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The Situation Room

Riots Rock Middle East; Gonzales Testifies on Capitol Hill

Aired February 06, 2006 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: To our viewers, you're now in THE SITUATION ROOM where new pictures are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories. Happening now, it's 7:00 p.m. here in Washington where the attorney general is defending the controversial domestic eavesdropping program before skeptical senators emit sharp exchanges. We're going to talk about it with Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer.
It's 2:00 a.m. Tuesday in Beirut, rocked by rioting many Muslims feel is insulting to their religion. The deadly violence is spreading to cities around the world.

And it's 7:00 p.m. in south Florida, now plagued by killer bees. We'll show you why some fear the problems are just beginning. I'm Wolf Blitzer, you're THE SITUATION ROOM.

We begin with our "Security Watch" on the president's domestic spying program which is coming under some close scrutiny by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The attorney general was called up to Capitol Hill today. He stood his ground arguing that eavesdropping is vital for international security, but he got an earful from several angry lawmakers. Let's turn first to our National Security correspondent, David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as you say, on the defensive during pointed questioning the attorney general strongly defended the president's authority to authorize the surveillance program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Alberto Gonzales would not answer questions about who is bugged and when and expressed dismay at having to discuss it in public at all.

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Our enemy is listening. And I cannot help but wonder if they aren't shaking their heads in amazement at the thought that anyone would imperil such a sensitive program by leaking its existence in the first place.

ENSOR: But democrats told him they doubt that the National Security Agency program that monitors communications to and from this country when one party is suspected of Al Qaeda ties is legal. They also wonder what they don't know. SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: I can only believe, and this is my honest view, that this program is much bigger and much broader than you want anyone to know.

ENSOR: Gonzales faced angry questions, too, about his answer at his confirmation hearings last year. When asked whether the president had the authority to authorize warrantless searches or wire taps in violation of criminal or foreign surveillance laws. Last year, he said it was a hypothetical question, thought the NSA program had started in late 2001.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Which frankly, Mr. Attorney general, anybody that reads it basically realize you were misleading this committee. You could have answered the question truthfully...

ENSOR: Senator, I've told the truth then. I'm telling the truth now. You asked about a hypothetical situation of the president of the United States authorizing electronic surveillance in violation of our criminal statutes. That has not occurred.

FEINGOLD: Mr. Chairman, I think that the witness has taken mincing words to a new high.

ENSOR: Though most republicans offered support for the president, four were critical, including the chairman.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN: The president of the United States has the fundamental responsibility to protect the country, but even as the Supreme Court has said, the president does not have a blank check.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: Critics are talking about amending the foreign intelligence surveillance act to make the president's program sure- fire legal. Gonzales opposed that saying no need. It already is legal -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor reporting. David thank you very much. And much more on this story. Coming up, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is going to join us shortly with more on this story. And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Elsewhere, here in Washington, more money for the war on terror less for many domestic programs. President Bush's proposed budget is now out with a $2.8 trillion price tag. It also projects a record of $423 billion deficit this year, thanks in part to the war on Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. White House budget director Josh Bolton was in THE SITUATION ROOM earlier today, I asked him about criticism of the budget by one prominent democrat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: John Kerry, the president's opponent in the last election issued a statement saying this, he said "the president is cutting money for veterans, child support enforcement, Medicare, student loans, food stamps so he can cling to deficit exploding, wasteful tax police without giving one dime in tax relief to the 19 million middle class families who will pay higher taxes next year." Is he right?

JOSH BOLTON, WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR: Boy, he's wrong on every single one of those counts. I'm not sure where to begin, but the first place to start is that the tax relief that the president and the Congress as enacted is broad-based, goes to the entire population and has lowered the tax rate for everybody, including the middle class, and in fact, especially the middle class who now pay a lower proportion of our income taxes than do people in the upper income brackets.

Much more important than that is that what the tax cuts have done is that they have set off substantial growth in our economy. That's the most important thing for the country's fiscal health.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The budget is now in the hands of the U.S. Congress. There's going to be a healthy debate over the next several months. Our Ali Velshi has been looking into the budget trying to get a better sense what it includes, what it doesn't include. He's in New York, he's got the "Bottom Line" -- Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as Josh Bolton said, tax cut do tend to stimulate an economy, but like any of us who spend more money than we bring in, we depend on being able to make that money later. That's why the government has projected deficit this year is will be $423 billion. Next year, this budget produces a deficit of $354 billion. But it comes down to the economic discussion of guns and butter.

If you're going to fight a war and that war is going to cost up a billion dollars a week, that money is going to have to come from somewhere and in this case, it looks like that money is coming from domestic projects, those that might be described as the butter end of the thing.

Let's take a look at who the winners are in this budget. The defense spending is the biggest winner shooting up about 6.8 percent, $28.5 billion. Department of State, international programs, up another $3.7 billion, veterans were -- we have more veterans now because we've been fighting more wars, $2.6 billion. And Homeland Security up $400 million. What are departments where things are getting cut back?

Well, of the 15 governmental departments, nine of them are getting cut back and you can see there, education is going to lose, Health and Human Services is going to lose, so is agriculture and transportation. Of the increases, of the growth in this budget, the -- what's called the discretionary spending, the part that is not already predetermined, more than half of that is coming from defense, now. This is a defense budget. Now, one thing to remember, Wolf, we spend less on defense as a proportion of our entire economy than we ever have in history. So while defense spending, in terms of dollar amounts is going up, the U.S. economy continues to grow, so the proportion that we spend on defense isn't increasing. Still, a lot of money going to defense, military, Homeland Security and things like that -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Ali, thank you very much. Ali Velshi reporting.

Let's move overseas now. Muslim protesters poured into the street, once again today, venting their fury over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed first published in it the Danish newspaper in Afghanistan. Hundreds stormed the Danish embassy in Kabul, and two stone throwers were reported killed when police opened fire out the U.S. military base in Bagram. Iran announced that it's cutting trade ties with Denmark as protesters attack the Danish and Austrian embassies in Tehran. And in New Delhi, Indian police used water canons to disperse demonstrator who burned Danish flags. In Lebanon, lingering shock after a violent weekend. Let's turn to our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler -- Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Wolf, another day of Muslim protests aimed at Danish diplomatic interests in the Islamic world. The superheated demonstrations ignited a major bout of violence in the Lebanese capital Sunday when thousands of demonstrators stormed the building that houses the Danish Consulate, here.

Muslim anger in Lebanon and elsewhere is being mixed, say Middle East observers, with violent political extremism, igniting a firestorm that's already turned deadly. A volatile mix with genuine Muslim outrage apparently being fueled by militants trying to incite violence in a wider context of Arab and Muslim fears what about the Western world is trying to do in the Arab world.

While Lebanon has officially apologized to Denmark for the attack here, many suspect the protests in Lebanon may have been hijacked to serve a different agenda, set by organized Islamic extremists -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brent Sadler in Beirut, thank you very much. Our Zain Verjee is on assignment, she's filling in for Soledad O'Brien on "American Morning." Betty Nguyen is joining us from the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta with a closer look at other stories making news.

Hi, Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Hi there, glad to be here, Wolf. International nuclear inspectors say Iran is ordering them to remove surveillance cameras and agency seals from its facilities. Tehran is also said to be sharply reducing the number and type of inspections it allows. The moves come after the International Nuclear Energy Agency reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

In other use, admitted Al Qaeda member, Zacarias Moussaoui was repeatedly remove from a federal courtroom today for criticizing the proceedings and his court appointed attorneys. It was the first day of jury selection for the sentencing phase of his trial. Moussaoui has pled guilty to terrorism conspiracy charges. He could face the death penalty.

Live pictures now from Atlanta where they are celebrating the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King. Admirers from around the country have been lining up throughout the day outside the landmark Ebenezer Baptist Church, which you see there, some waiting for hours in freezing rain. The widow of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr., died a week ago today at the age of 78.

And authorities in southern California are calling for the evacuation of hundreds-homes as a wind fueled fire tears across parts of Orange County. Look at those pictures. Twelve-hundred acres already have been scorched. Firefighters are using aircraft to attack the leading edge of the fire with water and flame retardant. They say they haven't determined the cause of the blaze just yet.

Well, the Rolling Stones agreed to have two of their songs censored during the Super Bowl Half Time Show. Did you see it last night? The NFL spokesman says rock's aging bad boys, quote, "Were fine" with the plan to lower the volume on Mick Jagger's microphone at certain sensitive moments. One footnote here, on the night of the first Super Bowl back in 1967, the Stones were on the "Ed Sullivan Show," they had to change the words to "Let's Spend the Night Together" to "Let's Spend Some Time Together." Boy, have times changed and lyrics -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I remember that first Super Bowl and I remember the Stones and Ed Sullivan, as well; I remember that change, at the time. Betty, thank you very much. A long time ago. Let's go to Jack Cafferty. I don't know if he remembers those days. Super Bowl I, do you remember that Super Bowl?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: I do. Kansas City and Green Bay.

BLITZER: I remember.

CAFFERTY: Was that the one where Jerry Kramer threw the great blocks while Bart Starr could go across the goal line and score the winning touchdown?

BLITZER: I was an AFL fan in those days and I was very depressed until Joe Namath and the Jets won in Super Bowl III.

CAFFERTY: I was working in Kansas City when the Chiefs finally won the Super Bowl. I think it was 1972, the beat the Minnesota Vikings and we did live coverage, which was no small feat back in those days, of a victory parade they had in Kansas City for Hank Stram and the Chiefs. Nobody cares about that except you and me, Wolf, so I'm going to move along here.

Rioting in the Muslim world over those cartoons of the Prophet, Mohammed continues to spread and to get more and more violent. Tens of thousands protested today Afghanistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Israel, Iraq, and India. This, of course, follows the attacks on the Danish Consulates in Syria and Lebanon over the weekend. European and Muslim politicians are pleading for calm. The White House has condemned the violence, urging local governments to take steps to ease tensions. Here's the question: What should be done to stop the rioting in the Muslim world? E-mail as you at caffertyfile@cnn.com or you can go to cnn.com/caffertyfile. We'll read some of your thoughts on this a bit later -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Good question. Thank you very much, Jack.

Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the attorney general defends government eavesdropping, but many senators on the Judiciary Committee remain skeptical. We'll talk about it with one of them, Senator Chuck Schumer.

Also, Al Qaeda terrorists dig their way out of a prison. We'll show you how they did it and what it could mean for the war on terror.

Plus, she had the world's first partial face transplant, now she's facing the world for the first time. Her amazing story in her own words. All that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Oprah Winfrey pays tribute to Coretta Scott King. We're watching live pictures from the memorial service in Atlanta. All that and much more coming up right here in THE SITUATION ROOM

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: More now on our top story, today's Senate hearings on the Bush-approved domestic secret spying program. Is it an (INAUDIBLE) tool against terror or, as some insist, a brazen abuse of power? Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is a member of the Judiciary Committee joining us live now from Capitol Hill.

Senator thanks very much for joining us. I want to you listen to this little excerpt of what the attorney general said. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GONZALES: The terrorists surveillance program is necessary, it is lawful and it respects the civil liberties we all cherish. It is well within the mainstream what courts and prior presidents have authorized. It's subject to careful constraints and congressional leaders have been briefed on details of its operation. To end the program now would afford our enemy dangerous and potentially deadly new room operation within our own borders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: They insist, the White House, the attorney general and others that four democrats and four republicans have repeatedly been briefed on this program since it was enacted and there really were -- there was no outrage expressed during those meetings.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Well, let me say a few things, Wolf, first. The people who were briefed said they were not told anything about the details. It was just sort of mentioned in passing. They didn't say, hey, we have a new program, this is a very new approach and we want to brief you about it and here's what we're doing. But more importantly than that, no one has suggested that the program end. I fully support the president having all the powers he needs to protect us, the question is not whether we have strength, but whether we have can strength, security, and rule of law. And that's the question here...

BLITZER: If the White House were to say, Senator, let's just put it all in new legislation, keep everything the status quo, as it's been going on, would you vote for that legislation?

SCHUMER: In all likelihood, yes, of course, no one knows exactly what the program is. He says it has careful controls. If it does and if it's as he describes it, yes, I would vote for it, obviously. You know, Wolf, whenever there's a balance between security and liberty there should be open discussion, there should be set rules and a judge, an independent arbiter sort of looking over the shoulder of the executive to make sure nobody is abusing it. But nobody, nobody I've heard in this community or in the Senate wants to deprive the president of powers he needs. We just want to do it so it's done in a way that's consist with the law not by fiat.

BLITZER: We're told that General Michael Hayden, who was the director of the National Security Agency, now the deputy director for National Intelligence that when the president said after 9/11 "what do you need to protect the American people," he came up with this idea. He's a career professional, he's a four-star general. Did he go too far?

SCHUMER: I don't think he went too far. I think it's the president and his people who went too far and instead of coming to Congress and saying, hey, we need these changes, we can't work within the existing law, which everyone believed was very successful in allowing wiretaps. We need some changes in the post-9/11 world and he would have gotten them.

BLITZER: You know what, we're also told by White House officials, senior White House officials, that they did say, the vice president and others when they were briefing the so-called "gang of eight," these four democrats and four republicans, should we go forward and change it. There was a consensus that should not happen because that could reveal the sensitivity, the nature of this program.

SCHUMER: We've dealt with very sensitive programs, the FISA law, other kinds of things very well, and here's the issue, no one knows, everyone agrees that we need the kind of security. No one knows if this program is being abused. When we asked attorney general Gonzales today, what are their abuses, might is lead to wiretapping of people who had no connection to Al Qaeda, he said he couldn't answer those questions.

So, the issue here is very, very simple. It's not, have the program or not have the program. It is, rather, have the program with the kinds of balance of power that we've always had, the kinds of checks and balances. Or don't have it at all. And I asked Secretary Gonzales, well, what would be the next step, the president just secretly allows homes to be searched without a warrant. The president secretly allows people to be stopped and -- and followed without warrants? These make no sense if they're American citizens. So we can have both and that's what distinguishes us from our enemies. And that is that we have strength and security, but we also have rule of law. So the issue here is not strength or security, there's unanimity. And I'd say one other thing, Wolf, four of 10 republicans who were on the committee today asked very skeptical questions about this plan. It was not partisan like the Alito hearings. It was much more bipartisan in terms of people having sincere and real questions.

BLITZER: Senator Schumer thanks for joining us.

SCHUMER: Did I lose him?

BLITZER: No, no, no you just lost your (INAUDIBLE), you earplug...

SCHUMER: Yeah, yeah, it just came out.

BLITZER: The only thing you lost was my thank you to you. Thanks very much for joining us.

SCHUMER: Thanks Wolf.

BLITZER: Still to come in THE SITUATION ROOM, critics are trying to portray Hillary Clinton as angry, is she? And how would that impact her possible presidential ambitions? Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, has been looking into that story.

Plus, the recipient of the world's first partial face transplant uses her new mouth to tell her story. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Senator Hillary Clinton has been pulling no punches lately when it comes to the Bush administration, but republicans are hitting right back. Let's turn to our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Bill, what's going on?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, who's the voice of the Democratic Party? Democrats may not be sure, but the republican chairman seems to have an answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): On Sunday, Republican National chairman, Ken Mehlman, made this observation.

KEN MEHLMAN, REPUBLICAN NATL. CMTE. CHAIRMAN: I don't think the American people, if you look, historically elect angry candidates.

SCHNEIDER: He's right about that. Americans seem to prefer candidates with a sunny outlook even if they're running in gloomy times, like Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Bill Clinton, in 1992. How about Hillary Clinton, the democratic frontrunner for 2008?

MEHLMAN: Hillary Clinton seems to have a lot of anger.

SCHNEIDER: Mehlman specifically referred to this remark.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I predict to you that this administration will go down in history as one of the worst that has ever governed our country.

SCHNEIDER: And maybe this reaction at the State of the Union speech?

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This year, the first of about 78 baby-boomer turns -- baby-boomers turn 60, including two of my dad's favorite people, me and President Clinton.

SCHNEIDER: We are not amused. Republicans have noticed how Senator Clinton is taking moderate positions. She's drawing protests from the left who complain that her views on the war in Iraq are too moderate. Hillary, a moderate? Republicans can't let that happen.

MEHLMAN: There's a lot of talk about a new Hillary Clinton, but if you look at the record, it's a very left-wing record.

SCHNEIDER: Left-wing? Angry? Sounds like the role Howard Dean was supposed to play.

HOWARD DEAN (D), VERMONT: Aaah!

SCHNEIDER: But, Senator Clinton is the closest thing democrats have to a national voice right now.

CLINTON: I would suggest that the Washington republicans worry about these devastating budget cuts, the confusion and the bureaucratic nightmare in the prescription drug benefit, that that's where they should be spending their time and energy, instead of trying to divert attention away from their many failures and shortcomings.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Republicans had hoped to bloody Senator Clinton in the re-election race this year. But the New York GOP has failed to put up a strong opponent -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Bill Schneider, good report. Thank you very much.

Let's check in with our Anderson Cooper for a little preview of what's coming up later tonight on his program -- Anderson.

ANDERSON COOPER, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": Yeah Wolf, at 10:00 Eastern Time tonight, vigilante action in St. Bernard Parish. Locals there tired of not getting the FEMA trailers they were promised them are taking matters into their own hands, taking trailers off lots without FEMA's approval, putting them on home sites. It's all caught on tape. These are the same trailers we told you about three weeks ago, the same trailers FEMA said they'd pay for. Well, they haven't and things are once again heating up between the sides.

Also, Wolf what do you think the medical term is for people who see things in outsized proportions where things constantly grow and shrink? Do you know, Wolf?

BLITZER: I have no idea.

COOPER: It's a medical mystery. It's called the Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. It's a fascinating medical mystery. We've asked Dr. Sanjay Gupta to look into it. We'll bring you his report tonight at 10:00 -- Wolf.

BLITZER: You mention that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we'll be watching. Thank you very much. Anderson Cooper comes up 10:00 p.m. Eastern, later tonight.

In our CNN "Security Watch," an international search is now on for 23 inmates who tunneled their way out of a prison in Yemen. Among them, at least 13 known Al Qaeda terrorists, including the mastermind of the bombing of the USS Cole. Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is here in Washington, he's got more on this incredible story -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, Interpol, who broke the news about their escape has asked the Yemen government for more details, photographs, fingerprints, particulars on how they escaped. Asked the Yemeni government for that so they can issue red notices, that would be individual notices about each of those 23 people who escaped. But by far, perhaps the most important one at the moment, Jamal Ahmed Badawi who was -- played a lead role in the attack on the USS Cole. The last time he was caught on camera was at his trial for that attack back in 2004.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): This is where he should be right now, behind bars. But for more than three days, Jamal Ahmed Badawi, seen here on trial for bombing the USS Cole has been on the run. That attack killed 17 sailors, wounding more than 39 others in October 2000. With 22 other inmates, 12 of them Al Qaeda Jihadists, he tunneled out of this jail in north Yemen. Badawi escaped from jail once before in 2003. Journalist Robert Draper went to Yemen to find out how.

ROBERT DRAPER, "GQ" MAGAZINE: There's simply no way that in a prison that at least ostensibly heavy guarded, with a large inmate population, that one of the more notorious inmates would be able to waltz out of the prison unless it was with the help of people on the inside.

This time he had help on the outside. And urgent global security alert from Interpol says the 23 men escaped along a 140 yard tunnel they dug with the help of coconspirators on the outside. Last time the help on the inside left him nowhere to run when he got out.

DRAPER: It became clear over time who was where, the tribal elders of the warlords begin to conduct negotiations with the Yemeni government and ultimately turned them over after there were certain assurances that they would not be harmed and that they would not be extradited to the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: And another big concern this time. Although some of those escapees were not classed as al Qaeda members, it's known in jails like this, where people are held in close proximity to al Qaeda figures, many of them often convert and sign up to that jihadi organization, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right Nic, thank you very much -- Nic Robertson reporting. Earlier I spoke with the brother of one of the 17 U.S. sailors killed in the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Cherone Gunn was a signalman, just 22-years-old. His brother Anton Gunn joined us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTON GUNN, BROTHER OF USS COLE BOMBING VICTIM: My father was a 22-year Navy vet who gave his life to the Navy, and -- and enjoyed every minute of it. And Cherone was kind of, you know, trying to mold himself after dad, to some degree, to go and see those bold new things that -- that dad did in the Navy. So, he -- he had only been in there a short time. He had made the decision as an adult. He was, you know, 21 when he made the decision and joined the Navy, and was only in for nine months when he was taken away from us.

BLITZER: All right, now we flash forward to this weekend, and we learn that these al Qaeda operatives, convicted of masterminding, in effect, the bombing of the USS Cole, killing 17 American sailors, including your brother, they escaped somehow.

What has -- what has the U.S. government told you about this?

GUNN: Nothing. And that's not surprising. I mean, it's been six years. And, you know, the amount of information that we have really heard from the government, we could probably put in the palm of my hand. So, you know, I'm not surprised to -- to hear this from media sources, because we get limited information from the government about what has happened.

And it's -- it's unfortunate that it has happened, Wolf. And I just really believe that what we have (INAUDIBLE) have the fox guarding the henhouse.

I mean, it -- I -- I truly believe, and my family believes, that things like this will continue to happen, until we really try to get some handle on terrorism, not on Iraq, but on terrorism. And I think that's what's being missed, is that many families, such as ours, are still suffering, and are not getting any information or any answers about what's happened to our loved ones.

BLITZER: This is in contrast -- correct me if I'm wrong -- to what you and other family members had been told, that you would be allowed to go over there for these trials and be updated routinely, because you wanted to see these guys punished and either spend the rest of their life in jail or -- or executed.

GUNN: Right. And, you know, we were -- initially, after it happened, we were told that, as victims of a terrorist attack, we had the opportunity to face those that were accused of the crime and be present at the trial.

But, you know, there's always some red-tape excuse as to why that couldn't happen. So, during the trial, when they were actually convicted of these crimes, we only got about three or four e-mails, saying, you know, this is what happened in court today, and these guys have -- finally had been convicted.

But, again, this is not the first time that they have escaped from that prison. And, back in 2003, 10 gentlemen escaped from prison, and they didn't know how 10 people escaped. And now you're going to tell me, you know, 20 people escape from prison, and -- and there's no rhyme or reason to understand how they were allowed to escape.

So, we -- we -- you have a lot of unfulfilled promises from the FBI, from the United States Navy, from the government in general. And it's just very problematic and very painful for our families.

BLITZER: What -- we don't have a lot of time left, Anton, but what would you like to see your government, the U.S. government, do right now?

GUNN: I would like to see the U.S. government get involved in addressing what's happening in Yemen in an affirmative way, not to allow the Yemen government to take control of the situation, but really get involved and bring a resolution and solution and bring those that are guilty of terrorism to justice, not those of fictitious terrorism, but bring those that have committed al Qaeda terrorist attacks against Americans, bring them to justice.

BLITZER: We've got to leave it right there. Anton, our deepest condolences to you and your entire family, your brother Cherone sounds like he was a great guy. And let's hope for the best.

GUNN: Yes we will. Thank you very much, Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Just ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, she made history with the first partial face transplant. Now, she's talking about her ordeal and her recovery.

And attack of the killer bees. Right now in Florida, many are buzzing about dangerous bees on a feeding frenzy. We're going to tell you what's going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Now long ago she couldn't even talk. Now she's telling her own remarkable story, sharing her experience as the recipient of the world's first partial-face transplant. CNN's Mary Snow is in New York. She has this amazing story. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, besides talking, Isabelle Dinoire says he can also eat, feel her lips, nose and mouth. She is also smoking though, to her doctor's dismay. They caution that she must continue to take medication so her body doesn't reject the transplant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Ten weeks after a ground-breaking transplant, 38-year-old Isabelle Dinoire went public to show the world her new face.

ISABELLE DINOIRE, TRANSPLANT PATIENT (through translator): There was no comparison between the face I have today and the one I had seven months ago. Quite different.

SNOW: Dinoire's face was severely disfigured when attacked by a dog.

DINOIRE: When I woke up, I tried to light a cigarette, and I couldn't understand why it didn't fit in my lips. When I saw a dog beside me, I went to look in the mirror and horrified. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

SNOW: In November, doctors in France performed the first partial-face transplant, taking tissue from the nose, lips and chin of a donor and giving them to Dinoire. Her surgeons so far are pleased.

BERNARD DEVAUCHELLE, SURGEON (through translator): Everybody here today, we're surprised by the progress she's been able to achieve.

SNOW: Plastic surgeons like Dr. Joseph McCarthy of NYU expect to see more face transplants.

JOSEPH MCCARTHY, DOCTOR, NYU MEDICAL CENTER: I don't think they will ever become common, mainly because there's a problem with donors, securing tissue for the transplant will not be easy.

SNOW: Not easy, but doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio are determined. The hospital says right now there are 12 potential recipients, but the attention on Isabelle Dinoire could mean more people come forward.

DR. MARIA SIEMIONOW, CLEVELAND CLINIC: Maybe if the patients will be doing very well and will be able to share that, then we will find out how many real candidates we have, people who are at this point really live in institutions, hiding and really not contacting us.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SNOW: There's no timetable yet for when the surgery might be performed here in the U.S. Doctors say only severely disfigured patients such as burn victims who have exhausted all other options are being considered.

BLITZER: Mary Snow in New York. Thank you.

Up next, Oprah Winfrey's emotional tribute to Coretta Scott King. We're going to show you what she said that prompted tears and applause.

And killer bees. They're not just in the movies or on Saturday Night Live. They're swarming in South Florida, right now, the buzz that has state officials on alert. Our John Zarrella standing by.

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BLITZER: In Florida, as it finding an alligator in your back yard or outrunning a determined hurricane weren't enough, now some are buzzing about swarms of killer bees. Our John Zarrella is in Miami. He's got more on this story. Killer bees, John?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf, they're here. They finally made it to Florida. They first arrived and were spotted in the Tampa area, but now, unfortunately, they've spread just about everywhere in the state of Florida. What's worse is they're here to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Nearly every day, Dennis Schoveron (ph) finds himself surrounded by stinging, swarming buzzing bees. The sound is enough to give you the hives. These days, Schoveron, a professional bee eradicator, never knows what kind of bees he's going to stick his glove hand into.

DENNIS SCHOVERON, PROFESSIONAL BEE ERADICATOR: I think these may actually be the killer bees.

ZARRELLA: Florida is the latest state that Africanized honey bees, so-called killer bees, are calling home. They've been in the southwestern United States since the 1990's and are responsible for at least 14 deaths. In California, firefighters are given special gear and receive bee response training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call 911, they're going to send out the fire department. When are they going to send you four guys?

ZARRELLA: It hasn't come to that in Florida, yet. But agricultural officials see these wild killer bees as a growing concern people need to be aware of.

RICHARD DUNAWAY, FLORIDA AGRICULTURE DEPT.: Bees do not go out looking for people to kill as movies have portrayed them. But there is a concern. These are highly defensive bees. They just need to understand what to do in situations: seek cover, get away. ZARRELLA: They attack in larger swarms, which is what makes them lethal and will chase you for up to 300 yards.

There are 500 bee traps scattered around the state. But Grant is responsible for those in south Florida.

GRANT: Roughly 90.

ZARRELLA, (on camera): You have to check those how often?

GRANT: Every month.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): In a jar, Grant gathers up about 50 bees, the only way to know if these are killer bees is through DNA testing, what agriculture officials are finding is not good.

The more laid back European honey bees are becoming Africanized as they as breed with their mean-spirited relatives.

The bees in Grant's traps were, all things considered, good natured.

GRANT: The geniality (ph) of these bees are about the best they can get.

ZARRELLA (on camera): These particular bees are acting pretty docile then, right? You don't even have long sleeves on.

GRANT: Well, we're lucky. We're lucky man.

ZARRELLA: Now that they're here, bee experts say there's no way to get rid of them. You learn to respect them and keep a safe distance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The reason for that DNA testing, Wolf, is because state officials, agriculture officials want to see how fast the ordinary native honey bee is becoming Africanized. What they're finding out is that within two years, they believe, every honey bee in the state of Florida, that's the wild honey bees, may we will be Africanized, killer bees. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thanks very much. John Zarrella doing some excellent reporting for us. We'll stay on top of this story for our viewers.

Up next, Oprah Winfrey. Hear what she says about the civil rights legend, Coretta Scott King. Stay with us.

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BLITZER: Today in Atlanta, friends, family, and followers of Coretta Scott King filed past her body to pay their last respects. At least 42,000 viewed King's body, from everyday people to household names. One of them was Oprah Winfrey. She praised Coretta Scott King's ability to be a loving mother to her children as well as a dedicated mother of the civil rights movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I feel blessed to live inside the dream that your father envisioned for all of us. I don't just live it. I live inside the dream.

I understand that, and Mrs. King also understood that. She recognized that my generation and those to come carry the weight and the fulfillment of his legacy. And every time she spoke to me, she always told me how proud she was of me. And she always remembered my birthdays with gifts of me memorabilia from the movement that she knew I would treasure.

A week before she died, she sent me a long letter and a hand-made quilt her mother had passed down to her and that she now wanted to pass on to me.

And in her letter to me, it felt like she was sharing all of the wisdom that she wanted me to retain, so that I would know myself.

Every time I sat with her, whether she spoke or not, I came away wiser, knowing more about how to live and what it means to be a real woman. I felt blessed always to be in her presence.

She leaves us all a better America than the America of her childhood.

(APPLAUSE)

She leaves us all better prepared to nurture, to strengthen, to broaden and deepen the democracy and human rights that she devoted her life to upholding.

One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. King, and it says, "not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service."

(APPLAUSE)

Mrs. King was the brilliant, shining, blessed example of great service and stewardship. And for those of us who yet live, (INAUDIBLE) said it, we've got work to do. And I believe that our work is to be pressed to the mark. Pressed to the mark of a higher calling to serve the world. And it is my prayer that the greatness that she showed every day, the greatness that she lived, will now find a home within all of us.

I thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And please tune into our coverage tomorrow of Coretta Scott King's funeral. That begins noon Eastern, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.

Let's find out what's coming up right at the top of the hour on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Paula is standing by. Hi, Paula.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. Just about seven minutes from now, we will answer the question, what exactly was a killer thinking? We're going to take you inside his bizarre final days from the note he left behind to the trail that ended in blood.

Also, some apartment renters in Florida make a shocking discovery. Who hid cameras in their bathrooms and in their bedrooms and watched the most intimate parts of their lives?

And when it comes to finding cancer, could a dog be as good as a doctor or even better? Details of an amazing study that gives us all even renewed faith in our four-legged friends -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Paula, thanks very much. We'll be watching.

Up next here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're getting word of evacuation orders at least for parts of Anaheim, California because of a wildfire. We're going to show you where and what is going on.

And cartoon riots. What can be done to stem the outrage? Jack Cafferty has been going through your e-mail.

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BLITZER: We have a developing story we're following out of Anaheim, in California. Brush fires there are now causing authorities to issue a mandatory evacuation for part of the community. Our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner is joining us now with what's going on. Jacki, what are you learning?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, we're just getting news, some 1,200 homes have been affected by this evacuation. You can see on the map I've got here, the mandatory evacuation areas are in orange. The voluntary ones are in blue. I've got the details here. It says south of Canyon Rim Road, east of Sawana Avenue, a mandatory evacuation of all homes and businesses in that area.

Also want to let you know that students from Canyon Rim and Anaheim Hills elementary schools have been moved to Canyon High School. You can get all of this information on the Internet at the city of Anaheim's Web site -- that would be at anaheim.net, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Jacki, for that.

Let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty has been going through your e-mail -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Wolf, how are you doing.

Rioting in the Muslim world over those cartoons in the Danish newspaper continues to spread. It's getting worse, it's becoming more violent. The question is, what should be done to stop the rioting in the Muslim world?

Pamela writes from Los Angeles: "The outraged Muslims are showing themselves to be what the cartoons portray them as -- barbarians from the Middle Ages. How dare they think a benign cartoon is more important than innocent life? Why were they not protesting in outrage after the bombings in Europe and the United States? Can it be the cartoons are hitting too close to home?"

Dwayne in Chesapeake, Ohio: "I'm a 40-year-old man, and in my lifetime I have never seen the people of the Middle East stop rioting. Right now, it's because someone published a cartoon. Before that, it was because Israel and the United States have the gall to exist. They only think they want the destruction of Israel to occur, but somewhere deep in their fanatical hearts they simply have to know that the location of Israel is the only thing that has prevented their region from being turned into glass by a truly outraged United States."

Scott in Jackson, Mississippi: "Bring the troops home from Iraq. I don't know if that will solve the rioting, but I bet it wouldn't hurt, and it's as good an excuse as any to get them home."

Gabriella in Brookline, Massachusetts: "What if Israel rioted every time the Muslim world published an anti-Semitic cartoon? There would be riots every day. Muslims are being hypocritical, and should show some proportionality. It was a stupid cartoon. No one's head was chopped off."

And Gary in Lincoln, Michigan: "The voice of reason, understanding, peace and progress must come from within the Arab world. Where are the Arab leaders on this? Where are the Muslim leaders? For the present, they seem to be sitting it out. So we must take away their leverage and become energy-independent."

Great stuff, Wolf.

BLITZER: Did you get a lot of these e-mails?

CAFFERTY: Got a ton of e-mail, yes. Many, many.

BLITZER: All right, Jack, thank you very much, Jack Cafferty. I'll see you here tomorrow, in THE SITUATION ROOM. Don't forget, we're on weekdays, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We're back at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Let's head over to New York. "PAULA ZAHN NOW" about to begin -- Paula.

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