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Five Americans Arrested for Terror Plot in Pakistan; Obama Receives Nobel Peace Prize; College Denies Education Benefits to Veteran

Aired December 10, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

MELISSA LONG, HOST: Thank you, Brooke. Have a wonderful day.

There's a torchlight procession winding its way through the streets of downtown Oslo, Norway, right now. An annual tradition following the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. This year's recipient, President Barack Obama. He'll be waving to marchers from the hotel balcony and, for the first time this year, it appears bullet-proof glass has been installed in front of that balcony.

President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize earlier today, acknowledging the U.S. is at war, but he said the world can and should strive for peace. His visit to Norway marks the country's biggest security preparations ever for a single person.

And, again, celebrating peace, acknowledging war, that torchlight parade in Oslo for a war-time president honored as the world's preeminent peacemaker.

When did jihad become cool? The next generation of holy warriors not spreading terror for a cause, but for kicks?

And this G.I. Phil hoped the G.I. Bill would help him learn how to counsel fellow soldiers. Well, it's definitely been a learning experience.

And the story of being vanished (ph) from Virginia, arrested in Pakistan. Five young Muslim-Americans, at least two of them college students, now suspected of trying to link up with Pakistani terror groups. Investigators half a world apart, they are on the case, and CNN's Arwa Damon is on the story. She's been in the Pakistani town where the raid and the arrests took place and joins us now live from the Pakistani city, the capital of Islamabad -- Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra [SIC].

Well, we did just get back from Sargodha, and while we were there, we spoke with the chief of police, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle that brought these young men from America all the way to Pakistan.

Now, police authorities are convinced that these men were planning some sort of a terrorist attack, wanted to become involved in jihad. They said that they managed to trace it back, the young men's initial affiliation with Pakistani militants to the month of August, where they reached out online to Pakistani militants and then began communicating with them using a shared e-mail address.

They managed to break into that e-mail, Pakistani authorities did, and were able to read their last sentences, as well. And barring that, because they were able to read that, they were also able to realize that these young militants were about to receive their final marching orders. Authorities saying that if they had detained them 15, 20 minutes later, it would have been too late, if they had arrived at the house just a little bit later than they actually did -- Kyra [SIC].

LONG: All right, Arwa. This -- I just want to clarify. This is Melissa you're speaking to here in Atlanta. I look forward to talking a little bit more about this right now. Because we know that the five hailed from Virginia. Their families contacted the FBI, concerned that they were missing. So, I'm curious where the case is at this point, how it stands from the U.S. perspective and of course, there on the ground where you are?

DAMON: Melissa, well, now, here's what's interesting, is that from the Pakistani perspective, they were aware that these young men's families had contacted the authorities, but this is what we also found out, because we met the mother of one of these young men, who had come to Pakistan herself some two months ago. She says she was looking for a bride for her son. And she is saying that her son and his friends came over because he was going to get married.

However, she does say that she realized that her son had gone missing in the United States, and that is when she and the families decided to alert the authorities, because they believed that these young men had maybe been kidnapped in America. And then, all of a sudden, they show up in Pakistan.

But, again, she's saying they were going to surprise her, because her son's getting married. And she's very upset, because she's saying that her family is caught in the middle of this intricate web of Pakistani-American relations.

Now, the Pakistani officials, again, adamant that these young men were involved in some sort of a terror plot. They haven't officially been charged yet, but they're still being interrogated by the Pakistanis and, according to the Pakistanis, by the FBI, as well.

LONG: Arwa Damon live for us from Islamabad. Arwa, thanks so much.

Now, embracing Jihad is a process (ph) of government, scholars, religious leaders all around the global. They're struggling to understand this and to detect before people get killed.

I want you to hear some insight now from a conversation that took place today on CNN's "American Morning."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT GRENIER, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: Often the turn to radicalism really isn't tied so much to economic circumstance. It may very well be tied to alienation. It is typically tied to a sense of Muslims under attack in a very strong personal Muslim identity.

And then, very importantly, the individuals who make this turn typically have very strong ties with other like-minded people who give them a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and a sense of mission.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: So, Clark, how do you attack this, then? You know, president Bush in the war on terror, talked about draining the swamp of extremism. It is not exactly a swamp here in the United States.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, I'm glad you asked that, John, because that gives us an opportunity to focus on the positive here.

The positive is that we found out about this. The law enforcement authorities found out about it, because the parents, the families of these young men, reported their disappearance to the local mosque and to the Council on American Islam-American relations. And then they in turn, those organizations, the mosque and CAIR, reported it to the authorities, and then they worked very closely with Pakistani authorities. That's exactly what should happen.

You know, we American citizens, particularly those in the Muslim community, need to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement authorities and intelligence personnel, because they can't do it by themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: And still to come next hour, a phenomenon some are calling "jihadi cool." Anthropologist Scott Atran and a Muslim activist, Mohammed Elibiary are going to join us live at the top of the next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And now, again, we take you to Norway, where the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize making a pretty strong case for war. President Obama acknowledging the controversy surrounding an honor he now shares with Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Accepting his award earlier today in Oslo, Mr. Obama said his accomplishments, compared to some of the giants of history, are slight. He also said, and I directly quote, "The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But make no mistake, evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism; it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man, and the limits of reason. I raise this point -- I begin with this point -- because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter what the cause. And at times this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world's sole military superpower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Now, the president's reasoning on the use of force is actually a postscript to comments celebrating the power of nonviolence and the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King, of course, was a Nobel Peace laureate, as well. In fact, he accepted the honor 45 years ago today.

Right now in Oslo, all the Nobel festivities, they are still in full swing. White House correspondent Dan Lothian joins us live.

It is a glorious scene just after 7 p.m. in the evening there. And I know the lovely parade is just about to get under way -- Dan.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's a torchlight parade, which the president will be watching from the balcony, and then, of course, he will be attending that formal banquet, the Nobel banquet, later on the evening, as well. But this sort of caps a very full day for the president, coming here and signing the guest book and also holding bilateral meetings, taking a few questions from reporters.

And of course, making that speech that you were just talking about, a very important speech for the president, but really a chance for him to answer his critics. He didn't run away from it. Started off right away from the very top of his speech, focusing on his critics, talking about how, yes, he may not deserve this, but this is all part of the aspirations.

And then in terms of military, having the show of force and at the same time talking about peace, he said sometimes force is necessary and morally justified.

So, the president, you know, really capping off what, for the White House has been a spectacular day, you know. Before it, they came here. They really tried to sort of downplay this, because they felt that there were -- there were so many critics who said that the president didn't deserve this, but certainly they're enjoying this day in the sun here.

LONG: Reveling in it. It's a beautiful evening with all the candlelight there, as well. And I know you mentioned the Nobel banquet is coming up in just a matter of minutes, but the president is really only in Oslo for barely more than a day. So, they actually had to change up some of the traditional events.

LOTHIAN: That's right. And, you know, there's been some criticism about this. The president on the ground for about 26 hours, and there were some people who were saying that the president was not spending enough time here, that typically there is this lunch that you have with the king and queen. The president did meet with them, but there was the sense that he should have spent more time.

Traditions that typically happen for other recipients of this award did not take place because of the president's schedule, so there was some controversy here.

But as I pointed out, the president really did get in a lot, as much as possible. Had a chance to meet with the political leadership and then enjoying the evening.

LONG: One other question, Dan, before we wrap up our little conversation. I know the president, of course, will receive the diploma, the coveted gold medal and also a check for $1.4 million. Do we know what will become of the money?

LOTHIAN: That's right. Well, the White House says that the president expects to give it all away. Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, was asked who that money would go to. He said that they're reviewing various charities right now, but so far they have not made a decision. So, the money will be given away, and some charities out there will be getting $1.4 million.

LONG: All right, Dan Lothian, live for us from Oslo, Norway. Dan, thank you.

Now, students taking over a campus building arm in arm, refusing to leave. This isn't file footage from the 1960s; this is here and this is now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Nice resume. He's played volleys [SIC], worked for the NFL. He knows what it's like to get sacked. Not on the field, but on the job. Time to get this guy back into the game. Louis White, you are our "30-Second Pitch." Suit up. Look forward to chatting with you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Here's a creative thought. Why not get jobless people to work at a jobless center? Sounds like a win/win, right? And it might work in Rhode Island. The state's closing its unemployment benefits call center tomorrow and other days this month so it can try to catch up on a backlog of jobless claims. Rhode Island's 12.9 percent unemployment rate, it is the third highest in the United States.

Now, today's job market, much like football: tough game. Tough to get ahead in the field. Just ask Louis White. He's a marketing specialist. He used to work for the NFL's Detroit Lions, then went to the All-American football league. Never heard of the AAFL? That's because the investors lost $30 million in the subprime mortgage mess last year, sacking the league and sacking Louis.

He is ready to suit up again. Louis White, our "30-Second Pitch," joining us live from Detroit.

Louis, such a pleasure. Thank you for your time. LOUIS WHITE, JOB SEEKER: Hi, Melissa, how are you?

LONG: I am well. The better question, though, how are you today? Knowing that you've been out of work for a while, trying to, I know, teach in the meantime, trying to find out work. So tell me a bit about how you're doing, considering how tough it is to find work right now and work that you clearly have a niche for, as well.

WHITE: Well, working on my skills in addition to reading, I'm also volunteering, keeping my skills abreast, and with a new league that may be kicking off this coming spring. It's called the United National Gridiron League, and I've been volunteering with them for over six months, still working on my marketing and -- marketing and public relations field.

LONG: Right, so volunteering, honing your skills, showing you're dedicated. I'm looking at your resume. I see you went to Michigan state. You've worked across the state of Michigan. So for someone who may be watching today, thinking about maybe employing you, are you mobile, or do you want to stay there in your home state?

WHITE: I'm mobile. I'm ready to move anywhere, wherever somebody would accept me. I'm -- I'm pretty persistent. That's why I'm here today. I don't give up. I'm not a quitter. I overcome a lot of things in my life, and I'm a dedicated employee, I believe.

LONG: All right, this is your opportunity. We're going to set the clock, Louis, and this is your opportunity to sell yourself to Americans, sell yourself to the young lady, the young gentleman out there who says, "Maybe I should hire Louis." Here's your chance.

WHITE: All right. Am I ready?

LONG: You are ready, go ahead.

WHITE: OK. Hello, I'm Louis White, a proven sports marketing and public relations specialist that is dedicated and committed to the organization I will serve. With over 10 years of experience creating and implementing high-level (AUDIO GAP) work has superceded normal expectations through effective relationship building and unique creativity, have demonstrated quality, sustainable performance. For these reasons, I offer my exceptional management skills to your business and look forward to speaking with you very soon. Thank you.

LONG: Very, very savvy. Mr. Louis White, I want to make sure people have your e-mail address if they want to contact you. Again, it's MrLouisWhite@gmail.com. Today's "30-Second Pitch."

Thanks so much for sharing your story, sharing of course, how you're being so persistent, volunteering in your downtime, as well. Wish you the best of luck, and when you get that dream job, let us know. OK?

WHITE: I sure will, Melissa. And I'll also send you another gift.

LONG: OK.

WHITE: I have a gift nor you. I have a book, actually.

LONG: OK.

WHITE: I sent it to a couple people there already.

LONG: Uh-huh.

WHITE: And I can show it to you right now if you'd like.

LONG: All right, quickly, put it up. Go ahead. No time?

WHITE: Put it up? All right. It's what I've been -- one of the books I've been reading since I've been here.

LONG: All right.

WHITE: And that's what I've been doing so I appreciate the opportunity.

LONG: All right. Well, thank you very much. And if I don't get it, I'll share it with Kyra, who I'm sitting in for today, as well.

WHITE: It's on its way.

LONG: Thank you so much. Good luck.

WHITE: Thank you.

LONG: I want to remind you, we also have his e-mail address posted on our blog, CNN.com/Kyra.

You want to be part of the pitch? E-mail us your resume at 30SecondPitch@CNN.com. Tweet us, also, at KyraCNN. Next hour we have another pitch for you, perhaps another candidate, if you happen to be looking to hire, as well.

Now, snowed under. A big part of the country is trying to dig out amid a coast-to-coast storm. When is it going to end?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Turning on the television, want to make sure you're up to date on the top stories of this Thursday.

Two war-zone trips. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is now in Iraq after his two-day visit to Afghanistan. He'll be meeting with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad. In Afghanistan, Gates said the U.S. will maintain a presence beyond the troop pullout set to begin in 2011.

In California, echoes of the 1960s. More than 30 arrests after police moved in to remove students that were occupying a Cal State-San Francisco, building. The demonstrators were there protesting big fee hikes and budget cuts. Similar protests have happened at the University of California campuses. And from New Haven, Connecticut, today, new badges for a group of white firefighters. They had persuaded the Supreme Court to sanction their promotions offer black colleagues. The high court ruled the white firefighters' civil rights were violated when officials threw out some test results in which too few minorities did well.

The case was an issue in confirmation hearings for high court judge Sonia Sotomayor. She had ruled against the white fighters as a federal judge.

Lot of miserable weather across the country this week. When is the big storm going to clear out?

Chad Myers in the CNN weather center, I know you're keeping an eye on Buffalo keeping an eye, I guess, on my family and your family, as well.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You have a -- you have family in Buffalo?

LONG: I do. I do have some there.

MYERS: Well, from where?

LONG: Yes.

MYERS: Where do they live?

LONG: Pretty close to the city of Buffalo; also in Amherst.

MYERS: All right. Here's Buffalo here. Syracuse, Watertown picking up snow, as well. All the way up into the U.P. of Michigan and also to Grand Rapids. And I'll come -- I'll just focus right here on Buffalo right here, and I'm thinking a lot of this snow usually comes down here through the south towns here: East Aurora and points southward.

But now, we've got -- we have Williamsville. We have Depew, Cheektowaga (ph), all the way out toward Akron and Lackawanna. Very heavy snow in the city of Buffalo, and that's -- only happens when the wind comes in from the slightly southwest, rather than from the northwest, pouring into those south towns. So, it's a mess there today.

We have a Traffic.com Web site for you for today. Because the west is going to get very ugly over the next couple of days. Here's Sacramento. Here's Berkeley, San Francisco. And if you're traveling up I-80 out toward Truckee, it's going to get really, really nasty in a really, really big hurry for this weekend.

So, I suggest, my Web site of the day, you would go to Traffic.com. Now, it's really actually called NavteqTraffic.com. But you can pick on any city in the United States, and you can see what the traffic is doing. You can figure out whether it's actually stopped, going, doing whatever, and you can put in your times, where you want to go, where you want to go to, where you're going to come from, and it will tell you how your traffic is going to be.

And I think that we're going to see I-80 very difficult this coming weekend as a major -- another major snowstorm comes back in from the Pacific. Now, we could see three feet of snow in the Sierra. So that's good for skiers.

LONG: Right. Very good.

MYERS: But only if you can get there.

LONG: Yes. Whether you are looking at the south towns of Buffalo or you're looking at Lake Tahoe or you're looking at any of the slopes out west, it's going to be a great opportunity for skiers, but very, very dangerous, as well.

MYERS: Do you know they're having the Olympics in Whistler Blackcomb up there in November. That ski resort had 18 feet...

LONG: Wow.

MYERS: ... of snow.

LONG: Wow.

MYERS: So, there's plenty of snow there for the Olympics.

LONG: There is. Plenty of fresh powder today, as well.

MYERS: You bet.

LONG: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

LONG: After 30 years of military service, you'd think -- you'd think -- this decorated soldier would have no trouble getting G.I. benefits to go to college, right? So, why did the University of Texas ask him to pay his tuition out of his own pocket?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: More than 100,000 military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are getting college educations right now, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Impressive? Well, consider this. It is less than one- third the number of vets who applied for educational benefits under the new post-9/11 G.I. bill, which went into effect on the first of August.

Thousands of vets simply cannot get the money for college that they have actually been promised. One longtime vet in Texas was asked to pay for his education upfront and be reimbursed later by the government. He said no way.

Chie Siato from our affiliate News 8 in Austin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHIE SIATO, REPORTER, NEWS 9 (voice-over): When the spring semester rolls around at the University of Texas at Austin come January, Chief Warrant Officer Phil Puckett thought he would be roaming around the campus as a new Longhorn.

CWO4 PHIL PUCKETT, VETERAN: I was just thrilled. Everybody in the family bought me UT-Austin stuff, a Longhorn. The neighbors brought me a flag.

SIATO: After serving 30-plus years in the Army and recently back from a deployment to Iraq, the Army gave him a year off to use his post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

PUCKETT: I'm trying to study for counseling soldiers that return with posttraumatic stress disorder.

SIATO: That was the plan until last week when he heard these words.

PUCKETT: "You have to pay for schooling yourself."

And I said, "Excuse me? Post-9/11 Vet pays the university directly."

And they go, "No, not here at UT-Austin."

SIATO: According to the registrar's office, those like Puckett have to pay the tuition and fees up front and be reimbursed later.

VASANTH SRINIVASA, ASSISTANT REGISTRAR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN: At any point one of the things that we wouldn't know is if a student, if a veteran or the recipient of a post-9/11 has overpayment of any sort to them that may cause the V.A. to withhold the funds.

SIATO: Which means UT-Austin doesn't cover the costs up front, since they have no way of knowing how much money each recipient is eligible for and if the classes they are taking qualify.

But that wasn't a problem at other schools Puckett applied to.

PUCKETT: I called Baylor, called Central Texas College, Texas A&M. They said, "You don't worry about that here."

SIATO (on camera): Unlike the University of Texas at Austin, according to the director of financial services and veterans affairs at Central Texas College, they along with Texas A&M Central offer veterans who qualify for full post-9/11 G.I. benefits a voucher so they don't have to pay anything out of their pockets.

(voice-over) Officials at UT-Austin say they do offer service members and veterans options.

SRINIVASA: One of the things that the institution is offering is an interest-free tuition loan. So, a student can apply for a loan.

SIATO: Puckett says he's not interested. So now he has some new plans.

PUCKETT: I'm a happy student at Texas A&M.

SIATO: As he lives out his dream as an Aggie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Now, CNN spoke with the Department of Veterans Affairs. It says, "The VA is working with schools across the country to make sure that delays in tuition payments for veteran students utilizing the post-9/11 GI bill do not prevent them from continuing to attend classes. One of the Department's top priorities is to make sure students can focus on their studies and not be worrying about the financial burden."

The backlog of delayed GI benefits came front and center last Friday. Want you to check out the exchange between President Obama and a vet at a town hall meeting. This was in Pennsylvania.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARD MARTIN, STUDENT: Good afternoon, sir. My name is leonard martin, and I'm currently a student here at (INAUDIBLE). I'm also from the Army...

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the Army! Where are you...

MARTIN: I'm also discharged from the Army, sir.

OBAMA: Appreciate your service.

MARTIN: Yes, sir. Two years.

My question, sir, deals with the Veterans' Administration. For example, this week I've called them several times asking questions about the GI bill. I'm eligible for the post-9/11 GI bill, but I haven't gotten any benefits from them yet. And when I call them, they're often busy, and we get a message saying that we have to call back later on.

Sir, could you call them up and ask them...

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: ... and get more people to work with them to...

OBAMA: All right.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Well, first of all, I will -- we will get your name.

(LAUGHTER) OBAMA: You know, you went straight to the top here so...

(APPLAUSE AND LAUGHTER)

I suspect -- I suspect somebody will be calling you on your cell phone in about two seconds.

Now, the VA, we've actually increased the budget for the VA by 11 percent last year, which was the largest increase in 30 years. And we'll be increasing it again this year, because we think it's important to play some catch-up.

Rick Shinseki, who is a great American hero and now the secretary of the VA, one of his tasks is to upgrade a bunch of the old systems in the VA. The truth of the matter is, you shouldn't have to make a phone call. You should be able to get online. That would be more efficient.

(APPLAUSE)

And what that tells me is, I mean, the fact that you're having to make the call tells me that we have not fully upgraded our information systems yet the way they need to be upgraded. But he is really working diligently. We had a lot of work to do on this front. The VA had been somewhat underfunded for a number of years, despite the growing amount of demand caused by returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

We are, I think, going to get it in a good place by the time I'm through in Washington, but in the meantime, you'll, I promise, get a return phone call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Oh, yes, he did get a return phone call. Martin told CNN as soon as he left the event he had a message on his phone from the VA. He said he hasn't received the money yet, but the benefits have been approved and he, quote, "couldn't ask for any more."

That's one down, a couple hundred thousand to go. When the VA says it's buried under paperwork, here's what they mean by that. The military newspaper "Stars and Stripes" is reporting as of December 1, 340,000 vets have applied for benefits under the post-9/11 GI bill. 276,000 of those applications have been processed. 124,000 of them are now enrolled in school. 104,500 are receiving their GI benefits.

Here's another issue that's deeply affecting military families, this one even more personal. Letters of condolences from the president when a service member loses his or her life. Except that does not apply when someone in uniform commits suicide. So, now the Obama administration has been reviewing that policy. Here's CNN's Elaine Quijano with one family's quest to have their son's life, and their son's death, acknowledged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we'll be reading "The Cat In The Hat".

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just days before he died, Army Specialist Chancellor Keesling sent this video to his parents from Iraq, showing no sign of what was to come. Six years ago Chancellor Keesling joined the Army as a teenager straight out of high school. One of three children in the Keesling family his parents say he was their quiet child, who grew up to be a good soldier, but Keesling's father, Gregg, knew his son was under stress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: During the end of his deployment his marriage began to fall apart.

QUIJANO: The pressures from his first deployment in '05 led his unit to put him under suicide watch, after Iraq, though, he seemed fine. Then he redeployed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He seemed to be doing extremely well. He managed life daily, no major problems.

QUIJANO: Again, the shocks of war and the distance weighed on Chancellor, then a fight with his girlfriend shook him badly. In an e- mail to his family, he threatened suicide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was calling here back and forth, back and forth through that night.

QUIJANO: In their final conversation, Gregg Keesling had no idea how much pain his son was in.

GREGG KEESLING, SPEC. CHANCELLOR KEESLING'S FATHER: My last words to my son through the phone was be a man, get over this, get on -- get on with yourself and I wish I had not said it quite that way.

QUIJANO: Hours later on a June morning at 8:31 Baghdad time, soldiers found the 25-year-old's body in the latrine. He had shot himself. A week later, Gregg and his wife, Janet, met their son's casket back home in Indiana. At the funeral the next day the church overflowed with mourners.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a super beautiful child. He was a loving, kind, well-liked young man, and every parent can feel proud to have a kid like that.

QUIJANO: After his death his family created a memorial wall leaving a spot for what they thought would be a condolence letter from the commander-in-chief. It never came and a military official explained why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, Mr. Keesling, there is a policy that prevents the president from writing to the family of a suicide victim.

QUIJANO: Now, the Keesling family wants to change that. They've written to President Obama and believe changing the policy might remove the stigma of mental health issues and suicides in the military.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our son gave six years of his life for this country, and he -- you know he died from an illness or an injury that we just did not recognize, that nobody recognized. We hope the president of the United States would want to show the appreciation to a family like ours for the sacrifice we made and allowing our son to become a soldier and defend his country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: At least 140 active-duty soldiers are believed to have taken their own lives this year. That is the same as all of last year. If there is a glimmer of hope, the military says the suicide rate among the ranks has been trending downward since March.

The Senate compromise on health care would do away with the public option, but maybe you're saying enough with the politics already. What about you? What about your family?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Celebration in the streets of Oslo, Norway. Police obviously, incredible law enforcement for President Barack Obama, as he has accepted the Nobel Peace Prize earlier today. We brought you live coverage about 30 minutes ago of the glorious candlelit march through the streets, a torch parade through the streets, leading up to the Grand Hotel balcony.

And there we have some pictures of President Barack Obama and the first lady, arriving for tonight's gala event. It is coming up on 7:40 in the evening in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The evening award banquet, part of the many festivities for the president as he accepts this coveted award.

A 26-hour trip, a very brief trip for also the president and the first lady. They'll be meeting with the five-member panel that unanimously awarded him the prize earlier this fall. Today, December 10th, it is the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death held every year on this very day. Again, these are pictures of just moments ago when President Barack Obama and the first lady. Also with the queen and the king.

Show you pictures a little bit later of also the Grand Hotel, and you'll see why it is called the Grand Hotel, dating back to 1874.

Once again, the Nobel Peace Prize going to President Barack Obama today.

Some of the other top stories developing on this Thursday. No big cash bonuses this year for the top executives of Goldman Sachs. Instead, they'll be getting a special form of stock that is subject to restrictions. Goldman came under fire over the speculation it was on track to pay some of its biggest bonuses since the financial crisis erupted.

Five people arrested in Pakistan, suspected of planning terrorist attacks. The Pakistanis say they're young Muslim men who have been missing from Virginia. The FBI won't be commenting on the report that its agents are in Pakistan interrogating the men. But Pakistani officials say the suspects used Facebook and YouTube to try to connect with extremist groups.

And on this International Human Rights day, a call for health care to be treated as a human right. Rallies are taking place on Capitol Hill, and actually in more than a dozen states, sponsored by the group Mobilization for Health Care for All. The group is pushing Congress to pass a health care bill that covers all Americans.

And we have great progress. That's how some are describing a new deal negotiated by Senate Democrats in the push for health care reform. But what exactly are these changes and how are they going to affect you? That's the most important part, right? Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, been following the updates for us and joins to us better understand how they will affect all of us.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Because we keep hearing different per mutations of this health care reform, and it's hard to follow what each one of them will mean for you.

Well, this latest version, here are the two most important things that you need to know about it. This is the one being discussed now. This is the one being discussed now. Instead of a public option where a government program would insure people that don't have insurance right now, instead a nonprofit, private insurance would be given to folks who don't have insurance now or not given. I mean, they would pay for it in some way, shape, or form.

Also, Medicare would start at age 55 instead of at age 65, at least for some people.

Now, let's sort of tackle that first one there. Here's sort of the simplest way that I can put it. Right now federal employees have insurance through private companies, but the federal government negotiates the terms of that insurance and how much it will cost, so it kind of would be a similar thing.

The federal government would negotiate an insurance policy with private companies for folks who don't have insurance now. Those companies would not be allowed to turn people away because they have pre-existing conditions, and hopefully this would give a private insurance policy that would be at a low enough price point that people without insurance could get it.

LONG: And again, just a proposal. This would happen on your 55th birthday.

COHEN: Well, the second part is Medicare. Medicare right now you get when you turn 65. And part of this proposal at least for some people they could get Medicare when they turn 55. It's notclear exactly who, if you already have good insurance through your employer, you might not be able to get Medicare at 55. But it's just sort of lowering it by ten years, because Medicare is a pretty good deal. You are getting insured, so why not start it at a little bit of a younger age.

LONG: Younger, I like that.

COHEN: Maybe 45 later, then 30. No, I'm just kidding.

LONG: Looking to the future, of course, this is a very complicated plan. Senators and Congressmen and women are trying to hash out. When can we expect really firm developments and firm answers?

COHEN: What they really need to do is put this plan on paper. Because right now, they're in the talking stages to get this compromise going, and so they need to put this plan on paper, and then the Congressional Budget Office needs to score it, which means they need to say, well, gosh, great idea, guys, but maybe it's too expensive or maybe it won't work. They are the people that put sort of the practical application on here. So, as soon as they can get it on paper and the CBO can look at it, they move on from there.

LONG: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

You have to watch the next story.

COHEN: OK, I will. I'll stay here.

LONG: It's really light, but it's fun. She's potty trained, she does tricks, she wears a GPS collar. Our deer in the spotlight? Look, next, you're going to fawn over this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Kids these days, talking on their phones, updating Facebook. Plotting jihad? What's going on with all the homegrown terrorists lately? We'll be talking with two guests about the concept of "Jihadi Cool."

And speaking of Facebook, your page might not be as private as you thought. Some new settings surprising some Facebook users today. We have more coming up in the next hour.

I really do love this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. A lot of people, they treat their pets like families, spending a lot of dough on them, fawning over them. Well written. Some animal lovers in Ohio, they're no different. But their dearly beloved pet sure is different. More from our affiliate WJW television.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK FINNEY, WJW-TV CORRESPONDENT: All right, come on in. We don't want to disturb her, but we definitely want you to meet Dillie. She's a domesticated doe, who has been living with a family in Kennel Fulton (ph) now for more than five years.

(voice-over): She's dearly beloved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She really is just so well adjusted. She just knows no other life.

FINNEY: And constantly fawned over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're talking about you, Dillie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says, "I know it. I'm a star.

FINNEY: To most, Dillie is a dear, but to the Butteras (ph), she's part of the family, just like the cat and dog.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When she first came she would go underneath Lady, she was that small. And she would go underneath Lady, thinking Lady was her mom.

FINNEY: Melanie is a veterinarian, and when Dilly was a few days old, she was brought to the clinic with vision problems, grossly underweight and barely alive. Melanie and her husband nursed her back to life in their house, which five years later, is more like Dilly's house. She is a bit camera shy, but Melanie says Dilly flips light switches with the teeth and even turns on the faucet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has taught herself to go up and down the stairs, go up into bed. When she's outside, she follows Steve around. She knows her name.

FINNEY: She is domesticated in every sense of the word. Perhaps the only potty trained deer in these parts, where she plays in the yard and does not go far. But just in case, she is tracked with a GPS device after Dilly slipped past the gate a few months ago before coming back home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are certain diseases you have to be careful of, but she is not around wild animals like other deer are, so she doesn't really have a chance to contract things.

FINNEY: Of course, Dilly eats like a queen. Mostly salad, but she really likes ice cream

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She likes pretty small scoops...

FINNEY: ... with a splash of coffee and Sweet'n'Low.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then we put it on the chair right here. Here, dill.

FINNEY: But if you bring her roses, don't be offended when she eats them. She is still a deer who is getting a little tired of all the attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It happened and she is part of our family, that we can't imagine it any other way at this point.

FINNEY (on camera): All right. Dilly, we know how you are right now. Dilly usually sleeps in the afternoon, and you know deer. When it is nap time, you definitely doe-not want to disturb.

In Kennel Fulton (ph), Mark Finney (ph), Fox-8 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Mark, love the story. Thanks for the laugh. We appreciate it.

The next story is about dirty drinking water pouring from the taps across America, and how serious is the problem and what is being done?

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LONG: Glorious live pictures from Oslo, Norway, and evening there, obviously. A live picture outside of the Grand Hotel and appropriately named, dating back to 1874. And always home to the Nobel laureates. President Barack Obama and the first lady there among them, in town for the festivities to receive the coveted award.

Earlier today, we brought you live pictures, nearly an hour ago of the torch parade through the capital city, and right now an evening award banquet going on for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Bacteria, arsenic, uranium? Those are a few of the things that you might be finding in your drinking water. What is the Environmental Protection Agency doing about it? Here is CNN's Mary Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dishes, yes. But Gina Barbara says she will not use tap water from her faucet for drinking.

GINA BARBARA, RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: I have four children and I have to worry about them. My -- my -- me and my husband and I don't want to drink it.

SNOW: Barbara lives in Ramsey, New Jersey, a town that had to install this filter system to remove arsenic from the town's water supply after levels exceeded state standards. Arsenic is a natural compound that can enter water supplies through natural deposits as well as agricultural and industrial practices. It's been linked to cancer.

The town's mayor, Christopher Botta, says since the filter system was put in place arsenic levels now comply with state and federal guidelines.

MAYOR CHRISTOPHER BOTTA, RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY: Certainly as a father, as a resident of the community, I'm concerned about our water and I did everything and I'm doing everything we can to make sure that our residents have safe water.

SNOW: But Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group that educates the public about health risks, says arsenic should be avoided at any level. RICHARD WILES, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: The problem is that it costs a -- a lot of money to clean arsenic out of tap water, and, consequently, federal standards allow what we feel and -- and most experts, I think, would feel is -- is not a safe amount of arsenic. It's -- it's an amount of arsenic that is a balance between the cost of cleaning it up and the health risks to people who drink the water.

SNOW: But Ramsey's problems are just part of a much bigger issue. "The New York Times" report its nationwide analysis of federal data shows that since 2004 the water supply provided to 49 million people has contained illegal amounts of substances, including arsenic, chemicals such as uranium, and bacteria.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee question EPA officials about a lack of enforcement.

CYNTHIA GILES, EPA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ENFORCEMENT: The vast majority of American public receives clean and safe drinking water from our public water systems. However, we do have challenging, noncompliance problems that require attention, particularly in small systems and with new regulations.

SNOW: EPA officials told lawmakers they have a plan to toughen enforcement in January aimed at improving drinking water in schools and in small communities where they say 96 percent of violations occur.

But Senator Barbara Boxer, who cited inaction during the years of the Bush administration, voiced frustration about the agency's plans to go forward.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: I need a lot more specificity from you. I don't -- I'm not confident that we are now ready to go.

SNOW (on camera): After that exchange, we did follow up with EPA, and the spokeswoman says that the agency has provided Senator Boxer's staff with specifics on this policy and how it will be implemented.

As for knowing what is in your town's water supply, one thing you can do is to contact your local water authority and ask for a copy of the report that has to be filed with the EPA each year.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)