for the last 12 years, we've been tied up in iraq and afghanistan. we're great to have the great support of the american people, and today we've been celebrating the 238 years in new york city, embracing our soldiers and our veterans. we hope to continue the partnership with new york city. >> i know new york is happy to have you here, as well. >> it's good to be here. >> and it's an honor that you are here in new york. of course, this is the site that -- the terrible site of september 11th so many years ago. what is the biggest challenge that the army is facing right now? is it funding? is it something else? >> well, we're an army in transition, as we come out of afghanistan. we came out of iraq. there are physical constraints we're working under, for the army in particular, and the services will different. for the army in particular, we have to fund the current fight in afghanistan. currently, we have a $3.8 billion for fy-'13, figuring out how to fund that. we're getting some help. we might get reprogramming funds. but really, for fy-'13, the seque

afghanistan is another one. china is in there, nothing even knew this, but afghanistan is rich in minerals, and we're fighting afghanistan and on the other side of the mountain, on the other side of the range, china has a huge excavators in there taking out the minerals while we're fighting. so, you just say, you know -- >> but why are we doing this? >> this shouldn't be happening. >> what has happened to the united states? no one is saying we should take -- that that gives creeden to the people who say we're only fighting for the oil, but what has happened that we're afraid to at least admit that we're falling behind, right? the first part of admitting to solving a problem is admitting you have one. >> that's true, brian, but years ago we were the smartest person on the block. we would make the good deals. when is the last time you heard we made a good deal. everybody just is ripping up left and right. there's not a country that you can think of where -- and it used to be the opposite. i mean, they would call u

. >> trying to figure out if you're trying to figure out whether afghanistan winds down, iraq winds down, can you make it up on asian military orders? >> there's no question that all the consequences -- if all the regional conflicts in the world wound down, it would be an impact on military sales to the defense department of the united states. but it would not go down -- it would go down to sequestration levels and maybe a little bit more, but it's not a 30%, 40%, it's a 10%. large part of it would be made up by middle east and asia. >> besides your job you're on the boards of ibm and procter & gamble. ibm, difficult transition. proctor difficult. i'm told you're deeply involved in the change of procter & gamble. is that true, one? two, how do you have the time? >> of course i was involved in both transitions. i was on the board. these are confidential situations, jim, you do appreciate that. there's a lot of synergy being on boards, believe it or not, even though we're dealing -- >> in the shampoo and soap business. >> very global outfit. >> fair. >> a lot of cross-currents there. it's

. >> trying to figure out if you're trying to figure out whether afghanistan winds down, iraq winds down, can you make it up on asian military work? >> there's no question that all the consequences -- if all the regional conflicts in the world wound down, it would be an impact on military sales to the defense department of the united states. but it would not go down -- it would go down to sequestration levels and maybe a little bit more but it's not a 30, 40%, it's a 10%. large part it would be made up by middle east asia. >> besides your job you're on the boards of ibm and procter & gamble. ibm, proctor difficulty. i'm told you're deeply involved in the change of procter & gamble. is that true, one? two, how do you have the time? >> of course i was involved in both transitions. i was on the board. these are confidential situations, jim, you do appreciate that. there's a lot of synergy being on boards, believe it or not, even though we're dealing -- >> in the shampoo and soap business. >> global outfit. >> fair. >> a lot of cross-currents there. it's -- there is learning to be had by bei

if you're not calling that terrorist in afghanistan or yemen, your dot is not touched. >> it's collection, not content. that's my understanding of this whole thing. >> exactly. >> there is a big difference. but i have to move on. we could argue it all night. charles, i want to give you a chance. did clapper lie? very important point. you wrote a very compelling comment. senator widen asked a very straightforward question. and does the nsa collect any type of data at all. or are millions or hundreds of millions of americans. clapper says no. and i noticed in the clip that we played, when clapper said no, he was looking down at his pa . paper. do you think clapper lied? >> he absolutely lied. if lying means anything, he lied. he was given would be day's notice of this question. he's then asked the question and he said any data at all. they didn't say is he reading e-mail, he said any data at all. and clapper said no, sir. and then he said unwittingly. and then he went on to say the nsa can't do this because it only looks at foreigners. it was a flat out lie and worrying in a country when th

plans for them to participate in various types of actions to support al qaeda including fighting in afghanistan, iraq, or somalia. defendant and others he was communicating with took various steps to disguise their communications about their plans and assistance to support al qaeda. so, scott, some allusions here in this plea agreement from may of 2010 involving khalid ouazanni that there were communications being monitored by u.s. officials but no hint here in this document that he was involved in a plot to bomb the new york stock exchange. we'll clearly be learning more about this from the fbi as the day goes on. >> we'll be following that as well. eamon, thanks so much. let's move our attention back to the market. the dow is up 115 points. u.s. steel is one of the worst performers in the s&p this year, but is the stock poised to rebound. let's debate it now. simon baker is the bull, stephen weiss the bear. >> i love to go against steve on this one. this is the second most shorted stock in the s&p. so clearly the story is over all over the place. i like those kind of names. goldman sachs came

it's like rearming the taliban in afghanistan or something. what are we doing this for? >> that's a concern. the concern is that at this point the group that's been best on the battlefield is the al nrsa front. the obama administration will say they're arming a more western oriented rebels. but is it a little too late. at this point are they going to be able to prevail given what's happened with assad retaking territory. >> all right, so matt miller, let me ask you. your man, obama, is coming in too late. he's too slow, too late, too little. why is he doing this? >> i don't know the answer, larry. you've got 90,000 dead already in the last two years. what is it about the last 150, because they were killed with sarin gas, because suddenly we're going to do something. i have the same concerns, which is to do something so we can say we did something. but the responses of the rebels today is the small arms, maybe they're going to do some kind of tank stuff. but it doesn't sound like they're going to do a no-fly zone, because that would mean an all-in commitment in the countr

the showdown with russia on what to do about syria, the news about negotiating with the taliban in afghanistan, so perhaps some things that we'll hear from the president that we haven't heard before. but the symbolic event and highlight of the trip will be the speech the president gives it at the brandenburg gate. a lot of historical significance there, cold war reminders. you'll hear the president talk about previous famous presidential speeches that have taken place in berlin. this is marking the 50th anniversary of jfk's ich bin ein berliner speech, but also 26 years ago that ronald reagan gave his tear down the wall speech here. but the president won't just be talking symbolically, he'll be making a proposal to reducing nuclear stockpiles both in the united states and russia. the president will announce that he wants to start new negotiations with russia to try to reduce arms even further. of course there already was a new s.t.a.r.t. treaty signed between the united states and russia approximately two years ago. so those talks haven't begun, but the president will pledge to do that. after

are coming back right now, they joined the military after we were attacked on 9-11, after the war in afghanistan started. after the war in iraq started. that tells you all you need to know about who they are and their character. if anybody has any doubts about where we are going as a country. go meet some of these people. better yet, hire some of these people, change the culture of your company within. >> you make excellent points. i heard the same points brought up by j.p. morgan, where they have been talking about these things. what i don't understand is why is it veteran's unemployment levels run twice the national average is. >> it is running twice. whatever number you look at, it's an ugly number. people are doing, the public sector are reaching out, trying to attract these kind of veterans to theirentties. one of the problems is for the veterans themselves, the stils skills they learned, the problem solving, the discipline, the team work, the leadership vlgs for them to understand how those skills and traits do translate into the private sector, into corporate america. even on a municipal

time things will change, you start to see news articles about the taliban is looking to negotiate in afghanistan. so hopefully all this kind of stuff will eventually become part of the fabric of the past and, you know, we just won't have to keep looking over our shoulders and worry about this stuff anymore. in the meantime security down here is very impressive and we have a lot of respect for the people that run the program here. >> certainly a topic of conversation as we were making the announcement, the nsa news came out, all the people down here were talking about it. but people have learned to live with it a long time ago. this was, of course, security a major issue after 9/11. one of the things that i was most impressed with having been down here for 9/11 was the fact that while people were worried in the immediate aftermath of it, everybody came to work every single day. there was nobody who called and said we can't handle this emotionally although people would have understood if that happened. >> a lot of pride. i remember at this time i offered any of our employees to not come in if they

serving in iraq and afghanistan. a former navy s.e.a.l. who knew beck said he had a stellar reputation. by the time he retired in 2011, he had a long list of medals and commendations including the bronze star and purple heart. but for 20 years, while fighting for his country, he was fighting an inner battle, a battle over his gender identity. chris beck wanted to live his life openly and honestly as a woman. which is what he started doing when he retired in 2011. chris beck is now kristin beck, she's currently on hormone replacement therapy and feels like she's becoming the person she was always meant to be. it's been a long journey to get to this point. she's written a book about her experience called "warrior princess," hoping to help others. it comes after the u.s. department of defense repealed its don't ask, don't tell, but gender identity has nothing to do with sexuality. the combat veteran would not be allowed to serve in the military as she lives her life today. how far back have you felt like this? >> i would say since grade schoo

hasan, a devout muslim, who opposed the war in afghanistan, is representing himself in the case and is expected to cross-examine some survivors of the rampage. among them, retired staff sergeant alonzo lunsford, the government's lead witness. and he joins me now. staff sergeant lunsford, what is your reaction to this development, that nidal hasan is going to defend himself and he's going to cross-examine victims like yourself? >> well, actually, i'm very upset about it because how i look at it, major hasan is an army psychiatrist and so he's very well trained on how to deal with service members that suffer from tbi or ptsd, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. he's a very intelligent man. so when he's going to cross-examine us i know he's going to try to push certain triggers to try to get a physical reaction out of us to try to help him on his quest to become a martyr. so basically we have to outsmart and outwit him at the game he's trying to play. >> now, you yourself were shot seven times. i mean, it's miraculous that you survived. one of the bullets at least i

hasan, a devout muslim, who opposed the war in afghanistan, is representing himself in the case and is expected to cross-examine some survivors of the rampage. among them, retired staff sergeant alonzo lunsford, the government's lead witness. and he joins me now. staff sergeant lunsford, what is your reaction to this development, that nadal hasan is going to defend himself and he's going to cross-examine victims like yourself? >> well, actually, i'm very upset about it because how i look at it, major hasan is an army psychiatrist and so he's very well trained on how to deal with service members that suffer from tbi or ptsd, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. he's a very intelligent man. so when he's going to cross-examine us i know he's going to try to push certain triggers to try to get a physical reaction out of us to try to help him on his quest to become a martyr. so basically we have to outsmart and outwit him at the game he's trying to play. >> now, you yourself were shot seven times. i mean, it's miraculous that you survived. one of the bullets at least i

soldier pleaded guilty today to killing 16 civilians in afghanistan. his attorney says sergeant robert bales agreed to the guilty plea to avoid the death penalty. prosecutors say bales left his base in afghanistan and went house to house shooting villagers including children. the massacre in march of last year added to the tense relations between the united states, of course, and afghanistan. >>> and we want to show you, this is a moving tribute this is barts town, kentucky. k-9 officer james ellis. this was taken at his funeral just last week. that is officer ellis' police dog figo saluting his master, the paw touching the coffin. ellis was gunned down, ambushed just ten days ago when he stopped to remove debris from the road. here is what the police chief says about the photo. figo was almost giving him that final hug good-bye. i think that picture brought more tears than anything. the chief retired figo and the dog is living with ellis' widow and their two young sons. [ lisa ] my name's lisa, and chantix helped me quit. i honestly loved smoking, and

. >> for 20 years, beck served with the s.e.a.l.s all over the world, including iraq and afghanistan. one of his primary jobs, intelligence, he grew a thick beard, earning him the nickname "the caveman." >> he's volunteered for all the hardest assignments. he volunteered for the most difficult missions. >> on, off, it's real easy. don't mess with this one here, because this is the sight itself. so be careful of that. then you have a brightness control. >> beck worked his way up to become a senior chief on his s.e.a.l. team. >> you can load as many magazines as you want. >> but chris beck kept a secret from his fellow s.e.a.l.s. one he felt he couldn't share each among the men he served with and fought with, men he called his brothers. former navy s.e.a.l. brandon webb says the s.e.a.l.s are a tight-knit community where reputation means everything. >> being in the s.e.a.l.s, it's an alpha male world. you have one of the toughest, most male dominated units in the military, and one -- it takes a lot of guts for someone like chris to come out with this. >> chris beck, now kristin beck, re

he says he was protecting the taliban leadership in afghanistan from the u.s. military. that's his defense. chris lawrence reports. >> reporter: an army major's revelation of why he gunned down fellow soldiers and civilians is giving his victims new evidence to label him a terrorist. >> all of a sudden we just hear pow, pow. shooting everywhere. >> reporter: this retired soldier was shot in the neck, with 32 wounded, 13 others died. nidal hasan says he acted in defense of others and when the judge asked him who he was defending, hasan said the taliban. >> anyone who knows the facts know that this was a terrorist attack. >> reporter: the obama administration has refused to call it that. but officials are pushing back at critics who accuse them of labelling it nothing more than an office shooting. the army sent a letter to congress saying there has been no decision to classify this shooting as workplace violence. before the attack hasan exchanged 20 emails with a cleric. the evidence indicates this was the alleged criminal act of a single individual. >> just to say he's a

he says he was protecting the taliban leadership in afghanistan from the u.s. military. that's his defense. chris lawrence reports. >> reporter: an army major's revelation of why he gunned down fellow soldiers and civilians is giving his victims new evidence to label him a terrorist. >> pow, pow, shooting every where. >> reporter: this retired soldier was shot in the neck, with 32 wounded, 13 others died. nidal hasan says he acted in defense of others and when the judge asked him who he was defending, hasan said the taliban. >> anyone who knows the facts know that this was a terrorist attack. >> reporter: the obama administration has refused to call it that. but officials are pushing back at critics who accuse them of labelling it nothing more than an office shooting. the army sent a letter to congress saying there has been no decision to classify this shooting as workplace violence. before the attack hasan exchanged 20 emails with a cleric. the evidence indicates this was the alleged criminal act of a single individual. >> just to say he's a terrorist doesn't really exp

his defense strategy his actions were meant to save lives of taliban commanders in afghanistan. the judge has asked him and prosecutors to submit written arguments and scheduled a further hearing on this matter for later today. >>> army staff sergeant robert bails is expected to plead guilty today to murdering 16 civilians in afghanistan. bales will enter the plea at a military court hearing in tacoma, washington. in exchange the government is not expected to pursue the death penalty. a full snpsing hearing in september will determine whether bales will be eligible for parole. he's charged with shooting 16 civilians to death in their homes 15 months ago. >>> randy phillips, head of concert promoter aeg live says the lawsuit brought by michael jackson's mother against his company is a baseless attempt at extortion. phillips is testifying at the wrongful death civil trial. the axen family accuses aeg live of negligently hiring dr. conrad murray he was convicted of involuntary minnesoanslaughter. >>> little evidence that the tsa's controversial passenger screening system even works

they will discuss topics from syria to afghanistan and the fight against terrorism. the latest allegations are not going to warm the mood in the room. putin already said earlier this week in russia, it's done in the framework of the law in the u.s. here, the u.s. says all surveillance is done legally as well. clearly some tension there. in another sense, "the guardian" article could share blame for u.s. spying. it alleged in the 2009 summit, the british set up internet c e cafes to download their passwords for future use. the president can argue the u.s. is not alone. british intelligence is not commenting. they say all the reports are irresponsible, agreagreenlgous will ensure maximum discomfort today. >> indeed. jessica in ireland this morning, where i have to believe the revelations are going to create quite a mood. >>> optimism on the fire lines in colorado. the black forest fire, the most destructive in the state's history is now 65% contained. some evacuees are being allowed to return to their homes. itis still not safe for thousands of others. winds could stir

. >> reporter: sergeant bergdahl was captured in afghanistan in 2009. the last thing the family received was a video from the taliban two years ago. >>> u.s. army staff sergeant robert bales admitted to the slaughter of 16 afghan civilians, mostly women and children. he acknowledged he slipped away from his base in march of 2012 going house to house on a killing spree setting ten bodies on fire. bales said, there is not a good reason in the world for the horrible things i did. his attorney blames ptsd and steroids provided by the u.s. army special forces. a decision on life with or without parole is exe expected in august. life with parole means he could serve as few as ten years. >> reporter: victims of the boston marathon bombing are running out of time to put in claims for donated money. they have until june 15, next saturday, to apply for money. administrator kenneth feinberg says only 50 applications have come in. the fund has collected 40 million dollars. >> for erika brannock, a life altering tragedy gave her a lifetime friend. she became the las

robert bales allegedly went on a house to house rampage in two villages in afghanistan back in march 2012. the massacre strained already tense u.s.-afghan relations at the time. >>> the death toll in friday's devastating oklahoma tornadoes has now climbed to 20 people. an official says a child's body was recovered this morning from the oklahoma river in oklahoma city. he also says two children and an adult remain missing. one of the tornadoes that struck the area was an ef-5. that's the most powerful on the scale. and measured in as the widest ever in u.s. history. more than 2 1/2 miles wide. >>> a single winner has come forward to claim the second largest lottery prize in u.s. history. officials announced that 84-year-old gloria mckenzie has claimed the nearly $591 million power ball jackpot at a news conference today, but she didn't attend. she passed up a payout spread over 30 years for a somewhat smaller one-time lump sum of just over $370 million. she bought the ticket at a grocery store near tampa, florida. >>> up next, president obama makes a defiant pick for a top national se

afghanistan will happen. and you're right, nobody wants another engagement. this is a vital issue, and the bad guys, iran, hezbollah, are aligned withxassad. >> christiane amanpour, thank you so much for the perspective. >> thank you. congratulations to all of you. >> we'll be listening what we hear in this spqq(r from president rohani. >> very important. we'll all bq listening. >>> coming up in less than three hourák supreme court justices may rule on some controversial and very divisive cases that could redefine what it mea's to be an american. cnn's crime and justice correspondent joe johns is in d.c., outside the supreme court, with more. joe, we've got same-sex marriage. issue of affirmative action. what could we see today? is >> reporter: we could see any of the four big cases, kate. this is the supreme court returning to the culture wars in this country, as they do occasionally. as you said, we have affirmative action. that's a question of whether you can use race in college admissions. voting rights. the question of whether the 1965 voting rights act

the judge asked whom he was defending major hasan replied, "the leadership of the islamic emirate of afghanistan, the taliban." he specifically named taliban leader. the question is, is that really a defense? busy night for cnn legal analyst jeffrey toobin he joins me once again. what do you think of what hasan is saying in court, that his defense is that he was killing troops at ft. hood as a defense to protect the taliban? >> no, i don't think this is a legal defense. this is really i think a form of suicide by judge. he is trying to become a martyr, trying to be executed for this crime as the culmination of this insane, horrible series of acts. but i don't think this has any connection to what we would think of as a legal or factual defense. >> so, is it even appropriate for the judge to let him do this or are the judge's hands tied? >> you know, this is a really tough call. especially because if he's the lawyer, if hasan is the lawyer, he will be cross-examining victims, people that he shot, which is a really appalling prospect. but as i understand the law, if he can prove that he's sane, an

has gone through, how he wanted to join his brother in paradise and this was retribution for wars in afghanistan. >> the mother, after she released the tape we just heard and seen the video, she said i know that my kids didn't do it. now she said that before and people had said, look, this is a deranged person, at the least. you've said before, though, you think she could have played a specific role in the radicalization of her son. do you still think it's possible she was specifically involved? >> you know, we don't know the answer, but i think it's very possible that she may have. i'm very stunned, but it's more interesting, i guess, the idea that they're in a complete state of denial publicly saying that their son was innocent, both of their sons were innocent, had nothing to do with these bombings and looks to me like some sort of enzy if you will. and i think it's obviously very disturbing, because i do think the mother and the father played a floel this radicalization. >> the mother and the father. now, let me ask you this then, according to his mother, dzhokhar said she getting money. i w

has gone through, how he wanted to join his brother in paradise and this was retribution for wars in afghanistan. >> the mother, after she released the tape we just heard and seen the video, she said i know that my kids didn't do it. now she said that before and people had said, look, this is a deranged person, at the least. you've said before, though, you think she could have played a specific role in the radicalization of her son. do you still think it's possible she was specifically involved? >> you know, we don't know the answer, but i think it's very possible that she may have. i'm very stunned, but it's more interesting, i guess, the idea that they're in a complete state of denial publicly saying that their son was innocent, both of their sons were innocent, had nothing to do with these bombings and looks to me like some sort of ploy or pr effort to exonerate what their sons did, which we know they did. you look at chechnya, they're becoming local hometown heroes. the parents are feeding into that frenzy, if you will. and i think it's obviously very disturbing, because i do think the mothe

the judge asked whom he was defending major hasan replied, "the leadership of the islamic emirate of afghanistan, the taliban." he specifically named taliban leader mullahar. the question is is that a defense? busy night for cnn legal analyst jeffrey toobin he joins me once again. what do you think of what hasan is saying in court, that his defense is he was killing troops at ft. hood as a defense to protect the taliban? >> no, i don't think this is a legal defense. this is really i think a form of suicide by judge. he is trying to become a martyr, trying to be executed for this crime as the culmination of this insane, horrible series of acts. but i don't think this has any connection to what we would think of as a legal or factual defense. >> so is it even appropriate for the judge to let him do this or are the judge's hands tied? >> you know, this is a really tough call. especially because if he's the lawyer, if hasan is the lawyer, he will be cross-examining victims, people that he shot, which is a really appalling prospect. but as i understand the law, if he can prove that he's sane, and he

and this was retribution for the wars in iraq and afghanistan. >> let me ask you this. because when you talk about the mother trying to garner sympathy, after releasing the tape we have heard and seen the video, she said, i know that my kids didn't do it. and now she said that before and people had said, look, this is a deranged person at the least. you've said before, though, that you think that she could have played a specific role in the radicalization of her son. do you still think that, that it's possible she was specifically involved? >> you know, we don't know the answer, but i think it's very possible she may have. i'm very stunned but it's more interesting i guess. the idea that they're in a complete state of denial publicly saying that their son was innocent, both of their sons were innocent. had nothing to do with the bombings and it looks to me like some sort of ploy or pr effort to exonerate their sons for what they did which we know they did and, of course, you look in chechnya, they're becoming sort of local hometown heroes and i think the parents feed in

the judge asked whom he was defending major hasan replied, "the leadership of the islamic emirate of afghanistan, the taliban." he specifically named taliban leader mullahar. the question is is that a defense? busy night for cnn legal analyst jeffrey toobin he joins me once again. what do you think of what hasan is saying in court, that his defense is he was killing troops at sfofort hood as a defense to protect the taliban? >> no, i don't think this is a legal defense. this is really i think a form of suicide by judge. he is trying to become a martyr, trying to be executed for this crime as the culmination of this insane, horrible series of acts. but i don't think this has any connection to what we would think of as a legal or factual defense. >> so is it even appropriate for the judge to let him do this or are the judge's hands tied? >> you know, this is a really tough call. especially because if he's the lawyer, if hasan is the lawyer, he will be cross-examining victims, people that he shot, which is a really appalling prospect. but as i understand the law, if he can prove that he's sane, and

there is also afghanistan, counterterrorism efforts. on a later note, the acquisition that puáin palmed a diamond-encrusted super bowl ring from a u.s. -- and now allegations in "the guardian" that the u.s. eaves dropped the russian presi"nt back in 2009, certainly a full agenda at the upcoming meeting. >> lots of things on that menu. what kind of perception will the president be gettingárq) leaders there, you think? >> reporter: you know, there's a lot of frustration and anger àfacing the president. first of all there's a report from government surveillance, where privacy concerns are taking very seriously. that only adds to european dissatisfaction with president obama. he's surprised many here, who thought he would close guantanamo bay in his first termed and frustrated about his ramped-up use the drondrone -- s will be on syria and also the economic concerns which actually could help also quiet the discontent. things are looking alternates sunnier there. >>> just ahead in the newsroom, a new miss usa has been crowned, but one con

an army soldier from idaho captured four years ago in eastern afghanistan. heard from very few names a couple of videos. the family has indicated they have received a letter through the red cross from him. giving them some hope that he is alive and is well as can be expected after being in captivity all this time. this has all emerged in the last day or so in an e-mail exchange between bergdahl's father and a supporter in idaho, named dwight murphy, who posted a letter on his facebook page. what dwight murphy, a family supporter had to say about all of this. >> that brings new found hope, that's like sitting around a camp fire going out and all of a sudden you find that one more log to keep the fire going. >> family supporter who is indicating this letter, we have haven't independently confirmed it, is now giving hope. i want to read some of the additional material that dwight posted on his facebook page. he says " -- mr. bergdahl is saying this on the facebook page. we have received a letter from bowe through the red cross. he was scripted and redacted is b

. >> you know, senator, after iraq and afghanistan the american public doesn't want to get involved in another war. >> i got it but i hope the american public doesn't want radical islamists to have access to chemical weapons and that's what's going to happen if this war continues to go on. i hope the american public understands that the king of jordan is a very valuable ally to this country, second only the israel, and i hope the world understands, not just the people of the united states, that if the syrian conflict is creating regional instability and this is a difficult decision to make, but i'm trying to prevent the war from spreading. and i hate to say this to a war-wary public, there is no substitute for american leadership and that's just the way it is. and i embrace that. we don't need boots on the ground but we need to be leading and ending this war because we'll pay a higher price later if it continues to go on. so those are our options. >> options are not good ones. >> they're not goost good ones. >> very quickly on egypt before i let you go. very harsh statement today from

operation that led us to bin laden, he's helped keep our transition on track as we wind down the war in afghanistan. at the same time, tom has played a critical role as we bolstered the enduring pillars of american power, strengthening our alliances from europe to asia, and enhancing our relationship with key powers and moving ahead with new trade agreements and energy partnerships. and from our tough sanctions on iran to our unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation with israel, it is true, from new start with russia to deeper partnerships with emerging powers like india to stronger ties with the gulf states, tom has been instrumental every step of the way. i'm especially appreciative to tom for helping us renew american leadership in the asia pacific where so much of our future security and prosperity will be shaped. he's worked tirelessly to forge a constructive relationship with china that advances our interests and our values. and i'm grateful that tom will be joining me as i meet with president xi of china this week. finally, tom, i'm personally grateful for your advice, for your co

from syria, the sudan, afghanistan, iraq. across the globe some 45 million people have been forced from their homes by political conflict or violence. that's the highest in 18 years according to the u.n. for this grim world, there is perhaps a bit of good news on the horizon. the u.n. high commissioner for refugees currently has two options for emergency shelter. a tent or a tent. anyone who's ever slept in a tent knows it's far from optimal for long-term stays. along comes the ikea foundation, the charitable arm of the furniture giant. armed with its wealth of experience, mass producing big items that pack up small, it allied with the refugee housing unit and came up with a hard-sided shelter, powered by solar, that even the tallest somalis can stand up in. it packs up flat and expected to cost about $1,000. 56 of these prototypes are en route to refugee champs in ethiopia, lebanon and northern iraq for testing. just don't lose the instruction manual or the little wrench that comes in the box. the correct answer to our gps c

i do not live here, i love in afghanistan. my cell phone is set on afghan time. my weather is afghan weather. i might be standing here but i am living vicariously through my son. i will not leave you on the battlefield, bowe. these people here will not leave you on the battlefield, your country will not leave you on the battlefield. you are not forgotten. >> his parents are hopeful this message will make its way around the world to their son, a reminder to him he has not been forgotten and his hometown is anxious to have him back. ed lavandera, cnn, haliley, idaho. >> how does the u.s. handle this swap for bergdahl and the prisoners. i asked about this at the brooks institution. the video of bowe bergdahl is powerful. how does the u.s. handle this swap for bergdahl and the prisoners? >> the first thing to bear in mind is the prospects of any such swab really helping the peace talks are very low. we have to be realistic about this. the idea this could katalize a detant between the united states on one hand with the taliban and afghanistan is to the point of absurd

the man has been on active service in afghanistan. by his own admission he has shot and killed baddies. >> this doesn't seem necessary. i understand active duty and war but this seems unnecessary. a little show boating going on. >> i don't think they were throwing it in the sky in some wickedly dangerous fashion. they were doing maneuvers. i'm sure when in afghanistan they're doing something far more risky and damages. >> what do they think when they a saw all this? >> this is an interesting case. he loves the fact he's captain wales and he's just one of the guys. it's the only time he gets to be just an ordinary person, if ever that is. he loves this part of hiss life. i think from the british point of view it does show he's not a playboy. he's got a real job. he's serving his country. he's serving his grandmother and it increases the respect. he's not a lay aabout living off the public purse. >> would you ever do that in. >> i hate helicoptehelicopters. i had an argument with prince harry's uncle, prince andrew. he tried to convince

i am the beginning of a different story in afghanistan. when my granddaughter explains how i with stood the odds against me, it will become legend. oh, yes perhaps it will only be whispered at first but just you watch, it will grow into a roar. an inexhaustible voice that will usher in a brighter future. do you doubt me? do you underestimate my will? look into my eyes. do you see it now? i am change. >> amina joins millions of girls in afghanistan who have returned to school there in spite of dangers. thanks to a new generation of leaders, men and women, there are more girls in school in afghanistan now than at any time in its history because amina refused to give up just like suma and wadley, like senna and azmera, like girls everywhere. there are more stories. there are more facts and figures, but the simplest is the most important. educating girls works. [ female announcer ] think all pads are the same? don't. [ woman ] the technology in these pads... best creation ever! [ female announcer ] always infinity. invented with mind-blowing f

wants bergdahl back, some peace brought to afghanistan. the taliban want their guys back and they want some measure of control somewhere in all of this. so there will be discussions. you might not 0 call them negotiations, but the u.s. meads to get bergdahl back and back soon with u.s. troops leaving afghanistan at the end of next year, there's not going to be a lot of an ability to try and figure out where he is and how to get him back if this doesn't work. erin? >> of course it's a great point of frustration for the u.s. and a perceived failure by many that they're actually negotiating with the taliban and not some other government entity. they hoped the taliban would be over, no longer in existence. things have not panned out the way everybody expected. barbara, bergdahl has been held for four years, a very long time. what are the circumstances of his capture? >> reporter: this is the thing that is still, after all this time, so murky. of course we will never know until sergeant bergdahl can speak up for himself and say what exactly hap

i am the beginning of a different story in afghanistan. when my granddaughter explains how i with stood the odds against me, it will become legend. oh, yes praerhaps it will only whispered at first but just you watch, it will grow into a roar. an inexhaustible voice that will usher in a brighter future. do you doubt me? do you underestimate my will? look into my eyes. do you see it now? i am change. >> amina joins millions of girls in afghanistan who have returned to school there in spite of dangers. thanks to a new generation of leaders men and women, there are more girls in school in afghanistan now than at any time in its history because amina refused to give up just like senna and wadley, like senna and azmera, like girls everywhere. there are more stories. there are more facts and figures, but the simplest is the most important. educating girls works. mom, dad told me that cheerios is good for your heart, is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy. ♪ [ d

they are from yemen and afghanistan. president obama, monday, named an envoy to work toward closing guantanamo down. >>> a major milestone this morning. afghan forces taking over the lead for security nationwide. it comes the day a suicide attack targets a member of parliament. three people killed, 21 injured. the politician escaped uninjured. we are in kabul this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, john. this is a historic day with a security handover. we got a deadly reminder of what's in store for afghan security forces as they take over. three people killed, 21 injured in a suicide attack in western kabul near parliament and the human rights commission. the target was a high-ranking political official. he was unhurt. despite that attack, afghanistan forces transferred the lead role for security to afghan forces. that handover made official at a ceremony today by hamid karzai, the president. scores of afghan dignitaries. the secretary general, nato had to say about the big event. >> five years ago, afgha

governing estate is afghanistan's government. it's a bit of a different issue talking to them, yes, a direct exchange over hostages of our hostage, a serviceman in return for five prisoners at guantonomo, no. not as a direct matter. there are other ways to accomplish these things. it become as part of the murky, tricky diplomatic world with live in. as a direct overt exchange, no. >> the democratic senator robert menendez told the hill. i want to quote him, i personally don't think we negotiate unthese lines. for me, it wouldn't be acceptable. do you think this could be acceptable? i understand ari's point, murky, negotiating, whatever words you put around it, should it hatch? >> well, i rin, i think we have to look at it this way, the taliban is not defeated. it's very much alive ensurgency. they owe owe insurgency. they will be playing a role if kabul when we leave. i think the earlier we talk with them over issues or prisoners the better. the government, i give it six months to last the karzai government. we have to deal with

i am the beginning of a different story in afghanistan. and when my granddaughter explains how i withstood the odds against me, it will become legend. oh yes, perhaps it will only be whispered at first, but just you watch. it will grow into a roar, an inexhaustible voice that will usher in a future. do you doubt me? do you underestimate my will? look into my eyes. do you see it now? i am change. >>> amina joins many girls in afghanistan who have returned to school despite the dangers. thanks to a new generation of leaders, men and women, there are more girls in afghanistan now than at any time in its history because amina refused to give up, just like soma and wadley, like senna and azmera, like girls everywhere. there are more stories, there are more facts and figures, but the simplest is the most important. educating girls works. [ female announcer ] think all pads are the same? don't. [ woman ] the technology in these pads... best creation ever! [ female announcer ] always infinity. invented with mind-blowing foam so incredibly thin, yo

i am the beginning of a different story in afghanistan. and when my granddaughter explains how i withstood the odds against me, it will become legend. erhaps it will only be whispered at first, but just you watch. it will grow into a roar, an inexhaustible voice that will usher in a future. do you doubt me? do you underestimate my will? look into my eyes. do you see it now? i am change. >>> amina joins many girls in afghanistan who have returned to school despite the dangers. thanks to a new genq)ation of leaders, men and women, there are more girls in afghanistan now than at any time in its history because amina refused to give up, just like soma and and wadley, like senna and azmera, like girls everywhere. there are more stories, there are more facts and figures, but thest simplest is the most important, educating girls works. [ female announcer ] think all pads are the same? don't. [ woman ] the technology in these pads... best creation ever! [ female announcer ] always infinity. invented with mind-blowing foam so incredibly thin, you'l

more news just in this morning, this time out of afghanistan where three american soldiers have been killed in what may be another case of an insider attack. a nato official says someone wearing an afghan military uniform turned his gun on the soldiers. these kind of attacks have plagued nato forces in afghanistan ahead of the 2014 drawdown. >>> the eyes of the world are on south africa. nelson mandela is hospitalized for a lung infection. the infection keeps occurring and it did so last night. the former south african president was rushed to the hospital before dawn when his condition deteriorated. his wife is with him we're told. a presidential spokesperson says the 94-year-old mandela is now breathing on his own and that he's receiving the best care to ensure he gets better. officials are not releasing many details but they do say that mr. mandela is in serious but stable condition. >>> a pregnant actress in texas accused of mailing ricin laced letters to president obama and new york mayor michael bloomberg and now a look at her mug shot. this is shannon richardson. susan candiott

it all happened in paktika province in southern afghanistan 67 . the attacker, who was killed, wore an afghan army uniform. >> today was a difficult day for isaf. we had two tragic incidents. >> an italian soldier in western afghanistan was also killed this weekend. some people are concerned by ongoing attacks as nato winds down its military presence in afghanistan. >>> north and south korea are trying to bridge their differences at their first official talks in two years. it's the latest sign of improved relations between the two countries. on friday the north reconnected with the hot line with the south, and it's hoped that today's meeting will pave the way for higher level talks on wednesday. >>> south africans are praying this morning for their beloved former president nelson mandela. so many people tried logging onto the president's website to hear about him, the website crashed. kapile is live at the hospital where he is staying. what is the latest on his condition? >> reporter: we haven't heard any new updates. the latest update we got was f

he realized that dream serving 20 years with the s.e.a.l.s, serving in iraq and afghanistan. a former navy s.e.a.l. who knew beck said he had a stellar reputation. by the time he retired in 2011, he had a long list of medals and commendations including the bronze star and purple heart. but for 20 years, while fighting for his country, he was fighting a battle over his gender identity. chris beck wanted to live his life openly and honestly as a woman. which is what he started doing when he retired in 2011. chris beck is now kristen beck, and feels like she's becoming the person she was always meant to be. it's been a long journey to get to this point. she's written a book about her experience called "warrior princess princess." it comes after the u.s. department of defense repealed its don't ask, don't tell, but gender identity has nothing to do with sexuality. the combat veteran would not be allowed to serve in the military as she lives her life today. how far back have you felt like this? >> i would say since grade school. i remember in third grade especially that i would lo