CNN students news 2011-03-31

(CNNStudentNews)--March31,2011DownloadPDFmapsrelatedtotoday'sshow:TranscriptTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.MRS.LONG'SSTUDENTS:We'refromTwinRiversHighSchoolinBroseley,Missouri.Startyourtractor,Carl!CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:WethankMrs.Long'sstudentsinMissouriforgettingtoday'sshowrevvedupandreadytogo.AndwethankallofyouforcheckingoutthisThursdayeditionofCNNStudentNews.FirstUp:ChangingStrategyAZUZ:I'mCarlAzuz,andfirstuptoday,wehaveareportfromCNN'sChrisLawrenceontheconflictinLibya.TheU.S.hasbeeninvolvedinthissinceMarch19th,whenitlaunchedmissilesattargetsinsidetheNorthAfricancountry.Butthemilitarystrategyisshifting.(BEGINVIDEO)CHRISLAWRENCE,CNNPENTAGONCORRESPONDENT:U.S.officialssaythey'renotinLibyatohelprebelswinawar.VICEADMIRALBILLGORTNEY,DIRECTOROFTHEJOINTSTAFF:That'snotpartofourmandate.LAWRENCE:Butthecoalitionislaunchingmissilesatspecificunits,liketheheadquartersofLibya'selite32ndBrigade.GORTNEY:ThisisoneofGadhafi'smostloyalunits.LAWRENCE:ThecoalitionhasinterpretedprotectcivilianstomeanitcandestroyanyweaponsGadhaficoulduse.Airstrikeshitmunitionsdepotsintwocities.GORTNEY:Anyplacethatwecanseeammunitionstoragefacilities,thingsofthatnature,that,we'regoingafterthose.LAWRENCE:Amissionthatstartedwithpreventingattacksfromtheairisnowfocused,noteventwoweekslater,ondestroyingtargetsontheground.NewflyinggunshipsliketheA-10havereplacedsomeoftheshipsthatwerefiringcruisemissiles.Thesenewaircraftflylow,closertoatarget,andshootmachinegunfireinsteadofdroppingthousand-poundbombs.They'redesignedtofightinandaroundcities,whererebelsaretryingtoholdoffGadhafi'sforces.OnTuesday,theNATOcommandersaidthatprotectingciviliansmandateextendsallthewayintoTripoliitself.ADMIRALJAMESSTAVRIDIS,NATOSUPREMEALLIEDCOMMANDER,EUROPE:IthinkthatanyGadhafiforcesthataredemonstratinghostileintentagainsttheLibyanpopulationarelegitimatetargets.LAWRENCE:Sofar,theassaulthascostthePentagonwelloverhalfabilliondollars.Butmostofthatmoneycamefromcruisemissilesandothermunitions.Thestrategyhasshifted,andnowtheU.S.forcesarefocusedonrefuelingplanes,jammingcommunicationandstrikingGadhafiforces.So,themilitaryonlyexpectstospend$40millionoverthenextfewweeks.Andaspokeswomansays,Afterthat,wewouldincuraddedcostsofabout$40millionpermonth.Howmanymonths?It'shardtotell.SEN.JOHNMCCAIN,(R)ARIZONA:Butastalemateisnotanacceptablesolution.STAVRIDIS:Ithinkastalemateisnotinanybody'sinterest.(ENDVIDEO)LibyaCivilWarAZUZ:SomerebelleadersinLibyaarecallingthebattles'frontlinesfluid.Theymadesomeadvances,tookcontrolofsomekeycities.ButColonelGadhafi'sforceshavepushedback.Andyesterday,therebelswithdrewfromsometerritorytheyhadtakenoverbefore.Onestrategythatcoalitionmilitaryleadersareconsideringisarmingtherebels,givingthemweapons.PresidentObamahassaidhe'sopentothisidea,andsomeexpertsthinkitcouldgiverebelshelpinfightinggovernmentforces.Buttherearealsosomeconcernsaboutthis,armingtherebels.U.S.intelligenceindicatesthatsometerroristsmaybefightingonthesideoftherebels.Soofcourse,officialsdon'twanttobegivingweaponstothewrongpeople.ShoutoutPATST.CLAIRE,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Today'sShoutoutgoesouttoMrs.Feller'sstudentsatHardinIntermediateSchoolinHardin,Montana!OnthismapoftheMiddleEast,whichcountryisSyria?Youknowwhattodo!Isit:A,B,CorD?You'vegotthreeseconds--GO!Onthismap,BisSyria,acountrythat'shometomorethan22millionpeople.That'syouranswerandthat'syourShoutout!SyriaUnrestAZUZ:Syriaisanothercountryinthatpartoftheworldthat'sdealingwithpoliticalunrest.DozensofpeoplehavebeenkilledoverthelastfewweeksinfightingbetweenSyriansecurityforcesandprotesterswhoarespeakingoutagainsttheirgovernment.Theprotesters,here'swhattheywant:changestoSyria'sconstitutionandtheendofanemergencylawthat'sbeeninplaceinSyriafordecades.Yesterday,SyrianPresidentBasharal-Assadspoketohiscountryaboutthisunrest.HesaidherecognizesthatSyrianswantreformandacknowledgesthatthegovernmenthasn'tmettheneedsoftheSyrianpeople.ButPresidental-Assadalsoreferredtoananti-Syriaconspiracy,andsaidhiscountrywon'tfalllikeothersthathavegonethroughrevolutionsrecently,likeEgypt,forexample.OnethingPresidental-Assaddidn'taddresswasthatemergencylawthatprotesterswantlifted.9/11HearingAZUZ:It'sbeennearly10yearssincethe2001terroristattacksontheUnitedStates.Afterthoseattacks,Congresscreatedthe9/11Commission.Thegoalwastoinvestigatethecountry'scounterterrorismpolicyandtogiverecommendationsforhowtohelpavoidfutureattacks.AU.S.SenatecommitteeisholdinghearingstodiscusshowpreparedtheU.S.isforanotherpossibleattack.Yesterday,theyheardtheopinionsofsomemembersofthat9/11Commissionwhosaidthat,inmanyways,theU.S.issafertodayfromthatkindofterroristattack.Buttheyalsohadawarning:Theysaidthethreatofterrorismhaschanged.Thecommission'schairmansaid,Althoughadevastating9/11-typeattackwebelieveislesslikely,thethreatismorecomplexandit'smorediversethanatanytimeinthelastdecade.What'stheWord?TOMEKAJONES,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:What'stheWord?It'satermthatadvertisersusetodescribeagroupofpeoplewhosharesimilarcharacteristics,suchasageDEMOGRAPHICThat'stheword!TVsWatchingYou?AZUZ:Advertis