kidnapping, one count of reckless endangerment. This all started Sunday morning, Wolf, as you mentioned, when both parents were murdered.
Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Mary, thank you very much. Mary Snow on the scene for us in Pennsylvania.
Both Daniel Ludwig and Kara Beth Borden maintained their own Web sites. Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton is joining us with more on that. Abbi?
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, immensely popular, personal Web pages. And these two teens had pages that link directly to each other. At this site here, David's site, he lists hobbies as rock climbing and volleyball. At another site, he links directly across to Kara Beth Borden's site. Eighteen-year-old David linking to 14-year-old Kara Beth.
But on her site when we looked this morning, you could see she was listing herself as 17 years old. That's since been updated. This site is now restricted. And it reflects her real age of 14-years-old.
Now, these Web pages very, very popular as I said. Some 12 million teenagers having their own Web pages online, according to a Pew survey. Today the comment section of these two sites hosted by these two teens have become a forum for people across the country discussing the case.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you very much. Abbi Tatton with the situation online.
Up next, Wal-Mart portrays itself as an all-American retailer. But how many of its products are made in China? We'll have the "Bottom Line" on what you're buying. Ali Velshi joining us for that. He is standing by.
Plus, do you think President Bush is honest? If not, how can he win back your trust? Jack Cafferty has been going through your email. He's coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We've all seen the labels that say "Made in China." In fact, if you shop at one U.S. retailer they're hard to avoid.
Let's go to CNN's Ali Velshi. He's joining us now live from New York with the "Bottom Line". Ali, what's going on?
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, good to see you. I was just in China, actually. And one of the things I did is get to go to a Wal- Mart and check out a Wal-Mart. It's as busy there as they are here. It's kind of crazy.
But when you think about all the stuff that's made in China, let's just give you some perspective. First of all, we know that Wal- Mart is the biggest retailer in the country -- 138 million people, by Wal-Mart's account go through their stores every week, consumers. Now, if you look at the factories that make the stuff that are sold at Wal- Mart, there are about some 6,000 factories in the world that make stuff for Wal-Mart, 70 percent of them are in China. 80 percent of the goods that are for sale at Wal-Mart that actually move off those shelves come from China.
It is -- it's the kind of thing that comes into play, because last week we saw the trade deficit growing, the amount of stuff that the United States buys from other countries versus what it sells. And that trade deficit is particularly growing with china.
China's imports to the United States, the stuff that China sells to the United States, $22 billion. That was 2004. And we know there's been a double digit increase this year alone, because of the reduction of a lot of the quotas and tariffs.
Now, just to put this thing in perspective, 10 percent of all of the imports into the United States, Wolf, come from Wal-Mart, the stuff that Wal-Mart buys from China. Ten percent of all the Chinese goods that come into the United States come in through Wal-Mart's stores. Now, that's just one side of the equation.
On the other side, Wal-Mart is doing a lot of stuff in China. As I mentioned, I've been to one of their stores. They are expanding very rapidly there.
And China is Wal-Mart's biggest growth market. So, China and Wal- Mart are going to become, they already are quite tightly intertwined, and they will continue to be so. Wolf.
BLITZER: That's pretty amazing numbers. Pretty amazing. Thank you very much.
In the end though, U.S. consumers wind up spending less for their products, which are made more cheaply, apparently, in China.
Let's find out what's coming up at the top of the hour. For that CNN's Paula Zahn is standing by. Hi, Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. We'll touch on something you talked about a little bit earlier, that is the president's speech within the last hour in Alaska where he came out swinging against the Democrats.
We will also be working on a story that's been developing all day long -- the chase for an 18-year-old. He is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend's parents, and then running off with her.
Police have now found both of them, but there are still lots of questions tonight. For example, was this young girl kidnapped or did she willingly flee the scene of her parents' murder? We'll have a live report for you.
I'll also take you back to a Tennessee high school that opened today for the first time since a beloved assistant principal was shot and killed there last week allegedly by a 15-year-old student.
As you can imagine, Wolf, that community still reeling from that loss.
BLITZER: A strong line-up for Paula Zahn as usual. Thanks, Paula very much.
Still ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, one of his top advisers is fighting an indictment. His favorable poll numbers are falling, and some say he misled the country into war. With problems like those, how can President Bush regain the trust of those who lost confidence in him? Our Jack Cafferty has been going through your email.
And Zain Verjee with your world headlines.
All that still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: As we do every night, let's take a look at stories around the world. And for that CNN's Zain Verjee standing by at the CNN Center. Zain?
VERJEE: Hi, Wolf. A lawyer representing two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants has reportedly fled Iraq after an attempt on his life, and he's seeking asylum in Qatar. Reuters says it's received a copy of a letter he wrote to the leader of Qatar citing the deaths of two other Iraqi defense lawyers killed in the past month, and his own wounding in one of those incidents.
After a seventeenth straight night of violence, which included the torching of cars and classrooms, the French cabinet today approved a measure extending the state of emergency. If the parliament follows suit, the curfews, searches and arrests used against rioters could be prolonged until mid-February. President Jacques Chirac today called the unrest a sign of profound malaise that the nation must work to heal.
Venezuela and Mexico are recalling their ambassadors to each other's country over disparaging remarks about the Mexican president from the president of Venezuela.
President Vicente Fox of Mexico now is a real strong supporter of the Bush administration's plans for a free trade zone in that hemisphere. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez by contrast doesn't support that, and he's no friend of Washington.
At the recent summit of the Americas, Mr. Fox suggested Mr. Chavez wasn't serving his country by opposing the trade deal. And Mr. Chavez, in return, called Mr. Fox a puppy dog for supporting American interests, saying don't mess with me.
And Wolf, you know, earlier I heard Jack Cafferty complaining, you know, as he rarely ever does -- but, today about Mongolia. And I've come up with the top five reasons why Jack Cafferty should appreciate Mongolia.
And now Jack, I've spent the better part of the afternoon working on this. So here I go.
At number five, Jack, you can hit a golf ball without any danger of hitting it into trees because, well, there aren't any.
At number four reason, Jack, you can take over dinner party conversations with the words, when I was in Outer Mongolia. Yes, Yes.
Number three, Jack, as you mentioned early on, given President Bush's latest poll numbers, you may be greeted with way more smiling faces in Mongolia than you will at home.
CAFFERTY: That's a good point.
VERJEE: The number two reason for you, Jack, to appreciate Mongolia -- and this is from the Mongolian Tourism Guide that I was flipping through -- men who refuse to drink arkhi or vodka are wimps.
And, finally, the top reason why Jack should appreciate Mongolia, Mongolian television has no equivalent of Jack Cafferty.
BLITZER: No television has any equivalent of Jack Cafferty. Jack, go ahead and respond.
CAFFERTY: Oh, no. Those are all very good points.
Have you been there, Zain? VERJEE: No, I haven't. But, I've sure learned a lot about Mongolia this afternoon. Like it has 250 days of sunshine in Mongolia.
CAFFERTY: The only point I was making was, we were having some fun, I guess, at the president's expense that he put Mongolia on his itinerary for his Asian tour.
You know, it just occurred to me, Senator Hillary Clinton was in Jordan over the weekend expressing her condolences to those folks over the terrorist attack. And she picked that over Mongolia. I'm not suggesting that means anything.
VERJEE: Jack, Jack.
CAFFERTY: What, what?
VERJEE: Would you go to Mongolia now that we've painted a better picture for you?
CAFFERTY: No, no. But, you know what I would like to attend is a Buzkashi game, which is this game they play on horses. They get a dead goat, and they have two teams of horses. And it's like polo with a goat.
BLITZER: All right. Jack, you've got your email. You've got to get to your email.
CAFFERTY: And it's called Buzkashi. And we had some tape of it. They play it in Afghanistan, too. We had some tape of it years ago when Paul and I were doing the morning show here. And it's fascinating.
Thank you, Zain. The Letterman people will be calling you.
In a new poll, half of those polled say -- 53 percent of them say they trust Mr. Bush less compared to previous presidents. Only 30 percent say they trust Mr. Bush more. Sixteen percent the same.
The question is, how can President Bush regain our trust?
Eric in L.A. writes: "He can do a few little things like publicly fire the traitor who leaked the CIA agent's identity, begin pulling our troops out of Iraq and use them to actually capture Bin Laden, and stop creating tax breaks for the few and look for ways to help the majority of Americans."
Alice in Grand Rapids, Michigan: "That's a horse that is nearly impossible to put back in the barn. I know people say Reagan was able to come back, but he did not have a very unpopular and unnecessary war to justify. I don't think it's going to happen."
Michael in Spooner, Wisconsin: "Maybe if he starts leveling with the people that he works for instead of portraying himself as an arrogant know-it-all cowboy, we can talk about it. He ain't a cowboy. He ain't a tough guy. Hell, he didn't even play on the football team. He was a cheerleader for God's sake." Not that there is anything wrong with being a cheerleader.
David in Columbia, Missouri: "End the war, seal the borders, balance the budget, and promise not to stack the Supreme Court with partisan judges."
And Nick writes from Westfield, Pennsylvania" "I have been a Republican for 30 years so I say this with the utmost sincerity. The only way President Bush could gain back my trust is to admit that he is human, and that he can sometimes be an idiot like the rest of us."
BLITZER: Nick, Westfield, Pennsylvania.
Great work, Jack. See you tomorrow.
Thanks to Zain, also.
Tomorrow in THE SITUATION ROOM former Senator Bob Dole. He'll be among our guests.
Don't forget from now on we are in THE SITUATION ROOM weekdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern as well as 7:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Until tomorrow, thanks very much for joining us.
Let's go to New York and Paula Zahn. Paula?
ZAHN: Thanks so much, Wolf.
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