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The Situation Room
Danger From the North?; Interview With Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend; Politics of Marriage; Fake Police Carry Out Mass Kidnapping in Baghdad; Pentagon Debates if Geneva Convention Applies to Terror Suspects; Afghan Women Work to Recover Rights
Aired June 05, 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: 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. in Buffalo, New York. As Canada cracks down on an alleged al Qaeda-inspired terror plot, are Americans at risk from a wide open northern border? Is there danger from the north? I'll ask Frances Townsend, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. That interview coming up live.
And it's 5:00 p.m. here in Washington, D.C., where President Bush backs a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Conservatives praise the president, but critics say he's playing election-year politics and dividing the country.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Shockwaves are spreading across Canada after the arrest of some 17 people accused of an al Qaeda-style plot to bomb buildings in the Toronto area. But the alleged conspiracy is also causing lots of concern in this country, and there are indications some cross-border -- some cross-border connections.
CNN's Mary Snow is standing by, as is our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. We'll start with Jeanne -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this alleged terror plot appears to have been confined to Canada, but U.S. officials find it disturbing, nonetheless, because of what it says about the proliferation of homegrown terrorist groups around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE (voice over): Seventeen men and boys, all Canadian residents, arrested in raids over the weekend. Police also seized what appeared to be a detonator and ammonium nitrate, the fertilizer that, fashioned into a bomb, devastated the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Canadian authorities say the arrests capped a two-year investigation and more arrests are expected. MIKE MCDONELL, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: We're following every investigative lead that we have right now. And anybody that was involved in aiding, facilitating or participating in this terrorist threat will be arrested.
MESERVE: Family members and attorneys for the suspects dispute the charges.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no criminal past whatsoever.
MESERVE: A U.S. counterterrorism officials says two of the Canadian suspects had e-mail communications with two U.S. citizens arrested this spring on terrorism charges. Saed Haris Ahmed (ph) and Isanal Islam Sadiki (ph) had allegedly videotaped the Capitol and oil facilities.
Officials say some of the Canadians also had contact with British terrorism suspects arrested last fall and with Islamic militants in Bangladesh, Bosnia, Denmark and Sweden. Although authorities say the designated targets were all in Canada, the incident has further heightened concerns in the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you're seeing is self-recruiting, self- financing, self-supplying, self-planning entities that may speak together in some larger network or have associations, but aren't commanded from any central entity or supported.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Customs and Border Protection has increased scrutiny of people and vehicles coming over the border from Canada out of an abundance of caution, officials say.
Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you, Jeanne, very much.
And while Americans are engaged in a wide open debate about the southern border, does a wide open northern border leave the country exposed to possible terror threats?
CNN's Mary Snow is back in New York. She spent some time in Buffalo, on the border with Canada, earlier last week -- Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, some are raising concerns, saying more emphasis needs to be put on border security along the 4,000-mile border between the U.S. and Canada. Their concerned that the U.S. will let its guard down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (voice over): With 17 terror suspects arrested in Toronto, some are questioning just how security is the U.S.-Canadian border?
MICHAEL CUTLER, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: This attack was aimed at the United States, it was aimed at Canada. So they have got their own problem, and their problem could easily spill over the border.
SNOW: Along that border, Buffalo is the busiest crossing, with over seven million cars and trucks passing from Canada to the U.S. Lawmakers are debating the need to require passports at checkpoints, but some are concerned terrorists could slip in through a less obvious place, by water.
CHRIS ROMOSZ, U.S. COAST GUARD: People have the right to go back and forth, but, you know, I think it's -- it makes it a little difficult up here to figure out who's doing what.
SNOW: This Coast Guard unit stationed in Buffalo is assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, watching by camera spots not all boats can see.
(on camera): One of the key concerns about border security here outside New York Sate is just how close the Canadian border is. It's right behind us. And here on the Niagara River, there's less than a mile in some spots between Canada and the United States.
(voice over): The Coast Guard says they don't see numbers of illegals entering like those at the southern U.S. border, but they do find people trying to enter illegally by water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll take small boats, some of them will float across in their own life jackets to have a lower profile in the water. Sometimes they'll go at night.
SNOW: Sealing the 600 miles of shoreline this unit patrols, which include the great lakes, is impossible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wide open. It's a huge, vast area, and it's tough to enforce.
SNOW: A former immigration agent says the terrain, coupled with Canada's laws, should be an area for concern.
CUTLER: What we also know is that Canada has a very liberal policy towards political asylum.
SNOW: Not true says Canada's ambassador to the United States.
MICHAEL WILSON, CANADIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: I think that our immigration laws as they are implemented are very close in the outcomes as the United States immigration laws.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Republican New York Congressman Peter King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, doesn't blame Canada, but says people in New York and Michigan in particular should be the ones most concerned about a terrorist situation in Canada possible coming into the U.S. -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Mary. Thank you very much.
So could Americans face a terror threat from Canada? Just how vulnerable is the northern border?
Joining us now from the White House is Frances Townsend. She's the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism.
Thanks very much, Frances Townsend, for coming in.
Let me ask you that first question. How vulnerable are Americans because of the potential of terrorists crossing in from the north?
FRANCES TOWNSEND, HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISER: Well, you know, Wolf, we're vulnerable at all of our ports of entry. For that reason, particularly on the northern border, the president since 2001 has tripled the number of Border Patrol agents, he's -- we've invested over $120 million in advanced technology along the northern border. We're working with the Canadian government on a Western Hemisphere travel card that is biometrically enabled so we can facilitate legitimate travel but be sure that we understand and know who's coming in and exiting our country.
BLITZER: I assume you're learning more about this plot, the arrest of these 17 Canadians citizens and residents. Is there anything that you've learned that indicates that they were plotting targets here in the United States?
TOWNSEND: No, Wolf, I should be absolutely clear, there is no indication that those 17 suspects were plotting here in the United States. They've had some limited contact with two individuals who were earlier arrested in Atlanta, but there's no indication that this cell in Canada was targeting here in the U.S.
BLITZER: When you say "limited contact" with those two individuals arrested in March in Georgia, what -- can you be more specific?
TOWNSEND: Well, I can't. I would say to you that the contact between them is limited, and we're working between the FBI and the Canadian authorities to make sure we understand the nature of that relationship. But I can tell you with absolute confidence that the cell in Canada was not targeting here.
BLITZER: It was supposedly, according to Canadian authorities, an al Qaeda-inspired plot that really got inspired by the Internet. But is there any hard evidence suggesting that al Qaeda operatives were directly involved in working allegedly with these 17?
TOWNSEND: Well, now that we have the in -- now that the Canadians have them in custody, Wolf, these are the sorts of connections that we will explore and we will investigate. As you know, in the London bombing, that, too, was an al Qaeda-inspired group. But what we look for very specifically and very meticulously is to see if there's any direct contact. We're unaware of that at this time.
BLITZER: The ammonium nitrate, the fertilizer that they had, supposedly could have blown up three kinds of buildings as was blown up in Oklahoma City. How close based on the information you've gotten from the Canadians, how close were they actually to going forward with such a detonation?
TOWNSEND: Well, we know, one, it was three tons of ammonium nitrate, which is the reason that the Canadians were so concerned. The second thing we know, Wolf, is that the Canadian authorities understood that they had guns, detonation equipment, and were beginning to assemble the detonation device.
This is a real concern. And obviously the threat was imminent and caused the Canadian authorities to take it down.
BLITZER: I grew up along the border with Canada in beautiful Buffalo, New York. I want you to listen to what Congressman Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on CNN over the weekend once we got word of this plot.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER KING (R-NY), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Americans should be very concerned because Canada is our northern neighbor. And there's a large al Qaeda presence in Canada.
I think it's a disproportion atnumber of al Qaeda in Canada because of their very liberal immigration laws, because how -- how political asylum is granted so easily. And also, the previous government, quite frankly, in Canada I don't think was tough enough as far as going after terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Is there a disproportion number of al Qaeda operatives in Canada?
TOWNSEND: Wolf, I'll tell you, Chairman King is my hometown congressman, and he is understandably concerned about this terrorist- related activity across our northern border. I will say that we have -- we enjoy an incredibly transparent and cooperative relationship both with law enforcement in this country and Canada, and also intelligence authorities between the two countries. And so they have been incredibly open and sharing with us. Director Mueller of the FBI commended them for their cooperation.
And we have other initiatives jointly with them to ensure that we address this problem like these -- establishing the Western Hemisphere travel cards and the security and prosperity partnership launched by the president and the prime minister.
BLITZER: But is there a disproportionately large number of al Qaeda operatives in Canada?
TOWNSEND: Wolf, I think -- I guess my problem with the way you ask the question is, I don't know what a disproportionately large number of al Qaeda is. Do they have concerns? Absolutely, just as we do here with individuals who are second and third generation, who are radicalized and use local mosques and local centers to congregate and share radical ideas.
So I'm not sure that I would say it's a disproportion number there. It is a subject of real concern.
BLITZER: That's the phrase that Congressman Peter King used that he gave CNN on Saturday.
Yesterday I spoke with Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, which borders Canada, as you know. He's got deep concerns as well. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: We've got a longer border with Canada than we do with Mexico. We've got thousands of trucks that come in every day, many of them -- most of them not inspected, and particularly, by the way, garbage trucks from Ontario which cannot be inspected. They represent a real significant security threat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: When I heard him say that yesterday, I got nervous. But what about you?
TOWNSEND: This is exactly why what you want to do -- the security and prosperity partnership is targeted at ensuring that legitimate trade and travel across the border is unimpeded. We both have a huge economic interest in ensuring that, but then we can target our resources that triple the number of Border Patrol agents on the northern border on those things that we want to stop.
BLITZER: Let me switch gears, because we only have a moment left, to talk about funding for counterterrorism. As you know, the secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, is getting pounded, especially by politicians in New York State, in Washington, D.C., and in Michigan. Let's put some numbers up.
In the 2006 recommended funding, in New York State it went from $208 million last year to $125 million this year. In Michigan it went from $64 million to $46 million.
Speak about that for a moment. What's behind those cuts in two states where clearly they have major terrorism concerns.
TOWNSEND: Well, there should be no doubt that New York is the number one in terms of its risk. And for that reason, since the inception of the grant program New York has received more than $500 million in grant money.
This year, the request to Congress in the budget for grant money was reduced by Congress by over $360 million. So there were -- it was inevitable that there were going to be some cuts.
We understand that New York, having been the victim of that -- of the tragedy of September 11th, has particular concerns. Wolf, I would say to you, I think we need to do a better job about talking to New York and prioritizing their -- their requests, but it was inevitable that there were going to be some cuts. And we're just going to have to work through this, both with New York, with Washington, D.C., with Michigan, and with our allies up on the Hill.
BLITZER: Because Washington, D.C., as you know, was ranked by the Department of Homeland Security as a "low risk" terrorist attack. Washington, D.C., with all the monuments, with all the base of political power, how did that become a low risk for terrorist attacks?
TOWNSEND: Well, I think there's a misunderstanding. It was a low risk in terms of as it was compared to other states. You can imagine given its size, it was considered smaller. But I think that that's basically a misunderstanding. In the urban area security initiative grant, which is a separate grant program, they did recognize Washington as number three -- the metropolitan area as number three in terms of risk.
BLITZER: So it's not a low risk, the District of Columbia?
TOWNSEND: No, sir, absolutely not.
BLITZER: It's a high risk?
TOWNSEND: That's right.
BLITZER: OK.
Frances Townsend is the -- thanks for clarifying that, because as you know there's been a lot of confusion here in the nation's capital, where you and I happen to live.
TOWNSEND: Absolutely.
BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.
Frances Townsend, top aide to the president of the United States on counterterrorism and homeland security.
And to our viewers, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliability news about your security.
Let's go up to New York. Jack Cafferty is standing by in another high-risk city. That would be New York City -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Especially when I'm here.
Electronic voting machines are under attack. No surprise given the controversy over the outcomes of the last two presidential elections. And now, as the primary season begins to heat up -- in fact, voters are going to the polls in eight states tomorrow -- lawsuits have been filed in six states to block the purchase or use of these computerized electronic machines.
The arguments against the machines include these: they're vulnerable to software tampering, they don't keep an easily recountable printed record, and they may miscount, switch or not record votes at all. Other than that, they're great.
Defenders of these machines say that most of the problems occur because of hasty setup or poor training of poll workers. What's the message there, that it's OK as long as it's one of those two reasons?
About one third of the U.S. counties use some electronic systems. This is a significant increase since 2000, the presidential election, and the Florida ballot recount. The rest of the country, though, still uses hand-counted paper ballots and lever-type voting machines.
So the question is this: Do you trust the honesty of America's election process?
E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@CNN.com or go to CNN.com/caffertyfile.
With all due respect to that lady you we're talking about, Wolf, they cut $83 million out of the funding for counterterrorism measures here in New York City, and then cast some aspersions on the New York City Counterterrorism Task Force. I don't know, a lot of New Yorkers not real happy about that.
BLITZER: I think what they're complaining about, at least the federal officials here in Washington, is that New York State, New York City didn't do a good job of making their case, the bureaucracy, if you will, in asking for federal funding. I think that's what they're complaining about.
CAFFERTY: You mean it's not enough that they knocked down the World Trade Center and killed 3,000 people? You have to write a "mother may I" report and go hat in hand to the bureaucrats in order to get some help? Is that the deal?
BLITZER: Maybe. Thanks, Jack.
Up ahead, the battle over same-sex marriage. President Bush fires the first shot in a new skirmish. The Senate debating the measure right now. We'll have the latest on what both sides are saying.
Also, the Dow Jones down sharply after some controversial comments. We'll show you who said what and how it could impact all of us.
Plus, it's a critical question for the war on terror. Are suspected al Qaeda members covered by the Geneva Conventions? We're going to have details of a heated debate that's under way at the Pentagon. Brian Todd watching the story.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. President Bush calls it a national question requiring a national solution. He's restating his support for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the United States as the Senate begins three days of debate on this issue. It's a key issue for so many social conservatives.
Our White House correspondent, Ed Henry, is joining us now with the latest -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, conservatives have been urging the president to get more out front on this issue, and today they got what they asked for.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice over): President Bush gave restless conservatives the red meat they've been craving.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Marriage is the most fundamental institutions of civilization, and it should not be redefined by activist judges.
(APPLAUSE)
You are here because you strongly support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman. And I am proud to stand with you.
HENRY: Conservatives are frustrated that people close to the president have been lashing out at the proposed ban on gay marriage...
MARY CHENEY, AUTHOR, "NOW IT'S MY TURN": Basically, writing discrimination into the Constitution of the United States is fundamentally wrong.
HENRY: ... while the president has been keeping his powder dry on an issue that helped deliver his reelection.
TONY PERKINS, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Well, there has been some concern that this was an issue that was important enough to campaign on in the 2004 election cycle by Republicans in general, but it's not been important enough to act upon yet.
HENRY: Liberals see a president down in the polls, suddenly turning to a wedge issue that can drive conservatives to the polls in the midterms.
REV. ROBERT HARDIES, ALL SOULS CHURCH, WASHINGTON: Let's be honest with ourselves. There isn't anyone here who is naive enough to believe that the introduction of this legislation now in two consecutive election cycles is anything but a politically motivated effort to win votes by demonizing a class of citizens.
HENRY: The president insisted he's not lashing out at anyone.
BUSH: Every American deserves to be treated with tolerance and respect and dignity.
HENRY: But he responded sharply to critics, including his own vice president, who say defining marriage should be left to the states.
BUSH: The fact is, state legislatures are trying to address this issue. But -- but across the country they are being thwarted by activist judges who are overturning the expressed will of their people. And these court decisions could have an impact on our whole nation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now, Democrats charge that the president is trying to divert attention from bad news in Iraq to whip up conservatives. The White House says no way, but there's no questioning the fact that conservatives are now definitely rallied.
I spoke to Dr. James Dobson, one of the leading conservative activists who was attending the speech. He told me, "I don't think he could have said it any stronger" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Ed, thank you.
Ed Henry at the White House.
And we're going to have more on this controversy later this hour, including Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of the vice president, speaking out on same-sex marriage, breaking ranks with the White House. I spoke with her recently. We'll tell you what she had to say.
Coming up, the Supreme Court agrees to take up a controversial case concerning education. We're going to show you why it could have a major impact on schools across the country.
Plus, insurgents in Iraq using an alarming new tactic as they carry out a wave of kidnappings. We'll get the latest from Baghdad.
Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check in with Zain Verjee once again at the CNN Center.
There's a developing story, Zain, happening in the Middle East right now.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Wolf, a crisis has not been averted. The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, says he's going to call for a referendum on Palestinian statehood, one that implicitly recognizes Israel.
Now, he had been trying to get the Hamas-led government to accept the plan and essentially soften its policies. Hamas, as you know, Wolf, has refused to recognize Israel's right to exist, it's refused to renounce violence.
Mahmoud Abbas says he'll hold a referendum within 40 days. Ten days of party talks have essentially failed, and it appears now he's going to take it to the streets and hold a referendum.
We'll bring you more on that developing story.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is agreeing to take up a controversial case. The justices will decide how districts can use race to determine which public schools students can attend. The ruling could be an affirmative action landmark. Arguments will likely be held in November.
And Duke University officials are reinstating the school's lacrosse program starting this fall. It was suspended in April following allegations a woman was raped at a team party. Three players are charged in that case. Officials note 44 other players have been exonerated, but they say that there will be new behavior standards for the team -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain. Thank you.
Coming up, when he talks, the markets listen. But that sent the markets today into a tizzy. We'll tell you about how much of what was said.
And she's the gay daughter of the vice president of the United States. So what does Mary Cheney think of this new push against gay marriage by a person so close to her father?
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More on our top political story. President Bush restating his support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage as the Senate once again takes up the issue. Critics say it's an effort to appease socially conservative Republicans, but will it work?
Let's go up to New York. CNN's senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, joining us with more -- Jeff.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: Wolf, we said it last week, and we'll say it again. This is the political mega theme of the moment. Republicans apparently want to chin up their unhappy base for the midterm elections by pounding away on hot-button social issues like gay marriage and flag burning.
By some accounts that explains the president's push today for a same-sex ban in the Constitution, as well as his radio speech last Saturday. OK, we'll play. Is this a plausible strategy? Has it worked in the past? Let's check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GREENFIELD (voice-over): In 2004, the issue was gay marriage. After the Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered the state to sanction same-sex marriages, 11 states voted on election day to define marriage as one man/one woman.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The great state of Ohio.
GREENFIELD: Ohio was one of those states, and the measure was credited, or blamed, for turning out enough conservatives to give President Bush the state and thus the White House.
This year six states has same-sex marriage bans on a ballot, but only one of them, Tennessee, has what can remotely be called a competitive Senate race. For the record, Democratic candidate Harold Ford Jr. voted for a ban on same-sex marriages.
It's hard to see this issue swelling conservative turnout in other states. While the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, it will likely fail by a wide margin in the full Senate, taking a good bit of steam out of the issue.
OK, how about the flag? It clearly does pack an emotional political punch. Back in 1988, the first George Bush roundly criticized opponent Michael Dukakis for not requires Massachusetts teachers to lead kids in the Pledge of Allegiance. Trips to flag factories were a regular part of Bush's campaign day.
As for flag burning today, while most Americans find the idea highly offensive, it has more or less disappeared from the protest landscape. One protect the flag group has found a grand total of 33 acts of flag desecration in the last five years.
But sometimes hot-button issues can gain traction without any political strategy. For instance, Georgia courts have struck down that state's same-sex marriage ban. Suppose other state courts do the same? Or suppose New York state's highest court decides there is a constitutional right to gay marriage? That could put the issue front and center again, which is right where many Republican strategists want it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GREENFIELD: And there's one more point to underline. Same-sex marriage did not emerge as an issue because of a drive for social conservatives. It was that Massachusetts Supreme Court decision in 2003 that required the state to sanction same-sex marriage, not civil unions or domestic partnerships, but marriage, that put the issue front and center into the national political spotlight.
Like the abortion issue three decades earlier, a court decision that was a liberal victory has led to major political efforts by social conservatives -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jeff Greenfield, thank you very much. Jeff is part of the best political team on television, CNN, America's campaign headquarters.
Vice President Cheney is at odds with the president over the proposed amendment, along with his daughter, Mary, who is gay. She joined us here in THE SITUATION ROOM a few weeks ago, and I asked her to respond to the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, who said this is how he explained to the president why the amendment is needed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: I basically said, Mr. Vice President, right now marriage is under attack in this country, and we've seen it, seen activist judges overturning state by state law where state legislatures have passed laws defining marriage between a man and a woman. And that is why we need an amendment to come to the floor of the United States Senate to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right, I'll ask you, if you could look Senator Frist in the eye right now, what would you say to him?
MARY CHENEY, DICK CHENEY'S DAUGHTER: Obviously, I think Senator Frist is wrong. The -- same-sex marriage is obviously an issue that we can disagree on and that this country needs to debate, but the notion of amending the Constitution and writing -- basically writing discrimination into the Constitution of the United States is fundamentally wrong.
BLITZER: You write this on page 180 in your book: "If the Republican Party fails to come around on this issue, same-sex marriage, I believe it will find itself on the wrong side of history and on a sharp decline into irrelevance." Those are strong words.
CHENEY: They are strong words, and I did write them, and I believe them. I think if you look at polls, and I do talk about them in the book, this is not a conservative issue, not a liberal issue, Republican or Democrat issue. This is a generational issue.
And as, you know -- as younger voters -- as younger people come of age, what you're going to see is you're going to see resistance to same-sex marriage dissipating, and you're going to see politicians who continue advocating on behalf of discrimination, particularly discrimination in the Constitution.
BLITZER; You see this in the book, in which you go into great lengths, almost like treating gays and lesbians as second-class citizens, real discrimination along the lines of what used to exist in this country with other minorities.
CHENEY: The analogy I used in the book, I don't think actually we used "second-class citizens" anywhere, but the analogy that I used in the book is when the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Virginia v. Loving, and forgive me if I don't know the year -- it was '62 or '67 -- polls at the time showed it was one of the most unpopular decisions ever by the Supreme Court. Something like 72 percent of the people in America opposed the idea of interracial marriage.
Now, 40 years later, looking back on that, can you imagine, as I talk about in the book, can you imagine any legitimate, real politician today coming out and speaking out against interracial marriage?
BLITZER: You see this as basically the same -- the same issue?
CHENEY: I see it as very similar. I think they will follow very similar paths.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Mary Cheney's new book is entitled "Now It's My Turn". She joined us in THE SITUATION ROOM back in May.
So from New York, Ali Velshi is standing by with "The Bottom Line". What's "The Bottom Line" today, Ali?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, big market sell-off. Alan Greenspan you remember, Wolf, used to hold his cards close to his vest, but Ben Bernanke, the new Fed chair kind of puts it all out there.
The new Fed chairman spooked markets today. He said that the Fed is keeping a close eye on inflation, but that the economy seems to be slowing down, as well. Look at what he told the International Monetary Conference in Washington today. The quote was anticipated moderation of economic growth seems now to be underway."
Now, at the same time, Bernanke fanned inflation fears again, saying that the core inflation rate was too high. Now, that is inflation when you strip out food and energy, because food and energy sort of move around a lot.
Bernanke's comments now have traders increasing bets that the Fed will hike interest rates once again for the 17th time at their next meeting at the end of June.
Now another Fed increase and a slowdown in the economy is a very bad combination. Investors sold out stocks across the board today. The Dow got trounced, losing 199 points; 11,048 is the number there. And that wasn't even the low point of the session, Wolf; 1.75 percent lost is the worst day for the Dow since January. The NASDAQ dropped 49 points.
Oil, which started the day -- that was a concern at the beginning of the day, dropped -- added about 27 cents to end at $72.60 a barrel. Prices spiked because of some threats that came out of Iran, warning Washington that a wrong move in the standoff over the nuclear plans that Tehran has would disrupt gulf energy shipments -- Wolf. BLITZER: Thank you, Ali, with "The Bottom Line."
And still to come here on THE SITUATION ROOM, be careful what you say in your e-mail. We're going to tell you how your workplace e-mail may lead to these words: "You're fired."
And what rules should govern interrogation tactics of terror detainees? The Geneva Conventions or another set of guidelines? We're going to tell you how the Pentagon appears to be debating that question. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: More shocking developments in Iraq today. A bold and brazen attack on the streets of Baghdad. Gunmen dressed as Iraqi police carried out mass kidnappings, grabbing bus passengers, merchants and street vendors.
CNN's John Vause is in the Iraqi capital -- John.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it all happened in broad daylight, what appears to be a well-organized, well-planned kidnapping. Some witnesses say it took more than an hour to carry out. The interior ministry says gunmen in downtown Baghdad, during what seems to be a well organized, well planned kidnapping. Some witnesses say it took more than an hour to carry out.
The interior ministry here says gunmen dressed as Iraqi commanders driving more than a dozen cars, some without license plates, others painted to look like police vehicles, kidnapped more than 50 people from three different transportation companies, all located next to the other.
They grabbed anyone it seems: drivers, office staff, evening passengers on buses headed to either Jordan or Syria. Also abducted, the owner of one of these transportation companies, the largest in Iraq, as well as his two sons.
It's not uncommon for gunmen to dress as Iraqi security forces. It happened before a month ago near Baquba, north of Baghdad. Thirteen people were kidnapped.
Fake police and army uniforms are easy to find on the streets of Baghdad. They can be bought for as little as $25 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John Vause in Baghdad, thanks very much.
And one very disturbing note, in recent weeks some of these kidnappings have result in the people being kidnapped being beheaded and their heads returned in boxes.
How far should the U.S. military be allowed to go with its interrogations of detainees captured in the war on terror? CNN's Brian Todd is joining us from the Pentagon with more -- Brian. BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that question has been a central point of debate in the war on terror, a debate that is especially hot right now inside this building.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): A senior defense official tells CNN there's considerable debate within the Pentagon over new guidelines on how to treat U.S. enemies captured on the battlefield.
The sticking point: should the military be able to use tactics not allowed by the Geneva Conventions when interrogated suspected al Qaeda detainees? Right now, the Geneva Conventions forbid so-called humiliating and degrading treatments.
The debate centers on whether al Qaeda detainees should be placed in a different category, not necessarily covered by the Geneva Conventions. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld spoke of this internal debate recently.
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: It is complicated because of some definitional issues. It clearly is designed to be -- comply with the law. Let there be no doubt about that.
TODD: The outcome of this debate will be crucial. Some experts say that if interrogators have to follow the Geneva Conventions with al Qaeda detainees, they might not be able to use certain techniques, because they'd be considered humiliating and degrading.
COL. THOMAS HAMMES (RET.), AUTHOR, "THE SLING AND THE STONE": If you want to interpret extraordinarily strictly then maybe you could say that techniques like -- I guess the supposition is you aren't man enough to build that bomb. Kind of work on his anger and getting him to admit something and then using that to put him in a position to get information about future bombings. Maybe a lawyer could say that is humiliation.
TODD: But one former military attorney argues the U.S. military shouldn't be able to pick and choose who gets covered by one of the most comprehensive legal documents on human rights.
GARY SOLIS, FORMER MILITARY ATTORNEY: The Geneva Convention remains binding whether or not it's included in a report or in guidance. It's the law of the land. It's not as if we had a choice as to which parts we would observe and which we would ignore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: And once the debate here settles, the new guidelines will be put into the Army Field Manual and other documents on the rules of interrogation. The current version of the Army Field Manual says al Qaeda detainees are covered by the Geneva Convention and therefore cannot be subjected to humiliation and degradation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Brian. Brian Todd at the Pentagon today, thank you. Lou Dobbs getting ready for his program that begins right at the top of the hour.
Lou, what are you working on?
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you.
Coming up at the top of the hour, we'll be talking about what the president and the U.S. Senate today did not do. For example, they did not take up the issue of the war in Iraq nor record trade and budget deficits. Nor did they deal with the critical issue of our failing public education, illegal immigration or failed border and port security. No, they took up the issue of gay marriage. We'll tell you why and what's likely to happen.
And among my guests tonight, two of the country's sharpest political strategists, Republican Ed Rollins and Democrat Joe Trippi.
And will the Senate and the House reach a deal on legislation to tackle illegal immigration and border execute? House Judiciary Committee chairman Congressman James Sensenbrenner is our guest tonight.
We hope you'll join us for all of that and a great deal more at 6 Eastern. Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: We'll see you in a few minutes. Lou, thank you very much.
And just ahead, think your e-mail is safe because only you know the password? Think again. Your employer may not only be reading your e-mail, but may also fire you based on what you send.
And it's hard enough getting a full scholarship to Princeton. Likely harder to get a full scholarship to Oxford University. But we'll tell you about one student scholar who won both, all while hiding a major secret. That's coming up in our 7 p.m. Eastern hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Zain's back with a quick look at some other important stories making news -- Zain.
VERJEE: Wolf, a war ended decades ago is back in focus. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is visiting Vietnam today. He's there to try to persuade that nation to help the U.S. recover the remains of American troops still missing from the war. Out of the talks came a commitment from Vietnam to do more to help in the search for American remains. More than 1,300 U.S. troops are still unaccounted for.
And the U.S. military driver of a truck that crashed into a crowd of pedestrians last week cannot be prosecuted in Kabul. Now, that's according to the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. Ronald Neumann says the 2003 agreement between the countries means the U.S., quote, "retains criminal jurisdiction for acts committed by military personnel in Afghanistan." Last week's clash triggered violent rioting -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Zain, thank you very much.
Before the Taliban took power, Afghan women worked as doctors, teachers, government officials. Almost five years after the Taliban was toppled, women are still struggling to recover their rights. Our Barbara Starr reports from Afghanistan, a report you'll only see here on CNN -- Barbara.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Afghanistan's women still struggle.
(voice-over) It's a scene that never could have been imagined during the Taliban years: music, singing, and boys and girls together. All of this used to be banned under the fundamentalist Islamic regime. But to the women and children of Afghanistan, life remains very tough, even now.
Malia Zahak (ph) has only to step outside her office to see the challenges. Here, at the Ministry of Women's Affairs, women can register complaints if they are being mistreated by their husbands or families.
This long-time teacher, now the deputy minister, tells us the reality is that the new government and democracy means little to women and children. As she sits in the courtyard, Zahak (ph) says the situation for women is very bad. "It is not OK," she tells us.
Many women like Zahak (ph) have been through the worst. During the Taliban era, because she was teaching girls, she was beaten, her arm broken. Girls were not allowed to get an education then.
Today she is a passionate advocate for women and children. She has little patience for those who say democracy automatically has made things better. In rural areas she says women still don't have the right to choose who they marry, don't have the right to education, and have little or no healthcare. Islam, she says, does not discriminate against women, but in Afghanistan, centuries of tribal custom many remain unchanged.
She takes us to a small school on the ministry grounds. The children here are eager to learn.
I asked these children if they know about the Taliban who were thrown out of power 4 1/2 years ago. Most raise their hands.
(on camera) Are the Taliban good or bad?
(voice-over) "Very bad," this boy says, "because we were not able to come to the nursery during the Taliban years."
Zahak (ph) says her fight and the fight of Afghanistan to women and children is not over, especially now as the Taliban are renewing their campaign of terror. In certain regions, she says, schools have been burned by Taliban fighters, families threatened.
She says, "We will fight against them. This will not stop us from what we are doing. We would rather die. We will not let them come back."
(on camera) For many women and children in Afghanistan, democracy has yet to fundamentally change their lives -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Barbara Starr in Afghanistan for us, thank you.
Up next, on the eve of several state elections, lawsuits have been filed to try to block the use of computerized voting machines. Do the machines keep an honest count? Do you trust the honesty of America's elections? Stay with us. Jack Cafferty is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check back with Jack Cafferty with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: Wolf, as primary season heats up and voters go to the polls in eight states tomorrow, lawsuits have been filed in six states to block the purchase or use of electronic voting machines.
The question we asked, is do you trust the honesty of America's election process?
Michelle writes from San Antonio, Texas: "Let me tell you about voting in my state's primary in March. There I stood in front of the electronic voting machine while the poll worker told me how to use it. When he was finished, I asked, 'How do I know when I press the button, my vote gets counted as I intend?' He stared at me with a puzzled look, not knowing what to say. Finally, he said, 'Trust, I guess.' Well, that's not good enough.
Pat in Pincianna, Florida: "First, I don't think -- I think we need to shut down Diebold" -- that's a voting machine company -- "so we don't have to worry about unverifiable counts. Then we need to go back to a paper ballot or any low tech system that's harder for the crooks and gives us a real paper trail to follow."
Richard in Union City writes, "I trust my vote is counted. If you begin to think it doesn't count, then you become too cynical and you stop voting."
Skylar in Coconut Creek, Florida: "I trust the honesty of the process. I just don't always trust the honesty of the people who are overseeing the process."
Gerald in Tampa, Florida: "I live in Florida and I feel like I'm voting on an Etch-a-Sketch machine. We have a law that prohibits a paper trail. Why did our legislature think that was a good idea?"
And Rick in San Diego writes, "Sure, I believe our vote counting system is honest. If you don't believe me, just ask President Gore" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you very much.
Finally, you may want to think twice before hitting the "send" button on your next e-mail. There's a good chance your employer is watching. And get this, according to a new report, employers aren't afraid to fire employees if they don't like what they read. Our Internet reporter, Abbi Tatton, has details -- Abbi.
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, the thousands of candid, incriminating and sometimes embarrassing e-mails that were sent to and from Enron employees and released after the course of that investigation shows you that nothing you send from your work e-mail account is actually private.
Now, according to this new report that shows you just how closely the e-mail you're sending from work is monitored. What it says, more than one third of companies survey the Internet activity of their employees. They say that even employing people to actually read the outgoing e-mail.
They also said that one in three companies has actually fired someone for inappropriate content. What we're talking about, confidential or proprietary information, adult or obscene content in those e-mails.
It also shows that it's not just e-mails we're talking about. Other Internet activity, including messaging, blogging. A quarter of companies have disciplined employees for misuse in that way.
The reports all available online at CNN.com/SituationReport -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, who did this report? Who compiled these statistics?
TATTON: It's a company called Proofpoint. And it's all linked to it there at CNN.com/SituationReport. The whole report is there, along with ours from Forrester Research (ph), Wolf.
BLITZER: Abbi, thank you very much. That's scary stuff.
We're here in THE SITUATION ROOM weekday afternoons 4 to 6 p.m. Eastern. We're back in one hour, 7 p.m. Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now -- Lou.
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