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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Terrorism Alert Delays Airline Travel; Sugar Bowl Security; Young Woman Battles Mad Cow Disease
Aired January 02, 2004 - 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.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, responding to the terror threat. Air travel on both sides of the Atlantic are affected. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Flight fears, delays, cancellations, and fighter escorts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I understand the security, but it is upsetting. I just want to get home now.
CROWLEY: New tactics. Troops hunt for guns in a mosque. And gunmen stage an ambush in disguise.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: They were wearing black press jackets with press clearly written in English.
CROWLEY: Mad cow tragedy. The only human patient living in the U.S.
PATRICK, FATHER OF MAD COW DISEASE VICTIM: I'm not giving up on my daughter, not for one moment.
CROWLEY: Croc shock. What was he thinking?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, January 2, 2004.
CROWLEY: I'm Candy Crowley. Wolf is off today.
The holidays have now passed, but fears that Al Qaeda may turn international airliners into weapons are helping to keep America on high alert. And those same fears are keeping some planes on the ground.
We begin with CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Candy, officials say that the intelligence has investigators focused on three airlines, Air France, Aeromexico and British Airways, although the most recent information is most specific regarding British flights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): Officials tell CNN, intelligence from an informant and other sources regarding British Airways Flight 223 is what led to its cancellation for the second straight day. Sources say the information had nothing to do with the passenger list, but, instead, focused on the flight number.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: I think the public understands that there's always a general threat, but you don't take action to inconvenience passengers to cancel a flight unless there is specific and credible information that relates to that flight.
ARENA: There remain some question as to the credibility of the information. Still, officials say they simply cannot take any chances.
Two Aeromexico flights headed to Los Angeles were also canceled this week. And at least one other was escorted by military fighter jets. The military also accompanied at least one Air France flight into the United States. Officials admit the moves are extraordinary, considering the repercussions, but they are not ruling out more cancellations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Sources tell CNN, the one major problem with the intelligence is that it is not time-specific.
Now, there was information regarding a possible threat on New Year's Eve. But that date passed without incident. Still, information continues to suggest that al Qaeda may be in the operational stages of an attack -- Candy.
CROWLEY: So, are they learning anything from these planes that are coming in? Was there something on them and they got them off? Did they just turn out to be bogus reports? What are all these things that are delayed and/or canceled turning up?
ARENA: I asked very directly whether or not there were any individuals on any of those flights that had been detained, that had caused a great deal of concern. So far, no.
But when you go back to the very first flights that were canceled, the Air France flights back around Christmas, that investigation is ongoing. There are still some people who did not show up for those flights who investigators are interested in, in learning more about, and some passengers who actually were on the flight that now they're relooking at -- they're reviewing that.
So these are open-ended situations. Did they thwart an attack? Sometimes, they never find out, because it didn't happen, nobody is talking. But so far, no action that's been taken after the people were interviewed, the flights are set on their way, no law enforcement action, nobody charged, nothing happening on that level, at least.
CROWLEY: So how do we get ever off code orange, or do we?
ARENA: Well, officials seem to be pretty much convinced that we will remain at code orange although through most of this month. There has to be a determination at some point. It's monetary. It's intelligence driven. There are so many factor political -- so many factors that is go into this decision, Candy, as you well know, that the expectation is that they can't stay at orange for too long, because it becomes too expensive.
And don't forget, yellow still means elevated. So, if they go back down to yellow, it's still -- the coast is still not clear. But orange seems to be the hue that we'll see for at least another couple of weeks.
CROWLEY: Kelli Arena, always on top of it -- thanks, Kelli.
CROWLEY: Back now to that grounded British Airways flight. Why is it the focus of such concern?
CNN's Robin Oakley reports from London's Heathrow Airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On New Years's Eve, the last day it flew, Flight 223 was escorted into Dulles by fighter aircraft and held on the runway for several hours. British Airways announced Friday, "Following the latest advice from the U.K. government received this afternoon, B.A. has canceled Flight 223 to Washington due to security concerns."
With other flights to the U.S. and elsewhere allowed to depart, the threat was thought to be specific.
PHILIP BAUM, AVIATION SECURITY CONSULTANT: We're now talking about a very increased amount of chatter on the wires. So the authorities are, obviously, very concerned that an attack is possibly imminent.
OAKLEY: But the majority of travelers at Heathrow were cool about any risks in air travel today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No fear at all. Flying is flying. I think flying is safer than driving. So...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would rather that they took care of the security and that we got delayed. I think that's always in everybody's interest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since September 11, I don't think there has been a safer time, honestly.
OAKLEY: British experts say the intelligence which led Flight 223 to be grounded had come from the United States and involved more than names on passenger lists matching those in U.S. databases of suspected terrorists. BAUM: I think this has got relatively little to do with passenger lists and watch lists, because, at the end of the day, we could actually deny passengers boarding. We can screen passengers effectively. I think this has got much more to do with a general increased level of security alert, possible fears of attacks against the aircraft itself by a range of different means.
OAKLEY: U.K. authorities refuse to comment on security questions. But their action in forcing B.A. to halt the Washington flight once again indicated their concern.
(on camera): Governments and airlines don't go into much detail about security threats, but what is clear is deep concern both sides of the Atlantic about a possible terrorist hijacking and that B.A. 223 has been identified by intelligence as a possible target.
Robin Oakley, CNN, Heathrow Airport, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Can security officials keep a step ahead of al Qaeda by grounding airliners? How long can they keep that up before there is a real impact on public morale and on the ever-fragile airline industry?
Joining me now is Michael Goldfarb, former chief of staff for the Federal Aviation Administration.
And that's really a good question. How long do you keep this up? First of all, it has got to be very disruptive. And, second of all, it is going to have to take a toll here fairly soon on air travel.
MICHAEL GOLDFARB, FORMER FAA CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, I think it already is.
The irony is, in aviation, the things you expect tend to be the safest. So, if you're boarding a plane in Heathrow this afternoon coming to the United States, with all this extra protection, if the traveling public wants to know, is it safe to be on that flight, probably the safest time is right now. How do you maintain a code orange alert with this almost counterterrorist operation more than aviation security through January, February and March?
You have a fragile airline industry, as you mentioned. And you have people that are very jittery. We're not prepared to witness the kinds of things we saw at Dulles Airport two nights ago on New Year's Eve, where a plane was held for three hours to be checked on its landing at a destination.
CROWLEY: So what is the answer? You're right. We can't keep this up as a government, really, because it's got to be expensive to keep shipping those F-16s up there.
GOLDFARB: What we don't know and probably ought not to know publicly is the exact nature of the specific threat.
There's been tons of speculation, which is normally wrong, about what's going on. We don't know how much improved aviation has flagged these problems vs. intelligence from FBI and other sources. And that's a very important ingredient.
So it may be that the aviation security system, in fact, the computer lists and the security checks are working fairly well to be able to handle, I believe, a code yellow, perhaps, state of alert. But code orange, if that's going to mean, in this country, lines like you find at customs sometimes when you come into a country, I think people have to realize that the cost of safety is going to be long delays.
CROWLEY: Explain something to me that I asked earlier of Asa Hutchinson that I don't understand. What happens between the time a plane takes off at Heathrow and enters U.S. airspace that would require us scrambling an F-16?
GOLDFARB: Well, it's all based on information.
First of all, there's some good news, that authorities are sharing prior to takeoff the lists of passenger manifests. So we're having that information before planes take off, which is why we're seeing the groundings. But if they take off and something happens in flight, there's constant communication between the cockpit, airline operations, air traffic control authorities in the United Kingdom and then Gander and then into the United States.
So that communication, they could call NORAD or they could call the Air Force immediately. And those planes are then set to scramble that flight.
CROWLEY: I guess because -- we assume that nothing has happened on these flights, because they haven't kept anybody. And, suddenly, we're sending F-16s up. And that must be fairly scary to be flying in here to meet grandma for the New Year's and you get an F-16 escort.
GOLDFARB: Well, you never know what you prevent. So that's part of the irony. You never know what you prevent. It is scary.
And I don't think we are going to take away that post-9/11 jitters that people have when they fly into the nation's capital or New York. I think that's just naturally a part of it. But we have to be careful that we don't let the single focus on counterterrorism cloud the concern on aviation security and safety, because, if you're flying in a plane, you don't care if its security or safety. You want to get to your destination. And we need to keep a broad focus on flying safely here and abroad.
CROWLEY: What effect do you think all of this has on the bottom line? And how long before
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDFARB: Good and bad news.
The bad news is that a fragile airline industry can ill afford to maintain this level of security and this level of disruption. The good news is, it's clearly a government-to-government responsibility. It is not an industry responsibility. We'll have to see if the president's budget follows through in '04 in February with the kinds of concerns that have caused a code orange alert.
And that will be the real proof about whether or not they're going to put their money behind aviation security on an ongoing base and not on the airlines themselves.
CROWLEY: And bottom line, the airlines themselves are going to be more profitable if people are assured that they're safe.
GOLDFARB: The most expensive mistake you can make is to be cheap on safety or security, so, absolutely.
CROWLEY: Michael Goldfarb, former chief of staff of the FAA, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
GOLDFARB: My pleasure.
CROWLEY: Here is your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? You can vote right now at CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
And while you're there, we would like to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send us your comments anytime and we might read some of them during this program.
A family faces a mad cow crisis. A 24-year-old woman who should be finishing her master's degree faces the fight of her life.
A Fiesta fiasco? The reason a star player may be kept off the field.
And some cheered. Others gasped. The crocodile hunter causes a commotion, the video you have to see.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Turning now to ties between the U.S. and two of its bitter foes. One door may be opening in North Korea, where American experts may soon be able to eyeball a nuclear facility. But quake- stricken Iran is shutting the door on a high-profile humanitarian mission.
Let's go live to our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux in Crawford, Texas -- Suzanne¯
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, it was Tuesday when the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Negroponte, approached Iran's U.N. representative and offered to send Senator Elizabeth Dole -- she is the former president of the American Red Cross -- to Iran to lead a high-level delegation for a humanitarian mission.
Now, if this was improved -- it this had gotten the green light, it would have meant that she was the first public U.S. official to visit Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis. Also, at the same time, there was an unidentified member of the Bush family that would have been as part of that potential delegation. Well, today, Iran made its views very clear. It said, no thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We have heard back today from the Iranians, that, given the current situation in Bam and all that is going on now, it would be preferable to hold such a visit in abeyance. Therefore, we are not pursuing it further at the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, U.S. officials said that they believe that this was because of logistics, that it was not political, that they say that, really, Iran would not be capable of handling and accommodating such a high-level delegation at this time.
Thank, Candy, it only underscores, really, the mutual suspicions between the two nations, their political ties severed 25 years ago. It was just after the quake that President Bush sent relief. He also offered to ease restrictions for aid in that country. But it was just yesterday that the president again warned Iran that it has to turn over al Qaeda members and to come clean on its nuclear weapons program -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Suzanne, while we're talking about mutual suspicions, let me move you to North Korea and the possibility that American experts could maybe eye a nuclear facility there. Does that speak of any warming relations?
MALVEAUX: Well, this is certainly something that the Bush administration is going to keep an eye on.
As you know, this is a private delegation, a U.S. delegation of nuclear experts and academics who will be traveling to North Korea. We have spoken to a number of them who say that, so far, they are going to be going to China. They have not yet gotten access to North Korea. But, having said that, U.S. officials say, look, this is something that they do not sanction. They are not a part of this inspection or this process.
But what makes it significant, it would be the first time in a year or so that perhaps a U.S. delegation or foreigners would get a look at that nuclear site, since North Korea kicked out the inspectors about a year ago. So, while the U.S. government says it does not officially sanction this, they're very curious to see what happens -- Candy.
CROWLEY: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much. Talk to you later.
The nation's heightened terror alert level means security will be tighter than man-to-man coverage at the bowl games remaining. To talk about that, I'm joined by Tempe, Arizona, Mayor Neal Giuliano. Tempe is the Fiesta Bowl's host city. I'm also joined by Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans, which hosts the national championship Sunday night at the Sugar Bowl.
Well, gentlemen, I guess I want to start out in New Orleans and ask you first what kind of increased security have you got there that you didn't have before.
TERRY EBBERT, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR NEW ORLEANS: Well, Candy, we've had to do a lot of things, because, obviously, we were planning an ordinary Sugar Bowl. And two things happened. One, we've got the home team playing with LSU in town, which enlarges our outdoor crowd. At the same time, we've now been faced with the elevated condition orange. So we've had to put together the same team that we used for the Super Bowl and the Final Four, with tremendous assistance from the federal agencies, the state agencies and all the regional law enforcement.
CROWLEY: Mayor Giuliano, what does it look like out there?
NEIL GIULIANO, MAYOR OF TEMPE, ARIZONA: Well, it's a wonderful day for the Buckeye and Kansas State fans that are here. And we've taken all the similar precautions that the direct there in New Orleans has talked about. A lot of work actually takes place before the fans actually show up at the venue.
CROWLEY: Both of you have not just the people who are coming to the games, but the tailgaters and the spectators that come to just watch kind of the entire show outside. How close will they be allowed to get to the arena? And are those people screened?
EBBERT: Well, in New Orleans, what we've had to do is, we've had to segregate the Superdome property. And so we have fenced that property. And only those people with tickets will be allowed to come through the screening, the metal detectors, and get actually on the installation.
So we've kept the crowd that is not ticketed going to be on the outside in the French Quarter and celebrating down there, while we screen all those people coming into the Superdome.
CROWLEY: Mr. Mayor, are you keeping them away?
GIULIANO: Well, we actually do something that's called the world's largest college tailgate party. The Fiesta Bowl puts that on. It attracts 25,000 or 35,000 people who don't have a ticket to the game, but would like to be a part of the festivities. That's just north of the stadium. So they get to be part of the excitement of the game without being in the stadium itself.
CROWLEY: You've been mayor almost 10 years, I know. And how does this differ, in terms of the spirit and the fun and just is different in general from any of the bowls that you have hosted in the past?
GIULIANO: Well, we were excited last year. We had the national championship with Ohio State and the University of Miami. And Ohio State is back this year. The Fiesta Bowl always draws a great crowd. The weather is great. And the hospitality is wonderful. And we have two cold-climate teams coming in to Tempe this year, which adds to it as well.
And everyone just has a great time. We had 170,000 people at our block party on New Year's Eve with no issues and no problems. And we're really ringing in the new year in a fun way.
CROWLEY: Mr. Ebbert, I have got to believe that, at some level, you have a knot in your stomach until this is over.
EBBERT: Well, you always do.
And I think, in a job like mine, you have got to be concerned to provide the best possible safety and security to all those hundreds of thousands of people who are visiting our city. So it is a challenge. But we have got a tremendous team that we've worked with the past two years. And I feel very comfortable that everybody who visits our city is going to, one, have a great time, and, two, be safe and secure.
CROWLEY: Let me ask you and then I want to ask the mayor as well. What's your best advice to someone that is headed for the bowl games to get through security? What should they bring, not bring? What's your best piece of advice?
EBBERT: Well, we're not allowing anything -- any backpacks, coolers, anything other than purses into the ball game. The second thing is, come early, because, obviously, screening 72,000 people through metal detectors takes a while. So we are going to open the gates at 3:00 and then open the interior at 4:00. So there should be plenty of time to have everybody in their seats by game time.
CROWLEY: Mayor, about the same advice for you all?
GIULIANO: Yes. We encourage everyone to come early, be patient, enjoy the Arizona sunshine, stroll around the Tempe Town Lake, and just have a great day while you're here enjoying the game. But be patient.
CROWLEY: Mayor Neil Giuliano out there in Tempe, as well as Terry Ebbert down in New Orleans, we wish you all safe, happy games. Thanks very much.
EBBERT: Thank you.
GIULIANO: Thank you very much.
CROWLEY: A family's pain, living with the effects of mad cow disease.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't want to see another person infected with this disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: What do we know now, or, perhaps more importantly, what don't we know about the human form of this mysterious illness? A helicopter down and a sneak attack, new obstacles for U.S. forces in Iraq.
Dueling Democrats are on the trail. And our newest poll results are in. Who would some Democrats choose to run against President Bush?
But first, our "News Quiz."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Of the nine Democratic presidential candidates, who once shared the same occupation as his or her spouse, Carol Moseley Braun, Richard Gephardt, Howard Dean, or John Edwards? The answer later in the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: The investigation into mad cow disease in Washington state is expanding. Officials say a third facility has been placed under quarantine, this one a dairy in Mattawa, Washington. One cow at the dairy came to the United States in the same shipment of Canadian cows as the cow found to have contracted the disease. At this point, 11 of the cows in that shipment have been identified. Officials are still looking for the 70 other cows.
Meat from cattle with mad cow disease has been linked to a brain- wasting illness in humans. The only confirmed case in the United States involves a woman believed to have contracted the diseases in Britain. We last reported on her case a year ago.
Now CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer has an update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This young woman should be finishing up her master's degree or planning her future. Instead, she's become a statistic; 24-year-old Charlene -- her parents don't want us to use their last name -- is the only person living in the United States suffering from the human form of mad cow disease.
This is what Charlene looked like when CNN brought you these exclusive pictures over a year ago. Then, doctors told her parents she had just about three months to live.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Come on.
FIRFER: And yet, Charlene is still alive today.
PATRICK: She has stabilized from the last time we saw you. If you remember that, they gave her three months at that time. And it's over 15 months now thereabouts, something like that. And she's still here. And she has not deteriorated. Mostly, she's stable. FIRFER: Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sure Charlene contracted the disease in the United Kingdom, not in the United States.
Charlene lived in England until she was 13, before moving to Florida 11 years ago. So far, 143 people in Britain have contracted the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or VCJD, also known as the human form of mad cow. Six of them are still alive.
So is it remarkable that Charlene still is living? Well, it is hard to tell. But U.S. and British health officials declined to comment on camera about Charlene's condition, citing patient confidentiality. But a statement from the British Health Department illustrates how much is still unknown about the VCJD.
"It remains the case that there is still much that we do not know about VCJD, for example, the route of infection, the incubation period, the level of exposure required to cause the disease, and the possible role of genetics susceptibility. It is likely to be some years before we are able to make soundly based predictions about the future course of the disease"; 21st century medicine has found no cure yet, but Charlene's family will not give up.
They bathe and feed her, care for her around the clock. One infectious disease expert who sees Charlene every few month says she's shown some improvement because her mother has been meticulous in caring for her daughter.
PATRICK: How Charlene's mom does it, I don't know. And we don't know. I'm amazed every day. It is tough on her, really, to be in this room every day with our daughter, because you can't leave, because sometimes she might need help breathing. And she'll be sitting here every day 24/7.
FIRFER: A neurologist who saw our original report on Charlene's condition was willing to try something new. He offered to give Charlene hyperbaric treatment, pumping pure oxygen into her lungs, which may help the brain function better. So, three times a week, her family brings her here to a hyperbaric treatment center in Fort Lauderdale.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When she first came in, was virtually comatose, nonreactive, could not obey commands, did nothing.
FIRFER: Dr. Neubauer (ph) says this is no miracle treatment. But since hyperbaric treatment has alleviated other disorders, he felt it was worth a try with Charlene. Has it helped?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And after 192 treatments, she's not only alive, but she's beginning to try to talk. She's -- follow simple commands. Still a long ways to go.
PATRICK: Well, she has put weight on. She looks brighter. She moves around a lot more. She murmurs a lot more. So, yes, I would say that, in her, there is some physical difference. FIRFER: So what was the family's reaction to the announcement by U.S. officials that a cow in Washington state had tested positive for mad cow disease and that it's still safe to eat beef?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very upset. I was very upset. I was very upset that the lessons have not yet been learned.
PATRICK: It's like being in England all over again, reliving this BSE thing, and being told that the meat is safe to eat. We believed our government that the meat is safe to eat. If we were told any differently, my daughter would not be lying here right now.
FIRFER: Both Charlene's father and aunt say they are not against the beef industry, but they do worry that another parent's child could fall victim to VCJD.
PATRICK: I'm not giving up on my daughter, not for one moment. I think, if we've come this far, we can go further. I hope one day, still -- hope and pray that one day, she will walk from this bed. I have no doubt.
FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: According to the CDC, Charlene is the only known person in the U.S. with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a disease first discovered in 1996 which is caused by eating tainted meat.
The average age of victims is mid to late 20s. This disease is not to be confused with classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Classic CJD has been around for over 100 years. Cases occur about one in a million worldwide and usually strike people in their 60s and 70s.
U.S. troops are accused of desecrating an Iraqi mosque. It may have been a big win in their fight against terrorism, but did troops go too far?
Plus, a U.S. helicopter is shot down in Iraq and the ambush that followed, why appearances can be deceiving. We'll have a live report.
And, crikey, has the crocodile hunter gone too far? It is the story of a big croc, a little baby, and a huge controversy.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Welcome back to CNN.
A U.S. helicopter is shot down over Fallujah. And, in another twist, U.S. troops are accused of going too far at an Iraqi mosque. But, first, a quick check of the latest headlines.
Kansas City quarterback Ell Roberson has been cleared by his school to play in tonight's Fiesta Bowl are going to Ohio State. Roberson has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the team hotel. But, so far, he's not been charged. There's still a possibility he won't play because he violated a team curfew. The Kansas State athletic director says the decision is up to the coach.
California's central coast is still feeling the aftershocks of last month's earthquake. Officials say, eight minor quakes have hit the area since yesterday. The largest was a magnitude 4.2 that struck overnight. There are no reports of damage or injuries.
And the State Department says the U.S. is not planning on sending a humanitarian mission to Iran. Earlier, officials said the White House wanted to send a mission headed by North Carolina Senator and former Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole. But Iranian leaders are said to have rejected the idea.
Meanwhile, dramatic satellite images show just how devastating this quake was. This is a shot of Bam before the earthquake. And this is a shot of the city afterward. About 30,000 people were killed.
The new year has brought no letup from either side fighting for the future of Iraq, and both sides could claim successes today, as insurgents relied on the element of surprise.
Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, not that there was much hope, but the new year hasn't resulted in any lull in the fighting, with both sides in Iraq trading punches today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division secure a crash site new Fallujah, a hotbed of anti-American sentiment west of Baghdad. A U.S. Army scout helicopter was brought down by enemy fire Friday, killing one pilot, wounding the other, then a sneak attack by insurgents masquerading as news reporters, according to the U.S. military.
KIMMITT: Five enemy personnel pulled up to the crash site driving black and dark blue Mercedes. They were written black press jackets with press clearly written in English. The enemy personnel fired upon U.S. forces with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
MCINTYRE: No U.S. troops were hit. And later, four suspects were detained. It was a one-two-punch tactic that was also employed in an earlier attack on a U.S. convoy. A 5,000-gallon fuel truck was set ablaze by RPG and small-arms fire after, first, a roadside bomb stopped the convoy.
Overall, the number of attacks against U.S. troops is down, from about 50 a day two months ago to about 20 a day now. But the enemies of the U.S. continue to refine their methods.
KIMMITT: We are seeing a small uptick in the capability of the enemy. They are getting a little more complex. And for what reason, we don't know. But they are getting a little more sophisticated of late.
MCINTYRE: There's no letup in the U.S. counterinsurgency operations. In the last 24 hours, the U.S. conducted more than 1,500 patrols, launched 28 offensive operations, and captured 88 anti- coalition suspects.
These weapons and bomb-making equipment were seized from a mosque in Baghdad. But, afterward, an angry crowd appeared more upset by a claim that U.S. troops tore a page from a sacred Koran, a charge the U.S. denies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: The U.S. insists, it is slowly wearing down the insurgents. And one U.S. general said that more Baath Party leaders, former leaders, are coming forward, trying to cut deals with the coalition.
Meanwhile, another high-value target was captured as he tried to slip into Syria on New Year's Day. He was described by the U.S. as a key facilitator who was moving foreign fighters and money around Iraq -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Jamie, a couple questions, the first one really sort of a hometown one. And that is that we now have these people who are dressing up as journalists, which poses a problem, obviously, both for the forces and for journalists. Any thought about how they're going to go about that?
MCINTYRE: Well, they haven't announced any change in policy. The U.S. military is going to continue to try to exercise restraint whenever it appears that there could be a possible civilian.
But it's not the first time they have encountered tactics in which military forces have either been disguised as hospital workers or religious -- using religious leaders. In this case, this is the first time we have heard them using the cover of journalists. So the U.S. is going to have exercise some restraint. But journalists are also going to have to be very careful, knowing that U.S. soldiers could be very wary of anyone who they don't know to actually be a member of the press.
CROWLEY: And the other question which comes to me watching your piece is, it seemed that, for a while, it had gotten a little quieter post the arrest of Saddam. Has there been a ratcheting up? Or -- it's hard to kind of keep track of it, but I know you do kind of day by day.
MCINTYRE: Well, I'm not sure it's going up, but it is certainly not going down.
And, as the general said, they are refining their tactics, getting more deadly. The enemies of the U.S. today were able to bring down a helicopter, destroy a fuel tanker. They are not giving up. But, on the other hand, the U.S. isn't giving up either. They are continuing to be on the offensive, rounding up people. And they are convinced that, over time, they will bring the situation under control.
CROWLEY: Jamie McIntyre, our senior White House correspondent -- thanks, Jamie.
As Jamie noted, the U.S. military says it recovered a huge cache of weapons and arrested a number of Sunni Muslim clerics in the raid on a Baghdad mosque. But local Muslims say U.S. troops violated a holy place.
Let's go live to Baghdad now and CNN's Satinder Bindra.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Candy, just a few hours ago, there was a large demonstration outside one of Baghdad's main Sunni mosques.
And for all U.S. denials that they did anything wrong there, these protesters insist that their mosque was -- quote -- "desecrated."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA (voice-over): Religious passions run high outside Baghdad's Ibn Taymiyyah mosque. The Sunni Muslims who worship here every Friday are incensed after U.S. forces raided their mosque Thursday.
"America is the enemy of God," they chant. These worshipers say, U.S. tanks tore down the mosque's main gate and their presence desecrated holy territory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We say to America, don't be against Sunnis. By God, every Sunni will be a missile.
BINDRA: U.S. forces say the raid was conducted here in conjunction with Iraqi security forces.
KIMMITT: This mosque was being used for purposes other than free religious expression.
BINDRA: At a news conference, U.S. forces displayed pictures of a large arsenal of weapons, sticks of explosives, TNT, grenades, grenade launchers, AK-47s, and magazines that they say were uncovered there; 32 people, including the Ibn Taymiyyah mosque top religious leader, Imam Mahadi Emed Sumede (ph), have been taken into custody.
The U.S. says it appears some of those in custody are -- quote -- "foreigners." Crying out for a holy war against the Americans, these protesters deny the mosque was used for terrorist activities. They say it was raided because clerics here had just set up a council to politically mobilize Iraq's Sunnis.
(on camera): These protesters want the Americans to immediately release Imam Mahadi Emed Sumede (ph) and his supporters. Otherwise, they warn, they will launch a movement to resist the American occupation here.
(voice-over): Invited by senior Sunni leaders, I went inside the mosque. Here, I was shown broken doors, offices that had been turned upside down and safes that had been pried open. But this is what has inflamed religious passions most. I'm shown a Koran which religious leaders allege was torn by U.S. troops.
KIMMITT: We are aware that there were some allegations that the coalition forces in fact tore open a Koran. There is no evidence to support that.
BINDRA: These Sunni leaders remain adamant the Americans were insensitive. They point to half-eaten American meals littered around the mosque grounds as evidence of the U.S. soldiers' behavior.
KIMMITT: The greatest care was taken by coalition forces to uphold the sanctity of the mosque and to use the minimal amount of force necessary to conduct the operation.
BINDRA: U.S. forces say they came here only after reliable intelligence to notch another victory in their fight against terrorism.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA: So, Candy, Iraqis have heard two versions of what happened at the mosque. Tomorrow, in a few hours from now, we'll find out which version they believe -- back to you.
CROWLEY: Well, Satinder, is there any way, really -- it seems to me that, every time we look around, there is another fine line for the U.S. troops and U.S. personnel to walk. Is there any way to know what really happened?
BINDRA: Well, it's really hard to tell, particularly in the case of the Koran. I did notice a page was torn, but absolutely impossible to say when it happened and, if, instead, it happened when the U.S. soldiers were there. But, certainly, entering mosques is a very, very sensitive topic, not just for Sunni Muslims, but for all Muslims here -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Satinder Bindra, we appreciate it. Thanks so much.
On the trail again. With less than a month to go until the first presidential primary and caucus, the Democratic candidates are back in the swing of things today, hitting hard where it counts the most.
Celebration gone awry. For party-goers in Albany, New York, the new year was brought in with a tragedy.
Plus, this. Folks are calling it a crock. Did crocodile hunter Steve Irwin take the bait and go too far with his latest stunt?
But first, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Suspicion of SARS. Official of the World Health Organization met with Chinese officials to discuss the possibility SARS has resurfaced. Preliminary tests suggest, a 32- year-old man has come down with a potentially respiratory disease. But officials say it will take a few days to get a clearer picture.
Island earthquake. Dozens of injuries are reported after a powerful earthquake in Indonesia. Hundreds of building on the islands of Bali and Lombok were damaged. And one elderly man is said to have died of a heart attack apparently triggered by shock.
Killer cold. A cold spell in northern India has killed more than 200 people. Many victims are homeless people who lack even warm clothes or blankets.
Controversial pilgrimage. South Korea lodged an official protest with the Japanese ambassador following Prime Minister Koizumi's latest visit to a shrine honoring Japan's war dead. Many Koreans still bitterly resent Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula during the first half of the 20th century.
Popular plumber. A 25-year-old Norwegian plumber has been declared "World Idol." Kurt Nilsen was one of 11 singers who went head to head in an international contest staged on British television. "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson came in second.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Earlier we asked, of the nine Democratic presidential candidates, who once shared the same occupation as his or her spouse? The answer, Howard Dean and John Edwards. Dean's wife, Judith Steinberg Dean, is a physician who continues to practice medicine five days a week. And Dean, before becoming governor of Vermont, was a medical doctor. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, were both practicing attorneys.
With the first presidential caucuses just 2 1/2 weeks away, a new CNN/"TIME" magazine poll suggests that Howard Dean is increasing his lead over the other Democratic candidates; 22 percent of the registered Democrats questioned this week said Dean is their choice for the nomination, up from 14 percent in November.
Dean has more than double the support of the second tier of candidates, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark. If Dean wins the domination, however, he may face an uphill fight. The CNN/"TIME" poll suggests, if the general election were held right now, President Bush would defeat Dean by a 51 to 46 percent margin.
After a New Year's breather, the Democratic presidential candidates are back on the trail today, more than half of them campaigning in New Hampshire. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): He's raised more money than any other Democratic candidate ever in the last two quarters and leads in the first primary state's polls. So things are looking pretty good for Howard Dean, especially in New Hampshire. He has three stops there today, including a town hall meeting with voters in Nashua.
JOAN JETT, MUSICIAN: Here we go, official filing for Howard Dean for president.
CROWLEY: And rocker Joan Jett, perhaps making a career change, filed petitions today to get Dean on the New York state ballot.
Campaigning more as more as the un-Dean, Wesley Clark, who raised the next highest amount of cash in fourth quarter, holds his "Conversations With Clark" in New Hampshire today.
WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pulling the country together and giving real specific goals on which leaders are held accountable, to me, that's the higher standard of leadership America needs.
CROWLEY: In a crucial fight not only with Dean, but now with Clark, John Kerry hits the ground hard in New Hampshire with four scheduled stops.
Joe Lieberman, alongside wife, Hadassah, met with supporters in Manchester and Concord this morning, including a quick break at a local diner.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People in New Hampshire are worried that some of the things that Howard Dean has said are going to be turned right back on him by George W. Bush and Karl Rove.
CROWLEY: And, yes, believe it or not, another presidential candidate squeezed into this tiny state today. John Edwards, trying to catch up, was perhaps the busiest, with roundtable meetings and door-to-door canvassing.
And all alone in the Hawkeye State today, Dick Gephardt, with an early stop in Des Moines for a policy speech, does some last-minute meeting and greeting, all in hopes of squeaking out a win there in just over two weeks.
REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The state of our union is troubled. And the state of our health care system is as unsound as this presidency.
CROWLEY: And that's our look at the 2004 presidential candidates on the trail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: It is a hotly debated question among Democrats and Republicans alike. Does Howard Dean have what it takes to beat President Bush?
Here's what some of you are saying.
Betty writes: "If Howard Dean and Wesley Clark team up, they will beat the socks off George Bush. Bush started this war and now doesn't know how to get us out of it."
Jonathan sends this: "Clark is the only candidate who has the money, buzz and grassroots support necessary to win."
And from Alitta: "The candidate who has the best chance to win against George W. Bush is the candidate who will bring the experience, integrity, maturity, and ability to restore America to its place of dignity in the world community. That person is John Kerry, the only candidate who has no holes in his resume to plug and doesn't need on- the-job training."
"INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" will kick off this weekend. Judy Woodruff hosts the debut Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 7:00 a.m. Pacific.
Martha Stewart has had plenty of spotlight time lately, but her TV time may be coming to an end, or at least taking a short break.
And he's known for daring stunts with wildlife. But should his baby boy be part of the act?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Our "Justice Report" begins with a police controversy in Albany, New York. A makeshift memorial has been put up at an intersection where an innocent bystander was shot. Police were chasing a motorist New Years's Eve, when an errant police bullet killed the 24-year-old bystander. Critics say there was no need for gunfire in the first place. Authorities promise a full investigation.
The judge in the Martha Stewart case is warning the media to stay away from potential jurors. The household advice expert is charged with obstruction of justice and securities fraud in connection with her sale of 3,000 shares of ImClone stock. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
TV crocodile hunter Steve Irwin is facing controversy. Critics say he endangered his baby son with a stunt recorded by television cameras at his zoo in Australia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): The video seemingly tells it all. Steve Irwin, the famous, or infamous, depending on one's opinion, croc hunter pulling another stunt.
But no one can know how Irwin's one-month-old son, Bob, feels as dad teases, then feeds Murray the crocodile just a short distance away and, for good measure, takes Bob on a waterside stroll, to the crowd's delight. replay, you can see, Murray is no baby. Steve Irwin has made a very lucrative career out of pushing the envelope with these beasts, even scoring an invitation to the White House.
His show, "Croc Hunter," on the Animal Planet Channel is so popular that he took the inevitable next step of making a feature- length movie. Irwin's long been a lightning rod for animal experts and others. The warnings consistent, don't try this at home. At the Miami Metro Zoo, herpetologist Ron Magill says Irwin is also known for doing good work on behalf of reptile awareness. Still:
RON MAGILL, MIAMI METRO ZOO: This was just the ultimate. To take an infant, your own infant, and put him in that type of dangerous situation was just ludicrous.
CROWLEY: Magill says crocodiles and alligators are generally very shy creatures and, in the wild, will usually bolt in the opposite direction after spotting a human. But he says, there's good reason why feeding these animals is against the law in Florida and elsewhere.
MAGILL: The problem is with crocodiles that, once they're fed by humans, once they associate humans with food, that's when they lose their natural instinct to fear.
CROWLEY: We tried to reach Steve Irwin through his U.S. representatives and tried to contact Discovery Communications, which oversees the Animal Planet Channel. We could not get no one from that side to comment.
Irwin told an Australia newspaper -- quote -- "I was in complete control of the crocodile. Robert was tucked right in my arm. This kid has to grow up to be croc savvy." His wife, Terri, who assists Irwin on these productions, said of her infant son -- quote -- "It was a wonderful sensory experience for him. He dug it."
Back in Australia, police say they plan to review the tape of the incident.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Critics are comparing Irwin to entertainer Michael Jackson, who touched off a huge controversy a little over a year ago by dangling his baby son over a hotel balcony. Irwin is scheduled to hold a news conference in Queensland, Australia, a little over two hours from now.
A North Carolina couple sure knew how to kick off the new year. See how they turned a $20 bill into a $110 million payday.
But first, our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this. Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? Vote right now. CNN.com/Wolf is the place. The results for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Our picture of the day is a look into the face of victory. Norman and Deanna Shue of Concord, North Carolina, won a $110 million jackpot in the New Year's Eve Powerball lottery drawing. Since the Shues could not claim their prize on New Year's Day, they had to settle for a celebratory lunch at the local Steak & Shake.
Here's how you're weighing in our "Web Question of the Day": Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? Thirty-two percent of you say yes, while 68 percent of you say no. As we always tell you, this is not, of course, a scientific poll.
A reminder: You can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. Be sure to watch "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER" this Sunday at noon Eastern. Presidential candidate Richard Gephardt will be his guest.
We thank you for joining us.
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Security; Young Woman Battles Mad Cow Disease>
Aired January 2, 2004 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, responding to the terror threat. Air travel on both sides of the Atlantic are affected. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Flight fears, delays, cancellations, and fighter escorts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I understand the security, but it is upsetting. I just want to get home now.
CROWLEY: New tactics. Troops hunt for guns in a mosque. And gunmen stage an ambush in disguise.
BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: They were wearing black press jackets with press clearly written in English.
CROWLEY: Mad cow tragedy. The only human patient living in the U.S.
PATRICK, FATHER OF MAD COW DISEASE VICTIM: I'm not giving up on my daughter, not for one moment.
CROWLEY: Croc shock. What was he thinking?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, January 2, 2004.
CROWLEY: I'm Candy Crowley. Wolf is off today.
The holidays have now passed, but fears that Al Qaeda may turn international airliners into weapons are helping to keep America on high alert. And those same fears are keeping some planes on the ground.
We begin with CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Candy, officials say that the intelligence has investigators focused on three airlines, Air France, Aeromexico and British Airways, although the most recent information is most specific regarding British flights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): Officials tell CNN, intelligence from an informant and other sources regarding British Airways Flight 223 is what led to its cancellation for the second straight day. Sources say the information had nothing to do with the passenger list, but, instead, focused on the flight number.
ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: I think the public understands that there's always a general threat, but you don't take action to inconvenience passengers to cancel a flight unless there is specific and credible information that relates to that flight.
ARENA: There remain some question as to the credibility of the information. Still, officials say they simply cannot take any chances.
Two Aeromexico flights headed to Los Angeles were also canceled this week. And at least one other was escorted by military fighter jets. The military also accompanied at least one Air France flight into the United States. Officials admit the moves are extraordinary, considering the repercussions, but they are not ruling out more cancellations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Sources tell CNN, the one major problem with the intelligence is that it is not time-specific.
Now, there was information regarding a possible threat on New Year's Eve. But that date passed without incident. Still, information continues to suggest that al Qaeda may be in the operational stages of an attack -- Candy.
CROWLEY: So, are they learning anything from these planes that are coming in? Was there something on them and they got them off? Did they just turn out to be bogus reports? What are all these things that are delayed and/or canceled turning up?
ARENA: I asked very directly whether or not there were any individuals on any of those flights that had been detained, that had caused a great deal of concern. So far, no.
But when you go back to the very first flights that were canceled, the Air France flights back around Christmas, that investigation is ongoing. There are still some people who did not show up for those flights who investigators are interested in, in learning more about, and some passengers who actually were on the flight that now they're relooking at -- they're reviewing that.
So these are open-ended situations. Did they thwart an attack? Sometimes, they never find out, because it didn't happen, nobody is talking. But so far, no action that's been taken after the people were interviewed, the flights are set on their way, no law enforcement action, nobody charged, nothing happening on that level, at least.
CROWLEY: So how do we get ever off code orange, or do we?
ARENA: Well, officials seem to be pretty much convinced that we will remain at code orange although through most of this month. There has to be a determination at some point. It's monetary. It's intelligence driven. There are so many factor political -- so many factors that is go into this decision, Candy, as you well know, that the expectation is that they can't stay at orange for too long, because it becomes too expensive.
And don't forget, yellow still means elevated. So, if they go back down to yellow, it's still -- the coast is still not clear. But orange seems to be the hue that we'll see for at least another couple of weeks.
CROWLEY: Kelli Arena, always on top of it -- thanks, Kelli.
CROWLEY: Back now to that grounded British Airways flight. Why is it the focus of such concern?
CNN's Robin Oakley reports from London's Heathrow Airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On New Years's Eve, the last day it flew, Flight 223 was escorted into Dulles by fighter aircraft and held on the runway for several hours. British Airways announced Friday, "Following the latest advice from the U.K. government received this afternoon, B.A. has canceled Flight 223 to Washington due to security concerns."
With other flights to the U.S. and elsewhere allowed to depart, the threat was thought to be specific.
PHILIP BAUM, AVIATION SECURITY CONSULTANT: We're now talking about a very increased amount of chatter on the wires. So the authorities are, obviously, very concerned that an attack is possibly imminent.
OAKLEY: But the majority of travelers at Heathrow were cool about any risks in air travel today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No fear at all. Flying is flying. I think flying is safer than driving. So...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would rather that they took care of the security and that we got delayed. I think that's always in everybody's interest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since September 11, I don't think there has been a safer time, honestly.
OAKLEY: British experts say the intelligence which led Flight 223 to be grounded had come from the United States and involved more than names on passenger lists matching those in U.S. databases of suspected terrorists. BAUM: I think this has got relatively little to do with passenger lists and watch lists, because, at the end of the day, we could actually deny passengers boarding. We can screen passengers effectively. I think this has got much more to do with a general increased level of security alert, possible fears of attacks against the aircraft itself by a range of different means.
OAKLEY: U.K. authorities refuse to comment on security questions. But their action in forcing B.A. to halt the Washington flight once again indicated their concern.
(on camera): Governments and airlines don't go into much detail about security threats, but what is clear is deep concern both sides of the Atlantic about a possible terrorist hijacking and that B.A. 223 has been identified by intelligence as a possible target.
Robin Oakley, CNN, Heathrow Airport, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Can security officials keep a step ahead of al Qaeda by grounding airliners? How long can they keep that up before there is a real impact on public morale and on the ever-fragile airline industry?
Joining me now is Michael Goldfarb, former chief of staff for the Federal Aviation Administration.
And that's really a good question. How long do you keep this up? First of all, it has got to be very disruptive. And, second of all, it is going to have to take a toll here fairly soon on air travel.
MICHAEL GOLDFARB, FORMER FAA CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, I think it already is.
The irony is, in aviation, the things you expect tend to be the safest. So, if you're boarding a plane in Heathrow this afternoon coming to the United States, with all this extra protection, if the traveling public wants to know, is it safe to be on that flight, probably the safest time is right now. How do you maintain a code orange alert with this almost counterterrorist operation more than aviation security through January, February and March?
You have a fragile airline industry, as you mentioned. And you have people that are very jittery. We're not prepared to witness the kinds of things we saw at Dulles Airport two nights ago on New Year's Eve, where a plane was held for three hours to be checked on its landing at a destination.
CROWLEY: So what is the answer? You're right. We can't keep this up as a government, really, because it's got to be expensive to keep shipping those F-16s up there.
GOLDFARB: What we don't know and probably ought not to know publicly is the exact nature of the specific threat.
There's been tons of speculation, which is normally wrong, about what's going on. We don't know how much improved aviation has flagged these problems vs. intelligence from FBI and other sources. And that's a very important ingredient.
So it may be that the aviation security system, in fact, the computer lists and the security checks are working fairly well to be able to handle, I believe, a code yellow, perhaps, state of alert. But code orange, if that's going to mean, in this country, lines like you find at customs sometimes when you come into a country, I think people have to realize that the cost of safety is going to be long delays.
CROWLEY: Explain something to me that I asked earlier of Asa Hutchinson that I don't understand. What happens between the time a plane takes off at Heathrow and enters U.S. airspace that would require us scrambling an F-16?
GOLDFARB: Well, it's all based on information.
First of all, there's some good news, that authorities are sharing prior to takeoff the lists of passenger manifests. So we're having that information before planes take off, which is why we're seeing the groundings. But if they take off and something happens in flight, there's constant communication between the cockpit, airline operations, air traffic control authorities in the United Kingdom and then Gander and then into the United States.
So that communication, they could call NORAD or they could call the Air Force immediately. And those planes are then set to scramble that flight.
CROWLEY: I guess because -- we assume that nothing has happened on these flights, because they haven't kept anybody. And, suddenly, we're sending F-16s up. And that must be fairly scary to be flying in here to meet grandma for the New Year's and you get an F-16 escort.
GOLDFARB: Well, you never know what you prevent. So that's part of the irony. You never know what you prevent. It is scary.
And I don't think we are going to take away that post-9/11 jitters that people have when they fly into the nation's capital or New York. I think that's just naturally a part of it. But we have to be careful that we don't let the single focus on counterterrorism cloud the concern on aviation security and safety, because, if you're flying in a plane, you don't care if its security or safety. You want to get to your destination. And we need to keep a broad focus on flying safely here and abroad.
CROWLEY: What effect do you think all of this has on the bottom line? And how long before
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDFARB: Good and bad news.
The bad news is that a fragile airline industry can ill afford to maintain this level of security and this level of disruption. The good news is, it's clearly a government-to-government responsibility. It is not an industry responsibility. We'll have to see if the president's budget follows through in '04 in February with the kinds of concerns that have caused a code orange alert.
And that will be the real proof about whether or not they're going to put their money behind aviation security on an ongoing base and not on the airlines themselves.
CROWLEY: And bottom line, the airlines themselves are going to be more profitable if people are assured that they're safe.
GOLDFARB: The most expensive mistake you can make is to be cheap on safety or security, so, absolutely.
CROWLEY: Michael Goldfarb, former chief of staff of the FAA, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
GOLDFARB: My pleasure.
CROWLEY: Here is your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is this: Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? You can vote right now at CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.
And while you're there, we would like to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send us your comments anytime and we might read some of them during this program.
A family faces a mad cow crisis. A 24-year-old woman who should be finishing her master's degree faces the fight of her life.
A Fiesta fiasco? The reason a star player may be kept off the field.
And some cheered. Others gasped. The crocodile hunter causes a commotion, the video you have to see.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Turning now to ties between the U.S. and two of its bitter foes. One door may be opening in North Korea, where American experts may soon be able to eyeball a nuclear facility. But quake- stricken Iran is shutting the door on a high-profile humanitarian mission.
Let's go live to our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux in Crawford, Texas -- Suzanne¯
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, it was Tuesday when the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Negroponte, approached Iran's U.N. representative and offered to send Senator Elizabeth Dole -- she is the former president of the American Red Cross -- to Iran to lead a high-level delegation for a humanitarian mission.
Now, if this was improved -- it this had gotten the green light, it would have meant that she was the first public U.S. official to visit Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis. Also, at the same time, there was an unidentified member of the Bush family that would have been as part of that potential delegation. Well, today, Iran made its views very clear. It said, no thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We have heard back today from the Iranians, that, given the current situation in Bam and all that is going on now, it would be preferable to hold such a visit in abeyance. Therefore, we are not pursuing it further at the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, U.S. officials said that they believe that this was because of logistics, that it was not political, that they say that, really, Iran would not be capable of handling and accommodating such a high-level delegation at this time.
Thank, Candy, it only underscores, really, the mutual suspicions between the two nations, their political ties severed 25 years ago. It was just after the quake that President Bush sent relief. He also offered to ease restrictions for aid in that country. But it was just yesterday that the president again warned Iran that it has to turn over al Qaeda members and to come clean on its nuclear weapons program -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Suzanne, while we're talking about mutual suspicions, let me move you to North Korea and the possibility that American experts could maybe eye a nuclear facility there. Does that speak of any warming relations?
MALVEAUX: Well, this is certainly something that the Bush administration is going to keep an eye on.
As you know, this is a private delegation, a U.S. delegation of nuclear experts and academics who will be traveling to North Korea. We have spoken to a number of them who say that, so far, they are going to be going to China. They have not yet gotten access to North Korea. But, having said that, U.S. officials say, look, this is something that they do not sanction. They are not a part of this inspection or this process.
But what makes it significant, it would be the first time in a year or so that perhaps a U.S. delegation or foreigners would get a look at that nuclear site, since North Korea kicked out the inspectors about a year ago. So, while the U.S. government says it does not officially sanction this, they're very curious to see what happens -- Candy.
CROWLEY: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much. Talk to you later.
The nation's heightened terror alert level means security will be tighter than man-to-man coverage at the bowl games remaining. To talk about that, I'm joined by Tempe, Arizona, Mayor Neal Giuliano. Tempe is the Fiesta Bowl's host city. I'm also joined by Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans, which hosts the national championship Sunday night at the Sugar Bowl.
Well, gentlemen, I guess I want to start out in New Orleans and ask you first what kind of increased security have you got there that you didn't have before.
TERRY EBBERT, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR NEW ORLEANS: Well, Candy, we've had to do a lot of things, because, obviously, we were planning an ordinary Sugar Bowl. And two things happened. One, we've got the home team playing with LSU in town, which enlarges our outdoor crowd. At the same time, we've now been faced with the elevated condition orange. So we've had to put together the same team that we used for the Super Bowl and the Final Four, with tremendous assistance from the federal agencies, the state agencies and all the regional law enforcement.
CROWLEY: Mayor Giuliano, what does it look like out there?
NEIL GIULIANO, MAYOR OF TEMPE, ARIZONA: Well, it's a wonderful day for the Buckeye and Kansas State fans that are here. And we've taken all the similar precautions that the direct there in New Orleans has talked about. A lot of work actually takes place before the fans actually show up at the venue.
CROWLEY: Both of you have not just the people who are coming to the games, but the tailgaters and the spectators that come to just watch kind of the entire show outside. How close will they be allowed to get to the arena? And are those people screened?
EBBERT: Well, in New Orleans, what we've had to do is, we've had to segregate the Superdome property. And so we have fenced that property. And only those people with tickets will be allowed to come through the screening, the metal detectors, and get actually on the installation.
So we've kept the crowd that is not ticketed going to be on the outside in the French Quarter and celebrating down there, while we screen all those people coming into the Superdome.
CROWLEY: Mr. Mayor, are you keeping them away?
GIULIANO: Well, we actually do something that's called the world's largest college tailgate party. The Fiesta Bowl puts that on. It attracts 25,000 or 35,000 people who don't have a ticket to the game, but would like to be a part of the festivities. That's just north of the stadium. So they get to be part of the excitement of the game without being in the stadium itself.
CROWLEY: You've been mayor almost 10 years, I know. And how does this differ, in terms of the spirit and the fun and just is different in general from any of the bowls that you have hosted in the past?
GIULIANO: Well, we were excited last year. We had the national championship with Ohio State and the University of Miami. And Ohio State is back this year. The Fiesta Bowl always draws a great crowd. The weather is great. And the hospitality is wonderful. And we have two cold-climate teams coming in to Tempe this year, which adds to it as well.
And everyone just has a great time. We had 170,000 people at our block party on New Year's Eve with no issues and no problems. And we're really ringing in the new year in a fun way.
CROWLEY: Mr. Ebbert, I have got to believe that, at some level, you have a knot in your stomach until this is over.
EBBERT: Well, you always do.
And I think, in a job like mine, you have got to be concerned to provide the best possible safety and security to all those hundreds of thousands of people who are visiting our city. So it is a challenge. But we have got a tremendous team that we've worked with the past two years. And I feel very comfortable that everybody who visits our city is going to, one, have a great time, and, two, be safe and secure.
CROWLEY: Let me ask you and then I want to ask the mayor as well. What's your best advice to someone that is headed for the bowl games to get through security? What should they bring, not bring? What's your best piece of advice?
EBBERT: Well, we're not allowing anything -- any backpacks, coolers, anything other than purses into the ball game. The second thing is, come early, because, obviously, screening 72,000 people through metal detectors takes a while. So we are going to open the gates at 3:00 and then open the interior at 4:00. So there should be plenty of time to have everybody in their seats by game time.
CROWLEY: Mayor, about the same advice for you all?
GIULIANO: Yes. We encourage everyone to come early, be patient, enjoy the Arizona sunshine, stroll around the Tempe Town Lake, and just have a great day while you're here enjoying the game. But be patient.
CROWLEY: Mayor Neil Giuliano out there in Tempe, as well as Terry Ebbert down in New Orleans, we wish you all safe, happy games. Thanks very much.
EBBERT: Thank you.
GIULIANO: Thank you very much.
CROWLEY: A family's pain, living with the effects of mad cow disease.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don't want to see another person infected with this disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: What do we know now, or, perhaps more importantly, what don't we know about the human form of this mysterious illness? A helicopter down and a sneak attack, new obstacles for U.S. forces in Iraq.
Dueling Democrats are on the trail. And our newest poll results are in. Who would some Democrats choose to run against President Bush?
But first, our "News Quiz."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Of the nine Democratic presidential candidates, who once shared the same occupation as his or her spouse, Carol Moseley Braun, Richard Gephardt, Howard Dean, or John Edwards? The answer later in the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: The investigation into mad cow disease in Washington state is expanding. Officials say a third facility has been placed under quarantine, this one a dairy in Mattawa, Washington. One cow at the dairy came to the United States in the same shipment of Canadian cows as the cow found to have contracted the disease. At this point, 11 of the cows in that shipment have been identified. Officials are still looking for the 70 other cows.
Meat from cattle with mad cow disease has been linked to a brain- wasting illness in humans. The only confirmed case in the United States involves a woman believed to have contracted the diseases in Britain. We last reported on her case a year ago.
Now CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer has an update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This young woman should be finishing up her master's degree or planning her future. Instead, she's become a statistic; 24-year-old Charlene -- her parents don't want us to use their last name -- is the only person living in the United States suffering from the human form of mad cow disease.
This is what Charlene looked like when CNN brought you these exclusive pictures over a year ago. Then, doctors told her parents she had just about three months to live.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Come on.
FIRFER: And yet, Charlene is still alive today.
PATRICK: She has stabilized from the last time we saw you. If you remember that, they gave her three months at that time. And it's over 15 months now thereabouts, something like that. And she's still here. And she has not deteriorated. Mostly, she's stable. FIRFER: Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sure Charlene contracted the disease in the United Kingdom, not in the United States.
Charlene lived in England until she was 13, before moving to Florida 11 years ago. So far, 143 people in Britain have contracted the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or VCJD, also known as the human form of mad cow. Six of them are still alive.
So is it remarkable that Charlene still is living? Well, it is hard to tell. But U.S. and British health officials declined to comment on camera about Charlene's condition, citing patient confidentiality. But a statement from the British Health Department illustrates how much is still unknown about the VCJD.
"It remains the case that there is still much that we do not know about VCJD, for example, the route of infection, the incubation period, the level of exposure required to cause the disease, and the possible role of genetics susceptibility. It is likely to be some years before we are able to make soundly based predictions about the future course of the disease"; 21st century medicine has found no cure yet, but Charlene's family will not give up.
They bathe and feed her, care for her around the clock. One infectious disease expert who sees Charlene every few month says she's shown some improvement because her mother has been meticulous in caring for her daughter.
PATRICK: How Charlene's mom does it, I don't know. And we don't know. I'm amazed every day. It is tough on her, really, to be in this room every day with our daughter, because you can't leave, because sometimes she might need help breathing. And she'll be sitting here every day 24/7.
FIRFER: A neurologist who saw our original report on Charlene's condition was willing to try something new. He offered to give Charlene hyperbaric treatment, pumping pure oxygen into her lungs, which may help the brain function better. So, three times a week, her family brings her here to a hyperbaric treatment center in Fort Lauderdale.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When she first came in, was virtually comatose, nonreactive, could not obey commands, did nothing.
FIRFER: Dr. Neubauer (ph) says this is no miracle treatment. But since hyperbaric treatment has alleviated other disorders, he felt it was worth a try with Charlene. Has it helped?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And after 192 treatments, she's not only alive, but she's beginning to try to talk. She's -- follow simple commands. Still a long ways to go.
PATRICK: Well, she has put weight on. She looks brighter. She moves around a lot more. She murmurs a lot more. So, yes, I would say that, in her, there is some physical difference. FIRFER: So what was the family's reaction to the announcement by U.S. officials that a cow in Washington state had tested positive for mad cow disease and that it's still safe to eat beef?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very upset. I was very upset. I was very upset that the lessons have not yet been learned.
PATRICK: It's like being in England all over again, reliving this BSE thing, and being told that the meat is safe to eat. We believed our government that the meat is safe to eat. If we were told any differently, my daughter would not be lying here right now.
FIRFER: Both Charlene's father and aunt say they are not against the beef industry, but they do worry that another parent's child could fall victim to VCJD.
PATRICK: I'm not giving up on my daughter, not for one moment. I think, if we've come this far, we can go further. I hope one day, still -- hope and pray that one day, she will walk from this bed. I have no doubt.
FIRFER: Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: According to the CDC, Charlene is the only known person in the U.S. with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a disease first discovered in 1996 which is caused by eating tainted meat.
The average age of victims is mid to late 20s. This disease is not to be confused with classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Classic CJD has been around for over 100 years. Cases occur about one in a million worldwide and usually strike people in their 60s and 70s.
U.S. troops are accused of desecrating an Iraqi mosque. It may have been a big win in their fight against terrorism, but did troops go too far?
Plus, a U.S. helicopter is shot down in Iraq and the ambush that followed, why appearances can be deceiving. We'll have a live report.
And, crikey, has the crocodile hunter gone too far? It is the story of a big croc, a little baby, and a huge controversy.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Welcome back to CNN.
A U.S. helicopter is shot down over Fallujah. And, in another twist, U.S. troops are accused of going too far at an Iraqi mosque. But, first, a quick check of the latest headlines.
Kansas City quarterback Ell Roberson has been cleared by his school to play in tonight's Fiesta Bowl are going to Ohio State. Roberson has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the team hotel. But, so far, he's not been charged. There's still a possibility he won't play because he violated a team curfew. The Kansas State athletic director says the decision is up to the coach.
California's central coast is still feeling the aftershocks of last month's earthquake. Officials say, eight minor quakes have hit the area since yesterday. The largest was a magnitude 4.2 that struck overnight. There are no reports of damage or injuries.
And the State Department says the U.S. is not planning on sending a humanitarian mission to Iran. Earlier, officials said the White House wanted to send a mission headed by North Carolina Senator and former Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole. But Iranian leaders are said to have rejected the idea.
Meanwhile, dramatic satellite images show just how devastating this quake was. This is a shot of Bam before the earthquake. And this is a shot of the city afterward. About 30,000 people were killed.
The new year has brought no letup from either side fighting for the future of Iraq, and both sides could claim successes today, as insurgents relied on the element of surprise.
Let's go live to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Candy, not that there was much hope, but the new year hasn't resulted in any lull in the fighting, with both sides in Iraq trading punches today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE (voice-over): U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division secure a crash site new Fallujah, a hotbed of anti-American sentiment west of Baghdad. A U.S. Army scout helicopter was brought down by enemy fire Friday, killing one pilot, wounding the other, then a sneak attack by insurgents masquerading as news reporters, according to the U.S. military.
KIMMITT: Five enemy personnel pulled up to the crash site driving black and dark blue Mercedes. They were written black press jackets with press clearly written in English. The enemy personnel fired upon U.S. forces with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
MCINTYRE: No U.S. troops were hit. And later, four suspects were detained. It was a one-two-punch tactic that was also employed in an earlier attack on a U.S. convoy. A 5,000-gallon fuel truck was set ablaze by RPG and small-arms fire after, first, a roadside bomb stopped the convoy.
Overall, the number of attacks against U.S. troops is down, from about 50 a day two months ago to about 20 a day now. But the enemies of the U.S. continue to refine their methods.
KIMMITT: We are seeing a small uptick in the capability of the enemy. They are getting a little more complex. And for what reason, we don't know. But they are getting a little more sophisticated of late.
MCINTYRE: There's no letup in the U.S. counterinsurgency operations. In the last 24 hours, the U.S. conducted more than 1,500 patrols, launched 28 offensive operations, and captured 88 anti- coalition suspects.
These weapons and bomb-making equipment were seized from a mosque in Baghdad. But, afterward, an angry crowd appeared more upset by a claim that U.S. troops tore a page from a sacred Koran, a charge the U.S. denies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCINTYRE: The U.S. insists, it is slowly wearing down the insurgents. And one U.S. general said that more Baath Party leaders, former leaders, are coming forward, trying to cut deals with the coalition.
Meanwhile, another high-value target was captured as he tried to slip into Syria on New Year's Day. He was described by the U.S. as a key facilitator who was moving foreign fighters and money around Iraq -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Jamie, a couple questions, the first one really sort of a hometown one. And that is that we now have these people who are dressing up as journalists, which poses a problem, obviously, both for the forces and for journalists. Any thought about how they're going to go about that?
MCINTYRE: Well, they haven't announced any change in policy. The U.S. military is going to continue to try to exercise restraint whenever it appears that there could be a possible civilian.
But it's not the first time they have encountered tactics in which military forces have either been disguised as hospital workers or religious -- using religious leaders. In this case, this is the first time we have heard them using the cover of journalists. So the U.S. is going to have exercise some restraint. But journalists are also going to have to be very careful, knowing that U.S. soldiers could be very wary of anyone who they don't know to actually be a member of the press.
CROWLEY: And the other question which comes to me watching your piece is, it seemed that, for a while, it had gotten a little quieter post the arrest of Saddam. Has there been a ratcheting up? Or -- it's hard to kind of keep track of it, but I know you do kind of day by day.
MCINTYRE: Well, I'm not sure it's going up, but it is certainly not going down.
And, as the general said, they are refining their tactics, getting more deadly. The enemies of the U.S. today were able to bring down a helicopter, destroy a fuel tanker. They are not giving up. But, on the other hand, the U.S. isn't giving up either. They are continuing to be on the offensive, rounding up people. And they are convinced that, over time, they will bring the situation under control.
CROWLEY: Jamie McIntyre, our senior White House correspondent -- thanks, Jamie.
As Jamie noted, the U.S. military says it recovered a huge cache of weapons and arrested a number of Sunni Muslim clerics in the raid on a Baghdad mosque. But local Muslims say U.S. troops violated a holy place.
Let's go live to Baghdad now and CNN's Satinder Bindra.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Candy, just a few hours ago, there was a large demonstration outside one of Baghdad's main Sunni mosques.
And for all U.S. denials that they did anything wrong there, these protesters insist that their mosque was -- quote -- "desecrated."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA (voice-over): Religious passions run high outside Baghdad's Ibn Taymiyyah mosque. The Sunni Muslims who worship here every Friday are incensed after U.S. forces raided their mosque Thursday.
"America is the enemy of God," they chant. These worshipers say, U.S. tanks tore down the mosque's main gate and their presence desecrated holy territory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We say to America, don't be against Sunnis. By God, every Sunni will be a missile.
BINDRA: U.S. forces say the raid was conducted here in conjunction with Iraqi security forces.
KIMMITT: This mosque was being used for purposes other than free religious expression.
BINDRA: At a news conference, U.S. forces displayed pictures of a large arsenal of weapons, sticks of explosives, TNT, grenades, grenade launchers, AK-47s, and magazines that they say were uncovered there; 32 people, including the Ibn Taymiyyah mosque top religious leader, Imam Mahadi Emed Sumede (ph), have been taken into custody.
The U.S. says it appears some of those in custody are -- quote -- "foreigners." Crying out for a holy war against the Americans, these protesters deny the mosque was used for terrorist activities. They say it was raided because clerics here had just set up a council to politically mobilize Iraq's Sunnis.
(on camera): These protesters want the Americans to immediately release Imam Mahadi Emed Sumede (ph) and his supporters. Otherwise, they warn, they will launch a movement to resist the American occupation here.
(voice-over): Invited by senior Sunni leaders, I went inside the mosque. Here, I was shown broken doors, offices that had been turned upside down and safes that had been pried open. But this is what has inflamed religious passions most. I'm shown a Koran which religious leaders allege was torn by U.S. troops.
KIMMITT: We are aware that there were some allegations that the coalition forces in fact tore open a Koran. There is no evidence to support that.
BINDRA: These Sunni leaders remain adamant the Americans were insensitive. They point to half-eaten American meals littered around the mosque grounds as evidence of the U.S. soldiers' behavior.
KIMMITT: The greatest care was taken by coalition forces to uphold the sanctity of the mosque and to use the minimal amount of force necessary to conduct the operation.
BINDRA: U.S. forces say they came here only after reliable intelligence to notch another victory in their fight against terrorism.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA: So, Candy, Iraqis have heard two versions of what happened at the mosque. Tomorrow, in a few hours from now, we'll find out which version they believe -- back to you.
CROWLEY: Well, Satinder, is there any way, really -- it seems to me that, every time we look around, there is another fine line for the U.S. troops and U.S. personnel to walk. Is there any way to know what really happened?
BINDRA: Well, it's really hard to tell, particularly in the case of the Koran. I did notice a page was torn, but absolutely impossible to say when it happened and, if, instead, it happened when the U.S. soldiers were there. But, certainly, entering mosques is a very, very sensitive topic, not just for Sunni Muslims, but for all Muslims here -- Candy.
CROWLEY: Satinder Bindra, we appreciate it. Thanks so much.
On the trail again. With less than a month to go until the first presidential primary and caucus, the Democratic candidates are back in the swing of things today, hitting hard where it counts the most.
Celebration gone awry. For party-goers in Albany, New York, the new year was brought in with a tragedy.
Plus, this. Folks are calling it a crock. Did crocodile hunter Steve Irwin take the bait and go too far with his latest stunt?
But first, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Suspicion of SARS. Official of the World Health Organization met with Chinese officials to discuss the possibility SARS has resurfaced. Preliminary tests suggest, a 32- year-old man has come down with a potentially respiratory disease. But officials say it will take a few days to get a clearer picture.
Island earthquake. Dozens of injuries are reported after a powerful earthquake in Indonesia. Hundreds of building on the islands of Bali and Lombok were damaged. And one elderly man is said to have died of a heart attack apparently triggered by shock.
Killer cold. A cold spell in northern India has killed more than 200 people. Many victims are homeless people who lack even warm clothes or blankets.
Controversial pilgrimage. South Korea lodged an official protest with the Japanese ambassador following Prime Minister Koizumi's latest visit to a shrine honoring Japan's war dead. Many Koreans still bitterly resent Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula during the first half of the 20th century.
Popular plumber. A 25-year-old Norwegian plumber has been declared "World Idol." Kurt Nilsen was one of 11 singers who went head to head in an international contest staged on British television. "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson came in second.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Earlier we asked, of the nine Democratic presidential candidates, who once shared the same occupation as his or her spouse? The answer, Howard Dean and John Edwards. Dean's wife, Judith Steinberg Dean, is a physician who continues to practice medicine five days a week. And Dean, before becoming governor of Vermont, was a medical doctor. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, were both practicing attorneys.
With the first presidential caucuses just 2 1/2 weeks away, a new CNN/"TIME" magazine poll suggests that Howard Dean is increasing his lead over the other Democratic candidates; 22 percent of the registered Democrats questioned this week said Dean is their choice for the nomination, up from 14 percent in November.
Dean has more than double the support of the second tier of candidates, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark. If Dean wins the domination, however, he may face an uphill fight. The CNN/"TIME" poll suggests, if the general election were held right now, President Bush would defeat Dean by a 51 to 46 percent margin.
After a New Year's breather, the Democratic presidential candidates are back on the trail today, more than half of them campaigning in New Hampshire. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): He's raised more money than any other Democratic candidate ever in the last two quarters and leads in the first primary state's polls. So things are looking pretty good for Howard Dean, especially in New Hampshire. He has three stops there today, including a town hall meeting with voters in Nashua.
JOAN JETT, MUSICIAN: Here we go, official filing for Howard Dean for president.
CROWLEY: And rocker Joan Jett, perhaps making a career change, filed petitions today to get Dean on the New York state ballot.
Campaigning more as more as the un-Dean, Wesley Clark, who raised the next highest amount of cash in fourth quarter, holds his "Conversations With Clark" in New Hampshire today.
WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pulling the country together and giving real specific goals on which leaders are held accountable, to me, that's the higher standard of leadership America needs.
CROWLEY: In a crucial fight not only with Dean, but now with Clark, John Kerry hits the ground hard in New Hampshire with four scheduled stops.
Joe Lieberman, alongside wife, Hadassah, met with supporters in Manchester and Concord this morning, including a quick break at a local diner.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People in New Hampshire are worried that some of the things that Howard Dean has said are going to be turned right back on him by George W. Bush and Karl Rove.
CROWLEY: And, yes, believe it or not, another presidential candidate squeezed into this tiny state today. John Edwards, trying to catch up, was perhaps the busiest, with roundtable meetings and door-to-door canvassing.
And all alone in the Hawkeye State today, Dick Gephardt, with an early stop in Des Moines for a policy speech, does some last-minute meeting and greeting, all in hopes of squeaking out a win there in just over two weeks.
REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT (D-MO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The state of our union is troubled. And the state of our health care system is as unsound as this presidency.
CROWLEY: And that's our look at the 2004 presidential candidates on the trail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: It is a hotly debated question among Democrats and Republicans alike. Does Howard Dean have what it takes to beat President Bush?
Here's what some of you are saying.
Betty writes: "If Howard Dean and Wesley Clark team up, they will beat the socks off George Bush. Bush started this war and now doesn't know how to get us out of it."
Jonathan sends this: "Clark is the only candidate who has the money, buzz and grassroots support necessary to win."
And from Alitta: "The candidate who has the best chance to win against George W. Bush is the candidate who will bring the experience, integrity, maturity, and ability to restore America to its place of dignity in the world community. That person is John Kerry, the only candidate who has no holes in his resume to plug and doesn't need on- the-job training."
"INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY" will kick off this weekend. Judy Woodruff hosts the debut Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 7:00 a.m. Pacific.
Martha Stewart has had plenty of spotlight time lately, but her TV time may be coming to an end, or at least taking a short break.
And he's known for daring stunts with wildlife. But should his baby boy be part of the act?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Our "Justice Report" begins with a police controversy in Albany, New York. A makeshift memorial has been put up at an intersection where an innocent bystander was shot. Police were chasing a motorist New Years's Eve, when an errant police bullet killed the 24-year-old bystander. Critics say there was no need for gunfire in the first place. Authorities promise a full investigation.
The judge in the Martha Stewart case is warning the media to stay away from potential jurors. The household advice expert is charged with obstruction of justice and securities fraud in connection with her sale of 3,000 shares of ImClone stock. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
TV crocodile hunter Steve Irwin is facing controversy. Critics say he endangered his baby son with a stunt recorded by television cameras at his zoo in Australia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): The video seemingly tells it all. Steve Irwin, the famous, or infamous, depending on one's opinion, croc hunter pulling another stunt.
But no one can know how Irwin's one-month-old son, Bob, feels as dad teases, then feeds Murray the crocodile just a short distance away and, for good measure, takes Bob on a waterside stroll, to the crowd's delight. replay, you can see, Murray is no baby. Steve Irwin has made a very lucrative career out of pushing the envelope with these beasts, even scoring an invitation to the White House.
His show, "Croc Hunter," on the Animal Planet Channel is so popular that he took the inevitable next step of making a feature- length movie. Irwin's long been a lightning rod for animal experts and others. The warnings consistent, don't try this at home. At the Miami Metro Zoo, herpetologist Ron Magill says Irwin is also known for doing good work on behalf of reptile awareness. Still:
RON MAGILL, MIAMI METRO ZOO: This was just the ultimate. To take an infant, your own infant, and put him in that type of dangerous situation was just ludicrous.
CROWLEY: Magill says crocodiles and alligators are generally very shy creatures and, in the wild, will usually bolt in the opposite direction after spotting a human. But he says, there's good reason why feeding these animals is against the law in Florida and elsewhere.
MAGILL: The problem is with crocodiles that, once they're fed by humans, once they associate humans with food, that's when they lose their natural instinct to fear.
CROWLEY: We tried to reach Steve Irwin through his U.S. representatives and tried to contact Discovery Communications, which oversees the Animal Planet Channel. We could not get no one from that side to comment.
Irwin told an Australia newspaper -- quote -- "I was in complete control of the crocodile. Robert was tucked right in my arm. This kid has to grow up to be croc savvy." His wife, Terri, who assists Irwin on these productions, said of her infant son -- quote -- "It was a wonderful sensory experience for him. He dug it."
Back in Australia, police say they plan to review the tape of the incident.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Critics are comparing Irwin to entertainer Michael Jackson, who touched off a huge controversy a little over a year ago by dangling his baby son over a hotel balcony. Irwin is scheduled to hold a news conference in Queensland, Australia, a little over two hours from now.
A North Carolina couple sure knew how to kick off the new year. See how they turned a $20 bill into a $110 million payday.
But first, our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this. Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? Vote right now. CNN.com/Wolf is the place. The results for you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CROWLEY: Our picture of the day is a look into the face of victory. Norman and Deanna Shue of Concord, North Carolina, won a $110 million jackpot in the New Year's Eve Powerball lottery drawing. Since the Shues could not claim their prize on New Year's Day, they had to settle for a celebratory lunch at the local Steak & Shake.
Here's how you're weighing in our "Web Question of the Day": Is security on flights into the U.S. from other countries tight enough? Thirty-two percent of you say yes, while 68 percent of you say no. As we always tell you, this is not, of course, a scientific poll.
A reminder: You can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS weekdays at this time, 5:00 Eastern. Be sure to watch "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER" this Sunday at noon Eastern. Presidential candidate Richard Gephardt will be his guest.
We thank you for joining us.
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Security; Young Woman Battles Mad Cow Disease>
