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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Yugoslavia Extradites Former President Slobodan Milosevic

Aired June 28, 2001 - 20:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Tonight: His actions in the Balkans sparked wars. Now former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been extradited to the Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity. CNN's Christiane Amanpour has the story.

It's a big day for big business. Microsoft gets an important win in its fight to remain one company and the Supreme Court says states are snuffing out free speech in Tobacco advertising.

Bill Clinton returns to Washington. I'll talk with his one-time spokesman Joe Lockhart about the former president's new life.

And he was the actor we rooted for as the average man trying to overcome the absurdities of everyday life. We'll look back at Jack Lemon's remarkable career.

Good evening. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Washington.

The United States dispatched thousands of troops to wage war against his forces, first in Bosnia, and later in Kosovo. Today, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was extradited to The Hague to stand trial for war crimes. He arrived just a short time ago. It's the first time ever that a former head of state will go before the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, and that's our top story.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us now live from the Hague.

Christiane, a very dramatic development. How did it happen?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very dramatic development about 40 minutes ago. Slobodan Milosevic landed inside the grounds of the jail that is set up to receive indictees from the criminal court. It started really with his arrest back in April, under distinct and heavy pressure from the United States and the rest the international community saying that any badly needed aid to Yugoslavia and to Serbia was contingent on them cooperating with the War Crimes Tribunal.

And there has been a shift in public opinion in Serbia. There's been a concerted effort by the government of Serbia, despite legal wranglings and certain hiccups, but this is one chapter they want over. And they want foreign aid, they want to be part of the world and this is the price they paid to get it. BLITZER: Christiane, this could drag on for some time though. If convicted he faces a life sentence. How long is it expected that this trial will last?

AMANPOUR: Well, it could not even start for up to a year. There will be a lengthy pretrial period whereby his own lawyers, his defense team will do their own investigations, will, you know, do anything they need to present their case. And from past experience, that could take many, many months before the case actually comes to trial.

But, here, they're talking about a milestone, a turning point on the road to criminal justice, and a milestone in that nobody, not even a sitting head of state, not a former head of state is -- there's no impunity for people like that, that they will face justice if they are convicted and certainly if they're indicted with the kinds of crimes that Milosevic has been indicted with.

BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour at the Hague. Thank you very much.

Back here in Washington, a win for software giant Microsoft, at least for now. The U.S. appeals court for the District of Columbia reversed a lower court ruling today ordering the breakup of Microsoft for violating antitrust laws. And it ordered a new judge to reconsider the entire case. Both sides are claiming victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm pleased to say that the court unanimously found that Microsoft engaged in unlawful conduct to maintain its dominant position in the computer operating systems. This is a significant victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GATES, CHAIRMAN, MICROSOFT: We feel strongly the cloud of breakup is not over us now because of the reversal that we've got here. And most importantly we can proceed with the new products that we've been working on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Now that the federal appeals court has made its decision, where will the Microsoft case go from here? Tim O'Brien of CNNfn joins me now live. Tim, both sides as we just saw are claiming victory. Who really won?

TIM O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the government did win some important points. The court of appeals upheld findings that Microsoft had engaged in a pattern of antitrust violations. The big win for Microsoft of course is that the court threw out that part of the decision ordering Microsoft be broken up.

The principle in the case not to win anything was the trial judge, Thomas Penfield Jackson, who the court scolded for talking to the news media about the case while it was still pending and then they took him off the case. Now the case is set to go back to the lower court, and another judge, to resolve some important questions.

The court today did not directly address whether breaking up Microsoft was the correct remedy, but there's language in it's opinion acknowledging what an extraordinary remedy that is. In fact, that's only happened on rare occasions in the past, and that's only when some giant company has merged with or acquired some other giant company, not what happened here.

The government may be able to impose some stiff restrictions on Microsoft. It may even have to share some of its trade secrets, but today's decision does cast some real doubt on whether the government will be able to break up the company. That's surely going to strengthen Microsoft's hands should there be any settlement talks.

BLITZER: Tim, what are the chances now with this Bush Justice Department of a settlement being reached with Microsoft?

O'BRIEN: They're reasonably good. There were talks before. They broke down. But now both sides have a clearer picture of the case. The government understand it will have a difficult time breaking up the company. Microsoft understands, at least the court of appeals believes, it's guilty of antitrust violations.

If there's a hang-up it might be the 19 other states that are also suing Microsoft, and whether the Justice Department could get them to sign to any deal. You come away from all this with the idea that it's going to be unlikely for Microsoft to be broken up by the government. The ruling does set the stage for talks, lots of talks, and if those talks fail then we're going to have a whole new round of litigation.

BLITZER: Tim O'Brien in Washington. Thank you very much. Microsoft's legal victory gave many stocks, including its own, a boost today. Microsoft rose $1.57 to $72.71.

The markets also surged as a delayed reaction to yesterday's quarter-point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. By the end of the day, the Dow was up more than 131 points to close at 10,566. The Nasdaq closed up almost 51 points at 2,125.

On the last decision-day of the current U.S. Supreme Court, justices handed down opinions on two important issues: Tobacco advertising and whether aliens who are subject to deportation but have no place to go, could be held indefinitely.

CNN senior Washington correspondent Charles Bierbauer is in our Washington Bureau to update us on the court's decision. Charles, first of all, on the tobacco decision, what does it mean?

CHARLES BIERBAUER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it means that the federal government is still in control when it comes to placing limitations on big tobacco, rather than the states. Massachusetts sought to impose a limitation -- no ads for tobacco within a thousand feet of schools and public parks and playgrounds, and the court said no, Massachusetts cannot do that.

But it also means that this is not the last legal puff of smoke that we're going to see because already Massachusetts attorney general is asking Congress to change the rules and to create some latitude for the states. It also means that the courts found that there is a First Amendment right for cigarette companies, tobacco companies to communicate with their customers.

They sell a legal product, that was their argument, and the court recognized that ability to do so, saying the first amendment does protect them. In fact, Justice Thomas thought that there should be an even stronger First Amendment claim, that there should not be any distinction between political speech and commercial speech -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And Charles, give us the gist of the decision on illegal aliens. What does that mean?

BIERBAUER: This is kind of a man without a country case. It starts in part from a man who was born in the displaced person's camp. He's stateless, came to the U.S. 40, 50 years ago, never became a citizen, ran afoul of the law, wound up in prison, served his time, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service wanted to deport him. Didn't find anyplace that wanted him. And there are perhaps hundreds and even thousands of people in prisons in this country because of this situation.

And what the court said was that the government simply cannot hang on to these people indefinitely. It has to take what it said would be a reasonable constitutional amount of time after they'd serve their terms, six months would be about right, it said, and then it would be up to the government to prove there's a risk to society in letting these people go, that they cannot be imprisoned indefinitely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Charles Bierbauer, who tomorrow will wrap up some 20 years at CNN, moving on to greener pastures. Just want to thank you, Charles, for great work over these past 20 years. You will be missed.

BIERBAUER: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

And former President Bill Clinton is back here in Washington, helping to raise money tonight for the Democratic Party. And while he's no longer at the political center of attention, he's still stealing the spotlight apparently wherever he goes.

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Guess who came to lunch?

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am, I think, glad to be back and I am glad to see so many of you out there.

CROWLEY: Bill Clinton made a post presidency debut in Washington Thursday, playing to his strengths, a speech on race, by day.

CLINTON: The fear of the other, of people who are different from us has a much longer and sturdier history than the impulse to reach out and live together in harmony.

CROWLEY: And a little fund-raising by night, emphasis, please, on little.

CLINTON: Oh, I'm doing a little bit. But you know, not very much. I'm doing a little to help them in smaller groups; and if I can help, I want to.

CROWLEY: Though Bill Clinton reemerged on the fund-raising scene earlier this month, he is a bit of a reluctant bride. Did he mention he won't be doing this all that much?

CLINTON: I don't think it will be a particularly big thing. I'm just -- they've asked me to do a few things, and I've done them, not particularly many.

CROWLEY: The best politician of his generation, we are told, is no longer that interested in politics.

(on camera): People close to the former president say he wants to play the international elder statesman role, focusing on AIDS, the digital divide, and expanding educational opportunities and health care throughout the world. But can such a political animal go cold turkey? In the words of one aide: "Early on it was rough, February and March were not fun."

(voice-over): But since then, according to those around him, the former president has gotten his sea legs, traveling largely in Europe. He is, said an aide, in great shape. He looks great and he's having a grand old time.

CLINTON: You can even ask me a question when it's over. I can say that because nobody cares what my answer is anymore, so it's great.

CROWLEY: The line between wistfulness and relief seems small. Somehow you get the feeling that the man who dominated this town for eight years doesn't think it's that great.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So what is President Clinton doing nowadays? Does he have a new agenda? When we come back, I'll ask his former press secretary Joe Lockhart.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Welcome back. He was Bill Clinton's press secretary in the White House until the end of last September. Last month, he left Oracle where he was a public relations consultant. He is now opening up his own Washington public relations firm. Joining me now, Joe Lockhart.

Joe, thanks for joining us. You just heard Candy's report, the president insisting he's not really getting back into politics, though he is doing -- participating in a Democratic fund-raiser. He can't resist, can he, getting a little bit back into the political scene?

JOE LOCKHART, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Oh, sure, and I think that, as someone who has been involved in politics his entire life, he wants to play a role, but an appropriate role, but that's going to be supporting and secondary.

You know, what he missed out of the White House most wasn't the politics, it was the work, the policy, getting in and sort of getting solutions that could help people's lives. And what he's now working through is how can he do that and how he can impact people even around the world as a former president.

And I think, as you just saw in that piece, he really is enjoying this, he's really hit his stride. I think he's going to do some great work.

BLITZER: And all the speculation that we see out there, that maybe down the road, a senator from Arkansas, governor, mayor -- you seek to him regularly, is there anything to any of that kind of speculation? Do you flatly rule out that he's given up the political running for office kind of formula?

LOCKHART: It's interesting, because if you asked me that before he left the presidency, I would have said, you know, he jokes about it enough, maybe it's serious. But he really I think has found out something very important, which is -- and he said this when people were talking about whether he'd run for mayor of New York.

He said, you know, he found out that there are a lot of people who could do the job of mayor. There are a lot of good candidates out there, but there are very few people who are former presidents, and they have a lot of authority, particularly around the world. I think he understands that, and I think he knows that that's the job for him.

BLITZER: And speaking about that, he's been traveling a lot around the world, he's been giving a lot of speeches, making some money obviously out there, which is his right. But some people are suggesting it's sort of unseemly for a former president to be on the lecture circuit like he is. It's one thing for you to do it, or for me to do it, but for a former president?

LOCKHART: You know, listen, you know, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan went out on the lecture circuit. Gerald ford goes out and gives speeches. It's not unseemly. There are just these some people who will criticize Bill Clinton for whatever he does. I don't think anyone takes it very seriously. You know, he is making a living. He is also making a difference. If you go around the world and you watch the reaction he gets, whether he's in Africa or whether he's in Europe, and I think you'll find that what he's going to focus on is taking things that we've done here in this country, expanding opportunity for all Americans, and try to do that here more and go and replicate that around the world, whether it be in Africa, Asia, Europe, and that's something that's very exciting for him.

BLITZER: Yeah, some people have said that he gets a much better reception outside the United States than he does here in the United States?

LOCKHART: Yeah. You know, listen, I think we have this very peculiar idea in this country that our leaders have to be run down, that you have to tear them down. Well, they don't do that around the world, at least not to the president of the United States, or the former president of the United States.

And the reaction is unbelievable when he goes overseas. And the important part about that is that he's a voice and he is an authority on a number of issues, and he can really enact positive change.

BLITZER: You saw the story in "The New York Times" today, our Eileen O'Connor confirmed it, about Roger Clinton, $50,000 to try to get a pardon which he didn't get from his brother, the president, to pardon a convicted heroin trafficker, reputed organized crime figure now in jail. Will this pardon scandal ever leave Bill Clinton?

LOCKHART: Well, listen, you know, obviously, those stories don't find their way into the paper all by themselves, there's some political agitation going on. The main part about that story, as far as Bill Clinton goes, is that there was no pardon.

So, he's doing his work. If Dan Burton and his people and the Republicans in town want to keep to try to stir things up, that's fine, but that should give you a little indication of why they're not doing so well. Because they still think that investigation, rather that legislation, is what they were sent here to Washington to do.

BLITZER: You saw the "Vanity Fair" piece suggesting there was a lot of bitterness, the Gore people really blaming Bill Clinton for Gore's defeat in the election. And you obviously were close to both of them, but was Bill Clinton -- if Bill Clinton had not gotten involved in that impeachment scandal, would Al Gore be president today?

LOCKHART: Oh, listen, you know, Al Gore ran for president and made his case, and a funny thing happened on the way to this White House, which is he won, and people found a way to keep it from him. This didn't have to do with Bill Clinton, it didn't have to do with other outside forces, it had to do with the race that happened.

I think there's a little bit of buyer's remorse going on in this country right now, if you look at the recent polls, but there are people here in town who like to cover Bill Clinton, who like to attack him, who just can't seem to get it out of their system. They eventually will.

BLITZER: Joe Lockhart, thanks for joining us. Good luck with the new public relation firm.

LOCKHART: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

He was one of us right there on the movie screen. Tonight, we'll remember actor Jack Lemmon, a member of America's favorite "Odd Couple."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ODD COUPLE II")

JACK LEMMON, ACTOR: Oscar!

WALTER MATTHAU, ACTOR: Felix!

LEMMON: Let me know when you're going to hit a bump.

MATTHAU: OK, that was a bump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. In other news tonight, talk of a new timeline to work toward peace in the Middle East. After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to a week-long test period of calm. If that lasts, a six-week cooling-off period would follow, which would lead to discussions on a final-status peace agreement.

Earlier, Powell discussed the timeline plan with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Back in this country, word tonight that the Army has grounded its entire fleet of Apache attack helicopters. This quiet move came two weeks ago, so the Army can inspect all 742 helicopters for faulty tail rotors. The controversial Apache helicopter has been pulled from service several times in recent years for a variety of mechanical problems. This latest inspection is expected to take up to three months.

Friends, family, and legions of fans are mourning the loss of screen legend Jack Lemmon. The two-time Oscar winner died last night at age 76 from complications related to cancer. His acting career spanned 50 years and displayed Lemmon's enormous range of talent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "MISTER ROBERTS")

JACK LEMMON, ACTOR: I am not scared of the captain.

HENRY FONDA, ACTOR: Then why do you hide in the passageway every time you see him coming. You're scared of him. LEMMON: I am not. I'm scared of myself. I'm scared of what I might do to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SOME LIKE IT HOT")

MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS: You're the replacements for the bass and sax.

LEMMON: That's us, and I'm Daphne, and this is Josephine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE APARTMENT")

LEMMON: By the power vested in I herewith declare this elevator out of order. Shall we join the natives?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ODD COUPLE")

LEMMON: Well, I guess I'll just be running along.

(SOBBING)

WALTER MATTHAU, ACTOR: Oh, Felix. Felix...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ODD COUPLE")

LEMMON: Oscar!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE ODD COUPLE")

LEMMON: Let me know when you're going to hit a bump.

Oh, oh, oh!

MATTHAU: OK, that was a bump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SAVE THE TIGER")

LEMMON: Charlie Robbins is the very best. There's never going to be any question.

JACK GILFORD, ACTOR: Will you wake up? There are always questions.

LEMMON: Phil, how do the hell do you think that (UNINTELLIGIBLE)? Now, do you think his fire was spontaneous combustion.

GILFORD: I don't give a good god damn...

LEMMON: Well, I give a good god damn. We almost went on our ass last year and this is our only chance to bail out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE CHINA SYNDROME")

LEMMON: This is Jack Godell. We have a serious condition. You get everybody into safety areas and make sure that they stay there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BUDDY, BUDDY")

MATTHAU: You did it for a dame.

LEMMON: She is not a dame. She's my wife.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GRUMPY OLD MEN")

MATTHAU: Well, did you?

LEMMON: What?

MATTHAU: You know what!

LEMMON: That's a private matter.

MATTHAU: Private my foot! Did you?

LEMMON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that's all I can tell you.

MATTHAU: You better tell me.

LEMMON: All right, we did the horizontal mambo!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE")

LEMMON: I used to think if I couldn't dance I couldn't live. Sometimes I see myself dancing, and I think, "Wow, boy!"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Time now to open our mailbag. Lots of reaction to the behavior of Russell Yates, the father of the five children buried yesterday in Houston. This from Markku in Zurich, Switzerland: "His attitude and words of love and peace toward his wife and the five children she killed touched me in a way like never before. What a powerful man he must be."

But this from Jennifer in Scottsdale, Arizona: "The Yates husband should be tried as an accomplice. They had two children after she was diagnosed. He works for NASA, yet couldn't see that she was in the depths of despair."

And this programming note: Tomorrow night, I'll talk to Andrea Yates' brother about the killings of those five children.

Remember, I want to hear from you. Please e-mail me at wolf@cnn.com. And you can read my daily online column and sign up for my e-mail previewing our nightly programs by going to my Web site, cnn.com/wolf.

Please stay with CNN throughout the night. A tribute to Jack Lemmon is on "LARRY KING LIVE" at the top of the hour.

Up next, Greta Van Susteren. She's standing by to tell us what she has -- Greta.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST, CNN'S "THE POINT": Wolf, news of the JoAnn McGuckin case. We're going to go straight to Idaho and talk to her lawyer, who's just gotten out of court moments ago.

Second, basketball: going from high school to the NBA. Good idea or bad idea? Should they go to college first? That's our other discussion -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Sounds good, Greta, we'll be watching. And this personal note: Tom Johnson, the chairman of CNN, announced today he's retiring to spend more time with his wonderful family. As someone who has worked with him over these past 11 years, I just want to say thanks for being the perfect boss and a journalist's journalist. He will be missed.

And thank you very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN" begins right now.

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