the battle for libya. western air strikes stop government forces in their tracks, but is it enough to force moammar gadhafi from power? containment concern. radiation is detected in the japanese food supply. as emergency crews make progress in their battle against that crippled nuclear plant. and gulf coast mystery. new oil washes ashore on grand isle, louisiana. new oil washes ashore on grand isle, louisiana. but is it from the bp oil spill? captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, good to see you on this monday. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen. the pentagon says the u.s.-led air assault on libya has been very effective, inflicting heavy damage on government forces. the air strikes included over

120 cruise missiles, bt bombers and jet fighters. one of moammar gadhafi's compounds in tripoli was hit. but u.s. officials say gadhafi is not a target. the libyan dictator promises a long, hard war. susan mcginnis is in washington with more. susan, good morning to you. >> hi, good morning, terrell. after a weekend of heavy air strikes on libya, the main issue in washington is, where to go from here. u.s. officials are now planning a more limited role for u.s. forces going forward. u.s. officials are not planning to lead the mission in libya much longer. >> we expected in a matter of days to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others. >> reporter: following a weekend of missile strikes and air patrols, defense secretary robert gates said the pentagon will soon hand over the reins to either the french and british, or to nato. his comments came as american warships and planes pounded libya, taking out key radar and

missile sites. outside moammar gadhafi's compound, government officials showed off what they claimed were pieces of a rocket. and evidence of a western attempt to remove the libyan leader from power. >> why is this rocket here? this is a very dangerous situation. >> reporter: u.s. officials insist it's still too early to say what the end game is. but they're already declaring success in their efforts to enforce the u.n.'s no-fly zone and protect the libyan people. >> we judge these strikes to have been very effective in significantly degrading the regime's air defense capability. >> reporter: officials maintain gadhafi is not a target. though it's clear, they want him out of power. >> he's a thug, he's a cagey guy, he's a survivor. we know that. >> reporter: gadhafi's response to the air strikes? he's firing back with threats of a long war. and u.s. military officials say so far no allied planes have been lost. all pilots have returned safely from their missions. and so far there's no evidence of loss of civilian life. terrell?

>> susan mcginnis in washington for us this morning. susan, thank you. the allied war strikes not only targeted libya's air defenses but ground forces, as well. in particular this weekend's assault showed libyan forces advancing on the rebel stronghold of benghazi. dozens of government tanks and armored vehicles were hit outside the city. it's an effort to stop the government advance. libyan military announced a cease-fire sunday night. it was dismissed by allied commanders. this is the largest military intervention against an arab country since the 2003 invasion of iraq. mark phillips is in tripoli with more. mark, good morning to you. >> good morning. well, quiet morning here. but after a pretty eventful night. most of the detail of which you've just heard. the sky over tripoli throughout the night laced by anti-aircraft fire and some very loud explosions heard, including significantly that one at the gadhafi compound. the first thinking here was that, in fact, this was a decapitation cruise missile, aimed at the leadership here.

in fact, what it hit in the end was an administrative building within the very large fortified compound area. that gadhafi maintains here. the u.s., i gather, the allies were saying this was a command and control structure and not a specific targeting of him. but that's not the way it's being perceived here. it just made them more angry, and more defiant. >> mark, have we seen any spottings of gadhafi so far? >> no. he's been conspicuously absent after being conspicuously present for the period up until a couple of days ago. he has appeared, quote appeared, he's been heard on libyan tv, making speeches on an audio link. no picture of him. presumably not to be able to give any hints as to where he might be, for the reasons that we've just been discussing. urging the libyans on calling -- not calling, saying that this is creating greater unity,

promising to arm all libyans, a million libyans, he says, will be armed. no evidence of that yet. we're still, you know, some discussion as to whether this -- what the end game here. i think we're still at the beginning game of the shape of this conflict is still being formed. we don't know how it's going to turn out. what he does with his troops will be a large part of that. >> we'll have to see what happens. mark phillips in tripoli for us this morning. mark, thank you so much. meanwhile, president obama continues his south american tour today. he'll travel from brazil to chile this morning. the president spent two days in brazil making note of its switch from a dictatorship to a democracy. but events in the middle east remain at the top of his agenda. >> from the beginning we have made clear that the change they seek must be driven by their own people. >> after stopping in chile the president travels to el salvador. to japan now. this morning workers are evacuated, or were evacuated from the tsunami stricken fukushima daiichi nuclear plant

and smoke was seen rising from one of the reactors. there's been a dramatic jump in the estimated death toll from that massive earthquake and tsunami eleven days ago. police now estimate more than 18,000 people were killed. charlie d'agata has the story. >> reporter: beneath this pile of rubble a much-needed sign of hope. crews pulled an 80-year-old woman and her teenage grandson out alive, nine days after japan's earthquake and tsunami destroyed their home. reports say the two had been trapped in their kitchen, and survived by eating yogurt and other food found in the refrigerator. the dramatic rescue provided a rare bit of good news for a nation reeling from its worst disaster since world war ii. positive developments also emerged from the fukushima nuclear power plant, where engineers are racing to prevent a full-blown meltdown. two of the facility's six reactors are now under control. and crews plan to soon restart critical water pumps needed to cool dangerously hot reactors. but pressure in another unit

spiked, forcing officials to consider releasing more radioactive steam. while there are signs of progress at the nuclear plant, residents throughout japan now face new fears. after traces of contamination were discovered in the food supply. tainted spinach and milk turned up at nearby farms. in one village, near the plant, officials are advising people not to drink the tap water after levels of radioactive iodine three times above the normal limit were found. >> translator: we will continue investigating the situation, and analyzing on a wider scale. >> reporter: while officials are watching closely, they insist radiation levels are still too small to pose an immediate health risk. charlie d'agata, cbs news, japan. haiti held a presidential election yesterday. the results aren't expected until the end of next week. musician wyclef jean, who is in haiti to help with the elections, said a bullet grazed his hand saturday night. jean said he stepped out of a car to make a phone call in port-au-prince when he heard

shots fired. jean says he doesn't know if the shots were directed at him. former republican vice presidential candidate sarah palin is in israel. palin is on a two-day visit, her first trip there. she toured historical sites in jerusalem yesterday and plans to meet with prime minister benjamin netanyahu today. when she ran for vice president, palin was criticized for her lack of foreign policy knowledge. just ahead on the "morning news," twitter marks a major milestone. plus standoff in wisconsin. a police officer loses his life in a gun battle caught on tape. this is the "cbs morning news." ews." ♪ just one bite opens a world of delight... ♪ ♪ savor and explore, the great indoors ♪ ♪ friskies indoor delights. ♪ feed the senses. these 4 brands took home more allure best of beauty awards than any others. pantene... olay... gillette, the maker of venus...

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all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. more rain expected in water-logged southern california today. heavy rains there yesterday caused mudslides, closed highways and cut power to thousands. there were rock slides in malibu. part of the area got three inches of rain. that's the usual average for the

entire month. a mystery in the gulf of mexico apparently has been solved. several oil sheens have been found. one about 100 miles out in the gulf of mexico and six miles of grand isle louisiana, south of new orleans. local officials say oil is coming ashore on beaches on grand isle. the coast guard says the substance is likely to be river sludge from the mississippi and not oil from last year's massive bp spill. a police officer was killed during a standoff in wisconsin. s.w.a.t. teams surrounded the house. the suspect in a sexual assault case opened fire. one officer was killed. another seriously wounded. >> very sad that we lost an officer. it's my biggest nightmare and i think it's the biggest nightmare of any police officer or any parent or family member of a police officer. >> a third officer was injured but apparently not by gunfire. police say the suspect was found dead in the house, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. on the "cbs moneywatch," a huge merger in the telecom

world, and twitter tweets itself a celebration. ashley morrison here in new york with that and more. good morning to you. >> good morning to you terrell. asian markets were mostly higher this morning. japan's nikkei was closed for a national holiday while hong kong's hang seng jumped over 1%. today wall street gets the latest on the housing market. last week stocks took big losses as investors worried about a possible nuclear disaster in japan and continued unrest in the middle east. the dow lost 1.5% while the nasdaq was down more than 2.5%. a major shake-up in the telecom world. at&t said sunday it is buying t-mobile in a deal worth $39 billion. one of the biggest mergers since the financial crisis. the deal still needs federal approval, and that might take awhile. but if it gets the green light, it would create the country's biggest cell company, serving 43% of american customers. analysts think it will mean a wider choice of phones for t-mobile subscribers, and better

network coverage overall. but it will also mean fewer pricing plans to choose from and less competition, which usually means higher prices. gas prices are still on the rise. the price at the pump has jumped another seven cents just over the past couple of weeks to a nationwide average of $3.57 a gallon. that is 76 cents higher than this same time last year. many analysts expect it to hit $4 a gallon for the summer driving season. what the movies at crowds were limited bit the winner was not. the science fiction thriller "limitless" opened at number one taking in $19 million in sales during a slow hollywood weekend. the animated western "rango" fell to second place. and "battle: los angeles" slipping to third. and happy birthday to twitter. five years ago today, the microblogging site launched with its very first tweet. it actually became a social networking phenomenon, and now boasts more than 200 million

users sending out, get this, 140 million tweets every single day. the company is valued somewhere between $5 billion and $8 billion. but executives have said they are in no hurry to take it public. and terrell, it's only been five years. it seems like -- >> seems like we haven't lived without twitter. >> i know, right? and facebook? >> i've still got to step up my twitter game. i'm much better on facebook. >> i'm not even there. >> ashley morrison in new york. appreciate it. thanks. meanwhile jury selection begins today in the trial of baseball's home run leader barry bonds. bonds is charged with lying in 2003 when he testified to a federal grand jury that he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. he still says even if he took steroids he didn't know it. if convicted bonds could face up to 21 months in prison. coming up on "cbs morning news," we'll have your weather forecast. plus in sports, march madness has a block party. arizona battles texas to move on to the sweet 16. party. arizona battles texas to move on to the sweet 16. [ woman ] i had this deep, radiating pain everywhere...

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mild from the southern plains to the southeast. and expect rain with a chance of thunderstorms from the northeast into the ohio valley. in sports this morning, the road to the sweet 16 in the ncaa tournament paved with upsets, and buzzer beaters. less than ten seconds on the clock. the wildcats take the lead over texas. the longhorns have a chance to win but arizona blocks the shot and moves on 70-69. marquette, going downtown to take on syracuse. a three pointer with 27 seconds left. marquette upsets third seed syracuse 66-62. to put the golden eagles in the sweet 16 for the first time in eight years. florida state showed no mercy against second seeded notre dame. the seminoles had four players in double digits. they knocked out the fighting irish 71-57. they move on to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1993. my alma mater, my hometown boys vcu, fast and furious against third seed purdue. the rams topped three pointers and drove the lane to overwhelm

and upset the boilermakers 94-76. and michigan had a chance to topple number one seed duke in the final seconds, the wolverines' drive trying to tie the game, but cannot get it to fall. nothing there. the blue devils barely hang on 73-71. coach k., by the way, getting his 900th career win. when we come back another look at this morning's top stories. and the economic jolt, the disaster in japan is having here in the u.s. ♪ just one bite opens a world of delight... ♪ ♪ with tasty grilled flavor and goodness to savor ♪ ♪ friskies grillers blend. ♪ feed the senses. all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. to help get your whole wash clean.

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,,,, on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather. chilly start to spring in the northeast. as showers roll through and rain and snow in the west. springlike in the southeast. plenty of sun and highs in the 80s. but the northern plains will be cool with a mix of sun and clouds. here's a look at this morning's top stories on a monday. the pentagon says u.s.-led air strikes against libya have

inflicted heavy damage and stopped the government advance on the rebel stronghold of benghazi. and police in japan say the death toll from that massive earthquake and tsunami could top 18,000. this morning, workers were evacuated from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the disaster in japan is having huge economic aftershocks. the supply of manufactured goods and parts to the u.s. has been disrupted, and that's causing shortages and costing american jobs. manuel gallegus reports. >> reporter: it's an economic jolt from japan's quake here at home. 900 workers at this gm plant in louisiana are out of a job indefinitely, because the trucks they build use electronics from japan, and the quake has halted supply. most of japan's car factories were not directly damaged in the disaster. but honda, mazda, mitsubishi and toyota have all had to stop production. rolling blackouts are making power unreliable. honda says a third of its 110 suppliers are shut down. and much of the country is in no condition to get parts moving

again soon. truck driver dennis upcraft delivers japanese cars from the port in long beach, california. images like these have him worried. >> after seeing what happened on the tv, and actually seeing the cars that i deliver get ruined, and talking with the people at the port, they're talking about two to three months we won't have anything to deliver. >> reporter: about 40% of the parts and pieces in our everyday electronics, like flash memory chips or lcd screens, come from japan. apple's ipad 2 is already sold out. and japan's parts shortage may make it even tougher to get one. >> we don't expect to see prices go up in electronics. i think the first thing consumers are likely to see holes on the shelf. >> reporter: there is one positive sign of recovery. japan's third largest automaker, nissan, says it will restart full production this week. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show," the latest on the allied attacks in libya. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news."

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visit ready.gov. in washington state, the new boeing jumbo jet took its first flight. the 747-8 intercontinental took off sunday morning and landed safely 4 1/2 hours later. look at that guy. can carry up to 467 passengers and has a range of nearly 7,000 miles. knut, the world's most famous polar bear died sunday over the weekend. the beloved 4-year-old collapsed in front of hundreds of visitors in the berlin zoo. he was in germany on saturday. when he was just a cub he became an international media star, seen on newspapers and magazine covers. an autopsy today is expected to determine what caused that death. when disaster strikes, like the earthquake, and tsunami in japan, the first thing many do is get in touch with loved ones. japanese students here in the u.s. that's been tough. but technology is proving to be a major help. terry mccarthy reports.

>> reporter: for three days, 20-year-old exchange student akiko kosaka feared the worst for her family. online all she could see were pictures showing their fishing village destroyed by the tsunami. but then the university of california student found this video on youtube. amazingly showing her sister holding up a sign saying, we are all safe. she could barely believe it. >> i just want to hear their voice, and see their face. >> reporter: tatsuki was studying for his finals at ucla when his parents in tokyo e-mailed him. >> we are all okay, so please do not worry. >> reporter: but he has not been able to contact elderly relatives in sendai because they don't have a computer. >> i haven't heard of them since earthquake hit. >> reporter: for japanese students here in the united states, facebook, twitter and other social media sites have become a lifeline as they desperately try to find loved ones back home. and it's not just the japanese.

soon after the tsunami hit, these high school students in modesto, california, began skyping and texting with students in japan. they had planned to visit them next month. as part of a student exchange program. >> i texted one of my japanese students and asked if they're okay and everything. and he was like, oh, yeah, didn't feel the earthquake and i don't live close to it. i was really relieved. he was worried for him. >> reporter: editor of a japanese newspaper in l.a. set up a missing persons locator on the website the morning after the quake. it had 65,000 hits in the first five days. it's sites like these that are helping ucla student katsumi find missing relatives. >> i didn't think we'd experience it this bad or see people who we love get affected by it. >> reporter: she and others are staying connected online. even though they're an ocean apart. terry mccarthy, cbs news, los angeles. and coming up a little later on "the early show," the latest on the battle in libya as western warplanes continue striking to keep civilians safe from government forces.

plus keeping your child safe. new guidelines for the way parents should buckle up their children. and she's a scientist on ncis. she'll talk about the positive effect her character is having on young girls. all that and more this morning on "the early show." that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. thanks for watching, everybody, i'm terrell brown. take care. have a great day.