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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Is the White House Successfully Making the Case For an al Qaeda-Iraq Connection?; Are Some Arrests Racial Profiling, or Protecting the Country?

Aired September 26, 2002 - 17:00   ET

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

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


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: "Showdown: Iraq": making the case for an al Qaeda connection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And there are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: But where is the evidence? I will ask the House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

Racial profiling, or protecting the homeland? As hundreds are caught in the anti-terror net, families are torn apart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One day, we had a perfect fairy tale life, and now it's just like nobody can even imagine how it feels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Isidore's ashore, and parts of the Southeast go from drought to drenched.

Bringing capitalism to Castro. I'll ask Governor Jesse Ventura why he is defying the Bush brothers.

And he saved hundreds of children from the Nazis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it hadn't been for Nicki Winton and the handful of people who worked for him, I certainly wouldn't have been here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Why did he keep it a secret for decades?

It's Thursday, September 26, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Does Baghdad have an al Qaeda connection? That's the word from the Bush Administration.

Here's our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Bush administration blitz, one clear message emerges: a possible link between the Iraqi regime and the terrorist organization al Qaeda.

BUSH: There are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fizzable -- fissile material could build one within a year.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have what we consider to be credible evidence that al Qaeda leaders have sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire weapons of mass destruction capabilities.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We know, too, that several of the detainees -- in particular, some high ranking detaines -- have said that Iraq provided some training to al Qaeda in chemical weapons development.

MALVEAUX: White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer in the morning briefing: "We know that al Qaeda have found refuge in Iraq."

Is this new focus on a possible link between Iraq and al Qaeda part of a White House strategy to bolster the administration's case against Saddam Hussein? Administration sources say it is mostly new details, not new evidence, that strengthens Mr. Bush's case against the Iraqi leader.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: But some information once considered top secret is now being cleared to help win congressional and international support to hold Saddam Hussein to account -- Wolf.

(AUDIO GAP)

BLITZER: ... very much.

And does the Bush administration now directly have the goods on Iraq for cooperating with al Qaeda?

Let's go live to our national security correspondent, David Ensor. He's been doing a lot of digging on this issue -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Bush administration has now made public some of the details gathered by U.S. intelligence recent months. Evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad and Osama bin Laden's in al Qaeda have a relationship a relationship past and present.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RUMSFELD: We began after September 11. We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad. We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior level contacts going back a decade, and of possible chemical and biological agent training.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: What is new is not only the assertion some al Qaeda members found refuge in Baghdad. There is credible information, officials say, that al Qaeda and Baghdad discussed safe haven for other fugitives have also at least discussed a nonaggression pact.

Also new, U.S. officials say, one al Qaeda detainee has told them some members of his group may have received training in chemical or biological weapons techniques.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: ... documented there clearly is testimony some contacts have been important contacts, and there's a relationship here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: While officials are saying they have been meetings -- possibly some limited help for al Qaeda and clearly requests for much more -- it is important to note also, what are they not saying.

Condoleezza Rice was quick to stress they are not suggesting Saddam Hussein had a role in the 9/11 attacks.

And intelligence officials note that to say al Qaeda personnel have been in Baghdad, is not really saying much since they are in 60 countries including the United States. Some analysts express skepticism pointing out that for years there has been no love lost between Muslim fundamentalists like al Qaeda, and the secular Iraqi regime, which is in the past brutalized Muslim clerics -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David, where does the CIA stand on this alleged connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda?

ENSOR: Well, Wolf, there is skepticism. Officials say that they have bits and fragments of information of varying reliability suggesting the two are at least talking, doing a little business with each other. Those do cause real concerning and the al Qaeda-Iraq relationship does need close scrutiny, officials say. But they say evidence is not there yet. To say there is an operational link between the two -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with us digging as he always does. Thanks very much for that report.

And in the showdown with Iraq: U.S. and British jets struck a mobile radar unit at the civilian airport in Basra in Iraq earlier today. The U.S. considers the airport a dual-use facility, which also serves the Iraqi military. The U.S. military says its forces attacked a second defense facility in the No-Fly Zone south of Baghdad. A spokesman says both strikes came in response to anti-aircraft fire.

The U.S. embassy in Kuwait, meanwhile is advising Americans that if they are nervous about a possible military attack, they may want to consider leaving the country. U.S. citizens are being told to have passports and other documents ready in case they need to move quickly. An embassy official places the number of Americans in Kuwait in the thousands.

And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today called Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back in a real chance to settle the standoff peacefully. Putin stressed Russia's desire to rely on existing U.N. resolutions. The U.S. and Britain have been seeking Russia's support for a new resolution, which would present Iraq with an ultimatum on inspections and allow the U.S. to justify the use of force.

Amid all of this, the House Majority Leader, Congressman Dick Armey, is never shy about saying what he thinks. That may have gotten him in some hot water from time to time, but it gives us a chance to get some frank answers to your questions and comments about Iraq.

Congressman Armey joins us now from Capitol Hill. Thanks for joining us. Do you believe, Congressman, that there is evidence -- hard evidence -- your privy to this information -- of a link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda?

REP. DICK ARMEY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: Yes, I do.

And I also would caution don't define "terrorists" and "terrorism" that threatens the United States too narrowly. It is not just al Qaeda; there are a lot of terrorists organizations out there, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that Saddam Hussein has and has had a long-term functional working relationship with several of these organizations.

Also, on the old premise of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, there can be marriages of convenience between people towards a common objective of hatred that would preempt their differences between themselves. So this has to be examined carefully, fully, and understood and is extremely important.

BLITZER: I think I understood the two points you are trying to make, but let me try to press you on both of them. What you are saying there may be other terrorist groups -- what, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad -- who are working with the Iraqi regime. Is that is one of the points you are trying make?

ARMEY: The point that I'm making is that we should not narrowly define terrorism as al Qaeda and al Qaeda alone, and we ought to examine any relationships that may be there between Saddam Hussein and other terrorist organizations. And I don't really want to go much beyond making that observation at this point. It is not for Dick Armey to make revelations about information we may or may not have.

BLITZER: We have e-mail from Rich, who wants to ask you this question, Congressman: "The administration is trying to send us to war over some info a guy in Guantanamo claimed. It's ridiculous." Is all this information basically coming from the detainees at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba?

ARMEY: Once again, one has to be careful about oversimplification. I have had several very important briefings, and the diversity of sources from which information is obtained and the manner in which it is integrated, through very careful professional analysis, is far, far more complex than this simplification just presented by that e-mail. This is too serious a subject to try to -- what should I say -- understate it, oversimplify it and draw -- what should I say -- comfortable conclusions. This is a tough business, and we better understand it totally.

BLITZER: A few weeks ago, you were pretty cautious in your assessment whether the U.S. should go to war. You said take a deep breath, let's take a look at all information. You have looked at additional information. Have you changed your position?

ARMEY: I have looked at a lot of different information, and I have more. My position is that I know so much more about what assets Saddam has, what mobility he may have, or ability to mobilize those assets he might have, and other things related to his relationship with other organizations in the world that have evil intentions against the United States.

And also, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) us not understate Saddam Hussein is an evil man with evil intentions towards everybody, even those within his immediate family. The people in Iraq live in horrible fear of this man every day of their life.

BLITZER: So at this point, Congressman, are you ready to support a resolution that the White House wants, that would authorize the use of force?

ARMEY: We are working with the White House on the language of their resolution. The president has been very generous in sending up a draft resolution. We are working bipartisan, bicamerally, on that a resolution. And I am continuing to get very important briefings and driving myself to that moment of decision when I will have to come to terms with what I know about the facts of the world threat we face and the manner in which the president would respond to that threat. And I'm not at this point ready to say Dick Armey has a decision in hand.

BLITZER: Will there be a resolution before the recess?

ARMEY: Well, I would think that there probably will be. I don't expect it next week. Again, even the writing of the resolution is in itself a meticulous and serious business and is being handled, I should say, with great sobriety and professionalism by everybody involved.

BLITZER: While I have you, Congressman, you caused a little bit of a stir the other day suggesting at a fund-raiser in Florida some words about the Jewish community and the Republican Party -- liberals, conservatives -- I want to play that sound bite and give you a chance to respond to some of your Democratic critics. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARMEY: I have always seen two Jewish communities in America. The Jewish community of intellectual depth is the one that I know best. Then there is the Jewish community of what I would call shallow intellect and the arts. And I mean that with -- I'm trying not to be offensive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Nita Lowey, your colleague from New York, and Martin Frost, your colleague from Texas, both Democrats, were critical. What exactly were you were trying to say?

ARMEY: Well, the one point that I made in that cut that you could be concerned about is that I have always seen two Jewish communities. Let me just say that was made in response to an agreement with a Democrat Jewish-American at the meeting who said, Can you explain to me why there are two Jewish communities, one conservative, one liberal? I was agreeing with his proposition.

But it is not new news for me to point out that liberals tend to be people of shallow intellect who are not deep thinkers. That applies to liberals' liberals, not liberals by way of ethnic race or any other sense of identity. It is an observation I've had since I was a sophomore in college: Conservative people tend to be people who are brighter, more well trained in rigorous academic and intellectual pursuit and, indeed, just deeper thinking. This I point out oftentimes because as a conservative, I have lived my hole life from liberals telling me I can only be a conservative because I'm ignorant; at least I would say Barbra Streisand, I can spell Dick Gephardt's name correctly.

BLITZER: But as far as liberals are concerned, liberals, they can be geniuses too, even though politically, you disagree with them, right?

ARMEY: There may be geniuses in the world that are liberal. I have not had any personal relationship or encounter with any of them. They are not brightest, deepest-thinking people I have worked with over the years. This is about liberals, so let's get off the point.

And the other point I would make to my friends Martin Frost and Nita Lowey, there was about an hour with a very serious adult conversation about things far more important than their politics.

BLITZER: Congressman Dick Armey, as usual, speaking out forcefully, directly to the point. Thanks for joining us.

ARMEY: Thank you for having me.

And bloodshed at the bank: the attack that has a state on edge right now.

Also, dark days for Martha Stewart. A key player in the ImClone stock scandal reportedly cuts a deal and now plans to testify against her.

Plus, who is that hanging out in Cuba?: Governor Jesse Ventura. He wants the U.S. trade embargo knocked down. We'll talk to him live from Havana about his defiant trip.

And an unknown hero who saved hundreds of children from Nazi death camps. His story until now never told. We'll have it for you here.

But first, today's news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The first Nazi concentration camp was established at Dachau, March 20, 1933. Who were the first prisoners: Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, political opponents? The answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now to a mass murder and a state on edge. The FBI and police across Nebraska are looking for three people in a bank robbery that left four employees and a customer dead in the town of Norfolk this morning. Three men, who were arrested in a stolen pickup truck some 76 miles away, are being detained. It is not clear yet if they are suspects.

Joining us now on the phone, the mayor of Norfolk, Gordon Adams.

Mayor, thanks for joining us.

What's the very latest on this very troubling development?

MAYOR GORDON ADAMS, NORFOLK, NEBRASKA: Well, we certainly are very hopeful that the people that were apprehended at O'Neill, which is 75 miles away, are the suspects. The evidence that we have would seem to point that direction, but we don't have it real confirmation of that. And so there is a lot of apprehension in our community as to whether these people are still at large.

This was a totally senseless slaughter of people in our bank.

BLITZER: What makes you think that these three people detained 75 miles away are the three suspects?

ADAMS: Well, it was a car stolen here right directly across from the bank, or down the alley from the bank, and it was driven about 17 miles to another community and abandoned. And then another pickup was stolen right close to that. And then this is the pickup that these three individuals were apprehended in.

So circumstantially, it would appear we probably have the people, but until the law enforcement agencies are satisfied, we have to remain apprehensive. BLITZER: Does physical description of the three men match the eyewitnesses?

ADAMS: We don't have much in way of physical description because the -- they just simply shot everybody that was there, basically. There were two people this the bank who took cover, and I don't know if they really saw them or not.

BLITZER: And so the advice, at least for time being, is to lay low until there is a positive identification. Is that right, Mayor?

ADAMS: That's correct, yes.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. Good luck to you, and good luck to everyone in Nebraska. As the search continues, we'll continue to monitor this story as well.

We are going to shift now to the war on terrorism. Secret immigration hearings are just one of several controversial measures put in place since the September 11 terror attacks. The Bush administration argues, The closed hearings and similar steps are necessary weapons in the hunt for terrorists. But critics say the moves smack of big brother.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, examines the issues and the people they're impacting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA SHAHAB, MOTHER: Give mom a kiss.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christina Shahab says she is lucky to have family close by. She's raising her 3-year-old daughter and running a Long Island, New York business by herself because her husband, Naim, has been held on immigration charges since March.

SHAHAB: One day, we had a perfect fairy tale life, and now it's just like nobody can even imagine how it feels.

ARENA: Naim Shahab is an Afghan who came to the United States with his family when he was 11, but never got approval to stay.

Christina says the couple went to immigration authorities after their 1997 marriage to apply for legal status.

SHAHAB: You know, we always did the thing that they told us to do. Every step that they told us to do is the steps that we followed, and it was obviously the wrong ones.

ARENA: There are no terrorism charges against Shahab, and his family says he is a victim of profiling in the aftermath of September 11.

Since then, at least 763 individuals have been detained on immigration violations; more than 400 have been deported. JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Department of Justice is waging a deliberate campaign of arrest and detention to protect American lives.

ARENA: Justice officials argue, Everyone detained has broken the law.

But critics say the roundup has been overly aggressive and haphazard, with few, if any, law enforcement victories. And charges of profiling run rampant, as most of the detainees are of Middle Eastern origin.

JULES COVEN, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: You have to understand that really what's happened here is -- and I would say that the immigration service and aliens that are in the U.S. who are immigrations have been treated unfairly because they're really blamed for 9/11, and that is not where the blame should be.

ARENA: The Justice Department will not release the names of immigration detainees and has closed all deportation hearings, held in courtrooms like this one.

Several federal courts have ruled against the Justice Department's secrecy policy. An appeals court in Cincinnati bluntly stating, "Democracies die behind closed doors."

And the legal battle continues.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we do want to do is make it difficult for the enemy to keep track of who we have and who we don't have. And recognizing that they can sometimes piece information together, the more we can make it difficult for them.

ARENA: The problem, according to critics, is there is no way to prove the measures are effective, or if detaining people like Naim Shahab is making us any safer.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The beginning of the universe -- Big Bang, or six days at the hand of God? The battle between evolution and creationism still rages. What should our children be learning in science class? A look at one school district that wants to leave it up to teachers.

Plus, Isidore storms ashore along the Gulf coast. The new concern: widespread flooding as it heads north.

And a call for a ban of spermicide on condoms. Why some researchers say, It's just not worth the risk.

But first, a look at news making headlines around the world.

The first of some 200 people rescued from a Christian school in northern Ivory Coast were evacuated from the country on a U.S. military plane. The students and staff, mostly American, were rescued by French troops after being caught in the crossfire between rebels and government troops.

Missiles fired from an Israeli helicopter struck a car in Gaza City, killing two Palestinians, who sources say were Hamas members. Palestinian sources say at least 40 people were wounded in the attack, six of them seriously.

A report by a British anti-drug group says opium production in Afghanistan will total nearly 2,000 metric tons, a tenfold increase since Taliban were ousted. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he doesn't buy the figures, but he says opium is an international menace, and whatever the amount, his government is committed to finding it and destroying it.

In the Hague, the second phase of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's war crimes trial is under way. It will be deal with his actions in Croatia and Bosnia, and includes charges of genocide. The first phase of his trial centered on Kosovo.

Four people were hurt when a riderless jetski plowed into the audience during a show at a theme park on Australia's Gold Coast. A park spokesman says the mechanical malfunction caused the driver to lose control during a jetski demonstration.

And Alan Greenspan is now a knight of the order of the British empire. Queen Elizabeth honored the federal reserve chairman, noting his contribution to global economic stability.

And that is our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Both on the wrestling mat and in the political arena, Jesse Ventura has proudly worn the tag of "maverick," and the governor of Minnesota is still doing it right now, at this moment in Havana, Cuba. He's taking part in the first U.S. food and agricultural fair ever held under Communist rule on the island and he's doing it without the bless of either President Bush, the No. 1 defender of the trade embargo against Cuba, or the governor of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush, the brother of the president.

I'll speak with Governor Ventura in just a moment, but first: what both sides hope to get out of this unique trade gathering.

Our Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and President Fidel Castro were the stars of the American food show.

JESSE VENTURA, GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: We trade with China, we trade with Vietnam, and the last time I recollect, 58,000 of my generation were killed in Vietnam. And yet that doesn't seem to be an obstacle.

NEWMAN: President Fidel Castro even played along, feeding a baby buffalo from a farm in Ventura's home state.

The products exhibited here come from 33 states of the United States, including Florida. In fact, there are more companies here from the home state of Governor Jeb Bush, who opposes trade with Cuba, than any other.

Everyone here eager to sign contracts with the Cuban government.

MICHAEL MAURICIO, FLORIDA PRODUCE: You see intermingling between Cuban buyers and American companies, and it's pretty. It's a pretty thing.

NEWMAN: Not so for Washington's top diplomat in Havana, who told exhibitors the fair was more bull than beef.

JAMES CASSON: U.S. INTEREST SECTION: This is a "Jurassic Park" economy that's no great market for the United States.

NEWMAN: Since December, Cuba has bought more than $120 million worth of U.S. food and agricultural products, an exception to the U.S. economic embargo.

But only if Cuba pays in cash.

Washington argues Cuba will never repay its creditors if U.S. financial restrictions are lifted. President Castro's response to Washington's man in Havana.

FIDEL CASTRO, PRESIDENT OF CUBA (through translator): His language is prehistoric. Jurassic, I'd say. I challenge him to a bet. I'll pay him $100 million dollars, and if we don't pay up, he can have it.

NEWMAN: For the 247 American companies here, from grains giant ADM, to smaller, family businesses accessing this market, off limits for the past four decades, is the real issue.

(on camera): For the Cuban government though, this is less a trade show than a political showcase to further its main purpose: an easing of the U.S. economic embargo. These American producers, new contracts in hand, are expected to help further that cause when they return home.

Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: As promised, Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura joins us now, live from Havana.

Governor, thanks for joining us.

This your first time in Cuba? VENTURA: Yes, it is, Wolf.

BLITZER: So what do you think? What do you think of -- are preconceived notions been borne out? Are you surprised?

VENTURA: Well, I really didn't know what to expect, Wolf. But I really I've equated to it like the twilight zone in a way. It's a country that's caught in a time warp. When you get down here, you really feel that it's like still the 1950s because you see so many vintage 1950 cars all over the place, and all the construction and the buildings and everything. It reminds you very much that it seems almost in many ways the time has passed you bye-bye.

BLITZER: And just to tell our viewers, you're standing right now, at this trade fair in Havana, is that right?

VENTURA: Yes, that's correct.

BLITZER: So what's the point? The point is to try to get President Bush and the Congress to lift the long-standing trade embargo, is that what you want to see happen?

VENTURA: Well, I think in the long run it's what I'd like to see happen. I've been here now and I've got to meet many of the Cuban people. They're very friendly people, much like when I went to China. I had no -- didn't know what to really expect, when I got to China and I was pleasantly surprised. And I've done the same here. I've been very pleasantly surprised. The Cuban people, again -- you know because governments can't get along doesn't mean people can't get along. You know, to me, people in business will lead the way and hopefully government will follow.

BLITZER: As you know, the governor of Florida and plenty of Cuban Americans have been critical of you for making this trip. What do you say to them who say this communist regime, which has an iron grip on the people who live there and that you're in effect giving aid and comfort to them?

VENTURA: No, I don't think it's that at all. I am not a communist. I'm a capitalist from the word go. Anyone who's ever looked at my career understands that I believe in capitalism. But I've also learned something at age 51 and that is, I like having friends better than I do enemies. And I think that, you know, it's a situation where we need to start taking some small steps and see how it goes.

And there's no reason, I don't think -- like your tease led in with. You know we're trading with Vietnam and yet 58,000 of my generation were killed in Vietnam. And yet, we have no problem now trading in Vietnam. And so, to me, it's -- just because the government is communist here doesn't mean that they can't -- how can we switch them to capitalism if we don't work with them. And then, the evolution could well take place. You don't know.

BLITZER: Any appointment -- have you already met with Fidel Castro or are you planning on meeting with the president of Cuba? VENTURA: Well, I haven't met with him in one-on-one basis at all. We were both here for the opening ceremony and the ribbon cutting. And then, I spoke with him as he was touring the Minnesota livestock that was here and he was very impressed by the two young Minnesota children. And in fact, without even knowing it both President Castro and myself gave the two children the separate, same message. I told the kids, Enjoy yourself while you're here, but remember, when you get back to school, you've got to catch up on your studies. And apparently, President Castro told them that same message, and we hadn't discussed it at all. So we have that in common, as the message to the two youngsters.

BLITZER: The argument that a lot of U.S. officials, State Department officials, others, the head of the U.S. interests section in Havana say these people in Cuba, they really don't have any money to begin with. They're broke. They're hugely in debt and it's not really a serious market for U.S. exports.

VENTURA: Well, we won't know that until we find out, you know. Let's remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a fraud and our government told us that was real. And as far as debt goes, well, after World War II, Wolf, I believe every nation in the free world owed us money. Did they pay back the war debt of World War II? Absolutely not. Imagine how much money we're owed today, if you add interest to the war debt of World War II that we seem to forget about. We didn't have any problem with it.

BLITZER: Governor, we did some digging. Our excellent producer, Carry Connor (ph) -- she came up with the real reason, the real reason, why you are in Cuba right now seeking to end this trade embargo. And I'll give -- I'll read the quote to you. We'll pull it up on screen for our viewers. It comes from the magazine "Cigar Aficionado." "I hate embargoes. Sure, partly because I'd love to have easy access to Cuban cigars, but mostly because embargoes don't work." Cuban cigars, is the story behind the story, Governor?

VENTURA: Not a bit because I actually -- my favorite cigar right now -- I'm going to debunk you again, Wolf -- my favorite cigar on planet right now is an Ashton Cabinet VSG, which is made in Dominican Republic. But they're so rare you can probably get a Cuban cigar easier, even in the United States. But I normally smoke Dominican Republic cigars, so, you know you can throw that out all you want as sound bite. But it's not true. I've been smoking cigars now, playing golf regardless if they're Cuban or not. But certainly, Cuban cigars, if you talk to any cigar smoker, they'd certainly like to be able to get them if they could.

BLITZER: Governor, I know your doctors don't want you to smoke any cigars, especially after what you went through. How are you feeling?

VENTURA: I'm feeling just great. But, remember, a cigar you don't inhale. You just puff it. So you know I'm OK. And always remember, George Burns lived to 101 and he had one a day.

BLITZER: I hope you live longer than that. Governor, thanks for joining us from Havana.

VENTURA: Thanks, Wolf, always a pleasure.

BLITZER: Good luck to you.

And here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of The Day" is this -- should the United States lift its trade embargo against Cuba? 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 where you can read my daily on-line column, CNN.com/Wolf.

Martha's mess may be getter bigger. We'll tell you why. Also, doctors solve a key piece of the HIV puzzle, but will it help those suffering right now. Our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with a medical debrief. And a popular party drug linked to symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a warning for both kids and parents. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer. There's a new twist to the Martha legal Stewart -- Martha Stewart's legal problems, excuse me. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that a Merrill Lynch assistant has agreed to testify against Stewart in the probe of ImClone stock sales. In turn, Douglas Faneuil will plead guilty to a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors were on the verge of charging Faneuil with a felony for making false statements to investigators. Merrill Lynch handled Stewart's sale of nearly 4,000 ImClone shares in December, just before the company said federal regulators would not review ImClone's cancer drug. Joining us now with his expertise on this case, "Fortune" magazine's editor, Andy Serwer.

Andy, what do you make of this latest twist in this awful saga for Martha Stewart?

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Martha Stewart stew, right, Wolf. It really just keeps on going here, keeps on simmering. Well, things were all quiet on the Martha Stewart front for a week or so and then, this sort of broke today. And there's are all sorts of people talking on Wall Street. It means the investigation is very much alive. And obviously, with the testimony, they hope to get -- the feds hope to get from Douglas Faneuil, who is assistant to Martha's Stewart's broker, Peter Bacanovic.

Now, you know, this is classic investigative work. You go after the small fish, then you go after the bigger fish. It will be Peter Bacanovic, Martha Stewart's broker, and then after that, you go to the biggest fish and that would Martha Stewart. But an awful lot of time, money and effort being expended on the case, isn't it?

BLITZER: Well, how credible is this one small fish in this big picture? SERWER: Well, I think he's -- I think he is credible. I mean there are trading records. And basically, what the feds are going to look to do is match up his story, his account with written documents and then, present them to the broker and say, "Look, what you're saying just doesn't add up."

There are still at least two, maybe three versions of what happened that day back in December. And what the feds really need to do -- investigators really need to do is get to the bottom of it. But again, people on Wall Street are starting to say, that with so many other problems with Tyco and WorldCom and Enron, should the federal government really be spending this much time looking after Martha Stewart for a couple thousand-share trade here?

BLITZER: It seems like the publicity though is going to drive this case to a certain degree. Andy Serwer, as usual, from "Fortune" magazine, thanks for helping us better understand this complicated story.

SERWER: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Scientists crack part of the AIDS code, but what will this breakthrough mean something important for patients? Sanjay Gupta, our medical correspondent will join us live when we return. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Turning now to news from the "Health Beat." A government funded study shows Ecstasy may put people at risk of developing symptoms like those associated with Parkinson's disease. Stanford University researchers injected monkeys and baboons with doses of the drug and mimicking what users often take at all-night rave parties. The primates suffered damage to key neurons in the brain. Some experts are challenging the relevance of the findings, which appear in the journal, "Science."

And an international coalition of scientists and health groups warns that a spermicide common in contraceptive products may actually increase the risk of HIV infection. They're calling on makers of condoms and lubricants to remove Nonoxynol-9 from their products. It's become a common addition after earlier studies suggested it could help prevent HIV infection.

And on the subject of HIV, a team of scientists say they now know why some people infected with the virus never develop AIDS. What have these researchers discovered and does it carry hope for better treatment of HIV, or even perhaps, someday, a cure? Let's find out more now from our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who's joining us live.

This, potentially, could be a significant breakthrough, couldn't it, Sanjay?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It could be, Wolf. Long-term nonprogressers, that's what those one to two percent of people that you just described are called. They never get sick. They never require medications, but why? Scientists have figured why that is, but what is it and what does it mean? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Like many people with HIV, Tom Morgan has to take 25 pills every day just to keep the virus from overtaking his immune system and causing AIDS.

TOM MORGAN, INFECTED WITH HIV: I often vomit. I very often get nauseous. I get sleepy. And I very often really very -- you know, sort of fatigued.

GUPTA: But Morgan has heard about others who don't take any HIV medicine and never get sick from the disease. Experts call them long- term nonprogressors. They make up only one to two percent of people with HIV. There's something about this small group of people that protects them from getting sick from the AIDS virus and researchers have been racing for nearly 20 years to figure out what it is. And now, scientists may have cracked the code.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what we're reading here is really a -- kind of a peaks.

GUPTA: Surprisingly simple, this machine analyzes the blood samples of several different people at once and then, differences show up as peaks on this computer. Researchers at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York found that nonprogressors, those who never got AIDS, are the ones with the peaks. The peaks represent three proteins, which are the key to keeping the virus in check. But, the real question: what does this science mean for people infected with HIV?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH: It's really too preliminary to even speculate that this will even have any impact on treatment.

GUPTA: Dr. David Ho and his team agree it is too early, but believe if they can understand the workings of these proteins, they can create new drugs for HIV.

DR. DAVID HO, AARON DIAMOND AIDS RESEARCH CENTER: The whole game plan now is to figure out whether we could take this discovery and work on it and translate it into something that would be practically useful for patients.

GUPTA: But first, the science must be verified, and those efforts are already under way. It's only then, researchers can determine if these tiny proteins can lead to a better treatment for people like Morgan.

MORGAN: We've been this way so many times before that I want to say that I'm cautiously optimistic.

(END VIDEOTAPE) GUPTA: Wolf, everyone agrees it's not the cure, but as you say, it may be an important step towards ultimately developing a good treatment -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much -- let's hope it is -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta for joining us.

And a little-known story of remarkable heroism in the face of evil -- a man credited with savings hundreds of Jews from the Nazis on the eve of World War II meets the children he kept from near certain death. A story you won't want to miss just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked -- Who were the first prisoners at the first Nazi concentration camp at Dachau? The answer, political opponents, including Communists, Social Democrats, members of the trade unions and a few members of Conservative and Liberal parties.

A man referred to as "Britain's Schindler" is being honored for his efforts during World War II. Nicholas Winton rescued hundreds of children in Czechoslovakia from near certain death in Nazi concentration camps. His story is told in a recent documentary. CNN's Walter Rodgers takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: "You rescued me and I really want to thank you," this woman told Nicholas Winton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a wonderful human being.

RODGERS: Britain honored its version of Oscar Schindler, who three score and some years ago and with a list of his own, smuggled 669 Czech children to safety in England on the eve of World War II.

When Adolf Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in March of 1939, Nicholas Winton was already helping evacuate Jewish children openly. At the time, Winton was a young British stockbroker, who knew Czechoslovakia's Jewish children had to be rescued or they would not survive the coming war.

ANNOUNCER: Liverpool Street Station saw the arrival of another group of refugee children. Another piteous cargo thrown overboard by the ruthless code of the modern European temper.

RODGERS: He forged travel documents because, he said, the British foreign office moved too slowly. Hitler's legions moved quickly, adding urgency to Winton's rescue efforts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember there was an SS soldier with his swastika standing on the platform and lots of other parents were there seeing their children off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One agonized mother whose little girl was already aboard took her off, then changed her mind again, and put her back on the train.

This is the list, and here somewhere is my name on it. If it had not been for this twist, if it hadn't been for Nicki Winton and a handful of people who worked for him, I certainly wouldn't have been here today.

RODGERS: Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia ended Winton's operation, but not before he saved nearly 700 children.

ANNOUNCER: Few of them know what has happened to their fathers, their mothers, their sisters and brothers.

VERA GISSING, RESCUED CHILD: I was left standing alone next to a chair with my little rucksack, waiting for someone to come and claim me.

RODGERS: Winton's list is all the more remarkable because, for half a century he never told anyone what he did, that is until his wife discovered his album and his list by accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty years after it happened, Nicki Winton finally told his wife what had so long kept secret.

NICHOLAS WINTON, SAVED CHILDREN FROM NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS: It's just something -- I didn't talk about. Most people don't talk about what they do during the war anyway, and this was practically a war effort.

RODGERS: A war effort and perhaps more, an example of the good one man can accomplish against great odds. All of the children he saved survived the war, though few of their parents did.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Good for him. Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much. Coming right up, the Dow Jones Industrial is up for a second day in a row. The best two-day performance in six weeks. We'll have all the details for you. The president predicts Congress will reach agreement with the White House on taking tough action against Iraq. We'll have the latest for you. And the rising costs of malpractice insurance for doctors -- the House of Representatives today took action to limit those jury awards. Also, tonight, we'll have the latest on Tropical Storm Isidore. We'll be joined by Richard Pearl on Iraq. All of that and a lot more still ahead. Please join us at the top of the hour. Now, back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou, sounds like an excellent program, as usual.

Time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Should the United States lift its trade embargo against Cuba? Log onto CNN.com/Wolf. That's where you can vote. The results, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of The Day." Earlier we asked about the trade embargo, lifting it against Cuba. Look at this, 85 percent of you say, "yes," 15 percent of you say, "no." Most of you agree, obviously, with Jesse Ventura. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Our "Picture of The Day" comes from New Orleans. It's our own Jeff Flock taking his reporting to great depths to keep us up to date on Tropical Storm Isidore. Talk about a dedicated reporter. Look at Jeff. He's a veteran of many storms. Hopefully, tonight, he's drying off in a comfortable location. Good work Jeff Flock.

That's all the time we have today. I'll see you at noon and five tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Qaeda-Iraq Connection?; Are Some Arrests Racial Profiling, or Protecting the Country?>


Aired September 26, 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: "Showdown: Iraq": making the case for an al Qaeda connection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And there are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: But where is the evidence? I will ask the House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

Racial profiling, or protecting the homeland? As hundreds are caught in the anti-terror net, families are torn apart.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One day, we had a perfect fairy tale life, and now it's just like nobody can even imagine how it feels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Isidore's ashore, and parts of the Southeast go from drought to drenched.

Bringing capitalism to Castro. I'll ask Governor Jesse Ventura why he is defying the Bush brothers.

And he saved hundreds of children from the Nazis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it hadn't been for Nicki Winton and the handful of people who worked for him, I certainly wouldn't have been here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Why did he keep it a secret for decades?

It's Thursday, September 26, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Does Baghdad have an al Qaeda connection? That's the word from the Bush Administration.

Here's our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Bush administration blitz, one clear message emerges: a possible link between the Iraqi regime and the terrorist organization al Qaeda.

BUSH: There are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fizzable -- fissile material could build one within a year.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have what we consider to be credible evidence that al Qaeda leaders have sought contacts in Iraq who could help them acquire weapons of mass destruction capabilities.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We know, too, that several of the detainees -- in particular, some high ranking detaines -- have said that Iraq provided some training to al Qaeda in chemical weapons development.

MALVEAUX: White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer in the morning briefing: "We know that al Qaeda have found refuge in Iraq."

Is this new focus on a possible link between Iraq and al Qaeda part of a White House strategy to bolster the administration's case against Saddam Hussein? Administration sources say it is mostly new details, not new evidence, that strengthens Mr. Bush's case against the Iraqi leader.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: But some information once considered top secret is now being cleared to help win congressional and international support to hold Saddam Hussein to account -- Wolf.

(AUDIO GAP)

BLITZER: ... very much.

And does the Bush administration now directly have the goods on Iraq for cooperating with al Qaeda?

Let's go live to our national security correspondent, David Ensor. He's been doing a lot of digging on this issue -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the Bush administration has now made public some of the details gathered by U.S. intelligence recent months. Evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad and Osama bin Laden's in al Qaeda have a relationship a relationship past and present.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RUMSFELD: We began after September 11. We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad. We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior level contacts going back a decade, and of possible chemical and biological agent training.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: What is new is not only the assertion some al Qaeda members found refuge in Baghdad. There is credible information, officials say, that al Qaeda and Baghdad discussed safe haven for other fugitives have also at least discussed a nonaggression pact.

Also new, U.S. officials say, one al Qaeda detainee has told them some members of his group may have received training in chemical or biological weapons techniques.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICE: ... documented there clearly is testimony some contacts have been important contacts, and there's a relationship here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENSOR: While officials are saying they have been meetings -- possibly some limited help for al Qaeda and clearly requests for much more -- it is important to note also, what are they not saying.

Condoleezza Rice was quick to stress they are not suggesting Saddam Hussein had a role in the 9/11 attacks.

And intelligence officials note that to say al Qaeda personnel have been in Baghdad, is not really saying much since they are in 60 countries including the United States. Some analysts express skepticism pointing out that for years there has been no love lost between Muslim fundamentalists like al Qaeda, and the secular Iraqi regime, which is in the past brutalized Muslim clerics -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David, where does the CIA stand on this alleged connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda?

ENSOR: Well, Wolf, there is skepticism. Officials say that they have bits and fragments of information of varying reliability suggesting the two are at least talking, doing a little business with each other. Those do cause real concerning and the al Qaeda-Iraq relationship does need close scrutiny, officials say. But they say evidence is not there yet. To say there is an operational link between the two -- Wolf.

BLITZER: David Ensor with us digging as he always does. Thanks very much for that report.

And in the showdown with Iraq: U.S. and British jets struck a mobile radar unit at the civilian airport in Basra in Iraq earlier today. The U.S. considers the airport a dual-use facility, which also serves the Iraqi military. The U.S. military says its forces attacked a second defense facility in the No-Fly Zone south of Baghdad. A spokesman says both strikes came in response to anti-aircraft fire.

The U.S. embassy in Kuwait, meanwhile is advising Americans that if they are nervous about a possible military attack, they may want to consider leaving the country. U.S. citizens are being told to have passports and other documents ready in case they need to move quickly. An embassy official places the number of Americans in Kuwait in the thousands.

And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today called Iraq's offer to allow weapons inspectors back in a real chance to settle the standoff peacefully. Putin stressed Russia's desire to rely on existing U.N. resolutions. The U.S. and Britain have been seeking Russia's support for a new resolution, which would present Iraq with an ultimatum on inspections and allow the U.S. to justify the use of force.

Amid all of this, the House Majority Leader, Congressman Dick Armey, is never shy about saying what he thinks. That may have gotten him in some hot water from time to time, but it gives us a chance to get some frank answers to your questions and comments about Iraq.

Congressman Armey joins us now from Capitol Hill. Thanks for joining us. Do you believe, Congressman, that there is evidence -- hard evidence -- your privy to this information -- of a link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda?

REP. DICK ARMEY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: Yes, I do.

And I also would caution don't define "terrorists" and "terrorism" that threatens the United States too narrowly. It is not just al Qaeda; there are a lot of terrorists organizations out there, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that Saddam Hussein has and has had a long-term functional working relationship with several of these organizations.

Also, on the old premise of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, there can be marriages of convenience between people towards a common objective of hatred that would preempt their differences between themselves. So this has to be examined carefully, fully, and understood and is extremely important.

BLITZER: I think I understood the two points you are trying to make, but let me try to press you on both of them. What you are saying there may be other terrorist groups -- what, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad -- who are working with the Iraqi regime. Is that is one of the points you are trying make?

ARMEY: The point that I'm making is that we should not narrowly define terrorism as al Qaeda and al Qaeda alone, and we ought to examine any relationships that may be there between Saddam Hussein and other terrorist organizations. And I don't really want to go much beyond making that observation at this point. It is not for Dick Armey to make revelations about information we may or may not have.

BLITZER: We have e-mail from Rich, who wants to ask you this question, Congressman: "The administration is trying to send us to war over some info a guy in Guantanamo claimed. It's ridiculous." Is all this information basically coming from the detainees at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba?

ARMEY: Once again, one has to be careful about oversimplification. I have had several very important briefings, and the diversity of sources from which information is obtained and the manner in which it is integrated, through very careful professional analysis, is far, far more complex than this simplification just presented by that e-mail. This is too serious a subject to try to -- what should I say -- understate it, oversimplify it and draw -- what should I say -- comfortable conclusions. This is a tough business, and we better understand it totally.

BLITZER: A few weeks ago, you were pretty cautious in your assessment whether the U.S. should go to war. You said take a deep breath, let's take a look at all information. You have looked at additional information. Have you changed your position?

ARMEY: I have looked at a lot of different information, and I have more. My position is that I know so much more about what assets Saddam has, what mobility he may have, or ability to mobilize those assets he might have, and other things related to his relationship with other organizations in the world that have evil intentions against the United States.

And also, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) us not understate Saddam Hussein is an evil man with evil intentions towards everybody, even those within his immediate family. The people in Iraq live in horrible fear of this man every day of their life.

BLITZER: So at this point, Congressman, are you ready to support a resolution that the White House wants, that would authorize the use of force?

ARMEY: We are working with the White House on the language of their resolution. The president has been very generous in sending up a draft resolution. We are working bipartisan, bicamerally, on that a resolution. And I am continuing to get very important briefings and driving myself to that moment of decision when I will have to come to terms with what I know about the facts of the world threat we face and the manner in which the president would respond to that threat. And I'm not at this point ready to say Dick Armey has a decision in hand.

BLITZER: Will there be a resolution before the recess?

ARMEY: Well, I would think that there probably will be. I don't expect it next week. Again, even the writing of the resolution is in itself a meticulous and serious business and is being handled, I should say, with great sobriety and professionalism by everybody involved.

BLITZER: While I have you, Congressman, you caused a little bit of a stir the other day suggesting at a fund-raiser in Florida some words about the Jewish community and the Republican Party -- liberals, conservatives -- I want to play that sound bite and give you a chance to respond to some of your Democratic critics. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARMEY: I have always seen two Jewish communities in America. The Jewish community of intellectual depth is the one that I know best. Then there is the Jewish community of what I would call shallow intellect and the arts. And I mean that with -- I'm trying not to be offensive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Nita Lowey, your colleague from New York, and Martin Frost, your colleague from Texas, both Democrats, were critical. What exactly were you were trying to say?

ARMEY: Well, the one point that I made in that cut that you could be concerned about is that I have always seen two Jewish communities. Let me just say that was made in response to an agreement with a Democrat Jewish-American at the meeting who said, Can you explain to me why there are two Jewish communities, one conservative, one liberal? I was agreeing with his proposition.

But it is not new news for me to point out that liberals tend to be people of shallow intellect who are not deep thinkers. That applies to liberals' liberals, not liberals by way of ethnic race or any other sense of identity. It is an observation I've had since I was a sophomore in college: Conservative people tend to be people who are brighter, more well trained in rigorous academic and intellectual pursuit and, indeed, just deeper thinking. This I point out oftentimes because as a conservative, I have lived my hole life from liberals telling me I can only be a conservative because I'm ignorant; at least I would say Barbra Streisand, I can spell Dick Gephardt's name correctly.

BLITZER: But as far as liberals are concerned, liberals, they can be geniuses too, even though politically, you disagree with them, right?

ARMEY: There may be geniuses in the world that are liberal. I have not had any personal relationship or encounter with any of them. They are not brightest, deepest-thinking people I have worked with over the years. This is about liberals, so let's get off the point.

And the other point I would make to my friends Martin Frost and Nita Lowey, there was about an hour with a very serious adult conversation about things far more important than their politics.

BLITZER: Congressman Dick Armey, as usual, speaking out forcefully, directly to the point. Thanks for joining us.

ARMEY: Thank you for having me.

And bloodshed at the bank: the attack that has a state on edge right now.

Also, dark days for Martha Stewart. A key player in the ImClone stock scandal reportedly cuts a deal and now plans to testify against her.

Plus, who is that hanging out in Cuba?: Governor Jesse Ventura. He wants the U.S. trade embargo knocked down. We'll talk to him live from Havana about his defiant trip.

And an unknown hero who saved hundreds of children from Nazi death camps. His story until now never told. We'll have it for you here.

But first, today's news quiz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The first Nazi concentration camp was established at Dachau, March 20, 1933. Who were the first prisoners: Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, political opponents? The answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now to a mass murder and a state on edge. The FBI and police across Nebraska are looking for three people in a bank robbery that left four employees and a customer dead in the town of Norfolk this morning. Three men, who were arrested in a stolen pickup truck some 76 miles away, are being detained. It is not clear yet if they are suspects.

Joining us now on the phone, the mayor of Norfolk, Gordon Adams.

Mayor, thanks for joining us.

What's the very latest on this very troubling development?

MAYOR GORDON ADAMS, NORFOLK, NEBRASKA: Well, we certainly are very hopeful that the people that were apprehended at O'Neill, which is 75 miles away, are the suspects. The evidence that we have would seem to point that direction, but we don't have it real confirmation of that. And so there is a lot of apprehension in our community as to whether these people are still at large.

This was a totally senseless slaughter of people in our bank.

BLITZER: What makes you think that these three people detained 75 miles away are the three suspects?

ADAMS: Well, it was a car stolen here right directly across from the bank, or down the alley from the bank, and it was driven about 17 miles to another community and abandoned. And then another pickup was stolen right close to that. And then this is the pickup that these three individuals were apprehended in.

So circumstantially, it would appear we probably have the people, but until the law enforcement agencies are satisfied, we have to remain apprehensive. BLITZER: Does physical description of the three men match the eyewitnesses?

ADAMS: We don't have much in way of physical description because the -- they just simply shot everybody that was there, basically. There were two people this the bank who took cover, and I don't know if they really saw them or not.

BLITZER: And so the advice, at least for time being, is to lay low until there is a positive identification. Is that right, Mayor?

ADAMS: That's correct, yes.

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. Good luck to you, and good luck to everyone in Nebraska. As the search continues, we'll continue to monitor this story as well.

We are going to shift now to the war on terrorism. Secret immigration hearings are just one of several controversial measures put in place since the September 11 terror attacks. The Bush administration argues, The closed hearings and similar steps are necessary weapons in the hunt for terrorists. But critics say the moves smack of big brother.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, examines the issues and the people they're impacting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA SHAHAB, MOTHER: Give mom a kiss.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christina Shahab says she is lucky to have family close by. She's raising her 3-year-old daughter and running a Long Island, New York business by herself because her husband, Naim, has been held on immigration charges since March.

SHAHAB: One day, we had a perfect fairy tale life, and now it's just like nobody can even imagine how it feels.

ARENA: Naim Shahab is an Afghan who came to the United States with his family when he was 11, but never got approval to stay.

Christina says the couple went to immigration authorities after their 1997 marriage to apply for legal status.

SHAHAB: You know, we always did the thing that they told us to do. Every step that they told us to do is the steps that we followed, and it was obviously the wrong ones.

ARENA: There are no terrorism charges against Shahab, and his family says he is a victim of profiling in the aftermath of September 11.

Since then, at least 763 individuals have been detained on immigration violations; more than 400 have been deported. JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Department of Justice is waging a deliberate campaign of arrest and detention to protect American lives.

ARENA: Justice officials argue, Everyone detained has broken the law.

But critics say the roundup has been overly aggressive and haphazard, with few, if any, law enforcement victories. And charges of profiling run rampant, as most of the detainees are of Middle Eastern origin.

JULES COVEN, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: You have to understand that really what's happened here is -- and I would say that the immigration service and aliens that are in the U.S. who are immigrations have been treated unfairly because they're really blamed for 9/11, and that is not where the blame should be.

ARENA: The Justice Department will not release the names of immigration detainees and has closed all deportation hearings, held in courtrooms like this one.

Several federal courts have ruled against the Justice Department's secrecy policy. An appeals court in Cincinnati bluntly stating, "Democracies die behind closed doors."

And the legal battle continues.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we do want to do is make it difficult for the enemy to keep track of who we have and who we don't have. And recognizing that they can sometimes piece information together, the more we can make it difficult for them.

ARENA: The problem, according to critics, is there is no way to prove the measures are effective, or if detaining people like Naim Shahab is making us any safer.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The beginning of the universe -- Big Bang, or six days at the hand of God? The battle between evolution and creationism still rages. What should our children be learning in science class? A look at one school district that wants to leave it up to teachers.

Plus, Isidore storms ashore along the Gulf coast. The new concern: widespread flooding as it heads north.

And a call for a ban of spermicide on condoms. Why some researchers say, It's just not worth the risk.

But first, a look at news making headlines around the world.

The first of some 200 people rescued from a Christian school in northern Ivory Coast were evacuated from the country on a U.S. military plane. The students and staff, mostly American, were rescued by French troops after being caught in the crossfire between rebels and government troops.

Missiles fired from an Israeli helicopter struck a car in Gaza City, killing two Palestinians, who sources say were Hamas members. Palestinian sources say at least 40 people were wounded in the attack, six of them seriously.

A report by a British anti-drug group says opium production in Afghanistan will total nearly 2,000 metric tons, a tenfold increase since Taliban were ousted. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he doesn't buy the figures, but he says opium is an international menace, and whatever the amount, his government is committed to finding it and destroying it.

In the Hague, the second phase of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's war crimes trial is under way. It will be deal with his actions in Croatia and Bosnia, and includes charges of genocide. The first phase of his trial centered on Kosovo.

Four people were hurt when a riderless jetski plowed into the audience during a show at a theme park on Australia's Gold Coast. A park spokesman says the mechanical malfunction caused the driver to lose control during a jetski demonstration.

And Alan Greenspan is now a knight of the order of the British empire. Queen Elizabeth honored the federal reserve chairman, noting his contribution to global economic stability.

And that is our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Both on the wrestling mat and in the political arena, Jesse Ventura has proudly worn the tag of "maverick," and the governor of Minnesota is still doing it right now, at this moment in Havana, Cuba. He's taking part in the first U.S. food and agricultural fair ever held under Communist rule on the island and he's doing it without the bless of either President Bush, the No. 1 defender of the trade embargo against Cuba, or the governor of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush, the brother of the president.

I'll speak with Governor Ventura in just a moment, but first: what both sides hope to get out of this unique trade gathering.

Our Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and President Fidel Castro were the stars of the American food show.

JESSE VENTURA, GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA: We trade with China, we trade with Vietnam, and the last time I recollect, 58,000 of my generation were killed in Vietnam. And yet that doesn't seem to be an obstacle.

NEWMAN: President Fidel Castro even played along, feeding a baby buffalo from a farm in Ventura's home state.

The products exhibited here come from 33 states of the United States, including Florida. In fact, there are more companies here from the home state of Governor Jeb Bush, who opposes trade with Cuba, than any other.

Everyone here eager to sign contracts with the Cuban government.

MICHAEL MAURICIO, FLORIDA PRODUCE: You see intermingling between Cuban buyers and American companies, and it's pretty. It's a pretty thing.

NEWMAN: Not so for Washington's top diplomat in Havana, who told exhibitors the fair was more bull than beef.

JAMES CASSON: U.S. INTEREST SECTION: This is a "Jurassic Park" economy that's no great market for the United States.

NEWMAN: Since December, Cuba has bought more than $120 million worth of U.S. food and agricultural products, an exception to the U.S. economic embargo.

But only if Cuba pays in cash.

Washington argues Cuba will never repay its creditors if U.S. financial restrictions are lifted. President Castro's response to Washington's man in Havana.

FIDEL CASTRO, PRESIDENT OF CUBA (through translator): His language is prehistoric. Jurassic, I'd say. I challenge him to a bet. I'll pay him $100 million dollars, and if we don't pay up, he can have it.

NEWMAN: For the 247 American companies here, from grains giant ADM, to smaller, family businesses accessing this market, off limits for the past four decades, is the real issue.

(on camera): For the Cuban government though, this is less a trade show than a political showcase to further its main purpose: an easing of the U.S. economic embargo. These American producers, new contracts in hand, are expected to help further that cause when they return home.

Lucia Newman, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: As promised, Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura joins us now, live from Havana.

Governor, thanks for joining us.

This your first time in Cuba? VENTURA: Yes, it is, Wolf.

BLITZER: So what do you think? What do you think of -- are preconceived notions been borne out? Are you surprised?

VENTURA: Well, I really didn't know what to expect, Wolf. But I really I've equated to it like the twilight zone in a way. It's a country that's caught in a time warp. When you get down here, you really feel that it's like still the 1950s because you see so many vintage 1950 cars all over the place, and all the construction and the buildings and everything. It reminds you very much that it seems almost in many ways the time has passed you bye-bye.

BLITZER: And just to tell our viewers, you're standing right now, at this trade fair in Havana, is that right?

VENTURA: Yes, that's correct.

BLITZER: So what's the point? The point is to try to get President Bush and the Congress to lift the long-standing trade embargo, is that what you want to see happen?

VENTURA: Well, I think in the long run it's what I'd like to see happen. I've been here now and I've got to meet many of the Cuban people. They're very friendly people, much like when I went to China. I had no -- didn't know what to really expect, when I got to China and I was pleasantly surprised. And I've done the same here. I've been very pleasantly surprised. The Cuban people, again -- you know because governments can't get along doesn't mean people can't get along. You know, to me, people in business will lead the way and hopefully government will follow.

BLITZER: As you know, the governor of Florida and plenty of Cuban Americans have been critical of you for making this trip. What do you say to them who say this communist regime, which has an iron grip on the people who live there and that you're in effect giving aid and comfort to them?

VENTURA: No, I don't think it's that at all. I am not a communist. I'm a capitalist from the word go. Anyone who's ever looked at my career understands that I believe in capitalism. But I've also learned something at age 51 and that is, I like having friends better than I do enemies. And I think that, you know, it's a situation where we need to start taking some small steps and see how it goes.

And there's no reason, I don't think -- like your tease led in with. You know we're trading with Vietnam and yet 58,000 of my generation were killed in Vietnam. And yet, we have no problem now trading in Vietnam. And so, to me, it's -- just because the government is communist here doesn't mean that they can't -- how can we switch them to capitalism if we don't work with them. And then, the evolution could well take place. You don't know.

BLITZER: Any appointment -- have you already met with Fidel Castro or are you planning on meeting with the president of Cuba? VENTURA: Well, I haven't met with him in one-on-one basis at all. We were both here for the opening ceremony and the ribbon cutting. And then, I spoke with him as he was touring the Minnesota livestock that was here and he was very impressed by the two young Minnesota children. And in fact, without even knowing it both President Castro and myself gave the two children the separate, same message. I told the kids, Enjoy yourself while you're here, but remember, when you get back to school, you've got to catch up on your studies. And apparently, President Castro told them that same message, and we hadn't discussed it at all. So we have that in common, as the message to the two youngsters.

BLITZER: The argument that a lot of U.S. officials, State Department officials, others, the head of the U.S. interests section in Havana say these people in Cuba, they really don't have any money to begin with. They're broke. They're hugely in debt and it's not really a serious market for U.S. exports.

VENTURA: Well, we won't know that until we find out, you know. Let's remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a fraud and our government told us that was real. And as far as debt goes, well, after World War II, Wolf, I believe every nation in the free world owed us money. Did they pay back the war debt of World War II? Absolutely not. Imagine how much money we're owed today, if you add interest to the war debt of World War II that we seem to forget about. We didn't have any problem with it.

BLITZER: Governor, we did some digging. Our excellent producer, Carry Connor (ph) -- she came up with the real reason, the real reason, why you are in Cuba right now seeking to end this trade embargo. And I'll give -- I'll read the quote to you. We'll pull it up on screen for our viewers. It comes from the magazine "Cigar Aficionado." "I hate embargoes. Sure, partly because I'd love to have easy access to Cuban cigars, but mostly because embargoes don't work." Cuban cigars, is the story behind the story, Governor?

VENTURA: Not a bit because I actually -- my favorite cigar right now -- I'm going to debunk you again, Wolf -- my favorite cigar on planet right now is an Ashton Cabinet VSG, which is made in Dominican Republic. But they're so rare you can probably get a Cuban cigar easier, even in the United States. But I normally smoke Dominican Republic cigars, so, you know you can throw that out all you want as sound bite. But it's not true. I've been smoking cigars now, playing golf regardless if they're Cuban or not. But certainly, Cuban cigars, if you talk to any cigar smoker, they'd certainly like to be able to get them if they could.

BLITZER: Governor, I know your doctors don't want you to smoke any cigars, especially after what you went through. How are you feeling?

VENTURA: I'm feeling just great. But, remember, a cigar you don't inhale. You just puff it. So you know I'm OK. And always remember, George Burns lived to 101 and he had one a day.

BLITZER: I hope you live longer than that. Governor, thanks for joining us from Havana.

VENTURA: Thanks, Wolf, always a pleasure.

BLITZER: Good luck to you.

And here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of The Day" is this -- should the United States lift its trade embargo against Cuba? 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 where you can read my daily on-line column, CNN.com/Wolf.

Martha's mess may be getter bigger. We'll tell you why. Also, doctors solve a key piece of the HIV puzzle, but will it help those suffering right now. Our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us live with a medical debrief. And a popular party drug linked to symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a warning for both kids and parents. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer. There's a new twist to the Martha legal Stewart -- Martha Stewart's legal problems, excuse me. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that a Merrill Lynch assistant has agreed to testify against Stewart in the probe of ImClone stock sales. In turn, Douglas Faneuil will plead guilty to a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors were on the verge of charging Faneuil with a felony for making false statements to investigators. Merrill Lynch handled Stewart's sale of nearly 4,000 ImClone shares in December, just before the company said federal regulators would not review ImClone's cancer drug. Joining us now with his expertise on this case, "Fortune" magazine's editor, Andy Serwer.

Andy, what do you make of this latest twist in this awful saga for Martha Stewart?

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Martha Stewart stew, right, Wolf. It really just keeps on going here, keeps on simmering. Well, things were all quiet on the Martha Stewart front for a week or so and then, this sort of broke today. And there's are all sorts of people talking on Wall Street. It means the investigation is very much alive. And obviously, with the testimony, they hope to get -- the feds hope to get from Douglas Faneuil, who is assistant to Martha's Stewart's broker, Peter Bacanovic.

Now, you know, this is classic investigative work. You go after the small fish, then you go after the bigger fish. It will be Peter Bacanovic, Martha Stewart's broker, and then after that, you go to the biggest fish and that would Martha Stewart. But an awful lot of time, money and effort being expended on the case, isn't it?

BLITZER: Well, how credible is this one small fish in this big picture? SERWER: Well, I think he's -- I think he is credible. I mean there are trading records. And basically, what the feds are going to look to do is match up his story, his account with written documents and then, present them to the broker and say, "Look, what you're saying just doesn't add up."

There are still at least two, maybe three versions of what happened that day back in December. And what the feds really need to do -- investigators really need to do is get to the bottom of it. But again, people on Wall Street are starting to say, that with so many other problems with Tyco and WorldCom and Enron, should the federal government really be spending this much time looking after Martha Stewart for a couple thousand-share trade here?

BLITZER: It seems like the publicity though is going to drive this case to a certain degree. Andy Serwer, as usual, from "Fortune" magazine, thanks for helping us better understand this complicated story.

SERWER: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Scientists crack part of the AIDS code, but what will this breakthrough mean something important for patients? Sanjay Gupta, our medical correspondent will join us live when we return. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Turning now to news from the "Health Beat." A government funded study shows Ecstasy may put people at risk of developing symptoms like those associated with Parkinson's disease. Stanford University researchers injected monkeys and baboons with doses of the drug and mimicking what users often take at all-night rave parties. The primates suffered damage to key neurons in the brain. Some experts are challenging the relevance of the findings, which appear in the journal, "Science."

And an international coalition of scientists and health groups warns that a spermicide common in contraceptive products may actually increase the risk of HIV infection. They're calling on makers of condoms and lubricants to remove Nonoxynol-9 from their products. It's become a common addition after earlier studies suggested it could help prevent HIV infection.

And on the subject of HIV, a team of scientists say they now know why some people infected with the virus never develop AIDS. What have these researchers discovered and does it carry hope for better treatment of HIV, or even perhaps, someday, a cure? Let's find out more now from our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who's joining us live.

This, potentially, could be a significant breakthrough, couldn't it, Sanjay?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It could be, Wolf. Long-term nonprogressers, that's what those one to two percent of people that you just described are called. They never get sick. They never require medications, but why? Scientists have figured why that is, but what is it and what does it mean? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Like many people with HIV, Tom Morgan has to take 25 pills every day just to keep the virus from overtaking his immune system and causing AIDS.

TOM MORGAN, INFECTED WITH HIV: I often vomit. I very often get nauseous. I get sleepy. And I very often really very -- you know, sort of fatigued.

GUPTA: But Morgan has heard about others who don't take any HIV medicine and never get sick from the disease. Experts call them long- term nonprogressors. They make up only one to two percent of people with HIV. There's something about this small group of people that protects them from getting sick from the AIDS virus and researchers have been racing for nearly 20 years to figure out what it is. And now, scientists may have cracked the code.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what we're reading here is really a -- kind of a peaks.

GUPTA: Surprisingly simple, this machine analyzes the blood samples of several different people at once and then, differences show up as peaks on this computer. Researchers at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York found that nonprogressors, those who never got AIDS, are the ones with the peaks. The peaks represent three proteins, which are the key to keeping the virus in check. But, the real question: what does this science mean for people infected with HIV?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH: It's really too preliminary to even speculate that this will even have any impact on treatment.

GUPTA: Dr. David Ho and his team agree it is too early, but believe if they can understand the workings of these proteins, they can create new drugs for HIV.

DR. DAVID HO, AARON DIAMOND AIDS RESEARCH CENTER: The whole game plan now is to figure out whether we could take this discovery and work on it and translate it into something that would be practically useful for patients.

GUPTA: But first, the science must be verified, and those efforts are already under way. It's only then, researchers can determine if these tiny proteins can lead to a better treatment for people like Morgan.

MORGAN: We've been this way so many times before that I want to say that I'm cautiously optimistic.

(END VIDEOTAPE) GUPTA: Wolf, everyone agrees it's not the cure, but as you say, it may be an important step towards ultimately developing a good treatment -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much -- let's hope it is -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta for joining us.

And a little-known story of remarkable heroism in the face of evil -- a man credited with savings hundreds of Jews from the Nazis on the eve of World War II meets the children he kept from near certain death. A story you won't want to miss just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we asked -- Who were the first prisoners at the first Nazi concentration camp at Dachau? The answer, political opponents, including Communists, Social Democrats, members of the trade unions and a few members of Conservative and Liberal parties.

A man referred to as "Britain's Schindler" is being honored for his efforts during World War II. Nicholas Winton rescued hundreds of children in Czechoslovakia from near certain death in Nazi concentration camps. His story is told in a recent documentary. CNN's Walter Rodgers takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: "You rescued me and I really want to thank you," this woman told Nicholas Winton.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're a wonderful human being.

RODGERS: Britain honored its version of Oscar Schindler, who three score and some years ago and with a list of his own, smuggled 669 Czech children to safety in England on the eve of World War II.

When Adolf Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in March of 1939, Nicholas Winton was already helping evacuate Jewish children openly. At the time, Winton was a young British stockbroker, who knew Czechoslovakia's Jewish children had to be rescued or they would not survive the coming war.

ANNOUNCER: Liverpool Street Station saw the arrival of another group of refugee children. Another piteous cargo thrown overboard by the ruthless code of the modern European temper.

RODGERS: He forged travel documents because, he said, the British foreign office moved too slowly. Hitler's legions moved quickly, adding urgency to Winton's rescue efforts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember there was an SS soldier with his swastika standing on the platform and lots of other parents were there seeing their children off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One agonized mother whose little girl was already aboard took her off, then changed her mind again, and put her back on the train.

This is the list, and here somewhere is my name on it. If it had not been for this twist, if it hadn't been for Nicki Winton and a handful of people who worked for him, I certainly wouldn't have been here today.

RODGERS: Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia ended Winton's operation, but not before he saved nearly 700 children.

ANNOUNCER: Few of them know what has happened to their fathers, their mothers, their sisters and brothers.

VERA GISSING, RESCUED CHILD: I was left standing alone next to a chair with my little rucksack, waiting for someone to come and claim me.

RODGERS: Winton's list is all the more remarkable because, for half a century he never told anyone what he did, that is until his wife discovered his album and his list by accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty years after it happened, Nicki Winton finally told his wife what had so long kept secret.

NICHOLAS WINTON, SAVED CHILDREN FROM NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS: It's just something -- I didn't talk about. Most people don't talk about what they do during the war anyway, and this was practically a war effort.

RODGERS: A war effort and perhaps more, an example of the good one man can accomplish against great odds. All of the children he saved survived the war, though few of their parents did.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Good for him. Let's go to New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE," which begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much. Coming right up, the Dow Jones Industrial is up for a second day in a row. The best two-day performance in six weeks. We'll have all the details for you. The president predicts Congress will reach agreement with the White House on taking tough action against Iraq. We'll have the latest for you. And the rising costs of malpractice insurance for doctors -- the House of Representatives today took action to limit those jury awards. Also, tonight, we'll have the latest on Tropical Storm Isidore. We'll be joined by Richard Pearl on Iraq. All of that and a lot more still ahead. Please join us at the top of the hour. Now, back to Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou, sounds like an excellent program, as usual.

Time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of The Day." Should the United States lift its trade embargo against Cuba? Log onto CNN.com/Wolf. That's where you can vote. The results, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of The Day." Earlier we asked about the trade embargo, lifting it against Cuba. Look at this, 85 percent of you say, "yes," 15 percent of you say, "no." Most of you agree, obviously, with Jesse Ventura. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

Our "Picture of The Day" comes from New Orleans. It's our own Jeff Flock taking his reporting to great depths to keep us up to date on Tropical Storm Isidore. Talk about a dedicated reporter. Look at Jeff. He's a veteran of many storms. Hopefully, tonight, he's drying off in a comfortable location. Good work Jeff Flock.

That's all the time we have today. I'll see you at noon and five tomorrow. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





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