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The Situation Room
Japan Refuses to Rule Out Preemptive Strike Against North Korea
Aired July 10, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: 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, a new threat, and a new delay in the North Korea missile crisis. It's 8:00 a.m. Tuesday in Japan, where officials say military action is an option. We'll have live reports from the region now being rattled by Kim Jong-Il's regime. Also this hour, a powerful explosion, and the dramatic story that may be behind it. It's 7:00 p.m. in New York City, where a building burst into flames and simply collapsed. We have new cell phone pictures capturing the blast.
And top democrats are vying for an unofficial title. Who's the least like Hillary Rodham Clinton? It's 6:00 p.m. in Iowa, where one of Clinton's senate colleagues has been trying to prove his tops in the 2008 presidential race. I'm Wolf Blitzer, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
Tonight new fallout from the North Korea missile crisis. Japan right now refusing to rule out a preemptive strike against future North Korean missiles. And over at the United Nations, voting on a resolution which would punish North Korea is now on hold. While Chinese diplomats visiting Pyongyang try to pressure Kim Jong-Il to return to those so-called six-party talks. It's a setback for the United States and for the allies, who want to deal with North Korea with a firm and united hand. Still, the U.S. is making clear it expects action very soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Well I'm a patient person. But delay won't be infinite. We're going to look at it on a day-to- day basis and go from there.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All of this is being watched very closely by North Korea's immediate neighbors. Standing by we have reporters watching this especially close tonight. CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae is in Seoul, South Korea. CNN's Dan Rivers is joining us from Beijing. But let's go to Tokyo, CNN's Atika Shubert is standing by in Japan. Atika, we heard earlier Japan not formally ruling out a military strike, a military option against North Korea. For those of us on this part of the world, that sounds so dramatic, given Japan's history. ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sounds very dramatic. But frankly the possibility of a preemptive strike by Japan is very, very remote. At the moment they're just discussing the legal theory behind it. What to do if the country ever came under the threat of an imminent missile attack from North Korea. The fact is Japan has a pacifist constitution imposed on it after World War II. The constitution says that Japanese troops cannot engage in any combat outside of Japanese territory. And in addition to that, Japan relies very heavily on the United States for its defense, particularly missile defense. So Japan may not even have the capability at the moment to carry out a preemptive strike. It's simply discussing how the country could eventually build up that capability to do that. So again, the possibility highly unlikely, but they are discussing it now. Wolf?
BLITZER: Atika Shubert in Tokyo, thank you. Let's go to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Sohn Jie-Ae is there. How might the South Koreans act to potentially a preemptive strike against the north?
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if that type of preemptive strike ever happens, South Korea would be in a state of war. Now the possibility is that if North Korea came under any type of preemptive strike, the retaliation would be not against Tokyo, in which they would actually need these missiles which they've been testing, but actually South Korea which is already within North Korea's artillery range. So that would wreak havoc on South Korea and that is a scenario that South Korean officials are very, very anxious to avoid.
BLITZER: With good reason. Sohn Jie-Ae in Seoul, thanks very much. Let's go to Beijing right now. Dan Rivers is joining us live from the Chinese capital. What is it going to take, Dan, to get China on board with the U.S. and Japan, South Korea, to support kind of tough sanctions against North Korea?
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very difficult for China at the moment, Wolf. They're engaged in a delicate balancing act. On the one side they're trying to placate their traditional ally North Korea. A big delegation is in Pyongyang at the moment. They oppose sanctions all along. On the other hand Beijing is trying to prove to the international community that it is serious about resolving this crisis. They've tabled a new statement in the U.N. calling on nations not to transfer missile technology to North Korea. But they stopped short of imposing sanctions. And it's unlikely to be supported by the U.S. An interesting fact that we've found out in the last few hours is that the U.S. envoy in all this, Christopher Hill, is due back here in Beijing in a few hours. His second visit within a week, an unscheduled visit, a sign of the intense shuttle diplomacy that's going on behind the scenes.
BLITZER: Dan Rivers in Beijing for us. Thanks to all of our reporters watching this story. Much more on this story also coming up my interview with the foreign secretary of Britain, that's coming up later this hour as well.
Closer to home, new developments tonight in the legal and political tug-of-war between congress and the Bush administration stemming from that investigation of a democratic congressman accused of keeping cash in his freezer. Today a federal judge ruled the unprecedented FBI raid on William Jefferson's office was, in fact, legal. The Louisiana democrat's lawyer says tonight he will appeal. Our senior national correspondent John Roberts is joining us now with more on this story. John?
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you Wolf. It's a big win for the Justice Department and a big blow to the legislative branch. Never before had a congressional office been raided by federal agents. And today, Judge Thomas Hogan ruled that they were fully within the bounds of the constitution to do it. Congressman Jefferson had argued that the search of his offices in the capitol building back on May 20th and 21st violated the constitutional clause which prohibits the executive branch from intimidating members of congress. Hogan disagreed writing in his opinion, "Congress' capacity to function effectively is not threatened by permitting congressional offices to be searched pursuant to validly issued search warrants."
In addition to declaring the search constitutional, Hogan also ordered that the material seized in that search, which had been placed under seal on presidential order, would be turned over to the Department of Justice. Jefferson is under investigation on suspicion of taking bribes. The FBI says they have videotape of him taking $100,000 from a government informant. The FBI later found $90,000 in a freezer in Jefferson's Washington home. It's a big victory for the Justice Department, though not wanting to stick a finger in the eye of congress, the response was fairly muted. "We are pleased with this decision which allows us to move forward in this investigation, Ewing the documents the court concluded were lawfully obtained", said spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.
The response from Jefferson's attorney Robert Trout was not surprising. The statement saying, "The raid on Congressman Jefferson's office was unprecedented, unnecessary and unconstitutional. We appreciate the consideration the judge accorded our motion for the return of the seized property but we respectfully disagree with his conclusion and we intend to appeal the ruling." Jefferson's attorneys also plan to ask Judge Hogan to stay the release of the seized materials to the Department of Justice until after that appeal is heard. The Justice Department says it will not try to access the documents until after the motion for the stay is heard and resolved. Wolf?
BLITZER: We'll watch this case closely. Thanks very much, John Roberts reporting. Also on Capitol Hill tonight, new questions about the Bush administration's secret terror fighting tactics. The chairman of the house intelligence committee has gone public with complaints that his panel initially was kept in the dark about significant intelligence activities. And republican Peter Hoekstra says the administration may have broken the law. Let's bring in our chief national correspondent John King. John?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, everyone involved in this on Capitol Hill and at the White House trying to turn down the volume a little bit tonight in this dispute. But it's quite an interesting confrontation. As you noted, you have the republican chairman of the house intelligence committee complaining that a republican White House is falling short of its obligation to brief the congress on secret operations. All this began with a letter that Chairman Hoekstra sent to the White House almost two months ago, but it's just been made public in recent days. In that letter the chairman complained to the president that he believed secrets were being kept from the committee. And he went on to say, quote "They may represent a breach of responsibility by the administration, a violation of law." Now just yesterday Chairman Hoekstra said that after he sent that letter, the committee was briefed on what he called the significant intelligence program. He would not describe the program in any way beyond calling it major and significant.
Speaking on FOX New Sunday, Hoekstra said he wanted to remind the president that notification is quote, "not optional." As he put it, the president is required by law to keep the congressional intelligence committees informed of significant intelligence operations. The ranking democrat on the committee interestingly is Jane Harman of California. She says she was not aware of Chairman Hoekstra's letter to the president but that she agrees with the substance of his complaint. In a statement Congresswoman Harman said, "No one is above the law and the law requires that the intelligence committees be fully and currently briefed on all intelligence programs of our government."
Now White House officials also refused to discuss the substance of the dispute, meaning they refuse to characterize exactly what information, what program was kept from the committee. The White House says the committee was briefed. So in the White House view, case closed. But Wolf, as you know, there have been tensions over the CIA operations overseas about the domestic intelligence program, that eavesdropping program here at home. So this is just the latest example of congress complaining about what lawmakers view as excessive administration secrecy. It will be interesting, even though the volume down a bit today, congress just coming back from the July Fourth recess, we'll see if it escalates again.
BLITZER: John King, thank you very much for that. Let's go up to New York, Jack Cafferty is standing by with "The Cafferty File." Jack?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Wolf. There's an expression out west where I grew up that's used to describe a fellow who allows his mouth to overload his posterior. He's all hat and no cattle. Sort of like this. Look at this picture. This is the cover of "Time" magazine this week. You can probably tell who this story is about. The article is titled the end of cowboy diplomacy. Or how I learned to stop allowing my mouth to overload my posterior. Actually it describes how President Bush's foreign policy has changed in the last five years.
After 9/11, the administration laid out what the magazine calls a muscular idealistic and unilateralist vision of American power and how to use it. You remember, wanted dead or alive, bring it on, mission accomplished, axis of evil, you're either with us or against us. Great stuff. None of it worked. One example of how things have changed is the way the president responded to North Korea's missile tests last week. Instead of tough warnings and preemptive action, Mr. Bush promised to work with our allies and to send a unified message.
The reason for the change may come down to the war in Iraq. "Time" says the Bush doctrine floundered in the principle place the U.S. tried to apply it. Here's the question, has the era of President Bush's cowboy diplomacy come to an end? E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile. One of the great magazine covers ever.
BLITZER: It will catch a lot of people's attention, Jack. Thank you very much. Coming up, was it an accident or was it an elaborate and devastating suicide attempt? Intriguing questions tonight about a fiery building collapse in New York City. Our own Larry King was on the scene as it happened. Plus, she's widely considered to be the democratic presidential front-runner. How can other democrats compete with Hillary Clinton? We'll see how one possible contender is trying to do precisely that. And extreme sports, one of the wildest World Cup moments ever, near the end of the final game. CNN's Jeanne Moos will kick around the story of the head butt heard around the world. Stay us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A messy divorce, an apparent death wish and a massive explosion. Those are the apparent pieces to a bizarre puzzle now coming together. A building collapsed today in New York City, and witnesses thought they were being bombed. Right now, officials hope to try to figure out what exactly happened. Let's bring in Mary Snow. She's on the scene for us tonight in New York. Mary?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you can see behind me, cranes picking up the rubble of a four story posh townhouse that now has been completely reduced to rubble. Officials here tonight saying that an e-mail is at the focus of an investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: This is the moment it happened. A passerby giving these cell phone shots to CNN as a building on Manhattan's Upper East Side burst into flames. It happened during the morning rush hour. CNN's Larry King was at a nearby hotel.
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: And I heard the loudest sound I've ever heard in my life, an incredible boom, obviously an explosion, I thought it was a bomb. First thing you think of is 9/11 naturally.
SNOW: And he was not the only one. Shortly after the explosion, the White House issued a statement saying the incident was not terrorism related. Among the emergency workers at the site, Coast Guard officers, part of the Department of Homeland Security.
BRAD GAIR, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MGMT.: Coast Guard of course, we're in a new world now, they're part of Department of Homeland Security. Everything's being looked at. SNOW: While officials quickly ruled out terrorism, the city's fire department commissioner said the owner of the building may have tried to take his own life.
NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA, FDNY COMMISSIONER: We don't have any comment beyond the fact that we're investigating the fact that the occupant of the building appears to have talked to somebody, notified somebody that it was a potential for suicide.
SNOW: A police official knowledgeable with the investigation says the person most seriously hurt in the explosion had written a rambling suicide note to his estranged wife, who turned it over to police. This official says they were locked in a bitter divorce battle. Officials say they are investigating the circumstances leading to the explosion. Some engineers say a gas stove could cause an explosion like this that would collapse a building, but it's not common for it to happen.
HOLLICE STONE, HINMAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS: Without an initial explosion, or earthquake or something like that, it's very uncommon for a building to collapse like this.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Now, the police department says five civilians have been injured, one in critical condition with serious burns. Ten firefighters were injured, their injures not life threatening. Officials say it could take several days before they piece all the facts together to get a clear picture of exactly what happened. Wolf?
BLITZER: It's going to take a few days to clean up that situation over there. Thank you very much, Mary, for that. Let's bring in our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton, she's got more details on this story. Abbi?
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, details online and photos of what that building used to look like. Look at this mapping site, A9.com, that takes you not only to the street that we're looking at, but has street level photos of all the properties around it. This is the one we're talking about right here, along with the buildings next door. For more details about this four story building itself, the real estate site propertyshark.com has photos and also an approximate market value of about $5.5 million there. This site also has a lot of information from the government about different buildings. We looked to see if there were any problems with this building in the past, just a sidewalk violation in the early '90s. Now you can see from satellite images where it used to be. This here from Google Earth and now look at it, reduced to rubble. Wolf?
BLITZER: Abbi thank you very much. And still to come tonight, in THE SITUATION ROOM, some Britons are actually comparing her to the iron lady. Margaret Thatcher, tonight, some surprisingly tough talk from this Margaret. The new British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, my interview with her coming up.
And some democrats think the secret to beating Hillary Clinton may be to act as unlike her as possible. Our Candy Crowley is just back from Iowa following the early race for the White House. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: There are new developments tonight in a probe concerning events in Mahmoudiyah where four Iraqis were killed and one of them raped, allegedly by U.S. soldiers. Our senior pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has more. Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, over the weekend U.S. military announced that five more soldiers have been charged in connection with the March 12th incident in Mahmoudiyah, in which it is alleged an Iraqi female was raped and shot to death after her family was murdered. Already facing charges in federal court in the case is Steven Green, a former army private, who officials say was honorably discharged from the service in April for a personality disorder. He's accused of raping the girl after shooting the other members of her family, including a young child.
Today, the military named four other soldiers who are charged with premeditated murder, rape, and obstruction of justice in the case. They are Sergeant Paul Cortez, Specialist James Barker, Private First Class Jesse Spielman and Private First Class Bryan Howard. A fifth soldier, Sergeant Anthony Yribe was charged with dereliction of duty because investigators believe he knew about what happened but failed to report it. An FBI affidavit filed in the case of former Private Green in federal court alleges that Green and the others targeted the woman for a week before going to her house, which was not far from the checkpoint they were manning. The court documents cites evidence that the soldiers drank alcohol, changed clothes to avoid detection, carried out the attack, and then attempted to burn the bodies to cover up the crime. Green has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. The other soldiers have not yet had a hearing before a military judge. Wolf?
BLITZER: What a shocking story, indeed. Jamie, thank you for that. Let's bring back our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton. She has another angle to this story, one that involves the popular Web site myspace.com. Abbi, what's going on?
TATTON: Wolf, it appears at least two of the soldiers charged over the weekend have web pages on myspace.com. Private First Class Bryan Howard. This web page shown here, he says that he's in a relationship on this web page. He says he's in the U.S. Army Infantry and he also says he graduated from a high school in Texas last year. Another Web site here, Private First Class Jesse Spielman, more information at this one. He lists music interests. He liked Marilyn Manson there, there's other information about himself that he left high school in '02, joined the U.S. Army in '05, serving in Iraq for a year. Also friends of his in the U.S. have just been posting recently in the last couple of weeks saying we look forward to seeing you coming home soon.
Now it's not unusual at all for U.S. troops to maintain web pages. We checked these out as much as we can. There's no way to say with complete certainty that these are of these two soldiers charged over the weekend. The U.S. Army says its aware reports of the reports that some of the soldiers charged did maintain web pages. It says it has no position beyond that. Wolf?
BLITZER: Abbi thanks for that. Just ahead, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM, action now or diplomacy later? What should the U.S. and the global community do about North Korea and when should they do it? I'll ask the new British foreign secretary. She's standing by, so sharp that some are calling her the next Margaret Thatcher.
And how's this for a political plot twist? Two men who look just alike now have very similar and very powerful posts. It's a strange turn of events, twins. We're going to tell you what's going on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: You're back in THE SITUATION ROOM, thanks for joining us, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Zain Verjee is joining us right now with a quick look at some other important stories making news. Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Russia's most wanted man and Chechnya's most feared warlord is dead. The head of Russia's Security Services say Russian forces killed Shamil Basayev in a special operation. A rebel Web site says he died in an accidental explosion. Basayev masterminded attacks on Russian hospitals and a theater. His most notorious plot was the three-day seizure of a school in Beslan. 331 people were killed there, half of them children.
Today in Baghdad, a fresh wave of violence, the day after a Shia militia force swept through a Sunni district and killed scores of people. Car bombings, explosions and gunfire erupted throughout the Iraqi capital. Much of it heavy sectarian clashes stemming from Sunday's massacre, dozens more people died today. Iraq's prime minister called for Iraqis to unite as brothers.
If parliament says yes, Poland may soon boast the world's only twins to hold both of the country's most powerful jobs. Today President Kaczynski appointed his identical twin brother to the prime minister's post. The move tightens Mr. Kaczynski's conservative grip on power. It also raises global concerns about Poland's nationalist leaning. The Kaczynski brothers are former activists in the Solidarity movement that helped topple communist rule. And Wolf, they also starred in a movie together back in 1962 as kids.
BLITZER: The Kaczynski twins, good for them. Congratulations. Thank you Zain. Let's get more now on our top story, the North Korean missile crisis and Japan is refusing to rule out a preemptive strike against future North Korean missiles. Let's bring in CNN's Brian Todd, he's watching this story for us -- Brian?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that represented an escalation today, some harsh words from one of North Korea's most bitter enemies in the region.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): A warning to Pyongyang from Tokyo, a preemptive strike from Japan is not off the table.
SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE CABINET SECRETARY (through translator): If there are no other means to prevent a guided missile attack, then it is legally possible to say that to attack the missile-launching base is within our right to self defense.
TODD: Japan's leaders have said this in the past, and they also make clear they're weighing diplomatic options. Experts say Japan doesn't have much capability to strike North Korea right now, but could develop it quickly, and Japan is involved in a broader effort to squeeze Kim Jong-Il's regime.
For three years now, the United States has led a program of intercepting ships carrying illicit North Korean exports, spying on the North's weapons programs, sharing intelligence, cracking down on the regime's banks and money-laundering operations.
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We have a variety of different levels of partnerships with countries throughout the regions.
TODD: Most nations involved, like Britain, Japan, Australia, are open participants. Michael Green, a former National Security Council official in the Bush administration, says the program also targets regimes like Iran and Syria, but has hit North Korea especially hard.
MICHAEL GREEN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL OFFICIAL: It makes it much harder for Kim Jong-il to get cash, which is what he's been doing with the export of drugs, methamphetamines, heroin to Australia, $100 counterfeit bills, fake Viagra, fake cigarettes. This is a Mafia-style operation run by a state.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: For example, Green cites the North Korean ocean freighter Pong-Su (ph) intercepted off the coast of Australia three years ago, carrying 150 kilograms of heroin.
Green and other experts say the crackdown on operations like that, and other efforts to isolate North Korea could have provoked the North's recent missile test. They also say it could lead Kim Jong-Il to step up its ongoing cooperation with another U.S. nemesis, Iran -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much, Brian Todd.
The British government of Tony Blair has been through some major changes recently. But does it still see eye-to-eye with the Bush administration on the world hot spots?
Tough talking Margaret Beckett is the new British foreign secretary. She's visiting Washington right now and joined me earlier from the State Department. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Let's talk about North Korea. You have been speaking with the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Does the United States and Britain right -- right now, both of you agree, I assume, on what to do as far as North Korea is concerned -- have China, Russia, and South Korea on board to impose U.N. Security Council sanctions?
MARGARET BECKETT, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: Well, where we are on this issue is that everyone is extremely concerned.
There is international pressure on North Korea to abandon this form of testing and to go back to the six-party talks. And it has been agreed -- I believe the Japanese foreign minister announced earlier today that there is agreements that -- to pursue talks with the North Koreans, and see if we can get some common ground. And if, of course, that can't be achieved, then we will have to discuss what action might be taken in the Security Council.
But, at the present time, I think the international community is quite united in what they are asking North Korea to do, and it's a matter of how best to achieve that.
BLITZER: But the -- the division is over imposing sanctions. There's no unity -- there's no unity when it comes to the members of the Security Council and the decision to go forward with sanctions, at least not yet?
BECKETT: Well, if I may say so, that's an assertion on your part.
Where we are at present is that there have been discussions about various forms of -- of resolutions, or other action. It has been agreed that we will put that on hold for the time being, and that people will continue to have talks and negotiations with the North Koreans. And while that is taking place, of course, international pressure will continue.
BLITZER: But you -- so, you -- you believe that China and Russia can be turned around, because, at least in their public declarations so far, they are resisting this call for sanctions?
BECKETT: Well, as I say, we have had discussions in the Security Council. Those discussions will continue.
You will forgive me if I say to you that those are discussions to be had between the representatives of those governments. It's never been my practice to negotiate through the media. I don't suppose it's Secretary Rice's either.
BLITZER: I think you are probably right on that point. Thank you.
Let's talk about whether the United States should get involved in direct talks with North Korea right now.
I want you to listen to what Democratic Congressman Chris Dodd of Connecticut said yesterday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: We have wasted a lot of time over the last several years by arguing about whether or not it's six-party or two-party. If two-party is necessary, then get about the business of doing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That was Senator Chris Dodd. Is it time for the U.S. and North Korea to start two-party talks?
BECKETT: I think that's a matter for the United States government. It's not one for -- for me to pronounce on.
I think what is, however, essential is that North Korea does come to talks, preferably to the six-party talks, and -- and that they do recognize the concern that the steps they have been taking is causing among the international community and the -- the very real anxiety that people have for the course of action that North Korea is pursuing, and that that is not, in the end, good for North Korea itself.
BLITZER: Do you have reason to believe Kim Jong-il, no matter what deal he makes, can be trusted, given the history? In the '90s, he made deals with the Clinton administration that he quickly abandoned.
BECKETT: In international affairs, sometimes, it's necessary to say, OK, that agreement was made. It fell apart. Let's make a fresh agreement, and move on.
That's something that we have to try and do. We have to try and resolve this by such peaceful means.
BLITZER: There is another potential nuclear standoff with Iran right now, and Britain, France and Germany taking the lead, trying to convince the Iranian government to accept this latest incentive package. The U.S. believes the Iranians are stalling for time, trying to get as much time under way, to try build a nuclear bomb.
How much more time do you believe the Iranians have to give a response to that latest initiative?
BECKETT: Well, as you may know, it is the intention -- the -- I mean, you -- you say, it's E.U.-led. It is true this is an initiative that began with three E.U. foreign ministers, our predecessors.
But it's an initiative that has drawn in the Russians, the Chinese, and the United States. We had a very useful, constructive meeting in Vienna a few weeks ago, where we reached agreement on a set of proposals to put before the Iranian government. And we urged the Iranian government then to respond as speedily as they could.
We expressed disappointment in Moscow at the informal meeting of the G-8 foreign ministers a week or so ago that they had not yet given us an official response. We shall meet again in Paris later this week, and we hope very much to have a constructive and sensible response from Iran then, showing that they are, indeed, pursuing the path, as they say, of wanting civil nuclear power, and are prepared to come into negotiations with the international community.
BLITZER: They say they probably need at least until the end of August. Is that acceptable?
BECKETT: Well, we have had no official statement from the government of Iran.
There have been a number of statements from different players, not all saying quite the same thing, making remarks like that there are ambiguities or questions about the offer which need to be resolved.
Well, we are making available officials to help to answer those questions, resolve those ambiguities. And, as I say, we are meeting later this week in Paris. I very much hope we will have a clear answer from Iran by the time we have that meeting.
BLITZER: Do you honestly believe that -- that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran, would ever abandon a nuclear weapons program?
BECKETT: Well, the Iranians claim that they are not pursuing a nuclear weapons program, in which case they have nothing to abandon.
If what they want is, as they say, civil nuclear power, then we believe that there is much in the set of proposals put before Iran that gives them what they say they want and need. It is for them now to respond. And I do urge them to do so with some speed.
BLITZER: How steady is your commitment to maintaining troops in Iraq?
BECKETT: As steady as it needs to be. It is as steady and unchanged as it has been from the beginning.
BLITZER: Is it open-ended? You will stay there as long as necessary?
BECKETT: Well, as I am sure you realize, we are now moving into a slightly changed situation in the province of al-Muthanna. The -- the process of judging the condition in the -- conditions in the province has reached the conclusion that greater security can be handed over to Iraqi troops and police.
That process is under way. We hope that a similar process will occur in other Iraqi provinces and cities in the -- in the months ahead. But that will be based on conditions on the ground. Nobody can put a timeline on it.
What we can say, though, is that things are moving in the right direction. And we hope they will continue to do so. BLITZER: You are the new British foreign secretary.
I want to read some poll numbers that came out in the British media the other day on British attitudes toward the U.S. political leadership. Seventy-seven percent -- according to this one poll, 77 percent see President Bush as a pretty poor or terrible leader. Sixty-seven percent see troops failing to win hearts and minds in Iraq. And 58 percent believe that imperial power is seeking world domination -- that U.S. imperial power is seeking world domination.
For Americans, those are pretty disheartening numbers, given the close alliance between the United States and Britain.
BECKETT: Well, I think it's always possible to find an opinion poll that tells you something, that gives you an interesting story. It's not a poll that I have heard of or that I'm familiar with. I don't know where it was taken or by whom.
There is a natural tendency, I find, in opinion polls that people ask the question to which they want a particular answer, and, by some remarkable chemistry, they tend to get the answer they want.
Very many people in the United Kingdom understand and value the strength of our relationship with the United States. We don't always 100 percent see eye to eye. But we have very strong common values. Our belief in peace, and justice, and security, and democracy across the world, that is the basis of the relationships between our governments. It's the basis of our relationships between our peoples. It's a pretty good basis. And it's a good relationship.
BLITZER: On that note, we will leave it.
The British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, welcome to the United States. We -- we hope you will visit often and come into THE SITUATION ROOM here on CNN regularly. Appreciate your joining us.
BECKETT: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And up ahead tonight, if you want to beat her, don't necessarily join her. That seems to be the strategy of some top Democrats hoping to compete with Hillary Clinton in 2008.
And that's got to hurt. The top player in the World Cup gives himself and his team a headache of a different kind. Our own Jeanne Moos has been racking her brain about it. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Welcome back. Many Democrats eying the White House have been spending lots of time in Iowa. And along the way, they're trying to -- they're being compared to the woman who considers -- is widely considered to be the party's front-runner and who has some actual firsthand experience in the White House. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is just back from Iowa, with more on the battle to be unlike Hillary Clinton -- Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, many of those running for the Democratic presidential nomination, not to mention those who watch them run, think the race right now boils down to this: Hillary Clinton versus not Hillary Clinton. The latter being a pretty big field.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): The junior senator from Indiana spent the latter part of his congressional break in Eagle Point Park Lodge in Clinton, Iowa.
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: I should just quit while I'm ahead (inaudible).
CROWLEY: And at the Raccoon Valley community house in Adel.
BAYH: Well, thank you.
CROWLEY: It is the nascent movements of the '08 Democratic presidential campaign. Right now, it's roughly defined as Hillary Clinton and about a dozen others.
BAYH: Is it a little bit of David versus Goliath situation? Yes. It probably is. But as I recall, David did OK.
CROWLEY: Call her Goliath or the 500-pound gorilla. Her office would prefer you call her not yet decided on whether to run. She is, whatever else, the prism through which the others are viewed. Running to the left of her -- think John Kerry, Russ Feingold. Or to the right, think former Virginia Governor Mark Warner or Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, who is in Iowa or New Hampshire just about every month.
BAYH: This is a critical juncture for our country. This is no ordinary time. There are big stakes.
CROWLEY: He talks national security, energy policy and budget. The former governor of Indiana, Bayh also thinks the next Democratic nominee should have a track record of winning Republican and independent support.
BAYH: People deep down, they want less polarization and division, so they're going to look at all of us and say, who can help bring that about in a principled way? I think they're going to look for someone who can carry a couple of red states, because they know that that's going to be what it takes to get the job done.
CROWLEY: It's not like he said she was unelectable. But that word has come up a lot in this '08 pregame period. So much that the pro-Hillary camp felt it necessary to write an op-ed outlining why she can win.
(on camera): Do you think she's polarizing?
BAYH: I like Hillary. I don't. But, you know, that's up to the people to decide eventually.
CROWLEY (voice-over): Bayh says his plan is to be who he is, which, he would like you to know, is the guy who has five times been elected in the red state of Indiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: A successful Democrat in a red state is a credential also being touted by Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia. They are credentials not unlike the Clinton template -- which is to say, Bill Clinton -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Candy, thank you for that. And up ahead, could it be a softer, gentler Bush foreign policy? Jack Cafferty is asking if the president's so-called cowboy diplomacy has lost its swagger. Jack coming up with your email.
And they were sure to butt heads on the field. But one World Cup player took the phrase a bit too literally. You may have seen it, but not like our Jeanne Moos will show it. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: That's Jack Cafferty. He's in the wall here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Jack?
CAFFERTY: At least there are no bars on that window. The question this hour is has the era of President Bush's cowboy diplomacy come to an end?
Bud writes from Virginia beach, "Bush's new foreign policy doctrine is too little, too late. His high school bully mentality has so damaged America's image throughout the world that we'll be fortunate to rectify the situation in 10 years.
Loris writes from Englishtown, New Jersey, "The era of "Cowboy Diplomacy" is a huge misnomer. President Bush doesn't practice diplomacy; he reacts and stands by and watches what happens. He isn't even a real cowboy."
Claude in Vinton, Louisiana, "It is about time the rodeo stopped. Bush's foreign policy decisions have made the world more unsafe than it was prior to September 11th."
John in Stonington, Connecticut, "You have the audacity to ask this question when it is you left-wingers that are responsible for the minimalization of our president's leadership at every move. How about getting behind this man?"
Ann in New Mexico, "I am from the West. Calling Bush's misguided egotistical leadership "cowboy diplomacy" is an insult to all cowboys." And Daylia writes from Austin, Texas, "Has the era of President Bush's "cowboy diplomacy" come to an end? No, it's just on summer vacation.
And if you didn't see your e-mail here you can go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile where we post some more of these little gems for your viewing pleasure.
BLITZER: Did we show our viewers, Jack, that cover of "Time Magazine?"
CAFFERTY: We've got it.
BLITZER: If we have that, I'd love our viewers to see that. Let's see if we can get that up, very quickly.
CAFFERTY: This was actually the basis for the question, was the cover of Time this week. They suggest in the magazine that perhaps there's been a sea change in the, there it is, in the administration's foreign policy, as evidenced by his more moderate tone with North Korea last week. But that cover just knocked me out. My producer Sarah saw that and said we've got to do something with this, it's just too good.
BLITZER: What North Korea, Iraq and Iran teach us about the limits of going alone. That's the subtitle if they can't read it, the end of cowboy diplomacy. Jack, thanks very much. You used to be a cowboy yourself right?
CAFFERTY: Well, I worked on a ranch when I was a kid. I don't know how much of a cowboy I was. But I remember bucking a lot of hay bales when I was a young fellow.
BLITZER: We learn more about you every day, Jack. Thanks very much. Paula Zahn is standing by in New York. She's standing by with a preview of what's coming up right at the top of the hour, Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi Wolf, thanks. Coming up we are going to go in-depth on the day's biggest stories, including the trial of a man accused of a crime that shocked the nation. John Couey has admitted kidnapping and killing 12-year-old Jessica Lunsford. Why won't the jury ever hear his very detailed confession? And the top story in religion tonight is a new list of the most influential churches in the country, and they are huge. What are they doing that's so special? We will go in-depth. Coming up just about seven minutes from now. Wolf?
BLITZER: Thanks, Paula. We'll watch PAULA ZAHN NOW. That comes up right at the top of the hour. Still ahead the head butt heard around the world. It's World Cup chaos, as only CNN's Jeanne Moos can tell it. That's coming up next, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.
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BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the Hot Shots coming in from our friends over at the Associated Press. First Afghanistan, a 6- year-old boy sits in an outdoor classroom, because militants burned down his school. Human Rights Watch says attacks on teachers and schools, especially schools for girls, are on the rise in Afghanistan. Seoul, South Korea, activists participate in a rally against the North Korean regime.
Columbia, South Carolina, an air plane takes off from Interstate 26. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. No one was hurt.
Shanghai, China, a man feeds a pet bird, look at this, from his mouth. Some of today's Hot Shots, pictures often worth a thousand words.
The whole world saw it. A French soccer star head butted his Italian opponent in the World Cup final. But what was behind it? According to Reuters and the Associated Press, the head butt victim denies reports he called his opponent a quote dirty terrorist, according to AP and Reuters, Paris based anti-racism groups cite sources saying the Italian did make the comment. The Frenchman who made the head butt is the son of Algerian immigrants. Will the controversy though renew national rivalries? Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the head butt heard round the world. And when the captain of the French team was thrown out of the game, the groans of Italian fans in New York turned to cheers and obscene gestures. What a way to end an otherwise glorious soccer career. The "New York Times" called it a shameful departure, a Times columnist saying Zinedine Zidane lost his mind. Even Americans more familiar with Beavis and Butt Head were marveling over the head butt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought that was pretty amazing by the great Zidane, who usually doesn't lose his head that way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happens in every sport. Look at what Tyson did to the guy, bit the ear off.
MOOS (on camera): Mike Tyson reportedly said the reason he bit off a chunk of his opponent's ear was because Evander Holyfield head butted him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I played soccer and I've been head butted. Some girls can play really rough.
MOOS (voice-over): Most head butting is done by four legged animals using their heads to butt each other, or one of us. Luckily, this guy only lost his pants and not his life. The Internet overflows with sophomoric head butting. Butting heads with bottle caps. Butting heads with cookie sheets. Bucket versus helmet. And then there's the elephant head butt, brace yourself, it purports to show a caretaker cleaning up after an elephant, when the elephant backs up. Sort of makes the soccer head butt seem tame. A "New York Daily News" columnist said of Zidane, he went nuts, went out like a thug, like Dennis Rodman. Actually, if you blink you'll miss the time Rodman head butted a referee. Here it is again. And talk about blaming the victim? Some criticize the Italian who was on the receiving end of Zidane's head butt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very melodramatic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's part of the act with the Italians. You saw him. It looked like he got hit by a cannon, not by Zidane's head.
MOOS (on camera): Is your hair white from head butting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
MOOS: You're sure?
(voice-over): In the movie Road Warrior, the villain did the head butting. But at the World Cup, Zidane was still voted most valuable player. At least after Zidane did the dirty deed, he didn't do what the head butting bull did, run around with underwear on his head. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Thanks very much Jeanne for that. That's all the time we have. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Paula Zahn standing by to pick up our coverage, Paula.
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