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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Moussaoui Pleads Guilty; Judicial Nominee Battle Continues

Aired April 22, 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 -- guilty plea -- the only man arrested in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks has just appeared before a federal judge. We're standing by to hear directly from the Attorney General of the United States.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Battle for the courts.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In this second term, President Bush will also continue nominating federal judges who faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.

BLITZER: Vice President Cheney comes out swinging.

All-out assault: Shocking new pictures as insurgents stalk civilian aircraft and prey on innocent worshipers. Can they be stopped?

Weather watch: Violent storms sweep across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's on the ground!

BLITZER: I'll speak with a storm chaser who caught this twister in Tornado Alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple hundred yards. And we could see little vortices spinning on the bottom. And trees getting shot up in the air. There was softball-sized hail falling from the sky.

BLITZER: Are more on the way?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, April 22, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. We begin with a developing story.

Just a short while ago, Zacarias Moussouai pleaded guilty to conspiring with al Qaeda. He also revealed dramatic new details of what he said was his plot to attack the White House with a plane. He could face the death penalty.

Our Kelli Arena, of CNN's America Bureau, is outside the U.S. District Court in suburban Alexandria, Virginia -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Zacarias Moussouai, as you said, did plead guilty to all six counts against him, four of those counts carry a death penalty. He insisted, though, that he had no role in the September 11 attacks. It's a claim that we've heard before.

Moussaoui says that he was training to fly an airline into the White House. It was a plot that he says was to take place after September 11. He says the goal was to free Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, also known as the Blind Sheikh, who is now serving a life prison term for his involvement in the first World Trade Center bombing and a conspiracy to launch some other attacks against the United States. Moussaoui says that if the American -- if the U.S. did not negotiate, that he was to fly that plane directly into the White House.

As for the death penalty, Moussaoui says that he will fight every inch against the death penalty during the penalty phase. He says that he was not effectively represented by his attorneys, namely Frank Dunham who you're very familiar with. We've heard a lot from him over the course of this case. He says that Dunham was willing to accept substitutions instead of live testimony from al Qaeda detainees who are in U.S. custody.

Wolf, as you know, this has been an ongoing controversy throughout this case. The government has refused to make al Qaeda detainees available who Moussaoui has argued have information -- they have information that he says could clear him of any involvement in the September 11 attacks. Moussaoui promised to make that an issue during the sentencing phase. And the judge said that she thought that that was appropriate, because that issue had never been resolved.

On that note, Moussaoui also said that his lawyers tried to portray him as incompetent. We heard a lot about that. We know that the judge met with him Wednesday and declared him competent. And he said that -- Moussaoui said that was very disappointed in that portrayal.

The judge on that note said, look, you know, I think not only are you competent, but extremely intelligent and understand the legal system better than some of the lawyers ideal with on a daily basis -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelli, what did he look like? What was his demeanor in court? You were inside.

ARENA: Well, you know, he showed up with a long, scruffy beard. Moussaoui is a lot smaller in stature than his photos portray him to be. He was, of course, flanked by very large U.S. Marshals, dressed in a prison suit.

He was not wearing shackles, though. He came in very calmly into the courtroom. But he insisted on having his say.

And at one point the judge warned him that this was not the appropriate venue for some of his comments he was making. And he said I know you're going to shut me up very soon, but I need to have my say. I haven't had my say.

He also signed a statement of fact, which the government laid out. It's a five-page, 23-paragraph statement. And he took several minutes to read that statement. It was about five minutes of stone silence in the courtroom. Everyone waited, because he's been so volatile, Wolf. Every time he's been in court, that everyone was waiting for something dramatic to happen. And you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom at that time.

BLITZER: Kelli Arena reporting for us from outside of the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Kelli, thanks very much.

And this note to our viewers, we're anticipating that the attorney general of the United States, Alberto Gonzales will be making a statement on this guilty plea by Zacarias Moussouai. We'll bring it to you when we get it.

Let's move on to other important news we're following here in Washington. The battle lines now been drawn for a very bitter fight over a Senate tradition, a fight that could have long-reaching consequences for the U.S. judicial system and for the American public. Hanging in the balance, such explosive issues as abortion rights for women and prayer in schools.

Vice president Dick Cheney says he'll back up Senate Republican leaders who say they want to change the rules of the Senate by banning filibusters against judicial nominees. Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, standing by live on Capitol Hill -- Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it has often been assumed that the vice president might have some role in the big Senate showdown in -- over judges if it comes to that. Today, the vice president addressed that issue directly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): Escalating the battle over judges, Vice President Dick Cheney vowed to support Republican efforts to break the impasse over the administration's judicial nominees. Cheney has the power to cast tiebreaking votes in the Senate.

CHENEY: But if the Senate majority decides to move forward, and if the issue is presented to me in my elected office as president of the Senate and presiding officer, I will support bringing those nominations to the floor for an up or down vote.

JOHNS: At issue, ten controversial judge who have been filibustered by Democrats, requiring 60 votes to confirm rather than a simple majority. To end the opposition, Republicans are considering the so-called nuclear option, changing Senate rules to eliminate the use of filibusters. Democrats say they will retaliate by shutting down most of the Senate's business.

The man with the final say on whether to go nuclear, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He was traveling in his home state of Tennessee with the president on Friday while getting blasted by opponents back in Washington who were accusing Senator Frist of exploiting religion in the debate over judges.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) VERMONT: Partisans are these days seeking to rekindle the flames of bigotry for short-term political gain. That's more than just wrong, it's despicable.

JOHNS: Frist has agreed to participate in a broadcast called Justice Sunday, sponsored by conservative Christian organizations, pushing for the president's judges. Advertisements for that program pose the political issue in stark religious terms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do a few senators filibuster the nominee?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's because that judge has our faith and our values.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filibustering people of faith needs to stop, now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Dr. James Dobson, Tony Perkins and...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN: Friday morning, leaders of several religious organizations called on Frist to back out of that program. Frist's office talked to me today. They said he's not embracing everything these religious groups stand for. He is simply taking this opportunity to press his case and his argument that the president's nominees deserve an up or down vote.

Now, a number of organizations, of course, sponsoring this program on Sunday, including the Family Research Council. They said today, that since the beginning of the country, politicians have used religious organizations as opportunities to try to press their case. They say that's all that's happening now.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Joe Johns reporting from Capitol Hill. The stakes, in fact, are enormous. And the center of the debate involves the U.S. judiciary, especially the U.S. Supreme Court.

Normally, the justices are restrained in their comments outside the courtroom. But in a joint appearance on C-SPAN, three of them shared their thoughts about alleged judicial activism and other issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over: They represent the ideological spectrum on the current court: Antonin Scalia, the outspoken conservative, Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate conservative and Stephen Breyer with moderate liberal views.

And despite a representation of operating in an insular world, the nine-member bench knows the political winds constantly swirl about them. JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER, SUPREME COURT: We've decided cases, Bush v. Gore and others, that lots of people in the country feel are totally wrong, and emotions run very high on a lot of these issues.

BLITZER: Such emotions have increased in recent months with members of Congress, led by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, criticizing the federal courts for not intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain damaged woman from Florida.

JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA SUPREME COURT: Judges have become political entities much more than they ever were.

BLITZER: And some conservatives have stepped up attacks over what they see as judicial activism. Judges who legislate controversial social and political issues from the bench.

SCALIA: But I think what is going is unprecedented in the difficulty of getting judicial nominations confirmed. You can not adopt a theory that the constitution is evolving and the Supreme Court will tell you what it means from age to age, you can not do that without causing the Supreme Court to become a very political institution.

BLITZER: O'Connor noted such political outrage over the high court has occurred the years. And downplayed whether the current climate would create permanent scars.

JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: I think it's very unlikely.

BLITZER: The three justices also tangled over how much influence international law should play on decision making in U.S. courts. O'Connor said it should matter sometimes, Scalia hardly ever, and Breyer...

BREYER: I will say, I think, of course the constitution deals with contemporary problems. Of course it has to adjust as we go along. And then we might mean something slightly different, one from the other, from time to time by the word adjust.

But it goes from...

TIM RUSSERT, HOST, MEET THE PRESS: Don't provoke me. Don't provoke me.

O'CONNOR: That concept is one that evolves. What's our best way of knowing whether it's evolved? It's to look at what all the state legislatures have done and what we've said. But it doesn't hurt to be aware of what other countries have done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: But there was one thing all three justices agreed on, that would be keeping television cameras out of their courtroom. That's a precedent that's likely to stand for some time. Elsewhere here in Washington, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today scheduled a vote on President Bush's nominee for U.N ambassador. But that vote is still two weeks away. And the battle over John Bolton is still heating up.

There are reports today that former Secretary of State Colin Powell has voiced some reservations about Bolton to at least two Republican senators. A Powell aide confirms the contacts, but won't discuss the content of those conversations. Bolton was Powell's undersecretary for arms control.

The committee has delayed a vote on his confirmation until after hearing more about the allegations about a so-called quick temper and abusive behavior.

The U.S. military and its allies in Iraq are grappling with an insurgency that's roared back to life. Now the insurgents are seemingly boasting about yesterday's downing of a commercial helicopter -- 11 people were killed, including six Americans.

New pictures apparently showing the attack and its chilling aftermath have been released. We must warn you, some of the images may be disturbing.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eerie pictures the Arabic news channel al Jazeera says it received from a previously unknown group, calling itself the Army of Mujahideen. They show a Russian-made helicopter flying low in the distance. Shortly after, the tape records two thuds, the helicopter bursts into flames and falls to the earth.

CNN was unable to determine the authenticity of the tape, but that video and the associated claim comes a day after another batch of video and another claim of responsibility from a known insurgent group, the Islamic Army in Iraq. A videotape which provides a chilling insight into the ruthlessness of the insurgents.

The first images show the wreckage of the helicopter and bodies of some of the dead from the U.S., Fiji and Bulgaria. Then the scene changes to a field of tall grass.

A man can be heard saying to the cameraman in Arabic "look at this dirty man."

The Bulgarian company which operated the helicopter confirms this man was a commander of the flight crew, a Bulgarian citizen who somehow survived the crash.

The man is instructed, in English, to get up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand up. Stand up.

CHILCOTE: He responds in a whisper, asking for help.

UNIDENTIFIED: Nothing's broken (ph).

CHILCOTE: Eventually, he is pulled up, asked in Arabic if he is armed. And receives one final instruction. To walk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go.

CHILCOTE: In Arabic, the photographer asks someone off camera to wait until he gets his picture. The man begins to turn around and is shot. Falling to the ground. The shooter continues firing, more than 15 shots in all.

The U.S. military says an investigation team has surveyed the crash site. And all 11 bodies of those aboard the helicopter have been recovered. The U.S. military says it has not definitively determined what caused the chopper to go down.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And there was more blood on the streets of Baghdad today. Iraqi police say at least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded when a car bomb blew up at a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers. A section of the mosque collapsed and the area was littered with bodies and body parts.

Mosques have been frequent targets during the insurgency, which has often pitted Sunnis against Shiites.

President Bush today made it official, he announcing his choice for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the president put it, it's someone who knows the job well. The current vice chairman, Marine General Peter Pace.

Pace served in Vietnam and Somalia and led the U.S. Southern Command before moving to the Joint Chiefs.

If the Senate gives the OK, he'd be the first U.S. Marine to serve as chairman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: The fundamental reason why I have great faith in our ability to overcome whatever challenges lie ahead is the fact that we have the world's best men and women serving in our armed forces. Active, guard, reserve, civilian, they simply deliver every time our nation calls.

I'm proud and I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to serve them and our commander in chief if confirmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: When we come back, tornado alert: Powerful storm systems moving from the Midwest to the southeast. We're tracking the severe weather across the United States this hour. Right now, you're looking at pictures from Montgomery, Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's extremely exciting. And the first reason is it's just incredible to see mother nature in its finest form.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The thrill of the chase: I'll speak live with the storm chase here captured this video in Kansas.

Also ahead, indecent teachers: An upsurge of sex abuse in the schools. New York cracking down right now. Our Mary Snow has the story.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A band of storms including several tornadoes, hit southeast Kansas yesterday. This is one of the twisters spotted my near Parsons, Kansas. Several houses in the region were damaged or destroyed, but there are no reports of injuries.

One area meteorologist says this actually marks a late start for tornadoes in the region. Up until recently, he says, an area of high pressure had shielded most of the region from severe weather.

Today, the stormy weather is moving east.

Here are some of the pictures of what the weather is like in the southeast. Starting right now, we're in Birmingham, Alabama. These are live pictures from our affiliate, WBRC.

And in Montgomery, Alabama, a live picture from WSFA. Dark, ominous clouds in both places as you can see.

So, what kind of storm activity can the southeast expect over the next few hours? Let's check in with CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano. He's at the CNN Weather Center -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi Wolf. You showed that picture out of Birmingham, Alabama then Montgomery, Alabama. We have the radar zoomed into this area. This is live radar.

You can see the beam going just south of Birmingham. And also, lightning strikes. So, this is what's happening right now as far as lightening strikes. The brighter colors, that's heavy precipitation, likely some hail in some of these.

And this cell that is just south of Montgomery, there was a tornado warning out for this. That has just expired. A radar indicated tornado, which means that the radar saw it, not necessarily touching the ground.

Right now, as of today, for today, only three reports of seen tornadoes, and they were all pretty much from the same cell across Macon County, Illinois.

But look at the wide swath of threat that we have today. The greatest threat in this white area, but certainly a lot of real estate from north to south across the Ohio River Valley all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

These yellow watch boxes indicate a severe thunderstorm watch, indicating that the atmosphere is primed for severe thunderstorms to develop. Winds gusting to 70 miles per hour, damaging hail in excess of two and a half inches.

And right now, we have five watches that are out, including the one in Montgomery, Alabama, one now in parts of Central Georgia, and now another one into parts of the mid-Atlantic states.

And then wrapping around the center of the flow, just east of St. Louis heading east into the Ohio River Valley.

And the other thing with this, Wolf, is the cold air behind this, tremendous amounts of cold air. And tonight, and tomorrow, and over the weekend, some folks are going to see some heavy snow, across parts of lower Michigan and northern parts of Ohio. So, another big weather system affecting a lot of people.

Good news today, not nearly as many tornadoes as what we saw yesterday. Those pictures definitely damaging out of Kansas.

Back to you.

BLITZER: All right. Let's hope it stays like that. Thanks very much, Rob Marciano reporting for us.

So what you should you do if a tornado is spotted in your area? Government experts say that if you're at home, you should go to the basement. Or if there's no basement, to a closet or a bathroom. Cover yourself with blankets to protect yourself from glass and flying debris. If you're in a car or mobile home, get out immediately. That's where most tornado deaths occur. You're much better off lying flat in a ditch and covering your head.

While most of us try to avoid tornadoes, there are some people who actually chase after them. The video behind us was recorded in Kansas yesterday by Reed Timmer, he's a storm chaser. And he's joining us from Oklahoma City. That's the video right there.

Reed, thanks very much for joining us.

Why do you do this?

REED TIMMER, STORM CHASER: Well, there's two reasons. First of all, it's just the adrenaline rush. And that just really can't be explained. I mean, it's a true fascination for the weather. And the second reason is that we actually through Sky One Spotter Network, report tornado touchdowns to National Weather Service. So, given a tornado warning, a radar indicated radar warning, if we report a tornado on the ground, then a lot of times people in the path of these tornado warnings if they hear there's a confirmed tornado, a lot of times they will take the warnings more seriously, even though they should take them seriously anyway.

BLITZER: How long have you been doing it?

TIMMER: I've been doing this now for about nine years. Pretty much ever since I was 16, I've been wanting to drive after storms.

BLITZER: So that's that.

Now, this video that you shot yesterday, how close did you actually get to this tornado?

TIMMER: We actually got within a couple hundred yards. Right here, we're a little further away, I'd say probably an eighth of a mile. It's actually just on the other side of that tree line.

But later on, we actually attempted to get closer to it, because this tornado was a perfect tornado to get close to. It was almost stationery. We drove up next to it. And there are some multiple vortices and trees getting thrown in the air. And luckily, this tornado was over open terrain. So, no houses were in its path an no houses got destroyed. So, that's the fortunate thing about this particular tornado.

BLITZER: Now, do they move in the same direction, these twisters? Or can they -- because I know you try to chase them in the direction where they're going. But can they make a U-turn and head back towards you?

TIMMER: They can do that. But a lot of times, tornadoes such as this one are moving so slow that you would have time to get out of its path. I've seen tornadoes move east and then towards the end of their life cycle they actually curve back towards the north.

Their paths are generally pretty predictable if you maintain at least a safe distance away from them.

But the main danger with this particular tornado was actually the hail. There was baseball sized hail getting thrown around the tornado like right where we were standing. And I kind of wish I brought my bike helmet out there to have more protection.

But the hail is pretty dangerous. But the tornado itself we were a safe distance away from.

BLITZER: Well, they're dramatic pictures. Reed Timmer, thanks very much for sharing them with us.

TIMMER: Thank you for having me.

BLITZER: And good luck down the road. Be careful out there.

TIMMER: Thank you.

BLITZER: Cracking down on school sex abuse. Five cases in the past week, prompting New York City officials to take action. We'll have details also.

A new twist in the Wendy's chili finger case. Why the woman who first made the horrifying claim has now been arrested.

And later, a 5-year-old girl, take a look at this, put in handcuffs by police officers after she misbehaves in school. Check this out. Here it is. We'll have details. Tell you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Pope Benedict XVI meets with the College of Cardinals and makes remarks. Details from the Vatican coming up. First, though, let's have a quick check, some other stories now in the news.

Suspicious activity reported in hospitals in Los Angeles, Detroit and Boston. Officials with the National Healthcare Accreditation Group say people claiming to be with the organization have shown up at hospitals in those cities asking to look around. The Homeland Security Department says it's not aware of any terrorist connections. We're watching this story for you.

A Las Vegas woman who said she found a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili has been arrested on charges of attempted grand larceny. Police say the claim appears to have been a hoax. But there's no word where the finger came from. The woman, 39-year-old Anna Ayala, also faces another charge. She's accused of trying to sell a mobile home she didn't own.

Earth showed deference to President Bush who was supposed to give an Earth Day speech in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But bad weather scuttled the plans and Mr. Bush made his remarks at the airport in nearby Knoxville, Tennessee.

Rome and the Vatican are gearing up for still another massive papal event, Sunday's inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI. It will culminate what has been an extremely hectic and highly visible week for the pontiff. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports from the Vatican.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the same hall where the College of Cardinals bid farewell to Pope John Paul II, today they greeted their new pontiff. Dressed in the traditional papal white cassock, looking relaxed and smiling often, Pope Benedict XVI greeted each cardinal individually. On several occasions, he walked over to those who were too frail to stand.

In his prepared address, he thanked the cardinals for their trust in electing, as he put it, a simple man. And thanked God for allowing him to fulfill the great honor of the being the 265th successor to Peter.

POPE BENEDICT XVI (through translator): This trust that you have placed in me has been an encouragement for me to undertake this new mission for the unity of the church.

ECCLESTON: The new pontiff said he continued to feel the presence of his predecessor. And described as very moving, the moment he addressed the massive crowds at St. Peter's Square after his election.

Pope Benedict XVI, on Saturday, will hold a public audience for the thousands of journalists who report on the Vatican. And the city of Rome and the Vatican are making final preparations for Sunday's solemn inauguration mass. With cranes erecting large screen TVs and tractors moving thousands of chairs into St. Peter's Square.

Tens of thousands are expected to descend upon Rome as well as dignitaries from across the world, for the first papal inauguration in over a quarter century.

(on camera); The pontiff's numerous public appearances since his election are part of the ways, both large and small, that a curial cardinal is being transformed into a pope, a pastor of the flock and the face of worldwide Catholicism. Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, at the Vatican.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): 24 accused terrorists are on trial in Spain. Prosecutors say they were members of an al Qaeda cell that provided a staging ground for the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Funeral In Lebanon: Thousands of Lebanese citizens turned out to remember a former government minister who died Monday from wounds he suffered in mid-February. He was the 21st victim of the attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Passover security: Israeli troops have stepped up security to guard against possible attacks by Muslim militants during Passover. Palestinians are banned from entering Israel until April 30.

Shadows of war: 80 Japanese government officials made a traditional visit to a shrine honoring Japanese victims of World War II, a pilgrimage that may further strain relations between Japan and China. Despite official Japanese apologies, many Chinese accuse Japan of ignoring its responsibility for war crimes.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: More now on our top story. Zacarias Moussouai pleading guilty to six terrorism counts. The attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez, speaking now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: ...conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder United States employees and conspiracy to destroy property. Four of these charges authorize a maximum penalty of death.

And as you know, we are seeking the death penalty in this case for reasons that are spelled out in detail in the United States 2002 notice of intent to seek the death penalty.

The fact that Moussaoui participated in this terrorist conspiracy is no longer in doubt. In a chilling admission of guilt Moussaoui confessed to his participation, including the following specific actions. That he trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and communicated directly with Osama bin Laden.

That Osama bin Laden personally selected Moussaoui to participate in an operation to fly hijacked airplanes into American buildings and approved him attacking the White House.

That he came to the United States to receive flight training, to carry out his terrorist mission, intending that such training would be used to further al Qaeda's plan to use planes to kill Americans.

That he communicated to an al Qaeda associate that he would be finished with jet simulator training before September of 2001.

That he continued to receive financial and other support from al Qaeda after arriving in the United States for pilot training.

And that after being arrested in Minnesota, on August 16, 2001, by immigration agents, Moussaoui lied to federal agents in order to allow his al Qaeda quote, "brothers" -- his words -- to go forward with the operation to fly airplanes into American buildings.

Moussaoui and his co-conspirators were responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents on September 11, each one a son or daughter, father or mother, husband or wife.

Families left without loved ones on that day grieved and continue to grieve tragic losses and America grieved with them. From that grief, however, emerged a steely resolve in the American people. And from resolve came decisive action by their government.

The mission of the Justice Department was transformed to make the fight against terrorism our No. 1 priority. And President Bush told U.S. attorneys at the Justice Department that they would play an important role in the war on terror, prosecuting terrorists aggressively but fairly and in keeping with the high standards of our system of justice. And we have acted fairly and patiently to bring Moussaoui to justice.

A grand jury indicted Moussaoui in December of 2001. He has received legal counsel. He has been heard numerous times in federal district court and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. And he has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court.

Moussaoui now joins shoe bomber Richard Reid, John Walker Lindh and more than 200 other individuals who have been convicted or pled guilty to terrorism related charges since 9/11.

With today's guilty plea, we now move to the penalty phase of this case on a schedule to be established by the judge.

The Justice Department will continue working to break up terror cells within our borders as we have from Buffalo, New York, to Portland, Oregon, and to prosecute it terrorists using every legal tool available.

Now, countless dedicated public servants have contributed to these successes in the war on terror. And today, I'd like to recognize the team of investigators and prosecutors that helped make today's conviction of Moussaoui possible.

This team was assembled, and was hard at work, and was getting results long before I became Attorney General. And they are the ones who deserve the credit for this conviction.

The criminal division of the Justice Department led by Chris Ray. U.S. attorneys Paul McNulty and David Kelly and their teams, especially assistant U.S. attorneys Rob Spencer, Dave Novak and David Raskin.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Director Bob Mueller and represented today by Deputy Director Pistol. This team working with many other state and local law enforcement...

BLITZER: And so there it is. The Attorney General Alberto Gonzales saying that the government will seek the death penalty against Zacarias Moussouai, even though he has pleaded guilty, avoiding a full scale trial. There will be a sentencing part of this procedure that he will go through. The government still seeking the death penalty against the only terrorist suspect convicted here in the United States of any connection with the 9/11 plot.

Once again, Zacarias Moussouai still facing the death penalty despite his guilty plea.

We're continuing to monitor that news conference over at the Justice Department, have more information if it becomes available.

When we come back, sexual misconduct inside schools, one city taking new steps to crack down.

Also, caught on tape, police look at this, handcuffing a kindergarten student.

And help for young African-Americans from the godfather of hip- hop. We'll take you to an unusual summit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. A 5-year-old girl, a temper tantrum, but should she have been handcuffed by police? The incident last month in St. Petersburg, Florida, was caught on videotape since the teacher was recording herself as part of a training exercise. The kindergartner refused to take part in a math lesson, and over the course of more than 30 minutes, between periods of calm, she jumped on tables, destroyed objects in the room, and repeatedly tried to strike the teacher. When the girl's mother said she couldn't arrive for an hour, police were called in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the problem?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no! No, no!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: After being handcuffed, the girl was put in the back of a police car until her mother did arrive. Her lawyer, who obtained the videotape from police and provided it to CNN, says handcuffing the child wasn't called for. Says the girl's mother plans to sue for wrongful arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TREVENA, ATTORNEY: There is no question that the police officers' actions are way over the top. Three police officers having to handcuff, forcibly handcuff a 5-year-old little girl? I mean, come on. Does it need anything more to be said about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: When asked to comment on the case, a police spokesman would say only this, quote: "There is an internal review in regards to the actions the officers took, and until that is completed, we cannot comment."

As for the school district, a spokesman for Pinellas County school said the educators responded admirably.

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Kitty Pilgrim sitting in for Lou. She is standing by with a preview -- Kitty.

KITTY PILGRIM, GUEST HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Thanks, Wolf. Tonight, 6:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll be reporting on the rise of China as a major threat to our economy and our jobs. One of our biggest auto companies may develop a car in China to sell in the United States.

Also, illegal alien giveaway. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by illegal aliens. My guest is a top official in the American Hospital Association. And in "Heroes," our weekly salute to the men and women who serve our country, the inspiring story of a soldier who lost his leg in Iraq and who just completed his third marathon. All that and more in just a few minutes. But for now, back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kitty. We'll be watching.

Coming up, going beyond the lyrics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL SIMMONS, FOUNDER, DEF JAM RECORDS: Well, it's the last step of the civil rights movement, you know, wrap your hands around some money, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Hip-hop music leaders holding workshops on financial literacy. How their new message is helping kids. We'll have details.

And no exception to the rule. Even the penguins have to pass through airport security. Check this out. We'll explain. It's coming up in our "Picture of the Day" later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Russell Simmons. He is a mogul with a message, an entrepreneur of empowerment. His goal, helping others through hip-hop. CNN's Brian Todd joining us now with a closer look at this man behind the music -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Russell Simmons has made a name and millions of dollars off the hip-hop movement, which many say he created. Some have criticized Simmons, Bill Cosby among them, and they have criticized the whole movement for some very controversial lyrics on CDs.

But when we caught up to Simmons, his focus was on something very different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Russell Simmons didn't have to look back. He fought his way out of inner city Queens to become the godfather of the hip-hop movement, creator of Def Jam Records, Def Comedy Jam and the Phat Farm clothing line. A showbiz star by any measure. But he's here, outside Baltimore, a headliner in a town hall meeting with energy.

This is Russell Simmons' passion now: A series of hip-hop summits. This year, aimed at getting inner city kids, who spend so much on his products, to become more financially responsible.

SIMMONS: Well, it's the last step of the civil rights movement, you know, to wrap your hands around some money, right? TODD: But it goes beyond that. Simmons lures kids in by recruiting young hip-hop stars like Mike Jones to appear, then holds workshops teaching financial literacy, how to get your credit ratings up, get out of poverty, stay out.

The subject of Bill Cosby still sensitive to Simmons and his allies. Cosby, who last year inflamed some in the African-American community by slamming the hip-hop culture, targeting the lyrics.

BILL COSBY, ENTERTAINER: The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some CD tell your child how to curse and how to say the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is an accepted word. You're so hip with the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you can't even spell it.

TODD: Not long after, Simmons shot back at Cosby, quoted as saying "Judgment of people in the situation is not helpful. How you can help them is the question."

Now?

SIMMONS: No, no, no, what I'm saying is that it's our job to keep giving.

TODD: But Simmons' brother, Reverend Run of Run DMC, compares himself to Cosby this way.

REVEREND RUN, RUN DMC: My job, I believe, is to tell people, I went this way. I don't really scream at people for not having it together. I try to show them.

TODD: Contacted by CNN, Bill Cosby said, quote, "the summit, which is set up to educate people about managing their money and protecting their income, leads to empowerment of self, for which this summit needs to be applauded."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: And we invited Bill Cosby to appear on this program today. He declined, but left open the possibility of joining us in the future.

As for Russell Simmons, he has got a new record label and will continue staging hip-hop summits across the country, Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, very interesting. Thanks very much for that.

He's an economic idol now on the outs. Carlos Watson has "The Inside Edge." He's coming up.

Also, if you think airline security is for the birds, well, it is. We'll explain. Here it is. Our "Picture of the Day," that's coming up as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: New York City schools have been overwhelmed by a wave of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers and students, but to their surprise, officials are finding in some cases, they have no legal recourse. CNN's Mary Snow is following this story. She's joining us live from New York -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there have been two recent arrests of New York City public school teachers. And several others have been accused of having inappropriate relationships. It's prompted city officials to say that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): In the past week alone, five cases of sexual misconduct involving teachers and students have become public in New York City.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: It is not acceptable behavior to have our teachers having personal sexual relations with the students that we entrust them with, period.

SNOW: In the latest incident, police arrested a female teacher accused of kissing a 15-year-old male student inside a middle school. She's one of three women and two men who have been removed from city classrooms. The accusations range from having sex with students to a teacher exposing himself to teenage girls.

The city's special commissioner of investigations says the number of cases involving female teachers is unusual, and that two cases occurred in the same Manhattan high school.

RICHARD CONDON, SPECIAL COMMISSIONER OF INVESTIGATIONS: That was a teacher who had a relationship with a 17-year-old student, and she became pregnant as a result of that relationship. The second case was a guidance counselor, who had a relationship with another student.

SNOW: Unlike Mary Kay Letourneau, who was jailed for having sex with a 13-year-old, and Debra LaFave, who has been accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Florida, there were no criminal charges filed in the cases at the Manhattan high school. That's because the boys were over 16, which is considered the age of consent in New York State.

The city school chancellor says he will push for a law to make it illegal for a teacher to engage in sexual activity with a student at any age. In a letter this week, he told principals, "schools will not tolerate any kind of sexual misconduct," and added, quote, "I will use all means at my disposal to see that sex offenders are removed from our school system and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The city's teachers union says it has a zero tolerance policy, saying "any teacher who is proven to have violated this trust has no business in a classroom."

Professor Charol Shakeshaft was hired by the U.S. Department of Education to look at sex abuse cases across the country. She says data shows about 7 percent of high school students report being the target of physical sexual exploitation by educators.

PROF. CHAROL SHAKESHAFT, HOFSTRA UNIV.: In terms of numbers in the country, that would be about 3.5 million. Kids say that sometime in their K through, in this case, 11 career, they had been the target of sexual exploitation, something physical.

SNOW: And Shakeshaft says about 40 percent of predators are women.

SHAKESHAFT: One of the threads we see is that the females at least report that they're more likely to believe they're in love, and that these are love relationships, or this is, you know, they've found their dream partner in a 16-year-old or a 17-year-old. That's a problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: The city's special commissioner of investigations says he's concerned, because he hasn't seen a reduction in these kinds of cases in the past several years. And he points out, in the past three months of this year alone, his office has been asked to look into about 180 complaints that he's now investigating, of complaints of sexually inappropriate language or behavior -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This is all very, very shocking stuff. Mary Snow reporting for us. Good work, Mary. Thank you very much.

As we've been reporting, a filibuster fight is brewing in the U.S. Senate. Our political analyst, Carlos Watson, has more now with "The Inside Edge."

Carlos, on this filibuster, sounds very wonkish, but there are huge ramifications for the American people. What are you looking for next?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Looking for two things, essentially, Wolf. One, what kind of quiet deals are being negotiated, not only in order to keep Republicans from defecting from Senator Bill Frist's side, the majority leader of the Senate, but are there any Democrats who Republicans are going after, like Bill Nelson -- Ben Nelson, rather, of Nebraska.

The second significant thing is we know this weekend, some of the Christian conservative groups are going to get involved, but will other groups begin to play a role here? Think about the business community and how influential they've been in other big congressional fights. I'm thinking of health care almost a dozen years ago.

BLITZER: Another huge story you're watching, the economy. And Alan Greenspan and his image right now. What are you discerning?

WATSON: Well, remember, once upon a time, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, was arguably not only the most respected but maybe the most powerful person in Washington. He was "Time's" man of the year, he served for six different presidents, four different roles.

But now, you hear people like the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, call him a political hack. And when Alan Greenspan used to go up and speak on Capitol Hill, as he did yesterday, that used to be big news. Nowadays, you don't hear much about it. Instead, you hear bad news about interest rates, unemployment, retail sales, and even the stock market. Clearly, a marked change not only in our economy's fortune, but arguably in Alan Greenspan's fortune.

BLITZER: And briefly, let's go outside the Beltway to Texas, where there's a political drama unfolding.

WATSON: Keep your eye on Texas. Maybe some incredibly interesting politics next year. You may have Republican infighting, as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison runs against Rick Perry, the incumbent Republican governor.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, always has "The Inside Edge." Thanks for joining us in Washington. Good work today on "IP" as well.

WATSON: Really enjoyed it.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, thanks very much.

Let's get to our "Picture of the Day." You want to see this. Proof that no one, no one is exempt from the hassles of modern air travel. Check this out. Even these penguins had to pass through the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. Pat and Penny were on their way back to Sea World in San Diego after a promotional visit to Colorado. The metal detectors were there. They had a complete check. Guess what? They passed.

You can always catch us weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Sunday noon Eastern, Ahmed Chalabi, joining "LATE EDITION" this Sunday. Until then, thanks very much for watching. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Kitty Pilgrim standing by -- Kitty.

PILGRIM: Thanks, Wolf. Have a great evening and great weekend, Wolf.

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 22, 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 -- guilty plea -- the only man arrested in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks has just appeared before a federal judge. We're standing by to hear directly from the Attorney General of the United States.
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Battle for the courts.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In this second term, President Bush will also continue nominating federal judges who faithfully interpret the law, instead of legislating from the bench.

BLITZER: Vice President Cheney comes out swinging.

All-out assault: Shocking new pictures as insurgents stalk civilian aircraft and prey on innocent worshipers. Can they be stopped?

Weather watch: Violent storms sweep across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's on the ground!

BLITZER: I'll speak with a storm chaser who caught this twister in Tornado Alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple hundred yards. And we could see little vortices spinning on the bottom. And trees getting shot up in the air. There was softball-sized hail falling from the sky.

BLITZER: Are more on the way?

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Friday, April 22, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. We begin with a developing story.

Just a short while ago, Zacarias Moussouai pleaded guilty to conspiring with al Qaeda. He also revealed dramatic new details of what he said was his plot to attack the White House with a plane. He could face the death penalty.

Our Kelli Arena, of CNN's America Bureau, is outside the U.S. District Court in suburban Alexandria, Virginia -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Zacarias Moussouai, as you said, did plead guilty to all six counts against him, four of those counts carry a death penalty. He insisted, though, that he had no role in the September 11 attacks. It's a claim that we've heard before.

Moussaoui says that he was training to fly an airline into the White House. It was a plot that he says was to take place after September 11. He says the goal was to free Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, also known as the Blind Sheikh, who is now serving a life prison term for his involvement in the first World Trade Center bombing and a conspiracy to launch some other attacks against the United States. Moussaoui says that if the American -- if the U.S. did not negotiate, that he was to fly that plane directly into the White House.

As for the death penalty, Moussaoui says that he will fight every inch against the death penalty during the penalty phase. He says that he was not effectively represented by his attorneys, namely Frank Dunham who you're very familiar with. We've heard a lot from him over the course of this case. He says that Dunham was willing to accept substitutions instead of live testimony from al Qaeda detainees who are in U.S. custody.

Wolf, as you know, this has been an ongoing controversy throughout this case. The government has refused to make al Qaeda detainees available who Moussaoui has argued have information -- they have information that he says could clear him of any involvement in the September 11 attacks. Moussaoui promised to make that an issue during the sentencing phase. And the judge said that she thought that that was appropriate, because that issue had never been resolved.

On that note, Moussaoui also said that his lawyers tried to portray him as incompetent. We heard a lot about that. We know that the judge met with him Wednesday and declared him competent. And he said that -- Moussaoui said that was very disappointed in that portrayal.

The judge on that note said, look, you know, I think not only are you competent, but extremely intelligent and understand the legal system better than some of the lawyers ideal with on a daily basis -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Kelli, what did he look like? What was his demeanor in court? You were inside.

ARENA: Well, you know, he showed up with a long, scruffy beard. Moussaoui is a lot smaller in stature than his photos portray him to be. He was, of course, flanked by very large U.S. Marshals, dressed in a prison suit.

He was not wearing shackles, though. He came in very calmly into the courtroom. But he insisted on having his say.

And at one point the judge warned him that this was not the appropriate venue for some of his comments he was making. And he said I know you're going to shut me up very soon, but I need to have my say. I haven't had my say.

He also signed a statement of fact, which the government laid out. It's a five-page, 23-paragraph statement. And he took several minutes to read that statement. It was about five minutes of stone silence in the courtroom. Everyone waited, because he's been so volatile, Wolf. Every time he's been in court, that everyone was waiting for something dramatic to happen. And you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom at that time.

BLITZER: Kelli Arena reporting for us from outside of the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Kelli, thanks very much.

And this note to our viewers, we're anticipating that the attorney general of the United States, Alberto Gonzales will be making a statement on this guilty plea by Zacarias Moussouai. We'll bring it to you when we get it.

Let's move on to other important news we're following here in Washington. The battle lines now been drawn for a very bitter fight over a Senate tradition, a fight that could have long-reaching consequences for the U.S. judicial system and for the American public. Hanging in the balance, such explosive issues as abortion rights for women and prayer in schools.

Vice president Dick Cheney says he'll back up Senate Republican leaders who say they want to change the rules of the Senate by banning filibusters against judicial nominees. Our congressional correspondent, Joe Johns, standing by live on Capitol Hill -- Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it has often been assumed that the vice president might have some role in the big Senate showdown in -- over judges if it comes to that. Today, the vice president addressed that issue directly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): Escalating the battle over judges, Vice President Dick Cheney vowed to support Republican efforts to break the impasse over the administration's judicial nominees. Cheney has the power to cast tiebreaking votes in the Senate.

CHENEY: But if the Senate majority decides to move forward, and if the issue is presented to me in my elected office as president of the Senate and presiding officer, I will support bringing those nominations to the floor for an up or down vote.

JOHNS: At issue, ten controversial judge who have been filibustered by Democrats, requiring 60 votes to confirm rather than a simple majority. To end the opposition, Republicans are considering the so-called nuclear option, changing Senate rules to eliminate the use of filibusters. Democrats say they will retaliate by shutting down most of the Senate's business.

The man with the final say on whether to go nuclear, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He was traveling in his home state of Tennessee with the president on Friday while getting blasted by opponents back in Washington who were accusing Senator Frist of exploiting religion in the debate over judges.

SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, (D) VERMONT: Partisans are these days seeking to rekindle the flames of bigotry for short-term political gain. That's more than just wrong, it's despicable.

JOHNS: Frist has agreed to participate in a broadcast called Justice Sunday, sponsored by conservative Christian organizations, pushing for the president's judges. Advertisements for that program pose the political issue in stark religious terms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do a few senators filibuster the nominee?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's because that judge has our faith and our values.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filibustering people of faith needs to stop, now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Dr. James Dobson, Tony Perkins and...

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN: Friday morning, leaders of several religious organizations called on Frist to back out of that program. Frist's office talked to me today. They said he's not embracing everything these religious groups stand for. He is simply taking this opportunity to press his case and his argument that the president's nominees deserve an up or down vote.

Now, a number of organizations, of course, sponsoring this program on Sunday, including the Family Research Council. They said today, that since the beginning of the country, politicians have used religious organizations as opportunities to try to press their case. They say that's all that's happening now.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Joe Johns reporting from Capitol Hill. The stakes, in fact, are enormous. And the center of the debate involves the U.S. judiciary, especially the U.S. Supreme Court.

Normally, the justices are restrained in their comments outside the courtroom. But in a joint appearance on C-SPAN, three of them shared their thoughts about alleged judicial activism and other issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over: They represent the ideological spectrum on the current court: Antonin Scalia, the outspoken conservative, Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate conservative and Stephen Breyer with moderate liberal views.

And despite a representation of operating in an insular world, the nine-member bench knows the political winds constantly swirl about them. JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER, SUPREME COURT: We've decided cases, Bush v. Gore and others, that lots of people in the country feel are totally wrong, and emotions run very high on a lot of these issues.

BLITZER: Such emotions have increased in recent months with members of Congress, led by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, criticizing the federal courts for not intervening in the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain damaged woman from Florida.

JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA SUPREME COURT: Judges have become political entities much more than they ever were.

BLITZER: And some conservatives have stepped up attacks over what they see as judicial activism. Judges who legislate controversial social and political issues from the bench.

SCALIA: But I think what is going is unprecedented in the difficulty of getting judicial nominations confirmed. You can not adopt a theory that the constitution is evolving and the Supreme Court will tell you what it means from age to age, you can not do that without causing the Supreme Court to become a very political institution.

BLITZER: O'Connor noted such political outrage over the high court has occurred the years. And downplayed whether the current climate would create permanent scars.

JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, U.S. SUPREME COURT: I think it's very unlikely.

BLITZER: The three justices also tangled over how much influence international law should play on decision making in U.S. courts. O'Connor said it should matter sometimes, Scalia hardly ever, and Breyer...

BREYER: I will say, I think, of course the constitution deals with contemporary problems. Of course it has to adjust as we go along. And then we might mean something slightly different, one from the other, from time to time by the word adjust.

But it goes from...

TIM RUSSERT, HOST, MEET THE PRESS: Don't provoke me. Don't provoke me.

O'CONNOR: That concept is one that evolves. What's our best way of knowing whether it's evolved? It's to look at what all the state legislatures have done and what we've said. But it doesn't hurt to be aware of what other countries have done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: But there was one thing all three justices agreed on, that would be keeping television cameras out of their courtroom. That's a precedent that's likely to stand for some time. Elsewhere here in Washington, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today scheduled a vote on President Bush's nominee for U.N ambassador. But that vote is still two weeks away. And the battle over John Bolton is still heating up.

There are reports today that former Secretary of State Colin Powell has voiced some reservations about Bolton to at least two Republican senators. A Powell aide confirms the contacts, but won't discuss the content of those conversations. Bolton was Powell's undersecretary for arms control.

The committee has delayed a vote on his confirmation until after hearing more about the allegations about a so-called quick temper and abusive behavior.

The U.S. military and its allies in Iraq are grappling with an insurgency that's roared back to life. Now the insurgents are seemingly boasting about yesterday's downing of a commercial helicopter -- 11 people were killed, including six Americans.

New pictures apparently showing the attack and its chilling aftermath have been released. We must warn you, some of the images may be disturbing.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eerie pictures the Arabic news channel al Jazeera says it received from a previously unknown group, calling itself the Army of Mujahideen. They show a Russian-made helicopter flying low in the distance. Shortly after, the tape records two thuds, the helicopter bursts into flames and falls to the earth.

CNN was unable to determine the authenticity of the tape, but that video and the associated claim comes a day after another batch of video and another claim of responsibility from a known insurgent group, the Islamic Army in Iraq. A videotape which provides a chilling insight into the ruthlessness of the insurgents.

The first images show the wreckage of the helicopter and bodies of some of the dead from the U.S., Fiji and Bulgaria. Then the scene changes to a field of tall grass.

A man can be heard saying to the cameraman in Arabic "look at this dirty man."

The Bulgarian company which operated the helicopter confirms this man was a commander of the flight crew, a Bulgarian citizen who somehow survived the crash.

The man is instructed, in English, to get up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand up. Stand up.

CHILCOTE: He responds in a whisper, asking for help.

UNIDENTIFIED: Nothing's broken (ph).

CHILCOTE: Eventually, he is pulled up, asked in Arabic if he is armed. And receives one final instruction. To walk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go.

CHILCOTE: In Arabic, the photographer asks someone off camera to wait until he gets his picture. The man begins to turn around and is shot. Falling to the ground. The shooter continues firing, more than 15 shots in all.

The U.S. military says an investigation team has surveyed the crash site. And all 11 bodies of those aboard the helicopter have been recovered. The U.S. military says it has not definitively determined what caused the chopper to go down.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And there was more blood on the streets of Baghdad today. Iraqi police say at least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded when a car bomb blew up at a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers. A section of the mosque collapsed and the area was littered with bodies and body parts.

Mosques have been frequent targets during the insurgency, which has often pitted Sunnis against Shiites.

President Bush today made it official, he announcing his choice for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the president put it, it's someone who knows the job well. The current vice chairman, Marine General Peter Pace.

Pace served in Vietnam and Somalia and led the U.S. Southern Command before moving to the Joint Chiefs.

If the Senate gives the OK, he'd be the first U.S. Marine to serve as chairman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: The fundamental reason why I have great faith in our ability to overcome whatever challenges lie ahead is the fact that we have the world's best men and women serving in our armed forces. Active, guard, reserve, civilian, they simply deliver every time our nation calls.

I'm proud and I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to serve them and our commander in chief if confirmed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: When we come back, tornado alert: Powerful storm systems moving from the Midwest to the southeast. We're tracking the severe weather across the United States this hour. Right now, you're looking at pictures from Montgomery, Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's extremely exciting. And the first reason is it's just incredible to see mother nature in its finest form.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The thrill of the chase: I'll speak live with the storm chase here captured this video in Kansas.

Also ahead, indecent teachers: An upsurge of sex abuse in the schools. New York cracking down right now. Our Mary Snow has the story.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: A band of storms including several tornadoes, hit southeast Kansas yesterday. This is one of the twisters spotted my near Parsons, Kansas. Several houses in the region were damaged or destroyed, but there are no reports of injuries.

One area meteorologist says this actually marks a late start for tornadoes in the region. Up until recently, he says, an area of high pressure had shielded most of the region from severe weather.

Today, the stormy weather is moving east.

Here are some of the pictures of what the weather is like in the southeast. Starting right now, we're in Birmingham, Alabama. These are live pictures from our affiliate, WBRC.

And in Montgomery, Alabama, a live picture from WSFA. Dark, ominous clouds in both places as you can see.

So, what kind of storm activity can the southeast expect over the next few hours? Let's check in with CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano. He's at the CNN Weather Center -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi Wolf. You showed that picture out of Birmingham, Alabama then Montgomery, Alabama. We have the radar zoomed into this area. This is live radar.

You can see the beam going just south of Birmingham. And also, lightning strikes. So, this is what's happening right now as far as lightening strikes. The brighter colors, that's heavy precipitation, likely some hail in some of these.

And this cell that is just south of Montgomery, there was a tornado warning out for this. That has just expired. A radar indicated tornado, which means that the radar saw it, not necessarily touching the ground.

Right now, as of today, for today, only three reports of seen tornadoes, and they were all pretty much from the same cell across Macon County, Illinois.

But look at the wide swath of threat that we have today. The greatest threat in this white area, but certainly a lot of real estate from north to south across the Ohio River Valley all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

These yellow watch boxes indicate a severe thunderstorm watch, indicating that the atmosphere is primed for severe thunderstorms to develop. Winds gusting to 70 miles per hour, damaging hail in excess of two and a half inches.

And right now, we have five watches that are out, including the one in Montgomery, Alabama, one now in parts of Central Georgia, and now another one into parts of the mid-Atlantic states.

And then wrapping around the center of the flow, just east of St. Louis heading east into the Ohio River Valley.

And the other thing with this, Wolf, is the cold air behind this, tremendous amounts of cold air. And tonight, and tomorrow, and over the weekend, some folks are going to see some heavy snow, across parts of lower Michigan and northern parts of Ohio. So, another big weather system affecting a lot of people.

Good news today, not nearly as many tornadoes as what we saw yesterday. Those pictures definitely damaging out of Kansas.

Back to you.

BLITZER: All right. Let's hope it stays like that. Thanks very much, Rob Marciano reporting for us.

So what you should you do if a tornado is spotted in your area? Government experts say that if you're at home, you should go to the basement. Or if there's no basement, to a closet or a bathroom. Cover yourself with blankets to protect yourself from glass and flying debris. If you're in a car or mobile home, get out immediately. That's where most tornado deaths occur. You're much better off lying flat in a ditch and covering your head.

While most of us try to avoid tornadoes, there are some people who actually chase after them. The video behind us was recorded in Kansas yesterday by Reed Timmer, he's a storm chaser. And he's joining us from Oklahoma City. That's the video right there.

Reed, thanks very much for joining us.

Why do you do this?

REED TIMMER, STORM CHASER: Well, there's two reasons. First of all, it's just the adrenaline rush. And that just really can't be explained. I mean, it's a true fascination for the weather. And the second reason is that we actually through Sky One Spotter Network, report tornado touchdowns to National Weather Service. So, given a tornado warning, a radar indicated radar warning, if we report a tornado on the ground, then a lot of times people in the path of these tornado warnings if they hear there's a confirmed tornado, a lot of times they will take the warnings more seriously, even though they should take them seriously anyway.

BLITZER: How long have you been doing it?

TIMMER: I've been doing this now for about nine years. Pretty much ever since I was 16, I've been wanting to drive after storms.

BLITZER: So that's that.

Now, this video that you shot yesterday, how close did you actually get to this tornado?

TIMMER: We actually got within a couple hundred yards. Right here, we're a little further away, I'd say probably an eighth of a mile. It's actually just on the other side of that tree line.

But later on, we actually attempted to get closer to it, because this tornado was a perfect tornado to get close to. It was almost stationery. We drove up next to it. And there are some multiple vortices and trees getting thrown in the air. And luckily, this tornado was over open terrain. So, no houses were in its path an no houses got destroyed. So, that's the fortunate thing about this particular tornado.

BLITZER: Now, do they move in the same direction, these twisters? Or can they -- because I know you try to chase them in the direction where they're going. But can they make a U-turn and head back towards you?

TIMMER: They can do that. But a lot of times, tornadoes such as this one are moving so slow that you would have time to get out of its path. I've seen tornadoes move east and then towards the end of their life cycle they actually curve back towards the north.

Their paths are generally pretty predictable if you maintain at least a safe distance away from them.

But the main danger with this particular tornado was actually the hail. There was baseball sized hail getting thrown around the tornado like right where we were standing. And I kind of wish I brought my bike helmet out there to have more protection.

But the hail is pretty dangerous. But the tornado itself we were a safe distance away from.

BLITZER: Well, they're dramatic pictures. Reed Timmer, thanks very much for sharing them with us.

TIMMER: Thank you for having me.

BLITZER: And good luck down the road. Be careful out there.

TIMMER: Thank you.

BLITZER: Cracking down on school sex abuse. Five cases in the past week, prompting New York City officials to take action. We'll have details also.

A new twist in the Wendy's chili finger case. Why the woman who first made the horrifying claim has now been arrested.

And later, a 5-year-old girl, take a look at this, put in handcuffs by police officers after she misbehaves in school. Check this out. Here it is. We'll have details. Tell you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Pope Benedict XVI meets with the College of Cardinals and makes remarks. Details from the Vatican coming up. First, though, let's have a quick check, some other stories now in the news.

Suspicious activity reported in hospitals in Los Angeles, Detroit and Boston. Officials with the National Healthcare Accreditation Group say people claiming to be with the organization have shown up at hospitals in those cities asking to look around. The Homeland Security Department says it's not aware of any terrorist connections. We're watching this story for you.

A Las Vegas woman who said she found a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili has been arrested on charges of attempted grand larceny. Police say the claim appears to have been a hoax. But there's no word where the finger came from. The woman, 39-year-old Anna Ayala, also faces another charge. She's accused of trying to sell a mobile home she didn't own.

Earth showed deference to President Bush who was supposed to give an Earth Day speech in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But bad weather scuttled the plans and Mr. Bush made his remarks at the airport in nearby Knoxville, Tennessee.

Rome and the Vatican are gearing up for still another massive papal event, Sunday's inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI. It will culminate what has been an extremely hectic and highly visible week for the pontiff. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston reports from the Vatican.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the same hall where the College of Cardinals bid farewell to Pope John Paul II, today they greeted their new pontiff. Dressed in the traditional papal white cassock, looking relaxed and smiling often, Pope Benedict XVI greeted each cardinal individually. On several occasions, he walked over to those who were too frail to stand.

In his prepared address, he thanked the cardinals for their trust in electing, as he put it, a simple man. And thanked God for allowing him to fulfill the great honor of the being the 265th successor to Peter.

POPE BENEDICT XVI (through translator): This trust that you have placed in me has been an encouragement for me to undertake this new mission for the unity of the church.

ECCLESTON: The new pontiff said he continued to feel the presence of his predecessor. And described as very moving, the moment he addressed the massive crowds at St. Peter's Square after his election.

Pope Benedict XVI, on Saturday, will hold a public audience for the thousands of journalists who report on the Vatican. And the city of Rome and the Vatican are making final preparations for Sunday's solemn inauguration mass. With cranes erecting large screen TVs and tractors moving thousands of chairs into St. Peter's Square.

Tens of thousands are expected to descend upon Rome as well as dignitaries from across the world, for the first papal inauguration in over a quarter century.

(on camera); The pontiff's numerous public appearances since his election are part of the ways, both large and small, that a curial cardinal is being transformed into a pope, a pastor of the flock and the face of worldwide Catholicism. Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, at the Vatican.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Let's take a quick look at some other news making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): 24 accused terrorists are on trial in Spain. Prosecutors say they were members of an al Qaeda cell that provided a staging ground for the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Funeral In Lebanon: Thousands of Lebanese citizens turned out to remember a former government minister who died Monday from wounds he suffered in mid-February. He was the 21st victim of the attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Passover security: Israeli troops have stepped up security to guard against possible attacks by Muslim militants during Passover. Palestinians are banned from entering Israel until April 30.

Shadows of war: 80 Japanese government officials made a traditional visit to a shrine honoring Japanese victims of World War II, a pilgrimage that may further strain relations between Japan and China. Despite official Japanese apologies, many Chinese accuse Japan of ignoring its responsibility for war crimes.

And that's our look around the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: More now on our top story. Zacarias Moussouai pleading guilty to six terrorism counts. The attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez, speaking now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES: ...conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder United States employees and conspiracy to destroy property. Four of these charges authorize a maximum penalty of death.

And as you know, we are seeking the death penalty in this case for reasons that are spelled out in detail in the United States 2002 notice of intent to seek the death penalty.

The fact that Moussaoui participated in this terrorist conspiracy is no longer in doubt. In a chilling admission of guilt Moussaoui confessed to his participation, including the following specific actions. That he trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and communicated directly with Osama bin Laden.

That Osama bin Laden personally selected Moussaoui to participate in an operation to fly hijacked airplanes into American buildings and approved him attacking the White House.

That he came to the United States to receive flight training, to carry out his terrorist mission, intending that such training would be used to further al Qaeda's plan to use planes to kill Americans.

That he communicated to an al Qaeda associate that he would be finished with jet simulator training before September of 2001.

That he continued to receive financial and other support from al Qaeda after arriving in the United States for pilot training.

And that after being arrested in Minnesota, on August 16, 2001, by immigration agents, Moussaoui lied to federal agents in order to allow his al Qaeda quote, "brothers" -- his words -- to go forward with the operation to fly airplanes into American buildings.

Moussaoui and his co-conspirators were responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents on September 11, each one a son or daughter, father or mother, husband or wife.

Families left without loved ones on that day grieved and continue to grieve tragic losses and America grieved with them. From that grief, however, emerged a steely resolve in the American people. And from resolve came decisive action by their government.

The mission of the Justice Department was transformed to make the fight against terrorism our No. 1 priority. And President Bush told U.S. attorneys at the Justice Department that they would play an important role in the war on terror, prosecuting terrorists aggressively but fairly and in keeping with the high standards of our system of justice. And we have acted fairly and patiently to bring Moussaoui to justice.

A grand jury indicted Moussaoui in December of 2001. He has received legal counsel. He has been heard numerous times in federal district court and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. And he has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court.

Moussaoui now joins shoe bomber Richard Reid, John Walker Lindh and more than 200 other individuals who have been convicted or pled guilty to terrorism related charges since 9/11.

With today's guilty plea, we now move to the penalty phase of this case on a schedule to be established by the judge.

The Justice Department will continue working to break up terror cells within our borders as we have from Buffalo, New York, to Portland, Oregon, and to prosecute it terrorists using every legal tool available.

Now, countless dedicated public servants have contributed to these successes in the war on terror. And today, I'd like to recognize the team of investigators and prosecutors that helped make today's conviction of Moussaoui possible.

This team was assembled, and was hard at work, and was getting results long before I became Attorney General. And they are the ones who deserve the credit for this conviction.

The criminal division of the Justice Department led by Chris Ray. U.S. attorneys Paul McNulty and David Kelly and their teams, especially assistant U.S. attorneys Rob Spencer, Dave Novak and David Raskin.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Director Bob Mueller and represented today by Deputy Director Pistol. This team working with many other state and local law enforcement...

BLITZER: And so there it is. The Attorney General Alberto Gonzales saying that the government will seek the death penalty against Zacarias Moussouai, even though he has pleaded guilty, avoiding a full scale trial. There will be a sentencing part of this procedure that he will go through. The government still seeking the death penalty against the only terrorist suspect convicted here in the United States of any connection with the 9/11 plot.

Once again, Zacarias Moussouai still facing the death penalty despite his guilty plea.

We're continuing to monitor that news conference over at the Justice Department, have more information if it becomes available.

When we come back, sexual misconduct inside schools, one city taking new steps to crack down.

Also, caught on tape, police look at this, handcuffing a kindergarten student.

And help for young African-Americans from the godfather of hip- hop. We'll take you to an unusual summit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. A 5-year-old girl, a temper tantrum, but should she have been handcuffed by police? The incident last month in St. Petersburg, Florida, was caught on videotape since the teacher was recording herself as part of a training exercise. The kindergartner refused to take part in a math lesson, and over the course of more than 30 minutes, between periods of calm, she jumped on tables, destroyed objects in the room, and repeatedly tried to strike the teacher. When the girl's mother said she couldn't arrive for an hour, police were called in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the problem?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no! No, no!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: After being handcuffed, the girl was put in the back of a police car until her mother did arrive. Her lawyer, who obtained the videotape from police and provided it to CNN, says handcuffing the child wasn't called for. Says the girl's mother plans to sue for wrongful arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TREVENA, ATTORNEY: There is no question that the police officers' actions are way over the top. Three police officers having to handcuff, forcibly handcuff a 5-year-old little girl? I mean, come on. Does it need anything more to be said about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: When asked to comment on the case, a police spokesman would say only this, quote: "There is an internal review in regards to the actions the officers took, and until that is completed, we cannot comment."

As for the school district, a spokesman for Pinellas County school said the educators responded admirably.

Coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Kitty Pilgrim sitting in for Lou. She is standing by with a preview -- Kitty.

KITTY PILGRIM, GUEST HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Thanks, Wolf. Tonight, 6:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll be reporting on the rise of China as a major threat to our economy and our jobs. One of our biggest auto companies may develop a car in China to sell in the United States.

Also, illegal alien giveaway. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by illegal aliens. My guest is a top official in the American Hospital Association. And in "Heroes," our weekly salute to the men and women who serve our country, the inspiring story of a soldier who lost his leg in Iraq and who just completed his third marathon. All that and more in just a few minutes. But for now, back to you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Kitty. We'll be watching.

Coming up, going beyond the lyrics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL SIMMONS, FOUNDER, DEF JAM RECORDS: Well, it's the last step of the civil rights movement, you know, wrap your hands around some money, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Hip-hop music leaders holding workshops on financial literacy. How their new message is helping kids. We'll have details.

And no exception to the rule. Even the penguins have to pass through airport security. Check this out. We'll explain. It's coming up in our "Picture of the Day" later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. Russell Simmons. He is a mogul with a message, an entrepreneur of empowerment. His goal, helping others through hip-hop. CNN's Brian Todd joining us now with a closer look at this man behind the music -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Russell Simmons has made a name and millions of dollars off the hip-hop movement, which many say he created. Some have criticized Simmons, Bill Cosby among them, and they have criticized the whole movement for some very controversial lyrics on CDs.

But when we caught up to Simmons, his focus was on something very different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Russell Simmons didn't have to look back. He fought his way out of inner city Queens to become the godfather of the hip-hop movement, creator of Def Jam Records, Def Comedy Jam and the Phat Farm clothing line. A showbiz star by any measure. But he's here, outside Baltimore, a headliner in a town hall meeting with energy.

This is Russell Simmons' passion now: A series of hip-hop summits. This year, aimed at getting inner city kids, who spend so much on his products, to become more financially responsible.

SIMMONS: Well, it's the last step of the civil rights movement, you know, to wrap your hands around some money, right? TODD: But it goes beyond that. Simmons lures kids in by recruiting young hip-hop stars like Mike Jones to appear, then holds workshops teaching financial literacy, how to get your credit ratings up, get out of poverty, stay out.

The subject of Bill Cosby still sensitive to Simmons and his allies. Cosby, who last year inflamed some in the African-American community by slamming the hip-hop culture, targeting the lyrics.

BILL COSBY, ENTERTAINER: The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some CD tell your child how to curse and how to say the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED). (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is an accepted word. You're so hip with the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you can't even spell it.

TODD: Not long after, Simmons shot back at Cosby, quoted as saying "Judgment of people in the situation is not helpful. How you can help them is the question."

Now?

SIMMONS: No, no, no, what I'm saying is that it's our job to keep giving.

TODD: But Simmons' brother, Reverend Run of Run DMC, compares himself to Cosby this way.

REVEREND RUN, RUN DMC: My job, I believe, is to tell people, I went this way. I don't really scream at people for not having it together. I try to show them.

TODD: Contacted by CNN, Bill Cosby said, quote, "the summit, which is set up to educate people about managing their money and protecting their income, leads to empowerment of self, for which this summit needs to be applauded."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: And we invited Bill Cosby to appear on this program today. He declined, but left open the possibility of joining us in the future.

As for Russell Simmons, he has got a new record label and will continue staging hip-hop summits across the country, Wolf.

BLITZER: Brian Todd, very interesting. Thanks very much for that.

He's an economic idol now on the outs. Carlos Watson has "The Inside Edge." He's coming up.

Also, if you think airline security is for the birds, well, it is. We'll explain. Here it is. Our "Picture of the Day," that's coming up as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: New York City schools have been overwhelmed by a wave of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers and students, but to their surprise, officials are finding in some cases, they have no legal recourse. CNN's Mary Snow is following this story. She's joining us live from New York -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there have been two recent arrests of New York City public school teachers. And several others have been accused of having inappropriate relationships. It's prompted city officials to say that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): In the past week alone, five cases of sexual misconduct involving teachers and students have become public in New York City.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: It is not acceptable behavior to have our teachers having personal sexual relations with the students that we entrust them with, period.

SNOW: In the latest incident, police arrested a female teacher accused of kissing a 15-year-old male student inside a middle school. She's one of three women and two men who have been removed from city classrooms. The accusations range from having sex with students to a teacher exposing himself to teenage girls.

The city's special commissioner of investigations says the number of cases involving female teachers is unusual, and that two cases occurred in the same Manhattan high school.

RICHARD CONDON, SPECIAL COMMISSIONER OF INVESTIGATIONS: That was a teacher who had a relationship with a 17-year-old student, and she became pregnant as a result of that relationship. The second case was a guidance counselor, who had a relationship with another student.

SNOW: Unlike Mary Kay Letourneau, who was jailed for having sex with a 13-year-old, and Debra LaFave, who has been accused of having sex with a 14-year-old boy in Florida, there were no criminal charges filed in the cases at the Manhattan high school. That's because the boys were over 16, which is considered the age of consent in New York State.

The city school chancellor says he will push for a law to make it illegal for a teacher to engage in sexual activity with a student at any age. In a letter this week, he told principals, "schools will not tolerate any kind of sexual misconduct," and added, quote, "I will use all means at my disposal to see that sex offenders are removed from our school system and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The city's teachers union says it has a zero tolerance policy, saying "any teacher who is proven to have violated this trust has no business in a classroom."

Professor Charol Shakeshaft was hired by the U.S. Department of Education to look at sex abuse cases across the country. She says data shows about 7 percent of high school students report being the target of physical sexual exploitation by educators.

PROF. CHAROL SHAKESHAFT, HOFSTRA UNIV.: In terms of numbers in the country, that would be about 3.5 million. Kids say that sometime in their K through, in this case, 11 career, they had been the target of sexual exploitation, something physical.

SNOW: And Shakeshaft says about 40 percent of predators are women.

SHAKESHAFT: One of the threads we see is that the females at least report that they're more likely to believe they're in love, and that these are love relationships, or this is, you know, they've found their dream partner in a 16-year-old or a 17-year-old. That's a problem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: The city's special commissioner of investigations says he's concerned, because he hasn't seen a reduction in these kinds of cases in the past several years. And he points out, in the past three months of this year alone, his office has been asked to look into about 180 complaints that he's now investigating, of complaints of sexually inappropriate language or behavior -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This is all very, very shocking stuff. Mary Snow reporting for us. Good work, Mary. Thank you very much.

As we've been reporting, a filibuster fight is brewing in the U.S. Senate. Our political analyst, Carlos Watson, has more now with "The Inside Edge."

Carlos, on this filibuster, sounds very wonkish, but there are huge ramifications for the American people. What are you looking for next?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Looking for two things, essentially, Wolf. One, what kind of quiet deals are being negotiated, not only in order to keep Republicans from defecting from Senator Bill Frist's side, the majority leader of the Senate, but are there any Democrats who Republicans are going after, like Bill Nelson -- Ben Nelson, rather, of Nebraska.

The second significant thing is we know this weekend, some of the Christian conservative groups are going to get involved, but will other groups begin to play a role here? Think about the business community and how influential they've been in other big congressional fights. I'm thinking of health care almost a dozen years ago.

BLITZER: Another huge story you're watching, the economy. And Alan Greenspan and his image right now. What are you discerning?

WATSON: Well, remember, once upon a time, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, was arguably not only the most respected but maybe the most powerful person in Washington. He was "Time's" man of the year, he served for six different presidents, four different roles.

But now, you hear people like the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, call him a political hack. And when Alan Greenspan used to go up and speak on Capitol Hill, as he did yesterday, that used to be big news. Nowadays, you don't hear much about it. Instead, you hear bad news about interest rates, unemployment, retail sales, and even the stock market. Clearly, a marked change not only in our economy's fortune, but arguably in Alan Greenspan's fortune.

BLITZER: And briefly, let's go outside the Beltway to Texas, where there's a political drama unfolding.

WATSON: Keep your eye on Texas. Maybe some incredibly interesting politics next year. You may have Republican infighting, as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison runs against Rick Perry, the incumbent Republican governor.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, always has "The Inside Edge." Thanks for joining us in Washington. Good work today on "IP" as well.

WATSON: Really enjoyed it.

BLITZER: Carlos Watson, thanks very much.

Let's get to our "Picture of the Day." You want to see this. Proof that no one, no one is exempt from the hassles of modern air travel. Check this out. Even these penguins had to pass through the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport. Pat and Penny were on their way back to Sea World in San Diego after a promotional visit to Colorado. The metal detectors were there. They had a complete check. Guess what? They passed.

You can always catch us weekdays at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget "LATE EDITION," the last word in Sunday talk. Sunday noon Eastern, Ahmed Chalabi, joining "LATE EDITION" this Sunday. Until then, thanks very much for watching. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now. Kitty Pilgrim standing by -- Kitty.

PILGRIM: Thanks, Wolf. Have a great evening and great weekend, Wolf.

END

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