ABC News

SHOW: WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH PETER JENNINGS (06:30 PM ET) - ABC

July 28, 2003 Monday

HEADLINE: BETTING ON TERROR CONTROVERSIAL WEBSITE

PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS

(Off Camera) Here's a Washington idea that's bound to get more people 
talking. It is about a web-site and gambling, or wagering, and trying 
to figure out what the terrorists may do next. Here's ABC's Pierre Thomas. 

PIERRE THOMAS, ABC NEWS

(Voice Over) Will the King of Jordan be overthrown? Will Yasser Arafat 
be assassinated? Will North Korea launch a nuclear attack? The Defense 
Department, on a new web-site, wants a group of scholars and analysts 
to bet on the likelihood of events like these, especially in the 
Middle East. The idea is to apply business market analysis to create a 
Defense Department early warning system, to avoid surprise. The 
Pentagon says it's a technique that's been successful in predicting 
elections, even box office receipts. But today in Washington, two 
Senators said it is a sick idea.

SENATOR BYRON DORGAN, DEMOCRAT, NORTH DAKOTA

I think this is unbelievably stupid. It combines the worst of all our 
instincts, in my judgment. It is a tragic waste of taxpayers' money. 
It will be offensive to almost everyone.

PIERRE THOMAS

(Off Camera) The Pentagon is asking Congress for $8 million to begin 
developing the Internet program. Anyone invited to play will wager 
that specific events will happen or not. Participants can actually 
make a small amount of money if their predictions come true.

PIERRE THOMAS

(Voice Over) Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.

SENATOR RON WYDEN, DEMOCRAT, OREGON

The idea of a Federal betting parlor on atrocities and terrorism is 
ridiculous, and it's grotesque.

PIERRE THOMAS

(Voice Over) The government is hoping to attract 10,000 players by 
next year to interpret different scenarios.

SENATOR BYRON DORGAN

This is a hare-brained scheme that, you know, is something that ought 
to be shut down.

PIERRE THOMAS

(Voice Over) This is clearly a sensitive topic. Late this afternoon, 
several of the more-provocative scenarios were removed from the 
web-site. Pierre Thomas, ABC News, Washington.

PETER JENNINGS

(Off Camera) One last Washington item tonight, a special Senate 
committee on aging says there should be more and better mental health 
treatment for the elderly.

PETER JENNINGS

(Voice Over) Americans 65 and older are four times more likely to 
commit suicide than the general population. And there are more 
opportunities to diagnose their depression, 75 percent of those who 
kill themselves had seen a doctor within the previous month.

PETER JENNINGS

(Off Camera) When we come back this evening, more of Bob Hope.

commercial break