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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

What Will it Take to Bring Stability to Iraq?

Aired July 07, 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)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: An icon arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's totally unrestricted.

KAGAN: One of basketball's brightest stars, Kobe Bryant, facing a key decision this hour.

A teenage terror plot in a New Jersey town?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were carrying with them a combination of rifles, shotguns, pistols.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was always a good kid.

KAGAN: The lucky break that tipped off police.

Look who dropped in on Liberia?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to take a very hard look at what the humanitarian situation is on the ground.

KAGAN: How many more Americans will follow?

And, U.S. troops killed when they least suspect it, how are they being brought down? How can they fight back? I'll ask a founding member of the top secret Delta Force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: It is Monday, July 7, 2003. Hello from CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan reporting. Wolf Blitzer has the day off.

He's the NBA superstar with the squeaky clean image but Kobe Bryant's image and more may be in jeopardy at this hour. We're going to show you a live picture now of Eagle, Colorado. That is where the district attorney is about to hold a news conference any moment now on a case involving allegations of sexual assault. We should tell you the facts of this case as we know them and Kobe's alleged involvement are sparse to say the least at this time.

Drafted straight out of high school, Bryant became the youngest all star in the NBA. At age 24, he already has three championship rings with LA Lakers, and endorsement contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. To begin our coverage we're going to go straight to Los Angeles and CNN's Charles Feldman who is standing by live in L.A. - Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, as you said, the facts thus far are indeed sparse and until we hear from the D.A. and the sheriff shortly we don't even know if he intends or they intend to formally charge Bryant with any crime.

So far, the allegations against Bryant have only been in the form of a police arrest warrant. Bryant was staying at this hotel in Colorado and other than that specific fact just about everything else is up in the air.

Reaction from Lakers management and some of -- and we're going to right now I'm told to the D.A. and sheriff's press conference.

(INTERRUPTED BY CNN COVERAGE OF LIVE EVENT)

FELDMAN: Daryn, you know, even before this news conference, reaction from Lakers management and some of Kobe Bryant's team players was swift and supportive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our players including Kobe, gets 100 percent of our support all the time. In this case absolutely the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a great teammate and he's a happily married man, you know, and I'm sure he's happy. He talks about his wife all the time, so I mean I just can't wait for the truth to come out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: Now, Bryant at age 24 has already reached super stardom. Patrick Ewing knows what it is like to be a super star player. We caught up with him a while ago for his reaction to the Bryant story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK EWING, NBA PLAYER: I wish him the best. I hope he didn't do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: And that reaction was swift as you heard, and that reaction coming in as this story continues to develop - Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Charles, we know you're following it there for us from L.A. We'll let you go to gather more information on that.

We are talking, of course, about the NBA where bad boys do make plenty of headlines. When it comes to character, Kobe Bryant seems to be in a league of his own. He's 24. He's married. He has a baby daughter, a reputation above board, clean living, not club hopping, kind of a loner who kept to himself in the NBA.

So, what is next for Kobe Bryant? Joining me now from Los Angeles is Harvey Levin, Executive Producer of "Celebrity Justice," Harvey, good to have you with us.

HARVEY LEVIN: Hi, Daryn.

KAGAN: First you got to do a little bit of the confusing parts of the legal aspects of this. It seems like most of the news conference centered around this. He was arrested but there are no formal criminal charges. How does that work?

LEVIN: Well, I don't think it works well for the D.A. even though he's not saying it up front. What's going on here is that the sheriff's department has the ability to make an arrest. This not uncommon that law enforcement will make an arrest and then refer a case to the D.A.

What seems to be different about this case is, at least if you believe Kobe Bryant's lawyer, there was some kind of an understanding that the D.A. would be consulted and apparently that did not happen and I think that's why the D.A. was hedging things saying we're going to move forward not look backward. I don't think he's too happy about it.

KAGAN: But you're hearing things like we wanted to take care of this on a holiday weekend before all you reporters would catch on to it. They're not putting out the booking photo. Is Kobe Bryant getting special attention here and special consideration?

LEVIN: Well, I don't really understand the sheriff's comment here when he says they wanted to take care of it before the holiday weekend. What does that mean? I mean they made an arrest and what they did there was triggered the media interest in this thing.

If they wanted to keep it private for as long as possible they could have discreetly contacted whoever they wanted to but, frankly, that's not the decision of the sheriff to contact the family of the victim. That's for the victim to do, or the alleged victim, as it would be for Kobe Bryant and his family. So, I'm a little puzzled by the sheriff's comment there.

KAGAN: You are executive producer of "Celebrity Justice" so let's talk about the fame angle of this. How badly does this hurt Kobe Bryant depending on which way it goes?

LEVIN: Well, I have to tell you, you probably - you may or may not remember this. Jason Kidd who is extremely popular right now had his own problem just a few years back involving domestic abuse where he pleaded guilty and that's the kind of thing where, gee, you hardly remember it and Jason Kidd is soaring again.

The bottom line is that lots of athletes get in trouble. Sometimes the trouble sticks and sometimes it doesn't but if there's a profession where people will be forgiving I think it's athletics because we see so much of it that it doesn't startle us as much. In this case what's particularly startling is you juxtapose this allegation against Kobe Bryant's squeeky clean image and it doesn't seem to mesh so he's a little bit different but, after all, this is athletics.

KAGAN: Yes, and you're right. The clean image, that's probably what has made jaws drop not just across Los Angeles but all across the country with so many fans. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice," thank you Harvey.

LEVIN: Good seeing you, Daryn.

KAGAN: I appreciate that. Kobe Bryant, if he is charged, will have to be back in court on August 6.

Right now, we move on to other stories. Americans are already on the ground in Liberia. They arrive at a critical time but is this a journey in chaos?

Armed and ready to kill, this stockpile who had it and how police say the suspects are going to use it. It is shocking.

And, a marathon surgery is underway right now, why it could mean a new life or death for these conjoined twins.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A U.S. military team is now on the ground in war-torn Liberia and it may lay the groundwork for the deployment of peacekeeping troops but would those troops move in before Liberia's president moves out?

We have two reports for you now from the scene. We begin with CNN's Brent Sadler who is in Monrovia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's been a steady buildup of specialists, U.S. military personnel coming into the U.S. Embassy compound here in the Liberian capital, just a handful of them. What are they going to be doing here?

Primarily they will be focusing on Liberia's dire humanitarian needs. This is a country in chaos. At least one million refugees displaced internally because of decades of vicious fighting.

So, the north of the country you have one rebel group, to the south of the country another rebel group, in the center President Charles Taylor, embattled not just on the military front but also politically.

(on camera): So, this team now arriving in the Liberian capital is going to be laying the groundwork for possible wider U.S. involvement here but no final decision has been made on that.

Brent Sadler CNN, Monrovia, Liberia. (END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Jeff Koinange in Monrovia, Liberia, one day after President Taylor agreed to a safe haven in Nigeria, or as he likes to call it, a soft landing.

He spent most of Monday with his ruling party, the National Patriotic Party, paving the way for his eventual departure but what they were doing today was picking a flag bearer, the one person who will continue once Mr. Taylor is gone and that person will be part of a transitional government that will be selected in the coming days and the coming weeks that will help pick an interim president who will then rule for maybe three to six months before elections are finally called.

Now, no details were given of Mr. Taylor's departure. We don't know when he's going to depart. We don't know how he's going to depart but you can be assured that everyone is watching and waiting, especially rebel forces, two factions on either side of this city waiting and watching to see when Mr. Taylor will depart.

Mr. Taylor does insist on some conditions and one of them is that peacekeepers must be on the ground. The arrival of a reconnaissance mission here on the ground in Liberia Monday means that eventual peacekeepers will be coming in the coming days maybe even in the coming weeks.

And, one more thing hanging on Mr. Taylor's head the war crimes indictment, he also wants that dropped but he may have to until he gets to Nigeria. In the meantime, he's preparing for his departure for his new home away from home.

Jeff Koinange CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Will U.S. peacekeepers follow the advance team into Liberia? For a look at the possible military options, let's go live now to CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr who is handling that for us, Barbara, good afternoon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.

Well, here at the Pentagon they are waiting now for the first report from that assessment team that landed in Monrovia, Liberia earlier today.

Now the way the military options are shaping up, of course President Bush still has to make a decision, but the options are shaping up. We are told that if he decides to send troops it will most likely be a maritime force, U.S. Marines. Where will they come from?

Well, there are about 2,000 Marines on the east coast of Africa in the Horn of Africa. They are on the Iwo Jima amphibious ship and two other ships. It would take them several days to sail around the African coastline and come up along the west side and be ready to move in.

But the problem is there's no other Marines ready or closer. We are told that a Marine amphibious group on the East Coast of the United States would be closer but it would take almost as long to get ready and then sail over to the west coast of Africa so all of this now being looked at.

The question also is sequence or timing would the U.S. forces go in on their own? Would they go in with other African military forces? Would they go in and then turn a mission over to the Africans?

That assessment team now largely looking at the humanitarian issue but sources tell us they have not ruled out, the Pentagon has not ruled out a peacekeeping element to any force it might be asked to send in - Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Barbara thank you for that.

Now, it's your turn at home to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.

And while you're there, we'd like to hear from you. Send us your comments and we just might read some of them at the end of the program.

Living in fear. Last we are year it was a sniper. Now, D.C. residence face another dangerous threat that hits when they are at home.

Plus the attacks in Baghdad keep coming. An already violent weekend in Iraq gets even worse.

And three teenagers are arrested in New Jersey, with an huge arsenal. Police say they had a plan for mayhem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back to WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

I'm Daryn Kagan filling in for Wolf today.

In just a moment, U.S. Marines killed at point blank range. How can they fight an enemy who hides until it's to late.

We'll go to Baghdad, and we'll hear from a founding member of the Delta Force.

First, though, the latest headlines.

(NEWS BREAK) KAGAN: In now to the crime spree that's terrorizing the Washington, D.C. area. For that, we go live to Patty Davis in Washington D.C. -- Pat.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, neighbors in this Washington D.C. community say they watched helplessly last month as an arson fire ripped through his house, killing an elderly woman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): A serial arsonist is expected of deliberately setting as many as 29 fires in Washington, D.C. and nearby Prince George's County, Maryland.

CARLOS DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: That night we were awakened by the loudest scream I had ever heard.

DAVIS: One of those fires, June 5, killed 86-year-old Lou Edna Jones known as "Mama Lou" to neighbors like Carlos and Cheryl Davis. The screams from her granddaughter who got out in time.

CHERYL DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: There was nothing to compare to what we saw standing on our front yard, the amount of fire and how quickly it engulfed the top of the house.

DAVIS: Authorities say an arsonist doused Jones' front door with a flammable liquid, a common thread in these fires. The arsonist has struck in the middle of the night, when people are asleep. Like the sniper attacks last fall, some residents are terrified they could be next.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am just shaking (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I am just a nerves wreck.

MAJ. VICTOR STAGARO, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: I would say that the citizens are certainly being terrorized in a sense that they are fearful.

DAVIS: A task force of local and federal experts is investigating. Five fires have been conclusively linked, 17 have been ruled similar in nature, and seven others are being investigated. Now the FBI is creating a profile of the arsonist.

STAGARO: Much like with the sniper case, it's going to be something that's going to turn up and they'll be able to find the person, and, I think, we'll all sleep better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now investigators have not yet conclusively linked this fire to the work of the serial arsonist, but they say they definitely have their suspicions. Meanwhile, "Mama Lou's" children, her daughters, her grandchildren have been stopping by here all day. They want to see the house. They want to clean out what they can. They are saying they will simply not rest until this person is caught -- Daryn. KAGAN: Patty Davis from Washington, D.C. Patty, thank you for that.

Let's get more on the search for this arsonist. I'm joined by Fire Chief Ronald Blackwell.

Chief, thanks for being with us.

I Want to put this map back on the screen. While we do that, talk about location, where we know these fires have hit. Also other common aspects. So we have location, flammable liquid involved, time of day also is key, early in the morning, 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.

CHIEF RONALD BLACKWELL, Prince George's CO. MARYLAND FIRE DEPT.: Right. All those factors are certainly a part of the things that our investigators are looking into. The fires have occurred in Maryland and in the District of Columbia. The reporter talked about the 22 fires that are similar in nature. Of that number, five have been linked. Four of those occurred in Prince George's County and one in the District of Columbia.

KAGAN: Chief, of the ones you know have been linked, is there any common thread with the victims, like an elderly woman, like "Mama" Lou?

BLACKWELL: No, the victims have varied. What's been particularly disturbing for us is that the fires have all occurred in occupied dwellings between the hours of midnight and 6:00 in the morning which is when people are really vulnerable. And So we're doing everything we can to get this crime solved.

KAGAN: What kind of person are you looking for?

How much do you know?

BLACKWELL: Well, it's difficult to say with a certainty much about the kind of person we're looking for. We certainly would like to apprehend the person or persons responsible to get at the possible motive here. But our investigators are continuing to do a lot of leg work. We've conducted more than 150 interviews. We're going to go back and interview some other people, and then, of course, we'll continue to try to put together physical evidence.

KAGAN: Is there some sort of composite of either a drawing or any kind of -- are you talking about a man, woman, anything?

BLACKWELL: The metropolitan police department has released a sketch of an individual that we believe is a crucial witness. That person was seen near at least one of the fire incidents, and probably possesses some information that would be very helpful to us.

KAGAN: Now that the FBI is involved, how can they help.

BLACKWELL: Well, we are certainly grateful for the support of our federal partners. Not is the FBI involved, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are helping us with the use of their laboratories, as well as personal.

KAGAN: Is this the type of thing where you have to wait for this guy or person to strike again in order to catch them?

BLACKWELL: Not necessarily. I'm of the opinion, as are most of our investigators, that our physical evidence is sound. But what we need more than anything, is help from the community. We believe that there is someone that has seen, heard or perhaps knows of the person or persons who may be responsible or there were people who were at or near the scenes of one of these incidents that perhaps saw something they didn't think was important at the time but may be very important for us during this investigation.

KAGAN: And meanwhile, what would you say to the citizens of Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, that each night must go to bed absolutely frightened.

BLACKWELL: I think that it's important for everyone to recognize that all of us in public safety and especially those involved in this investigation, share in their anguish and pain. Our region has certainly been traumatized not only by the sniper, but the things going on now causes us some sleepless nights as well. They can rest assured that we're doing everything we can and we'll continue to work very hard to get this crime solved.

KAGAN: Good luck in your hunt. Ronald Blackwell, fire chief of Prince George's County. Appreciate your time.

BLACKWELL: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: It is a chance encounter and a startling discovery.

A weapons stockpile. And the frightening story of who had it and how police say they were going to use it. That story is just ahead.

Attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq seem to be getting more brazen. The latest incident signify a disturbing trend.

We'll go to Baghdad just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: How close did a New Jersey town comes to disaster? Coming up, ammo and arms seized, perhaps just in the nick of time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We have some pictures now into CNN that may shed some light on the cause of the space shuttle Columbia tragedy.

Joining us now with the pictures and an explanation, our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien. Miles, what do you have?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

One of the board members from the Columbia Accident Investigation board is calling this nothing less than the smoking gun with no qualification.

Take a look at these images which came out of San Antonio, Texas, just a little while ago. You're looking at a mock-up of a shuttle wing. And there foam is fired at that number 8 reinforced carbon carbon panel at 500 miles an hour, leaving a hole there, just to give you a sense of scale, 16 inches in diameter. The foam was fired at 500 miles an hour, the relative speed that foam struck the leading edge of Columbia during its launch in the middle of January. There you see how that mock-up is set up. This is a very startling piece of evidence and caused audible gasps among the crowd of 100 as that foam was fired on that panel. Much more damage than I think most anybody expected.

Let's see if we have a slow motion shot if you take another look at it. I'm not sure if we were able to capture that moment when the foam hit.

Nevertheless, if we take you back -- if we can take that shot back we can probably show the slow motion. The point is that the Columbia Accident Investigation Board had already established the most probable cause of this accident, as we look at that slow motion shot one more time -- this is reinforced carbon carbon panel 8. And there you see that very dramatic.

Let's go back it the launch, middle of January. We've shown you this tape many times. Foam falling off the external fuel tank -- the space shuttle Columbia. Relative speed the same, about 500 miles an hour at the spot that was mocked up in San Antonio, today, causing what the Columbia accident investigation board is now virtually certain a fatal breach to that leading edge so that two weeks later, when Columbia was returning from orbit, it was not protected from the 3000-degree plasma on re-entry.

So significant piece of news from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, Daryn, out of San Antonio today. Their seventh foam test showing perhaps the most dramatic evidence to date that foam hitting right in this section -- if we show you this model here -- hitting right in this section here, reinforced carbon carbon panel number eight, when shot at the right angle and the right speed can cause a significantly large hole, 16 inches in diameter -- Daryn.

KAGAN: But Miles, figuring out what it is one thing. The next thing is, what do you do about it? Because isn't foam naturally there? I mean, they just can't help it. It is going to fall off in the launch.

O'BRIEN: Well, in a sense, that's true. Some of that foam is going to foam off -- going to come off. What they need to do is focus on some areas where bigger pieces are falling off. And there are certain pieces where the attachment points are to the space shuttle. This so-called bipod area is where two struts attach it to the external tank, where that foam has a history of falling off in big pieces. And so they're looking at ways of perhaps putting heaters in that spot to do the insulation as opposed to foam, which would make it less likely for big pieces to fall off.

KAGAN: Very interesting. Miles O'Brien, thank you for that explanation.

On now to New Jersey, where police say they barely prevented a teenage thrill-killing spree. Authorities say a botched carjacking led to the arrest of three heavily armed youths yesterday morning in Oykland, New Jersey. That is a suburb across the stateline from Philadelphia.

Our Jason Carroll is in Oykland and brings us the latest on this shocking story -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Daryn, prosecutors say that this is a story that had all the markings of a real tragedy. Three teenagers in custody, all charged in connection with committing a mass homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Matthew Lovett's father says his son has always been a quiet, good kid, until now.

Police say the 18-year-old was the mastermind of a murder plot to kill three students and then randomly kill as many people in town as possible.

VINCENT SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Whether you want to call it Columbine, whether you want to say it's similar to situations like this that have happened in Virginia, in Florida, in other parts of the United States -- they're sad situations. They're disturbing. They -- you know, they strike at everything that I think our communities and our neighborhoods stand for.

CARROLL: Police say they discovered the plot early Sunday, when Lovett and two other teenagers, one 14, the other 15, tried to carjack a motorist.

MATTHEW RICH, CARJACKING VICTIM: They had the intent to kill. I mean, I've seen that look before. They had the intent to kill. And that's when I knew -- my sixth sense told me it's time to move on. Don't stand. Don't play around with these guys. Just get out of there.

CARROLL: Police say the three teenagers had rifles strapped to their backs. At the Lovett home, police also found a mini arsenal of weapons, including several handguns, a shotgun, swords and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Police say Lovett's father had permits for the weapons. Lovett's father spoke to CNN by phone saying his son was not the kind to look for trouble.

RON LOVETT, FATHER OF SUSPECT: He's never been in trouble with the law. I had no complaints all throughout high school about his behavior. And he's never been interested in guns, never fired one, never loaded one. Doesn't know how to drive a car.

CARROLL: Lovett's former classmates paint a different picture, saying he drew violent cartoons and that he and his younger brother, who had a cleft palette, were constantly picked on. Paul Phillips has known Lovett since kindergarten.

PAUL PHILLIP, CLASSMATE OF LOVETT: This is a shame because everyone would always pick on him because of the way he dressed or just because.

CARROLL (on camera): What was it about the way that he dressed?

PHILLIP: He used to wear, like, raggedy clothes, like sweatpants, and just, like, -- sometime she'd wear torn shirts and everything.

CARROLL (voice-over): Paul Phillip got Lovett to sign his yearbook. He says Lovett became more withdrawn after his mother's death several years ago. But, he says, nothing led him to believe Lovett would become violent.

PHILLIPS: I'm a little surprised but, I mean, you can only push somebody so far, you know? I mean, people have been making fun of him for the longest time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Lovett left a note behind, but prosecutors are not commenting on the contents of that note. The names of the 14 and 15- year-olds not being released because they are minors. But prosecutors are saying that they are going to seek to try the 14 and 15-year-olds as adults. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Jason Carroll in Oykland, New Jersey. Jason, thank you for that.

Coming up, bold, deadly attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. We're going to hear what Americans are up against from a founding member of the Delta Force. That is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The casualty count is steadily mounting for U.S. troops in Iraq as U.S. administrators try to restore some semblance of normal life in the capital.

Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Highest security in Baghdad Monday. More surveillance helicopters flying through the city. The attacks on the U.S. troops overnight Sunday night into Monday. One soldier killed in a shootout while on patrol. Another soldier killed by an explosive device when he was out on patrol in Baghdad. Four more soldiers injured when an explosion went off by their patrols in Ramadi about 60 miles west of Baghdad. And the soldier who was shot in the head Sunday died of his injuries Monday. In Baghdad, the political structure moved forward somewhat Monday. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civil administrator here inaugurating the Baghdad city council. The delegates nominated from different areas around the city. They don't have powers, but they do have the authority to make recommendations to the civilian provisional authority here. Paul Bremer promising them the provisional authority would listen to what they had to say and saying that the city council was an important Democratic step forward for Iraq.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Here to talk about the dangers facing U.S. troops in Iraq and the spectre of guerrilla warfare, retired Army Sergeant Major Eric Haney. He is a counterterrorism expert and the founding member of the Army's elite Delta Force unit.

Thanks for being here with us.

SGT. MAJ. ERIC HANEY, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Well, of course.

KAGAN: When you hear what is happening in Iraq, are you surprised that it's come down to this?

HANEY: No. This has been going on since the end of the active phase of the war, since the military itself was broken in Iraq. And now we're in that portion of it which is counter to the nation building. It's the small scale attacks, picking off our soldiers, one and twos. This is going to go on until control is gained completely over the country.

KAGAN: Want to get to control in just a second. But when you get to a point where a soldier is just standing on the campus of Baghdad University buying a Coke and someone comes up and shoots him point blank in the head, how does a soldier go about and do his business after that?

HANEY: Well, the soldiers are going to have to pay more attention. And this is a tough one with regular troops. If things haven't gone on for awhile, they start to become a little bit lax in their vigilance. We're talking about young guys, 18, 19, 20-years-old So it's always tough and it's incumbent upon the leadership to keep them active and to keep them vigilant, to let them know what's going on, just so they can still pay attention and still do their jobs.

KAGAN: When we mentioned the Delta Force, you're talking about elite, highly trained soldiers, people who have had a lot of training. And as you said, we're talking big numbers. There's already 150,000 troops there. How do you train, how do you get the message across to that many troops on what it takes to get this job done?

HANEY: Well, you don't speak to 150, 000 soldiers. Each of those has a sergeant. And sergeants deal with fours and lieutenants deal with four sergeants in a platoon and et cetera, it goes right on up the line. So the chain of command just has to be very proactive. And I know they are. They really are. They're working hard. There are a lot of techniques that they are using right now to keep this down to as low a level as it is. But this is going to go on...

KAGAN: Well, when you say as low a level as it is. So we at home are looking at this going, Can you believe? Another three soldiers. We're up to 28. The numbers keep mounting. But in your view, is it actually this going better than you would have expected, when you say these low numbers?

HANEY: I don't know how you could predict numbers and I would never go out and say, is it better than predicted. I mean, loss of any soldier is one too many.

KAGAN: Sure.

HANEY: But it's still warfare. Peace has not been brought to Iraq yet and that's going to take quite a long time. It's a country that's just been wrecked completely. The infrastructure that used to work, even under the dictatorship, no longer functions. So stability has to be gained and it's done just a piece at a time, a bite at a time.

KAGAN: And just give us a feeling of what it feels like to be in that type of situation, when anything -- any moment you turn around, somebody, even the least suspicious person could be coming up to take your life.

HANEY: You just have to pay attention. It's part of the life of being a soldier in a combat area. It has been ever so as long as mankind has prosecuted warfare and invaded and taken over countries and tried to bring stability to them.

There are those who don't want anything other than that wreckage they can see right now. They think it will cause them to come back into power. And these small-scale attacks -- a lot of those are designed to provoke an outrage on the part of Americans to cause an overreaction on our part. And so far we're not doing those kinds of things.

KAGAN: And to get the Americans to pack up and come home. And as you you said, so far that's not going to happen. Eric Haney, thank you for your insight.

HANEY: Certainly.

KAGAN: Appreciate -- appreciate your time today.

HANEY: All right.

KAGAN: Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. The results of that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Now here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, we've been asking you this: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" Thirty percent of you said yes, while 70 percent said no. As always -- as we always tell you, this, of course, is not a scientific poll, but just a way for you to voice your opinion.

A reminder, you can always watch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. Wolf will be right back here tomorrow.

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 July 7, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: An icon arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's totally unrestricted.

KAGAN: One of basketball's brightest stars, Kobe Bryant, facing a key decision this hour.

A teenage terror plot in a New Jersey town?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were carrying with them a combination of rifles, shotguns, pistols.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was always a good kid.

KAGAN: The lucky break that tipped off police.

Look who dropped in on Liberia?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're going to take a very hard look at what the humanitarian situation is on the ground.

KAGAN: How many more Americans will follow?

And, U.S. troops killed when they least suspect it, how are they being brought down? How can they fight back? I'll ask a founding member of the top secret Delta Force.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: It is Monday, July 7, 2003. Hello from CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Daryn Kagan reporting. Wolf Blitzer has the day off.

He's the NBA superstar with the squeaky clean image but Kobe Bryant's image and more may be in jeopardy at this hour. We're going to show you a live picture now of Eagle, Colorado. That is where the district attorney is about to hold a news conference any moment now on a case involving allegations of sexual assault. We should tell you the facts of this case as we know them and Kobe's alleged involvement are sparse to say the least at this time.

Drafted straight out of high school, Bryant became the youngest all star in the NBA. At age 24, he already has three championship rings with LA Lakers, and endorsement contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. To begin our coverage we're going to go straight to Los Angeles and CNN's Charles Feldman who is standing by live in L.A. - Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, as you said, the facts thus far are indeed sparse and until we hear from the D.A. and the sheriff shortly we don't even know if he intends or they intend to formally charge Bryant with any crime.

So far, the allegations against Bryant have only been in the form of a police arrest warrant. Bryant was staying at this hotel in Colorado and other than that specific fact just about everything else is up in the air.

Reaction from Lakers management and some of -- and we're going to right now I'm told to the D.A. and sheriff's press conference.

(INTERRUPTED BY CNN COVERAGE OF LIVE EVENT)

FELDMAN: Daryn, you know, even before this news conference, reaction from Lakers management and some of Kobe Bryant's team players was swift and supportive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our players including Kobe, gets 100 percent of our support all the time. In this case absolutely the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a great teammate and he's a happily married man, you know, and I'm sure he's happy. He talks about his wife all the time, so I mean I just can't wait for the truth to come out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: Now, Bryant at age 24 has already reached super stardom. Patrick Ewing knows what it is like to be a super star player. We caught up with him a while ago for his reaction to the Bryant story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK EWING, NBA PLAYER: I wish him the best. I hope he didn't do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: And that reaction was swift as you heard, and that reaction coming in as this story continues to develop - Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Charles, we know you're following it there for us from L.A. We'll let you go to gather more information on that.

We are talking, of course, about the NBA where bad boys do make plenty of headlines. When it comes to character, Kobe Bryant seems to be in a league of his own. He's 24. He's married. He has a baby daughter, a reputation above board, clean living, not club hopping, kind of a loner who kept to himself in the NBA.

So, what is next for Kobe Bryant? Joining me now from Los Angeles is Harvey Levin, Executive Producer of "Celebrity Justice," Harvey, good to have you with us.

HARVEY LEVIN: Hi, Daryn.

KAGAN: First you got to do a little bit of the confusing parts of the legal aspects of this. It seems like most of the news conference centered around this. He was arrested but there are no formal criminal charges. How does that work?

LEVIN: Well, I don't think it works well for the D.A. even though he's not saying it up front. What's going on here is that the sheriff's department has the ability to make an arrest. This not uncommon that law enforcement will make an arrest and then refer a case to the D.A.

What seems to be different about this case is, at least if you believe Kobe Bryant's lawyer, there was some kind of an understanding that the D.A. would be consulted and apparently that did not happen and I think that's why the D.A. was hedging things saying we're going to move forward not look backward. I don't think he's too happy about it.

KAGAN: But you're hearing things like we wanted to take care of this on a holiday weekend before all you reporters would catch on to it. They're not putting out the booking photo. Is Kobe Bryant getting special attention here and special consideration?

LEVIN: Well, I don't really understand the sheriff's comment here when he says they wanted to take care of it before the holiday weekend. What does that mean? I mean they made an arrest and what they did there was triggered the media interest in this thing.

If they wanted to keep it private for as long as possible they could have discreetly contacted whoever they wanted to but, frankly, that's not the decision of the sheriff to contact the family of the victim. That's for the victim to do, or the alleged victim, as it would be for Kobe Bryant and his family. So, I'm a little puzzled by the sheriff's comment there.

KAGAN: You are executive producer of "Celebrity Justice" so let's talk about the fame angle of this. How badly does this hurt Kobe Bryant depending on which way it goes?

LEVIN: Well, I have to tell you, you probably - you may or may not remember this. Jason Kidd who is extremely popular right now had his own problem just a few years back involving domestic abuse where he pleaded guilty and that's the kind of thing where, gee, you hardly remember it and Jason Kidd is soaring again.

The bottom line is that lots of athletes get in trouble. Sometimes the trouble sticks and sometimes it doesn't but if there's a profession where people will be forgiving I think it's athletics because we see so much of it that it doesn't startle us as much. In this case what's particularly startling is you juxtapose this allegation against Kobe Bryant's squeeky clean image and it doesn't seem to mesh so he's a little bit different but, after all, this is athletics.

KAGAN: Yes, and you're right. The clean image, that's probably what has made jaws drop not just across Los Angeles but all across the country with so many fans. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice," thank you Harvey.

LEVIN: Good seeing you, Daryn.

KAGAN: I appreciate that. Kobe Bryant, if he is charged, will have to be back in court on August 6.

Right now, we move on to other stories. Americans are already on the ground in Liberia. They arrive at a critical time but is this a journey in chaos?

Armed and ready to kill, this stockpile who had it and how police say the suspects are going to use it. It is shocking.

And, a marathon surgery is underway right now, why it could mean a new life or death for these conjoined twins.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A U.S. military team is now on the ground in war-torn Liberia and it may lay the groundwork for the deployment of peacekeeping troops but would those troops move in before Liberia's president moves out?

We have two reports for you now from the scene. We begin with CNN's Brent Sadler who is in Monrovia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's been a steady buildup of specialists, U.S. military personnel coming into the U.S. Embassy compound here in the Liberian capital, just a handful of them. What are they going to be doing here?

Primarily they will be focusing on Liberia's dire humanitarian needs. This is a country in chaos. At least one million refugees displaced internally because of decades of vicious fighting.

So, the north of the country you have one rebel group, to the south of the country another rebel group, in the center President Charles Taylor, embattled not just on the military front but also politically.

(on camera): So, this team now arriving in the Liberian capital is going to be laying the groundwork for possible wider U.S. involvement here but no final decision has been made on that.

Brent Sadler CNN, Monrovia, Liberia. (END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Jeff Koinange in Monrovia, Liberia, one day after President Taylor agreed to a safe haven in Nigeria, or as he likes to call it, a soft landing.

He spent most of Monday with his ruling party, the National Patriotic Party, paving the way for his eventual departure but what they were doing today was picking a flag bearer, the one person who will continue once Mr. Taylor is gone and that person will be part of a transitional government that will be selected in the coming days and the coming weeks that will help pick an interim president who will then rule for maybe three to six months before elections are finally called.

Now, no details were given of Mr. Taylor's departure. We don't know when he's going to depart. We don't know how he's going to depart but you can be assured that everyone is watching and waiting, especially rebel forces, two factions on either side of this city waiting and watching to see when Mr. Taylor will depart.

Mr. Taylor does insist on some conditions and one of them is that peacekeepers must be on the ground. The arrival of a reconnaissance mission here on the ground in Liberia Monday means that eventual peacekeepers will be coming in the coming days maybe even in the coming weeks.

And, one more thing hanging on Mr. Taylor's head the war crimes indictment, he also wants that dropped but he may have to until he gets to Nigeria. In the meantime, he's preparing for his departure for his new home away from home.

Jeff Koinange CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Will U.S. peacekeepers follow the advance team into Liberia? For a look at the possible military options, let's go live now to CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr who is handling that for us, Barbara, good afternoon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.

Well, here at the Pentagon they are waiting now for the first report from that assessment team that landed in Monrovia, Liberia earlier today.

Now the way the military options are shaping up, of course President Bush still has to make a decision, but the options are shaping up. We are told that if he decides to send troops it will most likely be a maritime force, U.S. Marines. Where will they come from?

Well, there are about 2,000 Marines on the east coast of Africa in the Horn of Africa. They are on the Iwo Jima amphibious ship and two other ships. It would take them several days to sail around the African coastline and come up along the west side and be ready to move in.

But the problem is there's no other Marines ready or closer. We are told that a Marine amphibious group on the East Coast of the United States would be closer but it would take almost as long to get ready and then sail over to the west coast of Africa so all of this now being looked at.

The question also is sequence or timing would the U.S. forces go in on their own? Would they go in with other African military forces? Would they go in and then turn a mission over to the Africans?

That assessment team now largely looking at the humanitarian issue but sources tell us they have not ruled out, the Pentagon has not ruled out a peacekeeping element to any force it might be asked to send in - Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Barbara thank you for that.

Now, it's your turn at home to weigh in on the story. Our web question of the day: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote at cnn.com/wolf.

And while you're there, we'd like to hear from you. Send us your comments and we just might read some of them at the end of the program.

Living in fear. Last we are year it was a sniper. Now, D.C. residence face another dangerous threat that hits when they are at home.

Plus the attacks in Baghdad keep coming. An already violent weekend in Iraq gets even worse.

And three teenagers are arrested in New Jersey, with an huge arsenal. Police say they had a plan for mayhem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back to WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

I'm Daryn Kagan filling in for Wolf today.

In just a moment, U.S. Marines killed at point blank range. How can they fight an enemy who hides until it's to late.

We'll go to Baghdad, and we'll hear from a founding member of the Delta Force.

First, though, the latest headlines.

(NEWS BREAK) KAGAN: In now to the crime spree that's terrorizing the Washington, D.C. area. For that, we go live to Patty Davis in Washington D.C. -- Pat.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, neighbors in this Washington D.C. community say they watched helplessly last month as an arson fire ripped through his house, killing an elderly woman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): A serial arsonist is expected of deliberately setting as many as 29 fires in Washington, D.C. and nearby Prince George's County, Maryland.

CARLOS DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: That night we were awakened by the loudest scream I had ever heard.

DAVIS: One of those fires, June 5, killed 86-year-old Lou Edna Jones known as "Mama Lou" to neighbors like Carlos and Cheryl Davis. The screams from her granddaughter who got out in time.

CHERYL DAVIS, NEIGHBOR: There was nothing to compare to what we saw standing on our front yard, the amount of fire and how quickly it engulfed the top of the house.

DAVIS: Authorities say an arsonist doused Jones' front door with a flammable liquid, a common thread in these fires. The arsonist has struck in the middle of the night, when people are asleep. Like the sniper attacks last fall, some residents are terrified they could be next.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am just shaking (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I am just a nerves wreck.

MAJ. VICTOR STAGARO, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: I would say that the citizens are certainly being terrorized in a sense that they are fearful.

DAVIS: A task force of local and federal experts is investigating. Five fires have been conclusively linked, 17 have been ruled similar in nature, and seven others are being investigated. Now the FBI is creating a profile of the arsonist.

STAGARO: Much like with the sniper case, it's going to be something that's going to turn up and they'll be able to find the person, and, I think, we'll all sleep better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now investigators have not yet conclusively linked this fire to the work of the serial arsonist, but they say they definitely have their suspicions. Meanwhile, "Mama Lou's" children, her daughters, her grandchildren have been stopping by here all day. They want to see the house. They want to clean out what they can. They are saying they will simply not rest until this person is caught -- Daryn. KAGAN: Patty Davis from Washington, D.C. Patty, thank you for that.

Let's get more on the search for this arsonist. I'm joined by Fire Chief Ronald Blackwell.

Chief, thanks for being with us.

I Want to put this map back on the screen. While we do that, talk about location, where we know these fires have hit. Also other common aspects. So we have location, flammable liquid involved, time of day also is key, early in the morning, 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.

CHIEF RONALD BLACKWELL, Prince George's CO. MARYLAND FIRE DEPT.: Right. All those factors are certainly a part of the things that our investigators are looking into. The fires have occurred in Maryland and in the District of Columbia. The reporter talked about the 22 fires that are similar in nature. Of that number, five have been linked. Four of those occurred in Prince George's County and one in the District of Columbia.

KAGAN: Chief, of the ones you know have been linked, is there any common thread with the victims, like an elderly woman, like "Mama" Lou?

BLACKWELL: No, the victims have varied. What's been particularly disturbing for us is that the fires have all occurred in occupied dwellings between the hours of midnight and 6:00 in the morning which is when people are really vulnerable. And So we're doing everything we can to get this crime solved.

KAGAN: What kind of person are you looking for?

How much do you know?

BLACKWELL: Well, it's difficult to say with a certainty much about the kind of person we're looking for. We certainly would like to apprehend the person or persons responsible to get at the possible motive here. But our investigators are continuing to do a lot of leg work. We've conducted more than 150 interviews. We're going to go back and interview some other people, and then, of course, we'll continue to try to put together physical evidence.

KAGAN: Is there some sort of composite of either a drawing or any kind of -- are you talking about a man, woman, anything?

BLACKWELL: The metropolitan police department has released a sketch of an individual that we believe is a crucial witness. That person was seen near at least one of the fire incidents, and probably possesses some information that would be very helpful to us.

KAGAN: Now that the FBI is involved, how can they help.

BLACKWELL: Well, we are certainly grateful for the support of our federal partners. Not is the FBI involved, but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are helping us with the use of their laboratories, as well as personal.

KAGAN: Is this the type of thing where you have to wait for this guy or person to strike again in order to catch them?

BLACKWELL: Not necessarily. I'm of the opinion, as are most of our investigators, that our physical evidence is sound. But what we need more than anything, is help from the community. We believe that there is someone that has seen, heard or perhaps knows of the person or persons who may be responsible or there were people who were at or near the scenes of one of these incidents that perhaps saw something they didn't think was important at the time but may be very important for us during this investigation.

KAGAN: And meanwhile, what would you say to the citizens of Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, that each night must go to bed absolutely frightened.

BLACKWELL: I think that it's important for everyone to recognize that all of us in public safety and especially those involved in this investigation, share in their anguish and pain. Our region has certainly been traumatized not only by the sniper, but the things going on now causes us some sleepless nights as well. They can rest assured that we're doing everything we can and we'll continue to work very hard to get this crime solved.

KAGAN: Good luck in your hunt. Ronald Blackwell, fire chief of Prince George's County. Appreciate your time.

BLACKWELL: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: It is a chance encounter and a startling discovery.

A weapons stockpile. And the frightening story of who had it and how police say they were going to use it. That story is just ahead.

Attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq seem to be getting more brazen. The latest incident signify a disturbing trend.

We'll go to Baghdad just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: How close did a New Jersey town comes to disaster? Coming up, ammo and arms seized, perhaps just in the nick of time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We have some pictures now into CNN that may shed some light on the cause of the space shuttle Columbia tragedy.

Joining us now with the pictures and an explanation, our space correspondent, Miles O'Brien. Miles, what do you have?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

One of the board members from the Columbia Accident Investigation board is calling this nothing less than the smoking gun with no qualification.

Take a look at these images which came out of San Antonio, Texas, just a little while ago. You're looking at a mock-up of a shuttle wing. And there foam is fired at that number 8 reinforced carbon carbon panel at 500 miles an hour, leaving a hole there, just to give you a sense of scale, 16 inches in diameter. The foam was fired at 500 miles an hour, the relative speed that foam struck the leading edge of Columbia during its launch in the middle of January. There you see how that mock-up is set up. This is a very startling piece of evidence and caused audible gasps among the crowd of 100 as that foam was fired on that panel. Much more damage than I think most anybody expected.

Let's see if we have a slow motion shot if you take another look at it. I'm not sure if we were able to capture that moment when the foam hit.

Nevertheless, if we take you back -- if we can take that shot back we can probably show the slow motion. The point is that the Columbia Accident Investigation Board had already established the most probable cause of this accident, as we look at that slow motion shot one more time -- this is reinforced carbon carbon panel 8. And there you see that very dramatic.

Let's go back it the launch, middle of January. We've shown you this tape many times. Foam falling off the external fuel tank -- the space shuttle Columbia. Relative speed the same, about 500 miles an hour at the spot that was mocked up in San Antonio, today, causing what the Columbia accident investigation board is now virtually certain a fatal breach to that leading edge so that two weeks later, when Columbia was returning from orbit, it was not protected from the 3000-degree plasma on re-entry.

So significant piece of news from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, Daryn, out of San Antonio today. Their seventh foam test showing perhaps the most dramatic evidence to date that foam hitting right in this section -- if we show you this model here -- hitting right in this section here, reinforced carbon carbon panel number eight, when shot at the right angle and the right speed can cause a significantly large hole, 16 inches in diameter -- Daryn.

KAGAN: But Miles, figuring out what it is one thing. The next thing is, what do you do about it? Because isn't foam naturally there? I mean, they just can't help it. It is going to fall off in the launch.

O'BRIEN: Well, in a sense, that's true. Some of that foam is going to foam off -- going to come off. What they need to do is focus on some areas where bigger pieces are falling off. And there are certain pieces where the attachment points are to the space shuttle. This so-called bipod area is where two struts attach it to the external tank, where that foam has a history of falling off in big pieces. And so they're looking at ways of perhaps putting heaters in that spot to do the insulation as opposed to foam, which would make it less likely for big pieces to fall off.

KAGAN: Very interesting. Miles O'Brien, thank you for that explanation.

On now to New Jersey, where police say they barely prevented a teenage thrill-killing spree. Authorities say a botched carjacking led to the arrest of three heavily armed youths yesterday morning in Oykland, New Jersey. That is a suburb across the stateline from Philadelphia.

Our Jason Carroll is in Oykland and brings us the latest on this shocking story -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Daryn, prosecutors say that this is a story that had all the markings of a real tragedy. Three teenagers in custody, all charged in connection with committing a mass homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Matthew Lovett's father says his son has always been a quiet, good kid, until now.

Police say the 18-year-old was the mastermind of a murder plot to kill three students and then randomly kill as many people in town as possible.

VINCENT SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Whether you want to call it Columbine, whether you want to say it's similar to situations like this that have happened in Virginia, in Florida, in other parts of the United States -- they're sad situations. They're disturbing. They -- you know, they strike at everything that I think our communities and our neighborhoods stand for.

CARROLL: Police say they discovered the plot early Sunday, when Lovett and two other teenagers, one 14, the other 15, tried to carjack a motorist.

MATTHEW RICH, CARJACKING VICTIM: They had the intent to kill. I mean, I've seen that look before. They had the intent to kill. And that's when I knew -- my sixth sense told me it's time to move on. Don't stand. Don't play around with these guys. Just get out of there.

CARROLL: Police say the three teenagers had rifles strapped to their backs. At the Lovett home, police also found a mini arsenal of weapons, including several handguns, a shotgun, swords and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Police say Lovett's father had permits for the weapons. Lovett's father spoke to CNN by phone saying his son was not the kind to look for trouble.

RON LOVETT, FATHER OF SUSPECT: He's never been in trouble with the law. I had no complaints all throughout high school about his behavior. And he's never been interested in guns, never fired one, never loaded one. Doesn't know how to drive a car.

CARROLL: Lovett's former classmates paint a different picture, saying he drew violent cartoons and that he and his younger brother, who had a cleft palette, were constantly picked on. Paul Phillips has known Lovett since kindergarten.

PAUL PHILLIP, CLASSMATE OF LOVETT: This is a shame because everyone would always pick on him because of the way he dressed or just because.

CARROLL (on camera): What was it about the way that he dressed?

PHILLIP: He used to wear, like, raggedy clothes, like sweatpants, and just, like, -- sometime she'd wear torn shirts and everything.

CARROLL (voice-over): Paul Phillip got Lovett to sign his yearbook. He says Lovett became more withdrawn after his mother's death several years ago. But, he says, nothing led him to believe Lovett would become violent.

PHILLIPS: I'm a little surprised but, I mean, you can only push somebody so far, you know? I mean, people have been making fun of him for the longest time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: Lovett left a note behind, but prosecutors are not commenting on the contents of that note. The names of the 14 and 15- year-olds not being released because they are minors. But prosecutors are saying that they are going to seek to try the 14 and 15-year-olds as adults. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Jason Carroll in Oykland, New Jersey. Jason, thank you for that.

Coming up, bold, deadly attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. We're going to hear what Americans are up against from a founding member of the Delta Force. That is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The casualty count is steadily mounting for U.S. troops in Iraq as U.S. administrators try to restore some semblance of normal life in the capital.

Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Highest security in Baghdad Monday. More surveillance helicopters flying through the city. The attacks on the U.S. troops overnight Sunday night into Monday. One soldier killed in a shootout while on patrol. Another soldier killed by an explosive device when he was out on patrol in Baghdad. Four more soldiers injured when an explosion went off by their patrols in Ramadi about 60 miles west of Baghdad. And the soldier who was shot in the head Sunday died of his injuries Monday. In Baghdad, the political structure moved forward somewhat Monday. Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. civil administrator here inaugurating the Baghdad city council. The delegates nominated from different areas around the city. They don't have powers, but they do have the authority to make recommendations to the civilian provisional authority here. Paul Bremer promising them the provisional authority would listen to what they had to say and saying that the city council was an important Democratic step forward for Iraq.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Here to talk about the dangers facing U.S. troops in Iraq and the spectre of guerrilla warfare, retired Army Sergeant Major Eric Haney. He is a counterterrorism expert and the founding member of the Army's elite Delta Force unit.

Thanks for being here with us.

SGT. MAJ. ERIC HANEY, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Well, of course.

KAGAN: When you hear what is happening in Iraq, are you surprised that it's come down to this?

HANEY: No. This has been going on since the end of the active phase of the war, since the military itself was broken in Iraq. And now we're in that portion of it which is counter to the nation building. It's the small scale attacks, picking off our soldiers, one and twos. This is going to go on until control is gained completely over the country.

KAGAN: Want to get to control in just a second. But when you get to a point where a soldier is just standing on the campus of Baghdad University buying a Coke and someone comes up and shoots him point blank in the head, how does a soldier go about and do his business after that?

HANEY: Well, the soldiers are going to have to pay more attention. And this is a tough one with regular troops. If things haven't gone on for awhile, they start to become a little bit lax in their vigilance. We're talking about young guys, 18, 19, 20-years-old So it's always tough and it's incumbent upon the leadership to keep them active and to keep them vigilant, to let them know what's going on, just so they can still pay attention and still do their jobs.

KAGAN: When we mentioned the Delta Force, you're talking about elite, highly trained soldiers, people who have had a lot of training. And as you said, we're talking big numbers. There's already 150,000 troops there. How do you train, how do you get the message across to that many troops on what it takes to get this job done?

HANEY: Well, you don't speak to 150, 000 soldiers. Each of those has a sergeant. And sergeants deal with fours and lieutenants deal with four sergeants in a platoon and et cetera, it goes right on up the line. So the chain of command just has to be very proactive. And I know they are. They really are. They're working hard. There are a lot of techniques that they are using right now to keep this down to as low a level as it is. But this is going to go on...

KAGAN: Well, when you say as low a level as it is. So we at home are looking at this going, Can you believe? Another three soldiers. We're up to 28. The numbers keep mounting. But in your view, is it actually this going better than you would have expected, when you say these low numbers?

HANEY: I don't know how you could predict numbers and I would never go out and say, is it better than predicted. I mean, loss of any soldier is one too many.

KAGAN: Sure.

HANEY: But it's still warfare. Peace has not been brought to Iraq yet and that's going to take quite a long time. It's a country that's just been wrecked completely. The infrastructure that used to work, even under the dictatorship, no longer functions. So stability has to be gained and it's done just a piece at a time, a bite at a time.

KAGAN: And just give us a feeling of what it feels like to be in that type of situation, when anything -- any moment you turn around, somebody, even the least suspicious person could be coming up to take your life.

HANEY: You just have to pay attention. It's part of the life of being a soldier in a combat area. It has been ever so as long as mankind has prosecuted warfare and invaded and taken over countries and tried to bring stability to them.

There are those who don't want anything other than that wreckage they can see right now. They think it will cause them to come back into power. And these small-scale attacks -- a lot of those are designed to provoke an outrage on the part of Americans to cause an overreaction on our part. And so far we're not doing those kinds of things.

KAGAN: And to get the Americans to pack up and come home. And as you you said, so far that's not going to happen. Eric Haney, thank you for your insight.

HANEY: Certainly.

KAGAN: Appreciate -- appreciate your time today.

HANEY: All right.

KAGAN: Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. The results of that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Now here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, we've been asking you this: "Does the U.S. have an obligation to send troops to Liberia?" Thirty percent of you said yes, while 70 percent said no. As always -- as we always tell you, this, of course, is not a scientific poll, but just a way for you to voice your opinion.

A reminder, you can always watch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. Wolf will be right back here tomorrow.

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