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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Twin suicide bombings in Israel; Interview with John Majors

Aired September 09, 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: Twin terror attacks. Within the past few minutes we've gotten word of another bombing in Jerusalem as well as a car bombing in Iraq. We'll go there live.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Getting grilled, the architects of the Iraq War in the hot seat.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: We have every reason to predict confidence because we've done a fantastic job.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: It's apparent to me that we were unprepared, totally unprepared for what's happened out there in Iraq.

BLITZER: The long haul, part-time soldiers asked to do a full- time job.

Shaken by terror, Israel vows action.

Will Kobe Bryant's accuser be forced to testify?

Maria Shriver drops by, one candidate drops out.

And a special announcement from Simon and Garfunkel:

PAUL SIMON, MUSICIAN: It was time to just say forgive, forget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, September 09, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

(BREAKING NEWS)

We begin with twin bombings, powerful news, breaking news right now of a powerful explosion outside a cafe in Jewish West Jerusalem just hours after a suicide bomber struck at a bus stop near an Army base in central Israel. There are many casualties. We have two reports. We begin on the scene of this latest attack. CNN's Samson Desta is joining us now on the phone. He's there. Samson, tell us what you see and what you know.

SAMSON DESTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at this point I just spoke to an official from the Israeli medical services and he said although it's unofficial, it's three dead. He said probably one of them is the terrorist. I asked him if this was a suicide bombing. He said yes, it appears to be a suicide bombing.

But, as I arrived here about 20, 25 minutes ago, I saw one dead myself. I saw scores of injured that had been taken out of this cafe and onto stretchers and onto waiting ambulances. It was a chaotic scene. It still appears to be a chaotic scene here.

Police have now pushed us back from the scene, some 50 to 75 yards away. I'm sorry (unintelligible). I'm trying to talk to the police commissioner here. But, again, it's an extremely chaotic scene here as they've now pushed us some 50 to 75 yards away from the scene and I've seen scores and scores of injured people, some that actually have been able to walk, some with lots of blood on their clothes.

There are a number of others who are actually helping each other, a number of people that were crying and trying to get some comfort from their friends and from their relatives and this is a particularly popular area.

It is in West Jerusalem in an area called German Colony, a Jewish neighborhood and, again, as we walked in here we saw a number of people that are being helped out from the cafe and onto waiting ambulances.

So, once again, we're just being told by a medical source here that there are three dead and one of them is the terrorist as they described him and apparently a suicide bomber as well - Wolf.

BLITZER: And we were told earlier, Samson, that the suicide bomber tried to get into a cafe but he was stopped by a security guard. That obviously could have prevented a lot worse number of casualties. What do you know about the actual circumstances?

DESTA: I do not, actually. I do not. I've been trying to get access to that area. I've been trying to get access to some of these medical sources but, again, there's a heavy presence of border police here and we've been shoved and pushed away from that area.

I have not been able to speak to anyone; in fact, I was just about to speak to the police commissioner to see if he could give us any information but I do not have any details as to how this occurred earlier today - Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Samson, we'll get back to you. Obviously, as you get more information on this breaking news, Samson Desta, CNN's reporter on the scene in West Jerusalem in the area called the German Colony another terrorist bombing at a cafe in trendy part of West Jerusalem. And, this Jerusalem blast comes just hours after a suicide bomber struck at a bus stop near an army base in central Israel. At least six Israelis were killed in that attack, many others seriously wounded.

CNN's Matthew Chance is on the scene of that bombing in Rishon Letzion not far from Tel Aviv. Matthew, tell us what you know from where you are.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, many of the Israelis I've spoken to over the past few days have said they feared that these kinds of suicide attacks were coming their way. It seems that this evening has proven that their fears, their suspicions were absolutely correct.

We just heard from Samson Desta there on the streets of Jerusalem about this latest apparent bombing and the casualties that are mounting up there in Jerusalem as well but it was six hours ago here, about 30 miles, 50 kilometers or so away from Jerusalem near the town of Rishon Letzion near Tel Aviv in fact where the first of what increasingly looks like a series of terror attacks began here at this bus stop or hitchhiker stop outside a big Israeli army base crowded with people, mainly conscripts, waiting to get a lift home.

A suicide bomber moved into that crowd, detonated his device killing, according to police, six people in this crowd, wounding several others, as many as 15 people are said by hospital officials here in this area to be seriously wounded. The officials are not discounting the possibility of the final death toll from this attack going up over the course of this evening.

You can see here locals have been coming from around this area to pay their last respects to the people who were injured and to offer their support here. It's a very difficult situation, as I say. The death toll from this situation may climb in the hours ahead - Wolf.

BLITZER: Anybody claim responsibility yet, Matthew?

CHANCE: To my knowledge, no, there hasn't been any claim of responsibility from any of the militant groups, Hamas or Islamic Jihad or even the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that are the groups that normally carry out this kind of attack. There certainly has though, Wolf, been reaction from Israel to this attack certainly.

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, currently on an official visit to India, has been informed of this saying that obviously he condemns it and pledging to press on with what Israel calls its war against terrorism - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Matthew Chance just outside Tel Aviv for us, thank you Matthew very much.

Now to Iraq where there was a car bombing there today as well, we'll have much more on that coming up momentarily, this as top Pentagon officials went up to Capitol Hill today to pass the hat for emergency funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. They got a grilling from Democrats and Republicans alike upset about the rising cost of a conflict with no clear end in sight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Many consider the intellectual architect of the Iraq War underwent tough and even angry questioning by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Congress is not an ATM. We have to be able to explain this new, enormous bill to the American people.

BLITZER: But Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz refused to back down and strongly defended the president's request for another $87 billion on top of the approximately $60 billion already approved.

WOLFOWITZ: As large as these costs are they are still small compared to just the economic price that the attacks of September 11 inflicted to say nothing of the terrible loss of human life.

BLITZER: There was frustration from Democrats.

KENNEDY: It's apparent to me that we were unprepared, totally unprepared for what's happened out there in Iraq in terms of giving the adequate protection for American troops.

BLITZER: And, Republicans, even including some of the Senate's leading hawks.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: The facts as I see them, Mr. Chairman, are clearly that we underestimated the size of the challenge that we would face after the military operations (unintelligible) were completed.

BLITZER: Before the war, Wolfowitz had suggested much of the post-war stabilization and reconstruction costs would come from Iraq's resumption of oil exports but so far that assumption has proven to be wrong.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Mr. Wolfowitz, you told Congress in March that "we are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon." Talk about rosy scenarios.

BLITZER: But, Committee Chairman John Warner tried to deflect the criticism.

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), ARMED SERVICES CHAIRMAN: Now is not the time in my judgment to try and discuss what went right and what went wrong and who may be at fault for faulty vision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So where will all the money go? Here's how the $87 billion request from the White House would be spent. Twenty billion dollars would help fund the reconstruction of Iraq. Fifty-one billion dollars would pay for continuing military operations there, the continuing guerrilla war. Eleven billion dollars would finance military operations in Afghanistan. Eight hundred million dollars would go toward reconstruction of that country and four billion dollars would be spent on the war against terror in other parts of the world.

A bloody reminder today that the war in Iraq is far from over, details have been coming in this hour about a car bombing in northern Iraq even as thousands of Army reservists and National Guard members find they may be deployed for the long haul.

Let's go live to CNN's Jason Bellini. He's been with U.S. troops in Tikrit. He's joining us now live via videophone - Jason.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via videophone): Wolf, we're just beginning to get details on this car bombing, the explosion outside a building that we're told is used by U.S. servicemen.

Now, this word and these pictures come from CNN Turk Television. This is a CNN subsidiary. It's not yet known whether any U.S. servicemen are dead or injured. A Turkish reporter says he has been injured civilians and among them children. The buildings wholly collapsed according to this report. Most of the injured come from the nearby houses.

We're also told authorities in Erbil, the Kurdish capital, are calling on loud speakers for people to donate blood. It's another example of the unsettled situation facing U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq.

Today, Wolf, we spoke with some U.S. servicemen who were in the Army Reserves. They tell us that they were - that the news today is unexpected, that they may have to stay here a full year. Most of the ones we spoke with say that they're willing to do it. They don't have a choice and that they're going to try to make the best of this situation, a very difficult situation here in Iraq - Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Bellini on the scene for us in Tikrit, Jason thanks very much for that strong reporting.

Some relatives are expressing outrage over the possibility their loved ones serving in Iraq may stay months longer than they expected. Some of those units are based in North Dakota.

The commander of the North Dakota Guard says whether the 800-plus troops now in Iraq are allowed to come home sooner will depend on finding other units to replace them. That prospect does not sit well, at least with some of their relatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is infuriating. How can they treat people like this? I have friends in other services who were there in February and they're already home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is happening in other states to other National Guard and Reserve troops. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a huge injustice to treat your Guard troops like this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The North Dakota Guard commander says that because his troops are mostly combat engineers they're in high demand right now.

As we noted, Pentagon officials got a grilling from both sides of the aisle today. The smoke has cleared a bit right now on Capitol Hill.

Joining me now from there is Senator Saxby Chambliss, the Georgia Republican. He's a member of both the Armed Services as well as the Intelligence Committee. Senator, thanks very much for joining us.

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Sure, Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's get to the issue of the Guard forces right now, the reservists and the National Guard troops who are going to stay longer in Iraq than many of them anticipated. They went over there for perhaps six months. They could wind up there for a year. What do you say to your constituents in Georgia who might be upset about that?

CHAMBLISS: Well, Wolf, it's only natural that somebody would be upset when they thought they were going to be there six months and it may turn out now to be longer than that but what we have to remember is the price of freedom is not cheap.

There are a number of families who have paid the ultimate price. There are a number of us who are upset about the cost of the war but, you know, everybody has to pay their fair share and some of it may be an inconvenience by families.

What this does do is it puts some stability in our rotation program. The Army, as well as every other branch of the service, says that now we're going to have folks there for a year. The folks who are there now may be required to stay a year but then they'll be home and then they won't be going back. So, it does put a little stability into a very fractural situation that we've got right now.

BLITZER: What about the testimony from Wolfowitz, General Myers, today? Did he convince the panel that this $87 billion on top of $60 already approved, perhaps $150 billion already from taxpayer money is well worthwhile?

CHAMBLISS: Well, again, what you have to remember is that this is a war on terrorism. This is an extension of the war that we fought in Afghanistan and here we are two years after September 11th.

We're still fighting that war on terrorism and part of that war was to remove a guy like Saddam Hussein who had the capability of not only training and harboring terrorists but providing them with weapons and money as he did the Palestinians we know for a fact.

So, this is an extension on the war on terrorism that has got to be won. We're there. We're committed and we're not going to walk away from there with a half victory. We're going to walk away from there with a full and complete victory and a rebuilding of that country.

It's going to be expensive but we still hope that we're going to be able to get some of that funding back in the form of payment through oil reserves but we can't count on that at this point in time but we've got to make sure we win this war.

BLITZER: That's going to take a while. Let me make a turn to what's happening in Israel right now, twin bombings today just outside of Tel Aviv in West Jerusalem just a little while ago. You know a lot about homeland security, about terrorism. What does the U.S. do now to try to salvage some sort of peace process between the Israeli and the Palestinians?

CHAMBLISS: Well, Wolf, as you and I discussed before one of the keys to winning the war on terrorism is trying to bring stability to the Middle East and in order to do that we've got to have the violence stopped over there.

We went through a period where it looked like that might happen. Now we're back simply to that tit-for-tat violent activity that we've seen over the last couple of years. We've got to figure out a way to hopefully bring these two sides together again to some point to where we can stop this violence.

We thought that Abu Mazen by coming in as the prime minister of the Palestinian organization might do that but it appears that Arafat is still calling some of the shots.

Arafat is a terrorist and as long as he's in that position of calling the shots it's going to be very, very difficult. So, I think this is a giant step backwards but the president is going to do everything he can to put it back on track. I'm absolutely confident of that.

BLITZER: Senator Chambliss thanks very much for spending a few moments with us.

CHAMBLIS: Sure, Wolf.

(BREAKING NEWS)

BLITZER: Let's go back to Jerusalem. On the scene for us one of the first responders to get to this cafe in the German Colony area of West Jerusalem, Eli Beer is joining us on the phone. He's a medic. Eli, we've spoken in the past. Tell us what you know right now. How did this happen?

ELI BEER, EMERGENCY RESCUE UNIT (via telephone): All right. A terrorist that tried getting inside a very famous restaurant in the center of Jerusalem, people were trying to relax after the big bomb attack next to Tel Aviv today and people were just having a cup of coffee in a nice restaurant in the center. And, he tried getting inside the restaurant. He was trying to get inside the restaurant and he couldn't get in because of the guard. They have heavy security everywhere in Jerusalem.

And, a lot of people were sitting outside of the restaurant so that's why he decided to explode himself right outside of the restaurant and that's why so many people were hurt and a few of them were killed.

BLITZER: Eli, tell us how many people were killed and how many were injured, at least what you know right now.

BEER: All right, when I got to the scene I saw a few people that were killed. I can't give exact numbers. That's the police job. But, I can say that we had around 25 to 30 people that were transferred to hospitals in different conditions, some injured very badly and I would say that around 30, and they always have numbers go up because plenty of people just decide to go a little later. They decide to go to the hospitals after they get through the shock.

BLITZER: Eli Beer from (unintelligible)...

BEER: But I want to say that one of...

BLITZER: ...first responders on the scene. We'll get back to you, Eli, as this story unfortunately continues to develop.

Once again, two bombings, two terrorist bombings today in Israel, one outside of Tel Aviv, one now in Jerusalem. We'll continue to follow both of those stories.

There are other developments happening elsewhere here in the United States, indeed around the world today, a full day of news.

For example, in the California Recall find out which candidate actually stepped down and whose wife stepped up to the plate on the defensive.

Almost two years since September 11th, why some families of terrorist attack victims think the Patriot Act is going too far.

And, so happy together, Simon and Garfunkel make an announcement. Keep it here to find out what they say.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Attorney General John Ashcroft traveled to New York City today as part of a 16 city tour to defend the controversial Patriot Act. That's the tough antiterrorism bill enacted shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

CNN's Jason Carroll is joining us now live from New York - Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, New York City was the last stop in Ashcroft's national tour and, much like the rest of the tour, he was met with both detractors and supporters. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Just blocks from Ground Zero, Attorney General John Ashcroft drew cheers from the law enforcement community as he wrapped up his national tour promoting the controversial antiterrorism law the Patriot Act.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have used the tools provided in the Patriot Act to fulfill our first responsibility that of protecting the American people.

CARROLL: Outside the hall where Ashcroft gave his speech, he drew jeers from critics who say the Patriot Act infringes upon individual freedoms.

NADINE STROSSEN, ACLU: The truth is that this law gives unjustified power to the government.

CARROLL: The Patriot Act was passed in the months following 9/11. Ashcroft says it gives the government better tools to investigate suspected terrorists, allowing government agencies to share information.

ASHCROFT: The Patriot Act took down that barrier between law enforcement and intelligence and allows us to share information so we can connect the dots and fit together the pieces of the puzzle in time to disrupt terror.

CARROLL: It allows law enforcement to review a suspected terrorist's medical records, library books checked out, or search a home without notification. Some family members of September 11th victims question the timing of Ashcroft's visit just two days before the second anniversary of the attacks.

VALERIE LUCINIKOWSKI, AUNT OF 9/11 VICTIM: These people in this administration, including Mr. Ashcroft are trying to use 9/11 and use the murders of our loved ones to gain political ground for themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: It's not clear if Ashcroft was able to change the mind of any of his critics during this national tour. To date, some 160 local and state governments have passed resolutions denouncing the Patriot Act - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jason Carroll in New York City thanks very much Jason for that.

(BREAKING NEWS)

And, elsewhere in New York City just a few minutes ago this happened. We're getting some pictures in to CNN right now, a dramatic rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard of a fisherman who was stranded in the waters off of Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York.

Fortunately they got the guy. As you can see, they lifted him up into the helicopter and they brought him to safety, this just in to CNN, fortunately the successful rescue of this fisherman in the Atlantic near Rockaway Beach.

And, back to our top story right now. CNN has just confirmed five dead, at least five dead now in that latest suicide bombing at a cafe in Jerusalem only within the past hour or so ago. We're continuing to get details, many more injured, five dead in this Jerusalem cafe bombing.

We were told that the suicide bomber tried to get into the cafe but was stopped by a security guard outside the cafe. He still went ahead and detonated the explosive devices around his chest. There were many people sitting outside and as a result five dead.

Now, I assume that includes the suicide bomber. There could be six if it's not the suicide bomber but we'll get some more information, many others unfortunately injured in the second of these terrorist attacks in Israel today. We'll get some more information and bring it to you.

In the meantime, we're following some other developments as well. Maria Shriver, she took to the podium today for Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll find out what she said. She also was there yesterday.

Did she get more than a good deal at this California Wal-Mart? We'll get a live report. Our Bob Franken is standing by for that in California.

And, the Kobe Bryant case is the defense trying to scare away the prosecution? A former Denver district attorney will join me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

BLITZER: Let's get back to our top story, another suicide terrorist explosion, a bombing, this one in Jerusalem. It follows one earlier in the day just outside of Tel Aviv.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel, our man in Jerusalem, joining us now with more information. Jerrold, tell us the latest.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what we hear from Israeli police telling us that there are least four people who have been killed by a suicide bomber, definitely a suicide bomber say the Israeli police, the second such attack in the day and of well over 30 people wounded several are reported in serious condition.

You may just be able to hear the wail of ambulances still going through the streets of Jerusalem. It's now after midnight and still clearly through the sounds of the city, the wail of ambulances as they still continue to drive the wounded to hospitals around the city.

Awful scenes outside that cafe, the Hilel (ph) Cafe, freshly opened just about a month, Wolf, in an area called the German Colony. That's a somewhat trendy, middle-class neighborhood and this is a strip of restaurants and late night cafes and it was there that the bomber struck this evening and, Hamas the military Islamic group Hamas claiming responsibility for both attacks in a statement to Al-Jazeera, the Arabic television network.

First reaction now from an Israeli government official:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK BOFER, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: For the second time in one evening, Palestinian terrorists have butchered innocent Israelis going around their daily lives. If the the Palestinian leadership believes for one moment that it can sit ideally by without dismantling the terrorist infrastructure as it assured us, assured the world, it could not be more mistaken than it is.

Frankly, the terrorism is going on unrelenting but much more unrelenting is Israel's resolve to defend its citizens, is Israel's resolve to fight against this scourge and, in the end, justice will win out. The terrorism will be purged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Well, pondering on what to with that resolve, we understand, Wolf, that a meeting was called, an emergency meeting down at Tel Aviv at the military headquarters of all the military chiefs and the defense minister, other top Israeli officials. They have been consulting with one another and have also been in touch with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who is away in India on Israel -- an Israeli's prime minister first official visit to India. And there was some talk of whether Mr. Sharon would cut short his three-day visit and return home. No word of that yet, as Israel ponders what to do -- Wolf.

BLITZER: They will do something, no doubt. They always do something after these kinds of terrorist incidents.

A very quick question, if you can give me a brief answer. Jerrold, there's been speculation about renewed talk of expelling Yasser Arafat from Ramallah, from the West Bank. Is this likely to fuel that kind of talk amongst Israelis?

KESSEL: It's certainly likely to fuel the talk. It's certainly likely to fuel the position of those who advocate that.

But up until now, Prime Minister Sharon and some in the military and security establishments have said it won't really help the situation, that timing is not right for that. And we do know that the United States has been advising Israel, Don't do that to Yasser Arafat this stage. It will only make matters worse. So I don't think, even though Israeli emotions will be running high, that that will be on the table, at least not immediately, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we're just getting additional information. You may know this already, Jerrold. Hamas, the militant group, is now formally claiming responsibility for this Jerusalem bombing. I don't know about the bombing in Tel Aviv, outside of Tel Aviv earlier. Tell us what you know about this. KESSEL: What we know is earlier that a leading Hamas official, Rantisi, who was the target of an Israeli attack, survived that about a month ago, had said that the attack this afternoon outside Tel Aviv was a response to all Israel's crimes, as he put it, against the Palestinians. But he stopped short of taking responsibility.

Now, within the last few minutes, the Al Jazeera television station says it received a faxed statement from the Izadeen al-Kasem (ph), that's the military wing of Hamas, saying that after these -- these two bombings today prove that the Zionists and that they thought they could get away with their attacks on Palestinians. They could not. They have managed to carry out such attacks. That's the nature of the statement from Hamas' military wing to Al Jazeera -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. CNN's Jerrold Kessel. We're going to ask you to stand by. Our other colleagues on the scene. Samson Desta at the cafe in Jerusalem -- Matthew Chance, he's near Tel Aviv at that earlier terrorist bombing at the bus stop there. We're going to get some more information, come back to all of you.

But let's move on. There's other news developing here in the United States.

Indeed, new information on the Kobe Bryant case. Is the defense trying to make his accuser run scared?

Plus, is Tony Blair being unfairly criticized about misleading the British people about the war in Iraq? We'll have a CNN exclusive. My conversation with the former British prime minister, John Major.

And jumping ship. Find out what California recall candidates decided to do. At least one of them decided to get out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

The latest developments now in the California recall election. Peter Ueberroth, one of the more prominent players, is dropping out. That decision announced just a short time ago. Ueberroth was a former Major League Baseball commissioner., former head of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Recent polls showed him in fourth place.

A new poll suggests support for recalling Governor Gray Davis is dropping. In a new Field Poll, 55 percent of the respondents favor the recall, 40 percent against it. The poll shows Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante leading Republicans Arnold Schwarzenegger by 5 percentage points and Tom McClintock by 17 points. Pitting Bustamante and Schwarzenegger against each other, the lieutenant governor leads by only two percentage points.

Bustamante and independent candidate Arianna Huffington were among the top candidates taking part in the campaign's second debate that wrapped up just a short time ago in Los Angeles. The debate was sponsored by a nationwide coalition of ethnic media outlets and by the Green Lining Institute, which represents minority business, church, consumer and civil rights groups.

In the California recall election, all eyes are not just on the candidates. Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, is getting a lot of attention. Shriver, a member of the Democratic Party dynasty,the Kennedy clan that is, hit the campaign trail this week to try to boost support for her Republican husband.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With her millions of dollars from families current and ancestral, many would probably not think that Maria Shriver spends a lot of time at Wal- Mart. But there she was Monday venturing from the Brentwood mansion to a Sacramento Wal-Mart to campaign for her husband.

It was not an altogether successful venture. The hecklers were mainly courtesy of the labor movement, union members there to oppose the recall; her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the employment practices of Wal-Mart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact is Maria would be out here promoting a company that don't believe in paying family health care is a disgrace to the Kennedy family.

MARIA SHRIVER, SCHWARZENEGGER'S WIFE: My husband has been terrific in terms of working people. He supported working people. He's been a working person his whole life. When they wanted to move "Terminator" to Canada, he gave a huge chunk of his own salary to keep that production in California so that working men and women could put food on the table for their families.

FRANKEN: When she tried to make her "Vote for My Husband" pitch, she was so drowned out that the entire event lasted only about 10 minutes.

SHRIVER: Whatever they want to say, I think it's great. I never am against that. That's what's great about America.

FRANKEN: Shriver has stepped out as polls show that her husband's standing with women is decidedly less favorable than it is male voters. The newest Field Poll shows that Schwarzenegger, who trails Democrat Cruz Bustamante by five points overall, is 13 behind with women voters.

With his widely publicized comments about sex and his "Terminator" movie image, he has simply not been able to overcome a significant gender gap, even with positions on issues like abortion and gun control, for instance, that are considered female friendly, and in spite of the fact that she has endorsed her husband staring on day one of the campaign.

SHRIVER: I think that he will represent Democrats, independents and Republicans, men and women all across this state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Well, now that she has run into some flack at the Wal- Mart, The Schwarzenegger campaign is going to have to decide how to best use Maria Shriver to go shopping for votes -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Bob Franken covering this campaign. He will be with us a lot between now and October. He is with us a lot all the time. CNN's Bob Franken, thanks very much.

Kobe Bryant's defense team is going on the offensive seeking to have his accuser testify at next month's hearing. That crucial hearing should determine whether the Los Angeles Lakers star will stand trial on sexual assault charges. Prosecutors stay they could move as soon as today to quash the subpoena by Bryant's lawyer. Bryant is accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in June. He admitted having sex with the woman but says it was consensual.

Joining us from Denver with his insight on this, the former Denver district attorney Craig Silverman. Craig, as usual, thanks very much. What do you make of this latest development, this effort to get her to testify at the preliminary hearing?

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DISTRICT ATTY.: It's not that unusual for the defense to try to get an accuser to testify at a preliminary hearing. What is unusual for that effort to be successful. Most Colorado County court judges routinely deny these kinds of requests. A preliminary hearing is not a mini trial. They say that we won't allow this kind of fishing expedition.

BLITZER: Normally, the defense attorneys presumably know just as well as you do. They are going forward with the effort. Is it an effort to as some are suggesting intimidate her, to get her nervous what might be in store if she goes forward with her testimony?

SILVERMAN: Well, you never know until you try. So you can't blame the defense attorneys. They do it all the time. There's no doubt that all these legal chess moves are putting pressure on the accuser and making it difficult for her to sustain her desire to go forward on this case.

BLITZER: At what point do the defense attorneys have to worry about a possible backlash, if they press and press too hard. They want to subpoena her mental health records, physical records, 911 calls she may have made in the past before she ever met Kobe Bryant. Now they want to get her to testify at this October 9 preliminary hearing. At what point do they go too far?

SILVERMAN: You know, they've only let their talking be done in pleadings. I think they would be derelict in their duty if they didn't try to get the mental health records. After all, their job is to find out why she would make up an allegation. They suspect that some of those answer may he are contained in the medical records.

BLITZER: Isn't it a foregone conclusion, is it a done deal that this hearing will, in fact, take place on October 9th, the show cause, the -- they have to show the evidence that they have in order to justify going forward, the full scale trial?

SILVERMAN: No. There's a significant chance that the defense will waive their right to a preliminary hearing. But they have to keep the possibility of a preliminary hearing going so that they can argue these evidentiary motions and, perhaps, get the county court judge to rule their way, perhaps on the medical privilege issue.

BLITZER: And if there is a hearing, there won't be TV cameras inside. Were you surprised by that, Craig?

SILVERMAN: No. Colorado law makes it clear that cameras are only allowed during advisements, arraignment and subject to the discretion of the court at a trial.

BLITZER: Craig Silverman, as usual, thanks very much for your expertise.

SILVERMAN: My pleasure.

BLITZER: Britain and Iraq. Is Tony Blair getting an unfair rap?

I'll have an exclusive interview with the former British prime, John Majors.

Plus, a major announcement from this folk duo. Find out what Simon and Garfunkel are saying.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: British Prime Minister Tony Blair facing the toughest battle of his political life came under fire. The main opposition, conservative party says Mr. Blair's plan to rebuild Iraq and restore order are in shambles and the British forces are stretched too thin.

In an exclusive interview, I spoke with Mr. Blair's predecessor, John Major, about the prime minister situation and its impact on U.S./British relations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the United States. Thanks very much for joining us.

So let's talk about U.S.-British relations right now. Are they in trouble because of Tony Blair's support for President Bush?

JOHN MAJOR, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MIN.: I don't think they're in trouble for that reason or, indeed, any other reason. There is a domestic argument involving the prime minister at the moment, but that isn't about the substantive case for war.

I think the majority of the British people are still sanguine about the need for war. The opinion polls still show a clear majority, that it was the right thing to do to go into Iraq.

BLITZER: What about those who say that the United States basically pressured the British government, Tony Blair's government, to come in, that despite public opinion in Britain, he went along with it and he's going to pay a political price for that?

MAJOR: Well, I don't think that says very much for the government if people actually believe that's true. The prime minister, had he chosen, had the government chosen, could have said no.

I actually think the likelihood that any British government would divorce itself from the United States, except in the extreme, is highly unlikely, highly unlikely because of the close relationship that's been for a long time, but highly unlikely for the more practical reason that almost invariably, not entirely invariably, of course, but almost invariably we tend to see international events through the same eyes. We have similar interest.

BLITZER: Did the British government inflate the threat from Iraq as the BBC, others, have suggested, sex-up the intelligence, as they reported it?

MAJOR: Well, I think there's a distinction between sexing-up the intelligence and sexing-up the presentation of the intelligence. Now, that is a matter that's being discussed and being examined by Lord Hutton at the moment. So I think we must await Lord Hutton's inquiries.

BLITZER: And he's investigating David Kelly's suicide?

MAJOR: And matters related to it.

But whatever the case may have been, it has not dented the fact that the British nation felt it was right to deal with Saddam Hussein, and the prime minister still has support (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: Is the British public, in your opinion, prepared to stay in Iraq, together with the United States, for the long haul despite the terrorism, despite the daily -- nearly daily toll on U.S. and coalition forces?

MAJOR: The British don't runaway from terrorism. We have had 30-odd years of terrorism in our own country from the Irish Republican Army. We're used to it.

September the 11th was a huge shock in the United States. It was the first time you had been hit at home in your own territory by terrorist on this scale. Now, we have had terrorist atrocities, not on that scale, of course, but very large ones, over the last 30 years. So the British don't turn tail.

Of course, the British aren't going to walk away from Iraq. They will be there until the job's done.

BLITZER: Dr. Hans Blix was interviewed by our Paula Zahn last night, the former chief U.N. weapons inspector. He said: Look, it's been -- what? -- four or five months since the war. They've still found no banned weapons, weapons of mass destruction. Maybe the Iraqi government was telling them the truth all those months and years before the war.

MAJOR: They certainly had weapons of mass destruction some years ago, that I have not a shadow of doubt.

BLITZER: In the '80s they used them against the Kurds.

MAJOR: Well, in the '80s they used them. I'm clear in my mind they certainly had them in the '90s. Now, what has happened since I left Downing Street, I can be less clear about.

But I think we have to be clear what sort of weapons of mass destruction we're talking about. We're not talking about huge intercontinental missiles. We're talking about liquids. We're talking about powders that would be easily removed.

I've never forgotten, at the time of the first Gulf War in 1990- 91, that Saddam Hussein flew a whole squadron of his best fighter aircraft to Iran and left them there. Nobody ever knew why.

Well, it's entirely possible that in the run-up to the war, when the weapons inspectors were there, that these highly mobile powders and liquids, which is what we're talking about, were hidden, destroyed or moved out of the country. But that they were there at some stage, I think the evidence is quite compelling.

BLITZER: Mr. Major, the former prime minister of Britain, Mr. Prime Minister, thanks very much.

MAJOR: My pleasure.

BLITZER: And they brought you, "Mrs. Robinson."

(MUSIC)

BLITZER: Get ready for this. Something is bringing Simon and Garfunkel again. That story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Singing star Simon and Garfunkel are patching up their bridge over troubled waters. They have announced a reunion tour that kicks off next month.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The song and sign said it all. Simon and Garfunkel, giving it another shot, another reunion concert tour, seeming to sense an opportunity they shouldn't let slip away.

PAUL SIMON, SINGER: We are our oldest friends. We've known each other since the age of 11. And whatever it was, the squabbles as they are called, that's pretty much what it was, the squabbles, it is time to just say forgive forget move on. It's not like you have forever in life.

BLITZER: Their musical partnership was always solid. Their run in the '50s and '60s virtually defined American folk rock. With hits like "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "Mrs. Robinson." But their friendship was often strained and they split up about 30 years ago. Reunion tours in the early '80s and '90s rekindled some popular interest. But they both say a performance at this year's Grammy Awards made them realize what they have.

ART GARFUNKEL, SINGER: This is a very deep old friendship as Paul said during the Grammy time some months ago. It is family, the two of us. Our moms know each other. They're still alive. So there has been a deep, buried affection for the last decade or so.

BLITZER: They don't plan to produce any material for this tour, but they will release a two-track CD of their best work next month. As for trying to win over a new generation, don't look for anything but classic Simon and Garfunkel.

P. SIMON: Not that I'm not thinking about newer fans. I'm mostly thinking about reconnecting to the people that new us in their lives when they were young.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The reunion tour begins October 18 in Auburn Hills, Michigan, will run through mid-December. I, for one, can't wait.

Two days before September 11, viewers sound off for and against the Bush administration on the war on terror. Your e-mail is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now to your e-mail. Mike, on the Patriot Law, "The only reason people have time to worry about their personal rights being trampled is because with the Patriot Act, the government has prevented any more terrorist attacks on our soil. Would you reverse the Patriot Act if you knew it would result in even just one more successful terrorist attack?"

Greg disagrees, "Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Those who can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' He was right. A civilized democracy cannot alter its foundation so radically as to allow unchecked power at any level of its branches of democracy."

That's it for here. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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





Majors>


Aired September 9, 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: Twin terror attacks. Within the past few minutes we've gotten word of another bombing in Jerusalem as well as a car bombing in Iraq. We'll go there live.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Getting grilled, the architects of the Iraq War in the hot seat.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: We have every reason to predict confidence because we've done a fantastic job.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: It's apparent to me that we were unprepared, totally unprepared for what's happened out there in Iraq.

BLITZER: The long haul, part-time soldiers asked to do a full- time job.

Shaken by terror, Israel vows action.

Will Kobe Bryant's accuser be forced to testify?

Maria Shriver drops by, one candidate drops out.

And a special announcement from Simon and Garfunkel:

PAUL SIMON, MUSICIAN: It was time to just say forgive, forget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

BLITZER: It's Tuesday, September 09, 2003. Hello from Washington, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting.

(BREAKING NEWS)

We begin with twin bombings, powerful news, breaking news right now of a powerful explosion outside a cafe in Jewish West Jerusalem just hours after a suicide bomber struck at a bus stop near an Army base in central Israel. There are many casualties. We have two reports. We begin on the scene of this latest attack. CNN's Samson Desta is joining us now on the phone. He's there. Samson, tell us what you see and what you know.

SAMSON DESTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at this point I just spoke to an official from the Israeli medical services and he said although it's unofficial, it's three dead. He said probably one of them is the terrorist. I asked him if this was a suicide bombing. He said yes, it appears to be a suicide bombing.

But, as I arrived here about 20, 25 minutes ago, I saw one dead myself. I saw scores of injured that had been taken out of this cafe and onto stretchers and onto waiting ambulances. It was a chaotic scene. It still appears to be a chaotic scene here.

Police have now pushed us back from the scene, some 50 to 75 yards away. I'm sorry (unintelligible). I'm trying to talk to the police commissioner here. But, again, it's an extremely chaotic scene here as they've now pushed us some 50 to 75 yards away from the scene and I've seen scores and scores of injured people, some that actually have been able to walk, some with lots of blood on their clothes.

There are a number of others who are actually helping each other, a number of people that were crying and trying to get some comfort from their friends and from their relatives and this is a particularly popular area.

It is in West Jerusalem in an area called German Colony, a Jewish neighborhood and, again, as we walked in here we saw a number of people that are being helped out from the cafe and onto waiting ambulances.

So, once again, we're just being told by a medical source here that there are three dead and one of them is the terrorist as they described him and apparently a suicide bomber as well - Wolf.

BLITZER: And we were told earlier, Samson, that the suicide bomber tried to get into a cafe but he was stopped by a security guard. That obviously could have prevented a lot worse number of casualties. What do you know about the actual circumstances?

DESTA: I do not, actually. I do not. I've been trying to get access to that area. I've been trying to get access to some of these medical sources but, again, there's a heavy presence of border police here and we've been shoved and pushed away from that area.

I have not been able to speak to anyone; in fact, I was just about to speak to the police commissioner to see if he could give us any information but I do not have any details as to how this occurred earlier today - Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Samson, we'll get back to you. Obviously, as you get more information on this breaking news, Samson Desta, CNN's reporter on the scene in West Jerusalem in the area called the German Colony another terrorist bombing at a cafe in trendy part of West Jerusalem. And, this Jerusalem blast comes just hours after a suicide bomber struck at a bus stop near an army base in central Israel. At least six Israelis were killed in that attack, many others seriously wounded.

CNN's Matthew Chance is on the scene of that bombing in Rishon Letzion not far from Tel Aviv. Matthew, tell us what you know from where you are.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, many of the Israelis I've spoken to over the past few days have said they feared that these kinds of suicide attacks were coming their way. It seems that this evening has proven that their fears, their suspicions were absolutely correct.

We just heard from Samson Desta there on the streets of Jerusalem about this latest apparent bombing and the casualties that are mounting up there in Jerusalem as well but it was six hours ago here, about 30 miles, 50 kilometers or so away from Jerusalem near the town of Rishon Letzion near Tel Aviv in fact where the first of what increasingly looks like a series of terror attacks began here at this bus stop or hitchhiker stop outside a big Israeli army base crowded with people, mainly conscripts, waiting to get a lift home.

A suicide bomber moved into that crowd, detonated his device killing, according to police, six people in this crowd, wounding several others, as many as 15 people are said by hospital officials here in this area to be seriously wounded. The officials are not discounting the possibility of the final death toll from this attack going up over the course of this evening.

You can see here locals have been coming from around this area to pay their last respects to the people who were injured and to offer their support here. It's a very difficult situation, as I say. The death toll from this situation may climb in the hours ahead - Wolf.

BLITZER: Anybody claim responsibility yet, Matthew?

CHANCE: To my knowledge, no, there hasn't been any claim of responsibility from any of the militant groups, Hamas or Islamic Jihad or even the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that are the groups that normally carry out this kind of attack. There certainly has though, Wolf, been reaction from Israel to this attack certainly.

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, currently on an official visit to India, has been informed of this saying that obviously he condemns it and pledging to press on with what Israel calls its war against terrorism - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Matthew Chance just outside Tel Aviv for us, thank you Matthew very much.

Now to Iraq where there was a car bombing there today as well, we'll have much more on that coming up momentarily, this as top Pentagon officials went up to Capitol Hill today to pass the hat for emergency funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. They got a grilling from Democrats and Republicans alike upset about the rising cost of a conflict with no clear end in sight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Many consider the intellectual architect of the Iraq War underwent tough and even angry questioning by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Congress is not an ATM. We have to be able to explain this new, enormous bill to the American people.

BLITZER: But Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz refused to back down and strongly defended the president's request for another $87 billion on top of the approximately $60 billion already approved.

WOLFOWITZ: As large as these costs are they are still small compared to just the economic price that the attacks of September 11 inflicted to say nothing of the terrible loss of human life.

BLITZER: There was frustration from Democrats.

KENNEDY: It's apparent to me that we were unprepared, totally unprepared for what's happened out there in Iraq in terms of giving the adequate protection for American troops.

BLITZER: And, Republicans, even including some of the Senate's leading hawks.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: The facts as I see them, Mr. Chairman, are clearly that we underestimated the size of the challenge that we would face after the military operations (unintelligible) were completed.

BLITZER: Before the war, Wolfowitz had suggested much of the post-war stabilization and reconstruction costs would come from Iraq's resumption of oil exports but so far that assumption has proven to be wrong.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Mr. Wolfowitz, you told Congress in March that "we are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon." Talk about rosy scenarios.

BLITZER: But, Committee Chairman John Warner tried to deflect the criticism.

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), ARMED SERVICES CHAIRMAN: Now is not the time in my judgment to try and discuss what went right and what went wrong and who may be at fault for faulty vision.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: So where will all the money go? Here's how the $87 billion request from the White House would be spent. Twenty billion dollars would help fund the reconstruction of Iraq. Fifty-one billion dollars would pay for continuing military operations there, the continuing guerrilla war. Eleven billion dollars would finance military operations in Afghanistan. Eight hundred million dollars would go toward reconstruction of that country and four billion dollars would be spent on the war against terror in other parts of the world.

A bloody reminder today that the war in Iraq is far from over, details have been coming in this hour about a car bombing in northern Iraq even as thousands of Army reservists and National Guard members find they may be deployed for the long haul.

Let's go live to CNN's Jason Bellini. He's been with U.S. troops in Tikrit. He's joining us now live via videophone - Jason.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via videophone): Wolf, we're just beginning to get details on this car bombing, the explosion outside a building that we're told is used by U.S. servicemen.

Now, this word and these pictures come from CNN Turk Television. This is a CNN subsidiary. It's not yet known whether any U.S. servicemen are dead or injured. A Turkish reporter says he has been injured civilians and among them children. The buildings wholly collapsed according to this report. Most of the injured come from the nearby houses.

We're also told authorities in Erbil, the Kurdish capital, are calling on loud speakers for people to donate blood. It's another example of the unsettled situation facing U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq.

Today, Wolf, we spoke with some U.S. servicemen who were in the Army Reserves. They tell us that they were - that the news today is unexpected, that they may have to stay here a full year. Most of the ones we spoke with say that they're willing to do it. They don't have a choice and that they're going to try to make the best of this situation, a very difficult situation here in Iraq - Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Bellini on the scene for us in Tikrit, Jason thanks very much for that strong reporting.

Some relatives are expressing outrage over the possibility their loved ones serving in Iraq may stay months longer than they expected. Some of those units are based in North Dakota.

The commander of the North Dakota Guard says whether the 800-plus troops now in Iraq are allowed to come home sooner will depend on finding other units to replace them. That prospect does not sit well, at least with some of their relatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is infuriating. How can they treat people like this? I have friends in other services who were there in February and they're already home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is happening in other states to other National Guard and Reserve troops. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a huge injustice to treat your Guard troops like this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The North Dakota Guard commander says that because his troops are mostly combat engineers they're in high demand right now.

As we noted, Pentagon officials got a grilling from both sides of the aisle today. The smoke has cleared a bit right now on Capitol Hill.

Joining me now from there is Senator Saxby Chambliss, the Georgia Republican. He's a member of both the Armed Services as well as the Intelligence Committee. Senator, thanks very much for joining us.

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: Sure, Wolf.

BLITZER: Let's get to the issue of the Guard forces right now, the reservists and the National Guard troops who are going to stay longer in Iraq than many of them anticipated. They went over there for perhaps six months. They could wind up there for a year. What do you say to your constituents in Georgia who might be upset about that?

CHAMBLISS: Well, Wolf, it's only natural that somebody would be upset when they thought they were going to be there six months and it may turn out now to be longer than that but what we have to remember is the price of freedom is not cheap.

There are a number of families who have paid the ultimate price. There are a number of us who are upset about the cost of the war but, you know, everybody has to pay their fair share and some of it may be an inconvenience by families.

What this does do is it puts some stability in our rotation program. The Army, as well as every other branch of the service, says that now we're going to have folks there for a year. The folks who are there now may be required to stay a year but then they'll be home and then they won't be going back. So, it does put a little stability into a very fractural situation that we've got right now.

BLITZER: What about the testimony from Wolfowitz, General Myers, today? Did he convince the panel that this $87 billion on top of $60 already approved, perhaps $150 billion already from taxpayer money is well worthwhile?

CHAMBLISS: Well, again, what you have to remember is that this is a war on terrorism. This is an extension of the war that we fought in Afghanistan and here we are two years after September 11th.

We're still fighting that war on terrorism and part of that war was to remove a guy like Saddam Hussein who had the capability of not only training and harboring terrorists but providing them with weapons and money as he did the Palestinians we know for a fact.

So, this is an extension on the war on terrorism that has got to be won. We're there. We're committed and we're not going to walk away from there with a half victory. We're going to walk away from there with a full and complete victory and a rebuilding of that country.

It's going to be expensive but we still hope that we're going to be able to get some of that funding back in the form of payment through oil reserves but we can't count on that at this point in time but we've got to make sure we win this war.

BLITZER: That's going to take a while. Let me make a turn to what's happening in Israel right now, twin bombings today just outside of Tel Aviv in West Jerusalem just a little while ago. You know a lot about homeland security, about terrorism. What does the U.S. do now to try to salvage some sort of peace process between the Israeli and the Palestinians?

CHAMBLISS: Well, Wolf, as you and I discussed before one of the keys to winning the war on terrorism is trying to bring stability to the Middle East and in order to do that we've got to have the violence stopped over there.

We went through a period where it looked like that might happen. Now we're back simply to that tit-for-tat violent activity that we've seen over the last couple of years. We've got to figure out a way to hopefully bring these two sides together again to some point to where we can stop this violence.

We thought that Abu Mazen by coming in as the prime minister of the Palestinian organization might do that but it appears that Arafat is still calling some of the shots.

Arafat is a terrorist and as long as he's in that position of calling the shots it's going to be very, very difficult. So, I think this is a giant step backwards but the president is going to do everything he can to put it back on track. I'm absolutely confident of that.

BLITZER: Senator Chambliss thanks very much for spending a few moments with us.

CHAMBLIS: Sure, Wolf.

(BREAKING NEWS)

BLITZER: Let's go back to Jerusalem. On the scene for us one of the first responders to get to this cafe in the German Colony area of West Jerusalem, Eli Beer is joining us on the phone. He's a medic. Eli, we've spoken in the past. Tell us what you know right now. How did this happen?

ELI BEER, EMERGENCY RESCUE UNIT (via telephone): All right. A terrorist that tried getting inside a very famous restaurant in the center of Jerusalem, people were trying to relax after the big bomb attack next to Tel Aviv today and people were just having a cup of coffee in a nice restaurant in the center. And, he tried getting inside the restaurant. He was trying to get inside the restaurant and he couldn't get in because of the guard. They have heavy security everywhere in Jerusalem.

And, a lot of people were sitting outside of the restaurant so that's why he decided to explode himself right outside of the restaurant and that's why so many people were hurt and a few of them were killed.

BLITZER: Eli, tell us how many people were killed and how many were injured, at least what you know right now.

BEER: All right, when I got to the scene I saw a few people that were killed. I can't give exact numbers. That's the police job. But, I can say that we had around 25 to 30 people that were transferred to hospitals in different conditions, some injured very badly and I would say that around 30, and they always have numbers go up because plenty of people just decide to go a little later. They decide to go to the hospitals after they get through the shock.

BLITZER: Eli Beer from (unintelligible)...

BEER: But I want to say that one of...

BLITZER: ...first responders on the scene. We'll get back to you, Eli, as this story unfortunately continues to develop.

Once again, two bombings, two terrorist bombings today in Israel, one outside of Tel Aviv, one now in Jerusalem. We'll continue to follow both of those stories.

There are other developments happening elsewhere here in the United States, indeed around the world today, a full day of news.

For example, in the California Recall find out which candidate actually stepped down and whose wife stepped up to the plate on the defensive.

Almost two years since September 11th, why some families of terrorist attack victims think the Patriot Act is going too far.

And, so happy together, Simon and Garfunkel make an announcement. Keep it here to find out what they say.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: The Attorney General John Ashcroft traveled to New York City today as part of a 16 city tour to defend the controversial Patriot Act. That's the tough antiterrorism bill enacted shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

CNN's Jason Carroll is joining us now live from New York - Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Wolf, New York City was the last stop in Ashcroft's national tour and, much like the rest of the tour, he was met with both detractors and supporters. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Just blocks from Ground Zero, Attorney General John Ashcroft drew cheers from the law enforcement community as he wrapped up his national tour promoting the controversial antiterrorism law the Patriot Act.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have used the tools provided in the Patriot Act to fulfill our first responsibility that of protecting the American people.

CARROLL: Outside the hall where Ashcroft gave his speech, he drew jeers from critics who say the Patriot Act infringes upon individual freedoms.

NADINE STROSSEN, ACLU: The truth is that this law gives unjustified power to the government.

CARROLL: The Patriot Act was passed in the months following 9/11. Ashcroft says it gives the government better tools to investigate suspected terrorists, allowing government agencies to share information.

ASHCROFT: The Patriot Act took down that barrier between law enforcement and intelligence and allows us to share information so we can connect the dots and fit together the pieces of the puzzle in time to disrupt terror.

CARROLL: It allows law enforcement to review a suspected terrorist's medical records, library books checked out, or search a home without notification. Some family members of September 11th victims question the timing of Ashcroft's visit just two days before the second anniversary of the attacks.

VALERIE LUCINIKOWSKI, AUNT OF 9/11 VICTIM: These people in this administration, including Mr. Ashcroft are trying to use 9/11 and use the murders of our loved ones to gain political ground for themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: It's not clear if Ashcroft was able to change the mind of any of his critics during this national tour. To date, some 160 local and state governments have passed resolutions denouncing the Patriot Act - Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Jason Carroll in New York City thanks very much Jason for that.

(BREAKING NEWS)

And, elsewhere in New York City just a few minutes ago this happened. We're getting some pictures in to CNN right now, a dramatic rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard of a fisherman who was stranded in the waters off of Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York.

Fortunately they got the guy. As you can see, they lifted him up into the helicopter and they brought him to safety, this just in to CNN, fortunately the successful rescue of this fisherman in the Atlantic near Rockaway Beach.

And, back to our top story right now. CNN has just confirmed five dead, at least five dead now in that latest suicide bombing at a cafe in Jerusalem only within the past hour or so ago. We're continuing to get details, many more injured, five dead in this Jerusalem cafe bombing.

We were told that the suicide bomber tried to get into the cafe but was stopped by a security guard outside the cafe. He still went ahead and detonated the explosive devices around his chest. There were many people sitting outside and as a result five dead.

Now, I assume that includes the suicide bomber. There could be six if it's not the suicide bomber but we'll get some more information, many others unfortunately injured in the second of these terrorist attacks in Israel today. We'll get some more information and bring it to you.

In the meantime, we're following some other developments as well. Maria Shriver, she took to the podium today for Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll find out what she said. She also was there yesterday.

Did she get more than a good deal at this California Wal-Mart? We'll get a live report. Our Bob Franken is standing by for that in California.

And, the Kobe Bryant case is the defense trying to scare away the prosecution? A former Denver district attorney will join me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BREAKING NEWS)

BLITZER: Let's get back to our top story, another suicide terrorist explosion, a bombing, this one in Jerusalem. It follows one earlier in the day just outside of Tel Aviv.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel, our man in Jerusalem, joining us now with more information. Jerrold, tell us the latest.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what we hear from Israeli police telling us that there are least four people who have been killed by a suicide bomber, definitely a suicide bomber say the Israeli police, the second such attack in the day and of well over 30 people wounded several are reported in serious condition.

You may just be able to hear the wail of ambulances still going through the streets of Jerusalem. It's now after midnight and still clearly through the sounds of the city, the wail of ambulances as they still continue to drive the wounded to hospitals around the city.

Awful scenes outside that cafe, the Hilel (ph) Cafe, freshly opened just about a month, Wolf, in an area called the German Colony. That's a somewhat trendy, middle-class neighborhood and this is a strip of restaurants and late night cafes and it was there that the bomber struck this evening and, Hamas the military Islamic group Hamas claiming responsibility for both attacks in a statement to Al-Jazeera, the Arabic television network.

First reaction now from an Israeli government official:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK BOFER, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: For the second time in one evening, Palestinian terrorists have butchered innocent Israelis going around their daily lives. If the the Palestinian leadership believes for one moment that it can sit ideally by without dismantling the terrorist infrastructure as it assured us, assured the world, it could not be more mistaken than it is.

Frankly, the terrorism is going on unrelenting but much more unrelenting is Israel's resolve to defend its citizens, is Israel's resolve to fight against this scourge and, in the end, justice will win out. The terrorism will be purged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Well, pondering on what to with that resolve, we understand, Wolf, that a meeting was called, an emergency meeting down at Tel Aviv at the military headquarters of all the military chiefs and the defense minister, other top Israeli officials. They have been consulting with one another and have also been in touch with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who is away in India on Israel -- an Israeli's prime minister first official visit to India. And there was some talk of whether Mr. Sharon would cut short his three-day visit and return home. No word of that yet, as Israel ponders what to do -- Wolf.

BLITZER: They will do something, no doubt. They always do something after these kinds of terrorist incidents.

A very quick question, if you can give me a brief answer. Jerrold, there's been speculation about renewed talk of expelling Yasser Arafat from Ramallah, from the West Bank. Is this likely to fuel that kind of talk amongst Israelis?

KESSEL: It's certainly likely to fuel the talk. It's certainly likely to fuel the position of those who advocate that.

But up until now, Prime Minister Sharon and some in the military and security establishments have said it won't really help the situation, that timing is not right for that. And we do know that the United States has been advising Israel, Don't do that to Yasser Arafat this stage. It will only make matters worse. So I don't think, even though Israeli emotions will be running high, that that will be on the table, at least not immediately, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we're just getting additional information. You may know this already, Jerrold. Hamas, the militant group, is now formally claiming responsibility for this Jerusalem bombing. I don't know about the bombing in Tel Aviv, outside of Tel Aviv earlier. Tell us what you know about this. KESSEL: What we know is earlier that a leading Hamas official, Rantisi, who was the target of an Israeli attack, survived that about a month ago, had said that the attack this afternoon outside Tel Aviv was a response to all Israel's crimes, as he put it, against the Palestinians. But he stopped short of taking responsibility.

Now, within the last few minutes, the Al Jazeera television station says it received a faxed statement from the Izadeen al-Kasem (ph), that's the military wing of Hamas, saying that after these -- these two bombings today prove that the Zionists and that they thought they could get away with their attacks on Palestinians. They could not. They have managed to carry out such attacks. That's the nature of the statement from Hamas' military wing to Al Jazeera -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. CNN's Jerrold Kessel. We're going to ask you to stand by. Our other colleagues on the scene. Samson Desta at the cafe in Jerusalem -- Matthew Chance, he's near Tel Aviv at that earlier terrorist bombing at the bus stop there. We're going to get some more information, come back to all of you.

But let's move on. There's other news developing here in the United States.

Indeed, new information on the Kobe Bryant case. Is the defense trying to make his accuser run scared?

Plus, is Tony Blair being unfairly criticized about misleading the British people about the war in Iraq? We'll have a CNN exclusive. My conversation with the former British prime minister, John Major.

And jumping ship. Find out what California recall candidates decided to do. At least one of them decided to get out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

The latest developments now in the California recall election. Peter Ueberroth, one of the more prominent players, is dropping out. That decision announced just a short time ago. Ueberroth was a former Major League Baseball commissioner., former head of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Recent polls showed him in fourth place.

A new poll suggests support for recalling Governor Gray Davis is dropping. In a new Field Poll, 55 percent of the respondents favor the recall, 40 percent against it. The poll shows Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante leading Republicans Arnold Schwarzenegger by 5 percentage points and Tom McClintock by 17 points. Pitting Bustamante and Schwarzenegger against each other, the lieutenant governor leads by only two percentage points.

Bustamante and independent candidate Arianna Huffington were among the top candidates taking part in the campaign's second debate that wrapped up just a short time ago in Los Angeles. The debate was sponsored by a nationwide coalition of ethnic media outlets and by the Green Lining Institute, which represents minority business, church, consumer and civil rights groups.

In the California recall election, all eyes are not just on the candidates. Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, is getting a lot of attention. Shriver, a member of the Democratic Party dynasty,the Kennedy clan that is, hit the campaign trail this week to try to boost support for her Republican husband.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With her millions of dollars from families current and ancestral, many would probably not think that Maria Shriver spends a lot of time at Wal- Mart. But there she was Monday venturing from the Brentwood mansion to a Sacramento Wal-Mart to campaign for her husband.

It was not an altogether successful venture. The hecklers were mainly courtesy of the labor movement, union members there to oppose the recall; her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the employment practices of Wal-Mart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact is Maria would be out here promoting a company that don't believe in paying family health care is a disgrace to the Kennedy family.

MARIA SHRIVER, SCHWARZENEGGER'S WIFE: My husband has been terrific in terms of working people. He supported working people. He's been a working person his whole life. When they wanted to move "Terminator" to Canada, he gave a huge chunk of his own salary to keep that production in California so that working men and women could put food on the table for their families.

FRANKEN: When she tried to make her "Vote for My Husband" pitch, she was so drowned out that the entire event lasted only about 10 minutes.

SHRIVER: Whatever they want to say, I think it's great. I never am against that. That's what's great about America.

FRANKEN: Shriver has stepped out as polls show that her husband's standing with women is decidedly less favorable than it is male voters. The newest Field Poll shows that Schwarzenegger, who trails Democrat Cruz Bustamante by five points overall, is 13 behind with women voters.

With his widely publicized comments about sex and his "Terminator" movie image, he has simply not been able to overcome a significant gender gap, even with positions on issues like abortion and gun control, for instance, that are considered female friendly, and in spite of the fact that she has endorsed her husband staring on day one of the campaign.

SHRIVER: I think that he will represent Democrats, independents and Republicans, men and women all across this state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Well, now that she has run into some flack at the Wal- Mart, The Schwarzenegger campaign is going to have to decide how to best use Maria Shriver to go shopping for votes -- Wolf.

BLITZER: CNN's Bob Franken covering this campaign. He will be with us a lot between now and October. He is with us a lot all the time. CNN's Bob Franken, thanks very much.

Kobe Bryant's defense team is going on the offensive seeking to have his accuser testify at next month's hearing. That crucial hearing should determine whether the Los Angeles Lakers star will stand trial on sexual assault charges. Prosecutors stay they could move as soon as today to quash the subpoena by Bryant's lawyer. Bryant is accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in June. He admitted having sex with the woman but says it was consensual.

Joining us from Denver with his insight on this, the former Denver district attorney Craig Silverman. Craig, as usual, thanks very much. What do you make of this latest development, this effort to get her to testify at the preliminary hearing?

CRAIG SILVERMAN, FORMER DENVER DISTRICT ATTY.: It's not that unusual for the defense to try to get an accuser to testify at a preliminary hearing. What is unusual for that effort to be successful. Most Colorado County court judges routinely deny these kinds of requests. A preliminary hearing is not a mini trial. They say that we won't allow this kind of fishing expedition.

BLITZER: Normally, the defense attorneys presumably know just as well as you do. They are going forward with the effort. Is it an effort to as some are suggesting intimidate her, to get her nervous what might be in store if she goes forward with her testimony?

SILVERMAN: Well, you never know until you try. So you can't blame the defense attorneys. They do it all the time. There's no doubt that all these legal chess moves are putting pressure on the accuser and making it difficult for her to sustain her desire to go forward on this case.

BLITZER: At what point do the defense attorneys have to worry about a possible backlash, if they press and press too hard. They want to subpoena her mental health records, physical records, 911 calls she may have made in the past before she ever met Kobe Bryant. Now they want to get her to testify at this October 9 preliminary hearing. At what point do they go too far?

SILVERMAN: You know, they've only let their talking be done in pleadings. I think they would be derelict in their duty if they didn't try to get the mental health records. After all, their job is to find out why she would make up an allegation. They suspect that some of those answer may he are contained in the medical records.

BLITZER: Isn't it a foregone conclusion, is it a done deal that this hearing will, in fact, take place on October 9th, the show cause, the -- they have to show the evidence that they have in order to justify going forward, the full scale trial?

SILVERMAN: No. There's a significant chance that the defense will waive their right to a preliminary hearing. But they have to keep the possibility of a preliminary hearing going so that they can argue these evidentiary motions and, perhaps, get the county court judge to rule their way, perhaps on the medical privilege issue.

BLITZER: And if there is a hearing, there won't be TV cameras inside. Were you surprised by that, Craig?

SILVERMAN: No. Colorado law makes it clear that cameras are only allowed during advisements, arraignment and subject to the discretion of the court at a trial.

BLITZER: Craig Silverman, as usual, thanks very much for your expertise.

SILVERMAN: My pleasure.

BLITZER: Britain and Iraq. Is Tony Blair getting an unfair rap?

I'll have an exclusive interview with the former British prime, John Majors.

Plus, a major announcement from this folk duo. Find out what Simon and Garfunkel are saying.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: British Prime Minister Tony Blair facing the toughest battle of his political life came under fire. The main opposition, conservative party says Mr. Blair's plan to rebuild Iraq and restore order are in shambles and the British forces are stretched too thin.

In an exclusive interview, I spoke with Mr. Blair's predecessor, John Major, about the prime minister situation and its impact on U.S./British relations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the United States. Thanks very much for joining us.

So let's talk about U.S.-British relations right now. Are they in trouble because of Tony Blair's support for President Bush?

JOHN MAJOR, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MIN.: I don't think they're in trouble for that reason or, indeed, any other reason. There is a domestic argument involving the prime minister at the moment, but that isn't about the substantive case for war.

I think the majority of the British people are still sanguine about the need for war. The opinion polls still show a clear majority, that it was the right thing to do to go into Iraq.

BLITZER: What about those who say that the United States basically pressured the British government, Tony Blair's government, to come in, that despite public opinion in Britain, he went along with it and he's going to pay a political price for that?

MAJOR: Well, I don't think that says very much for the government if people actually believe that's true. The prime minister, had he chosen, had the government chosen, could have said no.

I actually think the likelihood that any British government would divorce itself from the United States, except in the extreme, is highly unlikely, highly unlikely because of the close relationship that's been for a long time, but highly unlikely for the more practical reason that almost invariably, not entirely invariably, of course, but almost invariably we tend to see international events through the same eyes. We have similar interest.

BLITZER: Did the British government inflate the threat from Iraq as the BBC, others, have suggested, sex-up the intelligence, as they reported it?

MAJOR: Well, I think there's a distinction between sexing-up the intelligence and sexing-up the presentation of the intelligence. Now, that is a matter that's being discussed and being examined by Lord Hutton at the moment. So I think we must await Lord Hutton's inquiries.

BLITZER: And he's investigating David Kelly's suicide?

MAJOR: And matters related to it.

But whatever the case may have been, it has not dented the fact that the British nation felt it was right to deal with Saddam Hussein, and the prime minister still has support (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BLITZER: Is the British public, in your opinion, prepared to stay in Iraq, together with the United States, for the long haul despite the terrorism, despite the daily -- nearly daily toll on U.S. and coalition forces?

MAJOR: The British don't runaway from terrorism. We have had 30-odd years of terrorism in our own country from the Irish Republican Army. We're used to it.

September the 11th was a huge shock in the United States. It was the first time you had been hit at home in your own territory by terrorist on this scale. Now, we have had terrorist atrocities, not on that scale, of course, but very large ones, over the last 30 years. So the British don't turn tail.

Of course, the British aren't going to walk away from Iraq. They will be there until the job's done.

BLITZER: Dr. Hans Blix was interviewed by our Paula Zahn last night, the former chief U.N. weapons inspector. He said: Look, it's been -- what? -- four or five months since the war. They've still found no banned weapons, weapons of mass destruction. Maybe the Iraqi government was telling them the truth all those months and years before the war.

MAJOR: They certainly had weapons of mass destruction some years ago, that I have not a shadow of doubt.

BLITZER: In the '80s they used them against the Kurds.

MAJOR: Well, in the '80s they used them. I'm clear in my mind they certainly had them in the '90s. Now, what has happened since I left Downing Street, I can be less clear about.

But I think we have to be clear what sort of weapons of mass destruction we're talking about. We're not talking about huge intercontinental missiles. We're talking about liquids. We're talking about powders that would be easily removed.

I've never forgotten, at the time of the first Gulf War in 1990- 91, that Saddam Hussein flew a whole squadron of his best fighter aircraft to Iran and left them there. Nobody ever knew why.

Well, it's entirely possible that in the run-up to the war, when the weapons inspectors were there, that these highly mobile powders and liquids, which is what we're talking about, were hidden, destroyed or moved out of the country. But that they were there at some stage, I think the evidence is quite compelling.

BLITZER: Mr. Major, the former prime minister of Britain, Mr. Prime Minister, thanks very much.

MAJOR: My pleasure.

BLITZER: And they brought you, "Mrs. Robinson."

(MUSIC)

BLITZER: Get ready for this. Something is bringing Simon and Garfunkel again. That story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Singing star Simon and Garfunkel are patching up their bridge over troubled waters. They have announced a reunion tour that kicks off next month.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): The song and sign said it all. Simon and Garfunkel, giving it another shot, another reunion concert tour, seeming to sense an opportunity they shouldn't let slip away.

PAUL SIMON, SINGER: We are our oldest friends. We've known each other since the age of 11. And whatever it was, the squabbles as they are called, that's pretty much what it was, the squabbles, it is time to just say forgive forget move on. It's not like you have forever in life.

BLITZER: Their musical partnership was always solid. Their run in the '50s and '60s virtually defined American folk rock. With hits like "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "Mrs. Robinson." But their friendship was often strained and they split up about 30 years ago. Reunion tours in the early '80s and '90s rekindled some popular interest. But they both say a performance at this year's Grammy Awards made them realize what they have.

ART GARFUNKEL, SINGER: This is a very deep old friendship as Paul said during the Grammy time some months ago. It is family, the two of us. Our moms know each other. They're still alive. So there has been a deep, buried affection for the last decade or so.

BLITZER: They don't plan to produce any material for this tour, but they will release a two-track CD of their best work next month. As for trying to win over a new generation, don't look for anything but classic Simon and Garfunkel.

P. SIMON: Not that I'm not thinking about newer fans. I'm mostly thinking about reconnecting to the people that new us in their lives when they were young.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The reunion tour begins October 18 in Auburn Hills, Michigan, will run through mid-December. I, for one, can't wait.

Two days before September 11, viewers sound off for and against the Bush administration on the war on terror. Your e-mail is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now to your e-mail. Mike, on the Patriot Law, "The only reason people have time to worry about their personal rights being trampled is because with the Patriot Act, the government has prevented any more terrorist attacks on our soil. Would you reverse the Patriot Act if you knew it would result in even just one more successful terrorist attack?"

Greg disagrees, "Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Those who can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' He was right. A civilized democracy cannot alter its foundation so radically as to allow unchecked power at any level of its branches of democracy."

That's it for here. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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