arwa damon, cnn, beirut. >>> thank you to arwa damon for that report.rsight committee will take a closer look at security failings at the u.s. consulate in benghazi today. of course, all the new information adding to the confusion. the hearing beginning at 2:00 p.m. eastern. cnn will be honoring it all for you and bringing you the latest developments. >>> after arousing performances in the first debate, mitt romney is supporting middle-class deductions and he's firing back to the white house that his numbers don't add up. mark preston is live from danville, kentucky, this morning. thank you for being with us, mark. they say that the devil is in the details and we are not getting too many details from mitt romney, are we? >> reporter: no, we are not. in fact, we started an interview yesterday with wolf blitzer in "the situation room" where he discuss what had he would want to do. let's hear what he told wolf. >> well, i'm not going to lay out a piece of legislation here because i intend to work together with republicans and democrats in congress, but the

arwa damon, cnn, beirut. >> want to bring in cnn national security correspondent fran townse townsend. she visited benghazi with her employer. explain how a month has passed and worry still trying to figure out what exactly happened in benghazi, the details of this, from the original compound to the annex pound, which involved a rush through traffic, being shot at with two flat tires, going the opposite way of the oncoming traffic to try to get everybody to safety and eventually evacuation is incredibly detailed and horrific and every single step of the way we've had from a lot of fronts this sort of confused narrative about what exactly happened. why is it taking so long? >> the initial -- it would be understandable that the initial story might be confused, right? there's utter chaos. and we often hear it from the military, the fog of battle. that kind of explains the first 48 hours. there is no good explanation for a month later. you have this hearing that begins this morning and just last night sources in the state department leak in advance of the hearing -- >> phone call. wasn't

i'm joined by arwa damon. she shares what she saw. for the first time we are seeing photos of the crime scene that you have not seen before. details ahead. >>> tonight, a story you will not see anywhere else. for the first time, cnn's arwa damon talks about what she experienced when she first set foot inside the american compound in benghazi. what the terrible scene was like after the deadly assault that killed four americans. evidence she saw that might have been useful to investigators. that is, had investigators ever had a chance to stand where she stood. indications perhaps that might help locate the culprits. keeping them honest, nearly everyone and anyone has now been able to gain access to the crime scene, except, that is, for fbi agents and now for them, it's no longer worth taking the risk to going to benghazi. but there is at least some indication tonight that enough is known about who did this to begin planning some kind of response. a senior american official telling us that the pentagon and intelligence community have beg

first, arwa damon joins me. she's back from libya and joins me here in new york.good to see you safe and sound. walk me back. you were at the site three days after the attack. you have some still photographs that have never been seen before. describe what we see. >> well, the first in these photographs is basically the exterior of the main building at the compound itself. this is the building where the ambassador resided, and the right hand portion of the building is where the so-called safe room was supposed to be. as you can see, the burning all occurred inside the building itself. >> it doesn't look very touched on the outside. >> no. very much a lot of the damage on this building inside, happening inside. the fire burning. there's one part of the building where there's an entrance way into this so-called safe room, that is pretty much just a heavy metal door. that door was shut when we arrived. that's the interior of the building. that was the ambassador's bedroom. that chair right there next to that chair is where we actually found the ambassador's journal. t

arwa damon, cnn, beirut. >> and again, that from our cnn senior international correspondent, arwa damonso could this deadly attack in benghazi have been prevented? that seems to be the $64,000 question. and the congressional hearing that i mentioned before is just moments away, hoping to get some answers, but will they? our foreign affairs reporter elise labott joins me. are we getting to answers with this, or is this a political stunt to highlight something this close to the election to suggest that the government didn't know what it was doing and could have saved the lives of those men? >> well, ashleigh, it depends who you ask. if you ask democrats, it's the former. this is a political stunt to damage president obama just weeks before the election. but the republican chair of the committee, daniel issa, is saying listen, something went wrong, we need to get to the bottom of this. and indeed you're going to hear today from senior security officials that were posted in benghazi in months leading up to the attack, not on the day of the attack, posted in libya that say, look, we did send

i'joinedy arwa damon. she sharewhatshe w. for the first timewe are seeing photos of the crime scene that yohaveot seen fore. tails ead. >>> tonight, a sry you will not see anywhere else. r the first time, cns arwa experienwhen she first set foot inside the american compound in benghazi. whathe terrible scene was like after the deadly aauha that mige been useful to iestigators at is,ad investigators ever had a chance to stand where she stood. indicaons perhaps that might cu. keeping them hont, nearly everyone and anyone has now been able to ga access to the crime scene, exct, that , for fbi agen a longer wor takinthe risk to going to benghazi. but there is at least some ht that enough is known about wid this to begin planning some ki of response. a senior american official telling us that the agon a intelligenceommuty have -calledt packages, detailed information that can be used to capture or killome of the terrorists who did this. now, at the same time, though, the administtion continues to come under withering fire, cialespe

arwa damon, cnn, beirut. >>> let's get right to foreign affairs reporter in washington, d.c. we heard arwa end herpes wi-- h piece with why. we heard now the dramatic crazy descriptions of what happened when this team was trying to make their way, really fight their way literally into the annex. describe for me that horrific car ride that is being described by the state department. >> well, basically, soledad, after there was an attack at the main compound where ambassador stevens and shawn smith died, they had this chase with them, with these extremists all of the way through the city. there was this traffic. there were these windy roads. as you know, benghazi, a pretty decent size city in libya. there was a t lot of traffic out in the evening. they made their way to the annex. there was another few hours of firefight between additional extremists and additional team of u.s. guards, if you will, that were kind of a quick reaction force that came back to the annex and after a couple of hours they said, listen, we really have to get out of here and they evacuated everybody. th

our senior international correspondent arwa damon is joining us now from beirut.ou were there in benghazi. you spoke to eyewitnesss, did they appreciate right away or did it take time for them to realize this was a terror plot rather than some spontaneous demonstration resulting from that anti-muslim video? >> reporter: well, wolf, all of the eyewitnesss that we spoke to at the scene at the consult them self all they said they're a crowd whose chants were louder and louder and suddenly the attack began from three different directions. most certainly they were all saying that this seemed like it was coordinated because it did come from three different directions. they said they used both light and heavy weapons. rocket propelled grenades and other forms of artillery as well. that is what we know. we also do know when it comes to this attack. it was the location, the consulate in and of itself that had been torthed in the past. we do know of the extreme elements that do exist in benghazi, elements that the u.s. itself had been monitoring, and had been systematically

the prime minister told my colleague arwa damon in an interview ten days ago that their investigation so far showed that the attack was a preplanned one carried out by libyan extremists. he said that they had a number of those involved in the attack in custody. and they were members of a militia which translates into supporters of islamic law. this is a militia that up until recently was operating in benghazi with a headquarter in the city. the prime minister said far extreme members of this group, not the group as a whole, were involved in planning and carrying out this assault. more specific details about the group involved in the attack have not yet been revealed. libyan officials tell us the investigation continues and that they are cooperating with the united states in this investigation. but the libyan prime minister told cnn that no foreigners were involved in that attack and it's not carried out by al qaeda. >> there was an interesting article in the "washington post" over the weekend. it said that the united states was aware of security concerns in benghazi. you know, as was

again, a lot of unanswered questions. >> arwa damon reporting for us there. >>> house republicans areshing the state department for answers to their security questions at a planned hearing next wednesday. secretary of state hillary clinton said she has created a review panel, but will work with a congressional committee as well. >>> back to politics here, because we're not going too far away from that, folks, it is debate night in america. we'll give you a glimpse of the future by taking a look back. ally bank. why they have a raise your rate cd. tonight our guest, thomas sargent. nobel laureate in economics, and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. >>> sure, we have been talking a

. >> see, they're reporting that but arwa damon, who was on the site, said she didn't see evidence of burn marks on the outside of the structure. she saw burn marks on the inside of the structure. >> that could be. i may be misspeaking. >> no, but i know that that's what initially the report was, there had been diesel fuel poured outside. again, that seems like another contradictory piece of information. >> a little unclear. but in any case, they did set that building on fire and so what happened was the ambassador eventually ends up at the hospital but again, unclear how. they fish out a telephone that is in his pocket. they begin at the hospital, these are the libyans, in the hospital dialing those numbers trying to get somebody, and that is how they got in touch and said, you know, we have this man and he turned out to be the ambassador. >> the timing of this kind of conversation, release of information, it can't be a coincidence this is on the eve of these congressional hearings, is it? >> absolutely. as one person on the staff said, it's a prebuttal and in a way, it is. because t

here is the cnn international correspondent arwa damon. >> they play like all children, but each hasath. >> i'm drawing a tank and a gun one little girl calls out. others write free syria. this is one of many centers that has been established as a killed friendly state. >> the concern right now is about coming up to winter. getting them into school, to play, learn, and heal, and to create a sense of familiarity and routine. this will be the most powerful way in which they can learn and heal from the horrors they have been through. >> at another center, a social worker shows us treez two drawings. this reflects an angry distraught child. the same child colored this three months later. in another room, parents are registering their children for school. in this part of the country, they anticipate close to 2,000 kids. they were shocked to have registered nearly three times that. approximately 79,000 refugees. many of them are absorbed by the population and creating a crisis. many of them live in cramped homes, known to be the poorest in the country. worst off in camps like these. histor

arwa damon, a courageous journalist.went there in the days that followed. risked her own life, spoke to eye witnesses. >> one of the few reporters that has been able to get inside the consulate so shortly after it all happened, she's done some amazing work. we're very lucky to have her. also, president obama is also on the campaign trail today. i think we're taking a look at him live right now. >> speaking in ohio university, he's getting ready to get into the speech. we're going to listen in and see what he's saying, stand by. much more on this coming up, also he's taking direct aim right now at mitt romney. >> let's recap what we learned last night. his tax plan doesn't add up. his jobs plan doesn't create jobs. his deficit reduction plan adds to the deficit. so iowa, everybody here has heard of the new deal. you've heard of the fair deal. you've heard of the square deal. mitt romney's trying to sell you a sketchy deal. >>> the final matchup between the two candidates just days away, be sure to join us monday for the t

. >> they were saying they cut budget -- >> arwa damon covered this story like no one else, she was at to what you're hearing now, how does it compare? >> it seems like the information coming out right now is starting to streamline along with the narratives that were were hearing just three days after the attack took plait. one of the libian security guards was unarmed, and form the first line of defense, told us he believed the attack was preplanned. there was no demonstration taking place. he could hear people's choices chanting and becoming increasingly louder from three different directions. he says the attack began immediately. he says the outer perimeter was very easily breached. show the u.s. initially claiming this was a demonstration turned violent. on the ground we were hearing different stories an conflicting information. it is certainly challenging to figure out exactly what took place, but it's also to note that the u.s. did not have anyone on the ground in the days following the attack after they evacuated all of their personnel, and gathering incredibly difficult if not