had a great monday, and we are going to be back at it tomorrow. next, you'll see "special report" up on fox news next, monday. kenya's government says it believes all the hostages are out of a nairobi shopping mall, and as the siege winds down the questions about possible american involvement ramp up. this is "special report." >> good evening. i'm john roberts in for bret baier. the kenyan interior ministry says forces are combing the mall floor by floor. the ministry believes all the hostages have been released. the death toll has gone down in recent hours and now stands at

62. authorities say three of the attackers were killed in fighting today and more than ten suspects were arrested. here in the united states president obama says the american people stand with kenya against what he called the terrible outrage of the attack. the president says the u.s. is providing law enforcement assistance and all the help it can. there have been reports of americans involved with the terror group. we'll have more on that in just a moment. first though stewart ramsey of our sister network sky news is in nairobi and describes the images coming out of kenya tonight. >> a huge explosion, and then an eruption of gunfire outgoing and incoming. the operation to end the shopping complex siege took a new dramatic turn. and the kenyan soldiers withdrew

from the west gate complex and scampering to take cover in roadside ditches. an armedor vehicle changed position before moving back in. smoke rose from the upper floors of the complex. the government says it's clearing the west gate building, releasing hostages and controlling the situation. >> our forces are in control. our resolve to defend our country has never been higher, and we want to say that we will take the war to the criminals' doorsteps. this is our country. we are in control of the security situation. >> al shabaab says it will fight for as long as possible in west gate and will rage terror on kenya from now on.

the government indicated it's in control, but so far it isn't. more firing again. you can probably hear it behind me, quite heavy. >> fighting erupted again from two locations at the center. people running for cover. others crashing behind walls as the exchange of fire intensified. this has been an operation full of stops and starts from the beginning. the reason is that the kenyan military have taken every step extremely cautiously. why? because they are trying to get to the hostages and save their lives. they also are trying to take down the al shabaab fighters. all of this, of course, taking place in a shopping center, an incredibly complex operation for them. clearing this place was always going to be difficult, but fighting terrorists prepared to die makes it even harder.

>> that was stuart ramsey of sky news in nairobi for us this evening. part of any terrorist incident is determining who the bad guys are. chief intelligence correspondent katherine herridge tells us what she is hearing tonight. >> reporter: after al shabaab post posted from the twitter site they began cross-reference for matches. al shabaab claimed the terrorists at the west gate mall were from minneapolis, kansas city, the state of maine and illinois, in addition to great britain, syria and the former zone. while there's no immediate confirmation of the nationalities or the authenticity of the twitter feed claims, the head of the house homestand security committee told fox news that the attack is a watershed. >> they are on the world stage now, and with that comes the opportunity i think for them to recruit and train and become a larger threat to not only that region but also to the united states as well.

>> reporter: federal law enforcement sources confirmed the fbi does have agents on the ground in nye ropey via the bureau's attache. they are in missouri focusing on individuals missing or who have recently fled the u.s. in august this propaganda video was released showcasing what it describes as its american martyrs. >> if you guys only knew how much fun we have over here. this is a real disneyland. >> reporter: 50 somali-americans have disappeared into east africa since 2006, the most from the minneapolis area. a leading expert on al shabaab says the obama administration recently played up advances. >> a lot of us thought shabaab was shifting tactics from being a guerrilla insurgency into a true terrorist poringization and the eyes of authority were off the ball. >> fox news has told terrorists in nairobi were captured by

video surveillance, there's no independent confirmation of widespread social media reporting that its british zit sen seen on the cover of this british newspaper. another twitter feed popped up claiming to speak for the al qaeda affiliate and claimed several terrorists escaped from the mall. at this time they are placing no credibility on those claims. >> what about this idea of them being either a regional group, or might they decide they are going to go global now? >> this attack may be the indicator that they are starting to go global. up until now they have been very regional in their focus, trying to establish that islamic state or call fate in somalia, but if there are western citizens among the terrorists and they have taken the attack to a western economic target, that takes it up over another threshold. >> troubling new developments. thanks so much. >> you're welcome. the death toll outside a church in pakistan on sunday has

increased to 85.q>a christians rallied today to denounce the deadliest attack every ever in this country against the religious minority. two suicide bombers blew themselves up amid worshippers in the northwest city of peshawar. bashar al assad says his government will allow international access access to chemical weapons sites, but assad tells a chinese television station rebels might block the inspectors from reaching some of the locations. syria has already met the first deadline under a u.s.-russia agreement by submitting what's supposed to be a complete list of chemical weapons and production facilities. well, syria is just one of the hot button topics for president obama at the united nations this week. the president addresses the general assembly tomorrow, but chief white house correspondent ed henry tells us tonight the president's most important words may be spoken on the sidelines. >> with his plate already full of trouble spots like iran and syria, president obama began his

stop in new york meeting with nigeria's president and quickly weighed in on yet another crisis, the ghastly attack in ken gentleman. >> we stand with them against this terrible operation. >> reporter: since a somali extremist group with ties to al qaeda republicans quickly charged that claims of al qaeda being on the run has not proven true for a president they believe has a diminished hand on the world stage. >> there's a perfect storm building for this country to get hit. we've got a weak president, a w war-weary public, emboldien enemies, shaky allies. >> reporter: top aides to the president scoffed by insisting the u.s. will not be shaken by the attack in africa, and they pointed to potentially major diplomatic successes like the signals of openness from new iranian president rouhani. baby steps today at the u.n. as katherine ashton, the chief of security policy at the european union, met with the foreign minister face to face.

>> we had a good and constructive discussion. >> reporter: while the white house has left the door wide open to a potential obama/ruyani meeting critics warn that should not go forward without iran making a concrete proposal on its nuclear program. >> they haven't changed anything except the rhetoric. old wine, new bottle. >> reporter: even a top democrat sounded a note of caution. senate foreign relations president bob menendez declared, quote, we have taken note of recent diplomatic overtures by iran. however, whatever nice words we may hear from mr. rouhani, it's iranian action that matters. we'd welcome a credible and verifiable agreement with iran there. have also been some early cracks in the tentative deal cut with the russians on syria turning over its chemical weapons. the former u.n. inspector charles delfer he's cautiously optimistic it will stick. >> we have to worry about syrian

cheating but the russians will be hurt as well if bashar al assad is caught cheating this this case. >> reporter: not surprised prime minister benjamin netanyahu is taking a hard line against iran, stalling for time but netanyahu doesn't get a chance to address the general assembly until next wednesday. >> what's your sense of the iran meeting? is it going to happen? >> reporter: seems more and more likely, but not a formal one-on-one. what seems likely would be sort of an informal hallway bump into each other just as we saw between president obama and putin when they didn't want the formality of a one-on-one. >> as far as chance meetings go, it will be historic, no question. ed henry, thanks so much. >> up next, a possible goust shutdown over obama care a little more than a week away. here's what some of our fox affiliates are covering tonight. fox 25 in boston has defense lawyers for the marathon bombing suspect asking for more time to

make their case against the death penalty. prosecutors argue that attorneys for dzhokhar tsarnaev have had two months already. an emergency landing on chicago's lake shore drive. no one was injured. and kdbr in denver has vice president biden toured areas hit hard by recent flooding. that's coming up in tonight's "special report." we'll be right back.

now to the high-stakes political poker going on here in washington. the president says simply rolling back his health care overhaul is not going to happen despite the possibility of a government shutdown. many congressional republicans seem willing, even eager, to

call his bluff. but some in the gop are not all in. chief congressional correspondent mike emmanuel tonight on who has the better hand. >> reporter: senate majority leader harry reid kicked off a critical week to avoid a shutdown and continue funding the government. reid was clearly irritated the house sent over a stop gap spending bill de-funding the president's health care law. >> we'll not bow to the tea party anarchists and we won't bow to tea party anarchists in the house or senate who ignore the fact that president obama was overwhelmingly re-elected. >> texas republican ted cruz argued for making it more difficult for reid. >> that leads to the second unanimous consent request i put forward, a simple request that every amendment on this continue resolution on this vote be subject to 60 votes. >> reporter: senate conservatives who pushed the

allies in the house to pass the bill removing obama implementation and enforcement money tried to lower expectations ahead of the confrontation. >> i think really we fight it out and we'll see in the end the democrat have the senate and the presidency. it will be difficult to ultimately overcome them but we should use the leverage of controlling the house. the republicans were elected in the house, we were elected to do something. people want us to stand up and fight obama care. >> reporter: cruz floated a plan "b" staying the house should hold its ground beginning to pass smaller resolutions funding one department at a time and de-funding the entire law is unlikely but there are realistic goals. >> what i hope we can do is peel off some of the most damaging parts, peel off what we can, delay what we can't and hold the line on spending. the democrats want to increase spending before the statutory limits that were set so a few of the things we ought to insist on. >> reporter: west virginia democrat joe manchin expressed

the frustration says it has to be all or nothing. >> since i've been here not one of my colleagues have said here's a better way to do it. here's how to fix this part. let's repeal this and fix a part of it. nobody has done this. vote up or down. let's fix things. >> reporter: senate republican leader mitch mcconnell backs the house republican bill and will not vote to block t.mcconnell supports it for continuing to fund the government without increasing spending by a penny, and for taking money away from obama care. so bottom line he won't support a filibuster. >> john? >> thanks. the woman at the center of the irgs targeting scandal is out tonight. carl cameron is here with the not so surprising exit of lois lerner. >> reporter: lois lerner has been on unpaid leave since may when it was revealed that since 2010 the irs department lerner

ran was unfairly denying or delaying tax-exempt status to tea party or other conservative groups. when she appeared before congress she first denied any wrongdoing and claimed the fifth and refused to say more. >> i have not violated any irs rules or regulations, and i have not provided false information to this or any other congressional committee. and while i would very much like to answer the committee's questions today, i've been advised by my counsel to assert my constitutional right not to testify or answer questions related to the subject matter of this hearing. >> reporter: that caused a tremendous stir. the irs has repeatedly acknowledged that widespread minister management did take part in lerner's former department but she initially claimed the targeting was actually carried out by agents in cincinnati. well, congress has found evidence since then that irs bosses here in washington knew about it and did take part. darryl i, is a the gop chairman of the lead congressional investigating committee will not let up issuing a statement saying, quote, we still don't

know why lois lerner had such a personal interest in directing scrutiny and why she denied improper congress to congress. her departure does not didminis the committee's interest in hearing the testimony. they have never denied conservative groups were mistreated. five managers have been pushed out of their leadership roles, nobody has been fired. lerner may think by retiring congress may let her alone. looks rather unlikely. >> depends where she retires to. >> alaska, siberia. >> thanks, carl. still ahead, a group of veterans prove they still know how to get the job done. first, we'll show you one family that's asking whatever happened to the affordable in the president's affordable care act? ♪

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more now on the fight other obama care. the president's health care overhaul was supposed to rein in costs, after all it's called the affordable care act but here's the story of a kentucky family who begs to differ. >> reporter: angie and andy and their two boys are the kind of people who should be helped by obama care but they recently got a nasty surprise. >> when i saw the letter and came home from work, your action required benefit changes enclosed, act now for my insurance carrier. >> reporter: and it had stunning news. the insurance for the family and their two boy, which they bought on the individual market, was going to almost triple in 2014 from $333 a month to $965 a month, and the insurance carrier made it clear the increase was in order to be complaint with the new health care law. >> this is a high deductible

plan where i'm assuming a lot of risk for my health insurance for my family, and nothing has changed. our boys are healthy. they are young. my wife is healthy. i'm healthy. nothing in our medical history has changed to warrant a tripling of the premium. >> i'm going to have to figure out where we're going to cut and what we're going to do to -- to afford a $1,000 a month medical insurance premium. >> reporter: his insurance company humana declined to comment but the note carried this paragraph, quote, if your policy premium increased you should know this isn't unique to humana. premium increases will generally occur industrywide. increases aren't based on your individual claims or changes in health status, it continued. many other factors if into your premium, including aca compliance, including the addition of the new essential health benefits. aca, of course, is the abbreviation for the president's new law, the aid fordable care act which for the managiony's

will be anything but affordable because the law taxes every insurance policy and requires a list of additional benefits the managiony family didn't want to pay for. >> for people who currently choose to purchase a high deductible, low premium insurance policy that's more affordable they are being required to add all the new pen fits to their policy which will add to the cost of theialth insurance premiums. >> reporter: there's a hunk debate over whether obama care will raise or lower insurance rates. for this family that answer is abundantly clear in black and white. in louisville, kentucky, jim angel, fox news. >> the stocks were down today. the dow lost 50, the s&p 500 was off 8. the nasdaq dropped 9. the captain of the ill-fated cruise ship "costa concordia" is blaming his helmsman for the collision with a reef off an italian island. the captain says if his orders had been carried out, the ship would not have wrecked. 32 people died on board. you'll remember the captain is

on trial for manslaughter. exactly what does a teacher in new york city have to do to get fired? apparently having heroine, a lot of it, is not enough, and one company in venezuela learns the hard way there are certain things you just can't do without. the grapevine is next. so ally bank really has no hidden fees on savings accounts? no hidden fees. it's just that i'm worried about you know "hidden things." ok, why's that? well uhhh... hey daddy, what's your job? daddy's a uhh florist. are you really a florist? dad, why are there shovels in the trunk? there's no shovels in my trunk. i see shovels... you don't see no shovels. just am. well, it's true. at ally there are no hidden fees. not one. that's nice. no hidden fees, no worries. ally bank. your money needs an ally. at od, whatever business you're in, that's the business we're in

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calling for northeastern university to investigate charges by jewish students of what it considers an atmosphere of intimidation or official indulgence of anti-semitism. one student tells a boston television station her professor gave a lex tour praising the palestinian group hamas. she says she then wrote a paper arguing hamas was not a legitimate organization citing the fact that the united states considers it to be a terrorist group. the student was told to rewrite the paper because the professor could not see how she could logically have come to that conclusion. in a page long statement northeastern points to its diversity, suggests resources for students who feel discriminated against and notes unsubstantiated allegations made by third parties are not sufficient to launch internal investigations. a new york high schoolteacher fired for showing up to jury duty with 20 small envelopes of heroin could get his job back.

a judge found the teacher's firing was unduly harsh and ordered a lesser punishment. the conduct took place off the school site. no student was involved and the teacher had otherwise spotless record, except for heroin. city officials including mayor michael bloomberg are blasting the decision and are promising to appeal it. proof it does flow downhill. venezuela ordered a temporary takeover of a toilet paper factory after embarrassing shortages this year. critics of the president say nagging shortages on a wide range of products are proof that his socialist governments and rigid price controls are failing. and blame unscrupulous merchants for hoarding products to make quick profits, hoarding toilet paper. go figure. ahñqx 25-year fbi veteran i looking at several years in

prison tonight for two very different crimes. he retired in 2008 and stayed on as a contractor. in may he pled guilty to a child pornography charge. investigator for that case found evidence on his compute their he had leaked classified information to the associated press. he is expected to plead guilty on that charge as well. it has been said that if you want something done right, do it yourself. tonight national security correspondent jennifer griffin introduces us to a group of veterans who found out they had to act if they wanted something important done at all. >> buried for more than 40 years inside the vietnam era plane they were flying when they were shot down over laos in 1969. today, two air men, major james sizemore and his navigator, major howard andre, made their final journey home, to arlington national cemetery where they were laid to rest, side by side, the way they flew.

their remains were found a year ago and identified in april, but once the burial was scheduled at arlington, the air force told the families of these missing airmen that the u.s. government could not afford to honor their fallen relatives with a flyover due to sequestration budget quotes. quote, the air force is unable to support the nyeover request for major sizemore due to limited budget constraints. that's when a non-profit stepped in and agree to fly in formation above the arlington ceremony in their own plane on their own dime. >> had i not made it back home from my tours overseas, i would hope somebody would come after me. that means a lot to the individual service member to know you won't be left behind. >> reporter: eight civilian pilots honored these veterans today and flew a douglas a-26 invade, the same plane that the two friends from gentleman were flying when they were shot down 44 years ago.

it was flanked by two p-51 mustangs. the estimated fuel cost, more than $24,000. >> we're here today to honor some fallen veterans. do i feel like those two heros deserved a flyover? yes, i do, and that's why we did what we did today. >> >> reporter: with a government shutdown looming, the military may have to rely more and more on these volunteer airmen to honor the nation's fallen with dignity. in washington, jennifer griffin, fox news. >> well, we invite you to be a part of the discussion tonight as we bring in our all-star panel in a few moments time. if you have not yet participated in our sr bing pulse. go to foxnews.com/specialreport. you can monitor realtime

feedback who-to-what the panelists are saying. we hope that you'll join us for all of that. we'll talk about the senate showdown over the budget and obama care. a special panel joins me when we come back. huh...fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. mmmhmmm...everybody knows that. well, did you know that old macdonald was a really bad speller? your word is...cow. cow. cow. c...o...w... ...e...i...e...i...o. [buzzer] dangnabbit. geico. fifteen minutes could save you...well, you know. i worked a patrol unit for 17 years in the city of baltimore. when i first started experiencing the pain, it's, it's hard to describe because you have a numbness... but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do something.

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obama care is the law of the land and will remain the law of the land as long as barack obama is president of the united states and as long as i'm senate majority leader. >> senate majority leader harry reid on the floor of the senate just a little while ago saying that any bill that comes to the senate to de-fund obama care is dead as far as he's concerned, so where does this go from here? let's bring in our expanded panel, fox news senior political analyst brit human, tucker carlson, a.been stoddard, associated editor of "the hill" and of course, charles krauthammer. >> harry reid says this only delays the inevitable. is he right? >> he may be.

the measure has come to the senate what. he intends to do is strip out the provisions to de-fund obama care and send the bill back to the house. he probably can do that, and in order to try to block him from doing that ted cruz finds himself and his colleagues who support him in the position of trying to stop consideration of a bill that they actually want to see passed as it is. it's allowed all these republicans who are afraid of a government shutdown to vote against cruz and company, and in effect give reid what he wants and send it back to the house, and to some extent he's let them off the hook. that's where we are. >> a closure vote tuesday morning. any way the republicans can cobble together 41 votes on this. >> no, no. the republicans don't want to shut the government down, the republicans who think obama care is so unpopular that it's a really potent issue for them that they are on the offense on heading into the 2014 mid-term elections don't want the narrative to become republicans are obstructionist who shut the government down, so if there was any way, a path to to overturn a

presidential veto, they would be on board but he won't get his senate colleagues on board. >> do you agree, charles, with all this rhetoric that we'll shut the government down if need be but we don't want to, they don't really want to shut the government down and when push comes to vote? >> i'm not sure the rational republicans want to or the irrational republicans want to. the opposition on the shutdown will take the care. on obama care thenuñ republican are winning. even the labor unions are up in arms against obama care. why would you want to step in the way. the old adage in politics, when the other guy is committing suicide get out of room. they ought to let this sail through. remember one thing, the continuing resolution is a success for republicans because it includes the cuts in the

sequester that obama wanted to undo so we're starting from a lower baseline which means less spending, which is what republicans have been trying to get more years and years so let this pass, and then if you want to have another struggle over this, start with the debt ceiling and try to get what you can. >> tucker, do you believe harry reid will simply cut the de-funding of obama care out of continuation resolution and pass what the house passed, or will they -- or will they throw a bunch more money in? >> the democrats have the authority to prevent the repeal or funding of obama care. republicans get this, too. >> a lot of republicans would tell you 1995 wasn't that bad. picked up a couple of seats in the senate and lost a couple in the house. >> and then you lost the presidency and that's the big one. >> is that ever a question? >> this is about a civil war within the republican party. i mean, how many republican primacy voters trust the leadership of the republican party in the house or senate? the fact that ted cruz who has been there for eight and a half

months literally, eight and a half months, he's driving the conversation. certainly in the senate, influencing the outcome of things in the house. he's at the center of this. how did this happen? where's mitch mcconnell on this? tells you a lot about republicans. why is it the republicans, they didn't pass obama care? >> let's play what ted cruz said a little while ago in the senate. >> i believe this week will be a critical week for the united states senate, where every one of us, and i hope to see republicans and democrats stand together and to say setting aside partisan differences we have an obligation to the people of our states, and obama care isn't working. >> brit, you and i were talking about this this morning. he's driving the rhetorical bus for the republicans. >> he's kind of mr. outside. his following is miniscule and very big among many conservatives and republicans

around the country. an array of radio talk show hosts with him on this and a lot of other things. he's the new star of the republican right, no question about it, and he's dazzling, articulate and so on. he doesn't really know his way around the senate yet and that doesn't hurt him at all with such people. the inside guys have been there too long and they are corrupt. >> hurts when it comes to procedure. >> now he's at kind of a dead end in the senate. the best thing that would happen is for this thing to go back to the house and have the house -- take put in delay and send that back to the senate, delay, which is already granted for some parts of this measure, would be harder to resist. we'll see where that goes. >> a lot of people, a.b., voted that ted cruz had the worst week in washington last week because he was taking a lot of fire from his republican colleagues, particularly in the house. >> that only emboldens him and

makes him more appealing to his grass roots supporters. he has 1.5 million signatures on a petition. he's grown his brand, his donor lists, his e-mail list. he doesn't care what establishment republicans in washington think of him and whether or not he knows his way around senate procedure. he doesn't want to be of the senate, doesn't want to know how it works, he's not interested. he didn't come there to legislate, and so he is all out for ted cruz. he threw the house republicans under the bus, and their response was here's your bill, we've de-funded obama care, see what you can do, and he admitted within 36 hours, it might take a few more elections for us to actually reach this goal, but he really snookered the grass roots by telling them it was possible. >> charles, where do you come down on all of this in. >> cruz has obviously helped himself, unless he fails which, of course, he will, he will have hurt the republican party, and i'm not sure how much he cares because he thinks -- obviously he is a rising star, and this is all about him.

he knows it's not going to succeed. there's no way it will. at least the idea of stripping out obama care, but this is his issue. reminds me a bit about the filibuster conducted by rand paul, a brilliant piece of political theater. it didn't change anything, but it was well done. >> and it was unexpected. >> and put him on the scene, looked dramatic. it had shades of jimmy stewart to it, and now he became a contender overnight, so this makes cruz a contender overnight. >> a lot of people are saying cruz is a contender, though he hasn't tipped his hat which way he may go in 2016. >> well, there are questions about, of course, born in canada, about his eligibility and all that. bottom line, as far as i can tell, he and a couple other people of his generation understand the modern rules of celebrity and power way better than anyone in the senate. his colleagues are saying we don't understand senate procedure, you just got here, never will get that through. cruz knows that, but that's not what he's aiming for. i'm not sure even if he loses he

loses. unless he really screws up, i think he's going to become a star. >> i spoke to him not too long ago and he believed the only way to win this would be to stir the kind of grass roots sentiment against obama care that emerged on gun control and he and mike lee and others in the senate are leading an effort to try to do that. they have ads up and are holding rallies and so forth. so far it appears they haven't come anywhere close to doing that. he'll emerge as the leading republican in the country. i have know doubts as whether he'll to it. >> if he doesn't win the presidency he could always become the prime minister of canada. >> he would improve that country. >> which for charles -- in charles' book that's a big win. >> let's leave it there. president obama at the united nationss with his hands full. we'll be right back. want to give your family more vitamins, omega 3s,

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. iranian nation seeks peace in this region, but, unfortunately, some agents in recent years have misrpd iran to the world. during this during this trip i delegates accompanying me real face of the iranian nation to the world or the nation that loves culture and peace. >> iranian president new iranian president hasan rouhani just before his visit to the united nations where it's possible he may have a brief meeting with president obama. brit, good idea, bad idea for the two of them? >> people under estimate even now the prestige associated with sitting down with the president of the united states. particularly after all these years and all this history with iran going back to 1979. and, you know, these sanctions are hurting. and iran's life as an outcast nation has been very unpleasant for the people there clearly that's

what rouhani's mission is to try to get some softening of the sentiment in the west to get the sanctions lifted. and if president obama were to grant him based upon all the atmosphere ricks and no substances that have come from him so far would be a mistake. a visit with the president of the united states is is a meaningful thing and should not be given lightly. >> is there a danger a.b., that if they meet then the president might get played in the same way the clinton administration got played by north korea back in the 1990s? >> right. that is a problem under tremendous pressure in the israelis prime minister netanyahu is worried about what kind of a trap the iranians are laying, that rouhani is really talking a great game and acting like he wants to open up his society, but it really is alli khomeini the supreme leader who makes all the decisions and not rouhani. syria as a back drop. if president obama doesn't have a guarantee of enforcement and is he getting the security council can't pull it together and can't actually

back up his -- our deal that the russians are shunning syria after the debacle that was president obama's syrian response. how can he go into a meeting with the president of iran when he hasn't even found a way to make -- to punish the syrians if they don't disarm. i think he would be criticized for giving that meeting if he hasn't already figured out the syrian mess. >> charles, this guy is a decades long insider. can things really change that much just with the change of a president? >> mahmoud ahmadinejad was not on this page. >> exactly, look. i think the decisions are made at the top and he is not the top. he has made it very clear he wants better relations. of course, iran does. it's under sanctions. there have been ten security council resolutions against iran and the sanctions are hurting. but there wasn't a word in that lovey dovey op. ed he wrote in the post that suggested any change whatsoever on nuclear -- on the nuclear pursuit. the idea that he actually said openly we have never saw it and we are not

seeking nuclear weapons is a bald fay face lie everyone that knows. he says we are a country. what did he say? that loves culture and peace. this is a country that has an official holiday, death to america day. well, that's a lot of culture and peace. how many -- how naive do you have to be not to understand that this is a country within sight of a nuclear weapon. it's a few months away. it wants to hold out, hang in there, develop that, get to the threshold. and it's not about sanctions. it's about becoming a nuclear power and there is zero indicate occasion that it has changed in anyway on that- >> -- tucker is, it worse to talk or not talk? >> well, you can certainly talk about handing a propaganda enemy to your enemies. there are conversations that take place between united states and iran. a number have been sent by the obama administration to iran. that is now public. it's not just israel that doesn't want this to happen. also the saudis, the gulf states. a lot of people worried about in the region about the expansion of iran and i

think they understand this would be a bad thing. i don't see a constituency for it. this is something the president first campaign in 2008 and his debates with hillary clinton. but like closing gitmo, it's an idea that has, i think, in the face of the reality which is it is silly. >> can i make one point? the idea, i don't think there is a choice between talking and not talking. it isn't as if we haven't been talking. >> we haven't been talking the presidential level though. and that changes everything. >> we have been in negotiations for almost a decade. we have had all kinds of talks and all kinds of venues and all kinds of arrangements. there has not been an inch of movement on the other side. i would say what the president said. you want to meet with the president of the united states, show me action and not words? stop enrichment and then we will talk. >> brit, if you were a betting man and i know you are on occasion, would you say this meeting happens or doesn't happen? >> well, i hope it doesn't happen. i fear it might in some hallway encounter that, of course, would have to be previously arranged that would amount to a brief handshake. probably wouldn't amount to

much. it wouldn't make a great deal of difference. all we are getting from this guy so far is the fact that he is not his predecessor who is such an unattractive thug that this guy looks like uncle hasan and, maybe -- i don't think that's worth a handshake but he may get it. >> ultimately, the same people are pulling the strings. i asked charles, how can things be so different when you just change the guy whose strings you pull. >> you can't? >> it's a pr mission. it's a way of buying themselves more time. and it's actually really smart. >> panel, thanks so much for joining us today. we really appreciate it coming up after the break, a homecoming worthy of celebration. stay with us. i'm kind of seeing a...

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>> >> here are some of tonight's bing highlights. in our first panel republicans and democrats overwhelmingly agreed with charles that republicans are winning on obama care. republicans and democrats both disagree with brit that cruze is the new g.o.p. star that also registered the highest intensity of the segment with 14436 votes per minute. if anything, you do attract a crowd. second highest intensity when charles dismissed the irany president. two for two. captured 16 votes per minute. total tonight 137,000 for both panels you are smiling inside. before we go tonight. >> outside too. >> before we go tonight, an update on our most important story around here. paul baier, the eldest son of bret baier was all smiles himself today because he was released from hospital.

underwent third open heart surgery on thursday. baiers are thankful for the outpouring of your thoughts, prayers and well-wishes. thanks so much. that's "special report" for tonight. i'm john roberts. good night from washington. >> this is "the fox report." tonight, murder at the mall, dozens are dead as terrorists claim victory. and now there is word that some of the vicious killers might be americans. americans among the wounded. >> this terrible occurred. >> what you saw in kenya could come back to us. >> tonight, the hunt for possible terrorists. [gunfire] >> from the u.s. plus, president obama could come face-to