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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Rice Grilled at Confirmation Hearing; Interview With George W. Bush

Aired January 18, 2005 - 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, tough talk from President Bush's choice for the next secretary of state, aimed at Iran and North Korea. Why leaders in those countries may now be more nervous about the next four years. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Confirmation confrontation. Condoleezza Rice gets a grilling.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: But I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not. I'm just quoting what you said. You contradicted the president and you contradicted yourself.

BLITZER: Fight for Iraq. Iraq's insurgents find new targets with no stake in this fight except their lives.

Speaking out ahead of the speech.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of my language during the first four years had an unintended consequence.

BLITZER: CNN's John King interviews President Bush.

Unveiled, the super jumbo. Will passengers find casinos and beauty salons or just a bigger sardine can?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, January 18, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: You're looking at live pictures of the Senate confirmation hearing continuing for Condoleezza Rice, picked by President Bush to be the next secretary of state. The questioning has been going on literally all day. The major sticking point, Iraq. I'm joined now by our state department correspondent Andrea Koppel, who's been following all of this very closely -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, seven hours and counting and now, it appears that confirmation hearings are going to stretch into a second day tomorrow. As national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice is a well-known face, both to Americans here in Washington and around the world. But in fact, she sees herself much more as a super briefer for the president. Her personal views are not well known and that is what senators today wanted to here from Ms. Rice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so, help you God?

RICE: I do.

KOPPEL (voice-over): Condoleezza Rice sought to highlight her new role as presidential adviser turned top U.S. diplomat.

RICE: The time for diplomacy is now.

KOPPEL: But Democrats quickly took her to task.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The time for diplomacy, in my view, is long overdue..

KOPPEL: Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry grilled Rice on Iraq.

JOHN KERRY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The current policy is growing the insurgency, not diminishing it.

KOPPEL: And Kerry warned the January 30th elections could make things worse.

KERRY: The dynamics of the election could actually, without the proper actions, provide a greater capacity for civil war.

KOPPEL: Rice urged patience.

RICE: The political process, as you well know better and you all know better than I, is one of coming to terms with divisions.

KOPPEL: California Democrat Barbara Boxer took the gloves off, suggesting Rice deliberately hiked the Iraq threat and used the image of a nuclear mushroom cloud to scare the American people.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: This is my personal view: that your loyalty to the mission you were given to sell this war overwhelmed your respect for the truth, and I don't say it lightly.

RICE: I have to say that I have never, ever lost respect for the truth in the service of anything. It is not my nature. It is not my character. And I would hope that we can have this conversation and discuss what happened before and what went on before and what I said without impugning my credibility or my integrity.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KOPPEL: During her tenure as national security adviser, Rice has been criticized for not doing a better job of controlling the administration's foreign policy machine, seeing herself more as a super briefer for the president rather than an advocate for policy, Wolf. The expectations, some of her boosters say, is that as secretary of state she will, added with the clout in her personal relationship with President Bush, really be a force to be reckoned with.

BLITZER: And despite some of the tough questioning, there's no doubt she'll be confirmed and sworn in as secretary of state in the next day or two?

KOPPEL: Absolutely. The expectation is that that will happen later this week.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel. Thanks very much. And CNN's continuing to monitor this hearing. We'll bring you continuing coverage as this day continues.

To our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web "Question of the Day" is this. Is Condoleezza Rice a good choice for secretary of state? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results coming up later in this broadcast.

As he winds up his first term, President Bush is also looking ahead to the next four years. Earlier today, he sat down for a wide- ranging one-on-one interview with our senior White House correspondent, John King, who's joining us now live from the White House -- John.

JOHN KING, SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we spent a great deal of time talking about the war on terror. President Bush claiming so far that he thinks significant progress. We talked a bit about the war in Iraq as well and his own personal reflections as he prepares for his second inaugural here in a very chilly Washington.

The president said in the second term one chief priority will be trying to improve the image of the United States and his administration in the Muslim world. And the president also conceded perhaps in a second term he should choose his own words more carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You've talked about changing your language a bit in the second term. That perhaps people thought -- found you too blunt, when you said things like "dead or alive" about Osama bin Laden, or "bring it on," in the early days of the Iraq insurgency.

What about "with us or against us." That was a defining moment when you spoke about terrorism, that countries around the world are either with us or against us. Some found that too black and white, too confrontational. Do you change that? GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not at all. I mean, we've got to win. And we've got to make it clear that people have to make a choice.

And I will continue to be straightforward and plainspoken about my view that freedom is necessary for peace and that everybody deserves to be free.

But you're right, some of my language in the first four years was -- it had an unintended consequence. And I'm mindful of that.

KING: Want to ask you one more question about Iraq and then I may ask to steal an extra minute to ask you a bit about the moment to come. But about Iraq, obviously there's the debate about WMD. Some would say that there was a -- perhaps a greater failing, either of intelligence or in planning, in the idea of the troop levels going in, or the statements from some in the administration that the Americans would be greeted as liberators.

As you look back now, was that an intelligence failing? Was there a misjudgment somehow in the planning?

BUSH: I think it was -- I think what you've just described is what normally happens in war, is that some things happen that you don't expect and some things you expect don't happen.

For example, I can remember the briefings I had on what to do with mass refugee movements or hunger or, you know, what you would expect as a result of a military action, which did not take place.

What did take place was a very swift defeat of Saddam's army, which allowed some Ba'athists to head to the hills and then let them live to fight another day. And that's what we're dealing with.

The truth of the matter is in the long run, John, that a sovereign government of Iraq is going to have to be prepared and equipped to defeat those people. And that's what I talked to Prime Minister Allawi about today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now, despite the continuing violence, the continuing insurgency in Iraq, the president voiced confidence that the elections in Iraq would go forward and while not perfect, would be a step in the direction toward democracy in Iraq. And Wolf, the president also reflecting on the moment. I asked him if he viewed this as personal vindication that he won a second term, vindication, perhaps for the Bush family. The president, of course, was quite upset when his father did not win a second term back in 1992.

The president said he did not want to look at this moment in personal terms. He called it a chance for the country to come together as a sign of unity and said he hoped to enjoy it much more than his first inaugural. He said he was so focused on delivering the speech, so caught up in the moment, he perhaps didn't pay enough attention to the surroundings, says he hopes to have a better time as both a participant and a spectator this Thursday.

BLITZER: And briefly, John, did you get a sense of his mood? Is he upbeat, is he nervous, agitated, confident?

KING: He's clearly upbeat. I mean, obviously, he has the Iraqi elections just over the horizon so as he celebrates on Thursday, the Iraqi elections, the coming domestic debates are key critical debates just around the corner.

But the president is much more reflective today than I've seen him in the past and he seemed very serious about the idea that, even as he delivered his speech, even as he took in the moment, if you will, as a participant in the inauguration, that he wanted to look around and sort of soak in the celebration a bit more than he felt he was capable of doing the first time.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. John, thanks very much.

Eight Chinese construction workers have become the latest kidnap victims in Iraq, even as one prominent hostage gains a quick release. Meantime, insurgents are stepping up their effort to block Iraq's election as U.S. troops step up their security measures.

CNN's Jeff Koinange reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN WAR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the entrance to the headquarters of the Supreme Council for the Revolution of Iraq or SCRI, the main Shia party here. One person was killed and nine others wounded. And yet another hostage tape surfaces, this one released by a group calling itself the Islamic Resistance Movement.

The voice on the tape claims the eight hostages being held are Chinese nationals working for a construction company. The group is demanding the Chinese government urge its citizens to, in their words, stop helping the Americans. But even as one group of hostages was being paraded, another hostage was being released.

The Roman Catholic archbishop of the troubled northern city of Mosul, Basile Georges Casmoussa, was released less than 24 hours after being kidnapped. The Vatican insists no ransom was paid, despite earlier reports the kidnappers had demanded as much as $200,000 for his release.

(on camera): The archbishop's release was a bit of good news among the seemingly endless violence. To curb this violence and more that's expected in the run-up to the elections, the country's borders will be sealed for three days around the January 30th poll.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Last week U.S. army specialist Charles Graner was sentenced to ten years in prison for the abuse of prisoners in Iraq. Today, three British soldiers went on trial at a base in Germany, charged with mistreating Iraqis. This scandal also involves photos first published in a British newspaper in 2003. Juliet Bremner reports from northern Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIET BREMNER, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bound, blindfolded and forced to lie on the ground as a British soldier gets ready to punch him. This is Lance Corporal Mark Cooley (ph) posing during the alleged abuse of two Iraqi men. In a series of shocking photographs Cooley and two other soldiers are seen assaulting, humiliating and photographing their victims. One Iraqi is tied to a forklift truck and driven by Cooley before being dangled over a steep drop to a loading bay.

Three soldiers all Royal Fusiliers were charged with nine offenses. 25-year-old Cooley is accused of faking a punch and a kick and placing a man on the forklift truck. His section commander Corporal Daniel Kenyon (ph) is charged with actively encouraging this abuse. While Lance Corporal Darren Lockin (ph) accuses of assault, and forcing men to simulating indecent acts.

Lockin, seen here standing on top of his victim has pleaded guilty to assault but the men deny all other offenses. The pictures were taken at this food storage depot near Basra, a sprawling complex which was being looted. To stop the theft the officer in charge, Major Dan Taylor (ph), ordered Operation Ali Baba, the rounding up of suspects who he said should be worked hard to stop them from further looting. When the pictures were released, Britain's chief of defense staff, General Sir Michael Jackson, had this to say.

GEN. MIKE JACKSON, U.K. CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF: We condemn utterly all ways (ph) of abuse. Where there is evidence of abuse this is immediately investigated.

BREMNER: There are clear guideline about the way Iraqi prisoners should be treated. These pictures show Fusiliers not connected with the abuse detaining Iraqi civilians. Under the Geneva Conventions soldiers cannot order their own punishment but must hand over prisoners to the military police. The incriminating photos were only discovered when a soldier took his film to this shop in Tanwa (ph). The sales assistant was so shocked, she contacted the police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Juliet Bremner of Independent Television News in Germany.

An Iraqi American businessman pleaded guilty today to charges he was paid millions of dollars by Saddam Hussein's regime for illegal lobbying activities in this country. The charges are the first to arise from multiple investigations of the United Nations Oil For Food program which allowed Iraq to export oil under U.N. supervision and use the proceeds for humanitarian needs. There are allegations of widespread corruption in that program which was operated while Iraq was under international sanctions.

Increased violence in Iraq and new fears a civil war could erupt before the election. I'll speak with Iraq's foreign minister, coming up.

Hajj hospitality, Saudis work hard welcoming pilgrims from all around the world. Our Zain Verjee is in Mecca right now with a story you'll see only on CNN.

Greatest hits. We'll look at the high points and the low points of past inaugurations.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We plan to have a gym area for our passengers to stretch and work out during the flight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Luxury airliner. Europe unveils the world's biggest passenger jet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: India and Pakistan are bickering once again over the disputed region of Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of firing mortars at Indian positions breaking a year-old ceasefire. Pakistan denies initiating any attack. We're watching this story.

Another suicide bombing in southern Gaza has wounded at least five people. The blast occurred along a road used by Israeli settlers and soldiers. A Palestinian group Hamas has claimed responsibility. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was in Gaza City today, asking representatives of Hamas and other militant groups to stop their attacks on Israelis.

Iraqi elections are just a dozen days away with pre-election violence continuing. Some observers, including the Iraqi interior minister say they're clearly worried about the possibility of a full- scale civil war erupting. I spoke earlier with Iraq's interim foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari and asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI INTERIM FOREIGN MINISTER: I'm not worried about the civil war immediately after the election or if there is a boycott. They have tried this over the last year. So -- and they have failed. Iraqi people are mature enough to foil all these attempts or try to divide the country or to create civil strife and so on.

BLITZER: Mr. Minister, Democratic Senator Joseph Biden, the key member of the foreign relations committee said here in Washington today during the Condoleezza Rice confirmation hearings that based on all the information he has, there are really only about 4,000 trained, well-trained Iraqi military troops that can take charge, only 4,000. Tens of thousands of others who have been trained are not really ready for battle, not ready to take over. Do you agree with that assessment?

ZEBARI: I really think the number of Iraqis who have been trained might be higher than what the senator has suggested. According to the figure of the defense ministry published yesterday, they believe they have about -- they have trained nearly 100,000 Iraqis for the new army and the new formations and they plan to increase it until 150 by the end of the year. About the quality of the training, there are different level of training for special task, special forces, special anti-terrorist groups and so on. But I think the training is getting on. Yes, we maybe agree with Senator Biden that we need to accelerate training and equipping the Iraqi army. Because they are the only one who won't be able to really maintain security and to protect the country from all this terrorist attacks. Of course, with the help of the multinational force, but this is an Iraqi responsibility in the first place.

BLITZER: Given the fact that Iraq is next door neighbors with Iran, is it wise, in your opinion, for U.S. planners to be considering the possibility of precision air strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities in the event that international diplomacy fails?

ZEBARI: Wolf, really, this is a question for the U.S. strategists and leaders to decide. As far as our interest lies in Iraq, we really are in a situation of this political transformation and challenges. We want stability in our neighborhood, to be able to rebuild our institutions, our country, and we, as Iraqis, have no interest, really, in seeing any of our neighbors being attacked or -- especially during this period of -- which is a critical period for the stability of the entire region. I'm not very familiar, actually -- I think there are a number of mechanisms through the Europeans, through the IAEA, mechanisms to solve this Iranian nuclear problem. But at the moment, I think we, here in Iraq, are focused really on elections, on electing a new government to take responsibility this year.

BLITZER: One final question, Mr. Minister. Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel. There is now on the prospect some sort of revived negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Where does Iraq stand as far as diplomatic relations down the road with Israel?

ZEBARI: Well, we don't have any diplomatic relation, as you know. Relations are severed, you see, all along. This is a question, actually, for the next Iraqi government, who would be elected by the people and have legitimacy to think about these issues. But at the moment, really, this is not a priority for us.

BLITZER: But is it something you would welcome down the road?

ZEBARI: I really would leave it for the next government, you see, to make a decision. I'm not in a position to make such a decision now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The foreign minister also said he is deeply concerned about foreign fighters coming into Iraq from Syria. He said his government is working, though, with Syria to try to stop them, adding, and I'm quoting now, "Syria will gain nothing," he says, "from an unstable, insecure Iraq."

Playing host to two million people, Saudi Arabia's massive undertaking as the annual Hajj pilgrimage begins. A live report from the holy city of Mecca. That's coming up. Our Zain Verjee is there. This is something you'll see only on CNN.

The ailing chief justice, William Rehnquist, poised to return to public life, but questions about his future still swirl.

Plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD BRANSON: We are going to introduce a beauty parlor. We plan to have a casino. We'll also have a lot more double beds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Double beds on a plane. And that's not all. We'll show you the world's largest jumbo passenger jet. It's just been unveiled. Richard Quest, our correspondent, has details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Two million Muslims from around the world are expected to be in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca this week for the annual pilgrimage called the Hajj. CNN's Zain Verjee is among only a few journalists from Western news organizations reporting live from Mecca. She is joining us now live via videophone with a look at the monumental task of hosting the Hajj -- Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, setting up camps, transport, food and water is a massive task, because there are more than two million people there. So, who is responsible for it? We spent some time with a man who took us behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RASHAD HUSSEIN, ENGINEERING PROFESSOR: Salaam aleikum. Where do you come from?

VERJEE (voice-over): Hospitality is tradition in Mecca.

HUSSEIN: My father, my grandfather, all my ancestors used to serve pilgrims.

VERJEE: We met up with Rashad Hussein, halfway into his 20-hour work day. He is consumed with pilgrim hospitality, carrying on a centuries long family tradition. As a boy, he was taught to help pilgrims and carry their bags. Today, he greets pilgrims as they arrive by plane.

HUSSEIN: This is part of our family, it's part of most families in Mecca.

VERJEE: Rashad has got to make sure everything goes smoothly for almost 400,000 South Asian pilgrims in Mecca. He says it's not a job, but a privilege.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that those people have waited years and years just to come here. And for us to be able to help them out is, by itself, tremendous satisfaction.

VERJEE: Transportation, Rashad tells us, is critical. Otherwise, a pilgrim's Hajj could collapse.

HUSSEIN: Because rituals must be done at certain location within a certain timeframe.

VERJEE: Rashad negotiates late-night deals to hire 4,000 new buses for pilgrims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what you can offer, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

VERJEE: The group he is working with crunches numbers over a laptop and cups of tea.

At last, finished. Not quite. He expects the buses before moving on. Buses break down during the Hajj, he says, and that throws pilgrims into a panic.

There's still a lot to do in the tent city of Minnah (ph).

HUSSEIN: We (UNINTELLIGIBLE) them, furnish them, clean them, make them up and running. It's a very huge task. And we usually do it in a very short time.

VERJEE: He reflects on a time he wasn't in Mecca during the pilgrimage and wasn't part of the tradition of hospitality his family has.

HUSSEIN: There was a time when I was in the States. Hajj came...

VERJEE: It's not just pilgrims who experience the emotion of Hajj.

HUSSEIN: We feel that this is our duty, and on top of that, it's our honor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: And Wolf, we've got some numbers here that reflect the magnitude of the logistics of the Hajj. There are 12,000 food outlets that have been set up, 10,000 loaves of bread are cooked every day, and 14,000 buses in operation during the Hajj -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain Verjee, on the scene for us in Mecca. Zain, thanks very much.

He has been spotted touring the inauguration site on Capitol Hill, but is he strong enough to administer the oath of office on Thursday?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a surprise to me that he is trying to still run the court as the chief justice, given his physical condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An update on the Chief Justice William Rehnquist's health. That's coming up ahead. Plus, find out which president was long-winded and which one held the rowdiest party. We'll tell you when we look back at memorable inaugural moments.

And up next, why this "Survivor" winner is in deep trouble with the IRS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

New reports indicate that Chief Justice William Rehnquist is in frail condition. Will his fragile health deter him from returning to work or administering the oath of office at Thursday's inauguration? That story coming up in a moment.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories now in the news.

On Capitol Hill, a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing for Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's pick for secretary of state. She is getting a grilling from some Democrats, including former presidential candidate John Kerry and California Senator Barbara Boxer. The hearing is expected to continue tomorrow. And Rice is almost certain to be confirmed.

The man who won the first season of the hit CBS reality series "Survivor" is facing serious tax trouble. Federal prosecutors say Richard Hatch didn't declare his $1 million prize and other income on his taxes. He is charged with filing a false return.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist is scheduled to administer the oath of office at Thursday's inauguration. It will be his first major public appearance since the announcement that Rehnquist is battling cancer. Rehnquist's continuing absence from the courtroom is raising questions.

Our Brian Todd, joining us now live, he is looking at this story -- Brian. BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf, a lot of questions being raised now about Chief Justice Rehnquist's health and about the way both he and the court are giving out information about it, questions on top of concerns, after some recent sightings of the chief justice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): First-person recent accounts of a frail chief justice.

VINCE MORRIS, "NEW YORK POST": He looks very weak. He looks like he is just really struggling. And the most noticeable thing, of course, was that he was in a wheelchair.

TODD: "New York Post" reporter Vince Morris saw Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist last Thursday touring the inauguration site on Capitol Hill.

MORRIS: It's a surprise to me that he is still trying to run the courthouse as chief justice, given his physical condition.

TODD: While on another assignment in mid-December, I also saw Chief Justice Rehnquist being wheeled out of the Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington. We were unable to shoot video of him, but my recollection is very consistent with Vince Morris'.

Still, others who saw Justice Rehnquist at the same event where Morris observed him say he was lucid and moved around well on his own. But we have no way of knowing whether Chief Justice Rehnquist is, at this moment, physically or mentally fit to carry out his duties or to swear in President Bush on Thursday, even though he plans to be there.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: There is no legal requirement of any public disclosure of a justice's health. And justices are very cagey and very limited in what they disclose.

TODD: We called the Supreme Court for comment. The court referred us to its most recent statement on January 7, which says: "The chief justice is under going treatment for thyroid cancer and has not been present during several arguments this session." He was also absent for arguments held on Tuesday. CNN spoke to a former clerk for Rehnquist, who defends his decision to work from home.

JAY JORGENSEN, FORMER REHNQUIST CLERK: People need to realize that the Supreme Court does most of its business in a written format. People submit written papers, which he can take with him. And the oral arguments are recorded. And so, if you miss something, you're not really missing something.

TODD: But this still doesn't address the chief justice's current fitness. We have been given detailed up-to-the-minute briefings on the president's checkups and recent treatments undergone by Vice President Cheney and Condoleezza Rice. Should the chief justice be exempt? TOOBIN: What the court has decided now is that, we are the sole and exclusive arbiter of what needs to be disclosed. That rule seems somewhat extreme.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Right now, there's no legal requirement for justices to step down for health reasons, no mandatory requirement, and there won't be one without a constitutional amendment. Court scholars tell us that's unlikely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, we'll all see him on Thursday, exactly at noon.

TODD: Right.

BLITZER: When he is scheduled to administer the oath of office. Thanks very much.

TODD: Sure.

BLITZER: When George W. Bush takes the oath of office Thursday, he will be taking part in the 55th presidential inauguration. Down through the years, the ceremony has produced its share of memorable moments, some of them great, some of them not so great.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): It was cold and wet in 1841 when William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address in history, one hour and 45 minutes, wearing neither hat, nor gloves, nor an overcoat. He caught cold, developed pneumonia and died a month later.

When Ronald Reagan began his second term on a bitterly cold day in 1985, inauguration organizers had a better idea. With the wind chill hovering between 10 and 20 degrees below, ceremonies were moved inside to the Capitol Rotunda. Weather, of course, is only one of the potential inauguration pitfalls. Andrew Jackson's 1828 election was seen as a victory for the common man, but as far as official Washington was concerned, some of Jackson's supporters were a little too common.

The inaugural ball is said to have been so rowdy, Jackson was forced to sneak out for his own safety. At the 1865 inauguration, it was the vice president who seemed a little rowdy. Andrew Johnson gave a rambling, long-winded speech and detractors said he was drunk. But if the vice president's speech was the low point of the 1865 inauguration, the president's address was the high point.

With the Civil War drawing to an end, Abraham Lincoln delivered a message of national reconciliation. "With malice toward none," he said, "with charity toward all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds."

Franklin Roosevelt took a similar tack in 1933, when he used his inaugural address to reassure Americans disheartened by the depression.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

BLITZER: In 1961, John F. Kennedy tried to inspire Americans with a line destined to become his most famous quotation.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.

BLITZER: For much of the nation's history, U.S. presidents have quite literally turned their backs on most of the nation, delivering their inaugural addresses on the east side of the Capitol, facing little more than Eastern Maryland and the Atlantic Ocean. Ronald Reagan, a Westerner himself, was the first president to take the oath on the west side of the Capitol.

RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Ronald Reagan, do solemnly swear...

BLITZER: The official reason was to accommodate more spectators. But after a long career as an actor, Reagan surely knew the importance of facing the audience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And inaugural events have already started here in Washington. President Bush attended a salute to members of the U.S. armed services. Right now, there's a youth concert under way at the D.C. Armory.

Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is over there. She's standing by with a report -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Thursday may be reserved for the balls. But tonight, it is all about jamming. The inaugural committee has paired up with the volunteer organizations AmeriCorps, Freedom Corps, and brought about 10,000 young people, teenagers, here.

We're expecting the president, the first lady, as well as daughters Barbara and Jenna, to come here and greet this crowd within the hour or so to thank them personally for their community service. Now, Wolf, it is quite a lineup. We have just heard a band called Fuel. And before that, we heard someone you may be more familiar with. That Ruben Studdard, "American Idol," better known as the velvet teddy bear.

Also on the list of performers, JoJo, as well as Hilary Duff, as well as many others. Now, we expect that Barbara and Jenna, Barbara being one of the main organizers, will, of course, they will be thanking them. And the twins, who used to be camera shy, essentially came out in full force in the campaign, attracted a lot of attention among the young people. They certainly hope that they can encourage those volunteers to come out and encourage their community service.

So, Wolf, this is an evening for the young and you, too, the young at heart.

BLITZER: I guess that would be me, the young at heart.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Suzanne Malveaux, who is young and young at heart.

MALVEAUX: Oh, thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: Having a good time at the D.C. Armory. Appreciate it.

Unveiled. Airbus introduces us to the super-jumbo jet. But will it fly with passengers? This is an amazing jet. We'll take a closer look at the world's largest passenger plane. Richard Quest is on the scene for us.

Plus, family affair? Could the race for New York state attorney general pit Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. against his soon-to-be former brother-in-law, Andrew Cuomo? Mary Snow is in New York with details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A man in Florida who served time in prison on a drug conviction years ago now faces a new nightmare. The U.S. government is trying to kick him out of the country, even though he is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His case could have a major impact on the nation's immigration and citizenship laws.

CNN's John Zarrella is in Miami with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Baptiste family sits down for dinner at their home in North Miami, but one member of the family may soon be missing from the table.

After more than two decades in this country, immigration authorities want to send Lionel Jean Baptiste, a naturalized U.S. citizen, back to his homeland, Haiti.

LIONEL JEAN BAPTISTE, FACING DEPORTATION: I was shocked.

ZARRELLA: Federal authorities are trying to deport the 57-year- old Jean Baptiste for a crime he committed before he became a U.S. citizen, a case his attorney says could change how naturalized Americans lose their citizenship.

ANDRE PIERRE, ATTORNEY FOR JEAN BAPTISTE: This is not a case about an alien who is from Haiti and they're trying to send the person back to Haiti. This is a case about an American citizen who is rightfully entitled to be a United States citizen. ZARRELLA: Jean Baptiste was running a restaurant in Miami's Little Haiti in 1985 when, according to an arrest warrant, he sold drugs to an undercover DEA agent. By the time he was arrested in 1996, he had become a U.S. citizen.

(on camera): Jean Baptiste was convicted and spent seven years in prison. While serving his sentence, the government informed him it was seeking to strip his citizenship and deport him. The government claims Jean Baptiste violated a clause in the law which states that applicants for citizenship must be of -- quote -- "good moral character."

(voice-over): Some immigration law experts say the clause can't be used against someone who is already a citizen at the time of his conviction. The experts say this is an unprecedented attempt to reinterpret the law to apply retroactively.

DAVID ABRAHAM, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW: The government is saying, simply, you were guilty when you committed the crime, not when you were convicted of committing the crime.

ZARRELLA: Jean Baptiste feels he has already paid his debt.

JEAN BAPTISTE: Every night, I can't sleep. I can't eat, because I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) United States badly. How are they try to deport me like that?

ZARRELLA: Lower courts have already twice ruled against Jean Baptiste. His attorney says, if necessary, he will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, because he believes the rights of every naturalized citizen are at stake.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Huge doesn't do the new Airbus A-380 jetliner justice. Gargantuan comes closer to describing what surpassed the Boeing 747 as the world's largest passenger plane. Airbus threw a big party for its big bird today in Toulouse, France. That would be France.

And CNN's Richard Quest was there, taking it all in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a ceremony that was as big as the plane is large, an extravagance of congratulation to introduce the world's largest passenger plane.

If the plane was the star, the supporting actors were the leaders from the four countries behind Airbus, France, Germany, Spain and Britain. It's from there that most of the parts are brought to Toulouse to be assembled. The A-380 was, they said, a first-class example of European cooperation.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It is a symbol of economic strength, technological innovation, the dedication of the work force that built it, and, above all, of a confidence that we can compete and win in the global market.

QUEST: Some, like the French president, went further, saying there should be more grand projects like Airbus to cement Europe's place on the commercial map.

JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): When the A-380 takes to the air, it will carry with it our technological ambitions and achievements. I hope it is the first in a major string of successes for our countries and for Europe.

QUEST: The customers, those airlines that have bought the A-380, were like proud parents watching their offsprings perform. In one room alone were 11 commercial airline CEOs. Normally fierce competitors, today, they were friends as they cooed over the giant plane.

RICHARD BRANSON, CHAIRMAN, VIRGIN GROUP: Among a range of fun new features, we plan to have a gym area for our passengers to stretch and work out during the flight. We plan to introduce larger bars, so passengers are not stuck in the seat. They can get out and meet each other around a bar. We're going to introduce a beauty parlor. We plan to have a casino. We will also have a lot more double beds.

QUEST: Airbus has sold 149 of the super jumbos, still some way off breaking even, but this is a long-term project, at least four decades, and few doubt money will be made.

(on camera): So, in a day that has been full of superlatives, there's probably only one thing that remains to be said. This is a very big plane that ushers in a new era of travel. And that's a fact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Richard Quest, CNN, at the Airbus factory in Toulouse.

BLITZER: Yes, that is a fact. Thanks, Richard, very much.

A state attorney general race that could become a family affair, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. his soon-to-be-former-brother-in-law, Andrew Cuomo. Our Mary Snow is looking into the possibility. She'll join us with a live report. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: An intriguing political fight may soon be up on the front burner in New York state. The potential candidates come from two prominent political families.

CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York. She's joining us with details -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, they have yet to make it official, but already, there is a buzz about a potential race that pundits say it tailor-made for New York. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): He is from the political dynasty of Camelot, the son of the late Robert Kennedy. He is from the dynasty of Cuomo, son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo. And the two may be gearing up for a political showdown that is sure to grab attention.

GEORGE ARTZ, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: It's certainly a battle of royal families. And it certainly could end up to be a brass-knuckled campaign.

SNOW: Robert Kennedy declined comment, but it's widely reported he is leaning toward running for New York state attorney general. If he does, one of his opponents may be Andrew Cuomo. He could not be immediately released. The two share family history.

In 1990, Andrew Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the sister of Robert Kennedy. They are now getting divorced. Seasoned politicians in New York don't expect things to get personal, but they're not expecting a love fest either.

ED KOCH (D), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK: It will be a slug-fest, which is the best kind for those who are watching.

SNOW: Kennedy is a well-known environmentalist who runs Waterkeeper Alliance. He was charged with heroin possession in 1983 and sentenced to community service. Cuomo is a former housing secretary. He made a failed attempt for the governor's office in 2002.

Veteran political strategist George Artz has worked on many New York campaigns and says the race for attorney general is not normally one that gains a lot of attention, but this is different.

ARTZ: Now it's a much more compelling office than ever before, and so people now find this is the way to national attention.

SNOW: There are several Democrats considering running for the race to replace current Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. One Republican considering a run is welcoming the well-known Democrats. State Senator Michael Balboni said: "The more the merrier. I have great enthusiasm for exposing Kennedy and Cuomo's vulnerabilities publicly and expensively."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And there will be an opening for attorney general, since the incumbent, Eliot Spitzer, will be running for governor -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I love New York state politics. Always have. Thanks, Mary, very much.

SNOW: Sure.

BLITZER: And we'll have the results of our Web question of the day. That's coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now a developing story right here in Washington, D.C.

Amid heightened inaugural security, dozens of police and Secret Service agents are now surrounding a van stopped near Lafayette Park about a block from the White House. A man inside the van told authorities he has 15 gallons of fuel. He is threatening to blow it up, he says. Reports say he is unhappy over a domestic dispute. Authorities say they don't think there's any ties to terrorism. Stay with CNN for more information as it becomes available.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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


Aired January 18, 2005 - 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, tough talk from President Bush's choice for the next secretary of state, aimed at Iran and North Korea. Why leaders in those countries may now be more nervous about the next four years. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Confirmation confrontation. Condoleezza Rice gets a grilling.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: But I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not. I'm just quoting what you said. You contradicted the president and you contradicted yourself.

BLITZER: Fight for Iraq. Iraq's insurgents find new targets with no stake in this fight except their lives.

Speaking out ahead of the speech.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of my language during the first four years had an unintended consequence.

BLITZER: CNN's John King interviews President Bush.

Unveiled, the super jumbo. Will passengers find casinos and beauty salons or just a bigger sardine can?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, January 18, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: You're looking at live pictures of the Senate confirmation hearing continuing for Condoleezza Rice, picked by President Bush to be the next secretary of state. The questioning has been going on literally all day. The major sticking point, Iraq. I'm joined now by our state department correspondent Andrea Koppel, who's been following all of this very closely -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, seven hours and counting and now, it appears that confirmation hearings are going to stretch into a second day tomorrow. As national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice is a well-known face, both to Americans here in Washington and around the world. But in fact, she sees herself much more as a super briefer for the president. Her personal views are not well known and that is what senators today wanted to here from Ms. Rice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so, help you God?

RICE: I do.

KOPPEL (voice-over): Condoleezza Rice sought to highlight her new role as presidential adviser turned top U.S. diplomat.

RICE: The time for diplomacy is now.

KOPPEL: But Democrats quickly took her to task.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The time for diplomacy, in my view, is long overdue..

KOPPEL: Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry grilled Rice on Iraq.

JOHN KERRY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The current policy is growing the insurgency, not diminishing it.

KOPPEL: And Kerry warned the January 30th elections could make things worse.

KERRY: The dynamics of the election could actually, without the proper actions, provide a greater capacity for civil war.

KOPPEL: Rice urged patience.

RICE: The political process, as you well know better and you all know better than I, is one of coming to terms with divisions.

KOPPEL: California Democrat Barbara Boxer took the gloves off, suggesting Rice deliberately hiked the Iraq threat and used the image of a nuclear mushroom cloud to scare the American people.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: This is my personal view: that your loyalty to the mission you were given to sell this war overwhelmed your respect for the truth, and I don't say it lightly.

RICE: I have to say that I have never, ever lost respect for the truth in the service of anything. It is not my nature. It is not my character. And I would hope that we can have this conversation and discuss what happened before and what went on before and what I said without impugning my credibility or my integrity.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KOPPEL: During her tenure as national security adviser, Rice has been criticized for not doing a better job of controlling the administration's foreign policy machine, seeing herself more as a super briefer for the president rather than an advocate for policy, Wolf. The expectations, some of her boosters say, is that as secretary of state she will, added with the clout in her personal relationship with President Bush, really be a force to be reckoned with.

BLITZER: And despite some of the tough questioning, there's no doubt she'll be confirmed and sworn in as secretary of state in the next day or two?

KOPPEL: Absolutely. The expectation is that that will happen later this week.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel. Thanks very much. And CNN's continuing to monitor this hearing. We'll bring you continuing coverage as this day continues.

To our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web "Question of the Day" is this. Is Condoleezza Rice a good choice for secretary of state? You can vote right now. Go to cnn.com/wolf. We'll have the results coming up later in this broadcast.

As he winds up his first term, President Bush is also looking ahead to the next four years. Earlier today, he sat down for a wide- ranging one-on-one interview with our senior White House correspondent, John King, who's joining us now live from the White House -- John.

JOHN KING, SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we spent a great deal of time talking about the war on terror. President Bush claiming so far that he thinks significant progress. We talked a bit about the war in Iraq as well and his own personal reflections as he prepares for his second inaugural here in a very chilly Washington.

The president said in the second term one chief priority will be trying to improve the image of the United States and his administration in the Muslim world. And the president also conceded perhaps in a second term he should choose his own words more carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You've talked about changing your language a bit in the second term. That perhaps people thought -- found you too blunt, when you said things like "dead or alive" about Osama bin Laden, or "bring it on," in the early days of the Iraq insurgency.

What about "with us or against us." That was a defining moment when you spoke about terrorism, that countries around the world are either with us or against us. Some found that too black and white, too confrontational. Do you change that? GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not at all. I mean, we've got to win. And we've got to make it clear that people have to make a choice.

And I will continue to be straightforward and plainspoken about my view that freedom is necessary for peace and that everybody deserves to be free.

But you're right, some of my language in the first four years was -- it had an unintended consequence. And I'm mindful of that.

KING: Want to ask you one more question about Iraq and then I may ask to steal an extra minute to ask you a bit about the moment to come. But about Iraq, obviously there's the debate about WMD. Some would say that there was a -- perhaps a greater failing, either of intelligence or in planning, in the idea of the troop levels going in, or the statements from some in the administration that the Americans would be greeted as liberators.

As you look back now, was that an intelligence failing? Was there a misjudgment somehow in the planning?

BUSH: I think it was -- I think what you've just described is what normally happens in war, is that some things happen that you don't expect and some things you expect don't happen.

For example, I can remember the briefings I had on what to do with mass refugee movements or hunger or, you know, what you would expect as a result of a military action, which did not take place.

What did take place was a very swift defeat of Saddam's army, which allowed some Ba'athists to head to the hills and then let them live to fight another day. And that's what we're dealing with.

The truth of the matter is in the long run, John, that a sovereign government of Iraq is going to have to be prepared and equipped to defeat those people. And that's what I talked to Prime Minister Allawi about today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now, despite the continuing violence, the continuing insurgency in Iraq, the president voiced confidence that the elections in Iraq would go forward and while not perfect, would be a step in the direction toward democracy in Iraq. And Wolf, the president also reflecting on the moment. I asked him if he viewed this as personal vindication that he won a second term, vindication, perhaps for the Bush family. The president, of course, was quite upset when his father did not win a second term back in 1992.

The president said he did not want to look at this moment in personal terms. He called it a chance for the country to come together as a sign of unity and said he hoped to enjoy it much more than his first inaugural. He said he was so focused on delivering the speech, so caught up in the moment, he perhaps didn't pay enough attention to the surroundings, says he hopes to have a better time as both a participant and a spectator this Thursday.

BLITZER: And briefly, John, did you get a sense of his mood? Is he upbeat, is he nervous, agitated, confident?

KING: He's clearly upbeat. I mean, obviously, he has the Iraqi elections just over the horizon so as he celebrates on Thursday, the Iraqi elections, the coming domestic debates are key critical debates just around the corner.

But the president is much more reflective today than I've seen him in the past and he seemed very serious about the idea that, even as he delivered his speech, even as he took in the moment, if you will, as a participant in the inauguration, that he wanted to look around and sort of soak in the celebration a bit more than he felt he was capable of doing the first time.

BLITZER: All right, John King at the White House. John, thanks very much.

Eight Chinese construction workers have become the latest kidnap victims in Iraq, even as one prominent hostage gains a quick release. Meantime, insurgents are stepping up their effort to block Iraq's election as U.S. troops step up their security measures.

CNN's Jeff Koinange reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN WAR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the entrance to the headquarters of the Supreme Council for the Revolution of Iraq or SCRI, the main Shia party here. One person was killed and nine others wounded. And yet another hostage tape surfaces, this one released by a group calling itself the Islamic Resistance Movement.

The voice on the tape claims the eight hostages being held are Chinese nationals working for a construction company. The group is demanding the Chinese government urge its citizens to, in their words, stop helping the Americans. But even as one group of hostages was being paraded, another hostage was being released.

The Roman Catholic archbishop of the troubled northern city of Mosul, Basile Georges Casmoussa, was released less than 24 hours after being kidnapped. The Vatican insists no ransom was paid, despite earlier reports the kidnappers had demanded as much as $200,000 for his release.

(on camera): The archbishop's release was a bit of good news among the seemingly endless violence. To curb this violence and more that's expected in the run-up to the elections, the country's borders will be sealed for three days around the January 30th poll.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: Last week U.S. army specialist Charles Graner was sentenced to ten years in prison for the abuse of prisoners in Iraq. Today, three British soldiers went on trial at a base in Germany, charged with mistreating Iraqis. This scandal also involves photos first published in a British newspaper in 2003. Juliet Bremner reports from northern Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIET BREMNER, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bound, blindfolded and forced to lie on the ground as a British soldier gets ready to punch him. This is Lance Corporal Mark Cooley (ph) posing during the alleged abuse of two Iraqi men. In a series of shocking photographs Cooley and two other soldiers are seen assaulting, humiliating and photographing their victims. One Iraqi is tied to a forklift truck and driven by Cooley before being dangled over a steep drop to a loading bay.

Three soldiers all Royal Fusiliers were charged with nine offenses. 25-year-old Cooley is accused of faking a punch and a kick and placing a man on the forklift truck. His section commander Corporal Daniel Kenyon (ph) is charged with actively encouraging this abuse. While Lance Corporal Darren Lockin (ph) accuses of assault, and forcing men to simulating indecent acts.

Lockin, seen here standing on top of his victim has pleaded guilty to assault but the men deny all other offenses. The pictures were taken at this food storage depot near Basra, a sprawling complex which was being looted. To stop the theft the officer in charge, Major Dan Taylor (ph), ordered Operation Ali Baba, the rounding up of suspects who he said should be worked hard to stop them from further looting. When the pictures were released, Britain's chief of defense staff, General Sir Michael Jackson, had this to say.

GEN. MIKE JACKSON, U.K. CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF: We condemn utterly all ways (ph) of abuse. Where there is evidence of abuse this is immediately investigated.

BREMNER: There are clear guideline about the way Iraqi prisoners should be treated. These pictures show Fusiliers not connected with the abuse detaining Iraqi civilians. Under the Geneva Conventions soldiers cannot order their own punishment but must hand over prisoners to the military police. The incriminating photos were only discovered when a soldier took his film to this shop in Tanwa (ph). The sales assistant was so shocked, she contacted the police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Juliet Bremner of Independent Television News in Germany.

An Iraqi American businessman pleaded guilty today to charges he was paid millions of dollars by Saddam Hussein's regime for illegal lobbying activities in this country. The charges are the first to arise from multiple investigations of the United Nations Oil For Food program which allowed Iraq to export oil under U.N. supervision and use the proceeds for humanitarian needs. There are allegations of widespread corruption in that program which was operated while Iraq was under international sanctions.

Increased violence in Iraq and new fears a civil war could erupt before the election. I'll speak with Iraq's foreign minister, coming up.

Hajj hospitality, Saudis work hard welcoming pilgrims from all around the world. Our Zain Verjee is in Mecca right now with a story you'll see only on CNN.

Greatest hits. We'll look at the high points and the low points of past inaugurations.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We plan to have a gym area for our passengers to stretch and work out during the flight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Luxury airliner. Europe unveils the world's biggest passenger jet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: India and Pakistan are bickering once again over the disputed region of Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of firing mortars at Indian positions breaking a year-old ceasefire. Pakistan denies initiating any attack. We're watching this story.

Another suicide bombing in southern Gaza has wounded at least five people. The blast occurred along a road used by Israeli settlers and soldiers. A Palestinian group Hamas has claimed responsibility. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was in Gaza City today, asking representatives of Hamas and other militant groups to stop their attacks on Israelis.

Iraqi elections are just a dozen days away with pre-election violence continuing. Some observers, including the Iraqi interior minister say they're clearly worried about the possibility of a full- scale civil war erupting. I spoke earlier with Iraq's interim foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari and asked him about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOSHYAR ZEBARI, IRAQI INTERIM FOREIGN MINISTER: I'm not worried about the civil war immediately after the election or if there is a boycott. They have tried this over the last year. So -- and they have failed. Iraqi people are mature enough to foil all these attempts or try to divide the country or to create civil strife and so on.

BLITZER: Mr. Minister, Democratic Senator Joseph Biden, the key member of the foreign relations committee said here in Washington today during the Condoleezza Rice confirmation hearings that based on all the information he has, there are really only about 4,000 trained, well-trained Iraqi military troops that can take charge, only 4,000. Tens of thousands of others who have been trained are not really ready for battle, not ready to take over. Do you agree with that assessment?

ZEBARI: I really think the number of Iraqis who have been trained might be higher than what the senator has suggested. According to the figure of the defense ministry published yesterday, they believe they have about -- they have trained nearly 100,000 Iraqis for the new army and the new formations and they plan to increase it until 150 by the end of the year. About the quality of the training, there are different level of training for special task, special forces, special anti-terrorist groups and so on. But I think the training is getting on. Yes, we maybe agree with Senator Biden that we need to accelerate training and equipping the Iraqi army. Because they are the only one who won't be able to really maintain security and to protect the country from all this terrorist attacks. Of course, with the help of the multinational force, but this is an Iraqi responsibility in the first place.

BLITZER: Given the fact that Iraq is next door neighbors with Iran, is it wise, in your opinion, for U.S. planners to be considering the possibility of precision air strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities in the event that international diplomacy fails?

ZEBARI: Wolf, really, this is a question for the U.S. strategists and leaders to decide. As far as our interest lies in Iraq, we really are in a situation of this political transformation and challenges. We want stability in our neighborhood, to be able to rebuild our institutions, our country, and we, as Iraqis, have no interest, really, in seeing any of our neighbors being attacked or -- especially during this period of -- which is a critical period for the stability of the entire region. I'm not very familiar, actually -- I think there are a number of mechanisms through the Europeans, through the IAEA, mechanisms to solve this Iranian nuclear problem. But at the moment, I think we, here in Iraq, are focused really on elections, on electing a new government to take responsibility this year.

BLITZER: One final question, Mr. Minister. Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel. There is now on the prospect some sort of revived negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Where does Iraq stand as far as diplomatic relations down the road with Israel?

ZEBARI: Well, we don't have any diplomatic relation, as you know. Relations are severed, you see, all along. This is a question, actually, for the next Iraqi government, who would be elected by the people and have legitimacy to think about these issues. But at the moment, really, this is not a priority for us.

BLITZER: But is it something you would welcome down the road?

ZEBARI: I really would leave it for the next government, you see, to make a decision. I'm not in a position to make such a decision now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The foreign minister also said he is deeply concerned about foreign fighters coming into Iraq from Syria. He said his government is working, though, with Syria to try to stop them, adding, and I'm quoting now, "Syria will gain nothing," he says, "from an unstable, insecure Iraq."

Playing host to two million people, Saudi Arabia's massive undertaking as the annual Hajj pilgrimage begins. A live report from the holy city of Mecca. That's coming up. Our Zain Verjee is there. This is something you'll see only on CNN.

The ailing chief justice, William Rehnquist, poised to return to public life, but questions about his future still swirl.

Plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD BRANSON: We are going to introduce a beauty parlor. We plan to have a casino. We'll also have a lot more double beds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Double beds on a plane. And that's not all. We'll show you the world's largest jumbo passenger jet. It's just been unveiled. Richard Quest, our correspondent, has details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Two million Muslims from around the world are expected to be in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca this week for the annual pilgrimage called the Hajj. CNN's Zain Verjee is among only a few journalists from Western news organizations reporting live from Mecca. She is joining us now live via videophone with a look at the monumental task of hosting the Hajj -- Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, setting up camps, transport, food and water is a massive task, because there are more than two million people there. So, who is responsible for it? We spent some time with a man who took us behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RASHAD HUSSEIN, ENGINEERING PROFESSOR: Salaam aleikum. Where do you come from?

VERJEE (voice-over): Hospitality is tradition in Mecca.

HUSSEIN: My father, my grandfather, all my ancestors used to serve pilgrims.

VERJEE: We met up with Rashad Hussein, halfway into his 20-hour work day. He is consumed with pilgrim hospitality, carrying on a centuries long family tradition. As a boy, he was taught to help pilgrims and carry their bags. Today, he greets pilgrims as they arrive by plane.

HUSSEIN: This is part of our family, it's part of most families in Mecca.

VERJEE: Rashad has got to make sure everything goes smoothly for almost 400,000 South Asian pilgrims in Mecca. He says it's not a job, but a privilege.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that those people have waited years and years just to come here. And for us to be able to help them out is, by itself, tremendous satisfaction.

VERJEE: Transportation, Rashad tells us, is critical. Otherwise, a pilgrim's Hajj could collapse.

HUSSEIN: Because rituals must be done at certain location within a certain timeframe.

VERJEE: Rashad negotiates late-night deals to hire 4,000 new buses for pilgrims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what you can offer, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

VERJEE: The group he is working with crunches numbers over a laptop and cups of tea.

At last, finished. Not quite. He expects the buses before moving on. Buses break down during the Hajj, he says, and that throws pilgrims into a panic.

There's still a lot to do in the tent city of Minnah (ph).

HUSSEIN: We (UNINTELLIGIBLE) them, furnish them, clean them, make them up and running. It's a very huge task. And we usually do it in a very short time.

VERJEE: He reflects on a time he wasn't in Mecca during the pilgrimage and wasn't part of the tradition of hospitality his family has.

HUSSEIN: There was a time when I was in the States. Hajj came...

VERJEE: It's not just pilgrims who experience the emotion of Hajj.

HUSSEIN: We feel that this is our duty, and on top of that, it's our honor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: And Wolf, we've got some numbers here that reflect the magnitude of the logistics of the Hajj. There are 12,000 food outlets that have been set up, 10,000 loaves of bread are cooked every day, and 14,000 buses in operation during the Hajj -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Zain Verjee, on the scene for us in Mecca. Zain, thanks very much.

He has been spotted touring the inauguration site on Capitol Hill, but is he strong enough to administer the oath of office on Thursday?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a surprise to me that he is trying to still run the court as the chief justice, given his physical condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: An update on the Chief Justice William Rehnquist's health. That's coming up ahead. Plus, find out which president was long-winded and which one held the rowdiest party. We'll tell you when we look back at memorable inaugural moments.

And up next, why this "Survivor" winner is in deep trouble with the IRS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

New reports indicate that Chief Justice William Rehnquist is in frail condition. Will his fragile health deter him from returning to work or administering the oath of office at Thursday's inauguration? That story coming up in a moment.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories now in the news.

On Capitol Hill, a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing for Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's pick for secretary of state. She is getting a grilling from some Democrats, including former presidential candidate John Kerry and California Senator Barbara Boxer. The hearing is expected to continue tomorrow. And Rice is almost certain to be confirmed.

The man who won the first season of the hit CBS reality series "Survivor" is facing serious tax trouble. Federal prosecutors say Richard Hatch didn't declare his $1 million prize and other income on his taxes. He is charged with filing a false return.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist is scheduled to administer the oath of office at Thursday's inauguration. It will be his first major public appearance since the announcement that Rehnquist is battling cancer. Rehnquist's continuing absence from the courtroom is raising questions.

Our Brian Todd, joining us now live, he is looking at this story -- Brian. BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf, a lot of questions being raised now about Chief Justice Rehnquist's health and about the way both he and the court are giving out information about it, questions on top of concerns, after some recent sightings of the chief justice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): First-person recent accounts of a frail chief justice.

VINCE MORRIS, "NEW YORK POST": He looks very weak. He looks like he is just really struggling. And the most noticeable thing, of course, was that he was in a wheelchair.

TODD: "New York Post" reporter Vince Morris saw Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist last Thursday touring the inauguration site on Capitol Hill.

MORRIS: It's a surprise to me that he is still trying to run the courthouse as chief justice, given his physical condition.

TODD: While on another assignment in mid-December, I also saw Chief Justice Rehnquist being wheeled out of the Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington. We were unable to shoot video of him, but my recollection is very consistent with Vince Morris'.

Still, others who saw Justice Rehnquist at the same event where Morris observed him say he was lucid and moved around well on his own. But we have no way of knowing whether Chief Justice Rehnquist is, at this moment, physically or mentally fit to carry out his duties or to swear in President Bush on Thursday, even though he plans to be there.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: There is no legal requirement of any public disclosure of a justice's health. And justices are very cagey and very limited in what they disclose.

TODD: We called the Supreme Court for comment. The court referred us to its most recent statement on January 7, which says: "The chief justice is under going treatment for thyroid cancer and has not been present during several arguments this session." He was also absent for arguments held on Tuesday. CNN spoke to a former clerk for Rehnquist, who defends his decision to work from home.

JAY JORGENSEN, FORMER REHNQUIST CLERK: People need to realize that the Supreme Court does most of its business in a written format. People submit written papers, which he can take with him. And the oral arguments are recorded. And so, if you miss something, you're not really missing something.

TODD: But this still doesn't address the chief justice's current fitness. We have been given detailed up-to-the-minute briefings on the president's checkups and recent treatments undergone by Vice President Cheney and Condoleezza Rice. Should the chief justice be exempt? TOOBIN: What the court has decided now is that, we are the sole and exclusive arbiter of what needs to be disclosed. That rule seems somewhat extreme.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Right now, there's no legal requirement for justices to step down for health reasons, no mandatory requirement, and there won't be one without a constitutional amendment. Court scholars tell us that's unlikely -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Well, we'll all see him on Thursday, exactly at noon.

TODD: Right.

BLITZER: When he is scheduled to administer the oath of office. Thanks very much.

TODD: Sure.

BLITZER: When George W. Bush takes the oath of office Thursday, he will be taking part in the 55th presidential inauguration. Down through the years, the ceremony has produced its share of memorable moments, some of them great, some of them not so great.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): It was cold and wet in 1841 when William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address in history, one hour and 45 minutes, wearing neither hat, nor gloves, nor an overcoat. He caught cold, developed pneumonia and died a month later.

When Ronald Reagan began his second term on a bitterly cold day in 1985, inauguration organizers had a better idea. With the wind chill hovering between 10 and 20 degrees below, ceremonies were moved inside to the Capitol Rotunda. Weather, of course, is only one of the potential inauguration pitfalls. Andrew Jackson's 1828 election was seen as a victory for the common man, but as far as official Washington was concerned, some of Jackson's supporters were a little too common.

The inaugural ball is said to have been so rowdy, Jackson was forced to sneak out for his own safety. At the 1865 inauguration, it was the vice president who seemed a little rowdy. Andrew Johnson gave a rambling, long-winded speech and detractors said he was drunk. But if the vice president's speech was the low point of the 1865 inauguration, the president's address was the high point.

With the Civil War drawing to an end, Abraham Lincoln delivered a message of national reconciliation. "With malice toward none," he said, "with charity toward all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds."

Franklin Roosevelt took a similar tack in 1933, when he used his inaugural address to reassure Americans disheartened by the depression.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

BLITZER: In 1961, John F. Kennedy tried to inspire Americans with a line destined to become his most famous quotation.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.

BLITZER: For much of the nation's history, U.S. presidents have quite literally turned their backs on most of the nation, delivering their inaugural addresses on the east side of the Capitol, facing little more than Eastern Maryland and the Atlantic Ocean. Ronald Reagan, a Westerner himself, was the first president to take the oath on the west side of the Capitol.

RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Ronald Reagan, do solemnly swear...

BLITZER: The official reason was to accommodate more spectators. But after a long career as an actor, Reagan surely knew the importance of facing the audience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And inaugural events have already started here in Washington. President Bush attended a salute to members of the U.S. armed services. Right now, there's a youth concert under way at the D.C. Armory.

Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is over there. She's standing by with a report -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Thursday may be reserved for the balls. But tonight, it is all about jamming. The inaugural committee has paired up with the volunteer organizations AmeriCorps, Freedom Corps, and brought about 10,000 young people, teenagers, here.

We're expecting the president, the first lady, as well as daughters Barbara and Jenna, to come here and greet this crowd within the hour or so to thank them personally for their community service. Now, Wolf, it is quite a lineup. We have just heard a band called Fuel. And before that, we heard someone you may be more familiar with. That Ruben Studdard, "American Idol," better known as the velvet teddy bear.

Also on the list of performers, JoJo, as well as Hilary Duff, as well as many others. Now, we expect that Barbara and Jenna, Barbara being one of the main organizers, will, of course, they will be thanking them. And the twins, who used to be camera shy, essentially came out in full force in the campaign, attracted a lot of attention among the young people. They certainly hope that they can encourage those volunteers to come out and encourage their community service.

So, Wolf, this is an evening for the young and you, too, the young at heart.

BLITZER: I guess that would be me, the young at heart.

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Suzanne Malveaux, who is young and young at heart.

MALVEAUX: Oh, thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: Having a good time at the D.C. Armory. Appreciate it.

Unveiled. Airbus introduces us to the super-jumbo jet. But will it fly with passengers? This is an amazing jet. We'll take a closer look at the world's largest passenger plane. Richard Quest is on the scene for us.

Plus, family affair? Could the race for New York state attorney general pit Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. against his soon-to-be former brother-in-law, Andrew Cuomo? Mary Snow is in New York with details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A man in Florida who served time in prison on a drug conviction years ago now faces a new nightmare. The U.S. government is trying to kick him out of the country, even though he is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His case could have a major impact on the nation's immigration and citizenship laws.

CNN's John Zarrella is in Miami with our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Baptiste family sits down for dinner at their home in North Miami, but one member of the family may soon be missing from the table.

After more than two decades in this country, immigration authorities want to send Lionel Jean Baptiste, a naturalized U.S. citizen, back to his homeland, Haiti.

LIONEL JEAN BAPTISTE, FACING DEPORTATION: I was shocked.

ZARRELLA: Federal authorities are trying to deport the 57-year- old Jean Baptiste for a crime he committed before he became a U.S. citizen, a case his attorney says could change how naturalized Americans lose their citizenship.

ANDRE PIERRE, ATTORNEY FOR JEAN BAPTISTE: This is not a case about an alien who is from Haiti and they're trying to send the person back to Haiti. This is a case about an American citizen who is rightfully entitled to be a United States citizen. ZARRELLA: Jean Baptiste was running a restaurant in Miami's Little Haiti in 1985 when, according to an arrest warrant, he sold drugs to an undercover DEA agent. By the time he was arrested in 1996, he had become a U.S. citizen.

(on camera): Jean Baptiste was convicted and spent seven years in prison. While serving his sentence, the government informed him it was seeking to strip his citizenship and deport him. The government claims Jean Baptiste violated a clause in the law which states that applicants for citizenship must be of -- quote -- "good moral character."

(voice-over): Some immigration law experts say the clause can't be used against someone who is already a citizen at the time of his conviction. The experts say this is an unprecedented attempt to reinterpret the law to apply retroactively.

DAVID ABRAHAM, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW: The government is saying, simply, you were guilty when you committed the crime, not when you were convicted of committing the crime.

ZARRELLA: Jean Baptiste feels he has already paid his debt.

JEAN BAPTISTE: Every night, I can't sleep. I can't eat, because I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) United States badly. How are they try to deport me like that?

ZARRELLA: Lower courts have already twice ruled against Jean Baptiste. His attorney says, if necessary, he will take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, because he believes the rights of every naturalized citizen are at stake.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Huge doesn't do the new Airbus A-380 jetliner justice. Gargantuan comes closer to describing what surpassed the Boeing 747 as the world's largest passenger plane. Airbus threw a big party for its big bird today in Toulouse, France. That would be France.

And CNN's Richard Quest was there, taking it all in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a ceremony that was as big as the plane is large, an extravagance of congratulation to introduce the world's largest passenger plane.

If the plane was the star, the supporting actors were the leaders from the four countries behind Airbus, France, Germany, Spain and Britain. It's from there that most of the parts are brought to Toulouse to be assembled. The A-380 was, they said, a first-class example of European cooperation.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It is a symbol of economic strength, technological innovation, the dedication of the work force that built it, and, above all, of a confidence that we can compete and win in the global market.

QUEST: Some, like the French president, went further, saying there should be more grand projects like Airbus to cement Europe's place on the commercial map.

JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): When the A-380 takes to the air, it will carry with it our technological ambitions and achievements. I hope it is the first in a major string of successes for our countries and for Europe.

QUEST: The customers, those airlines that have bought the A-380, were like proud parents watching their offsprings perform. In one room alone were 11 commercial airline CEOs. Normally fierce competitors, today, they were friends as they cooed over the giant plane.

RICHARD BRANSON, CHAIRMAN, VIRGIN GROUP: Among a range of fun new features, we plan to have a gym area for our passengers to stretch and work out during the flight. We plan to introduce larger bars, so passengers are not stuck in the seat. They can get out and meet each other around a bar. We're going to introduce a beauty parlor. We plan to have a casino. We will also have a lot more double beds.

QUEST: Airbus has sold 149 of the super jumbos, still some way off breaking even, but this is a long-term project, at least four decades, and few doubt money will be made.

(on camera): So, in a day that has been full of superlatives, there's probably only one thing that remains to be said. This is a very big plane that ushers in a new era of travel. And that's a fact.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Richard Quest, CNN, at the Airbus factory in Toulouse.

BLITZER: Yes, that is a fact. Thanks, Richard, very much.

A state attorney general race that could become a family affair, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. his soon-to-be-former-brother-in-law, Andrew Cuomo. Our Mary Snow is looking into the possibility. She'll join us with a live report. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: An intriguing political fight may soon be up on the front burner in New York state. The potential candidates come from two prominent political families.

CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York. She's joining us with details -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, they have yet to make it official, but already, there is a buzz about a potential race that pundits say it tailor-made for New York. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): He is from the political dynasty of Camelot, the son of the late Robert Kennedy. He is from the dynasty of Cuomo, son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo. And the two may be gearing up for a political showdown that is sure to grab attention.

GEORGE ARTZ, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: It's certainly a battle of royal families. And it certainly could end up to be a brass-knuckled campaign.

SNOW: Robert Kennedy declined comment, but it's widely reported he is leaning toward running for New York state attorney general. If he does, one of his opponents may be Andrew Cuomo. He could not be immediately released. The two share family history.

In 1990, Andrew Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the sister of Robert Kennedy. They are now getting divorced. Seasoned politicians in New York don't expect things to get personal, but they're not expecting a love fest either.

ED KOCH (D), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK: It will be a slug-fest, which is the best kind for those who are watching.

SNOW: Kennedy is a well-known environmentalist who runs Waterkeeper Alliance. He was charged with heroin possession in 1983 and sentenced to community service. Cuomo is a former housing secretary. He made a failed attempt for the governor's office in 2002.

Veteran political strategist George Artz has worked on many New York campaigns and says the race for attorney general is not normally one that gains a lot of attention, but this is different.

ARTZ: Now it's a much more compelling office than ever before, and so people now find this is the way to national attention.

SNOW: There are several Democrats considering running for the race to replace current Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. One Republican considering a run is welcoming the well-known Democrats. State Senator Michael Balboni said: "The more the merrier. I have great enthusiasm for exposing Kennedy and Cuomo's vulnerabilities publicly and expensively."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And there will be an opening for attorney general, since the incumbent, Eliot Spitzer, will be running for governor -- Wolf.

BLITZER: I love New York state politics. Always have. Thanks, Mary, very much.

SNOW: Sure.

BLITZER: And we'll have the results of our Web question of the day. That's coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Now a developing story right here in Washington, D.C.

Amid heightened inaugural security, dozens of police and Secret Service agents are now surrounding a van stopped near Lafayette Park about a block from the White House. A man inside the van told authorities he has 15 gallons of fuel. He is threatening to blow it up, he says. Reports say he is unhappy over a domestic dispute. Authorities say they don't think there's any ties to terrorism. Stay with CNN for more information as it becomes available.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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