A Special & A Documentary

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'AC360' American Al-Qaeda Special; O'Brien's Documentary Reviewed

By Kevin Allocca on May 06, 2010 12:02 PM

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Next week on "AC360," CNN correspondent Nic Robertson examines the life of Bryan Neal Vinas, a young man from Long Island who was convicted of supporting Al-Qaeda terrorist plots. Release in the jump. Another note, Anderson Cooper anchors the show from Nashville, Tennessee tonight following flooding in the area.

Also, NY Daily News' David Hinkley reviews Soledad O'Brien's "touching new documentary 'Rescued.'"

Exclusive and Intimate Television Portrait of an All American Boy Plotting with Al-Qaeda to kill Americans

American Al-Qaeda: The Path to Terror, An Anderson Cooper 360º Series

A CNN special titled American Al -Qaeda will air the week of May 10th on Anderson Cooper 360°, and will bring viewers the chilling story of how a young American from Long Island, New York, became an al-Qaeda terrorist. The special is filled with exclusives details about the life of Bryant Neal Vinas, including interviews with his family, best friend, neighbor, and confidants. Before he was caught, Bryant Neal Vinas traveled to Pakistan, connected with Al-Qaeda leaders, participated in three Al-Qaeda training sessions, fired at U.S. troops and helped plot a terrorist plan aimed at the Long Island Rail Road system with the intention of killing American civilians.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson, along with CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank and CNN senior producer Ken Shiffman, spent almost a year uncovering how and why Bryant Neal Vinas went from a quiet teenager who grew up in suburbia to a jihadist. Our team has tracked Vinas' story across three continents and will provide a definitive account of his transformation with the help of family, close friends and top counter-terrorism officials.

AC360° will also provide an exclusive interview with the man in Pakistan who counter terrorism officials suspect helped Vinas connect with jihadists. The Series will also include exclusive access to a letter Bryant wrote in prison and sent to his best friend. The series will also air on CNN International.

The American Al-Qaeda special investigation follows other in-depth reports featured on Anderson Cooper 360º including a look into the church of Scientology, the Secrets of the High Costs of Medicine, Childhood Obesity, and Homicide in Hollenbeck.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.