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There Is No Shortcut; Americans Freed In Iran; Deadly Typhoon Hits Japan; Homeless Man's Beating; Troy Davis Set To Die Tonight; Millions Of Americans Slip Into Poverty; Searching For A Candidate; Searching For A Candidate; Little Hope Left For Troy Davis; Mexico Drug Cartels' Turf War

Aired September 21, 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, Suzanne, thank you.

Well, every year a U.S. president gives a big speech at the U.N., and every year he talks about Mideast peace. This year, as you may have seen live right here on CNN, President Obama used his appearance on the world stage to oppose a move he otherwise supports, statehood for Palestinians. The president says that's long overdue but it needs to come through direct talks with Israel, not from the U.N. With zero chance of that happening any time soon, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas plans to ask the world body on Friday to recognize the sovereign state of Palestine. Israel, of course, objects and the U.S. can and will use its veto and here's Mr. Obama's reasoning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know that many are frustrated by the lack of progress. I assure you, so am I. But the question isn't the goal that we seek, the question is, how do we reach that goal? And I am convinced that there is no shortcut to the end of a conflict that has endured for decades. Peace is hard work. Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Immediately after that speech, the president met with Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the American position a, quote, "badge of honor." The president meets this evening with President Abbas.

And that brings me to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer, reporting today from New York. Hi there, Wolf. Let's talk about this a little bit. Assuming the U.S. uses its veto in the U.N. Security Council, what could happen? I mean, what are the alternatives here?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Well, the U.S. is hoping, Randi, as you know, that it's not going to have to use the veto any time soon. They're hoping they can work on some sort of nuanced diplomacy with the president of the Palestinian authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and with the prime minister of Israel for that matter, but especially with the Palestinians, that the Palestinians would simply submit their letter seeking Palestinian recognition as a full- membered state of the United Nations. But then the U.N. Security Council could consider that for weeks if not months. So, no U.S. veto would be required right away.

A U.S. veto would be potentially a real serious problem for the U.S. image in North Africa, the Middle East and Arab world and Muslim world, elsewhere as well. And U.S. officials have told me they are deeply concerned it could trigger some really angry reaction with U.S. interests in all parts of the world. So, they're working diligently right now. I'm sure the president will press president Abbas later tonight here in New York to try to avoid the need for that U.S. veto any time soon. So that's a key issue. The U.S. veto could spark a lot of problems.

KAYE: Yes. In terms of broad support for Palestinian statehood at the U.N. G.A., it's pretty broad, isn't it?

BLITZER: Yes. If there was just a vote -- if it were just needed for a vote in the United Nations general assembly, it would overwhelmingly be approved very quickly. But to get that full membership as a member state of the United Nations, you need the Security Council to approve it. You need nine states -- nine members of the U.N. Security Council, 15 members all together that are ready to support it. And you also have to avoid a veto by one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and President Obama says the U.S. will use that veto. So, the Security Council isn't going to authorize full membership for the Palestinians, but they're trying to avoid that veto if at all possible.

KAYE: It seems to me the president has to -- talking about President Obama -- he's really walking a bit of a fine line here because, really -- and I know you can speak to this, this isn't just a diplomatic issue, but this is a domestic issue as well. We have the Jewish vote at stake here for President Obama, we also have what happened in New York with the election for Anthony Weiner's seat which had been vacated. What do you make of that?

BLITZER: Well, it's become a huge political issue, especially in the presidential campaign. I think all -- with the exception of Ron Paul, all of the Republican candidates are really hitting the president hard accusing him of throwing Israel under the bus in the words of Mitt Romney, or appeasement in the words of Rick Perry, really betraying Israel. So, it's becoming a huge political issue right now in this campaign. A lot of the Republicans in Congress who are complaining about the president's relationship with the Israelis.

President did get a nice vote of confidence today on that specific issue from prime minister Netanyahu who praised the president, praised his stance, as you just said calling the U.S. position a badge of honor.

Last night on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, basically said that U.S., Israeli military relations, the security connection between Washington and Jerusalem, was as strong as ever if not the strongest ever. So, he's getting some support right now, but there's no doubt that over these past several months, over the past couple years, there have been serious strains in the U.S., Israeli relationship between the president and the prime minister Netanyahu, but they're trying to fix that. But it is a political hot potato as you correctly point out -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes, tricky position for the president, no doubt. Wolf Blitzer, great to have you on. Thank you so much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

KAYE: A day before the U.N. hears from the president of Iran, that country finally released two American hikers whom it tried and convicted as spies. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were hiking with northern Iraq, along with another American, Sarah Shourd, when all three were picked up by Iranians on July 31, 2009. They were accused of illegally crossing the border and sent to a notorious prison in Tehran.

Shourd was released around this time last year on medical grounds at $500,000 bail, but the two men were prosecuted, found guilty of espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison. That was just last month. Their freedom follows days of back and forth promises, delays, and again, and again, $500,000 bail per prisoner. Reportedly, it was paid by Oman, regional ally of Iran and the United States. And last we heard, Bauer and Fatal were en route to Oman by plane and from there, to the United States.

Checking some other developing stories that we're following, powerful typhoon Roke slammed into Japan today, unleashing torrential rains and floods that have killed at least four people. It now has been downgraded to a tropical storm. The storm hit as Japan continues to struggle from the deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck earlier this year. Those two disasters severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant. These are live Web cam pictures from that power plant. Officials are concerned that heavy rain from Roke could possibly wash radiation contaminated water out of the plant.

Extreme weather expert Chad Myers will join us next hour for much more on the storm's potential threat to the Fukushima plant.

In California, a key announcement is expected today in the case of Kelly Thomas, the mentally ill homeless man who died after a violent confrontation with police in July. The Orange County district attorney is set to announce whether he'll file criminal charges against six Fullerton police officers involved in Thomas' arrest. Thomas' father has filed a claim against the city and numerous members of the community have expressed outrage over Thomas' death. We plan live coverage of the district attorney's news conference coming our way next hour.

A Georgia judge is considering an emergency appeal to block tonight's execution of Troy Davis. Davis is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection for the killing of a Georgia police officer in 1989. His lawyer claims there's new evidence. Most witnesses who testified against Davis have recanted. Despite that, members of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles refused today to reconsider their decision denying clemency. Supporters from around the world, including former president Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict, have asked Georgia to spare Davis' life because of serious doubts about his guilt.

CNN's David Mattingly is on his way to the site of tonight's execution and will join us on the phone coming up.

Fighting against poverty one city at a time. We'll talk to Professor Cornell West about his poverty tour, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: All this week, we are going in depth on poverty and how those living with less money have actually increased in this country. So, take a look at this, all right? About one out of every six people in this country could be living in poverty, that's the brutal reality according to the latest numbers released by the census bureau, and here they are. Last year, the nation's poverty rate was more than 15 percent, that's nearly one percent higher than in 2008.

What does it mean? Well, that means more than 46 million people lived in poverty last year. That is the highest number in 52 years. We're talking about more of your family members, friends, co-workers, all struggling to survive. What's the most heartbreaking really is how this has devastated children. Take a look here, about one in every five children under the age of 18 live in poverty. All right -- so, do that one more time there. The poverty rate for kids, 22 percent. That's higher than the nation's overall rate. And the rate for African-American children, you see it there, nearly 40 percent. And there we go for Hispanic children -- more than one-third of Hispanic children live in poverty. And we are just really scratching the surface here.

To talk much more about this is Professor Cornell West. Welcome to the show, professor. I know that you and Tavis Smiley launched the poverty tour last month, a road trip that is a reminder really to all of us of the growing issue of poverty. Are you surprised by the latest numbers that we shared with our viewers?

DR. CORNEL WEST, PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: No, I'm not surprised at all and I thank God for (INAUDIBLE) and many others who've been trying to keep track of this underside of American democracy and the night side of American society. You have not only the 22 percent of children, each one precious living in poverty, you've got 42 percent of children who are living in poverty or near poverty. So, when you actually look at the conditions of persons who are not just living in poverty but right on the edge of it, it increases even more. And it's a national disgrace, it's a moral obscenity, and we ought to cast a major limelight on this.

KAYE: So, what is the answer? How do we get beyond this?

WEST: Well, one is we just need more resources for poor people. You have one percent of the population that own 40 percent of the wealth. You have 100 percent of all the income growth went to the top 10 percent in the last 10 years.

So, you've got a warped distribution of wealth. You've got wealth inequality. You have a system designed in such a way that is reinforces poverty especially among the most weak and the most vulnerable, namely children. And I should say, you know, October 10th through 14th, my dear brother Tavis Smiley is going to do something unprecedented on American television, he's going to devote a whole week to poverty, October 10th through the 14th, PBS, so that the tour that we actually were blessed to go on will be highlighted with a discussion on poverty. We need to have a national focus on poverty, a White House conference on poverty, and major movement calling for the eradification (ph) of poverty.

KAYE: That's why we're talking about it today, we're devoting this week to the discussion of poverty as well.

WEST: That's a beautiful thing you're doing. Let's eradicate poverty. Let's eradicate -- let's go away with it.

KAYE: We're working on it. We're working on it, professor. I want to talk to you also about President Obama. You've been quite critical of the president and the job that he's doing in addressing poverty, and really in the economy as a whole. What do you want to see the president do at this point?

WEST: What I would like to see is that follow-through on a massive job creation program, jobs with a living wage, focus on pre- kindergarten education for young people and provide relief for homeowners. We need mortgage relief because when you talk about poverty, you're talking about underemployment, we have working poor people, and you're talking about unemployment.

So, the job creation on the one hand, he needs to use the bully pulpit to accent some of the legacy of Martin King that says poor people and working people ought to be at the center of our national conversation, not Wall Street, not oligarchs, not plutocrats, not those (ph) on his economic team, Tim Geithner and others who represent the Wall Street oligarchs. We need people on his economic team who represent poor people, who represent working people no matter what color.

KAYE: I'm curious what changed for you. Because earlier on you had supported the president and now you're really leading the charge to find another candidate to take him on. So why is that?

WEST: Well, there's another candidate within the Democratic Party. We know for the most part that is not going to be a candidate within the Democratic Party. We just want a much more wider conversation to keep him accountable. I'm still very much opposed to the right wing reactionaries and conservatives who are much more mean spirited and much more cold hearted in terms of poor people. The reason why I supported Barack Obama is because compared to John McCain and Sarah Palin, I didn't have to much choice, you see, of -- based on my own political perspective and so on.

But I just want Barack Obama to be true to some of the things he talked about in terms of supporting the Employee Free Choice Act for the labor movement. I want him to be true in terms of talking about poor people. I want him to zero in on our cities. We've got urban contexts that are suffering. We've got stop and frisk policies where 600,000 young men are stopped, frisked by the police, 83 percent of them black and brown, 2 percent are arrested. That's a moral disgrace, too. We need to use a bully pulpit to talk about justice, that's all. It's just the legacy of Martin King and Fannie Lou Hamer and others.

KAYE: I'm glad that we had a chance to talk today. Professor Cornel West, thank you so much for your time.

WEST: Thank you so very much. Stay strong in what you're doing, sister Randi.

KAYE: Thank you.

Tomorrow independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will join us on the show. We will hear what he has to say about next year's presidential election.

Last minute appeals are running out and so is time. In just hours from now, Troy Davis is set to be executed in Georgia. We'll tell you about his final appeal by his attorneys coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In just over five hours from now, two men in two different states are set to die by lethal injection. Both cases have drown the national spotlight. And both cases do have racial overtones. But the stories and the men couldn't be further apart. At 6:00 local time, Texas will execute this man, Lawrence Brewer. He's one of the three men convicted of chaining a black man, James Byrd, behind a pickup truck and dragging him to death 13 years ago. You'd be hard pressed to find a single soul in the town of Jasper, Texas, today, arguing against the execution. In fact, the town of 7,300 is more than ready to put the crime behind them.

The same cannot be said for this man, Troy Davis. He's set to die tonight in Georgia at 7:00 Eastern Time. Davis was convicted of killing off duty police officer Mark MacPhail 22 years ago. A crime he maintains he did not commit. Despite a global campaign, the states board of pardons and paroles today rejected a request to reconsider yesterday's decision denying Davis clemency. CNN's David Mattingly joins us now.

David, is there any hope left for Troy Davis at this hour?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): They felt like that they had their last best shot yesterday with the pardons and parole board. And that board came back and refused to stop this execution. They asked it to reconsider. And today the board came back again and said, no, we're not going to stop this execution. They also asked to be able to conduct a polygraph test today in prison so that he could prove his innocence by a polygraph test. Well, the prison system has denied that request. They do have a new sort of a legal hail Mary going on right now. Some briefs filed within a court, a state court here in Georgia, complaining about issues regarding ballistics among other things. But at this late hour, this is something that the court may or may not take up and we're waiting to find out what is decided there.

But, this has gone through dozens of courts over the last 20 years. There have been very few issues that have not been explored multiple times throughout this. And, again, they thought their last, best chance to avoid this execution was with the pardons and parole board. Now that board would have been not bound by judicial restraints. They would have been subject to a lot of maybe, perhaps, public and political pressure and they brought all of that to bear. And this board did not change the execution.

KAYE: And I know, David, that you spoke with the former prosecutor in this case. I mean what does he say about all of those who are so high profile, including former President Jimmy Carter, even the pope who have come out questioning this execution?

MATTINGLY: Well, he talked about the high profile people who have supported this case. And he says that they've put their reputations on the line and that they've become sort of caught up in a public relations campaign, where the facts in the public relations campaign don't match the vetting that was done by the court system. And he says -- he calls it fuzzy thinking on the part of people like President Carter who believe that perhaps this should be commuted to life in prison instead of the death penalty. He says that this case is the result of disciplined thinking that was handled throughout the courts over the last 20 years and at every turn this case has gone, sided with the original prosecution and the original conviction.

KAYE: All right, David Mattingly joining us on the phone there. David, appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Well, as you know, some of the witnesses in this case have recanted their story. And coming up, I'm going to talk with a witness in the case who did not recant her story. You're not going to want to miss this exclusive interview.

It divided survivors and families of the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9/11. Plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site. Well, today, it opens its doors and we'll speak to the developer next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Mexico's drug war has no shortage of horrifying acts of violence, but few reach the level of brutality of what happened in the Gulf state of Veracruz. Thirty-five bodies stacked in two uncovered trucks, abandoned near a big shopping center. Rafael Romo is here with all the details.

Rafael, bring us up to date on this horrible story.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: It's just incredible, Randi.

The criminals were so brazen and so bold that they did it in front of everybody in broad daylight, hundreds of people in an upscale neighborhood frequented by tourists. This is where it happened. And let me show you what people saw when they got there. The pictures are not very revealing, but they give you a very good idea of where these people are and where the bodies were dumped. It was in the middle of a very -- full of cars street in the middle of this city called Boca Del Rio (ph) in Veracruz, Mexico, where they were found. It's an underpass. Right next to it there's a shopping mall, there's a McDonald's right there.

And people were witnessing this, Randi, in the middle of the day when this happened. In the end, they found 35 bodies, 23 men, 12 women. And apparently this was in retaliation between one cartel and the other. And we have sound with local officials who's saying that all of the people, the victims, the fatal victims, were tied to organized crime. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REYNALDO ESCOBAR PEREZ, VERACRUZ STATE'S ATTORNEY (through translator): It has been confirmed through information in our national database that all of the victims that have been identified so far had criminal records. The state's attorneys' office will keep investigating until the case is solved. For now, and because we're dealing with sensitive information, we can't provide more details.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And Boca Del Rio, the city where this happened, has recently become more violent as two drug cartels, Losetas (ph) and the Gulf Cartel (ph), fight a turf war. Speaking this morning at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said countries that are consumers of drugs also have to take responsibility for the violence going on in producing countries like Mexico. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. FELIPE CALDERON, MEXICO (through translator): The best way to cut demand is if you can't cut it, cut the economic profits. You have to find how to staunch this source of funding or limit it. You have to seek out all possible options. Other options, including market alternatives, so that drug trafficking ceases to be at the origin of death and violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Cooperation between Mexico and the United States has increased in recent years. Both countries share intelligence and the U.S. has pledged financial support for Mexico. But, still, a lot of people shocked by the discovery, Randi.

KAYE: Oh, I'm sure. And so was this just left or were these trucks stopped? ROMO: The amazing thing about this is that they blocked traffic first and then they parked the trucks and slowly started dumping the bodies into the middle of the street. And again, this was in the middle of the afternoon. Hundreds of people shopping at the mall right in front of them. And they didn't seem to be afraid of anything. So that's really the most incredible part of this story.

KAYE: Yes, it certainly sounds very alarming.

Rafael Romo, appreciate that. Thank you.

Up next, one is in the race. The other is not. Or is she? The big tease from Sarah Palin. Could her potential entry into the presidential race derail Michele Bachmann? It's a fair question. And it's fair game, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Time now to go beyond partisan talking points to the heart of the political debate, where all sides are fair game.

Today, we want to talk about two important Republican women, one who is in the race for president and one who's not. By some accounts, the one who's not could soon be in and the one who's in could soon be out. Are you following me? I'm talking, of course, about Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin.

Palin hasn't said that she's running, but she hasn't said that she's not either. She certainly gave the impression she was gunning for the White House this summer with her bus tours across parts of the country, at times, stealing the spotlight from the others, which brings us to Michele Bachmann. Once considered a top-tier candidate, her campaign by many accounts seems to be fizzling out.

So now might be a good time for Palin to jump in, right?

Joining me to discuss this, CNN contributor John Avlon and Democratic political consultant Ed Espinoza.

Ed, let me start with you on this one.

You say that Michele Bachmann is done. Why?

ED ESPINOZA, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: Well, it's really hard for a member of Congress to launch into a race for president. We haven't seen it in over 100 years. I think she has -- started seeing her fizzle out a little bit over the summer.

And, look, Palin has had -- for Palin, waiting has been the easy part. She has got name I.D. She has got a grassroots organization. And she has got the ability to raise funds quickly. What we will really find out is at the end of this third-quarter filing deadline on September 30 who's got money in the bank, who's a player, who's not. Palin can jump in very easily and that's going to tell us what -- we will know what this race is going to look like in the next three weeks. KAYE: And, John, should we even be talking about Sarah Palin?

JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No. We should not be talking about Sarah Palin.

(LAUGHTER)

AVLON: She has forfeited any right to be taken responsibly as a presidential candidate.

There are nine serious candidates running for president of the United States, doing the hard work every day for months to build coalitions, to grow support, to fund-raise. That takes hard work. Being a celebrity trying, just to attract attention when it suits you, does not deserve to be treated at that level of seriousness.

So, no, I think we should have stopped talking about Sarah Palin a long time ago.

KAYE: What about the time frame, though, Ed?

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Oh, go on.

ESPINOZA: Yes. Oh, I was saying, I would have agreed with that a couple months ago. And, as a matter of fact, I absolutely did agree with that.

But with the twists and turns that this campaign has taken, with the field shaking out, I don't know whether or not she should end up in the race. But whether or not she can jump in the race, I think that the field is wide open.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Hold on. Let me jump in here, because I have some really interesting numbers. OK? I want you to take a look at the most recent CNN/ORC polling that we did on the GOP race.

Rick Perry continues to maintain the lead with 30 percent, Mitt Romney 18 percent, Sarah Palin,who isn't even in, 15 percent, Michele Bachmann 4 percent. If Palin were to win the nomination, take a look, in a head-to-head match-up with Barack Obama, she trails there by just five points.

So let's talk about this un-candidate sort of candidate. What is she?

AVLON: I mean, she's a bumper sticker. She's high name I.D. right now. That's all that is. Let's be honest.

I mean, Michele Bachmann overlaps the core part of her constituency, conservative populists, Tea Partiers, evangelicals. Rick Perry much more importantly bigfooted that constituency when he got in, which is why Michele Bachmann's numbers are going down. But there are some real hard deadlines. At the end of the day Sarah Palin can do whatever she wants. She can walk away from the governorship of Alaska or she can run for president or she can just make a lot of money. It does seem like brand I.D. considerations are driving this decision.

But there's a hard deadline on October 31, which is the deadline to get on the ballot in Florida, Florida's primary. There it is a -- reality will impose itself on Sarah Palin, even if she's not willing to work the other way.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Ed, she's been pretty good -- do you think she's been pretty good at campaigning without campaigning?

ESPINOZA: I mean, I think she's been good at getting attention without campaigning. But as far as actual campaigning, I will let the Republican voters decide there.

But I will tell you who's really happy to see her get into this race. And it's not Democrats. But I think it's Mitt Romney, because she does, as John said, pull support away from Rick Perry. And that's what makes this race interesting right now.

And another good point that John made, she does have a deadline of October 31, not just for Florida, but there's also an October deadline for Iowa. Palin went on the news today or yesterday and said she will have a decision made by November, but she's actually got to make that decision by October.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Yes.

ESPINOZA: So we will see how she plays that one.

KAYE: All right, Ed Espinoza, John Avlon, appreciate you both coming on the show. That was a fun discussion. Thank you.

AVLON: Any time.

KAYE: Coming up, the divided survivors and families of the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9/11. Plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site -- today, it open its doors. And we will speak to the developer next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

We know omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are good for our hearts, but what about preventing suicides? According to "USA Today," the Army is looking into whether omega-3 fatty acids can keep soldiers from killing themselves. Researchers was -- actually working on this and they published last month that they found service men and women were 62 percent more likely to commit suicide when they had low levels of DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid.

They tested 800 service members between 2002 and 2008. But scientists say their findings do not suggest fish oil is a way to deter suicide. While initial studies suggest that supplements may help relieve symptoms of depression, more studies of course do need to be done.

Up next, a laser that can detect bombs for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: I'm sure you have heard CNN report on roadside bomb or IED attacks in Iraq or Afghanistan these last 10 years. The number of soldiers they kill and injure is staggering. According to NATO, they account for 60 percent of all coalition soldiers' casualties.

And scientists are working hard to find ways of detecting bombs before they explode. Sound impossible? Well, maybe not.

My next guest is one of the researchers who created this, a high- tech laser that they say can detect roadside bombs through short and long pulses that basically fingerprint molecules, allowing soldiers to target bombs up to 40 feet away. And guess what? These lasers are no more powerful than the ones used during PowerPoint presentations.

Joining me now, Marcos Dantus, a professor at Michigan State University.

Thank you, professor, for coming on to talk about this.

I think that we're all hoping this proves to work and save lives along the way. But help us understand how these pulses from a laser can spot a roadside bomb and how it might be used on the battlefield.

MARCOS DANTUS, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: Well, let me explain starting from, if you can imagine a very short pulse that gives a kick to the molecules on a time scale that is shorter than the motion of the atoms themselves, and that sets them off ringing.

And then a slightly longer pulse that is synchronized with this one records the ringing. And the detector lets us know where the compounds that are at the target where the laser has just hit.

KAYE: So you compare this to the same type of laser that could be used in a PowerPoint presentation, which a lot of us do. Why now? Why hasn't this been discovered and used before? It sounds pretty successful.

DANTUS: Well, I need to make sure that I give you the correct picture. The total amount of power that we're using is equivalent to that of a PowerPoint laser. However, the laser that we're using is a very sophisticated ultra-short pulse laser. And until now, those types of lasers have not been practical to use for applications outside laboratories. That is what's changing now. KAYE: And how long does this take for the soldiers to get the information? If they send this laser out, how quickly do they get that back, the information?

DANTUS: Basically, the information travels at the speed of light. So in less than a second, you know -- the computer that's hooked up to the detector can analyze and tell you exactly what's at the target.

KAYE: So could this really, fully replace bomb-detecting dogs, or are we not there yet?

DANTUS: Well, the first step is we have done a laboratory test and that has shown that we have the sensitivity and selectivity that was required.

Now, there are so many different circumstances and so many challenges that I don't think -- you know, this will not solve all of them, but I think that, in all the cases where the laser can be -- can be -- can hit the target, so if there's a line of sight, then this should be very, very useful.

KAYE: And when do you think that we might actually see this? Is this something that you're working on getting to the Army and the military?

DANTUS: Well, we are looking for the second-tier funding, which we would expect would come soon. And then it would take about a month -- sorry -- about a year to get a field unit that can be tested on a number of scenarios to determine what is the best and what are the best configurations for the unit.

KAYE: And what's been the reaction?

DANTUS: And then so we're talking -- I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question?

KAYE: What's been the reaction from the military?

DANTUS: Well, these particular tests have been from the Department of Homeland Security, and it's part of a program that was looking, are there any other methods that we're not testing yet? And they're very excited that this particular approach seems to be very successful.

KAYE: Marcos Dantus, great work. Thank you for coming on the show and sharing it with us.

DANTUS: Thank you. You're welcome.

KAYE: And for much more about these bomb-detecting lasers, you can check out my Facebook page, Facebook/RandiKayeCNN.

Up next: the story that we think is the most uncovered story of the day. Remember all the controversy surrounding that Ground Zero mosque? Well, guess what? It opens tonight. We will talk with the developer next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In New York, an Islamic center that was the focus of so much controversy has opened its doors today. You will remember the so-called Ground Zero mosque caused an emotional backlash over whether it was insensitive to build so close to where the Twin Towers once stood, a site attacked by Islamic extremists.

It was debated on all the cable news networks, as it divided survivors and families of the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9/11. But since then, that center's progress has remained relatively under the radar, fewer and fewer protests.

Now, today, the mosque opened to show an art exhibit that features photos of children. And the opening coincides with the U.N.'s International Day of Peace. It is our under-covered story today.

Joining us now from New York is the developer, Sharif El-Gamal.

First, Sharif, you weren't always the face of this center, I would like to point out. Help us understand a little bit about you and how you did get involved.

SHARIF EL-GAMAL, ISLAMIC CENTER DEVELOPER: Well, I bought the -- I bought the real estate in 2009. I secured the buildings and had -- was one of the main visionaries behind this project.

I started praying at a mosque four blocks from the World Trade Center that unfortunately got evicted in May of 2009 and several thousand Muslims were displaced. And I was able to secure 4551 Park Place and solve a major crisis that was happening in Lower Manhattan.

And today we're very excited to open up the community center component with an exhibition of children from 170 different countries that all live in New York. And we couldn't think of a better way to open our doors to the public.

KAYE: Why begin with these photos of children? Is it a way to bring the community together?

EL-GAMAL: Well, I think it really represents New York. It represents the diversity of our city. It also represents the project and ultimately what Park 51, the Islamic community center, is going to serve, that our city is a city of immigrants.

And this exhibition that is done by a photographer by the name of Danny Goldfield, when I saw it last year, it really represented who we are as New Yorkers and ultimately the pluralism that Park 51 is going to cater and serve.

KAYE: The pictures are incredible. We're looking at them now. And this is something, this is a place that will be open to everybody, right?

EL-GAMAL: Absolutely.

We have we have built a mosque which is called prayer space. And that has actually been open for the last two years, serving thousands of Muslims in Lower Manhattan, and today is the opening of -- the first opening of the exhibition space. And it's the start of our pilot program as we start really working towards getting the bigger project and the bigger vision under way.

KAYE: I was there in New York and witnessed many of the protests taking place there as this project was developed. Are you still seeing protests today?

EL-GAMAL: You know, they have subdued tremendously as people start understanding what we are trying to do. It's quite unfortunate because when our project was publicly announced last year, we did not control what the narrative was. And it got framed as we were building a mosque on Ground Zero, which is not the case.

We are building a community center that's going to be open to all people. It is based on Islamic values and heritage, just like a JCC or a YMCA are open to all people. We're sharing the same value and principles as those projects.

KAYE: Given all the anger that we saw about this project, is there something that you wish had been done differently?

EL-GAMAL: Well, I think I wish that we really reached out to the 9/11 family members. We did not know that we had a responsibility to discuss this project with them. You know, this is a private project on private property.

But, going back, I wish that we had engaged the 9/11 family members, because our intention was never to hurt or to antagonize anyone. We're looking to build a project that will ultimately serve Lower Manhattan and all of New York.

KAYE: Would you do it all over again?

EL-GAMAL: Absolutely.

But we would do things a little differently. And that's what we have been doing for the last, you know, year, is really staying under the radar, listening, engaging with family members, really also engaging with the Muslim local and national leadership, because we also did not properly engage them in this process. So we're cleaning up a lot of mistakes that we made in beginning of this project.

KAYE: Well, now it is getting some nice positive media attention, so use this time. Tell us what's next for the center.

EL-GAMAL: Well, we're -- the New York City children exhibition is the first official program that we're launching, but we're also going to be doing children's yoga. We're going to be doing capoeira.

There's going to be lectures that are going to start taking place. We're going to start screening films. And we're really trying to open our doors. So there's a lot of different things. I recommend that everyone goes to Park51.org to learn more about the project and for prayerspacenyc.org to learn more about the mosque.

And these are -- these are services that we as Muslim Americans want to give back to our city that's given us so much.

KAYE: Sharif El-Gamal, appreciate your time. And good luck with the project.

EL-GAMAL: Randi, thank you so much for having me. And we look forward to continuing this conversation with you.

KAYE: Thank you.

Those two American hikers who spent more than two years in an Iranian prison are free today and making their way back home.

Our Susan Candiotti joins me now with an update.

Susan, what can you tell us?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, finally, we have heard a statement from the families, who we understand are now on their way to the airport in Oman to meet that plane which is now also on its way from Iran to Oman to meet them.

And of course it will be a joyful reunion. Here's the statement we are now receiving from family members of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer.

It reads in part -- quote -- "Today can only be described as the best day of our lives. We have waited for nearly 26 months for this moment, and the joy and relief we feel at Shane and Josh's long- awaited freedom knows no bounds."

It continues: "Now all we wont is nothing more than to wrap Shane and Josh in our arm, catch up on two lost years and make a new beginning for them and for all of us."

Then the statement goes on to thank the many people who they said have been involved in this, including U.S. officials, officials from the Oman government and of course all those who have worked on their behalf. And they say that -- quote -- "Our appreciation for the warmth and love of our fellow human beings is unending. And we know that Shane and Josh will always be grateful."

Now, of course, who is going to be among the welcoming party? Well, it is the parents and two sisters of Shane, the parents of Josh Fattal and his brother, as well as Sarah Shourd, who is also a former prisoner and as we all know is a fiancee on Shane Bauer. You might remember that she announced when she was freed back in January of 2010 that he got down on one knee, Shane did, and proposed to her and wove an engagement ring out of a thread from a T-shirt of his.

Now, this update, sad to report, that, unfortunately, she seems to have lost it in the meantime. But I'm sure all will be forgiven. And I'm sure she will getting a real ring when they get home.

KAYE: I'm sure. I don't think -- with all the good news and their freedom to celebrate, I don't think they're going to worry too much about that string of a ring.

But how soon -- do we know when they might be in the arms of their families?

CANDIOTTI: Well, that's a good question.

It is not a long flight, certainly. So we're waiting for word on that. We hope that we will be able to get a photograph of them arriving. Certainly, we have our CNN crew standing by there in Oman at the airport in hopes of getting that video, which should be something to see.

And then, based on what happened to Sarah, they may or may not say anything at the airport. She did wind up staying a couple of days in Oman. And so she also made a statement on the ground not long after that. I think it was within a day or two after she was released. They might spend a couple of days there before heading home to the United States, hopefully a press conference, but that will be up to them to decide where and when.

KAYE: Yes. I'm sure it's going to be a very, very sweet moment for all of those involved. And I'm sure they're anxious to get a look at their condition as well after all this time in that Iranian prison.

CANDIOTTI: Absolutely.

KAYE: Susan Candiotti, thank you for the update and the romantic story that you shared as well. Thank you.