The AC360 Weekly Buzz: President in Afghanistan, OBL death anniversary, alleged hazing death charges, Junior Seau, Jimmy Kimmel
What everyone’s talking about:
In an unnanounced visit, President Barack Obama traveled to Afghanistan on the first anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden. The President gave the first TV address to the nation from a war zone on foreign soil, according to the White House. The president announced that he signed an agreement with Afghan president Hamid Karzai outlining cooperation between the two countries once U.S. troops withdraw at the end of 2014. Peter Bergen called the agreement an “important milestone.” CNN’s Fran Townsend and retired Maj. Gen. James Spider Marks weighed in on the conversation and discussed the ability to trust Afghan security forces: “We have no other choice, we need to have confidence in what they can achieve,” said Maj. Gen. Marks. Obama’s trip was his third to Afghanistan since taking office. Shortly after he left the country, a car bomb in Kabul killed at least seven people and wounded 17 others.
Also in the wake of the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, a political war of words broke out between President Obama and Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney – We’re Keeping Them Honest.
And an AC360 exclusive: after bin Laden’s death, what is al Qaeda planning now? And could cruise ships be in danger? CNN’s Nic Robertson reports on blueprints for future terror attacks encoded within digital porn files confiscated from suspected al Qaeda members. And before bin Laden’s compound was demolished, CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen was able to obtain exclusive access. He tells Anderson what he saw inside the compound and answers questions surrounding al Qaeda’s capability to execute more attacks.
Today’s Scoop:
Last year AC360 covered the suspected hazing death of Robert Champion, 26, a drum major at Florida A&M University. Anderson looked into whether university officials ignore the culture of hazing. Today, criminal charges were filed against 13 people in Orlando. Anderson will talk to Champion’s mother and the family’s lawyer tonight about the case.
Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau, 43, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest, according to police. He was discovered in his Oceanside, CA home. Anderson and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will discuss the circumstances of his death and the possible brain-related injuries linking suicidal athletes.
A look ahead:
While many U.S. attorneys general, legislators, religious leaders, and more than 50 NGO's have called on Backpage.com to shut down its adult services section, the website still defends the adult classified ads placed on its site. CNN’s Deborah Feyerick talks to the mothers of teen victims who have been advertised by pimps.
Just for laughs:
Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner were a hit with President Obama and the rest of the room. Kimmel spoke with Anderson about the tough crowd and told him the jokes that didn’t make the speech. But the biggest joke seemed to be on Kimmel himself – his theory on Anderson’s giggle landed him on the RidicuList!
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Post by: Deena Sami Filed under: AC360° Weekly Buzz |
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On Wednesday, May 2, 2012, I listened to your show about the unfortunate death of the Florida A&M college band member due to hazing. Jeffrey Toobin (your legal analyst) made a RIDICULOUS excuse for the perpetrators not being charged with manslaughter by saying "the Prosecutor doesn't know who delivered the fatal blow" and therefore, manslaughter cannot be proved against any perpetrator. Groups of people ALL OF THIS COUNTRY are convicted every day for the death of a victim as a result of a group's action. For example, if a bank teller is killed during a bank robbery committed by 3 individuals – all 3 perpetrators can be charged with murder and/or "accesssories to murder" even though the prosecutor doesn't know which one of them actually killed the bank teller. Mr. Toobin's explanation for these band members not being charged with involuntary/voluntary manslaughter is ridiculous or maybe the judicial system in Florida is really backwards.
Are you going to report on that poor kid out in San Diego – the engineering student at UCSD – who the DEA locked in a cell for five days with no food, water or toilet? He had to drink his own urine!!!!
President Obama and his advisors must truly think the American people are stupid and can be led around by their noses. His "trip" to Afganistan could have been made anytime, but he did it in concurrence with the anniversary of Bin Laden's death. He is trying to focus the public on this one instance that was his responsibility as President anyways, and keeps trying to refocus the public away from his less than stellar accomplishments to date. His pandering to various groups such as gays, woman, latinos, and students saying exactly what they want to hear about "what he will do" is theatrics to hide his failures of what he has done. His so obvious histrionics is the act of a desperate candidiate with all sizzle and no meat and hopes that the repetition of these promises will hypnotize the public into believing he is substantial as Hitler and many of the deposed mid-eastern leaders have done. It boil down to his treating the American public as children and not very intelligent children at that. I am embarrassed as a Democrat and as an American.
He must speak and address issues and his performance in all thye other areas of his responsibility, not one that Seal Team 6 carried out and he takes credit for.