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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

New Shooting Spreads Fear Through D.C. Area; Bush Set to Make Case Against Iraq; Why Is bin Laden Back in Spotlight?

Aired October 07, 2002 - 17:00   ET

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

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


WOLF BLITZER, HOST: A new shooting spreads fear in the Washington area. This time it's a middle school student.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was walking on top of the hill and I just heard something say pow and then I heard a woman screaming.

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BLITZER: With a sniper on the loose, is there a link?

Showdown Iraq. President Bush makes his case directly to you. Is the Senate sold? I'll ask two influential senators, Joe Lieberman and Chuck Hagel.

Osama bin Laden, why he is back in the spotlight? One year after the U.S. began its campaign in Afghanistan, where is America now?

They're now in the army.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a feeling inside of me that knew I had do something.

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BLITZER: An exclusive look at the 9/11 soldiers.

And a spectacular new view. Looking back toward earth as the shuttle streaks into space.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It is Monday, October 7, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

The Washington area was again thrown into shock today. This time by the shooting of a young boy outside a suburban middle school. Authorities have just determined there is a probable link two last week's sniper slayings which left six people dead and one wounded. Let's go live to our national correspondent Bob Franken on the scene for us in nearby Prince George's County -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're outside the junior high school -- the middle school where the shooting occurred this morning. Behind us, in areas where we're not allowed to be right now, investigators are still searching, sill looking for clues.

After they've determined that, in fact, forensic evidence to quote the news conference which you just saw on CNN, "forensic evidence suggests that there is a connection, a connection between the shooting here that wounded a 13-year-old student at this middle school and the others that have occurred in the area." Five dead in adjacent Montgomery Country. One dead in the District of Columbia. Another woman wounded in Virginia, 35 miles from Washington.

Now, the shooting occurred here a little bit after 8:00 this morning. And police spent much of the day trying to determine if there was a connection. The young man who was hit is still in critical condition. He's had several hours of surgery at Children's Hospital in Washington after he was MediVaced there.

Officials say -- doctors say that to help the investigation they removed some remnants of the bullet from his body. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency said that it was going to very quickly to try to draw a conclusion if there was a connection between the shootings. That is the conclusion we've just heard.

Now as for the schools here, they've gone to the all familiar -- all too familiar Code Blue. During the day this school was closed -- parents were allowed to pick up their children. But the other schools in this county were kept in session with the children locked in. Nothing that could happen outside. At the moment, the plan is is to reopen the schools tomorrow which is also been what has occurred in Montgomery County where the first five deaths occurred -- Wolf.

BLITZER: There's some other suspicious things going on. The locations of a particular store in this area near that school where you are and some of the earlier shootings. Bob, tell us about that.

FRANKEN: Really intriguing. There is a company here called Michael's Crafts Shop, which sells arts and crafts material. The first shooting occurred in Montgomery County on Wednesday night. A bullet crashed through a Michael's Craft Store. Nobody was hit. Then over the weekend near Fredericksburg, Virginia, another shooting, a woman wounded as she was walking outside a Michael's Craft Store. This shooting today occurred about mile from still another Michael's Craft Store. Nobody is saying that there is a connection but the police are clearly looking into that as a possible link.

BLITZER: Bob Franken, thanks for that report. We'll be checking in with you periodically for additional information.

Let's get more though on this investigation. CNN's Kathleen Koch is standing by in nearby Montgomery County. That's where these shootings -- the shooting spree began. What's the latest there -- Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, clearly this is not the news that anyone here in Montgomery County wanted to hear. But certainly, what happened, unfortunately to this young man this morning does in many ways fit the M.O. that has developed since these shootings began last Wednesday. The killer or killers tend to strike during rush hour. They tend to -- he or they tend to use a single bullet to attack their target. They also attack a person who is alone, and what, again, though, has really upset everyone here is that the shooting -- it's a shooting of a child, and this takes this to an entirely different level, and the police chief this morning in a very emotional statement said it has really steeled their determination to catch this killer or killers and stop them.

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CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Stepping over the line, shooting a kid. I guess it's getting to be really, really personal now. So if there is any doubt out there what law enforcement is going to be engaged in, what we're going to be doing, then you can remove all doubt.

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KOCH: Now, the question now is what happens to schools around the area. The schools today in Washington, D.C., in Maryland, in Virginia, were locked down. Children inside the schools not allowed to leave until school was dismissed. There were police cars outside. So what happens next? They were already advising people before this link was established not to travel alone if possible in these areas, because at this point, the killer or killers do seem to seek out a single target, a solo person alone. Back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Kathleen, now that the school shooting in Prince George's County right outside the nation's capital has indeed been linked, at least according to preliminary forensic evidence, to the other shootings, there is going to be enormous pressure on the school districts in the suburban Washington, D.C. area to shut down tomorrow. How are they going to resist that kind of pressure?

KOCH: It is going to be very difficult, Wolf, but they're doing absolutely everything they can to keep these children safe. Here in Montgomery County alone, there were more than 100 police officers stationed at schools throughout the county. Not just police officers, but state troopers, even uniformed members of the Secret Service. So, Wolf, they're doing absolutely everything they can, but clearly parents here, parents in surrounding areas are terrified about what is going to happen next.

BLITZER: All going on right in Washington, D.C. and the suburbs. Kathleen Koch, we'll be coming back to you, of course, as this story continues to unfold.

Let's recap what has happened on the sniper attacks in and around the District of Columbia. Started last Wednesday with a gunshot that shattered a store window in nearby Wheaton, Maryland. That's in Montgomery County. The first death occurred in Wheaton later that day in a store parking lot. On Thursday, the next day, there were four fatal shootings in Montgomery County and one right here in the District of Columbia. Then on Friday, a woman was wounded in Fredericksburg, Virginia, about an hour or so outside of Washington, D.C.

Mike Bouchard is with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He's joining us now live from Rockville.

Thanks, Mr. Bouchard, for joining us. This latest yours, this, in effect, this bombshell -- the news we didn't want to hear that there is a connection apparently between the shootings in Prince George -- the shooting in Prince George's County this morning of this little boy and the shootings -- earlier shootings. That raises the stakes enormously. Before you answer that, though, I want you to listen to the announcement of this connection. Listen to this.

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CHIEF GERALD WILSON, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: The projectile that was recovered from our victim this morning has been linked to the other cases in the Washington metropolitan area.

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BLITZER: That was Police Chief Gerald Wilson, of Prince George's County Give us the latest, Mr. Bouchard, what's going on here?

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: Well, this has just definitely raised the stakes. We now know that this news that we did not want to hear all day that this shooting is related to the others, more troubling now that the person who is doing these shootings is now attacking innocent children. So the stakes are raised. Again, all of us are taking it more personal. I heard someone say, does this make you frustrated? I would say it makes us more determined. All of us now -- gloves are off, we are going to do everything possible. Not that we haven't done that already, but all of us are much more concerned than it was before.

BLITZER: Can you share with us and our viewers around the country some of the specific details, what resulted in this determination that there is, in fact, a linkage, this latest shooting and the earlier shootings?

BOUCHARD: Without getting into any specific things that we identified, each firearm leaves some unique marks after a bullet is fired. We have the capability to take a close look at those through microscopic examination and then try and link those same markings with the markings from other shootings.

BLITZER: And so, in in this particular case, ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, which specializes in this kind of forensic evidence, you guys reached that determination, is that right?

BOUCHARD: Correct. This is something we do every day. Of course, we brought in more people on this. We have about 15 chemists and forensic examiners that have been working on this. Stakes are raised. They're working on this, and I think it's evident that everyone is doing as much possible, because at a quick turnaround, within a matter of two hours in each of these instances where we had the ammunition, our firearms and tool mark examiners have been able to make an identification.

BLITZER: Can you determine, based on the evidence that you've collected, how far away the shooter, the killer in this particular case, is normally in these shooting incidents?

BOUCHARD: Typically the ballistics evidence that we recovered will not always tell us how far away the shooter was. In this instance, case, if we did know the distance away, I probably couldn't release that right now.

BLITZER: But you could agree that the shooter is an expert marksman, someone who really knows what he or she is doing?

BOUCHARD: No, I don't think that's the case, Wolf. It doesn't take much experience or expertise to shoot a firearm accurately. When you get into very long distances, then the expertise starts to come into play, but within short to reasonable amounts of distances, you don't have to be an expert marksman to hit what you're shooting at.

BLITZER: Mike Bouchard, before I let you go, what's next in the course of this enormous and very disturbing investigation?

BOUCHARD: Well, Wolf, the thing that is next is our team just got bigger. We have more players on our side now. And that's why I'm becoming more confident we're going to be able to solve this, hopefully sooner than later.

BLITZER: Let's hope you get this guy or guys very quickly. Mike Bouchard of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, one of several federal agencies, local agencies, law enforcement agencies on the job trying to find this killer or killers.

When we come back, President Bush lays out his case against Iraq. But is he losing focus on the things Americans care about most? We'll hear from both sides and preview tonight's speech.

Plus, billions upon billions of dollars lost at sea. How much more will float away before the port lockouts resolve? Closer look when we return.

And one year after the war on terror began, a new audiotape, supposedly from Osama bin Laden. How closer is the United States to stomping out his terror network? We'll have an in-depth look as well as all the late breaking developments on the shooting spree in Washington, just ahead.

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JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: ... by key members of Congress and by key members of the United Nations Security Council. Why Iraq and why now is one question, and the president answers it this way. Quote, "While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone, because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. By its past and presence actions, by its technological capabilities, by the merciless nature of its regime, Iraq is unique."

No blockbuster new evidence, we are told, in the president's speech tonight, but he will pull together what he believes is the evidence of what the president calls "a decade of defiance," Iraq defying its commitments to the United Nations. The president, of course, trying to win support for a big vote in the Congress on a resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq. Mr. Bush in his speech tonight will say, quote, "approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable. The resolution will tell the United Nations and all nations that America speaks with one voice and is determined to make the demands of the civilized world mean something."

All this, Wolf, part of the president's effort to bring the American people up to speed. All of this, of course, aimed at winning a big bipartisan vote in Congress and trying to sway the debate for a tough new resolution out of the U.N. Security Council.

BLITZER: John, I'm sure you've heard, and I know the White House has heard all the skeptics out there saying it is the political season as well right now, not just votes in the House and the Senate. Less than a month from now, there will be elections, and that the president is using this supposedly for political purposes. What is the White House saying when that question is thrown at them?

KING: They say flatly the answer to that is no. Cincinnati was chosen for this address because they did not want to deliver an Oval Office address. The president chose to stay in the heartland, where there are no highly competitive statewide races, as part of that effort to say this is not political. And Wolf, we're told in the speech tonight the president will recall a speech 40 years ago in October by President John F. Kennedy, in which President Kennedy said during the Cuban missile crisis that he did not want war but that the United States must stand up when it is threatened. President Bush will say tonight that's just what he's doing here.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. He, of course, will be covering the president's speech tonight here on CNN.

And coming up in just a few minutes, I'll discuss the Iraq crisis with two key U.S. lawmakers, Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator Chuck Hagel. Stay with us. They're coming up in just a few minutes.

President Bush took an initial step today toward halting the West Coast dock shutdown, which may be costing the economy up to $2 billion a day. CNN's Jen Rogers is in San Francisco with the latest -- Jen.

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi there, Wolf. Well, talks broke down here late last night. And today, we have had both sides out in San Francisco trying to make their case to the public.

Now, the Pacific Maritime Association, this is the management who oversees the ports and closed them in what they called a defensive shutdown called the offer that was on the table last night "world class" and said that it was one that would be the envy of the blue collar workforce everywhere.

Obviously, it was not enough as Washington has entered the fray. A board of inquiry has been set up and we can confirm both sides have received summons here in San Francisco to go to the federal building. This is really the first step in what could be an 80-day cooling off period.

Now, the Pacific Maritime Association denies the union's charge that this is where they wanted to end up all along, with the government stepping in. They say they just want the ports open.

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JOSEPH MINIACE, PRESIDENT, PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOCIATION: My message last night to the union, I think, was very, very simple. It's time that we put the interests of ourselves to the side and start thinking of the interests of the American people and let's open our ports. They said "no."

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ROGERS: As for the union, they called the proposal "unacceptable" and said that the proposal refuses to deal with the real issues, which is job creation. When technology is introduced to the waterfront, they want their share of those jobs. And they said even if there is a 80-day cooling off period, we could be back here once that time expires.

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JAMES SPINOSA, INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE AND WAREHOUSE UNION: It's their unwillingness to move over in this technology area that they're holding us hostage to. So, 80 days will it end in another crisis if they continue to hold this union hostage to a technology package that they can't deliver? There's a good possibility that it will wind up there again in 80 days, we'll have this battle ongoing.

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ROGERS: So a busy day on both fronts. Bottom line: 28 ports up and down the West Coast remain closed and both sides saying they want to get back to work and get them open -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jen Rogers on the scene for us in San Francisco. Thanks very much.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: What should the Bush administration's top priority be? War with Iraq, war on terror, or the U.S. economy? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my Web page: cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. Send me your comments there as well.

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

Is Saddam Hussein an imminent threat or a political distraction. We'll talk with senators from both sides of the aisle.

Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat. He's in favor of a possible war against Iraq.

And Senator Chuck Hagel. He's a Republican, he may be still up in the air where he stands. We'll find out.

Also, an amazing view from space, the shuttle blastoff with a camera in its belly. We'll take you along for the ride.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. As president bush takes his case against Iraq directly to the nation tonight, Congress is taking up the matter of endorsing military action. House of Representatives is largely on board but there are still serious reservations in the U.S. Senate.

Joining me now from Capitol Hill, two influential members of that body, the Democrat Joe Lieberman, he's a member of the armed services committee and the Republican, Chuck Hagel, he's a member of the foreign relations committee.

Thanks to both of you senators for joining us.

Senator Hagel, this is an unusual situation; the Democrat sitting next to you supports the president. You're the Republican, you're cautious about all of this.

Why?

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Well, it's not a matter of deferring on this threat called Saddam Hussein. We all recognize the threat. It goes beyond that. It factors into the equation the urgency of the threat. Would we do this alone? What role would the United Nations play? What allies would we have?

And then, of course, what happens next? What happens after Saddam Hussein is gone? And I have asked those questions. I'm still asking those questions. And we want to hear what the president has to say tonight. I understand he is going to answer some of those questions. We want to hear the debate in the Senate this week.

And that's why we're having the debate.

BLITZER: So as of this moment, Senator Hagel, you have not yet made up your mind whether you'll support the resolution in the Senate that the president is seeking.

HAGEL: That's correct, because we may have different language. I don't know what exactly -- what we'll be voting on in the end.

But make no mistake, I think like every United States senator we and I recognize that we have a threat. We're going to have to deal with that threat. But I think the wise course of action is we do that with allies -- with hopefully the support of the United Nations, just like President Bush's father did in 1991.

BLITZER: Senator Lieberman, you've already suggested that you'll vote for this resolution that the president wants and that you're on board. But he has to convince many of your fellow Democrats including people like Senator Kennedy, let alone Senator Hagel in his own party.

What do you think the president needs to say tonight?

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: This is an opportunity, Wolf, for the president to lay out the case. And, you know, I'm on board because I felt for, well, 11 years, since the end of the Gulf War, that Saddam Hussein represented a unique threat, that this is a brutal dictator who has ambitions to control the Arab world, who has weapons of mass destruction and supports terrorism, according to our state department -- terrorists that have killed Americans.

And so long as he's in power, I believe it is a danger to the United States of America and to the American people and I think the president has an opportunity tonight to set out that case. We don't want to go to war. But we're going to be threatened and vulnerable to Saddam Hussein more with each passing day as he develops more weapons of mass destruction, unless we disarm him or defeat him if necessary.

I think this is an opportunity for the president to lay out that case. I would like to see him -- hear him also talk about what will happen in Iraq after Saddam, but maybe that's for another occasion.

BLITZER: But Senator Lieberman, what has changed now as opposed to a year ago or five years ago? The same basic arguments could have been made then. Why the urgency right now?

LIEBERMAN: Well, my own feeling is -- I know some people say, Why now? But my answer is, Why not five years ago? Saddam, for 11 years, has not kept his word, to put it mildly, that he made to end the Gulf War. We continue to be in conflict with him. We've got 7,500 American men and women in uniform over there flying missions to enforce the no-fly zone. They've shot at our planes almost 500 times, certainly more than 400 times this year already.

So, my answer is, We should have done it before. I'm grateful the president wants to confront this now. I think the stronger we are, the more likely it is that we will never have to go it alone and maybe that we will not have to go it at all because Saddam will finally wise up and agree to disarmament or if not that, that someone near to him will get rid of him.

BLITZER: Senator Hagel, your leader in the Senate, Senator Trent Lott, the minority leader, suggested yesterday that when all is said and done, he's confident 70 or 80 U.S. senators maybe even more, will support the president on this resolution.

Will you be among those when all is said and done?

HAGEL: I think that number is probably about right. I hope I will be among those. But, again, I want to think this through, as we are, ask the right questions. I want to hear what the president has to say. And again, it is my feeling that whatever we begin in Iraq is not going to end in Iraq.

We're going to need a lot of help. We're going to have a lot of involvement. We're going to have a lot of commitment after Saddam is gone and that's going to require allies. That's going to require a tremendous focus here. So, we better be talking about what happens the next day. I want to know more about that. Let's have that debate. I want to help this president. It's for our country. It's for what's right for stability and security in the world.

But I don't see why we all need to be rushed in to this here in the next 48 hours. That's why we have these debates. That's why we have a Congress.

BLITZER: Senator Hagel and Senator Lieberman, two of the most thoughtful, respected members of the U.S. Senate joining us live here. Thanks to both of you.

LIEBERMAN: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Good luck with your own conscience and your own decision-making process as you ponder what you're going to be doing as far as Iraq is concerned. Appreciate your joining us.

And this important programming note, CNN will have live coverage of President Bush's speech from Cincinnati tonight. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. on the west coast, part of a special edition of "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT."

Once again, we want to know what you're thinking. Our web question today is this, what should be the Bush Administration's top priority? War with Iraq? War on terror or the U.S. economy? Log on to CNN.com/Wolf. That's where you can vote.

A teenage boy gunned down at school.

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MOOSE: Stepping over the line, shooting a kid, I guess it's getting to be really, really personal now.

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BLITZER: As police link this crime to a shooting spree, learn how they're hoping to catch up with the killer. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court and the New Jersey election, a new development in the battle over who controls the U.S. Senate. And Israel says they aimed for terrorists but civilians got caught in the middle. That's just ahead, but first, a look at other news making headlines around the world.

Electives are celebrating after the first round of presidential elections in Brazil. A former labor leader finished first and a conservative advocate of free market reforms was eliminated. The runoff election will be held this month.

Japan's Nikkei Stock Index has hit a 19-year low. What's behind the sell-off? Investors fear new government backing policies could drive many companies bankrupt.

Reports say Pakistan is getting ready for another ballistic missile test. A missile test last week increased tensions with arch rival India. A Pakistani newspaper says government leaders have OKed another test tomorrow.

A flood closed offices and schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Workers took off their shoes and rolled up trousers to wade through knee-deep water blamed on rain runoff from the northern mountains and a high tide.

The 2-year-old daughter of actor Jude Law and Sadie Frost is back at home after having her stomach pumped. The girl was attending a children's party in a London nightclub when she found an ecstasy pill on the floor and swallowed part of it. Police say the pill was dropped by club patrons the previous night.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is 50 today. He's being showered with gifts, everything from a solar clock to a crystal crocodile to a Jewel-encrusted cap. Critics say all this attention smacks of a Soviet style cult of personality but supporters say it's a spontaneous reflection of Putin's soaring popularity. And that's our look around the world.

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BLITZER: Police in Prince George's County, Maryland, now say the shooting of a 13-year-old boy this morning is linked to the sniper attacks that have left six people dead. The boy was shot in the abdomen and doctors had to remove parts of his stomach, spleen and pancreas. He's in critical but stable condition.

In the hunt for the sniper, police are using a resource that may sound unfamiliar. They've turned to an expert in what is called geographic profiling. His name is Kim Rossmo, a former detective who worked in Vancouver, Canada. He's joining us now live here in our Washington bureau.

Kim, thanks for joining us. To our viewers who don't know what a geographic profiler does, what does he do?

KIM ROSSMO, GEOGRAPHIC PROFILER: Geographic profiling is an investigative methodology that analyzes crime locations to determine the most likely area of an offender residence. One of the reasons it's valuable in a case like this is that there's going to be a large number of tips and suspects. There were almost a thousand incredible leads this morning. Where did you start? It's a classic needle in a haystack problem. And because so much of our information has an address associated with it, a geographic profile can be useful for giving a focus to an investigation like this.

BLITZER: So in other words, you would look at the various serial killings in this particular case and try to determine where that killer, that shooter, may be coming from.

ROSSMO: That's right. We actually look at the locations, those -- any criminal location is of interest to us in this type of process.

BLITZER: Let's look at -- and I'm going to -- tell us -- they show you where some of these shootings occurred. They all started right here in Montgomery County, right outside of Washington D.C., which is right over there. And then, the shooting this morning, the 13-year-old boy was here in Buoy, Maryland, outside of Washington. There's another location in Spotsylvania, Virginia, which is over here in Virginia. We don't have it on the map right now.

When you look at that geography, like that, and I know you can't give us any information that's going to undermine this very important, sensitive investigation, but what to the average -- what immediately jumps to your mind?

ROSSMO: Well, let me say this, Wolf. One of the things that the media will describe these crimes is is random. And of course, the offender doesn't seem to know his victims, they're strangers, we're struggling to understand his motivation but the reality is there is a pattern. They are not random, in terms of the geography, in terms of how the offender is hunting for the victims. If we understand that pattern, then we can decode it and use it to determine where the offender is most likely coming from and therefore, where the investigation should focus.

BLITZER: What's the difference between a geographic profiler and a personality profiler?

ROSSMO: We like to describe it one is the where and the other is the who.

BLITZER: And so, you don't do personality profiles?

ROSSMO: No, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm provide those services in the United States. It's called criminal investigative analysis, criminal profiling, psychological profiling.

BLITZER: So if you do your job well, will you be able to help this particular case, the Montgomery County Police or Prince George's Police or the District of Columbia? Will you be able to help them determine where the next incident might incident might in fact occur?

ROSSMO: No, that is a very difficult challenge. Our goal is just to give them some idea of where this offender is based.

BLITZER: And if you look at this geographic area, if that shooter or that killer is watching us right now, he may decide, you know what, I'm going to move to a different area. What do you do then?

ROSSMO: Well, I think we're already seeing the offender doing some movements. One of the reasons we don't want to release the geographic profile is that that information would also then be known to the offender if he's watching the news. BLITZER: And the geographic profiling, the whole business that you're engaged in, does it have a good track record in helping law enforcement find these kinds of killers?

ROSSMO: We began geographic profiling as early as 1990. I myself have worked on well over 3,000 crime locations. But in addition to me, there's also geographic profilers now with the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Prevention Police, the British National Crime Faculty and we're just training a brand new individual, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. It's a one-year process, but when she has completed, she'll be able to provide full-fledged service and geographic profiling for the United States police community.

On average, we can determine where the offender's based in the top five percent of the area. So if the crimes cover, say, 10 square miles, five percent of that is half a square mile. Conversely, if we have a 1,000 tips, five percent of that would be 50 tips.

BLITZER: And just very briefly, normally in these kinds of situations, a shooter, a killer, a serial killer, likes to work in areas he or she is familiar with.

ROSSMO: There's a tension there between a desire to operate in their comfort zone, but also desire for anonymity. And the exact specification of that will depend on the individual offender and that's one of the things that we use a sophisticated computer system called RIGEL (ph) to analyze for us.

BLITZER: Kim Rossmo, a geographic profiler, thanks for explaining what you do and good luck to you and all the law enforcement authorities in this area, appreciate it very much.

RUSSMO: You're welcome, Wolf.

BLITZER: President Bush is turning his focus on Iraq, but is there still some unfinished business in the war on terror. The fight against al Qaeda, one year later. Also, heartache in the holy land, a mission to target terror goes off target. And blastoff into space, a view from the outer reaches of the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A newly surfaced audiotape has revived the debate over whether Osama bin Laden is dead or alive. The tape was broadcast on the Qatar based al Jazerra Arabic language network. The voice, allegedly that of bin Laden, directed its messages both to al Qaeda followers and to American citizens. Here's a quotation -- "If we follow the act of these criminal bandits at the White House, the Jewish agents who are preparing to attack the Islamic world and dividing it up, without you opposing them, one would think that you don't understand the attacks at all. That's why I tell you, as God as my witness, whether America increases or reduces tensions, we will surely answer back in the same manner, with God's blessing and grace, and I promise you that the Islamic youth are preparing for you what will fill your hearts with horror, and they will target the centers of your economy until you stop your tyranny and terror, until one of us dies. We ask God to give us health. Evil brings evil."

The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is skeptical of the tape, which he says has not -- he has not seen. Rumsfeld says there's no way to tell when it was recorded and he criticized what he called the media's fixation on Osama bin Laden while conceding no one knows what's become of him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have still to this moment not seen anything since last December that one can, with certainty, say that he's alive or functioning. So he's therefore either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now here in Washington with more on this latest audiotape, CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen -- spent a lot of time studying Osama bin Laden. What do you make of this audiotape?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think it really proves anything either way, Wolf. You know obviously, it was made after the September 11t attacks but that could have been in October or November. There's nothing in it that gives us a sort of date reference that may suggest anything new. The one thing I took away from it that I thought was interesting was talking about more attacks against American economic targets. Bin Laden well understood how effective 9/11 was on the American economy. He literally -- he was thrilled that it cost $1.4 trillion he said in one of his interviews. So I...

BLITZER: I've spoken to some analysts who suggested that this is a cut and paste job of old audiotapes because only two minutes was released. And normally in the past, Osama bin Laden's audio and videotapes have been rambling for half an hour, an hour, three hours, or whatever. If he were really going to make an appearance, it wouldn't just be a two-minute appearance.

BERGEN: I don't know. I mean I think he's obviously in very bad health. There's no evidence he's dead so I'm going to presume he's alive. However, we do know in the last appearance, in December -- in late December, he obviously -- you know he's only 45. He looked like he was in his late 60s and obviously, he was, you know, not moving his left shoulder. He clearly sustained some kind of injury to it. So perhaps the reason we haven't seen him or a longer version or a more rambling version, as you put it, may be because he's in such poor health that he can't make that -- such a tape.

BLITZER: That's interesting. The -- yesterday, I interviewed the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, Bob Graham, who says the latest prevailing opinion in the U.S. intelligence community is Osama bin Laden is probably alive and he cited what he had called -- quote -- "occasional intercepts of phone conversations," in his words, "that make reference to bin Laden in the present tense" although he and Senator Shelby, the vice chairman, say they simply don't know what the bottom line is. What's your sense? BERGEN: Well, I mean, Senator Bob Graham is in a much better place than I am. The fact that he's saying that, I think, is very interesting. My gut, just because I -- is the fact we haven't heard from him on camera may just simply mean that he's in very bad health. But al Qaeda is still not completely out of business. This attack on the French ship in Yemen, which is -- the jury is out whether it's terrorism or not, but this would go -- if it is indeed terrorism, this attack would be part of an evolving strategy. Attacking oil tankers obviously is a way of attacking our economy. That would be a very bad development.

BLITZER: Peter Bergen, as usual, thanks for joining us.

BERGEN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Gaza is the latest hot spot in the crisis on the Middle East. At least 14 Palestinians were killed and about 100 wounded in raid by Israeli tanks and gunships. The Israeli Army says the target was members of the militant group, Hamas. Palestinians say most of the causalities happened when missiles were fired into a crowd outside a mosque in an area Israel considered a Hamas stronghold. Israel says it regrets any civilian casualties.

A CNN exclusive inside one of the toughest places on earth, the Army's elite intelligence training center at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Among the people whose lives were altered by the September 11 attacks are thousands of men and women who abruptly changed the course of their careers and listed in the war on terror. Our national correspondent, Mike Boettcher, has this exclusive look at the 9/11 soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED SOLIDERS: We fought it one by one.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: We fought it one by one.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Why march when you can stroll, wear green, wear jeans, get up, sleep in, follow no one, follow orders.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: On your feet.

BOETTCHER: After 9/11, thousands of young Americans chose the more difficult options. Go to any military post or base, the Army Intelligence Center in Fort Huachuca, for example, and they are there, the class of 2001, the 9/11 soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Go with the other boards just...

BOETTCHER: Like Lieutenant Monroe Mann, now training to be a military intelligence officer. A year ago, he was an aspiring actor who figured his pursuit of movie stardom would only be interrupted by the occasional weekend of service in the National Guard, which he joined in 1999. 9/11 changed all of that.

LT. MONROE MANN, U.S. ARMY: I got the infamous call -- "Lieutenant Mann, you activated and report to the armory immediately."

BOETTCHER: He was already in uniform.

MANN: My sister actually -- she called from under the subways in the World Trade Center as my dad and I -- he's former military. We both, you know, got in our uniforms and went into the city to go get her. She was covered in soot and everything, a little shooken up.

BOETTCHER: Soon he was consoling other victims. This time under orders, assigned to duty at the Family Support Center.

MANN: And they said, "Do you -- have you seen my dad? Or have you seen my brother or sister?" And it was the saddest thing.

BOETTCHER: The attacks were also having a profound affect on those who watched from across the river in Hoboken, New Jersey. Kari Pilecki's apartment balcony faced the Twin Towers.

PVT. KERI PILECKI, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SPECIALIST: I could go out my apartment and see the World Trade Center and see what was going on.

BOETTCHER (on camera): So you actually watched it not on TV. I mean you were actually watching the buildings?

PILECKI: Yes, yes, I did.

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Keri Pilecki, 24, who was pursuing a career in New York's fashion industry, is now Private Pilecki, military specialist.

PILECKI: I was just -- I was ready to do it. I can't explain it. It was a feeling inside of me that knew I had to do something.

I'd like to think most of the soldiers that are coming in now joined partly because of 9/11, that -- knowing that we're fighting something bigger than ourselves. But I think it's something that you find. Sometimes some of the people who joined may not have joined for 9/11, but they find it within themselves that that is why they joined.

GEN. JAMES MARKS, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CORPS: You look yourself in the eye and say, good choice.

BOETTCHER: The soldiers' boss at Fort Huachuca is General James "Spider," Marks, chief of the military Intelligence Corp. In his long military career, he has seen recruiting classes come and go, but none as confronted the unique challenge now facing America.

MARKS: I remind them that they will be asked to do things that they can't imagine and that I tell them -- I declare that be with them, I'm in the presence of the greatest generation. BOETTCHER: Private Pilecki, she's adjusted from haute couture to camouflage. This day's training, learning how to gather information from captured prisoners.

(on camera): Will you ever go back to fashion?

PILECKI: I don't think so. I don't think it's -- I can always have a passion for something like that, but I don't think it's for me.

BOETTCHER (voice-over): And what of Lieutenant Mann? He's in Huachuca, not Hollywood, but did manage to write a book for aspiring stars called "The Theatrical Juggernaut," a how-to manual based on boot camp persistence. Acting is still in his blood, but now so is the Army.

MANN: Something in me told me that it was the right decision and 9/11 was the day that really said, "You did the right thing, kid."

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: I got an idea.

BOETTCHER: Like so many others called to act for his country.

Mike Boettcher, CNN, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Tomorrow, more of Mike's exclusive reporting from inside the Army Intelligence Center. Witness the final test that prepares troops for the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Plus, a rare glimpse inside top-secret facilities, the soldiers call "the brain of the beast." That's tomorrow right here on this program.

Let's go New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That of course begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much. Coming up, the president will address the nation in just under two hours. Mr. Bush will present his case for the use of military force against Iraq if necessary. We'll have a live report from Cincinnati, from which the president will be speaking.

We'll debate U.S. strategy against Iraq and the United States increasing the pressure on Saddam Hussein. Should there be military action? National security experts, Max Boot and John Mearsheimer will be here to debate the president's choices. And the president preparing to intervene in the West Coast's port's dispute. We'll have the very latest for you. All of that and a great deal more coming up on "MONEYLINE" at the top of the hour. Please join us. Now back to Wolf Blitzer --Wolf.

BLITZER: A solid hour of news coming up on "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." We'll be watching.

Meanwhile, time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Questions of The Day." What should be the Bush Administration's top priority? War with Iraq, war on the terror or the U.S. economy? Log onto CNN.com/Wolf. You still have time to vote. The results immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In our "Picture of The Day," a brand new view of the space shuttle launch. When the Shuttle Atlantis blasted off a short while ago, we all got a front row seat. A first of its kind view from a video camera mounted near the top of the external fuel tank showing the coastline fading into the distance. This is the first shuttle flight in months. The entire fleet was grounded for the summer after small cracks were found in fuel lines.

In our "Health Beat," a follow-up to a story we brought you on Friday. Michigan judge ruled the state cannot force a mother to have her two deaf sons fitted with cochlear implants, which can help deaf people hear some sound. The mother who's deaf herself and advocates for the deaf community argued cochlear implants don't work for everyone and oftentimes can do more harm than good.

Now here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of The Day," earlier we asked, what should be the Bush Administration's top priority? Look at this, 11 percent of you say the war with Iraq, 14 percent say the war on terror, 75 percent say it's the economy. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

That's all the time today. Please join me again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, also, on our new program, "SHOWDOWN IRAQ," each weekday at noon Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "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






Make Case Against Iraq; Why Is bin Laden Back in Spotlight?>


Aired October 7, 2002 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: A new shooting spreads fear in the Washington area. This time it's a middle school student.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was walking on top of the hill and I just heard something say pow and then I heard a woman screaming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: With a sniper on the loose, is there a link?

Showdown Iraq. President Bush makes his case directly to you. Is the Senate sold? I'll ask two influential senators, Joe Lieberman and Chuck Hagel.

Osama bin Laden, why he is back in the spotlight? One year after the U.S. began its campaign in Afghanistan, where is America now?

They're now in the army.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a feeling inside of me that knew I had do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An exclusive look at the 9/11 soldiers.

And a spectacular new view. Looking back toward earth as the shuttle streaks into space.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: It is Monday, October 7, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

The Washington area was again thrown into shock today. This time by the shooting of a young boy outside a suburban middle school. Authorities have just determined there is a probable link two last week's sniper slayings which left six people dead and one wounded. Let's go live to our national correspondent Bob Franken on the scene for us in nearby Prince George's County -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we're outside the junior high school -- the middle school where the shooting occurred this morning. Behind us, in areas where we're not allowed to be right now, investigators are still searching, sill looking for clues.

After they've determined that, in fact, forensic evidence to quote the news conference which you just saw on CNN, "forensic evidence suggests that there is a connection, a connection between the shooting here that wounded a 13-year-old student at this middle school and the others that have occurred in the area." Five dead in adjacent Montgomery Country. One dead in the District of Columbia. Another woman wounded in Virginia, 35 miles from Washington.

Now, the shooting occurred here a little bit after 8:00 this morning. And police spent much of the day trying to determine if there was a connection. The young man who was hit is still in critical condition. He's had several hours of surgery at Children's Hospital in Washington after he was MediVaced there.

Officials say -- doctors say that to help the investigation they removed some remnants of the bullet from his body. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency said that it was going to very quickly to try to draw a conclusion if there was a connection between the shootings. That is the conclusion we've just heard.

Now as for the schools here, they've gone to the all familiar -- all too familiar Code Blue. During the day this school was closed -- parents were allowed to pick up their children. But the other schools in this county were kept in session with the children locked in. Nothing that could happen outside. At the moment, the plan is is to reopen the schools tomorrow which is also been what has occurred in Montgomery County where the first five deaths occurred -- Wolf.

BLITZER: There's some other suspicious things going on. The locations of a particular store in this area near that school where you are and some of the earlier shootings. Bob, tell us about that.

FRANKEN: Really intriguing. There is a company here called Michael's Crafts Shop, which sells arts and crafts material. The first shooting occurred in Montgomery County on Wednesday night. A bullet crashed through a Michael's Craft Store. Nobody was hit. Then over the weekend near Fredericksburg, Virginia, another shooting, a woman wounded as she was walking outside a Michael's Craft Store. This shooting today occurred about mile from still another Michael's Craft Store. Nobody is saying that there is a connection but the police are clearly looking into that as a possible link.

BLITZER: Bob Franken, thanks for that report. We'll be checking in with you periodically for additional information.

Let's get more though on this investigation. CNN's Kathleen Koch is standing by in nearby Montgomery County. That's where these shootings -- the shooting spree began. What's the latest there -- Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, clearly this is not the news that anyone here in Montgomery County wanted to hear. But certainly, what happened, unfortunately to this young man this morning does in many ways fit the M.O. that has developed since these shootings began last Wednesday. The killer or killers tend to strike during rush hour. They tend to -- he or they tend to use a single bullet to attack their target. They also attack a person who is alone, and what, again, though, has really upset everyone here is that the shooting -- it's a shooting of a child, and this takes this to an entirely different level, and the police chief this morning in a very emotional statement said it has really steeled their determination to catch this killer or killers and stop them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: Stepping over the line, shooting a kid. I guess it's getting to be really, really personal now. So if there is any doubt out there what law enforcement is going to be engaged in, what we're going to be doing, then you can remove all doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, the question now is what happens to schools around the area. The schools today in Washington, D.C., in Maryland, in Virginia, were locked down. Children inside the schools not allowed to leave until school was dismissed. There were police cars outside. So what happens next? They were already advising people before this link was established not to travel alone if possible in these areas, because at this point, the killer or killers do seem to seek out a single target, a solo person alone. Back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Kathleen, now that the school shooting in Prince George's County right outside the nation's capital has indeed been linked, at least according to preliminary forensic evidence, to the other shootings, there is going to be enormous pressure on the school districts in the suburban Washington, D.C. area to shut down tomorrow. How are they going to resist that kind of pressure?

KOCH: It is going to be very difficult, Wolf, but they're doing absolutely everything they can to keep these children safe. Here in Montgomery County alone, there were more than 100 police officers stationed at schools throughout the county. Not just police officers, but state troopers, even uniformed members of the Secret Service. So, Wolf, they're doing absolutely everything they can, but clearly parents here, parents in surrounding areas are terrified about what is going to happen next.

BLITZER: All going on right in Washington, D.C. and the suburbs. Kathleen Koch, we'll be coming back to you, of course, as this story continues to unfold.

Let's recap what has happened on the sniper attacks in and around the District of Columbia. Started last Wednesday with a gunshot that shattered a store window in nearby Wheaton, Maryland. That's in Montgomery County. The first death occurred in Wheaton later that day in a store parking lot. On Thursday, the next day, there were four fatal shootings in Montgomery County and one right here in the District of Columbia. Then on Friday, a woman was wounded in Fredericksburg, Virginia, about an hour or so outside of Washington, D.C.

Mike Bouchard is with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He's joining us now live from Rockville.

Thanks, Mr. Bouchard, for joining us. This latest yours, this, in effect, this bombshell -- the news we didn't want to hear that there is a connection apparently between the shootings in Prince George -- the shooting in Prince George's County this morning of this little boy and the shootings -- earlier shootings. That raises the stakes enormously. Before you answer that, though, I want you to listen to the announcement of this connection. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF GERALD WILSON, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE: The projectile that was recovered from our victim this morning has been linked to the other cases in the Washington metropolitan area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was Police Chief Gerald Wilson, of Prince George's County Give us the latest, Mr. Bouchard, what's going on here?

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: Well, this has just definitely raised the stakes. We now know that this news that we did not want to hear all day that this shooting is related to the others, more troubling now that the person who is doing these shootings is now attacking innocent children. So the stakes are raised. Again, all of us are taking it more personal. I heard someone say, does this make you frustrated? I would say it makes us more determined. All of us now -- gloves are off, we are going to do everything possible. Not that we haven't done that already, but all of us are much more concerned than it was before.

BLITZER: Can you share with us and our viewers around the country some of the specific details, what resulted in this determination that there is, in fact, a linkage, this latest shooting and the earlier shootings?

BOUCHARD: Without getting into any specific things that we identified, each firearm leaves some unique marks after a bullet is fired. We have the capability to take a close look at those through microscopic examination and then try and link those same markings with the markings from other shootings.

BLITZER: And so, in in this particular case, ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, which specializes in this kind of forensic evidence, you guys reached that determination, is that right?

BOUCHARD: Correct. This is something we do every day. Of course, we brought in more people on this. We have about 15 chemists and forensic examiners that have been working on this. Stakes are raised. They're working on this, and I think it's evident that everyone is doing as much possible, because at a quick turnaround, within a matter of two hours in each of these instances where we had the ammunition, our firearms and tool mark examiners have been able to make an identification.

BLITZER: Can you determine, based on the evidence that you've collected, how far away the shooter, the killer in this particular case, is normally in these shooting incidents?

BOUCHARD: Typically the ballistics evidence that we recovered will not always tell us how far away the shooter was. In this instance, case, if we did know the distance away, I probably couldn't release that right now.

BLITZER: But you could agree that the shooter is an expert marksman, someone who really knows what he or she is doing?

BOUCHARD: No, I don't think that's the case, Wolf. It doesn't take much experience or expertise to shoot a firearm accurately. When you get into very long distances, then the expertise starts to come into play, but within short to reasonable amounts of distances, you don't have to be an expert marksman to hit what you're shooting at.

BLITZER: Mike Bouchard, before I let you go, what's next in the course of this enormous and very disturbing investigation?

BOUCHARD: Well, Wolf, the thing that is next is our team just got bigger. We have more players on our side now. And that's why I'm becoming more confident we're going to be able to solve this, hopefully sooner than later.

BLITZER: Let's hope you get this guy or guys very quickly. Mike Bouchard of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, one of several federal agencies, local agencies, law enforcement agencies on the job trying to find this killer or killers.

When we come back, President Bush lays out his case against Iraq. But is he losing focus on the things Americans care about most? We'll hear from both sides and preview tonight's speech.

Plus, billions upon billions of dollars lost at sea. How much more will float away before the port lockouts resolve? Closer look when we return.

And one year after the war on terror began, a new audiotape, supposedly from Osama bin Laden. How closer is the United States to stomping out his terror network? We'll have an in-depth look as well as all the late breaking developments on the shooting spree in Washington, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: ... by key members of Congress and by key members of the United Nations Security Council. Why Iraq and why now is one question, and the president answers it this way. Quote, "While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone, because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place. By its past and presence actions, by its technological capabilities, by the merciless nature of its regime, Iraq is unique."

No blockbuster new evidence, we are told, in the president's speech tonight, but he will pull together what he believes is the evidence of what the president calls "a decade of defiance," Iraq defying its commitments to the United Nations. The president, of course, trying to win support for a big vote in the Congress on a resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq. Mr. Bush in his speech tonight will say, quote, "approving this resolution does not mean that military action is imminent or unavoidable. The resolution will tell the United Nations and all nations that America speaks with one voice and is determined to make the demands of the civilized world mean something."

All this, Wolf, part of the president's effort to bring the American people up to speed. All of this, of course, aimed at winning a big bipartisan vote in Congress and trying to sway the debate for a tough new resolution out of the U.N. Security Council.

BLITZER: John, I'm sure you've heard, and I know the White House has heard all the skeptics out there saying it is the political season as well right now, not just votes in the House and the Senate. Less than a month from now, there will be elections, and that the president is using this supposedly for political purposes. What is the White House saying when that question is thrown at them?

KING: They say flatly the answer to that is no. Cincinnati was chosen for this address because they did not want to deliver an Oval Office address. The president chose to stay in the heartland, where there are no highly competitive statewide races, as part of that effort to say this is not political. And Wolf, we're told in the speech tonight the president will recall a speech 40 years ago in October by President John F. Kennedy, in which President Kennedy said during the Cuban missile crisis that he did not want war but that the United States must stand up when it is threatened. President Bush will say tonight that's just what he's doing here.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. He, of course, will be covering the president's speech tonight here on CNN.

And coming up in just a few minutes, I'll discuss the Iraq crisis with two key U.S. lawmakers, Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator Chuck Hagel. Stay with us. They're coming up in just a few minutes.

President Bush took an initial step today toward halting the West Coast dock shutdown, which may be costing the economy up to $2 billion a day. CNN's Jen Rogers is in San Francisco with the latest -- Jen.

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi there, Wolf. Well, talks broke down here late last night. And today, we have had both sides out in San Francisco trying to make their case to the public.

Now, the Pacific Maritime Association, this is the management who oversees the ports and closed them in what they called a defensive shutdown called the offer that was on the table last night "world class" and said that it was one that would be the envy of the blue collar workforce everywhere.

Obviously, it was not enough as Washington has entered the fray. A board of inquiry has been set up and we can confirm both sides have received summons here in San Francisco to go to the federal building. This is really the first step in what could be an 80-day cooling off period.

Now, the Pacific Maritime Association denies the union's charge that this is where they wanted to end up all along, with the government stepping in. They say they just want the ports open.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH MINIACE, PRESIDENT, PACIFIC MARITIME ASSOCIATION: My message last night to the union, I think, was very, very simple. It's time that we put the interests of ourselves to the side and start thinking of the interests of the American people and let's open our ports. They said "no."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROGERS: As for the union, they called the proposal "unacceptable" and said that the proposal refuses to deal with the real issues, which is job creation. When technology is introduced to the waterfront, they want their share of those jobs. And they said even if there is a 80-day cooling off period, we could be back here once that time expires.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES SPINOSA, INTERNATIONAL LONGSHORE AND WAREHOUSE UNION: It's their unwillingness to move over in this technology area that they're holding us hostage to. So, 80 days will it end in another crisis if they continue to hold this union hostage to a technology package that they can't deliver? There's a good possibility that it will wind up there again in 80 days, we'll have this battle ongoing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROGERS: So a busy day on both fronts. Bottom line: 28 ports up and down the West Coast remain closed and both sides saying they want to get back to work and get them open -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jen Rogers on the scene for us in San Francisco. Thanks very much.

Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: What should the Bush administration's top priority be? War with Iraq, war on terror, or the U.S. economy? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my Web page: cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. Send me your comments there as well.

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

Is Saddam Hussein an imminent threat or a political distraction. We'll talk with senators from both sides of the aisle.

Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat. He's in favor of a possible war against Iraq.

And Senator Chuck Hagel. He's a Republican, he may be still up in the air where he stands. We'll find out.

Also, an amazing view from space, the shuttle blastoff with a camera in its belly. We'll take you along for the ride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. As president bush takes his case against Iraq directly to the nation tonight, Congress is taking up the matter of endorsing military action. House of Representatives is largely on board but there are still serious reservations in the U.S. Senate.

Joining me now from Capitol Hill, two influential members of that body, the Democrat Joe Lieberman, he's a member of the armed services committee and the Republican, Chuck Hagel, he's a member of the foreign relations committee.

Thanks to both of you senators for joining us.

Senator Hagel, this is an unusual situation; the Democrat sitting next to you supports the president. You're the Republican, you're cautious about all of this.

Why?

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Well, it's not a matter of deferring on this threat called Saddam Hussein. We all recognize the threat. It goes beyond that. It factors into the equation the urgency of the threat. Would we do this alone? What role would the United Nations play? What allies would we have?

And then, of course, what happens next? What happens after Saddam Hussein is gone? And I have asked those questions. I'm still asking those questions. And we want to hear what the president has to say tonight. I understand he is going to answer some of those questions. We want to hear the debate in the Senate this week.

And that's why we're having the debate.

BLITZER: So as of this moment, Senator Hagel, you have not yet made up your mind whether you'll support the resolution in the Senate that the president is seeking.

HAGEL: That's correct, because we may have different language. I don't know what exactly -- what we'll be voting on in the end.

But make no mistake, I think like every United States senator we and I recognize that we have a threat. We're going to have to deal with that threat. But I think the wise course of action is we do that with allies -- with hopefully the support of the United Nations, just like President Bush's father did in 1991.

BLITZER: Senator Lieberman, you've already suggested that you'll vote for this resolution that the president wants and that you're on board. But he has to convince many of your fellow Democrats including people like Senator Kennedy, let alone Senator Hagel in his own party.

What do you think the president needs to say tonight?

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: This is an opportunity, Wolf, for the president to lay out the case. And, you know, I'm on board because I felt for, well, 11 years, since the end of the Gulf War, that Saddam Hussein represented a unique threat, that this is a brutal dictator who has ambitions to control the Arab world, who has weapons of mass destruction and supports terrorism, according to our state department -- terrorists that have killed Americans.

And so long as he's in power, I believe it is a danger to the United States of America and to the American people and I think the president has an opportunity tonight to set out that case. We don't want to go to war. But we're going to be threatened and vulnerable to Saddam Hussein more with each passing day as he develops more weapons of mass destruction, unless we disarm him or defeat him if necessary.

I think this is an opportunity for the president to lay out that case. I would like to see him -- hear him also talk about what will happen in Iraq after Saddam, but maybe that's for another occasion.

BLITZER: But Senator Lieberman, what has changed now as opposed to a year ago or five years ago? The same basic arguments could have been made then. Why the urgency right now?

LIEBERMAN: Well, my own feeling is -- I know some people say, Why now? But my answer is, Why not five years ago? Saddam, for 11 years, has not kept his word, to put it mildly, that he made to end the Gulf War. We continue to be in conflict with him. We've got 7,500 American men and women in uniform over there flying missions to enforce the no-fly zone. They've shot at our planes almost 500 times, certainly more than 400 times this year already.

So, my answer is, We should have done it before. I'm grateful the president wants to confront this now. I think the stronger we are, the more likely it is that we will never have to go it alone and maybe that we will not have to go it at all because Saddam will finally wise up and agree to disarmament or if not that, that someone near to him will get rid of him.

BLITZER: Senator Hagel, your leader in the Senate, Senator Trent Lott, the minority leader, suggested yesterday that when all is said and done, he's confident 70 or 80 U.S. senators maybe even more, will support the president on this resolution.

Will you be among those when all is said and done?

HAGEL: I think that number is probably about right. I hope I will be among those. But, again, I want to think this through, as we are, ask the right questions. I want to hear what the president has to say. And again, it is my feeling that whatever we begin in Iraq is not going to end in Iraq.

We're going to need a lot of help. We're going to have a lot of involvement. We're going to have a lot of commitment after Saddam is gone and that's going to require allies. That's going to require a tremendous focus here. So, we better be talking about what happens the next day. I want to know more about that. Let's have that debate. I want to help this president. It's for our country. It's for what's right for stability and security in the world.

But I don't see why we all need to be rushed in to this here in the next 48 hours. That's why we have these debates. That's why we have a Congress.

BLITZER: Senator Hagel and Senator Lieberman, two of the most thoughtful, respected members of the U.S. Senate joining us live here. Thanks to both of you.

LIEBERMAN: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Good luck with your own conscience and your own decision-making process as you ponder what you're going to be doing as far as Iraq is concerned. Appreciate your joining us.

And this important programming note, CNN will have live coverage of President Bush's speech from Cincinnati tonight. That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. on the west coast, part of a special edition of "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT."

Once again, we want to know what you're thinking. Our web question today is this, what should be the Bush Administration's top priority? War with Iraq? War on terror or the U.S. economy? Log on to CNN.com/Wolf. That's where you can vote.

A teenage boy gunned down at school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOSE: Stepping over the line, shooting a kid, I guess it's getting to be really, really personal now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: As police link this crime to a shooting spree, learn how they're hoping to catch up with the killer. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court and the New Jersey election, a new development in the battle over who controls the U.S. Senate. And Israel says they aimed for terrorists but civilians got caught in the middle. That's just ahead, but first, a look at other news making headlines around the world.

Electives are celebrating after the first round of presidential elections in Brazil. A former labor leader finished first and a conservative advocate of free market reforms was eliminated. The runoff election will be held this month.

Japan's Nikkei Stock Index has hit a 19-year low. What's behind the sell-off? Investors fear new government backing policies could drive many companies bankrupt.

Reports say Pakistan is getting ready for another ballistic missile test. A missile test last week increased tensions with arch rival India. A Pakistani newspaper says government leaders have OKed another test tomorrow.

A flood closed offices and schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Workers took off their shoes and rolled up trousers to wade through knee-deep water blamed on rain runoff from the northern mountains and a high tide.

The 2-year-old daughter of actor Jude Law and Sadie Frost is back at home after having her stomach pumped. The girl was attending a children's party in a London nightclub when she found an ecstasy pill on the floor and swallowed part of it. Police say the pill was dropped by club patrons the previous night.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is 50 today. He's being showered with gifts, everything from a solar clock to a crystal crocodile to a Jewel-encrusted cap. Critics say all this attention smacks of a Soviet style cult of personality but supporters say it's a spontaneous reflection of Putin's soaring popularity. And that's our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Police in Prince George's County, Maryland, now say the shooting of a 13-year-old boy this morning is linked to the sniper attacks that have left six people dead. The boy was shot in the abdomen and doctors had to remove parts of his stomach, spleen and pancreas. He's in critical but stable condition.

In the hunt for the sniper, police are using a resource that may sound unfamiliar. They've turned to an expert in what is called geographic profiling. His name is Kim Rossmo, a former detective who worked in Vancouver, Canada. He's joining us now live here in our Washington bureau.

Kim, thanks for joining us. To our viewers who don't know what a geographic profiler does, what does he do?

KIM ROSSMO, GEOGRAPHIC PROFILER: Geographic profiling is an investigative methodology that analyzes crime locations to determine the most likely area of an offender residence. One of the reasons it's valuable in a case like this is that there's going to be a large number of tips and suspects. There were almost a thousand incredible leads this morning. Where did you start? It's a classic needle in a haystack problem. And because so much of our information has an address associated with it, a geographic profile can be useful for giving a focus to an investigation like this.

BLITZER: So in other words, you would look at the various serial killings in this particular case and try to determine where that killer, that shooter, may be coming from.

ROSSMO: That's right. We actually look at the locations, those -- any criminal location is of interest to us in this type of process.

BLITZER: Let's look at -- and I'm going to -- tell us -- they show you where some of these shootings occurred. They all started right here in Montgomery County, right outside of Washington D.C., which is right over there. And then, the shooting this morning, the 13-year-old boy was here in Buoy, Maryland, outside of Washington. There's another location in Spotsylvania, Virginia, which is over here in Virginia. We don't have it on the map right now.

When you look at that geography, like that, and I know you can't give us any information that's going to undermine this very important, sensitive investigation, but what to the average -- what immediately jumps to your mind?

ROSSMO: Well, let me say this, Wolf. One of the things that the media will describe these crimes is is random. And of course, the offender doesn't seem to know his victims, they're strangers, we're struggling to understand his motivation but the reality is there is a pattern. They are not random, in terms of the geography, in terms of how the offender is hunting for the victims. If we understand that pattern, then we can decode it and use it to determine where the offender is most likely coming from and therefore, where the investigation should focus.

BLITZER: What's the difference between a geographic profiler and a personality profiler?

ROSSMO: We like to describe it one is the where and the other is the who.

BLITZER: And so, you don't do personality profiles?

ROSSMO: No, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm provide those services in the United States. It's called criminal investigative analysis, criminal profiling, psychological profiling.

BLITZER: So if you do your job well, will you be able to help this particular case, the Montgomery County Police or Prince George's Police or the District of Columbia? Will you be able to help them determine where the next incident might incident might in fact occur?

ROSSMO: No, that is a very difficult challenge. Our goal is just to give them some idea of where this offender is based.

BLITZER: And if you look at this geographic area, if that shooter or that killer is watching us right now, he may decide, you know what, I'm going to move to a different area. What do you do then?

ROSSMO: Well, I think we're already seeing the offender doing some movements. One of the reasons we don't want to release the geographic profile is that that information would also then be known to the offender if he's watching the news. BLITZER: And the geographic profiling, the whole business that you're engaged in, does it have a good track record in helping law enforcement find these kinds of killers?

ROSSMO: We began geographic profiling as early as 1990. I myself have worked on well over 3,000 crime locations. But in addition to me, there's also geographic profilers now with the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Prevention Police, the British National Crime Faculty and we're just training a brand new individual, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. It's a one-year process, but when she has completed, she'll be able to provide full-fledged service and geographic profiling for the United States police community.

On average, we can determine where the offender's based in the top five percent of the area. So if the crimes cover, say, 10 square miles, five percent of that is half a square mile. Conversely, if we have a 1,000 tips, five percent of that would be 50 tips.

BLITZER: And just very briefly, normally in these kinds of situations, a shooter, a killer, a serial killer, likes to work in areas he or she is familiar with.

ROSSMO: There's a tension there between a desire to operate in their comfort zone, but also desire for anonymity. And the exact specification of that will depend on the individual offender and that's one of the things that we use a sophisticated computer system called RIGEL (ph) to analyze for us.

BLITZER: Kim Rossmo, a geographic profiler, thanks for explaining what you do and good luck to you and all the law enforcement authorities in this area, appreciate it very much.

RUSSMO: You're welcome, Wolf.

BLITZER: President Bush is turning his focus on Iraq, but is there still some unfinished business in the war on terror. The fight against al Qaeda, one year later. Also, heartache in the holy land, a mission to target terror goes off target. And blastoff into space, a view from the outer reaches of the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A newly surfaced audiotape has revived the debate over whether Osama bin Laden is dead or alive. The tape was broadcast on the Qatar based al Jazerra Arabic language network. The voice, allegedly that of bin Laden, directed its messages both to al Qaeda followers and to American citizens. Here's a quotation -- "If we follow the act of these criminal bandits at the White House, the Jewish agents who are preparing to attack the Islamic world and dividing it up, without you opposing them, one would think that you don't understand the attacks at all. That's why I tell you, as God as my witness, whether America increases or reduces tensions, we will surely answer back in the same manner, with God's blessing and grace, and I promise you that the Islamic youth are preparing for you what will fill your hearts with horror, and they will target the centers of your economy until you stop your tyranny and terror, until one of us dies. We ask God to give us health. Evil brings evil."

The defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is skeptical of the tape, which he says has not -- he has not seen. Rumsfeld says there's no way to tell when it was recorded and he criticized what he called the media's fixation on Osama bin Laden while conceding no one knows what's become of him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have still to this moment not seen anything since last December that one can, with certainty, say that he's alive or functioning. So he's therefore either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now here in Washington with more on this latest audiotape, CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen -- spent a lot of time studying Osama bin Laden. What do you make of this audiotape?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think it really proves anything either way, Wolf. You know obviously, it was made after the September 11t attacks but that could have been in October or November. There's nothing in it that gives us a sort of date reference that may suggest anything new. The one thing I took away from it that I thought was interesting was talking about more attacks against American economic targets. Bin Laden well understood how effective 9/11 was on the American economy. He literally -- he was thrilled that it cost $1.4 trillion he said in one of his interviews. So I...

BLITZER: I've spoken to some analysts who suggested that this is a cut and paste job of old audiotapes because only two minutes was released. And normally in the past, Osama bin Laden's audio and videotapes have been rambling for half an hour, an hour, three hours, or whatever. If he were really going to make an appearance, it wouldn't just be a two-minute appearance.

BERGEN: I don't know. I mean I think he's obviously in very bad health. There's no evidence he's dead so I'm going to presume he's alive. However, we do know in the last appearance, in December -- in late December, he obviously -- you know he's only 45. He looked like he was in his late 60s and obviously, he was, you know, not moving his left shoulder. He clearly sustained some kind of injury to it. So perhaps the reason we haven't seen him or a longer version or a more rambling version, as you put it, may be because he's in such poor health that he can't make that -- such a tape.

BLITZER: That's interesting. The -- yesterday, I interviewed the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, Bob Graham, who says the latest prevailing opinion in the U.S. intelligence community is Osama bin Laden is probably alive and he cited what he had called -- quote -- "occasional intercepts of phone conversations," in his words, "that make reference to bin Laden in the present tense" although he and Senator Shelby, the vice chairman, say they simply don't know what the bottom line is. What's your sense? BERGEN: Well, I mean, Senator Bob Graham is in a much better place than I am. The fact that he's saying that, I think, is very interesting. My gut, just because I -- is the fact we haven't heard from him on camera may just simply mean that he's in very bad health. But al Qaeda is still not completely out of business. This attack on the French ship in Yemen, which is -- the jury is out whether it's terrorism or not, but this would go -- if it is indeed terrorism, this attack would be part of an evolving strategy. Attacking oil tankers obviously is a way of attacking our economy. That would be a very bad development.

BLITZER: Peter Bergen, as usual, thanks for joining us.

BERGEN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Gaza is the latest hot spot in the crisis on the Middle East. At least 14 Palestinians were killed and about 100 wounded in raid by Israeli tanks and gunships. The Israeli Army says the target was members of the militant group, Hamas. Palestinians say most of the causalities happened when missiles were fired into a crowd outside a mosque in an area Israel considered a Hamas stronghold. Israel says it regrets any civilian casualties.

A CNN exclusive inside one of the toughest places on earth, the Army's elite intelligence training center at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Among the people whose lives were altered by the September 11 attacks are thousands of men and women who abruptly changed the course of their careers and listed in the war on terror. Our national correspondent, Mike Boettcher, has this exclusive look at the 9/11 soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED SOLIDERS: We fought it one by one.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: We fought it one by one.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Why march when you can stroll, wear green, wear jeans, get up, sleep in, follow no one, follow orders.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: On your feet.

BOETTCHER: After 9/11, thousands of young Americans chose the more difficult options. Go to any military post or base, the Army Intelligence Center in Fort Huachuca, for example, and they are there, the class of 2001, the 9/11 soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Go with the other boards just...

BOETTCHER: Like Lieutenant Monroe Mann, now training to be a military intelligence officer. A year ago, he was an aspiring actor who figured his pursuit of movie stardom would only be interrupted by the occasional weekend of service in the National Guard, which he joined in 1999. 9/11 changed all of that.

LT. MONROE MANN, U.S. ARMY: I got the infamous call -- "Lieutenant Mann, you activated and report to the armory immediately."

BOETTCHER: He was already in uniform.

MANN: My sister actually -- she called from under the subways in the World Trade Center as my dad and I -- he's former military. We both, you know, got in our uniforms and went into the city to go get her. She was covered in soot and everything, a little shooken up.

BOETTCHER: Soon he was consoling other victims. This time under orders, assigned to duty at the Family Support Center.

MANN: And they said, "Do you -- have you seen my dad? Or have you seen my brother or sister?" And it was the saddest thing.

BOETTCHER: The attacks were also having a profound affect on those who watched from across the river in Hoboken, New Jersey. Kari Pilecki's apartment balcony faced the Twin Towers.

PVT. KERI PILECKI, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SPECIALIST: I could go out my apartment and see the World Trade Center and see what was going on.

BOETTCHER (on camera): So you actually watched it not on TV. I mean you were actually watching the buildings?

PILECKI: Yes, yes, I did.

BOETTCHER (voice-over): Keri Pilecki, 24, who was pursuing a career in New York's fashion industry, is now Private Pilecki, military specialist.

PILECKI: I was just -- I was ready to do it. I can't explain it. It was a feeling inside of me that knew I had to do something.

I'd like to think most of the soldiers that are coming in now joined partly because of 9/11, that -- knowing that we're fighting something bigger than ourselves. But I think it's something that you find. Sometimes some of the people who joined may not have joined for 9/11, but they find it within themselves that that is why they joined.

GEN. JAMES MARKS, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CORPS: You look yourself in the eye and say, good choice.

BOETTCHER: The soldiers' boss at Fort Huachuca is General James "Spider," Marks, chief of the military Intelligence Corp. In his long military career, he has seen recruiting classes come and go, but none as confronted the unique challenge now facing America.

MARKS: I remind them that they will be asked to do things that they can't imagine and that I tell them -- I declare that be with them, I'm in the presence of the greatest generation. BOETTCHER: Private Pilecki, she's adjusted from haute couture to camouflage. This day's training, learning how to gather information from captured prisoners.

(on camera): Will you ever go back to fashion?

PILECKI: I don't think so. I don't think it's -- I can always have a passion for something like that, but I don't think it's for me.

BOETTCHER (voice-over): And what of Lieutenant Mann? He's in Huachuca, not Hollywood, but did manage to write a book for aspiring stars called "The Theatrical Juggernaut," a how-to manual based on boot camp persistence. Acting is still in his blood, but now so is the Army.

MANN: Something in me told me that it was the right decision and 9/11 was the day that really said, "You did the right thing, kid."

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: I got an idea.

BOETTCHER: Like so many others called to act for his country.

Mike Boettcher, CNN, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Tomorrow, more of Mike's exclusive reporting from inside the Army Intelligence Center. Witness the final test that prepares troops for the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Plus, a rare glimpse inside top-secret facilities, the soldiers call "the brain of the beast." That's tomorrow right here on this program.

Let's go New York now and get a preview of "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That of course begins right at the top of the hour -- Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much. Coming up, the president will address the nation in just under two hours. Mr. Bush will present his case for the use of military force against Iraq if necessary. We'll have a live report from Cincinnati, from which the president will be speaking.

We'll debate U.S. strategy against Iraq and the United States increasing the pressure on Saddam Hussein. Should there be military action? National security experts, Max Boot and John Mearsheimer will be here to debate the president's choices. And the president preparing to intervene in the West Coast's port's dispute. We'll have the very latest for you. All of that and a great deal more coming up on "MONEYLINE" at the top of the hour. Please join us. Now back to Wolf Blitzer --Wolf.

BLITZER: A solid hour of news coming up on "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." We'll be watching.

Meanwhile, time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Questions of The Day." What should be the Bush Administration's top priority? War with Iraq, war on the terror or the U.S. economy? Log onto CNN.com/Wolf. You still have time to vote. The results immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In our "Picture of The Day," a brand new view of the space shuttle launch. When the Shuttle Atlantis blasted off a short while ago, we all got a front row seat. A first of its kind view from a video camera mounted near the top of the external fuel tank showing the coastline fading into the distance. This is the first shuttle flight in months. The entire fleet was grounded for the summer after small cracks were found in fuel lines.

In our "Health Beat," a follow-up to a story we brought you on Friday. Michigan judge ruled the state cannot force a mother to have her two deaf sons fitted with cochlear implants, which can help deaf people hear some sound. The mother who's deaf herself and advocates for the deaf community argued cochlear implants don't work for everyone and oftentimes can do more harm than good.

Now here's how you're weighing in on "Our Web Question of The Day," earlier we asked, what should be the Bush Administration's top priority? Look at this, 11 percent of you say the war with Iraq, 14 percent say the war on terror, 75 percent say it's the economy. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

That's all the time today. Please join me again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, also, on our new program, "SHOWDOWN IRAQ," each weekday at noon Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.

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Make Case Against Iraq; Why Is bin Laden Back in Spotlight?>