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The Situation Room
Troops to the Border?; Libya Off the List
Aired May 15, 2006 - 16:59 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 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 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, where just hours from now President Bush will announce plans to put thousands of U.S. troops along the border with Mexico to help control illegal immigration. As the battle over the border heats up, I'll speak live with Senator Ted Kennedy, and we'll go live to the border at the southwestern corner of the United States.
And a quarter century after Colonel Moammar Gadhafi became an American enemy, the U.S. will take Libya off its terrorism list now. Is there a lesson for Iran or North Korea?
I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Under pressure from both sides in the immigration debate. President Bush will address the nation just three hours from now, when he'll announce plans to send thousands of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border. Right now officials are stressing what the troops won't do.
Let's get some more on the mission. Will turn to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Bush administration is walking a fine line, saying that sending up to 6,000 troops to the border with Mexico will be enough to make a difference, but not so many that it will overtax the already overstretched military.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice over): Far from a show of force, Pentagon officials insist this force will hardly show. Under plans that are still being refined, sources tell CNN up to 6,000 National Guard troops will do more of what some 350 troops are doing now, providing low profile, administrative and logistical support for overstretched Border Patrol agents while carefully avoiding any direct role in law enforcement. Officials say the fears of residents in some border towns are unfounded, like this Texas man haunted by the shooting of a teenage goat herder by U.S. Marines on counter-drug patrol in 1997.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As sure as the sun rises and sets, they are going to kill more people on this border.
MCINTYRE: The Pentagon says flatly U.S. troops will not apprehend, detain or even guard illegal aliens. In fact, most would be unarmed and have jobs well behind the scenes, such as providing database management, intelligence analysis or routine transportation and logistics.
Some guard troops may have more visible roles such as flying helicopters for surveillance or even helping to build fences or improve checkpoints. But they won't be patrolling the 2,000-mile border with Mexico and most people won't even know they're around.
Still, some in Congress worry the Guard is too busy already, given the requirements of Iraq and the upcoming hurricane season.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think our National Guard is stretched way too thin, and I think we have a better group of people to do those missions. And sadly, we're unfunding our border guards.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: The Pentagon insists the deployment would be temporary until the Border Patrol hires more people and that the strain on the Guard has eased in the past year. Last year there were 40,000 Guard troops in Iraq. This year it's only 17,000 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.
Jamie, thanks very much.
And remember, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Much more coming up here on the president's immigration speech later tonight.
For more than a quarter century, Libya and its flamboyant leader, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, stood as symbols of terrorism for so many Americans and held a prominent place on the U.S. list of states that formally sponsor terrorism. Now a dramatic announcement, the United States will restore diplomatic relations and remove Libya from that terrorism list.
Let's bring in our national security correspondent, David Ensor -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this is definitely one for the history books. And the Bush administration is hoping that Iran is paying attention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice over): The announcement means that Libya's unpredictable leader, Moammar Gadhafi, can reopen his embassy in Washington after 27 years and the U.S. will reopen one in Tripoli. Libya will also be dropped from the State department list of nations supporting terrorism.
The move came after Libya turned over its weapons of mass destruction parts and programs to U.S. and British scientists and intelligence officers. An example Bush administration officials hope Iran and North Korea will follow.
PAULA DESUTTER, ASST. SECRETARY OF STATE: It's demonstrated that a country that we had perhaps even worst relations with than what we have with Iran can make a decision to abandon WMD and make other changes without having to have regime change in order to move relations forward.
ENSOR: The other changes include Gadhafi allowing Libyan agents to stand trial for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and then paying most of $2.7 billion in compensation to the 270 victims' families and others. The rest is now due.
One woman who lost her husband in Pan Am 103 says regime change in Libya should have preceded restoring diplomatic relations.
STEPHANIE BERNSTEIN, WIDOW OF PAN AM 103 VICTIM: I think it's a sad day for the United States. I think it's a horrendous day for the people of Libya who are going to perceive this as a vote of confidence in their leader.
ENSOR: Some victims' survivors argue the decision is really about oil, since Libya has major reserves. But most analysts say not so.
EDWARD DJEREJIAN, DIR., RICE UNIV. BAKER INSTITUTE: That's obviously a factor, but it is not the single factor. The major factor is that this Arab leader has changed course.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: The Bush administration hopes the move is an object lesson for Iran's mullahs that says you can give up terror and WMD and still stay in power. But Iran may be tougher to convince than Libya, because there is much less of an international consensus against it -- Wolf.
BLITZER: David, thank you very much.
Let's check in with Zain Verjee. She's joining us from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta with a quick look at some other stories making news.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf.
It's throwing ash into the air and forcing lava onto the surface. Scientists say rocks tumbled twice as far down the slopes of Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano than they did the day before. More than 4,500 people have been evacuated, but dozens of others are refusing to leave their homes and their livestock. Mount Merapi is the most active of the 129 volcanoes in Indonesia.
In Brazil, a wave of attacks on prison officials and police officers has killed at least 77 people. Grenades thrown at police stations, buses set on fire, criminal gangs holding more than 200 prison guards hostage. Officials in the state of Sao Paulo say gangs are in control of more than half of the prisons there. The rebellion began when the government began transferring leaders of one gang to a new maximum security facility.
The United States is banning all armed sales to Venezuela in retaliation for what Washington says is a lack of action by Caracas in the war on terror. The U.S. also says Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, is too friendly with Cuba and with Iran.
"I am innocent," that's the reaction from the captain of the Duke lacrosse team after he was indicted today on charges of raping a 27- year-old dancer at an off-campus party in March.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID EVANS, CHARGED WITH RAPE: I am innocent. Reade Seligmann is innocent. Collin Finnerty is innocent. Every member of the Duke University lacrosse team is innocent.
You have all been told some fantastic lies. And I look forward to watching them unravel in the weeks to come as they already have in weeks past, and the truth will come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Dave Evans says he passed a lie detector test given by a senior FBI agent. Last month, fellow lacrosse players Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann were also charged and released on bail -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you.
Let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by again with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush tonight is expected to speak about more than just sending National guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico. He will also talk about the need for immigrants to learn English and assimilate into American culture if they're going to become U.S. citizens.
The president touched on this a month or so ago when the debate over a Spanish version of the national anthem was raging. At that time he said, "I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English." But this is obviously larger than just learning the English words to the national anthem. It's about learning how to communicate and function in a society where English is still the overwhelming language of choice.
So here is the question. Should immigrants be required to learn English before becoming U.S. citizens? E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you.
And this note to our viewers, if you want a sneak preview of Jack's questions, plus an early read on the day's political news and what's ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, sign up for our daily e-mail alert. Simply go to CNN.com/situationroom.
Up ahead, America's borders in the spotlight ahead of the president's speech tonight. We'll take you live this hour to the U.S.-Mexican border to show you what the situation there is really like.
Also, there are some new developments in the CIA leak case. Notes by the vice president, Dick Cheney, and they offer a rare and candid glimpse into his thinking.
Plus, Senator Edward Kennedy, the veteran Democrat, is standing by to join us live here in THE SITUATION ROOM to talk about immigration, domestic spying and more.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Back now to our top story.
President Bush will make a primetime address to the nation on immigration and announce plans to send troops to the U.S.-Mexican border. Meantime, the border battle is heating up right here in Washington.
Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts is the senior Democrat on the Immigration and Border Subcommittee. He's joining us live from Capitol Hill.
Senator, thanks very much for coming in.
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Thank you.
BLITZER: I don't sense there's a whole lot of daylight between you and the president right now when it comes to immigration reform legislation. Am I right?
KENNEDY: Well, I think the president deserves credit for the courage of speaking about immigration. He was a border state governor, he has a special understanding of this. And to have his involvement on this issue now, particularly in support for a comprehensive program, will make an enormous difference.
We have a strong bipartisan effort here going in the United States Senate. It reminds me of the times that the Senate really acted, whether it was on civil rights or Medicare or the Medicaid or higher education. It was this kind of a coalition that we had in those times. We have that coalition now.
The president can really, with his intervention and with his support, can make a very important difference in bringing House and Senate together and do something that is going to be strong in terms of guarding our borders, strong in terms of enforcement, but also recognize that so many of those that are here are prepared to pay a penalty, to work hard, to be a part of the whole American dream, to serve in the armed forces of our country, to obey the law and, as other immigrants, to be devoted American citizens.
BLITZER: So it seems that on this issue President Kennedy (sic) and Senator Kennedy pretty much on the same page. Listen to what the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, told me yesterday on this notion of deploying thousands of National Guard troops to the border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: The only thing that we can do to secure our borders right now is to give our states help. And that is best done through the National Guard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We're hearing from our senior Pentagon correspondent that could be about 6,000 National Guard troops. How do you feel about that?
KENNEDY: Well, let me just put it into context. First of all, I think all of us understand -- I'm a member of the Armed Services Committee -- that the National Guard has performed so extraordinarily in Iraq and also in Afghanistan. Many of them have had two tours, and some even three. So they have been away from their families for a long period of time.
Secondly, even my state today, we are having massive -- very significant flooding up in Peabody and the Merrimack Valley, and we're using -- our governor has called up the National Guard. We're going to have National Guard responsibilities in states, fires in the West, hurricanes in the South, and perhaps even the East. So there will be a very important need for the National Guard.
The third part of it is we'll have to know what the National guard is going to do in the border areas. Are they going to be in the front line border security, where we'll then have to know about the rules of engagement and what kind of training, or are they going to be in a support? Are they going to be there just temporarily until we get this legislation passed, which will mean 12,000 new border guards that will have some 15 weeks of training and other kind of training in terms of border security?
I mean, this is -- we're investing in 12,000 more new border patrol, but it will take some time. We have to know more about this program, but we also ought to recognize that short-term solutions aren't going to be the answer. It's going to be the kind of commitment that we have in the current legislation that has bipartisan support that Senator McCain and I support in the United States Senate. BLITZER: Some of those who are critical, especially among the president's conservative base, are angry about this notion of amnesty, allowing some of the illegal immigrants who are here right now to eventually work their way towards citizenship. Representative Tom Tancredo of California said this the other day. He said, "Bill Frist has pushed the Senate towards the biggest illegal alien amnesty in American history. Frist has put the Senate on a collision course with the House."
As far as you see it, is this amnesty for those illegal immigrants who have been in the United States for five years or longer?
KENNEDY: Well, first of all, there is no question that the lead body in Congress on this issue, the one that passed the immigration legislation first, was the House of Representatives, with the Republican leadership, and they have effectively criminalized, criminalized every undocumented -- effectively the 11 million people that are here. And criminalized them, and with threaten of deportation.
That is sort of one approach. And I reject that.
You know, 10 years ago, we had 40,000 people coming in across our border, and we have added $15 billion, increased the border guards by 300 percent. And we have 400,000 or more that are coming in.
Border security in and of itself can be -- border security as part of a comprehensive program can be effective. But in and of itself, it just hasn't worked.
But with regards to the undocumented, we reject -- Senator McCain and I reject amnesty. Amnesty means forgiveness. Amnesty means that all is forgiven and they can go to the front of the line. That is not what we are suggesting, and that is not what the legislation says, even though those people that are opposed to our legislation will say that is what it says and then differ with it.
We are saying, first of all, you're going to pay a fine. Secondly, you're going to have to demonstrate that you've had no problem with the law. Third, you're going to have to demonstrate that you're going to work and work hard for 11 years to be eligible for citizenship, and then you're going to pay a final fine at that particular time.
You're going to have to earn your way to be a citizen of the United States of America. You have to go to the end of the line. You don't get an opportunity to become a citizen until all of those that are waiting in line at the present time have had their opportunity to come to the United States. You wait your turn at the end of it.
That's an entirely different situation that -- and -- but tonight is an important night. We wish the president the best, and hope that he'll come out for our proposal and we can get this legislation passed. It will be important for our national security, it will be important for American values, it will be important for our immigrant tradition.
BLITZER: While I have you, Senator, I know you agree basically with the president on immigration reform. I suspect you disagree with him on the issue of the national security agency monitoring or tracking these phone records across the country.
Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, was on "LATE EDITION" yesterday. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: All the intelligence activities that we have been pursuing are lawful, they have been briefed to the appropriate members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, both Republicans and Democrats, and are necessary to protect the country against al Qaeda and its affiliates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. What do you say?
KENNEDY: Well, my -- my reaction is, number one, all Democrats, all Republicans, all Americans want to be able to give the president the power to be able to intersect any kind of al Qaeda or terrorist kind of undertaking. We're all for that. We do that, though, presently under what we call the FISA, Foreign Intelligence Security Act that was passed, where the president does have that kind of authority, but it has the oversight of the courts.
That was worked out with another president, President Ford, and Attorney General Levy. Republicans and Democrats came together and passed the legislation with only one dissenting vote in the Senate of the United States. Americans know that the president takes the action but there's a court of law that's overseeing that.
We think that there ought to be the kind of oversight, and we ought -- we've invited the Judiciary Committee and the president to come to the table and have that kind of assurance and protection for American liberties and to get the job done with regard to our national security. That's all that is necessary. That can be done and clear this up.
This is not an enormously challenging or difficult situation. It's just whether the president will come to the Congress and work it out like President Ford did and like President Carter did before him. At other times we had national security issues and worked out a process that is acceptable to law enforcement agencies, acceptable to the Central Intelligence, the FBI, and to the criminal justice system, and we did that in a way that secured our national interest. We ought to do the same with this program.
BLITZER: We're all out of time, but a quick question. How is your son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy doing?
KENNEDY: He's -- I talked to him just a couple of days ago. He's getting a good program, seems to be doing well. I'm proud of him. And he's looking forward to getting back, but it will take a little time to do so.
Thank you very much.
BLITZER: Well, give him our best. And wish him a speedy recovery.
KENNEDY: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thanks very much.
Senator Ted Kennedy joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
And CNN will bring you extensive live coverage tonight before, during and after the president's speech. Starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll bring you our special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM. My colleague and friend, Lou Dobbs, will be joining us.
That's followed by the president's address. That begins live at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Then it's a special edition of "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
At 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Larry King is live from a California border crossing. And finally, a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360". Anderson will be live in Chicago.
Coming up, sign of the times. "The New York Times" is apparently one newspaper on Vice President Dick Cheney's reading list. Now some handwritten notes he once made on the back page are making front page news.
And more on the warm front coming after a very cold spell. That would be the U.S. restoring diplomatic ties with Libya. What might that mean for Iran and North Korea? I'll ask our CNN world affairs analyst. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen, he's standing by live.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're getting some excerpts of what the president plans on saying tonight.
Let's go to our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, of course President Bush is going to be addressing many different audiences, but one in particular, conservative Republicans who have been quite dismayed. They feel that there is not tough enough security on the border itself.
The president going to be addressing that very issue as the centerpiece, of course, of his speech. He is also going to be addressing those critics who call his guest worker program amnesty. From one of the excerpts from his speech, he says, on his opposition to amnesty, he says, "... we must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further ways of illegal immigration."
That is what the president is going to say on that score. And essentially, what he's going to say is that there is an earned path to citizenship, whether it's learning the English language, paying back taxes and penalties and that type of thing. He will make that case.
And the other case he will make, of course, Wolf, is the centerpiece, and that is toughening up border security. That is deploying up to 6,000 of the National Guard to help facilitate when it comes to logistics, construction, surveillance on the southern border. In the meantime, border patrols can continue to beef up their own support, their own numbers in the long-term strategy -- Wolf.
BLITZER: One other point. I'm looking at these excerpts. He says that, despite all the efforts in recent years to strengthen border security, he acknowledges this: "We do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that."
All right. We're going to continue to read these excerpts, Suzanne, and bring you back.
Suzanne Malveaux with these initial excerpts released by the White House.
Thanks very much.
Other news we're following, there are new developments in the CIA leak case. Right now, a revelation in the newly released court filing has many people asking a curious question: Who knew Vice President Dick Cheney, at least at one point, was such an avid reader of "The New York Times"?
Our Brian Todd is here to explain -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, he not only read it, he apparently wrote some notes in the margins. Notes that may be used at the trial of his former aide.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice over): A rare glimpse at Dick Cheney's thought process as he reacts to a critical newspaper column. The article, July 6, 2003. Former ambassador Joe Wilson says he found no evidence that Saddam Hussein tried to buy uranium in Africa.
Around that time, Vice President Cheney jots down above the column, "Have they done this sort of thing before, send an ambassador to answer a question? Do we ordinarily send people out pro bono to work for us, or did his wife send him on a junket?" JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: The vice president's notes show that Cheney clearly knew that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA at the time. The question is what he did with that information is less clear.
TODD: The notes, in a filing by prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, don't indicate the vice president did anything illegal, but Fitzgerald might use them to support his case against former Cheney chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby. He's accused of lying to investigators in a grand jury when he said he learned the classified identity of Wilson's wife, former CIA operative Valerie Plame, from a reporter.
The notes indicate Libby may have learned from Cheney, but analysts say Libby's defense that he didn't remember his interactions then because he was distracted by the Iraq war could still hold.
JEFFREY JACOBOVITZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: His defense may be, in fact, Cheney may have been interested in this, may have spoken about the notes. But again, this is one of 400 things I was doing during that one-week time period, and it is possible I could have forgotten about these conversations.
TODD: Cheney's spokeswoman declined to comment on the notes, saying, "We continue to cooperate in the investigation as we have since its inception."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Experts say that cooperation will likely lead to Cheney being called as a witness at Libby's trial next year. And one analyst says both sides could use his testimony -- the prosecution to show Cheney simply asked about Wilson's wife but didn't authorize a leak of her identity or any other illegal activity, the defense to possibly argue that Libby got all of his marching orders from above -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Brian Todd, thank you very much.
Let's bring in our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner. She has more on that latest filing by the Justice Department and what it may mean for Lewis "Scooter" Libby -- Jacki.
JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, here you can take a closer look at the op-ed article by Joe Wilson and the notes written by Vice President Dick Cheney up at the top here. You can see the closer look.
"Did his wife send him on a junket?" Now, this is part of the filing and five other articles that are going to be introduced by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, basically saying that the office of the vice president was so focused on Wilson and his wife at that time, it was impossible for Scooter Libby to have forgotten his conversations. For example, another article they are going to introduce is Walter Pincus' article from the "Washington Post" at that time. That was June 12th of 2003. Basically saying they were talking about it so much it sparked discussions within the office of the vice president. No mention there that Cheney mentioned Plame by name to Libby but they did have conversations about Wilson and his wife.
Now all of this will be online within the next couple days at the special counsel's Web site and we have it for you now go to cnn.com/situationreport. You can read it for yourself, including those handwritten notes, Wolf.
BLITZER: Jacki, thank you. And as we told you earlier this hour, the United States is restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya and removing it from a list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Colonel Gadhafi back in America's good graces, can other nations on the terror list learn a lesson from Libya. Joining us now, a key member of the CNN security council, our world affairs analyst, the former defense secretary William Cohen. He is the chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group here in Washington.
What do you make of this development today, the restoration of full diplomatic relations and the removal of Libya from the terror list?
WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: This is a process that's been under way since 1999.
BLITZER: When you were defense secretary.
COHEN: When I was defense secretary. It is designed to say that those countries that have been supporting terrorism, if they want to get into the good graces of the international community, become a part of that community, they have got to stop the bad behavior and give up certainly supporting acts of terror but also their weapons of mass destruction, comply with other types of international agreements, missile technology control regime and others to make sure that they are really pursuing a path of peaceful immigration into the international community.
BLITZER: Here's how the assistant secretary of state explained this development earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID WELCH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Today's announcement demonstrates when countries make a decision to adhere to international norms of behavior they will reap concrete benefits. Libya serves as an important model as we push for changes in policy in other countries such as Iran and North Korea.
BLITZER: By my recollection, two countries that were working on nuclear weapons voluntarily backed away, Libya and South Africa when the apartheid regime disappeared. Is it your sense that Iran and North Korea are going to learn a lesson from Libya and now say, you know what, never mind?
COHEN: I think North Korea will be tougher than perhaps Iran in that sense because of the absence of the penetration of the information age into North Korea, but, it is a very good lesson for Iran and North Korea, ultimately, to say, don't be a pariah. If you want to continue to act in the way you act, you will be isolated by the international community, that will be consequences for your people economically, educationally and so forth. So I think it is going to be a little bit harder for North Korea, but I think Iran should get a message that the international community is opposed to their going forward with nuclear weapons. To the extent they will give that up, a very robust economic package that will be available, recognition by the United States and other countries and full integration into the international community. That should be a very strong incentive for them.
BLITZER: Put on your hat as a former defense secretary right now. Is it a good idea to deploy 5,000 or 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico?
COHEN: I think it's a very tough call. Obviously there is a political dimension here. The president trying to demonstrate that he is concerned about border security and to meet the objections of conservatives. But to stretch National Guard and reserves unit that are already stretched very thin poses something of a challenge.
Secondly, you have to be very, very careful. They cannot be involved in border security itself. That's the Border Patrol. They'll have to be in a support activity, intelligence gathering and so forth. The rules of engagement have to be very clear, I know because when I was secretary of defense we had a very unfortunate incident on the border resulting in the death of a young man and, so, this is going to be temporary, at best. And we ought not to allow them to become involved in the actual arrest process or procedure. Make sure that we get them out as fast as possible and put civilians in.
I would much rather see 5,000 IRS auditors deployed to crack down on businesses that employ illegal immigrants coming in. That would be a far more effective process. The president is going to address that tonight and perhaps talk about getting a card that can be at least relatively fraud proof, but I would crack down on the business side and dry up the jobs that are being made available and that would be a much more effective way of controlling border then we would by deploying troops there.
BLITZER: William Cohen is our world affairs analyst. Thanks very much.
COHEN: Sure.
BLITZER: And coming up here in THE SITUATION ROOM, the president getting ready for his primetime address on immigration, that's a subject near to the heart of our own Lou Dobbs. Lou will join us at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here in THE SITUATION ROOM when our full coverage begins.
As the border battle heats up, we'll go live to the border. CNN's Chris Lawrence is standing by in the southwestern corner of the United States. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Welcome back. Many want it, but not all attain it. Citizenship in the United States. But for those too impatient for that process, instead devise their own ways to get into the United States. Our Chris Lawrence is in San Diego right now to show us some real vulnerabilities along the nation's border. Where are you, Chris? What's going on?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're in the most southwestern portion of the United States. We're standing in Borderfield State Park and just over the fence behind me is Mexico. Now, about an hour ago we got out on the water here and literally took a ride up and down this coastline to give you a better idea of some of the challenges that the Border Patrol is facing to secure the border right here.
The thing about the California border is there is an obvious way to get across it without having to avoid any land patrols whatsoever. It's right here in the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Mexico. That is the fence that divides the two countries and depending on the tide, it can be as little as 50 yards into the water. Border Patrol agents tell me they've seen illegal immigrants try to come across on surf boards, canoes. Just about if it floats, they will try it.
Border Patrol agents tell me there are even cases where immigrants will try to literally walk north through the water at night, literally while riding the waves trying to conceal their movement.
But, in some ways this crossing can be even more dangerous than coming through desert in that the water is cold and there's some pretty vicious rip currents out here, as well. The boat we're on belongs to a company called Vessel Assist. It's a rescue company that's kind of a AAA of the seas. Reggie Curry (ph) has been out on these waters for 25 years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: Have you ever caught stowaways on some of the boats you rescued?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we've had several incidences where people were hidden away in small vessels.
LAWRENCE: I have got to ask you, how would it be to cross the border out here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not hard at all. It's real easy. As you can see there's no fence out here and you can almost wade around the fence that does exist in waist deep water.
LAWRENCE: It just goes to show you that if you're talking about securing the border, you have to remember that the border does not stop at the shoreline.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE: And back here live now to take a look, you can see this gap here in the fence a pretty sizable gap, probably 50, 60 feet maybe out there in the water. The Border Patrol tells us that they're waiting for more money in order to fix that up and complete the fence. Wolf?
BLITZER: Chris Lawrence at the border, thanks, Chris, for that. Lou Dobbs is here in THE SITUATION ROOM getting ready for his program that begins at the top of the hour. Busy, busy day for you, Lou.
LOU DOBBS, CNN HOST: It is and with the president's address coming up, as you know, you and I will be there to watch the president and to report on that speech, focusing on what he suggests, at least, will be a solution to an out of control immigration system and borders that are absolutely porous. The early indications, Wolf, are that some of the rhetoric is going to be much of what we heard before and the solutions, while the White House has not released precisely what he's going to say, the solutions right now are ambiguous at best.
BLITZER: Did you see anything in these excerpts. You and I have both read these excerpts now in which he acknowledges that the United States does not have full control of the border, I guess that's an obvious point. He also insists that amnesty would be unfair that those who are here lawfully and invite further waves of illegal immigration, although, his critics say in effect what he's doing is allowing many of these millions of illegal immigrants to wind up with citizenship and they say that is amnesty.
DOBBS: It is absolutely amnesty by any name, by any definition and it permits them to move ahead of a backlog of cases at the citizenship and immigration service of 6 million people. Our citizenship and immigration service agency cannot deal with the immigration system as it is now constructed. And the processes that are in place. And this president, at least in the notes that we've received to this point, does not address that miserable mess that we called an immigration system, in terms of border security with 3 million illegal aliens.
For the president to say we need to do a better job is a masterful understatement. And, unfortunately, it is a sad understatement. This is an opportunity, I truly believe, Wolf, I don't know about you. But I believe this speech tonight on the part of the president could be the most important of his next two and a half years.
The president has the opportunity to exert real leadership on two issues that are critically important to the American people. An immigration system that is broken, illegal aliens who are demanding rights that many citizens in this country feel they don't possess, that is representation in Washington, and a border that is absolutely out of control.
BLITZER: Lou's going to be more coming up at the top of the hour and at 7:00 p.m. you'll be with me right here on THE SITUATION ROOM until the president speaks at 8:00 p.m. And then you'll be back at 8:30 for more. We'll be covering all of this. Lou, stand by. And coming up in our 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour, Univision's Maria Elena Salinas, she'll also in THE SITUATION ROOM with us. We'll talk about the immigrations and the countdown to the president's speech.
And still ahead this hour, a series of deadly alligator attacks in Florida. We're going to show you where and what wildlife officials are doing. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Let's check back with Zain for quick look at some other stories making news. Zain?
VERJEE: Wolf, flooded streets, waterlogged buildings, raw sewage flowing into rivers and roadways, that's what many people in New England are facing after days of rain. Emergency crews used boats to rescue people trapped in their homes. Tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Merrimac River near Boston. More heavy rains expected tonight.
Wildfires are shutting down traffic on a busy part of Interstate 95 in Florida. A five-mile stretch of the highway in Volusia County has been closed after a 350-acre blaze spread across the road. More than 2,500 fires have blackened parts of Florida since the 1st of January.
Residents of Florida are on the lookout, also, for alligators after three fatal attacks during the past week. Wildlife officials say the attacks are unusual and until last week gators had caused only 17 deaths since 1948. Officials say there's no common element in the attacks except that it's mating season and the lack of rain has forced some of the alligators to search for new homes because of the rain. Wolf?
BLITZER: Zain, thank you.
Up ahead, seniors facing a looming Medicare deadline. Only a few hours away, we're going to show you what's at stake for millions of older Americans.
Plus, your answers to our question of the hour. Should immigrants have to learn English before becoming U.S. citizens? Jack Cafferty standing by with your email.
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BLITZER: In anticipation of this evening's presidential primetime address on immigration, conservatives are weighing in online. Our Internet reporter Jacki Schechner is standing by with more on that. Jacki?
SCHECHNER: Wolf, this is interesting. Many conservatives online are looking ahead to tonight's speech, but a lot aren't looking forward to what they think they are going to hear. For example, a lot of them talking about the military on the border as a half chewed border enforcement bone saying they're just not that hungry. Also talk of Bush, these are people who normally support President Bush very ardently, calling him "El Presidente" talking about the Senate bill as a compromise. Discussion of "our greatest military force in the world, but it shouldn't be used as a catch all tool on the border." Also discussion of his talk with Vicente Fox and how these troops are just temporary, seeing that as selling out just a little bit and also discussion that if President Bush wins what he wants, is he winning if it's over the strident objections of his base. Now, we have a preview of what President Bush is going to say tonight. You can go online, cnn.com/situationreport and read for yourself what we are anticipating.
BLITZER: The excerpts from the president's remarks. Jacki, thank you.
Jack Cafferty is standing by with the "Cafferty File." Jack?
CAFFERTY: The question is, should immigrants have to learn English before becoming U.S. citizens? That is something President Bush is expected to suggest later tonight. Corey writes in Anaheim Hills, California, "Learning English is like being called for jury duty. It's part of a civic contract all citizens have with America. It is an absolute obligation on the part of the person wanting citizenship."
Dan in Dillon, Colorado. "Why should immigrants learn English when states like California offer voter registration information in seven languages and driver's license exams in 31 languages? Speaking, reading and writing English should be mandatory before you can apply for a job or a driver's license."
Ron in Dublin, Ohio. "I'm a bill collector. I make 700 to 1,000 calls per an eight-hour day. At least 150 to 200 calls a day I get, 'I speak no English.' It's a problem in every state, not just California, Texas and Florida. How can a person operate in daily life in Maine and not speak English?"
Stuart in Wilmington, North Carolina. "The U.S. has never established an official language. Requiring fluency in English for citizenship does not pass constitutional muster."
Tom in Des Moines, Iowa. "Sure, and while we're at it, how about teaching American kids how to speak English."
Al in California. "Jack, how dare you! This country cannot become a satellite of Mexico if you insist on people learning English."
And Larry in Indianapolis. "If our rap singers don't need to learn English, why should the immigrants?"
Wolf?
BLITZER: Stand by, Jack, we're going to be coming back to you in an hour for a lead up to the president's speech. CNN will bring you live, extensive coverage tonight before, during and after the president's address starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. We'll bring you a special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM. Lou Dobbs will be joining us for that and that's followed by the president's address live at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Then it's a special edition of LOU DOBBS TONIGHT at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. At 9:00 Larry King is live from a California border crossing, and, finally a special edition of ANDERSON COOPER 360 live from Chicago at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Up next, a key deadline is looming right now for senior citizen. If they miss the deadline, they'll miss the boat when it comes to certain Medicare benefits. We'll tell you what's going on. Remember, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Just a few hours from now, the deadline for seniors to sign up for the Medicare prescription drug benefit, seniors who don't sign up won't have another chance until November. They won't be eligible for prescription drug coverage until January 1 and will pay higher rates for enrolling late.
Meantime, more seniors and soon to be seniors are planning on keeping on working. CNN's Miles O'Brien has the story. Miles?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN HOST: Wolf, about three out of four baby boomers say they plan on staying in the work force beyond the age of 65. In fact, some of those surveyed vowed to continue working well into their 80s. Is America ready?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Many people are staying at work longer for the medical benefits or the money or they simply want to stay active. Deborah Russell of the American Association of Retired Persons says these workers are about to give retirement a whole new meaning.
DEBORAH RUSSELL, AARP: Retirement is going to be much more of a cyclical type of event where people are in and out of the workplace and they may not want to work in the same job for as many hours but they will want to be engaged in the workplace.
O'BRIEN: And while a handful of companies are embracing their older staffers, Russell says many employers are stuck in some old stereotypes about the value of seasoned workers. In the future, those that make it easier for older workers will have an easier time finding good employees.
RUSSELL: The changing demographics is going to require them look differently at 50 plus workers. It shouldn't matter too much how old that person is, it is really, what do they bring to the table and are they getting that job done?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: How do companies make it easier for older workers? There is one trucking company we've heard about with a staff of aging mechanics who found it difficult to slide underneath the trucks. So the company redesigned the system to flip the trucks upside down so the mechanics could stand up to do their work. Wolf?
BLITZER: Miles O'Brien, thanks for that. Remember, we're here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekday afternoons 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern. We're back at 7:00 p.m. Eastern only an hour from now for our special edition - our special coverage of the president's speech. Lou Dobbs will be joining us then. He is joining us for LOU DOBBS TONIGHT right now. Lou?
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