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The Situation Room

Iran Announces Successful Enrichment Of Uranium; Rumsfeld Under Fire; Graphic Evidence Today In Trial Of Zacarias Moussaoui; Lilian Ake Interview; New Details On What Senator Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich Are Saying

Aired April 11, 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: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information are arriving all the time.
Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories.

Happening now, it's 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in Tehran, where the Iranian president says his country is now officially a nuclear power, successfully enriching uranium. The White House calling that move a move in the wrong direction as tension between the two countries moves up yet another notch.

It's 1:00 a.m. Wednesday in Iraq, where an American businessman, Jeffrey Ake, was kidnapped exactly one year ago today. Now his wife is joining us for her first interview since that fateful day, and she issues a plea directly to his kidnappers.

And it's 5:00 p.m. in Alexandria, Virginia, where the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui has shifted focus to the downing of United Flight 93, capping a day of emotional testimony and graphic evidence.

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

We begin with a developing story. Iran thumbs its nose at warnings from the United States and United Nations. Iran says it's enriched uranium for the first time, moving it closer to developing nuclear fuel.

We have two reports. CNN's Ed Henry standing by at the White House. But we begin with our Brian Todd. He's in the newsroom -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, experts are quick to say Iran's nuclear program is still in its embryonic stages. But they are worried about what the regime does from here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Dancers chanting "God is great," holding two canisters of uranium. Is this patriotic show a prelude to Iran's first nuclear weapon? Standing by a banner that reads in English, "Using atomic energy is our certain right," Iran's president makes an announcement watched around the world. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The nuclear fuel cycle at the laboratory level has been completed, and uranium, with the desired enrichment for nuclear power plants, was achieved.

TODD: Experts tell CNN this means Iran has enriched uranium to the quality needed for nuclear power plants, but it's not enough in volume to run those plants or produce a nuclear weapon.

DAVID ALBRIGHT, FMR. U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: And that's going to take them at least three years before they can have a nuclear weapon.

TODD: And possibly longer because of technical problems in nuclear development. But in going ahead, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is openly defying U.N. and Western calls for Iran to give up all nuclear activity.

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: If Iran continues down this pathway of defiance, you will see a parallel increase in the pressure on Iran from the international community.

TODD: Pressure that might include U.N. sanctions or even U.S. military action. But the White House says diplomacy must be used first, and the defense secretary had this response to reports of U.S. plans for a preemptive nuclear strike...

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It's a country that has indicated an interest in having weapons of mass destruction, so obviously the president has indicated his concern about the country, but it is just simply not useful to get into fantasy land.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Iran again insists it is not developing uranium for weapons and claims U.N. nuclear monitors have seen its whole program. But it's not clear if inspectors witnessed the most recent enrichment, and experts tell us they're worried that Iran might decide to accelerate its nuclear program to the point of being on the verge of a weapon way ahead of all the predictions -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian, thank you very much.

Let's go to the White House right now. Our correspondent Ed Henry is getting reaction from there -- Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, no direct comment from the president himself, but a loud and clear message from various U.S. officials, basically saying that Iran has chosen the path of basically defiance instead of cooperation, and it's time for them to reconsider the path they are taking.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan, travelling today with the president in Missouri, where the president was defending his Medicare prescription drug plan, basically told reporters about Iran, "This is a regime that needs to be building confidence with the international community. Instead, they're moving in the wrong direction. Defiant statements and actions only further isolate the regime from the rest of the world and further isolate the Iranian people."

Now, the message from the administration overall as you just heard is basically, war is the last option, despite this article in "The New Yorker" magazine this week suggesting the administration is even considering nuclear strikes to deal with Iran.

The administration insisting they're seeking a diplomatic path. But presidential experts like David Gergen point out that if diplomacy fails, it's going to be extremely difficult for the president to build the case for war in Iran, given those lingering questions about the case for war in Iraq -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Ed, thank you very much.

And this startling development comes after that published report that the United States is considering a military strike against Iran to stop its nuclear program. Today, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, responded to that assertion and to today's announcement from Iran.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is joining us with now more -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, after three generals in recent weeks very strongly criticized Secretary Rumsfeld, at today's press conference it was General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who moved in and said very strongly that all the generals had ample opportunity to criticize the Iraq war plan before the U.S. went to war, and he moved very quickly to defend Defense Secretary Rumsfeld while the secretary sort of stood by.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: This country is exceptionally well served by the man standing on my left. Nobody, nobody works harder than he does to take care of the PFCs and the lance corporals and lieutenants and the captains. He does his homework. He works weekends, he works nights.

People can question my judgment or his judgment, but they should never question the dedication and patriotism and the work ethic of Secretary Rumsfeld.

RUMSFELD: There are several who have opinions. And there's nothing wrong with people having opinions. And I think one ought to expect that when you are involved in something that is controversial, as certainly this war is. One ought to expect that.

It's historic. It's always been the case. And I see nothing really very new or surprising about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) STARR: So, Wolf, pretty amazing to see the chairman of the Joint Chiefs move in and defend the secretary of defense against his growing critics.

The criticism goes on, but every indication Defense Secretary Rumsfeld plans to stay right where he is -- Wolf.

BLITZER: They weren't necessarily questioning his patriotism or his work ethic. Everybody recognizes he works hard. What General Eaton and General Zinni and General Newbold, what they were questioning were his decisions, his competence, if you will. They were saying he just made major, major blunder after blunder, and as a result, he should step down.

Did anybody respond to that specific assertion?

STARR: Well, that's what General Pace was really attempting to respond to, Wolf. It's a very interesting question of military culture and ethics about when does a general publicly complain.

What General Pace was very strongly saying is, in all the months, the run-up to the war in Iraq, all of the generals that were on duty at the time had ample opportunity to voice their concerns about the war plan. Fifty or 60 meetings, he said, where the war plan was reviewed, and up until the end, he said, nobody voiced their concerns. Everybody was on board.

So, he is a little perturbed, to say the least, about this growing criticism.

BLITZER: But how can they say that when General Shinseki, Eric Shinseki, was publicly questioning the deployment, how many troops should be deployed to Iraq for this kind of war?

STARR: That's a complicated question and it requires a bit of a complicated answer. What people will tell you is that General Shinseki, under intense questioning by Congress, then finally said he thought it could take a substantial number of troops.

But what General Pace is very adamant about is that the war plan that General Franks came up with at the time was completely signed off on and approved by all the Joint Chiefs of Staff serving at that time. That none of the chiefs, none of the combatant commanders at the end of the day, right before they want to war, raised their hand and said they had objections.

Military culture, Wolf, is very important here. The way it is goes is this, if you cannot live with the plan that has been submitted, if your criticism is so strong, you have an obligation then to resign and leave military service rather than follow some order or plan you fundamentally believe is wrong.

And the point that the Pentagon is making, for good or bad, is at the time, nobody did that, including General Shinseki, and this criticism is only surfacing after the fact.

BLITZER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Thanks very much.

And this important note to our viewers. The former NATO supreme allied commander retired U.S. Army General George Joulwan, he's going to join me live here in THE SITUATION ROOM 7:00 p.m. Eastern. A lot more to talk about on the issue of Secretary Rumsfeld and Iran and the generals in general.

General Joulwan, I'll ask him if he thinks Rumsfeld should resign. Stay with us for that.

In the meantime, let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty once again with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You did use -- you did use the phrase "the generals in general."

BLITZER: That's correct.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

BLITZER: It was a clever -- it was a clever little...

CAFFERTY: How good is Barbara Starr?

BLITZER: ... a clever little turn of words.

CAFFERTY: No, I caught it. And I was -- it was clever.

How good is Barbara Starr?

BLITZER: Barbara Starr is great. Barbara Starr is great.

CAFFERTY: She's as good as -- there is nobody better covering the Pentagon than Jamie McIntyre and Barbara Starr.

BLITZER: I agree.

CAFFERTY: End of discussion. All right. Other stuff.

Religion and politics don't always mix, but they did make a joint appearance last night. Speaking at a Democratic fund-raiser, former president Bill Clinton said Democrats should think of themselves as values voters. He said they shouldn't be afraid of their values. Clinton also mentioned the coming holiday of Easter, and he reminded the crowd that Democrats stand for one of the hallmarks of the new testament, helping the poor.

Well, he's not the only Democrat to frame his parties issues using religious language. His wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Senator John Kerry recently criticized the Republican-backed House immigration bill as being against Christian beliefs. The RNC responded to the former president's remarks saying, "Ironic choice of words, given that Senator Clinton has increasingly used her bully pulpit to launch personal negative attacks rather than talk about ideas to better our country."

So, here's the question: Can religion help the Democrats?

E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Jack.

Up ahead, emotional testimony, graphic evidence in the death penalty trial of Zacarias Moussaoui as attention turns to United Flight 93 on 9/11.

Also, the wife of an American businessman kidnapped in Iraq one year ago today speaks out publicly about the ordeal for the first time. That's coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Her emotional plea, that's coming up.

Also, we'll show you what a popular online gathering place for young people is doing to protect them from predators. Our Internet reporters and producers, they are working this story. This is information you need to know.

Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Graphic evidence today in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui as the prosecutors shift focus to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and on United Flight 93.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, is joining us from outside the courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, you know, each day I think that it's about as bad as it can get, and again today I was proven wrong. More just unbelievably emotional testimony from survivors of the Pentagon attack, from families of victims who died.

We heard stories of people who were crawling on their hands and knees, breathing in smoke that they said burned their lungs, in complete darkness, trying to get out of the Pentagon. What was most striking, Wolf, is that these are both uniformed officers who started their testimony very officially, and, you know, sitting up straight and strong, and then broke -- completely broke down, both of them.

One male, one female completely broke down in the middle of that testimony as they emotionally described the loss of their colleagues, people that they tried to save and couldn't, the survivors' guilt that they had to deal with.

We heard from a widow who lost her husband, had to explain to her three young children that their daddy was never coming home.

As you said, Wolf, then the testimony shifted at the end of the day to Flight 93. That is the flight that landed in a field, crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We heard two very brief audiotapes of the cockpit. It was -- it was the air traffic control tape. And you heard the pilot screaming, "Mayday, mayday!" And then in another tape he screamed, "Mayday! Get out of here! Mayday! Get out of here!" And then that was it.

And so, you knew that there was -- there was a hijack. Someone had obviously gotten into the cockpit and trying to take control of that plane.

We also heard about all of the calls that were made from that airplane, more than 30 calls that were made from air to ground, to family members, to, you know, authorities trying to tell them what was going on, on the plane. We didn't hear any of that on audiotape. We just heard summaries of those phone calls.

Tomorrow, we do expect to hear the cockpit voice recording from that flight. And so that's what we have to look forward to tomorrow.

But once again, Wolf, just unbelievable testimony. All of it, of course, geared toward getting this jury to sentence Zacarias Moussaoui to death.

BLITZER: That audiotape that was played today, Kelli, the "Mayday, mayday," will that be released publicly?

ARENA: No. We got some conflicting reports earlier. But the final word is that because it's part of a larger piece of evidence, and it was just a partial, that we will not be getting that distributed publicly.

There was a ruling, as you know, for this court to release a lot of the evidence and documents, but only in their entirety. So we will not unfortunately be hearing that on our air.

BLITZER: Kelli, thank you very much.

Coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, a wife's dramatic, emotional plea to her husband's kidnappers one year ago to this day after his abduction in Iraq. She's speaking publicly now for the first time right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Also, can religion help the Democrats? It's our question of the hour. Jack Cafferty sorting through your e-mails.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: They were in the middle of public prayers when a suicide bomber blew himself up. Right now, Pakistan's military is on a high alert after an explosion killed at a religious rally killed at least 42 people in Karachi.

We get details from CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson in Lahore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos and confusion in the moments immediately after the blast. Pakistani security forces appear helpless amid the carnage as one survivor waves for attention from what until minutes before had been the stage for a religious festival.

According to survivors, a large bomb exploded under the raised platform that was the centerpiece for a Sunni Muslim celebration of Islam's Prophet Mohammed's birthday. Thousands were gathered in the public park in the southern city of Karachi and had just begun prayers at sunset when the explosives were detonated.

As ambulances began rushing the dead and injured to hospital, in an apparent backlash of anger against security forces, young men took to the streets of Karachi, setting buses and cars on fire. Within a few hours of the blast, Pakistan state TV began reporting dozens dead and many more injured, but predicted the toll could likely climb.

Sectarian tensions have killed hundreds, possibly thousands in Pakistan over the last few years. Early indications are this blast is the latest in that bloody cycle of violence.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Lahore, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And this note: Pakistan, under President Pervez Musharraf, a close ally of the United States in the war on terror since 9/11.

We'll follow this story for you.

In the meantime, let's check in with Betty once again at the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at some other stories making news -- Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, there, Wolf.

French students have gone ahead with planned protests today even though France's government has scrapped a controversial jobs measure. The students say they want more employment concessions. Today's turnout was much smaller than previous demonstrations, as you see. France's national assembly began debate on a replacement for the jobs bill which would have made it easier for employers to fire younger workers.

Thank god the hunt is finally over. That is what Sicilian police say after today's arrest of Mafia mob boss Bernardo Provenzano.

Italy's most wanted man was captured in a farmhouse in Sicily. He was on the run for more than 40 years. The 73-year-old was sentenced in absentia to life in jail in the killings of two top anti- Mafia magistrates.

Take a look at this, Wolf. It is not Augusta National, oh, no, but the International Space Station could be a good place to play a little golf. The Russians cosmonaut wants to hit a gold-plated golf ball during a space walk this August, and thanks to zero gravity, his drive will run rings around gravity-bound golf pros right here.

The ball will be equipped with a tracking device, and it's expected to remain in orbit for several years. First NASA must, of course, approve the request. But hey, that could be the future of golf. It sure would improve mine.

BLITZER: Or mine.

NGUYEN: Yes. My swing is pretty bad.

BLITZER: Thanks, Betty, very much.

To protect teens against online predators, the popular social networking Web site My Space is stepping up its fight. This comes in the wake of hearings on Capitol Hill and new aggressive programs from the U.S. Justice Department.

Our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner, is following this story -- Jacki.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, the banner add that is running behind me is one that you are going to be seeing on MySpace.com starting this week. It talks about how one in five kids is sexually approached online and how the predators know exactly what they are doing, do you? It's targeted towards children.

What you also might see coming up on television stations are adds like this one, again, talking to kids about the dangers of being on some of these social networking sites at some point. News Corp stations are running this one. They also own MySpace.com.

It's part of a larger effort in conjunction with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They've been running an ad campaign for some time. MySpace also deleting hundreds of thousands of profiles that are questionable. They also hired a safety czar from Microsoft who worked in the same capacity as that company.

The FBI also paying attention to this. And if you missed any of these resources, you can go online to CNN.com/situationreport. We have posted all of those links for you there -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you for doing that, Jacki.

Coming up, play ball. A special guest throws out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals opening day right here in Washington.

And just in time for summer, the high price of gas about to get higher. We'll have details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: April is on track to be among the deadliest months for U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon reports 31 Americans killed in the first 11 days of this month alone. That's equal to the death toll for the entire month of March, which was the least deadly since January 2005.

Meanwhile, today in Iraq, three more American soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing north of Baghdad. Meanwhile, violence is just part of the situation partly disrupting Iraq's progress. Another, the failure of Iraqi leaders to form a government.

CNN's Aneesh Raman has more on one man at the center of the deadlock -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, another day of talks by Iraqi politicians and another day with no end to the current political crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good-bye Saddam.

RAMAN (voice-over): When Saddam Hussein's regime fell three years ago this week, Ibrahim al-Jaafari was, by many accounts, the country's most popular politician, the most likely to lead Iraq into a new democratic era. But now, just four months after Iraqis voted in their first permanent government, Jaafari is at the center of a political stalemate that is paralyzing Iraq.

At issue is his ability to govern a country embroiled in sectarian strife, a country that after the bombing of the Shia Askariya mosque in late February teeters now on the brink of all-out civil war.

Monday, Kurdish and Sunni politician issued a final rejection of Jaafari, saying the transitional prime minister proved he's not up to the task. But Jaafari shows no indication he is willing to step down, still claiming support from influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Tuesday, the Shia Alliance met again to try and find a way out, once again emerged with no resolution. Iraq is in desperate lead of leadership. Insurgent attacks, like this one in Falluja on Monday, rage on. Shia militias operate at will in some areas, and sectarian tensions are not abating. South of Baghdad, Shia families continue to flee their homes, taking shelter at this tent city.

"We have received more than 300 families," says this Red Crescent official, "and we are ready to receive more."

Sunnis are fleeing, as well. All fearing for their lives. The power vacuum is undermining U.S.-led efforts to stabilize Iraq. Prompting a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and persistent calls by her boss for an end to the deadlock.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Forming a unity government is critical to defeating the terrorists and securing the peace.

RAMAN: And, the only avenue that will lead to a decrease in U.S. troops any time this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: Iraqi politicians say they are still attempting to form a unity government. That is why, they say, this current stalemate has emerged -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Aneesh, thank you very much. Another item causing uncertainties to Iraq's future is the level of violence and that includes brutal kidnappings. Within the horrible numbers of abduction cases is that of one businessman from Indiana. One year ago today Jeffrey Ake was kidnapped outside Baghdad. His family has remained largely silent about his case until now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now is Liliana Ake, the wife of Jeffrey Ake. Our heart goes out to you, Liliana, I know this has been an awful year. One year ago today, your husband was abducted in Iraq. This interview is being seen on CNN and CNN International. Tell us what you would like to tell the abductors, those who took your husband away a year ago?

LILIANA AKE, WIFE OF HOSTAGE: I have a statement for them. One year ago, Jeff Ake, my husband and father of four was taken hostage where he remains today. He was in Iraq, making certain that the Iraqi people have fresh, good water to drink. To the individuals who are holding my husband Jeff, you have had one year to know him. For that reason, Jeff's family and all our friends continue to believe Jeff is still alive, and you are responsible for his safety.

When you kidnapped Jeff, you contacted me at my residence and we discussed matters of importance to us both. My telephone number remains the same, and my willingness to continue this dialogue remains as strong as it was before. In order to resolve this matter and secure Jeff's release, you must call me again. Jeff should be able to give you the number. Please take the next step to release my husband and return his children's lives to normal. Thank you.

BLITZER: Liliana, you've been silent, basically, for a year. Why have you decided now to go on television and make this appeal?

AKE: I think that, for the whole year, I was hoping to hear again from Jeff's abductors. And I never doubted that he is still alive, and right now, it's been a whole year. I think it's time.

BLITZER: When you heard from them, initially, what did they say to you?

AKE: Well, they said that they were holding him, and that they would destroy him if I don't cooperate with them.

BLITZER: What did they want you to do? Did they have any specific demands? Did they want money?

AKE: Yes, they did. BLITZER: And then what happened?

AKE: And then they disappeared.

BLITZER: Then you never heard again.

AKE: They contact me -- I never heard again from them as of May 1st. Last year.

BLITZER: Did someone call you on the phone or did they send a letter? How did they get that message to you?

AKE: They called me on my home number.

BLITZER: And how did you verify that these were the real abductors, that these were the people that actually held Jeff?

AKE: Well, when they called me, first I was shocked. I was expecting something to happen. They could not just take him without contacting me or somebody else, and then, when they called me, I said, I don't know if it's my husband or not. And I asked them several questions, when they called me back, they delivered the answers which only Jeff knew.

BLITZER: So that confirmed they did in fact have Jeff. You were receptive to their initial demands, but you never heard from them again. I know you have been working with experts in this area. What advice have they been giving you about going public, not going public, reaching out to them, not reaching out to them ...

AKE: Well, I think, living in America, America is a free country, nobody made me do anything I didn't want to. It was my free choice not to do anything because I was just afraid for Jeff's life. I didn't know whether my request or plea will help him or harm him.

BLITZER: So basically, except for the first few days, you have not had any contact, not heard anything. There was that picture of him that appealed on al Jazeera that was very shocking. Remind viewers what you saw then.

AKE: I tell you that, when I looked at that picture, I was shocked. And I just prayed that he would be safely released. Frankly speaking, when you are in shock, and in psychological trauma, you can not make the decision that is right or wrong.

BLITZER: What has this year been like for you, Liliana?

AKE: It was a very, very hard year. I haven't slept all year. I wake up in the middle of the night at 1:00 and I cannot sleep.

BLITZER: What about the children?

AKE: The children are suffering. We have four children, and being without their dad and celebrating their birthdays and Christmas, it was never the same, and they are afraid. My little boy always says, my dad is in Iraq. Every time he sees the plane, he says it is his dad returning home.

BLITZER: How old are your children?

AKE: My children are three and half, and one little girl will turn seven April 19th. Then nine and a half and 16 1/2.

BLITZER: Your husband, Jeff went to Iraq as a civilian. Tell our viewers why he went to Iraq to begin with.

AKE: Well, it was not the first time he went to Iraq. Jeff has traveled to over 60 countries. He's been to Egypt, he's been to Kuwait, he's been to Korea. He embraced every culture. He sold the machine, it was not the first machine he told, he wanted to make it work better and train employees, and the first time he went there, everything went really well. Then the second time, he was abducted.

BLITZER: When the abductors initially contacted you, did they have any political statements did they make -- did they seem to make any political demands, or was it ransom money that they wanted?

AKE: You know, Wolf, I think it was both. Most of all, probably they wanted money, but they tried to say something about American troops, but it was pretty much vague.

BLITZER: Pretty much, it was money they wanted, and then, of course, you didn't hear anything else. I assume you were encouraged in recent weeks, with Jill Carroll, the American journalist, once she was released after a few months of being held in captivity, did that have an impact on you?

AKE: Yes. I never actually doubted that Jeff is alive, I never doubted that Jill Carroll would be released, and I'm celebrating her release and very happy for her.

BLITZER: Because her family went public almost immediately, went on television, made direct appeals to the kidnappers to release Jill, and clearly that strategy worked.

AKE: Yes, it did. That's why I decided to go public, as well.

BLITZER: Because of that.

So, what else if anything would you like to share with our viewers, Liliana, before I let you go back, to your family?

AKE: I would like to thank you for letting me be with the public, and I want to thank everybody who continues to pray for us, who gave me financial support, spiritual support. I want to thank my church, service league, Laporte Rotary Club, my dearest friends, and thank you everyone, America, who sent me encouraging letters. Thank you for praying. Please keep praying for us.

BLITZER: And if Jeff by some miracle might be watching this right now, what would you like to say to him?

AKE: I would like to tell him that I love him and I want him back.

BLITZER: Liliana, good luck to you, good luck to your family, good luck to Jeff. We're hoping for the best. Thanks for sharing your message with our viewers on CNN and CNN International.

AKE: Thank you very much. May the good Lord bless you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program at the top of the hour. Lou, what are you working on?

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you very much. Coming up at 6:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, tonight, we will be reporting on three new opinion polls. Polls that show President Bush with the lowest approval ratings of his presidency. Is the Bush White House indifferent to the needs of middle class Americans? We have a special report on that.

And, millions of illegal aliens and their supporters demanding amnesty in the United States. Now the government of Mexico is also demanding amnesty for those illegal aliens. We have that report. And among my guests tonight, one of Mexico's top former diplomats, Jorge Pinto, who says we must give illegal aliens amnesty.

And I'll be talking with three of this country's leading radio talk show hosts, who will tell us what their listeners are saying about illegal immigration, President Bush the CIA White House leak, and a lot more. We hope you'll join us tonight. Wolf, back to you.

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

Still to come, here in THE SITUATION ROOM. What should the world's response be to Iran's nuclear announcement today? I will ask the former NATO supreme allied commander, retired General George Joulwan, that's coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour.

And will you be doing a lot of driving this summer? You may want to find another way to get around. We're going to tell you how high gas prices are expected to go. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: They've become a political odd couple of sorts. They have come together on some unexpected issues. Now, both of them have some tough words for the Bush administration. CNN's Mary Snow is joining us with new details on what Senator Hillary Clinton and former Congressman Newt Gingrich are saying these days. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, many point out the outspoken Democrat and outspoken Republican couldn't be more opposite on most things. But one thing they have in common recently is that their criticisms of the Bush administration are gaining notice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SNOW (voice-over): Senator Hillary Clinton and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich may have more in common than their possible presidential bids, and this joint appearance on healthcare legislation last year.

LARRY SABATO, UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: They both have excellent political antennae.

SNOW: And they both have tough words for the Bush administration. In a speech Monday at the University of South Dakota, Gingrich called for a scaling back of U.S. troops in Iraq, and said the U.S. should not have occupied the country after June of 2003, when Paul Bremer was in charge of the occupation force.

NEW GINGRICH, FORMER REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER: We imposed an American who not only disbanded the Iraqi army, which meant we had to police the streets, which is a stunningly bad idea, but we also ended up with this American giving a speech once a week on television.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: What he hopes is that other conditions in the Republican Party will pick up on his ideas of reform and make them the battle cry of 2008. If they do not do that, if they are not reform minded, I do think he will seriously consider a run for the presidency.

SNOW: Meantime, Senator Hillary Clinton invoked the name of Richard Nixon during a Bloomberg TV interview, when referring to President Bush declassifying intelligence.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Presidents should know not to go too far. We saw it with Richard Nixon. Claiming national security to break into Daniel Elsberg's (ph) psychiatrist office to break into the Democratic National Committee. Well, here we have a president, at least giving an implicit go ahead ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this analogous to what Nixon did?

CLINTON: We don't know. We don't know.

SABATO: She's substituting the worse analogy possible in the Democratic Party mind, which is a comparison to President Richard Nixon and Watergate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And separately a White House spokesman was asked today about President Bush's popularity being about as low or close to Richard Nixon's. Spokesman Scott McClellan responded that he thinks the American people recognize that the president is a strong leader who is committed to doing everything in his power to protect them -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary, thank you very much. Good report. And to our viewers, remember, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM where political news is arriving all the time. CNN, America's campaign headquarters. Up next, higher and higher. If you are planning your summer fun, you may want to first hear how much a gallon of gasoline is going to cost you before you go out this summer.

And before there was the White House, there was Midland, Texas. There was a house there. The Bush family goes back to its roots. We're going to show you that house. Remember, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back, let's check in with Betty once again at the CNN Center for a closer look at other stories making news. Betty?

NGUYEN: Hi, Wolf. Police in Kansas and Oklahoma are looking for a teenage girl apparently abducted at gun point this morning. Authorities say 16-year-old Kelsey Stelting was forced into a white van near her house in Independence, Kansas. They say the van was last seen headed south on U.S. 75 toward Oklahoma. Stelting's mother says she went to look for her daughter and found the family car doors open and the car keys on the ground. We will continue to follow this.

First Lady Laura Bush attended the dedication of her husband's childhood home in Midland, Texas, today. President George Bush's parents, former president George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush were also at today's ribbon cutting ceremony. The house on 1412 West Ohio Avenue has been restored to what it looked like in the 1950s when the Bush family lived there.

And you may have noticed the Major League Baseball season is under way. Vice President Dick Cheney threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals home opener today. He was greeted with both cheers and boos when he walked to the mound. Three U.S. servicemen accompanied Cheney on the field. Two were wounded in Iraq, the third in Afghanistan.

It could cost you a bundle toll drive this summer. Oh, yes. The Energy Department predicts regular gasoline will cost $2.62 on average. That is 25 cents more than last summer. And gas prices could spike higher if disruptions like a hurricane occur. The cost of gas has soared since February and we all know that. Analyst blame high crude oil costs and expenses stemming from the production of lower sulfur gasoline. So, Wolf, car pools, looking good right about now. What do you say?

BLITZER: I think you're right. They always look pretty good. Thanks, Betty, very much.

The surge in gas prices already causing problems for many Americans that's according to a new ABC News/"Washington Post" poll. Finds 44 percent of people surveyed say the recent rise in prices has been a serious financial hardship for them. But 26 percent say it has not been a serious financial hardship. Thirty percent say it's not caused financial difficulty.

Our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton is standing by with what you can do about the surging gas prices at the pumps -- Abbi.

ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, there are a number of useful Web sites cropping up out there trying to help you find the cheapest gas in your area. One of them is mapgasprices.com. It combines gas data with a searchable map, so you can look at your area and your neighborhood stations. It is pretty useful.

We found in Los Angeles here a disparity of about $0.20 just a couple of blocks away. Another one is gasbuddy.com. The way this one works is it has hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the country, reporting in gas prices in their area. For example, here's Albuquerque. This is where ekeweebob (ph) this morning set off at 6:14 a.m. and he reported his local shell station, a price of $2.67.

Now a lot of these sites do rely on volunteers for their information. So we can't vouch for every gas station out there but it is interesting to note that the government's fueleconomy.gov does link to one of the sites here.

Now we put all these resources for you online at CNN.com/situationreport -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Good work. Good information for viewers, as well. Thanks, Abbi.

Up next, your answers to our question of the hour. Can religion help the Democrats? Jack Cafferty going through your email. He's standing by. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the hot shots. Pictures coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your hometown newspapers tomorrow.

Pakistan. Angry protestors set fire to a car after a powerful bomb exploded during an Islamic prayer service in a Karachi park. At least 42 people killed in the attack.

Nepal. Police try to prevent journalist from taking pictures of an opposition protestor being dragged away. The country has been facing unrest since the king dissolved the government and seized power 14 months ago.

Near Sarajevo, a Muslim survivor of the Srebrenica massacre holds a poster of missing men. Almost 8,000 people disappeared in what was the worst massacre in Europe since World War II.

And in Sri Lanka, the nation's most celebrated elephant, that would be Raja, lies in pain. He got sick after eating dozens of cookies and chocolates given to him during Buddhist new year celebrations. Half a dozen monks and veterinarians are on hand to nurse him back to health. Good luck to Raja.

Some of today's shot shots. Pictures often worth a thousand words. Jack Cafferty. He's got a thousand words right now. Right, Jack?

CAFFERTY: No, I don't.

BLITZER: How many you got?

CAFFERTY: Far fewer than that. Why do you suppose Raja, that elephant was ODing on cookies?

BLITZER: Because they gave him cookies. You give an elephant cookies, they eat the cookies.

CAFFERTY: That's - well ...

BLITZER: Should have washed it down with a glass of milk or something.

CAFFERTY: Yes. Or Mountain Dew or something.

Former President Bill Clinton says Democrats should not be afraid of their values. At a Democratic fundraiser, Clinton mentioned the coming holiday of Easter. And he reminded the crowd that Democrats stand for one of the hallmarks of the New Testament, helping the poor. So the question we came up with after a great deal of thought was, Can religion help the Democrats?

We got this from Linda in Texas. "Religion can help Democrats and anyone else but only if it's genuine and not just for political gain."

Nancy writes from Edgewater, New Jersey, "Jack, the reason we're in the trouble we're in now is because we're not keeping religion and politics separate. The minute George Bush brought his religion into the White House as his full time aide, it divided America."

Doak writes from Mississippi, "That donkey has left the barn. It is and always will be the economy stupid. Bottomless war debts, mega increases in energy costs, healthcare costs, yada, yada, yada."

Lou writes, "No, Jack, religion cannot save the Democrats. Only the Mexicans can do that now. Once we clean house of the present incumbents on both sides of the aisle, the only place for them to go will be Mexico."

Luis in Patterson, New Jersey. "Of course it can. If Republicans can milk that sacred cow, why can't the Democrats."

And Maggie writes from Illinois. "Jack, I don't understand the question. Are you asking if they even have a prayer in November? Or are you asking if praying for them will help? OK, I will, but it seems pretty desperate if you ask me."

BLITZER: Jack, if Bill Clinton could run for president again, would he be re-elected? CAFFERTY: Oh, I think he probably would be, in a heartbeat, don't you? The Democrats have no one. They have a couple of potential candidates which they seem intent on keeping out of the public spotlight. I mean, I think the governor down in Virginia might be a good guy. They got Barack Obama in Illinois. But instead, who do you see on TV? You see Hillary and Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy. Clinton would be the answer to a prayer. Not Hillary, her husband.

BLITZER: We'll see. We're going to pursue that question. Thanks very much, Jack. See you in an hour when we're back in THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer. LOU DOBBS TONIGHT starts right now. Lou is standing by -- Lou.

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