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U.S. Ambassador, Three Others Killed in Libya; Poverty in America

Aired September 12, 2012 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Now U.S. Marines are speeding to Benghazi, where they will help secure the U.S. Consulate where the attack occurred.

CNN's foreign affairs companies is Jill Dougherty and she joins us now.

Jill, how did the four Americans die?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, officials here at the State Department are beginning to piece together the details, but this is what we know.

We have been speaking to a number of them all morning long. What they say is essentially you had three things going on. You had the basic demonstration by regular Libyans, but then you had a very targeted attack on the consulate in Benghazi by these heavily armed militants. We understand there were probably a couple dozen of them. They were using RPGs, rocket-propelled grenades, very serious attack.

As they attack the consulate, it starts a fire. And that is where the story with the ambassador comes in. The ambassador, Mr. Stevens, had been in Benghazi temporarily. He's normally of course in the capital, Tripoli. Also with him was another official, and that is Sean Smith, 10-year veteran, was there also in Libya on a temporary assignment.

They were inside that consulate. The fire breaks out. They are taken, we understand -- there are now three people along with one security person -- into a safe room. That safe room becomes filled with smoke and so at least Ambassador Stevens, perhaps other people, tried to get to the roof.

And then at that point, we are told by one senior U.S. official that he is overcome by smoke, smoke inhalation and he later died. It's not clear precisely where he died or where his body was found. But he died. The other official, Mr. Smith, his body was found in that safe room. So it was a very complex situation and extremely dangerous. You had, again, outside the attack by the militants. Inside, they are trying to fight the fire. And it was really two fronts.

LEMON: Thank you very much, Jill Dougherty. We appreciate that.

President Obama has this warning for those responsible for the murders of American diplomats in Libya: Justice will be done. Here's the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.

Today, we mourn for more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: As the story continues to unfold, we're getting in new information as to what may have prompted mob attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya and it may have more to do with the anniversary of 9/11 than with a movie that insulted the Muslim faith.

You're looking at the consulate in Benghazi, Libya. That was after the mob attack. It was here that four Americans lost their lives. You heard our Jill Dougherty talking about how they did die there. Among them, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

This was Cairo, Egypt, last night as a mob attacked our embassy there. Protesters scaled the wall and tore down the American flag and shredded it.

Want to bring in now our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He's in London.

Nic, what can you tell us about the people who were likely behind these attacks?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We know the last attack on the U.S. Consulate was on the 5th of June.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was there at the time as well. The notes left behind after that attack said that the attack was revenge for the killing of Abu Yahya al-Libi, a very senior al Qaeda figure. They said he was killed in a drone strike in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.

That was never confirmed, his killing, until yesterday when the head of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri, issued a video statement saying that al-Libi was dead on calling on Libyan jihadists to attack and kill Americans.

We know late last year the head of al Qaeda, Zawahri, sent senior jihadists to set up training camps inside Libya. We know from Libyan government officials they're aware of the training camps and aware of the people running those camps.

So we don't know if al Qaeda had a responsibility in this or the groups affiliated with them had a responsibility in this attack, but they are well known for operating in that region and seem to have had a hand in the previous attack on the consulate on the 5th of June -- Don.

LEMON: So, Nic, all of this then begs the question, the Libyan government, too weak to deal with armed insurgents?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely.

And government officials I talked to, when I said why don't you move in, why don't you shut those camps down, they said we don't have a national police force, we don't have a national army. There are armed militias throughout the country, tribal militias. The government cannot unify them, isn't able to project its influence or power even outside the capital, Tripoli, never mind right across the rest of the country in Benghazi.

They say they have left tribes in charge of the area around the al Qaeda training camps, that they are not able to shut them down. They did tell me back in June, even then, this is according to senior official Libyan government officials, even then the United States was flying surveillance drone missions over and above those camps in the east of Libya.

LEMON: Nic Robertson, thank you very much.

This crisis was just unfolding when presidential candidate Mitt Romney released this statement. "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."

The Romney campaign started drawing fire from both Democrats and Republicans.

CNN's Dana Bash joins us from Capitol Hill.

Dana, this is getting nasty, but the question is, what sort of political gain, if anything, is in it for the Romney campaign to release such a statement so soon?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's a question that's actually being asked by some Republicans, not just Democrats.

But to be clear, it's Democrats who are jumping on this big time, Don, because of the fact that they know that voters aren't necessarily going to vote on foreign policy, but they also know this is a question of crisis and leadership and Mitt Romney is somebody, a former governor, with no foreign policy experience. That's why they jumped on it.

I want you to listen what John Kerry, who is the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. He used some really explicit words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: To make those kinds of statements before you even know the facts, before families have even been notified, before things have played out is really not just inexperienced. It's irresponsible. It's callous. It's reckless.

And I think he ought to apologize. And I don't think he knows what he's talking about, frankly. It's that simple.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, to be clear, we should mention that John Kerry also was the sort of designated pit bull against Mitt Romney at the Democratic Convention, so he's not without political background and sort of thinking in his mind.

But it's not just him. The Democratic chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee, who tends to kind of step back from politics, told me and our producer Ted Barrett in the hallway just a short while ago that she thinks that Mitt Romney did jump the gun by putting out that statement and he shouldn't have done that, never mind politics of where we are on the calendar, eight weeks before the election.

I talked to one of Mitt Romney's fellow Republicans. He's actually I believe the only sitting U.S. senator who served an ambassador, Dan Coats of Indiana. Talked to him about his experience, but also about whether or not it was right for Mitt Romney and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to put out the statements as things were unfolding.

He basically said he thought that both jumped the gun. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DAN COATS (R), INDIANA: It's a political statement. Let's avoid the political statements right now.

BASH: Should that be true of Mitt Romney as well?

COATS: I think we need to keep the political focus on the election separate from the possible implications of what goes to security and how to protect our citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Basically what he said is that any kind of knee-jerk reaction in his experience as ambassador, as a diplomat, quick statement sometimes comes back to haunt you, whether it's the embassy or a political figure like Mitt Romney.

I should say that other Republicans of stature like John McCain, he's simply not going there. We tried to ask him about this. He's a very staunch defender of Mitt Romney, but he also is who somebody who knew the people who were killed. And just he's decided, I'm not going to answer those questions. But we will keep asking them.

LEMON: Always boils down to politics, Dana. Thank you, Dana Bash. Appreciate it.

Much more on this developing story, including the history behind these movies and cartoons that incite so much anger.

Plus, the U.S. government is now revealing the new number of Americans who are hungry, homeless and without health insurance. But there's a surprising number involving incomes of every American. Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, very outspoken on the topic, standing by to react next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Want another stark reality? Nearly one out of every six Americans is living in poverty, more than 46 million people. That's according to the Census Bureau. More than 60 million of them are children.

The rate basically held steady last year after increasing for three straight years, but paychecks and family incomes are shrinking now. Median household income dropped to $50,054. African-Americans got hit hardest with median incomes of $32,229. That's down almost 3 percent.

Here they go now, Professor Cornel West, radio host Tavis Smiley. They join us from Cleveland, Ohio. Of course, Mr. West is an African- American studies expert who has taught at Yale, Harvard and at Princeton. And Smiley is an author, publisher, and advocate. And you can see him on television as well on PBS, great show. Together, they wrote a book called "The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto."

The hardest-working men in show business, the poverty business, whatever you want to call it, you guys just got back from a poverty tour. But, listen, what does this poverty report tell you?

TAVIS SMILEY, HOST, "THE TAVIS SMILEY SHOW": It says that poverty is the new American norm. It says to us that poverty in America ought to be abnormal, but it in fact is the new normal.

When you take those job numbers last week and combine them with these poverty numbers today and then put on top of that the report from Capital Kids that the childhood poverty rate in Washington, D.C., is greater than it is in Mexico, and then you put on top of the Agriculture Department report that tonight, tonight in our country, 50 million Americans will go to bed without enough food, nine million of them children, you can fill the state of California and Illinois with hungry Americans tonight, it says to us that poverty is threatening our democracy and we have to get it on the agenda.

I hope that my dear friend Candy Crowley from CNN and Mr. Lehrer and Ms. Raddatz and Mr. Schieffer will raise this issue in these debates. It didn't come up last time. We have to get poverty on the agenda for these debates in 2012.

LEMON: Cornel West, what are you seeing in Cleveland? The last time -- I don't know if you remember when you guys were on, and I was in shock by people who were living in tents in so many cities who you visited and we profiled them here.

What are you seeing there in Cleveland? Are you seeing anything changing, better, worse, what?

CORNEL WEST, PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Well, the social misery is still here, as it is in other parts of the country.

But what we are inspired by is the fight back. We have had dialogues with the Janitors for Justice and with the Evergreen Cooperative movement. We talked about our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the teachers union in the historic fight back in Chicago against the mayor, Emanuel, who is mistreating our brothers and sisters there as teachers.

There's a fight back taking place in all different forms, all colors, all regions, and we are deeply empowered by it.

LEMON: So, listen, guys, the American economy is the number one election issue. You know I had to talk to you about politics and the election here.

Romney accuses Obama of trying to -- I should say Mr. Romney accuses President Obama of trying to dismantle the welfare-to-work system. The president says that Mr. Romney wants to weaken programs like Medicaid, food stamps, programs that are vital for those who are striving to escape poverty, as you have seen.

But is this the right thing? What should the candidates be focusing on in this fight against poverty?

First to you, Tavis.

SMILEY: First of all, there ought to be both calling for an increase in the minimum wage. President Obama to his credit ran on this issue four years ago. Hard to imagine that four years ago, he ran on a platform of eradicating poverty in this country.

Those are his words. He ran four years on a platform of increasing the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour. And the Democrats for two years controlled the House and the Senate. They didn't get serious about this. The minimum wage, number one, ought to be increased. Number two, they both ought to be prioritizing women and children.

There's a reason why women and children are falling faster into poverty than anybody else. They ought to be prioritizing the prison industrial complex and what Michelle Alexander calls the new Jim Crow. There are just so many issues that don't ever get discussed because we in the media, Don -- let's plead guilty here -- I try not to do it on my show every night, but we in the media are so guilty of covering the horse race that we never, ever get around to covering the real issues.

We have had people on this tour, friends of mine in the media, say, Tavis, I would love to get you on to talk about the issue, but we have to cover the race between Obama and Romney. We don't have time to talk about an issue like poverty. It blows your mine. LEMON: Yes, who said what, who shot Jane and all of that, when the real issues are being ignored.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: And you know what? I'm in the middle of Michelle Alexander's book right now. Excellent. It's an excellent book.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes. It's a very interesting book.

So, Dr. West, I'm going to ask you the same thing. Do you think the candidates are focusing on the right things? What should they be talking about in your estimation?

WEST: I think they should be talking about jobs with a living wage. They should be talking about justice as it relates to working and poor people. Both parties tied to big money, tied to big banks, tied to big corporations.

Tavis and I say explicitly, Barack Obama much better than Mitt Romney as it relates to poverty, but Barack Obama does not have a magnificent record as it relates to poverty. It's just better than Mitt Romney's. Mitt Romney taking over the White House would be catastrophic, but we're going to put pressure even on Obama as he wins and say, you know what? You're not doing enough for our precious children and precious working people. Treat poor people the way you treat investment bankers.

LEMON: Before we got a little into the weeds about what you guys said, I wanted you to get those points out.

But now I want to ask you, Dr. West, when you talked about Chicago, you said that the mayor there, Mayor Emanuel, you said he's mistreating our brothers and sisters. And I think you're meaning the teachers and the teachers union. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that?

WEST: Absolutely.

Namely, that when it comes to their wages, when it comes to the various mendacious formulations and lies about them not having concern with children and when it comes to his defense of privatizing precious public educational systems, he must be opposed, anyone be opposed, be Republican or Democrat. It's a matter of justice and fairness. And I stand very, very deeply in solidarity with my teachers of all colors there in Chicago.

SMILEY: But, Don, this is what happens when you demonize and bastardize collective bargains in places like Wisconsin and Indiana and around the country. This is what happens, number one.

And, number two, I have just had enough of teachers being demonized. And that's not a big, fat, wet kiss to teachers. It is to say that teachers are undervalued. (CROSSTALK)

LEMON: And, Tavis, you do this. We have to go. We're out of time. We have other things to get on to. I could talk to you guys forever, though. Thank you very much. Good luck on the tour. We will have you back.

(CROSSTALK)

SMILEY: Thank you, Don.

WEST: Stay strong, brother Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much.

We will have more now on the unfolding situation in Libya, including how certain cartons and movies can launch a violent uproar across the Middle East and threaten Americans' interests overseas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This is not the first time that mocking the Islam Prophet Mohammed has led to violence.

This Dutch cartoonist's depiction of the religious figure sparked protest and violence. Kurt Westergaard spent years facing death threats and last year a Muslim man was convicted of attacking him.

To explain why reaction to Mohammed's image is so extreme, we have CNN's Dan Gilgoff live from Washington with us now.

Dan, you're the religion editor for CNN.com. What is it about the Muslim faith that leads to these violent responses over Mohammed's image?

DAN GILGOFF, CNN.COM RELIGION EDITOR: Well, Don, first of all, it's important to point out that U.S. sources say are telling CNN today that with regard to the attacks in Benghazi that left the ambassador and three other American officials dead, that that seems to be an attack that was perpetrated by extremists who are using these protests over an anti-Mohammed, anti-Islam film as a kind of diversion to actually launch the attacks.

LEMON: Right.

GILGOFF: But it's important to understand the basis for these protests.

And that is, it goes back to the Prophet Mohammed himself, who lived in the seventh century, and who really warned his followers against worshipping him. He was just a messenger. He didn't pretend to be divine. The point was for people to worship God, or Allah. And the one of the reasons he said don't depict me, don't portray me is because he was worried about idol worship, about Muslims beginning to worship him instead of Allah, and that is sort of what led to this prescription against depicting Mohammed. LEMON: OK. Do these beliefs mean that Muslims have no images or portrayals of Mohammed? There's no way you can depict him physically?

GILGOFF: Like a lot of things with religion, it's complicated.

In the 15th and 16th century this high point for Muslim art, there were all these attempts made to sort of depict him, the Prophet Mohammed, kind of somewhat, but to leave out his face, to put say a veil over his face. In recent decades, there's been this popular film about Mohammed that has circulated in the Muslim world called "The Message."

And it only depicts Mohammed as a shadow. One of the issues here is that for a long time, we didn't really see non-Muslims attempting to portray Mohammed. So, this wasn't really an issue. We have seen this in Christianity, where for many decades Hollywood has been depicting Jesus sometimes offensively in films and others in art.

But with globalization this is only beginning to be an issue with the Muslim world right now. We're seeing a lot more friction, a lot more attempts by non-Muslims. Some people, activists that are hostile to Islam taking it upon themselves to depict Mohammed. So this kind of prohibition against depicting Mohammed is being violated now.

LEMON: When these types of incidents happen, that plays -- I wonder if it plays into the stereotypes of the West that we all in some way get tainted when Mohammed's image is mocked.

GILGOFF: Right.

I think that both sides unfortunately become an emblem so that from the American viewpoint, this attack in Libya becomes emblematic of the Muslim world. And conversely, with this anti-Muslim film, I think that's seen in parts of the Muslim world as emblematic of the U.S. view of Islam.

And there are leaders on both sides, politicians, religious leaders, who are saying, no, no, no, these are just extremists who are trying to gin up this sentiment against one another. But a lot of times those voices get drowned out in polarized debates like this.

LEMON: Dan Gilgoff, appreciate it.

And to see more on how religion impacts the events of the day, make sure you check out CNN's Belief blog at CNN.com/belief.

Continuing coverage of our top story. Four Americans killed at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Just ahead, from a dictatorship to democracy. We will have a closer look at Libya since the fall of the Gadhafi regime.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi happened in a nation that's experienced a tidal wave of change in the last year.

So, as you know, Moammar Gadhafi ruled the nation for 42 years.

Here now, a perspective on how Libya has transformed from dictatorship to democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAHMOUD AL NACUA, LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.K.: Today, Thursday, 20 of October, we are told that Gadhafi is dead.

The Libyan freedom fighters have finally succeeded in throwing the curtain on Gadhafi's crimes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): This revolution started peacefully, demanding the minimum of legitimate rights, but it was faced with violence and excessive violence, so God has put to us what can help us to gain victory.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The result of the voting is as follows. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We definitely are interested in respecting the will of God and also the national interests. We trust that the world would also appreciate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu Akbar.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: A free and stable Libya is still in America's interest and security and we will not turn our back on that, nor we will rest until those responsible for these attacks are found and brought to justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And, while we focus on the major political events in the lives of Libyans, we should also point out that there have been dozens of violent incidents, including a minor explosion at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in June. No one was hurt there.

Mitt Romney is taking some heat for going on the attack last night, even as the events in Benghazi still were developing. In a statement, Romney called the Obama administration's handling of the attacks in Benghazi and Cairo disgraceful, saying they seem to sympathize with the attackers.

And just a short time ago -- you may have seen it here -- a top Romney aide bristled at the suggestion that Romney may have spoken too soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It couldn't wait?

RICHARD WILLIAMSON, SENIOR POLICY ADVISER TO MITT ROMNEY: Well, let me again reiterate. The timeline you suggest was not the same that I just went through.

LEMON: I'm not asking about the timeline. It couldn't wait until all of the information was found out about --

WILLIAMSON: Sir, you get to ask the questions.

LEMON: Hang on, let me finish.

WILLIAMSON: I get to answer them.

LEMON: Yes, you do, but you didn't answer. I gave you plenty of time. I asked you the question the first time and you went on and you gave me three points.

So, you're saying it could not wait, yes or no? It couldn't wait?

WILLIAMSON: That's a silly question.

LEMON: It's not a silly question because now we're looking at -- you're having to backtrack now and talk about a statement. And, so, it's not a silly question. That's why you're here is to talk about that statement.

WILLIAMSON E: I came here to talk about the failed policies in the Middle East, which is what the American people are interested, the failed policies of leading from behind.

What you want to do is play a process "gotcha" question. I don't want to play your game.

LEMON: I'm not playing a "gotcha" question. All I'm asking you is to answer my question.

WILLIAMSON: The statement was fine. It was acceptable. It was right. Did you just hear me? It was fine. It was acceptable. It was right.

LEMON: I heard you, but that's not what I asked you. But we'll move on now.

I want to read what some pretty in your party are saying. Here's what Peggy Noonan's saying, a speech writer for Ronald Reagan said on Fox, "I don't feel Mr. Romney has been doing himself any favors in the past few hours."

She said, "Sometimes when really bad things happen, when hot things happen, cool words or no words is the way to go."

So, Peggy Noonan says your guy didn't do himself any favors for jumping out in front of this. What is your reaction?

WILLIAMSON: Well, as someone who served as deputy chief of staff for Ronald Reagan in the White House and later as assistant to the president for governmental affairs in the White House, I think Ronald Reagan would have had no problem with Governor Romney speaking the truth and saying to the American people we shouldn't apologize for our values and we should stand up for what we believe and that the American people deserve a substantive question and discussion about failed Middle East policies, the failed policies of leading from behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was Romney's senior foreign policy adviser, Richard Williamson, speaking with us just last hour here on CNN.

Now, to the apparent rift between the U.S. and Israel. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there is no deadline against Iran and its nuclear program.

So, where's the red line here when it comes to a possible military conflict? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the United States, want President Obama to pay more attention to Iran and to Iran's nuclear program.

How about this comment from the prime minister?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It seems plain to those who watch these things that Netanyahu means Washington, he means President Obama when he says, quote, "Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel."

Netanyahu remarks suggests that he feels he's being dissuaded from Washington from launching strikes against Iran's nuclear program.

The U.S. is saying, stick, now, to economic sanctions. These are the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She says we're convinced that we have more time to focus on these sanctions. We are not setting deadlines against Iran.

But here's Benjamin Netanyahu speaking about the sanctions just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: So far, we can say with certainty that diplomacy and sanctions haven't worked and the fact --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: At least 289 garment factory workers are dead after an horrific fire broke out overnight in Pakistan. The death toll could rise as firefighters are still searching through the rubble for bodies.

Several workers who were trapped jumped from upper floors. Others were unable to escape the basement which filled with smoke.

No word yet on the cause of the fire, but officials say there were no fire exits. One main door was locked and there were bars on some of the windows.

A step today towards easing the euro crisis. A German high court ruled in favor of the country's $190 billion euro contribution to a rescue fund. The fund will provide loans to help stabilize financially-troubled euro countries.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the decision as a, quote, "good day for Europe." It was also met favorably by most global financial markets.

An attack in Libya kills four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Sources now tell us the attack was planned. An update from the region, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: More details coming in now on the attack that killed a U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

Sources tell CNN the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi was planned in advance.

U.S. Marines are now racing to Libya to help secure the consulate.

President Obama is promising justice.

Jomana Karadsheh is in Tripoli, Libya, for us. So, Jomana, this tension that erupted in Benghazi, do you feel it in Tripoli?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, no, Don. I was out and about today in Tripoli. Life seems to be normal. People are hearing about what happened in Benghazi and most of the Libyans that I have spoken to are outraged by what happened.

They are condemning this attack, saying that it's not representative of the Libyan people and their sentiments towards the United States and towards the West. They are saying that they are grateful for the role that the United States played.

Many who I've spoken to are familiar with Ambassador Stevens and the role he played during the revolution and his support for the revolutionaries here. And people are really saddened by this attack. They are really shocked.

It's also seen as a wake-up call for the government here, for authorities that have really not taken a strong stance. They have not taken action against these groups that we know are operating in Eastern Libya and that have carried out attacks in recent months against Western interests in that eastern city.

LEMON: So, it's on their minds. People are talking about it. But my question is, as you're out and about, did you see any beefed-up security or presence in Tripoli today? What about at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli?

KARADSHEH: Well, the U.S. embassy, Don, to say the truth, is not an easy place to find. It is outside the center of Tripoli. I went there for a meeting a couple of weeks ago and it was actually not an easy one to find, so I think from -- it's a bit hard for them to actually find that embassy unless it was a really targeted attack.

But in terms of beefed-up security, we're told by Libyan officials that they are providing security for the foreign missions here. They are on alert and have been on alert for any possible attacks.

While the situation, especially here in Tripoli, does look on the surface like it is relativity stable, there have been some attacks, some explosions that take place from time to time.

The security forces do have checkpoints around the city at all times. I did not see anything other than the ordinary you see every day here.

LEMON: Jomana Karadsheh, thank you very much.

Less than two months before the presidential election, we're giving you a closer look at the issues. Ahead, a breakdown on the U.S. debt, $16 trillion and counting.

So, how does the left and the right plan to balance the budget?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Suspected bank robbers toss cash out of their getaway car while police we on their tail. Here's video. It's a high-speed chase in Southern California.

Four, armed men reportedly robbed a bank this morning and cops chased them through the San Fernando Valley to Pasadena and then Downtown L.A. at speeds reaching 100-miles-an-hour.

Two suspects reportedly bailed out of the SUV, earlier. Two others were reportedly still in the car when police caught them.

Balancing a budget, that's about $16 trillion in the red sounds about as much fun as getting a root canal. Both presidential candidates -- I should say Mitt Romney and the president talk a lot about trimming the deficit, but do their numbers add up?

Ali Velshi digging into the deficit reduction plans from Mitt Romney and President Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Just a few steps from the billboards of Times Square is a billboard of a different sort, the national debt clock.

New York real estate developer Seymour Durst set up the first debt clock in 1989.

DOUGLAS DURST, NATIOINAL DEBT CLOCK INVENTOR'S SON: When my father designed the clock, the debt was about $2 trillion. He would be shocked that we're at this number today.

VELSHI: Last year, the federal government spent $3.6 trillion, but it only took in $2.3 trillion in revenue. It borrowed the shortfall, $1.3 trillion, and that's the deficit.

The accumulated deficits, or shortfalls plus interest, make up the national debt and it's more than $16 trillion today. The debt had run up under both Republican and Democratic presidents and Congresses.

Both have had opportunities to tackle it, but it is never politically palatable.

President Obama formed the Simpson-Bowles Commission headed by former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and Bill Clinton's chief of staff, Erskine Bowles. They came up with a plan to cut the growing debt by $4 trillion over ten years.

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan was a member of that commission, but he and enough others voted against it so it never even got to Congress.

Critics say President Obama has all but ignored it.

Commission co-head Alan Simpson says the growing debt poses a major threat to the U.S. Economy.

ALAN SIMPSON, FORMER CO-CHAIR, DEBT COMMISSION: Where is the tipping point? I don't know where it is, but when it comes, it's going to be so swift and so savage.

VELSHI: The president says he still wants to reach an agreement based on Simpson-Bowles and, while he's proposed cuts, they're not enough.

Obama's plan proposes $360 billion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other programs over the next decade, but because costs in those programs are rising fast, the debt would be $6.4 trillion higher in ten years.

The president's budget also proposes cuts to discretionary and mandatory spending that would save $737 billion over a decade. Military spending would be reduced, saving $487 billion.

And unlike anything the GOP proposes, there's a $1.5 trillion tax hike with the wealthy taking the biggest hit.

Mitt Romney doesn't want tax hikes for the rich, so how will he deal with the debt?

MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will cut the deficit and get us on track to a balanced budget.

VELSHI: Romney's 59-point economic plan calls for reducing the federal workforce by 10 percent.

Like Obama, he also proposes entitlement reform and some major spending cuts, but he hasn't detailed them yet.

As for taxes, Romney proposes cutting income tax rates by a fifth across the board, presumably balanced by closing loopholes, but, again, no specifics.

In short, neither candidate has proposed a plan that puts a serious dent in the U.S. debt, but Douglas Durst still holds out hope that one day he'll be able to retire his dad's debt clock.

DURST: I'm an optimist. We would have a very big party.

VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: An attack in Libya kills four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. Ahead, Marines are headed to the region and now the FBI is getting involved.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to get to some pictures coming in from Washington. Let's look now at the president and the secretary of state.

The president and secretary of state are visiting the State Department right now. Those are the photographs, the president signing a condolence book and they're urging others at the State Department to do so, as well.

They were standing in front of a memorial for those who had lost their lives overseas. You can see the president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton there, as well, visiting the State Department today in light of this very ugly and very tragic situation, very tragic situation that happened in Libya.

The U.S. ambassador to Libya, three others, of course, we're told, were killed at that consulate and now, not only are U.S. Marines headed to Libya to help with security, we have learned that the FBI also getting involved now.

Crime and justice correspondent Mr. Joe Johns joins me now. Joe, just how involved are they going to get?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, the FBI has confirmed an investigation is underway. That's the first thing. Federal law enforcement officials confirm that FBI agents from the New York field office are expecting to be deployed to investigate this case in Benghazi.

Victims, for example, who were injured, key witnesses expected to be questioned, evidence, of course, analyzed and collected.

This team sort of stands by there in New York City to go out to events like this and the team in New York is the team that would go to Africa, of which Libya is a part, Don.

LEMON: I have a question for you, Joe. Many would think that there would be -- we'd have a number of people on the ground, including the FBI. Why doesn't the FBI already have a team on the ground?

JOHNS: Right. Well, first of all, there are some offices, for example, in Africa, that might be sending people there right now, but as far as why the team from the United States hasn't left, that's anybody's guess.

We do know there are some political questions that could factor into this. They have to ask the host government, Libya, in other words, for permission for FBI agents to go there and do their work and the Libyan government has to agree.

So, it's not yet clear what stage of that they're in. A couple of sources have told us this has been a fairly chaotic situation with the U.S. envoy dead, the embassy set on fire.

By the way, Libya also has a relatively new government, so a lot of reasons why the cogs could be moving slowly here, Don.

LEMON: Joe, in just the couple of seconds we have left before we get to Wolf Blitzer, can you talk to us about the mood in Washington today?

We saw the somber pictures from the secretary of state and from the president visiting the State Department today in light of these killings.

JOHNS: Well, people are deeply moved. This was an ambassador well-known here and well-liked and there are a lot of people that have stories about him, so it's been a hard day here in D.C.

LEMON: Yeah. Absolutely. Our justice correspondent Joe Johns, we appreciate it, sir. Thank you very much.

I'm Don Lemon. We appreciate you watching here today. I'll be back here tomorrow.

Wolf, of course, Brooke is doing the morning show. I'll be here. Now, it's time for "The Situation Room" and Mr. Wolf Blitzer.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Don, thanks very much.