Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Category-3 Irene Batters The Bahamas; Rebels Resist Airport Attacks; Preparing for Hurricane Irene; Oil Critical for Rebuilding Libya; Washington Monument Closed Indefinitely; Researchers Look Into Bisexuality; NATO Confirms Special Troops on the Ground Assisting Rebel Forces; Mitt Romney Turns Down South Carolina

Aired August 24, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne, thank you.

Well, three major stories on the radar this hour, starting with a major hurricane. Category 3 Irene batters the Bahamas and eyes the Carolinas. Our Chad Myers is watching that.

In Tripoli, a hostage ordeal is over but the fighting goes on, and Moammar Gadhafi still out of sight.

And Washington surveys the damage from the earthquake that shook the east coast almost 24 hours ago.

I want to start with a huge and still growing hurricane Irene. Chad Myers is watching it all for us. What's it doing now, Chad? And exactly where might it be headed?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's headed to the Bahamas. And right now, if you want to get a map, it's right over Crooked Island in the Bahamas. And later on today, it will be going over Long Island at the Bahamas. The irony is that there's a potential, at least in the cone, that in four days it could go over Long Island, New York.

And right now at 115 miles per hour forecast to get significantly stronger than that, and let me tell you why. For a while, it was being torn up by the mountains of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And there are still mountains here in Cuba, as well. And those mountains kind of push in dry air. And hurricanes like moist air. And so -- and the moisture is coming from the water right now.

Getting stronger, going over the Bahamas, and then turning right, and that right turn has been forecast for the entire time. There's not -- there has not been one computer model that has not had it turning right, that big right-hand hook. That hook happens because by the time you get to the mid latitudes up where we live, the winds, especially the jet stream will be moving from west to east. So, it just starts picking it up and it starts turning it out towards Iceland. But look at this Category 4 here over the Bahamas, 135 miles per hour potential.

And then it does miss Florida's east coast. But it will put huge waves along the east coast of Florida, Georgia, and even into the Carolinas. That will be the big story. There will be some wind maybe 30, 40, 50 miles per hour and some rain, maybe a tornado or two because it's still possible, it's a big storm. But it's the wave action you need to stay out of, this is a dangerous storm. I don't care if you're the best surfer of all time, you don't want to be surfing in waves that were generated by 135-mile-per-hour hurricane. And then the potential for it to continue or even to slightly miss North Carolina.

Now look, there's a 50 percent chance that it misses North Carolina, and if you get off this way, and then a 50 percent chance that it hits or even all the way down to South Carolina. That's still the cone that far out. But then this is the scary part of the cone, where the line, the center goes over Boston. It could be in New York, it could be out to sea.

As it continues to curve, that would be the best-case scenario move away, but it still looks like -- look at this, that's a 100-mile- per-hour storm just off the coast of Atlantic City. That's the potential we still have. And even into New York with big-time winds and 12 inches of rainfall for the weekend. It's going to cause problems one way or the other, whether it's a direct hit or not.

KAYE: Yes, it certainly sounds like a whole lot of problems. All right Chad, thanks for the update on that one.

Now to Libya where one more piece of the capital city just slipped from the grasp of forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. I'm speaking of the Rixos Hotel one-time playground of rich and powerful visitors to Tripoli. More recently, a hostage compound for some three dozen international journalists. Just a little more than two hours ago, those journalists, including CNN's Matthew Chance, managed to essentially talk their way to freedom. Chance got to a camera and spoke live with my colleague Suzanne Malveaux just minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're celebrating their freedom. They're not celebrating my freedom. They're celebrating Libya's freedom, obviously. But I've been given loads of flowers, I don't think they realize we've gone through this ordeal of being, you know held captive essentially in the Rixos Hotel.

And it's only now we can actually speak to you because we've been essentially set free. It's amazing. The whole country -- the whole city is celebrating its freedom. And you know, I feel a sort of a connection with them -- I feel a connection with them because I'm celebrating mine, as well.

MALVEAUX: Matt, you look great. You know, give us a sense of where you are, how you got there, have you had a chance to talk to your family?

CHANCE: Yes. No, I haven't had a chance. I know that the desk -- my foreign desk -- my foreign desk in Atlanta has spoken to my family, so they're aware that I'm OK, they'll also be watching this obviously. But you know, it's been such an amazing roller coaster experience for this country, really. It's been incredible. One of the things -- guys, guys, please, just one second. One of the things that was so amazing about what happened today is that the guys that were holding us hostage, essentially they didn't know that any of this had taken place outside of the perimeter of the hotel. They thought that the country was still in the control of Colonel Gadhafi. They didn't realize that outside the hotel doors, the whole world for these people has changed.

And when they finally realized that, when they finally realized that there was no reason for them to stay there and carry out these bizarre orders to sort of keep the journalists in the hotel and not let them out, when they accepted that, they literally cast away their weapons, said they were sorry to us, and said you're now free to go.

And we just organized these vehicles, these cars, and they took us out. It was the International Committee of the Red Cross, they took us out to a safe location somewhere else. And it's just been amazing coming out of Tripoli, because all these people are so happy. They don't even know about our situation, obviously. They're just focused on the fact their country -- their entire country from their point of view, is now free.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Elsewhere in Tripoli, rocket fire and gunfights are flaring near the airport, which the rebels captured Monday and still control. And pro-Gadhafi fighters have attacked the dictator's personal and military compound, which the rebels took over this time yesterday.

And through it all, no signs of Gadhafi himself, so the rebels are appealing to his aids, his helpers, his sympathizers. They're offering a bounty of almost $2 million for Gadhafi's capture, dead or alive. Plus amnesty for whoever turns him in or kills him. You're seeing footage of Gadhafi back in March at the Rixos Hotel where those journalists had been held.

Now, let's check in with Arwa Damon, she's on the line with us. Arwa, are you still at the Tripoli airport? And if so, what's the scene there?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes, I am at the Tripoli International Airport, and we just had to jump away from our live position and take cover because there has been for the last few hours a pretty intense exchange of artillery fire. Gadhafi forces, according to the rebels, have managed to entrench themselves into some of the villages surrounding the eastern edge of the airport. And they've been lofting (ph) artillery fire into the airport complex.

They've been also, earlier in the day, firing Grad rockets into it, as well. The rebel fighters tell us that they are shooting back, however, because the Gadhafi forces are inside the villages, they're extremely concerned about civilian casualties, so they're calibrating their fire to make sure that it lands in front of the first row of houses of the villages. They're hoping to be able to scare the Gadhafi fighters out, but the tactic has not been working and they're growing incredibly frustrated.

We've been hearing NATO jets overhead, but they say because of the concern of civilian casualties, the jets are also unable to fire into these villages, as well. Now, commanders here say that they believe that the fight has been so intense around this airport complex because they think that Gadhafi loyalists are trying to clear a route, either from Tripoli through this area or that Gadhafi himself could possibly be in this area as well, perhaps heading south or trying to loop around and up to the city of Sert, one of his main strongholds.

KAYE: And Arwa, how well armed are the rebels at this point?

DAMON: They're pretty well armed. They've managed over the last five, six months and even over the last few days, every single time they capture a town from Gadhafi forces, take over military installation, they are able to effectively restock their own military arsenal. Just coming into the airport complex, they were showing us a number of fields around the flight line where they say Gadhafi forces had buried Grad rockets.

They also showed us a number of underground containers they say have been filled with ammunition, various rounds of artillery. They say that they captured a number of vehicles mounted with heavy anti- aircraft machine guns on them. So, they've managed to get their hands on quite the arsenal. The issue they're telling us is not with the weaponry that they have. They believe they could go in and clear Gadhafi fighters out of these villages, but again, the concern is the civilian casualties.

KAYE: All right, Arwa Damon there at Tripoli International Airport. Arwa thank you very much.

Now, I'm joined on the phone by a man with vast expertise in war and geopolitics. General Richard Myers served as chairman of the joints chief of staff from 2001 to 2005. General, thank you so much for your time today.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, FORMER CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (via telephone): Pleasure.

KAYE: I want to ask you this, have the Libyan rebels won? Is this over?

GEN. MYERS: Well, I think -- I think we're very close to the first part being over, and that is Gadhafi and his regime, defensemen (ph), will be gone here, I think soon, at least it certainly appears that way. Although, there will be pockets of resistance as was just described on your program. And I think that will extend to Sert where he has a lot of loyal supports out there in his basic -- in his hometown. So, we'll probably see more of this but I think this is the end for the Gadhafi regime.

KAYE: And how much of the rebel success do you think they can attribute to NATO? GEN. MYERS: Oh, I think there's a -- there's a great deal, certainly initially, and then some of the air strikes that took place. I think the -- that had a big impact on hampering Gadhafi's loyal forces from moving around that country and from, you know, wreaking more havoc on the civilian population and the rebel forces as they were moving from east and from west towards Tripoli. So, I think you've got to give the NATO forces and not to forget the forces from Cutter and the UAE that were also participating.

KAYE: And let's assume this is really just about over and the rebels do get the chance to govern, can they do it?

GEN. MYERS: Well, that's a great question, and I -- and somebody asked me earlier about parallels to Iraq, of course that's a situation that I'm pretty familiar with. There the assumption was that once Saddam was gone that people would step forward ready to help govern the country. And what we forgot in Iraq's case and probably what we have to remember in the Libyan case is that, you know, under Gadhafi, and Saddam and under Gadhafi, there was no premium for being innovative or aggressive in trying to help. I mean, if you had a bright idea, you're just as likely to wind up in jail as you are to be patted on the back. In fact, a lot more likely to end up in jail than patted on the back. So, they're going to have to develop this spirit of innovativeness and initiative. And it -- that'll take some time. And not to mention that there's at least two major factions, probably more inside Libya, they're going to have to come to terms on the vision for the future. And some of those factions contain folks with extreme views, so I think there's a lot more to play out.

KAYE: Yes. And --

GEN. MYERS: And is yet to come.

KAYE: And before I let you go, I'm curious what you think the best strategy is to find Moammar Gadhafi?

GEN. MYERS: Well, you know, I guess it's a little bit like Osama Bin Laden. It's -- you know, it's probably important to find him. On the other hand, this revolution in Libya, if we can call it that, this revolution's going to go on whether or not he's captured or not, whether or not he's in exile or not. And his influence will continue to wane as he loses the resources and certainly the loyalties. I mean, we hear of -- you've been reporting where some of his loyal supporters once they hear he's gone or has left town, they throw down their arms and try to blend back in society and want to be part of the new Libya. So, they gave it their shot and now they're going to align with the winners.

KAYE: All right. General Richard Myers, really appreciate your time today. Pleasure to have you on the show, thank you.

GEN. MYERS: Thank you.

KAYE: And now to another big story we're following, engineers are checking the Washington monument today. This is a live picture of that monument. It remains closed as they try to determine the best way to repair cracks found in the towering D.C. monument after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake yesterday. The national park service says inspectors discovered cracking in the stones at the top of the 555- foot tall structure.

The quake struck about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia. Falling bricks and siding damaged cars in nearby Vienna, the tremor felt from Georgia to northern New England. So far, no serious injuries have been reported. The rare east coast quake triggered an automatic shutdown of a nuclear plant less than 20 miles from the epicenter. It also signaled unusual events at 12 other nuclear facilities.

In D.C., the quake damaged spires at the top of the national cathedral. It prompted evacuations of the U.S. capital and other government buildings, businesses and schools throughout the region. People who were near the epicenter talked about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGEL ROGERS, MINERAL, VIRGINIA: All of a sudden it started as a little roar and then a huge roar. And I tried to run and it wouldn't let me move it was shaking so bad. And I fell on the ground, I scraped my knees up.

LEE ROGERS III, LOUISA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL: It was like a wave came through, lifted us up and threw us all down. I went to go to my desk and it knocked me back down. And the roof came down and a piece hit me in the back, and then we went to go outside and kids were falling down in the hall ways.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And we'll continue to follow developments surrounding the quake. And at the bottom of the hour, we will talk to William Line, a spokesman at the national park service, about the cracks in that Washington monument.

Well, it is the first of the season, and it's the most serious threat we've seen in years. All eyes are on hurricane Irene which is now a category 3 storm. Evacuations already underway as it makes a beeline towards the east coast. We'll keep you ahead of the storm, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Hurricane Irene is now a powerful category three storm and could threaten millions of people living along the eastern seaboard. Right now, Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the southern portions of the Bahamas. People living farther north in Nassau are preparing for the worst by boarding up windows and moving their families inland, if that's even possible.

And coastal communities, like Charleston, South Carolina, are getting prepared, as well. Hardware stores are seeing the usual run for emergency supplies. And there are some concerns about the storm's possible arrival in the Washington, D.C., area on Sunday that could impact the scheduled dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Joining me now is CNN contributor General Russel Honore.

General, you wrote the book "Survival" after your work during Hurricane Katrina. That certainly made you famous. We're happy to have you on.

First question for you today, we are only a few days away from this major hurricane possibly hitting the East Coast, specifically the northeast. These areas aren't used to handling hurricanes. So what needs to be happening right now there so they can prepare for this?

GENERAL RUSSEL HONORE (RET), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think people need to be making a decision whether they will shelter in place or whether they will evacuate. Depending on where they live. If you live in a coastal community, local government will tell you the best time to start evacuation. If you require extra time or you have people with medical conditions, you need to start evacuating early.

Randi, a lot of people think that their house can handle a category three storm. The issue following a flood like -- could be created by a hurricane is a tidal surge. So you might -- your house might handle the wind, but it may not, most likely, handle a flooding from the tidal surge.

KAYE: And if you are told to evacuate, you better evacuate, right?

HONORE: That is correct, because, as you know, along the East Coast, that I-95 corridor will get backed up significantly very quick as it's backed up on most afternoons.

KAYE: What about something like high winds? I mean we talk about some of the storm surge. But say in Massachusetts, what if they get, you know, 85-mile-an-hour winds or even more? Maybe they do get 115-mile-an-hour winds. What happens there?

HONORE: Yes. What we ask the people is, don't try to be your own forecaster. Take a look at the structure of your house. Take a look at -- don't start judging strictly by the category of the storm. Look at the wind speeds and can your house survive 125-mile-an-hour wind, which could be created by this storm as it come inland.

But the biggest threat is going to be tidal surge because the Potomac River is at zero elevation. So if the wind pushed the tidal surge in, which it could, remember in Katrina, it raised the tidal surge in Biloxi up to 30 feet. And inside of New Orleans, up to 17 feet. So tidal surge will be the big threat.

KAYE: Yes. And, general, what about in a city like Manhattan and New York City? I mean this is a place that relies certainly on public transportation. You have the subways. You have the bus systems. What happens there in a case like this? Is there anything that they can do to prepare?

HONORE: Well, let me just tell you this model that we've talked about at the National Hurricane Conference and other locations. If we were to get a Katrina-type surge in New York City, the first story of Wall Street will be covered in water.

KAYE: Wow. That's quite an image that you painted there.

General, appreciate your expertise and your advice, as always. I'm sure lots of our viewers were taking notes there. Thank you.

Libya's hope for political stability could hinge on its economic stability. What's the key to making that happen? We'll find out, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: As you've seen live on CNN throughout the day, the fighting in Libya isn't over yet, but the National Transitional Council is already planning elections looking to establish a secure and stable government. But the key to making that happen could very well be a stable economy and the life blood of Libya's economy is its oil.

Christine Romans is here with a closer look.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Randi, it's been said if you drill to the heart of every war, eventually you strike oil. Now, oil is not the cause of this conflict, but it's critical to the rebuilding of Libya. In good times, Libya supplies 2 percent of the world's oil. But when will that oil come back online? Estimates vary from a month to a few years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BEUTEL, PRESIDENT, CAMERON HANOVER: When this is their only export, their only hope of putting this government together and tying this country up, I've got to think that they're going to move heaven and earth to get it. I expect it's going to be a lot sooner than anybody guesses. I think that they're going to have some oil almost within a month. And I think within a quarter, they're going to have a decent amount.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Even before it exports another drop, there are Moammar Gadhafi's riches frozen around the world. More than $30 billion in the U.S. alone. At present value, Gadhafi's stash of gold is now worth more than $8 billion. But nation building can be littered with thievery and waste of a country's resources and riches. How to make the history books different for Libya? It's why transparency is crucial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARC GINSBERG, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MOROCCO: It's going to take the commitment on the part of a transparent national government that is going to, first of all, be able to get that money back, get those assets unfrozen from foreign governments, and, most importantly, prepare a budget that is going to be -- be able to be reviewed by the IMF, by the World Bank, and by other institutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The U.S. Treasury says it's not ready just yet to release the $30 billion in frozen assets, but the scramble for access to Libya's money and resources is just beginning.

Randi.

KAYE: Thank you very much, Christine.

And we should let you know, for much more on this and all the latest financial news, be sure to join Christine Romans for "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" each Saturday morning, 9:30 Eastern. And don't miss "YOUR MONEY" with Ali Velshi, Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Sundays at 3:00.

A frightening threat against another late night talk show host. The scary details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Structural engineers have been out at the Washington Monument today trying to figure out how bad the damage is from yesterday's earthquake. As we told you earlier, cracks were discovered in the stones at the top of the structure. And until it can be determined how much of a risk they pose and how to fix them, the National Park Service says the monument will remain closed. Joining me now on the phone is the spokesman for the National Park Service, William Line.

William, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.

First, tell us about these cracks. Where exactly are they? And how bad are they?

WILLIAM LINE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SPOKESMAN (via telephone): First off, call me Bill, please.

But the cracks in the Washington Monument -- crack in the Washington Monument is at the very top of the monument where everyone is familiar with where the stones narrow and go to the tip of the very top of the Washington Monument. The crack, which is about four inches in length, is on one of the sides of that area which narrows. In geometry, you'd call it a pyramidium, a four sided triangular object.

Anyway, that crack is there. The National Park Service has a structural engineering firm inside of the Washington Monument assessing the situation, gathering information. That structural engineering firm likely will need to return tomorrow and probably again on Friday in order to pull together and gather all the information that they need to gather. They will then write a report at which point after that the National Park Service will assess the situation and begin repairs.

KAYE: How do you repair something like this? Do you work from the inside or from the outside? Any idea?

LINE: We don't know yet. We don't know the extent of the damage. That's why we need more data. That's what the structural engineering firm is trying to provide for us.

KAYE: You know, I've been tweeting about this quite a bit today and a little bit yesterday and a lot of people have actually sent me some tweets asking, how do they know these cracks weren't there before? How often is this looked at and checked?

Do you know the answer to this?

LINE: Yes, it's inspected daily.

KAYE: Every day?

LINE: Yes. And these -- cracks were not there until the earthquake happened yesterday. These -- this crack, excuse me, is as a result of the earthquake or an act of mother nature.

KAYE: So what is your biggest concern, or the biggest concern right now?

LINE: The biggest concern is the visitors' safety. That is why the monument -- the Washington Monument is closed and will remain closed indefinitely until all information can be gathered, until an assessment can be made as to what work needs to be done in terms of repair work and then the repair work needs to be done itself.

So in order to ensure the visitors' safety, the National Park Service will keep the Washington monument closed until a determination is made that we can reopen. And I do not know when that will be.

KAYE: I know it's more than 125 years old or so. But has it ever been updated and checked and -- have there been any changes to it, I should say, in order to make sure it can withstand an earthquake or anything else?

LINE: Well, as you probably know about 11 years ago in 1999 and 2000, the Washington Monument was covered with scaffolding in which a pointing and retucking (ph) was accomplished. That was completed in 2000. The memorial has been open since. And we do know that there was an earthquake in approximately 1897 or 1898. The Washington Monument withstood that. There was yet another earthquake in 1944, or 68 years ago. The Washington monument withstood that.

What happened yesterday, again, an act of mother nature and the bottom line is, we have to assess the situation and deal with it and make the repairs before we can reopen.

KAYE: Safety first. Bill Line, certainly appreciate your time today. Hope that monument gets fixed. Thank you very much.

It's about half past the hour. Here's a look at the headlines and some other news that you may have missed. Hurricane Irene, now a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. It's been pounding the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. And the National Hurricane Center says it could get even stronger as it approaches the U.S. Forecasters say it could affect the eastern seaboard by the weekend from the Carolinas to the northeast.

In Libya, journalists being held at the Rixos hotel are now free and fighting continues around the airport. Still no sign of Moammar Gadhafi but many continue to speculate about his whereabouts. Two Arabic networks have aired an audio message reportedly from the Libyan ruler calling on all Libyans to flee the city of Tripoli and eliminate the criminals, traitors, and rats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I call to all Libyans, tribesmen, youth, seniors, women, and loyal fighters to clear the city of Tripoli and eliminate the criminals, traitors, and rats. We could let the tanks and cannons shell the city of Tripoli and demolish it on their heads, but this is not right. The military cannot shell the buildings and the houses. The rebels are hiding between the families and inside the civilian houses. It's your duty to enter these houses and take them out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of that message.

And now to Tennessee where Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt has stunned the sports world announcing she has early onset dementia. The coach told the "Knoxville News Sentinel" she was experiencing memory losses and erratic behavior last season and the diagnosis came after testing at the Mayo Clinic. Summitt has led the University of Tennessee women to eight national championships and she is the all- time winningest basketball coach in NCAA history. Summitt is 59 and says she has no plans to stop coaching despite her diagnosis.

Some major concern for late night comedian Craig Ferguson, host of CBS' "Late Late Show." He's the second late night comedian to receive a threat after David Letterman. Ferguson, whose show is produced by Letterman's production company, explained what happened in his monologue broadcast early Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG FERGUSON, HOST, CBS'S "THE LATE, LATE SHOW": Today, someone sent here an envelope packed with white powder. That was -- and so and I was like, oh, I said I'll test it for you if you want.

(LAUGHTER)

FERGUSON: I have special tests that I conducted between 1979 and 1992. And the police were like, no, no, they did the test. It was not dangerous. Please, relax, everyone. Calm your real authentic panic. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Police are investigating the scare at CBS. And on his twitter account, Ferguson offered his thanks to the LAPD and CBS Security.

Bisexuality, is it a choice or biology? Research is breaking new ground. We'll have a live report now with senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: New research says there is physical evidence that shows some men can be sexually attracted to both men and women. It is one of the first studies that points to biological evidence of bisexuality.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to explain.

So explain. What did researchers find?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: All right. So sex researchers have often wondered is there such a thing of bisexuality or are people truly hetero or homosexual?

And so the American Institute of Bisexuality decided to fund a study, OK? So it's important to know that that's the group that funded it. That's important.

And so they took 35 men who said they were bisexual and had had romantic entanglements -- or whatever -- with people of both genders, and had them watch erotic videos, what you would consider erotic homosexual and heterosexual videos. And then they put sensors on their genitals while they watched these.

Probably not the way you really want to watch a movie, but, you know, all in the name of science, I guess.

KAYE: More details than I thought I was going to get today. But, OK.

COHEN: It ends there. And what they found is that indeed these men really were aroused by both types of videos. They were aroused by more by one than the other and depending on which man you're talking about, but, indeed, they really were aroused by both types.

And so this group is hoping this sort of puts an end to the debate, is there such a thing as bisexuality.

KAYE: And is that debate still important? I mean, why do this study?

COHEN: Yes. I mean, there has -- you know, bisexual men were getting a lot of grief in a way and were being told oh, you're not bisexual, you're gay and you're just saying you're bisexual to sort of cover something up. And so what this study appears to say is no, these men really are bisexual, they're not saying it to cover something up.

KAYE: Because there had been a study before, right? This is a big turnaround. They redid it almost.

COHEN: Right. Because there had been a study that showed, no, these men are actually gay. And so this study says, no, they really are bisexual, they truly are aroused by people of both genders.

Why this is so crucial, to tell you the truth, I'm not really so sure. I mean, can't people be whatever they say they are?

KAYE: Right. We'd like to think so.

COHEN: We'd like to think so. But apparently there's some need for some people to define things.

KAYE: There's a study for everything.

COHEN: There's a study for everything.

KAYE: You know that better than I do.

COHEN: There's a censor for everything, apparently.

KAYE: Yes.

COHEN: OK. We'll stop there.

KAYE: Thank you. Appreciate that. Oh, boy.

Well, the stunning success of Libyan rebels in the battle for Tripoli. Have they been getting help from foreign special forces? We have some answers live from the Pentagon right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: A key development to tell you about in the battle for Tripoli now. Special forces from Britain, France, Jordan, and Qatar in Libya are stepping up operations in the capital. A NATO official says they're also assisting the rebels in other cities.

CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with much more on an aspect of the civil war that we haven't heard much about, Barbara.

What is the latest on this?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, we have a lot of new details now.

First, as you say, a NATO official is confirming that special forces from four countries, Britain, France, Jordan and Qatar, have in fact been on the ground in Libya. We knew some of it, but new details they have been moving north the rebel forces, they have been assisting them very directly in that final move into Tripoli providing commute -- helping them provide communications, training, in some cases weapons, if you will, and providing from the ground some very precise targeting to NATO war planes overhead. So as you have seen those NATO warplanes bombard Qaddafi's compound in central Tripoli, it is special forces on the ground, no U.S. troops, it's from these other countries, that have been assisting in that.

But, Randi, I also want to bring everyone up to date on the weapons of mass destruction, the mustard gas supplies that the Libyans have. We now can tell you NATO officials and U.S. officials also confirming that NATO is having internal discussions about what it might have to do if, if it wanted to send a force to secure those supplies, which are south of Tripoli.

No one is suggesting they're not secure at this point, but with all the unrest across Libya right now, NATO is taking a very hard look at it saying, well, if we had to, what kind of troops would we send, what kind of forces? What would have to be done to protect that mustard gas and keep it secure -- Randi.

KAYE: Do they know where it is?

STARR: Yes. They do, but it's still a bit confusing.

It's located south of Tripoli in a place called Rapta (ph). It's about 10 tons of mustard gas that people will tell you is not in a form that could be weaponized and used in an attack.

The concern is whatever Libyan troops are protecting that, whether it's Gadhafi's troops or rebel forces, if it's not secure, it can go walking, you know, they could sell it out the back door to terrorists, it could be sold off to the highest bidder, it could disappear. That's not the kind of thing you want to have happen. It's something that the U.S. and NATO have been watching since this war unfolded.

But what is new this afternoon is NATO is now talking about it in the context of what's been going on in the last several days as the unrest has grown. Who's protecting that facility? Is it secure? If it looks like it's not going to be able to maintain security, do NATO countries have to send somebody, troops, personnel, whatever it is, technical experts to keep all of that secure -- Randi.

KAYE: Barbara, let me get back to the special ops teams there. You mentioned they're helping to train the rebel forces and maybe even supplying weapons, are they actually fighting with them?

STARR: We don't know that they are fighting directly. By all accounts, this is a very small elite capability. Certainly, I think, probably every one of these men who are doing these missions is heavily armed and has, you know, the absolute ability to defend themselves.

But they are traveling as we understand it with the rebel forces and their idea is that they are the ones that are helping provide that extra leverage, getting these rebel forces better able to conduct their own tactics and capabilities. You know, look, when they move -- when the rebels moved into Tripoli, it all really began to unravel for the Gadhafi regime fairly quickly. Now, some of that was just the occurrence of events, some of that was the rebels themselves, but we're now understanding is some of it was the special forces units on the ground helping provide them some extra oomph, if you will.

KAYE: Yes, well, they may very well need it.

Barbara Starr, great reporting, thank you very much.

STARR: Thank you.

KAYE: Despite the help from special forces, the rebels are still locked in fierce fighting in some areas of Tripoli. As this has been going on, a surprise development, those foreign journalists held hostage in the Rixos Hotel suddenly gain their freedom a short time ago.

CNN's Matthew Chance was among those held for days with no idea what might happen to them. Here's his account of that dramatic moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So we organized it the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross. They came and picked us up, which was -- yes, a huge relief. It was fantastic of them to essentially go through the checkpoint and to come and pick us up, all of the journalists in four cars, we had to get another car, as well, a civilian car to cram all the journalists in. It was seven or eight people in the small ICRC car that I was in.

And worst-case scenario, we were going to be used as human shields, we were going to be taken prisoner and, you know, be executed by some lunatic.

We've exhausted, we've expended such a lot of physical and emotional energy. All of us, just focusing, trying to work out what we can do to get out. Looking at every possible scenario. We worked out escape plans, people start shooting us, we were going to climb over the wall and run down a ditch and, you know, escape to a hospital across the road. And we had all sorts of plans we were going over so it wasn't any possibility of shells coming through or bullets coming through, at least.

We went around the hotel, sort of sort of gathering food and water. All this while we were absolutely -- all this while we were absolutely terrified that, you know, the mood was going to change and we were going to be shot. I think, that -- that gets to the nub of it. I mean, that's what we were worried about, we worried about being shot.

But happily, we weren't shot. We weren't injured. We were absolutely fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: That was CNN's Matthew Chance describing his dramatic escape from the Rixos Hotel, and unforgettable moment in the battle for the Libyan capital, a battle that continues today.

Well, we won't be getting too far from any of our breaking Libya coverage, but in just two minutes a quick look at the future of travel. Space hotels, yes, they're coming to a solar system near you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Earthquakes, hurricanes, wars -- have you ever just wanted to get away from it all? Well, come 2016, you may truly be able to get out of Dodge.

Within the next five years, Russian firm Orbital Technologies is planning to open the first ever space hotel. The Commercial Space Station, as it's officially called, will float 250 miles above Earth and accommodate up to seven people at a time.

Now, to check in, tourists have to undergo special training that can take up to three months and stays can range up to six months, so make sure, of course, that you get along with who you're staying with.

Another reason to love your travel guests, well, no showers. But you can clean yourself with wet wipes. That sounds fun, doesn't it?

What's there to do once you're sealed in up there? Well, not much it turns out, apart from going online and watching TV.

Don't expect any four-star dining or fine wine either, alcohol is banned. Food will be shipped to space dehydrated of course. Yummy.

The firm was tight-lipped about how much it will cost to stay at the hotel or whether it's taken any reservations. But CBS is reporting that guests should expect to pay about $1 million for a five-day stay. The Russian government is hoping that the project will be a cash cow for the space exploration program.

For more on the space hotel, check out my Facebook page, Facebook.com/RandiKayeCNN.

Coming up, Mitt Romney will not attend a forum hosted by a conservative heavyweight in South Carolina. Joe Johns will breakdown what this means for the Romney camp, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Well, let's see what's happening in the world of politics, shall we? Joe Johns standing by.

And, Joe, I guess Mitt Romney is making news and turning down, what, an invitation from Jim DeMint? JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: yes, we're talking about the Palmetto Freedom Forum. This is a very big deal, you know, South Carolina could very much help pick the president this year, at least the presidential nominee from the Republican side.

Mitt Romney is not going to attend this Labor Day forum organized by Senator Jim DeMint who is something of a conservative kingmaker. He actually endorsed Romney's run for president four years ago. DeMint is really the highest ranking, most senior member of Congress, strongest ties with the Tea Party movement.

A Romney spokesperson says there were scheduling conflicts and that the candidate will spend the day instead in New Hampshire. Just another signal that this Massachusetts governor is not focusing on South Carolina the way he did in 2008. He wasn't listed as attending this event by organizers.

CNN has confirmed Texas Governor Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Herman Cain are all going to participate in the forum and it's going to be downtown, Columbia, South Carolina. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accepted the invitation on Tuesday and he's going to be the fifth participant.

So a lot of people going. Apparently, Mitt Romney is not.

KAYE: Yes. Joe, I have one more question for you about Nancy Reagan. I saw some video of her. Can you tell us what happened there?

JOHNS: Right. Former first lady Nancy Reagan was walking, lost her balance, fell Tuesday night. This was arriving at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

She was there to hear Senator Marco Rubio of Florida give a speech. Rubio caught Mrs. Reagan. She's 90 years old. She didn't hit the ground. A library spokeswoman said she's fine.

The video footage you were looking at, Randi, showed her sort of walking slowly with a cane. We've seen pictures of her before. Kind of very slow, stalled, said something to Rubio and she fell and Rubio caught her and others sort of moved in.

So it sounds like she's fine. He went ahead and delivered his speech, and we haven't heard there were any probable since, Randi.

KAYE: Quick thinking, Marco Rubio.

All right, Joe Johns, appreciate that. Nice to see you.