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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Is al Qaeda Planning More Attacks?; Police Look for D.C. Area Serial Sniper; Can Iraq's Chemical, Biological Weapons Be Destroyed?

Aired October 14, 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: Paradise turned into hell on earth, is this the work of al Qaeda? Are more attacks to come? A message attributed to Osama bin Laden. Terror at home, the police speak out in their search for a serial killer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: I think the progress is going really well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And Showdown Iraq, can chemical and biological weapons be destroyed before they're used?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the idea that we can plot out a target list from desk drawer and just start bombing does not make much sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, October 14, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We begin with the worst terrorist attack in more than a year. No one has claimed responsibility yet for the bombings that killed more than 180 people in Bali, Indonesia. But as CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports, many experts agree al Qaeda is the prime suspect and the weekend attack may be just the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are still counting the dead in Bali, trying to identify those whose bodies have been recovered, sending the wounded home to try to heal. The bombers are still unknown but in Indonesia officials say they know who did this and experts agree.

ROHAN GONARATNA, AUTHOR "INSIDE AL QAEDA GLOBAL NETWORK OR TERROR": The only organization that could have conducted a professional terrorist attack of the scale we have witnessed in Bali is al Qaeda and its Southeast Asia network Jemaah Islamiah.

MACVICAR: What is so disturbing to American officials and others is that they now fear al Qaeda has regrouped and is launching a new series of attacks.

MAGNUS RANSTORP, CTR STUDY OF TERRORISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Al Qaeda is not weakened. In many ways, it's more difficult, more unpredictable now to be able to stave off what they have in mind.

MACVICAR: In just over a week, there have been three attacks, all linked to al Qaeda. Last week, U.S. Marines training in Kuwait were attacked by gunmen. One marine died. Kuwait's government called it a terrorist act. The gunman went to bin Laden's training camps in Afghanistan. Investigators studying the explosion that holed the French oil tanker Limburg off the coast of Yemen have found debris they say came from a small explosives laden boat.

On Monday, France's president called that blast an act of terror and linked it to the bomb in Bali. The threat of terrorism, he said, remains universally present. And, a letter said to be signed by Osama bin Laden posted to an Arabic language Web site linked to al Qaeda on Monday seemed to claim responsibility for the attacks in Kuwait and Yemen saying that they were timed to coincide with the anniversary of the beginning of what it called the Crusader's War.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R-AL), INTELLIGENCE VICE-CHAIRMAN: These could be the precursor of other things to come against our interest in the world, perhaps in the U.S. We've been much aware of this for a long time.

MACVICAR: U.S. officials say that this tape from bin Laden lieutenant Ayman Al-Zawahiri and another with the voice of Osama bin Laden, both released in the past ten days, may have been meant as calls to arms. Al Qaeda detainees in Guantanamo and elsewhere have told U.S. officials that they interpreted the tapes as a sign of coming attacks, even that an attack plan had been approved.

MACVICAR (on camera): U.S. administration officials and intelligence experts in Europe and elsewhere say these attacks, as devastating as they are, may be merely warnings. Al Qaeda, they say, may be preparing a massive attack.

Sheila MacVicar, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The Bali bombings prompted the U.S. State Department to order non-essential employees and their families out of Indonesia. It's also advising other Americans to consider leaving because of what it calls increased security concerns. The State Department's Web site says Americans planning to travel to Indonesia should postpone their trips.

Bali is a popular tourist destination for Australians and at least 14 of the bombing victims were from Australia. Survivors of the blast, many with injuries, arrived back in their homeland today greeted by family, friends, and medical personnel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. LEN NOTARAS, DARWIN HOSPITAL: Eleven of us came over. We've lost six. I spent the day at the morgue. I've identified five. There's still one we can't find. I don't know if we ever will.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sheer magnitude of what has actually occurred is going to take some considerable time to sink in to a lot of people, including ourselves here at the hospital. It has been our own, in a sense, 11th of September.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, called a special meeting of senior ministers to discuss a response to the bombings. President Bush says he's concerned about the apparent revival of al Qaeda activity. It comes just as the United States is preparing for a possible attack against Iraq and some observers are suggesting America may find itself confronting two foes at once. We've asked CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King to join us now for a closer look. What's going on, John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Mr. Bush staged an impromptu question and answer session with reporters today, condemning the bombing in Bali, saying that it is proof to him anyway that al Qaeda remains a very highly organized menacing force, but the president brushing aside the critics who say that this is proof that he should fight the war on terrorism one front at a time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): The president sees an al Qaeda resurgence in the string of recent terror attacks.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It does look like a pattern of attacks that the enemy, albeit on the run, is trying to once again frighten and kill freedom loving people.

KING: A deadly weekend bombing in Indonesia followed attacks on U.S. troops in Kuwait and the bombing of a French oil tanker in Yemen. The strike in Bali only reinforced the White House view that Indonesia's government has been too timid in confronting terror cells. Mr. Bush said he will call President Megawati soon.

BUSH: I hope I hear the resolve of a leader that recognizes that any time terrorists take hold in a country it is going to weaken the country itself and there has to be a firm and deliberate desire to find out, find the killers before they kill somebody else.

KING: This new statement attributed to Osama bin Laden urges more attacks, though U.S. officials are skeptical it is authentic.

BUSH: We don't know whether bin Laden is alive or dead. You know they keep floating supposed letters and radio broadcasts. We do know that al Qaeda is still dangerous and while we made good progress, there is a lot more work to do.

KING: Even before these new attacks, many questioned Mr. Bush's insistence on confronting Iraq now, believing al Qaeda is the more immediate threat, but the president is not swayed and called British Prime Minister Tony Blair early Monday to compare notes on Iraq.

BUSH: We will fight if need be the war on terror on two fronts. We got plenty of capacity to do so.

KING: The president voiced concern about the possibility of attacks on the United States and security at some bridges and ports has been increased in recent days as a precaution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: But senior administration officials tell CNN there is no credible intelligence suggesting any new attacks in the United States anytime soon, and because of that barring any new information, there are no plans to raise the nation's alert status, now at yellow meaning elevated risk to orange, which would be the code for a high risk of a terrorist attack -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, as you know, the Security Council at the United Nations is supposed to begin formal debate this week on a resolution the U.S. and Britain want. The president seemed rather upbeat that he was going to get basically what he wanted. Is that the mood at the White House?

KING: Well, the mood is they will have to make some compromises. They remain convinced they will get what they want. The big question is will they get it in one resolution or two. The president saying today that he will insist on a resolution that makes clear Saddam must keep his commitments and that if the weapons inspectors go back in there must be no interference or Iraq would face "consequences."

By that, the president knows and anyone who's been listening in recent weeks knows he means military strikes. Private diplomacy at the U.N. continuing, the White House says it is optimistic but it has been saying that for some time without any public proof that France and Russia are ready to come along.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, John thanks very much. And in just a moment, more on that letter supposedly from Osama bin Laden praising recent terror attacks. What exactly is the message and why does it concern terrorism experts? Plus, progress in the sniper investigation as police step up their manhunt, but first a look at other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Northern Ireland faces its worst political crisis since the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement. Britain is suspending the province's power sharing government over accusations of spying by the Irish Republican Army.

A dire warning from the U.N. Secretary-General as he visits the world's most populous nation, Kofi Annan says China is on the brink of an AIDS epidemic. A U.N. repot warns that ten million Chinese could be infected by the end of the decade unless China does more to combat the disease.

Six months after surviving a coup attempt, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is dismissing demands that he step down or call early elections. Yesterday in Caracas, he led a huge march staged by his supporters. Opponents threaten a general strike next week unless early elections are called.

In London, a former butler to Princess Diana pleaded not guilty to stealing hundreds of items from her and other members of the royal family. Paul Burele (ph) is accused to taking everything from personal letters to photographs. Princess Diana once called Burele her Rock.

And in northwestern India, an ancient tradition is unfolding. The annual donkey fair started 500 years ago. It attracts buyers and sellers from around the region. In addition to donkeys, horses and mules are also for sale, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we told you about a newly-circulated letter said to have been written by Osama bin Laden. Our national correspondent Mike Boettcher has been looking into this letter, its message, and the question of its authenticity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The alleged statement from Osama bin Laden comes from two sources; first, an Internet Web site that in the past has been used by al Qaeda to deliver messages. Also, a copy of the statement was broadcast by Al- Jazeera, the Arabic language satellite news network. It was signed by Osama bin Laden according to Al-Jazeera.

Now the statement praised the attacks of last week against the U.S. Marines in Kuwait and against that French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen. Reading from the statement now, it says: "The heroic operation in Kuwait proves the level of danger that threatens U.S. forces in Islamic countries. The priority in this war at this stage must be against the infidels, the Americans and the Jews, who have not stopped their injustice."

Now, Monday's statement follows an October 6 recording, reportedly of Ayman Al-Zawahiri who is the right-hand man of Osama bin Laden. In that recorded statement, Zawahiri promised attacks, fresh attacks against economic target, and of course on that same day, October 6, the tanker was attacked off the coast of Yemen.

The reason attacks in Bali were not mentioned in this statement, although the al Qaeda statement released by Al-Jazeera and by that Internet Web site promises two more statements, and it would fit with the pattern, the new pattern alleged by Ayman Al-Zawahiri, a pattern of attacks against economic targets around the world. That is being looked at by terrorism experts and intelligence analysts who are trying to predict what al Qaeda will do next -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mike Boettcher reporting for us in London thank you very much, Mike. For another take on the al Qaeda threat, we're going to talk with a former member of the National Security Council staff at the White House. Dan Benjamin was director of counterterrorism during the Clinton administration and is the author of an important new book "The Age of Sacred Terror." Thanks for joining us. Well first of all, what do you make of this purported statement from Osama bin Laden?

DAN BENJAMIN, "THE AGE OF SACRED TERROR": It's impossible to know whether he's still alive, whether this is being put out in his name or not. The fact that Zawahiri is still alive is, in fact, very important because he's probably the most brilliant of the bunch. He doesn't have Osama's charisma but he's a very, very important figure.

BLITZER: He's the Egyptian and many people always thought that he was the mastermind of a lot of this. Is that what you thought when you were studying this on a day-to-day basis during the '90s?

BENJAMIN: He's definitely the key figure in formulating the strategy. There's no question about that.

BLITZER: But the notion that they're putting out a statement in Osama bin Laden's name, if he were alive, wouldn't there be more than just some sort of phony statement, if it is in fact a phony statement. Wouldn't there be a videotape let's say?

BENJAMIN: It's hard to say. It's hard to know what kind of conditions he's in. Maybe he feels that it's impossible to be videotaped safely or to get a courier with the tape to Al-Jazeera safely, that sort of thing. I don't think we can draw any conclusions from it, but it is interesting that they're putting out statements at all.

BLITZER: Is this part now of a coordinated new, what's happened in Kuwait and Yemen and Indonesia, an al Qaeda offensive that's been renewed?

BENJAMIN: It's clear that the different cells, the different groups that have been affiliated with al Qaeda all got the word that they had to show that the movement is vital, that the movement is viable, and that they're prepared to attack. How coordinated it is, we can't know without having a better bead on where the leadership is.

BLITZER: There's been some speculation, and it could be totally far fetched, that the sniper attacks here in the Greater Washington area may be part of that same offensive. Do you believe that at all?

BENJAMIN: I find that very hard to believe. Al Qaeda is looking to create mass casualties and this is a person who's seeking to pick off one victim at a time. Also, he's, we assume it's a he, that he has made no tie, no public announcement of who he belongs to, what his cause is, so I would find this very, very strange. BLITZER: The whole nature, though, of the threat, is it enough do you suspect right now to -- John King was saying there's no plans to elevate the alert status from yellow back to orange. Is that smart right now to stay at that same sort of mid-level elevated status?

BENJAMIN: I'm not quite sure what difference there would be. The status is mostly, the alert code is basically for public consumption. What really counts is what intelligence and law enforcement are doing. If they haven't gotten any more information, then I don't know what else they can do. It's important that they just simply be as vigilant as they can.

BLITZER: Dan Benjamin thanks for joining us. Good luck with the book.

BENJAMIN: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: And fear hangs over the Washington area as the sniper killer takes a long weekend. A closer look at the investigation, are police any closer to finding this cold-blooded killer or killers? Plus, President Bush willing to fight two wars presses on against Iraq, but should weapons inspectors be given a chance to succeed? We'll talk to two men who have done the job. And, "The Sopranos" whacked from the Columbus Day Parade, the real life controversy over television.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: After a quiet weekend, Maryland Police are keeping fairly close-mouthed about their search for a sniper. While on guard and apprehensive about a possible next strike, they say they're making progress in the case. Kathleen Koch is standing by for us in Montgomery County, Maryland near Rockville with the late developments. What's going on, Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there was only briefing from police today and they are not saying very much. There have been a few false alarms. People are very much on edge here but thankfully no new sniper killings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): Police continue probing for clues as a nervous community welcomed a three day lull in the sniper shootings. President Bush spoke out for the first time on the murder spree that has become a part of his daily FBI briefing.

BUSH: First of all, I'm just sick to my stomach to think that there is a cold-blooded killer at home taking innocent life. I weep for those who've lost their loved ones. The idea of moms taking their kids to school and sheltering them from a potential sniper attack is not the America I know, and therefore, we're lending all the resources of the federal government, all that have been required, to do everything we can to assist the local law authorities to find whoever it is. KOCH: Authorities say calls and e-mails continue to pour in after the release Saturday of a composite graphic showing the white box truck spotted at some of the Montgomery County shooting scenes. A similar image of a white Chevy Astro van, like this, seen leaving the site of Friday's shooting in Virginia isn't yet ready for release. Montgomery County's police chief insists the investigation is moving forward.

MOOSE: And I feel extremely good about the progress, but again it is always not appropriate to share the details that cause me to feel good about that, but please believe me we are indeed making progress.

KOCH: Authorities deny there are any plans for the federal government to take over the investigation.

GARY BALD, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: There hasn't been any talk among the investigative team of the FBI taking this case over. There would be no reason to do that. There are no resources that we have that are at our disposal that we aren't bringing to bear in this particular case. The discussions that you're referring to are coming from outside of the task force, the groups working very effectively together, and I think we'll be successful.

KOCH: A customer at the Michael's craft store, site of the first shooting October 2, has found what may have been bullet fragments inside a magazine. Police will only confirm evidence has been found there and is being processed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Now this is the first three-day respite since the shootings began. Police won't read anything into that. Chief Moose only saying that any day without a killing is a good day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kathleen Koch for us in Rockville, Maryland thanks very much. Investigators are trying to understand the sniper's movements and actions but so far experts say the sniper is defying established patterns for serial killers and spree killers, almost like he's evolving as he's going along.

CNN criminologist Casey Jordan is joining us from New York. Casey thanks for joining us. You probably noticed the police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland releasing a post office box number today, saying people who have tips can write to him as well as call in, this amid speculation he's looking for a way to communicate with the killer or killers. What do you sense is going on here?

CASEY JORDAN, CNN CRIMINOLOGIST: Well, I can't say that he established a P.O. Box just to communicate with the killer but I think there is no doubt that this has occurred to them, that they're trying to open the door to a line of communication with the perpetrator that may have been lost after the tarot card information was leaked to the public.

Now, there are people out there who would rather write their tips than call, but I'd be hard pressed to say that it's more likely people want to write a letter than call a toll free number. So, I think the possibility exists that they're hoping for some, dare we call it, three-dimensional information in the form of a letter, a postcard.

Once you have something in writing that you can analyze, handwriting, or the type of paper it was written on, the stamp, the postmark, whether it was typed or printed, this is much better evidence than tips that come across a phone line.

BLITZER: When I interview Chief Moose and when I see him making his statements, I can't help but think he's trying to send some sort of message out there to the killer or killers in some sort of way. Am I reading too much into that?

JORDAN: Well, I don't think so. The key here is that there is definitely a chess game going on between the police and this perpetrator. They can not ignore that he is doing things apparently in response to what he is seeing on the media and statements that they have made. So, it would be remiss of him to ignore the possibility that the only way to communicate with this perpetrator is through the media. He has to cover all his bases. I'm sure that they're doing a lot in the background that we don't know about as well, but this seems to be just another option that he's trying to explore.

BLITZER: One of the interesting aspects of the vehicles involved, they released this box truck diagram. They're going to release a diagram of this Astro van, the Chevy Astro van. The D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey says they're looking for a burgundy Chevy Caprice that may have left the scene of the shooting in the District of Columbia. What do you make of all these different vehicles they might be looking for?

JORDAN: Again, I think they're covering all their bases. It would be silly to rule out anything that appears to be credible or consistent eyewitness reporting. They're getting thousands of tips. They have to filter through all of these and try to figure out which ones might be the ones to go with.

The problem is, is that if you go with every single tip, you're going to be in a thousand different directions and probably waste a lot of valuable time. So my inclination is to believe that if they do have these three vehicles and are willing to talk about them, there must be something behind that.

BLITZER: Casey Jordan thanks for joining us. We'll have you back.

JORDAN: OK, thanks.

BLITZER: Thank you and here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this: Do you think the sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my web page cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. While you're there, send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. It's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

The president is keeping Saddam Hussein in the crossfire, but is an all out war the only solution? Two former weapons inspectors with two very different perspectives join us live when we return. Plus, an all-American football star missing in Bali; a closer look at his life. And an everyday cure for warts may be found in your garage, more on that in just a moment. But first, our weekend snapshot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Reverend Jerry Falwell has apologized for calling Islam's founder, the Prophet Mohammed, a terrorist. In a statement Saturday, Falwell said he intended no disrespect to any sincere law-abiding Muslim. In an earlier TV interview, the Baptist minister called Mohammed a violent man and a man of war. Muslims were outraged and a strike in India called to protest the comments turned into a deadly riot.

In Lewiston, Maine, Somali refugees received a big show of support yesterday from their new neighbors. Hundreds of people turned out for a march to welcome the refugees. More than 1,000 Somalis have been resettled in the town.

It was a different scene yesterday in Middlebury, Vermont. Hundreds of people turned out to protest an appearance by White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer at his alma mater Middlebury College. He was there to receive an award and to give a lecture. A peace march through downtown drew almost 900 people.

In the Midwest, Chicago Bulls forward Marcus Fizer faces a court hearing next week following his arrest yesterday. Fizer is charges with unlawful use of a weapon and driving with a suspended license.

Also in Chicago, British runner Paula Radcliffe (ph) ran the fastest marathon ever for a woman yesterday. She won the Chicago marathon finishing in just over two hours and 17 minutes.

And baseball fans in Anaheim, California are celebrating after their team beat Minnesota yesterday 13-5 to capture the American League pennant. It's Anaheim's first trip to the World Series, and that's our weekend snapshot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer.

Coming up, the Iraq debate. Two former weapons inspector with two different views join me.

But first, let's take a look at other stories making news right now.

Ira Einhorn took the witness stand today. The former hippy guru is on trial in Philadelphia for the murder of his girlfriend, 25 years ago. Police say that they found the body of Holy Maddux stuffed in Einhorn's apartment closet in 1979. But on the stand, Einhorn testified that other people had access to the couple's apartment and he was surprised when police found the body in the closet. Einhorn says he was framed by the CIA. He was on the lam for years but was found in France five years ago and extradited to the United States last year.

It was a plumbing job 250 miles above the Earth. Two astronauts finished their third and final spacewalk outside the International Space Station today. Astronauts Piers Sellers and David Wolf installed the final bit of plumbing for a $390 million girder attached to the space station. There were none of the technical problems that plagued two earlier spacewalks.

And you don't have to be a worry wart about your warts, just get some duct tape. Researchers say 85 percent of patients who put duct tape on their warts and then used pumice stone to scrape the spot lost their warts within two months. They say it is more effective than having them frozen off.

The White House says Iraq is hiding chemical and biological weapons, hiding them so well U.N. inspectors may not be able to find them. If the United States does go to war with Iraq, could those weapons be destroyed before Baghdad has a chance to use them?

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports as part of our series "Inside Iraq."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In anticipation of war, Saddam Hussein already has hidden much of his suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons capabilities, say U.S. officials. Intelligence sources tell CNN biological weapons production is now inside trucks, mobile laboratories hard to locate. At chemical facilities, satellite photographs show no vehicle traffic indicating heavy equipment has been taken out, little left to bomb, perhaps.

At the suspected nuclear facility at Tuwasa (ph), journalists were allowed to see only a small area inside this circle. Satellite photos showing a massive facility.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: I think the idea that we can trot out a target list from some desk draw and just start bombing does not make sense.

STARR: Iraq says it doesn't have WMD. The Pentagon says nevertheless, Baghdad will evade U.N. weapons inspections.

JOHN YURECHKO, DEF. INTELLIGENCE ACGY.: We think they're already postured and have trained large numbers of personnel how to deal with an intrusive inspection regime.

STARR: With so much deception, the Pentagon may have to find new ways to locate and destroy these targets. High tech weapons such as the satellite-guided Tomahawk missile or the 2,000 pound J-Dam bomb will not distinguish civilian shields or prevent lethal material being accidentally released.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld believes it will take boots on the ground.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It will take deep penetrators and it would require capabilities that would not be pleasant to have to use. That means you would have to address the problem from the ground.

STARR (on camera): Sources tell CNN there is now discussion about the need for new bombs that can penetrate more deeply underground. They would be used to attack bunkers beneath Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces. Places the U.S. thinks the Iraqi leader might hide in the opening hours of a war.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: While the war talk on Iraq resonates here in Washington, a group of businessmen say they're not buying what the administration is trying to sell. They're sending out their own message in an ad in today's "New York Times." A group calling itself Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities is calling on the White House to give the U.N. weapons inspectors a chance to do their jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN COHEN, FOUNDER, BEN & JERRY'S: We took out the ad because we're convinced that going to war with Iraq would be senseless. In terms of the amount of civilians that would die, in terms of there being no imminent threat, in terms of the havoc it would wreak to the economy, and in terms of the precedent that it would be setting for so-called preemptive war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: There's a lot, of course, riding on what U.N. weapons inspectors may find in Iraq. Baghdad remains unchanged on the sticking point of palace inspections and the White House says that's not acceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I want is a firm resolution that says you disarm and an inspection regime that is there not for the sake of inspectors, but is there to achieve the objective of disarming Mr. Saddam Hussein. It's his choice to make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter is joining us now live from Albany, New York. Former U.N. weapons inspector Tim Trevan is here in Washington.

You just heard what the president had to say, Scott. What do you say to the president's comments?

SCOTT RITTER, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Look, the president's not being -- he's being disingenuous here.

He's talking about disarming Iraq, but his version of disarmament is Secretary Rumsfeld putting boots on the ground, bombing. That's the only way the White House sees an effective disarmament program taking place. He's totally written off weapons inspections. He's totally written off the Security Council.

And that's a shame because regardless of how imperfect the system was in the past, it did work. We did compel Iraq into giving up a major portion of its weapons programs. We monitored Iraq. And it would work again if given the chance.

BLITZER: Tim, do you agree with Scott?

TIM TREVAN, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well it worked on one level. It certainly helped find weapons systems that Iraq originally said it didn't have. But it didn't work at the other level of proving that Iran -- Iraq had fully disarmed. And it is at that level that I think it would fare again in the future.

BLITZER: You to think, Tim, that the weapons inspectors if they go in should at least be given a chance to see if the Iraqis will cooperate or is it simply a waste of time?

TREVAN: I think they should be go back in. And test the Iraqi cooperation with the disarmament effort. I'm not talking about cooperation in any way, any time -- inspections in game of cat and mouse.

I'm talking about Iraqis giving full access to scientists that can be interviewed without minders around convincing the inspectors that they are fully disarmed and supporting it with credible evidence.

BLITZER: You think that has any chance of succeeding, Scott?

RITTER: Look, you know, the ball is in Iraq's court once you let inspectors back in. It is up to Iraq to provide -- to facilitate the work of the inspectors, give access to the personnel needed for interviews. And it is only going to work if Iraq cooperates.

But the bottom line is we'll never know unless we try. And I think it is incumbent upon us as Americans and as members of the international community to exhaust every venue short of war before going to war. And darn it, inspections is such a venue. It would work if given a chance.

BLITZER: Is there any chance, Tim, that the Iraqis would let the inspectors bring their Iraqi scientists outside of Iraq with their family members to be questioned about weapons of mass destruction? Something that the Bush administration is demanding right now?

TREVAN: I think there's little prospect of that. The reason I say that is because the discussions that are already taking place in Vienna indicated the Iraqis are trying to play the old game of curbing the inspectors rights.

But I think that will be a very good thing to try. If the Iraqis are really willing to cooperate, that's one thing they should be willing to do.

BLITZER: That seems like a wish that probably won't happen, Scott.

RITTER: No, first of all, I disagree with Tim on this. As somebody who worked his program for seven years and spent a heck of a lot of time in Iraq, you know, interrogating -- questioning Iraqi scientists -- we don't need to take them out of the country. Look, that's just a prescription for defection and it is something the United States knows Iraqi government will never, ever go along with. So it's built-in failure.

I succeeded tremendously in getting the Iraqis to confess, you know, violations and getting them to admit to doing things in the past. You know, I broke the back of their concealment program after two years of hammering away and investigations, finally getting them to confess that they had a concealment program run out of the office of the presidency, and I certainly didn't have to take people out of Iraq or bring their families out of Iraq.

You know, inspectors have got to do their jobs. It is not an easy job. It is a lot like a police investigator going after a criminal. It is tough, but if allowed to work, it can work. We don't need to bring in some artificiality -- artificial constructs like bringing scientists out of Iraq. That's garbage.

BLITZER: Tim, you spent years inspecting in Iraq as well. This notion of coercive inspections, having Hans Blix and his inspectors go in with military teams to back them up and use force if necessary to gain access to sensitive sites like presidential palaces -- does that have a chance of getting off the ground?

TREVAN: I think it misses the point. And the point is that Iraq has to cooperate with the disarmament effort. And it can do so at much lower costs than having coercive inspections. The problem with the coercive inspections is it's going to take time to get the military force to the inspection site, during which time the Iraqis can sanitize the site, and during which time the inspectors' lives are put at risk.

BLITZER: You agree with that, Scott?

RITTER: Yeah, look, in 1991, we talked about coercive inspections, just this sort of thing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was given the option of having U.S. Marines and attack helicopters accompany inspectors in the western Iraq to gain access to missile sites Iraqis were blocking us from flying helicopters to, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rightly at that time rejected this as just an absurd notion that will lead eventually to nothing more than a bunch of dead inspectors on the ground.

It was a dumb idea then; it's a dumb idea now. Tim is absolutely right. The onus is on Iraq. They have to facilitate the work of the inspectors, and if Iraq chooses not to, then don't put the lives of the inspectors at risk. Get them out of the country, and then bring the military force to bear.

BLITZER: Scott Ritter, Tim Trevan, two former U.N. weapons inspectors. I take it neither of you has any plans of heading back to inspect sites in Iraq anytime soon, is that right?

TREVAN: Absolutely right.

RITTER: No.

BLITZER: All right, thanks for joining us. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

Terror attacks in Bali hit home. An all-American football player among the 200 people missing. The personal side of the devastation when we return.

Plus, waiting for the sniper to strike. Hear how police plan to react the next time, God forbid, it happens.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As we've said, the search goes on in Bali, Indonesia, for victims still missing from the weekend bombings. At least two Americans are among the missing. They include Steven Brooks Webster from California, and Jake Young, a former all-American football player at the University of Nebraska.

With us now from Lincoln, Nebraska, Congressman Tom Osborne, the former head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Congressman, thanks for joining us. I'm sorry we're talking under these circumstances. But what is the latest? What are you hearing about Jake Young right now?

REP. TOM OSBORNE (R), NEBRASKA: Well, Wolf, I've talked to State Department several times in the last day and a half, and it's about morning in Bali now. And they were going to have somebody from the State Department and one of Jake's teammates on the rugby team go down to check on some final identification. It doesn't look real promising, but there is nothing final at this point. So it's a very difficult situation for his family and his wife and his little boy.

BLITZER: You've spoken to the family. I know you have. How are they dealing with this?

OSBORNE: Well, naturally, it's a very tragic time. And Jake had been over in Hong Kong with his wife and little boy for two years working as an attorney, and was returning to the United States. Played on the Hong Kong rugby team, and I think decided to take one last tournament with them in Bali on his way back to the United States. His wife and son Wilson are back here in the Kansas City area, and so this was something that was tragic in that he was headed back this way.

BLITZER: Tell us a little bit about Jake Young. I know he was an all-American center when you were the coach of the Cornhuskers.

OSBORNE: Well, Wolf, the reason I wanted to come on your program was just to have that opportunity. Jake was the first freshman who ever played appreciably for us in the offensive line and lettered as a freshman. Started the next three years was a consensus all-American and 1988 and 1989. He was also an academic all-American in 1988 and 1989. He carried a 3.8 average in finance. Went to law school, and he was elected one of the top six by the NCAA, which is their highest award for academics and athletic ability.

And also, just a character and a general contribution to society. So this was one of our best, one of our brightest, and I can't say enough good things about Jake Young.

BLITZER: Congressman, our hopes and prayers, of course, are with Jake and his entire family. Thanks to you for coming on the program. We'll keep our fingers crossed. We'll put in a little prayer and hope everything turns out OK.

OSBORNE: Well, thank you. We certainly appreciate that, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you, congressman.

Bali has long been a popular destination for international tourists. The tranquillity of the island has been among its major drawing points. But now, of course, its future is very much uncertain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): For many Americans, this is the prevailing image of Bali, Indonesia. An exotic resort long known as a playground for tourists from virtually everywhere. Bali's Indian Ocean beaches, hotels and nightclubs have given the island a degree of prosperity not seen elsewhere in Indonesia. Visitors pump about $5 billion a year into the Indonesian economy, and Bali is a big reason for that.

It has been a hot destination for decades, with honeymooners, scuba divers, surfers and others who flocked there to get away and get a good return on their currency. Until now, Bali had attracted an average of more than a million vacationers a year, most from Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Europe. Until now, the island had been almost exempt from the turmoil, lawlessness and government-issued travel warnings that have long afflicted Indonesia.

ARIAN ARDIE, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDONESIA: How could this happen in paradise? It was really unexpected. Bali has been a safe haven during many of the turmoil that Indonesia has gone through over the last four or five years. And it was unexpected there.

BLITZER: Now, the State Department is urging Americans to leave Indonesia. Other nations are giving their citizens similar warnings. And the tranquillity and prosperity of an island paradise are in jeopardy.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Indonesian officials say they do not want Bali's reputation to be damaged by attack and they're vowing to build a monument to the victims at the blast site.

Sniper on the loose in the Washington area. Police lie in wait for the next attack. But are led off course by false alarms. So how will they react the next time? A closer look when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Hoping against hope they will not have to use it, police in the D.C. Area do have a plan if the sniper's bullets claim another victim. As CNN's Ed Lavandera explains, the 10 shootings have taught them how to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's late Saturday night, and in Prince George's County, where the Washington area sniper has already wounded a 13-year-old boy, authorities are responding to reports that a woman is an apparent gunshot victim.

The initial reports are enough for authorities to launch the sniper response plan.

LT. EVERETT SESKER, PRINCE GEORGE'S CO. POLICE: This is something that has come about as a result of the shootings, the sniper shootings. We're not ready to -- we're not going discuss any more than that.

LAVANDERA: The exact details of the sniper response plan aren't known, but as they did last Friday after the deadly shooting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, authorities quickly closed down roads and interstates around the crime scene, hoping to cut off the sniper's escape route.

The scene is playing out all over the Washington area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the response was amazing in the short period of time because within 10 minutes or so you know, like I say, they had the county police, city police, ATF and looked like FBI over there also.

LAVANDERA: Investigators have said this sniper knows how to get around area roadways, the best ways in and out of certain situations. And although authorities won't say it publicly, many residents around here say they've noticed more patrol officers hiding around highway exits, apparently just ready to react.

Drivers of white vans and box trucks have routinely been pulled over, questioned and searched in the last week. Even at shooting scenes that aren't connected to the sniper, like this scene Sunday after a report of a gunshot in Rockville Maryland, the heavy police presence has a way of creating intense anxiety.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't nervous until I saw the police officer in the parking lot across the street with a rifle and then I knew something was up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's tremendously unnerving. I've been around this city all my life and never had anything like this happen.

LAVANDERA: Until the sniper is caught, thousands of officers will be poised and ready to respond. And the sirens and sights of officers armed with rifles will become a part of everyday life.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of the Day": Do you think the D.C. area sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? Log in to cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. We'll have the results immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Our "Picture of the Day" comes from New York, where thousands marched in the annual Columbus Day parade. But for first time in 57 years, the mayor of New York did not take part.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg refused to march because parade organizers snubbed two TV stars from the HBO show "The Sopranos". The Columbus Citizens Foundation says "The Sopranos" perpetuate stereotypes about Italian-Americans. Bloomberg marched in a smaller parade in the Bronx yesterday.

Now here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Earlier we asked: Do you think the sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? Forty-two percent of you say alone, 58 percent say he's part of a team. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

And let's get to your e-mail. We've got some coming in.

A lot on Iraq. Sherri writes this: "I recently visited Ground Zero. Those who do not think we should go to Iraq should witness it themselves. Why wait to be struck again?"

Richard has a different view: "Saddam is evil. We all agree on that. But what gives us the right to punish him? He is like a dog with no teeth. He barks and snarls, but cannot bite."

That's all the time we have today. Join me tomorrow, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Also, for my new program, "SHOWDOWN IRAQ" each week day, noon eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

"LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up 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





Area Serial Sniper; Can Iraq's Chemical, Biological Weapons Be Destroyed?>


Aired October 14, 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: Paradise turned into hell on earth, is this the work of al Qaeda? Are more attacks to come? A message attributed to Osama bin Laden. Terror at home, the police speak out in their search for a serial killer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: I think the progress is going really well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And Showdown Iraq, can chemical and biological weapons be destroyed before they're used?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the idea that we can plot out a target list from desk drawer and just start bombing does not make much sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, October 14, 2002. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We begin with the worst terrorist attack in more than a year. No one has claimed responsibility yet for the bombings that killed more than 180 people in Bali, Indonesia. But as CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports, many experts agree al Qaeda is the prime suspect and the weekend attack may be just the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are still counting the dead in Bali, trying to identify those whose bodies have been recovered, sending the wounded home to try to heal. The bombers are still unknown but in Indonesia officials say they know who did this and experts agree.

ROHAN GONARATNA, AUTHOR "INSIDE AL QAEDA GLOBAL NETWORK OR TERROR": The only organization that could have conducted a professional terrorist attack of the scale we have witnessed in Bali is al Qaeda and its Southeast Asia network Jemaah Islamiah.

MACVICAR: What is so disturbing to American officials and others is that they now fear al Qaeda has regrouped and is launching a new series of attacks.

MAGNUS RANSTORP, CTR STUDY OF TERRORISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Al Qaeda is not weakened. In many ways, it's more difficult, more unpredictable now to be able to stave off what they have in mind.

MACVICAR: In just over a week, there have been three attacks, all linked to al Qaeda. Last week, U.S. Marines training in Kuwait were attacked by gunmen. One marine died. Kuwait's government called it a terrorist act. The gunman went to bin Laden's training camps in Afghanistan. Investigators studying the explosion that holed the French oil tanker Limburg off the coast of Yemen have found debris they say came from a small explosives laden boat.

On Monday, France's president called that blast an act of terror and linked it to the bomb in Bali. The threat of terrorism, he said, remains universally present. And, a letter said to be signed by Osama bin Laden posted to an Arabic language Web site linked to al Qaeda on Monday seemed to claim responsibility for the attacks in Kuwait and Yemen saying that they were timed to coincide with the anniversary of the beginning of what it called the Crusader's War.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R-AL), INTELLIGENCE VICE-CHAIRMAN: These could be the precursor of other things to come against our interest in the world, perhaps in the U.S. We've been much aware of this for a long time.

MACVICAR: U.S. officials say that this tape from bin Laden lieutenant Ayman Al-Zawahiri and another with the voice of Osama bin Laden, both released in the past ten days, may have been meant as calls to arms. Al Qaeda detainees in Guantanamo and elsewhere have told U.S. officials that they interpreted the tapes as a sign of coming attacks, even that an attack plan had been approved.

MACVICAR (on camera): U.S. administration officials and intelligence experts in Europe and elsewhere say these attacks, as devastating as they are, may be merely warnings. Al Qaeda, they say, may be preparing a massive attack.

Sheila MacVicar, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The Bali bombings prompted the U.S. State Department to order non-essential employees and their families out of Indonesia. It's also advising other Americans to consider leaving because of what it calls increased security concerns. The State Department's Web site says Americans planning to travel to Indonesia should postpone their trips.

Bali is a popular tourist destination for Australians and at least 14 of the bombing victims were from Australia. Survivors of the blast, many with injuries, arrived back in their homeland today greeted by family, friends, and medical personnel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. LEN NOTARAS, DARWIN HOSPITAL: Eleven of us came over. We've lost six. I spent the day at the morgue. I've identified five. There's still one we can't find. I don't know if we ever will.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sheer magnitude of what has actually occurred is going to take some considerable time to sink in to a lot of people, including ourselves here at the hospital. It has been our own, in a sense, 11th of September.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, called a special meeting of senior ministers to discuss a response to the bombings. President Bush says he's concerned about the apparent revival of al Qaeda activity. It comes just as the United States is preparing for a possible attack against Iraq and some observers are suggesting America may find itself confronting two foes at once. We've asked CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King to join us now for a closer look. What's going on, John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Mr. Bush staged an impromptu question and answer session with reporters today, condemning the bombing in Bali, saying that it is proof to him anyway that al Qaeda remains a very highly organized menacing force, but the president brushing aside the critics who say that this is proof that he should fight the war on terrorism one front at a time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): The president sees an al Qaeda resurgence in the string of recent terror attacks.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It does look like a pattern of attacks that the enemy, albeit on the run, is trying to once again frighten and kill freedom loving people.

KING: A deadly weekend bombing in Indonesia followed attacks on U.S. troops in Kuwait and the bombing of a French oil tanker in Yemen. The strike in Bali only reinforced the White House view that Indonesia's government has been too timid in confronting terror cells. Mr. Bush said he will call President Megawati soon.

BUSH: I hope I hear the resolve of a leader that recognizes that any time terrorists take hold in a country it is going to weaken the country itself and there has to be a firm and deliberate desire to find out, find the killers before they kill somebody else.

KING: This new statement attributed to Osama bin Laden urges more attacks, though U.S. officials are skeptical it is authentic.

BUSH: We don't know whether bin Laden is alive or dead. You know they keep floating supposed letters and radio broadcasts. We do know that al Qaeda is still dangerous and while we made good progress, there is a lot more work to do.

KING: Even before these new attacks, many questioned Mr. Bush's insistence on confronting Iraq now, believing al Qaeda is the more immediate threat, but the president is not swayed and called British Prime Minister Tony Blair early Monday to compare notes on Iraq.

BUSH: We will fight if need be the war on terror on two fronts. We got plenty of capacity to do so.

KING: The president voiced concern about the possibility of attacks on the United States and security at some bridges and ports has been increased in recent days as a precaution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: But senior administration officials tell CNN there is no credible intelligence suggesting any new attacks in the United States anytime soon, and because of that barring any new information, there are no plans to raise the nation's alert status, now at yellow meaning elevated risk to orange, which would be the code for a high risk of a terrorist attack -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John, as you know, the Security Council at the United Nations is supposed to begin formal debate this week on a resolution the U.S. and Britain want. The president seemed rather upbeat that he was going to get basically what he wanted. Is that the mood at the White House?

KING: Well, the mood is they will have to make some compromises. They remain convinced they will get what they want. The big question is will they get it in one resolution or two. The president saying today that he will insist on a resolution that makes clear Saddam must keep his commitments and that if the weapons inspectors go back in there must be no interference or Iraq would face "consequences."

By that, the president knows and anyone who's been listening in recent weeks knows he means military strikes. Private diplomacy at the U.N. continuing, the White House says it is optimistic but it has been saying that for some time without any public proof that France and Russia are ready to come along.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, John thanks very much. And in just a moment, more on that letter supposedly from Osama bin Laden praising recent terror attacks. What exactly is the message and why does it concern terrorism experts? Plus, progress in the sniper investigation as police step up their manhunt, but first a look at other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Northern Ireland faces its worst political crisis since the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement. Britain is suspending the province's power sharing government over accusations of spying by the Irish Republican Army.

A dire warning from the U.N. Secretary-General as he visits the world's most populous nation, Kofi Annan says China is on the brink of an AIDS epidemic. A U.N. repot warns that ten million Chinese could be infected by the end of the decade unless China does more to combat the disease.

Six months after surviving a coup attempt, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is dismissing demands that he step down or call early elections. Yesterday in Caracas, he led a huge march staged by his supporters. Opponents threaten a general strike next week unless early elections are called.

In London, a former butler to Princess Diana pleaded not guilty to stealing hundreds of items from her and other members of the royal family. Paul Burele (ph) is accused to taking everything from personal letters to photographs. Princess Diana once called Burele her Rock.

And in northwestern India, an ancient tradition is unfolding. The annual donkey fair started 500 years ago. It attracts buyers and sellers from around the region. In addition to donkeys, horses and mules are also for sale, and that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Earlier we told you about a newly-circulated letter said to have been written by Osama bin Laden. Our national correspondent Mike Boettcher has been looking into this letter, its message, and the question of its authenticity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The alleged statement from Osama bin Laden comes from two sources; first, an Internet Web site that in the past has been used by al Qaeda to deliver messages. Also, a copy of the statement was broadcast by Al- Jazeera, the Arabic language satellite news network. It was signed by Osama bin Laden according to Al-Jazeera.

Now the statement praised the attacks of last week against the U.S. Marines in Kuwait and against that French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen. Reading from the statement now, it says: "The heroic operation in Kuwait proves the level of danger that threatens U.S. forces in Islamic countries. The priority in this war at this stage must be against the infidels, the Americans and the Jews, who have not stopped their injustice."

Now, Monday's statement follows an October 6 recording, reportedly of Ayman Al-Zawahiri who is the right-hand man of Osama bin Laden. In that recorded statement, Zawahiri promised attacks, fresh attacks against economic target, and of course on that same day, October 6, the tanker was attacked off the coast of Yemen.

The reason attacks in Bali were not mentioned in this statement, although the al Qaeda statement released by Al-Jazeera and by that Internet Web site promises two more statements, and it would fit with the pattern, the new pattern alleged by Ayman Al-Zawahiri, a pattern of attacks against economic targets around the world. That is being looked at by terrorism experts and intelligence analysts who are trying to predict what al Qaeda will do next -- Wolf.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mike Boettcher reporting for us in London thank you very much, Mike. For another take on the al Qaeda threat, we're going to talk with a former member of the National Security Council staff at the White House. Dan Benjamin was director of counterterrorism during the Clinton administration and is the author of an important new book "The Age of Sacred Terror." Thanks for joining us. Well first of all, what do you make of this purported statement from Osama bin Laden?

DAN BENJAMIN, "THE AGE OF SACRED TERROR": It's impossible to know whether he's still alive, whether this is being put out in his name or not. The fact that Zawahiri is still alive is, in fact, very important because he's probably the most brilliant of the bunch. He doesn't have Osama's charisma but he's a very, very important figure.

BLITZER: He's the Egyptian and many people always thought that he was the mastermind of a lot of this. Is that what you thought when you were studying this on a day-to-day basis during the '90s?

BENJAMIN: He's definitely the key figure in formulating the strategy. There's no question about that.

BLITZER: But the notion that they're putting out a statement in Osama bin Laden's name, if he were alive, wouldn't there be more than just some sort of phony statement, if it is in fact a phony statement. Wouldn't there be a videotape let's say?

BENJAMIN: It's hard to say. It's hard to know what kind of conditions he's in. Maybe he feels that it's impossible to be videotaped safely or to get a courier with the tape to Al-Jazeera safely, that sort of thing. I don't think we can draw any conclusions from it, but it is interesting that they're putting out statements at all.

BLITZER: Is this part now of a coordinated new, what's happened in Kuwait and Yemen and Indonesia, an al Qaeda offensive that's been renewed?

BENJAMIN: It's clear that the different cells, the different groups that have been affiliated with al Qaeda all got the word that they had to show that the movement is vital, that the movement is viable, and that they're prepared to attack. How coordinated it is, we can't know without having a better bead on where the leadership is.

BLITZER: There's been some speculation, and it could be totally far fetched, that the sniper attacks here in the Greater Washington area may be part of that same offensive. Do you believe that at all?

BENJAMIN: I find that very hard to believe. Al Qaeda is looking to create mass casualties and this is a person who's seeking to pick off one victim at a time. Also, he's, we assume it's a he, that he has made no tie, no public announcement of who he belongs to, what his cause is, so I would find this very, very strange. BLITZER: The whole nature, though, of the threat, is it enough do you suspect right now to -- John King was saying there's no plans to elevate the alert status from yellow back to orange. Is that smart right now to stay at that same sort of mid-level elevated status?

BENJAMIN: I'm not quite sure what difference there would be. The status is mostly, the alert code is basically for public consumption. What really counts is what intelligence and law enforcement are doing. If they haven't gotten any more information, then I don't know what else they can do. It's important that they just simply be as vigilant as they can.

BLITZER: Dan Benjamin thanks for joining us. Good luck with the book.

BENJAMIN: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: And fear hangs over the Washington area as the sniper killer takes a long weekend. A closer look at the investigation, are police any closer to finding this cold-blooded killer or killers? Plus, President Bush willing to fight two wars presses on against Iraq, but should weapons inspectors be given a chance to succeed? We'll talk to two men who have done the job. And, "The Sopranos" whacked from the Columbus Day Parade, the real life controversy over television.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: After a quiet weekend, Maryland Police are keeping fairly close-mouthed about their search for a sniper. While on guard and apprehensive about a possible next strike, they say they're making progress in the case. Kathleen Koch is standing by for us in Montgomery County, Maryland near Rockville with the late developments. What's going on, Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there was only briefing from police today and they are not saying very much. There have been a few false alarms. People are very much on edge here but thankfully no new sniper killings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): Police continue probing for clues as a nervous community welcomed a three day lull in the sniper shootings. President Bush spoke out for the first time on the murder spree that has become a part of his daily FBI briefing.

BUSH: First of all, I'm just sick to my stomach to think that there is a cold-blooded killer at home taking innocent life. I weep for those who've lost their loved ones. The idea of moms taking their kids to school and sheltering them from a potential sniper attack is not the America I know, and therefore, we're lending all the resources of the federal government, all that have been required, to do everything we can to assist the local law authorities to find whoever it is. KOCH: Authorities say calls and e-mails continue to pour in after the release Saturday of a composite graphic showing the white box truck spotted at some of the Montgomery County shooting scenes. A similar image of a white Chevy Astro van, like this, seen leaving the site of Friday's shooting in Virginia isn't yet ready for release. Montgomery County's police chief insists the investigation is moving forward.

MOOSE: And I feel extremely good about the progress, but again it is always not appropriate to share the details that cause me to feel good about that, but please believe me we are indeed making progress.

KOCH: Authorities deny there are any plans for the federal government to take over the investigation.

GARY BALD, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: There hasn't been any talk among the investigative team of the FBI taking this case over. There would be no reason to do that. There are no resources that we have that are at our disposal that we aren't bringing to bear in this particular case. The discussions that you're referring to are coming from outside of the task force, the groups working very effectively together, and I think we'll be successful.

KOCH: A customer at the Michael's craft store, site of the first shooting October 2, has found what may have been bullet fragments inside a magazine. Police will only confirm evidence has been found there and is being processed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Now this is the first three-day respite since the shootings began. Police won't read anything into that. Chief Moose only saying that any day without a killing is a good day -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kathleen Koch for us in Rockville, Maryland thanks very much. Investigators are trying to understand the sniper's movements and actions but so far experts say the sniper is defying established patterns for serial killers and spree killers, almost like he's evolving as he's going along.

CNN criminologist Casey Jordan is joining us from New York. Casey thanks for joining us. You probably noticed the police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland releasing a post office box number today, saying people who have tips can write to him as well as call in, this amid speculation he's looking for a way to communicate with the killer or killers. What do you sense is going on here?

CASEY JORDAN, CNN CRIMINOLOGIST: Well, I can't say that he established a P.O. Box just to communicate with the killer but I think there is no doubt that this has occurred to them, that they're trying to open the door to a line of communication with the perpetrator that may have been lost after the tarot card information was leaked to the public.

Now, there are people out there who would rather write their tips than call, but I'd be hard pressed to say that it's more likely people want to write a letter than call a toll free number. So, I think the possibility exists that they're hoping for some, dare we call it, three-dimensional information in the form of a letter, a postcard.

Once you have something in writing that you can analyze, handwriting, or the type of paper it was written on, the stamp, the postmark, whether it was typed or printed, this is much better evidence than tips that come across a phone line.

BLITZER: When I interview Chief Moose and when I see him making his statements, I can't help but think he's trying to send some sort of message out there to the killer or killers in some sort of way. Am I reading too much into that?

JORDAN: Well, I don't think so. The key here is that there is definitely a chess game going on between the police and this perpetrator. They can not ignore that he is doing things apparently in response to what he is seeing on the media and statements that they have made. So, it would be remiss of him to ignore the possibility that the only way to communicate with this perpetrator is through the media. He has to cover all his bases. I'm sure that they're doing a lot in the background that we don't know about as well, but this seems to be just another option that he's trying to explore.

BLITZER: One of the interesting aspects of the vehicles involved, they released this box truck diagram. They're going to release a diagram of this Astro van, the Chevy Astro van. The D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey says they're looking for a burgundy Chevy Caprice that may have left the scene of the shooting in the District of Columbia. What do you make of all these different vehicles they might be looking for?

JORDAN: Again, I think they're covering all their bases. It would be silly to rule out anything that appears to be credible or consistent eyewitness reporting. They're getting thousands of tips. They have to filter through all of these and try to figure out which ones might be the ones to go with.

The problem is, is that if you go with every single tip, you're going to be in a thousand different directions and probably waste a lot of valuable time. So my inclination is to believe that if they do have these three vehicles and are willing to talk about them, there must be something behind that.

BLITZER: Casey Jordan thanks for joining us. We'll have you back.

JORDAN: OK, thanks.

BLITZER: Thank you and here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this: Do you think the sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? We'll have the results later in this program. Go to my web page cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. While you're there, send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. It's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

The president is keeping Saddam Hussein in the crossfire, but is an all out war the only solution? Two former weapons inspectors with two very different perspectives join us live when we return. Plus, an all-American football star missing in Bali; a closer look at his life. And an everyday cure for warts may be found in your garage, more on that in just a moment. But first, our weekend snapshot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The Reverend Jerry Falwell has apologized for calling Islam's founder, the Prophet Mohammed, a terrorist. In a statement Saturday, Falwell said he intended no disrespect to any sincere law-abiding Muslim. In an earlier TV interview, the Baptist minister called Mohammed a violent man and a man of war. Muslims were outraged and a strike in India called to protest the comments turned into a deadly riot.

In Lewiston, Maine, Somali refugees received a big show of support yesterday from their new neighbors. Hundreds of people turned out for a march to welcome the refugees. More than 1,000 Somalis have been resettled in the town.

It was a different scene yesterday in Middlebury, Vermont. Hundreds of people turned out to protest an appearance by White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer at his alma mater Middlebury College. He was there to receive an award and to give a lecture. A peace march through downtown drew almost 900 people.

In the Midwest, Chicago Bulls forward Marcus Fizer faces a court hearing next week following his arrest yesterday. Fizer is charges with unlawful use of a weapon and driving with a suspended license.

Also in Chicago, British runner Paula Radcliffe (ph) ran the fastest marathon ever for a woman yesterday. She won the Chicago marathon finishing in just over two hours and 17 minutes.

And baseball fans in Anaheim, California are celebrating after their team beat Minnesota yesterday 13-5 to capture the American League pennant. It's Anaheim's first trip to the World Series, and that's our weekend snapshot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. I'm Wolf Blitzer.

Coming up, the Iraq debate. Two former weapons inspector with two different views join me.

But first, let's take a look at other stories making news right now.

Ira Einhorn took the witness stand today. The former hippy guru is on trial in Philadelphia for the murder of his girlfriend, 25 years ago. Police say that they found the body of Holy Maddux stuffed in Einhorn's apartment closet in 1979. But on the stand, Einhorn testified that other people had access to the couple's apartment and he was surprised when police found the body in the closet. Einhorn says he was framed by the CIA. He was on the lam for years but was found in France five years ago and extradited to the United States last year.

It was a plumbing job 250 miles above the Earth. Two astronauts finished their third and final spacewalk outside the International Space Station today. Astronauts Piers Sellers and David Wolf installed the final bit of plumbing for a $390 million girder attached to the space station. There were none of the technical problems that plagued two earlier spacewalks.

And you don't have to be a worry wart about your warts, just get some duct tape. Researchers say 85 percent of patients who put duct tape on their warts and then used pumice stone to scrape the spot lost their warts within two months. They say it is more effective than having them frozen off.

The White House says Iraq is hiding chemical and biological weapons, hiding them so well U.N. inspectors may not be able to find them. If the United States does go to war with Iraq, could those weapons be destroyed before Baghdad has a chance to use them?

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reports as part of our series "Inside Iraq."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In anticipation of war, Saddam Hussein already has hidden much of his suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons capabilities, say U.S. officials. Intelligence sources tell CNN biological weapons production is now inside trucks, mobile laboratories hard to locate. At chemical facilities, satellite photographs show no vehicle traffic indicating heavy equipment has been taken out, little left to bomb, perhaps.

At the suspected nuclear facility at Tuwasa (ph), journalists were allowed to see only a small area inside this circle. Satellite photos showing a massive facility.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: I think the idea that we can trot out a target list from some desk draw and just start bombing does not make sense.

STARR: Iraq says it doesn't have WMD. The Pentagon says nevertheless, Baghdad will evade U.N. weapons inspections.

JOHN YURECHKO, DEF. INTELLIGENCE ACGY.: We think they're already postured and have trained large numbers of personnel how to deal with an intrusive inspection regime.

STARR: With so much deception, the Pentagon may have to find new ways to locate and destroy these targets. High tech weapons such as the satellite-guided Tomahawk missile or the 2,000 pound J-Dam bomb will not distinguish civilian shields or prevent lethal material being accidentally released.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld believes it will take boots on the ground.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It will take deep penetrators and it would require capabilities that would not be pleasant to have to use. That means you would have to address the problem from the ground.

STARR (on camera): Sources tell CNN there is now discussion about the need for new bombs that can penetrate more deeply underground. They would be used to attack bunkers beneath Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces. Places the U.S. thinks the Iraqi leader might hide in the opening hours of a war.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: While the war talk on Iraq resonates here in Washington, a group of businessmen say they're not buying what the administration is trying to sell. They're sending out their own message in an ad in today's "New York Times." A group calling itself Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities is calling on the White House to give the U.N. weapons inspectors a chance to do their jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN COHEN, FOUNDER, BEN & JERRY'S: We took out the ad because we're convinced that going to war with Iraq would be senseless. In terms of the amount of civilians that would die, in terms of there being no imminent threat, in terms of the havoc it would wreak to the economy, and in terms of the precedent that it would be setting for so-called preemptive war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: There's a lot, of course, riding on what U.N. weapons inspectors may find in Iraq. Baghdad remains unchanged on the sticking point of palace inspections and the White House says that's not acceptable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I want is a firm resolution that says you disarm and an inspection regime that is there not for the sake of inspectors, but is there to achieve the objective of disarming Mr. Saddam Hussein. It's his choice to make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter is joining us now live from Albany, New York. Former U.N. weapons inspector Tim Trevan is here in Washington.

You just heard what the president had to say, Scott. What do you say to the president's comments?

SCOTT RITTER, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Look, the president's not being -- he's being disingenuous here.

He's talking about disarming Iraq, but his version of disarmament is Secretary Rumsfeld putting boots on the ground, bombing. That's the only way the White House sees an effective disarmament program taking place. He's totally written off weapons inspections. He's totally written off the Security Council.

And that's a shame because regardless of how imperfect the system was in the past, it did work. We did compel Iraq into giving up a major portion of its weapons programs. We monitored Iraq. And it would work again if given the chance.

BLITZER: Tim, do you agree with Scott?

TIM TREVAN, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Well it worked on one level. It certainly helped find weapons systems that Iraq originally said it didn't have. But it didn't work at the other level of proving that Iran -- Iraq had fully disarmed. And it is at that level that I think it would fare again in the future.

BLITZER: You to think, Tim, that the weapons inspectors if they go in should at least be given a chance to see if the Iraqis will cooperate or is it simply a waste of time?

TREVAN: I think they should be go back in. And test the Iraqi cooperation with the disarmament effort. I'm not talking about cooperation in any way, any time -- inspections in game of cat and mouse.

I'm talking about Iraqis giving full access to scientists that can be interviewed without minders around convincing the inspectors that they are fully disarmed and supporting it with credible evidence.

BLITZER: You think that has any chance of succeeding, Scott?

RITTER: Look, you know, the ball is in Iraq's court once you let inspectors back in. It is up to Iraq to provide -- to facilitate the work of the inspectors, give access to the personnel needed for interviews. And it is only going to work if Iraq cooperates.

But the bottom line is we'll never know unless we try. And I think it is incumbent upon us as Americans and as members of the international community to exhaust every venue short of war before going to war. And darn it, inspections is such a venue. It would work if given a chance.

BLITZER: Is there any chance, Tim, that the Iraqis would let the inspectors bring their Iraqi scientists outside of Iraq with their family members to be questioned about weapons of mass destruction? Something that the Bush administration is demanding right now?

TREVAN: I think there's little prospect of that. The reason I say that is because the discussions that are already taking place in Vienna indicated the Iraqis are trying to play the old game of curbing the inspectors rights.

But I think that will be a very good thing to try. If the Iraqis are really willing to cooperate, that's one thing they should be willing to do.

BLITZER: That seems like a wish that probably won't happen, Scott.

RITTER: No, first of all, I disagree with Tim on this. As somebody who worked his program for seven years and spent a heck of a lot of time in Iraq, you know, interrogating -- questioning Iraqi scientists -- we don't need to take them out of the country. Look, that's just a prescription for defection and it is something the United States knows Iraqi government will never, ever go along with. So it's built-in failure.

I succeeded tremendously in getting the Iraqis to confess, you know, violations and getting them to admit to doing things in the past. You know, I broke the back of their concealment program after two years of hammering away and investigations, finally getting them to confess that they had a concealment program run out of the office of the presidency, and I certainly didn't have to take people out of Iraq or bring their families out of Iraq.

You know, inspectors have got to do their jobs. It is not an easy job. It is a lot like a police investigator going after a criminal. It is tough, but if allowed to work, it can work. We don't need to bring in some artificiality -- artificial constructs like bringing scientists out of Iraq. That's garbage.

BLITZER: Tim, you spent years inspecting in Iraq as well. This notion of coercive inspections, having Hans Blix and his inspectors go in with military teams to back them up and use force if necessary to gain access to sensitive sites like presidential palaces -- does that have a chance of getting off the ground?

TREVAN: I think it misses the point. And the point is that Iraq has to cooperate with the disarmament effort. And it can do so at much lower costs than having coercive inspections. The problem with the coercive inspections is it's going to take time to get the military force to the inspection site, during which time the Iraqis can sanitize the site, and during which time the inspectors' lives are put at risk.

BLITZER: You agree with that, Scott?

RITTER: Yeah, look, in 1991, we talked about coercive inspections, just this sort of thing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was given the option of having U.S. Marines and attack helicopters accompany inspectors in the western Iraq to gain access to missile sites Iraqis were blocking us from flying helicopters to, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rightly at that time rejected this as just an absurd notion that will lead eventually to nothing more than a bunch of dead inspectors on the ground.

It was a dumb idea then; it's a dumb idea now. Tim is absolutely right. The onus is on Iraq. They have to facilitate the work of the inspectors, and if Iraq chooses not to, then don't put the lives of the inspectors at risk. Get them out of the country, and then bring the military force to bear.

BLITZER: Scott Ritter, Tim Trevan, two former U.N. weapons inspectors. I take it neither of you has any plans of heading back to inspect sites in Iraq anytime soon, is that right?

TREVAN: Absolutely right.

RITTER: No.

BLITZER: All right, thanks for joining us. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

Terror attacks in Bali hit home. An all-American football player among the 200 people missing. The personal side of the devastation when we return.

Plus, waiting for the sniper to strike. Hear how police plan to react the next time, God forbid, it happens.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As we've said, the search goes on in Bali, Indonesia, for victims still missing from the weekend bombings. At least two Americans are among the missing. They include Steven Brooks Webster from California, and Jake Young, a former all-American football player at the University of Nebraska.

With us now from Lincoln, Nebraska, Congressman Tom Osborne, the former head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Congressman, thanks for joining us. I'm sorry we're talking under these circumstances. But what is the latest? What are you hearing about Jake Young right now?

REP. TOM OSBORNE (R), NEBRASKA: Well, Wolf, I've talked to State Department several times in the last day and a half, and it's about morning in Bali now. And they were going to have somebody from the State Department and one of Jake's teammates on the rugby team go down to check on some final identification. It doesn't look real promising, but there is nothing final at this point. So it's a very difficult situation for his family and his wife and his little boy.

BLITZER: You've spoken to the family. I know you have. How are they dealing with this?

OSBORNE: Well, naturally, it's a very tragic time. And Jake had been over in Hong Kong with his wife and little boy for two years working as an attorney, and was returning to the United States. Played on the Hong Kong rugby team, and I think decided to take one last tournament with them in Bali on his way back to the United States. His wife and son Wilson are back here in the Kansas City area, and so this was something that was tragic in that he was headed back this way.

BLITZER: Tell us a little bit about Jake Young. I know he was an all-American center when you were the coach of the Cornhuskers.

OSBORNE: Well, Wolf, the reason I wanted to come on your program was just to have that opportunity. Jake was the first freshman who ever played appreciably for us in the offensive line and lettered as a freshman. Started the next three years was a consensus all-American and 1988 and 1989. He was also an academic all-American in 1988 and 1989. He carried a 3.8 average in finance. Went to law school, and he was elected one of the top six by the NCAA, which is their highest award for academics and athletic ability.

And also, just a character and a general contribution to society. So this was one of our best, one of our brightest, and I can't say enough good things about Jake Young.

BLITZER: Congressman, our hopes and prayers, of course, are with Jake and his entire family. Thanks to you for coming on the program. We'll keep our fingers crossed. We'll put in a little prayer and hope everything turns out OK.

OSBORNE: Well, thank you. We certainly appreciate that, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you, congressman.

Bali has long been a popular destination for international tourists. The tranquillity of the island has been among its major drawing points. But now, of course, its future is very much uncertain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): For many Americans, this is the prevailing image of Bali, Indonesia. An exotic resort long known as a playground for tourists from virtually everywhere. Bali's Indian Ocean beaches, hotels and nightclubs have given the island a degree of prosperity not seen elsewhere in Indonesia. Visitors pump about $5 billion a year into the Indonesian economy, and Bali is a big reason for that.

It has been a hot destination for decades, with honeymooners, scuba divers, surfers and others who flocked there to get away and get a good return on their currency. Until now, Bali had attracted an average of more than a million vacationers a year, most from Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Europe. Until now, the island had been almost exempt from the turmoil, lawlessness and government-issued travel warnings that have long afflicted Indonesia.

ARIAN ARDIE, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDONESIA: How could this happen in paradise? It was really unexpected. Bali has been a safe haven during many of the turmoil that Indonesia has gone through over the last four or five years. And it was unexpected there.

BLITZER: Now, the State Department is urging Americans to leave Indonesia. Other nations are giving their citizens similar warnings. And the tranquillity and prosperity of an island paradise are in jeopardy.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Indonesian officials say they do not want Bali's reputation to be damaged by attack and they're vowing to build a monument to the victims at the blast site.

Sniper on the loose in the Washington area. Police lie in wait for the next attack. But are led off course by false alarms. So how will they react the next time? A closer look when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Hoping against hope they will not have to use it, police in the D.C. Area do have a plan if the sniper's bullets claim another victim. As CNN's Ed Lavandera explains, the 10 shootings have taught them how to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's late Saturday night, and in Prince George's County, where the Washington area sniper has already wounded a 13-year-old boy, authorities are responding to reports that a woman is an apparent gunshot victim.

The initial reports are enough for authorities to launch the sniper response plan.

LT. EVERETT SESKER, PRINCE GEORGE'S CO. POLICE: This is something that has come about as a result of the shootings, the sniper shootings. We're not ready to -- we're not going discuss any more than that.

LAVANDERA: The exact details of the sniper response plan aren't known, but as they did last Friday after the deadly shooting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, authorities quickly closed down roads and interstates around the crime scene, hoping to cut off the sniper's escape route.

The scene is playing out all over the Washington area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the response was amazing in the short period of time because within 10 minutes or so you know, like I say, they had the county police, city police, ATF and looked like FBI over there also.

LAVANDERA: Investigators have said this sniper knows how to get around area roadways, the best ways in and out of certain situations. And although authorities won't say it publicly, many residents around here say they've noticed more patrol officers hiding around highway exits, apparently just ready to react.

Drivers of white vans and box trucks have routinely been pulled over, questioned and searched in the last week. Even at shooting scenes that aren't connected to the sniper, like this scene Sunday after a report of a gunshot in Rockville Maryland, the heavy police presence has a way of creating intense anxiety.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't nervous until I saw the police officer in the parking lot across the street with a rifle and then I knew something was up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's tremendously unnerving. I've been around this city all my life and never had anything like this happen.

LAVANDERA: Until the sniper is caught, thousands of officers will be poised and ready to respond. And the sirens and sights of officers armed with rifles will become a part of everyday life.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And time is running out for you to weigh in on our "Web Question of the Day": Do you think the D.C. area sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? Log in to cnn.com/wolf. That's where you can vote. We'll have the results immediately when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Our "Picture of the Day" comes from New York, where thousands marched in the annual Columbus Day parade. But for first time in 57 years, the mayor of New York did not take part.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg refused to march because parade organizers snubbed two TV stars from the HBO show "The Sopranos". The Columbus Citizens Foundation says "The Sopranos" perpetuate stereotypes about Italian-Americans. Bloomberg marched in a smaller parade in the Bronx yesterday.

Now here's how you're weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Earlier we asked: Do you think the sniper is acting alone or as part of a team? Forty-two percent of you say alone, 58 percent say he's part of a team. Remember, this is not a scientific poll.

And let's get to your e-mail. We've got some coming in.

A lot on Iraq. Sherri writes this: "I recently visited Ground Zero. Those who do not think we should go to Iraq should witness it themselves. Why wait to be struck again?"

Richard has a different view: "Saddam is evil. We all agree on that. But what gives us the right to punish him? He is like a dog with no teeth. He barks and snarls, but cannot bite."

That's all the time we have today. Join me tomorrow, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Also, for my new program, "SHOWDOWN IRAQ" each week day, noon eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

"LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" is up right now.

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Area Serial Sniper; Can Iraq's Chemical, Biological Weapons Be Destroyed?>