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CNN Sunday Morning

Accused 9/11 Plotters Rebel in Court; Obama Kicks Off Campaign

Aired May 06, 2012 - 08:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

One defendant took off his clothes in court. Another screamed, "You are going to kill us." We'll take you live to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the arraignment of five men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks finished up just hours ago.

And two bodies found in Mississippi may be connected to the disappearance of a mother and her three daughters. Now, details on the suspect who is believed to be armed and dangerous.

And this --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My fear with Amendment One is that my daughter would lose her health insurance.

KAYE: We've told you about North Carolina's Amendment One, which if it passes on Tuesday, will ban domestic partnerships of any kind. Now, find out which political superstar is coming out against it.

And later, did you see it? Was it huge? Everything you'd hoped for? What folks are saying about last night's super moon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 8:00 on the East Coast, 5:00 on the West.

Lots to tell you about this morning. Let's get you caught up on what's happening.

A $50,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the capture of a kidnapping suspect this morning. The FBI is part of a massive manhunt for a man that they considered to be armed and dangerous.

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for this man right here, 35-year-old Adam Mayes. He is suspected in the alleged abduction of a Tennessee mother and her three girls. Jo Ann Bain and her three daughters, Adrienne, Alexandra, and Kyliyah were last seen April 27th in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Adam Mayes was last seen May 1st across the state line in Guntown, Mississippi. Two unidentified bodies were found there Friday, but they haven't said if the bodies belong to any of the missing persons.

This hour, we're waiting to hear from the attorneys in the trial of the 9/11 terror suspects to talk about the chaotic arraignment. It lasted more than 12 hours partly because the five defendants refused to speak to the judge. Witnesses described it as a legal circus. One defendant even stripped off his clothes.

At the center of it all was admitted 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who refused to speak.

Here is our Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 9/11 terror suspecting turned their arraignment into a chaotic court circus, which left the victims' family members stunned.

Walid bin Attash came into court shackled to a chair. Later, when his attorney was alleging mistreatment, he took off his tunic and exposed his bare chest. The judge scolded him and told him, "Put it back on."

Ramzi bin al-Shibh shocked the courtroom by comparing American guards to dead Libya leader Moammar Gadhafi. He shouted, "Maybe they will kill us and make it look like suicide.'

And Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who once boasted he was the mastermind behind the attacks, refused to speak or even listen to the hearing through earphones.

One of the American defense attorneys came dressed in conservative Islamic hijab and chastised the women on the prosecution team for wearing skirts, saying the detainees had to avert their eyes to avoid committing a sin just by looking at them.

And so it went for hours, silence and side issues dominating the hearing.

(on camera): The hearing lasted well into the night because one of the defendants demanded that the full list of charges be read against him, and that had to be done in both English and Arabic.

Despite some reforms, there are still many critics who say these defendants cannot get a fair trial here at a military commission.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Chris Lawrence, thank you. President Obama is looking to recapture the momentum of 2008. This weekend, he officially kicked off his re-election bid playing off his campaign slogan "Forward". He headlined rallies in two battleground states yesterday, Ohio and Virginia, where he sharpened his attack on Republican rival Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: After a long and spirited primary, Republicans in Congress have found a nominee for president who's promised to rubber stamp this agenda if he gets a chance.

Ohio, I tell you what, we cannot give him that chance. Not now, not with so much at stake. This is not just another election. This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and we've been through too much to turn back now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Obama's next big campaign event is Thursday, but he'll have to share the spotlight with a movie star. George Clooney is hosting a fund-raising for the president and that's expected to raise just about $12 million.

Tuesday is decision day for a controversial proposed amendment to North Carolina's state constitution that would ban same-sex marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. Protesters for and against amendment one have turned out in the streets ahead of Tuesday's vote.

Supporters, including the Reverend Billy Graham, say it would protect the sanctity of marriage, but opponents, including former President Bill Clinton, say it would jeopardize jobs and health benefits for same-sex partners and their children.

Clinton has taped and audio message or robocalls that hundreds of thousands of North Carolina residents will hear on their phones tomorrow.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The real effect of the law is not to keep the traditional definition of marriage. You've already done that. The real effect of the law will be to hurt families and drive away jobs. North Carolina can do better. Again, this is Bill Clinton, asking to you please vote against Amendment One.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KAYE: One caveat of the North Carolina law that makes it different from others is that it even bans domestic partnerships between heterosexual couples.

Controversial boxer Floyd Mayweather, well, he's still perfect as in 43-0. The 35-year-old remained undefeated with last night's unanimous decision. A victorious Mayweather called Cotto a champion and the toughest guy he has ever fought. Mayweather who is headed to jail in June in a domestic violence case was guaranteed $32 million for last night's fight, win or lose.

"I'll Have Another" claimed the title as the top colt for the 138th Kentucky Derby. It was an amazing day. The first derby for the jockey and the trainer and, of course, for the horse, another first. "I'll Have Another" started on the far outside post, number 19. And for the first time in 138 years, number 19 turned out to be the lucky number.

"I'll Have Another" will be hitting the track in less than two weeks for the next leg of the triple crown. That is the Preakness.

A South Dakota Indian tribe fights an epidemic of alcoholism by filing a lawsuit against big name beer makers. "New York Times" columnist Nick Kristof will join me live to discuss what he calls a battle with the brewers.

But, first, a very good morning to our viewers in San Francisco. Good morning, San Fran. Glad you're up and glad you're tuned in to CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. We want to take you live now to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We've been talking all weekend actually about the arraignment of five suspects believed to be involved with the 9/11 attacks, including planning them.

So let's listen to James Connell. He's a lawyer for one of the defendants in this case.

JAMES CONNELL, ANMAR AL BALUCHI'S ATTORNEY: A curtain of secrecy and image management to reveal unpleasant truths and seek accountability for torture.

During the arraignment, Captain Schwartz, military counsel for Mr. Bin Attash merely mentioned torture and the discussion was immediately censored for public consumption. Several other defense attorneys then had to artfully phrase their comments to ensure that the hearing would not be further. At the June 12th hearing, we will oppose the government's attempts to block public access to evidence of torture through the protective order they advocate in appellate exhibit 13.

Also at the June 12th hearing the military commission is expected to address our motion to end the illegal practice of presumptive classification. On Friday night, Brigadier General Martin asked you, the press, to review the protective order entered in federal court in the Gilani case. He told you that this order with demonstrate the use of presumptive classification in federal criminal case.

In fact, the opposite is the case. I have posted the Gilani federal protective order on the Gitmo Watch Facebook page and Twitter feed. It clearly adopts the traditional approach classification rather than the Guantanamo approach of classifying every statement of a prisoner.

I have a copy of that statement available for you, and we're on a very short time schedule since we're trying to catch a plane. So, I'm only going to take three questions.

Sir?

REPORTER: My question is for Mr. Harrington (INAUDIBLE) --

CONNELL: I think he will speak in just a moment.

REPORTER: OK.

CONNELL: So, if anybody -- yes.

REPORTER: After your long session yesterday, do you have absolutely any confidence that this trial, one, will come to a resolution ever, and, two that it will have some impact on the military commission system?

CONNELL: With respect to the first question -- no, I don't have confidence that this proceeding will ever come to a resolution. If you could rephrase your second question -- I didn't fully understand it.

REPORTER: I just wondered whether all the arguments that will be put by the defense counsel will eventually have a long-term or even short-term impact on the status, if you like, of the military commission system.

CONNELL: Judge Pohl made clear that he would carefully consider every argument made by the defense, and as he sees it, rule regardless of political consequences. Given that promise by Colonel Pohl yesterday, it is our hope the motions that we file and the challenges we make to the military commissions will eventually prevail.

Yes?

REPORTER: Catherine Herridge, FOX News.

Is it correct that this was a strategy by the five accused to do what you have described as a peaceful resistance of court yesterday?

CONNELL: Other than what is said in court under the 42-second delay, everything else that the accused say were believed or that we've learned from the accused remains presumptively classified under the presumptive classification rule.

So, I cannot give you outside information about any strategy. I will tell you that certainly there appeared to be a coordinated strategy, but I can't give you outside confirmation of that.

Last question. Mike?

REPORTER: You said that Captain Schwartz merely mentioned the use of torture and it as immediately censored. Weren't there references by Mr. Nevin to torture? So, what was what was censored, what was not?

CONNELL: Well, as far as I can tell, the button -- the security button was only hit once and that was during Captain Schwartz's comments. I can't tell you exactly what was said because the button was hit and that means it's classified according to the security.

I will tell you, however, that the -- it is clear that general allegations of torture are not classified. So that's why I can tell you they have been tortured. Any specifics beyond that cannot be confirmed or denied by counsel involved in this.

All right. I just wanted to leave you with the idea that the arraignment yesterday demonstrates that this will be a long, hard- fought, but peaceful struggle against secrecy, torture, and the misguided institution of the military commissions. Thank you for your attention.

KAYE: You have been listening there to one of the defense lawyers involved in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, case that we've been following all weekend of the 9/11 suspects. Their arraignment taking place this weekend, a lot of talk of torture and also some questions from reporters as well. We'll continue to keep an eye on that.

But this just into CNN, a Western official telling CNN that three U.S. soldiers were killed when an explosion hit the vehicle in which they were traveling. It happened in Afghanistan. They were traveling about 10 kilometers south of an outpost near the Pakistan border in the Paktia province. This apparently was a roadside bomb.

Already more than 1,900 Americans have died in this 10-year conflict. Once again, three U.S. soldiers, just in to CNN, have been killed as a result of a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Anheuser-Busch makes some of the best selling beers in the nation, but residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota say those beers have left a community in ruins, and that's why my next guest says that he will never take another sip.

Joining me now from Chicago is "New York Times" columnist and author of the papers "On the Ground" blog, Nick Kristof.

Nice to have you with us again this morning.

NICK KRISTOF, NEW YORK TIMES (via telephone): Good morning, Randi.

KAYE: Good morning. I know you're on the phone with us because we had some trouble with your Skype connection. But we're glad you're with us. So, the Pine Ridge Reservation actually bans alcohol. But you say it's being flooded with beer and malt liquid, most of which are made by Anheuser-Busch, how was this happening?

KRISTOF: Well, the tribe is dry, it chose to remain dry, because the impact of alcohol has been so devastating. But, of course, the tribe only controls the area of the reservation itself. And so a few steps off the reservation in Nebraska, there's a little town called Whiteclay. Its population is about 10 people and yet it sells more than 4 million cans of beer and malt liquor a year, and essentially all of that -- the only customers of that are people from the reservation who walk over and take that beer and then bring it back.

So it's essentially all ends up being used illicitly and the reservation has pleaded with the brewers, specifically Anheuser-Busch, not to do that, and they continue.

And these -- you know, I don't know if you have been to pine ridge, but it is just heartbreaking to see this community that has been just completely devastated by alcohol. Maybe the thing that got me the most was that a quarter of the babies born there have fetal alcohol disorders. They're going to suffer neurological damage for life.

KAYE: Yes. One in four children, as you said born on the reservation is diagnosed with the fetal alcohol issues, 85 percent of the families affected you found buy alcohol, and 90 percent of the arrests are alcohol related. Tell me a little bit more just about what you saw there. I mean, what are these people dealing with?

KRISTOF: Well, I mean, there was one family that I talked to, they just for me encapsulated it all. In a one-month period, the father had died of cirrhosis of the liver, caused by alcoholism, and then a son was in a knife fight with his own cousin over a can of beer and was stabbed in the heart and died. And then his 16-year-old sister committed suicide. She hanged herself a week after that.

And you just -- I mean, that obviously is extraordinary, but you hear to a lesser degree these stories over and over.

And, you know, there are no easy solutions, and banning alcohol sales in Whiteclay isn't going to single-handedly solve things, but it's hard to see how the reservation can ever get a leg up and get anywhere and fight this overwhelming poverty that is there as long as you have al this alcohol flooding in from just a few steps off the reservation.

KAYE: Nick, we got some sound in from the tribe's attorney. Listen to what he had to say about why they're taking action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM WHITE, ATTORNEY FOR OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE: This lawsuit is to force the entire beer industry from brewers to distributors to retail salespeople to do what they tell us when they advertise beer at the end, drink responsibly. We're not telling them don't sell alcohol here. This lawsuit is not about that. What we are saying is, when you are selling alcohol that you know cannot possibly be legally consumed and possessed, then we're going to hold you responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So, Nick, has there been any response? Were you able to get any response from Anheuser-Busch to this or to your reporting? KRISTOF: You know, I tried for the last two months to get any kind of comment out of Anheuser-Busch or out of its lawyers more recently, and the company just absolutely refuses to comment. It's refused to engage the reservation on this issue at all, and so that's why I -- it seems to me that the brewer is just after money. It seems to me it's the height of corporate irresponsibility, and that's why I resolved I'm going to boycott bud.

KAYE: All right. Nick Kristof, good luck with that boycott and thank you for bringing that story to us.

Of course, we'd like to let our viewers know that we just got word from ISAF about the U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan which we were telling you about just before we spoke with Nick Kristof. And they have corrected their initial claim of three dead. Now, saying it is, in fact, one dead killed who is by an IED attack.

President Obama hits the campaign trail and tells voters why he deserves another four years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We have to move forward to the future we imagined in 2008 where everyone gets a fair shot and everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same rules. That's the choice in this election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Find out why he says November is make-or-break for America's middle class.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama on Monday unveiled his re- election slogan "Forward," which is strange because it seems like every forward I get is anti-Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: "Saturday Night Live" there poking just a little bit of fun at the Obama campaign's slogan forward, but the president is pressing forward with his re-election campaign. He made his case to voters in two battleground states, Ohio and Virginia, that could make the difference in November.

As CNN's Jessica Yellin reports, Mr. Obama also heightened his attacks on Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Randi, in his first official campaign rallies, the president made his case for re-election. He argued that despite the sluggish recovery and national mood of anxiety, he has made conditions better. First, he started by reminding supporters that he inherited a bad situation.

OBAMA: In the last six months of 2008, even as we were campaigning, nearly 3 million of our neighbors lost their jobs. Over 800,000 more were lost in the month I took office alone. It was tough.

YELLIN: Then the president argued that it's Republican policies that got the nation into this economic predicament in the first place. That's the message behind the campaign's motto "Forward," which is supposed to stand in contrast to Republican policies that would, the president argues, take the nation backward to the trickle-down policies of the past, which the president says helped the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. That is the argument you will hear over and over in the next many months.

The president today tried to tie Mitt Romney, his likely opponent, to the Republican Congress, which is not terribly popular because none of Congress is popular these days.

OBAMA: This time they want to give banks around insurance companies even more power to do as they please. And now, after a long and spirited primary, Republicans in Congress have found a champion. They have found a nominee for president who's promised to rubber stamp this agenda if he gets a chance.

Well, Virginia, I tell you what, we can't give them the chance. Not now, not with so much at stake. This isn't just another election. This is a make-or-break moment for America's middle class.

YELLIN: In the speeches, the president offered something for nearly every interest group his campaign is trying to appeal to, women, gays and lesbians, Latinos. In the end, he told supporters he still believes in hope and change.

Republicans responded saying this election is not about speeches, it's about the economy. No surprise that's the ground this campaign will be waged on -- Randi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Jessica Yellin, thank you very much.

So if the view from your bedroom window seemed a little brighter last night, well, it was probably because of the super moon. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele has even better pictures of the overnight spotlight. She'll share them with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: If you had good weather and a clear sky last night, you may have caught a glimpse of this, yes, the super moon was out, the biggest and brightest full moon of the year -- about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual.

And Alexandra Steele is joining me to talk all about this.

So, we only get to see this gorgeous sight once a year.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know, it's a shame, isn't it?

KAYE: Yes.

STEELE: You know, I mean the super moon may be over but the super pictures we've seen with this have been flooding in. So let's show you some not only around our country which so many of you had great weather for but around the world as well.

Let's start it out with the beautiful Reykjavik, Iceland. Now, this sent to us by Halldor Sigurdsson. So, Halldor, thank you so much.

And he says the color was a little yellowish and the sun was setting in the northwest and the moon was coming up in the southeast. The colors were spectacular. He says it's cool to see that moon over Reykjavik.

And, you know, full moon, it became a facial full moon at 11:34 last night. But when the colors are most brilliant is actually really when the moon is at the horizon line. That's when the optic at this effects take effect.

All right. Not only in Reykjavik, but let's you to South Carolina to Lake Wylie, if you're enjoying the weekend there.

Beth Wade, good morning to you and thank you for sending these pictures. And, you know, right now, the moon is about 221,000 miles from earth. But that's 15,000 miles closer than average to kind of give you a little perspective.

The source of the brightness and the bigness is in its elliptical orbit. It's now finally reached the part that's closest to earth. It's the coincidence of the full moon and the moon's closest approach to earth.

And also to New Zealand, we've got beautiful pictures from there as well. Jerry Gonzales sending it in and he says the kiwis have been stopped and then wondering and watching this beautiful moon. And it's an amazing thing. He said everyone was really gazing at the sky in awe.

So cool moon, no question about that. And, of course, it's kind of a fait accompli now but the pictures are really amazing. And now with everyone having cameras of every sort, you really see things in a whole new level.

KAYE: I was gazing on my way into work at 3:00 this morning trying to be careful and drive but also trying to look up to see what was left of it because I slept through most of it.

STEELE: And a lot of it was certainly very bright, kind of a illuminate the whole road.

STEELE: And a lot of it was -- its certainly very bright kind of illuminating the whole world.

KAYE: Oh it's gorgeous. It's gorgeous. All right, Alexandra, thank you.

STEELE: Sure my pleasure.

KAYE: It is hard living a double life, but that's exactly what my next guest, a former minister, was doing when she lost her faith and found atheism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

It is hard keeping a secret from the people you love. It's even harder living a double life. That's exactly what Teresa MacBain was doing. She was raised in a conservative southern Baptist family and her dad was a pastor.

By the age of six she felt the call to serve in the church and later became a Methodist pastor herself. But then she started struggling with her faith so she left it behind. Teresa MacBain is now an atheist. And she's sharing the secret that she kept for years with us today on "Faces of Faith".

Teresa, thank you so much for joining us. I want to ask you first, was there one experience that you can point us to that made you lose your faith and -- and turn to atheism?

T MACBAIN, FORMER PASTOR TURNED ATHEIST: No, there isn't one single experience. Anytime a person struggles or deals with questions, it takes a long process of time and honestly, I ignored a lot of it for many, many years until probably last year.

KAYE: I know that you said you had questions. What were you questioning?

MACBAIN: Initially I just questioned things that I saw within the Bible itself as I studied that didn't seem to work together, that -- that seem to contradict itself or didn't make sense.

KAYE: And -- and you shared a lot of your thoughts -- you actually recorded them into your -- into your iPhone from what I understand. What -- what was going through your head? I mean what were you dealing with?

MACBAIN: Well, those -- those things were actually over the last few months, which is actually when the thoughts in my head starts -- started to congeal and I realized that I had gone past the point of no return. I just wanted to kind of get things out. I think it's important when you're struggling that you talk it out, that you write about it, that you find support.

As a pastor, I didn't know that there was any person I could talk to, so essentially I talked to myself.

KAYE: I know your father is a retired pastor. I'm just curious how he and the rest of your family have been handling your decision.

MACBAIN: Yes honestly, I'm very lucky. Many of the clergy people that I know through the clergy project have lost family, lost spouses, and jobs. My family has stood by me and been very supportive. They don't understand, but they realize that their love for me is stronger than whether we disagree in our beliefs or our thoughts.

KAYE: Do you think people are scared to say -- to come out and say I don't believe in God?

MACBAIN: Oh, yes. I think it's a very scary thing because of these preconceived ideas that atheists are immoral or that a belief in God is necessary to live an ethical and honest life.

KAYE: And you're, of course, no longer an official pastor but you do still minister to people. What do you tell them?

MACBAIN: I do. I'm no longer a pastor, that's -- that's very true. But the initial thing that brought me into the ministry was a desire to support and to help people in their struggles, and that hasn't changed.

I still try to reach out to people who are questioning, who are doubting clergy people and lay people alike and let them know they're not alone. That there are people who care, that I care and want to stand by them and help then as they work through this process.

KAYE: So, for people who identify with you and haven't come out about it and they're watching this, and they say, wait, that's me, what can they do?

MACBAIN: Well, if they're a clergy person I just encourage them to seek out the Clergy Project which is ClergyProject.org. They'll find a very loving and supportive community there that will help them through this process. If they're not a clergy person, then check out RecoveringFromReligion.org, they also offer the same type of support as a person struggles and -- and deals with these issues in their lives.

KAYE: And the Clergy Project was actually an anonymous online community, right? Is it still anonymous?

MACBAIN: Yes, absolutely anonymous. We make sure and we screen and do everything that is humanly possible to ensure the safety of the members who are a part of the Clergy Project.

KAYE: Is there anything today looking back that you can say that you missed about church?

MACBAIN: Oh, absolutely. The -- the people. I truly love the people. I -- that is a part of who I am is just a love for people. I miss the music. I am a musician of sorts. I would not say I'm a great musician, but music has been a part of my life since I was a child. So absolutely there are parts that I miss.

KAYE: Teresa MacBain, thank you for so much your time on this Sunday morning. It's very nice to chat with you.

MACBAIN: Oh thank you. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

KAYE: And for more stories on faith, be sure to check out our belief blog at CNN.com/belief.

Osama bin Laden was very concerned with image and focused on implementing a media campaign for al Qaeda. That's all from newly released documents taken from his home after last year's raid. You may be surprised to hear what else bin Laden was thinking.

Peter Bergen was in the compound before it was torn down and he'll tell us more about what was found.

But first, we want to say good morning to our viewers in Miami. Good morning, everyone. It looks like a few clouds there but hopefully it will shape up to be a very sunny Sunday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Earlier we heard from the attorneys in the trial of the 9/11 terror suspects talk about the chaotic arraignment. It lasted more than 12 hours partly because the five defendants refused to speak to the judge. Witnesses described it as a legal circus. One defendant even stripped off his clothing. One of the attorneys who just spoke said that she's receiving death threats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHERYL BORMANN, ATTORNEY FOR WALID BIN ATTASH: I can't speak to my colleagues. I have been doing death penalty work for a very long time. So I'm accustomed to being, I guess, universally hated for that. I can't comment on what happened to other people. It disturbs me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: At the center of the trial is admitted 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who is refusing to speak.

Here are some things you may not have known about Osama bin Laden. He took Viagra. He dyed his hair with "Just for Men" and he joked with friends about how many wives he had. That is all coming from 6,000 pages of documents seized from his compound in Pakistan after he was killed just more than a year ago.

The documents were just released by the Combating Terrorism Center, but there's a more serious side as well here. Our guest today, Peter Bergen, author of the book "Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad" and he is a CNN national security analyst as well.

Peter, good morning to you, nice to see you.

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good morning. KAYE: You had access to thousands of pages of bin Laden's documents in March. You've actually described him as a micromanager and delusional. What have these documents told you?

BERGEN: Well, two examples on the micromanager. He was suggesting to the al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa that they plant trees so that eventually they would have cover for their military operations.

Now that's a pretty long-term strategy. And I'm sure it was advice that was ignored. Al Qaeda's North Africa affiliate probably has more pressing issues than getting into the tree-planting business. He was telling his Yemeni followers to gas up and to -- to eat well before they went on the road so they wouldn't have to go to gas stations or restaurants frequented by spies by the Yemeni government.

So he was really in the weeds about, you know, very tactical things. On the other hand, he also had, you know, big dreams. He wanted to attack the United States, kill President Obama, kill General David Petraeus. You know basically blue skying about how to change American foreign policy in the Middle East and, of course, the likelihood of that happening was very low.

KAYE: And the documents show as well from what I understand that he was obsessed with crafting this media campaign for the tenth anniversary of September 11th and wanted to give material to American media outlets. What exactly was he trying to do here?

MACBAIN: Well, he knew the tenth anniversary would be a moment for al Qaeda to reprise all their propaganda points. So he particularly wanted to say that some of the financial problems in the United States are being caused by the war on terror or the war on al Qaeda and its allies.

You know he was -- he was suggesting that CBS might be the least biased of the American outlets. One of his media advisers wrote him back and did a very in the weeds analysis of CNN which -- CNN domestic, this writer said, was too allied to the American government.

He had some disparaging comments to make about Fox, MSNBC. He suggested the names of several journalists in Britain and Pakistan who might be good people to reach out to. He mentioned by name Brian Ross of ABC News.

And so it was a pretty detailed account of kind of the media scene. He also suggested they do a video in high-definition and kind of put it out for whoever was the most interested. That never appeared to happen.

KAYE: He was also it seems like a bit of a control freak. I mean wasn't he worried about all these offshoots of al Qaeda in other areas of the world? I mean he wanted control of them, right? He was worried that they'd be more successful than he is.

BERGEN: Well, he wanted to -- he wanted, certainly wanted to be in control of them. The problem was when you're communicating by courier and it takes two or three months for a question and a reply to a particular organization to go back, it's not a very effective way to run the organization.

But he was giving them advice about -- he was saying to for instance a Somali affiliate of al Qaeda, "Don't call yourself al Qaeda. It will be bad for fund-raising. It will attract a lot of negative attention." So he was aware of the fact that the al Qaeda brand was really in deep jeopardy.

KAYE: How paranoid was he, do you think about U.S. drone attacks?

BERGEN: Well, I think he was very realistic about the effect they were having. He was telling -- while he was, you know, encouraging other young men to join his holy war, he was telling his 20-year-old son to leave the Pakistani tribal regions if he was there where all the drone strikes are focused and move to the tiny very rich kingdom of Qatar in the middle of the Persian Gulf.

He was quite aware about how dangerous these drone strikes and urging his whole team, in fact, to move to eastern Afghanistan, a very remote part of that country, where they could hide under the forests and in the mountains away from the all-seeing eyes of the American drones. So this was a huge issue for him.

KAYE: You mentioned that he ordered these suicide squads to try and track down President Obama and General David Petraeus. How serious do you think that threat ever got?

BERGEN: I don't think it was serious at all. I mean, you know, it was one of those things where he ordered it, and nothing happened. And you know, as we saw from President Barack Obama's visit to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan which was basically where bin Laden was hoping to kill him -- you know, that kind of visit is very tightly orchestrated and happened in the middle of the night.

And so, you know, even if they selected these suicide bombers to try and do such an attack -- you may recall, by the way, Randi, that Vice President Cheney was the subject of an attack when he visited Bagram Air Force Base in 2007. Bagram Air Force Base is a huge U.S. military facility. It would require, you know, literally an army to attack it in any effective way. So these were just blue sky ideas, they weren't serious.

KAYE: I'm still stuck on the fact that he was dyeing his hair and his beard. I mean does that surprise you?

BERGEN: Well, it doesn't because we have seen pictures of him occasionally we're flashing out pictures of him. You know, in the 2004-2007 time period, he looked more like he did in some of these older pictures. You see he's gray here. Over time he started dyeing his hair.

You know, I went into the bedroom in which he was killed, the first sort of outside observer to be allowed to tour the compound and I found a just-for-men hair dye box. It was the kind of Pakistani version and he was using that routinely.

KAYE: Sounds just so vain for one of the main terrorists out there that the U.S. was looking for.

Peter Bergen -- fascinating conversation; I look forward to your book as well. Thank you.

BERGEN: Thank you very much.

KAYE: CNN's state of the union is coming up at the top of the hour; Candy Crowley sitting down with the former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich today. She'll have a live preview for us next.

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KAYE: Welcome back.

If you are in the kitchen brewing coffee or making breakfast, you have to come and look at your TV screen because this is a shot of that super moon in San Francisco. Look at it there just hovering over the buildings. It's going down pretty quickly so we're glad we're able to bring that to you this morning -- bright and beautiful.

Let's go to Washington now. CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" coming up at the top of the hour; Candy Crowley is live for us this morning with a preview. Good morning, Candy.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": How are you?

KAYE: I'm well, thank you. Newt Gingrich is on the show today. What is he going to be talking about do you think? What's next for him?

CROWLEY: I can tell what you I'm going to be asking about. We'll see what he talks about. It's not always the same thing.

Listen, I think what has interested me about all of these folks getting out, most of these folks getting out of the Republican race is how incredibly lukewarm their endorsements and non-endorsements of Mitt Romney have been. With few exceptions, they've been, well, he's better than President Obama, or he's well on like this but he needs some help on that.

So I want to talk to him about whether he thinks that hurts the nominee at this point who really needs to sort of lickety-split bring the Republicans together so he can move on toward the fall campaign. So that's one of the things.

But, yes, what next? How does he size up -- look, in all of this, certainly Newt Gingrich is a politician, but he's also a very good political mind. And I want to see how he sizes up the fall race and where he thinks the pitfalls are.

KAYE: Do you think that there's any chance that Gingrich will hit the campaign trail with Mitt Romney? CROWLEY: He says he will. So -- and that will be fun. There is supposed to be some kind of, quote, "formal endorsement" at some point in the next couple week, so we'll try to press him on that. But yes, he'll be out there at least so far, he said.

And there certainly are ways that he can be hugely helpful because as you know, the conservative wing of the Republican Party has been reluctant certainly up until now, although they're gathering around, to embrace Mitt Romney. So I imagine that Newt Gingrich is going to help that hug along.

KAYE: Let's also talk about Afghanistan. As you know, we were just getting some word this morning that there was a U.S. soldier killed by a roadside bomb there this morning. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Mike Rogers, they just returned there. They're going to be talking on your show about the trip today. What do you expect that they will be saying?

CROWLEY: Well, you know, there's so much going on in the world but they're both heads of their intelligence committee, Rogers on the House side, a Republican; Feinstein on the Democratic -- on the Senate side. She's a Democrat.

First of all, just what their take is on whether Afghan soldiers, the Afghan military, the Afghan police are going to be up to the job if, in fact, the U.S. is going to step back from combat roles sometime next year. The President has said they will be.

You always want to know about the threat. What's the threat? Is it really down from where it was three years ago? Where does the U.S. now look to the biggest threat and, you know, Syria is out there, Iran is out there. There's always some place in the world where you want to know a little bit more about.

KAYE: A lot to worry about for sure. Candy, thank you very much. Appreciate that; nice to chat with you.

CROWLEY: All right. Thanks. You too.

KAYE: And keep it here for "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley. It starts in just about five minutes at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.

What does Facebook, George Clooney, and your mom have in common? Keep the jokes to yourself. I'll tell you the real answer in just two minutes.

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KAYE: People near Sacramento, California, are searching for chunks of a meteorite that broke apart and crashed into earth in dozens of pieces. NASA officials say they spotted 12 potential craters from their blimp Thursday but they won't say where they are.

To Orlando now where an enormous sinkhole is about to swallow a home; the family who lives there had to evacuate and some of their neighbors had to leave, too. Drought is blamed for helping to create the sinkhole which is now at least 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

And hundreds of little fur balls paraded their tiny paws through Kansas City, Missouri, in costume. Some of these chihuahuas were dressed as ballerinas, firecrackers, or army tanks. How cute is this? People were trying to break a world record but they were about 200 doggies short. There is the little guy in his tank. I love that.

All right, let's take a look ahead at the "Week Ahead" on our calendar. On Monday Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook will begin their private IPO road show pitch to investors in New York. A public pitch is already online. The "Wall Street Journal" reporting Facebook could start trading publicly as soon as Friday.

On Tuesday North Carolina will vote on Amendment 1, a measure that would ban same-sex measure, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. More on this as we follow this throughout the day and throughout the week.

Jumping to Thursday, George Clooney is holding a high-end fund- raiser at his L.A. home for President Obama. They are expecting to raise $12 million.

Also on Thursday the Olympic flame will be lit in Greece. The games start in London on July 27th.

And we saved the best for last, Sunday, of course, is Mother's Day.

That will do it for me. Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone. "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts right now.