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Washington, D.C. Mosque Holds Open House; Mississippi River Continues its Flooding; U.S. Releases 5 Bin Laden Video Tapes; Ship Christened in Honor of Navy SEAL Killed in Line of Duty; Children In Class When Bush Received News of 9/11 Tell Their Story

Aired May 07, 2011 - 17:00   ET

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

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Breaking news this hour. I'm Drew Griffin.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: And I'm Fionnuala Sweeney. We'd like to welcome our viewers in the U. S. and around the world.

GRIFFIN: And the breaking news we're getting, our first look at new videos seized from Osama bin Laden's hideout. Five different videos of the man who was-was the world's most wanted terrorist. Released today by U.S. intelligence officials; each of them with the sound removed, we're told, to avoid spreading Osama bin Laden's words.

SWEENEY: Well, some are surprisingly candid. One of the videos shows bin Laden watching himself on television, holding a remote control. Another is said to be a message to the U.S., recorded in October or November. They're just part of the treasure-trove gathered from the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

GRIFFIN: We had not idea these were coming out today. Our Barbara Starr was called into a special briefing today. It happened at the Pentagon.

But was conducted by intelligence officials who released these videos, Barbara, a kind of a surprise to all of us, but certainly very interesting.

BARBARA STARR, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Very interesting indeed, Drew and Fionnuala.

There was a reason for this. Certainly, what they wanted to show was what they could of what they grabbed, those Navy SEALs grabbed at the compound, after they killed Osama bin Laden. They're showing us clips that the U.S. government has distributed from these videos that they seized. And what they're telling us is these are videos that only could have come from a place where Osama bin Laden had been located.

First of all, that video that I think has captured the world's attention in the last few hours, a graying Osama bin Laden, hunched over a TV, a remote control in his hand. His beard not dyed black, as it is in his more formal videos. Looking at himself on TV, obsessed with his image, seeing how the world looks at him, in television satellite news broadcasts. And then a number of other more formal presentations by bin Laden, you know, the bin Laden that perhaps we have seen more of, one of them fascinating. He is standing in front of an armoire. That is an armoire that was found in the compound.

So even though they didn't distribute the pictures of bin Laden's corpse, what they're trying to get out is the message they believe absolutely this is bin Laden. These are videos found that were at the compound, only could have been there if bin Laden was there.

The U.S. intelligence official briefing us says all of this -- the videos, the thumb drives, the computer disks -- the largest single haul of intelligence information from a senior terrorist operative ever. They are now forming a government task force in Washington. They are going through it bit by bit. It is a race against time, of course, because they need to find out if there are any clues in there to other plots or threats.

What does this tell us about Osama bin Laden? The official says the conclusion is bin Laden was very much in control, not just the big picture ideology and message, he had operational, tactical control over the day-to-day details of the affairs of al Qaeda. He was involved in plots. And al Qaeda definitely had a motive to continue to attack the United States -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Go ahead, Fionnuala.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, actually, I'm going to jump in here, Barbara, because as we know, this raid has been described by Washington as the single largest collection of senior terrorist material ever. So in choosing to release the snippets of the five videos that have been released today, what is the United States trying to say not only to Americans about Osama bin Laden but also to the rest of the world?

STARR: Well, first and foremost, the message is they got him. The briefer also went through a number of other details about how they identified the dead body, some of it we had heard before -- facial recognition. They matched on the corpse certain features -- the shape of the eyes, the ears, the nose -- to known photographs of Osama bin Laden. That was facial recognition on site.

They conducted a DNA analysis, and the official told us that it all came back that the chances of being wrong were 1 in 11.8 quadrillion. I have to tell you, the room full of reporters kind of laughed at that because I don't think any of us know how many zeros that it. It goes to their level -- their level of confidence that it was Osama bin Laden that they got.

Now, there are going to be doubters around the world, certainly, but the Obama administration has made the decision they will not show corpse pictures. That would be trying to show, essentially, a trophy shot, if you will, something the president has decided he will not allow.

So this is as close as they can come -- details about the identification of the man they killed on the compound, the material that they got on the compound that they believe could only have been located with Osama bin Laden, more details about what they found, what it went to about al Qaeda plans, plotting, handwritten documents, the kind of material they believe would only have been with Osama bin Laden, the material that those Navy SEALs grabbed on their way out of the compound that night.

GRIFFIN: Barbara, the question I have is, why today? It seems like this was a bit rushed. Is there something that your sources are telling you behind the scenes that perhaps the U.S. was losing control of the conspiracy theorists out there, or was there something being anticipated from al Qaeda that they were trying to counteract at this time on a Saturday?

STARR: You know, I don't know. I mean, we actually thought this briefing was going to happen yesterday, Friday, here in Washington -- a little surprising that it happened on a Saturday, perhaps the White House wanting to take advantage of the political news cycle of the Sunday talk shows. You will most likely see administration officials out on the talk shows tomorrow night -- tomorrow. They want to get this story out there, but they also want to get it wrapped up. They want to get the doubters convinced, and they wanted that not to be the news story.

Make no mistake, they are continuing to go through the intelligence. I want to add in one more thing. One of the big concerns now as they look at al Qaeda, they are trying to figure out who may come next, who will be the next leader of al Qaeda. It may not be Ayman al Zawahiri, who has been known to the world as bin Laden's number two. A lot of concern it could be an al Qaeda affiliate that takes over, especially al Qaeda in Yemen, which, of course, has shown the ability to reach out and touch the United States, especially through that failed so- called underwear bomber Christmas Day in Detroit, and the failed Times Square bomb plot. Al Qaeda in Yemen right now is probably one of the major concerns here in Washington.

SWEENEY: And if I can ask you, Barbara, this was not a Pentagon briefing. It was an intelligence briefing, just happened to be given at the Pentagon building. Can we expect any more information to come in the next couple of days?

STARR: I don't know if it'll be the next couple of days. Officials are saying that they will keep the American public informed to the extent that they can. But you know, one of the underlying themes in all of this is the world has had a very solid look at U.S. military special operations, at the kinds of covert commando operations that the U.S. military would clearly prefer the world not see so much of.

These Navy SEALs and other commando squads are out there all the time in Afghanistan and other places around the world conducting very covert operations. They want to get back in the shadows. Probably, they would not have been having so much information come out if that one helicopter, that secret stealth helicopter, hadn't gone down in the compound. That showed the world that they were there and what they did. Look for the U.S. military commando world to go very much back into the shadows in the coming days. GRIFFIN: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Great reporting all day, Barbara. What a day it has been, too.

SWEENEY: And of course, as you saw there from the video, it is the video clips of Osama bin Laden either watching himself on television, very clear that at some point, he dyed his hair or beard black, although we don't know necessarily the significance of that. It may be far more than vanity or nothing more than vanity. And we also see him living in rather sparse conditions in Pakistan in that compound.

Well, let's go straight to Pakistan now because tensions, as you might know, between Islamabad and Washington were already palpable. So how is this video being perceived? Our Reza Sayah is monitoring reaction in Pakistan's capital, and he joins us now live. Hello.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fionnuala. It's very early in the morning here in Islamabad, about 2:00 AM. Most people are sleeping. But I think a lot of people did get to see these fascinating images before they called it a night. And I think, like much of the world, they are very fascinated and interested in seeing these images of a man that has had a lot of significant impact on many people's lives here, and certainly impact on the spread of extremism.

I think these pictures are going to convince some skeptics here in Pakistan that, indeed, bin Laden is dead. Remember, for the past week, ever since this raid happened, not just people here in Pakistan but across the border in Afghanistan, have been skeptical. They didn't believe that U.S. forces killed bin Laden. They wanted to see some sort of hard proof, some evidence.

Washington, the Obama administration, wrestled with the idea of releasing the picture, what some described as gruesome pictures of Osama bin Laden's remains. They decided against that. And I think these pictures will convince some skeptics, and perhaps they're a safer way, maybe not as effective as releasing the pictures of his remains, but maybe a safer way of convincing some skeptics in this region that bin Laden is dead.

We should point out that one new picture, where you see bin Laden with the gray beard sitting with remote control in his hand, watching the television -- it is a partial profile. And I can tell you, I, for one, looking at those few seconds, can't conclude that that is, indeed, Osama bin Laden. So Drew, Fionnuala, I think a lot of skeptics again in this region are going to point to that, are going to be asking for more proof.

GRIFFIN: But Reza, what is the nature of the doubters? Is it growing in population? Are these people of stature within Pakistan, or are these the conspiracy theorists who are always going to be there?

SAYAH: I think it's the latter. It's an indication of the deep mistrust that exists in this region, unfortunately, for Washington. The fact is, there's mistrust for the U.S. foreign policy, and people simply don't believe everything that's coming out of Washington. And that's why they are skeptical. I can tell you the Pakistani security establishment's reaction. They're probably not going to be thrilled with this video that's going to continue the coverage of this Osama bin Laden story, which is an episode that has been, you know, very embarrassing for them. They do not want this coverage to continue. They've had to answer a lot of very difficult questions, first and foremost, how did Osama bin Laden manage to hide out in this compound that was right under their noses? They've tried to answer some of those questions. They haven't convinced everybody, not just around the world but here domestically.

So probably not thrilled, the security establishment is, at these pictures coming out.

SWEENEY: Reza, it's difficult to underestimate the role that Pakistan has played with the United States, and it's controversial. This is an army in Pakistan which gets something like $6 billion a year in a budget. Are we any clearer at all about what Pakistan knew, be it the civilian government or the military? And indeed, who actually runs the country? Who has the most sway?

SAYAH: Well, I don't think there's any question that the most powerful institution in Pakistan is, indeed, the Pakistani military. But of course, Washington and Pakistan have been partners in this crucial fight against extremism, but Washington has long suspected Pakistan of playing this double game, on one hand supporting the U.S. fight against extremism, on the other hand, suspected of having links with these militant groups to hold sway in Afghanistan and to fight off their rival in India.

And I think this is going to fuel those suspicions in Washington that they're still maintaining those links. There's been a lot of finger pointing. There's been a lot of accusations after this raid, after it was discovered that bin Laden was in the compound. But I think most people you speak to say this does not mean the end of this relationship because these are two countries that still desperately need one another. The U.S. desperately needs Pakistan to help hammer out a political solution in Afghanistan to eventually pull out, and Pakistan needs Washington to give its government some credibility and to help it economically and give it some leverage with its rival in India.

GRIFFIN: All right, Reza Sayah, thank you, from Islamabad. We'll be checking with him later, as well.

And we are going to be checking in with a number of our analysts during this hour, asking their perspective on the Osama bin Laden tapes, as we're calling them now. Coming up, we'll speak to Karen Greenberg, the executive director of the Center on Law and Security at New York University's school of law.

We'll also be talking to Mark Kimmitt, retired general, former assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs, and Thomas Fuentes also joining us, a former assistant director with the FBI, all three coming up as we continue the breaking new coverage of the Osama bin Laden tapes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Getting more reaction now on these tapes that have been released today here in the U.S. from Kabul, Pakistan -- Afghanistan -- excuse me. And CNN's Stan Grant is live there. Stan, what are you hearing? Are people up, and have they been watching these tapes being released?

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's been no reaction from anyone here, Drew. It's very early in the morning here, so no chance of actually getting to talk to anyone yet. But it's going to be interesting to see the reaction here, you know, because over the past week, I've had a chance to talk to people on the street about the death of Osama bin Laden.

Initially, people were reluctant to believe it. They said that, A, they've heard these stories before, and why should they believe them now? But secondly, he had built up this myth, this aura of invincibility in their minds. He'd loomed so large in their lives for such a long time, and the fact that he'd been able to evade capture had really led people to believe that he was almost invincible.

To see these images now is obviously, going to shake that mythology, to shake that image. He very carefully cultivated his image, Osama bin Laden. Whenever he would make a clerical statement, you'd see him wearing clerical robes. He'd don battle fatigues at other times, when he wanted to make more militant statements. This is how he very much crafted his image in the minds of the Islamic world, particularly here in Afghanistan.

But what people are going to see now, of course, is what we've been seeing, and that a man looking old, looking frail, a man wrapped in a blanket or a shawl and watching images of himself on television in a very nondescript room. It's not the powerful image that these people have come to known and expect over the past decade or more.

So it's really going to be interesting to see just how they react to that. I suppose (ph) this is all filling in the gaps that are still around about bin Laden, about the death of bin Laden, about what he's been doing for the past years -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Stan Grant live in Afghanistan, very early in the morning. We appreciate that.

SWEENEY: Well, we're continuing to follow this breaking news on CNN. In case you haven't heard, in the last few hours, the U.S. government has released never before seen videos of Osama bin Laden.

Let's turn now to Karen Greenberg at CNN New York for more analysis. She's the executive director at the Center on Law and Security at New York University and the author of the book "The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo's First 100 Days."

Thanks very much for joining us. What do you make about the release of these tapes, first of all?

KAREN GREENBERG, EXEC. DIR., NYU CTR. ON LAW AND SECURITY: I think the release is partly a substitute for not showing the picture of bin Laden when he was killed. I think it's an attempt to show the public, the American public, that -- not just that it happened in a kind of corroborative way because I think conspiracy theorists will find their way out of that one, but to show that we were there, and I think more importantly, to show -- you need to keep in mind the fact that the reason we have this information, like the reason we have the thumb drive, is because the Obama administration chose not to bomb this palace but to -- or this mansion, but to go in there with stealth, covert operatives and to take what they could get.

And what -- the underlying message here is it was extremely important to get this information, and it's probably the most amount and the most incisive and the most comprehensive information we may yet have in understanding bin Laden and his directorship of al Qaeda.

GRIFFIN: Karen, I want to bring in our other analysts to talk about this, General Mark Kimmitt, Tom Fuentes, formerly with the FBI, and our national security contributor, Fran Townsend, who joins us on the phone.

And maybe, Tom, let me just begin with you. Do you think, if the stated goal was like this would be the replacement of the death photo, that this will suffice, that this will get to the target point of, Lookit, Osama bin Laden is dead, and here is the proof?

THOMAS FUENTES, FMR. FBI ASST. DIR., CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think possibly, Drew. I mean, obviously, if the U.S. government has these videos, you know, the Navy SEALs weren't invited to tea by bin Laden, so how else did we get it? But on the other hand, as far as the skeptics out there, if they're not going to believe the president of the United States, if they're not going to believe the senior leadership of al Qaeda that remains, if they're not going to believe the Taliban officials that have corroborated it, if they're not going to believe bin Laden's own family that were eyewitnesses to the killing, then what's going to take and what's the point from that standpoint?

SWEENEY: General Mark Kimmitt, I'm wondering, is there a longer-time strategy to this by the release of these five video, though they be snippets, given that the government had since last August to plan the raid? Is it inconceivable that they wouldn't have thought through how to plan the release over periods of time of what information they might get, or in your view, would it be more the case that they just had to wait and see what they were able to get from the compound and then sort of play it by ear day by day?

GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Well, I think it's both of those issues. Clearly, the government knows they have a responsibility to keep the public informed. They don't want to put out classified information. These, obviously, are snippets of bin Laden's life that there's a significant amount of public interest in. But I also think there's probably some thoughts of demystifying this great iconic figure of bin Laden.

I'm reminded of that time in "The Wizard of Oz" when the wizard says, Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, and now we are seeing that man behind the curtain, a wizened old man who is looking at TV, who has six or seven appliances plugged into the same outlet, and it really does take down this notion of the almighty, ever strong, ever present bin Laden down a number of pegs.

SWEENEY: I have a question. Reza Sayah, our correspondent in Islamabad, said that when you look at that particular shot of that man looking at a TV screen with the plugs -- six plugs plugged into one outlet, that in his view, it doesn't seem to be Osama bin Laden. I mean, one assumes that U.S. intel have gone through everything with a fine-toothed comb and have released it because they are confident it is.

KIMMITT: I'm certain that to be the case. I mean, again, 95 percent of the population will accept this as the truth, 5 percent never will. You're never going to waste a lot of time trying to convince the 5 percent that have it completely made up in their mind that this will never be the truth. But it's the 95 percent of the population, particularly the population in the region most vulnerable to the ideology and the aspirations of bin Laden. That's who we really need to get this information to, and I believe that's who the government is putting this information out for, as much as the American population, our friends and colleagues in the region who we're trying to convince that the days of bin Laden are over.

GRIFFIN: Right. And Fran Townsend, the days of bin Laden are not only over, but it seems like U.S. intelligence is trying to show what the days and lives of bin Laden were like, living in his own prison, in a junky house over in Pakistan, hiding out for maybe six years. Does that psychological goal get met at this point?

FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR (VIA TELEPHONE): Oh, absolutely. Look, I mean, you know, it's funny. As we continue to describe this house as a mansion -- and I think that's because of size. In Abbottabad, it seems that that is a mansion. But I mean, you see the inside of it and you see these videos -- and I understand Reza's concern, but I will tell you (INAUDIBLE) have been chasing him for a decade, there's no doubt that that's Osama bin Laden. And there he is, frail, graying, huddled in a blanket and a cap, staring at himself on television.

I mean, it goes to his vanity. It really is a humiliating view into a man who had himself built up as larger than life. You know, and there's the other video, where he's fumbling on the (INAUDIBLE) trying to make the video, and he's looking to the side. He clearly misses his cue on the teleprompter. I mean, all of these are meant not only to prove that we were in there and that we killed him, but also to undercut the mythology that was bin Laden. He's a human being, and like most -- like all human beings at some point, he's gone now.

GRIFFIN: And Fran, are his followers likely to look at this in the light that we're looking at this and say, This is who I was following?

TOWNSEND: Well, I mean, I think what -- you know, it's interesting. It's exactly the right question. But I do think that (INAUDIBLE) including his followers, will see him not in the role that they are accustomed to seeing him. He clearly very tightly controlled his message, and over the years, the videotapes were more and more where he was in a very formal (INAUDIBLE) robe. He was standing at a podium, speaking and issuing statements. This is very inconsistent with that. He always had a dark beard when he addressed the public. This is inconsistent with that. And they will see those inconsistencies just as we're seeing them.

SWEENEY: Karen, if I may jump in here -- it's Fionnuala Sweeney -- you, as we introduced you, are an expert in international law, but also wrote a book, "The First 100 Days on Guantanamo." And I want to ask you, do you think it was ever conceivable that the White House, this administration, could have captured Osama bin Laden and brought him to Guantanamo, giving its controversy, particularly U.S. president Barack Obama's assertion during his campaign that he would like to close Guantanamo? Given your background in international law, does this seem to be a lawful killing, given this was a war that was approved by the United Nations and also both houses of Congress, or do you see it as an extrajudicial killing?

GREENBERG: I certainly do not see it as an extrajudicial killing. I think that Osama bin Laden needs to be seen sort of in the eyes of a general of the opposing army. And even under U.S. criminal law, for his harm and death that he brought to American citizens, this would not -- this is not illegal.

And in addition to that, it seems to me somewhat awkward and distracting that we discuss whether this was legal or not. I mean, from the American point of view, this was legal. If the Pakistanis want to say something about it, then it is up to them to do so. And I think there are many experts in international law who would say it was legal under international law, as well.

The issue is really about violating sovereignty of another country. But this was a covert operation. We're not sure that it wasn't done without some buy-in by the Pakistanis yet. We will find out. Bringing bin Laden to Guantanamo, you can imagine what that would have done to the American domestic conversation. So I think, given the options, given the law, it makes sense that this is what happened.

GRIFFIN: All right, Karen Greenberg, Fran Townsend, thank you both for joining us. You have to leave, we understand. General Kimmitt, Tom Fuentes will be back later in this hour for more analysis of this.

A mosque has opened its doors to people of all faiths today.

SWEENEY: So next we'll be taking you to suburban Washington to find out what Muslim leaders there hope to accomplish with this weekend's open house.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: Yes, indeed, you're looking there at pictures from five videotapes released by the U.S. intelligence earlier in the day.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines is apologizing for removing two Muslim passengers from one of their flights. It happened on Friday as the flight was scheduled to depart Memphis for Charlotte, North Carolina. GRIFFIN: A spokesman for the Counsel on American Islamic Relations says the two men contacted his office and said they were told that other passengers were uncomfortable with them being on the plane, and they were removed.

SWEENEY: Both were wearing traditional Muslim clothing, and coincidentally, they were heading to a conference on prejudice against Muslims. The airline says the event is under investigation, and we've just heard that the two men involved have just agreed to join us live to talk about what happened. And that will be tonight at 10:00 Eastern for that interview.

GRIFFIN: A suburban Washington mosque is holding an open house this weekend, an effort to improve relations within its community.

CNN's Mark Preston spoke to one of the mosque leaders in Falls Church, Virginia.

Mark, I understand this is one of the largest mosques in the D.C. area. What did the leaders have to say? What did they hope to accomplish?

MARK PRESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Drew, clearly, with the death of Osama bin Laden still fresh on everyone's minds and, of course, the release of the tapes, this seems to be front and center for everyone, especially the Muslim community here in the U.S.

The suburban mosque, the Dar al-Hijrah Mosque, which is in Falls Church, right outside of Washington, D.C., did hold an open house today to try to bring the local community in, to try to teach them about Islam and to really reemphasize the point that most Muslims aren't terrorists.

Now, as for Osama bin Laden's death, will that help try to help ease the tension between the U.S. and Muslims worldwide? There still needs to be work to be done.

Let's listen to the imam, what he had to do, Johari Abdul Malik, about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHARI ABDUL MALIK, IMAM, DAR AL-HAJRAH ISLAMIC CENTER: Maybe the people who are part of al Qaeda still don't like us. And so, although bin Laden is gone, we still have to come together as a community to fight this kind of hatred and bigotry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: As the suburban mosque is trying to build a bond with the community in Washington, D.C., Drew and Fionnuala, the fact of the matter is there's a lot of work to do. A recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll showed 40 percent of Americans have an unfavorable view of Islam.

GRIFFIN: Mark -- (CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

GRIFFIN: Mark, you know, this mosque is no stranger to headlines, and maybe has a lot of heavy lifting to do on its hands, based on its past or the people who have gone to it in the past.

PRESTON: Yes, they do, Drew. Look, a very controversial mosque, a large mosque here right outside of Washington, D.C. A couple things. One, a couple of the 9/11 hijackers passed through this mosque. They were worshiping. We also know the Ft. Hood shooter was somehow connected to this mosque as well. And perhaps the biggest piece of this all, one of al Qaeda's biggest leaders, Anwar al Aliki, was an imam at this mosque and, of course, is being hunted right now by the U.S. So, yes, a lot of work by the leaders of a mosque. But they're trying to emphasize that the Muslims and, quite frankly, a majority of Muslims do not believe in terrorism and do not support al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden.

GRIFFIN: All right, Preston, thanks.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Mark Preston, there in D.C.

Now, revelations from the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. After the break, we'll be showing you more of the never- before-seen tapes of the former al Qaeda leader. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Bringing you up to date with the breaking news about the Osama bin Laden videos we're seeing. The U.S. government releasing them, five tapes in all, confiscated by that Navy SEAL team in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.

SWEENEY: This one wasn't meant for release. It's showing the slain al Qaeda leader watching a television that's showing pictures of himself. But there were others, like this one that showed bin Laden in a pose intended for broadcast.

The U.S. government edited these videos for release today and deleted the audio to avoid spreading any al Qaeda message they might contain.

GRIFFIN: Other big news now, the Mississippi River in the U.S. here, continuing to swallow neighborhoods and towns with flood levels that we haven't seen in more than 70 years. Parts of Tennessee under water. People in the Memphis area obeying more than 1,000 evacuation notices. The Mississippi is supposed to crest in Memphis, nearly 14 feet above flood stage. That will happen on Wednesday. So far, about eight states have been impacted by this historic flooding, which meteorologists say won't recede until the end of June. Mississippi and Louisiana have yet to feel the full brunt of the flooding.

And Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking all the severe weather.

First, Jacqui, why is this swelling going on with this river?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, a lot of different reasons. It started in the winter with the really heavy snowpack, so everything melting up north of the river. Then we had a ton of rainfall that fell on top of that in the month of April. In fact, somewhere between 400 percent to 500 percent of what they normally would see at that time of the year. So too much rain in a short period of time, and everything just runs off into the Mississippi River. And it takes a while for it to do it. In fact, about 40 percent of the United States eventually, all of that watershed, goes into the Mississippi and goes downstream.

Now, this is the area we have seen the cresting going on in the river. We have to go all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It's going to be days before we get to that level.

Now, we are expecting more rain to add into the picture in the next five days. We're talking maybe one to two inches. Every single drop of rain that falls is going on top of already saturated ground, so all of that is going to run off, and all of this will be detrimental.

Now, let's talk about what kind of impacts we can expect and how long this will be lasting. Take a look at some of the cities impacted. You mentioned Memphis cresting 14 feet above that flood stage, May 11th. May 20th in Vicksburg; Natchez, Mississippi, 22nd; and May 23rd in Baton Rouge. We have done some measures to open up some of these floodways or spillways, as we call them, Drew, and we do think another one will be opened up in Louisiana by Monday and that could relieve a little bit of that pressure.

GRIFFIN: It's incredible how this all drains out eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.

Thanks, Jacqui.

Coming up next, we're going to check back in with our guests for perspective on the Osama bin Laden tapes.

SWEENEY: We'll talk to Mark Kimmitt a retired general and former assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs; and Thomas Fuentes, former assistant director with the FBI. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Breaking news of the day, the release of these five videotapes taking from bin Laden's home where he'd been living for perhaps the last five or six years in Pakistan. He was killed last week, of course, and now the U.S. intelligence service releasing these videos.

We're back looking at the secret life of the world's most wanted terrorist, revealed for the first time in these videos.

We're going to bring in retired Army General Mark Kimmitt, back with us, along with Tom Fuentes, again, a former assistant director of the FBI office of international operations, also a CNN contributor. Tom, does this help our allies, including Pakistan, in the war on terror by showing bin Laden in his true light?

TOM FUENTES, FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think maybe a little bit. But I don't think it's designed for that purpose, the release of these videos. I think I agree with General Kimmitt saying earlier that they're trying to diminish his stature at the invincible and unfindable leader of al Qaeda. And showing also that -- his followers are living in very difficult circumstances, especially in the winters in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's so bad for them that they have to stop fighting in the winter time. And just a couple weeks ago, they announced they're ready to fight for the spring and summer. For the followers, every winter is the equivalent to Valley Forge for them. Whereas here, he's shown on television, watching TV with a shawl around his shoulders and a turban, and he has everything there but the popcorn. So I don't think that's going to play well as those videos get the wider distribution and some of his followers get to see that.

SWEENEY: General Mark Kimmitt, if I could ask you, how would you assess the status of relations now between the United States and Pakistan, particularly following the release of these videotapes? Because it further embarrasses Pakistan.

MARK KIMMITT, FORMER U.S. ARMY GENERAL: Well, I think the already- strained relationship is going to be a little more strained in the near term. And it's clear the administration and especially the military is trying to put the best face on this, but there are going to be a lot of questions in the days and weeks ahead on how could it be that bin Laden could be in that place for five years without any knowledge of the Pakistani military or the invincible ISI.

There's a lot of funding at stake here. The Pakistanis will be very anxious to maintain that funding. So at a tactical level, it will be difficult. At a strategic level, as was said earlier, the relationship between Pakistan and the United States is too important quite frankly to be split completely over a situation like this. The only question is, how do we now get through this tense period.

SWEENEY: All right, we will just have to wait and see.

There are plenty more questions to ask. We will be asking you about them. Particularly, for example, if there are any evidence of ties to Pakistan between bin Laden and these tapes that we may not have heard about and may never be released. But we'll be talking to you later, gentlemen.

Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Well, you have heard a lot about the Navy SEALs in the last few days, and one is getting a rare honor. We'll get a look at the latest ship being commissioned by the Navy here in the U.S., and how they're honoring one of their own.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) GRIFFIN: Continuing breaking news of the videos released today by U.S. intelligence officers, showing us a look inside bin Laden's lair, if you will, in Pakistan through his own home videos.

Well, he's America's biggest hero. We may never know who that is, the man who fired the kill shot on Osama bin Laden. The SEALs aren't talking, but some former SEALs did help the "Washington Post" newspaper put together a profile of what he is probably like.

SWEENEY: Well, we know the shooter is a man. The SEALS don't have any women members. He's probably between the ages of 26 and 33. He's probably white, though "The Post" says the SEALs have been trying to include more minorities. He was probably an athlete in high school or college.

GRIFFIN: Peak physical condition, lots of upper body strength. He could bear scars of shrapnel from past missions. And while we may not figure out his identity, his fellow SEALS almost certainly know he's the one with the bragging rights.

SWEENEY: While we may never know the name of this man who took down Osama bin Laden, the U.S. Navy is making sure the name of another SEAL, one killed in the line of duty, will live on.

CNN's Susan Candiotti has more from Maine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's the ship being christened in honor of fallen Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy of Long Island. It's a 9200-ton destroyer.

Murphy was killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and won the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. He led a team of Navy SEALs going after a Taliban leader. But they were ambushed. Murphy tried to call for help using his cell phone. In fact, his final words were, thank you. But the help came too late.

His parents and a rare admiral with Special Ops in the U.S. Navy are here on this day, coming during a special week for Navy SEALs.

GARRY BONELLI, REAR ADMIRAL, NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE COMMAND: When operation Red Wings went bad, it was the greatest loss of Special Operations forces since Vietnam, and it was a tough day for all of us. This week, you know, you had your highs and lows.

DANIEL MURPHY, FATHER OF MICHAEL MURPHY: I look at these young sailors going on the ship, and what comes to mind to me is that they're going to be asked, what ship do you serve, and they're going to say, I serve on the Murph, and the idea they'll say the Murph, it will be the best ship. They know who the Murph is. They know Michael's story and Michael's team's story. So on that level, I look at it personally, Mike, you did good.

CANDIOTTI: The ship is called "Michael Murphy." It will be in dry dock until early next year. Its motto, "Lead the fight," which appears fitting coming on the heels of the death of Osama bin Laden.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Bath, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: The U.S. government believes it knows the major players behind the attacks in 9/11, and now that Osama bin Laden is out of the picture, all except one are either dead or in custody. After the break, we're going to remind you who they are, and the roles they allegedly played, and the one who is still on the run.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: With Osama bin Laden now dead, it is worth remembering the other major players in the 9/11 attacks and where they all are right now.

At the top is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He's widely regarded as the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. He was captured in Pakistan in 2003, is now in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

SWEENEY: Well, next comes Walid bin Attash. He was the mastermind of the attack on the "USS Cole" in 2000. He's believed to recruit the 19 hijackers who took control of the airliners and died in the 9/11 suicide attacks. He, too, is in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

Well, it's now believed widely that this man, Mohamed al Qahtani was supposed to be the 20th hijacker but was refused entry into the United States. He was among the first captured when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001. He is in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

Ramzi Bin al-Shibh acted as a go between for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the hijackers. He too is in custody in Guantanamo Bay.

GRIFFIN: Ali Abdul Aziz Ali was involved in financing the operation by providing money to the hijackers and buying flight simulation materials. Captured in 2003, he's in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

Mustafa Ahmed al Hawsawi, is known as al Qaeda's operations facilitator, as the others, he's in Guantanamo Bay, as well.

There is only one major player in the 9/11 conspiracy, he's not in custody and his whereabouts are unknown. Ayman al-Zawahiri is known as Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant. Often seen next to bin Laden in his videos, he's presumed to be still alive and perhaps best positioned to take over leadership of what's left of al Qaeda. His whereabouts unknown.

Well, the day the world can't forget, is especially poignant for a group of American teenagers. We'll hear how they remember President Bush in their classroom on that morning of 9/11.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: Our breaking news today, the clips there of five videos retrieved from the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed in the early hours of Monday morning in Pakistan. Those tapes released by U.S. intelligence earlier in the day. We'll have much more on that.

But, of course, Osama bin Laden came to wide public knowledge when 9/11 happened. And when then-President George W. Bush got word of those 9/11 attacks, he was, of course, at a Florida elementary school reading students. Well, those children are now in their teens.

Martin Savidge talked to three of them about that day almost 10 years ago, and their reactions to bin Laden's death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The event was famously interrupted, as now high school junior Lenard Rivers remembers.

LENARD RIVERS, BUSH IN HIS CLASSROOM ON 9/11: Someone came in, and all of a sudden, he had to stop reading to them. Then he told us he had to leave.

SAVIDGE: Mariah Williams, now on the high school track team, was also there.

MARIAH WILLIAMS, BUSH IN HER CLASSROOM ON 9/11: It was a bunch of confusion and people scared and stuff.

SAVIDGE: It was the moment the president was told the news of 9/11. Ever since, these students have had a unique connection to the life and death of Osama bin Laden.

For Chantal Guerrero, that front seat to history had a profound effect.

(SINGING)

CHANTAL GUERRERO, BUSH IN HER CLASSROOM ON 9/11: It helped me realize, and you need to be little bit more serious and learn how to deal with certain things more firsthand at a younger age.

SAVIDGE: Her mother noticed the change almost immediately, a daughter growing up faster than most.

AGNELINE GUERRERO, MOTHER OF CHANTAL: She's an achiever and I really think it has to do because of the impact that had on those kids that were there. I think they just see the world differently.

SAVIDGE: Today, Chantal is an honor student at Sarasota Military Academy and a regular visitor to Ground Zero.

For all three students, the news of Sunday night came as another complete surprise.

WILLIAMS: I was just really shocked because I didn't expect them to catch him at all because it's already been 10 years. So who would think that they would catch him after ten years?

SAVIDGE: Rivers says both events have taught him something about life.

RIVERS: I know anything it can happen at any moment, and how things can change real quick.

SAVIDGE: Guerrero says the end of bin Laden does nothing to change her connection to that terrible day.

GUERRERO: It's still really meaningful, because I was there that day and I did see. I was kind of there for part of history. So obviously, I'm always going to remember it.

SAVIDGE (on camera): The students say that the death of bin Laden doesn't really end the story, more like closes a chapter. Instead, they say, the story will continue to be written through the rest of their lives.

In Sarasota, I'm Martin Savidge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: I'm Drew Griffin along with Fionnuala Sweeney, in the "CNN Newsroom" here in Atlanta. A special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Candy Crowley and Fionnuala is next.