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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Will New Cargo Container Make Flying More Secure?; Does Airport ID Card Create Privacy Issues?; Unprecedented Security at Olympic Games

Aired February 08, 2002 - 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: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: a day after a cockpit invasion is stopped by an ax-wielding copilot, a struggle on another airliner, while one more flight gets a bomb scare before takeoff. Will a new cargo container ease concerns?

Trusted travelers may soon avoid security hassles by swiping a smart card. But, do you really want the airlines to know as much about you as your doctor, or the IRS?

And from combat air patrols to troops on the ground: unprecedented security at the Winter Olympics, with the opening just hours away.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Throughout this hour, we'll be going live to Salt Lake city, where President Bush is getting ready to formally open the Winter Olympic Games.

But first, there is a new and dramatic development in the case of the suspected airline shoe bomber, and that tops our news alert. European law enforcement officials say they now have hard evidence linking shoe bomb suspect, Richard Reid, to one of Osama bin Laden's European cells. We'll have a live report on this in just a moment.

U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan are at the site where suspected al Qaeda members were killed in a missile attack. A remotely-controlled predator spy plane fired a missile at a group of people on Monday. Officials say at least three were killed, including one who may have been a senior al Qaeda leader.

Police in Karachi, Pakistan, say kidnapped "Wall Street Journal" reporter, Daniel Pearl, was lured into a trap by a series of e-mails. The e-mails promised an interview with a militant linked to shoe bomb suspect, Richard Reid. Three men detained for questioning this week were formally charged today with kidnapping Pearl.

Members of a Senate committee expect that the former Enron chief, Kenneth Lay, will testify before Congress next week. However, Lay's spokeswoman says Lay has not made up his mind. Earlier indications were that Lay would take the fifth amendment, but senators say that does not appear to be the case now. Lay was subpoenaed to testify after he canceled a scheduled appearance this week. And just a few more hours before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, President Bush will be on hand, as well as thousands of athletes from around the world, and the largest security force ever in the history of the Games. We'll be going live to Salt Lake City a little later in this hour.

Now back to our top story: new evidence in Europe linking shoe bomb suspect, Richard Reid, to Osama bin Laden. Our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is covering the latest developments. She joins us now live -- Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf. Investigators trying to find who helped the alleged shoe bomber, Richard Reid, have new leads. We'll tell you about them right after we show you what the shoes look like. Not sneakers, as originally described by authorities, but more like hiking boots. The explosives were molded to fit inside the soles of the shoes, that were made in Indonesia. The bomb inside, about four to six ounces of explosives, was not detected by security at the airport in Paris. Now for those new leads.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): CNN has learned investigators now have physical evidence they believe links accused shoe bomber Richard Reid to one of Osama bin Laden's European cells.

CHRIS RONAY, EXPLOSIVES EXPERT: I think a lot of work went into this, whoever's was behind it.

CANDIOTTI: The new al Qaeda link involves phone cards. According to European law enforcement sources, Reid was arrested in Boston with a prepaid card like this, compatible only with public phones in Belgium. Phone records show that card was used to place a call to a cell phone equipped with another Belgian prepaid phone card.

That cell phone card was found in the Brussels apartment of suspected al Qaeda terrorist, Nizar Trabelsi (ph), implicated in a plot to blow up the U.S. embassy in Paris. Investigators say the phone cards represent physical evidence of a link between accused shoe bomber, Richard Reid, and a European al Qaeda cell.

STEVE POMERANTZ, FORMER FBI COUNTERTERRORISM DIV: It is certainly going in that direction. This was an operation that was plotted and hatched in Europe.

SCHNEIDER: Reid was tackled aboard the Paris-to-Miami flight when he allegedly tried to light a safety fuse that ran through the top of the shoe. The bomb shoes contained a potent combination of PETN, TATP, bound together by detonation cord filled with even more explosives. A palm print and hair other than Reid's were found in the device, contradicting his claim he made the bomb himself.

Before boarding the flight to Miami, Reid used the Internet at this hotel in Paris to get final instructions. But from whom? POMERANTZ: To roll up that network, to get beyond Reid, in order, A, to bring the people to justice, and B, more significantly, to prevent them from carrying out additional attacks -- is critically important.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: But at this point, even though investigators are convinced Richard Reid had accomplices, they don't know who they are -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Susan, you say that the shoes themselves, the hiking boots, whatever they were, were made in Malaysia (sic). But does anyone have a better idea where the bomb was actually assembled, put together?

CANDIOTTI: Well, investigators are still trying to nail that down, keeping in mind that the explosives inside were very volatile, very potent, and instable. So if whoever crafted the shoe had the knowledge to stabilize those materials, investigators suggest they could have been made in Belgium, where Reid had spent time, or in France, where he also spent time just before he boarded that flight.

BLITZER: Susan Candiotti with the latest on the shoe bomb suspect. Thank you very much.

And shifting now to some scary incidents toady at airports and jetliners around the country. At least two disturbances. One, a bomb scare at one of the busiest airports in the world, and a jet diverted by an unruly passenger. Details on those incidents in just a moment.

But first to Miami, where the man who allegedly said he wanted to destroy everything on an international flight made his first court appearance earlier today. CNN's Mark Potter is covering the alarming case of the cockpit break-in. Mark, what happened today?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, 29-year-old Pablo Moreira had his initial appearance in the Miami federal courthouse, the building behind me. It didn't last very long, just a few minutes. The magistrate judge, Peter Palermo, read the charge against him: interfering with a flight crew. And that's a very serious charge. It carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.

Now, Moreira is being held without bond right now. There will be a hearing on Tuesday to see if that continues. The U.S. attorneys office is recommending that he stay in prison until his trial, on the grounds that he is a flight risk, and also, that he is a danger to the community. Now, Moreira was represented in court by two attorneys, both of them former federal prosecutors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLAN SULLIVAN, MOREIRA'S ATTORNEY: Pablo, our client, is not a terrorist. He has no affiliation or association to any terrorist organization. The circumstances that brought him here are quite unfortunate, but again, we're going to have to be heard at a later date about those circumstances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, the U.S. attorney here, Guy Lewis, the chief prosecutor, said that Moreira committed a very serious act, and he said that he was particularly concerned about allegations that after he was subdued, Moreira said, "I just wanted to destroy everything." And Lewis then issued a warning to anyone else who might consider committing a similar act on an airplane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUY LEWIS, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA: Let me make it absolutely clear. Whether it is assaulting a flying officer, pushing a steward or a stewardess or a flight attendant, whether it's the extreme circumstances like we've seen here, it is absolutely not going to be tolerated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, neither the prosecutors, nor the defense attorneys could offer an explanation for why Moreira kicked in part of that cockpit door on the flight from Miami to Buenos Aires early yesterday morning. Moreira was flown back to the United States this morning, in the custody of Argentine and U.S. officials.

He was looked at by a doctor here in Miami, because he had been hit on the head with an ax wielded by a co-pilot. After that moment in the hospital, he was then brought here to the courthouse for that initial appearance. And he is now in a detention center here in downtown Miami -- Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Mark Potter in Miami, thanks for the update.

And let's take a look now at some other developments involving the nation's planes. There was a bomb scare at Atlanta's Hartsfield International airport. A Delta Airlines flight to Boston was canceled this morning after a bomb threat was made over the phone. The plane was taken from the gate before any passengers or crew boarded. It was searched, and nothing was found.

In Cleveland, a passenger is in police custody after he caused a disturbance on an Atlantic Coast Airlines flight this morning. Officials said the man, identified as a French national, was subdued by a flight attendant after he became verbally abusive and refused to put out a cigarette. The Delta connection plane, on a flight from Indianapolis to New York, was diverted to Cleveland.

And on the issue of airport safety, a California company today unveiled a new bomb resistant cargo container. The Federal Aviation Administration recently approved the container for use on U.S. aircraft. And it has passed blast tests at an FAA site in New Jersey. Airlines are not required to use the containers, and one aviation source says the added weight will be a factor in airlines' decisions on whether to use the new container. With all of these troubles in the skies overhead, some in the airline industry are looking to create another safety measure called a Trusted Traveler ID card. It would contain vital information about the traveler to move them quickly through security checks. But some opponents say the card creates dangerous privacy issues.

Let's open up the debate. Joining us is Texas Congressman John Culberson. He's from the House transportation committee. And Barry Steinhardt, the associate director of the ACLU. Barry, let me begin with you. What's wrong with a Trusted Traveler card if it will allow those passengers who have no criminal records, nothing to worry about, to zip through security checkpoints and let the police and the law enforcement authorities deal with more serious concerns?

BARRY STEINHARDT, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ACLU: Well, you know, Wolf, I'm one of those road warriors. I fly a lot of miles. There is nothing I'd like better than to get out of security free card. The problem is, I think, from a security point of view, the members of those sleeper cells, who attacked on September 11th, most of them would have easily enough been able to get one of these cards. They would have gotten out of security free. It doesn't make a lot of sense, from a safety point of view.

Certainly, for a privacy point of view, we don't want the airlines and what's ultimately going to be the federal government, creating dossiers on tens of millions of Americans who fly every year.

BLITZER: What about that, Congressman Culberson?

REP. JOHN CULBERSON (R), TEXAS: I believe an American citizen's most important right is to be left alone. And the trusted traveler card would only be available to American citizens, and the database would be contained on this chip. You wouldn't be in an international database unless you're a criminal, and already have a record as a violent criminal, either locally, statewide or in the national database.

BLITZER: And, Barry, this is a system that's used widely by El- Al, the Israeli national airline. And they've had no problems with it. If it's good for them, why not broaden it and use it here in the United States?

STEINHARDT: Well, first, I think the congressman is not quite right. In fact, the Department of Transportation plans suggest that there be much wider searches of databases, than he suggested. But secondly, the question is, is that what makes El-Al safe, or is it the kind of common-sense measures that they take, like checking all baggage when it goes into the cargo, like securing the cockpit doors. And those are things that are working for El-Al.

I was just on a panel with a former representative of Israeli security at airports. He conceded that that's essentially what really works -- the common sense things that are less intrusive of our privacy.

BLITZER: What about that, Congressman? CULBERSON: All the information about you would be contained on this card. Again, you're not on any database unless you're a criminal. Only American citizens could get the card. Congress writes the law the Department must follow. We included a provision for a trusted traveler card in the aviation security bill. And it's a voluntary program. You go through a 15-minute background interview by a security expert, a criminal background check. If you're an American citizen you through the interview, you pay the hundred dollars, you have no record, you get the card.

And that only allows you to bypass most security. But all of us would still be required to go through the scanning of your bag. Essentially, this would let you go through the express checkout line, as we did before September 11th. So those of us who travel regularly, who are not a security risk, could get to our gate.

And the security forces could focus on people who are a potential risk -- non-American citizens, people who have a criminal record or will not take the background interview. This will make the airlines more secure, and make it easier for people to travel, because time is one of our most precious assets.

BLITZER: Barry Steinhardt, the congressman makes the point this would be totally voluntary. If you don't want to give up any of your privacy, there's no one forcing you to apply for one of these cards.

STEINHARDT: Well, I don't think this is going to be voluntary very long. It's pretty clear that what this is going to do is create a get out of security card. And I think most people are going to want that. They're going to be effectively forced into this.

It's also clear that it's going to be far more intrusive than the congressman suggests. With all due respect, Mr. Congressman, I've read the working plan that came out of the Department of Transportation. And it is far more -- intrusive searches that will apply, to not just airline passengers, ultimately, but to everyone who uses public transportation. And in the end, everybody is going to want one, including the terrorists, who are going to work very hard to get them.

BLITZER: And there's a lot of people out there, Congressman, who say this is the first step down a very slippery slope towards a national identification card -- something the government, the Congress and the executive branch have resisted for more than 200 years.

CULBERSON: I'm a Jeffersonian Republican, Wolf, and a passionate defender of individual privacy and letting Texans run Texas. The only place this data would appear would be on the card itself. You're not in a database unless you're a criminal. This card, in the opinion of every security expert, would allow the security forces to focus on people who can't pass the test, won't answer the questions.

It works in Israel, it will work here. And frankly, Barry, we write the laws that the administration has to enforce. This is common sense, in my opinion. If the ACLU is against an idea I've got, I must be onto something pretty good. BLITZER: And, Barry, if you take a look at what the congressman just said, at a time when the country does face terrorist threats, why not give up a little bit of privacy to ensure greater safety?

STEINHARDT: Well, you know, in the end this is not a contest between security and privacy. This is not going to make us more secure. It's going to result in our letting our guard down. We're going to let people get these cards, we're going to let people get out of security free, who we should not give these cards. And I'm concerned, as someone who flies a lot of miles -- I'm sure not as many as the congressman -- about the prospect of a get out of security free card.

BLITZER: OK. Barry Steinhardt and Congressman John Culberson, thanks to both of you for joining us. I'm sure this debate is only just beginning, and we'll have you both back. Thank you very much.

CULBERSON: Thank you, Wolf.

STEINHARDT: Thank you.

BLITZER: Let's check out the situation now, as far as the war in Afghanistan is concerned, and the latest on that missile attack Monday, that may have killed a senior al Qaeda leader. Our military affairs correspondent, Jaime McIntyre, is live at the Pentagon. He has new developments in the story -- Jaime.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, five days after that strike, the U.S. still doesn't know who was killed by the hellfire missile fired from a CIA drone. But now, with U.S. troops on the ground having arrived at the site today, the U.S. may have a way to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Three U.S. Army CH47 helicopters like these have inserted more than 50 soldiers from the 101st airborne division into a remote mountain site near Zawarkili, in southeastern Afghanistan. Their mission is to scour the snowy mountainside for evidence of who was killed, when an armed CIA drone scored a direct hit on a group of three men in white robes -- one of whom appeared to be a senior al Qaeda leader.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHMN.: To answer what might be the first question, no, we don't have any reports yet from the ground. This is due to the fact that it's nighttime there. That's when they were inserted. And they're going to wait until first light to begin their sweep.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon officials are hoping the CIA may have gotten lucky and hit Osama bin Laden, especially since video from the remote controlled spy plane indicated the targeted man was tall, like bin Laden. But so far, the U.S. has no indication one way or the other.

(on camera): Is there any evidence that would suggest Osama bin Laden might have been among those killed? DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We just simply have no idea.

MCINTYRE: Have you ruled out that possibility?

RUMSFELD: We have not ruled in or out anything.

MCINTYRE (voice-over): It's been five days since the attack and fresh snow has fallen. So finding what's left of the victims may be difficult, especially if the bodies have been buried or removed.

MYERS: They're award that there may not be a lot of evidence. They may have to gather small evidence and bring it back, and see if it can be evaluated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: It may be days, Wolf, before the Army team is able to find anything, and even longer before military forensics experts can offer any firm conclusions -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie, as far as the decision that the administration announced yesterday giving those detainees -- the Afghan, the Taliban detainees the equivalent of the provisions -- the protects of the Geneva Conventions guarding prisoners of war, one of the major factors that led to that reversal on the part of the administration was the potential future treatment of U.S. POWs. Explain to our viewers the impact of that.

MCINTYRE: Well, I'm not sure it was a reversal, because the decision, although they said they would apply the Geneva Convention to the Taliban, they then measured them against that convention and decided they didn't qualify for POW status. So nobody was granted POW status.

The Pentagon says that it was foremost in their mind to make sure that they didn't do anything that would -- quote -- "disadvantage the rights of American prisoners if they're taken in a future conflict." But there are still some questions about that. For one thing, although there were some U.S. special forces who were dressed in civilian garb, even though the Pentagon said they had military uniforms or insignia underneath, and carried ID cards -- two of the criteria that they've cited as part of Geneva Convention rules to qualify as a prisoner of war.

But a lot of the Afghan allies who fought right alongside the Americans did not have uniforms, did not carry their guns openly, and didn't represent any government. Of course, it's kind of a moot question, because the Taliban didn't respect the Geneva Conventions, either. When they captured prisoners, they often killed them. Sometimes they even killed some of their own people, to prevent them from defecting.

But the concern here is that the U.S. not set a precedent in which some future conflict someone could say, we're not granting the American troops prisoner of war status, under the same criteria used here.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much for that clarification.

And joining us now with some insight into all of this, CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd. General, thanks for joining us. Why is it taking so long to clarify that hit on that convoy on Monday? It's now Friday. Pretty soon it's going to be daylight over there. What's the process they have to go through?

GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, first of all they have to fly them in. And they did that in three CH47 helicopters. It's at 11,000 feet and the weather is really lousy, and there's bad guys all around. So they want to be very careful when they go in there, that we don't go into an ambush. And so they want to walk in there very carefully. But the weather has been the major factor in keeping them out so far.

BLITZER: We do have a map, and I want to put it up on our screen -- the Tora Bora area. This is a very famous area, because that was the site of so many U.S. strikes. If the helicopters go in there, special operations forces go in to try to make a positive of who, in fact, was in that convoy, how do they do that?

SHEPPERD: Basically, they get off on the ground and they go look for parts. And they look for parts of human remains, they look for parts of vehicles that may have been in that area. They look for something that may have been abandoned as people fled. And so little pieces, just like in a civilian case, you look for little pieces of evidence.

But then you continue your human intelligence that led you to the strike in the first place, and go back to that human intelligence -- say, what have you heard since the attack? So, we're putting together a mystery, is what it amounts to.

BLITZER: If that predator, unmanned CIA aircraft launched that laser-guided hellfire missile and hit a convoy, and it hit, let's say, Osama bin Laden. A tall guy who, presumably, was in there. Would that be a lucky break, or would that be skill?

SHEPPERD: It would be one heck of a lucky break, backed up by a very sophisticated system that required a lot of skill to put together and a lot of skill to employ. You don't just go around with a video camera looking for vehicles out there in a convoy and shoot at them. Basically, you have to combine that with human intelligence. There's a lot of moving parts in this that said, we think these are really bad guys, we are sure they're bad guys. Then they put it into a targeting cell, and the targeting cell has to get approval to shoot. So this is very complicated and very sophisticated.

BLITZER: The possibility, though, is still out there that bad guys were now killed. But maybe good guys were killed, and this could be a case of mistaken identity. SHEPPERD: Absolutely. We try to keep that from happening, but we've seen it happen several time sin this war. It's always a possibility and something we try to avoid, but it happens.

BLITZER: Very briefly, while I have you on this classification of these Afghan detainees versus the al Qaeda detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The Geneva Conventions applying to them -- what's your take on this?

SHEPPERD: My take is, as Jamie said, it's very confusing and very technical. What we're saying is, the Taliban are going to be afforded the Geneva Conventions and the al Qaeda are not. But neither of them are POWs. The idea is to make sure we don't set precedent that will affect our soldiers that may be captured or detained in future events.

But -- and the reality is, there is no effect on the treatment of the prisoners. They're being given medical care, they're being cared for, and we want to treat them appropriately. A lot of this is in response to the international opinion, Wolf.

BLITZER: Especially in Europe. General Shepperd, as always, thank you very much.

And you can find out more about the military's most secretive group of warriors later, in the CNN WAR ROOM. Tom Clancy and General Carl Stiner wrote a book about the special forces. They will join me live, 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

And tonight, please join Brent Sadler for "LIVE FROM YEMEN." See the school where John Walker Lindh learned to speak Arabic. That's at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.

The Winter Olympics begin tonight, and President Bush is already there, meeting with U.S. athletes. With all eyes on Salt Lake City, who's watching the rest of the country? Find out how vulnerable we may be when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Turning now to the 2002 Winter Games: President Bush will take part in tonight's opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our White House correspondent, Major Garrett, is traveling with the president. He joins us now live with a look at how the president is celebrating the Olympic spirit. Set the stage for us, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, welcome to Salt Lake City, wolf. All of us are here, the president is here. He's going through some ceremonial events right now. He just finished one at the state capitol, featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as you might well expect. Also some notables from the international community -- Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, Cal Ripken, famous baseball player, Jack Kemp, a famous politician and formerly famous football player. And at the event, the president said, you know, it's going to be interesting how the athletes and the spectators here in Salt Lake City balance the desire to be patriotic, to back America at this time of great challenge, the president said, but also, to recognize this is an international event and the world will be watching. And he wants athletes and spectators to strike the right balance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's important for all Americans to obviously root hard for our athletes, and recognize, however, this is an international event. And one of the things that is important is that there be world unity. And this is a nice place to have world unity, during the competition. And, you know, an athlete wins, people salute their flag and their anthem. And unfortunately, it's not going to be the American flag every single event. It will be somebody else's country, but it gives us a chance to cheer for others and celebrate with others, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: The president took a few other questions. Among them, how secure things are here in Salt Lake City. The president said he's very confident with all the precautions taken. He said his mere presence here underscores the fact he feels this is a very safe, secure place.

In a few moments, the president will meet with the entire U.S. Olympic team. And of course, he'll participate in the opening ceremonies tonight. And in those opening ceremonies he will read a standard, 14-word statement by any head of state in the host country, welcoming the world to Salt Lake -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Major, you travel with the president all over the world and obviously, wherever he goes, the security around him is very, very tight. But is it even tighter, as far as you can tell, in Salt Lake City?

GARRETT: Certainly, everything we've been able to see so far, Wolf. You remember from this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a lot of times when you cover the president, you land at the airport and get in a bus, you go to one location, the president goes to another. And that's really what's happening to us now.

But from what I've been able to see, and everything I've been able to read and the folks I've been able to talk to here, you've got 16,000 security personnel spread across many agencies -- federal, state and local. This is an incredibly secure place. The president is here, and after the president leaves tonight, the organizers know this is a target. This is a target until the Games end, and they're going to do everything possible, both visibly and invisibly, make sure no harm comes to the athletes or the spectators, or the reputation of the United States, Salt Lake City, or the Olympics, themselves -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Major Garrett in beautiful Salt Lake City, a spectacular sight behind you. Thanks very much for joining us, Major. Enjoy the Games while you can.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld says there's a bigger U.S. military presence in the Salt Lake City area than there is in Afghanistan. Does this focus on the site of the Olympic Games leave the rest of the country more vulnerable? Joining us now for some answers is our CNN security analyst, Kelly McCann. What about that, Kelly? Are we more vulnerable elsewhere because of the enormous amount of resources devoted to the Olympic Games?

KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: If you look at it from a federal asset standpoint, sure, because we have only got limited amounts of those. But state and local authorities still have a very large amount of assets that are apportioned to their own communities.

So, in an effort to really focus on a national special security event, which is designated based on possible public impact, we had to do this, of course. But states are still being vigilant themselves. So, although we are strapped a little, we are doing the right things.

BLITZER: But if terrorists are smart, why go after a target as difficult as the Olympic Games or the Super Bowl, some high-profile target like that, where there are thousands of troops, law enforcement authorities? Why not use the occasion to go after someplace that presumably might be more vulnerable?

MCCANN: Exactly. These things are figured on a matrix. And if you looked at the risk factor of possibly getting caught or failing vs. a smaller success, that's what the terrorist is trying to figure out. And, really, it is really up to them what they want. If they want a big event to be the focus and have the most impact, of course they would attempt something at the Olympics.

But if they want to work on the American psyche, and they want to really invade you and make you personally fearful in smalltown Montana or smalltown Idaho, places like that, you are exactly right. They would seek that soft underbelly. The biggest thing is, we can't be everywhere. But neither can they.

BLITZER: So what can we be doing? What should the law enforcement, the intelligence community, the military personnel, what should they be doing at a very sensitive moment like this?

MCCANN: I think there are two things. No. 1 is, is that the American people have to stay vigilant. And already endurance over this war is starting to wane a little. It doesn't have the media coverage. People are a little bit at arms lengths. So we have to kind of come back to the table and remember this is going to be a long fight.

Secondly, there has to be an education process with the public so they can become, effectively, the grassroots eyes and ears for law enforcers, because there's simply not enough of them. Tom Ridge has his work cut our for him. He's making inroads, but it is going to be a long fight, Wolf.

BLITZER: And Tom ridge is only responsible for homeland security in the continental United States.

MCCANN: That's exactly right.

BLITZER: There are a lot of U.S. interests, personnel all over the world. And they presumably could be targets as well.

MCCANN: Of course. And corporations are making inroads there. We're seeing an upgrade of training capability for expats who are working overseas and things like that. So it is being taken seriously and steps are being taken.

Kelly McCann, thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

BLITZER: The Winter Games are the subject of the question of the day: What's your favorite Winter Olympic sport? You can vote at my Web page, CNN.com/Wolf. We'll show you the results at the end of the hour when I read our e-mail. Drop me a message and maybe I'll read it on the air. That's at CNN.com/Wolf. And that's also, by the way, where you can read my daily online column, five days a week, that is.

A Dick Cheney health checkup is next. The second in command is preparing for a big overseas trip. How is his heart doing? And later: the Web that caught kidnapped journalist Danny Pearl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Vice President Dick Cheney is preparing for a trip to the Middle East. And today he went for a physical which included a review of his pacemaker. Doctors say he is doing just fine. Still, the vice president's history of heart disease remains a concern.

Joining us now is Dr. David Pearle. He's director of the Coronary Care Unit at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Dr. Pearle, thanks once again for joining us.

DR. DAVID PEARLE, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: The whole issue of stress, this is a high-stress job the vice president has. He has a history of heart problems. Is that a serious concern, stress and the impact of this heart disease?

PEARLE: Well, it seems sort of intuitive that stress would be related to heart disease. Actually, the medical evidence is not real strong on it. And people experience stress in different ways. There are a lot of people whom stopping work would be a lot more stress than continuing to work.

BLITZER: So, when you have a high-powered person who comes to you with a heart problem, heart disease, do you tell them to take it easy and maybe you should think about easing the job situation a little bit? PEARLE: I tell them to think about what they really want to do. If it is stress that they find very uncomfortable, unpleasant, usually somebody else is making you do it, not something you choose to do, and they have very bad heart disease, a bad exercise test, I might tell them to step back. If the tests are all good, I think they have to decide whether this is something they experience as unpleasant and difficult and affecting their heart.

BLITZER: Now, as far as the situation of the vice president is concerned, he has a big trip ahead of him. I think there are, what, nine or 10 countries he is going to. We will put up on the screen to show our viewers the list of countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, all of these countries. He is not going on a pleasure cruise. He's got very difficult negotiations, talks he has got to conduct, dealing with the most important national security issues facing the United States.

PEARLE: I think it was very wise for him to have the kind of evaluation he did now to make sure there is no pending trouble. By all accounts, his tests today went very well. He had an exercise test, an echocardiogram. His cardio defibrillator was checked. And there were no particular signs of trouble.

That is not to say something couldn't happen. It makes it very unlikely. And I think this is a man who is no doubt accustomed to stress and probably experiences it different than somebody else would.

BLITZER: Speaking about the deliveryman and the pacemaker, what kind of maintenance do you need? What kind of checkups do you need to make sure that things are actually working the right way?

PEARLE: Well, they are fantastic devices. It's almost like having a cardiologist sitting on your shoulder prepared to act, if need be.

One thing that needs to be checked is whether the pacemaker defibrillator is functioning properly. But these things are so beautifully engineered that they almost invariably do. The second thing is, the pacemaker defibrillator does have the ability to record whether it has in fact detected a dangerous arrhythmia or been required to fire to treat a dangerous arrhythmia.

And, by the accounts we have heard so far, his defibrillator hasn't been activated. The device has not detected dangerous arrhythmias -- so good news for the vice president.

BLITZER: All right. And all of us, of course, wish him a very safe and successful trip abroad.

Thank you, Dr. Pearle, for joining us.

PEARLE: Thank you for having me.

BLITZER: Appreciate the insight.

And when we come back: What led Danny Pearl into a trap, or who? Did this man snatch "The Wall Street" journalist? Coming up: new information about the disappearance. And later: There are more soldiers on duty here than in Afghanistan right now. As we count down to the Winter Games opening ceremonies, we will go live to Salt Lake City.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Here is a look at some stories making news around the world: Israeli forces swept into several Palestinian communities today and arrested at least three people. One primary target is the town of Nablus on the West Bank, which Israeli authorities say is a sanctuary for terrorists.

Olympic champion and pro boxing legend Muhammad Ali may have been stunned to learn that he may be Irish. According Irish genealogists, Ali's great grandfather left Ireland in the 1860s, settled in Kentucky and married an African-American woman.

Muhammad Ali is also one of the many people calling for the release of the missing American journalist, Danny Pearl, who disappeared in Karachi, Pakistan on January 23.

And, as CNN's Ben Wedeman reports, authorities believe they are closer to breaking the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this simple flat in the working-class neighborhood of Karachi, Pakistani police discovered a key clue in unraveling the kidnapping of reporter Daniel Pearl.

Inside they found a computer from which was sent the two e-mails with photographs of Pearl in captivity. The computer belonged to a man in his early 20s known only as Fadd (ph), who told police he was given the photos and text of the e-mails by one Sheik Omar Saeed, a man sources describe as the mastermind behind Pearl's kidnapping. Saeed, a British-born militant, was jailed by India in 1994 for involvement in the kidnapping of British and American tourists. He was released five years later as part of a deal to end the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight diverted to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Intelligence sources have linked Saeed to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and say Saeed sent $100,000 to al Qaeda hijacker Mohamed Atta. Saeed also sent money to another of the September 11 hijackers, Marwan al-Shehhi.

CNN has obtained copies of e-mails exchanged between Pearl and one Chaderi (ph) Bashir Ahmad Shabbir, a pseudonym, sources close to the investigation say, for Sheik Omar Saeed. The e-mail reveals how the kidnappers lured Pearl into a trap with vague promises of an interview with a Muslim militant linked to the so-called shoe-bomber, Richard Reid. A nationwide manhunt is underway for Saeed. And sources tell CNN Pakistani police have taken several of Saeed's relatives into custody, essentially as human bargaining chips.

Jameel Yusif runs an agency that helps Karachi police solve kidnapping cases. He met with Pearl just hours before he was kidnapped on January 23. He is confident Pearl's release is near.

JAMEEL YUSIF, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Once you get the prime suspect, then getting the kidnapee out is just no problem.

WEDEMAN (on camera): But Pakistani police are trying to temper such optimism, saying they are satisfied with the progress made so far, but won't be completely happy until Daniel Pearl is free again.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Karachi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And coming up, we will take you live to Salt Lake City. The opening ceremony is just hours away. And later, a Bronx native is taking on the bass fishing world. That's not the only surprise about this fisherperson.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

As we told you, the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games are just hours away.

Joining us now from Park City, Utah is CNN Sports Illustrated's Phil Jones. He has a look at tonight's events.

Phil, give us a preview.

PHIL JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Wolf.

Yes, we are all set for the opening ceremony of this 19th Olympic Winter Games. A snowstorm hit Utah today, though. It swept through here at Park City and Salt Lake City itself. It has pretty much cleared out of Salt Lake City tonight. So they should be OK, apart from some pretty frigid temperatures down there. They are hoping that the high winds that we saw today might also die down somewhat.

It didn't stop the recreational skiers. They were fine, still hitting the slopes today, certainly here in Park City. But it did affect the more competitive skiers. The women's and men's downhill training sessions today were canceled, as was the qualification for the men's K-90 ski-jumping.

Now, as for the opening ceremony itself, as Wolf said, just a couple of hours or so away. We can expect all the pomp and pageantry, of course, 2,500 athletes from 77 countries marching in the opening ceremony. President Bush will be in attendance, so, too, the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge, who will give his first address at an opening ceremony as the president. He was voted in to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch last year. Dress rehearsals have been taking place for the opening ceremony. So we've had a bit of a hint of what to expect in the opening ceremony tonight. We could see some entertainment from the likes of Sting, the Dixie Chicks, LeAnn Rimes, and also from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

There will be a tribute, of course, to the victims of September the 11th. That's been one of the big stories in the buildup to the opening ceremony. The ground zero flag from New York will be brought into the stadium by eight U.S. athletes as a tribute to those victims. President Bush will officially open the Games. And we are all set for 17 days of exciting action here in Park City and the surrounding areas. And the opening ceremony should be beamed tonight to about an audience of up to four billion people -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Phil Jones in Park City, Utah, getting ready for 17 wonderful and exciting days, thanks for that report. We will keep checking in with you during the course of these next 17 days.

And you can keep up with the results of the Salt Lake City Games. Just go to CNN.com. Check out the section explaining each of the Winter Olympic sports.

And coming up, I will answer some of your e-mail. Plus, when you think of bass fishing, the Bronx may not necessarily immediately come to mind. It does, though, for one fisherperson.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That, of course, begins right at the top of the hour.

Lou is standing by -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": As always. Thank you very much, Wolf.

Coming up tonight: questions of security: more airline incidents today -- we will have reports for you -- nuclear power plant guards who lack training; and President Bush opening the Olympic Games. We will have full reports for you. And General David Grange will assess the state of Olympic preparedness against terrorist attack.

And, today, Wall Street breaks a five-session losing streak in a big way. We will be telling you about that. We will be joined by portfolio manager David Tice and economist Donald Straszheim -- all of that and more at the top of the hour. Please join us.

Now back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou. We'll be watching.

And you can meet a new and very untraditional competitor in the sport world of bass fishing. As CNN's Bruce Burkhardt reports, she is giving Bubba and his good old buddies a run for the hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's all about trying to bring in this guy, and a lot of his buddies.

The season opening tournament for the Wal-Mart FLW Bass Tour on Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirteen pounds, 11 ounces.

BURKHARDT: First prize: $110,000. Historically, competitive bass fishing has had the same kind of following as NASCAR. To engage in a little profiling, this is kind of the profile: Bubba, Southern white males.

Well, move over, Bubba, and say hello to Judy Israel of the Bronx, New York.

JUDY ISRAEL, BASS FISHERPRESON: We passed at least 12 beds, but there's no fish on these beds.

BURKHARDT: Among a small but growing number of women who have joined the pro circuit, Judy and her husband Abby decided several years back to turn over their alarm business in the Bronx to their son Eric, and move South to Lake Okeechobee so they could fish full time. Since then, she has more top 10 finishes than any other women on the FLW tour.

But on this day here on her home lake, things aren't going too well.

ISRAEL: The fish is spooked.

BURKHARDT: A pioneer not just for being a woman, but also for being a Yankee competing in a largely Southern arena.

At first, there were language barriers.

ISRAEL: Well, you would come in and say, "you got a biggun? You got a biggun?" I didn't know what they were talking about. That means, "did you catch a big fish today, a biggun?"

BURKHARDT: But fishing is the universal language, and such was her passion for hooking bass that the whole reason she hopped on the tournament trail was to learn from more accomplished anglers. Now it's she who is passing on knowledge.

ISRAEL: We're going to put a golden shiner on.

BURKHARDT (on camera): Which is not allowed in tournaments?

ISRAEL: Right. BURKHARDT: But supposedly, you increase your odds of catching a fish this way?

ISRAEL: Yes, and especially catching a biggun.

BURKHARDT (voice-over): Using live bait, which is strictly forbidden in tournaments--only artificial lures are allowed there. It wasn't long until we found our "biggun."

ISRAEL: Set the hook. Keep that rod tip up. Oh my God, it's a monster!

BURKHARDT (on camera): I've never caught a fish that big.

ISRAEL: OK. Now do you see what happens when you catch fish?

BURKHARDT: You start feeling pumped up.

ISRAEL: It's so exciting. You're so happy. It changes your whole day. That's it! Let's go.

BURKHARDT (voice-over): Another part of the lesson, for every fishing success there's the one that got away.

(on camera): Oh, mercy! How do you reel this thing in? How did I--how did I loose him?

ISRAEL: You didn't get the hook set good.

BURKHARDT: Yeah, I didn't do that. I just--I didn't do that.

ISRAEL: That was a nine-pounder. God dog it! I got a biggun, I reckon.

BURKHARDT (voice-over): Well, you can take the girl out of the Bronx, but you can't take the Bronx out of the girl

ISRAEL: I have such a passion for fishing. If I go out fishing for 12 hours, I wish I was fishing for 14. You can never get me off the lake. That's how much I love it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's go, Bronx.

And you can find out now our Web question of the day. What was your favorite Winter Olympic sport? That's the question we asked you. Hockey, downhill skiing and figure skating are your top three. They're my top three as well.

Time now for some feedback from you.

David from Southfield, Michigan writes to us and says this: "With all of the problems with airline passengers, why do we still allow any alcohol to be served on flights?"

That's a good question, David.

And Ray from Atlanta has this to say: "I am appalled at the amount of time spent on your show calling for better treatment of prisoners in Cuba. You should show more concern for the survivors of the WTC and the Pentagon.

Irene from Framingham, Massachusetts writes: "I haven't heard anyone yet compare John Walker Lindh to the Americans of German descent who chose to join Hitler's army during World War II."

Sabriya from Hartford writes: "The war on terrorism is slowly but surely becoming a war against Islam. Instead of recognizing that most of the nearly one billion Muslims in the world live peacefully in their own communities, the press has only pointed out those few militants who fail to represent anything other than their own perversions of a simple faith."

I'll be back in one hour with more from the CNN "War Room." Tom Clancy and General Carl Stiner, authors of "Shadow Warriors," a book about special forces, will join me, 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

Until then, thanks very much for watching. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.

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