Return to Transcripts main page
The Situation Room
Passenger Shot by Air Marshals on Flight to Miami
Aired December 07, 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: Thanks very much, Lou.
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 United States and around the world to bring you the day's top stories.
Happening now, it's 7:00 p.m. in Miami. An apparent bomb threat aboard an airliner sets off an urgent security scare. It is brought to an end when a passenger is shot dead.
In Washington, a war of words over Iraq, as President Bush vows victory and Democrats say he's out of touch with reality.
And it's 4:00 p.m. in California, where the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a health scare of his own and a hospital visit as he grapples with a life and death decision.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
It was a security scare that raised fears of a catastrophe and set in motion some desperate and split second decisions. Federal officials say it began with a threat of a man that said he brought a bomb aboard an American Airlines jet. It ended when the passenger was shot dead by an air marshal. This is the first time, the first time that air marshals have fired a shot in the United States since 9/11.
Our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is standing by.
But first, let's go to the scene. John Zarrella is standing by in a rainy Miami. John?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, 44-year-old U.S. citizen Rigoberto Alpizar was shot today and killed about a little after 2:00 p.m. here at Miami International Airport when he got into an altercation verbally, saying that he had a bomb on board an American Airlines plane that was getting ready to take off, bound for Orlando, Florida. About an hour ago, a group of federal, state, local police, federal officials briefed us on what actually transpired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: At approximately 2:10 this afternoon, American Airlines Flight 924 was boarding at gate D-42. It was in the boarding process. An individual later tentatively identified as Rigoberto Alpizar, age 44 was boarding that aircraft. As well. At some point, he uttered threatening words that included a sentence to the effect that he had a bomb. There were federal marshals on board. They came out of their cover, confronted him and he remained noncompliant with their instructions. As he was attempting to evade them, his actions caused the FAMS to fire shots. And in fact, he is deceased.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The representative of the air marshals speaking in Miami just a little while ago. It was over shortly after it began, but for passengers on an American Airline jet, there were moments of confusion and fear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said that she heard three gunshots and then everyone was running, like, going crazy. They got up and started running.
And she went to go get me, because I was in the restroom, and went in there and she was like, there's an emergency. Hurry up and get out. So then I got out, and we ran the other way where everyone was going.
And from there, that's when everybody was, like, running the other way. The police came and everything. And from what I heard was that they captured the man, but, they shot him and that he's dead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think at first people didn't realize what was going on, because there was just one guy. And then more started coming and people started yelling there were guns. And then people freaked out and they ran out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Were there any security failures that allowed this incident to happen? Did federal air marshals do just what they were supposed to do?
Let's turn to our Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve. She's standing by with more. Jeanne?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, first, let me tell you what we have learned about Rigoberto Alpizar, 44- years-old -- a U.S. citizen who according to public records lived outside Orlando in the town of Maitland.
A man who identified himself as Alpizar's brother-in-law told us that he emigrated to the United States in 1986 from Costa Rica. He was married, had no children, he worked at the Home Depot. The brother-in- law also said that Alpizar and his wife had been in South America since the day after Thanksgiving volunteering with a dentistry program and they were on their way back today.
There have been, I'm sure you've heard, widely circulated records that Alpizar may have had some sort of mental health issues. The brother-in-law told us that he was not aware of anything of the kind. Federal officials with whom we've spoken said they cannot confirm or deny those reports. But they say whether or not he did have mental issues would not have been a factor in how the air marshals performed.
They say there is an escalating force policy. And when this gentlemen, apparently, according to federal officials, failed to stop and heed the directions of air enforcement, if they perceived a threat themselves, they have been trained to use force. And I was told by a representative of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association that the training doesn't mean shooting in the leg, shooting in the arm. It means shooting to stop the threat, whatever that may mean.
Wolf.
BLITZER: The bottom line is there will, though, be an investigation of what happened by federal authorities. Is that right, Jeanne?
MESERVE: Certainly there will be an investigation. We do not have all the facts. They don't have all the facts at this point in time. They will want to know exactly what transpired there. They will be talking to the passengers, the crew, and of course to the air marshals in question. The general protocol would be that the air marshals would be put on leave with pay while that investigation is pending.
I can tell you that a spokesman for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security both believe that protocols were followed in this incident. And Congressman John Mica, who you spoke to a short time ago on your earlier program also said that he felt they had done exactly what they were trained to do.
Wolf.
BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve reporting for us. Thank you very much. Let's get some analysis of what's going on.
Clark Kent Ervin is a former inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security. He is now a CNN homeland security analyst. In addition to this tragic incident involving this passenger, he was shot and killed, subsequently, we saw at least three bags removed from the aircraft and placed aside, and, in the words of law enforcement authorities, they were disrupted. Let's watch the video, and see what happened. There's the first one.
What exactly were they doing? Why were the bags removed? What raised the alarm bells and why were they blown up?
CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER DHS INSPECTOR GENERAL: Well, there were bomb sniffing dogs that apparently picked up the scent of explosives there. And under those circumstances, the protocol would be for the bags to be detonated. But for the dogs picking up something, it seems to me the bags are unlikely to have been detonated, because they after all might have contained evidence that would be important in the investigation.
BLITZER: Based on what you know, and if you had still been on the job as inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, presumably you would be involved in an investigation after this incident. What does it look like to you based on the very sketchy preliminary information? And I caution our viewers, as always, a lot of times the initial reports prove out to be inaccurate.
ERVIN: Well, as you said, sketchy reports. But based on what we know right now, it seems to be the marshals did exactly the right thing. This is a post 9-11 environment. It's important to be on hair- trigger alert. Under these circumstances, this fellow said that he had a bomb. And it appears as though he said it in English. We didn't hear to the contrary. So if that's true, he must have understood the instructions that he was given. And he ignored those instructions. There was a report that he went into the bag that presumably contained the bomb and he also lunged at officers, according to report. If all of that is true, then under those circumstances, the marshals needed to shoot and they needed to shoot with deadly force to subdue the person.
BLITZER: The term they use is shoot to stop. But very often, that means shoot to kill.
ERVIN: That's right. As Jeanne implied and what you just said, what that means in context varies. And under this set of circumstances, he said he had a bomb. He ignored the instructions. He apparently went inside the bag. He lunged at the officers. Under that set of circumstances, it seems to me that shoot to stop would mean shoot to kill.
BLITZER: Because if he's reaching down, you don't know what he's reaching for. And if he has got some sort of explosive device himself, the air marshals themselves could have been in danger because they were pretty close by.
ERVIN: Not to mention, of course the people in the terminal. This was done at the jetway, which of course is connected to the terminal, so we don't know what the overall explosive impact might have been.
BLITZER: And then, after the incident, they took all the baggage from this plane, removed it, lined it up on the tarmac outside the plane, and had dogs go up and down and start sniffing. I take it that's the protocol, as well.
ERVIN: That is the protocol under these circumstances. All the bags are checked again for explosives. Now, they should have been checked for explosives beforehand. But under these circumstances they would be checked again after the fact.
BLITZER: Hold on for one second. I want you to respond to this. The Federal Air Marshal that shot and killed the bomb suspect today had just seconds to make a decision to act. Florida Republican on the House Transportation Committee, the Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica is not second-guessing this air marshal. I spoke with him earlier here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JOHN MICA, (R-FL) CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION: I salute the air marshals. This is very difficult work. It requires intensive training and then a split-second decision. It's not a pleasant kind of thing, but they have to act in the security in regard to the security of the plane, the passenger, the situation.
I've tried to tell you several times now that our threat is explosives. And they know that, too. The individual says he has explosives. The information I had is that he came back towards the plane, didn't comply, explosives involved. That's all I need to know. They acted properly, and I'm going to do everything I can to support those air marshals.
They don't need to get into interviewing people, they don't have time to do counseling. It is unfortunate if this individual suffers from some mental health problem or something. But we deal with a very serious situation. We've had one incident in over two billion passengers so I'm pleased with the performance of the air marshals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But knowing what you know, there's going to be a lot of second-guessing now.
ERVIN: No question. Under these circumstances, we now know that there were not any explosives. So that, of course, will be a huge part of this investigation. And there will be more questions, because no explosives were found.
Furthermore, we are going to have to determine if this person really did suffer from mental illness. If he did, then obviously this is a very, very tragic circumstance. Our sympathies have to be with the family under these circumstances.
But I think the larger point the chairman was making, you have to agree with. Under these circumstances, there's no time to determine whether there was in fact a mental illness. This person said he had a bomb. That threat needed to be taken seriously. The other circumstances present required the air marshals to do what they did.
BLITZER: Clark Kent Ervin, thanks as usual for joining us.
ERVIN: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: We're going to have much more on this story coming up. Jack Cafferty is off this week. He will be back on Monday. Coming up, we'll go back to Miami International Airport. We'll find out what happened in the split seconds, where these air marshals had to make a decision. Were they following their procedures? Ed Markie, a Democratic member of the committee, he'll be joining us.
Plus, President Bush claiming significant progress in Iraq and calling on Americans to stay the course. Democrats calling the president -- quote -- "out of touch."
Later here in THE SITUATION ROOM, Arnold Schwarzenegger facing a difficult decision in a death row case. Could the stress be taking a toll on the governor?
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're back in THE SITUATION ROOM. Welcome back. We'll have much more on our top story. A U.S. air marshal shoots and kills an American Airlines passenger in Miami, Florida. We'll get to that. But there's other news we're following as well.
President Bush reports steady progress in the reconstruction of Iraq. Successes, he says, that don't always make the evening news. He spoke today to a nonpartisan foreign policy group here in Washington. It was the latest in a series of speeches aimed at convincing Americans to stay the course until U.S. forces can finish their job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our goal is victory, and victory will be achieved when the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy; when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their own citizens; and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks against our nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The president acknowledged the Iraq mission hasn't gone as hoped because of persistent and deadly insurgent attacks. But that's about all the ground he'd give to critics, including many Democrats who say he's painting too rosy a picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: There will be good days and there will be bad days in this war. I reject the pessimists in Washington who say we can't win this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The Bush administration now is assessing whether the president made new progress in getting his Iraq message out.
White House correspondent Dana Bash is standing by. Dana, what are they saying over at the White House?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf what the president tried to do is what you mentioned before. He said it in his speech, is to get beyond the headlines. He said that some of the progress is steady, is quiet, and it doesn't always make the evening news so the point was to try to make the evening news with some of the progress they see here at the White House. And he tried to give some details by talking specifically about reconstruction, talking about two cities that Americans may know about because of bloody battles there. Mosul and Najaf. And those are two cities he went through detailed explanation about how they were certainly under terrorist control, and now they are under Iraqi control.
But he also did admit that not everything is perfect. He said progress is in what he called fits and starts. He said electricity is still a problem, water is still a problem. Many other problems, as well. Not the kind of optimistic tone we may have heard from administration officials before the war. But as you mentioned, Wolf, certainly maybe too rosy as far as the president's critics are concerned.
BLITZER: All right, Dana. Thank you very much. Up on Capitol Hill, several leading Democrats are accusing the president of not telling the full story about what's happening in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JACK REED, (D) ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: All of us believe the United States can and will succeed. But today, after 3 1/2 years and now two speeches in two weeks the president still has not fully explained the steps we need to take to achieve that success. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Also speaking today, Congressman John Murtha, who has called for a quick pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq. He says the administration has lost its credibility when it comes to Iraq, but many Democrats do not see eye to eye with Murtha, either. House Democrats met behind closed doors today amid sparring over Murtha's proposal and party chairman Howard Dean's suggestion that the United States can't win in Iraq right now.
In Iraq, Saddam Hussein was absent from his own trail today. His chair sat empty when court finally got under way after a long delay. The judge excused the former dictator from today's proceedings, no reasons were given, but the absence follows Saddam Hussein's outburst yesterday where he told the court officials to, quote, "Go to Hell." The case in now adjourned until December 21st, after parliamentary elections. 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. Coming up at 10:00 Eastern Time tonight, a story we all have our eye on. The terror scare in Miami. The man who was killed by the air marshal. We have teams heading to his home. We are going to look at exactly who he is. And did his bipolar disorder lead to his death? We're going to bring you the latest on what we know about him, how law enforcement trains to deal with people with mental disorders in hostile situations.
We're also taking a look at a story that is sure to strike a chord with just about anyone with a boss. The question is how much control should your employer have over you when you're not at work? One man and his company are taking it to extremes -- firing people for smoking in their own homes when they're not in the clock. It's got a lot of people talking. It certainly has us talking around the office today. We'll look at all the angles. Tonight, 360, 10:00.
Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Anderson. Thanks very much. We'll be watching.
Still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, more on our stop story -- a passenger supposedly claiming to have a bomb fatally shot by a Federal Air Marshal. It's the first time that's happened, and it's raising new questions about airline security. We'll have a lot more on this.
And, we'll look closer at the claims that the man was bipolar. What role, if any, did that play in the shooting? Standing by, our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're getting additional information on the incident that occurred around 2:00 p.m. local time -- that would be Eastern Time -- in Miami, at Miami International Airport. For the first time since 9/11, Federal Air Marshals shot and killed a passenger who was making threatening statements. We're going to have much more on this, including reports he was bipolar. Sanjay Gupta, our senior medical correspondent standing by with information he's picking up.
But first, let's check other news we're watching. Fredericka Whitfield joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at stories around the world. Fred?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening to you, Wolf. Good evening, everyone. Her forceful personality and hard-nosed policies earned her the nickname the Iron Lady. But now former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is in a London hospital after feeling faint earlier today. Hospital sources say they are running tests and keeping Thatcher overnight as a precaution. Thatcher, who turned 80 in October, has suffered a series of strokes in recent years.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed questions of U.S. torture policies head-on today. Traveling in Ukraine, she said U.S. personnel are barred from using cruel and degrading interrogation methods, whether at home or aboard. Rice, traveling through Europe has been dogged by questions about allegations of torture and secret prisons run by the U.S.
And today marks the 64th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. About 2,000 attended a ceremony in Hawaii to mark the occasion. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen compared the event to the September 11 terror attacks, saying -- quote -- "it changed us, hurt us and made us stronger." Almost 2,400 people died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Wolf?
BLITZER: Fred, thanks very much. Fredricka Whitfield reporting.
Just ahead, the latest developments on that airplane shooting in Miami that left one man dead. There are reports the man may have been mentally disturbed. We'll discuss how that might have played a role in his slaying. We'll talk all about that. And on those Christian hostages being held in Iraq right now. Their captors have just extended the deadline for their execution. We'll tell you by how much.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're following a story -- and have been for the past several hours -- coming out of Miami, Miami International Airport. For the first time since 9/11, U.S. Federal Air Marshals shot and killed a passenger who was acting in a mysterious, strange way.
Let's bring in our John Zarrella. He's on the scene for us. He's got the latest. John?
ZARRELLA: Wolf, that's exactly right. Rigoberto Alpizar, 44-year- old U.S. citizen, was shot and killed shortly after 2:00 p.m. this afternoon by Federal Air Marshals. Alpizar had boarded a flight to Orlando. And at some point after his boarding of the flight, while it was on the ground, he became agitated and he claimed to have had a bomb. At that point, federal marshals identified themselves, tried to get him off the plane. But at some point they asked him to take the backpack he was wearing and put it down. He did not, according to what federal officials told us at a press conference at about 6:00 p.m. this evening. At that point, in the jetway, is when Alpizar was shot and killed. Again, 44-year-old U.S. ctizen shot and killed. The airport is back to running smoothly here. That flight, 924 to Orlando never did get back off the ground. It is listed now as cancelled.
Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, John. Thank you very much. We'll check back with you. The man that was shot and killed by a Federal Air Marshal in Miami, in that incident is 44 years old.
Let's get some background on what may have happened. We are joined now from Los Angeles by Ken Robinson, our CNN military intelligence analyst.
You've been involved in training these kinds of law enforcement authorities. What goes through the mind of an air marshal who has to make literally this kind of split second decision?
KEN ROBINSON, CNN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, the air marshals are trained to recognize what we call fight or flight. And by that, I mean it's a nonverbal presentation of threat. As we understand the reporting, this individual also verbalized a threat, if those reports are true. And the law enforcement official only has, as you say, seconds to make a judgment on whether or not his life or the lives of passengers are at risk. And they are trained, with the rules of engagement, to be able to shoot to kill.
BLITZER: We're showing our viewers some training video. And you have participated in these kinds of training incidents. The technical term, I believe, is shoot to stop, but if it means killing, it means killing.
ROBINSON: That's correct. There are special rounds that have been designed for air marshals, specifically for this purpose. They're called glazer rounds. They are a liquid-filled round that is covered with Teflon, that is designed to be able to penetrate soft tissue of a human being, but not pass through the fuselage of an aircraft and cause decompression.
So they accept the fact that there may be circumstances where they may have to fire on a jet while it is in flight and pressurized, or like this situation, in a gateway where there are a lot of passengers around. They are trained specifically for this incident, but they have to make a very quick, split-second decision on whether or not to pull that trigger.
BLITZER: And I take it they're not really using, at least in big numbers, those laser guns, those Taser guns -- whatever they're called -- that we've heard so much about in terms of preparing some sort of non-lethal firearm.
ROBINSON: It's very difficult, Wolf, because many of those devices shoot out multiple probes simultaneously, where there's collateral damage. They have shooting ranges where they have aircraft fuselages where these officers are trained to make first round kills from a position while a terrorist is actually holding a hostage.
BLITZER: Ken Robinson, as usual, thanks very much. Ken Robinson has participated in these kinds of training exercises. So, what do we know about this 44-year-old American citizen, Rigoberto Alpizar?
Our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner has been scouring the Web since the story broke. What are you picking up, Jacki?
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, not a lot online about him, but we are finding a little bit of information about who we think is his wife. Now, her name is Anne Alpizar, but her maiden name is Anne Buechner, and this is what our Web research is turning up.
If this is in fact his wife, she works at this organization, the Council on Quality and Leadership. If you go to a staff directory of this organization, it's based in Towson, Maryland. Alphabetically, hers is the first name that comes up.
What's interesting to note, is she would be the Florida representative for this organization, that actually deals with issues related to people who have illnesses, mental illnesses, people with disabilities.
So if we're hearing that this man did have some sort of bipolar disorder, and this is the case, then this woman, his wife, would be well familiar with these sorts of issues.
The other thing that we managed to turn up online in our initial research is that Alpizar lived in a house in Maitland, Florida. Now, you can see on the map that this is where Orlando is. Today's flight was on its way from Miami to Orlando, and Maitland is right here, just north of Orlando. You see Orlando down here, and Maitland just above it. So initial Web research, Wolf, this is what we were able to turn up.
BLITZER: All right, thank you very much, Jacki, for that.
Was the slain man mentally unstable, as we've been reporting? A passenger on the plane reportedly heard the man's wife, as we just heard, scream out that her agitated husband had -- quote -- "bipolar disease" and had not taken his medication.
Joining us now is our senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. What exactly does that mean, Sanjay, bi-polar disease?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the name suggests bi-polar, as sort of extremes of behaviors, going from very manic behavior to very depressed behavior. It's a form of depression, Wolf, a relatively rare form of depression. About 1 percent of the population has been diagnosed with some form of bi- polar. The manic sort of behavior is sort of the more easily identifiable. This is the sort of behavior where people will act in excess behaviors of all sorts. They go from laughing to crying. They can have lots of energy and need not much sleep, all sorts of behaviors like that. The depressed behavior is more of a classic sort of depression. Both the manic phase and the depressed phase can be treated by certain medication, Wolf, which were just talked about.
BLITZER: What kind of medication would normally be used, Sanjay, to deal with bi-polar disorder?
GUPTA: Well, the most typical and one that's one of the most long-lasting is lithium. That's a medication that's been used for some time. Really two goals with that medication, Wolf, to try and modulate the manic part of the behavior, bring people down, if you will, but also to try and prevent relapses of the manic and the depressive episodes. So lithium is actually known as a mood stabilizer. And it's a pretty effective one as well, if people do take the medications.
There's also a lot of new medications, anti-psychotic medications, that can be used as well to sort of stop some of the psychotic behavior.
But I will add a couple of things, Wolf.One is that they are -- very functional people exist today with bi-polar disorder. And, in fact, some people say that that manic phase can actually be helpful to some of these folks in terms of their excessive behaviors and in terms of getting work done if it can be channeled as a single ...
BLITZER: What about -- Sanjay, what about the whole issue of how many people suffer from this disorder?
GUPTA: Yes, you know, right now, the best estimates -- and it's hard to estimate with a lot of psychiatric disease because it is probably under-reported -- they say about 1 percent of the population, 1 percent of the adult population, Wolf, so, you know, a couple two to three million people probably in the United States. BLITZER: Sanjay Gupta, our senior medical correspondent. Thank you very much for that.
GUPTA: Thank you.
BLITZER: An apparent bomb threat, the first shooting by a Federal Air Marshal since 9/11 and a passenger is now dead. It all raises many new questions tonight about the state of homeland security.
A top Democrat is on the House Homeland Security Committee is Congressman Ed Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts. He's here in THE SITUATION ROOM with us. Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.
REP. ED MARKEY (D-MA), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Thank you.
BLITZER: What do you make of what happened today?
MARKEY: Well, obviously, these air marshals have to make near instantaneous decisions. A backpack that hasn't been surrendered, a threat of a bomb -- it only took one pound of explosives to bring down the Pan-Am 103 over Lockerbie.
So, obviously, these air marshals are put in situations where difficult decisions are needed, and whether it be a terrorist or a troubled person, which this looks like it was, these air marshals are the last line of defense for all the passengers on the plane.
BLITZER: You are going have to -- presumably, and your colleagues in the house, investigate, do a little oversight to see what happened and make sure everything happened the way it was supposed to happen. How do you go about doing that without interfering in the internal investigations that I assume the air marshals and the other federal law enforcement authorities will have?
MARKEY: Well, again, this is a chance for us to review the effectiveness of the air marshal program.
BLITZER: Has it been effective?
MARKEY: Well, again, it's underfunded. They're not on every plane. We are fortunate that they were on this plane. Let's hope that it was necessary force. It looks like it was. But that said and done, on most flights, it's just the flight attendants who will be the protection for passengers if an incident like this developed.
And that's still a very scary thought, I think, for many passengers, especially as the Bush administration is now going to allow scissors like this to be brought back into the passenger cabins.
If that's the case, knowing that the -- Mohamed Atta and the other 18 terrorists used devices like this, then there is a real reason for us to reexamine this whole issue and to determine whether or not airline passenger safety is up to snuff.
BLITZER: Because, those who argue that these kinds of scissors should be allowed say that the screeners, the TSA screeners, should be focusing all of their attention on more significant threats like explosives as opposed to threats from scissors.
MARKEY: Well, I don't think any passenger would think that if they were sitting next to someone who was holding scissors like this ...
BLITZER: They may be threats to the passengers and to the flight attendants, but the pilots are now bolted in. Those cockpit doors are shut tight.
MARKEY: Well, then why is the Bush administration continuing to ban box cutters and knives if they say it's so safe? They're making a distinction between a knife and a pair of scissors. They're not allowing knives or box cutters in.
They can't have it both ways. And, similarly, they can't still oppose -- which they do -- the screening of the six billion pounds of cargo which is placed on passenger planes every single year in our country.
BLITZER: Let's get back to the air marshals. As you know, before, 9/11, there were what, only 30 or 40 Federal Air Marshals in the entire country, which was a tiny, tiny number. Immediately after 9/11, the federal government started hiring thousands of these air marshals, and there was concern that some of them who were hired didn't have the necessary background checks, there were problems. Has that been cleared up based on what you know?
MARKEY: Based upon what I know, yes, it has. These are mostly people that have a trained professional police background of some manner, shape or form. It's not easy work, though. They travel the airlines of our country on a daily basis. It's tedious.
Thankfully, we don't have that many incidents. And there aren't enough of them. But the program, as it stands, in its shrunken form, is a good program. And, of course, no terrorist would know which fight an air marshal was on, which in and of itself is a deterrent.
BLITZER: An important one at that. Thanks very much, Congressman Markey for joining us.
And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Up next, is the world supply of oil running out? One theory says the world's oil supplies could be tapped out sooner than many people think. We're standing by for new information.
And the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, he has a bit of a health scare himself on the eve of a life or death decision over a death row inmate, Stanley Tookie Williams. We'll tell you what's happening to Arnold Schwarzenegger and give you the latest on that decision.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: On those four Western hostages in Iraq, CNN has now learned their kidnappers are saying they'll execute them in two days. The hostage takers had said first they'd kill the Christian aid workers tomorrow. Meanwhile, there's new video of the hostages that's being aired on the Al-Jazeera TV network.
CNN's Brian Todd is joining us now from Arlington, Virginia, where there's a vigil under way behind him. Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the plight of those hostages and one of them, in particular, has drawn dozens of people here to this candlelight vigil in Arlington. These are supporters of Tom Fox, one of the American hostages. These are members of his Quaker group in Northern Virginia. They're hearing testimonials written in his letters and journals. These are folks who have been very candid about Tom Fox's predicament in Iraq and candid about a new video tape showing his image.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): Tom Fox (AUDIO BREAK) in the video shows him speaking as a hostage, possibly under distress. Fox, they say, truly believes what he's saying.
TOM FOX, HOSTAGE IN IRAQ: As a representative of Christian Peacemaker Teams, we feel that continued American and British occupation is not in the best interest of the Iraqi people.
TODD: This recently distributed video tape shows Fox and three other Christian aid workers in captivity. The sound does not always appear to match the image of the person shown.
But two of the men, including one identified as Canadian James Loney talk about how they're being treated.
JAMES LONEY, HOSTAGE IN IRAQ: We are being treated well, we are both well, all of us are well.
TODD: The tape does show two of the men relaxed and eating. But it also shows Fox and another hostage in jumpsuits, bound together by their hands and feet. The group claiming responsibility for their capture in Iraq threatens to kill these men if its demand to free all Iraqi prisoners is not met.
VIRGINIA COLIN, COLLEAGUE OF TOM FOX: I feel pretty sure that Tom has prepared himself well for just this sort of thing that he knew might happen.
TODD: Virginia Colin, a fellow Quaker who's known Fox for years, says he's always been against the American presence in Iraq, and went there to alleviate suffering. Colin says Fox sent correspondence to colleagues last year, saying, if he was taken hostage, they should not vilify his captors and should try to understand their motivations. Colin and other church members say they're sure he still feels that way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: And many of those church members here also feel that way. But some members of Fox's Quaker group say they may find it hard initially to forgive the hostage takers if Fox and the others are harmed. But that they are committed to trying to forgive them. Wolf?
BLITZER: What are they saying, the people behind you, about the video tape that was shown on Al Jazeera, and what are they doing to try to free him?
TODD: Well, the Christian Peacemaker Teams is the group that sponsored Fox's trip to Iraq is not commenting on the video tape. but they say they are using all diplomatic and nonviolent means to try to win his release, including working with some U.S. officials in the region.
BLITZER: Brian Todd, reporting for us from Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington. Thank you, Brian.
Switching gears. Is the world on the verge of running out of oil? Our Ali Velshi is in New York with the "Bottom Line" on a controversial theory that's out there right now. What's going on, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, with oil trading below 60 bucks a barrel, gas prices coming down, the whole fear of running out of oil discussion has gone to the backburner again. But today up at Congress, there were some people up there who said it's a real problem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI (voice-over): Are we running out of oil? The world produces about half a million more barrels of oil a day than it uses. That's about what U.S. drivers use in a day. Not a lot of slack. And now, a U.S. congressional committee is hearing from people who say the wells could soon run dry.
ROBERT HIRSCH, ENERGY EXPERT: A whole new Saudi Arabia will have to be found and developed every couple of years to satisfy demand forecasts.
VELSHI: Energy expert Robert Hirsch testified that world oil production could peak in as little as 10 years. Others disagree.
FADEL GHEIT, ENERGY ANALYST: This is like the guy on Fifth Avenue who has a sign you know, all sinners go to hell and the world is going to end next Sunday. I mean, good luck.
VELSHI: The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the full tank, all the oil in the world discovered and yet to be discovered, totals three trillion barrels. Depending on who you ask, we've somewhere between a quarter and a third of that tank.
The world burns through 25 billion barrels of oil every year. If demand stays the same, we could run out of oil in as little as 40 years. We can squeeze oil out of places like Canada's oil sands. But that costs more than traditional drilling. However, there could be enough of it there to fuel the world for another 50 years or more. The economic theory? There are lots of ways to make oil. As long as oil prices stay high enough, companies will keep up the search.
GHEIT: If oil economies believe that there is no downside risk below $45 a barrel of oil, you are going to see substantial supply increase over the next years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI: And of course that plays into the hands of critics of the oil companies, Wolf. The idea is, at a high price of per barrel for oil, it makes it worthwhile for the oil companies to go out there and look for it. If oil prices are too low, they're not going to bother.
Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Ali, good work. Thanks very much. Ali Velshi reporting from New York.
Up next. A looming deadline for a convicted killer. Death row inmate Stanley Tookie Williams scheduled to die Monday in California. But he'll get a last ditch appeal tomorrow before the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. And on the eve of the Tookie Williams hearing, the governor has a health scare of his own. We'll tell you what happened, and how the governor is doing right now.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's find out what's coming up right at the top of the hour. Paula Zahn standing by in New York. Hi, Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. We're going to have some of the latest details on today's shooting at the Miami Airport -- why it happened, how it happened. It is the first time since 9/11 that Federal Air Marshals have shot and killed an airline passenger. This after billions of people have traveled in and out of the country. We are checking into the background of the dead man who apparently claimed he had a bomb. Investigators tell us tonight he didn't.
Also, we'll have an eye-opening look at how would-be terrorists can actually make themselves welcome in the U.S. with just a credit card and a few clicks of a computer mouse. It's pretty darn scary. Please join me at the top of the hour for details on that.
Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Paula. Very scary indeed. We'll be joining you. Thank you very much.
On December 18, "TIME" magazine will announce its person of the year. And for the next two weeks, we are looking at potential candidates. With this year's deadly weather, one possible candidate is Mother Nature.
Here's CNN's Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: As the world kicked off 2005, memories of a massive tsunami lingered in our minds. Memories swept away by additional epic natural disasters. From hurricanes to earthquakes, Mother Nature made us recognize her power. And for this, we recognize her as a candidate for "TIME" magazine's person of the year.
NANCY GIBBS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "TIME": In the first weeks of the year, our attention was still completely riveted to this astonishing, unfolding story of loss and shock and aid, and rescue, and that certainly was the defining story at the beginning of the year.
Then, the hurricane season here that was like none other we'd ever had, and then finally the earthquakes in Pakistan. From beginning to end, the year seemed to be a year of disaster.
JAN SIMPSON, ASST. MANAGING EDITOR, "TIME": Well, I think a lot of people have said that because of the way Mother Nature has affected the year, people have stepped back, and reflected on what's important. I think it's given us -- all of us -- a lot to think about in how we're living in this world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Our sister publication, "TIME" magazine will make the announcement, person of the year, on December 18.
Still ahead, Governor Schwarzenegger's life and death decision. Is the pressure to spare a death row inmate's life straining his heart? We'll tell you what sent Arnold Schwarzenegger to the hospital in the middle of the night. We'll go live to Sacramento.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Pressure is mounting on the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ahead of tomorrow's clemency hearing for Stanley Tookie Williams.
CNN's Chris Lawrence is live for us at the state capitol in Sacramento. Before we get to that, what was with the heart scare that the governor had last night and was rushed to a hospital?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the governor is fine right now. He's back at work. But you're right. He did spend a few hours in a hospital overnight because of a rapid heartbeat. His press office says that the governor had a bit of a stomach flu yesterday.
His heart started racing a bit, and his own personal doctor advised him to go to the hospital and get it checked out. He went in for a few hours, they found his heart rate to be normal, and he was released after that.
Now he's certainly been under a lot of pressure. He's literally got to make a life or death decision tomorrow morning, right here at the capital, he will be meeting with prosecutors and defense attorneys for Tookie Williams to decide, basically, whether Williams should live or die.
Now Williams is the man who co-founded the Crips street gang. He's a convicted murderer who killed four people. Now, the governor is getting a lot of pressure from law enforcement, from victims' rights groups, saying those are crimes you cannot make up for, especially since Williams has never admitted to them or shown any remorse.
On the other side, he's getting a tremendous amount of support from celebrities like Jamie Foxx, rapper Snoop Dogg. They say Williams has redeemed himself in prison. They say he's written books urging kids to stay out of gangs. And he's brokered peace deals.
The media blitz has been incredible. Full-page ads in a lot of California papers like this one. An open letter talking about what Williams would do if his life is spared. Again, all of his appeals have run out at this point. The decision is down to the governor. Williams will be executed at midnight on Tuesday, unless Governor Schwarzenegger decides to reduce his sentence to life in prison.
BLITZER: Chris Lawrence reporting for us. We'll check back with you tomorrow, see what's happening. Thank you very much. To our viewers, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're on weeknights 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Until tomorrow, let's turn it over to Paula Zahn. She's standing by in New York. Paula?
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
