Analysis: Death of deputy chief deals heavy blow to al Qaeda (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – The killing of al Qaeda's number two leader deprives the group of a multi-talented manager who helped it spawn offshoots around the world and survive a U.S. counter-terrorism campaign in Pakistan, security analysts say.

U.S. officials said on Saturday that Atiyah abd al-Rahman, a Libyan, was killed earlier this week in Pakistan. One official said he was killed in a strike by an unmanned drone on August 22.

The killing is likely to be particularly highly prized by Washington as U.S. strategists would have been concerned about Rahman's potential influence in Libya's turmoil following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, analysts say.

Rahman, in his 40s and from the coastal Libyan town of Misrata, built a reputation in al Qaeda as a thinker, organiser and trusted emissary of the Pakistan-based central leadership to its offshoots.

In particular he played a key role in managing ties between the core leadership and al Qaeda in Iraq and helped negotiate the formation in 2007 of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) with a group of Algerian Islamist guerrillas.

He was also one of the first al Qaeda leaders to provide a response to the uprisings in the Arab world, urging the group's supporters to cooperate with the revolts even if the rebellions were not Islamist-inspired.

"It's immensely important that he's been killed," said Anna Murison, who monitors Islamist violence for Exclusive Analysis, a London-based risk consultancy.

She said he was widely trusted throughout the organization and Islamists from very varied backgrounds listened to him.

QAEDA LOOKS "FINISHED"

"Al Qaeda as an idea will live on, but al Qaeda core as an organization looks pretty much finished as there are so few people who can now move up into those senior ranks," she said.

She said he was one of only four people in al Qaeda's leadership with a global profile in the small but passionate transnational community of violent Islamist militants.

She rates these as al Qaeda's current leader Ayman al-Zawahri, Egyptian plotter Saif al-Adl, and the other Libyan in al Qaeda's central leadership, the theologian Abu Yahya al-Libi.

Rahman rose to the number two spot when al-Zawahri took the reins of al Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed in May in a U.S. raid in Pakistan.

Noman Benotman, a former Libyan Islamist and now an analyst at Britain's Quilliam think tank, said his death was a heavy blow to al Qaeda as he was its main organiser and manager.

"This was the one man al Qaeda could not afford to lose," Benotman said. "He was the CEO of al Qaeda who was at the heart of the management process of al Qaeda worldwide.

Benotman said that in the last two years he "more or less single-handedly" kept al Qaeda together.

"He was a strong decision maker, an excellent debater and a skilled peacemaker between various Islamist groups."

FOUGHT IN ANTI-SOVIET AFGHAN WAR

Benotman said Rahman, whose real name was Jamal Ibrahim Ishtawi, was a graduate of the engineering department of Misrata University and left Libya to go to Afghanistan in 1988 and join the Islamist groups then fighting Soviet occupation.

He said Rahman was a personal acquaintance of his but was never a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, an Islamist guerrilla organization that waged a failed insurgency to topple Gaddafi in the 1990s and of which Benotman was a leader.

Rahman was one of al Qaeda's earliest members and worked for the anti-Western militant group in Algeria and Mauritania as well as Afghanistan, Benotman said.

In a statement posted on militant online forums on February 23, Rahman acknowledged that the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia were not the "perfections for which we hoped," but they were happy occasions nonetheless.

He dismissed the notion that al-Qaeda has a "magic wand" to gather large armies and lead the charge to overturn governments and rescue besieged Muslims, according to a translation by the Site Intelligence Group, a U.S. monitoring company.

Rather, he wrote, "al Qaeda is a simple part of the efforts of the jihadi Ummah (nation), so do not think of them to be more than they are. We all should know our abilities and to try to cooperate in goodness, piety and jihad in the Cause of Allah; everyone in his place and with whatever they can and what is suitable to them."

Arrest made in Oregon mosque arson

(CNN) -- Federal authorities have arrested a man in connection with the firebombing of an Oregon Islamic center, the U.S. attorney's office said Thursday.

A news conference is planned for 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET) to discuss the arrest of Cody Crawford. No other details were immediately available.

A blaze erupted at the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center in Corvallis after the FBI arrested Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who was accused of plotting, unsuccessfully, to bomb a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland last November.

Mohamud attended Oregon State University in Corvallis and sometimes attended the Islamic center's mosque.

No one was hurt in the attack on the mosque but it heightened tensions in Corvallis and prompted a probe into whether the mosque attack was an act of revenge for the Christmas tree plot.

The FBI identified Crawford as a person of interest in the investigation but made the arrest only Wednesday, according to CNN affiliate KOIN.

CNN's Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.

Islamists suspected in deadly Nigeria U.N. bombing (Reuters)

ABUJA (Reuters) – At least 18 people were killed by a car bomb that ripped through the United Nations' building in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Friday -- a rare attack on an international institution in a country wracked by local conflicts.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the final casualty toll was likely to be high and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan ordered tighter security around the capital after what he called a "most despicable assault."

Security sources and witnesses said the car rammed into the building and blew up, badly damaging parts of an office complex where close to 400 people normally work for U.N. agencies.

"This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others," Ban said in a statement. "We condemn this terrible act, utterly."

Body parts were strewn on the ground as emergency workers, soldiers and police swarmed around the building, cordoned roads and rushed the wounded to hospital.

"Different people have been taken to different hospitals so we're not sure of casualty figures. It is at least 18," said Mike Zuokumor, Abuja police commissioner.

Norway's government said a Norwegian citizen was among the dead. She was named as Ingrid Midtgaard, a 30-year-old lawyer employed by the United Nations.

"We cannot give an update at the moment, our people are around all the hospitals working hard," a Red Cross spokesman said.

The BBC reported that a spokesman for the Islamist group Boko Haram had said in a phone call that it had carried out the attack. The BBC gave no further details.

It is difficult to get confirmation of attacks by Boko Haram because the group has an ill-defined command structure and a variety of people who speak on its behalf. The police and the government have not said who was responsible.

Speaking before the BBC report, an Abuja-based security source said he suspected Boko Haram, whose strikes have grown in intensity and spread further afield, or al Qaeda's North African arm.

In Friday's attack the car slammed through security gates of the U.N. complex, crashed into the basement and exploded, sending vehicles flying and setting the building ablaze.

"When the car got inside it went straight to the basement and exploded, killing people in reception, right and left," said Abuja resident James John, who saw the attack.

"The entire building, from the ground floor to the topmost, was just fire and smoke. I saw six bodies being carried."

Michael Ocilaje, a U.N. employee at the complex, said: "All the people in the basement were killed. Their bodies are littered all over the place."

The building was blackened from top to bottom. In places, walls were blown away and reduced to rubble.

British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke on Friday to Ban and President Jonathan to pass on his condolences.

"The Prime Minister described it as an appalling attack. He said Britain and Nigeria faced a common threat in Islamic extremism, and offered to do all we could to help find the perpetrators," a British spokesman said.

The Addis Ababa-based African Union condemned what it called "these abhorrent and criminal attacks which cannot be justified under any circumstances."

SIMILAR ATTACK

Militant attacks in the oil-producing regions of southern Nigeria have subsided but the north has been hit by a round of bombings and killings by Islamist extremists.

Boko Haram, whose name translates from the northern Hausa language as "Western education is sinful," has been behind almost daily bombings and shootings, mostly targeting police in the northeast of Africa's most populous nation.

The group claimed responsibility for a June bomb attack on the car park of the Abuja police headquarters which bore similarities to Friday's blast.

In the June attack, a car rammed through the gates of the police headquarters and exploded, killing the bomber and narrowly missing the chief of police.

Boko Haram's ambitions are growing and if it is confirmed to be responsible for Friday's attack, this would mark a shift beyond domestic targets.

In London, Henry Wilkinson of Janusian risk consultants, told Reuters: "This attack will prompt many Western organizations and business to reassess the threat the group poses."

"The targeting of the U.N. building indicates a more global outlook probably influenced by al Qaeda ideology."

In Abuja President Jonathan ordered tighter security.

"The President believes that the attack is a most despicable assault on the United Nations' objectives of global peace and security, and the sanctity of human life to which Nigeria wholly subscribes," a government statement said.

Security sources and diplomats are concerned that Boko Haram has links with more organized groups outside Nigeria.

These include Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which operates over the border in Niger and has kidnapped foreign workers there. It was also suspected of kidnapping a Briton and an Italian in Nigeria earlier this year.

In December 2007, a car bombing at the U.N. building in Algiers killed at least 41 people. In 2003, 15 staff and seven others were killed by a bomb attack at the U.N. building in Baghdad.

(Additional reporting by Joe Brock in Lagos, Robert Evans and Tom Miles in Geneva, Peter Apps and William Maclean in London, Patrick Worsnip at the United Nations; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Finding hope on the soccer fields of Haiti

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Patrice Millet decided to change his life after a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer
  
• Since then, he has helped hundreds of kids through a soccer program
  
• He also aids the community with food and paying school fees
  
• Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2011 CNN Heroes

RELATED TOPICS

• Haiti
• Haiti Earthquake

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Five years ago, Patrice Millet learned he was in the advanced stages of a rare bone cancer. A stem cell transplant was his only hope for survival.

The businessman from Haiti underwent the procedure in the United States. After nine months of treatment and recovery, his cancer was in remission. Millet returned home in May 2007 determined to start living the life he'd always wanted: helping children from Haiti's poorest slums have a brighter future.

"Every day you see so many kids in need -- so many bad stories, tragic stories," said Millet, 49. "All my life, I wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. (So) I said, 'This is the time. I have nothing to lose.' "

That summer, Millet sold his construction supply business and started a program called FONDAPS, which stands for Foundation Notre-Dame du Perp tuel Secours (Foundation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The program uses soccer to help children stay out of trouble and learn valuable life skills. Millet calls it "education by sport."

"I want the kids to be very good citizens," he said. "In soccer ... you need to give, you need to receive, you need team spirit, discipline, sportsmanship. ... It's not all about soccer, it's about life."

Millet started by focusing his efforts on children from Solino, one of Port-au-Prince's most dangerous slums. But going into the neighborhood to recruit young participants was risky.

"My wife didn't want me to go. She said gangs (would) kill me." But Millet was undeterred.

"I said, 'I'd rather die doing something good than die in bed.' "

While Millet was first greeted with suspicion, he was eventually accepted by the locals and children flocked to join his program. Today, hundreds of children have benefited from FONDAPS.

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2011 CNN Heroes

Soccer programs for children are rare in Haiti, and players generally must pay to participate. In Millet's program, the equipment, uniforms, shoes and training are all free for participants. He also pays the transportation and entry fees for players to compete in soccer tournaments.

"When you live in the ghetto, you don't see the world outside," he said. "I try to bring hope for them, ... to show them that (their) life is not only the reality."

Before the earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, Millet's program had expanded to three neighborhoods and involved more than 600 children, including more than 150 girls. But the quake devastated Solino and halted FONDAPS' momentum. One of the children in the program died and many lost friends and family members.

"When the earthquake came ... it became harder for the kids," Millet said. "Now, most of them live in tents. ... They have to fight for everything."

Two of the three fields where Millet had held soccer practice became large tent cities. His remaining field is located on the outskirts of Port au Prince -- too far for many of his former players to walk. But about 200 boys still make the journey. Millet believes that the difficult times have only increased the need for his work.

"In Port-au-Prince right now, there is almost no soccer field," he said. "It's very important for a kid to play. ... I try to give them joy, give them their childhood."

The children, ages 9-17, practice five days a week. And Millet often arranges games on Sundays.

"When they win, they are happy and they know that it's because they worked hard for it. ... That is the message I want to tell them," said Millet. "Sometimes you win, sometime you lose. ... But this is the way you win in life."

Since many of "his kids," as he calls them, lack father figures, Millet also acts as a role model and mentor. After practice, he and the other coaches regularly talk with the boys about what's going on in their lives. Millet constantly stresses the importance of education to them, and at times dips into his own pocket to pay their school fees.

"They don't have to steal ... or (join a) gang. They know that they can do something. They know they can believe in themselves," said Millet.

While FONDAPS is basically a one-man operation run on a shoestring budget, Millet is always looking for other ways to help his players. Usually once a week, participants receive packets of pasta, rice and beans to bring home to their families. He is also working on getting a bus to transport children to practice, and he hopes to one day establish his own school with athletic fields and programs in music and art.

Despite the challenges to keep his program going, Millet is not lacking in motivation.

"To see the joy in the face of a kid ... and you know what he's living (through) ... that makes me happy," he said. "It's so wonderful to see the progress they make in soccer, in their own life, in everything."

For Jeff Fouvant, Millet's program has been a lifeline. The 11-year-old lost his father in the earthquake and is living in a tent with 10 family members. Fouvant's entire family depends on the food he receives from FONDAPS, and Millet also pays for his school fees.

"Mr. Patrice ... he helped us a lot," said Fouvant. "He is a hero."

In 2009, Millet's cancer returned, but he's treating it with medication. He recently spent several weeks in the U.S. undergoing radiation treatment, but he insists that he's feeling good. Though cancer is a reality that Millet can't escape, he said he's happier now than he was before his diagnosis. And he's determined to do as much as he can with whatever time he has left.

"I realized how important life is, every moment," he said. "I am not ready to die yet. I have many, many things to do."

Want to get involved? Check out the FONDAPS website at www.fondaps.com and see how to help.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Five years ago, Patrice Millet learned he was in the advanced stages of a rare bone cancer. A stem cell transplant was his only hope for survival.

The businessman from Haiti underwent the procedure in the United States. After nine months of treatment and recovery, his cancer was in remission. Millet returned home in May 2007 determined to start living the life he'd always wanted: helping children from Haiti's poorest slums have a brighter future.

"Every day you see so many kids in need -- so many bad stories, tragic stories," said Millet, 49. "All my life, I wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. (So) I said, 'This is the time. I have nothing to lose.' "

That summer, Millet sold his construction supply business and started a program called FONDAPS, which stands for Foundation Notre-Dame du Perp tuel Secours (Foundation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The program uses soccer to help children stay out of trouble and learn valuable life skills. Millet calls it "education by sport."

"I want the kids to be very good citizens," he said. "In soccer ... you need to give, you need to receive, you need team spirit, discipline, sportsmanship. ... It's not all about soccer, it's about life."

Millet started by focusing his efforts on children from Solino, one of Port-au-Prince's most dangerous slums. But going into the neighborhood to recruit young participants was risky.

"My wife didn't want me to go. She said gangs (would) kill me." But Millet was undeterred.

"I said, 'I'd rather die doing something good than die in bed.' "

While Millet was first greeted with suspicion, he was eventually accepted by the locals and children flocked to join his program. Today, hundreds of children have benefited from FONDAPS.

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2011 CNN Heroes

Soccer programs for children are rare in Haiti, and players generally must pay to participate. In Millet's program, the equipment, uniforms, shoes and training are all free for participants. He also pays the transportation and entry fees for players to compete in soccer tournaments.

"When you live in the ghetto, you don't see the world outside," he said. "I try to bring hope for them, ... to show them that (their) life is not only the reality."

Before the earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010, Millet's program had expanded to three neighborhoods and involved more than 600 children, including more than 150 girls. But the quake devastated Solino and halted FONDAPS' momentum. One of the children in the program died and many lost friends and family members.

"When the earthquake came ... it became harder for the kids," Millet said. "Now, most of them live in tents. ... They have to fight for everything."

Two of the three fields where Millet had held soccer practice became large tent cities. His remaining field is located on the outskirts of Port au Prince -- too far for many of his former players to walk. But about 200 boys still make the journey. Millet believes that the difficult times have only increased the need for his work.

"In Port-au-Prince right now, there is almost no soccer field," he said. "It's very important for a kid to play. ... I try to give them joy, give them their childhood."

The children, ages 9-17, practice five days a week. And Millet often arranges games on Sundays.

"When they win, they are happy and they know that it's because they worked hard for it. ... That is the message I want to tell them," said Millet. "Sometimes you win, sometime you lose. ... But this is the way you win in life."

Since many of "his kids," as he calls them, lack father figures, Millet also acts as a role model and mentor. After practice, he and the other coaches regularly talk with the boys about what's going on in their lives. Millet constantly stresses the importance of education to them, and at times dips into his own pocket to pay their school fees.

"They don't have to steal ... or (join a) gang. They know that they can do something. They know they can believe in themselves," said Millet.

While FONDAPS is basically a one-man operation run on a shoestring budget, Millet is always looking for other ways to help his players. Usually once a week, participants receive packets of pasta, rice and beans to bring home to their families. He is also working on getting a bus to transport children to practice, and he hopes to one day establish his own school with athletic fields and programs in music and art.

Despite the challenges to keep his program going, Millet is not lacking in motivation.

"To see the joy in the face of a kid ... and you know what he's living (through) ... that makes me happy," he said. "It's so wonderful to see the progress they make in soccer, in their own life, in everything."

For Jeff Fouvant, Millet's program has been a lifeline. The 11-year-old lost his father in the earthquake and is living in a tent with 10 family members. Fouvant's entire family depends on the food he receives from FONDAPS, and Millet also pays for his school fees.

"Mr. Patrice ... he helped us a lot," said Fouvant. "He is a hero."

In 2009, Millet's cancer returned, but he's treating it with medication. He recently spent several weeks in the U.S. undergoing radiation treatment, but he insists that he's feeling good. Though cancer is a reality that Millet can't escape, he said he's happier now than he was before his diagnosis. And he's determined to do as much as he can with whatever time he has left.

"I realized how important life is, every moment," he said. "I am not ready to die yet. I have many, many things to do."

Want to get involved? Check out the FONDAPS website at www.fondaps.com and see how to help.

Staying on the job with early Alzheimer's

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Coach Pat Summitt announced she'd continue working after dementia diagnosis
• People in early Alzheimer's can be pretty independent, may need support
  
• Disease is a continuum; some people stay in the mild phases longer than others

(CNN) -- About 200,000 Americans are estimated to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which means the disease is found before age 65. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, and it a causes significant memory and thinking problems. There is no cure.

Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, who announced her diagnosis -- and her intention to keep coaching -- this week, is 59.

SI.com: Summitt reveals dementia, plans to coach this year

There is no typical job scenario for early-onset Alzheimer's. Whether a person with the progressive disorder can continue working successfully depends on his or her case and circumstances, and to what extent the disease has impaired brain function.

"Every case is different and different patients progress at different rates," said Dr. Patrick Lyden, chairman of the neurology department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. "The most important thing is to work closely with a neurologist, talk to your family and your co-workers, and everybody is different. Some people can work longer than others."

What should Summitt know? Your Alzheimer's wisdom

The disease can strike people even in their 30s, and others who are in their mid-life, at the peak of their careers -- even while raising young children. For those like Summitt who vow to keep working, it takes a dedicated support system.

In a video announcement of her news , Summitt noted that she would be "relying on my outstanding coaching staff like never before."

(CNN) -- About 200,000 Americans are estimated to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease, which means the disease is found before age 65. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, and it a causes significant memory and thinking problems. There is no cure.

Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, who announced her diagnosis -- and her intention to keep coaching -- this week, is 59.

SI.com: Summitt reveals dementia, plans to coach this year

There is no typical job scenario for early-onset Alzheimer's. Whether a person with the progressive disorder can continue working successfully depends on his or her case and circumstances, and to what extent the disease has impaired brain function.

"Every case is different and different patients progress at different rates," said Dr. Patrick Lyden, chairman of the neurology department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. "The most important thing is to work closely with a neurologist, talk to your family and your co-workers, and everybody is different. Some people can work longer than others."

What should Summitt know? Your Alzheimer's wisdom

The disease can strike people even in their 30s, and others who are in their mid-life, at the peak of their careers -- even while raising young children. For those like Summitt who vow to keep working, it takes a dedicated support system.

In a video announcement of her news , Summitt noted that she would be "relying on my outstanding coaching staff like never before."

Lyden recalled one patient who served as the CEO of a Fortune 1,000 company when he developed dementia. His co-workers were able to double-check his work and still benefit from his expertise for several years.

Another of his patients continued working at his family's dry cleaning company every day until his condition worsened.

"It's a topic that we all need to think through. This is going to be happening more and more. If a workplace doesn't have a plan, they might want to think about developing one," Lyden said.

Alzheimer's: Early detection, risk factors are crucial

Summitt told the Washington Post that she hopes to coach at least three more years.

According to the newspaper, the first signs of memory problems started when Summitt started losing her keys more frequently, forgetting basketball team meetings and freezing when it came to offensive plays.

"I'm very impressed that she decided to go public because I think a lot of people would have a tendency to feel like they would retire for personal reasons and not be open," said Dr. Marc Gordon, neurologist and Alzheimer's researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York.

The disease is a spectrum -- some people stay in the mild phases longer than others, but ultimately patients lose their ability to remember and learn new information.

The disorder begins in the hippocampus, the structure of the brain crucial for formation of new memories. The pathology of Alzheimer's, characterized by plaques in the brain, then spreads, but its course is unpredictable.

If a brain region you need for your job hasn't been hit, you can continue performing certain tasks, but you may need assistance as time goes on, says Dr. Scott Small, professor of neurology at Columbia University.

In mild dementia, people can answer their own phones and communicate, which may allow them to work in some capacity, depending on the person. The mild stage usually lasts for about two years, but varies individually.

"Early-stage people can be pretty independent. As time goes on, they may need increasing assistance," Gordon said.

It was a tricky path for Lou Bordisso, 57.

His job as a licensed therapist was to help people in their worst moments. He counseled feuding married couples, families in distress and criminal defendants who were found not guilty by reason of insanity in his forensic mental health work for Contra Costa County in California. He was also a bishop.

By no means was he ready to slow down.

But seven years ago, he started losing his way around office buildings. He'd forget where the conference room was located. He missed meeting friends because he couldn't find the exit from the Macy's department store in San Francisco.

Finally in May 2010 after spinal taps, neuropsychological testing, MRIs and other tests, the doctor told him he had early onset Alzheimer's.

He tried to compensate for the deficiencies in his memory by working harder and taking more notes.

Although he had testified in court and written reports to judges in his role evaluating defendants' mental health, he realized that the disease affected the quality of his work.

"I had been writing a lot of reports to the judge making considerable errors," Bordisso said. "It became evident with my co-workers, peers and supervisors. It was time to take some time off."

The decision was mutual. But retiring from his full-time counseling job and his duties as bishop was "devastating," he said.

"It's a sense of despair and grief," he said. "I'm going through what's similar to when someone loses a loved one in life. I'm hopefully moving to the point of acceptance."

He continues his counseling work, although he has drastically reduced the number of clients he sees.

Because his long-term memory is better than his short-term memory, Bordisso moved back to his childhood home in Sacramento, California. The move makes it easier for him navigate his neighborhood and home.

"I'm used to contributing as a responsible, accountable person," he said. "There's nothing worse for me than not being able to give back.

"Being on the receiving end of services is granting me a new perspective in life. I'm becoming more appreciative of what others are going through. My sense of empathy has increased as well."

UN headquarters car bombing in Nigeria kills 18 (AP)

ABUJA, Nigeria – A car loaded with explosives crashed into the main United Nations' building in Nigeria's capital and exploded, killing at least 18 people in one of the deadliest assaults on the international body in a decade. A radical Muslim sect blamed for a series of attacks in the country claimed responsibility for the bombing, a major escalation of its sectarian fight against Nigeria's weak central government.

The brazen assault Friday in a neighborhood surrounded by heavily fortified diplomatic posts represented the first suicide attack to target foreigners in oil-rich Nigeria, where people already live in fear of the radical Boko Haram sect. The group, which has reported links to al-Qaida, wants to implement a strict version of Shariah law in the nation and is vehemently opposed to Western education and culture.

While police officers and local officials have primarily borne the brunt of Boko Haram's rage, now everyone seems to be a target in a nation often divided by religion and ethnicity.

"It is an attack on the global community," said Viola Onwuliri, a junior Nigerian foreign minister, as she looked at the bomb site.

A sedan loaded with explosives crashed through two gates at the exit of the United Nations compound Friday morning as guards tried in vain to stop it, witnesses told The Associated Press. The suicide bomber inside drove the car through the glass front of the main reception area of the building and detonated the explosives, inflicting the most damage possible, a spokesman for the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency said.

"I saw scattered bodies," said Michael Ofilaje, a UNICEF worker at the four-story building, which he said shook with the explosion. "Many people are dead."

At least 18 people died in the attack, according to an AP survey of morgues at four major Abuja hospitals. Nigerian Health Minister Mohammad Ali Pate made a public appeal for blood donations, saying there were at least 60 injured people alone at the nearby National Hospital.

Of the 18 killed, 15 were U.N. personnel, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Friday night from New York.

The headquarters, known as U.N. House, had offices for about 400 employees working for 26 U.N. humanitarian and development agencies. Authorities worked Friday to account for everyone in the building at the time of the blast.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the car bombing "an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others."

"We condemn this terrible act, utterly," Ban told reporters at U.N. headquarters. "We do not yet have precise casualty figures but they are likely to be considerable. A number of people are dead; many more are wounded."

The U.N. Security Council condemned the attack in "the strongest possible terms" and characterized it as a "heinous crime," while U.N. General Assembly President Joseph Deiss called it "a great loss for the United Nations family."

Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, said it was a reminder of the courage of aid workers "who face similar dangers and who are doing so much for so many around the world."

Said Djinnit, the special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for West Africa, told the AP that he expects the casualties are mostly local staff.

The attack was one of the deadliest attacks on the United Nations in a decade. Seventeen U.N. civilian staff members were killed along with dozens of others in two terrorist car bombings that targeted U.N. and other premises in Algiers on Dec. 11, 2007. Friday's bombing also came just days after the U.N. marked the eighth anniversary of the Aug. 19, 2003 bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad that killed 15 U.N. staff including top envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and seven others.

The attack was also condemned by leaders around the world and members of the U.N. Security Council who individually deplored the targeting of the U.N. at an open meeting on U.N. peacekeeping.

U.S. President Barack Obama called the attack "horrific and cowardly" and expressed strong support for the U.N.'s work.

"The people who serve the United Nations do so with a simple purpose: to try to improve the lives of their neighbors and promote the values on which the U.N. was founded — dignity, freedom, security, and peace," Obama said in a statement. "An attack on Nigerian and international public servants demonstrates the bankruptcy of the ideology that led to this heinous action."

The explosion punched a huge hole in the building, located in the same neighborhood as the U.S. embassy and other diplomatic posts in Abuja. Workers brought three large cranes to the site within hours of the attack, trying to pull away the concrete and rubble to find survivors. Others at the site stood around, stunned, as medical workers began carrying out what appeared to be the dead.

"This is getting out of hand," said a U.N. staffer who identified himself as Bodunrin. "If they can get into the U.N. House, they can reach anywhere."

Local police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said detectives had begun an investigation. In a statement, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's office called the attack "barbaric, senseless and cowardly." The statement also promised to increase security in the nation's capital.

However, Jonathan's administration has struggled to improve security in Nigeria, a nation of 150 million largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north. The Christian president's election in April brought religious and ethnic violence across the north that left 800 people dead.

A spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack later Friday in a communique to the BBC's Hausa language shortwave radio service, which is widely trusted and listened to throughout Nigeria's Muslim north. The sect has made such claims before to the service.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sacrilege," has carried out a series of bombings and assassinations in northern Nigeria in the last year. It claimed a car bombing that struck Nigeria's federal police headquarters in June that killed at least two people.

The sect came to national prominence in 2009, when its members rioted and burned police stations near its base of Maiduguri, a dusty northeastern city on the cusp of the Sahara Desert. Nigeria's military violently put down the attack, crushing the sect's mosque into shards as its leader was arrested and died in police custody. About 700 people died during the violence.

Sect members are scattered throughout northern Nigeria and nearby Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In the last year, they've unleashed a series of targeted killings and bombings.

But attacking foreigners is a new, troubling step for the group. Earlier this month, the commander for U.S. military operations in Africa told the AP that Boko Haram may be trying to coordinate attacks with two al-Qaida-linked groups — al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northwest Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.

"I think it would be the most dangerous thing to happen not only to the Africans, but to us as well," Gen. Carter Ham said Aug. 17.

The attack Friday shows Boko Haram has aspirations beyond targeting local government officials, said Innocent Chukwuma, a Nigerian criminologist and director of a police reform organization.

"Today's has taken it to the international level," Chukwuma said. "The choice of target shows we are perhaps dealing with a group well-connected to international networks."

___

Jon Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria. Associated Press writers Yinka Ibukun in Lagos, Nigeria; Njadvara Musa in Maiduguri, Nigeria; Michelle Faul in Johannesburg; Rukmini Callimachi in Dakar, Senegal; Edith M. Lederer in New York and Frank Jordans and John Heilprin in Geneva contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP

CNN Student News Transcript - August 24, 2011

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program
  
• Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary
  
• Today's Daily Discussion poses critical thinking questions related to the program

(CNN Student News) -- August 24, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Libya
• Hispaniola
• Pakistan & United Arab Emirates
• Japan

Transcript

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Five years ago today, Pluto got a planetary down-grade and our solar system officially went from nine planets to eight. In today's show we're going to talk about some other significant events that happened on this day in history . First up, though, we're headed to Libya.

First Up: Crisis in Libya

AZUZ: The war is not over yet, but it's close. That's how one NATO official described the situation in Libya on Tuesday. NATO is an international organization made up of troops from various countries. It's been launching air strikes in Libya against the forces of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. A lot of those strikes have targeted Gadhafi's compound in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

And this was the scene inside that compound yesterday. Rebel fighters and other residents walking around. Rebels took control of the compound after a battle with Gadhafi's military forces that lasted for hours. No members of the Gadhafi family were found inside the compound. But some reports on Monday that three of Moammar Gadhafi's sons had been captured by rebels, turned out not to be true.

One of them, whom you see in this video, turned up late Monday night at a hotel where international journalists are staying. At the time, he said his father was safe and that Libyan troops had "broken the backs" of rebel fighters. These conflicting reports show how the situation in Libya is changing. Make sure to check out CNN.com or CNNStudentNews.com to get the latest details.

Meanwhile, some people are considering the possibilities of what could happen once this war is over. Mary Snow is looking at one angle for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the Gadhafi regime falls, one of the big questions is, what happens now to one of Libya's biggest assets, its oil? Libya supplied about two percent of the world's oil until civil war broke out in February, bringing production to a virtual halt.

Before the war started, Libya was producing about 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, and it has one of the largest reserves in Africa. It exports most of its oil, and its biggest customers are in Europe. Italy gets about 28 percent of its oil from Libya. France is its second biggest customer.

While Europe will feel bigger impact than the U.S. since the U.S. doesn't use Libyan crude oil, one energy analyst says drivers everywhere could wind up paying less at the pump.

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY ANALYST, CAMERON HANOVER: It will have an impact on worldwide gasoline prices, and that will end up helping U.S. consumers by about four to six cents a gallon, I predict, over the next month or two.

SNOW: That timetable is up for debate.

What's unknown is how much damage has been done to refineries, pipelines and oil wells. And then there's the political question.

HELIMA CROFT, SR. GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIST, BARCLAYS CAPITAL: If you don't have a stable security environment in Libya, if you have the sense that you're looking at a protracted political and security power vacuum, Western companies are going to be reluctant to go back in.

SNOW: There are predictions it could take 18 months to three years for Libya to restore its oil production to full capacity, but analyst Peter Beutel doesn't see Western countries allowing that to happen.

BEUTEL: Here's an opportunity for them to help a struggling democracy stand on its own two feet. If that means every single oil expert from Texas to Rotterdam is suddenly on a plane to Libya to get their oil up and running, I think there's a chance that that could happen.

(END VIDEO)

East Coast Quake

AZUZ: Here's something you don't hear about too often -- an earthquake in Virginia! One hit yesterday, though, and it sent shock-waves up and down the East Coast. New York, D.C., Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio. Reports came in of tremors in all those locations. Officials say this quake had a magnitude of 5.8. That makes it the strongest one to hit Virginia in more than a century. Lots of buildings evacuated. A lot of safety precautions went into effect -- including at nearby nuclear facilities. There were some minor reports of damage. But luckily, no reports of any injuries.

Shoutout

CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these words best describes Hispaniola? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it a: A) Country B) Peninsula C) Island D) Isthmus You've got three seconds -- GO! Hispaniola is an island where you'll find the Dominican Republic and Haiti. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Hurricane Irene

AZUZ: That island is feeling the effects of Hurricane Irene. The storm is working its way through the Atlantic and forecasters predict that it'll pick up strength along the way. One U.S. government official said the hurricane will affect a large area. He warned the entire east coast of the United States to prepare for Irene. When the storm hit Hispaniola, it brought heavy rain and winds with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Forecasters estimated that Irene could drop up to 15 inches of rain on some parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And there were concerns about flooding and mud-slides.

This Day in History

AZUZ: On this day in history -- August 24th -- back in the year A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius began to erupt in Italy. The volcano completely wiped out the city of Pompeii. In 1814, during the war of 1812, British troops took control of Washington, D.C. and burned the White House. In 1989, Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader was banned from the game for life for gambling on the sport. And in 1992, hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida. The storm was one of the most expensive disasters in U.S. history causing nearly $25 billion in damages.

Share your thoughts on our blog

AZUZ: On our blog at CNNStudentNews.com, we're starting to get your input about another significant date in history that's coming up soon. The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, we want you to share your thoughts on why you think it's important to remember the 9/11 attacks. Head to our home page, tell us what you think.

Cost of College

AZUZ: If you've started planning for college, chances are you're also trying to figure out how to pay for it. We hear a lot of concerns about the cost of getting a higher education. These concerns reach around the entire globe. Yesterday, we talked about college costs in China, the U.K. and Israel. Today, our reporters check in from three more countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kyung Lah in Tokyo here on the campus of the University of Tokyo. This place is known as the Harvard University of Japan. Despite that moniker, one of the most pressing problems for this university's future, along with all the colleges in Japan, is how to keep the classrooms full. Japan has one of the world's fastest aging populations with one of the world's lowest birth rates. In the near future, there will not be enough students filling the colleges. So, the University of Tokyo, trying to fight that trend, announced next year it will launch a tract to try and teach all classes in English. Hoping to draw international students. 12 other universities in Japan already have similar English only programs. The big selling point here to the global student is that you can get an Ivy League education, albeit in Asia, but for a third of the cost of going to Harvard.

RIMA MAKTABI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rima Maktabi coming to you from the American University in Dubai. The education system in the United Arab Emirates is a very interesting one compared to countries in the rest of the Middle East. There's a very high rate of literacy here. We're talking about 91%. The government makes it so easy to enroll in universities and schools, especially that 25% of the government's spending goes toward education. The faculty here teaches an American curriculum in Arabic language. The aim is to prepare solids and deep experts to compete in the market. So for this oil-rich country, education is crucial.

RESA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Reza Sayah in Islamabad. Here in Pakistan, most people live on roughly $2 a day. So the biggest issue facing students like Abdul and Mohammad is "how can I afford a college education." Often times the best degrees are in the U.S. and Europe. You guys would have preferred to study abroad, right? But tuitions of at least $10,000 to $20,000 a year, for many in Pakistan studying overseas is impossible. Inside Pakistan, the tuition is roughly $1000 a semester. May not sound like much to you, but remember, if you're living along the poverty line, that's still a lot of money.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, what happens when you combine man's best friend with a girl's best friend? You get a K-9 case of disappearing diamonds. This little guy belongs to a Georgia couple that owns a jewelry store. But when one of the owners went to wait on a customer the conniving canine jumped from floor to chair to counter and ate $10,000 worth of diamonds that were sitting out. The stones were eventually recovered.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And the owner says he'll be more careful about where he leaves his chair. We're just glad everything came out ok in the end. I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News.

(CNN Student News) -- August 24, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Libya
• Hispaniola
• Pakistan & United Arab Emirates
• Japan

Transcript

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Five years ago today, Pluto got a planetary down-grade and our solar system officially went from nine planets to eight. In today's show we're going to talk about some other significant events that happened on this day in history . First up, though, we're headed to Libya.

First Up: Crisis in Libya

AZUZ: The war is not over yet, but it's close. That's how one NATO official described the situation in Libya on Tuesday. NATO is an international organization made up of troops from various countries. It's been launching air strikes in Libya against the forces of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. A lot of those strikes have targeted Gadhafi's compound in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

And this was the scene inside that compound yesterday. Rebel fighters and other residents walking around. Rebels took control of the compound after a battle with Gadhafi's military forces that lasted for hours. No members of the Gadhafi family were found inside the compound. But some reports on Monday that three of Moammar Gadhafi's sons had been captured by rebels, turned out not to be true.

One of them, whom you see in this video, turned up late Monday night at a hotel where international journalists are staying. At the time, he said his father was safe and that Libyan troops had "broken the backs" of rebel fighters. These conflicting reports show how the situation in Libya is changing. Make sure to check out CNN.com or CNNStudentNews.com to get the latest details.

Meanwhile, some people are considering the possibilities of what could happen once this war is over. Mary Snow is looking at one angle for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the Gadhafi regime falls, one of the big questions is, what happens now to one of Libya's biggest assets, its oil? Libya supplied about two percent of the world's oil until civil war broke out in February, bringing production to a virtual halt.

Before the war started, Libya was producing about 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, and it has one of the largest reserves in Africa. It exports most of its oil, and its biggest customers are in Europe. Italy gets about 28 percent of its oil from Libya. France is its second biggest customer.

While Europe will feel bigger impact than the U.S. since the U.S. doesn't use Libyan crude oil, one energy analyst says drivers everywhere could wind up paying less at the pump.

PETER BEUTEL, ENERGY ANALYST, CAMERON HANOVER: It will have an impact on worldwide gasoline prices, and that will end up helping U.S. consumers by about four to six cents a gallon, I predict, over the next month or two.

SNOW: That timetable is up for debate.

What's unknown is how much damage has been done to refineries, pipelines and oil wells. And then there's the political question.

HELIMA CROFT, SR. GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIST, BARCLAYS CAPITAL: If you don't have a stable security environment in Libya, if you have the sense that you're looking at a protracted political and security power vacuum, Western companies are going to be reluctant to go back in.

SNOW: There are predictions it could take 18 months to three years for Libya to restore its oil production to full capacity, but analyst Peter Beutel doesn't see Western countries allowing that to happen.

BEUTEL: Here's an opportunity for them to help a struggling democracy stand on its own two feet. If that means every single oil expert from Texas to Rotterdam is suddenly on a plane to Libya to get their oil up and running, I think there's a chance that that could happen.

(END VIDEO)

East Coast Quake

AZUZ: Here's something you don't hear about too often -- an earthquake in Virginia! One hit yesterday, though, and it sent shock-waves up and down the East Coast. New York, D.C., Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio. Reports came in of tremors in all those locations. Officials say this quake had a magnitude of 5.8. That makes it the strongest one to hit Virginia in more than a century. Lots of buildings evacuated. A lot of safety precautions went into effect -- including at nearby nuclear facilities. There were some minor reports of damage. But luckily, no reports of any injuries.

Shoutout

CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these words best describes Hispaniola? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it a: A) Country B) Peninsula C) Island D) Isthmus You've got three seconds -- GO! Hispaniola is an island where you'll find the Dominican Republic and Haiti. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Hurricane Irene

AZUZ: That island is feeling the effects of Hurricane Irene. The storm is working its way through the Atlantic and forecasters predict that it'll pick up strength along the way. One U.S. government official said the hurricane will affect a large area. He warned the entire east coast of the United States to prepare for Irene. When the storm hit Hispaniola, it brought heavy rain and winds with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Forecasters estimated that Irene could drop up to 15 inches of rain on some parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And there were concerns about flooding and mud-slides.

This Day in History

AZUZ: On this day in history -- August 24th -- back in the year A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius began to erupt in Italy. The volcano completely wiped out the city of Pompeii. In 1814, during the war of 1812, British troops took control of Washington, D.C. and burned the White House. In 1989, Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader was banned from the game for life for gambling on the sport. And in 1992, hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida. The storm was one of the most expensive disasters in U.S. history causing nearly $25 billion in damages.

Share your thoughts on our blog

AZUZ: On our blog at CNNStudentNews.com, we're starting to get your input about another significant date in history that's coming up soon. The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, we want you to share your thoughts on why you think it's important to remember the 9/11 attacks. Head to our home page, tell us what you think.

Cost of College

AZUZ: If you've started planning for college, chances are you're also trying to figure out how to pay for it. We hear a lot of concerns about the cost of getting a higher education. These concerns reach around the entire globe. Yesterday, we talked about college costs in China, the U.K. and Israel. Today, our reporters check in from three more countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kyung Lah in Tokyo here on the campus of the University of Tokyo. This place is known as the Harvard University of Japan. Despite that moniker, one of the most pressing problems for this university's future, along with all the colleges in Japan, is how to keep the classrooms full. Japan has one of the world's fastest aging populations with one of the world's lowest birth rates. In the near future, there will not be enough students filling the colleges. So, the University of Tokyo, trying to fight that trend, announced next year it will launch a tract to try and teach all classes in English. Hoping to draw international students. 12 other universities in Japan already have similar English only programs. The big selling point here to the global student is that you can get an Ivy League education, albeit in Asia, but for a third of the cost of going to Harvard.

RIMA MAKTABI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rima Maktabi coming to you from the American University in Dubai. The education system in the United Arab Emirates is a very interesting one compared to countries in the rest of the Middle East. There's a very high rate of literacy here. We're talking about 91%. The government makes it so easy to enroll in universities and schools, especially that 25% of the government's spending goes toward education. The faculty here teaches an American curriculum in Arabic language. The aim is to prepare solids and deep experts to compete in the market. So for this oil-rich country, education is crucial.

RESA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Reza Sayah in Islamabad. Here in Pakistan, most people live on roughly $2 a day. So the biggest issue facing students like Abdul and Mohammad is "how can I afford a college education." Often times the best degrees are in the U.S. and Europe. You guys would have preferred to study abroad, right? But tuitions of at least $10,000 to $20,000 a year, for many in Pakistan studying overseas is impossible. Inside Pakistan, the tuition is roughly $1000 a semester. May not sound like much to you, but remember, if you're living along the poverty line, that's still a lot of money.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, what happens when you combine man's best friend with a girl's best friend? You get a K-9 case of disappearing diamonds. This little guy belongs to a Georgia couple that owns a jewelry store. But when one of the owners went to wait on a customer the conniving canine jumped from floor to chair to counter and ate $10,000 worth of diamonds that were sitting out. The stones were eventually recovered.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And the owner says he'll be more careful about where he leaves his chair. We're just glad everything came out ok in the end. I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News.

MTV exec's VMA memories

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• This year's entire show is re-imagined for today's generation of viewers
  
• MTV is a network that doesn't grow up with its audience -- and neither do the VMAs
  
• The cultural impact of the VMAs and the network as a whole is undeniable

RELATED TOPICS

• MTV Networks Company
• MTV Video Music Awards
• Madonna (Entertainer)
• Lady Gaga
• Eminem

Editor's note: As executive vice president of news and production for MTV, Dave Sirulnick oversees MTV's News and Docs department. In 1999 he also took on the role of executive producer of the Video Music Awards and continues to do so annually. Before joining MTV as news producer in 1987, Sirulnick produced segments for CNN.

(CNN) -- In 1984, during the first ever VMAs, I was a 20-year-old Rutgers student.

Watching the show with my roommates from our off-campus apartment, Madonna's wedding gown-clad, iconic performance of "Like a Virgin" made an indelible stamp on me.

I saw what an unexpected, dynamic television performance could do to elevate a show and an artist, and absorbed it all as the VMAs infiltrated pop culture.

I finally made it to the third VMAs, covering the show for CNN. It was a bi-coastal event that year, and I was in New York at The Palladium. Amid a torrential downpour, I stood alongside 40 or so reporters vying to get interviews with artists like Mr. Mister and Pet Shop Boys as publicists tossed swag to keep us happy.

MTV's VJs like "Downtown" Julie Brown and Mark Goodman hosted the show, and Dire Straits took home "Video of the Year" for "Money For Nothing." The cultural impact of the VMAs and the network as a whole was undeniable: MTV was in the middle of transforming the music and entertainment industry. I wanted to be part of that energy, and by 1987, I was.

VMAs have always been a mix of incredible planned performances and unexpected moments. In 2000, we surprised the audience as an army of blond Eminem clones marched into the show as the rapper sang "The Real Slim Shady." In 2003, we reached into our past as Madonna reprised her first VMAs performance. But this time, she was the groom and Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were rocking the white wedding dresses. In a surprise moment for all of us, they closed their performance with one of the most memorable kisses in pop culture history.

Another big surprise for our team, much to the chagrin of PETA, came in the form of a meat dress in 2010 as Lady Gaga brought her unique sense of style to the stage.

Sometimes the show is all about timing.

For example, in 1995 we had just started an interview outside the show with Kurt Loder and Madonna while the VMAs were still on-air. Our crew caught sight of Courtney Love walking down the street by herself, headed straight toward us. She started yelling, trying to get our attention, and then began throwing her make-up one piece at a time up at Kurt Loder and Madonna. On camera, Kurt said "Courtney is throwing stuff at us." From inside the production truck, the producers encouraged Courtney to join the interview. Courtney stumbled up the stairs and onto the stage, interrupting Madonna, and the rest is VMA history.

The VMAs have a legacy of being one of the most memorable nights in music, and our incredibly talented team does whatever it takes to bring the biggest moments and most talented artists to the stage. Booking the perfect mix of those performances can sometimes come down to the wire, though. Nine days before the show in 2008, we still hadn't locked in our perfect closing act. At the time, I was on my way to Colorado to cover then-Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

I called Kanye West and as it turned out, he was already in Denver. He picked me up from the airport and we spent the ride listening to rough demos of a new song he was working on. From the second I heard it, I knew this was the big, closing performance we wanted for the show. I shared our team's vision of that year's event and some sketches of the set and we talked through what his performance could look like. A few days later we were both in L.A. in advance of the big night. Our team went to work finalizing the details, and he went to the studio and finished "Love Lock Down," knowing that he'd be sharing it with the world for the first time just a few days later at the VMAs.

For all the great moments, sometimes things go wrong. I'll never forget the moment in 1991 when the lights went out during one of Kurt Loder's live interviews, keeping the entire audience in the dark. Janet Jackson was in the middle of giving a heartfelt tribute to Aaliyah when the prompter went out in 2001. The same year, we left U2 hanging, literally. The band was 20 feet above the stage and ready to descend. Just as we announced their performance live on television, the band's power source went out. The band couldn't play, so all we heard was Bono joking that MTV didn't pay the electric bill.

In 2004, we thought it would be a great idea to bring out the children of the presidential candidates. As the audience started to boo, we quickly realized that wasn't what the viewers wanted out of their VMAs.

I've now had the letters "MTV" in front of my job title for 24 years and can tell you that this is a network that doesn't grow up, or old, with its audience -- and neither do the VMAs. The show is constantly evolving, and our audience expects change, innovation, risk and creativity from us. It takes the effort of hundreds of people combined with dedicated artists to plan, create and share amazing moments like when Pink sang "Sober" from a trapeze high above the VMAs' stage or when Taylor Swift sang "You Belong With Me" as she ran up from a New York subway car to take over 6th Avenue.

But, we also know that we need to create the right formula for unexpected moments, which means getting the right mix of people in the same room with the perfect music for a memorable night.

This year's entire show is re-imagined for today's generation of viewers. The show will open with Lady Gaga, followed by a night of incredible performances by Beyonc , Adele, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Pitbull and Young the Giant. The legendary Tony Bennett will present a special tribute to Amy Winehouse. And, we will be watching along with the rest of the world to see what surprise moments steal the show.

From a leaky tent outside the Palladium to the highly designed, immersive time portal environment viewers will see this year, the VMAs have absolutely evolved through the years. The constant, though, are the talented artists who take over the VMA stage, capturing our audience's attention with legendary, iconic moments that will be remembered for years to come.

(CNN) -- In 1984, during the first ever VMAs, I was a 20-year-old Rutgers student.

Watching the show with my roommates from our off-campus apartment, Madonna's wedding gown-clad, iconic performance of "Like a Virgin" made an indelible stamp on me.

I saw what an unexpected, dynamic television performance could do to elevate a show and an artist, and absorbed it all as the VMAs infiltrated pop culture.

I finally made it to the third VMAs, covering the show for CNN. It was a bi-coastal event that year, and I was in New York at The Palladium. Amid a torrential downpour, I stood alongside 40 or so reporters vying to get interviews with artists like Mr. Mister and Pet Shop Boys as publicists tossed swag to keep us happy.

MTV's VJs like "Downtown" Julie Brown and Mark Goodman hosted the show, and Dire Straits took home "Video of the Year" for "Money For Nothing." The cultural impact of the VMAs and the network as a whole was undeniable: MTV was in the middle of transforming the music and entertainment industry. I wanted to be part of that energy, and by 1987, I was.

VMAs have always been a mix of incredible planned performances and unexpected moments. In 2000, we surprised the audience as an army of blond Eminem clones marched into the show as the rapper sang "The Real Slim Shady." In 2003, we reached into our past as Madonna reprised her first VMAs performance. But this time, she was the groom and Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were rocking the white wedding dresses. In a surprise moment for all of us, they closed their performance with one of the most memorable kisses in pop culture history.

Another big surprise for our team, much to the chagrin of PETA, came in the form of a meat dress in 2010 as Lady Gaga brought her unique sense of style to the stage.

Sometimes the show is all about timing.

For example, in 1995 we had just started an interview outside the show with Kurt Loder and Madonna while the VMAs were still on-air. Our crew caught sight of Courtney Love walking down the street by herself, headed straight toward us. She started yelling, trying to get our attention, and then began throwing her make-up one piece at a time up at Kurt Loder and Madonna. On camera, Kurt said "Courtney is throwing stuff at us." From inside the production truck, the producers encouraged Courtney to join the interview. Courtney stumbled up the stairs and onto the stage, interrupting Madonna, and the rest is VMA history.

The VMAs have a legacy of being one of the most memorable nights in music, and our incredibly talented team does whatever it takes to bring the biggest moments and most talented artists to the stage. Booking the perfect mix of those performances can sometimes come down to the wire, though. Nine days before the show in 2008, we still hadn't locked in our perfect closing act. At the time, I was on my way to Colorado to cover then-Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

I called Kanye West and as it turned out, he was already in Denver. He picked me up from the airport and we spent the ride listening to rough demos of a new song he was working on. From the second I heard it, I knew this was the big, closing performance we wanted for the show. I shared our team's vision of that year's event and some sketches of the set and we talked through what his performance could look like. A few days later we were both in L.A. in advance of the big night. Our team went to work finalizing the details, and he went to the studio and finished "Love Lock Down," knowing that he'd be sharing it with the world for the first time just a few days later at the VMAs.

For all the great moments, sometimes things go wrong. I'll never forget the moment in 1991 when the lights went out during one of Kurt Loder's live interviews, keeping the entire audience in the dark. Janet Jackson was in the middle of giving a heartfelt tribute to Aaliyah when the prompter went out in 2001. The same year, we left U2 hanging, literally. The band was 20 feet above the stage and ready to descend. Just as we announced their performance live on television, the band's power source went out. The band couldn't play, so all we heard was Bono joking that MTV didn't pay the electric bill.

In 2004, we thought it would be a great idea to bring out the children of the presidential candidates. As the audience started to boo, we quickly realized that wasn't what the viewers wanted out of their VMAs.

I've now had the letters "MTV" in front of my job title for 24 years and can tell you that this is a network that doesn't grow up, or old, with its audience -- and neither do the VMAs. The show is constantly evolving, and our audience expects change, innovation, risk and creativity from us. It takes the effort of hundreds of people combined with dedicated artists to plan, create and share amazing moments like when Pink sang "Sober" from a trapeze high above the VMAs' stage or when Taylor Swift sang "You Belong With Me" as she ran up from a New York subway car to take over 6th Avenue.

But, we also know that we need to create the right formula for unexpected moments, which means getting the right mix of people in the same room with the perfect music for a memorable night.

This year's entire show is re-imagined for today's generation of viewers. The show will open with Lady Gaga, followed by a night of incredible performances by Beyonc , Adele, Bruno Mars, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Pitbull and Young the Giant. The legendary Tony Bennett will present a special tribute to Amy Winehouse. And, we will be watching along with the rest of the world to see what surprise moments steal the show.

From a leaky tent outside the Palladium to the highly designed, immersive time portal environment viewers will see this year, the VMAs have absolutely evolved through the years. The constant, though, are the talented artists who take over the VMA stage, capturing our audience's attention with legendary, iconic moments that will be remembered for years to come.

Early presidential polls no indication of eventual outcome

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Texas Gov. Rick Perry surged to the front of the pack in Gallup poll this week
• Late entries in previous races have made a similar splash only to fizzle later
• Fred Thompson's late entry in 2007 placed him ahead of eventual nominee John McCain
• Late entry Wesley Clark jumped in with a substantial lead over eventual nominee John Kerry in 2003.

(CNN) -- If polls were right early in the 2008 primaries, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani would have sailed on to become the Republican nominee for president.

That clearly didn't happen.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the Republican race two weeks ago well after most of the field and surged past the other contenders in a Gallup Poll released Wednesday. Perry has the backing of 29% of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 17%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at 13% and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota at 10%. But that doesn't mean much this early in the race.

Between now and the first voting early next year, campaigns will rise and fall on their strategy and events beyond their control. Candidates' standings could look very different than they do now.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee got into the 2008 Republican primary race relatively late, announcing his candidacy on "The Tonight Show" in early September 2007. The politician-turned-actor-turned-politician saw a surge in a Gallup Poll taken September 7-12 when 22% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said Thompson was their choice. Giuliani was first with 34% of the vote.

The eventual GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain, was a distant third with 15%.

Thompson was criticized for being a "lazy" candidate who "didn't have his heart" in the race. The same cannot be said for Perry, who jumped into the race with both cowboy boot-clad feet and has campaigned relentlessly in the key early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

(CNN) -- If polls were right early in the 2008 primaries, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani would have sailed on to become the Republican nominee for president.

That clearly didn't happen.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the Republican race two weeks ago well after most of the field and surged past the other contenders in a Gallup Poll released Wednesday. Perry has the backing of 29% of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 17%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at 13% and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota at 10%. But that doesn't mean much this early in the race.

Between now and the first voting early next year, campaigns will rise and fall on their strategy and events beyond their control. Candidates' standings could look very different than they do now.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee got into the 2008 Republican primary race relatively late, announcing his candidacy on "The Tonight Show" in early September 2007. The politician-turned-actor-turned-politician saw a surge in a Gallup Poll taken September 7-12 when 22% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said Thompson was their choice. Giuliani was first with 34% of the vote.

The eventual GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain, was a distant third with 15%.

Thompson was criticized for being a "lazy" candidate who "didn't have his heart" in the race. The same cannot be said for Perry, who jumped into the race with both cowboy boot-clad feet and has campaigned relentlessly in the key early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Thompson's poll numbers fell and he was out of the race before the first month of primaries and caucuses was over in January.

Giuliani's lead fizzled because he pretty much chose to ignore early voting states and concentrate all his energy on the Florida primary. But that made the Florida vote make-or-break for Giuliani and when he finished third there, he was out of the race.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark jumped into the 2004 Democratic race later than most of his rivals, announcing his candidacy in September 2003. Shortly after, he had a nearly 10-point lead in polls. A Gallup Poll conducted September 19-21, 2003, showed Clark (22%) leading the field of 10 Democrats, which included Howard Dean (13%) and John Kerry (11%).

At the time, Gallup offered this analysis: "The key question for Clark would be whether he can sustain this momentum. Polls conducted throughout the year have showed similar bounces for candidates just after they formally announced their intentions to run, but these increases have been short-lived. And as this suggests, much can change between now and the first crucial contests in Iowa and New Hampshire next January."

They were right. Clark's campaign fizzled by early February and Kerry went on to be the nominee.

Dykstra charged with indecent exposure

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Lenny Dykstra charged Thursday with two counts of indecent exposure
• Charges accuse him of allegedly exposing himself to women solicited on Craigslist
• The former MLB star is scheduled to be arraigned on September 7

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Former Major League Baseball star Lenny Dykstra was charged Thursday with two counts of indecent exposure for allegedly exposing himself to women he solicited on Craigslist.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's office says the charges stem from multiple reports involving Dykstra dating back to 2009.

The charges accuse Dykstra of "placing ads on Craigslist requesting a personal assistant or housekeeping services. The victims allege when they arrive, they were informed that the job also requires massage service and then he (Dykstra) would disrobe and he would expose himself," said Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan.

Dykstra, a three-time major league All-Star outfielder who played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, is scheduled to be arraigned on September 7 in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Former Major League Baseball star Lenny Dykstra was charged Thursday with two counts of indecent exposure for allegedly exposing himself to women he solicited on Craigslist.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's office says the charges stem from multiple reports involving Dykstra dating back to 2009.

The charges accuse Dykstra of "placing ads on Craigslist requesting a personal assistant or housekeeping services. The victims allege when they arrive, they were informed that the job also requires massage service and then he (Dykstra) would disrobe and he would expose himself," said Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan.

Dykstra, a three-time major league All-Star outfielder who played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, is scheduled to be arraigned on September 7 in Los Angeles.

UK jets bomb Gadhafi's hometown

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: There's fierce fighting around Sirte
• AU council fails to recognize NTC
• Amnesty says Gadhafi loyalists killed detainees
• One plane ablaze as Gadhafi loyalists shell airport

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Opposition and NATO forces took aim at the Gadhafi regime in Tripoli and Sirte on Friday as rebels worked to consolidate their power across strife-torn Libya.

British warplanes pounded a "large headquarters bunker" overnight in Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, the UK Defence Ministry said on Friday. Tornado aircraft fired a salvo of precision-guided missiles into the city, east of Tripoli on the central coast.

The opposition says its forces made late gains on Thursday as it closed in on Sirte, and clashes flared on Friday in that region, considered by fighters as a hot war zone.

Tornado aircraft destroyed one of Gadhafi's "few remaining long range surface to air missile systems, near Al Watiyah, close to the Tunisian border on Thursday, the ministry said.

The ministry said Tornados and Typhoons destroyed a loyalist-held command and control site in the Tripoli area, also on Thursday. Britain is part of NATO's mission to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the protection of Libyan people against Gadhafi regime forces.

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Opposition and NATO forces took aim at the Gadhafi regime in Tripoli and Sirte on Friday as rebels worked to consolidate their power across strife-torn Libya.

British warplanes pounded a "large headquarters bunker" overnight in Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, the UK Defence Ministry said on Friday. Tornado aircraft fired a salvo of precision-guided missiles into the city, east of Tripoli on the central coast.

The opposition says its forces made late gains on Thursday as it closed in on Sirte, and clashes flared on Friday in that region, considered by fighters as a hot war zone.

Tornado aircraft destroyed one of Gadhafi's "few remaining long range surface to air missile systems, near Al Watiyah, close to the Tunisian border on Thursday, the ministry said.

The ministry said Tornados and Typhoons destroyed a loyalist-held command and control site in the Tripoli area, also on Thursday. Britain is part of NATO's mission to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the protection of Libyan people against Gadhafi regime forces.

As for the airport, rebels said they controlled the facility, but were struggling to secure an area east of it controlled by Gadhafi loyalists.

They claim Gadhafi loyalists have been indiscriminately shelling the airport from a civilian village east of the facility in an effort to repel the advance of rebel forces. Rebels say they are cautious in their response to the incoming fire because of the civilian casualties.

One aircraft burned as loyalists resumed mortar and Grad rocket shelling of the airport, according to a CNN team that witnessed the attack.

This comes amid world concerns over revenge killings by rebels and loyalists.

Amnesty International has gathered accounts from survivors of abuse in Zawiya by pro-Gadhafi soldiers and rebel forces. It also issued a report on Friday about the killings of detainees in Tripoli by Gadhafi loyalists.

Evidence emerged of executions in the battle for Tripoli.

A dozen bodies, with their hands bound behind them, were discovered near Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli where fierce fighting erupted Thursday.

Rebels at the scene told CNN they had been executed by Gadhafi's men, but it was not immediately clear. The victims were black Africans, who composed a large part of Gadhafi's army.

The discovery of the bodies came a day after a doctor at a Tripoli hospital told CNN that he had examined a number of dead rebels who appeared to have been executed with a bullet to the head.

On the political front, the opposition National Transitional Council has announced it is moving its political base to Tripoli from its strong in Benghazi in eastern Libya.

Libya's rebel leadership on Friday pleaded urgently with the United States and other countries to unfreeze billions of dollars, saying the funds are vital to establish peace and stability in the nation.

"Our friends throughout the world are talking about the procedures needed to bring back peace and stability," Mahmoud Jibril, a senior NTC leader, told reporters at an international conference in Turkey. But we cannot do that unless we can fulfill our duties."

His call for funds came a day after the U.N. Security Council's sanctions committee approved a U.S. request to free up $1.5 billion of the at least $100 billion in Libyan assets frozen at the start of the war.

The National Transitional Council has been recognized by nations and alliances across the globe. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union failed to do so at a Friday meeting.

Neverthless, the council issued a communique that urged the "formation of an inclusive transitional government."

It called for the "establishment of a constitutional and legislative framework for the democratic transformation of Libya, as well as for support towards the organization of elections and the national reconciliation process."

It encouraged "the Libyan stakeholders to accelerate the process leading to the formation of an all-inclusive transitional government that would be welcome to occupy the seat of Libya in the AU, which represents countries across Africa.

CNN's Dan Rivers, Sara Sidner, Arwa Damon, Raja Razek, Jomana Karadsheh, Hada Messia, Barbara Starr, Chelsea J. Carter and Pam Benson contributed to this report.

FCC investigates earthquake phone jam

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• After Tuesday's earthquake, many wireless customers said they couldn't place calls
• Carriers say the problem was too many calls at once -- not damage from the quake
• FCC will talk with carriers about ways to make 911 calls top priority during emergencies
• FEMA advises sending a text if you can't place call; system can handle more texts

Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Communications Commission says it is looking into the failures of cell phone service that occurred Tuesday afternoon after the East Coast earthquake. For as long as an hour after the quake, wireless customers in Washington and elsewhere reported being unable to get calls through.

Jamie Barnett, chief of the FCC's Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, said that when the cell phone networks get overloaded by call volume, crucial calls might fail to go through.

"We were very concerned with the fact that 9-1-1 calls were also congested," he said. "We want to make sure that people who need emergency help are able to get it."

Although the congestion might not have jeopardized any lives in this particular incident, he said, "these are the moments when mobile phone service is needed most -- and disruptions puts lives at risk."

Major phone carriers conceded that wireless service was problematic on Tuesday, but they blamed it on too many calls being placed at once, rather than any damage to their networks or infrastructure.

Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Communications Commission says it is looking into the failures of cell phone service that occurred Tuesday afternoon after the East Coast earthquake. For as long as an hour after the quake, wireless customers in Washington and elsewhere reported being unable to get calls through.

Jamie Barnett, chief of the FCC's Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, said that when the cell phone networks get overloaded by call volume, crucial calls might fail to go through.

"We were very concerned with the fact that 9-1-1 calls were also congested," he said. "We want to make sure that people who need emergency help are able to get it."

Although the congestion might not have jeopardized any lives in this particular incident, he said, "these are the moments when mobile phone service is needed most -- and disruptions puts lives at risk."

Major phone carriers conceded that wireless service was problematic on Tuesday, but they blamed it on too many calls being placed at once, rather than any damage to their networks or infrastructure.

Steve Largent of the industry's Wireless Association said that it was comparable to a flood of cars causing a traffic jam at rush hour. "A huge number of users were trying to use the same highway at the same time, which caused the jam," he said.

He argued that one solution would be to apportion more bandwidth to the wireless industry. "With more spectrum, we'd have more lanes that would allow more users," he said.

But University of Maryland engineering professor Ashok Agrawala said that solving the problem was not that simple.

"Whichever system you design has a finite capacity," he said. Moreover, he said, "if they built a capacity which can handle the peak load that we had at the time of the earthquake, most of the time, most of that system will remain idle. And that will be expensive," he said, making everyone's phone bills go up.

Still, why don't 911 calls get priority over all other cell phone calls?

"There should be some way to prioritize it for emergency calls," said FCC's Barnett. "Technology is on the way, called LTE, that would allow it to go to the top of the cue." He said the FCC is asking the major cell carriers to consult with them on implementing it.

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, just days after that earthquake, residents might wonder whether the same problem will strike again. Since a storm does not strike at a single instant, a sudden overload of calls is less likely. But if cell phone towers are affected, wireless callers could again face trouble getting through.

Officials and phone companies suggest that customers who can't get a connection should try texting instead.

On Tuesday, @FEMA tweeted this: "Reminder: If cell phone service is busy, text or e-mail friends/family to let them know you're OK."

How can text messages get through, even when phone calls can't?

A live, two-minute phone call takes a full two minutes to transmit -- it can't be shortened, and it can't be time-shifted.

But a 100-character text can be transmitted in a fraction of a second, and can be put in a cue to be transmitted whenever a free route is identified.

Sprint spokeswoman Crystal Davis said, "We could get roughly 30-50 text messages (if not more) sent in the same period of time a call would take place."

Piecing together details of Jobs' health history

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Steve Jobs found out he had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 2003
• He underwent surgery to remove it in 2004
• He had a liver transplant in 2009

He was Steve Jobs' right-hand man and co-creator of the first Apple computer. Steve Wozniak talks to Piers Morgan about his time with Jobs and more on "Piers Morgan Tonight" at 9 p.m. ET Thursday on CNN.

(CNN) -- Steve Jobs has been notoriously private about his health, but as he steps down as CEO of the company he helped invent and re-invent, speculation abounds that he has gotten very sick.

In his resignation statement, he alludes to his inability to continue in his role at the company.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," Jobs wrote in a letter addressed to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community.

Neither Jobs nor the company has revealed concrete details of his condition. Based on the public information about his health history, there are many possibilities, including cancer recurrence and liver transplant rejection.

Steve Jobs: From college dropout to tech visionary

Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, kind of pancreatic cancer that tends to grow slowly. It's relatively uncommon, representing only 5% of all pancreatic tumors. Diagnosis usually happens when the cancer has advanced; tumors are often detected after the cancer has spread to the liver, said Dr. Craig Devoe, pancreatic cancer specialist at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, New York, who did not treat Jobs.

Treatment options include surgery, hormone replacement, chemotherapy and radiation.

(CNN) -- Steve Jobs has been notoriously private about his health, but as he steps down as CEO of the company he helped invent and re-invent, speculation abounds that he has gotten very sick.

In his resignation statement, he alludes to his inability to continue in his role at the company.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," Jobs wrote in a letter addressed to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community.

Neither Jobs nor the company has revealed concrete details of his condition. Based on the public information about his health history, there are many possibilities, including cancer recurrence and liver transplant rejection.

Steve Jobs: From college dropout to tech visionary

Jobs revealed in 2004 that he had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, kind of pancreatic cancer that tends to grow slowly. It's relatively uncommon, representing only 5% of all pancreatic tumors. Diagnosis usually happens when the cancer has advanced; tumors are often detected after the cancer has spread to the liver, said Dr. Craig Devoe, pancreatic cancer specialist at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, New York, who did not treat Jobs.

Treatment options include surgery, hormone replacement, chemotherapy and radiation.

In a rare moment of openness about his condition, Jobs revealed a few details of his diagnosis in a 2005 speech at Stanford University's commencement ceremony.

Jobs recalled having a scan one morning in 2003 that showed a tumor in his pancreas and doctors telling him "this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months."

"Later that evening, I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope, the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery, and I'm fine now."

But the timing wasn't that clear-cut. In between diagnosis and surgery, he pursued an alternative therapy approach for nine months, hoping a special diet would allow him to avoid surgery, according to a 2008 Fortune magazine article.

On July 31, 2004, at the Stanford University Medical Clinic in Palo Alto, California, Jobs underwent surgery to remove his tumor.

"This weekend I underwent a successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from my pancreas," Jobs wrote in an e-mail to Apple's staff the next week. "I will be recuperating during the month of August, and expect to return to work in September."

Reports have suggested that this surgery was a Whipple procedure, a complex operation that involves removing the "head" of the pancreas in addition to the gallbladder and parts of the stomach, bile duct and small intestine. This can result in digestive problems and weight loss.

"The hope is that you remove all visible disease," Devoe said.

Jobs said in January 2009 that doctors said he dropped so much weight because of "a hormone imbalance that has been 'robbing' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis."

The former CEO never disclosed any more details; doctors unaffiliated with his care said a variety of conditions could have caused the weight loss, including cancer and diabetes.

If related to his a recurrence of his cancer, a pancreatic tumor would typically lead to an overproduction of hormones including glucagon, which results in weight loss if produced in excess, Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick said in 2009. Mechanick, a clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, was not involved in Jobs' care.

That same year, Jobs underwent a liver transplant in Tennessee. Dr. James D. Eason of Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute announced in June 2009 that "Mr. Jobs is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis."

The odds are against the pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer patient who has a liver transplant, but close to half of the patients may be free of cancer four to five years after the transplantation, said Dr. Simon Lo, director of the Pancreatic and Biliary Diseases Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who did not treat Jobs.

Still, relatively few liver transplants have been performed as a treatment for neuroendocrine tumors, making it a somewhat experimental option, Devoe said. If the patient has a lot of disease in the liver, it can extend life, but there's no guarantee that this will remove all of the cancer remaining in the body.

And immunosupression drugs required after a liver transplant could allow any remaining cancer to grow faster, Devoe said.

In rare cases, immune suppression itself can also cause cancer, said Dr. James Yao, oncologist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who has not treated Jobs.

On the bright side, there are two new cancer drugs that have been approved this year that may apply to someone in Jobs' situation, experts say.

Everolimus is available to treat pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and prevents transplant rejection. But there are serious potential side effects, which may include lung or breathing problems, infections and renal failure, which may lead to death.

Sunitinib malate is prescribed for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, kidney cancer and GIST, a rare cancer of the bowel, esophagus or stomach. This too carries its risks; it can cause liver problems and death.

"The good news that this is an area where there are a lot of advances," Yao said.