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One Killed, Several Injured In Venice Beach Boardwalk Rundown; Peace Negotiations To Restart; U.S. Issues Global Travel Alert; U.S. Embassies Closed Today; Suicide After Cyberbullying; New NFL Hall Of Fame Class; Threat Brings Dems And GOP Together; New Details On U.S. Embassy Closings

Aired August 04, 2013 - 14:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Terror attack. And Americans traveling around the world are being urged to stay vigilant. The details straight ahead.

And in this country, people ran for their lives as a speeding car took aim at the crowd on L.A.'s famed Venice Beach. One person is dead, nearly a dozen more hurt. The driver is under arrest. We'll hear from some terrified eyewitnesses.

But first, new details are coming in as nearly two dozen U.S. embassies and consulates are locked up and closed down today. It's over mounting concerns that al Qaeda is getting dangerously close to a serious attack possibly in the Middle East or northern Africa. Sources say it is based on new communication coming out of Yemen, and there's particular concern about the U.S. embassy there. The threat has sparked a worldwide travel alert for Americans that may not end very soon.

And just in this hour, we are getting new details about the threat. Barbara Starr is live for us now in Washington with that new information. Barbara, what do you have?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, U.S. intelligence had been watching Yemen for weeks, if not months. Watching a growing series of threats, potential threats, in Yemen. That is not surprising. That's always been a very tough neighborhood. But it was within the last two weeks that the U.S. intelligence community began to understand, began to come into possession, if you will, of an intercepted message among senior al Qaeda operatives that indicated planning was underway. Possibly the final stages of planning, we're told, for an attack either in Yemen or somewhere in the Middle East or North Africa.

We've actually been asked by an Obama administration official not to go into a lot of detail about all of this because it is so sensitive, it is so serious, it could put things at risk. Intercepts are always some of the most critical intelligence that the U.S. gathers. And what are intercepts? It could be a cell phone conversation, it could be a Web site posting, a chat room. It could be a courier message. There's any number of ways that the U.S. would come to have knowledge about intercepted communications. But it looks like it was one of these events in the last two weeks that lead to this growing alarm and lead to several subsequent events. Closing down of embassies, the worldwide threat advisory, and, indeed, some U.S. troops being put on a higher state of alert in the region, ready to respond if it were to come to that. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And many of them ready to respond within an hour in some cases, right? If they had to pack up and go.

STARR: Well, you know, absolutely. This is also now something U.S. Marines are prepared to do when ordered. There are Marines in southern Spain, in southern Italy, and onboard three U.S. Navy warships off the coast of Yemen. Those are routine deployments for them, but they're combat capable. And they are ready if ordered, they can be on their airplanes, ready to go, ready to be on those helicopters within an hour of getting an order to do so. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Barbara Starr, thank you so much for keeping us posted there in Washington.

All right. This has, of course, impacted the 22 embassies and consulates already, including one in Tel Aviv, Israel. Vladimir Duthiers is live for us there. So, Vladimir, what is it like there today? VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, today the United States embassy in Tel Aviv, which is right behind me here is closed because it is closed every Sunday. So, this directive from the State Department did not directly affect the embassy here in Tel Aviv or the consulate in Jerusalem. I can tell you that the last couple of days we've been here, it looked to us and to the people that we talked to like routine security measures are in place.

However, just yesterday there was a suspicious bag that was left just across the street from the embassy. I can tell you that within minutes, a number of security officials rushed out into the scene. They cordoned off about 50 yards between the start of embassy toward the next block and would not allow foot traffic, would not allow pedestrians or bikers to come through the area because this is a very touristy area. We're right in front of a beautiful beach. There are a lot of restaurants and shops here.

They cordoned off the area, they had a bomb disposal unit on the scene. Within 30 minutes, the bag was deemed to not be a threat. It was a false alarm. They removed the bag, and then they allowed foot traffic to continue. So while it doesn't look like they beefed up security measures in front of the embassy, it looks like they are prepared to face any kind of a threat or even a possible threat within a moment's notice, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Vladimir Duthiers, thank you so much from Tel Aviv.

In Abu Dhabi, the embassy - the U.S. embassy normally would have been open today as this is the start of a new work week there. But instead, today doors are shut. John Defterios is live for us there. So, John, there's been talk that there could be increased concern as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes to a close. How does this factor into all of this?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you know, the last week of Ramadan is a week of prayer and reflection, Fredricka. But in this case, it's also from a security standpoint - and that's what we're talking about here -- a period for militants, perhaps al Qaeda to regroup, strike, and make a point. That is the biggest concern that we have here.

The move by the United States in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to shut down its facilities raised some eyebrows because security is so very tight on a normal basis. We're only about a mile away from the U.S. embassy here in the diplomatic quarter. During normal news coverage, we can't even go in with a still or video camera. That's how concerned they are normally here in the UAE about security.

It's also worth reminding everybody we're only 300 kilometers away from Iran from the Strait of Hormuz. So, it's front and center in everybody's mind, of course, in this sort of environment.

I spoke to one European ambassador who said this U.S. policy response is a direct reply to what we saw in Benghazi, Libya, September 11, 2012, when the U.S. was caught off guard and we had four Americans killed in that country. They did not want to have that happen again. So you can see why they went very broad brush with this approach, going into 22 facilities for a 24-hour period. We don't know when they're going to be open just yet.

WHITFIELD: All right. John Defterios, thanks so much from the United Arab Emirates.

All right, in this country, chaos on the boardwalk. At Venice Beach, California, witnesses say a hit-and-run driver apparently plowed into the crowd on purpose, targeting people as the car picked up speed, sending them diving for safety. A woman on her honeymoon was killed. L.A. police have arrested the driver and charged him with murder. As a fire department spokesman put it, saying quote, "If he wanted to kill people, he picked the right time, 5:00 on a summer Saturday." Coming up, we'll hear from witnesses.

The U.S. government is on high alert for a terror attack today, especially in the Middle East. In a minute, we'll ask our analyst what that means for Americans abroad and what you need to know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: U.S. embassies around the world are on high alert, and several have been closed. The State Department is warning of what it calls a credible threat to the security of some of its facilities, especially in the Middle East.

Tom Fuentes is CNN's law enforcement analyst and a former FBI agent. Tom, good to see you.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So we're hearing the term credible threat, and we've heard it before. But in this case, what message is being sent today to possible terrorists by these embassy closings?

FUENTES: I think the message is if we intercept you discussing a possible attack, we're going to jump through hoops, we're going to warn American travelers worldwide, we're going to put tanks in front of embassies. We're going to close for business in 22 countries. I think we're sending a message that we're going to react very swiftly to anything we hear. And you can judge whether you think it's an overreaction or not, but it should make them feel good that they're so powerful to make the U.S. jump this high.

WHITFIELD: You heard Barbara Starr earlier in the show talking about her sources telling her that within the last two weeks, that's when they were able to pinpoint this very specific information. But of course, for matters of security, a lot of that information was not to be made public. But in your view, what kind of information, how detailed of an account might intelligence have in order to take these kinds of, in some respects, really drastic measures?

FUENTES: I don't know that it is that specific. I know that they're saying it is, but based on the reaction, other things don't exactly match up to specificity --

WHITFIELD: What do you mean?

FUENTES: Such as closing 22 embassies instead of a handful, such as the worldwide warning to American travelers. That's basically something they can't use. There's tens of thousands, maybe a hundred thousand American travelers outside the country -- businessmen, students, vacationers. What do they realistically do with that kind of a warning? They can't take flights to the U.S. any sooner, they're booked. They can't stay in their hotel for the next three weeks during the threat period. They can't - you know, there's just so many things you can do. And if you're traveling, you should be alert all the time. Okay, you're extra alert. But I think that in a way, it's almost like pushing a panic button when people can't just react to it.

WHITFIELD: Hmm. And reportedly some sources are telling other news organizations that apparently the embassies and consulates may not necessarily be the target, but they are flash points. They are points of concern in these Middle Eastern countries and in northern Africa. But what other recourse would the U.S. have but to close a U.S. embassy if it's trying to respond to the kind of chatter that intelligence may have collected?

FUENTES: Well, the recourse is that the embassy is like a fortress already. Really the biggest vulnerability would be to the host country people who get in line to try to get an American visa or get in line to do business with a government agency at that embassy. The outer perimeter, the security is provided by the host country military police or contract security guards.

So really the biggest threat in staying open is to the host country more than it is to the Americans. If they want to attack the giant fortress like an embassy, it's a pretty hard target when there's thousands of people nearby in unprotected hotels, restaurants, museums, going about their business on a daily basis. So, I think to symbolically close an embassy and say the U.S. is afraid do business in your country now, I think - this is my personal opinion. I think it's a bad message.

WHITFIELD: And reportedly, Yemen operatives have kind of upped their game, that they may be reportedly using surgically implanted explosives. What more do perhaps you or others know about the sophistication, the tactics, behind some of these operatives, particularly who are being eyeballed in Yemen?

FUENTES: If you have surgically implanted explosives, you would have difficulty blowing up a telephone booth, much less the outer perimeter of a concrete, brick, and mortar fortress, like a U.S. embassy or consulate. And most consulates are also heavily guarded. Benghazi was an anomaly. It was a small office building relatively unprotected in the middle of a remote area without adequate law enforcement. But the normal array of embassies and consulates are - they're like forts. And you're going to need a small army to attack that fort with any kind of success. The embassy in Sana'a, Yemen has been attacked several times. They've resorted to try to launch rockets into it a couple of times, landing nearby in a school, killing students and not killing Americans. So, it's a very difficult target to take on a U.S. embassy, whether it has people in it or not.

WHITFIELD: Tom Fuentes, thanks so much. Always good to see you.

FUENTES: Thank you. You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right, back in this country now, the concern of what took place on the West Coast. Chaos and death on a California boardwalk. People running for their lives as a car drives right into them. The driver is charged with murder. And now, new details coming up.

And after years of delay, the Middle East peace talks process might officially be back on, but why now? And will it work?

And a teen kills herself allegedly after online bullying. Her mother says Facebook is to blame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHERINE BLACKBURN, WITNESS: It looked like something out of a movie, something you never expect to see. There were people flying, lying on the ground, tents flying everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had to have pressed his foot to the gas - you know, pedal to the metal because his tires started screeching. I saw him. He was looking for blood. That guy's intention was to essentially kill people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Unbelievable. They're talking about a driver who targeted people on L.A.'s famous Venice Beach boardwalk late yesterday. Witnesses say the car sped up and just drove into the crowd, killing one person. Police arrested the driver and charged him with murder.

Nick Valencia is here with details now. So, do we know a motive behind this?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we don't. And that's very disturbing at this point. That's going to be part of the investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. But a law enforcement source told me that the women killed was on her honeymoon with her husband. Her husband made those statements to police while at the scene. There's no indication right now that the suspect knew any of the people that he plowed into. They told me - the LAPD said it appears like one guy just bent on doing evil.

Now, one person was killed and more than a dozen were injured when this man, according to police, intentionally drove his car onto the boardwalk. Witnesses that our local affiliate spoke to said it appears he did this on purpose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE BLACKBURN, EYEWITNESS: He drove and took that left turn down the center of the boardwalk and just starting driving. Bodies were scattering and bodies were flying in the air, and people were screaming and it was absolute mayhem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Fred, if this suspect's intention was to hurt people, he chose a good time of the day to do it. Around 5 p.m., just before the sun goes down. It's one of the busiest times on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Fred?

WHITFIELD: OK, so how did this car actually get on the boardwalk?

VALENCIA: Yes, that's a good question. And speaking from personal experience -- I grew up in Los Angeles and been to the Venice Beach boardwalk a number of times -- there's no barricades. Cars can intentionally or accidentally drive onto the boardwalk whether they want to or not. In fact, police cars cruise up and down that boardwalk all the time after hours. This guy, it looks like he, according to witnesses, got into a parked car, rounded the corner and just drove into people intentionally.

WHITFIELD: Terrible. Venice Beach, giant haven for locals and a lot of tourists. I mean, it is a popular location. Terribly sad. All right, thanks so much, Nick Valencia.

VALENCIA: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Before today's U.S. embassy closings in the Middle East and North Africa, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry has said he wants a Middle East peace deal within nine months. Israelis and Palestinians are both ready to talk. We'll head to the Middle East next and hear from both sides about what they want out of a deal. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: New details now about a terror threat that prompted the closings of nearly two dozen U.S. embassies and consulates today. We've learned that a recently intercepted message among senior al Qaeda operatives triggered the alarm. The Obama administration has asked not to give any more details than that because the information is so sensitive. The threat has also sparked a worldwide travel alert for Americans.

Meantime, peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are set to restart, possibly this week. Unclear whether the U.S. embassy closures because of that global threat will alter the plan. But for weeks now, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry has been doing his shuttle diplomacy, trying to get negotiations off the ground. Kerry says he wants to see a deal in place within nine months.

What will it take to make that happen? Let's talk to both sides. I want to start with Mark Regev. He's a spokesman for the Israeli government. So, the U.S. embassy remains closed today in Tel Aviv as it usually is on Sunday, but also because of threats in the Middle East. So, are you worried that these global threats will impact any hope you had for talks with Palestinians?

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: You know, in this part of the world you have to always keep your eye on the ball and be aware that there are terrorists throughout that want to hurt you. And obviously Israel, like the United States, spends a lot of effort, time, energy, and resources in protecting our people against the terrorists' threat.

And we also know that if these talks succeed and do we have peace talks with the Palestinians, and I hope it's possible, that for some people, that will be a terrible thing thing. Though most people in the world want to see peace, it's the terrorists out there who want to destroy the peace. And they'll attack the peacemakers. And it's very important that we understand that in any peace agreement we reach, we have security arrangements on the ground to make sure we can protect the peace.

WHITFIELD: So will there be talks as early as this week with both sides coming to the table, Israelis, Palestinians?

REGEV: Yes, I expect talks to be restarting soon --

WHITFIELD: Who would be there?

REGEV: It's a good thing we weren't talking to each other - well, we have our negotiating team headed by Minister Livni (ph), the Israeli minister of justice. The Palestinians have their team. And this is very important because for too long, we haven't been talking. There were these artificial preconditions that were put on the table. That was a mistake. Now we're finally talking, Israelis, Palestinians, eyeball to eyeball.

All the core issues of the conflict are on the table, Fredricka. We've got to find solutions. It's not going to be easy, but we're focused on getting this done.

WHITFIELD: You said in the past there have been preconditions. So, in this case, if meetings take place this week, you're saying there are no preconditions or have they just yet to be discussed?

REGEV: No. All the issues are on the table. The Palestinians will bring their demands to the table. We'll, of course, bring our concerns to the table. We'll be having serious discussions. The idea is not to have a precondition for talks, not to have demands that have to be met before talks begin. We're putting everything on the table, and that's the best way to move forward. Ultimately, the only way to solve these issues is for Palestinians and Israelis to talk to each other, and that's what's happening now.

WHITFIELD: Okay. What are the Israelis putting on the table?

REGEV: Well, all of the core issues are there. For us, the two most important issues, the first one I spoke about a month ago, which is security. In the past, Israel has pulled out of territories, and we've on only been attacked from territories we vacated. That happened in Lebanon. That happened in Gaza. You know, we turned over the territory to the Arab side only to find hostile elements take over that territory. Hezbollah, Lebanon, Hamas and Gaza.

And then the Israeli civilian population was on the receiving end of thousands of rockets. So, we want to make sure that in a peace agreement with the Palestinians that there will be iron-clad security arrangements to make sure that doesn't happen, that the future Palestinian state to be established in the framework of peace and reconciliation will be a demilitarized state. So, that's one thing we're looking for.

WHITFIELD: What are the others? Because that sounds like one that's always been on the table.

REGEV: Yes. The security issue is very important for us. I mean, you've got to always remember that Israel is a very small country. We're the size of the state of New Jersey. And we look to our northern border and we see people in Syria. We see a region that is very volatile, very chaotic, and we want to make sure that any peace agreement protects the people of Israel. We don't want to expose our citizens to unnecessary risk.

That doesn't mean we're not really eager about moving forward in peace. We want a peace deal. But if peace deal has to have as part of its foundations ironclad security arrangements because my prime minister -- and he said this publicly, Mr. Netanyahu -- we're willing to be flexible on a lot of issues to make this peace process work. But we cannot be flexible on the safety and security of our people. On that, we have to stand firm.

WHITFIELD: Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli government, thanks so much for your time from Tel Aviv.

REGEV: My pleasure. Thanks for having me, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: And now to the other side of the equation: what do the Palestinians hope to achieve in a negotiated deal, especially in light of this global threat leading to the closings of U.S. embassies and consulates? Hanan Ashrawi is a member of the executive committee of the PLO and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Good to see you. So let me ask you the same question as I did to Mr. Mark Regev --

HANAN ASHRAWI, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: Thank you. It's good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Excellent. Are you concerned that the current global threat may set back any hopes for the talks this week - still scheduled for this week?

ASHRAWI: No, not specifically at all because the global threats that come from al Qaeda are not related to Palestine in any way. But it makes the issue of making peace, of ending the Israeli occupation, of having a Palestinian state all that more urgent and imperative. Because this is one way of bringing justice and stability to a region and to undermining all forces of extremism and violence that have trying to use the Palestinian cause as one of the causes. So I believe just peace will be one way of dealing with extremism and, of course, will be one source of stability for the whole region.

WHITFIELD: So what is different this time? You just heard perhaps Mark Regev representing the Israeli government there saying that everything will be put on the table. There are no pre conditions that would be set. First, top priority for the Israeli side would be some assurances of getting ironclad security, particularly in those territories. A, what's your response to that, and then, B, what do the Palestinians want out of this process? Why are you more hopeful this time?

ASHRAWI: Well, what we want is, of course, freedom and we want justice and we want self-determination, our own independent sovereign state and our own land, 67 boundaries with Jerusalem as the capital. It is very clear. This has always been the agenda. I believe Israel should have respected the terms of reference, should have respected international law and so that stopped all settlement activities in order to demonstrate that it does respect the two-state solution actively not just through lip service.

That's why we are talking about this time that there has to be genuine accountability, genuine engagement. We do not doubt the sincerity, determination or tenacity of Secretary John Kerry, but we believe there has to be the political will and the courage to stand up to Israeli violations and to insist that all settlement activities have to stop, the '67 boundaries have to be respected and you'd be surprised at how fast you can achieve a conclusion.

But you cannot reconcile settlements, stealing other people's lands resources, rights, freedom and so on with peace or with saying that you are committed to a two-state solution. Peace has to be based on international law, on justice, on parity and recognizing that this very abnormal, unjust situation of occupation has to come to an end and all issues, you're right, Fredricka, all the issues should be on the table including Jerusalem, refugees, boundaries and settlements, all these are the issued that were agreed upon as the agenda for permanent status talks.

WHITFIELD: You've just said that you respect the tenacity of Secretary Kerry. So to what extent do you want the U.S. secretary of state involved? There's been this shuttled diplomacy over weeks now, but do you want his physical presence during these talks? In what way are you hoping the U.S. would play a role here?

ASHRAWI: Well, the U.S. is the only third party that Israel would listen to, so to speak, although there's a saying here that it's the tail that wags the dog. We believe that the U.S should be able to stand up to Israeli violations to put them into Israeli impunity, sense of entitlement and of course, privilege and to try to tell Israel that if it wants peace then it has to abide by international law. That's why we need American or third party engagement. We believe the U.N. should be there frankly because international law must prevail.

But the U.S. has to be even handed. The problem has always been this blind support of Israel, hear no evil, see no evil, speak of no evil of Israel even when it is stealing other people's lands and rights and so on. So if the U.S. wants to make a difference then it certain has to stand up for issues of justice, principal, and international law rather than issues of personal, self-interest or issues serving this strategic alliance with Israel.

The Palestinians have to be given treatment on the basis of parity, equality of human rights and so on, not on the basis of maintaining a situation of captivity and subjugation where Israel is given full immunity to act with impunity.

WHITFIELD: All right, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the PLO and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, thanks for your time. And of course, I think everyone is wishing best of luck on both sides. Doesn't everybody want to see peace.

ASHRAWI: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much.

All right, and, of course, we know that we, the nation, the United States of America, are on high alert for a possible al Qaeda terror attack overseas, but how did this country get to that point? Some answers coming up next from a former top official at both the FBI and the CIA.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Growing fears of a possible al Qaeda has put American travelers around the world on high alert. The U.S. closed 22 embassies and consulates today. We just learned that this was triggered by a recently intercepted message among al Qaeda senior operatives.

I spoke to counterterrorism expert, Philip Mudd, about how that intelligence may have been gathered.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILIP MUDD, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: Well, at the threat table every morning, you got to assess quality of information, that is what is the source. You say internet might be an interceptable phone call. It might be a human source. But I think Americans would be surprised if the quantity of threat information got to weed through every day. So to decide as U.S. government official, you are going to get out and warn people. This has got to be pretty serious stuff.

WHITFIELD: OK, and when we hear that there are some -- something like 22 U.S. embassies and consulates that will be closed on Sunday and that France and even Great Britain and Germany are considering the same things, do you feel like it's going go beyond just one day? I mean, why arm or inform a potential enemy that it would just be for a day?

MUDD: Look. This is a classic "rock in a hard place" decision especially in the wake of Benghazi. You've given a warning to the American people that's vague enough or so vague that is very difficult for them to take action, but if something were to happen and you hadn't issued that warning, I can tell you what people would say. Why didn't you tell us? So you're stuck saying, I know it's vague. I know it's not extremely helpful, but we don't have much option.

WHITFIELD: And then we understand there al Qaeda's leader Ayman Al- Zawahiri has appointed the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as its kind of new number two person. How significant is that? Does it have anything to do with these threats?

MUDD: I'm not certain it relates to threats, but as a terrorism watcher, this is an extremely significant step. It tells me at least two things. Number one, the organization is under such stress in Pakistan, the historic area where al Qaeda core operations have been conducted it has got to look elsewhere, in this case, Yemen, to find the leader. The second is, you are going to outside the traditional Saudis who have run the organization into a Yemeni. That sounds nuanced to an outsider. I think that's pretty significant for al Qaeda watchers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Philip Mudd of the New America Foundation. We'll, of course, continue to follow for you this developing story. >

All right, a new battle in the fight against online bullying and this beautiful young girl is the latest alleged victim. Why Italian prosecutors may go after Facebook?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The suicide of a 14-year-old girl, an alleged victim of brutal cyberbullying could spark a criminal complaint against Facebook. It started with an embarrassing video posted online and it ended with the Italian teen jumping out of her bedroom window to her death. Ben Wedeman reports from Northern Italy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was like so many girls her age. Her identity, her pictures, her thoughts, her life splashed across Facebook, but when a video of the 14-year-old Carolina Picchio allegedly showed up on Facebook in which she appeared to be drunk and disoriented at a party, the social network became a social nightmare. An ex-boyfriend and his friends posted a steady barrage of abusive offensive messages aimed at Carolina.

He was insulting her, mistreating her, recalls her sister, Talita. We naturally spoke about it with her, but she told us not to worry. Talita and some of Carolina's friends say they reported the nasty messages to Facebook hoping they'd be removed but nothing happened.

In the prosperous Northern Italian town of Novada, what started online spilled into Carolina's daily life, at school and among her friends. Unbeknownst to her family, it was all becoming too much for her to handle. Sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning on the 5th of January of this year, Carolina jumped out of her bedroom window and landed head first on the concrete below. She left a final letter addressed to her tormentors, which her mother Christina read to us.

Are you happy now, asked Carolina? Have you hurt me enough? Have you had enough revenge? Novada Prosecutor Francisco Salucho is looking into the possibility of throwing the book at Facebook for failing to remove offensive content that may have led to Carolina's suicide. In the case of Carolina, he says, it appears that some of her friends, some of her relatives asked for the removal of this strong content and it wasn't removed and this played a role in her decision to commit suicide.

In response to a request for comment on this story, Facebook provided CNN with a statement. We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Carolina Picchio and our hearts go out to her family and friends. Harassment has no place on Facebook and we actively encourage teens and parents to report incidences of bullying using the links located throughout this site.

We remove content reported to us that violates our statement of rights and responsibilities, and we escalate reports of harassment and bullying to law enforcement where appropriate. Carolina's mother feels the time has come for Facebook to confront the reality of online bullying.

Carolina's mother feels the time has come for Facebook to confront the reality of online bullying. My battle, she says, is to make the social networks responsible so that there are protections for minors. We can't allow for more Carolinas or other mothers who must cry and be deprived the lives of their daughters. Carolina's uncle has posted a YouTube video dedicated to her. Carolina's death now a rallying point in Italy in the fight against online bullying. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Novada, Italy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, it may be the middle of summer, but football season is here. The Dallas Cowboys play the Miami Dolphins tonight in Canton, Ohio. It's the annual hall of fame game. Last night, the NFL inducted seven new members in the Hall of Fame, Coach Bill Parcel, Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp and Wide Receiver Chris Carter, all among the news class. The regular season starts in just 32 days. Congrats to them.

All right, so that's good news. The good stuff involving the NFL, but following the state of bad news involving NFL players, the National Football League is looking forward to making uplifting history probably next year with the first female NFL referee. Earlier, I talked with the "STATE OF THE UNION" host, Candy Crowley about this NFL first.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN'S "STATE OF THE NATION": I think you hit the nail on the head. Can we know what's really in the mind of NFL officials who decide this? No. I'm a skeptical. I've covered politics for too long. When you have a spate of bad stories, I mean, let's remember high profile players involved in murder suicides charge with murder, DUIs, I mean, on and on, you really would like to change the subject.

The NFL is no different than politicians. When the subject is bad change it and this is a great story. I mean, the possibility the first full-time NFL female referee and so they put her out there. They agree. It's a great story. So I think -- we bit because it's kind of interesting.

WHITFIELD: So you mentioned, she is familiar with NFL mini camps. GE has been on the NCAA seal before, but has this been like a lifelong pursuit of her, I mean, she's a mother of three including a new born at home?

CROWLEY: Yes. She has a 7-month-old, I believe, under a year. I said to her, what's the biggest thing you worry about as a female in a nearly all male bastion. She said, you know, it's getting my uniform to fit. It's not doing the job. It's not being out there with the guys. It's not having these big honking, you know, men who are three times her size and when she was pregnant and reefing they had to make a special shirt for her. She's pretty determined. She's wanted to do this and study this for a very long time. It's not easy to get into the NFL as an official.

WHITFIELD: No, it's not and it's tough to break that glass ceiling, be the first as she is now very familiar with. She's been a first in other categories too. Candy, let's talk about the international threat. That is the headline today. Certainly it will be driving force this week. The White House continues its high-level meetings, but does it seem as tough members of Congress who have been so critical of this administration and its handling of Benghazi are now speaking with one voice on this current global threat?

CROWLEY: Yes. And not only that, so are Republicans and Democrats on the select intelligence committee. You hear everyone from Lindsey Graham, a Republican on the Senate side, Adam Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee saying this was the exact right thing to do. We're on it. Most everyone agrees it's a post-Benghazi era, and the administration doesn't want to ever sit up on Capitol Hill again saying why did you -- you know, you heard -- you know, the intelligence was showing you there were problems, why didn't you act, why is he there, they didn't want do that again.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: I appreciate what the administration is doing. They're taking the right approach to this. Benghazi was a complete failure, the threats were real there. The reporting was real. We basically dropped the ball. We've learned from Benghazi, thank God, and the administration is doing this right.

CROWLEY: So it is -- there is bipartisan agreement that this was the thing to do. What it all means for the future of, say, the National Security Agency or our relations to some of these countries where terrorism tends to breed is a source of some conversation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And, remember, you can catch CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

All right, in this week's "Human Factor," a doctor living with cystic fibrosis defies the odds and lives his dream. Here's Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day now, Chuck Fox is beating the odds.

CHUCK FOX, HAS CYSTIC FIBROSIS: When I was born, the average life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis was 18 years old. Currently they estimate it to be approximately 38 years old. So last year I passed that threshold. I'm still here.

GUPTA: Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and the digestive system. When he was born, Chuck's parents were determined to see him thrive. Even though doctors warned he may not survive.

FOX: I think they decided to raise me as the most resilient kid with CF around and just keep throwing me out there.

GUPTA: As a kid, there was a daily routine of medications and physical therapy, most of it administered by his mom. Now as an adult --

FOX: I have to wear this mechanical vest every day to just help keep my lungs clear and help me breathe. I get hooked up to that and it's basically like doing physical therapy for your chest and for your lungs.

GUPTA: And like his parents, Chuck didn't allow the scepticism he encountered discourage his dreams of becoming a doctor himself and having a family.

FOX: If anything it made me want to do it more and just prove that I could do it.

GUPTA: That's exactly what he did. Dr. Fox graduated from Harvard Medical School.

FOX: I know you've been through this before, but do you have any questions for me?

GUPTA: He's been a practicing gastrointerologist for eight years. He and his wife, Amy, they just celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary and they're proud parents of 11-year-old twins, Sidney and Ben.

FOX: In my wildest dreams when I was a kid, I couldn't have imagined that things could have been any better. I would say I'm the luckiest person I know.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, we're getting word in the new developments of the Alex Rodriguez saga. ESPN is reporting A-Rod will be in the New York Yankees starting line up tomorrow night. The network quotes, "Yankee Manager Joe Girardi is saying the third base man will play in Chicago against the White Sox." Major League Baseball is expected to hand out suspensions in a doping scandal this week, possibly as early as tonight. And it had been reported that A-Rod was reported to be one of the players affected. He has been playing in the minor leagues this week after an injury.

All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We'll see you later on today 4:00 Eastern Time. Right now, it's time for "YOUR MONEY."