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Osama bin Laden's Sons Accuse U.S. of Executing Him; Fighting Floods Along Mississippi River; Auto Boom in South; School Stops Tracking Kids; Talk Back Question; Obama To Speak at High School Graduation

Aired May 11, 2011 - 11:59   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Just shy of the top of the hour, I'm Don Lemon. Let's get you up to speed right now.

Osama bin Laden's sons claim the United States government executed their father and should be held accountable under international law. Omar bin Laden says U.S. commandos assassinated an unarmed man. He writes in a letter his father should have been presumed innocent, arrested, and tried at court.

The letter was sent to Jean Sasson, who co-wrote the book "Growing Up Bin Laden." Now, Sasson says to remember Omar is approaching this from an emotional vantage point like any son would.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN SASSON, CO-AUTHOR, "GROWING UP BIN LADEN": Omar only knew his father as a big hero after the Afghan War and the Russians leaving. And then, think about this -- one minute your father's a hero, the next he's the world's biggest enemy. So the whole thing was very painful for him all of these years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A senior U.S. official angrily rejects the charges from the bin Ladens. Quoting here, "There is an inherent right of self- defense. This is a man who is a terrorist, who declared war on the United States, killed Americans, and continued to plan operations against the U.S. and its allies."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER: At times in my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard, and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was Newt Gingrich back in March trying to explain his adultery and ethics problems that ended his tenure as House Speaker in 1999. Well, today, he launches the ultimate comeback attempt. Gingrich formally announced on Twitter and Facebook he is running for president. The first major Republican to take that step.

The Navy does an about-face on same-sex marriages. A memo from the Navy's chief of chaplains last month would have allowed gays to marry on military bases. That's once the Pentagon fully scraps "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Now, a month later, a new memo suspends the guidance until further policy and legal review.

California police say a shooting at San Jose State University appears to be a murder-suicide. The gunman shot and killed two people in the campus parking garage, then apparently took his own life. Police haven't said if the dead were San Jose students.

(CHANTING)

LEMON: Syrian forces are intensifying their crackdown on anti- government protesters today. The BBC reports Syrian army tanks are shelling Homs, Syria's third largest city. The U.N. again pleaded with Syria to embrace reforms and end the violence and mast arrests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just on this 60 acres, I'm looking at -- you know, I'm not going to say a loss, but a total input that I have got to make up somewhere else of $10,000, $15,000 just off of one field.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Listen to this. A million acres of farmland, flooded in Arkansas. Just Arkansas, a million acres.

The state's farm bureau estimates damage to crops could top half a billion dollars. The Mississippi River flood surge is pushing south into the delta region today. Prime farmland there. Louisiana's governor expects three million acres in his state will go under water.

We have more details now on that statement from the sons of Osama bin Laden, accusing the U.S. of executing their father.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us now from New York.

So, Deb, what more can you tell us about the statement? And how is the U.S. responding now?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House is going to be having its noon briefing soon, and we do expect to get a response from them.

We did get a response from the vice president, Joe Biden, who was in the Situation Room with the president as they watched this mission unfold about 11 days ago. His reaction to the bin Laden letter, "You're kidding?"

Now, the sons of Osama bin Laden are not completely convinced that their father is dead. They said that they want conclusive proof like the photos and video that they say exists. They are not sure that he is dead because they didn't see his body before it was buried at sea.

The sons, including Osama bin Laden's son, Omar bin Laden, who publicly condemned his father, are calling the U.S. action a violation of international law, saying that they want an investigation specifically "into the fundamental question as to why our father was not arrested and tried, but summarily executed without a court of law."

Now, a senior U.S. official reacted angrily to this bin Laden letter. In his words, he says, "There is an inherent right of self- defense enshrined in the U.N. charter within Article 51. This is a man who is a terrorist, who declared war on the United States, killed Americans, and continued to plan operations against the U.S. and its allies."

Now, this particular statement came through an American author. The bin Laden statement, the letter, came through an American author who helped Omar bin Laden co-author his biography, "Growing up Bin Laden." She said that the family is reacting as any family would on the death of a father.

We spoke to her earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SASSON: Omar only knew his father as a big hero after the Afghan War and the Russians leaving. And then, think about this -- one minute your father is a hero, the next he's the world's biggest enemy. So the whole thing was very painful for him all of these years.

I think they always felt that some -- even Omar, in the past, has said, well, maybe there can be a meeting and there be a truce like there was with the IRA in England when there had been so much killing. And then they had a truce and the killing was stopped.

Omar was an optimistic person about peace and stopping the killing. He's a young man who -- probably the only person around Osama who was brave enough to actually argue with him about the path he's taken, and that's the reason Omar left Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And Omar bin Laden said that his father deserved a trial much like Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian president, both of whom were tried for crimes against humanity.

Take a listen to what Omar had to say about his own dad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OMAR BIN LADEN, OSAMA BIN LADEN'S SON: I'd like to say to my father, try to find another way to help or to find your goal, and this is wrong. Or this is weapon --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Weapons.

LADEN: -- weapons. It's not good to use it for anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And the bin Ladens are asking for a return of any family member who continues to live in Pakistan -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Deborah. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Very quickly, let's bring in our Carol Costello, because we're going to give you a chance to "Talk Back." The question is, since bin Laden is gone, should the U.S. get out of Afghanistan?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a good question, isn't it?

I mean, have you asked yourself lately, why are we in Afghanistan anyway? What's our mission there?

Osama bin Laden is dead, al Qaeda is scattered. The Taliban, those still active, are no longer running the country.

Some members of Congress say it's time to reevaluate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: We're are overstretched in terms of our defense budget and our military. And so we're going to have to think very carefully about our objectives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: President Obama says we need to be there to help Afghans stabilize their country. The Afghan government is still fragile. Women continue to suffer unspeakable atrocities. And it remains to be seen whether any peace deal can or should be brokered with the Taliban.

But remember back in 2001 why we went into Afghanistan in the first place? I'll refresh your memory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. That was back in October of 2001. Some might say, haven't we done that? Ten years later though, it's still costing the lives of U.S. soldiers, and $10 billion every single month, which Senator Richard Lugar and others say is unsustainable. Lugar says instead of 100,000 troops on the ground, a smaller group, like 15,000 to 20,000, may be enough to fight terror.

The administration plans to start withdrawing some troops this summer. The goal, to get most of them out, but by 2014.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: Should U.S. troops leave Afghanistan sooner than later?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read some of your comments later this hour.

LEMON: My question to you is, can you believe it's been 10 years?

COSTELLO: That's crazy.

LEMON: Yes. We all remember that very vividly. It doesn't seem like that much time has passed.

COSTELLO: And did any of us think we would be in Afghanistan still today, and also in Iraq back in 2001?

LEMON: No. Didn't think much about it. Just thought it would be a short mission, as -- well, as the administration said as well, we weren't going to be there that long.

Carol, thank you.

COSTELLO: Sure.

LEMON: Appreciate it. See you in a bit.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering over the next hour here on CNN.

First, small business owners hurt by the flooding, will they anticipate long-term pain? I'll talk to a restaurant owner in Mississippi coming up.

And think manufacturing is dead in America? Well, you better think again. Making cars in the South.

Then we take a boat ride to survey the incredible flood damage in one small town.

And also, a Memphis high school wins a presidential visit. I'll be talking to a graduating senior.

And a 10-year-old caught with a bomb strapped to his body talks about being forced to be a suicide bomber.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to go "In Depth" now here on CNN, and we're talking about the "Troubled Waters."

You've seen the pictures, but we want to get the personal side. We're keeping a close watch on the swollen Mississippi River and as it makes its way, its devastating surge toward the south -- further south.

Tunica, Mississippi, is one of the cities recently just inundated. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been affected by this.

And we're joined right now by Steven Barbieri. He is the owner of the Blue and White Restaurant. It's in Tunica. And there he is, joining us via Skype.

How are you being impacted by the flooding there?

STEVEN BARBIERI, OWNER, BLUE AND WHITE RESTAURANT: I think in the last couple of weeks, since the waters have come up, our business has been down probably about 30 percent.

LEMON: Thirty percent. Wow, that's a lot. And this is usually your busy time. You have got people -- especially Memorial Day is coming up. This is a busy time for you, especially tourists and people getting out for the warmer weather.

BARBIERI: Yes, the warmer the weather get, the better our traffic is here in Tunica, and the better the traffic is here in the restaurant.

LEMON: So I understand that you sort of expected it because you knew it was coming. But once you see it, Steven, you still don't know what to think about it. It has to be surprising to you.

BARBIERI: You know it's something that's never happened in my lifetime, and hopefully will never happen again. So, yes, it's a little different. You have to -- there's some different things to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

LEMON: So, emotionally, and even physically, let the viewers know what you're dealing with. What is it like to live there and to be a homeowner and a business owner, and you have all this water in the place you work and live?

BARBIERI: Well, you know, we need to -- we've just got to be prepared. If something did happen to the levee, we need to be ready to get stuff out of the way and to deal with the water. I'm confident that the levee system here in Tunica is going to hold up, but I said we're just kind of -- it's kind of weighing on you, because you never know what to expect day to day.

LEMON: What do you mean weighing on you? What are people dealing with? What are your neighbors saying? What are people saying when they come to the restaurant?

BARBIERI: You know, I think the worst thing is the people that live behind the levee, all of our people that live where they've been flooded out, and they need the help. And, you know, being able to help them and try to get them through this tough time.

But Tunica is a close-knit community. And everybody stands behind everybody, and we are kind of taking care of our own. So --

LEMON: Yes. You will get through it, I know.

Hey, real quickly, what sort of precautions are you taking to protect your home and restaurant?

BARBIERI: Well, I haven't really taken any precaution for the restaurant or my home, because, like I said, I'm just counting on that levee to hold.

LEMON: All right. Hey, listen, Steven, what's the address of your restaurant?

BARBIERI: We're at 1355 Highway 61 North in Tunica, Mississippi.

LEMON: All right. So when you get down, anyone, get down to Tunica, Mississippi, make sure you go to the Blue and White Restaurant and see Steve Barbieri, give him some business and folks down there as well.

Thank you, Steven. Best of luck to you and everyone there.

BARBIERI: All right. See you at the Blue and White.

LEMON: All right. Thank you.

You know, from hard times to a hiring boom, General Motors is hiring, and it's not the only automaker that's looking good these days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some good news from the auto industry. General Motors is investing $2 billion in 17 of its U.S. plants, and the company says that will create or retain about 4,000 jobs. GM got out of bankruptcy in July of 2009.

Chrysler added 4,300 jobs last year. Ford now has 76,000 workers, more than it had in 2008.

But it's not just American automakers doing well in the U.S. Volkswagen made a big investment in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the impact, well, it's been huge.

Our Poppy Harlow has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN EDWARDS, TEAM LEADER, VOLKSWAGEN: This is our assembly line. It's line six.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like millions of Americans, Ben Edwards' job in the housing industry went south with the great recession. But thanks to a billion-dollar investment by Volkswagen here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he and more than 1,600 other locals have a new career.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The amount of jobs it's going to bring in, the potential for growth of the future that we have here, I think it's just an incredible opportunity.

HARLOW: In 2008, VW set foot here to build its new facade after choosing Chattanooga from nearly 400 other cities that bid for its only U.S. plant.

(on camera): You built this plant truly in the middle of the great recession. But in a way, you said that helped VW.

FRANK FISCHER, CEO, VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA OPERATIONS: Yes, it definitely helped VW. It's helped us to keep the investment costs because of prices lower, and maybe even the prices for our parts. And the capacity was available.

HARLOW (voice-over): VW got more than a half-billion-dollar tax incentive to build here and argues, 11,000 jobs will be created as a result of the new plant.

SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: I think that this community has no idea and cannot even imagine what that means for our city and for this state.

DENNIS GRAHAM, CHATTANOOGA RESIDENT: It means revenue. It means jobs. I mean, if I needed to get a job, I would be over at Volkswagen, banging on the door.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their success here is just going to bring other big businesses here.

HARLOW: Eighty-five thousand people applied for jobs with VW here, including Sherena Cochran, a mother of three.

SHERENA COCHRAN, PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBER, VOLKSWAGEN: The economy, it had went down for so long, but this boosted it up so much. I was even thinking of relocating before I got this job.

HARLOW (on camera): Really?

COCHRAN: Yes. It made me feel like I had something to be here for.

HARLOW (voice-over): This seat supplier set up shop right next to the VW plant, employing 140 locals.

(on camera): And you guys came here to Chattanooga just because of VW?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right. Good-paying jobs, good benefits.

HARLOW: What do you have to say to those folks who say, look, the auto industry is dead in the U.S.?

EDWARDS: For me, it's just awesome that we have this opportunity to say to people we are manufacturing in America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So Poppy Harlow joins me now.

And Poppy, VW isn't the only foreign automaker setting up shop in the South. What's attracting these companies to the region?

HARLOW: No, not at all. It's not alone.

You have BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, basically every big foreign automaker that you can name, Don, has set up some big, some of them billion-dollar operations in the South. You've got a few things going on.

You've got a pretty strong workforce. It used to be a manufacturing hub in the South, so you have got folks that weren't necessarily autoworkers, but they have those manufacturing genes, if you will.

Another very important thing that we tried to talk to some of the folks at VW about was the issue of unions up in the north here in New York. In Detroit, for example, you've got a lot of unions.

The UAW really doesn't have a foot stamp in the South at all. They tried for a long time to unionize Mercedes in Alabama. Not a lot of success there. The same story with Toyota in Kentucky.

So, when you look at these jobs, most of them -- all of them at VW are non-union jobs. And there are many that argue, those are the auto jobs of the future. They say that those jobs cost the companies less.

So, non-unionized and a strong workforce. But this is really, helping the South. And it's good American jobs, and we need them -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Yes. Well said. Thank you, Poppy Harlow.

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Flood waters roll south from Memphis. And we'll take -- we'll check out, I should say, the damage in Tunica, Mississippi, where homes and casinos are covered by water.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on for you.

Lives torn apart by flooding along the Mississippi River. And we'll take a boat tour.

Plus, much of the river is protected by levees. So why is there so much flooding? We'll check in with our Chad Myers with some answers in just a bit.

Then, a Memphis high school does a superb job in raising its graduation rate. The payoff, a visit from President Obama.

All right. CNN "In Depth" right now, "Troubled Waters."

The swollen Mississippi River has flooded hundreds of homes and businesses. One of the hardest-hit areas, Tunica County, Mississippi, just south of Memphis.

CNN's John King took a boat tour of a flooded neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, HOST, "JOHN KING USA": Essentially just a string of different home sites and camps along this side of the levee, and they are just washed out.

CHIEF SCOTT GOFF, TUNICA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes.

KING: Three hundred and thirty homes total? And we saw one that just barely was out of the water.

GOFF: That's right. You look at 99 percent are under water.

KING: Can you see any possibility of people coming back here? I mean, these houses are destroyed.

GOFF: Yes, they are destroyed.

KING: And the local management said of the 330, 25 had flood insurance?

GOFF: Correct.

KING: Have you seen water on these streets at all?

GOFF: It would be water that would make it all the way to the base of the levee, but that's as far.

If there was a home here that, you know, was not built up, it might get water up to the door, but as far as destroy them like this, never before.

KING: Everybody was evacuated out?

GOFF: Yes, they had I think three people said at the time that they were going to stay and went to Mississippi (INAUDIBLE) and they took over and didn't give them a choice. They told them to pack what they could and get out. I mean, there was probably half the people lived out here that said that there was no way they were going to get to their house. They just knew they wouldn't do it.

KING: They didn't think the water would get here?

GOFF: No way. They have been here 40 years and said no way it's going to get this high.

KING: In normal circumstances, it will be dry below us and we are in 32 feet of water.

GOFF: We're in 32 feet of water.

KING: Thirty-two feet of water.

GOFF: Right.

KING: Who lived here? What kinds of people are we talking about?

GOFF: Retired, a lot of retired people out there. Some young couples that, you know, working class. They work in the casinos --

KING: Just blue collar working people?

GOFF: Right.

KING: So the people who have the least.

GOOF: Exactly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: It is really sad to hear those people.

You know, more of the epic flooding as we go "X Country" for you.

The high water is taking a huge toll on Arkansas farmers. Look at that farmland right there. More than a million acres of cropland, under water. The financial toll, at least half a billion dollars.

In Kentucky, whole neighborhoods are just devastated. This couple had just gotten engaged. Right there, you see it on your screen. But they have lost everything. The water is so high, they can't even go home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A nightmare. A big nightmare. Everything you worked hard for just got washed away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And in Illinois, those flood victims who can return home are finding a really sticky mess. Mold now covers just about everything that's been under water, as you can imagine. You know, levees line the Mississippi River to protect against flood waters, so let's check in now with our meteorologist Chad Myers for a closer look at how the levee system works.

They are getting inundated. And it's sad to hear those stories.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Thousands of miles of dirt berms. Basically, that's all a levee is. And it's covered in grass, maybe some tree, trying to keep the water inside. The grass and trees have roots, kind of keeping the dirt together.

So let's just kind of go -- and we're going to play this for you.

Here's the Mississippi River, or at least what we think the Mississippi River was back in the '20s and '30s, when there was no levees. The water spread out. The water spread out for miles and miles to the east and west, but if wasn't that deep -- three, five -- all the way over here, just a couple of feet. What happens and while we're in such dire straits now is because of how weave' leveed this river and tried to keep it from spreading out.

Well, you know what, folks? Over here is still the floodplain. It is still where the river wants to be. This levee -- I'll draw it in here, so you can see it a little bit better. Kind of hard to see it on this map with white on white. But there's the bottom of the river and there's another levee right there. But this land over here is still what I would consider floodplain. Even though the levee is here is protecting that floodplain and all of the homes and businesses here.

And so far the levees doing a fantastic job. Army Corps, I have to say, is doing a fantastic job with these levees. Here's the biggest problem. Here is the issue with a sand boil, an undercut where the water is here and right here -- that's your levee. There's so much pressure, coming down on tens or 20, 30 feet of water. The pressure down here is tremendous, like three atmospheres. It can -- the water can force itself under the levee and back on to where the dry land is, calling what we call a sand boil. Literally like boiling water or boiling mud. That's where you can lose the bottom of the levee, all of a sudden it washes out, and you have a surge of water coming into this floodplain.

So far, Army Corps -- they're finding sand boils but they are so far taking care of them.

LEMON: Concrete or steel levees would better? Yes, no, doesn't make a difference?

MYERS: I don't know how you make that much concrete. I mean, literally, these levees can be 100 feet here, 30 feet here, and about 20 to 30 feet this way. The yardage, the cubic yards of concrete would be enormous.

LEMON: Yes. You know, I grew up in Louisiana. I thought everybody had levees.

MYERS: Right.

LEMON: You're doing the explainer on levees. I said, doesn't everyone know? But not everybody, no.

MYERS: Yes, not everybody, no.

LEMON: Ah, all right. Thank you, Chad. We appreciate it.

Seniors at a Memphis high school getting a star speaker at their graduation. The president of the United States. I'll talk with the principle and a senior at this Race to the Top winning school. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Last week, four young boys all under the age of 14, were detained at a border crossing between Jalabad, Afghanistan and Pashara, Pakistan. Afghan intelligence officials alleged militants recruited them from within Pakistan, that the boys were sent on suicide missions, targeting foreign troops and so-called infidels after crossing into Afghanistan.

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoon got rare access to Kabul's juvenile rehabilitation center and spoke exclusively to two of the boys who cannot be named for their safety.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The amulet around this nine-year-old boy's neck contains Koranic versus. He says it was given to him by a religious teacher to strengthen his faith, keep him safe and make him brave. Three years before that very same person mullah sent him on a suicide mission.

He told us to go and put on bombs and explode and that we wouldn't die, explains the boy. When we came to the border, we asked people if we put on bombs and exploded ourselves, will we get killed? They said yes, we will get killed. So, we returned to go home but then we were arrested and they brought us here.

Here is Kabul's juvenile rehabilitation center where the boy and his 10-year-old companion are being held. Afghan intelligence say they and two other boys were coming in from Pakistan to carry out suicide bombings that they had been told Afghanistan was full of infidels.

Now their fates are in limbo. Afghanistan's government hasn't decided if they will be charged and tried. Their detention might last days or could last years. The center's director insists they're in dire need of help. But it's not that simple.

We don't have any particular program for these boys, says Aziza Avilatan. So far, the rehabilitation has been comprised of attending classes taught in a language they don't speak, sitting among boys far older, doodling and drawing while other students take dictation. Unfortunately, she says, we don't have any psychologists in the center to help these children, and we really need one.

The boys seem to be coping as best they can. One minute they giggle then feel guilty.

We didn't tell our parents that we were leaving, says the boy. We made mistakes. And then there's the anger directed at the teacher they say put them in this position. He cheated us, he says.

(on camera): Administrators here say these are minors that ideally, they should be set free. But they are also worried these kids are vulnerable, and for at least for now, they could fall into the sway of extremists teachings once more.

(voice-over): Boys whose faith in God was so strong they would have given their live, now putting their faith in this country's justice system to give them their lives back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So, CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom joins us now live from the Afghan capital. So, Mohammed, when will it be known if and when those young boys can be released?

JAMJOOM: Well, Don, nobody quite knows at this point. We were asking administrators at the school. We were there at the rehabilitation center. We asked also intelligence officials, and really, they've only been able to tell us that they believe that these boys will probably spend at least a couple of years at this center. Even though we know now that intelligence officials in Afghanistan believe these boys are innocent, because they are minors, that they should not be charged with a crime. That report still has to go to the attorney general here. And then it has to go to a court. And that could take a long time.

That's even before a decision is made as to if they should be sentenced to get rehabilitation. So, really murky situation and really just begs the question, how are these boys going to be rehabilitated even if they're sentenced to get rehabilitation if they're stuck in a center where they don't even have access to psychological care? Don.

LEMON: Mohammed, how many kids get pulled into this kind of thing?

JAMJOON: Don this, is rare in Afghanistan. We know from intelligence officials that in the past year there's been at least three suicide bombings that have been carried out by minors. Now, they allege a lot came from Pakistan. Karos over the border. These accusations have been made from the Afghanistan officials that militants in Pakistan are sending these boys over the border.

There's a real concerted effort here on the part of the intelligence officials to make sure that boys not utilized in this way, to make sure they get the message across that parents should be mindful which madrassas these kids are going to whether they're in Afghanistan or Pakistan. That they're not being radicalized, that the parents know where they are at all times. Right now, it's still a rare occurrence in Afghanistan, but there's real concern it could happen more. Don?

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Mohammed Jamjoom.

Hey, we have some developing news. We've been reporting on the letter Omar Bin Laden's son released a statement criticizing the administration's handling of the killing of his father, Osama bin Laden. Well, the administration responded. Just moments ago, White House press secretary Jay Carney had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I've address the legal foundation for the actions the president ordered. We feel very strongly that the successful mission against the mass murderer of American and people around the world was entirely justified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So in the letter, Bin Laden wondered why would anyone shoot an unarmed man and why his father would not be captured and then tried for war crimes instead of just killing him and dumping his body into the ocean. And that's how Jay Carney responded just moments ago at a White House press briefing.

You know, with Osama Bin Laden gone, should the United States ramp up the withdraw from Afghanistan? It is today's "Talk Back" question. Here's what you're saying.

This one is from Jimmy. He said "Yes, yes, the boogie man is dead. Bring our men back home." Our Carol Costello has your responses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK, have some breaking news, and it involves Homeland Security. The FAA coming out with some new rules when it comes to flying and safety. Jeanne Meserve, what do you have for us? What is this stemming from?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Don, these new rules the result in part of the crash in 2009 of a Colgan air flight as it was coming into Buffalo, New York. It suffered serious icing and it crashed. Fifty people were killed.

The NTSB determined that there were a couple of things at play here. One was pilot fatigue and the other pilot error having to do with that stall the plane went into. Now, the FAA is proposing these new rules. And among the things they would ask -- or require is that ground inflight training include handling, recognizing and handling stalls. They currently have to be trained to recognize them, but now they're going to have to demonstrate on a simulator that they are able to handle a stall situation.

In addition, under these new rules, pilots would be required to take remedial train when they fail proficiency tests. Another one of the provisions would requires flight attendants' complete hands-on emergency drills every 12 months.

Now, we've spoken to one U.S. official who says that what they're trying to do is make sure that smaller operators, like the Colgan Airs of this world, do things that are currently routine part of training for the larger carriers.

These are only proposed rules. They still have to go through a comment period. But a clear reaction in part to those tragic events back in 2009.

LEMON: It was February 12, 2009. Thank you very much. Jeanne Meserve with those breaking details.

A school in Long Island made a controversial decision to stop separating kids in the class based on academic ability alone. Deb Feyerick reports some parents are angry about that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Audrey Goropeuscher took over as principal of Long Beach Middle School three years ago, she was stunned by what she saw.

AUDREY GOROPEUSCHER, PRINCIPAL: We did have classes that seemed to be somewhat segregated.

FEYERICK: That's because students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade honors classes were primarily white, while in regular classes students were primarily Latino and African-American. Among them, Jennifer Smith's daughter.

FEYERICK (on camera): If she was getting honors, why wasn't she put in an honors program?

JENNIFER RUBIN-SMITH, PARENT: She was, you know, high 90s in every single class. I couldn't understand it. And no one was pushing her, you know, to go to honors.

FEYERICK (voice-over): It's called tracking. Separating children based on academic abilities. But in Long Beach, the racial disparity in grade six became hard for educators to ignore.

FEYERICK (on camera): What is the danger in tracking somebody in sixth grade?

GOROPEUSCHER: In my opinion, it's developmentally inappropriate.

FEYERICK (voice-over): As one of Long Island's oldest communities, it is also one of its most economically diverse.

DR. ROBERT GREENBERG, LONG BEACH SCHOOLS: We were not providing equal opportunities and equal access to all youngsters and that needed to -- that needed to change. FEYERICK: In a controversial move two years ago, Superintendent Robert Greenberg did away with tracking, mixing sixth graders of all different academic abilities and creating a more challenging curriculum.

GREENBERG: When we begin to prepare youngsters in this way in middle school, they are far more successful than high school.

FEYERICK: But some parents, like Tom Sofield, argue smart kids like his daughter are being unfairly penalized.

TOM SOFIELD, PARENT: If someone is intelligent enough that they belong in an honors program, they should be in an honors program. If someone doesn't belong in that program, they should be in a program that teaches to their level.

FEYERICK: Martha Tassiello, initially skeptical, has embraced the new system for her younger daughter.

MARTHA TASSIELLO, PARENT: What they're really afraid of is opportunity for their children. Opportunity to get scholarships to colleges.

FEYERICK (on camera): What is the message you're trying to give children who traditionally would not be put in an honors class?

GOROPEUSCHER: The message is, you can do it. You're bright and you can perform well. And we expect you to.

FEYERICK (voice-over): As proof it's working, school officials say a greater number of kids are enrolling in advanced classes. However, test scores are still out. This week, the school board decided not to detract the seventh grade in the fall.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Long Beach, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Our CNN documentary, "Don't Fail Me: Education In America," exams the crisis in public education and why America's financial future is at risk if our students can't excel in math and science. Don't miss a full report from our Soledad O'Brien when that premiers Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So, with Osama bin Laden dead, some say the end game in Afghanistan needs to change. And that brings us to today's "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello here with your responses.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, the "Talk Back" question, should U.S. troops leave Afghanistan?

This from Kate. "As much as I'd like to say yes, because my husband is deployed there at the moment for a year, from what he's communicated to me, we need to remain there until the Afghan army and government is more stable, otherwise anything we've done there so far will be in vain and this could come back to bite us."

This from Nancy. "Yes, it is time to bring the troops home. We cannot fix the whole world, but we can concentrate on our own problems here, please."

This from Corey. "No. Ask any hero, you can't chop off the hydra head and leave the body to die. Follow through and make sure the head doesn't grow back."

This from Tara. "I'm a soldier's wife. My husband comes home from Afghanistan next month. It's been hard to watch our two kids grow without him. Some people don't believe in our war. We should pull out of Afghanistan and leave some ground troops and MPs there to help the government."

Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

LEMON: That little tickle comes always when you need it the least, right?

COSTELLO: Sorry about that.

LEMON: Here you go, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sorry about that, Kate.

LEMON: Take it.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Don. I'm off.

LEMON: Thank you.

You know, senior as the Memphis high school are getting a star speaker at their graduation. The president of the United States. I'll talk to the principal and a senior at the Race To The Top winning school. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A high school in Memphis is super excited because President Obama will give the commencement address. Booker T. Washington High won the Race To The Top challenge, raising its graduation rate from a dismal 55 percent four years ago to, get this, 81 percent last year. Now, that's good news. I want to show you part of a video the school submitted to the White House to win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lucy A. Campbell (ph), class of 1899, civil rights activist and educator. She was one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Willie Herenton, class of 1958, first African- American at Memphis. He was one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maurice White, (INAUDIBLE) with Earth, Wind and Fire, class of 1961. He was one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Benjamin Hooks, class of 1941, pastor, civil rights attorney and executive director of the NAACP. He was one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right, joining me now is one of the students in that clip, Kenneth Roberson, and Booker T. Washington High School Principal Alisha Kiner.

Thanks to both of you. You guys look great. You're smiling. You should be happy. And so congratulations. But my first question is going to go to you, Principal Kiner. You must be excited about winning the Race To The Top. And how did you feel when you found out the president was coming to your school?

ALISHA KINER, PRINCIPAL, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON H.S.: Look, excited is not the word. I still have not regained my voice from when I screamed. And I think everybody on the United States should have heard me scream for my little small office. This has just been one of the most wildly exciting experiences that I've ever had.

LEMON: Yes, you're from 55 percent, I think, up into the 80s. That is a huge, huge improvement. What do you owe your school's success to, you think?

KINER: Look, it's the -- first of all, I like to tell people that I am the smartest person that you'll ever meet. But, unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to teach all of the subjects. And I'm not smart enough to, you know, got pick up all of the kids and bring them into school every day. That's the entire village. So, you know, the credit goes to teacher and parents and the kids who did the work. What I did that was smart was just hire some good people.

LEMON: Yes. And you studied gender based schools. That was part of your expertise. So I understand that gender based classes, that you're putting boys together with boys, girls together with girls, do you think that that was helpful? That it played a role in this process?

KINER: Well, definitely. You know, there are some very specific things that we did do. And the class that experienced that 82 percent graduation rate was actually the first class as ninth graders to experience that gender specific -- those gender specific classes. Look, the key is, you know, as far as their little, you know, ugh. But, you know, after they get in there and they figure out that, you know, this teacher is teaching to my learning style, then it's not so bad. Kenneth here was a part of the second class that came through. And he was one of the ones that went ugh in the beginning. But I think he got used to it.

LEMON: So, Kenneth, I want to ask you the first question that I asked the principal, what did you -- how did you feel when you found out the president was coming to your school?

KENNETH ROBERSON, GRADUATING SENIOR: I was shocked. I was very shocked. And I was willing to do whatever it was and whatever it takes to see the president. And I'm just looking forward to shaking his hand and hoping that I say the proper things to the president because I don't know what I'm going to say to him and I'm not sure what I'm going to wear. So hopefully everything turns out great.

LEMON: Well, you should wear a necktie, a strong, firm handshake, and, "yes, sir," "yes, ma'am" like your mom I'm sure -- your parents taught you.

So, listen, I have to ask you, what was, Kenneth, I mean, what do you think made the difference for you? Was it one thing? Was it a couple of things? What made the difference for you and for the school, do you think?

ROBERSON: I would say one thing, unison (ph). Everyone did everything as a family. And if you do everything as one day (ph) and everything would turn out great and you will be successful.

LEMON: So you're graduating, I understand, fifth in your class. So how do you think the other schools could turn around their graduation rates like your school did? Do you have any advice?

ROBERSON: Yes, sir. Everyone has to work as one, like I just mentioned, and help each other and push everyone and encourage everyone to do their best and everyone should succeed.

LEMON: Yes.

So, principal, good advice. And he says he's worried. He doesn't know what he's going to say to the president, what he's going to wear, but I think you have him covered, right? He'll do OK?

KINER: Yes, I think I can give him some things to say. Yes.

LEMON: Advice real quickly if you can. We're almost out of time here. But just to other schools, if you can offer, just in five or 10 seconds.

KINER: Look, just treat each kid as an individual. It's not about test, it's about meeting the kid, where they are. Parents send the best kids they have to school every day. It's our job to meet them there. We're not satisfied with 82 percent because that's saying we've done 82 percent of our jobs. We're not going to be satisfied --

LEMON: You want 100 percent? Yes.

KINER: Yes, we're not going to be satisfied until you say, you know, you've done 100 percent of your job well. And so that's it. And it's team work.

LEMON: Well, Principal Kiner, it's going to have to be the last word. Thank you so much.

Mr. Roberson, congratulations to everyone there. And I hope you're making out OK with the floods. Thanks again.

KINER: Thank you.

ROBERSON: Thank you.

LEMON: You know the CNN NEWSROOM continues right now -- sorry about that -- continues right now with my friend Randi Kaye.

Randi.