do stay with us live from nairobi coming up very

this is the terrifying scene in nairobi, kenya, today. a group of armed men stormed this crowded mall and they started shooting. according to kenya's president >> the group al shabaab has claimed responsibility. what two you make of the way shabaab is hand handling this has taj situation? >> back in may it was a very, very different environment in terms of el shabaab. they had been a part of the fight-back to stabilize some mole yeah. in recent weeks, there had been a sense of a reunification. they have really been looking to come back on the scene to reannounce themselves with a really big hit. that's the chatter we've been seeing in a lot of the discussion boards. we should say that this attack seems incredibly well coordin e coordinated. there are, there are signs that there are people on the outside talking with people on the inside. they also had a very sophisticated media set up in place. they've gone through three twitter accounts. as soon as one is taken off the air, another one comes back on air. >> what about hostages? what do t

nairobi. where they are being held by a number of attackers. israeli forces are involved and are helping the kenyan army come up with a plan to rescue the hostages. hundreds are donating blood to help hospitals cope with dozens of wounded. we are expecting president uhuru kenyetta speak. we heard from the interior minister, who said security forces are doing everything they can. >> i want to assure kenyans that our security agencies are fully in control of the situation. for now we want to thank you and keep you posted. possibly in an hour or so we'll come back to you. please allow us to plan the next stage of the operation. >> let's go live to al jazeera's correspondent outside the westgate mall in nairobi. what has been happening out there, what is the scene like right now? >> the gun men are still at the mall. the siege continues. they are still holding hostages. questions are coming about about the security operations and the security in this country, really - how could heavily armed gunmen access the mall. it's in an affluent area, well pr

that's what they are doing here in nairobi. are going after people that can make differences in that government. they have wealthy kenyan, foreign diplomats. they are going to put a lot of pressure on the government. will the government be able to stand up to it? that's al shabab's thinking here. >> it's not just what's happening in somalia. kenya seems to be supportive of the united states as well. if that is a message, is it possible that we might be seeing that spread of soft target terror to the u.s.? because, quite frankly, it's been 12 years since 9/11 and there's been no terror attack in a mall. there have been shootings in a mall, don't get me wrong, but no terror attack in a mall so far. >> we've taken steps to secure aviation and we've made it that much harder to do. they are going after a soft target because they are vulnerable. when you start shooting up american citizens inside the united states, he start creating that emotional event that starts putting pressure on their government to make changes and that's what

let's go back to the developments on the ground in nairobi. fast-moving developments.tandoff now for three days. we have gunmen hold up in the west gate shopping mall, a popular mall with kenya and patriots and we have seen black clouds as you can see rising from the roof of the shopping mall and heard loud explosions and gunfire and heavy and sustained gunfire going on throughout the past few hours. looking at the live pictures we are watching kenya soldiers running to take positions rounds the mall and very difficult to get a really clear picture of what is going on because of course reporters and caravan are back and security is an issue and not just the lives of the people but also not wanting to transmit information to people who are inside. al shabaab has been prolific about tweeting messages warning the kenya army not to go after them and they will not negotiate and will kill hostages if any kind of assault has been going on and we know the military has been going through and clearing shops and searching out all the various outlet's and trying to find people who

i'm joined now on the phone about nairobi by zalubia kasam. she was at the mall and is the aunt of cnn international anchor zane vergy. thank you for being with us. can you tell us what you saw? >> well, we had gone to westgate mall. after finishing our coffee, we went up to the supermarket, did some shopping. we had just barely entered and the lights went off. and it's strange that the generator didn't come on for quite a while, and we thought that's a bit weird. the next thing we know, we heard some shots and people rushing. so we rushed to the back up to the supermarket and shut ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us from a random shooting, because we heard random shots all over the place. and it was quite terrifying. in fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us, and at one stage, i thought come near us. and it was just so worrying and, you know, people praying and crying, and it was rather traumatizing for everybody. and at one stage, we heard that there are terrorists, that they were holding hostages, and that they were all

you so much from nairobi. when you get more information about the president's speech or any other kind of material to advance this. >> ominous, 65 missing, unaccounted for. >> very nerve-racking numbers. >> they're going through that mall, hopefully not going to find more horrors there. >>> more on what we're working on this hour for "around the world." >> brazil's president has harsh words to the united nations directed right at the u.s. the issue? spying. away a trip every day. where would you go? woman: 'greece.' woman 2: 'i want to go to bora bora.' man: 'i'd always like to go to china.' anncr: download the expedia app and your next trip could be on us. expedia, find yours. there's a lot i had to do... ... watch my diet. stay active. start insulin... today, i learned there's something i don't have to do anymore. my doctor said that with novolog® flexpen, i don't have to use a syringe and a vial... or carry a cooler. flexpen® comes prefilled with fast-acting insulin used to help control high blood sugar whe

martha: she moved to nairobi last year. she has been working with a number of humanitarian agencies there. bill: despite all this, many got out. many escaped by running and diving for cover including a woman from australia. she hid inside of a yogurt shop in the food court of the mall. >> it was clear that it was coming from more than a rotary. a few families said run for it. then we saw a whole lot of people after the first grenade we saw a whole lot of people run count side and they got out fine. we looked everywhere for somewhere to hide. there was nowhere to side so we decided to run for it as well. bill: she says she is shaken but meals lucky to have survived her experience. martha: al-shabab's primary basis in somalia, it formed in the union of the islamic courts. it officially joined al qaeda last year but it's been associated with them for many years. its name means "the youth" in arabic. they are said to have 7,000-9,000 fighters. bill: the mall is a war zone. it was packed with shoppers on the weekend. what's to s

there are still reports of loud explosions, and gunfire in nairobi -- or in kenya's capital in nairobi. the death toll has risen this evening already to 68 people. and kenyan authorities say it may increase even further before this assault is finished. there are concerns, harris, that the gunman may start executing some of the hostages. >> well, and conor, of course, every life is precious. we do want to make the point, though, that american citizens have been caught up in this. in fact our u.s. embassy has been ready to receive and assist anyone that they can. we'll have more details on the victims who are americans in this in just a moment. but you're in jerusalem and i understand the israelis were called in their military experts to help them carry out this then siege on this mall so they could free these hostages. how did they do so? >> well, that's right. so a lot of countries have been offering assistance, both advice, and support, including the uk and the united states, the kenyan government, but israel actually dispatched four people, part of a special negotiation team. now the

we are working the story in nairobi, kenya.the president says 39 dead and some his closest family members. 150 people hurt. the terrorists shouted they were looking for nonmuslims. again, as news comes about the americans caught up in this, we will bring it to you. for now, my friends on "the five" and at 7:00 eastern" the fox report." sew you -- see you then. >>> hello everyone. it is 5:00 in new york city and this is "the five." >> obamacare is on everyone's mind and the american people don't like it. according to the latest fox news poll, 60% have an unfavorable opinion of obamacare versus 34% who have a favorable opinion. unions don't like it. >> when the act was put together it wasn't thought completely through. we are working to try to solve problems. >> you allow an aca bill to go through. i guarantee in t

nairobi ball followed by gunfire.the standoff between canyon police and the terrorist group al shabaab moved into its third day. operations occurred and we will provide them with whatever assistance is necessary. >> the siege began on saturday when extremist stormed the ball. witnesses say they targeted non- muslims with grenades and gunfire. canyon officials say at least three attackers have been killed. but it wasn't clear how many hostages, if any remained inside the mall. i am in full control of this situation and we maintain the fire will beut out trade >> al shabaab announced its alliance with al qaeda last year. the attack appears to be retaliation for kenya positive intervention in the somali civil war two years ago. >> they are trying to say you we uset of it grade military force as a punishment >> al shabaab claims to have americans among its ranks. a white house spokesman says the u.s. has been monitoring the group's recruiting efforts. >> stay tuned for nbc daily news with ryan williams for more on the can

but neighborhoods in nairobi. interestingly and this gives you a sense of the operation, four were arrested at the airport trying to get flights out of the country. the kenyan interior ministry say they are currently being questioned. >> thank you very much. you lived in nairobi. i've been in this mall. it's a huge complex. >> it is huge. tons of stores. a lot of restaurants. always very crowded. a lot of people, a lot of kids. >> and this was timed for maximum impact on a saturday when families would be there. >> exactly. it's just so horrendous. to think that ordinary people are shopping on a weekend, you know, blacks, whites, muslims, not muslims. it's really a terrible thing and you see these al-shabaab people who have been pushed back in their own homeland and lashing out regrouping in some way or in a desperate move to be relevant and able to recruit. it's perturbing. it's not just somalia and kenya and the horn of africa. >> and what happened in mali they have been put on the back foot. but there is this re

we're going live to nairobi. also, right now, president obama's arriving here at the united nations. he meets with the nigerian president in a few minutes. we'll listen in to see if he says anything about that terrible mall attack in kenya. i suspect he will. and the president is in good company. right now leaders from all over the world, they are gathering here in new york city for the annual united nations general assembly. i'm wolf blitzer reported from the united nations where officials from almost 200 countries will meet this week. iran's new president sure to make headlines. also, prospects for peace in syria. we're going to have extensive live coverage of the u.n. general assembly, that's coming up. but first we turn to the story that's held the world's attention since saturday. we're talking about kenya, kenyan authorities say they have arrested more than ten people in the deadly assault on a nairobi shopping mall. the hostage standoff now in its third day. here's the latest information coming in. authori

the deadly siege at a mall in nairobi, kenya, isn't over yet. and explosion and gunfire were heard this morning as security forces continue their battle with al qaeda-linked terrorists. at least 62 people have been killed in this attack. kenyan officials have said most of the hostages were freed and that they have regained control of the mall. and the kenya foreign minister says as many as three of the militants are from the united states. this morning, al shabaab, the group claiming responsibility for the attack, says the militants are still holding their ground. >> reporter: kenya's government forces say they have gained control of the mall and are vowing to finish and punish the islamic militants who launched saturday's attack. but the battle between the al shabaab fighters and kenyan security forces is now in its fourth day and an unknown number of hostages and fighters remain inside the mall. at the united nations general assembly in new york, president obama said he talked with kenya's president by phone. >> for the kenyan people, we stand

. >>> a terrifying attack and hostage crisis unfolding right now at an upscale shopping mall in nairobi, kenya. gunmen stormed the mall and opened fire. at least 20 people are killed. [ gunfire ] 50 more shoppers are wounded, according to the red cross. an aunt of cnn anchor zane vergy was inside the mall when the shots were fired, and she said she heard random shots just about everywhere. >> we had gone for coffee at westgate mall after finishing our coffee, we went up to the supermarket to do some shopping. we had just barely entered, and the lights went off. it was rather strange that the generator didn't come on for quite a while, and we thought that's a bit weird. the next thing we know, we heard some shots and people rushing. so we rushed to -- back up to the supermarket and shield ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us from the random shooting, because we heard random shots all over the place, and it was quite terrifying. in fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us, and at one stage, i saw them come near us. and it was just so worrying and, you know, people praying

i have friends and family in nairobi, i'll return there myself. it has shattered nairobi and i don't know when it will return to the manner that it once was. >> you're familiar with the area. >> i am. any place that is frequented by wernewesterns, where most of the foreign embassies exist, i think all those areas should be afraid and concerned. >> are the kenyan forces equipped of handling this. >> i don't think i'm capable of speaking on the adequatcy of those forces myself. but i know the leader has experience in this, and perhaps al-shabab is taking advantage of testing him as a leader, and because of the charge that he's facing at the international court. >> david rice, i appreciate your time. >> my pleasure. >> attending the u.n. general assembly, ira iran president's o ease shut down on techknow, our scientists bring you a sneak-peak of the future, and take you behind the scenes at our evolving world. techknow - ideas, invention, life. >> every sunday night al jazeera america presents gripping films, from the worlds top documentary directors

joining us now by phone from nairobi is al jazeera's peter. what iwhat is happening at this. >> therwe haven't heard the kinf shooting that we've heard that kind of shooting in the last hour. there are helicopters above the building keeping an eye above, and a fire that still seems to be burning. i think it's too early to declare this crisis, but at least two of the money again have been killed. and the original assessment of the number of attackers, we don't know yet what has happened to the rest of them. there is a chance that some of them will listen to negotiations but it's unlikely that many of them have been talked out. we're in the stage where people are talking about upping operations. >> peter, have you been given a sense of whether these hostages, whether these gunmen are barricaded at some spot inside this mall, and authorities just can't get to them? >> what you originally heard was that the authorities have pushed the attackers into one fairly small con, i, if confined spa. most of the fighting appear to have been concentrated on

nairobi is heavily dependent on tourism and international investment. local corporations, diplomats, the u.n. all here. so officials are very eager to try to convince the outside world the situation is well in hand. dutch nurse yavuz worked for the clinton foundation and was remembered today by the former president. >> they went to nairobi because they felt it was the safest, best place for her to give birth. and they were just walking in the mall. that day. and they were both killed along with the child. >> reporter: in nairobi, the funerals have begun. including this one for a 16-year-old girl. >> there is no word to express what we are going through. we are deeply saddened by what has happened to every kenyan, to every person, every family who has gone through this. >> reporter: and as this nation begins three days of official mourning, many questions remain. what happened to the hostages? were they all rescued or did some perish during the effort to free them? the president did not say. brian? >> ron, those pictures so tough to take inside, especial

shopping mall in nairobi, kenya, has finally been put down. it attracted the attention and of course the sadness of people around the world. the kenyan government puts the death toll at 61 civilians and six members of their own security force. they have cautioned the death toll may rise because there was a possible collapse inside the structure, there is a possibility more bodies could be discovered. well, tonight we have a new view of what it looked like at the height of it inside the shopping mall. and we hear from an american woman who just arrived back in this country today having survived the attack. we begin tonight with our correspondent, ron allen, in nairobi, ron, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, br n brian, kenyan's president said that he couldn't confirm reports that three americans and a british citizen were among the people killed. nbc has new video of the first terrifying view after the attack. inside, the security forces respond to the attack. helping the shoppers escape, hands in the air to show they are unarmed. it is

al jazeera, nairobi. >> we're live in nairobi. mohammed, are we expecting the death toll to rise further here? >> well, yes, indeed, elizabeth. the death toll will rise. although the entire year minister of kenya said some sections of the media are reporting that the red cross has reserved up to 100 body bags to be used when--that the walk that is going on now, the si investigation is going on there, and they're of the mission of looking for the bodies. >> is there any new information of how it was carried out at all? >> well, very little information coming out of the government. first of all, they're very tight-lipped on how many bodies were there under the rubble, how many hostages were there when the mall collapsed. they're also not faked how many of the again men were there. if their bodies are still there. information is still coming out. investigators are doing forensics. they are carrying out how the attack was done and all of the things that should be done in terms of what is going in there. we've been out here. and it wil

in nairobi. zain, thank you. as gunshots rang out, people ran. desperate to get as far from the mall as possible, but one man was running against the crush of people, running toward the mall. tyler hicks is a photographer for the "new york times." and he happened to be near nairobi's westgate mall when the gunmen opened fire. i just want to share with you some of these amazing photos that hicks took, and hear what he told cnn about what it was he saw. >> reporter: i happened to be close by to westgate mall when the violence broke out. and as i approached the mall, i could see lots of people running away. and as i got closer, it was clear that there were people who had been shot. i saw people who had been shot in the stomach and in the leg. dozens of injuries streaming out among just terrified civilians. i continued to move along carefully along the front of the mall, where i saw three men who had been killed just at the front entrance of the mall. one of them still inside the car that he had been

a fire broke out at the mall in nairobi, kenya. gunmen from the group al shabaab, set fire to mattresses, unsure if there are any hostages still left in the mall. >>> u.n. general assembly meets, president obama is expected to be there and expected to meet with other leaders and the civil war in syria is expected to be the biggest topic on the agenda. >>> and another meeting is going down in washington but this one is over the national budget. congress has

peter greenberg in nairobi.nk you for joining us by telephone. >>> well, non-muslims were also targeted in pakistan. a pair of suicide bombers targeted a church in peshawar. at least 81 people were killed against the country's christian minority. they say they would continue to attack non-muslims until the united states stops drone attacks in pakistan's tribal region. >>> victims of the washington naval yard shooting were remembering during an emotional memorial service. president obama and the first lady attended. the president made an impassioned plea for americans to fight for stricter gun laws. thousands attended yesterday's service, most of them navy families. >> martin john bodrog. >> reporter: 12 bells were rung in honor of the 12 people who were killed. >> we cannot begin to comprehend your loss. >> reporter: the president noted this is the third time he's grieved with people. no one should endure this kind of violence. >> we don't do enough. we don't take the basic commonsense actions to keep guns out o

we want to take you live to nairo nairobi. this is just outside the mall where the standoff with militants continues. nairobi's city morgue is preparing for the arrival of bodies. they're standing by. they're wearing smocks. so far no bodies have been delivered. the death stoll stands at 52. they expect that number to rise a as security forces continue to sweep the complex. at the live desk, angie goff, news 4. >> president obama says he has officially kicked his smoking habit. cameras caught him saying that in an unscripted moment after a u.n. meeting. little hard to hear, but take a listen to what he says caused him to quit. >> helped you quit smoking? >>. >> yeah. >> no, no, i haven't had one in six years. that's because i'm scared of my wife. >> did you catch that at the end? he said he put down the smokes because he is scared of his wife. the president has publicly admitted that he occasionally falls off the wagon, as recently as 2009 he admitted to smoking good reason to quit. >> yeah, i think so. >> the president's smok

let's go back to nairobi with our correspondent. the latest development out of nairobi, huge plumes of black smoke have been going outside the mall. we saw them running toward the mall interoperation that one media source is saying is being performed by security forces themselves going through the roof. can you confirm that is what is happening? >> i can confirm black smoke is billowing from the building and has been for the last 15 or 20 minutes. as far as running toward the building, i cannot confirm. i am not on that side at the moment. we do have other reports saying that. there is one kenyan media outlets saying the siege is over. that has not been corroborated by other sources we have spoken to. it is a fluid situation. i am not certain it is over. >> thank you. standby. we will go back to you. we now go to berlin for another story. it is these stork when of chancellor angela merkel -- the historic win of chancellor angela merkel. she is giving a press conference now. >> a union made up of the cdu and ecu, you have had excelle

does the nairobi attack indicate a new level of operational ability we didn't know this group had?hat is the response to this attack likely to be in joining us is nbc news terrorist analyst evan kohlmann, senior partner at flashpoint global partners. evan, thanks for being here. >> thank you very much. >> first of all, can you shed any light for us on whether or not this attack at the nairobi mall is, in fact, over? >> you know, we're still not clear. there have been tweets that were coming out from a purported shabaab account as early as today. so we're not sure to the degree with which they were still in contact with the individuals there, was this even really the voice of shabaab, and the kenyan government, how reliable are they in terms of saying it's over when they've said it's over, it's over, it's over and it's over and it's still not over, so -- >> we've seen kenyan forces moving in for about 20 hours. in terms of the abilities of al shabaab, obviously, they have been a high-profile group, not only because i think americans keep an eye on somalia because of what happened th

. >> the siege at the shopping mall in nairobi was an unfolding tragedy, a 4-day long horror of a news story with multiple angles beyond the death toll. gunmen from somalia based group al-shabab went on a killing spree. as the siege dragged on, so did al-shabab's exposure. journalists were left with little to do but report on al-shabab, which would have played into their hand. throughout it all al-shabab used social media like twitter to challenge the narrative and keep followers updated in almost real time about what the attackers were doing and why. the recurring dilemma for news outlets on a story like this is how to report the news without serving as mouth pieces for the people that make it. our starting point is the westgate mall in kenya. >> the westgate mall is unt -- is under attack. >> they are treating this as a terror attackism. >> anything to do with terrorism is done for the purpose of propaganda, an attempt to play people's emotion, influence thinking and perceptions. the terrorists understand news values. >> for the correspondent on the ground covering the siege, the edi

this attack began saturday after noon nairobi time. as many as 15 terrorists entered the mall, throwing grenades and opening fire on shoppers. according to officials, they are men who came from several different countries. they are believed to be trapped in a super market. the military is taking a cautious approach to prevent further loss of life. at least 62 people have been killed in the rampage including foreigners from several countries. kenyan officials said two are among those that are dead. 200 people are believed to have been hurt including five americans. the kenyan red across many are still unaccounted for. thousands were in the mall when the attack began and got out safely. his nephew and fiance died in the attack and promised to punish those responsible. >> they shall not get away with their despicable and boastly acts. like the cowardly perpetrators cornered in the building. we will punish the masterminds swiftfully and indeed very painfully. >> secretary of state john kerry called the terrorist attack an offense against e

ron allen live for us tonight in nairobi. ron, thanks. >>> some of the most harrowing images of the attack that were seen by the outside world came from the "new york times" photographer tyler hicks who lives in nairobi. he was nearby when the siege started. he ran to the scene, he slipped inside with responding police officers documenting everything he saw with his camera along the way. and today he spoke with us about what he saw inside. >> once i got inside the mall, i could see how tense everyone was. the army and police, how carefully they were moving. they were dashing across open areas, taking extreme care with their cover. it seemed like anywhere you looked, there would be another body. people were still hiding in shock. as the police and army were moving through, they would send people through and then flood out. so you get kind of moments of silence and then other moments of big streams of people. it really seems like everywhere we went, more people came out of the woodwork. and the music that plays in the shopping

are stillorces searching for militants inside the west gate in nairobi after a dramatic day. the interior minister has told the bbc that he does not believe there are any more hostages inside the building and they are either dead, captured, or on the run. you can get it all on our website as well. we will have more here tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: gunfire, explosions and billowing thick, black smoke at a mall in kenya's

our correspondent is standing by for us in nairobi. i believe you - you have been hearing that heavy gunfire about 40 minutes ago. tell us about that. >> that's really it. about 30 minutes ago also we had heavy - a heavy round of gunshots. we had an explosion of sorts on the policeman there, who are manning a checkpoint closer to the mall. they have moved back. i have seen military reinforcements being brought in and the military, of course, is saying in this is the final assault, which siing niifies that there's a -- signifie, is that there's a tense operation going on at the wall. this is something we can't tell, because we are nowhere close to the mall. we can't see it, we don't know what is happening and we are not getting much information, because the military thinks this is an issue of national security and can't divulge that much. i was listening to the military spokesman early this morning who said the operation would end soon, possibly today. that is something we have to wait and see. the concern, really, is the hostages still

gunmen stormed a nairobi shopping mall. police have moved into the mall to try to flush out the attackers. out into the streets to get away from the shooting. the kenyan ministry of the interior said the are attack could be from the terrorists,. >>> for the fall harvest the gulf of mexico, looking for solution he. robert ray traveled to the gulf in louisiana and has this report. >> on the gulf coast shrimping boats and crab baskets are a common sight. inside the bustling fish markets these are a tasty demand. in louisiana alone, the crab and shrimp industry has a $1.5 billion a year economic impact. >> we have regular customers that come most every day now they're coming twice a week, three times a week. >> because there's a shimple and crab shortage, hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. >> all this marsh along here this was like trees. >> commercial fisher mantim garrica says this has been caught in a perfect storm. >> you got the oil in there you had people trampling through all this grass. >> three years have pa

something else from nairobi where it is after 1:00 in the morning. most of the hostages have been rescued. police believe that the attackers had been holding about 30 people inside the mall. several americans were wounded yesterday in the sudden violence saturday. live to nairobi right now, and our correspondents there, and mima, anything more from the kenyan military about the fate of those hostages? have most of them been, indeed, released? >> reporter: that's absolutely what we're hearing from the kenyan ministry of interior and defense, which is the kenyan army. they say that they have managed to successfully secure the release of most of those hostages. they do say most. we're not quite out of the woods yet. they say that operation is still ongoing but there is finally, they believe, a resolution in sight. they also say they have finally, after over 36 hours of impasse with those hostage-takers, that they have he isssecured most of building. we have been pushed back with members of the public to a road slightly further away from the west gate sh

was she involved in the nairobi mall massacre?d britain fail to stand by its closest ally when the u.s. called for military action in syria? britain's deputy prime minister is here in "the situation room." goglossophobia, is the fear of public speaking. ♪ ♪ the only thing we have to fear is... fear itself. ♪ ♪ we know in the cyber world, threats are always evolving. at first, we were protecting networks. then, we were protecting the transfer of data. and today it's evolved to infrastructure... ♪ ...finance... and military missions. we're constantly innovating to advance the front line in the cyber battle, wherever it takes us. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. >>> following the devastating terror attack on that nairobi mall, the american embassy there is getting extra protection right now. u.s. officials say more u.s. marines from a special security unit are now on hand and as kenyan authorities dig for clues in the ruins of the mall, they have asked interpol to put out a global wanted notice for a british woman k

. >>> gunmen stormed a nairobi shopping mall, according to the kenyan red cross. saw about five men run into this upscale shopping center and heard grenade blast. might be an attack by terrorists, that's a quote, no group has claimed responsibility but the group al shabaab threatened to undertake an attack in nairobi. caroline malone has more. >> people trying to run away from armed men inside the westgate mall in nairobi. they moved in via a restaurant on the ground floor. but by then there were already casualties. the shopping complex was packed at about midday local time when people heard a large explosion. then they saw merch with ak -- men with ak 47 machine guns open fire. some of the shoppers were able to escape and about 20 people were rescued by police. but dozens of people are thought to still be trapped inside. >> hold up on the second floor. -- holed up on the second floor by the cinema. they have been isolated by the police and the police are actually combing room by room, floor by floor, as the issue, the situation develops. >> there is a security pr

the questions just beginning about the al qaeda linked terrorists behind the nairobi mall attack frome terrorists next door. >> after five months and 50 witnesses closing arguments under way in the michael jackson wrongful death trial. his mother and children asking for $1.5 billion. could they walk away empty-handed? >> announcer: keep it right empty-handed? >> announcer: keep it right here, [ taps baton ] [ dings ] ♪ [ male announcer ] every thought... every movement... ♪ ...carefully planned, coordinated and synchronized. ♪ th a singlming together with a single, united purpose. ♪ that's what makes the world's leading airline... flyer friendly. ♪ >> announcer: from new york city, this is "nightline" with dan abrahams. >> good evening. thank you for joining us. to many the church of scientology is known as much for famous follower as it is for its famous or infamous controversies. and they don't take criticism lightly. when former sigh ycientologist remini made comments in a public forum it set the stage for a showdown between a powerful organization and one of its highest profile de

. ♪ gunfire and explosions have continued at a besieged mall in nairobi and the special forces say theyave seized control of most of west gate mall on the fourth day of fighting and rebels deny claims that all hostages have been freed from nairobi and andrew simmons reports. >> reporter: the government believes there are no more hostages inside but the siege is not over. there is gunfire that was heard as the crisis entered the fourth day. another body was removed from the scene. it had been an errie night as the mall continued to burn and the government said special forces were sweeping the building floor by floor. it's a big complex covering more than 32000 square meters and includes more than 80 stores. it is not clear how many attackers remain inside and the foreign minister said the attackers are foreigners. >> this is homework from al-qaeda and it was planned. i just told you that, you know, we are talking to everybody obviously. if you saw shabaab and it was somebody from somalia and forces from britain israel and u.s. have taken part in the rescue mission. >> they have attempted

>> ron allen starting us off again from nairobi, kenya.

embassies in nairobi and in neighboring tanzania. violence is common, has been common all the more so when kenya has gotten more involved in somalia. for right now, we are hearing that at least 30 people have been killed and possibly some americans have either been killed or injured. >> conor powell, thank you very much for that update there. and now for more on the rampage in nairobi, let's bring in a former official with the state department. and christian, you just heard conor say it's al shabab, they're claiming responsibility for that. according to the "associated press." and this is in part because you know, christian, kenya sent troops in to somalia to help control the chaos there, much of which is the chaos at the head of the al shabab. starting there, what does this say about al qaeda in general? if al qaeda is still standing strong or if it's the arm there in somalia, al shabab arm that has maintained the strength. >> well, i think it's important to note that al shabab maintains an ability to act. it was set back in somalia