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Nation on Alert; New Info Revealed on bin Laden Operation; Bin Laden's Support System; Congress Hears Raid Play By Play; Levee Blown up to Save Town; Bin Laden's Burial at Sea; Gadhafi Should Go; House Members Briefed on Raid; SEAL Team May Hit Big Screen;

Aired May 03, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: But how is it that the U.S. does that when the U.S. very much so relies on Pakistan for intel?

LEILA HUDSON, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: Well, there -- this doesn't mean cutting off all aid to Pakistan. I think there are much smarter ways that we can demonstrate our commitment to this very important ally.

Pakistan is a huge country with a population of almost 200 million people, scheduled to double in population within 25 years, and all kinds of other civilian and humanitarian needs that would be a much smarter way for us to develop a relationship of this key front line ally.

BALDWIN: OK.

HUDSON: What we mean by feeding the beast in this editorial that my students and I wrote is in fact this idea of throwing huge amounts of money into a military complex, again, that has its own very specific sets of interests that are not necessarily exactly perfectly co-aligned with those of the United States.

BALDWIN: Yes. This is very much so the beginning of a conversation that I think the U.S. will begin having with regard to the relationship with Pakistan and also the money that we provide.

It will be looked into --

(CROSSTALK)

HUDSON: Sorry. I can't actually hear you. I have lost my mike.

Leila Hudson, got to move on. Leila, apologies there.

I do want to pass along here, top of the hour, I want to share some live pictures with you. We mentioned at the top of the hour we would be seeing a pretty special moment there in the U.S. Senate chambers. They are going to be voting on this resolution essentially honoring the members of the military and Intelligence Committee who carried out this top secret covert mission. They just finished voting here, the mission that of course in the wee hours of Sunday morning killed Osama bin Laden, unanimously passing this resolution. And we see them up and about right now. But what was pretty significant about this and something we don't see often among the senators is they were asked to sit at their desks, which is a custom saved for very solemn, solemn occasions such as this sort of honoring service.

And now watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: The war Osama bin Laden began ends with a top-secret surprise from the red, white, and blue. We're taking you inside that raid, 40 minutes of drama.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The unfolding story starts right now.

(voice-over): Should the U.S. prove Osama bin Laden is dead?

JOHN BRENNAN, U.S. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We are going to make sure that nobody has any basis to deny that we got Osama bin Laden.

BALDWIN: Coming up, the president's decision over whether the world should see the evidence.

Plus, computers, DVDs, thumb drives, Navy SEALs discovering a treasure chest of intelligence inside bin Laden's compound. Does the information include plans for a possible terror attack?

Also, no cave in Afghanistan. Bin Laden was found in the heart of a Pakistani city. So, are these two terror targets also hiding in plain sight?

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: A so-called lone wolf will now mobilize himself or herself to take action here at home.

BALDWIN: The U.S. puts the nation on alert, as the CIA warns al Qaeda will want revenge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Hello. Welcome back to hour two here at the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

You're looking at New York Congressman Peter King. He's one of several members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have just been briefed by a number of high-ranking officials, including CIA Director Leon Panetta, on what exactly went down on Sunday in Pakistan.

Let's listen to the congressman.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

QUESTION: With the Pakistani military really right there one mile from this compound, are you concerned that with the billions of dollars Congress has appropriated and given them in aid, that they are either inept or they're corrupt? Or what do you think of that?

REP. PETER KING (R-NY), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Well, speaking for myself, I met with the Pakistani chief of mission today and said this is a real crossroads and a defining moment in our relationship with Pakistan.

In the past, while it's been a rocky relationship, we had made the decision that it was more positive than negative and it was a relationship worth pursuing.

But in view of these issues of having bin Laden right near their military academy, right near an ISI headquarters, living in a very upscale area with many retired military and intelligence officials, it's very hard to believe that some elements of the Pakistani government, whether the military or intelligence, were not aware of this.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KING: Yes. They're still going on, yes.

QUESTION: Do you think, though, that (OFF-MIKE)

KING: This is obviously a very important relationship, but the relationship has changed, I think, as of Sunday. So this is going to be part of negotiations, part of -- part of meetings between the Pakistanis and the administration and the Congress.

QUESTION: You had said last night that there was water-boarding used on this in a way that led to the disclosures.

KING: Right.

QUESTION: Today, Senator Feinstein said that -- and based on their review, there was no kind of harsh interrogation techniques used in this. Do you have firsthand knowledge -- not firsthand, but do you have knowledge --

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Yes, I have spoken to people who are very close to the situation who said initial information came from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after he was water-boarded directly relating to the courier and that, after extensive interrogation also of al-Libi, more information came.

But initial information about the courier came from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after water-boarding.

QUESTION: Is there any clarification on Osama bin Laden's resistance? I understand he was unarmed. The White House said he was unarmed.

KING: No. No.

Actually, I think what they were saying was, reports up until now have been speculation. The SEAL team is being debriefed now. And really no one knows what happened until they get debriefed.

QUESTION: Mr. Chairman, is that information you got on your own or did you get that in the briefing (OFF-MIKE)

KING: No, I'm not telling anything I got in the briefing. No, no, this was on my own.

QUESTION: From who?

QUESTION: So the SEAL team has still not been debriefed yet? That's going on as we speak right now?

KING: That's my understanding, yes.

QUESTION: Any additional information about the courier (OFF- MIKE)

KING: Yes. That came from my source, yes.

QUESTION: Can you describe your source? Is it somebody in -- at the CIA?

(CROSSTALK)

KING: Somebody who was, somebody who is very familiar with what happened at the time.

QUESTION: Do you believe they should release the photos of Osama bin Laden?

KING: Yes. I have -- if I have been told of the photos, they should.

I don't want a conspiracy theory developing that suddenly he is spotted walking through Singapore or something. And especially -- the media is bad enough. Imagine what they would do on the Internet.

So, I don't want -- no, not -- to me, it should be. It's too -- there's no doubt they got him. And let's not have conspiracy theories develop. From what I have heard of the pictures, they are not ghoulish. They're not going to scare people off. They're not offensive.

QUESTION: Why did they not show them in the briefing today? Did anybody ask?

KING: I think that's still being decided, what is going to happen with them.

OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have anything to say. I just wanted to be photographed with Pete King.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Talking about ghoulish.

QUESTION: Was there much discussion about the decision to bury at sea and how quickly that happened?

KING: No. No. That was -- that was just -- they -- it was really maybe 30 seconds or one minute of discussion on that, and just -- it was given as part of a deadline.

QUESTION: Was there any discussion about the role of the ISI?

KING: There's questions about what ISI knew and didn't know. That was brought up by members in their questions.

QUESTION: And what -- what more questions did you raise, and were they resolved in your mind?

KING: I have been discussing it with people over the last several days. As I mentioned before, I met with the Pakistani chief of mission today. And I don't think it's been resolved, no, how ISI, which is a very effective intelligence agency, would not have seen this, and also in view of past actions by ISI which have compromised the United States.

I'm going to -- unless they have something --

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KING: I would say they are still on talking points, just telling us what great allies they are.

But I was trying to drive home to them, this -- the relationship now has changed. They are at a crossroads. And you can't be coming to Congress and asking for $3 billion after this, after what happened, and expect to get it without serious, serious questions being asked and the relationship being reanalyzed.

QUESTION: What have they learned so far from the documents and computers they have seized?

KING: As far as I know, it's still being analyzed.

QUESTION: So the Pakistanis didn't convince you in any way, shape or form of their view?

KING: No. As of now, no. But, again, I'm not rushing to judgment, other than to say there's real issues they have to resolve.

I'm pretty willing to make a judgment that we have not gotten the cooperation we need. And my question is how that's going to be adjusted for the future.

QUESTION: Mike Rogers said that he doesn't think the Pakistani government had institutional knowledge that bin Laden was there. Do you agree with that?

KING: Yes, that -- again, I -- first of all, I have great regard for Mike Rogers. That could well be true.

I think the question is, institutional knowledge, as opposed to people operating in the -- within the government that are known by the government and are allowed to flourish.

QUESTION: What did the video that was being watched live at the White House show?

KING: Basically, it showed the operation. I don't want to go into details, but it showed the operation.

QUESTION: Did it show the moment that bin Laden was shot?

KING: I haven't heard that.

QUESTION: Do you believe that funding should be cut off now to Pakistan?

KING: No, I think we have to begin very serious discussions, talks, and negotiations.

I mean, this is an important relationship. I don't want to trivialize it at all. And we have to make a judgment as to whether it's better to pursue it or not pursue the relationship. I think we have to pursue it and decide, though, how it's going to change, how it's going to be restructured. OK?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) You were not shown any photographs?

KING: No. No. No.

QUESTION: You personally, have you seen them?

KING: No. I have spoken to people that have seen them. That's all.

BALDWIN: Congressman Peter King, New York, one of the members of the House of Representatives who had been briefed on this covert mission in Pakistan, and the briefing still under way, the head briefer, CIA Chief Leon Panetta, as these different members of Congress are learning what exactly went down.

And he was questioned on two things that I took note of, one of which is the fact that the U.S. -- Congress appropriates billions of dollars to Pakistan. And he said -- he said essentially that Pakistan now should not get that money without serious, serious questions.

They were talking a lot about the Pakistan intelligence agency, which is called ISI. And there are all kinds of questions about how ISI could not have known that Osama bin Laden had been hiding in plain sight in Abbottabad, so, questions about that.

Also confirming, according to his source, that KSM, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind, where they got some of this information about the courier that led them to that compound, that he was water- boarded and as a detainee under CIA custody, and that is how they got some of that information.

And, again, they have not released those photos of a deceased Osama bin Laden as of yet, but the congressman said they should be releasing them.

I want to take you to Pakistan here at the scene of the raid that brought down Osama bin Laden. And, today, we're getting more of a glimpse into the terrorist leader's compound, this place where he was hiding, apparently for years, but he could only hide for so long.

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there for me live.

And, Nic, I know we saw crowds at the compound earlier in the day and members of the international media, neighbors. It looks pretty dark where you are. Is it fairly quiet now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is.

And the electricity goes off in parts of the city during the night. That keeps some of the neighborhoods really quiet. Of course, people there told us that, two nights ago, when the raid took place, the electricity went off just before the raid happened.

It does raise the question, was that an intentional thing by Pakistani security forces, or was it something that just happened because electricity goes off here?

But, certainly, the attack came on, they say, right after or very soon after the electricity went off. But it is. It's quiet now, police still providing security at the building, still sealed, but nighttime here, most people are in their homes right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Nic, I know you have spoken with a number of the neighbors along this neighborhood. I have been following your tweets.

And if you can, sort of reiterate what they have said with regard to these people perhaps posing as gold merchants and this anecdote about a ball going over the compound wall.

ROBERTSON: Yes, the ball going over the wall is sort of most telling, because what I was told by a neighbor who lives just 50 yards away, overlooks bin Laden's compound, probably lives -- one of the closest neighbors -- he said, when children's balls would go into the compound, the bin Laden family would pay the children to go and buy another ball, rather than let them into the compound, which is what most people would do to get the ball back, find it from in amongst the trees and the vegetables or whatever in the compound.

They would just pay the kids to go buy another ball. But the stories about gold merchants being there, he said, this -- the neighbor told me this is because they would get what seemed to be very rich visitors arriving late at night in SUVs, land cruisers, quite a very up-market vehicle for this part of Pakistan.

And the word was put out here, this neighbor told me, that this was gold merchants and this explained why they had a bigger compound, high walls, more sort of security, if you will, in terms of this high perimeter wall and razor wire along the top of it.

So the neighbors there sort of had this impression it was just rich businessmen, probably slightly murky and shady, but they didn't want to intrude on their lives. That's really part of Pakistan here. People don't get into their neighbors' lives, unless they're invited in -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Culture of privacy.

Have you, Nic, at all heard any discussion as to what would happen at this massive compound? Might the Pakistani government go in and tear it down?

ROBERTSON: That's one of their options. And it has to be an option that they are considering seriously, because, look, we saw today, as soon as the sort of security perimeter was dropped and people were allowed to get close, local people came in to take a look.

There's half-a-million in this city. But there are people who will come here, it's likely, because they respected bin Laden. And it could easily become a shrine. So, the government is not going to want that. The government really wants the -- the president here in an op- ed said, look, bin Laden is dead. Let's move on.

That was his point. They are trying to ride this out, because they know there could be a backlash. So they don't want to do anything, it seems, hastily or precipitously that would bring that backlash. But it must be one of their options, to destroy that compound, because it's only going to draw bin Laden's followers. And that's something this government really doesn't want, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Nic Robertson for me in Abbottabad, Pakistan, just outside those compound walls -- Nic, my thanks to you.

Folks, we're getting some breaking news here, an explosion in Afghanistan. And we're going to take you live to Kabul for the details. And there was a lot of misinformation if you were on social media this hour. We will clear it up for you. Stand by.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I want to get you some breaking news we've just gotten here at CNN.

There has been an explosion of Afghanistan in Kabul but it was not at the embassy. It was not at the U.S. embassy in Kabul. I want to read you -- this was information that we've just been getting. This is from CNN's Jill Dougherty who covers the State Department for us. This is from her embassy sources.

She says she has spoken with someone who works at the embassy in Kabul and said that the explosion was two miles southwest of the embassy. The embassy was not at all affected, there was no damage. There may have been some sort of duck-and-cover alert because of that explosion in Kabul.

Of course, we're digging on this. We're making phone calls. We don't know if there are any injuries. We don't know who was responsible. But as soon as we get those details, of course, we will pass those along to you. We do have a correspondent on the ground in Afghanistan and we will get to Mohammed Jamjoom here momentarily as he is most definitely gathering intel.

I want to move on to the story that's dominated the headlines really the past 48 hours, the fact that Osama bin Laden was found living under the radar in a suburb, in an affluent suburb in Pakistan instead of a cave, as many people had suspected in Afghanistan.

Obviously, raises a lot of questions about Pakistan. Did Pakistani intelligence, as Congressman King was just pointing out on Capitol Hill, did the ISI know bin Laden was there? How serious is Pakistan about helping the United States fight terrorism?

Paul Cruickshank, one of our CNN terrorism analysts. And, Paul, good to have you on.

I do want to begin here with all this talk about questions regarding Pakistan's complicity, and specifically, perhaps, the ISI helping and harboring Osama bin Laden.

Here is the president's chief counterterrorism adviser, I want to play you this sound, this is John Brennan form just this morning, and then we'll talk on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRENNAN, W.H. SENIOR ADVISER ON COUNTERTERRORISM: I think it's inconceivable that bin Laden did not have a support system in the country that allowed him to remain there for an expanded period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Paul, do you agree?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Absolutely, and I was on the phone yesterday to the former head of German intelligence, someone intimately involved in the hunt for bin Laden. He told me that he thought it was almost impossible for the ISI not to have known where bin Laden was given that where he was killed in Pakistan in this settled area of Pakistan in this million dollar compound where he was killed.

So there are a lot of questions being asked of the Pakistanis right now. So far, publicly, the Obama administration has not criticized them for this, but there are a lot of questions, nevertheless, being asked, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Paul, help us understand, for so many people who don't -- who aren't familiar with the ISI, how sophisticated are they? CRUICKSHANK: They are a very powerful intelligence establishment in Pakistan. They have resources right throughout the country, lots and lots of agents working for them.

And it's for that reason, the western intelligence agency feel perhaps, or some of these officials feel, that they ought to have known where bin Laden was if he was in a settled part of Pakistan, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Have you read the opinion in the "The Washington Post," it was from President Zardari of Pakistan? And he says, you know, complicity is mere speculation today and that Pakistan has just as much reason to despise al Qaeda as any nation.

Do you then think the government, i.e. the president, was aware that bin Laden was hiding in plain sight?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, I don't think anybody thinks that Zardari would have known, but Zardari is very different from the army in Pakistan and the ISI.

And over the years, people have pointed out that the ISI have had a rather close relationship with a lot of militant groups in the area and their aims have not necessarily been American aims. They are more focused on the standoff with India and therefore, have wanted to carry on having some alliances with these some of these militant groups in Pakistan, Brooke.

BALDWIN: What about this idea, considering Osama bin Laden was hiding out in plain sight, perhaps for Pakistan to make good on this, would they at all be willing to help root out and find, you know, another bad guy, i.e. Ayman al-Zawahiri?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, I think that's absolutely right. This is deeply embarrassing for Pakistan so right now, so what better incentive than perhaps to try and arrest Ayman al-Zawahiri?

It's certainly going to be speculated at this point that elements of the ISI may also know where Zawahiri is. And the question is, you know, is Zawahiri in a settled area of Pakistan or is he in the tribal areas of the country, and I think it's going to be very interesting to see, Brooke, how this plays out.

BALDWIN: Perhaps, you know, if Osama bin Laden was the head of the snake, al-Zawahiri would be part of the body and many, many people would like to see him buried as well.

Paul Cruickshank, my thanks to you.

And you know, because this Osama bin Laden news continues here, CNN is going to keep going in depth on Pakistan and Afghanistan all week long for you, because let's not forget, we have been at war there for 10 years. A war with what end? We go in depth for answers all week long here, stay with CNN.

We're going to get more as we continue to dig on the breaking news, the explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan where a blast has just happened two miles from the U.S. embassy there, according to U.S. embassy sources. We have teams on the ground in Kabul. We'll check in with them as soon as they get more information for us to share with you.

Also, CIA Director Leon Panetta just wrapping up a classified briefing on the operation there on Capitol Hill, and lawmakers not at all happy with Pakistan. The U.S. is sending billions of dollars to help Pakistan fighter terror yet the most wanted man was sitting essentially right under their noses. Now members of Congress, they want answers, they're making demands and the ne reaction is pouring in. More on that, stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The head of the Central intelligence Agency, CIA, Leon Panetta, short time ago briefed Congress as to what exactly happened in that covert operation in Pakistan Sunday. No cameras, it was classified, doors closed. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash, though, is there on Capitol Hill.

And, Dana, we heard from Congressman King out of New York just sort of moments ago talking some pretty tough words for the intelligence agency in Pakistan, the ISI, and also questioning all the billions of dollars in appropriations that we send to them each and every year.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Those are questions that we're hearing from members of Congress in both parties as you walk these halls, Brooke. Interesting that the briefing you just discussed is going on behind me, it's still going on. Members of Congress and now in the Q-and-A portion of the briefing.

Very interesting, I'm told by two sources who were in there who have since come out that the first question, no surprise, to Leon Panetta, the CIA director, was about how it is possible for the Pakistanis not to have known that Osama bin Laden was in that compound, as we purported so many times, right at an urban center less than a mile from a military academy in Pakistan. And his answer I'm told from these two sources is fascinating. He said either they were involved or incompetent, neither place is a good place to be.

That was his response and I was told that his answer and his own frustration with the Pakistanis maybe was even more than what we're hearing from members of Congress. He said that they are trying to get to the bottom of it, did not exactly say how they were going to do that.

But that, to me, says a lot in terms of what is going on in this briefing, but more importantly, as I said, the frustration that you are seeing from all parts of the U.S. government.

BALDWIN: Involved and incompetent. Let me ask you about this picture. You know, we've had the CNN Opinion Research poll, the majority of Americans, at least today, want to see the picture of a dead Osama bin Laden. BASH: Yes.

BALDWIN: The members of Congress have not seen that photograph, correct?

BASH: Correct. And we were actually wondering, Brooke, whether or not in this briefing they showed members of Congress this photograph, and the answer is no. They did not show it.

Our Deirdre Walsh, our congressional producer, actually just reported from sources that some congressional staffers actually have seen the photograph. But even the highest levels here, Congressman King, for example, he's Homeland Security chairman, he said that he has not seen the photograph. So some people have, it's still unclear how far and wide it will go in terms of seeing that photograph here.

But that is one of the major debates because you're seeing and hearing some members of Congress saying, I don't think it's a good idea to put this photograph out and members of Congress set pretty high levels. The Intelligence chairman in the Senate, Dianne Feinstein, said that it would be a bad idea.

Others are saying, you know what, especially members of Congress from New York, interestingly, are saying that they think this photograph should come out, that it is very important for people to see and have evidence, and perhaps even more so for Americans to have closure to really see that this actually did happen, Osama bin Laden was killed.

BALDWIN: OK. Well, perhaps that is the debate that the White House is still having now and we still do not know whether we will indeed see that picture at all.

Dana Bash, my thanks to you.

And as helicopters filled with American commandos, dozens of them, swept down on the compound in Pakistan, President Obama and his top advisers were monitoring the situation real-time form the Situation Room within the White House. And those tense moments, perhaps the most tense yet for the Obama administration, were captured in these new photographs released by the White House. Pete Souza, the White House photographer, taking these.

And you can see really -- take a look on the left-hand side of your screen -- you can see the president leaning over, very intense look on his face as he's sitting right alongside the vice president, Joe Biden.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with her hand, right hand over her mouth, and his top national advisers all surrounding them, all obviously watching this thing play out real-time very closely as Navy SEALs beam back video and audio of their operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

And here's how it happened. The president and his team, they watched a video screen in the Situation Room as CIA Chief Panetta detailed this raid minute-by-minute just across the Potomac River from CIA headquarters.

White House Counterterrorism Chief John Brennan was there right alongside the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRENNAN, W.H. SENIOR ADVISER ON COUNTERTERRORISM: We had direct engagement with Leon and others, but we were able to monitor sort of minute-by-minute developments there. And the intensity, I think, of the stares on the screen show that we were concerned about where things stood, and most importantly, the safety of our assaulters.

DENIS MCDONOUGH, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We were getting pretty regular real-time updates on the situation on the ground, and we were obviously in pretty constant contact with others in the inter-agency (ph) as we were getting updates off the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So video from these Navy SEALs, their headgear, was being fed back to Washington. And once the SEALs -- and here's animation of how this whole thing went down. Once the SEALs were inside this massive compound, Panetta updated the anxious, watchful White House, saying, quote -- this is from Leon Panetta -- "They've reached the target." And then moments later, the commandos locate their target, locate bin Laden at this upper level, the third level of this three-level compound, saying, quote, "We have a visual on Geronimo" -- Geronimo's the code name for capturing or killing bin Laden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENNAN: We were intensely focused on the safety and security of the assaulters that had landed in the compound. The status of the engagement with the occupants of that residence, and some very, very tense moments, and we just were saying our prayers that everything was going to go according to plan. But as I think you can tell from the photograph, there was a period of intensity there unlike none other than we had here at the White House to date.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And just a few moments later, the navy SEALs open fire on Osama bin Laden, shoot him twice, once in the head, once in the chest. And then a confirmation back to base, quote, "Geronimo EKIA," indicating that bin Laden was dead, "enemy killed in action" -- that's what the acronym stands for. After a fleeting moment of silence, a relieved President Obama claimed, quote, "We got him."

As the U.S. puts the country on alert for possible terror attacks, five men have just been arrested, suspected of targeting a nuclear power plant. The story is unfolding next.

Plus, more on our breaking news out of in Afghanistan. There's been an explosion in Kabul. CNN correspondent Mohammed Jamjoom is there on the ground, getting miked up. We're going to take you there live coming up. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We're going to get you more on the breaking news out of Afghanistan, that explosion in Kabul. But first more news unfolding right now. I want to begin with England. Police arrest five men on suspicion of terrorism. Authorities took them into custody near a nuclear power plant after their vehicle was pulled over. All five are from London. They're in their 20s. We're being told there is no indication that the incident is linked at all to Osama bin Laden's death.

And here we go. Get ready to pay 4 bucks a gallon for gas no matter where you live. It has already topped that in 13 states plus D.C. And one analyst at the Oil Price Information Service says the national average gas price could hit $4 a gallon by tomorrow.

It turns out that Internet security breach targeting Sony networks is worse than we thought. Remember we told you about this last week? We found out hackers had gotten access to personal information from as many as 77 million PlayStation and other media accounts. So now Sony tells us the breach also affected almost 25 million Sony on-line entertainment accounts. Sony has apologized for the breach.

And a royal visitor in Washington, D.C., today. Here he is getting out of his car, Britain's Prince Charles on a trip to the nation's capital. This is the first time that he's been there since 2007. And his first stop today, the U.S. Supreme Court. This is his arrival just about an hour ago there on Capitol Hill, heading to the highest court. Live pictures, I'm told -- live pictures -- of Prince Charles. He is also set to meet with President Obama and will be making a speech at Georgetown University during his three-day visit to our nation's capital.

And this next piece of video is just pretty impressive. Those things there, those are waterspouts. This is just off the coast of Honolulu. They showed up yesterday in the middle of some thunderstorms and lightning. And they're basically water-borne tornadoes. And the storms were pretty intense. At one point, about 60,000 people lost their power because of these waterspouts. But they stayed off shore, did not cause any damage.

Now let me keep you posted here as to what's going on in Alabama, where people are still trying to recover from those horrific tornadoes that hit last week. Search and rescue operations are still going on. The latest death toll here is 250, but the emergency agency says it is not going to release new numbers until all the missing are found, are accounted for. The governor will be making a live speech tonight, Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama, about the impact of the storms.

And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blows up this river, the Mississippi River, this levee there, floods just about 200 square miles of rich farmland in Missouri. Why did they do this, you ask? They did it to save the small Illinois town of Cairo from flooding. So there's good and bad here. The good news, water levels have dropped more than a foot-and-a-half. The bad news, parts of Mississippi County, Missouri, are now flooded, but that was the plan.

Meteorologist Rob Marciano there in Missouri. And Rob, I know where you're standing right now was not flooded -- look at the water behind you. It was not flooded 24 hours ago?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right. As a matter of fact, what I'm standing on may look to you like a boat ramp, doesn't it? Just kind of looks like a ramp that goes out into a nice lake. But in reality, this is a road that on the very, very end of this newly made lake is another what seems to be a boat ramp. This is a road. And last night at this time, it was pretty much dry. There was a little bit of water in here. But basically, just beyond those trees about a mile-and-a-half or so is where it blew open, you know, almost a two-mile span of this levee that has flooded this farmland here.

They call it a floodway. It's designed to do this. And the Army Corps of Engineers has used this as their last resort. It's kind of the lesser of two evils. Do you threaten several towns, especially Cairo, which has, you know, a population of several thousand, or do you sacrifice, basically, you know, 50 to 100 homes and farmland here?

Well, that's the choice they made, and it's helping a little bit in some spots, but in other spots, you know, it's hurting. So that's the problem.

We took a boat tour earlier today, Brooke, and we saw some of the areas that were damaged by flooding and still have a tremendous amount of flooding with or without this spillway being opened. There's flooding and people who are homeless, at least for now, because of all the rain that we've seen in the past month, in some cases 15 to 20 inches of rainfall up around this area.

That coupled with a pretty decent amount of snow that's finally starting to melt off has led to this historic flood levels. 1937 is the last time the Ohio and Mississippi were at this level. And as you know, with this sort of a size river, or rivers, Brooke, this is going to be a story for a good couple of weeks before we get all this water down in to the Gulf of Mexico.

BALDWIN: Yes, quite the pictures, the reality for those folks on both sides, you know, between the explosion and all this water right behind you. Rob Marciano, we'll continue the conversation then tomorrow. Rob, thank you.

And now take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The burial of bin Laden was done in conformance with the Islamic precepts and practices. The deceased -- the deceased's body was washed and then placed in a white sheet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: As the White House, as President Obama is making this decision on whether they want to release the pictures of Osama bin Laden's body or not, we are learning about how the al Qaeda leader's body was buried, including whether there's video, and how Muslims across the country are responding. You're going to hear my conversation with an imam out of Washington, D.C. -- it was fascinating. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: There will be no Osama bin Laden gravesite. U.S. officials say his body is at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, buried there in a maritime ceremony with Islamic religious service.

But I want you to listen to this. It is the White House's account of this burial. And just a couple of moments ago here, I asked a Muslim imam if he agreed with the decision to handle bin Laden's body that way at sea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARNEY: Aboard the U.S. Carl Vinson, the burial of bin Laden was done in conformance with Islamic precepts and practices. The deceased -- the deceased's body was washed and then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up and the deceased's body eased into the sea.

IMAM JOHARI ABDUL-MALIK, OUTREACH DIR., DAR AL-HIJRAH ISLAMIC CTR.: This is an exception that someone who would have been killed on land but then taken to sea and buried is an exception but permissible.

BALDWIN: It is permissible. So you don't take exception to the exception?

ABDUL-MALIK: The rationale -- no, no. I think that there is some wisdom to this, that perhaps his grave -- if there was a nation that would take him, his grave would become a shrine to terrorists. And so perhaps there was some, if you could call this Islamic jurisprudence, that was being adjusted so that it could achieve a strategic end. But it is permissible --

BALDWIN: Permissible nonetheless.

ABDUL-MALIK: -- in keeping with the tradition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: There are the soldiers who looked Osama bin Laden right in the eye before pulling the trigger. Who are these Navy SEALs? And what kind of training did they get? That is straight ahead.

Plus a major development out of Libya. Moammar Gadhafi just lost one of his last international friends. And this move here could send massive shockwaves throughout the Libyan leader's forces. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Gadhafi needs to go. That's certainly something we've been hearing a lot of lately as the Libyan leader's military assault on rebel forces intensifies, but now it's coming from an unlikely source. Libya's long-time ally, Turkey.

CNN's Ivan Watson has the details.

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, Libyan strong man Moammar Gadhafi has lost yet another key ally this time, Turkey. The Turkish prime minister came out and announced that Gadhafi must step down.

He must listen to the will of the Libyan people and went on further to say that Libya is not the property of any one man or one family. In doing so, Gadhafi does not lose a key trading partner and a political ally. After all, he personally bestowed on the Turkish prime minister a human right award just last year.

But he also loses a supporter in the NATO military alliance, earlier Turkey had criticized the NATO bombing campaign of Libyan security forces and Turkey is a strong member of that NATO alliance. Now that Turkey is off the fence when it comes to Gadhafi, that may have unforeseen consequences.

For example, the Turks have shuttered their embassy in Tripoli. They have evacuated all of their diplomats and that closes a key line of communication between Gadhafi's regime and his western enemies.

Those Turkish diplomats have represented U.S. government interests and the interests of other western governments. In the case of journalist, American journalists were taken captive by Gadhafi's forces.

The Turkish diplomats helped negotiate their release even escort them to the border with Tunisia. Now that the critical line of communication has been severed and Gadhafi is finding himself more international isolated than ever. Back to you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Ivan Watson, thank you so much.

More on the breaking news out of Afghanistan where a blast has just happened to miles from the U.S. embassy there in Kabul that's according to CNN sources. We have teams on the ground there in Kabul. We'll get to them. That is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just in to us here at CNN, we've been hearing from different members of the U.S. House who have been briefed on the operation that went down in Abbotabad, Pakistan with regard to the mission killing Osama Bin Laden.

And we have now heard from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. She spoke with reporters after being briefed from the CIA Leon Panetta. Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: We are on track to come home from Afghanistan beginning July 2011. We begin that path. I was there over St. Patrick's weekend and I visited our troops there at that time.

What I saw was a preparation for our downsizing in Afghanistan and a turn to what our civilian presence might be there after we deploy out of Afghanistan militarily. So change is in the air there and now it's even more so in light of the --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: No doubt Wolf Blitzer is continuing all of this coverage coming up here in a matter of moments on "THE SITUATION ROOM." And Wolf, just listening to different members of Congress be it Nancy Pelosi, Peter King, Mike Pence.

You know, all kinds of questions regarding all of the billions in appropriations, the role that the ISI might have played some complicity here with regard to Osama Bin Laden. Just heard her mention a role in Afghanistan. What do you make of this?

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Well, I think the killing of Bin Laden is going to have an impact on the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan only because American public opinion is going to be increasingly involved in what is going on in Afghanistan. We'll see how that plays out.

The U.S.-Pakistani relationship, as you know, is critical right now. You know, there really are, Brooke, two Pakistans that the U.S. has to deal with. There is not just one Pakistan. There are those Pakistani officials like the president, President Zardari, like the Pakistani ambassador who was on my show yesterday were very pro- American.

They want to do whatever they can to help the United States in the war on terror, but there are others in Pakistan in the intelligence community, even in the military and certainly in terms of the public at large who are not pro-American. They are very anti- American. They do not trust the United States going back to the 1980s and 1990s. So it's a dilemma how you deal with Pakistan.

Remember, on top of everything else, you want to cultivate Pakistan because they do have a nuclear arsenal. They have dozens of nuclear bombs. You don't want that arsenal to get in the hands of bad guys or terrorists. It's a difficult, difficult dilemma. Walking this - dealing with Pakistan. We're going to talk about it.

Dennis McDonough, the president's deputy National Security advisor is here in "THE SITUATION ROOM." He's also got some very strong -- there is he right there. He's got strong views on whether enhanced interrogation techniques Sheik Mohammed or others at Guantanamo Bay helped provide information leading to Bin Laden like waterboarding for example. The interview is going come up right at the top of the hour. I think you'll be interested.

BALDWIN: We will watch for it. We'll let you get you set for your show, five minutes away. Wolf Blitzer, as always, my thanks.

Still here, 48 hours ago, Navy SEALS came face-to-face with Osama Bin Laden. Wait until you hear about this book scheduled to come out on these SEALS and what timing, it's pretty interesting. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So listen to this. We are hearing that the elite Navy SEAL unit that got Osama Bin Laden is already on its way already to the big screen. Joe Johns is here with that. I guess, this is serendipitous timing for Katherine Bigelow.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's for sure. This has always been action thriller stuff, Brooke. What we're hearing mostly about is projects that are already underway, now a huge boost from the raid on Osama Bin Laden.

Creative projects about SEAL Team Six, a super elite unit that does counterterrorism, special missions, it's long been understood that their base on the East Coast have an incredible array of skills and equipment to do almost anything they are asked to do, Brooke. It's pretty remarkable.

BALDWIN: Isn't there also a book deal about the SEAL Team Six?

JOHNS: Yes, absolutely. We have a book deal. We have the Bigelow thing. The names of the people who do the work for the unit aren't released for obvious reasons.

It doesn't stop people from making books and movies about them. Katherine Bigelow now, people may not all know her. She's the one who did the Oscar-winning film "Hurt Locker," apparently has been working on a movie about the team. Now they got to rework the script, we're told, to fit in the part about Bin Laden, according to the Trade Journals.

There is also this book about SEAL Team 6. Now this is something that's been in the works and comes out just this month as a matter of fact.

BALDWIN: Wow, so for all the people saying it make a great book or movie, it is and I'm sure we'll all be buying - buying tickets for it. Love the "Hurt Locker." Katherine Bigelow is fantastic.

Joe Johns, thank you so much and that will do it for me.

I'm Brooke Baldwin here at Atlanta. Now to Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

Wolf, to you.