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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Did al Qaeda Have a Hand in Jordanian Embassy Bombing in Baghdad?

Aired August 08, 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.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's been exactly 100 days since President Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Today at his Crawford, Texas ranch he assembled his national security team, the vice president, the secretary of defense, the national security adviser, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others, to offer strong words on what's going on right now and how much longer U.S. forces may wind up having to stay in Iraq.
We'll have details on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Al Qaeda connections, strong suspicions in a bloody bombing in Baghdad.

A Pakistani facing conspiracy charges in the U.S.

In Iraq, U.S. snipers shoot first and ask questions later.

LT. COL. STEVE RUSSELL, U.S. ARMY: They know the rules. They disobeyed them and they paid with their lives.

BLITZER: The recall race, in a crowded field one stands out but what does he stand for?

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It is leadership that counts. It is bringing people together, uniting them.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: California voters are going to have to go a long way before they elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. He really doesn't figure into it.

BLITZER: The Kobe Bryant case, he's not the first NBA star to get into trouble. What happens when these guys go out on the road? I'll ask the former wife of a former Laker.

(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 Friday, August 08, 2003. Hello today from New York City. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. There has been a major development that's breaking right now in Boston. The Boston Archdiocese has just offered -- get this -- $55 million to settle hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits. The offer comes just a week after the archbishop, the new Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley became head of the Archdiocese.

An attorney, though, whose firm represents more than 200 of the alleged victims calls the development significant but, in his words, only a start, a potentially very important story in this continuing scandal involving the Catholic Church.

We're going to be going to Rome shortly to discuss this as well as a new document, a 40-year-old document from the Vatican suggesting cover-ups galore. We'll have all of these details. They're coming up this hour.

But let's get on to a CNN exclusive -- did al Qaeda have a hand in that bloody bombing in Baghdad yesterday? The death toll from the blast at the Jordanian Embassy has now climbed to at least 16. Key pieces of the puzzle are still missing but investigators are starting to put it all together.

Let's go live to CNN National Correspondent Mike Boettcher. He's joining us from the CNN Center -- Mike.

(MIKE BOETTCHER REPORT)

BLITZER: All right, Mike Boettcher with that exclusive report, thanks Mike very much.

Did he try to open the door for an al Qaeda agent to enter the United States? Federal prosecutors have now charged a Pakistani man with conspiring to aid the terror network.

Let's go live to CNN's Maria Hinojosa. She has details.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that today's indictment of Uzair Paracha is part of the government's attempt to dismantle the "rings of support that al Qaeda has all over the world." If the government proves its case, it would mean that those rings of support reached all the way into Midtown Manhattan here in New York City.

Now, earlier today, 23-year-old Uzair Paracha sat before a judge and was charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda. The government alleges that Paracha was working on behalf of an al Qaeda operative in Pakistan.

Paracha agreed to pose as that man here in the United States. He worked out of a business in New York's garment industry. Paracha, the government alleges, would attempt to get documents that would allow that al Qaeda operative to get into this country and stay here.

Now, Paracha's lawyers can see that the 23-year-old young man with a Master's degree in business did have contact with the man the government alleges is an al Qaeda operative but that whatever contact he had there was no criminal intent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY RICCO, PARACHA'S ATTORNEY: The charges here are very complicated and the scheme here is very complicated, well beyond the scope of Uzair Paracha. Uzair was manipulated into participating and doing the acts that he's charged with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HINOJOSA: Now, Wolf, Paracha has been held for the past four months just about four blocks from where we're standing at the Manhattan Correctional Center, but there's another interesting connection here.

Earlier, last month actually in Karachi, Pakistan, the young man's father was arrested on July 5. What he's charged with though remains unknown. Now, his father operated a business that transferred clothing made in Pakistan to stores here in the United States, including K-Mart. CNN spoke with Paracha's mother in Pakistan and she insists that both her husband and son are innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EARHAT PARACHA, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: It's so unfair. I don't expect USA to act this way because we have so much hope for him. USA is the superpower of this world now. We expect it to act like an older brother not like a tyrant father. Pity, it's true. It's very sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HINOJOSA: Now, if Paracha is found guilty, Wolf, he could face 15 years in prison. He's scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday for a detention hearing - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Maria Hinojosa reporting from New York, thanks Maria very much.

Facing daily attacks and ambushes, U.S. forces in Iraq have gone on the offensive and in the hometown of Saddam Hussein they're pulling absolutely no punches.

CNN's Jane Arraf reports from Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This wasn't the end of another gunfight; in fact, the U.S. Army says unapologetically there was no fight at all. This man and another were shot dead in Tikrit without warning by Army snipers as they opened up a trunk with weapons for sale.

RUSSELL: We engaged them and we killed them. They know that these markets are illegal. It has been all over town. They understand that. They know the rules. They disobeyed them. They paid with their lives.

ARRAF: The 4th Infantry soldiers were acting on intelligence from Iraqis. In what is still considered a combat zone the U.S. military makes the rules.

RUSSELL: These were enemy combatants. We know so because the main man that we deal with, the supplier, this is a friend of Saddam card. This is - he's tied to the regime. He definitely is associated at high level with the former regime. That's why he has the special card.

ARRAF: Although few would carry it, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were issued that card, including high school teachers. Near the market where he was shot, the family of the cardholder Rabah Ibrahim Jasim (ph) said he didn't deserve to die his three children, too young to understand they were now fatherless.

"What have we done? Are we not humans just like them" says his mother-in-law? "Don't we want to live? They've orphaned these kids. What have they done to them?"

(on camera): For American soldiers every city in Iraq has its own atmosphere but Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown is a particular challenge. Here the idea and the influence of Saddam seem alive and well.

(voice-over): "Saddam Hussein is everywhere" said this man. "Just because this country is occupied doesn't mean he's not around."

There are likely people in Tikrit who approve of the Americans but even if they were talking they'd be drowned out by the slogan still chanted here the Tikritis pledging their blood and souls for Saddam.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Tikrit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Today marks 100 days since President Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and announced an end to major combat in Iraq. One hundred twenty-two Americans have died in Iraq since then, 56 of them from so-called hostile fire.

The president gave a progress report of sorts today from his Crawford, Texas ranch. Our White House Correspondent Dana Bash was there. She joins us now live - Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, White House aides consistently say that this is a working vacation for the president here in Crawford and today he had a number of senior officials, of his top aides, come to his ranch to have a meeting on all things military.

He had Donald Rumsfeld there, the vice president, and the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. They came to talk about how to modernize the military but they also talked about the situation in Iraq and the president talked to reporters and used the opportunity, as you said, to give a progress report to talk about the fact that he believes that there are good things going on in Iraq like banks being reopened, the economy getting better but he also does realize that there are soldiers still dying at a rapid rate and he appreciates their sacrifice but said that this is really a part of the bigger war on terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got a lot of brave soldiers slowly but surely demolishing the elements of the Ba'athist regime. Those foreign terrorists who feel like they can use Iraq as a place to arm up and inflict casualty or perhaps gain strength to come and attack Americans elsewhere. We've been there 100 days. We made a lot of progress in 100 days and I am pleased with the progress we've made but fully recognize we've got a lot more work to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: A lot more work to do and that is why the president said he simply cannot answer the question of how long U.S. troops will be in Iraq. He said, like he said many times before, that U.S. troops will stay there until if they really feel that it's possible for them to leave.

And, on the question of cost, how much this is all going to cost ultimately, the president also said at this point it's not able or even possible to answer that. In a little while, they certainly will have to ask Congress for a specific amount of money and they're preparing to do that.

Now, but what about this chorus, a really chorus, of criticism from Democrats who say that the president either misled the country in terms of how much of a threat Saddam Hussein was or about the fact that Democrats say that Mr. Bush simply was not prepared for the reconstruction effort, especially coming from Al Gore. That's the latest Democratic critic and the president said that all of this criticism is all politics, particularly as we get closer to an election - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Dana Bash in Crawford, Texas. Dana, thanks very much.

He's made headlines around the world and turned California politics now upside down but does Arnold Schwarzenegger have an agenda that goes beyond slogans and movie cliches? Find out where he stands on some of these issues.

Plus, the race factor why do Blacks and Whites have very different opinions on the Kobe Bryant case?

And, out of rehab, Noelle Bush walks to freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER (voice-over): Who spent the most money in U.S. history on a non-presidential campaign, Edward Kennedy, John McCain, Michael Huffington, Michael Bloomberg? The answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's a story that's breaking this hour. I just want to update our viewers in case you're just tuning in. The Boston Archdiocese has now offered $55 million to settle hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits. The offer comes just a week after the Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley became head of the archdiocese.

An attorney whose firm represents more than 200 of the alleged victims is calling the development significant but also insisting it's only just a start. We're having much more on this breaking story coming up.

We're going to Rome shortly to speak with a reporter there. We're also trying to get in touch with some people directly involved in Boston, a significant development, a settlement offer coming from the Catholic Church in Boston.

Let's move on now and talk about some other developments including this. President Bush is calling the California recall situation, in his word, interesting.

Speaking from his Crawford ranch, the president stopped short of endorsing Arnold Schwarzenegger but he did put in a good word for him insisting he would eventually turn out to be a good governor. Schwarzenegger supporters certainly agree but skeptics say he's too vague when it comes to policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I will never arm wrestle Arnold Schwarzenegger. No matter how hard I try I'll never lift as much weight as he does. I think it's interesting. You know I'm a follower of American politics. I find what's going on in the state of California very interesting and I'm confident the citizens of California will sort all this out for the good of the citizenry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would he be a good governor?

BUSH: You know, as I say, I'm interested in the process. It's fascinating to see who's in and who's out and, yes, I think he'd be a good governor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Later in the show we're going to sort out where exactly Arnold Schwarzenegger stands on some of these issues. I'll speak, among other things, with Phil Bronstein. He's editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle" but there are significant developments unfolding right now on the substance of where he stands. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Arnold Schwarzenegger, standing tall in the media spotlight but where does he stand on the issues?

SCHWARZENEGGER: But I'm fiscally conservative.

BLITZER: The actor-turned-candidate is a long time advocate of physical fitness. He chaired a council on it under the first President Bush, and he's on the record on children's issues having successfully pushed a California initiative on after school programs.

SCHWARZENEGGER: For ten years, I've been promoting after school programs and education for our youngsters. It is very important to know that the children should have the first call to our state treasury.

BLITZER: But it's harder to pin him down on other issues. As one analyst put it, his stances can best be described as shorthand. He's called himself a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He's for gun control, reportedly in favor of a woman's right to have an abortion, and moderate toward gay rights. More catch phrases but little more.

Get specific and specifics can't be found and there are no policy positions on his Web site, schwarzenegger.com. Democrats already are portraying him as more style than substance.

FEINSTEIN: Well, first of all I've heard only cliches so far. I'd like to have him answer how would you solve this budget dilemma? How would you solve the deficit from this point on? Would you change the deficit financing? Would you change the revenue estimates? What programs would you cut?

BLITZER: Tough questions that will likely get tougher.

DANIEL WEINTRAUB, "THE SACRAMENTO BEE": If the debate starts to get into pesticide control or water transfers and some of these other obscure, more obscure matters clearly he'll have some boning up to do. I think the press corps will probably try to hold him on some of these details.

BLITZER: But, for now, he's riding on his star power and his opponent's dismal approval ratings.

SCHWARZENEGGER: That Gray Davis has sold himself as being the man of experience. For the last two elections he has said he has experience that you cannot buy. Look what happened with all of this experience. Look what happened to California. He has taken over a state that in fantastic shape, $9 billion surplus. Now, we have $38 billion deficit. I mean it's disastrous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking every inch the politician today and his campaign for governor in the California recall election is clearly in full swing.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Norwalk, California. She's following the man who would like to be the next governor of California -- Thelma.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I can tell you he had a very busy day. He made his first public appearance today but one of the candidates who came here to the County Registrar's Office wanted to remind the viewers that by far Arnold Schwarzenegger is not alone.

Now, just take a look at the list that I have in front of me. There are, so far, 155 hopefuls in Los Angeles County alone. Now, we have the name of Michael Jackson, though not the pop star. There's Larry Flynt. There's a Gray Davis, though not the governor, but topping this list, of course, is none other than Angeline (ph).

But by far, Wolf, as you had mentioned the most high profile candidate as of late is 56-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger. He picked up his nomination papers yesterday. There were about 100 fans out here cheering his name, 50 reporters out here. He kicked off his campaign bright and early this morning by hitting the talk shows.

This afternoon he showed up at the Inner City Los Angeles Games, which is an after school intervention and prevention program for inner city kids. Now, for years the actor has been a strong advocate for children and fitness and affordable after school programs.

Schwarzenegger's announcement came as a surprise to former Mayor Richard Riordan who said that he would now endorse the actor. It also came as a surprise to Representative Darrell Issa, who had bankrolled the recall effort and who also promoted his own candidacy and yesterday he tossed in the towel, very tearfully saying he would no longer run - Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thelma Gutierrez in California thanks for that report.

We'll have more on this whole story coming up later this hour. Phil Bronstein of the "San Francisco Chronicle" will be joining me.

A new weapon on the horizon in the war to fight terrorism; coming up, how blimps may be deployed all around the country in tracking possible terrorists.

Also, the race card in the Kobe Bryant case what role could race play in the trial?

And later, a breaking story we're following. There's a deal that the Vatican, at least the Boston Archdiocese of the Catholic Church is offering to alleged sexual abuse victims, this coming as the Vatican shows us some documents and allegations of attempts to suppress sexual abuse charges, a document going back 40 years.

We'll have details on all of this. That's all coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Noelle Bush is back home with her parents after spending more than a year in rehab. The president's niece and daughter of the Florida governor was arrested in January, 2002 for trying to buy an anti-anxiety drug with a fake prescription. She was jailed twice during a rehab stay after being caught with drugs. She says, and I'm quoting now, "it's been quite a challenge and I'm grateful."

As we first reported yesterday, there are very different views on the Kobe Bryant case among Blacks and Whites. (AUDIO GAP) believe the charges against Bryant are true, only 24 percent of African-Americans do. Conversely, 51 percent of Whites say the charges are not true compared to 68 percent of Blacks. The poll has a sampling error of seven and a half percentage points.

Joining me now from San Francisco to talk about this, the noted sports sociologist Harry Edwards, professor thanks very much for joining us. Let's get to the issue. Do you believe that this poll is reflective of your appreciation of the different attitudes towards Kobe Bryant from Whites and Blacks?

HARRY EDWARDS, SPORTS SOCIOLOGIST: Oh, I don't think there's any question about it. I think that the fact that the majority of Blacks and Whites believe that the charges may be groundless is itself indicative of how far we've come but the reality of the split I think would be expected.

BLITZER: Well, why is it? Why do you think that exists in this day and age, the year 2003, a very popular, likable basketball player like Kobe Bryant who had a stellar record going into this sexual assault charge? Why is there such an apparent difference between Black and White attitudes?

EDWARDS: I think it comes down to cultural memory. We've had a long history of Black male, White female, rape charges and so forth going back to the Scottsboro boys and beyond and I think that that cultural memory persists in Black society.

In White society, I think that you have also a kind of resistance to getting away from past myths concerning Blacks, and when you have a case with the five issues that generally generate a lot of attention, namely celebrity, money, race, sex, and scandal, it becomes very, very difficult to sort these things out and to separate them out.

BLITZER: As you well remember, professor, there was a significant split in attitudes among Blacks and Whites during the O.J. Simpson trial as well. There was a much greater split than exists right now. Do you see a similar unfolding here?

EDWARDS: I don't think there is any question about it. The race card is on the table. The only issue is the extent to which it will remain social, cultural context as opposed to being a preeminent feature of the proceedings.

I think what happens in a courtroom and the way that the trial is handled by both the defense and the prosecutor, not to speak of the judge, is going to have tremendous impact as far as that is concerned. I think that the O.J. trial is going to have a rollover impact in terms of the Kobe trial in that regard.

BLITZER: Do you see any evidence whatsoever so far that Kobe Bryant is being treated differently in this particular charge than anyone else might be treated?

EDWARDS: Well, until the facts are made public it's going to be very difficult for anybody to make that kind of judgment. I think that what has been leaked so far in terms of the history of the department, the law enforcement department in the area, I think the fact that you have a White female and a Black male involved, all of this sends up flags.

And, I think that a lot of people are waiting to see what the facts reveal, me among them, but I don't think that there's anything at this point that would indicate that Kobe is being treated differently because of his race.

BLITZER: Let's look at another question we asked in our CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, Professor Edwards, involving the charges against Kobe Bryant. We asked the viewers were sympathetic or unsympathetic toward the basketball star. Among whites -- look at this -- 40 percent said they were sympathetic, compared to 63 percent of African Americans. And the reverse under unsympathetic -- 49 percent of the whites said they were unsympathetic towards him, 31 percent of African Americans.

This -- this question obviously reinforces the earlier poll question that we had. How disturbing is this to you that there is this split between black and white?

EDWARDS: Well, it's disturbing, but it's not surprising.

I think that again, the different cultural traditions in terms of perspectives on race and the impact of race in the justice system carries over in terms of these kinds of polls. I think the thing that we have to look at is not so much what the preconceptions are and what the propensity of thinking one way or another is. But what happens in terms of the race card once the proceeds are under way. I think how the media treats this is going to have a tremendous impact, most certainly how it turns out as far as the jury's perspective is going to have a tremendous impact. These preconceptions are out there. They're part of the American social cultural landscape. And it's something that we have to live with in any trial of this nature and magnitude.

BLITZER: Professor Harry Edwards, thanks, as usual, for joining us.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case? Race, celebrity, neither?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote, though, right now at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. 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.

Let's look now at some other news making headlines around the world.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: These days we might see one hovering over the SuperBowl or advertising a grand opening. But decades ago, blimps played a key role in the nation's defense. And there's a move now to bring back the airships to an anti-terror role.

CNN's Jean Meserve reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like a throwback to an earlier era. But this blimp is being touted as the coming thing in homeland security.

STEPHEN HUETT, NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND: My vision would be to have airships over every major metropolitan area and every major harbor or port in the United States providing continuous coverage.

MESERVE: Tucked away under the gondola of this blimp, a state- of-the-art color imaging system which scans the landscape for suspicious object.

TAMARA COTTIS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INTL.: It will pinpoint for us and give us the exact longitude, latitude of it and the size and shape of it.

MESERVE: A high resolution camera zooms in. And all the data can be transmitted instantaneously to a command and control center for distribution to law enforcement or the military.

HUETT: Everybody is interested in the same information. They want real-time, high resolution data on demand.

MESERVE: A blimp is cheap tore operate than an airplane or helicopter. Relatively quiet and vibration free, it is also easier on sensitive equipment. It can stay in one place for hours at a stretch, seeing huge areas from a high altitude. A blimp is virtually invisible to radar and would be hard to bring down with a bullet or missile.

If the burning Hindenburg is the only airship you can remember, forget it. Today, ships are filled with helium, a fire suppressant.

Among those checking out the possible homeland security uses, the coast guard, which sees potential for tracking ship traffic.

CMDR. HANK TEUTON, U.S. COAST GUARD: Right now, we, in the world of aviation, we know where all of the airplanes are. We don't know where all the ships are.

MESERVE: But privacy advocates worry about other things this eye in the sky could potentially see.

BARRY STEINHARDT, ACLU: This is very intrusive technology. It can be used secretly. It potentially can be used to give the government what amounts to Superman's special powers.

MESERVE: There is nothing to worry about yet. Government agencies are still evaluating what blimps with a variety of sensors might someday do.

For now, this is just pie in the sky.

Jean Meserve, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A major settlement offer in the church sex abuse scandal. We'll talk to a victim's advocacy group. That's coming up.

Plus, a Vatican document on how to handle sex abuse by priests. The Church says it's no smoking gun, but does it point to a broader culture of secrecy?

And the California political campaign straight from Central Casting. Phil Bronstein will join us live to talk about the media circus and the political zoo. All that's going on in California.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Some reports have portrayed it as a smoking gun in an alleged Vatican coverup of the priest sex abuse scandal. It's a 1962 document ordering secrecy in cases of sexual misconduct by priests. But is it really proof of a conspiracy?

John Allen says it's not. He's Vatican correspondent for the "National Catholic Reporter." He's joining us now live from Rome.

Also, joining us by phone, Paul Steidler. He's a spokesman by SNAP, Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

And Mr. Steidler, let me begin with you on this latest proposal. It's a brand new proposal by the Boston Archdiocese for some $55 million to settle a more than 500 claims of sexual abuse by priests over the years. Is this a good proposal?

Well, it depends on what the details are in the proposal. The victims of sexual abuse in Boston have had many carrots dangled in front of them in the past year-and-a-half. So, I know that the lawyers want to review this very carefully, very diligently. And it will take some in-depth analysis to make sure that it is going to be a -- you know, that it is going to be an acceptable settlement for people who were raped and violated as children.

BLITZER: It sounds like the new archbishop, Sean O'Malley, wants to get this thing resolved quickly.

STEIDLER: Hopefully that's the case. Hopefully the new archbishop is going to promote healing for all of those concerned and there's a new chapter in Boston from all of the trauma that's gone on there for more than a year-and-a-half since the crisis first broke up there.

BLITZER: Let me bring in John Allen, because he covers the story on a day-to-day basis and he knows a great deal about it. I want to get to that Vatican document shortly, John. But what do you make of the proposal by the new archbishop?

JOHN ALLEN, VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, NATL. CATHOLIC REPORTER: Well, Wolf, I think you're reading it exactly the right way. I think it's an indication that O'Malley means business and wants to move this thing forward.

But, you know, the devil is in the details. And I think there certainly be a very sort of keen review that goes on in the side of the plaintiffs to make sure that this meets their expectations.

BLITZER: There might be some, John, who will suggest that that 1962 Vatican document -- and you're going to report to us all about it right now, that this has just come out in the last few days that perhaps that might be spurring the archbishop to go ahead and offer this kind of $55 million proposal. First of all, tell us about the '62 document. What exactly did it say and what didn't it say?

ALLEN: Well, Wolf, I think the simplest way to explain it is this, that when a priest is accused of a crime, it can trigger one of three processes and sometimes all three at once. The first is, an internal church investigation that could lead to the guy being defrocked, that is kicked out of the priesthood. Second is, a criminal investigation that could lead to him going to jail. Third is, a civil investigation that could lead to a lawsuit and the diocese being obligated to pay damages for the harm the guy has done.

This document concerned only that first process which enfolds something called the code of cannon law. That's the church's own internal code. And it set out a set of procedures for what to do primarily when a priest is accused of using the confessional to proposition someone sexually, but it also included other forms of sexual misconduct, including a sexual abuse of minors. It did impose sort of absolute secrecy on the church's internal investigations and internal disciplinary action but the key point is, and the point of view of criminal law, it didn't say anything about what the obligation of church officials or victims or anyone else were to report these acts to civil or criminal authorities.

So in that sort of technical, legal sense, most lawyers I have spoken to do not think this is evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

BLITZER: Let me bring back Paul Steidler. You've had a chance -- you have heard about this Vatican document, some suggesting it's a smoking gun, others saying it's by no means a smoking gun. How do you see it?

STEIDLER: Yes, Wolf, first of all, the document is on S.N.A.P.'s Web site at snapnetwork.org and we'd encourage all Catholics to read it. The document has some very strong language in there that makes clear that anybody is to be excommunicated from the church who reveals any of the details of the proceeds that take place about sexual abuse cases and solicitation cases that occur.

It's very stern and very absolute in the language that it uses there. It also makes clear that someone has to report a sexual abuse crime within 30 days of it happening, or else they're going to be under the gun further.

So, you know, this is a complex document. It's going to require astute study, but it certainly reads -- it's very hostile in tone toward victims. It's very absolute in terms of demanding silence and secrecy under the threat of excommunication not only for sexual abuse victims but for bishops.

BLITZER: Unfortunately, we're going to have to leave it right there. Paul Steidler, thanks very much, but John Allen, one quick question. The whole issue of excommunication, if you discuss this, that sounds very, very I guess, ominous.

ALLEN: Yes, well two points. One is, that there is, I think, most canon lawyers would say, there's a legitimate role for secrecy in these investigations. I mean, for one thing, you've got an accused person who has a right to protect his good name until he's found guilty of something. For another, often victims don't want publicity. And they don't want to bring this out into the public forum.

The other point is, sexual abuse cases are hardly the only thing in the church that has this, sort of, super secret thing that has the threat of excommunication attached to it. Information on the nomination of bishops or appointments in the Vatican, for example.

And all of this is part of a culture of secrecy, if you like, in the church, that certainly is reflected in this document.

BLITZER: John Allen, I want to thank you very much. Joining us from Rome. John Allen and Paul Steidler, thanks very much on this breaking story. We'll continue to follow it here on CNN throughout the evening.

The volatile California recall and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming up, his impact on the election. And what are the real chances of his winning?

Also, the culture of pro sports, in light of the Kobe Bryant case, what's it really like for these ultra high profile athletes? We have a special guest. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. The Kobe Bryant case is focusing new attention on athlete's marriages, the temptations that come with fame and fortune can often ruin a relationship. Angela Wilder has firsthand knowledge of the issue. She's the former wife of the former Los Angeles Laker star, James Worthy. She's writing a new book entitled "Ten Things My Fairy Godmother Never Told Me About Marrying a Professional Athlete." She's joining us live from Los Angeles. Angela, thanks very much for joining us.

A lot of viewers are not familiar with the culture that surrounds so many of these NBA stars, and other sports stars as well. Talk a little bit about that. What goes on when they're on the road?

ANGELA WILDER, FORMER WIFE OF NBA STAR: Well, as a wife who was home most of the time when her husband was on the road, I can only speculate, but I do know that I thought I had a husband who was completely devoted, and you know, found out at a very public disclosure that on his road trips, he was soliciting prostitutes. And we would talk sometimes about other guys on the team who were unfaithful to their wives. There are always groupies and women who want to be a part of the scene, and who will do anything to be a part of one of these men's lives. So, that is very much a fact of life in professional sports.

BLITZER: Well, that's not just in professional sports, but it could be in any kind of profession, there's a lot of opportunities, presumably out there as well, but what specific advice do you have for the wives of big-name basketball players, for example, and other athletes who are out there would presumably would like to have some of your advice?

WILDER: Well, I think the first and foremost piece of information I would like to give them, or advice, would be to know that this is not a fairy tale. And so many of us go into it with the belief that happily ever after will exist and it doesn't.

I say the only reason happily ever after happened in Cinderella because as soon as they said I do, it was the end. For most of us, the real marriage doesn't begin until the career is over. There are so many pressures from so much money and so many people wanting a piece of the action. From living in a fishbowl to having everything you do be scrutinized. The pressure -- you know, pro sports is a business. And I personally for years suffered with gastrointestinal problems because I was so stressed out. It's just a really big ball of wax to digest, and you really need to be prepared. You got to grow up really quickly.

BLITZER: Angela, we've seen Vanessa, Kobe Bryant's wife, standing by her man very visibly over these past several weeks. It must be very difficult for her. She's very, very young to begin with, as is Kobe Bryant, but what do you think she's going through?

WILDER: Well, I would imagine that she, much like I did in the first few days of the revelation of what was truly going on in my marriage, I would imagine she's in a state of denial, really. That's why I believe they can go out and go to Disneyland and smile and have a great time. You know, denial is a very healthy sort of defense mechanism. Sometimes when people are so stressed -- I would imagine they're both kind of in a state of post traumatic stress. She's just going to have to go day-to-day. This is a very tough thing to get through. I'm sure that they will.

BLITZER: Angela Wilder, thanks very much for joining us.

WILDER: You're back welcome.

BLITZER: The Arnold Schwarzenegger factor in California politics. What are his real chances of actually winning the recall election. I'll talk live with Phil Bronstein, the editor of "The San Francisco Chronicle." That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: This just in to CNN, getting back to our top story. CNN has now confirmed the FBI is sending a team of investigators to Iraq to assist in the investigation of the Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad yesterday. Earlier this hour, our Mike Boettcher reported there may have been an al Qaeda connection to that deadly attack yesterday -- the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad blown up by a car bomb. We'll continue to watch this story. The FBI. now on the case.

Let's move on and get more insight into the California gubernatorial recall election and Arnold Schwarzenegger's high profile candidacy.

Phil Bronstein is the editor of "The San Francisco Chronicle." He knows California politics about as well as anyone. He's joining us now from our bureau in San Francisco.

Thanks very much for joining us, Phil.

Can Arnold Schwarzenegger get elected as the next governor of California?

PHIL BRONSTEIN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": Well, I think, Wolf given the way the recall is set up, of course he can. I mean, all it requires that you get a vote more than the person below you.

I think he starts with -- he's certainly the frontrunner now. He starts with enormous name recognition. I think the big issue, obviously, and the big hurdle for Arnold is will Gray Davis be recalled or not? Because if Gray Davis isn't recalled, then it doesn't matter.

BLITZER: Well, what's the story on that? Is it a slam dunk? Is it for sure that the voters in California will decide to recall Governor Davis?

BRONSTEIN: Well, all the recent poles polls have been pretty abysmal. I mean, to hear people talk about it, and people -- by people, I mean voters in California. He's about as popular as Saddam Hussein is -- was in Peoria. I mean, it would be very difficult to imagine, but Gray Davis is very tenacious. He knows how to raise money. He knows how to fight, both dirty and otherwise in campaigns. And so you can never write him off. But right now his popularity level is pretty low.

BLITZER: And it's only 60 days before that October 7 election. Two months, not a whole lot of time.

BRONSTEIN: Right.

BLITZER: What about Arnold Schwarzenegger? Your paper has been reporting about him and writing articles about him for years and years and years. Is he a Ronald Reagan or a Jesse Ventura?

BRONSTEIN: Well, I think he's Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I mean, he's a unique person. He's not only unique, but he's a particularly California character. I mean, he's not just a cartoon character. He's not just a movie star. He's a guy who's made a lot of money, who's managed it well, who's managed his image well. I think he's probably closer, if I had to pick one, to Ronald Reagan.

People say Reagan had more experience going into the governor race when he was elected governor. But he had more experience in public politics. In other words, in appearances. He spoke at the Republican convention. Arnold Schwarzenegger has done a lot of work in politics. He's done a lot of work in Hollywood. He's done a lot of work in the world. And so I think it's not necessarily a question of political experience. Gray Davis has a ton of political experience and look where he is.

BLITZER: Your paper today in a good article that I read described him as a compassionate Libertarian. We don't know a whole lot about him, the specifics of where he stands on so many of these issues, but he's going to be pressed and pressed by the news media, especially the California media in the coming days. How much will we learn, do you think?

BRONSTEIN: Well, you know, Wolf, Arnold is the guy who advised other Hollywood celebrities never answer the question that you're asked, just answer the question you want to be asked. And he's done a great job of that. So, in other words, he's very good at manipulating and managing his image. And the question is, How well will you he do at talking about issues?

Our reporter Carl Marnucci (ph), who's down there with Arnold in Southern California told me just a few minutes ago that he's really being pressed on policy issues. Now we know that he's pro-gun control. We know that he's pro-choice. We know that he's pro-gay rights. But in terms of specific policies, one of your guests earlier was talking about very -- minutia of California. We have to see. I mean, he'll be asked repeatedly, I'm sure. And we'll see if he answers directly.

BLITZER: And we'll see what role, if any, Maria Shriver plays in this as well, his wife of many, many years. Phil Bronstein, thanks so much for joining us.

BRONSTEIN: Sure, Wolf. See you.

BLITZER: Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case? Race, celebrity or neither?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results. That's coming up.

First, though, the answer to today's "News Quiz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked, "Who spent the most money in U.S. history on a non-presidential campaign? The answer, Michael Bloomberg. The Republican and billionaire media magnate spent about $73 million of his own money to become mayor of New York City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, we have been asking you this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case?" Twenty-five percent of you say race, 45 percent of you say celebrity, 30 percent of you say neither. As always, we remind you this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder, we're on everyday, weekdays, Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. Eastern, also noon Eastern. See you Sunday on "LATE EDITION."

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





Baghdad?>


Aired August 8, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's been exactly 100 days since President Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Today at his Crawford, Texas ranch he assembled his national security team, the vice president, the secretary of defense, the national security adviser, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others, to offer strong words on what's going on right now and how much longer U.S. forces may wind up having to stay in Iraq.
We'll have details on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Al Qaeda connections, strong suspicions in a bloody bombing in Baghdad.

A Pakistani facing conspiracy charges in the U.S.

In Iraq, U.S. snipers shoot first and ask questions later.

LT. COL. STEVE RUSSELL, U.S. ARMY: They know the rules. They disobeyed them and they paid with their lives.

BLITZER: The recall race, in a crowded field one stands out but what does he stand for?

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: It is leadership that counts. It is bringing people together, uniting them.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: California voters are going to have to go a long way before they elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. He really doesn't figure into it.

BLITZER: The Kobe Bryant case, he's not the first NBA star to get into trouble. What happens when these guys go out on the road? I'll ask the former wife of a former Laker.

(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 Friday, August 08, 2003. Hello today from New York City. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. There has been a major development that's breaking right now in Boston. The Boston Archdiocese has just offered -- get this -- $55 million to settle hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits. The offer comes just a week after the archbishop, the new Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley became head of the Archdiocese.

An attorney, though, whose firm represents more than 200 of the alleged victims calls the development significant but, in his words, only a start, a potentially very important story in this continuing scandal involving the Catholic Church.

We're going to be going to Rome shortly to discuss this as well as a new document, a 40-year-old document from the Vatican suggesting cover-ups galore. We'll have all of these details. They're coming up this hour.

But let's get on to a CNN exclusive -- did al Qaeda have a hand in that bloody bombing in Baghdad yesterday? The death toll from the blast at the Jordanian Embassy has now climbed to at least 16. Key pieces of the puzzle are still missing but investigators are starting to put it all together.

Let's go live to CNN National Correspondent Mike Boettcher. He's joining us from the CNN Center -- Mike.

(MIKE BOETTCHER REPORT)

BLITZER: All right, Mike Boettcher with that exclusive report, thanks Mike very much.

Did he try to open the door for an al Qaeda agent to enter the United States? Federal prosecutors have now charged a Pakistani man with conspiring to aid the terror network.

Let's go live to CNN's Maria Hinojosa. She has details.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Attorney General John Ashcroft said that today's indictment of Uzair Paracha is part of the government's attempt to dismantle the "rings of support that al Qaeda has all over the world." If the government proves its case, it would mean that those rings of support reached all the way into Midtown Manhattan here in New York City.

Now, earlier today, 23-year-old Uzair Paracha sat before a judge and was charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda. The government alleges that Paracha was working on behalf of an al Qaeda operative in Pakistan.

Paracha agreed to pose as that man here in the United States. He worked out of a business in New York's garment industry. Paracha, the government alleges, would attempt to get documents that would allow that al Qaeda operative to get into this country and stay here.

Now, Paracha's lawyers can see that the 23-year-old young man with a Master's degree in business did have contact with the man the government alleges is an al Qaeda operative but that whatever contact he had there was no criminal intent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY RICCO, PARACHA'S ATTORNEY: The charges here are very complicated and the scheme here is very complicated, well beyond the scope of Uzair Paracha. Uzair was manipulated into participating and doing the acts that he's charged with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HINOJOSA: Now, Wolf, Paracha has been held for the past four months just about four blocks from where we're standing at the Manhattan Correctional Center, but there's another interesting connection here.

Earlier, last month actually in Karachi, Pakistan, the young man's father was arrested on July 5. What he's charged with though remains unknown. Now, his father operated a business that transferred clothing made in Pakistan to stores here in the United States, including K-Mart. CNN spoke with Paracha's mother in Pakistan and she insists that both her husband and son are innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EARHAT PARACHA, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: It's so unfair. I don't expect USA to act this way because we have so much hope for him. USA is the superpower of this world now. We expect it to act like an older brother not like a tyrant father. Pity, it's true. It's very sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HINOJOSA: Now, if Paracha is found guilty, Wolf, he could face 15 years in prison. He's scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday for a detention hearing - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Maria Hinojosa reporting from New York, thanks Maria very much.

Facing daily attacks and ambushes, U.S. forces in Iraq have gone on the offensive and in the hometown of Saddam Hussein they're pulling absolutely no punches.

CNN's Jane Arraf reports from Tikrit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This wasn't the end of another gunfight; in fact, the U.S. Army says unapologetically there was no fight at all. This man and another were shot dead in Tikrit without warning by Army snipers as they opened up a trunk with weapons for sale.

RUSSELL: We engaged them and we killed them. They know that these markets are illegal. It has been all over town. They understand that. They know the rules. They disobeyed them. They paid with their lives.

ARRAF: The 4th Infantry soldiers were acting on intelligence from Iraqis. In what is still considered a combat zone the U.S. military makes the rules.

RUSSELL: These were enemy combatants. We know so because the main man that we deal with, the supplier, this is a friend of Saddam card. This is - he's tied to the regime. He definitely is associated at high level with the former regime. That's why he has the special card.

ARRAF: Although few would carry it, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were issued that card, including high school teachers. Near the market where he was shot, the family of the cardholder Rabah Ibrahim Jasim (ph) said he didn't deserve to die his three children, too young to understand they were now fatherless.

"What have we done? Are we not humans just like them" says his mother-in-law? "Don't we want to live? They've orphaned these kids. What have they done to them?"

(on camera): For American soldiers every city in Iraq has its own atmosphere but Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown is a particular challenge. Here the idea and the influence of Saddam seem alive and well.

(voice-over): "Saddam Hussein is everywhere" said this man. "Just because this country is occupied doesn't mean he's not around."

There are likely people in Tikrit who approve of the Americans but even if they were talking they'd be drowned out by the slogan still chanted here the Tikritis pledging their blood and souls for Saddam.

Jane Arraf, CNN, Tikrit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Today marks 100 days since President Bush stood on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and announced an end to major combat in Iraq. One hundred twenty-two Americans have died in Iraq since then, 56 of them from so-called hostile fire.

The president gave a progress report of sorts today from his Crawford, Texas ranch. Our White House Correspondent Dana Bash was there. She joins us now live - Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Wolf.

Well, White House aides consistently say that this is a working vacation for the president here in Crawford and today he had a number of senior officials, of his top aides, come to his ranch to have a meeting on all things military.

He had Donald Rumsfeld there, the vice president, and the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. They came to talk about how to modernize the military but they also talked about the situation in Iraq and the president talked to reporters and used the opportunity, as you said, to give a progress report to talk about the fact that he believes that there are good things going on in Iraq like banks being reopened, the economy getting better but he also does realize that there are soldiers still dying at a rapid rate and he appreciates their sacrifice but said that this is really a part of the bigger war on terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got a lot of brave soldiers slowly but surely demolishing the elements of the Ba'athist regime. Those foreign terrorists who feel like they can use Iraq as a place to arm up and inflict casualty or perhaps gain strength to come and attack Americans elsewhere. We've been there 100 days. We made a lot of progress in 100 days and I am pleased with the progress we've made but fully recognize we've got a lot more work to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: A lot more work to do and that is why the president said he simply cannot answer the question of how long U.S. troops will be in Iraq. He said, like he said many times before, that U.S. troops will stay there until if they really feel that it's possible for them to leave.

And, on the question of cost, how much this is all going to cost ultimately, the president also said at this point it's not able or even possible to answer that. In a little while, they certainly will have to ask Congress for a specific amount of money and they're preparing to do that.

Now, but what about this chorus, a really chorus, of criticism from Democrats who say that the president either misled the country in terms of how much of a threat Saddam Hussein was or about the fact that Democrats say that Mr. Bush simply was not prepared for the reconstruction effort, especially coming from Al Gore. That's the latest Democratic critic and the president said that all of this criticism is all politics, particularly as we get closer to an election - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Dana Bash in Crawford, Texas. Dana, thanks very much.

He's made headlines around the world and turned California politics now upside down but does Arnold Schwarzenegger have an agenda that goes beyond slogans and movie cliches? Find out where he stands on some of these issues.

Plus, the race factor why do Blacks and Whites have very different opinions on the Kobe Bryant case?

And, out of rehab, Noelle Bush walks to freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER (voice-over): Who spent the most money in U.S. history on a non-presidential campaign, Edward Kennedy, John McCain, Michael Huffington, Michael Bloomberg? The answer coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: There's a story that's breaking this hour. I just want to update our viewers in case you're just tuning in. The Boston Archdiocese has now offered $55 million to settle hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits. The offer comes just a week after the Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley became head of the archdiocese.

An attorney whose firm represents more than 200 of the alleged victims is calling the development significant but also insisting it's only just a start. We're having much more on this breaking story coming up.

We're going to Rome shortly to speak with a reporter there. We're also trying to get in touch with some people directly involved in Boston, a significant development, a settlement offer coming from the Catholic Church in Boston.

Let's move on now and talk about some other developments including this. President Bush is calling the California recall situation, in his word, interesting.

Speaking from his Crawford ranch, the president stopped short of endorsing Arnold Schwarzenegger but he did put in a good word for him insisting he would eventually turn out to be a good governor. Schwarzenegger supporters certainly agree but skeptics say he's too vague when it comes to policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I will never arm wrestle Arnold Schwarzenegger. No matter how hard I try I'll never lift as much weight as he does. I think it's interesting. You know I'm a follower of American politics. I find what's going on in the state of California very interesting and I'm confident the citizens of California will sort all this out for the good of the citizenry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would he be a good governor?

BUSH: You know, as I say, I'm interested in the process. It's fascinating to see who's in and who's out and, yes, I think he'd be a good governor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Later in the show we're going to sort out where exactly Arnold Schwarzenegger stands on some of these issues. I'll speak, among other things, with Phil Bronstein. He's editor of the "San Francisco Chronicle" but there are significant developments unfolding right now on the substance of where he stands. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Arnold Schwarzenegger, standing tall in the media spotlight but where does he stand on the issues?

SCHWARZENEGGER: But I'm fiscally conservative.

BLITZER: The actor-turned-candidate is a long time advocate of physical fitness. He chaired a council on it under the first President Bush, and he's on the record on children's issues having successfully pushed a California initiative on after school programs.

SCHWARZENEGGER: For ten years, I've been promoting after school programs and education for our youngsters. It is very important to know that the children should have the first call to our state treasury.

BLITZER: But it's harder to pin him down on other issues. As one analyst put it, his stances can best be described as shorthand. He's called himself a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He's for gun control, reportedly in favor of a woman's right to have an abortion, and moderate toward gay rights. More catch phrases but little more.

Get specific and specifics can't be found and there are no policy positions on his Web site, schwarzenegger.com. Democrats already are portraying him as more style than substance.

FEINSTEIN: Well, first of all I've heard only cliches so far. I'd like to have him answer how would you solve this budget dilemma? How would you solve the deficit from this point on? Would you change the deficit financing? Would you change the revenue estimates? What programs would you cut?

BLITZER: Tough questions that will likely get tougher.

DANIEL WEINTRAUB, "THE SACRAMENTO BEE": If the debate starts to get into pesticide control or water transfers and some of these other obscure, more obscure matters clearly he'll have some boning up to do. I think the press corps will probably try to hold him on some of these details.

BLITZER: But, for now, he's riding on his star power and his opponent's dismal approval ratings.

SCHWARZENEGGER: That Gray Davis has sold himself as being the man of experience. For the last two elections he has said he has experience that you cannot buy. Look what happened with all of this experience. Look what happened to California. He has taken over a state that in fantastic shape, $9 billion surplus. Now, we have $38 billion deficit. I mean it's disastrous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking every inch the politician today and his campaign for governor in the California recall election is clearly in full swing.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Norwalk, California. She's following the man who would like to be the next governor of California -- Thelma.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I can tell you he had a very busy day. He made his first public appearance today but one of the candidates who came here to the County Registrar's Office wanted to remind the viewers that by far Arnold Schwarzenegger is not alone.

Now, just take a look at the list that I have in front of me. There are, so far, 155 hopefuls in Los Angeles County alone. Now, we have the name of Michael Jackson, though not the pop star. There's Larry Flynt. There's a Gray Davis, though not the governor, but topping this list, of course, is none other than Angeline (ph).

But by far, Wolf, as you had mentioned the most high profile candidate as of late is 56-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger. He picked up his nomination papers yesterday. There were about 100 fans out here cheering his name, 50 reporters out here. He kicked off his campaign bright and early this morning by hitting the talk shows.

This afternoon he showed up at the Inner City Los Angeles Games, which is an after school intervention and prevention program for inner city kids. Now, for years the actor has been a strong advocate for children and fitness and affordable after school programs.

Schwarzenegger's announcement came as a surprise to former Mayor Richard Riordan who said that he would now endorse the actor. It also came as a surprise to Representative Darrell Issa, who had bankrolled the recall effort and who also promoted his own candidacy and yesterday he tossed in the towel, very tearfully saying he would no longer run - Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thelma Gutierrez in California thanks for that report.

We'll have more on this whole story coming up later this hour. Phil Bronstein of the "San Francisco Chronicle" will be joining me.

A new weapon on the horizon in the war to fight terrorism; coming up, how blimps may be deployed all around the country in tracking possible terrorists.

Also, the race card in the Kobe Bryant case what role could race play in the trial?

And later, a breaking story we're following. There's a deal that the Vatican, at least the Boston Archdiocese of the Catholic Church is offering to alleged sexual abuse victims, this coming as the Vatican shows us some documents and allegations of attempts to suppress sexual abuse charges, a document going back 40 years.

We'll have details on all of this. That's all coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Noelle Bush is back home with her parents after spending more than a year in rehab. The president's niece and daughter of the Florida governor was arrested in January, 2002 for trying to buy an anti-anxiety drug with a fake prescription. She was jailed twice during a rehab stay after being caught with drugs. She says, and I'm quoting now, "it's been quite a challenge and I'm grateful."

As we first reported yesterday, there are very different views on the Kobe Bryant case among Blacks and Whites. (AUDIO GAP) believe the charges against Bryant are true, only 24 percent of African-Americans do. Conversely, 51 percent of Whites say the charges are not true compared to 68 percent of Blacks. The poll has a sampling error of seven and a half percentage points.

Joining me now from San Francisco to talk about this, the noted sports sociologist Harry Edwards, professor thanks very much for joining us. Let's get to the issue. Do you believe that this poll is reflective of your appreciation of the different attitudes towards Kobe Bryant from Whites and Blacks?

HARRY EDWARDS, SPORTS SOCIOLOGIST: Oh, I don't think there's any question about it. I think that the fact that the majority of Blacks and Whites believe that the charges may be groundless is itself indicative of how far we've come but the reality of the split I think would be expected.

BLITZER: Well, why is it? Why do you think that exists in this day and age, the year 2003, a very popular, likable basketball player like Kobe Bryant who had a stellar record going into this sexual assault charge? Why is there such an apparent difference between Black and White attitudes?

EDWARDS: I think it comes down to cultural memory. We've had a long history of Black male, White female, rape charges and so forth going back to the Scottsboro boys and beyond and I think that that cultural memory persists in Black society.

In White society, I think that you have also a kind of resistance to getting away from past myths concerning Blacks, and when you have a case with the five issues that generally generate a lot of attention, namely celebrity, money, race, sex, and scandal, it becomes very, very difficult to sort these things out and to separate them out.

BLITZER: As you well remember, professor, there was a significant split in attitudes among Blacks and Whites during the O.J. Simpson trial as well. There was a much greater split than exists right now. Do you see a similar unfolding here?

EDWARDS: I don't think there is any question about it. The race card is on the table. The only issue is the extent to which it will remain social, cultural context as opposed to being a preeminent feature of the proceedings.

I think what happens in a courtroom and the way that the trial is handled by both the defense and the prosecutor, not to speak of the judge, is going to have tremendous impact as far as that is concerned. I think that the O.J. trial is going to have a rollover impact in terms of the Kobe trial in that regard.

BLITZER: Do you see any evidence whatsoever so far that Kobe Bryant is being treated differently in this particular charge than anyone else might be treated?

EDWARDS: Well, until the facts are made public it's going to be very difficult for anybody to make that kind of judgment. I think that what has been leaked so far in terms of the history of the department, the law enforcement department in the area, I think the fact that you have a White female and a Black male involved, all of this sends up flags.

And, I think that a lot of people are waiting to see what the facts reveal, me among them, but I don't think that there's anything at this point that would indicate that Kobe is being treated differently because of his race.

BLITZER: Let's look at another question we asked in our CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, Professor Edwards, involving the charges against Kobe Bryant. We asked the viewers were sympathetic or unsympathetic toward the basketball star. Among whites -- look at this -- 40 percent said they were sympathetic, compared to 63 percent of African Americans. And the reverse under unsympathetic -- 49 percent of the whites said they were unsympathetic towards him, 31 percent of African Americans.

This -- this question obviously reinforces the earlier poll question that we had. How disturbing is this to you that there is this split between black and white?

EDWARDS: Well, it's disturbing, but it's not surprising.

I think that again, the different cultural traditions in terms of perspectives on race and the impact of race in the justice system carries over in terms of these kinds of polls. I think the thing that we have to look at is not so much what the preconceptions are and what the propensity of thinking one way or another is. But what happens in terms of the race card once the proceeds are under way. I think how the media treats this is going to have a tremendous impact, most certainly how it turns out as far as the jury's perspective is going to have a tremendous impact. These preconceptions are out there. They're part of the American social cultural landscape. And it's something that we have to live with in any trial of this nature and magnitude.

BLITZER: Professor Harry Edwards, thanks, as usual, for joining us.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

BLITZER: And here's your turn to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case? Race, celebrity, neither?" We'll have the results later in this broadcast. You can vote, though, right now at cnn.com/wolf. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. 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.

Let's look now at some other news making headlines around the world.

(NEWSBREAK)

BLITZER: These days we might see one hovering over the SuperBowl or advertising a grand opening. But decades ago, blimps played a key role in the nation's defense. And there's a move now to bring back the airships to an anti-terror role.

CNN's Jean Meserve reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like a throwback to an earlier era. But this blimp is being touted as the coming thing in homeland security.

STEPHEN HUETT, NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND: My vision would be to have airships over every major metropolitan area and every major harbor or port in the United States providing continuous coverage.

MESERVE: Tucked away under the gondola of this blimp, a state- of-the-art color imaging system which scans the landscape for suspicious object.

TAMARA COTTIS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INTL.: It will pinpoint for us and give us the exact longitude, latitude of it and the size and shape of it.

MESERVE: A high resolution camera zooms in. And all the data can be transmitted instantaneously to a command and control center for distribution to law enforcement or the military.

HUETT: Everybody is interested in the same information. They want real-time, high resolution data on demand.

MESERVE: A blimp is cheap tore operate than an airplane or helicopter. Relatively quiet and vibration free, it is also easier on sensitive equipment. It can stay in one place for hours at a stretch, seeing huge areas from a high altitude. A blimp is virtually invisible to radar and would be hard to bring down with a bullet or missile.

If the burning Hindenburg is the only airship you can remember, forget it. Today, ships are filled with helium, a fire suppressant.

Among those checking out the possible homeland security uses, the coast guard, which sees potential for tracking ship traffic.

CMDR. HANK TEUTON, U.S. COAST GUARD: Right now, we, in the world of aviation, we know where all of the airplanes are. We don't know where all the ships are.

MESERVE: But privacy advocates worry about other things this eye in the sky could potentially see.

BARRY STEINHARDT, ACLU: This is very intrusive technology. It can be used secretly. It potentially can be used to give the government what amounts to Superman's special powers.

MESERVE: There is nothing to worry about yet. Government agencies are still evaluating what blimps with a variety of sensors might someday do.

For now, this is just pie in the sky.

Jean Meserve, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: A major settlement offer in the church sex abuse scandal. We'll talk to a victim's advocacy group. That's coming up.

Plus, a Vatican document on how to handle sex abuse by priests. The Church says it's no smoking gun, but does it point to a broader culture of secrecy?

And the California political campaign straight from Central Casting. Phil Bronstein will join us live to talk about the media circus and the political zoo. All that's going on in California.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Some reports have portrayed it as a smoking gun in an alleged Vatican coverup of the priest sex abuse scandal. It's a 1962 document ordering secrecy in cases of sexual misconduct by priests. But is it really proof of a conspiracy?

John Allen says it's not. He's Vatican correspondent for the "National Catholic Reporter." He's joining us now live from Rome.

Also, joining us by phone, Paul Steidler. He's a spokesman by SNAP, Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

And Mr. Steidler, let me begin with you on this latest proposal. It's a brand new proposal by the Boston Archdiocese for some $55 million to settle a more than 500 claims of sexual abuse by priests over the years. Is this a good proposal?

Well, it depends on what the details are in the proposal. The victims of sexual abuse in Boston have had many carrots dangled in front of them in the past year-and-a-half. So, I know that the lawyers want to review this very carefully, very diligently. And it will take some in-depth analysis to make sure that it is going to be a -- you know, that it is going to be an acceptable settlement for people who were raped and violated as children.

BLITZER: It sounds like the new archbishop, Sean O'Malley, wants to get this thing resolved quickly.

STEIDLER: Hopefully that's the case. Hopefully the new archbishop is going to promote healing for all of those concerned and there's a new chapter in Boston from all of the trauma that's gone on there for more than a year-and-a-half since the crisis first broke up there.

BLITZER: Let me bring in John Allen, because he covers the story on a day-to-day basis and he knows a great deal about it. I want to get to that Vatican document shortly, John. But what do you make of the proposal by the new archbishop?

JOHN ALLEN, VATICAN CORRESPONDENT, NATL. CATHOLIC REPORTER: Well, Wolf, I think you're reading it exactly the right way. I think it's an indication that O'Malley means business and wants to move this thing forward.

But, you know, the devil is in the details. And I think there certainly be a very sort of keen review that goes on in the side of the plaintiffs to make sure that this meets their expectations.

BLITZER: There might be some, John, who will suggest that that 1962 Vatican document -- and you're going to report to us all about it right now, that this has just come out in the last few days that perhaps that might be spurring the archbishop to go ahead and offer this kind of $55 million proposal. First of all, tell us about the '62 document. What exactly did it say and what didn't it say?

ALLEN: Well, Wolf, I think the simplest way to explain it is this, that when a priest is accused of a crime, it can trigger one of three processes and sometimes all three at once. The first is, an internal church investigation that could lead to the guy being defrocked, that is kicked out of the priesthood. Second is, a criminal investigation that could lead to him going to jail. Third is, a civil investigation that could lead to a lawsuit and the diocese being obligated to pay damages for the harm the guy has done.

This document concerned only that first process which enfolds something called the code of cannon law. That's the church's own internal code. And it set out a set of procedures for what to do primarily when a priest is accused of using the confessional to proposition someone sexually, but it also included other forms of sexual misconduct, including a sexual abuse of minors. It did impose sort of absolute secrecy on the church's internal investigations and internal disciplinary action but the key point is, and the point of view of criminal law, it didn't say anything about what the obligation of church officials or victims or anyone else were to report these acts to civil or criminal authorities.

So in that sort of technical, legal sense, most lawyers I have spoken to do not think this is evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

BLITZER: Let me bring back Paul Steidler. You've had a chance -- you have heard about this Vatican document, some suggesting it's a smoking gun, others saying it's by no means a smoking gun. How do you see it?

STEIDLER: Yes, Wolf, first of all, the document is on S.N.A.P.'s Web site at snapnetwork.org and we'd encourage all Catholics to read it. The document has some very strong language in there that makes clear that anybody is to be excommunicated from the church who reveals any of the details of the proceeds that take place about sexual abuse cases and solicitation cases that occur.

It's very stern and very absolute in the language that it uses there. It also makes clear that someone has to report a sexual abuse crime within 30 days of it happening, or else they're going to be under the gun further.

So, you know, this is a complex document. It's going to require astute study, but it certainly reads -- it's very hostile in tone toward victims. It's very absolute in terms of demanding silence and secrecy under the threat of excommunication not only for sexual abuse victims but for bishops.

BLITZER: Unfortunately, we're going to have to leave it right there. Paul Steidler, thanks very much, but John Allen, one quick question. The whole issue of excommunication, if you discuss this, that sounds very, very I guess, ominous.

ALLEN: Yes, well two points. One is, that there is, I think, most canon lawyers would say, there's a legitimate role for secrecy in these investigations. I mean, for one thing, you've got an accused person who has a right to protect his good name until he's found guilty of something. For another, often victims don't want publicity. And they don't want to bring this out into the public forum.

The other point is, sexual abuse cases are hardly the only thing in the church that has this, sort of, super secret thing that has the threat of excommunication attached to it. Information on the nomination of bishops or appointments in the Vatican, for example.

And all of this is part of a culture of secrecy, if you like, in the church, that certainly is reflected in this document.

BLITZER: John Allen, I want to thank you very much. Joining us from Rome. John Allen and Paul Steidler, thanks very much on this breaking story. We'll continue to follow it here on CNN throughout the evening.

The volatile California recall and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming up, his impact on the election. And what are the real chances of his winning?

Also, the culture of pro sports, in light of the Kobe Bryant case, what's it really like for these ultra high profile athletes? We have a special guest. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. The Kobe Bryant case is focusing new attention on athlete's marriages, the temptations that come with fame and fortune can often ruin a relationship. Angela Wilder has firsthand knowledge of the issue. She's the former wife of the former Los Angeles Laker star, James Worthy. She's writing a new book entitled "Ten Things My Fairy Godmother Never Told Me About Marrying a Professional Athlete." She's joining us live from Los Angeles. Angela, thanks very much for joining us.

A lot of viewers are not familiar with the culture that surrounds so many of these NBA stars, and other sports stars as well. Talk a little bit about that. What goes on when they're on the road?

ANGELA WILDER, FORMER WIFE OF NBA STAR: Well, as a wife who was home most of the time when her husband was on the road, I can only speculate, but I do know that I thought I had a husband who was completely devoted, and you know, found out at a very public disclosure that on his road trips, he was soliciting prostitutes. And we would talk sometimes about other guys on the team who were unfaithful to their wives. There are always groupies and women who want to be a part of the scene, and who will do anything to be a part of one of these men's lives. So, that is very much a fact of life in professional sports.

BLITZER: Well, that's not just in professional sports, but it could be in any kind of profession, there's a lot of opportunities, presumably out there as well, but what specific advice do you have for the wives of big-name basketball players, for example, and other athletes who are out there would presumably would like to have some of your advice?

WILDER: Well, I think the first and foremost piece of information I would like to give them, or advice, would be to know that this is not a fairy tale. And so many of us go into it with the belief that happily ever after will exist and it doesn't.

I say the only reason happily ever after happened in Cinderella because as soon as they said I do, it was the end. For most of us, the real marriage doesn't begin until the career is over. There are so many pressures from so much money and so many people wanting a piece of the action. From living in a fishbowl to having everything you do be scrutinized. The pressure -- you know, pro sports is a business. And I personally for years suffered with gastrointestinal problems because I was so stressed out. It's just a really big ball of wax to digest, and you really need to be prepared. You got to grow up really quickly.

BLITZER: Angela, we've seen Vanessa, Kobe Bryant's wife, standing by her man very visibly over these past several weeks. It must be very difficult for her. She's very, very young to begin with, as is Kobe Bryant, but what do you think she's going through?

WILDER: Well, I would imagine that she, much like I did in the first few days of the revelation of what was truly going on in my marriage, I would imagine she's in a state of denial, really. That's why I believe they can go out and go to Disneyland and smile and have a great time. You know, denial is a very healthy sort of defense mechanism. Sometimes when people are so stressed -- I would imagine they're both kind of in a state of post traumatic stress. She's just going to have to go day-to-day. This is a very tough thing to get through. I'm sure that they will.

BLITZER: Angela Wilder, thanks very much for joining us.

WILDER: You're back welcome.

BLITZER: The Arnold Schwarzenegger factor in California politics. What are his real chances of actually winning the recall election. I'll talk live with Phil Bronstein, the editor of "The San Francisco Chronicle." That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: This just in to CNN, getting back to our top story. CNN has now confirmed the FBI is sending a team of investigators to Iraq to assist in the investigation of the Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad yesterday. Earlier this hour, our Mike Boettcher reported there may have been an al Qaeda connection to that deadly attack yesterday -- the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad blown up by a car bomb. We'll continue to watch this story. The FBI. now on the case.

Let's move on and get more insight into the California gubernatorial recall election and Arnold Schwarzenegger's high profile candidacy.

Phil Bronstein is the editor of "The San Francisco Chronicle." He knows California politics about as well as anyone. He's joining us now from our bureau in San Francisco.

Thanks very much for joining us, Phil.

Can Arnold Schwarzenegger get elected as the next governor of California?

PHIL BRONSTEIN, "SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE": Well, I think, Wolf given the way the recall is set up, of course he can. I mean, all it requires that you get a vote more than the person below you.

I think he starts with -- he's certainly the frontrunner now. He starts with enormous name recognition. I think the big issue, obviously, and the big hurdle for Arnold is will Gray Davis be recalled or not? Because if Gray Davis isn't recalled, then it doesn't matter.

BLITZER: Well, what's the story on that? Is it a slam dunk? Is it for sure that the voters in California will decide to recall Governor Davis?

BRONSTEIN: Well, all the recent poles polls have been pretty abysmal. I mean, to hear people talk about it, and people -- by people, I mean voters in California. He's about as popular as Saddam Hussein is -- was in Peoria. I mean, it would be very difficult to imagine, but Gray Davis is very tenacious. He knows how to raise money. He knows how to fight, both dirty and otherwise in campaigns. And so you can never write him off. But right now his popularity level is pretty low.

BLITZER: And it's only 60 days before that October 7 election. Two months, not a whole lot of time.

BRONSTEIN: Right.

BLITZER: What about Arnold Schwarzenegger? Your paper has been reporting about him and writing articles about him for years and years and years. Is he a Ronald Reagan or a Jesse Ventura?

BRONSTEIN: Well, I think he's Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I mean, he's a unique person. He's not only unique, but he's a particularly California character. I mean, he's not just a cartoon character. He's not just a movie star. He's a guy who's made a lot of money, who's managed it well, who's managed his image well. I think he's probably closer, if I had to pick one, to Ronald Reagan.

People say Reagan had more experience going into the governor race when he was elected governor. But he had more experience in public politics. In other words, in appearances. He spoke at the Republican convention. Arnold Schwarzenegger has done a lot of work in politics. He's done a lot of work in Hollywood. He's done a lot of work in the world. And so I think it's not necessarily a question of political experience. Gray Davis has a ton of political experience and look where he is.

BLITZER: Your paper today in a good article that I read described him as a compassionate Libertarian. We don't know a whole lot about him, the specifics of where he stands on so many of these issues, but he's going to be pressed and pressed by the news media, especially the California media in the coming days. How much will we learn, do you think?

BRONSTEIN: Well, you know, Wolf, Arnold is the guy who advised other Hollywood celebrities never answer the question that you're asked, just answer the question you want to be asked. And he's done a great job of that. So, in other words, he's very good at manipulating and managing his image. And the question is, How well will you he do at talking about issues?

Our reporter Carl Marnucci (ph), who's down there with Arnold in Southern California told me just a few minutes ago that he's really being pressed on policy issues. Now we know that he's pro-gun control. We know that he's pro-choice. We know that he's pro-gay rights. But in terms of specific policies, one of your guests earlier was talking about very -- minutia of California. We have to see. I mean, he'll be asked repeatedly, I'm sure. And we'll see if he answers directly.

BLITZER: And we'll see what role, if any, Maria Shriver plays in this as well, his wife of many, many years. Phil Bronstein, thanks so much for joining us.

BRONSTEIN: Sure, Wolf. See you.

BLITZER: Our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case? Race, celebrity or neither?" Vote now at cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results. That's coming up.

First, though, the answer to today's "News Quiz."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Earlier we asked, "Who spent the most money in U.S. history on a non-presidential campaign? The answer, Michael Bloomberg. The Republican and billionaire media magnate spent about $73 million of his own money to become mayor of New York City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day." Remember, we have been asking you this: "What do you think will influence the jury more in the Kobe Bryant case?" Twenty-five percent of you say race, 45 percent of you say celebrity, 30 percent of you say neither. As always, we remind you this is not a scientific poll.

A reminder, we're on everyday, weekdays, Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. Eastern, also noon Eastern. See you Sunday on "LATE EDITION."

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