Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Interview with Bill Frist; Tenet Warns of More Terrorism; Jury Decides Fate of California Couple
Aired March 19, 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: the CIA chief steps out of the shadows and offers a warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE TENET, CIA CHIEF: Al Qaeda has not been destroyed. It and other like-minded groups remain willing and able to strike us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll find out if Iraq is lending a hand. And I'll ask Senator Bill Frist about the bioterrorism threat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My most important job is to protect the homeland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That may involve big changes in border security.
A church in crisis, and a cardinal responds.
Their dog mauled a neighbor to death. Now a jury decides the fate of a California couple.
Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. CIA director George Tenet came before Congress today and warned that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda may be down, but they are by no means out. And that tops our news alert.
The CIA director says the worldwide crackdown on al Qaeda has stopped terrorist attacks in the works, and has led to the arrest of some 1,300 extremists with alleged links to bin Laden's terror network. But George Tenet says al Qaeda has not been destroyed and is still more than capable of striking U.S. targets. He says one of the agency's major concerns is the possibility of al Qaeda and other terrorists groups attempting to use weapons of mass destruction against the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TENET: Terrorist groups worldwide have ready access to information on chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons through open sources. Documents recovered from al Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan show that bin Laden was pursuing a sophisticated biological weapons research program. We also believe that bin Laden was seeking to acquire or develop a nuclear device. Al Qaeda may be pursuing a radioactive dispersal device, what some call a dirty bomb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll have much more on Tenet's testimony in a moment.
Meanwhile, a House subcommittee is holding a hearing at this hour on the visa fiasco involving two September hijackers. You're looking at live pictures. Testifying are Immigration and Naturalization Service commissioner James Ziglar and Rudi Dekkers. He's the owner of that Florida flight school which was notified only last week that the hijackers had been cleared for student visas. We'll have more on this hearing coming up in this program.
President Bush is considering a plan aimed at improving security along the nation's borders. The White House says the plan calls for the merger of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service. No word on when the president will make a final decision. The plan would require Congressional approval.
A California jury is now deciding the fate of a couple whose dog mauled a neighbor to death. Marjorie Knoller is charged with second- degree murder in the attack on Diane Whipple. Both Knoller and her husband, Robert Noel, are charged with involuntary manslaughter and keeping a mischievous animal.
The United States and Israel are offering two major incentives for a truce to Yasser Arafat. The Vice President Dick Cheney promised future talks with the Palestinian leader, and the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Arafat would be allowed to attend next week's Arab summit in Beirut. But for either to happen, the Israelis and the Palestinians must first agree to a cease-fire.
More now on our top story, the CIA director's warnings that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network remains a major threat to Americans around the world. George Tenet also says a major concern is Iraq. Our national security correspondent, David Ensor, is covering that development.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Though U.S. intelligence officials have consistently said they find no evidence so far that the government of President Saddam Hussein in Iraq has had any meaningful ties to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, George Tenet, director of Central Intelligence, told senators he could not rule out cooperation between the two.
TENET: Their ties may be limited by diverging ideologies, but the two sides' mutual antipathy toward the United States and the Saudi royal family suggest that tactical cooperation between them is possible, even though Saddam is well aware that such activity would carry serious consequences.
ENSOR: Tenet's comments came after an article in "The New Yorker" magazine said prisoners interviewed in a Kurdish jail in northern Iraq claim Iraqi intelligence and al Qaeda are acting as co- sponsors of a terrorist group called Ansar al-Islam.
The prisoners also told "The New Yorker" "that Saddam Hussein hosted a senior leader of al Qaeda in Baghdad in 1992," "that a number of al Qaeda members fleeing Afghanistan have been secretly brought into territory controlled by Ansar al-Islam," "that Iraqi intelligence agents smuggled conventional weapons, and possibly even chemical and biological weapons, into Afghanistan."
JEFFREY GOLDBERG, "THE NEW YORKER": If this was true, and if some of the other allegations that I report on are true, it reveals a closer and deeper and more permanent kind of relationship between the Iraqi intelligence service and al Qaeda than we had previously thought of.
ENSOR: U.S. officials say, however, that they have "no credible evidence" to suggest Saddam Hussein's intelligence service and the al Qaeda are working together in any way. Though they say U.S. intelligence is watching closely. They note that the Kurds holding the prisoners have an interest in trying to convince the U.S. to take on their enemy, Saddam Hussein. So the words of prisoners they control have to be suspect.
(on camera): If evidence were to be found of Iraq cooperating with al Qaeda, that evidence would help the Bush administration convince neighboring states to get involved in an effort to overthrow the Iraqi regime. So, administration officials are likely to press the CIA to check out these assertions by the prisoners in northern Iraq. David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The subject of Iraq remains a top agenda item for Vice President Dick Cheney, as he wraps up his tour of the Middle East. The vice president is in Turkey, a strong ally in the Persian Gulf War and the current war on terrorism, but at least with little desire for a new war against Iraq. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, is traveling with the vice president. He joins us now live.
John, give us an update. What happened?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this is the final stop of the vice president's 10-nation tour. He is here in Ankara, Turkey tonight. Earlier today, conversations with top government officials, the president and the prime minister. Turkey, in public, says it would oppose any U.S. military operation in Iraq. In private, there are a number of concerns being raised, we are told, but not outright opposition.
Now, some protests in the streets here, as Vice President Cheney arrived in Ankara. Mr. Cheney seeking reassurances from the Turkish government that if the United States did have a military confrontation with Saddam Hussein, it could use the very critical Incirlik Air Base, here in Turkey -- an air base still currently used for the patrols of the no-fly zone over Iraq.
Mr. Cheney, we are told, told the Turkish government the decision on military confrontation is weeks, if not months away, but first the United States will take forward the debate in the United Nations over weapons inspectors, and will insist that Saddam Hussein allow weapons inspectors back in with unconditional access, anytime, anywhere they wanted to go.
The United States does not believe Saddam will accept that, and believes that by mid-summer, if not earlier, there will be another showdown with Saddam Hussein. This stop comes here trying to sell a confrontation with Iraq to the Turkish government, after of course, the vice president's travels throughout the Middle East.
A great deal of skepticism, some outright public opposition in the Arab world, as well. So the vice president wrapping up a very tough diplomatic mission. This one footnote, though. U.S. officials say the point you were making earlier, about what they believe to be a breakthrough toward a truce in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, could get the president and the vice president a better second hearing, when they have another round of talks with the Arab leaders in the weeks and months ahead -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bottom line, John, what the vice president is hearing in private may not necessarily be the same thing we are hearing publicly, as far as a U.S. strike against Iraq is concerned. Is that right?
KING: Exactly right, especially in the case of Turkey, which wants to be a good ally and has been a good ally of the United States. But it's a very difficult issue here. From an economic standpoint, this is a neighboring country to Iraq. And 10 years of sanctions have not only hurt the Iraqi economy, but has had a punishing toll on Turkey's economy.
There also is a political concern. They want to know if there is a military confrontation, what will be there the morning after, if you will. There is a great fear that Iraq could be split in two, with the northern part of Iraq coming into the hands of the Kurds. That could cause significant domestic political troubles for Turkey along its southern borders.
This is the beginning of these consultations. A great deal of worry here, most voiced in private, some voiced publicly. The Turkish government wants to know, if it comes to a military confrontation, is the United States committed to rebuilding Iraq, to having a permanent government in place, territorial integrity in place, much like we see now in Afghanistan -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John King reporting live from Turkey. Thank you very much. And amid the latest CIA warnings of a continued threat from bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network, consider this question: if the United States were hit with a bioterrorism attack, would you know what to do? Republican Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee is out with a book that addresses that specific question. It's entitled "When Every Moment Counts: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism From the Senate's Only Doctor."
Senator Frist joins me now. Senator Frist, thanks for joining us. How realistic is this bioterror threat facing the American public?
SEN. BILL FRIST (R), TENNESSEE: Well, as you heard earlier on your show, and again in another four hours of hearings today, we know that the risk is real for a bioterrorism attack. We know the risk is increasing over time. And we know that we're highly vulnerable today, as a nation and as families.
I wrote this book, "When Every Moment Counts" as a family guide to equip families with what to do if a bioterror attack occurs.
BLITZER: And one of the things you say in the book, and all of us, of course, remember the anthrax letters that were sent out late last year, you write this. "Can we expect more bioterror threats in the wake of the anthrax letter attack? It is no longer a question of if, but when and where and how."
Those are all difficult questions to answer. But are you confident that U.S. law enforcement, the U.S. intelligence community, the military, knows what they're doing and can prepare for this?
FRIST: The intelligence community has told us that we're at risk for smallpox, for anthrax, for botulism -- from a whole list, the plague, as well. Are we prepared? No, we're not unprepared today, but we are underprepared. We've underinvested in our public health infrastructure. That's who you call if an event happens right now, in the homes or in the offices of our listeners tonight.
Who are you going to call? How are they going to respond? How quickly? We're underprepared, but we're getting there. The whole purpose of writing this book, "When Every Moment Counts," is to tell people what they would do if a bioterror attack occurs. Who do you call, what their response is going to be, is there enough vaccine out there, should I have a face mask? All those questions are answered in the book.
BLITZER: And smallpox, if that's a real threat out there, it would make the anthrax attack look like child's play.
FRIST: It would, because smallpox we have no cure. We have no real treatment for smallpox today. It is deadly. Now, the good news is that we've eradicated smallpox as a disease from the face of the earth. But the bad news is that the smallpox virus still exists, in the United States, in Russia, and probably in some of the countries that you talked about earlier in the show. It may be in the hands of terrorists. We're not protected. The vaccine that you got and I got 30 years ago does not protect us today. And as I said, it's highly contagious.
BLITZER: One of the things you do say, on a more upbeat note in the book, you write, "Most experts have concluded that it would be virtually impossible to cause widespread health problems by contaminating a major public water supply." That runs counter to a lot of the things I've heard, that the water supplies are in danger.
FRIST: Well, one of the real purposes of this book, "When Every Moment Counts," is to say there's no reason to panic. There's no reason to be paralyzed. We need to transform all of that sort of fear that we have into resolve.
Water supply, food, air, skin lesions, like with anthrax, are all possible ways of transferring things. Water, I would put at the bottom of the list. The idea of pouring a poison into a big reservoir simply would not cause the widespread destruction that tularemia, or plague or viruses or bacteria would.
BLITZER: And one of the practical things in your book -- and it is a book for the average viewer out there, not necessarily high policy issues -- you have a recommended disaster supply kit that you say every home in America should include. I want to put up on our screen, our viewers can read what's in there, among other things. Water, canned food, nonelectric can opener.
Give us a sense. Is this realistic? Should every American home have these things that they're seeing up on our screen right now?
FRIST: First of all, this is a family security manual. Not everybody is going to follow everything. I took 130 questions, the sort of questions that I get every day. People oftentimes ask what should be in the disaster supply kit? I put a list in there. Most likely what people will do is pick and choose.
Things like having a face mask, a little gas mask. If you get one, it tells you what kind to put in that kit. We would like someone to have duct tape, for example, plastic tape to put around the door stop -- something you wouldn't think of. There's a checklist in the book of about 25 items that you should have. And there's even some items in there for your pets, if you have pets.
Again, this is a family-friendly guide, question and answer. It's going to be out in Spanish as well as English.
BLITZER: All right, "When Every Moment Counts," a very practical guide. Every American should be reading this book.
FRIST: Every family should have this on the bookshelf.
BLITZER: Thank you, Senator Frist, for joining us.
FRIST: Thank you.
BLITZER: The only doctor in the U.S. Senate. Appreciate it very much.
And we'll have more assessment of the al Qaeda threat at 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight here in the CNN "WAR ROOM." Among my guests, the terrorism expert, Brian Jenkins and the former NATO commander, General Wesley Clark. Please join me then. You can participate by going to cnn.com/wolf. Click on "Send Questions" and I'll ask those questions to my guests.
Following the events of September 11th, the INS found itself under increased scrutiny. And as CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports, the Bush administration is rethinking its approach to immigration and homeland security.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Border security is the responsibility of a dozen federal agencies, with missions that can overlap or leave gaps. Since September 11th, an administration priority has been to fix the system so it will stop terrorists without stopping commerce.
At a meeting of his homeland security council Tuesday morning, President Bush was presented with a proposal that would merge, perhaps under the Department of Justice, the enforcement functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, including the border patrol, with the Customs service, now part of the Treasury Department.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has not made any decision yet. The matter is under review.
MESERVE: A much more ambitious proposal was put forward by the office of homeland security in a white paper back in December. It called for the formation of an all new national border administration, merging not just Customs and the border patrol, but the Coast Guard and the agricultural quarantine inspection program of the Department of Agriculture.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: You have multiple agencies with different functions. They don't -- there's no line of accountability. I think there's a management objective and goal that says if you've got disparate agencies, no real chain of command, as you take a look at the 21st century border, you ought to have somebody in charge.
MESERVE: But government sources say the affected federal agencies and cabinet officials pushed back against Ridge, leading to the current, more limited proposal. Even this doesn't have the wholehearted endorsement of the head of the I.N.S.
JAMES ZIGLAR, INS COMMISSIONER: With respect to whether I support it, I think George Bush is going to go down in history as one of the great American presidents. And I'm going to tell you something, I support great American presidents.
MESERVE: But did the president support Ridge in this debate? Some analysts say no. IVO DAADLER, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: Here was a case in which the president needed to step behind Tom Ridge. He didn't. Tom Ridge failed. And therefore from now on, I'm afraid, the people are going to try to run over Tom Ridge and succeed more often than not.
MESERVE (on camera): If the president signs off on this proposal, legislation will be needed on Capitol Hill. Expect heated debate there about whether this does enough to improve security, or whether more comprehensive reform is in order. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Fueling the INS story, of course, six months to the day, two student visas turned up at a Florida flight school bearing the names of the two men tied directly to the September attacks. The owner of Huffman Aviation is on Capitol Hill this hour for a hearing on the INS slip-up.
CNN national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is following this story. She joins us live -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those hearings, Wolf, got under way just a little while ago, the story that you outlined that CNN actually broke just about a week ago. As you can see now, that is not the I.N.S. commissioner, but he is sitting across from the chairman who is leading that House judiciary subcommittee.
And I.N.S. commissioner James Ziglar now taking, at times very heated questions, from members of the House judiciary committee. This is, again, after CNN broke the story about those student visas, notification of which involving the two hijackers was mailed -- were mailed to Huffman Aviation school in Venice, Florida on the west coast of Florida, just a week ago, six months to the day after they were approved -- or six months to the day after the September 11th attacks.
Now, the owner of that school, Rudi Dekkers, is also scheduled to testify this day before the House judiciary committee to explain exactly the process that was involved. Those are the visa notifications that he received just a week ago. And I.N.S. commissioner James Ziglar has said in an opening statement, he admits that the problem here is one that results from obsolete technology. And he is considering a number of changes, including this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIGLAR: We're considering a proposed regulatory change that would result in most visa visitors being admitted for a period of 30 days, unless they can make a case for a longer stay in the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: One of the other changes that is under consideration is this: Currently, someone such as the hijackers could come in on a visitors visa and once here, apply for a student visa. Well, the I.N.S. now says that should probably change. They are considering a change that might require in fact, at some juncture, for a change to occur, if someone wants to apply for a student visa, they might be asked to leave the United States in order to get the approval, and then come back in once they have the approval on the student visa.
But I'll tell you now, Wolf, the way things are going, some of the congressmen clearly not happy and are expressing their displeasure over this latest incident. One of them saying that this was business as usual for the I.N.S., another saying that the I.N.S. is currently in a free fall.
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti. And of course, President Bush last week saying he was pretty up upset about all of this as well. Thanks for that report.
Let's move on now to the situation in Afghanistan, where U.S. forces and their allies continue searching for al Qaeda holdouts. Military sources tell CNN 31 suspected terrorists, captured just days ago, are expected to be released.
The detainees were rounded up Sunday during a raid of a suspected al Qaeda compound near Kandahar. But officials now say it does not appear those Afghan detainees have any links to the terrorist group.
Many more detainees, though, still are waiting for the chance to explain their position. Some have been behind bars since the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom, and now fear they've been forgotten. CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, goes inside an Afghan prison for their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emaciated and pale, prisoners crowd into a tiny cell in Sherbogan (ph) jail. Captured four months ago by pro-Afghan government forces, these detainees claim to have been fighting for the Taliban, not al Qaeda.
A handful of prisoners have been taken by U.S. officials for questioning. Three-thousand one-hundred and fifty-five remain. Most we talked to complain overcrowding is so bad, there isn't enough room to sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our room is -- we are 50 or 60 men in one room.
ROBERTSON: He continues, explaining they have no news of developments in Afghanistan in the last months. A prison guard nearby does not deny the claim. In the nearby cell, this man demonstrates on Mohammad's arm the effects of their poor diet.
Two meals a day, they say. He shows his lunch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This. One.
ROBERTSON (on camera): This is for one man? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Diarrhea, dysentery, headaches and constipation are their primary ailments, they say, and complain of insufficient drugs to combat sickness.
(on camera): The prisoners here are only a small fraction of those captured in Afghanistan in the last six months. Apparently, unimportant enough to warrant detailed questioning by the United States. Their future, however, remains uncertain.
(voice-over): While there is little sympathy for their plight, guards appear compassionate about the conditions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This jail is made for 1,200 people. So it's overcrowded and we don't have enough money for more food.
ROBERTSON: In the wing reserved for Pakistanis, twins Fahim and Azim (ph) say they answered a Pakistani mullah's call to come fight in the jihad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My country Islam. He say you go in Afghanistan jihad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is very poor people, and America whore. Very bad.
ROBERTSON: Now they say they just want to go home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Pakistan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Without going or no coming Afghanistan.
ROBERTSON: Most guards here suspect their captives are unrepentant al Qaeda sympathizers. And they also fear such close containment unites them further. Nic Robertson, CNN, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And scandal continues inside the Catholic Church. Coming up, we'll hear from the man at the center of the controversy in Boston, Cardinal Law.
Plus, "America's Most Wanted" takes on the case of two missing Oregon teens. When we come back, we'll talk to the host, John Walsh, and find out how that investigation is progressing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Word is, federal prosecutors want to seek the death penalty against the only person charged, so far, in the September 11th terror attacks. Investigators say they believe Zacarias Moussaoui was supposed to be the 20th hijacker that day. But he was already in prison on visa violations. Through letters, prosecutors have informed victims' families of their plan, and have asked relatives to provide so-called "victim impact" testimony at Moussaoui's trial. The Attorney General John Ashcroft has not yet formally signed off on the plan.
We're joined now by the former Justice Department official, Victoria Toensing. It's a tough case to prove, but he was in jail on September 11th.
VICTORIA TOENSING, FMR. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Well, that's why he was charged with conspiracy and not the actual crime. Conspiracy cases are relatively easy for the prosecution, when you also have the person participating in the underlying crime. They're relatively difficult when all you have is a conspiracy and, like you say, they were prevented by being arrested.
BLITZER: Because in August of last year, he was picked up on visa violations, sent to jail, they held him. September 11, he was in jail. Conspiracy -- how unusual would it be to seek the death penalty for someone accused of conspiracy, as opposed to actually committing murder?
TOENSING: When you look at the underlying crime, it would not be unusual, because this is a case that is different from any other case we've ever had in our whole criminal history. It's beyond a crime, it's an illegal act of war.
But there's more. He wasn't just picked up on a visa violation, Wolf. He was picked up because he aroused the suspicion of flight instructors who said, why is this guy only wanting to fly and he doesn't want to take off and he doesn't want to learn to land? And that's what got him -- the federal government interested in him. And then they found out that he had a visa violation.
BLITZER: But he's going to have some smart lawyers representing him here in northern Virginia, just outside Washington. They're going to make the case, where's the evidence that he was directly linked up to those 19 other hijackers.
TOENSING: And this is where it's going to be difficult for the prosecution, because it's really an inference case for the jury. The prosecution is going to say the hijackers did, A, B, C, D and E. And Moussaoui did A, B and C. And you're going to have to assume that, but for his being arrested, he would have been there on September 11th to have done D and E -- get on the plane, hijack it and ram it into a building. ]
I think he was scheduled -- their argument will probably be he was scheduled to be on the Pennsylvania plane because it only had four hijackers on it. And there's pretty powerful evidence there.
BLITZER: But there's inference. What is the hard evidence that he was supposed to be on that plane that crashed in Pennsylvania?
TOENSING: This will be the litany that the prosecution will have them put before the jury. Not only the flight school not wanting to land or take off, which is pretty powerful. I mean, that's just become a part of our culture right now. Everyone knows about that.
But he also had -- for things like joining a gym, like all the others. He had a knife in his possession, he had maps, he had a global positioning system with him. He had so many things that were similar to the other hijackers, including contacts with people in al Qaeda back in Germany.
And let me just tell you, that prosecution is going to go into the whole history of al Qaeda. Plus, Moussaoui was at a terrorist training camp at al Qaeda.
BLITZER: It is possible there could be a plea bargain before this case goes to trial?
TOENSING: I think because of the conduct of Moussaoui, I don't think there's going to be. He won't even stand when the judge comes into the courtroom. So if you think the prosecution has any problems, the defense has a lot of headaches, working with a client like that.
BLITZER: OK. We heard from his mother, as you remember, when she was on "LARRY KING" a few months ago. She said she can't believe he would ever want to do that. But we'll have more on that down the road.
TOENSING: Mothers don't get to testify.
BLITZER: That's right. Thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it very much.
Let's check another story in today's justice file. A review by the Justice Department cites a series of mistakes and missteps in the FBI's failure to provide hundreds of documents to Timothy McVeigh's defense team. McVeigh's execution last year was delayed a month because of the belated discovery. The report concludes it was not intentional, but recommends disciplinary action for two FBI agents.
In Oregon City, neither of the families of the two missing teenagers nor the FBI are giving up hope of finding the girls alive. The search for Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis has intensified, with federal agents going door-to-door and friends passing out missing posters. Ashley vanished January 9, Miranda on March 7. They lived in the same apartment complex and were on the same middle school dance team.
Over the weekend, their cases were profiled on "America's Most Wanted." Joining us now: the host of that popular program, John Walsh.
John, thanks for joining us.
And tell our viewers why FBI and other law enforcement authorities believe it is still very possible these two young girls are alive.
JOHN WALSH, HOST, "AMERICA MOST WANTED": Well, we got about 30 tips on Saturday night's show, Wolf, that we turned over to the FBI immediately. And they're holding out hope that these girls are alive.
There are so many similarities, that you mentioned, in the case: that they're both from the same apartment complex. Ashley went missing about a month ago on her way to the school bus. Miranda went missing on her way to the school bus under the same circumstances.
What's really sad about this is, Miranda was actually on television in Oregon City pleading for the return of her friend Ashley and then got kidnapped. But they feel that it is someone that knows these girls and may be holding them and keeping them alive. And, you know, we always hold out hope that these kids are alive, even though every statistic says that the vast majority of stranger-abducted missing children are killed within the first four hours.
We're all holding out hope that whoever has these two girls knows them and is keeping them somewhere and that they will do the right thing and give them up.
BLITZER: As far you know, John -- and I know you're well plugged in to the law enforcement community -- is there a suspect out there, somebody who has been profiled, if you will?
WALSH: No, there isn't a suspect.
There's a lot of similarities to the Danielle van Dam case down in San Diego, the little girl that was murdered about a month ago. And that was the neighbor who lived a few doors away who -- she had sold Girl Scout cookies to him. And he became obsessed with her.
The FBI hasn't talked about a suspect. They're checking all the sex offenders in that area. And they're talking to people about neighbors. And, of course, again, we're hoping that, if anybody has any information, more than what we got on Saturday night, that they would have the guts to come forward. They can call "America's Most Wanted" at 1-800-CRIMETV. We don't have police officers answering the phones and we don't trace the calls.
But there was an attempted abduction about 30 miles south of Oregon City where the girl got away. We now have a composite of a white male. And they think they may be possibly related. But we have got to stop this guy before he gets another little girl.
BLITZER: Of those 30 tips that came in following your program Saturday night, what's the most tantalizing, if you will?
WALSH: Well, that it's someone in that neighborhood, that it's a white male. And it kind of narrows it down from what we thought initially, that it might be a roaming serial predator. But we don't know for sure.
What we do know is that two little girls on their way to the school bus were nabbed in the course of a month and a half and that they're still missing. And a lot of work has to be done. And our prayers are with those families.
BLITZER: And I want to put up on the screen, John, where our viewers, some viewers who might know something, may suspect he or she knows something, where they can call. They of course can call "America's Most Wanted" and 1-800-CRIMETV. They could also call the FBI directly at 503-496-1616, Miranda Gaddis and Ashley Pond.
What's the difference in calling the FBI as opposed to calling "America's Most Wanted," John?
WALSH: We don't trace the calls. We don't tap the calls. I think that's why we've been successful in catching 696 fugitives and getting 24 missing kids back, because people a lot of times are afraid to call the police. They think they will be dragged into the case. So we say, if you want to remain anonymous, call us.
And one other thing, Wolf. The FBI is looking very closely into these girls' computers. You know, yesterday there was a huge sting, Operation Candyman, where they took down 40 pedophiles, and probably 50 more in the next couple days, who were selling or exchanging child pornography or posing as other children in these Web sites. And they are looking into these computers to see if these girls were lured out by someone that they may have thought was another teenage girl and may have turned out to be a pedophile.
So that Operation Candyman sting was a really good operation. So they're looking into these kids' computers. And people should really know who their kids are talking to in these chat rooms.
BLITZER: Good advice from John Walsh, as usual. John Walsh, the host of "America's Most Wanted," thanks for joining us once again.
WALSH: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: And how are churchgoers handling the scandal in the Catholic Church? We will be talking about the toll the controversy is taking on the faithful. And a development of gigantic proportions in Antarctica: We'll tell you whether it's a cause for concern.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Checking some of our top stories this hour: After weeks of graphic testimony, a California jury is deliberating the San Francisco dog-mauling case. A year ago, two dogs attacked and mauled a woman to death in the hallway of her apartment building. The dog's owners face manslaughter charges.
Shareholders from Hewlett-Packard gathered today to vote on a $22 billion merger with personal computer-maker Compaq. Based on preliminary estimates, HP's CEO, Carly Fiorina, says the deal has been approved. Opponents say it is too early to know. The official tally could take weeks.
The Boston Archdiocese is embroiled in a sex scandal. One priest is accused of sexually abusing 130 children during a 30-year period. And now critics are calling for the resignation of the church's regional leader, Cardinal Bernard Law, saying he mishandled the affair.
The cardinal spoke with reporter Victoria Block from CNN affiliate WHDH.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARDINAL BERNARD LAW, BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE: Some days are harder than others.
VICTORIA BLOCK, WHDH REPORTER (voice-over): Cardinal Law revealing his personal feelings about the crisis in the church.
LAW: For me, there is a great deal of pain.
BLOCK: And describes how he's weathering the storm.
LAW: If you're asking, personally, how do I get through the day, prayer is an absolute, indispensable, integral part.
BLOCK: He understands the division within his diocese, appreciates the support he does get and says these are very challenging and difficult times.
LAW: I feel very vulnerable. I feel very weak, as a matter of fact.
BLOCK: But, he says, weakness breeds strength, and credits being focused on the future to get beyond the pain of the past.
(on camera): Do you feel badly that so many people have been disappointed?
LAW: Well, of course.
But more so, I feel badly that people have been hurt and that trust has been, in some instances, shattered.
BLOCK (voice-over): He's trying to rebuild with prayer and his Commission on Clergy Abuse, relying on its wisdom and the goodness of others.
LAW: Dealing with that past is a very painful thing. But I think, you can't go back, but what you can do is go forward, which is what we have tried to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Cardinal Law in a report from Victoria Block of CNN affiliate WHDH in Boston.
Certainly hard times for the Catholic Church, but is the Catholic Church doing everything it can to weed out sex offenders?
With me now: John Leo. He's a columnist from "U.S. News & World Report."
John, thanks for joining us.
And what's the answer? Is the Catholic Church doing everything it can do right now to weed out those sexual offenders?
JOHN LEO, COLUMNIST, "U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT": Wolf, they're still not out in front of this story.
After all these weeks, there are still weak statements and inaction on the part of the church. Cardinal Law, you just saw him talking about his feelings and his pain. I'm sure that's genuine, but he ought to be talking decisively about what he wants to do about it. And it not just a Boston story; it's a national story.
Here in the New York, the cardinal archbishop has not said a word about it. I think this is a mistake. You have to get in front, express your sorrow, and say something really decisive about how you are going to clean up this mess.
BLITZER: Cardinal Egan in New York, some reports accusing him of being involved in covering up these kind of affairs as well as.
Is there any reaction at all from Cardinal Egan?
LEO: Every time the reporters have called the chancery, they are referred back to his previous diocese for comment. I think that's wrong, too. It looks too evasive.
There were up to 13 cases still pending when he left Bridgeport. And he was known to have argued legally that it was not his problem; it was the problem of the parishes since the priests were independent contractors. Well, I don't think cardinals can hide behind that kind of legal jargon. I think they have to come out and deal with it directly.
BLITZER: How much pressure is there on Cardinal Law in Boston to step down?
LEO: I think there's an awful lot. I'm not sure that would solve the problem. I'm ambivalent about it myself. I think the issue is not whether he stays or goes. It's what the church as an institution, as a worldwide institution, decides to do about it. They still haven't got a study, Wolf, of how big the problem is and what has gone wrong.
So, they're really in very bad shape to deal with this decisively.
BLITZER: You probably saw that supplement published in the Catholic newspaper "The Pilot" by the Archdiocese of Boston asking a lot of questions. One of the questions they raised was this: "If celibacy were optional, would there be fewer scandals of this nature in the priesthood?" celibacy being a big issue right now. Do you think that would make a difference?
LEO: I would say no. I think celibacy has to be looked at in its own right, as a separate issue. But I think it has very little to do with pedophilia. Most heterosexual pedophiles are married. So, if you think that marrying off the pedophiles is going to stop their compulsion, I think you're sadly mistaken.
BLITZER: John Leo, as usual, thanks so much for joining us with your insight, John Leo of "U.S. News & World Report."
And this note: A special edition of "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN" tackles this very, very sensitive topic: "Sins of the Fathers: Catholicism in Crisis." That's tonight, 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific only here on CNN.
And our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Who should be responsible for addressing sexual abuse allegations in the Catholic Church?" You can vote at CNN.com/Wolf. While you are there, let me know what you're thinking. There's a "Click Here" icon on the left side of the Web page. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, by the way, where you can read my daily online column: CNN.com/Wolf.
And coming up: tragedy at a professional hockey game. This shot ends up hitting a fan and the results are devastating. And how safe are the world's airports? So safe that millions in cash were stolen in a robbery at one of the world's busiest. We'll tell you which one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Now checking these stories on today's "Newswire": In Columbus, Ohio, a 13-year-old girl has died just days after being hit in the head with a hockey puck at an NHL game. It happened Saturday during a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames. The puck ricocheted off another fan before it hit Brittanie Cecil.
And New York's tallest building is changing owners. An investor group that holds the lease on the Empire State Building has agreed to buy it for $57.5 million. That means about a $6 million profit for the current owners, Donald Trump and his Japanese partner.
For the second time in just over a month, thieves hit the jackpot today at London's Heathrow Airport. The daylight robbery was carried out despite stepped-up security, including heavily-armed police patrols.
CNN's Matthew Chance is in London with details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With heightened security at airports worldwide, another serious breach here at one of the world's busiest. Police say at least two men of Asian origin hijacked a cargo van inside the airport's secure zone. It had been unloading this South African Airlines' flight. Up to $3 million is believed to have disappeared.
TIM WHITE, METROPOLITAN POLICE: The allegation is that the vehicle was taken by two males and driven to Church Road in Cranford, where the contents of that vehicle was transferred to another vehicle, of which we have no details at all at this stage. There was alleged to be a substantial sum of cash. And it was contained in two very large silver containers. The driver of the vehicle was not hurt. And he, amazingly, alerted police and is currently with our inquiries.
CHANCE: Supposedly tight security at Heathrow already has police armed with machine guns, a rare sight in Britain, patrolling the passenger terminals. Airport staff are issued security passes and are meant to be tightly vetted for terrorist or criminal links. There measures are under renewed scrutiny now.
(on camera): It's matter of intense concern just how easily these armed robbers appear to have been able to penetrate security at Heathrow and to operate virtually under the noses of the airport authorities. What's worse, this is the second incident of its kind that's happened in the last two months. Extra security measures implemented since September 11 are clearly having little effect.
(voice-over): And security experts say the situation is unlikely to improve if airports continue to be the busy commercial centers they've become.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And just ahead: A giant new iceberg is drifting in the icy waters off Antarctica -- what that could mean right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
We've got this end from military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, over at the Pentagon: A U.S. Air Force special operations helicopter experienced a so-called hard landing during a resupply mission in Afghanistan earlier today, injuring four members of the six-member crew. One Air Force crew member required hospitalization. The other injuries were reported to be minor. The helicopter hit hard enough, though, to break off the tail of the aircraft, according to officials.
The exact location of the helicopter so far is not being disclosed because an effort is under way to repair or recover it. A second helicopter was sent in to evacuate, to bring home the crew, part of the quick-reaction force of U.S. troops brought in to deal with the disabled aircraft. We'll have more on this as more information becomes available, that from Jamie McIntyre over at the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, scientists and ship captains are keeping an eye on a huge renegade iceberg. B-22, as it's known, broke off from Antarctica and is now floating in the South Pacific.
ITN's Joyce Ohajah with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOYCE OHAJAH, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): Experts have been predicting the collapse of this antarctic ice shelf for years, but they describe the dramatic breakup that has taken place in less than a month as staggering. The Larsen ice shelf, which is just under the size of Cambridgeshire and 200 meters thick, has broken into small icebergs and fragments. On these satellite pictures, the red line shows its size in 1995. The blue line illustrating the extent of its collapse. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey haven't ruled out climate change as a cause.
DAVID VAUGHAN, BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY: We can make the connection between the loss of the ice shelves and the rise in temperature, atmospheric temperature. What we can't do at the moment is tell you why that rise in temperature has occurred, and why, specifically, on the Antarctic peninsula it has been so dramatic.
OHAJAH: Their findings come on the day a new exhibition on climate change opens at the science museum in London. The interactive exhibits focus on how scientists are tacking the issues, and how governments need to take responsibility for the global changes.
MICHAEL MEACHER, BRITISH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: It is a wake-up sign, I think, to the whole world, that when an iceberg of such enormous proportions can break up, which is probably not happened before in human experience in the last quarter of a million years, that shows the effect which we are having on the climate.
OHAJAH: Scientists are concerned. In 2004, they will launch a new satellite which will survey the thickness of the ice here, and monitor closely how our climate is changing.
Joyce Ohajah, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And your turn is just ahead. We'll check your mail right after this. Many of you are outraged over the scandal in the Catholic Church, but what about other churches?
Stay with us.
The iceberg that broke off from Antarctica is 2,130 square miles in size. This is roughly the size of which U.S. state: Maine, Rhode Island, Oregon, Delaware? We'll have the answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Before the break, we asked our "News Quiz Question of the Day." It was about the iceberg that broke off from Antarctica. That chunk of ice is about 2,130 square miles in size. This is roughly the size of which U.S. state: Maine, Rhode Island, Oregon, Delaware? The answer is Delaware.
And let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou. LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you.
The employees of Andersen tonight -- Andersen, the company, is under indictment and under pressure. So are those employees. We'll be talking with some of them. We will hear their thoughts on the government's decision to indict their firm, their company's future as well as their own. We'll also be joined by Israel's consul general, Ambassador Alon Pinkas, and Palestinian representative Hasan Rahman on what it will take to end the Mideast violence.
We will have a special report for you tonight on how the Catholic Church is paying for those huge settlements resulting from its growing sex molestation scandal. And we'll tell you how the shareholder vote is going in the Hewlett-Packard plan to buy Compaq -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou.
And time now to hear from our viewers. Many of you responded to the scandal gripping the Catholic Church.
Kevin writes: "I think the church sacrificed the well-being of the children for the good of the company. They ceased to be men of God and became politicians with collars."
And John says: "We are a strong Catholic family. And, frankly, I'm really upset by all this sensational reporting on our priests and their follies. What about the molestation committed by members of the Protestant clergy?"
That's all the time we have. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
