NPR 2011-05-08

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jamie Mclntyre.

The Pentagon today released five unremarkable videos of Osama bin 1 Laden 2. Unremarkable except for the fact that they were bin Laden home videos, captured by US Navy SEALs, who raided his compound and shot him dead, but while the videos are a curiosity, NPR's Rachel Martin says the rest of the whole brought back by special operations commandos is turning out to be an intelligence bonanza 3.

A senior intelligence official said that they gleaned 4 what amounted to the most significant, largest collection of terrorism material ever. That included digital files, audio files, computers, computer equipment, recording 5 devices, even handwritten documents that they say couldn't have belonged to anyone else except Osama bin Laden. They say that we take away from all of this intelligence is that Osama bin Laden was far from a figurehead. He's someone they believe to be operationally significant to al-Qaeda, someone who is still involved in tactical planning and inspiring al-Qaeda and its affiliates 6 to carry out plots specifically against the United States.

NPR's Rachel Martin.

The Taliban is vowing 7 to retake its former stronghold in southern Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman says more than 100 militants 8 flooded Kandahar, including men they say escaped in a bold prison break last month.

At least three women reportedly have been shot dead by Syrian forces outside the seaside city of Baniyas. NPR's Kelly McEvers reports Baniyas is a hotbed of anti-government protests and the latest to be surrounded by regime forces.

Human rights activists 10 told news agencies the victims had joined an all-women protest on a road near Baniyas. Residents say tanks and soldiers stormed into the city at dawn and have cut electricity and phones. The same has reportedly happened in at least two other cities. A similar government takeover in the southern city of Daraa lasted 10 days and claimed dozens of lives. The Syrian government claims it's rooting out terrorists. The decentralized group that's been leading the protest, for the first time, has issued specific demands. On a Facebook page, the group calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop shooting at demonstrators, permit peaceful demonstrations 11, release all political prisoners and allow free elections in six months' time. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

Residents in western Tennessee and southwest Kentucky are on edge as the Mississippi River flood crest 12 moves downstream. Charlie Tipton, who owns a 3,000-acre farm just north of Memphis, Tennessee, is braced 13 for the worst.

"We are actually in the flood plain, so we're used to high waters. We're used to flood, but never went this high."

The river near Memphis is expected to crest on Wednesday at 48 feet, just below the all-time record set in 1937.

This is NPR.

Post time is just two hours away, and NPR's Mike Pesca has this preview of the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Uncle Mo is a no-go as that promising 14 colt, winner of our four of its five races, has not been able to beat a puzzling internal ailment 15 that has slowed him down. Uncle Mo is listed as the second favorite. The favorite remains 16 Dialed In, trained by the estimable Nick Zito. Calvin Borel, the jockey who rode three of the last four Derby winners, almost didn't have a mount in this race, but he will be riding Twice the Appeal at 20: 1 shot. Overall, the field of horses has been kindly 17 described as undistinguished, but less notable collections have gone on to produce horses that would be seen as great. No horse has run all three Triple Crown races since Affirmed in 1978. Mike Pesca, NPR News.

The FBI says it was a sting. Lawyers for a Somali-American teenager accused of trying to detonate a bomb at an Oregon holiday tree lighting 18 argue that it was entrapment 19. Mohamed Mohamud's attorneys say e-mails from an FBI agent show that he was coerced 20 to violence. They say that's enough proof to show Mohamud's innocence 21.

The US military has sent a new satellite into space. The satellite launched today from Cape 9 Canaveral Air Force Station will provide missile warning, missile defense 22, battlefield reconnaissance and technical intelligence.

Nine days after President Barack Obama released his birth certificate to show he was born in the United States, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has done the same. Jindal's birth certificate shows he was born in Baton 23 Rouge 24 to immigrant parents from India, who had green cards for permanent residency. That means the Republican is eligible 25 to run for president if he should choose.