and ryan seacrest talks to justin bieber in what could be his most revealing interview yet today, thursday, september 13th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursy morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer, and we're following breaking news once again this morning. let's take a look at these live images from cairo where security forces are clashing with demonstrators. it's near the u.s. embassy and it's happening for a second straight day. this after angry protesters made it on to the grounds of the embassy in yemen's capital city overnight. >> there are reports that the perimeter of the compound there was breached and american flags burned. but we're told order has now been restored at the embassy in yemen. meantime, a u.s. warship has arrived off the libyan coast. a second is expected to arrive in the coming days. and overnight, president obama called the presidents of both libya and egypt to talk about the response to the violence there. >> meanwhile, flags flying at half staff at u.s. government buildings around the world for the four victims of the attack on the consulate in benghazi, libya, including ambassador chris stevens. and mitt romney taking heat from members of his own party for his criticism of the statement from the u.s. embassy in cairo following the initial demonstration there. this morning, we'll hear what president obama has to say about that. and we'll get reaction from republican senator john mccain. we want to get right to nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. i'm now overlooking cairo's famous tahrir square, where the protests were taking place. now a very different scene. there was an anti-american demonstration also clashes underway. in the corner there, that is the street that leads to the united states embassy. and for the last hour or so, we've been seeing egyptian security guards firing tear gas at protesters trying to keep them away from the embassy walls. a very similar scene going -- taking place right now in the city of yemen in the capital of yemen, where protesters even managed to breach the compound walls. >> reporter: another assault on a u.s. embassy, this time in yemen. protesters threw stones at the embassy walls in the capital. they climbed the gate, set fire, and raised posters denouncing a once obscure u.s.-based internet movie that portrays the prophet mohammed. personnel in yemen were reportedly moved to a secure location. in cairo, more clashes, but this time, it's egyptian security pushing back. they fired tear gas to drive protesters away from the u.s. embassy in cairo. and the new egyptian president rejected violence against u.s. diplomats in a televised statement and said he told that to president obama in a phone call this morning. wednesday night in an interview with telemundo, the president was asked if the new regime in egypt is an ally. >> i don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. they are a new government that is trying to find its way. they were democratically elected. >> reporter: in egypt where these demonstrations started, the anger appears to have been spontaneous as hard-line muslims were outraged by the anti-islamic internet video. libya was an altogether different story. that was an on commando assault with mortars and rpgs on the u.s. consulate in benghazi. the attackers fought gun battles with u.s. and libya personnel for five hours until the u.s. ambassador and others were dead. the attack appeared too well organized to have been entirely spontaneo spontaneous. the libyan government profusely apologized. now washington is hunting the militants responsible. al qaeda cells in libya are a likely target. al qaeda recently threatened retaliation against the u.s. for its killing last summer of al qaeda's second in command, a libyan militant. intelligence officials suggest killing u.s. ambassador chris stevens in benghazi may have been al qaeda's response. a shock to the state department and his friends. >> we've lost really a great statesman. we've lost one of the highest quality people that anyone could ever know. >> as coffins of the american personnel were loaded on a train in tripoli, outside the white house a candle light vigil to honor the dead amid promises of delivering justice. >> reporter: the clashes in front of the u.s. embassy here are somewhat sporadic. they will have moments of intensity and then die down. they could become significantly worse tomorrow. there are also nationwide demonstrations to denounce any kind of american anti-islamic stance. those demonstrations have been endorsed by the political party of the egyptian president. matt? >> all right, richard engel in cairo for us this morning. thank you very much. michael is an nbc terrorism and national security analyst. he's also the former director of the u.s. national counterterrorism center. michael, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> it seems now unlikely that the situation in benghazi, libya was some kind of a spontaneous protest over that internet film. it seems much more likely it was a well-planned military-style terrorist attack. give me your thoughts on that. >> i think that's probably right, matt. the way in which these weapons were used, small arms, rocket-propelled grenades. and also once there was resistance, the attackers kept coming for many hours. this really does suggest these were organized militants. now, whether or not they were simply taking advantage of the disruption that was being caused by other protests, how long it was actually planned, what the actual motivation was, it's hard to know. but this really does look different from what we've seen in cairo and today in yemen. >> that's the real point, isn't it? in cairo, the protesters showed up with anti-american banners, and in libya, showed up with small automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. >> the common theme here, there's obviously a serious undercurrent of anti-americanism in this region. and with the arab awakening, it's become much easier for that to be expressed. and we are so incredibly reliant on the security of the host nation. their security forces to push back on this and secure our people. but there is this added element in libya, which clearly was organized and intended to kill rather than just a protest. >> well, let me ask you, the president has pledged that justice will be carried out in libya. but given the fact that country has gone through and is still in some ways going through such dramatic change, what are our intelligence abilities and capabilities in that country? >> it's a very difficult environment for us to operate there. we have many agencies there. the department of defense, obviously the intelligence community, the cia and others who will do their best to figure out where this might have come from. the fbi will also go over and do a forensic examination. and with that, we'll start to get indications of who might have been responsible. but ultimately, we still are going to be very reliant on the government of libya. and thankfully, they have said and done all the right things thus far to pursue this and also secure our institutions in the future. >> thanks for your perspective this morning. i appreciate it. >> my pleasure, good to see you. >> you too. it's 7:09, here's savannah. thanks. senator john mccain was a key advocate for early u.s. intervention in libya and a friend of chris stevens. good morning. >> good morning. >> do you believe that ambassador stevens was the intended target of terrorists? >> i do. i think the indications of how this attack was carried out clearly indicate that's the case. and i'd remind you, savannah, that they just went through a very bloody conflict and there's thousands of weapons in libya. they have a very weak government. this is their first experiment in democracy. the al qaeda elements are throughout the country. their borders are poor, and it makes for a difficult situation. but our genuine american hero, chris stevens, i was with him on election day on july 7th in libya. and they voted for a moderate government, not an islamic government. the majority of the libyan people are not the kind of people that attacked the u.s. embassy yesterday. >> i know, senator, that chris stevens was a friend of yours. he did not seek out the cushy assignments, what would you want people to know about him? >> well, i think the american people should know he risked his life daily as our representative in benghazi during the conflict that eventually overthrew qadhafi. he had a keen sense of humor, he loved his country, he loved the libyans. and i want to assure you that the last thing chris stevens would want for us to do today is withdraw because democracy does have a chance in libya. and that was his goal. >> let me ask you about the politics of this. this is one way into the presidential campaign. in the early hours of this, the embassy in cairo issued a statement trying to distance itself from that anti-muslim film. they said they condemned the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of muslims. mitt romney, the republican presidential candidate seized on that and accused the obama administration of basically apologizing for american values. let's set aside the substance of those remarks for a moment. let me ask you about the timing. was it correct for mitt romney to seize on that political opportunity at a moment when the u.s. ambassador had been killed? >> well, first of all, the statement as i understand it was issued before the news of libya came up. it was a very weak statement on the part of -- if you read it in its entirety on the part of the embassy that does speak for the united states of america. they later withdrew it as the violence escalated there. but what this is all about is american weakness. and the president's inability to lead and iraq is dissolving, our relations with israel are at a tension point. he -- i'd like to see the president of the united states speak up once for the 20,000 people that are being massacred in syria. >> it sounds like you -- >> -- the essence of the american leadership in the region is very weak. i'm saying that the statement that was made about the statement that was made by the u.s. embassy was a very weak statement and an object proof of that is they withdrew that statement and changed it later on. they speak for the united states of america. >> let me play for you president obama's response to mitt romney on telemundo. >> i have observed that there's a tendency to shoot before you aim as i pointed out. and that as president, my obligation is to focus on security for our people and not having ideological arguments on a day when we are mourning the loss of outstanding, outstanding folks who have served our country very well. >> senator mccain, understanding that you do agree generally with what mitt romney said, did he miss the moment, did he misread the moment at a time when an ambassador was killed, it's a time to set aside politics. >> it's always a time to set aside politics, but the foreign policy is conducted by this president who opposed the surge, by the way. and now with the loss of so many american lives that we're -- in the words of the general, we won the war in iraq and we're losing peace. the situation with iran is such that the president of the united states will not even set deadlines. there is a belief in the middle east that the united states is weak and withdrawing and that's why you're seeing various countries and their leaders reacting. because they have to live in the neighborhood and they believe the united states is leaving. and this leadership is in a vacuum. and why the president of the united states won't help these syrians that are being massacred as we speak is beyond comprehension. >> well, senator john mccain, it's good to get your perspective. and our condolences on the loss of your friend, the ambassador. >> thank you. let's get a check of the rest of the top stories of the morning. natalie's standing by at the news desk with a new do. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning. a u.s. military strike on iran would likely spark a major war in the middle east. this according to a new report from former military and government officials. the assessment finds that iran would retaliate directly and through its allies and says an effective military operation in iran would be more demanding than the wars in iraq and afghanistan combined. this year's outbreak of the west nile virus is on track to be the deadliest ever. cases of the mosquito-bourn illness have jumped since last week, but the centers of the disease control says the worst of the outbreak has likely past. some 118 people have died from the virus so far this year. the teachers strike in chicago has dragged on into its fourth day. both the union and school district negotiators say they're making progress as talks resume this morning. now let's head to wall street. mary thompson's at the new york stock exchange. all eyes, once again, on the fed. >> that's right. focused on washington because the federal reserve concludes a two-day policy-making meeting today. and it's expected to launch a new bond-buying program and it's stimulating the economy by keeping interest rates low. the fed's efforts come amid concerns of the sluggish pace of the economic recovery even though the stock market continues its march higher. yesterday the dow closed at a 4 1/2 year high. back to you. >> thanks. well, starting next week, mcdonald's will add calorie counts to all of its menu boards with 14,000 locations nationwide. the fast food giant will become the largest chain to post nutritional information in a bid to help make customers make healthier choices. but if you think the big mac has the most calories on the menu, think again, it's the mcflurry with m&ms at 650 calories per serving. that is going to pack a punch, all right. now back over to matt, savannah, and al. >> it's going to pack a punch. >> get it with the reese's pieces. much better. >> well, we've got this front slowly making its way to the east. you can see all this rain stretching from texas all the way on up into wisconsin. rainfall amounts, some areas picking up up to 4 inches of rain. most of that really concentrated in central and northern texas on into oklahoma. shat's what's going on around and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you. apple's much awaited new iphone is finally here. the lightest and thinnest ever, but is it everything users were hoping for? jon fortt is in an apple store in palo alto, california. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. shoppers have more high-end smartphone choices than ever this fall with new phones launching from google and samsung in the past month. but yesterday, it was apple's turn. >> we're going to introduce iphone 5. >> reporter: after weeks of anticipati anticipation, speculation, and hype, here it is. >> it is an absolute jewel. >> reporter: apple's new smartphone, the iphone 5, lighter, thinner, taller, than previous versions. >> we've updated every aspect of iphone 5. everything has been enhanced, reengineered, redesigned over iphone 4s. >> reporter: the phone is apple's first with 4g-lte, and a brand new mapping program apple ditching google maps for their own. >> in 700 feet, the destination is on your right. >> i can zoom in or tap to rezoom. maybe from 20 feet away, it doesn't look much different, but when you hold it in your hand, touching is believing. >> reporter: new phone, new connector as you can see. it's smaller allowing more features to fit inside the newer phone. a new connector also means all of those accessories iphone users already own won't work with the iphone 5. >> well, we're creating a bunch of accessories to help you with that. this is a 30-pin to lightning adapter and works just like you'd expect. you can plug your 30-pin cable into it and into your iphone 5. >> analysts predict apple will sell well over 40 million units by the end of the year. maybe up to 200 million units by the end of next year. a potential boost to the u.s. economy. >> this is going to be huge. in a year, about 1 in every 5 people, we estimate in the u.s. is going to be using an iphone 5. that could add close to 1% to our overall gdp. >> apple has sold more than 244 million iphones since its debut in 2007. but with samsung narrowly leading the market in overall smartphone sales, apple's hoping 5 is the magic number. >> reporter: lots of tough competition out there for the iphone 5 this season, but hey, when apple does a big launch like this, their iphone is still the one to beat. now we're looking to see if apple also releases the mini ipad by the holiday season, matt. >> all right, jon fortt, thank you very much. what's your favorite feature on the iphone 5? head to today.com and we'll share the results next hour. i can tell you how it's going to go in terms of who here will buy the iphone 5. we'll all say no, and he'll show up with it and we'll all go, oh, i've got to have one of those. >> except for the connector, i'm surprised you don't have it yet. >> i think they should have gone with the mini -- the usb -- >> they're going to get it. >> probably. >> he's already ordered it. >> well, moving on. how would you like to be walking down the street and have fistfuls of cash roll your way? not too bad. it happened in los angeles during a bizarre and dangerous high-speed chase. >> it all began when four armed men held up a bank and they fled in a stolen suv. now, as police closed in, two of the suspects started dumping money, seemingly to cause problems for their pursuers. >> reporter: cops, robbers, and plenty of cash. >> okay. up on the sidewalk. >> reporter: not a hollywood blockbuster, just a highly unusual crime scene. wednesday in south los angeles, police chased a vehicle with four suspected bank robbers at speeds reaching 110 miles per hour. >> oh, wow. look. >> reporter: as many as a dozen cruisers jumped in pursuit. the real surprise was the money. for reasons known only to them, the suspects rolled down the windows and started tossing out cash. >> whoa, look at that. >> reporter: with the chase playing out live on tv, it didn't take long for people to start lining the streets, waiting for a passing windfall, rushing for the dollars they created a human obstacle course for the pursuing officers. >> this is really crazy. >> reporter: more than an hour after it began, the money trail and the pursuit came to an end. a vehicle pulled in front of the suspects and they were taken into custody. but the lure of free money had drawn a crowd. >> we want money! >> this is a mob scene. >> reporter: hundreds of spectators swarmed in, some, perhaps, looking for a stray bill. >> he's a robin hood for me. >> reporter: additional officers were called to the scene and soon order and good citizenship were restored. >> i'm told that several people have come up with a little bit of money they picked up on the street, 20s and singles and were looking for a place to turn that in. >> everyone was saying take the money and run. but no, it's not my money. i didn't work for this money. and i came to the station and said, you know what? here's the money i found on the street. >> reporter: during the chase, police took a gps position every time money left the vehicle. they know where to look for it and with the cameras rolling, they have a good start on tracking down anyone who might still be holding on to those stolen bills. >> and all four suspects are now in custody. police are urging anyone who scooped up cash to turn it in. >> good luck with that, right? >> what do you think? what percentage do you think they'll get back? >> people wil