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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Senate Passes Soft-Money Ban; What Awaits Detainees at Guantanamo?; Soldiers Wounded in Al Qaeda Attack
Aired March 20, 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: Rough customers, rough conditions, but will it be rough justice? Learn what awaits detainees at Guantanamo.
"Voluntary interviews," or racial profiling? Thousands of visitors to the U.S. are politely asked to come in for questioning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Because they fit criteria designed to identify persons who might have knowledge of foreign-based terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And it's been wiped out as a disease. Can this potential breakthrough eradicate it as a bioterrorism threat?
Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Tomorrow, the Pentagon will announce plans on what the U.S. government will do with those hundreds of al Qaeda and Taliban detainees, and that tops our news alert.
The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to unveil the plan for trying al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. And in a bid to lessen criticism, sources say, the proceedings will be called "commissions" rather than "tribunals." They're expected be similar to ordinary military courts martial. But there is one major difference: there will be limits on appealing sentences. We'll have much more on this in just a few moments.
The Attorney General John Ashcroft is again seeking the help of international visitors in the war on terrorism. Ashcroft says U.S. officials will try to interview 3,000 people who he says fit the criteria of those who might have information on terrorists. The interviews will be similar to thousands already undertaken since November. We'll follow up on this story as well.
And only a few moments ago, the Senate passed a campaign finance bill, ending years of Congressional gridlock. The measure is the most sweeping changes for the campaign finance system since the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s. The vote was 60 to 40. The bill now goes to President Bush. He is expected to sign it. In Afghanistan, three allied soldiers were killed and one American soldier wounded when they were attacked outside the town of Khowst. Suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters opened fire with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. A B-1 bomber and AC-130 gunship attacked the source of enemy fire. Troops later searched the site and found shell casings and blood, but no bodies.
In upstate New York, a training accident at Fort Drum killed one soldier and injured 14 others. The accident happened when two artillery rounds landed near a mess tent. Tenth mountain division officials say soldiers were conducting live-fire drills. The incident is being investigated.
More now on our top story, military trials for those al Qaeda and Taliban detainees. They've been a source of controversy ever since President Bush announced the plan many months ago. Tomorrow, the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to spell out the details. Our military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, joins is now live with some of those details -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Pentagon sources say it's possible that only a small number of the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters being detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will ever actually be called before a military tribunal -- something, of course, that the Pentagon prefers to call military commissions.
The Pentagon says the legal process that it has come up with, and will announce tomorrow, takes into account the concerns of critics who worry that the tribunals might simply be kangaroo courts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTORIA CLARKE, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: I think when people see the whole thing and hear the questions get answered, I think they'll say, you know what, that's a pretty good product. And that is a fair and a balanced and a just system. And that's one that the American people can be proud of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Sources say the process will be similar to a military court marshal, in that the accused will be presumed innocent, unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendants will have the right to an attorney, and to see any evidence against them, although some classified material may be reviewed in closed sessions. And the military panel will have to be unanimous to impose the death penalty.
The process will also have some differences from a military trial. Some hearsay and secondhand evidence will be allowed. And while there will be the right to appeal, it will be to a military review board, not the federal courts. And the final review will fall to President Bush, who today labeled those detainees "killers."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They don't share the same values we share. They would like nothing more than to come after America or our friends and allies. And so therefore it's in our national interest to make sure we know enough about them, before we decide what to do with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Not everybody is happy with the plan. Representative John Conyers, in an interview with CNN, said he still thinks the system is geared to produce convictions. It's not so much he's worried about the rights of those suspects in Guantanamo Bay, but how this might set a precedent for captured U.S. troops, and how they might be treated in the future -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And, Jamie, while I have you I understand there was a major finding in one of those caves in Afghanistan, that underscores the potential capability of some of those al Qaeda fighters. Tell us what's going on.
MCINTYRE: Well, this turned out to be a little less significant than the Pentagon thought. Originally, they believed they had recovered a GPS receiver that was originally used by one of the elite delta force commandos in Somalia in 1993, because it had his name on it. But upon further checking, they discovered that this particular model was not manufactured until after 1997, so it could not have come from Somalia.
Originally, it looked like it was part of the evidence linking al Qaeda to that action in Somalia in 1993, in which 18 Army Rangers died. Now it looks like they've simply picked up some of that equipment from the battlefield. It does illustrate that they're also a high-tech foe.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much for that report.
And the Attorney General John Ashcroft is calling on 3,000 more international visitors to the United States to submit to so-called voluntary interviews. The aim of the questioning is to learn more about the threat of terrorism. Our national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, joins us now, live with details -- Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf. Is it a good way to stop more terrorist attacks? Or a good way to stir up trouble? Since the Justice Department began these interviews last November, the debate about them just won't quit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The Justice Department is calling it a "second phase": tracking down another 3,000 mostly Middle Eastern men, all non-U.S. citizens, who authorities claim could help find terrorists.
ASHCROFT: We believe that these individuals might, either wittingly or unwittingly, be in the same circles, communities or social groups as those engaged in terrorist activities.
CANDIOTTI: But Arab-American groups are once again crying foul.
JAMES ZOGBY, ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE: What this does create is it creates a p.r. stunt for the broader public: "look, we're doing something," and it creates chill and fear in the Arab and Muslim community.
CANDIOTTI: In round one that started last November, 5,000 men were targeted. Fewer than half were interviewed; most of the rest could not be found. About 20 were arrested, none for terrorism.
In round two, the targets are also mostly Middle Eastern men, ages 18-46, who entered the U.S. since October through last month. Their passport, says the Justice Department, tie them to countries where al Qaeda is active.
ASHCROFT: The individuals to be interviewed are not suspected of any criminal activity. We are merely seeking to solicit their assistance.
CANDIOTTI: The Justice Department boasts of leads like this one, summarized in a heavily-redacted report provided to reporters.
"One interviewee in (REDACTED) described a man who talked of gathering like-minded friends and going to (REDACTED)."
ZOGBY: This is the best that they found out. They literally have found out nothing.
CANDIOTTI: Last fall, police in Portland, Oregon, refused to help the Justice Department conduct the interviews, saying the process came too close to racial profiling. Justice officials disagree, and insist the interviews have actually improved relations between law enforcement and the Arab-American community.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And, the Justice Department says, it has the support of most Arabs and Muslims, who want to want the U.S. government to protect their freedom. Others ask, at what price? Wolf.
BLITZER: Susan Candiotti, thank you very much for that report.
Joining us now to discuss the legal aspects of the attorney general's plan for al Qaeda and Taliban detainees, as well as those military tribunals, former Justice Department official Victoria Toensing and Tom Malinowski, of Human Rights Watch.
Thanks to both of you for joining us. First of all, on the military commissions or tribunals, Tom, what's your reaction, based on what we know, to the formal announcement? All the details will formally be announced tomorrow. Based on what you know right now, has the Bush administration come around? Do you accept all of these restrictions?
TOM MALINOWSKI, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: I think we've made significant progress. As you recall, Wolf, last November, the president issued an order that caused huge controversy. It would have allowed secret trials, no due process, no appeals, and was criticized resoundingly, I think, throughout the world. They dug a very big hole for themselves. I think they've come a long way to digging out of that hole and setting what we hope will be a very good example for the world.
BLITZER: No complaints whatsoever?
MALINOWSKI: I think we still need to see the guidelines. I think there may still be some concerns about the right to appeal, whether there's a real right here to appeal to an independent court. And there's actually an even more fundamental concern, and that is, does the administration intend to try any of these people?
We now have the rules, but are they actually going to prosecute them, or are they going to leave them in Guantanamo indefinitely, without charging them with crimes?
BLITZER: How do you feel about the way the administration, the Pentagon has come around, if you will, since the original speculative guidelines were released late last year?
VICTORIA TOENSING, FMR. JUSTICE DEP'T OFFICIAL: If Tom wants to take credit for having done it, so be it. But I would say that this government was well aware that new rules had to be made, and that the only thing the president's order did was set out a bookend. And the rules then were going to take place within the confines of that bookend, taking into account the real needs for terrorism kinds of cases, where evidence is collected by foreign governments, many times, and needs to be kept secret.
And they've done that. Security problem, you can't have trials here in the United States. You have to protect witnesses.
BLITZER: Vicki, are you at all concerned that this could be a precedent for U.S. detainees held by unfriendly countries, that they would say, well, look what the United States does to the al Qaeda and Taliban, the Afghan detainees? And that these other countries are going to say, we're going to do the same thing with an American?
TOENSING: Well, they can do that now, and they do do it. Right now I don't think our prisoners of war are treated in any way in the way that they treat ours.
BLITZER: Is that a source of concern to you?
MALINOWSKI: It's a source of concern to us, and frankly it's been a great source of concern to the U.S. military, which was initially very concerned about the president's order, for that reason. It's true that, you know, al Qaeda is never going to treat American prisoners well, no matter what we do.
But this isn't the only conflict the United States is ever going to get into. There are other countries where we really depend on reciprocity. And we were dependent on that ever since World War II, all the way through Vietnam. We've tried to set a god example, so we can preserve our ability to complain when Americans are mistreated.
TOENSING: But we're doing that, in the rules that were set out. If a country has a kangaroo court system, it has a kangaroo court system. So does anyone think, in Peru, that the military court was any different than its civil court, where we have an American woman being held for terrorism crimes? But I would match the safeguards that have been set up, that we hear are going to come out tomorrow, with any criminal justice system in any country.
BLITZER: All right, let's move on and talk about the other issue of the day, these voluntary interviews that the attorney general now wants from several thousand more Arabs who have come to the United States. Some say this is racial or ethnic profiling.
MALINOWSKI: Well, it's a difficult issue. There's a legitimate interest in investigating the possibility of future attacks which all of us feel very strongly. At the same time, we need the cooperation and the goodwill of the Arab-American community. And if this is done in the right way, we can preserve it. If it's done in the wrong way, we may actually hamper our ability to gather useful leads.
BLITZER: So far, is it being done the right way?
MALINOWSKI: Well, I think in some ways, no. I mean, one of the problems that we haven't mentioned is the fact that a number of people have been detained in this country without being charged. And that's created, I think, a lot of tension, which spills over into this debate.
BLITZER: You heard Jim Zogby of the Arab American Institute complain about all this questioning. Saying they don't do any good. No useful information has resulted from it. It only seeks to embarrass the Arabs who are visiting the United States.
TOENSING: I'm very disappointed in his comments, because he should be out there as a leader, saying Arab community and law enforcement should get together. He should be out there promoting the communication between the two groups. In our country, our criminal justice system demands evidence of a crime, from many person. Even reporters, Wolf, as you know, can go to jail if they don't give evidence before a grand jury. This is voluntary.
And what this really is akin to, a shooting taking place in a neighborhood and the police going door to door, knocking, and saying, "do you know anything about this? Do you know anything about that?" The neighborhood now, is al Qaeda. And what the government is doing is talking to people who may have information about al Qaeda, because of the countries where they come from, or because of being members of certain mosques.
It's the government's responsibility to do this. And, as Tom says, it should be done in the right way. But it's got to be done.
BLITZER: OK, Victoria Toensing, Tom Malinowski, thanks to both of you for joining us.
MALINOWSKI: Thank you.
BLITZER: Appreciate it. And tonight, on the CNN "WAR ROOM," I'll be joined by a former Navy Jag officer to talk more about the military tribunals for these detainees. That's at 7:000 Eastern, 4:000 Pacific.
And in the Middle East today, more deadly violence amid continued talks aimed at ending 18 months of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians. A suicide bomber blew himself up on a crowded bus, killing seven people, including four Israeli soldiers. Israel says it won't retaliate for now.
More now from our Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talks aimed at implementing a cease-fire are continuing, despite the latest incidents of violence. A man with an explosive device trying to board a bus traveling between Tel-Aviv and Nazareth in the north. He detonated the device, killing himself and seven Israelis. Among the Israeli dead: four soldiers.
At least 30 people were wounded in the attack. Ten of them are in serious condition. The Palestinian Authority has condemned the attack, but the Israeli government says that the attacks against Israeli civilian targets. Despite this latest attack, though, talks aimed at implementing a cease-fire are taking place. Security negotiators from the two sides, Israeli and Palestinian, are meeting together with the special U.S. envoy, Anthony Zinni.
(on camera): They're aim: to talk about the Tenet proposals. That's the cease-fire plan drawn up by the director of the CIA, George Tenet, last year. Sources tell CNN that the two sides will continue talking until they reach agreement on a cease-fire. That's a very tall order, given the on-going acts of violence. But there is still a slight chink of optimism, that even though this violence continues, there is a possibility of a cease-fire agreement in the offing. Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Does the color of your skin determine the quality of your medical care? Meet a women who says yes, and says she has evidence to prove it.
And later: the ice hockey horror story. Why did she die? An explanation for a spectator's unexpected death. And we'll speak with the man who was hit by the very same puck.
And later, a spring break scare after a shark meets up with a swimmer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. Columbus, Ohio, is a community in shock after a freak hockey accident caused the death of a young fan. The coroner says Brittanie Cecil died of an injury to an artery in the back of her head, after she was hit by a puck during a National Hockey League game over the weekend.
But she was not the only one injured by that wayward slapshot. Larry Young says he was hit in the back of the head by the same puck. I spoke with him just a little while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Larry Young, thanks so much for joining us, although the circumstances not so pleasant. Tell us what happened when you were there at that arena.
LARRY YOUNG, HIT BY HOCKEY PUCK: Well, I was sitting right in front of the girl that got hit. Well, I was in row R, and there was me and my wife and son and another boy. And there was two empty seats off to my right in the same row. And now, the next row back, the girl that got hit, that passed away, was sitting in the seat behind the second empty seat.
And I never saw the puck. I don't know. There were some people, they all jumped up and, you know, threw their hands up and were hollering. But I never saw the puck.
BLITZER: Did the puck hit little Brittanie Cecil first, and then it ricocheted off her and hit you -- is that right?
YOUNG: That's what I believe. I believe the puck hit Brittanie and glanced off and hit me in the right side of the head. Because the first thing that I knew, I felt something hit me on the right side of the head. And I put my right hand up to my head, and when I brought it back down, it was covered with blood. And my wife was there and she says, "Well, Larry, you got hit."
And I said, "Well, I don't know."
And she said, "Yes." And she looked behind us and the little girl sitting behind her had the puck in her hand. And she thought, well, how did she catch that puck, you know? And she had the other hand over her mouth. And I guess, from what I hear, that she lost a tooth and I don't know, maybe had a cut lip or something.
BLITZER: And that was not Brittanie Cecil, the one who had the puck in her hand, right?
YOUNG: No, that wasn't Brittanie.
BLITZER: That was another little girl.
YOUNG: A little 5- or 6-year-old girl, sitting right behind my wife.
BLITZER: The ushers immediately came and took you to first aid, you and Brittanie, right? YOUNG: They took all three of us. When my wife looked over, Brittanie had her head in the lady sitting beside her. I don't know if it was her mother or not -- some lady sitting beside Brittanie. She had her head down in her lap.
BLITZER: Did you speak at all to Brittanie? Did you have a chance to talk to her?
YOUNG: No, I didn't. No, I didn't.
BLITZER: Did you understand at that time, when you were all in the first aid, on the cots, how critically she had been injured?
YOUNG: Well, I was going to tell you. They took us all in there. They put me on one cot and they put Brittanie on a cot next to me. And then over in the next cot was the little 5- or 6-year-old girl. And really, they were working on me.
And now, my wife saw -- she was over by Brittanie, standing over there between the cots. And they took the towel away from Brittanie's forehead, and my wife said it really had a gash, you know, a big cut on her forehead. And they said, well, you know, we've got to get her out of here quick. And they did.
That's one thing about -- they did everything quick. They worked fast in the first aid booth.
BLITZER: Now, Larry, are you OK now? Are you completely healed from your little cut?
YOUNG: Well, I'm not completely. It's still got a place up there on my head, on the right side of my head. But it never was -- I didn't go to the hospital. They said I could, and they might put a stitch in it or two. But I didn't go because I didn't think it was bad enough to, you know, that it needed stitches or anything. It's just about well.
But I knew that -- I think it hit the girl first. And like I say, it hit Brittanie, glanced off, hit me, and then went back and hit the little girl.
BLITZER: Well, it's a sad story, a tragic story. Larry Young, thanks for sharing your firsthand perspective on what happened. Appreciate it very much.
YOUNG: OK. Thank you.
BLITZER: The trip to the hockey arena was an early birthday present for Brittanie. She would have turned 14 today.
We turn now to our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is a neurosurgeon by training. You can see in the pictures we showed earlier, Sanjay, right after the puck hit Brittanie, she appeared to be functioning. How would a doctor be able to know she was in such grave danger? SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf. Well, this is a pretty unusual injury as it turns out. A pretty isolated one, thankfully. I brought a model and a puck just to sort of show what might have happened here.
Incidentally, these pucks are about 6 ounces, and can travel up to 120 miles an hour. And as you just heard from Mr. Young earlier, it actually bounced off of her forehead, then hit him and was still able to cut him. So you get a sense of the speed.
In her case, probably hit the left side of her forehead. And what actually happened was, it caused a sort of dramatic tilting of the brain and neck backwards, which actually caused a tear in one of the arteries that supplies the brain. This artery is located in the back of the neck.
At the time of the actual injury, she probably did not recognize -- it was hard for her to know exactly how severe that injury might be. You certainly can't tell if the artery has been torn at that point. It's over time, as the blood flow to the brain decreases because that artery is injured, that you start to have troubles.
I spoke to folks at the hospital, as well as the folks over there at the arena, and they said at the time when she was at the arena she actually seemed quite normal, neurologically, that is. She didn't appear to have significant difficulties, other than the obvious gash on her forehead.
The folks at the hospital did say by the time she got there, however, things had dramatically changed. She was quite a bit different at that point. So even in the ambulance ride over there, she had started to have significant difficulties, Wolf.
BLITZER: Sanjay, this is a nightmare for every parent who wants to take their kids to a hockey game. How worried should they be about this? What can we learn from this tragic incident? For example, do kids have to go to hockey games now wearing helmets?
GUPTA: Right. Well, you know, Wolf, it's interesting, because pucks do fly out of the rink all the time. And this, as we've heard many times now, is one of the first times that someone has actually been killed by a stray-away puck like this.
The thing that I sort of keep in keep in mind -- and I tell my patients that play sports, that are involved with sports, and all sorts of different things, is that if you've had a significant blow to the head, despite how normal you may feel, or if you get knocked out and then wake up and feel normal, both those things can be very dramatic sort of injuries to the brain. Sometimes the brain injury can be quite a bit delayed, other than the obvious head injury.
If you're concerned about it, or even if you think that it's been a significant enough blow, go to the hospital and get a CAT scan. That CAT scan will be able to detect some early bleeding, which could be corrected, could be removed, if it's causing pressure on the brain. There are some good ways to try and treat these sort of things, but they have to be detected early. So, if there's concern, get it checked out. I think that's the bottom line.
I don't know about the helmets, Wolf. Again, this is a pretty isolated thing. And the way that Brittanie's injury occurred is even more rare, but obviously something to be sort of concerned about.
BLITZER: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, I wouldn't be surprised if some of those parents do bring their kids with helmets from now on. A freak accident, as you say. Thank you very much for your insight.
GUPTA: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: And when we come back, a staggering report out this morning from the Institute of Medicine. Coming up, why many African- American patients may not be getting the quality health care they deserve.
And, rising waters in the South. Some say it's the worst flooding in 25 years. We'll have a live report.
And how much foam do you like in your beer? It's all the buzz in Britain. We'll have a look a little later.
First, our news quiz. Which country consumes the most beer per person? Is it the United States, Ireland, Germany or the Czech Republic? The answer, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: At half past the hour, a quick News Alert. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward in the case of two missing Oregon teenagers. Authorities say they believe both Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis were kidnapped by the same person. Both girls went to school together, were on the same dance team, and lived in the same apartment complex.
A short time ago, jurors deliberating the dog-mauling trial in California were brought back into the courtroom. The judge wanted to clarify a portion of his jury instructions. Earlier, jurors asked to rehear testimony from one of the defendants, Robert Noel, about his dogs' aggressiveness. Noel and his wife are charged in the dog- mauling death of a neighbor.
Not guilty: That was the plea today from Arthur Andersen to one count of obstruction of justice. The accounting firm was indicted last week in connection with the shredding of Enron documents. The trial is set to begin May 20.
A dream realized for some lawmakers on Capitol Hill: It happened only within the past hour or so when the Senate passed a campaign finance reform bill by a vote of 60-40. That legislation has been seven years in the making and gained momentum in recent months because of the Enron scandal, among other issues. The measure almost completely bans so-called soft-money contributions to the major political parties. Our congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl has been following every move of this tortuous debate. He joins us now live from Capitol Hill.
First of all, Jon, what are you hearing? Is it assumed the president will automatically sign this bill into law?
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is certainly assumed. And I have just spoken to a White House source with knowledge of this who said the statement is already written. The president will sign this bill into law. It's just waiting for the president to actually see the language of the written statement, but it is a done deal. This White House source says the president will sign this into law.
The vote, as you saw, was 60-40. That's the biggest margin they've ever gotten for campaign finance reform in the Senate. And it's the final hurdle.
Just before the vote, Senator Russ Feingold, who has been leading this charge with John McCain, closed it with a message to the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: It's really up to the president to review it and make his own decision. And I'm feeling very good about it. They have been careful, from the day after the election, even when the outcome of the election was in doubt, to never suggest or even use the word veto. And they've given stronger and stronger remarks ever since.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: And the strongest indication now the president will sign this bill.
That means the opponents of campaign finance reform are looking to the courts to challenge the constitutionality of this bill. Senator Phil Gramm, who has been ardently opposed to it for years, went on the floor on the Senate and said this is the most blatantly unconstitutional bill he has ever seen on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PHIL GRAMM (R), TEXAS: I swore to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution, given my ability to read and understand that document. On that basis alone, I oppose this bill. This bill is as blatantly unconstitutional as any bill which has ever been written, any bill which has ever been adopted by the Congress of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Opponents say it's a violation of the First Amendment. And they will get a chance to challenge this in court almost immediately. The bill includes expedited review, which means a three- judge panel at the district court level would hear this first. And right after that, Wolf, it goes right to the Supreme Court -- back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Jonathan Karl, on Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, a new study finds minorities in America do not get the same quality health care as white people. The Institute of Medicine says it happens regardless of how much money they make or their insurance coverage.
The study shows blacks receive lower-quality care and they suffer higher death rates from HIV/AIDS, cancer, and heart disease. It also found blacks with advanced prostate cancer are referred for surgical castration twice as often as whites. The chairman of the committee that worked on the health care report says the disparities are very real and the challenge now is to do something about it.
How widespread is the problem and what can be done about it?
A member of the committee, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, a professor of medicine at Atlanta's Emory University, joins me now live with some details.
Let's talk about this study. Normally, the discrepancy would have been because African-Americans earn less than white people, and, as a result, they may not be eligible for the same kind of medical treatment. You've come to a different conclusion.
SANDRA FRYHOFER, FORMER PRESIDENT, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS: We did, Wolf.
And we looked at the evidence. And it showed overwhelmingly that disparities in health care exists, and even when the insurance status, the income, the age, and the severity of the disease is the same. And the evidence was overwhelming.
BLITZER: So is it what? Racism, is that the problem?
FRYHOFER: Well, it's multifactorial. I wish we could say it was just one thing, but there are probably some racial undertones here that are probably unconscious.
You know, people that go into health care, generally, they do that for the right reasons. They want to help people. They want to heal people. But what we found is, there might be actually some unconscious stereotyping and prejudice going on, things that people didn't even realize that they were doing.
So this is a wakeup call to America, a wakeup call to health professionals, to everyone in the health care field that we have got to look within ourselves and we have got to do what we can to even the playing field so everyone gets the kind of health care that they deserve.
BLITZER: So, what do you recommend? What could be done to end this problem?
FRYHOFER: Well, one thing, we shouldn't argue about whether or not the disparities exist. The evidence shows that they do. The next thing we need to do is look for strategies, find out what these are, and implement them and make sure that they're enforced.
Now, when we were looking at the reasons that this could happen, there were several things that did come up. One thing we saw: that the minority patients were more likely to refuse treatment. But that didn't explain for the disparities that we did see.
And then you could look at insurance status. OK, we corrected for insurance status, but maybe some of the minority patients seemed to have more of the lower-end type of health care plans. And so that needs to be checked into a little bit. Also, one of the studies we looked at showed that, when minority patients went to the emergency room, they were 1.5 times more likely not to be given authorization to be seen as compared to white patients. And it goes on and on from then.
Now, you also mentioned the difference in surgical castrations for prostate cancer. But we also saw that, in patients with diabetes, they were almost four times more likely to have an amputation. And they were also less likely to receive a transplant and less likely to be put on dialysis.
BLITZER: So, if a viewer of ours is an African-American, what must he or she do to make sure that that person gets the best kind of medical treatment?
FRYHOFER: Well, the first thing is increasing awareness. And we think that we do need some patient educational focuses to go on to help people stand up for themselves and get the kind of care that they need.
Another problem we saw were language barriers. You know there are 14 million Americans in the country that can't communicate in English? So how are we going to get to those people? We might need more interpreters in offices. Also, we looked at maybe having some nonmedical people around just to help people navigate through the medical maze.
So, it's a multifactorial problem, but we have got to do something about is it now, because the health of our nation depends on it.
BLITZER: Dr. Sandra Fryhofer of Emory University, the medical school in Atlanta, thanks so much for joining us.
FRYHOFER: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: And maybe this report will get the ball rolling. Appreciate it very much.
And our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Do you think whites receive better medical care than African-Americans?" Vote at my Web page: CNN.com/Wolf. And while you're there, let me know what you are thinking. There's a "Click Here" icon right on the left side of the page. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of the program. That's also, by the way, where you can read my daily online column: CNN.com/Wolf.
A possible breakthrough in dealing with smallpox: Tests at the Army Medical Research Institute found promise in an oral drug to treat the highly contagious virus. That would be an improvement over the current antiviral medication, which must be given intravenously. There are fears smallpox could be used in biological attacks.
Researchers have spent the past four years working on a puzzle, piecing together a million-year-old skull found in Ethiopia. They say the skull gives new support to the theory that we are direct descendants of that pre-human called Homo erectus instead of another species.
Driving rain and rising waters, massive flooding in parts of the South: We'll go there live in a minute. And a storm of another kind overseas: We'll have that a little bit later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
The first day of spring is wet and windy in parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic. That means more flooding, road and school closings, and evacuations for West Virginia. Forecasters warn several rivers in the central and northern part of the state are set to overflow.
More flooding in Central Texas after heavy rains drenched that region overnight: It caused major backups at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, with cancellations and delays. Hundreds of homes and businesses are without power.
But, by far, the hardest-hit area has been Kentucky, reeling from the worst flooding in a quarter of a century. In some places, the water is chest high. The town of Morehead saw more than 4 inches of rain in 24 hours.
Heather Higdon with our affiliate WLEX has more now. She joins us live from the scene -- Heather.
HEATHER HIGDON, WLEX REPORTER: Well, out here in Rowan County, the rain has finally stopped falling, but if you take a look over my shoulder, you'll see the floodwaters that are left behind. They have started to recede, but the debris marks the road where they came over the highway -- as you can imagine, a scary sight for the people who live here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): From a stream rolling through downtown Morehead to a lake that covers parts outside the city, Rowan County is underwater.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Water, it's all over the place. HIGDON: Left from floods, some say the worst in more than 40 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I lived here over 20 years and I haven't seen it this high.
HIGDON: Jackie Cole (ph) sits on her front porch. Her neighbor Faye (ph) cannot.
FAYE: My house is underwater. A neighbor called and told us to get out. And it just all rushed right in.
HIGDON: She's one of 200 people evacuated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My house was completely surrounded with water. I was doing some praying there.
HIGDON: Some decided not to leave.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I have worked for and a chance of losing that.
HIGDON: Others couldn't wait to get out. Wading through the danger in his own rescue vehicle, David Brewer (ph) lends neighbors a helping hand.
DAVID BREWER, ROWAN COUNTY RESIDENT: It's pretty rough out there. And it's nasty. And it's a lot of debris out there. And you just have to be really careful.
HIGDON: Inside the walls of the Perkins Center (ph), flood victims stay safe.
ROBIN GREENFIELD (ph), ROWAN COUNTY RESIDENT: I'm trying to get warm, get dry clothes on.
HIGDON: Robin Greenfield (ph) plays with her dog, sits beside her mother, thankful all are OK, with memories of devastation still afloat.
GREENFIELD: Scared. I suppose we'll lose everything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HIGDON: And some people have started returning to their homes to begin that cleanup process. That looks like it will take a while. They tell me, no matter what they find, no matter what damage is done, they are thankful that no one was hurt.
We're covering the news live in Rowan County, Kentucky -- now back to you.
BLITZER: Heather, what's the forecast for the next few days? It looked like it might dry up a little bit?
HIGDON: I understand that it is supposed to dry up, very good news for the people out here. They're looking forward to seeing the sun shine.
BLITZER: Heather Higdon, from our affiliate WLEX from the scene of those floods, thanks so much for that report.
And could we be in for a sequel this summer in Florida? We'll have the details on a shark bite there. And you won't believe what is on tap later in this program: the new buzz about selling beer.
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BLITZER: Welcome back.
One of the unfortunate signs of warmer weather: a shark attack in Florida. A college sophomore was bitten in the foot as he swam off Daytona Beach yesterday. It's the second shark bite in the area in five days. Lifeguards say the warmer weather draws sharks closer to shore.
John Sadler was in only 3 feet of water when he was bit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SADLER, SHARK BITE VICTIM: I was in the water standing there looking at my buddy out on the waves. And the next thing you knew, he just came up and grabbed my foot. And I jumped up and landed on him. And then I could feel him when I landed on him with my hand. I got up and just ran off the beach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Warmer water also brought sharks close to the shore in Australia today, stopping a tournament of surf lifesavers. A pack of 50 sharks moved into waist-deep water off a beach near Brisbane to gorge themselves on huge schools of bait fish. The national contest of lifeguards is on hold because of the sharks.
Spring in China brings problems of another sort: thick dust storms blowing across Beijing and North China. The sand-dust tempests have covered more than half-a-million square miles. Some of the dust is from as far away as the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
Dancing, rice wine and a little pork are the things Kamato Hongo has enjoyed for a very long time. According to the Guinness World Records folks, Hongo, at 114 years old, is the world's oldest living person. She inherited the title this week from a 115-year-old woman from Michigan who died.
It's all the buzz in Britain: how much beer to a pint? The new law right after this.
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BLITZER: Earlier we asked: "Which country consumes the most beer per person?" Is it the United States, Ireland, Germany, or the Czech Republic? An industry survey found, on average, people in the Czech Republic downed more than 333 pints of beer last year, putting them ahead of the pack.
Good for them.
It was once said that the sun never set on the British empire. Over the years, though, the empire has shrunk. And some in Britain want to shrink another well-known icon of the empire.
Let's go to our Telestrator. I'll try to explain. This is beer. Obviously, all of this is beer. But this, this is the head, the foam. That is the foam. There's the debate going on in Britain right now: How high should that foam be?
Our Matthew Chance, he will pour out the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm going to try and explain this controversy to you. On the left here, this is the current legal requirement for a pint of bitter: about 90 percent beer, 10 percent at the top, the head. On the other extreme, the 100 percent full pint of beer that a lot of people in this country have been campaigning for. It doesn't look very appetizing. There is a happy medium that's been reached.
Can you bring over the new legal pint of bitter?
CHANCE: Here it is, just 5 percent head at the top, 95 percent beer. Now, this sounds like a pint-sized controversy, but it's something a lot of people in Britain care a great deal about.
(voice-over): Take "Pint of Bitter Dave," as he's known here, a beer drinker for 40 years, he thinks the new rule could ruin his favorite pastime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A pint without a head goes flat pretty quick. We're talking about bitter. It goes flat pretty quick. A head does tend to seal in the flavor, and that's how I like it. Take the head off a pint of Guinness and see what the Irish do, because that's what they are trying to do to us. Leave the head on my beer, please!
CHANCE: All right, but what about the beer drinkers equally demanding for a full pint every time, like Terry, who told me 95 percent is just one sip too little.
(on camera): Why is it, Terry, do you like your pints brimming over like that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number one, the price I'm paying, is I want a full pint. Number two is, personally, and a lot of other drinkers that don't want to drink through 5, 10 percent of frothy head.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: A major controversy in Britain. Maybe it will spill over here in the United States as well. We never know.
Let's go to New York now, get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That, of course, begins right at the top of the hour.
And, Lou, you have got some real serious news on your program. I know that.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Serious news as well as some lighter news. We try to stay balanced, as is the world itself, Wolf, as you know.
Andersen tonight is on the offensive, the accounting firm tackling the federal government, winning a date for a speedy trial. We'll hear from Andersen tonight; the war against terrorism putting a strain on our armed forces. One of our guests tonight says it is time to bring back the draft. And a huge chunk of Antarctica has collapsed into the ocean. We'll hear from a leading polar scientist about what this could mean to all of us -- all of that, a lot more, coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We, of course, will. When I heard the word "draft," I thought you were going to follow up on our story, but, obviously, you have another story in mind.
Your turn next. We'll check the mailbox, get some constructive criticism from one of our viewers. And we'll look at the poll results from our "Web Question of the Day": "Do you think whites receive better medical care than African-Americans?"
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BLITZER: Our "Web Question of the Day": "Do you think whites receive better medical care than African-Americans?" The votes are almost split down the middle: 48 percent of you say yes; 52 percent say no. And a reminder: This poll is not scientific.
And time now to hear from you.
Tom offers this critique of our program yesterday: "Your report on the B-22 ice mass breaking away from Antarctica was not a high point in your 5:00 p.m. newscast. The report, which compared the size of the mass to an area in the United Kingdom was clearly for a British audience."
OK, Tom, that is fair criticism. We did run a report from Britain's ITN television. We did eventually, though, point out in our "News Quiz" that the iceberg was about the size of Delaware.
I'll be back in one hour with more coverage from the CNN "War Room." Our focus: military justice for al Qaeda detainees.
Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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