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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Is the Assassination Attempt of Afghan's President a Sign of al Qaeda's Return?; Remembering the Munich Olympics 30 Years Later

Aired September 05, 2002 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, Afghan attacks, an assassination attempt and bloody bombings. Is al Qaeda back?
Target Saddam. As the Bush administration makes its case, Arab nations warn the U.S. against war with Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMR MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECY. GENERAL: We believe that it will open the gates of hell in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Munich massacre, 30 years to the day after terror struck the Olympics, I'll look back with gold medalist Mark Spitz and noted sportswriter Frank Deford.

And, their father was beaten to death, now their fate is in the balance.

It's Thursday, September 05, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

A day of bloody attacks in Afghanistan with enormous potential ramifications for U.S. troops searching for Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda followers.

There was an assassination attempt on the country's President Hamid Karzai, and there were deadly bombings in the heart of Kabul.

For the latest, let's go straight to CNN's Christiane Amanpour. She is in the region with all the late-breaking developments.

Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this has indeed been the deadliest and bloodiest day since the Taliban were routed last year.

What happened today was that Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan backed strongly by the United States, as you know, was down in Kandahar, the former Taliban stronghold for the wedding of his younger brother, the governor of Kandahar. And as the two exited from the governor's mansion, a uniformed military man we're told started to open fire.

There was an exchange of gunfire. The gunman was killed. One of Hamid Karzai's Afghan bodyguards was killed. American Special Forces guarding Hamid Karzai sprang into action and got him out of the area. Karzai himself was not touched, not hurt, unscathed, but the governor of Kandahar did get a bullet wound in the neck and he is being treated immediately here in Kabul. Officials said that this was an attempt on his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ABDULLAH, AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Of course this was clearly an assassination attempt on his life which we have unfortunately injured and other wounded and killed people in the spot but the assassination attempt on the president himself failed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now nobody quite knows who is responsible for what happened in Kandahar today; however, it came shortly after a massive explosion in the capitol Kabul. A huge car bomb was detonated earlier this afternoon here causing very heavy casualties. It's still unclear just exactly how many people were killed or wounded because the numbers have been conflicting wildly all day, but certainly at least 15 people were killed, perhaps more than that, and dozens of people were wounded.

Again, officials are not sure who did it but Afghan security officials are quick to lay the blame at the doorstep of remnants of the Taliban or al Qaeda and also one of the rival fractional warlords here who's been threatening the transitional government and U.S. and international forces here.

Everyone here over the last couple of weeks had been put on alert to watch for any such incident during this week, during the days leading up to the anniversary of September 11, and what one of the government officials here today said, in fact the foreign minister, was that perhaps these people, Taliban, al Qaeda, who are on the run are trying to show that they're still here, that they can cause isolated incidents like this, but certainly a very worrying development, and as I said, one of the bloodiest days since the Taliban was ousted -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Christiane, as you know, there have been other assassinations of politicians in Afghanistan. In recent weeks, U.S. bodyguards from the State Department have been brought in to protect Hamid Karzai. How significant is the U.S. protective force of the Afghan president right now?

AMANPOUR: Well just to clarify, he is still protected by U.S. Special Forces. The diplomatic security from the State Department, those people have not taken over yet, and of course Hamid Karzai was given these special U.S. bodyguards after the assassination of the vice president earlier this year.

Clearly, there is a concern about his safety, obviously. There have been assassinations and there have been other incidents here in Kabul. Everything is riding on the fate of Hamid Karzai and his government. It's not an overstatement to say that. The future of the stability of this country, the future of the fight against terrorism, the U.S. prospects here in this country right now are riding on the fate of this government, and the U.S. and the rest of the world is vitally concerned about keeping it alive, propping it up.

Hamid Karzai for his part, for the last several months has been loudly demanding, pleading, begging for an increase in the international peacekeeping force to improve security, not just in Kabul but to expand that peacekeeping force around the country and improve security and give this country a fighting chance at stability. So, he's going to be making that plea again when he goes to the United States next week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour in Kabul, thank you very much.

And the Afghan government suspects followers of Osama bin Laden perhaps were involved in these latest attacks. Has al Qaeda regrouped?

Jane Corbin is the author of a new book "Al-Qaeda, In Search of the Terror Network that Shook the World." She's a senior BBC correspondent, been covering the story for many years. Jane joins us now live from New York.

What's your take, Jane, on these late-breaking developments that Christiane just reported?

JANE CORBIN, AUTHOR "AL-QAEDA": Well, I think it's significant that not only we have the assassination attempt but the almost simultaneous detonation of a bomb or two bombs in fact in Kabul, and I must say it's a hallmark of al Qaeda and particularly in recent months the use of the car bomb.

There have been two occasions in Pakistan in recent months, one outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi, and also in Islamabad and also the detonation of a car bomb by a coach carrying French naval engineers in Karachi, and both of these have really been laid at the door of al Qaeda.

So they have used car bombs in the very recent past and, of course, in terms of the assassination attempt, it's very much in al Qaeda's interest to destabilize Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda and bin Laden hijack failed states. That's what they've done in the past in Afghanistan under the Taliban. They did it previously in the Sudan. That's what suits them. If they can drive a wedge, if they can create chaos, if they can bring down Karzai's government, then they can show that they're still in business albeit somewhat diminished.

BLITZER: So your bottom line, Jane, is that despite this nearly year long U.S. war against al Qaeda, al Qaeda not only still exists but still has some significant terror capabilities? CORBIN: Indeed, and in many ways the problem is more difficult to deal with. It was said to me by an American military intelligence officer in Afghanistan a few weeks ago that by stamping, as it were, on the pool of al Qaeda it has sent it to the far corners of the world and was very, very difficult now to both detect and to get to grips with.

I think it's clear that al Qaeda is now depending on lone isolated radicals, people who it can bring under its umbrella to carry out terror acts all over the world and it's going to be very, very difficult indeed to track these people down.

BLITZER: Jane Corbin, she's the author of a hot new book "Al- Qaeda, In Search of the Terror Network that Shook the World." Thanks for joining us from New York.

CORBIN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you and here's your chance to weigh in on this very important story. Our web question of the day is this: do you think it's possible for the United States to rid Afghanistan of terror?

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. We'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Let's turn to the situation involving a potential U.S. war with Iraq. President Bush is keeping Saddam Hussein directly in his sights, but as he makes the case for military action he's still running into resistance at home and abroad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice over): Picking right up where he left off the day before, President Bush minced no words in describing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can't let the world's worst leaders blackmail, threaten, hold freedom loving nations hostage with the world's worst weapons.

BLITZER: During a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, the president promised to outline his case more thoroughly on September 12 at the United Nations. But despite his tough talk and promise of action, many of his domestic and international critics remain unconvinced.

Former President Jimmy Carter, writing in "The Washington Post," insists there is no current danger to the United States from Baghdad.

The Egyptian secretary general of the Arab League was blunt in warning against any U.S. strike.

MOUSSA: We believe that it will open the gates of hell in the Middle East.

BLITZER: A top State Department official suggests these warnings are not necessarily the last word from Arab friends.

RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: There's no one in the Arab world who has any affection for the present regime in Baghdad. That's not open to question.

BLITZER: Despite the risks, President Bush and his top aides continue to insist the danger of inaction is worse than the danger of action.

BUSH: We must anticipate problems before they occur. We must deal with threats to our security today before it can be too late.

BLITZER: His top aides, including Vice President Dick Cheney and CIA Director George Tenet, continued to make that case during closed door secret briefings on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott emerged from that meeting saying this: "It was certainly more detailed than anything we've had." And he added: "It was interesting and troubling. It will give lawmakers a lot to think about."

The Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle said Dick Cheney and George Tenet answered "many of his questions." We're, of course, continuing to follow this story on a day-to-day situation.

Now let's move on to the latest on a breaking story we've been following all afternoon and what you heard about just before our program, a terrorism alert called to the U.S. Army Chemical Weapons Depot in Utah after a possible, possible intrusion.

Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is over at the Pentagon. He has more.

Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there were some tense moments this morning when National Guard troops spotted what they thought was an intruder inside a security parameter at the U.S. Chemical Weapons Destruction Facility at Tooele, Utah. They never did confirm there was an intruder and we did get an update from officials at the facility just a short time ago.

Those officials essentially said that they were unable to confirm that there was an intruder but they had followed all the proper procedures in sounding an alert, closing down operations at the facility and launching a manhunt of the area with local law enforcement and some military officials.

They stress, however, that the chemical weapons, the deadly nerve gas that's stored there for destruction, was never under any threat, that it was always secure and there was never any threat to the local community. At this hour, Wolf, they're still trying to figure out if those National Guard troops really did see somebody -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon.

We'll continue to monitor the story. I know you will as well. If there are additional details, we'll get right back to you.

Let's move to news breaking here in Washington, this time about the congressional investigation of Martha Stewart and allegations of insider training.

Our Louise Schiavone is joining us now with some details.

Louise.

LOUISE SCHIAVONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf.

Martha Stewart's personal stock with Congress is so low that a key panel is declaring: "We've reached the end of the road with Martha Stewart." Frustrated that the lifestyle maven has refused to meet with investigators for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, lawmakers are considering the next step.

That step could be a subpoena to appear before Congress, a referral for criminal investigation, or dropping the case altogether, although that doesn't appear to be the case.

Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin will announce the next step on Tuesday after his staff wraps up some loose legal ends, but he has indeed made a decision.

Ken Johnson who is Chairman Tauzin's spokesman tells CNN: "We're way past the issue of insider trading. We are now concerned about two major issues, making false statements, and obstructing a congressional investigation."

You'll recall that Stewart came into this picture with the fortuitous timing of her ImClone stock sale, a transaction undertaken just before the stock tanked on bad news from the Food and Drug Administration. The committee is concerned by what it calls inconsistencies in Stewart's story -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Louise Schiavone reporting live for us about Martha Stewart, news from Martha Stewart going from bad to worse. We'll continue to monitor this story as well.

When we come back, so young, so innocent looking, two brothers on trial for the beating murder of their father but one verdict in this case is already in. We'll explain.

A terror attack three decades ago this day that transfixed the world. Coming up, we'll talk with Olympic medalist Mark Spitz and sportswriter Frank Deford.

And the intrigue deepens around this so-called "person of interest" in the anthrax investigation. Learn why someone else connected to Steven Hatfill is losing his job. But first, today's news quiz.

BLITZER: Which city hosted the first Olympics to include a team from Palestine since the Munich Olympics,: Atlanta, Barcelona, Nagano, or Sydney? The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Closing arguments are underway in the trial of two teenage brothers accused of beating their father to death with a baseball bat.

What makes the case even more unusual is that an adult friend of the family has already been tried for the same murder.

CNN's David Mattingly is covering this case. He's joining us now live from Pensacola, Florida. This is a shocking case.

What's the latest, David?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, with the closing arguments going on right now, it will very soon once again be in the hands of yet another jury.

Let's take a look inside at what's going on right now. The jury, when they get this case, will have to pick between two plausible stories of who killed Terry King, his two sons Alex and Derek, or his supposed friend and convicted child molester Rick Chavis.

Defense attorneys strongly arguing this afternoon, pointing the finger at Chavis, who they say killed King with a baseball bat and convinced the boys to take the fall. The motive, according to defense, was his desire to continue a relationship with the youngest boy Alex.

The prosecution, however, arguing there's no way the boys could have been coached to recall the details of the crime so thoroughly that they offered in their confession, that they knew things only they could have known if they had been there and committed the crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID RIMMER, ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY: Derek knew the details. Derek knew exactly where the cup was positioned and the position that his father's body was at. Derek is the perpetrator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: And in one very pointed moment, Wolf, you couldn't see this if you were watching this today. Inside the courtroom, the prosecutor put up very graphic pictures before the jury of the body of the father, and he told the jury this. He said: "This is how much the boys didn't want to be with their father."

But, of course, the defense offering an equally compelling case and soon the jury is going to have a very big decision to make. Wolf. BLITZER: David Mattingly on top of the story. We'll continue to watch it. Thank you very much.

And there's another high profile case we're following right now, the trial of David Westerfield. It's in its final phase.

Jurors are deliberating whether the 50-year-old engineer should be put to death or serve life in prison without parole for the kidnapping and murder of little Danielle van Dam.

This is the first full day of deliberation in the trial's penalty phase. The six man, six woman jury started yesterday after emotional testimony from Westerfield's children.

Let's talk to our legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin now. He's in New York and talk about both of these cases.

First of all, such a bizarre case, these two little boys in Pensacola, Florida, what's your take on what's going on, Jeff?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I really think there are severe ethical questions about what the prosecution is doing there because the situation they have set up is that if they win both cases, if Chavis and the two boys are convicted, that means it is certain that either one or two of them are innocent and will be serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

One of the rules I always learned as a prosecutor is that you have to believe in your case. You're not an ordinary lawyer. You have a special obligation. You can't just sort of throw it up against the wall and see what sticks. I think that's a very troubling thing, and if both are convicted, a big issue on appeal.

BLITZER: How unusual is this to try these little boys? They were what, 12 and 13 at the time of the murder. They're 13 and 14 now. They're being tried as adults, right, even though an adult has also already been tried separately?

TOOBIN: Well, sort of two parts to that question. There is a lot, a big trend in the law to try children as adults. You know, the public is in a very tough on crime mood and the age at which you can be tried as an adult in states is moving lower and lower.

This is unusual in that respect but it's not unprecedented. What is unprecedented, what I certainly could not find any prior example of is this business of trying two people for the same crime under completely different theories of who did it.

BLITZER: I know you'll be watching this one. We'll be waiting for the Westerfield decision as well. Jeffrey Toobin, as usual, thanks for joining us.

Updates on this hour's news alerts are coming up and there was an explosion but was an attack averted in the Middle East? Security stops a huge truck bomb that could have had an enormous impact on the Middle East situation. We'll have that. Plus, a new way to wage war 30 years ago, a look back at the terror attack at the '72 Olympics; but first, a look at other news making headlines around the world.

BLITZER: An Algerian born man who lives in Sweden has locked himself in a steel cage and gone on a hunger strike. The man's son is detained at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the man says the Swedish government isn't doing enough to win his son's release.

A survey conducted in six European countries suggest that respondents think U.S. international policy is partly the blame for the September 11 attacks. The poll was conducted in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. The French were the most critical.

In Greece, a man described as one of the few remaining members of a violent leftist group known as November 17 has surrendered to police. The group is blamed for a string of murders, bombings, and bank robberies dating back to 1975.

India is marking the fifth anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa whose ministry to the poor spanned decades. Many say they hope the Nobel Prize winning nun soon will be elevated to sainthood.

And how's this for reality programming? On Argentina's most successful new television show, contestants compete not for luxuries or vacations but for something they really need in Argentina's floundering economy, a job. The much sought after prize on one recent episode employment as a janitor. And, that's today's look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Just ahead of the Jewish New Year, Israeli authorities have foiled what could have been a catastrophic terror attack. CNN's Martin Savidge has the story from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's being called a miracle on what could have been a highway to hell. Early Thursday morning, Israeli police stopped two suspicious vehicles near a checkpoint between Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Inside one of them was reportedly a ton of explosives, rigged to a cell phone set to go off by remote control. Demolition teams were called in and detonated one of the largest car bombs ever discovered in Israel.

Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said had the bomb reached its target, the tragedy could have altered the course of the Mid East conflict. SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: It was truly a prevention of a catastrophe in human towns and in a political sense. It would have changed the whole situation overnight and I'm very glad that this was prevented.

SAVIDGE: Several hours after the car bomb discovery, a gunman in the Gaza strip opened fire on an Israeli patrol killing one soldier and wounding another. The attacker was also reportedly killed.

There were more casualties an hour later in another part of Gaza when an Israeli tank reportedly ran over an explosive device near the border with Israel. A Palestinian group quickly claimed responsibility.

These latest incidents have Israelis fearing a new wave of terror attacks during the Jewish celebration of New Year's that begins Friday evening. It was during the same holiday two years ago that the current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians broke out.

Appearing on Israeli television before the huge car bomb was discovered Prime Minister Ariel Sharon surprised many when he said for the first time in 24 months he saw reason to hope the violence might end.

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Now for the first time, I see the possibility for a breakthrough, for a political arrangement. It won't be a simple thing or an easy thing, but there is a possibility.

SAVIDGE: And the discovery of the massive bomb hasn't shaken that optimism, according to senior Sharon advisers.

RA'ANAN GISSIN, SENIOR SHARON ADVISER: The reason that the prime minister voiced this optimism is because of this fatigue effect, because of the cracks that we're seeing in Palestinian society, because of the realization of many of their leaders who will not perhaps admit it publicly but will do it privately right now. They've got to choose a different road.

SAVIDGE: But others are likely to seek a different road as well. The driver of the car bomb managed to escape.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And there's a development now in the U.S. Senate. The Senate has just voted 87-6 in favor of allowing guns in the cockpit. The Bush administration is expected to reverse course and allow some airline pilots to carry guns in the cockpit. An announcement on a small scale test program could come at any time.

It's based on a measure passed in the House in July. President Bush opposed that plan originally in part because it didn't provide funding for extensive training for pilots who choose to carry weapons. Meantime, there was a security incident today in Atlanta's airport, a man carrying a gun was arrested as he attempted to pass an airport security checkpoint. He told authorities he had forgotten that he had a gun.

So now, the hard news, the U.S. Senate following the lead of the House of Representatives, passing a resolution just now passing a bill that would allow pilots to have guns in the cockpit, 87-6 in favor of that.

Let's check some other late developments in our news alert.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is rejecting another one of President Bush's judicial nominees. By a 10-9 vote, along strict party lines, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owens' bid to step up to the appellate court was defeated. President Bush calls the vote shameful, but the move was not unexpected. Committee members contend Owens was not qualified for the position, at least the Democrats contend that.

A German accused of stalking tennis star Serena Williams is being deported. A judge in New York City ordered Albrecht Stromeyer sent home today after he pleaded guilty to stalking charges. He's expected to be sent to Frankfurt in the next few days. Once there, he's been ordered him to seek psychiatric care.

The fallout from the anthrax investigation spreads. Steven Hatfill has lost his job, and today he's not the only one. We'll have details. Also, the main event at the 1972 Olympics was a terror attack. Thirty years later, a look back at the horror.

Earlier we asked -- what city hosted the first Olympics to include a team from Palestine since the Munich Olympics? The answer, Atlanta. The children of the Israelis killed by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich games left the opening ceremony of the '96 summer games when the team from Palestine marched into the ceremony.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Louisiana State University is denying that its decision to fire the former U.S. Army researcher, Steven Hatfill, was related to an e- mail from the Justice Department.

The message ordered the university not to use Hatfill on any Justice Department funded research. Much of the funding for the research center at LSU, where Hatfill was going to work, comes from the Justice Department. The attorney general, John Ashcroft, as you know, has called Hatfill a so-called "person of interest" in the investigation into last year's anthrax letters.

Pat Clawson has been a good friend and a spokesman of Mr. Hatfill for some time. He joins us now live. Of course, Steven Hatfill completely denies any wrongdoing, any involvement, but doesn't LSU have the right to fire Steven Hatfill if it wants to fire him based on any other -- any information it gets from the Justice Department or not?

PAT CLAWSON, HATFILL'S SPOKESMAN: Well, I would imagine LSU has the right to hire and fire anyone that it chooses, but what we have here is a clear case of Justice Department blackballing, Justice Department blacklisting...

BLITZER: But if they suspect...

CLAWSON: And that's wrong.

BLITZER: If they suspect that he may have been somehow involved in the anthrax investigation, even though they say they have no evidence to back that up, what's wrong with letting LSU know about that?

CLAWSON: Well, what's wrong is that Steve Hatfill has not been charged with any kind of a crime right now, Wolf, and the Justice Department has told the press that he's not even a suspect in the anthrax attacks. All he is this Nablus person of interest that John Ashcroft keeps talking about.

BLITZER: The Justice Department...

CLAWSON: If the Justice Department's got the goods on Steven, let them indict Steven, but they haven't done that.

BLITZER: The Justice Department does acknowledges that they sent an e-mail to LSU saying that they should immediately cease and desist using the work of Steven Hatfill, although, the LSU leadership insists that had no impact. They didn't even know about that e-mail.

CLAWSON: Well, I don't know. I've got a copy of the e-mail here, right in front of me, and this is as clear a case of an un- America blacklist as anything I've seen all the years I've been here in Washington. I mean how is it that a fellow is not even being accused of the crime, but the Justice Department is intervening and telling his employers not to use him, not to hire him, get rid of this guy. That's exactly what this e-mail says.

BLITZER: Yes, and the LSU has apparently fired the individual who was the director of the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training. Why? Because he was originally inclined to hire Steven Hatfill?

CLAWSON: Well, I'm not clear as to why he was fired, but certainly; he was a supporter of Steve Hatfill's. I will tell you that we've just learned that there probably will be other heads rolling at Louisiana State University tomorrow.

Apparently, another senior official at the university, I'm told, late this afternoon, has been given orders to either resign or be fired within 24 hours because apparently, he also knew about this Justice Department memo and didn't inform the chancellor of it.

Now, what the circumstances are down there are unclear. The situation's clearly in flux, but it looks like more heads are about to roll at Louisiana State.

BLITZER: And so, the status of the investigation, no change formally as far as the Justice Department investigation?

CLAWSON: Well, as far as I know, the investigation is continuing but just moments ago, literally, within the past hour, Victor Glasburg, who is the attorney for Steve Hatfill, delivered on John Ashcroft at the Justice Department a letter.

And that letter asks the attorney general to apologize to Steve Hatfill, to rescind this blackballing, to help get his job reinstated at LSU. And if John Ashcroft doesn't have the decency to do that, then we ask John Ashcroft to get Steve a job elsewhere. Steve Hatfill should not be blackballed by the federal government on the basis of no charges.

BLITZER: Pat Clawson strongly defending his good friend Steven Hatfill.

You'll keep us updated on these late breaking developments. Thanks for joining us as usual.

CLAWSON: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

And now, we're getting new information from the Middle East from our Reuters and The Associated Press.

They are now reporting that Israeli attack helicopters have fired what they say are at least four missiles at the Palestinian police headquarters in the central Gaza city of Khan Yunis, this according to Palestinian security officials and witnesses. We don't have additional information other than the Palestinian sources saying that ambulances are racing to the scene. We'll continue to follow this late breaking development in Gaza as well.

Let's move on. When we come back, before September 11, there was September 5, 1972 -- innocence lost and a world stunned. A seven time gold medalist and journalist compare notes on the tragic Munich Olympic terror attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With the one-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks just days away, we now remember another shocking event that, at the time, seemed just as unbelievable. Thirty years ago today, the spirit of Olympic competition was shattered by the massacre at the summer games in Munich, then, West Germany. Eleven Israeli athletes and coaches murdered by members of a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The morning of September 5, 1972, found the world's attention focused on the so-called carefree games, the summer Olympics in Munich. At each step, West German officials made sure these games were the polar opposite of the last Olympics held on German soil, the 1936 Berlin games, awash in Swastikas, presided over by Adolph Hitler.

In an effort to give the Munich Olympics an atmosphere of openness and goodwill, organizers reduced security to an almost- laughable level. Leaders of the Palestinian terrorist group, Black September, saw it as an easy opportunity.

At just after 4:00 in the morning of September 5, eight members of the group jumped a short chain-link fence into the Olympic Village. They wore tracksuits and carried Olympic duffel bags filled with weapons.

JAMAL AL-GASHEY, MEMBER OF BLACK SEPTEMBER GROUP (through translator): As we were climbing over the fence, we ran into a group of Americans who were sneaking in after a night out. I remember they were drunk. The funny thing is that we actually helped each other to climb over. I held my hand out and we lifted one of them into the village. We said thank you and goodbye.

BLITZER: Minutes later, the terrorists jimmied their way into apartments holding the Israeli delegation. They were prepared to kill their captives, but said their immediate objective was to exchange them for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

But, in the initial flurry inside the apartments, two Israelis resisted, and were gunned down. The Palestinians managed to hold down nine others, and the standoff was on. The terrorists threatened to kill one hostage each hour if their comrades in Israeli jails were not released. The Israeli government quickly responded that it would make no concessions to Black September. West German officials were successful in stalling the hostage-takers, but that was about the only thing German law enforcement did right.

As evening fell, the terrorists made a new demand. They wanted a plane to take them and their hostages to Cairo, where they'd release their captives if they saw the Palestinian prisoners on the tarmac. Egypt refused to have this disaster transferred to its soil, but German officials never told the terrorists that. They wheeled a plane onto an airport runway outside Munich and flew the Black September commandos and the nine remaining Israeli hostages there by helicopter. It was a ploy to buy time while the Germans readied sharpshooters at the airport.

After the choppers landed, the two leaders of the terrorist group inspected the plane, found it empty, and knew they'd been betrayed. As they scrambled back to the helicopters, the German snipers opened fire. In the chaos that followed, the terrorists strafed both helicopters with gunfire, and threw a grenade inside one of them. All nine Israeli hostages were killed. Five of the terrorists, including their two leaders, were gunned down by German police. Three were captured. But, the following month, German officials released them into Libyan custody. Israel vowed revenge, and over the next six years, tracked down two of the three remaining terrorists, as well as several men who planned the attack, and killed them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Today, only one of the Black September commandos involved in that attack, Jamal al-Gashey, whom we saw in this piece, is believed to be alive and still in hiding.

Joining us now to talk more about this terrorist attack at the Munich games and its impact on the Olympics ever since, Mark Spitz. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic team, the swimming team that took part in those Munich games. He was there. He was on the scene.

Mark, as you all remember, made Olympic history in Munich by becoming the first athlete to win seven gold medals. He's joining us now from Los Angeles.

Here in Washington, with the -- perhaps the best sports writer in the business, Frank Deford. Frank's new novel is "An American Summer," the story of young boy's friendship with victim of polio in the 1950s.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

And Mark; let me begin with you, just briefly remind our viewers what you went through when you first heard about this terrorist attack.

MARK SPITZ, '72 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Well, I swam from a Monday to a Monday, almost one week. I did -- over the eight-day period of competition; I was in competition for seven days.

And when I concluded my seventh gold medal win on a Monday night, some friends of mine from "Sports Illustrated" took me to dinner. And I came back into the village at about 1:00 in the morning because at 9:00 that morning, I was to have a press conference because halfway through my swimming program, I had won five gold medals and the press got kind of tired of hearing about the same story that I kept saying, which was I was happy with my performance and I've got to get on with tomorrow.

So there was a big press conference scheduled. And when I arrived -- I woke up actually in the morning at about 8:00, went through the village, walked right past Connolly Street, where this was all taking place, but it -- didn't notice anything different or unusual at that time because nobody knew about it. Certainly, I didn't.

When I got to the press conference at 9:00, all the press people there -- and there quite a few of them to actually talk about my swimming career -- they were finding out about the same thing I was finding about, that supposedly -- you know, it was rumored at that time that some terrorists had actually gotten into the village and had some of the Israelis sort of in their own compound taken hostage.

And there was a lot of uncertainty. The press conference for me lasted about five minutes. I was taken to ABC where Jim McKay was to interview me, which I had that interview, but it never played because of the ensuing events that were to take place over the next four or five hours.

And it was at that time I saw this image that you have on the screen now, of this man that Jim and I saw on the screen. And we had no idea what was going on.

BLITZER: And after that, we're going to pick up that story in a second. I just want to bring Frank Deford in.

You weren't there at the Olympic games, but you did a lot of reporting on it subsequently, including going to Israel to speak with some of the people who survived this massacre.

FRANK DEFORD, SPORTS COLUMNIST: Widows, parents, children of the Israeli athletes who were killed. And what was so interesting about it -- and we had thought that the Olympics shouldn't continue. That was the general feeling in the United States that it was crass and unfeeling for them to go on.

But what struck me, all of those Israelis said if the games had not gone on, it would have been giving in to terrorism and that was interesting to me and of course, I remembered that ever since.

BLITZER: Mark, at the time did you think the games should go on? Obviously, you had a vested interest in what was unfolding at that time.

SPITZ: Well, I certainly think that the games should have gone on, for the very reason that I think that Israelis would have probably endured that that would have gone on.

Look, they stopped wars 2,000 years ago to actually compete in the Olympic games and it was unfortunate. I mean first, we have to remember that not only were they Israelis and hey were Jews that were killed, but these were human beings. And in the act of, I think the Olympic games and the good nature that they were spirited in, in act of competition that I think they should have gone on.

And in having spoken with some of the families over the years, they feel very strongly about the fact that we shouldn't have given into terrorism and we should have gone on.

But it was a real emotional situation happening at the time and there was a lot of uncertainty going on. They certainly didn't know whether or not there were more terrorists in the village when I was there, even after they had listened to some of the demands of the terrorists that were actually in the apartment where the Israelis were held hostage. So that was why I was ushered out of the country and back to the United States.

BLITZER: All right, Frank, given that -- what happened a year ago, almost September 11, what happened 30 years ago and the whole impact on sports -- the whole impact on the world, both of these events had an enormous impact, but especially, the Munich massacre had an enormous impact on the Olympics and sports in general.

DEFORD: It had not only an impact on Olympics and sports, but really, that was the beginning of terrorism, as we know it, Wolf. There had been other incidents before, if you remember, massacres in airports not on airplanes, but in the airports themselves. But this was really the beginning of us having an awareness of terrorism because you could see it.

This was the best time for the terrorists because they not only managed to do their damage, but they had done it with the world to see. And that's what changed everything. That's why Munich, I think -- and apart from the horror is so important in the terrorist battle because they learned thereafter, you attack what people can see.

BLITZER: And security has been tighter, of course, at all sporting events ever since.

DEFORD: And the terrorists of course have never gone back to a sporting event. It's almost like that door was closed...

BLITZER: Well, Atlanta. We did have that...

DEFORD: That was the one incident, but that was not foreign terrorists. It had nothing to do with these people.

BLITZER: Frank Deford, as usual, thank you very much. Mark Spitz, always good to see you and always good to congratulate you all on those Olympic gold medals. We all remember and we are all very proud of you.

SPITZ: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us as well.

Important news for women over 40, how you can substantially reduce your risk of heart attack? We'll have a report.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Jason Carroll live in Times Square where the NFL is holding a block party to kick off the start of the new season. I'll have all the details coming up in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now checking these stories on tonight's "Newswire." The Hubble telescope is giving us a most unusual picture. It's a wheel within a wheel, a distant galaxy known as "Hoag's Object." It's 120 light years wide. That makes it a little bit bigger than the Milky Way. The outer blue ring is made up of new stars. The inner yellow blob is a bunch of old ones.

And post-menopausal women can substantially reduce their risk of heart disease by simply walking. A study in "The New England Journal of Medicine" followed more than 73,000 women aged 50 to 79. It found those who walked for 30 minutes five days a week cut their risk of heart attack or stroke by 30 percent. And more vigorous exercise wasn't necessarily any better.

Time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Do you think it's possible for the United States to rid Afghanistan of terror? Log on to CNN.com/wolf to vote. We'll have the results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: 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.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you.

Martha Stewart's problems are mounting. A Congressional committee is now expanding its investigation. The issues now may involve lying to Congress. We'll have a live report for you from Washington tonight.

A terrorism alert at a chemical storage plant in Utah. The search is continuing right now for a possible intruder. We'll have the latest for you on that. And Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the target of an assassination attempt today in Kandahar. We'll tell you why that news is causing great concern in Washington.

President Bush is continuing his push against Saddam Hussein. We'll have a live report for you from the White House.

All of that and all of our market coverage coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us.

Now back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou. We certainly will.

And there's a rather unusual Big Apple event kicking off as our "Picture of The Day."

CNN's Jason Carroll is live in New York.

A lot of people celebrating, Jason. Tell our viewers why.

CARROLL: Well, I got to tell you; it's all because of the NFL. They truly know how to throw a party. And this is the place they decided to do it, right here in the middle of Times Square, in Manhattan. This is the place they decided to launch the start of the brand new NFL season.

They decided to do it with a free concert for anyone who decided to come out. And guess what, Wolf? Tens of thousands of people have packed into the Times Square. They came out to hear people like Bon Jovi, rapper Eve, songstress Alicia Keys, Enrique Iglesias. I mean lots of folks coming out here today to hear all of these people and also, to kick off the start of the NFL season.

Security, as you can imagine here in Times Square, extremely tight despite the fact that this is a celebration. Some 5,000 NYPD officers are out here. They are checking bags. Anyone with large bags are not allowed inside this particular area. They want this -- the city wants this to be a celebration for the NFL. They also want it to -- wanted to have it here to show that -- the rest of the world that New York City is right back on track. And tens of thousands of people came out to show that is exactly what is happening out here right here -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Carroll, Times Square, not New Year's Eve but still a big celebration. Thanks for that report.

Here's how you're weighing in our "Web Question of The Day." Earlier we asked, do you think it's possible for the United States to rid Afghanistan of terror? Look at this, 21 percent of you say, "yes." Seventy-nine percent say, "no."

You can find the exact vote tally -- continue to vote, by the way, on my Web site, CNN.com/wolf. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Let's hear from you. James writes this -- "The Pensacola, Florida trail of the two children should not receive any of CNN's video coverage. If these two boys had not been tried as adults, CNN would not be able to show the trial. These are young kids and are being degraded by the media, the state of Florida and by a grand- standing prosecutor."

We have one other e-mail from Rick. "Wolf, I've never written anything like this before. I'll try to make it short. Up until today, I've been a loyal watcher of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS and "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." However, I tune in today and I get Court TV. If I wanted to sit through a live courtroom drama, I'd go to the courthouse."

Strong views from some of our viewers. That's all the time we have 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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