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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Bush Meets Saudi Ambassador in Crawford; U.S. Olympic Cities Narrowed to Two; Gore White Powder Deemed Likely a Hoax
Aired August 27, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR: On WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, the number of U.S. cities in the running to host the Olympics is about to drop to two. Who's in and who's out? We'll have the live announcement straight ahead.
A Saudi prince at a Texas ranch. We'll tell you about a power lunch in Crawford, Texas where Iraq was on the menu. A controversial new book blames the U.S. intelligence community for pre-September 11 failures. Do the allegations hold up? We'll talk to author Bill Gertz.
Now that he's been convicted of the Yosemite Park murders, should former handyman Cary Stayner get the death penalty? The victims' family speaks out this hour. And an eye-opening report on caffeine and cancer. Could what's in a cup of coffee be good for your skin?
It's Tuesday, August 27, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We have two breaking stories we're following right now, one the big Olympic waiting game. It's just about over for four American cities. Just moments from now the U.S. Olympic Committee will announce the two finalists in the bidding to host the Summer Olympic Games of 2012; the contenders, Houston, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
We're waiting and watching and we'll be getting that coverage live in just a few moments.
The other breaking story we're following right now; authorities are trying to determine if an envelope delivered today to the former Vice President Al Gore's office in Nashville, Tennessee contained anthrax. Officials say a suspicious white powder was inside the package but they still don't know just what it is. Stamped on the back of the envelope was the statement: "This letter has not been inspected by the Corrections Department." Officials say one person was exposed to the powder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASST. CHIEF KIM LAWSON, NASHVILLE FIRE DEPT.: There was a suspicious letter with powder. We have taken the precautions just as we have each and every call. We have isolated the threat. There was one person that was exposed to the item. We have had her wash her hands, change her clothes, blow her nose, all of the things that we have been assuring safety for. At this time, the threat has been isolated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Al Gore spokesman Yano Cabrera joins us now live by telephone from Arlington, Virginia. Yano thanks for joining us, unfortunately under these circumstances, but tell us what you know right now about this letter.
YANO CABRERA, GORE SPOKESMAN: (via telephone): My understanding is that our Office Manager Mary Patterson was opening the mail at 12:15 p.m. Central time. She had opened eight envelopes, was opening this one when a white powdery substance spilled out everywhere. She called out to a coworker and said this one has powder in it and Robert Carty (ph), our Tennessee director immediately told her to wash her hands, close the door to the room where she had been opening the mail, turned off the air-conditioning and notified local authorities.
BLITZER: How long did it take for those authorities to get to the scene?
CABRERA: They were there relatively quickly. They responded very quickly. They sent a hazmat team. The hazmat team suited up downstairs, went up to the seventh floor of Al Gore's offices and just quickly looked through it.
BLITZER: They've obviously closed down the office. How long do they say it will take to determine what that substance actually is?
CABRERA: They told us 24 hours. Everyone here is hoping that this is a hoax. We're hoping to confirm that in 24 hours' time. Until then, we're closing the office for 96 hours and we won't be open until Tuesday of next week.
BLITZER: And have there ever been, Yano, as far as you know, anything like this, any kinds of these hoax letters if, in fact, this is a hoax that have reached the vice president's office?
CABRERA: No. This was the first time we've ever received a letter of this kind.
BLITZER: Have you normally taken precautions in, you know, eradiating these kinds of letters?
CABRERA: We haven't eradiated any of our letters but we do have procedures in place which our Tennessee director followed in case we received a suspicious package. He followed them to the tee the minute he heard that there was powder in this envelope and has been praised for acting as quickly and as responsibly as he did.
BLITZER: And the staff in Nashville, the office manager for example, I assume you've spoken to them. How are they doing?
CABRERA: They were both a little nervous but both are hoping that this will be resolved in 24 hours and that we'll hear back that this is just a hoax. That's what we're all hoping at this point. Al Gore has contacted both of them, and asked them if they're OK. And, we're just waiting to hear back.
BLITZER: And the vice president, to be precise, was not in Nashville at the time?
CABRERA: He was not in Nashville at the time. He was in northern California with his family. As soon as he heard of this, he called Robert, talked to him at length, talked to Mary, talked to her at length, asked both of them how they were doing, and has been receiving updates regularly since.
BLITZER: Yano Cabrera thanks for joining us. Good luck to you. Please give our best wishes to everyone in the former vice president's office in Nashville. We, of course, hope in fact this is a hoax and not anthrax, but we won't know as you say for some 24 hours, the story developing only within the past few hours.
Let's continue to pursue the latest on this scare that developed in Nashville. Joining us now by telephone the vice president's daughter Karenna Gore-Schiff, she's in New York. Karenna thanks for joining us and tell us how you heard about this and what was going through your mind?
KARENNA GORE-SCHIFF, AL GORE'S DAUGHTER (via telephone): Well I heard about it when I just came home from work and my mother had left a message just giving all of us a heads up about this story, and then obviously I turned on the news to see what was being reported. But, my parents are just concerned for the safety of Mary and Robert and the other people working in the building, and as Yano said, we're just hoping this is a hoax and that it's nothing serious.
BLITZER: And when you spoke to your mother, Tipper Gore, what was her mood? What was she feeling? What was she saying?
GORE-SCHIFF: Well, both of my parents are concerned. They just want to be sure that everybody is safe and calm and to be sure that we get to the bottom of it. There is every likelihood that this is not actually a serious situation, but of course, like all Americans would, we just want to be sure to look at every single thing that might be threatening and stop it.
BLITZER: Karenna, as you listen and you watch what's going on. I assume new precautions presumably will be taken in dealing with letters that reach your father's office, and you obviously are still very actively involved in the 2002 elections and presumably if he wants to run in 2004.
GORE-SCHIFF: Yes. I'm very much involved and enjoying being involved in the political debate. I think that people who are in the public eye and are controversial public figures always have to be on the lookout for things like this and my father is no exception.
BLITZER: Karenna Gore-Schiff from New York thanks so much for joining us. Good luck to you. Give our best regards to your parents as well. Once again, we'll continue to follow this story, but as we just heard, it will take some 24 hours. That would be around midday tomorrow for the experts at the Hazmat Unit in Nashville, Tennessee to determine what the nature of this substance is, this powder that reached the former vice president's office in Nashville, Tennessee earlier today. Let's move on to another breaking story we're following right now in Chicago where one of the world's toughest competitions is being played out, winning the right to host the Olympic Games. It's a fierce struggle involving national and international intrigue, millions of dollars and sometimes scandal. The four cities in the running, New York, Washington, Houston, and San Francisco, those are the U.S. cities in the running. There are other cities around the world as well. The announcement just came in. Let's listen.
CHARLES MOORE, U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: We've completed our evaluation following a process in place since we started almost 15 months ago. The Bid Evaluation Team has selected New York and San Francisco.
BLITZER: And there it is. That's the final two in the selection process. Jason Carroll is standing by in New York with some reaction. Jason, I assume they're pretty happy over there?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What an exciting day for New York City, especially a city that's been through so much. This is a city, Wolf that spent $13 million in its bid to become one of the finalists for hosting the U.S. Olympic Games.
Joining me right now, I've got two people here, two New Yorkers who are somewhat excited about the Olympic Games. Here I've got Arturo (ph). He's from Staten Island. And, Colette (ph), she is from Brooklyn. Arturo, I'm going to start with you. You had some concerns about traffic but all in all you feel like this is a good thing.
ARTURO: I think it's definitely very good for the economy to get people to come back to New York, maybe spend some money, and get some positive environment in New York City, absolutely.
CARROLL: All right, Colette, let me move on to you very quickly here. I know that a lot of people in the city, given what happened on 9/11, feel as though there are many reasons why a lot of events should be held in the city now and in the future. What are some of your thoughts?
COLETTE: Well, I think we have the U.S. Open happening right now and things seem to be going quite well. I think one of the concerns might be in terms of safety but also in terms of controlling traffic, but I think that we could do it.
CARROLL: What about also just in terms of the mood and the feeling? What do you think it might do in terms of boosting the mood and the feeling here in the city? I open it up to either one of you very quickly.
ARTURO: Absolutely. I mean I can't see it being - the only problem would probably be traffic, but I think people will overlook the traffic and realize that in the long run it's going to be good for New York.
CARROLL: All right, Arturo, Colette, right her in Times Square, thank you so very, very much. Again, New York City will spend $13 million on its bid and what it plans to do if it's eventually chosen as the final U.S. city, will build a huge stadium on the West Side of Manhattan along the Hudson River. A lot of people, once again, a little bit concerned about traffic but all in all they say this is definitely a very good thing for the city. Wolf.
BLITZER: A good bit of news for New York City almost a year after 9/11. Jason Carroll thanks for that report. Thanks for the update. The other finalist as far as U.S. cities are concerned, San Francisco. Let's go live to San Francisco where an average person is standing by, Katrina Ravke. You must be so excited as well. Tell us what you're feeling.
KATRINA KHILNANI RAVKE, BAY AREA SPORTS ORG. COMM.: Oh, we're so excited. We've worked very hard to be at this place and we want to congratulate New York City for being in the same spot and our hearts go out to D.C. and Houston because we know how much work and time and effort goes into this bid and we're thrilled to be in the final two and look forward to the November 3 decision.
BLITZER: How strong is this competition between New York and San Francisco going to be?
RAVKE: Well, I've always been taught from my swim coach that you always focus on your own (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and I think that's what we are doing here in San Francisco Bay Area. We are focusing on doing everything possible to make this our strongest bid, and believe that -- we know that we can win internationally.
We think we're an excellent partner when it comes to working with the USOC. We have a financially responsible bid and the main thing is we have over 400 Olympians who have been involved in the bid and who are making this a very athlete centered games. So we believe we have an excellent opportunity to host excellent games in 2012.
BLITZER: All right, Katrina Ravke, very excited, very happy in San Francisco. Good luck to you as well, a beautiful city by the bay. Let's get some reaction though from one of the losing cities, Washington, D.C. That's where I am right now. Our Kathleen Koch is standing by, a lot of disappointment here in the nation's capitol Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Wolf. The theme of their effort here on the nation's capitol is "Heart of our Nation, Host to the World," and the heart in this capitol city was broken when that announcement was made.
They had spent quite a lot of time on this effort, started it back in 1998 trying to bring the Olympics here and spent some $9.5 million. They admit they're disappointed but they say they're very proud of what they've done and they say that they're going to continue their effort in the years to come. Wolf.
BLITZER: Kathleen, I see the mayor. I think that's the mayor standing behind you. Did they really believe that they would get it because the competition, as you know, was very, very keen? KOCH: Wolf, they believe that they had a really good shot. Some initial analyses had come out, initial word on how the U.S. Olympic Committee was viewing everyone's efforts, and they had a wonderful effort here that was really highly praised, very highly regarded.
We don't know why they weren't selected. They were going to build a huge new Olympic sports complex around RFK Stadium just to the east of the city, but for some reason they didn't win, but they say they'll be back to try again in the future.
BLITZER: All right, they're not going to give up here in the nation's capital. Kathleen Koch thanks for that report.
KOCH: You're welcome.
BLITZER: Houston, the fourth city, not selected to be among the finalists, the two finalists for the hosting of the Summer Olympic Games in 2012. The two finalists once again, New York and San Francisco, we'll see what happens next, and remember this November only one U.S. city will be chosen to go up against all the other international bids to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
The final decision will be made in 2005. The competition will be very stiff. Among the almost 30 locations looking to host the games, and this is not an exhaustive list, among those cities, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Moscow, Havana, Toronto, and Rio de Janeiro.
And here's your chance to weigh in on today's Olympic decision. Our web question of the day: Which U.S. city would you like to see host the 2012 Summer Olympics? Washington, that's not going to be one of the finalists, Houston not one of the finalists, New York or San Francisco, the two finalists of course? You can disagree with the decision just announced if you want. We'll have the results later in this program.
Go to my web page cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. While you're there, send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): New stinging criticism for American intelligence agencies, but is it deserved? Coming up, the book that puts more allegations into the public eye, we'll talk to its author Bill Gertz. Also, locked up for 17 years for crimes he didn't commit, now a man wronged by the American justice system speaks out on this program. And learn what's in that cup of coffee that may -- may -- guard against cancer. First, a look at some of the news making headlines around the world.
A Japanese court has rejected a lawsuit by 180 Chinese plaintiffs who say members of their families were killed by Japanese germ warfare during World War II. The court acknowledged for the first time that Japan conducted biological warfare in China, but it said the Chinese plaintiffs have no legal standing to sue. The Colombian government says these innocent looking remote controlled modern airplanes are weapons of terror. Government troops seized the planes during raids on two rebel camps. The rebels allegedly plan to fill them with explosives and use them for attacks.
This is the end of the line for wreckage from the World Trade Center. Tons of debris from the Twin Towers in New York have been sent to a scrap yard in India's Punjab state. You think it's hard to see in this haze? It's hard to breathe too. Smoke from more than 1,000 wildfires is forcing schools and airports to close in Indonesia and has Indonesians wearing facemasks.
If you like your cocktails with a twist, you might want to get these Australian bartenders to mix them. They're practicing for a contest that rewards skill and flair, but just to be on the safe side, you may want to put away the expensive glasses. And that's today's look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Turning now to the latest on the heated debate on Iraq and the damage it may be having on U.S. ties with Saudi Arabia. One day after Vice President Dick Cheney all but said the United States should attack Iraq, President Bush conferred with Saudi Arabia's ambassador at the Texas White House; a major sticking point, the Saudis opposition to military action against Saddam Hussein.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Meeting in his Texas ranch with Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar Bin-Sultan (ph), President Bush made the case that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein must go.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president made very clear again that he believes that Saddam Hussein is a menace to world peace, a menace to regional peace, and that the world and the region would be safer and better off without Saddam Hussein.
BLITZER: At the same time, President Bush insisted he has made no decisions about a possible military strike. This had been called by one close source a kiss and makeup meeting, but publicly U.S. and Saudi officials were quick to refute that.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH: There was nothing that required kissing and making up because we never broke up in the first place for us to make up.
BLITZER: Still, the relationship recently has been tense. Fifteen of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudis and there have been allegations the Saudi leadership has at least indirectly supported terrorism through donations to charities and individuals.
That charge was recently made by a private Rand Corporation analyst to the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board. The Bush administration and the Saudi government have strongly denied it. Still, there are other sources of friction.
Saudi Arabia has publicly opposed U.S. military action against Iraq and says the U.S. won't be allowed to use Saudi Air Bases for such an attack. As Bush administration officials make their case for a preemptive strike against Saddam Hussein, they're pressing for a change in the Saudi stance.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.
BLITZER: Prince Bandar and his family are also concerned about what they perceive as an escalation of negative coverage in the U.S. news media which Saudi leaders feel is being fed by some in the Bush administration. The prince also makes the argument that the U.S. will be hard pressed to win favor among the Saudi public as long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unresolved. That's a sentiment shared by many in the Arab world.
PRES. HOSNI MUBARAK, EGYPT (through translator): I said to the U.S. administration, if you harm the Iraqi people while the Palestinians are still suffering, it would only fuel the anger of the Arabs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Joining us now with some special insight into all of this, Adel Al-Jubeir. He's the foreign policy adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Mr. Al-Jubeir thanks for joining us. Why do the Saudis this time not see Saddam Hussein as an imminent threat to Saudi Arabia because 11 years ago, as you of course remember, you did perceive Saddam Hussein as a major threat?
AL-JUBEIR: Quite the contrary. We see Saddam Hussein as a threat. We see him as a menace to the region. We believe that he must be brought into compliance with the U.N. resolutions. He must give up his Weapons of Mass Destruction Program. He has signed agreements to that effect and he should be held accountable to do so.
What we don't see is, we don't see a need at this time for use of force. We believe that there's a process. There are negotiations underway between the U.N. and the Iraqis on letting the inspectors back. Let's pursue that. If we can succeed in achieving the objective of having inspectors on the ground and dismantling his Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, we would have done so without firing a single bullet or losing one single life.
BLITZER: But you heard Vice President Cheney say that might be too late. Delay could cause enormous casualties, enormous death.
AL-JUBEIR: Well, we have, I believe and I can't speak for the vice president, but he was talking about the doctrine of preemption whereas what we talk about in this case is that an issue of preempting an attack against Iraq. We still think that war at this time is not advisable. There is no country in the world that supports it. There is no legal basis for it. There's no international sanction for it. There is no coalition for it.
There are two wars currently going on in the region, one in Afghanistan and one between Israel and Palestinians. There's a third war going on in terms of the war against terrorism. We really don't need a fourth war in the region at this time.
BLITZER: You heard the vice president, though, make the case that by removing Saddam Hussein from power in Baghdad, that would help the U.S. in the war on terrorism and potentially help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well.
AL-JUBEIR: I think our view is that it's the other way around. You need to settle the Israeli-Palestinian problem. You need to tone down the anger that's directed at the U.S. in the region, and then you need to pursue a legal process to bring Saddam into compliance. And if that doesn't work, then you pursue other options, but you don't put the cart before the horse.
BLITZER: This 21-year-old Saudi citizen, Saud Al-Rasheed, the FBI wants to question him. He surrendered himself to Saudi authorities the other day. Perhaps, U.S. officials say, he has some relationship with the 19 hijackers. Will you make him available to U.S. investigators?
AL-JUBEIR: He was on vacation in Cairo when he saw his pictures on television. He came back to Saudi Arabia. He handed himself into the authorities. He's being questioned. Everything that we have in terms of information we will pass on to the United States. If the United States has any questions, which I'm sure they have, they will - there is a process that we have between our two countries that allows them to do so, where they get the information they want without violating issues of national sovereignty.
So I have no doubt in my mind that the American authorities will be fully satisfied with the information they receive from this individual and this is not to say that he is guilty or that he is in any way related because we really don't know that yet, and it appears that he may not be.
BLITZER: All right. Adel Al-Jubeir as usual thanks for joining us.
AL-JUBEIR: Thank you, my pleasure.
BLITZER: Thank you. And in Baghdad today, Saddam Hussein repeated his warning that a U.S. attack against Iraq would be an attack on all Arab nations. His comments came during a meeting with the foreign minister of Qatar. For his part the Qatari official said his government opposes any military strikes against Iraq and that President Saddam Hussein should allow the return of United Nations weapons inspectors.
A Hollywood star, convicted polygamist and a Kennedy cousin, the latest from our Justice Files still to come. Plus, an innocent man set free by DNA. We'll talk to Eddie Joe Lloyd who just spent 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Also, fending off allergies with a little animal magnetism, how your favorite pet can boost baby's immune system. But first, today's news quiz. Is the following statement true or false? Allergies begin at childhood, the answer coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We have a development in our top story, the white powdery substance that arrived in an envelope at former Vice President Al Gore's office in Nashville, Tennessee. We are now hearing from our Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena, quoting an FBI official who says that investigators believe the white powder that was found in the office is probably the result of a hoax, although the bureau has not confirmed that officially.
They don't have 100 percent confirmation of that, but their initial belief is this was a hoax. We heard earlier from a press spokesman for the former vice president saying it would take about 24 hours for conclusive determination of what exactly that white powder was.
But once again, an FBI official telling our Kelli Arena that investigators initially believe probably a hoax, let's hope it is a hoax and that the bureau though is continuing its investigation, no conclusive final determination yet. We'll continue to monitor the story and get you more information, of course, as it becomes available.
Let's now, though, turn to a new book on the September terror attacks, a book that minces no words in laying at least some of the blame on U.S. intelligence services. In response, a senior intelligence official is telling CNN that at least some of the book's assertions are, in this official's words, "totally false."
The book is called "Breakdown: How America's Intelligence Failures Led to September 11th." The author is the long-time Washington Times Correspondent Bill Gertz who covers national security intelligence for that newspaper. Bill, thanks for joining us. The thrust of your piece, tell the viewers very quickly, U.S. intelligence blundered and that resulted in 9/11?
BILL GERTZ, AUTHOR, "BREAKDOWN": Well, we've seen, they haven't put the pieces together of all these disparate pieces of information, intercepts, so on and so forth. What I've done in this is to take a broader look at what are the systemic problems, and there are many.
BLITZER: What is the single biggest problem that you discovered in the intelligence community?
GERTZ: The biggest failure was the fact that we didn't have good human intelligence. We could not get inside the al Qaeda organization and we could not penetrate this group, find out what it was doing, and stop its plans before they carried out the attack.
BLITZER: And what was the cause of that failure? GERTZ: Well, like I say it's a structure. The intelligence structure was focused on foreign governments and foreign militaries. It's not well suited to dealing with stateless groups like al Qaeda.
BLITZER: I've heard intelligence officials say that that may have been true up until the mid-'90s or so but after the East Africa bombings, that changed dramatically and there was a much more aggressive effort to penetrate these terror operations.
GERTZ: Well, that's not what -- that's not what I found in my research. There's an over-reliance on technical intelligence. There's an over-reliance on foreign liaison services. There was not enough fieldwork done to get people inside these groups. The going in position of a lot of the CIA people was that it's just too hard to penetrate terrorist groups, and they had to rely on other means.
BLITZER: Has that changed since 9/11?
GERTZ: I think they're making improvements, but still have a long way to go. I called for a creation of a new clandestine service that would combine the elements of the defense intelligence agencies, human service with the director of operations...
(CROSSTALK)
GERTZ: Yes.
BLITZER: Yes, go ahead.
GERTZ: ... and really starting over and -- when it comes to developing the capability that can go after terrorists. We can't accept the idea that it's just too hard to do.
BLITZER: One of the most startling, amazing allegations in the book involves two of the 19 hijackers, Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi. You say in the book that in January of 2000 -- you write this, "What alarmed U.S. intelligence was that Malaysian security officials had traced the men to the Iranian embassy there, where they spent the night."
This was in January 2000. Our David Ensor, our national security correspondent who covers the intelligence community, says he's checked with all sorts of intelligence officials, U.S. officials, among others, and says they have no evidence that there was any such encounter at the Iranian embassy in Malaysia in January of 2000.
GERTZ: Well, that's a common dodge by a lot of the intelligence people, as if they have no evidence. The fact is that these two men did stay at the Iranian ambassador's residence in Malaysia and that this is a key indicator that there was some kind of Iranian intelligence support for al Qaeda. I think it needs to be investigated further. I don't think it should be just dismissed out of hand, as has often been the case with the Iraqi connection with al Qaeda.
BLITZER: I've heard that there -- on that specific point though, the Iranians may have had even closer connections with al Qaeda than the Iraqis.
GERTZ: I think when it all shakes down we're going to find out that both the Iranian intelligence service and the Iraqi intelligence service had some role in supporting al Qaeda. It was in their interests to use al Qaeda as a surrogate to attack America.
BLITZER: Bill Gertz, he's got a powerful new book, "Breakdown." Thanks for joining us and you'll be back Sunday on "LATE EDITION" and we'll continue this conversation.
GERTZ: Thank you.
BLITZER: Appreciate it very much. Leading our "Justice Files," convicted polygamist Tom Green is facing life in prison for child rape charges. Green is the first man in 50 years to be prosecuted for polygamy crimes. He's to be sentenced today in Utah for impregnating one of his wives when she was 13. A jury convicted Green last year of four counts of bigamy. He has five wives and 29 children.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled tomorrow for Michael Skakel. The nephew of Ethel Kennedy was convicted of murdering Martha Moxley when he was 15, but his attorneys now say they want a new trial. They say a police sketch of another suspect was withheld from them. The defense argued the sketch could have prevented jurors from convicting their client.
Martha Moxley's family members say they're bracing for any possibilities that may come out of the Skakel case. Cara Moxley will speak with us tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. with her reaction to these late developments.
As we reported yesterday, DNA evidence ended 17 years in prison for a man convicted of rape and murder. Eddie Joe Lloyd says he confessed to the crime because police told him that would help them catch the real killer. Eddie Joe Lloyd joins us now from Detroit to talk about his extraordinary case. And in our New York studio, the man who helped Lloyd gain his freedom, the attorney, Barry Scheck, the cofounder and director of the Innocence Project, which has now freed some 110 prisoners for crimes they didn't commit.
Thanks to both of you for joining us. And Eddie, let me begin with you. You confessed to this rape and murder charge 17 years ago and that's in part why they convicted you. Why did you do that?
EDDIE JOE LLOYD, FREED BY DNA EVIDENCE: Well, sometimes I guess you can toss it up in the air and it could be the age-old question. Basically, the premise was that the police wanted me to give this statement to the fact that I allegedly murdered somebody named Michelle Kimberly Jackson, to assist in bringing out the real killers of Michelle Jackson.
BLITZER: So the police told you to confess to a crime you didn't commit. Is that what you're saying?
LLOYD: Well, I'm saying they didn't tell me. They used deceptive tactics and trickery that brought about a false confession. BLITZER: Barry Scheck, what is the responsibility of the police, if someone confesses to a crime, do they -- usually that's enough to send someone to jail if not worse?
BARRY SCHECK, DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, INNOCENCE PROJECT: Well, the problem here is that Eddie Joe Lloyd was in a mental institution when the police went to talk with him and he wanted to help them solve crimes. Eddie thought he had insights into a number of child abduction murders that were going on in the Detroit area.
It was an atmosphere that, in Detroit, not unlike today with the terrible cases we see across the country. So this police officer was saying to him, "Well, why don't you help us because if you confess to this crime" -- and in the course of the interrogation began feeding him details that only someone at the crime scene, the perpetrator, would know -- "this will smoke out the real assailants. And if you give us this confession, we'll be real close to an arrest and we'll pick these guys up."
And Eddie, at the time, on medication and in a mental institution and wanting to help, went along with it and he was tricked into this. The details are things that only the police on the scene and the real assailant could know, and we now know from DNA, Eddie could not have been that person. When you combine that with bad representation from defense counsel, you get this horrible result where somebody is in jail for a crime they didn't commit and the real assailant is out there probably committing more rapes and murders.
BLITZER: This was such a shocking development. Eddie, how bitter are you? You have every right in the world, obviously, to be very bitter.
LLOYD: Of course I do. And you know hatred is not a -- bitterness or hatred is not a part of my philosophy, all right? I was angry for a while at times and I had my problem with, you know, attitudes along that line, but, you know, I got to get on with my life. I don't have time for that. I have grandkids.
And I'm exhilarated that I'm exonerated and I couldn't ask for anything more, but as far as bitterness is concerned, I don't have any bitterness. Oh, I have some disappointments for what happened in that the criminal justice system did let me down to some extent. But other than that, I'm not going to get into this thing about bitterness, you know. Those are personal things that keep to yourself and you know, you deal with them and I'm going to deal with them.
BLITZER: And Barry, before I let you go, how many other cases involving DNA evidence are you looking right now that may free innocent men and women who are right now in prison?
SCHECK: Well, we have 2,000 unopened letters at our offers in the Innocence Project in New York and hundreds of cases from across the country.
If Congress passes the Innocence Protection Act this fall, which is legislation that has bipartisan support in the House and the Senate -- 246 cosponsors in the House -- it would permit inmates in every state in the country to get a post conviction DNA test if it has a reasonable probability of proving them innocent. And I'm telling you, Wolf, there are literally hundreds of people like Eddie Joe Lloyd in America's prisons just needing the opportunity to get a test that will not just set them free, but can lead to the identification of people who really committed these crimes before those individuals commit more. So it's something this country should be doing this fall, September. Let's get this passed.
BLITZER: All right, Barry Scheck doing incredibly important work in New York. And Eddie Joe Lloyd, congratulations to you, get on with the rest of your life. We're happy to hear that you're looking forward to every day of the rest of your life. Congratulations once again. Thanks to both of you for joining us.
SCHECK: Thanks, Wolf.
LLOYD: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much. A miscommunication triggers fear and fright over the skies of Baltimore. Find out why F-16's were scrambled to escort a passenger plane to the ground. Also, he's confessed to a grisly triple homicide in Yosemite National Park, but now he's pleading insanity. Should Cary Stayner face the death penalty? We'll talk to the family of his victims. Plus, good news and bad news for coffee lovers. What's the real impact of caffeine on your health? Our Elizabeth Cohen will sort it all out. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN, I'm Wolf Blitzer. Coming up, he's confessed to a series of grisly murders. Now, Cary Stayner wants off the hook with an insanity plea. More on the Yosemite murders in just a moment, but first, a look at some other stories making news right now.
A federal judge has ordered Robert Goldstein to remain in jail while he undergoes a psychiatric evaluation. The Tampa area podiatrist is accused of planning to blow up Islamic buildings. When he was arrested Friday, investigators say they found more than 30 explosive devices, dozens of guns and a list of 50 Islamic worship centers. As a precaution, about 200 mosques and schools are being inspected by members of the states' anti-terrorism task force.
A big scare for a U.S. Airways flight from Charlotte, North Carolina is being blamed on a communications mix up. Fighter jets scrambled and escorted Flight 1814 to Baltimore today. Aviation officials thought there was a potential security threat onboard the plane. It turned out to be a false alarm.
A security supervisor at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport, who missed the .357-handgun in a passenger's bag, has been fired. After noticing something strange on her x-ray machine, a screener called her supervisor. That supervisor did a hand search of the bag and apparently, missed the gun. Transportation officials say they don't know how the supervisor missed the gun and a separate clip of ammunition.
In California, plans for an insanity defense in the case that drew and withheld the attention of the nation. Tomorrow, attorneys for Cary Stayner will plead for his life. Yesterday, a jury convicted him of triple murders at the Yosemite National Park. CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman looks back at this case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Time after time, people have said Cary Stayner doesn't look like a murderer, more proof that looks have nothing to do with capacity to carry out evil.
VICKI CATON, RELATIVE OF VICTIMS: And I think it was the right verdict. I think it's about time that, you k now, we're getting somewhere with -- to putting -- to ending this nightmare.
TUCHMAN: Vicki Caton lost her sister-in-law and niece to a murderer. And after five hours of deliberation, Cary Stayner was found guilty of being that murderer, of killing Carole Sund, her daughter, Juli Sund and their friend, Silvina Pelosso, while they were staying at a lodge outside California's Yosemite National Park. He strangled two of his victims and slashed the throat of the other.
CAROLE CARRINGTON, MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER OF VICTIMS: It's a vindication of our feeling that this is definitely a death penalty case and that it was a horrendous case, and that we get justice for our girls.
TUCHMAN: Stayner sexually assaulted two of the victims and ditched a car with two of their bodies before setting it ablaze. He was one of hundreds of people questioned about the killings, but was not initially considered a suspect. Authorities heard testimonials about Stayner similar to this one from a former employer of his.
TONI EKAS, STAYNER'S FORMER BOSS: He never made undue advances or anything strange. He was perfectly normal.
TUCHMAN: In the meantime, Stayner was killing again. Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old woman who took children on tours of Yosemite, was his next victim. Stayner is already serving a life sentence for that murder. The fact that he was questioned for the murder of these three victims prior to killing this victim gnawed at investigators following Stayner's arrest.
JAMES MADDOCK, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: I've asked myself whether we could have done anything differently that might have prevented the murder of Joie Armstrong. I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so. I'm confident that we had done everything that reasonably could have been done.
TUCHMAN: The San Jose jury that convicted him this week will now begin a new phase of the trial, to determine if he knew right from wrong when he carried out the killings.
FRANCIS CARRINGTON, FATHER AND GRANDFATHER OF VICTIMS: My personal feeling is he knew exactly what he was doing when he did it.
TUCHMAN: If the nine men and three women on the jury agree, they will then decide if Cary Stayner should die by lethal injection at San Quentin.
Gary Tuchman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And there's a horrendous twist in the Stayner case. Cary Stayner was the brother of Steven Stayner. You may remember him. As a child, Steven was kidnapped and repeatedly molested. After eight years, he escaped. Their father says Cary was emotionally traumatized by those events. Cary was 11 when his brother disappeared.
For the family of Stayner's victims, yesterday's guilty verdict was a long time in coming. Francis and Carole Carrington are the parents of Carole Sund and the grandparents of Juli. They join us now live from Mountain View, California.
Thank you to both of you for joining us. Our deepest condolences, of course, to you. Our heart goes out to both of you for the murder of your daughter and your granddaughter. But what do you think should happen to Cary Stayner right now? Let me begin with Carole first.
C. CARRINGTON: Well, the jury is going to have to make that decision, of course. We feel that the death penalty is very appropriate. It was a horrendous crime. Our granddaughter, Juli, must have been terrorized for hours. And eventually, after being molested over and over and over again, she had her throat slit. That -- it just makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it.
BLITZER: It makes all -- it makes all of us sick to our stomachs to hear about it. I assume Francis you agree with your wife.
F. CARRINGTON: Yes, I do. He planned it. He covered it up. He had a kit with the duct tape and knives, the guns, rope. He was planning this. He knew what he was doing at the time. He should be sentenced to death, we believe.
BLITZER: What about the argument, Carole that he was mentally ill at the time and shouldn't be executed?
C. CARRINGTON: Well, I think if you had been there in the courtroom and watched him for the 6 weeks, and if you had seen all of -- and heard all of the confession, you couldn't believe that because he's very calm, very, very methodical. He's very collected about what he did. He planned -- he covered it up. In fact, at should point, he seemed to be playing games with the police.
BLITZER: Francis, I know there can never be closure when you lose a child and a grandchild. You have to suffer and live with this every single day of your life, but the thoughts that were going through your mind yesterday when you heard of the guilty verdict, what were they? F. CARRINGTON: There was some closure. This has been over three years. We want to get back to our ranch. We appreciate what the jury is doing, and we are going to see it through to the end. The victim's family has a tough time going through a trial. It really hurts them, but I think it's worth it for the people of the United States to know what kind of people are out there, and you don't want them living next door to you.
BLITZER: Once again, our heart goes out to both of you for what you've had to endure. Obviously, our best wishes. Good luck. Try to deal with this, of course, as best as you can. Francis and Carole Carrington, thank you so much for joining us.
C. CARRINGTON: Thank you.
BLITZER: And moving on, your pet may be the best answer to preventing allergies. Find out how Fido and Kitty combat the sniffles and the sneezes. And grande, latte, mocha, cappuccino: the good, the bad and the real deal about caffeine and your health. Our Elizabeth Cohen joins us live when we return. If you drink coffee, you want to hear this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Earlier we asked you to respond to this true or false statement -- allergies begin at childhood. The answer, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, it's false. Allergies can start at any time in your life.
And you want your baby to grow up without allergies? Of course, you do. You might want to get some pets. "The Journal of The American Medical Association" says infants who live with two or more dogs, or cats, are less likely to develop allergies, even non-animal allergies such as mold and grass. The reason isn't completely clear, but it's still, of course, very interesting.
We all know drinking a little caffeine can jump start your day. Now, it turns out dabbing a little of it on your skin may lower your risk of certain kinds of cancer. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now live from the CNN Center with more on the good and bad effects of caffeine.
Let me begin, first of all, with this question -- if -- is caffeine addictive and should you get off it as soon as possible? True or false?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The answer to that actually is false. You can sort of dependent on caffeine, of course, but it's not necessarily bad for you. For most people, it is not a problem. You want to watch out if you're a pregnant woman because too much caffeine can cause a miscarriage. Keep it to one or two cups a day. And if you do decide to get off just because you're pregnant or caffeine just makes you jittery and you just don't like it, do it slowly, wean yourself slowly or you're going to get vicious headaches.
Wolf; let's move on to the next question. BLITZER: Can caffeine help improve someone's memory? True or false?
COHEN: That actually is true. There was a study out of the University of Arizona. They took senior citizens who were having trouble with their memory at the end of the day and they gave them caffeine and their memory was much better. It improved greatly.
BLITZER: What about the whole issue of caffeine dehydrating someone? True or false?
COHEN: You know what, that is false. And to me, that was the most surprising one. Caffeine does not dehydrate you. Some researchers have looked at this. They found that it hydrates you like any other kind of, you know, water-bases drink. However, you don't want to get too much of it, then it could become dehydrating.
BLITZER: All right, what about we teased earlier, dabbing a little bit of coffee on your skin and skin cancer? What's that all about?
COHEN: Well, the reason I'm giggling is that this is a great story if you're a mouse. What they did is researchers took mice that didn't have hair. They put a solution that contained caffeine in them. They kind of bathed them in this solution and then, they exposed them to ultra violet light. They found that it greatly reduced their risk of getting tumors. But you know what, Wolf; a lot of things work out in mice that don't work out in people.
BLITZER: And that's good to know. Elizabeth Cohen, always sharing some useful information with our viewers, appreciate it very much.
The U.S. Open is in full swing, but one of tennis's poster girls has already struck out. I'll look at a very bad day on the court for Anna Kournikova. Plus, those other poster girls you might not have heard of, the Aussie women's soccer team bears all and sparks an investigation. The naked truth and nothing but the naked truth when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Now, checking some stories on today's "News Wire." Anna Kournikova has lost her latest bid to win a professional tennis tournament. She's out of the U.S. Open after only one match. She committed -- get this -- 40 unforced errors, almost one per minute. Kournikova says she's been working on her game, so she'll be viewed as something more than a sex symbol.
Eleven members of an Australian women's soccer team played in the nude for, of all things, a Japanese toothpaste commercial. The commercial was a big hit in Japan -- not a surprise -- but it's raised eyebrows in Australia, and government officials have promised an investigation.
Even though actor Rob Lowe is leaving NBC's "West Wing," his character, the presidential aide Sam Seaborn, apparently won't be killed off. "TV Guide" is reporting that producers want to leave the door open for Lowe to return possibly to the show.
Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which, of course, begins right at the top of the hour. Lou is standing by -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Thank you very much, Wolf. Royalty at the ranch today, President Bush meet with Saudi ambassador, Prince Bandar in Texas. Saudi Arabia pledges its support for the United States, but tensions between the countries, nonetheless, are rising. Is Saudi Arabia a friend or foe? We'll have a special report tonight and we'll be joined by former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, who is our guest. We'll be talking about the need for international support in the event of a decision to attack Iraq. And Solomon Smith Barney admits it directed thousands of coveted, initial public offering shares to WorldCom executives. We'll examine tonight what this means for Solomon and the executives who benefited. All of that and a lot more ahead at the top of the hour. Please join us -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you very much. Lou, welcome back. We missed you. We'll be watching. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" right after this show, as we do every weekday.
Time is running out now for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Which U.S. city would you like to see host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games? Washington, D.C., Houston, New York or San Francisco? Log onto to CNN.com/Wolf. You still have time to vote. Remember, the results are coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Now, here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of The Day." The U.S. Olympic Committee has just narrowed the field, but earlier we asked you, "Which U.S. city would you like to see host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games?" Sixteen percent of you said, "Washington D.C." Twenty-two percent of you said, "Houston." Thirty percent said, "New York," 32 percent said, "San Francisco." And obviously, the -- you agreed with the committee. New York and San Francisco the two finalists, 30 and 32 percent on our poll. And that's what they came up with as well. You can get the exact tally on my Web site, CNN.com/Wolf. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. But that's all the time we have for today. I'll be back tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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