about this. the nfl has to answer why haven't they talked to tom brady, what's going on with the investigation. we were told this would take two or three days. we are almost at that point. if not a penalty, which we don't expect before the super bowl are we going to get some kind of statement from the nfl. this is where this stands right here, right now. >> all right. andrew, thank you so much. that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. i now turn you over to wolf blitzer in "the situation room." happening now, isis death toll. the u.s. estimates that coalition air strikes have killed 6,000 fighters including half of the terror group's top command. is the tide finally turning? ally collapses. yemen's government falls apart after a rebel onslaught, raising new concerns about the fate of hundreds of americans and the u.s. battle against al qaeda. suicide or murder? a prosecutor is found dead after his investigation suggests top officials conspired to cover up

iran's role in a major terror attack. new details on the mystery. and scandal at gitmo. the u.s. base commander is relieved of duty over an alleged affair with a subordinate whose husband was found dead. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." the breaking news tonight in the battle against terrorism. u.s. officials now estimate that coalition forces have killed more than 6,000 isis fighters and wiped out half of the top command. secretary of state john kerry says the allies have halted the terror group's momentum in iraq. that comes a day after we were the first to report that isis has now established in yemen and has been clashing with al qaeda's very dangerous affiliate there. and now in a move which could set back u.s. efforts to combat al qaeda, yemen's government, a key ally in the anti-terror fight, has resigned after rebel forces seized the capital.

that's raising new concerns about the safety of hundreds of americans in yemen. our correspondents and analysts are standing by. let's start with our chief national security correspondent, jim sciutto. he has the very latest. >> this is the first time the u.s. military has put out a hard number on isis losses and it is a big number. the estimated 6,000 fighters killed a significant percentage of the more than 30,000 isis fighters that u.s. officials believe that isis can muster. now, we should caution, this is an estimate. other u.s. officials i have spoken to stick to thousands killed. still, it is measurable progress five months into the air war. kurdish fighters are the offensive today against isis in northern iraq. now for the first time the u.s. central command is claiming significant and measurable losses among isis fighters. the result of almost 2,000 coalition air strikes, an estimated 6,000 isis fighters

killed including half of their commanders. approximately 1,000 vehicles and tanks destroyed and 200 oil and gas facilities a major source of revenue for the terror group. >> almost 2,000 strikes in syria and iraq have had a high degree of precision and accuracy. in recent months we have seen definitively momentum halted in iraq. in some cases, reversed. >> reporter: military officials caution that the numbers are just an estimate. defense secretary chuck hagel himself questioned the value of this or any other body count. >> i have not seen any verification of that number of 6,000 that you refer to. is that the measurement or a significant measurement of progress. it is a measurement. but i don't think it is the measurement. i was in a war when there was a

lot of body counts every day and we lost that war. >> reporter: still emboldened by coalition gains, iraqi forces are accelerating preparations to retake mosul. iraq's second largest city, from isis control. across the border in syria, however, where the moderate western-backed ground forces are still awaiting coalition training isis is getting stronger. >> we have rolled back isis presence from some of the towns in iraq. the same can't be said about syria. in addition to areas where isis may have gained ground in syria, you also have the very disturbing prospect that al qaeda's franchise, al nusra, has gained a lot of ground. >> reporter: isis has an alarming ability to replenish its ranks through recruiting new fighters and those fighters continue to flow in from europe and around the world. wolf these estimates are based in part on pilots' assessments from sometimes tens of thousands of feet in the air, not necessarily 100% reliable but

there are other means as well including drone footage and satellite footage. >> you and i know chuck hagel, the defense secretary. he clearly was not happy that this number was thrown out, not just thrown out anonymously but officially publicly by the united states ambassador to iraq. >> that's right, and confirmed with central command, barbara starr speaking to central command as well. clearly this estimate exists. the question is did the pentagon want an estimate to get out there in public discussion. also it looks like there is some who will always be skeptical, secretary hagel, chief among them of any attempt to do this reliably. >> he served during the vietnam war and every day there were great numbers about how many vietcong were killed. that wasn't definitive as far as who won that war. thanks very much. new concerns about the safety of hundreds of americans in yemen after the sudden resignations of the president, the prime minister and the entire cabinet. the move comes after rebels seized the capital, sanaa, demanding a major share of power. yemen has been a key ally to the

united states in the fight against al qaeda which stands to gain from all this chaos. let's go to our pentagon correspondent barbara starr. she is standing by with more. what's going on? >> reporter: wolf with the obama administration watching this minute by minute now basically the entire government of yemen, the top leadership resigning, president hadi other top officials, some of them saying they just want to wash their hands of the chaos in yemen right now. all of this basically falling apart in the last several hours because that power sharing agreement that everybody thought might work between the regime and the houthi shia rebels really falling apart. no clear understanding now at this hour who is in charge in yemen, who is running the government, and what is really happening there. from the u.s. point of view the u.s. assessment still is that the houthi rebels pose no direct threat they are not out to attack the u.s. embassy, they are not out to attack americans, but those streets as you see are

extremely unsettled so there remains a good deal of concern about the people who work at the u.s. embassy to make sure they are safe. i think it's very clear that if the u.s. decides, if the white house and the state department decide that there are just too many americans there to ensure everyone's safety they will take some of them drive them to the airport, that would be a very typical plan and have them leave the country, try and make that u.s. footprint, that u.s. government footprint in yemen, even smaller to reduce the potential risk. wolf? >> because as you know there are a few hundred american diplomats and military personnel in yemen right now, but there are thousands, i don't know how many thousands, we were told by the yemeni embassy in washington yesterday, thousands of other americans in yemen right now, mostly dual yemeni-american citizens. if you have to evacuate all u.s. citizens that would be a huge job for the u.s. military.

the navy has a couple of ships off the coast but presumably more would be necessary. >> well, look in these kinds of situations these so-called noncombatant evacuations when the country is in such turmoil, this is why the state department advises americans early on not to travel to potentially think about leaving a country, try and get the numbers of americans down. if it came to that, it would be a question for the state department on how to get those people out, if the state department would try to charter aircraft to fly them out, if they would try and run helicopters back and forth. there have been -- in countries in the past there have been any number of ways that they do this. it would be up to the state department first to make a decision that it wants to take on getting americans out of yemen who want to leave when it is not possible for them to fly commercially. it should be said at this hour the assessment is that the airport remains open and people can still get to the airport

safely but you look at those streets in sanaa, the capital, and it does look pretty unsettled. >> stand by for a moment. i want to bring in our national security analyst, peter bergen and chief national security correspondent jim sciutto is still with us as well. peter bergen from yesterday to today, now that the entire yemeni government is gone for all practical purposes the president, the prime minister the entire cabinet, that does not necessarily bode well as far as al qaeda in the arabian peninsula is concerned and the concerns the u.s. has about this terror group. >> that's certainly true. president hadi the president who just stepped down as yemeni president, is the first president i think of any country to go to the u.n. and say hey, your american drone program really works and he actually gave an interview to the "washington post" saying it's a highly effective program. you are not hearing that from many world leaders and now he's gone. whoever replaces him is unlikely to have the same attitude. >> i suspect whoever replaces him will not support, work cooperatively with the united

states to continue those drone strikes to try to kill al qaeda operatives in yemen with those hell-fire missiles. >> it's an open question but i think the point is right, to find someone who is as public and open an advocates a real question. next in line is the speaker of parliament, an ally of the old leader who was pushed out in part by efforts from the u.s. clearly they wanted this guy in power, he's gone. it's unlikely the replacement will be as open. >> certainly, the fact that the now former yemeni government was directly helping the u.s. giving them targets potentially, intelligence information on suspected al qaeda operatives out there, so the u.s. could launch those drone strikes, i'm not holding my breath that whoever comes in now is going to be giving the u.s. that kind of information. >> i'm not either. in fact the last drone strike was december 6th. that's quite a long time. we have seen drone strikes often several a month. the fact there's been a

two-month pause, it's hard to interpret but it seems to be related. >> let me ask barbara starr. do we know if those drone strikes -- we just lost barbara for a second. maybe you know. >> no. >> maybe you guys know. i will start with you. do we know if the drone strikes, the drones are based on ships off the coast of yemen and fly over yemen, or are they based in yemen itself? >> i don't think they are based in yemen itself. they are coming from ships, maybe saudi arabia they are coming from other places. there is no drone base in yemen. it's saudi arabia the arabian sea. >> i have been in that air base and you can see the drones based there like you will see in a place like jalalabad in afghanistan where you have had a consistent drone program. >> at what point, the u.s. embassy in sanaa, major embassy, very fortified, there is still a lot of u.s. diplomats, military personnel. we have been reporting at least 100 marines are guarding that embassy. at what point do they start destroying hard drives burning classified documents, getting ready for an evacuation as the u.s. did in libya, in somalia,

in syria and we see this pattern. >> when they reach an assessment which they haven't reached yet that the u.s. personnel are in grave danger. you heard barbara make the point that the houthi rebels were taking over not seen as a direct threat but you have other threats. just simply the loss of law and order and control is potentially a threat. the first step would be a more calm evacuation. you take commercial flights out under the direction of the u.s. military. if you had a more sudden collapse you would go the route of sending helicopters from those ships and b-22 ospreys from those ships off the coast. we haven't reached that state. >> that's a dangerous operation, given shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles some of the terrorists have the helicopters going on. they are pretty vulnerable to that kind of attack. guys, stand by. we are following the breaking news. much more coming up. let's take a quick break. we'll be right back.

meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower?

it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more. major: ok fitness class! here's our new trainer ensure active heart health. crowd: yayyyy! heart: i'm going to focus on the heart. i minimize my sodium and fat... gotta keep it lean and mean. pear: uh-oh. heart: i maximize good stuff like my potassium... and phytosterols, which may help lower cholesterol. major: i'm feeling energized already. new delicious ensure active heart health supports your heart and body, so you stay active and strong. ensure. take life in.

[ man ] i remember when i wouldn't give a little cut a second thought. ♪ ♪ when i didn't worry about the hepatitis c in my blood. ♪ ♪ when i didn't think twice about where i left my razor. [ male announcer ] hep c is a serious disease. take action now. go to hepc.com or call 1-844-444-hepc to find out how you and your doctor can take the next step towards a cure. because the answers you need may be closer than they appear. ♪ ♪

for fastidious librarian emily skinner, each day was fueled by thorough preparation for events to come. well somewhere along the way emily went right on living. but you see, with the help of her raymond james financial advisor, she had planned for every eventuality. ...which meant she continued to have the means to live on... ...even at the ripe old age of 187. life well planned. see what a raymond james advisor can do for you. does a freshly printed presentation fill you with optimism? then you might be gearcentric. right now, get this case of paper for only $24.99 and save even more

after rewards. office depot & officemax. gear up for great. we're following breaking news u.s. officials now estimate u.s.-led coalition has killed more than 6,000 isis fighters and they say they have wiped out half of isis' top command. also new concerns tonight about the safety of hundreds of americans who are in yemen right now after the sudden resignation of the president, the prime minister and the cabinet. joining us now, the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, republican congressman ed royce of california. mr. chairman, thanks very much for coming in. let's talk about yemen briefly right now. are those americans, there are

several hundred u.s. diplomats and military personnel in yemen, and thousands of civilians, mostly dual u.s.-yemeni citizens are they safe? >> they are at the moment because they're protected by yemeni forces there as well as our marines. the question is who does the commandant for the yemeni forces answer to. that is in a state of flux. >> because it looks like that whole government is gone for all practical purposes. if these houthi shiite-led rebels if they take charge of the military of yemen, are they going to protect the united states citizens? >> that's the big question and at the same time we have just lost our ally president hadi as you know. that ally had helped us mightily in our fight against al qaeda in yemen, so you can bet this is a big step forward for al qaeda. the southern part of yemen has always wanted to break away from control, basically they wanted a caliphate there, al qaeda did, and this is -- these are some of

the concerns. >> some of your colleagues angus king of maine, for example, on the senate side has raised fears, get these americans out before they're taken hostage by some of these terror groups. >> yes, we have the ability to do that evacuation on very short, a very short time frame. i was briefed recently on this. we can get our personnel out. we are watching this very carefully. >> because we know the u.s. has at least two ships off the coast of yemen. there are other ships not too far away. i assume that would be the evacuation plan? >> that is true but at this time we are still trying to bring order out of chaos, still trying to keep the former autocrat the head of the country, from grabbing the reins. who knows at this point who might end up influencing the outcome. >> does the u.s. even talk to these houthi rebels? >> at this point, they are very close to the iranian quds forces. they were equipped armed, and

trained by iran. so those are who they take their marching orders. >> because their motto is death to america which they are pretty blunt about that. >> they have the same motto the iranian guards have used. >> at least in the short term this looks like a strategic win for iran. >> yes, unfortunately in the north it's a win for iran in yemen. in the south where al qaeda predominates unfortunately it's a win for al qaeda and that particular al qaeda unit of course has been the home of al asari, the bomb maker who attempted several attacks in the united states including recruiting the christmas underwear bomber if you recall. and this is the unit that was responsible if you go through history, the attack on the "uss cole." >> he's still at large. >> he is at large. and this is our most toxic, most

lethal al qaeda affiliate. >> want to move on and talk about isis. one final question on yemen. there haven't been many drone strikes lately. with the government gone now, the houthis taking charge is that going to undermine the u.s. ability to launch drone strikes against al qaeda targets in yemen? >> yes, it will because hadi the head of state was particularly helpful with the united states in assisting us in targeting the drone strikes that we were using against al qaeda. >> he would help provide intelligence to go after certain locations where he suspected there were al qaeda terrorists? >> very close ally very close partner and shared intelligence with us. >> we'll see what happens to him now, the former president of yemen. do they kill him, arrest him send him out of the country? we'll see what happens to him. the u.s. ambassador to iraq today said that in recent weeks, months the u.s.-led air strikes, the coalition strikes, have killed 6,000 isis terrorists in iraq and he says

in syria i guess as well. is that what you've heard? >> we have been calling for more air strikes and as you can see, they have been more lethal. part of the difficulty we have is despite the casualties that are going down in isis if you are recruiting two new fighters for every one you're losing we are still not making up much ground in retarding or pushing back isis. this is the problem. how do you keep these recruits who are coming over the border from turkey. they are recruiting on the internet all over the world now. although it is true that we are taking out a number of isis fighters the reality is that the number of volunteers that go over that border continue to increase. >> one final question unrelated to any of this. the speaker of the house, john boehner, has invited the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, to come to washington originally february i think 11th now they moved it to march 3rd. the israeli elections are march 17th. the white house says the president is not going to meet with netanyahu while he's in

washington so close to an election they don't want to interfere in domestic israeli politics fellow democracy. sek secretary of state john kerry will not meet with netanyahu. this has become really awkward, hasn't it? >> it's hard to say whether this is going to help or hurt netanyahu in the election in terms of coming to the united states right before the election. but it is the case that with heads of state, we regularly have them speak before the congress. we recently had the south korean head of state come before the united states congress and i remember that was something engineered orchestrated by the speaker because i remember our conversation -- >> but the white house and state department were involved in that. >> they were involved but it was led by the speaker. >> in this particular case the white house and state department were blindsided completely. >> well they were approached after the invitation was extended but i believe that was the same circumstance that we faced with the south korean head of state. >> you think the white house and state department were only told

after the invitation was -- >> i believe that's the case. i'm doing this by memory but i had the discussion with the speaker about the invitation. we discussed the closeness of the relationship between south korea and in particular the problem that south korea faced vis a vis north korea. in this particular situation, you are talking about the problem israel faces in terms of its security relative to hamas and hezbollah, and so giving the platform for the head of state from israel to talk about this particular problem which right now is before the united nations as well in terms of israel's attempt to defend itself against those attacks from hamas. i do think congress needs to hear the arguments if the head of state from israel wants to make those arguments to the congress. >> we'll see if the prime minister actually comes two weeks before the election. it's a close election in israel. the opposition parties are pretty upset about this as you can imagine. we'll see what happens. mr. chairman thanks very much for coming in. coming up suicide or murder. a prosecutor is found dead after

his investigation suggests top officials conspired to cover up iran's role in a major terror attack. and scandal at guantanamo. the u.s. base commander is relieved of duty over an alleged affair with a subordinate whose husband was found dead. hello... i'm an idaho potato farmer and our big idaho potato truck is still missing. so my buddy here is going to help me find it. here we go. woo who, woah, woah, woah.

it's out there somewhere spreading the word about americas favorite potatoes: heart healthy idaho potatoes and the american heart association's go red for women campaign. if you see it i hope you'll let us know. always look for the grown in idaho seal. when it comes to good nutrition...i'm no expert. that would be my daughter -- hi dad. she's a dietitian. and back when i wasn't eating right, she got me drinking boost. it's got a great taste and it helps give me the nutrition i was missing. helping me stay more like me. [ female announcer ] boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a delicious taste. grandpa!

[ female announcer ] stay strong, stay active with boost. [ male announcer ] it's a warning. a wake-up call. but it's not happening out there. it's happening in here. [ sirens wailing ] inside of you. even if you're treating your crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, an occasional flare may be a sign of damaging inflammation. learn more about the role damaging inflammation may be playing in your symptoms with the expert advice tool at crohnsandcolitis.com. and then speak with your gastroenterologist.

was it suicide or murder? we're learning more now about the death of a prosecutor whose investigation suggested that top argentine officials conspired with iran to cover up its involvement in a major terror attack. brian todd is joining us now.

he's looking into this extraordinary story for us. what are you finding out? >> reporter: we pressed argentine and iranian officials on this. they are on the defensive tonight because there are so many unanswered questions about this prosecutor's death and plenty of motive to take him out. he was found dead in his apartment with a bullet in his brain, a gun and shell casing on the floor, despite having the protection of a ten-man security detail. that was hours before he was due to testify on explosive allegations he had made in a notorious terrorism case. tonight, the mysterious death of the argentine prosecutor is gathering intrigue and enveloping the leaders of two powerful governments. >> hollywood would not accept a script like this. this is completely out of the pages of a spy thriller. >> reporter: just after his death on sunday argentina's president called it a suicide but now says she doubts it. investigators say there was no gun residue found on his hands,

as there likely would have been if he had pulled the trigger. mark dubowitz is a friend of the prosecutor. >> alberto had been threatened many times and actually in february 2013 he received photos and threats and photos of images that were very deeply disturbing showing alberto and his daughters. >> reporter: the prosecutor was investigating the 1994 bombing of the jewish community center in buenos aries. he was about to testify about his report saying iran was behind the attack. tehran denies that. but he was also about to testify that argentina's president's government was trying to cover up iran's involvement in exchange for better trade with iran. her aides strongly deny a coverup. but were they involved in his death? >> the argentine government certainly could have been involved in this and they had a reason for that. >> reporter: i spoke by phone with argentina's foreign minister. was the argentine government

involved in this prosecutor's death? >> no. absolutely not. the argentine government was not involved. second nobody i mean wanted more mr. niesman [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: analysts say iran had a strong reason to kill him for his relentless pursuit of iranian officials in connection with the terrorist bombing. >> as he noted in detail in his report including with evidence collected from countries where these other assassinations happened of carrying out assassinations around the world. >> the iranian regime has been accused of assassination plots here in the u.s. the killing of a former iranian diplomat in the washington suburbs and the failed plot to assassinate saudi arabia's ambassador to the u.s. at an upscale restaurant in washington. the iranians denied involvement in that. we tried to get iranian officials to respond to the

comments that they could have been involved in the argentine prosecutor's death. they have not responded. >> there are also some serious questions about access to the prosecutor's apartment, right? >> that's right. a lot of questions there. the apartment's front door was locked from the inside. there were reports that the door could only have been opened from the inside but a locksmith who helped his mother gain access to the apartment says anyone could have opened that door with a wire or something else. there are also reports that there are other entrances to that apartment. so those questions are unanswered tonight as well. >> brian todd what a mystery this is. thanks very much. let's discuss this and more. joining us once again, our cnn national security analyst peter bergen. also joining us cnn intelligence and security analyst bob baer a former cia operative, and the former congresswoman jane harmon key voice on national security issues now president and ceo of the wilson center. she joins us from davos, switzerland. jane, if this wasn't a suicide, who do you suspect could have been responsible for this

prosecutor's death and how would it relate to this bombing of this jewish community center 20 years ago? >> well the bombing was done by hezbollah. i remember being told that this was a great example of their reach and we suspected in the '90s that they would come across the southern border and hurt us in america and the two plots that were just mentioned, one in the suburbs and the intended assassination of the saudi ambassador were tracked to iran. they had every reason to worry about this report. obviously we don't know the final answers but it would seem to me i'm a trained lawyer but not a prosecutor that suicide is enormously improbable. >> i do want to be precise. so when you were briefed on what happened back in what 1994 the allegation was hezbollah was responsible for that bombing, but was there also allegations that iran which has a close relationship with hezbollah, directed hezbollah to launch that kind of terror operation?

>> well i actually don't recall that being said but nobody misses the fact that hezbollah is a proxy for iran. that's been known for two decades. >> let me ask bob baer to weigh in on this. what's your assessment? >> jane is absolutely right. in 1992 israel assassinated the head of hezbollah and in revenge, iran ordered a special unit in lebanon to hit two targets in argentina. one was the embassy and in 1994 was the jewish center there. there's no question we would know the man who did it there's a smoking gun on this with hezbollah and there's no doubt in my mind that the iranians directed. an operation like this would not have occurred without permission from tehran and in fact the man who carried out these attacks in argentina was assassinated in 2008 in damascus.

>> correct me if i'm wrong, bob baer he was the one the u.s. accused of blowing up the u.s. embassy in beirut and the u.s. marine barracks outside of beirut that killed what, almost 240 u.s. marines. >> you are exactly right. he did it and he also hijacked an american airliner twa 47. i tracked him for 20 years. he was really a bad guy. it doesn't surprise me he was assassinated in damascus or that he carried out this operation in argentina. he has networks all over the world. he even set off bombs in paris at one point in the '80s. >> let me get peter bergen's assessment. you remember covering all of this as well, right? >> yeah. i think as brian's piece points out, the argentineans have as strong a reason to do this as well. whatever the prosecutor was going to say was going to be very embarrassing to their government for covering up the fact that the iranians were involved in this plot. >> you heard hector timmerman,

the former prime minister you heard him flatly deny the government had anything to do with the death of this prosecutor. >> well, it wouldn't be the first time a government official's lied about something like this. >> awful, awful situation. we will stay on top of this story. jane harmon very quickly, the collapse of the government in yemen right now, this does not bode well for the u.s. war against al qaeda in the arabian peninsula which is based there. >> no, it doesn't. it is really important that we find the bomb maker in yemen who is capable still i think of figuring out a way to get somebody in there, so many foreign fighters 18,000 i think, in syria alone, somebody with a clean passport to wear this go on an airplane and blow up an airplane. i hope it never happens but if we don't have cooperation of the yemeni government we may not

have with this new houthi government we are going to have no access. we already have limited intelligence on the ground to find these targets. the other point i want to make about this is let's talk about iran. at a time when the u.s. is sincerely trying to make a nuclear deal with iran and i believe that the president is trying, that doesn't mean he'll succeed and it should only be ratified if it's a good deal but nonetheless, why is iran causing mischief in yemen and surely it's causing mischief in yemen and why might it be causing mischief in argentina? >> jane peter, bob, guys thanks very much. coming up the navy removes a top commander amid allegations he had an affair with a woman whose husband died mysteriously. ♪ ah, push it. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ push it. ♪ ♪ p...push it real good! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ow! ♪ ♪ oooh baby baby...baby baby. ♪ if you're salt-n-pepa, you tell people to push it.

♪ push it real good. ♪ it's what you do. ♪ ah. push it. ♪ if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance you switch to geico. it's what you do. ♪ ah. push it. ♪ i'm pushing. i'm pushing it real good!

new questions are being asked tonight and there are new fears as well of trouble potentially in the streets because of reports the federal government won't bring any civil rights charges against the former ferguson missouri police officer darren wilson the policeman who shot and killed the unarmed teenager michael brown. let's bring in the national urban league president, mark moriel. thanks very much for joining us. what's your reaction to this news? it looks like the justice department is concluding there's not enough there, not enough evidence to bring these kinds of civil rights charges against wilson. >> i would certainly wait until the justice department publicly confirms what its decision would

be notwithstanding any decision by the justice department it's not going to stop our continued advocacy for police reform for police accountability and for the need wolf to bring communities and law enforcement together. at this point in time i certainly thing we need to ensure that the justice department has made a decision before i or anyone else jump -- before we jump out prematurely, if you will and begin commenting on what they've done and why they've done it. >> fair enough. let me play a little clip. this is the president today. he has just been doing an interview on youtube with some folks out there and he spoke out about the issue of race. >> it's something i think everybody, not just african-americans or latinos but everybody should be concerned about because you get better policing when communities have

confidence that the police are protecting and serving all people and not in any way showing bias. that's something that we should all have an interest in. >> i assume you agree with the president? >> i think the president is certainly right on point. i just had the opportunity to visit college campuses over the last several days and i heard the same that the concern about police community relations goes beyond the african-american community, goes beyond the latino community and even goes beyond those who live in urban communities because it's a broader and an overall issue. we all share the same objective and that is public safety. i think it can be achieved through respectable policing that is not overly aggressive and that's the aim that we all have. we are working at this very moment here in florida through

an -- at an urban league leadership conference on what our recommendations will be our suggestions to the president's task force headed by commissioner ramsey. we've got to be proactive in this regard and we've got to look at those things that are going to help move the ball. i've also heard from a number of local leaders that the condition and the situation and concerns about policing is widespread but that there are a number of communities out there that have made tremendous progress in building bridges between police and community and what we need to do is replicate thes approaches. >> finally, i assume your message to the people of ferguson missouri st. louis county there, all over the country, assuming the justice department comes out with a decision saying they are not going to file any civil rights charges against the police officer, is one of nonviolence. if you want to protest, do it peacefully right? >> in every instance i think

the civil rights community in this nation and i'm talking about historic civil rights organizations, embrace the idea that protest should be in the spirit of martin luther king nonviolent and be designed in a way that we express our point of view without hurting any person or hurting any property. but the same goes true goes for law enforcement who might be called on to respond. they also should not be provocative or instigating in how they might approach it. so certainly there needs to be if there are going to be responses, we want them to be peaceful and nonviolent but focus on what the aims of this are and that is to improve the relationship between police and community and also to try to create a level playing field in the criminal justice system. >> thanks very much for joining us. >> thanks wolf. coming up a mysterious

death leads to allegations a top u.s. navy commander wasn't just having an affair. there were other serious allegations now out there. we're watching what's going on. the navy has just removed him from a very important job. stay with us. sheila! you see this ball control? you see this right? it's 80% confidence and 64% knee brace. that's more... shh... i know that's more than 100%. but that's what winners give. now bicycle kick your old 401(k) into an ira. i know, i know. listen, just get td ameritrade's rollover consultants on the horn. they'll guide you through the whole process. it's simple. even she could do it. whatever, janet. for all the confidence you need. td ameritrade. you got this.

i have great credit. how do you know? duh. try credit karma. it's free and you can see what your score is right now . i just got my free credit score! credit karma. really free.

prominent u.s. military commander has been reassigned amid allegations he had an affair.

he was the commander of the overall naval facility. suzanne malveaux is here in "the situation room." you have details of a sad story. >> sad and mysterious. the maefnavy has relieved him of his duty due to the loss of confidence in his ability to command. i spoke with the u.s. military official who told me it was over an inappropriate relationship. but that alleged relationship only came to light after the discovery of a body. now he has been temporarily reassigned to a post in jacksonville florida. this navy captain has been removed from his post. now under investigation for having an alleged extramarital affair with a woman whose husband was a civilian worker on the base. this according to a u.s. military official. it all began when 42-year-old worker and former marine matthew ter, a father of two, married for 19 years, who had moved with

his family to the base four years ago was reported missing january 10 by his wife. the next day, he was discovered by the u.s. coast guard dead in the bay. during the course of the investigation into his death, a u.s. military official says they uncovered the alleged fair between his wife and nettleton. >> the base commander has relieved. it's in the purview of the appropriate authorities. >> while he is being removed for alleged adultery which is a crime under military law, pentagon officials have not said he is in any way connected to matthew ter's death. a military official told cnn initial indications are that the death was a suicide. there has been no final determination. >> a naval officer who had an affair. it's inappropriate. was there a climate, a culture that he allowed to exist? >> his alleged love triangle and

reassignment while a black eye for the navy has nothing to do with the guantanamo prison. >> inside the prison itself he nothing to do with that. that is run by intelligence agencies run by the army to ensure that everybody in there is well cared for and everything is going appropriately. >> a u.s. military official i spoke to says he has not been named a suspect in the death. his widow has not spoken about this alleged affair. >> sad story. thanks very much. coming up terror concerns bring tighter security for tens of thousands of u.s. troops and civilians at bases all across europe. we're taking a closer look. with scandal swirling about the nfl just ahead of the super bowl tom brady is speaking out on what is being called deflate-gate.

who cares what it holds, if it can't hold your gaze? who cares how tight it can turn, if it can't turn heads? who cares how capable it is, if it's incapable of creating a reaction? any suv can move something. but can it move you? introducing the first-ever lexus nx turbo and hybrid. once you go beyond utility there's no going back. shopping online is as easy as it gets. wouldn't it be great if hiring plumbers, carpenters and even piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list now it is. start shopping online from a list of top-rated providers. visit angieslist.com today.

happening now, u.s. troops on alert. concern that western militants returning from syria and iraq are targeting american forces. what is the pept gonentagon doing to keep them safe? the government of a u.s. ally collapses after days of fighting with rebels. will al qaeda thrive? deflate-gate. tom brady tackles the scandal in a news conference. is he shedding any light on the mystery of the under inflated football? glozell grills the president. she's famous for her wild stunts. why is she interviewing the president of the united states?

welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you are in "the situation room." breaking now, developments in the war against isis. a top u.s. official in iraq estimating that 6,000 militants have been killed by the american-led strikes on targets. we're following new details of the paris terror attacks with new information about the role played by one of the four suspects currently in custody. now there's new fear that the al qaeda group claiming responsibility for the magazine massacre could get more dangerous. the country it uses as a safe haven, a u.s. ally has no government tonight. the government has collapsed and there's fear that terrorists will take hold in the vacuum. we're covering all the breaking news with our correspondents and guests this hour. let's begin with barbara starr over at the pentagon. she's got new information.

barbara? >> reporter: 90,000 military and civilian personnel across europe now facing more stringent security. in the wake of the attacks in paris and the arrests in belgium, they were ordered at u.s. bases. the concern, foreign fighters returning from iraq and syria to europe are targeting u.s. personnel and installations. >> it has been a threat barbara. and it's a reality. and we have been well aware of that. >> reporter: threats confronting europe and the u.s. that include al qaeda in yemen. in a new individualvideo, he calls for attacks in the u.s. and europe. worry growing about more attacks like those in paris because yemen's rebel coup has given the al qaeda group more freedom to maneuver. it all continues to be a concern

for u.s. national security. a top justice official said that thousands of foreigners including about 150 americans who have traveled to join the fight is "unprecedented." >> the landscape we are seeing in terms of threat continues to shift with an increasing number of individuals leaving their homes to fight for terrorist groups like isil. >> reporter: the u.s. estimates air strikes have killed more than 6,000 isis fighters. >> 50% of the top command has been eliminated. hundreds of vehicles and tanks, which they captured have been destroyed. >> reporter: chuck hagel adamant a body count doesn't mean victory. in his final press conference, visibly annoyed at iraq's prime minister who suggested they are

not enough. >> i disagree with the prime minister's comments. i would say further, i don't think they are helpful. >> that was barbara starr from the pentagon. we are learning about the paris attacks including how one suspect allegedly aided the terrorists who beat him with a bat. pamela brown is joining us from paris. what are you learning? >> reporter: we spoke to the attorney of one of the suspects in custody here in paris, wolf. he admitted that his client did provide support to amedy coulibaly, including buying him tear gas grenades. he says his client did so under duress. the attack of a kosher market in paris left five dead including the perpetrator amedy coulibaly. now an attorney for a suspect charged with providing support says his client bought some of the items allegedly used in the attack including a tar, two

tear gas grenades a knife and jackets. >> translator: he did not have a choice. as mr. coulibaly had a hold over him. >> reporter: the attorney tells cnn coulibaly bullied his client even beat him with a baseball bat on a previous occasion and eventually intimidated him to buy those items. today, we're learning an alleged associate of the kouachi brothers two men who attacked the "charlie hebdo" magazine headquarters is now being extradited from turkey to paris. he was arrested at the turkish border the same day hayat boumeddiene was seen here. she was believed seen in this surveillance video over the summer walking with coulibaly by a jewish institution. sources say they were scoping out jewish sites. sources tell cnn the paris suspects urged several of their cohorts to leave france some of them are believed by authorities to now be hiding in syria.

>> it shows to me a level of planning and forthought. the more individuals that are involved in a plot usually the easier it is to find out about it. they didn't. >> reporter: parisians continue on unafraid to read the latest edition of "charlie hebdo" in public and at newsstands across the city the magazine is sold out. a strong message of defiance just two weeks after the massacre. we learned today that some media companies in the u.s. that republish the "charlie hebdo" cartoons will now be receiving increased security. the nypd sending the companies a memo saying that they are sending more officers to guard their manhattan offices. >> is that being done out of caution or is there specific intelligence suggesting that those media publications here in the united states could be targeted? >> reporter: we're being told it's caution that they have no

intelligence indicating any direct threats again thoft immediatethose companies. they want to make sure they have all their bases covered. >> they want to be safe. thanks very much pamela brown in paris. there are more terror fears as chaos engulfs an important ally. we are talking about yemen. after days of fighting with rebels a power vacuum many feel al qaeda will soon take advantage of if they haven't already. jim sciutto is working this story. it's alarming. what are you finding out? rr rr >> reporter: there was an agreement as recently as yesterday. today that agreement fell apart. the president saying the rebel demands are too high and being demanded at gun point. now you have a possibility of a split up of the country. it's a three-way battle going on. you have aqap hauthi rebels and a government falling apart.

this is all unfolding. >> the ramifications for the u.s. are very very significant. >> reporter: this government is an ally with the u.s. again aqap. we saw the ability of aqap in paris just last week the ability to project power, carry out attacks abroad. it has become -- it has been a real concern for the u.s. and it's a growing concern for the u.s. i spoke earlier today with a ranking member on the house intelligence committee. these were his assessment of what a difference this makes in the fight against aqap. >> if we lose that yemen government as a partner, that's a big setback for us. they have been key to coordinating efforts to go after al qaeda in yemen. if you see a broad takeover by the hauthis, that could provide the kind of fer tile soil for al qaeda to make a resurgence. >> reporter: it was a few months ago the president was claiming yemen as a success story, saying

it shows a government with u.s. drone strikes in the air. of course, you see the breakdown with the potential loss of a very valuable ally. >> it's pretty devastating when you think about it. let's not forget there are still hundreds of u.s. diplomats, military personnel in yemen right now. there are thousands -- we're told thousands of other u.s. citizens mostly dual yemen american citizens who are in yemen. >> >> reporter: the u.s. government have made preparations to evacuate them if necessary. they haven't made the judgment that's necessary. they have the resources. they have two u.s. navy warships offshore. first choice would be via commercial aircraft. but again, they haven't made that call yet. >> stand by. i want you to stand by. i want to bring into "the situation room" our national security commentator, mike

rogers. also our global affairs analyst retired colonel james reese. how worried are you -- i guess i should call you mr. chairman. how worried are you about -- >> like a convicted convict. >> of the americans in yemen. >> two things. the embassy itself is self-contained. the military folks, the intelligence folks, the diplomat diplomats are there and protected. they will have 24 hour security there. the american yemeni citizens are all spread across emenyemen. it's difficult to find them. they don't have good transportation. their communication systems are iffie. some don't have electricity for 24 hours a day. those americans would be exposed in a very serious way. >> usually those american citizens even if they are dual citizens they are registered with the u.s. embassy. i guess american diplomats know

where they are. >> they are. what they have do is they have to register with the regional security officer from the state department. they will have a database. they have maps to where all these people are. but you can imagine, they don't have the assets to start rounding up hundreds had of people and get them inside the embassy walls. >> it's a worrisome situation. at some point they have to make a decision get those americans out of there or it's going to get worse and more dangerous. >> they have to tell them you need to come to this place right now or start making that commitment to the commercial airlines now, which i've got to believe they have to be doing that right now for some of the non-critical staff. >> paul the opportunity for al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, aqap in the midst of the turmoil in yemen right now, it's unbelievable. they could really expand their capabilities. >> wolf that's exactly right. they're likely to take advantage of this turmoil. if there is a hauthi government that's formed in the country,

they are likely to take big-time advantage of that in terms of recruitment among sunni tribals in the tribal areas of yemen that are central areas of the country who view these hauthi as shia and there's a lot of anger amongst the tribals which al qaeda will exploit probably to expand their zone of control in it the region. of course that's worrying because this group has said their number one priority is to hit the united states. >> their motto not only al qaeda's motto -- we know what they want to do to the united states the hauthi rebels they say death to america. all of you stand by for a moment. i want to bring in angus king of maine, a member of the intelligence and armed services committee. senator king you are possess mess tick about those americans

who are in yemen right now. you want the u.s. government to get them all out, right? >> i think it's time wolf. it's a very complicated situation, as your guests have been outlining. aqap is in the neighborhood. we know what they would like to do if they had a chance. the other complication is although the hauthi leadership is making some reassuring noises to our people about not targeting the embassy, we're not so sure about the chain of command. you've got an 18-year-old with a heavy duty machine gun. it could easily get out of control. i think the prudent thing is to move out. i know i've had a bunch of briefings in the last 24 hours. i know that the administration is monitoring this. i said is it hour to hour? no. it's minute to minute. one of the big considerations is what are the people on the ground at the embassy xount tellcompound

telling them. this is one of those reasons it's tough to be the president. i think prudence dictates moving these people out at least temporarily. even that's not an easy decision. if we move out, the compound could be taken over and we couldn't get back in. it's a tough call. my inclination is to keep the safety in mind. >> we are following breaking news. much more after this. recently, a 1954 mercedes-benz grand prix race car made history when it sold for a record price of just under $30 million. and now, another mercedes-benz makes history selling at just over $30,000.

and to think this one actually has a surround-sound stereo. the 2015 cla. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. music: melodic, calm music. hi, this is jennifer... ... i will be out of the office until monday... ... and won't be checking voicemail during this time. i'll reply just as soon as i get back to work. sail with the number one cruise line in alaska. save up to $500 during our 50th anniversary sale. call your travel consultant or 1-800-princess. princess cruises. come back new. huh, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. everybody knows that. well, did you know you that former pro football player ickey woods will celebrate almost anything? unh-uh. number 44... whoooo! forty-four, that's me! get some cold cuts... get some cold cuts...

get some cold cuts! whooo! gimme some! geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. whoo! forty-four ladies, that's me! whoo...gonna get some cold cuts today!

you used to sleep like a champ. then boom... what happened? stress, fun, bad habits kids, now what? let's build a new, smarter bed using the dualair chambers to sense your movement, heartbeat, breathing. introducing the sleep number bed with sleepiqtm technology. it tracks your sleep and tells you how to adjust for a good, better and an awesome night. the difference? try adjusting up or down. you'll know cuz sleep iq™ tells you. only at a sleep number store where you'll find the best buy rated mattress with sleepiq technology. know better sleep with sleep number.

we are following breaking news including a development in the war against isis. we are back with angus king of maine, a member of the senate intelligence and the senate armed services committee. very quickly, wrapping up on yemen, your big concern right now is that some of the hundreds of americans who are still in yemen could be taken hostage by terror groups is that right? >> i mean hostage or an invasion of the embassy or simply in danger. we know that one of our vehicles took 80 rounds of fire earlier this week. being able to -- it's a power vacuum wolf. no one really knows. it's a power vacuum including different segments of the hauthi organization plus if that isn't enough you have got al qaeda, aqap right in that area. whether it's -- i can't predict what might happen. but i just think it's a dangerous situation. the question is what's the up

side of leaving our people there versus what i would consider a very big down side? >> i didn't know it was 80 rounds that hit that armored u.s. vehicle from the u.s. embassy. no injuries though no american official was hurt. right? >> that's correct. it was an armored vehicle. it worked. >> fortunately, it did work. let's talk bess babout isis. you heard the u.s. ambassador to iraq announce 6,000 isis fighters have been taken out by air strikes. were you surprised by that number? do you believe it's accurate? >> well you know i don't have any independent verification of the number. what i have heard that that number is in the ballpark. i will tell you, wolf i was in the middle east over the weekend. one of the middle eastern people over in that area said that they felt that our air campaign had saved the kurds. that was the phrase that was used. so i think it has been

effective. we have seriously degraded these mobile oil platforms that they have been getting income from. we have degraded their trucks and any of their kind of heavy equipment. so i think it has been very successful. but, wolf you can't win a war with air power. the question now is going to be where does the manpower come from to take it to the next level? >> senator king thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. good to be with you. let's get more. joining us paul philip mudd and bob and mike rogers and our global affairs analyst, lieutenant colonel james reese. phillip mudip mudd what do you think we heard about senator king saying get the americans out? >> i agree. look at the situation. we had firing on an embassy

vehicle. if you are sitting in a chair and looking at up sides, maybe the potential for intelligence collection. the government is not there. versus the down side you have to sit there and say, the risk is too high to keep those guys there i. there. >> at what point do officials burn classified documents, destroy hard drives getting rid of stuff that if al qaeda or other terror groups got their hands on would be terrible. >> that's probably started to happen that protocol. the one thing we have to keep in mind is we can't manage this from washington. the guy on the ground has to be the person with the command authority to make that call. everyone back here has to support that ground force commander. it's very easy to get caught up in the emotion and try to push that guy on the ground. >> there's a u.s. ambassador

there. the u.s. ambassador mr. chairman they have to decide what to do. right? >> absolutely. i agree. they immediate to leave that decision at the embassy itself. remember the transition is going on. the government may not look the same. there sin tell gensis intelligence value there. if we continue to disrupt al qaeda efforts in yemen -- they are serious and significant. the greatest threat to the homeland we believe, is coming out of aqap or al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, which is yemen, you need presence there. if you walk away from that i fear for the consequences. >> i want everybody to stand by. we have major breaking news here in "the situation room." the saudi king has died this according to an official announcement that just aired oir saudi state tv.

the nextkey u.s. ally in the middle east. the former chairman of the house intelligence committee is still with us. we know that the king had been gravely ill. we didn't know when he would die. it's official he's dead. the ramifications are significant. >> they are. i will tell you i think the saudis did this very well. in the last three, four months they have had senior level delegations coming to washington, d.c. all in preparation. i think everyone knew the king was not long for this world. it will have significant ramifications. hopefully, we will see no disruption we wouldn't see fighting within the royal family. most of that has been dealt with. they were i thought, very very good about making sure that they made their intentions clear to support the next king in the last three or four months. >> what you are saying is that there's been -- they have been bracing for this for a while and they have a plan in place? >> i absolutely believe that.

>> saudi arabia given what the turmoil in that part of the world, is a key player. >> i know several of the senior chain in command in the air force and ground forces they have been waiting for this. what they are watching is what's happening in yemen. this might be an opportunity for the saudis to have to get engaged in yemen if this thing continues. >> if the shiites take control of yemen, not only the saudis but the emirates and other countries friendly to the united states in that part of the world who have no love for iran they would be very upset. >> that's not going to happen in the arabian peninsula. >> what's not going to happen? >> the shia are not going to take over -- >> let me ask philip mudd your reaction to the official world, the announcement that the saudi king has died? >> look, i've lived in saudi arabia before.

the transition will be smooth. thoef been preparing for this. i agree with mike rogers on the specifics of the counter terror front. the administer of interior is great. the partnership to deal with issues like the hauthis in yemen and security issues like iran will be continuous because they will be a source of stability for us. >> the king was 90 years old when he passed away just want to point out that. bob, what's your initial reaction? >> i think it's going to be a smooth transition. the king has been pretty much out of it for months now. the problem is that the crown prince who will be king is also sick. the day to day business has been one by the third in line. i have seen the royal family

unify, especially at a time like this. there's no room for in fighting at all with yemen falling apart. i agree with colonel reese, if things get bad down there, the iranians move in any sense, the saudis will have no choice but to move in. this is a very sensitive subject for them. >> the saudis have a largely u.s. supplies army. we have pictures. you can see what's going on over there. word now, it's official saudi king abdullah has died. these are the images that saudi tv is now showing the world. a very important development. paul it's going to play out in the next few days. i assume there will be a funeral. world leaders might go there. what's your anticipation? >> yeah. this is a huge deal any time this happens, particularly in saudi arabia a sensitive part of the world, a key strategic ally of the united states. i agree with the rest of the panel. there's likely to be a smooth

transition here that they planned for this for some time. i don't think there's going to be any real change in strategy from the saudis. as has been pointed out, challenges they are facing in the region with the rise of isis. also there's crisis in yemen. of course, the hauthis took control in september. they have been in charge since then. so this crisis has been unfolding for quite some time. >> take us behind the scenes mike right now. u.s. government knew the king was on the verge of death. 90 years old, ill in recent months. take us a little inside. what's the decision making process right now? what worries them the most? >> the u.s. government? >> yes. >> well clearly, the yemeni situation. one of the things -- there has been conversations to months with the saudis. does the u.s. help them?

mainly because it's been driven by iran. a lot of the weapons, a lot of the training a lot of the intelligence gathering came through the iranians. that's very clear. there has been discussion for some period of months what does saudi arabia do and where could the u.s. be in that particular event, if they had to go across the border? i'm not as convinced they will move as smartly. the good news is all of their ministers -- our government will work with the ministers, will stay the same. they have been cross trained in each of the -- from a national security to the national guard, they all are very well experienced ministers in the matters of their national security. we will have some very serious and direct conversation i imagine those are happening. i know several weeks ago when i was there, they were still happening. i wouldn't say anything quickly. i do see that the biggest concern is that the hauthis either pocket themselves in and around the city and don't necessarily try to run the city.

now we have a bigger problem for them to deal with. >> a period of mourning will begin in saudi arabia now in memory of king abdullah who passed away today. correct me if i'm wrong, colonel, but the saucedis did cross the border to help the government there when it faced problem with shiite opposition. >> they did. they had an uprising. you had the saudis and jordanians that they brought in to help with the royal guard there. so yeah there's precedence for this. >> you wouldn't be surprised if saudi troops moved into yemen? >> it would not surprise me at all. i agree, it's not going to happen tonight or tomorrow. but they will watch this closely. i would not surprise me if they posture forces and look at this very closely. >> jim, i know you have been in touch with obama administration officials. any official reaction yet from the u.s. government to the death? >> not from the white house yet and not from the state department.

keep in mind his importance here. he has been the king since 2005. when he was crown prince he was effectively even as crown prince running the country during the difficult years. a real key ally of the u.s. during that time. i was lucky enough to interview him just after the invasion. he spoke very honestly -- >> the u.s. invasion of iraq? >> at the time he gave the u.s. a warning about invading iraq and about the dangers. he is the ally who spoke directly to the u.s. but remained very close for more than a decade. it's a loss. but as others have said, this is something that the saudis and the u.s. has been prepared for. >> the u.s. has a close military and strategic political relationship with saudi arabia. but there have been differences in recent years as far as egypt was concerned, for example. there was significant differences. they were not happy the saudis about the u.s. supporting the

overthrow of mubaric. they were surprised by some of the back channel deals that were going on to start a dialogue. it's ironic but the saudis, the emirate emirates they have one thing this common with the israelis none of them like what's going on right now. >> what jim said about the invasion of iraq it shook the saudis. they were totally against it. especially the king. he understood this wouldn't go well. in our support for the arab spring in equip and across north africa the saudis told us this wasn't going to work. the middle east could blow up. it did in bahrain and yechlen enyemen did as well. saudi arabia remains the swing producer for oil in the world. even though prices are low, if

for some reason it should go off market, there should be chaos, we would suffer considerably. >> that's a fair point as well. phil the new king will be king soloman, the brother of king abdullah. he is not a young guy either. this is a period of transition right now in saudi arabia. phil? i think we lost our connection with phil mudd. >> the connection is a key ally. it was interesting during that time in iraq many of us went to talk to the saudi royal family. they were saying if you are going to go anywhere go to iran. which is very important. it tells you their mindset at that time and why this howauthi problem is a big deal. this is critical for us moving forward. obviously, we're frustrated with some of the things that they do amongst themselves. but they are a key ally in the region and have been a solid

ally in the region fighting extremism. >> they are concerned about the u.s. negotiations with iran right now? >> i can't tell you how frustrated they were first of all, that it happened in secret and they were not informed of it. and number two -- >> you weren't informed of it either and you were the chairman of the house intelligence committee. >> they went around all of the national security apparatus in the country, including our strongest allies who have the most to lose in these equations. i have never seen them more angry -- openly angry about the way this negotiation happened that they are negotiating with them and their final statement always is well that means if they enrich we will enrich. >> that's the big fear that if the iranians were to get a bomb it would put enormous pressure on saudi arabia and other countries in the region to do the same thing. >> absolutely. you remember, iraq was the buffer between the eye rannians and really the saudis.

saddam was the guy who kept everything in check. when we threw that out of balance, this has been a concern for the saudis for several years. they watch it. i was in iraq last year. the general and the militia are driving right up the river valley and helping out. we have different forces. it's very confusing at this time. >> let me bring in fareed zakaria. he is joining us on the phone. give us your instant analysis shall we say, on the death of king abdullah. the ramifications, the pitfalls potentially and maybe the benefits. what's your assessment? >> caller: the first thing to note is he was really quite an extraordinary figure. he was probably the most progressive and liberal minded king of saudi arabia since the

early 1970s. he was genuinely determined to reform. i had the opportunity to meet with him once. what you could -- you got a sense of was somebody who really was determined to move his country forward. you know it's a conservative country and society. he kept emphasizing that to me. but he was very clear in it the direction he wanted to go. he was also much loved. i was struck by the fact -- i attended one of his large audiences and taken in for a private audience with him. these were ordinary citizens who were asking favors of him. the way in which they interacted with him was very different from what you would imagine between a king and his subjects. there was a great deal of -- it was a much more flat relationship. he was chatting with them. there was deference but also familiarity. i think that what it means for

saudi arabia is that at a crewel shall moment they are going through a transition. the last time the price of oil fell like this the soviet union collapsed. it may be one of the most dramatic drops in the price of oil ever. at this moment to also be going through a large political transition in the swing supply at the central bank of oil, it's a kind of -- a touchy situation. that said, the successor is a very competent man himself, was governor. i don't expect any major shift. but it marks a big change. we will have to see what the new king is like particularly on the issue of being progressive and reform minded. >> it's going to be an important period. a period of mourning in saudi arabia right now. then they will get back to business. we will see how the new king operates. i want to bring in nick

robertson who has been to saudi arabia many times over the years. he is joining us from london right now. are you picking up reaction over there to this news that the king of saudi arabia has passed away? >> caller: it's really early hours here in london wolf. attended his speech. i was there when he came to the thrown and when his predecessor was buried. what we can expect here and what we are witnessing the saudi state news agencies are saying that the king passed away at 1:00 in the morning on friday morning. obviously, friday an auspicious day to pass away. in saudi arabia the most important thing for the royal family is a smooth and seamless transition of power. that's what we are seeing. this is why there is a crown prince waiting in the wings. now he is the king the former governor. he is widely viewed also in the same sort of reform-minded

context in a conservative country that king abdullah was viewed as well. what we expect to see a lot of the -- all of the important saudi princes returning to saudi arabia. we will see a lot of important dignitaries and leaders around the gulf attending. i was there when the king came to the thrown. prince charles of britain went to represent the queen. we will see other royals likely from europe going as well. they will have to get there quickly, because the funeral is expected to be today. it will be a very perfunctory affair. i was surprised when i watched the funeral literally the procession several hundred of the royals walking into the cemetery. the burial incredibly swift. literally, the coffin placed in the ground and the crowd moving on without barely waiting. there was no big ceremony at the

grave. we will expect to see that. after that the new king will meet all the princes will come and say -- give him their condolences and congratulate him. we will expect the foreign dignitaries arriving perhaps prime ministers, presidents among them. it will be a very big affair. it was when king abdullah came to the thrown. there were expectations he would take the country forward and reform it in the way we would expect. women able to drive, these sorts of things. they didn't happen. did he move the country forward somewhat in a relative way in a conservative country. >> we're showing our viewers a live video. the feed coming in from a saudi state tv. you hear the chanting that is beginning. fareed are you still with us? >> reporter: yes, i am. >> the tradition in islam among muslims is do -- when somebody

passes away to have a burial very quickly, right? >> caller: yes. the idea is dust to dust. there's meant to be very little ceremony. very little by way of mark inging of the burial site. these very grand mausoleums that you see in places like india are the saudi interpretation of islam, which is very strict and very minimalist shall you say, they would regard that as all excessive. i think nick is right. what you expect to see is the body gets into the ground as quickly as possible. it's covered with dirt. there is no great marble on top of it and people move on. the idea is very much dust to dust. >> especially among the leading group in saudi arabia right? >> yeah.

this is the interpretation. it's sad to say this is not uniquely for them. the conservative muslims throughout the world would tend to do a very quick and very minimal ceremony. in general, if you go to a muslim grave, you will be struck by the fact that there are few grand monuments. it's kept simple. it's meant to be an injunction against any kind of potential idol worship. nobody should be turned into somebody or something who could be worshipped. certainly, with the king of saudi arabia that could happen. so you can understand why they might take those precautions. >> see the live pictures coming in from saudi tv. it's the middle of the night over there. people have heard the news that the saudi king, king abdullah has died. brian todd is working the story

for us. brian, talk a little bit about the succession. what's going on here? >> with the death of king abdullah, every an lifrltalyst is wondering, is this a changing of the guard in saudi arabia? will this signify that? will it be a change of kings? will the succession bring real change to how saudi arabia treats its people or how it wages the war or terror? the king's successor is going to be his half brother. he is about 80 years old and is said to be in bad health himself. he is thought by some to be more conservative than king abdullah was. is he going to reverse some of the limited reforms his half brother instituted like giving women the ability to be appointed to the parliament? king abdullah appointed a deputy crown prince which did surprise some. that deputy who becomes crown

prince likely going lily lily -- he is not young either. he is in his late 60s. little is known about him or any changes he might start to bring about in that new position that he will hold. the main questions now, of course how is saudi arabia going to wage the war on terror? what kind of ally are they going to be with the united states and its allies there? how are they going to respond to the situation in yemen, the pressure from isis all of those issues facing them as they go through this tonight. >> it's a delicate moment right now. a lot of crises in that part of the world. nick robertson, we are showing viewers live pictures from mecca. we see thousands of people now have gathered in mourning. in mourning because the king has died. walk us through a little bit, nick. you were there the last time saudi arabia went through the death of the king.

walk us through some of the moments that we're about to see. >> we're see a gathering of all the leading members of the royal family all the princes will gather. they will come to where the funeral would be expected to take place. they will gather with the new king. then they will go to the -- they will go to the grave site. there will be a swift burial. part of the tradition is one that goes back to the roots in the central desert. they are the people of the harsh desert central arabia. it's their tradition, their cultural tradition, perhaps more so than the religious roots that may embrace them to get the power to take the thrown from the previous dynasty in early last century. this will be a very sort of -- a

cultural event in terms of it's minimalist minimalist. they tend not to leave a headstone marking the grave. the important thing, again -- i don't think we can state this enough. this is a country where the leadership is concerned about maintaining power, maintaining law and order, maintaining a smooth transition. it will very quickly transition into all those princes who are coming all those invited dignitaries who arrive to pay their respects coming to pay their respects to the new king. how that will -- how he will shape the country, i don't we should expect any great changes fast. continuity has been the key in saudi arabia very very slow gradual change. part of it is because it's passed brother to brother to brother. the brothers are getting older. but what the prince will bring to this will be a certain amount more energy and vigor than king

abdullah was, who was beginning to be ill, who was beginning to slow down. there are a lot of expectation on a king in saudi arabia. all the power goes through him. >> stand by for a moment. i assume the u.s. government was anticipating this. they have a plan in place who will represent the united states at the funeral for king abdullah. >> reporter: it hasn't been announced. this is seriously something that president obama will consider very seriously. the u.s. and saudi arabia such close allies. obviously, u.s. president wants to show respect to a figure as important as king abdullah not just in terms of the bilateral relationship but the custodian of what saudi arabia represents to the region. i think what nick said is true.

no one in the united states has been expecting that when the crown prince takes over there will be many changes. as we have been saying he is in his late 70s. he has his own health problems. not expected to live at long as king abdullah. they are being loolooking to who will be the new crown prince. will he take one of the last living sons of the founding king or will he move to the next generation of grandsons, people that we have heard about? other figures that have been waiting in the wings. the crown prince was the defense minister. whoever gets appointed there is someone the u.s. will want to get to know. also if they were to go to this next generation those grandsons are a very different breed, closer to the united states. they have been educated there. they spend a lot of time in the united states and speak english. could be a lot more friendly to

europe and the united states. at the same time, they don't have the formative experience their fathers learned at the knee of the founding king. could be willing to explore their options. the u.s. obviously has been planning for this a long time. a lot of intense conversation is going on tonight. >> stand by. i want to bring in on the phone a former u.s. ambassador to saudi arabia robert jordan. he was ambassador of the united states to saudi arabia from 2001 to 2003. what do you anticipate, mr. am ambassador ambassador happening in the coming hours and days? >> i think we will see a meeting of the allegiance council, the convoy indication of the 30-some most senior princes in the royal family. they will be considering what the succession should look like. undoubtedly, the crown prince of course, is going to have all of them swear allegiance to him.

i think we're going to see a certain amount of jockeys as you might expect among the royal family for succession opportunities. bear in mind there is a deputy prince who had been the governor. he's the youngest surviving son of king abdullah. late 60s, around 70 years old at this point. there will have to be some decision made on what his future role will be as well as assuming that he had occupied. >> you don't anticipate any problem as far as the new king is concerned, king solmon there's not going to be a

significant fight for power. >> no not at all. he's a very respected figure in saudi arabia. he was a governor for 30 years. i dealt with him a great deal during our efforts right after 9/11. i think he will continue much of king abdullah's policies probably with a slightly different tone. although he's someone whose sons are western educated. one of them was a saudi restaurant and another owns a family publishing empire. they are quite literal, quite educated. we may be well surprised at what the he can do. i think a lot of it will be more jockeying in the subordinate

roles. >> who do you think will represent the united states at the funeral? >> i don't know. in 2005 it was vice president cheney to come over. i think president would want to consider carefully attending this. in some ways it needs more attention than it's received. this will be an opportunity to do that in a way that's necessary. >> thanks for much. robert jordon, the former u.s. ambassador ambassador. mike rogers should the president of the united states go to saudi arabia at this delicate moment to show his solidarity? >> i think he should if it's possible on his schedule. obviously, there's other things that's happening in the world to detain him. i would try to be there. i think it sends an important message. we've had some strained relations. i think this would go a long way

if the president shows up if not the vice president. >> what do you think? >> i agree. especially after what happened in paris i think it's a time to show what we're about. >> what about security concerns? >> diplomatic services inside the embassy, there would be to problems. >> still no plans yet. no announced statements. you should expect them all. the other point i would make is the real debate about saudi leadership would be about next generation. he's in the same generation 79 years old. the new crown prince is 69. there was some debate when king abdullah abdullah's health was bad about moving up the chain because of health concerns of prince solomon. it's an entirely new generation.

with that next generation do you have a significant change. >> nic robertson people will be watching very closely who will be attending this funeral, not only who will represent the united states but other world powers. sgr one of them we can expect will be general cc from egypt. we understand he wasdignitaries to meet. some of the people visiting may provide a little awkwardness for some of the dignitaries coming. that's not going to be the issue of the day. from britain we would expect to see prince charles. it would be important for some of the other royal families in europe. again, for european leaders in the say way for possibly president obama. it will be important for the

europeans to show their solidarity as well. this time when europe the united states and the gulf countries that's begun to play a much more significant role in the gulf taking a much stronger elite position on the issue of syria and fighting isis at the time where there's greater unity. we can expect to see a lot of european heads of states going as well. >> i suspect you're right. phil mud, i remember when i was in saudi arabia on the eve of the u.s.-led invasion there were so many troops there. other u.s. aircraft getting ready pr that war. the relationship is still very strong. the visible u.s. military presence of saudi arabia you don't see it now days?

>> it's minimal. i think that's had an affect on the security posture for the president visiting. if i were thinking about the security posture, i would be seriously, as everyone else has said thinking about having the president there. the security situation is better than when you were there 12 years ago, wolf. i think it's an opportunity for the president the sit down on issues that are not important in a context but pretty high on the agenda. >> he's got to go. saudi arabia is our most stable ally other than israel with middle east falling apart. he has to show that we're behind them. we simply don't know where things are going to go from this point. i've never seen the middle east this bad. the american president showing up is a necessity. >> as you know, mr. chairman mike rogers, in that part of the world a gesture like that a

president going as opposed to a vice president going, that's a big deal. >> it is basic deal. one thing about the vice president going in 2005 they have yet a very strong relationship. when cheney went. >> they had very close personal relationship. >> they can find a reason for him not to go. >> there will be an element of resentiment if he doesn't show up? >> i believe so. it's great opportunity for him to go. the commander in chief of u.s. got this critical war. saudis and their air force very criminal. it's critical. >> just to the south of saudi arabia on the arabian peninsula in yemen looks like takeover of

yemen right now. this is a critically dangerous moment. other regions like the united emirates right now. >> it's obviously a border. you have to know it goes well beyond simply. you're talking about people who this really hated. >> it's a big concern. your son says that the u.s. government has been preparing this for a long time.

>> symbolically politically, strategically. >> have discussions. this is clearly in the works. even in those meetings when i would talk to some of the royal family the king was not well. they anticipated any minute he was going to pass. i would be shocked if they haven't made contingency plans. >> there's a lot of important hard work to do. repairing some of the strains. all right.

it's a sensitive moment. the king of saudi arabia king abdullah has died. there's a new king. king solomon who will be the new king. stay with us for continuing coverage. dramatic developments unfolding. i'm wolf blitzer. erin burnett outfront starts now. outfront next breaking news. saudi arabia's king abdullah is dead. the king of the number one ally in the arab world. the leader of the largest export of oils. we have brebreaking details. time is running out for two hostages. black man shot and killed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop. all of this caught on dash cam video. was it justified? let's go outfront.