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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Catholics Watch Pope Selection Closely; Japan and China Dealing with Historic Hatred; Criminal Attempts Escape in Rhode Island

Aired April 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, HOST "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS": Happening now, the cardinals have voted, and the world gets a glimpse of the outcome of round one.
Standby for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Conclave. Cardinals convene to choose the next pope. An oath of secrecy, then the doors close as the world waits and wonders.

The sex offenders: How do they slip through the cracks? A closer look at the predators among us.

Seven stories high, a massive cruise ship meets a massive wave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Windows broken, people bruised, bleeding -- it was just -- it was pure chaos.

BLITZER: Passengers tell about their wild ride.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, April 18th, 2005.

BLITZER (on camera): Thanks for joining us.

With all the splendor and pageantry that centuries of sacred tradition can bring, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church today begin their conclave, the secret assembly to choose a new pope. Black smoke, billowing from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, a signal that the cardinals cloistered inside failed to elect a pope on their first ballot. But the first puff seemed gray, or at least a little bit, even white, which would signal success, causing momentary confusion to those watching in St. Peter's Square and around the world.

The vote came just two-and-a-half hours after 115 cardinals from 52 countries slowly filed into the chapel, clad in crimson robes, capes, and hats. The cardinals lined up to swear an oath of secrecy, each placing his hand on the Book of Gospels, pledging never to reveal what occurs inside the conclave.

While the world watches and waits for the announcement of a new pope, so do the curious and faithful filling St. Peter's Square. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As pilgrims came to say good-bye to Pope John Paul II, they have also come -- albeit in fewer numbers, but just as eager -- to see who the new pope will be. Catholics and non-Catholics demonstrating the global significance of the papacy these days. Sarah Haath (ph) is a student from Chicago.

SARAH HAATH, STUDENT: Everyone from around the world is there, all religions, but it doesn't matter, because you all feel the same kind of unity.

AMANPOUR: But that unity, or disunity, is at the very heart of one of the Catholic Church's dilemmas as it chooses a new pope. The question is whether the next pope will be able to meet the needs of all the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, while congregations are growing in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in North America and Western Europe, they are shrinking and some there, in fact, many, say that they need the church to reflect today's life.

Here in St. Peter's Square, in the shadow of the secret conclave, this German woman drew some curious stares for her lone protest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (SINGING): I want to have a female pope...

AMANPOUR: They may be scratching their heads, but many Catholics chafe under rules that bar female priests, let alone popes. Some Catholics, watching the great screens in the square, took exception to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at mass this morning, who said the church must stick with the old and not follow the new.

Tricia Kelly, who describes herself as a "lapsed Catholic," is from England.

TRICIA KELLY, BRITISH CATHOLIC: I just feel that it doesn't really have any relevance to my current life at the moment. I feel it's quite claustrophobic in its opinions.

AMANPOUR: Justin Brown has come from Australia to watch this process.

JUSTIN BROWN, AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC: And one of the areas that I am concerned about mostly is the number of Catholics who are leaving the church. And part of that, I think, is true, some of the older teachings that they try and shove down our throats, in particular, not using condoms, for example, priests not marrying.

AMANPOUR: There are also many devout Catholics who don't see the need for rapid change such as Adrian Athlen (ph) from Canada.

ADRIAN ATHLEN, CANADIAN CATHOLIC: It's not very east I think to open up sometimes, to change some of the rules, but I think the Holy Spirit is different, and has different views.

AMANPOUR: Whatever qualities they seek in the next pope, they will have nothing but this small smokestack on the roof of the Sistine Chapel to scrutinize. On the first day, the smoke billowed black. No decision, yet. Now that the cardinals have closed the doors, their conclave inside the chapel is secret. Christiane Amanpour, CNN at the Vatican.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: There was one change since the last conclave in 1978 when a puff of seemingly gray smoke left the world wondering whether a pope had been elected or not. John Paul II himself initiated the change and now in addition to white smoke coming from the roof of the Sistine Chapel, the bells of St. Peter's will be rung to indicate without a doubt that the cardinals have made their choice.

But how did the Vatican get the smoke a particular color? For white smoke, officials simply say they add wet straw to the burning ballots. For black smoke indicating no selection, the ballots alone are burned. The Vatican also says, this year, for the first time, smoke canisters will be used to increase visibility.

For more on all of this, let's bring in our Vatican analyst, Delia Gallagher. She's joining us now from Rome.

I have also heard, Delia, that they add chemicals just to be sure it's white or black. Do you know anything about that?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, what they have done, now, Wolf is they've added a sort of second smoke booster, as it were. There's the stove which has been used since 1939. We went in and saw it on Saturday before this all started, and it is has engraved on it all the dates of the conclave that they've used it to burn the ballots. And then there's a sort of copper tube that goes up towards the chimney, and it's joined by a second, sort of, smoke booster. And in that booster, which is essentially giving air to the smoke and helping it rise and get out, they are saying there are chemicals in there which are adding to the color of the smoke.

But as we saw today, Wolf, the amazing thing is, even with that smoke booster, the smoke is still sort of coming out in whiffs in the beginning, so it's still a tough call in 2005.

BLITZER: Well, we will just have to wait for the bells just to make sure that we know a new pope has been selected. The does it indicate anything in your mind -- and you know this subject very well -- that they did, in fact, have the first vote today and that they burned the ballots? There was an indication they might wait for that first round until tomorrow.

GALLAGHER: Well, they have the choice when they go in. The first being that the cardinal, Cardinal Ratzinger in this case, the dean of the College of Cardinals, has to ask them, is there any other business? And anybody is able to say, well, wait a minute, I want to clarify this or that. But, one assumes that they've had plenty of time to clarify the other business, and probably wanted to get in and get a first vote, because a first vote is crucial because now they have a list of who are the front-runners, who are the cardinals getting behind. And they also have numbers as to how many votes each of those candidates are getting. And they didn't have this before, because even if they are talking internally, they wouldn't have an idea, necessarily, of how many votes exactly each person is getting. So this is a crucial day for them to realize who are front-runners, and how many votes they're getting. Now they can really begin that the behind-the-scenes sort of politicking as it were to gain more votes, or give votes to another candidate, et cetera.

BLITZER: Delia Gallagher is our Vatican analyst. She'll be helping us understand this process every step of the way. Delia, thank you very much.

And our coverage of the conclave to select the next pope will continue this hour. I will speak with Father David O'Connelly. He's the president of the Catholic University of America here in Washington. Coming up later this hour.

Let's turn now to some U.S. news. The Bush administration continues to fight to overhaul Social Security. It's also keeping a very watchful eye on the controversy surrounding House Republican leader Tom DeLay. Earlier here on CNN's INSIDE POLITICS, our chief national correspondent John King discussed Social Security and other subjects with the Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

John, thanks very much for joining us. It's rare Karl Rove does these interviews. Let's talk about Tom DeLay and the uproar surrounding him. Did he give any indication in which direction the White House would be moving, how much they will try to fight to help Tom DeLay.

JOHN KING, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You were just talking about us looking for the smoke over the Sistine Chapel. Many Republicans in Washington looking for signals from the Bush administration about how long and how strong it is willing to stand by Tom DeLay in the middle of these ethics investigation and these attacks from the Democrats.

Now, it comes at a key time. You mentioned Social Security. The president's agenda is in trouble or at least stalled right now on Capitol Hill. Tom DeLay is the leader of the House. He marshals up the votes. And the president last week says he looks forward to working with him. But some thought that might be tepid, they took it as a symbol that the White House was not willing to stand by him. Karl Rove, in that interview today, the strongest support yet from the administration. He called him a strong leader. He called him a good man. He said the administration looks forward to working more with him, and Karl Rove saying all these attacks, at least in his view, partisan sniping from desperate Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL ROVE, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think they're just desperate. They don't have -- they are not offering ideas in the debate. They are not being constructive. And so some members were taking pot shots at Tom DeLay. But think about it they are attacking him for having his wife and daughter on the campaign payroll. Many Democrats have relied upon their family members to help campaign for them and serve as members of their staff. This is all going to be resolved by the Ethics commission -- committee, we think in an appropriate way. And Tom DeLay is going to continue to be a strong and effective majority leader for the Republicans in the House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now Republicans will certainly take solace in that, as the strongest endorsement yet, of the White House of Tom DeLay. It comes at an interesting time. There are some who worry his ethics problem could hurt the administration. There are others, including senior Bush administration officials, who think Tom DeLay will come back to Washington with something to prove. And he'll go to the floor of the House. He'll try to push the president's agenda through. So some in an odd way think that legislatively this could work for the president's advantage. More energy for the majority leader. Certainly they don't want ethical questions over such a senior Republican. You heard Karl Rove saying he wants this resolved soon. They certainly do at the White House. That is a fact.

BLITZER: And John King, now our chief national correspondent. Congratulations, John. Leaving eight years as our senior White House correspondent or something like that -- many years.

KING: You were there quite a while.

BLITZER: I was once the senior White House correspondent. There is life after the White House, John.

KING: We shall see.

BLITZER: All right. John King, reporting for us. Thanks very much.

When we come back, a freak wave and a night of, quote, "pure hell."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Children were screaming, we were all in our life jackets. We didn't know what was coming next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Cabins flooded and people injured, the passengers now on dry land. They share their stories with us.

Registered sex offenders slipping through the system. Is this danger lurking in your neighborhood?

Emotional arraignment. This murder suspect's appearance sends shock waves through a Rhode Island courtroom. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It was an unforgettable vacation, but not in a good way. Rough seas and a rogue waves simply terrified passengers, and crippled their cruise ship. And now we have some new home video showing what their ordeal was like. CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York. She has the story -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf.

Well, Norwegian Cruise Line says the captain of the cruise ship has been at sea for 17 years, and that he's never seen a wave quite like it. Rattled passengers aboard the Norwegian Dawn, returned home to New York after some terrifying moments coming back from the Bahamas over the weekend. Some passengers say it wasn't all that bad. Others say they were very scared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): This was the scene from aboard the Norwegian Dawn Saturday morning, after the cruise ship smacked into what's being described by cruise line representatives, as a freak wave. Throughout the night, the seas were rough. Some people put on life vests. Others feared for their lives.

DAVE WITCHEY, PASSENGER: We said our prayers. We said goodbye. We held each other in bed, you know, crying. (INAUDIBLE)

SNOW: Dave Witchey and his new bride Maria (ph) decided on a cruise because Dave doesn't like to fly.

WITCHEY: We were being thrown. I mean, we were going up with the waves, down with the waves. They tried to steer into the waves to help us.

MARGIE CRANSTON, PASSENGER: We were getting thrown around pretty bad from side to side. The bathroom was like made of glass so the floor was just riddled with glass.

SNOW: Cruise line representatives say after 6:00 a.m., when seas began to calm, a wave estimated to be 47 feet high smashed into the ship.

BILL HAMLIN, NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: The ship was never in an unsafe situation. The integrity of the ship was in no way compromised by this incident.

SNOW: The cruise lines says two cabin windows on the 965 foot ship were smashed, 62 cabins flooded. Norwegian Dawn says, of the 2,599 passengers on board, four people suffered minor injuries. On board the ship...

MICHAEL NOWICKI, NORWEGIAN DAWN PASSENGER: The captain has told us, after laying there, feeling like the ship was tipping over, he got on and told us he called the Coast Guard. Nice vacation.

SNOW: One passenger videotaped this water spout Friday morning, and said the captain warned them the seas we're going to get rough, but they didn't expect it to be this.

ELLEN TASAURO, PASSENGER: I saw a funnel cloud out in the ocean, and I woke my husband up. And we put CNN on immediately, and we saw that storm forecasted out there. And I said what is this captain doing, he's plowing us into the storm.

SNOW: The cruise Line says there was no way the captain could see the rogue wave coming.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Now, the cruise ship was diverted to South Carolina where the Coast Guard inspected the ship. About 329 passengers at that time exited the ship there. The rest of the passengers came to New York.

Wolf.

BLITZER: And the ship is getting ready, if it hasn't left New York, is getting ready for another cruise with a whole new boat load of people.

SNOW: Absolutely, Wolf. The ship is ready to pull out at any moment back to the Bahamas.

BLITZER: OK. We'll be watching what happens the next time around. Hopefully -- hopefully, it will be a very, very smooth sail for all of them.

Mary Snow reporting for us. Thank you very much.

As the world waits for the naming of the new pope, one outspoken cardinal is thought to be a front-runner. We'll take a look at Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Warming relations, a new sign of hope for two countries that have been long-time enemies.

And later, a major announcement from a sports legend. Is Lance Armstrong really going to retire?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

There was a hopeful prediction today about a long-running international trouble spot. After three days of talks, the leaders of India and Pakistan issued a joint statement promising to settle their differences over the disputed province of Kashmir. The two countries have been at odds for more than half a century. India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, declared that although more negotiations are needed the peace process, they said, is now irreversible.

There is concern today about the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in North Korea. A South Korean foreign ministry official reported the shut down. Analysts say it could be the result of a mechanical problem, but also could mean that the North Koreans are removing the fuel rods to extract plutonium for use in a nuclear bomb.

Joining us now from New York to discuss all these issues, our world affairs analyst William Cohen, the former defense secretary, currently the chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group here in Washington.

Secretary, thanks very much for joining us. What' your read on what's happening in North Korea? This is ominous to a lot of intelligence analysts.

WILLIAM COHEN, FMR DEF. SEC., CEO, COHEN GROUP: Well, as you pointed out, there are at least two or three options that are now being considered.

Number one, it could be a malfunction and they are shutting down for security or safety purposes.

Number two, it could be a mind game on their part, namely, shutting it down without explanation, letting us believe that perhaps they are moving forward with production of more nuclear weapons.

Or, number three, they could be taking those spent fuel rods and then trying to extract the plutonium.

If it's a malfunction, that's one thing. The other two options are serious to South Korea, to Japan, to China, to the rest of the world and would call for a serious reaction by the West.

BLITZER: Let's hope it's number one instead of two or three for that matter. Two other nuclear nations, India and Pakistan, there are some encouraging developments. This visit by Musharraf, the talks that have been going on, seems to signal, perhaps, a new start in their relationship.

COHEN: I think it's very positive news. Nothing is irreversible, but this is about as positive a statement as President Musharraf could possibly make. You have to remember, these two countries have fought three wars. They nearly went to war as recently as 2002. For them to be together now and to talk about ways in which they can reduced tensions over Kashmir is a very, very significant step. This process has been ongoing for the last couple of years, it's been nurtured by the United States, we have established closer relationships with India and with Pakistan and hopefully we can be as encouraging as possible. This is a very positive news development.

BLITZER: When I was there in Kashmir a few years ago -- this isn't all that long ago -- I remember doing a stand-up in which I said, I am now standing in what U.S. officials believe is the most dangerous spot on Earth, given the nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan. Fortunately, that seems to be moving in the right direction. What seems to be moving in the wrong direction is the relationship between China and Japan. This is ominous. Tell our viewers what's going on.

COHEN: Well, this tension has been building for quite some time. There's some irony involved here, because China has really become Japan's largest trading partner, more so than the United States even. So they have very strong trading relationships that they have developed over the last several years.

But underneath that surface compatibility, as far as trade is concerned, have been underlying tensions. Japan wants to become a permanent member of the Security Council. China has not expressed any support for that particular effort on Japan's side. Japan has been rewriting its history books, and in China's view and that of many others, they've been seeking to quote, "white-wash" Japan's role in World War II as far as committing atrocities on the Chinese mainland and elsewhere.

In addition to that, China is now becoming a much bigger economic player and they are also becoming a much bigger military leader. And so China's expanding its search for oil and gas in the disputed regions, including, even, those claimed by Japan. In addition to that, you have this competition that has been brewing all along, that the Chinese want Japan to apologize for its activities, and not white- wash history. Japan is saying China has an obligation to stop the rioting and demonstrations against Japan.

So, it's a very volatile development, and one I hope can be resolved in the coming weeks, when the Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Koizumi meet, hopefully to try and cool passions down.

BLITZER: Let's hope they do exactly that. William Cohen, our analyst, our world affairs analyst, thanks very much for joining us, as you do every Monday.

It's happened, again, a child is dead and a convicted sex offender is being held on a murder charge. The lurking dangers of sexual predators and what states could be doing to make you safer.

Plus, a signal that the world must wait at least another day for a new pope to be announced. I will speak live with Father David O'Connell, the president of Catholic University of America.

First, though, an in-depth look at the current front-runner for pope. All this as our coverage of the conclave continues right after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Black smoke rising from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, a sign that the world must continue to wait for a new pope. Coming up, I will speak with Father David O'Connell, the president of Catholic University. First, though, a quick check of some other stories "Now in the News."

Gunmen in Baghdad tonight came to the home of a general who served as an adviser to the interim defense minister, killing him, along with his son, who was also an army officer. Police say 10 attackers gained admittance by wearing Iraqi military uniforms, which they later abandoned at the scene.

Iran today suspended nation-wide operations of the Arabic language broadcasting station Al-Jazeera. An announcement was made on state-run Iranian television, accusing Al-Jazeera of inflaming protests by the Arab minority in a southwestern province. Al Jazeera based in Qatar, says it regrets the decision, but vows to continue what it calls its balanced coverage of Iranian affairs.

In Pennsylvania the search continues for a missing prosecutor. Ray Gricar was last heard from Friday morning. Police found his car Saturday with no sign of foul play. Police have deployed helicopters and blood hounds. And have called in the FBI. Gricar's brother vanished under similar circumstances nine years ago in Ohio. Authorities later ruled he had committed suicide.

He once spent mandatory time in the Hitler Youth and was drafted into an anti-aircraft unit before deserting the Nazi military. He wrote about that extensively in his own autobiography. His war time experiences, reportedly, lead him to believe that the church must always take a strong stand shaping its future, and has spent has career as a hard-line theologian. He played bad cop sometimes to Pope John Paul II's good cop. And like John Paul, he reached out often to Jews and to Israel. And now Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is a candidate for pope himself.

CNN's Jim Bittermann has a profile from Vatican City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is a policeman's son, who became the Vatican's enforcer. But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is known best for his very public, very doctrinaire (ph) points of view. And as head of the Congregation of Faith, the Vatican institution which once ran the Inquisition, he was in a powerful position to impose those views on his fellow churchman. He said, for example, that modernity has lead to the blurring of sexual identity, causing some feminist to become adversaries of men. He called homosexuality an interdict moral evil. And he argued that Muslim Turkey did not belong in Christian Europe.

Sometimes he even lobbied the pope into taking contentious positions. While John Paul spent most of his papacy trying to reach out to other religions, Cardinal Ratzinger issued a document saying Catholicism was the only true religion, and questioning the validity of other religions, even Christian ones. Although objections came, even from some of his fellow cardinals, the pope did not restrain Ratzinger, in part, because their friendship went back four decades to the time when the two were young priests at the Vatican meeting in Rome. But a Ratzinger biographer believes there is another reason.

JOHN ALLEN, AUTHOR, "CARDINAL RATZINGER": I think, basically, that the pope felt that as long as he had Ratzinger in the Congregation for the Faith, then the church's faith was going to be safe.

BITTERMANN: But while many analysts believe Ratzinger will have a certain following among conservative cardinals, few believe that he can command anywhere near two-thirds of the college, the number needed to elect a pope. In fact, given the divisions within the church, many clergymen believe the cardinals will be looking for someone who can unify.

REV. KEITH PECKLERS, S.J., GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY: The church has become quite polarized between the right and the left. So whoever is elected, whoever the next pope will be, will very much need to deal with this kind of polarization.

BITTERMANN: It seems unlikely that someone with Ratzinger's track record will emerge the compromise candidate. But should he be, the clergyman, know to some around the Vatican as the "Panzer Cardinal," will need to work on polishing his reputation with progressives within the church.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Vatican City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: For more on the conclave, we're joined now by Father David O'Connell, he's the president of the Catholic University of America here in Washington. You've met Father Ratzinger. Give us your thoughts about this cardinal.

REV. DAVID O'CONNELL, PRES. CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: Yes, I have met him on a number of occasions at his offices in the Doctrine of the Faith. And you know, when you meet him he comes across as an extremely humble, soft-spoken, gentleman. Certainly, a person who's in command, but a person who doesn't need to wear that on his castaic (ph) sleeve. You know, I heard today lots of conversation about his candidacy for pope, and the fact that this morning at the mass, he gave a strong homily advocating continuity with John Paul II's philosophy and ideology. And you know, many took that as a campaign speech. I have to tell you, I took it as just the opposite.

It seems to me that today's homily was an indication on his part, that he really doesn't want the job. And that he was using this last opportunity he had in a formal way -- because as you know, all the cardinals and clerical officers lose their positions after the death of the pope -- to really give a message. To give, in a sense, a swan song, as it were to the people who were watching.

BLITZER: So, who is -- without mentioning names necessarily, who is likely to emerge -- an Italian, a European, a non-European, a younger cardinal, an older cardinal?

I've heard arguments going back and forth on all these issues.

O'CONNELL: You know, I don't think any one of us knows. Unlike previous conclaves, there really is no front-runner. I was a little surprised, actually today, that they did have a ballot this afternoon.

BLITZER: So quickly?

O'CONNELL: So quickly. I thought that they might wait until tomorrow morning. But I think it's -- it's evidence that the cardinals want to get on with their life, and the business of the church. I think what happened this afternoon, though, we'll never really know, probably a number of names surfaced that maybe some cardinals have not thought of.

BLITZER: So, do you think this is going to be a long, drawn-out process? Weeks or are we talking a few days?

O'CONNELL: I think it's just going to be a few days. I think it's going to be a relatively brief conclave. And as I said on the show yesterday, I think by Thursday, I think we'll have a new pope.

BLITZER: Would you be shocked if, by tomorrow, we had a new pope?

O'CONNELL: I would be surprised, but not shocked.

BLITZER: And the notion of a non-Italian, because the pope, John Paul II, was the first non-Italian, in what, 400 years plus?

O'CONNELL: I think it -- the notion of a non-Italian is probably fading a bit. I think right now the focus has been on the Italian candidates. But as we said time and again, Wolf, it's anybody's guess. It depends on what's in the hearts and minds of the cardinal gather in that locked room.

BLITZER: One theory I've heard is they want an older pope this time, because Pope John Paul was pope for 26 years, 28 years is as long as he was pope. And it's sort of along the same lines here in the United States, we want two terms for a president, and then move on. So, some of these cardinals may be thinking that's way too long. You have to have somebody a little bit older, more mature.

Have you heard that argument?

O'CONNELL: Yes. And, of course, the United States has only been around for a couple hundred years, the church has been around for 2,000. So, for them, you know, a long-term isn't that significant. I don't think it's a major issue, although, I've heard it bandied about and talked about. I think the idea of a younger pope does have some appeal and some attraction that the church can put on a face of energy and modernity. And I think that -- that does have some appeal to some of the cardinals.

BLITZER: People forget that John Paul II, was what, only 58- years-old when he became pope.

O'CONNELL: He was only eight years older than I am.

BLITZER: Are you throwing your hat in the ring or...

O'CONNELL: No, not...

BLITZER: ... your skull cap into the ring?

O'CONNELL: No, no. I don't look good in white. BLITZER: You're technically qualified. You don't have to be one of those 115 cardinals to be eligible to become pope.

O'CONNELL: Yes, I think it's far above my pay grade.

BLITZER: Father O'Connell, I would support you. Thanks very much for joining us, appreciate it very much. We'll continue to watch all that's happening. And stay with CNN all of tomorrow throughout the day and night for all the latest developments from the conclave.

Let's get a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

Insurgents are blamed for a pipeline explosion in northern Iraq. Burning oil covered the surface of the Tigris River. There was heavy damage to the pipeline which runs from the Kirkuk oil fields to Iraq's largest refineries.

Kosovo blast. An explosion damaged the offices of an ethnic Albanian political party. The blast also caused minor injuries to at least three children.

Fan violence. Hundreds of fans clashed on the field after a soccer game in Melbourne, Australia, throwing flairs and bottles. Four police officers were hurt, but there were only two arrests. Authorities say they fear that more arrests would have sparked more violence.

And that's our look "Around the World."

Tracking the predators among us. How sex offenders slip through the cracks. And how many states may not take the necessary steps to make you safer.

Plus -- the suspect in a jailhouse shooting makes his first appearance in court. The chilling pictures. That's coming up.

And later -- why the American cyclist Lance Armstrong is hanging up his helmet. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A Florida judge today ordered David Onstott held without bond. Onstott's a convicted sex offender. He's accused of the murder of 13-year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde. Onstott used to date the girl's mother. Authorities say he has confessed to killing the girl at her home. The girl's partially clothed body was found in a pond half a mile away.

Law enforcement officials are supposed to keep track of sex offenders after release from prison, but they didn't know David Onstott was living in Sarah Lunde's neighborhood.

Our Brian Todd has been looking into that. He's joining us now, live. Brian? BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this case brings to light a problem child advocacy groups have been warning about and states are just starting to catch up to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): David Onstott's mere presence in Sarah Lunde's neighborhood has law enforcement authorities on the defensive.

MIKE OBER, PROSECUTOR: We're accountable for what we do but the system has not failed and we're going to make certain it doesn't fail.

TODD: But many are questioning how this registered sex offender slipped through the system. The Hillsborough County State's Attorney office tells CNN, Onstott had moved from the address where he'd registered and not told them, the same problem that cropped up in nearby Citrus County, Florida, where the registered sex offender now accused of killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford had slipped away. Experts say keeping track of these offenders is a huge issue.

CAROLYN ATWELL-DAVIS, NAT'L CTR. FOR MISSING CHILDREN: We estimate there are approximately 450,000 to 500,000, potentially -- could be that high -- registered sex offenders across the United States. Now that -- those are the sex offenders that law enforcement believe are supposed to be registered.

TODD: And, of those, according to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, up to 25 percent are unaccounted for at any given time across the country. Experts say it's a matters of degrees and priorities.

Florida law separates sex offenders from sexual predators. Predators are those convicted of at least one first degree felony against minors; offenders are those convicted for assaulting adults. Florida law requires neighbors to be notified by the state when a predator moves into their neighborhood, but not when an offender moves in. Onstott had only one conviction as a sex offender, the 1995 assault of an adult female acquaintance in the Tampa area for which he served six years. Because the crime did not involve a juvenile, he was able to fly under the radar.

PETER SMERICK, FORMER FBI PROFILER: Most police departments don't have enough personnel. They don't have enough hours in the day to keep track of all of the offenders that live in their geographical area. In fact, they are spending so much of their time investigating current crimes, it's only when you have a case like this, then they will go back to drawing boards and look at all of the other known offenders, living in their community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): An official with the Hillsborough County State's Attorney office tells CNN that office supports a proposed new law in Florida that would require more sexual predators and sex offenders to wear monitoring devices, but officials with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children are worried that some states may not pass these laws because the devices are expensive. Wolf?

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting. Thanks, Brian, very much.

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Lou's standing by in New York with a preview. Lou?

LOU DOBBS, HOST "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you.

At 6:00 p.m. Eastern tonight, we will be reporting on two escalating crisis facing the United States in Asia: North Korea's rising nuclear threat and the sharp deterioration in relations between China and Japan.

Also tonight, failing grades -- the threat to our national security and our economy from our schools' failure to educate our children. I will be talking to one of the country's leading advocates of bold educational reform.

And in "Broken Borders" tonight, illegal aliens overwhelming our courts, English rarely heard in many of our courtrooms. And I will talk with Congressman Mark Foley who says our lack of border security and illegal immigration is simply an outrage. And I will have a few choice words for the editorial board of the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" who today, decided to attack me on the issue of illegal immigration. Please join us. We'll have all of that and much more at the top of the hour. Now, back to Wolf Blitzer. Wolf?

BLITZER: And Lou, don't be shy, tell us how you really feel about that editorial, I'm sure you will.

DOBBS: Never fear.

BLITZER: Lou Dobbs, we are only about 13 minutes away from "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Thanks, Lou, very much. We will be watching. We do every single day.

First appearance, chilling pictures of a badly bruised suspect charged with a police detective's murder.

Also ahead, a cycling legend announces future plans. Find out if Lance Armstrong is calling it quits. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It's happened again. Just weeks after authorities say Brian Nichols grabbed a deputy's gun in an Atlanta courthouse and went on a killing spree, a man in Providence, Rhode Island is accused of killing a police detective with the officer's own weapon. The case took an emotional turn today when the suspect, appearing bloodied and bruised, appeared in court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Esteban Carpio's relatives were overcome by his appearance as he entered a Rhode Island courtroom and had to be forcibly removed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

BLITZER: The accused cop killer's face was partially hidden by a mask, which correction officials say is always used when someone is bleeding, or if authorities believe he might become combative.

But what could be seen was battered and bruised. His eyes nearly swollen shut.

Providence police say the injuries happened early yesterday. They say Detective James Allen was questioning Carpio about the stabbing of an 84-year-old woman. Carpio wasn't under arrest at the time and was not handcuffed. Police say he grabbed the detective's gun, shooting and killing the 27-year veteran and father of two. Carpio then allegedly shot out a window and jumped, falling three stories. He was captured nearby. Police maintain Carpio suffered his injuries in his attempted escape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He jumped out of a third story window, and he struggled in a tough struggle to be apprehended on the ground. When I saw him, he was pretty cut up. I know we took him to a hospital. I know he was brought back here. More than that, I don't know.

BLITZER: But Carpio's relatives question that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His face is a mess. They massacred him. I'm surprised he's still alive the way he looks. Initially when we went to the hospital and we talked to the police, they said, no, he had a leg injury and some minor lacerations. They wouldn't let us see him.

Seeing him now, his whole face is just massacred.

BLITZER: The family also maintains Carpio has a history of mental problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are sorry about what happened. We tried to get this boy hospital help, psychiatric help, and he was released a number of times in the last 30 days.

BLITZER: The police chief says his main focus right now is the victim's family, but he says he will listen to Carpio's relatives' concerns.

DEAN ESSERMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: We will take any allegation as we always have. My concerns right now are with the Allen family, which is who I thought you were referring to.

As to the family of the person who has been arrested, if they have allegations, if they have concerns, we will not be deaf to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Rhode Island's governor has ordered flags flown at half-staff in honor of the slain police officer. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday. One of the greatest cyclists to ever ride a bike says his time has come. We will hear from Lance Armstrong, the winner of six Tour de France titles. That's coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On an April day, impossible to forget, an image of a man burned into our memory, a survivor moving slowly down the ladder out of an open sore of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Brian Espe worked for the USDA on the fifth floor. That morning, he heard a rumble and then a sickening silence.

BRIAN ESPE, BOMBING SURVIVOR: I don't know how long after the rumbling stopped and the things stopped falling, when I looked around, I could see the sky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His rescue came more than an hour later. A firefighter had to talk him down a very long ladder.

ESPE: I'm deathly afraid of heights. And that's why I came down that ladder in a more unconventional way, facing out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Espe never did look back at the building. He didn't know the true scope of the devastation until he saw it later on television. Of the 10 people on the fifth floor that day, seven died.

ESPE: My life has gone on since that day, and I still think of it. I think of the people we lost. But I don't dwell on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Espe recently retired from the USDA and moved from Oklahoma City to Arkansas. He has five children and 11 grandchildren, and he and his wife Evelyn recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.

Espe remains in contact with Mark Mulman, the firefighter.

ESPE: Thank God for Mark, because he talked me down that ladder every step of the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He symbolizes grit, will power and dogged tenacity. He almost lost his life to testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain. But he battled back to become one of the greatest cyclists to ever mount a bike. Lance Armstrong is the only man to ever win the grueling Tour de France six times in a row. He will try for a seventh straight marathon win this summer, but he says his time has come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANCE ARMSTRONG, PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST: I will cut right to the chase and say that after a lot of thought, considering the season, the races that I was going to do this year, and deciding to focus on the Tour, at the same time I have decided that the Tour de France will be my last race as a professional cyclist.

So, July 24th will be -- will be the last one after more or less 14 years in the professional peloton, and it will be the last one, win or lose.

The passion is there, and the will to win another one is there. And above all, this will to win one, one final one and then stop, is pretty compelling.

The biggest inspiration of this decision is my children. They're the ones that make it easier to suffer, but they're also the ones that have told me that it's time to come home. And so without them, none of this would be possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Armstrong, who is divorced, has become even more of an international celebrity since he began dating the rock star Sheryl Crow. He will defend another title this week when he races in the Tour de Georgia.

Remember, you can always catch this program 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm back tomorrow at 5:00, as well as noon. Until then, thanks for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Lou standing by -- Lou.

DOBBS: Wolf, thank you very much. Have a great evening.

END

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 April 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, HOST "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS": Happening now, the cardinals have voted, and the world gets a glimpse of the outcome of round one.
Standby for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Conclave. Cardinals convene to choose the next pope. An oath of secrecy, then the doors close as the world waits and wonders.

The sex offenders: How do they slip through the cracks? A closer look at the predators among us.

Seven stories high, a massive cruise ship meets a massive wave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Windows broken, people bruised, bleeding -- it was just -- it was pure chaos.

BLITZER: Passengers tell about their wild ride.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Monday, April 18th, 2005.

BLITZER (on camera): Thanks for joining us.

With all the splendor and pageantry that centuries of sacred tradition can bring, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church today begin their conclave, the secret assembly to choose a new pope. Black smoke, billowing from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, a signal that the cardinals cloistered inside failed to elect a pope on their first ballot. But the first puff seemed gray, or at least a little bit, even white, which would signal success, causing momentary confusion to those watching in St. Peter's Square and around the world.

The vote came just two-and-a-half hours after 115 cardinals from 52 countries slowly filed into the chapel, clad in crimson robes, capes, and hats. The cardinals lined up to swear an oath of secrecy, each placing his hand on the Book of Gospels, pledging never to reveal what occurs inside the conclave.

While the world watches and waits for the announcement of a new pope, so do the curious and faithful filling St. Peter's Square. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As pilgrims came to say good-bye to Pope John Paul II, they have also come -- albeit in fewer numbers, but just as eager -- to see who the new pope will be. Catholics and non-Catholics demonstrating the global significance of the papacy these days. Sarah Haath (ph) is a student from Chicago.

SARAH HAATH, STUDENT: Everyone from around the world is there, all religions, but it doesn't matter, because you all feel the same kind of unity.

AMANPOUR: But that unity, or disunity, is at the very heart of one of the Catholic Church's dilemmas as it chooses a new pope. The question is whether the next pope will be able to meet the needs of all the world's 1.1 billion Catholics, while congregations are growing in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in North America and Western Europe, they are shrinking and some there, in fact, many, say that they need the church to reflect today's life.

Here in St. Peter's Square, in the shadow of the secret conclave, this German woman drew some curious stares for her lone protest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (SINGING): I want to have a female pope...

AMANPOUR: They may be scratching their heads, but many Catholics chafe under rules that bar female priests, let alone popes. Some Catholics, watching the great screens in the square, took exception to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at mass this morning, who said the church must stick with the old and not follow the new.

Tricia Kelly, who describes herself as a "lapsed Catholic," is from England.

TRICIA KELLY, BRITISH CATHOLIC: I just feel that it doesn't really have any relevance to my current life at the moment. I feel it's quite claustrophobic in its opinions.

AMANPOUR: Justin Brown has come from Australia to watch this process.

JUSTIN BROWN, AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC: And one of the areas that I am concerned about mostly is the number of Catholics who are leaving the church. And part of that, I think, is true, some of the older teachings that they try and shove down our throats, in particular, not using condoms, for example, priests not marrying.

AMANPOUR: There are also many devout Catholics who don't see the need for rapid change such as Adrian Athlen (ph) from Canada.

ADRIAN ATHLEN, CANADIAN CATHOLIC: It's not very east I think to open up sometimes, to change some of the rules, but I think the Holy Spirit is different, and has different views.

AMANPOUR: Whatever qualities they seek in the next pope, they will have nothing but this small smokestack on the roof of the Sistine Chapel to scrutinize. On the first day, the smoke billowed black. No decision, yet. Now that the cardinals have closed the doors, their conclave inside the chapel is secret. Christiane Amanpour, CNN at the Vatican.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: There was one change since the last conclave in 1978 when a puff of seemingly gray smoke left the world wondering whether a pope had been elected or not. John Paul II himself initiated the change and now in addition to white smoke coming from the roof of the Sistine Chapel, the bells of St. Peter's will be rung to indicate without a doubt that the cardinals have made their choice.

But how did the Vatican get the smoke a particular color? For white smoke, officials simply say they add wet straw to the burning ballots. For black smoke indicating no selection, the ballots alone are burned. The Vatican also says, this year, for the first time, smoke canisters will be used to increase visibility.

For more on all of this, let's bring in our Vatican analyst, Delia Gallagher. She's joining us now from Rome.

I have also heard, Delia, that they add chemicals just to be sure it's white or black. Do you know anything about that?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, what they have done, now, Wolf is they've added a sort of second smoke booster, as it were. There's the stove which has been used since 1939. We went in and saw it on Saturday before this all started, and it is has engraved on it all the dates of the conclave that they've used it to burn the ballots. And then there's a sort of copper tube that goes up towards the chimney, and it's joined by a second, sort of, smoke booster. And in that booster, which is essentially giving air to the smoke and helping it rise and get out, they are saying there are chemicals in there which are adding to the color of the smoke.

But as we saw today, Wolf, the amazing thing is, even with that smoke booster, the smoke is still sort of coming out in whiffs in the beginning, so it's still a tough call in 2005.

BLITZER: Well, we will just have to wait for the bells just to make sure that we know a new pope has been selected. The does it indicate anything in your mind -- and you know this subject very well -- that they did, in fact, have the first vote today and that they burned the ballots? There was an indication they might wait for that first round until tomorrow.

GALLAGHER: Well, they have the choice when they go in. The first being that the cardinal, Cardinal Ratzinger in this case, the dean of the College of Cardinals, has to ask them, is there any other business? And anybody is able to say, well, wait a minute, I want to clarify this or that. But, one assumes that they've had plenty of time to clarify the other business, and probably wanted to get in and get a first vote, because a first vote is crucial because now they have a list of who are the front-runners, who are the cardinals getting behind. And they also have numbers as to how many votes each of those candidates are getting. And they didn't have this before, because even if they are talking internally, they wouldn't have an idea, necessarily, of how many votes exactly each person is getting. So this is a crucial day for them to realize who are front-runners, and how many votes they're getting. Now they can really begin that the behind-the-scenes sort of politicking as it were to gain more votes, or give votes to another candidate, et cetera.

BLITZER: Delia Gallagher is our Vatican analyst. She'll be helping us understand this process every step of the way. Delia, thank you very much.

And our coverage of the conclave to select the next pope will continue this hour. I will speak with Father David O'Connelly. He's the president of the Catholic University of America here in Washington. Coming up later this hour.

Let's turn now to some U.S. news. The Bush administration continues to fight to overhaul Social Security. It's also keeping a very watchful eye on the controversy surrounding House Republican leader Tom DeLay. Earlier here on CNN's INSIDE POLITICS, our chief national correspondent John King discussed Social Security and other subjects with the Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

John, thanks very much for joining us. It's rare Karl Rove does these interviews. Let's talk about Tom DeLay and the uproar surrounding him. Did he give any indication in which direction the White House would be moving, how much they will try to fight to help Tom DeLay.

JOHN KING, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You were just talking about us looking for the smoke over the Sistine Chapel. Many Republicans in Washington looking for signals from the Bush administration about how long and how strong it is willing to stand by Tom DeLay in the middle of these ethics investigation and these attacks from the Democrats.

Now, it comes at a key time. You mentioned Social Security. The president's agenda is in trouble or at least stalled right now on Capitol Hill. Tom DeLay is the leader of the House. He marshals up the votes. And the president last week says he looks forward to working with him. But some thought that might be tepid, they took it as a symbol that the White House was not willing to stand by him. Karl Rove, in that interview today, the strongest support yet from the administration. He called him a strong leader. He called him a good man. He said the administration looks forward to working more with him, and Karl Rove saying all these attacks, at least in his view, partisan sniping from desperate Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL ROVE, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I think they're just desperate. They don't have -- they are not offering ideas in the debate. They are not being constructive. And so some members were taking pot shots at Tom DeLay. But think about it they are attacking him for having his wife and daughter on the campaign payroll. Many Democrats have relied upon their family members to help campaign for them and serve as members of their staff. This is all going to be resolved by the Ethics commission -- committee, we think in an appropriate way. And Tom DeLay is going to continue to be a strong and effective majority leader for the Republicans in the House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now Republicans will certainly take solace in that, as the strongest endorsement yet, of the White House of Tom DeLay. It comes at an interesting time. There are some who worry his ethics problem could hurt the administration. There are others, including senior Bush administration officials, who think Tom DeLay will come back to Washington with something to prove. And he'll go to the floor of the House. He'll try to push the president's agenda through. So some in an odd way think that legislatively this could work for the president's advantage. More energy for the majority leader. Certainly they don't want ethical questions over such a senior Republican. You heard Karl Rove saying he wants this resolved soon. They certainly do at the White House. That is a fact.

BLITZER: And John King, now our chief national correspondent. Congratulations, John. Leaving eight years as our senior White House correspondent or something like that -- many years.

KING: You were there quite a while.

BLITZER: I was once the senior White House correspondent. There is life after the White House, John.

KING: We shall see.

BLITZER: All right. John King, reporting for us. Thanks very much.

When we come back, a freak wave and a night of, quote, "pure hell."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Children were screaming, we were all in our life jackets. We didn't know what was coming next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Cabins flooded and people injured, the passengers now on dry land. They share their stories with us.

Registered sex offenders slipping through the system. Is this danger lurking in your neighborhood?

Emotional arraignment. This murder suspect's appearance sends shock waves through a Rhode Island courtroom. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It was an unforgettable vacation, but not in a good way. Rough seas and a rogue waves simply terrified passengers, and crippled their cruise ship. And now we have some new home video showing what their ordeal was like. CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York. She has the story -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf.

Well, Norwegian Cruise Line says the captain of the cruise ship has been at sea for 17 years, and that he's never seen a wave quite like it. Rattled passengers aboard the Norwegian Dawn, returned home to New York after some terrifying moments coming back from the Bahamas over the weekend. Some passengers say it wasn't all that bad. Others say they were very scared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): This was the scene from aboard the Norwegian Dawn Saturday morning, after the cruise ship smacked into what's being described by cruise line representatives, as a freak wave. Throughout the night, the seas were rough. Some people put on life vests. Others feared for their lives.

DAVE WITCHEY, PASSENGER: We said our prayers. We said goodbye. We held each other in bed, you know, crying. (INAUDIBLE)

SNOW: Dave Witchey and his new bride Maria (ph) decided on a cruise because Dave doesn't like to fly.

WITCHEY: We were being thrown. I mean, we were going up with the waves, down with the waves. They tried to steer into the waves to help us.

MARGIE CRANSTON, PASSENGER: We were getting thrown around pretty bad from side to side. The bathroom was like made of glass so the floor was just riddled with glass.

SNOW: Cruise line representatives say after 6:00 a.m., when seas began to calm, a wave estimated to be 47 feet high smashed into the ship.

BILL HAMLIN, NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: The ship was never in an unsafe situation. The integrity of the ship was in no way compromised by this incident.

SNOW: The cruise lines says two cabin windows on the 965 foot ship were smashed, 62 cabins flooded. Norwegian Dawn says, of the 2,599 passengers on board, four people suffered minor injuries. On board the ship...

MICHAEL NOWICKI, NORWEGIAN DAWN PASSENGER: The captain has told us, after laying there, feeling like the ship was tipping over, he got on and told us he called the Coast Guard. Nice vacation.

SNOW: One passenger videotaped this water spout Friday morning, and said the captain warned them the seas we're going to get rough, but they didn't expect it to be this.

ELLEN TASAURO, PASSENGER: I saw a funnel cloud out in the ocean, and I woke my husband up. And we put CNN on immediately, and we saw that storm forecasted out there. And I said what is this captain doing, he's plowing us into the storm.

SNOW: The cruise Line says there was no way the captain could see the rogue wave coming.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Now, the cruise ship was diverted to South Carolina where the Coast Guard inspected the ship. About 329 passengers at that time exited the ship there. The rest of the passengers came to New York.

Wolf.

BLITZER: And the ship is getting ready, if it hasn't left New York, is getting ready for another cruise with a whole new boat load of people.

SNOW: Absolutely, Wolf. The ship is ready to pull out at any moment back to the Bahamas.

BLITZER: OK. We'll be watching what happens the next time around. Hopefully -- hopefully, it will be a very, very smooth sail for all of them.

Mary Snow reporting for us. Thank you very much.

As the world waits for the naming of the new pope, one outspoken cardinal is thought to be a front-runner. We'll take a look at Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

Warming relations, a new sign of hope for two countries that have been long-time enemies.

And later, a major announcement from a sports legend. Is Lance Armstrong really going to retire?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

There was a hopeful prediction today about a long-running international trouble spot. After three days of talks, the leaders of India and Pakistan issued a joint statement promising to settle their differences over the disputed province of Kashmir. The two countries have been at odds for more than half a century. India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, declared that although more negotiations are needed the peace process, they said, is now irreversible.

There is concern today about the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in North Korea. A South Korean foreign ministry official reported the shut down. Analysts say it could be the result of a mechanical problem, but also could mean that the North Koreans are removing the fuel rods to extract plutonium for use in a nuclear bomb.

Joining us now from New York to discuss all these issues, our world affairs analyst William Cohen, the former defense secretary, currently the chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group here in Washington.

Secretary, thanks very much for joining us. What' your read on what's happening in North Korea? This is ominous to a lot of intelligence analysts.

WILLIAM COHEN, FMR DEF. SEC., CEO, COHEN GROUP: Well, as you pointed out, there are at least two or three options that are now being considered.

Number one, it could be a malfunction and they are shutting down for security or safety purposes.

Number two, it could be a mind game on their part, namely, shutting it down without explanation, letting us believe that perhaps they are moving forward with production of more nuclear weapons.

Or, number three, they could be taking those spent fuel rods and then trying to extract the plutonium.

If it's a malfunction, that's one thing. The other two options are serious to South Korea, to Japan, to China, to the rest of the world and would call for a serious reaction by the West.

BLITZER: Let's hope it's number one instead of two or three for that matter. Two other nuclear nations, India and Pakistan, there are some encouraging developments. This visit by Musharraf, the talks that have been going on, seems to signal, perhaps, a new start in their relationship.

COHEN: I think it's very positive news. Nothing is irreversible, but this is about as positive a statement as President Musharraf could possibly make. You have to remember, these two countries have fought three wars. They nearly went to war as recently as 2002. For them to be together now and to talk about ways in which they can reduced tensions over Kashmir is a very, very significant step. This process has been ongoing for the last couple of years, it's been nurtured by the United States, we have established closer relationships with India and with Pakistan and hopefully we can be as encouraging as possible. This is a very positive news development.

BLITZER: When I was there in Kashmir a few years ago -- this isn't all that long ago -- I remember doing a stand-up in which I said, I am now standing in what U.S. officials believe is the most dangerous spot on Earth, given the nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan. Fortunately, that seems to be moving in the right direction. What seems to be moving in the wrong direction is the relationship between China and Japan. This is ominous. Tell our viewers what's going on.

COHEN: Well, this tension has been building for quite some time. There's some irony involved here, because China has really become Japan's largest trading partner, more so than the United States even. So they have very strong trading relationships that they have developed over the last several years.

But underneath that surface compatibility, as far as trade is concerned, have been underlying tensions. Japan wants to become a permanent member of the Security Council. China has not expressed any support for that particular effort on Japan's side. Japan has been rewriting its history books, and in China's view and that of many others, they've been seeking to quote, "white-wash" Japan's role in World War II as far as committing atrocities on the Chinese mainland and elsewhere.

In addition to that, China is now becoming a much bigger economic player and they are also becoming a much bigger military leader. And so China's expanding its search for oil and gas in the disputed regions, including, even, those claimed by Japan. In addition to that, you have this competition that has been brewing all along, that the Chinese want Japan to apologize for its activities, and not white- wash history. Japan is saying China has an obligation to stop the rioting and demonstrations against Japan.

So, it's a very volatile development, and one I hope can be resolved in the coming weeks, when the Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Koizumi meet, hopefully to try and cool passions down.

BLITZER: Let's hope they do exactly that. William Cohen, our analyst, our world affairs analyst, thanks very much for joining us, as you do every Monday.

It's happened, again, a child is dead and a convicted sex offender is being held on a murder charge. The lurking dangers of sexual predators and what states could be doing to make you safer.

Plus, a signal that the world must wait at least another day for a new pope to be announced. I will speak live with Father David O'Connell, the president of Catholic University of America.

First, though, an in-depth look at the current front-runner for pope. All this as our coverage of the conclave continues right after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Black smoke rising from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, a sign that the world must continue to wait for a new pope. Coming up, I will speak with Father David O'Connell, the president of Catholic University. First, though, a quick check of some other stories "Now in the News."

Gunmen in Baghdad tonight came to the home of a general who served as an adviser to the interim defense minister, killing him, along with his son, who was also an army officer. Police say 10 attackers gained admittance by wearing Iraqi military uniforms, which they later abandoned at the scene.

Iran today suspended nation-wide operations of the Arabic language broadcasting station Al-Jazeera. An announcement was made on state-run Iranian television, accusing Al-Jazeera of inflaming protests by the Arab minority in a southwestern province. Al Jazeera based in Qatar, says it regrets the decision, but vows to continue what it calls its balanced coverage of Iranian affairs.

In Pennsylvania the search continues for a missing prosecutor. Ray Gricar was last heard from Friday morning. Police found his car Saturday with no sign of foul play. Police have deployed helicopters and blood hounds. And have called in the FBI. Gricar's brother vanished under similar circumstances nine years ago in Ohio. Authorities later ruled he had committed suicide.

He once spent mandatory time in the Hitler Youth and was drafted into an anti-aircraft unit before deserting the Nazi military. He wrote about that extensively in his own autobiography. His war time experiences, reportedly, lead him to believe that the church must always take a strong stand shaping its future, and has spent has career as a hard-line theologian. He played bad cop sometimes to Pope John Paul II's good cop. And like John Paul, he reached out often to Jews and to Israel. And now Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is a candidate for pope himself.

CNN's Jim Bittermann has a profile from Vatican City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is a policeman's son, who became the Vatican's enforcer. But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is known best for his very public, very doctrinaire (ph) points of view. And as head of the Congregation of Faith, the Vatican institution which once ran the Inquisition, he was in a powerful position to impose those views on his fellow churchman. He said, for example, that modernity has lead to the blurring of sexual identity, causing some feminist to become adversaries of men. He called homosexuality an interdict moral evil. And he argued that Muslim Turkey did not belong in Christian Europe.

Sometimes he even lobbied the pope into taking contentious positions. While John Paul spent most of his papacy trying to reach out to other religions, Cardinal Ratzinger issued a document saying Catholicism was the only true religion, and questioning the validity of other religions, even Christian ones. Although objections came, even from some of his fellow cardinals, the pope did not restrain Ratzinger, in part, because their friendship went back four decades to the time when the two were young priests at the Vatican meeting in Rome. But a Ratzinger biographer believes there is another reason.

JOHN ALLEN, AUTHOR, "CARDINAL RATZINGER": I think, basically, that the pope felt that as long as he had Ratzinger in the Congregation for the Faith, then the church's faith was going to be safe.

BITTERMANN: But while many analysts believe Ratzinger will have a certain following among conservative cardinals, few believe that he can command anywhere near two-thirds of the college, the number needed to elect a pope. In fact, given the divisions within the church, many clergymen believe the cardinals will be looking for someone who can unify.

REV. KEITH PECKLERS, S.J., GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY: The church has become quite polarized between the right and the left. So whoever is elected, whoever the next pope will be, will very much need to deal with this kind of polarization.

BITTERMANN: It seems unlikely that someone with Ratzinger's track record will emerge the compromise candidate. But should he be, the clergyman, know to some around the Vatican as the "Panzer Cardinal," will need to work on polishing his reputation with progressives within the church.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Vatican City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: For more on the conclave, we're joined now by Father David O'Connell, he's the president of the Catholic University of America here in Washington. You've met Father Ratzinger. Give us your thoughts about this cardinal.

REV. DAVID O'CONNELL, PRES. CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: Yes, I have met him on a number of occasions at his offices in the Doctrine of the Faith. And you know, when you meet him he comes across as an extremely humble, soft-spoken, gentleman. Certainly, a person who's in command, but a person who doesn't need to wear that on his castaic (ph) sleeve. You know, I heard today lots of conversation about his candidacy for pope, and the fact that this morning at the mass, he gave a strong homily advocating continuity with John Paul II's philosophy and ideology. And you know, many took that as a campaign speech. I have to tell you, I took it as just the opposite.

It seems to me that today's homily was an indication on his part, that he really doesn't want the job. And that he was using this last opportunity he had in a formal way -- because as you know, all the cardinals and clerical officers lose their positions after the death of the pope -- to really give a message. To give, in a sense, a swan song, as it were to the people who were watching.

BLITZER: So, who is -- without mentioning names necessarily, who is likely to emerge -- an Italian, a European, a non-European, a younger cardinal, an older cardinal?

I've heard arguments going back and forth on all these issues.

O'CONNELL: You know, I don't think any one of us knows. Unlike previous conclaves, there really is no front-runner. I was a little surprised, actually today, that they did have a ballot this afternoon.

BLITZER: So quickly?

O'CONNELL: So quickly. I thought that they might wait until tomorrow morning. But I think it's -- it's evidence that the cardinals want to get on with their life, and the business of the church. I think what happened this afternoon, though, we'll never really know, probably a number of names surfaced that maybe some cardinals have not thought of.

BLITZER: So, do you think this is going to be a long, drawn-out process? Weeks or are we talking a few days?

O'CONNELL: I think it's just going to be a few days. I think it's going to be a relatively brief conclave. And as I said on the show yesterday, I think by Thursday, I think we'll have a new pope.

BLITZER: Would you be shocked if, by tomorrow, we had a new pope?

O'CONNELL: I would be surprised, but not shocked.

BLITZER: And the notion of a non-Italian, because the pope, John Paul II, was the first non-Italian, in what, 400 years plus?

O'CONNELL: I think it -- the notion of a non-Italian is probably fading a bit. I think right now the focus has been on the Italian candidates. But as we said time and again, Wolf, it's anybody's guess. It depends on what's in the hearts and minds of the cardinal gather in that locked room.

BLITZER: One theory I've heard is they want an older pope this time, because Pope John Paul was pope for 26 years, 28 years is as long as he was pope. And it's sort of along the same lines here in the United States, we want two terms for a president, and then move on. So, some of these cardinals may be thinking that's way too long. You have to have somebody a little bit older, more mature.

Have you heard that argument?

O'CONNELL: Yes. And, of course, the United States has only been around for a couple hundred years, the church has been around for 2,000. So, for them, you know, a long-term isn't that significant. I don't think it's a major issue, although, I've heard it bandied about and talked about. I think the idea of a younger pope does have some appeal and some attraction that the church can put on a face of energy and modernity. And I think that -- that does have some appeal to some of the cardinals.

BLITZER: People forget that John Paul II, was what, only 58- years-old when he became pope.

O'CONNELL: He was only eight years older than I am.

BLITZER: Are you throwing your hat in the ring or...

O'CONNELL: No, not...

BLITZER: ... your skull cap into the ring?

O'CONNELL: No, no. I don't look good in white. BLITZER: You're technically qualified. You don't have to be one of those 115 cardinals to be eligible to become pope.

O'CONNELL: Yes, I think it's far above my pay grade.

BLITZER: Father O'Connell, I would support you. Thanks very much for joining us, appreciate it very much. We'll continue to watch all that's happening. And stay with CNN all of tomorrow throughout the day and night for all the latest developments from the conclave.

Let's get a quick look at some other news making headlines "Around the World."

Insurgents are blamed for a pipeline explosion in northern Iraq. Burning oil covered the surface of the Tigris River. There was heavy damage to the pipeline which runs from the Kirkuk oil fields to Iraq's largest refineries.

Kosovo blast. An explosion damaged the offices of an ethnic Albanian political party. The blast also caused minor injuries to at least three children.

Fan violence. Hundreds of fans clashed on the field after a soccer game in Melbourne, Australia, throwing flairs and bottles. Four police officers were hurt, but there were only two arrests. Authorities say they fear that more arrests would have sparked more violence.

And that's our look "Around the World."

Tracking the predators among us. How sex offenders slip through the cracks. And how many states may not take the necessary steps to make you safer.

Plus -- the suspect in a jailhouse shooting makes his first appearance in court. The chilling pictures. That's coming up.

And later -- why the American cyclist Lance Armstrong is hanging up his helmet. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A Florida judge today ordered David Onstott held without bond. Onstott's a convicted sex offender. He's accused of the murder of 13-year-old Sarah Michelle Lunde. Onstott used to date the girl's mother. Authorities say he has confessed to killing the girl at her home. The girl's partially clothed body was found in a pond half a mile away.

Law enforcement officials are supposed to keep track of sex offenders after release from prison, but they didn't know David Onstott was living in Sarah Lunde's neighborhood.

Our Brian Todd has been looking into that. He's joining us now, live. Brian? BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this case brings to light a problem child advocacy groups have been warning about and states are just starting to catch up to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): David Onstott's mere presence in Sarah Lunde's neighborhood has law enforcement authorities on the defensive.

MIKE OBER, PROSECUTOR: We're accountable for what we do but the system has not failed and we're going to make certain it doesn't fail.

TODD: But many are questioning how this registered sex offender slipped through the system. The Hillsborough County State's Attorney office tells CNN, Onstott had moved from the address where he'd registered and not told them, the same problem that cropped up in nearby Citrus County, Florida, where the registered sex offender now accused of killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford had slipped away. Experts say keeping track of these offenders is a huge issue.

CAROLYN ATWELL-DAVIS, NAT'L CTR. FOR MISSING CHILDREN: We estimate there are approximately 450,000 to 500,000, potentially -- could be that high -- registered sex offenders across the United States. Now that -- those are the sex offenders that law enforcement believe are supposed to be registered.

TODD: And, of those, according to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, up to 25 percent are unaccounted for at any given time across the country. Experts say it's a matters of degrees and priorities.

Florida law separates sex offenders from sexual predators. Predators are those convicted of at least one first degree felony against minors; offenders are those convicted for assaulting adults. Florida law requires neighbors to be notified by the state when a predator moves into their neighborhood, but not when an offender moves in. Onstott had only one conviction as a sex offender, the 1995 assault of an adult female acquaintance in the Tampa area for which he served six years. Because the crime did not involve a juvenile, he was able to fly under the radar.

PETER SMERICK, FORMER FBI PROFILER: Most police departments don't have enough personnel. They don't have enough hours in the day to keep track of all of the offenders that live in their geographical area. In fact, they are spending so much of their time investigating current crimes, it's only when you have a case like this, then they will go back to drawing boards and look at all of the other known offenders, living in their community.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): An official with the Hillsborough County State's Attorney office tells CNN that office supports a proposed new law in Florida that would require more sexual predators and sex offenders to wear monitoring devices, but officials with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children are worried that some states may not pass these laws because the devices are expensive. Wolf?

BLITZER: Brian Todd reporting. Thanks, Brian, very much.

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Lou's standing by in New York with a preview. Lou?

LOU DOBBS, HOST "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Wolf, thank you.

At 6:00 p.m. Eastern tonight, we will be reporting on two escalating crisis facing the United States in Asia: North Korea's rising nuclear threat and the sharp deterioration in relations between China and Japan.

Also tonight, failing grades -- the threat to our national security and our economy from our schools' failure to educate our children. I will be talking to one of the country's leading advocates of bold educational reform.

And in "Broken Borders" tonight, illegal aliens overwhelming our courts, English rarely heard in many of our courtrooms. And I will talk with Congressman Mark Foley who says our lack of border security and illegal immigration is simply an outrage. And I will have a few choice words for the editorial board of the "Atlanta Journal Constitution" who today, decided to attack me on the issue of illegal immigration. Please join us. We'll have all of that and much more at the top of the hour. Now, back to Wolf Blitzer. Wolf?

BLITZER: And Lou, don't be shy, tell us how you really feel about that editorial, I'm sure you will.

DOBBS: Never fear.

BLITZER: Lou Dobbs, we are only about 13 minutes away from "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Thanks, Lou, very much. We will be watching. We do every single day.

First appearance, chilling pictures of a badly bruised suspect charged with a police detective's murder.

Also ahead, a cycling legend announces future plans. Find out if Lance Armstrong is calling it quits. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: It's happened again. Just weeks after authorities say Brian Nichols grabbed a deputy's gun in an Atlanta courthouse and went on a killing spree, a man in Providence, Rhode Island is accused of killing a police detective with the officer's own weapon. The case took an emotional turn today when the suspect, appearing bloodied and bruised, appeared in court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Esteban Carpio's relatives were overcome by his appearance as he entered a Rhode Island courtroom and had to be forcibly removed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

BLITZER: The accused cop killer's face was partially hidden by a mask, which correction officials say is always used when someone is bleeding, or if authorities believe he might become combative.

But what could be seen was battered and bruised. His eyes nearly swollen shut.

Providence police say the injuries happened early yesterday. They say Detective James Allen was questioning Carpio about the stabbing of an 84-year-old woman. Carpio wasn't under arrest at the time and was not handcuffed. Police say he grabbed the detective's gun, shooting and killing the 27-year veteran and father of two. Carpio then allegedly shot out a window and jumped, falling three stories. He was captured nearby. Police maintain Carpio suffered his injuries in his attempted escape.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He jumped out of a third story window, and he struggled in a tough struggle to be apprehended on the ground. When I saw him, he was pretty cut up. I know we took him to a hospital. I know he was brought back here. More than that, I don't know.

BLITZER: But Carpio's relatives question that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His face is a mess. They massacred him. I'm surprised he's still alive the way he looks. Initially when we went to the hospital and we talked to the police, they said, no, he had a leg injury and some minor lacerations. They wouldn't let us see him.

Seeing him now, his whole face is just massacred.

BLITZER: The family also maintains Carpio has a history of mental problems.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are sorry about what happened. We tried to get this boy hospital help, psychiatric help, and he was released a number of times in the last 30 days.

BLITZER: The police chief says his main focus right now is the victim's family, but he says he will listen to Carpio's relatives' concerns.

DEAN ESSERMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: We will take any allegation as we always have. My concerns right now are with the Allen family, which is who I thought you were referring to.

As to the family of the person who has been arrested, if they have allegations, if they have concerns, we will not be deaf to them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Rhode Island's governor has ordered flags flown at half-staff in honor of the slain police officer. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday. One of the greatest cyclists to ever ride a bike says his time has come. We will hear from Lance Armstrong, the winner of six Tour de France titles. That's coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On an April day, impossible to forget, an image of a man burned into our memory, a survivor moving slowly down the ladder out of an open sore of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Brian Espe worked for the USDA on the fifth floor. That morning, he heard a rumble and then a sickening silence.

BRIAN ESPE, BOMBING SURVIVOR: I don't know how long after the rumbling stopped and the things stopped falling, when I looked around, I could see the sky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His rescue came more than an hour later. A firefighter had to talk him down a very long ladder.

ESPE: I'm deathly afraid of heights. And that's why I came down that ladder in a more unconventional way, facing out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Espe never did look back at the building. He didn't know the true scope of the devastation until he saw it later on television. Of the 10 people on the fifth floor that day, seven died.

ESPE: My life has gone on since that day, and I still think of it. I think of the people we lost. But I don't dwell on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Espe recently retired from the USDA and moved from Oklahoma City to Arkansas. He has five children and 11 grandchildren, and he and his wife Evelyn recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.

Espe remains in contact with Mark Mulman, the firefighter.

ESPE: Thank God for Mark, because he talked me down that ladder every step of the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: He symbolizes grit, will power and dogged tenacity. He almost lost his life to testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain. But he battled back to become one of the greatest cyclists to ever mount a bike. Lance Armstrong is the only man to ever win the grueling Tour de France six times in a row. He will try for a seventh straight marathon win this summer, but he says his time has come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANCE ARMSTRONG, PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST: I will cut right to the chase and say that after a lot of thought, considering the season, the races that I was going to do this year, and deciding to focus on the Tour, at the same time I have decided that the Tour de France will be my last race as a professional cyclist.

So, July 24th will be -- will be the last one after more or less 14 years in the professional peloton, and it will be the last one, win or lose.

The passion is there, and the will to win another one is there. And above all, this will to win one, one final one and then stop, is pretty compelling.

The biggest inspiration of this decision is my children. They're the ones that make it easier to suffer, but they're also the ones that have told me that it's time to come home. And so without them, none of this would be possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Armstrong, who is divorced, has become even more of an international celebrity since he began dating the rock star Sheryl Crow. He will defend another title this week when he races in the Tour de Georgia.

Remember, you can always catch this program 5:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm back tomorrow at 5:00, as well as noon. Until then, thanks for joining us. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Lou standing by -- Lou.

DOBBS: Wolf, thank you very much. Have a great evening.

END

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