Why we cheat, the psychology and Science Behind cheating. Were all over it. Dont miss it tomorrow. Thats it for me here m im Brooke Baldwin in atlanta. Now we go to washington to wolf blitzer. The situation room begins now. Brooke, thanks very much. Happening now, breaking news. Americans held hostage in a deadly terrorist attack in algeria. Well have the latest. Also, the president of the nra is here in the situation room. Were getting his reaction to the sweeping proposals against gun violence. And the president ial inauguration only five days away. Well take you inside the Law Enforcement command center working to keep him safe. Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. This is cnn breaking news. Lets get to the breaking news. A deadly terrorist attack on a gas field in eastern algeria near the libyan border. Some of the more than 40 hostages seized have been released but a number of them are still being held, including americans. The state Department Confirms those americans are affiliated with the oil giant bp. Lets bring in elise labott. The latest information youre getting is what . Well, at first these assailants, these affiliatedal qaeda militants tried to storm a bus, these bp employees headed for an air field in nearby eastern algeria, that was not successful. Then they stormed the compound of this living the living quarters of this air field and they took about 40 hostages. We understand that about seven americans were not sure. It could be a little bit more, a little less are being held as well as britain, japan, norway, and ir labd. Do we know who these americans are, what they were doing there precisely . They were all working in some capacity for bp. Its a very remote area and thats all that is going on, is this gas field in the area. We know the state department has been in touch. Were told by officials with some of the families, not all. So they are hesitant to release their names until all of the families are involved. We understand some nationals have other countries have called their families to tell them that they were being taken hostage but the families here in america havent be said anything yet, wolf. The u. S. Calling this a terrorist incident. Do we know who these terrorists are . Why are they calling it a terrorist incident . Because they say that this group is related with al qaeda and al qaeda and islamic the group is called the brigade of the masked ones. Brigade of what . The brigade of the masked ones. Masked ones . Masked ones. We know that they are based in northern mali. We understand that they are also in northern libya. What is happening is they are saying that this is retribution for france getting for algeria giving france access to its air space for this offensive weve been reporting on in eastern mali. This horn nest nest in mali is shaking over these militants that are believed to be involved have ties to the Islamic Groups involved in the benghazi attack against the u. S. Consulate. This is the concern right now, that this is spilling over to other areas of the region. So americans are now being held. What is the u. S. Doing . What are you hearing . What is the u. S. Government trying to do, the military and civilian sector . Well, right now we understand that on the diplomatic front the u. S. Is letting the algerian take the leads. The algerians have voubded the compound. They are trying to negotiate with the kidnappers. We are told that in addition to this retribution that they are talking about, they are also asking for some of their prisoners who were being held by algeria and other countries to be released and sent to northern mali. They are handling that. Obviously the u. S. Has assets in the region and can be contemplating some type of rescue. Elise, thank you very much. Were learning that africa is taking the lead on the military side of the crisis. Lets go to our pentagon correspondent, chris lawrence. Chris, if needed, where could the military help come from . It could come from europe and even closer. A Senior Defense official tells me now that defense secretary leon panetta has assured americans that the u. S. Military will take all necessary and proper steps to deal with this attack. What could that mean . Most importantly, the pentagons Africa Command has what is called a commander and extremist force. Its a small, very lethal force that is dedicated to hostage rescue and counterterrorism. They are at an undisclosed location but were told they are on a very, very short window to be put into action. Now, expanding out just a little bit, take a look at the map, look at where algeria is. Look at where this oil facility is. You can take a look in italy, the u. S. Has air bases in italy which they could use a cargo lift, they could also use surveillance plates from there and they also have about 150 marines that are trained in crisis intervention in italy and also as we move over to rota, spain, there are two marine corps antiterrorism bases there. Further out, if necessary, back here on the east coast, all u. S. Special Operations Forces are operating on about a fourhour window to be mobilized, if needed. What does that mean, a fourhour window for special Operation Forces . Lets say North Carolina or anyplace. What does that mean, specifically . That means at any point in time, whether its s. E. A. L. S or delta force, the commanders could call on these special forces and within about four hours they could be ready to go. And then they move. What has to happen before that . What happens first before they do that . Theyve got a get a clear situation of what is going on on the ground and what were hearing is they just dont have that yet. They really want to understand exactly how many hostage takers they are dealing with. The real the detailed layout of this oil facility, is it easy to defend or difficult to defend and a better idea of the territory around it, how you would get in, how you would get out, those are all questions that they would want to get answered and, of course, youve still got the state department and the algerians working and perhaps talking so that this maybe does not have to come down to some sort of military response. Chris, i know youre working the story for us. Well stay on top of the breaking news. Chris lawrence over at the pentagon. Other Important News today, with a stroke of a pen, president obama signs 23 new executive aks. Hes vowing to use whatever weight his office has without congressional approval to battle gun violence in the wake of the devastating massacre in newtown, connecticut can. Hes also calling on congress to approve the most sweeping Gun Legislation in decades. Standing at his side, four children, each of whom wrote him letters like this one, which reads let me put it up on the screen. Dear president obama, i beg you to try very hard to make guns not allowed. Lets go to our chief white house correspondent, jessica yellin. She was there when the president and Vice President announced their plan. Give us the latest. Whats going on . Reporter wolf, 33 days after the newtown shooting, the president has unveiled his proposal to overhaul the gun safety rules and hes makingt clear that he hopes to channel the nations outrage over that sandy hook tragedy into congressional action. President obama laid out an ambitious agenda to change the nations gun safety rules and insisted he wont back down from a fight. I will put everything i have into this and so will joe. But i tell you, the only way we can change is if the American People demand it. Reporter he used the power of the presidency using executive actions allowing the government to crack down on gun crimes, like tracking stolen guns and prosecuting people who use them, improving background checks with more Mental Health reporting and information sharing, upping School Resources and supporting Mental Health with more teachers and counselors. Congress needs to help rather than hinder Law Enforcement as it does its job. So hes calling on congress to step it up, too, with a ban on armor piercing bullets, stricter gun trafficking laws and for cops on the streets. But the priorities will be pushing congress to ban highcapacity magazines and making background checks universal. His point man on the issue predicts tough politics. I have no illusions about what were up against or how hard the task is in front of us. Reporter to make the case, he brought persuasive advocates, Elementary School kids who wrote the president after the sandy hook shooting. Julia said julia, where are you . There you go. Im not scared for my safety. Im scared for others. Reporter what do you hope can happen . Well, i hope its much harder for people to buy guns. I hope that like people with Mental Illness dont cant buy a gun. Reporter what made you write the president . I wanted the children that still have their lives now to be safe instead of endangered. Reporter its a message the president hopes will deliver results. Lets do the right thing. Lets do the right thing for them and for this country that we love so much. Reporter and wolf, they are not just leaving that to chance already. Grassroots organizations that work with the white house are mobilizing to push this agenda. They include the Campaign Apparatus which will help press the message. Moveon. Org is undertaking its own efforts so is mayors against illegal guns. Some of those mayors will be at the white house later this week, wolf. The president has a lot on his plate in the first few weeks of his second term. Do we expect him to take his campaign against gun violence out there on the road as well . Reporter wolf, that is something that he said he will do, and i would expect this is a top priority. We could see him pressing this on the trail in the public eye. They have not made that explicit point but i suspect its something this president would have in his mind, yes. Jessica yellin, thanks very much. Coming up in a few minutes, this hour in the situation room, the president of the National Rifle association, david keene will join me live. Well get his reaction to the president s ambitious plan. Ill also ask him about a new nra ad talking about the president s daughters, an ad that says the president is being a hypocrite. Did that ad cross a line . And a ball of flames in the middle of london after a Helicopter Crashes during rush hour. Were going live with what caused the crash. 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One of the harshest critics of president obamas battle against gun violence is the National Rifle association. But some, including Many Democrats on capitol hill, are criticizing a new nra ad that mentions the president s daughters and calls him an elitist hypocrite. They say that ad goes way too far. Jim acosta is joining us now with more on the details. This ad has really generated a huge, huge uproar. Thats right. They call the ad dangerous. There is no doubt, the tactics have been effective over the decades in blocking gun control and the question is whether the latest ad will backfire. The nations most powerful advocate for the Second Amendment had already launched a preemptive strike. Are the president s kids more important than yours . And why is he skeptical about putting Armed Security in our schools . The National Rifle association calls attention to the secret Service Protection calling attention to malia and sasha at their private school in washington. Protection for their kids and gunfree zones for ours. The proposal forearmed Police Officers nationwide is a reminder of the nras hardball tactics to hit the halls of congress. But nancy pelosi heading into a hearing of new gun restrictions with mayor nutter says the ad crosses the line. It was completely inappropriate to include the president s children. They have protection because of National Security and it was really inappropriate. Do you think the nra made a mistake there . Other House Democrats say that the ad mounted to intimidation. That kind of bad is i think its dangerous. It was irresponsible and, you know, this is not your grandfathers nra. There was also outrage saying that the president s children should not be used as pawns in a political fight, said jay carney. But to make the children the subject of an attack ad is cowardly. And the nra says, i warned you this day was coming and now its here. This is the fight of the century and i need you on board with the nra now more than ever. At his news conference, president obama indicated he knew this was coming. This will be difficult. There will be pundits and politicians and special interest lobbyists publicly warning of an al out assault on liberty. The superintendent of the Newtown School system said shes not backing down either. I was going to be tough, isnt it, for your side to prevail on this . Im standing here talking about children and i have no issue at all with peoples Second Amendment rights but i will tell you, i have no locks. I have no artificial barriers i can put up to withstand an ar15. Weve tried to reach out to the nra to ask the organization about the ad but they did not respond to our request about the comment. They released a more toned down statement saying the lobby looks forward to working with congress on a bipartisan basis. Wolf, its worth pointing out we also tried to reach out to house republicans, many of them out of town on a political retreat down in virginia. And this ad is hardly costing the nra any money. They are not really placing a lot of spots out there. Its just getting a lot of free Media Attention on social media and so forth and thats how it makes the rounds. Its going viral. The president of the nra, david keene is coming to the situation room, hell be joining me live this hour and well get his reaction to the uproar that that ad has caused. Well see what he has to say. Thanks very much for that, jim ask acosta. Here we are, orc polls on gun control. They are just coming in. Take a look at this, new numbers just coming in. 56 of those polled say existing gun laws make it too easy to buy guns with just 3 saying they make it too difficult. 40 saying they are just about right. Joining us now to breakdown these numbers is our chief political analyst gloria borger. So a majority, 56 , too easy to buy gun, 40 , just about right. That majority should make it relatively easy for the president to get his wish and see this legislation passed. Well, would you think so. But not so fast. For a while now the public has really been in favor of more gun control. Newtown brings a new urgency, just like columbine or Virginia Tech or aurora, colorado. But that doesnt mean, wolf, that the politics of gun control have completely evolved and when we heard the president this morning, its clear he was pretty realistic about what his chances are about getting all of these things through. Heres another issue politically for the president. For two decades now, the intensity has been on the side of the nra. That the people who were single issue voters on guns, against regulation, come out and vote in midterm elections on that single issue. The big question now is, be after newtown, whether those who support regulation can become single issue voters in favor of regulation and whether they can mobilize enough support to pressure members of congress to either change their views or moderate their views a bit so they can get some of this package through. So take away some of the intensity from the nra voters. Take a look at these numbers in these polls and youre digging deep. How realistic is the American Public when it comes to the whole issue of gun control . I think the public is quite realistic. Take a look at this. While the public clearly favors gun control and you see here that 55 favor gun control, 44 oppose. So thats quite a hefty 11point margin. But then when you ask the question of whether you believe that gun control is going to fix violence in this country, look at this, by a two to one margin people say, you know what, this alone is not going to fix the problem. They understand that there are lots of factors that go into this, including how you deal with crazy people who would do such a thing in the Mental Health system and they understand that the laws that were proposed today would not have resolved the adam lanza problem, that it is a larger issue that has a lot of factors to consider. They want gun control but they understand its not a single solution to the problem. Most people at the white house up on capitol hill, they think part of the president s legislative proposal is a new ban on militarytype assault weapons. The other background checks, maybe the am