going on in yemen, but a lot of perts say that's a lot of wishful thinks. >> looks like it's now. is the saudi air campaign over? they were dropping bombs today as well. that's what pentagon officials have been telling me this is the end of the first phase but they don't view it as a cease-fire that saudi arabia would continue to keep its military option open in yemen, but they felt they reached their goals with the big military pieces there, ballistic missiles et cetera they saw as a threat to saudi territory and neighbors. the saudi led campaign is not completely over. as you do is that an environment for a political solution the u.s. and saudi arabia are talking about. we will have to see. then, of course, you have the international piece with the iranian support for the houthis, saudis for the government with the u.s. this is a difficult environment to imagine a political solution. >> an environment is more difficult. lot of warships off the coast of yemen right now, saudi warships egyptian warships uae and nine u.s. military vessels including an aircraft carrier battle group

"the uss teddy roosevelt" with a bunch of iranian cargo ships and other ships heading that way. >> we learned in that iranian convoy of nine ships there are warships as well. they're not just cargo ships. the u.s. is concerned about what the cargo is does it carry weapons. the public message is different from the private message. publicly the white house, state department and others are saying we're there to protect navigation shipping lanes et cetera but military officials telling me privately, that watching that iranian convoy is certainly part of this. that's why you have f-18 hornets flying recon missions off the teddy roosevelt, by watching sending a message to iran they are watching. we're keeping an eye on you, are you sending arms in. you will not see the "teddy roosevelt" pull in front of an iranian warship and put sailors on that that would be an extraordinary step but the hope is sending this physical message of the u.s. aircraft carrier is

enough to cause the iranians to pull back. >> there seems to be a bit of confusion because the president is a little more blunt in explaining what that aircraft carrier is doing there, as opposed to his spokesman. >> it's interesting. for the last 24 48 hours, you heard from spokesman that phrase protecting shipping lanes. all about commerce and so on. when i was hearing from military officials as you have been they're watching this iranian convoy the president took it a step further yesterday in his conversation with msnbc saying that listen this is in part about sending a message to iran part of the policy there, which is happening in physical terms with u.s. military navy assets and know it's happening privately in back channels diplomatic channels saying listen ratchet this down and to be fair that message going not only to the iranians but to the saudis which -- and the u.s. has been uncomfortable with the depth and breadth of the air campaign. that's possibly part of the reason why the saudis pulled back yesterday. >> lot of civilian casualties in that as well.

thanks very much jim sciutto. >> iran is involved in conflicts all over the region arming rebels in yemen and government in syria, backing iraqi forces in the fight against isis and holding at least three americans under blatantly unfair means and highly questionable charges. then there are the nuclear talks and their desire to have billions of dollars of crippling sanctions dropped. texas republican congressman max thorn berry joining us from capitol hill the chairman of the house armed services committee. congressman, mr. chairman i should say, thanks very much for joining us. let's get right to what the white house says the nuclear talks, they say that's a separate issue because the critical need to keep nuclear arms out of iranian hands, do you agree with that compartmentalization? don't include these other issues as part of these nuclear related discussions? >> no. i think that's impossible to segregate these issues out. and a couple reasons, number one, is if the nuclear talks are perfectly successful and achieve

our goal of delaying iran getting a nuclear weapon it will give them more money through the relief of sackions to be used for other activityies. it will fuel the sectarian wars around the middle east it will add to the instability, because they're going to have a lot more money to do it. secondly, though isn't it interesting, that in the midst of the delicate phase of the iranian nuclear negotiations iran would choose to dial up the pressure in yemen to the point of sending this convoy et cetera. it makes you wonder whether they think that they can get away with anything because we want a deal so bad. and i think that mindset tells us a lot about what's happening in iran right now. >> as you know the iranians deny they're shipping weapons, arms to those shiite houthi rebels in yemen. the u.s. doesn't believe it. u.s. officials say many of your colleagues on the hill have been briefed on this say they have no doubt that the iranians are

doing it. what do you know about allegeded iranian arms shipments potentially in those cargo vessels or warships that might be destined for those houthi rebels? >> well obviously none of us can get involved in disclosings classified information. i will say for me personally i have no doubt that iran is pulling the strings of the houthis in yemen. and they have intentionally dialed up the pressure. i think it is just an interesting comment that they have done so at this time when supposedly the nuclear negotiations were just at such a critical point. >> a fair point indeed. let's talk about the u.s. military now. maybe six or eight or 10,000 u.s. sailors and marines, they've now been deployed in these nine battle ships, warships off the coast of yemen, including the "uss teddy roosevelt" an aircraft carrier, the battle group, 6,000 sailors and marines on that one aircraft carrier alone with a lot of fire power, missiles aircraft stuff

like that. what are the rules of engagement as far as the u.s. military is concerned, if they suspect that one of those iranian ships does in fact, have weapons destined for those houthi rebels? >> well the rules of engagement are different depends on where the ships are in the ocean. if they are in international waters, it becomes much more complex to take some sort of assertive action to stop or turn those ships around. if they are in territorial waters of a particular country, then we can have the approval of that country's government the president, say of yemen, to take greater action. but i do think that when you put a lot of what you were just talking about in your previous report together one of the things for us to think about is that currently, iran controls the straits coming out of the persian gulf. if they or their surrogate

controls yemen in essence they can control the straits coming out of the red sea also. and that puts them in control of two key areas where shipping is very important, where much of the world's oil is shipped. so i do think that freedom of navigation of shipping in the bigger strategic context of what iran is doing is an important point. >> so you think the president, the pentagon did the right thing in deploying those warships that aircraft carrier battle group to the tip of yemen over there to make sure the passage from the suez canal through the red sea all of that continues to flow smoothly. you support this deployment of military force, military power in that part of the world? >> i think there's a lot at stake, at lot at stake depending on what's in those cargo ships resupplying the houthis but a lot at stake in making sure that iran is not in control of these two very strategic places

through which much of the world's shipping traverses. >> mac thornberry chairman of the house armed services committee, thanks very much for joining us. >> you're welcome, sir. still ahead, iran says u.s. strategy is ineffective and iranian forces are making a difference in the fight against isis. we'll take you live to tehran. fred pleitgen is there on the scene. a special report. and later, get this a drone, a drone lands on the roof of the japanese prime minister's office but it's what that drone was carrying that has authorities not only in japan but around the world including right here in the united states so concerned. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice.

doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern.

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the war against isis has the united states and iran focused on a common enemy. an iranian military leader says his country, not the united states is leading the battle against isis and our senior international correspondent fred pleitgen reports more iranians are ready to join the fight. >> reporter: they're feared by many here but also some of the most loyal fighters to iran's religious leadership. the besieged militia's mission is to protect this country's islamic order and one of its commanders told me they're willing to take on isis. we are all prepared to go and destroy isis totally if our eamon or supreme leader orders us to we'll destroy isis. he says so far, the besiege have not gotten involved in the fight. but the elite revolutionary guard forces training advising and supporting iraqi shia militias led by general sul manny accused of involvement in

the shia insurgency against u.s. forces during the iraq war but who's now become a celebrity to many iraqis and iranians. the iranians believe it's their strategy that's making a difference in the fight against isis. they also tell us they want better cooperation with the u.s. they say at this point in time the level of trust simply isn't there. that feeling is mutual. the u.s. has also denied any direct coordination with the iranians as it continues to lead the air campaign against isis. at the moment we consider the united states to be a threat to us because its policies and actions are threatening to us. the commander of iran's ground forces tells me. we would like the u.s. to change its rhetoric and tone of voice so our nations could have more trust in u.s. military leadership. the iranians believe the air strikes against isis are to the effective and they say they feel countries allied with the u.s. are not seriously trying to defeat the group.

>> the battle in iraq is very important to iran. the iranians believe that the americans if serious could do a lot more to put pressure on their allies and serious about air strikes they would be carrying out a lot more than what they are currently doing. >> the u.s., of course, sees things differently though iran and america have a common enemy in isis the lack of trust at least so far means no common strategy. >> and fred pleitgen joining us live from tehran. so what i hear you saying their military spokesman downplaying the effectiveness of air strikes saying they're the ones making a difference in the iraqi push by the iraqi military through the shiite militias iranian forces in trying to set back isis right? >> yeah. absolutely. that's absolutely what they're saying. they're saying that they were the ones who organized the shiite militias when baghdad was under threat of isis and if you

look at sue la manny someone in iran is credited with saving baghdad at the time but, of course now the big problem is wolf this campaign as it goes on is going into places like anbar province places sunni dominant majority sunni population and the big question there is how far can the shiite militias go because the big question now is also how are going to keep iraq together politically? are these shiite militias people advised by iran a shiite power, going to be able to lead to the national reconcileiation that's going to be necessary to bring the soupeny enysunnis on board to fight against isis as well and a question so far there hasn't really been much of an answer to. the iranians say they're the ones they believe are putting the manpower on the ground organizing the iraqi forces and militias but what happens next wolf. >> that's a huge question. all right. thanks very much fred pleitgen on the scene in tehran. check back with you tomorrow.

the fight against isis the situation in yemen, the nuclear negotiations just some of the latest developments that are raising iran's profile in the region. joinings us to talk about that and more our cnn global affairs analyst the managing editor and retired colonel james reese our cnn global affairs analyst former delta force commander. bobby, to say the united states has this complicated relationship with iran right now is, obviously, an understatement. how does the obama administration balance all these diverse situations unfolding right now? >> it would appear at this point, wolf they're going about this day to day, reacting to new situations on the ground iranians send out a flotilla towards yemen, the u.s. sends out an aircraft carrier and group of other naval ships, but this is a new reality in the middle east. this is how in a region that is already highly complicated, things have now become immensely

more complicated with the nuclear negotiations with iran. it's not just this administration it is the american administrations to come that will have to deal with this. i think we may look back to the period let's say up to 2013 when we -- when the middle east was a relatively simple place. we were on one side with the saudis and the arab states and the iranians were on the other side. now things are far more complex. we are fighting alongside the iranians in iraq. we are fighting against iranian interests in yemen. and it's complicated beyond all belief. >> and syria in the mix, gets more complicated. colonel reese, the u.s. says it's not -- you spent a month or so in iraq, not coordinating this fight against isis with iran. u.s. air strikes or whatever. but a lot of us have always believed there's been some

indirect coordination a common enemy, isis that the indirect coordination going through the iraqi military because the iraqi military has relations with the united states as well as with iran. >> wolf that is correct. and the iraqis are doing a pretty good job of literally keeping a fire wall between iran an the united states and working that coordination. and if you go and look at these iraqi joint operation centers, they are bustling busy they're working a lot of coordination especially with the air power from the coalition. and one thing, you know, fred said the iran yns said that, you know the air campaign against isis is not working. i will tell you that is completely false. if it wasn't for the air power from the coalition supporting the iraqi ground forces on the ground iraq would be a complete different perspective right now. >> yeah. just want to be precise, what fred said is iranian officials are insisting iranian

commanders are insisting the u.s. led air strikes in iraq not all that important. what's important is what they are doing together with the iraqi military. what you're saying and i believe you are right, those air strikes have had a significant impact on what's going on on the ground. bobby, want to weigh in on that? >> yeah. it's understandble why the iranians are saying this. they need their messaging to their own people their view is iraq is now part of the iranian sphere of influence. iran you had iranian authorities senior officials saying in public that baghdad is now one of our cities. so it is important for them to project to their own people that they rather than the americans ors the rest of the world, are protecting iraq. it is their ground forces their commander who is the real savior of iraq. that is internal propaganda for political purposes that suit the current regime in iran and they will try and erase any other

influence in iraq in that propaganda. >> on yemen right now, how worried should we be? i'm worried about a miscalculation a blunder or whatever nine u.s. warships off the coast of yemen right now led by the "uss teddy roosevelt" an aircraft carrier thousands of u.s. sailors and marines maybe 6,000 or 10,000 in the region off the coast of yemen, nine iranian ships, cargo ships and warships now either there or heading there, the u.s. believes some of those ships have weapons for the houthi rebels. neither side wants a direct confrontation. but it's possible that could develop, right? >> absolutely. the thing that the scenario that worries me most is the sea of marmar incident. a couple years ago the turks sent a flotilla of ships to break israel's block aide of gaza israel sent some soldiers and helicopters into that ship. there was an incident. shots were fired.

and the two countries came very close to blows. you worry about something similar happening. it is already the pressure cooker is very, very hot right now in the waters outside, i'm sorry, i'm mangling my analogieses but in the waters of yemen, things are tense. it could take little for things to get completely out of hand. >> is my concern overstretched, what do you think, kourncolonel? >> i do wolf a little bit, no question that yemen, you know, is a firecracker right now, but i believe the saudis have a plan and i think we are in a great position right now, we are supporting our ally our ally asked us to come down and take a look at this to show -- to project power, which we are the finest projecting power across the sea in the entire world, and, you know, right now, we just want to make sure the iranians can motor in but, you know i don't think we're not speculating. we have intelligence. no one is going to say it.

we have intelligence to say there's lethal aid on those ships and we just want the iranians to know that we are there in support of our allies, not to allow them to take them off those ships. we won't be the ones if it comes to that the saudis will be the one with the big aircraft carrier like "the teddy roosevelt" behind them as a backdrop. >> hope it doesn't come to that the iranians decide not to take those weapons if, in fact, there are weapons on those ships and try to get them to those houthi rebels because that could be a huge huge conflict to be sure. guys thanks very much. we'll continue our analysis of what's going on. meanwhile amidst all of this a former american marine now has been imprisoned in iran and pleading with the united states for help. he's asking the government to do something to free him from prison. but should his freedom, the freedom of other americans, being held hostage, jailed in iran be tied to a nuclear deal with iran. we'll ask a top u.s. congressman who's been leading the fight to

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. cooperating with an enemy government that's one of the charges leveled by iran against the american journalist jason rezaian. it's also the charge against a former u.s. marine amir hekmati one of four americans believed to be if iranian custody right now. hekmati technically is a dual u.s. citizen, arrested in i roone back in 2011 while on a visit, he was born in the united states spent four years in the u.s. marine corps. he was originally sentenced to death for spying.

that charge was later dropped. in its place he was given ten years for cooperating with an enemy government. now for the first time we're hearing his direct pleas from prison. listen to this. >> i'm thankful that the state department and obama administration has called for my release and that of my fellow americans. aside from asking politely there has been no serious response to this blatant and ongoing mistreatment of americans by iran's ministry of intelligence. >> that audio was released by hekmati's family, part of his plea to lawmakers here in the united states. here's his sister talking about her brother's captivity. >> he's, obviously, suffering a great deal and we're very worried about his well being. we've made this very cheer to the state department that as much as they want to raise this on the sidelines and make this a separate issue this issue needs to be conveyed to the iranian

authorities responsible for delaying progress in amir's case. it's unfair to us as a family to see that the outcomes of amir's case is going to be tied to something he has nothing to do with. >> here with us is michigan congressman dan kildee who's amir hekmati is from the congressman's district back in flynt, michigan. thanks very much for joining us. i know for the last several years you've been working to get this former u.s. marine out of there. has there. any movement at all lately to free him? >> well i think the most movement we've seen is that as a result of the p5 plus 1 negotiations not tied to them directly but as a result there are sidebar discussions between american and iranian senior officials for the first time in 3 1/2 decades. the fact that there is that opportunity for bilateral discussion has opened the door for sidebar conversations between our negotiators, including secretary kerry and foreign ministers and others so we have to see that as progress

although it's hard to accept progress that doesn't include his release. >> a lot of people including some members of congress and the senate and the house, marco rubio yesterday, senator kirk of illinois they say any nuclear deal must include the freedom of these americans. are you among those who wants the link directly a nuclear deal with the release of these americans? >> i don't think we should link it in that sense. i don't think we should ever concede nuclear capabilities to iran in exchange for the freedom of people who are innocent. having said that this seems like a nuance but an important distinction, i don't think any member of congress or american can look at iran as a legitimate member of the global community or any agreement that we strike with them without considering their other behavior. until and unless they don't any longer hold innocent people as political prisoners, i can't erase that from my memory when i think about whether i can legitimately look at an agreement they negotiate and think of it as a legitimate

document. >> remind our viewers, he went back to iran born in the united states a marine served for four years in the marine corps. >> right. >> he went back because he simply wanted to see his grandmother, right? >> he had never met this grandmother. his parents emigrated after the iranian revolution. he was born here but wanted to go back. went back for the first time accepted his iranians passport as a kp condition of going because under iranian law he is an iranian citizen, that's the key to his conviction the fact that he under their law is an iranian sit zepcitizen and served in the u.s. military means he was cooperating with a hostile government. here we are negotiating which this country. the fact that they would hold that charge over his head even as unbelievable as that law might be the fact they would hold that charge over his head while at the same time are negotiating with the american government and others on their nuclear capability i think is a

bit in congross. >> have you had any conversations at all with iranian officials to make the case? i know out on the web social media, you've been working hard to generate support for amir hekmati. >> i wouldn't want to characterize all the discussions but we've had many informal channels we have pursued and the iranian government has gotten the message very clearly that in order for them to be treated as a member of the global community, even to take a step toward the global community, they have to release these americans. they cannot hold these americans and be considered legitimate and through all the channels that we've used some you've referred to we've made that point very clear. >> and when the family understandbly so frustrated so angry they want their brother, their son, back home when they complain that they're not necessarily getting enough support from the u.s. government you say? >> well here's the thing, if i were them i would be saying the same thing. i feel like every day, everyone in the u.s. government should wake up and say to themselves what can i do to gets these americans home.

i think about it the same way as if he were my own son. i would not want him to be forgotten. so, you know i've called upon our administration to do more and i'm doing that not just because his family is asking me to i think it's important. >> dan kildee thanks for joining us. good luck. let's hope amir hekmati is out of there soon because obviously he's only 31 years old. a young guy. a long life ahead of him. thank you. >> thank you. besides amir hekmati there are three other americans being held in iran jason rezaian a journalist held there for about nine months. he's charged with espionage, cooperating with an enemy government. and a christians pastor held for 2 1/2 years for alleged, and then robert levinson while working there, he had previously worked for the fbi and it's believed he's being held in iran although in this

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welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. this just in to cnn we're seeing now for the first time a striking picture released in the

trial of the boston bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev of him giving the middle finger to a jailhouse camera. we will show it to you right now. take a look at this. taken in a jail cell during his first arraignment back in 2013. at a holding cell at the courthouse. the jury today by the way is in the sentencing phase of his trial. they heard from a deputy u.s. marshal who witnessed this. tsarnaev faces the death penalty for the attack at the boston marathon which left three people dead and scores of people injured. we go to paris where police say they filed an imminent terror plot three months after the massacre at the "charlie hebdo" cafe and the suspect this time a 24-year-old, i.t. student who was allegedly planning an attack on one or two churches. the suspect also linked in the weekend murder of a woman. this as we learn police flagged him as a security risk last year. let's go live to cnn's nic robertson joining us live from

london bizarre turn of events nic, that led to his arrest right? >> wolf it was. this is surely a bungled terror plot if ever there was one. he shot himself in the leg, called for an ambulance. when the police came they realized there was something suspicious about him the way he was acting. he had the blood on his clothes of the woman who was found shot dead a little while earlier. he resisted when the police wanted to search his vehicle. when they went too his vehicle, they found three rounds three magazines full of ammunition 9 millimeter ps pistol satellite navigation system into which was programmed the coordinates of the church and this church according to police they discovered he had actually been in conversation with a man in syria, they say, who directed him to attack this church. so it's certainly on the surface right now looks as if the police

have narrowly through this man's incompetence narrowly averted what could have been a terrible and very bloody attack. >> what do we know about the woman who was killed? >> >> she's a professional, 3 2 years old. she had -- has a 5-year-old daughter. she was sitting in her car, her vehicle, she had come to paris to take part in some professional training the police say. they're not clear yet why this 24-year-old algerian man, this i.t. student, decided to shoot her before going ahead with his other attack. they're still investigating that. but perhaps the shooting of her, perhaps, led to the -- how he shot himself and then the thwarting of the whole attack altogether wolf. >> nic robertson, what a story that is thank very much. i'm sure we'll get more information in the hours ahead. meanwhile, hundreds of migrants arrived today in italy rescued after a disastrous crossing of the mediterranean, that tragedy

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[♪] hundreds more migrants arrived in italy earlier today. they survived the desperate voyage across the mediterranean, a voyage that has left almost 1800 dead or missing this year alone. those who make it to safety say they took the dangerous journey in search of better lives for themselves and their families. cnn's karl penhaul has been talking with the migrants listening to their stories and joining us live from catania in italy right now. tell us what you're hearing from these people who have arrived specifically the people who arrived there today? >> well today, wolf italian officials were keen to keep the media from talking to the migrants to find out about their

journey. they were putting the priority on getting them through medical checks and identified and processed for the start of their asylum applications to begin. nevertheless aide workers went inside the tents where they were being looked after and they came out and have told us first of all harrowing stories from egyptians, syrians, somalis who say they were at sea for up to 20s days in a fishing boat the first sailed from egypt then towards the coast of libya and then the migrants had to transfer to a different fishing boat even more unsea worthy than the previous one. this is a tactic that officials say is being used by people smugglers to try to keep the authorities off their tracks. but the migrants that were on those boats said they didn't have adequate food and water. the good news is, of course, that these ones all reached italy alive, escaping civil war in sir why as you can imagine

poverty. a picture that is repeated across the board, wolf. >> i understand karl there were more rescues at sea today. what do we know about those? >> hour by hour you just get the impression that this migrant crisis is escalating. this morning as you point out, we saw 446 migrants being brought ashore on the italian mainland this afternoon, another rescue bringing 500 migrants ashore and now as night falls, we're awaiting the arrival of more than 200 other migrants all in a day over 1,000 migrants arriving on italian shores. that is a huge tide of humanity being pushed towards the shores of europe wolf. >> certainly is. it's so so dangerous. all right. karl thank you very much. coming up another dangerous story we're following. the rooftop security scare in japan. get this how did a drone with

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air pressure. several passengers apparently lost consciousness, but the plane landed safely. we're told by a spokeswoman from sky west airlines saying that sky west flight 5622 operating as united express from chicago to hartford diverted to buffalo after a passenger lost consciousness. the flight landed safely in buffalo, where the passenger received medical attention before being released. we're working to accommodate the 75 passengers on another aircraft to hartford. mary schiavo is joining us on the phone right how it. obviously sketchy information right now. we don't have a lot of details. based on what we've just reported what's your analysis? >> well obviously it's a mechanical failure with the plane, but my analysis includes the passengers are very lucky. there have been cases in the past where the doors have failed in flight and it resulted in the loss of plane.

so it's very very fortunate. since the passengers did lose consciousness, obviously this happened when the flight was most likely above 10,000 feet. losing a door while you're cruising in flight is extremely rare and has serious safety implications for this model of plane. i think the faa better act immediately. i would be surprised and shocked, in fact given this rare occurrence that they don't issue an emergency ground until they're all checked. >> that's what they normally do in a situation like this. if in fact this plane with 75 or more passengers on board, if a plane like this does have an emergency situation, they lose air pressure, people faint or lose consciousness, they should ground the planes and check it out. >> oh absolutely. particularly since it happened in flight. it wasn't a situation where they

were taxiing and got a door warning. this was one where it obviously was able to take off. they didn't get the door warning. the doors have warnings on them if they're not closed properly. this was something that happened in flight. it's very very serious when this does occur. i would expect an emergency warning from the faa. they should act immediately. >> because the statement from sky west airlines sky west flight 5622 that's the flight operating as united express from chicago to hartford. the statement said a passenger lost consciousness, meaning when you read that mary a passenger. that means one passenger lost consciousness. there are other reports that maybe others lost consciousness as well. i don't know if you have any more information on that. if it's just one passenger who lost consciousness, perhaps because of faulty door opening midflight, that's obviously a big deal. but if a bunch of passengers

lost consciousness, that becomes even more serious. >> even if no passengers lost consciousness, a commercial plane capable of carrying 75 or more passengers on board loses a door while at cruising altitude. and remember to get to that point in the flight they had to have taken off without any warning that the door had a problem. that's a huge huge incident because in the past having a door open in flight has actually caused planes to crash. and the fact that it happened during flight and they obviously hadn't gotten a warning, the warning lights didn't go off that the door was failing. that makes it so so very serious. the fact that maybe one or four or more passed out is almost irrelevant. it's very sad and frightening. they could have died. but what's bad is the risk that poses to the structural integrity of the aircraft and the risk of the flight being lost. >> certainly is. all right. we're going to stay on top of

this story, mary. don't go too far aaway. we'll take a quick break and be right back.

in a year that's already seen a drone crash on the lawn of the white house, a gyrocopter land on the lawn of the u.s. capital, there's word of another security scare involving an aerial vehicle, this time in japan. officials there want to know how a drone carrying traces of

radioactivity material along with a camera and smoke flares wound up on the roof of the prime minister's office. cnn's will ripley is following this story for us joining us live from tokyo. will, what do we know about this? >> reporter: well we know that within minutes of this drone sighting on the roof of the prime minister's office and residence, this is the equivalent of a drone landing on the roof of the white house in the united states there were dozens of police officers on the rooftop investigating this. within a few hours, they did determine that the drone and that bottle it had was containing radioactive material cesium the same material spewed into the environment after the fukushima meltdown in 2011. now, i mentioned fukushima because on this day that this drone was discovered a japanese court approved -- it gave the green light to restarting two nuclear reactors here in japan. that's a very controversial idea. it upsets many people who fear that nuclear energy is still too dangerous. now you have a radioactive drone

that has essentially landed in a place where the prime minister spends a lot of his time even though he's out of the country right now. we don't know if that's connected, wolf but this is raising very serious concerns here in tokyo. the chief cabinet minister today actually talked about the potential for terrorist activities as the result of drones. they're now going to be taking a look at the laws here to see whether they should restrict drone use in the air space. right now they're allowed to fly anywhere in tokyo, including the prime minister's residence and government buildings as well. >> very quickly, will have authorities there said they have any idea who launched this drone? >> reporter: right now it's a total mystery. there was no note. as far as we know no indication that anybody was responsible. so all they have to go on right now are the clues that may be contained in that camera that was on the drone and any other information they can determine as they continue to investigationinvestigate. >> scary story. we'll stay in touch with you, will for more information. a real mystery but very serious ramifications for people not only in japan but all over the

world. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "the situation room." for our viewers in north america, "newsroom" with brooke baldwin starts right now. all right. let's get straight to this breaking news here on this afternoon. i'm brooke baldwin. here's what we know. this united express plane, it was leaving chicago's o'hare airport a couple hours ago. it had to be diverted to buffalo, new york and made this emergency landing after a passenger lost consciousness. so let's begin with what we know. jean casarez is with me. we're hearing from the faa, they're officially reporting it was a pressurization problem. >> we just got that in. a pressurization problem. but here's what we know. it was united flight number 5622. it left chicago this