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NATO's New Role in Libya; 'Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door'; Tracing Reactor Core Leak; Possible Reactor Core Leak; Controller Sleeps as Planes Land; Taylor Late to Her Funeral; Hispanics 50 Percent of U.S. Growth; Quake Kills Dozens in Myanmar; Deadly Anti Government Protests in Syria; Unnecessary Gadgets; Interview with Bradley Cooper
Aired March 25, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: For all that's gone wrong at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant there hasn't been a full-scale meltdown. And vessels that contain the reactor cores have appeared to stay intact.
Well, there's still no sign of a meltdown, but two weeks after the plant and much of Japan were ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, experts do fear one containment vessel may have cracked. And at the worst possible reactor, of course, reactor number 3, the only one of the six that you see here behind me at the Daiichi complex that actually contains plutonium, in addition to uranium.
The telltale sign was the highly radioactive water that three workers stepped in on Wednesday. By "high radioactive," I mean 10,000 times the norm for that location. The workers are being checked out at Japan's National Institute for Radiological Sciences.
Japan's government now says people living between 20 and 30 kilometers of the Daiichi plant -- that's roughly 12 to 20 miles or so -- should actually leave. People living closer were never even given a choice, but until today the rest were told simply to just stay indoors. The U.S. and other countries have set a much wider evacuation zone for their people, 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Daiichi.
We've all gotten a crash course in nuclear physics over the past two weeks keeping an eye on this, but to understand the impact of a possible containment breach, it helps to consult a scientist, of course.
Well, last hour, I asked Bill Nye "The Science Guy" whether and how a cracked containment vessel could actually be repaired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL NYE, "THE SCIENCE GUY": I am open-minded, of course, but I don't think you can repair a cracked vessel. Instead, you have to cement it. Maybe that is a repair.
You have to seal it off in an irreversible way. You have to plug it up with concrete, and it's often mixed with a compound of borate. Boron also soaks up neutrons. And so this is what they did at Chernobyl, in an extraordinary fashion, with helicopters. But I think everybody here --
KAYE: So are you comparing this to Chernobyl?
NYE: -- is hoping they can do it -- well, I am, yes. Everybody remember that at Chernobyl, there's an area, if you think of an oval, about 100 miles long and 50 miles wide that you can't live in because this contamination got all over the place, this radioactive material.
And so as soon as you get leaks like this, and guys come out of there with apparently radiation sickness, something has cracked open and something is leaking. And everybody knows this, and I understand how much we all need energy, but this stuff is fantastically dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I asked Bill whether that danger extends far away from Japan, as far away as the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NYE: I don't think so, because it has to get in the air and it has to get to very high altitude. I'm not talking about detectable.
We have exquisite instruments for detecting very small amounts of radiation. They're used in all sorts of mining and they're used in spacecraft and so on. But this hasn't been shot very high in the air, so I don't think the risk to the West Coast is that significant.
But everybody, look, I mean, it's great to worry about ourselves in the United States. These people have had their villages wiped away, all their ancestors gone, their family gone.
KAYE: Right.
NYE: And then on top of that, we have this crazy nuclear disaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Some other big stories we're following as well.
A show of Friday fury in Syria, as pro-and-anti-government demonstrators turn out in force. Several thousand people converged on the city of Daraa, which has been a flash point, really, all week. Human rights groups say some three dozen people were killed there in the past 48 hours. Residents say another 25 died just today.
Security forces, accused of opening fire on the pro-democracy crowds. This video posted online is said to show one outburst, but we cannot independently confirm that.
A crowd of several hundred turned out in the capital of Damascus, chanting, "Daraa is Syria!" in support of the demonstrators. They ran smack into a crowd of government loyalists. That tension has reportedly led to even more bloodshed. According to the Reuters news agency, Syrian security forces shot and killed three protesters in a suburb of Damascus and then sealed off the area.
Tens of thousands of both anti-and-pro-government demonstrators filled the streets of the capital of Yemen today. Soldiers fired into the air to prevent loyalists from marching on the opposition rally. Pro-democracy protesters have been demanding the immediate resignation of Yemen's long-serving president.
The Obama administration has expressed concern over the unrest because the Yemeni government has been a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda. President Saleh spoke to his supporters gathered in the capital's main square. He said he's willing to step down, but only to what he called "safe hands."
There's been word of key talks between Saleh and a top army general who defected to the opposition. Sources say they have considered a deal where both men would resign and then leave the country. The two mass rallies come a week after dozens of people were killed at a protest. Saleh, who's been in office for more than 30 years, condemned the bloodshed but urged his supporters to stand firm.
Now to the Libya conflict and details on who will command the NATO mission there.
We learned just today, that job will fall to Canadian Lieutenant General Charlie Bouchard. He's stationed in Naples, Italy, at the Allied Joint Force Command.
Meantime, British fighters have bombed government tanks in position to target Ajdabiya. Pro-Gadhafi forces have reportedly been going house to house there looking for opposition members.
That's got residents, of course, fleeing the eastern city in droves. They say the horror is unimaginable, with bodies littering the streets.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi could soon be a wanted man. A spokeswoman for the International Criminal Court says its prosecutor is "100 percent certain" -- that's a direct quote -- "attacks on Libyan protesters will mean charges for crimes against humanity."
NATO is going to take over operations in Libya, as we've told you. But what actually are they going to be doing? And what will the U.S. role be? Well, that's what we want to know, and we'll share that with you. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: U.S. fighter jets taxiing down the runway, supporting Operation Odyssey Dawn. It was a sixth consecutive night of coalition air strikes over Libya, but we've learned that NATO will take command. Canada's lieutenant general, Charles Bouchard, will be the joint taskforce commander in charge.
I want to bring in General James "Spider" Marks, who's joining me from Washington to discuss this a bit more.
General Marks, let's talk about NATO's role. There are some things that seem to still be up in the air.
MAJ. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS," (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, the things that are up in the air are going to be there for quite some time. This becomes a very complicated arrangement that exists, yet the leadership that's in place is going to work its way through it.
You've got NATO, that has agreed to execute the no-fly zone. What you have still going on the ground is you've got Gadhafi's forces that are attacking the rebel forces. And clearly, the U.N. mandate is to achieve some degree of separation so that the killing of civilians will cease. We have to assume that the rebels are civilians, I think.
So I think what you're going to probably see is a separation vertically by the no-fly zone at some altitude. That NATO component will patrol that area, and the air-to-air missions that exist in that box, so to speak, will be handled by NATO.
Below that is where you're going to see forces -- I'm sorry, you're going to see the contributing nations such as the United States, probably the U.K. and France, others, possibly, that will take part in what would be called close air support or air-to-ground missions, so that Gadhafi's forces that are engaging with rebel forces are going to have to be separated. That's where this other element will take place.
KAYE: Let me ask you --
MARKS: So, clearly, it's a bit confusing.
KAYE: Let me ask you about the U.S. ambassador to Libya. He was just on our air, speaking at a press conference at the State Department. He said that Gadhafi's regime is reaching out to possible mediators, and he suggested that this is a sign of desperation.
What's your take on that?
MARKS: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I'm not the political or the diplomatic guy, but absolutely.
Gadhafi knows that his only way out of here is either going to be in a coffin or he disappears in some way so that there can be some form of transition. But I have to tell you that it seems to me a rather abrupt change in what we've understood Gadhafi's modus operandi to be in that he sees himself as a martyr, he sees himself as some being that can only assert himself in this particular arrangement, and it doesn't look like there's a very good diplomatic solution.
So I find it a bit odd, but I'm pulling for it. I'd love that to happen.
KAYE: Well, let's talk a little bit more about how this might play out. I mean, if rebel forces, if the opposition does make its way to Tripoli, can they take Gadhafi out? Or will there need to be more military assistance to do that?
MARKS: Randi, there's going to have to be an insertion of ground forces of some sort from some nations. I'm not suggesting that the United States has to do that. However, I will say that there probably are elements of U.S. Special Operations Forces on the ground right now facilitating in this operation. But that's my assessment.
But in terms of a power on the ground to measure the separation of fighting forces to ensure that there isn't a score-settling that's going to take place, I mean, let's be frank. You have two entities that have agreed to fight each other and butcher each other. And if there isn't some type of monitored separation, I can only imagine the humanitarian disaster that's going to follow what's taking place right now.
KAYE: Well, in terms of the end game, you know, some people really believe that the coalition really can't succeed without the United States in the lead. Do you think that it can, even with the U.S. in the back seat?
MARKS: It absolutely can. The U.S. does not have to be a lead in this element. However, let's -- again, let's look at the organizational structure.
You have a Canadian who is assigned to AFSOUTH. That's Allied Forces South, which is out of Naples, which is a NATO command. You have a U.S. Navy four-star, Jim Stavretas (ph), who is an admiral in Brussels who commands this organization. So the U.S. clearly has a prominent role. But we want to put a face that belongs to someone else other than an American that leads this thing.
But the U.S. will have very significant roles in the staff positions, and they will contribute through the use of their aircraft. So it can be successful.
But the point I'm making is, it's going to take more than air power in order to resolve this thing unless, of course, Gadhafi leaves. And then air power brought him to a point where he had this sudden desire to depart before his final demise, somebody shot him in the face. That would be a good thing.
I just don't know that's going to play out. I have to --
KAYE: Wait. Let me just stop you there for one second.
MARKS: -- demure (ph) it to others who are in the diplomatic and political roles.
KAYE: Can I just stop you there for one second?
MARKS: Sure.
KAYE: Did you just say it would be a good thing if someone shot Gadhafi in the face?
MARKS: Sure. Oh, sure. I think -- I mean, that's the only way that he's -- in my view of the world, my understanding of man, that's the only way he's going to depart.
I'm not trying to be overly aggressive and I'm not trying to be colorful here. All I'm telling you is that I don't see Gadhafi departing unless he departs in a bag some way.
KAYE: All right. We will leave it there as your final thought.
Spider Marks, always great to talk with you. Thank you.
MARKS: Thank you.
KAYE: And we want to get back to our social media "Question of the Day."
Summer's coming, which means swimsuit season is on its way. So we wanted to know if you think Abercrombie & Fitch is going too far with this product. Take a look -- a padded bikini top for girls as young as 8. Padded.
The Ashley pushup triangle bikinis are in the current spring line for Abercrombie Kids, a division of the company specifically geared toward kids and young teens.
To weigh in, go to our blog, CNN.com/Ali, for more on this story, and to share your thoughts, of course. And you can also post on Ali's Facebook and Twitter accounts. And you can reach me on my Twitter account as well, @RandiKayeCNN.
We'll share your comments in just about 10 minutes or so.
Would you be OK with a mosque in your community? You'll be surprised to hear what many Americans think. We break it all down next with Soledad O'Brien.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
Freedom of religion may be a fundamental right in the United States, but it doesn't guarantee freedom from suspicion. Take the example of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a Bible Belt town that recently erupted when residents found out about plans to build a mosque there.
This Sunday, CNN's Soledad O'Brien investigates the violent backlash in the documentary "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door." And she joins us now with more for a bit of a preview.
Hi there, Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Randi.
Yes, the town of Murfreesboro, the city of Murfreesboro, has roughly 100,000 people. It has 140 churches and one mosque. And the title, "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door," comes what happened when the Muslims who wanted to expand their mosque put up a sign. It was vandalized, and someone wrote, "Not welcome." And what followed out of that, what spiraled out of that was a contentious fight that nearly really ripped the town apart and ended up bringing the whole thing not only to a head, but also to a massive lawsuit.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN FISHER, MURFREESBORO RESIDENT: We are citizens. We have families and we have children in this community, and we're trying to look out for our future.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thank you for your love! We thank you for your joy!
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Kevin Fisher has lived here in Murfreesboro for 20 years. He's a corrections officer and a single father.
Last May, Kevin was stunned to discover local officials had approved plans for a 53,000 square foot Islamic center in his hometown.
FISHER: Neighbors were outraged that something of this nature was being basically shoved down our throats and we didn't know anything about it.
O'BRIEN: A month later, the typically sleepy county commission meeting was anything but.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many people turned up for the public hearing, authorities wouldn't let them all in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy to see this many people here that are really standing up.
O'BRIEN: A few residents complained about the lack of notice of the mosque plan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would respectfully ask for an expanded public hearing again.
O'BRIEN: Virtually everyone else spoke out against the threat of Islam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody knows who is trying to kill us, and it's like we can't say it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would encourage the boycott of any contractor associated with the project. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our country was founded through the founding fathers, through the true God, the father and Jesus Christ.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, but they seem to be against everything that I believe in, and so I don't want them necessarily in my neighborhood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That concludes our public comment, period. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: The court case would eventually put Islam itself on trial. There would be conversations about Sharia law not only coming to America, but would it, in fact, be coming to middle Tennessee? And also questions about whether or not the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protected Muslims in this country as well.
Our documentary will take a look at the Muslims in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. And that's Sunday night.
KAYE: And we don't want to miss that. We'll give the details in just a moment.
But I want to ask you why you think the difference of opinion exists about mosques in the South. But first, let me share a little bit about this poll and then have you react to it.
This new CNN/Research poll asks, "Would you be OK with a mosque in your community?" Sixty-nine percent of respondents said yes, 28 percent said no. But when we asked the same question to only rural southerners, 42 percent said yes and 50 percent said no.
So, Soledad, why the difference, do you think?
O'BRIEN: You know, most of the people I've spoken to have said it's as simple as exposure in many communities that are not rural communities. Where there's a more diverse community, it's much more likely that people know Muslims, live among Muslims in some way, shape or form, interact with Muslims. So there is not this sense of "otherness" that communities where people don't know Muslims feel like, well, who are they?
And, actually, when we were doing our interviews in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, many people would say, "Well, you know, they are not one of us. They should go home," even to those Muslims who were born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
So I think it really can be as simple as a lack of exposure and a lack of understanding.
KAYE: Yes. And I'm sure you talked to a lot of these people about how to change these unfavorable opinions.
What did you hear?
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it's interesting. If you actually look back to 2002, that unfavorable opinion was down to 39 percent right after the first anniversary of 9/11. So the number, the favorability, actually has been rising slowly over time, but it has been rising. So I think there's part of it that just time will play a role. But in addition, one of the things that I noticed in our documentary, when you talk to both sides, it's angry, angry fights. And you say, "Well, have you sat down with the other side? Have you sat down and had a conversation about your issues?"
Both sides would say, "No. No, we haven't." And keep in mind, this is a city of 104,000 people. So I think to a large degree, if you want to change numbers, any numbers, a dialogue is going to really be the first step.
KAYE: Yes. Well, you certainly gave us a great preview. I look forward to it.
Soledad, thank you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
KAYE: Soledad O'Brien chronicles the dramatic fight over the construction of the mosque in the heart of the Bible Belt. It's called "Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door," and it airs Sunday, March 27th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. Be sure to tune in.
Let's get caught up now with some other top stories.
In Libya, CNN has confirmed jets from Qatar have joined the mission today. Earlier, British fighters bombed government tanks in position to target Ajdabiya. Pro-Gadhafi forces have reportedly going house to house there actually looking for opposition members. That's got residents fleeing the eastern city in droves. This comes as NATO prepares to take control of the mission this weekend under a Canadian commander.
Back in the U.S., a school shooting this morning in Indiana. Police in Martinsville say one student was shot at West Middle School as students and teachers were preparing for the day. He was flown to a hospital, and local media reports say he is critical but stable.
Police arrested a suspect several miles from the school. They say the alleged shooter is a student who was suspended from that school two days ago.
And even in death, Elizabeth Taylor set her own style, and of course was fashionably late. Her private funeral yesterday was actually scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Forest Lawn Cemetery, but the actress left very specific instructions that it not begin until 15 minutes later.
Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday from congestive heart failure. She was 79.
They are a group of kids who live on the fringe, one step away from being homeless. So what do they have to do with one of California's top gourmet chefs? I'll share this remarkable story and why it makes him a CNN Hero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Three workers in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were laying cables in the basement of the reactor's turbine building when they stepped into water. Well, that water then seeped into their ankle-high boots, at least for two of the men who were subsequently hospitalized. And it appears that the water that touched their skin had 10,000 times the amount of radiation typical for that location. We're talking about reactor number 3.
Chad Myers, you've been looking at reactor number 3 quite a bit. What's going on there?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're trying to figure out where that water came from. Clearly, highly radioactive, even had cobalt in it, which tells us that it was probably at some point in the reactor's core.
How did it get out? Where was the break? Where is the crack? Is there a crack?
There's another building over here that houses the turbines. The turbines -- the pressure comes out. They're connected, but the steam comes out, the pressure comes out, it turns the turbines, the turbines turn a generator, the generator sends power to your house.
Great. But somewhere in here there's a weak link. There are lots of welds, there are pieces of metal that have now been corrosively charged with this saltwater. Think about what salt does to a car, right? I mean, so that's the same kind of stuff.
KAYE: It eats right through it.
MYERS: It eats right through it. And then you heat it up, and then you put more saltwater in it. Lots of corrosion could have been taking place anywhere in this reactor vessel. We don't yet know where the water came from, but with it being so very highly reactive, it touched something like a core.
It may have been from the fuel rods. Maybe. But it's more likely, if it's in the turbine building, because the water is sent to the turbine building, the steam is to get the pressure, that it's probably more likely coming from here.
KAYE: And that's where they were.
MYERS: Significantly more dangerous now. This raises the level of concern as to how much radiation can come out, because there's a break, and somewhere a weak link. There is a break, and this highly contaminated radioactive water is coming out.
KAYE: And we're talking about -- I mean, the main concern is that this is only one that has the plutonium and the uranium. So that's why this is such a great concern.
MYERS: No question, this is a hotter-type plant, can make more power, has more -- the rods do more things here. It's the MOX. It's the mixed oxide. And if you look just "MOX," it's kind of the acronym that they use. You take a look at how much more important and more impressive and more radioactive the MOX is than just the regular rods in number 1 and number 2.
KAYE: And we talked about -- we've been talking so much about seawater which they pumped in to try and cool the fuel rods. It didn't work. Now what, they're trying fresh water?
MYERS: Well, it did work, but it also clogged --
KAYE: That's what I mean. It didn't solve everything. It left the salt there.
MYERS: That's exactly right. Take a kettle and boil it dry. What's in the bottom? Stuff.
KAYE: Right.
MYERS: That's the stuff in your tap water. It's probably calcium, the hard necessary in your water. You dump saltwater in here and you let it steam off for days, you get a lot of salt.
That salt is literally now clogged -- we knew when they put salt in this whole thing was done anyway, but the corrosion and the explosion, this is not getting better.
KAYE: I think about that just being 10,000 times the amount of radiation that it should be and the burns these men have suffered. It's just terrible to think about. All right, Chad, thank you for helping us understand that a little bit better.
Most cities have them. Cheap motels inhabited by drug dealers, prostitutes and children whose families struggle to stay one step ahead of homelessness. When a top-rated chef in Anaheim, California, learned just how many motel kids often go hungry, he began serving up a solution one plate at a time.
This week's "CNN Hero" is Bruno Serato.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNO SERATO, THE ANAHEIM WHITE HOUSE RESTAURANT: I love to cook, but to be in the restaurant business, we must love the people.
Your lunch, ladies.
In 2005, my mom was here on vacation from Italy. I said, mom, let's go to the Boys & Girls Club.
This little boy was eating potato chips for his dinner. He was a hotel kid. A poor family has nothing else, you live in a motel. The motel environment is extremely bad, drugs, prostitution, alcoholic. It's horrible. When they go back after school there's no dinner. There's no money.
My mom said, Bruno, you must serve them pasta. My mission now is feeding hungry children. Six years ago we start feeding the kids.
When the recession came, customers dropped and the children doubled. I don't give the kids leftovers. I cook them fresh pasta.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bruno brings a tray and all the kids start getting excited.
SERATO: Are you hungry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's good to get food.
SERATO: We are between 150 and 200 kids serving this week.
Who like the pasta?
My mom, she made me start. Now I can never stop. They're favorite customers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: It's so great. He cooks for them and hugs them. They probably need a little bit of both. Bruno has served more than 270,000 dinners to date.
Remember, every one of this year's CNN Heroes are chosen from people that you tell us about. So if you want to nominate someone that you know is making a really big difference in your community, just go to cnnheroes.com to do so.
All right, now, take a look at these pictures with me. This is the scene in Myanmar. Another devastating earthquake hits Asia. The latest on this one, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It's 34 minutes past the hour. Here's an update on the latest headlines and some stories you may have missed.
In Japan, there are more troubling signs coming out at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant. Japan's nuclear agency says the protective wall around the radioactive core at reactor three is probably cracked and probably leaking.
Remember, the three workers who stepped into the radioactive water, well, the agency says that water likely came from the reactor and was 10,000 times more radioactive than normal. Japan's government is unofficially expanding its evacuation area around the plant. They are encouraging residents within 19 miles to leave voluntarily.
The FAA has suspended an air traffic controller after he admitted to falling asleep on the job. This wasn't at any airport, but at Reagan National Airport in D.C. Two planes never got clearance and were forced to land on their own earlier this week.
Both planes landed safely, but what happened is raising a lot of questions. Officials say the airport is changing its policy to now require at least two people to staff that tower overnight.
Elizabeth Taylor, even in death, managed to make a statement and was fashionably late to her own funeral on Thursday. The funeral was set to begin at 2:00 p.m., but Taylor left specific instructions that it begin 15 minutes late.
Taylor was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Cemetery near L.A. She died from congestive heart failure Wednesday at 79. Tonight on Broadway, the theater lights will be dimmed for a moment in her memory.
We're making sense of the latest U.S. census numbers and the most significant shift is in the explosive growth of the Hispanic community. The Latino population grew faster than expected to top 50 million.
That accounts for more than half of the nation's growth in the past decade, and their age is also really interesting to note here. Latinos make up about one in four people under 18, which could shift the political dynamic in the united states.
The death toll in a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Myanmar has risen to 75 and officials say more than 100 people are injured. The quake struck Thursday near the borders with China, Thailand and Laos. The earthquake was significantly weaker than Japan's, but similar to the quake in Haiti last year.
A day of death and rage in Syria, where and why it happened right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Deadly antigovernment protests erupted again in Syria today. Residents and human rights activists say at least 25 people were killed when security forces opened fire.
Most of the victims were killed in the southern city of Daraa, the center of opposition to hard-line President Bashar Al Assad.
Joining us to talk a little bit more about this is Michael Holmes. So what do you make of all this?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, what we're seeing here is it spreading, which is what the Syrian regime did not want to happen. The irony here is that this latest violence was sparked at the funerals of people who had been killed the previous day in other crackdowns by the security forces.
This is what so often happens in these things where you'll have the security forces crack down, then there are funerals. The funerals get a big turnout and there's more violence. It just snowballs.
What's interesting also is we're seeing the spread outside of Daraa too and we're seeing it in other towns and villages still in that southern area near the Jordanian border. But significantly there were protests today in a town where back in the '80s Assad's father cracked down and killed tens of thousands of members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
KAYE: Because he was in power for, what, 30 years.
HOLMES: Thirty years, that's right. So what is becoming worrying here is this starting to grow. What's worrying for the Syrian regime anyway.
KAYE: So what options does Assad have at this point?
HOLMES: Well, he announced that series of reforms yesterday to look into removing the emergency rule, which has been going on for decades, to increase salaries, to free up the media and the like.
But what happens now is what we're seeing with the demonstrators, they're initially campaigning against corruption, wanting more jobs, better salaries. Now they're becoming more anti-regime.
That's significant, too, because of the deaths that have happened. It looks like it's back firing on the regime and they're becoming more angry.
KAYE: Let's talk Libya. Coalition airstrikes today pounding Gadhafi forces in many cities, certainly Ajdabiya. We know that Qatar has joined in now.
We also know that there's some talk at least from the U.S. ambassador to Libya saying that he may be reaching out and maybe it's a sign of weakness. That he may be looking for a possible mediator.
HOLMES: There was a big conference today with the African Union as well, meeting with Libyans and the European Union and others trying to work out some sort of compromise. The usual sort of rhetoric coming from the Libyan side after that.
But, yes, the difficulty and we talked about this yesterday too you can bomb out the tanks in the desert. Once the fighting is inside the city, without boots on the ground there's not much you can do. So we end up with these options again. Do you have a stalemate? Does he get overthrown? Can he hang around for eye long time?
If so, how long does the coalition go on with this? We had a 12- year no-fly zone in Iraq, Saddam survived that or could there be a negotiated settlement with the rebels?
KAYE: You know, it's interesting because when it moves to these fighting, the fighting in the cities, if you think p about the rebels, they don't have all --
HOLMES: The weaponry.
KAYE: Right. They don't have the long-range missiles that Gadhafi's regime has so in a way it might be an advantage for them, right? Because they can at least use what they have. HOLMES: Well, that's true, but there are still tanks inside Misrata and inside Ajdabiya as well.
KAYE: May even it up a little bit.
HOLMES: A little bit, but still a very unfair fight. The Libyan military is not fabulously equipped by western standards, but it's far better equipped than these guys.
KAYE: General Spider Marks was talking about Libya and he said that the only way Gadhafi is going to leave that country is probably in a bag.
HOLMES: Yes, he seems very determined to stay, but you are seeing this sort of a reaching out, could we have a compromise? Could we get a negotiator in here from the outside to talk between the two sides and mediate a little? So that could be a sign of desperation for sure, but he's still there.
KAYE: Yes. Let's talk about the Ivory Coast and the bloodshed there.
HOLMES: Yes.
KAYE: The bloodshed there because that really - that's been going on for quite some time and it's seemed to have sort of fallen of the radar, right?
HOLMES: It has because of all what's been going in the Middle East and North Africa. Have a look there, that's the Ivory Coast there. The capital is Abidjan. This all goes back to elections that were held in November. Elections that were monitored by the United Nations and everybody saw as free and fair and everything else.
Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent versus Alassane Ouattara, the challenger, Quattara wins and wins handsomely. Gbagbo says forget about it. I'm not going anywhere. So you have this political stalemate, which you can see is turning very violent and has done for weeks now. This has been going on.
There are 50 people killed last week, 460 since November. And you're seeing a real crisis start to develop and there is the possibility of civil war. Gbagbo has got heavy weaponry.
He has been firing on civilians in that country. We've not been hearing much about it. There are 25 people killed in a mortar attack on a mall the other day.
KAYE: Then you have the mass exodus.
HOLMES: And the mass exodus, a million people fleeing the fighting. MSF, Medecins Sans Frontieres Doctors Without Borders were saying the other day that in six main hospitals, most of the staff have gone. So there's a medical crisis as well.
And there's a crisis of medicine and so this thing could just keep going in a very nasty way. They're trying to get some mediation going again there, and the African Union there was talk of them going in militarily and trying to get Gbagdo out and Quattarra in. He's in a hotel --
KAYE: But this is really politically oriented unlike --
HOLMES: It started with politics. That's right. That's right, but it's very tribal as well. They both have their camps. That's very, very nasty situation.
KAYE: Wow, that was quite an update. Michael, thank you.
HOLMES: Yes, sad one, isn't it?
KAYE: Yes, it sure is. You could see it spreading so quickly and getting so violent in so many countries. It's just awful to see.
HOLMES: Good to see you.
KAYE: All right, thank you.
Your old-school alarm clock, yes, versus your powerful desktop PC? A tech expert is going to tell us, which gadgets are chuckable and which ones are crucial to keep. Some of his picks are surprising and some might even tick you off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
If your house is starting to look like an electronics store, some spring-cleaning might be in order. But which of your beloved gadgets should you part with?
Sam Growbarts, the personal technology editor at the "New York Times," and he put together a little guide this week that really got the comments flowing. Sam, glad you're with us so you can tells us which ones we should keep, which ones we should toss.
So, let's start with -- how about the GPS? What do you think about the GPS?
SAM GROWBARTS, NEW YORK TIMES PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: Well, all of this is predicated on the idea that you already have a Smartphone. If you do, then you may not need a GPS anymore because there are apps that are less expensive than a GPS device that you could install on your phone.
KAYE: So what do we do with the GPS, then?
GROWBARTS: Junk it.
KAYE: Junk it, OK, toss it. It's going into the toss pile.
GROWBARTS: Sure. Absolutely.
KAYE: There we go. Next, we have this handy dandy CNN alarm clock. What do you think about alarm clocks?
GROWBARTS: I actually like an alarm clock because, while a Smartphone and other cell phones do have an alarm feature, they are sometimes difficult to access and some Smartphones, like the iPhone, had a problem with daylight savings time and a lot of people were late FOR work. A regular old-fashioned alarm clock is simple, probably fairly inexpensive. I say if it ain't broke, don't break it.
KAYE: Keep it? Alright, so we're going to keep this one? OK, I usually set my Blackberry, but, OK, we'll keep the alarm clock. All right. What about this? We have a modem here.
GROWBARTS: I'm sorry?
KAYE: A cable modem.
GROWBARTS: A cable modem. You want to keep that. You're going to want to keep your high-speed internet connection for your home. Because we're using the internet more and more for new things, like streaming video and other data intensive work. And so, you're going to want as fat a pipe into your house as you can get. I would definitely keep the cable modem.
KAYE: OK, That's going into the keep pile. Right there. Two to one now. OK, Here we have a point and shoot camera. What do you think about this one, keep it, or toss it?
GROWBARTS: I say toss it. I think that the Smartphone today has a pretty good camera. It may not be quite as good as a dedicated point and shoot. On the other hand, it is pretty good. Good enough for most people and you can do a lot more with it. You can share your photos, you can run apps through the photos to change the way they look. It's always with you so you don't have to worry if you brought the camera or not. So I think the Smartphone beats the point and shoot almost every time.
KAYE: OK, so it's a toss?
GROWBARTS: Toss it.
KAYE: Going into the toss pile. OK, we've got two and two. OK, how about this? This thing -- I've got to tell you we're looking at this iPod. It's only a 10 gigabyte, which is pretty funny, and it weighs a ton. It feels like a brick in my hand. It's definitely old school.
GROWBARTS: It's already a dinosaur.
KAYE: It sure is.
GROWBARTS: It is. And, you know, music players are now just a piece of software that may exist on your multifunction Smartphone so you don't need an iPod.
KAYE: I would say toss it with one exception, and that is, if you go to the gym a lot or you're a big runner, and you like to do a lot of exercise, you may not want to carry around your Smartphone with you. Might be too heavy, too fragile. In which case, you may want to get something like an iPod shuffle, which is $49 and you clip it to your t-shirt and you're fine. If you're not that person, though, I'd say toss it.
KAYE: I'm tossing it because I'm not that person. Alright, let me take you through the other ones really quickly and just give me the keep it or toss it line.
We have a USB thumb drive here, keep, or toss?
GROWBARTS: Toss it. You can use the internet.
KAYE: OK. That one is gone. What about a video camcorder? Keep or toss?
GROWBARTS: Your Smartphone can shoot video. Toss it.
KAYE: Wow, the toss pile is piling up. We have some books. Keep or toss?
GROWBARTS: I like books. I keep the books.
KAYE: OK. Let me put these over here. Now we have a desktop computer, which is awfully dusty. What do you make of this one, keep it, or toss it?
GROWBARTS: Toss it. Your laptop is plenty powerful enough for most people.
KAYE: OK. We'll take your word for that, Sam. We are going to put this one into the toss pile. So, we've got, what, one, two, three, four, five, six in the toss pile and some books and a clock and a cable modem in the keep pile.
GROWBARTS: Yes.
KAYE: So we appreciate your help. I feel like we did some spring-cleaning here.
GROWBARTS: Yes, hopefully simplify a few things. And, you know, just remember you can always donate the old stuff. You don't have to just throw it away. You can give it to a school or something like that.
KAYE: That is excellent advice, Sam. We really appreciate your time and your advice on that. Thank you. Have a great day.
GROWBARTS: Thank you, Randi. You, too.
KAYE: We've been asking for your thoughts today about a padded bikini top for little girls. We're sharing your responses, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Getting close to the top of the hour here. Earlier in the show, we asked you what you thought about the Abercrombie & Fitch padded bikini top for girls as young as 8 years old. The Ashley push- up triangle bikinis are in the current spring line for Abercrombie Kids, a division of the company specifically geared for kids and young teens.
Well, there haven't been any positive comments posted yet, so we're going to share these. Beth H. writes, "Seriously, to say the least, this is disgusting. What are the people at Abercrombie thinking? Are they just sick individuals?"
Chris is fed up and says, "Enough already. Our children are not sex objects and any company or parent who promotes this should be fined."
CNN's "American Morning" has interviewed some of the most important leaders from around the world. But what happens when a handsome movie star joins the crew? You've got to see this. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: OK, so during my morning meeting today, I tried to ask my booking producer, Marie, a question by speakerphone. But all we got on the other end was silence. Well, it turns out that she, like many of her New York co-workers, were in the "AMERICAN MORNING" studios watching this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Are you surprised that "Hangover" is now part of, like, the American lexicon? I mean, a movie --when you were doing it -- I watched it, it was a little silly. But, I was like, wow, this is really a funny--It's the highest grossing rated r movie of all time.
COOPER: No, of course, it was a total shock.
ROMANS: So, "Limitless," where does that --
COOPER: I love we went back to "Limitless." You're a pro.
ROMANS: I want to bring you back.
COOPER: You're the best.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: So, "Limitless," where does this fit into your repertoire of movies? I mean,
COOPER: My repertoire?
CHETRY: -- how does this round you out as an actor? Because, you don't want to be remembered just for "Hangover" two, three, four, five, and six, right?
CHETRY: I mean, how fast do you grow facial hair?
COOPER: Very fast, I just shaved on a break. Very fast.
ROMANS: You were clean-shaven when we took that shot.
COOPER: I was, I just finished up.
CHETRY: Are you back on the market now? We want to -- we're married. We don't want to know. We're just asking for our friends.
ROMANS: Very important for the people to know.
CHETRY: So, you don't have somebody carrying on umbrella around if it's sunny?
COOPER: No. Of course I do. That's normal, though, right?
CHETRY: Yes, and somebody else to count the money, too.
COOPER: Count the money, exactly.
ROMANS: What?
CHETRY: I have nothing else.
COOPER: We have nothing else to talk about.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: Ali is making fun of us. This never happens. We interview ambassadors, we've interviewed ex-presidents. We never run out of things to say. Now we're like two schoolgirls in a bar.
COOPER: That was incredible. That was great.
CHETRY: What was it like working with Robert de Niro? Did we already ask you that one? Darn it!
ROMANS: What's next for Bradley Cooper?
CHETRY: It was nice to see you. The movie is awesome and congratulations.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Are you guys done?
CHETRY: Ali, please, get us out of here.
VELSHI: He's pretty dreamy, huh?
ROMANS: I don't mean to name-drop, but my mike is falling off because we were just hugging Bradley Cooper, Rob. We're going to have to get the weather so we can get everything all settled here.
CHETRY: What do you think? Did we act like idiots?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Ali, are they trying to make us jealous? It's not working.
VELSHI: Not working at all, Rob.
MARCIANO: You know, we professionally respect what he does as an actor.
VELSHI: I was fine sitting here being ignored for several minutes that continued to go on.
MARCIANO: It was a nice break, you know, watching them abuse somebody else for a change.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Well, it's certainly good to see Ali Velshi working hard in New York during his time away from Atlanta.
And while we don't have Ali or Bradley Cooper here in Atlanta, we do have the next best thing, Joe Johns.
JOHNS: That is so cruel.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: You know you get the same reaction, Joe, when you walk into the studio.
JOHNS: Of course. You can't top that guy. It's just unbelievable. Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: Sure.
JOHNS: A great couple hours.
