Suicide Bombers Strike World Cup Fans; U.S. Missionaries Hurt in Attacks
BLITZER: The White House confirms the FBI will help investigate suicide attacks in Uganda that killed at least 74 people including one American. The bombings happened at a restaurant and at a rugby center in the Ugandan capital. Both were filled with fans watching the World Cup final. An Islamic terrorist group called (al-Shabab) is claiming responsibility. It's battling the government in nearby Somalia and says the attacks are retaliation for Uganda's contribution to a peacekeeping force there. Let's bring in our National Security analyst, Peter Bergen. Peter, tell us exactly what we know about this al-Shabab group.</s>PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, al-Shabab, which means the youth in Arabic is a group that aligned itself with al Qaeda a little over a year ago. They have recruited American suicide bombers. The first American suicide ever was an al-Shabab, somebody that was recruited from the United States. They have - there's an American who's one of the leaders is a guy who was a Baptist who grew up in Alabama who's now one of their leaders. So they do have some connection to the United States. They've recruited probably around two dozen, mostly Somalian Americans but also some African-Americans. But an account in "The Washington Post" says they have somewhere between 300 to 1,000 foreign fighters, a lot of them from neighboring African countries. Wolf, I do think it was significant the bomb was launched at -- one of the targets was an Ethiopian restaurant because this group sees itself as war with the Ethiopian State, which is largely Christian. This, of course, is an Islamist militant group and the fact that they're doing an operation outside of Somalia is also significant. They did try and kill a Danish cartoonist who painted what they thought was an offensive cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed. So they've shown some ability to try to reach out to the west. That attack did not come off, but clearly now with this attack in Uganda they've succeeded.</s>BLITZER: These were clearly soft target, relatively easy targets in Uganda. Does this group have the capability to launch attacks outside of Somalia against more significant targets?</s>BERGEN: Well, I mean, I think the fact that they, you know, they attacked Uganda means they can probably attack almost anywhere in Africa. There are plenty of American targets or western targets in Africa and of course, these groups are recruiting foreigners, a number of Brits have shown up in Somalia. I think this Uganda episode is unfortunately probably indicative of other operations that are not just located in Somalia, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: These Africans in Uganda, they're simply watching a soccer game, the World Cup final. What does that say to you?</s>BERGEN: These groups are completely nutty and crazy. I mean, they regard people watching soccer as a sort of a crime against Islam and they've been punishing Somalis who play soccer by, you know, in some cases torturing them. This is their kind of mindset of these guys. So watching something as innocuous as the World Cup is in their minds, you know, a crime punishable by death.</s>BLITZER: These are real, real hard core terrorists. All right, Peter, thanks very much. An American man as we've been reporting was killed in these Ugandan attacks. Some members of the church in Pennsylvania were among the 85 people. Mary Snow is joining us now from there. Mary, you got a chance to some of the victims' family members, what are they saying to you?</s>MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, members of this congregation who had gone to Uganda to do mission work. Now, five have been seriously injured. They are all expected to live. They had been scheduled to leave Uganda today. Last night they had a goodbye dinner and they were said to be within feet of one of the bombers.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chris.</s>SNOW (voice-over): When Debbie (Bingaman) saw pictures of her injured son, it was more than she could bear.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He'll be OK, but he's not smiling.</s>SNOW: The (Bingaman) spent most of the day at the same church where they first met 18-year-old Kris (Sledge) who became their foster son four years ago. And it's the same church that brought him to Uganda to do mission work. Moments later, word of (inaudible). (Sledge) was with fellow church members in the Ugandan city of (Kumpala) watching the World Cup when a bomb exploded at a popular restaurant where they had gathered to watch. The (Bingamans) were at dinner when they got the news.</s>TIM BINGAMAN, FATHER OF KRIS SLEDGE: I was able to speak with Kris for a short time before I lost the call.</s>SNOW: How did he sound?</s>BINGAMAN: He was pretty upset. He was crying, but he was all the while trying to reassure us that he was OK.</s>SNOW: Along with Sledge, other church members who were injured, Joanne Kirksteader and her granddaughter Emily, Pamela Cramer and her son Thomas. A team from the church had gone to Uganda to construct a brick wall around a school and church. Nine members returned last week but because the project wasn't finished, six members stayed behind. It was part of a bond that Christ Community United Methodist Church in the small world Pennsylvania community had formed with the congregation in Uganda.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've had a relationship with a congregation, a sister congregation. And throughout these past years, alternating years, mission teams had traveled from this church to that church to work together.</s>SNOW: The group also works with orphans, part of the allure for Kris Sledge. His then foster parents, now legal guardians say he's had a tough life.</s>DEBBIE BINGAMAN, MOTHER OF KRIS SLEDGE: Sometimes I look at him and I'm surprised that he would even think about from his background going to someone who has even a worse background.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A time to get and a time to lose.</s>SNOW: As they wait to be reunited with Kris who's studying to be a preacher, they rely on their prayers.</s>SNOW: And just about an hour from now, members from the congregation are going to be gathering here to offer their prayers. The latest word that the church has gotten about the five who have been injured, three are being taken to Nairobi for medical treatment and two others are going to be taken to Johannesburg. Wolf?</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Mary Snow with that heart breaking story, thank you. Uganda sits in a region with a very grim recent history. In nearby Somalia, the fragile government is fighting the Islamist group claiming responsibility for this weekend's attacks as well as other militants and terrorists. To the north, the battle between Sudan and armed militias in the Darfur region that sparked a humanitarian crisis. To the east and south, the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were bombed back in 1998. Also in the south, Rwanda, scene of the 1994 genocide, which killed some 800,000 people. And to the west, the Democratic Republic of Congo where war waged for almost a decade starting back in 1994. The former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, preparing for his first major live television appearance in years. That's coming up. Also, California police arrest a suspected serial killer, and now they're reopening dozens of so-called cold cases. We're going to tell you about the extraordinary forensic science that led to the suspect. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.