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Leaders Squabbling Over Prime Minister Post in Iraq; Jurors to Decide Punishment for 9/11 Defendant Zacarias Moussaoui; New Effort Under Way to Find Hurricane Victims

Aired March 06, 2006 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's decision time. Questions abound about Iraq's new direction as its new parliament prepares to meet.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Death or life behind bars? The only man charged in the U.S. in the 9/11 attacks on the United States is about to learn his fate.

GORANI: And returning to the fold in the U.S., one of Ma Bell's children may be coming home.

It is 8:00 p.m. in Baghdad, Iraq, noon in Alexandria, Virginia.

I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy.

Welcome to our viewers throughout the world.

This is CNN International and this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

GORANI: Now, we begin in Iraq, where a date has been set for the new parliament to meet, and not a day too soon, apparently. Time is running out for lawmakers to meet a constitutional time to convene, but they still can't even agree on who should fill the country's top post.

Let's go to Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.

Aneesh, who will be the next prime minister? That's the big question.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. And it is completely unanswered at the moment, wrangling over who should lead the country for the next four years.

As you mentioned, Iraq's president today announced that the parliament which was voted into office now almost three months ago will convene on Sunday. That is the last date by when they have to meet based on a constitutional deadline.

Now, once they meet, there really is no set timeline by when they have to elect a president or prime minister. The thought is they will do that within a two-month period. But as you said, the continued wrangling over who will be prime minister has left a political stalemate of sorts in the halls of governance.

There you see Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, announcing today he again called for over the weekend Iraq's prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shia who was just re-nominated to that post by the Shia Alliance, to step down, calling, in addition with Kurdish, Sunni and secular politicians, for someone else to lead the country. They criticize Jaafari for simply being too weak, incapable of being the necessary security to the country. And what this does in a practical sense is put a unity government which American officials have always said is the only political end game on hold, at least for now -- Hala.

GORANI: What about the United States? Top officials always say publicly that this is an Iraq decision that must be made by Iraqis. Is there influence, though, by the United States in this election process?

RAMAN: There is increasing influences. The U.S. tries to shepherd this process towards a unity government.

You know, if you go back three years ago, almost, when the U.S.- led invasion took place in Iraq, right now this is exactly where U.S. officials don't want to be, essentially in the middle of everything.

In politics, they are the ones that are trying to arbitrate compromise among Iraqi politicians that are keen to go about their ways. And in terms of security, any number of Iraqi politicians have told us that U.S. troops here are the only thing keeping the country together.

So, for U.S. officials, they desperately need a government to take shape, a unity government that, in effect, will then take on the security forces and bring about stability. But for the moment, they are heavily involved in everything -- Hala.

GORANI: Aneesh Raman live in Baghdad -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, in other developments, a taped message being attributed to al Qaeda's second in command calls on Muslims to strike what were termed economic infrastructure of the West. Recordings posted on an Islamic militant Web site Sunday purportedly from Ayman al-Zawahiri. The message to al Qaeda followers? Stop Western countries from stealing Middle East oil and launch attacks that will make Western powers bleed for years, in the words of the message.

There was no independent confirmation that the voice on the tape was actually that of al-Zawahiri.

GORANI: Perhaps a precedent-setting case in Alexandra, Virginia. Proceedings are under way in the sentencing, penalty phase of the only person charged in the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

CLANCY: Zacarias Moussaoui pleading guilty last April to all six terrorism conspiracy charges against him.

GORANI: Well, jurors have just been selected. They can give him life in prison with without parole or death.

CLANCY: All right. As we find out now from Jeanne Meserve, she's standing by outside the courtroom. She says testimony is scheduled to begin in less than two hours.

Here's her preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors will argue Zacarias Moussaoui should die because he concealed from the FBI his knowledge of al Qaeda agents in the United States.

To win a death sentence, prosecutors must first persuade the jury that Moussaoui's lying, which he confessed to, directly resulted in people dying on 9/11.

ANDY MCCARTHY, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: If his lies really did stop the agents from breaking up the conspiracy, we'd have 3,000 people alive today who aren't, so he is as responsible in terms of somebody who committed activity that resulted in the death of Americans, as the people who actually were on the plane and carried this out.

MESERVE: Moussaoui, who has pled guilty to terrorism conspiracy, has denied having a direct role in the 9/11 plot. He says he was being trained for a different al Qaeda mission, to fly a plane into the White House.

Prosecutors will argue the training was very similar to that of the 9/11 hijackers. But the defense is expected to use summaries of interrogations of key al Qaeda detainees, such as 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, to argue that Moussaoui should not be linked to that attack.

Some of the evidence, as attorneys will present, will point the finger at the government for failing to detect the plot, even though it was well known al Qaeda wanted to strike in the U.S. Exhibit one, the government's failed search in August 2001 for two al Qaeda agents who would turn out to be hijackers aboard the plan that struck the Pentagon.

But a large hurdle for the defense may be the client himself. Moussaoui, who was pledging to testify, had several outbursts at the beginning of jury selection, proclaiming, "I'm al Qaeda," and calling his attorneys names.

Moussaoui's mother, in town for the trial, gave this possible explanation.

AICHA EL WAFI, MOUSSAOUI'S MOTHER (through translator): I'm extremely sorry for the things that my son says during the hearings, but one must understand that he's been in isolation for four years now and he is in a situation of a person who cannot talk to other people. And what he is expressing is his pain, his suffering. MESERVE: This will be the first trial in the U.S. to include evidence from the 9/11 attacks. The jury will hear the voice recorder from the hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, as well as the testimony of victims' family members.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Moussaoui's mother has traveled to the United States, for the opening of the trial, at least.

GORANI: Well, she says she hopes her son gets a fear sentence but fears he'll be made a scapegoat for the 9/11 attacks.

CLANCY: That's right. Some background now.

Zacarias Moussaoui was born in France. He's the youngest of four children of Moroccan parents.

GORANI: Immigrants in southern France, the family says they experienced racism there. Religion, though, not a big part of their lives at the time. Moussaoui's mother says their home life was troubled. She raised the children on her own after a divorce.

CLANCY: Moussaoui moved to England. That was in 1992. His mother says radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who's himself facing some charges, steered her son toward extremism.

GORANI: Now, the Moussaoui trial is the subject of our "Question of the Day" today.

CLANCY: That's right. We're asking you this -- be the jury here -- what do you think would be a proper sentence for confessed terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui?

GORANI: Consider the charges he's pled guilty to and e-mail us at ywt@cnn.com. Include your name, where you're writing from, and we'll read a selection later in the program.

CLANCY: All right.

Moving on, the dispute over Iran's nuclear program coming a little bit closer to a crescendo. The International Atomic Energy Agency has begun the process that could refer Iran to the Security Council.

All of this despite more defiance coming from Tehran. The board of governors of the IAEA meeting in Vienna right now. It's going to receive the report from the director-general, Mohamed ElBaradei, most likely by Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED ELBARADEI, IAEA DIRECTOR-GENERAL: There are many options but one solution. You know? And the only solution I see is a comprehensive political agreement that covers the nuclear issues, security issues, economic, political issues. These are all interrelated issues. And the earlier we get back all concerned parties, all concerned parties to the negotiating table, the better we -- we -- we are able to find a solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Well, that was from Mohamed ElBaradei. And then there was this from Iran's president Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): First of all, we want peace and stability for all the countries, and we want to be in stable peace with others. The second point is that we will not give in to use of force and will not use force against anyone. Based on international regulations, we have chosen our path, and we believe that our path has been fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: All right. A lot of back and forth on Iran.

Obviously, this could be a key week in the dispute over that controversial -- controversial nuclear program. The International Atomic Agency's board meeting there in Vienna, the possibility this whole case is going to be referred to the U.N. Security Council by mid-week.

Now, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton talked about the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: The Iranian region must be made aware that if it continues down the path of international isolation, there will be tangible and painful consequences.

(APPLAUSE)

BOLTON: Alternatively, if Iran follows the course of Libya and makes the strategic decision that the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, the sponsorship of terror and the oppression of its people makes it less, not more secure, then relations with the outside world can improve dramatically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: That was John Bolton speaking before the Israel lobby in Washington. He said tangible and painful penalties for Iran. Did he mean a military strike against them? None of that is clarified, but Sunday, Iran's nuclear chief nuclear negotiator said his country would resume large-scale nuclear enrichment if the IAEA sends the Islamic republic to the Security Council. GORANI: The first meeting of the Hamas-led Palestinian parliament quickly dissolved into a shouting match. The chaos erupted after Hamas legislators voted to overturn all decisions made by the previous parliament which was led, of course, by Hamas' rival, the Fatah Party. Fatah lawmakers at Monday's session in Ramallah walked out in protest among the overturned decision -- decisions, a vote that had given additional powers to President Mahmoud Abbas which would have increased his strength in any future disputes with Parliament.

CLANCY: Islamic militants are battling Pakistani security forces in the Waziristan region. That's a region right along the border Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's sort of in the north central areas. The military says it's killed more than 100 rebels in three days of fighting.

The pro-Taliban fighters launched attacks on Saturday. That was just as Pakistan's president hosted his U.S. counterpart there in the capital, Islamabad. The semi-autonomous lands along that Afghan border are really the front line in the war on terrorism in the region there.

GORANI: The violence in that region is straining relations between Islamabad and Kabul. On Sunday, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf unleashed stinging criticism of Afghan leader Hamid Karzai's government, and he lashed out at reports suggesting Pakistani forces are not aggressively tracking the Taliban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: Now I know that there's a problem on the border area. There's a problem on the Pakistan side. There's a problem in Afghanistan also.

Now, if anybody in the Afghan government throws the entire blame on Pakistan, as if nothing is happening in Afghanistan, everyone is here -- Mullah Omar is living in Qatar. I can go into Qatar so many times.

Who's saying that he's living there? This is absolute nonsense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Kabul complains that Taliban and other militants are infiltrating from Pakistan to launch attacks in Afghanistan.

CLANCY: Well, the business world buzzing with the news of a mega-merger between two telecom giants.

GORANI: The number they have reached, $67 billion. Details of the deal next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: To our viewers in the United States and around the world, welcome back. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

In the U.S. state of Louisiana, a gruesome discovery provides another reminder of the toll that was taken by Hurricane Katrina.

Sean Callebs is in New Orleans, where authorities have launched a renewed effort to find storm victims. You forget about it -- 1,900 people are still missing in New Orleans -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim. You're exactly right.

Close to 2,000 people listed as missing. And yesterday, in the Lakeview section of the city, cadaver dogs with their trainers went into a home. The trainer told me as soon as the dog went in, he sat down, looked up, noticed a scent coming from the attic. Firefighters went up in there and found basically the mummified remains of someone who clearly was trying to escape when the damage of the destruction after the hurricane was at its worse and water was all the way to the top of the house.

Now, these cadaver dogs are highly-trained animals that can pick up just the faintest of a human scent. And they have been working in this area for the past five days. They found one person so far, but the state medical examiner, Jim, expects them to find scores of bodies before this is all said and done over the next couple of months.

CLANCY: Now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the one that's been under so much criticism and fire, has said that it was closing down its morgue. Are there facilities there to handle this if, as expected, they end up with 300, 400 bodies?

CALLEBS: Yes, there's no question it's going to be difficult. A difficult operation for the state medical examiner and the parish coroner here in Orleans Parish.

The morgue is closed. Federal authorities have taken all their equipment out.

What they are -- they have a temporary morgue now that is about an hour, hour and 15 minutes north of the city. What they want to do is basically renovate a funeral home that had been flooded.

It certainly will not have the state-of-the-art equipment that the federal morgue had. But the medical examiner assures me, Jim, they will be able to do their work.

CLANCY: All right. Sean Callebs, it is a grim search going on this day in New Orleans.

He's tracking that for us. Still feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina more than six months later.

For more on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast six months after the hurricane, log on to CNN.com/ Katrina.

GORANI: It's merger Monday. Investors woke up to a multibillion-dollar deal in the telecom sector. AT&T announced it will buy Bell South for $67 billion.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

CLANCY: We have to interrupt Maggie Lake, take you direct right now to a courtroom in Virginia. And we're going to hear from an Associated Press reporter who was inside the Moussaoui hearing. Remember, he is the only one charged as a conspirator in 9/11. He's already pled guilty.

MATTHEW BARAKAT, AP CORRESPONDENT: Ten men and seven women -- that's 17. There were 18 that were selected. The 18th was a woman who was struck at the very beginning before instructions were given. It was for personal reasons. It wasn't explained, but she was very clearly distraught at being in the jury -- in the jury.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

BARAKAT: No, there's no information. Obviously, that's a jury of 12, plus five alternates. We don't know who the alternates are.

BARAKAT: Could any -- could you see on the screen? Was Moussaoui visible to any of you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BARAKAT: OK. You saw him off at the side of the table. He said very little.

QUESTION: Could you describe him?

BARAKAT: He was in...

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)

BARAKAT: OK.

With a jury of 10 men and seven women -- do you want the numbers?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BARAKAT: I'll give you the numbers real quick: 533, a white female; 19, white male; 272, white male; 257, white female. She's the one who was struck. So she was the 18th that was struck, 257 -- 299, white female: 237, black female; 192, white male; 330, white male; 159, white female; 379, white male; 246, white male; 53, white female; 36, white female; 526, white male; 402, white male; 439, white male; 659, white female, 451, white male.

There were 52 jurors that were struck during the process, peremptory challenges. There's no way to know as a courtroom observer how many prosecutors struck or how many defense struck or the numbers or anything like that.

Moussaoui came into the court. As Judge Brinkema came in, a few minutes after 10:00, he was seated at a small table to the side. He was wearing what he had been wearing throughout jury selection, the green prisoner jumpsuit that they wear over at the Alexandria jail and a white knit cap.

He said very little. He was not disruptive. I think after the first break it was hard to hear. It sounded like he said, "May I use the toilet?"

Now, afterwards, they took a short break and Judge Brinkema gave instructions to the jury. And during that, he wrote a handwritten note on a yellow legal pad and handed that to one of his court- appointed lawyers, Allen Yamamoto (ph).

At the end, Mr. Yamamoto (ph) said that Mr. Moussaoui was asking the judge to reconsider his pro se status. Essentially, asking him to reconsider that he could be posted back as his own lawyer.

And the judge said we've been through that -- let me get you an exact quote. A short exact quote.

"That issue is over and done with."

And the only other thing I would mention, when at the very beginning, when -- when the lawyers introduced themselves, the defense team introduced itself, Zircon (ph) and McMahon (ph) -- Darrell Zircon (ph) was doing the introductions -- Moussaoui shook his head as though to say, they're not my lawyers. He didn't say anything, but he shook his head when the defense introduced themselves as his lawyers.

The judge gave some instructions on the law. Most of that was perfunctory. There was some detail to it.

She said that there were six witnesses who were enemy combatants and that they would be heard from as written stipulations. And she instructed them to treat that -- those stipulations just as they would any other witness.

She also said that there would be some witnesses who were -- they'd be heard from in recorded depositions, Rule 15 depositions. So those people will be heard from on videotape. And she also explained that on many of those videotape depositions, that they took place when Moussaoui was acting as his own lawyer, so there would be -- on those videotapes, Moussaoui would be asking questions and the standby counsel at the time would also be asking questions.

She told them not to make any inferences from that. She explained to them that Moussaoui had been his own lawyer and he had that status revoked and told them to disregard that and not draw any inferences from it.

CLANCY: OK. We've been listening there as Matthew Barakat, Associated Press pool reporter, has been describing there outside the courtroom in Alexandra, Virginia, what went on this day with Zacarias Moussaoui.

This is an important case because it is laying out how the U.S. is going to deal with problem of terrorism. Was this man really, as they charge, part of the September 11 conspiracy, or as his family fears, is he just going to be the one that they have to punish? They caught someone, he has to be linked to it.

His life is literally on the line. It's going to be a mostly all-white jury, Hala, that's going to be deciding this case.

GORANI: In fact, there's one non-white juror, one black female, seven women in total, 10 men. That's 17.

One woman was struck. Matthew Barakat there saying that she seemed or appeared distraught at the idea of being a member of this jury. And 52 jurors struck during the process...

CLANCY: That was expected.

GORANI: ... which is what -- which is what each side of this trial has the right to do, is to strike jurors.

Wearing a green prisoner jumpsuit, a white knit cap, he uttered only a few words there, according to Matthew Barakat, AP reporter. And he didn't know for sure exactly what the words were, but to the effect of -- and there's a court drawing there -- to the effect of...

CLANCY: But he wasn't disruptive.

GORANI: No, he wasn't.

CLANCY: As he had been in some other sessions.

GORANI: As he had been.

CLANCY: This is a case he's wanted to be his own attorney.

Very importantly, Hala, now, up until now, remember, he pleaded guilty. So we haven't heard any testimony. Now this jury is going to hear testimony, and he's going to bring in al Qaeda prisoners testifying there. You know, what do they call them, combatants.

GORANI: Enemy combatants.

CLANCY: Enemy combatants. And also some videotape testimony going to be coming in.

GORANI: And it's interesting. It's because it's a death penalty case that all this information is now going to come out, that both sides of the issue will have an opportunity to voice their case. But it seems like Zacarias Moussaoui is not too happy with his defense team.

CLANCY: Well, he never has been. And the judge said, look, you know, we're done with that. Been there, done that, it's not going to be reconsidered. But clearly, Zacarias Moussaoui is going to have a lot to do with his case. And who knows what we're going to find out.

This is a very critical trial coming up.

We're going to take a break.

GORANI: And no doubt one, Jim, that will set a precedence.

CLANCY: Oh, sure.

GORANI: Absolutely.

We're going to have a lot more after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

GORANI: ... joins us live on the line now from Baghdad. Your reaction? The Amnesty report saying prisoners still tortured in Iraq, and detainees, thousands of them, according to the report, held without trial for years.

LT. COL BARRY JOHNSON, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE: Well, thank you. And first of all, the rule of law portion -- to say they're being held without trial is a complete misnomer. For one thing, they're held under the Geneva Conventions, which go through an entire different process, a combined review and release board. And though this board is made up primarily of Iraq government officials, they review of the files every 90-120 days. So this is the due process that's required by law, required by international law through the Geneva Conventions and through the United Nations Security Council resolution by which we hold them.

GORANI: Now...

JOHNSON: As far as abuses, simply in this environment today, it does not occur. And there are certainly allegations that are made, and those allegations are looked into closely. And when they're found to have any justification at all, then charges are brought against those individuals. And that's well-known and made very public.

GORANI: Let's talk specifics then. According to the report -- and these numbers have been floating around, and in fact the number of 14,000 detainees in Iraq is according also to U.S. military reports. But what about the number of 4,000 held without charges for more than a year? Is that number accurate?

JOHNSON: I don't have that number off the top of my head. That does not sound unreasonable to me, 4,000 held for a year.

GORANI: And the concern, then...

JOHNSON: Once again, though, the review process is not one of charges. The review process is one of every 120 days or thereabouts, by Geneva conventions at least 180 days, going before this board and having the case reviewed and determining if this individual is still considered a threat or should be released. As of half of the individuals we've held have been released.

GORANI: Now, what about the abuse? Because what Amnesty International is saying isn't only that it's concerned with abuse in military prisons. It's saying the interior ministry -- and this has also been publicly acknowledged -- the interior ministry in Iraq is abusing prisoners without any kind of due process. Torture is going on there.

JOHNSON: Well, that's also incorrect. I mean, the prime minister working with government officials, the inspector generals from the various ministries and the Ministry of Human Rights, has an inspection team going out, inspecting independently, randomly, facilities to insure that things are going right.

And when things aren't going right, then they're being corrected and people are being held accountable. So this is part of forming a democracy here and part of the rule of law, and ensuring this government gets off on the right step. It's holding people accountable, and that's what's happening.

GORANI: Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson, you're saying there's been no abuse at the interior ministry in Iraq of detainees?

JOHNSON: Not at all. I wouldn't make that claim at all. Of course we have cases where that's been seen.

I'm saying that when that's happened, like in any system, then those individuals have to be accountable, and finding out who it is, and that takes an investigation, and that's what was directed by the prime minister to identify those individuals and hold them accountable under Iraqi law.

GORANI: All right, Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson, spokesman for multi-national forces in Iraq, thanks for joining us, here on YOUR WORLD TODAY. A reaction there on that Amnesty report.

We'll have more after a short break.

CLANCY: Stay with us. In Washington, lawmakers starting a new push for laws aimed at tightening security at U.S. ports.

We're going to a break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani now, and this is Jim Clancy.

Some Washington lawmakers are starting a new push for a law aimed at tightening security at U.S. ports.

CLANCY: And it's all part of politics, and it all comes as opposition builds for a deal that would allow Dubai Ports World to operate six facilities in the U.S.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer is in the UAE right now. He's in Dubai.

We talked with him earlier, and we asked about some reaction from the people there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: To a certain degree, they're surprised, because they think they have a very good relationship with the United States, the United Arab Emirates. The port here in Dubai is a frequent recipient to U.S. Naval ships, the Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf, and they think that in the war on terrorism they've been very cooperative, especially since 9/11. So they're a little surprised.

On the other hand, they recognize that since 9/11, security is paramount in the United States, so they understand America's security concerns. They think they a good story to tell. Dubai Ports World, the government of the United Arab Emirates rank-and-file people here in Dubai, and they think it will come across and they'll have an explanation.

But right now, they're focused on trying to convey that message to the American public, perhaps most specifically, Jim, to the American Congress.

CLANCY: Now as they try do that, and we have heard from your interviews, your talks with them, all diplomatic. But underneath all of that, do they resent, perhaps, the way that they're being singled out? And people there, do they say, this could be racism? This is because we're Arabs?

BLITZER: Well, there's a certain feeling that there is this double standard, that if -- that for many years these six major ports in the United States were operated by a British firm, a private firm, PNO, based in Britain, and there was no uproar, and now an Arab company is going to take over PNO and there's an uproar. So there's a sense of that.

But at the same time, they really want to be friends with the United States here in the United Arab Emirates, at least the people I've spoken to. And they say, you know what, if there are security concerns, they're more than ready to try to respond, because they think, a, they have a good track record, and, b, think that DP World, Dubai Ports World, this company that's owned by the government here in Dubai, they think they have a very good record as well in terms of security.

Security is their priority number one, because this country is dependent on imports, and trade and the shipping industry, and they know if there are any security-related incidents they're going to pay a heavy economic price for them.

CLANCY: Wolf, you're not usually there in Dubai; you're usually in Washington, and you're very familiar with all of the machines as it whirls and grinds there. There's a lot of people, a lot of lawmakers that are wondering, what would be the fallout if something did happen, and they backed allowing an Arab company to take over the ports? What's the truth?

BLITZER: Well, I think the sense is that this is a critical time for the United States in this part of the world, reaching out in the aftermath approaching three years of the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. The United States needs and wants to have more friends in the Arab world and the Muslim world. And this is a country, they believe here, the United Arab Emirates, that is more than ready to accept that challenge and work cooperatively with the United States, not only because they like the United States, because they recognize that it's in their own best interests to have a very good, solid relationship with the U.S. This is a dangerous neighborhood, and they like having a good relationship economically, politically with the United States.

I think they fear -- a lot of people here fear that there could be serious ramifications if this deal goes south. They sense that -- at least they fear that America's efforts to reach out to the Muslim and Arab world would be undermined, and they're worried about that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Well, the Bush administration agreed last month to a 45- day investigation of potential security risks -- Hala.

GORANI: Now is that just enough time for this deal to go sour? That's the big question. And if that happened, what impact would if have on the relationship between Washington and Dubai?

For more, we turn to Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr who joins us now from Washington.

I suppose the question is, what kind of relationship, strategic relationship, does the United States have with Dubai now, and how important or detrimental would it be if that relationship ended up going sour as a result of all of this?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well you know, Hala, military commanders haven't really spoken out publicly very much on this port deal. They consider that something outside of their responsibility, so they don't comment on it.

But what they do talk about is that military security relationship with the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai. We've spoken to a number of them, and they say that they feel the military relationship is so strong, that they think it could survive any result in the so-called port deal.

They point to several facts. And Wolf alluded to this. First and foremost, the U.S. Navy has a very strong relationship with Dubai. There is a port called Jebbo Ali (ph). That is the only port in the Persian Gulf where U.S. Navy aircraft carriers can dock pierside. It's that large. It's that big a port there in the UAE. Many U.S. Navy ships call UAE ports. It's a place where there's an awfully strong U.S. Naval relationship.

The UAE also has given the U.S. Air Force overflight rights and airfield support for any number of aircraft transiting through the region. That's very important. U.S. aircraft move through there regularly, reconnaissance, surveillance, transport aircraft. They get refueled there. They land there and get airfield support. It's that kind of activity that really underlies the whole relationship, that the U.S. military says they think, and certainly hope, will survive any outcome in the port deal -- Hala.

GORANI: All right, Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon. And for our viewers in the United States, a lot more on this story on THE SITUATION ROOM with Wolf Blitzer, who we just saw there in Dubai.

CLANCY: All right. We're going to open our inbox and read some of your e-mails right after this short break.

GORANI: You're with CNN. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Well, if you've got up late today or went to bed early last night, of course, you missed the Oscars. But you're in luck. Don't worry. CNN's Brooke Anderson joins us now from Hollywood with a bit of recap, right, Brooke?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. I -- the 78th annual Academy Awards were pretty darn predictable until the very end of the evening, when "Crash" became what many are calling one of the biggest upsets of Oscar history. "Crash" won the most prestigious award of the evening, best picture, becoming victorious over "Brokeback Mountain," which many thought was a shoo-in for that trophy.

Now, "Crash" is the story of racial tensions in Los Angeles. It features an ensemble cast, including actress Sandra Bullock. And we caught up with Sandra at the "Vanity Fair" party and she told us how she feels about "Crash" receiving this Oscar honor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDRA BULLOCK, "CRASH": It was the best. It was the best. You didn't -- you know, the rest of it's icing on the cake. It's just a beautiful group effort and about a beautiful story that needs to be told. And it got told, and we were lucky enough to be at the Oscars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: OK, and I caught up with Ang Lee, director of "Brokeback Mountain," at the Governor's Ball. Now the Governor's Ball happens right after the show ends. It's the party for all the presenters, nominees and the winners. Now, Ang won best director for "Brokeback Mountain," but of course, "Brokeback" was upset in the best picture category. And I asked him about that, you know, if he was surprised that "Brokeback" did not win best picture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANG LEE, DIRECTOR, "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": Because we'd been winning all the way, since September, last September in Venice. So I was -- backstage, I was shocked. But, you know, good for them.

ANDERSON: Have you seen "Crash"?

LEE: Yes.

ANDERSON: What do you think?

LEE: It was a good movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And that's about all he said, "it's a good movie."

OK, supporting actor winner George Clooney also stopped by the Governor's Ball. He won for his role in "Syriana." And just as modest as he ever is, he said that it felt strange for him to go up on the stage and accept this award in such a talented group of people, that he wished all his fellow competitors could be up there with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, "SYRIANA": You sort of don't want them not to be standing up there. You really don't. You find of feel like it's awkward in a way. But I tell you, it sure was nice because you felt like they all sort of felt the same way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: George also told me he felt like everyone was encouraging one another throughout the entire award season. And an interesting part of George Clooney's acceptance speech, Jim -- in it, he said that he was very proud to be a part of the Academy and the Hollywood community, because he believes they talk about issues, controversial issues, when other people in other parts of the country and in the world do not speak of them.

CLANCY: All right. Well, Brooke, forget the controversial issues, you got to meet George Clooney. That's all that matters.

ANDERSON: And he's a very genuine, very sweet guy. He is.

CLANCY: Somehow I knew you were going to say that.

GORANI: Yes, we like him because he's sweet.

All right, so, we're going to switch gears here.

CLANCY: Completely.

GORANI: Completely. And we're going talk about the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. It's the subject of our the question of the day today.

CLANCY: This is what we're asking you. What do you think is the proper sentence for the confessed terrorist?

GORANI: James Copley in France writes: "If Moussaoui can be sentenced to death, will the Bush administration or numerous federal agencies be held to the same standard for ignoring or not acting on the information that was before them?"

CLANCY: Mary Smith writes: "The death penalty would make him a martyr and infuriate many Muslims. Life in prison is the best option. Let them deal with it."

GORANI: Kay Hoffman writes: "Giving him a death penalty for something he did not do (warning of a terrorist attack), sets a very dangerous legal precedent." According to Kay.

Thank you very much for writing in.

CLANCY: All right, we've got to go. A lot of people said that he should get the death penalty, just so you know how...

GORANI: The vast majority, I'd say, of those e-mails we received.

CLANCY: Got to go. I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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