CNN news 2011-04-05
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It is Friday, April 1st -- no foolin' -- and you're watching CNN Student News! Hello, everyone. I'm Carl Azuz. First up today, we're heading to the North African nation of Libya.
First Up: Libya Civil War
AZUZ: But a top ranking official from that country is heading out! Libya's foreign minister turned up in London yesterday. His name is Moussa Koussa, and he told the government in London that he had resigned his position in Libya. Koussa is someone who, just a month ago, was defending the Libyan government. British officials say Koussa's resignation is a serious problem for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and his authority in Libya.
U.S. military commanders have said that Libya is not a "boots on the ground" operation, meaning they aren't planning to send ground troops into the country. We've heard President Obama say that, too. But the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency -- the CIA -- is on the ground in Libya. A source told CNN that operatives from the agency are gathering intelligence and sometimes connecting with rebel fighters.
NATO -- the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- has taken command of the coalition military operation in Libya. Now, when we say that NATO has taken command, so what? What does that mean? Well, NATO is an organization that's made up of 28 countries from North America and Europe. The United States is a key member. So are the United Kingdom, France, Germany. NATO doesn't have its own unique troops. NATO forces are made up of troops from those member countries. So U.S. forces, British forces, French forces: They're still very much a part of this operation in Libya.
Crisis in Japan
AZUZ: In Japan, officials are worried about the levels of radiation in the ocean water near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Officials say those levels are skyrocketing, and there's no clear idea of what's causing the spike or how to stop it. Samples taken on Wednesday show that the levels of one radioactive isotope in the water are more than 4,000 times higher than the limit that's approved by regulators. But one official said the seawater radiation doesn't pose a risk to people eating seafood, at least, not yet.
U.S. Energy Plan
AZUZ: Cut America's use of foreign oil by 33 percent. That's a main part of President Obama's new energy plan. He's not expecting that cut to happen immediately. His target date: the year 2025. Critics say that's too far off, that changes need to happen sooner. Another question: What's going to replace the energy from that foreign oil? Megan Cloherty looks at some options.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
MEGAN CLOHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In response to rising gas prices, President Obama outlined a plan to expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling to provide short-term relief and other steps that would allow the nation to transition to cleaner and cheaper sources of energy.
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We consume about 25 percent of the world's oil. We only have two percent of the reserves.
CLOHERTY: Obama said the demands of global oil consumption and the instability in the oil market leave America with no other choice but to act now to establish its energy independence.
OBAMA: We've got to discover and produce cleaner renewable sources of energy that also produce less carbon pollution, which is threatening our climate. And we've got to do it quickly.
CLOHERTY: The president said that despite fears raised by the nuclear plant emergency in Japan, he is not abandoning nuclear power as an alternative to oil. While Obama's plan to increase offshore drilling may upset the environmental lobby, his energy secretary emphasized the drilling is a short-term fix.
U.S. SECRETARY OF ENERGY STEVEN CHU: Ultimately, what this is about is diversifying our supply of energy.
CLOHERTY: Republican leaders charged the president's program won't do much to make things better for Americans anytime soon.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, (R) MINORITY LEADER: The president's target is decades from now, but Americans should be able to expect action now.
CLOHERTY: While the president's efforts to reduce oil prices bring motorists relief at the gas pump, the administration plans to raise fuel efficiency standards for car makers this fall, which could result in an increase in sticker prices. Megan Cloherty, for CNN, Washington.