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The Situation Room
Wintry Weather Rips Through Northeast, Mid-Atlantic; Is U.S. Prepared for Next Terror Attack?
Aired December 05, 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 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 at the same time.
Happening now, a judge decides whether to go forward with charges against Congressman Tom DeLay. We'll have details. Breaking news coming out right now.
Also this hour, it's still not officially winter, but winter weather is whipping the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast gets its first major snowstorm of the season.
Is the United States still woefully unprepared for the next terror attack? The former 9/11 commissioners give the government a dismal report card riddled with failing grades.
And it's 1:00 a.m. in Baghdad, where Saddam Hussein smirks, shouts and threatens the judge as witnesses give gruesome accounts of torture and killing during his rule.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
And we're just getting this in to THE SITUATION ROOM. As we've been reporting for the past few moments, a mixed ruling for the indicted Congressman Tom DeLay issued by a judge in Austin, Texas, only moments ago. The conspiracy charges against Tom DeLay have been thrown out, but the money laundering charges have not been thrown out, meaning a trial will go forward.
Let's bring in our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry. He's joining us by phone from Capitol Hill.
What are you picking up, Ed? Ed, are you there?
Unfortunately, we have lost our contact with Ed Henry. We're going to reconnect with him.
Let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. He's here in Washington as well.
Give us the perspective, Bill, what this means, big picture for Tom DeLay.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Not good. It means that Tom DeLay will have to stand trial. The trial is likely, he hopes, to start in January.
There is a possibility that it could be a very quick trial, no more than a week or two, in which case he could stand for re-election as majority leader. He stood aside from that post when he was indicted, as required by the rules, but his successor now is only an acting majority leader. And DeLay, if he's cleared after his trial, could stand for re-election.
On the other hand, if the trial stretches out -- and it could very well do that -- if it stretches out for weeks, beyond the middle of January, then it is possible that his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives will decide that they want a different majority leader, and that could endanger his position.
BLITZER: This comes on the same day that he has a big fund- raiser in Houston, Texas. Tonight, the vice president, Dick Cheney, will speaking at that fund-raiser for Tom DeLay, clearly underscoring the White House support for the embattled former majority leader.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. It's a very uncomfortable moment, I'm sure, for Dick Cheney to be there raising money for DeLay's re- election in his district.
We will have a poll of how the voters in that district see their congressman at 7:00 on THE SITUATION ROOM. But for Cheney to show up and be supporting Tom DeLay, who now will be facing trial, I'm sure is uncomfortable for him. It would be much, much better for him, for Cheney, and the White House, if all the charges had been thrown out, in which case the fund-raiser would have turned into a celebration.
BLITZER: His lawyers, Tom DeLay's lawyers, from day one had been hoping that all these charges would be dismissed, would be thrown out by a judge. Clearly that has not happened, although the conspiracy charges were dismissed.
SCHNEIDER: That's right. There was -- their argument had been, number one, that it was all partisan political motivation, that these were not serious charges. Obviously, on at least one charge the judge disagreed.
In addition, there was some dispute about exactly what the law provided. The details of the law were being debated by lawyers.
Remember, this is a Texas court. The violation was of a Texas law that bans corporate contributions. But in this case, the money laundering charge will go to trial. He will go to trial on that charge, violating a state law in Texas forbidding corporate contributions.
And this had to do with the collection of money. The allegation is that money was collected from corporations, it was laundered through the Republican National Committee in Washington, and then redistributed to state and legislative candidates in Texas, which would have violated that state's laws.
BLITZER: All right, Bill. Stand by. Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is joining us on the phone.
Ed, what are you picking up on Capitol Hill?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, well, despite this mixed bag, the reaction from the DeLay camp has been swift. And they are celebrating.
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for DeLay, telling CNN, "The court's decision to dismiss Ronnie Earle's numerous charges against Mr. DeLay underscores just how baseless and politically motivated the charges were. Mr. DeLay is very encouraged by the swift progress of the legal proceedings and looks forward to his eventual and absolute exoneration based on the facts and the law."
But, as you've been pointing out, Wolf, over and over, the judge did not dismiss the money laundering charges. So the bottom line is the trial is still going to move forward. And time, as Bill Schneider has been pointing out, is not on Tom DeLay's side.
Republicans up here on the Hill are very restless. They want to make sure they have a leadership team in place that is completely exonerated. And so, while he may get a partial exoneration tonight, the fact that the money laundering charges are still on the table, that's not good for Tom DeLay -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, what is -- is it a forgone conclusion -- and you know the Hill about as well as anyone right now -- that if he wins in the end, if the money laundering charges are not proven, does he re- emerge as the House majority leader? Or is there too much bad blood right now for that to happen?
HENRY: The best guess at this point is, if he had to go through trial and is eventually exonerated down the road, it might be difficult for Tom DeLay to rehabilitate himself at that point. What he ultimately -- what he really wants is to get the money laundering charges thrown out in the short term. Take the partial victory tonight, and convince the judge that since the conspiracy charges should be thrown out, they need to throw out the money laundering charge as well.
The more this goes on, there is so much restlessness among Republicans up here, especially in the wake of the Duke Cunningham case, the $2.5 million in bribes that he's pled guilty to. Republicans want to make sure that the leadership is free and clear. They don't want this dangling out there. And the problem for Tom DeLay is that he needs a quick exoneration.
He can't have a drawn-out battle. While he could win exoneration down the road, he needs to get it clear the sooner the better -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Ed Henry, our congressional correspondent, with this story we've been following over the past several minutes.
Thanks very much. A partial victory for Tom DeLay, but the trial will go forward. The judge dismissing the conspiracy charges against him, but saying the money laundering charges are legitimate. There will be a trial that will further delay this entire process.
Certainly, we'll continue to watch this story here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll move on to other news we're following, though.
The official start of winter still more than two weeks away. But winter weather is here, bringing snow and sleet to a large portion of the East.
Warnings are up. It's a difficult commute for many this afternoon. And tomorrow morning may not be much better, with snow falling, and predicted to fall all the way from North Carolina up to New England.
Our severe weather expert, Chad Myers, joining us from the CNN weather center with more.
Give our viewers the big picture, then focus in on the little picture -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: You know, Wolf, maybe a little overrated. But this is an early season storm, and people are never ready for that first one.
The big red zone right through here, Richmond, south of D.C., right through Fredericksburg and into Delaware, that's the winter weather warning, or the heavy snow warning, depending on where you are right now. The radar showing snow all the way from almost Philadelphia through D.C.
And here's the problem. Now that it's below 32 and the sun has gone down, every bridge is going to freeze at the same time. So as you're driving along, the roads are fine, the ones that are in contact with the ground. But the bridges are the ones that are going to freeze up here now that the sun has gone away, the heat of the sun gone away.
Down to the South, severe weather in the form of tornadoes. In fact, already three tornadoes on the ground throughout the day. They're gone away now, but there still is a tornado watch in effect.
If you are in the D.C. area, south of D.C., all the way back to Roanoke, four to six inches. And then that runs off shore right through Aberdeen, right through Annapolis, and into Wilmington, Dover, and into Atlantic City. That's it, though, just four to six inches.
Now, Wolf, you and I have both lived in D.C. long enough to know what four inches will do to the beltway tomorrow morning.
BLITZER: Four inches in my hometown of Buffalo, New York, would be nothing.
MYERS: That's right. BLITZER: In Washington, D.C., it's a huge crisis. Chad, thank you very much.
MYERS: You're welcome.
BLITZER: Moving on to other news we're following, after a walkout by his defense team, the trial of Saddam Hussein resumed today and quickly turned ugly. The ex-dictator shouted at the judge, the prosecutor, and at the first witness who was testifying about torture by the former regime.
Let's bring in our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, who was in the courtroom when all of this was unfolding.
Tell our viewers what happened -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it was a roller-coaster ride inside the courtroom. But the day ended in confusion.
The judge left the court saying an adjournment until Wednesday. The defense lawyers outside of the court went to him, petitioned him. They said, we're ready to carry on. He relented, and tomorrow the trial will carry on. That's just an indication of the sort of confusion that goes around with this trial.
But very, very emotional testimony from the first witness today describing how his family had been rounded up, had been herded and shipped from one detention facility to another where they'd been tortured. Saddam Hussein all this time standing just nine feet away from the defendant, able to look at him. The defendant at times -- the witness, rather, looking at Saddam Hussein, looking daggers at him at times.
Saddam Hussein trying to interrupt him, trying to undermine what he was saying. The judge -- the judge telling Saddam Hussein to be quiet, he would get his turn -- he would get his turn to speak. But a very, very emotional day.
In fact, it got so emotional at the end of the day, the court quite literally switched Saddam Hussein's microphone off so he couldn't be heard. And Saddam Hussein at the very end threw his papers down. And that's when the judge said an end for this day -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Nic, the American former attorney general, Ramsey Clark, who served during the Lyndon Johnson administration back in the '60s, he was there, he was dressed in the robes. He actually spoke out and participated. Tell us what happened.
ROBERTSON: He was the one that really sort of lead, organized the -- Saddam Hussein's defense. In that walkout, he was the one that stood up and said, "If the court will please to hear me, if the court will please to hear me. If you won't hear me, I'm going to lead them out." And then saying, "OK, we're going to leave. Let's leave." They all left. If was after an hour and a half break they were talked back into coming into the court. But even then, the judge only gave Ramsey Clark about five minutes to speak.
He spoke about the need for security for the defense lawyers, which was very telling, because a little bit later in the trial -- and I talked to Ramsey Clark about this after the trial -- the judge had to throw somebody out of the -- out of the visitor's gallery because they'd been intimidating, threatening the defense lawyers. Ramsey Clark was on the defense team's seats. He could see the visitor's gallery, he could see what we couldn't see, what wasn't shown on television. And he said there was somebody in the gallery there, two or three people, who were making this cut throat sign to the defense lawyers from that gallery -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We're going to have a lot more on this coming up in the 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll hear both from Ramsey Clark, as well as Saddam Hussein, what they had to say in the courtroom.
Nic, thank you very much.
We'll move on to some other news, including our "Security Watch."
Five failing grades, and a dozen D's, one A minus. The Bush administration and the U.S. Congress getting a miserable report card from the former members of the 9/11 Commission. The bipartisan panel calls some of the failures scandalous, says America remains all to vulnerable to new terror attacks.
This comes as the government defends its no longer quite so secret extradition of terror suspects.
Our Brian Todd standing by to look at the practice that is called rendition. But let's first turn to our national security correspondent, David Ensor, with this 9/11 report card -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this was not good news for either the administration or Congress. Very, very dim grades from the former commission. And this was their last press conference.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice over): In a final salvo, the former 9/11 Commission gave the U.S. government dismal grades on efforts to make the country safer in the last four years.
TIM ROEMER (D), FMR. 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: If my children were to receive this report card, they would have to repeat a grade. We can't afford to repeat the lessons of 9/11 and the losses of 9/11.
ENSOR: On the report card, the government got an F for congressional failure to mandate radio channels for first responders, Army, police, fire departments, something Hurricane Katrina showed is needed for every kind of disaster. JAMES THOMPSON (R), FMR. 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: Are we going to send policemen and firemen in this nation into battle against evil without the ability to talk to each other? Are we crazy?
ENSOR: An F, too, for failing to build a single terrorist watch list for airlines. Remember the chilling images of Mohammed Atta making his way through airport security on September 11, 2001? The former commissioner said something like that could happen again.
TOM KEAN (R), FMR. 9/11 COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: It's scandalous that airline passenger are still not screened against all names on the terrorist watch list.
ENSOR: An F, too, for failing to hand out homeland security money for states and cities most at risk.
KEAN: One city used its homeland security money for air- conditioned garbage trucks.
ENSOR: And the Bush administration got a D on its efforts to help secure nuclear materials and other weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union and around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: The former commissioners are only private citizens now. Their opinions get attention, but heavy lifting, such as getting television networks and stations to give up audio frequencies earlier, that will take public outrage, which may or may not be forthcoming -- Wolf.
BLITZER: David Ensor reporting for us.
David, thank very much.
And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
With the U.S. taking heat following reports of secret detention centers abroad, the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, today defended the so-called snatch-and-grab extradition of terror suspects and their subsequent treatment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States does not transport and has not transported detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture. The United States does not use the airspace or the airports of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee to a country where he or she will be tortured.
The United States has not transported anyone, and will not transport anyone to a country when we believe he will be tortured. Where appropriate, the United States seeks assurances that transferred persons will not be tortured. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's turn to our Brian Todd now.
Brian, the secretary is defending a policy called Rendition. What does that mean?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, in speaking to various intelligence experts throughout the day on this question, we can come up with this definition for you. Rendition essentially means picking up a suspected terrorist in one country and whisking that person to the country of his or her origin for questioning by agents of that country, avoiding formal extradition.
Now, who does the picking up? Terrorism experts, including a former CIA officer and a former U.S. military intelligence officer, tell us in the case of the United States, or, more specifically, in the case of a terrorist, an alleged terrorist wanted by the United States, it usually involves American intelligence operatives working with agents from the country where the suspect is apprehended and agents from the country where that suspect is being taken -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The whole issue of torture, you've been trying to get a sense. The secretary, the president's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, I interviewed him yesterday, the president himself, they all firmly deny the U.S. condones, engages in torture.
What are you hearing?
TODD: Well, Wolf, what we're hearing from intelligence experts is that it really depends on one's definition of "torture." There are two ways to get at this.
Now, the experts tell us that some governments, including the U.S. and other governments, define "torture" much more narrowly, something that has to kind of leave a physical mark on your body. But human rights groups and others define it much more broadly, saying it can be anything from water torture to mock executions, leaving an emotional scars as well.
So that debate is not going to end anytime soon.
BLITZER: All right, Brian. Thank you very much.
Brian's going to have more on this coming up later in THE SITUATION ROOM in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour.
Jack Cafferty is off this week. He'll be back next week.
Up ahead, bird flu. Homeland Security worried about it. The secretary of Health and Human services, Michael Leavitt, he's here to talk about a possible pandemic and what that could mean for all of us, possibly disrupting the economy, the American way of life, and a lot more.
Michael Leavitt, he's standing by here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll talk with him monetarily.
And she received a new nose, new lips, new chin in her partial face transplant. Now public details about this once-anonymous woman, they're being made. We'll show you what she looks like post-surgery.
And they're being called the safest cars on the road. Are you driving one of them? We'll have the list.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Get this. Possibly 92 million Americans sick, schools closed, businesses disrupted, the worst-case scenario of a possible bird flu pandemic right here in the United States. This morning, here in Washington, federal, state and local officials met to begin developing a coordinated preparedness plan in the event of a pandemic.
The Health and Human Services secretary, Michael Leavitt, is here. He's joining us to talk about this enormous problem.
You're sounding the alarm bells appropriately, I believe, and I'm sure our viewers believe. How worried are you right now?
MICHAEL LEAVITT, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Well, pandemics happen. They happened in the past, they'll happen in the future. It's a fact, it's a biologic fact of life.
We have been a number of years since we've had one. It's been since 1918 that we had a serious one. But over the course of centuries, it has changed societies. And we need to be ready. We are in, in biologic terms, overdue but under-prepared.
BLITZER: Tell us what you're doing right now, because you're looking at various scenarios unfolding and you're trying to coordinate some sort of government response. What is the exact mission that you've undertaken today?
LEAVITT: If one is to have a unified plan, you have to have the same target. So we're, first of all, we're defining what we think would be the serious case or worst case, and then beginning to develop models to prepare for it.
We will begin in the next 120 days to have a 50-state pandemic summit. The governor and the local public health officials, the business communities, schools, hospitals, everyone will meet together and say, here's what we would have to accomplish, what must we do to fill the gaps?
BLITZER: And the pandemic would start, god forbid, if this were to happen, once there was human-to-human exposure, as opposed to birds spreading this virus. Once it mutated, and that humans could spread it, let's even say, as you pointed out earlier today, one small village in Thailand, where this were to happen on day one, how quickly would that spread? LEAVITT: Our doctrine is, if it happens anywhere, there is risk everywhere. There is a certainty that unless we're able to contain it -- and there's a chance we could -- but if we failed to do it, it would simply be a matter of weeks. Once it gets to the United States with the level of transportation, the level of moving around and mobility that occurs, it would, the models say, happen relatively quickly. We would...
BLITZER: Talk a little bit about that, day one, week three, week 10.
LEAVITT: Well, by week six we would be into 750,000 people who would be -- would be ill. By week 16, we could be as high as 90 million people.
We've begun to look at assumptions. About half those people would likely need to have some form of medical treatment. That obviously would completely overwhelm the medical system.
BLITZER: Wait a second, though. You're saying at week 16, right, 90 million Americans would come down with this virus. Of them, how many would die?
LEAVITT: In the 16th week, 90 million would have had the disease at some point. The actual fatalities would be somewhere in the two to three percent range, we believe.
BLITZER: Two to -- that's still millions of people would be dead.
LEAVITT: It's millions of people. This is a very serious world- changing event if it occurs.
Now, there is no certainty that it will occur as the H5N1 virus. But there is a high degree of probability that some pandemic will occur at some point. And we need to be better prepared than we are today.
BLITZER: How close are we to developing a vaccine that would save lives?
LEAVITT: The good news is we have a vaccine that has demonstrated a sufficient immune response to prevent it. The bad news is we lack the capacity to manufacture that vaccine fast enough and in large enough quantities to protect the entire country.
For that reason, the president has proposed a dramatic revamping of that industry. He's proposed $7.1 billion. We would have that capacity in three to five years from now.
Until that time, we would have basic public health tools. And those are limited tools, but we can make a difference if we're ready.
BLITZER: As you know, a lot of people are out there hoarding Tamiflu, thinking this is going to save their lives, the lives of their loved ones. Is this smart?
LEAVITT: Well, Tamiflu is an antiviral. It's not a vaccine. It won't prevent you from getting it, but if you get it, it will increase your likelihood of recovery, and it will minimize the length of the -- the length of the symptoms.
Now, there's -- but there's no certainty that it would work. It's an important tool. But what we need is a comprehensive plan that will provide for surveillance, provide for the kind of planning we announced today, vaccines, antivirals.
One of the most important things will be communication. Once this begins to unfold, we need to be able to inform people but not inflame them. We need to inspire their preparation, but not panic.
BLITZER: So you're saying we need at least three years to develop a vaccine, but you're concerned we may not have three years.
LEAVITT: We don't know if or when the H5N1 virus will mutate into a transmissible human-to-human virus. We do know that at some point we'll have one. We don't know when. We don't know if it's this one, but we need to be ready.
BLITZER: Well, thanks for all the work that you do, Mr. Secretary.
Michael Leavitt joining us.
You've managed to scare me and I'm sure a lot of viewers, but appropriately so, because we simply can't assume the best.
Appreciate it. Did you want to say something?
LEAVITT: Well, we're working hard at this. And it's not something that's going to happen simply in Washington. It's going to require schools, businesses, communities, churches, all understanding what they can do to minimize it.
We will begin in every community in the country over the next 120 days. It's not something people should refrain from eating their turkey dinner or their chicken dinner. You don't get this from eating chicken, but you can, in fact, do some things, some very basic things that will be of help.
BLITZER: Thanks so much.
Michael Leavitt, the secretary of Health and Human Services.
Tonight in the 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM, we'll have much more on this looming bird flu threat. Our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will join us. He looks at all the potential threats of bird flu.
He's got a weak-long series and a prime-time special coming up here on CNN. We'll hear from him, again, 7:00 p.m. Eastern here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Coming up, they organized a girl-cott of a big retailer over what they called offensive and demeaning T-shirts. Now these teenage girls have gotten a meeting with executives at Abercrombie & Fitch, and they've brought their own T-shirt designs with them. We'll tell you what's going on.
And later, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, ever check into a no smoking room in a hotel, only to find that the previous occupant had been puffing away? We'll talk you about one major chain that's making all of its rooms smoke-free. Will that be good for business? We'll tell you.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back -- a snowy day here in Washington, D.C. And it's getting worse. We will continue to monitor the weather outside.
But, first, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, today declaring the war in Iraq is going far better than most Americans may think.
Let's turn to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, in a speech today in Washington before the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld argued that just because insurgents can inflict almost daily casualties doesn't mean they're winning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): Even though the military doesn't know the circumstances under which this insurgent video was shot, it does show the magnitude of the kind of homemade bombs the U.S. is up against.
But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld argues, the inability to stop the daily and almost increasingly deadly attacks in Iraq does not mean the insurgents are winning.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: To be responsible, it seems to me, one needs to stop defining success in Iraq as the absence of terrorist attacks.
MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld said, critics who concentrate on the daily violence miss that Iraq is, in his words, on a vastly different and greatly improved path.
And he again argued that withdrawing U.S. troops would turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was before September 11, a haven for terrorist recruitment and a launching pad for attacks against the U.S.
In response, Democratic Senator John Kerry restated his call for Rumsfeld to be fired and accused him of lowering the bar for victory in Iraq. In a statement, Kerry asked: "Does the defense secretary really just throw up his hands and accept that ongoing terrorist attacks are inevitable in Iraq for the foreseeable future? Is he now admitting that the Bush administration's mistakes have made Iraq what it was not before the war, a haven for terrorists?"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld insists that polls show that the American public, the Iraqi public and the U.S. military are optimistic that Iraq will develop into a stable democracy, and he said that the pessimists are in the camp of what he so-called elites, critics, he said, in foreign affairs establishment, academia, think tanks.
And he particularly singled out the news media, which he says is quick to go to air and to press with stories that assume the worst about the U.S. and the U.S. military -- Wolf.
BLITZER: But, in fairness to Rumsfeld, Jamie, he did go ahead and praise those reporters on the front lines for doing a tough and courageous job.
MCINTYRE: He said that, even though -- that he thought the journalists ought to reassess how they're doing, he did go out of his way to say that the press is performing an important job. And he did recognize those reporters who are risking their lives to tell the story of the U.S. military.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Jamie McIntyre, at the Pentagon.
But does the defense secretary have it right? Is the situation in Iraq much better than it would seem?
Joining us now, our world affairs analyst, the former Defense Secretary himself William Cohen. He's chairman of CEO of the Cohen Group here in Washington.
Are we getting an accurate picture of what's happening on the ground?
WILLIAM COHEN, CNN WORLD AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, it's hard to say. It depends on who you talk to.
I think what Secretary Rumsfeld was saying is the old adage, if it bleeds, it leads. And that's something that media will focus upon, that is, the -- the violent tragedies and afflictions of casualties upon the -- American military.
On the other hand, there are some positive things taking place. And that is, Iraqis going to the polls once again. They have reaffirmed their constitution, ratified it as such. And, so, there are some progress -- there is progress being made.
But I think what any secretary likes to see, especially at a time of war, is that you get a more complete picture, which you necessarily don't get on a day-to-day basis. But, overall, I think what he's is asking for is a little more perspective, a wider perspective. But you can't discount the fact that we're fighting and dying on a daily basis. And that's something that's going to continue to be in the news, whatever the criticisms directed toward the media.
BLITZER: In the past, whenever government officials, Democrats or Republicans, go after news media, it seems to suggest, at least to a lot of observers, that it's not going well for them, and they are just blaming the news media, which seems like an appropriate scapegoat.
COHEN: Well, there's some element to that. But, on the other hand...
BLITZER: Did you used to do that when you were defense secretary?
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: Well, I didn't have the same situation, certainly.
But, during the Kosovo campaign, we had the -- the same kind of criticism. What's happening? Why aren't you progressing more rapidly? It's been going on 30 days, 40 days, 50 days. Where is the victory in sight? And, so, we had to contend with that as well. And I think it's a normal reaction to say, could we have a little more patience, a little more perspective?
But, again, you're not going to cut off the stories about those violent images of tanks being blown up and kids being killed and dismembered. So, it's -- it's going to be with us. And I think what Secretary Rumsfeld is trying to get, a little more perspective, but it's going to be hard to come by.
BLITZER: How difficult of a mission does Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, have in Europe right now, dealing with this war on terror?
COHEN: Well, she's got a difficult mission.
She's trying to establish better relations between the United States and Germany, with building a better support anchor with NATO to help us out in Iraq and elsewhere. And the -- the -- the questions whether or not there have been renditions is going to continue to -- to drag alongside beside her.
What she has tried to put that to -- to -- aside. I think it's going be difficult, because, number one, we still have the Abu Ghraib scandal hanging over this issue, so -- and we still have the White House refusing Senator McCain's legislation. And, so, that makes it much more difficult for her.
But she has tried to -- to deal with this as -- as straightforward as she can, recognizing that she can't really single out which countries are helping or which countries are not, because then it becomes a question for their local constituency: Are you helping the United States? Are you not helping the United States? Very difficult for her to do that.
BLITZER: Secretary Cohen, thanks for joining us...
COHEN: Pleasure.
BLITZER: ... as usual.
And coming up, does your car make the cut? We will show you the new list of the safest cars on the road. Our Ali Velshi is standing by in THE SITUATION ROOM with the "Bottom Line."
Plus, winter weather gripping a large portion of the East -- some areas could see up to a half-a-foot of snow. Look at this picture coming in from Washington. That's Capitol Hill -- live pictures right now. It's snowing in Washington and elsewhere. We will update you on the latest weather.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's head back to Zain Verjee once again. She's at the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yikes.
I'm -- I'm looking at snow coming down there, Wolf. Do you like it when it snows?
BLITZER: I do.
VERJEE: Yes?
BLITZER: But what about...
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You're coming to Washington, too.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: I don't even have a proper coat to wear.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You better get one.
VERJEE: Because it's -- it's quite warm here most of the time. But I will make sure I get one. Thanks, Wolf.
Dozens of buildings have reportedly collapsed. And rescue workers are combing through debris, after a strong earthquake rocked East Africa's Great Lakes region. The 6.8-magnitude quake was centered near the border of Congo and Tanzania. It was reportedly felt in at least three other countries. In the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, people in the Central Business District just ran into the streets as tremors caused buildings there to sway. At least one death is being reported.
Israeli security forces say they have decided to resume what they call targeted killing of Islamic militant leaders in the Palestinian territories, this after a suicide bomber killed five people at a shopping mall in the northern Israeli town of Netanya today. The bombing comes as both Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, are in the midst of election campaigns. Both say they favor returning to the so-called road map to peace.
Elton John was among those submitting paperwork on the first day that same-sex couples in Britain could register to be married in civil ceremonies. The pop star and his long-term partner, David Furnish, will formalize their partnership on the 21st of December. The ceremony is going to be held in the town of Windsor. That's in the same building where Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles back in April.
And, Wolf, executives from Abercrombie & Fitch are meeting face to face with a group of teenage girls who forced them to pull a line of T-shirts from store shelves. The group attracted national attention when they organized a so-called "girlcott" of the company because of the T-shirts that they deemed offensive to women.
Now the girls, about 15 of them, are -- are traveling to the company's corporate headquarters to present some alternate T-shirt designs -- no word yet if the company is going to use any of their suggested designs -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain, thanks very much.
Let's head up to New York -- Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program. That begins right at the top of the hour.
Lou, what are you working on?
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you.
Coming up at 6:00 Eastern, scathing criticism of this country's defenses against radical Islamic terrorists -- my guest tonight, one of those critics, former 9/11 commissioner Slade Gorton. We will be talking about everything, from the commission's charges to Able Danger, a controversy that promises to be one of the greatest scandals of our time, if those critics are right.
Also, the president's new efforts to convince Americans that he's on the right path and the country is on the right path, will it all work? I will be talking with two top presidential historians who have differing views.
And you won't believe how much money some defense industry CEOs are making from the Pentagon in the middle of war. Some would have called it war profiteering. Our special report is coming up. We will have all of that and the very latest on Tom DeLay's legal troubles and a few of his victories at 6:00 right here on CNN. Please join us -- now back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks, Lou. We will be watching.
Still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, winter weather hitting the East Coast, big time. We will have the forecast -- new controversy about that historic face transplant surgery, as the world gets its first look at the patient after her operation.
And coming up tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in THE SITUATION ROOM, new poll numbers on embattled Congressman Tom DeLay -- we just learned that his trial will go on, but with fewer charges -- and the vice president, Dick Cheney, attending a fund-raiser on his behalf tonight in Texas. We will show you what people in DeLay's own district are saying.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The weather outside is frightful, at least across the Northeast, the Atlantic Seaboard. Many states are already feeling a cold snap and seeing snow fall -- in other states, the snow expected to fall soon.
Let's get a sense of the conditions in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Annie Scholz is joining us from CNN affiliate WVIR.
What's it like there, Annie?
ANNIE SCHOLZ, WVIR REPORTER: Well, Wolf, I will tell you, things right now -- we are doing OK. The flakes are big and they are falling fast.
We have got about an inch to two inches of snow on the ground right now. It's enough to make a pretty decent sized snowball for the kids that stayed home from school today and for the kid in all of us that likes to have a little fun in the snow.
Now, what it means for commuters, everyone making their way through central Virginia right now. The interstate is pretty clear. And the heavily trafficked roads are pretty clear. So, right now, the flakes feeling to the ground are mostly fun for the kids that are home and having a good time with it -- and not causing too many problems on the roadways.
BLITZER: All right, don't throw that snow any place dangerous, Annie.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Annie Scholz from our affiliate WVIR.
Let's check the forecast, the big picture -- our meteorologist, Chad Myers, at the CNN Weather Center -- Chad. MYERS: Hey, Wolf. Did you know that I grew up in Cheektowaga, New York...
BLITZER: Yes, I...
MYERS: ... right by Buffalo?
BLITZER: ... grew up in Kenmore, New York...
MYERS: There you go.
BLITZER: ... just outside of Buffalo.
MYERS: You know what we would call this weather in Buffalo?
BLITZER: Nothing.
MYERS: Dirty snowman weather...
(LAUGHTER)
MYERS: .. because, when you would try to make a snowman, all you would get would be dirt and grass, because there's not enough really out there to do anything, light snow from New York City down to Philadelphia, I-95 getting a little bit in the way of light snowflakes -- kind of a hole in the radar over D.C. now, but it will fill in later with snow from Fredericksburg, back on over to about, oh, frog level, seeing some snow across Virginia, and some light snow into parts of New Jersey.
This is not a big deal tonight. But, by morning, there will be some icy spots around. Watch out for the kids in those icy spots, so that you don't have to slide around tomorrow morning or even later on tonight.
We do have some severe weather, with a tornado watch still in effect across parts of Florida -- more on that a little bit later -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right.
One from Buffalonian to another, thanks very much, Chad, for that.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Up next, new details on the woman who received the first face transplant -- a new controversy about the coverage of that historic case.
Plus, as that snow continues to fall up and down the East Coast, the roads begins to ice up, you will want to hear about the new list that has just come out of the safest cars.
We are going to share it with you. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: With winter weather here, car safety always important, but now a little bit more important because of the weather. There's a new list of the safest cars that has just come out.
Our Ali Velshi joining us from New York with the Bottom Line -- Ali.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I -- I don't think the Insurance Indeed for Highway Safety understood that there would be this kind of weather when they released their report, but one more reason for people to -- to choose one car over another when you're car-hunting.
The Internet is a great tool. You can find out prices and ratings and performance. Now there's another test for safety. This is the Insurance Institute's test. They are -- they have released a list. They have always been testing cars, but they have released a list for the first 10 times -- for -- for the first time.
And they have got 10 of the top safety picks for 2006. Interestingly, the -- the cars on that list are -- many of them are -- are Audis, for instance, Volkswagens. Volvo doesn't make the list at all. And a lot of people have wondered about that, because that's a car that has a had a history of -- of touting it's safety record.
In fact, I was looking at a magazine ad that's been put out by Ford. Ford owns Volvo. And -- and they're talking about the fact that the Volvo engineers -- I should probably find the ad before telling you about it.
But the Volvo engineers are going to be involved in making Ford cars safer. Now, Ford says -- here, found the ad -- there you go. You have got the ad on the -- on the TV screen.
Ford -- Volvo says it's because of the fact that they have been making safe cars for so long, and that real-world situations are more complicated than crash tests, and they're the kind of people who -- who make the cars -- they build cars safely. This is not about doing better at tests.
Remember, in school, Wolf, it's about whether you were good at tests or whether you were an all-rounder? That's what Volvo says.
I offer no opinion on that.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: All right. Thanks, Ali -- Ali Velshi with the latest on that -- important information.
Up next, she underwent the world's partial face transplant. Now the world is getting a first look at the results. We will share them with you.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, is also known as the Iron Butterfly.
An ex- beauty queen, Marcos brought glamour and song to the presidential palace in 1965. By the end of her husband's 21-year dictatorship, Imelda's personal and public extravagance was causing outrage. A popular uprising in 1986 forced the Marcoses into exile.
Imelda left behind closets stuffed with rows and rows of designers gowns and a now legendary designer shoe collection, so many that, if she changed pairs every day, even after three years, she still wouldn't have worn all of them. She now says it was her way of sharing her wealth.
IMELDA MARCOS, FORMER PHILIPPINE FIRST LADY: By giving it to the people, it is really flaunting it to the world. But, if you were keeping it, like a miser, nobody will see what you have accumulated.
ZAHN: Nowadays, you could say that Imelda Marcos collects lawsuits -- 900 civil cases and pending criminal prosecutions, alleging everything from corruption to human rights abuses. She frequently meets with her team of lawyers. She hasn't been convicted of any crime so far and is unrepentant about her alleged excesses.
MARCOS: I'm not only extravagant. I'm not only excessive. I give it all.
ZAHN: By the way, Imelda now keeps active as a spokeswoman for the Philippine shoe industry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: New details and the first photograph have emerged of the woman who underwent the world's first partial face transplant.
Zain Verjee once again from the CNN Center with details -- Zain.
VERJEE: Wolf, the woman's identity has become public, as have new details about her life, which are fueling the controversy surrounding her operation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Over the weekend, the world's first look at Isabelle Dinoire, after the historic surgery to restore her badly disfigured face.
It's been eight days since she received a new phone, lips and chin face from a brain-dead donor. And doctors remain pleased with her recovery. They say she could go home from the hospital in as little as four weeks.
But at least one of the doctors who took part in the 15-hour operation is not pleased with media coverage, calling some of it odious. He didn't get more specific, but he said he's worried about the possible consequences for Dinoire.
And her doctors continue to disputes some versions of how her own Labrador mixed dog disfigured her face. Two British newspapers have report, Dinoire attempted suicide with an overdose of pills and that her dog attempted to wake her by repeatedly clawing at her face.
Her doctors insist that she had only taken a single sleeping pill to calm down, after an argument with her daughter, and was drowsy from the medication, when she accidentally stepped on the dog, prompting it to attack.
"The Sunday Times of London" also reports that the brain-dead donor was herself the victim of a suicide. Doctors and French officials are not revealing any specifics of that case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: There were also numerous ethical concerns surrounding the face transplant. And now the reports of an attempted suicide are raising new questions, Wolf, about performing such a surgery on a patient who may have been psychologically troubled.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much -- Zain Verjee reporting.
To our viewers, remember, we are in THE SITUATION ROOM weekday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We are back at 7:00 Eastern weekdays. That's just one hour from now.
And, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, the vice president goes out on a limb for Tom DeLay, just a short while after a judge refused to let the indicted congressman off the hook. It's a legal and political two- step in Texas. We will have a brand new CNN poll out on Tom DeLay's reelection chances in his district.
Until then, thanks very much for joining us.
Lou Dobbs standing by to pick up our coverage -- Lou.
DOBBS: Wolf, thank you very much.
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