Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Taliban Declares Plans to Destroy America; Presidents Bush and Putin Continue Talks; Aid Workers Freed From Afghanistan
Aired November 15, 2001 - 17:00 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, CNN ANCHOR: Today on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: America Strikes Back. The Taliban supreme leader says a plan is in the works for the destruction of America. What are they up to? Could it involve nuclear weapons?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMID MIR, JOURNALIST: I think we should give serious consideration to his claims.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I'll speak with a man who spoke with Osama bin Laden.
President Bush introduces Russia's President Putin to his fellow Texans, and phones two American women freed from captivity in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their spirits were high, and they love America.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And will it be federal employees or private contractors handling your security at the nation's airports? Congress strikes a deal to guard the home front, as "America Strikes Back".
Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. His troops are in retreat, but the Taliban's top leader is still full of fight, vowing to destroy America. How serious is the threat? This hour we'll hear from a journalist who has interviewed both Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and Osama bin Laden.
There has also been a breakthrough in the legislative stalemate in Congress over airport security. We'll have complete details.
First, Joie Chen and latest developments -- Joie.
JOIE CHEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon, Wolf. Anti-Taliban fighters say Osama bin Laden and his closest supporters are on the run in southern Afghanistan. The emboldened Northern Alliance says that bin Laden is living from cave to cave. A top Pentagon official refused to answer directly when asked if he knows bin Laden's location. Pakistan has beefed-up border security in the event bin Laden attempts to flee Afghanistan.
United States officials confirm instructions for making nuclear weapons found in a Kabul safe house abandoned by bin Laden's organization. Homeland security chief Tom Ridge said much of the information is attainable on the Internet, but ridge says the discovery underscores the type of threat the U.S. faces.
In a radio interview, the head of the Taliban has declared that a plan is in the works to destroy the United States. In an interview with the BBC, Mullah Mohammed Omar said the plan could come to fruition within a short time.
Control of two major Afghan cities remains uncertain, even at this hour. Heavy fighting is reported today in the northern city, Konduz, the last town in north controlled by the Taliban. In Jalalabad, troops of the Northern Alliance claim to have seized control, but independent reports place that claim in doubt.
And Taliban forces, driven from other areas, are said to be massing in the southern stronghold, Kandahar. Reports say a number of troops are dispersing into the mountains. Despite the recent Taliban losses, the head of the joint chiefs of staff described it here today as a capable fighting force, but he said the United States is tightening the noose, with a goal of eliminating the Taliban.
Also today, western aid workers managed to flee the Taliban today. They got in an airborne rescue force by torching the veils the Taliban had forced the women to wear. The aid workers, including two Americans, are safe this evening in Pakistan.
And in this country, Congress has reached a compromise on airport security. This plan would federalize baggage screeners for at least three years. We'll be back later in the hour. Now we return to Wolf in Washington.
BLITZER: Thanks, Joie. As the military force in Afghanistan, the Taliban and Al Qaeda, appear to be in retreat. But as we first learned September 11, this is a two-front war, and today came reminders that an able foe still wishes harm on America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): A chilling threat from the head of the Taliban. The BBC's Pashtun Service interviewed supreme leader Mullah Omar. "The current situation in Afghanistan is related to a bigger cause," Omar says. "That is, the destruction of America. If God's help is with us, this will happen within a short period of time. Keep in mind this prediction."
Mullah Omar's warning comes at a time when the Taliban is losing ground and men in Afghanistan. In Kabul, members of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network abandoned this building. Inside this and other homes, reporters found papers in Arabic containing descriptions of primitive nuclear weapons, similar to the bomb that annihilated Nagasaki, Japan in World War II. Also mentioned in the documents, a deadly poison, rison.
In the United States, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge acknowledged the papers, but downplayed their significance, claiming the material could have been obtained on the Internet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: It wasn't long ago we might have scoffed at all this talk of destroying America. But even if the claim seems overblown, it still is worth noting. So says the man to whom Osama bin Laden has recently boasted of having nuclear weapons. He's Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir. I spoke with Mir this afternoon about the threat against America by the Taliban leader, Omar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIR: I think it is not Mullah Omar. Actually, this is Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar is speaking on his behalf. And I don't underestimate his recent interview, which was released today, in which he was threatening the United States of America.
BLITZER: Why do you say it's Osama bin Laden and not Mullah Omar? Because Mullah Omar is the person quoted in that interview as having spoken.
MIR: Yes, but we can find out the hostility which Osama bin Laden have with United States of America. This is the first time Mullah Omar has issued a direct threat to United States of America. And everybody knows that he has no experience of outside world.
So how can he issue a statement while sitting in Kandahar, in which he is saying that we are going to destroy United States of America? That's why I think that it's not Mullah Omar. He is speaking on behalf of Osama bin Laden.
BLITZER: As you know, there is a report now that the coalition found documents in some Al Qaeda buildings suggesting they were working on a nuclear capability. Do you think they have any such nuclear capability?
MIR: I don't have the exact information about their nuclear capability. I have also read and gone through, from these reports. And these reports says that Al Qaeda have some connections in the Eastern Europe, and they establish even some laboratories in some parts of Afghanistan for making chemical weapons also.
So, if today, Mullah Omar is issuing big threats to United States of America, I think we should give serious consideration to his claims. And if Osama bin Laden admitted in an interview with me that he has some dangerous weapons. So I think we should not underestimate their claims. BLITZER: I know that when you were taken to the interview with Osama bin Laden, you were blindfold and driven around. Do you have any idea where you were when you saw Osama bin Laden?
MIR: Yes. I think I was in the north of Afghanistan, because the place on which I was interviewing him was much colder than Kabul. And I was hearing some antiaircraft gunshots. So maybe it was in the north. But as I said earlier, this was a deception. He was not hiding in the north of Afghanistan. Actually, he is hiding in the southern part of Afghanistan.
BLITZER: Do you think that the U.S. and its allies, whether the Northern Alliance, or other anti-Taliban forces inside Afghanistan, will find and capture Osama bin Laden any time soon?
MIR: No, I don't think that they will find out him or they will capture him, because he is a tough guy. And if the U.S. commandos or Northern Alliance troops, they surround him or they try to catch him, I think he will not give up. He will not surrender. He would like to engage them in fight and he would like to be killed by the bullet of the enemy, rather than to surrender.
BLITZER: The Taliban seem to be crumbling in full retreat, certainly throughout the northern part of Afghanistan, well into the south. Is it your assessment that this war on the ground that the U.S. and its allies are conducting against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, that it's all but over?
MIR: No. I don't think -- as you can see, the Taliban are concentrating on those areas which are mountain areas. They are retreating from the plain areas. They are concentrating in the mountains around Kandahar. They are concentrating in the mountains of the eastern part of Afghanistan, where some important provinces are in the control of Taliban allies.
And I think they are regrouping for guerrilla warfare. And we must be aware that the guerrilla war is not fought in the big cities. It is always fought in the mountains. They will adopt the strategy of hit and run, and I think we will see this strategy in coming days.
BLITZER: Hamid Mir, thank you very much for joining us
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Hamid Mir, speaking to us today from Islamabad.
How real is this threat that the Al Qaeda terror network might have nuclear weapons? For some perspective on this issue we're joined now by the physicist, David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security here in Washington.
Mr. Albright, thanks for joining us. How real, how credible is this threat?
DAVID ALBRIGHT, PRESIDENT, ISIS: Unfortunately I think we have to take it seriously, because the impact of a nuclear weapon is so devastating. And I think the risk is -- the chance that he has nuclear weapons is low, it's now zero. And he's clearly shown an intention to get nuclear weapons. And the means to get those, mainly, nuclear explosive material, are there.
BLITZER: Some have suggested that if he would have had those kinds of capabilities, even a very crude nuclear device, he would have used it by now.
ALBRIGHT: And I would agree with that. I think that if he'd succeeded in this, very good chance he would have used it. I mean, his intent is to kill lots of people. Unfortunately, we don't know if he continues to work on it. We don't know if his agents are working on it in other locations. And so I think we still have to take this threat seriously and find out just what he has accomplished.
BLITZER: What kind of damage could a very crude nuclear device -- some have spoken about a nuclear device in a suitcase, for example -- what kind of damage could that do?
ALBRIGHT: A nuclear weapon is very destructive. I mean, you only have to think of Hiroshima, Nagasaki. The crude nuclear explosive could bring down the buildings in a several block radius in a major city. It could kill tens of thousands of people. And it could irradiate large numbers of people, many of whom may die later.
It also could cause horrendous burns. That's one of the characteristics of a nuclear weapon, is that the heat goes out much further than the blast, particularly if it's detonated on the surface.
BLITZER: The whole issue of what they used to call loose nukes, the -- from the former Soviet Republics, the former Soviet Union, scientists being available on the black market to not only sell their services, but plutonium or uranium, whatever. Is it credible to assume that Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda managed to get some of those capabilities from that source?
ALBRIGHT: There is no evidence that they have. And we at ISIS view it as credible. But we don't know what we don't know. And unfortunately, the uncertainty over whether they have nuclear weapons is too large.
BLITZER: What should the U.S. government, in this kind of a situation, be doing right now?
ALBRIGHT: One thing, I think it's very important that as the troops advance in Afghanistan, that there is active detective work and investigation, to seek out what bin Laden has accomplished. To try to find people, to detain them, interview them, look for secret sites.
It's also important, I think, that we're going to have to accept that maybe we could be attacked. I think it's a low chance and we should not overstate that. But with proper preparation, if we are ever attacked by a nuclear explosive, we could dramatically reduce the number of casualties.
BLITZER: So when President Bush says the U.S. should take seriously these threats, he's right.
ALBRIGHT: Yes, I agree. I think it's -- you have to take it seriously.
BLITZER: All right, David Albright, thanks for joining us.
ALBRIGHT: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thank you. And as the war progresses in Afghanistan, the United States is attempting to target both the Taliban and the Al Qaeda leadership. CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre joins us now from the Pentagon with the latest.
Jamie, what happened over at the Pentagon today?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, today, Wolf, the Pentagon sources tell CNN that the number of U.S. warplanes that are participating in airstrikes today is roughly the same as in recent days, about 80. But they are focused on three particular engagements zones: up in the north, where there are still some pockets of resistance, and then around both Kandahar and Kabul.
But the Pentagon says it is focusing its campaign much more now on the hunt for Osama bin Laden. And the head of the U.S. Central Command, the commander-in-chief there, General Tommy Franks, indicated that he thinks Osama bin Laden's days are numbered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL THOMAS FRANKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND COMMANDER: We continue to set conditions. It's been said that we are tightening the noose. And in fact, that is the case. We're tightening the noose. It's a matter of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: The fighting in the north, in particular, there's a stronghold of about 2- to 3,000 Taliban forces that are in Konduz, the last stronghold in the north. They are stiffened by some of the most fanatical Al Qaeda troops, according to U.S. intelligence. And the U.S. has been bombed in that area, but the Northern Alliance has yet to take advantage of that.
The U.S. says, though, that it is again concentrating on trying to find bin Laden, and that is with the help of special forces on the ground. There's also a reward out, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied that the U.S. was going to negotiate with the Taliban or cut any deals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Would we be delighted to receive the senior Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership through some process where they were offered up without condition -- yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MCINTYRE: The Pentagon is under no illusions that it has yet won the war. It says the most difficult part may be to come, but they're convinced that eventually Osama bin Laden will be found, because someone will give him up, or give up information that leads the United States to him.
All of the emphasis now with special operations troops on the ground, is for them to collect as much intelligence as possible, to give the United States an idea. And there is a lot of people to talk to. There are Northern Alliance people, there are tribes in south -- lots of places where the U.S. is trying to cull information -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.
And joining us now to get some further perspective on what's going on, as far as the combat situation in Afghanistan is concerned, the CNN military analyst, retired Army General David Grange.
General Grange, thanks for joining us. And what's your bottom line assessment right now, as far as the battlefield is concerned, inside Afghanistan?
GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET), U.S. ARMY: Well, it appears that the civil war between the anti-Taliban and Taliban forces is coming to some type of conclusion. We still have some hard-core fighters up north in the Konduz area, and there, probably, a good chance of mercenaries, Arab legion types, that have been working for bin Laden -- Chechens, those type of things, those kind of warriors.
Down in Kandahar, there is going to be, I think, some hard-core resistance still, some pockets there. But all the civil war, still providing some conditions that allow the international coalition to break Al Qaeda's back. And it appears, just like General Frank said, that the noose is tightening, the pressure is on.
And if the way deals are cut between different faction leaders and people, I wouldn't be too surprised that information on hiding places would be told to our forces, where they could take them out.
BLITZER: General Grange, I want to go to a map and show our viewers the situation in the southern part of Afghanistan, which differs from the northern part. Here is Kabul, of course, the capital of Afghanistan, which the Northern Alliance has taken.
But down here, the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in the southern part of Afghanistan -- the situation down here in the southern area is a lot different than up north, for the simple reason that the U.S. and its coalition partners do not have a Northern Alliance type of rebel force down in this area, that's going to be able to do in the south, what they obviously so effectively did in the north. How do they get around that problem?
GRANGE: Well, just like a lot of the terminology, if you've heard recently. You know, we're using the word "anti-Taliban," and not just "Northern Alliance." And you have the Pashtun tribal bands in the south that are now anti-Taliban, at least several of them. So you do have some of these anti-Taliban forces in the south that our international coalition special forces can work with, our agency type people on the ground from different countries, that can persuade to be against the Taliban. So I think that there will be some safe areas to work in down there. Not as -- as vast as up north with the Northern Alliance. But there will definitely be some means to deal down south.
BLITZER: And one thing that you know a lot about -- and I know our viewers are interested in -- these special forces that the U.S. has operating in the south, they're not only engaged in what we would call combat, but special forces are also deeply engaged in psychological warfare. They're using broadcasts, they're using leaflets.
They're trying to turn the enemy, if you will in this particular case, the Taliban, into the enemy of the Taliban. Share with our with viewers how they engage in that kind of activity.
GRANGE: Well, special operating forces do have psychological warfare elements, as well as civil affairs units, that provide information warfare. Some has been broadcast from over radio, over television. And again, a lot of these people of course don't have those means. But also, in print, either newspapers or also with leaflet drops.
But I would think right now, there's also a lot going on by word of mouth. We're getting people on the ground to spread the truth of the situation, that the Taliban is falling apart, that Al Qaeda and mercenaries that have come into this country are against the Afghan people. And then it just starts like dominoes. It starts taking hold. The human dimension takes hold and the word gets out, and that has a tremendous impact on the moral domain of the Taliban. It just pulls it apart.
And I think that's what's happening down south. even though they're Pashtun peoples, they're ones that are against this hard-core Taliban, that supports the Al Qaeda terrorist network.
BLITZER: General Grange, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it very much.
GRANGE: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you. And we'll have some more assessment of the war in Afghanistan at 700 p.m. Eastern in the CNN war room. Join me then. You can participate by going to my Web site, cnn.com/wolf. Click on "send questions." I'll ask those questions to our panel. You can also of course read my daily on-line column there as well.
Raising the level of security at the airport. Who will airport security workers work for? A compromise ends the fight on Capitol Hill. Also, new data that could uncover a cause of Monday's American Airlines crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our worst fears, that they were just before Kabul, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Rescue from Afghanistan: aid workers on their three months as Taliban captives. All of that, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. After weeks of partisan wrangling, it appears the airline security bill is finally headed for a vote, perhaps as early as tomorrow. CNN's Congressional correspondent Kate Snow joins us now live from Capitol Hill with details on this newest compromise -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, House and Senate leaders both claiming victory on this, and that, of course, is what a compromise does. It allows both sides to claim a little bit of victory, giving something for everyone.
As in the original Senate bill, this bill would allow for federal employees to take over security screening at almost all of the nation's airports, with the exception of five airports in the country, where test programs using private security companies would be run, to see how effective those private security companies would be.
Now, all of this would take about one year to implement, and then two years beyond that. So after a total of three years, airports would have the right to opt out of this program, opt out of using federal employees, and instead, ask for either private security companies, or for local law enforcement to do security screening at a particular airport.
All of this new security would be paid for by a passenger fee. Passengers would pay $2.50 per leg, or a maximum of $5 per one-way ticket. Democrats in the Senate calling this a big victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: I think there are three things the public will see over a period of time. Obviously we can't do it tomorrow in most cases, but the first thing they will see is a much more significant federal presence in all airports, with a high level, high quality inspection staff.
Secondly, you're going to see a lot more air marshals. This bill authorizes a lot more air marshals. Even though you probably can't see them, you'll know that they're there. Third, you're going to see reinforced doors on airplanes, in virtually every instance. That, too, ought to give a great deal of confidence to the flying public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Senator Daschle and other leaders hoping to have this bill to the president by tomorrow night. And indeed, the president, the White House, the administration, also voicing their approval for this deal. Secretary Mineta of the Department of Transportation, speaking a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NORMAN MINETA, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Today's agreement gives the federal government the flexibility to do whatever it takes to improve what is a safe system, in order to ensure a safe transition to this new security system. Now, safety remains our highest priority. And when it comes to safety, we will set high standards, and we will enforce them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Now, those standards would be what controls these new federal employees that are being put in place under this bill. The federal employees would work for the Department of Transportation, a new agency, under Secretary Mineta. Those employees would have to be United States citizens, and they would be able to form unions. But, Wolf, they would not be able to strike. Back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you, Kate Snow, on Capitol Hill.
And one of those in the forefront of hammering out this compromise was the Republican senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison. During the past hour, I spoke to her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Senator Hutchison, it looks like the Republicans, at least on the House side, blinked, since at least for the next three years, there will be federal workers at those airport screening checks.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: Well, it was a little bit of both. They wanted to have the option of privatization, which will be there after the phase-in of the program. But we will start with the federalization to get the ball rolling, to make sure that we have a system in place that we know is solid. But then after that time, I think after two years, people can make their own choices. And I think that was what the House wanted. So I think it was a good mix.
BLITZER: Do you sense that this eventually will be permanent, or there will be some flexibility there, after what, you say two or three years of federal workers, at all but five airports in the United States?
HUTCHISON: I think that we'll be able to see what works best. I think that we should have the stable system being all federal. But we will be testing the private system, and if it works real well, then I think some of the airports will have the option, they may want to take it, to go private.
BLITZER: I know there was enormous amount of pressure on all of you, Republicans, Democrats, House members, Senate members, to get this done before Thanksgiving. But when will it actually be fully implemented? HUTCHISON: Well, the deadline would be a year, but we know that a lot will move sooner than that. We have detailees doing many of these jobs now, like sky marshals, and some of the supervisory work at the airports. What we want to do is "permanetize" that, and that's what this bill will allow us to start doing.
I would foresee we would have a federal person at every airport that would be in charge of the security system as a first step, and then go from there.
BLITZER: And will the $2.50 fee, $5 fee, whatever that fee is going to be, will that fully pay for these thousands of workers -- it's been estimated, 28,000 workers, new federal employees of the Department of Transportation, or will there be additional budgetary expenses?
HUTCHISON: It's a little early to tell. We think that it will. There will be about a $700 million airline contribution, which is what they pay right now. And then on top of that, the 2.50 charge by passengers, we hope that will cover it. And if it doesn't, of course we'll have to revisit.
BLITZER: Do you sense that this is going to convince a lot of Americans in the short term it's safe to fly?
HUTCHISON: I do. I think it will show America that we now have a comprehensive security system that will begin to function immediately. And one other point, Wolf, that's very important: within 60 days, every checked bag will have to be screened. So I think that is going to give people a lot of comfort as well.
BLITZER: Senator Hutchison, thanks for joining
HUTCHISON: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And more on the travel industry recovery at the top of the hour. Loews Hotel chairman and CEO, Jonathan Tisch, is a guest on "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," that's at 6:00 Eastern, 3:00 Pacific.
The latest developments in the war against terror right after the break. Also, the investigation into the crash of American Airlines flight 587. Federal investigators offer some possible scenarios for the disaster.
Plus, President Bush and Putin: how three days together may chart the future of U.S.-Russian relations.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
We are actually now getting the first pictures from the Department of Defense of the rescue operation involving those eight Western aid workers in Afghanistan. We're seeing pictures now from inside a C-130 -- the American aid workers: Heather Mercer, Dayna Curry, two Australians, four Germans.
They were brought out of Afghanistan yesterday by U.S. special operation forces, brought into Islamabad. Here we see a group waiting for their arrival. These pictures have just reached us from the Department of Defense, the Joint Combat Camera Center that took these pictures. They're walking off of the C-130 right now after their rescue operation. The eight workers, they arrived early this morning in Islamabad -- obviously hugging their loved ones, as we see right now.
These are the first pictures of their actual arrival -- President Bush speaking with the two American aid workers by telephone later, expressing his joy, his satisfaction that they have managed to get out of Afghanistan safe and sound after three months in detention. We will have more on that coming up.
But let's once again get a check of all the latest developments -- once again Joie Chen in Atlanta -- Joie.
CHEN: Wolf, we do want to update our viewers on the latest.
For the first time in 30 years tonight, the National Guard will help patrol Capitol Hill. The D.C. Guard is being asked to take some of the pressure off the overworked Capitol Police. The Guard is to be deployed for 90 days so the Capitol force can get some rest and some anti-terror training.
Also on Capitol Hill today, Congress has reached a compromise on airport security. The plan would federalize baggage screeners for at least three years. Federalization was backed by a unanimous Senate, but hit some resistance in the House.
U.S. officials confirm instructions for making nuclear weapons were found in a Kabul safe house abandoned by supporters of Osama bin Laden. Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge says much of the information would be attainable on the Internet. But Ridge said the discovery underscores the type of threat the United States now faces.
Also today, the Pentagon says that, more and more, its efforts in Afghanistan are aimed at capturing Osama bin Laden. Anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan say bin Laden is moving from cave to cave in the south of the country. Pakistan has beefed up its border security in the event that bin Laden attempts to enter Afghanistan's eastern neighbor.
BLITZER: Thanks, Joie.
The Federal Aviation Administration is considering some possible answers as to why American Airlines Flight 587 crashed Monday only minutes after leaving New York's JFK Airport.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is covering the story. She joins us now with all the latest details -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the latest information comes from the plane's flight data recorder. And NTSB investigators say that it shows that, yes, there was turbulence that bounced Flight 587 around, turbulence that was generated by a larger aircraft, a 747 that took off just before it did -- bounced the plane around twice as it was heading in -- as it was taking off.
Now, investigators say it was bounced around first just 28 seconds before the flight data recorder information ends. Twenty seconds later, it was buffeted again by this wake turbulence, this severe wind that was spun off by this larger aircraft. And NTSB Assistant Director Tom Haueter says that that bounced the plane around in every direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HAUETER, NTSB ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: A side acceleration is simply that. You are being pushed to the side. In this case, we say 0.3 G. That would be like a third of your weight pushing you to the side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And, Wolf, in each case, the plane did initially respond as it was being buffeted, as the pilots tried to control it. But, again, after the second time that it was hit by this wake turbulence, the plane was jostled severely to the right twice -- or in one direction twice, and then in the other direction. They won't tell us exactly whether it was right or left.
And then the plane went nose down and plummeted violently to the ground. What they are looking at is what caused all of this and did any of this impact the tail fin and the rudder. The tail fin and rudder were both fished out of Jamaica Bay after this accident occurred. They were found floating there. And inspectors are looking very carefully at the tail fin, the rudder and at the tail section now that is in the wreckage.
Protruding from the top of the tail section are metal mounts that held that tail fin in place. Now, the metal mounts and the bolts are still attached to the fuselage. And what is protruding upward is this composite material that was part of the tail fin. So they are wondering: What caused such force to break that off, to rip it off?
They are looking at, obviously, a number of things: whether this wake encounter was enough; whether there was perhaps an inherent weakness in this tail. Now, one thing that they did dispel this evening, this plane was involved in a very serious encounter back in 1994, an encounter with clear air turbulence, that over Martinique. And some 47 people were injured. They say that they inspected the aircraft at the time and found no reason that it needed any repairs -- so the implication being that it was not damaged in any way that might have caused this accident -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kathleen Koch, in New York, thank you very much for all the latest information.
And I want to just report to our viewers, this just in from the FAA: A Navy carrier-based EA-6B Prowler, a jamming plane based at Whidbey Island Air Naval Station in Washington state, has just crashed. Three people, three crew members appear to have been aboard that plane -- no word about their fate. The EA-6B Prowler crashed near Forks on the Olympic Peninsula. We are continuing to check out the latest developments on this crash.
We will have more information, more details as, of course, they become available.
But let's go back to the American Airlines Flight 587 crash and get some additional perspective on all of the latest information we are getting into the investigation. We are joined now by the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jim Hall.
Mr. Hall, thank you so much for joining us.
This new information that Kathleen Koch just reported, based on the latest NTSB briefing, it sound very ominous, this wake turbulence buffeted twice in the three minutes or four minutes while the plane was in the air before it crashed.
JIM HALL, FORMER NTSB CHAIRMAN: Yes.
The information, as presented -- of course, it is going to take more analysis. It's confusing. First, the force is from one side of the plane; then the force is from the other. We know, of course, that the 747, when it's low, it's a very heavy aircraft. The lower and slower it goes, the more violence that comes off in terms of wake turbulence. So we will have to -- that will require additional analysis.
BLITZER: And just to point out to our viewers who might not be up on the story, there was a JAL, a Japan Airlines 747 that took off 2.5 minutes before the American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A-300 took off. But that Airbus eventually caught up and was about only one minute, 30 -- one minute and 30 seconds behind the 747 when it started getting buffeting.
It seems like that is pretty close, these takeoffs, especially for these huge planes.
HALL: Well, the separation is very important. And that, of course, why it's there. But, at the same time, it's very hard to understand, Wolf, why this tail would snap off. And I think this is...
BLITZER: You mean, the tail snapped off first?
HALL: Yes. I think this is going to bring a lot of attention on the subject of composite materials, which, of course, are being used now in modern aircraft on most of the flight-control surfaces: what was done at the time the incident occurred in '94; what type of inspections were conducted; what was done progressively at the last D- check and the inspection since then.
And what type of inspections were they? Were they visual? We're they ultrasound inspections? Because we have got a lot of composite material out there. And I'm very pleased to see that they are moving to inspect all these airplanes now.
BLITZER: They announced that today, the FAA.
HALL: Yes.
BLITZER: They want -- what, are there almost 100 of these planes in service here in the United States? What, they are going to check all the tails?
HALL: They are going to go check and do, I'm sure, a visual and then hopefully an ultrasonic test of those tails to be sure that there are no defects as may have existed in this particular aircraft.
BLITZER: So what is your sense right now at this very, very early stage of this investigation?
HALL: Well, I think the agency has done a very good job...
BLITZER: The NTSB.
HALL: The NTSB.
BLITZER: Your former agency.
HALL: ... working with the FAA. They always work together on these investigations, working in getting this factual information together. But what we have right now is a very confusing picture, a very wild ride on the aircraft. And we need to know why that tail snapped.
BLITZER: And we don't know that information yet. But with the flight data recorder, the cockpit voice recorder, they have a good start in this investigation.
HALL: It's an excellent start, but I think there is going to have to be a lot of additional testing -- simulator, wind-tunnel testing and others -- to kind of dissect and understand this.
BLITZER: Mr. Hall, thanks for joining us.
HALL: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Appreciate it.
And agree to disagree: Presidents Bush and Putin, summit accomplishments, and works in progress -- we're live from Texas when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
President Bush and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have ended their three-day summit with an agreement to meet again. But there was no breakthrough in the dispute over the U.S. missile defense program. CNN's senior White House correspondent John King joins us now live with the latest details of their final meeting -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, a very soggy Crawford, Texas hosting the Bush-Putin summit. If you're keeping score, graded A for atmospherics, incomplete when it comes to the substance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): No breakthrough on missile defense, but a remarkable show of goodwill and good humor and a promise to keep talking.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our disagreements will not divide us as nations combined to make -- that need to combine to make the world more peaceful and more prosperous.
KING: This visit to Crawford High School came after two days of talks at the Bush ranch and offered more proof these are two presidents who get along just fine.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It gives me great pleasure to deal and to work with President Bush, who is a person, a man who does what he says.
KING: The Russian leader showed a quick sense of humor, the president a clear memory of an attack line from campaign 2000.
BUSH: No math questions...
PUTIN: No math questions, please.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: Good idea -- particularly no fuzzy math questions.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Tiny Crawford was a proud summit host. And Mr. Putin said Texas was his favorite of the 50 states -- almost.
PUTIN (through translator): Except maybe for Alaska, which we sold to you.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: All this goodwill soon will be tested. The required testing for the missile defense program soon will violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty unless the two presidents reach agreement.
And on another arms control issue, while Mr. Bush is fine with a handshake deal to significantly slash nuclear arsenals, Mr. Putin makes clear he prefers a formal treaty. PUTIN (through translator): What do we do with those arsenals is subject to negotiations, with the result of those negotiations depending on the level of trust between the United States and Russia.
KING: The two do see eye-to-eye on the war in Afghanistan.
BUSH: There's three phases to this battle in Afghanistan. One is bringing al Qaeda to justice. And we will not stop until we do that. That's what people need to know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Mr. Putin extended an invitation for Mr. Bush to visit Russia. The target is early next year. The relationship will be tested in the meantime -- U.S. officials saying the president plans to go ahead with what they call robust testing of the missile defense program. Just when that happens and how Russia reacts will be the true test of this obvious personal bond between the two presidents -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, while I have you, very briefly, was there any discussion of the latest situation on the ground in Afghanistan?
KING: A great deal of discussion, a great sense of urgency about that -- the two leaders agreeing on the military strategy, continue to pursue Osama bin Laden -- agreeing as well there should be more humanitarian aid now that so much of the country is no longer in Taliban control -- in those discussions, talk of sending in a multinational force to protect those aid shipments, a force from predominately Muslim countries. Bangladesh, Indonesia and Turkey lead the list -- also discussions of a broad-based coalition on a post- Taliban government.
Again, quite remarkable -- these two men significant differences over missile defense, but when it comes to the war in Afghanistan, whether it be the military, the political or the diplomatic strategy, they are operating hand-in-hand, cooperating quite closely -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King, in a rainy, soggy Texas, let me recommend an umbrella when you go back to your work space. Thanks again for joining us.
And since the September 11 attacks, President Bush has been working to forge alliances and coalitions with leaders around the globe. In doing so, he has gained a new reputation as a multilateralist. But is multilateralism his real goal?
CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Remember the old days when critics called President Bush a filthy unilateralist? The Anti-Ballistic Treaty? Who needs it?
BUSH: We need to discard all relics of the Cold War, a treaty, for example, that has codified hatred and distrust called the ABM Treaty.
SCHNEIDER: A global warming treaty? What's in it for us?
BUSH: I felt the Kyoto treaty was unrealistic. It was not based upon science.
SCHNEIDER: Nation-building? Not on my watch.
BUSH: If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we are going to have a serious problem coming down the road.
SCHNEIDER: That was then. This is now. Now, meet Mr. Multilateral. Here is President Bush with the president of Nigeria and with the prime minister of India. Here is one of Bush and the president of South Africa, and one with the president of Colombia.
Two years ago, George W. Bush couldn't quite name the president of Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you can name him?
BUSH: General -- I can name the general.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it is?
BUSH: General.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHNEIDER: Now they are the best of friends. President Bush has even offered to help him solve the Kashmir problem.
BUSH: My country will do what we can to bring parties together.
SCHNEIDER: It looks like quite a transformation. Or is it?
Last weekend, 160 nations reached agreement on a treaty to prevent global warming. The U.S. was not one of them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mark. And visual confirmation.
SCHNEIDER: The president is determined to go ahead with missile defense tests despite the ABM Treaty.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He is not prepared to permit the treaty to get in the way of doing that robust testing.
SCHNEIDER: He just hopes to keep the Russians from protesting.
BUSH: We will continue dialogue and discussions about the ABM Treaty.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SCHNEIDER: Multilateralism is really a means. For President Bush, the goal is still to advance U.S. interests, sometimes unilaterally, sometimes multilaterally. What has really changed since September 11 isn't President Bush. It's U.S. interests.
BLITZER: So, Bill, has the president changed his mind about nation-building?
SCHNEIDER: Well, the U.S. appears to be ready to get involved in a little nation-building, although they want the -- the president wants the U.N. to take the initiative, but not because he wants the United States to run Afghanistan the way the Soviets once did. It's because the U.S. has to make sure that Afghanistan never again provides a safe haven for terrorists.
BLITZER: Bill Schneider, thanks for joining us.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
BLITZER: Good work.
Up next, the heat is back on guess who? Gary Condit.
Those stories and more from the newswires when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's check some other stories on our newswire. Two people were killed and two were injured when two freight trains crashed head on in Springfield Township, Michigan. Homes and schools in the area were briefly evacuated as a precaution. Authorities say cars that contained chemicals did not leak, but 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled.
California Congressman Gary Condit has received a grand jury subpoena for documents related to the disappearance of Chandra Levy. Condit's attorney, Abbe Lowell, says he will provide the documents, but there's no word on what kind of information was subpoenaed. Levy has been missing since April.
And video game enthusiasts can finally get their hands on Microsoft's Xbox. The most powerful video game machine to date began selling today. And Microsoft boss Bill Gates predicts it'll soon become a hard-to-get item. Microsoft expects to sell hundreds of thousands of Xboxes just today. That's pretty amazing.
Let's go now to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." It begins, of course, at the top of the hour.
Here's Lou -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you.
Coming right up on "MONEYLINE": the latest on the Taliban collapse in Afghanistan. And the Taliban issues new threats against United States. We will have a live report for you from Kabul. And on Capitol Hill today, a last-ditch compromise is reached on airport security. We will have the details for you.
And what will corporate America do to protect business? We will have a special report. And the travel industry suffering mightily: Will the government pump billions of dollars into the travel and hotel industry? I will be talking with Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels -- all of that coming up right up at the top of the hour -- now back to Wolf in Washington.
BLITZER: Lou, I will be watching. I know my dad will be watching as well.
Thanksgiving comes early for eight aid workers released from an Afghan prison -- just ahead, an update on their condition and the progress of their journey home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: It will be a very special Thanksgiving next week for two Americans among the eight aid workers freed yesterday from an Afghan prison. The eight aid workers, four Germans, two Americans, and two Australians, were flown to Pakistan by U.S. special operations aircraft.
We have just gotten in this video of that rescue mission. Anti- Taliban rebels freed them from their jail and contacted the Red Cross to get them out. But all this happened after a harrowing journey out of Kabul, which was falling to the rival Northern Alliance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORG TAUBMANN, GERMAN AID WORKER: I think one of the most terrible experiences was when we were taken out just before Kabul fell. And it was our worst fears that they would, just before Kabul is set free, we will be taken prison and taken to Kandahar, because we knew if we go to Kandahar, we won't come out alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And the mother and step-father of U.S. aid worker Heather Mercer will be among the guests tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE." That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific. CNN will have live coverage of the aid workers' news conference from Islamabad at 1:00 a.m. Eastern, 10:00 p.m. Pacific.
I'll be back in one hour with much more coverage and our CNN "War Room." A panel of experts will join me to take a look at what's next on the war in Afghanistan.
I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. CNN's coverage of America's new war continues with "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
