American Morning
American arrested while searching for Osama bin Laden
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) - A 52-year-old American citizen who said he was searching for Osama bin Laden was detained in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan this week, Pakistani police said Tuesday.
The Californian named Gary Faulkner was carrying a pistol, a sword, night-vision equipment and Christian religious books, said Mumtaz Ahmed, a police chief in the area.
Faulkner was detained as he was walking from Pakistan toward the border into Nuristan province in Afghanistan, Ahmed said. He told police that he had been looking for bin Laden since 9/11 and had traveled to the area several times before, Ahmed said.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire did not confirm that Faulkner had been detained but said that the consulate in Peshawar did receive notification of the detention of an American citizen. Snelsire said they were trying to get more details.
"We're hoping to get consular access to the individual," Snelsire said.
Faulkner told police that he had no intention of killing bin Laden, Ahmed said. But police believed he was trying to kill bin Laden because of the weapons he was carrying, according to Ahmed.
Heat is on Obama ahead of Oval Office speech tonight
(CNN) – It's day 57 of the Gulf oil spill and maybe the most pivotal day for President Obama. Tonight, for the first time, he'll address the nation from the Oval Office – the most symbolically powerful setting at his disposal – to try and convince the American people that he's doing everything he can to stop the worst oil spill in American history.
New poll numbers show he has a lot of convincing to do. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken over the weekend shows 71% of those surveyed said the president hasn't been tough enough on BP. Half of respondents think some of the beaches affected will never recover.
And today, there's new evidence that BP put money ahead of safety, allegedly taking cheaper, riskier shortcuts on the well that has been spewing oil from the ocean floor for eight weeks. Our Ed Henry reports on some of the themes we can expect the president to touch on in his speech tonight.
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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/US/06/15/oil.spill.disaster/t1main.obama.jpg caption="President Obama will continue his Gulf Coast visit Tuesday with a stop in Florida's Panhandle, then return to Washington and address the nation about the situation from the Oval Office."]
Obama continues Gulf visit, preps Oval Office address
(CNN) – President Obama will continue his Gulf Coast visit Tuesday with a stop in Florida's Panhandle, where beaches have started to see signs of oil as crude continues to gush from a ruptured deepwater well.
Obama, on his fourth trip to the region since oil began spewing from the well in April, is scheduled to return to Washington later Tuesday and address the nation about the situation from the Oval Office.
But first, Obama will give a speech of support for oil-impacted communities and American troops while at Pensacola's Naval Air Station Tuesday morning, an administration official said.
Meanwhile Rep. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, will have a chance to grill executives from five major oil companies on Capitol Hill.
The witness list for Tuesday's hearing of his House Energy and Environment subcommittee includes chief executives of BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell Oil. Read more
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