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Malala Yousafzai Speaking Up for Kidnapped Girls; USA Plans Its Involvement in Nigeria to Help Return the Girls Home; Drone for Archeology: Thermal Imagery Saving Months of Work

Aired May 09, 2014 - 04:00   ET

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


CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everyone. I`m Carl Azuz. We are happy you are taking ten minutes for CNN STUDENT NEWS. Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan spoke out yesterday against Boko Haram. It`s a terrorist group that kidnapped more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls on April 15. The president says that would be the beginning of the end for the terrorists, but his country hasn`t been able to rescue the girls. And Boko Haram just continued attacking and killing Nigerians. The Islamic militants say they kidnapped the girls because they were getting a Western education. The terrorists say that`s a sin.

Malala Yousafzai knows what it`s like to be targeted for that reason. In 2012, she was attacked for her education efforts in Pakistan.

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MALALA YOUSAFZAI, EDUCATION ACTIVIST: When I heard about girls in Nigeria being abducted, I felt very sad. And I thought that my sisters are in prison now. And I thought that - I felt that as if I should speak up for them, because I felt responsibility. I believe that we are being sent to this world as a community, and it`s our responsibility that we take care of each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: The U.S. is planning to get involved in Nigeria, but we are not sure exactly how.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: Now!

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mounting worldwide outrage of Boko Haram`s vicious kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls. Now, leaving the U.S. to offer widespread intelligence and military assistance to Nigeria.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They`ve accepted our help, a combination of military, law enforcement and other agencies who are going in.

STARR: Nigeria agreed to accept U.S. help somewhat grudgingly and still has to agree to the specifics.

A team of U.S. military experts along with the FBI and others are offering help with intelligence, communications and planning for a possible rescue.

There`s already talk of U.S. commando raids.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D) MINNESOTA: I think that the people on the ground have to go and have to determine if Special Forces are necessary.

STARR: But the Pentagon says, don`t expect to see U.S. troops in action. More likely, detective work.

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, FMR. AIR FORCE COLONEL: Every single thing is based on having iron clad intelligence on the target and on exactly where the girls are and how the girls are being treated. What they also look at is how the guards operate, you know, what the routine is.

STARR: And that`s the kind of intelligence the U.S. simply doesn`t have at this point. And what if the girls have already been moved.

LEIGHTON: Each one is going to be in individual house, probably in different buildings, maybe even in different cities and that makes it really difficult to do a coordinated raid to go after them at exactly the same time.

STARR: Without all the raids at exactly the same time Boko Haram would have advanced warning the U.S. is coming after them.

So, what could the U.S. military offer? Well, perhaps drones flying overhead. To begin to monitor Boko Haram`s movements and communications. A first step to tracking them down. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: From Nigeria, we are moving across the Indian Ocean to Australia. Western Australia is the state that occupies about a third of the country. There`s been a series of deadly shark attacks there in recent years, and the state government just wrapped up a three-month program to hunt various sharks. In all, Western Australia says 172 sharks have been captured. It allows those that are more than 10 feet long to be killed and 50 of them have been. The most are tagged and released. The government says the program has made people feel safer at the beach and contributed the scientific research about shark behavior.

It may extend the program, but none of those animals caught had been great whites. They`ve been responsible for most of the deadly attacks on humans. Conservationists say it`s mostly tiger sharks, which haven`t killed people that have been captured.

We are kicking off this "Roll Call" in the "Who is Your Stay" in case you are wondering who`s your first school. It`s Plainfield Hi, yo! The Quakers of Plainfield, Indiana lead off today`s roll. In Valley Springs, Arkansas, we are in the eye of the Tigers. Valley Springs High School, thank you for keeping an eye on us. And how about them dogs? The bulldogs of Turlock High School are watching. They are hunkered down in Turlock, California.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, if you an I.D. me. I became a U.S. state in 1912, but Native Americans lived here more than 1,000 years before that. My state nickname is "Land of Enchantment", my capital is Santa Fe.

I`m New Mexico and relicts of early inhabitants are all over the state.

AZUZ: What`s fascinating is that researchers in New Mexico are using some of our latest technology to study those ancient relicts. Now, when you think of archeology you might think of digs, ditches, dredges, but drones? They are helping people see beneath the desert surface to study ruins underneath vegetation and sandstone without touching a shovel.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With a small remote control drone, equipped with thermo technology, archeologists were able to see underneath the dry New Mexican desert. The remains of a 1,000 year old village in north-western New Mexico.

DR. JOHN KANTNER, ARCHEOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: And really, just a few days` work allowed us to do something which would have taken a decade of work if we were to actually be - trying to excavate this entire area, for example.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. John Kantner with the University of North Florida says he studied the landscape south of Chaco Kenyon for decades and new there were homes from Pueblo ancestors in an area now called Blue Jay. But with thermal imagery, he and a team found even more.

KANTNER: We were able to find rooms, we think we may have been able to find as I mentioned before at least one kiva there`s blow to surface.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kantner says one of the most interesting discoveries is a possible Kiva, the ceremonial structure where people would meet for warship and decision making.

KANTNER: That really shapes your interpretation of what their lives were like. So, for me it`s very exciting that we may have actually been able to using this technology, identify these features below the surface.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The images helped guide continued research into the past where the estimate hundreds of people once lived.

KANTNER: If you drive now to Interstate 40 today, you have to imagine that 1,000 years ago it actually was a pretty packed landscape.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The new technique gives archeologists a way to piece together what remains of those who came before us.

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AZUZ: Teachers! Thank you! We appreciate your efforts to educate, inform and inspire young people worldwide. As we wrap up teacher appreciation week, Bhumija say her favorite teacher is Mrs. Degraff who teaches French and Spanish. She`s always encouraging us to do the best and right thing.

Meghan says Mr. Blake from St. Anne Catholic School makes language arts exciting while teaching us great life lessons.

For Faith, it`s Mr. Meaney from Manchester Township High School. His motivation in school, sports, and life itself just makes him all around great.

Dipendra honors Mrs. Knechtal, who is always there to help when needed. And R. Hudson writes, "Mrs. Ann is the best homeschool mom teacher in the world.

That last comment dove tailed nicely in the Mother`s Day. It`s this Sunday, don`t forget mom! Kevin Durant didn`t. He was just named the most valuable player of the National Basketball Association. He`s got four NBA scoring titles. He`s won an Olympic golden medal and the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and he hasn`t forgotten the woman who helped make it all possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN DURANT, NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: We weren`t supposed to be here. You made us believe. You kept us off the street. You put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn`t eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You`re the real MVP.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP) AZUZ: Great stuff. I don`t know how his brothers can atop that. I mean talk about MV peer pressure. It was certainly something worth crying about in a tributiful way to go in a Mother`s Day weekend. Thanks to all of you watching CNN STUDENT NEWS.

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