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CNN 10
Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks; Syria Negotiation
Aired September 11, 2013 - 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. And we welcome you to our September, 11th, 2013 edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS.
This is the anniversary of the tragic day in American history. When members of the al Qaeda terrorist group hijacked four passenger planes in the United States, then flew two of them into the World Trade Center, the Twin Towers in New York City. Both towers eventually collapsed. Another plane was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., damaging a significant part of that massive building. And on the fourth plane, it`s believed that passengers tried to take control back from the hijackers. That flight crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
2977 people were killed in the attack, it was the worst active terrorism in American history, and when President George W. Bush addressed the nation that night, he foreshadowed the American response.
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GEORGE W. BUSH: America and our friends and allies joined with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism.
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AZUZ: It was the beginning of an international campaign to fight al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. That started in Afghanistan, because that country`s leaders refused to turn over Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda terrorists who were leaving there?
Every year, memorials like this pay tribute to the victims of 9/11, honoring them, naming them ensuring that they like the date itself are not forgotten.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This latest idea floated by the Secretary of State John Kerry, picked up by the Russians, is it possible this could avert a U.S. military strike on Syria?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA: It`s possible if it`s real, and, you know, I think it`s certainly a positive development when the Russians and the Syrians both make gestures towards dealing with these chemical weapons. This is what we`ve been asking for not just over the last week or the last month, but for the last couple of years, because these chemical weapons pose a significant threat to all nations and to the United States in particular. That`s why 98 percent of humanity has said we don`t use this, that protects our troops, and it protects children like the ones that we saw on those videos inside of Syria. So it is a potentially positive development. I have to say that it`s unlikely that we would have arrived at that point where there were even public statements like that without a credible military threat to deal with the chemical weapons use inside of Syria.
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AZUZ: The idea that president was talking about would be for Syria to hang control of its chemical weapons over to the international community. Global reaction to that -- it`s combination of support and skepticism. U.S., British and French leaders have agreed to explore this proposal seriously. They also they won`t allow Syria to use this as a stalling tactic. Here`s how one U.S. Senator reacted:
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SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R ), ARIZONA: I`m very skeptical, very, very skeptical, but the fact is that you can`t pass up this opportunity if it is one, but you`ve got to right away determine whether it`s real or not.
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AZUZ: Yesterday, Syria said it`s ready to reveal the location of its chemical weapons and stop producing them. It also offered to show its chemical weapons facilities to representatives from Russia and the United Nations. Syria also said it`s willing to join the chemical weapons convention, an international agreement to eliminate the use of chemical weapons. Syria is one of five countries that have not signed on to the agreement. Recently President Obama asked Congress to approve a military strike against Syria. Yesterday, he asked the Senate to hold off on any votes so that diplomatic process can play out.
The president was scheduled to make a speech about Syria last night. Teachers, the resources box in our home page has latest details on this developing story. Crisis in Syria, as you might be able to tell, dominating news coverage, but it`s not the only story out there. Right now, we`re going to check in with a few CNN correspondents to learn about some of the other news happening around the world starting with the new discovery at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
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PAULINE CHIOU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Scientists are calling it the largest single volcano on Earth. At 400 miles wide, it has a footprint the size of New Mexico, so why did it take so long to discover? Tamu Massif lies about 1000 miles east of Japan in the depth of the Pacific Ocean. The researchers who found it say it dwarves the previous world record holder, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and even rivals Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the Solar System. Luckily, the behemoth doesn`t pose much of a threat. It`s been extinct for millions of years.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lost masterpiece hidden from the world for years has finally been unveiled. "Sunset at Montmajour" is a large oil landscape, which was painted in 1888, it`s the first full size canvas from the Dutch master discovered in 85 years. The painting was originally believed to be a forgery, it set for years in the attic of a Norwegian art collector, but thanks to new research, including a letter from Van Gogh itself, experts were able to authenticate it.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New images have been unveiled showing Rio de Janeiro like you`ve never seen it before. That`s because this is a mockup of what the Olympic Park will look like when the games kick off three years from now in 2016. Now, the park was designed by the same British architects who built the 2012 London Park, but this time the flowing pathways are supposed to resemble the meandering Amazon River, it will be lit up at night, some of these lights look like the Olympic flag.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See, if you can I.D. me.
I`m a geographic feature. I`m a narrow passage that connects two large bodies of water. Some of my more famous examples are Gibraltar, Hormuz and Bering. I`m a strait like the Straits of Florida between Cuba and the United States.
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AZUZ: Diana Nyad made history early this month when she swam across the Straits of Florida. Some people in the swimming community aren`t so sure that Nyad`s name belongs in the record books. John Zarrella dives into the debate surrounding the swim.
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JOHN ZARELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Diana Nyad facing off with members of the Marathon Swimming Community to answer the sudden rising tide of questions about her record swim from Cuba to Key West.
Did she hold on to the boat at any time? Did she get out of the water? How could her speed at one point nearly double? The online Marathon Swimmers Forum is filled with posts, many like this one, "Is this attempt, effort, swim going to be a Guinness World Record? I thought records had to be verified and unequivocal, which this is most certainly not." The founder of the forum, a marathon swimmer himself, is one of those who wants answers.
EVAN MORRISON, MARATHON SWIMMER: What her crew reported to be a 7.5 hour stretch on the second night of her swim where she neither consumed any calories or any liquids, so (inaudible) were not feeding and drinking, and I think most experienced marathon swimmers look at that and think it`s impossible.
ZARRELLA: The biggest issues seems to be just how fast she was moving. At one point, her speed nearly doubled, to more than three miles an hour, leading to the questions about whether she got an assist from a boat. Marlin Scott who captained the shark boat, told CNN he has no doubts, Nyad swim was legit.
MARLIN SCOTT, SHARK BOAT CAPTAIN: I never saw Diana Nyad come out of the water. I saw her swim every time I woke up, she was swimming. Every time I went back and laid down for a little while, she was swimming. She was in the water the whole time. I believe it 100 percent.
MITCH ROFFER, ROFFER`S OCEAN FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE: The current was perfectly favorable, it couldn`t have been a more ideal situation where the current was going from Havana to Key West almost directly.
ZARRELLA: Members of Nyad`s team say it was learning from the past preparation and, of course, luck.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
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AZUZ: Going international for today`s "Roll Call", checking out who is watching us from around the world. We`re starting in Puerto Rico with the pirates from Antilles High School. You, guys, are on the map today.
Next, we`re heading to Durban, South Africa, to say hello to the students at the Glenwood Christian School. And finally, the Korean Advanced Preparatory Academy in Yangpyeong, South Korea, thanks to all of you for tuning in.
Batman and Captain American don`t work together too much in the comics, but this real life dynamic duo came to the rescue recently. They were at an event for kids when someone saw a smoke nearby. Batman -well, this Batman, is a former firefighter, knew it might be serious. They raised to the scene of a house fire to see if anyone or anything was trapped inside, that`s when Bats rescued a cat, even giving it mouth to mouth CPR.
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JOHN BUCKLAND, "BATMAN": First look on the cat`s face was, oh, he`s (inaudible). He`s got -- yeah, resuscitated by Batman, that`s pretty scary thing to wake up to.
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AZUZ: Bat, waking up D.C. superheroes definitely something to marvel at. And I`m sure the cat`s owner is thankful for that Dark Knight in shining armor. It`s going to put a cap on today`s show. I`m Carl Azuz, have a great day.
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