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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Interview with George Mitchell; Powell Searches for Peace in the Middle East; More Calls For Cardinal Law to Resign
Aired April 11, 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, HOST: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: Secretary of State Powell takes his search for peace into the lions' den.
Some Israeli troops pull out, but others move in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I said the operation will continue, and it will continue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The suicide bombers aren't quitting either.
Is it a mission impossible?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't like wallowing with pessimists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I'll ask the man behind the Middle East peace plan, former Senator George Mitchell.
Is the U.S. homeland secure against suicide bombers?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: That is a reality that could happen literally anytime anyplace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Under fire for sexual abuse by priests, Boston's Archdiocese now faces a wrongful death lawsuit.
It's Thursday, April 11, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.
And topping our news alert: the search for peace takes Colin Powell right to the middle of the Middle East crisis.
He has made the rounds of the region's capitals gathering support for his mission; now he's in Jerusalem on his own, ready for face-to- face meetings with Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat. Colin Powell says he is bringing a vision of peace as he seeks to quell the violence and push the parties back to the negotiating table.
A suicide attack gone awry. As violence continues, a would-be bomber apparently blew himself up prematurely today in the Palestinian-controlled part of Hebron. Several bystanders were wounded. Authorities suspect a nearby Israeli checkpoint was the intended target.
Ahead of Secretary Powell's arrival, Israel said its forces were withdrawing from some two dozen West Bank villages, but at the same time, troops entered two other towns, as Prime Minister Sharon vowed again that Israel's antiterror operation will continue.
Was it a terror attack? Israeli officials think so; local officials say they think not. Five people were killed when a truck filled with natural gas blew up near a historic synagogue on an island off Tunisia. The dead include German tourists. The synagogue is the oldest in North Africa.
His search for peace has now taken him to the center of the storm. Colin Powell landed in Israel less than two hours ago. He's in Jerusalem, certainly with his work cut out for him.
Powell met earlier today in Jordan with King Abdullah, a strong supporter of the peace process. He sees the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tomorrow in Jerusalem. On Saturday, Powell will go to Ramallah for a meeting with the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
We go now to Jerusalem and CNN's Bill Hemmer who's standing by with more on what we can expect -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good evening. As you mentioned, his work cut out might be an understatement. There is not a lot of optimism throughout this entire region. This now with Colin Powell arriving here in Israel just about two hours ago. In fact, he touched down in Tel-Aviv. His motorcade then took off, bound for the city where we are here in Jerusalem.
We're told he was to have a meeting tonight with Anthony Zinni, the U.S. mediator who has been in the region now for several weeks, but Zinni has met a lot of failure, frankly, on a lot of number of ends as he has tried to approach and tried to breach some sort of gap between the Israelis and Palestinians. And frankly, you'd have to go back a number of years to find out a diplomatic mission such as this that has gotten as much attention right now or the stakes as high as they are for Colin Powell.
He touched down in Tel-Aviv. Prior to that, he was in Amman, meeting with King Abdullah in Jordan. And at that time before leaving Amman, Colin Powell told reporters that the U.S. is still adamant that the military operation has to end very soon. Here's Colin Powell in Amman earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We look forward not only to find a way that will bring the violence down, end the incursion that is currently under way which the president has asked for the Israelis to bring to a conclusion, and get a cease-fire in place if that is possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Colin Powell again earlier in Amman. He did not use the word "immediately" in terms of asking the Israeli military to get out of the West Bank. It may be a nuance, Wolf, but yesterday we heard Ariel Sharon ask publicly the United States to back off the pressure on the Israeli government. But again today when Colin Powell was asked whether or not the U.S. is demanding this withdrawal right now, he backed away again from using that word "immediately." Perhaps in the next couple days we will find out more on what the definition truly is on behalf of the White House.
Also, as you mentioned tomorrow the meeting with Ariel Sharon. Then on Saturday, face-to-face, one-on-one, Colin Powell and Yasser Arafat in Ramallah -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Hemmer in Jerusalem, where I'm sure the security is very, very tight. Thank you very much for that report.
Israel says it's now in complete control of the Jenin refugee camp, scene of fierce and bloody fighting. CNN's Ben Wedeman tells us what it's like in the aftermath of the battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Wolf, Palestinian resistance within the Jenin refugee camp seems to have come to an end. We were overlooking it this morning and we heard some occasional gunfire, saw some puffs of smoke coming from within the camp, but the Israeli army is saying that the last group of Palestinians surrendered in the morning. Approximately 50 Palestinian gunmen gave themselves up, along, according to the Israelis, with a leader of the Islamic Jihad movement.
Now, according to United Nations, as many as 3,000 people from that refugee camp of 13,000 people have been made homeless as a result of the fighting there. Now, according to the Israeli army, the terrorists, as they described them, took over the camp and that is why the people fled.
Now, during the day the curfew was lifted on the city of Jenin. That allowed some people to go out for about two hours, to go about and buy food, buy bread, but the -- that curfew only lasted about two hours, after which point Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers made their way through the streets, announcing the reimposition of a curfew. We heard of a case where they fired over the head of one man who took too long in their opinion to get back to his home.
Now, what you may have been seeing behind me was flares falling over the western edge of the city of Jenin. Clearly this operation is still ongoing. No indication from the Israelis or from people within the city of Jenin that any Israeli withdrawal has begun from the city -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Ben Wedeman, thank you very much for that report.
Also in ruins: The headquarters of Yasser Arafat, and much of the Palestinian infrastructure in Ramallah. CNN's Michael Holmes has been in that West Bank town since the early hours of Israel's military offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): When Colin Powell travels in his motorcade to the Palestinian Authority headquarters through Ramallah, he will see a very damaged city. The roads have been torn up, buildings have been damaged. It is not the Ramallah of two weeks ago.
Same with the Palestinian Authority headquarters, the compound with perhaps the exception of Yasser Arafat's own building where he is holed up with about 100 other people, has also been severely damaged.
Now, the three-men negotiating committee set up under the auspices of General Anthony Zinni, the U.S. special envoy, will meet with Yasser Arafat tomorrow, Friday, at about 10:00 a.m. They will then travel to meet with General Zinni to report on what progress they made with Yasser Arafat, trying to work out a framework under which Colin Powell can try to bring about some sort of resolution to this ongoing conflict.
And it is ongoing this evening. Thursday night in Ramallah, tank shells have been firing, also some small arms fire. The shooting is not over yet.
Meanwhile, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, says he hopes that Colin Powell will pay a trip to Jenin, in the north of the West Bank, scene of the heaviest fighting throughout these two weeks of incursions.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Ramallah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Yasser Arafat has many supporters in the Arab world. One of them is Jordan's King Abdullah, who is trying to help find a peaceful way out of this crisis. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour just a few hours ago, the king called Arafat, quote, "a hero." He also had some harsh words for those who say they support Arafat, but continue to show contempt for the peace process.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: I think the Jordanian position has been very clear, and we've always spoken out against any acts of violence that ends up with the loss of innocent lives. And with that respect, I believe that other Arab leaders have also stood up against extremism, and even Arafat not long ago had stood up to say that what was happening against Israeli civilians was something that was wrong.
But you have to understand at the same time, as you alluded to, that there is desperation, there is anger. And unfortunately, when you get to the extreme level of hatred that is now on the street, desperate people will do desperate things, unfortunately, and we have to realize that it's the humanity has gone out of the window, and we have to bring some sort of balance and fairness.
I mean, at the same time, atrocities are happening across the board.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let me just try this again. Resistance, many people feel, is justified; resistance against the military, resistance against military targets. But when it comes to killing innocent civilian, many people view that as unjustified, immoral and essentially murder. Again, do you believe that suicide bombings of civilians is justified?
KING ABDULLAH: I personally do not, and I've always stood against the loss of life, terrorism or extremism in all its forms. Me as a person, although rightly or wrongly in the Arab street that that is the only mechanism that the Palestinians have in retaliating. But again, it's the root cause of the problem when a 16-year-old girl blows herself up, there's a problem there. You have to solve the problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Jordan's King Abdullah with our Christiane Amanpour.
After some tough talk, the Bush Administration has eased up somewhat on Israel, and the White House today also listened to some strongly-held Israeli views. To found out what Washington expects from the Powell mission, let's go live to CNN White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace.
Kelly, they seem to be lowering expectations over where you are.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Wolf. You know, even before Secretary Powell left, he said he was not even sure he would return with a cease-fire in hand. So expectations low then, they remain low. White House officials saying, look, this will be difficult. There is no guarantee of success and no guarantee even of brokering a cease-fire. The best hope right now, Wolf, is for the secretary to somehow to get both sides to bring the violence down and in some way get them talking again, but there's a lot of anger and mistrust between the two, so a difficult mission indeed -- Wolf.
BLITZER: So how much frustration is there at the White House as far as the Israeli prime minister is concerned?
WALLACE: Interesting. We have seen White House officials all day down-play that there is any frustration with the Israeli leader and with Ariel Sharon's refusal to withdraw without delay as President Bush calls for, Israeli forces from the Palestinian areas they recently reoccupied.
You heard Secretary Powell fielding questions earlier this afternoon in Amman Jordan. And he said he spoke with Prime Minister Sharon earlier and there is some withdraw, perhaps not as fast as everybody would like, but he will follow up tomorrow. So you clearly get the sense that the White House is trying to down-play the frustration and also say there is an onus on the Palestinians and the Arab states, that it is not Israel that just has the obligation here, that the Arab states, the Palestinians must do more and that the White House feels they haven't done enough either, Wolf.
BLITZER: And briefly, Kelley, tell us about that visitor from Israel to the White House just a little while ago.
WALLACE: Very interesting. Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over here at the White House. We understand he was meeting with Vice President Cheney. They met for about 45 minutes here at the White House. We understand that the former Israeli prime minister wanted to meet with the vice president last month when Mr. Cheney was visiting the region and that couldn't happen. It happened here. Clearly, Wolf, you know that the former Israeli leader talking to the White House about how he believes Israel has the right to do what it is doing -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelley Wallace at the White House. Thank you very much.
Some are saying that Secretary Powell's mission is a mission impossible. Joining us now, someone who knows much about this difficult task, the former Senator George Mitchell, who helped formulate a road map for peace in that troubled region. Senator Mitchell, thanks so much for joining us. Is this mission impossible for Secretary Powell, even the relatively modest mission of achieving a cease-fire?
GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Well, it's mission very difficult of course, and I commend him for making the effort notwithstanding the difficulty. I hope he's able to make some progress to bringing about a cessation of violence and getting the parties back to the table.
BLITZER: But do you think he'll be able to do it?
MITCHELL: That's impossible to know. Events occurring very rapidly over there, of course. I think he's laid the groundwork for it by the manner in which he's approached it and I'm sure he'll make a very strong appeal to both the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority that they have to step back from the abyss into which they're now looking.
BLITZER: Almost a year ago you came out with the Mitchell Plan named after you of course. Among other things, you said this, and let me put it up on the screen. "Israeli leaders do not wish to be perceived as rewarding violence. Palestinian leaders do not wish to be perceived as rewarding occupation. We appreciate the political constraints on leaders of both sides. Nevertheless if the cycle of violence is to be broken and the search for peace is resumed, there needs to be a new bilateral relationship incorporating both security cooperation and negotiations."
I'm sure that poll is true today just as it did a year ago, but today it is so much more difficult.
MITCHELL: It is much more difficult. There's been a lot of violence since then, a lot of death, a lot of demands for revenge and retaliation. But in the end, Wolf, that's the way it has to turn out. There is not a military solution to this problem. Ultimately the parties must resume negotiation. My hope is that Secretary Powell will be able to persuade them that the sooner they do it, the better.
BLITZER: Another think you wrote in your report and I'll put that up on the screen as well, because you were sort of looking ahead to what is going on right now. Look at this: "Fear, hate, anger and frustration have risen on both sides. The greatest danger of all is that the culture of peace, nurtured over the previous decade is being shattered. In its place there is a growing sense of futility and despair and growing resort to violence."
Did you ever appreciate a year ago how bad the situation could become?
MITCHELL: We knew there was a possibility, but I confess that I did not expect that those words would prove to be so accurate over the future, and it's extremely disturbing, Wolf. One of the consequences of being involved personally is that you meet the people directly involved. We spent a day with the families of Israeli victims and a day with the families of Palestinian victims, and the human side of this is driven home in a very forced way.
Everyone who is killed is a father or brother, has children or has parents. It's an immense tragedy and it continues to worsen, but I think what we said in that report holds true today perhaps with even greater urgency.
BLITZER: And as you well know, you are a former Democratic leader in the Senate. You were the Senate majority leader. The domestic political environment can cause all sorts of complications for secretary Powell's effort. Let me read to you what William Sapphire, he's a very strong supporter of Israel, wrote in the "New York Times" today: "America could not pulverize the bases of al Qaeda terrorists after we are attacked while pressuring an ally to meekly accept losses when its citizens are murdered by al Qaeda's brothers."
Now, you know that sense is widely held among Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress.
MITCHELL: It is, Wolf. Of course you addressed almost precisely that question to the president's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice on your show on Sunday. And you will recall, she set forth as President Bush previously has, the differences in the circumstances from the perspective of the Bush Administration. So the president and his advisers reject the equation of the two and point out that there are significant differences. The reality is that in the end the Israelis and the Palestinians are going to have to resume negotiation. It is a fantasy of some on the Palestinian side who think Israel can be destroyed. It is an equal fantasy on the part of some in Israel who think that the Palestinians can physically be moved. It's called transfer, as you know, and favored by some.
Both are fantasies. The reality is that they are going to live together side by side, either in conflict or in peace, and this conflict is devastating to both sides. Both are suffering high losses and unfortunately I said in that quote that you referred to earlier, the culture of peace is being shattered. I fear that it is totally shattered now and it will be very difficult to rebuild.
BLITZER: Senator George Mitchell. He wrote the peace plan they're all attempting to achieve. We'll see if Secretary Powell gets to anywhere close to what you had envisaged. Thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it very much.
When we hear about all the discussions going on to try to stop the violence, sometimes we forget about the human toll. It hit home for the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations yesterday, when a beloved niece was killed by a suicide bomber.
Eighteen year-old Noa Shlomo was one of eight Israelis killed aboard that bus near Haifa. Family members say she was traveling to Jerusalem to begin her army service. Today, they buried her.
After Secretary Powell meets with the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon tomorrow, we'll have a news conference -- they will have a news conference and that may include the prime minister himself. CNN plans to bring you special live coverage of the search for peace. That's at 4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. on the West Coast.
For more assessment of the crisis in the Middle East and Secretary Powell's search for peace, tune in for live from Jerusalem with Bill Hemmer. That's tonight at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.
And tomorrow, on our program we will be live from Jerusalem, so please join me as well. That will me of course 5:00 Eastern, 2:00 Pacific.
Also tomorrow: I'll interview Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And this additional programming note: on CNN's LATE EDITION on Sunday: Among my guests, the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and secretary of state Colin Powell.
Our Web question of the day: How hopeful are you that Secretary Powell can secure a cease-fire? You can vote at CNN.com/wolf. While you're there, let me know what you are thinking. There's a "click here" icon on the left side of my Web page. Send me your comments and I'll read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf. As you know, the Catholic church is facing very serious allegations. Now, it's facing a wrongful death lawsuit! How can the church recover from its current crisis? I'll ask William Bennett.
And within the past hour: A U.S. Congressman becomes a convicted criminal.
Also ahead, the homeland security director speaks candidly about the threat of suicide bomber attacks in this country.
And could a medical discovery make exercise obsolete?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: In Boston, the talk is all about the Catholic archdiocese there. Will Cardinal Bernard Law resign? Criticism is mounting over the way he has dealt with priests accused of being sexually abusive. Add to that a wrongful death suit, filed by the parents of a boy who died in the company of one of those priests. CNN national correspondent, Frank Buckley, has the latest for us. He joins us live from Boston -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, so far Cardinal Law is not responding to the growing number of voices who are calling for his resignation or reassignment from the archdiocese of Boston. Among those voices, two gubernatorial candidates and two newspapers in this region, including the "Boston Globe" and one long time supporter and friend, someone who has been advising him and supporting him throughout this, Thomas O'Neill the third, the son of the late house speaker Tip O'Neill, also now calling for Cardinal Law to step aside.
Also as you say today the first -- what's believed to be the first wrongful death suit filed in connection with the scandal here. Filed by the parents of James Francis, who was 16 years old in 1981. He was killed when a car he was riding in rolled over. At the wheel of that car was the Father Ronald Paquin. The parents say that their son was being molested by Paquin, they learned. They also say that Paquin was drinking at the time.
They say he would still be alive if church officials had heeded warnings about Paquin, that he was allegedly molesting children.
JEFFREY NEWMAN, ATTORNEY FOR FRANCIS FAMILY: What we hope is that the church will disgorge all the information they have on Paquin, and come to the table with the family almost immediately to try and bring fair resolution to this. It's not a family that wants to score the church or litigate if they don't have to. They will do so if they have to, but if the truth is revealed, they will settle reasonable and equitable with the church in fairly short order.
BUCKLEY: We tried to reach Paquin for a comment today. We were not successful in that and today the archdiocese is not commenting on this pending litigation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Frank Buckley in Boston. Thank you for that report. This crisis of faith, of course, extends far beyond Boston. In New York City, we have with us William Donohue, president of the Catholic League.
Mr. Donohue, thanks so much for joining us. First of all, do you believe Cardinal Law should resign?
WILLIAM DONOHUE, PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC LEAGUE: The Catholic League is not in a position to advise a bishop whether he should stay or leave. Other than that, we can speak to the issue but I don't want to be seen as giving advice to a bishop on something of that gravity.
BLITZER: As you know, "The Boston Globe" in that editorial said he should step down. Among other things the "Globe" wrote, "Law cannot ignore that too large a portion of the community has lost its faith in his leadership. Cardinal Law should resign." Is that true? Has a huge chunk of the Catholic community in the Greater Boston area lost confidence in Cardinal Law?
DONOHUE: Yes, in fact it's worse than that, Wolf, it is across the United States.
BLITZER: How big of a crisis is this therefore? How widespread are these sexual abuse problems?
DONOHUE: Well, look, we have about 47,000 priests in this country, most of them are damn good men, but some of them are rotten, some of them have been acting out like evil men. And there has to be a purge of the guilty while we protect the innocent. It is deep enough that there's going to have to be major structural changes and cultural changes within the institution of the Catholic church.
And the Catholic League will never defend wrongdoing by anybody in the church. We also won't defend wrongdoing against the church. Buy in answer to your question, Wolf, it is very deep. It's very serious. It's the biggest crisis in the history of the Catholic church in the United States of America.
BLITZER: What are some of those structural changes that you believe have to be made?
DONOHUE: For one thing, we have to look at who are we going to make as a bishop? Are we going to make people who don't want to rock the boat? That's the problem. The very people who didn't want to rock the boat are now rocking it to the point where it is almost sinking. It is a disgrace.
We need to reward people who are basically good men who are not afraid to make tough decisions. I have said all along, Wolf, we don't need blue ribbon committees, we don't need psychologists, we don't need lawyers. We need two things; common sense and courage. And it's already being exercised by Bishop Will in Pittsburgh, Bishop Doran in Rockford, Illinois. We need new voices to emerge. June 13, 14 and 15 in Dallas is critical, because that is the next time the bishops meet collectively, and it is about time we need some new faces showing up.
BLITZER: Mr. Donohue, thank you for joining us. Appreciate it very much.
DONOHUE: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: And joining me here in Washington, in the studio, is William Bennett. You may know him as of course a former education secretary, a currently a CNN contributor, and author of a major new book, "Why We Fight." A book dealing with the issue of moral clarity. He is also a very concerned and devout Catholic.
Bill Bennett, thanks for joining us. You believe that Cardinal Law should step down, don't you?
WILLIAM BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I wrote an editorial in "The Wall Street Journal" about three weeks ago saying he should step down.
BLITZER: Is that fair, though, to him, given the fact that he really hasn't come out and defended his actions. We haven't really heard his side of the story.
BENNETT: He can speak on this anytime he wants, but the evidence is very clear and very substantial that under his authority, that is when he was in charge, priests were assigned and reassigned to parishes when it was known that these priests had a history of molesting young people, sometimes pedophelia, more often, as the record needs to be clarified, young men, teenage boys.
To let this kind of thing go on is impossible. It has created, as Mr. Donohue rightly said, a terrible crisis in the Catholic church. The church will survive it I believe, the American church, because Catholics still believe this their church. They still hold to its beliefs, but a loss of confidence in leadership has to be corrected and has to be corrected at the top.
BLITZER: I've heard you make the comparison that the cover up, the comparison to politics that you and I know quite well here in Washington, the cover up sometimes is much worse than the original crime. Is there a coverup underway?
BENNETT: In this case I'm not sure we want to say it is worst than the original crime, because this is about as bad a thing as can happen, and in the context on the church it's a horrible, horrible thing and destroys people's confidence in church and confidence in priests.
Think of the kind of confidence that Catholics put in priests, the kinds of confessions that people make to priests. So, it undermines the integrity of the relationship. But the coverup is obviously very bad. It's costing the church greatly. I agree with Donohue that courage and common sense. I have to also say that I have noticed, perhaps I'm unduly sensitive, but I'm not the delicate type, some people are getting a certain measure of glee out of this. There is some real Catholic bashing going on.
BLITZER: The Catholic haters out there. BENNETT: Yes, the Catholic haters are taking great pressure in this. Not that the criticism isn't deserved. It is deserved. But it is, therefore, important for us Catholics, lay Catholics, to make it plain that we want this problem fixed. We don't want to give any more joy to the Catholic haters, any more comfort to them, and we want our church back and we want our church right.
BLITZER: All right. You have a provocative title for your new book, "Why We Fight." What's the answer?
BENNETT: Well, moral clarity is one of the reasons we fight. We fight because we were attacked, but we fight because of the kinds of principles for which we stand. I think that this fight, the struggle, is about the struggle been terrorism and civilization. And that terrorism has at root a kind of nealism (ph). When you look at the history of al Qaeda, the history of bin Laden, you will see that these are people bent on destruction, not as some people think because the United States is a friend of Israel, though, as we know, that can create tremendous issues and problems. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BLITZER: The Israelis say what they're doing is exactly what the U.S. did in the aftermath of September 11. You agree with them, don't you?
BENNETT: I do agree with them and I have a chapter in the book about Israel.
BLITZER: The Bush administration says there's a difference.
BENNETT: The Bush administration has to agree too, at least it has to agree if it's to stick to its principles. It was in the joint session address that the president said you are either with us or with the terrorists. Any state that harbors terrorism or supports terrorism is a hostile regime, hostile to the United States.
Does Arafat harbor terrorism? Does he support terrorism? Gosh, yes. I mean, he's even sponsored terrorism. He's been an instigator of terrorism. So I think we need to be pretty clear on this one. Look, Israel is the country that on September 12, flied its flags at half mast. On September 12, in the Palestinian areas, we saw the honking of horns and the waving of flags in celebrations.
BLITZER: But not all the Palestinians.
BENNETT: Not all the Palestinians, but there was a fair amount of celebration and there was none in Israel.
BLITZER: On that note, Bill Bennett, the author of a new book, "Why We Fight." Good luck with the book.
BENNETT: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks so much for joining us.
BENNETT: Good luck on your trip. Be careful.
BLITZER: Of course, welcome to CNN.
And his job is to make sure all Americans are safe at home, but can Tom Ridge protect the United States from suicide bombers?
Later, why some of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay are leaving their old cells.
And a minor accident at the Masters. We will tell you about it, but first, the "News Quiz."
Earlier we asked, who's won the most Masters tournaments? The answer, Jack Nicklaus. "The Golden Bear" as he's called has won the Masters six times. Nicklaus was 46 when he last won the Masters in 1986, making him not only the winningest golfer, but the oldest golfer to win the tournament. The Masters does not give repeat winners another green jacket unless their size has changed dramatically.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
Seven months ago today, the U.S. had its own horrific experience with terrorism. But can the random day-in, day-out attacks seen in the Middle East happen here? CNN's Jeanne Meserve spoke with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Suicide bombing after suicide bombing. For now it is Israel's story, but is it the kind of attack Americans should be worried about?
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: That is a reality that could happen literally anytime anyplace, not just in the United States, but around the world.
MESERVE: And, says Ridge, little can be done to guard against it.
RIDGE: This is the kind of terrorist attack that is almost impossible to stop, to guarantee absolute security against.
MESERVE: With spasms of anti-Americanism through the Arab world, more frequent and more furious, U.S. intelligence has become more vigilant, says Ridge. But for now, the country remains on yellow threat warning status because there has been no specific credible corroborated information about a possible terrorist strike.
This week, Tom Ridge is marking six months as director of the Office of Homeland Security. Reviews have been generally positive, though some members of Congress continue to argue no one has ever been asked to do more with less.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: He has no budgetary authority. He can't compel agencies of government to do anything. He has no troops. He has, basically, no staff. He has a very small internal budget. And those are not adequate tools to get any kind of job done.
MESERVE: But the White House Thursday released a list of steps the administration has taken in law enforcement, border port and transportation security and elsewhere to make the country safer. It is the beginning, Ridge says, of a national homeland security strategy to be completed in the next six months, which will recommend some reorganization of government.
(on camera): Can you get specific with me?
RIDGE: No, I cannot.
MESERVE: I know...
RIDGE: I'd rather tell the president first before I share it with you, all right?
MESERVE (voice-over): We still do not know who sent anthrax or the full story of Richard Reid, the alleged shoe bomber. That points out a weakness which experts say Ridge must continue to address.
PAUL BREMER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM: Deter the preempt, that's what you have to do. And that means better intelligence, pure and simple.
MESERVE (on camera): Experts say intelligence is particularly key because the country is so vast, its infrastructure so sprawling, it's folly to think it can ever be 100 percent secure, Office of Homeland Security or not.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Now to our "Justice File", a flamboyant Ohio Congressman has been convicted on federal charges. CNN congressional correspondent Kate Snow has been covering the Traficant trial. She joins us now live from Cleveland -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Guilty on 10 counts, 10 felony counts against Congressman Jim Traficant, the flamboyant Democrat from Youngstown, Ohio, Wolf. He said, quote, "I accept your verdict" just a short time ago in the courtroom. Mr. Traficant hasn't come out of the courtroom just yet. Right now, the jury determining how much money he will have to forfeit to the government as a result of being found guilty under the Rico racketeering statute.
Prosecutors have argued that he should owe $139,000. He says that's too much. Now that Rico count, just one of 10 felonies that I mentioned, four of them have to do with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors. The congressman was accused of things like asking for a new floor for his house, asking for an addition to be built in exchange for doing things for people in Washington.
He was also found guilty of forcing congressional aides to work on a horse farm that he has near Youngstown, Ohio, and then also found guilty of telling congressional aides that they should kick back a portion of their salaries every month, one person being told to kick back out of his $60,000 a year salary, Wolf, $2,500 a month -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, Kate, what happens to Congressman Traficant as far as Congress is concerned?
SNOW: Yes. Well, first of all, he could get up to 60 years in jail if you lined all these charges up back to back. That's not likely to happen. It's more likely he will get around 10 years in jail.
That being said, he is a convicted felon now. Congress can take action. In fact, the ethics committee of the House has already launched an investigation, we're told just last hour. They will make a determination, recommendation, to the rest of Congress, to the House. The House could also go ahead and make a motion, any member could make a motion, to expel the congressman right away. We haven't heard of any indication of that happening, but, Wolf, it depends on whether any member feels so strongly about this that they might want to take to the floor and make that motion -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kate Snow in Cleveland, we'll look forward to your getting back to Washington. Thanks so much for joining us.
And major trauma on the high seas. Ferry passengers went into a frenzy. Coming up, the rush to escape the inferno.
Later, why detainees at Guantanamo are on the move.
And could you be healthy without, without exercising? A medical discovery may help those who don't like to work the treadmill.
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BLITZER: Welcome back.
As the war on terror continues, U.S. military officials are building a more permanent prison for the detainees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Our national correspondent, Bob Franken, reports that hundreds of detainees will be moved from Camp X-Ray to a new nearby facility.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 299 who have been imprisoned as long as three months here since they were moved from Afghanistan are about to be moved again, from X to D, from these outdoor cages at Camp X-Ray to the indoor cages here at Camp Delta, about three miles down the road. This is still a work in progress. A modular construction, maximum security penitentiary with 408 cells. It should be ready in a week, but it will take some time after that to prepare for the big move.
GEN. RICK BACCUS, TASK FORCE COMMANDER: We will take a few days to review the new facility. We want to make sure that military policemen are completely familiarized with the facility and make sure we've worked the bugs out on how it's going to work, and then we will practice our procedures on moving detainees and then we'll actually conduct the moves.
FRANKEN: Security is the watch word, secrecy about exactly when the transfer will take place to prevent anyone from planning an attack, and the larger concern, escape.
BACCUS: Protecting against any of them getting away, any of them getting hurt or any of my MPs getting hurt.
FRANKEN: Here in their new home away from home, the detainees will be held in cells slightly smaller than the cages at Camp X-Ray. There is no air-conditioning, but a ventilation system will circulates stiff breezes off the ocean just a few yards away. There's indoor plumbing, and much tighter security.
The 408 cells will be ready this month, another 204 due by the end of May.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (on camera): And that means there's plenty of room for more detainees with expectations that more are going to come. Now, how long are they going to be here? Nothing public about that, Wolf, but this new prison is designed to last at least five years -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Thank you very much.
And here is a look at other international news. A former Serbian interior minister shot himself in the head outside Yugoslavia's parliament building, just hours after the parliament passed a law making it easier to extradite suspected war criminals for trial. The former minister, Vlajko Stojiljkovic, was one of about 20 people covered by the law. He is in critical condition at a hospital and is not expected to survive.
At least 23 people are dead and 13 more are missing after a ferry fire in the Philippines. The boat was near the end of a 12-hour trip between islands when the flames broke out, forcing many passengers to dive overboard. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
So, you don't like exercise and want to stay fit? Wait until you hear about a medical discovery bound to make couch potatoes happy.
And later, Elton John's new audience. Why Congress wanted to hear from him.
And a start to the Masters no one anticipated.
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BLITZER: Opening our "Medical Notepad," taking on Congress for a cause. Pop star and AIDS activist, Sir Elton John, made a personal appearance today on Capitol Hill. He told senators the world's richest country, the United States, needs to do more to stop the spread of what he sees as the world's worst epidemic.
If your idea of heavy lifting is hoisting popcorn into your mouth while you are watching television, have we got some good news for you. Scientists say they may be on their way toward discovering drugs that could mimic the benefits of exercise without the workouts. CNN's medical correspondent, Rea Blakey, has been looking into it. It sounds too good to be true -- Rea.
REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to admit, Wolf, it is a little bit on the advance side, even though I'm one of those people who hoist popcorn in my mouth while watching television.
Here's the bottom line. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas have found a very special pathway in muscle cells. Now, the pathway consists of a couple of special proteins that appear to be responsible for generating many of the beneficial effects of regular exercise. Now, Dr. Sanders Williams is the lead researcher on this project.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. R. SANDERS WILLIAMS, DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: The important part of the discovery here is that we were able to use a gene to create in mice that were physically inactive many of the consequences that would we'd expect to occur in animals that were exercising regularly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLAKEY: So what does that mean to couch potatoes? Well, it depends, is the answer. The muscles of individuals who rest excessively -- like people who are on recommended doctor's bed rest -- fatigue quickly, and those muscles are very tired. So now that researchers have a way of mimicking certain special proteins, they say what they've been able to accomplish in mice could one day potentially be used to convert into a drug that fatigued muscles would then fatigue-resistant. So that's the good news.
But as we all know, research in mice does not always translate as well into humans. The goal is to one day develop drugs, a couch potato pill, if you will, that would reproduce the health benefits of exercise. Though millions of healthy sedentary Americans might be interested in the potential, the researchers' original goal is to improve the lives of patients who cannot regularly exercise -- people, Wolf, with heart failure, or renal failure, diabetes, other chronic conditions.
However, it's possible, if all this works, couch potatoes could have an exercise pill, and such a drug might potentially reduce the numbers of people we see with heart disease and diabetes, which are both obesity or increased weight related conditions.
BLITZER: That's a serious development. Rea Blakey, our medical correspondent, thank you very much for that useful information.
Thank you. And you may not have seen a masters like this one. We will tell you why a ceremonial swing was most unceremonious.
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BLITZER: Welcome back. Eighty-seven golfers, the best of the best, are after one thing this week: The coveted green jacket. But not everyone's golf game at the masters is going as planned.
Golfing legend Sam Snead sent the ceremonial first tee shot right into the gallery. It struck a spectator in the face, breaking his glasses and bruising his nose. Oh.
And after a disastrous 17-over-par opening round today, famed golfer Arnold Palmer says he will play one more round tomorrow, then retire from the masters. Defending champ Tiger Woods, by the way, is two under.
Our poll is about to close. Log on to CNN.com/wolf. Answer our question. How hopeful are you that Secretary Powell can secure a cease-fire?
Also, viewer's challenge to Colin Powell. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf we're going to be telling you about what was a brutal sell-off on Wall Street today. The world's biggest company, in fact, delivers disappointment on Wall Street. I'll be talking with Mary Farrell about where to invest in these turbulent times.
In the Middle East, Secretary of State Colin Powell has eased demands that Israel withdraw immediately from Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, Israeli positions are being attacked again on the Lebanese- Israeli border. I'll be talking with the Lebanese ambassador to the United States, Farid Abboud.
And pension legislation debated on Capitol Hill, the collapse of Enron pushing Congress to tighten rules on retirement plans. And tonight, I'll also be joined by Senator Carl Levin to talk about stock options as a corporate expense, an expense that the senator wants to see applied to corporate America's bottom line. All of that and a lot more coming right up. Please join us. Now back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
BLITZER: We certainly will. Thank you very much, Lou.
Our Web question today asked: "How hopeful are you that Secretary Powell can secure a cease-fire?" Look at this: 11 percent said "very hopeful," 19 percent said "hopeful," 70 percent said "not hopeful." Remember, this is not a scientific poll.
Time now to hear from you. Isaac asks: "What would America do if suicide bombers came into our cities and inflicted civilian casualties and trauma? Would we do anything differently than what the Israelis are doing now?"
Dina writes: "I wonder if Colin Powell has the guts to go the Palestinian villages to see the massacres the Israelis are committing with American tax dollars."
That's all the time we have today. I'll be in Jerusalem for this broadcast tomorrow, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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