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East Coast Braces for Hurricane; Gadhafi Forces Still Fighting; Fighting in Libya Continues at Tripoli Airport; Concerns Surface Over Control of Weapons Stockpiles in Libya; Dominique Strauss-Kahn Still Faces Civil Lawsuit for Sexual Assault; Women's Basketball Coach Has Alzheimer's

Aired August 24, 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, Randi. Thank you very much.

And hello to all of you. It's 3:00 on the East Coast, 9:00 at night in Libya. We've just received word of heavy fighting south of Tripoli. Take a look here.

This was the scene just a couple of hours ago. This is at Tripoli International Airport, at last report held by the rebels, at this hour, the rebels taking fire from fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. Why the fight there?

We are going to ask that question momentarily, among several others.

But, first, take a quick look at this, the end, finally the end of this nightmare for dozens of Western journalists. This here is our CNN crew speeding away from that big international hotel, the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli, where Gadhafi loyalists, those gunmen had been holding these men and women captive for five-plus days. Now and only now can they tell their story. We will hear it coming up.

Something here, the CNN crew, among dozens of international journalists, as I mentioned at the Rixos Hotel, between 30 and 35 journalists were held inside for five-plus days trying to negotiate the release according to our own Matthew Chance every hour, every minute of every day.

The end came today when a CNN producer persuaded the local commander that the fight outside was over, that the Gadhafi forces had lost. Listen to this.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN PRODUCER: Well, I actually -- you know, we had spent time with him over the past few days just sitting and talking to him about his kids, his family.

And so he started to (INAUDIBLE) and telling him that I really miss my family and I really want to go out and see my family, who are really worried about me now, and the same thing for these 30-plus journalists who are sitting in the hotel. And he got tears in his eyes at that moment. He felt a bit emotional about that, too. And, you know, slowly, myself and another colleague here, an Arab cameraman, we both sat there with him and told him that things are changing out there. So, slowly, he started listening to us (INAUDIBLE) you have to think of your kids. You have to. You're left here alone. Just let us go.

And it just happened. It was a small process. It was a messy one at times, but it worked out in the end.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And also Matthew Chance, he was among those released today as well, along with our producer Jomana. We will speak with him a little later about the negotiations that happened inside that hotel lobby with the Gadhafi gunmen.

But the journalists who escaped captivity today at the Rixos Hotel, they couldn't have made it out to safety without the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Robin Waudo joins me on the phone from Tripoli. He's with the ICRC

And, Robin, congratulations. We have seen this video here. Here it is again of our own crew riding to safety on the back of one of your agency's vehicles. Can you just tell me how you were able to get so close to this hotel, given the fact this really has been one of the final pockets of Colonel Gadhafi's control?

ROBIN WAUDO, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: The International Committee of the Red Cross has been working in Tripoli since the beginning of the conflict in February.

And to make it possible for us to Work here, we had to speak with the Libyan government, but we were also talking to the NTC in Benghazi, the National Transitional Council. Now, we knew about these journalists in the hotel for quite a while, that they have been there and they have been traveling around with the government to different places.

But only last week did we have contact with one of them, who told us that their conditions were deteriorating and they feared for their well-being. And then we decided to find out what we could do for them.

Journalists are protected under international human (INAUDIBLE) laws as civilians. So we decided to contact both the parties to the conflict, the armed opposition and the Libyan military as well.

And having talked with the military from the government side and having talked also to the authority who was in charge of them at the Rixos Hotel, we went with a team of colleagues, spoke with the armed opposition, got guarantees that it would be safe enough for us to go in, because the Rixos is between the front lines at (INAUDIBLE). So, when we talked to the armed opposition and they gave us the go-ahead and we already had talked to the military on the other side, we were able to get access through this zone where the hotel is, which is looking like a no-man's land, and able to reach the hotel, get the journalists on to the motor vehicles and transfer them out safely.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Robin, let me jump in, let me jump in, because you make the point multiple times that you had been in communication with the military, these Gadhafi -- they're gunmen, as described by our own crews inside this hotel.

How do you negotiate with these people?

WAUDO: Supposedly when we were speaking with the authority who was in charge of them at the hotel, earlier today, he say that these people are free, you can come and pick them up. And we said, OK, you're in a dangerous area. We need security guarantees in order to come in.

So, when we got to the hotel, there were no gunmen inside. Everybody had left. Just the journalists were left.

BALDWIN: Huh. Was there any fear that this would be a ruse?

WAUDO: We thought about that. We thought, of course it would be dangerous most definitely.

We weighed the seriousness of the risk towards the benefit of removing these journalists out. And also obtaining the security guarantees, we were able to say, OK, we shall go in. But we had to make sure that our own people, first of all, would be able to safely reach them and be able to bring them out again safely.

BALDWIN: Which your teams were able to do apparently magnificently. But what were these journalists telling you? Because it's from our understanding from our crews that they had been part of this negotiation. You know, you say that by the time you all arrived there with your -- in your vehicles, the gunmen were gone.

But these journalists were afraid to step outside. They didn't know what Tripoli was like on the streets. They were fearful for their own eyes and it took you getting there and getting them in -- in your safe cars for them to realize and take that sigh of relief that they were OK. What were they saying?

WAUDO: They were isolated in the hotel for quite a while. So they had no idea what was going on outside, especially the last three or four days, when the conflict escalated and spread into Tripoli. There's been a total change in the scene in this city.

As for them, they had been warned that they -- they knew that there was security outside. They knew there might be snipers outside, even guards inside. But when there were no guards, I don't think they would have risked coming out, not knowing what's outside. Now, with us arriving, we were sure that -- they were sure that now it's possible for them to come out safely. The ICRC often asked for a neutral intermediary between armed groups when the need arises, like it did this time.

BALDWIN: Exactly as you did. And we have seen all 35 or so of these journalists now thrilled and posing in pictures and just calling their families and feeling fortunate to just be free and be alive.

Let me ask you this because I have been following the ICRC on Twitter today. And you all had tweeted, in terms of the situation on the ground in Tripoli, that you're mobilizing surgeons. And this is one part of the story I feel like I have yet to hear about in terms of medical needs on the ground in Tripoli.

How great is the need and what can you tell me about injuries?

WAUDO: There's a very great need for medical assistance, especially since this conflict is now being waged in an urban environment, in a city right now where there are heavy civilian populations.

So there's a lot of victims. You have got victims of armed fighters, but also civilians have been affected. So the medical institutions have been overwhelmed in some of the places we have been. We have been to two trauma hospitals and one other hospital and local clinics. And we're also looking at other different medical establishments.

First of all, some of them do not have enough medical supplies, that's number one. Number two, it's the medical personnel, some of whom have not been able to reach the hospital because they are afraid. The situation was quite dangerous.

So what the ICRC has decided to do is bring in surgical teams, at least two of them. One should arrive by the end of the week. These surgical teams will try to roam in different hospitals in order to assist them.

BALDWIN: OK. Final question to you, Robin. Journalists never want to steal the spotlight from the people in the country where there they're, who they're covering. But just if you can, big picture here, just tell me what the situation on the ground is this week for the Libyan people that you have been assisting all these many months.

WAUDO: The situation right now is becoming relatively calm.

Not since the conflict started in Tripoli in the weekend on such a big night, on Sunday, it was quite chaotic with bullets and explosions flying just outside our house here and in different parts of the city. As we speak right now, there are still areas that are contested. So the government and the armed opposition are still (INAUDIBLE) as we speak.

And that's why we cautioned the armed -- both parties that they should take precautions for civilians and medical workers. The people of Tripoli are having a very difficult time because of the security. There's been disruptions in the water and in the electricity and in the health, obviously.

So it's not a normal situation. We all hope that this will come to pass and there will be better times. But the ICRC is usually here during times like this.

BALDWIN: Robin Waudo of the International Committee of the Red Cross playing an integral role in getting these journalists free today, Robin, thank you very much.

And within just about the past half-hour or so, we have taken in video from eastern Tripoli. Let's just have a quick look at this.

CNN's Sara Sidner has been in central Tripoli all day long. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What's happening is, there's a lot of shooting going on, on this side. But the reason why it sounds so close -- Sandiv (ph), my cameraman, is trying to get you a shot.

OK. Look at this truck that's going to pass by. You see that truck? That truck is going around the square blowing off rounds. There's another truck with about five men in it all holding AK-47s. They're blowing off rounds. There's guys here with Kalashnikov rifles. They're blowing off rounds.

There are cars. Now, if you will notice, in just a few seconds, you will see a car filled with children sitting on the outside holding the flag. Here it comes here. Sandiv is just trying to get you a shot, a flag, children holding the flag on the outside sitting up on the car.

So there are some of the residents we have been telling you about. But, I mean, look, they are not protected. They are leaning out of the car. There are guns all around.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Sara Sidner, thank you.

Want to let you know we will have much more from our teams on the ground in Libya as soon as it's safe for them to pause and give us a call here at CNN.

Still ahead, let's take a look at the pictures of live radar here. It's large, it's powerful, it's aiming for the U.S. We're tracking Hurricane Irene, now a Category 3 storm as it churns there through the Atlantic and the Bahamas, folks battening down hatches as they brace for a direct hit in a matter of hours.

But then what? Where in the U.S. will, could Irene strike? People in North Carolina not taking any chances.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are few evacuation options. The island is only about 40 kilometers long. So outrunning the storm isn't an option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Some of the predictions here have the Tarheel State as Irene's bull's eye. We will check in with CNN meteorologist Chad Myers next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Hurricane Irene already a dangerous Category 3 hurricane could grow even more powerful in the coming hours. Take a look at this live picture from the International Space Station.

We're just getting these images in, Irene whipping now parts of the Bahamas with strong winds and conditions are expected to deteriorate as the day wears on. Earlier, it slammed across Puerto Rico causing flooding and widespread damage. The hurricane has much of you -- if you are on the East Coast, you are on alert right now. Irene could be knocking on the door of the U.S. this weekend, FEMA keeping President Obama, who is on vacation in Martha's Vineyard, updated on the storm.

Evacuations are under way on the barrier islands of North Carolina. Folks who live there, also people there who are just there for vacation, being told to leave. Irene could deliver a glancing blow before heading farther north.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BEVERLY PERDUE (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Our models that we looked at this morning, our forecasts show that the storm is moving further from the coast and toward the sea.

The worst part of the storm, we believe, at this point in time, which is known as the right front quadrant, would be out over the ocean. However, again, let me repeat, our predictions are not anything but predictions. And we must all prepare for the worst.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: There are also concerns that Irene could impact this weekend's scheduled dedication of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial there in Washington this coming Sunday if the storm veers towards D.C.

And now just to give you a better perspective here about Irene's enormous size, look at this view. This is a view of the hurricane as the International Space Station was passing over it. Obviously, she is immense.

And let me just remind you, CNN, right here, your hurricane headquarters.

Meteorologist Chad Myers tracking Hurricane Irene for us.

And, Chad, this is the first hurricane we have seen so far this season, certainly the worst we have seen in quite some time. But can we just go back to the pictures from space? I think those are just tremendous. I was on one of the astronauts' Twitter page. He was tweeting some of his own images, just to see how massive she is.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Massive and now with a perfectly round eye.

BALDWIN: Really?

MYERS: And an eye is like a heat engine. The water below the eye gets picked up, sucked up, thrown into a massive generator and a generator generates heat.

As the moisture from the water evaporates into humidity, then the humidity condenses. It's like putting your hand over a steaming teapot. That's how hot the steam is when it touches you. That steam turns into hotter clouds. Hotter clouds go up, hotter clouds get bigger and then they begin to spin. And that's where we are right now at 120 miles per hour.

The threat for the Bahamas is that it will get to 135. And there will be -- some of these islands are eight feet tall. There will be winds there at 120. But there will be waves 15 feet over the island.

BALDWIN: So double the size?

MYERS: Double the size of the island and all of a sudden if you had a building there, not on 15-foot stilts, that building is gone, literally. Most of the southern Bahamas will take a direct hit from this and many of the buildings will literally disappear from some of those very low islands.

The storm will get from a 3 to a 4 today. You said, well, what does that matter? We go from 120 to 135 miles per hour offshore of the U.S. What that means, Brooke, is that all of this wind will push water on to the U.S. East Coast. The St. Johns River all the way up and down the East Coast may be flooded because of just the waves coming on shore. You have all of that force pushing all of that water that way.

And then you have rip currents, with the water going up, up to the dune, and then ripping back out. You need to stay away from that water, you need to stay out of that water even if you think you're an expert, expert diver or swimmer or whatever.

BALDWIN: Surfer.

MYERS: Surfer. Surfer, for sure, you need to be out of that water.

Here's the problem for the rest of the forecast. By the time we get to Sunday, the cone is from here to here and then all the computer models in between. There's still a potential, there's still a possibility that New York City has a 100-mile-per-hour hurricane right at the mouth of the Hudson River. That's still a possibility. The same possibility that it is hitting Boston is right there. And somewhere in the middle is probably more likely.

But you have to understand, the population density right through here of an 85- or 100-mile-per hour storm hitting the Northeast is probably more significant than the storm, although it will be bigger, hitting the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We're getting the people out of there. It's mandatory evacuation for those Outer Banks. There should not be anybody there. I hope there's not even a TV crew there, because we're not going to send one. It's simply too dangerous to be out there.

BALDWIN: Dangerous.

MYERS: The island could be cut in half. No kidding. The sand may literally go away where these crews would be standing. So hopefully the authorities don't let anybody out there.

BALDWIN: Well, a lot of uncertainty still, though, thus far as we look at the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S.

What we do know, what Chad just mentioned, is that the Bahamas could see sustained winds of 135 miles an hour. Irene already targeting the southern Bahamas. The deadliest potential threat could be the surrounding sea. All that water swept inland by the storm surge he mentioned could reach 11 feet.

Jim Spellman is in Nassau, where people are taking advantage of the blue sky to get busy with these last-minute preparations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPELLMAN: Here in Nassau, the winds are beginning to pick up and people are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene expected to pass close by as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane.

Now, out in the bay right here, normally, you would see a handful of cruise ships with thousands of people on them. And this beach here would be full of tourists. But the cruise ships have departed to get out of the way of the storm. The beaches are closed. And most of the tourists have flown out if they weren't on those cruise ships. Those that remain are hunkering down in large tourist hotels like this one.

For Bahamians, there are few evacuation options. The island is only about 20 miles long. So outrunning the storm isn't an option. Their best bet, try to protect their property and hope for the best.

BRIAN NOTTAGE, BUSINESS OWNER: Basic shutters and they strap down real quick. It takes a matter of 10 minutes to do a window because we have done it so often. More often than not, we have to put them up for near misses. But this one looks like we're going to get it.

SPELLMAN: And hope that when Irene passes, their homes and businesses remain and they and their families are safe and sound. Jim Spellman, CNN, Nassau, Bahamas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Jim Spellman, thank you.

We're talking about Hurricane Irene. But let's talk about that earthquake from yesterday. Are you one of the millions who felt that earthquake? Remember the epicenter in a one-spotlight town of Mineral, Virginia?

We're getting all kinds of video now from all over the country capturing the frightening, some -- some saying fun moment when it struck. We're going to show you some of those images we're getting next.

And perhaps lost in all the East Coast quake coverage, this, another earthquake in a whole other part of the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So that earthquake that shook parts of the Eastern U.S. yesterday first had people scrambling for safety. Then they scrambled to get their video posted online. So many of you were tweeting me as well. Take a close look. This is from a surveillance camera. This is inside a pharmacy in Chester, Virginia.

A quake hit. You can see the pharmacy tech. Can you tell? There she goes out the window. But, wait, watch the reaction in the Richmond office building here, little bit of shaking, little bit of screaming as well. And now to the animals. A dog asleep here on the sofa. Pay close attention to the chair on the right side of your screen here, because moments before, moments before the quake hit, the dog seems to sense it, gets up and walks away.

And now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was bouncing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's the camera.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

So that's a vantage point from exactly where we're sitting. Let's take a look at the top of the stadium. And this is a look at what it felt like when the stadium was...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This is the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania. Batter up. You can see the cameras start shaking. At first, ESPN photographers thought someone was messing with their mounted cameras. Not so much. Took a couple of minutes before they realized it was an earthquake. And, yes, even our own crews in our Washington studio there feeling the jolt. Then finally, there was this guy in Chantilly, Virginia. He was in the middle of making a furniture commercial when the quake shook things up for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just thought we would take this opportunity to show you our new customer waiting room.

You feel that?

What was that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Again, this was a rare East Coast 5.8-magnitude earthquake.

But not so rare, I know, I know, for you on the West Coast. You deal with this all the time. Take a look at what happened, though, inside this store. This is Segundo, Colorado. This is near Trinidad. Stuff just starts flying off some of these different store shelves. There it goes. Before the day was over, southern Colorado was hit with a series of 14 quakes yesterday. This one captured on this video was the largest. It measured 5.3.

Quakes may not be rare in this part of the country, but a quake this strong hasn't actually hit Colorado in nearly 40 years.

Coming up next, explosions rock a small town in Iowa as this school bus, look at this, up in flames. The terrifying scene caught on video.

Also on camera, a frightening moment for the nation's former first lady. We will tell you what happened to Nancy Reagan -- back in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's get you back to what's happening in Libya today, Moammar Gadhafi, his forces not at all finished.

Take a look at the scene here. This is south of Tripoli. This is the Tripoli International Airport. At last word, it is held by the rebels, the rebels taking fire from fighters loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.

And the end of a nightmare for dozens of Western journalists. This here is our CNN crew. They're in this car speeding away from the big international hotel, the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli, where Gadhafi loyalists had been holding them captive for five-plus days.

We will be checking in with Sara Sidner on the ground there -- right now, I'm being told.

Sara Sidner, if you're with me, tell me where you are and what you're seeing.

SIDNER: I'm here, Brooke. I'm overlooking Tripoli now. We're in the capital. We're listening to the chant of "Allah Akbar," "god a great." What we are seeing today, another extraordinary day, Brooke, really, in the square.

We went to a couple of different neighborhoods, three or four neighborhoods today, drove around to get a sense of how much of the city that the rebels control. It's clear that they're in control of a lot of the city.

However, as you mentioned, there is still a battle going on near the airport. It's about 20 kilometers or so from the city center. Also near the neighborhood just east of that, there was firing coming into that compound again today, although not as much as yesterday.

And we do know that the checkpoints are set up more and more in the city by the rebels. Now, it doesn't mean that they control every single street. But it means that they know which streets are dangerous and which streets they are still trying to clear. They're trying to keep people away from the streets where they say there are still snipers and still armed Gadhafi loyalists in that area, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Sara, what are some of the visual signs that this city is increasingly claimed by these rebels?

SIDNER: It's both what you can see and what you cannot hear. We're not hearing as much gunfire. Now, some of that gunfire we have been hearing over the last couple of days has, of course, been celebratory, as you know. But some of it has not. And so we're not hearing as much gunfire. We're not seeing as many fires near the area.

So it's pretty clear that street by street, as we have been going along today, we were able to get to places that we have not been able to get to before. But the rebels do not claim this entire city. They know they don't have it 100 percent on lockdown. There is still battle going on, especially near that airport, Brooke.

BALDWIN: With regard to the airport, Sara, do we know who specifically is fighting whom and who has what territory in and around that area?

SIDNER: As we understand it, it is the rebels versus Gadhafi forces. Very fierce battling going on there. Our reporter Arwa Damon is covering that aspect. We can't get to that area now. They are not allowing us to go to that area because they say it's too dangerous. But in parts of the city, they're celebrating like mad. They're going around shooting in the air, chanting, screaming, waving flags because they feel like they have enough of the city to say that they do, in fact, control the city. They do control quite a bit of it, Brooke.

But there's still a firefight going on. Until they can get a grip on exactly who is where and go forward with their plan to have 100 percent control, this is a bit of a tense situation still unfolding here in the capital. BALDWIN: We're working to talk to Arwa. As you mentioned, she is the only person, only journalist who is that close to the international airport. But quickly, Sara, because this is the first time I'm seeing you without a helmet on and without a vest. And I was so struck by the images of you covering the breach of the Bab al Aziziya, the Gadhafi compound yesterday. I know you were inside the compound with the rebels. Were you actually in the rooms going with the rebels? And if so, what did it look like?

SIDNER: Yes. We didn't get into it, because what happened as we entered the second gate which really led to inside, we did walk in and see a bit of the buildings that were there. One was an unfinished building that caved in, clearly, from cannons, from mortar fire as well. So we did see one building that had been collapsed.

What we heard from the rebels who did go all the way in and began combing each and every one of those rooms is that they literally found pots of -- the frames were coming from the stoves. People had literally run out, left their clothes and shoes and left rooms. So that gives you an indication that there were still people inside of pro-Gadhafi supporters, still people there. Who they were we don't know. That's a big question tonight, Brooke.

Sara Sidner, I thank you so much. Again people victorious in the capital city. By no means is this fight over. Sara, thank you.

Coming up, the sexual assault case against him has been dropped, against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. But the trouble for this man not quite over. We'll tell you why coming up next.

Plus, what's in store when he returns home to France? There was some buzz, most definitely buzz that he wanted to be president. Is that still possible? We'll get insight from someone who knows, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Reputations are shredded, a political career scattered. And even though Dominique Strauss-Kahn no long has criminal charges hanging over his head, he is not entirely a free man. You see the sexual assault case against the former head of the International Monetary Fund was dropped yesterday and it imploded when prosecutors started to doubt had woman. This is Nafissatou Diallo. She is the maid who accused Strauss-Kahn of attacking her in that swanky Manhattan hotel suite.

But Strauss-Kahn's worries are far from over. He still faces a civil suit filed by the woman. Also French investigators are looking into a writer's claims that Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her eight years ago. And then there is this. This visual here is what we call the perp walk, Strauss-Kahn being led away in handcuffs after his arrest back in May.

And with all these potential strikes against him might they weigh heavily on the minds of the French public once he heads home. Emanuel Saint-Martin is a correspondent for France 24 news based in New York. Good to have you here. Before we talk about the court of public opinion in France, tell me, do we have any idea when Strauss- Kahn may be able to go home?

EMANUEL SAINT-MARTIN, NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT, FRANCE 24: No. We don't really know. His lawyers said that he wanted to go to Washington, D.C. first. He was living in Washington, D.C. as the head of IMF before that happened. And it was said that he wanted to talk to people he was working with at the IMF to explain to them what happened a few months ago, when you had to quit at the IMF. So he's going to spend a few days in Washington, D.C. and then certainly go back to France and maybe get some explanation inside of the story maybe. His first interview is expected in France.

BALDWIN: That's the first time I've heard that, that he would go to Washington. Do we know specifically what he would be apologizing to his former colleagues for?

SAINT-MARTIN: We don't know that. We know that he said what he did was not a crime. That it was something that he shouldn't have done. Something already happened with the IMF. He had a relation with a woman who was working at the IMF. He already apologized about that to the people he worked with. So he might be doing the same now. We don't know yet exactly.

BALDWIN: OK, so he goes to Washington. Ultimately, he goes back to France. I just wanted to know how will all of France that the public see him as he goes home, one, one part of the question. And then secondly, could he possibly salvage his promising political career?

SAINT-MARTIN: You know, there is some sympathy for a man who has been through this now that few months ago everybody was saying that he was guilty of rape and now he leaves free. So he's going to leave the U.S. free. Of course, there is some sympathy.

But his career is really -- I wouldn't bet anything on his political career now. You know, he's a politician, so I guess the urge to run is always there for a politician. But the first question is does he want to run now. There are a lot of signs that he doesn't want to run now, especially because if he runs, then he might have to answer some embarrassing questions. What are you really doing? There are a lot of his behaviors with women, et cetera.

So maybe, I don't see him running and also his image has been damaged by what happened. You don't commit any crime, that's one thing. But the way he deals with women, the way he behaves with women, that's something that was not well-known by everybody in France. Now everybody knows that. You know, it's very, very difficult to have a political career with that after that.

BALDWIN: So if we don't know if he would want to have any sort of political career given perhaps some of the questions he'd be answering, would France want him as a leader?

SAINT-MARTIN: Yes, that's really the question. And I don't think so now, you know. His image has suffered a lot. And people really, even if there is sympathy for someone who went through this ordeal here in New York for three months, but still, people discover there are a lot of things about him and not only about his sexual behaviors and behaviors with women, but also about his fortune, the fact that he is very, very rich. It has nothing do with sex scandal, but he was going to run as a socialist. Being such a rich man for socialist person in France, that might be a problem.

So a lot of things have changed since May 14th when that happened in this hotel. I don't see him and most people in France don't see him in a position of running in France now.

BALDWIN: As we mentioned, Emanuel, he faces this attempted rape investigation that is under way in France. I'm just wondering what impact the end of this criminal case in Manhattan, would it have any kind of impact on the investigation in France?

SAINT-MARTIN: On the case in France, I don't think so. I think the case in France is a very long shot. It happened seven, eight years ago. And there is really no explanation why this woman didn't file this complaint sooner. So it's a very long shot and there is not much to fear from Strauss-Kahn about this suit.

But the civil case in the Bronx now from Nafissatou Diallo might be another question. You know, it's going to be there and we're going to talk about this again and again and again if the civil case goes forward.

Emanuel, since I have you, I would be remiss not to ask you about something that happened today between French President Sarkozy and Mahmoud Jibril. He's the head of the Libyan rebels, national transitional council, the NTC. It was Sarkozy who really took the lead pushing NATO into action in Libya. Given this image that we see here, the NTC flag, the French flag and these two leaders, what is the reaction to this in France today?

SAINT-MARTIN: You know, Sarkozy bet a lot on the Libya war if you will, maybe some would say even his reelection. So he felt lucky and all of people saw him as very lucky with the recent evolution in Libya. So he's going to be very, very involved, very much involved in whatever happening in Libya. And it has been, you know, qualified as his war in a way. Because he was very -- he pushed a lot to have NATO intervening and the U.S. intervening in Libya. So that's seen as really, if it's a victory for the revolt in Libya, was seen a victory for Sarkozy, a political victory at least in the short term.

BALDWIN: Emanuel Saint-Martin with France 24 News. I appreciate it very, very much.

And as we stay on Libya here, obviously there is still no signs of Colonel Gadhafi. Now rebels are offering a bounty of almost $2 million for his capture. But what about Gadhafi's money? The United Nations is deciding this hour whether or not to give to the rebels. We're going to take you live to the United Nations next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: The United Nations security council is meeting to decide if now is the time to free up large amounts of Gadhafi's money that it had frozen when the uprising in Libya first began. I want to bring in our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth. And Richard, easy question. Has a decision been made?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The meeting has just started. There's heavy pressure on one country, South Africa, which diplomats say has been the lone holdout. The plan is to release $1.5 billion in frozen assets. This is money that was held when the Security Council passed that resolution to denounce Gadhafi when he was oppressing his own citizens. Now the situation has changed on the ground and they want to give that money.

Plus the Libyans on the Libyan transition council, they're asking for $2.5 billion in additional aid. So there's a lot of money going on. The key is to get some stability for the people of Libya after all of this chaos.

BALDWIN: Richard, let's check back in with you as you mentioned that meeting just began when it is finished. I definitely want to check back in with you at the U.N. For now, we'll let you go. Richard, thank you very much.

I want to get to Mike Baker joining me again today, former CIA covert operations officer. Mike, OK, first I want to -- let's juxtapose what we're seeing in terms of the images coming out of Tripoli and also what we're not. We're seeing amazingly, all the journalists freed from the Rixos hotel, all kinds of celebratory gunfire. My question to you in terms of intel, what aren't we seeing?

MIKE BAKER, FORMER CIA COVERT OPERATIONS OFFICER: Well, the outward visuals that we've got, certainly everyone is concerned about the chaos that they're seeing, the firing on the streets, the dumping of weapons outside of the armories. What you're not seeing behind the scenes is on several levels.

One is a significant effort by British and French for the most part personnel to try to pull together a chain of command that can bring all these militia and rebel groups under control of one central leadership. So they're not acting somewhat independently.

Then what you're not seeing also is all the effort that's been put forward to continue to train the rebels, now to get ahead of the curve and to try to understand how do we create this into a workable military. Most of these people are civilians. Are they going to want to give up their weapons and go home?

There's a great deal of gathering intelligence. So there is a great deal of work is done by not only our CIA but also French and British services to be able to debrief recent defectors coming particularly from the military and from the cabinet, try to get a handle on everything from where's Gadhafi to what about the weapons? There are a significant number of weapons that have just basically gone walkabout. BALDWIN: Let me just jump in because this is something I have been struck by, my whole team, watching this story playing out. But the weaponry these rebels have, coming across these different caches as well, now they're getting more weapons from the Gadhafi compound. There has to be a concern of these weapons if no one's looking, they could walk out the back door and fall in the hands of the bad guys.

BAKER: Absolutely. And they likely already have to some degree. They have raiding armories for months as they gain control of certain town and bases in the eastern side in particular. And, you know, there can be upwards of 20,000 portable meaning shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, Russian built for the most part. And you have all the anti-tank systems, a variety of weapons systems stored up in the armories.

And they burst open the doors and these things have started going out. And you can guarantee that nobody is standing at the door with a clipboard taking inventory. So we have got a real concern at some point some extremist elements -- again, not to go down the road say, oh, my good, you know, it's going to be jihad and the extremists will take control of the country. But they will take advantage of the chaos. And first and foremost they'll be looking to take advantage of all these weapons flooding onto the market.

BALDWIN: There's the weapons and then that whole stockpile in the city south of Tripoli with the mustard gas. We'll get news from the Pentagon and we'll talk about that next hour. Mike Baker, thank you very, very much.

Still ahead here, a coaching legend in women's basketball now facing her toughest competition yet. We're going to tell you about Pat Summitt's stunning medical revelation and why she won't be throwing in the towel just yet.

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BALDWIN: I want to talk about this amazing women's basketball coach Pat Summitt and her dementia diagnosis is trending right now. The 59-year-old basketball coach with the most number of wins in college history is used to glaring at her opponent head-on with tenacity, helped lead the Tennessee women's team to eight national titles. She is dealing though, with the shocking medical revelations with the same fighting spirit. She is not leaving basketball.

Joining me by known, Christine Brennan, sports columnist for "USA Today." Christine, I know you have covered Coach Summitt for years. I know she's been named "Wizard of Knoxville," some 1,071 career wins. Talk to me a little bit though about her decision to go public with something so private.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, "USA TODAY" (via telephone): You know, I think, Brooke, this is something very much typical of Pat Summitt and I think she is going to become the face now of this terrible disease. As sad as all this news is, I think there's such a positive in terms of bringing people who have this disease to be able to see her, to be the face of it, as I said, pulling it out of the closet a bit. I think that will be a wonderful offshoot of this.

And she'll bring more people to the game of basketball to watch her team, to be interested in how she's doing. As sad as it is, Brooke, I feel there are many positives, and I think pat is coming to the realization as tough as she is, as strong as she is, people are going to look at her now. She doesn't want a pity party, but there will be to some degree a bit of concern and a softening of the feelings people have for her, which is also a good thing.

BALDWIN: That's what I keep hearing her quote is, "Don't throw me a pity party." She seems like a pretty tough lady. But I do know several months ago, I think it was May, she went to the Mayo Clinic, described some erratic behavior she was experiencing last season. Do we know what some of the signs were?

BRENNAN: We do. For example, she was having trouble remembering the offensive plays, the offensive sets that she was about to call with her team. She was very concerned to the point where she didn't necessarily want to go to work. She felt awkward who she was going to say to people, forgetting her keys -- things we all do. But she was doing it more and more. And it was such a concern that she and her son went to the Mayo Clinic and she was put through the battery of tests and they came up with this diagnosis.

BALDWIN: I've never coached basketball, but I understand being in a career where you make quick split-second decisions. And I know she is planning on going ahead and coaching the Vols next season. Do we know how does she plan on juggling and mitigating potential problems with this diagnosis?

BRENNAN: This is her 38th season with Tennessee, and she has an excellent coaching staff. Brooke, that's a great question. We'll see a team coaching I think much more than in the past. They know what they want to do at Tennessee. They've won so many times. So I think a professional operation will continue to unfold. Pat will be the figurehead of that, but she will not necessarily be the only one calling the shots. So that's going to be a very comfortable feeling for her.

BALDWIN: Leading her team as I said to eight victories all the way, it is so impressive. Christine Brennan "USA Today" thank you so much.

BRENNAN: My pleasure, thank you.

BALDWIN: And we're watching Irene. Hurricane Irene, forecasters say, could become a monster storm. Here's the live radar for you. She's churning through the Atlantic. But a big question still remains about where she will strike. Much more on this hurricane straight ahead.

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