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Libyan Regime Collapsing; President Obama Speaks Out on Libya; Libyan Rebels Take Most of Tripoli; Charges Dropped Against Dominique Strauss-Kahn; Hurricane Irene Hits Caribbean; Pentagon Believe Gadhafi Still in Libya

Aired August 22, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Top of the hour here. Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.

Just want to remind you real quickly we're getting the president on camera, his remarks, his statements on Libya. We're getting that turned around for you. As soon as we get that turned around, of course, we will play it for you here on CNN.

Meantime, check the clock, 3:00 Eastern time, 9:00 p.m. in Tripoli. The Libyan capital now 90 percent controlled by Western- backed rebels. That's according to the U.S. government.

And rife with rumors as to the fate of Moammar Gadhafi. For 42 years, the country's undisputed, unbalanced leader, that's where we're going to start. Is Gadhafi holed up in his compound? You see it right there? It appears to be -- take a good look at this map with me -- it appears to be surrounded by a concrete wall. Is he hiding in the city's international hotel? It is said to be teeming with gunmen? Or is Moammar Gadhafi dead already? Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: There are rumors, rumors rampant, as you know, in Tripoli and elsewhere. If he is alive, the best thing he can do for his people is to step down immediately and end this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Three of his sons, they're in custody here, their photographs right there. You have Saif, Mohammed and Saadi. But again the quickly is where is Moammar Gadhafi? And will he be taken alive?

Sara Sidner live for us now in Tripoli on phone.

Sara, as I mentioned, night has fallen, 9:00 p.m. where you are. Tell me where specifically you are and what you're hearing on the streets as far as the whereabouts of Colonel Gadhafi.

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): We left Tripoli just moments ago and came out to the outskirts of the city where a lot of the rebels often retreat in the evening time. Some of them actually even go home.

What we were hearing in the city center today were definitely some loud gunshots back and forth. Definitely they were engaging in a fight in the city center or around the city center. We were told by rebel forces that there were snipers in the area around the square and some on top some of the buildings in parts of the city.

There was definitely a fight, a battle that we heard. We were unable to get close to it because we were cut off at a checkpoint when they said it was just too dangerous to go. They said they had it partly under control. But you hear that a lot of times. But they are also saying that they do have 80 percent of the city under control, but there are people who are hiding in some of these urban areas, obviously a big city, people finding places to hide that were Gadhafi loyalists who are part of his army or a part of his forces, mercenaries, as they call them.

But as far as rumors about Moammar Gadhafi, there are a lot of rumors going on. And that's the difficulty that we face is that if we go and report something -- and there had been reports earlier on that he had surrendered himself or that he had been arrested, and those turn out not to be true, so we have to be very careful about exactly what kind of information that we're getting, very difficult, lot of rumors.

And now it is pitch dark. We're seeing some tracer fire around going off and hearing a couple of bangs. It is very hard to gauge exactly what has happened to Moammar Gadhafi and where exactly he is.

BALDWIN: So you talk about gun battles in parts of the city in Tripoli. You're describing some tracer fire where you are as you're leaving the city. I'm curious, Sara, do the Gadhafi forces appear organized at all?

SIDNER: It's hard to tell, because we can't see them ourselves.

Because we came in from a side of the city where the rebels pushed in, they tried to clear areas. And I have got to tell you, it is a bit of an eerie feeling to drive into a city and see absolutely no one except for the people who have come into the city trying to take the city, so the rebels.

We came in behind them. And all of the shops were shuttered. Everything was closed. There were very few people on the streets in the morning. And then we started to see people, more and more and more of these men that are standing with AK-47s and FN rifles in the back of cars. They have these gunner type of pickup trucks. They welded guns to pickup trucks. They were just going up and down the main thoroughfare that goes all the way down to Green Square, which they now want everyone to call Martyrs Square.

And so you started to get a sense by the end of the day that even some residents were coming out and celebrating. But it was far and few between. Because you would drive, for several kilometers, you wouldn't see much of anyone except for a few of the rebel trucks going back and forth. And then every now and then, you would see a family sitting on a stoop or a family chanting and cheering from their terrace, an interesting scene in the city Tripoli.

BALDWIN: Help me understand, Sara Sidner, the sort of change. Because I know I was watching you and our entire crew reporting last night on CNN, and we saw the images of Green Square or, as you mentioned, the rebels have renamed it Martyrs Square, packed with people rejoicing, down with Gadhafi. And now you describe it as eerily quiet. What changed?

SIDNER: Well, see, here is the issue that they face.

Because I think everyone was expecting at least a large amount of Gadhafi forces to try and sort of secure the city. So, as soon as they hit the edge of the city, the rebel forces were expecting to have a huge fight. When they were allowed to go all the way in, when they were able to push all the way in much more quickly than they expected, there was this sense of jubilation. And I think everyone ran to the square.

But then, as we found out, there were terrifying moments when suddenly someone screamed sniper and the entire group of people that were there, which was somewhere around 40 to 50 people around that square, all ran for cover, including our CNN crew. And we got behind pillars wondering -- we couldn't see anything. It was the middle of the night.

And so as soon as that starts to happen and you realize, hold on a second, you may not be able to see large numbers of forces, but there are definitely elements, security forces trying to protect the person who they have pledged to protect, Moammar Gadhafi.

And they're willing to get on top of the buildings and shoot at anything that moves. We're also hearing some loud bangs, some blasts. We know that a couple of other journalists have encounters where they would turn a corner and suddenly be faced with what appeared to be some sort of cannon and they had to turn tail and run the other way.

So urban warfare can be very, very eerie. You're just not sure what you're going to encounter and when someone suddenly is going to pop up out of a building and start shooting at you and you have no idea where it's coming from at first until you're hit -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: But because it's so eerie and still unstable, even though the rebels say they have controlled 80 percent, 90 percent of the capital city, is it just an assumption there, Sara, that the Gadhafi regime has fallen, or is there still this sense that this has been too easy?

SIDNER: I think it's pretty clear, Brooke, that these have taken over quite a few neighborhoods.

What we were seeing today as opposed to when we went in, even from the morning to the evening, is slowly, slowly some of the residents coming out and getting more and more emboldened to take part in what they felt like was a celebration. We saw face-paintings, when the city has been shuttered for the past 20 hours. We saw people coming out slowly from their homes, almost in a sense of, is it really happening? Has this really happened? Is it really true. Because (AUDIO GAP) people were expecting (AUDIO GAP) caught in the middle that.

Now there is a sense in some of the neighborhoods that, wait a minute, the Gadhafi regime cannot react, it cannot react to these rebels. They are taking over street by street parts of the city. And there (AUDIO GAP) there are of course going to be people in this capital (AUDIO GAP)

BALDWIN: We're losing her.

(CROSSTALK)

SIDNER: ... hearing a lot from them. I think people are a bit scared to admit if they are supporters of the Gadhafi regime, that they actually are. Some (AUDIO GAP) standing back and watching. You're not sure which side they're happy about. They're just kind of standing back and seeing what's going on in the streets (AUDIO GAP)

BALDWIN: We are losing her in and out. Sara Sidner, amazing reporting through the hours here. She was saying it's difficult to even tell what side some of the folks are still fearful, the fear palpable, coming forward and saying they're happy that the Gadhafi regime has fallen.

Sara Sidner, thank you so much.

Just to keep you in the loop, Gadhafi forces right now are keeping our reporters on lockdown inside of that international hotel, the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli. Our Matthew Chance is there. We're expecting him to call in at any moment during this hour. Of course we will bring that to you live, one of the final Gadhafi strongholds in all of the capital city.

But coming up, I want to talk a little bit more about these rebels. What started as a ragtag group has really become now an army close to taking down Moammar Gadhafi. But rebels in Libya are definitely getting some help. We will explain to you that -- these reports of sleeper cells and which moves broke this battle wide open.

Plus, we're just getting in this brand-new video, as I mentioned at the top of hour, of President Obama. You know he's on vacation in Martha's Vineyard. He just spoke a short time ago on what's happening, these developments in Libya. The president uninterrupted in his own words, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just a short time ago, we heard from the president, a brief interruption of his summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard, to address the situation in Libya. Let's listen to this together.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon, everybody.

I just completed a call with my National Security Council on the situation in Libya, and earlier today I spoke to Prime Minister Cameron about the extraordinary events taking place there. The situation is still very fluid. There remains a degree of uncertainty, and there are still regime elements who pose a threat.

But this much is clear: The Gadhafi regime is coming to an end and the future of Libya is in the hands of its people.

In just six months, the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi has unraveled.

Earlier this year, we were inspired by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya. This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the region, from Tunis to Cairo.

In the face of these protests, the Gadhafi regime responded with brutal crackdowns, civilians were murdered in the streets, a campaign of violence was launched against the Libyan people, Gadhafi threatened to hunt peaceful protesters down like rats. As his forces advanced across the country, there existed the potential for wholesale massacres of innocent civilians.

In the face of this aggression, the international community took action. The United States helped shape a U.N. Security Council resolution that mandated the protection of Libyan civilians. An unprecedented coalition was formed that included the United States, our NATO partners and Arab nations. And in March, the international community launched a military operation to save lives and stop Gadhafi's forces in their tracks.

In the early days of this intervention, the United States provided the bulk of the firepower, and then our friends and allies stepped forward. The Transitional National Council established itself as a credible representative of the Libyan people. And the United States, together with our European allies and friends across the region, recognized the TNC as the legitimate governing authority in Libya.

Gadhafi was cut off from arms and cash, and his forces were steadily degraded.

From Benghazi to Misrata to the western mountains, the Libyan opposition courageously confronted the regime, and the tide turned in their favor.

Over the last several days, the situation in Libya has reached a tipping point, as the opposition increased its coordination from east to west, took town after town, and the people of -- of Tripoli rose up to claim their freedom.

For over four decades, the Libyan people had lived under the rule of a tyrant who denied them their most basic human rights. Now the celebrations that we've seen in the streets of Libya shows that the pursuit of human dignity is far stronger than any dictator.

I want to emphasize that this is not over yet. As the regime collapses, there's still fierce fighting in some areas, and we have reports of regime elements threatening to continue fighter.

Although it's clear that Gadhafi's rule is over, he still has the opportunity to reduce further bloodshed by explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya.

As we move forward from this pivotal phase, the opposition should continue to take important steps to bring about a transition that is peaceful, inclusive and just.

As the leadership of the TNC has made clear, the rights of all Libyans must be respected.

True justice will not come from reprisals and violence. It will come from reconciliation and a Libya that allows its citizens to determine their own destiny.

In that effort, the United States will be a friend and a partner.

We will join with allies and partners to continue the work of safeguarding the people of Libya. As remaining regime elements menace parts of the country, I have directed my team to be in close contact with NATO, as well as the United Nations, to determine other steps that we can take.

To deal with the humanitarian impact, we're working to ensure that critical supplies reach those in need, particularly those who have been wounded.

Secretary Clinton spoke today with her counterparts from leading nations of the coalition on all these matters. And I have directed Ambassador Susan Rice to request that the U.N. secretary general use next month's General Assembly to support this important transition.

For many months, the TNC has been working with the international community to prepare for a post-Gadhafi Libya. As those efforts proceed, our diplomats will work with the TNC as they ensure that the institutions of the Libyan state are protected.

And we will support them with the assets of the Gadhafi regime that were frozen earlier this year.

Above all, we will call for an inclusive transition that leads to a democratic Libya.

As we move forward, we should also recognize the extraordinary work that has already been done.

To the American people, these events have particular resonance. Gadhafi's regime has murdered scores of American citizens in acts of terror in the past. Today we remember the lives of those who were taken in those acts of terror and stand in solidarity with their families.

We also pay tribute to Admiral Sam Locklear and all of the men and women in uniform who have saved so many lives over the last several months, including our brave pilots. they have executed their mission with skill and extraordinary bravery, and all of this was done without putting a single U.S. troop on the ground.

To our friends and allies, the Libyan intervention demonstrates what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one. Although the efforts in Libya are not yet over, NATO has once more proven that it is the most capable alliance in the world and that its strength comes from both its firepower and the power of our democratic ideals.

And the Arab members of our coalition have stepped up and shown what can be achieved when we act together as equal partners. Their actions sent a powerful message about the unity of our effort and our support for the future of Libya.

Finally, the Libyan people, your courage and character have been unbreakable in the face of a tyrant. An ocean divides us, but we are joined in the basic human longing for freedom, for justice and for dignity.

Your revolution is your own, and your sacrifices have been extraordinary. Now the Libya that you deserve is within your reach. Going forward, we will stay in close coordination with the TNC to support that outcome.

I know there will be huge challenges ahead. The extraordinary events in Libya remind us that fear can give way to hope, and that the power of people striving for freedom can bring about a brighter day.

Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: President Obama speaking just a short time ago from his vacation, speaking on these late-breaking developments there in Tripoli.

And as to Moammar Gadhafi's whereabouts, we heard the State Department say it has no indication he is anywhere other than in country in Libya. Other CNN sources are also saying the same thing. So the smart money is saying that Moammar Gadhafi remains this hour in Libya.

The hours ahead, though, as night has fallen, likely to get bloodier. It's 9:20 in Tripoli -- p.m. -- as the rebels take on Gadhafi's regime. Coming up next, we're going inside the battle. Who is talking to, who is communicating with these rebels and who is making these secret calls to attack?

Plus, if Gadhafi is still in fact in Libya, realistically, how would he sneak out? I will talk live to a former CIA covert operations officer next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Joining me now from New York, friend of the show Mike Baker, former CIA covert operations officer.

Mike, great to have you on, as always.

MIKE BAKER, FORMER CIA COVERT OPERATIONS OFFICER: Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Let's talk about Moammar Gadhafi.

If in fact he's still alive -- and we're hearing from our U.S. government they very much so believes he's still there in Tripoli -- is there any possible way for him to sneak out of the country?

BAKER: Well, sure. I mean, there's still supporters.

I think what's happening right now is a number of people are laying low, sitting on the fence, trying to make sure that they understand who at the end of day will be winning. He does still have support. And he certainly has dollars scrolled way.

So, with that, there's always a possibility he could make his way out of the country. I think it's unlikely at this point. And there had been some talk that he had moved to Algeria just a short while ago. I don't think that's credible at this point. So it certainly appears he's holding up in Tripoli, probably still trying to figure out what went wrong.

BALDWIN: What went wrong and what he does next.

But, Mike, certainly, someone knows where he is, perhaps someone on the outside. Do you think -- or maybe this window closed months ago, but do you think there is some negotiation going on, where he could go alive?

BAKER: I doubt it at this point.

I mean, that could have been a possibility a couple of months ago, that they could have secretly been discussing some safe haven for he and his family. But I think, at this stage of the game, he's really hung out so long that I think his options are down to almost zero at this point.

So this is clearly not going to end well for him. And whether he decides to fight to the last moment or take his own life, that's all speculation.

BALDWIN: You think he might do that, take his own life, if that were...

BAKER: It's a possibility, I suppose. But your point earlier is a very good one, in that one of the things that we're doing very aggressively right now is talking to all the close inner circle people that we got have our hands on, including his sons that have been taken into detention, some of the recent defections out of his cabinet, and other military commanders who have come on side over the past couple of days as they have seen the tide turn.

They are working this issue obviously and a bit reminiscent of trying to find Saddam Hussein, obviously. BALDWIN: So you think that there's a possibility -- I will just throw out Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, who was arrested, you think there's a possibility he's talking, he may try to help get his father in custody, you think?

BAKER: Well, he's a very interesting character. He's not fully on board the crazy train like his father is sometimes. Now, when I say crazy, Moammar Gadhafi is a survivor. And so I don't mean that in the crazy sense. I mean it in he's incredibly cunning and manipulative.

His son is a little bit of a different product, more Western- educated. And, you know, ultimately, it's a bit of a surprise I think to some people who have been watching this that his son remained in his father's camp all this time. So there's a possibility he could be talking. But they're working every source possible.

BALDWIN: Interesting.

Mike, in the next, let's say, 12, 24 hours, what is the best-case scenario you could see maybe unfolding in terms of stable transition in Tripoli?

BAKER: Well, yes, that points to something really important here. This could either go very well, which I would put the likelihood of that at a very small percentage, or it could go very badly.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Define well.

BAKER: Well, I mean in the sense that they are able somehow to prevent retribution against Gadhafi loyalists, that they are able to tamp down any remaining violence in the capital, that the Transitional National Council proves to have sway in Tripoli and with the rebels from the west.

Again, this was an organization that rose up out of the east, in Benghazi in particular, where they don't necessarily have the juice to hold council over the entire country. So we have to hope that somehow in all the disparate elements and people and personalities that are involved in this event after they have taken Tripoli and somehow Gadhafi is reined in, that they're able to find some governance.

BALDWIN: But if that doesn't happen, let's go to your second point -- that's the well option. If it ends badly, what does it look like?

(CROSSTALK)

BAKER: Well, I think it looks like they -- again, remember also that it's a very tribal nation. Not a lot of infrastructure. Gadhafi spent the past four decades ensuring that there were no strong personalities, characters, organizations, agencies in that country. So they lack the infrastructure. They also lack time. You know, people's expectations are enormous at this point as they are in any other place where this has happened. We have seen that in Egypt recently. They don't have much time to put something together to make the trains run on time. If they can't get some unification, there's going to be probably a race to the trough by a lot of different groups and individuals trying to capture some turf or territory or government influence within whatever shakes out of this.

BALDWIN: Yes. That is certainly one of the fears we keep hearing looking forward is with the tribalism, how will that manifest itself in any kind of transitional council.

BAKER: Right.

BALDWIN: Final question just as former CIA, looking back, the fighting within Libya as a whole really appeared to have reached a stalemate for weeks, you could say months. It was fairly quiet, but then this sudden advancement on Tripoli. To the best of your knowledge, Mike, what happened and then are you also hearing about these reports of sleeper cells set up in Tripoli, you know, weapons smuggled in? Do you know anything about that?

BAKER: Well, you have to take that with a grain of salt. In the euphoria that's erupting now, we will hear all sorts of stories about how this was a very well-coordinated effort and they had been building up the sleeper cells.

BALDWIN: Ah, I see.

BAKER: What we saw was over a period of several frustrating months better training being taken place. It still was a ragtag group, as has often been referred to. But the training started to take hold.

Importantly, the rebels and the organization that was in the west, you know, they were better resourced, better trained, more disciplined and they ultimately are the reason why they're now in Tripoli. The NATO bombings and the involvement of NATO and very importantly the involvement of the U.S., whether it's the armed drones or whether it's just the logistics, refueling, reconnaissance, surveillance, whatever it might be, that was critical to what eventually happened.

Now, undoubtedly, also, they got the support from inside Tripoli as a result of people, again, seeing which way this is going and wanting to be on the winning side.

BALDWIN: Former CIA covert ops, you are good, Mike Baker. Thank you so much for coming on and explaining what we could be seeing in Tripoli.

BAKER: Thank you. Appreciate it.

BALDWIN: Thank you, sir.

Now, checking some of your top stories here, new developments in that search for that missing American woman in Aruba.

Here's what we know. For the first time police searched the northern part of the Dutch island and are interviewing several new witnesses. They had been looking in the southern part of Aruba where Robyn Gardner's traveling companion said she just disappeared when they were out snorkeling. Police say they didn't find anything in the new search. And 35-year-old Gardner of Maryland last seen on August 2nd. Her companion, Gary Giordano is still in custody on suspicion of involvement in her presumed death. He says he's done nothing wrong.

Serious violence at a football game. Have you seen this video here? You have San Francisco 49ers fans and Oakland Raiders fans beating each other up. Look at them throwing fists back and forth in the stands. This was at a pre-season game this past Saturday, Candlestick Park. But it gets worse. Two men were shot and wounded in the parking lot after the game. Football here. One of the men being treated for life-threatening injuries. A police sergeant told local papers that the man was wearing a t-shirt with a derogatory comment about the 49ers. The second man suffered less serious wounds we're told, and another ban beaten unconscious in a stadium men's room. Police are investigating whether team rivalry is to blame for the incidents.

After a week of total volatility on the stock markets, stocks pushed higher today. Let's take a look at all that green. That's a welcome sight, isn't it? The Dow up 88 points as we're half an hour from the closing bell. Obviously, markets are wondering when Libyan oil production may be back up to speed. How might that affect some of the prices. Libya, keep in mind, the 17th largest oil producer in the world. And experts say it might take up to three years for Libya to get back to producing the 1.6 million barrels of oil a day.

Fears are growing that Moammar Gadhafi forces may stage a last effort an attack against civilians in the capital city. But there are questions about who would give that order if we see that. Plus, sources are telling CNN, just before the rebels stormed the city of Tripoli, Gadhafi's people made a desperate attempt to reach out to the United States. We're live at the Pentagon next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As the rebels are spreading out through the capital city of Tripoli, they claim to have control of Libyan national television. And they also say they have captured three of Gadhafi's sons. The big question mark, is Moammar Gadhafi himself, the man who has ruled Libya for 42 years, is conspicuous in terms of his absence. The secretary general of the U.N. has apparently tried to reach him. No such luck there. The state department say it doesn't know where he is.

Let's try the Pentagon. Chris Lawrence live for me there. What are your sources saying at DOD?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, there's been a lot of speculation that perhaps Colonel Gadhafi may have slipped out of the country at some point. But the Pentagon today was knocking down that speculation, saying that from what they have seen, they believe that Moammar Gadhafi is still within Libya.

Now, they're not getting into the particular intelligence assets that they may have to get that information or trying to specify where specifically they think he is, but they do believe he is still within the country.

BALDWIN: Chris, I understand that Libyan government officials were close to Gadhafi. They were actually reaching -- the Gadhafi folks, reaching out to the Obama administration right up until the rebels started taking and claiming Tripoli. I was talking to Mike Baker, former CIA ops, and he said no way in terms of negotiations, that window has to have closed. Do you think they were hoping to negotiate or salvage some sort of safe-haven for Gadhafi?

LAWRENCE: Officials think more, Brooke, that they were trying to buy time, stave off what they call the inevitable. You know, you mentioned that this was occurring until the last minute. It was literally the last minute, because some state department officials are saying that about six officials within Gadhafi's government were reaching out Saturday night making multiple outreaches, phone calls, trying to get in touch with U.S. officials.

But they said everything they talked about and everything that they were still saying was still somewhat defiant. They never got to the point where they were saying yes, Gadhafi will step down. So U.S. officials said it never even approached our benchmark for what we would have to have to enter into any negotiations. That's why they think it was a stall tactic to buy more time.

BALDWIN: Is there any kind of concern that Gadhafi or any of his loyalists those remaining in Tripoli could stage a last-minute attack on the rebels there?

LAWRENCE: There is. There is that concern. You know, Pentagon officials are obviously very concerned about that. Not just from specifically the army. Not just specifically from the Libyan army or the parts of the Libyan army that Gadhafi controls, but individual militias as well which may be out of the control of Gadhafi himself but could issue sort of a unilateral order. So that is a concern.

One thing, though, there was a lot of talk that perhaps as this fighting got to Tripoli, a dense urban environment, that a lot of the reconnaissance and surveillance assets that the Pentagon has in the air and NATO has in the air wouldn't be much use because the fighting would be so muddled in the middle of the city. But the Pentagon pushed book on that today saying no, they've got a pretty good idea of operationally where the different pieces are on the battlefield, which could come into play if there is this last-ditch attack.

BALDWIN: OK. Chris Lawrence, thank you very much. Live at the Pentagon.

I want to turn our attention here. We're just getting some breaking news out of New York involving that sexual assault case involving former IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his accusers, a housekeeper at a Manhattan hotel. Susan Candiotti has been following this for us. Susan, what are you learning?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, after a meeting that took less than a half an hour, the maid met with prosecutors and her own civil attorney to find out that, in fact, the charges against come Dominique Strauss-Kahn will in fact be dropped. This is what they expected to hear, and that's exactly what happened.

As we said, the meeting lasted just under a half hour. When it was over, the lawyer representing Ms. Diallo, with her at his side, Kenneth Thompson, he came outside and addressed reporters very briefly. He said this, quote, "Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance has denied the right of a woman to get justice in a rape case."

And then he went on to add this, referring to Mr. Vance, quote, "He has not only turned his back on this innocent victim but he has also turned his back on forensic, medical and other evidence in this case."

He also goes on to criticize the district attorney by saying that this is a man that has been elected, as he put it, "to protect our mothers, our daughters, our wives. And if he doesn't protect them if they are raped, who will?" This is a statement that he has also made in the last couple of days.

Now, of course, the question is, what happens next? Well, that scheduled hearing, the status hearing for Dominique Strauss-Kahn will still go on tomorrow as scheduled. The district attorney is about to file, I am told, a DOR, that's called a dismissal of recommendation. In effect it's to formally dismiss the charges.

And he will mention in this motion a number of different reasons. He'll enumerate all kinds of reasons why he thinks the victim in this case was not credible and that in essence, if the end, that he did not think there was enough evidence in order to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Dominique Strauss-Kahn is guilty of sexual assault.

BALDWIN: This is a criminal case. They had filed civil, civil suit, had they not? Where does that stand? Also, what does this mean for Dominique Strauss-Kahn? Does this mean he gets to go home?

CANDIOTTI: The first thing is, yes, the civil lawsuit is still in place. And so there's nothing about it that would keep him here certainly. Dominique Strauss-Kahn could continue to fight that battle and it could take years, and it could play its way through the courts. We'll have to see what happens.

Other than that, he still faces lawsuits in at least one in France. Remember there's a French journalist who made similar accusations against him involving an attack that she says occurred in 2002. So his troubles aren't over yet.

BALDWIN: Not over, but, as you mentioned, bombshell in Manhattan, charges dropped. Susan Candiotti, thank you for the update, thank you. And not going far from the situation still unfolding in Libya, but first let me show you this picture. Happening right now, take a look at the radar -- a hurricane barreling toward the United States. Find out where Irene is heading and which states could be in its path. We're back in 70 seconds.

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BALDWIN: All right, here we go. The very first hurricane of the Atlantic season is officially here. It could take aim in the southeastern part of the United States. Hurricane Irene churning through the Caribbean right now with maximum winds of 80 miles an hour. Earlier this morning, it pounded parts of Puerto Rico, ten inches of rain on parts of the island.

CNN iReporter Dave Pennington sent us this video as Irene came toward San Juan. The storm left behind downed trees, flooded streets. No major damage, but nearly a million people are still out of power there. But now that Irene is back to warmer water, it's likely to gain strength. And that's certainly not good news for those of you who live in the southeastern part of the U.S.

CNN, let me remind you, is your hurricane headquarters. Chad Myers has been watching the radar. And so Irene is a cat one, a category one right now. But as we mentioned with the warm waters, that could soon change.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The warmest waters probably in the entire eastern part of the world from anywhere from the east coast down into the Caribbean right over the a Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos. That's where you want to swim all summer long.

BALDWIN: Good for us, not hurricanes.

MYERS: That's what a category one or two or three wants. It wants the warm water. That's exactly what Irene is going to have for the next couple of days, warm water to get much stronger. It's the fuel to the fire of a hurricane. That warm water is the engine. It's the fuel, it's the premium gas to go in there rather than the cool waters that actually cool it down.

The track is a scary track because it's still very wide. We're talking still three or four days away. It could be all the way into the Atlantic Ocean or a landfall very close as a big storm near Miami not out of the question. I know it turns it to the right and on up toward the Carolinas. But you have to look at the cone. You can't look at the line. The line was wrong over Puerto Rico. The line was wrong over part of the Dominican Republic into Haiti. The line is not always right. It's just the middle of the cone of uncertainty.

And we'll keep watching it. It's been a big story for the U.S. Virgin Islands, an awful lot of flooding still going on there. Remember how topographic or mountainous the Dominican Republic and Haiti are. There could be significant flooding. And 700,000 still without houses in Haiti. BALDWIN: So many people still in tents and you think about the people in the southeast. They have been hit before many times. Chad Myers, thank you so much.

Coming up here, I want to take you back to the developing story out of Libya. It's no secret that Moammar Gadhafi is a bit of a bizarre character. But up next you're about to hear what this man is really like behind the scenes, including apparent drug use and warm camel milk. Jim Clancy has been all around the world. He has come face to face with Moammar Gadhafi multiple times. He's going to join me live, his own experiences in Libya in a tent with Colonel Gadhafi after this break.

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BALDWIN: We don't know where he is right now, but most experts say Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is still in Libya as the uprising against him hits the tipping point, as President Obama has just recently called it. CNN's international anchor, veteran newsman Jim Clancy here. I know you have interviewed Moammar Gadhafi three times, twice in person?

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, and once by satellite here.

BALDWIN: Once by satellite here. Most memorable moment?

CLANCY: It had to be in Sirte. It was outside Sirte in the desert, but he had left us waiting in the hotel, so some of the journalists were driven around the bend waiting for this interview. He plucked me from Tunisia where I was covering Palestinian affairs and had me drive over with a visa, and I could get in and all of this. We arrived and waited. He had a palatial tent with air conditioning and fans. That's the Bedouin lifestyle, and he likes to show that off. Even when he interviewed him in Belgrade during a summit, he had taken a tent. He took a tent to the U.N. general assembly.

BALDWIN: That's why I said that.

CLANCY: In any event, he makes the grand entrance with his Amazonian female bodyguards, at least one of them that really made an impression on the press corps. She was everybody's favorite.

BALDWIN: Who was wielding a weapon?

CLANCY: Yes, she had an AK 47. They all did, looking fierce. And all of them, much better than six feet tall. But he came in with this robe and sitting himself down, beautifully embroidered. But he was a ladies' man. He used to hit on the female journalists, calling some of them, you are my tigress. No, no you're my lioness. You're my tigress of the desert.

BALDWIN: He always travels with some sort of --

CLANCY: Female entourage. He had a nurse that was with him. But this is part of the character of Moammar Gadhafi and he would sit everybody down and begin to speak on the affairs of the day, and it never quite made much sense, Brooke, at all. He would just ramble. And he had a sense of, look back at you like this, so that he was looking down his nose, and at some point he would always say, "They got copies of my green book" to one of his aides, "You all have the green book." Of course, that's his philosophy of life and the universe, Libya and politics.

BALDWIN: You said that he appears drugged.

CLANCY: He does.

BALDWIN: Delusional.

CLANCY: In this case his eyes were bloodshot, he was slurring his speech and, frankly, wasn't making any sense in long sections. He would go off on tangents. But this was Moammar Gadhafi, a lot of theatrics that were associated with it. People were obviously afraid of him. As he shared this Bedouin lifestyle and explained how important it was to be close to the land, he would always bring up the fact that we're going to have warm camel milk later. We do have that warm camel milk? We don't. Well, maybe the next time.

BALDWIN: He would offer journalists warm camel milk?

CLANCY: He told them that they were going to have it. And of course then he would announce, oh, they ran out of warm camel milk. The journalists there was a collective sigh of disappointment -- no, I think it was relief.

BALDWIN: Recalcitrant, this man.

CLANCY: Well, Moammar Gadhafi is consumed by, was consumed, is consumed by his own world. He lives in his own world where he is very intelligent, powerful man that has philosophies and ideologies that no one else can really match. Now, he is charismatic, and that's how he got hold of power, and he kept it by dividing all of the tribes and by telling them that I am the man to divide up the wealth of Libya equally.

BALDWIN: Let me float a name by you, Romanian despot Ceausescu.

CLANCY: Ceausescu, the same kind of guy who outlawed Christmas, and they broke into they found that he had a Christmas tree and presents and Christmas cards everybody, you know, living one life while imposing another.

BALDWIN: He ruled. He was convicted of genocide and shot by firing squad.

CLANCY: His was taken outside with his wife. She protested, "You are our children," they took them out in the snow and they shot them to death.

BALDWIN: Is that a possibility in Libya? CLANCY: There's a distinct possibility if some of the rebels get a hold of him. He has said he would fight to the death, but if some of the rebels get a hold of him, they see him as the entity, the one person -- for many of Libyans it's not a regime. It's one man that has bedeviled their lives for four decades. And until and unless he's eliminated, that's not going to change. There's always a risk. He could persuade someone and it would be reversed.

BALDWIN: He said he would be martyred?

CLANCY: He said he wanted to be martyred, but I don't believe that. I believe Moammar Gadhafi thinks he's too good for that. It's part of that megalomaniacal psyche that he has where he believes he knows the rest of the world doesn't. He's joking like I want them to think I'm mad but I think that's sour grapes.

BALDWIN: Let's talk.

CLANCY: Beautiful tent, beautiful tent.

BALDWIN: The man likes tents. I would like to continue this conversation. I'm fascinated by your interviews with this man. Jim Clancy.

CLANCY: Great to be to you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Just in to us here at CNN, Republican Paul Ryan has revealed whether he will challenge President Obama and make a run for the White House. That is coming up.

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BALDWIN: Less than 24 hours ago on live television CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance shows us the scene inside that international hotel where journalists are staying in Tripoli.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The assumption is it's because the rebels are very close by. What we're expecting now -- we can't confirm this is going to happen, but what we're expecting now is the rebels will come into the hotel and take over control.

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BALDWIN: Right now he and fellow journalists have been sitting in the dark because armed Gadhafi forces are not allowing the journalists to leave. The power has been off for an hour, reporters are on lockdown, including our own Matthew Chance. We're going to go live to Libya coming up here.

Plus, as promised, Republican Paul Ryan has just revealed his 2012 plans. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)