Shocking New Admissions From Confessed al Qaeda Terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM, where new pictures and information from around the world are arriving all the time. Standing by, CNN reporters across the United States and around the world to bring you today's top stories. Happening now, it's 5:00 p.m. in Alexandria, Virginia. Shocking new admissions from confessed al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui. He tells a jury what he knew about the 9/11 plot and about his plans for an attack on the White House that day. It's 1:00 a.m. in Iraq. An area hailed by President Bush as a symbol of hope suffers a very bloody attack as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gives out low grades in the war on terrorism. And across America, the fight over illegal immigration moves into the streets as Republican lawmakers face a bitter family feud. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, an admitted al Qaeda member confesses his grisly goal, kill Americans. Zacarias Moussaoui says he waited four years to tell his story. And today, when he took the stand, his chilling words stunned trial watchers into silence. Let's get details from our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena. She's outside of the courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia -- Kelli.</s>KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it was truly incredible. Moussaoui told jurors very calmly that he rejoiced after he heard about the September 11 attacks, and he laid out a plan that he said where he was supposed to pilot a plane into the White House on that very day.</s>ARENA (voice over): In a word, Zacarias Moussaoui was unrepentant. He said he rejoiced over the 9/11 attacks and considers all Americans the enemy. As a stunned courtroom listened to his testimony, Moussaoui admitted for the first time that he knew about al Qaeda's plot to hijack planes and turn them into weapons aimed at the World Trade Center, saying, "I had knowledge that the two towers would be hit, but I did not have the details." He says he was supposed to pilot a fifth plane on that fateful day and fly it into the White House. And he named infamous shoe bomber Richard Reid as one of his team members.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think his testimony today was suicide on the witness stand. Here, the prosecutors had a very uphill battle in getting the death penalty. And I think that Zacarias Moussaoui has sealed his own fate by testifying today.</s>ARENA: There were no outbursts, no dramatic speeches. Moussaoui spoke in moderate, soft tones. Defense attorneys did everything they could to keep him off that stand, even suggesting that because he didn't recognize the authority of the court, he would not tell the truth. But the judge let Moussaoui have his say.</s>ARENA: Now, Wolf, Moussaoui's statements today contradict what he said in the past about being meant for a later follow-on attack. And, in fact, jurors heard from interrogation notes. They heard from al Qaeda operative Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who said that Moussaoui was, indeed, on the back burner, that he was meant possibly for a follow-on attack, but the targets weren't even picked. It was in the very early stages, and that he had such a problematic personality, that he instructed Ramzi bin al-Shibh to send him money and just cut him off. And the defense did their best to try to undo some damage by getting Moussaoui to admit that he never had any contact with Richard Reid while he was in the United States or any other member of this alleged team while he was here, that he had no contact with any of the September 11 hijackers and never participated in any dry runs. So the question is, was he supposed to be part of the September 11 plot like he said today, or should we buy his last statement that he was meant for a follow-on attack? It's for the jury to decide -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Thanks very much. Kelli Arena doing some excellent reporting for us from outside the courthouse in Alexandria. Let's get some more, though, on these stunning statements in the Moussaoui trial. We're joined by our CNN terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen. Does it pass the smell test, the assertions that Moussaoui was making today?</s>PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I mean, I think it's very puzzling. I mean, if he's claiming that he was going to attack the White House on September 11 with Richard Reid, Richard Reid, on September 11, was in Europe. How were they planning to hijack a plane together on September 11? It doesn't make any sense at all. Now, Moussaoui and Reid had had contacts before, perhaps at a London mosque they both attended, a fairly militant mosque. But, you know, to me it's very puzzling.</s>BLITZER: I think what he was suggesting was that since he was arrested in August and he was released when he first came to the United States, that there would be a fifth plane that would be hijacked, and he and Richard Reid would be part of that operation, which clearly fell apart. And that that plane was destined for the White House.</s>BERGEN: I'm also skeptical of that in general. I mean, the White House from the air is a very, very small building, whereas Capitol Hill is a very large building. And we know from Ramzi bin al- Shibh and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed when they were interviewed by Al- Jazeera about a year after 9/11, that they basically dismissed the White House as too difficult a target. You may remember, Wolf, a small plane flying into the White House in the mid-'90s. Well, a small plane could do it, but not a jumbo jet. And so, the al Qaeda central people had already dismissed the White House as a target that was too hard and selected Capitol Hill, which is, after all, on a hill, a very big building, as the fourth target. And that was, of course, where Flight 93 was going before it crashed in Pennsylvania.</s>BLITZER: Moussaoui, a French citizen, Richard Reid, a British citizen, but you're saying that they did have a connection. Their paths had crossed earlier in Europe. But had they also crossed at some training camps in Afghanistan?</s>BERGEN: I don't believe so. I mean, I think that they were -- certainly there was a radical mosque in London which they both attended. It makes sense that they might have encountered each other, but I just -- this doesn't -- the testimony today doesn't make a lot of sense from a kind of commonsensical point of view.</s>BLITZER: : Maybe he's just trying to boast, or whatever, for whatever reason going through his twisted mind. Thanks very much for that. Our CNN terrorism analyst, Peter Bergen. Other news we're following across the country today, tens of thousands marching once again for immigrant rights and against the congressional crackdown on illegals. The House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would make illegal immigration a felony. It requires employers to verify worker status and sets fines for hiring illegals. It calls for fences along the U.S.-Mexican border and rejects the idea of a guest worker program here in the United States. The Senate Judiciary Committee faces a midnight deadline to come up with a compromise. President Bush is caught right in the middle. His fellow Republicans fight was is being described as a family feud. CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is standing by, but Peter Viles is in Los Angeles. Let's go there first with the latest -- Peter.</s>PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the fourth day in a row of protests here in Los Angeles against that House-passed bill. It started off somewhat peacefully this morning with a couple of thousand high school students boycotting class. That number grew this afternoon to 14,000 high school students boycotting class in Los Angeles and taking to the streets in sort of random marches. And then in the last 20 minutes, something strange and potentially dangerous happened. About 300 of those students, joined by some adults, marched on a freeway, the 110 freeway near downtown Los Angeles. Now, first of all, this is dangerous. Second of all, in this city, it is a sure way to lose an argument, to close down a freeway. The police get a lot of grief anytime they do this for good reason. But these are high school students, about 20 minutes ago, who shut down some of the lanes of the 110 freeway. It's only 2:00 out here, not yet rush hour. But a protest that I can guarantee you by tonight is going to be extremely unpopular in large portions of Los Angeles because they shut down a freeway in L.A. That's a no-no -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: And is it still shut down, as far as we know, or is it reopened?</s>VILES: Well, CHP, the California Highway Patrol, is telling us that they have reopened it, but we haven't been able to confirm that from helicopter shots that we were getting earlier that clearly showed these kids walking in the middle of the freeway and shutting down two and three lanes of the 110 freeway near downtown Los Angeles, which is a road that's congested to begin with. If you shut it down in rush hour, you're going to have a lot of angry Angelinos.</s>BLITZER: Thanks very much. Peter Viles in Los Angeles for us.</s>VILES: Sure.</s>BLITZER: Now, let's go to the White House right now. Our Suzanne Malveaux is standing by with the president. He spoke out forcefully on this issue today -- Suzanne.</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, of course what happens in the next 24 to 48 hours is really critically important because it could really impact what the Congress looks like in November, even, perhaps, who is going to sit in the White House 2008. Republican strategists who I've spoken to say that this really is a very important test, a test of leadership for the president and clout. His critics argue that he's lost both, specifically the Hispanic community saying that today.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On oath...</s>UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: On oath...</s>MALVEAUX (voice over): Veronica Pacheco, mother, caterer, now U.S. citizen.</s>VERONICA PACHECO, NEW AMERICAN CITIZEN: And my mom came to the United States 20 years ago. And she came with one dream, seeing us all together in the United States.</s>MALVEAUX: A dream that's now come true, with the president of the United States telling her story.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Veronica first came to the United States from Bolivia 15 years ago.</s>MALVEAUX: Now she and her mother cater special events at the White House. Today, Veronica and several dozen other immigrants were used as a backdrop for President Bush's push for Congress to support his controversial guest worker program, a program which would allow illegal immigrants to temporarily work in jobs Americans refuse.</s>BUSH: Nobody benefits when the illegal immigrants live in the shadows of society.</s>MALVEAUX: But facing strong opposition to the program from his own party, the president has recently changed tactics, putting more emphasis on measures aimed at beefing up border security. But some Republican proposals have outraged a key voting bloc Mr. Bush has been porting, Hispanics.</s>BUSH: Vamos a ganar en Noviembre.</s>MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush recaptured the White House in 2004 with a 25 percent increase in the Latino vote.</s>RON BROWNSTEIN, POLITICAL ANALYST: What many Republicans fear is that if the party consolidates around an enforcement-only approach that is seen as harsh, it will undo the gains that he has made in the last few years.</s>MALVEAUX: Particularly in key battleground States where Hispanics have become a strong political force, like Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas and California. For Veronica the immigration debate is very personal.</s>PACHECO: Because my mom came many years ago. And I know she was illegal at the beginning.</s>MALVEAUX: And now with citizenship Veronica will become a voter. But she is uncertain her loyalties lie with the Republicans.</s>PACHECO: I plan to vote, but I don't follow politics yet. You know, I have to learn more and see which is going to be my party.</s>MALVEAUX: Well, Wolf, of course President Bush certainly hopes that it will be the Republican Party, but there is a lesson here GOP strategists point to. They say that California race for the governor, Pete Wilson in 1994, back then he went up against Proposition 187, denying services to illegal immigrants. Ultimately, he did win that re-election, but the Republican Party definitely suffered for it. It was crippled as a result -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Thanks very much for that. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House. Let's go to New York once again. Jack standing by with "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: It's like choosing the lesser of two evils this election year, Democrats or Republicans. And when it comes to the Republicans, a lot of them broke from President Bush on the Dubai ports deal. And now the issue of illegal aliens is threatening to send another crack through the GOP. Then there are the Democrats. That's the party in search of a clue. Although Americans aren't happy with the way the Republicans are running the country, Democratic strategists say they haven't yet sold the voters on their party either. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who engineered that drive to take over the Congress in 1994 by the Republicans -- remember the "Contract with America" -- has told "TIME" magazine that the Republicans have so bungled the job of governing, the best campaign slogan for the Democrats should be "Had enough?" So here's the question this hour: What's a good campaign slogan for the Democrats and/or the Republicans? You can e-mail your thoughts to caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to cnn.com/CaffertyFile -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: This will be excellent. Thanks very much, Jack, for that. Up ahead, the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, says the stories out of Iraq are too negative. But this comes amid regular reports of chaos and carnage, including today's violence in one area President Bush cites as a success story. And how far was President Bush willing to go to go to war in Iraq? There are explosive new allegations in a startling document. And he's facing death for converting from Islam to Christianity. Now there's a new plea in the case of the Afghan man condemned by Muslims for his religious beliefs. Stay with us.