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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
FBI Warns of Terror Attack on Banks; Is It Safe to Ride Rails?
Aired April 19, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KATE SNOW, GUEST HOST: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: an FBI warning terrorists may be planning attacks on banks in the Northeast.
Is it safe to ride the rails? What investigators have yet to learn about a deadly derailment.
He's played cops and criminals. Now, Robert Blake is behind bars for real. Why did it take police a year to make an arrest? Is there a different standard of justice for celebrities?
Tanks and troops are out of Jenin, but the White House is not taking Israel's word on what happened there.
Cashing in on tragedy: selling trading cards of 9/11 heroes. How do their families feel?
And Abercrombie & Fitch is caught with its shirttails out.
It's Friday, April 19, 2002. I'm Kate Snow in for Wolf Blitzer tonight in Washington. We are following three mysteries this hour. Topping our "News Alert," the mystery surrounding the latest terror threat in the United States.
The FBI has put together enough clues to warn that terrorists may be planning physical attacks on financial institutions in the Northeast. While the Justice Department says it has no information about a specific threat against any specific bank, sources do say al Qaeda may be involved.
Police say they have the answer to a Hollywood whodunit. Actor Robert Blake is behind bars, suspected of killing his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, almost a year ago. Prosecutors will be asked to charge Blake with murder. Blake's bodyguard has also been arrested. Blake's lawyer insists the real killer is still at large.
And investigators are still mystified by the deadly derailment of Amtrak's auto train. They are wondering whether a track misalignment caused the train to leave the rails in northeastern Florida yesterday. Four people were killed and 159 injured. The National Transportation Safety Board is due to comment this hour. If there is new information, we'll, of course, have that for you.
More now on the government's new warning of a terror threat against banks or other financial institutions in the Northeastern U.S. Let's get more now from CNN correspondent Kelli Arena. She will join us live now, I believe, with the latest -- Kelli.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI publicly insists the threat against banks in the Northeast came from unspecified terrorists. But privately, U.S. officials say it came from al Qaeda.
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have received information which may or may not be reliable that terrorists are considering physical attacks against U.S. financial institutions, particularly banks located in the Northeastern United States as part of their conspiracy against -- their campaign against the United States.
ARENA: U.S. officials say the information that led to the warning came in part from Abu Zubaydah, the recently captured head of al Qaeda operations. Other intelligence includes electronic intercepts. The FBI informed financial institutions and law enforcement in 12 states in the Northeast and the District of Columbia. Officials emphasized they were using an abundance of caution in deciding to put out this warning.
ASHCROFT: It's important to note that there is no specific threat being communicated to any specific institution. We are not changing our assessment of the overall national threat level. And we are not asking banks to close or urging people to stay away from banks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (on camera): One of the nation's biggest financial institutions, Bank of America, says that unless the threat escalates, it is business as usual. Now, the threat level for both the Northeast and the region -- the nation and the region has not changed as a result of the new information. It remains at yellow, which is an elevated level of risk.
Now I would like to underscore the FBI says that the threats are unsubstantiated, which means that they don't specific evidence as to the reliability of the threat. And once more, U.S. officials say that they are treating the information that Abu Zubaydah gives them with great caution. As one U.S. official put it, guys like that are quite capable of lying for effect -- Kate.
SNOW: Kelli Arena, our justice correspondent, thank you.
We turn now to the arrest of Robert Blake. Police say it was contempt and a feeling of being trapped in his marriage that led to last year's killing of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake, who played a detective in the "Baretta" TV series, is now behind bars making the transformation from actor to murder suspect. He is awaiting arraignment.
What took so long for police to make an arrest? CNN national correspondent, Frank Buckley, now joins us from Los Angeles with more -- Frank. FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, police would say what took so long was they had a significant investigation to undertake. They told us last night that throughout this investigation, they did focus on Robert Blake, but they had other suspects to eliminate and they also interviewed some 150 witnesses. They traveled to 20 states. They had 900 separate pieces of evidence to sift through and evaluate.
They say there was no key break or anything like that. They simply wanted to methodically go through all of the evidence and continue their investigation. In fact, that's what they are doing today. Search warrants have been served at the home of Robert Blake's sister in Hidden Hills, California. That is where Blake was most recently staying. That's where, in fact, he was arrested.
Also, a search warrant was served and executed at the home of Earle Caldwell, that is the handyman/bodyguard of Robert Blake. He was arrested yesterday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He will also be facing arraignment next week.
On arraignment day, Robert Blake is expected to go in on Monday before a judge in Van Nuys. He will be asked to enter a plea. His attorney will probably enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf. He will be asked to admit or deny the special circumstance of lying in wait. There will probably be a discussion of bail, then a preliminary hearing date will be set -- Kate.
SNOW: Frank, what are the conditions like where Blake is being held now?
BUCKLEY: He's been held at men's central jail which is the same facility that once held O.J. Simpson. In fact, Robert Hoffman (ph), the chief of the custody operations division, told me that he is actually in the same cell that was once occupied by Robert Downey, Jr. It is an 8 by 10 foot cell in the old hospital ward area. He is segregated from the other inmate population. There's a small window on the door and deputies check on him every 15 minutes. He doesn't have access to a TV or to newspapers. At this point, he gets three meals a day and three hours of exercise per week -- Kate.
SNOW: Frank Buckley in Los Angeles today, thank you.
The Blake case is the latest in a long line of celebrities in legal trouble, cases that tend to fascinate fans. But, do Hollywood stars have an advantage in the courtroom or does their fame get in the way of justice? In this case, like many others, it might cut both ways.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Once again, camera crews will be set up outside and possibly inside the courtroom. Another familiar scene, TV helicopters frantically chasing a distinct white car carrying a famous passenger. Like so many other celebrity criminal trials, the Robert Blake case promises to draw an audience. But are there different standards of justice for celebrities? Can the defendant, the victim or the public ever really get a fair trial? CYNTHIA ALKSNE, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Because of their celebrity, prosecutors have more resources. On the other hand, celebrities get better treatment in that cops are also more cautious with them and treat them more tenderly because they don't want to be judged. Judges in courtrooms don't ever want to be Judge Ito from the Simpson case and they don't want to be judged.
SNOW: If, as expected, Robert Blake is charged with the murder of his wife, there are already strong parallels to celebrity trials of the past. Blake's attorney has gone on the offensive calling into question the victim's character. Not a new tactic, but one that was drawn on famously in the William Kennedy Smith rape trial and the Marv Albert assault case.
These trials also attract and often create the so-called celebrity attorney. And there are the juries, ordinary men and women who may have preconceptions going in of the people whose fate they are deciding.
ALKSNE: We all think we know on some level, those of us who watched "Baretta" or "In Cold Blood," we have some feel for who we think this man is. And, of course, we don't know him at all. We just know this persona and that's confusing for a jury.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW (on camera): So just how differently do the wheels of justice turn for celebrities? Joining us from Los Angeles is Michel Bryant, a correspondent for "Extra."
Michel, what do you think? Do celebrities get special treatment?
MICHEL BRYANT, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Well, Ms. Snow, let me answer that first generally and then specifically, because part of what we do at "Extra" in the celebrity justice unit is examine just that. Are they being treated the same? Are they getting favorable treatment? And then, in the fall, the whole show about celebrity justice is going to be launched. So we're very in tuned to that exact issue.
In this case, certainly everybody has been waiting for something to happen to this celebrity, either to arrest him or not arrest him. And I think what we've seen so far suggests he's being treated differently than somebody who might be charged with the murder of another person. The arrest itself yesterday seemed to me to be a little more than you might see for this kind of arrestee. There was a lot of activity, a lot of cars, a lot of guns, a lot of bulletproof vests and it seemed to be very extreme. Because he's a celebrity? I don't know. But it certainly was extreme.
SNOW: But doesn't the Los Angeles Police Department try sometimes to go out of their way to make sure they treat these people like normal people so they don't get accused of being soft, if you will?
BRYANT: Well, it is ironic because in trying to treat them like normal people, they don't. They can't because they know they have a celebrity and they know everybody is watching. Remember, we're in the post-O.J. phase, and if they had waited 11 months to arrest O.J., maybe that trial would have ended differently. Certainly the case would have moved forward differently.
So now we wait 11 months to arrest this celebrity in the post- O.J. phase because they want to be careful. They know that every move they're making is being scrutinized and they don't want to make a mistake because this is a spotlight case.
SNOW: What do you think we should expect in the way of courtroom drama, courtroom theatrics? Are we going to see a lot of that?
BRYANT: Well, this is definitely a case that is going to be a media monster. I mean, how this thing moves forward is going to depend on what the judge allows the media to do. If the judge allows the media in the courtroom, that's one level of show biz. If there are a number of areas that the judge allows the attorneys to explore, like the history in Bonny Bakley's life, that is another area that the media can go wild on.
So this is -- I mean, it's sex. It's sin. It's salacious. It's sensational. This is a Hollywood type case and the judge has the control to limit what happens in the media. If there is no limitation as there was really none in O.J., it could get very entertaining.
SNOW: And quickly, how it is playing in Los Angeles? Is this sort of O.J.-type billing, O.J.-type attention?
BRYANT: I think it is at this point because everybody has been waiting so long. I talked to a lot of folks around Vitello's, the restaurant, which was near the scene of the murder. Last night, I talked to them, also neighbors in Mr. Blake's old neighborhood. They all said similar things: it is about time, finally.
So whether they believe him guilty or not isn't really the issue, but they felt like it was time for something to happen. So there's been a lot of anticipation and certainly that brings it to the forefront.
SNOW: Michel Bryant with "Extra," appreciate your time.
BRYANT: Thank you.
SNOW: Sure thing. And tonight, a special edition of "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: The Life and Career of Robert Blake." You can catch that 8:30 Eastern, 5:30 Pacific.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused one of Amtrak's most popular trains to derail. Amtrak's auto train carries people and their cars between Florida and Virginia. It had just started its northbound run from central Florida when it went off the tracks, killing four and injuring dozens more. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman is in Putnam County, Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By all accounts with the screaming and commotion aboard, this was a real life nightmare scenario. The auto train, 16-passenger cars, 14 of them derailed. Behind me, you can see three of them. One you can see inside the train. The one to the right is partially on its side, and then on the far right, you can see the bottom of the train, the wheels.
The latest toll, four people dead, 159 of the 468 passengers hurt, 27 of them remain hospitalized. The back of this train, which is to my right, to your left, there are 24 automobile carriers, seven of them also derailed.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the engineer is OK. He is saying he saw a problem with the track and he says he pulled the emergency brake and then the derailment occurred. This is a very rural area. As a matter of fact, we've seen at least two snakes slithering through the grass, but there were some neighbors in the area who came right out after this accident to help out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One lady had a broken hip and one had a misplaced shoulder. And there was this guy, had this big gash in his head. So we got some pillows and put on his head and told him to apply the pressure on it.
TUCHMAN: The NTSB says it will interview the engineer of a coal train that came through here shortly before the accident to see if the engineer saw any problems with the track and to take a look at the train itself.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Putnam County, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Gary Tuchman, thank you.
We're going to take a listen now to one of the calls that came into 911 as that accident happened yesterday in Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911, what's your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just in an Amtrak accident. We are all turned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, listen to me. Are you on the train?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honey, calm down, listen to me. Are you on the train?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was on the train. I am off the train. There are a lot of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. We have help on the way. Can you tell me how many people are hurt, do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole train has derailed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Terrifying words there on a 911 call. The auto train accident was Amtrak's first fatal derailment since March of last year when one person was killed in a train wreck in Iowa.
Just how safe is train travel and how does it compare with other modes? Jim Hall is the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. He joins us to talk a little more about this. There are still a lot of questions, Mr. Hall, about what happened there in Florida yesterday, a lot of unanswered questions. How worried should people be about train travel?
JIM HALL, FORMER NTSB CHAIRMAN: Well, train travel, of course, is much safer than travel on our highways. However, I'm very concerned about the number of track-related accidents that we're seeing with the Amtrak trains.
SNOW: We don't know if this was track-related yet.
HALL: It would appear that obviously we don't know yet, but the engineer reported a misalignment with the track and indications are that that is going to be where the investigators are first looking.
SNOW: Safer to get on a train than it is to get on a plane, airplane?
HALL: Well, I would say that obviously right now, in comparing statistics, that both of those are far safer travel than on our highways. Our transportation in the United States is very safe, but incidents like this, four people killed, 100 people seriously injured, needs attention and needs to be eliminated.
SNOW: Apparently, the company operating this particular rail line went out and checked the track yesterday morning about eight hours before the accident happened. How often do you know are tracks inspected? Is that happening all the time?
HALL: Yes. There is track inspections all the time. But in this case, I believe there were four trains and a coal train that went over this track before the Amtrak train did. In the United States, we don't have dedicated track for our passenger trains, and that's a real problem, sharing freight and passenger on the same set of tracks.
SNOW: You think they should be separated?
HALL: Well, in the ideal world, obviously that's where -- in Europe and Japan, where you have the high speed rail. But we, in view of the fact that we have this situation here, we're going to have do a far better job in being sure that we eliminate accidents like this.
SNOW: Go back for a moment to what you mentioned a moment ago. The engineer apparently slammed on the emergency brake. I would think it's not supposed -- that's not supposed to cause some kind of pileup crash. I mean, you're supposed to be able to brake a train and stop it.
HALL: Well, it is not that unusual. He was stopping the train obviously in an emergency situation. That train, I think, had over 40 different cars. It had the automobiles on there that were heavy. So, as those cars went over the misalignment of the track that it was reported, if that's correct, it is not unusual that there was this derailment.
SNOW: What about train engineers? Do they get the kind of training, the kind of education, that an airline pilot would get?
HALL: Well, they get good training, but I think this investigation is going to have to look obviously at human factors, what sort of training went into the engineer's decision making. They are going to have to look at the undercarriage, what type of maintenance was on the train itself, and obviously all the track and track inspection that was done.
SNOW: If you were down there right now, what is the next thing you would be doing?
HALL: I think the board knows very well what to do. They're looking at the coal train. They're going to talk to the engineer.
SNOW: That's the train that went over before this train.
HALL: Right. They're inspecting all of the equipment. We have some very well-trained investigators working in the party system. I'm confident that they will find out what happened. But obviously a tremendous tragedy for the families of those individuals who lost lives and were seriously injured.
SNOW: Jim Hall, former National Transportation Safety Board chairman, thanks for being with us.
HALL: It's a pleasure being here.
SNOW: Appreciate it.
Our Web question of the day has to do with this: What do you think is the safest way to travel? By boat, car, plane, or train? You can vote at cnn.com/wolf. And while you're there, let us know what you are thinking. There's a "click here" icon on the left side of Wolf's Web page where you can send your comments.
Is it a case of cashing in on catastrophe or paying tribute to the unsung heroes of September 11? Coming up, the maker of these trading cards defends his work.
And later, why Abercrombie & Fitch is in a hot water situation with Asian Americans.
And danger for Americans in Russia: We'll tell you about the threat coming on the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birthday. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNOW: You've heard of trading cards featuring sports figures. Well, now, a Florida company is planning to apply the same idea to the victims of September 11. The trading cards will include victims' pictures and profiles. About 20 families have given photos of their loved ones and information to use on the cards, which will become available this summer, we're told. Others say, though, that the concept is tasteless.
Joining us from New York is Kingsley Barham of Chestnut Publications. He is organizing the project. Mr. Barham, let me start by asking you a little more about this. What are these cards going to look like? How much will they cost? How many people are you going to profile?
KINGSLEY BARHAM, CHESTNUT PUBLICATIONS: Well, we're hoping to do 202 cards, 160 of them are going to be tribute or memorial cards to the victims and some survivors of the World Trade Center attack, and they are going to be sold where people buy them. We never know exactly where the cards are going to be sold. This is about the 11th year that I've been doing this and the market finds the cards. I don't find the market.
SNOW: You've been doing this with other situations I assume. What other kinds of cards have you produced?
BARHAM: Well, I'm from California and it is a big motorcycle state. We did a series of classic motorcycle cards and we did two series of cards on the subject of hemp and medical marijuana, which was very successful. And that entered the market right at the time that Prop 215, the medical marijuana initiative was commencing in California. And I've done a series of cards on tattoo art and other things in the popular culture.
SNOW: Mr. Barham, I'm sure you're aware there are people out there including some of the families of the victims who say this is absolutely tasteless, that what you're doing is you're exploiting these people and making money off of it.
BARHAM: Well, there is no exploitation. And as far as the tastelessness is concerned, no one has seen the cards. Your studio, I think, is the first in the nation that's actually seen the full set of the sample cards. Those things may be changed to further address the needs of the families.
The families have all approved. The families are receiving a sizable royalty for this. And they actually do the final edit on the backs of the cards. So, whatever tribute they see fitting for their loved one or themselves if they're living is completely tailored to their liking. And if there's a punctuation mark, the objective, then it's changed. So they...
SNOW: I want -- I'm sorry.
BARHAM: I just want to say that... SNOW: Let me just get...
BARHAM: Go ahead.
SNOW: Let me get you to respond really quickly to someone specific here. We have a soundbyte from a woman who lost her brother on 9/11. Let's just listen to that and then I'll get you to respond to it.
BARHAM: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RITA LASAR, SISTER OF VICTIM: Some day, I'm going to be walking on the street and bend down to pick up a piece of paper to throw in the trash and see my brother's face. I have nothing against people being interested in money, but not on my brother's corpse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: What do you say to that, I don't want to walk down the street and see his face?
BARHAM: Well, I can tell you this, I've been making cards for almost 11 years and I've never ever seen anyone throw them away. That's one of the reasons why I'm doing this. I'm going leave some cards here at the studio with some of your colleagues and I guarantee you that 10 years from now, they're going to find themselves in a box or in a book or glued into a scrapbook. They tend not to be thrown away and that's why they are -- it's a suitable venue and vehicle for a tribute such as this.
SNOW: Quickly, are you paying the families that are going to participate? Are you giving them any money?
BARHAM: Absolutely. Absolutely. They are getting an eight percent off the top of the gross revenues, contribution to all the participating families, and that contribution can in turn be sent to other people if they don't feel that they want the money.
It is really not about the money anyway. It is an attempt to put a human face on a very, very horrible tragedy that hasn't been fully addressed from its human side.
SNOW: Mr. Barham, thank you so much for joining us, appreciate your insights on that.
We're going to turn now to another guest, Stephen Push, who will join us from Washington. He is the treasurer for the Families of September 11. He has a very different point of view on all this. He says the idea of these 9/11 trading cards crosses the lines. Mr. Push, thanks for being with us.
You just heard what Mr. Barham had to say, these are going to be tasteful, these are going to be respectful of the victims. What's wrong with that? STEPHEN PUSH, TREASURER, FAMILIES OF SEPTEMBER 11: Well, I assume that if he hires good writers, he can write good obituaries or tributes to these people. But just the whole idea of putting the victims on trading cards strikes me as being tasteless.
SNOW: But if the families have released their permission, and I think he said 20 families have so far, who are you to say that they can't do this?
PUSH: I'm a person who has an opinion and who finds it personally tasteless. And I'm sure out of a group of, you know, 3,000 people, you will find some people who will go along with it, but that -- and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Obviously, those families don't think it is tasteless, but my personal opinion is that it is.
There are going to be many tributes to these families. There are going to be memorials built and there's the -- on the "New York Times" Web site, there's a portraits of grief tributes to the families. But, you know, trading cards, I mean, if the cards sell well, are we going to see mugs and refrigerator magnets with our family's faces on them? It just strikes me as being the wrong type of way to memorialize these people.
SNOW: What's different though, and I just want to be clear on this, what's different between this and say the obituaries that have been running in the "New York Times" every week which have been very well received. Every Sunday, there is a short obituary about each of the victims. What is different?
PUSH: Well, you know, the "New York Times" doesn't run tributes to marijuana. I mean, they're trading cards. They come in packs with bubble gum. Not his obviously, but it's just -- I mean, the trading card has a certain role in the culture that to me is not consistent with memorializing people who have died in this tragedy. I personally wouldn't participate and I've talked to other families who have had the same reaction that I've had. It's a very negative reaction when they hear about it.
SNOW: Will your group discourage people from buying them?
PUSH: No. It is everybody's decision whether or not to do it and it's not the worst thing I've seen. You know, there were people selling postcards with pictures of the planes crashing into the Towers. I thought that was even more tasteless.
There is one particular thing that bothers me about this enterprise though. Judging from what I read in the "Wall Street Journal," apparently Mr. Barham is hiring people to do telephone solicitations to try to get the families interested in participating. I find that very intrusive. I assume to get 160 families to participate, he's going to have to call hundreds or maybe even thousands of families. And, you know, do these people he has hired, he describes them as students and grandmothers, so I assume they don't have experience in dealing with people who are grieving. I don't know how they're trained. I don't know how they're compensated. But it raises concerns in my mind as to whether this whole process is too intrusive. And for every family he is recruiting, he is being offensive to 10.
SNOW: OK. Stephen Push, treasurer with Families of September 11, thanks for your time today too.
PUSH: You're welcome.
SNOW: Appreciate it.
President Bush may not be taking Israel at its word. Learn about his latest request, coming up.
Also, a new offer from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. We'll tell you what is on the table.
And the deadly threats on the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birthday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNOW: Checking our latest "News Alert": Actor Robert Blake is expected to be arraigned on Monday. Police say prosecutors will be asked to charge him with murder and solicitation of murder in the killing of his wife almost one year ago. Blake is being held at the men's central jail in Los Angeles. His lawyer says the real killer remains at large.
He spoke to media short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARLAND BRAN, ATTORNEY FOR ROBERT BLAKE: I'm surprised that they have arrested Robert at this point, because, had I been on the other side and concluded my investigation, my last act would be to go to the defense lawyer and say: "OK, does your client wish to talk to us, because, if he has an explanation, I would like to know it?" And if they have something that he can't refute, then they should know that, too. But that is why I'm a little astounded that, given the fact that he has already spent four hours answering questions, they didn't come back to us again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: The FBI says the government has received a new unsubstantiated terror threat. This time, the targets are banks and financial institutions in the Northeastern U.S. Sources say authorities learned about the threat in the last couple of days and al Qaeda operatives may be involved.
An aide says Yasser Arafat is willing to put the suspected killers of an Israeli Cabinet minister on trial, but only in a Palestinian court. The suspects are said to be inside Arafat's besieged Ramallah headquarters. And Israeli troops surrounding the headquarters have demanded that they be handed over. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is anxious to see the Israeli campaign in Palestinian areas completed. He met today with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who expressed hope Powell would return to the Middle East to continue his diplomatic mission.
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer says the United States supports an independent investigation of what happened at the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinians say the death toll there could be as high as 500. Israel say dozens were killed in the fighting. Israel Defense Forces today issued a statement saying they have withdrawn from the area.
With Israeli forces now out of Jenin, CNN's Christiane Amanpour went into the refugee camp to view the aftermath of the battle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's early morning after Israeli tanks and troops finally pull out of Jenin. A woman and her child clutching his stuffed toy are among the stunned residents of the refugee camp, coming back to see just what they survived.
All over this scene of massive destruction, people say to each other, "Thank God that you are still alive." In the piles of pulverized concrete and twisted metal, women and old men scrabble with bare hands in search of belongings. And where there is a stench, they search for anyone who might be buried.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are feeling a smell.
AMANPOUR: It's a futile effort. With just a plank of wood, they cannot winch away the concrete slabs.
"If they thought we were human, they would not have done this to us," says this old man. "And now no one is helping us."
Indeed, here they wonder why they are not yet getting the kind of emergency international aid they have seen rushed to earthquake victims all over the world. The U.N. says Israel bears some responsibility for launching a search-and-rescue operation
(on camera): There is a strong smell of rotting bodies under many of the piles in this area of devastation. But people may never know the true extent of their casualties unless they get in proper heavy-lifting equipment to move the rubble.
(voice-over): The war of the body count is almost as fierce as the fighting itself: 23 Israeli soldiers and a still unknown number of Palestinians.
Israeli press reconstruction suggests the army attacked from the edge of the camp with tank and machine gunfire, trying to get its infantry in, but failed because of armed resistance, and then started attacking houses with Apache helicopters and tanks, until Palestinian fighters were forced deeper and deeper into the camp, here, where the final destruction took place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night, President Bush says that Ariel Sharon, the prime minister of Israel, is the peace man. But you can't see the actions of the peace man. Hundred of houses were destroyed.
AMANPOUR: Some residents say they never got any warning. But others, like Saeed (ph), his wife and four children, say they were told to get out. "We were here in our house for a week," he says, "until they called us on loudspeakers, saying they were going to strike with F-16s."
Israeli press reports carry accounts by some of their soldiers. One called this Vietnam. Others admit they used Palestinian camp residents as human shields as they went house to house searching for armed militants and booby traps. The Israeli army insists the use of human shields, which violates the rules of war, is not their policy.
With the battle for Jenin over now, all that is left for the residents who are left is to report their missing and wonder where they're going to live.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, at the Jenin refugee camp.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: And Christiane Amanpour will have complete coverage of today's Middle East developments tonight at 8:00 Eastern, as she reports "LIVE FROM JERUSALEM."
Italian authorities are searching for clues. Why did a pilot crash into a high-rise building in Milan? We will tell you about the latest theories. And later: Duty calls. It's back to work for the USS Cole.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNOW: Mechanical failure, acute illness, or maybe suicide: Italian investigators say those are three possible reasons why a small plane flew into a Milan skyscraper. The pilot and two women inside the building were killed.
CNN's Chris Burns is following the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Plane wreckage and a sea of documents lie in front of the tallest building in Milan -- also flags flying at half-staff for the two women lawyers who died in the crash along with the pilot, who steered his plane directly into the building.
Authorities are saying that it was not a September 11-style terrorist attack. But if you look at the top of the building where the plane entered, that is one strong reason why authorities are saying that it could very well have been a suicide. They are saying that it was such perfect aim, the pilot apparently was trying to steer the plane directly into the building.
The impact threw his body and the body of one of the women straight out the window on the other side of the building. They say that Luigi Gino Fasulo, the pilot, 68, an art dealer, was deeply in debt and perhaps wanted to kill himself, this according also to his son, speculating about the possible cause.
The investigation continues, authorities picking through the wreckage. The mayor of Milan and the governor also visited here, looking at the situation -- the governor ruling out the possibility of a terror attack, but saying that it could very well have been an accident or another cause That is why authorities are not ruling out a suicide.
Milanese here say they are relieved it was not a September 11- style attack. However, they are very shaken at the possibility that another symbolic skyscraper may have been targeted.
Chris Burns, CNN, Milan, Italy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: In Russia, Americans are being warned to lie low as police launch a nationwide crackdown on extremist youth groups.
More now from CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty.
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JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Russia's skinheads have declared war on foreigners. Embassies in the Russian capital were sent e-mails threatening that, to mark the birthday of Hitler, which falls this Saturday -- quote -- "We will kill all foreigners we see. Russia is for Russians." The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is taking the threat seriously. It's warning all Americans in Russia to be cautious.
(on camera): A week and a half ago, U.S. citizens were verbally assaulted on Red Square and on a popular pedestrian street. And not far from this metro stop, an interpreter from Afghanistan was savagely beaten. He later died.
(voice-over): The Russian Interior Ministry says there are 1,000 skinheads in Russia and another 10,000 sympathizers. It keeps no specific data on skinhead violence. But, according to some reports, in the past two years, more than a dozen foreigners have been killed and 100 hospitalized.
Darker-skinned people are special targets. The wife of the South African ambassador was accosted by skinheads, who put out a cigarette on her chest. For Honorat Juste Setilahy and his family, the war against foreigners has already begun. He's back from 10 days in the hospital after having his skull broken by skinheads.
"They beat us with metal pipes and bricks" he says. "There were about 15 of them I think, teenagers. They yelled: 'Blacks go home. Skins don't stop."
President Vladimir Putin this week called the growth of extremism a serious threat to stability and public security in Russia. Police and prosecutors, he says, have no effective instruments to punish those who instigate the violence. His administration is proposing new legislation.
Russia's Interior Ministry, meanwhile, is promising to crack down this weekend. "Beginning today, we are launching Operation Anti- Extremist," he tells CNN. "We are increasing security at embassies, open-air markets and other places owned and frequented by foreigners."
But some international students in Moscow say they can't count on the police for protection. Celso Moran, a Peruvian who runs a student night club, was run off the road by skinheads. "At first," he says, "the police tried to convince us not to pursue the matter. They kind of threatened us. They said, 'Forgive the guys. They are just young kids.'"
The students have organized a hot line this weekend for any emergencies. But many say they plan to stay home just in case.
Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: When it comes to fashion sense, clothing companies try to know what the customer wants. But there are exceptions. Coming up: the shirts from Abercrombie & Fitch that angered Asian-Americans. And later: a couple who wasn't camera-shy.
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SNOW: Here are some of the stories making news across America: There were more cheers and more hugs for returning Marines today. Helicopter pilots from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in North Carolina after seven months overseas. Ground troops from the same unit arrived yesterday. A spokesman says the pilots flew supplies and troops all over Afghanistan to support the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Hundreds of cheering spectators waved U.S. flags today as the USS Cole returned to sea. After months of repairs, the destroyer sailed out of a Mississippi shipyard heading for its home port in Norfolk, Virginia; 17 stars on a hallway floor in the ship pay tribute to the 17 sailors killed when the Cole was attacked in Yemen a year and a half ago. Navy commanders say the ship's return to the fleet is a sign of America's commitment to overcome terrorism.
Oklahoma is marking a grim anniversary today. Church bells rang in Oklahoma City to mark the seventh anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; 168 people were killed in that attack. And, until September 11, the Oklahoma City bombing was considered the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil.
Would you take offense to what your friends wear? You might if they put this on. Coming up: the shirts Abercrombie & Fitch put out and then abruptly took off the rack.
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SNOW: A misguided attempt at humor or a marketing blunder? Either way, a popular retailer is doing some damage control after offending some of the very customers it was trying to attract.
CNN's James Hattori reports from San Francisco.
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JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This probably isn't the kind of big crowd Abercrombie & Fitch hoped to draw by introducing a series of T-shirts depicting retro Asian characters, like this one showing Chinese laundry workers and the phrase -- quote -- "Two Wongs can make it white."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd be offended if I saw somebody walking around the streets wearing a shirt like this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of a funny joke, but it's a joke that perhaps an Asian person could make. That's not so great coming from a big corporation that's associated with white fraternity kids.
HATTORI: To the protesters, the shirts hearken back to more racist times when Asians were denied citizenship and property rights and, in Hollywood, when the only Asian main character, Detective Charlie Chan, was played by a white actor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's disappointment and sadness that a company as sophisticated and longstanding as Abercrombie & Fitch could be so ill-informed and ignorant.
HATTORI (on camera): Ohio-based Abercrombie & Fitch declined an on-camera interview. But in a statement, the company said it was never its intention to offend anyone, that the goal was to add a bit of humor and levity to its fashion line. According to a spokesman, the company thought everyone would love the shirts, especially the Asian community. It didn't turn out that way.
RICHARD MONTURO, ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE, TBWA CHIAT-DAY: Yes, I mean, my first reaction was just to wince a little and think, "Oh, ouch, that wasn't so good."
HATTORI (voice-over): This isn't the first time Abercrombie & Fitch has attracted controversy for its youth-oriented advertising, which, for some, is too sexually suggestive and too white. The company's Web site, for example, currently uses no models from minority groups.
MONTURO: We have to start acknowledging the size of these communities, their economic power, and their sensitivity to messaging that may be different from a white majority population.
HATTORI: Abercrombie & Fitch has apologized for the T-shirts and is pulling them from the shelves in hopes of restocking its public image.
James Hattori, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: Do you think your fears about travel are like most Americans'? Now is the chance to find out. Coming up: the results of our "Web Question of the Day": "What do you think is the safest way to travel: by boat, car, plane or train?"
We'll be right back.
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SNOW: Now let's go to New York and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins at the top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Kate, thank you.
The Bush administration changes its approach again on the Middle East. President Bush now calls Ariel Sharon a man of peace. And that statement has infuriated Palestinians and Arabs, that while this administration considers dropping longstanding pillars of Middle East policy. We'll have a live report for you tonight from the White House. And we will be joined by Middle East historian and expert Bernard Lewis. We will be talking about this change in policy.
And Andersen has broken settlement talks with the Department of Justice. We will be telling you what that means for the future of Andersen and the banks that financed Enron. And stocks close out a winning week on Wall Street. We'll have our weekly market wrap-up of Wall Street -- all of that, a lot more coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us.
Now back to Kate Snow -- Kate.
SNOW: Lou, thanks.
Earlier in the program, I asked you what you thought was the safest form of travel, a boat, a car, a plane, or a train, in our "Web Question of the Day." Now for the results of that: 40 percent feel safest in planes; 31 percent picked their car; 17 picked the train; and 12 percent picked both. A reminder: The poll is not scientific.
Time now to hear your thoughts on Wolf's reporting from the Middle East.
Michael writes: "Wolf, your wistful comments about walking through the streets of Jerusalem reminds us of how much we are missing because of the constant hostilities between the Israelis and Palestinians. Thank you for your fine reporting. We hope and pray peace will soon be restored so that all of us can return to this holy city in peace and safety."
But Leonard asks: "When you walk around Jerusalem and see Israelis carrying weapons, do you understand why? If you watched CNN and nothing else, you would think that Israel is like Nazi Germany and, out of the blue, they decided to attack the Palestinians living on the West Bank."
And that's all the time we have for tonight. Be sure to join Wolf Blitzer this Sunday at noon for CNN's "LATE EDITION" -- his guest: Secretary of State Colin Powell.
I'm Kate Snow in Washington.
"LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" right now.
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