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The Situation Room
North Korea May Be Ready to Test Nuclear Bomb; President Bush Strikes Back at Judge's Ruling About Domestic Surveillance Program; Hezbollah Giving Cash to Lebanese Citizens Who Lost Homes
Aired August 18, 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. at Camp David, Maryland, where President Bush responds to reports that North Korea may be about ready to test a nuclear bomb.
Also, the graphic, gruesome details of JonBenet Ramsey's murder. Right now, why one source says the suspect knew some of those secrets.
And our Kelli Arena has her finger on the button. She'll literally blow up a truck to show us the explosive situation U.S. troops often face in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
President Bush strikes back at a federal judge's ruling that has domestic surveillance program is unconstitutional. But at his Camp David retreat today, the president plays defense on other issues.
Lebanese troops fan out to try to keep the peace, but some European powers falling short when it comes to sending troops of their own, as Hezbollah embarks on a massive rebuilding effort.
And suspicious signs and a flurry of activity at a secret North Korean site. The president won't say what he knows, but is a nuclear test now in the works?
Standing by live, our CNN White House correspondent, Ed Henry. He's over at the White House.
Brent Sadler is in Beirut.
But let's go to the Pentagon first. Barbara Starr is there -- Barbara.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, new indicators of North Korea's nuclear program, but no one is really sure what it all means.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STARR (voice over): While poring over new imagery of a suspected North Korean underground nuclear test site several days ago, U.S. intelligence analysts saw something was different. Bundles of wire cables suddenly appeared, along with signs of vehicle activity. There are concerns this all could be preparations for North Korea's first underground nuclear test.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And you're asking me to divulge any intelligence information I have, and I'm not going to do that, as you know.
STARR: The U.S. and its allies have never been completely certain whether North Korea has enough material to actually make nuclear bombs. A nuclear test would change the equation.
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The question would remain about whether they can weaponize that and put it on a weapon to be delivered, but I think that is in a way a lesser question than whether they can bring about a nuclear explosion with a yield that would be sufficiently alarming.
STARR: But the uncertainty remains about Pyongyang's intentions.
MCLAUGHLIN: Their motivation for not doing a test would be that this is the final step on their escalatory ladder and they would be basically using their last card. On the other hand, the motive for doing a test would be that the missile test they did some weeks ago fizzled and embarrassed them, and this would be one way to make up for that if they carried off a successful nuclear test.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: For the intelligence community, detecting an underground is one of the toughest jobs. A top analyst likens it to looking across hundreds of miles for a hole in the ground by looking through a soda straw -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Barbara, we'll be watching, together with you. Thanks very much.
Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.
Defending his wiretapping program, ruled illegal now by a federal judge, President Bush today says critics just don't understand the nature of the world we live in. But the president has his hands full with a host of other hot issues as well.
Let's go to our White House correspondent, Ed Henry -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that's right. The president huddled at Camp David with his top economic advisers, trying to tout one of the few bright spots in his agenda, but he quickly found himself on defense on a host of foreign policy hotspots, including his earlier pronouncement that Hezbollah suffered a major defeat. That assessment now in some doubt, of course, because of the terror group still being intact, also handing out cash, helping to rebuild southern Lebanon.
Here's how the president responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The first reaction, of course, of Hezbollah and its supporters is to declare victory. I guess I would have done the same thing if I were them. But sometimes it takes people a while to come to the sober realization of what -- of what forces create stability and which don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: The president also facing heat about those new concerns Barbara Starr was reporting on, that North Korea may, in fact, be planning an underground test of a nuclear weapon. The president urging other members of the six-party talks to really step up here to defuse the threat from North Korea, but as we all know, those six- party talks have yielded very little.
The president has previously faced some strong criticism from fellow conservatives that he's not getting tough enough with North Korea. We'll see how this plays out -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What about on the wiretapping issue? The president responding to that federal judge in Michigan yesterday, saying it's not only illegal but it's unconstitutional and it should be dropped.
HENRY: The president going on offense there, basically saying he strongly disagrees with the judge's decision, of course, saying he's confident that it will be overturned on appeal. And also citing the case of the foiled British terror plot, to say this is the very kind of tool he needs to fight an effective war on terror.
Democrats, of course, pouncing on the court decision. They think this shows the president is suddenly vulnerable on what has been his political strength. But Republicans privately feel very confident that, while in the short term the president may take a hit over this, in the long term, specifically right around November, when voters go to the polls, this is going to help Republicans show that they are on the right side, that they are fighting an effective war on terror.
We'll obviously see how that plays out, but Republicans feel that this plays right into Karl Rove's playbook, focus on the war on terror and win the election, as they did in '02 and '04 -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The political story heating up big time as we get ready for those November midterm elections.
Thanks very much.
Ed Henry at the White House.
The president hinted at some disappointment with the pace of the peacekeeping campaign in Lebanon, while insisting Hezbollah is not the winner of the recent fighting.
For a closer look at the situation on the ground, let's turn to our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler -- Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Thanks, Wolf.
I'll top off with some hard news.
Lebanese security sources saying that there was an incident, they say, that involved an Israeli helicopter flying low over Mount Lebanon and then being detected in the Bekaa Valley. This helicopter apparently drew Hezbollah anti-aircraft fire, including shoulder-fired missiles.
That sparked off some concern among residents that perhaps there was an Israeli strike. Certainly no confirmation of that. No more details emerging here right now or from Israel.
In the south of Lebanon, the Lebanese army has now more or less fully deployed, south of that strategic Litani River, and moving into areas they have not been seen for almost four decades. In some areas, scenes of joy as those troops began the task of trying to stabilize the area, an area in which Hezbollah still remains in terms of its activists, its supporters, its fighters and its weapons, who it seems have simply melted away.
The next phase should be the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to bolster U.N. troops already on the ground. That's taking longer than expected given that continuing Hezbollah presence.
Also today, Lebanese have been burying more of their dead. This time at Qana, in south Lebanon. That is where some 30 people were killed after Israeli airplanes fired at the village, bringing down a building under which many Lebanese were sheltering.
The dead included at least a dozen children. And at the time, about halfway through that month-long conflict, it drew world condemnation and accusations by many Lebanese that Israel was targeting civilians, allegations that Israel says is simply not true.
One other final point, Wolf. Hezbollah has already started compensation people in the southern suburbs of Beirut with cash handouts for lost property totaling $12,000 in U.S. dollars -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And a lot of people suspect, especially here in Washington, Brent, that that cash comes from Iran, from the regime in Tehran, that they funnel to it Hezbollah and Hezbollah puts it on the street. And as a result, they get a lot of popularity.
Is that a fair assessment?
SADLER: That's a fair assessment. Iran has been for a long time a financial supporter of Hezbollah. Figures that are being reported here in the press talk of hundreds of millions of dollars being funneled for Hezbollah for this reconstruction effort. When you ask people in the street about the source of that money, they simply don't care. They see Hezbollah, in effect, acting as the state because the state, by no means, has that sort of ready cash to compensate people who have lost homes and livelihoods -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And with Iran being a major oil exporting nation, and the price per barrel rather high right now, presumably the Iranians are going to have some extra cash to spread around.
Brent Sadler in Beirut for us.
Thank you very much.
Let's go to New York and Jack Cafferty -- Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, Ed Henry was talking about how the war on terror plays right into Karl Rove's playbook as the November midterm elections get closer. Well, consider this: come November, the Democrats might get some help from married women with children.
Following 9/11, as you would expect, the so-called security moms were concerned about terrorism. It was the kind of overriding issue that fed into the way a lot of them voted.
Going into the 2002 elections, 53 percent of these women said they were likely to support Republican candidates for Congress, while 36 percent said they would vote for Democrats. The security moms also helped President Bush beat John Kerry and win re-election in 2004.
Well, guess what? Apparently, the times have changed, at least among this group of swing voters. The latest Pew research in today's "Washington Post" shows the situation in 2002 has reversed itself.
Fifty percent of these security moms now say they'll vote for the Democrat if the election was held today in their congressional district. Thirty-eight percent say they'll vote for the Republican. This could be particularly troublesome in suburban congressional districts, where four years ago Republican candidates could count on the support of the soccer moms.
So here's the question: What does it mean if the Republicans are losing the votes of security moms?
E-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/caffertyfile -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks, Jack.
Jack Cafferty in New York.
And by the way, if you want a sneak preview of Jack's questions, plus an early read on the day's political news and what's ahead here in THE SITUATION ROOM, sign up for our daily e-mail alert. Go to cnn.com/situationroom. Up ahead, does the suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey case know something about her death that only police were supposed to know? We're looking into latest developments surrounding John Mark Karr and his claim he was with JonBenet when she died.
And CNN's Kelli Arena is going to take us to a school that's not like any other. At this one you learn how to make and take apart deadly bombs. Just the latest weapon in the war on terror.
And he's one of the most outspoken Muslims in Britain. He proclaims he loves Osama bin Laden, and 9/11 he says was justified. Why he says the Koran supports his radical views.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: For 10 years many new leads led to several dead ends. Now in the case of who murdered JonBenet Ramsey, there are more twists that investigators hope will finally lead to some answers, and there are new developments emerging today.
Our Brian Todd is standing by in Washington, but let's go to Boulder, Colorado. Tom Foreman with the latest from there -- Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.
Authorities have been looking today into a very odd -- another odd turn in this case out in California, the possibility that there was correspondence between Mr. Karr and the man who killed Polly Klaas, who is in prison out there. CNN has confirmed that they did search the cell of this man, Richard Allen Davis, they did not find anything that seemed to connect to the JonBenet Ramsey case, but yet another strange twist in a day full of strange twists about this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN (voice over): His words alarming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you an innocent man? Are you an innocent man?
JOHN MARK KARR, SUSPECT: No.
FOREMAN: But John Mark Karr isn't the first to link himself to JonBenet Ramsey's murder. Ramsey attorney Lin Wood tells The Associated Press that JonBenet Ramsey's father John has received e- mail confessions in the past.
So what makes authorities so keen on John Mark Karr? A U.S. law enforcement source tells CNN Karr offered graphic and gruesome physical details about the condition of JonBenet's body, details, this source says, would be known only to the medical examiner and investigators.
Still, there are loose ends. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened?
KARR: Her death was -- was an accident.
FOREMAN: Take that statement you just heard. All along, law enforcement sources say evidence from the crime scene shows the death was not accidental. And in Thailand, authorities are now backing away from what they said were Karr's claims that he drugged JonBenet before the murder.
CNN reported yesterday that JonBenet's autopsy concluded JonBenet was not drugged. This is what the Thai authorities are saying about the matter now, something that U.S. law enforcement authorities have yet to confirm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard from my people that he said that he had sex with her (INAUDIBLE)r.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about drugging her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not drugging her. (INAUDIBLE), "How come you had sex with the girl?" He said -- at that time, just blah, blah.
FOREMAN: As for the one piece of evidence that may prove conclusive, The Associated Press reports Karr was given a DNA mouth swab in Bangkok and will receive another test when Karr arrives in the United States.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Still not entirely clear when that is going to be. Everybody here is curious, of course.
One other interesting note, Wolf. One of the bits of confusion about this has been whether or not John Karr ever directly traded e- mails or messages with Patsy Ramsey before she died. Authorities are now saying that, in fact, he never directly spoke to her, but at some point they were setting up a blind (ph) in the e-mail chain to give the impression that he was speaking to her in hopes that he might reveal more that might be important to them in this investigation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Tom, I take it, given the cautious statements coming from the D.A. out in Boulder, Colorado, where you are, and so many other officials involved, there's a lot of skepticism, there's a suspicion, at least, that this guy may be making up that whole confession.
FOREMAN: I think in many ways, Wolf, people have no idea what to make of this now. Early on people were so excited because they felt like after all of these years of waiting, from all of us who covered it from the beginning, that something was finally moving. Now people are examining his statements, they're looking at the apparent contradictions in them, and other apparent contradictions raised, the fact that his wife is saying she can't remember him ever being gone on a Christmas Day during this period of time. Well, people remember when people are gone on Christmas Day, and this crime was committed on Christmas night. I can tell from you experience, it's a long way from here to Alabama, where he lived at the time -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Tom. We'll stay in touch with you. Thanks very much.
And in another development, right now police are studying what they call a critical clue left by the suspect when he was a teenager.
Let's bring in our Brian Todd. He's got details -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, some potentially new -- critically new information in this case is actually some old information, as you just mentioned, a written entry from nearly a quarter century ago by suspect John Mark Karr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice over): Twenty-four years later, four words that seem innocuous in a high school yearbook now seem eerie. 1982, John Mark Karr is in 11th grade. At the end of an entry in a classmate's yearbook obtained by CNN, he writes the phrase, "Maybe I shall be the conqueror."
The first letters of those last four words, "S.B.T.C.," the same as the sign-off on the ransom note found in JonBenet Ramsey's home at the time of her death in 1996, 14 years after the yearbook entry. We looked at that with John Hargett, who once ran the document section of the U.S. Secret Service.
JOHN HARGETT, FMR. SECRET SERVICE AGENT: I find it to be an interesting coincidence, that -- that -- that notation appears on a document from the 1980s. And there is an "S.B.T.C." appearing on the -- the letters that were involved in this matter addressed to Mr. Ramsey. Assuming that "S.B.T.C." refers to "Shall Be the Conqueror," again, I find that to be a very interesting coincidence.
TODD: But on pure handwriting comparison and analysis Hargett says, don't jump to any conclusions.
HARGETT: Well, quite frankly, we're obviously limited to -- as to what we're looking at or what we're examining. But quite frankly, based upon this, I see -- see no similarity really between the "S.B.T.C." appearing on the document from the 1980s and the one appearing on the letter.
TODD: Next, we asked Hargett to compare the ransom letter with Karr's recent application for employment at a school in Thailand, also obtained by CNN. When placing the application, written in all capital letters, next to the Ramsey ransom note, Hargett and other experts agree.
HARGETT: Quite frankly, you just can't really compare, can't really make a meaningful comparison between capital letters and lower case letters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: But John Hargett makes one other important point. He believes the style of handwriting in the yearbook entry from 1982 is likely not the same style that individual would normally use. All the artistry and flourishes, he says, likely reflect a young person experimenting with their handwriting.
Now, Hargett and other analysts tell us they have long believed the Ramsey ransom note was disguised handwriting, but again, they say all the similarities here could easily be just coincidence -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Is there anything you've picked up, Brian, to suggest that some of the inside information in that ransom note, that how this guy Karr could have known about that? Is there anything in his background that linked him to the Ramseys?
TODD: Nothing that we're finding right now, Wolf. And it's important to note that John Ramsey, in an interview this week, said he does not know John Mark Karr. So that's important also.
Now, an important entry in the Ramsey ransom note from way back, from 10 years, when they found it, was the phrase "$180,000" (sic) as a potential amount of ransom. That person who wrote that was said to -- would only be able to know that because they were either in the family or someone very, very close to the family, because that was the amount of John Ramsey's bonus that year.
So this is, again, a piece of real inconsistency here.
BLITZER: It was $118,000 specifically.
TODD: $118,000, yes.
BLITZER: Thanks very much.
Brian Todd reporting for us.
And coming up, Israeli troops are leaving Lebanon, and many people in northern Israel are uneasy. Chris Lawrence is there for us.
And in a story you'll see only on CNN, signs of public dissent. Some everyday Iranians are against Iran's ties to Hezbollah and against the showdown with the West. We're going to tell you what's going on in Tehran. We'll go there.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check in with Zain once again for a quick look at some other important stories making news -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, newly released federal numbers show that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. jumped by almost 30 percent in the past six years. The Department of Homeland Security estimates 11 million people were in the United States at the beginning of the year. It says slightly more than half are from Mexico.
Others come from El Salvador, Guatemala, India and China. California has the most illegal immigrants, followed by Texas and Florida.
Ford says it's cutting production to a 25-year low in an effort to rev up results from its turnaround plan. The number two automaker plans to turn out just a little more than three million vehicles this year. That would be a nine percent cutback from last year.
Ten Ford assembly plants will fall idle for extended periods as well. Ford blames the move on high fuel costs, which slowed sales of pickup trucks, minivans and SUVs.
BP says it's back up to half production at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The company had warned that it may have to shut down its entire oilfield two weeks ago because of corroded pipelines. BP says testing of pipelines on the western side of Prudhoe Bay prompted it to keep that side up and running -- up and running -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Zain. Thanks very much.
Zain Verjee here in Washington.
Coming up, a demolition demonstration. Our Kelli Arena has her finger on the button. She'll blow up a truck, to show us what U.S. troops often have to face in war.
And many Iranians subscribe to their president's hard line against the West, yet many others don't. Our Aneesh Raman is in Tehran. He's going to give you a story you will see only here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to THE SITUATION ROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
As Lebanese troops spread out in southern Lebanon, Italy announced today it's prepared to contribute troops to a peacekeeping force. Officials suggest as many as 3,000. But France, expected to play the leading role, has committed so far to sending only 200 troops.
As Israeli troops leave Lebanon, residents of northern Israel are uneasy.
Let's go to CNN's Chris Lawrence -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we're standing just a few hundred yards from the Lebanese border, and the families that live this close are genuinely concerned about this potential hand-over.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE (voice over): Two countries separated by a jagged wall of barbed wire. We watched two men approach from the Lebanese side, and Israeli troops watch them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come here for peace only.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would we be afraid?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not for fighting. Not for anything (ph). Only for peace.
LAWRENCE: They come from Beirut, curious about life on the border. The Israelis' posture tells them there is still tension, but it has relaxed since the cease-fire.
(on camera): You didn't see any Israeli troops and Lebanon troops together?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Lebanese troops haven't reached the border yet.
LAWRENCE (voice over): The Lebanese army is marching south. They are expected to work with U.N. peacekeepers and take command of the southern border, but some Israelis don't want Lebanon's army less than a kilometer away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): To tell you the truth, I don't trust them. I really don't trust them. It's frightening. Frightening. Only the U.N.
LAWRENCE: Batia Amiri (ph) runs her family business, a chicken coop right on the border. She looks into Lebanon from her backyard and doesn't like what she sees coming.
TRANSLATION OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we don't have a buffer zone with the U.N. guarding the border as it should be, we can't live in this situation, in this place.
LAWRENCE: Having felt Hezbollah's rockets fly by she has no faith they'll be disarmed.
TRANSLATION OF UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hezbollah is like a rat. You can't stop it. Its hiding and Lebanon protected it.
LAWRENCE: A lot of Israelis who lived in the path of the katyushas are still in shock, having been taught that their military was so superior.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has better soldiers, he have planes, he have tanks, he have bombs -- all the time, the best, the best, the best. And Hezbollah fight just with katyushas.
LAWRENCE: The craters can be filled in but the fear and anxiety those rockets created won't be so easily repaired. (END OF VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: If the U.N. is slow to commit troops and the Israeli army has to stay in Lebanon longer, a lot of people here would feel much more secure. Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Chris Lawrence, thank you very much.
And now a story you'll see only here on CNN and it comes from Iran. CNN's Aneesh Raman found that in the capital of Teheran, but not everyone wants to go shoulder to shoulder with Hezbollah or toe to toe with the west. Aneesh?
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's been the face of Iran throughout the war between Hezbollah and Israel, one of unbridled anger among demonstrators. Today we found out that was only half the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN (voice-over): Tucked amid the northern mountains, is a Tehran that is rarely seen, here along this hiking trail there are no flags of Hezbollah. No posters of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. Instead, just some kabobs on the grill and couples using the crowds to show affection discretely. These are Iran's moderates, like 41-year- old Fariba.
To say the recent war, she tells me, overshadowed all aspects of people's life here would not be accurate and she says that in the west, they think Iranians are close minded and shortsighted. That, she says is incorrect as well.
(on camera): Moderates in Teheran make up a quiet majority but on this issue as with virtually every other, they are over shadowed by a much more vocal and conservative minority.
(voice-over): Throughout the war in Lebanon these were defining images of anger in Iran, demonstrations often punctuated by chants of death to America, death to Israel, and an eagerness to join the fight that is still in evidence after Friday prayers at this conservative mosque. Did the Israelis prove their power by attacking innocent children, asked this woman? If they are men they should come and fight us. As soon as the supreme leader gives the go-ahead I and my three sons would go and join Hezbollah says this former general. They are perhaps the two faces of Iran. Hard line protesters and moderate hikers. But both sides know they matter little compared to this face, that of Iran's president, who seems intent on confronting the United States over Iran's nuclear program. Even among moderates there is now a feeling of foreboding and even among moderates, that the U.S. shoulders the blame.
Fariba tells me that because almost the entire Middle East one way or another is being assaulted by America, Iran will gradually be dragged into this war. And so even amid the serenity of these mountains, these are tense times in Iran.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
RAMAN: And tensions set to rise only further. Next week a big week on the nuclear front. Iran set to announce its rejection of any deal that would cause the country to suspend its uranium enrichment. Wolf?
BLITZER: Aneesh thank you very much. Aneesh Raman reporting for us in Teheran. Still to come, lethal bombs are one of the biggest threats facing U.S. troops in Iraq right now. The FBI wants to change that. How it's teaching U.S. troops to become crime scene investigators so they can prevent more bombs from exploding. And the man who's taking over temporarily for the ailing Cuban president Fidel Castro, talks publicly. Why he says he mobilized tens of thousands of Cuban troops when Fidel Castro became ill. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Another move today, aimed at tightening security in Baghdad. Iraqi authorities announced a two-day ban on vehicles and motorcycles. It was imposed to maintain order during a Shiite Muslim pilgrimage to the Iraqi capital. Specifically officials hope to avert the suicide bombings and drive-by shootings that have been rampant in Shiite-Sunni sectarian attacks. Today in our CNN security watch a demolition demonstration you'll see only here on CNN. It's meant to simulate the dangerous situations U.S. troops regularly encounter in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Our justice correspondent Kelli Arena has more. Kelli?
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf as terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan improve their bomb-making capabilities, members of the U.S. military and law enforcement are trying to keep up. Now one of the ways that they're doing that is to train in as real a setting as possible, that's before they head to the battlefield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): In Iraq and Afghanistan, lethal truck bombs are a constant threat. When they explode U.S. troops are forced to become crime scene investigators, a role few are prepared for. The FBI is trying to change that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a record breaker, guys. This may be the biggest crime scene we've ever had.
ARENA: At the FBI's large vehicle bomb school, bomb technician Kevin Miles oversees the construction of a 4,000-pound truck bomb. Another 400 pounds is loaded into this smaller vehicle to re-create a real-life scenario experienced by U.S. troops in Baghdad, in which a suicide bomber attacks those who have responded to the first blast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going fire in the hole, shot one. Fire in the hole, shot one. Push it.
ARENA: The second explosion also goes off without a hitch. The next day students are brought in to try to figure out what happened. (on camera): Debris from these explosions scattered almost 4,000 feet creating a 374 acre crime scene. With only 45 students investigating the bombings instructors here think that maybe they gave them a little more than they could handle.
(voice-over): An advanced team does a preliminary search for evidence, and all are keenly aware of the clock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Afghanistan and Iraq, if you have an hour, you're very lucky. I've seen it where we've only had maybe 15, 20 minutes on the ground due to the area may not be secure.
ARENA: This Navy lieutenant commander expects to be redeployed soon and for security reasons doesn't want his name used.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got an engine number.
ARENA: Teams photograph and flag pieces of potential evidence and swab a vehicle caught in the crossfire for explosive residue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any indicator of any type of initiation device, you know, nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, they might have it up over on that end then.
ARENA: They eventually find most of what they're looking for including batteries and a telephone key pad they determine was used to trigger the second bomb. Robert Pursley, a 27-year law enforcement veteran says the training is invaluable, in part because he expects terrorism to make its way back to U.S. soil.
LT. ROBERT PURSLEY, SANTA CRUZ CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: We've had our incidents here already. That's an indicator and that's why we're doing this training.
ARENA: Kevin Miles said more than 400 people signed up to take the course. To keep up with the enemy he's constantly modifying his classes but not his message.
KEVIN MILES, FBI BOMB TECHNICIAN: The evidence that they are looking for is out there somewhere and if they know where to look for it they will find it.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Wolf, by the end of this mock investigation the students recovered less than half of the evidence from the largest, most damaging blast. But they were still able to piece together the main details of how it was done.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena reporting for us and doing an excellent job. Thank you. And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. Let's check in with Lou Dobbs, he's getting ready for his show that begins right at the top of the hour. Hi Lou?
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi Wolf. Thank you. Coming up at 6:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN tonight we report on President Bush's strong defense of his foreign policy and the government's warrantless wiretap program. Can President Bush convince Americans that his administration is making this country safer from radical Islamic terrorists? Three of the country's best political minds join us. Also, shocking charges that corporate America is abusing foreign workers under existing guest worker programs. Now big business wants to give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens and drive down the wages of American workers further. We'll have that special report and more on the middle class. And a new threat to American jobs and national security tonight. Shipping firms want to build new port facilities not in this country, but in Mexico. To cope with America's addiction to imports from cheap overseas labor markets. We'll report on what this means. It's nothing less than another great American giveaway. We hope you will be with us right at the top of the hour here on CNN. Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much Lou for that, Lou Dobbs coming up. And was Cuba mobilizing thousands of troops to fend off a possible U.S. invasion in the hours following Fidel Castro's hospitalization? That's what the acting president Raul Castro said today in his first public remarks since his brother temporarily handed over power. Let's bring in our Internet reporter Abbi Tatton. Abbi?
ABBI TATTON, CNN INTERNET REPORTER: Wolf, Raul Castro told the state-run newspaper (INAUDIBLE) that he mobilized these troops because he, "could not rule out the risk of someone going crazy or even crazier in the U.S. government." This is the first interview that Raul Castro has given since his brother's illness. Asked why he hasn't made a public appearance until now he said he didn't think it was necessary and the criticism doesn't bother him in the slightest. Of his brother's illness he says that Fidel Castro is making a progressive recovery. This is the same newspaper Grannma that posted pictures over the weekend of a bedridden Fidel Castro being visited by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. In some of them they seem to even be eating pudding together. A U.S. state department spokesman was asked today what the state department thought of these new comments from Raul Castro, he responded quote, "Not much," referring to the younger Castro as Fidel light. Wolf?
BLITZER: Abbi thank you. And up ahead, he's a convert to Islam and his words are inflammatory. He says the 9/11 attacks pleased every sincere Muslim. Others say he's not speaking for them. We're going to introduce you to one of the more controversial men in Britain. And the so-called security moms help republicans win the White House and the congress in the last few elections. But now they may be shifting support to the democrats. What does that mean? Your thoughts in The Cafferty File, stay with us.
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BLITZER: Zain Verjee, she's got a great smile and she was smiling for us. Thanks Zain. What else is happening in the world? VERJEE: Wolf, thank you. The United States will have a special set of eyes focused on Cuba and Venezuela. National intelligence director John Negroponte announced today he's created a so-called mission manager, J. Patrick (INAUDIBLE), a 32-year-old spy veteran was tapped to oversee efforts to collect and to analyze intelligence on the two Latin American countries. He's the sixth person named as a mission manager to tackle hot, global issues.
German officials are on the hunt for possible suspects wanted in connection with a botched bombing attempt late last month. They say two suitcase bombs that failed to detonate on two regional trains were likely part of a failed terrorist attack. The head of Germany's federal criminal police says Arabic notes and phone numbers were found in the suitcases, they are offering a reward of more than $50,000 for information about the attempted attacks.
The security net is getting tighter around one of India's most famous, Taj Mahal and (INAUDIBLE). The increase in protection came after officials received a letter threatening to blow up the 17th century architectural masterpiece. Now the letter purported to be from an associate of Al Qaeda, similar letters though Wolf have turned out to be hoaxes.
BLITZER: Zain thank you very much. We have a very important programming note for our viewers. Please join Zain when she hosts "This Week at War" this weekend. The show offers a special look at the Middle East conflict, the war on terror, what's happening in Iraq. Zain filling in for John Roberts this weekend, he's got some well deserved days off. Saturday, 7:00 p.m. eastern, Sunday 1:00 p.m. eastern, right after late edition, the last word in Sunday talk. Zain Verjee anchoring "This Week at War" this weekend.
And up next, he's one of the most outspoken Muslims in Britain. He's proclaiming he loves Osama bin Laden and 9/11 he says it was justified. CNN's Dan Rivers with the interview you don't want to miss coming up in 60 seconds.
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BLITZER: He may be one of the most controversial men walking the streets of Britain right now. He's a convert to Islam who mixes no words about his adoration for Osama bin Laden and his hatred of the United States. CNN's Dan Rivers sat down for this eye-opening interview with Abu Abdullah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What was your reaction, for example, on September 11th?
ABU ABDULLAH, BRITISH RESIDENT: Every sincere Muslim was pleased because America deserved a punch in the nose, you know, as many --
RIVERS: 3,000 people died that day.
ABDULLAH: 3,000 people was like a drop in the ocean compared to the millions of Muslims that have been killed.
RIVERS: Abu Abdullah calls himself a cleric but his extremist views may be repugnant to the vast majority of Muslims, in fact, anyone who believes in God. One of the most outspoken Muslims in Britain, he's an associate of convicted terrorist, Abu Hamza, who's serving seven years in prison for inciting racial hatred and soliciting murder. And is wanted in the United States for trying to establish terror camps in Oregon. But Hamza's friend Abu Abdullah is still free, despite expressing views that come very close to inciting and glorifying terrorism. But he hasn't been charged with any crimes.
ABDULLAH: My honorable Sheikh Osama bin Laden and Sheikh Hayman Al Zawahiri, I love these people dearly for the sake of Allah. I couldn't express how much I love these people.
RIVERS: You love Osama bin Laden?
ABDULLAH: I love him more than myself.
RIVERS: Abdullah tries to use the Koran to justify terror.
ABDULLAH: The Muslims that obviously want to take up arms against the west, it's their Islamic right to do so. Islam is a peaceful religion but at the same time Islam is allowed to defend itself.
RIVERS: It's allowed to defend itself you'd say, is it allowed to attack the west?
ABDULLAH: Absolutely. If this person is killed by the west, then we have our rights to take it out on the west. Mainly the army, the British or the American army, government buildings, where they legislate from.
RIVERS: So is (INAUDIBLE) fair game?
ABDULLAH: Well absolutely of course its fair game for the Muslim.
RIVERS: So Tony Blair is a legitimate target, George Bush is a legitimate target?
ABDULLAH: Absolutely, absolutely, yes.
RIVERS: Do you think that America and Britain will be subjected to further attacks?
ABDULLAH: It should be.
RIVERS: A lot of people will be horrified by what you're saying, they think that you are bringing nothing but chaos and death and destruction and misery.
ABDULLAH: Well I'm not here to please the west or to please people's understandings. My people are being killed all over the world in many, many countries. RIVERS: That doesn't justify killing other people.
ABDULLAH: It does justify it, of course it justifies it. When is it going to stop? You people need to know we're not going to take it any more. You want to know why Muslims in this country are understanding what they understand. They're sick of the west, they're sick of the (INAUDIBLE). I owe this country nothing.
RIVERS: And this from a man born and brought up in the United Kingdom who only converted to Islam later in life.
Do you think God really wants Muslims to go out and kill other people?
ABDULLAH: God doesn't instruct Muslims to go out and kill innocent people.
RIVERS: That's what you're advocating.
ABDULLAH: No, no, that's what you're saying. That's the terminology you're using and the words that you're actually using.
RIVERS: Well let's clarify this, what are you saying now?
ABDULLAH: We call it self-defense. The difference between me and you is faith. The difference between me and you is trying to enjoy the right and forbid the evil. The difference between me and you, I live for the sake of God and you live for the sake of the devil.
RIVERS: Dan Rivers, CNN, London.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Whoa, what a guy. Up next, they are married women with children who vote based on the terrorism issues, security moms. The new swing voters and they're swinging away from the republicans. At least according to the most recent polls. Jack Cafferty with your email right after this.
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BLITZER: Here's a look at some of the hot shots coming in from our friends at the "Associated Press." In Beirut, Lebanon a woman begs for money, she's standing near an apartment building destroyed by Israeli bombs. In Karachi, Pakistan, residents walk through a street submerged in water, heavy rain and strong wind killed 15 people there today. And in the Philippines lava pours down the slopes of a volcano. More than 40,000 residents have been evacuated from the danger zone. Some of todays hot shots. Pictures often worth a thousand words. Let's check back with Jack in New York. Jack?
CAFFERTY: Pretty spectacular that volcano picture. Thanks Wolf. New polls are indicating now that married women with children are more likely to vote democratic in the upcoming midterm election than at any time since the 9/11 attacks. The question we asked is, what does it mean if republicans are losing the votes of security moms? Michael in Hamilton, Canada, "What it means is simple, this group of American women are finally starting to accept and address reality. In 2002 and 2004, they managed to remain oblivious to what was already clear, that Bush and the republicans were not making the country safer. This year they can't ignore that any longer."
Jeff in Minneapolis, "With the military already depleted, the next major military crisis will probably mean a draft. Perhaps that's what the mom's are worried about." John in Virginia, "Security minded moms are suffering from repetitive fright syndrome, RFS. Too many "this is the real deal terrorist plots, World Wars, imminent nuclear attacks and other bogeyman lead to a dead GOP knee jerk reaction. The recommended treatment, take two aspirins and vote Democratic." Deb in Texas, "The security moms, soccer moms, whatever you want to call them, are waking up and realizing that standing with the war mongering machine of the GOP causes other women's children to die horribly. How does a mother stand by those who will willing wage an imperialist war that kills other women's innocent children?" Jim writes, "The security moms should use their clout with the dads and make it unanimous." And Cindy in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, "The republicans' loss of security moms obviously means the face of the GOP has gotten so ugly that not even a mother can love it any more." That's harsh Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack you know I just came back from Israel. You know Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, going into the war his job approval numbers were around 70 percent, now they're down at close to 40 percent. It goes to show you what a month or 35 days can do in a politician's life.
CAFFERTY: I wonder if that's due to an objection to the war itself or an objection to the way it was fought and the outcome.
BLITZER: I think the latter. I think people were very upset, A, with the way it was fought and the outcome. We'll talk more about it coming up at 7:00. Thanks for that. We'll be back in one hour, 7:00 p.m. eastern here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Lou Dobbs tonight starting right now. Lou?
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