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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
How Long Can A U.S. Citizen Be Held Without Bond? Operation Hammer Puts New Emphasis On Caputuring Saddam Hussein; Hepatitis A Outbreak Infects Thousands In Pennsylvania
Aired November 14, 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: Happening now late developments in Iraq, it's 1:00 a.m. in Baghdad. We're getting word of more American casualties as Operation Iron Hammer shakes part of the Iraqi capital. There's a new emphasis on killing or capturing Saddam Hussein as well.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Shooting first, U.S. troops are back on the offensive.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The enemy has changed tactics on the ground and so we're changing our response.
BLITZER: But will the coalition stay the course?
Dirty bomb suspect, how long can a U.S. citizen be held without charges and without even seeing a lawyer?
Outbreak, hundreds are ill as the death toll rises, an urgent search for the source.
Toddler's tumor, just before risky surgery his cancer disappeared. If medical science didn't heal him what did?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, November 14, 2003.
BLITZER: We begin in Baghdad where there's news just in right now that an American soldier has been killed by a roadside bomb this as Operation Iron Hammer continues for a third straight night of pounding.
Let's go live to CNN's Matthew Chance. He's in the Iraqi capital. Matthew, tell us what you know right now.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's been confirmed within the last few minutes that another U.S. soldier has been killed as his convoy was blasted by a roadside bomb as it drove through the streets of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
We understand the soldier is from the 1st Armored Division, the organization, the unit in control of the Iraqi capital. At least two other people are said to have been injured.
The incident brings to 42 the number of U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq over the course of this month alone. It's those kinds of casualty figures that have provoked the U.S. military into conducting a much tougher response to those insurgents.
They've launched Operation Iron Hammer. This is the third night of that operation. We understand there have been more strikes this evening against suspected militant targets, a warehouse suspected to have been a storage depot for arms used by the militants in the (unintelligible) of the city.
We also understand there have been mortar strikes from the U.S. towards suspected rocket launching sites of those insurgents, those rockets that launch now almost on a daily basis.
Also there have been helicopter patrols in the skies day and night. Earlier we joined the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in one of their nighttime missions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): From the skies, U.S. forces are bringing the fight to their attackers. Operation Iron Hammer is a mission to search and destroy suspected militants and to gather intelligence on their movements.
Over the rooftops of Baghdad, a Black Hawk helicopter equipped with night vision follows a reconnaissance patrol. Amid the noise of the engines and the wind we circled the city and watched.
(on camera): The purpose of Operation Iron Hammer is to crack down on the insurgents who have been carrying these increasing attacks against the U.S. and coalition forces.
What we're looking for here is any kind of suspicious activity, people preparing to fire mortars or rockets or plant their roadside bombs that have caused such terrible damage to the U.S. and the coalition forces in Baghdad. So far tonight we've seen nothing but the insurgents are out there.
(voice-over): On the streets, U.S. troops check for weapons and explosives. In the latest U.S. raids, a former Republican Guard building was hit. Military officials say it was used by insurgents to plan attacks and to store weapons. Commanders say this latest operation is meant to show America's attackers its forces will strike back.
Isn't there a danger that, you know, the Iraqi public could react negatively and, in fact, the level of resentment towards the U.S. forces could actually increase as a result of it?
LT. COL. RICK BECKINGER, U.S. ARMY: Well, I'm sure that there is that possibility, sir, but we're very precise in the type of combat power that we apply, the clearance of fires, the mechanics that we put in place for positive identification prior to engaging are all there to mitigate risk and we're here to protect Iraqis and I think they will see that.
CHANCE: By night, Baghdad appears lit by a million lights, a sign of progress in a city where electricity has been sporadic but unless Operation Iron Hammer succeeds security may remain in short supply.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, coalition and U.S. commanders say Operation Iron Hammer is an ongoing process. There's no strict time table for it for come to an end and it can be adjusted in intensity according to the level of threat which is felt by U.S. and coalition forces on the ground -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Matthew Chance for us in Baghdad, Matthew thank you very much.
And, as we've been telling you, U.S. troops in Iraq are now taking the fight directly to their enemy from Operation Iron Hammer in Baghdad to Operation Ivy Cyclone in Tikrit Americans are firing first. The Army says an attack helicopter killed a group of guerrillas caught aiming rockets at a U.S. military base.
Italy welcomed back its wounded and prepared to bring home its dead from the Nasiriya bombing but Italy's president joined President Bush over at the White House in vowing to continue the fight against terrorism.
Toward that end, the U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer is now back in Baghdad trying to speed up the transfer of power in a visit to the Iraqi Symphony a metaphor perhaps for his search for harmony.
Back in the United States a promise from President Bush about getting Saddam Hussein once and for all. Let's go straight to our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush offered his condolences to Italy's president today for that deadly attack that occurred on Wednesday killing 18 Italians.
But President Bush also outlining a more aggressive strategy in Iraq, the highlights being as terrorists change their tactics the U.S. military would change its response that to recruit more Iraqis, to gather intelligence, to get more Iraqis on the front lines of security and when the U.S. finds actionable intelligence to strike fast. Mr. Bush also pledged that U.S. troops would remain inside of Iraq until Saddam Hussein was either captured or killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: A free and peaceful Iraq will have historic consequences and we'll find Saddam Hussein. The goal is for a free and peaceful Iraq and by being strong and determined we will achieve that objective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now this presents a possible quandary for the administration as the Iraqi government says get out before Saddam Hussein is caught but the administration refused to talk about the political or legal negotiations that would go on in a particular scenario such as that one.
But it should be noted that this type of arrangement has been made before, the U.S. turning power back to Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai they made a deal that U.S. troops would remain -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux thank you very much. Suzanne is over at the White House.
Units from the Army's 4th Infantry Division got the jump on their enemy last night. A spokesman says an Apache helicopter crew spotted Iraqis aiming rockets at a U.S. base northwest of Tikrit. The Apache struck first killing seven guerrillas. When ground units moved in they found a truck with 50 rockets and then almost 1,000 more of the missiles in nearby bunkers.
Italy is preparing a final homecoming for the 16 soldiers and two civilians who died in Wednesday's bombing of its headquarters in Nasiriya. Italy's Army chief saluted the coffins in Nasiriya today. A state funeral will take place next week in Rome.
Soldiers wounded in the bombing were flown to Rome today and were taken to a military hospital in the capital. The attack was the worst suffered by Italy since World War II.
Three days into Operation Iron Hammer how do we measure success, success of these new aggressive tactics? Joining us now with some answers, CNN Terrorism and National Security Analyst Ken Robinson, Ken, how do you measure success?
KEN ROBINSON, CNN TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Success here is going to measured one day at a time and with the people that I've been speaking to they're talking about one block at a time.
What they're trying to do now is they're trying to take an approach that was made famous in Chicago by the Democrats by getting to know one block of people at a time because the people on each of those blocks knows who is not from there.
BLITZER: That sounds like it requires an enormous number of manpower to do that. Does the U.S. have enough troops to get that job done?
ROBINSON: Every general officer that's been asked has stated that yes they do have enough forces in place. What they're trying to do now is what they call low level source operations and these are operations where there are civil affairs or psychological operations people and operational commanders who are training and working with their forces will establish relationships and get crossovers, get people who walk in and start identifying who these local jihadists are, who these local Ba'athists are and find out where their powers and sources of support are and then destroy that.
BLITZER: We're hearing explosions in Baghdad, elsewhere, those could be very terrifying. As you know we have these live pictures that we're showing our viewers. Isn't there a possibility you further alienate Iraqis by taking these aggressive steps?
ROBINSON: Absolutely. They recognize that in the short term that may be the case. That's one of the reasons why you see them using very strategic careful applications of force, the Apache gunship, the AC-130 gunship and specific targeting so that they can focus specifically on the people that they believe are causing threats to the coalition and not alienate that population. They are trying to avoid collateral damage but they must aggressively take the action to them.
BLITZER: The other argument I've heard is that by using this aggressive pounding, if you will, you send a powerful message to everyone in that part of the world that the United States has might and they're ready to use it and you better go with the strong.
ROBINSON: That's the only thing the population seems to understand because of the 30 years that they had under the Saddam regime. They recognized in the early stages they've got to be hard and they've got to hit fast.
BLITZER: Because the notion is that there was a sense the U.S. might be wishy-washy, vulnerable, and that would send the wrong message to rank and file Iraqis.
ROBINSON: If you look, you see what General Sanchez and General Abizaid said in the last few days they went from five to six attacks to almost 30 to 35 attacks in a month and General Abizaid accurately described what he felt after his tour in the region was a threat of around 5,000 forces.
For him to identify those numbers and talk about that they're getting a very good handle on what they believe the threat is. Now they have to establish a counter-insurgency campaign to divide and conquer it. They're well trained to do that. It's just going to take time.
BLITZER: General Abizaid says those 5,000 irregulars, those guerrillas, insurgents, whatever you want to call them are well organized. They're trained. They're highly motivated. They have a lot of weapons, missiles, and they have money.
ROBINSON: Exactly and the issue that they have to date is that they've got to go in and find those sources of support and that's the population. Pat Lang, a former defense intelligence analyst accurately described that a few days ago in "The New York Times."
The issue is the population and each of them is fighting for that. These attacks are tactically insignificant to the coalition. They're tragic in the loss of life. Strategically they're significant though in their desire to divide the coalition and separate us from the population. BLITZER: And now more than 400 U.S. troops have died since the war started way back in March. Thanks very much for that Ken Robinson.
ROBINSON: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Is the U.S. making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
And while you're there I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. I'll try to read them on the air each day at the end of this program, at least some of them. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
Tracking his every move, witnesses for the prosecution testifying against Scott Peterson and new developments surrounding the key witness or at least one of them Amber Frey.
Accused of plotting a dirty bomb attack against the U.S. and now considered an enemy combatant should this full-fledged United States citizen have the right to meet with a lawyer?
And deadly outbreak, hundreds of people sickened in Pennsylvania, investigators searching for the source. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The good news is there's no surgery Wednesday. The bad news is you came all the way to San Francisco for an MRI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: This is an amazing story some are even calling it a miracle. The family of a toddler being treated for a deadly form of cancer gets an unexpected surprise. We'll tell you what it is. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Deliberations are done for the day in the trial of the D.C. area sniper suspect John Muhammad. Jurors met for about four hours and asked for a tape player to listen to audio testimony.
Defense attorneys objected but the judge agreed. Deliberations are scheduled to resume Monday morning along with the trial of Muhammad's alleged accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo.
The focus at Scott Peterson's preliminary hearing isn't so much on who is testifying today but rather who isn't. An attorney for his former mistress says she doubts Amber Frey will be taking the stand in this phase of the case. CNN's Mike Brooks is joining us now live from Modesto, California with more. Mike, first of all tell us about Amber Frey and her attorney. What do we expect to see?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's day ten of the Scott Peterson preliminary hearing, Wolf. Earlier today we heard from Gloria Allred, Amber Frey's attorney. She said that most likely she will not be testifying.
After court yesterday she read a statement and said the prosecution would not be using her as a witness but there is that possibility that the defense could now use her as a witness.
Here's what Gloria Allred had to say just before the lunch break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLORIA ALLRED, AMBER FREY'S ATTORNEY: Prior to this date I have never heard anything that the defense would be having a reason to call her. If they think they have a reason to call here then they're going to have to explain that reason at some point how that might affect them and assist them in an affirmative defense of their case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: There is a possibility she may appear but the defense team will have to convince the judge of that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The whole notion of evidence right now is there any key evidence that is being released?
BROOKS: Well, right now, Wolf, on the stand is a criminalist from the California Department of Justice. He's being cross-examined by Mark Geragos about the strand of hair that became two strands the prosecution team says from handling.
If Mark Geragos has his way this will not be admitted in court. We will find out after today. They're having closing arguments on whether this hair will be admitted into evidence and the judge will make that decision on Monday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And what about the detective's testimony earlier in the day?
BROOKS: Well, we heard from a Modesto police detective Philip Owen (ph). He was testifying and being cross-examined by Mark Geragos. Geragos through his line of questioning was insinuating that the Modesto Police weren't following up on some tips and that they were only focusing on Scott Peterson as their only suspect.
But we did hear testimony from him that the detectives did follow it up and that the line of questioning that they were asking this one particular witness wasn't going in the direction where they were headed in the investigation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Mike Brooks in Modesto, California. Mike thanks very much. We'll continue to follow this preliminary hearing next week.
Mystery in Nevada and now a new twist in the search for a missing mother, this is a story we reported about earlier in the week. I'll talk with the sheriff in charge of the case. That's coming up.
Also, hepatitis outbreak, hundreds of people sickened, the search for clues on the virus and if it's spreading.
And, against the odds, this toddler's cancerous tumor simply vanished shocking his doctors and his parents. Is it a medical miracle? We'll tell you what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The number of deaths from a wave of Hepatitis-A traced to a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant now stands at three. The latest patient died at a Pittsburgh hospital this morning. Almost 500 people have been infected in the outbreak linked to a Chi-Chi's in suburban Pittsburgh.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Chi-Chi's restaurant chain has agreed to close down its restaurant near Pittsburgh where the nation's largest Hepatitis-A outbreak began at the end of September.
The restaurant will be closed until January 2 while the chain reviews its food handling and hygiene practices. Nearly 9,000 people who ate at the restaurant received shots of immunoglobulin which boosts the body's immune system to fight infection.
Since Hepatitis-A spreads person-to-person, health authorities say they expect the number of cases to increase as infected restaurant employees and patrons pass the disease along to others.
The cause of the outbreak has yet to be determined. The disease spreads when an infected person fails to wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom and then handles food. Symptoms of Hepatitis-A include jaundice, abdominal pain, and fever.
Chi-Chi's says they've taken green onions off the menu in all its restaurants even though the food has not been implicated in the outbreak. Food itself is not the origin of Hepatitis-A outbreaks, but rather the infected person who handles the food. Health authorities say the infected person could have been a restaurant worker or perhaps someone who handled the food before it reached the restaurant -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much Elizabeth.
And this important note, the CEO of Chi-Chi's Incorporated will join us here on Monday.
When we come back, he's an American citizen but he's been branded an enemy combatant so does this man deserve the same constitutional rights as everyone else? The government says no. We'll tell you why. Plus, daycare scare, dozens, dozens of children rescued after a daycare center burns to cinders.
And "Let it be" again, the Beatles are back sort of, we'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Should a United States citizen be considered an enemy combatant of the United States and not allowed access to his attorneys? We'll take a closer look at the case against the so-called dirty bomber Jose Padilla.
And the search for a missing Nevada mother, a new suspect sketch is released. We'll talk with the sheriff leading the investigation. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.
Can the U.S. (AUDIO GAP). The Government believes it certainly can, first though a quick check of the latest headlines.
A fast-moving inferno in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, you're looking at live pictures, winds up to 45 miles an hour are fanning a fire that broke out this afternoon at an abandoned mill then spread to at least five nearby homes. Residents of surrounding blocks have been evacuated.
Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that tore through a Memphis, Tennessee daycare center this morning. More than 50 children were evacuated. No one was hurt but the center was pretty much destroyed.
Chicago fire officials say this early morning blaze at a south side warehouse was their most difficult to fight in quite a while. It took them five hours to put out the wind-driven flames which destroyed the four-story building. The fire spread to two industrial buildings and a house and forced evacuations of a square block area.
The man at the helm of the Staten Island Ferry during last month's fatal crash into a pier is out of the hospital. Assistant Captain Richard Smith attempted suicide right after the October 15 crash that killed ten people. Federal prosecutors announced today they're taking over the criminal investigation from Staten Island's outgoing district attorney.
Punishing winds blowing over New England knocked down power lines and they are still blowing. Outages forced some school closures. From West Virginia to Vermont, tens of thousands of utility customers remain without power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The United States Central Command says a special ops soldier died in Afghanistan today. Centcom says the vehicle he was driving rolled over a make shift explosive device. It happened in eastern Afghanistan. Centcom is withholding the soldier's's name until next of kin can be notified.
The U.S. embassy and two consulates will be reopened tomorrow. They have been closed since last Saturday when a bomb attack near Riyadh's diplomatic quarter killed 17 people. The Saudi diplomat spoke out today, laying blame at the feet of a faction he called pure evil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI POLICY ADVISER: Osama bin Laden and his murderous cult, whose objective is to distance America from the Arab and the Muslim world and whose objective is to destroy the Saudi state with a Taliban-like society. We have no intention of allowing them to succeed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Saudi security has successfully hunted down dozens of small al Qaeda cells since another Riyadh attack way back in May. That attack killed 23 people.
A federal judge hearing the case of Zacarias Moussaui says he may no longer represent himself. Moussaui is the only person charged in the U.S. in connection with the September 11 attacks. In her ruling, the judge cited repeated violations by Moussaui of her orders. A legal team that has been helping Moussaui will take over his defense.
Can a United States citizen be jailed indefinitely without being charged and without being allowed to see a lawyer? An appeals court takes up those issues in the case of alleged dirty bomb plotter Jose Padilla. It's a case that has sparked heated debate over the government's post 9/11 security measures. More now from our justice correspondent Kelli Arena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donna Newman had no idea what she was getting into when she first met Jose Padilla. The defense attorney has spent countless hours working for a minimal stipend for a client the government refuses to let her to talk to.
DONNA NEWMAN, PADILLA'S ATTORNEY: It is outrage us. You have to step back and say, how could you say no?
ARENA: A private attorney, Newman was assigned by the court to represent Padilla. He was arrested a year and a half ago getting off at Chicago's O'Hare Airport . The government says he was in the early stages of plotting a dirty bomb attack against the United States.
ALICE FISHER, FRM. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Mr. Padilla was coming into the United States having just been with members of al Qaeda, discussing attacks in the U.S. including plans with regards to a radiological device.
ARENA: Newman planned legal strategy with Padilla for several weeks, but just before she was supposed to appear in court and ask for his release, President Bush declared him an enemy combatant. He was placed in military custody and does not have the same constitutional rights as a criminal defendant.
NEWMAN: I didn't know what an enemy combatant was. I don't think anybody knew.
ARENA: Padilla is now being helled in a naval brig in South Carolina.
NEWMAN: It is such a violation of our Constitution that it is egregious.
ARENA: Padilla has not seen Newman or any other lawyer. He has not spoken with his family. He is being held indefinitely, which the government says it's its prerogative during a war.
WILLIAM HAYNES, DEFENSE DEPT. COUNSEL: There are many issues at stake, including the ability to, in a case of Mr. Padilla, to be able talk with him and be able to get intelligence information critical to the prosecution of the war that we're still engaged in.
ARENA: But unlike other enemy combatants being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Padilla is a full-fledged U.S. citizen and he was not arrested on a battlefield.
(on camera): The issue may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. The government has prevailed in lower courts on the issue of whether it has the right to declare citizens enemy combatants. But one judge has ruled that Padilla does have the right to see a lawyer.
(voice-over): If that reveals, Donna Newman is more than ready to pick up where she left off. Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Mystery in Nevada and a nationwide search for this young mother. Now, there is a new twist in the case we reported to you about earlier this week. I'll speak live with the sheriff leading the search for answers.
A shooting spree stopped. Now, a teen accused of plotting to kill classmates receives his judgment.
Disease free where cancer once grew. One child's amazing story that has left doctors stunned. We'll look at the science behind what some are calling a medical miracle.
First, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Tokyo for 2 days of talks with his Japanese counterpart and Japan's prime minister. His visit comes on the heels of Japan's decision to postpone sending noncombat forces to Iraq.
Germany has begun plans to become the first industrialized nation to renounce nuclear technology. It disconnected the first of its 19 nuclear power plants today. All German reactors are to be shut done by 2020.
Thousands of demonstrators in the former Soviet republic of Georgia fill the streets of the capital, Tbilisi. Protesters want Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. They say he's failed to tackle corruption and the country's economic problems.
Canada's ruling liberal party is making plans to pass the reigns of power over to a new leader. Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced this week he will step down by mid January. Sources close to him expect it to be sooner.
The Beatles are here, there, and everywhere again. A remix of a Beatles classic album has been released, "Let It Be, Naked" is a version of the original, minus strings and choirs added by producer Phil Specter for its first release. Reviews are mixed.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A teenager sentenced for an aborted shooting spree. That story tops our justice report. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Christopher Olsen was one of 3 young men who stockpiled weapons planning to hijack a vehicle, kill three class mates, then go on a random shooting spree in suburban Philadelphia. He plea bargained to weapons charges and was sentenced to four years. Proceedings against the other two teens continue.
A south Florida man is now charged with manslaughter in the death of a 16-year-old prankster. The teen and a friend was ringing doorbells and running away. The defendant, Jay Levin (ph), says he mistook the teen for a burglar and he thought he saw something in his. Levin could get up to 30 years if convicted.
And a 30-month sentence for the head of a company hired to clean a postal facility contaminated with anthrax. Prosecutor's in New York say Oscar Miranda (ph) lied when he said his workers had specialized training in anthrax decontamination. In addition to prison time, he is being fined more than a million dollars.
There are more twists and turns in the case of a Carson City, Nevada mother who went missing earlier this week. The 3-year-old son of Bertha Anguiano told police a man killed her. But now, Carson City sheriff is not sure. Sheriff Kenneth Furlong is joining us once again by phone. Why aren't you so sure anymore, sheriff? SHERIFF KENNETH FURLONG, CARSON CITY, NEVADA: We've developed information and coordinated it with the family that it appears far more likely that at least as this incident began, she may very well have been a willing participant and been engaged in some sort of an affair with the gentleman we are seeking to find.
BLITZER: Earlier in the week, just to remind our viewers, the 3- year-old little boy said he was in the car with his mother. He was kicked out. He was injured in the process and said he saw his mother being killed. Is that right?
FURLONG: That's correct. And from that avenue we still have to be gravely concerned for her welfare.
BLITZER: Do you suspect she willingly left with the suspect or may have been forced to leave?
FURLONG: At this point, the witness that is have been able to be contacted regarding her last-known whereabouts would suggest she was involved in a friendly conversation with a man at one of our local schools.
BLITZER: Tell us about this suspect. What do we know about him?
FURLONG: We know just a little bit. He has been arrested locally on minor charges. He has -- at least we have information that would suggest that he has the ability to inflict injury on other persons, possibly unstable. He's driving a vehicle that is not owned by himself.
There's an array of information. We do need to come in contact with him. We need him here in Carson City at the sheriff's to find out what did happen and where our missing mother is.
BLITZER: Do you suspect she's still alive?
FURLONG: I continue to be very, very hopeful that she is alive and we'll be able to get her back.
BLITZER: How's the little boy doing?
FURLONG The little boy is doing fine. He's been a tremendous help to us. He is with his family. I'm very pleased.
BLITZER: A very bizarre twist in this very sad story. Sheriff Furlong, thanks very much for joining us.
FURLONG: Thank you. I appreciate it.
BLITZER: Stunned parents of a sick child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were stunned. You know, we were thinking, oh, my gosh. This is completely a miracle. How does this happen? (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But their little boy turned out to be healthier than they thought. Was it a mistake or, perhaps, a miracle?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: An Atlanta family had planned to be in San Francisco today where their 2-year-old son would have been recovering from a very risky operation, but the surgery never happened. What did happen, the parents say is nothing short of a miracle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Even before Brandon Conner was born, the odds were against him. Still in the womb, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer marked by aggressive tumors. In Brandon's case, the tumor was on his spinal cord. His parents say they knew they were facing a potential killer, but surgery for Brandon would be risky, possibly leaving him paralyzed.
DR. BRADLEY GEORGE, CANCER SPECIALIST: The parents can say, we would like this taken out. Because I think we all realize it was very hard for us to say to someone, your child has a potentially malignant tumor. We're just going to sit there and see what happens.
BLITZER: So, they found a specialist in San Francisco and Brandon's surgery was scheduled this past Wednesday. But during the final round of testing an MRI to precisely locate the tumor, doctors found something shocking. One of them immediately called in Brandon's parents.
KRISTEN CONNER, MOTHER: He said the good news is there's no surgery Wednesday. The bad news is you came all the way to San Francisco for an MRI. The tumor is gone.
BLITZER: In its place, only fatty tissue. His parents say Brandon is now cancer free.
CONNER: We were stunned. We were thinking, oh, my gosh. This is completely a miracle. How did this happen?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Brandon's case, although rare is not necessarily isolated. And there's some science behind the apparent miracle. Joining us now from the CNN center in Atlanta, to help explain what happened, Dr. William Woods of the AFLAC Cancer Center, part of the children's healthcare center of Atlanta. Thanks very much, Dr. Woods for joining us. What is the science of the tumor, a cancerous tumor, the little 2-year-old boy simply vanishing without any treatment?
DR. WILLIAM WOODS, AFLAC CANCER CENTER: Mr. Blitzer, 10 years ago we had no idea that probably a high percentage of tumors that under the microscope we called neuroblastoma could actually regress and go away. Through research over the last 10 or 15 years, we've learned that probably a substantial portion of tumors that present especially in the newborn period, or shortly thereafter, can respond or regress completely on their own, just go away.
BLITZER: What message does this send to people out there who may have themselves have a cancerous tumor or know someone who does? Is it smart to do nothing?
WOODS: No. It's a great question. It's been known for years that even before we knew how high the chances were that it might go away, that more kids with neuroblastoma had tumors then regressed than all the other types of human cancers put together. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cancers, whether they're childhood or adult, will not go away. And they will need to be either taken out by radiation or chemotherapy.
BLITZER: Well, what about children who have this neuroblastoma, this form of tumor, a cancerous tumor, what should they be doing, their parent?
WOODS: Get in the hands of good pediatric cancer doctors. We now know that neuroblastoma is at least two completely distinct cancers. One we call good neuroblastoma that can sit there for years, or sometimes in the case of the young man you showed earlier, go away on its own. And others that, unfortunately, are highly aggressive and, can, unfortunately, lead often to a child's death.
Increasingly, we have tests that we can do on the tumor. Looking at the genetic machinery or the inside of a cell, which can help us better determine which of these are going to be good tumors and which are going to be bad. In the case of this young man, just based on his age and the location, we thought that there was a reasonable chance that this tumor might go away.
BLITZER: So the parents were wise to wait to a certain degree. Although, they were only two days away from the surgery, which could have been disastrous, given the sensitive nature of that surgery.
But what is the science? If you could explain it in lay terms of a cancerous tumor effectively just becoming tissue with no danger?
WOODS: Well, the tumor probably had signals in it that weren't present when it first started out because, at some point, it grew. But for whatever reason, and it's hard to know whether it was an environmental thing or some off/on switch that finally kicked on, that told the cancer to die. And so the cells underwent a form of death that we call apoptosis and slowly, the tumor shrank. And sometimes they can shrink actually quite dramatically.
BLITZER: The other side though is, God forbid, could it come back?
WOODS: We hope not. Because we can't see it on an x-ray doesn't mean it's gone, because there could still be very, very few cells left. But given what's happened to this young man where there was a large enough tumor to see on x-ray and, now, it's gone to the point where we can't see it, it's very, very unlikely fortunately that it will ever come back.
BLITZER: Well that's good to hear that. Dr. Woods, very fascinating subject. I'm sure the parents will always believe this was a miracle. And maybe, you know what, maybe it was. Thanks, Dr. Woods, for joining us.
WOODS: Thank you.
BLITZER: Little ones are truly amazing. When we come back, our picture of the day shows off the scooting skills of some competitive crawlers. Also, our hot Web question of the day is this. "Is the U.S. making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq?" Vote right now at CNN.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Eight days from now, the nation marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. "CNN PRESENTS" a special program this Sunday 8:00 p.m. Eastern, looking back at the events that shook America and the world. Here is an excerpt of "President Kennedy Has Been Shot."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything kept twisting around and saying, where's Jackie, where's Jackie? Well Jackie was standing beside me in the kitchen door and she was smiling mischievously. And the more they went on saying, where's Jackie, twisting around, she giggled and waited more.
And then she made her tactically delayed entrance to huge cheers. She looked glowing, because she was wearing this pill box hat and in pink and her glossy hair. And the cameraman, Moe Levy (ph), we I looked at each other and I said to Moe, well, if nothing else, we got a story in Jackie.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Two years ago I introduced myself in Paris by saying, I was the man who accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to Paris. I'm getting somewhat that same sensation as I travel around Texas. Nobody wonders what Lyndon and I wear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole trip to Texas was a -- what was called a political fence mending trip. The governor, John Conelly, was rather conservative. There was a Senator, Ralph Yarborough who was very liberal. They didn't get along. Vice President, of course, Lyndon Johnson, was from Texas. And President Kennedy was already looking forward to the 1964 elections, the presidential campaign. Certainly did not want to lose Texas because of a rift between the state senior Senator and this Governor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Air Force One taxing in. And the crowd below cheering.
TOM WICKER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just a few weeks before. And Dallas was known at that time -- was known as a center of kind of right wing, violent political activity. So there had been some talk about that, would President Kennedy be safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: "CNN Presents: President Kennedy Has Been Shot," 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN Sunday night. Must watch TV.
Here's how you're weighing in on the Web question of the day. "Is the United States making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq?" 34 percent of you say yes. 66 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. Let's get to some of your e-mail.
Marie writes this, "Operation Iron Hammer and continued bombing missions will reestablish control for our ground troops and minimize casualties. Congratulations to our military on a successful mission."
Pam disagrees, "Iron Hammer will just make the Iraqis more determined to defeat and humiliate the U.S. How can we think they would like this heavy handed approach, or occupation."
And this from Win, "I guess Operation Iron Hammer is the end to the end of major combat."
Parents know keeping up with one crawling baby is hard enough, imagine a room full of them. That's our picture of the day. This was the scene in New York at the Baby Derby trials. Yes, the Baby Derby trials with kids competing on a 10 foot track to see who's the fastest crawler. It was a warm up for the real race happening this weekend at the 3rd annual Baby Fair at the New Jersey convention center. 500 babies expected to take part.
A reminder, we're on weekdays 5:00 p.m. Eastern as well as noon Eastern. I'll see you Sunday on "LATE EDITION." I'll be speaking, among others, with the U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
END
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Operation Hammer Puts New Emphasis On Caputuring Saddam Hussein; Hepatitis A Outbreak Infects Thousands In Pennsylvania>
Aired November 14, 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: Happening now late developments in Iraq, it's 1:00 a.m. in Baghdad. We're getting word of more American casualties as Operation Iron Hammer shakes part of the Iraqi capital. There's a new emphasis on killing or capturing Saddam Hussein as well.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Shooting first, U.S. troops are back on the offensive.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The enemy has changed tactics on the ground and so we're changing our response.
BLITZER: But will the coalition stay the course?
Dirty bomb suspect, how long can a U.S. citizen be held without charges and without even seeing a lawyer?
Outbreak, hundreds are ill as the death toll rises, an urgent search for the source.
Toddler's tumor, just before risky surgery his cancer disappeared. If medical science didn't heal him what did?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, November 14, 2003.
BLITZER: We begin in Baghdad where there's news just in right now that an American soldier has been killed by a roadside bomb this as Operation Iron Hammer continues for a third straight night of pounding.
Let's go live to CNN's Matthew Chance. He's in the Iraqi capital. Matthew, tell us what you know right now.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's been confirmed within the last few minutes that another U.S. soldier has been killed as his convoy was blasted by a roadside bomb as it drove through the streets of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
We understand the soldier is from the 1st Armored Division, the organization, the unit in control of the Iraqi capital. At least two other people are said to have been injured.
The incident brings to 42 the number of U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq over the course of this month alone. It's those kinds of casualty figures that have provoked the U.S. military into conducting a much tougher response to those insurgents.
They've launched Operation Iron Hammer. This is the third night of that operation. We understand there have been more strikes this evening against suspected militant targets, a warehouse suspected to have been a storage depot for arms used by the militants in the (unintelligible) of the city.
We also understand there have been mortar strikes from the U.S. towards suspected rocket launching sites of those insurgents, those rockets that launch now almost on a daily basis.
Also there have been helicopter patrols in the skies day and night. Earlier we joined the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in one of their nighttime missions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): From the skies, U.S. forces are bringing the fight to their attackers. Operation Iron Hammer is a mission to search and destroy suspected militants and to gather intelligence on their movements.
Over the rooftops of Baghdad, a Black Hawk helicopter equipped with night vision follows a reconnaissance patrol. Amid the noise of the engines and the wind we circled the city and watched.
(on camera): The purpose of Operation Iron Hammer is to crack down on the insurgents who have been carrying these increasing attacks against the U.S. and coalition forces.
What we're looking for here is any kind of suspicious activity, people preparing to fire mortars or rockets or plant their roadside bombs that have caused such terrible damage to the U.S. and the coalition forces in Baghdad. So far tonight we've seen nothing but the insurgents are out there.
(voice-over): On the streets, U.S. troops check for weapons and explosives. In the latest U.S. raids, a former Republican Guard building was hit. Military officials say it was used by insurgents to plan attacks and to store weapons. Commanders say this latest operation is meant to show America's attackers its forces will strike back.
Isn't there a danger that, you know, the Iraqi public could react negatively and, in fact, the level of resentment towards the U.S. forces could actually increase as a result of it?
LT. COL. RICK BECKINGER, U.S. ARMY: Well, I'm sure that there is that possibility, sir, but we're very precise in the type of combat power that we apply, the clearance of fires, the mechanics that we put in place for positive identification prior to engaging are all there to mitigate risk and we're here to protect Iraqis and I think they will see that.
CHANCE: By night, Baghdad appears lit by a million lights, a sign of progress in a city where electricity has been sporadic but unless Operation Iron Hammer succeeds security may remain in short supply.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, coalition and U.S. commanders say Operation Iron Hammer is an ongoing process. There's no strict time table for it for come to an end and it can be adjusted in intensity according to the level of threat which is felt by U.S. and coalition forces on the ground -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Matthew Chance for us in Baghdad, Matthew thank you very much.
And, as we've been telling you, U.S. troops in Iraq are now taking the fight directly to their enemy from Operation Iron Hammer in Baghdad to Operation Ivy Cyclone in Tikrit Americans are firing first. The Army says an attack helicopter killed a group of guerrillas caught aiming rockets at a U.S. military base.
Italy welcomed back its wounded and prepared to bring home its dead from the Nasiriya bombing but Italy's president joined President Bush over at the White House in vowing to continue the fight against terrorism.
Toward that end, the U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer is now back in Baghdad trying to speed up the transfer of power in a visit to the Iraqi Symphony a metaphor perhaps for his search for harmony.
Back in the United States a promise from President Bush about getting Saddam Hussein once and for all. Let's go straight to our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, President Bush offered his condolences to Italy's president today for that deadly attack that occurred on Wednesday killing 18 Italians.
But President Bush also outlining a more aggressive strategy in Iraq, the highlights being as terrorists change their tactics the U.S. military would change its response that to recruit more Iraqis, to gather intelligence, to get more Iraqis on the front lines of security and when the U.S. finds actionable intelligence to strike fast. Mr. Bush also pledged that U.S. troops would remain inside of Iraq until Saddam Hussein was either captured or killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: A free and peaceful Iraq will have historic consequences and we'll find Saddam Hussein. The goal is for a free and peaceful Iraq and by being strong and determined we will achieve that objective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now this presents a possible quandary for the administration as the Iraqi government says get out before Saddam Hussein is caught but the administration refused to talk about the political or legal negotiations that would go on in a particular scenario such as that one.
But it should be noted that this type of arrangement has been made before, the U.S. turning power back to Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai they made a deal that U.S. troops would remain -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne Malveaux thank you very much. Suzanne is over at the White House.
Units from the Army's 4th Infantry Division got the jump on their enemy last night. A spokesman says an Apache helicopter crew spotted Iraqis aiming rockets at a U.S. base northwest of Tikrit. The Apache struck first killing seven guerrillas. When ground units moved in they found a truck with 50 rockets and then almost 1,000 more of the missiles in nearby bunkers.
Italy is preparing a final homecoming for the 16 soldiers and two civilians who died in Wednesday's bombing of its headquarters in Nasiriya. Italy's Army chief saluted the coffins in Nasiriya today. A state funeral will take place next week in Rome.
Soldiers wounded in the bombing were flown to Rome today and were taken to a military hospital in the capital. The attack was the worst suffered by Italy since World War II.
Three days into Operation Iron Hammer how do we measure success, success of these new aggressive tactics? Joining us now with some answers, CNN Terrorism and National Security Analyst Ken Robinson, Ken, how do you measure success?
KEN ROBINSON, CNN TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Success here is going to measured one day at a time and with the people that I've been speaking to they're talking about one block at a time.
What they're trying to do now is they're trying to take an approach that was made famous in Chicago by the Democrats by getting to know one block of people at a time because the people on each of those blocks knows who is not from there.
BLITZER: That sounds like it requires an enormous number of manpower to do that. Does the U.S. have enough troops to get that job done?
ROBINSON: Every general officer that's been asked has stated that yes they do have enough forces in place. What they're trying to do now is what they call low level source operations and these are operations where there are civil affairs or psychological operations people and operational commanders who are training and working with their forces will establish relationships and get crossovers, get people who walk in and start identifying who these local jihadists are, who these local Ba'athists are and find out where their powers and sources of support are and then destroy that.
BLITZER: We're hearing explosions in Baghdad, elsewhere, those could be very terrifying. As you know we have these live pictures that we're showing our viewers. Isn't there a possibility you further alienate Iraqis by taking these aggressive steps?
ROBINSON: Absolutely. They recognize that in the short term that may be the case. That's one of the reasons why you see them using very strategic careful applications of force, the Apache gunship, the AC-130 gunship and specific targeting so that they can focus specifically on the people that they believe are causing threats to the coalition and not alienate that population. They are trying to avoid collateral damage but they must aggressively take the action to them.
BLITZER: The other argument I've heard is that by using this aggressive pounding, if you will, you send a powerful message to everyone in that part of the world that the United States has might and they're ready to use it and you better go with the strong.
ROBINSON: That's the only thing the population seems to understand because of the 30 years that they had under the Saddam regime. They recognized in the early stages they've got to be hard and they've got to hit fast.
BLITZER: Because the notion is that there was a sense the U.S. might be wishy-washy, vulnerable, and that would send the wrong message to rank and file Iraqis.
ROBINSON: If you look, you see what General Sanchez and General Abizaid said in the last few days they went from five to six attacks to almost 30 to 35 attacks in a month and General Abizaid accurately described what he felt after his tour in the region was a threat of around 5,000 forces.
For him to identify those numbers and talk about that they're getting a very good handle on what they believe the threat is. Now they have to establish a counter-insurgency campaign to divide and conquer it. They're well trained to do that. It's just going to take time.
BLITZER: General Abizaid says those 5,000 irregulars, those guerrillas, insurgents, whatever you want to call them are well organized. They're trained. They're highly motivated. They have a lot of weapons, missiles, and they have money.
ROBINSON: Exactly and the issue that they have to date is that they've got to go in and find those sources of support and that's the population. Pat Lang, a former defense intelligence analyst accurately described that a few days ago in "The New York Times."
The issue is the population and each of them is fighting for that. These attacks are tactically insignificant to the coalition. They're tragic in the loss of life. Strategically they're significant though in their desire to divide the coalition and separate us from the population. BLITZER: And now more than 400 U.S. troops have died since the war started way back in March. Thanks very much for that Ken Robinson.
ROBINSON: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: Here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. "Is the U.S. making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq"? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
And while you're there I'd love to hear directly from you. Send me your comments anytime. I'll try to read them on the air each day at the end of this program, at least some of them. That's also, of course, where you can read my daily online column, cnn.com/wolf.
Tracking his every move, witnesses for the prosecution testifying against Scott Peterson and new developments surrounding the key witness or at least one of them Amber Frey.
Accused of plotting a dirty bomb attack against the U.S. and now considered an enemy combatant should this full-fledged United States citizen have the right to meet with a lawyer?
And deadly outbreak, hundreds of people sickened in Pennsylvania, investigators searching for the source. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The good news is there's no surgery Wednesday. The bad news is you came all the way to San Francisco for an MRI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: This is an amazing story some are even calling it a miracle. The family of a toddler being treated for a deadly form of cancer gets an unexpected surprise. We'll tell you what it is. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Deliberations are done for the day in the trial of the D.C. area sniper suspect John Muhammad. Jurors met for about four hours and asked for a tape player to listen to audio testimony.
Defense attorneys objected but the judge agreed. Deliberations are scheduled to resume Monday morning along with the trial of Muhammad's alleged accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo.
The focus at Scott Peterson's preliminary hearing isn't so much on who is testifying today but rather who isn't. An attorney for his former mistress says she doubts Amber Frey will be taking the stand in this phase of the case. CNN's Mike Brooks is joining us now live from Modesto, California with more. Mike, first of all tell us about Amber Frey and her attorney. What do we expect to see?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's day ten of the Scott Peterson preliminary hearing, Wolf. Earlier today we heard from Gloria Allred, Amber Frey's attorney. She said that most likely she will not be testifying.
After court yesterday she read a statement and said the prosecution would not be using her as a witness but there is that possibility that the defense could now use her as a witness.
Here's what Gloria Allred had to say just before the lunch break.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLORIA ALLRED, AMBER FREY'S ATTORNEY: Prior to this date I have never heard anything that the defense would be having a reason to call her. If they think they have a reason to call here then they're going to have to explain that reason at some point how that might affect them and assist them in an affirmative defense of their case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: There is a possibility she may appear but the defense team will have to convince the judge of that -- Wolf.
BLITZER: The whole notion of evidence right now is there any key evidence that is being released?
BROOKS: Well, right now, Wolf, on the stand is a criminalist from the California Department of Justice. He's being cross-examined by Mark Geragos about the strand of hair that became two strands the prosecution team says from handling.
If Mark Geragos has his way this will not be admitted in court. We will find out after today. They're having closing arguments on whether this hair will be admitted into evidence and the judge will make that decision on Monday -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And what about the detective's testimony earlier in the day?
BROOKS: Well, we heard from a Modesto police detective Philip Owen (ph). He was testifying and being cross-examined by Mark Geragos. Geragos through his line of questioning was insinuating that the Modesto Police weren't following up on some tips and that they were only focusing on Scott Peterson as their only suspect.
But we did hear testimony from him that the detectives did follow it up and that the line of questioning that they were asking this one particular witness wasn't going in the direction where they were headed in the investigation -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Mike Brooks in Modesto, California. Mike thanks very much. We'll continue to follow this preliminary hearing next week.
Mystery in Nevada and now a new twist in the search for a missing mother, this is a story we reported about earlier in the week. I'll talk with the sheriff in charge of the case. That's coming up.
Also, hepatitis outbreak, hundreds of people sickened, the search for clues on the virus and if it's spreading.
And, against the odds, this toddler's cancerous tumor simply vanished shocking his doctors and his parents. Is it a medical miracle? We'll tell you what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: The number of deaths from a wave of Hepatitis-A traced to a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant now stands at three. The latest patient died at a Pittsburgh hospital this morning. Almost 500 people have been infected in the outbreak linked to a Chi-Chi's in suburban Pittsburgh.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The Chi-Chi's restaurant chain has agreed to close down its restaurant near Pittsburgh where the nation's largest Hepatitis-A outbreak began at the end of September.
The restaurant will be closed until January 2 while the chain reviews its food handling and hygiene practices. Nearly 9,000 people who ate at the restaurant received shots of immunoglobulin which boosts the body's immune system to fight infection.
Since Hepatitis-A spreads person-to-person, health authorities say they expect the number of cases to increase as infected restaurant employees and patrons pass the disease along to others.
The cause of the outbreak has yet to be determined. The disease spreads when an infected person fails to wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom and then handles food. Symptoms of Hepatitis-A include jaundice, abdominal pain, and fever.
Chi-Chi's says they've taken green onions off the menu in all its restaurants even though the food has not been implicated in the outbreak. Food itself is not the origin of Hepatitis-A outbreaks, but rather the infected person who handles the food. Health authorities say the infected person could have been a restaurant worker or perhaps someone who handled the food before it reached the restaurant -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks very much Elizabeth.
And this important note, the CEO of Chi-Chi's Incorporated will join us here on Monday.
When we come back, he's an American citizen but he's been branded an enemy combatant so does this man deserve the same constitutional rights as everyone else? The government says no. We'll tell you why. Plus, daycare scare, dozens, dozens of children rescued after a daycare center burns to cinders.
And "Let it be" again, the Beatles are back sort of, we'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Should a United States citizen be considered an enemy combatant of the United States and not allowed access to his attorneys? We'll take a closer look at the case against the so-called dirty bomber Jose Padilla.
And the search for a missing Nevada mother, a new suspect sketch is released. We'll talk with the sheriff leading the investigation. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN.
Can the U.S. (AUDIO GAP). The Government believes it certainly can, first though a quick check of the latest headlines.
A fast-moving inferno in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, you're looking at live pictures, winds up to 45 miles an hour are fanning a fire that broke out this afternoon at an abandoned mill then spread to at least five nearby homes. Residents of surrounding blocks have been evacuated.
Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that tore through a Memphis, Tennessee daycare center this morning. More than 50 children were evacuated. No one was hurt but the center was pretty much destroyed.
Chicago fire officials say this early morning blaze at a south side warehouse was their most difficult to fight in quite a while. It took them five hours to put out the wind-driven flames which destroyed the four-story building. The fire spread to two industrial buildings and a house and forced evacuations of a square block area.
The man at the helm of the Staten Island Ferry during last month's fatal crash into a pier is out of the hospital. Assistant Captain Richard Smith attempted suicide right after the October 15 crash that killed ten people. Federal prosecutors announced today they're taking over the criminal investigation from Staten Island's outgoing district attorney.
Punishing winds blowing over New England knocked down power lines and they are still blowing. Outages forced some school closures. From West Virginia to Vermont, tens of thousands of utility customers remain without power.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The United States Central Command says a special ops soldier died in Afghanistan today. Centcom says the vehicle he was driving rolled over a make shift explosive device. It happened in eastern Afghanistan. Centcom is withholding the soldier's's name until next of kin can be notified.
The U.S. embassy and two consulates will be reopened tomorrow. They have been closed since last Saturday when a bomb attack near Riyadh's diplomatic quarter killed 17 people. The Saudi diplomat spoke out today, laying blame at the feet of a faction he called pure evil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI POLICY ADVISER: Osama bin Laden and his murderous cult, whose objective is to distance America from the Arab and the Muslim world and whose objective is to destroy the Saudi state with a Taliban-like society. We have no intention of allowing them to succeed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Saudi security has successfully hunted down dozens of small al Qaeda cells since another Riyadh attack way back in May. That attack killed 23 people.
A federal judge hearing the case of Zacarias Moussaui says he may no longer represent himself. Moussaui is the only person charged in the U.S. in connection with the September 11 attacks. In her ruling, the judge cited repeated violations by Moussaui of her orders. A legal team that has been helping Moussaui will take over his defense.
Can a United States citizen be jailed indefinitely without being charged and without being allowed to see a lawyer? An appeals court takes up those issues in the case of alleged dirty bomb plotter Jose Padilla. It's a case that has sparked heated debate over the government's post 9/11 security measures. More now from our justice correspondent Kelli Arena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donna Newman had no idea what she was getting into when she first met Jose Padilla. The defense attorney has spent countless hours working for a minimal stipend for a client the government refuses to let her to talk to.
DONNA NEWMAN, PADILLA'S ATTORNEY: It is outrage us. You have to step back and say, how could you say no?
ARENA: A private attorney, Newman was assigned by the court to represent Padilla. He was arrested a year and a half ago getting off at Chicago's O'Hare Airport . The government says he was in the early stages of plotting a dirty bomb attack against the United States.
ALICE FISHER, FRM. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Mr. Padilla was coming into the United States having just been with members of al Qaeda, discussing attacks in the U.S. including plans with regards to a radiological device.
ARENA: Newman planned legal strategy with Padilla for several weeks, but just before she was supposed to appear in court and ask for his release, President Bush declared him an enemy combatant. He was placed in military custody and does not have the same constitutional rights as a criminal defendant.
NEWMAN: I didn't know what an enemy combatant was. I don't think anybody knew.
ARENA: Padilla is now being helled in a naval brig in South Carolina.
NEWMAN: It is such a violation of our Constitution that it is egregious.
ARENA: Padilla has not seen Newman or any other lawyer. He has not spoken with his family. He is being held indefinitely, which the government says it's its prerogative during a war.
WILLIAM HAYNES, DEFENSE DEPT. COUNSEL: There are many issues at stake, including the ability to, in a case of Mr. Padilla, to be able talk with him and be able to get intelligence information critical to the prosecution of the war that we're still engaged in.
ARENA: But unlike other enemy combatants being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Padilla is a full-fledged U.S. citizen and he was not arrested on a battlefield.
(on camera): The issue may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. The government has prevailed in lower courts on the issue of whether it has the right to declare citizens enemy combatants. But one judge has ruled that Padilla does have the right to see a lawyer.
(voice-over): If that reveals, Donna Newman is more than ready to pick up where she left off. Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Mystery in Nevada and a nationwide search for this young mother. Now, there is a new twist in the case we reported to you about earlier this week. I'll speak live with the sheriff leading the search for answers.
A shooting spree stopped. Now, a teen accused of plotting to kill classmates receives his judgment.
Disease free where cancer once grew. One child's amazing story that has left doctors stunned. We'll look at the science behind what some are calling a medical miracle.
First, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER (voice-over): Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Tokyo for 2 days of talks with his Japanese counterpart and Japan's prime minister. His visit comes on the heels of Japan's decision to postpone sending noncombat forces to Iraq.
Germany has begun plans to become the first industrialized nation to renounce nuclear technology. It disconnected the first of its 19 nuclear power plants today. All German reactors are to be shut done by 2020.
Thousands of demonstrators in the former Soviet republic of Georgia fill the streets of the capital, Tbilisi. Protesters want Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. They say he's failed to tackle corruption and the country's economic problems.
Canada's ruling liberal party is making plans to pass the reigns of power over to a new leader. Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced this week he will step down by mid January. Sources close to him expect it to be sooner.
The Beatles are here, there, and everywhere again. A remix of a Beatles classic album has been released, "Let It Be, Naked" is a version of the original, minus strings and choirs added by producer Phil Specter for its first release. Reviews are mixed.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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BLITZER: A teenager sentenced for an aborted shooting spree. That story tops our justice report. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Christopher Olsen was one of 3 young men who stockpiled weapons planning to hijack a vehicle, kill three class mates, then go on a random shooting spree in suburban Philadelphia. He plea bargained to weapons charges and was sentenced to four years. Proceedings against the other two teens continue.
A south Florida man is now charged with manslaughter in the death of a 16-year-old prankster. The teen and a friend was ringing doorbells and running away. The defendant, Jay Levin (ph), says he mistook the teen for a burglar and he thought he saw something in his. Levin could get up to 30 years if convicted.
And a 30-month sentence for the head of a company hired to clean a postal facility contaminated with anthrax. Prosecutor's in New York say Oscar Miranda (ph) lied when he said his workers had specialized training in anthrax decontamination. In addition to prison time, he is being fined more than a million dollars.
There are more twists and turns in the case of a Carson City, Nevada mother who went missing earlier this week. The 3-year-old son of Bertha Anguiano told police a man killed her. But now, Carson City sheriff is not sure. Sheriff Kenneth Furlong is joining us once again by phone. Why aren't you so sure anymore, sheriff? SHERIFF KENNETH FURLONG, CARSON CITY, NEVADA: We've developed information and coordinated it with the family that it appears far more likely that at least as this incident began, she may very well have been a willing participant and been engaged in some sort of an affair with the gentleman we are seeking to find.
BLITZER: Earlier in the week, just to remind our viewers, the 3- year-old little boy said he was in the car with his mother. He was kicked out. He was injured in the process and said he saw his mother being killed. Is that right?
FURLONG: That's correct. And from that avenue we still have to be gravely concerned for her welfare.
BLITZER: Do you suspect she willingly left with the suspect or may have been forced to leave?
FURLONG: At this point, the witness that is have been able to be contacted regarding her last-known whereabouts would suggest she was involved in a friendly conversation with a man at one of our local schools.
BLITZER: Tell us about this suspect. What do we know about him?
FURLONG: We know just a little bit. He has been arrested locally on minor charges. He has -- at least we have information that would suggest that he has the ability to inflict injury on other persons, possibly unstable. He's driving a vehicle that is not owned by himself.
There's an array of information. We do need to come in contact with him. We need him here in Carson City at the sheriff's to find out what did happen and where our missing mother is.
BLITZER: Do you suspect she's still alive?
FURLONG: I continue to be very, very hopeful that she is alive and we'll be able to get her back.
BLITZER: How's the little boy doing?
FURLONG The little boy is doing fine. He's been a tremendous help to us. He is with his family. I'm very pleased.
BLITZER: A very bizarre twist in this very sad story. Sheriff Furlong, thanks very much for joining us.
FURLONG: Thank you. I appreciate it.
BLITZER: Stunned parents of a sick child.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were stunned. You know, we were thinking, oh, my gosh. This is completely a miracle. How does this happen? (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But their little boy turned out to be healthier than they thought. Was it a mistake or, perhaps, a miracle?
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BLITZER: An Atlanta family had planned to be in San Francisco today where their 2-year-old son would have been recovering from a very risky operation, but the surgery never happened. What did happen, the parents say is nothing short of a miracle.
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BLITZER (voice-over): Even before Brandon Conner was born, the odds were against him. Still in the womb, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer marked by aggressive tumors. In Brandon's case, the tumor was on his spinal cord. His parents say they knew they were facing a potential killer, but surgery for Brandon would be risky, possibly leaving him paralyzed.
DR. BRADLEY GEORGE, CANCER SPECIALIST: The parents can say, we would like this taken out. Because I think we all realize it was very hard for us to say to someone, your child has a potentially malignant tumor. We're just going to sit there and see what happens.
BLITZER: So, they found a specialist in San Francisco and Brandon's surgery was scheduled this past Wednesday. But during the final round of testing an MRI to precisely locate the tumor, doctors found something shocking. One of them immediately called in Brandon's parents.
KRISTEN CONNER, MOTHER: He said the good news is there's no surgery Wednesday. The bad news is you came all the way to San Francisco for an MRI. The tumor is gone.
BLITZER: In its place, only fatty tissue. His parents say Brandon is now cancer free.
CONNER: We were stunned. We were thinking, oh, my gosh. This is completely a miracle. How did this happen?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Brandon's case, although rare is not necessarily isolated. And there's some science behind the apparent miracle. Joining us now from the CNN center in Atlanta, to help explain what happened, Dr. William Woods of the AFLAC Cancer Center, part of the children's healthcare center of Atlanta. Thanks very much, Dr. Woods for joining us. What is the science of the tumor, a cancerous tumor, the little 2-year-old boy simply vanishing without any treatment?
DR. WILLIAM WOODS, AFLAC CANCER CENTER: Mr. Blitzer, 10 years ago we had no idea that probably a high percentage of tumors that under the microscope we called neuroblastoma could actually regress and go away. Through research over the last 10 or 15 years, we've learned that probably a substantial portion of tumors that present especially in the newborn period, or shortly thereafter, can respond or regress completely on their own, just go away.
BLITZER: What message does this send to people out there who may have themselves have a cancerous tumor or know someone who does? Is it smart to do nothing?
WOODS: No. It's a great question. It's been known for years that even before we knew how high the chances were that it might go away, that more kids with neuroblastoma had tumors then regressed than all the other types of human cancers put together. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cancers, whether they're childhood or adult, will not go away. And they will need to be either taken out by radiation or chemotherapy.
BLITZER: Well, what about children who have this neuroblastoma, this form of tumor, a cancerous tumor, what should they be doing, their parent?
WOODS: Get in the hands of good pediatric cancer doctors. We now know that neuroblastoma is at least two completely distinct cancers. One we call good neuroblastoma that can sit there for years, or sometimes in the case of the young man you showed earlier, go away on its own. And others that, unfortunately, are highly aggressive and, can, unfortunately, lead often to a child's death.
Increasingly, we have tests that we can do on the tumor. Looking at the genetic machinery or the inside of a cell, which can help us better determine which of these are going to be good tumors and which are going to be bad. In the case of this young man, just based on his age and the location, we thought that there was a reasonable chance that this tumor might go away.
BLITZER: So the parents were wise to wait to a certain degree. Although, they were only two days away from the surgery, which could have been disastrous, given the sensitive nature of that surgery.
But what is the science? If you could explain it in lay terms of a cancerous tumor effectively just becoming tissue with no danger?
WOODS: Well, the tumor probably had signals in it that weren't present when it first started out because, at some point, it grew. But for whatever reason, and it's hard to know whether it was an environmental thing or some off/on switch that finally kicked on, that told the cancer to die. And so the cells underwent a form of death that we call apoptosis and slowly, the tumor shrank. And sometimes they can shrink actually quite dramatically.
BLITZER: The other side though is, God forbid, could it come back?
WOODS: We hope not. Because we can't see it on an x-ray doesn't mean it's gone, because there could still be very, very few cells left. But given what's happened to this young man where there was a large enough tumor to see on x-ray and, now, it's gone to the point where we can't see it, it's very, very unlikely fortunately that it will ever come back.
BLITZER: Well that's good to hear that. Dr. Woods, very fascinating subject. I'm sure the parents will always believe this was a miracle. And maybe, you know what, maybe it was. Thanks, Dr. Woods, for joining us.
WOODS: Thank you.
BLITZER: Little ones are truly amazing. When we come back, our picture of the day shows off the scooting skills of some competitive crawlers. Also, our hot Web question of the day is this. "Is the U.S. making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq?" Vote right now at CNN.com/wolf. The results for you when we come back.
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BLITZER: Eight days from now, the nation marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. "CNN PRESENTS" a special program this Sunday 8:00 p.m. Eastern, looking back at the events that shook America and the world. Here is an excerpt of "President Kennedy Has Been Shot."
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything kept twisting around and saying, where's Jackie, where's Jackie? Well Jackie was standing beside me in the kitchen door and she was smiling mischievously. And the more they went on saying, where's Jackie, twisting around, she giggled and waited more.
And then she made her tactically delayed entrance to huge cheers. She looked glowing, because she was wearing this pill box hat and in pink and her glossy hair. And the cameraman, Moe Levy (ph), we I looked at each other and I said to Moe, well, if nothing else, we got a story in Jackie.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Two years ago I introduced myself in Paris by saying, I was the man who accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to Paris. I'm getting somewhat that same sensation as I travel around Texas. Nobody wonders what Lyndon and I wear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole trip to Texas was a -- what was called a political fence mending trip. The governor, John Conelly, was rather conservative. There was a Senator, Ralph Yarborough who was very liberal. They didn't get along. Vice President, of course, Lyndon Johnson, was from Texas. And President Kennedy was already looking forward to the 1964 elections, the presidential campaign. Certainly did not want to lose Texas because of a rift between the state senior Senator and this Governor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Air Force One taxing in. And the crowd below cheering.
TOM WICKER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just a few weeks before. And Dallas was known at that time -- was known as a center of kind of right wing, violent political activity. So there had been some talk about that, would President Kennedy be safe.
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BLITZER: "CNN Presents: President Kennedy Has Been Shot," 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN Sunday night. Must watch TV.
Here's how you're weighing in on the Web question of the day. "Is the United States making adequate progress in rebuilding Iraq?" 34 percent of you say yes. 66 percent of you say no. Remember, this is not a scientific poll. Let's get to some of your e-mail.
Marie writes this, "Operation Iron Hammer and continued bombing missions will reestablish control for our ground troops and minimize casualties. Congratulations to our military on a successful mission."
Pam disagrees, "Iron Hammer will just make the Iraqis more determined to defeat and humiliate the U.S. How can we think they would like this heavy handed approach, or occupation."
And this from Win, "I guess Operation Iron Hammer is the end to the end of major combat."
Parents know keeping up with one crawling baby is hard enough, imagine a room full of them. That's our picture of the day. This was the scene in New York at the Baby Derby trials. Yes, the Baby Derby trials with kids competing on a 10 foot track to see who's the fastest crawler. It was a warm up for the real race happening this weekend at the 3rd annual Baby Fair at the New Jersey convention center. 500 babies expected to take part.
A reminder, we're on weekdays 5:00 p.m. Eastern as well as noon Eastern. I'll see you Sunday on "LATE EDITION." I'll be speaking, among others, with the U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer. Until then, thanks very much for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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Operation Hammer Puts New Emphasis On Caputuring Saddam Hussein; Hepatitis A Outbreak Infects Thousands In Pennsylvania>
