NBC Nightly News - 1988-03-29

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Transcript

Language: English (YouTube automatic captions)

[0:03] More trouble for Attorney General Meis.

[0:05] Top officials at the Justice Department

[0:06] resigned. Dole is out, which means the

[0:09] Bush is in. And Noriega gets another

[0:11] sharp warning from the White House.

[0:16] >> NBC Nightly News with Tom Bro.

[0:21] >> Good evening. Attorney General Ed Me

[0:23] tonight is without the number two man in

[0:25] the Justice Department, without the head

[0:27] of the criminal division, and without

[0:28] their top four aids. And apparently, he

[0:31] has only himself to blame. As NBC's Carl

[0:34] Stern reports now, controversy

[0:35] surrounding the attorney general

[0:37] prompted these unexpected resignations.

[0:39] Carl,

[0:40] >> it's the biggest repudiation yet of the

[0:42] attorney general, and it came from his

[0:44] own staff. One me loyalist called it a

[0:47] stab in the back.

[0:48] >> Were an outstanding resolution. Six

[0:51] officials resigned, including the deputy

[0:52] attorney general, Arnold Burns, and the

[0:54] head of the criminal division, William

[0:56] Weld. They expressed concern that Mis's

[0:58] legal troubles were paralyzing the

[1:00] Justice Department. According to

[1:02] administration officials, Burns and Weld

[1:04] visited White House Chief of Staff

[1:05] Howard Baker on March 16th to urge that

[1:07] Meis be pressured to step aside. Baker

[1:10] told them there was no sentiment to do

[1:11] that and didn't even tell the president

[1:13] about their visit until they telephoned

[1:15] yesterday saying they would resign.

[1:17] Today, Burns and Weld went to Baker's

[1:19] home at 7:00 a.m. and submitted their

[1:21] resignations in those of four aids. Weld

[1:24] refused a request to stay several weeks

[1:26] and departed. He would say only that he

[1:28] had talked with Baker as well as me.

[1:30] >> I went over the situation with Senator

[1:33] Baker in a meeting this morning and with

[1:35] Attorney General Me at a meeting this

[1:37] morning and a meeting with my staff this

[1:39] afternoon.

[1:40] >> Me has been before grand juries more

[1:42] than 15 times to face questioning about

[1:45] his financial deals and Wedtech. The

[1:47] Iraqi pipeline project and the Iran

[1:49] conference scandal. One official said

[1:51] Mis's connection with indicted Wheeler

[1:53] dealer E. Robert Wallik was a disaster.

[1:56] Independent prosecutor James Mccay has

[1:58] considered seeking an indictment of me

[2:00] for accepting money from a colleague of

[2:02] Wallocks who artificially added to Mis's

[2:04] stock holdings. A spokesman for the

[2:06] Justice Department responded to

[2:07] speculation that Burns and Weld quit

[2:10] because they knew criminal charges were

[2:12] coming. Well, my understanding is that

[2:14] uh their resignations today uh were not

[2:17] related in any way to any knowledge they

[2:19] might have of any pending action to be

[2:21] taken by the independent council.

[2:24] >> One senior member of the Senate

[2:25] Judiciary Committee urged me to step

[2:27] aside.

[2:28] >> Uh the question is who's running the

[2:31] shop now? Attorney General Meis can't

[2:33] because of all his problems.

[2:35] >> But another said that decision should be

[2:37] left to the president. Well, when that

[2:39] many people just leave suddenly, I mean,

[2:41] there must be something that's affecting

[2:43] their morale. And I imagine the White

[2:46] House would have something to say on

[2:48] soon.

[2:49] >> Meanwhile, other resignations are

[2:51] anticipated, including possibly Charles

[2:53] Frerieded, the solicitor general, the

[2:55] department's number four man. Tom,

[2:59] >> thank you, Carl. Senator Carl, we also

[3:01] want to ask you about what's going on at

[3:03] the White House. As you know, Edwin Me

[3:04] is one of the president's oldest

[3:05] friends. Do we expect any pressure to

[3:07] come from the White House?

[3:09] >> There's no question as to now that the

[3:11] president is sticking with me as long as

[3:13] possible. But one interesting thing as I

[3:15] walked around the Justice Department

[3:16] talking uh to people today, it was

[3:18] interesting to see their lack of

[3:20] confidence. Uh they are not sure whether

[3:23] the attorney general faces more legal

[3:25] troubles and the justice department more

[3:27] embarrassment or not. Thank you very

[3:29] much Carl Stern in Washington for us

[3:31] tonight. Senator Bob Dole also quit

[3:33] today. He quit the race for the

[3:35] Republican presidential nomination. His

[3:37] announcement today was the inevitable

[3:38] result of his loss to Vice President

[3:40] George Bush in New Hampshire. As NBC's

[3:42] Lisa Myers reports now, this wraps it up

[3:45] for the vice president.

[3:47] >> Although the race often was bitter, Dole

[3:50] bowed out with grace and good humor.

[3:52] >> And we're not going to say anything mean

[3:53] about anybody. So you about it's going

[3:55] to be a nonpartisan statement.

[3:59] Not going to attack any Republicans. So

[4:00] in any event, uh,

[4:03] >> but there was still a trace of the

[4:04] defiance which kept all in the race

[4:06] weeks after aids and supporters told him

[4:08] it was over.

[4:09] >> And I have been beaten before and no

[4:12] doubt will again. But I have never been

[4:15] defeated and never will be.

[4:18] >> The Dole campaign is a story of

[4:19] organizational chaos, squandered

[4:21] resources, and missed opportunities. By

[4:24] most accounts, Dole came within days of

[4:26] winning the nomination. He had trounced

[4:29] Bush in Iowa

[4:31] >> and was slightly ahead in New Hampshire

[4:33] going into the final weekend.

[4:35] >> My pollster called me Mr. President. I

[4:37] felt pretty good.

[4:40] >> It didn't last long.

[4:42] >> In a major strategic blunder, Dole

[4:45] failed to respond to Bush's attacks in

[4:47] those final days and lost New Hampshire.

[4:50] He never recovered. His campaign

[4:52] disintegrated into backbiting and

[4:54] disarray. And Dole's personal bitterness

[4:57] toward Bush became obvious. But today,

[5:00] Dole offered both congratulations and

[5:02] help

[5:03] >> and ready to do all I can to elect

[5:05] Republicans in November and doing I all

[5:08] I can for our nominee, George Bush.

[5:10] Thank you very much.

[5:14] >> Bush congratulated Dole on a hardfought

[5:16] race. He's been a worthy warrior, a

[5:19] tough competitor,

[5:21] a leader who speaks out on the issues

[5:23] that are most

[5:24] >> Republican leaders were downright

[5:26] gleeful.

[5:26] >> It's a tremendous help. Uh the advantage

[5:28] is it it lets him and his people begin

[5:30] planning for the fall campaign, start

[5:32] laying the message out for the fall

[5:34] campaign.

[5:35] >> Senior aids say Bush will focus on

[5:37] giving Democrats and independents a

[5:39] better idea who George Bush is and where

[5:41] he would lead the country. One said, "We

[5:44] can't afford to run anymore." as Ronald

[5:46] Reagan Jr. Lisa Myers, NBC News,

[5:50] Washington.

[5:51] >> And there is a primary today in

[5:52] Connecticut and a WNBC News election day

[5:55] poll and information available from

[5:57] other campaign sources. They all show a

[5:59] substantial win for Michael Dukakus, the

[6:02] governor of neighboring Massachusetts.

[6:03] It appears that Dukakus could wind up

[6:05] with a 2 to1 margin over Jesse Jackson.

[6:07] Dukakus is getting a 70% approval from

[6:10] all demographic groups except blacks.

[6:13] And although Jackson is trailing Dakus

[6:15] by a wide margin, he could get as many

[6:17] as one in five of the white votes in

[6:20] Connecticut. Also coming up here tonight

[6:22] on NBC Nightly News, drugs and terror.

[6:26] How the violent drug trade is

[6:27] terrorizing whole communities in this

[6:29] country and how some communities are

[6:32] fighting back.

[6:34] Authorities suspect that this pack house

[6:35] was set on fire by neighbors.

[6:42] Yesterday, Liz Garland bicycled 20 m.

[6:46] Today, she'll pay for it.

[6:48] >> Boy, what did I do?

[6:50] >> That's why her next move is to Metipin.

[6:53] Metipin contains the same medicine as

[6:55] Motrin. And nothing's proven faster for

[6:58] relief of body aches, muscle pain, or

[7:01] any kind of pain. It's also gentler to

[7:03] your stomach than aspirin. Metipin works

[7:06] fast when you haven't got time for the

[7:08] pain.

[7:10] >> I tell you, he's gotten goofy.

[7:12] >> I like your dad.

[7:13] >> Dad, he thinks he's my brother. Last

[7:16] night, we were shooting hoops at 10:00.

[7:18] >> So, Marty, this is the same man who

[7:20] never lift his nose out of a newspaper.

[7:22] Now, we listen to Xerrock on the radio.

[7:25] H is this?

[7:27] >> The right vitamin nutrition and a

[7:28] balanced diet helps people get more out

[7:30] of life. Some are finding Kellogg's

[7:32] product 19 100% of 12 vitamins and

[7:35] minerals.

[7:35] >> I just wish he'd act his age, like your

[7:37] dad.

[7:38] >> Feel like 19 again.

[7:41] >> The White House today warned Panama's

[7:43] General Noriega that there are quote

[7:45] limits to our patients. It said the

[7:47] administration now is willing to look at

[7:49] all the hard options for getting rid of

[7:52] General Noriega. This tough talk

[7:53] followed yesterday's beatings and arrest

[7:56] of Noriega opponents and journalists in

[7:58] Panama City. But today, Noriega appeared

[8:01] to be as defiant as ever, and Americans

[8:03] in Panama were becoming more fearful. We

[8:06] have reports from NBC's George Lewis and

[8:08] Ed Rabel. First, Lewis.

[8:11] A rally this afternoon staged by

[8:13] Noriega's supporters. They warn American

[8:16] blood will be spilled if the US

[8:17] intervenes militarily. The man Noriega

[8:20] ousted as president was calling for

[8:22] outside military help today. President

[8:24] Eric Arturo Devay, who's been in hiding

[8:27] for a month, relayed a message through

[8:28] his ambassador to Washington.

[8:31] >> I think that it's about time that the

[8:32] international community wakes up to the

[8:35] fact that the moral thing to do is go in

[8:40] and get Noriega out.

[8:43] >> Yesterday, police reacted violently

[8:45] against anti-government demonstrators.

[8:47] Today, the opposition vowed to keep up

[8:49] the pressure on Nora.

[8:50] >> We're going to decide what what uh

[8:53] demonstrations and actions we're going

[8:54] to start again tomorrow, and we're going

[8:56] to keep on protesting that nobody in

[8:59] Panama wants Niega here.

[9:01] >> Leaders of the Panameanian Catholic

[9:02] Church said this morning they have

[9:04] stepped in to mediate the crisis. They

[9:06] also called on Noriega to leave. The

[9:09] first time the church here has sided

[9:10] with the opposition. Today was payday

[9:13] for many government workers and

[9:14] pensioners, but the checks they received

[9:17] can't be cashed because the banks remain

[9:19] closed and the supply of US dollars,

[9:21] this country's official currency, still

[9:23] is cut off. A few were paid in rolls of

[9:26] nickels, about the only thing left in

[9:28] the Panameanian Treasury. Noriega says

[9:31] he may begin printing his own money, but

[9:33] since there is nothing to back it up, it

[9:35] would be practically worthless. A

[9:37] leading banker said today, "Noriega

[9:39] threatening to print his own money is

[9:41] like threatening to shoot himself in the

[9:43] foot." With the general remaining

[9:45] unyielding with the opposition planning

[9:47] more demonstrations, with people running

[9:50] out of money and food, a peaceful

[9:52] solution to this crisis seems more

[9:54] elusive than ever. George Lewis, NBC

[9:57] News, Panama City.

[10:00] Heavily armed Panameanian troops Monday

[10:02] afternoon stormed inside the hotel where

[10:05] General Noriega's opponents meet. Dozens

[10:07] were rounded up, whipped, and thrown

[10:09] into waiting vans. Foreign journalists

[10:12] staying here were also attacked. NBC

[10:15] cameraman Domingo Rex of Mexico was

[10:17] detained overnight after he was beaten

[10:19] and his nose broken by a planelo Noriega

[10:22] security agent.

[10:23] >> And then he starts in saying to me,

[10:26] "This is it, man. This is it." And then

[10:28] he started punching me like crazy.

[10:30] >> Then on the way to jail, there were

[10:31] threats.

[10:32] >> He threatened to me in the car said,

[10:34] "You are going to pay for this.

[10:36] Remember, you're going to pay for this.

[10:38] >> We need protection."

[10:40] >> Americans who live and work in Panama

[10:42] are becoming more fearful following the

[10:44] hotel attack. Canal workers and their

[10:46] dependent protested today, demanding the

[10:49] US do something to protect them from the

[10:51] Panameanian troops. Anything that could

[10:53] happen uh as we saw downtown yesterday,

[10:56] the same thing could happen here very

[10:57] easily.

[10:58] >> In Washington, President Reagan was

[11:00] asked what was being done to protect

[11:02] American journalists and US citizens

[11:04] living in Panama.

[11:07] >> But it is actions, not words that the

[11:09] Americans here are demanding. So far, no

[11:12] US military move has been made to

[11:14] protect Americans here who had been hurt

[11:16] or hassled. But the USS Okinawa, a

[11:18] helicopter carrier loaded with United

[11:20] States Marines, did steam into the

[11:22] Panama Canal on what was originally

[11:24] called a routine mission. Tonight, the

[11:26] Pentagon was hedging on whether the

[11:28] warship will be leaving the canal

[11:30] tomorrow as planned. Ed Rabel, NBC News,

[11:32] Panama. In another trouble spot, despite

[11:36] the Israeli crackdown that has closed

[11:38] off the occupied West Bank and Gaza

[11:40] Strip, demonstrations by Palestinians

[11:42] were reported in more than a dozen

[11:44] Westbank towns today. Soldiers wounded

[11:46] at least eight Palestinians in one

[11:48] village today. But it was a calm picture

[11:51] of the West Bank today that journalists

[11:52] were shown. Access was severely limited

[11:55] by the Israeli army, which is bracing

[11:57] for widespread demonstrations.

[12:00] But television crews were able to cover

[12:02] a protest march that took place in one

[12:04] northern Israeli town.

[12:08] And in the seemingly endless Iran Iraq

[12:11] war, Baghdad said today that its war

[12:13] plananes had attacked an Iranian oil

[12:15] terminal. Two super tankers working for

[12:17] Iran and four Iranian cities. Iran said

[12:19] that nine people were killed in those

[12:21] cities. Iran also claimed that its

[12:23] forces had attacked an Iraqi oil

[12:26] platform and shot down two Iraqi jets.

[12:29] And US Pentagon officials tell NBC's

[12:31] Fred Francis that both sides now are

[12:34] using poison gas in this war.

[12:37] Iranian television showed pictures of a

[12:39] hundreds of men, women, and children.

[12:43] It said they were the victims of mustard

[12:45] gas attacks by Iraq earlier this month

[12:47] in the Kurdistan region of Iran.

[12:51] Iraq has been using mustard gas since

[12:53] 1982. Today, some of the Iranians who

[12:55] were injured arrived for treatment in

[12:58] European capitals and in New York City.

[13:00] Pentagon officials say that in the

[13:02] Kurdistan battle two weeks ago, Iran

[13:04] fired back with cyanide gas, its first

[13:08] effective use of that gas in this war.

[13:10] As many as 1,000 people, mainly

[13:13] civilians, died in the crossfire.

[13:17] >> Where does it hurt?

[13:18] >> Here.

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[13:31] Ford profiles in quality dealer service.

[13:35] >> At Ford, we're committed to building the

[13:37] highest quality American cars and

[13:39] trucks.

[13:40] >> As a Ford dealer, we want to back that

[13:42] up with the highest quality service in

[13:43] America.

[13:44] >> That's why we can offer 6year, 60,000 mi

[13:47] powertrain warranty.

[13:48] >> And we can back it up with lifetime

[13:50] service guarantees. We're as determined

[13:53] to provide quality care

[13:54] >> as we are to building quality cars and

[13:56] trucks

[13:57] >> at Ford and at our dealerships. Quality

[13:59] is job one. Imagine going to work one

[14:02] day and finding your office like this.

[14:05] Good morning.

[14:07] Well, it really happened to an IBM

[14:09] customer. A flood put their computer

[14:10] room under tons of water. One call to

[14:13] IBM and a team of experts dived right

[14:16] in. They worked around the clock and

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[14:23] service is something you should think

[14:25] about because very often in business

[14:26] when it rains, it pours.

[14:29] >> IBM, the bigger picture.

[14:31] >> Denture wares, if you haven't become a

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[14:47] >> television preacher Jimmy Swagert was

[14:49] barred today from doing any kind of

[14:51] preaching for at least one year. That

[14:53] punishment was handed out after two days

[14:55] of meetings by leaders of Swagert's

[14:57] church, the Assemblies of God. The

[14:59] church leaders are punishing Swagard

[15:01] because he confessed that he hired a

[15:03] prostitute to pose naked for him. But as

[15:06] NBC's Kenley Jones reports from

[15:07] Springfield, Missouri tonight, that's

[15:09] not the end of the story.

[15:12] I have sinned against you, my Lord.

[15:15] >> After the evangelist's tearful public

[15:17] confession of sexual misconduct, his

[15:20] fellow ministers in Louisiana

[15:22] recommended that he be suspended from

[15:24] the pullpit for 3 months. But officials

[15:26] at the national headquarters said that

[15:28] was too lenient, that he should be

[15:30] suspended for at least a year, as have

[15:32] other ministers involved in similar

[15:34] situations. The national headquarters

[15:37] won. He shall be without pulpit ministry

[15:40] for not less than one year. Three, there

[15:43] shall be a cessation of the distribution

[15:45] and use of all media tapes involving

[15:48] Jimmy Swagert both at home and abroad.

[15:50] The ban could seriously affect Swagert's

[15:53] television ministry, which depends on

[15:55] his appearances to draw contributions.

[15:58] >> Well, there's no question it will affect

[16:00] the ministry very severely. But um the

[16:04] man is more important than the ministry.

[16:06] And if the man is taken care of, the

[16:08] ministry can come back.

[16:10] >> Supporters of Swagard had requested that

[16:12] the evangelist be allowed to appear here

[16:14] to make a statement or answer questions,

[16:17] but church officials said no. They said

[16:19] they already had enough evidence to make

[16:21] a decision. Now Swagger has the decision

[16:24] to make whether to accept the suspension

[16:26] and remain within the church or carry on

[16:29] with his ministry independently. His

[16:31] office in Baton Rouge has scheduled a

[16:33] news conference for 10:00 tomorrow

[16:35] morning. Kimley Jones, NBC News,

[16:38] Springfield, Missouri.

[16:40] >> Ricky Gates is a former Conrail engineer

[16:43] who smoked marijuana shortly before he

[16:45] ran his locomotive through a stop signal

[16:46] in Maryland 14 months ago and crashed to

[16:49] an Amtrak train, killing 16 people.

[16:53] Today, Gates was sentenced to 5 years in

[16:54] prison after he agreed to plead guilty

[16:56] to one charge of manslaughter. He could

[16:59] have been sentenced to 80 years. The

[17:01] crash he caused was the worst in

[17:03] Amtrak's history. In addition to the 16

[17:05] people killed, more than 170 people were

[17:08] injured.

[17:10] The federal government today released

[17:12] its statistical checkup of the health of

[17:14] all of us in America, and it says that

[17:15] we're living longer. Babies born in the

[17:18] United States in 1900 could expect to

[17:20] live only 47 years. Today's babies

[17:23] should live about 75 years, but there

[17:26] are still big differences by sex and

[17:27] race. White females have a life

[17:30] expectancy of almost 79 years. Black

[17:33] females, however, about 73 and a2 years.

[17:36] White males can expect to live 72 years,

[17:39] while black males have a life expectancy

[17:41] of 65 1/2 years. The report also says

[17:44] that between 1970 and 1985, births to

[17:48] unwed mothers doubled from 11% to 22% of

[17:52] all births.

[18:13] When your coffee is smooth and easy like

[18:16] Sunday morning and it tastes your way,

[18:18] >> it's necessary

[18:22] great coffee blends to taste away.

[18:25] necessarily

[18:28] escap

[18:31] >> why I like stove top in a canister where

[18:35] I work. I never know when my boss will

[18:37] drop in and shout, "Let's party, men."

[18:40] So, what do I make the whole crew to

[18:42] eat? Stove top and a canister. It's

[18:44] wonderfully neat. It's the stuffing they

[18:47] love. And I make it by the cup for 26 or

[18:50] eight. Whoever shows up, there's always

[18:52] enough. And you know what's nice? We

[18:54] redo the scene so we can eat it twice.

[18:58] >> Stove top stuffing in the canister.

[19:03] >> Bring your home.

[19:06] >> Bring your dreams to life with Pella

[19:08] wood windows and beautiful new Pella

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[19:14] >> Whatever you dream of, from a sunny

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[19:27] the pill winter storm

[19:31] >> hemorrhoids run in our family and that

[19:34] burning itch was agony. My dad

[19:36] recommended Preparation H and he's a

[19:39] doctor.

[19:40] >> In a national survey, two out of three

[19:42] doctors named Preparation H among the

[19:44] hemorrhoid remedies they recommended to

[19:45] their patients. It often relieves pain

[19:47] and itching for hours, helps shrink

[19:49] swelling of inflamed hemorrhoidal

[19:50] tissue, and soothes painful irritation.

[19:53] Wouldn't you listen to what a doctor

[19:55] recommends?

[19:56] >> Preparation H. Recommended by two out of

[19:58] three doctors.

[19:59] >> Doctors know best.

[20:02] >> Special segment tonight, drugs and

[20:04] terror. Part two of our report on how

[20:07] the drug trade is an ever more vicious,

[20:10] violent business. In too many areas, it

[20:12] is out of control. Last night on this

[20:15] program, we saw how the drug lords of

[20:16] Colombia shoot or kidnap anyone who gets

[20:19] in their way. Tonight, what happens in

[20:21] this country, in America. NBC's Don

[20:24] Oliver and Noah Nelson show us the wide

[20:26] range of violence and the growing anger

[20:28] in some communities. We begin with

[20:30] Oliver and the bloody business of

[20:32] selling drugs.

[20:36] A drug deal in New York City in the

[20:38] shadow of the Panama Building. In Los

[20:41] Angeles, drugs and money change hands.

[20:44] In city after city, in broad daylight,

[20:47] drug dealers brazenly ply their wares.

[20:51] And night after night, there are bodies

[20:53] as the gangs who control the drug trade

[20:56] fight over territory. Across the

[20:59] country, hundreds are killed or wounded

[21:01] every week in gang related shootings.

[21:04] Many innocent people who just happen to

[21:07] get in the way.

[21:08] >> I just want to know why, you know, why

[21:12] my child? What was

[21:13] >> her 15year-old daughter was killed.

[21:15] >> If you tell me where I can go to live in

[21:18] peace and peace of mind, then I will go.

[21:21] But there's nowhere safe in the city of

[21:25] Los Angeles.

[21:26] >> All right, guys. Stand up.

[21:27] >> It is hard to get convictions in gang

[21:29] murders because witnesses are terrified.

[21:32] >> It's a problem. I would say the general

[21:34] tendency is that they will not cooperate

[21:36] with us.

[21:38] Law officers say there are direct links

[21:40] now between gangs and Colombian drug

[21:42] dealers.

[21:43] >> Members of the LA street gangs know some

[21:46] of the Colombians uh well enough to go

[21:49] in and buy the cocaine in bulk.

[21:52] >> Officials say the price of cocaine has

[21:54] declined. That increased violence is the

[21:57] result of greater competition to make

[21:59] money. Identical graffiti in many cities

[22:02] shows gang members are on the move. Los

[22:04] Angeles gang members have been arrested

[22:06] as far east as Kansas City. They go

[22:08] where the prospect of sales is greater.

[22:11] >> You going to make more money in Vegas

[22:12] than anywhere cuz the city never sleeps.

[22:15] >> It is just terrible. The quality of life

[22:18] is almost unbearable.

[22:20] >> Whole neighborhoods have been taken over

[22:21] by gangs. Residents say they are

[22:24] prisoners in their own homes.

[22:25] >> We had at least 10 killings in the last

[22:28] 2 years.

[22:30] This man, who didn't want to be

[22:32] identified, watches the drug dealings

[22:33] from his window. His house was shot up

[22:36] in a battle between rival gangs. His

[22:38] wife and three children cowered on the

[22:40] floor.

[22:41] >> Bullets went literally over my uh baby's

[22:44] um crib where she was sleeping.

[22:47] >> In a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago,

[22:50] the fear level is the same.

[22:51] >> We're living in a war zone. 49 West

[22:53] Guardian Boulevard in

[22:55] >> three weeks ago, police and sheriff's

[22:56] departments in Los Angeles began a major

[22:59] campaign to arrest gang members,

[23:01] sweeping through areas where they are

[23:03] known to gather. Hundreds have been

[23:05] arrested and police have found what they

[23:07] knew all along. The drug money has

[23:09] turned street gangs into small armies.

[23:12] >> We have um semi-automatic and full

[23:14] automatic uh machine guns. Uh we have 9

[23:18] mm submachine gun, you know, type type

[23:21] weapons. In this kind of police action,

[23:24] it is difficult to get convictions. Some

[23:26] criticize the sweeps as high publicity

[23:28] hype.

[23:29] >> Uh designed, I think, to paleate the

[23:31] public without delivering anything

[23:33] substantively that's going to change the

[23:35] situation.

[23:36] >> And despite the new vigilance, the gang

[23:38] shootings and killings have continued.

[23:40] No one predicts a solution to the

[23:42] problem is likely to arrive soon. Donald

[23:44] Oliver, NBC News, Los Angeles.

[23:50] In Florida, undercover agents move

[23:52] against local crack dealers and users.

[23:55] >> Get out of here.

[23:58] >> Such raids appear to be effective. But

[24:00] residents of crackd dominated

[24:01] neighborhoods complain that as soon as

[24:03] police leave, the dealers are back in

[24:05] business.

[24:08] >> Angry and hopeless, some citizens have

[24:10] taken the law into their own hands. A

[24:12] vigilante backlash against crime.

[24:16] In Miami, crack houses have become the

[24:19] targets of arsonist. Recently, four

[24:21] suspected crack parlors were destroyed

[24:23] within a 10-hour period. Earlier this

[24:26] month in New York City, several people

[24:28] were arrested for beating a pn snatcher

[24:30] to death. They say their neighborhood

[24:31] has been plagued by a series of

[24:33] drugrelated crimes. In Detroit, two men

[24:37] were charged with arson after they

[24:38] burned down this house. Butch Pereizy

[24:41] and his neighbor Perry Kent say they

[24:43] took drastic measures to get rid of a

[24:45] nest of crack dealers.

[24:46] >> We just had a problem. We had to have it

[24:48] taken care of

[24:50] right there and then that's what

[24:52] happened. The problem is solved. The

[24:54] neighborhood is safe again and the kids

[24:57] can go out and play.

[24:58] >> Criminologists say vigilantes act out of

[25:00] a misguided sense of righteousness.

[25:02] >> And to burn down the crack house is to

[25:04] be as bad as the people who run the

[25:05] crack house. It's to violate the law.

[25:07] It's to say I'm going to do what I want

[25:09] to do regardless of what the law says.

[25:14] >> But there is also a growing willingness

[25:15] among citizens to fight crime within the

[25:17] law. In New York, a Muslim group

[25:20] supplements police with its own 24-hour

[25:22] a day patrols. The drug pushers who were

[25:24] here in force have gone. In Los Angeles,

[25:27] a man videotapes drug deals for police

[25:30] to see. He says the risk is worth it.

[25:33] >> DOWN WE GO.

[25:35] In Florida, citizens protest against

[25:37] drugs and in favor of law enforcement.

[25:39] They want dealers to get the message.

[25:42] >> In many high crime areas, residents have

[25:44] begun to stand up and fight, but they

[25:46] are up against violent and powerful

[25:47] organizations highly motivated by huge

[25:50] profits.

[25:51] >> Crack houses in Miami are not It's not

[25:54] unusual to see them do 20, $30,000

[25:57] business a day. 10 houses, $300,000 a

[26:00] day. Uh, and the green grass grows all

[26:02] around. That's about that.

[26:05] >> Meanwhile, these policemen continue the

[26:07] struggle to break Crack's chokeold on

[26:09] their community. They say what they need

[26:11] to win are lawful allies, not

[26:13] vigilantes.

[26:14] Noah Nelson, NBC News, Miami.

[26:20] >> That's not the news for this Tuesday

[26:21] night. I'm Tom Broka. I'll be off for a

[26:23] few days. Connie Chung will be here

[26:25] tomorrow. I'll see you again next

[26:27] Monday.

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[26:33] >> I'll have shredded wheat.

[26:35] >> 12 bowls.

[26:36] >> Separate checks, please.

[26:37] >> Total has 100% of nine vitamins and iron

[26:40] and is rich in calcium. That's a stack

[26:42] of nutrition

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[28:28] Tonight, a fisherman's warfare leads to

[28:30] murder.

[28:30] >> You think I killed now? Left.

[28:32] >> Will he discover what's up, Doc, before

[28:34] he's run out of town?

[28:35] >> You put on a good show seeing in court.

[28:37] >> A matlock mystery. Then Carol Oconor

[28:39] faces a new enemy. This is the real

[28:41] thing and their hometown will never be

[28:43] the same.

[28:44] >> Someone's going to have to pay for that.

[28:45] It's the heat of Tuesday night.

[28:47] >> Too late.

[28:49] Coming up next on the scene at 6, Metro

[28:51] police say they have no suspects in the

[28:54] murder of a woman and her two daughters.