moammar gadhafi. he's going to pitch his tent, as he travels with the tent as a bedouin and did that when he went to italy and will pitch it in inglewood, new jersey. with his aides, and -- because that is where he lives. and there is nothing we can do to stop a head of state from coming to the united nations and what do you think the united nations should do and should he be allowed to pitch his tent in the garden state? >> i don't know that this is could be stopped. d-that th -- that that could be stopped but i don't believe it is a good idea, and i would support... >> eric: i'm sorry, say it again. >> caller: i think senator schumer's idea of our ambassador of the united nations bringing a resolution of outrage over the release and libya's response to his homecoming, is an appropriate thing to do. and i will support him, and i would support president obama, if he follows through on that. and, let the chips fall where they may as far as whether or not libya gets their back up or offended over that.

and praised gadhafi.is -- i knew this was ultimately going to happen. >> if someone is entitled to a strong opinion, i would think you are. you've lost your child. she died on a plane with 270 other people. she was a complete innocent, and on this day, the man who killed her was released from prison. >> right. >> susan cohen, let's stay in touch. we'll continue to touch base with you as we follow this story. we expect to get pictures in any moment now from tripoli of him arriving there. if the picture is as dramatic as it's being described to us, it may be tough even for the rest of us to watch. no doubt, for you to watch as well. 1,000 people greeting him at the airport, welcoming him home as a hero. tough. susan, thanks for being with us. >> the man who told me that he planned on having this guy carry a gun near where the president was speaking, guess who he's linked to, we found out? >>> then later, an officer, a man in a skirt, a breathalyzer test and a fire truck. you put them all together and what d

also, a new jersey town says "no way" to a planned visit by libyan leader moammar gadhafi. leaders are stunned that gadhafi wants to pitch a tent near the homes of some of the victim faf the lockerbie victims. >>> and what role should religion play in the health care debate? that's our face-off tonight. >>> and plus the latest on the reported homicide investigation in michael jackson's death and the sentence for pop singer chris brown. >>> but we begin tonight with a stunning admission by the white house. unemployment and the deficit will surge higher than previous obama administration forecasts according to latest numbers. unemployment will top 10% and the deficit will search to $1.6 trillion this year alone. the latest numbers are putting renewed pressure on president obama's agenda in congress, but the president tried to deflect some of those problems by naming ben bernanke for a second term as federal reserve board chairman. dan lothian is traveling with the vacationing president and reports from martha's vineyard. >> reporter: president obama promised a news-free vacat

we have seen gadhafi's true colors. ther this amel yore ration. >> what do you want the president to do about this? deny the visa? this would play in the wheel house into the secretary of state hillary clinton. >> this is a leader of the free world, and this is a terrorist. there has to be some price that gadhafi pays for the spectacle he puts on. would anyone want a small army of libyan intelligence officials being right next door to them? they cut down my trees because they want to peer into my property -- i'm a peace loving guy. i'm a property loving guy. they cut down trees on your property that you pay taxes on? >> that's correct. and they don't pay any taxes. >> how do they get away with that? where is the governor? >> i'm going to have to sue them to extract every last penny so libyan money is put toward peaceful things like planting trees. >> how long has this been planned? they have been working on this estate for some time. >> this is a dilapidated estate that hasn't been done anything on ten years. now there

. >>> and libyan leader, gadhafi plans to visit this town.ext door is not thrilled. >>> and appliances, baby cribs, and coffee table. people cashing in on the popular program. >>> we have seen so many rowdy town halls the last few weeks, we decided to hold one of our own on the street here. what people told us about the health care debate. our own "morning meeting" town hall later. corporate profits and stability come back in to play. compliments of the $23 billion support from the taxpayer to the financial system. >>> contessa, what is going on this morning? >> thousands of mourners are paying their final respect to the late ted kennedy. the family estimated 25,000 people were on hand yesterday, and his nephew were among those that greeted mourners last night and spoke to nbc's andrea mitchell. >> for my generation, he was a surrogate father for 29 grandchildren. i don't know, probably 60 or 80 great grandchildren. it was a great thing for all of us to do this. >> a celebration of his life being held tonight. we will carry it live on msnbc a

prce andrew, the duke of york, had been expected toisit libya -- and perhaps meet withoammar gadhafi early next month. the idea was to prome trade. but now, there are reports tt the visimay be off. >>> in afghanistan tay, a day afr the voting, both the leadinpresidential contenders, incumbent hamaid kari and opposition cdidate abdullah abduah, were both claiming victory. but abdullah also ised serious concerns about theegitimacy of the te. >> a l of irregularities whi have taken placehould have been prevented and shouldn't have happened. so the are a lot of complaints about irregulaties throughout the country. there are repos of rigging. >> the fir results are excted tomorrow. >>> of course,lmost everyone agrees that if the u.s. ssion in afghanian is to succeed, it will require more than just militaryight. afghanistan remas a deeply impoverished country andany of its 33 millioneople need work and income. one way they me money there is by growing poppies which are used in e production of opium and heroin. poppy growing is one othe main soces of income for the taliban. and thunited sta

then the bush administration made basically a plea bargain agreement with gadhafi.they would relax pressure on the issues surrounding the lockerbie case. now it's up to the obama administration to take a position and perhaps to finish this act. right now, we're still in the plea bargain phase where gadhafi gets a pass because he has decided to stop terrorism. >> and also stop any kind of nuclear experiments, his nuclear program, which the bush administration was able to trade down. you know, the other thing about what gadhafi has done, though, according to the families, is that he's got oil and he's got a lot to trade. and that is their suggestion, that this is really a very mercantile decision. >> well, i don't think that the u.s. administrations, beginning with the clinton administration, have really been bought off by the oil interests. i don't think that's fair. i think, internationally, qaddafi has been given a lot of slack because of the importance of oil, but i don't think the american government, for the past 20 years is guilty of that particular sin. >> let

this year is the 40th anniversary of the al fatah revolution in libya and colonel gadhafi is clearly using al megrahi return as a propaganda coupe despite the fact that this man is a convicted murderer who is termally ill and expected to die within three months. >> that was james blake of itn reporting. >>> the british aren't just talking about how unhappy they are about the way the libyans handled ali al megrahi's return home. they may be prepared to do something about it. prince andrew, the duke of york, had been expected to visit libya -- and perhaps meet with moammar gadhafi early next month. the idea was to promote trade. but now, there are reports that the visit may be off. >>> in afghanistan today, a day after the voting, both the leading presidential contenders, incumbent hamaid karzai and opposition candidate abdullah abdullah, were both claiming victory. but abdullah also raised serious concerns about the legitimacy of the vote. >> a lot of irregularities whi have taken place should have been prevented and shouldn't have happened. so there are a lot of complaints about irre

in the "new york times," this morning, from gadhafi's son, do you buy that? >> well, i think that the real kicker in that article is where he says, it is true we didn't mention abdel basset mohamed al-megrahi by name in the discussions. but the issue was always there, on the table. and that is really the way it is done. there is not going to be a documented signed by a brit, or a libyan saying we'll release abdel basset mohamed al-megrahi if you will give us the oil deal. it was done with winks and nods and understandings and i think the surfacing of these two letters in the media in great britain indicates there is more to come here, so i think the story is going to keep rolling right along, right up until moammar gadhafi arrives in new york. >> eric: and we'll be covering that when he is here at the u.n. and i know we'll be calling on you, the star ory is far from o, former ambassador to the united nations, john boenlt, thank you. >> thank you. >> jamie: in an exclusive interview former vice president dick cheney tells the obama administration, get off the

we saw this man, literally, running up the steps to moammar gadhafi's private jet. this is hardly house arrest. >> right, andrea. and i've spoken to those families often over the years and they're outraged again. and megrahi, he's just a stooge, but to see him dash up the steps there is really an outrage, thinking of the deaths of those young kids, many of them coming home for college vacation back in 1988, it's horrific. but this is really their last gasp of outrage. because the real outrage that moammar gadhafi, really the architect of the plot, has been basically let off the hook and american oil companies are lined up over there to do business with him. and that's really much more than the story than this stooge al megrahi, who is really a spit player in this drama. >> now, is that the real deal? american and british companies lined up for oil deals now that gadhafi was given a pass by the bush white house and now the obama white house continuing that policy, because he stopped his nuclear program. he's off the terror list. we can do business with gadhafi. he sh

you cannot believe a word that comes out of gadhafi's mouth. he paid restitution to the victims, and yet now celebrates the terrorist himself. he's an international menace, he was called by ronald reagan the mad dog of the middle east. i've lived next door to that property for ten years, they have invested millions upon millions dollars at a feverish pace to ready this property by september. the libyans are not saying he won't come. he has nowhere else to go. where is he going to put it? here in the studio? and i would say to hillary rodham clinton who has the power to deny him a visa, look, i'm a family man, i don't want an international terrorist financier being next door to the house where i'm raising my nine children. let him go, we don't want him in engelwood. >> you think based on what we've seen, he could end up there. >> they're spending millions and millions of dollars on a property that's ne and never got a gardener in the past ten year, i haven't been able to drive the bicycles across this six-acre property. they're spending millions

it's greatness, its policy, its historic path and in its leader colonel gadhafi. >> reporter: but it's been the flying of the scottish solstice flag in celebration at the airport that's angered politicians of a opposition parents in scotland, who all now condemn the decision by the smp to release al megrahi just eight years into his life sentence. >> i'm actually speechless. i think i describe him as beyond appropriate. i think this is not -- not a nice thing at all. it's particularly bad i think to see the scottish solstice flying. because whatever you want scotland to be associated with it's not those scenes we've seen in libya. >> scotland announced this morning it was releasing him for compassionate reasons and then instill outrage which came. >> reporter: most of the lockerbie bombing were american and on u.s. television last night the condemnation of this prisoner release was clear, before al megrahi even arrived home the state department announced it had put pressure on the libyan government. >> i think obviously in light of the release, we have had a number of conversations wit

it's really just part of a process of appeasing gadhafi.is oil -- the oil interests have been eager to give gadhafi what he wants. the governments of the west are following through and doing this. gadhafi has always wanted to get megrahi out. it erases pan am 103. it erases lockerbie. now there's no one even in prison for the crime. when gadhafi rolls into new york at the end of september to address the u.n., he will roll in in triumph because, in a way, he's succeeding in making this horrible thing that destroyed my life go away. >> when the president speaks out, president obama, and says, this was a mistake, is that any consolation for you? >> well, i think that's a rather soft word for it. i've tried for a very long time, as have other families, to get the government to take this seriously. you know, this has been in the air for a long time. this man may not even have as particularly serious a case of cancer as they say. the medical reports on him are mixed. though to me it doesn't matter. he is a terrorist. he was found guilty of mass m

but as gadhafi sought to repair relations with the u.s., the pair were handed over for trial. a pair of judges cleared fima, but found megrahi guilty of murder. megrahi has always maintained his innocence. he's been behind bars for his appeals. the only trip outside was for his medical test that found he was suffering from prostate cancer. >>> just ahead on the morning news, ratcheting up rescue operations for victims of the typhoons in china. >>> and a bear beats the heat in the pool. >>> first katie couric has a preview of tonight's cbs evening news. >> more than 1 billion people, 1 out of every 6, to not have access to fresh water. now a former nightclub owner is using his talent for promotion to change that one glass of water at a time. with a shared appetizer. s choose two entrees from over 15 chili's favorites, then share a decadent dessert. chili's -- ("whish, whish") here's the solution. (applause) is it a bandage you ask? no! it's famous, drug free breathe right. (squeaky noise) ingenious flexible strips that fit your nose to gently open your nasal passages... (free a

he was welcomed back by moammar gadhafi. new video showing the terrorist al megrahi meeting qaddafi who many say ordered the bombing. what makes these images more gulling, though, is that qaddafi's son said the release came because of trade deals. in all commercial contracts for oil and gas with britain, megrahi was always on the negotiating table. he issued a statement praising the british government, reaffirming his belief that this convicted bomber did not do it and would one day be proven innocent. britain sharply rejecting a deal. president obama calling the scene highly objectionable. his spokesman went further. >> i think the images that we saw in libya yesterday were outrageous and disgusting. we communicated with the libyan government and we continue to watch what they do in the days going forward. >> relatives of the 270 killed are planning to protest when qaddafi visits the u.n. joining us tonight is robert flynn, his brother was on that flight. do you believe the man who killed your brother was essentially releas

that is what gadhafi knows.m telling you, this sends a dreadful message to terrorists everywhere. you do not do this, you do not release a mass murderer as if he is some guy who had a minor crime. where does that kind of thing end? no one knows how long he is going to live. >> we're at the airport in glasggla glasg glasgow, those are pictures of the plane that will take him back to tripoli. since we're on this subject, happened a couple days before christmas, i imagine if for your family, just a terrible time. the justice secretary had declined at the time to allow megrahi to be transferred even though it exists between the united kingdom and libya. now, during this time. the u.s. attorney general eric holder was the deputy attorney general to janet reno at the time of the pretrial negotiations and he was adamant that they were given to the u.s. government and any person convicted would serve his sentence in scotland. so, at the time, again, as i said, there was some rangling and some controversy because you wan

critic say they found evidence of a deal when libya leader gadhafi thanked gordon brown and the british government for securing al megrahi's freedom and when gadhafi's son told libya's television on the plane ride back to libya, that oil negotiations to contracts were always linked to his release. >> translator: on all of the oil and gas deals, whenever british interests came to libya, we always put you on the table. >> british foreign secretary david millibrand said that claim is, quote, a slur on myself and the government. and today facing a firestorm of criticism in britain, prime minister gordon brown responded publicly for the first time to the news but still did not say whether he supported the decision to free al megrahi. >> when i met general gadhafi over the summer, i made it absolutely clear to him that we had no role in making the decision about megrahi's future. because it was a quasi judicial matter, because it was a matter legislated for by the scottish parliament and not by us. it was a matter over which we could not interfere and had no control over the final outcome. >>

we allowed the gadhafi government to get back on the international oil business. it seems like it's a pretty cold peace out there. >> yeah, well, of course, the thing that's really concentrating a lot of minds, chris, is the 44 billion barrels of oil that libya is sitting on and the world's oil companies are basically desperate to get in there. >> yeah. >> in all the speculation here in london is that the real reason the british government has sanctioned the return of megrahi is because bp, the british oil giants, want to get into libya in a big way and get developing those untapped oil reserves. >> who made the call? i hear a lot about scottish devolution, they're going to have more independence. was it anjou dishl decision, an executive decision, a british decision, or a scottish decision? >> well, that's a very good question, chris. >> that's why i put it to you, con. you ought to know the answer. what is the answer? who is responsible for this embarrassment to us all? >> i've been doing my research, and scottish devolution happened under tony blair ten years a

complimenting gadhafi. it -- it -- >> but this would happen under a democratic administration, if it happens. and i have to ask, do you think that the american government, does the u.s. administration, have any real say in this? or is this going to be between the uk and libya? >> well, i assure you, that the u.s. government has a lot of power. i am very much on obama's side, and he is a definite improvement over bush, but i have asked to meet with him. he shook gadhafi's hand. he hasn't shaken my hand. we, the families, would like to have had the chance to meet with obama. we asked for condolences on the 20th anniversary of december 21st last year. after all, he'd already been elected. my impression is that nobody cares very much, and that everyone is happy to go on with this, because the amounts of money are so great. >> in the 30 seconds i have left, susan, i know you've referred to the families of these victims as the stepchildren of terrorism. can you briefly, briefly explain that for me? >> yes. becaus

gordon brown met colonel gadhafi last month but has failed to comment on the controversy. >> equallying is the extraordinary and incomprehensible silence of the prime minister, gordon brown. this government's flawed decision has significant implications for foreign policy and trade, so what joint efforts are now being undertaken by alex sal mond and gordon brown to limit the damage? >> mr. mccaskill reiterated he had followed due process and believed there was also international support for his decision. he said suggestions that megrahi could have spent his final days in a hospice were ludicrous. it will now be for m.s.p.'s to decide if they're convinced by his arguments. jane frances kelly, bbc news. >> looks as if firefighters in greece are beginning to contain the wildfires that have threatened the suburbs of athens for three days. thousands have had to flee their homes. large parts of the countryside around the greek capital have been destroyed. derek hughes spent the day in one of the areas worst affected. >> people are using whatever comes to hand to fight these fires. at the m

hannibal gadhafi and his wife were arrested on crges of mistating two domesticm ployies at swiss hotel. the chaes redropped. veral months later after a selement with the dhafis. but libya cut oil supies to switrland, and withdrew more than $5 million from swiss banks. the apogy by switzerld's presidenclears the way for a return to normal rations. >>> from china tonight, there is word that authorits will put more than 200 people on trial this week for alleged involvement in the worst ethnic vience in that cntry in decades. this summer's violence involved muslim uighurs and han chinese, the country's dominant ethnic group. almost 200 pele were killed d 1,700 injured. most of those going on trial are said to be han chine. >>> finally tonight, our "signature story." we want to return to afghanistan where a military officials reported theeaths ofanother american in the southernart of the cotry, as well as the loss of two troops from estonia, killed by roadside bomb. thatiny country in the baltic sea has now lost s soldiers since it joined the war fort in afghanian seven years ago and thatot

gadhafi, the leader of the plot 20 years ago, was left off the hook over a series of actions over the last few years, first, by the europeans, then the u.s. basically, gadhafi, cleaning up his act, then opening the doors for the oil companies, has been rehabilitated. he's actually the master mind of the bombing and remains dm good standing with the community. >> i'm curious on your take because a lot of people are saying that the united states should have taken stricter action with scotland, that usually what the united states wants when it comes to great britain, the united states gets. there are american companies operating in libya. the secretary of state has spoken out and the president and the attorney general, do you feel like the united states has done everything in its power to make it clear this was unacceptable? >> i think they did make it clear. maybe they did it just a little too late. maybe this is something they should have been shouting for months now rather than just in the last few days or so, but i couldn't agree more with michael in that gadhafi is definitely the ma

tony blair and moammar gadhafi the leader of libya sat down. and during their discussions, i think that they negotiated a prisoner exchange program. in addition, over the course of the last couple of years, the prisoner al megrahi had appealed for the right to have a retrial based on new evidence that the prosecution had withheld evidence from the defense. >> well, i want to get to that. because i wanted to find out, what other factors may have influenced the release beyond just, say, business. >> right. >> and now we're talking about this appeal. how do you think that did play into all of this? >> well, there was -- there were increasing indications that the prosecution perhaps had mishandled the evidence that they were presented with. and, in fact, withheld some evidence from the defense. and in 2008, megrahi won the right from the scottish judiciary review board to appeal his conviction. >> so the thinking is that perhaps with this appeal, he could actually win the legitimate right to go free, that he would say it wasn't me? >> right. there

gadhafi is still in charge. what's new is their oil money and they say they've renounced terrorism. not much has changed in libya. >> it still has one of the worst human rights records in the world. women are treated horribly in libya. it is still a terrible place. what's amazing to me is that, can you imagine 20 years after september 11th and say one of the hijackers lived. would we ever send that hijacker back to bin laden? because that's exactly what we've just done. we can't imagine it. maybe that's a scary thought. you just can't forget. >> i hate to have even this guy's name mentioned and remembered, because when the books of history are written, his name should not be remembered. those who died should be remembered. your brother was 21 years old. >> the perfect older brother in the sense that he kicked my ass when i needed it. >> you were a year younger. >> yes. i was a year and a half younger than him. he encouraged me when i needed it also. he's always the type of guy that you knew would have made a dif

can control is what the scottish government and the scottish justice system can do. >> reporter: gadhafi sought for al megrahi's release trying to distance itself from that decision that downing street has now weighed in warning libya that how it handles his release will be looked at by everybody and will influence what countries think. said to the conservative leader wrote to gordon brown criticizing his failure to say what he thought on al ma gray hi's return to libya commenting his own prime minister has not. i believe that public are entitled to know what you think of the decision to release megrahi. one man unlikely to head to libya, the duke of york. his plans to visit tripoli on a trade mission next month are now being reconsider. libya might have its man back, but the uk might have hoped to improve relations and trade but it turned into a diplomatic mess. for itn news. >> talk about just a diplomatic mess of this story. a cnn exclusive interview former british prime minister tony blair tells us no deal was made at all to release. >> let me just make one thing absolutely clear. th

president obama shake gadhafi's hand. this is an unbelievable, surreal ride. >> what message does it send? he went to prison in 2001. so in effect, he will have served eight years for killing 270 people. >> state-sponsored terrorism wins, because in this particular case, true justice was he would finish his natural life in confinement, send his body back to libya for appropriate burial. >> let me play devil's advocate. people out there are saying, you know what? he's going to die in the next several months, what does it matter if he dies in a prison cell or if he dies in his home. >> well, the interesting thing is that the families have not had any confirmation from an outside source of his illness and how -- >> you're skeptical of this? >> well, my husband had prostate cancer ten years ago and he's alive and kicking and in the green room right now off the set. so i mean -- yes, i'm a little cynical about it. the most important thing is that, regardless of -- i mean i certainly think he should be under hospital care and b

gadhafi over the summer, i made it absolutely clear to him that we had no role in making the decisionut megrahi's future. because it was a quasi judicial matter, because it was a matter legislated for by the scottish parliament and not by us. it was a matter over which we could not interfere and had no control over the final outcome. >> now, the issue with that statement, "the times" of london report that's weeks before al megrahi's release, a british government minister sent a letter to the scotts suggesting they let the convicted terrorist go. according to "the times," peter mendelson, british's minister said he discussed it twice this year in meetings with gadhafi's son, including one talk a week before the announcement, though he denied negotiating any release in exchange for oil deals. yesterday, an emergency session of parliament, the scottish justice secretary who freed al megrahi, blamed the prisoner transfer agreement by former prime minister tony blair as the reason al megrahi was even eligible for release. >> throughout the negotiations and at the time of the signing of the

last night, gadhafi went to al megrahi's home to greet him. megrahi has given a lengthy interview to the london times. and prospect of lucrative deals had much to do with the release of the only man convicted in bombing pan am 103. that would be megrahi. the foreign office in london has vehemently denied that suggestion, as the u.k. business secretary who calls the suggestion not only implausible but offensive. meanwhile, libyan leader paid a visit to megrahi at his home where there has been a steady stream of well-wishers. clearly the libyan leader was happy to have it televised because he didn't want it to be shown around the world, it wouldn't have been. here is what he had to say. >> i praise their kournl for proving independent and decision-making despite the unreasonable pressure they faced. but they took this right and humanitarian decision. >> he went on to thank his friend gordon brown, queen elizabeth and her son prince andrew for having put pressure on the scottish government or encouraging the scottish government to make the decisi

gadhafi is the same guy.thing's changed. >> it is interesting because in the geopolitical world, people talk about the new libya. gadhafi is still in charge. what's new is they're oil money and they say they've renounced terrorism. not much has really changed in libya. >> no, it still has one of the worst human rights records in the world. women are treated horribly in libya. it is still a terrible place. what's amazing to me is that, can you imagine 20 years after september 11th and say one of the hijackers lived. would we ever send that hijacker back to bin laden? because that's exactly what we've just done. we can't imagine it. maybe that's a scary thought. and that's something we should take away from this, something you just can't forget. >> i hate to have even this guy's name mentioned and remembered, because when the books of history are written, his name should not be remembered. the names of those who died should be remembered. your brother was 21 years old. tell us about him. >> he was a great guy,

from acting with the sensitivity that the prime minister had requested in a letter sent to colonel gadhafi yesterday. >> i think all of us seeing those scenes on the television last night found them pretty distasteful, frankful. people should remember that this man was convicted of, you know, of very, very serious crime and remember the feeling of the families and friends of all those who died. >> relations with libya were supposed to be improving, but the prime minister's letter described as very short and to the point was obviously pointless. in it, mr. brown reiterated that it was a scottish decision to release al megrahi but even there dismay at libya's behavior. >> i don't agree with the reception that mr. megrahi was given. i think it was insensitive. it was certainly poorly advised but, you know, we can't control what the libyan government, the libyan people do. all we are in control of is what the scottish government and the scottish justice system can do. >> colonel gadhafi's son is flying to britain for his release. despite number 10 trying to distance itself from that decision b

. >>> plus, how far new jersey officials will go to try to prevent moammar gadhafi from pitching a tent and moving in. it doesn't cover everything. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. it can help cover some zd what medicare doesn't... so you could save up to thousands of dollars... in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit... and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare, you should know about this card; it's the only one of its kind... that carries the aarp name -- see if it's right for you. you choose your doctor. choose your hospital. and no referrals needed. there are no networks help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't cover. save up to thousands of dollars... on potential out-of-pocket expenses... with an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. call now for your free information kit... and medicare guide and find out... how yo

this summer, president obama shook gadhafi's hand. >> have you people for gotten what he did? >> please don't insult my intelligence by making these public statements. >> reporter: 21 years later, the lockerbie wound still painfully raw. some families believe what the u.s. and britain want is access to libya's oil, and some say with megrahi's release they'll never resolve who else may have been behind the plot. live on capitol hill, i'm brooke hart. barbara and joe, back to you. >> thank you very much, brooke. >> reporter: you're welcome. >> d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton is re-assuring residents of one affluent neiborhood that it is safe as the army continues its cleanup of munitions. spring valley has been the site of a 16-year cleanup operation of munitions there. officials thought they were almost finished when the -- with the excavation when a flas k containing traces of the chemical agent mustard was found last week. some residents -- some residents think the corps of engineers is not telling them the whole story, but norton insists there is nothing to worry about.

and residents of a new jersey town are outraged over a possible visit by bolivia's leader, gadhafi. this is a honda pilot. and this is the all- new chevy traverse. it has more cargo space than pilot, including the most space behind the third row. and traverse beats honda on highway gas mileage too. more fuel efficient and 25% more room. maybe traverse can carry that stuff too. the all new chevy traverse. america's best crossover. >>> the area home to many relatives of the victims of the pan am flight of the 103 bombing. last week, the only man convicted in that attack which killed over 200 people was set free. he received a heroes welcome. >> three weeks ago, he came home to find his fence gone, a dozen of histories chopped down, and fast at work at store. maybe 40 vehicles inside that property. >> reporter: when the libby yan leader attends the assembly next month, in the community of even gel wood, new jersey, the libby yan community refuses to comment. and the terrorists to be in our neighborhood. >> he lives just a few miles away and lost his brother in the bombing of pan am fli

gordon brown wrote that letter to colonel gadhafi.him a hero's welcome, he gave him a hero's welcome. the english need to really learn from this. a complete fiasco. >> pat buchanan, it is a complete fiasco. the big losers here are not only british, gordon brown in particular, also, moammar gadhafi trying to get back into the international community now since 2004. >> they have a situation in englewood, new jersey, they have a home out there, people out there don't want him there in. he will put a tent up on the ground supposedly when he comes to the u.n., if i were him, i wouldn't put that tent out there. let me ask about scotland here. the scottish, is the scottish national party -- are there conservatives in scotland normally very weak? who is damaged politically inside scotland? >> i think the scottish government has come under tremendous -- they had to hold an emergency session right now and the justice minister has come under tremendous strain. but the scotts, i gotten an e-mail from a friend in scotland yesterday, the scotts ten

is caving to libyan leader moammar gadhafi, who shook his pariah status when he renounced nuclear weapons. this summer president obama shook gadhafi's hand. >> the united states government didn't want this gentleman released, it wouldn't take place. so please, don't insult my intelligence by making these publ statements. >> reporter: 21 years later the lockerbie wound still painfully raw. some families believe what the u.s. and britain want is access to libya's oil. and some say with megrahi's release they'll never resve who else might have been behind the plot. in washington brooke hart, nbc news. >> and moments after the announcement the united states state department released a statement saying it is deeply disappointed by the decision. >>> new today, ted kennedy asking state leaders in massachusetts to change a law. he wants to speed up the process of choosing his replacement should he leave the senate. the state passed a law in 2004 requiring a special election to fill any vacancy, a process that takes about five months. kennedy's aides insist the letter is not an indication his heal

should president obama meet with moammar gadhafi next month? guess what?oming to america. he's attending the big u.n. meeting in september. they say he will pitch his tent in new jersey. and the cause for the u.n. to do something this morning but you never guess what nation is a member of the security council. >> jamie: plus, another nightmare flight. oh, my goodness. can you imagine, it happened again. travelers stranded on an airplane for hours overnight. could this flight finally prompt calls for a passenger bill of rights? >> hunger was starting to set in. we waited it out. waited it out. you know, five-and-a-half hours later, you know, we fly, you know, we ply to minneapolis. carol, when you replaced casual friday with nordic tuesday, was it really for fun, or to save money on heat? why? don't you think nordic tuesday is fun? oh no, it's fun... you know, if you are trying to cut costs, fedex can help. we've got express options, fast ground and freight service-- you can save money and keep the heat on. great idea. that is a great idea. well, if nordic

gadhafi's praised scotland's decision to release megrahi early on humanitarian grounds. but condemned by the u.s. most recently by robert mueller. i'm outraged at your decision, he says. calling it a mockery of the rule of law. by new york senator chuck schumer. >> if libya wants to be embraced by the international community, embracing convicted terrorists is not the way to do. it's revolting to me. to the victim' families. to all people of good will in every country of this world. >> reporter: families of the victims on both sides of the atlantic are also angry. by the release and by his warm welcome in libya. >> he was convicted of mass murder. a convicted terrorist. >> i don't think that he deserves the right to be home with his family. >> reporter: but some families especially in britain, believe that megrahi is the wrong man. and megrahi claims to have new evidence proclaiming his evidence. evidence he says he'll release someday. he may be a free man today. with just months to live with prostate cancer, he is serving a sentence he cannot reverse. >>> there are repor

and that led, inevitably, especially because of what gadhafi and his son said, to charges that theretrade deals between the brits and the libyans. where do we go from here? >> well, i think that this whole event is very, very unfortunate. i was involved, a lot, in the whole lockerbie issue. i met with the families many, many times, both when i was at the united nations and then a secretary. we did push for there to be a trial. and we believed that, in fact, he had been sentenced appropriately. i thought it was pretty outrageous, not only the release, but also the whole welcoming ceremony, when especially it had been indicated by the united states that it was not a good idea. i think we have to take the british and the scotts at their word that there were no deals. the issue, itself, is most unfortunate, because so many americans and other nationals died in that terrible, terrible accident. so my heart goes out to the lockerbie families. >> do you think we should take a different attitude towards gadhafi. he's coming to new york, to the u.n. in december. should we step back a little b

reporter: but instead of house arrest, megrahi was greeted by thousands with libyan leader moammar gadhafi's son serving as his escort. >> the leaders of these third world nations that believe in state-sponsored terrorism, if you outwait the united states and the united kingdom, they'll eventually give in. >> reporter: for victims' families, megrahi's freedom diminishes their loss. >> he gets to go home and be with his family before he dies, and none of people he killed had that luxury. >> reporter: randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. >>> just ahead on the morning news, credit card companies hike rates ahead of new reformds. >>> plus no room for error. a delicate chopper landing on top of a narrow rock. >>> first, jeff glor has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> strapped for cash. more and more americans are no longer able to afford life's small luxuries. find out what this cab driver is doing to relieve the recession one fare at a time. that's in "assignment america" tonight only on the "cbs evening news." you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but those days came and wen

mccaski said had asked the libyans for sensitivy but it appears colonel gadhafi wasn't listening >> doesrstand how mu that decision angered e majority scotland, how ashamede we to see our flag flyingo welcome a convicted bomber home and does he unrstand how astonished we were when he visited a convicted murderer in prison? >> questions were also raised abouthe role of the british government in megrahi release. gordon brown met conegadhafi last month but has failed to comment on the contrersy. >> equally distbing is the extraordinary and comprehensible slence of the prime minister, gordon own. thisgovernment flawed decisionas significant implications f foreign policy and trade, so what joint effos eow being undertan by ax sal mo and gordon brownto limit the damage? >> mr. mccaskill reiterated he had followedue press and believed there was als internationalupport for his decision. he said suggestions that megrahi could have spent his final days in a hpice were ludicrous. will now be for m.p.'s to decide if they' convinced b his arguments. jane frances kelly, bbc news. >> looks as if firefi

gadhafi didn't do the deal over his nuclear weapons because he had suddenly become a trustworthy and terrific guy, right? he did it because he was afraid after iraq about what happened to him if he didn't. and what we saw in the way that they treated gordon brown's request to at least be discreet about this, right, brown did not say -- hasn't said anything about the substance of the decision, even to this day. all he said is he was repulsed by the reception that megrahi received in libya. and what we saw was that you know, libya hasn't changed its spots, right? it'd be nuclear deal because it feared the consequences of not doing it. but here they clearly saw no downside in getting this guy back and then rubbing the british at jason at two and a big embarrassment for gordon brown. still ahead, the nine to end our deficit. does it matter? our panel weighs in after the break. >> at the end of the day the best way to bring our deficit down in the long run is not for the budget that continues the same policies that led us to a narrow prosperity and massive debt, it's wicked widget that le

was there a deal with gadhafi? >>> manhunt, the international search for a reality tv contestant, wanted for a brutal murder. where is he? >>> and male or female? the gender questions about one of the world's fastest athletes the gender questions about one of the world's fastest athletes following an amazing finish. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening, this will be a summer to remember for many americans living in the northeast, an unusually cool, rainy start followed by blister, heat and now with only a few weeks left in the season, hurricane bill is emptying beaches up and down the coast this weekend. bill was downgraded late today to a category 1 hurricane, but not before lashing bermuda with high wind, surf and rain. tonight, parts of the massachusetts shore including the first family's vacation destination martha's vineyard are under a tropical storm warning. bill is on track to skirt the coast with up to 40 miles an hour winds. weather channel meteorologist jeff morrow is on cape co