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CNN Saturday Morning News

Tracking and Finding Bin Laden; Obama, Biden Meet Seal Team; Foreign Oil Helping Al Qaeda

Aired May 07, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here now and we continue to get fascinating new details coming out now several days after Osama Bin Laden was killed.

The "Washington Post" reporting that the CIA had a safe house in Abbottabad, the Pakistani city where the terrorist was found. Operatives kept the suspected Bin Laden compound under surveillance for several months.

Satellite surveillance also was used to keep an eye on the property but Bin Laden made rare appearances outside that compound that made it difficult to confirm he was even there. We've also learned that a single phone call, a single phone call from an old friend to Bin Laden's trusted courier, led to the courier's cell phone number.

From that, U.S. intelligence found the compound in Abbottabad. Let's get now more on Bin Laden and how he was eventually found in what we're learning about his hideout.

Joining us now, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh. He is there. Nick, it's fascinating to hear that a single phone call could lead to all we saw this week.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. We're hearing from one Pakistani official it was yes, one phone call made by Bin Laden's courier seemingly in the vicinity of this compounds, not near it, of course, because they took a lot of precautions as they came and went, we understand, but one phone call made by this courier which began the American process here. I mean, this took it seems a number of months.

As far as we understand, we don't know when this call was made, but my understanding that there was a regular passing of data from Pakistani officials to the Americans, which the Pakistanis say helped lead the U.S. to the compound behind me over there.

Now, the issue really is exactly that the Americans seem to have located something within this data the Pakistanis didn't pay attention to, which actually led them to track Bin Laden down, T.J..

HOLMES: Nick, we know that the U.S. military took a lot of information out of there, whether it's hard drives, disks and other things. They're trying to get as much information from that as they can, but also the Pakistanis are they getting information from the actual people who were also inside the compound?

WALSH: Absolutely. I mean it's going to be a big question in the next few months as to whether the Pakistanis allowed the American access to the 12, 13 people they have in custody. It seems two to three women, eight to nine children, they picked up after the raid.

But really, the basic kind of information coming from those people being shared by Pakistani officials, as being done so not in a way to necessarily help the Americans. A lot of it seems to conflict with the original stories we got from the Obama administration when this happened.

The wife of Bin Laden is telling, according to one senior Pakistani military official, is saying that perhaps they lived there about five years and also they believed Bin Laden was unarmed when he was shot. So details some of which have come out to really not help the American case there initially made. T.J..

HOLMES: All right Our Nick Paton Walsh from Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Bin Laden was found and killed earlier this week. Nick, thank you so much.

Let's look back now at the week that was.

The week that Osama Bin Laden was killed. It was Sunday, that was the day a U.S. Navy SEAL team went into Bin Laden's compound there in Pakistan. Animation showing you how this thing went down. And throughout the week more information has come out about what happened inside.

Bin Laden was shot twice, once in the head, once in the chest. Government officials say he resisted even though he was unarmed.

Also now, a picture released by the White House showing President Obama in the situation room with other familiar faces you'll notice there as well. He was watching this thing in real time as this operation happened and then here is how the president told the world about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the immediate question was aimed at Pakistan. How could the world's most notorious terrorist be living in a million dollar compound 50 miles from the capital?

The top man at the CIA also said Pakistan was not informed about the operation because he was afraid they might spill the beans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, CIA DIRECTOR: I just think they need to respond to the questions about why they did not know that kind of compound existed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Thursday, President Obama at Ground Zero. He laid a wreath to honor the victims of the 9/11 attack.

Ground Zero has been the site of jubilant celebrations and also some somber remembrances in the days after Bin Laden's death. It wasn't until Friday that Al Qaeda then confirmed the death. That was part of a statement released on the internet, also came with the threat of revenge attacks.

And then yesterday, President Obama making a special trip to Kentucky, in particular, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, that is where he met with the men who got Bin Laden, the members of that SEAL Team Six. The secretive unit that made all Americans walk a little taller this week and come together quite frankly in celebrating a victory in the war on terror.

So where do we go in this war on terror now? Who is now running Al Qaeda? Some thoughts up next from international security expert and Pentagon consultant Bob Maginnis. I'm talking to him in just two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The death of Osama Bin Laden puts the spotlight on Al Qaeda's number two in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. He's the guy a lot people think is next in line to succeed Bin Laden. A top U.S. official telling us Al Qaeda's succession plan calls al-Zawahiri to take over. Not clear if they'll follow that plan though. One thing is clear, the U.S. still trying to track this guy down.

Listen now to the chairman of the House Intelligence committee what he told Wolf Blitzer about al-Zawahiri.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Any closer to finding Ayman al-Zawahiri, the number two?

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI), CHAIR, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: We have lots of information on him. I do believe that we're - I can't say it's imminent but I do believe we're hot on the trail?

BLITZER: In Pakistan?

ROGERS: I do believe we're hot on the trail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. "Hot on the trail" as you hear there. When and if al-Zawahiri is caught, there are still others ready to step in and take over. So the war on terror isn't going anytime soon of course. Even though Bin Laden is dead, the fight against extremism goes on. One thing stays the same, Afghanistan and Pakistan still crucial in the fight.

Let me bring in Robert Maginnis that says the U.S. relationship with those two country is key. He is the former Army lieutenant colonel, syndicated columnist and Pentagon consultant and a friend to our show here on "CNN SATURDAY" and "SUNDAY MORNING."

Good to see you as always.

If before Sunday I asked you to just lay out your list of priorities in this fight against terror, the things you just had to do, how high up on your list would killing Osama Bin Laden have been? Yes, it's important from a psychological standpoint and a victory, but as far as operationally speaking with Al Qaeda how high on the list would he have been?

LT. COL. ROBERT MAGINNIS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): He was marginalized, T.J., there's no question about that, and we didn't, at least, publicly have an idea exactly where he might be. Obviously, the rumors had been some cave in Pakistan and I've heard all sorts of rumors other than that. But I wouldn't have put him that high.

However, as you indicate, psychological but what's better, the intel that the SEALs pulled out of there, 100 maybe CDs, thumb drives, computers, as well as hard drives, and likely we're now executing a lot of that information, trying to find Zawahiri and some of the others that perhaps they're still lingering in that area or specially in Afghanistan trying to kill our troops.

HOLMES: OK. And sir, a lot of people ask the question, immediately after that jubilation, we saw people out in the streets, out in front of the White House, out in front, I mean down at Ground Zero literally celebrating when this news came out Sunday night and the next day and the day after, some people were asking now what? Well, I ask that question to you, Mr. Maginnis, now what in the war on terror?

MAGINNIS: Well, obviously Al Qaeda has morphed, it's morphed not only into Afghanistan, but also in the Islamic (INAUDIBLE), also in the Arabian peninsula. We have pieces of it in the horn of Africa and elsewhere. So those franchises have to be run to ground. They are a threat to us as we've seen here in the last few months and they're a threat, I think, long term. So what the secretary of state said is that the war on terror is not over.

Now I would argue that perhaps we need to rethink what we're doing in Afghanistan because, you know, even Leon Panetta says we only have probably 50 to 100 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Do we need 100,000 American troops there to go after those guys. After all, is the Taliban truly our enemy or is it Al Qaeda that we went over there to get? HOLMES: OK. You talked about rethinking what's happening in Afghanistan. Are you one that would take the stance that maybe we should be rethinking what's going on in Afghanistan before Bin Laden was killed and if not how does Sunday night and Bin Laden's death automatically change what's happening on the ground there?

MAGINNIS: Well, it's a psychological blow as you indicated against the Taliban. Omar, you know, the Sheikh Omar, was very close we're told to Bin Laden and now we probably know a lot more about him and his operations than before. And I also think that what happened is the Pakistanis are getting pretty serious with us and they are going to be cooperative than they have of late. They don't want an Afghanistan to go in the wrong direction and certainly don't want to see Afghanistan go in the hands of the Indians, which is their, you know, major adversary in the region.

So you have some very interesting geopolitical back and forth going on. So I would argue that Bin Laden is sort of a tipping point. His death has caused us to rethink our role in Afghanistan, caused the pacs (ph) to get more serious about helping us, and, of course has ratcheted up the tension and created a lot of questions, I think one for me is, if we can sneak in in the heart of that country without being detected, can a terrorist group go in and, perhaps, compromise their nuclear arsenal, which is a very serious concern.

HOLMES: That is a very good question. You're asking about what's happening in Pakistan. Really, Mr. Maginnis, it's always good to see you again. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bob Maginnis. Sir, good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

MAGINNIS: Thank you now.

HOLMES: All right. We know they fly under the radar, when they're on the job and when they're off the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're Americans and you can't really put us on a box or in a category. We're just tall, short, large, not so large, we try to just blend in and be Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Blending in when they are no doubt stand outs. We're visiting the hometown of the Navy's SEAL Team Six.

Also, this morning, pop star superstar Beyonce debuted a new version, her version of "GOD BLESS THE USA" on our "PIERS MORGAN," right here on CNN.

If you missed it then, you'll hear it this morning right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eighteen past the hour. You know many of the details so far, team of Navy SEALs flying into Pakistan, taking out Osama Bin Laden. President Obama, members of his administration got to watch it in real time. As you see from this photo that was released. And then Friday, the president got to thank that team in person for what he calls, "a job well done."

The president as you see here in this picture, he arrived in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was there along with vice president Joe Biden. All units involved in the Pakistan mission were awarded a presidential unit citation.

Now the Navy SEALs, they got back to the United States as well after their mission to get Bin Laden, but in the town where they're based you would never know they had made it back. And that's exactly how they want it.

Here now is CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a town where the buzzing of fighter jets is constant, where joyful reunions are a staple, America's most fearsome fighting unit goes unnoticed.

Unofficially called SEAL Team Six, they're the Navy commandos widely believed to have killed Osama bin Laden.

SEAL training takes years. At least 75 percent of those who try out wash out.

Despite their elite lead status, many of SEAL Team Six's neighbors here at Mary's Restaurant in Virginia Beach wouldn't know one of those warriors if they fell over him.

(on camera): When the SEALs come into a place like this, are they noticeable?

HEATHER SKROBACKI, VIRGINIA BEACH RESIDENT: Personally, for me, I don't think they're noticeable beyond any other person in the military.

TODD (voice-over): John McGuire, a SEAL for 10 years, was once stationed near Virginia Beach.

(on camera): If I'm in a bar with a bunch of SEALs, am I going to know it?

JOHN MCGUIRE, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Well, hopefully you won't. You know, we're just Americans, and you can't really put us in a box or a category. We're just tall, short, large, not so large. We try to just blend in and be Americans.

TODD: SEAL Team Six is widely reported to operate out of this facility near Virginia Beach. We couldn't get on base. The unit is covered with such a degree of secrecy, the military doesn't acknowledge that it's here or that it even exists, and that code goes beyond operational security at the base.

When city officials here in Virginia beach asked if they could honor the SEALs with some simple recognition at a town festival this summer, the Navy declined.

(voice-over): City Councilman Bill Desteph isn't surprised. He's a former naval intelligence officer.

BILL DESTEPH, VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCILMAN: There's no city, no matter where these individuals are from, that will be able to confirm or deny or throw a ticker tape parade or anything else.

TODD (on camera): What will the ceremony be like? I mean, is just kind of just handing you something and saying thanks, but don't ever talk about this?

MCGUIRE: Well, I might be speculating, it might be -- it might not even be that.

TODD: Really?

MCGUIRE: I might have been -- it might be a beer and a hoo-yah.

TODD (voice-over): Then the SEALs will simply blend in, going to stores, stores, coaching Little League, until that next call comes. Then, according to Navy support group head Mary Ellen Baldwin, their wives or girlfriends won't even know much.

MARYELLEN BALDWIN, NAVY LEAGUE OF HAMPTON ROADS: Well, it's tough times, that's for sure. Because at any given time, the families really don't know when they're going the be deployed with it. It can happen in the middle of the night, it can happen on a holiday, it really doesn't matter.

TODD: A dedication that might compel these folks to wrap their arms around the SEALs, if they knew who they were.

LEILA BATMAN, GENERAL MANAGER, MARY'S RESTAURANT: We have the creme de la creme in this area, and thank god we have them.

TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well no doubt Osama Bin Laden's death was a blow to Al Qaeda, but overcoming our addiction to foreign oil could actually finish Al Qaeda off. We're taking a closer look in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, America's dependence on foreign oil doesn't just keep gas prices high. Counter terrorism experts say it helps Al Qaeda. Weaning ourselves from foreign oil they say could deal the group a death blow.

Here now is CNN's Jim Acosta. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man behind the wheel of this new electric car can't stand the sight of a gas station.

(on camera): How do you like the car?

JIM WOOLSEY, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Oh, I like it a lot.

ACOSTA (voice-over): That's because former CIA director James Woolsey sees the nation's addiction to foreign oil as its Achilles heel in the war on Al Qaeda. On every fuel efficient vehicle he drives, Woolsey posts this bumper sticker "Bin Laden hates this car."

WOOLSEY: There we go.

ACOSTA: Woolsey points to past appeals made by Bin Laden for jihadists to bring chaos to the Middle East, to push up gas prices and hurt the American economy. The only solution, Woolsey says, is to break the region's dominance of global energy supplies.

WOOLSEY: So we really in the interest of everybody, need to undermine oil's strategic role, even if they have a monopoly of oil, they don't have a monopoly over transportation. We need to break that link.

ACOSTA (on camera): And so you want to stick it to these guys?

WOOLSEY: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: Simply put?

WOOLSEY: Absolutely.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Instead, Americans are the ones feeling stuck. At a congressional town hall in Florida.

EILEEN GAINES, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: My gas bill for my three vans in the last three months have gone up hundreds of dollars a month.

ACOSTA: Small business owner Eileen Gaines explained how the bill to fill up her commercial vehicles stopped her from hiring a new employee.

(on camera): And so had the gas prices not gone up, you would have been hiring?

GAINES: Oh, I would have hired someone two months ago. I really need that much help right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to produce more of it ourselves.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Republican Senator Marco Rubio like many in his party wants more offshore drilling. REP. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: We have to figure out a way to become more efficient in our use of energy. We also have to figure out how to produce more of it domestically.

WOOLSEY: This thing pops open when you press a button.

ACOSTA: For James Woolsey, plugging your car into your house isn't just going green.

WOOLSEY: I think it would be a very embracing message. It would say that the United States would get its act together.

ACOSTA: Sending one more signal to Al Qaeda that they're running on empty.

(on camera): But there are no quick fixes to America's addiction to foreign oil. Millions of electric cars would require countless new charging stations and opening up new domestic oil drilling experts say would only have an impact on gas prices years down the road.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, a pop star has gone patriotic. Have you heard this yet? Beyonce has a new take on "God Bless the USA." If you haven't heard it, you will her hear it right here in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOLMES: Did you hear that? We've been promising to you this version. Beyonce has recorded her own version, a new one of "God Bless the USA." We'll hear it now. They first aired though on CNN's "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT."

All the proceeds from the song are going to go to the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children's Benefit Fund.

Take a listen for a moment.

(AUDIO CLIP, BEYONCE, "GOD BLESS THE USA")

HOLMES: Well, let me know what you think about that. I'm on Twitter @tjholmes. I'm curious to know what a lot of people think about that.

Well, I'll be back with you here at the top of the hour with more live news. Of course, we're covering news on several fronts. The disaster, the flooding, also the cleanup in the south and those tornadoes last week and also the very latest on what's happening. New details coming out about Bin Laden. A lot happening. I'll be back with you at the top of the hour. Let me hand it over to Christine Romans and "YOUR BOTTOM LINE."