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The Situation Room

New Questions on Whether Proper Procedures Were Used in Passenger's Death; Midwest Hit by Snow, Ice, Cold; Suicide Bomber Kills 30 on Baghdad Bus; Separation of Church and State

Aired December 08, 2005 - 16:59   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 in one place at the same time.
Happening now, a possibly mentally unstable man is dead. Now many questions over why he was killed. A day after 44-year-old Rigoberto Alpizar was shot and killed by Federal Air Marshals, new questions on whether they used proper procedures and if alternate takedown options might have prevented the man's death.

It's 2:00 p.m. out in California, where the clock is ticking toward a possible death row execution. Convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams could die next week. Today the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, heard the pros and cons on this matter of life and death. Will he grant clemency?

And it's 5:00 p.m. in New York City, where there's music and mourning in Strawberry Fields. Many have gathered in the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park to remember the life of John Lennon, murdered 25 years ago today.

I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Family and friends describe him as a gentle man, yet airline passengers cite bizarre behavior, and federal officials say he claimed to have a bomb. One day after 44-year-old Rigoberto Alpizar was shot and killed by Federal Air Marshals at Miami's International Airport, there are so many unanswered questions.

We have three reports.

Our Brian Todd is standing by to examine what exactly the takedown rules are when a threatening passenger is involved. Jeanne Meserve is looking at the procedures used by the air marshals.

But let's get the latest now from CNN's Kathleen Koch. She's down at Miami International Airport. Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Wolf, a fuller picture is beginning to emerge today of the man who was shot dead by air marshals here yesterday at Miami International Airport. Forty-four-year-old Rigoberto Alpizar lived in Maitland, Florida -- that's a suburb of Orlando -- with his wife.

And it is neighbors there, as well as family members, who confirm that he was mentally ill, suffering from bipolar disorder. They said that he was manic depressive, but that he normally controlled the symptoms of his illness with medication. And as you mentioned, they described him as very kind and gentle, said he wouldn't hurt a fly. He worked in Orlando at the local Home Depot, where his co-workers said he was just a great guy. They're in shock.

Now, Alpizar's wife would not talk to reporters but she did send her sister out today to read a statement from the family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE JENTSCH, ALPIZAR'S SISTER-IN-LAW: Rigo Alpizar was a loving, gentle and caring husband, uncle, brother, son and friend. He was born in Costa Rica and became a proud American citizen several years ago. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

That's all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The Miami coroner's office was to conduct an autopsy today on Alpizar's body and pass that on to the Miami-Dade Police Department, which is investigating yesterday's fatal shooting. And it's investigating whether the use of force was indeed appropriate. And the plane involved in the incident, Wolf, the American Airlines aircraft, has been put back into service.

BLITZER: Kathleen Koch reporting for us from Miami. Thank you, Kathleen, very much.

The White House is defending the marshals' actions, saying they acted in ways consistent with their training. Yet there are still some questions over whether the air marshals used proper procedures.

Let's bring in CNN's Jeanne Meserve. She's watching this part of the story. Jeanne?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Many experts, Wolf, say the answer is yes. As you mentioned, White House spokesman Scott McClellan says that given what is known, the air marshals reacted in a way consistent with their training. But the attorney general was a bit more cautious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I think it's too early to tell. I think we obviously need to wait for the investigations to conclude. And there is some involvement by the federal government and -- of course. So I think it's too early to tell whether or not all the appropriate protocols were followed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Passengers on Alpizar's flight from Ecuador to Miami and on the Miami-Orlando flight have described his behavior as unusual and disruptive, raising the question, should he have been allowed on the second flight or removed from it? Should someone have tipped Federal Air Marshals to the possibility he could be a problem?

Well, a spokesman for American Airlines says there was no indication Alpizar had been unruly prior to his standing up and running down the aisle claiming he had a bomb. Customs and Border Protection says the agent that processed Alpizar in Miami did not notice anything unusual.

Flight crews do encounter unruly passengers on a daily basis. Many are drunk, some are having a bad day, some are mentally ill, and a very few pose a real security risk. Though airlines do have protocols for flagging problem passengers, airline insiders tell me an experienced flight crew might feel it could handle the situation and might not tell the pilot or the air marshals if any are on board.

Not everyone thinks that's the way it should be. A representative of the Airline Pilots Security Association says airline personnel should get behavioral profiling training to better discern which passengers are a nuisance and which passengers are a genuine threat. Wolf.

BLITZER: It sounds like a good idea. Thanks very much, Jeanne, for that. Jeanne Meserve reporting.

If an airline passenger does display some bizarre, even threatening behavior on board a plane, what are the range of options to try to subdue that person?

Our Brian Todd has been looking into that. He's joining us now live. Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the effective and approved options are surprisingly limited. Now, to find some answers, we began by asking security experts about the actual response to the Miami threat by the air marshals.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): Airline security experts are reluctant to second-guess the air marshals' behavior in the Miami incident. So we asked them about other non-lethal options that could have neutralized Rigoberto Alpizar.

One popular idea, the use of Tasers, stun guns that can shoot two probes anywhere from point blank to 25 feet, sending 50,000 volts into the body, overwhelming the muscles. But security experts say the Taser's reliability is variable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Taser is less useful than a gun. Its effect is different. And the possibility of a person not being completely stunned by the Taser is a -- is a possibility

TODD: Security experts say in some cases, especially when a person is threatening to detonate a bomb, a Taser not only won't incapacitate them, it might make them more agitated. Also, some say, it's hard to shoot accurately with a Taser than a gun. The manufacturer of Tasers disagrees, saying the devices have had great success among the 8,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies that use them

TOM SMITH, PRESIDENT, TASER INTERNATIONAL: It's the most effective non-lethal tool out there today, and it does stop these attackers immediately. And they can take them into custody during the time that it's running.

TODD: CNN asked a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshals why they don't use Tasers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no Tasers allowed aboard the aircraft in the United States.

TODD: When asked why not, the spokesman said deadly force is deemed most effective.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: But Tasers also have to be approved for use by the Transportation Security Administration. And late this afternoon, a TSA official told me they have been approved for use aboard planes operating in U.S. airspace, but each carrier has to apply for permission.

So far, the only carrier that has followed through and been granted permission to use Tasers in U.S. airspace, Korean Airlines.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian, what about other non-lethal weapons?

TODD: Well, the TSA official says that they've tested the use of chemicals, nets and beanbags that can be fired from guns. All of those were found to be either unsafe or ineffective. They have not considered the use of rubber bullets, but security experts say rubber bullets don't always incapacitate them.

And they say the bottom line is, you've got to take that person out immediately. Guns are really the best way to do it.

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us. Brian, thank you very much.

And to our viewers, please stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Let's check another important story we're watching right now; namely, the weather. Our severe weather expert, our meteorologist, Chad Myers, standing by at the CNN Weather Center with more.

(WEATHER REPORT)

BLITZER: Let's check in the situation in Edinburgh, Indiana. That's just south of Indianapolis.

Stacia Matthews from our affiliate WRTV is standing by live. Stacia, you look like it's snowing out there.

STACIA MATTHEWS, REPORTER, WRTV: You know, as I told the folks earlier, as the song says, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." And that is exactly what it's doing out here.

Take a look behind me. I'm at a shopping center, an outlet mall which is just east of I-65. As you can see, traffic going rather slowly, because it's like maneuvering through pea soup out here, very thick, not a whole lot of distance. Folks are truly taking -- taking it easy out here, and rightfully show.

Now, behind me on this side is the actual shopping mall. And there were people who were crazy enough to drive out here, some from as far away as Cincinnati to take advantage of the snow. They felt that they could get in on all the bargains and not have to deal with the crowd because folks were going to be smart and stay home.

Wolf, I can tell you that I am actually a health reporter. I was on assignment about 20 miles south of here, a bioterrorism mock drill. Well, things were so bad, so miserable out here that they had to call it off. They had to postpone it, because all of those firefighters and police officers literally had to get to work and kind of help all these folks because it's -- it's going to be a crazy night. It's still coming down with no letup in sight.

BLITZER: All right, Stacia. Good luck over there. Good luck to all our friends in Indiana as well. Stacia Matthews doing an excellent job for us from our affiliate WRTV, down in Indiana.

Jack Cafferty is off today. He'll be back on Monday.

Up ahead, 25 years to the day since his murder, fans gathering to remember John Lennon. We'll take you live to Strawberry Fields, the Central Park memorial to the late musician.

Also, word of a possible plan to bring home thousands of U.S. troops from Iraq, but it all hinges on one pivotal event. We'll tell you what's going on.

Plus, serious controversy in San Francisco over a series of videos made by police officers. Some say it's satire, others are outraged. We'll show you the videotape.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The U.S. military officials in Iraq are condemning a suicide bomb attack on a civilian bus in Baghdad. Our Jamie McIntyre is standing by at the Pentagon. But let's go to Baghdad first. Our Aneesh Raman has all the details. Aneesh?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good evening. At least 30 people were killed, 25 others wounded, after a suicide bomber jumped on a passenger bus just as it was leaving a main terminal here in the capital to the city of Nasiriyah, the majority Shia city southeast of Baghdad. The bus was crowded. The weekend in Iraq begins tomorrow. Iraqis were going home.

The scene, the aftermath, one of carnage. The bus itself charred debris.

Eyewitnesses essentially say that after some security checks were taken, as this bus was physically leaving, the bomber just jumped on, persuaded his way onto the bus, and then detonated. It comes amid a bloody week in Iraq.

Two days ago, dual suicide bombings at a Baghdad police academy. That attack killed at least 40, Wolf. This comes just a week ahead of the country's general elections.

BLITZER: What are the plans, Aneesh, to beef up security in advance of those elections on December 15?

RAMAN: Well, it's the third election Iraq has seen. And every time the country goes into a virtual lockdown, already all non-Iraqi Arabs have been barred from entering the country. The prime minister today declared a state of emergency in two of the most volatile provinces, including that western Al Anbar province.

The border between Syria and Anbar has been closed. A curfew will soon be in place in Baghdad. And the day of the elections, no cars will be allowed on the road, and security will be incredibly high in all of the polling stations.

The biggest threat on election day, officials say, are suicide bombers waiting in line with those Iraqis who are going to vote. Wolf.

BLITZER: Aneesh Raman reporting for us in Baghdad. Good luck over there. Be careful, Aneesh. Thank you very much.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon source is telling us the United States is considered pulling out some U.S. forces shortly after the December 15 elections.

Let's bring in our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. He's standing by with the latest. What are you picking up, Jamie?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, unless people haven't been paying attention, they already know that roughly 20,000 or so troops are going to be pulled out as soon as the elections are over. They were there specifically to beef up the security.

But what Pentagon officials are now telling us is that there may be deeper cuts next year by simply not sending two Army brigades that were scheduled to rotate into Iraq. One of those is the 1st Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division from Ft. Riley, Kansas. They'd simply stay in Kansas.

The other one is the 2nd Brigade from the 1st Armored Division in Germany. They're in Kuwait now. They were supposed to go into Iraq, but instead Pentagon officials considering just keeping them in Kuwait as a quick reaction force.

Same idea, by the way, in Afghanistan, where a brigade from the 10th Mountain Division was supposed to go in next year. They may not go, partly because NATO is stepping up, sending 6,000 additional troops, expanding their security forces.

So U.S. force levels in Afghanistan might go from 18,000 down to about 13,000. In Iraq, it could go down to 137,000 as soon as the elections are over, and then maybe down to 127,000. And there's some plan to get down to around 100,000 by some time in the summer of next year.

BLITZER: All right, Jamie. Thank you very much. Jamie McIntyre with the latest numbers from the Pentagon.

As of right now, by the way, the death toll among U.S. forces in Iraq stands at 2,134. More than 1,600 of those deaths are classified as hostile in Iraq.

Coming up, will death row inmate Stanley Tookie Williams live or die? That decision now in the hands of the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Williams' supporters and opponents voicing their thoughts to the governor today. We'll go there. We'll have a live report.

And Christmas cards -- a Christmas card. It's supposed to inspire cheer, but what happens when there is no word of Christmas in it? We'll tell you what's going on. A little culture war, a battle, here in Washington.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It's a simple question but a very complicated decision. Should a death row inmate's life be spared, or should he die for his violent crimes? That difficult decision now in the hands of the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Today he heard appeals from both sides.

Let's head out to Sacramento. Chris Lawrence standing by. Chris?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a lot of people say it's not only a difficult question, but it's going to be a political one for the governor. Right now we're all just waiting here outside the state capitol for Governor Schwarzenegger to issue an email. That's how he will communicate his decision to all of us.

It may not come today. But what we're hearing from the governor's people, he says don't expect some kind of last-minute Hollywood ending, that he would issue his decision well before Monday night.

Now, today he heard arguments on both sides. One side saying that Stanley Williams is a man who has redeemed his life, that he's turned his life around. He's written books urging kids to get out of gangs, not following the path he lead when he co-founded the Crips street gang. The other side says he's a man that has been convicted of brutally murdering four people, and he's never shown any remorse for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MONAGHAN, PROSECUTOR: You talk about redemption. This is not a situation where Mr. Williams admits he committed these crimes. In the face of overwhelming evidence, he denies he committed them. Because he knows if he admitted he committed them, he simply wouldn't have any chance at all.

PETER FLEMING, WILLIAMS' LAWYER: When I first met Stanley, I said, if you did this, you should confess to it, because it will help. And he said, if my innocence will cost me my life, so be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: And we'll give you a shot of what it looked like here around the state capitol here in Sacramento just up to a few hours ago, really. Just the crowd got bigger and bigger, 50, 60 people at one point, all weighing in their feelings on this, mostly supporters off Tookie Williams trying to lobby the governor to see things their way and to grant his request for clemency.

The governor is getting a lot of pressure from all sides. Not only these protesters here, you've got celebrities speaking out for Mr. Williams, you've got the NAACP and Catholic groups.

On the other side, he's got to balance that with law enforcement and victims' rights advocates who are advocating for the victims and saying this is a valid conviction and he needs to be executed.

So the governor will face a lot of pressure, and it's a decision that he will have to live with throughout the rest of his term in office. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much. Chris Lawrence reporting for us. We'll check back with you often.

Many well-known names have joined the fight to save Williams' life. One of them is Bianca Jagger, the former wife of the rocker Mick Jagger. I'll speak with Bianca Jagger. That's coming up later tonight during our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM. I'll ask her about her campaign.

Meanwhile, San Francisco's police department is being rocked by a scandal over a series of videotapes.

Fredricka Whitfield is joining us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with more on this story and more on the video. Fred?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Wolf, these videos contain skits that city officials call sexist, racist and homophobic. One officer is suspended. Others who took part are under investigation. And city officials are outraged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHIEF HEATHER FONG, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE: This is a dark day, an extremely dark day in the history of the San Francisco Police Department for me as the chief to have to stand here to share with you such egregious, shameful and despicable acts.

WHITFIELD (voice over): Both San Francisco's police chief and mayor were quick to condemn the videos, which contain a series of skits. Among the most controversial, one depicting a white officer in a patrol car running over a black homeless woman. And another skit about a transgender person flirting with an officer.

There are sexually suggestive scenes throughout, with officers and others provocatively licking their lips.

Mayor Gavin Newsom described the contents this way...

MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM (D), SAN FRANCISCO: Members of the San Francisco Police Department involved in skits that mock the African- American community, that mock the Asian community, that mock the transgender community, and mock women in general.

WHITFIELD: The officer behind the tapes is Andrew Cohen, a 10- year veteran who says he's produced numerous videos for the department, some for training, others humorous. He says these videos were intended only as a spoof to boost morale in his station, which serves one of the city's poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

His attorney is Daniel Horowitz, a legal pundit who recently made headlines when his wife was murdered. A teenaged neighbor charged with that crime has pleaded not guilty. Horowitz says the police tape satirized real problems facing officers in the Bay View neighborhood.

DANIEL HOROWITZ, COHEN'S ATTORNEY: The community feels that a bunch of white people are policing them and don't care. And the police feel that nobody is saying, hey, you're doing a great job, you really care. Andrew put that out there in the form of comedy, just like Chris Rock does. And instead of Chief Fong saying, I screwed up, I've done nothing for that community, she's saying Andrew Cohen is a racist. The opposite.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And these were images that were seen on the department Internet.

Meantime, Cohen has been suspended without pay. Mayor Newsom says some 20 other officers who took part in the videos will be suspended as well. The mayor is naming a special panel to review operations of the entire city police force. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Fred. Thanks very much. Fredricka Whitfield reporting for us. Coming up, most people are thrilled to get a card from the White House. But some conservative Christians are upset by this season's greeting. We'll show you why.

Plus, remembering John Lennon. We'll take you live to a gathering near the spot where he was killed some 25 years ago today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's go to Capitol Hill.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: They just lit the Christmas tree up on Capitol Hill. The speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, just made the announcement. There it is, what a spectacular sight. This year, it is being called a Christmas tree. It used to be called a holiday tree. They made a point of pointing out, this is a Christmas tree on Capitol Hill.

Let's listen in to the music for a second.

(MUSIC)

BLITZER: The sounds of "O Tannenbaum."

Look at that Christmas tree on Capitol Hill. There had been somewhat of a controversy. Should it be called a holiday tree? Should it be called Christmas tree? The speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, finally deciding, after all, it is a Christmas tree.

Meanwhile, the president and the first lady have added a little bit of fuel to the Christmas versus holiday feud that has been going on, delivered straight to hundreds of their friends and supporters -- I should say thousands of them around the country. Our national correspondent, Bruce Morton, is joining us now with this story. Bruce?

BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the White House Christmas card has some people hopping mad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: It's the South Portico of the White House covered with snow. This is the big magnolia tree for "All Things Bright and Beautiful," planted during the term of Andrew Jackson. It's out on the South Lawn. I think it's the oldest tree that we have at the White House -- covered with snow. And, of course, Barney and Beazley and our kitty made an appearance on the card.

MORTON (voice-over): But it's the inside page some people object to. It has a verse from the Psalms, as you can see. But it wishes its 1.4 million recipients a happy holiday season, not a merry Christmas.

And some conservative Christians are upset about that. Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily.com, said: "Bush claims to be a born-again evangelical Christian, but he sure doesn't act like one," adding that he threw his card away.

Susan Whitson, Mrs. Bush's press secretary, explained to the "Washington Post": "Certainly, President Bush and Mrs. Bush, because of their faith, celebrate Christmas. Their cards in recent years have included best wishes for a holiday season, rather than Christmas wishes, because they are spent to people of all faiths."

And, as president of all the people, Mr. Bush attended a Hanukkah ceremony a few days ago. The last presidential Christmas card to use the word Christmas was, in fact, sent by this president's father back in 1992. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt sent out the first White House Christmas card -- they did use the C-word -- in 1933. President and Mrs. Kennedy sent out two versions, one wishing recipients a blessed Christmas and the other a happy New Year, but that meant keeping track of everyone's religion, and it didn't last.

And the tradition has changed, anyway. The Kennedys sent out 2,000 cards in 1962, most probably to people they actually knew. The total jumped to 40,000 under Richard Nixon, 125,000 under Jimmy Carter, more than 400,000 under the Clintons, and, as we said, more than a million this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MORTON: It's political, now, Wolf, and the political parties pay for the cards.

BLITZER: Bruce Morton reporting for us. Bruce, thank you very much. And the president's brother may be making the holiday card controversy somewhat a little bit more controversial as well. It turns out the Florida governor, Jeb Bush, also fails to mention Christmas in his greeting cards this season. That's apparently fine with the top Democrat in the U.S. House.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi draws a line between cards and trees. Here's what she said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: I believe it's a Christmas tree. And this holiday season, at this Christmastime, I will be sending holiday cards to my friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, when it comes to Christmas trees, at least Pelosi and the House speaker, Dennis Hastert, apparently see eye to eye, at least on that.

If you weren't among the lucky recipients of that White House Christmas card or holiday card, whatever it is officially called, you can get a closer look online. But you won't necessarily find it reproduced on the White House Web site.

Here to explain, our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner. Jacki?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: I'm convinced, Wolf, mine is coming any day now.

You actually cannot get the card online at the White House Web site. You can get a copy of the painting on the front of the card there. However, where you can find the card online are bloggers who have received it. They have actually posted it, scanned it in and posted it for their readers to take a closer look. What you can get off the WhiteHouse.gov site that is actually very interesting is past Christmas cards. Let's take a look, this one from 1942 and the Roosevelt.

You can take a look at the one from the Eisenhower presidency. If you take a look at it, it does on the front season's greetings. Now, I should note, on the Web site, you can see the outside of the cards, this one here from the Clinton administration. It doesn't necessarily specify on the Web site what was written on the inside.

Now, I went through a bunch of blogs and tried to find out what the general sentiment was from people who had received it. And, essentially, what I was seeing was, it would have been nice had it said Christmas, but, basically, most of them just flattered to have gotten them -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jacki, thank you very much.

More on this subject, the holidays offering what can be a perfect niche for some small businesses. Ali Velshi is live in New York with that. Ali, what are you picking up?

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Some -- it's -- this -- this business of greeting cards actually could be a pretty good business.

There are about 10 billion greeting cards sent a year in the United States, about two billion of them sent right around this time of year. And I -- I couldn't really get a breakdown as to how many of those are holiday cards and how many of those are Christmas cards. So, I just wanted to figure out whether or not it's a good business. And here is what I got from some people who do, do Christmas cards or -- or cards, greeting cards, through the course of the year.

It's good if you're creative and have a bit of a business mind, because it's a small-margin business, so you need to be able to make some money doing it. If you understand design and/or printing, that could be useful.

There's some investor money available, either angel if venture capital money available, if you target a good -- good market. And it could be a good home-based part-time or off-hours business, partially because you can sell and distribute these cards off the Internet.

Now, for those people who don't want to jump right into their own business with greeting cards, think back to the 2002 movie "Mr. Deeds," a fellow Longfellow Deeds, played by Adam Sandler, whose dream it was to write a card for Hallmark and get that picked up by Hallmark. I thought maybe that would be a good way to start if you want to get into the greeting card business, until I found out from Hallmark -- this is the statement they have got on their -- on their Web site.

"It's a wonderful compliment when a writer, like the Mr. Deeds character in the movie, thinks of Hallmark. But with one of the largest in-house creative staffs in the country, our permanent creative staff fulfills virtually all our new product needs."

Hence, they don't really need freelancers to do stuff.

But, if you have a little bit of creativity, and you don't think you want to get into the business, you can use the Internet to send cards.

And, Wolf, I sent you a card. I think you have it there. Let's see. Do you guys -- do you have that card for Wolf?

BLITZER: Did you send it to me? I didn't see it.

VELSHI: I sent. Yes, I kind of wanted -- I wanted -- there you go.

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: That's -- that's me. And then, inside, I wrote a little poem for you.

BLITZER: All right. Let me see.

VELSHI: And it says: "Hey, Wolf, don't you need a vacation, a break from that room and the station? I will step in to replace you, try not to disgrace you, while you take some well earned relaxation."

BLITZER: Oh. Isn't that nice, Ali? Thank you so much.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Did I ever tell you that I used to sell greeting cards when I was in high school?

VELSHI: There you go. And see? And look at the greatness that you achieved as a result of it.

BLITZER: See? Former...

VELSHI: So, that alone makes it worthwhile.

BLITZER: Used to go door to door, try to sell some greeting cards -- not very successful.

VELSHI: Yes. Up in Buffalo?

BLITZER: In Buffalo, the snow, the sleet, the whole nine yards.

VELSHI: Well, my goodness. (CROSSTALK)

VELSHI: That makes you hardy.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Ali, thank you very much.

VELSHI: Good to see you.

BLITZER: Still to come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, some say his blockbuster movie "Passion of the Christ," is anti-Semitic, a main reason why some are upset over reports now that Mel Gibson is working on a TV drama involving the Holocaust. We will explain.

That's coming up, later tonight, in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour of THE SITUATION ROOM.

And he's ready for his close-up. A panda cub named Tai Shan makes his debut here in Washington. We will tell you how it went.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We're getting disturbing reports of some serious airport delays affecting a lot of airports around the country.

Let's check in with Chad Myers. He's watching this story for us. What's going on, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's really going downhill now, Wolf. I mean, we are talking about two to three hours, up to four hours at Chicago O'Hare. The picture you were just seeing, that was Cincinnati, I-71 really at a standstill. Now, if you can just even get to the airport, I guess that is one thing here, Cincinnati very slow.

I want to zoom in to a couple of spots here to let you know where the radars are showing -- Midway now at three hours, O'Hare at four hours. Cincinnati, CVG, actually across the bridge in Covington now, that is up to two hours with delays.

Farther down to the south in the rain and in the fog, Atlanta now two hours, and nothing even here yet, except all that volume being slowed down in the Midwest, O'Hare and Newark now kind of getting in on the act -- Newark at an hour and 30 minutes. And the snow has yet to arrive -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: All right. And the ripple effect could have enormous impact on everyone.

Let's check up with Lou Dobbs, see what's happening in New York, and how -- what he's doing to get ready for his program right at the top of the hour. Lou?

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you. Everything we can, is the answer.

At 6:00 Eastern on CNN, tonight, the military considering plans to sharply cut the number of our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We will be live at the Pentagon.

Also, President Bush's poll numbers are bouncing back, and up sharply, after months of plummeting approval ratings. We will tell you why.

And rising outrage tonight over proposals to limit U.S. sovereignty, to take vital U.S. immigration decisions away from our federal government and hand them over to an unelected international trade organization. We will tell you what's going on there and a great deal more -- all coming up at 6:00. Please join us. Now back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Lou, thanks very much. The secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, can't seem to get away from questions about U.S. torture policies toward terror suspects. They have dogged her virtually every step of her latest European tour. Today in Brussels was certainly no different. Is the secretary winning anyone over with her answers?

Let's check in with our national security correspondent, David Ensor. David?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's not clear about European public opinion, but judging by the reaction of some of the officials in Brussels today, she may be.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): Secretary Rice has been peppered with questions about CIA secret prisons and interrogation techniques throughout her trip to Europe. But with NATO's chief saying she has cleared the air, she may have turned the tide with this statement in Ukraine.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States' obligations under the -- the CAT, which prohibits, of course, cruel and inhumane and degrading treatment, those obligations extend to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States.

ENSOR: The CAT is the U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of prisoners. It defines torture as severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, intentionally inflicted on a person to obtain information. It was the first time an administration official had been so specific in front of television cameras. But present and former officials insist the treaty language has all along been considered applicable to CIA officer overseas.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I actually don't see a shift, in terms of my understanding, of the law, as it applies to U.S. officers.

ENSOR: The problem is, one man's torture or inhumane treatment is another man's effective technique.

JEFFREY SMITH, FORMER CIA GENERAL COUNSEL: As you move closer to more aggressive techniques, some people may begin to call something torture that others would just call aggressive techniques that are necessary for national security.

ENSOR: CIA interrogators have a list of pressure techniques approved by the Justice Department that they can and have used against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Ramzi Binalshibh, and several dozen other al Qaeda prisoners.

MCLAUGHLIN: No one favors torture. The real question and the tougher question that people have to grapple with is, what do you do when someone comes into your hands who, with absolute certainty, has knowledge of plots to kill Americans in the future?

ENSOR: The approved techniques, knowledgeable sources tell CNN, include pitch-black cells for days on end, loud music, sleep deprivation, forced standing, slaps and something called water- boarding, in which a prisoner is made to feel he may drown. Water- boarding was used, but sources it is say no longer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: After the first newspaper report that some of the al Qaeda prisoners were being held in Europe, they were moved, knowledgeable sources say. And officials say the information from al Qaeda prisoners has saved many European, as well as American lives. Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with the latest on that issue, a very sensitive one, indeed. David, thank you very much.

Up next, it's a popular antidepressant used by millions of people. Now a stronger warning about the possibility of some very serious side effects.

And a quarter-century after he was gunned down, John Lennon's influence lives on. We will go live to Central Park in New York, where fans are remembering the late musician. Our Mary Snow is on the scene for us right there.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Our Zain Verjee is off today. Fredricka Whitfield is joining us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news. Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Hello again, Wolf. A suspected link to heart defects in infants has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to request stronger warning labels on a popular antidepressant. GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil, says it has agreed to comply with the FDA's request. The new label warns that studies in pregnant women have demonstrated an increased risk to the fetus. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says, if the U.S. is unprepared, a bird flu pandemic could cost the country $675 billion. Frist, who is also a heart surgeon, cited the sobering statistics in speech today to the National Press Club in Washington today. CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be live in THE SITUATION ROOM at 7:00 p.m. Eastern -- Eastern with the latest on the spread of the potentially deadly virus.

And a big day for a relatively little guy at the National Zoo in Washington. Panda cub Tai Shan has made his long-waited public debut today. There have been special viewings and access through an online panda cam. But this is the first time the general public has gotten a first-hand look at his royal cuteness.

And I know, Wolf, you have connections. So, you probably don't have to stand in line. But, for the rest of us lowlifes, it will be about another month before we can get our hands on any reserved tickets.

BLITZER: It's a great zoo, the Washington zoo. I know, Fred...

WHITFIELD: It is beautiful.

BLITZER: ... you're -- you're a native Washingtonian, so you know the zoo here.

WHITFIELD: I am. I love it. And I grew up loving the pandas there, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, all of those guys there at the National Zoo.

BLITZER: Oh, it's a great place to go. And that's a beautiful little panda. Thanks very much, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

BLITZER: OK, I'm going to give our viewers three expressions -- check this out -- bird flu, persistent vegetative state, and podcast. Which one was just selected as the new Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year and will go into the 2006 dictionary? The answer, podcast.

Why is that? Let's check in with our Jacki Schechner. She's -- she is here to explain. Jacki?

SCHECHNER: I cover a lot of bird flu, but this is a good day for me on this one, Wolf.

So, podcast is the word of the year. What is this? It is a downloadable audio file. It means you can grab this thing off the Internet, play it on your computer or your portable MP3 player, like an iPod, something like that.

Now, the definition is not in the dictionary yet. It is going to be in there in 2006. But where can you get definitions on words like this and other ones that I use in my segments? Well, you can find them online at CNN.com in the technology section. There is a full dictionary for you. And you can find these words.

Now, to get podcasts, you can go online to sites called podcast.net. You can get them at iTunes. You can get them at this one, indypodder.org. They will recommend podcasts for you. They have everything, politics, also in Italian. You can get them on pop culture. These are really amateur files that you can carry with you and listen to at any time.

Let's give you an idea what one of these sounds like, this from RollAudio. It's a Web site that deals with truck culture and business. Listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

STEPHEN PETIT, JOURNALIST: It's Stephen Petit with a RollAudio check call.

A quick tip for the business side of your trucking business.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SCHECHNER: All right. So, this is what these kinds of things sound like. And you can get them online, Wolf, at pretty much any site that deals with podcasts. And, by the way, two of the runners-up, bird flu and transfat, definitely not as entertaining.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Eww, transfat.

SCHECHNER: Yes.

BLITZER: I like podcast. Transfat, not too thrilled about.

SCHECHNER: No.

BLITZER: Congratulations, podcast.

Up next, music and mourning in Strawberry Fields. It's a field in New York's Central Park, where many are remembering on this day John Lennon. He was murdered 25 years ago today.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Millions of people can probably recall exactly where they were when they learned that John Lennon had been shot. That was 25 years ago today.

Some of his fans have been gathering throughout the day over at Strawberry Fields, the Central Park memorial to Lennon in New York City.

Let's go to -- to the scene -- Mary Snow standing by. What's it like there, Mary? MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the crowds just keep getting bigger. I don't know if you can see behind me, those lights down there. But police estimate there are about 1,500 people gathered at Strawberry Fields, the site dedicated to John Lennon. The crowds keep coming. People are bringing instruments, singing Beatles songs. This is the site right across the street from the Dakota, where John Lennon lived and where he was killed 25 years ago.

Earlier today, his widow, Yoko Ono, came over and placed white roses at this site of Strawberry Fields. She did not speak, but she lit -- bended over, that is, and put the flowers there.

You know, fans here come all year long, but they say they can't remember seeing it this crowded in recent memory. Some of the fans were here the night Lennon was killed. Others are so young that they were born years after Lennon was killed. I talked to one 17-year-old who says he comes here often. But people said they not only wanted to remember his music, but his life. And they felt that this was a date where they should pay tribute to John Lennon.

And, also, tonight, there will be two moments of silence, the moment John Lennon was shot and the moment he died. And crowds are anticipated to grow as the night goes on. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Mary, thank you very much. Mary Snow is in Central Park in New York.

We are here in THE SITUATION ROOM every weekday afternoons, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We are back in THE SITUATION ROOM 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's just one hour from now -- later tonight, much more coming up on Tookie Williams.

Until then, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Lou Dobbs getting ready to pick up our coverage. Lou?

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