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The Situation Room
Interview With Bob Dole; Deal May Have Been Reached About Domestic Spying; Greenland's Glaciers Possibly Melting Faster
Aired February 16, 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: It's almost 5:00 p.m. here in Washington. To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where news and information from around the world arrive at one place at the same time.
Happening now, case closed. Officials hunting for answers in the Cheney shooting incident say they found them, but while the legal troubles may be over, the PR problems continue. The president has just spoken out on the issue. You'll want to hear what the president had to say.
Right now in Greenland, the ice from glaciers is rapidly dumping into the ocean. Experts are out with a major new study on what that matters to Greenland and why that should matter to all of us.
And how might a would-be evil doer get a job with al Qaeda? There's actually a document known as an al Qaeda employment contract. It lists vacation policy, monthly salaries, even job requirements on staying strong.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
There are new developments in the misfire mishap turned PR nightmare for the White House. Right now, there is a new report on what happened. The vice president's friend is recovering and his boss, President Bush, is reacting.
Still, there are questions, some questions, new questions and some new answers.
CNN's Ed Lavandera standing outside the hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, but let's go over to the White House where our Dana Bash is standing by with the latest -- Dana?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Well, President Bush just gave the very first comments that he has ever given on this subject, five days later. The vice president broke his silence yesterday, so today was the president's turn, and he said that he was satisfied with that explanation.
I think we have the sound bite. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who likes the outdoors and he likes to hunt, and he heard a bird flush, and he turned, and pulled the trigger, and saw his friend get wounded. And it was a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously for the -- it's a tragic moment for Harry Whittington. And so I thought his explanation yesterday was a very strong and powerful explanation and I'm satisfied with the explanation he gave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, one of the things that was striking about the vice president's interview is the way he described it, in quite an emotional way, especially for Dick Cheney. And the White House hopes, and certainly Cheney associates hope, that in getting this information out about the story from him, that they're perhaps going to humanize him and humanize this, really try to make it an issue about a man accidentally shooting his friend, and hopefully they do hope that that will encourage some sympathy from people, turn down the volume.
Listen to the president on that particular issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I think people are making the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident. The vice president was involved in a terrible accident, and it profoundly affected him.
Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office, I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. And he -- again, I thought yesterday's explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people. And now our concerns are directed toward the recovery of our friend.
Our knew Harry Whittington when I was the governor of Texas down there in Austin. A fine man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: You heard the vice president talking about Harry Whittington. Not only did he know him, but he also appointed him to the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Of course, Harry Whittington is a long-time Texas Republican.
The president was asked directly, Wolf, whether he was upset about the timing of the vice president's statement, whether it took too long. He simply looked at the reporter who asked it and answered, "I'm satisfied with the explanation he gave," meaning he didn't really answer that question.
But, Wolf, the White House does home, now that we've heard from the vice president, now that we've heard from the president, that they can close this chapter in terms of the PR nightmare that they've had and move on. We'll see.
BLITZER: Dana Bash at the White House, thanks very much.
Let's go over to Corpus Christi, Texas, CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the scene outside the hospital.
I take it the sheriff there in Corpus Christi has issued his report, basically saying case closed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no charges will be filed. They consider this merely a hunting accident. But as we've had time today to read through the five-page report the sheriffs have put out down in Kennedy County, where this happened, we've been trying to follow up on a series of events that is laid out in this report, and trying to get a better understanding of the timeline as to why it took 14 hours for sheriff's deputies to actually make it onto the Armstrong Ranch and question people about this accident.
Basically, from our understanding from reading this report, the sheriff depended on the information coming from one eyewitness, but mostly from phone conversations that he had had with the constable in that town who knew some of the members in the hunting party. And the sheriff says that:
"Constable Medellin returned his call and said this is in fact an accident. He stated that he had spoken with some of the people in the hunting party who were eyewitnesses, and they all said it was definitely a hunting accident.
"I also spoke with another eyewitness and he said the same thing, that it was an accident. After hearing the same information from eyewitnesses and the constable, it was at this time that I decided to send my chief deputy first thing Sunday morning to interview the vice president and other witnesses."
As reporters and some of my colleagues, including Jonathan Freed and producer Grace Ramirez (ph), who are down in Kennedy County following up on this portion of the story, the sheriff was pressed a little bit harder by reporters on this issue and didn't take too kindly to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, you know, our investigation is over. There is going to be no criminal charges filed. This was just a mere hunting accident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: At one point, you know, the sheriff had essentially ended up walking away from the interview, jumping in his car, and away from reporters, basically saying if they have any more questions about this report to just read the report -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I suspect the sheriff and others probably wish they would have gone to the ranch Saturday night just to interview people, clarify the matter, so that there could be no questions raised later. They waited until Sunday morning, 8:00 a.m. local time.
Have they acknowledged that maybe with hindsight they should have gone to the ranch Saturday night? LAVANDERA: You know, they really -- when those questions are asked, they said, you know, we didn't go in assuming this was just an accident. They stressed that. And they -- and perhaps they felt much more confident because they said they were getting this information from friends that they say it's a small community, we all know each other, and based on that, that's why I think the sheriff, you know, felt very comfortable trusting what the constable was telling him, who also happens to be a former sheriff in Kennedy County, and since this information was coming from people that he knows and people that he trusts, that for him he probably assumed it was very easy to make that jump in assumption.
BLITZER: Ed Lavandera, thanks very much. Ed is on the scene for us.
We're going to have more on this story coming up, but there is other important news we're following.
Specifically, a new report highly critical of the government's detention program at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The United Nations report says the United States should either put the terror detainees on trial or set them free immediately.
Just moments ago the Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he backs the report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECY.-GEN.: One cannot detain individuals in perpetuity, and charges have to be brought against them and be given a chance to explain themselves and prosecute the charge or released. I think it's something that is common under any legal system. And I think sooner or later there will be a need to close the Guantanamo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's get some more now from our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN U.N. SR. CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Annan also said he didn't agree completely with some aspects of the report, though he refused to say, but it's still pretty interesting that he's saying Guantanamo Bay should be shut down as soon as possible.
The overall report prepared by five independent experts scathing, saying shut it down or put them on trial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): They never got to look for themselves, but five independent U.N. investigators say the Guantanamo Bay facilities should be closed. The report says the United States is conducting what amounts to torture and human rights violations on the hundreds of detainees there.
MANFRED NOWAK, SPECIAL U.N. RAPPORTEUR ON TORTURE: They should be released or brought before an independent court in the United States or in their countries of origin or somewhere else to be judged there, having a fair trial.
ROTH: There are about 500 people being held at Guantanamo, primarily from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Yemen.
JOHN BELLINGER, STATE DEPT. LEGAL ADVISER: People who trained in al Qaeda training camps, Taliban who were fighting us, these are people who pose a threat to us and to other countries, and we need to have a place to hold them.
ROTH: Among the findings, excessive violence used in many cases during transportation, force feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed as amounting to torture.
And the United States operates as judge, prosecutor and defense.
The U.N. probers wanted to visit the prison, but they declined after the United States barred private interviews.
NOWAK: This is not an objective and fair means of evaluation and we unfortunately had to cancel the visit, but it is the responsibility of the U.S. government, not of us.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: I think it's a discredit to the United Nations when a team like this goes about rushing to report something when they haven't even looked into the facts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: This report has an unknown fate, Wolf. It goes on to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, itself a tarnished organization which Annan, the United States and others want completely revamped -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Richard, thank you very much.
Let's go to Jack Cafferty in New York. He's got THE CAFFERTY FILE. Hi -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me just clarify now that the United Nations did this report without ever going to Guantanamo, right?
BLITZER: They refused the request because the United States had restrictions on who they could see, what they would see. They would basically let them see what members of Congress and the press corps could see, but not formally interview detainees.
CAFFERTY: So they didn't go there?
BLITZER: They didn't go there.
CAFFERTY: That's incredible.
Vice President Cheney says an executive order gives him the authority to declassify secret documents. Cheney is referring to an executive order that was first signed by President Clinton in 1995, but in March of 2003, just after the invasion of Iraq, President Bush expanded the order and gave the vice president the same declassification power as the president.
Despite insisting that he has the authority, Cheney will not say if he authorized his former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, to release classified information. You'll recall, according to court documents from the prosecutor, Scooter Libby told a grand jury that he was, quote, "authorized by superiors," unquote, to disclose classified information about Iraq to the news media.
So here's the question: who do you think should be able to declassify secret information in this country? Email us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Jack.
Up ahead, the death toll among U.S. miners this year climbs again. We'll have details of the mine accident that cost a Kentucky man his life.
Also, unusual measures to keep bird flu from spreading in the United States. We'll show you what's being done to prevent the possible pandemic.
Plus, what does it take to be a terrorist? Details of the al Qaeda -- get this -- employee contract. Yes, an employee contract uncovered by U.S. officials.
You're in the SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
More now on the controversy over the way news of the vice president's hunting accident was first reported and the way the news media are now handling the story.
Howard Kurtz is the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources." He's a "Washington Post" media critic. He's joining us from the "Washington Post" newsroom.
What do you make of the first part, of the way the news media right now, over these past several days, how we've been handling this story? Are we doing it right or are we going overboard and getting into this so-called feeding frenzy?
HOWARD KURTZ, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Well, clearly it's a full fledged feeding frenzy, Wolf, and we are going a little overboard. That seems to be the way we deal with these things. But, look, this only happens every couple of centuries, the vice president of the United States shooting another man. It's a compelling and bizarre story, and I think that Vice President Cheney inadvertently, or maybe intentionally, pushed this story into the media stratosphere by saying nothing about it for four days, and that's not just my opinion. That's the opinion of several Republican PR professionals who I've talked to in the last few days.
BLITZER: You've been digging into this and speaking with a lot of people, Howie. Why did he wait? What are you hearing? What was -- what's the best explanation that you've heard?
KURTZ: Well, first of all, I have talked in recent days to Ari Fleischer, the former White House spokesman, to Tori Clark, the former Pentagon spokeswoman, Marlon Fitzwater, the Bush '41 press secretary has weighed in on this. They all thing that Cheney made a mistake, that he should have given in to the national press immediately, that he should have made himself available, that he should have gone before the cameras and all that.
Now, why did he not do that? I think the vice president has made his dismissive view of the national news media quite well known, and he even took a shot in that "Fox News" interview yesterday at the national press, saying, well, I think they're upset because we gave the story to the "Corpus Christi Caller-Times" and not the "New York Times."
He doesn't worry very much about national journalists or his image in the press and he is comfortable enough that he felt like he could let this go on until he chose to talk about it in the forum that he chose to pick.
BLITZER: Is he done with the news media now, at least on this story, for the time being? Or do you think the pressure will mount for him to give another interview or have a full scale news conference?
KURTZ: There are plenty of people, including Tori Clark, who I mentioned, who think that Vice President Cheney should hold a news conference, should give more interviews, should try to answer some of the remaining questions about this, but my indications are that is not going to happen. Mary Matalin, his former aide, and still informal adviser, told me that they don't feel any need to do any more TV interviews, to say anything more on this. They decided that if they went to what they considered to be a nonhostile forum, "Fox News" and Brit Hume, who Cheney personally likes, they could do it once, they could do it on their terms, Cheney could walk through the story, and every other news organization on the planet would be forced to use the excerpts from that interview.
BLITZER: Howard Kurtz, thanks very much.
And this note, Howie is going to have a lot more on this story this Sunday on his program, "Reliable Sources." He'll be joined by the former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, Sunday 10:00 Eastern, "Reliable Sources," only here on CNN.
Coming up, still another reason to quit. We'll show you how some companies are making smokers pay a price for their habit.
Plus, an update on the Westminster Dog Show contestant that escaped at Kennedy Airport. The latest on the search for the missing whippet.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Our Ali Velshi is off today. Fredricka Whitfield keeping an eye on business news for us as well, over at the CNN Center. She's joining us with THE BOTTOM LINE. Hi -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've got it all. Hello, Wolf.
Well, smokers are increasingly finding another reason to kick the habit. A growing number of companies are charging smokers extra for their health insurance, anywhere between $20 and $50 additional a month. Pepsi and Northwest Airlines are among dozens of companies hoping the surcharge will encourage smokers to quit and at the same time help reign in health care costs.
And speaking of rising, mortgage rates are up to their highest level so far this year, 6.28 percent on a 30-year fixed rate according to Freddie Mac, that's up from 6.24 percent last week. Fifteen year fixed mortgages are also up slightly. At the same time, the government says the rate of home construction in January was the highest in 33 years, thanks in part to the warm weather.
And word of that housing report helped fuel a rally on Wall Street. The markets were up again today for the third day in a row. The DOW, NASDAQ and S&P all ended the day in positive territory, a strong quarterly earnings report from Hewlett Packard also helped push up those stocks -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Fred, for that.
The mystery continues. A prized canine from the annual Westminster Dog Show now on the loose. The dog, nicknamed Vivi, escaped from its kennel while awaiting departure from New York's Kennedy Airport.
Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton has the latest -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf.
This is Vivi the whippet with owner Paul Lapiani (ph) at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York earlier this week. Paul, the owner, spent the best part of this morning with Port Authority police searching for Vivi after Vivi bolted from her cage at John F. Kennedy Airport yesterday.
Vivi had done pretty well. She had come -- she'd won an award of merit at the dog show earlier on this week, much better performance than last year, her owner tells me, when she was overexcited and jumping all over the place. Performed much better this year, until, that is, she got to the airport, where she did bolt from her cage.
Anyone that's seen Vivi should report to the Port Authority Police -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, let's hope they find Vivi and find Vivi quickly.
Coming up, former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole joins me here in THE SITUATION ROOM to talk about Dick Cheney's misfire, the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and lots more.
And later, al Qaeda job description. Our Barbara Star uncovers some remarkable documents about what it means to be an al Qaeda operative.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The president and the vice president have now spoken out on the vice president's hunting accident this past weekend, but lingering questions remain about how the White House has handled this event and whether there will be any lasting political impact.
And joining us now from Pittsburgh, former U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate, Bob Dole.
Senator Dole, thanks very much for joining us.
BOB DOLE, FMR. U.S. SENATOR: Thanks -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What did you think of the way the vice president handled this issue involving his shooting of his friend over the weekend?
DOLE: I don't know. I listened to the vice president's interview last night and, you know, I know he feels badly about it and he was concerned about the victim, which I think should have been the first thing that they concerned themselves with, the victim, notifying of family, doing all of that, getting him to a hospital.
Then I don't know when he should have called the media. I mean, that seems to be the thing that is of some question.
BLITZER: Listen to what Republican Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut said to me yesterday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONGRESSMAN CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R-CT): It's like they don't learn. I mean, obviously this information is going to come out, so just let it come out. It had to have been one of the worst days of his life. It had to have been terrible for him and, obviously, the individual he shot and everybody that was there. But the information needs to be made public and made public quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What Shays and a lot of others are suggesting, it sort of underscores the secrecy that the vice president seems to enjoy and has sort of overflowed into this issue.
You think he's on the right track, Shays?
DOLE: I don't know. Chris, you know, he makes a lot of sense, but, you know, I think it has to be for some reason they decided that Katharine Armstrong would make the announcement. It was her place and all this. But again, I don't know. I guess I hindsight, it's always perfect. I probably would have notified the press a little more quickly, or at least put out a statement, just a blank statement, this happened, and move on. But now, of course, it's running its, what, third or fourth day as a story, and its on all the front pages of America.
But I don't know. I wasn't there. I'm not an expert. I think Dick Cheney is a wonderful guy and certainly it was an accident, not intended, and he feels badly about Mr. Whittington, and I guess the important thing now is just to hope that he recovers fully and gets back to his law office next week.
BLITZER: All of us are hoping for the same thing.
Our latest CNN/USA TODAY/GALLUP Poll on the Registered Republicans' Choice for 2008 Nomination, Rudy Giuliani at 33 percent, John McCain, 28 percent, then everybody else single digits. George Allen, 7 percent, Bill Frist, 6 percent, Mitt Romney 3 percent.
What do you make of that? You once wanted to be president.
DOLE: Yeah, and I used to read those early polls, but they turn out not to mean anything. I think name identification means a lot with Giuliani and John McCain. They're the most, you know, most high profile Republicans. And so I think it's nice to be ahead, it gives you bragging rights for a while, but I don't think it is an indication of who will be the nominee necessarily.
BLITZER: On the Democratic side, among registered Democrats, in our CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, Senator Clinton had 39 percent, then -- look at this -- John Kerry at 15 percent, Al Gore, 13 percent, John Edwards, 12 percent, everybody else in single digits.
But she's far and away atop among registered Democrats.
DOLE: Right.
BLITZER: How do you feel about the prospect of losing your -- your Senate spouse, colleague there...
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: ... if she leaves the Senate and becomes president? You and Bill Clinton are spouses of sitting U.S. senators right now.
DOLE: Yes. Well, I don't know what -- how we will handle that. We will probably figure out something. Maybe I can work out some interim basis, where I could spend a little time at the White House. But, again, you know, there are lot of Democrats do not believe she will be the nominee. And, again, as far as name recognition, I mean, everyone, 99.9 percent, know Hillary Clinton, though some 90 percent probably know John Kerry. Some have probably forgotten Al Gore, but probably 80 percent.
It's just too early with these early polls. Let's wait until we start having some action in Iowa and New Hampshire. And it's 2006. We still got over two years to go.
BLITZER: All right, let's talk a little bit about Medicare, the prescription drug plan. You have been going around the country, speaking out on this issue, trying to get people to sign up.
There's a poll, our January 20-through-22 CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. Among senior citizens -- we only asked senior citizens -- is the new Medicare prescription drug program working, 20 percent said yes. Fifty-eight percent said no.
A lot of people, as you know, Senator, are very confused. And they don't think this program, necessarily, is working. What do you think?
DOLE: Well, I don't know. I attended a meeting this morning with about 300 to 400 seniors.
And I asked the question, how many are having problems with your with getting the right plan? And I know some people are embarrassed to raise their hands. But I counted about eight or 10 people. And there didn't seem to be any hostility in the meeting.
And we think the program is working. There have been about 24 million people enrolled in the program. There were some glitches in the first few days. We are only on day 47. I think, if you take that same poll, oh, I would say three or four months from now, you may just get the reverse result.
You know, lot of people got very frustrated when they called 1- 800-MEDICARE early on and they couldn't get on the line. It was busy, busy, busy, busy. Now it has been fixed. And you can almost get immediate service.
So, I'm optimistic it's going to work. I don't think it needs any legislative change. Most of the changes can be made administratively, if there are real problems. But the people I talk to, the experts say that they think it's going to work out fine.
BLITZER: Some of the critics, as you know, Senator Dole, suggest it's turning out to be bonanza for the pharmaceutical companies.
I know you're working for Pfizer.
DOLE: Yes.
BLITZER: You're trying to help get this message out. Professor Stephen Schondelmeyer, a pharmaceutical economics professor at the University of Minnesota, said the net effect over 10 years is probably closer to $40 billion in extra profit for pharmaceutical companies.
Is that true?
DOLE: Well, I -- you know, I would disagree, because I think we're already learning this year, for example, that the costs are going to be about 20 percent less because of all the competition, all these different -- whether it's Pfizer, Humana, all the different companies that want the business.
This is big, big business. You got a group of 41 million people who may be customers. And everybody wants their business. So, they're cutting prices, and cheaper drugs. I think it's going to demonstrate that competition does work. And if it turns out to be the other way, then I assume there will be some people in Congress who want to change the law.
BLITZER: Senator Dole, as usual, thanks very much for joining us. We hope to see here back in Washington.
DOLE: Thanks, Wolf. Thanks a lot.
BLITZER: And a deal has just been reached between the White House and Congress, at least members, some members, of the Senate, over the president's domestic eavesdropping program.
Let's get some specific details.
Our congressional correspondent, Ed Henry, is standing by.
Gives us the nature of what has happened, Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, to give you an idea of the partisan breakdown in the Senate right now and how bitter it is, they can't even agree on whether there really is an agreement.
The Republican chairman, Pat Roberts, emerged after a meeting that lasted over an hour of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and said, in fact, there's an agreement in principle, is the way he put it, with the White House and the Senate Intelligence Committee to stall an investigation for now of the NSA surveillance program, in exchange for the White House now saying there's going be a breakthrough on two things, a legislative fix to FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
We have heard so much questioning the legality of this NSA program -- and, secondly, more and fuller briefings of the Senate Intelligence Committee about the program. Senator Roberts said, because of this progress that he sees, there's no need for an investigation at this point.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), KANSAS: This week, we reached an agreement in principle with the administration. The administration is now committed to legislation and has agreed to brief more Intelligence Committee members on the nature of their surveillance program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, Democrats, though, are blasting this so-called agreement.
Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, came out right after Senator Roberts and said this, in fact, he believes this is just a stalling tactic by the White House, a tactic to delay any sort of investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: A committee investigation into the National Security Agency's surveillance, eavesdropping activities in the United States is necessary to fully understand the program.
That is what the Senate Intelligence Committee was created to do. It's apparent to me that the White House has applied -- more than apparent to me that the White House has applied heavy pressure in recent days, in recent weeks to prevent the committee from doing its job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now, Republican Roberts, though, insists that it's the committee that is providing pressure to the White House.
He says, if these talks do not come through, that if it all falls through over the next couple of weeks, he will move forward with an investigation the next time the committee meets, on March 7 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ed Henry, thanks very much.
Still come here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're following bird flu developments around the world, from Europe, to the Middle East and Africa. Our Jeff Koinange will report from Nigeria.
Plus, these are live pictures of chickens at a bird market in New York. What's being done in this country to keep the virus from spreading? We're going have details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
We're following some major bird flu developments around the world. Germany is confirming its first known cases of the H5N1 virus in two swans found dead this week on a Baltic Sea island. And international officials in Iraq are reporting a second human case in that country, the uncle of a girl who died from bird flu last month.
Meanwhile, the virus is spreading among birds in Nigeria.
CNN's Jeff Koinange is there -- Jeff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we continue to see disturbing trends across northern Nigeria, when it comes to the lack of awareness with the bird flu virus.
Here, a typical chicken vendors' stand in downtown Kano, the chicken probably prepared un-hygienically and traded the same way. We asked the trader, are chicken sales down? He said, in fact, they're pretty up.
We asked the buyers, are they still buying chicken? They said, bird flu, to them, is a myth. Scientists have been warning that Africa provides the perfect uncontrolled environment for this virus to mutate from animal form to human form -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Jeff Koinange, thanks very much.
With bird flu spreading in other parts of the world, concern is growing that it may make it eventually right here to the United States.
But what's being done right now to try to detect the deadly strain of the bird flu in the United States? So far, the deadly strain of bird flu known as H5N1 hasn't made it to our shores. But experts agree, it may just be a matter of time. It would most likely make its way via wild birds migrating from other continents.
If that happens -- and we hope it doesn't -- that could infect domestic bird populations. And some of those birds could make their way into live bird markets.
CNN's Mary Snow is joining us from one of those markets right now in New York.
Are you in New York City, Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are in New York City, Wolf.
And you probably would be surprised to learn, as so many people are, that this bird market is just one of 90 within New York City. As you can imagine, these markets have to be tested pretty rigorously, cleaned, inspected. This particular market was inspected 10 times last year -- passed all of the tests.
One other thing, though, in terms of a preventative measure -- officials have begun to start testing these birds for samples. The samples, they are looking to see if there's any detection of bird flu. They're hoping that this will add another layer, that if bird flu ever came in to U.S., that it wouldn't spread.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice-over): While most people buy their poultry at supermarkets, there are many in cities like New York who buy chickens and other birds at live poultry markets. These markets are regulated and considered safe.
But scientists worry that they could one day pose a risk of becoming a breeding ground for spreading the deadly strain of bird flu. That's why samples are taken from birds like these and shipped hundreds of miles north of New York City to be tested at a Cornell University lab.
SARAH SHAFER, MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: Chickens, ducks, Cornish game hens, anything that you would find in a live bird market in New York City.
SNOW: Sarah Shafer spends her day screening for any sign of the deadly strain. She admits it's a tedious process, with some tests taking days to conduct.
SHAFER: If it got into the New York City live bird market, we would found out here.
SNOW: Doctors say there's concern about live bird markets, because it's a place where humans could come in direct contact with the deadly virus.
ALFONSO TORRES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY ANIMAL HEALTH DIAGNOSTIC CENTER: They can move from bird to bird very rapidly. So, the earliest we can detect them, the quickest we can quench that outbreak and keep the outbreak from being overwhelming.
SNOW: Dr. Alfonso Torres heads the Cornell testing program where monitoring has been stepped up since the spread of avian flu. He says his goal is to build a firewall.
TORRES: If we can prevent the viruses, if they happen to occur in the live bird market, to go into the commercial flock, then that's almost like a firewall. We can prevent that event from going elsewhere.
SNOW: And he stresses that the threat of the deadly bird flu strain reaching the U.S. is still a big if.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And, Wolf, to give you an idea of how popular these bird markets are, the owners here say they sell 600 to 700 birds a day -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Mary, be careful over there in that bird market over there. We will check back in with you, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, for more -- Mary Snow in New York.
Up next, al Qaeda's employee contact, you will be surprised at what it says to would-be terrorists. We're going to have details -- plus, how it was discovered by U.S. officials.
And, also, coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, we're learning more, but there are still plenty of unanswered questions about Vice President Cheney's hunting accident. We are going to take a look at what the administration is saying and what the administration is leaving unsaid.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There's some potentially very significant news about Greenland's glaciers and rising sea levels.
Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joining us now live from the CNN Weather Center with this story.
What are we learning, Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, some new information, based on a very comprehensive study here, Wolf, some of which is based on satellite information and data, very similar to what you see us use right here in the CNN Weather Center.
And what those satellites are finding, that the amount of ice from the glaciers is being dumped into the ocean at an increasing rate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERAS (voice-over): It may be called Greenland, but much of the world's largest island is actually white. More than 80 percent of it is covered with ice.
And, according to a new study, more and more of that ice is winding up in the Atlantic.
ERIC RIGNOT, JET PROPULSION LABORATORY: The most direct impact this evolution of Green has is on sea level rise.
JERAS: Rignot and his partners studied the flow of Greenland's glaciers over 10 years. They say it has increased, especially in the southeastern part of the country.
And as the glaciers flow faster, they dump more of their ice into the ocean.
RIGNOT: Glaciers are speeding up as a result of climate warming. This is especially true in eastern part of Greenland, where there's been a pronounced warming of air temperatures in the last 20 years.
JERAS: The study says that's resulted in the rate of which Greenland's glaciers are losing mass doubling between 1996 and 2005. And they say that trend means Greenland will be a bigger factor in rising sea levels than previously thought, possibly becoming responsible for as much as 17 percent of the annual increase, now about one-tenth of an inch per year.
But not everyone agrees. Pat Michaels of the Cato Institute says the study ignored other critical research that Greenland's glaciers are actually growing.
PAT MICHAELS, SENIOR FELLOW, CATO INSTITUTE: When you average over Greenland, over the huge land area, you see a net gain in ice. That's water that's being taken out of the atmosphere and not going into the ocean. Certainly, the sea level rise is being muted by the increasing ice in Greenland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JERAS: And the reason why all of this important to you at home is, as all that freshwater moves into the ocean, that can affect the salinity, or the amount of salt in the water, and can change the circulation of the oceans. That, in turn, will affect the atmospheric circulation, Wolf, which means it can change weather patterns across the globe -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacqui, thank you very much -- Jacqui Jeras reporting for us.
Zain Verjee is off today -- Fredricka Whitfield once again joining us from the CNN Center.
Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Hello again, Wolf.
New York Governor George Pataki is said to be resting well, after overnight surgery to remove his appendix. He checked in to a Westchester hospital after complaining of abdominal pain. Doctors say he's expected to stay in the hospital for a couple of days and make a full recovery.
State and federal mine safety officials are investigating the cause a fatal roof collapse at a Kentucky coal mine this morning. Thirty-three-year-old Tim Caudill was killed by falling rock and debris while working underground near the town of Hazard. He's the 20th mine worker to be killed on the job in the U.S. this year.
And opening statements today in the trial of a California man accused of training with al Qaeda. Prosecutors say Hamid Hayat attended terror training camps in Pakistan, then returned to the United States to await word on when and where to attack. But the defense says the 23-year-old Hayat is simply a directionless young man who is prone to wild storytelling -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Fred.
It may be a highly sought-after job for would-be terrorists, a job with al Qaeda. A new documents details just what kind of applicants the terror group wants. We're not making this up.
Here with some details, our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
Barbara, what's going on here?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it may seem a little bizarre, but, apparently, al Qaeda has employment qualifications.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): So, what does it take to be an employee of al Qaeda?
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has just released documents offering extraordinary details to answer that question. Military officials tell CNN, they were chilled when they read a document known as the al Qaeda employment contract, which they strongly believe to be authentic.
It was seized after 9/11 in the home of an al Qaeda operative in Kandahar, Afghanistan. There is an al Qaeda vacation policy. Married members get seven days of vacation every three weeks. Bachelors get five vacation days every month. Requests for vacation travel must be submitted two-and-a-half months in advance.
Monthly salaries are spelled out -- 6,500 Pakistani rupees, about $108, if you are married -- 1,000 rupees, about $17, for bachelors -- an extra 700 rupees per wife if you have more than one.
The contract requires al Qaeda members to exercise and stay healthy. But they also get 15 days sick leave a year. The document is one of dozens the Special Operations Command asked West Point to analyze. The idea was to develop a better understanding of the al Qaeda network in their own words.
And the contract requires, of course, total loyalty, secrecy and adherence to jihad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: So, Wolf, what does this document tell us?
Well, it tells us that, four years ago, at least, al Qaeda was a highly organized business. Now, no one can be quite sure what they're up to -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What a story, Barbara. Thank you very much for bringing it to us and to our viewers.
Jack Cafferty was listening, and he was watching that story as well.
What do you make of that employee contract that al Qaeda has for its... CAFFERTY: Pretty...
BLITZER: ... terrorists?
CAFFERTY: Pretty scary stuff, isn't it?
I mean, they were organized enough to have a document in place like that. They had obviously, you know, gone through, figured out the amount of time off their membership needed in order for the organization to still be effective. I mean, it's just scary.
BLITZER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Let's hope they're not that well organized now.
Vice President Cheney says an executive order gives him the authority to declassify secret documents. Despite insisting he has the authority, Cheney will not say if he authorized his former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, to release classified information.
The question is, who do you think should be able to declassify secret information in this country?
Here's some of what you have written.
Mark in Colorado Springs writes: "The instructions are pretty clear. It's in the hands of the executive branch of the government and the military. Last I checked, the vice president is part of the executive branch. What an incredibly lame and politically charged question.:
Martin writes, "Having worked with classified material for a while, I believe that only the originator of the that material has the knowledge necessary to declassify it."
Linda in Sierra Vista, Arizona: "Senate and House Intelligence Committees, both must approve declassification, or no dice."
Duane in Greenville, Pennsylvania: "Information should be declassified by a nonpartisan committee made up of experts in why information is classified to begin with. It should certainly not be decided by executive fiat."
Elmer, retired U.S. Naval personnel, writes in Florida: "Anybody who spent any time in the military around this stuff knows that the rule is that the classifying agency has to clear the declassification of the information or subject. So the question should be, did the classifying agency clear the declassification prior to its release?"
And Jim in Mocksville, North Carolina, writes: "The answer to this question is classified. If I told you, Jack..."
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: "... the terrorists might hear. For the safety of the American people, they need to remain completely ignorant." (LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Thank you, Jack. See you in one hour.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
BLITZER: .... back here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
CAFFERTY: OK.
BLITZER: Just ahead, a modern-day gold rush in Italy.
And, in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, we're learning more of the details surrounding the vice president's hunting accident. But what questions remain unanswered? Brian Todd has been keeping track.
You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There are thrilling wins and heartbreaking defeats at the Winter Olympics today in Torino, Italy. Two sports saw some major wins.
Let's get details now from CNN's Mark McKay. He's in Torino -- Mark.
MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Evgeni Plushenko has done everything on the world and European figure skating stage. Now, for the first time, the talented Russian, he's an Olympic gold medalist.
He clinches gold within the past hour, after a brilliant free skate here in Torino, following up on a brilliant short program. Johnny Weir of the United States certainly couldn't be cautious. Unfortunately, he was. He made mistakes. Weir, second after the short program, he fell all the way to fifth tonight, at the end. And his U.S. teammate Evan Lysacek finished fourth.
The United States wins its third snowboarding gold medal in as many events. This time, it's Seth Westcott giving the U.S. another gold, this time in snowboard cross. They're told that this event is more like NASCAR on the slopes. You can believe it with the -- the amount of speed these snowboarders rack up. Snowboarding -- three of the six gold medals for the United States so far.
Wolf, I guess you could say it's not your father's Winter Games anymore.
BLITZER: Lovely place to be though.
Thanks very much, Mark, for that -- Mark McKay on the scene for us in Torino, Italy.
We are here in THE SITUATION ROOM every weekday afternoon from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We are back in one hour, 7:00 p.m. Eastern -- much more coming up later tonight on the vice president and the hunting accident. We are going to in depth and see what is going on. We are getting some new information also on some of the still unanswered questions.
Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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