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Anthony Weiner Resigns; Al Qaeda's New Top Man; Fake Parts in Military; Rape as a Weapon in Libya; Rare Snow Leopard Triplets; Stanley Cup Win Ends in Riot; Casey Anthony Defense Begins: DNA Evidence, No Surprise Witness Yet

Aired June 16, 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: And here we go. Hour two of my CNN NEWSROOM starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Congressman Anthony Weiner sent lewd pictures from his Twitter account to women, and then he lied about it. He even lied to our own Wolf Blitzer. Well, now he's resigning. And I will speak live to Wolf about he thinks will happen next.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

(voice-over): Al Qaeda introduces its new number one. Find out why Ayman al-Zawahri's hatred for the U.S. is personal.

We have heard the accusations of widespread rape in Libya. Now there may be proof.

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After weeks of hearing of these cell phone rape videos, we for the first time have a copy of one.

BALDWIN: Horrifying moments of one woman being assaulted -- this is a CNN exclusive.

Some of the weapons U.S. troops use are being made with counterfeit parts, and they're coming from China. I will speak live with one senator about why the Chinese are refusing to help investigate.

And the moments that really matter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was hoping that we would make it home in time for Father's Day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to you. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Developing right now: The feds have sent out a warning that terrorists could be targeting specific Americans in this country. We're told they could include people from the government, people within business, members of the media even. We're gathering the facts right now, more on the potential hit list and who's behind it coming up.

But, first, after the three weeks of the drip, drip, drip of revelations, growing calls to leave, the inevitable has happened. Congressman Anthony Weiner resigns for sending those lewd pictures of himself to women he met online.

Now, the New York Democrat made the announcement just within the last hour or two. And in case you missed it, here is his statement, Congressman Anthony Weiner. Watch this with me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: About 20 years I stood in this very same room here at the council center and asked my neighbors for their help, to take a chance on me, in electing me to the City Council. Then, some seven years later, I asked those same people to join with people in Queens in sending me to Congress.

There is no higher honor in a democracy than being sent by your neighbors to represent them in the United States House of Representatives. It is particularly humbling to represent this district because the communities and families of the Ninth Congressional District are hardworking, they're patriotic, they're opinionated, they are authentic.

I have never forgotten my neighbors, because they represent the same middle-class story as mine. I went to public schools my whole life. My mother was a schoolteacher for 32 years. My father went to law school on the G.I. Bill.

The middle-class story of New York is my story, and I'm very proud of that.

I'm here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused. I make this apology to my neighbors and my constituents, but I make it particularly to my wife, Huma.

I had hoped to be able to continue the work that the citizens of my district elected me to do, to fight for the middle-class and those struggling to make it. Unfortunately, the distraction that I have created has made that impossible.

So today I am announcing my resignation from Congress.

I want to and thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives, Democrats and Republicans alike. They come from different places around the country, but fundamentally we all agree.

They're all patriots, and I will miss them all.

I want to thank, of course, the many people who have helped me, the people who have volunteered, the people who have given me advice, the many of my constituents who have offered me good ideas. And, of course, I want to express my gratitude to my family, to my mother and father, who instilled in me the values that carried me this far, to my brother, Jason, and of course to my wife, Huma, who has stood with me in this entire difficult period and to whom I owe so very much.

I got into politics to help give voice to the many who simply did not have one. Now I will be looking for other ways to contribute my talents to make sure that we live up to that most New York and American of ideals. The idea that leaving a family, a community and ultimately a country is the one thing that all unites us, the one thing we're all focused on. With God's help and with hard work, we will all be successful.

Thank you, and good afternoon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And there you have it, Congressman Anthony Weiner from just about an hour-and-a-half ago.

I do want to bring in Wolf Blitzer, who I know was anchoring our coverage during that time.

And, Wolf, we actually just got some video in. So, let's watch this together. I understand this is the congressman leaving that senior senator -- senior center in Brooklyn, heading home to his apartment.

Let me just first ask you your thoughts on the very quick four- minute statement he gave, taking no questions. Was this resignation, Wolf, was it inevitable?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It wasn't necessarily inevitable, but certainly the Democratic leadership, not only the former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader now, but other Democrats, including good friends of his, they were pressing him, saying, you're really hurting the party right now.

There was a moment that they thought that could score some points on some of the other substantive economic issues, like Medicare, for example. And they pressed him really hard. And there were suggestions not only would there be a House Ethics Committee full- scale investigation of what he was doing, but maybe they would strip him of membership on some key committees in the House of Representatives, remove all of his authority, all of his power there.

He's been in the House for 13 years, six times elected. So the pressure was enormous on him to step down.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BLITZER: And, in the end, he decided he had no choice, I suppose, although a lot of his constituents, according to the polls and sort of random Q&A sessions we did, they wanted him to stay.

BALDWIN: Yes. They appear to be quite forgiving.

And I think what seems to be the linchpin here, when you talk to some of these constituents, when you hear from some members of Congress, it wasn't necessarily the inappropriate pictures, Wolf. It was the lying. It was the lying time and time again from congressmen.

In fact, he lied to some of our folks on Capitol Hill, and he lied to you to your face.

I want to watch just a piece of that interview and then we will talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Have you ever taken a picture like this of yourself?

WEINER: I can tell you this, that there are -- I have photographs. I don't know what photographs are out there in the world of me. I don't know what things have been manipulated and doctored, and we're going to try to find out what happened.

But the most important reason I want to find out what happened is to make sure it doesn't happen again. Obviously, somebody got access to my account; that's bad. They sent a picture that makes fun of the name Weiner. I get it. You know, touche, Dr. Moriarty. You got me.

At the time it happened, I tweeted right away that I got the joke and I continued on with my life. And I think that, frankly, that's what I would encourage everyone to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Wolf, I know you have seen that a number of times now.

And now that you know the truth, when you watch that piece of video, what goes through your head?

BLITZER: He was blatantly, obviously, lying, as he himself acknowledges. There was no hacker. He is the one who sent that picture, that lewd picture to that 21-year-old college student in Seattle, Washington. No one had hacked into his Twitter account. No one had hacked into his Facebook. There was no Photoshopping going on. It was all him. He did it all himself.

As I look back on that tape the other day, and the only thing I think he was telling me the truth is when I asked him, who are you trying to protect? And he said -- basically, he paused, and he got emotional. He said Huma. He referred to his wife. They have been married for less than a year.

We didn't -- I didn't know then -- he obviously knew that she was pregnant. And he later said, you know what, I lied. I lied through my teeth because I was trying to protect my wife and his family, and he was so deeply embarrassed by the things that he had done over these social networking, network sites.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BLITZER: So, it was -- he told me the truth. He was trying to protect his wife, Huma. But, on everything else, he was lying.

BALDWIN: Yes. I was speaking with Congressman Steve Israel last hour. And he was saying to me, look, no one knows what the future holds for Anthony Weiner, but clearly his priority right now is not politics. It's personal.

Wolf Blitzer...

BLITZER: Right, as it should be.

BALDWIN: Yes, as it should be.

Thank you so much.

And if it's happening and interesting right now, you're about to see it rapid fire. Let's go.

Computer hackers say they took down the public Web site of the CIA. The hackers are part of a group that supports WikiLeaks. A CIA spokesperson says is -- they experienced a slowdown for a short period last night, but that the site is now back up, back to normal, and there was no intrusion or hacking of the Web site.

An alleged rape and theft suspect is in the doghouse, really. He was found hiding in a doghouse and has since been arrested days after police released this cell phone video of him seen stealing some items from a woman's home. And police asked the public to help identify him.

We first aired this story last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you please leave? How did you get in here?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The suspect reportedly assaulted that woman after she captured that piece of video. Just so you know, the woman is OK.

And, of course, you remember when Lady Gaga was wearing that meat dress -- only Gaga -- at the VMAs? Well, it apparently is now going to live in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The dress was made of Argentinean beef and was dried out and painted for the display.

And it's a special Father's Day for many families in Colorado. Aww -- 250 soldiers came home to a cheering crowd. This is Fort Carson. This is near Colorado Springs. So cute. Look at that little guy. The troops have been in Afghanistan for the past year. And for many of them, the timing of their reunions could not have been more perfect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great. I was hoping that we would make it home in time for Father's Day. And that was kind of the nervous part, because I really wanted to spend Father's Day with my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Look at those cheeks.

Some of these troops are making it back just in time for their very first Father's Day.

And loved ones welcomed home sailors on a carrier that buried Osama bin Laden at sea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just like this little girl, the crowd was ecstatic to welcome home more than 5,000 crew members aboard the USS Carl Vinson. The group was deployed for more than six months. And the commanding officer says the crew feels good about the history-making mission.

Well, weeks after the U.S. killed Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda names its new leader. And for Ayman al-Zawahiri, his fight against Americans is personal. It involves what the U.S. did to his wife and his children. That is coming up.

Also up next: An explosive investigation reveals a serious problem in the U.S. military. The weapons and equipment that troops use are apparently being made with counterfeit parts, and they're coming from China. I will speak live with Senator Sherrod Brown about why China is refusing to cooperate with this investigation.

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: When you think of counterfeit goods coming out of China, what do you think of? Maybe DVDs? Maybe those knockoff designer handbags? Not parts for U.S. missile guidance systems or microprocessors used in F-15 flight controls. Folks, those are just a couple examples that the government is now seeing. One study said the problem of counterfeit parts is so bad it's affecting nearly 40 percent of the Pentagon's supply chain.

Right now the Senate Armed Services Committee has staffers on the ground in Hong Kong, and they're there because they're trying to get into China, they want to investigate. But so far, the Chinese government won't let them in, they won't grant them visas. So, on that note, I do want to welcome in my guest here. This is Senator Sherrod Brown. And it's Senator Brown who requested the study by the GAO, the General Accounting Office, that documented these counterfeit goods within the Department of Defense.

Senator Brown, thank you for coming on.

I want to begin with what's happening right now in Hong Kong. As I mentioned, these Senate staffers trying to get into China to Shenzhen. What's the status? Any success yet?

SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D), OHIO: Not that we know of yet. But it's easy to blame the Chinese for this, just like it's easy to blame the Chinese for taking our jobs and shutting down American manufacturing plants. But we're letting this happen, and the Department of Defense needs to pay way more attention to its whole supply change.

The Department of Defense needs, when it has a contractor, just like when toys -- when we found toys, American companies would subcontract with Chinese companies in China, and these Chinese companies would send back lead-based painted toys, it's up to the American manufacturer who subcontracted them to be responsible. And the Department of Defense has to be more responsible and make the contractors.

If American contractors are going to allow these counterfeit goods in their supply chain, we don't slap them on the wrist. We say no more contracts until you fix that, until you get rid of these counterfeit kinds of components.

BALDWIN: OK.

BROWN: At the same time -- go ahead.

BALDWIN: So the onus falls not just on China as we want as the Department of Defense.

But help me, Senator Brown, help me understand --

BROWN: Well, the Department of Defense, the American contractors --

BALDWIN: Right.

BROWN: -- that are using these products, and ultimately then the Chinese --

BALDWIN: So then call up China.

BROWN: -- in the supply chain.

But the American contractor need to be responsible for what they're selling to the government. And they're buying these counterfeit products, not on purpose, but they've got to pay attention to their supply chain. And when an American contractor doesn't do that right, we can't just slap them on the wrist. We need to say, no more contracts until you clean up your act for American security.

BALDWIN: I understand, Senator. But let's be -- let's be specific. When we talk about these counterfeit goods, these parts that have been discovered, what specifically are we talking about? And how have you seen -- how have the counterfeit items -- how have they affected our men and women in uniform?

BROWN: Well, it can affect them because it could mean a malfunction of parts, a malfunction of the equipment overall from one component in a missile and a rifle in some kind of important product that the Department of Defense uses. It could be something that jeopardizes national security because it -- who knows -- who knows what one of these parts might have in terms of a computer chip.

And it ultimately means --

BALDWIN: So that's the kind of risk -- that's the kind of risk you are talking, national security here.

BROWN: Yes. It's national security and it's also American jobs, because if the Chinese are counterfeiting something and selling these, it means these products are not made in the United States by American workers.

So it's really national security, it's safety for our troops, and it's American jobs. That's why they contractors -- the Defense Department needs to quit being in bed with these contractors and being all buddy-buddy with their contractors. They need to say, if you're going to serve -- we're use American taxpayer dollars to buy these goods, you better make sure they're American made, you better make sure they're safe, you better make sure that you're doing this right; if not, you're not contracting with us anymore. And our Defense Department simply hasn't done that over the years.

BALDWIN: What kind of response have you gotten? Final question, sir, what kind of response have you gotten so far here from DOD?

BROWN: Well, they're saying we're going to fix it, we're going to work on it. But I want to see better results than that.

BALDWIN: OK. Senator Sherrod Brown, let us know how it goes here, thank you so much.

BROWN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: You know, we normally hear about terrorists targeting places or buildings, but now terror leaders are apparently targeting specific Americans, many of them in their own homes. The brand-new warning about this hit list, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As we told you, it has now taken al Qaeda just about a month and a half here, but they've now named a new leader. It is this man, this is Ayman al-Zawahiri, seen here with the late Osama bin Laden. And like bin Laden, al-Zawahiri is believed to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan, perhaps right along the Afghan border.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's longtime sidekick, his number two. Unlike bin Laden who came from Saudi Arabia, he is Egyptian, age 59. He is considered to be a master of planning and of logistics.

And I want you to hold that thought, because CNN has obtained this newly distributed bulletin. This is from the FBI, it's an apparent terrorist hit list. And with more on that, let's go to Washington to our CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.

And, Jeanne, please explain. Hit list? Who is on this?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, that's exactly what it looks like.

According to this intelligence bulletin that was sent out by the FBI last week, there was a video that was made by Adam Gadahn, he's an American who also was a propagandist for al Qaeda. He sent this out encouraging individual acts of jihad.

In response, an extremist web forum posted information on collecting personal information like work and residential addresses. And then, the FBI says, others posted the names of over 40 potential targets, people in government, industry and media, with photographs of 26 of them.

The bulletin says the list included people associated with think tanks and U.S. contractors supporting the U.S. military. One postings even suggested sending booby-trapped parcels to the residential addresses to those on the list.

The FBI does say in the bulletin that this all appears to be aspiration in nature. They did put out the bulletin and they contacted the people whose names and photos were posted out of due diligence, they say, but no imminent threat or so it appears, Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK, so apparitional.

And just quickly, where again, where is Adam Gadahn?

MESERVE: Adam Gadahn, well, I'm sure they wish they knew specifically exactly -- exactly where he was. We don't have an exact location of him. I'm sure a drone would have found him by now if they had one, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So he is the one behind this, OK.

Jeanne Meserve, thank you so much.

And now this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: To the White House, tell it to the judge at this point, because that's where we're at. We're in court. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That is from my interview with Congressman Dennis Kucinich just after he and other lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, sued President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates over the operation in Libya. Well, now the White House is responding to that lawsuit, but there are still many, many questions left unanswered here. That is ahead.

Also, Apple is on the verge of some new technology that would automatically turn off your iPhone in specific places. We're going to tell you what that place is, and I bet it's going to make you a little angry. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Time now for your CNN Political Update here. Before we go ahead to Ed Henry at the White House, I want to replay just a little bit of my interview with Congressman Kucinich, this was from right around this time yesterday.

And so you know, the congressman is suing the White House for the U.S. role in NATO operations in Libya. He and several other lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, believe President Obama violated the War Powers Act.

Here, watch what Congressman Kucinich told me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: I want to back up and just go back to my question about boots on the ground, again, the White House saying today, no boots on the ground, the U.S. playing a support role.

KUCINICH: This is about the Constitution.

BALDWIN: So, let me just ask you, though. Let me just ask you, do you have some information that perhaps the White House doesn't have with regard to U.S. forces in country?

KUCINICH: That's a silly question. This is --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Why is that a silly question, sir?

KUCINICH: This isn't about footwear. This is about the Constitution of the United States.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Sir, I took a look at your -- I took a look at this 36- page suit. And you specifically cite examples of different members within the U.S. saying there are boots on the ground.

(CROSSTALK) KUCINICH: I don't know where you're coming from, but we initiated a war against Libya. There's no question about that. And that's indisputable.

And to say, well, just because we don't have boots on the ground, it's not a war, huh? I mean, there's bombing that's occurred. We have had planes over there. We have got ships offshore that have been -- that launched attacks. You cannot claim -- you can't claim this that isn't a war.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Sir, I'm not claiming that at all. I am just simply reporting what the White House did and getting your perspective.

(CROSSTALK)

KUCINICH: Well, I hope so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Quite a conversation I had yesterday with Mr. Kucinich. I appreciate him coming on and joining me.

Ed Henry, let's not do that back and forth. But I do want to ask you, you know, what is the news today from the White House on that front with regard to that suit?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is more than footwear, to defend you there for a second, Brooke. Boots on the ground is a question about just how deep is the U.S. involvement in this conflict.

The new information today is that the president's press secretary, Jay Carney, came out and dug up this quote from 1999 where John Boehner, the current speaker of the House, basically back then during the Clinton administration said that the War Powers Act was constitutionally questionable. And so, the White House is trying to say, look, it's hypocritical now to start waving the War Powers Act to say the president needs to get congressional approval.

Well, Boehner's office responded by digging out a quote when then Senator Obama was saying when presidents fail to go up to Congress to get this approval, you wind up with Vietnam or other big, big crises like that.

I think the bottom line, though, is the whole legal argument, the legal argument the White House has made, saying yesterday they didn't need congressional approval. John Boehner, as speaker, today was very blunt in saying he does not believe it passes the straight-face test, that you just can't look them in the eye and tell them the U.S. is not heavily involved here in a military conflict. He believes there needs to be congressional approval. Clearly, some Democrats -- not all, but some -- like Dennis Kucinich believe that.

And so, I think the bottom line is all of this is this White House is going to continue to face just intense pressure and heat to come up to Congress and give them yet more information.

BALDWIN: What about -- totally unrelated here, and I have to ask, Anthony Weiner. The big news today, announcing his resignation there at the senior center in Brooklyn. You're at the White Hosue. We heard the president weight in this week. Any reaction yet?

HENRY: Yes, I asked Jay Carney about that as well. And I said, does it mean you can now go back to jobs? And his retort was, look, we've never stop focusing on jobs. And basically, the Weiner thing may have been a distraction to some - and they think it's been more of a media distraction, but that the president has been doing his job. Which is true, but it's also true that this has been a distraction for the Democratic party writ large, and they are breathing a sigh of relief, whether they want to admit it or not, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Sure, that's what Dana Bash was reporting. Sigh of relief, though met with some sadness as well.

Ed Henry for me at the White House thank you.

HENRY: Good to see you.

BALDWIN: And now let me share this piece of video with you. Take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So this is not the hockey, right? We showed that to you in downtown Vancouver, last hour. Folks, this is Greece. This is serious, serious, demonstrations there in Athens. The country is in deep, deep debt crisis mode. They are protesting against the government austerity measures.

And I want to bring in Alison Kosik. She's at the New York Stock Exchange. And Alison, bottom line here, what is the main fear with regard to this crisis in Greece?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The main fear here is that the debt crisis in Greece will wind up having a ripple effect right here to the U.S. And this worry is ever-present for the U.S. markets. You know, if Greece doesn't get its debt issues under control.

You know, citizens in Greece are rioting because they're not happy with these austerity measures. Austerity, also known as spending cuts. The spending cuts that parliament is trying to pass. And some of those measures would include a pay freeze for public workers, raising the retirement age, pensions would be cut, they would see higher taxes. Yes, these are really tough measures, but the fact is Greece has a huge debt problem. Their credit rating is the lowest in the world. They've already gotten already a $150 billion bailout? And guess what? They need another.

So, many think that these spending cuts really need to be a part of it, and these tough measures do as well, Brooke. BALDWIN: Yes, demonstrations day after day there in Greece. And secondly here, Alison Kosik, you have some news about some new technology. Can I just say I have now defected? I officially am an iPhone - oh, there's a tweet - officially an iPhone user.

KOSIK: Congratulations.

BALDWIN: Thank you very much, but now you're telling me there's new technology. Apple could stop me from taking video somewhere? Where's that?

KOSIK: Well, this would be for live events. So, what Apple's doing is they're working on this technology that would actually shut down your iPhone camera when you try to record something like a concert.

Here's how it work. There would be these infrared sensors would be installed at the actual venue, say the concert hall or the museum, so they would be next to the Mona Lisa. So when you hold up your camera, the sensors would be triggered, the camera would be shut down. And what this essentially does is it protects these concert organizers, let's say, who have exclusive rights to the concert, at the museum, if there are exclusive rights to the portrait.

And what it winds up doing is it gives Apple, you know, a few brownie points as far as these record companies go, it would get them on their side, could help them negotiate more favorable terms on their contracts with recording artists for iTunes.

Now, you still have time where you can still raise that camera up and still record that live video because no details yet on how or when this will be implemented. Because it's not just Apple that has to get in on the game. These venues have to put in this infrared sensor as well, Brooke. So, you still got a little time since you're a newbie with the iPhone.

BALDWIN: Come on, I want to tape my videos of the concert. Let me do that. Don't put this pass --

KOSIK: Exactly! Do it now. Enjoy it now.

BALDWIN: Alison, thank you.

Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY WEINER, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Today I am announcing my resignation from Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Congressman Anthony Weiner resigns just this afternoon after this twitter scandal, but he's not the only politicians to step in front of the microphones to make this kind of announcement. We're going to show you some other infamous resignation moments, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Congressman Anthony Weiner resigns for sending those lewd pictures of himself to women he met online. And I have a reaction from a political wife who you could say has been there, done that. Ex-wife of Jim McGreevey, who quit as New Jersey governor in a sex scandal. She calls the resignation, quote, "the first step in the healing and rebuilding process for his family." She goes on. "My thoughts and prayers are with his wife during this very painful chapter of her life."

Randi Kaye looks at some of the sex scanned always that brought down several American politicians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's hardly the first politician to be forced out of office for fooling around. The list is long and spans both sides of the aisle.

JAMES MCGREEVEY (D), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: My truth is that I am a gay American.

KAYE: In 2004, New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey was forced out after coming out, resigning from office with his wife by his side. A former lover's threat of blackmail forced his resignation.

ELIOT SPITZER, FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: I am resigning from the office of the governor.

KAYE: Former governor and current CNN host Eliot Spitzer shocked the country where the so-called sheriff of Wall Street admitted to having frequented prostitutes.

JOHN ENSIGN (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: To my Senate colleagues, I would like to take a moment to apologize for what you've had to go there as a result of my actions.

KAYE: And Senator John Ensign, a Republican from Nevada, resigned under his own dark ethical cloud after claims that he tried to cover up an affair with a staffer by paying off her husband.

KWAME KILPATRICK, FORMER DETROIT MAYOR: I want to tell you, Detroit, that you done set me up for a comeback.

KAYE: And thousands of text messages between Kwame Kilpatrick and a married city official led to a four-months sentence and resignation from the former mayor of Detroit.

Still the list of sex scandal survivors isn't short, either.

LARRY CRAIG (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: To my wife and my family, I apologize for what I have caused.

KAYE: Senator Larry Craig was at least able to fin out his term after allegedly trying to solicit sex in an airport bathroom. MARK SANFORD, FORMER GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA: So, the bottom line is this. I've been unfaithful to my wife.

KAYE: South Carolina governor Mark Sanford stayed alive, even after going AWOL for a week and admitting to an affair with a woman in Argentina.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

KAYE: And then of course Bill Clinton, the ultimate survivor. Despite an impeachment vote by the House, the president weathered perhaps the world's most famous sex scandal. Clinton officiated Weiner's wedding. And Weiner called Clinton when news of the phots first hit the airwaves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Randi Kaye, thank you. And now this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After weeks of hearing about these cell phone rape videos, we for the first time have a copy of one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Horrifying moments caught on cell phone video. We've heard the accusations of mass rape happening inside Libya, bud now there is apparently proof. Sara Sidner uncovers explosive evidence. You have to see this, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: It is time to take you "Globetrekking," and I want to warn you, the story you're about to see is disturbing and graphic, because it's about rape as a weapon in Libya's civil war and evidence of those assaults that rebels say is frequently found and captured on cell phones. As CNN's Sara Sidner explains from Misrata, Libya, the videos are so horrific that even the rebels are trying to erase the evidence trying to avoid humiliating these families, their victims.

We should tell you we have blurred just about all of the video to make it possible for Sara to file this report. The audio alone may be upsetting to some of you.

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SIDNER (voice-over): On the frond lines of Libya's war, rebel fighters say they are finding a lot more than weapons on captured or killed pro-Gadhafi soldiers.

(SOUNDS OF WOMAN SCREAMING)

SIDNER: they say they have confiscated cell phones that contain videos showing Gadhafi loyalists torturing and raping Libyan citizens.

(on camera): After weeks of hearing about these cell phone rape videos, we for the first time have a copy of one. This was given to us by a source who does not want to be identified for fear of being punished by this very conservative society.

To be clear, we have been unable to verify its authenticity. We don't know where it was taken or when or by whom. All we can do is watch and listen to it.

(SOUNDS OF WOMAN SCREAMING)

SIDNER: In this video provided to CNN, fropm what rebels was say was a cell phone from a Gadhafi, two men in civilian clothes stand over a naked woman who was bent over with the face on her floor. The man standing behind her is sodomizing her with what appears to be a broomstick.

"I can't bear it, I can't bear it," she says.

A male voice off camera says, "Let's push it farther." "No, no, that's enough," the woman begs.

One of the man puts his sock-covered foot on her face. In this culture, it's considered the ultimate insult. But in this case, it pales in comparison to what the victim is already enduring.

(on camera): We blurred this video, because it's extremely difficult to watch. Arabic speakers who have examined the video say the voices in the video are distinctly Libyan with clear Tripoli accents. There's no date on the video, and the men in the video not wearing military uniforms. The victim's face is barely seen, so we have not been able to identify her.

It's been extremely difficult to get anyone to talk about this video on camera because of the cultural sensitivities here.

(voice-over): We asked Abdallah Al-Kabeir, a spokesman for the opposition in Misrata whether rebels have found many of these kinds of videos, his answer -- yes.

ABDALLAH AL-KABEIR, SPOKESMAN, MISRATA MEDIA COMMITTEE (through translator): We were able to confirm that rape was used as a weapon of war because it was systematic.

SIDNER: The International Criminal Court in The Hague says the allegations are credible. It is investigating, but in a surprising admission to CNN, Spokesman Al-Kabeir tells us some of the evidence of war crimes prosecutors want may have been destroyed.

AL-KABEIR: There was a commander here at the eastern front in Misrata named Muhammad Al-Habus (ph), he ordered all the revolutions fighters to give them the rape videos they found on cell phones. I heard that he used destroyed every video that he got.

SIDNER (on camera): Why would you destroy video evidence of rape that could be used as evidence of war crimes against your enemy, against the Gadhafi regime.

AL-KABEIR: Because aside from being a heinous crime, rape is perceived here in our culture, damaging not only for the girl, but also the whole family.

SIDNER (voice-over): Rape is such a taboo, even some of the victims' families would erase potential evidence against the attackers than risks living with the shame. Sara Sidner, CNN, Misrata, Libya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Tough to listen to, isn't it? Now this.

Usually people riot in the streets when a team wins, but not so in Canada. Look at this. An incredible scene, chaos, fire, wait until you see just how out of hand this actually got.

Plus, rare video of triplets. We'll tell you where this happened, coming up next.

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BALDWIN: OK. You've got to see this. This is a set of snow leopard triplets. These are the three kittens with their mom in Switzerland at the zoo. They are eight weeks old, have yet to be named. Look at the little guy. He's camera shy.

The snow leopards are very, very rare. There are only an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 left in the entire world, and they're usually found in the Himalayas. Beautiful coat.

The Boston Bruins riding high today, an emotional high after winning the Stanley Cup in game seven of the best - in seven series of Vancouver. The sixth win for them, but outside the arena, anger and outrage. Take a look at this video with me. You got to see this.

Fans of the Canucks vented their anger rioting in the streets. They took last night's 4-0 defeat in game seven very, very hard, overturning vehicles. See the fire? Setting a number of things on fire, in fact, they even torched two police cars.

Look at that aerial video. Clouds of smoke choked some areas of downtown Vancouver. Police say they made some 100 arrests just last night, and they're looking for more suspects involved in this.

They blame the looting and the rioting on anarchists. I- Reporter Rob from Vancouver sent us this video. He says he saw Molotov cocktails being rolled by the crowd. Tear gas canisters tossed by police in response.

And with every challenge the mob just got angrier with police. Glass shattered. Rob says, he wants people to know that the actions of this crowd, they are not a true representation of his city of Vancouver. Here we are a couple minutes away from "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. Let's bring him in. Wolf, I know you have an interview with Senator Dianne Feinstein today talking what, specifically about Pakistan and Libya?

WOLF BLITZER, THE SITUATION ROOM: On Libya, she's making some news too. She's telling me that she expects her colleagues in the Senate, Senator Kerry, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator McCain, co-sponsoring legislation that would finally get a resolution that would authorize the use of military force in Libya.

This is what so many members of House and the Senate Democrats and Republicans are seeking from the White House, such a resolution. As you know, the White House shot back yesterday and said the War Powers Act does not apply to Libya because the U.S. is not engaged with so-called boots on the ground.

Troops are not actually there even though hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles have been launched. The U.S. continues to launch missiles and bombs from drones. The U.S. is involved in intelligence and reconnaissance. Yes, no troops are on the ground, but this is obviously a military operation, and so many members of the House and Senate want the president to comply with the War Powers Act.

The White House issued a long 30-page document saying it was not necessary. So that will go along. She's also got strong views, by the way, on Pakistan, what's going on right now. There's a new leader as you know, and you've been reporting it, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who's the number two of al Qaeda.

He is now the number one. She says if the Pakistanis did what they could do, namely hand over information on the whereabouts. Everyone believes he's hiding out in Pakistan just as Bin Laden was and let the U.S. go do what it needs to do with Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

That would help improve that U.S.-Pakistani relationship. I think our viewers will be interested in this interview with Senator Feinstein.

BALDWIN: All right. We'll be looking forward to it, Wolf Blitzer. Thank you so much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

And Casey Anthony's defense opening its case today. Did you hear what her lawyer asked a DNA expert? Whether Casey's brother is Casey's father? We have that answer. Sunny Hostin is on the case. She is next. We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: The defense has begun in the trial of the Florida mother charged with murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Sunny Hostin is on this Casey Anthony case.

Sunny, the defense didn't start with its surprise witness that we were talking about just yesterday. We heard a little bit more about this CSI-type testimony. Why? What's the strategy in doing that?

SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: You know, there are two types of strategy. I think when defense put on a case, typically one sort of strategy is, the prosecution didn't prove its case, let me poke holes in that case.

The other strategy is the prosecution got it wrong. Let me tell you what really happened. And given Jose Baez' huge opening statement, that explosive opening statement that caught everyone by surprise, Brooke.

The new theory that the defense put out there, I think we all thought, myself included that he would have that sort of case. That he would put on a new theory and he would put on Casey Anthony right at the beginning front loading. That hasn't happened.

Instead he's trying to poke holes in the prosecution's case. We are seeing a lot of the witnesses that the prosecution called and they giving somewhat of a different spin on their initial testimony in the prosecution's case.

So I think we still may hear from Casey Anthony. I think we have to hear from Casey Anthony, if the defense is going to prove its theory. But you're right, it sort of started out with a little bit of a fizz instead of a bang. I think we're all waiting to hear what comes next.

BALDWIN: Yes, not quite the bombshell that we heard from the prosecution. We'll wait for it. Meantime, for the very first time, we heard about this paternity test.

Forgive me, I misspoke earlier, I meant to say Caylee's father, of course not Casey's, conducting this DNA for evidence. What did the defense specifically focus on? Why the paternity test?

HOSTIN: Well, remember the defense here is that the reason Casey Anthony acted the way she did, for 31 days, is because she was sexually abused not only by her father, but also by her brother, Lee Anthony.

So today, we found out that the FBI tested DNA to determine whether or not Lee Anthony was Caylee Anthony's father. Very, very interesting testimony, important testimony for the defense, because they're getting in sort of through the back door these allegations of sexual abuse.

The inference is, why would the FBI test for paternity if Casey Anthony had not been abused by her brother, Lee Anthony? I would say that was really quite a bombshell.

In the courtroom, Brooke, the prosecution jumped up and down and objected, I would say the most strenuously we've seen the prosecution object so far in this trial.

BALDWIN: OK. We'll continue talking about that, and we're waiting for Casey Anthony to testify presumably she will.

But I do want to get to this, this is a case that's all, but fallen off the national radar because of what's going on in Orlando, the trial of self-help guru James Arthur Ray.

We know three people died from that sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona. The jury finally about the case here, Sunny, how long has this trial been going on?

HOSTIN: It is in its 50th day, Brooke and it's really fascinating because as we were just talking about Casey Anthony. The prosecution here, took, what, 18, 19 days for its case in chief, so a very long trial so far for James Ray.

BALDWIN: What does the jury have to find in order to convict him? Less than a minute.

HOSTIN: Yes, he's been charged with three counts of reckless homicide. The jury has to find that he knew there was a risk of death when he put those people in that sweat lodge, and even though he knew the risk, he consciously disregarded it.

Really tough standard to prove for this prosecution, which is why I think everybody is wondering will the prosecution really prove its case here.

BALDWIN: What do you think, quick prediction? Will they be able to?

HOSTIN: I think it's going to be tough. I don't think so. I think he may be convicted of something, but reckless homicide unlikely. He had a crackerjack defense team.

BALDWIN: OK, Sunny Hostin, thank you so much as always on the case for us each and every day. That is it for me here. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks so much for being with me these last two hours of CNN NEWSROOM.

And now we're going to take you to Washington, as always, to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer. "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts right now.