Return to Transcripts main page
The Situation Room
Fallout From Iran's Move to Restart Nuclear Research Program; Interview With Senator Lindsey Graham; Man Seen Taking Pictures of Tanker Equipment; Mehmet Ali Agca Freed; 345 Pilgrims Killed; Unusual Development In Abu Ghraib Prison
Aired January 12, 2006 - 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: And to our viewers, it's almost 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, it's 1:30 a.m. in Tehran. Iran's move to restart its nuclear program, along with some blood-curdling threats, have the U.S. and its allies very concerned. Negotiations have gone nowhere. What's the next step?
It's midnight in Turkey, where the man who shot Pope John Paul II is freed from prison as supporters cheer. Will we ever know if he acted alone?
And it's 5:00 p.m. in Florida, where a man was seen photographing tanker trucks and asking drivers suspicious questions. But that was last year. Why did it take so long to issue a public alert? And what's that man doing right now?
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
There's new fallout from Iran's move to restart its nuclear research program. The U.S. and its European allies say negotiations with Iran have reached a dead end and they want the matter moved to United Nations Security Council.
Our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour is standing by live in Tehran.
But we begin our coverage with our State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel -- Andrea.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as far as the Bush administration is concerned, this has been a long time coming. Some U.S. officials were skeptical from the very start that patient diplomacy would persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear program. But ever since she arrived at the State Department a year ago, Secretary of State Rice believes that the best approach was for the U.S. to follow Europe's lead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL (voice over): Just hours after Europe threw down the gauntlet, Secretary of State Rice followed suit. CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: As the EU3 and EU has declared, these provocative actions by the Iranian regime has shattered the basis for negotiation.
KOPPEL: After two and a half years of dogged diplomacy led by Great Britain, France and Germany, it was a transatlantic show of unity. The message to Iran's president: reverse course or the next stop for Tehran will be the United Nations.
RICE: We agree that the Iranian regime's defiant resumption of uranium enrichment work leaves the EU with no choice but to request an emergency meeting of the IAEA board of governors. That meeting would be to report Iran's its non-compliance with its safeguards obligations to the U.N. Security Council.
KOPPEL: Once at the U.N., Iran faces possible economic sanctions, but only if veto-wielding members like China and Russia agree. Although not yet in lockstep with Europe and the U.S., Rice hinted they might soon come around.
RICE: I would note that even today the foreign minister of Russia saying that this kind of activity -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- could cost Iran Moscow's support.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: But before Iran is referred to the United Nations, the 35-member board of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency -- that's the IAEA -- needs to hold am emergency meeting to sign off on such a move. Something, Wolf, that is still days if not weeks away -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Andrea Koppel. Thank you very much.
Iran has made clear in the past it's not concerned by the threat of U.N. sanctions. And all signs point to a continuation of its nuclear program. But Iran's chief nuclear negotiator insists there's nothing to worry about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI LARIJANI, IRAN'S CHIEF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR: And from the beginning we said that if we use centrifuges, it would be under the supervision of the IAEA. Right now the agency inspectors are there. Their cameras are there. The projects are happening under their supervision. There is nothing secret about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Iran's negotiator spoke with our Chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. And Christiane is joining us now live from Tehran.
Give us a perspective, Christiane. What have you seen, what have you heard over the past few days on this very sensitive issue of Iran's nuclear program? CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, certainly ever since the beginning of this week, when they basically removed the seals from the voluntary suspension of any kind of enrichment activity, there has been a ratcheting up of tensions between Iran and the West. And I believe that they are feeling some of the heat.
We did an exclusive interview at their request with the -- with the chief negotiator, the head of the National Security Council there, and they tried to tell us that they wanted to keep relations with the European countries that they had been negotiating with, that they believe that there was still room to continue negotiations. They told us -- he told us that there was a possibility that what they have been discussing with Russia might bear fruit.
As you know, Russia had discussed actually conducting the nuclear fuel cycle producing uranium for any kind of nuclear power plant that Iran says it needs enriched uranium for. Up until now, Iran has kept at arm's length from that, saying that it wanted to conduct the nuclear fuel cycle, now saying that it may -- it may be able to reach some agreement with Russia.
Again, saying to us that it wanted good relations, it maintained good relations with the IAEA. That everything it did, it said, would be under IAEA surveillance, and insisting over and over again that their program is peaceful, they say, and is not designed to divert any kind of nuclear material to a weapons program -- Wolf.
BLITZER: How concerned are they, though, that the IAEA will issue its report, it will go to the U.N. Security Council, and the votes might be there to start imposing either economic or diplomatic sanctions against Iran?
AMANPOUR: Well, I think that they are concerned. I think that -- you could imagine, no country wants to be isolated any more than it is, neither diplomatically nor economically.
They do say in public, though, that sanctions will not affect them, that it will cause as much harm to the countries that impose them as to Iran itself. But, I don't think that they are -- that they're looking to have sanctions imposed, although they do say that they're right to research nuclear technology is non-negotiable.
They believe that they're not being treated fairly according to the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty, that they're right is to have this capability, is to have this technology for peaceful purposes, and that they are being unfairly discriminated against. You'll remember the president of Iran called it nuclear apartheid.
Now, of course the issue is Iran's intentions, because, yes, they do have the right under the NPT, but the intentions, what are those intentions? And the chief negotiator told us again and again and that intention was peaceful.
BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour joining us from Tehran tonight.
Thank you, Christiane, very much.
Fredricka Whitfield is joining us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, Wolf.
And now he waits. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito concluded his Senate testimony today. The Judiciary Committee will now hear comments from supporters and opponents of Alito's nomination. Today Alito praised the dedication and integrity of the woman he'll replace, Justice Sandra Day Connor.
The entire Senate could vote next week.
President Bush makes his first trip to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast in three months. In New Orleans, the president praised the relief effort and vowed the federal government will partner with state and local authorities in rebuilding the region. So far, the president says the government has spent $25 billion, and another $60 billion has been approved by Congress and it's on the way.
Last week, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested ailing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon brought his illness on himself. Today Robertson is apologizing for those words.
Robertson wrote a letter to Mr. Sharon's son asking for forgiveness. This after Israel threatened to cut Robertson out of a $50 million deal for a Christian Heritage site in Israel.
Ariel Sharon is stable but still in critical condition after suffering a significant stroke.
CNN just received a statement from Israel's ambassador to the United States. "Israel respects Reverend Robertson and accepts his apology, which reflects his true friendship and support for the state of Israel."
And the sole survivor of last week's mine disaster in West Virginia remains in critical but stable condition. His lung functions continue to improve. Doctors say they've replaced Randy McCloy's breathing and feeding tubes. Twelve of McCloy's co-workers died in last week's mining accident -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Fred. Thank you very much.
In response to the West Virginia miner tragedy, we now want to alert you to an e-mail scam circulating online.
Jacki Schechner is joining us. She has more -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, here's the deal. You get an e-mail from the guy who claims to be Randal McCloy's doctor, the guy that you've seen on TV all the time. Don't respond to it. He is not asking for money.
If you get that e-mail, forward it on to IC3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center. It is a fake.
Now, we want to point you to the Web site for the West Virginia University Hospital. This is where you can get all the Randal McCloy updates. You can also find out how to e-mail him, send him an e-card, that kind of thing.
And I also want to point you to this new Web site from the FTC. They are putting it on OnGuard Online site. You can learn about these phishing scams. These are the e-mail scams that we talk about all the time.
They have an interactive quiz now online. It will ask you questions. You can answer them. It will talk you through it. And this will really get you up to date on some of these scams that we tell you about from time to time.
So, again, do not send money to Randal McCloy through that e- mail. It is a phony -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacki, thank you very much.
Let's go to Jack Cafferty in New York.
Jack, I hate these people who try to get these scams, make money out of the tragedies of others.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: No, I do, too. Why do they spell "phishing" phishing? Do you know?
BLITZER: No. We'll get back to you on that, though.
CAFFERTY: Where's Zain Verjee?
BLITZER: Let me ask Jacki Schechner. Maybe she knows.
Jacki, do you know what they spell phishing the way that they spell it, with a "ph?"
SCHECHNER: I probably should and I don't. So I'm going to look that up for you. I'll get back to you with that.
BLITZER: We're going to Google that for you, Jack, and we'll get back with the Google.
CAFFERTY: OK.
Houston is set to become the biggest school district in the country to link teachers' pay to their students' test scores. Teachers would get up $3,000 more a year if their students improved on state and national tests. And this extra merit pay could eventually rise to $10,000.
The school board is expected to pass the measure on a 5-4 vote later today. Denver already has a similar program in place.
The critics says the plan focuses too much on test scores, and the teachers' union is opposed.
Here's the question: Should teachers' salaries be tied to their students' performance?
You can e-mail us your thoughts on that or why they spell "phishing" with a "ph" at CaffertyFile@CNN.com.
The other question is -- maybe I skipped past you there -- where is Zain?
BLITZER: She's on the way to Washington. She's on assignment. You'll know more today. Stay by for news.
CAFFERTY: She take a lot of time off.
BLITZER: Thanks, Jack.
Up ahead, the man who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II is set free from prison. The Vatican supports the decision, so why are so many outraged?
And is the government opening your personal mail? The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency acknowledging it may read mail coming from abroad as part of the fight against terror. One man found that out -- one man found that out the hard way.
And after his question, the nominee's wife began to cry. We'll ask Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about that, how he thinks the hearings are going.
He'll join us here in THE SITUATION ROOM. He's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It's by no means a stretch to say my next guest supports the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. But ironically, it was during his questioning yesterday that Alito's wife began to cry.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is joining us now.
I want to just play, Senator Graham, briefly your questioning, and we'll take a look at Mrs. Alito sitting behind her husband and the emotional reaction from her.
Watch this and listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Are you really a closet bigot?
JUDGE SAMUEL ALITO, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: I'm not any kind of a bigot.
GRAHAM: No, sir, you're not. And you know why I believe that, not because you just said it, but that's a good enough reason, because you seem to be a decent, honorable man. I've got reams of quotes from people who have worked with you, African-American judges -- I've lost my quotes. I don't know where they're at, but glowing quotes about who you are, the way you've lived your life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What was going through your mind? I don't know if you could see Mrs. Alito beginning to weep as you were asking those series of questions. But how did it feel?
GRAHAM: Well, I tell you, as you could tell, I was upset. And the reason I had been upset is I had sat there all day, and once you start trying to bring guilt by association, take someone's writings who happens to be a member of an organization that Judge Alito belonged to that were really awful things, and trying to say, well, you're a member of this organization, this guy said it and you must believe it, and question his ethics about Vanguard for a hundred different ways when there's really nothing that's happened, it made me feel like we're going too far.
It was out of bounds. And I wanted to let his family know that this was -- this was not necessary. And it made me mad.
And I can tell when I said something nice about her husband, reinforcing her view of her husband, that she had an emotional release. And she was embarrassed about it, I hear, but she shouldn't have been embarrassed. What was happening to her husband yesterday was out of bounds.
BLITZER: Who crossed the line among your colleagues?
GRAHAM: Well, I think -- I think the whole aura of guilt by association, of constantly suggesting that this organization that was not a big part of his life defined Judge Alito, that writings by other people he didn't know within this organization should be a reason to vote against him or think ill of him.
The whole process crossed the line. And it's coming from special interest groups on the left who are pushing our Democratic senators really hard to find a reason to vote no.
And here's the problem I have for the country. If there's ever a Democratic president, groups on the right are capable of doing the same thing. And I worry about the Senate and I worry about the quality of people who want to be judges, because we're going to drive good men and women from wanting to serve on the court if this continues.
BLITZER: Do you want to mention any names of your colleagues that did cross the line?
GRAHAM: Well, I think some of the quotes presented by Senator Kennedy had the effect of trying to be guilt by association. And Senator Kennedy and I get along well. We work on things. And the pressure about these Supreme Court nominee is immense, Wolf. You have to be in the Senate to appreciate it there. A bunch of groups out there pushing to get him knocked out, to get him filibustered. There are a bunch of groups pushing for him. And it's intense.
And it need not be that way. We can have intense questioning. We can put him through his paces. But nobody deserves to have their character impugned in an improper way just because you want to win.
BLITZER: On the other hand, this is a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the nation, decisions that this individual will make could affect all of our lives on some of the most profound issues.
Don't you think it's incumbent on you and your colleagues to ask those tough questions, to make sure you've picked the right person?
GRAHAM: Absolutely, it's incumbent upon us to ask proper, hard, penetrating questions. It's not fair for us to answer to someone's political needs, to do a cut and paste job, to try to suggest a person is something we know from all of the evidence there's not. Because there's another side to what we're doing here.
We're setting a signal -- or sending a signal to other wannabe judges. And if we don't watch it, if we go too far into TV ads that are being run, in the types of questions that undermine a person's character unfairly, then you're going to drive good men and women away from wanting to be judges.
The independence of the judiciary is equally at stake here.
BLITZER: Do you agree with Senator Biden that the process is broken right now?
GRAHAM: Yes, sir. I do. Joe Biden is a great friend. It's broken.
But here's the good news about the process. After three days, you can -- you can see for yourself that Judge Alito is a very scholarly person, a man of great intellect. And I think a great character.
You could see the same about John Roberts.
The hearings help the public to see people in a way that they'll never get to see once they get on the court. I think it builds up confidence in the judiciary, but what's happening is that they're losing confidence in their political representatives because we're playing too many political games with a non-political body.
And Senator Biden is right. It is really -- it needs to be reformed or we're going to drive good men and women away from being judges.
BLITZER: One final question before I let you go, Senator Graham. Did you participate in rehearsals with Judge Alito to help him prepare for these hearings?
GRAHAM: I met with Judge Alito last Thursday at my request to ask him questions about my pet peeve, and that's detainees at Guantanamo Bay. I am not a big fan of the idea that the president doesn't have to get a warrant when Americans are involved.
I put Judge Alito and the White House on notice. I met with him privately like other senators did about an hour.
He never told me what question to ask. And I never told him what answer to give. But if it helped him have a senator go through that process with him like other senators did, I'm proud to have been of help. But it would me like coaching Michael Jordan on basketball to suggest I could tell him how to interpret the law.
BLITZER: Senator Graham, thanks very much for joining us.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
BLITZER: Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina.
And coming up, a man photographs tanker trucks and asks seemingly suspicious questions of drivers. Now the public is asked to be on the lookout. Is there a security threat out there?
And an elderly retired professor gets a letter from a former colleague overseas. Why would homeland security officials open and possibly read that letter? Are they reading your letters?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: ... solely to law enforcement officials. So far, his identity remains unknown. He is described as a male in his early 50s with black, short wavy hair and dark skin.
Now, the truckers that he spoke to say that it sounded like English was his second language. He's been seen driving a white mid- sized car.
Now, Wolf, important to note there is no information that he's committed any crime. He's merely wanted for questioning at this point.
BLITZER: All right. Let's hope they get some questions out of him.
Thanks very much, Kelly, for that.
Also in our CNN "Security Watch," is the government reading your mail in the name of homeland security?
Our Brian Todd talked to one man who believes it happened to him.
Brian, what happened?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Grant Goodman is a bookish 81-year-old from a retirement community in Lawrence, Kansas. He has a friend who is in the Philippines who is about the same age and who he says is no more of a public threat than he is.
So Goodman shuttered recently when a letter from his friend, which he says contained nothing more than a note and some newspaper clippings, had clearly been opened and resealed by officials from Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRANT GOODMAN, MAIL WAS OPENED BY CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTION OFFICIALS: I was obviously shocked and very distressed to think that my privacy had been violated in this way. I wondered why in the world this had happened to a letter addressed to me.
TODD (voice over): Goodman doesn't believe there's anything in his background that's suspicious. A long-time Asian studies professor at the University of Kansas, retired for 16 years, says he's never been publicly critical of the government and says he served as a Japanese translator for General Douglas McArthur at the end of World War II.
Our separate background check found nothing to refute any of that. He says his friend, who he wouldn't name, is also an American- educated former professor with whom he's exchanged letters for many years.
On the heels of the NSA wiretapping controversy, Goodman's letter raises more concern over the balance between privacy and security.
CAROLINE FREDERICKSON, ACLU: And it would trouble me that that goes on and that our administration feels like it has the authority to poke around in people's private lives when there's no evidence of them doing anything wrong.
TODD: Contacted by CNN, an official with Customs and Border Protection says its long-standing policy that any package coming into the U.S. from overseas can legally be opened if there's suspicion of contraband inside. A statement from the agency says in part, "CBP does not open mail to read personal correspondence. Sealed letter class mail which appears to contain only correspondence is only opened when a search warrant is issued or the sender or addressee gives written authorization."
Goodman says he never gave permission and is sure his friend didn't.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: The Customs officials says she does not know about Goodman's case, does not know why his letter would have been opened. The official says it is likely that no one actually read the letter. But Grant Goodman says he still feels like he's under surveillance -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting for us.
Brian, thank you very much.
We've got some pictures coming in, Air Force One getting ready to arrive -- actually, it has arrived down in Florida. The president has a fund-raiser tonight in Palm Beach, Florida. He's getting ready to get off that plane to head over to Palm Beach and participate in that fund-raiser.
Interestingly enough, on the flight from Mississippi, according to Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, the president made a phone call to Judge Alito from Air Force One to congratulate him, according to McClellan, on the great job he did in the hearings and to reiterate his appreciation for Alito serving potentially on the nation's highest court if confirmed.
"Proud of the way you handled it," the president said to Alito in reference to the way he represented himself during the hearings. The president also said that Alito showed great class.
That was a brief phone conversation between the president and Samuel Alito on the flight on Air Force One, the flight to Florida.
The president is about to get off that flight. He's going to be attending a Republican National Committee event in Palm Beach in a private home tonight. It's at the estate of homebuilder Dwight Shar (ph), a co-owner, by the way, of the Washington Redskins, the local team here in Washington that's doing remarkably well in the playoffs so far, for those of us who are watching and are interested in the Redskins.
The president will be attending this fund-raiser there tonight.
Earlier today, he attended a couple of events in Mississippi and New Orleans dealing with reconstruction, rebuilding in the aftermath of the hurricanes.
Coming up, international outrage over the release of this man. He tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II. So why is he free right now?
Plus, disaster strikes at an annual religious pilgrimage. Hundreds of people are killed. We'll show you what went wrong.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It was one of the most notorious assassination attempts in recent history. And the man behind it is now freed. He's Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II.
Let's turn to CNN's faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher. She's joining us now with -- New York with more -- Delia.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Agca spent more than half his life behind bars. He was just 23 years old when he tried to kill Pope John Paul II. That was 25 years ago this May.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GALLAGHER (voice-over): It was Mehmet Ali Agca who fired a .9- millimeter pistol at John Paul II in broad daylight amidst a huge crowd in Saint Peter's Square. Wounded in his hand and abdomen, the pope survived the assassination attempt and forgave Agca from his hospital bed.
An Italian court sentenced him to life in prison. Two years later, the pope famously visit his would-be assassin in a maximum security prison in Rome.
MEHMET ALI AGCA: I am Jesus Christ. In this generation, all of the world will be destroyed.
GALLAGHER: Agca claimed at times to be the messiah. His trial attorney called him a religious fanatic with a delusions of grandeur. Neither the pope, nor Italian investigators, ever believed Agca acted alone.
JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: The most popular theory is that the Bulgarian secret police were -- were the immediate coordinators of the assassinate attempt and perhaps ultimately acting on instructions from Moscow.
GALLAGHER: Nineteen-eighty-one was the height of the Cold War. And the Polish-born pope supported the solidarity movement, the beginning of the end of communism in Europe.
Italy tried three Turks and three Bulgarians who were allegedly involved. They were acquitted, for lack of evidence. The pope never pressed for answers.
ALLEN: I think, in his mind, it was about the powers of this world, the demonic forces at work in the world, who were trying to interfere, stop the work of good that he was attempting to do.
GALLAGHER: After 19 years, Italy let Agca let go as part of a millennium amnesty for prisoners set in motion by the pope.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GALLAGHER: Now after Italy, Agca was sent back to his native Turkey to serve time for a previous murder of a newspaper editor in Istanbul. And, including, it was another amnesty, Wolf, this one in Turkey, that cleared the way for his release today -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Delia Gallagher reporting for us -- thanks, Delia, very much.
In Turkey, many are unhappy that Mehmet Ali Agca gained an early release from that murder sentence. But the man who shot the pope may not be off the hook. CNN's Paula Newton is in Istanbul.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Wolf.
Well, quite a dramatic day today, when Mehmet Ali Agca was released. You know, he looked very composed and very determined. He needs to sort out some unfinished business with the Turkish military. He was a draft dodger in 1979 and actually escaped from a military prison. They are saying that he does have to do some kind of military service.
He went from military installation to military hospital to another military office, slipped out the back. Right now, he's no longer with the military and is, we believe, with family and friends.
And so, in the next few days, he will have to determine where he will be serving in military and for how long. Having said that, Turkish residents here, they're outraged, many of them, saying that this is a real shame that he was released after serving less than five years for murdering a journalist here in Turkey.
That sentence really didn't have anything to do with his attempted assassination of the pope. Really, in response to a lot of that outage, what ended up happening is, the Turkish justice minister today announced that they're reviewing the case and seeing whether or not it was proper indeed what happened to them.
It's a little bit complicated. But, basically, Agca benefited from some judicial reforms here in Turkey. And what ended up happening was, the time that he served in Italy, the two decades, counted for time served on this other murder. Suffice it to say, Wolf, that they're looking at this again. And it's not out of the question to suggest that he could be re-incarcerated -- back to you now in the studio.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Paula Newton, reporting for us from Istanbul.
In Saudi Arabia, the annual Hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca ended in tragedy once again today, when thousands of pilgrims were caught up in a stampede. At least 345 people were killed. Hundreds of others were injured.
CNN's Zain Verjee has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A chaotic scene, full of ambulances, with slippers, umbrellas and clothing scattered about.
A U.S.-based religious scholar at the site describes it as heartbreaking -- a nearby hospital overflowing with the injured. Tens of thousands had gathered at Mina on the desert plain outside the holy city of Mecca.
There, at a site called al-Jamarat, the faithful come each year to symbolically purge themselves of sin by hurling stones at pillars representing the devil. The site is located on a large pedestrian bridge as wide as an eight-lane highway. The Saudi Interior Ministry says the pilgrims began bottled up at an entrance to the bridge. Many had brought their luggage with them.
And the stampede began when some started tripping over the bags. Almost three million Muslims are believed to have made this year's pilgrimage to Mecca, revered as the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.
It's been the scene of many deadly incidents in the past. Just last week, 76 people were killed when a hotel collapsed on to a street packed with pilgrims in central Mecca. In 1990, more than 1,400 pilgrims were trampled to death in another stampede. Saudi officials have tried to improve security and crowd management.
At the site in Mina, they replaced the pillars with walls that are easier to hit with the stones and also padded against the crush of pilgrims. More time has been given also to complete the ceremony.
But the sheer volume of the people and the emotion of the occasion overwhelmed the precautions.
Zain Verjee, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Still to come, an unusual development in the Abu Ghraib prison probe -- why a top U.S. general is now refusing to talk.
Plus, we will show you what's coming soon to a Starbucks near you, details of a new deal with Hollywood.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There's an unusual development in the investigation into prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is standing by live with details -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a top U.S. Army general caught up in the prison scandal has now decided to retire. But there's more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): Major General Jeffrey Miller, who ran detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and helped establish interrogation procedures at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, has invoked his right against self-incrimination.
Miller cited his Article 31 rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, rather than be interviewed by defense attorneys for two soldiers accused of using dogs against detainees at Abu Ghraib.
EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW ANALYST: It's very unusual for senior officers, admirals, generals, the higher ranks, to invoke their right to not incriminate themselves. It happens from time to time, but, usually, it doesn't happen quite so publicly.
STARR: Army sources say Miller may have invoked the right because he felt had already repeatedly answered questions about his role at the prison.
And while Miller has the right against self-incrimination, the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs made one thing clear.
GENERAL PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We expect our leaders to -- to lead by example. But we do not expect them to give up their individual rights as -- as people.
STARR: Miller had been recommended for administrative punishment over the handling of a high-value detainee at Guantanamo Bay. But that was overruled by a more senior general, who said no law was broken.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: And, late today, General Miller's attorney issued a statement, saying that Miller's decision to remain silent had nothing to do with the immunity granted to the Army colonel who ran intelligence operations at Abu Ghraib, that immunity, Wolf, granted on the same day that General Miller invoked his rights.
BLITZER: What are you hearing, Barbara, about the possibility that other generals or senior officers might be retiring early, might decide themselves they want to leave in the aftermath of this -- this prisoner abuse uproar?
STARR: Well, there is every indication, Wolf, that at least one more general, very well-known, three-star Army General Ricardo Sanchez, the man who headed U.S. operations across Iraq at the time the scandal broke out, every indication that he also is going to retire.
The reason is that these generals simply could not be confirmed by the Senate for a promotion, given the scandal. Even though General Sanchez has never been accused of anything, he knows he can't be confirmed -- every indication from sources, he will be the next to announce his retirement -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Barbara, thank you very much. Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.
Starbucks is getting ready to branch out from coffee again. What is going on?
Ali Velshi is in New York. He's got the "Bottom Line."
What is going on, Ali? VELSHI: Are you a Starbucks guy.
BLITZER: Yes, I am.
VELSHI: Yes. See, I couldn't be less interested. I drink whatever swill happens to be around.
But Starbucks clearly appeals to a great bunch of people. And now they're getting into the movie business. Now, you know that Starbucks has been very successful selling CDs, music CDs. Now they are branching out. And they made a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment to promote a movie that is coming out in the spring. And it's called "Akeelah and the Bee." It stars Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett. It's about a spelling bee and, presumably, someone named Akeelah.
And Starbucks is going to promote the spelling bee in competitions, and, on their little cup liners, they're going to have promotions of the movie. In exchange, they're going to get a piece of action from the movie, and they're going to get a credit in the opening of the movie -- Starbucks also talking about introducing books to the store.
And I got to tell you, Wolf, it has done well in other places, where people get into a distribution platform like Starbucks, 5,500 stores in Canada and the United States. It strikes me that the that -- movie house is getting a good part of the -- a good part of the this deal. We will have to see whether it works. If it does -- and Starbucks seems to make things work -- you might see a lot more of that co-branding going on in future.
BLITZER: But is there any fear that it could sort of water down the brand that Starbucks has, which is a terrific brand, obviously?
VELSHI: Well, right now, it's CDs movies, and they have said books. It probably all sort of fits into the same theme.
But, at some point, if you start seeing electronics and stuff like that, I -- it might -- one might start to wonder whether Starbucks is a coffee shop or just the place on every block that you can get anything you need.
BLITZER: All right, thanks very much, Ali, for that.
Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program. That begins right at the top of the hour.
Lou, what are you working on?
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you.
We're working on the end, the merciful end of the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito.
Also, tonight, taking on a global nuclear threat -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accuses Iran of deliberately escalating its nuclear confrontation with Europe and the United States, while the U.N. secretary-general actually plays down the issue. We will be live at the White House, have a full report for you.
Also, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales demanding more respect for illegal aliens, while appearing to completely ignore our illegal immigration crisis. And we will have a special report there as well.
Outrage tonight in California, after Home Depot forced to build a day labor center that will be used by illegal aliens.
And the risk of a global bird flu pandemic, it's rising by the day. Tonight, I will be talking with the director of the National Institute For Allergy and Infectious Diseases about whether or not this disease is already mutating.
All of that and a great deal more coming up at the top of the hour right here on CNN. Please join us -- now back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Lou. We will see you soon.
Up next, higher pay for higher performance? Our Jack Cafferty is asking, should teachers' salaries be linked to how well their students do in class? Coming up, Jack with your e-mail.
And, in 1992, Roger Coleman was executed for a crime he vehemently denied committing. Today, officials say new DNA tests confirm it was -- that it was true. I will ask high-profile attorney Barry Scheck about that and more. He's the co-director of The Innocence Project -- all that coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Fredricka Whitfield is joining us now from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news.
Hi again, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Hello again, Wolf.
Well, leading up to his execution, he was steadfast in his innocence. Now, 14 years after Roger Coleman was put to death in Virginia, officials say new DNA tests confirm his guilt. Virginia Governor Mark Warner says the test confirm Coleman raped and murdered his sister-in-law in 1981. Coleman spent much of his time before the execution maintaining his innocence.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon no longer needs an external tube to drain excess blood from his brain. Doctors say a brain scan today shows a normal drainage system. Mr. Sharon remains in critical and stable condition, after suffering a significant stroke last week.
The man called an enemy combatant by the government pleads not guilty to three terrorism counts. Jose Padilla has been detained for over three years without charges. Today, a federal judge denied Padilla's request for bond, saying he -- quote -- "has the ability and the undoubted will to flee to avoid trial." Padilla faces a jury trial this year.
And the latest company to lose customers' private data is People's Bank. The bank is notifying some 90,000 customers that a tape with confidential personal information was recently lost. The tape disappeared during delivery to a credit reporting agency. It contained information such as customer names, addresses, Social Security numbers and checking account numbers, Wolf.
And you can bet a lot of people are starting to wondering whether their bank security is safe.
BLITZER: That's pretty scary stuff. Thanks very much for that, Fred.
And another scary issue we are covering: How private are your personal cell phones records? Not very, says some experts. To illustrate the problem, one Web site says it was easily able to buy former presidential candidate General Wesley Clark's phone records -- get this -- for less than $100.
Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, has been investigating.
Jacki, what's going on?
SCHECHNER: Wolf, $89.95, Wesley Clark's cell phone records from AmericaBlog.com.
An easy search on something like Google, pull up cell phone records. You will get hundreds of companies that say that they can get you somebody's cell phone records. Now, one of those companies, LocateCell.com, they say all you need is a credit card and a cell phone number. We tried to contact them. We tried to call. We tried to e-mail. They never got back to us.
We spoke to Verizon Wireless today. How does this happen? Well, let me tell you two possible ways. One, somebody pretends to be you. That's it. They call up. They try to get your information. The other way, a possibility, is there may be somebody on the inside, in one of these customer service centers, that is selling your information.
But we don't want to scare you. What we want to do is give you some information as to what is being done. There is prosecution and there's legislation being proposed on the state level. It's also being worked out by Senator Chuck Schumer on the federal level. There is also an organization called EPIC, which is Internet privacy. They filed a complaint with the FCC and the FTC to try to get stricter law -- legislation.
And we spoke to companies like Cingular Wireless and, again, Verizon, who have both filed lawsuits on the state level to prosecute companies like this one, LocateCell.
Just want to tell you, the one -- one way that everyone told me that you can protect yourself -- Wolf, this is very important -- put a password on your account. Make it something that people can't guess easily, numbers, names, whatever it is. But put that password on. That will definitely help.
BLITZER: Good advice. Thanks, Jacki, very much.
Up next, we have the answer to Jack Cafferty's question: Why is phishing spelled with a P-H? That's one of his questions. He has other questions as well.
Some teachers are set to get big bonuses if their students score well on standardized tests. But will the students actually get an education? We will hear what you think.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go to Jack in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Wolf.
Still waiting on the school board to vote. They were supposed to do it at 3:00. But Houston is set to become the biggest school district in the country to link teachers' pay to students' test scores. The question is, should teachers' salaries be tied to their students' performances?
Mayda writes: "No. It would only discourage teachers from using their unique gifts and turn them into test coaches. There are tutors for this purpose."
Jon in Minnesota writes: "Teachers are the only profession I know of who have jobs for life with the tenure law. It's about time they had to prove that they are helping our young to improve They have been hiding behind the tenure law for years. And, as a former school administrator, it's impossible to fire the bad ones."
Robert in Shreveport, Louisiana: "The teachers and the parents should split the money. Then you just might see some pressure around the house, instead of just getting by. The teachers will never succeed unless parents step up to their responsibilities."
David in Decatur, Georgia: "How is a teacher expected to teach at all to a student population that doesn't know English? I know Houston is filled to brimming with immigrants, legal and illegal, of various languages. You would have to be an extraordinary linguist."
And, earlier, I asked why they spell phishing on the Internet with a P-H. More than 100 of you wrote to me.
My favorite letter was this one, Dave Rochester: "Jack, the reason phishing is spelled with a P-H is very complicated. To get the answer, please send me $50, and I will be happy to answer it for you."
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: I think Dave is phishing. BLITZER: Dave is...
CAFFERTY: However you spell it.
BLITZER: I think Jacki Schechner may have the answer for us.
CAFFERTY: All right.
BLITZER: I know she has been investigating.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Jacki, does it have anything to do with the rock group Phish?
SCHECHNER: Oh, I'm so impressed you know Phish, Wolf.
No, it has nothing to do with that. I had an idea. I wanted the double-check before I came on air and let you guys know. It's actually a nod to the old hacker community. And it comes from a practice called phone freaking, where people would go and tamper with phones to get free calls. It's a -- a common thing on Internet. People use P-H, instead of F. It's a phonetic thing.
So, we were actually were thinking maybe you should change your name Wolph with a P-H. Would that...
BLITZER: P-H with a Wolph? Jack...
SCHECHNER: Yes? No?
BLITZER: ... you like that?
CAFFERTY: I'm very sorry I asked.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Phishing is -- you know, it's a cute little thing, though. I like the -- the phish.
CAFFERTY: Remember Hootie and the Blowfish?
BLITZER: Of course.
SCHECHNER: Yes. They didn't spell it that way either, though.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Well, no. It's -- why didn't they?
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You have got to admit...
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Get on the Internet and find out why they didn't.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: You have got to admit, Jack, we learn a lot, you and I, from Jacki and Abbi and all the Internet experts that we have.
CAFFERTY: Oh, I know.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: I know nothing about this stuff. I am technologically illiterate. So, one of the pluses of coming to work is, I pick up a little information about stuff I know nothing about.
SCHECHNER: We are happy to teach you anything you want to know, more than happy.
CAFFERTY: Really?
SCHECHNER: We could do a tutorial. Sure. Why not? Blogging 101 with Jack.
BLITZER: Did you -- did you hear, Jack, Senator Arlen Specter speak about a "computer letter" that was sent to him, a "computer letter"?
CAFFERTY: I -- that's frightening. I mean, if those guys don't know any more about this stuff than we do, then we have got the wrong people. I mean, it's a different time and era. Aren't they supposed to be up on all those things?
BLITZER: E-mail, it's a new phenomenon.
All right, guys.
CAFFERTY: A "computer letter."
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: We will be back in an hour. Jacki, Jack...
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Jacki.
BLITZER: ... thank you very much.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: We are here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekdays, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We are back 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's an hour from now.
Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
Lou Dobbs getting ready to pick up our coverage -- Lou.
DOBBS: Wolf, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
