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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Is Road Map to Peace a Dead End?

Aired June 10, 2003 - 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.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Stock trading scandal. For the first time in recent years an insider will be spending time inside.

As Martha gets her mugshot, should she worry about a similar fate?

Road map to a dead end? Israel targets a Hamas leader, but others are caught in the middle. The White House warns Israel.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That's why the president finds this deeply troubling.

BLITZER: What's al Qaeda's next move?

A deadly warning about weapons of mass destruction and targets of opportunity.

And mission to Mars. A rover rocket toward the red planet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, June 10, 2003.

Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Two major stories we're tracking right now.

First, could it lead to the fall of Martha Stewart?

Today a strong message for a corporate criminal. Stewart's friend and former ImClone CEO Sam Waksal gets seven years in prison. Another story overseas.

Israel sends a strong message to a Hamas leader in the form of a missile. The act is caught on camera. Also on camera, President Bush expressing a deep concern with the air assault. We'll tell you why.

First the fall and disgrace of a corporate chief. ImClone founder Sam Waksal is headed to prison for his role in the insider trading scandal. Left behind a life with the rich and famous and close friend Martha Stewart also ensnared in the scandal.

CNN's Allan Chernoff has been covering this story not only today but for weeks and weeks and weeks, is joining us now with details -- Al.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was a day of high drama at the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan. The same very same courthouse where Martha Stewart, Sam Waksal's friend, had appeared for an arraignment last week. Well, today was the day Sam Waksal had been hoping to avoid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): A year and a half after his insider trading. Sam Waksal arrived to receive his punishment. In a 40- minute defense, attorney Pomerantz said "This is not the corporate fat cat who steps on people. This is a man who has cared about people all his life." Indeed Waksal's company ImClone has been developing a cancer drug. More than 120 cancer patients, company employees and friends all wrote to the court on Waksal's behalf.

Waksal himself plead for leniency saying "I am so sorry for my actions." His 80-year-old father jack, a holocaust survivor, wept in the front row. But judge William Pauley rejected all arguments for leniency telling Waksal his crimes are emblematic of a pattern of lawlessness and arrogance. The judge sentenced Waksal to seven years, three months and fined him $3 million, plus $1.2 million in back taxes. Neither Waksal nor his family had any comment as they left court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: Judge Pauley called Waksal's downfall tragic, especially in light of the latest news on Erbitux, the cancer drug. The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to give that drug a second review after new trial data from an overseas partner of ImClone Systems, which means that Sam Waksal's greatest victory may now come after he is behind prison bars -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What irony. Allan Chernoff, thanks very much for that solid report. And with the close friend of Sam Waksal -- with Sam Waksal heading to prison, should Martha Stewart also be worried?

Joining us now for his take on the fallout from the ImClone scandal, a former federal prosecutor, Martin Goldberg.

Thanks, Martin, for joining us very much.

How worried should Martha Stewart be right now?

MARTIN GOLDBERG, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I think she has severe cause to be worried. I would not underestimate the government's case. As we've seen in the indictment and through what the U.S. attorneys have said, there is some powerful evidence that she covered up the alleged crime. And I think at the end of the day, given the sense of the community, as well as the evidence that's facing her, she should have some severe concern.

BLITZER: Here's the major difference, though. Sam Waksal, as you know, pleaded guilty and actually was subject to whatever the judge wanted to give him, within federal prison guidelines. The guidelines forced on the judge. Martha Stewart is pleading innocent. She's resisting. She wants to go before a jury.

GOLDBERG: That's right. She can exercise her right to a jury and put the government to its burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she engaged in the crimes that are charges, unlike Mr. Waksal, who in an unusual procedure, plead guilty really without an agreement from the government and let the judge have some discretion with respect to sentencing. Martha Stewart is going to put her hands in the -- put her fate in the hands of a jury.

BLITZER: If you were Martha Stewart right now, seeing what this judge did to Sam Waksal, don't you think she's better off putting her fate in the hands of the jury?

GOLDBERG: I think that in large part, if her defense team believes that they can sway a jury, that what's charged, which is really a victimless crime to a degree, really lying to the government or lying to the SEC and the U.S. attorney's office, if they believe they can sway a jury that there should be some nullification or disqualification, she's probably better off going to trial. Otherwise, there is some room under federal law to, if you lead guilty, work out a deal with the government to get some leniency from the government and have your sentence, quite frankly, reduced significantly.

BLITZER: Is Martha Stewart in your opinion, as a former federal prosecutor, being treated any differently because she's a celebrity?

GOLDBERG: I think the answer has to be yes to some degree. There is no question that in the government's view, deterrence is an issue. It's a goal that they want to pursue throughout the country. There is no better stage than to put Martha Stewart on than the national spotlight to get their point across that lying or making false statements to the government will not be tolerated. On the other hand, I think the government was on the horns of a dilemma. If they gave her a past, they would have to, you know, face hundreds and thousands of criminal defense lawyers who have clients in similar positions saying, why did you give Martha Stewart a pass for the very same conduct that you're looking to charge my client with. And that would have been a difficult position for the government to be in at this point.

BLITZER: And intriguing dilemma. Martin Goldberg, thanks very much for that report.

Now to a developing story we're following out of Iraq. Another incident showing the danger to U.S. troops. Within the past hour, we've learned more U.S. troops have been ambushed. And this one, once again, deadly.

Let's turn to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, what's happening?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf, more very sad news coming into the Pentagon the last few minutes. One U.S. soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division was killed and one injured late today in southwest Baghdad. They were monitoring a weapons collection point, a place where Iraqis are being told to turn in their guns and rifle. A van with four passengers pulled up in a nearby alleyway. Two attackers got out and directly shot at the soldiers with rocket-propelled grenades. The men were medeVaced out of the area. One soldier later died. The other one remains in critical condition, we are told. All of this part of the continuing cycle of violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq. And growing concerns here at the Pentagon that they are beginning to see the first phases of some type of organized resistance against the U.S. military presence in Iraq -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A very disturbing development. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks for that.

Today's death brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq to 183. Forty-five of those deaths happened after President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1, when he was aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.

What's al Qaeda's next move?

A U.S. report to the United Nations says that for the foreseeable future, the Osama bin Laden network will remain the most immediate and serious terror threat facing the United States. Recently U.S. cities have conducted drills against such a possibility. The report says, and now I'm quoting, "There's a high probability al Qaeda will attempt a biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear weapon attack," and once again quoting, "Within the next two years." And while the report says al Qaeda will continue to favor spectacular attacks, like the September 11 attack, it may also seek quote, "softer targets of opportunity" including banks, shopping malls, even supermarkets.

Let's get some perspective on all of this. For that we turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor. I know you've been doing some support -- reporting on this report that was submitted to the U.N. only coming out now. It sounds so alarming.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It sounds alarming, Wolf, but with the exception of a couple of words, it's the same thing the government has been saying to us to the people of the United States for a couple of years now. That there are -- that al Qaeda is the biggest threat to this country. That there could be an attack using a weapon of mass destruction. And that softer targets are also a possibility. All of that is not new. This phrase within the next two years got a lot of our attention this morning. I've talked to a couple of officials about it and they say, if you are paying a lot of attention to that, it's unintentional. All they are saying is that there is this ongoing threat. They don't know of it going beyond two years, but they're not saying it wouldn't and they are not saying they don't have special intelligence that something is going to happen in two years. They are saying this is a serious threat. We need to keep any eye on it.

BLITZER: This was a State Department official who wrote this report. It was submitted on behalf of the United States government to the United Nations.

Did it go through some interagency clearance throughout the intelligence community, to Homeland Security Department before it was sent to New York?

ENSOR: The preparation was an interagency process, I'm told. Other agencies offered their thoughts. Intelligence coming from the CIA, the FBI and others. That was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It was prepared at the State Department. But the feeling of officials, quite frankly, that more attention is being paid to this than it deserves.

BLITZER: All right. David Ensor, good work. Thanks very much.

The Middle East peace plan is it being blown to pieces?

President Bush is weighing in against violence. But can he stem the tide of bloodshed.

Also weapons of mass destruction.

Was Iraq really an imminent threat?

I'll ask the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Jay Rockefeller.

And blast off to the red planet. NASA tries to make history after a long, hard year.

First, today's news quiz.

"Which country was the first to land a spacecraft on Mars?"

The United States, Russia, China, England?

The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The attack and the pictures that lead to a strong response from President Bush, an unusual one. That story coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Less than a week ago, a three-way summit seemly had the Israeli and Palestinian leadership following the U.S. made road map toward peace. Now attacks by hardline Palestinian groups, have drawn a blunt and bloody Israeli response, including a missile strike aim at a senior leader of Hamas. As usually have been caught in the middle as President Bush finds himself in the extraordinary position of criticizing Israel.

We have two live reports, beginning with CNN's Kelly Wallace.

She's in Gaza -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there is a tense feeling here in the Gaza Strip after two Israeli aerial attacks here in Gaza in eight hours. With the Palestinian militant group vowing revenge saying all Israeli civilians and political leaders are now legitimate targets. The latest attack came just before sundown, east of Gaza city. Israeli helicopter gunships firing on Palestinians. Who's Israeli military forces were firing six homemade rockets at Israel.

Three Palestinians were killed including a 16-year-old girl. This after an attempt to take out a senior Hamas leader left a Hamas bodyguard and a 50-year-old Palestinian woman dead and a 13-year-old Palestinian girl clinically dead according To Palestinian sources. The target of this attack, the public face of Hamas here in Gaza, Adel Aziz Rantissi, who, from his hospital bed said that Israel will pay a very high price.

Now the big question right now, is why did the Israeli military target Rantissi, why now and what impact will this have on the Mideast road map?

A senior Israeli military source telling me that the government acted now because it believed that, Rantissi, had stepped up his involvement in planning and carrying out terror attacks against Israel. Accusing him of being the main organizer behind Sunday's unprecedented attack, the coordination of three major Palestinian militants, which left four Israeli soldiers dead in the Gaza strip. Now the Palestinian Prime Mahmoud Abbas who is unsuccessfully been trying to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas, came out and condemned the airstrike. Saying these attacks obstruct and sabotage any effort to the peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon also had hard words saying he'll continue to fight terror, as long as there's nobody on the other side that does so.

Wolf, back to you.

Kelly Wallace, in Gaza for us. Thanks, Kelly, very much.

President Bush heard vows of commitment to the road map for peace. Now his administration is working furiously to try to keep the peace process alive as the president himself has had some sharp words for Israel. For that let's go to the White House.

Chris burns is standing by.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Less than a week after the handshakes at the Red Sea summit, these were supposed to be days of confidence building measures. The President Bush promised if there were problems, he'd be stepping in and riding herd. And that's what he did today, riding herd diplomatically on Ariel Sharon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am troubled by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks. I regret the loss of innocent life. I am concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I'm also don't believe the attacks helped Israeli security. We have been in touch with all parties in the region. I am determined to keep the process on the road to peace. And I believe with responsible leadership by all parties, we can bring peace to the region. And I emphasize all parties must behave responsibly to achieve that objective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: Also part of what the White House itself calls a full- court press. A barrage of phone calls to the Middle East and their is a trouble-shooting team on its way by this weekend, if not, probably by early next week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Chris Burns, thanks very much for that report on the diplomatic mess unfolding, a lot of violence. Appreciate it very much.

The pizza delivery that helped catch a kidnapping suspect. Police get help from Lil' Ceasars. The latest on that brave little girl who got away.

Sammy Sosa makes his final appeal. Will be enough to keep him playing ball.

And Hillary Rodham Clinton, sets a new record as her new book seems to be flying off the book shelf. And that leads us to our web question of the day.

Which of the last five first ladies do you -- do you admire most?

You can vote right now. Just go to cnn.com/wolf. We will have the results later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A new development to tell you about in the case of that 9-year-old California girl who was kidnapped and later turned up at a convenience store. The suspect in the crime is expected to face a serious new charge.

CNN's Dan Lothian has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: San Jose police investigators say the case against the man who allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl is solid and now new evidence leading authorities to add attempted murder to a long list of felony counts Enrique Alvarez, also known as David Montiel Cruz, is facing. Investigators won't say if this latest move is connected to the 9- year-old victim or her mother and brother, who were both injured in last Friday's attack. But they do say recent interviews have expanded their case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based upon some of the things we learned during the interview not only of the girl, and the suspect, but also the entire case. If you look at the entirety of the case, both the incident that occurred on Friday at the house -- we looked at the elements of that crime. The district attorney's office and the individual we've been looking at those, and determined that we felt like there was enough probable cause to go forward with an attempted homicide charge.

LOTHIAN: Alvarez is expected to be charged and arraigned tomorrow. Authorities are also looking into his past to see if he had any other contact with young children. They would then want to interview them in the search in other crimes.

As for the young girl, authorities say she is doing well at an undisclosed location. They're still crediting her with giving them the information, important information about locations that led to an arrest.

Dan Lothian, CNN, San Jose, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And a footnote to this story. Police were able to find their suspect with the help of a pizza deliveryman who visited the house where the girl stayed.

No weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. So is it just a matter of time or did President Bush exaggerate the threat? I'll ask Senator Jay Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

Also, the definition of marriage declared unconstitutional in Canada. Same-sex couples get the green light to tie the knot. We'll have details.

And the search for signs of life on Mars. The big blast off into space.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world.

Here now is Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Imminent threat or exaggerated claims? I'll ask Senator Jay Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. He'll join me live.

First, the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: DNA has been born. Researchers are based at the University of Idaho and Utah State University.

As American troops try to help the people of Iraq get their lives back to normal, they are confronting some serious problems. Among them, contaminated drinking water supplies, and many of the country's children have fallen victim.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live from Baghdad with more -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Wolf.

There are so many problems affecting post-war Iraq. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. Administrator here has identified rebuilding infrastructure as his administration's main priority. One big infrastructure concern is the water. Aid workers say the recent war and its chaotic aftermath have disrupted clean water supplies to millions of people and as you might expect the youngest in this society are suffering most.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): Little baby Iube (ph) is fighting for his life. Just 6 months old and a sip of polluted Iraqi water threatens to kill him. Dehydrated by diarrhea, his tiny face and body are sore from lack of nutrients. Doctors say he may not live. His country's contaminated water may claim many others like him.

DR. NADIM AL JABORY, BAGHDAD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL (through translator): Cholera, dysentery and diarrhea are our biggest concerns right now. The drinking water is polluted, and if that problem is not solved, we will have lots more cases and many more deaths.

CHANCE: Outside the city, precious water spouts from a bullet hole in the main supply. Without electricity to pump it, pipes across Baghdad have been vandalized for their water. The city's whole supply has been exposed to pollution.

For years, raw sewage has poured unchecked into the Tigris River. But since the war, efforts to treat this flood of human waste have all but stopped. Now it seeps into the drinking water carrying the threat of killer diseases with it.

In the village of Hassan Hamid (ph) on the banks of the Tigris, local children cool off in the waters. But what looks like a summer playground is rife with disease, and the youngest are suffering most.

As his grandmother fans away the flies, she hopes baby Ali (ph) is getting better. For weeks, his family say, he was tortured with stomach pains and vomiting after drinking bad water. They've only just got the simple medicines needed to treat him.

Another sick child is carried in to show us. These are not the only ones, his uncle says, many children in this village are suffering as much.

(voice-over): There are efforts to make clean water available. At a price, locals can pay to have water delivered that is good enough to drink. But without wide scale repairs to Iraq's pipes and infrastructure, this country's waterborne disaster may prove impossible to prevent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Wolf, across this war ravaged country, ordinary people like those here in Hassan Hamid are facing a water crisis. And as the summer temperatures rise, as I can tell you they are, so too do the risk of those water born diseases. Broken pipes and filthy water may yet prove lethal -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance, doing some solid reporting for us. A heart-wrenching story. Matthew, thanks very much and we'll be checking back with you.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair under attack again today for his Iraqi war policy. An influential committee of lawmakers criticized Blair's government for publishing a dossier on Iraq's weapons program without first clearing it with intelligence. The document embarrassed the government after it was revealed it contained material copied from an American student's thesis. Mr. Blair again denied the exaggerated the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The fact is there is not a shred of evidence, absolutely no evidence at all that we have doctored or manipulated evidence. That would be absolutely gross if we did so. We have not done so. I've already said in relation to the security committee that they will have access to all the intelligence that they require and, what's more, I will make the report public.

Did the Bush administration exaggerate the evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction?

That's what a growing number of Congressional critics are suggesting. Here's how the president put it on the eve of the war back in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Intelligence gather by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraqi regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And joining me now from Capitol Hill is Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia. He's the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, what's the answer, based on what you know right now, Senator Rockefeller, did the Bush administration exaggerate the threat of weapons of mass destruction from Iraq?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-WV), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: It's not clear, and that is what the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee have to thoroughly review and investigate. He did use the first State of the Union Speech, the aspect about Niger and importing enriched uranium to Iraq which turned out not to be true.

Why did he use that, how did he get that far?

Were the reports from the Intelligence Committee vetted properly?

I want to give the president the benefit of the doubt, but as something that was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) oversight, on the Intelligence Committee, which is extremely important, particularly in these days, in the days of preemption. You have to really be sure your intelligence is good. So we will spare no effort to analyze the intelligence to find out if anything went wrong. If something did go wrong to correct it, to make sure it doesn't happen again.

BLITZER: The charge against the top political leadership in the administration, is that the intelligence community across the board, the evidence was more nuances, assessments were more nuances, but they came down firmly on one side, namely Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, posed imminent once the president or vice president, or secretary of defense or state said it.

ROCKEFELLER: And that is the charge. That's what we have to deal with. But we have to deal with it at the beginning without prejudice. We have to be fair. We're an oversight Committee. We have to deal with facts. Which means, we have to look at what it was that the CIA said and what other intelligence agencies said to the Bush administration.

Was there any nuancing on the way?

We have to be able to call witnesses from the Bush administration, from the intelligence community, to ask them questions, and this is something that we will do. Pat Roberts and I have agreed to do that.

BLITZER: The other accusation is that there is a deliberate, political manipulation of the intelligence community. Officials, analysts, career analysts sort of being forced to come down on one side by the top political leadership.

Any evidence of that so far?

ROCKEFELLER: I know what you, in a sense, want me to get into or want me to declare, but if we're going to do a proper investigation, a proper inquiry, a proper review, whatever the word is, we have to start out with a clean slate and then take the facts as they come to us. There's no question that the intelligence community was of a fairly singular mind. The weapons of mass destruction was very much there in Iraq before we went into the war. As was the connection with al Qaeda, although CIA was more discreet or less sold on that. But on the other hand you've seen the administration also backing off just a little bit in the last couple of days. They have been talking about WMD programs, rather than WMD stockpiles. And so it's confusing. It's moving very fast, and we have to be sure in the Intelligence Committee, Chairman Roberts and I, that we are extremely fair, analytical and very, very tough in the way we go at it. I think that's the only fair way to do.

BLITZER: So far, Senator Rockefeller, are you satisfied with the administration a explanation, why no weapons mass destruction have yet been found despite an enormous effort over these past few months?

Are you satisfied that it's a big country, Iraq, the size of California, and these things simply take time?

ROCKEFELLER: No, I'm not, on a personal basis. On a professional basis is what will count. On a personal basis strikes me that through all that period of time nothing has been found and still nothing has been found. And now we have sent over another 1,400 experts to look for more, and hopefully they will find something. But on a professional basis, I cannot and will not come to a conclusion on a partisan or wishful basis. I have to do it based on facts, and facts are what we're going to get at. That's what we're going to dwell on for the next several months, Wolf. We'll do a good job at it.

BLITZER: One last question.

All of the Iraqis who are now under U.S. custody, he the high- ranking officials, the scientists, military generals and others, are they all saying basically the same thing, there were no weapons of mass destruction, or are they saying something else?

ROCKEFELLER: We don't have all of the intelligence as to what all of them are saying. And that may be because it's not available yet. My guess is there would be some spread of information. And my guess also is that I would want to know a lot more than what they had said.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, thanks for joining us. Good luck with that investigation and your hearings. I'm sure they'll be very, very thorough. Appreciate it very much.

Mission to Mars, the search for life on the red planet. NASA explores a new frontier.

And you've seen him on Sundays, but this is a workweek. Coming up, Howie Long's long, serious cause.

First, let's take a look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Fighting in Congo. About 100 more French troops arrived in Congo on a mission to end tribal violence that's killed hundreds of people. France is leading an international force of 1,400 troops to the battle-torn nation.

Liberia's civil war. A lull in fighting around the besieged capital Monrovia the day after more than 500 international residents were evacuated from there. Now international mediators are trying to broker a truce between troops loyal to President Charles Taylor and rebel forces.

Kidnapping in Peru. Gunmen are threatening to kill 60 workers seized from a gas pipeline construction site unless they receive $1 million. Army troops have been sent to the camp high in the Andes with orders to do whatever is necessary to free the hostages.

Royal discovery. The Discovery Channel says one of its expeditions may have uncovered the mummy of the ancient, mysterious Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. The mummy was found in the famed Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

Will Beckham bend? English soccer star David Beckham is indicating he'll veto a bid by his team, Manchester United, to sell him to Barcelona. According to his management company, Beckham, now in Los Angeles with pop star wife Victoria, formerly of the Spice Girls, is disappointed and surprised by the move.

Queen at play. In a bid to boost tourism, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to Legoland. With her was husband Prince Philip, who's celebrating his 82nd birthday.

And that's our look "Around the World."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The football star, the commentator Howie Long. He has a mission off the field as well. He'll join us next.

And mission to Mars. What mystery might this spacecraft help solve?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked, which country was the first to land a spacecraft on Mars? The answer -- Russia. It landed Mars II in 1971, but the probe failed after just 20 seconds on the surface. The U.S. accomplished the first successful landing with Viking I in 1976.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Seven months from now two new Mars rovers are expected to arrive on the red planet. A rocket carrying the first rover lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida several hours ago, getting NASA's newest mission to another world, at least, another planet under way. Here's CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, engine start.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the first leg of a long, perilous journey. But so far so good for NASA's Mars-bound Spirit rover, which left Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket.

Picture perfect as it was, grizzled red planet veterans know it is way too early for celebration. Only 1 in 3 Mars missions succeeds. And for the scientists, the memories are still raw of the twin failures of the Mars Polar Lander and Climate Orbiter in late 1999.

JIM ERICKSON, MISSION MANAGER: It's something we take very seriously. And we've grown to great affection for these machines that we build.

O'BRIEN: They have been working under a non-forgiving deadline, not imposed by Washington, but by the laws of physics. Every 26 months, Mars and Earth fly in close orbital formation. It is only then a mission to the red planet is possible. And this time Mars is closer than ever.

NAGIN COX, DEPUTY CHIEF, SPACECRAFT TEAM: This happens to be a particularly good opportunity where we are close enough and the geometry works out that we have an excellent data return.

O'BRIEN: NASA hopes to launch the second rover, Opportunity, on June 25. Spirit will enter the wispy Martian atmosphere on January 4, Opportunity on January 25. They are designed to deploy parachutes and air bags to cushion their arrival on the rust-colored surface. If all goes as planned, and that is a big if, we will start the new year by seeing and understanding Mars like never before.

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's new book "Living History" set a Barnes and Noble sales record for non-fiction books on its first day in the store at those bookshelves. The company says Clinton's memoirs sold more than 40,000 copies in the first 24 hours it was available yesterday. The publisher Simon and Schuster says nationwide sales so far are about 200,000 copies. They have a first printing of 1 million.

Don't forget tonight Larry King will interview Senator Clinton live, 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. on the West Coast. That's Senator Clinton's first live interview. Catch it here with Larry King, tonight.

Here's you turn to weigh in "Our Web Question of the Day." Which of the last five first ladies do you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan or Rosalynn Carter? We'll have the results later on in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.

And while you are there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Updating you now on a story we first reported last week. Officials at the Justice Department here in Washington say an organization of gay and lesbian employees will, after all, be allowed to hold an event marking Gay Pride Month inside the main Justice Department building in Washington. Last week the group complained Justice officials wouldn't let them hold it because President Bush had not signed a declaration marking Gay Pride Month.

But now that they've signed off on this Justice officials tell CNN them the gay and lesbian employees will be allowed to hold the event but they'll have to pay for the hall they use. The group that's called BOJ Pride says it should not have to pay for the hall because other groups don't have to pay for other events. We'll continue to watch this story as well.

Sammy Sosa pleads his case. Will it be enough to keep him to play ball? Find out what's happening as far as his appeal is concerned when we come back.

Plus, he's an NFL Hall of Famer, Howie Long. He's my special guest whether we return. He's got a new cause you'll be interested in this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Sammy Sosa appealed his eight-game suspension today in a closed door meeting in Baltimore. The Chicago Cubs slugger was hit with a suspension after being ejected from a game for using a corked bat last week. He spoke briefly with reporters after today's meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMMY SOSA, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Whatever punishment that they are going to do it, I accept it. This has been a tough week for me. Once again, I just want to apologize to the everybody up there that the mistake that I make, and I just wanted to say that -- thank you for all the fans and everybody that supported me and, you know, motivated me just keep and continue. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: No word yet on when Major League Baseball will rule on Sosa's appeal, so it's likely he will play in the Cubs game tonight against the Baltimore Orioles.

National Football League Hall of Famer Howie Long is lobbying the U.S. Congress for more funds to battle spinal muscular atrophy. Long, the honorary chairperson of the group called Fight SMA, sat down with me just a few minutes ago to talk about this mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Howie long, thanks very much for joining us.

Spinal muscular atrophy. I don't really know anything about. A lot of people don't know anything about it, but you're now deeply involved in this cause. First of all, tell us what it is and why you got involved.

HOWIE LONG, FIGHT SMA HONORARY CHAIRPERSON: Well, the reason why I got involved is I live in Virginia. I'm down in central Virginia, and I tend to stay local with the charities I work with, whether it's CASA or boys' club and spinal muscular atrophy approached me. And like you, I didn't know anything about it. And it's the leading genetic cause of deaths of deaths of infants in the country. And 50 percent of the children who are diagnosed don't make it to 2 years old.

And I think that's part of the problem is these families are so devastated when they lose a young child that all they can do to stay together as a family is really what's important. They don't have the ability to go on. They don't have a -- there's no famous person that has had spinal muscular atrophy, although 7 million -- for example, 7 million potential parents out there have the gene, unknowingly, that they will pass on to their newborn child.

BLITZER: So what should -- what should we be doing about this right now?

LONG: Well, here's the problem.

For a disease of this magnitude that affects this many people, 125,000 children around the country, it is vastly underfunded. It gets about $5 million a year in federal aid.

For example, the range of a like disease would get between 30 and $120 million. And the great thing is there are 99.9 percent of the way of figuring this thing out, and it can have a ripple effect to two or three other diseases. The cousin to this disease is Gehrig's Disease, multiple sclerosis is another like disease. And I think if 50 leading scientists around the world have stated that if properly funded -- and we're talking about the bottom end of that 30 to $120 million scale, there can be a cure for this disease in five years.

BLITZER: And that's why you were testifying on the Hill today?

LONG: Right. Yes. That was an experience.

BLITZER: Did you think you made some progress?

LONG: I needed you, an old outside linebacker, with me.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: I don't know if I would have help you as an outside linebacker.

LONG: I don't know, Wolf. I heard you can bring it.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Well, those were many, many years ago.

You went on to a great football career, but you're doing some important work right now.

LONG: Yes. It's a good group. It's a real good group, and we're excited. It's right there. It's right there in front of it. It can have a ripple effect on the pond and affect a lot of people.

BLITZER: Well, thanks for doing it and thanks for joining us.

LONG: Thanks for having me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: One note here.

During our interview, Howie mentioned the figure 125,000 for the number of people affected by spinal muscular atrophy. After we spoke, Howie corrected himself, saying, in fact, 25,000 people are affected by this disease.

Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Which of the last five first ladies do you, you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan or Rosalynn Carter?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results immediately when we come back.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing on our "Web Question of the Day." We've been asking you this: "Which of the last five first ladies do you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter?" Look at this. Hillary Clinton, among our viewers at least, those who go to the Web site, 71 percent of you supporting Hillary. You admire you.

That's all the time we have for today. I'll be back, of course, tomorrow 5 p.m. Eastern. Everyday, twice a day, weekdays, noon and 5.

Lou Dobbs standing by to pick up our coverage. And Lou, remember, our poll is not a scientific poll.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": That's why we run ours immediately after yours, Wolf. Ours is decidedly scientific in absolute terms.

Wolf, thank you very much.

BLITZER: I'm not so sure -- I'm not so sure how scientific your Web poll is, either. But we can talk about that later.

DOBBS: Well, skepticism, especially when it's yours, is always well placed. We'll talk about it, as you say, later.

BLITZER: All right.

DOBBS: Wolf, thanks a lot. Wolf Blitzer.

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







Aired June 10, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Stock trading scandal. For the first time in recent years an insider will be spending time inside.

As Martha gets her mugshot, should she worry about a similar fate?

Road map to a dead end? Israel targets a Hamas leader, but others are caught in the middle. The White House warns Israel.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That's why the president finds this deeply troubling.

BLITZER: What's al Qaeda's next move?

A deadly warning about weapons of mass destruction and targets of opportunity.

And mission to Mars. A rover rocket toward the red planet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, June 10, 2003.

Hello from Washington. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

Two major stories we're tracking right now.

First, could it lead to the fall of Martha Stewart?

Today a strong message for a corporate criminal. Stewart's friend and former ImClone CEO Sam Waksal gets seven years in prison. Another story overseas.

Israel sends a strong message to a Hamas leader in the form of a missile. The act is caught on camera. Also on camera, President Bush expressing a deep concern with the air assault. We'll tell you why.

First the fall and disgrace of a corporate chief. ImClone founder Sam Waksal is headed to prison for his role in the insider trading scandal. Left behind a life with the rich and famous and close friend Martha Stewart also ensnared in the scandal.

CNN's Allan Chernoff has been covering this story not only today but for weeks and weeks and weeks, is joining us now with details -- Al.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was a day of high drama at the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan. The same very same courthouse where Martha Stewart, Sam Waksal's friend, had appeared for an arraignment last week. Well, today was the day Sam Waksal had been hoping to avoid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): A year and a half after his insider trading. Sam Waksal arrived to receive his punishment. In a 40- minute defense, attorney Pomerantz said "This is not the corporate fat cat who steps on people. This is a man who has cared about people all his life." Indeed Waksal's company ImClone has been developing a cancer drug. More than 120 cancer patients, company employees and friends all wrote to the court on Waksal's behalf.

Waksal himself plead for leniency saying "I am so sorry for my actions." His 80-year-old father jack, a holocaust survivor, wept in the front row. But judge William Pauley rejected all arguments for leniency telling Waksal his crimes are emblematic of a pattern of lawlessness and arrogance. The judge sentenced Waksal to seven years, three months and fined him $3 million, plus $1.2 million in back taxes. Neither Waksal nor his family had any comment as they left court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: Judge Pauley called Waksal's downfall tragic, especially in light of the latest news on Erbitux, the cancer drug. The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to give that drug a second review after new trial data from an overseas partner of ImClone Systems, which means that Sam Waksal's greatest victory may now come after he is behind prison bars -- Wolf.

BLITZER: What irony. Allan Chernoff, thanks very much for that solid report. And with the close friend of Sam Waksal -- with Sam Waksal heading to prison, should Martha Stewart also be worried?

Joining us now for his take on the fallout from the ImClone scandal, a former federal prosecutor, Martin Goldberg.

Thanks, Martin, for joining us very much.

How worried should Martha Stewart be right now?

MARTIN GOLDBERG, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I think she has severe cause to be worried. I would not underestimate the government's case. As we've seen in the indictment and through what the U.S. attorneys have said, there is some powerful evidence that she covered up the alleged crime. And I think at the end of the day, given the sense of the community, as well as the evidence that's facing her, she should have some severe concern.

BLITZER: Here's the major difference, though. Sam Waksal, as you know, pleaded guilty and actually was subject to whatever the judge wanted to give him, within federal prison guidelines. The guidelines forced on the judge. Martha Stewart is pleading innocent. She's resisting. She wants to go before a jury.

GOLDBERG: That's right. She can exercise her right to a jury and put the government to its burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she engaged in the crimes that are charges, unlike Mr. Waksal, who in an unusual procedure, plead guilty really without an agreement from the government and let the judge have some discretion with respect to sentencing. Martha Stewart is going to put her hands in the -- put her fate in the hands of a jury.

BLITZER: If you were Martha Stewart right now, seeing what this judge did to Sam Waksal, don't you think she's better off putting her fate in the hands of the jury?

GOLDBERG: I think that in large part, if her defense team believes that they can sway a jury, that what's charged, which is really a victimless crime to a degree, really lying to the government or lying to the SEC and the U.S. attorney's office, if they believe they can sway a jury that there should be some nullification or disqualification, she's probably better off going to trial. Otherwise, there is some room under federal law to, if you lead guilty, work out a deal with the government to get some leniency from the government and have your sentence, quite frankly, reduced significantly.

BLITZER: Is Martha Stewart in your opinion, as a former federal prosecutor, being treated any differently because she's a celebrity?

GOLDBERG: I think the answer has to be yes to some degree. There is no question that in the government's view, deterrence is an issue. It's a goal that they want to pursue throughout the country. There is no better stage than to put Martha Stewart on than the national spotlight to get their point across that lying or making false statements to the government will not be tolerated. On the other hand, I think the government was on the horns of a dilemma. If they gave her a past, they would have to, you know, face hundreds and thousands of criminal defense lawyers who have clients in similar positions saying, why did you give Martha Stewart a pass for the very same conduct that you're looking to charge my client with. And that would have been a difficult position for the government to be in at this point.

BLITZER: And intriguing dilemma. Martin Goldberg, thanks very much for that report.

Now to a developing story we're following out of Iraq. Another incident showing the danger to U.S. troops. Within the past hour, we've learned more U.S. troops have been ambushed. And this one, once again, deadly.

Let's turn to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, what's happening?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf, more very sad news coming into the Pentagon the last few minutes. One U.S. soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division was killed and one injured late today in southwest Baghdad. They were monitoring a weapons collection point, a place where Iraqis are being told to turn in their guns and rifle. A van with four passengers pulled up in a nearby alleyway. Two attackers got out and directly shot at the soldiers with rocket-propelled grenades. The men were medeVaced out of the area. One soldier later died. The other one remains in critical condition, we are told. All of this part of the continuing cycle of violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq. And growing concerns here at the Pentagon that they are beginning to see the first phases of some type of organized resistance against the U.S. military presence in Iraq -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A very disturbing development. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks for that.

Today's death brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq to 183. Forty-five of those deaths happened after President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1, when he was aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.

What's al Qaeda's next move?

A U.S. report to the United Nations says that for the foreseeable future, the Osama bin Laden network will remain the most immediate and serious terror threat facing the United States. Recently U.S. cities have conducted drills against such a possibility. The report says, and now I'm quoting, "There's a high probability al Qaeda will attempt a biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear weapon attack," and once again quoting, "Within the next two years." And while the report says al Qaeda will continue to favor spectacular attacks, like the September 11 attack, it may also seek quote, "softer targets of opportunity" including banks, shopping malls, even supermarkets.

Let's get some perspective on all of this. For that we turn to our national security correspondent David Ensor. I know you've been doing some support -- reporting on this report that was submitted to the U.N. only coming out now. It sounds so alarming.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It sounds alarming, Wolf, but with the exception of a couple of words, it's the same thing the government has been saying to us to the people of the United States for a couple of years now. That there are -- that al Qaeda is the biggest threat to this country. That there could be an attack using a weapon of mass destruction. And that softer targets are also a possibility. All of that is not new. This phrase within the next two years got a lot of our attention this morning. I've talked to a couple of officials about it and they say, if you are paying a lot of attention to that, it's unintentional. All they are saying is that there is this ongoing threat. They don't know of it going beyond two years, but they're not saying it wouldn't and they are not saying they don't have special intelligence that something is going to happen in two years. They are saying this is a serious threat. We need to keep any eye on it.

BLITZER: This was a State Department official who wrote this report. It was submitted on behalf of the United States government to the United Nations.

Did it go through some interagency clearance throughout the intelligence community, to Homeland Security Department before it was sent to New York?

ENSOR: The preparation was an interagency process, I'm told. Other agencies offered their thoughts. Intelligence coming from the CIA, the FBI and others. That was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It was prepared at the State Department. But the feeling of officials, quite frankly, that more attention is being paid to this than it deserves.

BLITZER: All right. David Ensor, good work. Thanks very much.

The Middle East peace plan is it being blown to pieces?

President Bush is weighing in against violence. But can he stem the tide of bloodshed.

Also weapons of mass destruction.

Was Iraq really an imminent threat?

I'll ask the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Jay Rockefeller.

And blast off to the red planet. NASA tries to make history after a long, hard year.

First, today's news quiz.

"Which country was the first to land a spacecraft on Mars?"

The United States, Russia, China, England?

The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The attack and the pictures that lead to a strong response from President Bush, an unusual one. That story coming up on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Less than a week ago, a three-way summit seemly had the Israeli and Palestinian leadership following the U.S. made road map toward peace. Now attacks by hardline Palestinian groups, have drawn a blunt and bloody Israeli response, including a missile strike aim at a senior leader of Hamas. As usually have been caught in the middle as President Bush finds himself in the extraordinary position of criticizing Israel.

We have two live reports, beginning with CNN's Kelly Wallace.

She's in Gaza -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there is a tense feeling here in the Gaza Strip after two Israeli aerial attacks here in Gaza in eight hours. With the Palestinian militant group vowing revenge saying all Israeli civilians and political leaders are now legitimate targets. The latest attack came just before sundown, east of Gaza city. Israeli helicopter gunships firing on Palestinians. Who's Israeli military forces were firing six homemade rockets at Israel.

Three Palestinians were killed including a 16-year-old girl. This after an attempt to take out a senior Hamas leader left a Hamas bodyguard and a 50-year-old Palestinian woman dead and a 13-year-old Palestinian girl clinically dead according To Palestinian sources. The target of this attack, the public face of Hamas here in Gaza, Adel Aziz Rantissi, who, from his hospital bed said that Israel will pay a very high price.

Now the big question right now, is why did the Israeli military target Rantissi, why now and what impact will this have on the Mideast road map?

A senior Israeli military source telling me that the government acted now because it believed that, Rantissi, had stepped up his involvement in planning and carrying out terror attacks against Israel. Accusing him of being the main organizer behind Sunday's unprecedented attack, the coordination of three major Palestinian militants, which left four Israeli soldiers dead in the Gaza strip. Now the Palestinian Prime Mahmoud Abbas who is unsuccessfully been trying to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas, came out and condemned the airstrike. Saying these attacks obstruct and sabotage any effort to the peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon also had hard words saying he'll continue to fight terror, as long as there's nobody on the other side that does so.

Wolf, back to you.

Kelly Wallace, in Gaza for us. Thanks, Kelly, very much.

President Bush heard vows of commitment to the road map for peace. Now his administration is working furiously to try to keep the peace process alive as the president himself has had some sharp words for Israel. For that let's go to the White House.

Chris burns is standing by.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Less than a week after the handshakes at the Red Sea summit, these were supposed to be days of confidence building measures. The President Bush promised if there were problems, he'd be stepping in and riding herd. And that's what he did today, riding herd diplomatically on Ariel Sharon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am troubled by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks. I regret the loss of innocent life. I am concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I'm also don't believe the attacks helped Israeli security. We have been in touch with all parties in the region. I am determined to keep the process on the road to peace. And I believe with responsible leadership by all parties, we can bring peace to the region. And I emphasize all parties must behave responsibly to achieve that objective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: Also part of what the White House itself calls a full- court press. A barrage of phone calls to the Middle East and their is a trouble-shooting team on its way by this weekend, if not, probably by early next week -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Chris Burns, thanks very much for that report on the diplomatic mess unfolding, a lot of violence. Appreciate it very much.

The pizza delivery that helped catch a kidnapping suspect. Police get help from Lil' Ceasars. The latest on that brave little girl who got away.

Sammy Sosa makes his final appeal. Will be enough to keep him playing ball.

And Hillary Rodham Clinton, sets a new record as her new book seems to be flying off the book shelf. And that leads us to our web question of the day.

Which of the last five first ladies do you -- do you admire most?

You can vote right now. Just go to cnn.com/wolf. We will have the results later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A new development to tell you about in the case of that 9-year-old California girl who was kidnapped and later turned up at a convenience store. The suspect in the crime is expected to face a serious new charge.

CNN's Dan Lothian has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: San Jose police investigators say the case against the man who allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl is solid and now new evidence leading authorities to add attempted murder to a long list of felony counts Enrique Alvarez, also known as David Montiel Cruz, is facing. Investigators won't say if this latest move is connected to the 9- year-old victim or her mother and brother, who were both injured in last Friday's attack. But they do say recent interviews have expanded their case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based upon some of the things we learned during the interview not only of the girl, and the suspect, but also the entire case. If you look at the entirety of the case, both the incident that occurred on Friday at the house -- we looked at the elements of that crime. The district attorney's office and the individual we've been looking at those, and determined that we felt like there was enough probable cause to go forward with an attempted homicide charge.

LOTHIAN: Alvarez is expected to be charged and arraigned tomorrow. Authorities are also looking into his past to see if he had any other contact with young children. They would then want to interview them in the search in other crimes.

As for the young girl, authorities say she is doing well at an undisclosed location. They're still crediting her with giving them the information, important information about locations that led to an arrest.

Dan Lothian, CNN, San Jose, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And a footnote to this story. Police were able to find their suspect with the help of a pizza deliveryman who visited the house where the girl stayed.

No weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq. So is it just a matter of time or did President Bush exaggerate the threat? I'll ask Senator Jay Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

Also, the definition of marriage declared unconstitutional in Canada. Same-sex couples get the green light to tie the knot. We'll have details.

And the search for signs of life on Mars. The big blast off into space.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: CNN live this hour, WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, live from the nation's capital, with correspondents from around the world.

Here now is Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Imminent threat or exaggerated claims? I'll ask Senator Jay Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. He'll join me live.

First, the latest headlines.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: DNA has been born. Researchers are based at the University of Idaho and Utah State University.

As American troops try to help the people of Iraq get their lives back to normal, they are confronting some serious problems. Among them, contaminated drinking water supplies, and many of the country's children have fallen victim.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live from Baghdad with more -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Wolf.

There are so many problems affecting post-war Iraq. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. Administrator here has identified rebuilding infrastructure as his administration's main priority. One big infrastructure concern is the water. Aid workers say the recent war and its chaotic aftermath have disrupted clean water supplies to millions of people and as you might expect the youngest in this society are suffering most.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): Little baby Iube (ph) is fighting for his life. Just 6 months old and a sip of polluted Iraqi water threatens to kill him. Dehydrated by diarrhea, his tiny face and body are sore from lack of nutrients. Doctors say he may not live. His country's contaminated water may claim many others like him.

DR. NADIM AL JABORY, BAGHDAD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL (through translator): Cholera, dysentery and diarrhea are our biggest concerns right now. The drinking water is polluted, and if that problem is not solved, we will have lots more cases and many more deaths.

CHANCE: Outside the city, precious water spouts from a bullet hole in the main supply. Without electricity to pump it, pipes across Baghdad have been vandalized for their water. The city's whole supply has been exposed to pollution.

For years, raw sewage has poured unchecked into the Tigris River. But since the war, efforts to treat this flood of human waste have all but stopped. Now it seeps into the drinking water carrying the threat of killer diseases with it.

In the village of Hassan Hamid (ph) on the banks of the Tigris, local children cool off in the waters. But what looks like a summer playground is rife with disease, and the youngest are suffering most.

As his grandmother fans away the flies, she hopes baby Ali (ph) is getting better. For weeks, his family say, he was tortured with stomach pains and vomiting after drinking bad water. They've only just got the simple medicines needed to treat him.

Another sick child is carried in to show us. These are not the only ones, his uncle says, many children in this village are suffering as much.

(voice-over): There are efforts to make clean water available. At a price, locals can pay to have water delivered that is good enough to drink. But without wide scale repairs to Iraq's pipes and infrastructure, this country's waterborne disaster may prove impossible to prevent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Wolf, across this war ravaged country, ordinary people like those here in Hassan Hamid are facing a water crisis. And as the summer temperatures rise, as I can tell you they are, so too do the risk of those water born diseases. Broken pipes and filthy water may yet prove lethal -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance, doing some solid reporting for us. A heart-wrenching story. Matthew, thanks very much and we'll be checking back with you.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair under attack again today for his Iraqi war policy. An influential committee of lawmakers criticized Blair's government for publishing a dossier on Iraq's weapons program without first clearing it with intelligence. The document embarrassed the government after it was revealed it contained material copied from an American student's thesis. Mr. Blair again denied the exaggerated the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The fact is there is not a shred of evidence, absolutely no evidence at all that we have doctored or manipulated evidence. That would be absolutely gross if we did so. We have not done so. I've already said in relation to the security committee that they will have access to all the intelligence that they require and, what's more, I will make the report public.

Did the Bush administration exaggerate the evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction?

That's what a growing number of Congressional critics are suggesting. Here's how the president put it on the eve of the war back in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Intelligence gather by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraqi regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And joining me now from Capitol Hill is Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia. He's the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, what's the answer, based on what you know right now, Senator Rockefeller, did the Bush administration exaggerate the threat of weapons of mass destruction from Iraq?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-WV), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: It's not clear, and that is what the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee have to thoroughly review and investigate. He did use the first State of the Union Speech, the aspect about Niger and importing enriched uranium to Iraq which turned out not to be true.

Why did he use that, how did he get that far?

Were the reports from the Intelligence Committee vetted properly?

I want to give the president the benefit of the doubt, but as something that was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) oversight, on the Intelligence Committee, which is extremely important, particularly in these days, in the days of preemption. You have to really be sure your intelligence is good. So we will spare no effort to analyze the intelligence to find out if anything went wrong. If something did go wrong to correct it, to make sure it doesn't happen again.

BLITZER: The charge against the top political leadership in the administration, is that the intelligence community across the board, the evidence was more nuances, assessments were more nuances, but they came down firmly on one side, namely Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, posed imminent once the president or vice president, or secretary of defense or state said it.

ROCKEFELLER: And that is the charge. That's what we have to deal with. But we have to deal with it at the beginning without prejudice. We have to be fair. We're an oversight Committee. We have to deal with facts. Which means, we have to look at what it was that the CIA said and what other intelligence agencies said to the Bush administration.

Was there any nuancing on the way?

We have to be able to call witnesses from the Bush administration, from the intelligence community, to ask them questions, and this is something that we will do. Pat Roberts and I have agreed to do that.

BLITZER: The other accusation is that there is a deliberate, political manipulation of the intelligence community. Officials, analysts, career analysts sort of being forced to come down on one side by the top political leadership.

Any evidence of that so far?

ROCKEFELLER: I know what you, in a sense, want me to get into or want me to declare, but if we're going to do a proper investigation, a proper inquiry, a proper review, whatever the word is, we have to start out with a clean slate and then take the facts as they come to us. There's no question that the intelligence community was of a fairly singular mind. The weapons of mass destruction was very much there in Iraq before we went into the war. As was the connection with al Qaeda, although CIA was more discreet or less sold on that. But on the other hand you've seen the administration also backing off just a little bit in the last couple of days. They have been talking about WMD programs, rather than WMD stockpiles. And so it's confusing. It's moving very fast, and we have to be sure in the Intelligence Committee, Chairman Roberts and I, that we are extremely fair, analytical and very, very tough in the way we go at it. I think that's the only fair way to do.

BLITZER: So far, Senator Rockefeller, are you satisfied with the administration a explanation, why no weapons mass destruction have yet been found despite an enormous effort over these past few months?

Are you satisfied that it's a big country, Iraq, the size of California, and these things simply take time?

ROCKEFELLER: No, I'm not, on a personal basis. On a professional basis is what will count. On a personal basis strikes me that through all that period of time nothing has been found and still nothing has been found. And now we have sent over another 1,400 experts to look for more, and hopefully they will find something. But on a professional basis, I cannot and will not come to a conclusion on a partisan or wishful basis. I have to do it based on facts, and facts are what we're going to get at. That's what we're going to dwell on for the next several months, Wolf. We'll do a good job at it.

BLITZER: One last question.

All of the Iraqis who are now under U.S. custody, he the high- ranking officials, the scientists, military generals and others, are they all saying basically the same thing, there were no weapons of mass destruction, or are they saying something else?

ROCKEFELLER: We don't have all of the intelligence as to what all of them are saying. And that may be because it's not available yet. My guess is there would be some spread of information. And my guess also is that I would want to know a lot more than what they had said.

BLITZER: Senator Rockefeller, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, thanks for joining us. Good luck with that investigation and your hearings. I'm sure they'll be very, very thorough. Appreciate it very much.

Mission to Mars, the search for life on the red planet. NASA explores a new frontier.

And you've seen him on Sundays, but this is a workweek. Coming up, Howie Long's long, serious cause.

First, let's take a look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Fighting in Congo. About 100 more French troops arrived in Congo on a mission to end tribal violence that's killed hundreds of people. France is leading an international force of 1,400 troops to the battle-torn nation.

Liberia's civil war. A lull in fighting around the besieged capital Monrovia the day after more than 500 international residents were evacuated from there. Now international mediators are trying to broker a truce between troops loyal to President Charles Taylor and rebel forces.

Kidnapping in Peru. Gunmen are threatening to kill 60 workers seized from a gas pipeline construction site unless they receive $1 million. Army troops have been sent to the camp high in the Andes with orders to do whatever is necessary to free the hostages.

Royal discovery. The Discovery Channel says one of its expeditions may have uncovered the mummy of the ancient, mysterious Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. The mummy was found in the famed Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

Will Beckham bend? English soccer star David Beckham is indicating he'll veto a bid by his team, Manchester United, to sell him to Barcelona. According to his management company, Beckham, now in Los Angeles with pop star wife Victoria, formerly of the Spice Girls, is disappointed and surprised by the move.

Queen at play. In a bid to boost tourism, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to Legoland. With her was husband Prince Philip, who's celebrating his 82nd birthday.

And that's our look "Around the World."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The football star, the commentator Howie Long. He has a mission off the field as well. He'll join us next.

And mission to Mars. What mystery might this spacecraft help solve?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked, which country was the first to land a spacecraft on Mars? The answer -- Russia. It landed Mars II in 1971, but the probe failed after just 20 seconds on the surface. The U.S. accomplished the first successful landing with Viking I in 1976.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Seven months from now two new Mars rovers are expected to arrive on the red planet. A rocket carrying the first rover lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida several hours ago, getting NASA's newest mission to another world, at least, another planet under way. Here's CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, engine start.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the first leg of a long, perilous journey. But so far so good for NASA's Mars-bound Spirit rover, which left Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket.

Picture perfect as it was, grizzled red planet veterans know it is way too early for celebration. Only 1 in 3 Mars missions succeeds. And for the scientists, the memories are still raw of the twin failures of the Mars Polar Lander and Climate Orbiter in late 1999.

JIM ERICKSON, MISSION MANAGER: It's something we take very seriously. And we've grown to great affection for these machines that we build.

O'BRIEN: They have been working under a non-forgiving deadline, not imposed by Washington, but by the laws of physics. Every 26 months, Mars and Earth fly in close orbital formation. It is only then a mission to the red planet is possible. And this time Mars is closer than ever.

NAGIN COX, DEPUTY CHIEF, SPACECRAFT TEAM: This happens to be a particularly good opportunity where we are close enough and the geometry works out that we have an excellent data return.

O'BRIEN: NASA hopes to launch the second rover, Opportunity, on June 25. Spirit will enter the wispy Martian atmosphere on January 4, Opportunity on January 25. They are designed to deploy parachutes and air bags to cushion their arrival on the rust-colored surface. If all goes as planned, and that is a big if, we will start the new year by seeing and understanding Mars like never before.

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's new book "Living History" set a Barnes and Noble sales record for non-fiction books on its first day in the store at those bookshelves. The company says Clinton's memoirs sold more than 40,000 copies in the first 24 hours it was available yesterday. The publisher Simon and Schuster says nationwide sales so far are about 200,000 copies. They have a first printing of 1 million.

Don't forget tonight Larry King will interview Senator Clinton live, 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. on the West Coast. That's Senator Clinton's first live interview. Catch it here with Larry King, tonight.

Here's you turn to weigh in "Our Web Question of the Day." Which of the last five first ladies do you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan or Rosalynn Carter? We'll have the results later on in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.

And while you are there, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your comments. I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.

Updating you now on a story we first reported last week. Officials at the Justice Department here in Washington say an organization of gay and lesbian employees will, after all, be allowed to hold an event marking Gay Pride Month inside the main Justice Department building in Washington. Last week the group complained Justice officials wouldn't let them hold it because President Bush had not signed a declaration marking Gay Pride Month.

But now that they've signed off on this Justice officials tell CNN them the gay and lesbian employees will be allowed to hold the event but they'll have to pay for the hall they use. The group that's called BOJ Pride says it should not have to pay for the hall because other groups don't have to pay for other events. We'll continue to watch this story as well.

Sammy Sosa pleads his case. Will it be enough to keep him to play ball? Find out what's happening as far as his appeal is concerned when we come back.

Plus, he's an NFL Hall of Famer, Howie Long. He's my special guest whether we return. He's got a new cause you'll be interested in this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Sammy Sosa appealed his eight-game suspension today in a closed door meeting in Baltimore. The Chicago Cubs slugger was hit with a suspension after being ejected from a game for using a corked bat last week. He spoke briefly with reporters after today's meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMMY SOSA, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Whatever punishment that they are going to do it, I accept it. This has been a tough week for me. Once again, I just want to apologize to the everybody up there that the mistake that I make, and I just wanted to say that -- thank you for all the fans and everybody that supported me and, you know, motivated me just keep and continue. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: No word yet on when Major League Baseball will rule on Sosa's appeal, so it's likely he will play in the Cubs game tonight against the Baltimore Orioles.

National Football League Hall of Famer Howie Long is lobbying the U.S. Congress for more funds to battle spinal muscular atrophy. Long, the honorary chairperson of the group called Fight SMA, sat down with me just a few minutes ago to talk about this mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Howie long, thanks very much for joining us.

Spinal muscular atrophy. I don't really know anything about. A lot of people don't know anything about it, but you're now deeply involved in this cause. First of all, tell us what it is and why you got involved.

HOWIE LONG, FIGHT SMA HONORARY CHAIRPERSON: Well, the reason why I got involved is I live in Virginia. I'm down in central Virginia, and I tend to stay local with the charities I work with, whether it's CASA or boys' club and spinal muscular atrophy approached me. And like you, I didn't know anything about it. And it's the leading genetic cause of deaths of deaths of infants in the country. And 50 percent of the children who are diagnosed don't make it to 2 years old.

And I think that's part of the problem is these families are so devastated when they lose a young child that all they can do to stay together as a family is really what's important. They don't have the ability to go on. They don't have a -- there's no famous person that has had spinal muscular atrophy, although 7 million -- for example, 7 million potential parents out there have the gene, unknowingly, that they will pass on to their newborn child.

BLITZER: So what should -- what should we be doing about this right now?

LONG: Well, here's the problem.

For a disease of this magnitude that affects this many people, 125,000 children around the country, it is vastly underfunded. It gets about $5 million a year in federal aid.

For example, the range of a like disease would get between 30 and $120 million. And the great thing is there are 99.9 percent of the way of figuring this thing out, and it can have a ripple effect to two or three other diseases. The cousin to this disease is Gehrig's Disease, multiple sclerosis is another like disease. And I think if 50 leading scientists around the world have stated that if properly funded -- and we're talking about the bottom end of that 30 to $120 million scale, there can be a cure for this disease in five years.

BLITZER: And that's why you were testifying on the Hill today?

LONG: Right. Yes. That was an experience.

BLITZER: Did you think you made some progress?

LONG: I needed you, an old outside linebacker, with me.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: I don't know if I would have help you as an outside linebacker.

LONG: I don't know, Wolf. I heard you can bring it.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Well, those were many, many years ago.

You went on to a great football career, but you're doing some important work right now.

LONG: Yes. It's a good group. It's a real good group, and we're excited. It's right there. It's right there in front of it. It can have a ripple effect on the pond and affect a lot of people.

BLITZER: Well, thanks for doing it and thanks for joining us.

LONG: Thanks for having me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: One note here.

During our interview, Howie mentioned the figure 125,000 for the number of people affected by spinal muscular atrophy. After we spoke, Howie corrected himself, saying, in fact, 25,000 people are affected by this disease.

Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Which of the last five first ladies do you, you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan or Rosalynn Carter?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results immediately when we come back.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing on our "Web Question of the Day." We've been asking you this: "Which of the last five first ladies do you admire most? Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter?" Look at this. Hillary Clinton, among our viewers at least, those who go to the Web site, 71 percent of you supporting Hillary. You admire you.

That's all the time we have for today. I'll be back, of course, tomorrow 5 p.m. Eastern. Everyday, twice a day, weekdays, noon and 5.

Lou Dobbs standing by to pick up our coverage. And Lou, remember, our poll is not a scientific poll.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": That's why we run ours immediately after yours, Wolf. Ours is decidedly scientific in absolute terms.

Wolf, thank you very much.

BLITZER: I'm not so sure -- I'm not so sure how scientific your Web poll is, either. But we can talk about that later.

DOBBS: Well, skepticism, especially when it's yours, is always well placed. We'll talk about it, as you say, later.

BLITZER: All right.

DOBBS: Wolf, thanks a lot. Wolf Blitzer.

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