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The Situation Room

Zarqawi Killed in U.S. Air Strike; Interview With John McCain

Aired June 08, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Thanks very much. 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 tonight's top stories.
Happening now, sudden death. Iraq's most wanted terrorist is eliminated in a U.S. air strike. It is 3:00 a.m. in Baghdad where Iraqis are celebrating the killing of Abu Musab al Zarqawi. As al Qaeda's allies are now vowing vengeance.

It's 7:00 p.m. here in Washington where they are high-fiving from White House to Capitol Hill. Is the tide turning in Iraq. I'll ask a key supporter of the war, Senator John McCain and a key critic, Congressman John Murtha.

And we'll hear from the father of an American hostage who was beheaded in Iraq, apparently by Abu Musab al Zarqawi himself. So why does he feel sorry about the terror leader's death? I'm Wolf Blitzer and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Blamed for countless bombings and beheadings, he lived by the sword and he died by the sword. The end came without warning for Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Iraq's most feared and most wanted terrorist was taken out by a U.S. air strike as he met with aides at a safe house in Baquba just north of Baghdad. Throughout the day we've been learning new details of the raid and the intelligence that led to it. President Bush is calling it a remarkable achievement which could help turn the tide in Iraq.

Our Elaine Quijano is standing by live at the White House. But let's go to Baghdad first. Our John Vause is on the scene. John?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, no one here is expecting the violence to end any time soon with Zarqawi's death. The insurgency we're being told is bigger than any one man, even if he was the most wanted man in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE (voice-over): "Today Zarqawi was eliminated," says the Iraqi prime minister. In a room filled with reporters, mostly Iraqi, broke into cheers and applause. There were celebrations on the streets of Baghdad. As word spread the man called the Prince of al Qaeda was dead.

"The announcement of the death of Zarqawi is good news for all Iraqis," said this man. "God willing, security will prevail."

But with the death of Iraq's most wanted came words of caution.

ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Zarqawi's death will not by itself end the violence in Iraq. But it is an important step in the right direction.

VAUSE: A bloody reminder of that violence came hours earlier. A roadside bomb left at least a dozen dead at a market in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lead aircraft is going to engage it here momentarily.

VAUSE: And the U.S. military said this was the air strike which killed Zarqawi and five others. Two 500-pound precision bombs dropped by F-16s. According to the military, Abu Musab al Zarqawi was meeting in a safe house near these homes north of Baghdad. They, too, appear to have been destroyed by the strike. Iraqi police were the first on the scene. U.S. intelligence had been tracking Zarqawi's spiritual adviser heading to a meeting of senior leaders.

MAJ. GEN. BILL CALDWELL, MULTINATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: We had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Zarqawi was in the house. It was 100 percent confirmation.

We knew exactly who was there. We knew it was Zarqawi and that was the deliberate target we went to get.

VAUSE: Vital clues before the strike according to Iraq's foreign minister came from this video released by Zarqawi in April as well as from one of his senior leaders arrested last month by Jordanian authorities. His identity was confirmed by fingerprints, scars and tattoos. A DNA test is also being done.

"This is a message to all those who are using violence and killing and destruction to stop and think twice before it's too late," warned the Iraqi prime minister.

The self proclaimed leader of al Qaeda in Iraq was responsible for some of the most brutal attacks over the past three years. Blowing up Shiite mosques, car bombings, kidnappings and beheadings. His reach stretched to his native Jordan, Morocco and Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And with Zarqawi now gone attention turns to who will take his place. U.S. and Iraqi officials already have a name. Abu al Musri (ph). It's another name. Now, another target. Wolf?

BLITZER: John Vause doing some excellent reporting for us from Baghdad. Thank you, John, very much.

And encouraged by the death of America's biggest foe in Iraq President Bush says U.S. military forces have quote, "delivered justice." He suggested the terror leader's death could be a turning point in the war. Let's go live to the White House. Our correspondent Elaine Quijano has more. Elaine?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, if President Bush was feeling buoyant over Zarqawi's death, he was careful not to show it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): President Bush walked a fine line between congratulating coalition and Iraqi forces ...

BUSH: Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to al Qaeda. It's a victory in the global war on terror.

QUIJANO: And cautioning Americans that difficult days still lie ahead.

BUSH: We can expect the terrorist and insurgents to carry on without him. We can expect the sectarian violence to continue.

QUIJANO: News of Zarqawi's death first reached the White House Wednesday. The president was being briefed by members of Congress just back from Iraq. Just as Congressman Ray LaHood was suggesting it would be helpful to get Zarqawi, national security adviser Stephen Hadley was learning there had been a U.S. strike and Zarqawi was believed to have been killed.

After the meeting Hadley informed the president and his top aides. Several hours later in a call to Mr. Bush, Hadley said Zarqawi's identity had been confirmed. But the White House waited, allowing the Iraqis to announce the news first, a move designed to bolster Iraq's new prime minister whom the president spoke with for 25 minutes this morning before his comments in the Rose Garden.

GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: It is an opportunity for Iraq's new government to turn the tide of this struggle.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: Isn't it interesting the president used the phrase turning of the tide. It is almost as if the tide had been indeed running the other way. Contrary to what the administration had been saying. So whether this really turns the tide or not is just way too early to tell.

QUIJANO: And still an open question, what this means for U.S. troop levels in Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: The president will meet with top U.S. officials at Camp David on Monday, with Iraqi officials joining via teleconference on Tuesday. The focus in the president's words to discuss how to best deploy America's resources in Iraq. Wolf?

BLITZER: Elaine, thank you very much. When U.S. jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on a house near Baquba, Abu Musab al Zarqawi likely did not know what hit him. But what impact will the al Qaeda leader's death have in Iraq and elsewhere? (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And joining us now is the United States ambassador in Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks very much for joining us. A big day for you. A big day for the Iraqi people.

Tony Blair, the British prime minister says there will be fierce attempts by insurgents with the formation of the government, with the death of al Zarqawi, to fight back.

In the short term could it get worse?

ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I would not rule that out. Of course, that's one possibility. The other is that they might kind of lay back or lie low and regroup. Both are possibilities. And we have to prepare for both options.

As I said, we just discussed some of these things with the Iraqi leaders and are preparing, both in terms of defensive measures in case they escalate, but also for political and security offensive measures to take advantage of possible opportunities that might arise as a result of what happened to Zarqawi.

BLITZER: Is there a new Zarqawi? Who takes over for him? Is there a logical successor?

KHALILZAD: Not that I know of. It's possible they could appoint someone else. But he was a unique person at this point, because he had knowledge, the connection, the charisma, the star power and experience. That at this point, someone else does not appear to, at least we do not know of that could have.

But this was a significant setback for al Qaeda globally. And for al Qaeda in Iraq and for those who want Iraq to fail.

BLITZER: Who has custody, Mr. Ambassador, of his body right now?

KHALILZAD: We do.

BLITZER: The United States?

KHALILZAD: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Will that remain? Will you allow him to be buried either in Iraq or in Jordan where he's from?

KHALILZAD: Well, those are issues that have not been decided yet. He is in the custody of the united military forces.

BLITZER: What about the $25 million reward that was made -- that was offered for his capture or his death? Is there someone who's going to get that or a group of individuals who might now be eligible for that $25 million? KHALILZAD: Not that I'm aware of. The information that led to his location and to the attack that subsequently took place came from those who were arrested, senior members of al Qaeda in Iraq that are in our custody.

BLITZER: Was there help from the government of Jordan? He's from Jordan, as you well know. Was Jordanian assistance provided that helped to this event?

KHALILZAD: Jordan has played a helpful role. And it played a positive role in the confirmation of the identification of Zarqawi after he was killed. We had this issue to make sure that we had the person we thought we had. And Jordan did play a positive role in that.

BLITZER: Mr. Ambassador, as I always say to you when we end these interviews, good luck to you. Good luck to all the people of Iraq. Be safe over there. Thanks for joining us in THE SITUATION ROOM.

KHALILZAD: Well, it's good to be with you again, Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Jack Cafferty is joining us now from New York. A powerful feud between two Republicans. That would be Senator Specter and Vice President Cheney. What have you got, Jack?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Arlen Specter is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Back a while ago he promised to hold hearings into some of the nation's major telephone companies providing information on millions of Americans to the National Security Agency without telling them. Well, he hasn't held any hearings.

He promised to cut funding for the secret NSA spying program if the administration didn't provide more transparency into what it is doing them haven't and he hasn't done that either. He can convene hearings if he chooses. He's the chairman. He can hold them behind closed doors if security is an issue. He can subpoena witnesses and hold them in contempt if they refuse to cooperate. He could take much more of a leadership role in opposing the secrecy of the administration than he does. He talks. So far that's about all.

The issue is not about writing letters to Dick Cheney complaining about the vice president not speaking to him at lunch. There are laws on the books that address intelligence gathering and surveillance by the government without a court order and those laws are being ignored and no one is doing anything about it. There was a time I thought Arlen Specter was different. He isn't. He just sounds different.

Here's the question. Do you think Senator Specter will subpoena administration officials or phone company executives over the NSA surveillance programs? Email your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile.

BLITZER: Jack, thank you very much. One footnote to Jack's question as you saw here in THE SITUATION ROOM last night, Senator Specter accusing the vice president of sabotaging those hearings into domestic surveillance.

Vice President Cheney responded with an open letter of his own today. We have now learned that two men spoke by phone this afternoon. We don't know what was said but we do hear that Cheney is the one who initially reached out to the senator.

Coming up, pros and cons. Republican Senator John McCain has been largely supportive of the Iraq War. I'll ask him if he thinks Abu Musab al Zarqawi death will make a difference for U.S. troops.

Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman John Murtha has been calling for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq. I'll ask him what he thinks in the light of today's developments.

Al Zarqawi is said to have beheaded his son. So why does the father of Nicholas Berg feel sorry for the leader. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Let's get back to our top story. The killing of terror leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi. President Bush says this may be a turning point in the Iraq War.

Senator John McCain, a supporter of the war, says it is a stop on a long path that lies ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks, senator, for joining us. Three or six months from now, what do you suspect the impact of the death of Abu Musab al- Zarqawi is going to be practically in terms of the insurgency and the sectarian violence?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think that it will indicate that it was an important event but not a defining event. And that we will have continued to make some steady progress towards the Iraqi military taking over more and more responsibilities. That the Iraqi government functioning more effectively and that the economy is improving. I think it's going to be long, hard and difficult and this is a significant day but it really doesn't change the long-term challenges as we face as the president I think very well stated this morning.

BLITZER: As you know, a lot of critics would like the president to declare a victory. There is a new government in Iraq, they've got a defense minister, an interior minister, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is dead, declare a victory as they used to say during the Vietnam War, as you well remember, and simply get out. What is wrong with that?

MCCAIN: Well, I think that the Iraqis are making progress in assuming those responsibilities. And they are significant. As far as the training of police is concerned. That isn't where we want it to be. Equipping the Iraqi military hasn't reached the level it should. And we still have a long way to go and it's going to require American support. What I believe can happen and I think will happen is that you'll see a gradual reduction in American casualties.

But this is a very volatile situation. I could draw you a scenario, Wolf, where they have a, quote, "Tet Offensive" where they mount strikes all over the Iraq in hopes of affecting American public opinion. But I believe we've been making slow but steady difficult progress, two steps forward, one step back. We're not ready -- if we declare a timetable for withdrawal, then it's obvious that the bad guys will just sit back and wait until we leave. That's not -- it's got to do with conditions on the ground, not anything to do with the calendar.

BLITZER: Are we winning the war against al Qaeda?

MCCAIN: I think so. I think it's very difficult. We're seeing a resurgence in -- in Afghanistan, as you know.

I think that there are still a lot of areas of Iraq that are not under control. But there's a lot of areas that are doing rather well. It's a very mixed bag. It's a long, hard, tough slog. The stakes are incredibly high. We must win.

BLITZER: Here is what Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, said earlier today. I want you to listen to this, because I want your reaction.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have been crushing the opposition, but what happens is, the opposition has been controlling the airwaves with scattered, fragmentary acts of violence.

BLITZER: Is he right that, in -- in effect, those of us in the news media are simply not portraying an accurate picture of what is happening in Iraq?

MCCAIN: I don't think so. I think the media, quite often, whether it be in the United States or anywhere else in the world, tend to portray the most cataclysmic events. That's what makes news and gets viewers.

But, overall, I think that it's an accurate depiction of a very long, difficult, tough struggle. And maybe, sometimes, I wish they would show more signs of progress. But, at the same time, I can't try to tell the media what to say. But I do believe that one of the problems we are facing, on the other side of the coin is, that we have raised expectations too often by statements like, stuff happens, and last throes, and things like that.

And Americans have been disappointed, and some disillusioned. We need to tell the American people, this is long, hard, difficult. We're making progress, and we can and must prevail.

BLITZER: Senator John McCain, thanks for spending some time with us.

MCCAIN: Thanks, Wolf. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And still to come tonight in THE SITUATION ROOM, his son was beheaded likely by Abu Musab al Zarqawi himself. But instead of cheering al Zarqawi's death this father says he feels bad about it. We're going to tell you about a surprising reaction.

And if you cut off the head of al Qaeda in Iraq, what happens to the body of the terror organization? Might al Zarqawi's death be a cause for concern about violence right here in the United States? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Zain Verjee is joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta with a closer look at some other important stories making news. Hi, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Today another wrinkle in the case of 17 Canadian terror suspects. Defense attorneys say the government's case against the group alleges that one of the men enrolled in flight training school in the Toronto area, the goal to learn how to fly airplanes into targets. The synopsis also alleges that the same man later dropped out for fear of calling attention to himself.

The USS Cole is bound for its first mission since a 2000 terrorist attack in Yemen blew a hole in its side. The destroyer left port from Norfolk, Virginia today. The Cole is part of a group that will conduct security operations supporting the war on terror. Its crew of 320 is expected to be at sea for six months.

The Food and Drug Administration has given its stamp of approval to the first vaccine against cervical cancer. The vaccine was developed for Merck & Company under the name Gardasil. Cervical cancer has been traced to a sexually transmitted virus called HPV. HPV has dozens of types. Gardasil guards against the four most significant of them. Merck says it should be available by late summer.

And Representative Tom DeLay has taken his final bow. Tomorrow is his last day in Congress. Today the embattled former House leader took to the floor to bid farewell to his former colleagues on Capitol Hill. DeLay's retiring under the shadow of a criminal indictment on campaign finance charges in Texas. He says he withdrew from the race for another term because he didn't want the charges to interfere with the campaign. Wolf?

BLITZER: Zain, thank you. And just ahead, the terrorist believed to have beheaded his son two years ago is dead. Michael Berg talks about all of that with our Mary Snow, that's coming up. What he might say actually will surprise you.

And later, if you cut off the head do you really kill the snake? A CNN correspondent who has been up close and personal with al Zarqawi's operations in Iraq shares his insight on the state of the insurgency right now. Our Michael Ware is standing by live. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Some Americans had never heard of Abu Musab al Zarqawi before the infamous videotaped beheading of the American contractor, Nicholas Berg. You might be surprised to his father's reaction to news of al Zarqawi's death. He spoke to our Mary Snow and Mary is joining us now live from Wilmington, Delaware. Mary?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, that videotape still haunts Michael Berg. And even though it is believed that al Zarqawi personally beheaded his son Berg calls this a horrible day and a double tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: When you heard the news today, tell me your thoughts.

MICHAEL BERG, FATHER OF NICHOLAS BERG: I think it is tragedy when any human being dies. But Zarqawi's doubly. Because Zarqawi, aside from being someone's son who is now going to suffer what my family has suffered, he's also a political figure. And he and George Bush are involved in this cycle of revenge and revenge begets revenge.

SNOW (voice-over): Nick berg was beheaded 25 months ago. The younger Berg was taken hostage while trying to sell phone contracts in Iraq. He was a Bush supporter. Now his father, Michael, compares that same president to al Zarqawi.

BERG: I think that one is cowardly. The man in the Oval Office. He doesn't look at his victims when he kills them.

SNOW (on camera): So are you saying that Zarqawi committed a brave act?

BERG: No, I'm not saying Zarqawi committed a brave act. I abhor what he did. I'm just saying that he looked in Nick's eyes when he killed him. He felt his breath on his arm when he killed him. He had a human reaction.

SNOW (voice-over): Since his son's death, Berg has been outspoken on the Iraq war and is now campaigning for U.S. Congress in Delaware. He carries with him a poster featuring this picture of his son, surrounded by masked killers. Nick Berg's final moments alive.

BERG: I'll never forget that picture. And I'll never let the world forget that picture as long as I can help it.

SNOW: Michael Berg talked to us away from his Wilmington home to protect his family's privacy. He says Zarqawi's death brings back the pain.

BERG: Having the media attention brings back to the way it was, having the knot in my gut brings it back the way it was. Having people question my passivity, my forgiveness brings it all back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Michael Berg is the only member of his family who is speaking out. He says he feels obligated to, in order to end what he calls a cycle of violence -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Mary, thank you very much. Fascinating material.

Al Qaeda in Iraq is also responding do the death of Abu Musab al- Zarqawi, and they are doing so online. Let's bring in our Internet reporter, Jacki Schechner -- Jacki.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, this is one site where the statement from al Qaeda in Iraq appeared on the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. We verified it ourselves here at CNN. We also checked it with Laura Mansfield, an Internet terrorism expert.

This operates like any message board. The statement is posted at the top. And if you scroll down, there are replies and comments. We have been able to translate it from Arabic. Let me read you a portion of that.

It says: "The death of our leaders brings life to us, and does not bring us except more insistence to continue the struggle until the word of God becomes the highest. We swear that we'll continue to fight to death to establish God's doctrine in the land of two rivers, and we assure our nation that the enemy will not infiltrate through us."

Go to cnn.com/situation report. We've linked to the latest there -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jacki, thanks.

Let's get some more now on the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. For that, we're joined by CNN correspondent Michael Ware. He's the former Baghdad bureau chief for "Time" magazine. He was once almost killed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's forces. Michael is joining us from Brisbane in Australia. Michael, what does this mean that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is now dead?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this just spins off in so many directions. It is difficult to know where to begin.

Let's look firstly at his organization. What we're now going to see is a real test for them. I've watched as his originally foreign- dominated organization has been Iraqified. I mean, we have seen Iraqis who have been drawn to his flame, to his particular brand of Islam and particular brand of terrorism. And they'd join the ranks.

We have now seen them rise up. And as foreign leaders have been killed, more and more we have seen Iraqis replace them.

Now, this is having an impact on his organization. It has changed their tone a little bit, and we saw it reconfigure itself back in January last year, at least for public consumption.

The question now is do these Iraq leaders step up to the plate? Where will they take his organization? Will they continue on a hardcore path Zarqawi took them down, or will they veer more towards the rest of the insurgency, their Iraqi kin?

The other thing is, we're going to see the rest of the insurgency -- remember, the bulk of the insurgency, the vast majority of these attacks that are killing American boys in Iraq are not carried out by Zarqawi's people. His attacks capture the headlines, but most of the roadside bombs, the ambushes, the mortars on U.S. bases, come from the Iraqi nationalists, the former military types, the Ba'ath. These people will now try to seize the momentum within the insurgency. And oddly, though the Ba'ath may be the immediate beneficiaries of this, that could also help the U.S. mission.

BLITZER: There have been some who have suggested all along that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was not actually the big fish that a lot of people thought he was, that he was being built up, if you will, by some in the U.S. and Iraqi governments, because they needed a foreign target to make it look like the insurgency was simply a bunch of foreigners, not Iraqis. Do you think that line of thought has any credence?

WARE: Well, look, I'm sure that there has been a propaganda value for the administration in Zarqawi. It is always good to put a face to the bogeyman. Nonetheless, Zarqawi was never the leader of the insurgency. And for people to think that is clearly wrong. The insurgency is made up of so many different parts, fighting for so many different reasons, and their alliances are loose and fluid and freewheeling. Yet within his organization, he very much controlled it. Even when in January for publicity purposes he created a council of consensus, it was still his hand that was behind al Qaeda in Iraq.

Now, the other important thing is whilst controlled the grip in his organization, his influence spread far beyond that. He really helped redefine parts of the insurgency, and he very much defined the terrorist war being fought in Iraq, which is different to the insurgent war and the civil war, which he also played a big hand in.

BLITZER: And very briefly, because we only have a little time left, tell our viewers how close he got to actually killing you?

WARE: Well, back in 2004, his men pulled me -- intercepted my car in Baghdad, pulled me from the vehicle with life grenades, the pins pulled, weapons to my head. They then put me under one of Zarqawi's banners, the same type of banner that we saw behind poor Nicholas Berg during his execution, and now they were preparing to shoot me, filming it with my own video camera.

Strangely, I was saved by local homegrown Iraqi insurgents, who didn't agree with this as a tactic. And that illustrates the broader point about the conflict within the insurgency.

BLITZER: Michael Ware is our newest addition to CNN. Thank God you made it through that ordeal. We welcome you to CNN. Michael Ware is going to be doing an excellent job for us as he did for our sister publication, "Time" magazine.

In our CNN "Security Watch," al-Zarqawi's death is raising concerns about a possible revenge attack here in the United States. Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is joining us with that part of the story -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, officials have not found evidence a retaliatory strike is coming, but they have not stopped looking.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): Abu Musab al-Zarqawi never explicitly threatened to hit inside the United States, though some officials believed he might try.

With his death, the FBI is instructing its agents in the U.S. and overseas to review with local law enforcement ongoing investigations and intelligence in hopes of detecting any possible retaliatory strikes. But the bureau says at this time, there is no specific or credible threat, and the nation's color-coded threat level remains unchanged, at yellow or elevated.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have always been mindful of, you know, what kind of threat he poses, and we continue to be focused on these issues.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: Obviously, our officials are watching this very carefully, looking for all information they can, but there's no sense of panic, no sense of concern.

MESERVE: In New York, where security was status quo, the mayor pointed out there is no reason for relief either.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (R), NEW YORK CITY: I don't think you should worry about are you safer today than you were yesterday, or are you more in danger. The world probably is better off without this person, but there are plenty of other people that we have to bring to justice.

MESERVE: One concern are self-contained terror cells with no direct tie with Zarqawi that might be motivated to stage an attack to avenge his death. A Department of Homeland Security official says we have to be vigilant for sympathizers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Military and intelligence officials hope the rubble from the strike on al-Zarqawi and the 17 raids that followed will yield clues that could disrupt attacks overseas and here at home -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Jeanne, thank you. And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

This is just coming into CNN. Brand new developments concerning Congressman William Jefferson. He's the Louisiana Democrat accused of keeping $90,000 stuffed in his freezer. Our congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel is joining us with details. What are we learning, Andrea?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, with charges of corruption hanging over his head, there has been a battle brewing for weeks now between Congressman Jefferson and the House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who has been trying to get Jefferson to step aside temporarily from his membership on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Well, tonight for the first time, a number of maybe four dozen senior Democrats have sided with Nancy Pelosi. They have said that Jefferson should step aside. The entire Democratic caucus is due to meet within the hour to make a vote on it. The next step, Wolf, would be for it to go to the floor of the House, where there would be an official vote. So far, no comment from Congressman Jefferson's office -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea, thanks very much. And I'm hearing that many members of the Congressional Black Caucus are furious that this is going on before he's indicted or charged with any crime.

Up ahead tonight, he called for a redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq more than a half a year ago. Now, will the death of Iraq's most wanted man make that any easier? I'll ask Congressman John Murtha.

And Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and others like him are often thought of as larger than life. Is seeing, believing when it comes to showing pictures of them in death. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We heard earlier from Republican Senator John McCain, a strong supporter of the war in Iraq. Now let's turn to a key critic in the war, Democratic Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania. More than six months ago he called for a redeployment of U.S. troops.

Congressman, thank you very much for joining us. Your critics are already saying, you know what if we would have listened to John Murtha, we never would have gotten Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. What do you say to that?

REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Let me tell you, Wolf, they took it from the air and the encouraging thing about what happened today is you had information from the Iraqis go to the Iraqis and then go to the Americans. That's a significant event, there's no question about it, to have gotten the top leader of Al Qaeda. You have to remember though, that Al Qaeda is a very small part of what's going on in Iraq. You have to be careful not to overestimate the impact this is going to have.

Naturally we're delighted to get him, but even more importantly they announced the defense minister today, they announced the interior minister today and that intelligence flowing through to Iraqis to the U.S. forces. They could have done this from outside, just like I have been suggesting right along. The air came in and knocked it out, from every report. This is a significant event. I'm pleased. I compliment the troops about the way they handle it. I compliment the Iraqis but we have a long ways to go.

BLITZER: What does it do to your strategy, your recommendations that the United States begin an orderly redeployment from Iraq? What does today's event do, if anything, toward your thinking?

MURTHA: It doesn't change my thinking a bit. I said right along we have become the enemy. 80 percent of the people in Iraq want us out of there, 47 percent say it's alright to kill Americans. You got to remember, the biggest fight is going on, secular violence. Just like Senator McCain said, it is secular. It is chaos now. It's a civil war right now. We got 100,000 Shias fighting 20,000 Sunnis and we're caught in between. We've become the targets.

We've unified the opposition against our troops and they are caught in between. They go out every day and face the explosive devices and one day it happens. Next day it doesn't happen, some of them four or five times. They have been rotated over and over again. The pressure is tremendous, and the $9 billion a month we're spending on this war. $9 billion a month, on this war and the war in Afghanistan. We have diverted ourselves from the war on terrorism to the war in Iraq. They are using terrorist tactics but this is a civil war that's going on in Iraq. We need to redeploy and let the Iraqis handle this themselves.

BLITZER: How quick of a withdrawal or redeployment would you like to see? What is a realistic, because the president, as you know, is going to meet with all of his top national security advisers at Camp David on Monday and Tuesday. What kind of a timetable would you like to see begin to unfold?

MURTHA: I would like to see him say to the Iraqis, okay, you had your constitutional and your elections and there was no violence during that period of time. I would like him to say to them, you have to take over your own country. You have a couple 100,000 people trained according to them. I get a little difference from the troops. We're going to withdraw our troops. You have to accept responsibility for this yourself. We're going to start withdrawing very soon. And we're going to do it in a way that protects Americans. As one woman said to me, my husband joined the military not to fight for Iraq but to fight for America.

These casualties day after day are coming from explosive devices and much of the mission is they're out there looking for explosive devices. So, as positive as this information is today, it is certainly not the solution to ending a civil war. Only the Iraqis can end a civil war.

BLITZER: Alright, but very quickly, how realistic, what kind of timetable are you talking about? Could it be done in three months, six months, a year?

MURTHA: If they decided to do it, it could be done in six months very easily. If you aren't carefully though, if do you it very slowly, you make the troops that are doing logistics part much more vulnerable. For instance, when I was in Anbar province last August, they said to me every convoy is attacked every single day. So the less troops you have there, the more vulnerable they become. We went in with not enough troops in the first place. It got out of control. Now it is out of control and only Iraqis can get it back in place.

BLITZER: Congressman John Murtha thanks for joining us.

MURTHA: Nice being with you Wolf.

BLITZER: Up ahead, it's hard to look at but it's hard to turn away from, a terrorist face in death. Proof positive that he's dead and fodder for morbid curiosity.

Later, when it comes to the NSA spying program is Senator Arlen Specter all talk and no action? That's Jack Cafferty's question. That's all coming up. You're here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: "The Bottom Line" on the markets, the Dow and the S&P managed to gain a little ground after several losing sessions, but the NASDAQ continued to slide.

Bloody and lifeless depictions of death. We want to warn you that the pictures in our next story may be disturbing. They contain pictures of the now dead Abu Musab al-Zarqawi but it is not the first time portraits of the slain have been released.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is one thing to hear about it. It is another thing to see it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a picture of Zarqawi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

MOOS (on camera): Yes, they got him. That's him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God.

MOOS (voice-over): Over and over we saw it on every network. Death neatly framed.

CALDWELL: We had wiped off a lot of the blood and other debris because there was not a need to portray it in any kind of -- dehumanizing his body.

MOOS: The last time the U.S. military released body photos, they showed the sons of Saddam Hussein. Talk about dehumanizing. A doll maker named Herobuilders wasted no time cranking out the before and after dual-headed Uday doll. Saddam's sons and al-Zarqawi join other fugitives put on display, like Che Guevara, the Latin American revolutionary who was finally gunned down in Bolivia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was laid out, and he sort of looked like Christ-like. It was a complete, utter and utter P.R. disaster.

MOOS: A martyr in the making, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was no martyr. He went from a fascist who swaggered to one who swung ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the bodies are hung by their feet.

MOOS: ... executed and strung upside down with his mistress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They tied her skirt so it didn't show.

MOOS: Hitler avoided that kind of display by killing himself and having his body burned. Al-Zarqawi never saw the bombs coming.

CALDWELL: There are far worse graphic pictures that were inappropriately felt to share with anybody.

MOOS: Though they did share a bloodier one at the Operation Iraqi Freedom Web site, the modern way for the victor to share the human spoils. Ironic these photos came out the same day other highly anticipated images began surfacing.

(on camera): In our current pop culture, pictures like these of the Brangelina baby are the ones that are worth millions.

Which picture are you more interested in?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, of course this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to say Brangelina baby. I'm not interested in seeing a photo of a dead man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What a contrast. I mean, the beginning of life and the end.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's find out what's coming up right at the top of the hour. That means Paula is standing by.

Hi, Paula.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Wolf. Thanks.

At the top of the hour, we're going to get some exclusive reaction to the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. What emotions are his victims' families going through today? I'll be talking exclusively with the brother of Jack Hensley, one of the Americans kidnapped and killed in Iraq.

We're also going to look what the Zarqawi's death may mean to America's number one enemy. Has Osama bin Laden lost an important ally or someone he saw as a dangerous rival?

What could al-Zarqawi's death mean to all of us here? We'll be talking about that with a big guy at the FBI tonight. Wolf, lots of important questions to try to sift through.

BLITZER: All right. Paula, thank you very much. Sounds good.

Still ahead, Jack Cafferty thinks Senator Arlen Specter needs to do more to get Congress to investigate the administration's NSA spying program. Do you feel the same way? We're going to find out in just a minute. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's go to Jack in New York with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: The question is whether Arlen Specter will subpoena administration officials or phone company executives over the NSA spying program.

Kane writes from Hawaii, "You know the old saying about talking the talk but can't walk the walk? Well, it applies to Senator Specter. Few in Washington have publicly questioned the policies of this administration as much as Senator Specter has, but something always happens to his outrage when he gets behind closed doors."

Shane in Ontario: "Jack, if I were a betting man, I'd say Senator Spector will not subpoena the administration or the phone company executives. I think it's just hot air. But if you want to know for sure, ask the NSA, because they probably have the senator's phones tapped."

Shari in State College, Pennsylvania: "I wish Senator Specter would challenge the administration, but if past is prologue, he won't. Time and again Arlen makes speeches proclaiming the importance of the Constitution, the separation of powers, but at the last minute he caves. He's caved in so often I now believe it's his intent from the start. I used to think he was a centrist Republican. He's nothing but another water carrier for the administration."

Ross writes, "Jack, imagine how embarrassed you're going to be tomorrow when he does something."

Roy in Jonesboro, Arkansas: "Looks like Bush isn't the only one who's all hat and no cattle."

Michael in Florida: "No, Specter will do what he's told. Orrin Hatch and the shooter have already decided the NSA phone tap issue. The administration found themselves and the phone companies innocent, patriots doing their duty. Amen."

And Jim in Elkmont, Alabama: "I think Mr. Specter will do exactly as he's told. This entire issue will be swept under the rug uninvestigated. Come on, Jack. We can't be chasing down constitutional violations while there's even a remote possibility that a gay married couple might burn a flag" -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks very much.

Let's take a look at some of the "Hot Shots" coming in from our friends at the Associated Press, pictures likely to be in your newspapers tomorrow.

In Khan Younes in the Gaza Strip, a group of Palestinians protest the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

In Ein Bokek in Israel, sumo wrestlers visiting from Japan take a dip in the Dead Sea.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, a Harvard dental student celebrates her graduation during commencement ceremonies.

And in Great Falls, Montana, take a look at this, an ant drinks from a raindrop on a leaf. Very cool. Pictures often worth 1,000 words, today's "Hot Shots."

Tomorrow, among other things, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be here in THE SITUATION ROOM, an interview you're going to see only on CNN. He spoke to our John King.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. Let's go to Paula in New York -- Paula.

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