[Anderson Cooper, Cnn Anchor:] Good evening, everyone. So, is the United States turning to a mass murderer for help in Iraq? That's one question tonight. The other hinges on a killing so bizarre and a death so horrifying, people around the world can't help but wonder: Did the Russian government use a radioactive murder weapon to poison a former spy?
[Announcer:] It turned this man into this.
[Unidentified Male:] You really want somebody to suffer terribly before dying, that's one thing you could do.
[Announcer:] A former spy nuked from within. But who did it, and how? Tonight: The investigation is growing, the fallout spreading. We will take you inside. Who had a motive? And did they work here?
[Andrei Nekrasov, Friend Of Alexander Litvinenko:] I think he thought that a lot of people have reasons to go after him.
[Announcer:] Kremlin intrigue, all of the way to the top we will sort conspiracy theory from fact. Who was Alexander Litvinenko? For the first time, hear from the man who knew him best, his father. Across the country and around the world, this is a special edition of
[Anderson Cooper 360:] "Poison Plot: The Killing of a Spy." Here now, Anderson Cooper.
[Cooper:] We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States, and watching around the world on CNN International. No matter where you're watching, there is a Cold War chill in the air. Whether it was forces in the Kremlin, Russian mobsters, or persons yet unknown, the killing of Alexander Litvinenko certainly saw to that. Nobody does what somebody did to him without making a point, and making the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
[Alex Goldfarb, Litvinenko Family Spokesperson:] It was a terrible sight. He was turning from a healthy 44-year-old into a kind of a ghost, an old man, after like chemotherapy, like cancer patients. And it was terrible to see someone who is burned from the inside with this radioactivity, as if he was in a in a in ground zero of Chernobyl.
[Cooper:] Burned from the inside tonight, exclusive insight from the people who knew the former spy-turned-dissident-turned-martyr that, and new details emerging from the investigation in London, Moscow, and around the world. We will get to all of that, but, first, another sad milestone in the Iraq war. American deaths there have now passed 2,900. Four service members were killed when a Marine helicopter crashed over the weekend, bringing to total to 2,904. Meantime, today, at the White House, President Bush told a top Shia leader that more needs to be done to rein in the sectarian violence. But Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim's mere presence is stirring controversy. He leads the largest Shia political faction in Iraq, which, in turn, has a militia suspected of murdering thousands of Sunnis. More than 100 bodies were discovered this weekend alone more than 100. On Wednesday, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group comes out with its report. We will be in Washington for that. And, with all that's happening, or about to happen, the leak of a memo from Donald Rumsfeld Remember him? well, it is causing an uproar tonight. With that, here's CNN's Jamie McIntyre.
[Jamie Mcintyre, Cnn Senior Pentagon Correspondent:] As Iraq was sliding further into chaos, just before the November election, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent one of his famous snowflakes, a terse, to-the-point memo that falls from the sky, to the White House, calling for, in his words, a major adjustment in U.S. strategy. In fact, Rumsfeld quoted from his secret missive later that week, right after he had been asked to step down.
[Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary Of Defense:] It is clear that, in phase two of this, it has not been going well enough or fast enough.
[Mcintyre:] In the memo, Rumsfeld ruminated about, but stopped short of recommending, some radical ideas, which he called illustrative options, such as having U.S. troops only patrol where they are welcome and withholding aid from violent areas of Iraq, the kind of tough-love approach advocated by some of Rumsfeld's political adversaries. In fact, one suggestion seemed like a line right out of a press release from Democrat and vocal critic John Murtha: "Begin modest withdrawals, taking our hand off the bicycle seat," Rumsfeld called it, "so Iraqis have to pull up their socks, step up." On "The Today Show," Congressman Murtha told NBC's Matt Lauer he felt vindicated. [Begin Video Clip, "the Today Show"]
[Rep. John Murtha , Pennsylvania:] Well, that's exactly what I said a year ago. And I said, we couldn't win it militarily. And I said, they they have been mischaracterizing and misstating this war for the last two years.
[Mcintyre:] This was not the glass-half-full Rumsfeld that people were used to seeing opening the Pentagon briefing with broadsides against what he called overly negative press coverage. And it has critics fuming that Rumsfeld was either in denial or deliberately disingenuous.
[Michael O'hanlon, Senior Fellow In Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings Institution:] It basically says, the primary architect of the war now knows we're losing and headed for defeat, unless things change radically.
[Mcintyre:] But, to his supporters, Rumsfeld's memo, perhaps his last snowflake, was classic Rumsfeld, always questioning and looking for fresh ideas.
[Sen. John Cornyn , Armed Services Committee:] I always thought the idea that Secretary Rumsfeld did not listen to others or did not welcome different people's ideas a a bad rap.
[Mcintyre:] Advocates of a major change in Iraq strategy take heart in the idea that, if Rumsfeld had an epiphany, then, maybe President Bush will too. But some suggest the memo wasn't simply a belated realization, but a calculated move to protect his legacy.
[Michele Flournoy, International Security Expert, Center For Strategic And International Studies:] One possibility is that he doesn't want didn't want to go down in the history books as someone who never got it, someone who really didn't understand what was happening.
[Mcintyre:] Will Rumsfeld's lame-duck views impact the next moves in Iraq? Well, his aides are suggesting that his thinking may have influenced the Iraq Study Group, who recommendations come out later this week. But it's also possible that Rumsfeld, seeing which way the commission members were leaning, cleverly beat them to the punch. Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
[Cooper:] Well, safe to say, whatever the ISG recommends, and whether or not the president takes any of or all of the advice, time is running short. Iraq's prime minister says his armed forces will be able to take over security responsibilities by next June, optimistic, perhaps. If you ask the Iraqi people, though, you get a different timeline. For the first time, a majority says, Americans should leave now. And that's not all they're saying. CNN's Nic Robertson is listening.
[Nic Robertson, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] This weekend, a triple bombing in the heart of Baghdad, 51 dead, and more than 90 injured, horrific, and attacks like this more common than ever before. A new survey conducted by Iraqi pollsters shows, the daily violence is escalating Iraqi demands that U.S. troops leave. More than half the 2,000 Iraqis surveyed said they want all U.S. troops out now. And almost half the remainder want a withdrawal to begin immediately.
[Unidentified Male:] The percentage of who oppose the presence of U.S. forces is increasing. And you know that is not good for the U.S. military.
[Robertson:] Members of the independent survey team, trained by the U.S. State Department, fear insurgent or militia attack, and agreed to talk only if we hide their identity. They have been conducting surveys here for three years. Even they are surprised so many want U.S. troops out. [on camera]: That the situation will improve if the U.S. troops withdraw immediately?
[Unidentified Male:] Yes, immediately.
[Robertson:] But that's not all. In this poll of Sunnis and Shias, in both mixed and divided communities, 19 out of every 20 people say security was better under Saddam Hussein. Nine in 10 people say they feel danger whenever they see American soldiers. And two-thirds say they will feel safer when U.S. troops have left the country. The big-picture response, according to the pollsters, U.S. troops are part of the problem, not the solution, and they want a change in U.S. policy.
[Unidentified Male:] Most of the people in our survey hope for a new policy in Iraq.
[Robertson:] Although this survey was commissioned by Iraq's government, the results have also been sent to the State Department, and reveal what many U.S. officials have long believed: Fixing the economy could help stop the violence. The best way to disarm insurgents, the Iraqis said, was to offer them jobs. Perhaps less surprising, given the worsening security, Iraqis are beginning to question their own democratic choices. Half say they wouldn't vote for the same party again. And two of every three say they have no confidence in the current government. Survey officials say the poll has a margin of error of just over 3 percentage points. [on camera]: The polling was conducted right after the U.S. midterm elections, at the beginning of November. And what the survey team says unites Iraqis more than anything else is their hope that Democrats will use their new power to shape a new policy for Iraq. Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
[Cooper:] More now from Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent for "The New York Times," who broke the Rumsfeld memo story and many others. He's also the author, along with retired General Bernard Trainor, of "Cobra
[Ii:] The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq," a remarkable work. Michael Gordon joins us now from Washington. Michael, thanks for being with us again. What what do you make of of this memo, leaked to you, that that Rumsfeld called for this major adjustment in strategy in Iraq just days before the election? How does that match with what he was saying publicly about the war?
[Michael Gordon, Chief Military Correspondent, "the New York Times":] Well, in certain respects, it doesn't match very well. I mean, he was pretty dismissive of the critics who challenged the the strategy and the conduct of the war. He tended to dismiss them as naysayers. And now what we know is, at the very time he was rebuffing some of the critics, he himself shared some of the same doubts.
[Cooper:] It it seems like many people in this administration, in the days leading up to this most recent election, were saying one thing publicly, but but, privately, it seemed, at least in memos, to to be a different story. You have you have Dick Cheney saying, you know, full speed ahead, and and that things are going remarkably well, or surprisingly well. I forgot the exact terms he used. I mean, George Bush was talking about keeping Rumsfeld, wanting Rumsfeld to stay on the end, when we know he was already interviewing a replacement for him. I mean, is is that is that common? Is that just expected, that the people will say one thing, but, behind the scenes, something else is going on?
[Gordon:] Well, there was also the example of Steve Hadley, the national security adviser, because the White House was expressing confidence in Prime Minister Maliki, at the same time it had grave doubts about him, according to the Hadley memo. But I think what happened is, they tend to project an optimistic face, a positive face, both as well, to protect their own policy, and to keep the critics at bay, and keep their doubts secret. There is some consistency, though. I mean, Secretary Rumsfeld never favored sending a lot of troops to Iraq. Remember, he rebuffed General Shinseki, when Shinseki said several hundred thousand troops were needed. He was always looking for a way to get in and out fairly quickly. And, in the memo, when he put forth his his so-called new ideas, in a way, they reflect his old policy predilections. He was looking for a way to minimize the number of American forces in Iraq, like many of the Democrats.
[Cooper:] Well, that of all the things he suggests, all the possibilities, he never once, in this memo, suggests more troops.
[Gordon:] Well, he he has sort of two categories, what he calls above the line, which are the options he thinks merit serious consideration, and below the line, that he doesn't like so much. And the below-the-line options include more troops. But it's clear that he's talking about consolidating bases, withdrawing forces, maybe moving them to different parts of Iraq. There's a lot of similarity, ironically, between some of his ideas and some of the ideas that, for example, Senator Levin, the Democrat from Michigan, have proposed.
[Cooper:] Are you surprised that, after being in charge of the war for so long I mean, Rumsfeld had 21 options for Iraq outlined in this thing that he doesn't didn't seem to have a clearer, more concise strategy? I mean, is this memo a reflection that he's, at this point, kind of conceding things aren't going well, but he doesn't really have a clear idea of where to go? Or is he just presenting the the president with options?
[Gordon:] No, I think there's something to what you say, Anderson. I think that I was surprised that, after a war that has lasted more than three years, the person who was one of the architects of the strategy, who has a very large staff, that he would present a memo that was essentially a laundry list of ideas. I would have thought that there would be more of a fully developed strategy. Also, in this very memo, he recommends that the White House sort of lower public expectations for might what might happen in Iraq. He says, go minimalist, you know, so that, whatever happens, it won't be perceived as a defeat. And I saw that as an indication that he didn't have a whole lot of confidence about the White House ability to come up with an effective plan
[B. Cooper:] What I mean, a lot of people are leaking stuff to you. What is your sense about how the White House is going to handle this Baker commission report that's coming out?
[Gordon:] Well, the Baker commission report is, I think, very much what the White House says, an input. I don't necessarily think they're going to be holding to all of the recommendations. For example, it's widely expected that the Baker commission report will recommend direct dialogue with Iran, and and perhaps Syria. And I and the White House has already signaled that it doesn't see that as a particularly productive course. So, I think it's an input into the process, but I don't think it's going to necessarily determine what the White House is doing. They have their own review that they're conducting right away. And Mr. Rumsfeld's memo, and and the Hadley memo are inputs into the administration's ongoing review.
[Cooper:] And and, just briefly, because they're they're screaming that we have got to go, but I got to ask you this question. When you saw the president in Jordan basically dismiss the idea of any kind of pullout, do you think he really means that, or is that just politics? Is he just, as you said, putting on a a front, a you know, an optimistic front, when, in truth, behind the scenes, they're really talking about something else?
[Gordon:] I think there's a recognition that we can't withdraw forces entirely very quickly. And, by the way, it's not his view alone. Some critics of the war, such as General Zinni, the former Marine commander, have also independently arrived at this view.
[Cooper:] Michael Gordon, appreciate your reporting. Thanks for being on. In a moment, our special report, "Poison Plot: The Killing of a Spy" coming up, all the angles. First, Randi Kaye joins us with a "360 Bulletin" and some of the other stories we're following tonight Randi.
[Randi Kaye, Cnn Correspondent:] Hi, Anderson. Good to see you. John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., is resigning, amid opposition in the Senate to his confirmation. Bolton will step down when his temporary appointment expires in January. His confirmation has been blocked by Senate Democrats and some Republicans for several months. Then thousand acres of land have been destroyed in a California wildfire. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Ventura County, where the fire has burned for two days. At least five homes have been destroyed. In Missouri, at least 19 people have died, after a storm hit late last week. Snow, ice and freezing temperatures downed power lines and toppled trees. Hundreds of people without power have been told it will be several days before electricity can be restored. Temperatures across much of the region have hovered below freezing the past few days, hampering cleanup efforts. And three members of a San Francisco family missing for more than a week have been found alive. A helicopter spotted Kati Kim and her two young daughters in a remote area of Oregon. Rescuers are still looking for Mr. Kim, who took off on foot just two days ago to get help. The family was heading home from a vacation, when they disappeared a lot of people very happy to hear that news, but still very concerned about Mr. Kim.
[Cooper:] Yes, it's such a bizarre story. Thanks, Randi. It is a whodunit straight out of a Cold War spy novel, except it's not fiction coming up, our 360 special report, "Poison Plot: The Killing of a Spy," how Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy, who became one of the Kremlin's biggest critics, spent his final days. Retracing his footsteps, we are, and looking for clues. Plus: the exotic murder weapon a radioactive poison that guaranteed the victim would suffer an excruciating death. One man, one friend of his, described it as burning from the inside. 360 M.D. Sanjay Gupta explains how doctors cracked the medical mystery. And we will hear from one of Litvinenko's closest friends. He was one of the last people to talk to him and was at his bedside when he died ahead, why he thinks fingerprints from Russia's Secret Service agents are all over this murder when 360 continues.