. >> can these men take on the militants within 20 years of anarchy in somalia? first, a brazilian police and troops are saying that there is a drug trafficker's stronghold. >> one of the most dangerous slums. is that more than 2.5000 in the hunt for dozens of drug traffickers. and the officers in the hillside, overcoming barricades'. this is what they are looking for. weapons and more than 30 tons of marijuana and cocaine packaged for delivery. the operation follows the week in question for suspected drug dealers, a least 46 people having been killed. the police quickly declared victory, and even putting the brazilian flag. >> our slum was an emblematic place for the entire area where we had a very large number together. for the criminals, this was no doubt a moral loss. >> many gathered for prayers. it is one of the biggest in a two-year campaign to drive from the stronghold. desperate to make the city safer, the olympic games a couple of years later. >> the latest headlines for you this hour, the u.s. secretary of state has denounced thousands of diplomatic ca

somalia is enterprising there are markets, stores. the government is hoping to tap into this to encourage them. >> do you think you can turn this around? >> i think so because they are ready, after 20 years of civil war appeared we are ready. people are fed up with chaos. it's doable. we need to act. when it comes to fight against terrorism and al qaeda. >> the police here are overwhelmed, but the odds of world is wary of investing -- the outside world is wary of investing too much in a failed state. a nine year-old has been caught in crossfire. i have two brothers, he says. none has been to school. >> we see 10,000 patients a month, most of them [unintelligible] >> [speaking foreign language] >> a rag tag army of somali volunteers. their salaries are paid for by the west. an these men tak oe on the militants and help to end two decades of anarchy? maybe, but there are no easy answers in the somalia. >> snow is falling in scotland and the north of england began adding to it. a warning of dangerous, icy roads. some of the heaviest snow

i call it life in somalia. we all have to deal with that in some ways, we all have lost family and friends and i just happen to lose some of the closest ones in the same day and -- you know -- i feel grateful and fortunate for my life and for -- for all i'm trying to do with it. but still creeps in my head sometimes. >> do you recall what happened that day or you deliberately have tried to put it out of your mind? >> it is -- it is not so much that i deliberately try to put it out of my mind, but with issues of extreme violence, what happens is life gives you -- i don't know what it is. your -- your spirit or your imagination gives you -- some kind of protective layer over -- over things that you have been close to -- close to that are very difficult. i know i was there and someone turned and -- a machine gun towards me and a couple of my friends playing in -- in a courtyard area and they were, they were -- we were all shot at and they were shot near me -- i just made it out of the thing. i don't know why it di

by far the longest anyone in recent memory has been held by somalia pirates. they were taken from their yacht over a year ago. they were kept in somalia at gunpoint, sometimes they were beaten, they were separated and now finally it's coming to a good end for the families and for the people in england watching this very closely and obviously around the world. paul and rachael chandler here in nairobi. they are safe. they came in front of the press, waved, smiled, arm in arm and went back inside. will be back in england soon to be reunited with their families. >> 388 days being held against their will. that's an extraordinary amount of time. what kind of condition do they seem to be in? >> reporter: well, very difficult conditions at times. they were taken on to the coast of somalia. they were transported from one place to another. you know, at first when they spoke of a satellite phone or had videos sent in of them in captivity they seemed in pretty good spirits. as the days and months dragged on they lost a lot of weight. they were very upset, feeling abandon

so anybody in somalia is really a law unto themselves. it's like going back to the wild west. and the whole issue of the piracy has escalated to such a level that it's now big business. and anybody who tries to stop it is going to come across a lot of problems. >> so how does the outside world deal with that necessity? on the one hand, you have a failed state, which presumably will carry on failing because nobody wants to get involved with that militarily or otherwise. and on the on the other hand, you've got people saying, whoa, we can make lots of money if we take people hostage. >> i think the international community has to lemmingt mize and to help -- legitimize and to help stabilize somalia and the government, because otherwise the situation is not going to go away and it will only get worse. >> legitimize, how so? >> there are certain mechanisms in place, i.e., in the north, there is land which is fairly stable and has an army. in the south, you have the transitional government which is in place. but they don't have the form or any manpower to control the government, con

citizens apparently planning to travel to somalia to join al-shabaab? >> my understanding is that al- shabaab is, while primarily focused on internal matters in somalia, their recent activities outside the country conveyed to me of very disturbing interest in conducting more widespread terrorist activities, which is certainly are of concern to the united states. if confirmed, it would be a high priority for me to understand better how we might counter that threat. >> well, again, it is evidence that americans are joining al- shabaab, right? >> my understanding is that in this particular case, that is true. >> whew. general kehler, notwithstanding russia's threat to withdrawing from thereaty, are you advocating the funding and development of all elements of the phased active approach for missile defense and a row, as well as implementing the strategy as portrayed in the ballistic missile defense review? >> yes, sir, i am. >> do you believe that the russian unilateral statement that the treaty is "effective and viable only in conditions where there is no

let's happy to be out of somalia, paul and rachel chandler at wall less able to make their own plans. last year they were on the trip of a lifetime, sailing around the world in their own yacht until it was seized by pirates in the indian ocean. after many false starts, they were released on sunday morning. looking thin but in good health and sit -- spirits, they enjoy breakfast with the elders. the couple was clearly keen to leave the dangers of somalia as quickly as possible, but there was one more dangerous journey ahead. they were flown to the capital, one of the most violent places on the planet. driven through these bombed out streets and given a glimpse of the world that has allowed piracy to flourish. in a meeting with the prime minister, rachel chandler talks of her release. the pirates receive several hundred thousand dollars for them to be set free. their ordeal is over, but more than 500 hostages are left behind. there seems will chance of ending the lucrative piracy business of somalia. >> joining us live from the south of england is karen jack. what do you make of this id

any air cargo from yemen or somalia will be banned. germany has suspended all flights to or from yemen. it it has now been determined the packages were a viable bombs. we have this report. >> the rep precautions have reported a possible bomb plot. germany has suspended passenger and cargo flights from yemen. germany was one of the areas -- >> there is at a suspension. the german aviation industry has been instructed to refuse all direct and indirect flights from yemen. >> in britain, where one of the two devices were discovered, cobra and met to discuss the security measures relating to the uk, later announced in parliament by the home secretary. >> from midnight tonight, we will extend the suspension of air freight to this country, not just from yemen, but also from somalia. this is a precautionary measure and will be reviewed in the coming weeks. it is based on possible contacts between al-qaeda in yemen and terrorist groups and in somalia as well as concern over airport security in mogadishu. >> the home secretary also said passenge

britain said it's halting air cargo from somalia and yemen following the discovery of a parcel bomb. british authorities found the bomb in a cargo bound from yemen. it was hidden from a printer cartridge. a similar bomb was intercepted in dubai. british home secretary theresa may said that the suspension of air cargo from yemen will be expandeded to somalia. she cited a possible link between an al qaeda offshoot in somalia and poor airport security in mowing deegadishmog. may said large printer cartridges will be banned from hand luggage and air cargo. the german government also announced the suspension of flights from yemen and large cargo flights. >>> voters in the u.s. will cast their ballots in the midterm elections on tuesday to decide whether the democratic party can retain its majority in congress. all 435 seats in the house of representatives and 37 seats, or about a third in the senate, are up for grabs. voting starts from the eastern state of vermont at 5:00 a.m. local time. the elections are seen as a test of confidence in president obama's administration. democratic candi

he said it was going to fight cubans in somalia. he crack down on the rebel group in the north and then the ones in the south and the ones in the west and the wanton easton the ones in the center. heat destroy the country and it never recovered. that to me is a more important story than senator ensign. so i try to lead with that story when the first book came out. member one radio producer saying what is a somalia? so i have learned. that is why we are starting to see street and is important because you want to follow this kind of silliness of this religion to carry out the ideas. what are the consequences? many people get involved in this movement with the best of intentions. they don't set out to create murder and genocide in somalia. they want to help. just like senator coburn for instance, who lives on c street wanted to help senator ensign cover up his affair by negotiating payments to his mistress and you may recall, this was in the news, he wasn't going to talk about this. he had medical confidentiality with senator ensign be

he said he was going to fight cubans in somalia. he cracked down on the rebel group in the north and then the one in the south, the one in the west, the one in the east, the one in the center. he destroyed the country, and it's never recovered. that, to me, is a more important story than senator ensign. so i tried to lead with that story when the first book came out, and i remember one radio producer saying, what's a somalia? [laughter] so i've learned. that's why we're starting with c street. and it is important because you want to follow this kind of the silliness of this religion but carry out the ideas. what are the consequences? which is important because many people get involved in this movement with the best of intentions. they don't set out to create murder and genocide in somalia. they want to help. just like senator coburn, for instance, who lives in c street wanted to help senator ensign coffer up his affair before cover up his affair by paying off his misstress. he didn't want to talk about it because, some people rememb

the chandlers' small rescue plane was diverted to somalia's notorious capital. out of the frying pan, into mogadishu. we're now in convoy with the chandlers. we went to the mogadishu airport. we're now heading into the city, the presidential palace, for a meeting there. it is frankly a very dangerous road, very risky, and very unnecessary for the chandlers who simply want to get out of somalia as quickly as possible. bullet scars. two decades' worth of rubble. but the exhausted chandlers comply graciously with the formalities demanded by somalia's besieged government. >> happy to be here. desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: hi, andrew harding from the bbc. >> pleased to meet you. >> reporter: you must be very tired. >> we are indeed. >> reporter: take a few moments of your time. when rescue finally came for you, what was your reaction? >> a jumble of feelings, really. almost it was too good to be true. >> reporter: what was the worst time during these last 13 months? >> we refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. and that was ver

the chandlers' small rescue plane was diverted to somalia's notorious capital. out of the frying pan, into mogadishu. we're now in an armored car in convoy with the chandlers. we left the relative safety of the mogadishu airport. we're now heading into the city, the presidential palace, for a meeting there. it is frankly a very dangerous road, very risky, and very unnecessary for the chandlers who simply want to get out of somalia as quickly as possible. bullet scars. two decades' worth of rubble. and anarchy. but the exhausted chandlers comply graciously with the formalities demanded by somalia's besieged government. >> happy to be alive. happy to be free. happy to be here. and desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: do you feel safe now? >> yes, they are very safe. >> reporter: hi, andrew harding from the bbc. >> pleased to meet you. >> reporter: you must be very tired. >> we are indeed. >> reporter: take a few moments of your time. tell me. when your rescuers finally came for you, what was your reaction? >> a jumble of feelings, really. it was a

their small plane was diverted to somalia's notorious capital. out of the frying pan, into mogadishu. we're now in convoy with the chandlers. we're now heading into the city, the presidential palace, for a meeting there. it is frankly a very dangerous road, very risky, and very unnecessary for the chandlers who simply want to get out of somalia as quickly as possible. two decades' worth of rubble. but the exhausted chandlers comply graciously with the demands of somalia's besieged government. >> we're desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: andrew harder from the bbc. >> pleased to meet you. >> reporter: you must be very tired. >> we are indeed. >> reporter: take a few moments of your time. when rescue finally came for you, what was your reaction? >> almost it's too good to be true. >> reporter: what was the worst time during these last 13 months? >> we refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. and that was very traumatic. >> reporter: with that, it's back on what chandler jokingly calls the airport bus. the guns quiet

modern day buck a nearings in somalia released a retired british couple they held for near nearly a year. a for effort one large failing high school turned itself around through the power of the written word. >> who i became is like wow, i'm really proud of myself. >> mitchell: and fighting fish. meet the anglers who take on the toughest, maniest fish on the river-- meanest fish on the river. >> this is the "cb captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. one day after being freed from house arrest human rights activist aung san suu kyi is throwing down the quantity let to the military rulers of myanmarment she told followers she is carrying on her fight for democracy likely setting the stage for another confrontation. celia hatton has the latest. >> reporter: myanmar's opposition leader aung san suu kyi spoke to a huge crowd of supporters today hours after being freed from seven years of house arrest. she called for democratic rights in her military rule's country, once known as burma. >> if we are to walk the democratic p

lot of a somalia-b >>> set off a bomb in the middle of a crowded christmas celebration. that was the deadly plot of a somalia born teenager who authorities say wanted a quote, spectacular show of terrorism in oregon. the fbi secretly worked with the suspect for months as he planned that attack. >> reporter: this christmas tree lighting in downtown portland was where 19-year-old mohamed osmond mohamed tried to blow up a bomb with explosives. but the bombs with a fake supplied by fbi agents as part of a sting operation. >> he demonstrated from very early on, a serious committed determination to commit judgment jihad. >> mohamud a naturalized citizen born in somalia came under scrutiny because of a tip from someone concerned about him. investigators say he was under surveillance since 2009 when he made contact with someone in the northwest frontier of pakistan, a known haven for terrorists. he also wrote several articles for jihadist magazines, agents worked with mohmud for months as he prepared to activate his plan going so far as testing explosives in a deserted area. >>

modern day bucaneers in somalia released a retired british couple they held for near nearly a year. "a" for effort one large failing high school turned itself around through the power of the written word. >> who i became is like wow, i'm really proud of myself. >> mitchell: and fighting fish. meet the anglers who take on the toughest, meanest fish on the river. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. one day after being freed from house arrest human rights activist aung san suu kyi is throwing down the gauntlet to the military rulers of myanmar she told followers she is carrying on her fight for democracy likely setting the stage for another confrontation. celia hatton has the latest. >> reporter: myanmar's opposition leader aung san suu kyi spoke to a huge crowd of supporters today hours after being freed from seven years of house arrest. she called for democratic rights in her military rule's country, once known as burma. >> if we are to walk the democratic path, we have to walk together. build together, pave to

celia hatton, cbs news, beijing. >> mitchell: now to somalia where there is good news tonight. a british couple held captive by pirates for 388 days has been freed. as charlie tells us, the husband and wife return home tomorrow but tonight in somalia there are still questions and concerns. >> reporter: still on some alley soil but out of the grasp of her cappers rachel chandler could only laugh when she was asked if she felt safe. on the flight to kenya the chandlers said they were happy to be alive after being held by s-- somali pirate force more than a year. paul chandler said they were rather skinny and boney but otherwise fine. the retired british couple were sailing in the indian ocean when they were seized by somali pirates in october 2009. their kidnappers initially threatened it to kill them if their demand for the $7 million ransom was not met, in released video to show they were serious. >> i don't know what else i can say. just please, please help us. please. >> reporter: despite international efforts to stop them, somali pirates have been attacking ships in the seas

first though, 10 men from somalia are on trial in germany, accused of piracy, a charge of bordering a container ship. they recaptured the hijacked ship after an exchange of gunfire. from berlin, our correspondent reports. >> normally, pirates do not come this close to the law, but in april, a patrol happened to be near a container ship that had just been snatched off the coast of somalia. the dutch marines boarded the vessel and confronted the pirates. eye's view.ldier's the camera is on the military helmet. the soldier moves his head from side to side, searching for danger. the crew of the ship had locked themselves in a prearranged safe room when the ship was attacked. seven months on, the men arrested are standing trial. it was a german vessel, so the alleged pirates were handed over to the german authorities. this is the first piracy trial in the port of hamburg for 400 years, when the guilty were beheaded. now, it is a maximum 15 years in jail. most pirates get away with it. many millions in ransom are paid to free ships that have been taken. but catching more pirates red handed

in somalia a british couple held hostage for more than a year by pirates have been released. paul and rachel chandler or kidnap back in 2009, they had been sailing in the indian ocean. they were set free this morning in somalia and greater rachel chandler told reporters that they had been beaten during captivity. an ocean are living has thousands of jellyfish washed up on the beaches. tonight the stair still here based on a sunnier days. >> on this bright sunny day of ocean beach, those shiny beaches those shiny spots on the stand looked like shiny big water. but there are hundreds of jellyfish, this apparently compared to the 10 paled in comparison to the 10,000 that wash up on saturday afternoon. there is still an impressive amount of jellyfish lester and come up the beach. the jellyfish covered 8 3 mi. long 24 it stretch of beach saturday and that it had been seven years since they had seen this many jelly fish wash on the ocean beach. surfers to a been stung by jellyfish before thought about what it feels like. >> it's like a stinging sensation. not really a danger, it's

the waters near somalia are infested with pirates. there are reports they have captured more than 20 ships and are currently holding more than 500 hostages. ransoms are often in the millions for large ships. friends and relatives of the chandlers reportedly raised $430,000 for their release. >> it is too good to be true. >> good to be alive and happy to be free and be here and desperate to see our family and friends. >> what a great story. >> good homecoming. >> a lot more ahead in the next half hour. >> we have breaking news in the district. a wild crash shuts down part of 295. we are live on the scene. >> and the sunday morning miracle some call it, a newborn baby found alive. why the hunt is on for her mother. >> hopefully he will keep on the last three weeks doing what he is supposed to do. >> three weeks left on the job, back to business as usual for the county executive at the center of an f.b.i. sting. "good morning, washington" at 5:00 a.m. begins right now. i'm alison starling. >> i'm scott thuman. we begin with your traffic

a british couple is free after spending more than a year held captive by pirates in somalia. here are the details. >> thin, exhaust, the chandler family was to prevent across central somalia to freedom. >> i love my wife, i love my life. >> held in solitary confinement, beaten by their captors, there were treated by vip's when they laid it -- when they landed later in mogadishu. >> is desperate to see our family and friends. so happy to be amongst decent everyday people. >> they retired early and put their savings in a modest yacht to live their dreams sailing the seas. and still come off the seashell islands, somali pirates took them hostage, demanding to $7 million ransom put up weeks became nuns. the chancellor's grew desperate. >> we really do not think we deserve to have a family. [beep] >> in it -- in the income almost $1 million was raised through private donors. but the british government denies paying any ransom for the release. they welcome today's guests of british officials in nairobi, kenya, free again and heading home soon. but they are already dealing with more

it is based on possible contacts between al-qaeda in yemen and terrorist groups in somalia, as well as concerns about airport security in mogadishu. >> the home secretary also said flights will be suspended from carrying out toner cartridges and they cannot be carried as a cargo unless sent by an approved shipper. this man is the leading suspect in the latest bomb plots, 28 years old, saudi, an alleged al- qaeda bomb maker and but to be hiding in yemen. the americans believe he used a device in his attempts to bring down at a detroit-bound airliner last september. the tipoff came from jabr al- faifi, a former al-qaeda member who turned themselves in to saudi authorities just two weeks ago. the two packages left yemen by different routes. one was aboard a cargo flights that brought it first to germany and then to britain and east midlands airport where it was discovered. the second package began on passenger flights, it is now known. the issue of screening cargo is now under debate >> -- under debate. >> you have to have common sense. we have had these ludicrous measures. confiscating l

homeland security departnt now bans all sipments from yemen and somalia. on passenger flights travelers cannot carry toner and ink cartridgeshat weigh more than one pound. last month authorities discovered bombs in packages on a cargo flight. authorities added somalia after reports of terrorists there actively plotting attacks against the u.s. >>> new security measures from the tsa are facing some strong opposition this morning. this morning the president of a commercial pilots association says flight crews should refuse to use full-body scanners. but some passengers are calling the alternative to those scanners down right invasive. news 4's kimberly suiters joins us with more. good morning, kimberly. >> reporter: good morning, joe. you're talking about captain david bates, ahead of pilots association representing 11,000 pilots. he basically september out a letter asking his members to refuse new techniques. he said pilots should basically be treated not as potential threats but as partners in security. captain bates said basically to pilots you shod polil

they were held in some areas of lawless somalia. in interviews conducted by satellite phone, they said they were treated well. but as the days dragged into months, they said they were beaten, separated, and dealt with like animals. >> please somebody get in touch. otherwise, we just sleepwalk to a tragic ending. >> reporter: the chandlers and their family wanted help from london, but successive british governments have refused to pay a ransom, saying it would only encourage more kidnappings. and the weak somali government called the kidnapping a shame on their country, but their attention is focused on battling islamic insurgents. it has no sway over the somali pirates, whose only real motivation is money. now finally free, the chandlers who have gone through so much and felt abandoned for so long, will be turning their thoughts towards home and a reunion with their family. cnn, nairobi, kenya. >>> now, we have a weather situation. it was, what, about 70 degrees? what was it here in atlanta yesterday? >> it was about 72 degrees. >>

held, often at gun point. >> please, please help us. >> reporter: the waters near somalia are infested with pirates. there are reports they've captured more than 20 ships and are currently holding more than 500 hostages. ransoms are often in the millions of dollars for large ships. friends and relatives of the command learns reportedly raised $430,000 for their release. >> almost disbelief. it was too good to be true. >> happy to be alive. happy to be free. happy to be here and desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: lama hasan, abc news, london. >>> and when we come back, the centuries old country store devastated twice, but rising again because of the american heart. i couldn't sleep right. next day it took forever to get going. night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe better, sleep better, feel better. now try new breathe right advanced for free... at breatheright.com. [

and a big cause of the problem, somalia has been without a functioning government, since 1991. we're getting a first look at the new propaganda from the taliban and afghanistan. the u.s. military says there's a tape and it's revealing new information about the group, including a disturbing strategy involving children. a report from afghanistan coming up next. and an explosion at a luxury hotel and resort leaving at least seven people dead. now, what police are saying caused this blast next. everyone has someone to go heart healthy for. who's your someone? campbell's healthy request can help. low cholesterol, zero grams trans fat, and a healthy level of sodium. it's amazing what soup can do. excuse me, what is that? oh, i'm a fidelity customer. okay, but what does it do? well, it gets me the tools and research i need to help me make informed decisions. with fidelity i can invest in stocks, bonds, ll at a great price. wow. yeah, wow. ♪ [ male announcer ] fidelity investments. turn here. was complicated, with a series of stepped altitude changes. [ air traffic controller ] okay,

hawa abdiand her two daughters deqo and amina from somalia. war-torn somalia they live in daily fear of rape, death and bands of rebels who ravage without warning. in 1991, dr. abdifound herself in the middle of a civil war. armed militia had taken over the capital of mogadishu. >> it was a disaster. but it happened. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of innocent people were forced into the countryside where dr. abbdi owns a nearby farm. >> now 90,000 people at the camp. >> reporter: much more than a refugee camp, it's 200 acres where people farm, learn, and raise their families. you've given your land away. >> yes, and the water to drink because we have a well. >> reporter: she built a hospital where she and her daughters-- also trained physicians-- practice medicine. you must be extremely proud of your mother. >> i am. but she scares me sometimes she's so brave. >> reporter: last may, dr. abdi was held hostage for a week by al qaeda-linked militants, furious that a woman had become a leader to so many. >> i remained and i said "if you want t

released -- after more than a year as hostages the british couple kidnapped by pirates off the coast of somalia have been freed. we'll have the latest. >> heading home. president obama returns from his trip to asia facing an emboldened republican party over spending, tax cuts and the future course of the country. >> and pac-man power. a superman packs a whallop in a boxing match that leaves many calling him the best fighter of all time. today, sunday, november 14th, all time. today, sunday, november 14th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning and welcome to "today" on sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. they are calling him the best fighter ever. he was called that before last night's match. >> he's not a big guy, but he packs a punch. more than 40,000 fans on hand at cowboys stadium. a million tuned in. some call it one of the greatest bouts of all time. we'll show you what happened. >> fun to watch as well. >>> also, vanished. a mom, her two kids and a friend in ohio have been missing for days. investigators suspect foul play after blood was found in he

released -- after more than a year as hostages the british cole kidnapped by pirates off the coast of somalia have been freed. we'll have the latest. >> heading home. president obama returns from his trip to asia facing an emboldened republican party over spending, tax cuts and the future course of the country. >> and pac-man power. a surman packs a whallop in a boxing match that leaves many calling him the best fighter of all time. today, sunday, november 14th, all time. today, sunday, november 14th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning and welcome to "today" on sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. they are calling him theest fighter ever. he was called that before last night's match. >> he's not a big guy, but he packs a punch. more than 40,000 fans on hand at cowboys stadium. a million tuned in. some call it one of the greatest bouts of all time. we'll show you what happened. >> fun to watch as well. >>> also, vanished. a mom, her two kids and a friend in ohio have been missing for days. investigators suspect foul play after blood was found in her ho

but certainly somali pirates still exist in somalia, off the coast of somalia, and they'll take more people unless something is done. >> you could say the somali pirates won, right? it's a sad thung. >>> former president george w. bush says his administration did not mishandle the war on terrorism by failing to focus on afghanistan. in an interview that aired last night on cnn, the former president told candy crowley that he ordered u.s. troops to overthrow saddam hussein in iraq assuming our allies would pick up the slack in afghanistan. allies who he claims had no stomach for war. >> what happened in afghanistan was that our nato allies -- some of them -- turned out not bei willing to fight. and my assumption that we had ample troops, u.s. and nato troops turned out to be a not true assumption. and so we adjusted. and i completely disagree with the take eye off the ball. i found that to be empty political rhetoric. >> candy crowley joins us at 7:30 this morning, she asked president bush about the handling of the economy in his final year in the white house and what he has to say ab

held, often at gun point. >> please, please help us. >> reporter: the waters near somalia are infested with pirates. there are reports they've captured more than 20 ships and are currently holding more than 500 hostages. ransoms are often in the millions of dollars for large ships. friends and relatives of the chandlers reportedly raised $430,000 for their release. >> i don't have any feelings, really. almost disbelief. it was too good to be true. >> happy to be alive. happy to be free. happy to be here and desperate to see our family and friends. >> reporter: lama hasan, abc news, london. >>> and when we come back, the centuries old country store devastated twice, but rising again because of the american heart. i couldn't sleep right. next day it took forever to get going. night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe better, sleep better, feel better. now try new breathe right advanced for f

prior to that i was in somalia in late 2007 and also a very difficult place to work. and came away from that, i don't know, with a rather bleak outlook and crashed, i guess you could say. i needed, i needed some time. and i took that by moving back home, you know? a 30-year-old man moving back home with mom and dad, and i did nothing for as long as i could stand it. and i think had i not done that, things would have been a lot worse. so, yeah, i slept in. played video games. [laughter] >> host: what were some of the worst experiences you had? this. >> guest: i was briefly kidnapped twice in chad. actually not covered in the book. hinted at at the very end of the book. in somalia i spent some time in the after guy ya refugee camp with, among -- surrounded by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, made friends with somali reporters some of whom have since been seriously hurt or killed. that has been very trying. iraq and afghanistan there is always those bursts of extreme violence that rattle you. i think in the balance, though, somalia and chad have been my, the

citizen from somalia, tried to detonate a van packed with explosives. but little did he know it was part of a five-month undercover operation to catch him in the act. we'll have the latest from portland in just a minute. but we begin our coverage tonight with nbc's justice correspondent pete williams in washington. pete, good evening. >> reporter: savannah, there was no danger to those people it at the tree lighting because there never was a real bomb. but fbi agents say the man they arrested had a very real desire to cause death and injury. as the crowded portland jammed into pioneer square for the christmas tree lighting. >> happy holidays! >> reporter: a man hurried there in a van carrying what he thought was a powerful bomb, parking it in this spot just across the street, hoping the fbi says, to kill as many people as possible. what he did not know is that the bomb was a dud. the culmination of an elaborate sting. >> it looked real. it was meant to be so the suspect believed it was a real device. >> reporter: federal agents say they arrested mohamed

we're not somalia. we are not better, we're different. what we fail to recognize when we signed the agreement is that the state of mind -- that is what life is all about. it is not a far distance. trying to that we're make? is it merely a to-state solution? do they trust us? did they recognize us? do we trust them? 17 years of negotiations. only 18 months of negotiations. we did not waste a sgl amendment. this was a mandatory course for palestinians and israelis. today, in 1978, they wrote an article calling for dialogue, rather than violence. when i ran for election, i got 68% of theote. a major change. 75% of palestinians do believe that the only solution is a two- state solution. that does not mean that they are not angry at me. they know. >> the proverbial bottom line, where are we now? >> i am coming to it. [laughter] we are here. we finished the negotiations. i do not think that palestinian needs -- that palestine needs a negotiator anymore. it is time for a decision. it is time for an end game. we have turned every possible stone.

the american pentagon has their way and it's continuing to escalate in afghanistan pakistan yemen and somalia and god knows where else how significant do you think the republican gains are what impact do you think this could have not at home only but also with the international arena. well as we saw during the bush years the republicans in congress are often more hawkish even than a republican president even more hawkish than dick cheney at sometimes passing resolutions in support of particularly for example when israel gets into a fight in lebanon or in the west bank or gaza even if the bush administration was trying to get them to chill out a little bit the congress would always pass resolutions completely endorsing everything that they were doing. continually there's pressure from the israel lobby in congress to ratchet up the sanctions on iran and which they continue to do and this is obama's agenda as well he'd never brought any of that change that he talked about but now matters are worse basically all the incentives are on him to move even further to the right and how about the start t

hawa abdi and her two daughters deqo and amina from somalia. war-torn somalia they live in daily fear of rape, death and bands of rebels who ravage without warning. in 1991, dr. abdi found herself in the middle of a civil war. armed militia had taken over the capital of mogadishu. >> it was a disaster. but it happened. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of innocent people were forced into the countryside where dr. abdi owns a nearby farm. >> now 90,000 people at the camp. >> reporter: much more than a refugee camp, it's 200 acres where people farm, learn, and raise their families. you've given your land away. >> yes, and the water to drink, because we have a well. >> reporter: she built a hospital where she and her daughters-- also trained physicians-- practice medicine. you must be extremely proud of your mother. >> i am. but she scares me sometimes she's so brave. >> reporter: last may, dr. abdi was held hostage for a week by al qaeda-linked militants, furious that a woman had become a leader to so many. >> i remained and i said "if you want

that afghanistan would be at least as safe as somalia. during the campaign. but this was money left on the table by democrats during those senate races. the democrats were fighting against those two candidates in the hardest-fought campaigns of the entire election season did not even bother with that stuff. because this year in american politics, it was not a foreign policy year. anything foreign, including our own wars was almost entirely absent from the elections. and it wasn't just the elections, it's been nearly a full year since president obama made his big speech at west point about what to do in afghanistan. and that topic has essentially been off the table in american politics since then. but it is about to come back. what is expected to happen at the end of this week is that president obama will elaborate on how the u.s. war in afghanistan ends. which means we're going to very quickly change gears in this country from nobody talk about the war in afghanistan to everybody freak out about the war in afghanistan. we started to see a preview of this from

the couple met with somalia's prime minister just hours after their release. somalia elder said they were freed after pirates received a $750,000 ransom payment. >>> reports of a deadly explosion at a resort in mexico. police say at least four people, possibly tourists have been killed. the cause of the explosion is not clear. we'll keep you informed at the top of the hour. 2:00 eastern time in the newsroom. president obama arrives back in the u.s. this afternoon after a four nation tour of asia. his last stop was the apec economic summit in japan. the president and 20 other world leaders pledged to work together to work towards a free trade area in the asia-pacific region. join me for those stories and more at the top of the hour. more fareed zakaria after this. [ female announcer ] imagine skin so healthy, it never gets dry again. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. >>> the g

released after more than a year as hostages, the couple kidnapped by pirates off the coast of somalia have been freed. >> heading home. president obama returns from his trip to asia facing an emboldened republican party in a showdown over spending, tax cuts and the future course of the country. >>> and a superstar packs a wallop in a thrilling boxing match that leaves many calling him one of the best fighters of all time. today is sunday, november 14th, all time. today is sunday, november 14th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. >> now he was considered the best fighter before last night's match. you can imagine how high his stock is soaring this morning. >> boy, does he pack a punch. more than 40,000 fans were on hand at cowboy stadium. millions tuned in around the world. this morning, some are calling it one of the greatest bouts of all time. >> fun to watch, as well. >>> varnished. what happened to a family in who i, a mom, her two kids and a friend have been missing for days. investigators sus

also banned, any cargo from yemen where the plot began and somalia, a known base for groups linked to al qaeda. and cargo identified as high- risk will be subject to enhanced screening. anwar al-awlaki is a key member of the group that's claimed responsibility for the cargo bomb plot. the radical cleric was born here in the united states but today a tape surfaced in which he he made an unmistakable threat against americans. here's homeland security correspondent bob orr. >> reporter: wearing traditional yemeni robes with his trademark dagger at his waist and sitting behind what looks like a talk show desk, anwar al-awlaki openly called for attacks on americans. "don't consult with anybody in killing the americans" al-awlaki says in the 23-minute tape. "fighting the devil doesn't require consultation or prayer seeking divine guidance." al-awlaki, who is fluent in english, speaks only arabic on the tape which was apparently made before two mail bombs were recently sent from yemen. the bombs were built by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula and al- awlaki is a key figure inside that yemen-

people know about somalia. people know about some things about the pseudoand there's a lot of publicity and there's a lot of things that are happening that they are not aware of. i'm quite upset with the morocco attack on the western sahara that took place. i'm going to try to do something on the floor with the resolution on this thing, the horrible thing that took place there. and these people who have been out in the wilderness for some 30 years now -- are you interested in trying to come up with a solution that james baker was not able to do? i've not been able to do but working with us to try to correct the problem that is out there in the western sahara? >> senator, my understanding is that the issues in western sahara and morocco are not primarily military but if confirmed, i certainly want to explore what the role of u.s.-africa would be in a whole of government approach to that matter. >> and i appreciate that. i would think, though, that it becomes military when armed forces are invading there. althoug

we can't really be polling in somalia for obvious reasons. there's one region of somalia where we can safely send our interviewers because all of this work is actually done in face-to-face interviews, so in somalia, we can send people to places without being killed. >> we use random probability samples which simply means that every single person in the country based on your samplings has an equal chance of being selected for this survey, and as i just mentioned, we conduct face-to-face interviews of arab nationals. this is an issue for the countries that have very large nonnational populations, and the cold war h15 and older. we conduct at least 1,000 interviews twice a year, and that's for every single country, so we have very large sample sizes that enable us to do some pretty interesting research, and we, you know, interview basically the whole gamet, rich people, poor people, the entire socioeconomic spectrum. we are not only in urban areas. a lot of the times the survey research work you see will only focus on urban areas because it's a