[Flores:] Right now, the U.S. is doing a critical head count, trying to see if any Americans remain in South Sudan. The State Department says Americans were able to get out of the African nation today. The successful rescue comes after a failed effort Saturday that left four U.S. troops wounded. Several military aircraft trying to extract Americans in Bor when the choppers came under fire. The violence in South Sudan had grown bloodier after the president accused his now ex- V.P. of attempting a coup. Let's go to CNN's Athena Jones in Hawaii, traveling with President Obama who's on vacation. And, Athena, the president just released a statement on South Sudan. What did he say?
[Athena Jones, Cnn Correspondent:] Hi, Rosa. Well, we're getting a few more details directly from the president on that operation that failed to evacuate the American citizens from South Sudan yesterday. This is released just in the last less than an hour. It's part of the president's letter to Congress, which is required under the War Powers Resolution. The White House says this is standard practice whenever there's a U.S. deployment of troops overseas. Let me read to you a bit from that letter. It says, "On December 21st, 2013, approximately 46 additional U.S. military personnel deployed by military aircraft to the area of Bor, South Sudan to conduct an operation to evacuate U.S. citizens and personnel. After the aircraft came under fire as they approaches Bor, the operation was curtailed due to security considerations and the aircraft and all military personnel onboard departed South Sudan without completing the evacuation. The purpose of this operation was to protect U.S. citizens, personnel and property. As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support they security of U.S. citizens, personnel and property, including our embassy in South Sudan." As you mentioned at the top, we now know that several American citizens were able to be evacuated successfully today. The question, though, remains, how many remain on the ground? We know that the Americans who presented themselves to the United Nations were able to get out of the country successfully. And so the president and his national security team are keeping close tabs on the situation there. The president is going to be continuously updated.
[Flores:] Could you elaborate a little on how those Americans were able to get out?
[Jones:] We understand that they were able to leave the country with the help of the United Nations. The president, when he was briefed on this, I should tell you he was briefed as soon as he landed on the ground over night, late Friday night in Honolulu. He was briefed while still aboard Air Force One. About yesterday the evacuation attempt that failed, and the status of those four American servicemembers. He was then briefed again later Saturday morning. Briefed again this morning. So he directed his team to continue working with the United Nations to try to get these American citizens out of the country, and that's what happened. Rosa?
[Flores:] Are there signs of other ways that the U.S. could get involved in Sudan? I understand the recent fighting has forced tens of thousands of people to flee.
[Jones:] At this point, we have no indication that there's going to be any involvement by U.S. military troops, for instance, in the conflict. We know that there ate troops there, who are there to buttress, to fortify, the embassies and protect personnel on the ground. But in terms of any sort of other military involvement, there are no indications, and I would not expect to see that happen. We do know that the president as part of the statement the White House put out yesterday, after meeting with his national security team via a secure conference call on Saturday, the president, again, urged the government, the leadership in South Sudan telling them it's their responsibility to protect U.S. personnel and also call on them to try to resolve these differences peacefully or risk withdrawal of U.S. and international support. This is a country that's only two years old, and right now, it's involved in this increasing ethnic and political violence. So, the president, secretary of state, National Security Advisor Susan Rice are all calling on the leaders of South Sudan to resolve this peacefully through dialogue, but that's about it. It doesn't look like any sort of U.S. military involvement there.
[Flores:] All right, Athena Jones, thank you so much. We switch gears as Christmas draws near. Pope Francis focuses on homeless families reminding the faithful of how the holy family had no home in the days before Jesus was born.
[Pope Francis:] [Speaking foreign language]
[Flores:] Pope Francis told the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square today to do everything possible to, quote, "assure that every family has a place to live." His message comes just days after "Time" magazine named the pontiff, the person of the year.. Former NBA star, Dennis Rodman, is wrapping up a trip to North Korea, but he plans to return in just a few weeks, and he plans to bring 12 other former NBA stars with him as well. Jim Clancy has more on Rodman's trip, and its significance.
[Jim Clancy, Anchor, Cnn International:] Rosa, Dennis Rodman is vowing I'll be back and downplaying the fact that he hasn't really met with his good friend, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Even before this trip, Rodman said he was just trying to bridge a gap.
[Dennis Rodman, Former Nba Player:] I want to bridge a gap with North Korea. That's all I want
[Clancy:] Humble aspirations from a controversial sports figure on an even more controversial visit to Pyongyang. Others hope he might be able to help free an imprisoned American missionary, Kenneth Bae, arrested more than a year ago serving a 15-year sentence for what the North Koreans say was an attempt to overthrow the regime
[Bill Richardson, Former U.s. Ambassador To U.n:] There's a value if Rodman can get Kenneth Bae out. If not, then I don't think the trip will have much consequence.
[Clancy:] Rodman insists that kind of diplomacy is not part of his trip. He says like it or not, he and North Korea's young dictator are just good friends.
[Mike Green, Center For International And Strategic Studies:] It's bizarre, and it raises serious questions about Kim Jong-un's own judgement.
[Clancy:] Rosa, Kim is actually getting exactly what he wants, our attention. It may well be that Dennis Rodman also thrives on that kind of attention, and of course he'll earn a paycheck. But don't lose sight of the core purpose that this all holds for the North Koreans. They know the regime is weak. It needs to get the U.S. to engage it. That Kim Jong-un really wants is a deal with the U.S., a treaty, that will ensure the survival of the Kim dynasty, and it will do anything to get it. On one hand, you've got the basketball diplomacy, and Dennis Rodman, but don't forget on the other hand, you've also got threats coming from North Korea, rolling off fax machines in Seoul, warning of a merciless strike that could come at any time. Rosa, back to you.
[Flores:] Jim Clancy, thank you so much. Still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, late Thursday, the Senate signs off on a bill designed to reform the way the military prosecutes sexual assaults. But, for some, this is not the fix they pushed for. We've got the details just ahead.