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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Interview With John Miller; Osama bin Laden Tape Released; Exploring Red Planet
Aired January 05, 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, you're looking at live pictures of Los Angeles International Airport, where security has been intense in recent days amid fears of a possible terror strike. The commanding officer of L.A.'s counterterrorism bureau is standing by to tell us how real those fears are. Right now, we'll speak with him live. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Terror tape. With America on alert, is bin Laden rubbing it in?
Welcome mat.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Legitimate travelers who fall into America's open arms should know that they have nothing to fear in this new system.
BLITZER: Why international visitors are fingerprinted and photographed.
Mars in 3-D. Exploring the red planet.
Coming clean, is it enough to unlock the door to Cooperstown?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, January 5, 2004.
BLITZER: Hello from Los Angeles. If you thought the high terror alert would end with the holiday season, think again. Officials say the threat remains very real indeed. The CIA thinks the latest recording from Osama bin Laden is, in fact, very real. Making reference to recent events, the timing of this tape seems to taunt America for its efforts to boost security against possible terror attacks. The latest measures.
High-tech screening for visitors and immigrant arriving in this country. We'll go live to our justice correspondent Kelli Arena and our national correspondent Bob Franken. He's at Dulles airport outside Washington. But we begin with our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this new tape is vintage bin Laden. Another call to Jihad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice-over): Central intelligence agency officials are confident the voice on the tape is that of Osama bin Laden. Based on recent events bin Laden refers to on the tape, officials say it was recorded in the last few weeks. A new tape then but the same message.
RIDGE: It's really not news for Osama bin Laden to tell the rest of the world, all those people, that small minority people who share his hatred and that evil that America should be the No. 1 target of their hatred. It's not news.
ENSOR: Still, the tape calls on Muslims to overthrow moderate governments and calls for Jihad against the U.S. Intelligence officials have the same concern their boss had 11 months ago about an earlier tape.
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: And whether this is a signal of impending attack or not is something we're looking at. I can only tell you what the history is.
ENSOR: That history included a bin Laden tape, October 6, 2002, followed immediately by the attack on a French oil tanker and then the bombing in Bali. Bin Laden's November 12, 2002 tape was broadcast 12 days before the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya. But there have been more attacks than tapes, and some analysts believe bin Laden may simply want to show he's still around.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I think the most important thing it tells us is bin Laden is alive and he was alive relatively recently. Secondly, he's continuing to try to influence what's going on. He's calling for -- he gained a response to the occupation of Iraq, and he wants to show he's in business.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: A recent bin Laden tape that was released turned out to be a compilation of fragments of old former recordings. But this one is new. And so well recorded, officials say, that you can hear his breathing between the words. It's bin Laden, alive and breathing -- Wolf?
BLITZER: David Ensor, thank you very much.
In recent weeks we've heard unprecedented concern from top U.S. officials, and we've seen unprecedented security measures. But code orange continues, so now what? Let's go live to our justice correspondent Kelli Arena -- Kelli? KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the short answer is we'll see more of the same. Officials say if they get specific threat information, they'll act on it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): Government sources say terrorist chatter has quieted down a bit after peaking just before Christmas, but officials are still picking up intelligence, suggesting the U.S. could be the target of an attack.
RIDGE: We've learned this from detainees is that when we add more vigilance and more security, it disrupts plans. They've told us that. It remains to be seen whether or not these actions deterred terrorist attacks or disrupted plans.
ARENA: The biggest concern is still focused on aviation. Since Christmas Eve, at least six flights to the U.S. have been canceled due to security concerns. Most notably British Airways flight 223 which flies from London to Dulles Airport just outside Washington. No arrests were made but investigations into the canceled flights are far from over.
RIDGE: We continue the investigation based on the intelligence, and we continue to take a look at some of the individuals who are on those passenger manifests.
ARENA: And even though 223 is back in the air, passengers are still subject to delays and intense security measures.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was a very unusual flight. All the extra security, the policemen with guns in Heathrow, it was a very unusual flight.
ARENA: But it's not only an attack from the sky that officials worry about. For example, FBI agents compared Vegas hotel lists with the database to be sure there wasn't anyone on the ground that could have attacked The Strip, an area intelligence officials suggested could be a target.
DON CLARK, FORMER FBI AGENT: Plausibility is the key, not just running around doing things because all of the investigation that takes place, No. 1, has to be based in fact on some type of intelligence information.
ARENA: The cost of staying at the ready is high for many state and local governments but no relief is in sight. Officials expect the nation to remain at code orange for most of this month -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington. Kelli, thank you very much.
U.S. authorities today began photographing and fingerprinting many foreign visitors, but can these digital ID checks tell who's a tourist and who's a terrorist. Let's go live to CNN's Bob Franken outside Dulles Airport just outside the nation's capital -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, if you look at my index finger here, what you will not see on it is ink. I was fingerprinted, they did a demonstration of the new digital technology which is going to greet many nationals of other countries before they can get into the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): The program has the benign name U.S. Visit, but it is the latest high-tech brave new world response to the fearful new world of post-9/11 terrorism.
RIDGE: U.S. Visit will not be kind to those who think that privacy can hide their hate or intention to harm.
FRANKEN: The technology is called biometrics. At 115 U.S. airports and 14 seaports, foreign visitors will undergo what amounts to digital fingerprinting and will have their pictures taken as well. The information will be matched against various watch lists and will become part of a permanent record.
Twenty-eight nations are excluded. Some of those that are not excluded are not happy. Brazil, for instance, is retaliating by fingerprinting U.S. tourists. But officials insist it is only a minor inconvenience and many who have just undergone the process agreed even some Brazilian visitors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a security process, it's fine for me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a good idea and I feel more secure to travel now. To fly anywhere. It's a good security feature, I think.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Many privacy advocates are concerned about this, say that there haven't been adequate safeguards that have been taken, but officials say that in this day and age, the minimal intrusions are necessary to prevent problems with the major problem of terrorism -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken at Dulles airport outside Washington. Thank you very much, Bob, for that report.
And here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this.
"Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries?"
You can vote right now, CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send me your comments any time, I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program, that's also where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf. Three U.S. soldiers who were deployed at a P.O.W. camp in Iraq have been discharged. The army says they abused Iraqi prisoners. CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has been standing by.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: According to the army investigation, it happened back in May at a prison camp in southern Iraq. Three army military police officers, all from the same Pennsylvania reserve military police battalion accused of mistreating prisoners.
The reservists are being demoted, fined and discharged from the military. Two of them under less than honorable circumstances under an administrative procedure that prevents a court-martial that could have sent them to prison.
Master Sergeant Lisa Girman, a Pennsylvania state trooper, was found to have kicked a prisoner in the groin and then encouraged other soldiers to do the same thing.
Staff Sergeant Scott McKenzie was found to have held a prisoner's legs apart while he was kicked in the groin, abdomen and head by other soldiers.
And Specialist Timothy Canjar violently twisted the previously injured arm of a prisoner. He is accused of causing that prisoner to scream in pain.
The army says the investigation began when other soldiers witnessed the alleged abuse and reported it, but all of the military police from Pennsylvania insist that the Iraqi prisoners were resisting, that the amount of force was appropriate, and they insist the real bad guys were the Iraqis who they believed included two Iraqi police officers who had tortured, raped and killed American prisoners of war -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie, give us perspective. How unusual are these types of discharges?
MCINTYRE: Well, there hasn't been a case like this since the United States went into Iraq, it's very unusual to be discharged. But it appears, though these soldiers protested their innocence, they decided to not to risk a court-martial and go ahead and accept the administrative punishment to get the case over with.
BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you very much.
Target -- Los Angeles. Has L.A. escaped the terrorist crosshairs?
And the bin Laden factor. How the al Qaeda's leader linked to the code orange terror alerts. I'll speak live with a journalist and now a police officer who met bin Laden face to face.
Mission to Mars -- new images from the Red Planet, and a major accomplishment. All that coming up. First today's "News Quiz." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which of the following animals has not flown in space? Dog, brine shrimp, cat, jellyfish? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Dozens of people evacuated in a state of emergency declared in parts of Ohio, deluged by heavy rain. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is standing by with more details on the story. We'll be having that, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Escape in Ohio. Serious flooding has forced families from their homes. Our meteorologist Rob Marciano is standing by at the CNN Center with more on this important story. Rob, what's going on?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Wolf, a large amount rain in a short amount of time. And that's why they have the flooding in the Ohio River Valley. These are the numbers that came through over a 24-hour period ending last night at midnight. And some of these numbers are indeed impressive. At least in this part of the world. We're not used to getting this amount rain in such a short period of time.
First of all, Indianapolis, 2.4 inches of rainfall fell there. That has moved out. Towards Dayton, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio similar numbers yesterday, 2 1/2 inches of rainfall generally speaking.
And over to the east, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a 1.82 inches of rain that has moved out. You see the rainfall right now is moving in New York City. But also of note is colder air dropping in behind this thing.
But even though the rain has diminished, rivers are still rising.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): This is how people in parts of central and eastern Ohio spent the first weekend of the new year. One that many of them will never forget. Throughout the region, heavy rain quickly swelled streams and rivers. In Crosby Township, at least five families had to be rescued by boat.
CNN affiliate WLWT reported that the situation rapidly changed from one concern to full blown emergency.
BRAIN HAMRICK, CROSBY TOWNSHIP, OHIO: Folks we've talked to have never seen it this bad. They didn't continue was going to rise up this quickly. MARCIANO: Similar dramas played out in other parts of the state with over 100 people forced from their homes. Those slightly luckier were left with flood basements.
The deluge caused other problems, too. Flooding concerns caused schools to cancel class today. And high water forced officials to close dozens of roads.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Many of the rivers expected to crash over the next day to two days. Good news the rain moving out, but this cold air is moving in, and that could cause problems in that some of the flooded areas will begin to freeze as temperatures will dip below freezing.
The next area of concern we need to watch out for, for a number of reasons is Pacific Northwest. This system was down in Hawaii, caused a large amount flooding there. And it's heading to the Pacific Northwest where we have a large amount of cold air. Three to six inches of snow possible. That's a rarity for those folks.
But I think it will quickly turn over to rain, as this warm air heads up north, a lot of the snow and the heavy snow pack in the Cascades. And the coastal range, Wolf, will be melting by the end of this week, we could talk about flooding concerns for the Pacific Northwest. Back to you.
BLITZER: Lots of weather going on. CNN's Rob Marciano, thanks for that report.
NASA's robotic Rover named Spirit is settling in on Mars two days after landing on the Red Planet. And just days from now, the Rover will set off to explore its new home. Let's get the latest now from the mission from CNN's space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, he's in Pasadena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: The Spirit Rover is on Mars, inside a crater that many scientist believe could be a dry lake bed. They scientific package, the instruments on board this Rover could go a long way to answering the questions whether it was warm and wet in this place perhaps many millions of years ago.
Leading the scientific effort, Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, he's the person that devised all of the instrumentation that's on board Spirit. Congratulations to you and your team, Steve.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... big accomplishment just being there. It's kind of fun now to see actually real live images and data come down.
DR. STEVEN SQUYRES, NASA: It's been just an amazing time for our team. O'BRIEN: Let's take a look at this panoramic shot that came in not too long ago from Spirit. As we look at horizon, Mars is a grim place, isn't it?
SQUYRES: It's pretty desolate.
O'BRIEN: What we're seeing is a long way from anything warm and wet. What leads you to believe that this place might be a good place to look for ancient signs of water?
SQUYRES: Goose Egg Crater where Spirit stands is a big hole in the ground. About 100 miles in diameter with a very larger dry riverbed flowing into it. We believe that river once flowed with liquid water and filled up the crater.
O'BRIEN: I know you're interested in this little depression out here. It's hard to see it, that's why I'm highlighting it. What's so interesting about it to you?
SQUYRES: Well the nice thing about a depression like that, we think it might be an impact crater. And if it is, it's something that has dug a hole in the ground. So we can actually see down below the surface by looking at rocks near that crater.
O'BRIEN: When it comes down to move Spirit, you might head in that direction.
SQUYRES: We're thinking we might.
O'BRIEN: And you've named the place, Sleepy Hollow. Why?
SQUYRES: We haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep lately. The team is excited staying up, getting up early looking at these images and the name seemed to fit.
O'BRIEN: Just a quick word on the emotion of the moment for the team.
SQUYRES: It's been phenomenal. Some of us have been working on this for 16 years. To see our dreams come true on another world is indescribable.
O'BRIEN: Steve Squyres, head of the science team here, having a good time, not getting much sleep. But you can sleep later, I suppose.
If you want to get a little flavor what they're seeing, and what Mars might be like, there are 3-D images of what you saw there on the web. You can you go to the Jet Propulsion Lab site, get yourself glasses like these, and just like that, you'll be on Mars, so to speak.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Miles.
A familiar face and another impressive endorsement on the way for Howard Dean. Find out who's joining Al Gore and backing the front- runner when we take you on the campaign trail.
Under fire -- details on a controversial comparison between President Bush and an infamous tyrant.
Reversing his denial. Pete Rose admits he broke a cardinal rule of organized sports. All that coming up. First, the answer to today's "News Quiz."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Earlier we asked, which of the following animals has not flown in space. The answer cat. All the others have including Laika the dog, also the first animal ever sent to space. She rode to orbit in Sputnik 2 in November of 1957.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: New Mexico's Democratic Governor Bill Richardson says he loves his job and he's not interested in being the running mate for his party's presidential nominee. I spoke with Richardson earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You're categorically saying if offered, you will not accept the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket?
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I've already said that it's not an option, so I'm staying where I am, Wolf.
BLITZER: Is that a...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That was a categorical yes. He's not going to accept the nomination. Another important endorsement is imminent for the Democratic front-runner Howard Dean, former Senator Bill Bradley will endorse Dean tomorrow morning. The man Bradley ran against for the 2000 nomination Al Gore also has endorsed Dean.
As the Dean campaign picks up steam, his Democratic rivals are stepping up their efforts to try to derail his momentum, and they're hoping the former Vermont governor will stumble in a key state. Just two weeks from today, voters in Iowa gather for the first in the nation presidential nominating contest, the Iowa caucuses.
CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is standing by In Des Moines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CANDY CROWLEY, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Told his former colleague Bill Bradley of New Jersey had decided to endorse Howard Dean, John Kerry got down to, it Bill Bradley, he said doesn't vote here in Iowa. And that's what's it's about now, Wolf, the voters of Iowa, you can tell by the activity of the candidates, six of the nine were in the state today, talking to undecided voters and of course party faithful. They range the gamut from policy speeches.
John Kerry gave one today talking about corporate influence in the Bush White House. John Edwards will do another one tomorrow talking about how he would correct the no Child Left Behind Education bill. Mostly what the targeted audience right now are those undecided voters in Iowa. What everyone but Howard Dean is hoping is the undecideds will go over to their fence, the problem is, of course, there are eight people who are challenging Howard Dean, and only one Howard Dean. Still, he is the target.
And here in Iowa, the main contest is really seen as being between Richard Gephardt and Howard Dean. And Gephardt has been in the state almost nonstop. He is from neighboring Missouri. More importantly in 1988 he won the caucus here. Gephardt has a lot to lose should he not win here, so he's been working very hard. Gephardt as we saw in the debate last night and again today is selling both his experience and his Midwest roots telling audiences that what they need is someone who can appeal in the south and the Midwest. And he says he is the man to do that because he is, of course from the Midwest. It is crunchtime, two weeks to go, one important endorsement today from Bill Bradley. But right now most of the candidates are very, very focused on the voters in Iowa -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Candy Crowley in Des Moines. Thank you Candy very much.
The first presidential primary of the election year is three weeks from tomorrow in New Hampshire. Understandably, the granite state is getting a lot of attention from Democrats. After skipping yesterday's debate in Iowa, Wesley Clark is focusing in on New Hampshire today.
CNN's Dan Lothian reports from Nashua.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wesley Clark, who has ruled out settling for the job of vice president, today was making his case for the top job.
Speaking at a presidential forum in Nashua, New Hampshire, Clark unveiled a sweeping tax reform plan which he says will benefit working families.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Families of four, making under $50,000 a year, will not pay a single penny in federal income tax. All tax paying families with children that make under $100,000 a year will get a tax cut.
I'll close the corporate loopholes that give companies tax breaks for moving their headquarters and revenue overseas.
Now the second thing we're going to do under my tax reform plan is go to those families with incomes greater than $1 million a year and ask that they pay a five percentage point higher tax rate.
LOTHIAN: Clark introduced a New Hampshire couple with a combined income of a little more than $45,000 a year to highlight his case of relief for American families.
The retired general trails the front-runner, Howard Dean, by a wide margin here in New Hampshire. He's hoping to make up some ground with just weeks to go before the first contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Raymond, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Terror ready?
After recent scares with international flights, LAX officials are preparing as if their airport might be attacked. We'll have details.
A callous depiction or political parody. Moveon.org takes some heat but says it's misdirected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE IRWIN, "THE CROCODILE HUNTER: I'm so sorry that people have seen this as danger. But it's called perceive danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Standing by his stunt. Crocodile hunter Steve Irwin defends himself from criticism he endangered his newborn. We'll hear his side of the story. That's later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Face to face with Osama bin Laden. I'll speak live with one of the few Westerners to meet with the terror leader. He's an ex-reporter, now charged with keeping everyone here in the Los Angeles area safe from al Qaeda. We'll have that.
And commercial contest, fallout from a political ad that compares President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Terror talks. The apparent voice of Osama bin Laden on a new audiotape. I'll talk with an American journalist who once interviewed the al Qaeda leader -- all that coming up.
First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines.
The Department of Agriculture says 450 bull calves linked to the only U.S. case of mad cow disease will be killed this week. They include the offspring of the infected animal, which was slaughtered last month before testing positive for mad cow disease.
Kobe Bryant's lawyers are asking the judge in his sexual assault case to keep the media and the public out of an upcoming hearing. The proceeding, set for February 2, will determine whether certain evidence and statements Bryant made before his arrest are admissible.
Ray Davies of the Kinks is recovering after being shot in New Orleans last night. Police say the singer was wounded when he ran after two people who grabbed the purse of the woman he was with. Davies was hit in the leg. He was treated at a hospital and released.
And British Airways Flight 223 from Heathrow to Dulles outside Washington is delayed once again today. It's en route right now, after leaving more than three hours late due to extra security checks. U.S. and U.K. officials say there have been very specific terrorist threats against Flight 223. That prompted similar delays over the weekend and complete cancellation twice last week.
Some of the international flights that have been canceled or delayed were headed here to Los Angeles. And authorities have been especially concerned that L.A. and parts of the Southwest are high on the list of terrorist targets.
Let's get an update now from CNN's Charles Feldman. He's standing by -- Charles.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, although the nation remains on orange alert, passengers leaving from Los Angeles International Airport will notice some relaxation of the stringent security measures put in place over the Christmas holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN (voice-over): Yesterday, private passenger cars were once again allowed to drop off travelers at their terminal buildings, a sign, say some law enforcement officials, that concern here is now at a somewhat lower level.
In part, say several different law enforcement sources, this is because intelligence information seemed to point toward a Christmas/New Year's Eve attack. But experts here are aware that, just because terrorists used jetliners before to launch a devastating attack, it doesn't mean they will do so the next time.
"We're always fighting the last war," says one law enforcement source. Another terrorism expert worries that so-called soft targets, using low-tech methods such as suicide bombings, could be the next wave of terrorism in this country. Law enforcement sources in the Southwest worry about everything from an attack on Disneyland to a wave of suicide bombings at Las Vegas hotels, although no one, to our knowledge, has uncovered any specific plots.
Such possible attacks, they point out, are far more difficult to prevent than airplane hijackings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN: And, Wolf, here in Los Angeles, our sources say, some people of concern to law enforcement who had left the country in recent months have reappeared in the past few weeks. But it is not clear for what purpose -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Charles Feldman here in Los Angeles -- thanks, Charles, for that report.
So does al Qaeda have its eyes on L.A.? John Miller commands the Counterterrorism Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department. He was a deputy police commissioner in New York City. He is an award-winning journalist, having worked for ABC News. He's interviewed Osama bin Laden, quite an impressive resume.
Thanks very much, John, for joining us.
JOHN MILLER, LAPD: Good to be here.
BLITZER: How concerned should people in L.A. be right now or people flying into LAX that there could be a terror attack?
MILLER: Well, I don't think people in L.A. need to be any more concerned than people in New York or Chicago or any other major city. While it's no secret al Qaeda would -- and they've stated this -- bin Laden has said it himself, would like to strike again on U.S. soil. Big cities are the most likely targets. I think we fall into that boat.
BLITZER: We know that LAX was a target around the time of the millennium. It was thwarted, aborted, that terror attack. Have there been specific references that you can point to, without breaking any classified information, that refer to targets in L.A., whether LAX or someplace else?
MILLER: Well, I wouldn't say that there's been specific references to LAX as a target. Clearly, we took steps -- and this is already on the public record, so I don't think I'm revealing anything top secret here -- to put certain flights that came into LAX under extraordinary scrutiny in the last few days.
BLITZER: The ones from Mexico, for example?
MILLER: Flights from Mexico went through that, some flights. Some flights from Paris went through that. And there were reasons behind that, which I can't go into. But the real question here is, have we dodged a bullet? If so, what was it? If so, is that over or do we have to prepare for al Qaeda to do what it has a habit of doing, which is coming off the mat with something else?
BLITZER: Especially after an audiotape that's released by Osama bin Laden.
You're in the unique position. You went eyeball-to-eyeball with this guy. And experts say that, after he releases a tape, as he did in the past few days, that is a critical moment, when everyone should get extremely nervous.
MILLER: There has been a history. Before the embassy bombings, he sent a message. Before the Cole bombing, he sent a message. Before 9/11, he sent a message.
So, when he does release a tape and it comes two weeks after a tape by his right-hand man, Zawahiri, we sit up, we pay attention, and we analyze what he's saying. In those tapes, we have found hidden clues before. We are looking through this now to see, is there a message in there?
BLITZER: When you look at Osama bin Laden and his capability of the organization that he created, does he have that kind of capability, to launch what would be another 9/11-type attack or, God forbid, something even worse?
MILLER: He has largely the same capabilities he had before, meaning, we've seen command-and-control. They've launched attacks in Saudi Arabia on two sets of occasions, simultaneous attacks in Morocco, in Mombasa, in a number of countries to show al Qaeda is still up and operating.
I think this tape is fairly good evidence that bin Laden is still alive and current and in command. So, I think that threat is always there. There is one big difference now to -- prior to September 11. And that is, the United States, from the LAPD to the FBI to the CIA, is much better positioned to confront those attacks to learn of those attacks, as I think we may have just seen, and to prevent them, as I think we may have just seen.
BLITZER: Are you getting the kind of cooperation, the information from the federal government that you at the LAPD require in order to protect people here?
MILLER: I think, right here in Los Angeles, we have one of the best relationships from a city police department to an FBI entity in the country. It's the second oldest joint terrorist task force in the nation, behind New York.
All of the growing pains and the trust issues that I think may be factors in the new terrorist task forces across the country are things we went through a long time ago and have resolved.
BLITZER: What's the difference -- and we only have a few seconds left -- briefly, between trying to cover this story as a reporter, as you did for many years, and now working right in the middle of the action, if you will, trying to protect real people?
MILLER: Well, you know, the easy part is the hard part now and the hard part is the easy part.
The easy part now is getting the intelligence information. The hard part is being able to effectively guess what it means and try and predict where something will happen next, because the stakes are so high.
BLITZER: Are you frustrated that you can't report it, or are you happy to be doing what you're doing? I'm asking as a fellow journalist?
MILLER: Well, it's funny, because, you know, when you get this stuff on your desk every day, your first reaction is, wow, this would be a great story.
BLITZER: You could break this news with Peter Jennings. He'd be pretty happy.
MILLER: Your second reaction is, oh, My god, I hope this doesn't get out.
BLITZER: It's that amazing. Well, you have had the unique responsibility of being on both sides of the aisle. Thanks very much for joining us.
MILLER: Thanks for having me, Wolf. Appreciate it.
BLITZER: And good luck to you and all the LAPD.
A controversial comparison. A political ad featuring President Bush with Adolf Hitler has the RNC and a lot of other people fuming. But who's responsible?
Oops, she married a friend, how pop star Britney Spears tries to undo saying "I do" over the weekend.
And taking a gamble by coming clean. Baseball great Pete Rose ends years of denial in a new book.
All that coming up. First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Afghan Constitution. After three weeks of debate, delegates to the loya jirga have approved a post-Taliban constitution for Afghanistan, establishing a more tolerant Islamic republic with a strong presidency. The agreement sets the stage for elections later this year.
Easing tensions. The leaders of India and Pakistan got together for the first time since their countries nearly went to war over Kashmir. India's Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistan's President Musharraf spoke for about an hour at a South Asian summit in Islamabad.
Bomb probe. Who is sending letter bombs to members of the European Parliament? The latest explosives were sent to a German delegate, a Spanish delegate and a British delegate. Two of the bombs went off, but there were no serious injuries and there was no serious damage.
Search at sea. Crews continue to hunt for bodies and debris from a chartered jet that crashed in the Red Sea over the weekend, killing all 148 people aboard. So far, there's no evidence terrorism brought down the plane. It was carrying French tourists home from an Egyptian resort.
SARS confirmed. For the first time in six months, China has confirmed a case of SARS. As a precaution, the government there is ordering the slaughter of thousands of civet cats and related species suspected of passing the virus to humans.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: After 14 years of denial, Pete Rose is admitting he bet on baseball. The admission could prompt the sport to lift its ban on the former Cincinnati Reds superstar and pave the way for his induction into the Hall of Fame.
CNN's Josie Burke is joining us live from New Orleans with more -- Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Pete Rose is making that admission in a new autobiography that is scheduled to be released later this week and also in a television interview that he granted in association with the publication of that book.
In the interview, Rose is asked point-blank whether he bet on baseball. And he gives an answer that many people thought they would never hear. He then goes onto explain exactly how it came to pass that he broke baseball's cardinal rule.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE ROSE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Yes, I did. And that was my mistake, not coming clean a lot earlier.
Well, I think what happens is that, at the time, you're betting football. And what's after football is basketball, and then the NCAA tournament in those days. And, obviously, the next thing that follows is baseball. And it's just a pattern that you got into. And that's what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BURKE: Rose also talks about the timing of his admission, saying -- quote -- "It's time to clean the slate. It's time to take responsibility. I'm 14 years late."
Then, in his book, he writes about what he hopes to gain by confessing. He writes -- quote -- "I've consistently heard the statement: 'If Pete Rose came clean, all would be forgiven.' Well, I've done what you asked. The rest is up to the commissioner and the big umpire in the sky."
This is the first time that Rose has publicly admitted that he bet on baseball and also that he bet on the team that he was managing, the Cincinnati Reds. But, in the book, he says that, in a face-to- face meeting with baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, back in November of 2002, he admitted to Selig that he did bet on baseball.
At this point in time, Selig has not made any comment on the book, nor has he said whether there is a timetable for considering Rose's reinstatement bid -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Josie Burke with the latest on that controversy -- thanks very much, Josie, for that report.
And while Pete Rose is admitting he made a mistake, another public figure accused of improper behavior is sticking to his guns. TV crocodile hunter Steve Irwin came under fire after he was videotaped hand-feeding a crocodile while holding his son in his baby other arm. Irwin continues to insist, he did not endanger his son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE IRWIN, "CROCODILE HUNTER": I'm so sorry that people have seen this as danger. But it's called perceived danger. You won't see me putting my kid on a horse, because I think horses are a little bit dangerous. But you know what? I would be a bad parent if I didn't teach my kids what was in the backyard. So that's my mistake, that the world -- a lot of people in the world just don't live where I live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Irwin says he would do the same thing all over again, only without television cameras.
Two ads, one huge, huge controversy. Proposed TV commercials equating President Bush with Adolf Hitler have Republican officials and many other people furious. We'll tell you who they're upset with. That's coming up just ahead.
First, though, a quick look at some other stories you may have missed this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A bomb exploded outside a basketball game in the southern Philippines, killing 14 people; 87 were injured, including the town's Christian mayor, who's been targeted before by assassins in the mainly Muslim region.
A harsh winter storm whipped across the Midwest with blinding snow and wind chills as cold as 30 below zero. The weather closed roads and forced airlines to cancel more than 300 flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport alone.
Louisiana State and Southern Cal became co-national champions in college football. LSU won the BCS title last night, beating Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl. USC won the Associated Press vote, thanks in part to their decisive Rose Bowl win over Michigan. It's the first split national championship since 1997.
And Britney Spears tied the knot, only to immediately start trying to untie it. She married a 22-year-old childhood friend in a Las Vegas wedding chapel, then, hours later, set about having the marriage annulled. A spokesperson for Spears' record label says the couple -- quote -- "took a joke too far."
And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A liberal activist group is under fire for an ad that appeared on its Web site comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): An extreme image even in the era of nasty political attack ads, two ads comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler. At least one of these was posted recently on the Web site MoveOn.org. MoveOn.org is an online public interest group founded in 1998 by two private citizens who advocated for the censure of President Clinton, so the country could move on from the impeachment scandal.
MoveOn produces political commercials and even sponsors speeches, including two last year by Al Gore. It often produces ads that are left-leaning, including some anti-war commercials that aired last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: They're saying to President Bush, let the inspections work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But today, MoveOn.org is moving as far away from these images as it possibly can. In fact, these ads were not produced by MoveOn. And MoveOn says it does not know who produced them.
MoveOn held an online contest last month called "Bush in 30 Seconds," asking for the most creative entry that, according to the Web site, tells the truth about George W. Bush and his policies. Most entries were anti-Bush. Two of them provided to CNN by the Republican National Committee are chilling.
ED GILLESPIE, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: And it's not appropriate for television. It's not appropriate political discourse. Every one of the Democrats running for president today should repudiate this. They should join in the Simon Wiesenthal Center in urging MoveOn.org to apologize for posting this ad on its Web site, on its official Web site.
And they should say that, because they're the ones who benefit from MoveOn.org's efforts to defeat the president in this election year.
BLITZER: MoveOn.org officials acknowledge that at least one of the these ads was posted on its site between December 17 and December 31. But they say the ad has since been pulled off. and when we asked for a copy of it, we were told MoveOn no longer had it.
MoveOn officials say, no ad featuring images of Hitler even came close to making its list of 15 finalists, announced today. As for those ads MoveOn is associating itself with, the group plans to air the winning entry on television the week of the president's State of the Union address later this month.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We invited a member of MoveOn.org to appear on our program today. But they declined.
And only moments ago, though, they issued this statement. Let me quote it and read it completely: "The Republican National Committee and its chairman have falsely accused MoveOn.org of sponsoring ads on its Web site which compare President Bush to Adolf Hitler. The claim is deliberately and maliciously misleading. None of these was our ad, nor did their appearance constitute endorsement or sponsorship by MoveOn.org Voter Fund.
"They will not appear on TV. We do not support the sentiment expressed in the two Hitler submissions. They were voted down by our members and the public, who reviewed the ads and submitted nearly three million critiques in the process of choosing the 15 finalist entrees. We agree that the two ads in question were in poor taste and deeply regret that they slipped through our screening process. In the future," the statement goes on to say, "if we publish or broadcast raw material, we will create a more effective filtering system."
That was an excerpt from the statement released by MoveOn.org just a short time ago.
Amazing survival. After several freezing nights in the mountains, a lost skier is found. And our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries? You can vote right now, CNN.com/Wolf. That's the place. The results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: In our picture of the day, a story of survival against great odds. Search crews have rescued a skier who spent four freezing days in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state.
Dan Witkowski was rescued after searchers spotted his tracks by helicopter. He's now in a hospital recovering from his ordeal. Witkowski's mother says her son had lots of people praying for him and his rescue is proof that prayer does work.
Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day": Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries? Eighty- three percent of you say; 17 percent say no. This is not a scientific poll.
Let's get to some of your e-mail on NASA's mission to Mars.
Christopher writes this: "Don't you think that this is a waste of money and resources? With all that is going on in the world today, we're spending $400 million on one small machine that will tell us what? Not to mention how much it costs to get the thing to Mars."
D. Wood sends us this: "We hear about the war in Iraq and terrorists 24/7. The success of the Mars probe is a wonderful thing. Couldn't we take a break from the darkness and allow ourselves to enjoy a story about what really makes man tick, curiosity?"
A reminder: We're on twice a day, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, as well as noon Eastern. I'll be back tomorrow right from here in Los Angeles.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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Exploring Red Planet>
Aired January 5, 2004 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, you're looking at live pictures of Los Angeles International Airport, where security has been intense in recent days amid fears of a possible terror strike. The commanding officer of L.A.'s counterterrorism bureau is standing by to tell us how real those fears are. Right now, we'll speak with him live. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Terror tape. With America on alert, is bin Laden rubbing it in?
Welcome mat.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Legitimate travelers who fall into America's open arms should know that they have nothing to fear in this new system.
BLITZER: Why international visitors are fingerprinted and photographed.
Mars in 3-D. Exploring the red planet.
Coming clean, is it enough to unlock the door to Cooperstown?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, January 5, 2004.
BLITZER: Hello from Los Angeles. If you thought the high terror alert would end with the holiday season, think again. Officials say the threat remains very real indeed. The CIA thinks the latest recording from Osama bin Laden is, in fact, very real. Making reference to recent events, the timing of this tape seems to taunt America for its efforts to boost security against possible terror attacks. The latest measures.
High-tech screening for visitors and immigrant arriving in this country. We'll go live to our justice correspondent Kelli Arena and our national correspondent Bob Franken. He's at Dulles airport outside Washington. But we begin with our national security correspondent David Ensor -- David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this new tape is vintage bin Laden. Another call to Jihad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSAMA BIN LADEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR (voice-over): Central intelligence agency officials are confident the voice on the tape is that of Osama bin Laden. Based on recent events bin Laden refers to on the tape, officials say it was recorded in the last few weeks. A new tape then but the same message.
RIDGE: It's really not news for Osama bin Laden to tell the rest of the world, all those people, that small minority people who share his hatred and that evil that America should be the No. 1 target of their hatred. It's not news.
ENSOR: Still, the tape calls on Muslims to overthrow moderate governments and calls for Jihad against the U.S. Intelligence officials have the same concern their boss had 11 months ago about an earlier tape.
GEORGE TENET, CIA DIRECTOR: And whether this is a signal of impending attack or not is something we're looking at. I can only tell you what the history is.
ENSOR: That history included a bin Laden tape, October 6, 2002, followed immediately by the attack on a French oil tanker and then the bombing in Bali. Bin Laden's November 12, 2002 tape was broadcast 12 days before the bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya. But there have been more attacks than tapes, and some analysts believe bin Laden may simply want to show he's still around.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I think the most important thing it tells us is bin Laden is alive and he was alive relatively recently. Secondly, he's continuing to try to influence what's going on. He's calling for -- he gained a response to the occupation of Iraq, and he wants to show he's in business.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENSOR: A recent bin Laden tape that was released turned out to be a compilation of fragments of old former recordings. But this one is new. And so well recorded, officials say, that you can hear his breathing between the words. It's bin Laden, alive and breathing -- Wolf?
BLITZER: David Ensor, thank you very much.
In recent weeks we've heard unprecedented concern from top U.S. officials, and we've seen unprecedented security measures. But code orange continues, so now what? Let's go live to our justice correspondent Kelli Arena -- Kelli? KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the short answer is we'll see more of the same. Officials say if they get specific threat information, they'll act on it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA (voice-over): Government sources say terrorist chatter has quieted down a bit after peaking just before Christmas, but officials are still picking up intelligence, suggesting the U.S. could be the target of an attack.
RIDGE: We've learned this from detainees is that when we add more vigilance and more security, it disrupts plans. They've told us that. It remains to be seen whether or not these actions deterred terrorist attacks or disrupted plans.
ARENA: The biggest concern is still focused on aviation. Since Christmas Eve, at least six flights to the U.S. have been canceled due to security concerns. Most notably British Airways flight 223 which flies from London to Dulles Airport just outside Washington. No arrests were made but investigations into the canceled flights are far from over.
RIDGE: We continue the investigation based on the intelligence, and we continue to take a look at some of the individuals who are on those passenger manifests.
ARENA: And even though 223 is back in the air, passengers are still subject to delays and intense security measures.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was a very unusual flight. All the extra security, the policemen with guns in Heathrow, it was a very unusual flight.
ARENA: But it's not only an attack from the sky that officials worry about. For example, FBI agents compared Vegas hotel lists with the database to be sure there wasn't anyone on the ground that could have attacked The Strip, an area intelligence officials suggested could be a target.
DON CLARK, FORMER FBI AGENT: Plausibility is the key, not just running around doing things because all of the investigation that takes place, No. 1, has to be based in fact on some type of intelligence information.
ARENA: The cost of staying at the ready is high for many state and local governments but no relief is in sight. Officials expect the nation to remain at code orange for most of this month -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kelli Arena in Washington. Kelli, thank you very much.
U.S. authorities today began photographing and fingerprinting many foreign visitors, but can these digital ID checks tell who's a tourist and who's a terrorist. Let's go live to CNN's Bob Franken outside Dulles Airport just outside the nation's capital -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, if you look at my index finger here, what you will not see on it is ink. I was fingerprinted, they did a demonstration of the new digital technology which is going to greet many nationals of other countries before they can get into the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): The program has the benign name U.S. Visit, but it is the latest high-tech brave new world response to the fearful new world of post-9/11 terrorism.
RIDGE: U.S. Visit will not be kind to those who think that privacy can hide their hate or intention to harm.
FRANKEN: The technology is called biometrics. At 115 U.S. airports and 14 seaports, foreign visitors will undergo what amounts to digital fingerprinting and will have their pictures taken as well. The information will be matched against various watch lists and will become part of a permanent record.
Twenty-eight nations are excluded. Some of those that are not excluded are not happy. Brazil, for instance, is retaliating by fingerprinting U.S. tourists. But officials insist it is only a minor inconvenience and many who have just undergone the process agreed even some Brazilian visitors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a security process, it's fine for me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a good idea and I feel more secure to travel now. To fly anywhere. It's a good security feature, I think.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: Many privacy advocates are concerned about this, say that there haven't been adequate safeguards that have been taken, but officials say that in this day and age, the minimal intrusions are necessary to prevent problems with the major problem of terrorism -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bob Franken at Dulles airport outside Washington. Thank you very much, Bob, for that report.
And here's your turn to weigh in on this important story. Our web question of the day is this.
"Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries?"
You can vote right now, CNN.com/Wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast. While you're there, I'd love to hear directly from you, our viewers. Send me your comments any time, I'll try to read some of them on the air each day at the end of this program, that's also where you can read my daily online column, CNN.com/wolf. Three U.S. soldiers who were deployed at a P.O.W. camp in Iraq have been discharged. The army says they abused Iraqi prisoners. CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has been standing by.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: According to the army investigation, it happened back in May at a prison camp in southern Iraq. Three army military police officers, all from the same Pennsylvania reserve military police battalion accused of mistreating prisoners.
The reservists are being demoted, fined and discharged from the military. Two of them under less than honorable circumstances under an administrative procedure that prevents a court-martial that could have sent them to prison.
Master Sergeant Lisa Girman, a Pennsylvania state trooper, was found to have kicked a prisoner in the groin and then encouraged other soldiers to do the same thing.
Staff Sergeant Scott McKenzie was found to have held a prisoner's legs apart while he was kicked in the groin, abdomen and head by other soldiers.
And Specialist Timothy Canjar violently twisted the previously injured arm of a prisoner. He is accused of causing that prisoner to scream in pain.
The army says the investigation began when other soldiers witnessed the alleged abuse and reported it, but all of the military police from Pennsylvania insist that the Iraqi prisoners were resisting, that the amount of force was appropriate, and they insist the real bad guys were the Iraqis who they believed included two Iraqi police officers who had tortured, raped and killed American prisoners of war -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie, give us perspective. How unusual are these types of discharges?
MCINTYRE: Well, there hasn't been a case like this since the United States went into Iraq, it's very unusual to be discharged. But it appears, though these soldiers protested their innocence, they decided to not to risk a court-martial and go ahead and accept the administrative punishment to get the case over with.
BLITZER: CNN's Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Jamie, thank you very much.
Target -- Los Angeles. Has L.A. escaped the terrorist crosshairs?
And the bin Laden factor. How the al Qaeda's leader linked to the code orange terror alerts. I'll speak live with a journalist and now a police officer who met bin Laden face to face.
Mission to Mars -- new images from the Red Planet, and a major accomplishment. All that coming up. First today's "News Quiz." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER (voice-over): Which of the following animals has not flown in space? Dog, brine shrimp, cat, jellyfish? The answer coming up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Dozens of people evacuated in a state of emergency declared in parts of Ohio, deluged by heavy rain. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is standing by with more details on the story. We'll be having that, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Escape in Ohio. Serious flooding has forced families from their homes. Our meteorologist Rob Marciano is standing by at the CNN Center with more on this important story. Rob, what's going on?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Wolf, a large amount rain in a short amount of time. And that's why they have the flooding in the Ohio River Valley. These are the numbers that came through over a 24-hour period ending last night at midnight. And some of these numbers are indeed impressive. At least in this part of the world. We're not used to getting this amount rain in such a short period of time.
First of all, Indianapolis, 2.4 inches of rainfall fell there. That has moved out. Towards Dayton, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio similar numbers yesterday, 2 1/2 inches of rainfall generally speaking.
And over to the east, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a 1.82 inches of rain that has moved out. You see the rainfall right now is moving in New York City. But also of note is colder air dropping in behind this thing.
But even though the rain has diminished, rivers are still rising.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice-over): This is how people in parts of central and eastern Ohio spent the first weekend of the new year. One that many of them will never forget. Throughout the region, heavy rain quickly swelled streams and rivers. In Crosby Township, at least five families had to be rescued by boat.
CNN affiliate WLWT reported that the situation rapidly changed from one concern to full blown emergency.
BRAIN HAMRICK, CROSBY TOWNSHIP, OHIO: Folks we've talked to have never seen it this bad. They didn't continue was going to rise up this quickly. MARCIANO: Similar dramas played out in other parts of the state with over 100 people forced from their homes. Those slightly luckier were left with flood basements.
The deluge caused other problems, too. Flooding concerns caused schools to cancel class today. And high water forced officials to close dozens of roads.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Many of the rivers expected to crash over the next day to two days. Good news the rain moving out, but this cold air is moving in, and that could cause problems in that some of the flooded areas will begin to freeze as temperatures will dip below freezing.
The next area of concern we need to watch out for, for a number of reasons is Pacific Northwest. This system was down in Hawaii, caused a large amount flooding there. And it's heading to the Pacific Northwest where we have a large amount of cold air. Three to six inches of snow possible. That's a rarity for those folks.
But I think it will quickly turn over to rain, as this warm air heads up north, a lot of the snow and the heavy snow pack in the Cascades. And the coastal range, Wolf, will be melting by the end of this week, we could talk about flooding concerns for the Pacific Northwest. Back to you.
BLITZER: Lots of weather going on. CNN's Rob Marciano, thanks for that report.
NASA's robotic Rover named Spirit is settling in on Mars two days after landing on the Red Planet. And just days from now, the Rover will set off to explore its new home. Let's get the latest now from the mission from CNN's space correspondent, Miles O'Brien, he's in Pasadena.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: The Spirit Rover is on Mars, inside a crater that many scientist believe could be a dry lake bed. They scientific package, the instruments on board this Rover could go a long way to answering the questions whether it was warm and wet in this place perhaps many millions of years ago.
Leading the scientific effort, Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, he's the person that devised all of the instrumentation that's on board Spirit. Congratulations to you and your team, Steve.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... big accomplishment just being there. It's kind of fun now to see actually real live images and data come down.
DR. STEVEN SQUYRES, NASA: It's been just an amazing time for our team. O'BRIEN: Let's take a look at this panoramic shot that came in not too long ago from Spirit. As we look at horizon, Mars is a grim place, isn't it?
SQUYRES: It's pretty desolate.
O'BRIEN: What we're seeing is a long way from anything warm and wet. What leads you to believe that this place might be a good place to look for ancient signs of water?
SQUYRES: Goose Egg Crater where Spirit stands is a big hole in the ground. About 100 miles in diameter with a very larger dry riverbed flowing into it. We believe that river once flowed with liquid water and filled up the crater.
O'BRIEN: I know you're interested in this little depression out here. It's hard to see it, that's why I'm highlighting it. What's so interesting about it to you?
SQUYRES: Well the nice thing about a depression like that, we think it might be an impact crater. And if it is, it's something that has dug a hole in the ground. So we can actually see down below the surface by looking at rocks near that crater.
O'BRIEN: When it comes down to move Spirit, you might head in that direction.
SQUYRES: We're thinking we might.
O'BRIEN: And you've named the place, Sleepy Hollow. Why?
SQUYRES: We haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep lately. The team is excited staying up, getting up early looking at these images and the name seemed to fit.
O'BRIEN: Just a quick word on the emotion of the moment for the team.
SQUYRES: It's been phenomenal. Some of us have been working on this for 16 years. To see our dreams come true on another world is indescribable.
O'BRIEN: Steve Squyres, head of the science team here, having a good time, not getting much sleep. But you can sleep later, I suppose.
If you want to get a little flavor what they're seeing, and what Mars might be like, there are 3-D images of what you saw there on the web. You can you go to the Jet Propulsion Lab site, get yourself glasses like these, and just like that, you'll be on Mars, so to speak.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Miles.
A familiar face and another impressive endorsement on the way for Howard Dean. Find out who's joining Al Gore and backing the front- runner when we take you on the campaign trail.
Under fire -- details on a controversial comparison between President Bush and an infamous tyrant.
Reversing his denial. Pete Rose admits he broke a cardinal rule of organized sports. All that coming up. First, the answer to today's "News Quiz."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Earlier we asked, which of the following animals has not flown in space. The answer cat. All the others have including Laika the dog, also the first animal ever sent to space. She rode to orbit in Sputnik 2 in November of 1957.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: New Mexico's Democratic Governor Bill Richardson says he loves his job and he's not interested in being the running mate for his party's presidential nominee. I spoke with Richardson earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You're categorically saying if offered, you will not accept the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket?
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I've already said that it's not an option, so I'm staying where I am, Wolf.
BLITZER: Is that a...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: That was a categorical yes. He's not going to accept the nomination. Another important endorsement is imminent for the Democratic front-runner Howard Dean, former Senator Bill Bradley will endorse Dean tomorrow morning. The man Bradley ran against for the 2000 nomination Al Gore also has endorsed Dean.
As the Dean campaign picks up steam, his Democratic rivals are stepping up their efforts to try to derail his momentum, and they're hoping the former Vermont governor will stumble in a key state. Just two weeks from today, voters in Iowa gather for the first in the nation presidential nominating contest, the Iowa caucuses.
CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is standing by In Des Moines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CANDY CROWLEY, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Told his former colleague Bill Bradley of New Jersey had decided to endorse Howard Dean, John Kerry got down to, it Bill Bradley, he said doesn't vote here in Iowa. And that's what's it's about now, Wolf, the voters of Iowa, you can tell by the activity of the candidates, six of the nine were in the state today, talking to undecided voters and of course party faithful. They range the gamut from policy speeches.
John Kerry gave one today talking about corporate influence in the Bush White House. John Edwards will do another one tomorrow talking about how he would correct the no Child Left Behind Education bill. Mostly what the targeted audience right now are those undecided voters in Iowa. What everyone but Howard Dean is hoping is the undecideds will go over to their fence, the problem is, of course, there are eight people who are challenging Howard Dean, and only one Howard Dean. Still, he is the target.
And here in Iowa, the main contest is really seen as being between Richard Gephardt and Howard Dean. And Gephardt has been in the state almost nonstop. He is from neighboring Missouri. More importantly in 1988 he won the caucus here. Gephardt has a lot to lose should he not win here, so he's been working very hard. Gephardt as we saw in the debate last night and again today is selling both his experience and his Midwest roots telling audiences that what they need is someone who can appeal in the south and the Midwest. And he says he is the man to do that because he is, of course from the Midwest. It is crunchtime, two weeks to go, one important endorsement today from Bill Bradley. But right now most of the candidates are very, very focused on the voters in Iowa -- Wolf.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Candy Crowley in Des Moines. Thank you Candy very much.
The first presidential primary of the election year is three weeks from tomorrow in New Hampshire. Understandably, the granite state is getting a lot of attention from Democrats. After skipping yesterday's debate in Iowa, Wesley Clark is focusing in on New Hampshire today.
CNN's Dan Lothian reports from Nashua.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wesley Clark, who has ruled out settling for the job of vice president, today was making his case for the top job.
Speaking at a presidential forum in Nashua, New Hampshire, Clark unveiled a sweeping tax reform plan which he says will benefit working families.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Families of four, making under $50,000 a year, will not pay a single penny in federal income tax. All tax paying families with children that make under $100,000 a year will get a tax cut.
I'll close the corporate loopholes that give companies tax breaks for moving their headquarters and revenue overseas.
Now the second thing we're going to do under my tax reform plan is go to those families with incomes greater than $1 million a year and ask that they pay a five percentage point higher tax rate.
LOTHIAN: Clark introduced a New Hampshire couple with a combined income of a little more than $45,000 a year to highlight his case of relief for American families.
The retired general trails the front-runner, Howard Dean, by a wide margin here in New Hampshire. He's hoping to make up some ground with just weeks to go before the first contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Raymond, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Terror ready?
After recent scares with international flights, LAX officials are preparing as if their airport might be attacked. We'll have details.
A callous depiction or political parody. Moveon.org takes some heat but says it's misdirected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE IRWIN, "THE CROCODILE HUNTER: I'm so sorry that people have seen this as danger. But it's called perceive danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Standing by his stunt. Crocodile hunter Steve Irwin defends himself from criticism he endangered his newborn. We'll hear his side of the story. That's later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Face to face with Osama bin Laden. I'll speak live with one of the few Westerners to meet with the terror leader. He's an ex-reporter, now charged with keeping everyone here in the Los Angeles area safe from al Qaeda. We'll have that.
And commercial contest, fallout from a political ad that compares President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to CNN. Terror talks. The apparent voice of Osama bin Laden on a new audiotape. I'll talk with an American journalist who once interviewed the al Qaeda leader -- all that coming up.
First, though, a quick check of the latest headlines.
The Department of Agriculture says 450 bull calves linked to the only U.S. case of mad cow disease will be killed this week. They include the offspring of the infected animal, which was slaughtered last month before testing positive for mad cow disease.
Kobe Bryant's lawyers are asking the judge in his sexual assault case to keep the media and the public out of an upcoming hearing. The proceeding, set for February 2, will determine whether certain evidence and statements Bryant made before his arrest are admissible.
Ray Davies of the Kinks is recovering after being shot in New Orleans last night. Police say the singer was wounded when he ran after two people who grabbed the purse of the woman he was with. Davies was hit in the leg. He was treated at a hospital and released.
And British Airways Flight 223 from Heathrow to Dulles outside Washington is delayed once again today. It's en route right now, after leaving more than three hours late due to extra security checks. U.S. and U.K. officials say there have been very specific terrorist threats against Flight 223. That prompted similar delays over the weekend and complete cancellation twice last week.
Some of the international flights that have been canceled or delayed were headed here to Los Angeles. And authorities have been especially concerned that L.A. and parts of the Southwest are high on the list of terrorist targets.
Let's get an update now from CNN's Charles Feldman. He's standing by -- Charles.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, although the nation remains on orange alert, passengers leaving from Los Angeles International Airport will notice some relaxation of the stringent security measures put in place over the Christmas holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN (voice-over): Yesterday, private passenger cars were once again allowed to drop off travelers at their terminal buildings, a sign, say some law enforcement officials, that concern here is now at a somewhat lower level.
In part, say several different law enforcement sources, this is because intelligence information seemed to point toward a Christmas/New Year's Eve attack. But experts here are aware that, just because terrorists used jetliners before to launch a devastating attack, it doesn't mean they will do so the next time.
"We're always fighting the last war," says one law enforcement source. Another terrorism expert worries that so-called soft targets, using low-tech methods such as suicide bombings, could be the next wave of terrorism in this country. Law enforcement sources in the Southwest worry about everything from an attack on Disneyland to a wave of suicide bombings at Las Vegas hotels, although no one, to our knowledge, has uncovered any specific plots.
Such possible attacks, they point out, are far more difficult to prevent than airplane hijackings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FELDMAN: And, Wolf, here in Los Angeles, our sources say, some people of concern to law enforcement who had left the country in recent months have reappeared in the past few weeks. But it is not clear for what purpose -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Charles Feldman here in Los Angeles -- thanks, Charles, for that report.
So does al Qaeda have its eyes on L.A.? John Miller commands the Counterterrorism Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department. He was a deputy police commissioner in New York City. He is an award-winning journalist, having worked for ABC News. He's interviewed Osama bin Laden, quite an impressive resume.
Thanks very much, John, for joining us.
JOHN MILLER, LAPD: Good to be here.
BLITZER: How concerned should people in L.A. be right now or people flying into LAX that there could be a terror attack?
MILLER: Well, I don't think people in L.A. need to be any more concerned than people in New York or Chicago or any other major city. While it's no secret al Qaeda would -- and they've stated this -- bin Laden has said it himself, would like to strike again on U.S. soil. Big cities are the most likely targets. I think we fall into that boat.
BLITZER: We know that LAX was a target around the time of the millennium. It was thwarted, aborted, that terror attack. Have there been specific references that you can point to, without breaking any classified information, that refer to targets in L.A., whether LAX or someplace else?
MILLER: Well, I wouldn't say that there's been specific references to LAX as a target. Clearly, we took steps -- and this is already on the public record, so I don't think I'm revealing anything top secret here -- to put certain flights that came into LAX under extraordinary scrutiny in the last few days.
BLITZER: The ones from Mexico, for example?
MILLER: Flights from Mexico went through that, some flights. Some flights from Paris went through that. And there were reasons behind that, which I can't go into. But the real question here is, have we dodged a bullet? If so, what was it? If so, is that over or do we have to prepare for al Qaeda to do what it has a habit of doing, which is coming off the mat with something else?
BLITZER: Especially after an audiotape that's released by Osama bin Laden.
You're in the unique position. You went eyeball-to-eyeball with this guy. And experts say that, after he releases a tape, as he did in the past few days, that is a critical moment, when everyone should get extremely nervous.
MILLER: There has been a history. Before the embassy bombings, he sent a message. Before the Cole bombing, he sent a message. Before 9/11, he sent a message.
So, when he does release a tape and it comes two weeks after a tape by his right-hand man, Zawahiri, we sit up, we pay attention, and we analyze what he's saying. In those tapes, we have found hidden clues before. We are looking through this now to see, is there a message in there?
BLITZER: When you look at Osama bin Laden and his capability of the organization that he created, does he have that kind of capability, to launch what would be another 9/11-type attack or, God forbid, something even worse?
MILLER: He has largely the same capabilities he had before, meaning, we've seen command-and-control. They've launched attacks in Saudi Arabia on two sets of occasions, simultaneous attacks in Morocco, in Mombasa, in a number of countries to show al Qaeda is still up and operating.
I think this tape is fairly good evidence that bin Laden is still alive and current and in command. So, I think that threat is always there. There is one big difference now to -- prior to September 11. And that is, the United States, from the LAPD to the FBI to the CIA, is much better positioned to confront those attacks to learn of those attacks, as I think we may have just seen, and to prevent them, as I think we may have just seen.
BLITZER: Are you getting the kind of cooperation, the information from the federal government that you at the LAPD require in order to protect people here?
MILLER: I think, right here in Los Angeles, we have one of the best relationships from a city police department to an FBI entity in the country. It's the second oldest joint terrorist task force in the nation, behind New York.
All of the growing pains and the trust issues that I think may be factors in the new terrorist task forces across the country are things we went through a long time ago and have resolved.
BLITZER: What's the difference -- and we only have a few seconds left -- briefly, between trying to cover this story as a reporter, as you did for many years, and now working right in the middle of the action, if you will, trying to protect real people?
MILLER: Well, you know, the easy part is the hard part now and the hard part is the easy part.
The easy part now is getting the intelligence information. The hard part is being able to effectively guess what it means and try and predict where something will happen next, because the stakes are so high.
BLITZER: Are you frustrated that you can't report it, or are you happy to be doing what you're doing? I'm asking as a fellow journalist?
MILLER: Well, it's funny, because, you know, when you get this stuff on your desk every day, your first reaction is, wow, this would be a great story.
BLITZER: You could break this news with Peter Jennings. He'd be pretty happy.
MILLER: Your second reaction is, oh, My god, I hope this doesn't get out.
BLITZER: It's that amazing. Well, you have had the unique responsibility of being on both sides of the aisle. Thanks very much for joining us.
MILLER: Thanks for having me, Wolf. Appreciate it.
BLITZER: And good luck to you and all the LAPD.
A controversial comparison. A political ad featuring President Bush with Adolf Hitler has the RNC and a lot of other people fuming. But who's responsible?
Oops, she married a friend, how pop star Britney Spears tries to undo saying "I do" over the weekend.
And taking a gamble by coming clean. Baseball great Pete Rose ends years of denial in a new book.
All that coming up. First, though, a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Afghan Constitution. After three weeks of debate, delegates to the loya jirga have approved a post-Taliban constitution for Afghanistan, establishing a more tolerant Islamic republic with a strong presidency. The agreement sets the stage for elections later this year.
Easing tensions. The leaders of India and Pakistan got together for the first time since their countries nearly went to war over Kashmir. India's Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistan's President Musharraf spoke for about an hour at a South Asian summit in Islamabad.
Bomb probe. Who is sending letter bombs to members of the European Parliament? The latest explosives were sent to a German delegate, a Spanish delegate and a British delegate. Two of the bombs went off, but there were no serious injuries and there was no serious damage.
Search at sea. Crews continue to hunt for bodies and debris from a chartered jet that crashed in the Red Sea over the weekend, killing all 148 people aboard. So far, there's no evidence terrorism brought down the plane. It was carrying French tourists home from an Egyptian resort.
SARS confirmed. For the first time in six months, China has confirmed a case of SARS. As a precaution, the government there is ordering the slaughter of thousands of civet cats and related species suspected of passing the virus to humans.
And that's our look around the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: After 14 years of denial, Pete Rose is admitting he bet on baseball. The admission could prompt the sport to lift its ban on the former Cincinnati Reds superstar and pave the way for his induction into the Hall of Fame.
CNN's Josie Burke is joining us live from New Orleans with more -- Josie.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Pete Rose is making that admission in a new autobiography that is scheduled to be released later this week and also in a television interview that he granted in association with the publication of that book.
In the interview, Rose is asked point-blank whether he bet on baseball. And he gives an answer that many people thought they would never hear. He then goes onto explain exactly how it came to pass that he broke baseball's cardinal rule.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE ROSE, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Yes, I did. And that was my mistake, not coming clean a lot earlier.
Well, I think what happens is that, at the time, you're betting football. And what's after football is basketball, and then the NCAA tournament in those days. And, obviously, the next thing that follows is baseball. And it's just a pattern that you got into. And that's what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BURKE: Rose also talks about the timing of his admission, saying -- quote -- "It's time to clean the slate. It's time to take responsibility. I'm 14 years late."
Then, in his book, he writes about what he hopes to gain by confessing. He writes -- quote -- "I've consistently heard the statement: 'If Pete Rose came clean, all would be forgiven.' Well, I've done what you asked. The rest is up to the commissioner and the big umpire in the sky."
This is the first time that Rose has publicly admitted that he bet on baseball and also that he bet on the team that he was managing, the Cincinnati Reds. But, in the book, he says that, in a face-to- face meeting with baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, back in November of 2002, he admitted to Selig that he did bet on baseball.
At this point in time, Selig has not made any comment on the book, nor has he said whether there is a timetable for considering Rose's reinstatement bid -- Wolf.
BLITZER: CNN's Josie Burke with the latest on that controversy -- thanks very much, Josie, for that report.
And while Pete Rose is admitting he made a mistake, another public figure accused of improper behavior is sticking to his guns. TV crocodile hunter Steve Irwin came under fire after he was videotaped hand-feeding a crocodile while holding his son in his baby other arm. Irwin continues to insist, he did not endanger his son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE IRWIN, "CROCODILE HUNTER": I'm so sorry that people have seen this as danger. But it's called perceived danger. You won't see me putting my kid on a horse, because I think horses are a little bit dangerous. But you know what? I would be a bad parent if I didn't teach my kids what was in the backyard. So that's my mistake, that the world -- a lot of people in the world just don't live where I live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Irwin says he would do the same thing all over again, only without television cameras.
Two ads, one huge, huge controversy. Proposed TV commercials equating President Bush with Adolf Hitler have Republican officials and many other people furious. We'll tell you who they're upset with. That's coming up just ahead.
First, though, a quick look at some other stories you may have missed this weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): A bomb exploded outside a basketball game in the southern Philippines, killing 14 people; 87 were injured, including the town's Christian mayor, who's been targeted before by assassins in the mainly Muslim region.
A harsh winter storm whipped across the Midwest with blinding snow and wind chills as cold as 30 below zero. The weather closed roads and forced airlines to cancel more than 300 flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport alone.
Louisiana State and Southern Cal became co-national champions in college football. LSU won the BCS title last night, beating Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl. USC won the Associated Press vote, thanks in part to their decisive Rose Bowl win over Michigan. It's the first split national championship since 1997.
And Britney Spears tied the knot, only to immediately start trying to untie it. She married a 22-year-old childhood friend in a Las Vegas wedding chapel, then, hours later, set about having the marriage annulled. A spokesperson for Spears' record label says the couple -- quote -- "took a joke too far."
And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: A liberal activist group is under fire for an ad that appeared on its Web site comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): An extreme image even in the era of nasty political attack ads, two ads comparing President Bush to Adolf Hitler. At least one of these was posted recently on the Web site MoveOn.org. MoveOn.org is an online public interest group founded in 1998 by two private citizens who advocated for the censure of President Clinton, so the country could move on from the impeachment scandal.
MoveOn produces political commercials and even sponsors speeches, including two last year by Al Gore. It often produces ads that are left-leaning, including some anti-war commercials that aired last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: They're saying to President Bush, let the inspections work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But today, MoveOn.org is moving as far away from these images as it possibly can. In fact, these ads were not produced by MoveOn. And MoveOn says it does not know who produced them.
MoveOn held an online contest last month called "Bush in 30 Seconds," asking for the most creative entry that, according to the Web site, tells the truth about George W. Bush and his policies. Most entries were anti-Bush. Two of them provided to CNN by the Republican National Committee are chilling.
ED GILLESPIE, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: And it's not appropriate for television. It's not appropriate political discourse. Every one of the Democrats running for president today should repudiate this. They should join in the Simon Wiesenthal Center in urging MoveOn.org to apologize for posting this ad on its Web site, on its official Web site.
And they should say that, because they're the ones who benefit from MoveOn.org's efforts to defeat the president in this election year.
BLITZER: MoveOn.org officials acknowledge that at least one of the these ads was posted on its site between December 17 and December 31. But they say the ad has since been pulled off. and when we asked for a copy of it, we were told MoveOn no longer had it.
MoveOn officials say, no ad featuring images of Hitler even came close to making its list of 15 finalists, announced today. As for those ads MoveOn is associating itself with, the group plans to air the winning entry on television the week of the president's State of the Union address later this month.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: We invited a member of MoveOn.org to appear on our program today. But they declined.
And only moments ago, though, they issued this statement. Let me quote it and read it completely: "The Republican National Committee and its chairman have falsely accused MoveOn.org of sponsoring ads on its Web site which compare President Bush to Adolf Hitler. The claim is deliberately and maliciously misleading. None of these was our ad, nor did their appearance constitute endorsement or sponsorship by MoveOn.org Voter Fund.
"They will not appear on TV. We do not support the sentiment expressed in the two Hitler submissions. They were voted down by our members and the public, who reviewed the ads and submitted nearly three million critiques in the process of choosing the 15 finalist entrees. We agree that the two ads in question were in poor taste and deeply regret that they slipped through our screening process. In the future," the statement goes on to say, "if we publish or broadcast raw material, we will create a more effective filtering system."
That was an excerpt from the statement released by MoveOn.org just a short time ago.
Amazing survival. After several freezing nights in the mountains, a lost skier is found. And our hot "Web Question of the Day" is this: Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries? You can vote right now, CNN.com/Wolf. That's the place. The results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: In our picture of the day, a story of survival against great odds. Search crews have rescued a skier who spent four freezing days in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state.
Dan Witkowski was rescued after searchers spotted his tracks by helicopter. He's now in a hospital recovering from his ordeal. Witkowski's mother says her son had lots of people praying for him and his rescue is proof that prayer does work.
Here's how you are weighing in on our "Web Question of the Day": Should the U.S. fingerprint visitors from other countries? Eighty- three percent of you say; 17 percent say no. This is not a scientific poll.
Let's get to some of your e-mail on NASA's mission to Mars.
Christopher writes this: "Don't you think that this is a waste of money and resources? With all that is going on in the world today, we're spending $400 million on one small machine that will tell us what? Not to mention how much it costs to get the thing to Mars."
D. Wood sends us this: "We hear about the war in Iraq and terrorists 24/7. The success of the Mars probe is a wonderful thing. Couldn't we take a break from the darkness and allow ourselves to enjoy a story about what really makes man tick, curiosity?"
A reminder: We're on twice a day, 5:00 p.m. Eastern, as well as noon Eastern. I'll be back tomorrow right from here in Los Angeles.
"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.
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Exploring Red Planet>
