joining us michael chertoff, served as secretary of homeland security, he is chairman of the chertoffurity firm. and maryellen o'toole, a former fbi special agent and senior pro timer. cnn law enforcement analyst, tomful. -- tom fuentes. michael chertoff, coordinating the investigation. you've speak as former secretary of homeland security will not be given easy given all the various agencies involved though the fbi is the lead agency. take us a little bit behind the scenes, how this will unfold? >> you are right, wolf, it is challenging. the good news, the law enforcement agencies in the district of columbia and surrounding regions actually have a lot of experience working together on investigations. back -- in the day of the sniper, for example, which was in 2001, two snipers, we had very good coordination between the bureau which had the lead, and then, the county prosecutors and county detectives that were investigating the individual shootings. so there is a lot of experience here. what also helps a little bit. it took place on a federal premesis. the federal government has contr

doing so see hayden works for a private firm called the chertoff group run by none other than michael chertoff former head of the department of homeland security hope that's together yet another bloated government agency created in the wake of nine eleven the goal of the chertoff group is to help companies amp up their security and devise strategies that will help them when government tracks for example as former head of the d h s chertoff sold the idea of airport body scanners across the country a product his own company produced hundred eighteen million dollars later ching america's airports are invading your privacy one scan at a time but the chertoff group isn't working alone the science applications international corporation better known as c s c call themselves experts when it comes to counterterrorism and sensually they're just another defense contractor and with over forty two thousand employees this company is making a pretty penny off the keeping america safe business model in fact their net income last year was five hundred twenty five million dollars and speaking of defense contrac

doing so see hayden works for a private firm called the chertoff group run by none other than michael chertoff former head of the department of homeland security how it helped that's together yet another bloated government agency created in the wake of nine eleven the goal of the chertoff group is to help companies amp up their security and devise strategies that will help them win government contracts for example as former head of the d.h.s.s. chertoff sold the idea of airport body scanners across the country a product his own company produced hundred eighteen million dollars later ching america's airports are invading your privacy one scan at a time but the chertoff group isn't working alone the science applications international corporation better known as c s c call themselves experts when it comes to counterterrorism and sensually they're just another defense contractor and with over forty two thousand employees this company is making a pretty penny off the keeping america safe business model in fact their net income last year was five hundred twenty five million dollars and speaking of d

jon: secretary michael chertoff.or having me speak to a big topic of conversation will be a part of our show as well. what is the right way to engage in conversation against terrorism? in the meantime, another story today. at the same time we are facing a new showdown on capitol hill with everything that is going on. over an effort to block obamacare and rich edson is live on capitol hill with more. >> a major fight over the president's health care law. if congress does nothing to extend government funding, we are looking at a government shutdown on october 1. date have come up with a plan to extend authority for about 2.5 months until about mid december. but that is conditioned on the u.s. senate voting to defund obamacare. they say that this may be the best option. >> article is not to shut down the government. our goal is to cut spending and to stop obamacare. it is to force the vote in the fight in the united states senate. that is where the issue is. let's get the issue over there and have a vote on getting rid

former homeland security secretary, michael chertoff and other experts as well. # . >> workers insidenavy yard, heard the sound of gunfire. then came the confusion, the race for cover. and we will hear more dramatic first person accounts. eyewitnesses are standing by. when our "special report" continues. what's your function? ♪ ♪ hooking up the country helping business run ♪ ♪ trains! they haul everything, safely and on time. ♪ tracks! they connect the factories built along the lines. and that means jobs, lots of people, making lots and lots of things. let's get your business rolling now, everybody sing. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪ i just served my mother-in-law your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. >> welcome back. i am wolf blitzer here in was

. >>> plus former secretary of homeland security michael chertoff joins us on a disturbing national securityh worse than the spilled nsa secrets. >>> we introduce you to our brand new studio launching today. it is a beaut. see you in seven minutes for "happening now." martha: and we have this fox extreme weather out of austin, texas, where some wild weekend flooding left a few cars almost completely underwater. rescue crews had to pull at least six people out of their vehicles over the weekend. one man in his 50s rescued from his roof. heavy rains and storms kept crews busy saturday night and all day sunday with seven inches of rainfalling in those areas. some wicked weather out there now. thankfully no injuries were reported. bill: so the retrial of the american exchange student amanda knox getting underway in italy without the star defendant. knox was found guilty four years ago of murdering her british roommate. she served four years in jail best conviction was overturned two years ago. amy kellogg is live in london watching this. why is this court case now reopened, amy? >> reporter: wel

. >> former homeland security secretary michael chertoff spoke about the challenges facing the homeland security department which he read from two -- which he led from 2005 2 2009. this event was hosted by george washington university. [applause] that,nk you very much for a very kind introduction. andk you for inviting me professor and students, i'm delighted to be here. this is a particularly significant moment to be talking about the issues of our security , because this is going to be a very important week in the history of this country. of course we're coming up on the 12th anniversary of september 11, which is always a memorable moment and causes a lot of reflection. we are also on the eve of a presidential speech that is going to lay out the case am a so we are told, for why we need to take effective and vigorous to thein syrian response use of chemical weapons. that will lead to a debate in congress and perhaps to an authorization and military action. betweenery much poised the recollection of a horrible event for this country and a possible embarking upon a new challenge in anot

. >> earlier this week, michael chertoff spoke about the u.s. response to syria and future relations with iran. he discussed the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. this is about an hour. [applause] thank you very much for that kind introduction. me.k you for inviting this is a particularly significant moment to be talking about the issues of our security. this will be an important week in the history of this country. we are coming up on the 12th anniversary of september 11, which is always a memorable moment and that causes reflection. we are also on the eve of a presidential speech that will lay out the case, so we are told, for why we need to take action in syria in response to the use of chemical weapons. int will lead to a debate congress, and perhaps to authorization and military action. we are poised between recollection of pourable events for this country and possible embarking upon a new challenge in another part of the world which could ultimately be quite serious not only for this country, but the region as a whole. if i was standin

from capitol hill, former director of the cia and nsa and now principle of the chertoff group global advising firm, michaelg. >> let's get you on the record first of all, should the u.s. act strongly and if one does that, can it realistically be promised no boots on the ground? >> yeah. i think first thing, mika, i divide the syria problem into two groups, the little syria problem the use of chemical weapons and then the big syria problem, what to do about the dissolution of a major state in the arab world. this is about the little syria problem. and frankly here i think we do need to act for some of the reasons that's already been suggested this morning. american credibility, raw morality and we can do it without boots on the ground and being effective. >> so much made of the red line comments and rephrasing of the red line comments. had the president not said that, would you still say we should be acting? do the comments make a difference? >> they do make a difference. they put the prestige of our president, the prestige of the credibility of the united states of america at risk. i think it was an unwise