Al Awlaki Speaks in Video; President Obama to Dine With Senate Republicans
FOREMAN: In a new video released today, a fugitive American-born Muslim cleric is warning of future attacks against U.S. citizens. In the video, Anwar al Awlaki justifies the killing civilians as revenge for U.S. forces killing women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan. An excerpt from this video was released back in April. The entire video, however, has been post on radical Islamic Web sites.</s>ANWAR AL AWLAKI, CLERIC (through translator): Thank you for going through all the hardship to get here.</s>FOREMAN: In a 45-minute interview, Awlaki contrasts what he sees as the West's desire for a liberal democratic Islam and what he sees as the real Islam.</s>AWLAKI (through translator): There are two camps of Islam nowadays, the camp of glory and the camp of humiliation.</s>FOREMAN: Throughout the interview, his theme, a war of faiths. Again, he praises the alleged Ft. Hood shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, who is charged with 13 counts of murder and 32 of attempted murder.</s>AWLAKI (through translator): By God, how can we be opposed to Nidal Hasan's operation? He killed American soldiers en route to Afghanistan and Iraq. Who would object to such an operation?</s>FOREMAN: Awlaki exchanged e-mails with Hasan before the shootings and describes him as one of his students. He predicts more acts of violence in the United States.</s>AWLAKI (through translator): If the American crimes continue, we will see a new Nidal Hasan. There are now mujahedeen in the West and from America fighting for Iraq and Afghanistan. And this phenomenon will grow because of the criminal acts committed by the American in the Arab and Muslim world.</s>FOREMAN: Awlaki also repeats his phrase for the Nigerian student accused of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner over Detroit on Christmas Day, who was allegedly trained by al Qaeda in Yemen, and he claims Americans, including civilians, are legitimate targets.</s>AWLAKI (through translator): Now, when it comes to the American people as a whole, they are participating in the war because they are the ones who voted for this administration and they are the ones funding these wars.</s>FOREMAN: An immediate response from the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs saying the U.S. is actively trying to track down Awlaki and others like him.</s>ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will continue to take action directly at terrorists like Awlaki and keep our country safe from murderous thugs.</s>FOREMAN: In recent months, senior administration officials have said Awlaki is an operational figure within al Qaeda, and he has been targeted for killing or capture. The Yemeni government says if it captures Awlaki, he won't be sent to the United States but will face trial in his homeland. From his hiding place, Awlaki makes it clear he won't surrender but continue to urge jihad, holy war against the country he describes as today's pharaoh.</s>FOREMAN: Let's check our other top stories. Oil giant BP will attempt what's called a "top kill" this week in the latest effort to stop oil from gushing into the gulf. Here's what will happen. Fluid twice the density of water is pumped at a high rate into the leak to stop the flow, a type of mud. If that works, the well can be sealed with cement. But here's the rub. This complex procedure has never been tried at such a depth. Recovery crews in southern India are surging for the flight data recorder in the charred wreckage of that Air India crash. The cockpit voice recorder has be found. Even though it's damaged, investigators believe it will yield important clues about what caused yesterday's fiery crash killing 158 people. Only eight survived. And a final voyage for the space shuttle Atlantis. When it undocked from the International Space Shuttle earlier today, it did so for the last time. There's a push to find new life for Atlantis, but as it stands now, once it lands back here on earth on Wednesday, it will never fly again, sort of an end of an era, in a way. Lots going on in politics, as you might guess, from all we've covered today, a GOP victory in the district where president Obama grew up in Hawaii, among other things, and a full calendar ahead for the president. Let's pull it all into perspective with my pal, CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser -- Paul.</s>PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Tom, how are you?</s>FOREMAN: Tell us about this. The president heads to Capitol Hill Tuesday for a rare lunch with Senate Republicans. Now, is bipartisanship breaking out? What's he going to do?</s>STEINHAUSER: Yes, you'd think, What's going on here? Democratic president, Republican senators -- they don't often get along and get together. But yes, president -- good reporting here by our Ed Henry and our John King -- president going up there. He's going to have lunch on Tuesday with Senate Republicans behind closed doors, as part of their caucus meetings. And from what we're hearing, the two big things on the agenda will be immigration reform and border security, and climate change and clean energy. Tom, those are the two big ticket items kind of remaining that the administration would like to get through Congress and get passed into law, and there's a lot of Republican opposition. So the president, Senate Republicans are going to sit down, break bread over lunch and see if they can find any common ground, Tom.</s>FOREMAN: I'm going to guess, with all the activity in the gulf, it's going to be a little bit of a dicey conversation. Mr. Obama heads to the West Coast Tuesday evening and Wednesday. What's on his agenda out there?</s>STEINHAUSER: First thing on his agenda, fund-raiser-in-chief, one of the things the president does. He will be headlining a fund- raiser for Senator Barbara Boxer of California. Boxer is facing a tough reelection battle this year. President was out there just earlier this spring for a fund-raiser for Boxer. Going back again a second time to help her raise some money in that tough battle ahead for her. Also, while he's out there on Wednesday, he's going to go to a solar energy facility and he's going to talk about clean energy and he's also going to talk about the economy and job creation. So he'll have a presidential event as well as a political event when he's in California, Tom.</s>FOREMAN: And even further West than California, a rare GOP congressional victory out in Hawaii. Now, is this a big deal for the Republicans?</s>STEINHAUSER: The Republicans are definitely trying to make this a big deal. We saw a lot of statements from national Republicans this morning. What happened? This was a special election yesterday for an open House seat, a vacant House seat, Hawaii's first congressional district in the Honolulu area. The person who held it was a Democrat, and he stepped down to run full-time for governor. Barack Obama -- this is his home district. This is where he grew up. This is where he went to middle school, high school, mostly. And this is an overwhelmingly Democratic district. But Tom, there were three candidates on the ballot, and two of them were Democrats. National Democrats tried to have one of them step down for party unity. That didn't happen, so they split the vote. And Honolulu councilman Charles Djou has now won. National Democrats are saying, You know what? Listen, we'll win it back in November when we only have one Democrat on the ballot -- Tom.</s>FOREMAN: All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks for the inside scoop. Always good to talk to you. How far would you jump for a spot in the history books? Well, for one man, it involves a trip to the very edge of space. And the first step after that is a doozy.