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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Al Qaeda Forces Receive an Ultimatum; Justice Officials Hand Down First September 11 Indictment
Aired December 11, 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."
Surrender or die. Osama bin Laden's loyalists get an ultimatum. We'll get an exclusive look at their caves and tunnels, as a mountain fortress is overrun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Seven-thousand miles from the field of battle in Afghanistan, another victory is taking shape in the war on terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The first federal indictment directly related to September 11. This man allegedly conspired with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda to murder thousands of innocents.
Three months to the minute after the attacks began, the world pauses to honor the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every one of the innocents who died on September the 11th was the most important person on earth to somebody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
As the world paused to mark the third month since the attacks on America, the first indictment was handed up in connection with those attacks. You'll find out more about the man accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden to carry out the September 11 terror attacks. And we'll also show you extraordinary pictures of the battles under way right now in the mountains of Afghanistan, where the hunt for Osama bin Laden is intensifying.
First, a quick check of today's developments in "America's New War." Here's CNN's Kyra Phillips in Atlanta -- Kyra. KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Wolf. Good afternoon. Well, the man indicted today is Zacarias Moussaoui. He is a French Moroccan who allegedly trained in an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. The indictment charges Moussaoui conspired with Osama bin Laden and others to murder thousands of innocent people. We'll have much more on this in a moment.
In Afghanistan, CNN has gained a first glimpse of part of the vast cave fortress near Tora Bora. Al Qaeda fighters were driven from the caves by days of United States bombing. Pictures show hillsides flattened and littered with bodies of dead al Qaeda fighters. United States troops and Afghan allies are searching the hills for Osama bin Laden, whose rumored presence that he's in the area cannot be confirmed.
To the south, U.S. Marines have erected checkpoints outside Kandahar, with orders to confiscate arms. A spokesperson said Taliban fighters who surrender their weapons will be allowed to go free. Marines also are searching for Taliban leader Mullah Omar and keeping alert for bin Laden as well.
In a speech today, President Bush warned that a few evil men posed what he called a great threat to civilization. He says the hope of the world depends upon defeating the terrorists and keeping weapons of mass destruction out of their hands.
In New York, recovery work resumed at the site of the fallen Trade Centers after ceremonies held this morning. It was three months ago today that the terrorists struck in New York and Washington. A fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania before it reached its unknown target.
I'll have more at the half hour. Now back to Wolf in Washington.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Kyra. And in the words today of the Attorney General John Ashcroft, Zacarias Moussaoui was an active participant in the events of September 11. Already in jail at the time of the attacks, he is the first person charged. Today's federal indictment contains six conspiracy counts.
It alleges Moussaoui engaged in the same preparations and training as the 19 hijackers did, both in Afghanistan as well as here in the United States. The indictment names 23 unindicted co- conspirators. Among those names, the 19 dead hijackers, as well as Osama bin Laden.
Joining us now with more on today's major development, our own Susan Candiotti -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the attorney general calls the 30-page indictment a chronicle of evil. It lays out in writing for the first time the movements and finances of those allegedly involved in the September 11 attacks, and charges one person with conspiring to commit mass murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ASHCROFT: Today, three months after the assault on our homeland, the United States of America has brought the awesome weight of justice against the terrorists who brutally murdered innocent Americans. The first indictment has been brought against the terrorists of September 11. Al Qaeda will now meet the justice it abhors and the judgment it fears.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: Zacarias Moussaoui is the first to be charged -- a native of France of Moroccan descent. He's been held as a material witness since September 11, but was in custody since August on an unrelated immigration charge after he raised suspicions at a Minnesota flight school.
Four of the six counts Moussaoui faces carry a possible death penalty. The charges are all conspiracies to commit aircraft piracy, to destroy aircraft, to use a weapon of mass destruction, a plane, to murder U.S. employees and to destroy property.
Osama bin Laden and one of his top lieutenants are among 23 named as unindicted co-conspirators. The indictment says Bin Laden and al Qaeda provided money and training for the terrorists. The 19 identified as the September 11 hijackers are also named, their finances tracked in the indictment.
And the man the FBI calls the 20th hijacker is also named. Ramzi Binal-Shibh and two others, fugitives on international mass murder warrants. Authorities say after Binal-Shibh was denied entry to the U.S. four times, he allegedly funneled money for flight training to Moussaoui and other terrorists.
Moussaoui is scheduled to make his first court appearance, Wolf, on January 2nd.
BLITZER: Susan, as you know, there has been a lot of discussion the last several weeks of this controversial nature of this proposal to have military tribunals try the suspected terrorists in secret, in effect. Will Moussaoui be tried before a military tribunal?
CANDIOTTI: At this time it doesn't look that way. He will be face these charges in a federal court in Virginia. Although senior administration officials tell our CNN's John King at the White House that because of the debate about military tribunals, there was considerable discussion about this.
And the idea of presenting the first major case involving the terrorists attacks coming before a tribunal was ultimately nixed. And so that is why for now he will be tried in a federal court, although they are laying open the possibility that some of the evidence might eventually be presented to a military tribunal in this case.
BLITZER: And some of the evidence could be presented in secret under existing procedures that already take place? And that doesn't set a precedent, if in fact, Osama bin Laden, for example, should ever be captured. CANDIOTTI: Precisely. Will he be captured? That's the question.
BLITZER: We'll have to wait and see. Susan Candiotti, thank you very much.
Joining us now to talk more about this and other matters, Senator Dick Durbin. He's a Democrat of Illinois. He's a member of the Senate intelligence committee. He's also a member of the judiciary committee. Senator Durbin, thank you very much for joining us.
Let me begin where I left off with Susan Candiotti. Should he be tried before a military tribunal, or a regular judicial procedure?
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: I want to commend the Department of Justice an the FBI for their hard work over the last three months that's led to this indictment. And I hope that we do proceed with the plan to try him in the courts of America.
We have demonstrated in the past that we can bring these men to justice, and ultimately, see them prosecuted in a fair and open manner. I think this decision by the Department of Justice is a good one. I want to give the department wide latitude when it comes to questions of secrecy or sensitivity, that there would be closed hearings.
But in this case, if we can move forward on our own courts, I think it's a plus.
BLITZER: As far as you know, Senator Durbin, were there are any hints? He's been in custody since August, since before September 11th. Did he provide, or did the U.S. have hints that he was involved in some sort of major conspiracy along these lines, before September 11?
DURBIN: Well, to my knowledge, his name had been reported as questionable. But in fact, there had been quite a bit of discussion here on Capitol Hill about what action was taken before September 11, in reference to this individual.
But he always has been the question mark, whether he was the 20th hijacker who was involved in this terrorist activity. We're going to learn a lot more now as a result of this indictment.
BLITZER: Is it your sense that this is just the first of what's going to be a long list of indictments, or do you think that this is about it, as far as September 11 is concerned?
DURBIN: That's hard to say. There are a lot of people in detention, but he certainly has been the focal point of most of our discussion on Capitol Hill. Ever since his name came forward, that suspicion has been growing.
BLITZER: You saw the videotape, the reported confession, if you will, of Osama bin Laden, that we expect the White House to release as early as tomorrow. You watched it. Give us your thoughts. How compelling was that evidence on that tape?
DURBIN: History didn't record Hitler's reaction to the Holocaust, or Stalin's reaction to the Soviet purges. But we have Osama bin Laden's reaction to September 11 on videotape. It is graphic. It is compelling. It is conclusive.
He smiles. He laughs. He marvels at the destruction and death. He holds up his hand like the World Trade Center and shows the plane crashing into it, and says how surprised he was that it wasn't just the floors above his hand that were destroyed, but even below, too -- even a man with a construction background like Osama bin Laden.
He brings up the name, Mohamed Atta, who we know unfortunately from those events on September 11, and says that perhaps the people on the plane with him really didn't know they were going to fly to their death that day. Only the people in the cockpit would know that.
So he goes into the kind of detail that you know betrays the question as to whether or not some other group is responsible. It clearly is Osama bin Laden, and it's clearly al Qaeda.
BLITZER: And you want the administration to release this videotape? Tell us why.
DURBIN: I think if there are any doubters left in the world -- there are few in America -- they need to see this videotape. They need to see the compelling evidence of the glee that this man shows when he talks about the deaths that were involved. This cold-blooded videotape tells the story better than any words can tell it. This is clear and convincing evidence of premeditated murder by this terrorist.
BLITZER: Senator Durbin, thanks for taking some time to join us.
DURBIN: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Meanwhile, in the war in eastern Afghanistan, fierce fighting is producing results for opposition forces battling al Qaeda troops. For several days, fighting has raged in the rugged Tora Bora mountains where U.S. officials believe Osama bin Laden may be hiding. Today opposition fighters, backed by intense U.S. airstrikes, overran some al Qaeda cave positions.
CNN's Brent Sadler has this exclusive report from the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The start of a decisive Afghan attack on al Qaeda's mountain stronghold. An old Soviet tank leads the charge. Determined Afghan warriors follow in its wake. Their objective: to crush al Qaeda's hold on these mountaintops once and for all.
With the help of a U.S. airstrike, Eastern Alliance tanks bomb al Qaeda ground. But they're not finished yet. Al Qaeda machine gunners spray the hillside. We're caught in the middle of it. Journalists huddle as bullets whiz by.
(on camera): Come on, Frank! Back here!
This is where the siege of Tora Bora is being won and lost at ground level. Allied coalition forces and the Afghan allies on the ground are up against formidable terrain: natural fortifications, which are helping al Qaeda defenders.
(voice-over): But this is the day for a breakthrough. Afghan attackers are urged to join battle, their own distant machine gunners within sight of the enemy. Al Qaeda's fortifications, crumbling. The hunted are killed. Their bodies collected from the mountainside.
If al Qaeda surrenders, the battles could stop.
(on camera): Is al Qaeda finished now?
HAJ MOHAMMED ZAMAN, AFGHAN OPPOSITION COMMANDER: Is Al Qaeda finished? No.
SADLER: What about Osama bin Laden?
ZAMAN: We will see tomorrow. If he is available in the mountain, he must get out.
SADLER: Well, here it is, finally. The first close-up visual evidence of the devastating impact of the aerial onslaught. A main al Qaeda base obliterated. This whole area, riddled with a complex of now-abandoned caves, tunnels an trenches.
(voice-over): A first glimpse inside this rocky fortress, abandoned ammunition. Osama bin Laden's network of terror in Afghanistan, coming apart. This al Qaeda base is a wasteland of splintered trees and giant bomb craters. A destroyed tank was an obvious target for U.S. bombers.
The Afghans scavenge through the rubble. Body building weights from this former training camp, a boxing glove and a gun target. A grueling but effective day, with a battlefield ultimatum to al Qaeda: surrender now, or die.
Brent Sadler, CNN, in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: U.S. ground troops are also involved in the fighting in the Tora Bora region. Pentagon officials now say the region is the last effective al Qaeda stronghold in Afghanistan. For more, let's go over to the Pentagon and our military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, as the amount of real estate that al Qaeda forces and Taliban forces occupies continues to shrink, the Pentagon is now becoming concerned that some of the senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders may escape. And now the emphasis is on trying to block those escape routes. Pentagon sources say that AC-130 gunships, those converted C-130s with side-mounted cannons, are patrolling the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And with the assistance of unmanned spy planes, are looking for any fleeing Taliban or al Qaeda forces.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today said that that's the big challenge to make sure that none of the people the U.S. wants get away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The president has assigned up there to attempt to close the border so that al Qaeda and Taliban do not escape out of Afghanistan into Pakistan. That is a very difficult thing to do. It is a porous border, it's a long border. It's a very complicated area to try to seal. And there's just simply no way you can put a perfect cork in the bottle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Earlier today, exactly three months to the minute after that hijacked plane slammed into side of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld remembered the victims of that day, saying that the U.S. would never forget those killed in the attack. And he said -- quote -- "If they could see how our country is united to preserve freedom from terror, they would be proud." Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.
And if Osama bin Laden isn't holed up near Tora Bora, U.S. officials say he may be hiding out in the Kandahar area, perhaps together with the supreme Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. U.S. Marines are operating out of that area, down near Camp Rhino. It's a base in the southern part of Afghanistan. They're intensifying the search for both of those fugitives.
Today they launched a new phase to that mission. The pool reporter for the television networks, Allen Pizzey, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN PIZZEY, POOL REPORTER (voice-over): Marine forces who have moved closer to Kandahar will begin another new phase of their operation today: seizing and destroying weapons. The only exceptions will be known anti-Taliban forces and local citizens who may have personal arms, but do not pose a threat to the Marines.
Weapons seizures will be based on what one officer termed a judgment call on the part of Marines in the field. The problem the hunter killer patrollers will have is deciding friend or foe among people who, to them, basically look and dress the same. Many of the Marines here are under 21 years of age. The longer they are on the ground, however, the more they understand local culture and practices -- a process a spokesman called the learning curve.
The main mission remains cutting off supply and escape routes for the Taliban and al Qaeda forces, searching for those on the most wanted list, photos of whom are carried by every Marine with the rank of sergeant and above. Marines on the ground in what they term air assets, both helicopter gunships and fixed-wing fighters, can contact each other to check out and even attack potential targets, such as vehicles.
None have been reported hit in the last few days, but with Kandahar falling in chaos, it is expected that more targets of opportunity will make themselves available to Marine patrols that are now operating much closer to the city. Allen Pizzey with U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Taliban fighters by the hundreds have surrendered or are on the run. Many of them, still heavily armed. Are they still a force to be reckoned with? What are the chances of them rising to power in the future? Joining us now to talk about that is Rob Sobhani of Georgetown University.
Rob, thanks for joining us. Let me go through the questions. Are they still a force to be reckoned with, the Taliban?
ROB SOBHANI, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Absolutely. That's why Hamid Karzai has made it his No. 1 one priority to demilitarize Afghanistan, to the extent that it is a militarized zone, it means a threat. And it's a threat from the Taliban.
BLITZER: Hamid Karzai, being the interim leader.
SOBHANI: ... of Afghanistan.
BLITZER: And what are the chances, though, of the Taliban resurrecting itself at some point down the road?
SOBHANI: That's always a possibility. That's why the United States, I think, should focus on three things immediately. No. 1, I think we should make sure that there is a Muslim contingent in the peacekeeping force. Our friend and ally Turkey could play that role.
No. 2...
BLITZER: Jordan, for example, as well.
SOBHANI: And Jordan, absolutely. No. 2, I think the White House should make it very clear that Hamid Karzai is the person to whom this aid is going to go to. He's going to disperse that aid. That will elevate him.
And No. 3, I think we should make it a focus of our attention to make sure that the former monarch is successful in bringing together the consultative council. These three elements, I think, could -- we could make sure that the Taliban are then isolated.
However, they're still a threat. BLITZER: But the king is not going to come back at least for six months. That's according to the deal worked out in the talks in Germany.
SOBHANI: Absolutely. But the role that he plays is significant, because he can bring together those forces that Hamid Karzai may not be able to bring. Hamid Karzai is new to the political scene. The monarch is an old hand, and therefore he could bring more of the ethnic groups under one umbrella.
BLITZER: Even if the Taliban and al Qaeda are removed, eliminated, Afghanistan is a country historically ruled by warlords who control various areas. Can Hamid Karzai, the six-month interim leader, can he bring them all together effectively to cooperate?
SOBHANI: I think he's going to have difficulty in the short run. But I think as more Afghans move back from Pakistan into Afghanistan, more aid comes in, the people of Afghanistan are going to demand that the warlords respect Hamid Karzai, let Hamid Karzai rebuild Afghanistan with the monarch. And I think between the two of them they will be successful.
The danger, Wolf, is that if -- if Osama bin Laden escapes from Tora Bora or Kandahar into Pakistan, that's the real danger for U.S. policymakers. Because a destabilized Pakistan with nuclear weapons is exactly what Osama bin Laden wants.
BLITZER: And I want to show our viewers a map to show the Tora Bora area, right here. But look at this border. This is the border with Pakistan. It's not very far away, only a few miles. Technically -- that border is not hermetically sealed. They could sneak across.
SOBHANI: And border guards are very ill-paid in Pakistan. You can easily cross a border if you're Osama bin Laden, and you had the will.
BLITZER: Theoretically, he may have crossed the border already.
SOBHANI: We hope not. If he has, it will a huge political setback.
BLITZER: The Pakistanis would be involved, obviously, to cross into Pakistan. The government of President Pervez Musharraf, he would presumably cooperate strongly with the U.S. in trying to find Osama bin Laden.
SOBHANI: Absolutely. I would imagine Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, would cooperate. Another country that he could go to, potentially, is Turkmenistan. It has a huge border with Afghanistan. And from Turkmenistan, all he needs to do is get a ferry, and then he's in Chechnya, across the Caspian Sea.
BLITZER: That's what Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense, said to me the other day. He said he could get plastic surgery, show up in Chechnya, and that would a very difficult find. SOBHANI: And the danger about Chechnya, Wolf, is this: the Russians, since 1995, have been dumping nuclear waste in Chechnya. It is possible that that nuclear waste somehow could be rejuvenated and in the hands of Osama, could be a real threat to us and our neighbors.
BLITZER: It could be part of that so-called dirty radiation bomb.
SOBHANI: Absolutely.
BLITZER: Leave it right there. We'll pick that up on another occasion. Rob Sobhani of Georgetown, thank you.
SOBHANI: Thank you.
BLITZER: And this note, tonight in the CNN "WAR ROOM," the ultimatum to al Qaeda. The vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, Richard Shelby will join General Wesley Clark and me at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 on the West Coast.
You can participate. Go to my Web site, cnn.com/wolf. Click on "Send Questions." I'll try get as many of those questions answered by our panel as possible. You can also read my daily on-line column on that Web site.
New needs for "America's New War," coming up. The new role President Bush says for America's military. And we'll bounce those ideas off the former defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger.
Also...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: America remembers: the tributes marking three months from the moment that changed America. And, lighting the people's tree, later. Live coverage of the lighting of the Capitol holiday tree. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We'll get back to the war in Afghanistan in a moment. Let's take a quick look at some other stories on our news wire. The House majority leader Dick Armey says he will make an announcement about his political future tomorrow. Privately, aides and associates say Armey is considering retiring at the end of this term.
A White House commission has come up with ways to allow younger workers to invest part of their Social Security in the stock market. The panel plans to send President Bush three proposals. Social Security is expected to start paying out more than it takes in about 15 years from now -- part because of the retiring baby boomer generation.
And this note, Social Security reform is in the "CROSSFIRE" tonight. That's at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
As the postal service enters the holiday mailing season, it is dealing with a labor dispute. Hundreds of workers have walked off the job at a company that contracts with the postal service to carry mail between several cities. A postal service spokesman says the strike will not affect mail delivery.
The videotape that's been called a smoking gun. Coming up, should the tape of Osama bin Laden be released? And what would the government gain by doing so?
Also, an in-depth look at the new role for the U.S. military. I'll talk live with the Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.
And, you're looking at live pictures from Capitol Hill, where they're getting ready to light the Christmas tree. We'll have live coverage. We'll stand by for that. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: They're getting ready to light the Christmas tree on Capitol Hill, the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert and others. Let's listen in for a few minutes.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... all the good wishes from the people of Michigan to the U.S. House of Representatives and through the people of this great nation. Happy holidays from all of us in Michigan -- Mr. Speaker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you all.
BLITZER: They just presented the leadership with a scroll of some 25,000 names, individuals in Michigan. The Christmas tree that will be lit, by the way, is also from Michigan. And the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, getting ready to make that announcement.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, happy holidays.
Tonight we have the great honor of lighting the congressional Christmas tree. This tree of hope is a Michigan white spruce and to celebrate the many joys of the season.
I'd like to thank the Michigan Tree Committee for providing this year's tree as a gift to our entire nation. I also want to thank the Michigan delegation and everybody involved with making this possible.
I guess this season is special to many of us. It's special because of things that have happened, this September 11, the change that happened in our lives. It's a greater appreciation of this blessed and holy season that all of us hold very, very dear.
And many times we take even now a more focused view of the eyes of a child in Santa's lap, or the reminiscences of a senior citizen in a nursing home talking about Christmases past. These things are special to us and even more so this year.
This country has shown itself as a country of great spirit, a country of giving, a country of principle.
This tree symbolizes a very, very special season for us. And tonight as we light it, I think it's appropriate that we bring three charming young ladies from the state of Michigan forward.
And I would like to introduce -- first of all, raise your hands -- Madeleine, Maggie and Hannah. And their daddy just happens to be the governor of Michigan.
(APPLAUSE)
Girls, if we all put our hand on this button. And when I say, three, we're all going to push. And what's going to happen? That tree is going to light up.
Ready? One, two, three.
(APPLAUSE)
All right. Good work. Thank you. Thank you very much.
BLITZER: And there you have it, a beautiful picture here in the nation's capital, the Capitol Hill Christmas tree, as opposed to the White House Christmas tree, which was lit by the president earlier in the week, an annual tradition here in Washington, one a little bit more meaningful, perhaps, this year.
In just a moment, we will be speaking with the former defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger. We will also go live to the White House for details on President Bush's vision for future of the U.S. military, as well as the war on terrorism.
But, first, let's go to Kyra Phillips in Atlanta with another quick check of all the latest developments -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks a lot, Wolf.
Well, Afghan opposition forces today overran caves held by al Qaeda troops in the Tora Bora mountains. The advance, backed by heavy U.S. airstrikes, came after fierce fighting. Al Qaeda troops have been given until tomorrow morning, Afghan time, to surrender or face death.
U.S. Marines are stepping up patrols near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Officials say, if Osama bin Laden isn't holed up in the Tora Bora mountains, he might be hiding in the Kandahar area with supreme Taliban leader Mullah Omar -- chandeliers, mirrored walls, and much more all a part of the extravagant compound of the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Omar. He's on the run now, but before the start of U.S. air strikes, Mullah Omar lived in these posh surroundings. The opulence of the place is beyond the wildest dreams of ordinary Afghans, who live in one of the world's poorest countries.
President Bush says the war against terror is being waged to save today's children from a future of terrorism. Speaking at the Citadel, the military school in South Carolina, Mr. Bush says the terrorist attacks of September underscore the need for a dramatic change in the way the military operates.
People around the world paused today to remember the thousands of people killed in the September terror attacks. At ground zero in New York, hundreds of police and firefighters joined Mayor Rudy Giuliani for a memorial service. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld led a similar service at the Pentagon.
Zacarias Moussaoui is the first person to be indicted in direct connection with the September 11 terror attacks. A federal grand jury returned the indictment today. Attorney General John Ashcroft says the French Moroccan was an active participant in the attacks. Four of the six counts against Moussaoui carry the death penalty, if he's convicted.
Secretary of State Colin Powell breaks the news to Russian President Vladimir Putin: The U.S. will withdraw from the 1972 Anti- Ballistic Missile Treaty. President Bush is expected to give formal notice soon to the Russian government. The move takes Mr. Bush a step closer to his goal of developing an anti-missile shield -- now we go back to Wolf in Washington.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Kyra.
And, as we mentioned earlier, President Bush outlined changes he foresees for America's defense during a speech he delivered just about three hours ago.
CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is covering that part of the story. She joins us now live with more -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush said the September 11 attacks have given a new urgency to transforming the military. He also said the attacks reinforce the need to develop a missile defense system.
And that story, as Kyra just mentioned, is one making a lot of news this afternoon, because CNN has learned, according to a senior administration official, and also according to two advisers to former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, that President Bush intends to notify the Russians soon that he plans withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. I am told by one U.S. official an announcement could come as early as Thursday.
Now, as for President Bush, he arrived back here at the White House a short time ago. He did not respond to any reporters' question about this issue. And, publicly, the White House is only saying that the president has always indicated he intends to move beyond the Anti- Ballistic Missile Treaty, a treaty that prohibits any country from testing and developing a missile defense system, and that whenever he has something to say about this, he will say it -- well, Mr. Bush definitely defending his position today during a speech at the military academy, the Citadel, in South Carolina: the president saying his goal is to protect America and its allies from all forms of terror, including acts of terrorism involving a missile attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Last week, we conducted another promising test of our missile defense technology. For the good of peace, we are moving forward with an active program to determine what works and what does not work. In order to do so, we must move beyond the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a treaty that was written in a different era for a different enemy.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: America and our allies must not be bound to the past. We must be able to build the defenses we need against the enemies of the 21st century.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And, in that speech, President Bush also said the next priority in the war against terror is stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
He also said the administration wanting to end any state sponsorship of terror -- and, then, Wolf, once again the president putting nations around the world on notice, saying any nation which harbors, funds or trains terrorists or helps in any acts of terror will be considered hostile regimes, the president saying these countries have been warned, they are being watched, and they will be held to account -- again, the president indicating on this, the three- month anniversary of the September 11 attack, that this war against terror won't be limited to Afghanistan, but will be a worldwide fight against terror -- Wolf, back to you
BLITZER: Kelly Wallace, thank you very much.
And for more perspective now on this issue, we are joined by Caspar Weinberger. He was the secretary of defense during much of the Reagan administration. He's also the author of a new book: "In the Arena: A Memoir of the 20th Century."
Mr. Secretary, thanks for joining us.
Is it your sense the U.S. military right now is being stretched too thin to fight this war against terrorism?
CASPAR WEINBERGER, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, they are being stretched thin because they lost so much of their effectiveness during the eight Clinton years. But we are regaining that strength rapidly. And, as we've seen by the remarkable way in which we went through Afghanistan with our allies there, we still have very great strength left.
But we do need to rebuild and some restructuring. But I think that plus the president's action today in ending our involvement in the ABM Treaty are extraordinarily heartening things for our future.
BLITZER: Is the military too reliant nowadays on the high-tech gadgets as opposed to the more conventional, traditional warfare?
WEINBERGER: Well, one of the problem is, we need both. We do need the high-tech work. It saves thousands and thousands of lives, as it did in the Gulf War. And it is absolutely necessary for quick victories and decisive victories. But not all the wars are going to be like that.
This war now is a different one than we have ever fought before. And we need some restructuring. But we do need the conventional strengths of high defense, heavy defense, and as we did in the Gulf War. We used both in the Gulf War. And we need both.
BLITZER: What new steps must the U.S. military take right now to deal with this new kind of war, a war, as you say, the U.S. has never fought before, a more vague war, if you will, against terrorists?
WEINBERGER: Well, I think we need to be more mobile. We need more air and sea lift to get troops where they have to be generally very quickly.
We don't start wars. And we don't choose the locations for them as a result. But we need to be able to get to those locations when they are started against us, as this one was. And so that needs some lighter, more mobile forces. But, again, we can't give up the heavy forces, because you never know when you are going to need those.
There are plenty of countries, that are not altogether friendly, that have those kind of forces, too. And that is one of the problems of the world. You have to be ready and able to defend yourself against many different kinds of threats. I think we are doing extraordinary well now. And I think we will have to get some restructuring done to give us an even greater mobile capacity.
BLITZER: But you don't believe that the threats that existed during the Cold War, threats that you focused most of your attention on, exist right from now from this Russia which has emerged from the former Soviet Union?
WEINBERGER: Well, I think that is probably correct, but I'm not quite yet ready to have the trust without the verification. President Reagan always said we have to trust but verify.
I think Mr. Putin is genuinely helping against the Afghans, because, of course, Russia hates the Afghans. The Afghans defeated them in a long and bloody attempt by the Soviets to take over Afghanistan. And so it's good that we have his help on that. I worry about his transfer of nuclear weapons and components to countries like Iran and Iraq, and his joining with China and anyone else who is around who opposes us in the international forum. So I think he has -- I think he has to prove himself, as far as I'm concerned, a little bit more. But I do think that the relationship is better now by far. And I doubt if we need the kinds of forces -- or at least the massive forces that we had to have to make sure that Europe didn't get overrun when the Soviets were there poised on the edge.
BLITZER: And, very briefly, why do you think it is a good idea that the president is expected to formally abrogate unilaterally the ABM Treaty, which, as you know, was signed in 1972? Won't it spark angry reaction, not only from Russia, but some of the European allies and perhaps Japan?
WEINBERGER: Well, I don't think Japan at all, no. I think it might -- undoubtedly, it will spark angry reaction from Russia, because they wanted to keep the effectiveness of their massive and lethal arsenal of nuclear-tipped weapons.
We can't have any kind of defense against those weapons if we don't got out of that treaty, because the treaty forbids any kind of effective defense against the most lethal weapons that have ever been invented. So I agree 100 percent with the president. And I'm just delighted that we are going ahead and stepping out it. The treaty was only with the Soviet Union, anyway. So it was not a treaty with any of the European nations or anyone else.
But we do need to be free to develop all the defenses that we possibly can against this most lethal weapon. And if we step out of that treaty, we can then proceed to do it.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Caspar Weinberger, for joining us. And the name of the book, once again: "In the Arena: A Memoir of the 20th Century."
The Osama tape: Should it be released? What the Bush administration may gain and what it could lose by making the tape public.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Tomorrow could be the day that the Bush administration releases the much discussed videotape of Osama bin Laden.
Despite claims that the tape is a smoking gun of bin Laden's direct involvement in the recent terror attacks, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, cautioned today that what bin Laden says on the tape is not completely clear. In any event, the tape has caused much discussion within the administration, particularly over the question of whether the public should see it at all.
Joining us now to talk more about this, the former newsman -- former government -- no, he wasn't a government spokesman. That was his brother, Bernard Kalb. Marvin Kalb, he joins us right now. He's the author of a recent book called "One Scandalous Story: Clinton, Lewinsky, 13 days That Tarnished American Journalism," an excellent book which I have read. Thank you very much, Marvin, for joining us.
MARVIN KALB, AUTHOR, "ONE SCANDALOUS STORY": Thank you.
BLITZER: Thank Bernie as well.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Are we being manipulated, those of us in the news media, by the administration when it comes to videotape of Osama bin Laden? Because, as you know, they didn't want to us run the Al Jazeera tapes, but they apparently do want us to run this one.
KALB: Well, we are not absolutely sure that the tapes will be released. It just looks that way at the moment. But I think this is a wonderful illustration of a leak. If anybody wants to know what a leak is, this is it. The government gives it first to "The Washington Post."
BLITZER: Well, how do we know that that was a deliberate leak as opposed to enterprise journalism?
KALB: Enterprise journalism always comes into the play and it's always raised by a good journalist. But nine times out of 10, an issue of this sort is so obvious, it has to be an inspired leak. That's my judgment. I could be wrong.
I think it was given to "The Washington Post." It ends up in Sunday morning's paper. The defense secretary appears on two Sunday programs. He talks about it. Then it appears Monday morning. Then we are talking about it all week. And then, reluctantly, it is released. But I think it is a classic leak.
BLITZER: Just to be precise, it was the deputy defense secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, who appeared on two Sunday programs, and then Cheney and General Myers. Rumsfeld this Sunday didn't go on...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Just a technical thing.
KALB: It was Cheney I had in mind.
BLITZER: It was Cheney, that's right -- the vice president.
KALB: Right. Right.
BLITZER: I want you to listen to what Ari Fleischer said yesterday in describing this videotape as opposed to the Al Jazeera tapes.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This administration previously has said that we don't have an interest in giving Osama bin Laden airtime, although, as I indicated earlier today as well, this tape is of a different nature from the prepackaged propaganda that came out earlier. This really is a different type of tape.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Is it?
KALB: Well, I don't know. I haven't seen the tape.
But it would seem, from all the leaks -- that's my judgment on it -- that it -- it satisfies the administration's need at this point. All along, the administration has been asked, please produce the evidence that Osama bin Laden is the culprit.
They have said he is the culprit. Most Americans, most people around the world believe that he is the culprit. But the fact is, there isn't the publicly displayed evidence. This is an opportunity to provide that evidence.
BLITZER: And they are hoping, presumably, it will have an impact in the Arab world, in the Muslim world and other parts of the world, where there may still be a little doubt about Osama bin Laden.
KALB: But there is doubt that it will have a positive impact, Wolf, because, as you know very well, in the Arab world today, opinion is split about bin Laden. There are a lot of people who do not like the fact that he engages in terrorism, but they do like the fact that he takes on the United States and appeals for support for the Palestinian cause.
So, in some respects, bin Laden is a hero in parts of the Arab world. And it is very dicey as to the way this is going to play in the Arab world.
BLITZER: Marvin Kalb, he is the author of a new book, "One Scandalous Story." I recommend it.
KALB: Thank you very much.
BLITZER: Thanks for joining us.
KALB: Thank you.
BLITZER: And communities across America pause to remember the terrorist attacks -- coming up: a look at some of the ceremonies that marked the exact moment three months ago that changed America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: I want to tell you about a new addition to our Web site. It's a memorial to those who were killed in the September 11 attacks. Names and photos of the more than 3,000 confirmed dead are listed. You can post a tribute to anyone on the site. To find it online, go to CNN.com/memorial. America's economy got another jump-start today from the Federal Reserve. That is one of the stories tonight on "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That begins, of course, at the top of the hour. Here is Lou with more on what is ahead -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, that's right. Thank you.
Anti-Taliban forces giving al Qaeda fighters in the mountains of Tora Bora an ultimatum: Surrender or die. We'll have a live report for you from Afghanistan. I will be talking with CNN military analyst General David Grange.
The Justice Department has filed its first criminal changes in the attacks of September 11. We will have the latest on Zacarias Moussaoui.
The Federal Reserve today made history, delivering its 11th interest rate cut this year. Economist Ed Yardeni of Deutsche Bank says the Fed made a mistake. He will be here to tell us why he believes that -- all of that, a lot more coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us.
Now back to Wolf Blitzer in Washington -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou.
And marking a moment that changed America forever: a look at some of the ceremonies from around the country to commemorate the Trade Center attacks -- when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: I will be back in one hour in the CNN "War Room." Senator Richard Shelby, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, will join me at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific. We will discuss the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the ultimatum given to al Qaeda forces in Eastern Afghanistan to either surrender or die.
Here in the United States, it's been a day to remember those who died in the attacks believed orchestrated by Osama bin Laden three months ago today. We leave you now this hour with a sample of today's ceremonies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): ... have been strongly condemned by our people, by all Palestinian people and by the peoples of the world.
ROBERT BLACKWILL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDIA: Three months ago today -- it seems much, much longer -- then, almost to the minute, the world changed.
JOHN REED, BRITISH NORTHERN IRELAND SECRETARY: We must never forget the pain and the suffering caused to thousands of families in the United States and throughout the world.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: And I think it's as well now, three months on, just to remember those events for a moment, how terrible they were, what a ghastly and evil tragedy it was for people in the United States of America, but how that reverberated right around the world.
BUSH: The course we follow is a matter of profound consequence to many nations. If America wavers, the world will lose heart. If America leads, the world will show its courage. America will never waver. America will lead the world to peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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