Return to Transcripts main page

On the Story

Axis of Evil Back in the News; How Will Republicans Respond to Controversy Over Trent Lott?; Is Moussaoui Getting a Speedy Trial?

Aired December 14, 2002 - 10:00   ET

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

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


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION, where our journalists have the inside scoop on the stories they covered this week.
I'm Andrea Koppel.

The axis of evil is back in the news, this time with a high-seas drama involving North Korean missiles and nuclear development in Iran.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. For President Bush, a full plate: Iraq, smallpox and how to respond to the furor over Senator Lott.

LINDA ROTH, CNN PRODUCER: I'm Linda Roth in Doha, Qatar. I'll be talking about war games and the agreement that lets U.S. planes use a big airbase here, should war with Iraq breakout.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Deborah Feyerick in New York. What happened to the promise of a speedy trial for the only man formally charged in the September 11 attacks?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Christine Romans. The new team driving Bush economic policy: Will new faces mean new ideas?

We'll be talking about all of these stories, we'll listen to the president's weekly radio address at the end of the hour, but first this news alert from CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, it takes a lot to push Iraq out of the headlines, but this week, as the U.S. continues to evaluate the documents Iraq provided about its weapons, the president found himself talking about a variety of other complex issues as well: missiles from North Korea, nuclear construction in Iran, protecting the country against smallpox, rebuilding his economic team, and slapping down Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott over what seemed to be an endorsement of segregation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MAJORITY LEADER: I want to say this about my state. When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. (APPLAUSE)

And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all of these problems over all of these years, either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So I don't know if you guys have had the kind of week that I've had. Andrea, I think you have. You just don't even know where to start with the White House.

But this was a real problem for the president. I mean, it really put them in a bad situation. They had to -- they came out, they defended him ultimately. But the president did admonish Lott publicly, came out with very strong words. They had a phone conversation following that.

But really, the White House very concerned that this is going to have long-term implications, that this is going to mean they're going to lose the African-American support that they've been trying to build up, really that this -- that Lott would speak for the Republicans and for the White House. A very tricky situation.

FEYERICK: Suzanne, Bush really came out so strongly against Lott. I mean, he gave the impression that Lott was going down. Kind of ironic, given that the Republicans won the midterm elections; didn't seem like the Republicans were having so much difficulty.

Why go after him? I mean, what was the real motivation, the closed-door talks on that?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, behind the scenes are telling me, "Look, you know, this is really a dangerous situation, if we've got somebody like Lott who is speaking for us. And really, two years from now, you know, if he's still in this position, what are we going to do if people remember, hey, you know, maybe they have the idea, well, he's a racist?

That's not something that they want to deal with. They wanted to make sure, let's get this over quickly. They did not want to deal with it. They put it on Lott, hoped that with his apologies, to come out forcefully, that he would do that.

But again, it is the concern about the African-American vote. They've been trying to build support in that community, that they would lose that kind of momentum, and that this would reflect badly on the party and on the White House as well.

ROMANS: Why four apologies? He's made four apologies, all of them slightly different and more, I guess not indignant, but strong, each one. I mean, is he going to have to continue to apologize, or when does this thing blow over for him?

MALVEAUX: You know, I really don't know. I don't know how many apologies it's going to take. I know that the NAACP, the Urban League, you've had a number of black leaders who have come out and who have said, "We want Congress to censure, tell Lott that they would not be satisfied otherwise."

But the White House is really at this point taking a stand-off view and saying, "We're finished with this."

ROMANS: And so far, Trent Lott not saying that he's going to resign his post. But it's interesting because this has been a week and a half of resignations right and left, from members of the president's economic team to Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston yesterday. It really has been a very brisk couple of weeks for, you know, watching the resignations in Washington, on Wall Street and in Boston.

KOPPEL: Had you gotten any kind of a sense -- I know publicly the administration is backing Lott. But have you gotten any kind of an idea behind the scenes just how concerned they are and how much advice they might be giving Lott as to how he should be plotting his moves?

MALVEAUX: Well, you can bet that he has been talking to the Republican leadership, and there has been a lot of pressure for him to come forward and to come forward very forcefully. Because White House aides were not happy with this, the president was not happy with this, and they were very concerned about it.

I mean, quite frankly, they wanted to make sure that he was out on the front lines. And yes, that the president -- Ari Fleischer said just yesterday when I spoke with him that the president does not believe that Lott should resign. At the same time, White House aides are saying they really want to make it very clear this is not the position of the administration.

I should also mention as well, the dramatic, dramatic announcement that happened that totally caught the White House off guard was just yesterday when former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger announced that he was resigning from the 9/11 commission to investigate events leading up to 9/11. That was really a bombshell for the White House. They did not expect that at all.

KOPPEL: Wouldn't you have thought that -- I mean, Kissinger, Kissinger is now the second person on the -- leaders of the 9/11 commission, with George Mitchell also stepping down for conflict-of- interest reasons.

Wouldn't he have thought about that before they accepted the position?

ROMANS: Right.

MALVEAUX: And what happened was that they really thought, the White House at least thought, "Here you have somebody like Kissinger who has the weight behind him. This will really give us the kind of credibility we need with this type of commission."

What they didn't anticipate was the kind of criticism, really that the bar has been raised so high. And that is one thing administration officials are saying, it really caught them off guard to realize that yes, there were Democrats, there were family members who were saying, "We want full disclosure. Give us the names of your clients. Tell us about your financial records."

Ultimately Kissinger said he would do that, but that he felt he could never satisfy his critics, that it would never end. And the White House spin on this, their take, is that the bar is too high. I mean, how do we fill these positions when you have a Democrat like Mitchell as well as Kissinger, both of them stepping down for literally the same reasons?

KOPPEL: Now, what about the president's announcement that he is going to have a smallpox...

ROMANS: Ouch. Ouch.

KOPPEL: Exactly.

MALVEAUX: That was really funny because somebody was trying to find out before they made the announcement, is the president going to get the shot, is he going to get it? And one of his aides was just like...

(LAUGHTER)

Did one of those.

(LAUGHTER)

So very interesting that he actually decided that he would go ahead and get the smallpox vaccination. And that's, as you know, required for the military -- he just made that announcement -- and a lot of first responders, emergency workers.

FEYERICK: And it can be dangerous, that's the big debate.

MALVEAUX: Exactly. And that was something that...

FEYERICK: And the big difference, of course, is going to be that he's going to be surrounded by a team of doctors. So if there are any side effects, certainly they're going to be treated immediately, as opposed to anybody else who may be considering it who may be at risk or vulnerable to some of the side effects that the shot can give.

MALVEAUX: He's also in excellent shape, as we know, with his running and so forth.

But one of the things -- I mean, it was something that the White House aides went back and forth on, on this point. Because on one hand, the message was, "Americans, look, we're not encouraging this, we're not endorsing this, to get this vaccination." Because as you mentioned before, it's possibly dangerous. But at the same time, he wanted, as commander in chief, if he's going to require the military to get the shot, that he would get the vaccination as well, but that his family members would not and nor would his staff.

KOPPEL: Well, from the danger of smallpox to another danger, one of the biggest stories of the week, Scud missiles hidden in a ship bound for the Persian Golf -- a reminder for the Bush team of one of its nagging diplomatic problems, arm sales from North Korea.

More on that and the surprising way it was resolved when CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There were Scud missiles aboard that had come from North Korea, one of the great proliferators on the face of the earth. And we've been making this case and pointing this case out to the world that there is a danger from this country proliferating this kind of technology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Secretary of State Colin Powell talking about the North Korean missiles bound for the Persian Gulf.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

For the Bush administration, it was a diplomatic doozie that ended with a public rebuke of North Korea but a surprising decision to allow the missiles to continue on their way to Yemen, their final destination.

And this happened, Suzanne, as you know, the same day that President Bush reintroduced his preemptive doctrine, saying if a country threatened the United States with the use of weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. would use its nuclear weapons first.

It is so -- many people I've spoken with say it's so ironic that the same day he says this, you have this big, you know, to-do about the fact that the Spanish stopped a ship with 15 North Korean Scuds on board. The Spanish are patting themselves on the back.

And then whoops, you know, within less than 24 hours, the Bush administration is -- a flurry of phone calls with the Yemenis and then saying, "This is a legal transaction. We're going to let the missile goes to Yemen."

Well, if in fact this had not been Yemen, a close ally in the war on terrorism, would the U.S. have allowed the missiles to go ahead?

ROMANS: The missiles were ordered back in 1999 or something, right? The North Koreans supplying the missiles. What's the reaction from the North Koreans? And what does this tell us about North Korean brinkmanship?

Because I know, at the same time this week the North Koreans are saying, "You know what, we might have to restart our nuclear energy program because the U.S. has stopped its oil shipments to North Korea." I mean, it's -- diplomatically, this keeps changing every single day.

KOPPEL: Right, I was going to say their nuclear energy program. ROMANS: Right.

KOPPEL: This is -- just to answer some of your questions, the North Koreans had put their nuclear energy program on hold back in 1994 in exchange for heavy fuel oil that the U.S. and the Japanese and South Korea were going to be providing, and they were going to be building these nuclear reactors, light water reactors.

And then the U.S. discovered, and the North Koreans admitted, that they had this other secret nuclear weapons program that they were getting from the Pakistanis. And so, the U.S. said, "Why are -- you know, what's going on here? We're not going to provide the heavy fuel oil anymore." The North Koreans are still trying to make money, so they're shipping their missiles all over the world.

And they are known, Christine, as you just said, for their brinkmanship. They are saying -- this is the North Korean, if you want to interpret it that way, the North Korean way of saying, "Pay attention to me. We need help, we need aid."

MALVEAUX: Absolutely, absolutely. And that's why some of the White House insiders, as well, they don't take it as seriously as you would -- as we would take it, just listening to the kind of language, because they know that it's somewhat inflammatory, that they're used to that type of language.

But one thing, White House aides still believe that diplomacy is the way to go with North Korea. I mean, you had Bush on the phone with the leader of South Korea, also working -- diplomats working the phones with Japan as well. They feel like you pull away the oil, you get together Russia, Japan, South Korea, that there's a strong enough incentive, because we know North Korea, they need the humanitarian aid, they need the economic aid, that they can push them and get them eventually to cooperate.

KOPPEL: It's so interesting you would say that...

FEYERICK: Two things I really want to know.

KOPPEL: Deb, just...

FEYERICK: Two things I really want to know is why, first of all, if this was a legitimate transaction, why were the missiles hidden under concrete? Why not just have them, if, in fact, the North Koreans are being aboveboard, saying this is a good transaction?

Secondly, if we weren't friends with Yemen now, given the relationships that the administration has forged because of the war on terror, would the administration ever have released those missiles? It's incredible.

KOPPEL: Well, that's definitely the question. That is definitely the question out there. And the North Koreans, that's apparently their MO, they say when they ship various missiles that they cover them in bags. You know, who knows? Wink wink, nudge nudge. FEYERICK: Are they afraid of pirates?

(LAUGHTER)

KOPPEL: Who knows? I'm sure there are pirates out there, Deb.

(LAUGHTER)

I want to pick up on what you were saying, though, Suzanne, about the White House not being concerned. That's really interesting, because at the State Department they are very concerned.

And one official I spoke with said that he thought it was so ironic that here all of the attention and all of the energy of this administration had been focused on what they thought was the impending crisis with Iraq, the weapons inspection showdown. And now -- when they thought North Korea was on the back burner. But now one official said to me, "Could they be changing places?"

North Korea is known for its brinkmanship. We know little about this country. It's the most isolated country in the world. It's known as the Hermit Kingdom. And Kim Jong Il, the leader, is literally starving his people such that he can stay in power.

This is -- we don't have a lot of leverage over them, which is why Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is going to be talking to the Chinese in coming days and to the Russians, two of the North Koreans' old buddies, to say, "Turn the screws up." China supplies North Korea with 90 percent of its energy, of its -- and "China, put that on hold."

But they don't think it's going to necessarily work.

MALVEAUX: And real quick, we've got a problem with Iran as well.

KOPPEL: Oh, boy. Yes, the satellite imagery that just was released -- in fact, our David Ensor broke the story.

ROMANS: Another nuclear energy program.

KOPPEL: Another nuclear energy program that the U.S. says it believes is in fact a secret nuclear weapons program.

The axis is evil is burning up the news reports these days.

FEYERICK: Just quickly, how do you set a standard policy also from one country for going in to look for nuclear weapons in Iraq? What about Iran? What about North Korea? What about all of those other countries? I mean, that's got to be a big dilemma for the administration.

ROMANS: Very good point.

And if international diplomacy isn't a big enough challenge for the White House, what about the economy? We'll weigh what new faces on the Bush team and the return of grunge teen fashion may mean for our future when more of CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll be proposing specific steps to increase the momentum of our economic recovery. And the treasury secretary will be at the center of this effort. Appreciate John's willingness to serve our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President Bush on Monday, filling up the economic team he dumped last week, in introducing his new treasury secretary, John Snow.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Snow quickly pledged to advance what he called a "pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda."

And he wasn't the only one added to the team -- Steven Freidman. Also William Donaldson running the SEC.

A lot of folks saying that the SEC was the most important job to get filled since, of course, you know, a policing of Wall Street is what investors have been clamoring for all year in the post-Enron environment.

So we have this new team in place. The street not reacting too great. I mean, Wall Street closed down for a second week in a row, but it is what traders and analysts are saying is the beginning of a jelling of the president's economic message. Three faces in there. They're respected. They all have Washington and Wall Street experience. So we'll see how it goes from here.

KOPPEL: And how much does the fact that all three are known to be great salesmen...

ROMANS: That's exactly what everyone is saying on Wall...

KOPPEL: ... impacting this decision?

ROMANS: ... Street. These guys were chosen because they are impeccable salesmen. They are team players, which is very important to the president. He likes loyalty, and he likes team players. But they can also sell their own idea or the president's idea. In the position of Steven Freidman, a lot of folks are saying, this is a guy who likes to keep budget deficits under control. As you know, if we have tax cuts in the near term, or lots of good tax initiatives in the near term, people worry that's going to be a budget problem later on. They hope that Freidman, with his credibility as a budget deficit fighter, it will give the president more credibility to get what he wants done in the economy pushed through.

So, also... FEYERICK: Are we going to...

ROMANS: ... today -- I just wanted to add quickly, Deborah, that also today in the president's radio address, he is going to urge Congress to take some steps immediately to pass an extension of jobless benefits for the 750,000 Americans who did not get an extension. Those benefits will expire at the end of this year.

So the president coming out, putting his right foot forward and trying to have a message on the economy.

Deb?

FEYERICK: Are we going to see a whole different economic plan now, or are we just seeing new leaders who are going to push through the same sort of plan that the -- that's in the works right now?

ROMANS: Right. We're going to see new leaders. We're going to see some form tax cuts. Everyone agrees on that. But the fact of the matter is that the old team just didn't get its message across. And Democrats never really played up that fault in the president's economic message right now.

And it might be interesting to hear about what you're hearing about this. Right now he's got to get it together before the Democrats get it together and really start to hammer home his weakness on the economic front.

So things are coming together for the Bush economic policy.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. And just to answer your question, the White House says it's not changing its policy at all. They're not -- they've changed the economic team.

But you brought up an excellent point, which is that the message wasn't really getting out there.

I'm curious, are we seeing -- what are we seeing in terms of the state of the economy? I know that unemployment is at 6 percent. I mean, is it...

ROMANS: Right.

MALVEAUX: ... it a healthy economy? Is it -- are they expecting that this is going to be the type of thing that actually will see a boost in the near future when we take a look at our statements?

ROMANS: It's a stable economy. You know, at the -- well, the statements -- hopefully everybody saw a little bit of an improvements over recently, because this quarter has not been as bad as we've been seeing.

The economy is, I mean, it's stable over all, but the economic news we get is really sort of sketchy. You know, some are good, some are bad. And Greenspan himself said that we're going through a soft patch right now. Or right now we're gauging the holiday sales. Not as bad as they could have been. But as one analyst told me, it was nothing that, you know, in five years, they're going to say, "Wow, that 2002 was a great year for retail sales."

This interesting trend, and I'm interested to see if you guys have noticed this at all, this interesting trend, a great Wall Street Journal piece. Britney Spears is out, and grunge is back.

KOPPEL: Do you think we read this stuff, Christine?

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: I know, I'm telling you. Grunge is back.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: Christine, the thing about grunge is this, is that grunge, you know, back in the late '70s, early '80s in fact was what people were just normally wearing.

(LAUGHTER)

What people are buying now, I gave away.

(LAUGHTER)

So I'm not going to go out and buy that kind of sweater or the platform shoe or the tatty old...

KOPPEL: This is another generation.

MALVEAUX: I'll come over and borrow what's in your closet. How's that?

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: These are the retailers apparently that are doing very, very well.

Also, like the discount retailers like WalMart, you know, people may be stopping their high-end purchases and making more purchases at WalMart. But you know, still watching those trends.

But I loved that, you know, a very big serious piece in the Wall Street Journal this week about the return of grunge. Spears is out, Avril Lavigne -- I am so out of it. Economic reports is all I read all day long.

MALVEAUX: I get my People Magazine when I travel.

ROMANS: Yes, exactly. MALVEAUX: And get caught up on the...

FEYERICK: Well, I'm still not buying new ratty old jeans.

(LAUGHTER)

But anyway, from the world of business to the war on terrorism.

Coming up, it was supposed to be a quick and easy trial, but for terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, it's been anything but. And his mother says that the delays are taking a heavy mental toll.

We are also going to talk to CNN producer Linda Roth. She is in Qatar in the Persian Gulf. Plus, the president's radio address at the end of the hour. All of this coming up on CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Plus, a news alert when we all come back in two minutes.

(NEWSBREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AICHA EL-WAFI, MOTHER OF ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI (through translator): He keeps on telling me, "Trust me, Mommy, I love you. I haven't done anything. I'm going to be out soon."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Aicha el-Wafi, the mother of suspected terror hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui. She says that her son is losing touch with reality.

Glad you're with us here on CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Moussaoui was indicted a year ago, and really, if all had gone according to plan in Virginia's famed rocket-docket court, he would have been tried and possibly already sentenced. But the judge has stretched it out for a number of reasons.

And his mom says that the isolation he's in -- he's in solitary -- is taking a real toll, physically and mentally. She's asking for more mental tests (ph). She says he's paranoid, he doesn't trust anyone. And he's increasingly locked in what she calls his own reality, that he doesn't really understand how much danger he's in. You know, that's her take, from a mother's perspective.

ROMANS: And, Deb, he's got an increasing level of frustration. What is out there that is frustrating him so much?

FEYERICK: Well, part of it is that he is serving as his own lawyer. He's representing himself. He doesn't understand the U.S. legal system. He wants to choose his own lawyers, but all the lawyers he's picking simply are not licensed to practice in the state of Virginia. So the judge keeps saying, "No, you can't have that." And he keep saying, "I don't understand. Why can't I have people that I trust serving as my lawyers?" Clearly this is a big frustration for his standby counsel, because they're still working furiously away to mount some sort of a defense so they can step in if they have to.

But, you know, even Moussaoui's writings, these rambling diatribes -- you know, he calls it the WTC trial, instead of World Trade Center, he calls it World Top Circus. I mean, the connections he's making are a bit off the charts. But so far, no new psychiatric exams.

KOPPEL: Deb, I'd kind of expect his mom to be saying the things that you were just saying about her son, but what about the prosecution? Do they buy that?

FEYERICK: No, the prosecution doesn't really buy it, the judge doesn't really buy it. She's reprimanded him several times for some of his antics during the court.

The mother is doing what the mother should do, and she's trying to put a human face on this tragedy. She always says, you know, "I feel terrible for the victims of 9/11," but she's out there beating the drums for her son, and frankly, she's the only one who's doing it. She hasn't gotten real support from anyone else. So it's her or no one.

MALVEAUX: And what does this say about other trials, the difficulty of other trials? I mean, does it perhaps give us a sense, a hint of what's to come?

FEYERICK: Definitely. There are going to be a whole range of legal issues that are going to be mounted. For example, Moussaoui wants access to another person who is in custody, Ramzi Binalshibh. The problem is, is that Binalshibh is being held and interrogated someplace else. Chances are that man is never going to be on the stand.

Now, what if he has information that basically exculpates Moussaoui and says, no, Moussaoui wasn't involved in the 9/11 attacks? To think that maybe that information is out there and to not have access to the person who can set you free, that undermines psychologically and legally the integrity of your case, at least from a standpoint of Zacarias Moussaoui.

KOPPEL: Still, you've got to wonder. Ramzi Binalshibh is himself an al Qaeda member. You've got to think that whatever testimony this guy would give on behalf of Moussaoui, who's an al Qaeda member, would also be suspect.

FEYERICK: Well, absolutely. And, you know, the question is, what happens if the U.S. government says, "You know what, we're going to let you call Binalshibh," and then all of a sudden he gets on the stand and say, "Oh, by the way, Moussaoui was ringleader of this." Well, then that puts Moussaoui in a whole different situation, which is, how do I back out of that one.

So it's very interesting. And all of these are legal questions that at one point during the trial are going to have to be dealt with.

But it really does have to be very psychologically devastating. I spoke to one defense attorney who said, "Just to know that there's somebody out there who might have information that can help you, and that you don't have access to that person."

Moussaoui is alone in solitary confinement. Even that idea can't be helping the way he's feeling and thinking.

KOPPEL: Well, another person whose thoughts we want to get is over in a tiny Persian Gulf country of Qatar. It's an increasingly important U.S. outpost in the small Persian Gulf country of Qatar.

We'll check in there next with CNN executive producer, Linda Roth, as our SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The agreement that we signed is something that will improve our mutual readiness and military capabilities. It will permit a variety of upgrades, some of which are quality-of-life upgrades. Others will provide state-of-the- art capabilities for...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: That was U.S. Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld talking about the deal they made here this week to use an important air base here in the Persian Gulf.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION. I'm Linda Roth in Doha, Qatar.

The defense secretary was here this week not only to sign that deal, which allows the U.S. to use the Al Udeid Air Base here, he was also here to rally the troops that are conducting war games here 24/7. And he met with the troops. He had a town meeting. He ate chow with the troops. He visited them at the As-Saliyah air base.

And I have to tell you, the war rhetoric here seemed a little bit toned down, and Iraq was really not on the top of his list in a lot of his comments to the troops. I was wondering if you guys are feeling that back there.

KOPPEL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

We're not feeling it back here. But what gives you that impression? Why do you think it was toned down?

ROTH: Well, he held a town meeting with the troops, and he took a lot of questions from them, and Iraq really wasn't mentioned until about half an hour in. And the question was, what did he think about going to war with Iraq, what was going to happen? And he basically said, "Time will tell." He really wasn't sounding that hawkish over here.

ROMANS: What are the troops talking about? What are they concerned about, or what are they asking about? And I guess, in general, are they comfortable there where they are in Qatar?

ROTH: Well, we spent a lot of time up on the As-Saliyah Air Base with the troops, and they're glad to be here. They're a little bit -- you know, it's the holiday season so they're a little bit, you know, uncomfortable being here then. They miss their families, they miss their loved ones, they're hoping to get back.

But a lot of their questions were about military life. They asked about health benefits. They quizzed the defense secretary about career advancement, military pay, housing.

I have to tell you, there was one woman who really grilled the defense secretary about health benefits. She said the military was going to pay for her husband to have his wisdom teeth pulled, but they wouldn't pay for anesthesia.

(LAUGHTER)

And she wanted to know if Secretary Rumsfeld would go for that himself. So...

KOPPEL: How do they feel about the prospect of taking smallpox vaccinations, of being forced to do so?

ROTH: There was one question about that. They did ask Secretary Rumsfeld about that. And, you know, he had said he had approved that, and they seemed fine with it. There really wasn't that much nervousness about that here.

ROMANS: Linda, tell us about the base itself. You had mentioned earlier that paved roads -- it looks like it's a pretty, I guess, long-term kind of situation that we're looking at there?

ROTH: Well, the base is really secured well. There are giant concrete barriers all along the outside, rows and rows of concrete barriers, barbed wire. And then it's just rows and rows of really nondescript warehouses, olive drab.

And on the inside they've set up these modular units that they flew all the way over from Florida to set up for these war games. And it looks like it would take a lot of time to take this stuff apart. I know they're supposed to be able to take it down really fast and move it. It's their mobile command headquarters. But it was looking like it's going to be there for a while.

FEYERICK: Linda, it's Debbie Feyerick in New York. What kind of risk is Qatar taking by allowing U.S. troops on its soil? Because that's been a big topic. Does it now automatically become a potential target for Islamic fundamentalists? ROTH: Well, we've asked a lot of people here about that. We met with the foreign minister the other day, and we asked him that very question. And he said, you know, Qatar could be a target but anywhere could be a target, you know. Something could happen here, something could happen anywhere. Qatar is really interested in forging a strong bond with the United States, they really want to do that. They get U.S. protection out of it, for them. We get an important location here in the Persian Gulf for the United States. And it's a tit-for- tat deal.

And they feel really confident about what they're doing. The foreign minister said he's really open, the emir is really open with the people about what they're doing, and they wouldn't be doing it without the support of the Qatari people.

MALVEAUX: Tell us about the palace. We understand you got a tour of a palace there?

ROTH: Yes, today we got a special VIP tour of the emir's palace. It's their equivalent of the White House. And it was really something to see. Very, very elegant, understated elegance, marble. And in the atrium there they have the world's largest chandelier. It was made in Morocco, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

But the chief of staff was very gracious to take us around today and show us basically their equivalent of the White House. It was beautiful.

FEYERICK: What was your favorite room?

(LAUGHTER)

ROTH: Well, the atrium really was gorgeous. I mean, you walked in, it was so impressive. It was several stories high, and stained glass, the marble, the chandelier, it was beautiful. Beautiful teak doors, very heavy, beautifully carved. It was really -- gorgeous gardens. It was really a treat.

FEYERICK: Linda Roth, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Now, from political uncertainty in the Persian Gulf to uncertainty here in New York, the district attorney drops a bombshell, saying five teenagers found guilty of rape should not have been convicted.

This, when CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WARREN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The verdicts have been set aside in their entirety.

(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: That was Michael Warren, defense attorney, after the Manhattan DA asks a judge to throw out convictions of five teens who confessed to raping a woman in Central Park nearly 14 years ago. Turns out these teenagers did the time, someone else did the crime. That's the DA's assessment.

New confessions from a convicted serial rapist and killer, a guy by the name of Martinez Reyes, who said he acted alone when he raped a young investment banker, a banker who now is known simply by the phase "Central Park jogger."

Turns out other women are coming forward to say that Reyes has attacked them also. The police officials telling me that they're not convinced that Reyes acted alone, that maybe those teenagers were somehow involved.

For the families, though, of these now young men, they're just happy that their names are going to be cleared.

ROMANS: These kids are all grown up now and have already served all of their time, right?

FEYERICK: Absolutely. They did prison sentences of anywhere between seven to 13 years.

MALVEAUX: Do they get any compensation whatsoever, or does that even come up for discussion? Or...

FEYERICK: No compensation. Not only that, because they refused to show remorse, they had longer sentences than they would have ordinarily.

But four of the five, while they were in prison, continued to maintain that they had nothing to do with the actual rape. They have been in Central Park the night of that infamous wilding spree, but they say that they never touched that woman.

ROMANS: This whole Central Park jogger case really took the whole world by storm because it painted a picture of New York City as this lawless place, where Central Park, in particular -- the prosecutors have said there were a variety of other incidents in that park that night. And the statute of limitations is past, right, to charge these kids with anything else?

FEYERICK: Well, the kids were charged with other crimes, but the DA says, "Well, I can't try it again. The statute of limitations has run out."

ROMANS: Right.

FEYERICK: There's new evidence -- I'm sorry, there's not new evidence as far as those other assaults. And so he's not going to bring it to trial. So he said, "Let's just clear the whole record. Let's toss out the convictions." A judge still has the ultimate decision.

I don't know whether the judge is doing any additional work, interviewing police officials. Because again, many police sources just not happy that it's just being wiped off the table again, because this was something that was so psychologically traumatizing to New Yorkers who lived here at the time.

MALVEAUX: How were these men identified? And how did it come about that they confessed?

FEYERICK: Those are two excellent questions. The first is that those five teenagers were never identified by any witnesses the during the trial. That was a big question.

The second thing is, the strength of the confessions is really what put them in prison to begin with. Nobody knows exactly why the confessions were made, how the confessions were made. Parents were in the room when these teenagers confessed that they were with the woman. I mean, one young teenager went so far as to say, "You know, it was my first rape." That kind of thing is just very obviously troublesome. Why would they say that if in fact they weren't there?

KOPPEL: But, Deb, didn't some of the stories not match up? That was another thing, that the five stories were all different. One person was standing here, another one says he was standing there.

What is the reaction from the families? I would think there would be outrage that their sons were put in prison for a crime that they're saying they didn't do.

FEYERICK: Well, the families are absolutely outraged. They have always maintained the teenagers' innocence. And it turns out these five teenagers, they weren't best friends. They only met after the whole thing happened.

As far as what they were doing in the park, they did get significant details wrong. For example, one person got it wrong where the jogger was raped. Another person got it wrong what time the rape took place. A third teenager said he couldn't remember how the attack took place and just got certain basic details wrong.

But again, this was whether what happened at the trial, at least prosecutors were able to convince a jury that these teenagers were involved. So there have always been big questions.

There's also the issue of rush to judgment. New Yorkers really wanted this case closed and resolved. And part of the problem is that police officials never followed up on other leads, specifically the fact that a woman was raped in Central Park just two days before the 1989 wilding spree, and yet that was just sort of put on the back burner, never looked at, never linked. Just happened that the teenagers were in the park the night that woman happened to be assaulted.

ROMANS: You know, Deb, in the days since September 11th, 2001, in New York City, there's been this real feeling of comraderie and healing together. But how divisive is this particular incident? And is this a sign that, you know, the city is moving on? How much pain and how much anger is there between the police and between these families?

FEYERICK: Well, it spotlights the divisions that exist once again.

You know, every couple of years something comes along to test race relations in this city. Back then it was that you had gangs of wild teenagers marauding through Central Park, attacking white joggers, white bicyclers, people who were just enjoying an evening out.

Now it's sort of -- the pendulum has shifted in the other direction. Now the teenagers, all of whom are African-American, they have now effectively been cleared, or will be cleared. And there are questions on the part of law enforcement that why would have they have confessed.

So again, definite racial tension there. But it hasn't exploded as other more recent situations have caused.

ROMANS: Deb, are we going to hear from the jogger?

FEYERICK: She is expected to break her silence after nearly 14 years, sometime in the spring. She is going to come forward. She went through a massive amount of rehabilitation. She is part of a running organization in New York City. She put her life together, got married. So she is now going to step forward. But everybody knows her, not her name, but the fact that she was the Central Park jogger.

MALVEAUX: Has her memory returned at all, or could she possibly identify the...

FEYERICK: She has no memories of the event that night, no memories whatsoever. She was so brutally beaten, one of her eye sockets was just smashed into the back of her had. So it's taken a lot of reconstructive surgery and a lot of rehab.

ROMANS: And, Deb, let's just point out quickly that New York City, and Central Park in particular, are much more safe these days, aren't they, than they were in 1980s?

FEYERICK: Oh, there's no question about it, no question, much safer, much larger police presence. People feel safer.

ROMANS: Thanks, everyone. Thanks, Deb.

That's our SATURDAY EDITION. Thanks to all of you. Thanks to my colleagues. And thanks for watching.

Coming up, a news alert and CNN's People in the News, focusing today on John Walsh and Pierce Brosnan.

But first, the president's weekly radio address.

BUSH: Good morning. This week, I introduced new members of my economic team.

For the secretary of the treasury, I have submitted the name of John Snow, a respected business leader and economist who shares my commitment to faster growth and more new jobs for American workers.

I have nominated Bill Donaldson to serve as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission to vigorously enforce the laws against corporate corruption.

And here at the White House, Steve Friedman will be the director of the National Economic Council, giving me daily advice on our economy.

These leaders will assume their duties at an important moment for our economy. There are many good signs. Inflation is firmly under control, which means food, clothing and other necessities are more affordable. Mortgage interest rates remain at historic lows, helping more Americans become home owners. And growth has returned to the American economy.

Yet we also face specific challenges that could slow the recovery and limit future growth. Many Americans have very little money left over after taxes. Some struggle under a weight of debt that makes it difficult to save for retirement. Investor confidence needs to be strengthened in practical ways. And the nation's rate of unemployment is now 6 percent and significantly higher in some parts of America. We will not rest until every person in America who wants to work can find a job.

The new Congress that convenes next month will have a responsibility to address these challenges. And I will be making specific proposals to increase the momentum of economic recovery through a jobs and growth package.

The last Congress also left behind some unfinished business. The House and Senate passed different bills extending unemployment benefits. However, no final bill was sent to me extending unemployment benefits for about 750,000 Americans whose benefits will expire on December the 28th. These Americans rely on their unemployment benefits to pay for the mortgage or rent, food and other critical bills. They need our assistance in these difficult times, and we cannot let them down.

I have shared these concerns with leaders of the House and the Senate, and they understand the need for early action. When our legislators return to the Capitol, I ask them to make the extension of unemployment benefits a first order of business. And the benefits they approve should be retroactive so that people who lose their benefits this month will be paid in full.

I've also directed the Department of Labor to work with the states to minimize any delay in helping these Americans once Congress has acted and extended these benefits.

I look forward to working with members of both parties in the new Congress on our economic challenges. We must help our fellow citizens who have lost their jobs. And we must create an environment in which businesses, especially small businesses, can grow and generate the new jobs our country needs.

Thank you for listening.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Respond to Controversy Over Trent Lott?; Is Moussaoui Getting a Speedy Trial?>


Aired December 14, 2002 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION, where our journalists have the inside scoop on the stories they covered this week.
I'm Andrea Koppel.

The axis of evil is back in the news, this time with a high-seas drama involving North Korean missiles and nuclear development in Iran.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. For President Bush, a full plate: Iraq, smallpox and how to respond to the furor over Senator Lott.

LINDA ROTH, CNN PRODUCER: I'm Linda Roth in Doha, Qatar. I'll be talking about war games and the agreement that lets U.S. planes use a big airbase here, should war with Iraq breakout.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Deborah Feyerick in New York. What happened to the promise of a speedy trial for the only man formally charged in the September 11 attacks?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Christine Romans. The new team driving Bush economic policy: Will new faces mean new ideas?

We'll be talking about all of these stories, we'll listen to the president's weekly radio address at the end of the hour, but first this news alert from CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

(NEWSBREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, it takes a lot to push Iraq out of the headlines, but this week, as the U.S. continues to evaluate the documents Iraq provided about its weapons, the president found himself talking about a variety of other complex issues as well: missiles from North Korea, nuclear construction in Iran, protecting the country against smallpox, rebuilding his economic team, and slapping down Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott over what seemed to be an endorsement of segregation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MAJORITY LEADER: I want to say this about my state. When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. (APPLAUSE)

And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all of these problems over all of these years, either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So I don't know if you guys have had the kind of week that I've had. Andrea, I think you have. You just don't even know where to start with the White House.

But this was a real problem for the president. I mean, it really put them in a bad situation. They had to -- they came out, they defended him ultimately. But the president did admonish Lott publicly, came out with very strong words. They had a phone conversation following that.

But really, the White House very concerned that this is going to have long-term implications, that this is going to mean they're going to lose the African-American support that they've been trying to build up, really that this -- that Lott would speak for the Republicans and for the White House. A very tricky situation.

FEYERICK: Suzanne, Bush really came out so strongly against Lott. I mean, he gave the impression that Lott was going down. Kind of ironic, given that the Republicans won the midterm elections; didn't seem like the Republicans were having so much difficulty.

Why go after him? I mean, what was the real motivation, the closed-door talks on that?

MALVEAUX: Well, you know, behind the scenes are telling me, "Look, you know, this is really a dangerous situation, if we've got somebody like Lott who is speaking for us. And really, two years from now, you know, if he's still in this position, what are we going to do if people remember, hey, you know, maybe they have the idea, well, he's a racist?

That's not something that they want to deal with. They wanted to make sure, let's get this over quickly. They did not want to deal with it. They put it on Lott, hoped that with his apologies, to come out forcefully, that he would do that.

But again, it is the concern about the African-American vote. They've been trying to build support in that community, that they would lose that kind of momentum, and that this would reflect badly on the party and on the White House as well.

ROMANS: Why four apologies? He's made four apologies, all of them slightly different and more, I guess not indignant, but strong, each one. I mean, is he going to have to continue to apologize, or when does this thing blow over for him?

MALVEAUX: You know, I really don't know. I don't know how many apologies it's going to take. I know that the NAACP, the Urban League, you've had a number of black leaders who have come out and who have said, "We want Congress to censure, tell Lott that they would not be satisfied otherwise."

But the White House is really at this point taking a stand-off view and saying, "We're finished with this."

ROMANS: And so far, Trent Lott not saying that he's going to resign his post. But it's interesting because this has been a week and a half of resignations right and left, from members of the president's economic team to Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston yesterday. It really has been a very brisk couple of weeks for, you know, watching the resignations in Washington, on Wall Street and in Boston.

KOPPEL: Had you gotten any kind of a sense -- I know publicly the administration is backing Lott. But have you gotten any kind of an idea behind the scenes just how concerned they are and how much advice they might be giving Lott as to how he should be plotting his moves?

MALVEAUX: Well, you can bet that he has been talking to the Republican leadership, and there has been a lot of pressure for him to come forward and to come forward very forcefully. Because White House aides were not happy with this, the president was not happy with this, and they were very concerned about it.

I mean, quite frankly, they wanted to make sure that he was out on the front lines. And yes, that the president -- Ari Fleischer said just yesterday when I spoke with him that the president does not believe that Lott should resign. At the same time, White House aides are saying they really want to make it very clear this is not the position of the administration.

I should also mention as well, the dramatic, dramatic announcement that happened that totally caught the White House off guard was just yesterday when former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger announced that he was resigning from the 9/11 commission to investigate events leading up to 9/11. That was really a bombshell for the White House. They did not expect that at all.

KOPPEL: Wouldn't you have thought that -- I mean, Kissinger, Kissinger is now the second person on the -- leaders of the 9/11 commission, with George Mitchell also stepping down for conflict-of- interest reasons.

Wouldn't he have thought about that before they accepted the position?

ROMANS: Right.

MALVEAUX: And what happened was that they really thought, the White House at least thought, "Here you have somebody like Kissinger who has the weight behind him. This will really give us the kind of credibility we need with this type of commission."

What they didn't anticipate was the kind of criticism, really that the bar has been raised so high. And that is one thing administration officials are saying, it really caught them off guard to realize that yes, there were Democrats, there were family members who were saying, "We want full disclosure. Give us the names of your clients. Tell us about your financial records."

Ultimately Kissinger said he would do that, but that he felt he could never satisfy his critics, that it would never end. And the White House spin on this, their take, is that the bar is too high. I mean, how do we fill these positions when you have a Democrat like Mitchell as well as Kissinger, both of them stepping down for literally the same reasons?

KOPPEL: Now, what about the president's announcement that he is going to have a smallpox...

ROMANS: Ouch. Ouch.

KOPPEL: Exactly.

MALVEAUX: That was really funny because somebody was trying to find out before they made the announcement, is the president going to get the shot, is he going to get it? And one of his aides was just like...

(LAUGHTER)

Did one of those.

(LAUGHTER)

So very interesting that he actually decided that he would go ahead and get the smallpox vaccination. And that's, as you know, required for the military -- he just made that announcement -- and a lot of first responders, emergency workers.

FEYERICK: And it can be dangerous, that's the big debate.

MALVEAUX: Exactly. And that was something that...

FEYERICK: And the big difference, of course, is going to be that he's going to be surrounded by a team of doctors. So if there are any side effects, certainly they're going to be treated immediately, as opposed to anybody else who may be considering it who may be at risk or vulnerable to some of the side effects that the shot can give.

MALVEAUX: He's also in excellent shape, as we know, with his running and so forth.

But one of the things -- I mean, it was something that the White House aides went back and forth on, on this point. Because on one hand, the message was, "Americans, look, we're not encouraging this, we're not endorsing this, to get this vaccination." Because as you mentioned before, it's possibly dangerous. But at the same time, he wanted, as commander in chief, if he's going to require the military to get the shot, that he would get the vaccination as well, but that his family members would not and nor would his staff.

KOPPEL: Well, from the danger of smallpox to another danger, one of the biggest stories of the week, Scud missiles hidden in a ship bound for the Persian Golf -- a reminder for the Bush team of one of its nagging diplomatic problems, arm sales from North Korea.

More on that and the surprising way it was resolved when CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There were Scud missiles aboard that had come from North Korea, one of the great proliferators on the face of the earth. And we've been making this case and pointing this case out to the world that there is a danger from this country proliferating this kind of technology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Secretary of State Colin Powell talking about the North Korean missiles bound for the Persian Gulf.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

For the Bush administration, it was a diplomatic doozie that ended with a public rebuke of North Korea but a surprising decision to allow the missiles to continue on their way to Yemen, their final destination.

And this happened, Suzanne, as you know, the same day that President Bush reintroduced his preemptive doctrine, saying if a country threatened the United States with the use of weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. would use its nuclear weapons first.

It is so -- many people I've spoken with say it's so ironic that the same day he says this, you have this big, you know, to-do about the fact that the Spanish stopped a ship with 15 North Korean Scuds on board. The Spanish are patting themselves on the back.

And then whoops, you know, within less than 24 hours, the Bush administration is -- a flurry of phone calls with the Yemenis and then saying, "This is a legal transaction. We're going to let the missile goes to Yemen."

Well, if in fact this had not been Yemen, a close ally in the war on terrorism, would the U.S. have allowed the missiles to go ahead?

ROMANS: The missiles were ordered back in 1999 or something, right? The North Koreans supplying the missiles. What's the reaction from the North Koreans? And what does this tell us about North Korean brinkmanship?

Because I know, at the same time this week the North Koreans are saying, "You know what, we might have to restart our nuclear energy program because the U.S. has stopped its oil shipments to North Korea." I mean, it's -- diplomatically, this keeps changing every single day.

KOPPEL: Right, I was going to say their nuclear energy program. ROMANS: Right.

KOPPEL: This is -- just to answer some of your questions, the North Koreans had put their nuclear energy program on hold back in 1994 in exchange for heavy fuel oil that the U.S. and the Japanese and South Korea were going to be providing, and they were going to be building these nuclear reactors, light water reactors.

And then the U.S. discovered, and the North Koreans admitted, that they had this other secret nuclear weapons program that they were getting from the Pakistanis. And so, the U.S. said, "Why are -- you know, what's going on here? We're not going to provide the heavy fuel oil anymore." The North Koreans are still trying to make money, so they're shipping their missiles all over the world.

And they are known, Christine, as you just said, for their brinkmanship. They are saying -- this is the North Korean, if you want to interpret it that way, the North Korean way of saying, "Pay attention to me. We need help, we need aid."

MALVEAUX: Absolutely, absolutely. And that's why some of the White House insiders, as well, they don't take it as seriously as you would -- as we would take it, just listening to the kind of language, because they know that it's somewhat inflammatory, that they're used to that type of language.

But one thing, White House aides still believe that diplomacy is the way to go with North Korea. I mean, you had Bush on the phone with the leader of South Korea, also working -- diplomats working the phones with Japan as well. They feel like you pull away the oil, you get together Russia, Japan, South Korea, that there's a strong enough incentive, because we know North Korea, they need the humanitarian aid, they need the economic aid, that they can push them and get them eventually to cooperate.

KOPPEL: It's so interesting you would say that...

FEYERICK: Two things I really want to know.

KOPPEL: Deb, just...

FEYERICK: Two things I really want to know is why, first of all, if this was a legitimate transaction, why were the missiles hidden under concrete? Why not just have them, if, in fact, the North Koreans are being aboveboard, saying this is a good transaction?

Secondly, if we weren't friends with Yemen now, given the relationships that the administration has forged because of the war on terror, would the administration ever have released those missiles? It's incredible.

KOPPEL: Well, that's definitely the question. That is definitely the question out there. And the North Koreans, that's apparently their MO, they say when they ship various missiles that they cover them in bags. You know, who knows? Wink wink, nudge nudge. FEYERICK: Are they afraid of pirates?

(LAUGHTER)

KOPPEL: Who knows? I'm sure there are pirates out there, Deb.

(LAUGHTER)

I want to pick up on what you were saying, though, Suzanne, about the White House not being concerned. That's really interesting, because at the State Department they are very concerned.

And one official I spoke with said that he thought it was so ironic that here all of the attention and all of the energy of this administration had been focused on what they thought was the impending crisis with Iraq, the weapons inspection showdown. And now -- when they thought North Korea was on the back burner. But now one official said to me, "Could they be changing places?"

North Korea is known for its brinkmanship. We know little about this country. It's the most isolated country in the world. It's known as the Hermit Kingdom. And Kim Jong Il, the leader, is literally starving his people such that he can stay in power.

This is -- we don't have a lot of leverage over them, which is why Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is going to be talking to the Chinese in coming days and to the Russians, two of the North Koreans' old buddies, to say, "Turn the screws up." China supplies North Korea with 90 percent of its energy, of its -- and "China, put that on hold."

But they don't think it's going to necessarily work.

MALVEAUX: And real quick, we've got a problem with Iran as well.

KOPPEL: Oh, boy. Yes, the satellite imagery that just was released -- in fact, our David Ensor broke the story.

ROMANS: Another nuclear energy program.

KOPPEL: Another nuclear energy program that the U.S. says it believes is in fact a secret nuclear weapons program.

The axis is evil is burning up the news reports these days.

FEYERICK: Just quickly, how do you set a standard policy also from one country for going in to look for nuclear weapons in Iraq? What about Iran? What about North Korea? What about all of those other countries? I mean, that's got to be a big dilemma for the administration.

ROMANS: Very good point.

And if international diplomacy isn't a big enough challenge for the White House, what about the economy? We'll weigh what new faces on the Bush team and the return of grunge teen fashion may mean for our future when more of CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll be proposing specific steps to increase the momentum of our economic recovery. And the treasury secretary will be at the center of this effort. Appreciate John's willingness to serve our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President Bush on Monday, filling up the economic team he dumped last week, in introducing his new treasury secretary, John Snow.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Snow quickly pledged to advance what he called a "pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda."

And he wasn't the only one added to the team -- Steven Freidman. Also William Donaldson running the SEC.

A lot of folks saying that the SEC was the most important job to get filled since, of course, you know, a policing of Wall Street is what investors have been clamoring for all year in the post-Enron environment.

So we have this new team in place. The street not reacting too great. I mean, Wall Street closed down for a second week in a row, but it is what traders and analysts are saying is the beginning of a jelling of the president's economic message. Three faces in there. They're respected. They all have Washington and Wall Street experience. So we'll see how it goes from here.

KOPPEL: And how much does the fact that all three are known to be great salesmen...

ROMANS: That's exactly what everyone is saying on Wall...

KOPPEL: ... impacting this decision?

ROMANS: ... Street. These guys were chosen because they are impeccable salesmen. They are team players, which is very important to the president. He likes loyalty, and he likes team players. But they can also sell their own idea or the president's idea. In the position of Steven Freidman, a lot of folks are saying, this is a guy who likes to keep budget deficits under control. As you know, if we have tax cuts in the near term, or lots of good tax initiatives in the near term, people worry that's going to be a budget problem later on. They hope that Freidman, with his credibility as a budget deficit fighter, it will give the president more credibility to get what he wants done in the economy pushed through.

So, also... FEYERICK: Are we going to...

ROMANS: ... today -- I just wanted to add quickly, Deborah, that also today in the president's radio address, he is going to urge Congress to take some steps immediately to pass an extension of jobless benefits for the 750,000 Americans who did not get an extension. Those benefits will expire at the end of this year.

So the president coming out, putting his right foot forward and trying to have a message on the economy.

Deb?

FEYERICK: Are we going to see a whole different economic plan now, or are we just seeing new leaders who are going to push through the same sort of plan that the -- that's in the works right now?

ROMANS: Right. We're going to see new leaders. We're going to see some form tax cuts. Everyone agrees on that. But the fact of the matter is that the old team just didn't get its message across. And Democrats never really played up that fault in the president's economic message right now.

And it might be interesting to hear about what you're hearing about this. Right now he's got to get it together before the Democrats get it together and really start to hammer home his weakness on the economic front.

So things are coming together for the Bush economic policy.

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. And just to answer your question, the White House says it's not changing its policy at all. They're not -- they've changed the economic team.

But you brought up an excellent point, which is that the message wasn't really getting out there.

I'm curious, are we seeing -- what are we seeing in terms of the state of the economy? I know that unemployment is at 6 percent. I mean, is it...

ROMANS: Right.

MALVEAUX: ... it a healthy economy? Is it -- are they expecting that this is going to be the type of thing that actually will see a boost in the near future when we take a look at our statements?

ROMANS: It's a stable economy. You know, at the -- well, the statements -- hopefully everybody saw a little bit of an improvements over recently, because this quarter has not been as bad as we've been seeing.

The economy is, I mean, it's stable over all, but the economic news we get is really sort of sketchy. You know, some are good, some are bad. And Greenspan himself said that we're going through a soft patch right now. Or right now we're gauging the holiday sales. Not as bad as they could have been. But as one analyst told me, it was nothing that, you know, in five years, they're going to say, "Wow, that 2002 was a great year for retail sales."

This interesting trend, and I'm interested to see if you guys have noticed this at all, this interesting trend, a great Wall Street Journal piece. Britney Spears is out, and grunge is back.

KOPPEL: Do you think we read this stuff, Christine?

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: I know, I'm telling you. Grunge is back.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: Christine, the thing about grunge is this, is that grunge, you know, back in the late '70s, early '80s in fact was what people were just normally wearing.

(LAUGHTER)

What people are buying now, I gave away.

(LAUGHTER)

So I'm not going to go out and buy that kind of sweater or the platform shoe or the tatty old...

KOPPEL: This is another generation.

MALVEAUX: I'll come over and borrow what's in your closet. How's that?

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: These are the retailers apparently that are doing very, very well.

Also, like the discount retailers like WalMart, you know, people may be stopping their high-end purchases and making more purchases at WalMart. But you know, still watching those trends.

But I loved that, you know, a very big serious piece in the Wall Street Journal this week about the return of grunge. Spears is out, Avril Lavigne -- I am so out of it. Economic reports is all I read all day long.

MALVEAUX: I get my People Magazine when I travel.

ROMANS: Yes, exactly. MALVEAUX: And get caught up on the...

FEYERICK: Well, I'm still not buying new ratty old jeans.

(LAUGHTER)

But anyway, from the world of business to the war on terrorism.

Coming up, it was supposed to be a quick and easy trial, but for terrorism suspect Zacarias Moussaoui, it's been anything but. And his mother says that the delays are taking a heavy mental toll.

We are also going to talk to CNN producer Linda Roth. She is in Qatar in the Persian Gulf. Plus, the president's radio address at the end of the hour. All of this coming up on CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Plus, a news alert when we all come back in two minutes.

(NEWSBREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AICHA EL-WAFI, MOTHER OF ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI (through translator): He keeps on telling me, "Trust me, Mommy, I love you. I haven't done anything. I'm going to be out soon."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Aicha el-Wafi, the mother of suspected terror hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui. She says that her son is losing touch with reality.

Glad you're with us here on CNN's SATURDAY EDITION.

Moussaoui was indicted a year ago, and really, if all had gone according to plan in Virginia's famed rocket-docket court, he would have been tried and possibly already sentenced. But the judge has stretched it out for a number of reasons.

And his mom says that the isolation he's in -- he's in solitary -- is taking a real toll, physically and mentally. She's asking for more mental tests (ph). She says he's paranoid, he doesn't trust anyone. And he's increasingly locked in what she calls his own reality, that he doesn't really understand how much danger he's in. You know, that's her take, from a mother's perspective.

ROMANS: And, Deb, he's got an increasing level of frustration. What is out there that is frustrating him so much?

FEYERICK: Well, part of it is that he is serving as his own lawyer. He's representing himself. He doesn't understand the U.S. legal system. He wants to choose his own lawyers, but all the lawyers he's picking simply are not licensed to practice in the state of Virginia. So the judge keeps saying, "No, you can't have that." And he keep saying, "I don't understand. Why can't I have people that I trust serving as my lawyers?" Clearly this is a big frustration for his standby counsel, because they're still working furiously away to mount some sort of a defense so they can step in if they have to.

But, you know, even Moussaoui's writings, these rambling diatribes -- you know, he calls it the WTC trial, instead of World Trade Center, he calls it World Top Circus. I mean, the connections he's making are a bit off the charts. But so far, no new psychiatric exams.

KOPPEL: Deb, I'd kind of expect his mom to be saying the things that you were just saying about her son, but what about the prosecution? Do they buy that?

FEYERICK: No, the prosecution doesn't really buy it, the judge doesn't really buy it. She's reprimanded him several times for some of his antics during the court.

The mother is doing what the mother should do, and she's trying to put a human face on this tragedy. She always says, you know, "I feel terrible for the victims of 9/11," but she's out there beating the drums for her son, and frankly, she's the only one who's doing it. She hasn't gotten real support from anyone else. So it's her or no one.

MALVEAUX: And what does this say about other trials, the difficulty of other trials? I mean, does it perhaps give us a sense, a hint of what's to come?

FEYERICK: Definitely. There are going to be a whole range of legal issues that are going to be mounted. For example, Moussaoui wants access to another person who is in custody, Ramzi Binalshibh. The problem is, is that Binalshibh is being held and interrogated someplace else. Chances are that man is never going to be on the stand.

Now, what if he has information that basically exculpates Moussaoui and says, no, Moussaoui wasn't involved in the 9/11 attacks? To think that maybe that information is out there and to not have access to the person who can set you free, that undermines psychologically and legally the integrity of your case, at least from a standpoint of Zacarias Moussaoui.

KOPPEL: Still, you've got to wonder. Ramzi Binalshibh is himself an al Qaeda member. You've got to think that whatever testimony this guy would give on behalf of Moussaoui, who's an al Qaeda member, would also be suspect.

FEYERICK: Well, absolutely. And, you know, the question is, what happens if the U.S. government says, "You know what, we're going to let you call Binalshibh," and then all of a sudden he gets on the stand and say, "Oh, by the way, Moussaoui was ringleader of this." Well, then that puts Moussaoui in a whole different situation, which is, how do I back out of that one.

So it's very interesting. And all of these are legal questions that at one point during the trial are going to have to be dealt with.

But it really does have to be very psychologically devastating. I spoke to one defense attorney who said, "Just to know that there's somebody out there who might have information that can help you, and that you don't have access to that person."

Moussaoui is alone in solitary confinement. Even that idea can't be helping the way he's feeling and thinking.

KOPPEL: Well, another person whose thoughts we want to get is over in a tiny Persian Gulf country of Qatar. It's an increasingly important U.S. outpost in the small Persian Gulf country of Qatar.

We'll check in there next with CNN executive producer, Linda Roth, as our SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The agreement that we signed is something that will improve our mutual readiness and military capabilities. It will permit a variety of upgrades, some of which are quality-of-life upgrades. Others will provide state-of-the- art capabilities for...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: That was U.S. Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld talking about the deal they made here this week to use an important air base here in the Persian Gulf.

Welcome back to CNN's SATURDAY EDITION. I'm Linda Roth in Doha, Qatar.

The defense secretary was here this week not only to sign that deal, which allows the U.S. to use the Al Udeid Air Base here, he was also here to rally the troops that are conducting war games here 24/7. And he met with the troops. He had a town meeting. He ate chow with the troops. He visited them at the As-Saliyah air base.

And I have to tell you, the war rhetoric here seemed a little bit toned down, and Iraq was really not on the top of his list in a lot of his comments to the troops. I was wondering if you guys are feeling that back there.

KOPPEL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

We're not feeling it back here. But what gives you that impression? Why do you think it was toned down?

ROTH: Well, he held a town meeting with the troops, and he took a lot of questions from them, and Iraq really wasn't mentioned until about half an hour in. And the question was, what did he think about going to war with Iraq, what was going to happen? And he basically said, "Time will tell." He really wasn't sounding that hawkish over here.

ROMANS: What are the troops talking about? What are they concerned about, or what are they asking about? And I guess, in general, are they comfortable there where they are in Qatar?

ROTH: Well, we spent a lot of time up on the As-Saliyah Air Base with the troops, and they're glad to be here. They're a little bit -- you know, it's the holiday season so they're a little bit, you know, uncomfortable being here then. They miss their families, they miss their loved ones, they're hoping to get back.

But a lot of their questions were about military life. They asked about health benefits. They quizzed the defense secretary about career advancement, military pay, housing.

I have to tell you, there was one woman who really grilled the defense secretary about health benefits. She said the military was going to pay for her husband to have his wisdom teeth pulled, but they wouldn't pay for anesthesia.

(LAUGHTER)

And she wanted to know if Secretary Rumsfeld would go for that himself. So...

KOPPEL: How do they feel about the prospect of taking smallpox vaccinations, of being forced to do so?

ROTH: There was one question about that. They did ask Secretary Rumsfeld about that. And, you know, he had said he had approved that, and they seemed fine with it. There really wasn't that much nervousness about that here.

ROMANS: Linda, tell us about the base itself. You had mentioned earlier that paved roads -- it looks like it's a pretty, I guess, long-term kind of situation that we're looking at there?

ROTH: Well, the base is really secured well. There are giant concrete barriers all along the outside, rows and rows of concrete barriers, barbed wire. And then it's just rows and rows of really nondescript warehouses, olive drab.

And on the inside they've set up these modular units that they flew all the way over from Florida to set up for these war games. And it looks like it would take a lot of time to take this stuff apart. I know they're supposed to be able to take it down really fast and move it. It's their mobile command headquarters. But it was looking like it's going to be there for a while.

FEYERICK: Linda, it's Debbie Feyerick in New York. What kind of risk is Qatar taking by allowing U.S. troops on its soil? Because that's been a big topic. Does it now automatically become a potential target for Islamic fundamentalists? ROTH: Well, we've asked a lot of people here about that. We met with the foreign minister the other day, and we asked him that very question. And he said, you know, Qatar could be a target but anywhere could be a target, you know. Something could happen here, something could happen anywhere. Qatar is really interested in forging a strong bond with the United States, they really want to do that. They get U.S. protection out of it, for them. We get an important location here in the Persian Gulf for the United States. And it's a tit-for- tat deal.

And they feel really confident about what they're doing. The foreign minister said he's really open, the emir is really open with the people about what they're doing, and they wouldn't be doing it without the support of the Qatari people.

MALVEAUX: Tell us about the palace. We understand you got a tour of a palace there?

ROTH: Yes, today we got a special VIP tour of the emir's palace. It's their equivalent of the White House. And it was really something to see. Very, very elegant, understated elegance, marble. And in the atrium there they have the world's largest chandelier. It was made in Morocco, and it was absolutely gorgeous.

But the chief of staff was very gracious to take us around today and show us basically their equivalent of the White House. It was beautiful.

FEYERICK: What was your favorite room?

(LAUGHTER)

ROTH: Well, the atrium really was gorgeous. I mean, you walked in, it was so impressive. It was several stories high, and stained glass, the marble, the chandelier, it was beautiful. Beautiful teak doors, very heavy, beautifully carved. It was really -- gorgeous gardens. It was really a treat.

FEYERICK: Linda Roth, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Now, from political uncertainty in the Persian Gulf to uncertainty here in New York, the district attorney drops a bombshell, saying five teenagers found guilty of rape should not have been convicted.

This, when CNN's SATURDAY EDITION continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WARREN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The verdicts have been set aside in their entirety.

(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: That was Michael Warren, defense attorney, after the Manhattan DA asks a judge to throw out convictions of five teens who confessed to raping a woman in Central Park nearly 14 years ago. Turns out these teenagers did the time, someone else did the crime. That's the DA's assessment.

New confessions from a convicted serial rapist and killer, a guy by the name of Martinez Reyes, who said he acted alone when he raped a young investment banker, a banker who now is known simply by the phase "Central Park jogger."

Turns out other women are coming forward to say that Reyes has attacked them also. The police officials telling me that they're not convinced that Reyes acted alone, that maybe those teenagers were somehow involved.

For the families, though, of these now young men, they're just happy that their names are going to be cleared.

ROMANS: These kids are all grown up now and have already served all of their time, right?

FEYERICK: Absolutely. They did prison sentences of anywhere between seven to 13 years.

MALVEAUX: Do they get any compensation whatsoever, or does that even come up for discussion? Or...

FEYERICK: No compensation. Not only that, because they refused to show remorse, they had longer sentences than they would have ordinarily.

But four of the five, while they were in prison, continued to maintain that they had nothing to do with the actual rape. They have been in Central Park the night of that infamous wilding spree, but they say that they never touched that woman.

ROMANS: This whole Central Park jogger case really took the whole world by storm because it painted a picture of New York City as this lawless place, where Central Park, in particular -- the prosecutors have said there were a variety of other incidents in that park that night. And the statute of limitations is past, right, to charge these kids with anything else?

FEYERICK: Well, the kids were charged with other crimes, but the DA says, "Well, I can't try it again. The statute of limitations has run out."

ROMANS: Right.

FEYERICK: There's new evidence -- I'm sorry, there's not new evidence as far as those other assaults. And so he's not going to bring it to trial. So he said, "Let's just clear the whole record. Let's toss out the convictions." A judge still has the ultimate decision.

I don't know whether the judge is doing any additional work, interviewing police officials. Because again, many police sources just not happy that it's just being wiped off the table again, because this was something that was so psychologically traumatizing to New Yorkers who lived here at the time.

MALVEAUX: How were these men identified? And how did it come about that they confessed?

FEYERICK: Those are two excellent questions. The first is that those five teenagers were never identified by any witnesses the during the trial. That was a big question.

The second thing is, the strength of the confessions is really what put them in prison to begin with. Nobody knows exactly why the confessions were made, how the confessions were made. Parents were in the room when these teenagers confessed that they were with the woman. I mean, one young teenager went so far as to say, "You know, it was my first rape." That kind of thing is just very obviously troublesome. Why would they say that if in fact they weren't there?

KOPPEL: But, Deb, didn't some of the stories not match up? That was another thing, that the five stories were all different. One person was standing here, another one says he was standing there.

What is the reaction from the families? I would think there would be outrage that their sons were put in prison for a crime that they're saying they didn't do.

FEYERICK: Well, the families are absolutely outraged. They have always maintained the teenagers' innocence. And it turns out these five teenagers, they weren't best friends. They only met after the whole thing happened.

As far as what they were doing in the park, they did get significant details wrong. For example, one person got it wrong where the jogger was raped. Another person got it wrong what time the rape took place. A third teenager said he couldn't remember how the attack took place and just got certain basic details wrong.

But again, this was whether what happened at the trial, at least prosecutors were able to convince a jury that these teenagers were involved. So there have always been big questions.

There's also the issue of rush to judgment. New Yorkers really wanted this case closed and resolved. And part of the problem is that police officials never followed up on other leads, specifically the fact that a woman was raped in Central Park just two days before the 1989 wilding spree, and yet that was just sort of put on the back burner, never looked at, never linked. Just happened that the teenagers were in the park the night that woman happened to be assaulted.

ROMANS: You know, Deb, in the days since September 11th, 2001, in New York City, there's been this real feeling of comraderie and healing together. But how divisive is this particular incident? And is this a sign that, you know, the city is moving on? How much pain and how much anger is there between the police and between these families?

FEYERICK: Well, it spotlights the divisions that exist once again.

You know, every couple of years something comes along to test race relations in this city. Back then it was that you had gangs of wild teenagers marauding through Central Park, attacking white joggers, white bicyclers, people who were just enjoying an evening out.

Now it's sort of -- the pendulum has shifted in the other direction. Now the teenagers, all of whom are African-American, they have now effectively been cleared, or will be cleared. And there are questions on the part of law enforcement that why would have they have confessed.

So again, definite racial tension there. But it hasn't exploded as other more recent situations have caused.

ROMANS: Deb, are we going to hear from the jogger?

FEYERICK: She is expected to break her silence after nearly 14 years, sometime in the spring. She is going to come forward. She went through a massive amount of rehabilitation. She is part of a running organization in New York City. She put her life together, got married. So she is now going to step forward. But everybody knows her, not her name, but the fact that she was the Central Park jogger.

MALVEAUX: Has her memory returned at all, or could she possibly identify the...

FEYERICK: She has no memories of the event that night, no memories whatsoever. She was so brutally beaten, one of her eye sockets was just smashed into the back of her had. So it's taken a lot of reconstructive surgery and a lot of rehab.

ROMANS: And, Deb, let's just point out quickly that New York City, and Central Park in particular, are much more safe these days, aren't they, than they were in 1980s?

FEYERICK: Oh, there's no question about it, no question, much safer, much larger police presence. People feel safer.

ROMANS: Thanks, everyone. Thanks, Deb.

That's our SATURDAY EDITION. Thanks to all of you. Thanks to my colleagues. And thanks for watching.

Coming up, a news alert and CNN's People in the News, focusing today on John Walsh and Pierce Brosnan.

But first, the president's weekly radio address.

BUSH: Good morning. This week, I introduced new members of my economic team.

For the secretary of the treasury, I have submitted the name of John Snow, a respected business leader and economist who shares my commitment to faster growth and more new jobs for American workers.

I have nominated Bill Donaldson to serve as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission to vigorously enforce the laws against corporate corruption.

And here at the White House, Steve Friedman will be the director of the National Economic Council, giving me daily advice on our economy.

These leaders will assume their duties at an important moment for our economy. There are many good signs. Inflation is firmly under control, which means food, clothing and other necessities are more affordable. Mortgage interest rates remain at historic lows, helping more Americans become home owners. And growth has returned to the American economy.

Yet we also face specific challenges that could slow the recovery and limit future growth. Many Americans have very little money left over after taxes. Some struggle under a weight of debt that makes it difficult to save for retirement. Investor confidence needs to be strengthened in practical ways. And the nation's rate of unemployment is now 6 percent and significantly higher in some parts of America. We will not rest until every person in America who wants to work can find a job.

The new Congress that convenes next month will have a responsibility to address these challenges. And I will be making specific proposals to increase the momentum of economic recovery through a jobs and growth package.

The last Congress also left behind some unfinished business. The House and Senate passed different bills extending unemployment benefits. However, no final bill was sent to me extending unemployment benefits for about 750,000 Americans whose benefits will expire on December the 28th. These Americans rely on their unemployment benefits to pay for the mortgage or rent, food and other critical bills. They need our assistance in these difficult times, and we cannot let them down.

I have shared these concerns with leaders of the House and the Senate, and they understand the need for early action. When our legislators return to the Capitol, I ask them to make the extension of unemployment benefits a first order of business. And the benefits they approve should be retroactive so that people who lose their benefits this month will be paid in full.

I've also directed the Department of Labor to work with the states to minimize any delay in helping these Americans once Congress has acted and extended these benefits.

I look forward to working with members of both parties in the new Congress on our economic challenges. We must help our fellow citizens who have lost their jobs. And we must create an environment in which businesses, especially small businesses, can grow and generate the new jobs our country needs.

Thank you for listening.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Respond to Controversy Over Trent Lott?; Is Moussaoui Getting a Speedy Trial?>