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The Situation Room

American Tourists Killed In Chile On Excursion From Cruise Ship; President Bush On A Five-Day Streak, Talking About Iraq. In Afghanistan, Man Could Die For Changing Religious Beliefs; Senator Clinton Brings Religion Into Politics On Border Battle; Bob Dole Interview; IRS Proposed Changes Could Allow Accountants To Sell Personal Information; New Technology May Be Able To Translate Languages

Aired March 22, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where we're following breaking news.
Happening now, it's 8:00 p.m. in Chile, where late this afternoon a bus carrying cruise ship tourists plunged off a cliff. We believe it was a Celebrity cruise ship, and many of the dead are thought to be Americans.

We're going to have extensive coverage, what's going on.

Also happening now, it's 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad, where Shiite pilgrims are gunned down in the streets. President Bush calls on the American public not to lose patience with the war, but has he lost the American public? I'll ask former Senator Bob Dole.

And senators square off on a fight over immigration, as Hillary Clinton brings religion into the battle over the borders.

It's 4:00 p.m. in southern California, where the Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid gets a first-hand look. He'll give us a first-hand report.

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

We begin with breaking news of American tourists killed on vacation, apparently on the excursion -- on an excursion from their cruise ship. It's every tourist's worst nightmare.

We're going to have extensive coverage. First, let's get the latest from CNN's Zain Verjee. She's joining us from the CNN global headquarters.

What we do we know, Zain?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, fresh reports are coming in that American tourists enjoying a vacation cruise are now dead after a bus crash in Chile. Officials are saying that a group of tourists left their cruise ship for a bus ride and then their bus plunged off a cliff.

Eleven people are dead, and The Associated Press is reporting that most of them are Americans. The AP also saying that the tourists were returning to a ship called the Millennium.

CNN has learned that a boat named Millennium owned by Celebrity Cruise Lines was scheduled to be in the city where the crash actually happened. Now, we haven't yet confirmed if the Celebrity Millennium ship is the same vessel the AP is saying the tourists came from.

Now, it happened in the city of Arica. That's about 1,200 miles north of Santiago, near Chile's border with Peru and Bolivia.

Right now, rescue crews are at the search of the crash. They're searching for survivors and confirming more possible deaths.

One official is saying they don't yet know the cause of this crash. But the roads in the area, Wolf, specifically are very, very curvy and there are many cliffs -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain, in terms of the statements that we're getting from actual spokesmen for the cruise liner, are we getting anything specific yet?

VERJEE: We're making calls on that, Wolf. And we're going to get you a little more information on that a little bit later. The capacity of the bus, though, that went off the cliff was 54. Officials are saying that at least five people have been injured.

We're going to bring you more details -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain, thanks very much.

Let's try to get a better sense of where this crash that reportedly killed American tourists actually happened.

Tom Foreman is here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Where is this?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is about 70 miles from the coast. If we fly in here, this is the coast of Chile here, long, thin country, as you know.

Near the northern end here, near the town of Arica, Chile, Lauca National Park, about 73 miles as the crow flies if you go in here. If you've ever spent any time in or near the Andes, however, you know these can be very dramatic mountains.

And if we move back over them, you can see the steep peaks, the very deep ravines leading back to the town of Arica, which, of course, is on the coast where these cruise ships could be. As you said in the beginning, one of the worst possible things that could happen, you're very far from home. Some of these roads, you get on these roads, you realize this kind of thing can happen, and apparently in this case it has in these very steep mountains of South America.

BLITZER: So, basically what we know is the cruise ship stopped at this city in Chile, tourists got off. They got on a bunch of vans or buses, or whatever, to go see this national park. And that's apparently where this accident occurred.

FOREMAN: A very simple thing. It happens with cruise groups everywhere.

If you've ever been on one you see this sort of thing happen. You go up into these areas and then you start to come back. But many mountainous roads all over the world, as you know, are not necessarily what we're used to in this country or in some other countries.

They can be very narrow. They often don't have guard rails. They have a lot of things that rely upon the skill of the driver, and sometimes things don't work out.

BLITZER: And we have some of the information. It's a Celebrity cruise ship, a Celebrity shore excursion, as it was called. This was supposed to be, at least based on the information that we're getting, about an 11-hour excursion, but clearly, clearly a problem, the Celebrity Millennium ship involved.

FOREMAN: That will give you an idea of the distance, too. If you're talking about 73 miles as the crow flies, about an 11-hour excursion. Even if you spend a lot of time on the ground there, that's a lot of driving time, which means a lot of winding roads through the mountains.

BLITZER: All right, Tom. Stand by. I want to get some more details.

We have on the phone a journalist, Amaro Gomez-Pablos. He's on the phone from Santiago.

What are you getting there for us?

AMARO GOMEZ-PABLOS, JOURNALIST: That's right, Wolf. Good evening.

What we know so far is that the bus swerved off the highway into a small canyon 80 meters tall. And what we know is that -- from police sources that at least 11 persons have died and four other tourists are in critical condition.

Most of the fatal victims are believed to be American citizens according to local authorities. But they will not venture precise numbers yet. And any family members in the United States, we've been told, will be contacted before any official statement is given.

What I can tell you, Wolf, is that the bus was traveling from a national park called Lauca, as you correctly said, and up in the north of the country. Not far from the border with Bolivia with 16 foreigners on board, on their way back to the cruise ship, Millennium.

All of the passengers have been taken to a local hospital called Doctor Juan Nue (ph), which is in the city of Arica, the largest in northern Chile. An emergency plan is well under way and arrangements are being made to provide a phone number with information for family concerned. And the accident occurred three and a half hours ago. And though the causes are being still investigated, police suspect that it's high-speed driving.

BLITZER: High-speed driving. And the roads, I take it, in that part of Chile are not necessarily all that great, Amaro, are they?

GOMEZ-PABLOS: Well, the roads are in pretty good condition. But as you well said, it's pretty winding roads. And the terrain is of difficult access for the emergency services that -- that went to the scene of the crash.

Now, what we're getting -- the latest information -- I've just gotten this two minutes ago, Wolf, from the police -- is that of the five passengers in critical condition, I can tell you from police sources, local police sources, two are Chilean, three others are Americans.

And 11 people have died. The toll of Americans that might have died, we still don't have that.

BLITZER: And we don't know of the 11 how many are Americans. But the assumption is -- the working assumption, Amaro, is that most of them are Americans?

GOMEZ-PABLOS: Yes, that is -- that is correct. That is the working assumption. But as I telling you, any official verdict, any official statement, will be given first to family members before any information is given to the press.

BLITZER: And we know for sure, Amaro, this was the Celebrity cruise liner the Millennium. Is that right?

GOMEZ-PABLOS: Yes, operating with a flag from Bahamas and off -- off Miami. And this was a ship that was heading up north. It was in another Chilean city called Valparaiso. It then stopped over in Arica at 6:00 in the morning local time and was heading off to a port in Peru called Gayou (ph).

Now, the ship, obviously, will be remaining in Arica.

BLITZER: What a nightmare.

Amaro, I'm going to have you stand by. Zain Verjee is getting some more information right now.

What are you getting, Zain?

VERJEE: We just received a statement, Wolf, from Celebrity Cruises. And the statement reads like this: "Several people are believed killed or injured in this accident. They were sailing aboard Celebrity Cruises' Millennium. They were on an independent, private tour not affiliated with the cruise line."

That's what the statement says. It goes on to say, "The cause of the accident has not yet be determined. And Celebrity Cruises is working in close coordination with Chilean authorities to assist in their investigation."

And as we heard from the reporter there on the scene, police don't know what it is, but they do suspect it could just be high-speed driving -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And we know that also in the statement -- I have a copy, Zain, as well -- the ship was scheduled to return to Fort Lauderdale in Florida on April 2. It departed Chile on March 19.

Jacki Schechner is watching this story online.

Jacki, what have you found?

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, we know now that it's the Celebrity Cruises' Millennium ship. You can see the occupancy of that ship, just over 2,000 people, 2,032.

According to the itinerary of the ship, this would be day four for them, where they ended up in Arica. They would have arrived in port at 7:00 a.m. They would have ended up getting out of there at 6:00 p.m., and this is actually consistent with the idea of this 11- hour local excursion.

Again, like Tom said, if you've ever been on a cruise ship, you take these day-long excursions that take you off the ship. You get back on, and that's what we're talking about here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jacki, thanks very much.

Amaro Gomez-Pablos is a journalist who is on the phone joining us from Santiago in Chile.

As you hear this report and this breaking news, Amaro, how unusual is this? Because I assume a lot of cruise ships come into Chile and people want to go see some of the sights.

GOMEZ-PABLOS: Accidents are rather unusual. Safety measures are well-taken, well-considered. But what I can tell you is -- also complementing the information you've gathered -- that the bus agency is called Andino Tour (ph). That's the Spanish name for the bus agency.

Now, we've tried to contact them. We've been unable to do so. But we know from their track record apparently this would have been their first accident on site.

BLITZER: Amaro, thanks very much. We're going on to have you stand by.

We're going to continue to watch this story. At least 11 people are confirmed dead. Many of them believed to be Americans on this -- who were on this cruise ship. They took a side trip inside Chile and unfortunately a horrible accident occurred. We'll continue to watch this story, bring you additional information as we get it.

Also coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the former Senate majority leader Bob Dole's advice for President Bush. What, if anything, can the president do right now to try to win back support on Iraq?

Also coming up, think about all the sensitive information on your income tax returns. Now imagine going public with that information. Is that outrageous? We'll tell you how and why it could happen to you.

And new twists in a stunning case in Afghanistan. A man ordered to stand trial for converting from Islam to Christianity. He's now facing a death sentence. What President Bush is saying and doing about it.

All that coming up.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

We're following a breaking news story out of Chile. An American cruise ship has had a horrible accident. People tending -- going on a side trip were in a really bad accident as they tried to go to a national park. At least 11 tourists, most of them Americans, are confirmed dead, five others seriously injured, including, we believe, three of those Americans.

We're watching the story. We'll get more information for you.

A Celebrity cruise ship called the Millennium on its way -- eventually making its way to Fort Lauderdale from Chile. We're watching this story for you.

Other news we're watching tonight as well, including President Bush. He's on a five-day streak of talking about Iraq. He's back in Washington right now after taking his third anniversary of the war message to West Virginia earlier today.

Let's go to the White House. Dana Bash standing by with the latest on the president's efforts -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, the president once again tried to answer questions from Americans about their concerns about the Iraq mission. But he also had a message for Iraq's bickering political leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice over): At a West Virginia town hall, the president voiced impatience that Iraq's political fractions can't reach agreement on a new unity government.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's time. It's time to get a government in place to start leading this nation and listening to the will of the people.

BASH: That nudge fit nicely with the day's goal, stand face to face with average Americans, take questions and show up close he understands their worries about the war. His overriding objective was clear before he called on anyone.

BUSH: If I didn't think we would succeed, I would pull our troops out. I cannot look mothers and dads in the eye...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: ... I can't ask this good Marine to go into harm's way if I didn't believe, one, we're going to succeed, and two, it's necessary for the security of the United States.

BASH: The White House hope is a more folksy format helps stop of the erosion of support for the war Mr. Bush now admits is sucking up what's left of his political capital.

LINDA DIVALL, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: I think what's important here is he really understands their wanting to learn from him what is happening.

BASH: Over and over he tried to prove he gets it.

BUSH: I fully understand there is deep concern among the American people about whether or not we can win, the anxiety that a lot of our citizens feel. And I understand why people are concerned.

BASH: Most of the 2,000-plus tickets were distributed by the chamber of commerce, but Bush aides also gave about 200 to the local newspaper. Yet, if the hope was a tough grilling to show that the president can stand up to criticism, it didn't happen here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I thank god that you're our commander in chief.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Now, that Bush supporter encouraged the president to keep traveling, keep talking about the war. That's something, Wolf, that GOP strategists say is late but imperative if there is any chance of turning around the sinking public opinion not only about the Iraq mission but also about Mr. Bush's leadership -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Dana, thanks very much.

And this note. Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, former U.S. Senator Bob Dole, he'll weigh in on Iraq and the president's current troubles.

Let's go to New York right now. Jack Cafferty standing by with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, those five days' worth of speeches on the war notwithstanding, here's the "I" word again. The New Mexico Democratic Party is calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

The party chairman says they supported a call for the president's removal from office mostly because of "perceived abuses of power and corruption," like the NSA spying program, eavesdropping on Americans without a warrant, the misstatement of facts before the invasion of Iraq, and the scandal surrounding the indictment of Scooter Libby.

However, the Democratic chairman acknowledges that everyone understands the president is not going to be impeached.

The director for the Republican Party in New Mexico said the Democrats foolishly voted to "impeach and punish our president for aggressively waging the war on al Qaeda." She asked how dragging the country into impeachment hearings would protect Americans.

So here's the question : Is it a good Democrat strategy to call for the impeachment of President Bush? EE-mail us at CaffertyFile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jack, thanks very much.

We're going continue to track the breaking news we're following this hour, a tragic bus crash in Chile that has killed several Americans tourists. The cruise was on its way from South America to Fort Lauderdale. We're going to have the latest information.

That's coming up.

Also coming up, a surprising remark involving religion from Senator Hillary Clinton. It's part of her fight against Republican policy on immigration. We're going to tell you what he said.

And could he die for his religious beliefs? Actually die? That's a real possibility for one man in Afghanistan who converted from Islam to Christianity.

We're going to tell you what is going on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's a very, very bizarre story of religious persecution and possible execution. Right now in Afghanistan, a man could die for changing his religious beliefs.

Brian Todd is standing by. He's been watching this story.

What's the latest, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the latest is that Afghan and Western sources tell us the courts are now trying to determine if 41-year-old Abdul Rahman is sane. That could affect whether the trial moves forward from here. And officials in Washington and Kabul are watching very closely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): In his own country, where U.S.-led soldiers died to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, why can Abdul Rahman be executed for this belief?

ABDUL RAHMAN, DEFENDANT (through translator): I believe in Christianity. I believe in the holy spirit. I am a Christian.

TODD: Rahman converted to Christianity 16 years ago while serving as an aid worker. He's now on trial for that conversion.

Listen to the judge hearing his case.

ANSARULLAH MOWLAWIZADA, JUDGE (through translator): If he does not repent, you will all be witness to the sort of punishment he will face.

TODD: A punishment of death because the Afghan constitution says no law should go against the beliefs of Islam. Some Afghan judges interpret that as support for Sharia law, which calls for executing Muslims who reject Islam.

Now the U.S. is putting pressure on the Afghan government.

BUSH: It is deeply troubling that a country we helped liberate is -- would hold a person to account because they chose a particular religion over another.

TODD: Top Afghan officials counter, they can't interfere with an independent court system.

ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The government of Afghanistan has nothing to do with it. It's a legal and judicial case.

TODD: Now the prosecution is raising questions about of Rahman's sanity.

Congress Tom Lantos believes this is how Afghan officials are trying to make this case go away.

REP. TOM LANTOS (D), CALIFORNIA: So, while the Afghan government might wish to solve this issue by claiming that this person is insane, we need a generic solution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: That solution may take us back to the Afghan constitution, which also calls for freedom of religion. Now, late today, the Afghan embassy issued a statement which said the government is pursuing what it calls the best ways to resolve the case. And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Afghanistan's foreign minister to repeat President's Bush concerns. If Rahman's case is dropped, he'll still have to face his own family. They were the ones who turned him in after a custody dispute -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian, what a story. Thanks very much.

Brian Todd reporting.

We're also following that breaking news we told you about at the top of this hour, 11 people, many of them believed to be Americans, dead after their tour bus fell off a cliff in Chile. The bus passengers are believed to be passengers of the Celebrity cruise ship Millennium on a cruise from Chile and eventually heading toward Fort Lauderdale.

We're going to have more on this story coming up.

Also coming up, a former U.S. senator and a former U.S. presidential nominee, Bob Dole. He knows a lot about domestic and foreign affairs. In a few moments, I'll ask him to assess the war in Iraq, and an issue important to so may Americans; namely, Medicare.

And why is Senator Clinton using religion to combat Republicans who want to strengthen laws against illegal immigration?

All that coming up.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

We're following breaking news. A worst nightmare for every tourist traveling around the world.

Let's bring in Zain Verjee from the CNN Center. She's following the story, what has happened.

Update our viewers, Zain, on what we know.

VERJEE: Wolf, American tourists on holiday in Chile have been killed in an accident. They were on a cruise.

We have a statement from Celebrity Cruises, and I want to read you part of it.

It reads, "Several people are believed killed or injured in a bus accident in Arica, Chile. The guests were sailing abroad Celebrity Cruises' Millennium. They were on an independent, private tour not affiliated with the cruise line."

Now, officials saying that at least 11 people are dead. Most of those people Americans.

There are four or five survivors. They are in critical condition and they are in hospital.

As I said, it happened in the city of Arica. And what happened was, was that a group left their cruise ship, they got on a bus for a ride. They went to see a national park close to the border with Bolivia. And on their way back, a bus that they were in just swerved off the highway, off a cliff, and into a small canyon.

It's not clear what the cause of this accident was. Chilean officials are saying that families in the U.S. and elsewhere need to be notified before more information is released -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain, thanks very much.

Tom Foreman is here in THE SITUATION ROOM watching this story with us.

Show our viewers, Tom, where this accident occurred.

FOREMAN: We're getting a better sense of how steep these mountains are.

If you go into this area, Lauca National Park, which is where they were going to, is home to the highest lake in the world, 14,000 feet at this lake. This is higher in here than the Rocky Mountains in many places.

And if you look at the roads coming back out of here, you get an idea of why this was such a dangerous thing. There are warnings all over the Rockies as you head down to the Great Plains about watching your speed because it's hard to control.

And as we move through this area, we'll just take a quick look of what we're talking about here. Very, very steep canyons. Very steep areas. Hard for you to control a vehicle. And potentially -- and that's what made this such a big issue right now.

If you're driving down through areas like this, you have to watch your speed and you have to watch those endlessly winding roads that characterize mountains in the Rockies and also in the Andes as well to the town down here on the coast -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And the suspicion is that this bus carrying these 16 tourists, most of them Americans, simply went over a cliff.

FOREMAN: And it would be an easy thing to do. In this kind of terrain, you get down the hill, your brakes get heated, hard to control vehicles. We don't know that that's what happened in this case, but you always have to watch for it, even in a passenger car, let alone a big vehicle like a bus.

BLITZER: All right, Tom, thanks very much. We'll continue to watch this story.

We're watching other important news as well, including the United States Senate gearing up for a fight over illegal immigration. And Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton raising some eyebrows today by bringing the lord into the border battle. CNN's Mary Snow is joining us now live from New York with this part of the story. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Senator Hillary Clinton made a rare reference to the Bible in the highly-debated issue of immigration reform. She's calling on fellow senators for compromise as she tries to block measures in a Republican-backed House bill that would criminalize undocumented immigrants and those who help him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is using a dose of religion to blast what she calls mean-spirited legislation.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: It is certainly not in keeping with my understanding of the scriptures. Because this bill would literally criminalize the good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself.

SNOW: What's striking about the choice of words, say political observers, is that it's unusual for any Democrat, let alone Senator Clinton, to use religion in political belief.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: It's good for a Democrat to mention Jesus because in fact, in a lot of the states, Christians are a big voting block and they do determine the results of a statewide election for president.

SNOW: Clinton and other Democrats say they're seeking a compromise bill to offset calls by those politicians who want to deport illegal immigrants. Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said even if no compromise is reached on what to do about illegal immigrants already in the U.S., he will move forward next week on pushing for stricter border enforcement.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TENN.), MAJORITY LEADER: Our country needs security at our borders in order to stop the flow of illegal immigration and make America safer from foreign criminals and terrorists.

SNOW: But Senator Clinton, for the moment, is focusing on the controversial House immigration bill and says if the Senate follows that path, Republicans will pay a price.

CLINTON: We want the outcome to be that they're on the wrong side of the politics, as well as on the wrong side of history and American values.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And political observers take particular note when Senator Clinton mentions religion, saying it's a move to a more moderate stance, not only to get a compromised bill passed, but a move needed should she decide to run for president in 2008. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thanks, Mary, very much.

The Senate minority leader, Nevada Democrat Harry Reid spent the day in the California border town of San Ysidro on the front lines of the immigration fight. He says if the Republican leadership tries to push through a narrow or hard-line bill on border enforcement, as he calls it, he will use every procedural means to stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Do you want these 10 or 12 million illegal immigrants here in the United States now to get on a fast track to gaining citizenship?

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: I don't want them to get on a fast track to gain citizenship.

What I want is on a fair track, so that these 11 million people are not part of an underground, that we don't know where they are and who they are. I believe what should happen is that they should know English. They should pay their taxes. They should have a job. And they should earn it. And it won't happen quickly. But we need legislation in place to give these people hope.

Blitz, let's be realistic. We have to have good, strong border security. That's what real security is all about.

BLITZER: Do you think there should be...

REID: But we also need to make sure...

BLITZER: Senator, let me -- excuse me for interrupting.

Should they build a fence or a wall to prevent these kind of people from coming into the United States illegally?

REID: Of course.

And when we finish comprehensive legislation dealing with immigration reform, that's what we would have, a better border enforcement program, a better -- a good guest-worker program, and a program of legalization for these 11 million people, who we have to take care of.

Realistically, we are not going to deport 11 million people. We need to give them a stake in our great country. And that stake is to have earned citizenship. So, it doesn't come easy. It comes hard, but they will get citizenship.

BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about some other issues facing the Senate right now: Russ Feingold, the senator from Wisconsin, proposing a resolution to censure the president for what he says was illegal surveillance without warrants.

Is this a good idea? Will you support Russ Feingold?

REID: I understand the frustration of people throughout this country and members of the Senate, because President Bush and Vice President Cheney have thwarted any initiatives that we have had to find out how the information, intelligence information, was manipulated before we went to war.

We have tried, in addition to that, to have hearing after hearing -- and we have been stopped every step of the way -- to find out what is going on with the spying program. We want to get the bad guys. We want to be able to listen in on the bad guys, and find out what they are trying to do to hurt we Americans.

But we also want to do it legally. And that's what we are asking the president: Tell us what you are doing. And if what you're doing is not constitutional or legal, give us an idea of how you think it can be improved.

And that's the frustration of Russ Feingold and others. And we have said to Senator Frist: Let's make sure the Judiciary Committee does what they are supposed to do in the ordinary course of business. Have a hearing on this. Let's listen to it. And, then, we can decide what we would do with his legislation.

BLITZER: Senator Feingold, former Vice President Gore, other Democrats, they say the president broke the law; this wiretapping without warrants was illegal.

Do you believe it was illegal?

REID: With the information I have, which is very spotty, you know, I -- you know, it's really hard to come by -- I think what he's doing is illegal.

That's why we have reached out to him and said: Mr. President, we think what you are doing is wrong. Come with us and work with us. For example, FISA has worked well since 1978. Twenty thousand requests, we have only -- the courts have only turned down five.

And FISA would work -- we have been told by all the experts, all the academics, it would work with what he's trying to do. Let's do it the legal way. Let's do it the way that appears to be constitutional.

BLITZER: If he broke the law, as you suspect he might have, why not simply go for impeachment, as opposed to censure?

REID: Well, I have been through one impeachment proceeding already during my tenure in the Senate. It wasn't real pleasant. And I think it has to be a last resort. And I'm not at that last resort yet.

BLITZER: But you're not ruling that out? Is that what you're saying?

REID: I'm not ruling anything out. But I think it is just way too early to talk about that now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Harry Reid speaking with me earlier here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Still to come tonight, we're watching that breaking news we're following since the top of the hour. A cruise ship tragedy, 11 people die in a tour after a bus crashes off a cliff. Most of those dead are believed to be Americans. We'll get you the latest on that coming up.

Also coming up, can President Bush convince a skeptical American public to stay the course in Iraq?

I'll speak with the former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole. And you pay your federal taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, but will the IRS let others pay to get your most private financial and personal information? We're taking a closer look. Stay with us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Want to update you on our breaking news we have been following since the top of the hour, a cruise ship accident in Chile involving Americans. At least 11 people dead, most of them Americans, five others injured, most of them also Americans.

Brian Todd has been working the phones. Brian, what are you getting?

TODD: Wolf, here's what I can tell you based on our contacts tonight with officials of Celebrity Cruise Lines, as well as officials at Chilean consulate here in Washington, D.C.

Officials at Celebrity say that they do confirm that several people were killed or injured in a bus accident in Arica, Chile. They say the accident occurred at 4:30 p.m. local time. By our conversion, that would be about 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.

We called someone at the Chilean consulate who was relaying to us what some of the Chilean media are reporting tonight. Chilean newspapers and news organizations there are saying that 11 people are dead, most of them believed to be Americans. They say they were coming back from a trek in the highlands of northern Chile, in that area around that town, and that the area there is very winding road, famous for steep curves.

The local mayor sent help. They say that four to six injured passengers were sent to emergency health care in that area. That is according to local Chilean media as relayed to us by the Chilean embassy. Celebrity's promising some more information as the night progresses -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And Celebrity Cruise is based in Miami. Is that right, Brian?

TODD: That's correct.

BLITZER: All right, Brian. We'll get more information as it becomes available.

Other news we're following, a reminder of what President Bush is up against. Just 37 percent of Americans now think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war for. Sixty-eight percent thought it was worth it back in March of 2003. That's shortly after the U.S.-led invasion got underway.

I talked Iraq politics and more with former U.S. Senator majority leader, former GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Has the president lost the American public on this war?

BOB DOLE (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think so, but I think there's been so much bad news coming from Iraq the past few months, I am not surprised at the 37 percent number. What we need are some good news coming out of Iraq.

And that means a unity government with everybody represented, and more Iraqis taking over more responsibility on the ground. But now with all the tragedies that have happened in the past couple of months, I can understand the American people feeling the way they do.

BLITZER: Do you have any specific advice you would offer this White House on what they should be doing, what the president should be doing, to try to bring that 37 percent number up?

DOLE: Well, I think he made a speech yesterday and again today. And I think when he says I'll make up my mind not based on polls or election or politics, whatever, I'll make up my mind based on the troop level, based on advice from the commanders, I think the American people understand that. He just has to keep doing it.

You can't -- and the Iraqi government is going to have to get off the ball too here -- get on the ball and get a government put together that brings in the Kurds and the Sunnis, as well as the others. But I think that the president has got a lot of work to do, no doubt about it. Right now his numbers aren't good.

BLITZER: Here's a very tough statement your old friend Ted Kennedy put out the other day. He said this. Listen to these words. They are very, very strong. "On this third anniversary, it is clearer than ever that Iraq was a war we never should have fought. The administration has been dangerously incompetent, and its Iraq policy is not worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform."

More than 2,300, as you know, Senator, men and women have died, U.S. troops have died, thousands of others have been injured. Those are very strong words from Kennedy.

DOLE: Well, what he didn't say, that there were over 3,000 killed on 9/11, and maybe Ted, like -- a friend of mine, like most people have forgotten, you know, really why we -- partly why we're there. And another reason we're there is ...

BLITZER: All right. Let me interrupt you, Senator. Let me interrupt you. But everybody now agrees that Saddam Hussein and Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. DOLE: Yes, but I think -- I'm not sure everybody agrees, but everybody also -- most everybody agrees that having Saddam Hussein gone is a good thing. But, anyway, I can't recall a statement Senator Kennedy has put out this year praising President Bush. I don't think you can find one.

He was very critical during the recent judgeship with Judge Alito. Senator Kennedy is a very hard-working senator from Massachusetts, but he's a strong, liberal Democrat who criticizes the president almost daily. He and Chuck Schumer are tied for first place.

BLITZER: As long as you can clarify the one point. Are you suggesting, Senator -- I don't think you are, but I just want our viewers to be clear -- that Saddam Hussein did have something to do with 9/11?

DOLE: Well, I'm not, you know -- I'm a skeptic. I still think when it's all said and done, we're going to find some trace of some weapons that he's either moved or destroyed. And, you know, I may be the only one in the country who believes that, but I really believe there could have been something there.

But the point is, the American people are concerned. There have been a lot of American casualties. Everyone is important, all of us. But I think we have -- you know, we're not going to leave as President Bush indicated.

We were -- we're going to stay probably beyond his presidency. I remember when President Clinton sent troops to Bosnia for one year, there's still some in Bosnia all these years later and it's cost some $40 billion. So you don't want to put a deadline.

BLITZER: But on this 9/11 and Saddam Hussein, I just want to be clear. You don't believe that Saddam Hussein had anything to do with 9/11 as opposed to WMDs?

DOLE: No.

BLITZER: All right. I just want to be clear on that.

A very controversial comment that the Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld, an old friend of yours, wrote in the "Washington Post" this past weekend -- it's a very sensitive subject. "Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today," he wrote, "would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis."

A subject you are intimately familiar with, you fought in World War II, against the Nazis. Did he go too far in making that statement?

DOLE: Yes, I think he went a step too far. I mean, you know, he's in a tough spot. He's secretary of defense. He's getting a lot of criticism because we're still there and everything is not going as people would like to have it go, and there are American casualties. I think the rhetoric on both sides could be toned down and we might be better off.

BLITZER: Would the country be better off if Rumsfeld resigned?

DOLE: No, I didn't say that, no. No, I think he's going a good job. I agree with the president too. I think he said, again, as recently as today that Rumsfeld -- he has confidence in the secretary of defense.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Bob Dole, the former presidential candidate, speaking with me earlier.

You assume the information on your tax return is sacred, but new IRS changed may make your information available -- get this -- for sale.

Ali Velshi's joining us now. He's got the "Bottom Line" -- Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Phenomenal story. Wolf, you may shred your bills so that information doesn't fall into the wrong hands, but you don't typically shred your tax return, although you may want to start doing so after you hear this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI (voice-over): Think about it. How much you earn, your mortgage payments, even the money you win or lose gambling -- it's all on your tax return. And with the Internal Revenue Service's proposed changes, your accountant may be soon able to sell that private information.

DONNA LEVALLEY, J.K. LASSER TAX GUIDES: Third parties can purchase your tax information and your 1040 if you allow them to.

VELSHI: CNN contacted the IRS. They tell us information sharing isn't new. The IRS commissioner says, "For over 30 years under the law, return preparers have been able to disclose tax return information with the consent of taxpayers."

But that sharing has been limited. Only companies that have a business stake in your accountant's firm can get their hands on your personal information. With the proposed changes, the IRS can't sell your information, but your account could share it, or sell it, to anyone like banks, brokerages, and marketers.

LEVALLEY: If the 1040 information does fall into the wrong hands, it really -- it's better than anything they could have gotten before. Credit card name and a number only is so useful. A driver's license information is only so useful. But once you find out how much somebody makes on a yearly basis, it gives you an idea of where you can apply for credit cards, how much credit you could be looking to obtain in this person's name.

(END VIDEOTAPE) VELSHI: And before anything is set in stone, Wolf, the IRS will hold a hearing next month. If the changes go through, the IRS wants to add a place on the form to make your consent to distribute this information easier to spot. These changes would happen, at the earliest, next tax season.

A strong day for markets, Wolf. The Dow closed 82 points higher to 11,317. The NASDAQ up nine to 2,303.

BLITZER: Ali with the "Bottom Line," thank you very much.

Up ahead, we're going to bring you some new information we're just getting on that breaking story we have been following, a vacation tragedy including a photo of the bus that crashed with those American tourists. We're going to have those specific details coming up.

A new Democratic call for the impeachment of President Bush. Is this a wise political strategy. Jack Cafferty has your e-mails.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We've just received a photo of the mini bus carrying those tourists. Most of them Americans on that crash near Herico in Chile. They were on Celebrity cruise ship. Take a look at this mini bus. We're told by the mayor of Herico 12 people are dead. Most of them Americans. Four to five others injured. Also mostly Americans. We'll watch this story, but 12 now, according to the mayor, are dead.

BLITZER: Let's go the Jack, Jack Cafferty's latest on the e- mails he's been getting.

CAFFERTY: We like to call this "The Cafferty File," Wolf. The New Mexico Democratic Party is calling for the impeachment of President Bush, the party chairman saying it was mostly because of perceived abuses of powers and corruption. The question is, is it a good Democratic strategy to call for the impeachment of the president.

Bill in Virginia. "Sure. It's good strategy, a preemptive attack, just like Iraq, to prevent any more 9/11's, Katrinas, gas crunches, non-enforcement of existing immigration laws, spending like drunken sailors, illegal wiretaps, global warming, Iraq, cronyism. There can be no higher crime or misdemeanor than the current state of BUBAR -- Bushed Up Beyond All Recognition."

Clint in Scottsdale, Arizona. "As a conservative and a supporter of President Bush, I say "Bring it on." Let's have the Democrats come out right now and run on this in the midterm elections. Elect us and we'll impeach President Bush. I'll just say thank you as this will wake up the conservative base.

Katherine in Long Branch, New Jersey. "Yes, it's a great strategy for my party to speak out about impeachment. If the Republicans thought they could impeach Clinton over a stain on a blue dress, then lying to take your country to war most certainly deserves impeachment." Lindall in Jonesboro, Arkansas. "Bringing up impeachment may not be the best idea the Democrats ever had, but it's a lot better than cowering in the corner like they've been doing since the 2000 election."

And Rich in Etters, Pennsylvania. "The Democrats should not impeach Bush just yet. Let the courts find out first if he broke the law. We want to keep Dick "Trigger Man" Cheney out of the power seat as long as possible."

I bet you didn't know that's what BUBAR meant.

BLITZER: I did not. But I'm learning something new every day. Jack, I'll see you tomorrow here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Still to come, making the world a lit bit smaller. How new technology might erase the language barrier once and for all. You'll want to see this report. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Lost in translation. With more than 6,000 languages spoken around the world, can technology help bridge the gap. Miles O'Brien shows us in today's edition of "Welcome to the Future."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I'm speaking to people overseas, it certainly slows down communication to go through a translator. I work for a relief and development organization. In a relief situation, lives are at stake. Communication is key. A little bit might be lost in translation. It would be great to have some kind of speech technology that would allow relief workers to speak directly with the people they are serving to understand their needs as quickly as possible.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Quick and communication is essential for relief workers like Katie. For the rest of us, it sure would make traveling overseas more enjoyable and fulfilling. Wouldn't it be great if you could speak any language effortlessly?

(voice-over): Director of the inter-accent (ph) at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Alex Wiebal (ph) is in the business of breaking language barriers. In Wiebal's lab, you'll find portable PDAs translators for tourists. Goggles that present translated subtitles. Even a speaker that can send a beam of translated audio to a single listener.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can have a personalized translation for one listener in Spanish, for another one in German, for a third one in another language.

O'BRIEN: Even more amazing, electrodes, that when attached to the cheek and throat can turn a person's native tongue into a language they have never spoken before. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then these electrodes can capture the movement, recognize the words that could have been spoken that way, and translate them into another language and sound them out aloud.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That's it for us. Remember, we're in THE SITUATION ROOM weekdays 4:00 to 6:00 eastern, back at 7:00 p.m. eastern. Let's go up to New York. Heidi Collins sitting in for Paula tonight -- Heidi.

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