>> the twerk craze took off in new orleans and then ten years later atlanta rappers hopped on the bandwagon and they used the word in their song "get low," which shot to number two on the charts in 2003. it's been used in countless other hip hop songs ever since. mile liy cyrus did not become t poster child for this until this year when she posted videos of herself doing the dance. because of this, we can't even give her points for originality. i turn it over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." we're talking about what appears to be an inevitable strike against syria. we'll talk to it about john mccain.

>> and george zimmerman asks for thousands of dollars in legal costs. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." military retaliation for syria's chemical weapons attack appears to be a matter of when, not if. u.s. forces are said to be ready to go, only awaiting president obama's order. the commander in chief has been consulting with allied leaders by phone and now the white house is offering some clues about what the looming strike will and won't entail. our senior white house correspondent jim acosta has the latest information. what are you hearing over there, jim? >> reporter: white house officials say president obama is already discussing options for syria. he continues to line up support up on capitol hill and overseas for what appears to be an inevitable military strike for crossing that red line on chemical weapons, but white house officials are drawing other lines indicating just how far the president is willing to go.

as white house state officials say president obama is making progress to use military force against syria, it was the vice president's turn to present the case for action. >> those who use chemical weapons against defenseless men, women and children should and must be held accountable. >> there must be a response. >> reporter: white house press secretary jay carney all but telegraphed a strike in the coming days. no boots on the ground in syria and no effort to remove syrian leader bashar al assad from power. >> as the president weighs his options, does he want to take out assad? and would his death be a welcomed outcome at this white house? >> i appreciate the question. i want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change. they are about responding to a clear violation of an international standard that

prohibits the use of chemical weapons. >> reporter: defense secretary chuck hagel said the pentagon is awaiting the president's call. >> if the order comes, you're ready to go like that? >> we're ready to go like that. >> reporter: president obama has every major u.s. ally echoing his administration's goal for a serious strike. >> this is not about go further into that conflict. it's nothing to do with that. it's about chemical weapons. their use is wrong and the world shouldn't stand idly by. >> translator: france is ready to punish those who took this disgusting decision to gas innocent people. >> reporter: there is even a boost of support coming in from leaders in the arab league. >> translator: we place full responsibility on the syrian regime over this horrid crime, and we call for all perpetrators for this crime to be tried in

international courts for war crimes. >> reporter: syria's foreign minister rejected the allegations and warned of consequences. >> i categorically deny this matter. we have the materials to defend ourselves and we will surprise others. >> no one believes that the rebels have the capability to launch such a large scale chemical attack using aircraft and missiles. it's just beyond their inventory. these are ak-47 and rpg guys, not missile and pilots. >> reporter: and white house officials continue to say they plan to release an intelligence assessment for their case against syria and that is expected this week and before any military action is taken. i should point out one official did caution to us they don't feel like they don't feel this intelligence assessment is needed to make the case against syria. they say the evidence is already

plain to see. >> a lot of us were expecting that intelligence report out today. what's the delay if there is a delay? >> reporter: they're not talking about any delay at this point, wolf. they feel like at this point that this case was already made over the weekend when reports were starting to come in from independent medical organizations that said it was clear that it appeared chemical weapons were used. so at this point they're still putting together that intelligence assessment. that is expected to be presented to the american people, presented to the world before any military action was taken and that at some point this week it will be coming out, just not today. >> jim acosta over at the white house, thanks very much. let's dig a little bit deeper right now with our chief political analyst gloria borger and john king. looks like a pretty strategic advance now. the secretary of state yesterday, vice president today, maybe the president tomorrow. >> what you're seeing as we were discussing yesterday is the beginning of a real strategic roll-out here, part of an

education, if you, will of the american public and as well as the congress. congress is not in town. the president is on the phone, secretary of state's on the phone, secretary of defense is on the phone with his counterparts. this is all up to the roll-out. part of that is declassifying some of this information to tell the american public -- i spoke with one good source today who said this isn't like saddam hussein when we were looking for where his secrets were hidden. this is out in the open. however, now that the american public has been promised some of this declassified information and they were already out there saying they're going to do it, i think it's incumbent upon them to do it. >> but they look at the polls over at the white house, as you well know, the american public has made it clear they don't want to get involved in another iraq, afghanistan, even libya for that matter. >> that's why there's such high pressure on the president when he steps out. we've had secretary kerry, we've had the vice president, we had secretary hagel.

the prime minister of great britain and president of france have spoken to their people about this. the white house, you save the president for when you're trying to get to the fin are line. so they're waiting to sort this out. the president has to make his case to the american people. but to the point about this intelligence assessment, we were told by sources early this morning it would be out today. there is a bit of a tug of war inside the administration about how much to put out. part of this is the hangover of the legacy of the iraq war. they understand some american people will be skeptical, some people in the president's own party, anti-war forces will be skeptical and people around the world. you're already hearing iran, the syrian government saying you can't believe the united states, we've been down this road before. they have a credibility bar to pass. and senator barack obama was critical of the bush administration saying if you're going to do this, you have to make a better case for it. that's pressure for him. >> and i spoke to chris van holland. let's listen to what he said about this administration needing to make his case publicly.

>> it seems clear that chemical weapons were used but i think they should come forward with additional evidence linking them to those weapons. in iraq there were claims that iraq had stockpiles of chemical weapons, we went to war and that was not the case. >> again, you talk to officials who say this is so different from iraq and saddam hussein but as john will tell you, that hangs over all of this. >> end of next week, the president is supposed to be in st. petersburg, russia. he'll no doubt have to believe with russian president putin. if it happens right after a series of cruise missile attacks, that could be awkward. >> it could be in the middle of of the operations. you have the first wave, then a battle damage assessment and then almost always there's a

second wave to sort of finish up what you wanted to do. my understanding is that the u.n. secretary-general has told the president they're not going to go to security council, they know russia and iraq would object. most people seem to think you have until sunday, unless something changes. but for the president to be overseas while this is playing out again adds to the challenge he has making the case not only to a every skeptical american public but then on the global stage. >> it's the g-20 summit. >> how bad would it look for the president to be isolating putin in front of an international coalition there? as far as the president is concerned, i don't think it plays badly for him. >> it might help putin back in russia. >> that's right. >> we'll see what happens with this trip and what happens over the next few days. thanks very much. coming up, i'll speak with a top republican on the senate armed

services committee, senator john mccain. he's here in the situation room. what is he hearing about a looming strike against syria? also coming up, we'll have the latest on that massive wildfire charring thousands of acres at yosemite national park. we're live on the front lines. nascar is about excitement. but tracking all the action and hearing everything from our marketing partners, the media and millions of fans on social media can be a challenge. that's why we partnered with hp to build the new nascar fan and media engagement center. hp's technology helps us turn millions of tweets, posts and stories into real-time business insights that help nascar win with our fans. [ beeping ] ♪

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i'to guard their manhood with trnew depend shields and guards. the discreet protection that's just for guys. now, it's your turn. get my training tips at guardyourmanhood.com a desperate race against time for thousands of firefighters battling a massive wildfire threatening yosemite national park. the raging rim fire has ravaged close to 180,000 acres and is barely contained. casey wian joins us from groveland, california with the latest. what are you seeing over there, casey? >> reporter: well, wolf, we've seen a lot of hot spots that are still burning in this area

surrounding yosemite national park. we did get a very up-close view earlier today. i went with photographer david lake and my producers and we got uncomfortably close with some of those flames. one of the issues, these giant trees that have been damaged but not knocked down by the fire, they are called snags. they're a big danger for firefighters. we heard several of them fall, perhaps four or five of them crash to the ground. it's one of the big challenges that firefighters are facing. let's listen to what one official had to say about that. >> one of the biggest concern is obviously you see these large trees out here. so we have a lot of those trees that are dropping, they're falling in isolated areas. so our firefighters really have to be heads up while they're out there putting water on the fire. they have to be looking up, looking down, looking around, making sure all their safety points are in check. >> reporter: you can see over my shoulder some of the damage that

this fire has already caused. as you mentioned, 180,000 acres have burned in this area. we're showing you a live picture right now where you can sees advi -- see the visibility is not very bad. four or five hours ago, you cannot see yards into that area. there's an inversion area that comes in in the morning. the good news is the humidity that causes the smoke to stay down in these areas is helping firefighters manage this effort better. there's more good news. yosemite national park itself, wolf, only about 3% of the park has burned. so the valley that so many people are familiar with where all those landmarks are and all that scenery is, that officials say is still safe for visitors, wolf. >> let's hope it stays like that. casey wian on the front lines for us. thanks very much.

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starbucks ceo howard schultz says he will not use obama care as an excuse to lower benefits for his workers. the coffee chain provides insurance for 160,000 employees, even part-time workers. starbucks clearly bucking the trend. ups is cutting benefits to employees' spouses and other companies thinking of making

changes include forever 21, fat burger and delta, which says health care will cost an extra $100 million next year but didn't specify obama care next year. in related news, walmart said it will offer health benefits to same-sex couples and domestic partners next year. it will cover benefits for couples who have been living together for at least a year. it comes just months after the u.s. supreme court overturned the defense of marriage act which previously defined marriage between a man and a woman. >> edward snowden has a new high-profile supporter in hollywood. actor matt damon spoke about him on "alternative cinema." listen to this. >> i think it's a great thing that we did. if we're going to trade or civil liberties for our security, then that should be a decision that

we collectively make, you know, it shouldn't be made for us. >> reporter: damon is no stranger to espionage, at least when it comes to the movies. one of his most well-known roles is that of secret agent jason bourne. >> and nissan says it's planning to sell self-driving cars by the year 2020. the japanese automaker says it's working with a number of universities including m.i.t. to perfect the technology, general motors, toyota and audi are also working on self-driving cars, as is the tech giant google, which has been working on the technology for years. >> up next, a top republican on the senate armed services committee joins me. i'll ask senator john mccain what he thinks the u.s. should do in syria right now. plus we have details of george zimmerman's request for court costs. he's asking the state of florida and the taxpayers there for hundreds of thousands of dollars. usual please. thank you very much.

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here to explain. and he's the face of war in afghanistan and the life that may be possible after. you'll find out why this heart warming facebook photo has gone viral. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." international diplomacy and military mite aligning for what appears to be an inevitable military retaliatory strike. we're told we can expect to see that the bashar al assad regime did use chemical weapons against its own people last week. chris, what have we learned about the actual proof the white house has on syria's use of chemical weapons? >> reporter: a u.s. official is telling me this intelligence assessment contains forensic evidence that an actual chemical

attack took place, as well as some intercepted communications among syrian forces that suggest the regime was responsible. a separate force is telling john king that the report contains satellite activity at potentially chemical weapons depots. the source also tells me this information has already been shared among senior obama administration officials. it was in the process of being declassified. he thought it could have been released as early as today. now the white house indicating sometime soon. >> new information about one of the military options the president is considering. >> reporter: that's right. we're also getting some information about this option that is the most likely and the most limited. a senior defense official is telling me basically that this could be over in a matter of days. he said possibly even as short as 48 hours. it involves air strikes from one

of the four navy destroyers positioned off the coast in the eastern mediterranean sea. we also know that there are british and u.s. subs in those waters as well. they're all equipped with tomahawk cruise missiles that could be used to strike land targets. the official says there will be an initial strike and then a period of assessment to see what damage has been done and what else needs to be done in any subsequent strikes. >> thanks very much. even some who are strongly in favor of a strike on syria worry that the wrong indonesia kikind could back fire. joining me, senator john mccain, republican of arizona, key member of the senate armed services committee. senator, what do you think the obama administration, the united states, needs to do right now as far as syria is concerned? >> i think that retaliatory action, particularly since bashar al assad crossed, again, not for the first time the red

line that the president of the united states stated would be unacceptable. but the question is, wolf, will these just be some cruise missile strikes for three days as reported by the media or will it be actions that will reverse the momentum on the ground in syria, taking out their air assets, taking out some of their capabilities and getting weapons to general idris and his people that can reverse the momentum on the battlefield. if it's just some strikes with cruise missiles, then it will not only not do any good, it may be counterproductive and help bashar al assad with his propaganda. so i greatly am concerned about what kind of strikes these will be and what they will entail. >> well, it's clearly going to be militarily limited. i want to you listen to this exchange our white house

correspondent jim acosta had with jay carney today. >> reporter: as the president weighs his options, does he want to take out assad? and would his death be a welcomed outcome at this white house? >> i appreciate the question. i want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change. they are about responding to a clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons. >> so what do you think of that response? >> i'm not surprised, but i think it's very obvious that bashar al assad has committed war crimes. but most importantly we need to reverse the momentum to bring bashar al assad down as the president two years ago said had to happen. and a year ago said that it would be unacceptable crossing red line if he used chemical weapons. we need -- we can reverse the

situation on the battlefield by taking out his air assets, cratering his runways and getting the weapons to the right people so that they can reverse the momentum. if it's simply just going and doing some cruise missile strikes, then i think, again, it may be counterproductive. in fact, it may give bashar al assad a propaganda advantage by saying he was able to resist the united states' attacks. >> have you discussed your concerns in recent days with either the president, the vice president, his national security adviser, some of his aides? >> i had a conversation with the president's national security adviser with some specifics. i had a conversation with the president when it was first revealed that another chemical weapons attack had taken place. i want to assure you, wolf, that with those who want to leave this issue alone are not appreciative of how this is

spreading, seeing deterioration in iraq, al qaeda being restored in iraq and syria, of the destabilization of lebanon and jordan and the list goes on. this is turning into a regional conflict, and we need to reverse it. now is an opportunity to do so. >> you may or may not be surprised to hear that the former house speaker newt gingrich totally disagrees with you. i interviewed him a little while ago. we're going to play the interview in the next hour. but he makes the point that right now the u.s. probably would be better off doing nothing. listen to this little clip. >> very few americans are prepared to wage a syrian campaign, which it sounds to me is what john mccain is describing. we're still occupied in afghanistan, watching the mess in libya, trying to help in maui, looking at egypt in chaos. i mean, the idea that we should go out and take on syria next i

think is gross overextension. >> strong words from newt gingrich. do you want to respond to him? >> sure. i'm not advocating for any boots on the ground. i don't think that mr. gingrich and others perhaps appreciate that this conflict is spreading and turning into a regional conflict. it's not confined to syria. also, is the united states prepared to sit by and watch 100,000 and more people slaughtered and massacred, including use of chemical weapons, including other weapons supplied by russia and iran and the increasing presence of al qaeda in the region? again, it's not requiring boots on the ground, it's not requiring serious things except supplying people with weapons with which to defend themselves and taking out the air assets. i don't think that's that's bogged down in syria, but if

this situation continues to deteriorate, it will spread to the region and including endanger the nation of israel as they are beginning to recognize. >> i want you to explain a comment that you made involving a letter that general martin dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs, sent to some members of congress including elliott engel of the house foreign affairs committee. in that letter among other things dempsey said it would not be militarily decisive but it would commit us decisively to the conflict. we should evaluate the effectiveness of limited military options in this context. that letter was written on august 19th. the chemical weapons attack occurred on august 21st. what was the point that you were trying to make about supposedly dempsey giving bashar al assad a green light? >> well, i think when the chief

military person in the united states of america makes an unequivocal statement that we will not be involved and are basically under any circumstances, i think that clearly bashar al assad and his people read those reports. but most importantly is that i know, because i've been in syria, wolf, i know that general idris and his people, we could get the weapons to them and they could succeed if we take out the air assets and provide a safe zone for them to operate out of. that does not mean american boots on the ground. that does not mean further escalation by the united states of america or involvement. people worry about escalating involvement by the part of the united states. those are decisions that are made. i would not make those decisions. but to sit by and watch the region deteriorate into chaos is something that is not in the united states' national security interests, not to mention our

humanitarian view of massacre of well over 100,000 people, a million children are refugees. by the way, these children will grow up to be very significant adversaries of the united states because of their belief we abandoned them. >> senator mccain, thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> we're going to have much more on this crisis in syria. just ahead in our next hour, a situation room special report that we call "crisis in syria." also, a young couple shares a story behind a family photo that's touched so many people around the world. but first, as we count down to the debut of cnn's new "crossfire" next month, here's a classic: >> well, the country's about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of dr. king's "i have a dream" speech. at this point it's almost impossible to imagine that it was ever controversial to want to honor dr. king.

but in 1983 it certainly was to jerry falwell when he came on "crossfire." >> why not a martin luther king day? >> i just feel that there are other black americans and the corporate body of black americans who are due honor more than one recent individual about whom there's a great question mark even to this moment. >> what is the question mark? >> the question mark is that so far all the records on him are sealed and neither you, tom nor i really know -- >> are you talking about his personal character? >> yes. >> his personality life -- >> he may be as clean as billy graham but we've don't know that because the records are sealed. so then the little tiny chipmunks go all the way up...

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it's a touching image that not only captures the harsh reality of war but also reminds thousands of people what can be possible after. a marine who lost both legs in afghan sof afghanistan photographed with his wife carrying him on her back. >> i joined in august of 2003. >> reporter: marine staff sergeant jesse cottle's world was forever changed in 2009. >> we were on an ied clearing mission and on foot. it's not the safest job you could choose. >> reporter: jesse's job, to find and dismantle improvised explosive devices. you're looking at helmet cam video from that day in afghanistan. >> about five hours into that patrol, into that mission, i was

struck by an anti-personnel i.d. it was a pressure plate. i stepped on it and there -- i lost both legs right away. >> reporter: the explosion was caught on camera. >> cottle, cottle! oh, god! >> what do you need? what do you need? >> i remember most everything. i was awake the whole time. >> all right, get the litter out. get the litter out. >> it was tough. it is tough in general but i just kind of always had the attitude that, you know, it's really tough now but things will just be okay. and i had my family around me. i had good friends and basically just my faith really helped me to carry through and i was lucky to be able to go through the tough recovery and then still

live my life and meet my beautiful wife. >> reporter: he met kelly during his recovery. she was swimming for boise state at the time. >> i met her at a swim meet in san diego. >> i just remember being very intrigued by him. he was just very different and not just because of his legs, just who he was. >> reporter: they were married in 2012. they live in san diego now but they're here in idaho visiting kelly's family. while they were here, they took family portraits. >> it was a normal photo shoot. we finally all got together and jesse had his legs on and everything. >> reporter: the photographer ing suggested a picture in the water. i said you can pop your legs off and we can get you. it's how we get around, it's pretty normal. >> reporter: the photographer posted one of those shots, this one, on her facebook page. she had no idea the image of

kelly carrying jesse on her back would get the reaction it did. >> overwhelming. i can't even keep up with my page. >> reporter: thousands of likes, hundreds of shares and comments. >> the picture just blew up. i mean, america just fell in love with jesse and kelly. >> god bless the both of you and thank you tremendously for your sacrifice for our freedom. you are a hero. >> reporter: what's it like to see these comments, jesse? >> again, just speechless. having that kind of impact, it's very humbling. my first reaction was i just wanted to be able to reply to each one but then they kept -- i'm glad that we can have that impact, that you don't expect it. >> it's cool because i think we represent a lot of people and a lot of couples that are going through the same thing. so it's an honor to be able to represent that. >> reporter: now jesse and his wife are an inspiration to st u

thousands and a reminder of the sacrifices being made by our military every day. >> what a story. let's thank maggie o'mara, our affiliate, for bringing us that report. what a wonderful, wonderful couple. >> coming up, the crisis in syria. a situation room special report on what appears to be a looming u.s. military strike. that starts right at the top of the hour. plus why george zimmerman wants florida to pay his court costs. more than $200,000. ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. help the gulf when we made recover and learn the gulf, bp from what happened so we could be a better, safer energy company. i can tell you - safety is at the heart of everything we do. we've added cutting-edge technology,

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it was an embarrassing beauty pageant bust after a

contestant was asked a question about the five senses but her answer didn't seem to make much sense. hereies jeanne moos. >> reporter: warning, this may be uncomfortable. it may be awkward. but think how much worse it would be to be the one on stage at the miss philippines usa pageant where beauty is only skin deep and so were the questions. what if someone asked you of your five senses which do you prefer? >> if you could only have one? >> thank you for that wonderful question. >> reporter: but her answer was a little less wonderful. >> i would take seeing because seeing is the best sense that we can ever see because seeing is believing. and believing into what you see is perfect. >> reporter: bear with her just a little longer. >> and out of all the senses,

seeing would really be wonderful because -- thank you, that will be it. thank you so much. >> reporter: talk about senses? at least she had the sense to shut up. maybe she should take >> i spernl personally believe that u.s. americans -- >> remember when katie upton was asked at the miss teen usa pageant why 1/5 of americans can't locate the u.s. on a map, she got lost. >> south africa and the iraq and everywhere such as. >> reporter: but since then she's capitalized on her blunder. >> i personally believe cracking shells will help americans that don't have maps. >> reporter: she globe trotted in the amazing race. she stars in her own web series in learning stuff with catie

upton. and on tosh.0, she got a do over answering the same beauty pageant question but this time giving the correct response. >> i don't know. >> thank you, south carolina. it's a beauty pageant, america. nobody gives a [ bleep ] what's going on up here! >> reporter: meet your role model catie. >> i personally believe -- >> everywhere such as. >> reporter: new york. >> leave it to jeanie. thank you. coming up, very serious subject. "the situation room" special report. crisis in syria. that will begin at the top of the hour. also george zimmerman, zimmerman asked the state of florida for hundreds of thousands of dollars for reimbursements for court expenses. his attorney is here.

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shaq 1, pain 0. [ male announcer ] icy hot advanced patch with 50% more medicine. pain over. the lawyers who defended george zimmerman against the second degree murder charge in the shooting death of trayvon martin, they are planning to ask the state of florida to reimburse him hundreds of thousands of dollars of costs incurred during the course of the trial. under state law, he could get that money back. and mark o'mara, the defense attorney for george zimmerman is joining us now. thanks very much for coming in. you know, there's a lot of taxpayers out there who aren't going to be happy if your client gets what? $200,000 or $300,000 evimbursement for legal expenses expenses.

that's where i think the frustration ought to be. >> so far you haven't been reimbursed at all for representing george zimmerman. is that right? >> that's correct. i have not received a penny in this case. we're keeping track of our billing. i wish i could say the state attorney's office would be responsible for the expenses, but the law doesn't allow for that. >> but at some point, if he does make money whether through book deals or movie deals or i know he's suing nbc news, you'll start getting some money for your own expenses. is that right? >> that's truly my hope, yes. we have kept track of the billing. george acknowledged an obligation to pay it if and when he can. hopefully there'll be a day in the future i can get some of the fees back. >> i want to play a clip. the former secretary of state retired general colin powell was on face the nation last sunday and had this exchange. listen to this.

>> what do you think the implications in the fallout of the trayvon martin case will be? >> i think that it will be seen as a questionable judgment on the part of the judicial system down there. but i don't know if it will have staying power. >> questionable judgment. you want to respond to that? >> yeah. i'm hoping he's talking about questionable judgment in the idea to prosecute an innocent man. if he's talking about the jury's decision, that was not a questionable decision they made. the state failed to prove their case against an innocent man. and i think everyone from president obama to general powell to everybody else should look at this case and say the case is tried properly, he was acquitted properly, and we have to respect the jury that took their time to make a decision. >> the name trayvon martin

repeatedly over the past few days has come up here in washington in all the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of dr. martin luther king jr.'s "i have a dream" speech. many african-american leaders have raised that name and the case. listen to these little clips. >> from victories right now. let us say yes we will pass trayvon's law from coast to coast. >> the tears of trayvon martin's mother and father reminds that far too frequently, the color of one's skin remains a license to profile, to arrest, and to even murder with no regard for the con te content of one's character. >> as i said before, trayvon martin was my son. but he's not just my son. he's all of our son and we have

to fight for our children. >> what does it say to you that this case was so repeatedly underscored over these past few days here in washington? >> i truly don't mind if they want to use it as a catalyst for us to have a discussion about certain issues in the criminal justice system. we know there are existing racial inequities in the system. and i'm okay with that. i do have a bit of a frustration that they seem to be willing to ignore or minimize some of the facts of the case and look just at the color of trayvon's skin to use him as sort of the benchmark for a movement. trayvon was a good 17-year-old, but he was there that night and we now know from what the jury says that there was responsibility on both sides for how that tragedy occurred. >> mark o'mara, thanks for joining us. >> sure. great to be with you again. good talking to you.

happening now, breaking news. "the situation room" special report. crisis in syria. the obama administration has no doubt who is responsible for horrific chemical attack in syria and says there must be a response. u.s. forces are deready to go. we're going to show you the masquerade of victims in that chemical attack as we go inside syria. and he's on facebook and instagram but he's also overseeing the mass killing of his own people. we'll take a closer look at the master of deception, the syrian president bashar al assad. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." with u.s. warships and cruise missiles poised to strike on very short notice, the obama administration is laying the

ground work for a punishing response to a deadly chemical attack on civilians in syria and it is laying the blame at the doorstep of syria's regime. as u.n. inspectors try to gather conclusive evidence, we're about to show you some very graphic and disturbing images of the aftermath of that attack. frederick is the only western correspondent in damascus. he's on the phone with an exclusive report for us right now. fred, what is the latest information you're getting? >> reporter: latest information we're getting is right now the syrian artillery is pounding the trip to damascus. the place where those alleged chemical weapons attacks happened. what we managed to do was get video from an independent very trustworthy filmer from inside the malkar district. it was the place that had the highest death toll in that alleged chemical attack last wednesday. and the person who went there

said there is a big lot there being used as a mass grave there's so many bodies in there. there's one little space left for further bodies. and that is probably going to be full as well because there are still a lot of unidentified bodies inside a field hospital there. a lot of those bodies are children and the problem is they're unidentified and people can't bury them as long as the bodies aren't identified. the local field hospital is trying to find relatives so that the bodies can be buried. but there's also a lot of people telling a miraculous tale of escape from the poison gas. there's one man the filmer bumped into who had a makeshift gas mask he made himself out of a plastic cup, cotton, and coal to try to make a filter. and that's how he escaped there. various other tales the same way. but it is still a dire scene. meanwhile, the syrian government continues to say it's not behind what happened here last wednesday in those alleged gas

attac attacks. i managed to speak exclusively today to the country's administration minister. let's listen into some of what he had to say about possible impending american air strikes. >> translator: if the united states administration has proved we used chemical weapons, they should present the proof to the world. if they don't have evidence, how are they going to stand up to the world public opinion enexplain why they are attacking syria? >> reporter: that was the information minister of syria. and he was also saying that he believes that the u.n. chemical weapons expert who is are on the ground here need more time to do their work. but we know today they didn't manage to get out there. they were going to go to the district today. they didn't manage to get out there because of security concerns. >> i know you've been meeting with syrian officials.

do they seem to be ready for some sort of u.s. cruise missile or air strike? are they nervous about that? what are they saying? >> reporter: it's very interesting. i'm sort of reading feelings that are changing among officials. they were saying if the u.s. wants to strike syria, then the syrian government will have an answer. that's still something they're saying but you can tell they realize they wouldn't have a respond to air strikes. especially if there were limited action the u.s. would take. if there were chemical weapons facilities strikes. i don't think the syrian government would strike back. we've seen it in the past. i was here when the israelis struck a depot right outside of damascus and set a mountain on fire. there was a lot of rhetoric afterwards and talk, but there was no response. because the syrians know their air defenses are mostly from the 1980s. they have some modern stuff, but it's no match for what the u.s. has.

and also we have to keep in mind this is stretched thin in this country. and the last thing they have is the power to stop u.s. officials. >> a lot of people remember when the syrians bombed the nuclear reactor a few years ago, there was no retaliation either against israel from the syrian air force as well. fred reporting to us from damascus. four u.s. warships all armed with highly accurate cruise missil missiles. right now chuck hagel says the u.s. military only needs the order from the president to act. >> you're ready to go like that. >> we are ready to go like that. >> there's still no final decision on a strike according to the white house. the obama administration trying to rally its allies who could add fire power of their own. tom foreman is here to show us

what that military action potentially could look like. what are you seeing? >> destroying syria's chemical weapons security is a tall order at best. long known about connected to the weapons program, analysts believe the weapons themselves have been dispersed to dozens maybe hundreds of unknown sites within the country. even if u.s. warships were to come in here and launch cruise missiles from the mediterranean, which targets would they choose? suggest the key targets would be less the weapons themselves than the systems the syrians would use to deliver them. for example, as you might look at major airfields here. airplanes can carry chemical weapons quickly to their intended targets. that means it would be important for bases to be attacked and taken out of action. that would make them probably attractive targets. someone in the syrian military has to call the shots and direct chemical attacks.

likely try to disrupt the command and control structure here. the ability of commanders to send out commands to their troops. so those command and control centers would also be in the cross hairs. then there is the question of artillery. here's one of their tanks. but they have many artillery pieces all over this country. far flung in many directions. they can also be used to fire chemical weapons. there are, in fact, so many of them that we would not be able to fire enough missiles to track them all down and take them all out. but that emphasizes a real point here which is punishment. sending a message about what happened rather than obliterating the chemical weapons capability which in a matter of a couple days of strikes would be impossible. >> i know there's been concern raised of a cruise missile attack. what's going on on that front? >> one is what if you make a

strike on some chemical facility somewhere and you inadvertently set off a chemical release that attacks a population nearby. that's something nobody wants there. the other question is just the idea of civilian casualties. whenever you're firing missiles even controllable ones like cruise missiles, you can make mistakes. so obviously commanders would want to be very mindful of that. >> they certainly do. thanks for much for that report. there's a growing chorus of outrage and blame from top u.s. officials and a drum beat signaling looming military action. joe biden says there's no doubt the syrian regime is responsible for the chemical attack. though the white house press secretary jay carney stresses any action would be limited. >> the president believes and i believe that those who use chemical weapons against

defenseless men, women, and children should and must be held accountable. >> i want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change. they are about responding to a clear violation of an international standard that prohibits the use of chemical weapons. >> our national security analyst peter bergen is here in "the situation room". we're also joined by nick paton walsh who has reported in syria. peter, you write that syria is now a problem from hell. what do you mean? >> i think the obama administration is in an interesting spot because overthrowing assad as jay carney just said is not their aim. they're concerned about the -- >> i think that's their long-term aim, but not in the short-term by the limited strikes. >> but i think even -- they don't like assad, but they're concerned. the do most effective groups fighting in syria are al qaeda

organizations and backed by iran. so whoever prevails in that fight is not going to be an ally of the united states exactly. and so when these strikes come, they're going to be calibrated in such a way they do punish assad for the weapons but not enough to overthrow him. but i think that's the calculus that they're making. >> nick, you reported from inside syria last year and this year. why do you think assad has been ramping up this escalation? by using chemical warfare? >> i suppose if you're being cynical, he was perhaps using the alibi of inspectors in town to get away with it. why would you do that when you have the people right inside your city limits. and there was cause where was he targeting. this is the rebel controlled areas all around his heartland in damascus. they wanted to seize back. you heard fred reporting.

heavy artillery there. so they simply have been an objective they long sought to take and wanted to seize that particular alibi of having u.n. weapons inspectors in town. some have also suggested perhaps this went off with greater efficiency than they had hoped. that they weren't trying to kill as many people as they actually did. chemical weapons are phenomenally inprecise in the best of times. we're looking at a man here who's isolated, back has been against the wall for best part of a year at the least, and perhaps in that fight for survival, maybe he is in many ways quite happy to drag anybody else in the conflict if it prolongs his chances of living longer. >> if the u.s. were to launch missile strikes or air strikes fo four days at various targets inside syria then stop, what will have been achieved? >> well, it's not regime change. >> bashar will still be in

power. >> he'll still be in power. you might get lucky and presumably some of his housing might be on the target list. but we've seen in the past, right at the beginning of the first of the second iraq war, we tried to skill saddam hussein. you can't rely that you're going to take out the leadership. assad as nick pointed out is -- you know, he's not, i think, amenable to rational sort of pressure. so it probably won't change the situation very profoundly. it probably would prevent him from using such weapons in the future. tha >> thanks very much. a blow to the financial markets here today as wall street worries about a possible military strike. the dow dropped 170 points. up next in our special report, if the u.s. were to attack syria, what would happen

next? what newt gingrich is worried about. stand by for that interview. and syria's president, bashar al assad, he's on facebook and instagram right now. he's also overseeing the mass slaughter of opponents. we're going into the head of what's called the master of deception.

"the new york times" website goes down for a few hours. were syrian hackers responsible? our special report continues. [ male announcer ] come to the lexus golden opportunity sales event and choose from one of five lexus hybrids that's right for you, including the lexus es and ct hybrids. ♪ this is the pursuit of perfection.

despite all the signs pointing to an imminent military strike against syria, some prominent voices are opposed suggesting the war is not something the united states has any business getting involved in. joining us on the phone now, the new co-host of "crossfire" newt gingrich. the defense secretary chuck hagel, he says the u.s. military is ready to go in launching some sort of strikes against syria. what do you think? is this is a smart idea? >> well, i'm sure they're ready

to go. and i think it's not a very smart idea. number one threat to the united states in me middle east is iran. we've now spent several years chasing after libya, chasing after egypt, now we're going to chase after syria. none of them are mortal threats to the united states. but an iranian nuclear weapon is. furthermo furthermore, if we fire off 10, 20 tomahawks, the question is then what? we will probably have enraged the russians. we may well increase the amount of supplies they send. there's no policy, there's no strategy behind this kind of feel good emotionalism. and yes we have a lot of power, but using it blindly is not a good idea. >> john mccain the senator from arizona, the republican presidential nominee back in 2008. listen to what he said.

>> the president of the united states over a year ago said that if bashar assad used chemical weapons, it crosses a red line. we know for sure that he's used them at least once. now here's the second time. horrific, horrific. and if the united states stands by and doesn't take very serious action, not just launching some cruise missiles, then again our credibility in the world is diminished even more if there's any left. >> so what do you say to senator mccain? >> i work backwards from his final comment, if there's any left. very, very few americans are prepared to wage a syrian campaign which it sounds to me what john mccain is describing. i don't know hardly any american who believes that coming out of iraq which by the way had 97

people killed this weekend. think about that. this campaign that was supposedly a campaign, 97 iraqis were killed this weekend. still occupied in afghanistan. watching the mess in libya. trying to help in mali. looking at egypt in chaos. i mean, the idea we should go out and take on syria next, i just think is gross overextension. >> so the u.s. should simply let the slaughter, more than 100,000 syrians have already been killed over the past two and a half years, let the slaughter go on? >> well, the bomb that was set off in boston was set off by a chechen. the russians killed between 100,000 and 300,000 of those civilians. the truth is we don't know the accurate number. i think it's very selective morality to say this is the one we're going to work on because this is this week's headline. i think the region is a mess.

i think we need a decisively new strategy. and i think randomly firing off missiles is not a strategy. it's just an act of public relations. >> but if the president of syria bashar al assad, if his regime goes down, wouldn't that be a really serious blow to iran which you see as a much more serious threat to the u.s. in the region? >> sure. but other than john mccain, who is suggesting that we undertake enough activity to bring the regime down? we're not prepared to arm the rebels because we now have discovered that most of the rebels are islamic radicals including al qaeda. so there are no good guys available in syria right now. the russians are clearly prepared to back assad, he and his father have been friends of russia since 1970. and the one idea we saw we're going to shame putin. people need to know, he was a senior kgb official. it's impossible to shame him.

he's going to to do what he thinks in a cold calculating way is in russia's best interest. he does not think allowing the united states to defeat assad is in russia's best interest. >> newt gingrich, thanks for joining us. >> thank you. "the new york times" website is down -- cause of a quote, malicious external attack. within the past hour, desktop users were still having problems. but the mobile apps were up and running. one security analyst tweets it looks like the hacker group, quote, syrian electronic army have compromised the servers that route traffic to the website. we'll stay on top of this developing story. up next in our special report here in "situation room," lawmakers are divided over a possible strike against syria's regime. we're going to hear from two members of congress. and why is russia so

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happening now, russia leads the international charge against u.s. military strikes in syria amid escalating tensions with the united states. he's on facebook, he's on instagram, but he's also overseeing the mass killing of his own people. we're going inside the mind of the so-called master of deception. the syrian president bashar al assad. and you've already seen the horrifying images. just ahead, we're taking a closer look at the lethal effects of a chemical weapon attack. we want to welcome our viewers from the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer, this is a special edition of "the situation room." crisis in syria.

u.s. military is standing by for what looks like a looming strike against syria. punishment for what the administration says was a brutal chemical attack. but while america weighs the military move. joining us now two members of congress both democrats both from california. loretta sanchez served on the armed services committee. adam shif is on the intelligence committee. thanks to both of you for come in. representative sanchez, you have said that this could be a disaster as complicated as it could be. and there could be unintended consequences for the united states if we were to launch strikes against syria. what you're concern? >> well, my concern is that the american people may not have the appetite for a long-term effect. and in other words, just shooting in some missiles isn't really going to take care of the

situation. it might aggravate the situation. you have syria tied to iraq. you've got the hezbollah in neighboring lebanon. the whole area's already a difficult area. you have refugees going into other countries. so to think for americans to believe that just by shooting a few cruise missiles we've made our statement and away we go, it's just not the way i believe this plays out if that happens. >> representative shif, i believe you think the united states has no choice but it must launch strikes. >> if this is confirmed, we have to act. otherwise we have seen serial use of chemical weapons by the assad regime. if we don't act on this red line now, we're sending a message not only to the regime that they can continue the use of chemical weapons but others around the world who think they can attempt this. explain this. 100,000 people have already been killed by conventional weapons,

bombs or whatever. another thousand yes may have been killed over the past few days with chemical weapons. but what's the difference is 100,000 are killed one way or with chemical weapons? >> it is a deeply tragic humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. that doesn't mean in chemical weapons attacks we can sit still. they have been looked at differently ever since world war i. we have a national security interest in making sure those weapons do not just become another tool in the military tool box. if they do, they'll be used against us. we have to act now. otherwise i think our credibility is very much at stake. >> let's let congresswoman sanchez respond. says the united states must act right now. you sort of disagree, right? >> well, what i agree upon is that chemical attacks or biological warfare as my colleague has said is completely

and totally inacceptable. i guess what i'm worried about is just shooting a few cruise missiles isn't the end of it for americans. and if we are to go in, if the president consults with the congress, leadership, those in armed services or intel or foreign relations and ultimately makes the decision to send those cruise missiles in, i think everybody has to be on notice that that probably isn't the end of it. and is america ready to see at the ultimate of playing that out, soldiers in syria? and i don't believe that we are. so we have to really consider and i think the president would be wrong not to consult with the congress in particular. there are a lot of other things we can do -- >> i was going to say congressman schiff, the u.s. went in with relatively short-term objectives in iraq,

in afghanistan, lasted for a decade-plus in both countries. still in afghanistan. even in libya the u.s. had modest objectives. that hasn't necessarily turned out all that great. even if there's a limited air strike over the next few days, aren't you concerned the u.s. could get bogged down in what the american public clearly doesn't want? another u.s. military campaign in the middle east? >> well, this is a concern and for this reason i have been opposed to arming the rebels, becoming immersed in the civil war. but i think the use of chemical weapons is really different. qualitatively different, tragically different. but we have to act here. but you're right. the president is going to have to set the scope of the mission carefully. going to have to make it clear not only to the american people but also the syrian people that this isn't going to be the cavalry riding to the rescue to topple assad. but this is going to be a punitive, deterrent response to the use of chemical weapons. that's important to make sure we don't get entangled in this war

to avoid the consequences loretta is mentioning. but i think it can be done and will be done in concert with international partners. >> representative sanchez, you think the president needs congressional authorization before any strike? >> certainly the president has the power to go in and come later and talk to the congress about it. that's a given. i would say that those who hear have said consult with the leadership of both parties before you decide what you're going to do. by consult i mean really ask for advice and ultimately it's his decision. he is the commander in chief and he will do what he feels he needs to do. but i think having congress at least having come and talk to them and heard their advice is incredibly important. do i think he needs to call us back into session and have a proclamation or resolution come forth? no. and i don't think that this warrants that at this time.

>> you agree? >> i think there's other things congress can do. >> i think the president can act if this is a limited strike, limited duration, limited in scope, there's precedent for him to act. i would like the congress to be called back into session. i think we should be discussing and deliberating this and consulting with the president even if it doesn't come to a vote. if the president goes beyond that, absolutely we need a vote. >> thanks to both of you for coming in. up next in our special report here in "the situation room," what makes syria's leader tick? we're going inside the mind of the man called the master of deception. the president bashar al assad. and after years of slaughter, why is russia still standing by syria's regime? is it because of an old rivalry with the united states? [ male announcer ] a guide to good dipping. everything is better with sabra hummus. observe... little carrot. little bit of hummus. oh, lonely wing... well we have got the perfect match for you. shiny knife.

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saying envoy to human rights has been officially invited by the government in north korea on a so-called humanitarian mission to try to free the american who's held there. ken nit bae. bae has been held since being convicted of committing what are called hostile acts against the country. the state department saying it's hoping that he will be granted parn on humanitarian grounds so he can be reunited with his family and seek medical attention. the first in a long, long time set to take place this next week. our special coverage of the crisis in syria continues right after this. [ woman ] we had two tiny reasons

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and charming on the outside. it's when he's out of sight making critical decisions with those closest to him that he acts with cold, brutal calculation. this time, however, those calculations may have betrayed him. bashar al assad, some analysts say, may have badly misread the signals. believed it when his cronies told him president obama wouldn't enforce his red line on chemical weapons. a staggering miscalculation experts say driven by assad's unpredictable swings of behavior. >> he's quite erratic and moody. he goes from one side to the other. bouts of rationality and irrationality. >> reporter: one of few westerners to gain access to assad's inner circle. he describes assad as delusional, conspiracy minded, but also persuasive. coming across as the antithesis

of a brutal dictator. >> first of all, it's not my nature to threaten anybody. i'm a very quiet person. >> reporter: and in 2011 when abc's barbara walter pressed him on the forces to fire on the opposition. >> not my forces. they are military forces that belong to the government. i don't want own them as president. i don't own the country. >> no, but you have to give the order. >> no, no, no. >> not by your command? >> no, no, no. there was no command to kill or to be brutal. >> what do you make of that bearing? he's so polite and soft toned? >> i think he's a master of deception. it's very seductive. how could someone who seems so reasonable command such a horrific regime? >> reporter: illustrating what

tabler kaulded, he has facebook and instagram accounts. he enjoys being seen with his wife out on the town. but from his bunker he's overseeing the killing of tens of thousands of people. >> he's going to think about how am i going to react to these strikes? what we can see from past strikes is that bashar does little in terms of a direct response. but over time he might carry out other attacks on u.s. aspects. >> reporter: that means considered a terrorist group in the west might carry out some sort of attack on american interestst. al assad is likely talking to them about a response to the american strikes, the possible american strikes. right now, experts say, along with his other close friend iran. >> as frightening as assad might be, some experts on syria say he's actually not as bad as his

own brother. is that right? >> reporter: that's right. his younger brother analysts say is even more brutal than bashar. he oversees a paramilitary. they control syria's borders. they're pretty nasty as a unit. and he is said to be more brutal than his brother and a heavy influence on him. >> brian todd, thanks very much. let's go a little bit deeper right now with andrew tabler. he's an expert on syria at the washington institute for near east policy. also the author of the book "in the lion's den: an eyewitness account of the battle with syria." who is more brutal? the son bashar al assad or the father? because we remember what happened in the early '80s when 20 or 30,000 fellow syrians were slaughtered within a matter of a few days. >> i think they're equally brutal historically. but bashar al assad much more

unpredictable than his father. his father was once he said yes to something, you can take that to the bank and build around it. bashar would say yes to everything and turn around and do the opposite. i think that was some of the logic behind the earlier interview we saw there concerning the decision making in killing over 100,000 syrians. >> is he that intelligent, that sophisticated? we know he got the job because of his father. but is he a brilliant guy? or just an average guy that happens to be in this powerful position? >> i think he has average intelligence. i think he's crazy like a fox though. in the end, only by adding all of this up and looking at his behavior can we see the true bashar al assad. the fact of the matter is he's a smooth talking, extremely brutal dictator which heads one of the most controlled regimes. he and his brother and the family are directing the syrian

regime's response to the syrian uprising. they're responsible for any use of chemical weapons. not only in syria in the past but also into the future. >> early on, i as someone who has watched syria over many years, i assumed -- i thought when assad saw what happened to gadhafi in libya, he would get the point and get out of there, seek asylum some place as quickly as possible. save his family, his wife, his kids. but he's held firmly there. >> i think the lessons told him and his regime the most important thing is no reforms, hold on, try to shoot your way out of a conflict. the problem is they don't have enough bullets. and the demographics after the hama uprising, there was a huge spike in birth rights. they far outnumber the minorities in the country now. and they can't shoot out of the crisis. that has led bashar al assad to use missiles and chemical weapons on his own people.

>> there seems to be what the u.s. would call the good guys. those friendly towards the west, towards turkey and the united states. but there's also the al qaeda, the islamist elements that seem to be on the uptick right now. is that right? >> that's right. they've grown over time. mostly because they haven't been armed. the moderates in the country, the ones we support haven't been armed. instead the jihadists and other groups have been armed by private contributors from the arab gulf and beyond. they haven't been able to shoot above their political weight in a country that's not prone to extremism. and over time the opposition has found affiliates popping up. >> if the u.s. launches missile strikes or air strikes in the coming days, what happens next? >> immediately we'll look for a response from assad and it will be forthcoming. at first it will be rhetorical. i don't think he would attack israel. that would end his regime faster than anything else.

because the israelis are good at laying down red lines. and they have with him time and time again and he hasn't hit back. there could be asymmetrical attacks -- >> what does that mean? >> terrorist attacks against u.s. targets. could be against allied targets. it could be immediate. it could be into the future. that would be the immediate way they could strike back. >> because a lot of american officials have told me they're worried about cyber retaliation. >> just a few minutes ago as you reported the syrian electronic army took down "the new york times" site. they've also attacked the nasdaq sites, the western market sites. they have other ways that they can attack. the longer that pocket of the regime holds on, the more unstability comes out. >> thanks for coming in. >> my pleasure. up next on our special report, tensions heating up between the united states and russia as russia leads the charge against military strikes in syria. [ male announcer ] these days, a small business can save by sharing. like carpools... polly wants to know if we can pick her up. yeah, we can make room. yeah.

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even as one horrific act of slaughter merges into another and as evidence mounts of brutal chemical weapons attacks, russia keeps sticking by the syrian regime. is it a matter of sticking it to the united states or something more? our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is here. she's a real expert on u.s./russia relations. what is the going on? >> well, wolf, look, the rhetoric is really heating up. here's this one zinger from russian deputy prime minister who tweeted today the west handles the islamic world the way a monkey handles a grenade. >> reporter: there's no love affair between russian president vladimir putin and syrian president bashar al assad, but their countries have been in a tight embrace since soviet times. >> translator: the russian/syrian relationship is a historical relationship that

goes back decades and is still continuing in this same momentum to this day. >> reporter: syria has been buying its military weapons from russia since assad's father ruled the country. and moscow is still fulfilling some of those soviet-era contracts. russia's naval facility in syria's port of tortuse is moscow's only remaining mediterranean repair spot for its ships. there are ties of blood. at least 25,000 russian women are married to syrians according to russian media. and ties of religion. the largest christian denomination in syria, as in russia, is the orthodox church and moscow fears if islamist rebels win, they will be decimated. but the deepest reason the kremlin sticks with assad is russia's anger over any unilateral military action or regime change by the west.

it started with nato's 1999 air campaign against russia's ally serbia. it got worse when the west launched air strikes against libya's moammar gadhafi in 2011. >> mr. putin basically came to the conclusion that never again. this will never happen again. they will stick by mr. assad and syria. not because they particularly like mr. assad. but because they see him as the legitimate president or legitimate leader of syria. >> and russia now claims there's little difference between president obama and president george w. bush and they predict if assad falls, what comes after him could be even worse. wolf? >> jill dougherty with that report, thank you. up next on our special report, the deadly effects of a poison gas attack. when we made our commitment to the gulf, bp had two big goals: help the gulf recover and learn from what happened so we could be a better, safer energy company. i can tell you - safety is at the heart of everything we do.

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can do. >> sarin can be launched in an artillery shell or a missile. it can be dropped from an airplane. it goes out as a liquid but as it spreads out it very quickly and easily turns into a gas. we showed it there, but the truth is, it is colorless, it is odorless, you would have no idea you were even being attacked by it even though it's much more lethal than cyanide. what does it do to people? it can cause blurred vision, rapid breathing, heavy sweats, confusion, headaches, in the worst case, nausea, convulsions, paralysis and as it shuts down the ability of the body to breathe, even death and in the worst cases that can come very, very quickly perhaps within even one minute. >> tom foreman, thanks very much. that's it for me. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. "outfront" next, gearing up for a military strike against syria. as the white house is ratcheting up pressure, the stock market takes a dive. also a massive outbreak of

measles in america. well, some people are blaming some christian teachings. and a montana teacher is convicted of raping a 14-year-old student. why did the teacher only get 30 days in jail? days in jail? let's go "outfront." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com