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CNN 10
Moammar Gadhafi Dead
Aired October 21, 2011 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz. As we wrap up the week here on CNN Student News, we`re talking about earthquakes and basketball.
You`re going to hear some students` advice on staying safe when you`re behind the wheel, and we`re going to share some of your opinions from a story we aired earlier in the week.
But we`re beginning in Libya, with news of the country`s former leader. Moammar Gadhafi is dead. He was killed Thursday by revolutionary forces who were finally able to get control of Sirte. That`s Gadhafi`s hometown.
Reaction to the news came in from all over the world.
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AZUZ (voice-over): .President Obama saying Gadhafi`s death, quote, "marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the people of Libya, who now have the opportunity to determine their own destiny.
Many of those people were out on the streets celebrating yesterday. Cars were honking their horns. Some people fired shots into the air. They weren`t just celebrating the news about Gadhafi. They were also cheering what`s probably the end of their country`s civil war.
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AZUZ: That started as an uprising back in February. Protesters spoke out against Gadhafi. They wanted him out of power. Security forces started fighting with the protesters, and eventually the violence and tension boiled over into an all-out civil war.
The rebels were supported by military forces from other countries, including the United States. And now that the war is ending Libya still has a long road ahead.
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BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: Clearly, this day marks a historic transition for Libya. n In the coming days, we will witness scenes of celebration, as well as grief for those who lost so much. Yet let us recognize, immediately, that this is only the end of the beginning.
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AZUZ: Now Libya`s new leaders will have to figure out how they want to rebuild their country and its government. Before we look ahead,
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HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: (voice-over): As a 27-year- old army officer, Moammar Gadhafi overthrew Libya`s king in 1969, and then set about wiping all foreign influence from the country, including all vestiges of communism or capitalism, publishing his personal philosophy in a three-volume "Green Book."
Gadhafi always said that his goal was to change the world. But it was the way he set out to do it that amused, confused and often infuriated. But while he sometimes appeared a clown on the world stage, his actions were often deadly.
In the mid `80s he funneled money and weapons to support the Palestine Liberation Organization`s fight against Israel; the Irish Republican Army`s efforts to defeat British rule in Northern Ireland; and he viciously targeted Americans.
In 1986, Libyan agents were accused of bombing a Berlin nightclub, killing two Americans and a Turk. U.S. President Ronald Reagan responded by bombing Tripoli, targeting Gadhafi`s house. The raid killed more than 100 people, including Gadhafi`s own daughter.
Two years later, Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over the tiny village of Lockerbie, Scotland, raining debris and taking 270 lives. Investigators traced the attack to Libya. When Libya refused to turn over the suspects, the U.N. imposed tough sanctions, leaving the country isolated and increasingly destitute.
After 11 years as an international outcast, Gadhafi cut a deal. He gave up the Lockerbie bombing suspects for trial, and after the U.S. invaded Iraq, he surprised the world by agreeing to destroy all of his chemical, nuclear and biological weapons.
Gadhafi soon welcomed Western oil companies like BP and Total into Libya. But questions lingered about whether some Western oil contracts were traded for Scotland`s release of one of the convicted Lockerbie bombers.
Back home, patience was running thin. After more than 40 years, rebellion bubbled up in the eastern part of the country, quickly spreading across Libya. As his government disintegrated, he addressed the nation from the same house bombed by the U.S. in 1986.
MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER (through translator): This is my country, the country of my grandfathers.
GORANI: He vowed to die a martyr in Libya.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this legit? Among U.S. states, California has the second highest number of earthquakes per year.
This is true. Alaska has the most, but California gets thousands of quakes every year and they usually cause more damage.
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AZUZ: That`s why officials in California have the "Great Shakeout." The event happened yesterday. It`s an earthquake drill, kind of like the ones you might at school, but this one involves millions of people.
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AZUZ (voice-over): The goal is make sure the state`s prepared for what to do during an earthquake, how to recover afterwards. This is video from last year`s Shakeout. In schools and office buildings people drop, cover and hold on. Officials say those steps are the best way to stay safe during an earthquake.
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AZUZ: On the other side of the country, in New York City, NBA players and owners are trying to see if they can save their season. Right now, the league`s in a lockout. That means no preseason and no games to start.
The two sides don`t agree on how to split up the sport`s money, or on rules for players` salaries.
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AZUZ (voice-over): The negotiations have been going on for a while. Some of this week`s sessions have lasted more than 16 hours.
The first two weeks of the season have already been canceled, and the NBA commissioner has warned that if they can`t reach a deal soon, more games might be wiped off the schedule.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time for the Shoutout. What contributes to accidents involving teenage drivers? If you think you know it, shout it out. Is it inexperience, distracted driving, nighttime driving or all of the above?
We don`t think you`ll need a clock for this one. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all of these can lead to motor vehicle crashes, which are the leading cause of death for American teenagers.
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AZUZ: U.S. officials want to change that. It`s what National Teen Driver Safety Week is all about. It`s wrapping tomorrow. Congress established the event a few years ago, and we talked with some students at a leadership conference here in Atlanta about their ideas for how teenagers can be safer drivers.
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SHAKORI FLETCHER, STUDENT: By showing them the consequences of bad choices, such as drinking and driving or texting and driving, because I believe everyone wants a very long life. So knowing that doing certain things will cut your life very short.
ERICA MAYBAUM , STUDENT: Personally, I was hit by a drunk driver a couple years ago. So I think teenagers need to realize that what they do can not only affect them, but also other people, other innocent people`s lives.
I know there are laws about texting while driving, but I think they need to be a lot more stricter (sic). I think there needs to be a more powerful consequence so that people realize, oh, my God, what I did could really hurt somebody.
SOPHIA BAUR-WAISBORD, STUDENT: Driving is one of those things where, no matter if you like, oh, I`m a good driver, well, there`s so many people around you, they`re not good drivers. You can`t just, you know, put it all on yourself, because you have to watch out for everybody else around you, too.
GRACE LITTLE, STUDENT: I think educating someone is the most important thing you can do. We had a seminar at my school about a kid who was texting and driving, and actually killed someone in a car accident. And I`ve never texted and drove since.
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AZUZ: Every show we`ve done this school year is at cnnstudentnews.com. So if you`re not familiar with the color-coded card controversy that students are talking about, click on our show archive, and watch the program from October 18th.
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AZUZ (voice-over): Carson likes the idea of a color-coded card as a way to reward good grades. It gives kids something to look forward to.
From Breezy: "to give the kids who didn`t have good grades a card that isn`t worth anything, and to make them stand in a separate lunch line is over the top."
Jhaniellee agrees, saying, you shouldn`t ostracize someone due to their scores. No one`s a paragon, she writes, "People are going to make mistakes."
Oriana likes the idea of color-coded cards. It`ll make people study harder, so they won`t have to feel the embarrassment any more.
Anakarla believes giving students with high standardized test scores certain benefits seems like a good idea, but if students with low scores feel discriminated against, it`s going to far.
And from Findlay, there needs to be some sort of incentive to motivate student performance, but negative attention isn`t the answer. No one needs to be made an example of.
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AZUZ: And, finally, grocery stores expect people to examine their fruits and vegetables.
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AZUZ (voice-over): I don`t think you`re allowed to climb into the case. You`re certainly not supposed to let a bear cub do it. This can`t be sanitary. It`s a YouTube video showing a baby black bear that got a little lost on the way to the meat counter.
Officials came in and took him out with their bare hands. We wouldn`t be surprised if this food inspector was sent in on purpose.
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AZUZ: Because if the pack wants to be prepared to make dinner, it needs to send in a Cub Scout. Although the idea of bears eating veggies, that`s bound to produce a few stares.
We`re just glad the situation didn`t mushroom out of control, and that the video "lettuce" make some vegetable puns, if you "carrot" all for those. Hope y`all have a great weekend. For CNN Student News, I`m Carl Azuz.
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